《Have to Ketchum All! - Pokémon SI》


 Chapter 1

    You ever just die then somehow find that you ended up reincarnated in some other world that you''ve been familiar with ever since you bought a set of VHS tapes along with a multitude of games that follow or sometimes deviate from the tried and true patterns of the past?


    No? Well, good because I wouldn''t wish upon any of you all to experience the utter hell of being aware of your own birth and the following demeaning child rearing that came along with it.


    Now¡­ugh, okay, I''ll just skip all pretense because using prose and referential words that imply what you''re already getting (or completely missing) is tiresome and seriously killing my deep meditative trance that helps my focus.


    *SNORE~!*


    Ignore that.


    Anyways, to cut things short.


    I died, experienced a huge WTF moment when I saw my new mom being helped and aided by a doctor, an extremely familiar yet attractive pink-haired nurse, and an egg-shaped creature crying "Chansey! Chansey! Chansey!".


    I was reborn into the world of Pok¨¦mon, or Pocket Monsters if you preferred the full name of the franchise¡­which is technically now the World I live in.


    Soon using phrases likes "Oh dear Arceus" and "Letting sleeping Growlithes lie" became a natural stable in my new life here. But none of that was important. What was important was the opportunity to live out my wildest dreams of being able to interact with and train these fantastical beasts that had been a significant part in my childhood to young adolescence.


    Also being a huge fan of lore and getting the lay of the land of a fictional universe''s laws and society, I was overly enthused when I enrolled as one of the few students to be taught by THE Professor Oak. A living legend of a pok¨¦mon Trainer, who was Kanto''s old champion for over ten years, and the world''s most influential researcher in the field of pok¨¦mon studies.


    It helped to have parents who are old friends/students under him to help give me some ease into becoming chosen amongst the other children in my age bracket at school. I''d call it nepotism, but it only got me 25% of the way there when earning the Professor''s eye and eventually his future sponsorship.


    You see, when I realized where and when I was plopped in this new world, I decided to abuse my meta knowledge of the anime and mostly the games to my advantage. It wasn''t super hard to get high passing marks and patiently observe and carefully interact with any pok¨¦mon brought into standard classes.


    Well, it''s all of that or the fact that I became quick friends with his grand-d¡­


    Never mind.


    So my new life''s goal as a Pok¨¦mon Trainer was immediately locked in as I and a couple of trainers were tested and educated by the professor himself, who was just a joy and a treat to be around. The old man''s enthusiasm about pok¨¦mon in general was just infectious and how he treated everyone from his students to even strangers was just so fatherly that it made me jealous of my childhood friend for having him as a grandfather.


    But to get back on topic, I managed to work my butt off to learn as much as possible about the world without taking any expense to goof off and simply play around with pok¨¦mon like the others were wont to do. Unlike a certain twerpish, hat wearing pain in the butt, I had to actually plan things out for the nine-month duration of the Kanto Pok¨¦mon League Circuit.


    In summation, things followed the usual tropes. You needed at least 8 badges to be eligible for the Pok¨¦mon League that''s held every nine months, and since this was real life, you didn''t need to go to just the standard 8 gyms and towns as shown in the games to be eligible. The Kanto Region is huge with loads of towns and cities with their own gyms. Though they aren''t as significant as the well-recognized 8 gyms, they still are counted as legit by the League.


    Which is why I worked super hard to get sponsored by Professor Oak so I can live the dream and challenge the iconic 8 gym leaders. Now I''ve been saying the word "sponsor" for a while now, so I''ll explain the crucial importance of it.


    Being a Pok¨¦mon Trainer is¡­stressful.


    The games and anime do amehjob to convey it since it''s mostly conveying how awesome it is to work and train with pok¨¦mon. However, in a real world''s sense, everything costs money. From food costs, stable costs (your pok¨¦mon have to go somewhere if you have more than six), lodging costs, and etcetera. A sponsorship by a regional professor, a corporation, gym or even a highly competent Pok¨¦mon Breeder would help you reap rewards.


    Not taking Professor Oak''s offer as a sponsor, a caretaker for my pok¨¦mon in his pok¨¦mon ranch, provider of my pok¨¦dex, and extremely helpful counsellor during my journey would be downright stupid. Opportunities like that don''t come around for just about anyone, and so I grasped it with both hands with no hesitation.


    In order to be a Pok¨¦mon Trainer, you need to have the essentials ready beyond simply being a competent trainer otherwise you''d be struggling to properly prep and care for your pok¨¦mon in future battles.


    The tried and true, "rite of passage" for eleven-year-olds (yeah, it''s a weird arbitrary difference from the game/anime''s presented ten years of age, but not one too bothersome) was basically a chance for future trainers to go off into the world, take their own lives into their own hands, and figure out the next course of their life.


    Many from my age group, who weren''t chosen to be Professor Oak''s students and sponsored trainers, left town as Pok¨¦mon Trainers and either came back with a new career goal in mind after the lifestyle didn''t appeal to them, or simplycouldn''tmake it as a trainer. Some of the defeated looks of some of my old pals were disheartening to say the least. It either came down to them not being properly educated on training, tactics, or having enough personal funds that could last them for the nine months in order to challenge the gyms, get their badges, and be eligible to enter the Indigo Plateau Conference.


    That''sifyou can even defeat the gym leaders, plan around losses, and reschedule a new challenge that won''t eat into the time you left to complete the circuit in nine months. Plus, you had to take into account the amount of supplies that''s used to feed and care for yourself and your pok¨¦mon during the process. After all, this wasn''t a game, you can''t just turn off and on the Gameboy and Nintendo DS after you lose to make as though you didn''t lose the battle and wasted all of your items.


    The customary relinquishing of pok¨¦dollars after an agreed to match between trainers along with local tournaments (if you were lucky to stumble upon one) could keep you rolling, but just relying on that wouldn''t be enough to last you long.


    Especially when anything can happen in the wilds out of civilization.


    Now after finally getting all of that exposition out of the way, allow me to finally introduce my-


    *YAWN~!*


    Mys-


    *YAAAWN!*


    Okay, so I''ll introduce myself later¡­


    Probably in like an hour¡­or two¡­


    *SLAM!*


    I groaned and tried to bury my head under my sheets as the annoying pitter-patter of feet scurried across the wooden flooring to reach my side of the bed.


    "Hey, bro! Time to wake up!"


    "No¡­" I groaned and tightly kept my eyes shut.


    "But mom told me to wake you up so you could take me to school since she''s going straight to the work at the caf¨¦!" I winced and turned over in bed, hoping that would give the energetic voice a hint that I wanted to be left alone. "Pleeeeease~!"


    "Just ask mom to call Daisy so she can take both you and Gary then¡­" And leave me the heck alone to rest.


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    "Mom did that." Awww, seriously? I might have worried for my safety for throwing Daisy under the bus like that, but it really makes me happy and love my new life''s mother even more for being considerate. "Then she was told by Mr. Oak that Daisy was called in early by Prof. Oak for work. So she wants you to take meandGary to school."


    Damn it! Sometimes it also sucks to have such a nice, considerate parent who volunteers you for crap without your say too¡­


    Eh, who am I kidding, I''d still take a bullet for her¡­and my disaster-prone, hyperactive kid brother.


    So with an overly-dramatic groan, I sat up from bed, wiped the crust from my eyes, blink them open to look at my well-organized¡­fuck, who let Cleo in my room during the night again? She''s starting to shed ag-! You know what I''ll save my ire for later and choose not to give her anymore snacks for today because I''m petty like that.


    Now was the time for me to get up, get ready and¡­


    I looked to the curious pair of brown eyes staring up at me while wearing the super iconic hat from my past life''s childhood despite it still being too big for his head. I have to keep reminding myself that I had to thank Mr. Goodshow for answering my quick little favor before I left the Conference.


    It might have given Ash a big head once the commercial for the limited offer for the 99 hats (originally 100 from what I remembered from the anime) was broadcasted. But it made the little twerp happy, so I allowed it.


    I smiled and roughly ruffled his hair through his hat much to his childish indignation. "H-Hey, quit it!"


    I chuckled as he lamely batted my hand away. After a moment of suffering his huffing and pouting, I smiled. "Welp, I''m up now so lets go." I yawned then scratched the back of my head. "Man, what a pain, and I really wanted to sleep in today too."


    "But bro, you''ve been sleeping in almost every day though!" I flicked him on the nose for being wise guy. "Ow! What was that for?"


    "For not understanding the importance of a man''s beauty sleep."


    "But isn''t that for gir-ow!"


    "Shut up and get ready." I scanned him from top to bottom and noticed that I wasn''t the only one in my jammies and sighed. "And is mom still here?" I got up from bed and started making my way out of my room.


    "Nuh-uh, she left just after making us breakfast!" Ash happily hopped from foot to foot behind me.


    Which meant that Jubilee went with her. "That sucks¡­" Really, it was always such a pleasant experience to say good morning to her, but I looked on the bright side. "So, what did she make?"


    "Oran berry pancakes!"


    "Yes!" I quietly fist pumped to myself. "Well, I''ll be down to distribute the food myself after I''m done getting ready." I grabbed my towel off my desk''s seat and went for the bathroom.


    "I can do it!" My gluttonous little brother offered.


    "No."


    "But mom said-!"


    "No is no, Ash." I shook my head with a tired, good-natured smile at the pouting kid as he crossed his arms and pointedly looked away from me. "Now if you''ll excuse me, I have a shower that''s calling my na-."


    And emerging from the shadows of the dark bathroom door was quite a shocking surprise¡­if it were anyone but me. The popped out eyes, tongue and creepy visage of a Gengar ambushed me and Ash.


    My little brother hopped back behind me in fear as I stared blankly at the Ghost pok¨¦mon.


    I blinked.


    Then blinked again.


    Before I smiled and held up six fingers. "Eh, 6 out of 10. Next time, you should wait for me to open the door then go all out with terrifying the crap outta me. Otherwise, I''ll be able to anticipate you. Good try though, Kidd."


    "Gen!" Click your tongue all you want pal, but we''re no longer in your home base of Lavender Town. You might be able to scare hapless rubes who strolled into you and your friend''s tower, but I''ve essentially grown past being taken off guard and screaming like a little bitch.


    I laughed and petted my mischievous Ghost type pok¨¦mon on the head. "Hey, don''t be like that, Kidd. You almost had me for like a whole sec-." Ah, he was starting to shift through the ground. "H-Hey, where are you going?" I did my best (and failed) to hide the laughter in my voice. "Don''t be like that! Just try harder next time and you''ll have me peeing my pants in no time."


    "Ew! You actually want that to happen?" My six-year old little brother let his tongue hang out in disgust.


    "Of course not, but it''s mostly to cheer Kidd u-." I blinked and noticed that Kidd was long gone¡­


    ¡­I also noticed that every painting and picture in the hallway was turned upside down¡­


    ¡­Petty little bastard¡­


    I sighed and mentally reminded myself to fix the problem, and ball Kidd so he wouldn''t do it again when mom comes back. I didn''t want to get another lecture of disappointment from her because it reallyhurtswhenever she gave methatlook.


    "Be on the look out once I''m in. I don''t want Kidd to cause any last-minute stirs when we''re ready to leave." I groaned.


    "Okay, but only if you let me take Kamina to school tomorrow!" Ugh, this again? I rolled my eyes and shook my head in swift denial.


    "Ash, no."


    "Oh come on~! My friends say that they want to see it, and I promised!" Ash whined.


    "It wasn''t a promise for you to make in the first place. Unless it''s "Bring your Pok¨¦mon" to school day, then I can''t willingly bring Kamina into school without disrupting classes and getting in trouble."


    "B-But what about after school?"


    "No."


    "O-Okay, then what about Epona?" Ash asked.


    "No." Because I don''t want to deal with a bunch of kids potentially hurting themselves from either falling off her back or burning themselves in the attempt to ride her.


    "Macaque?"


    "No." Besides, Macaque''s still bitter about the Conference and would probably snub anything besides training as an annoyance¡­or simply punch the distraction in the face.


    "Dartz?"


    "Hard no." Beedrill + Kids = Big trouble for me.


    "Sylvie?"


    "She''s at Professor Oak''s lab until further notice...*SIGH!*or until she gives them the slip again." Now if only she would stop freaking out and sneak back home (here) whenever the old professor and Daisy weren''t busy.


    "Ki-Kidd?" I narrowed my eyes at his last desperate attempt.


    "Are you serious?" That was the final nail in the coffin as Ash slumped down.


    I sighed and rolled my eyes. I''m probably going to regret this, but¡­ "Look, I can''t let you take one, but¡­"


    Soon a high-pitched scream belonging to a woman resonated from outside of the house.


    ¡­And knowing a certain pok¨¦mon that''s out there watching everything like a hawk¡­


    "Shit!"


    "Swear jar!"


    "Not now Ash, you get ready first!" I dropped my towel and rushed down the stairs. "Make sure to remember to brush your teeth too!"


    "Okay!"


    I later found out that the little twerp forgot just mid-way through the trip from dropping him and Gary off at school.


    As I rushed down stairs, I took account of the expanded living room and kitchen.


    Why?


    Because for one, Cleo, our family''s pok¨¦mon (more specifically mom''s) was napping on the couch in the living. And two, I found out where Kidd had vanished off two.


    "Gen! Gengar! Gen!" The smug prick was using the fine china, utensils and glass cups to make towers on dining room table.


    "Hey, no! Stop!" I scolded the Ghost pok¨¦mon, but he simply pulled his eyelid down, stuck his tongue at me then vanished¡­again.


    "I''ll deal with you later¡­and you¡­" I growled and pointed at the Persian still napping on our couch without a care in the world.


    After making my declaration, I rushed out through the front door and rushed to the source of the noise. But not before greeting my old friend resting on the large slab of stone just to right side of the lawn.


    "Good morning, Asch." I received a small huff of acknowledgement from the slumbering of Charizard. A part of me was jealous that my Starter didn''t have to deal with morning shenanigans like this while the other part was amazed that he could sleep through Sparrow terrorizing the mailman (the source of the feminine screams).


    Speaking of that¡­


    "Sparrow! No! Drop him! Drop him right now!" I commanded the usually gruff and overprotective Fearow to drop the nice man.


    "Fe! Fea-Fearow!" The pok¨¦mon tried to argue with me, but I just wouldn''t have it.


    "Drop him! Now¡­" I glowered.


    The important step when communicating with your pok¨¦mon was establishing dominance, otherwise they''d walk over you. And so reluctantly, Sparrow complied and allowed the poor frazzled mailman to be placed on the ground before vigilantly returning to scope out for any dangers to the house and it''s occupants.


    I sighed at how serious the pok¨¦mon was and rushed over to help out the poor mailman out.


    "I''m so sorry about that, sir." I helped pat him clean. "Sparrow just gets super protective and overdoes it sometime, Mr. Fee-!" Ah, I blinked and observed that I was speaking to a different mailman today. Looks like they gave Mr. Feenie another route after last week''s incident . "Especially around strangers! He''s very protective and gets territorial, and-!"


    "No need to apologize, kid." The mailman chuckled and waved it off. "I once got chased around by an Arcanine when I used to work over at Celadon city." I wince at the imagination of such a scenario. "Compared to that, this was actually mild at best for my first round in this place."


    "¡­Okay." I chose not to bring up how he screamed like a little girl. Mostly because I didn''t want to piss him off about my pok¨¦mon''s rough treatment with him and simply because I''ve screamed like a bitch before and wanted to help preserve his dignity.


    "Here''s your mail, Mr. Ketchum." He handed me a whole stack from his bag then waved goodbye. "By the way, I heard from your neighbors, and just wanted to say congratulations for making it to the Finals. Until next time, Mr. Luke Ketchum."


    He waved goodbye and I appreciatively waved goodbye back. "Yeah, later and thanks¡­"


    I tiredly sighed as I looked at the letters sent to me and glanced at a few.


    "Issued request and invitation to Char¡­Val¡­, sponsorship offer from Silph Co., another freaking request from some random professor to study Sylvie¡­" I stopped and blinked. "Huh, a letter from the Laramie family? I don''t think enough time has passed for another Free-for-all race to be rea-."


    *CRAAAAAAASH!*


    I winced and hesitantly looked back through the front door to spot a sheepish Ash,who was supposed to be in the flipping shower, standing next to the towers of stacked kitchen ware and plates with the just as guilty frozen Gengar beside him. The two of them went stock still as I intensely gazed at them then the incredible mess of broken china around them.


    "He did it!" / "Gen-gengar!"


    I facepalmed as the two of them accused each other and went into a full blown argument to avoid getting punished.


    Jokes on them, I''m snitching on both of them to mom, who''ll probably get mad at me too for not keeping better eye on them¡­


    "Ugh¡­"


    I glared at the slight snort made from my Charizard, who was definitely pretending to nap at this point before resigning myself to going along with the flow of this accursed morning routine.


    Hello, everyone, my name is Luke Ketchum.


    Twelve years old and pok¨¦mon trainer to Pallet Town, who recently accomplished his Kanto Gym circuit.


    And welcome to my life as I try to enjoy the down period for this current League circuit to plan out my new set course in the World of Pok¨¦mon.

 Chapter 2

    Neither the games nor real life could ever hold a candle to real life.


    Sorry, I guess that would sound pretty random all of a sudden. Still, I couldn''t get over how liberating Pallet Town was after being born and raised in it these past twelve years. Open grass plains that stretch far and wide past the boundaries of the quaint, humble town. The rushing network of the rivers that connect with the southern ocean, not too far from the local bay, flowing right past each dirt trail.


    Ugh¡­I''m probably butchering things by not being trying to make my words too colorful. In all, Pallet Town seemed like the definition of a rural town that made all the so called rural towns in my past life look like a joke¡­well at least the ones that weren''t in a third-world country.


    A quiet, considerable town just barely on the outskirts of being in the middle of nowhere. Sure, it was common for folks to come over here by plane, boat, or vehicle as most trainers who want to traditionally start their Kanto circuit when either coming from abroad or have been given express permission to receive a starter from the Legendary Professor Oak himself. Yet, they''d never fully stay for long as Pallet was simply just a stepping stone for most of them.


    Beyond that, Pallet Town was about as simple as you can get. The community''s super close, so being born and raised here, I practically knew almost every resident here. Which made all the Uncles, Aunties, and Grannies we have reach the double digits. Being originally from a world much more cynical, I was at first skeptical, but the warmth of everyone in town who willingly helped my family out with no incentive for compensation¡­well, it softened me up a tad bit.


    "Good morning, boys! Here have yourselves some Tamato berries, they''ll warm you right up! Ah, don''t give me that look, Luke, when you reach my age you''ll learn to appreciate spicier foods."


    Miss Jenkins didn''t need to give mom so many discounts for the sets of berries that she fostered in her plantation.


    "Hmph, finally balled that blasted Fearow of yours, huh, brat? Well, do so BEFORE it''s waking time! The oversized bird scared away all of the Dodrio before they could do their early morning calls! I almost slept in, and you tell your brother to stop leaving his things on my law-. Hey, where are you three going!? Get back here, I ain''t finished with you yet!"


    Neither did Mr. Grouse, who was your typical grumpy old neighbor that didn''t have to volunteer himself to constantly visit our home to care for my illness and watch over a super young Ash when Mom was busy trying to work overtime with her two jobs at Ms. Diane''s Bakery and the Showers family''s botanical garden.


    ¡­Okay, so it''s called a Nursery, but it''s mostly an area where they preserve exotic plants than simply just Grass Pok¨¦mon.


    And above all else, the mayor and everyone didn''t need to come together to help ease our grief when¡­


    Yeah.


    Say what you will about Pallet Town probably being a Podunk town in the boonies, I will always declare myself as a part of it with pride.


    "I bet I can eat my crepes faster than yours!" Declared my rambunctious and obnoxious little brother.


    "Hmph! Get real, Ashy-boy. I''m actually taking the time to enjoy this. Besides, I''m already half-way done to finishing my own, so it wouldn''t even be a competition." Snidely remarked my brother''s best friend, who should seriously stop trying to act so cool.


    "Oh, really!? Well, I''ll eat the whole thing in one bite right now!" And risk having to explain to mom why you almost choked to death on route to school? Nah, bro, you have to chill.


    "Don''t. Inhale. Your. Food. Buds." I spoke with a level of joviality mixed in with some much needed sternness when handling a couple of seven-year olds.


    "But-!"


    "Do you really want me to tell mom that you''re about to choke yourself again?" Ash blanched at my "innocent" suggestion. Nothing but soft foods hand fed by her and his teachers for a whole month. That''s literally on the lower scale of Delia Ketchum''s Mama Bear meter, trust me.


    "No¡­"


    "Good." I twitched at the light snort coming from the other clever gremlin joining us this cold February morning down this dirt road to school. "Don''t think I forgot about you, Gary. Do you really want me to spill how quick you got to half of your snack in less than a minute since Miss Diane gave it to us?"


    The "coolest" kid in his whole grade division coughed up a lung at my threat. Yeah, you''re not slick, Gary. I saw how you were munching away at your crepes and pounding your chest whenever Ash wasn''t looking.


    Yep, right now it was just me, Ash, and Gary Oak walking down the roads of town to get them to school on time. We were pushing it a little late because someone forgot to brush their teeth and had odor just as bad as tauros crap. I was both embarrassed and glad for Ash''s embarrassment by Gary nonstop laughter until we remedied the issue at his home.


    Thank the good souls of the Oak family for having a spare toothbrush that Ash forgot from one of his countless sleepovers with them. Since the day I was born, our two families have always been considerate to each other. It pretty much helped that both family''s children were agemates and thus easy to shove together to become close friends.


    Especially in the frustrating case of one side having a son and the other having a daughter, thus causing shenanigans still to this day.


    I really didn''t like the way Mrs. Oak looked at me when she gave me Daisy''s packed lunch that she mysteriously forgot to take with her to the Professor''s lab. I''d call taurosshit on account that Daisy forgot to take her favorite homemade fruit salad or more like a "death" salad with all the freaky berries that she added to it. Like who even needs that many spicy Tamato berries?


    So, there were only two possibilities here. A) She either left it here as bait for me to take so she can force me to be up and active today; or B) Her parents swiped it out before she left and plotted this. Either way, I''m still stooge who''s going through the motions of their plans for like the hundredth time or whatever.


    Waving and saying hello to the other denizens of Pallet Town became an ingrained habit for anyone, who lives here. The kids did their usual innocent spiel of being in awe of any passing pok¨¦mon or pok¨¦mon battles in the vast plains surrounding town.


    It was honestly endearing that they''d maintain such a relentless enthusiasm for the creatures when they''re an inseparable part of our everyday lives. I mean, it''s hypocritical for me to say that since the appeal of having real life pok¨¦mon around me was basically living the dream. But to some extent after my first actual battle and licensure as an official trainer, some battles became¡­mundane.


    Like the current battle that I had to urge the boys to walk past between two youngsters having their respective pok¨¦mon of Rattata and Spearow. Watching battles were as fun as being in them, but seeing one between beginners can be a little boring to watch. All that battle amounted to was watching Rattata try to tackle Spearow to unconsciousness while Spearow tried to peck Rattata''s brains out with its beak.


    No carefully used tactics whatsoever. Just two pok¨¦mon banging against each other until one falls over. Sure, you could call that battling when you''re just a beginner, but you wouldn''t be surprised by how many grown trainers love to brute force everything just because they can. No, a true battle is one where you take your pok¨¦mon''s typing, nature, ability, and moves into account. There wasn''t any rule that states that you had to use their moves conventionally or linearly like a video game. This was real life and pok¨¦mon plus the trainer (me) possessed more agency.


    Which gave way to imagination and unlocked so many possibilities on where to go with your party. Me personally, I didn''t discriminate on what types I wanted save for a few favorites that took precedent. Like Asch, I had to work my butt off to earn the right to choose him first. I had other motives for studying my butt off at such a young age because the few chosen by Prof. Oak were ranked in the order of who''ll get to choose their starter first.


    So naturally the highest scorer in his class gets first pick, the seconds scorer gets second pick and onwards.


    Not that anyone besides the old, past Daisy was too upset about it. I was elated at the opportunity to get Charmander and see out the plans I made for the circuit through while Joey¡­oh god Joey he was a blubbering mess at the opportunity to even get to choose a Kantonian starter. I mean I wasn''t, but almost everyone including him was when he was noted to be the third top scorer amongst the five students that Professor Oak chose.


    Out of all of the other students, who would have guessed that the orphan amongst us with the least support would make it as one of Prof. Oak''s top 3 students? I mean, I contributed to some of that support with some good knowledge that I shared with the kid. If this were some standard shounen manga, he''d be your typical underdog protagonist, and having a soft-spot for those sorts of guys, I helped.


    I wonder how he''s doing in the Orange Archipelago. Hehe, the dork was so heated that he dropped out in Top 16 of the Conference before he could face me, that he immediately took off to the next challenge to one up my achievement by beating their league. Yup, the Kanto/Johto Circuit may run for the full nine months of the year (starting April and ending in December), but the Orange Island''s League was basically year long. As for the reason, well, it''s a bit much to clarify in a single sitting without getting into why Hoenn has a full ten month Gym circuit. Uh...before some confusion sets in, it''s not because of anything the Orange Islands did, it would just be a lot of comparison between the Indigo League, Hoenn League, and Orange Island''s League, which I''m sure no one wants to hear a complete lecture on.


    So once January hit, he already took off on his Blastoise and left us a note. We didn''t hear word from him until a week later. Apparently, the coast guard managed to dredge him from the shores of Valencia Island.


    Professor Oak was rightfully pissed and worried but managed to leave him in the care of a close colleague of his.


    Wonder how far along he is by now¡­


    "Hey, bro, you look like you have something on your mind?"


    "Something wrong?"


    Huh, guess I was in my head again. "Nothing really. Just thinking about how quiet it is without Joey here."


    "I know! Joey would have eaten all of his crepes in under 10 seconds if he were here!" I don''t know how my thoughts about him led to that train of thought little brother, but you just keep being yourself. "I hope he''s doing okay. He hasn''t called in a while."


    "Nah. Don''t worry about it, Luke and Ashy-boy. The less we hear about the tryhard the better, otherwise he''d be giving Gramps more of a headache." Gary waved it off.


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    "Come on, Gary don''t be like that. You must be worried t-ow!" No matter how many times I pinched them, Ash''s cheeks will forever be soft to the touch.


    "Let it go." I laughed at the boy''s incessant flailing and cries of "why''s" while looking at Gary. The boy chose not to look directly at me. "I guess in a way, you''re right. Only means that he''s doing fine."


    "Hmph. Like I care." Gary snorted and still refused to look at me.


    My smile widened. "You''re a good kid, Gary."


    "T-Tch, of course I am. After all, I''m Gary Oa-ouuuuuch!" You can be cool later, just let me enjoy pinching both of your adorable cheeks. "Qwwuiit it!"


    "Sorry, couldn''t resist myself." I laughed.


    "Then staaaaaaaaawp~!"


    "I''m trying." I lied.


    "Bwjhbavdygasy!" Ash gibbered. Thankfully after seven years of experience dealing with my baby brother''s nonsensical gibberish, I could translate.


    "Yes, yes, you''re a good kid too, Ash." The boy had the decency to puff up in pride before remembering that his cheeks were getting pulled off by yours truly. Then the two got into a fight about who between the pair of them were the #1 greatest kid while getting the cheek meat pulled and twisted like taffy. Seriously, they''ll fight over anything. We did reach their school by the way, and I did want to make the drop off as smooth and as quick as possible, so I waved them goodbye and turned to head straight to my next destination.


    "Bye, bro! See you later!" Ash enthusiastically waved goodbye with Gary trailing beside him with a sheepish look on his face while leaning closer to my brother.


    "¡­Is he seriously going to see gramps and sis looking like that?" Hah, I can hear you, y''know.


    Besides, I think I''m dressed appropriately for this outing. If anyone has a problem with it (*COUGH!* Daisy *COUGH!*) then they''ll just have to deal with it. I''m already putting in the minimum amount of effort, and just didn''t want to be too extra. All I need are my pair of goggles, and I''m square.


    So waving goodbye to my brother, his best friend, and his snickering backpack, I snatched a nearby blade of grass and¡­


    Hold on.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Okay, so after returning Kidd into his pokeball, publicly chastising my little brother who plotted with the sneaky Ghost pok¨¦mon to possess his backpack, and humbly apologized with him to his teacher, I left the building and grabbed a blade of grass.


    I wasn''t ignorant to the countless pair of curious eyes on me as I intentionally moved to the side of the Academy where Ash''s class was being held. I could already hear the clamoring of the children pressing themselves up against the windows and the very same teacher I apologized to shrieking at them to return to their seats. Yeesh, I''m probably making their job hard on them.


    Welp, time to make it even harder for them. Plus, it''s probably time I call her in and take her to the lab to get some eats. Arceus forbid her for being too in love with the sheer expanse of Pallet Town''s landscape.


    As I gently blew into the stray bit of grass in my hands, memories of my past life filled me with a distant memory. One where instead of playing pok¨¦mon, I enjoyed a refreshing game of a brave young boy saving a kingdom and a princess from a green ginger pigman. It was always a memory that I held dear since it was a game that I enjoyed sharing with my old cousins.


    And so, in commemoration of it, I sang a jaunty tune that always cleared my head after a hard day. It couldn''t beat the lullabies that mom sang us, but it helped centered me whenever I get a little "homesick". The melodious hymns released from my impromptu instrument tickled my lips as I caught the faint sounds of galloping grow louder with each minute that I took to extend the song.


    The irritating sound of hooves coming to a crackling halt on the grassy terrain and the emergence of a huge oncoming dirt/dust cloud was a nice place to conclude the song. "Good morning, Epona."


    My trusty and beautiful Rapidash released an overly enthused snort as she strode up closer to lick me on the cheek and show her delight in meeting me this morning. "Haha, it''s nice to see you too girl. I take it that you enjoyed your morning run?"


    I laughed, a bit exasperated with how breathless she was and yet still look raring to run another full ten laps around the town AND it''s outer plains. I had to hand it to the Laramies, they sure do know how to breed and raise top of the line racing pok¨¦mon.


    Patting the side of her muzzle, I chuckled and pointed in the distance. The clamoring and shouting from behind me was starting to grow. Yeah, weighing between showing off and preventing more trouble for the poor teachers, I chose to direct Rapidash''s attention to the well-known facility on a faraway hill in all of Pallet Town.


    "I have a bit of an errand to run, so I''ll need your help getting to the Professor''s place. You think you can handle a 70 kilometer trip in under 15 minutes?"


    Dear Arceus does this girl love to run. Stop it with that look, and don''t breathe so hard! This should just be an ordinary trek for you. Ugh, whatever. Delicately, I hopped onto the pok¨¦mon''s back, unharmed by her passionate flames and gave one last wave back to the school children who were-oh god they were beginning to climb out the windows!


    Better dip.


    "Be good everyone! Let''s go, Epona¡­" With a mighty whinnying heave upward that almost had me falling off her back. Relishing in the joys of running once more, my big racing freak of a pok¨¦mon''s hooves planted themselves on the grassy ground and shot off like a bullet. Heck, I doubt even a bullet can reach the speeds that Rapidash was showing me.


    Until I adjusted my sight to be aware of my surroundings, everything was just a mash of green-blue blurs. Asking for Epona to slow down was like asking for a Snorlax to stop eating mid-meal. My fiery steed loved to race, much more than battling. Sure, she loved to throwdown with other challenges like most pok¨¦mon, but the origin of her roots was firmly locked in.


    Her and Asch were similar in that regard. My starter was an absolute unit in battle and showed great zest for the art of combat while Rapidash showed an unrelenting drive for a race, win or lose. Such passion really exemplified their stature as fire-type pok¨¦mon. Too bad they''re passion for their drive overpowered the interest both shared in each other.


    Still, I envied my Charizard so much. The lazy jerk got to rest at home all day, while I''m stuck in another ploy to get me out of bed on top of being pushed to "coincidentally" give my childhood friend her forgotten lunch. I swear, no matter the world, parents just love to ship their kids with their friends''. You get caught up in a spoilt girl''s big tiff and now everyone thinks you''re a thing.


    A reminder, I am twelve years old and that abridged telling of my predicament has been happening since I was four.


    *SIGH!* Well, I actually had some things to talk about with Professor Oak, and it would be nice to visit them and see if everything''s fine down at the lab. Prof. Oak''s lab was always like a second home away from home for me. Now of course you''d say it''s because of the superstructure of Samuel Oak''s 200 acres of land, which accommodated for every type of pok¨¦mon under his care. That long list includes those sponsored by him, formerly sponsored, close friends, and a majority of the retired trainers who settled down in Pallet Town.


    A month ago, I had to help keep track of the total population and counted up to a whopping 136 pokemon on the premise, both balled up and left out in the sanctuary. It made my measly contribution of a mere 13 pok¨¦mon seem like a drop in the bucket. Even more so with me swapping a few out to be at home with me at a time with Asch always being a staple at my home due to good old Starter nepotism.


    The others didn''t mind¡­well, everyone except Sylvie didn''t mind.


    Still everything''s been running smoothly. Now it was barely eight minutes and we were already nearing the good old professor''s research facility. The front door was but a mere couple of miles away, and right there. But so were the boarded fences with the typical "KEEP OUT" and "BEWARE RELEASED POK¨¦MON AHEAD" signs. The Professor never skimps out on safety and keeping nosey little brats out, he invested in some pretty damn tall fences. So tall that they reached half of our two story home''s height.


    Now I could take the stairs all the way up to the front door¡­


    Or¡­


    I could use my hopped up Rapidash''s need for speed to leap over the fence and meet up with the professor and Daisy through the back door. Now I''ll need time to carefully think this over. Ah, whoops! Mid-thought I already gave Epona the command with a light pat, and was already soaring through the air like a freaking Braviary! I failed to restrain my laughter as Epona released a joyous whinny of glee at overcoming the steep feat despite already doing so many times in the past.


    The rough touchdown was to be expected, still I almost threw up my breakfast all over Epona''s back. She might have been extremely loyal, but even she had her limits and wouldn''t hesitate to kick me off. Now welcome one and all to Prof. Oak''s Sanctuary, well, it''s officially the Corral, but me and the other sponsored trainers from my class year like to call it the Sanctuary. Sounds more esteemed and respectful.


    Poor Professor Oak was bitter by our self-imposed title for the land for weeks.


    Anyways, it''s just as the name implies. Every pok¨¦mon, from the flock of Pidgey flying overhead the splashing Marill playing with a group of Whoopers and Shellder, and the Arbok constricting its prey of a Rattata to a tree, fangs poised at the ready. Yep, I don''t really do it justice, but there was your average mix of Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn pok¨¦mon here with Kanto and Johto being more prevalent than Hoenn.


    Also, one moment.


    "Kidd use Shadow Ball."


    After blind-siding the environmentally displaced Arbok, I checked over the wheezing Rattata and confirmed that it''s wounds were superficial and fed it a couple of nearby berries to help it regain it''s energy. Have to make a quick note to remind the Professor to check up on it for any wounds internally.


    "Good work, Kidd. Now I want you to carry this little troublemaker with us all the way to the professor." I smirked at the pok¨¦mon


    "Gen-!? Gengar Gen!" Kidd was obviously not up for walking/running all the way there. Well too bad. Not in the mood for attitude. I don''t want to hear it.


    "Yes, you. Just think of this as punishment for breaking most of the fine china at home. Also, for trying to pull a fast one at Ash''s school while I was busy getting ready."


    "Gen!" Clicking your teeth and having a bad attitude about it will only drag this out longer, y''know. Kidd might be a bit¡­much, but he was at least obedient to some extent. I was already about to be in some deep shit by the time mom comes back, so it''d be best to tide me over now then later when I''m still recovering from her scolding.


    "Alright then, now we''re off."


    And we were off, with Kidd grumbling along the way, closely following Epona and I. The tricky bastard tried to prop the unconscious Arbok on Epona''s backside, and received an indignant whinny and two hooves to the face for his troubles. The Rapidash was pretty frustrated that she wanted to, and had enough on her plate without the Ghost pok¨¦mon making trouble.


    Unfortunately my moment of enjoyed schadenfreude came to an end when we finally reached the backside of the lab, and coincidentally met one of two familiar face that I came to see. Right now she was currently scrubbing away at the scuffed and dirt covered impurities that graced the jeweled center of her Starmie.


    Nicely done shoulder-length brown hair, wonderful legs and thighs, a pair of caring yet critical chocolate brown eyes, a cute button nose, and a smattering of freckles across said nose. If I were actually my 12 year old self from my old life, I would have fallen head over heels for the moment I met her. Thank god for miracles because then that would mean me getting pushed around and letting it happen because of awkward low self-esteem.


    Yep. That girl right there is Daisy Oak. The map girl from the games and the older sister of Blue or Green if you prefer, you freaking Manga tycoons. Now in this life, she''s the older sister to Gary, the first granddaughter to Professor Oak, and my long-time childhood friend.


    And if we were to compare the sweetheart game/manga adaption of her to the one I''ve known for 8 years, I''d say that the changes were minimal in some places and obviously glaring in others.


    "I''ve arrived, and brought your self-imposed torture, Daisy!" I lazily drawled out and held the bag up for her to see while Epona trotted up to them. Kidd already dropped the Arbok and scrammed the moment I saw Daisy, the sneaky bastard¡­


    "About time. I was wondering when you''d-Are you wearing sweatpants!?" She sighed and paused as she finally looked up to notice me. Her eyes wide open and mouth agape in shock. "What? You want to drag your self-image to the ground even further by dressing like a bum on top of being so lackadaisical about your future circuit plans? Seriously, Luke, what made you think that walking around in your pajamas was a good idea?"


    "I was lazy." I shrugged and gave her more of a migraine.


    She deeply inhaled and pinched her nose''s bridge. "No, not a good enough reason, try again¡­"


    "No¡­because I don''t feel like it." I slothfully answered.


    "¡­You know I''m really starting to miss the old you, who was so wound up about the circuit a year ago." In some ways I do too, Daisy, I do too. Then I realize that the undue stress of the journey and doing what I can to support and advertise mom''s budding business was too much. So I don''t miss that part of me as much as you do.


    "Oho? Is that Luke, I hear?" And out from the building came out the one and only Samuel Motherflipping Oak, or Prof. Oak for short.


    "Hey, professor! I came over to share the majesty of my rocking threads."


    "They''re pajamas." Daisy, the hater, commented.


    "Impressive, I''d rate them a good 8/10. Good job for skillfully picking them out, Luke." Prof. Oak grinned and gave me a thumbs up, which I happily returned.


    "Well, you know. I did learn from the best."


    "They''re just pajamas."


    "Hm¡­" The professor rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Seeing you now, I suddenly feel the urge to get comfy myself. Maybe even have some of the staff do a last-minute pajama day. What do you think, Luke?"


    "I''d think, why haven''t you done it yet, Professor. Because that sounds like the best idea I''ve ever heard."


    "You two are just fucking with me now, aren''t you?" Daisy was just about with our shit.


    "Ah, language young lady!" Prof. Oak scolded his granddaughter.


    It was ineffective.


    "You know what¡­sure lets just have Pallet Town''s Golden Boy strut his stuff in nothing but his jam-jams around town. See if I care¡­I''m too tired to deal with you two. C''mon, Mimi, let''s see what the Meowth dragged in."


    Ignoring us, Daisy responsibly stalked over with her Starmie to observe the unconscious Arbok while Professor Oak and I shared ourselves a rather good laugh and a rather juvenile high-five.


    You know, maybe waking up and coming up here wasn''t such a bad idea after all.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Eventually, the Professor and I had to go back to being responsible in order to handle the little Arbok problem. According to Samuel Freaking Oak, this was the fifth time this week that this Arbok attacked another pok¨¦mon. Now this issue isn''t at all rare to be found at the Sanctuary since as a Pok¨¦mon Researcher, the professor is always down to research new and exciting pok¨¦mon no matter their species.


    Except here''s the thing. You can''t feasibly expect predatorial pok¨¦mon like the Arbok to behave around other pok¨¦mon that it could see as easy prey. Now the issue of them being fed here is never an issue. The professor and his aides have never left the various pok¨¦mon here severely wanting, I should know because I trusted them to watch over my batch of problem children for me. But sometimes nature and nurture can have an effect on whether they''ll behave.


    Like take this very extremely convenient Arbok as an example. It''s been reported to have attacked Pidgeys, Rattatas, Caterpies (ew, but you do you, Arbok), and multiple smaller pok¨¦mon. Once it had even slithered into the lab when one of the aides forgot to close a window to almost snack on an incubating egg. That should have been a clear sign that this Arbok should been balled up and placed in stasis amongst the other pok¨¦mon in the lab''s basement.


    But Professor Oak being the nice guy that he is, gave him one last chance. He contacted the trainer in town, Mr. Greene, retired trainer at 14, long time rancher since birth. Married with 2 kids and grows the best Pecha berries in town. I once had to babysit his kids along with Ash once, so we''re cool.


    Joey once raided his orchard during our academy days and onwards. So, the two of them were archenemies, and it was hilarious.


    Mr. Greene''s Arbok was actually trained to snuff out and eat smaller pok¨¦mon since pesky Rattatas, Murkrows, and Pidgeys would always flock to swipe his produce. Yes, pok¨¦mon do eat other pok¨¦mon. While we humans can also eat certain types of pok¨¦mon as well. You can have a Tauros beef steak, then later go on to train your very own Tauros.


    I wouldn''t advise eating it in front of him lest you deal with a heavy heart and a ruined appetite. From the outsider''s perspective when watching the anime, you''d be freaked out by this news, but after living life on the other side. It''s basically normal, and I''m not going to keep using my ethics from my old life to compare to this one. Since humans have basically lived with pok¨¦mon for countless centuries, it''s sort of become a Circle of Life kind of deal.


    Now this affair isn''t as one-sided since pok¨¦mon can eat humans too. In fact, in the wild or in some criminal cases, 5% of trainer mortality rates at the hands of pok¨¦mon occur by getting eaten. It''s a rather smaller number compared to the startling 45% of deaths that occur from getting crushed (with Gravelers being the common cause), but rather significant to ignore.


    After all, I was almost a statistic of that 5% during my journey¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­Anyways! I''m getting off topic.


    Arbok was trained to be a pok¨¦mon warder for its trainer''s ranch, now officially placed away for the time being, it seeks out prey in the preserved pok¨¦mon in the Sanctuary. It''s not allowed to do that, and with its final warning being broken, Professor Oak called Mr. Greene to inform him of this and with his permission placed the pok¨¦mon''s pok¨¦ball in the basement along with the others.


    You know, standard procedure.


    You''d be surprised how big the basement was to hold over 100 pok¨¦balls, and the estimate to how many retired trainers lived in Pallet Town. Professor Oak''s place may be huge, but it wasn''t that accommodating, and that''s also taking into consideration the months of planning needed to segregate certain predatorial and prey pok¨¦mon from each other, in their individual habitats.


    In comparison to the Arbok, the Servipers are all well-behaved. Mostly because they''re too busy settling a blood feud with the Zangoose faction in the Sanctuary. It''s like every other 3 months that they find a reason to try to go to war, and then we''ll have to step in to stop whatever feud they were having and solve it. But those guys would just fight over anything like that lone berry tree that had one berry left while there were countless others around.


    It was ridiculous.


    "Oh, good morning, Luke!"


    "G''morning, Mr. Cerise." I happily waved back to genial, professor''s aide.


    "Aw, it''s nice to see you up and early, Luke! Tell your mom that I said thanks for lending me that Hondew berry Sorbet recipe of hers. Both Gabe and Rachel were gushing about it after their patrol."


    "Thanks, Mrs. Mary, I''ll be sure to tell her for you! And say hey to those two whenever you have the time for me, okay?" I happily waved to the Professor''s local Pok¨¦mon Breeder, who getting ready to join the others to feed the local pok¨¦mon.


    "Hey, look who''s among the living once more! What do you say, Luke? Want to join me on my recent research haunt to Mt. Silver? I''m certain the Rangers won''t steer you away, what with you now being given permission to traverse the land now."


    "Eh, I''ll think about it, Mr. Willow. Stay safe, sir, and good morning." I waved goodbye to the professor''s aide in the lab with the most wanderlust.


    Yup, entering the Professor''s lab was just another round of familiar greetings and warm smiles. Being a student who was chosen to be a sponsor naturally had us visit this place countless times. So you were just bound to know the aides and assistants going into their respective field of research.


    There were a few more that came up to give me a greeting as Professor Oak led me and Daisy to the lab''s cozy lobby. For what reason you may ask? Simple. There''s a naughty little culprit stirring up a fuss who also locked herself in there. Again. For the 27th time since I''ve been back home.


    *SIGH!*


    "As you can see, she''s-" Prof. Oak tiredly smiled and directed his hand to the door.


    "Throwing another hissy fit. Could you please get her out of there for us. She''s been like this since yesterday, and she''s not letting up on leaving anytime soon either." Blunt, but I appreciated Daisy getting to the point.


    She also seemed a bit nettled. Probably something else happened yesterday too.


    Welp, I better hurry and take care of-of-of¡­


    ¡­Huh, false alarm.


    ¡­But I''m still in sort of a yawning mood so¡­


    I shrugged and yawned as slowly and loudly as I could, much to my friend''s exasperation. "Suuuuure, I-I''ve got this. Just what was the problem this time that had her act up like this?"


    "Ahem!" I looked to the professor who was doing his best to find something on the ceiling while scratching away at his cheek. Hm? I smell shenanigans. "Well, to be truthful with you, Luke. I haven''t the foggiest of ide-."


    "Grandpa¡­" Daisy glowered.


    "Urk¡­!"


    I dutifully waited between the grandfather and granddaughter pairing as they exchanged a silent conversation.


    Can''t you see me be super invested in all of this sweet, sweet silen-?


    "Huuuwaaaah~!"


    "And you take this seriously." Daisy rounded on me.


    "But I am¡­" I chuckled and rubbed the forming "yawn" tears out of my eyes. Going up to the door, I decided to just get to the heart of the issue than wait for a full explanation since I didn''t want to stand around all day much to the two''s appreciation/exasperation.


    "Hey, Sylvie, I''m he-whoa!"


    "Hey, wha-!?" I heard Daisy behind me before a loud smack echoed with a pained yelp.


    *THUD!*


    "Luke!? Daisy!?"


    *SLAM!* *CLICK-CLACK!*


    I barely had my hand on the doorknob before the door opened in a flash and with it everything happening those few seconds. The selfsame adorable ribbon-like feelers that just loved to hone in on my wrists with such impressive accuracy pulled me into the room, and carefully swung me onto the leather couches. The time it took for me to blink, I felt overly affectionate crooning and nuzzling of my cherished "Psychic" (Fairy) type pok¨¦mon against my legs and kneecaps.


    The ever present look of adoration in those "innocent" sky-blue eyes of hers was a nice indicator that she was doing fine since my last visit. Picking her up in my arms, I chuckled at how those clear sky-blue eyes of hers were shimmering once I brought her up closer to my face. "Good morning, Sylvie. You miss me?"


    "Syl-Sylveon! Syl-Syl~!" She was very enthusiastic to answer that by wrapping her ribbons around my arms tighter, and breaking free of them to stand on my lap and aggressively nuzzle her cheek onto mine.


    "I''ll take that as a yes." I laughed and had to help settle down my touchy-feely troublemaker.


    Yep, you may be asking, why am I referring to Sylvie as a Psychic when she''s a Fairy type? How come I even have a Fairy type when I''m in Kanto?


    And why she always locking herself away at the Professor''s lab.


    All good questions, and to be frank. I have no clue. I mean for the second question. Sorry for skipping a few steps there. So, it''s not quite official yet, but Fairy typing doesn''t exist yet. Well, it hasn''t been scientifically established then released to the public as common knowledge. The world of pok¨¦mon is huge, but right now it''s not as straightforward as it is in the anime.


    The Kalos Region, home to Prof. Sycamore, who was able to discover the typing¡­I have no clue what he''s doing. No idea if he''s close to making a breakthrough or is nowhere near the concept of it in his studies. Unless you''re a well-known and contributing professor, a Champion, Elite Four member, or any other high official League member, you''re left in the dark.


    Regions from Kalos, Sinnoh, Unova, Galar and any other were either still in the process with communicating with the now open and cooperating Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn regions, or refusing to give a response. Again, politics is at work here. Some regions are just stingy on what information they want out to the rest of the world. Which makes travel to these regions next to impossible if you''re thinking about joining their circuits.


    To even be eligible, Professor Oak explained that you need at least the backing of one VERY influential professor from that region''s Pok¨¦mon League. A professor is an investment and asset to the region that they''re inhabiting and making their discoveries in. If you can get a vouch from them, then you''re pretty much golden. Just don''t screw up or cause trouble, otherwise you''ll get banned from that region and censured from any other professors (and especially their easily influenced Pok¨¦mon League) who catch wind of the potential trouble you could bring.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    So long tangent on the complications of this world aside, until it''s officially announced, Sylvie will be dubbed a psychic type for the time being.


    Now how I was able to evolve Sylvie from an Eevee to Sylveon?


    I pretty much lucked into it. Heck, it really wasn''t my goal to get her to evolve. Not with the stigma she had toward the concept of "evolution" at the time¡­and trainers in general. It''s funny, if I didn''t drop my pok¨¦dex near the Celadon Casino''s alleyway''s garbage dumpster, I would have completely missed her.


    "Funny how life turns out sometime, eh?"


    A hand that wasn''t gently brushing the luxuriously soft fur of the deeply moaning (okay, girl, stop¡­) Fairy type went up to brush the scarred bicep of its opposite right brother. Doesn''t hurt anymore, but the memory of the sensation always stuck with me.


    "S-Syl?" Brushing past my hand, Sylvie timidly wrapped her feeler around the old scar and worriedly look me in the eye. Ah, right, she could sense my melancholy. Sorry.


    "Don''t worry, Sylvie. I''m fine." I did my best to cheer the guilty little thing up by scratching underneath her chin in that way she loved so much. It sure did the trick as she soon became placid in my arms and languished against my lap.


    There that should be enough. "You can come in now."


    With the spare key they obviously had, Professor Oak and Daisy entered the room. Yeah, Sylvie was annoying to deal with based on how clever she was. Exactly how I trained her, and my pride aside. She would mostly lock the room, and tightly keep the doorknobs in place with her extending feelers, which can sense emotions by the way. And also, she can detect who those emotions belong to through the knob.


    So, until I can come along. She wouldn''t let anyone in.


    Not to mention she was super affectionate towards me and pretty much a bitch to most everyone whether they be human or pok¨¦mon. Especially, Daisy for some reason.


    "A-Are you okay?" I worriedly asked the girl, who had a slap-mark the shape of my "innocently" smiling Sylven''s ribbon-like feelers across her face.


    "Do I look okay to you?" No, no you don''t.


    I sighed and looked down to my smiling Sylvie, who''s now giving me the Growlithe dog eyes. Nice try. "Apologize."


    "Syl?" Don''t tilt your head at me.


    "You know what? Say you''re sorry to Daisy." Ah, don''t you dare "hmph" at me, little miss. "You''ve caused Professor Oak and everyone a whole lot of trouble and had me come ALL the way here to fix it, so apologize."


    I swear, it''s not going to kill you to admit fau-.


    "No, do it again and mean it." I ignored Sylvie''s cries of "betrayal" as Daisy was fuming from my pok¨¦mon''s blatant horrible attempt. "And this time, don''t spit on the floor."


    And so, she did apologize to Daisy, Prof. Oak, and any passing professors with a deep bow. Now in a sour mood, she selfishly took up the whole of my lap with that cute angry look (you know the one where they''re not looking at you) plastered all over her face. I''m firmly rooted down by her feelers, and she''s not showing any signs of getting up either.


    Fine, fine.


    Keep pouting until you feel better, haughty little thing.


    So with the lobby now officially open to everyone to relax, we soon got to doing¡­huh? Guess with the issue dealt with, there isn''t anything to do now.


    "Hey, Luke, my boy. You wouldn''t mind¡­?" Professor were you carrying that measuring tape with you the whole time?


    I shook my head. "Professor hear my words echo out to you." Then dryly deadpanned at the old man sitting across the coffee table from me. "There''s a time and place for everything, but not now."


    "I see¡­I understand." Don''t act so sad about it! Didn''t you just see me work Sylvie up from earlier tiff? Anymore and I''m gonna be here all day.


    "Grandpa, you''re pouting."


    "And what if I am? Can''t an old man pout every once in a while?"


    "Sure, but¡­" I happily started.


    "It just looks weird on you is all." Daisy happily finished.


    "Che! Children, no respect or decency to let their elders sulk to themselves."


    That gave us a rousing round of laughter (save for Sylvie), until the mood of the room got a little serious once the topic of "sponsorships" was brought up by the professor. Since it was him of all people, I had to at least hear his advice on what was at least here for any future interests of mine.


    I laid out all of the offers on the coffee table as best as I could with my stubborn pok¨¦mon on me and allowed Prof. Oak shift through them while Daisy continued to glare at said pok¨¦mon on my lap. Yep, she''s still holding a grudge.


    "Hm, yes¡­I guess the labors of your effort from the last circuit have continued to bore fruit, my boy. These are all such grand opportunities for you to look into. Ah, like this one here, the Emerald Acres foundation at Mulberry City are offering a full year of stabling rights as a trial run, and an extended five years if you fully consider their offer."


    "Plus, I''d have to continually advertise myself through professional battles every 3 months and log myself in to become an Ace trainer and rise up in the regional leaderboards." I yawned and crossed my arms. "No thanks, I''d prefer my freedom."


    "That''s fair, but weren''t you already advertising for your mom''s caf¨¦, especially during the League? What makes this so different?" Daisy asked, innocently.


    "That was out of willing obligation for my family while this offer just sounds like work. Complete difference. Pass."


    "Hehe, well, I''m at least glad that you''ve read the full contents for the offers rather than foolhardily signing in the first one that seems too good to be true." Prof. Oak heartily laughed.


    "Yeah, you mean like that one trainer? Um¡­Fergus! Right, Grandpa?"


    Seeing the professor let out a huge sigh like that was almost weird since it''s like looking at him lose all the life in him.


    "Yes, Fergus. The young lad did so well on his first Kanto circuit that he made it to the Top 16, like you my dear." He patted Daisy''s head. "However, the moment sponsorships started pouring in, he latched onto the biggest one imaginable, Devon Corporation."


    Damn, that was big.


    "They offered him a solid 10 year stabling rights for 50 pok¨¦mon, along with professional advising, lodging, and being one of the first to be updated on the corporation''s breakthroughs regarding their new developing Revival technology for bringing back extinct pok¨¦mon. It all seemed like the best deal imaginable. Except¡­"


    "Except he probably didn''t read the fine print?" Prof. Oak answered me with a solemn nod.


    "The poor lad was always one for competitive battling and registered as an Ace Trainer after his three years of being on the Kanto Circuit. He took pride in it, and was even aiming for the Top 50 ranking after countless grueling matches. And now, he missed out on that chance since he took on that sponsorship with the Devons."


    Piecing it together, both Daisy and I came to the same conclusion. ""Oh¡­""


    You see, being an Ace Trainer, you''re technically paid by the League for up keeping your ranking and for providing local support to the towns of your designated region. The higher your ranking, the higher your payout and prestige. That falls apart if you''re in some other region for more than 3 years. If you''re not active in the Ranking matches of your own region, then you''ll immediately be reranked and cast to the bottom of the leaderboard.


    If you''re absent for 5 years, you''ll lose your opportunity to enlist for a return match against someone with your same rank and reclaim your old standing.


    More than 10 years? Well, you''re stricken off the records with all of your past recorded Wins and Losses.


    Now the League isn''t cruel to outright oust those who can''t or don''t want to participate in it any longer. Like those retiring, or for trainers who aren''t 100% on board to the Ace trainer scene, you can just turn in proper withdrawal form and your progress will be kept in tact until you changed your mind.


    Too bad that reasons like going to participate in another region''s Ace trainer''s bracket requires you to still make it to your original region''s challenges on top of that. The amount of stress of doing that while getting your first debut on the Gym Challenge in a different region would just tear you apart, emotionally and physically.


    "Don''t worry, he''s doing fine. He was just severely devastated with the loss of all of his progress." He looked to the both of us, seriously, with that authoritative grandfatherly voice of his. "Remember children, no matter if these corporations have your best interests in mind. Any offer given should always be gleaned over for every fine print, lest the ones mostly benefiting from your partnership is them instead of you, the sponsored. Understood?"


    "Yes, Professor." / "Yes, Grandpa."


    "O-Oh, and please be sure to keep an eye on Joey and lend him some needed second opinions please." Prof. Oak awkwardly coughed as we nervously laughed at the damning implication that our hardheaded friend could 100% run into the same issue.


    With that solemn bit of wisdom dropped on us, we continued my dressing down of each sponsor sent my way. None of them really could compete with the relaxing gig that I had with the Professor. He could already accommodate half of the League''s maximum 50 amount of pok¨¦mon that a trainer can keep: 100 in all.


    Plus, he''s well connected to other regions and their professors, plus, he''s guaranteed top-tier protection over his lands and quite frankly the town given his history as the first joint Pok¨¦mon League Champion between Kanto and Johto.


    I already had it made as is, and so no number of stall offers would sway my mind. Not even the super accommodating ones that are only intrigued with gaining my permission to have authority on studying "any" pok¨¦mon I captured and brought in. As if their intentions weren''t clear enough.


    I gently stroked the now napping Sylvie, who fell asleep through our whole conversation.


    "Luke, while I''m glad that you''re insistent on continuing your sponsorship with me, I''d really like for you to at least consider some offers beyond stalling rights. Denying everything won''t do you any good, and at having the opportunity to further make your own connections beyond some through me will be worthwhile. Like with Daisy, she''s already chosen quite the name to sponsor herself under."


    "Really?" I incredulously looked to the brunette give me a shy smile.


    "Y-Yeah, I kind of accepted to be sponsored by Erika''s Aromatic Boutique in Celadon City. Venus and I are sort of big fans of their soothing aromas." Huh, that was the Gym Leader''s business.


    "That sounds cool, but¡­" I scratched my head and sat my back onto the couch''s back cushions. "I think I''m fine with the current arrangements I have. After all, I''d rather just kick back and relax before worrying about all of that. I''ll leave all of the sponsor talk for later when I''ve finally decided on where I want to go..." I yawned and wiped my eye. "When I feel like it."


    "Bu-." Daisy, the worrywart, obviously was against my lackadaisical style, but Prof Oak thankfully stopped her from prying any further.


    "And¡­that''s fine, my boy. You''ve more than earned your reprieve, but it would hasten the process along when you''ve gotten the energy back in you to tell me of any choice that you may have for your Circuit." Prof. Oak smiled.


    It was that weird knowing smile of his that kept me in the dark multiple times during my journey and studies under him. He probably has some sort of surprise up his sleeve, huh? Well, I''ll trust in it for now. But until then, I just want to rest and prepare myself for my other set of business before even thinking that far ahead.


    "I''ll be sure to do just that lat-."


    "Now."


    I barely had a moment to breathe before the professor set himself upon me with a lecture against falling into bad habits of procrastination while I quietly wrote my choices from "Most Wanted" to "Least Wanted". Heh, Daisy tried to peek, but I made sure to cover my paper the whole time. I would have bit back at the lecturing old man that he''s no better than me what with his own personal office being an unorganized pigsty, but I didn''t because my mother raised me better and because I didn''t want to get yelled at anymore.


    Having fallen into a deep slumber, I chose that moment to reclaim her back into her Premier ball. I''ll just give the folks here a break and take her back home with me.


    After some more talk and pleasantries, I figured since I was already here I''d help out a bit in the Sanctuary before stopping by to check on Mom and Jubilee. Joining Daisy, we walked out while engaged in a very important conversation.


    "What do you mean you guys will have to relocate Tempest?" I voiced my disbelief to the groaning brunette.


    "Luke, he''s too big, scares the other Gyarados down at their lake, and virtually never surfaces from the portion where he stays."


    "Yeah, but he''s keeping to himself and being quiet, so shouldn''t that be enough to leave him alone and live his best life?"


    "No because whatever abnormal conditioning you put him through is causing unease, and we can''t have that in a lake full of Gyarados!" Daisy exclaimed while blowing her whistle for her dutiful Arcanine, Valentine, to come bounding over the nearby fences to her master''s faithful side.


    "I told you before it''s not abnormal. What''s so weird about training your Gyarados to being the most destructive sea monster that it could be?"


    "THAT. That right there is the issue."


    "What issue? You mean make my boy be great? Because he certainly proved it at the Indigo Conference, remember?"


    "Rrgh! Look-." She mounted her Arcanine and deadpanned down at me. "That''s just what Grandpa suggested, but if you really want to convince him and prove that''s not the case, then be my guest. But first, let''s survey the area and check for any disturba-."


    "Hup!" Without a word I hopped up on the back of her Arcanine, right behind her.


    "W-What are you doing?"


    "I didn''t want to bother, Epona, while she''s in the middle of her run." I pointed out in the very far distance to see my #1 runner leaving a harrowing cloud of dust from her nonstop running. "So, I''ll just kick it with you for the whole trip."


    I wrapped my arms around her waist, and ignored the way she squeaked/jumped to resolutely nod. "Cool with you?"


    She coughed and nodded, refusing to look me in the eye. Hah, your ears are red. "F-Fine, but next time give me warning, okay?"


    "I only promise to try." I shrugged.


    "Okay, then I only promise to try to not kick you off if you manage to fall asleep and drool on me for the whole ride."


    "Sheesh, you don''t have to be petty, I was just joking." I blew a raspberry at her.


    "And I was half-joking, wise guy. Nyeh~!" And she retaliated with a louder raspberry of her own.


    Well played, Daisy. Well played.


    "Go!" And with the command of her master, the Legendary Pok¨¦mon took off with extreme speed (eh, not the move, but a general description) as we went toward our first destination.


    ¡­Ah. "Hey, do you mind if I check in on a couple of my guys during the patrol!?" We to shouted to each other through all the heavy force of the wind hitting against us.


    "Sure! Just tell me which area they''re in and when we''re close to it, I''ll steer Valentine toward it!"


    Great.


    Welp, lets see how a couple of my pals are doing.

 Chapter 4

    "Joey, I don''t think we''re supposed to cook the chocolate bars with everything el-."


    "Back off, Lou. I know what I''m doing. Trust me and let yourself get pampered for being THIS close to finishing the circuit."


    "Thanks, man, but are you serious about the escort back home? You still have your rematch with Mr. Blaine?"


    "Nyeeerh¡­details. That''s a me problem, but I want to see you off right before you go off to Viridian. Next time I see you, I''m going to be getting my eight bad-."


    *RUSTLE!*


    "What was that?"


    "So, you heard it too?"


    It was eavesdropping on the two humans that landed on the shores of his home that started it all for him. How he had grown past being the simple runt of his father, the King''s very own litter of his brothers and sisters, to becoming¡­much more than he and even his whole home could ever possibly imagine.


    Two strangers landed on their island, one bearing blonde hair and another bearing black hair.


    And in his curiosity to seek out what the new arrivals brought to the island, revealed to them his entire clan. Much did his father, the King, heavily voiced his adamant displeasure in his foolishness amongst his much stronger elder siblings. So, he was forced to reveal the location of the two strangers to their island''s best warriors to run them out.


    ¡­Except¡­


    "Watts use Thunderbolt!"


    "Lenny use Energy Ball!"


    They were more of a threat than any of them could have ever prepared for. The strongest Warturtles and Squirtles that he had ever seen and enviously yearned to be despite his own lacking size and power were wiped out in a matter of minutes.


    Such power¡­


    Like that his entire world was shaken and even reinforced when his own father, King Blastoise stepped up to defend his fallen warrior and their honor, only to be faced with another of his kind. Another Blastoise that seemed less experienced, but just as rugged as his own father.


    "Alright! This will be a perfect mid-boss battle for me and Raph before going back to pound Old Man Blaine''s butt! You just sit back and enjoy the show, Lou!" The blonde human excitedly grinned and pumped his fist in the air in tandem with his Blastoise.


    "Okay. Good luck, you two." The Black haired one tiredly smiled and observed a couple of feet away from the battle.


    And what a battle it was. Never before has he seen someone actually overpower his own father''s Hydro Pump lest shrug it off. The human''s Blastoise was even able to move with blinding speeds despite being shucked into his own shell that it had managed to clobber the King before he could even react.


    Was this¡­was this the power earned from pok¨¦mon training alongside humans?


    C-Could he also be strong like them?


    After the conclusion of their match with the blonde human and his Blastoise as the clear victor, we deferred to them as is custom for any who could best the strongest on our island, King Blastoise. Thankfully, the victors were as a kind as they were wise for not holding any ill intentions as they simply requested shelter and some respite.


    Something that the denizens of his island were glad to give to them as they learned so much of the humans and their pok¨¦mon.


    Pok¨¦mon that breathed flames and can fly.


    Pok¨¦mon that could shatter mountain cliffside with just their fists.


    Pok¨¦mon that could move faster than the eye could see.


    And terrifying pok¨¦mon that influence your emotions by wrapping their feelers around you without detection.


    There was just so much to process, and he knew that each and every one of them exhibited power the same as that blonde human''s Blastoise.


    The world was so big beyond the island, and he wanted to see and experience it with his own eyes. That was why despite the worried and astonished grievances heard from his tribe, he bowed his head and begged either of the two humans to take him with them. No matter how shameful it was, he decided such shame was leagues better than forever being the tiny runt that could barely do a respectable Water Gun.


    And so he begged as though his life depended on it.


    And his response.


    "Nyeeeeh¡­sorry, squirt. But I already have myself Raphael here, so it feels pretty redundant to just carry another one of your line¡­hm¡­oh, hey what about Lou here? He could use some more water pok¨¦mon."


    "But Joey, I already have a water pok¨¦mon. Remember, Tempest."


    "Right, allow me to rephrase that. He could use some more "normal" water pok¨¦mon."


    "¡­"


    "C''mon, Lou. Don''t tell me you can say no to that face."


    He would never admit it to save his pride, but at that moment his shame urged him to look as pitiful as his small stature would suggest.


    "¡­Fine. Not like I''ll say no anyway. Here, let''s shake on it. Nice to meet you, Squirtle. Hey, how do you feel about the name of Leonardo? It''s a valiant name for one who exemplifies true turtle power."


    And like that, he, Leonardo was inducted into the party of his new trainer, Luke Ketchum. Saying farewell to his home island and promising to return stronger to his father, the King much to his steadfast belief and his siblings'' mass disbelief, Leonardo took off the island with his new trainer to take part in the battles ahead.


    Sadly, he could not take part in the final Gym battle due to his experience, but it did not make the training that he was subjected to any less grueling.


    Time and time again, the other pok¨¦mon that his trainer carried would be shining examples of power that he strove to one day personify. Which is why he threw himself ten times harder into his training, even risking severe injury to be a tenth of what they all were.


    It didn''t take until he was almost beaten to mush by the overtly battle hungry, Angry One that his trainer deemed it necessary to further stall training until when he was officially sent out into his first battle.


    Loathe was he to accept being put on the sidelines for an indefinite period of time, but the warmth of the human''s hand on his head and the gentle promise hidden behind those exhausted brown eyes washed all of his apprehension away.


    "Leonardo. Asch is Asch. Macaque is Macaque. Thor is Thor. And you are you. You may not see it, but you''re way stronger than you think you are. Especially in comparison to before we started. When choosing a pok¨¦mon, no matter the species or their disadvantages, it''s always my mission to find your strengths and emphasize upon them. Your disadvantages can also prove to be advantageous when placed in the right circumstance. It''s my job as a trainer to bring that out of you and make you the best you that you can be. So don''t let me catch you willingly be Macaque''s punching bag again. You''re my investment, and I''ll never abandon you. Got it?"


    Those words still stuck to him to this day, and especially day when he was called out into his first battle. A very important battle that he still relished and despaired over when he was called out.


    Across from him, his opponent was worn down by the countless battles before his arrival, and now he was the final one chosen. Though despite it''s weathered state, his opponent still carried the undying will to finish this prolonged six on six battle for good. The intense stare it shot at Leonardo matched the blazing pyre of flames it released from his head as their fists furiously beat against their chest.


    Quite intimidated by the ferocity of the challenge, he faltered until he heard his trainer''s voice and the painful snapping of his goggles being placed over his dreary eyes.


    "Leonardo, let''s go."


    Right. This was it. His chance to finally see if all of his hard work had been worth it. If he was more than just the runt of the litter and was capable of being more.


    And thus, the battle commenced.


    And much to his, the crowd''s, his opponent, and his opponent''s shock. He actually managed to hold his own against the scalding blaze of his simian opponents incredible combat prowess. His small size and enhanced speed from grueling training had made him an extremely difficult target to hit. Plus, his natural affinity against his opponent''s fiery nature made it easier to whittle him down to be taken out.


    He was doing it. He was actually capable of standing against an opponent beyond the likes of father and on the same level of Asch, his trainer''s Ace.


    ¡­Sadly, it was during the peak of their battle that he realized that fighting an opponent of such caliber even when exhausted after weathering through countless battles before it that it didn''t mean that he was capable of defeating them.


    All it took was one Mach Punch to defeat him, and that was that.


    The shame of loss was only mitigated by the round of applause given by his trainer and fellow pok¨¦mon. Save for the Angry One, who still refuses to acknowledge him to this day. Whether it was for his general loss in the Finals when their trainer selected him instead of Asch as his final sixth pok¨¦mon, or for the fact that he himself could not defeat the one enemy that felled remainder of Luke''s party.


    To this day, he still couldn''t get a clear read on the Angry One''s feelings but was warned off by his new Master not to worry about it, and to focus on developing his own potential to its fullest.


    These days, he was now focused on achieving new heights and one day wiping the shame of his defeat out of his mouth and to further hone his skills.


    He was a runt.


    That was a fact that he would proudly proclaim to those that once picked on and looked down on him. Why? Because this runt was just as capable, no, far more capable than what they and even himself can possibly imagine, thanks to the belief and trust of trainer and comrades.


    And so, as he stood at the ready at the bottom of the Rocky Area''s mountainous terrain, his mind cleared as the world around him shook and steadily darkened.


    "Scizor!"


    His master''s words rang out through his head and resonated with his heart.


    "What is it that you see beyond your shell? Beyond yourself?"


    The answer to such a question would have alluded had it been asked before he was taken to see the world.


    But now¡­


    He sought improvement.


    He CAN grow strong.


    And he CAN prove to be a worthy combatant that can face experienced battlers who have seen fiercer battles in a week than he has in his whole starting career as the newbie amongst his seniors/peers in his trainer''s party.


    So right now, what he currently saw beyond himself was a path.


    He didn''t need to be as big and intimidating as his older siblings to be strong.


    He can be just as powerful the way he was.


    After all, it might have been his trainer''s duty to make him the best him that he could be. But that doesn''t mean that he couldn''t pitch in with the work to get there.


    "Squi-Squirtle!" Almost by second-nature with a well-practiced swing of his empowered tail infused with the energy of a raging monsoon, he cleaved the descending massive boulder in twine.


    Also, he figured out the "beyond his shell" that his master proclaimed about.


    Readying himself for another go, he grew back in his stance, awaiting the next obstacle to be sent hurtling towards him. Patiently closing his eyes, and choosing to wait then listen for the opportune moment to then strike once more.


    ¡­He was ready.


    "HEY, ITS MY BOYS!"


    "Squirtle?" He blinked at the loud hollering echoing from below the small plateau where he stood, to glance below to spot none other than his trainer. No matter how slobby he looked, it was always such a joy to see him come to visit them or be taken to his home to partake in his and his mother''s cooking.


    Besides, compared to when he first taken in, he''d never seen his trainer act so lax and genuinely happy. As if, the burden of some duty was taken off of his shoulders. Leonardo could tell, after all he''s seen the same thing happen to his father, the King, whenever matters were peacefully resolved.


    "KAMINA! LEO! I''TS SO GREAT TO SEE YOU TWO AG-!" Feeling compelled to respond, Leonardo began to wave back, only to catch himself once the blurring shadow of his master zoomed past him.


    R-Right, he was supposed to follow formality as his master instructed.


    Leaping off the high plateau with the skill and agility that wasn''t normally found in your average Squirtle, he landed perfectly (he might have stumbled a bit) next to his stoic master. On a knee and bowing his head to pay respects to their trainer.


    "Scizor" "Squirtle."


    "Okay, c''mon you two. Quit it with all of this nonsense. You don''t have to bow every time you see me. Especially you, Leonardo." Never. A true combatant must always show steadfast loyalty and honor toward their trainer. Master said so, and he''s one of the strong ones amongst his seniors.


    "Sheesh, stubborn as a tauros, huh?" N-No, he has to maintain this posture. Don''t pick him up and make his well-practiced display end up looking shameful in front of master? ¡­Though he was happy to be in the tender petting hands of his trainer.


    His trainer looked to his Scizor with an unimpressed gaze. "I was elated that you took it upon yourself to train him, Kamina, but you didn''t have to infect him with your steadfast willfulness."


    "Sci-Scizor." His master simply nodded, which drew an exhausted sigh from his trainer, who shrugged it off, and gave the two of them an impressed smile.


    "Well, not that I don''t like that about you two. You are training hard as ever, and I believe that requires some good old rest with some added polishing to top it off. What say you two?"


    Leonardo excitedly crooned its agreement while his master stoically deferred to their trainer''s offer with a silent nod (so cool~!).


    "Good. You two just stay there while I return with the supplies¡­ I know that Mrs. Mary kept it somewhere around here..."


    Awaiting their "reward", Leonardo absolutely buzzed in place before realizing that he should resume his earlier pose alongside his master. Though being in too much of a rush to copy the Scizor while hurrying to kneel, he fell on his back and struggled to roll over back onto his own feet.


    He could hear his trainer''s worried cries as he rushed back to help him up alongside his master''s exasperated sighing.


    He was Leonardo.


    And he still had quite a ways to go¡­


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    The Rocky Area of the Sanctuary was the obvious area where Rock pok¨¦mon and the other more rugged pok¨¦mon came to bask in the hot sun or ram themselves through the rocky terrain. You wouldn''t be remiss to hear and feel the constant tremoring of Golem crashing from above or Geodudes banging against each other.


    And for being in an area that''s always steeped in dirt and dust, the pok¨¦mon breeders and lab assistants always kept such top-notch polishing supplies nearby to give the rough pok¨¦mon some much needed care. After all, a well-groomed pok¨¦mon was a happy pok¨¦mon.


    The metallic shell of Kamina''s crimson skin glistened under the radiating sun''s rays and nearly blinded me after I was through giving him a thorough rubdown.


    And as usual, the serious steely bug type fell to a knee and deeply expressed his gratitude to me.


    I rolled my eyes at the whole display. At first, I was kind of into it since¡­come on, Scizor was practically a ninja. Scizors were a cool species of pok¨¦mon that I just couldn''t ever get in my past life because I was always to cheap to buy another game and trade it amongst myself. That and I didn''t trust GTS to not gyp me from having some stranger not trade it back or cut off the connection as soon as they got it.


    So you could bet that I caught a Scyther the moment one crossed my path and trained it well until he was ready to evolve.


    Still¡­the appeal to all of the "Master-Retainer" thing sort of reached it''s mark a long time ago.


    He was too stubborn and loyal to stop now, so it was pretty much a loss cause to even get him to stop.


    "Okay, your turn, Leo." I chuckled and sat on a nearby flat top of rock once the turtle pok¨¦mon shucked himself back into his shell for me to polish it.


    Now I have to worry about this earnest little one following in his "master''s" footsteps.


    So, right about now, I was in the middle of doing patrol around the sanctuary with Daisy, who was absent for the moment. After surveying a couple of the sites and stopping a rather hostile fight between a senior sponsored trainer''s Ursaring and¡­ugh, Joey''s Wigglytuff, Bubby.


    We really had to step in before it was too late, that Ursaring was down to it''s last leg by the time I had Sylvie there to settle the infuriated Balloon pok¨¦mon.


    The combo of her emotion-manipulating ribbon feelers plus Attract was a real winning solution for absolving many of the ranch''s conflicts. Which is why, I left her with Daisy while I came over to check in at the nearby Rocky Area. I told Sylvie to be on her best behavior and defer to Daisy''s judgement while I was gone.


    Hopefully, those two¡­no, hopefully Sylvie can behave herself and finally get along with Daisy.


    We promised to meet back up at the Forest Area that was just near the Lake of Fury to meet Tempest. So, it won''t take too long until we see each other again.


    Hope they''re fine.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The collective cries of Tauros filled the fields directly leading toward the Meadow Area of the Sanctuary, which were left untrampled upon due to the "cooperative" efforts of Daisy and Sylvie.


    "Sylvie! Wait, come back here! You only attracted about half of the herd away! Hurry, they''re gaining up on Valentine!" Daisy hysterically called out on the back of her fleeing Arcanine.


    And in response to the panic of her trainer''s close friend, Sylvie used of her feelers to snatch a Pecha berry from a nearby bush and used the other to gayly wave at the distressed brunette and pok¨¦mon running for their lives.


    "Sylveon~!"


    "Oh, you little bit-!"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Nah, I''m sure they''ll be fine.


    I breathed out a sigh of relief as I walked under the thick brush of the Forest Area of the Sanctuary after traversing past the sunny, rocky terrain where I found my two chuuni goobers here. Right about now, it''s been like 2 hours since we started this patrol to reach the Lake of Fury, and travelling on foot made the experience that much slower.


    Luckily I found both Kamina and Leonardo when I was nearing the end of the rocky area.


    Especially when entering one of the more densely populated areas of the sanctuary. In here, you''d run into a bunch of Bug, Grass, and some Normal pok¨¦mon. Heck, you can even find some odd types in here as well. This area was one of the more basic settings for pok¨¦mon to craft their homes/territories without being disturbed.


    Which is why when they are disturbed, you''d best be prepared, otherwise they''ll get super aggressive. Doesn''t matter if they''re a trainer owned pok¨¦mon, you cross them, and they''ll make sure you won''t be pestering them in the future. Which is usually why the Breeders from the lab need to at least carry some pok¨¦mon with them or be accompanied by someone who''s competent enough to protect them.


    No stray branches on the dirt path.


    Trimmed bushed and trees.


    And healthy soil plus fertile grass for miles around.


    You can definitely tell that compared to the wilds, this forest was well-maintained by the Professor, his staff, and the pok¨¦mon who live here.


    Which makes me relate so hard to the creatures being pissed if their peace is in someway disturbed. I like keeping my room clean and somewhat messily organized to my tastes. As long as I promise to make sure it''s not a pigsty, then I can do whatever I was, as mom warned me when I was getting too exasperated with her barging in to arrange everything and fold every pair of underwear in my drawer.


    So when given that freedom, it''s only natural for me to get angry whenever Ash decides to borrow something in my room and sloppily put it back to the way it once was.


    Or whenever Princess decides to laze about in my room and leave Persian hair everywhere for me to clean up.


    Some people and pok¨¦mon deserve their space, and there''s nothing wrong with th-.


    "ARIA!"


    "Whoa!"


    Soon an intimidating red blur descends and I''m not face to carapace with a menacing looking "face". The clicking of my ambusher''s mandibles threateningly filled the air until it received a high-powered wave of pressurized H2O to the face. Sending the trouble-starting Ariados flying deeper into the forest.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    I breathed out a sigh of rel-no, no, that was a yawn¡­


    I yawned and waved to the treetops. "Thanks for the assist, Leo!"


    "Squirtle!"


    "Scizor!"


    "Sq-Squirt¡­"


    I laughed as the enthusiastically pleased Turtle pok¨¦mon was admonished by Kamina for responding back while they were supposed to be silently protecting me from the shadows. I honestly wanted to enjoy walking around with them, but they were insistent on playing their part, and I honestly couldn''t stop them if I tried.


    It was a little hilarious whenever Leonardo fell from the treetops onto his back, and whenever I tried to help him. He was always gratefully bow at me before remembering that he shouldn''t be seen by me before scurrying up the tree to join Kamina as my vigilant shadows of protection.


    And not to knock what they''re doing since they are mad efficient.


    That wasn''t even the first Ariados to pounce on me since I came through here. Kamina made sure that the swarm that tried to cocoon me in webs wouldn''t attempt that again by decimating the webs scaring them off. Especially now that I''m gonna report that to Professor Oak that they''re starting to get a little too territorial in the area.


    Can''t imagine the kind of danger that the Lab Aides and the Breeders would have gone through if they got blindsided like that.


    A series of Beedrill buzzing past me did try to start something, but backed off and scurried immediately after getting a good look/whiff of me.


    It''s also a great sign that Dartz is doing fine if the other Beedrill are still cautious enough not to start trouble.


    He''s probably busy at the moment, so I''ll check in on him later.


    Besides, he''s not the more troublesome lot that requires an immediate check-in.


    "Hey, Kamina." And in a single blink, my Steel/Bug type was by my side bowing with Leonardo clumsily doing the same while out of breath. I sighed and just rolled with it. "How''s Macaque doing? Is he¡­still-?"


    "Scizor." The gruff grunt and nod from the stoic pok¨¦mon earned another tired groan from me.


    "For me to be disappointed, I''d have to be surprised. Also, I''d have to be insane since he''s basically been like this for months." I tiredly pinched the bridge of my nose and sharply exhaled.


    "S-Squirt¡­" Ah, no. None of that, Leo.


    I placed my hand on the guilt-ridden Squirtle''s head. "Leo, you''ve done nothing wrong. You''ve fought in your first real battle with pride as any of the others would in the Finals. Don''t mistake Macaque''s hatred with losing for him hating you. It makes no sense for him to be mad with you for losing to an opponent that not even he could defeat."


    Which was the honest truth, and made it so stupid that I had to beat this into that stubborn berserker''s head. It''s okay to lose and reflect on it. Not throw yourself into training yourself like a lunatic as if you can go back in time and change the result.


    *SIGH!*


    I''ll make it up to him, but he needs to get over it and move o-.


    I grunted as something cold and wiggly wrapped itself around my waist. I looked down and saw that it was a vine. A super, long and thick vine.


    "Dang it, can I at least finish my thoughts without getting interrup-whooooa!" I yelped in fright as I was dragged through a thick wave of bushes. The pain I felt as branches and some stray bug pok¨¦mon batted against my dragged form furthered my repetitive vocal grunts of pain.


    Until I was finally dragged into the tangly, thick arms of a giant mess of vines that joyously lifted me up into a spine-crushing hug that threatened to squeeze all the air out of my lungs. Even as I quite literally felt my life begin to bleed out from getting Constricted, I just couldn''t help but happily greet my big, old lug.


    "Nice to see you too, Lenny. How are you doing?"


    "Growth! Tangrowth!" The jolly, simple giant hopped up and down while shaking me in his arms.


    "Y-Yeah, I missed you too¡­" I wheezed out. "Also, could you put me down?" My pleas for release were met with more jolly dancing as my Tangrowth decided to really enjoy our reunion (it wasn''t even that long since we last saw each other) by hugging me tighter.


    Ah, so this is how I die¡­again.


    "Hm, Lenny? Did you find something-? Oh, my goodness! Luke! Are you okay!?"


    "Saur! Ivy! Saur! Saur!" Thankfully my saviors came in the form of a heavily admonishing Ivysaur and one of the lab''s local breeders, Mrs. Mary Geller. The pair were quick to pry me out of my pok¨¦mon''s strong arms before I saw the pearly gates¡­or whatever constitutes as an afterlife in this world. After some more admonishment from the Ivysaur, I was now petting the overly emotional Tangrowth that kept his head to the ground spewing a constant stream of apologies to me.


    While I comforted my big dope, I turned and gave my thanks to my rescuers while giving a mental dirty look at Kamina for not stepping into action just because my "assailant" was my very own pok¨¦mon.


    "Thanks for the save, Mrs. Mary. You too, Venus."


    "No need, I''m just glad that you''re not hurt." Mary sighed in relief.


    "Ivysaur!" Venus, Daisy''s starter, happily nodded a "me too" to me.


    "Don''t worry. This technically isn''t my first time almost getting crushed by Lenny like that before. I''ve managed to keep conscious for like a whole five minutes after my circuit because of it."


    "That''s not something to be proud of, Luke. Please don''t say that around Miss Delia, she''ll get a heart attack."


    "Will do¡­" I yawned and kept petting my crying Tangrowth, who just kept blustering apology after apology like a guilt-ridden child. At first the display was comical, but now it was getting a bit too much for my taste.


    "It''s okay, buddy. I''m okay. I know you didn''t mean to hurt me¡­like last time." I threw in. "But this is why we have to teach ourselves self-control. We don''t want you hurting anyone else by accident, right?" I felt the mess of vines shake their head beneath my hand. "Good. Then let''s try to be better this time, okay? Before hugging someone, never pull them in unless they give consent or when it''s in battle, so as to not create more trouble for the future, alright?"


    Lenny nodded once more.


    "That''s my big guy." A vine extended from one of the pails of berries that Mrs. Mary carried and handed me a Pecha Berry. "Thanks, Venus." Rousing the big pok¨¦mon up, I gave him the berry to cool down and continued comforting him until he was eating the berry with glee.


    Mrs. Mary and I laughed at the display while Venus rolled her eyes at the simple Vine pok¨¦mon before trotting over to lay next to him. Awww¡­


    "So, Mrs. Mary, what are you doing here?"


    "Oh, you know¡­" She raised her pails filled with berries. "Planting more berries to offset the recent loss of another berry tree."


    "Wait, already?" But didn''t you guys just plant a new one last month?" I blinked in surprise.


    "We did, except for some apparent reason, a couple of the pok¨¦mon that fed off that one tree were displeased to find it empty and knocked the whole thing. Since there were no signs of it having a shortage yesterday, then whoever took all of the berries did it today."


    "Weird. I wonder who managed to do that." And why do I have a bad feeling all of a sudden.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "Oh my goodness, Kidd! I''m so grateful you''re here! Please, Sylvie won''t help, so we can really use your help to-!"


    "Gen-gen-gengar!"


    "Huh? Hey, Kidd, where are you going? Why are you sitting down next to her, and where did you get all of those berries? Hey! HEY!" Daisy cried out in mixture of panic and fury as the Gengar took out a popcorn tub of berries and shared them with the Sylveon that was relishing in her and her flagging Arcanine''s misery.


    "Oh, you two pieces of-!"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Probably nothing again.


    "So, do you need help, Mrs. Mary." I knelt beside her and grabbed the nearby pail of water she had on her. "I can water the flowers while you pick out the seeds to plant, or we can do it vice-versa."


    "Oh, that would just be wonderful, Luke. Thank you, so first we-."


    And that was how I wrangled myself into helping the nice older woman get her job done while being vigilant that some wandering pok¨¦mon wouldn''t steal from the berries that we kept in the bucket, nearby. Thankfully, we had Venus and Lenny to act as the upfront deterrents while Kamina and Leonardo took care of the riff-raff from the tree-tops.


    Venus and Lenny weren''t an odd sight to see together since they''re pretty much the active help for anyone who crosses the Forest Area. Venus was sufficiently strong and smart to keep things under control while Lenny was¡­


    I''m not going to call him dumb, but¡­he''s just a little slow and extraordinarily strong. You can just imagine how difficult it was to train him after all the effort it took to teach him Ancient Power while collaborating with Brock.


    He helped me with understanding the fundamentals of Rock pok¨¦mon, and I help him figure out a super-secret way to evolve his starter Rhydon in time for the Indigo League. Ugh, I had to spend so much time battling trainers and entering tournaments for money to be able to afford all of the ludicrous priced rocks over the web that may or may not be authentic rocks from Mount Mortar.


    The amount of phonies that I bought until I managed to get a huge lump of the material was in the 30s range at about 5 million pok¨¦dollars in total.


    Thankfully, one of the phonies came with a pack of some authentic stones. Like fire stones, water stones, thunder stones, and a leaf stone. I sold the first three for even more pok¨¦dollars, not even to get back what I put in for the "Protector", but enough to get me by. The Leaf stone? I just gave it away to Daisy and even gave a "hinted" nudge about how similar it was to the other stones responsible for Eevee evolutions.


    Oddly enough, she didn''t use it for herself and actually gave it to the new, up and coming Gym Leader, Erika. Kanto''s second youngest trainer to take up the mantle of Gym Leader. The youngest to become Gym Leader at the age of 9 (which was bizarre and dangerously telling of her skill) was her, but she''s no longer an issue to even consider.


    I guess you can say that girl shenanigans ensued, and now their BFFs that are now closer together with Daisy accepting her small sponsorship.


    Still makes me wonder why she''s not getting flooded with requests from so many professors about her evolved Eevee. But¡­I guess it''s probably because she didn''t debut her rare and unknown pok¨¦mon in an internationally broadcasted League tournament.


    ¡­So that aside, the only thing I really kept was the small stone filled with dazzling light that seller wrote off as a simple crude material. Boy was he wrong because it became pretty handy for me down the road, all things considered.


    Eventually, we were able to get the work done after 45 minutes of choosing the perfect area where pok¨¦mon gather without placing the new seeds in any established territory that a pok¨¦mon could violently claim as their own when it fully grows. So to avoid drama, we placed it where anyone could get at it. With the job officially done, I said my farewells to Mrs. Mary, Venus, and Lenny.


    The Tangrowth wanted to give me another hug, but got nagged by Venus in the process to simply wave goodbye to me.


    "Bye guys, stay safe!" I called out as I continued onwards to the Lake o Fury. "Oh and tell Mr. Gabe and Rachel that I said hello!"


    "Will do! Thanks so much for the help, Luke, and please relocate your Gyarados when you''re able to. It''s causing a-!"


    "Bye, Mrs. Mary!" I drowned her out once I was far enough. Hmph, there''s nothing wrong with Tempest, they just don''t appreciate a real sea monster doing his thing. Kamina and Leonardo decided to walk with me since there were no trees to hide them in the shadows and because Leonardo was on the verge of passing out from all the tree climbing and treetop hopping that he had to do.


    Luckily for the little guy, reaching the Lake of Fury took us about 10 minutes to reach by foot. Oh, and it looks like Daisy managed to beat me here too. Funny, Sylvie being here was a given, but why was Kidd here. Also, why''s Daisy and her Arcanine covered in swe-?


    Connecting the dots, I rationalized that the best course of action for the sake of my own well-being would be to just act as if everything was fine. "Hey, sorry for being late, guys!" I called out as we rushed over to them. I sheepishly laughed as Sylvie dashed over to nuzzle against my leg for attention while Kidd rudely stuck his tongue out at me and pulled down his eyelid as a style of greeting (you know classic Kidd behavior).


    I turned to Daisy, who was on her knees trying to catch her breath.


    "So, you okay?"


    "N-No."


    "Oh¡­" I blinked. "You wanna talk abo-?"


    "No. Ju-Just give me a moment to c-catch my¡­dear Mew¡­" Daisy blustered between heavy breaths. There there¡­ I knelt down next to her and gently rubbed her back to help ease her exhaustion. I noticed a distinct growling sound beside me. Curious, I turned to find Sylvie giving me a bright smile.


    Weird¡­


    I turned back to aid Daisy, who''s face was starting to get a little redder¡­


    Sheesh, was she really that tired?


    "Hey, you sure that you''re okay?"


    "Y-Yeah. Just¡­thanks." Daisy shakily breathed out.


    "Don''t mention it." Please don''t. I don''t want to spend more time apologizing for whatever hijinks my pok¨¦mon put you through.


    The growling I heard earlier did persist until we both got on our feet and looked out to the expanse of the Lake of Fury. Sylvie yet again chose that time to nuzzle up against me. I gave her a delicate petting and looked back to see how my other pok¨¦mon were doing.


    "Gen-Gen-Gengar."


    "¡­"


    "Squirt¡­"


    Looks like a standoff between Kamina and Kidd was happening as my Gengar was fiercely wielding a pair of black markers. Makes sense, Daisy''s Arcanine was covered in demeaning marks and writings while the frantically worried Leonardo''s shell had a silly looking smile written over it. I bet the poor Squirtle doesn''t know that he''s been tagged.


    While Kamina is deadly insistent on not getting his sleek armor defiled by the ghost pok¨¦mon.


    Heh!


    Looks like they''re having fun.


    Turning back to the Lake, I looked to Daisy, who was looking at me expectantly. What?


    "Now that we''re here, Luke. Do you see anything that''s¡­the issue?"


    "Not really. Everything seems peaceful here." I scratched the back of my neck and shrugged.


    "Exactly."


    "So, what''s the issue?"


    "You just said it."


    I blinked in confusion before raising my eyebrows upon realization. "Ooooh¡­" A lake full of Gyarados should never be equated to the term "peaceful" or "serene". Ever.


    "Yeah¡­" Daisy groaned.


    "But it''s not Tempest''s fault. Maybe they could just be in the middle of mating season."


    "Still too early, it''s March, and summer doesn''t start for another two months. Plus, if that was the case, then we wouldn''t even be feasibly able to be this close to the lake." Daisy nonchalantly tossed a huge rock into the lake. The #1 thing should never do since it can trigger any nearby Gyarados to emerge and go on a rampage. With no violent emergence of any Gyarados that took that as a slight, I could immediately tell that things were a bit serious here¡­


    "Alright, I''ll call him up here." I groaned and placed to fingers to my mouth and blew as loud as I could. The sound was immediately drowned out by the sudden emergence of the colossal shadow that blotted out the sun around everyone present. Ah, I can''t help but get a little nostalgic as those rage-filled red eyes cold and calculatingly glanced at each of us.


    The sudden silence was the perfect moment for me to just gush over the memory of how far my little Guppy has come. I''m a firm believer that a trainer should always capture and train up their pok¨¦mon by themselves. Not purchase them from Breeders or anything like. But Tempest was the sole exception.


    Could you believe it? Some schmuck vendor from Vermillion City was honestly about to sell him for only 400 pok¨¦dollars. That was just an absurdly low price to expect to pay for a perfectly healthy Magikarp. Which is why I paid him 3,500 pok¨¦dollars for the Magikarp. The sucker was in disbelief as I strode off with my new Water pok¨¦mon gasping for air in my arms.


    Now you can call me silly, but I didn''t really do that for the LOLs or because Tempest was secretly some shiny pok¨¦mon or whatever. My team was clearly lacking a water type and I chose to make sure to get my money''s worth for my purchase. Motivation and my desire to see a Magikarp become a kick ass sea monster was what led to the monstrously huge beast of a pok¨¦mon in front of us all.


    Her, Koga, and Mr. Blaine can sure attest to that when it was time for Tempest to step up.


    "Hey, Tempest! It''s nice to see you again!"


    "¡­" Ah, yes, menacing silence. So glad that he''s taken that foreboding lesson of unsettling your prey to heart. Such a good boy~!


    "C''mere! Let me check on ya and make sure that the others in the lake haven''t been scuffing your scales up." I happily bounded up to the Sea Serpent pok¨¦mon, who quietly conceded to my desire and calmly closed their eyes and pushed their massive head into my diminutive hands. "There we go¡­let me just¡­ah¡­good. That''s great. You''re just as well groomed as the last time I saw you! I''m so thankful that the others haven''t been giving you trouble! Have you been a good sea monster?"


    "¡­" Tempest nodded.


    "Who''s a good sea monster?" Silence was my only response, but I recognized it as the affirmative silence from my old friend. "Yes, that''s right, you are the best sea monster around! No one can ever top you! Decimation and destruction are your bread and butter. Whole oceans are yours to claim and terrorize as you lie in wait to obliterate anything that crosses your path." I darkly laughed and comfortingly rubbed the visibly shaking Gyarados.


    "Good¡­good¡­keep that anger in ya until the time is right and use it as a fuel to bring low your enemies. You are the Tempest of the seas, and any who faces you will know true terror¡­"


    Patting his head a couple of times, Tempest pulled back and remained upright. Returning to look at everyone while I joined him to spot how my fellow Lake visitors were doing. "See? Everything is a-okay, so-. Hey, where did Kidd run off to?"


    "¡­"


    "Sylvee~."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Everyone looked like they saw a ghost, well, it was hard to tell from Kamina since the Scizor has always been like that, and Sylvie was just giving me a more intense form of the look that she usually gave me. For some odd reason, Leonardo was resting in his shell. While Daisy and her Arcanine were frozen stiff and pale as ghosts.


    Have no clue what they''re so frazzled about, it''s only Tempest.


    Oh, and speaking of why we''re here.


    "Hey, Daisy do you have Tempest''s pok¨¦ball?"


    "Y-Y-Yeah, let me ju-just¡­" She coughed, composed herself and shakily pulled the familiar ball out of her jacket.


    "Thank you." I received a squeaky "your welcome" as a response before turning to face my Gyarados. "Okay, Tempest, we''re just here to confirm something. If things go right, then I''m letting you out immediately. If not, well, everything''s going to be fine so don''t worry, okay?"


    The serpent nodded his consent.


    "Great. Return." A translucent beam of red light emerged from the spherical device in my hand and placed Tempest back in stasis.


    "Thank goodness that''s over¡­" Daisy released a heavy sigh of relief along with her Arcanine and Leonardo, who decided to crawl out of his shell.


    "Okay, time to prove that Tempest isn''t the probl-." Not even a second later, countless geyser and the emergences of a gaggle of much average sized Gyarados began rampaging through the lake in a flurry of roars and growling. Some Gyarados attacked each other while others furiously swam around. It was the picture-perfect example of a Lake that personified fury.


    "¡­" I blinked at the scene and looked from my pokeball and back at the active lake.


    "Told you so." Daisy chimed in from beside me.


    "¡­This is just a coincidence, look, I''ll return him back and things will be just as hectic." I raised the pok¨¦ball up. "Time to come back out, Temp-!"


    *SPLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!*


    "-est?" I blinked in horror while Daisy failed to restrain the snort and laughter that crept past her lips. All at once, every Gyarados in the lake submerged in panicked haste. How-? Why, I don''t-.


    "Told. You. So." Daisy whispered and happily gloated to my face.


    My response to that.


    "PBBHHHHT!" I blew the loudest and messiest raspberry in her face, and she took exception to that.


    "Gross!" She screamed and pushed me into the clear drink of the Gyarados infested lake beside us.


    Worth it.


    "Whoa!"


    *SPLASH!*


    And for once, I''m glad Sylvie retaliated by pushing her in after me too.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Fishing ourselves out of the dangerous habitat and warming ourselves up at the lab to dry, we ate lunch with borrowed clothing together with the professor and any of our available pok¨¦mon. It was nice to get together like this, but it was getting late, and it was about that time to pick up a pair of twerps from school and return home.


    Obviously, I had to take Sylvie back home with me and give the professors a break. Professor Oak insisted that she could stay for a while more, but the other Lab assistants practically pantomimed for me to take her already. Heh, seeing the famous professor and first Champion of the Indigo League (not the Kanto League nor Johto League) pout at the prospect for not being able to study the rare pok¨¦mon.


    At that, I tried suggesting that he could go back to studying Lenny. But he dashed the idea, and found nearly getting hugged to death five times in a row required a good enough break.


    I then suggested that he could then study Thor. He responds that he''s already have plans to visit the Town''s local Power Plant just to do that, but wanted to space things out and catch up with any other pok¨¦mon that he''s yet to adequately observe and record from.


    I held my tongue and stopped suggesting other pok¨¦mon of mine to him since he''s probably gotten a full enough case study of Jubilee already. Unlike Sylvie, my little sweetie was cooperative enough to be seen to by the Professor already. Wonder how she and Mom are dealing with the caf¨¦ by now.


    Thoughts for later, I chose to leave Epona to do her thing and walk the whole way to Ash and Gary''s school with Daisy in tow. So after saying goodbye to Kamina and Leonardo, while also balling Gengar, we left the comforting confines of the professor''s lab for the typical dirt roads of Pallet Town.


    2:30 was quickly approaching, but we were only 15 minutes away at this point, being there at the exact time won''t make a difference.


    "So, don''t forget, speak with Dockmaster Aaron whenever you have the chance."


    "I know¡­"


    "Because simply leaving Tempest there without some warning can really disrupt the flow of commerce and the wild-life that lives around the port."


    "I know¡­"


    "Also be sure to change your underwear, Delilah." Yes, mom.


    "I kn-wha-?" Hold on, what!? "Oh, screw you, Daisy." I sputtered. "And never call me that again."


    "But it''s you''re middle name." Daisy giggled.


    "And it''s in the middle for a reason. To be forgotten and never mentioned in conversation again." I groaned.


    So long story short, mom wanted a daughter to name after her old grandmother and sole caretaker, Delilah. Then I was born and turned out to be a boy, so she chose to give me the middle name in memory of her. End of short story. Good. Let''s never bring this up again, please.


    "Alright, Lucas¡­" Daisy rolled her eyes with a good-natured smile and bump of her shoulder to my own.


    Honestly, this girl¡­


    I yawned and smiled as we neared the pok¨¦school.


    Soon I''ll be reuniting with my bed¡­after getting a stern talking to from mom for all of her broken china. Sometimes life just really loves to kick you in the balls.


    "You know, there''s word that the Elite Four challenges are going to start soon." Daisy carefully brought up.


    "That''s nice." I tiredly scratched my head in disinterest.


    "Y-Yeah, a whole lot of people are really looking forward to it. Most are excited to see the challenger get¡­creamed this time around."


    "People always want to see that regardless of whoever wins the League." I shrugged.


    "No duh, but¡­not as badly as they do this time around¡­" Daisy trailed off.


    "Okay, what are you trying to say, Daisy?" This little run around was starting to get bothersome.


    "Just wanted to know how you feel about some of the animosity that you''re opponent from the Finals is facing right now." Daisy sighed. "Some people were pretty mad that you lost to someone like them, and feel as though¡­"


    "The result shouldn''t count just because they''re from a bordered off region?" I dryly supplied for her.


    "Pretty much."


    "Well, I don''t really feel any sort of way about it. I lost, he won, and we go on with out lives. Yeah, it was a surprise to face a trainer from an unknown region with some unknown pok¨¦mon. But trying to deny the result just because the trainer from your local region of the league lost is just stupid."


    I sharply exhaled in frustration.


    Honestly, the whole point of the Indigo League was to unify the opposing regions of the Kanto and Johto Leagues as one and cease any further conflict. But surprise, surprise, you have competition where trainers from both regions compete to be the Champion for the "united" regions. So, if one region''s trainer defeats the League and the Elite Four plus their Champion, then you''ll have outrage from the opposing region and vice versa.


    Hoenn is a special exception because of the extra connections and contributions that it brought over to the Indigo League. Though you won''t be faulted for hearing someone from Kanto or Johto refer to that outdated region as the "boonies" for their want in connecting with nature.


    Except this time around, both the Kanto and Johto region was generally up in arms about the surprise challenger from a region that''s bordered off from ours. In their minds, he brought over his secrets from his region to get the jump on the competition in this one. Which was absurd since that doesn''t guarantee success. My metaknowledge helped, but it didn''t get me the win despite neither Asch or I really wanting to field him in the Final''s battle.


    As for me, I actually kind of found it hilarious once I returned home after the final ceremony. After all, I ended up being born as the titular main character''s older brother, so facing another big brother was quite the surprise.


    "Instead of wishing for his downfall, the polite thing to do is acknowledge the guy''s efforts and wish him the best. After all, they''re insulting me by saying that my best effort was dashed because of a fluke." I deadpanned.


    "I-I guess¡­ Yeah, that''s true." Hey, look me in the eye. Don''t tell me you thought the same way too.


    I sighed and shook my head. "Besides, there might be another stupid uproar soon. Specifically, from our side. Since the victor of the Indigo League from four years ago has yet to officially schedule his own Elite Four challenge."


    "Wait, seriously?"


    Seriously. I was surprised to learn that our current Elite Four and Champion were a little bit different than the game''s canon Elite Four. Right now we have Pierce (Ice), Bruno (Fighting), Agatha (Ghost), and Walker(Flying) for our Elite Four.  As for our Indigo League Champion, that would have to be Muramasa Sengo. At first, I thought it was odd that this was the current selection, but it did make sense that a couple were missing since everyone''s still pretty young compared to their canon selves. Plus, things were bound to be different than you''d expect.


    After all, Flint is still the Pewter City Gym Leader and for the case of the Cerulean City Gym, Cassidy Torrent. That second one was a surprise to me because I''ve never heard of the Cerulean sisters plus Misty having an Aunt. But at least they''re managing for a while, I had to step in for the whole Flint debacle knowing how that would infringe upon Brock''s life, and I''m happy with the results for helping but also hate the results.


    ¡­I really have to keep watch of mom, she doesn''t know how dangerous she was when around other grown men. Also, I have to take note for Ash''s future because¡­yeah¡­if all the shipping names that I remember were actually a thing and even all of them, then he''s gonna have some problems too.


    After all, I''m starting to notice the signs for myself¡­


    "Ahem!"


    "What?"


    "Nothing, so just be on the look out for any signs of the past League Winner when the current Elite 4 Challenges begin." I scratched my cheek.


    "Well, okay, if you say so¡­ I think I remember his face, but he hasn''t been that relevant or made any appearances lately, so his name doesn''t really stick. Do you know?" Daisy asked.


    "Yep, his name''s La-."


    *Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring~!*


    The sound of the school''s bell tolled and the wave of children escaping from the hell that was education flooded out to freedom.


    And at the forefront were none other than our two siblings, who scurried over to hug us.


    "Bro! Bro! Bro! Bro!"


    "Yes? Yes? Yes? Yes?" Ash bounced around in my arms while waving his white, chalky hands in my face.


    "I had to spend all day writing "I will not sneak pok¨¦mon into class" on the chalkboard for every period! My hands are bleeding! See! See!"


    "All I see is chalk."


    "No, it''s blood. You have to really look at it."


    "Okay¡­"


    All I still see was chalk, and also¡­


    "Laaaaaugh¡­" I licked his hand.


    "Eeergh!"


    "See just chalk¡­" I did my best to hide my grimace because that disgusted look on his face was priceless.


    "That''s gross!" Ahahaha, that''s what you get for breaking the dishes, little squirt.


    "Oh, sis, you''re here to pick me up?" Gary dryly said.


    "What kind of reaction is that? I took the time to see you and that''s all I get?" Daisy heatedly scolded.


    "R-Right, sorry! Thanks for picking me up, sis."


    "You''re welcome~!"


    Not even Mr. Cool can stand up to his big older sister.


    "Say, Luke about that other League Winner what was his name? You didn''t fini-." Daisy turned to me.


    "Hey, Gary let me borrow your shirt!"


    "Gyaaaaaa! No! Don''t rub your chalk on me and¡­wait, why''s your other hand wet!?"


    "Oh, Luke licked it, so don''t worry there''s not as much chalk on it!" Ash laughed, completely missing the point.


    "WHAT!?"


    "I-I''ll tell you later." I laughed in exasperation as we broke up the two boys from their escalating squabble. The walk back home was just so relaxing as the evening winds batted against us as we reached short crossroads between our homes.


    "Bye, Gary! Bye, Big Sis Daisy!" Ash excitedly waved at the daughter-brother pair, who waved back.


    "Bye, Ashy-boy! Bye, Luke!"


    "Have a wonderful night, Ash! And I better see you up and actually wearing clothes tomorrow, Luke!" Wow, rather cold way to say goodbye, Daisy.


    "If I feel like it!" I grinned in victory as I heard her groan from all the way here. "Also, smell ya later, Gary!"


    "¡­Y-Yeah, you too, Luke¡­ Why does he always say that when we say goodbye, sis?"


    "I dunno. Just don''t try to pick up his habits, okay? I can only deal with one of him at a time."


    And like that we parted ways and approached home. And on the way, Ash decided to regale me about everything that he experienced at school.


    "ItwasocoolhowyoucalledEponaoverlikethat!Everyonewentsowildwerushedoutandhadthefunnestrecessever!Theteachersweresupermad,butitwassoworthit!Hey,canItrycallingEponatomorrowduringRecess!Oh,canyouteachmehowtocallEpona!?Wealsohadmaccaroniandcheesetoday,ItradedGarymypeasforhisapplesaucethen-!"


    It was as loud and long-winded as you''d expect from a 7 year old.


    But thanks to my past life and this life''s experience as an older brother, I already know how to handle it.


    All you had to do to keep it going was smile and nod¡­smile and nod.


    Until you remember that you should probably not do that since you want to keep things quiet and on the DL otherwise, you''ll bring attention to yourself from your mother, who''s probably already back from work by now and has seen the little note that you left this morn-.


    "LUCAS DELILAH KETCHUM AND ASH REGINALD KETCHUM!" I stood ramrod still as the front door was loudly swung open to reveal none other than our furious mother, Delia Ketchum. "Why is ALL of my fine china smashed apart AND thrown in the garbage with such thin plastic bags that could have cut you!"


    "Well, you see mom, Ash, Kidd, and I¡­" I patted my little brother''s stiff shoulders and pulled out Kidd''s pokeball to release him. "Can explain everything once we''re insi-."


    "Gen!" After taking a hesitant glance at the furious Matriarch of the Ketchum household, Gengar slapped the button to his pokeball and returned himself.


    "Oh, you little bast-!"


    "Language!"


    "Swear!"


    Ugh! I just lowered my head in defeat while doing my best to ignore the amused huff given by my lazing Charizard, who was watching all of this with one eye open. Lucky bastard. I want to stay in bed all day too!


    "Explanation. Now!" Oh, she was mad-mad, and when did she get so clo-?


    "Gagh!"


    A familiar pain that every child in their life experienced wracked my form as mom decided then to drag both myself and Ash into the house by the ear.


    "Agh! Hold on, wait, mom, I didn''t do anything this time! Kidd was acting out and Ash-!" The


    "Ouch! Wait, I''m sorry! Please don''t pull so hard, mom! I promise not to play around in the morning anymore! I promise!"


    The sound of our desperate cries fell on deaf ears as punishment was swift and hardly fair.


    ¡­But this was to be expected for this family.


    Hopefully, she''ll be merciful tomorrow and let me sleep in.


    Fingers crossed.

 Chapter 5

    Money.


    Money makes the world go round.


    That was always a fact in my old life, and also a solid fact in the new life.


    Except money was more or less easy to gather in the pok¨¦mon world. You see, the whole coming of age thing where you have to provide for yourself is an actual fact of life here in the pok¨¦mon world. It took me a good while to get used to it, but I really couldn''t use most of the logic from my old world into this new one. Children from ages 11 and up were considered "adults" in the eyes of society.


    The act of going beyond the walls of your hometown, befriending, and taming various pok¨¦mon, forming connections with like-minded or opposed minded strangers, and providing for yourself with your effort and merit.


    That''s the stereotypical view many people of today saw a child''s pok¨¦mon journey as.


    And it''s not wrong. Yeah, there would be some newbie trainers out there that had to provide for themselves because either their family wants them to, their family can''t provide for them, or they don''t have a family to begin with.


    Heck you can even be fully supported by your family if their filthy stinking rich without having to worry about finance troubles. Now that may sound unfair, but that was basically life in a nutshell. Not every person is made equal once born, and that goes doubly sure for pok¨¦mon trainers.


    But let''s not get off topic. We''re here to talk about money¡­or as they call it in this world, "pok¨¦dollars".


    Being a trainer, you need to be financially well off to care for yourself and your pok¨¦mon. You can scrounge off of the wild, but it''s not a totally stable thing to do unless you''re interested in living the life of a hermit. No, if you want something, you''re gonna have to cough up the dough if you''re interested in wanting to buy a state-of-the-art, multi-terrain travel bike at around 75,000 pok¨¦dollars.


    Yep, that was the price for a freaking bike in Viridian City.


    And despite my annoyance at the high price that exceeded my wallet at the beginning of my journey (I had barely managed to win around 1,500 pok¨¦dollars), I can see where that price came from. A bunch of trainers, new and old, see the need to have one and since new trainers don''t have a flying license or riding pok¨¦mon big enough to carry them, they''ll need the extra help.


    At least the price wasn''t as high as they were in the first pok¨¦mon games. Seriously, I doubt a store can get away with selling a bike for 1,000,000 pok¨¦dollars.


    Now as a trainer, we easily have one of the simplest forms of earning income compared to most mundane careers, and that''s through battling an opponent and winning. If you lose, then you pay them. Its customary for trainers to follow this standard, and if they don''t? Well, it''s frowned upon, but not super enforced unless there are official stakes, and the battle is observed around witnesses.


    In a sort of weird way, going on a journey and experiencing this teaches you about high reward-high risk situations when dealing with your money. You want something? Then you need to evaluate your wants vs. your needs. You could teach some punk bothering you a lesson through a battle, but you potentially lose the chance to use what''s left of your funds for utilities like new clothes, food, water, and etcetera.


    So, you can bet that there were some in my age group who did manage to get this down immediately like me (but I''m an unfair example), but there would still be others who fell onto their childish vices and impulsively blew their money away. Which again, is fair, since 11-year-olds are being pushed into the world and are expected to grow independent from the experience.


    My case with money is that I''m both shrewd when my funds are low and irresponsible when they''re too high. Of course, I''m not a wasteful spender. I just use the 35% of my earnings from battles and tournaments that I didn''t send back home. Once I''ve accrued enough that it didn''t eat into my base utilities, then I immediately get into spending a majority of it.


    Back then I''d always be super mindful of my overall account balance, but nowadays¡­I''ve been fairly lax about it. The last couple of battles I had before the last Conference did keep me in a rather good place financially, and the cash reward from participating in League only solidified that.


    Seriously, I had to go through my Account''s new balance three times just to make sure I counted all of those zeroes correctly. If that was the cash reward for making it as the Runner-Up for a League Conference, then I had to wonder just how utterly swamped my victorious opponent from the Finals is in pok¨¦dollars. Eh, doesn''t matter. I still got paid and to this day, I doubt I made as much of a dent in the amount I had.


    Not even placing half of what I earned into the family account had made me worry about potentially going broke in the foreseeable future. At best, I''d say I would be financially afloat until the midway point of next year if nothing should arise to require any ludicrous spending.


    Now after all this whole talk about money, you''re probably wondering why I brought all this up instead of leaving you all in beautiful silence as I enjoyed a good day long nap and laze fest.


    Well¡­


    "Two orders of cherry pie for table 5, coming right up!"


    "Hey, can I get some extra napkins over here? This dispenser is empty."


    "Of course. Here you go, sir."


    "Ah, sorry to be a bother Luke, but could you get Timothy another fork, he dropped his on the floor."


    "No problem, Miss Chester!"


    "Hey, Brat! You must have gotten my order wrong because I KNOW that I ordered that EXTRA spicy seasoned curry that your mother added to the menu! I can barely taste a thing!"


    "Mr. Grouse that is the EXTRA spicy seasoned curry."


    "Now I''m sure you''re lying to me brat because there ain''t nothin'' spicy about this! I''ve already taken five bites and I have yet to perspire or drink a single drop of my water."


    "I don''t know what to tell you Mr. Grouse, that''s literally the spiciest dish we have. My mom said that she had to use pure Tamato Berry and Cherri berry extract before watering it down to a level where it''s safe enough to consume."


    "There you go!"


    "What?" I raised an eyebrow.


    "That right there! I didn''t ask for watered down spicy seasoned curry, I ordered EXTRA spicy seasoned curry. Go back there and tell your Mama that I want all that pure Tamato and Cherri berry extract in my curry!"


    "Wait, all of it?"


    "All of it."


    "Wait, Mr. Grouse please listen we''re literally following the regulations given to us by the FDA. Giving out something that extremely spicy is a violation of-!"


    "And not getting me the curry that I paid for is a violation of my trust in your establishment and my unresolved hunger!"


    "I''m sorry, sir, but I don''t think I feel comfortable giving you actual death on a plate for lunch."


    "Feh! That''s what the problem is with you young''uns! You never get to experience the finer points of life until reality bites you in the keister. Back in my day, during the War, we didn''t even have the luxury of having curry or rice, we had to make do on bland tasteless rations for months. Or whatever was left of the kibble that we fed to our pok¨¦mon. If one of us even had a single berry, we''d do all in our power to share with the others in our contingent and make it last! And another thing-!"


    Yeah, I''mma just tune the old man out. As you can blatantly see, instead of crashing in bed for the day, I was now helping out in my mother''s caf¨¦, Delia''s Delight. It''s been five days since she roped me into working here until I pay off all the broken china that "I" broke (by extension through Kidd). It was utter crap, but I couldn''t go against her word.


    Now you''d think I could simply pay it off since it''s just your average dish set that didn''t cost more than 10,000 pok¨¦dollars, which was miniscule in comparison to your huge bank account. Well, that''s true, but you know mothers¡­


    "You won''t always buy yourself out of a mess that you and your pok¨¦mon cause. Starting tomorrow, I expect to see you up and early to help me take Ash to school, and join me at work. You''ll make up for what you owe me through your work hours, not pok¨¦dollars, do I make myself clear, young man?"


    They want to make every little thing a lesson.


    So I have to basically work the rest of March off in order to clear myself of what I owe. She did give me the option to leave early anytime I want, but that would just mean I''d have to work more the next day. Plus, the crucial part, I would still need to wake up early to go to work too.


    Ugh! This freaking sucks, man. But I could see her point, like always. Letting Kidd out and being so lax about it was bound to cause trouble, and just because I''ve been used to his brand of tomfoolery doesn''t detract how disastrous it still is when left unattended.


    Still, I was glad that I wasn''t the only one getting punished for this.


    I smirked and watched two customers cautiously watch a floating pink apron emblazoned with the caf¨¦''s name carry a pair of strawberry shortcakes to their table. Looks like my Gengar doesn''t want to be caught dead (Get it?) wearing pink. Shows what he knows, I''m very much rocking the pink apron + pink shirt combo. Real men wear pink after all.


    No one got off Scott free when mom was mad.


    Not even Ash.


    Hehe, the little twerp was heartbroken when he was barred from making any plans with his friends to go play and instead was ordered to go straight home after school to do complete all of his homework.


    To be honest, he got the lightest punishment in retrospect. He got to stay home and after doing some abysmally easy homework (well at least easy for me), he pretty much got to do whatever he wanted.


    What I would kill for a cushy punishment like that.


    But no, here I was listening to another one of Mr. Grouse''s war stories of the first Great Pok¨¦mon War. At first, they were fascinating to listen to as a child whenever he babysat me, but now hearing them repeatedly for the context of his "annoyance for the day" was flat out tiring.


    Looking out over the homey aesthetic of the caf¨¦, I momentarily patted myself, my mother and everyone who put in the effort on the backs. You would never have guessed that the old, decrepit one-story house at the edge of town would be transformed into such a warm, comforting establishment that sold pastries, sundries, and the occasional odd special of curry or hamburgers.


    Looking around for one of the nearest workers, my eyes glanced past Sylvie, who was using her ribbon-like feelers to serve two gushing Lasses their parfaits; Elizabeth, mom''s Nidoqueen standing vigilant near the front door; and the various mothers and grannies from town that made up a majority of the caf¨¦''s management.


    When the caf¨¦ opened and started to gain more traction from me advertising on my journey, it provided the opportunity for mom to get more help from running it than just having to rely on her two pok¨¦mon and herself. This job opened up chances for local mothers, both happily married or dreadfully single (which was an unfortunate majority in town and the world) to earn extra money for themselves and their families.


    While the grannies just wanted to pitch in and help in any way they can¡­as they were wont to do.


    But no, I wasn''t looking for them, I was really looking for¡­there she is! Right behind me waitering for another table.


    "Hey, Angel! I''m sorry for disturbing you, but would you mind telling mom about a certain customer not finding his meal to his liking?"


    "Bliss-Blissey."


    "Thanks, you''re the best."


    I smiled as the extremely kind and accommodating pok¨¦mon happily trotted her way through the maze of constantly moving waitresses, customers, and pok¨¦mon just to help me out.


    Angel was a blessing that I would never ever regret. Capturing her in the Safari Zone and sending back home as an extra pair of hands to help out my family was genius. I figured that since Ash could capture a Mr. Mime to keep his mother company at home, that I''d do the same for myself.


    Of course, I never really used her for battle, but she didn''t seem to mind. Apart from the times I needed her for training, she was content and overjoyed to be of help to us. Especially when she had the opportunity to constantly put her skills with healing to the test with a rambunctious Ash Ketchum running around. It was a win-win for everyone. She literally got to stay and care for a great family, and we got to have our own stay at home nurse/caretaker.


    Still, I was gobsmacked to find out that the Chansey that I occasionally swapped from home onto my team for training had evolved into a Blissey, two months after I caught her.


    It was a nice reminder of how blessed I was to be born into my current family.


    So, as I endured more of Mr. Grouse''s long-winded "I was in THE war" stories, Angel returned with a laundry pin on her nose the most unholy form of curry that I''ve ever seen. It was molten hot, and so red that it visibly hurt my eyes just to look at it. The strong spices and even the sheer heat it exuded had me tearing up.


    Everyone sitting near the path Angel took towards us leaned away from the hellish curry with even one of the customer''s Pidgey falling over from catching so much of a whiff of it. I had to remove myself from the proximity of the table and watch from afar as the old man enjoyed eating curry with all of it''s extract and spices amped up.


    I never had the chance to live up to old age in my past life, but it seems that the older you get, the harder it was to experience taste unless it''s to an absurd degree.


    So, I returned to my duties of either being a waiter, busboy, or lead server. Having past life experience in the food industry came in handy for once. Unlike back then though, the customers from Pallet Town were frankly nice to deal with. It was the out-of-town customers that were 50/50 for us that made things a little hard to deal with.


    Using newfound publicity for your family business is both a blessing and a curse. Especially in the pok¨¦mon world.


    *SLAM!*


    "Trainer Luke Ketchum! I, Otto from Gringey City challenge you to a Pok¨¦mon Battle!"


    Sitting at the front desk, I looked up from my phone to spot a boy about a year older than me pointing a great ball at my face. Sylvie, who had been lounging next to my legs, glowered at the trainer for their audacity while I just rolled my eyes.


    If he were more aware of his surroundings, he would have noticed that he was barely this close to slamming that door into Elizabeth, who caught it mid-swing. It was a blessing for him that mom''s Nidoqueen was extremely patient otherwise he''d be soaring out the door like a freaking Braviary right now.


    I looked at him, then shrugged. "Sure, but first you have to order something. For today''s special we have our EXTRA spicy curry, but I wouldn''t recommend that if you don''t want to die. So, I''d suggest going for our carrot cake since that''s a favorite of mine. Oh, let''s get you a table first and¡­"


    "W-What?" The guy stammered as I was already out of my seat carrying a menu for him. "No! I didn''t come here for food!"


    I raised an eyebrow at him in question. "Are you sure? We''re giving out free lemon squares with every purchase that a new customer makes." We needed to give away some of yesterday''s leftovers somehow.


    "No, I-¡­hold on, you guys sell lemon squares?"


    "Yeah, man." I nodded. "They even come with sprinkles."


    "Sp-sprinkles?" The guy began to drool.


    "Yeah. Sprinkles. They''re freaking magical¡­"


    "L-Lemon squares, I haven''t had some in a long¡­ Wait, hold up don''t try and change the subject!"


    "Oh, yeah, you''re right. I should probably show you to your table first¡­wait, nah it''s my break soon so I''ll just call for someone else to come do it." I yawned and looked over my shoulder for anyone available. Hm, Mrs. Verdant seems to be available.


    I began waving her ov-.


    "No! I came here for a battle against you. Not to get myself a snack!" Turning around, I looked the impatient guy in the eye and tilted my head.


    "Oh." I blinked at him. "Nah¡­I''m working."


    "Are you serious!?"


    "Yeah. Work comes first." Even though I''d rather be in bed or planning out a training regimen for some of my pok¨¦mon, I still held true to my priorities when working with my mom. Being the Runner Up for this year''s conference gave me loads of attention from the public, especially trainers who want to prove that they can best someone who was close to being the winner of the tournament.


    It turns out that advertising the caf¨¦ was a double-edged sword. It got more clientele to come in, but that also led to the opening floodgates for obnoxious trainers to come barging in for a battle. Honestly I''m flattered and would be willing to accept people''s battles if I''m in the mood, but supporting the caf¨¦ took precedent for me.


    An awkward pause of silence filled the air. I popped my lips and leaned back in my chair, my arm resting over it''s back as I thought I heard Sylvie snickering at the kid''s disbelieving expression. "So¡­you want to order something or¡­?"


    I snapped my fingers at the door.


    He still didn''t react, so I repeated my "subtle" indicator to leave. He took exception to that.


    "What do you mean you''re working? I-I challenged you, so-!" I held out a hand to stop him before he threw a fit.


    "Like I said, I''m working. Well, I''m on break right now¡­"


    "So then let''s go already!" My eyebrow twitched from all that aggressiveness in his tone.


    I continued "So that means I''m still on clock to be here." I continued before he could shout something else. "But me battling you because of work is another story. You just have to order something, and when it''s time to pay, you challenge the caf¨¦. You win, you don''t have to pay, and we give you a voucher for one free meal the next time you visit. You lose and you do have to pay. Simple as that, so do you want to make that order now, or what?"


    With the surge of trainers knocking at our caf¨¦''s doors just to challenge me and not wanting to order anything, we came up with the idea to turn Delia''s Delight from a simple caf¨¦ to a full-out Battle Caf¨¦. You defeat one of the workers, and you essentially get to leave scott free without paying and getting a future free meal.


    You want to earn a free year''s worth of meals, then you have to defeat every trainer working here, myself included along with facing the Caf¨¦ Mistress, my mom. She asked Flint for some advice one time when we went over to Pewter City to help him out.


    All in all, it''s a fairly rewarding system for the customer and most wouldn''t even fret over having to order something to eat just to put in a challenge.


    "No, I just want a battle! I don''t want to wait around for some cake just to do that. You''re right here not doing anything anyway, so why not skip straight to the action!?"


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    I groaned.


    Then you have kids who were too impatient to prove themselves like this guy. Spectacular. Now he''s going to be insufferably stubborn to battle until I give it to him, or Elizabeth throws him out, and the Nidoqueen was already making a move to do just that until I raised my hand for her to give me a moment.


    ¡­I also made sure to stroke Sylvie''s head to calm her down before she gave more fuel to this guy''s raging need to find some excuse for me to battle him.


    There wasn''t any need to kick the guy out or indulge him any more than necessary because the moment I heard Mrs. Verdant come over with another pair of footsteps alongside her, I knew that the issue would be taken care of.


    "Excuse me, young man, may we help you with something?" Delia Ketchum, my mother, and the owner to the fine establishment that we''re all standing in, happily greeted our "newest customer".


    "W-Who the heck are you two?" Wow, dude way to be polite to your elders. At least introduce yourself first.


    "Ah, where are my manners? Hello there, my name is Delia Ketchum, and to my right is my assistant manager, Petaline Verdant."


    "A pleasure." The bespectacled raven haired woman happily waved before winking at my grateful glance. She must have seen how this guy was giving me a hard time when I called her over before going straight to mom.


    "And to my left¡­" I felt the warm caress of my mother''s fingers through my hair. "Is my baby boy, Lukey. Isn''t he such a cutie?" N-Now was not the time to be a doting mother, I need you to be a serious and on task mother.


    "Ahem! Thanks mom but maybe we should¡­" I gestured to the issue in front of us.


    "Right¡­right¡­" She sighed and turned to the trainer, who was now starting to piece things together by looking at the both of us. Not that it''s hard not to after introducing herself as my mother. "So, Mister¡­"


    "Otto, ma''am! I-I''m actually a trainer from out of town, and I''d like to face your son in a pok¨¦mon battle!" Wow, his tune sure changed. Clever. He''s trying to appear cordial into worming his way into getting a battle from me.


    "Oh, is that all?" Mom happily clapped her hands then turned to me. "My my, Lukey, your popularity has been through the roof these last few months! I''m so glad you''re gaining more opportunities to gain more friends."


    I yawned. "I know, I''m positively bouncing for joy with this new "friendly" encounter."


    Ow.


    "Cover your mouth when you yawn, young man. Don''t let it become a habit¡­" Mom scolded me.


    "Yes, ma''am." I rubbed the cheek she pinched.


    "Now I am grateful that you came all this way to see my little boy, Mister Otto. However, I can''t quite lend him to you for a battle since he''s currently working as punishment. He''s needed here until his hours are done, and I can''t have any rough horseplay while that happen right now, understood?"


    Sheesh mom, you don''t have to look so intense, you''re making the poor guy shake in his shoes. But it''s the only way to reign in these overly pushy trainers with a chip on their shoulders, so I can see the necessity in her doing it.


    "Y-Yes, ma''am." Otto gulped.


    "I''m glad that you think so, Mister Otto. That''s very considerate of you." Approaching the boy, she did her usual mom thing and straightened up his collar and poked his nose. It had the effect of leaving him in a surprised daze as she graciously gave him a vibrant smile.


    "And don''t be in such a rush to prove yourself. There''s always more than enough time to do better for the next Battle Circuit." The boy''s eyes widened that mom of all people could readily read him like a book.


    Except he wasn''t the exception since most others who either dropped in the prelims or could barely get 8 badges sought some form of validation by challenging someone who made it far into the conference. For those challenging me, knowing their type apart from those who advanced far into the conference, or who at least earned their eight badges were simply too easy. It was always the desperate, pushy ones that gave away their current predicament.


    "So do your best, okay? I''m sure that you''ll knock them dead this year. I believe you can do it. So have more confidence in yourself, alright?"


    "O-Okay." Otto looked determined not to cry after that small pep talk.


    "Now Lukey may not be able to directly battle you right now, but if it''s fine with him¡­" I yaw-.


    Mom''s eyes narrowed at me.


    I quickly shrugged while covering my yawning mouth.


    "Then you may skip purchasing your order and can face him in battle." She raised a finger as Otto looked just about ready to jump for joy. "IF you can defeat one my waitresses in battle first." Oh boy¡­


    "R-Really?" Otto blinked in disbelief. Don''t look so happy man, you''re still going to be in for a bad time if you''re going to be facing who I think will be your first opponent.


    Mrs. Verdant''s glasses took on a rather ominous glare as her sight was directed at the unassuming trainer. Her smile was¡­unnerving.


    "Yep~. Just defeat one of them, and you get the chance to battle my son." Mom sang. "However if you lose, you''ll need to purchase a meal from the caf¨¦, okay?"


    "Sure do, but I ain''t about to lose! Alright! This should be a cake walk! Muk and I totally got this one in the bag!" You fool, don''t be so quick to celebrate your victory before the fight even begins. Your opponent''s already sizing you up.


    "You hear that, Petaline?" Mom''s warm, motherly smile didn''t reach her eyes.


    "Sure did, Delia." Mrs. Verdant, you''re scaring me. I really hope that Blossom doesn''t turn out to be as frightening as you.


    "Then would you please be a dear and give Mister Otto the battle that he desperately craves for?"


    And in a blink of an eye, the predator shifted to a more friendlier persona for the boy as she "lightheartedly" laughed and waved her hand. "Sure, I don''t mind. Too bad I only have one pok¨¦mon on me. But I''m sure Tia will do fine." She turned to Otto and "worriedly" frowned. "Please go easy on us."


    "Heh, don''t worry lady, I''m saving the best for Luke anyway, so I''ll make we won''t go too hard on you."


    "My, my, such a gentleman~."


    "Sylve¡­" Even Sylvie of all pok¨¦mon was feeling a tiny bit of pity for the guy.


    Not that I could blame him, he was about to get eaten alive.


    "Eliza, would you be a dear and prepare the psychic barrier generators around the field."


    With a light grunt, the Nidoqueen vacated the caf¨¦ and immediately went to prepare the battlefield with both Otto and Mrs. Verdant following right after them.


    "Just you wait, Luke, I''ll be after you once I''m done with her." Otto, the dead man walking heartily declared.


    Before he goes though, I had to ask. "How many Gym badges do you have?"


    "Heh, I''m sure you''ll be impressed to find out that I currently have 4 to my name!" That''s¡­impressive. Still not enough for who you''re going to face though.


    Wait¡­four gym badges?


    "So, you''ve defeated Lt. Surge?"


    "Urp¡­well, I challenged him, but I realized the jerk wasn''t worth the effort and moved on to the Wisteria Town to face their Gym instead." So, he faced the Flying Type Gym Leader, Icarus instead, eh? A minor gym instead of going back to face the major one, a wake-up call for all newbie trainers to better their strategy and training regimen.


    It took me three tries to get my badge from the guy. After that he''s been really cool with me. A bit more to my actual liking, but I wasn''t going to give him the cold shoulder especially after he told me of ideal locations or environments that were potential habitats for Thor''s species. Still had to enforce some limits against him wanting to really get me "balls deep" as an Electric Type specialist trainer.


    Still if this guy hasn''t beaten Surge, then¡­


    I nodded and could only wave him goodbye. "Well, good luck against, Tiamat." I hope they remember you, Otto.


    Watching the poor fool on his death march, I slumped back in my seat, and gladly allowed Sylvie to hop up and rest on my lap. She crooned as I gently rubbed her forehead. Most of customers noticed the waitresses tying back the curtains facing the battlefield and activating the back-up psychic barriers placed on the tempered tall paned glass.


    With a battle to entertain them about to be on display, more than half of them chose to eat on the veranda much closer to battlefield while a few chose to stay inside and watch. With my own mother being part of that demographic as she chose to instead stand by my side and return to running her hand through my hair.


    "Hi, mom¡­" I muttered.


    "Hey, Lukey." She giggled and continued fiddling with my hair. "You hungry?"


    "Yeah, I''ll make myself something for lunch."


    "Nonsense, just tell me what you need, and I''ll cook it for you."


    "Well, if you''re offering¡­can I have some mild curry. Like REALLY mild."


    "Right, so you don''t want hard spices in it."


    "Yes, please." I nodded. "¡­Also wasn''t it a little cruel to sic Mrs. Verdant on that guy after talking him up like that?"


    "It may have, but I figure you would like to take it easy with your lunch break approaching, and for the day in general." She giggled at my enthusiastic nod. "I may want you keep active and see your punishment through to it''s end, but I won''t push you to do much more than you personally want. Especially when getting pressed by those impatient to not be considerate of other''s circumstances and feelings."


    Ah, so she was little annoyed with the guy trying to strongarm me into a battle. Delia Ketchum has always been such a worrywart, caring, kind, and overprotective as a mother in the anime. However, being born to her as her firstborn son has given me a bit more of a glance into her as a human being. One of them being that she can be a bit spiteful should the moment call for it, especially for her children.


    It would have made me wonder if I inherited that aspect from her if I hadn''t been reincarnated from my past life.


    "Thanks, mom."


    She kissed my forehead. "Don''t mention it, and be sure to enjoy your lunch break, sweetie."


    Sylvie''s growling toward the door interrupted our mother-son moment. "What''s wrong, Syl-?"


    "Hey, everyone, it''s just your common Diglett (Gopher) Daisy here to place an order in for everyone down at the lab!" Ah, so that explains why she''s growling.


    "Oh goodness, it''s so lovely to see you again, Daisy!" Mom happily ushered the girl in.


    "You too, Mrs. Ketchum. How was your morning?"


    "Simply the best. How about yours?"


    "You know the usual, had to give my brother a harsh reminder about why sleeping in because he was playing his video games until midnight again wasn''t a good idea with me around." Daisy smirked.


    "We can certainly relate to that." I nodded in agreement with mom. Ash didn''t need video games to stay up, just the defiant thought of not going to be was enough to keep that ball of energy up through the whole night.


    Laughing at that, Daisy finally turned her sights to me, her bright smile turned into a dry grimace. "So¡­"


    "Hey, Daisy." I lazily waved.


    "Yeah, hi, why are you still wearing sweatpants to work?" At least pretend to be cordial, girl.


    "I don''t see why there''s anything wrong with that." I shrugged.


    "Mrs. Ketchum, please¡­an explanation for why you''re allowing this madness to continue." Daisy desperately looked at my mom, who could only sheepishly rub the back of her head.


    "Well, he mentioned that working at the caf¨¦ was technically like being at a home away from home, and felt like wearing what was comfortable for him. He also mentioned that he''d experience less strain to his body and experience less rashes if his pants weren''t so tight, and so I decided to let him do as he wished."


    I refused to meet Daisy''s eyes. So, what if I had to use my mother''s overprotective nature to give her a flimsy excuse just to wear sweatpants. If I''m going to have to work a majority of the day, then I''d rather be comfortable while doing it.


    "So, you''re here to get everyone their lunches again?" I decided to change the subject.


    "Yeah, that''s literally what I said upon entering." Okay no need to be like that, I was only trying to make conversation.


    "Good to know, but why do you keep coming over? You could have just called us, and we would have had Heaven and Jubilee fly over to deliver it to the Lab?" I mean, the reason was obvious since I''ve been working here and she''s gone from calling in the orders to come physically make them herself, but I wanted to get the truth from her.


    Or at least tease her about it for fun.


    "Well, maybe I just wanted to say hi to you guys."


    "Aw~." Mom cooed.


    I wasn''t convinced. "You can do that over the phone too."


    "Luke!" Mom admonished me.


    "It''s the truth." I shrugged. "So, what''s with you always dropping in to see u-?" I looked back to Daisy to find her attention grasped by the one-sided massacre of a battle outside.


    "Is there a reason why Mrs. Verdant is having her Dragonite turn that Muk into a popsicle?" Hah, look who''s changing the subject now?


    "We-."


    "I''m sure that you and Luke will have more than enough time to chat about that after having some food to fill your bellies~." Ugh, I know that look she''s giving us. Mother, please stop trying to be my wingman, I''m still 12 y''now. Ugh, I wasn''t going to get out of this was I?


    Sylvie looked just as displeased as I was. Though I figured that my displeasure was for my missed opportunity to tease Daisy. Have no clue what my pok¨¦mon was completely displeased for.


    And after placing in her order for herself and everyone back at Professor Oak''s lab, we were placed us in one of the more private booths of the cafe. Way to be subtle, mom. Sylvie sat beside me giving Daisy a rather worrying glare that the girl was doing all in her power to ignore. To be fair, this was the most behaved Sylvie could get around my childhood friend, and that''s because of mom''s presence.


    Mom had put her foot down and scolded Sylvie not to keep growling at Daisy.


    Sylvie would have growled at mom, but¡­hahahahaha¡­no.


    Now look I love my pok¨¦mon, and I would never be needlessly cruel or angry with them. But there''s always been a ground rule that I establish with them when bringing them home or around my family.


    You don''t ever growl, bare your fangs, or physically harm my brother or my mother.


    One look from me was all it took to cowl the moody Sylveon''s from overstepping her limits.


    As we waited for our lunch, we finally got to talk about the trainer of the day that impatiently wanted to battle me while at work.


    "Well, at least he''s technically getting his wish to battle an Indigo League Runner-Up." Daisy worriedly smiled as we watched from the intimidating sight of a large, green Dragonite clobber the hell out of Otto''s fourth pok¨¦mon, a Heracross.


    I desperately wanted to ask the guy how he managed to find one of those in Kanto, but I doubt he''ll be in a good mood to disclose that information with me like Lt. Surge.


    Well, that''s what he gets for underestimating the "simple" waitresses of the caf¨¦. Not everyone may have been successful on their pok¨¦mon journeys as a kid to conquer the Conference and League, but there is still a good chunk of them that are still accomplished trainers in their own right. Growing up and making a family make them rusty if they''re not still training, but an Elite trainer is still an Eliter trainer.


    That goes doubly for Mr. and Mrs. Verdant, who come from a generation after my parents. They both met at the Indigo League at the ages of 15 in the Semi-Finals with Mrs. Verdant from Blackthorn City being the victor yet losing in the Finals soon after.


    They might not have all made it to the Finals or Semi-Finals, but the population of most of Pallet Town consisted of retired trainers. Heck, the founding of Pallet Town was soon after the Second Great Pok¨¦mon War ended, specifically the long bloody feud between Kanto and Johto. Old veterans like Prof. Oak, the Mayor and so many others needed a place to settle down and keep vigilant near the border of their former enemies, and so Pallet Town was founded.


    I probably skipped a lot of crucial context but that was the gist of what was taught in class.


    So, from all of that, remember¡­never underestimate the old folks because they sure as hell lived a more colorful life than you, who has been alive for barely a decade.


    "Yeah, I almost feel sorry for him¡­" I frowned for a mere second before turning to my lunchmate. "So, how''s everything down at the lab?"


    "Good¡­good¡­" Daisy shrugged. "Grandpa''s still in a fit about not getting to study Sylvie."


    I laughed and happily stroked Sylvie''s fur in the way she just absolutely adored. "Of course, he would." Eventually my pok¨¦mon did melt into my hands from my ministrations. Good, I wasn''t mad at her, just what she tried to do.


    "What about you?"


    "Huh?" I was broken from my Sylvie petting trance.


    "How''s everything with you, I mean. You''re back to waking up early and on time again, so¡­" She drummed her hands on the table counter. "That must be a nice change of pace."


    "Yeah¡­" I looked to the side and sighed. "It''s a change of pace¡­"


    "Doesn''t sound like you''re happy about it."


    "I mean, I''m happy to help out my mom, but I''d just rather enjoy sleeping, y''know." I propped my head up with my hand.


    "I know." She deadpanned.


    "I''m serious." I dryly looked at her. "It''s just nice¡­not having to follow a strict routine for once after nine months straight of constantly worrying myself to death with training, arriving to the next town in time to log in for the next available gym battle." Jesus Christ was I such a mess when I had to wait a full 3 weeks to battle Erika. "And always needing to keep an eye out for any wild pok¨¦mon that seem to want forage my belongings for food, or just want to eat me or my other pok¨¦mon."


    I shuddered at memory of that deep, dark cave beneath the unstable footing of that damned mountain range. Being surrounded in the dark by so many ancient predators¡­ Getting reminded about how "innocent" and "cartoony" the anime made the experience of being trapped with so many of them was such an eye-opener.


    All of those jagged teeth developed over countless years to bite into and rip apart the flesh of its prey¡­and a maw so wide that it could swallow me whole in a single bite.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "L-Luke?"


    "Huh?"


    "You''re shaking." I looked at my hand to find that I was.


    "I am." I tightly clenched my fist to stop my jitters. "Sorry about that, I''m fine. So don''t worry."


    "Are you s-?"


    "Yes." There wasn''t anything to talk about.


    "Well¡­" Daisy sighed to herself before looking to the side. "If you say so, just know you can tell me if something''s bothering you, okay?"


    I smiled. "I sure will. Thanks."


    "Sylveon?" Aw, I guess Sylvie noticed my...fe-. No, I''m fine.


    I gave her a scratch beneath the chin and chuckled. "I''m fine, don''t worry about me, girl." She leaned into my affectionate scratching, but still looked worried¡­like Daisy. That''s what I get for accidentally opening old wounds¡­


    Great job, Luke.


    Looking back to the battle happening outside, now Mrs. Verdant''s Dragonite was facing a Raticate. Nothing else to say besides the obvious curbstomping it was out to the rest of Otto''s pok¨¦mon. The guy seemed to be in distress over this battle as a whole. Well, hopefully he''ll buy himself some of those lemon squares to cheer himself up after he loses.


    "You smell nice."


    "E-Eh?"


    "I''m saying that your new choice in perfume smells nice." I shrugged.


    "Y-You noticed?" Hey, no need to act so surprised, you''ve been coming around here for days, so of course I''d notice the smell.


    "Of course. It suits you, smells¡­flowery." I chuckled.


    "Flowery¡­just flowery?" She looked disappointed.


    "Yeah?" I said, unsure. "Why? Is there something else I''m not getting?" I tapped my chin and took another whiff of the lingering aroma. "I do smell a hint of citrus if that''s what you''re implying¡­"


    "N-No. It''s nothing¡­" Daisy sighed and immediately pulled out her phone. The rapid dexterity of her fingers tapping against the screen meant she was texting someone. Who exactly, I had no clue.


    "¡­lackluster reaction¡­"


    "What?"


    "Nothing! Nothing just texting Erika about the results of a new fragrance she wanted me to try." Oh, that''s right. I guess that kind of thing would entail when she has a sponsorship with that girl''s budding business. "It didn''t produce the results we were looking for it seems."


    "Huh, okay." I blinked, unsure how to respond until the clattering of both of our meals on the table roused our attention to our invisible waiter. "Thanks, Kidd."


    "Gen¡­" Kidd unhappily grunted.


    "Oh hello, Kidd, I like you''re apron." Daisy complimented him with a smile and a wave.


    "¡­" I couldn''t see my ghost pok¨¦mon''s face, but I would surmise that he was caught between feeling insulted or elated with the genuine compliment. After he silently floated off, both of us happily ate our meals with gusto. Chattering on about the recent news (or lack thereof) about town, the region, and our individual homes.


    By the time we were close to being done with our meals, the battle had ended with Mrs. Verdant as the clear victor. Poor Otto. I almost felt bad for the dude. Thankfully I had asked mom to leave a dish of lemon squares out for him to stuff his face with just to cope with what was probably the most difficult battle of his life.


    Daisy had attempted to elbow me to offer up a battle to guy to cheer him up. I steadfastly refused since that would kill the point of mom having tricked him to face Mrs. Verdant in the first place. So, I chose to instead go with a different approach.


    "Look, man, you just really caught me at a bad time for your challenge. Still, I hope you learned never to underestimate a completely unassuming opponent." The guy slowly nodded, looking as dour as ever. Daisy and I decided to see him off after Mrs. Verdant gave a passing compliment to Otto for the fun battle. The guy certainly didn''t find getting clobbered to be fun enough to give her more than a subdued nod.


    "Anyways, I wouldn''t mind facing you in battle the next time you visit."


    "Really!?" Oi, what happened to that sad sack routine you were pulling right now?


    I plowed on before he could go off into his own little world. "But¡­only when you''ve defeated the Vermillion Gym and acquire their badge."


    "B-B-But-! I already have four badges, so shouldn''t that be enough?"


    "No." I shook my head. "Sorry won''t accept anything less than you surpassing him in the upcoming circuit. Do that and I''ll give you a one on one battle."


    He slumped down. "Just a one-on-one?"


    "Of course, but let''s say if you were to have all eight badges and then some, then I''ll indulge you in a full six-on-six." Aha, that had him perking up. The trick to handling trainers in gyms was ingenious for us selfish bunch. If you dangle a challenge over another that seems just as rewarding, then you can basically get as much sway over them as want.


    "All right then, so if that''s all I have to do, then fine!" Determined, he pointed his finger at my face, in my personal space, and exclaimed. "Just you wait, I''ll be back to surpass you and¡­her. Ya hear!?"


    Sure, dude. Also, good to know that Mrs. Verdant is now in his sights. Sure, she''ll look forward to another rematch to show to Blossom one of these days.


    And so, Otto rushed out of the caf¨¦ to who knows where.


    I scratched my head and sighed. Man, was it going to be pain for everyone when he returns. But at least I''ll have something to look forward too.


    "Aw that was very sweet of you¡­" Daisy smiled, then leaned in to give me a suspicious look. "What''s the catch?"


    "There''s no catch at all. He just needs to either beat Surge or get more badges to battle me. Simple."


    "Yeah¡­but you''re not staying in Kanto for the upcoming Circuit. So what''s up with that flimsy promise?" Ah, I can see where she''s coming from.


    "But it doesn''t exactly have to be during the Circuit, it could just as easily be after it that he''ll have his chance to battle me."


    "So, you''ve finally chosen where you''re going?"


    "Who knows¡­" I crossed my arms and smirked, leaning in closer to her. "What about you? Since you''re so eager to find out where I''m going, you won''t have a problem spilling the beans about your plans, right?"


    "Who knows¡­" She huffed. "I''m undecided too."


    "Hm, strange¡­"


    "Strange indeed¡­"


    We just stood there at the front door staring at each other until a burst of flash broke out staredown.


    "Hmhmhm~! Memories~!" Mom shamelessly hummed to herself as she pulled the developing photo from that old camera she loved to carry around. "Aw, you two look so cute~!"


    "Mom¡­" / "Mrs. Ketchum¡­" Both Daisy and I groaned at her antics.


    "By the way, Daisy. Your orders for the lab are ready, so whenever you''re ready be sure to come around so that we can fasten the containers to your Arcanine." With a thumbs up and a "will do", she immediately got to doing that right now. I of course helped because mom had wanted me to be a gentleman.


    With everything in place, she took off after saying her goodbyes to everyone. It was almost perfect timing too since the grassy field that we stood on began to experience a brief gust of wind with the two arrivals of both mom and I''s aerial takeout delivers.


    "Pidgeoooooooo!"


    "Kisssssssss!"


    "Welcome back, Gail and Jubilee! Marvelous work as always!" Mom and I rushed over to the duo of flying types and began divesting them of their empty leather harnesses that were packed with the wrapped food of our customers.


    Mom took exceptional care to not ruffle the feathers of her Pidgeot while I was gently coaxing the literal baby of my party with tender affection. She giggled and played a bit as I sought to brush down the fluff of her feathers with each leather container that I divested off her sides.


    "There you go, sweetie. You feel good?" I gently rubbed her face and inspected her for any food that must have spilled on her soft feather.


    "Toge-Kiss! Kiss!" She crooned at my touch and happily flapped her wings in jubilation.


    "There that''s way better." I chuckled and touched my forehead to hers. She was technically the only Togekiss around, so I couldn''t really compare her size to those of her species, but I imagined that she was smaller in comparison since they were estimated to be around a Pidgeot''s size when fully grown. But that''s to be expected of the little one, since she''s still basically less than seven months old.


    I really had to blame my¡­hectic lifestyle during my journey. When all I did was either feed or lightly play with her between long bouts of intense training with the others, she innocently began to believe that two pok¨¦mon battling each other for days was a "fun game". As a trainer, I have no clue if that made me a good or bad influence.


    Welp¡­


    And from there, nothing much really happened for the rest of the day. We managed to feed all of the customers, we fed all of the pok¨¦mon that helped out around the caf¨¦, I had to help Mrs. Verdant break up an argument between Sylvie and her Dragonite over their lunches that were swiped from them with Kidd as the main suspect, and lastly me accompanying mom to pick up Ash from school after locking down the caf¨¦.


    Apart from everything else, today was chill.


    Which was to be expected since Pallet Town was basically the best place in Kanto for an idyllic life.


    At least to me.


    Hm, it may go against my long-term plan of returning to my busy schedule of sleeping in, but perhaps a break in routine would be nice. I''m sure mom won''t mind. I''d lose time that I could put in at the caf¨¦ to pay off what I owe, but a change in scenery would do me some good.


    Besides, it''s not like I''m going to miss much. At worst, I''ll probably hear about another random trainer who solely came to challenge me but not order anything from the caf¨¦ again.


    Typical behavior.


    Now who to take with me out into the wild¡­


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Unbeknownst to Luke, a challenger did arrive that very next day, but in no way shape or form were they any random trainer¡­


    "Hello, young lady. Welcome to Delia Delights, may I take your order?" The unassuming waitress approached the table of fairly intimidating blue haired girl sitting alone in the stall.


    "Indeed. I would like to purchase one of your Rage Candy Bar sundaes please. I expect that it will live up to my expectations?" The blunette haughtily spoke.


    "Why of course, ma''am. It''s certainly a big hit with the visiting crowd from Johto, so I hope you''ll enjoy it. Now Is there anything else I can get for you?" The waitress happily jotted down the order.


    "Yes, actually¡­" In a blink of an eye, an oppressive feeling washed over the waitress as she and many other occupants in the caf¨¦ began to sweat under the mere pressure the mysterious girl had.


    "I hear that this caf¨¦, allows for their customers to forgo payment should they best one of their workers in battle. If that''s the case¡­I wholeheartedly request a battle¡­no, a rematch against Luke Ketchum if you would ma''am."

 Chapter 6

    Route 1.


    The route of beginnings for every rookie trainer to traverse through when starting their journey to adulthood. It''s always sort of been a Pallet Town kind of tradition to view the old beaten route that way. The first step that you took was the first step to¡­pretty much everything. You were only limited to what''s in your backpack, and the Starter pok¨¦mon at your side. With no parents or guardians needed to be by your side to ensure your safety, you were officially acknowledged to provide yourself with the minimal protection.


    The thrill of independence washed over all my classmates and any other children from Pallet that began their individual quest. At the time, I was more focused on properly assembling my team and heading straight into getting in the groove of battle training. I already had a good grasp of how make a secure camp, foraging skills, and wildlife etiquette. I was blessed to have had great help especially after the passing of¡­


    Anyways, I wasn''t as struck with the full weight of my responsibility as an independent trainer like the others were wont to do. It pretty much felt like "business as usual" for me, being 25 years old with a job in Healthcare Administration set a high bar for crippling expectations needed with the required responsibility. So going out on my own to raise fantastic creatures to fight each other while properly conserving food, money, and any resources I could gather on a nine-month long journey felt simpler in general.


    Didn''t mean it wasn''t difficult because man was it hard. Simple doesn''t always mean easy.


    Certainly, held myself together better than most, and that''s even when I was still going through a rough rut to gain publicity to endorse mom''s budding business. Y''see, despite the children of this world possessing more maturity than the ones from my own, at the end of the day, they were still children.


    I''ll leave you with that thought because it isn''t too hard to put two and two together, and whatever guess you make of it, is most definitely the case of what I''m implying.


    Now Route 1 wasn''t just a short zig-zagging path with tall grass and steep cliffs, it was way more expansive. You were basically in the wild, surrounded by pok¨¦mon that aren''t just Pidgey and Rattata. You have your Mankeys, Sandshrew, Spearows (and boy were there a ton of those along with the Pidgey), Caterpie, a couple of Ursarings with their offspring Tediursa, and Doduo. And these were only the pok¨¦mon on land, the ones in the nearby river that travelled inland and to the sea through Pallet Town, the Pallet Peninsula, held some noteworthy pok¨¦mon.


    Gyarados, Poliwags, Tentacool, Goldeen, and if you''re stupid lucky like Daisy, you''ll even find a Staryu amongst the rabble. Already you can tell from the roster of pok¨¦mon presented here where I caught my first two pok¨¦mon: Sparrow and Macaque.


    Although I might be overlooking some more pok¨¦mon that are here on route both in land and in water, but the variety given to trainers both new and old was still outstanding. It also made it more dangerous since if Route 1, the route for beginners, held significant mystery and danger then the ones going forward would be no different and even more potentially life-threatening when unprepared.


    After all, Route 1 allowed rookies from Pallet Town to simply retreat back home when overwhelmed, so like training wheels. Sad to say that going inland into the region deprives you of that blessed option to return to the safe confines of your family and home.


    But I guess that danger would only apply if you were to go off the trail and enter the thick brush of the forest to sides of the route. Route 1 also consists of a forest called Pallet Woods just further up north, the final stretch before reaching Viridian City, but even that road had a clear cut path. As long as there''s a path, pok¨¦mon won''t really bother you unless they''re the confrontational type.


    However, going off the path meant potentially stumbling your way into uncharted territory¡­okay, no, let me rephrase that. It meant that you''re possibly getting into another pok¨¦mon''s established territory (there that''s way more clearer). Take for example the Ursaring, like the real world bear, you can easily tell it''s presence in the area by the slash marks left across the trees.


    That''s a big warning to avoid the area lest you want to confront it and test your odds.


    However, if you spot slash marks AND shallow slash marks covered in honey just beneath the deeper ones, then that''s a clear sign for you to realize "why the hell you aren''t already running as fast as you can". That''s a clear indicator that an Ursaring and it''s offspring were close, and trust me, you don''t want to be anywhere near a mother Ursaring watching over their baby Tediursa. There''ve been enough reports of mauled trainers and the unfortunate death or two of a couple of rookie trainers who clearly weren''t aware of the signs or just ignored them.


    There''s an unspoken rule shared between the humans that cross past the route and the pok¨¦mon who live there. Unless something major occurs to shake the local ecology of the route, then the pok¨¦mon won''t attack you for simply passing through unless they want a fight, but¡­all of that goes out the window when you physically encroach upon their home, off the trail.


    Which is why all good boys and girls should take the trail when visiting the route.


    Unlike me, who has his Rapidash blaze through the deep brush of the Northwestern Pallet Woods. Epona was thrilled by the change in scenery and the chance to run along tough terrain while maintaining the speed and maneuverability necessary to navigate around the obstacle ridden forestry. It was some nice training for the equine pok¨¦mon, and it also made doing my own personal patrol of the area run smoothly. Killing two Pidgey with one stone as they say.


    The trip ran smoothly with no aerial assaults from any Spearow that wanted to act cantankerous with us. Through the cracks of the high tree branch leaves, I made out the large spanning shadow of my Fearow keeping a vigilant eye out for any danger that could come at us from above. It was a job more suited for the overprotective avian.


    After all, as one of the known intimidating avian pok¨¦mon in the region (it has "fear" in their species'' name), no amount of upstart Spearow or Pidgey would want to pick a fight with him. No matter how jealous some may be at the sight of a human-trained pok¨¦mon.


    Epona and I''s shadow was noticeably darker than what was normally possible as it even twitched with each gallop Epona made through the forest. During the last legs of my journey, I had begun researching the Elite Four on the off chance that I won and would take them on. It always amazes me how Agatha''s able to cram four freaking Gengar into her shadow.


    The experience was super weird for me and Kidd to still get used to. It felt like¡­ugh¡­its so hard to explain without making it creepy¡­ So, it''s like if someone cut open a pocket in the back of skin and slipped themselves through the cracks of it while they were as cold as a dead body. Y-Yeah that still sounds super unsettling.


    I asked Prof. Oak if there''s a trick to it, and he replied that he''s not fully aware of it since he''s never really felt comfortable allowing a Ghost-type pok¨¦mon that amount of trust to enter his shadow, much less four of them. And so, I asked if he could get the opinion of his old rival for me, and like that he had every excuse under the sun not to do it.


    I decided to look more into that later.


    Were one to really focus beyond the rapid clopping of my Rapidash''s breakneck run through the woods, they''d hear the slight sounds of rustling around my constantly moving perimeter. The sounds of scurrying and a couple of meaty whacks here and there was the result of Kamia''s excellent surveyal efforts. The Scizor was in his element with all this thick foliage to hide himself in.


    It provides him with enough cover to remain hidden from any upstart pok¨¦mon seeking to pick a fight with us, and to stay out of my periphery because any pok¨¦mon that manages to confront me can figure out his location from following my line of sight.


    So, yeah, those were 4 out of the six pok¨¦mon I chose to take with me on this little excursion. The formation we took was one I steadily employed during my treks in the wilds of Kanto. It provides perfect aerial and ground precautions that one should never overlook when entering the home territory of violent territorial pok¨¦mon.


    We''ve yet to really slow down the pace since we left Pallet Town first thing in the morning. The morning''s been nothing but patrol, observe, intervene, and "moving along" whenever a pok¨¦mon was in the middle of a bloody successful hunt. It went unsaid but a trainer''s duty included the protection of their hometown and by extension their entire region. Thankfully, there''s not another war that''s going to start anytime soon otherwise, I''d be drafted along with those at or above my age group, and anyone who just so happened to reach the age of 11.


    As pok¨¦mon trainers the League ensures to remind us of our duty to our home, both man and pok¨¦mon alike. Thankfully this responsibility was mitigated upon the formation of the Pok¨¦mon Ranger Corps after the end of the second war and the formation of the Kanto and Johto Leagues becoming the Indigo League.


    Now patrolling the wildlife and ensuring everything was safe was indeed a duty, but it wasn''t a heavily enforced one. Pallet Town does have a few (and that''s being generous) Rangers stationed nearby, but in retrospect we sort of didn''t need a whole Regiment here like they do at Viridian City and Pewter City.


    We had the "Pallet Town Watch Committee" that have a group of retired local trainers already doing their part to patrol around the vicinity of the town. For the nautical emergencies, we left that for Dockmaster Aaron and his dockworkers to handle. Not to mention that we literally have the famous Pok¨¦mon Professor and former "Kanto" and Indigo League Champion amongst our number. So, we''re secure in terms of scaring off any asshole criminals wanting to mess with us. The act of patrolling, at least to me, incentivizes trainers.


    Who knows what you could find out in the wild. Perhaps a new pok¨¦mon you haven''t seen before, or you could run into a battle that could evolve your starter. The potential benefits outweigh the stigma of potentially wasting your day out in the wild doing nothing.


    And speaking of doing nothing after 3 straight hours of surveying the deep woods, I decided that it was time for a well-deserved break. I gave Epona three pats to the side of her neck, and suddenly we went from speeds that made us look like a huge blur to a moderate paced trot across the semi-bumpy grassy terrain.


    Now we were on the hunt for a forest clearing.


    Forest clearings were the best.


    No really.


    Most of my time on my journey was mostly in the wild to focus on training and scavenging for foods. So, I needed areas that were wide, unassuming, away from trees where pok¨¦mon could hide in/behind to ambush us and give a clear perfect view of the entire perimeter. They were just that good for a camp spot.


    And they were just that good for a convenient pit stop.


    As I dismounted Epona, most of my party chose to converge at the clearing we found. Sparrow dutifully descended with about as much grace as one with his large wingspan could and Kidd emerged from my shadow with an "innocent" smile¡­before materializing a pie from nowhere to throw at Sparrow''s face. The ensuing chaos of squawks, maniacal laughter, and furious screeching filled the area as Sparrow furiously pecked his super sharp beak at the mischievous Ghost pok¨¦mon, who was tap-dancing through the onslaught of attacks without a care in the world.


    Watching my two idiots squabble amongst each other, I felt some dread begin to form in my gut. "That pie came from the cafe¡­didn''t it?" Welp looks like I''m going to have to "forget" I ever saw that and convince Kidd to never reveal that to mom, otherwise we''d both be in some deep shit.


    I chose to lock that in the vault of my mind and call out to the only pok¨¦mon who wasn''t amongst us. "Kamina? Kamina!? It''s okay to come out now! It''s snack time!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Seriously, pal? I love you dedication, but this is getting a little too much.


    So, with a heavy sigh, I reached deep into my backpack and pulled out an extremely thick "Iron supplement" energy bar and chucked it as deep into the forest as I could. No sound of it hitting the ground meant that Kamina either caught it or some nosey wild pok¨¦mon beat him to it.


    I shrugged. That''s the way he wanted it, so who am I to stop him.


    Looking at the only pok¨¦mon out of their ball, who was watching this was so much humor, I groaned. "What? You''re not going to act out too, are you?" Epona snorted in my face causing me to flinch and soon afterward I laughed as she affectionately licked my cheek. "Okay, okay, you''re the exception!"


    Rummaging through my bag, I gathered the last of the pok¨¦food that I made a few weeks ago and placed a good amount in three bowls for my three that were out in the clearing. I sure hope that energy bar lasts you Kamina because you''re missing out. Epona and Sparrow took the utmost delight in slowly devouring their meals while Kidd scarfed his down, licked the bowl and began trying to steal from the others.


    "Gen-gen-gengar~!" He quietly laughed and was relishing the thought of either indulging his hunger for food or no-goodery.


    *GLARE!*


    "G-Gen¡­" Ya done goofed Gengar, you''re first mistake was choosing to steal from Epona first. Heh, if there''s anything that my time with Daisy has taught is that you don''t steal food from a hungry woman, less you scorn and earn her full ire. Now she was going to be watching him like a hawk to ensure he wouldn''t be stealing from anyone else''s bowls or my backpack.


    Throughout the perfectly serene snack time, I was finally given the time to relax, unwind, and go through my old training journal. A burst of nostalgia hit me as I flipped through the first pages of the old, overly stuffed booklet. The first page couple of pages mostly detailed my one and only starter and best friend, Asch.


    His entry held loads of notes in regard to his eating habits, favorite types of berries, his Modest nature, the moves available to him and notes on how to further advance those moves


    Asch''s move set: Scratch, Growl, Ember


    Scratch - Metal Claw: Toughen up Asch''s claws by having him repeatedly dig his claws into a couple of boulders until a result is found. Note to self: Find some boulders in Viridian Forest pronto. [EXTREMELY vital for Pewter Gym battle].


    Growl - Howl [Inconclusive]; Roar [Success!]: Instead of projecting a threatening signal outward, have Asch invigorate himself with a rallying howl to boost his strength. ¡­Easier said than done, after 3 weeks of failure to see increase in physical stats, the strength of Growl instead adapted to an effective Roar. Scared off an entire nest of annoying Beedrill. [Note to Self: Write in new entry for Recent Capture: Dartz and the Weedles].


    And after that was the Ember branch of moves that successfully escalated to Flame Burst, Flame Charge, Flamethrower, and etcetera. I frowned at the colossal failure of teaching him Fire Wheel. I thought that having him use Flame Charge and continually do somersaults would do the trick. Except we ended up with some poor results and nearly burning down the forest.


    On the bright side, he was super dizzy from the ordeal and when we practiced his Flamethrower, the energies within him were spiraling from his disorientation and thus he learned Fire Spin as a result. So, yay for happy accidents.


    I lounged back and relaxed in the warm undercarriage of Rapidash''s torso as she laid behind me, occasionally looking over my shoulder into my journal or keeping an eye on Kidd who was probably trying to jack more pok¨¦food from my bag. Last I glanced up, Sparrow was busy surveying the area on a nearby dead tree like the diligent pok¨¦mon that he was, and Kamina was still doing his whole thing in the woods being 10 times as diligent as Sparrow.


    Going through a little deeper in the book, I flipped past the entries of my other pok¨¦mon, hastily scribbled notes, and the occasional "experiment" that I had cooking up in my brain.


    "Comparison: Theoretical Alolan and Cinnabar Island Sunrays" [Consult Mr. Blaine for any visible changes every other month]


    "Determination: How many Rainy Dances could produce enough Thunderstorms that would make enough electricity to power a city?"


    "Attorney at Law, Paula Justice; Viridian City¡­Phone Number is¡­"


    "-wo Tactics and Strategies: Harness "Blaze" ability, increase Asch''s stamina, invest more training in


    "Crunch", consider using more than Asch (?)


    I really was stingy about buying a new journal. Heh, I flipped open a page that had a loose-leaf paper stapled to it. Detailing all the new diets that Leonardo would need as a last-minute capture before my eighth gym badge and League Conference. Might have to update it now since he''s made his expressive tastes known to me.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    After penning that down, I shut my journal, took a deep breath in then out, and opted to lay my head back down onto Epona''s comfortably warm side. The Rapidash huffed and chose to lay her head to rest on a soft patch of grass, cognizant not to let her fiery mane graze it.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I blinked and watched the clouds above in the sky listlessly floating away. No care in the world for them, huh?


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    A real shame that I can''t fall asleep out here. Even I know from personal experience how stupid it is to try that without a proper tent. Sure, my pok¨¦mon would protect me, but they don''t need all that undue stress. The patrol was mundane, which was good since no trouble means that no one gets hurt.


    Plus, it was peaceful.


    Well, about as peaceful as you could except when surrounded by a bunch of magical murder beasts, but I got over that niggling concern ages ago. Relishing the sound of nature around us, I decided now to enjoy the slice of carrot cake that I saved from work the other day. I only ate three bites until I had to give some to a drooling Kidd and a very interested Epona, who kept nudging my shoulder. Like a complete idiot, I looked over my shoulder to easily melt at those pleading pools of crimson adorableness that she called eyes.


    It wasn''t fair, Rapidash weren''t even capable of learning Baby-Doll Eyes. So, I cracked and gave her half of my cake''s slice while I just gave the other half to Kidd just to spare myself the trouble. Last time I didn''t share with him, he kept pulling chairs out from under me whenever I tried sitting down. Now with all of the energy I gained from what little of my cake that I managed to eat, I signaled for everyone to gather back into formation.


    Pulling out my map and compass, I triangulated our next destination to the northwestern portion of the forest, Pallet Peaks. The Peaks were a successful mountain range that was used during the first Great Pok¨¦mon War as a solid defense against the invading forces of Johto.


    Now it was just another habitat for pok¨¦mon to graze around and make their home. Prof. Oak made sure to remind the most headstrong of us new trainers to steer clear of the old outpost there. He wouldn''t elaborate, but would just emphasize the danger that lurks there, and that not even the local Pok¨¦mon Rangers saw fit to even brave the depths of the decommissioned base.


    Despite the danger, I just¡­wanted to investigate the area and ensure that everything was okay. Who knows, I might just find someone who might be in a tough jam. Or caught in an accident with no around for miles to help them¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I smacked my lips and shakily laughed. "So, let''s go."


    "Gar!" I shuddered as Kidd slipped back into my shadow. Mentally encouraging myself to get used to it, I hopped myself back onto my saddle atop Epona and looked to Sparrow, who was doing some last second preening of his feathers before preparing to take off into the sky.


    But a quick wave of my hand stopped his ascent once I spotted the shadow of a distinct pok¨¦mon get into view above us. It came down too hot, before stopping midflight just to circle around the clearing in the air. When squinting my eyes past the harsh glare of the sun failed, I slid my goggles down to catch a better look and the sight of the Flygon was all it took for me to realize the identity of its owner.


    "Fea-Fearow!" Having another pok¨¦mon in the skies above us with a possible advantage was fraying on my Fearow''s nerves. I raised a placating hand up to Sparrow, never lowering it on the off chance that my guess was wrong. In a blur, the Flygon descended from the sky and with a powerful beat of their wings, steadied their landing and sent up a vicious cloud of dust and dirt. Sparrow being the overprotective papa bird that he was, dispersed the cloud of dirty debris with a powerful flick of his wings before it could even reach us. I made a mental note to make him more treats when we returned home as thanks.


    "Hello there!" Exclaimed the gruff looking man wearing the standard orange Pok¨¦mon Ranger uniform.


    "Ranger Gabe." I did my best to rasp my prepubescent voice. "Snooping as usual, I see." I smirked.


    The older man blinked and rubbed his scruffy chin. "Is that supposed to be a reference because I don''t quite follow."


    I waved him off. "It''s an inside joke, you probably wouldn''t understand." Besides, it was basically two media references from a different plane of existence. So, wracking your brain over it wasn''t worth the trouble.


    "I''ve given up trying to understand your brand of humor for years kid." The local ranger of our area grunted as he dismounted is Flygon. "Among other things¡­" He gave me a quick glance before rolling his eyes in clear exasperation.


    "Hey¡­" I snapped my fingers and gestured to my extravagant attire. "Don''t hate just because you''re relegated to those rough fatigues of yours."


    "Hate?" I held back a snort of laughter with how out of depth the man was with my generation''s slang. C''mon man, you''re 29, you''re not that old to be this out of touch.


    "Being jealous, Mr. Gabe." I rolled my eyes and had Epona trot around him. The poor lass was getting impatient from the sudden clop blocking (that didn''t sound sexual, did it?) that our sudden chat was subjecting her to. "It means being jealous."


    "Oh!" He blinked then scrunched up his nose. "Oh. Hell no, why would I be jealous that you''re wearing sweatpants?"


    "Because they''re comfy and I''m lazy." I shrugged.


    "They''re also too baggy, which leads to them getting snagged to branches, nipped and easily grabbed by the wild pok¨¦mon, weigh heavily should you get doused in water¡­"


    "Eh, I''d say the benefits outweigh the costs." I stopped him before he could continue his "hating" of my style.


    "The facts literally say otherwise."


    Huh, I really do wonder where Kamina is. "Hey, where''s Gex? He''d usually pop out the moment you''d land."


    "Changing the subject only furthers my point, Luke. But if you must know, he''s currently preoccupied now with supervising our three new cadets." My eyes widened and I whipped my head back to spot the proud grin on the man''s face.


    "Wait, are you serious?" He nodded. "But didn''t they just hatch 5 months ago?" My jaw dropped as I heard the scurrying of multiple bodies emerge from a couple of nearby bushes. Once again, I had to raise my hand to stop Sparrow from diving in at our surprise guests.


    "Zan Zan!"


    "Zaaan~!"


    "Zangoose!"


    A good thing too because I wouldn''t want to set my fearsome Fearow upon the three adorable little Zangoose that scurried toward us. Nor did I want to break up any conflict that would have arisen between Sparrow and the menacing Sceptile that materialized into the clearing from mid-air. Dealing with a Wild mother Ursaring was one thing, but committing infanticide toward a trained Sceptile''s pack of baby pok¨¦mon was just a horrifying dilemma to fathom.


    "Oh my gosh! Huey, Dewey, and Louie! It''s spectacular to see all three of you again!" I laughed and hopped off of my impatient Rapidash''s back to happily be assailed by a rambunctious mess of fluffy, cuddly, adorable little kitty-mongoose pok¨¦mon. Laughter just flooded out of me as the trio of excitable Zangoose dogpiled me and crawled all over my supine form. Getting nuzzled, sniffed, and occasionally nibbled on just made my experience all the more heartening.


    Heck, even Kidd decided to join in on the fun by popping out of my shadow to also get smothered by the Zangoose. We were just having a great time, him and I. Oh, and Kamina did return by the way. Apparently, the honorable doof was busy assisting Gex, Gabe''s Sceptile, with the task of watching over the little ones when they accidentally crossed paths.


    My earlier frustration with his silence and refusal to be called was quelled with this information. Good, Kamina, protect the babies. Show no quarter to anyone who would dare to bring these three good boys to harm! Cut them to shreds!


    ¡­I''m beginning to think I''ve imprinted myself onto them a little too hard, but could you blame me? Gabe gave me permission to name them once they hatched as a pleasant surprise for making it to the Finals of the Indigo League. I tried convincing him to let me rename his Sceptile to be Donald, but he wouldn''t budge.


    Oh, right.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Introductions for the big guy are in order. This was Lieutenant Gabe Geller, the husband to Mary Geller the sweet Pok¨¦mon Breeder who works over at Prof. Oak''s Lab, and partner to Private Rachel Acres. Born and raised in Hoenn''s very own Petalburg City, he captured his starter and took on the Hoenn Gym Circuit at 13, then went on to take on the Ever Grande Conference at 15 years old and placed among the Top 8 before getting knocked out. Seeking for more out of his life than just being a pok¨¦mon trainer, he joined the Hoenn Region''s own regiment of Pok¨¦mon Rangers at 16 years old as a humble Private.


    To establish better relations and collaboration between the three regions of Kanto, Johto and Hoenn, the Hoenn League relocated a couple of their promising recruits to Kanto and Johto regions and vice versa for the Indigo League''s region''s own troops. Though many today would cite that Kanto provided most of the bulk of their rangers to Hoenn than Johto, I never much cared to delve too deep into the constant squabbling of our two regions.


    But yeah, that''s how Mr. Gabe ended up here at 17 after getting further training at the main Ranger base at Mt. Silver, and assigned the Area that he''ll be watching over, which was stationed around at our quaint, humble hometown of Pallet. Which was technically a dead-end for any Rangers looking to advance their rank since literally next to nothing major happens in a town inhabited by War Veterans, retired trainers (pro or not), and the former Kanto and Indigo League Champion.


    And yet somehow, Mr. Gabe managed to rank up twice during his vigilant watch of the wild areas around town. Then he got married to Mrs. Mary and earned extra help and a "close" subordinate in Rachel. So, yeah, he''s lived quite a life


    Now as for why, I know all this information about him. Well, my¡­father was technically the reason why he earned his first rank up to Sergeant. Gabe''s been a close friend to our family since¡­I''ve been born in this new life. So, he''s like an uncle that''s been with us through the good and¡­especially the bad.


    He was the most insistent to provide our family support after the incident at Pallet Peaks, and picked up where my wildlife, self-defense, and camping etiquette training were halted due to said incident. He''s also the very first person to have beaten Asch and I in a battle. Of course, it was the day that I received Asch as my Starter, so the result was obvious from the start, but I never forgot how fun it was to finally face him in battle.


    Especially against a trainer with a fully evolved starter like Sceptile. The gap in strength gave me a good milestone to strive for and perfect estimation on how to gauge the strengths of the trainers that I would battle later down the line.


    Without his help, I don''t think I would have been nearly as ready to handle my journey.


    "So, what has you out of bed so early, Luke? In fact, aren''t you supposed to be helping your mother down at her caf¨¦? At least that''s what Rachel told me." Gabe decided that it was appropriate to give his team a quick rest and so I decided to prolong the little break I had with my own. We still chose to stand while we talked since, we couldn''t dally here all day.


    The pok¨¦mon kept themselves preoccupied with themselves. Sparrow and Gabe''s Flygon were mostly observing each other, neither of them really communicating, but simply more comfortable with observing the other''s wings. Perhaps they wanted to see which of the two was faster? Who knows.


    Kidd and the trio of little Zangoose were still playing amongst themselves. Normal types may not be as effective against Ghost types, but the trio of kitty-mongoose pok¨¦mon were certainly doing super effective damage against the laughing Gengar''s failing defenses against their cute innocence.


    Epona still impatient, was stomping around the forest clearing, occasionally sending me a glance every now and then as if to ask "Are you done yet?". Each time I shook my head, she huffed and continued her tireless trotting. What can I say, the girl loves to run.


    As for Kamina and Gex, well¡­


    The pair were standing a few feet away from us, arms crossed and silently looking at each other.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "Scizor?" For a brief moment, Kamina''s eyes widened before his stoicism once more reared it''s head, although with a bit of a lift of his tone in question.


    "Tile." Gex grunted with a solemn nod.


    "Sci¡­" Kamina nodded, and the pair returned to their silent conversation. These two getting along didn''t surprise me the first time they met and neither does it now. They were really cut from the same cloth I tell you.


    Turning my attention back to Gabe''s earlier question, I shrugged. "I was, but I chose to take the day off to come out here. Besides, it''s a day off for the pok¨¦school today, so I don''t have to stress over picking Ash up." Because that little rascal is still serving out his punishment by being grounded at home. He begged me to take him with me on my patrol, but I denied it.


    I would have caved in when he started begging on his knees since I''m such a good older brother like that, but no. I don''t want my own punishment getting worse just because I snuck him out. Besides, am I also a good brother for not helping my brother shirk his punishment?


    "Ah, that little rascal Ash. Knowing that restless little Furret, he''s probably having the worst day cooped up at home." Gabe stroked his bearded chin, amusement ridden in his tone.


    "Not really, he gets to spend all day with Asch and Sylvie, so it''s not going to be THAT bad for him." I elaborated while keeping a vigilant watch of the forest around us. One could never be too careful, even with so many of your own pok¨¦mon around. "He was especially elated to know that he''ll have free reign to feed and groom my pok¨¦mon while I was gone."


    Gabe raised an incredulous eyebrow at that. "And you''re fine with that?"


    I coughed. "He might screw up with feeding them the right portions, but I trust him to properly handle the basic body care necessary for them."


    It was basic trainer 101 to treat your pok¨¦mon well. A well-groomed pok¨¦mon was a super happy pok¨¦mon that would obliterate any enemy that stood in your way. Grooming, bathing, and tending to the needs of your pok¨¦mon were the straightforward and surefire way to gain their affection. I had to beat this into Ash''s head since beyond the prospect of watching and understanding cool pok¨¦mon battles, his bedside care left a lot to be desired.


    "It''s nice to know you have so much faith in your little bro." Gabe chuckled.


    "More like I trust my pok¨¦mon to behave." At least for Asch, Sylvie was another case entirely. Unless I was doing it, she absolutely hated getting groomed by anyone else, especially Ash. He soured her opinion towards the idea when he once brushed her so hard that he took off a tuft of her abdomen''s fur. Which hurt her a lot.


    Now is his chance to redeem himself and for Sylvie to go through her punishment for growling at mom the other day. Things may get a little crazy, but I''m sure nothing crazy will happen with my absence. Still, they had better not go into my room and make a mess.


    "So enough about me, Gabe. What has you out on patrol over on this side of the forest?" I asked, stuffing my hands into my pocket.


    "Other than doing my duty?" Okay, wise guy, you know what I meant.


    "Besides that." I waved him off.


    He crossed his arms and gave me a suspicious look. "You make it sound like you''re going to come along if I tell you."


    I cheekily smiled and raised a finger. "Only if we''re heading the same direction, so technically it''d be a happy accident if I just so happened to be around to help when doing your duty, good sir."


    "That''s only if you were heading in the direction of Pallet Peaks." He narrowed his eyes. "Were you?"


    "Of course." I crossed my arms and smirked. "It was part of my agenda to go there and check how things are in case there''s some trouble that needs fixing. After all you should know¡­" I did my best to suppress that numb ache in my chest. "I like to be thorough when scoping that place out."


    I found the tree in the distance more interesting at the moment than noticing Gabe wince at the verbal landmine I had intentionally set off.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I''m fine, really.


    I felt the comforting hand of the ranger plop itself atop my head. "Tch, why can''t you be obnoxious and reckless like the other kids, so that I can have a valid reason to keep you out of things?


    "Because I''m not Joey?" That got a good laugh out of the guy.


    "That is absolutely true¡­" He wiped a tear from his eye and coughed. Officially going from cool, Uncle Gabe to serious, responsible Gabe. "If we''re going the same way as you said, then allow me to brief you on our way there."


    With a sharp whistle, his team of pok¨¦mon gathered around him as did my own once I made a signal for them to follow. Five minutes later, Gabe and I were riding our respective pok¨¦mon through the tail end of the northwestern forest. Me on Epona and him on his Dodrio as both of our flying pok¨¦mon took to being our eyes in the sky.


    The trio of young Zangoose diligently tried to keep pace with us by traversing through the trees while Kamina and Gex were no where to be seen nor heard. Though knowing their style for staying within the shadows, they probably weren''t very far from us, especially the infantile trio of pok¨¦mon.


    "There''ve been reports of seismic activity around the base of the mountain that have been correlating with conflicts beginning to spread inland into the forest!" Gabe shouted through the strong winds beating against us from our individual rides'' fast running. "Just the other day, Rachel and I had subjugated and relocated a Golem that was disturbing a troop of Mankey."


    "A Golem!?" I shouted out in surprise. Those guys were only found in the mountains and would dare step foot in a forest filled with their natural enemies of grass and fighting types.


    Gabe nodded. "Weird, ain''t it!? We''ve been dealing with occurrences like this for months now. Last week a hiker almost got caught in an avalanche of Graveler! He was lucky to come out of it with only a broken arm and some bruising" I grimaced and gave my condolences to the poor guy, but hey, he survived which wasn''t that common when dealing with the natural disaster of the free-falling Graveler that just love to roll down and free fall off mountainsides.


    Still, this was far too irregular to simply write off as some colossal incident. "They''re being forced off the mountain?"


    "Bingo!"


    "But why!?" I took a moment to think about it before a deep frown etched itself onto my brow. "You think it''s Poachers!?"


    "Unlikely, we''ve taken stock of the population and found no visible decrease in the Rhyhorn, Geodude, Graveler, and Cubone population! Plus, the tremors and fleeing of the rock pok¨¦mon are too irregular for it to be a coordinated attack! No, it must be the "Tyrant of the Peaks" that''s the cause of this!"


    I gulped at the mention of essentially the boogeyman of Pallet Peaks.


    Unlike the "King of the Forest" over at Viridian Forest, the "Tyrant of the Peaks" was WAY more aggressive around basically anyone in their vicinity. Pok¨¦mon in the wild who were given nicknames were a clear indicator of their overall infamy in their established territories. To put it into perspective, they were essentially the Pok¨¦mon Legends of Arceus'' equivalent of an Alpha Pok¨¦mon, but without the whole Girantina opening space-rifts that buffed up pok¨¦mon.


    So basically, they''re like if an Elite or Champion leveled trainer released one of their elite level pok¨¦mon into the wild to return to fending for themselves and reverting back to their primal roots.


    These creatures are deemed a serious threat and are heavily enforced by the Pok¨¦mon Rangers to stop and arrest any trainers seeking to confront one in their area. Because screwing with the top dog of the area''s food chain was bound to leave a colossal impact on the local ecology. Gabe even stated that "Tyrant of the Peaks" was more docile than his female counterpart in Mt. Silver which required an entire 15-man troop of Pok¨¦mon Rangers just to stave off her tantrums until she peers out.


    "So what? Are we just going to have to stroll up the mountain and figure out his reason for kicking so many pok¨¦mon out!?"


    "For now, WE will be focusing on subduing any misplaced Rock pok¨¦mon on the ground. Matters pertaining to what happens on the mountain will be handled by Rachel and I." He brokered no argument with that, and I couldn''t but begrudgingly sigh.


    Fine, it was his patrol, and guessing how hectic it was, I doubt he''d allow clearance for me to freely fly up there and do my own personal patrol.


    "You got it, sir." I nodded.


    Emerging from the depths of the forest cleared our overall periphery but in return, we were met with the steep and vast stone walls of Pallet Peaks. Trying to look up to even see the peak was a bother, and that''s not even factoring in the glare of the rising sun.


    "So which way do we go?" Epona and I shambled up closer to Gabe and his mount.


    "¡­" He silently rubbed his beard in contemplation before snapping his fingers. "We''ll begin our search by going to east, then we''ll circle back here to resume towards the west."


    "Can''t we just split up to cover more ground?" It seemed logical.


    "Sticking together ensures the safety of the group and higher numbers ensure less risk of separation and injury." So, in summation, he''s keeping a close eye on me, so no unfortunate accidents happen.


    I appreciated the gesture, but no. "Gabe, look, I''m not going to jump ship and fly up the mountain. Nor am I just going to get hurt out here." I rolled my eyes and led Epona eastward much to Gabe''s chagrin as a stark "Hey!" rang out. "It''s not my first rodeo out here in wild, you know. Plus, we both have numbers on our side." I tapped my belt and all 6 of my pok¨¦balls. "We''ll be fine. If anything, it''ll be more beneficial to corral as many pok¨¦mon as we can before any more trouble arises."


    "¡­" Gabe opened his mouth once or twice to refute me but found my reasoning to be sound. After all, it was just him here. Private Rachel was keeping an eye on a couple of kids, who chose this day off to search and capture their Starter pok¨¦mon in the wild.


    "¡­Fine." He reached into his pocket and threw a portable radio at me. "Should anything happen, click the button and contact me. Don''t change the frequency otherwise you''ll call Rachel instead of me. Understood?"


    I had to resist the urge to groan. Even though I''m a legal trainer, age really does stick around to bite you in the butt. "Understood, Gabe." I seriously saluted him. No games, no wisecracks. Nothing.


    I may have to put up with the occasional attitudes now that I''m back to being a kid, but I understand that Gabe was only looking out for me. Also, the other trainers in my age group really poisoned the well for everyone by being reckless and jumping into things headfirst. Being hot-blooded can be a valuable trait to have, but there''s a time and place for it.


    "Good." He nodded. "Then good luck and stay safe, kid."


    "You too, sir."


    Lightly kicking the sides of our mounts, we went our separate ways. I felt signs of slight tremoring five minutes during my own trek, but they came from the opposite direction that I was heading. "Looks like he''s going to have a lot on his plate off the bat."


    It took me ten more minutes of running along the eastern walls of mountain base to finally encounter some evidence of recent activity. I dismounted Epona and inspected the craters that decimated and littered the tough earth. Each crater was moderately deep and held chunks of granite and limestone in them.


    Proves that a pack of Graveler fell here, but it doesn''t exactly tell me when they dropped from the mountain.


    Epona''s sudden crooning broke me out of my thoughts. "What is it, girl?" I walked right over to her as she now stood a fair bit away from where I last left her. Now she was standing much closer to the forest and toeing something with one of her hooves.


    Huh.


    "A footprint." I pulled out my pok¨¦dex and pulled up Graveler''s entry to check for similarities in the footprints. It came out to be a complete match. "But does it lead anywhere¡­?" My eyes stayed glued on the screen of my pok¨¦dex.


    Huh? Epona nudged me and gave me a¡­why was she looking at me like that? I blinked and followed where her head was nudging to oh¡­


    A track of footprints and smushed bushes just a little further ahead in the woods.


    "Shut up." I didn''t bother to look my smug fire horse in the eye, and I certainly didn''t acknowledge my own shadow obnoxiously laughing at my expense.


    And once more I took off on Epona''s back and traversed the woods, following the big old tracks left behind by my targets. The softer footing of the woods made it a little harder to distinguish some of the footsteps since other pok¨¦mon who inhabit the forest may have dirtied or covered them up with their own. Still, I noticed more distressing clues in the form of fallen and uprooted trees, and deep grooves along the ground that implied that a Rollout move was used.


    But the most distressing pieces of evidence I could have found were on the fallen trees.


    Deep gashes on the upper trunk and weak, shallow claw marks on the bottom of it. The tell-tale sign of a nearby Ursaring mother and her cub.


    "Oh, this isn''t good." The sound of an explosion rocked the vicinity that had me trying to keep my footing. "Neither is that¡­" I lightly whistled and slowed our advance towards the source of the noise. The extensive damage done to the forest was a foreboding breadcrumb trail that led to a disconcerting scenery of violence and sheer desperation.


    Trees were obliterated and the landscape torn apart by the ferocious butchering that a lone Ursaring was inflicting upon a pack of Graveler. Though the numbers were on their side, the rock pok¨¦mon were certainly not having an easy fight. I noted a couple of Graveler that were knocked out with huge chunks of their shell blown off, along with a few that were covered in soot and undeniably down for the count.


    Wait, hold on¡­


    I examined the pok¨¦mon and the state of the Ursaring much closely while obscured by what little was left of the surrounding trees and bushes. Burns, so many burns and bruises covered the body of the mother Ursaring and her cub¡­


    I winced and immediately pulled out two empty pok¨¦balls from my backpack''s side pocket.


    These Graveler picked a picked a fight and once they were on the ropes, a couple chose to simply sacrifice themselves to bring low the physically superior enemy through Explosion. Multiple times!


    That wasn''t supposed to be a move you can shrug off!


    But knowing the Ursaring, she couldn''t allow herself to stop now. Not with her cub so close and fatally injured from taking the leftover brunt of the surprise attack. Ursaring may have the Guts ability to get them out of a bind when they are on their last leg, but should they keep going beyond their limits for way longer than their body can naturally hold out, then they''ll die of exhaustion!


    Now was the time to step in, but first.


    I turned on my walkie-talkie. "Gabe?"


    "Huh, Luke? Is everything okay on your end? I just managed to finish subduing a couple of stray Graveler and surprisingly a Golem. There was even a Rhydon that showed up, but that took care of itself. Did you also bring along your-?"


    No time for chit-chat. "Ursaring. Mother and her cub. Surrounded by Fourteen Graveler. Four out of the Fourteen have already been-!" I winced and grit my teeth as the Ursaring released a resounding Hyper Beam. "Five out of the Fourteen have already been defeated. Tediursa has been severely damaged after getting caught in the radius of an Explosion. Mother Ursaring is on her last legs. Beginning to engage, over."


    "Wait, what? Luke, wait for me to get ther-!" I ended the transmission and immediately jumped into the fray with two of my remaining pok¨¦balls in hand as a plan of action began to form in my mind.


    The Wild Card.


    In a conflict between two parties, their focus is solely on the other. However, that dynamic is broken should another place their lot in the middle of the conflict. The element of surprise was more than a welcome stratagem in any trainer''s book.


    Which is why I wanted to hit this problem hard and fast before it escalates. So embroiled in their conflict against each other that neither the Mother Ursaring nor the pack of Graveler realized I was even there, emerging from the bushes with two of the latter pok¨¦mon''s natural enemies.


    "Lenny! Leonardo! I choose you!" My dutiful Squirtle gracefully landed in a shinobi-like bow that my Scizor no doubt taught him to while Lenny simply landed with a loud thump, looked about the place, spotted me and joyously began to whip his vines over to me for a hug.


    Now was not the time.


    *SNAP!*


    I snapped my fingers gaining both of their undivided attention along with informing the battling pok¨¦mon of our presence. Superb¡­


    "Guys, focus!" I pointed ahead of them. Leonardo nodded and seriously regarded the pack of Graveler that were now locked in between the Guts empowered Ursaring and their natural type advantaged enemies of a Water and Grass type. Lenny simply just blinked and tilted his head. Ugh, I love the big dope, but he can be a bit hard to get up to speed.


    "Lenny just give those Graveler as many hugs as you want." I could only sigh in exhaustion as my Tangrowth went and did just that. Those thick vines of his promptly snatched up two Gravelers and brought them into a crushing friendly hug. The two rock pok¨¦mon obviously didn''t enjoy it as they groaned and grunted against the sheer strength of the Tangrowth''s powerful vines. The strain was more than enough to begin cracking their thick earthen shells.


    "Grav! Graveler!" "Graaaaaaaav!"


    Looks like a couple of their number chose to split off and decide to handle us while the rest returned to harassing the berserk Ursaring. With three Rollouts heading our way, I took command of my combat ready turtle.


    "Leo, use Hydro Pump to redirect the course of their attacks!"


    The impressive force of the Squirtle''s pressurized blast of H2O may not have been as ridiculously as powerful as Tempest''s, but it was still a remarkable feat for someone of his size. Plus, his technical handling of it was superb. It was even enough to cause two out of three of the Graveler to unfurl from their spherical forms just to not get endure the painful sensation of water. The Graveler that did endure the attack was still redirected midroll to crash into a tree just behind me.


    Now that we avoided getting mowed down. It was time to kick them while they were down.


    "Go have fun, Kidd!"


    "Gengar~!" My Gengar, who''s excited laughter that sent chills down the spines of those weak of heart, emerged from my shadow and beset himself upon the Graveler that crashed into the tree. Ah, he was going for the good old Sucker Shadow Punch combo. His sadism aside, I applaud him for choosing not to play with heisenemy.


    *THUD!* *THUD!*


    "Growth?" Ah, looks like Tangrowth was done squeezing the life out of those two Gravelers. I''m sure they''ll really reflect on what they did and regenerate their broken shells after this. Still those other two soaked Graveler need to be subdued and fast because they looked pissed.


    One was already beginning to prep a Rock Throw, in my direction. I prepared to give an order for Leonardo pummel the admittedly clever Graveler with an Aqua Tail, but it looked like his Sensei beat him to the punch.


    In a blur of red, The Graveler was beset upon by a flurry of steel-energy imbued claws that just pummeled the daylight out of them. In the moment that it took for me to blink, Kamina had already done away with the Graveler threatening me and was already making quick work of the other with a vicious flurry of Bullet Punches.


    "Thanks, Kamina." I chuckled.


    "Squirtle!" Leo nodded and gazed at the Scizor in admiration.


    "Zor!"


    "Sq-squirt!" Too bad, he has such a strict teacher.


    But more importantly, Ursaring! The bear pok¨¦mon held their guard tight as the remaining four Graveler decided that close combat was pointless, and decided to whittle her down with Stone Edge. It was working, but the Ursaring wouldn''t budge, not with their cub at death''s door behind her.


    "High Horsepower and Drill Run!"


    The three Graveler didn''t even see it coming, the two Graveler attacking from the back were brutally blown away by my Rapidash''s mad charge. Seeing this, the lone Graveler that was front and center jumped in surprise and in a panic prepared to redirect the super effective Stone Edge from the Ursaring at Epona, before thusly getting blindsided by Sparrow''s spiraling, unrelenting might.


    The ground shook as a cloud of smoke arose and cleared to reveal my valiant Fearow''s form standing on the drilled and cracked form of the unmoving Graveler.


    "Good job you two!" I congratulated my two rider pok¨¦mon for their patience and initiative. I didn''t go all in with everyone at the beginning because that would just lead to a messy free for all that would divide my attention everywhere. So, until I gave the signal, both of them remained on standby, and chose to take the best positions in lieu of my command.


    And just like all of the Graveler were subdued and perfectly battered to be captured and shipped to the Pok¨¦mon Center. The immediate issue was now resolved.


    "RIIIIIIIIIIIING!" Crap that''s right, help or no help, we''re still considered strangers to this furious Ursaring, and right now it wanted to wipe us out with a hyper beam. A BIG hyper beam. She was either too out of it to notice she was reaching her limit or just couldn''t fully distinguish our threat level to her from the pain of all her wounds.


    "Everyone save for Lenny and Sparrow fall back!" I cried out and every one of my pok¨¦mon complied to my order. I took note that the impending Hyper Beam was now the size of a beachball, and still growing!


    "Allergy Season: SP PLUS!"


    Taking wings, Sparrow danced through the air and stopped mid-flight to emerge above Lenny, who was furiously rocking his body to and fro to unleash then a bevy of blue spores that began to spread throughout the area. I pulled a mask from out my pocket and tightly shut my eyes, but thankfully before the spores could reach us, Sparrow batted his powerful wings to generate a powerful gale of wind to direct the full potency of the spores at the attacking Ursaring.


    "U-Ursa¡­" Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep. Go to sleep! Please, please go to sleep! "R-Ring¡­"


    *THUD!*


    The Hyper Beam fizzled and the Bear pok¨¦mon was promptly sedated.


    "Phew." I breathed out in relief and motioned for Sparrow to Whirlwind away the rest of the spores. With everything now settled, I was briefly given the chance to prepare to capture and transporting all of the wild pok¨¦mon to get looked at. Giving the old professor some forewarning, I texted him and Daisy the specific amount of pok¨¦mon about to be transferred to the lab, the reason why I captured them and the varying degrees of injuries that each of them have.


    As a sponsored trainer, if I go beyond the registered limit of six pok¨¦mon that I''m carrying then they''ll be automatically sent to my registered stables, Prof. Oak''s laboratory. It''s sort of a preprogramed function of the pok¨¦balls to do this, which is why it''s crucial to have your Stable''s barcode memorized or with you whenever you make a pokeball purchase.


    Of course trainers who don''t have a sponsorship or any stables can carry all of their pok¨¦mon with them, but in public they must be shown to carry a total of six less they get a considerable fine of 25,000 pok¨¦dollars.


    I don''t necessarily care for having so many pok¨¦mon on me since it means less cost and the six pok¨¦mon rule was naturally fine with me. The games pretty much encouraged me to make do with what I can carry. Plus, I always have my own little portable PC system on me. Just one click of the "PC" button, and all of the recorded pok¨¦mon that I''ve captured pops up and I can exchange one of them that''s on the farm for one the pok¨¦mon here.


    They''ll automatically be recalled into their pokeball and transferred over to me, no matter the distance. Sad that the manual recalling of a pok¨¦mon to their pokeball can''t work this way, but thems the breaks. Still, it was much preferable to call the professor and give him and my pok¨¦mon some forewarning of the transfer to ensure that whoever I choose is fully prepared to be transferred and not pulled from whatever they''re doing without some warning.


    And that''s only one of the awesome features of the pok¨¦dex, which are admittedly bullshit in the ways of utility.


    I specified the pok¨¦mon that all the Graveler weren''t of any interest to me and requested that after their treatment they''d be given to either Gabe or Rachel to return them to their habitat. For the Ursaring and Tediursa though, I left that for undecided for now. I preferred to capture a pok¨¦mon in their initial first stage of an evolution so I can fill in their pok¨¦dex entry fully over time, and better acquaint myself to their individual style of battle and personality.


    Though that Ursaring did get me interested when I used my pok¨¦dex to take a glance at her parameters and known moves: Hammer Arm, Metal Claw, Rest, Scary Face, Fury Swipes, Thrash, and Hyper Beam.


    That was a fairly above average move pool to have, and that sheer tenacity wasn''t one to overlook either. I dunno, maybe it''s because its been a while since I''ve last seen a berserk mother Ursaring protect her young, but I can''t deny that it has me thinking for some future ideas. Still, I would just prefer to capture the Tediursa and train it up to an Ursaring.


    Oh well, until they''re fully healed, I can''t make the offer for them to join my team without seeming inconsiderate of their plight if I gave them no choice. If I haven''t proven myself to the Ursaring in battle, then it''s likely that she won''t accept me capturing her and her cub. Still didn''t hurt to be somewhat optimistic about it though.


    "Luke, I''m here! Is everything okay¡­?"


    Gabe, who in a panic emerged into the area, blinked to the scene of me surrounded by my pok¨¦mon. Kamina was too busy scolding Leo, who diligently sat in the seiza position; Epona was impatient from the battle and itching for a run, so she returned to trotting around everyone else; Sparrow was preening his feathers, uncaring of the pok¨¦mon ranger''s sudden appearance; and Kidd was busy trying to escape one of Lenny''s hugs.


    "Yup, everything''s secure, Gabe." I saluted the man with a smile.


    Then came the briefing, a light scolding for rushing into the heat of conflict, a proud congratulations for properly handling said conflict and remaining safe, and some very important news from Gabe''s side of the patrol.


    "Macaque was what?" I glowered as we walked up Route 1 with the setting sun at our backs. I was pretty much done with my little excursion into the woods, so Gabe decided to walk me back after we got a couple more patrols in.


    "So, I guess you really didn''t send him after me to act as backup." Gabe sheepishly laughed.


    Apparently that Rhydon that Gabe mentioned over the radio was blitzed by my raging pok¨¦mon that just so happened to cross his path, Yujiro Hanma style.


    "Of course not." I grumbled. "He''s supposed to be sulking somewhere at the Professor''s lab. What''s he doing all the way out here?"


    Gabe shrugged. "Who knows, maybe he got restless back at the Sanctuary."


    Yeah, without telling anyone of his absence. Ugh, I''m really going to have a talk with him soon¡­


    "Probably." I stewed over that for a while, but Gabe broke my deep thinking with more news.


    "For a moment, I thought I saw you in the area, but it must have been my imagination since you contacted me right after. My eyes must have been playing tricks on me."


    I chuckled, "Yep, it must be your old age catching up with yo-douh!" I rubbed the spot on my head the man smacked.


    "Not funny." Gabe grunted. "So, with this day coming to an end, what''s going to be the rest of your plans for the night? I''ll have to go back and make report before checking in on the status of all of the pok¨¦mon we reigned in, but right now I''m free for a quick battle if you''re up for it."


    "Tempting¡­" Asch and I have been secretly dying to redeem ourselves of our first loss against Gabe''s Sceptile. "But I''d rather just go home and rest now." I stretched and yawned. "Will probably need as much energy tomorrow since I''m skipping work at the caf¨¦ again."


    "Really what for?"


    I winked. "Well since I can''t go back to lazing the day away, I figured that I catch up on some of the stuff I left on pause for a while. Don''t worry, when we''re ready for that battle, you''ll know."


    "Heh, then we''ll be waiting Luke." When we finally reached the front entrance to Pallet Town, we went our separate ways. All of my pok¨¦mon were returned back into their pok¨¦balls, so it made things less hectic for me on the walk back home.


    Thinking about everything that happened today, I realized just how much I could possibly do now since sleeping the days away and occasionally training my pok¨¦mon were off the table.


    Macaque was an obvious issue that needed to be tackled.


    However, it wouldn''t hurt to make a phone call to Cinnabar Island and give Mr. Blaine a quick call.


    Also, if things play out just right with that Ursaring and Tediursa, then maybe it wouldn''t hurt to investigate getting some Peat. Does the Xanadu Nursery have some? It would be nice to visit the place again since it''s been a while.


    Might even invite Daisy and make it a quartet between her, Gary, Ash, and I. I''m sure she''ll appreciate that.


    "For. The. Last. Time! I am not here to play your childish games! I have come to challenge Luke Ketchum and was told that he lives here! Now is he!?"


    I blinked and rubbed my chin as I neared the family house. Huh? That voice¡­sounds vaguely familiar.


    "And for the last time, lady! You''re talking to him! Because I AM Luke Ketchum, and I accept your challenge!"


    Now that obnoxiously loud voice was too hard for me to ever forget.


    Rounding the corner and getting into view of our front lawn I was met with the most bizarre scene ever that made literally question everything.


    Did someone draw all over Asch with black marker?


    Why were Gary and Blossom sitting on the front porch eating popcorn? Follow-up question, why were they covered in Persian hair and scratches?


    Why''s Sylvie passed out on the lawn wearing a pair of my boxers on her head?


    Is Ash really wearing my baggy clothing to impersonate me and take on a challenge?


    And just who''s the blue-haired chick standing in front of our-?


    Oh, wait, that''s just Claire Blackthorn. Nevermind, compared to everything else, that''s a mild surprise at best.


    Still, I just couldn''t believe what was unfolding before my eyes, so I just said the one thing that came to mind. "No words can describe how utterly impressed I am that you managed to cause so much trouble while being grounded at home."


    That sure got everyone''s attention, especially Claire''s since she went straight from wanting to bite the head off my little brother to trying to kill me with an intense glare.


    "Luke Ketchum¡­" She glowered.


    "Hi." I waved.


    "I-!" She opened her mouth to no doubt say something scathing to challenge me, but sad for her, she was in Ketchum territory now.


    "Imposter!" Ash shrieked and dramatically pointed at me as if I were the living incarnate of all that was evil.


    I smirked. "Me an Imposter? Heh, I think you''re the fake Luke around here. You''re comparing yourself to me? Hah! You''re not even good enough to be MY fake."


    "What are you even-?" Sorry, not sorry for stealing your thunder like this Claire.


    "I''ll make you eat those words, faker! Ngyaaaargh!" Roared Ash as he forewent any form of common sense and ran swinging at me, wildly. He might have actually done some damage to if not for the glaring height difference between us, and so there I stood perfectly unharmed with my hand outstretched to his forehead, pushing him back as he futilely tried to wail on me with his windmilling fists.


    "Yeah, nice try, bud." I chuckled and turned to the blisteringly furious Claire, who''s just about done with being ignored. So, I threw her a bone just to be nice. "So, you were saying?"


    "Luke Ketchum, I, Claire from the Blackthorn Clan challenge you to a-!"


    "Gary! Dad told me that you came over to Ash''s place to play with Blossom, so I''m here to confirm if you''re sleeping over tonight since tomorrow''s the weekend and-! Wait, what''s with the mess a-and-! C-Claire, what are you doing here!?"


    Oh, and Daisy''s here now!


    Man, today just wasn''t Claire''s day was it.


    Hands full with my foolish little brother, his snickering friends in the background, my gobsmacked childhood friend, and my infuriated old opponent from the Semi-finals of the Indigo Conference.


    I can only wonder how exactly things reached this point with my absence.


    And how long it''ll take to resolve everything so I can finally crash in my bed! C''mon, I''m actually trying to save up the energy to be productive again, can''t I just get some rest!?

 Chapter 7: Interlude [Ash Ketchum]

    Chapter 7: Interlude [Ash Ketchum]


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    His big brother was the coolest!


    These words were forever stuck on loop in the young, restless mind of Ash Ketchum as he bounced in place on the living room couch to watch yet again one of his brother''s spectacular Conference battles. Particularly, his match against that purple haired bug guy from his bro''s Top 32 match. When watching it live together, Gary mentioned something about his bro''s opponent being super skilled because of his dad.


    Not like it mattered anyways because like Ash said wholeheartedly believed back then, Luke wouldn''t lose! That purple guy might have had an awesome Scizor (Kamina was still way more awesomer!), but he certainly was no match for Asch! None of his pok¨¦mon were, the Charizard swept the entire opposing team of highly trained bug-type pok¨¦mon with tactical precision.


    The way that Asch fished out that slippery Shuckle that used Dig to create lots and lots of holes to hide in while sniping at him with Rock Blast while leaving the above field an active minefield of Stealth Rocks. That Fire Blast that decimated the booby-trapped rocky battleground and cooked the Shuckle beneath it was just WHOA!


    And the way that Asch caught that bulky Heracross''s Megahorn, ignited itself with Flare Blitz, took it up into the air and slammed it into the ground using his whole body was just WOW!


    Ash certainly couldn''t take the footage of Asch wearing down purple guy''s speedy Scizor. Those hit and run tactics were annoying to watch as he mostly had his Scizor, Blade, (Kamina was a way cooler name for a Scizor) use Double Team and Agility to make it difficult for Asch to keep track of it while whittling the Charizard''s strength down with an onslaught of dirty Metal Claws.


    Hehehe! Too bad for purple guy that his brother had the power of "degrees" on his side. Giving Asch the command to forgo tracking the Scizor by sight, his bro insisted that his Charizard acquiesce to his instructions when retaliating, and boy was it amazing to see Asch perfectly connect a Fire Blast, Dragon Tail, and Fire Punch in tandem against such an agile pok¨¦mon.


    No, it was amazing that his brother could even keep track of the Scizor to give such accurate angles for Asch to strike back in. Ash was fast to ask his brother to teach him the awesome power of the "degrees" when he, his mom, and the Oaks visited the Indigo Plateau to watch Luke, Daisy, and Joey compete in the Final Rounds. Once the words "Math" spilled out of Luke''s mouth, any interest in learning the ways of "degrees" died.


    Still, Ash would always laugh at the final clip of purple guy''s worn out Scizor looking astonished as it came face to face with Asch''s point-blank Fire Blast while swinging a Metal Claw mid-attack.


    "AND THAT''S IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! With a blistering display of intense firepower and tenacity, Red Trainer Luke Ketchum from Pallet Town emerged victorious against Green Trainer Shingo Sengo from Azalea Town with another flawless score of 3-0!"


    "Yeah! Go, Luke!" The young boy happily jumped off the couch and threw his arms up into the air, hoping that the televised image of his smiling exhausted brother would hear him. His cheer loud was enough to earn a mild huff of annoyance from his mother''s Persian, Cleo. It didn''t matter if he was watching a live match or an old recording, Ash swore that he would always cheer for brother; his fervor only grew once he told Luke this.


    "Ash, having you always cheer for me is the greatest motivator that you can possibly imagine. Knowing that you''re there to support me, there''s no possible way that I''ll lose." His brother''s words resonated with him so much that he wholeheartedly decided to give it his all to cheer him on no matter what. As a future Pok¨¦mon Master that was child''s play for him. He might have nearly lost his voice in his attempts to outcheer the crowds of the Stadium, but his vocal support was no less passionate than the other masses.


    Throughout the preliminaries, this young rookie has shown amazing prowess with not a single loss of his pok¨¦mon! Could this be nothing but beginner''s luck or could we all be seeing the prelude to something more!? Such answers will be revealed in the Finals where we''ll see the very best compete and vie for this year''s Victor of the Indigo Plateau!"


    "Of course, it''s not beginner''s luck! Luke''s just that good, right, Cleo!?" The apathetic Persian yawned and lazily snuggled itself in the smaller couch occupying the side of the living room.


    "There''s no way he could have lost with all of us there to pump him up!"


    Ash truly believed that his cheers carried his brother through the Final Rounds and had even told Gary off for not following his example since Daisy lost in the Top 8. Mom had given him a stern talking to with even Luke getting disappointed with his behavior, so Ash begrudgingly apologized to Gary for their fight. Then he was sharply told by his bro to mean the apology and to give it again while also apologizing to Daisy for his insensitivity.


    He did so more genuinely afterwards, and alongside Gary chose to cheer Luke on for his next two final matches. Ash was downright ecstatic (and a smidge smug) once Luke had even defeated the opponent that knocked Daisy out of the tournament. It proved him right and meant that his brother was going to win the Indigo Conference as the youngest trainer in the history of the Plateau to be the victor.


    Except that didn''t happen because in the end he lo-.


    "No!" Ash vehemently shook his head and hopped off the couch. "That doesn''t count!" The result of that final battle was completely bogus! His big bro was obviously the better trainer and would have won the final match had he kept Asch in his party like the past battles. "If he were on the field, Asch would have taken that dumb monkey out, no problem at all! Right, Cleo and Sylvie?"


    Ash whipped around to spot that Cleo was currently absent from the smaller couch and had taken the opportunity to steal the entirety of the larger couch to nap on. "Hey, I was sitting there¡­" I grumbled at the napping Persian but knew better than to rouse her from her slumber. The Ketchum House hierarchy solidified the rule that if you got up from your seat, then it was free real estate. Yet Cleo was absolved from following that rule as enforced by his mom, who was the only one that the Persian willingly listened to.


    Even his big brother deferred to this rule and enforced it upon his own pok¨¦mon that visited. He had once seen Sylvie try her hand at usurping the almighty top cat of the house when she had found Cleo lying on Luke''s lap. Ash had felt so bad for Luke who got caught in the middle of that messy tussle. Blinking upon realizing the utter absence of one of his bro''s pok¨¦mon, Ash looked around the room and parts of the kitchen that he could see from the living room. Sylvie was nowhere to be found, and that only meant one thing: she wanted to play hide-and-seek with him again!


    He laughed to himself and felt a bit silly for getting so caught up in those battle recordings that he forgot his ultra special task of grooming Sylvie and Asch today. Not like you can blame him either since his cool older brother was such a dummy for leaving him alone while he got to go exploring the woods with his pok¨¦mon. His mom''s punishment by grounding him was the worst torture imaginable to subject the energy filled six-year old.


    The only thing that''s keeping him from going mad from the boredom was the promise that he''d get to personally groom the awesome pok¨¦mon around him at home all by himself. Ash vibrated in place once his bro gave him the go ahead and promised to complete all of his homework before tackling the deed. He didn''t bother checking his answers since he was assured that all of the extra games that Luke created to help him study would get him an easy A+.


    With the homework out of the way, Ash went straight to grooming Asch and Sylvie before stopping to realize that he didn''t eat his leftover breakfast, that he didn''t get his post-homework break, and that it''s been a while since he''d review his brother''s second rematch battle for first Gym Badge at Pewter CIty that his mother recorded when they flew over on Gail, his mother''s Pidgeot, to cheer him on.


    Then watching that recording reminded him that he hasn''t nearly reviewed enough of his brother''s battles to prepare himself for when it''s his turn to go on his own journey with his own super strong pok¨¦mon. That''s why he had to look over his first match in the Top 256, Top 128, Top 64, Top 32, Top 16, Top 8, and semifinals. Ash still refused to even consider watching the final match. He persistently thought that Luke should have been the victor by default.


    If only he would have used Asch¡­


    Like in the Top 16 when he''d use Asch to¡­oh, right! Ash hadn''t even gotten the chance to see that match today, and so rushing back to the couch, he reached over Cleo for the remote. Until the Persian''s tail swept itself under his nose and put him through a sneezing fit.


    "Hey, watch it, Cleo, don''t you see that I''m in the middle of-!" Ash paused and failed to stop his mouth from gaping. "Oh right, Sylvie! She still needs to be groomed! Bye, Cleo!" The Persian huffed as the smallest human in the household left her to her afternoon nap in relative silence now that the loud child was gone.


    Ash then proceeded to play along with Sylvie''s "want" to play hide-and-seek by going through all the rooms in the house. He first went into his mother''s room since it was one of the last places Sylvie would go, which made it the perfect spot to hide. Sadly, there was no sight of her. Not on his mom''s bed, her bedsheets, her closet, and certainly not in her wardrobe. All that was in there was her clothes, and those weird things she wears on her chest. He covered his tracks by putting everything back into place as he once found it with "some" of the items he misplaced being a tad off in the placement and presentation.


    Next, Ash checked the bathroom with no sign of the pink pok¨¦mon having been there. "Sylvie? Hellooooooo!" He shouted into the upraised seat of the toilet bowl before slamming it shut. His room was devoid of anything out of the ordinary since he couldn''t find her under his dirty clothes pile nor his semi-clean clothes pile. His search took him to the backyard, the downstairs bathroom, and the guest room with no Sylvie in sight.


    Which left one place left: Luke''s room. Ash gulped once he stood before the imposing door of his big brother''s room. The small sign with the glaring words "KEEP OUT!" made Ash almost reconsider entering for a nanosecond, before the alluring thought of getting to play with some pok¨¦mon override his doubts. He slammed the door wide open and shouted, "SYLVIE ARE YOU IN HERE!"


    The call gave him the result he needed to indicate that shifting big lump underneath his brother''s bedsheets wasn''t a pillow. With a dramatic sigh, the Sylveon popped her head out with a less than amused look. Her eyes were half-lidded as she regarded Ash with a haughty sniff of her nose.


    "Aha, there you are!" Ash chuckled and went over to the bedside to pick her up. "Whoa!" He almost stumbled with all of the extra weight that she was putting on herself by going limp in his arms. "That was a fun game of hide-and-seek Sylvie, but come on, I have to groom you now." Sylvie whimpered. "I know, I know, you want to play some more. We''ll have more time for that after I''m done. We''ll even bring Asch in to play¡­somehow¡­"


    Unaware of Sylvie clicking her tongue at the mention of the Charizard, Ash wondered how he''d pull such a feat. His brother''s starter wasn''t going to move for anyone besides his own trainer. The few times that he''s seen Asch move from his heated stone outside was whenever it rained or those few times where he and Luke would take off with his pok¨¦mon to go do some training. Ash pouted at the memory of all his requests to join them getting denied due to still being a bit young to be around them while they worked out.


    That''s why he''ll do a super amazing job grooming the two and prove how competent he was a future prospective trainer. Ash had heard stories from his mom about how his brother proved to groom her and dad''s pok¨¦mon when he was two years younger than him. So, it should be a given that he''d be capable of doing things just as good as Luke.


    He struggled to drag Sylvie downstairs due to her letting her body go limp and drag itself on the floor. Sheesh, she really hates to lose at hide-and-seek. Not like he could know since he''s a graceful loser like his older brother. Taking the smaller couch since Cleo was still lounging on the "stolen" bigger one, he laid Sylvie across his lap and nabbed the hand brush from the nearby coffee table to begin stroking the beautiful pok¨¦mon''s fur.


    Slow and steady, gently run your fingers through spots that have yet to be brushed to check for any tangled fur, avoid digging the brush too deep to avoid scratching the skin. Pok¨¦mon care was the only thing on Ash''s mind, usually he''d love to think of how cool it would be to groom and watch another recording of Luke''s conference battles, but he''d learnt his lesson from last time. H-He didn''t mean to hurt Sylvie and almost brushed off all the fur between her shoulders.


    Ash was scared that he''d made the pok¨¦mon hate him for his screw up, then Luke reassured him that Sylvie was only mad and didn''t hold much of a grudge toward him. That made everything go back to being okay but that only led him to being scolded by Luke and strictly taught the basics of grooming pok¨¦mon properly. If he wanted to be a Pok¨¦mon Master, then he''d need to practice proper hygiene for any pok¨¦mon that he befriends.


    Ash took the advice like Magikarp to water and diligently practice. He didn''t get all of what Luke was teaching him, but he got most of it and made do with practicing on Angel. The Blissey had always been like an overly accommodating nanny for him, so she didn''t mind if he screwed up here and there, that was just how patient Angel was with the unruly Ketchum.


    And so as he sought to redeem himself, Ash groomed Sylvie to the best of his ability. It wasn''t perfect yet he accomplished what needed to be done and Sylvie actually looked pleased¡­ Okay, so he wasn''t fully sure of himself since beyond the few annoyed huffs from his overzealous brushing, she didn''t react all that much.


    Still, he had to ask once he was finished. "There you go Sylvie. Did that feel better?"


    "Syl¡­" The Sylveon yawned, scratched her ear and rolled her eyes before nodding at him.


    "R-Really? I mean, ahem, well I''m glad!" Ash happily exclaimed, doing a fist pump to the side while Sylvie just groaned and rolled her eyes at the younger brother of her trainer. Were Ash more observant, he would have notice that the Sylveon was less than impressed with his subpar grooming since his hands were properly washed, he barely untangled some of her fur, and his brush strokes were too shallow.


    Still Sylvie wasn''t about to displease the boy and earn more ire from her trainer, so the best she could do was leave the boy to go off in his own little world.


    "Alright! That''s one down, now let''s go out to see Asch!" Too caught up in his success, Ash missed the ugly sneer on Sylvie''s face as he began dragging the now disobedient pok¨¦mon out through the front door to greet his brother''s trusted ace and starter, Asch. Though he didn''t expect to have to greet the Charizard and his two friends trying to feed him.


    "Heeeeeeey, Asch~! Here, Mr. Greene gave us some Pecha berries in town. Hope you like them!" Blossom, the brunette wearing a green hair pin, happily gave her offering to Asch near his heated stone. Sadly, the Charizard simply gave it a glance before shaking his head and returning to his nap.


    "H-Huh, what''s the matter, Asch, aren''t you hungry?" Blossom sputtered in disbelief, a little hurt from the rejection.


    "If he was, he obviously wouldn''t just eat any random berry given to him." Gary rolled his eyes and bit into his own sweet Pecha berry.


    "W-Whoa, seriously?" Blossom gaped then pouted. "But don''t Charizard like Pecha berries? Charly ate all of the ones I gave him at home."


    Gary smirked. "That''s because your dad''s Charizard isn''t quite picky about what he eats like this one."


    Hearing enough, Ash closed the door, and laid Sylvie on the floor to confront the two "intruders". "Hey, what are you guys doing? You can''t just come in here and feed Asch like that, you''ll end up ruining his diet!"


    "Huh, oh look it''s Ashy boy." Gary lazily waved at the boy while Blossom in contrast beamed and happily swung her arm back and forth in the air.


    "Hey, Ash! Look, we brought you some Pecha berries! Here." She hurried over and handed him one.


    "Oh wow, thanks Blosso-." Ash stopped mid-thanks and narrowed his eyes at her. "Wait a minute, don''t change the subject!"


    "Eh? What subject?" Blossom tilted her head in confusion while Gary sighed in exasperation.


    "You know what subject!"


    Blossom frowned. "No, I don''t!"


    "Yeah, you do!" Ash shouted back.


    "No, I don''t!"


    "Yes, you d-!"


    "Sylveon¡­"


    Ash and Blossom never did get to continue their argument since Sylvie had enough of it by wrapping her ribbon-line feelers around their mouths to shut them up. The soothing waves that they emitted calmed the pair of children down enough for her to release them and strut over to the far edge of the front lawn, opposite to where Asch laid.


    "Err¡­um¡­so what just happened?" Blossom blinked.


    "I¡­um¡­don''t know. I think I was mad that you guys were feeding Asch those Pecha berries even though he doesn''t like sweet stuff." Ash scratched the back of his head with much more clarity in his tone. "Plus, Luke left me in charge of feeding him, so you guys could mess with his diet if you just feed him all willy-nilly."


    "Oh¡­" Blossom blinked again, sucked in her lips and bowed her head. "S-Sorry."


    "O-Oh, thanks." Ash blinked in surprise before something Luke had taught popped into his head; then he bowed his head back to his friend. "And I''m sorry for getting mad at you like that without being pacific¡­"


    "Specific." Gary corrected with a snort.


    Ash pouted at him before bowing his head back to Blossom. "Without being specific."


    Walking up to the two of them, Gary laughed. "Wow, I can see why Gramps wants to study that Sylveon. Being able to make you two actually shut up and communicate is a miracle. The feelers are a little creepy¡­" Gary pointedly looked away from the Sylveon glaring at him. "But it''s still a pretty useful ability to have, y''know."


    He crossed his arms and slyly looked at Ash and Blossom. "What I wouldn''t give to have that power on hand. Just hanging out with the two of you can be a real hassl-."


    ""Shut up, Gary."" Said Ash and Blossom.


    "No." The youngest of the Oak household pulled his eyelid down and stuck his tongue out at the two of them. Followed by his two friends to the house''s nearby storage shed, Ash begrudgingly allowed them to help move the heavy bags of pok¨¦food to the front yard. He could have handled it himself without their help, but since they were offering, he couldn''t quite refuse.


    During the tedious process, he learned that they came to visit him since they thought he''d be lonely from his grounding and also since his house was the only one out of the trio that had a functioning Nintendo Switch with Pokken Royale on it. Heh, it took a lot of convincing (begging & crying) to his mom, but she finally bought the game for him. He''d gladly whoop them as Charizard but he had a job to finish and so he promised to play when he was done since they did technically help him out.


    Still, he would not allow them to help any further than that. With everything prepared for their meals, Ash had to remind himself that Asch still needed his grooming to be done. Instead of a brush, Ash brought over a washcloth + towel set with a large basin of warm water. Blossom was amazed that Ash could lift the basin by himself and praised him which made the boy puff out in pride, but unfortunately when walking out the door, he almost tripped and was saved from the embarrassment of falling by Gary.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Thanks, Gary!" Ash laughed in relief.


    "Just be careful next time¡­" Gary groaned as he took the other end of the basin and carried over to Asch.


    "Hey!" Ash protested. "I can move it my myself, y''know."


    "Clearly¡­" Gary rolled his eyes then whispered. "¡­you can''t."


    That had Ash growling mad and about to spit back something to retort that until another pair of hands grabbed another end of the basin. "Hey guys, don''t leave me out! Let me help too!" Blossom wailed as she pushed the basin and the two feuding boys outside that not only knocked them down but also tipped over the basin on the cement sidewalk. Now water was everywhere, and Ash was deathly pale once he saw a large crack on the basin.


    "T-That was Great Granny Delilah''s basin." Ash gulped and buried his face into the grass, unable to see the gaping looks on his. "Mom''s going to kill me."


    "I-I''m sorry?" Blossom weakly apologized.


    "Too late for that¡­" Gary grumbled and sweatdropped.


    It was a good thing that Ash had a brilliant idea, or he would have been in serious trouble by leaving the issue alone. He just had Blossom take his brown paint and coloring markers to cover the mess up. Out of the three of them Blossom possessed the best coloring skills, so Mom would never suspect a thing. Hehehe, it''s so ingenious!


    "She''s not going to fall for it¡­" Gary deadpanned.


    Ash decided to ignore that since Gary was obviously jealous that he hadn''t thought of the plan himself.


    "Why do I have to be the one to fix it by myself?" Blossom pouted and angrily scribbled over the white branching crack on the basin.


    Ash ignored that comment for obvious reasons. So, collecting another bowl, which was plastic this time, Ash was now finally prepared to administer Asch''s grooming. Now Ash had to say that tending to Asch was way less stressful than grooming Sylvie. His brother''s starter was lax with the idea of letting him wash his body whenever Luke was nearby watching over him, so he was both relieved and joyed that Asch would continue doing the same for him when alone.


    Now counter to his common belief, Charizards don''t despise water despite it being naturally against their elemental affiliation. They have to be doused or utterly pounded by huge amounts of water to set them off, but if you just used a washcloth that''s damp, not drenched, with warm water then they won''t bat an eye over it. Using cold water was a no-go since Charizards need to keep their body temperatures up lest their flame begins to dim, and using hot water could be a danger to the groomer since the Charizard''s body heat will naturally heighten in response and make it too hard for the average person to touch.


    So warm water was a natural middle ground for scrubbing Asch''s scales. Ash''s strokes were firm and gentle as he began with Asch''s arms, his midriff, legs, back of his wings, his wings, and his big old belly. The Charizard huffed from enjoyment and shifted in place on his warm rock slab, Ash relished how good of job he was doing and began to work the Charizard''s tail until Blossom gasping broke his concentration.


    "Hey be careful! You shouldn''t use water next to Asch''s tail like that, Ash!" Blossom gaped in horror at the sight of his wet rag nearing the healthy flame on the other end of Asch''s tail.


    "Huh, why?" Ash and Gary, who was hunched over behind him watching the grooming procedure, were confused at the girl''s distress.


    "B-Because you could accidentally extinguish it a-and then Asch will¡­" Blossom gulped then drew a line over her neck to send her message across.


    "No, he won''t." Ash shook his head and furrowed his brow.


    "Yeah, he will, remember in Miss Bitters class, she says that a Charmander''s life is linked to it''s flame and were it go out then-!" Blossom shivered at the implication.


    "Hold on, whaaaaaat?" Ash was dumbfounded.


    "That''s not how it works, Blossom." Gary shook his head.


    "W-Wait, really!?" Blossom exclaimed. That only gave Ash the perfect moment to shine with all of the accumulated knowledge that his brother shared with him in regard to his pok¨¦mon.


    "Yuh-huh! My big brother says that a Charmander''s entire evolution line-!"


    "Charmanders, Charmeleons, and Charizards won''t die if you drop water on their tails. The heat emitted from their flames is a good indicator of their strength and overall health. You could even dunk Asch in a pool of water and still fail to even cause his flame to fizzle out. It''s only when the Charizard is naturally going away that their flame dies along with them." Ash growled at Gary''s know-it-all smirk as he stole his thunder.


    "Wow, Gary, you''re so smart!" Blossom gushed.


    "Heh, that''s only natural, Blossom." Gary relished the praise while Ash glowered and rubbed his washcloth on Asch''s back in repetitious circles.


    Stupid Gary, Ash thought. He was supposed to be showing off how smart he was! Ash continued to stew in his jealousy until a more pressing topic was brought up by his two close friends. "Wow, Ash, you''re really good at that."


    Mood cheering up, Ash grinned. "Thanks, Blossom! I mean, Luke did teach me everything he knows!"


    "Meh, I could do a way better job of this than Ashy-boy here." Gary chimed in.


    "Yeah right!" Ash snarled and jumped back to stare his best friend down. "I''m way better! In fact, Luke actually trusted me to groom his pok¨¦mon by myself for the first time. So, what do you think of that huh?"


    "I think that you''re filled with hot air, chum." Gary stuck out his tongue. "Besides, it''s one of the basics to properly tend to your pok¨¦mon like this. If you can''t even do this much yet, then you''re obviously going to be subpar at best!"


    Ash didn''t know what "subpar" meant but hearing Gary call him that just made him madder.


    "Anyways, I''ve been given the chance to groom Dad and sis''s Arcanine by myself for a long time now." Ash growled at the youngest Oak''s bragging while Blossom just continued to eat it all up.


    "That''s so cool, Gary! Neither mom nor papa lets me even groom Charly or Tiamat. Hmph, mom says its because I''m too impatient!" Blossom pouted.


    "I''m just built different, Blossom." He smugly grinned at Ash. "Isn''t that right, Ash?"


    A hundred ways to respond went through Ash''s head before a Nasty Plot began to form in his head. Fine, Ash thought, if he wants to show off then let''s see him attempt to do this.


    "Then prove it." Ash crossed his arms and jutted his chin out.


    "Prove it?" Blossom queried.


    "Heh, fine then step aside and let me show you how to properly clean Asch." Ash snickered as his best friend held out his hand for the rag.


    "Nope, you''re not grooming Asch." It was his responsibility and there was no way he''d give Gary the credit when Luke returns. "You''re going to groom Cleon."


    Both of his friends looked at him oddly with Gary seeming a little¡­unimpressed.


    "You''re mom''s Persian?" He crossed his arms.


    Ash nodded.


    "The one who always lazes around like Asch whenever we come over?" Blossom asked.


    "Hey, Asch doesn''t laze around! My bro just says he''s recharging his batteries after all the battles he''s been through during the Conference and that one accident at Viridian." Ash stubbornly defended.


    "Ash, he fell back to sleep." Ash followed Blossom''s finger to notice that yes, his brother''s starter did fall asleep during their conversation.


    "See? He''s recharging his batteries like I said!"


    "Yeah, sure." Gary rolled his eyes. "Anyways, what makes grooming this Persian so special, huh?"


    Ash''s grin grew. "Because apart from my mom, not even my brother has managed to groom Cleo."


    Blossom was mildly confused and curious while Gary stood a bit straighter than before, Ash didn''t miss the latter''s reaction. To Ash, his big brother was amazing, and he was glad that most people knew that too. He always had the top marks in his class, even outranking Prof. Oak''s own granddaughter and being the first student to be chosen out of his year to be placed under the tutelage of Prof. Oak. Plus, all of that kept getting dwarfed when he became an actual trainer with all the cool new pok¨¦mon evolutions he found out about like Sylvie, Thor, and Jubilee! Luke just making it to the Finals as a rookie was just a culmination of all of that.


    He was just that awesome and that''s just how awesome Ash will be when he grows up too!


    Even though his best friend can be an amazing know-it-all sometimes, even Ash could see that Gary viewed Luke with that sort of admiration too. Not even the coolest kid in school could deny that most of his feats were dwarfed by Ash''s oldest brother. So, the chance to at least have something to brag about dangled over Gary''s head.


    The Oak crossed his arms and looked the other way from Ash''s growing smirk with his foot impatiently tapping the ground. "Do you know where your mom keeps the brush?"


    And like that, Ash was able to fully convince Gary and an extremely curious Blossom to undertake the task of grooming Cleo, his mother''s ornery Persian. Cleo was always that grumpy cat pok¨¦mon that would always be napping, eating, or watching the family with some form of interest before getting disinterested. She did let him and Luke pet her, but taking care of her fur was a whole different matter.


    Like Sylvie was to Luke, the same could be said for how Cleo would only allow their mother to tend to her. Though the Persian may not have gotten violent with Luke when he attempted to groom her, she''d most certainly make the ordeal hard enough to make even his brother deem it to be a lost cause. That''s why Ash happily hid his huge grin as Gary and Blossom (who''s sadly collateral) followed him inside, leaving Asch and Sylvie on their lonesome. It was a simple task to run upstairs, grab his mom''s hairbrush from her room, and run back downstairs.


    Handing it to Gary, Ash did at least try to warn his friend but the amount of gloating and refusal to even need his advice pretty much sealed any form of concern that Ash had for his fate. He was still 50/50 about Blossom but she seemed determined to help out despite not knowing what had Gary so fired up.


    And so, the pair futilely dove in on the couch where Cleo was napping, Gary with the brush in hand and Blossom with her arms stretched out to hold her down in support. From there things predictably fell apart much to Ash''s amusement. Cleo was slippery, neither Gary or Blossom could get a hold of her and those few moments where they did, they were not saved the clawful wrath of the Persian. Ash laughed at Gary getting smacked across the living with a low powered Tail whip while Blossom used that distraction to jump on Cleo''s to pin her down.


    That was not a good move because like that cool mechanical Tauros machine that they set up for the Pallet Summer Festival, the big kitty cat sent Blossom flying and knocking over the large couch.


    The chaos soon began to die down once Gary and Blossom decided that getting scratched for pushing the Persian''s patience wasn''t worth the effort. Heh! Of course, this was to be expected since brother himself couldn''t do it (and by extension Ash too), then these yahoos weren''t ever going to get closer to doing it either.


    "See?" Ash puffed up his chest in pride as he brought out the disinfectant from the cupboards.


    "T-This proves noth-ouch!" Gary hissed as his friend sprayed him and bandaged one of the deep scratches.


    "Stings¡­it stings everywher-owowowow!" Blossom wailed as it was her turn to get the dreaded spray. Ash wondered if he ever did as much bellyaching as the two of them whenever he had mom or Luke patch him up, then dashed the thought because he''s a big boy now, and they never cry just like Luke.


    ¡­Ash glanced at a lone photo atop a small shrine on the other side of the living.


    ¡­Well, sometimes like Luke¡­


    Y-Yeah, big boys can cry sometimes, and he cries a lot! Luke even says that there''s no shame in crying, so he cries all the time.


    ¡­Wait?


    "Did I really just think that?" Ash blinked.


    "Also said it out loud too, Ashy-boy." Gary and Blossom laughed.


    "Rrgh! Shut up!" Storming off in a huff, Ash leaves while ignoring Blossom''s cries for help by sticking on more bandages. Those two jerks! Too embarrassed to even defend his own slip up Ash forces himself to remember that dumb old Blossom forgot to bring in all of his coloring stuff, so he stepped outside to find them currently in the use of one snickering Sylvie.


    "Sylvie what have you done!?" Ash wailed as all of his hard work on Asch went down the drain as many demeaning and childish looking black marks all over his body was attributed to dripping black paintbrush and black marker in the Sylveon''s feelers.


    "Sylveon~." With the air of "innocence" The Sylveon simply dropped her tools and strutted past the gaping younger brother of her trainer. Using one of her feelers, she helped the poor young lad close his jaw before retreating upstairs, no doubt to return to Luke''s room.


    Stumbling over and doing his best not to wince from all the cuts that he''s suffered, Gary sympathetically clicked his tongue and clasped a hand over Ash''s shoulder. "And the sad thing about it too? Asch was asleep through the whole thing."


    "Ah! Charging his batteries!" Ash may have been dealt a strong blow with his hard work ruined, but he wouldn''t concede that much, especially to Gary. A shouting match begun between the two of them about which was true until Blossom broke it up at the insistence that they clean up the mess they made inside and wash off the scribbles on Asch after they finally played some Pokken Royale.


    Suddenly the argument about who was right became who could garner the most wins between the two, and thus the games began. Ash''s obvious choice was¡­Lucario because Blossom always guns straight for Charizard and Gary chooses to play as Machamp. Playing against Blossom was straightforward as they would focus on battering the other''s player character until they''re sent off stage, but Gary was a dirty cheater! He keeps grabbing either of them when they''re in the middle of a heated match!


    "Spammer! Cheater!" Ash growled.


    "Yeah, at least let us finish duking it out then join in!" Blossom hissed.


    Gary relished in his tenth victory and laughed at the two of them. "Hmph! It''s a battle royale you two. If you''re going to just ignore me to battle amongst yourselves, then don''t be surprised if I feel a little left out."


    Ash and Blossom blinked, looked at each other and oddly looked considerate.


    "Yeah, that''s true¡­" Ash solemnly nodded.


    "It was pretty rude of us to keep you out of it." Blossom apologetically bowed her head.


    Gary smirked. "Good now let''s get on with the next rou-."


    "To make up for it, Blossom and I will go after you first then fight each other." Ash seriously nodded much to Gary horror.


    "Wha-?"


    "Yup that sounds like the perfect thing to do keep him from feeling left out." Blossom nodded.


    "Now wait a minu-!"


    "Okay, Blossom it''s your turn to choose a stage and remember to flank Machamp from behind, his grappling moves only affect one opponent at a time."


    "Right, Ash and you make sure to keep going for the legs, Machamp lower body defenses are just as weak as their lower body attacks."


    "No, wait a minute why are you two suddenly so in sync and-hey, wait, don''t just go after me out of the blue! Hey, are you guys listening this isn''t fair!" Gary wailed as his two friends ganged up on him for 5 matches straight. They all eventually grew hungry by then and decided to have themselves a snack of chips, cookies, and popcorn while watching some good old Pidgey Rangers against the diabolical Spearow Rangers!


    It was a marathon, so they all had a ball just sitting down and relaxing after the hectic day they''ve been through. Though Ash couldn''t help but feel as though he forgot to do something. He cleaned up the house a bit with his friends, so there couldn''t be anything else that needed to be done. Also, the Red Pidgey Ranger looked to finally be close to defeating his arch nemesis the Red Spearow Ranger.


    He couldn''t possibly miss this monumental mome-!


    *DING-DONG!*


    No way was he going to miss-!


    *DING-DONG!*


    To miss-!


    *DING-DONG!*


    Miss-!


    *DING-DONG!* *DING-DONG!* *DING-DONG!* *DING-DONG!*


    Ash chose to ignore the doorbell and kept his eyes glued to the television until some popcorn was thrown at his face by Blossom who was getting fed up with the growing string of the door bell''s ringing.


    "Answer it!" Blossom spoke through a mouthful of popcorn.


    "No, this is the best part!" Ash grumbled.


    "What if it''s someone important?" Gary chimed in from his place on the big couch opposite Blossom.


    "Don''t care. Wanna watch Red Pidgey Ranger triumph over-!"


    *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*


    The trio jumped from their seats in fright at the sudden loud banging that replaced the annoying doorbell ringing. With this much noise, they couldn''t possibly ignore it now.


    "M-Maybe they''ll go away if we wait it o-?"


    ""Go!"" His two friends unanimously pushed him off the couch and toward the door.


    Ash almost threw a tantrum with how unfair they were being to him, but he supposed that he couldn''t enjoy his show until the issue was dealt with. So, with an annoyed huff, Ash was greeted by some random girl whose scowl was SUPER deep and seemed to be wearing some black spandex with a cape. Man, that cape looked cool, almost as cool as the ones the Pidgey Rangers wear.


    Ash sure wished he could convince his mom to buy him that one day, if not her, then he''ll just ask his bro. After all, he did get Ash his super-duper awesome special edition hat, so a cape shouldn''t be that hard to get.


    "Is this the Ketchum Residence where Luke Ketchum presides?" Uh¡­


    "W-What?" Ash blinked up at the girl and for a moment felt a bit intimidated as those blue eyes of hers turned a bit fierce. It was like a pressure was exerting itself over him until it just stopped.


    Now the lady wasn''t looking at him, except back at Asch who chose now of all times to be awake! Ash would have admonished the Charizard before realizing that he forgot to clean off all the paint and ink that was all over his form. Whoops!


    Well at least Asch was awake after recharging enough of his batteries, but this lady was still weird. She took one long look at Asch while Asch simply stood up from his heated stone to regard her in a considered manner. What was going on?


    Ash blinked.


    The strange lady made a humorless huffing sound to break the silence. "His Charizard being in front of your home aside and covered in such¡­unique art aside, I would still like some confirmation about whether Luke Ketchum lives here. The staff at that subpar caf¨¦ said so after I defeated one of their rank."


    Caf¨¦? Does she mean down at his mother''s caf¨¦, Ash thought in query before something else popped up in his head. Hold on, she wants to know if Luke lives here, but why? Also, why does she look so familiar?


    "Yeeeeeeah¡­why?" Ash slowly examined the lady and began going through the contents of his hyperactive memory to piece together who this was.


    "Good. Then I''d like for you to call him out here for me then. I have some¡­unfinished business with him that takes precedent¡­" Ash tuned her out and got himself a real good look at her. Mean scowl, weird skintight spandex, sharp teeth earrings (ew¡­), and blue hair & eyes.


    Wait, blue hair and blue eyes?


    Something clicked in Ash''s overworked mind as he put two and two together as memories of physically watching a related conference match along with the match''s recordings a bajillion times helped pieced together that-!


    "Hey, you''re that blue girl who go swept by my bro in the Semi-Finals of the last Conference!" Though blunt, his delivery made the lady''s scowl further deepen as the clattering and surprised squawking of Blossom was followed by Gary''s own loud vocal surprise of "WHAT!?"


    His friends practically materialized by his side as they took in the newcomer, Blossom was in awe while Gary only shot the blue lady a dirty glare.


    "Whoa! So, she''s one of the trainers who made it to the Finals? That''s so cool!" Blossom squealed.


    "Yeah, but not as cool as Luke!" Ash puffed up his chest in pride. "He managed to defeat her 2-6 when he brought out Sylvie."


    "Amazing!" Blossom''s eyes sparkled.


    "Blossom, you saw the match on television, you should already know this." Gary groaned.


    "R-Right¡­um, but uh, oh! I remember that your sister faced her in the quarter finals, Gary!" Gary narrowed his eyes at the girl, who began to fumble with her words. "I-I mean she did a great job to make it that far! I''m just drawing a blank on how many pok¨¦mon she was able to take out in that rou-."


    "One." Gary glowered and looked to the side.


    "O-Oh¡­" Blossom wilted then began to panic once Ash started opening his mouth.


    "Hah, well Luke-mmmph!"


    "Ash, no!" Blossom hissed.


    "AHEM!"


    All three turned back to notice that the lady was still there, except her patience seemed to be waning by each passing second.


    "Enough. Since it''s been confirmed that Luke Ketchum does indeed live here, I''ll ask again if he''s currently present on the premises. If not, then I''ll be on my way, but if he is¡­" The lady then tightly clenched her gloved hands so tightly that the kids flinched back as the sound of her fingers cracking had put them off.


    "Then I wish for you to bring him to me. Right. Now."


    Ash''s eyes widened as he realized what all of this meant and cursed the fact that his brother wasn''t there to accept it. Struggling to piece together a response, he simply let his instincts take the wheel.


    *SLAM!*


    ""Ash!"" Gary and Blossom screamed.


    "I panicked." Ash sucked in his lips as he locked the door he slammed. He gulped at the thought of how super mad that lady was about now.


    "Obviously!" Gary angrily admonished.


    "S-So what now?" Blossom queried as the trio gathered up in a huddle and quietly began to form a plan.


    "What else? Tell her to take a hike because Luke''s obviously not here to give her a rematch. Can I do it because I really want to tell it to her face." Gary growled.


    "But if we do that then we''ll miss out on the chance to see a cool battle!" Ash argued.


    "Luke needs to actually be here for a battle to even happen, lame brain." Gary rolled his eyes.


    "Plus, we don''t know when he''ll be back to accept the challenge." Blossom sighed.


    "Unless he told you the specific time that he''ll be back." Gary asked.


    "Nah, he said he''ll only come back if he''s done patrolling or just wants to go back to his room to crash since he doesn''t have to work at the caf¨¦ today. Huh, I''m surprised he''s not back yet." Ash blinked in surprise while Gary disappointedly shook his head.


    "I''m sure glad my sis wasn''t here to hear that."


    "But guys that only leaves us with either trying to stall her or make her leave!" Blossom frowned.


    "Let''s make her leave." Gary instantly suggested.


    "B-But-." Ash started but his friend shut him down.


    "Luke''s obviously not going to come on time so just tell her to beat it." Gary said.


    Ash frowned and thought as hard as he could. How can he create a scenario to keep that lady here until her brother returns. It''s not like he could just be in two places at once. After all there was only one Luke Ketchum¡­


    Wait a minute.


    A devious smile grew formed on his face that had both of his friends suspicious.


    "What''s that look for?"


    "Oh, nothing~. Just wait right here until I come back to get Luke!" Ash dashed up the stairs.


    "But he''s not here!" Blossom cried as Gary deeply sighed and went straight to the kitchen.


    Dramatically, Ash pushed against the hallway''s walls as he ran, jumped, and glided across the wooden floors to reach Luke''s room. With haste, he slammed open the door, ignoring the surprised yelp coming from Sylvie hiding under the bed sheets and opened Luke''s closet. He rummaged through his clothes, tossing out all manner of clothing that didn''t fit with the plan he had formulated in his head.


    A red mask with a black cowboy hat? Tossed over his shoulder.


    Luke''s old sneakers? Swung backwards to be thrown into his chair.


    A pair of his underwear that he was too lazy to put in his drawer?


    "Syl-!"


    Bundled up and thrown onto his bed.


    "-veon~!"


    Ash blinked at the weird noise before continuing his singular pursuit for¡­aha!


    And like that Ash Ketchum managed to procure Luke''s old red jacket, his goggles and backpack. He dumped the contents of the large backpack on the ground and rolled up the large sleeves of the jacket. He had to look as authentic to pass off as his brother. Looking himself over in the mirror, Ash placed the finishing touch on his look by incorrectly strapping the extra pair of goggles over his hat.


    Now he looked like a one-to-one copy to Luke!


    "How do I look, Syvlie?" He whipped his head around to spot the pok¨¦mon¡­wearing his brother''s underwear as a hat except she seemed to be laying on her side with her limbs twitching. What happened to her? Could he have surprised her with how identical he looked to Luke?


    Either way, Ash gnabbed her since she was the crutch that did help his brother defeat that blue lady outside. Stumbling downstairs, he ran past his friends and slammed open the door where the furious blue lady stood. Her attention was drawn away from her staredown with Asch to now address him. Well, she seemed to flinch back at the sight of Sylvie before seriously regarding him.


    "And just what is thi-?" The lady started, but Ash would have none of it. This was HIS moment, Luke''s moment.


    "Aha, it''s YOU! Well, if you''re back for a rematch then prepare to taste defeat for I, Lucas Delilah Ketchum, hereby accept your challenge!"


    "What?" The blue-haired lady croaked in disbelief.


    "Now let us battle! Sylvie, I choose you!" Lacking her pokeball, Ash tossed Sylvie in the hopes that she''d land on her feet.


    *PLOP!*


    She didn''t.


    "Sy-Sylveooon~!" She just kept on making those weird, muffled noises through his bro''s boxers while breathing heavily. Ash noticed Asch giving Sylvie a look of utter disgust and disappointment before shaking his head and laying back down onto his heated rock to simply observe the trainwreck in front of it unfold.


    "What?" The blue lady repeated with more disbelief in her tone at the sight of the twitching Sylveon.


    "Er¡­um¡­" Ash coughed then daringly pointed at her. "And there''s more where that came from¡­from¡­" He began to sweat once he realized that he didn''t have a name to put to her face. "You! Release your first pok¨¦mon so we may do battle in the most epic of fashion!"


    "¡­What?" The lady croaked again.


    "Well this is going to be fun." Gary mumbled through a mouthful of something. "Popcorn?" He offered to Blossom who were watching everything on the front steps of the Ketchum Household.


    "Ooh~! Yes please!" Blossom cheered and began stuffing her face as she joined her friend in watching Ash get into a screaming match with that mean blue lady. Poor lady, she already lost the battle when she chose Ash to be her opponent...

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    <hr>


    Everything was such a mess.


    Which was pretty much the norm for the Ketchum Household.


    The only real issue to be had from it was the enormous amount of clean up to be had afterwards, and boy did everyone have to clean up before mom made it back home. That¡¯s right, EVERYONE had to pitch in, and that¡¯s including Daisy, Ash, Gary, Blossom, and I. Otherwise, we¡¯d all be in deep trouble when mom arrived back from work.


    Well, not everyone wanted to stick around and clean up the huge mess. Clair was officially 101% done with everyone and angrily stormed off, but not before pointing at me and tossing me a card through the air that I swiftly caught. I would have made a Yugioh Abridged reference about the impossibility of a thin white card being able to be thrown with so much wind resistance, but I was better than that.


    ¡°Enough of these distractions, my issue of challenge will wait. Luke Ketchum, we will reconvene in a place appropriate to discuss crucial matters tomorrow. Do. Not. Be. Late.¡±


    I shrugged with a simple ¡°Okay¡± which seemed to further peeve her off, but with her message already made clear, she departed with a flourish of her cape in the wind. Dramatic as usual, I see. Looking at the card with Daisy hovering over my shoulder, I read the words ¡°Nest Raider¡± and immediately knew where she wanted us to meet. Daisy reached the same conclusion and looked quite nervous about the implications behind this last-minute meeting and the forceful requestor of said meeting.


    This made my last-minute decision to invite everyone over for dinner the perfect distraction for her since she¡¯d be too busy helping me cook and prepare the food for the little kids and my own pok¨¦mon. Of course, this decision was made after we cleaned everything up, and the kids did so with gusto. So, once Daisy and I made them some spaghetti, they rushed out to eat amongst my pok¨¦mon.


    Gary, like any boy his age would, gravitated around Kamina the Scizor, one the ¡°cooler¡± pok¨¦mon as perceived by the male demographic.


    Blossom herself played with Lenny and Leonardo. I had to keep Leonardo in charge of Lenny lest he hurt the girl with one of his bear hugs, but so far, they were relatively alright.


    The rest of my team were behaving. Kidd was back in my shadow after laughing himself to undeath at Asch¡¯s graffitied body; Sparrow was back on his perch atop the house roof, looking vigilantly over us as usual; and Epona was laid beside me and Asch as she watched me wash the black marker and paint off him with hints of amusement on her snout that Asch was pointedly not looking at.


    As for Sylvie¡­? Uh, I had to ball her back into her premier ball. I have no clue what happened to her, and I get the feeling like I shouldn¡¯t, just to save preserve my sanity despite my burgeoning curiosity. So, I nabbed my underwear from her, and placed her away for now. Hopefully, she¡¯ll start getting back to her senses tomorrow.


    I had the tiring job of cleaning my resting Starter while letting my own dinner grow cold beside me. At this point, I wasn¡¯t going to eat it, so I decided that it was best for lunch for tomorrow. Waste not, want not as mom would always say. Daisy helped out too by helping me wash Asch¡¯s wings right beside me.


    As for Ash¡­


    ¡°LUUUUUUUKE!¡± I heard the shrill cry of my brother from above as he poked his head out my window to enviously look down at all of us. ¡°I¡¯m done cleaning your room! Can I come join you guys now!?¡±


    ¡°Did you make sure my floor¡¯s clean?¡± I exclaimed, not even taking my eyes off Asch¡¯s painted back.


    ¡°YEAH!¡±


    ¡°Is everything back to where they belong?¡±


    ¡°YEAH!¡± Hm¡­I don¡¯t believe THAT answer for a second.


    ¡°Did you stuff everything you dumped onto my floor in the closet?¡±


    ¡°YEAH!¡± Yup, there we go, that made more sense. ¡°Wa-Wait, I hung every-!¡± Too late, Ash, too late¡­


    ¡°No. Clean up everything the right way. Now.¡±


    ¡°BUT LUUUUUUUUUUUKE!¡±


    I had to listen to his whining for the fifth time since I¡¯ve sent him up to clean my wrecked room. My room may not be perfectly organized or super clean, but it was still my Sanctuary to return to and relax. If he really wants to be out here eating and playing with my pok¨¦mon then he should have already handled the mess with less of his whining taking up time.


    I internally rolled my eyes. No matter the life or world, little brothers will always be a pain in the neck. To be frank, he should be thanking me, I¡¯m going out of my way to take mom¡¯s old basin that Blossom broke to the Mr. Claude, the town¡¯s local carpenter. If mom were to find out then she would have grounded Ash for life (an exaggeration, but one aptly used to express how pissed she¡¯d be). This basin was one of the few possessions that mom had of Great Grandma Delilah¡¯s; this wooden bowl was basically older than the founding of Pallet Town itself, when this area was nothing more than a nameless hamlet of a settlement.


    Thankfully, mom wasn¡¯t too concerned with the basin when she came home with Jubilee and Angel from work. She was more preoccupied with cooking more food for us kids than bringing it up, which was logical since she thinks its still intact. It made me happy for once that she immediately zeroed in on Daisy and me to eat a bowl of spaghetti together, lest she ask the damning question that would leave Ash in super mondo trouble.


    Eventually, Daisy had to take home Gary and Blossom and wished us a somber ¡°Good Night¡±. A bit too somber for my liking, but I couldn¡¯t fault her. Her Conference opponent, who brutally knocked her out of the Quarter Finals was in town so I wouldn¡¯t be in much of a good mood either if I was in her shoes. So, after confirming things for tomorrow, we saw them off, Ash still got into a little trouble for not properly cleaning her room after going through it, and I sent an email to who I was originally going to spend the morning chatting with over a Video call, but Clair takes precedent for now.


    She¡¯s already had one of the new waitresses at the caf¨¦ call off for the unforeseeable future due to handily defeating their pok¨¦mon. Which is going to make it harder for mom and the others at the caf¨¦. I asked mom why Blossom¡¯s mom, Petaline wasn¡¯t there to battle herself, but apparently, she had to run a quick errand out of town for the day. Which makes me curious about how a battle between her and Clair would go¡­


    I¡¯d love to see a battle like that. Who knows, they might even know each other if the old conference battle records of Mrs. Petaline coming from Blackthorn City hold truth. Still, that was for another day because the next day would have me sitting across from one of my most bitter opponents from the conference. Waking up in the morning was always a drag, but I pulled myself together, took a shower, dressed appropriately, helped mom with breakfast, ate breakfast, made a prayer over at the shrine, and departed from the house on Epona¡¯s back.


    Ash slept in, which was fair since it was Saturday, but he was still grounded with a couple of days added for snooping through both mom and I¡¯s rooms without properly cleaning them up.


    The ride to the Nest Raider¡¯s lab took about the same time and distance as ever whenever I visited Professor Oak¡¯s lab. Yep, he was this infamous Nest Raider that Clair hissed about and there¡¯s a definite story behind that she¡¯ll no doubt bring up since we¡¯re holding our little ¡°chat¡± in his lab. Upon making it to his lab, I realized that I wasn¡¯t the only one to show since Daisy was waiting for me in anticipation. After letting Epona run off to run around the perimeter of Kanto, I entered the lab with my friend by my side.


    Clair didn¡¯t specify a time but knowing her type I realized that she would be punctual and arrive early. Now if she were requesting this chat at any other time or place, I would have chosen to go a bit late or whenever I felt like it. Again, no time was specified, and I generally didn¡¯t feel the need to put my own plans on pause for her.


    Too bad that she chose Prof. Oak¡¯s lab for this little talk of ours. Bringing in a third party like Prof. Oak was sort of a dick move, but an effective one. I couldn¡¯t just leave the professor and his aides to deal with Clair so its best that I handle this so they can go on with their agendas today.


    Also, so Daisy can settle her nerves¡­


    ¡°She¡¯s waiting in the lobby. Has been since 5 AM this morning.¡± Daisy spoke with a hush.


    ¡°Wow, so she¡¯s serious-serious about this.¡± That was way earlier than I expected. I woke up at 7 AM and got here at 8 AM, so she must really want to get this done.


    ¡°Thank Mew that I told Grandpa ahead of time.¡± Daisy sighed in relief then grimaced. ¡°Him pulling another all-nighter over here did do us some good after all.¡±


    ¡°Was your dad mad again?¡± Mr. Oak was very particular about making sure Prof. Oak was taking care of himself. The professor was still only human and one at his age required rest when possible, not after five days of continuous research without sleep.


    ¡°No.¡± Daisy shook her head. ¡°Mom was.¡±


    I inhaled sharply. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s way worse.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Daisy popped the ¡°p¡±. ¡°Mom gave Grandpa quite the lashing over the phone until Clair arrived.¡±


    Ouch, I mean it¡¯s ironic in a way, but that was kind of a cruel punishment to subject to the old man. Noticing my look, Daisy rolled her eyes and shook her head. ¡°He got off easy. Zam threatened to teleport mom here to give him the scolding in person.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Okay, now THAT sounds worse.¡± Well, it was all out of love at the end of the day. Prof. Oak¡¯s Alakazam even stepping in to reprimand his lifelong friend and trainer was just the final nail in that love coffin. ¡°So, what happens after¡­?¡±


    ¡°Home. Bed. Rest. Tea.¡± Daisy listed off.


    ¡°No poetry?¡± The face that Daisy made was downright hysterical. The professor loves to write poetry and you would think that a former Champion and a current leading researcher in his field would be a pro in the world of prose and flowery words. Too bad that he was either terrible at worst or at best basic with his works.


    Heck, I¡¯m sure most of my classmates, especially Joey, were experiencing PTSD whenever the mention of a poem was made. The professor made us, his chosen students, listen through lectures upon lectures of his poetry as a requirement for his sponsorship and teachings. I generally enjoyed how terrible his and my own poetry were in comparison to the others.


    I coughed and recalled one of my poems that the professor verily approved of.


    ¡°Charmander is red


    Squirtle is blue


    if you were a pok¨¦mon


    I¡¯d choose you.¡±


    I ended my poem off while tapping Daisy¡¯s nose. She did not approve.


    ¡°That was terrible, and you should feel terrible.¡± Daisy shook her head in disappointment.


    ¡°Heh, says you, that poem helped me pass the class.¡± Of course, he would have passed us all no matter how crappy our poems were, but he did say that mine was well-written compared to the others. Yes, my special situation did give me the advantage over the normal 11-year-olds, but still I wasn¡¯t going to downplay the achievement that much.


    We returned to amiable silence once we neared the lobby, I had noticed that our previous conversation had settled Daisy quite a bit, but not quite enough. She was doing that finger drumming thing against her thighs whenever she got nervous. This tic of hers only worsened when we stood five feet from the door where Clair was no doubt waiting for me on the other side.


    Emphasis on ¡®me¡¯ being the reason that she¡¯s here. I crossed my arms and looked at my friend. ¡°Y¡¯know, you don¡¯t have to-.¡±


    ¡°I-If Grandpa gets to be in there, then I do too.¡± She stubbornly looked at the door.


    ¡°But the professor is only there to mediate, so you don¡¯t have to stress yourself out like this.¡± I said, but this only made her more insistent to come.


    ¡°Luke, I¡¯m joining.¡± The glance she shot at me emphasized the finality in her tone. Geez, and here I thought that old Oak stubbornness from the circuit was finally put to bed.


    All I could was concede lest she get ornery and more anxious. ¡°Okay.¡± I shrugged and patiently crossed my arms and tapped my sandaled foot. Oh, we were just waiting for the Professor to show up if the reason why we¡¯re standing out here was any clear indicator.


    The silence went from comfortable to awkward after that exchange, so I chose to break it. ¡°And totally unrelated to whatever you think I¡¯m implying and you might be sick of me already telling you this-.¡± I raised a finger to stop her from insistently coming in with me. ¡°But you did remarkably well in your battle.¡±


    Daisy shot me the same weird look that she gave me the last time I complimented her Quarter finals match. ¡°Luke.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    ¡°She beat me 6 to 1.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    ¡°How would you call that remarkable?¡± I rolled my eyes at clipped tone.


    ¡°Yeah, you lost, but you sure made her work for that win.¡± I resized Sylvie¡¯s premier ball in my hand and played with it.


    ¡°She used her Dragonair to sweep my entire team, Luke.¡±


    ¡°Yes, after you defeated her Dragonite with your own Dragonair.¡± She opened her mouth to counter my point until I raised a finger at her yet again. Boy, was she getting annoyed with me for that. ¡°A Dragonair that might I add, you caught and trained yourself with no help or advice from your grandpa. That was all you.¡±


    That was the undeniable truth. Prof. Oak¡¯s Dragonite has been deemed to be one of his three Aces during his days as the Indigo League Champion. His Alakazam, Tauros, and Arcanine weren¡¯t slouches either and could even pose a serious threat to our current Elite Four and Champion. The old recordings of his battles during his rise to the position and his Defense Title Matches only solidified this.


    Yet even there was a clear divide between those three and his Dragonite and the other two Aces. Just to give you a clue though one of them is a mystery since he¡¯s never used that Ace in an official match, but his other Ace is his Starter. Yeah, that¡¯s how formidable that Dragonite was.


    So, the fact that Daisy didn¡¯t just turn around to ask her grandfather for any of his Dragonite¡¯s eggs or even glean for any advice on how to tame and train her own dragon type should be a testament to her skill. Especially since that Safari Zone Dratini she caught (seriously I wondered and cursed how her luck was THAT good to find one) was strong enough as a Dragonair to defeat Clair¡¯s Dragonite, her second strongest pok¨¦mon.


    No one before her in the conference had even felled that beast of a pok¨¦mon except for Daisy (and I also, but this isn¡¯t about me). The only reason she lost so handedly against Clair was because Daisy had infuriated Clair to simply use her Starter, Dragonair to clear the field just because of the audacity and also due to Daisy being an Oak. I don¡¯t know the details since it¡¯s been omitted from the public, but apparently Prof. Oak and his wife did something to royally piss off the Blackthorns.


    Though with how Clair had referred to Daisy as the granddaughter of the ¡°Nest Raider¡± at the conference, I could hazard a guess.


    ¡°You managed to do much more than anyone before you when you were up against a trainer that trained for two years, earned all 8 Johto badges in her first circuit, and took part in their first conference.¡± If there¡¯s one thing, I had to give Clair, it would have to be the dedication it took to reach as far as she did last year. Of course, it helped to be backed by one of Johto¡¯s three most influential clans, but that only got you so far.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t original when her cousin did the exact same thing but actually defeated the Conference in his first circuit.


    ¡°So don¡¯t be ashamed. You¡¯re far from being pathetic and a second-rate trainer.¡± The way that my friend refused to look me in the eye just confirmed that what Clair said to her after the Oak¡¯s loss still cut too deep.


    ¡­


    ¡­Welp, I guess I¡¯ll be a little mean to Clair in this meeting if she acts up.


    Thankfully the professor did return but it was a bit of bad timing on his part since Daisy had wanted to say something, but once the wheels got rolling, the thought was pushed to the back of my mind as we entered the lobby. There, sitting on the leather couch was none other than Clair Blackthorn.


    If not for her ever-present scowl, she¡¯d look like your average pretty 14-year-old girl. If you managed to look past the skintight black body suit, the cape, and dragon teeth earrings and necklace that she wore. Okay, so she didn¡¯t fully look like your average girl, but you (can kinda¡­) get my point. She seemed less steamed than yesterday but not by much. The room though had this weird pressure about it that made it a little stuffy to enter but once the professor entered, he shot the girl a disproving look before said pressure vanished.


    Clair derisively snorted at Prof. Oak while Daisy had to take a few calming breaths as sweat began to bead on her forehead. Their reactions had to mean something since when Clair glanced at me, her scowl deepened a bit before returning to normal. Weird, but that could wait for another time. Taking our seats, I sat on the couch opposite Clair with Daisy by my side while the professor sat in the lone single person chair to the side of the two couches, in between everyone.


    ¡°Hmph. You¡¯ve kept me waiting, Luke Ketchum, but I am relieved to see that you can show a modicum of punctuality.¡± Clair sniffed. Lady, you must be out of your mind if you expect me to be up and over here at 5 AM. Even the local Dodrio (our equivalent of a rooster) had yet to tap their internal Snooze buttons to fill the town with their obnoxiously loud crows and caws.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± I yawned and waved.


    Clair¡¯s eyebrow twitched as she regarded me with a weird look. ¡°Yes¡­ Good morning¡­¡± The words sounded awkward coming from her as she also stiffly regarded the professor with one as well. ¡°And to you as well, Professor Samuel Oak.¡±


    Hold on, so are you telling me that you didn¡¯t even pay your respects to the man who¡¯s residence your holding your meeting in? Talk about disrespectful. With the professor being a good guy and given next to no time to prepare for this, he no doubt allowed this to pass because he was that nice or simply did so because he didn¡¯t care to push it.


    ¡°And a good morning to you too, young lady.¡± Prof. Oak smiled but not even that grandfatherly smile of his cracked Clair¡¯s permanent glower.


    ¡°Quite.¡± Clair nodded then turned to me.


    ¡°Good morn-.¡±


    ¡°Now shall I finally get to the crux for why I¡¯m here?¡± Clair cut off my friend and solely focused on me. Seeing a slightly offended Daisy flinch back at the nonverbal dismissal didn¡¯t quite sit well with our host, nor me for that matter.


    ¡°Hey, you forgot to say good morning to her too, ya know.¡± She¡¯s the granddaughter of our host, you can at least rectify your past disrespect by greeting her too.


    Her arms crossed; Clair impatiently tapped her finger along her arm. ¡°All of this was for the explicit purpose of having a dialogue with you alone. Anyone other than the Nest Raider himself is but simply a distraction that I will not deem to acknowledge, especially to those I find severely lacking.¡±


    Daisy shrunk in on herself a bit at that.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± I nodded slowly at that. ¡°Well, by that logic shouldn¡¯t I technically not acknowledge you?¡±


    The glare that Clair shot my way was fierce. Fierce enough to rival even Macaque¡¯s whenever he went on a rampage. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Well, since you find her skills lacking then by that logic, I find yours to be as well. For reasons apparent for the both of us.¡± Hey, it¡¯s not healthy to grind your teeth, Clair. ¡°Thus, we don¡¯t have to have this stuffy meeting and I can finally go back to bed¡­¡± I drearily rubbed my eyes.


    ¡°That is not the same, Luke Ketchum.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Swear to God, Arceus, Mew or even the Buddha himself, I looked Clair in the eye, and simply smiled. ¡°Then please elaborate and dissuade my reasoning, Clair Blackthorn.¡± Oho, she¡¯s pissed and I¡¯m not even doing this just to slight her back for slighting Daisy. I genuinely want to hear how she¡¯d spin this around and prevent me from simply walking out of here.


    Either way, she¡¯s going to be pissed at having to verbally acknowledge her defeat to me.


    ¡°Tch!¡± See? A classic response for a dragon tamer of her stature and temper. It¡¯s


    Tapping my shoulder, Daisy frowned. ¡°Luke, it¡¯s okay you don¡¯t have to-.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Clair ground out after looking like she¡¯d just swallowed poison and looked at Daisy. ¡°Good morning to you, Daisy Oak. I trust that you are well?¡±


    ¡°O-Oh! Um¡­I¡­¡± Shocked, Daisy tried to compose herself. ¡°I am, and a good morning to you too, Clair.¡±


    Clair nodded with a click of her tongue then turned her glare back to me. ¡°There are you satisfied?¡¯


    ¡°Not really.¡± I nonchalantly shrugged and crossed my legs. ¡°It¡¯s basic common courtesy so it shouldn¡¯t be taken that seriously.¡± For real though, all this effort just to disrespect these two isn¡¯t worth it. It¡¯s tiring and it¡¯s annoying.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ohoho, now she looks like she wants to murder me, violently beat me in a pok¨¦mon battle, or perhaps even both.


    ¡°Honestly, children these days¡­¡± Prof. Oak exasperatedly sighed, but I didn¡¯t miss the edges of his lips crooking upwards. Yeah, guess even he found Clair¡¯s disrespect to Daisy distasteful, which is appropriate for a doting grandfather like him.


    Clapping his hands, the adult in the room eased the tension growing from Clair¡¯s side of the room. ¡°Now, I believe that introductions have long since been made, so we may now go forward with main topic of discussion: the purpose of young Clair¡¯s appearance.¡±


    ¡°Which explains why this simply isn¡¯t you coming over to challenge me, right?¡± I leant back and folded my arms behind my head.


    ¡°Oh, do not misunderstand, Luke Ketchum. My sole motivation for even coming to this little town of yours is to set right what had been done four months ago. The humiliation that you¡¯ve inflicted upon me that day will be repaid back tenfold, Luke Ketchum. That I promise you.¡±


    ¡°Neat. It¡¯ll be fun to have a battle with you again.¡± Considering you don¡¯t do anything else to annoy me, I would actually enjoy a challenge.


    Clair¡¯s eyes widened for a split second before they narrowed at me once more. Huh, looks like she wasn¡¯t expecting that to come out my mouth. ¡°Indeed¡­¡± You don¡¯t have to sound so suspicious.


    ¡°However, my own desires and feelings are secondary when the Blackthorn Clan¡¯s interests take precedence. Which is why on behalf of the 35th Grandmaster of the Blackthorn Clan¡¯s main branch, I, Clair Blackthorn-¡± She grit her teeth. ¡°-humbly request of you, Luke Ketchum of Pallet Town, for a trade.¡±


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Damn so this was serious. For her clan to make her of all people be the one to come and bend the knee to get their message across was harshly telling. Daisy seemed just as surprised as I was while Prof. Oak¡¯s expression remained neutral. So, he must have been given the general gist of this happening when Clair barged in.


    Moving my arms down to cross over my chest, I casually regarded my old opponent with a tired look. ¡°And the specifics for such a trade entail?¡±


    ¡°A trade of information for one of our clan¡¯s acquisitions.¡± She explained, which was no help since I didn¡¯t have anything beyond the general basis. Seeing in my confusion, Clair groaned. ¡°Allow me to elaborate.¡±


    She looked at Prof. Oak then tentatively at Daisy. ¡°How informed of the first and second pok¨¦mon wars are you, Luke Ketchum?¡±


    ¡°About as informed as the information I was taught when I was a student.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Even heard some stories here and there from a couple primary sources, but I wouldn¡¯t say that I¡¯m an expert.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Sighing through her nose, Clair looked to the side. ¡°Better than what I expected, but that falls on me for retaining such low expectations for you in the first place. I¡¯ll be sure to appropriately adjust such shallow expectations for the future.¡±


    Rude, but I don¡¯t generally care. From the corner of my eye, I saw that Daisy had worked up the nerve to glare at the bluenette, but Clair also subscribed to the same IDGAF response as me. My silence urged the Dragon Tamer to resume with her point.


    ¡°As one of Johto¡¯s three prestigious clans that have had their traditions survived since even before the formation of the region, the Blackthorn Clan has always been the Johto Region¡¯s mighty clan, who¡¯ve had no equal when faced in the skies.¡± I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at Clair basically touting her own clan up while not even mentioning the Mahogany and Ecruteak clans. ¡°That is why when the time for conflict came, our clan members were swift and attacked the Kanto region¡¯s bordered lands with no mercy.¡±


    ¡°You mean Viridian and Pewter City?¡± Daisy asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Clair nodded and deemed to answer my friend. ¡°Though we¡¯ve had some glaring roadblocks that have impeded our clan¡¯s war efforts in the past.¡± She shot a glare at Professor Oak, who still remained neutral faced, before continuing. ¡°None of these impediments stood out more than the mysterious failed advancement of the Fourth Dragoon Squadron that was to advance upon the lands that would one day be referred to as Cerulean City during the First Great Pok¨¦mon War.¡±


    It was a blink, or you¡¯ll miss it moment, but Prof. Oak¡¯s eyes lit up for a fraction of a second before they calmly regarded us all.


    ¡°We have no records of what actually took place during that point of time. The only accounts found back then were from a few reconnaissance reports detailing the ragged states of our clan¡¯s riders when emerging from the mountains before they were beset upon by an ambush that just so happened to be on the other side.¡±


    Tragic, but¡­


    I blinked upon realizing something. ¡°Mountains?¡± I rubbed my chin. If the advancement were already pushing past Viridian and Pewter then the only way to go forward would be through¡­huh. ¡°Are you referring to Mt. Moon?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Those mountains have forever been a mystery to me and my people. The average time traversed through the caverns when travelling to Route 4 and by extension Cerulean City would take a day or two on foot. The reports have stated that the platoon traversed the caverns for 3 weeks before finally reaching the other side and thus facing their untimely demise.¡± Clair solemnly closed her eyes.


    ¡°3 weeks? But how is that even possible? Unless they were looking for something there then at best it would be 4 days before they reached the exit, less so if they had dragon type pok¨¦mon to deal with the wild pok¨¦mon that live in there.¡± Daisy spoke in disbelief. ¡°It only took me an extra day to find and capture Fae before leaving the cave on the third day.¡±


    Yep, Daisy somehow caught one of the stupidly rare Clefairy of Mt. Moon because of course she did. I had hoped to come across the pok¨¦mon and their giant Moon stone ¡°spaceship¡± that they showcased in the anime, but nah. I basically traversed the cave as fast as I could because I was a bit behind to get my second badge due to having to reschedule a rematch against Flint.


    Not a single Clefairy crossed my path, all I had to deal with were Zubats, Geodudes, and Parases. Though to be fair to Daisy, she actively had the time to look for one unlike me who didn¡¯t fully invest in searching for and capturing the fairy type in its natural habitat.


    ¡­Oh. Now I¡¯m starting to piece together where this story was heading.


    ¡°I am aware.¡± Clair grunted. ¡°Trickery and subterfuge were afoot, and any attempts to figure out why have lead to dead ends. Not even I nor another one of our own have been able to glean to the mountain¡¯s mystery or it¡¯s potential link to the Clefairy in it.¡±


    Guess the Blackthorn Clan heads would automatically assume it could be them since they stood out the most for being exceptionally rare and difficult to find. Heck on the trainer scene, there was a considerably low ratio of trainers that owned a Clefairy in last year¡¯s circuit and the ones before it.


    ¡°Question.¡± I raised a finger. ¡°Instead of going through the cave, why didn¡¯t the platoon simply fly over the mountains?¡± That would seem to be the appropriate course of action for a squad of dragon riders.


    ¡°¡­¡± Clair¡¯s lips tightened to a straight line. ¡°A day before the platoon entered the cave, they had considered that avenue and sent one of the clansmen to survey and return with any findings of wild pok¨¦mon that could attack them from below. That same clansmen did not return the next day, and thus to err on the side of caution, the group ventured into the caverns of Mt. Moon.¡±


    ¡­Damn.


    Just what set the Clefairy off about those guys? It can¡¯t possibly be just because of their opposing typing to their dragon types, right?


    ¡°So, such means of trickery have eluded my clan for years with no answer.¡± Clair gritted her teeth. ¡°Until the day of my announced Semi-Finals match against you, Luke Ketchum.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± I nodded as memories of my Sylveon haughtily running circles around the likes of a Gyarados, Kingdra, and Dragonair itself resurfaced. ¡°Yup. I see where this is going now. Sorry, but I¡¯m not letting you guys poke and prod at Sylvie.¡± I nonchalantly waved my hand.


    I wouldn¡¯t budge for the other die-hard researchers insistently begging to see her, and I especially won¡¯t do so for some ancient clan wanting to better fortify themselves against another pok¨¦mon typing that brutally decimates their prideful dragons.


    Clair¡¯s hands clenched as her teeth gritted so hard that I heard them grinding. "Though I would insist that you reconsider, the Grandmaster is aware that demanding that of you would be farfetched. Instead, we would request for any helpful knowledge you have in regard to your¡­Sylveon.¡± Hey, don¡¯t hold it against Sylvie¡¯s species just because you got wrecked by her. ¡°Talks around the local research community have warring on either the Normal or Psychic typing to classify the species as. Now, there are arguments that wish to overrule the Psychic typing for the Normal typing instead.¡±


    ¡°Again?¡± Prof. Oak sighed in exasperation. Sheesh were the talks really starting to flip-flop like this?


    I raised my eyebrow. ¡°Okay, so if you guys are so closely watching the research of others, then why not wait until a final verdict or breakthrough has been made?¡±


    ¡°We wish to attain answers as soon as possible, Luke Ketchum. The prattle happening has shown that any public release of this news won¡¯t happen for a long while.¡± Clair clarified.


    I had to concede that point before recognizing something. ¡°But wai-.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that imply you¡¯re clan is willing to siphon information on this new research before anyone else?¡± Daisy said, finally entering the conversation.


    Clair narrowed her eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± Well, at least she was honest. ¡°We only seek to benefit the clan and ensure that we¡¯re prepared for any possible dangers to our pok¨¦mon and people. Though it pains me to relate to one of your ilk, you would be in the same place as I.¡± She looked at Prof. Oak. ¡°The both of you would, after all, wouldn¡¯t you seek to help the stability of your loved one¡¯s frigid clan should she ask for your assistance?¡±


    ¡°I would request that you not bring in any other third parties into the conversation, Miss Clair.¡± I had to wince since Prof. Oak was uncharacteristically serious. Not the grandfatherly serious, but the dead serious you¡¯d find in man who¡¯s been slightly rubbed the wrong way.


    ¡°Hypocrisy.¡± Clair narrowed her eyes at Daisy. ¡°Weren¡¯t you all so insistent on allowing her to attend? I¡¯m only stating a possibility.¡± Daisy heatedly glared at Clair, who refused to be cowed by the brunette.


    ¡°Ahem!¡± I coughed loudly to get everyone¡¯s attention. Didn¡¯t want things to devolve into an argument. ¡°I still have questions.¡± Clair broke eye contact with Daisy and sniffed. She crossed her arms and scowled at me, imploringly. ¡°So disregarding Sylvie for a moment. How come you guys didn¡¯t try and make a deal with those in Pewter to further your agenda with researching the Clefairy?¡±


    Clair clicked her teeth in annoyance. ¡°We¡¯ve tried. The Gym Leader of that area has rebuffed all of our requests and messages multiple times.¡±


    Flint did that? ¡°Any reason why?¡±


    ¡°If there was one, he would not give it.¡± Clair hissed. ¡°And before you ask, we have not had any luck in purchasing the lands that surround Mt. Moon. A majority have them have been claimed by the man before he became initiated as that city¡¯s Gym Leader.¡±


    Whoa, but that would cost a lot of money, and when I went for my first gym badge, Brock¡¯s family didn¡¯t seem too well off. At best, they were just barely getting by.


    ¡°The Second war may have been shorter than the first, but the toll it took on the generation forced to take part in it was still severe, Luke. No amount of war stipends earned from exceptional service can fix past traumas.¡± Prof. Oak solemnly explained to me. ¡°Only bury or distract them.¡±


    Okay, that provided some much-needed context, especially since Pewter was super close to the border right beside Viridian.


    ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡± Clair asked, impatiently.


    ¡°Yeah, so it¡¯s cool that you guys came to ask me but what stopped you from asking Prof. Oak about Sylvie?¡± I may have had to set some boundaries since I didn¡¯t want the professor to get overzealous of his research and irritate Sylvie to the point that she¡¯d go on a massive hissy-fit but he¡¯s currently the most well-informed on her ¡°mysterious¡± typing in the whole region besides the one probable professor in the undiscovered Kalos region.


    ¡°The Grandmaster sought to do business with you, Luke Ketchum. He does not wish to interact with the vile Nest Raider that conspired with a member of our rival clan and stole one of the clan¡¯s Dratinis that was fathered by the same sire of the Grandmaster¡¯s starter.¡±


    Oof. Okay, so that was basically part of the history told in Kanto while I assumed that bit was omitted a bit in Johto.


    ¡°You do know that he¡¯s sitting right there.¡± I pointed to the professor who the decency to look a little sheepish.


    ¡°Those were my grandfather¡¯s words, not my own.¡± Still feels like that hostility is coming from you though.


    ¡°Decades later and it never fails to amaze me how long old Talon holds a grudge. He wouldn¡¯t be averse to¡­letting it go anytime soon?¡± Prof. Oak nervously laughed and scratched his cheek.


    Clair regarded the professor with a sardonic smile. ¡°Of course, all that he requests is the swift return of the taken pok¨¦mon, any of it¡¯s kin, and your head.¡±


    Daisy and I gulped and looked at the professor who¡¯s nervous laughter rose while he grew a bit paler.


    ¡°Hahahaha, yes¡­I don¡¯t see that happening any time soon.¡±


    That took a dark turn. ¡°Anyways, my stance is still firm, but¡­I would still like to see what you even brought to trade.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmph.¡± Reaching into her cape, Claire revealed a pok¨¦ball, but one with a silver fang logo on the upper blue surface of the device. Cracking it open with a hiss, out came a Dratini that laid upon the flat surface of the coffee table between the two couches. The pok¨¦mon quickly looked about the room in a state of panic before it¡¯s eyes laid directly onto me.


    Tilting my head at it, the creature jumps in panic, takes a deep breath, then regally puffed itself out as one would expect of a dragon. I noticed that it was holding it¡¯s breath just to maintain it¡¯s pose.


    ¡°This Dratini that¡¯s been born and raised by the Blackthorn Clan¡¯s finest breeders will be yours to have in exchange for any recent and upcoming information regarding your Sylveon.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Daisy¡¯s jaw fell from disbelief while I pulled out my pok¨¦dex to analyze the dragon type that¡¯s turning a little purple from holding their breath.


    [¡°Dratini, the Dragon Pok¨¦mon. Dratini are known for their overabundance of life energy and shed many layers of skin to accommodate for it¡¯s rapid growth. This pok¨¦mon at it¡¯s youngest have been known to exceed the height of 6¡¯ 6¡±. Dratini are indigenous in large bodies of water, and waterfalls.¡±]


    Okay, that¡¯s informative, but I skipped the rest of the information I¡¯ve already gleaned from scanning Daisy¡¯s own Dratini in the past to simply focus on analyzing the moves that this Dratini possesses.


    ¡°I wish I was.¡± Clair growled. ¡°But the Grandmaster himself found this to be a fair trade.¡± Which again shows just how serious this whole debacle truly is if they¡¯re willing to part with one of their prized dragons. However, I couldn¡¯t help noticing something after reading the number of moves that this Dratini possesses.


    ¡°This Dratini seems a bit¡­premature, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± Prof. Oak spoke out exactly what I was thinking. When Clair released it, the creature barely shook the table and creaked under it¡¯s weight. The pok¨¦dex states that a newborn Dratini¡¯s average height is 5¡¯11¡±. This Dratini is examined to be about 4¡¯9¡± and lacked the bulk that¡¯s known to be found in a dragon type pok¨¦mon bursting with life energy.


    ¡°Yeah. Not even my own Dratini was this small when I caught her.¡± Daisy narrowed her eyes in suspicion and crossed her arms. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    ¡°A trade. For your information, we have chosen a Dratini amongst the herds we have cultivated back at our Den that was best suited for Luke Ketchum.¡± Clair huffed. ¡°It¡¯s quite a good deal, you know. We will not hold any offense toward you by willingly supplying you a pok¨¦mon that¡¯s been raised by our private method of breeding, and you get a pok¨¦mon that¡¯s fits for someone of your station, Luke Ketchum.¡±


    You know, she could try to be less opinionated since it would make it harder for me to believe that she intentionally had a hand in this. Or maybe the Grandmaster of the Dragon Den is being a jerk by sending me a small Dratini that only has one move to it¡¯s name. Yep, one move and despite Extreme Speed being super impressive, it still was the only thing it knew.


    Now I didn¡¯t really care. Clair¡¯s verbal and nonverbal insults aren¡¯t really worth getting mad over or dignifying an answer because of her wounded pride. In fact, this right here was par for the course when I imagined meeting the Dragon Tamer again. Getting reborn into this new life and I realize just how stupid and time-consuming childish spats were when you could be doing more productive things with your time.


    Like how I¡¯m basically shutting out the argument brewing the Oaks and Clair in regard to the pok¨¦mon being offered to me. Instead, I focused on the Dratini that had long since forwent puffing it¡¯s chest out to feebly catch their breath. During the conversation, I noticed that they were understanding our words and reacted quite badly to them. Each verbal blow seemed to shatter the poor thing¡¯s confidence with each mention of it not nearly living up to the ¡°average¡± standard that it¡¯s own species has been known for.


    Yet despite it looking to want nothing more than to curl up in on itself, the dragon type defiantly stayed upright and looked forward. It wasn¡¯t looking at me or anyone, but in the direction of the walls behind us as some moisture began to build up around its eyes.


    ¡­Huh. To be clear, I never really liked Dragonite¡¯s design. It seemed to goofy to me and I would only really capture a Dratini to raise up in-game just for the prestige of having a Pseudo-Legendary. I had wanted to capture the likes of a Beldum or a Gible as my first real life Pseudo-Legendary, but the odds of that happening are zilch what with Beldum being exceedingly rare in Hoenn, and Sinnoh had yet to even reach out and be ¡°discovered¡± yet.


    Despite my misgivings with the way the Dragonite looks and my slight disappointment with my personal plans dashed, I focused on what was truly important: Making this quivering little Dratini into the best natural disaster that it could possibly be!


    After all, I had fun training Tempest up, so this will be just as good. ¡°I¡¯ll take him.¡± My answer stilled the entire room as any arguments or heated words died upon my declaration.


    ¡°Wha-? But Luke, she¡¯s-!¡±


    ¡°Are you certain, Luke?¡±


    I appreciated Daisy and the professor¡¯s concern and willingness to stand up against the blatant insult, but I simply allowed my actions to speak for themselves. ¡°Hey, pal.¡± I laid the back of my hand on the coffee table in front of the Dratini.


    It cautiously slithered back before slowly looking up at me. ¡°I know that we¡¯re talking about a lot of complicated stuff that might have flown over your head, but I think it¡¯s fair if I ask if you really want to come with me.¡± The Dratini froze at my words before furiously nodding it¡¯s head. I chuckled but wouldn¡¯t immediately accept.


    I coughed into my other hand. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s great and all, but allow me to clarify.¡± I used my supine hand on the table to poke the dragon type¡¯s belly (sheesh did it feel bony, was it not eating properly?). ¡°Should you join my party, I will do everything within my power to train you to be the best. Not just the best in sheer strength, but the best you that you can be.¡±


    The Dratini tilted its head in confusion to which I sighed. ¡°Okay, so you¡¯ll get my meaning sooner or later, but the point is that I won¡¯t be slacking off when training you and I expect 100% maximum effort from you if seeking battle is truly what you want. Is it?¡± I received another bout of reckless nods that almost had the poor creature bang its head down against the table. It surprised me further by desperately crawling up my arms and snaking its way to wrap around the back of my neck.


    Huh. That was easier than expected. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take that as a yes. Though I¡¯ll ask you once more, are you su-!¡±


    The little guy pridefully crooned next to my ear and furiously nodded once more. Okay, I need to later figure out what this pok¨¦mon¡¯s been through¡­


    ¡°Well then welcome to the team, Dratini¡­¡± I chuckled and contemplated over a proper name for them. First, I have to figure out their gender.


    ¡°So, I take this to mean that you¡¯ll provide us with your end of the trade?¡± Clair clicked her tongue with distaste. She obviously didn¡¯t seem to like my nonchalance towards her subtle snubbing when presenting her side¡¯s ¡°lacking¡± offering to me to trade.


    More preoccupied with scratching the chin of Dratini (Hm, how about Ddraig for a name? Nah, it¡¯s not red enough for that), I chuckled. ¡°Sure, but I¡¯m not going to give up the data pertaining to Sylvie to you guys.¡±


    My stance on that front wouldn¡¯t change. After all, they may be up for not poking and prodding Sylvie and would instead like the current data on her, but I¡¯d like to hold some valuable intel for myself as a bargaining chip down the line. I would much prefer the likelihood of using the collected data for the possibility of using it when a certain Kalosian professor catches wind of it than giving it to the Blackthorn Clan to hoard for themselves until the confirmed data has been made public.


    ¡°Then this trade is null, and I request that you return the Dratini.¡± Clair sneered.


    I noticed the Dratini on my shoulders sadly lower its head as hope seemed to drain out of them. Sorry pal, but you¡¯re not going anywhere. I raised my finger and chuckled. ¡°Now hold on a minute. I may not be willing to part with the recent research made around Sylvie, but I am willing to supply you with a pok¨¦mon that I¡¯m sure that your clan will find to be as equal of a trade, otherwise.¡±


    Clair¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I do not have time to play your games, Luke Ketchum. Our terms have been explicitly clear and if you will not accept them, then that concludes the Blackthorn Clan¡¯s business with you.¡±


    ¡°True, but then if you don¡¯t at least hear me out, then that will conclude the business that you personally have with me, Clair.¡± I countered.


    ¡°You-! You would reject my challenge just for-!¡± Clair snarled.


    ¡°Pretty much, but only if you won¡¯t let me make my case for an alternative trade for you guys.¡± It was kind of a dick move, but mixing Clair¡¯s own personal wants with her responsibilities toward her clan was the perfect way to stop her from immediately shutting down my attempts to negotiate.


    ¡°¡­¡± Clair glowered fiercely at me for what seemed like minutes.


    Deciding to break the tension, I scratched my cheek. ¡°Is that a no or a-.¡±


    ¡°Make your point and be done with it.¡±


    ¡°Well, okay then.¡± I licked my lips and did my best to suppress a memory steeped with terror and rage as I pushed the words to come out of my lips as delicately as possible. ¡°So, Clair, how would you like to be the first modern Dragon Tamer to own, train, and breed a living Aerodactyl?¡±


    ¡°W-What?¡± Clair sputtered in disbelief.


    Okay, so I finally got a reaction that wasn¡¯t a growl, sneer, hiss, or curse from Clair. It was really refreshing to see the bluenette be genuinely flatfooted for a change. Daisy¡¯s reaction was far more reserved yet even she didn¡¯t see this coming while the professor¡¯s reaction was-


    ¡°LUKE, NOOOOOOOOOOOO!¡± Sheesh, I¡¯ve never heard a man sound so heartbroken.


    Well, looks like it¡¯ll be a challenge trying to get that accursed ultra ball from the basement with the professor trying to verbally and physically dissuade me from my decision.


    But to be truthful, I¡¯d say that the effort will be worth it.


    Now what¡¯s the perfect name for a Dratini?

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    It took me a whole hour trying to peel the professor off of me as I laid the scratched, dry blood stained ultra ball on the coffee table between us. Clair had been skeptical until I had proven that there was indeed an Aerodactyl in the pokeball through my pok¨¦dex examining it. It possessed an impressive 8 moves with an even more delightful ability of Rock Head.


    Still didn''t care for it. As long as it was out of my hands, and I can at least profit off of it. Now of course, I didn''t just straight up give it over to the Dragon Tamer. My blunt presentation was to capture her full attention, and I certainly had it now with how laser focused her eyes were when trained solely on the ultra ball. Plain desire was writ in the once haughty blunette, and I ensured to make use out of it.


    My terms for the trade were as followed: The first 4 eggs out of the first clutch sired by the pok¨¦mon would be given to me when the Blackthorns eventually get to taming and giving it a proper flock of Ditto to breed with it. Dittos were a godsend in the pok¨¦mon world as the modern-day miracle cure for providing stem cells for human and pok¨¦mon alike and same species breeding for pok¨¦mon.


    Chanseys and Blisseys were already a powerhouse in this world''s medical field, and Dittos proved to only signify how brokenly efficient this world''s medical field was in comparison to my own. Plus, don''t even get me started on the free Healthcare system provided for humans and pok¨¦mon alike.


    Begrudgingly, Clair accepted these terms. Couldn''t get all defensive about clan secrets getting leaked when the pok¨¦mon that''s sired is still an unhatched egg. I also added that the three eggs had to be from the Aerodactyl species because I didn''t want to take any chances to get screwed over.


    Clair was pissed at the insinuation that they wouldn''t uphold their end of the deal. Their hurt pride didn''t concern me, I''ve known people to pull stupid crap over such sentiments out of pettiness. After all, the Dratini that barely weighed enough to discomfort my neck was proof of the extent of my good will toward them.


    My request did manage to mollify the professor somewhat. Yeah, part of my agreement when having the professor as my sponsor was that he was given free liberty to study and examine any pok¨¦mon that caught. The depths to how extensively he could study them had to be run by me first. I gave him the go ahead to study the cursed Aerodactyl, which made things difficult. Even more so when I didn''t bother to help mollify the creature myself for him to study.


    I had made my case explicitly clear that I didn''t want to associate with it until I had found a beneficial way to make use of it. The professor was a busy man, and so he couldn''t put the time and energy to tame the wild beast beyond simply feeding it and giving it the barest of basic care whenever it started acting batshit wild as you''d expect of a prehistoric pok¨¦mon. It was supposed to be my job and since I didn''t want to do it, the professor had to basically have one of his old pok¨¦mon restrain the flying-rock type until he got the results he needed for his research.


    It still wasn''t enough mind you, but I had to give the professor props. Despite not taming the beast, he somehow managed to eke out a miracle with his hired Breeder, Mrs. Mary, and get an egg from the concerningly feral pok¨¦mon. Yeah, it was one egg, but to do that with an untrained and untamed Aerodactyl was spectacularly astonishing.


    That''s why I decided to get an extra Aerodactyl egg for him and personally save the remaining three eggs for later use. Aerodactyl wasn''t on my list of pok¨¦mon that I want to capture, and this wasn''t because of the damned one that almost ripped me apart. I genuinely didn''t think of capturing and training anyone from its species.


    I sure as hell didn''t want anything to do with the one that I caught, but any other Aerodactyl wouldn''t interest me. The well had already been poisoned and my interest was next to zero. In the end, it''s a win-win, the prehistoric pok¨¦mon gets to be in an environment that it will enjoy and thrive in rather than stay in it''s ultra ball all day until it had to be fed, allowed to use the bathroom, and beaten to submission in order to return it. A small part of me was saddened to realize that I''ll never get to hear the casual remarks of how Prof. Oak''s Alakazam or Dragonite''s brutally roughhoused the creature whenever it gets too ornery now.


    Yet that bit of dark schadenfreude was the exact motivator for me to give it away and not even consider training it. Believe me, taking my anger, sadness, and fear out on it did sound tempting but it wasn''t healthy especially against a pok¨¦mon that could no longer pose a threat to me, my pok¨¦mon, Ash, and mom.


    Such thoughts were best directed at more suitable targets.


    Hell, one of the best things I could scrounge out from even encountering the thing was the fact that it had pushed Asch to finally evolve into a Charizard.


    ¡­The irony was not lost on me, I assure you.


    My hands were now washed of the prehistoric pok¨¦mon. I prayed that I would never have to encounter it again, but my chances of that happening were low if Clair was to be given permission to claim it from her elders to train while they made the arrangements to bolster its species'' number. It was a little off putting to see her act so desiring over the pok¨¦mon, but I guess having one over Lance would do that.


    Still, it didn''t stop her from giving me this weird look and asking the obvious question, "Why? Why are you just giving this pok¨¦mon away? It''s a stroke of a luck to have even chanced upon it, much less capture it and yet you didn''t even bother to tap into the potential it held. So, what sort of game are you playing at, Luke Ketchum?"


    It was a fair question to ask. "If you really want the answer to that, then you''ll have to accept me adding another term to our trade." But I wasn''t in a charitable mood to answer that while she held the ultra ball stained in my blood.


    "Fine. Keep your secrets." With a flourish of her cape, Clair made to leave the room. "Professor Samuel Oak, I will be making use of your facilities to ascertain the Aerodactyl''s health and the full extent of what we will have to work with when taming it. Afterward, I will contact the Grandmaster of the news for this trade before returning to settle things with you, Luke Ketchum."


    The professor tiredly scratched his cheek as the blunette rudely stormed out of the room. "*Sigh!* The things I do to be a good host." To be fair, she''s been a crummy guest, professor, so don''t take it too bad. "I suppose your father and mother will have to wait, Daisy. I''ll be sure to¡­return home to rest after¡­ensuring Clair and that magnificent specimen of an Aerodactyl''s business is over."


    "You''re getting another Aerodactyl egg, professor." I rolled my eyes. "Make do with the one you got until the other four are brought over." I still have to think about what I should do with the other three. Hopefully by the time they come in, I''ll have something worth trading them for.


    "¡­I know." Then stop pouting professor, you''re supposed to be the adult here.


    "Just be sure not to forget and come back home to rest. Otherwise, I''ll have mom come over and drag you back herself."


    "Yes¡­yes¡­ I''ll contact you kids when things are done." We waved each other goodbye and went our separate ways. I honestly didn''t envy the professor. Having to deal with that raging beast¡­and the Aerodactyl at the same time on one of his open fields.


    ¡­Okay that was a little mean to Clair, but still the professor seriously needs a break.


    And I needed to get on with making that video call that I promised to make. The other recipient had managed to respond to my e-mail this morning and had set some time aside to speak with me. I couldn''t just leave them high and dry after they must have put aside time from their busy schedule for me.


    Luckily, the time that I set for the meeting was 45 minutes away from now. Plenty of time to make it back home and set up my computer for the chat.


    A loud growling emanated from around my neck as I could visibly feel the vibrating stomach of my newly acquired Dratini draped across my shoulders. The poor thing froze when it noticed that I noticed it''s hunger before trying to steel itself to look tough. It''s flipping adorable the way that it tries to carry itself regally.


    "Hey, bud. You hungry?" I asked as the Dratini jumped upon getting found out and vigorously shook their head. "Yeah, you''re hungry. Don''t worry, I''ll get something to put in ya soon." Also, I needed a name for you.


    I turned to Daisy, who unsurprisingly joined me on my walk to the lab''s front entrance. "Hey, you wouldn''t happen to have any extra leftover pok¨¦food for your Dratini before it evolved, would you? I''ll pay you back for-."


    "Don''t." Daisy shook her head and slowly approached me. Her gaze softened at the small Dratini on my neck as she gently rubbed her fingers under their neck. Dratini at first leant into the touch but again steeled themselves to remain regal and steadfast. "I''ll just nab some of the base dragon pok¨¦food from the breeders then swing around your place to give it to you. Then I''ll message you the type of diet that I had my Dragonair on and leave it to you and see what clicks with this little guy."


    It probably won''t. Pok¨¦mon from the same species weren''t similar on an individual level.


    "Thanks, Daisy." I smiled.


    She rolled her eyes. "Again, Luke don''t. I wouldn''t be able to look at myself in the mirror if I didn''t help a clearly malnourished Dratini. That you willingly traded a naturally living Aerodactyl for."


    I sighed. "So, you disagree with my choice?"


    "Heavens no." Daisy shook her head as she gave my new Dratini a nice rub to the head just to emphasize her point. "I just disagree with how swift you were to just hand Aerodactyl over despite the blatant disrespect slung at you."


    I shrugged. "Meh, it doesn''t really bother me."


    Pinching the bridge of her nose, Daisy groaned. "Well, it should. They came over hoping to make a trade with you as equals and decided to drop something less than what their seeking to gain at your feet."


    I blinked at her then tilted my head. "And?"


    She sharply breathed in and pointedly jabbed her finger at my chest. "And you not only accepted it without question, but also gave them something more valuable as an alternative."


    "Pretty much."


    "So why?"


    "Would giving them the research data on Sylvie have been better?" I asked.


    Daisy frowned and shook her head. "No, but you escalated and basically gave them a rare wild prehistoric pok¨¦mon that''s still to this day is impossible to revive with the works of our current day''s geniuses." Well, Mr. Blaine says that the creation of the resurrection machine was still underway despite the snail''s paced engineering put forth in even creating a device meant to restore and clone a long dead pok¨¦mon species.


    Not to mention the particular issue of reviving a sterile pok¨¦mon as a result of using the machine.


    I crossed my arms. "I''m still getting 4 Aerodactyl eggs, so there''s nothing I''m missing out from by making the deal."


    "Yeah, but it still doesn''t change the fact that you conceded way too easily after the Blackthorn Clan basically spat in your face when they offered the trade."


    I raised a finger at her. "Ah, you mean when Clair made the trade in their stead."


    Daisy looked oddly at me as some realization dawned on her. "Are you saying that she''s-?"


    "Who knows." After all, I have no clue what the Blackthorn Clan thinks of me as a whole besides wanting what I have. In the end, I just don''t think I want to get too entrenched in their inner workings. "Either way, I''m more than satisfied with what I got."


    Sighing in defeat, Daisy shook her head. "Fine, if that''s how you really feel then I''ll drop it. It''s not like this is the first time you put way too much on a table for a pok¨¦mon."


    "True, so true." I chuckled as I remembered that very same day where that peddler from Vermillion City was trying to sell and talk up the legendary exploits and skills of your run of the mill Magikarp. This was all in the Farmer''s Market, I might add where there were loads of other Magikarp being sold for just under 25 pok¨¦dollars a piece.


    And here this sleazy guy was selling a Magikarp for 400 pok¨¦dollars. Seeing the challenge, I paid 3,500 pok¨¦dollars for it and happily trained the Magikarp to be the best Sea Monster that he could be. Now I basically paid a third of my funds and back then and even in my old life I was a real stingy guy. So, losing that much money physically hurt me.


    Except that''s the point.


    When I capture and train pok¨¦mon, I never see my choices as the wrong picks when situations say otherwise. No, I make investments. Its sort of like purchasing an item with a set amount of money because you feel the price was well worth it. Purchasing Tempest from the Vendor was exactly that, I was getting my money''s worth out of that purchase by heightening Tempest''s value through making him the best.


    Yeah, it''s a super weird way to motivate myself, but it was crucial since at the time I lacked a water type pok¨¦mon amongst my team and since then Tempest has played an integral part in my latter half of Gym Circuit battles.


    Dratini would be no different. The only contrast I could find was that the method of gaining Dratini meant me giving away a pok¨¦mon that I never wanted to interact with or do generally anything with. The only satisfaction that I could gain from Dratini was the fact that I could train the little guy up to be a beast that''ll have the Blackthorn Clan regret ever offering up a weak Dratini to me.


    Clair seems to be the perfect target to showcase how my methods could outclass the Blackthorn Clan''s own draconic methods, but if I really wanted to make a poignant statement then there was always another who I could¡­


    ¡­Nah. That''s for the future to decide, and right now I had more important things to do. Like finding the perfect nickname for this little guy.


    Making it out the front door, I snatched a blade of leaf and would have began singing the song to call Epona over, but Daisy had something to ask.


    "Wait, before we part ways, you looked like you wanted to ask me something before the meeting." Oh, right it almost slipped my mind.


    "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to Xanadu Nursery one of these days." I offered. "I''ve been looking to see if I can purchase some materials there that can be useful later down the road, and I figure that having some company would be nice."


    "Eh¡­? Oh! You''re serious." Daisy looked disbelieving at first before really looking at me for any deception. When she couldn''t find any disingenuity, she blinked and smiled. "Sure, I''d love to, Luke!"


    "Hold on, what was all of that just now?" I narrowed my eyes.


    "Nothing, I-I thought you were joking for a moment there considering how much of a lazy bum you''ve been lately. So, it surprised me to see you actually be somewhat active again." Don''t look so relieved when saying that to my face. "So, when are we planning to go?"


    You know I was willing to drop my earlier inclusion of those two but now¡­


    "After I make sure this little guy gets situated." I patted Dratini''s head for good measure. "Just be sure that Gary''s ready for when Ash and I come around to pick you guys up."


    "W-What?" Daisy sputtered.


    "Yeah, I figured having those two along will be nice to have with us. After all it has been a while since Ash has visited the place, and I''m sure that Gary wouldn''t mind seeing all of the Grass pok¨¦mon there."


    I chuckled. "More''s the merrier as they say."


    "Of course, Luke¡­" Daisy''s smile now had a bit more teeth to it as she forced out the words, "More is definitely the merrier, a wise saying indeed."


    I smirked. "Sure is." I picked up the blade of grass to my lips and regarded my childhood friend. "So, I''ll see you later or soon when you come over to drop off the poke-?" I was knocked off my feet as Daisy immediately threw out her Arcanine''s pok¨¦ball, mounted it, and took off in an explosive blur of wind. "-food?"


    I blinked as I laid on the ground and adjusted my eyes upwards to spot my new Dratini looking back and forth between me and the direction that Daisy and Valentine the Arcanine went in.


    "Girls, am I right?" The slow nod they gave me did confirm their gender for me. Wait, no it really didn''t. "Wait, so no offence, but does that mean that you''re a girl or a boy since-." Dratini thwacked their tail against my face for that.


    And that was how I learned that I was now officially raising a male Dratini.


    Which made coming up with a nickname for them easy.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "Remember to breathe, Fafnir." I typed away at my laptop as the frenzied chewing and snuffling of my new Dratini ate through their third bowl of pok¨¦food like a maniac. I had arrived home on Epona in just under 10 minutes with Dratini in tow and had taken in the pok¨¦food that Daisy brought over. She didn''t want to stay over due to being miffed from earlier.


    Which was silly since I''m officially 50/50 on either bringing our little brothers along to the Xanadu Nursery with us or not. I''ll probably just leave which I''ll choose depending on whether she states Gary was interested or not.


    Right now, I was sitting on the old rickety picnic table at our backyard, it''s pretty much spacious enough to hold a full party of my pok¨¦mon, but for now the only ones that I had on hand were Asch, Sparrow, Sylvie, Epona (well, her pokeball, my little racer is running about the outskirts of Pallet Town), and Fafnir.


    By the way, I gave Dratini the name Fafnir.


    The little guy didn''t seem to care much for it though when the prospect of filling his belly proved to be of much greater importance. He snuffled, chewed, gulped, and slavered over the pok¨¦food as if it would be stolen from him if he led up just a little. The panicked glances to the sides and the way he seemed to freeze momentarily when he spotted Asch curiously loom over him from behind before rushing to finish his second bowl of pok¨¦food.


    Then he disappeared in the blink of an eye for a moment before crashing into a nearby tree. Now I can see where the little thing had learned Extreme Speed, but the possible context behind that and his fearful reaction to Asch whenever he ate didn''t sit well with me.


    Thankfully, my starter was kind enough to bring the third bowl of pok¨¦food over to him after I poured it. Fafnir was extremely hesitant and even shakily bowed their head, expecting to get¡­hit. Yet, when Asch simply pushed the bowl over to the small dragon type, they changed their priority from cowering to slowly chewing their meal. They kept stealing glances at Asch from my side as they kept eating.


    A smile from Starter did alleviate the dragon type''s anxiety enough for them to steadily build up to frenzied way that it ate.


    And that is how things currently caught to the way they are now.


    Asch tilted his head at the starved noodle of a dragon then regarded me with a raised scaly brow.


    "I have no clue, pal, but I assure that I''m going to answers soon." I scratched one of Fafnir''s three-pronged ear fins. The dragon type was still too busy relishing the meal to notice. "Seriously, bud, what have you been through?"


    Hopefully I can get some answers from Mrs. Petaline. She was an inhabitant of Blackthorn City and must have some crumb of knowledge regarding the dragon types there.


    Starting the video chat on my computer, I adjusted my camera and way of seating to best present myself. The other line was on and instead of another face looking at me, I was met with the blank anonymous image that indicates the other person''s camera was off. It would have been worrying had I not been aware of who was on the other end and the fact that their name and title were under their own screen.


    "Question #1: How many kinds of Fire-type Pok¨¦mon are there in the current pok¨¦dex logged in for the Kanto region?" A familiar gruff voice exclaimed through my computer''s speakers.


    Ah, so we''re doing this then. Well, this''ll be fun. "Is this counting evolutions as their own individual pok¨¦mon or a single fire type pok¨¦mon and their evolutionary line altogether?"


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "How many species of Fire-type Pok¨¦mon are there in the current pok¨¦dex logged in for the Kanto region?" Okay so that either meant either answer is correct or both of them.


    But just to play it safe. "Currently there are 13 fire type pok¨¦mon officially logged in the pok¨¦dex if each and all of their evolutionary stages are accounted for. However, if the single pok¨¦mon''s evolutionary line counts as one then it''s a grand total of 7."


    "Correct!"


    I chuckled as I felt Asch pat me on the back. "Hehehe, thanks pal."


    "Next question! Question #2: Which ability allows a pok¨¦mon to suffer no damage from status effects such as status ailments like burn, weather damage, and entry hazards?"


    "Magic Guard." My smile momentarily dropped while Asch lightly growled as his mood slightly fell with my own. It was hard not to forget that her Kadabra and ace Alakazam possessed the same damned ability during that farce of a Gym battle.


    "Correct! Final Question: Which move is the only non-fire type move able to burn a fire type pok¨¦mon?"


    "Tri Attack." I had taught Sparrow that move to deepen out his move pool.


    "And ding! Ding! Ding! Congratulations, young man! You''ve answered all questions correctly and your prize-!" The other camera on the line flickered on to reveal the grinning mustached face of Cinnibar Island''s very own gym leader, Blaine White. "A conversation with an old fossil that should have long since burnt ages ago. Gahahahahahaha!"


    I laughed with him and wiped a tear out of my eye. "Thanks for the pop-quiz, sir."


    "Bah! You''re one of the strange few who enjoy doing ''em, lad. Feh, none of the other brats your age never seems to understand the importance of keeping their recent pok¨¦mon know-how up to date." Which was true since Mr. Blaine''s Gym difficulty lay in his Quiz Challenge just as much as his battles. If you couldn''t even answer 3 out 5 of his Advanced questions right, then he outright refuses to accept your challenge.


    Before heading to Viridian City for my last gym badge, I had to practically tutor Joey over night when his first crack at challenging the Gym resulted in him getting kicked out for getting 1 out 5 of the questions correct.


    Still, the questions were fun for an old pok¨¦mon geek like me to answer.


    "And what have I said about calling me "sir"? Refer to me as Blaine, got it? You''ve at least earned that much."


    "Heh, okay, Mr. Blaine." He didn''t seem to like me adding that "Mr." part to it, but conceded, nonetheless.


    "So, if you don''t mind me being a nosy little pikachu, what brought on this last-minute call, lad? You finally change your mind about taking up my offer?" With an overexaggerated rub to his chin, Blaine grinned.


    "No." I was blunt and forthright with my answer, and Mr. Blaine always appreciated such straightforwardness from others. Through the old man''s raucous laughter at getting rejected, I continued. "I appreciate the opportunity, but I prefer my current accommodations with Prof. Oak more than the arrangements that you may give me if I became a gym trainer for you."


    "Hah! Can''t say that I''ve tried! Although it''s a damn shame that I couldn''t snatch a bright kid away from that old little Oak tree while I could. The look on his face would have been priceless! Gahahaha!" Mr. Blaine, old college rival and former Elite Four member to Prof. Samuel Oak during the professor''s tenure as Indigo League Champion, guffawed.


    "Looks like I won''t be enjoying the idea of retirement anytime soon!"


    "Oh, come off it, Mr. Blaine. You''re still plenty spry enough to jump off your gym''s roof and climb active volcanoes." Seriously, the stuff that humans are capable of doing in this world despite even old age slowing you down was absurd.


    "Bah! You only say that because you''re young. Old folks like me, we grow and see just what''s worth placing most of our remaining time and energy into. Unlike a certain old crone, I don''t mind relinquishing power off to the next generation when my time in sun has come to an end." Blaine grimaced at the mention of someone else, who was no doubt, Agatha.


    "Particularly you, lad. You seemed like quite the perfect candidate as my successor. The care and work that you''ve placed in that Charizard and Rapidash of yours was practically my last hope for this last gym circuit. I could just see kindling flame within you begin to roar, and while in your first gym circuit at that too. I would have been a fool not to see you as my first ticket to pass on my duty and fully retire into my scientific exploits."


    "Flattering, but no cigar." I shook my head. "While tempting, I''d much rather remain a Generalist trainer than go into a specialty." I preferred being a Jack-of-all kind of trainer. Having different types of pok¨¦mon was a challenge to train and care for if you were an unsponsored trainer going on their own with no stabling rights.


    Which is why I worked hard to have Prof. Oak backing me up since he can actually provide advice due to once being a Generalist trainer/champion himself, and because he''s actively working with his own lab staff and breeders with the care and raising of my own pok¨¦mon when they''re transferred back to him.


    Blaine shook his head and deeply grunted. "A true pity, and here you showed such an unbelievable aptitude for fire-types, but it is what it is. Hopefully that old Oak tree can find a way to help you hone that inner aptitude of yours before it goes to waste untouched."


    "Huh?" I didn''t miss the way that Mr. Blaine''s eyes gleamed behind his sunglasses.


    "It''s nothing. Hopefully, Oak will elaborate when it''s time like with that granddaughter of his." Blaine huffed with a knowing smirk.


    "Okay, I don''t follow. What do you mean, Mr. Blaine?" I pressed, hoping for an answer.


    "If you truly wish to know, I have an open slot for a trainer down at the gym in Cinnabar for active training this coming summer." Blaine knowingly coughed into his hand.


    "Yeah, no, I''m good, sir." Besides, I''m probably going to get wrangled into helping Prof. Oak with his upcoming Summer Camp this year. Newly sponsored trainers for the past Gym Circuit at least had that in their agreement when being sponsored by the professor. Thankfully, its required that you attend it once and you''re given free reign to do it again as many times as you want.


    "Worth a try, I''m sure that Magmar would have loved to order that Charizard of yours around after losing to it." Blaine shrugged.


    Asch challengingly growled at the computer to which Mr. Blaine playfully grinned back.


    "I mean, he could try." I tauntingly smirked at the bald man.


    "Again, truly a damn shame for both Magmar and I¡­" Then immediately the passionate grin that the old man wore fell to deep, heartfelt frown. "But my offer and jokes aside, Luke." I nodded. "Do not hesitate to ask for my help should you need it. You''ve already gone above and beyond to help rectify the mistakes that old men like us shouldn''t have let burden youngsters like you in the first place."


    Ah, he was talking about that whole fiasco.


    "I didn''t really do anything special." I solemnly answered. After all, it''s basically a trainer''s prerogative to do battle and it''s basically my sole objective to ensure my family''s safety. The two directives simply mixed and I was in the wrong place at the right time. There''s no need to make things grander than they need to be.


    After all, I only reassured the safety of me and my own. Everyone else, including the region was secondary to that.


    "Though I''d love to remiss that and say you''re underselling yourself, I see little reason to sway your mind when the deed you''ve done has more than rectified the glaring issues that were at hand." Blaine nodded.


    If he says so¡­


    I looked at my empty right hand. No scars, burns or anything marred the skin of my flesh. The only thing that had given it any form of weight was the promise made with it along with the alien-like sensation of synth-like skin firmly grasping upon it.


    The promise.


    I looked to Asch, who met my determined gaze with one more fiery that it felt like he''d burst into a pyre of unrestrained passion on the spot. We nodded at each other as the self-same thought since that faithful, bloody day at the Viridian Gym.


    Again, we would emerge victorious.


    And this time there would be no interruptions. No machinery to hold back our opponent. No shady nonsense pulled in the background by a just as equally shady bastard. And NO existential angst drawing their attention away from the fight.


    We were going to grab victory from a clear-cut battle and prove to both us and them that we had earned it.


    "Thanks, sir¡­" Sighing and hoping to shift the focus of the subject off from me, I gave my gratitude.


    "Ahem!" Blaine loudly coughed.


    I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "Thank you, Mr. Blaine."


    "Hmph, you''re welcome, lad. I''m sure that fool Fuji would say the same if he were still¡­*SIGH!* Who am I kidding¡­? He probably wouldn''t have cared¡­" The old man bitterly spat out.


    Mentioning that guy always seemed to be a sore topic with Mr. Blaine. Not that I could blame him after he told me of his former friend''s downward spiral of a life when I had confronted him about what I had learned (and from my meta-knowledge) after my "Gym Battle" at Viridian City.


    "So¡­" I clicked my tongue. "Any change in the forecasts between Cinnabar Island and the Orange Archipelago as of lately?"


    "None whatsoever. I''ve been keeping an eye out like you suggested lad, but the best I can give you is a couple of reports of a couple of listing ships with whole crews having gotten their memories erased and their charters wiped clean when investigations from Cinnabar Island and Hamlin Island ports." Blaine explained.


    Weird, but it is a telling sign that things might not completely be going the way of the first Movie, or it could simply just be that things are in their early phase before it could truly begin to escalate.


    "No, it''s fine. That''s clearly more than enough. Thanks again, Mr. Blaine." I guess we can put that heavy conversation to rest now. Especially since the urge to get back to serious training was starting to well up in me again. But no, we needed this well-earned pause of relaxation after pushing ourselves too far in the last circuit.


    Asch snorting in my face and rubbed his snout to my side, which indicated that he felt just as restless as me.


    "I know, pal. After a bit more rest, we''ll get straight back into the groove of things in no time." I promised and like always, my Starter acquiesced with my decision with no trouble. After all, if he really had wanted me to unpause our break, then I would surely do so in a heart beat since this break was a decision made by the two of us.


    Now if only Macaque was so easily swayed to agree with us. Man, I really have to figure out what that guy''s been up to recently¡­


    "Now Mr. Blaine, I actually wanted to call you for two other things before we got sidetracked." I coughed.


    "Fire away, lad." I had to visibly hold in the urge to groan at that pun. That shit-eating grin of his was not helping either.


    "I was just wondering if you''d tried that thing with your Magmar." I winced as the professor''s gaze through those sunglasses of his seemed to bore into me.


    "You mean having my Magmar continually submerge himself in the depths of one of our island''s live volcanoes for days on end?" His mustache twitched.


    "Y-Yes?" I awkwardly smiled.


    "No." Sheesh, that was way too blunt than I was expecting. "Because lad while I would love the prospect of potentially evolving my old friend and asset during my days in the war and the studying the effects of how it could come to be, I am the Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island first before my occupation as a researcher."


    He pulled down his shades and seriously regarded me with a look. "Having my Magmar continually interact with, gather, and sustain the magma energies of an already volatile volcano that''s still to this day is a danger to our island''s population and eco-system for days on end would be peak foolishness."


    I scratched my cheek as memories of Cinnabar Island''s fate from the Gold/Silver/HeartGold/SoulSilver games came to mind. "Yeah, I guess that would make sense."


    "It should, and though it pains me to deny myself such an opportunity, I can''t endanger the lives of those in my jurisdiction just to prove your hypothesis right." Which is completely understandable.


    "No, I get it, Mr. Blaine." I rubbed my chin. "But¡­if you were to find another Volcano that''s not on an island populated by pok¨¦mon and human alike¡­"


    "Then I''ll gladly test it out. Until then, I can''t test it out and deal with the collateral like you with that Electivire of yours." Mr. Blaine huffed in good nature.


    "O-Oh, so you''ve gotten around to proof-reading my Research Journal about that." I scratched the back of my head. So, when I had managed to get Thor to evolve, Prof. Oak was super excited to hear the lengths that I went through to "discover" the new extra stage in evolution for my Electabuzz. He was even more ecstatic when I offered to make a Research paper about it. My past knowledge as a Health Science major did smoothen the process a bit, but I relied on the professor to teach me how different things were over here in comparison to my old life. The process went as smoothly as I had hoped with my past life''s experience with crafting qualitative and quantitative research.


    So, when the professor had finally seen the lengths that I had gone through to ensure that Thor could evolve, I was given the loudest scolding I''ve ever heard from the man. To this day, I absolutely agree that I sort of deserved it though. I mean, having Tempest and Thor use Rain Dance for seven days straight while continually building up Thunder before having all of the lightning strike at Thor while being so up close to witness it all sounded stupid as hell on paper. No manner of scientific terms or jargon could ever hope to hide that bit of idiotic context. Still, I had calculated that the amount of electricity pumped into Electivire was enough to power a whole city the size of Saffron City.


    And to remind you, Saffron City is the Kanto region''s largest city and was stated to be based off Tokyo. So, yeah, that was a lot of electricity that my pok¨¦mon now had to play with.


    Prof. Oak had recommended that he hand the research paper to a couple of his peers to peer-review, and Mr. Blaine was one of them.


    "My boy¡­ You''ve given me the benefit of the doubt that you aren''t like those other reckless brats that don''t give a second''s thought before pulling nonsensical shit that could get them killed. All I ask is that you ere on the side of caution next time. It won''t do for your well-earned discoveries to follow you to the grave before anyone could bear witness to it."


    That''s fair. "Yes, sir."


    "Good." Huh, it was that serious that he didn''t even correct my use of "sir" this time. "Now it''s a good thing that this research report of yours has yet to be released to the public. I hate to even think of what that bombastic fool Surge would do with this information."


    "I mean, I don''t think Surge would be THAT bad if he knew." I had to give the loud Vermillion Gym leader the benefit of the doubt.


    "Son¡­" Huh, I didn''t think it was possible a 60 year old man like Mr. Blaine to age even further with all the wrinkles showing up on his face. "If you''d only know the things that man did to earn the rank he did, then you would not be saying any of that."


    I watched the old man pinch the bridge of his nose as if a migraine had hit him. Well, technically the thought of Surge did, but¡­you get my point.


    "I''ll take your word for it, Mr. Blaine." I nervously chuckled.


    "Please do." He groaned.


    From there, I had asked him about the reason why I called him: the progress of the Exeggcute and Exeggutor project that I supplied to him out of curiosity after the Viridian Gym incident. He seemed interested in seeing whether my hypothesis regarding the strong sunlight of Cinnabar would have on them in comparison to a specially made greenhouse that he made which produced intense UV rays.


    He had said that Cinnabar''s UV index was about 6 during the winter and 10 during the summer. The greenhouse garden made for the other sample group was placed under the UV rays set to the UV index of 12. Right now, we''re seeing if the UV rays will influence the growth of the stunted trunks of the Exeggutor species.


    So far, there''s been some growth with the pok¨¦mon, but not by much. However, the pre-evolution of Exeggcute have been growing far more aggressive as of late when under the harsh UV rays. This was hopefully a telling sign that Dragon-typing nature within the pok¨¦mon was starting to awaken like their Alolan cousins.


    I thanked Mr. Blaine yet again and decided to ask him out of curiosity if he currently had any Cyndaquil on hand. Thankfully for me he did, as he owns a Typhlosion that had just laid a recent clutch of eggs. I didn''t venture forward beyond that query since I had to weigh whether I should use the remaining Aerodactyl eggs that I''ll get to trade for one.


    So, I kept my dealing with Clair and the Blackthorn Clan on the hush-hush for now.


    Plus, I have to make sure and consider if Ash would even want one as Starter before going through with it.


    We then said our goodbyes over the video call, and I was left with just Asch and Fafnir, who were currently groaning in pain on the bench table with soccer ball sized bloated stomach.


    "So¡­you enjoyed yourself, Faffy?" I smirked.


    Fafnir crooned in unbelievable pain.


    I laughed as Asch snorted at the comical display of the newest member of our team. "Yeah, I pretty much figure, bud. C''mon, let''s lay you down to rest before I head out again." I carried the lethargic pok¨¦mon inside and made him a temporary bed with some leftover sheets, blankets and one of my pillows. He''s stay with me until he''s in a stable and healthy condition and is able to grow comfortable around bigger pok¨¦mon like Asch.


    I don''t think I''ll be comfortable leaving him at the Sanctuary the way he is now. Asch was the better choice with this sort of thing as he was the one responsible for naturally integrating new pok¨¦mon into our growing team so seamlessly.


    "I''ll be leaving him in your care, pal." I saluted my starter, who flexed his blazing tail over his shoulder to salute me back. Leaving the house, I waved goodbye to my resting starter and the conked out Dratini as I took a stroll over to Pallet Town''s one and only Pok¨¦mon Center.


    I chose not to call Epona so she could enjoy her run without another interruption breaking her stride. The walk took approximately 15 minutes, so it wasn''t too bad despite how hot the afternoon sun was.


    Out of all the buildings in Pallet, the center was the only one that didn''t look as rural or as old as the others. This was in part to them having to follow the regulations given to them by the Pok¨¦mon League so that their medical equipment, security, and the building''s integrity were up to date with the others.


    Now I''m not going to get into the specifics of what the pok¨¦mon center is and what they necessarily do. It''s already self-explanatory, I''m just here to check on the health of that Mother Ursaring and baby Teddiursa pair that I caught the other day.


    Entering through the sliding doors, I made a beeline for the receptionist desk. There were a few people in the lobby but most of them seemed to be your usual crowd of youngsters or the stray adult or two who hailed from Pallet Town. Seems to be a slow day today, which is good as it''s less stress for the staff.


    Not that the available at the front desk seemed to be particularly busy right now.


    "Hi, Garnet." I waved to my old classmate.


    "Ah, Luke. What brings you here?" I was greeted with the familiar face of a Nurse Joy except this one wasn''t as mature nor brightly smiling as the others that manned their respective Pok¨¦mon Centers. This one was exactly my age and despite the heavy resemblance that she had to the Nurse Joy of this area, her expression was quite subdued, and she was dressed in all black.


    She was the only daughter to the Nurse Joy of Pallet Town, the very same Nurse Joy that was there to help my mother give birth to me and Ash.


    "Oh, I''m just here to check on the status of two pok¨¦mon I had recently caught." I smiled. "How are you and Chansey doing?"


    "Adequately well. Thanks for asking." Short and to the point as always, classic Garnet. She was already tapping on the keyboard, searching the logs to confirm my request. "There we go. Daisy did call mom and dad to inform us of the mass captures of Gravelers that you made the other day. Just to inform you, we''ve already concluded their treatment, struck them off your record as part of your retinue of captured pok¨¦mon with the League, and had transferred them over to Ranger Gabe and Rachel to return them to their habitat."


    I nodded. "Thanks for the update." Not that I had any reason to worry. Mr. Gabe and Rachel were always competent and took their jobs of protecting the local habitats seriously.


    "Also, I have to inform you that we are not liable to repay or replace any pok¨¦balls that were used for the mass capturing. As an independent trainer who voluntarily supported the local Rangers with their duty, you have to take any grievances of repayment with them." Garnet tiredly droned on by force of habit.


    "No, I''m good. I probably have too many pok¨¦balls at home to spare." There were approximately 50 pok¨¦balls left with 5 ultra balls and 15 great balls. "But sheesh do you really get that many trainers who ask for-?"


    "If it''s not that then it''s something else that they can''t bother to realize is beyond what our already accommodating services can provide." Garnet groaned and returned to typing on the up-to-date computer. "Honestly, we''re a hospital that provides human and pok¨¦mon care, not a price free pok¨¦mart."


    Right, must be a touchy subject. Better to just move on, "So about the one Ursaring and Teddiursa that I requested to be left as my personal captures?"


    "Pulling it up right now and¡­" With one click, she hummed to herself and nodded. "Come back in two days to receive the Teddiursa. We''ll contact you when the worst of the poor thing''s damage has been healed."


    I winced. "It''s that bad?" And she didn''t even mention the mother Ursaring, so her condition was bound to be worse than the Teddiursa''s.


    "Yeah, it is." Garnet rolled her eyes and drawled out. "Mom wrote here that the poor guy experienced severe second-degree burns, a bruised rib, head trauma, and a broken bone. Damage at such a young age would have been disastrously fatal and had you not urgently transferred him back the way that you did, we wouldn''t have been able to save him in time."


    I sighed in relief. "Thank goodness." Nature really was cruel especially for the weak and unassuming pok¨¦mon that were either preyed on or innocently brought into the skirmishes of others. "But what about the Ursaring? Is she-?"


    "She''ll require more extensive care. The estimated time of recovery after a single day is still undecided. Her injuries are concerningly more severe due to all the damage and strain placed on her especially after the effects of her Guts ability fell through." Yeah, I can kind of see how all of that adrenaline running out after tanking multiple Stone Edges and Self-Destructs to the face could be a severe detriment to her life.


    "Don''t worry." She reassured me. "She''ll live, but don''t expect as quick of a recovery as say¡­" Garnet tapped her finger against her chin before shrugging. "A week or two."


    Wow, that''s long. Still, if it meant a proper time for the Ursaring to rest then I''m all for it.


    "But besides that, I''m curious Luke. How are you going to handle those two when they recover?" She most definitely meant the mother Ursaring more than the baby Teddiursa.


    I folded my arms behind my head. "I don''t really have a clear cut plan yet, but if it''s possible I''d like to talk things out and see how things go."


    "¡­Th-That''s¡­" Garnet looked skeptical before sighing and shaking her head. "That sounds the least likelier plan to work, but to each their own¡­"


    Getting the Ursaring to even collaborate with me was going to be an uphill battle. In the wild when you capture a pok¨¦mon there may be multiple variables that won''t allow you to have to go down the traditional method, but out there the usual might makes right terminology sort of holds. By proving your strength by defeating the pok¨¦mon in battle, they may begrudgingly choose to acquiesce to your demands and allow themselves to be captured.


    Whether this is out of self-preservation, a desire for a more comforting life with a trainer, to be trained and gain more, the desire to evolve, or even out of a sense of duty. For most pok¨¦mon out there, strength does the talking.


    I didn''t really prove the strength of myself nor my pok¨¦mon when we arrived to help the Ursaring and her babe. We only put her to sleep after she was worn down by those Gravelers, so it''s going to be difficult to truly earn her respect at first. Not until¡­


    "Eh, it''s not a solid plan A, but if things come down to it, I''m sure I can persuade her with plan B."


    Garnet looked away from the computer to smirk at me. "Let me guess the "B" stands for Battle, right?"


    I blinked in surprise and laughed. "Huh, I didn''t really think of that. Can I have permission to say that I thought of that for the future?"


    "Sure because I really don''t care." Garnet snidely remarked.


    "Sweet! Thanks, Garnet." I laughed.


    After exchanging a few more pleasantries, I decided to leave her alone and go back home. She was never really all that talkative when we were in school. I mean, neither was I but my circumstances were weirder than her general quietness to explain. I did wish her good luck with her future plans for the next Gym Circuit in Johto. The coordinator at the Pok¨¦mon League who''s in touch with her wants her to expand her experience before they could consider giving her an internship at their Inspection Agency.


    I mean, I figure that her making it to last years Top 64 last was a good enough mark on her experience list, but I guess it never hurts to have more added to your professional background.


    On my way home, I considered the time of day and wondered when to expect Clair to stomp right up the grounds of our home and demand that challenge of hers. She must have already been done "introducing" herself to Aerodactyl.


    Yet instead of her, I came back home to spot my little brother who had finally woken up and was still in his pajamas playing with the languid, noodly form of my new Dratini. Asch was on his feet watching the two with a bit of a frown on his face.


    "Hey, bro! I didn''t know you got a new pok¨¦mon! That''s so cool, and it''s a Dratini too! What are you going to name him!?" I took notice of how green Fafnir was getting as Ash kept moving him around in his arms just to get a good grip on him. "Ooh! Can I name him!? I have the perfect name too, how about¡­Barny? You like the name, don''t you little guy?"


    I could hear the poor little guy''s restrained gagging from here as Ash turned him around to directly be face to face with him.


    "What about you, Asch? That sounds like a good name don''t y-? Hey, Asch, why are you backing away, and¡­hey, why''s this little guy looking green and shaking? Oh, is it about to shed it''s skin? How awes-!"


    And with his mouth wide open, Ash was given quite the "hello" from Fafnir all over his face and pajamas. So, while I was stuck at home having to bathe my crying brother in the bathtub, clean his hair, his clothes, and re-feed Fafnir after he regurgitated all of the pok¨¦food he inhaled, I was given a message from Prof. Oak that Clair had apparently left after gauging how feral Aerodactyl was and making the call back to the clan about the news of our trade.


    Thankfully the trade had gone through, but it had also had the head of the clan urge Clair to return immediately. Prof. Oak did state that Clair had told him to relay a message over to me. I had asked if the message was 20 words or less, and he responded negatively. So, I told him not to tell me and to enjoy his rest at home with the other Oaks.


    Now with the knowledge that I won''t have to worry about another immediate home visit from Clair, I can now freely plan out a day following Sunday tomorrow to gather all of my pok¨¦mon and introduce Dratini to them and vice-versa. Hopefully, they would be on their best behavior but just to be safe, I advised Asch to keep Dratini close to him.


    The little guy was warming up to my Starter and having a security blanket in the form of the large reptile-like dragon pok¨¦mon seemed like a safe enough comfort zone for him.


    But that''ll all come after I help out with mom''s caf¨¦. She needed the extra help now since that waitress that Clair handily crushed the other day was still taking time off to recover her pok¨¦mon. Also, I was going to need to work off the hours I owed her if I want to get even closer to earning back my free time to enjoy a day long nap.


    Who knows, I''m even feeling a little generous that I''ll even accept the first challenge of the day that orders something from the menu. Hopefully, the battle will be fun enough to work out some of the welling up desire to train with Asch after that phone call with Mr. Blaine.


    Yup, everything''s going to be smooth sailing from here.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10


    <hr>


    Luke''s Pok¨¦mon (In order of captures):


    <ol>


    <li>Asch - Charmander -> Charmeleon -> Charizard: His starter pokemon</li>


    <li>Sparrow - Spearow -> Fearow</li>


    <li>Macaque - ???</li>


    <li>Dartz - Weedle -> Kakuna -> Beedrill</li>


    <li>Sylvie - Eevee -> Sylveon</li>


    <li>Kidd - Ghastly -> Haunter -> Gengar</li>


    <li>Lenny - Tangela -> Tangrowth</li>


    <li>Thor - Elekid -> Electabuzz -> Electavire</li>


    <li>Epona - Ponyta -> Rapidash</li>


    <li>Tempest - Magikarp -> Gyarados</li>


    <li>Kamina - Scyther -> Scizor</li>


    <li>Jubilee - [Egg] -> Togepi -> Togetic -> Togekiss</li>


    <li>Leonardo - Squirtle</li>


    <li>Fafnir - Dratini</li>


    </ol>


    Pending Captures:


    <ol>


    <li>Ursaring</li>


    <li>Teddiursa</li>


    </ol>


    <hr>


    "Get ready, Luke! This will finally be the day that I absolutely crush you!" Bellowed my first opponent of the day.


    You know in hindsight; this wasn''t as bad as I thought. Sure, I tempted fate with my big fat stupid mouth, but in all, things could have been worse. Today, I woke up willingly and looked forward to helping out at mom''s caf¨¦. Sure, it was partly because I wanted to bring over Fafnir and show him to Mrs. Verdant, but the prospect of having a battle to shake off my restlessness did overrule my need to sleep in.


    Mom was delighted to see me up and active this morning, especially when I offered to accept any early challengers that came in for a meal and wanted a battle to clear the tab. Ash was disappointed that he wouldn''t be around to see me battle, so I promised to take him for a quick flight around Pallet Town''s skies on Asch''s back. Only if he finishes his homework on time after school before the sun begins to set. Mom was very insistent on there being "NO" late night flights, and she won''t even let me fly at night alone unless it''s for an emergency.


    My promise to my excitable little brother aside, I helped set up the outside battlefield with the help of mom''s Nidoqueen, Elizabeth. The quiet and amicable pok¨¦mon had a bit more bounce in her step as she happily crooned when helping to set up the outside veranda. She and mom''s Persian, Cleo, were always this cheerful after every Sunday. Mom flies over on her Pidgeot''s back to leave them in the forest on Sundays, then returns to pick them up.


    Considering that I''ve been around mom''s pok¨¦mon for my entire life growing up, I''m glad that they could still manage to gather some form of happiness with their individual mates after¡­dad''s passing. It still was gross to hear their suggestive "crooning" and "purrs" whenever they returned home. Doubly more so when Ash keeps asking why Cleo and Eliza return home so dirty yet so happy.


    Yeah, I simply played stupid and avoided having to be the one to give my 6-year-old brother the "talk" about the birds and the bees especially when it came to the subject of pok¨¦mon. That was like adding another layer of awkwardness to the Embarrassment cake.


    So, after the sweeping and cleaning the field of the debris and mess from past battles, I rolled out the Field Stripe Machine to properly add a fresh layering of paint on the faded lines. Once sufficiently added and left to dry, I went about unlocking the nearby fake boulder meant to camouflage and protect the caf¨¦''s personal Psychic Barrier projector. The one that we managed to purchase from Silph Co. certainly wasn''t cheap along with the crucial maintenance to keep it running.


    The machine whirred to life and the distinctive purple glow along the carved lines in the battlefield where the rest of the machinery laid came to life. We were officially a-go, and since I was actively taking the first challenger of the day, I was free to simply wait outside on my side of the field until a challenger was ready to step up.


    Since it was Monday, it was a bit of a slow day with some people coming in, but the numbers wouldn''t see any rise until deeper into the weak. For now, we only had the early crowd coming in for breakfast. A couple of very familiar faces came in to relax, and among all of them finally came a challenger who bought three orders of stacked cheri berry pancakes.


    And so, as a small gaggle of customers moved from inside of the caf¨¦ to the veranda to watch the match with their meals, my only response to the challenger cockily grinning at me was a resigned sigh.


    "Okay, but are you sure that this is what you want to do, Jimmy?" I regarded the blue cap wearing boy across from me with an awkward smile.


    "Of course! I didn''t wake up this early just to lose the rest of my allowance! Rattata and I are prepared to make you eat my shorts! Isn''t that right, pal?" Jimmy exclaimed and earned a resolute "Ratta!" from his steadfast pok¨¦mon.


    Not that I didn''t like the energy that they have, but¡­


    "I was told that you requested a three-on-three battle for the opportunity to pay off your breakfast and get a free meal voucher for your next visit." I explained, hoping to see if he''ll finally piece together my meaning.


    Obviously, he didn''t because the kid proudly puffed up his chest. "Yeah, I know! We''re going to mop the floor with you!"


    "Yes, you and Rattata." I shook my head. "No, just Rattata. Jimmy, you only have one pok¨¦mon to do battle for you. Don''t you think that your giving me the unfair advantage by limiting yourself like this?"


    "Of course not! I''m just giving you a better chance at beating me, Luke! Rattata is in the top percentage of all Rattata in the world, so giving you a handicap is more than fair." Ugh, the heads of these youngster trainers were filled with hot air as always.


    Though they might be obnoxious, for once I expected a trainer that wanted to beat me for being a Conference contender to show up. I was looking forward to a battle where I could battle a seasoned trainer a bit more seriously, but instead I''m going to have to indulge one of the local kids aggrandizing the skills of their recently caught pok¨¦mon.


    I shrugged. "Well, if this is really how you want it?" I nodded to Miss Lola, one of the caf¨¦ staff, acting as our referee.


    "This match will be a three-on-three battle between Challenger Jimmy Palmer and Caf¨¦ Attendant Luke Ketchum. Substitutes are freely allowed for the match, and the first trainer to defeat all of their opponent''s pok¨¦mon will be the winner. Trainer Luke, please release your first pok¨¦mon!"


    I complied and chose just the pok¨¦mon for the job. "Leonardo, I choose you!" My dutiful little Squirtle emerged from his pokeball with a deep bow. First, he bowed to me, then to his opponent before adopting a stance. Man, I really let Kamina influence this little guy too much.


    A couple of "aws" and cheers from the small crowd of customers watching did have Leonardo blush a bit, before he quickly ignored the attention with a stubborn shake of his head.


    "What!? Come on, you''re not even going to use your Charizard? What a gyp!" Annoyed, Jimmy crossed his arms in a huff.


    I shrugged. "Hey, you wanted a battle and I''m giving it to you." I questioned whether he felt that confident in himself and his Rattata that they could immediately handle one my Starter right off the bat. "If I were you, I''d focus on actually beating the opponent in front of you."


    "Hmph! Have it your way, Rattata and I will force you to pull him out!" Jimmy confidently jutted his chin out.


    "Okay." I shrugged. Time for me to give this kid a wake-up call.


    "Are both trainers ready?" The referee held up both of her flags. I chose to quietly nod as Jimmy belted a loud "You bet I am!".


    "Then let the match begin!"


    As the flags lowered, I gestured my hand over to my opponent. "You can make the first move."


    Jimmy snickered, "Hah, you''re going to regret that!" I sincerely doubted that. "Go Rattata, use Tackle!"


    Leonardo kept his gaze on his opponent, awaiting my command. "I''ll only provide commands for attacks. Judgement on whether you should take a hit or dodge will be deferred to you." Squirtle nodded and awaited for his opponent to finally cross the battlefield and attempt to hit him with a full-bodied tackle.


    The small rat pok¨¦mon''s blow completely missed.


    Jimmy punched the air. "Again, tackle him again! You''ll wear that slow Squirtle down in no time!" I snorted, knowing how true that statement would be if he weren''t facing a Squirtle that''s currently being trained by a Scizor.


    I settled back with my arms crossed and watched as Leonardo effortlessly dodged the opponent''s relentless oncoming tackles with swift ease. This just kept on going with little Jimmy not providing much beyond the same move repeatedly.


    This wasn''t going to stop until the Rattata tired himself out, so I decided to give the match some immediacy. "Tail Whip." Mid-dodge, Squirtle''s tail cracked itself against the tackling Rattata''s head, sending the purple rat tumbling on the ground.


    "Rattata!" Jimmy cried out for his pok¨¦mon. The rat pok¨¦mon shakily got up and resolutely nodded to his trainer.


    "R-Rat¡­Rattata!"


    "Good, we''re still in this buddy! Now let''s use our new signature attack!" I was about to give Leonardo the order to simply use Tail Whip should the rat pok¨¦mon continues it''s tackle assault again. Jimmy slashed his hand in the air. "Quick Attack!" Rattata barreled across the battlefield in a blur at Leo.


    Leonardo still dodges the blow with ease despite the attack having more speed to it.


    Still, I didn''t expect the kid to pull out a move like that. I blinked and nodded with a bit of a smile. "At least it''s a nice change of pace this time around." Now lets see what he''ll do with the move.


    "Yeah, that''s it, Rattata! You have him on the ropes now! Keep it up with another Quick Attack!" My smile fell as Jimmy simply returned to the old tried and true method of repeating the same attack.


    Though I had to give his Rattata some props, the little guy did have good stamina to execute as many Quick Attacks as he could in a row like this. Pity that he didn''t nearly have enough to sustain such a rigorous assault, and that his trainer has yet to see it.


    "Okay, Rattata one more time!" Jimmy cheered as he noticed a slight lull in between his pok¨¦mon''s attacks.


    "R-Ratta¡­ta¡­" The purple rat pok¨¦mon panted, their sides frantically expanding with each shallow breath taken.


    "Get some distance." I called out and for some reason instead of backpedaling, my Squirtle decided that the apt thing to do was jump and execute a (completely unnecessary) mid-air backflip. The crowd watching us whistled and clapped at the display while a part of myself died from self-disappointment for letting Kamina truly corrupt Leonardo THIS badly.


    Jimmy smirked. "Heh, running away? Not a chance, Luke! Alright Rattata, use Quick Attack! Full Power!"


    Now slower from exhaustion, Rattata took a bit more time to gain speed and cross the field after my pok¨¦mon. Scratching my head, I waited a bit longer for Rattata to close the gap before giving my command.


    "Permafrost." A pale blue beam of condensed energy hit the field and formed a frigid layering of smooth ice over the standard battlefield. Once Rattata''s paws hit the icy flooring, his fate was sealed. The speed of Quick Attack ramped up his momentum, so the only thing to stop his frantic sliding and tumbling was a nearby tree.


    The loud thud of its body hitting the tree coupled with Jimmy''s panicked cries filled the area as the poor mouse pok¨¦mon limply fell and twitched from the pain. He wasn''t going to get back up.


    "Challenger Jimmy''s Rattata is unable to battle! Thus, the match goes to Trainer Luke''s Squirtle with Luke Ketchum as the winner of the battle!" With the flag raised to my side, I waved at the small crowd clapped and congratulated the both of us as I made my way over to Leonardo.


    "Excellent work as always, Leo." I congratulated the small turtle pok¨¦mon with a pat to the head.


    "S-Squirt-squirtle!" Flattered, the little guy rubbed the back of his head. Leonardo was the best for battles like this. I may have trained him to fight above his weight class, but he certainly knows how to pull his punches when against those less strong and experienced than him. It was a bit of a struggle at first since he''s been conditioned to battle the likes of Asch, Macaque and Kamina, but we managed to buff that out by using the caf¨¦ battles as training to perfectly adjust the level of power behind each of his moves.


    Plus, his attitude was the best for low-level battles like this. I wouldn''t dare place either Kidd or Sylvie against that Rattata. I''m not an asshole who loves to crush rookies and I want these kinds of young challengers to put up some form of a fight against me. I''m here to pop their overinflated and unearned confidence, not shatter their dreams.


    "H-How? I-I¡­we were supposed to be stronger¡­" Joey muttered and looked as if the whole world was coming down on him. God, I really hope Ash won''t turn out like this when he faces his first loss.


    Leonardo and I made our way over to the kid just as he balled back his Rattata, I scratched my cheek and sighed. "So, with your loss, you now owe us the payment for your meal." I crossed my arms and regarded the boy, who now had this faraway look. Sheesh, is the loss really hitting you this badly, kid? "But that can come after, so¡­let''s review. Why do you think you lost?"


    "¡­Y-You¡­" My question did bring the kid out of his "existential crisis" to completely regard me. "You cheated?" With a twitch of my brow and Leonardo''s unimpressed glare, Jimmy at least had the decency to look ashamed. "Y-You used an Ice type move that I''ve never even heard of before and-."


    "Kid, that was just a code name I made to command Leonardo to fire an Ice Beam to the floor. It''s allowed in official League battles, so it shouldn''t be counted as "cheating"." I tiredly explained.


    "R-Really? That''s a thing?" He asked.


    I nodded. "A pok¨¦mon battle is a battle between not just the pok¨¦mon but the trainers as well. Sure, your pok¨¦mon may be the ones doing the fighting, but you give them the commands. This obviously applies to your opponent as well and thus you can react to their commands, and they can react to yours in return. Getting your opponent stumped and unable to react to your command is just as essential as making up a new combination move."


    "Whoa¡­combination moves¡­" Jimmy was in awe before blinking in confusion. "What''s that and can I do ''em?"


    I laughed as the reaction reminded me a bit of how Ash would act. "Erh¡­that''s a little too early for you, little man." I furiously rubbed his head much to his childish indignation.


    "Anyway, trainers are the type to find an advantage in battle through sheer force, trickery, or anything that''s legal enough to get away with. Some use hand gestures when calling out a move just to signal their pok¨¦mon to use another move, others shorten the name of their moves to initials to leave their opponents pondering away precious seconds, and there are conniving psychics that telepathically communicate their commands without saying a word."


    I noticed that most of this was intriguing the kid but also going over his head, so I coughed and continued with my original point. "But enough about trainer tactics, I''m just going to point out the mistakes you made in battle." I raised one finger. "One, you were too cocky." Jimmy''s mouth opened. "Ah, let me finish."


    Jimmy glowered and I chuckled.


    "Your chances of winning this battle would have been a lot better if you had requested a 1 on 1 instead of a 3 on 3. You killed your shot at winning by stacking the odds against you, and if I''m being super nice about it just to make what you did seem sensible, it would have been a nice way to push you and Rattata''s limits. Except you came in headstrong with the belief that you''ll win, which blows that theory out of the water." I shrugged.


    "So, any reason why you chose a 3 on 3 battle when you only have the one pok¨¦mon?"


    "I-I¡­" Jimmy stuttered then sighed. "Rattata and I were on a winning streak, and we''ve beaten nine other trainers on Route 1 who have had two or three more pok¨¦mon than I do. I just thought that we were strong enough to beat you too."


    Ah, so he was intoxicated from his own winning streak. Makes sense. "And since you knew and requested that I use my Starter, I have to ask you¡­ Were you that confident that you could win?"


    "Yeah." Jimmy awkwardly looked down at Leonardo who curiously tilted his head at him. "I mean, I thought I did¡­"


    "Having confidence is good but too much of it can make you your own worst enemy. Remember that."


    "I will¡­"


    "Now let¡¯s move on to reason two on why you lost¡­"


    From there, I mostly gave Jimmy the rundown on his flaws in battle. Reason two was just that he was too repetitive with commanding Rattata to us Tackle back-to-back. It tells me, the opposing trainer, that he has no overall strategy and is basically putting all his eggs in a single basket. He did mention that his plan was to wear out Leonardo since that strategy had worked for him in the past, but the issue was that was his only plan with no fallback.


    I would give him props if he had planned to use his Rattata to tire Leonardo out then send out another pok¨¦mon to take advantage of my pok¨¦mon''s possible exhaustion (under the assumption that I wouldn''t switch Leo out). Sadly, he still came up dreadfully short by only using a single pok¨¦mon in a 3 on 3 battle.


    Finally, the third reason was his lack of creativity and truly pushing to better what his Rattata truly had.


    I gave him advice on how to make the most out of Tackle and Quick Attack for his Rattata. Practice. Practice. Practice. That''s all he and every other new trainer has to focus on. Rattata when using Tackle and especially Quick Attack tended to over pursue and placed as much of his energy into running as he did when trying to stop himself mid-dash just to redirect himself. That''s why I recommended that the rat pok¨¦mon be trained to make swift turns with each usage of Quick Attack.


    After giving him the self-same exercise that I used for Sylvie when she was an Eevee learning to harness Quick Attack, he and I exchanged sportsmanlike handshake, earned more encouraging cheers from the small crowd of customers, and went our separate ways.


    I had offered that our Blissey, Angel, could heal and perform a check up for his Rattata, but he declined. Probably wanting to save face despite all the praise coming from the crowd trying to ease his bruised confidence.


    And thus, that was the end to a disappointing battle.


    The bright side to all of it was that I managed to teach a youngster humility and give him something to improve his skills as a prospective trainer. Better that he learned to swallow this bitter pill now than later when he starts his journey.


    I gave my thanks to my mom''s Nidoqueen as she was already on top using Flamethrower to melt the iced battlefield. With the battle done with, I returned to the interior of the caf¨¦ through the veranda and was congratulated by the local customers. A bunch of the older folk praised me for lending advice to little kids as a couple grannies gave me some hard candies as a reward (I loved butterscotch!).


    "You were just amazing, Lukey! A fantastic battle that left me speechless!" Mom called out from over at the cashier as she finished receiving Jimmy''s payment and ringing in the next customer behind him.


    I sheepishly laughed. "Thanks mom, but¡­" I scratched my cheek. "You say that for every match you watch."


    "That''s because no matter if it''s win or lose, any battle that my baby participates in will be nothing less but spectacular~!" God, that was such a mom thing to say.


    "Love you too, mom¡­"


    "Squirt-Squirtle!"


    "And yes, even you were spectacular too, Leonardo. Here''s a special treat for being such a hard worker!"


    Failing not to blush, I rolled my eyes and left mom to coddle my Squirtle with some pok¨¦blocks that she kept on hand. I made my way over to a certain booth in the establishment where I had left Fafnir in the care of Mrs. Verdant, Blossom''s mom. The hungry little noodle stuffed himself silly with the smorgasbord of pok¨¦food, berries, and meats.


    The little glutton had been stuffing himself with food ever since I had introduced him to mom. One look at my little Dratini''s starved form was all it took for her to dish out and make as much pok¨¦food for the pok¨¦mon. With Angel''s help of course because no sane Blissey would ignore a starved pok¨¦mon''s plight.


    From last night to this morning, Dratini''s been gorging himself on his meals with gusto.


    He did show signs of slowing his eating when around Asch''s constant vigil, but when I took him with me to a public establishment like this, he reverted to old habits and selfishly ate as much as he could while suspiciously keeping a look out for something that''ll pounce on him. That was his behavior until I had gotten Mrs. Verdant to see him.


    "Slowly now¡­slowly¡­" Fafnir broke away from his meal to delight in the way the tips of the woman''s fingers pressed under his neck. He wiggled, crooned, and leaned into the touch as Mrs. Verdant gently scooched him away from the dishes to the other corner of the table. "We wouldn''t want you to spit up all the food you''ll need to grow up big and strong. Just relax and allow your stomach to settle, then you can eat again in a while. I promise."


    Watching this, I was more than convinced that Mrs. Verdant was truly some sort of Dragon Whisperer since she got my gluttonous new pok¨¦mon to comply.


    "Bliss?" Angel came out of the kitchen and over to them with dishes brimming full of pok¨¦food and diced berries.


    While patting Fafnir''s head, Mrs. Verdant shook her head. "Thanks, and sorry for making you go through the trouble of making more, Angel. Lets give him an hour."


    Our family''s Blissey happily nodded as if she wasn''t inconvenienced. She simply placed the large amounts of food on the table, bowed and returned to the kitchen. I shot her a wave that she happily returned when I reached the booth.


    "So how is he?" I asked sliding in to sit next to the older woman.


    Mrs. Verdant hummed. "He''s well enough. All that''s needed for now is for him to gain the proper pounds necessary for his growth. It looks like the last time he his skin was ages ago." She pointed to the small pok¨¦mon''s scales. "See how faded and thin his scales are?" I winced and nodded. "Whenever a Dratini sheds, their new scales will initially come out softened but as time goes on, they''ll harden and be as bluer as the sky. You can tell the health of a Dratini by more than just the size they grow to."


    I grimaced. "Did you find any signs of scarring?"


    Mrs. Verdant''s smile fell a little. "Well, it''s quite faint, but I did notice a couple of scratches. They were particularly a bit too deep to be buffered out¡­"


    I gritted my teeth. "So, there were more?"


    Mrs. Verdant sighed. "Unfortunately, that''s a possibility." She pointed to one deep scratch that started from one scale but was cut short on its path to another. "You''d have to know what you¡¯re looking for when seeing it, but whoever groomed him last probably focused on limiting the amount of marks as best as they could."


    I frowned. Now I''m curious whether this was all Clair or the Grandmaster of the Blackthorn Clan trying to insult me by covering their tracks. Especially the lengths that they went through just to do it.


    Focusing on my pok¨¦mon''s health, I asked, "So how long would you estimate until the time for his next shedding?"


    Mrs. Verdant noticed me worrying and laughed to dispel it. "Oh, don''t worry, Luke. It won''t be as long now since it looks like up until now, he''s been lacking enough protein and sustenance to kickstart the process. I wouldn''t worry about starting a specific diet for him until after his¡­hm¡­I''d want to say third, but since he was most likely taken from there, I''d say you should focus on dieting him after the fifth shedding of his scales when he''s much healthier."


    I blinked in surprise. "Sure, but is it really going to take that long?"


    "That long he says¡­" Mrs. Verdant clicked her tongue in amusement. "Again, you have nothing to worry about, Luke. Once a Dratini sheds their skin and keeps a consistent build up of life energy the time between each shedding lessens. It may take a while for the first shedding since he has a lot to catch up on when building up said energy, but at the rate you and Delia feed him, I''m sure he''ll have a consistent shedding schedule.


    Just don''t try to rush it and take your time with it. Otherwise, you''ll find yourself accidentally making a legitimate issue later down the road."


    Blinking, I realized now that she wasn''t just giving this lesson to me from out of the blue. "Did Blossom do something again?" The soul draining sigh I received confirmed my suspicion.


    "Honestly that girl, she''s always so focused on everything that she can''t finish any one thing. This morning, she wanted Bud and I to let her walk to school on her own with either of our pok¨¦mon watching her on the way. Instead of standing like a united front, Bud agreed for the both of us and after some convincing, I conceded."


    I nodded and gestured for her to go on.


    "Then when it came time for breakfast, I was pleasantly surprised to find Blossom didn''t need help waking up. Sadly, that was the only good to come from this morning since I basically had to trail after her and ensure she was wearing ALL her clothes, finished washing all of the dried-up shampoo in her hair and take over for her as she tried to make us all breakfast. After that I just took her to school without much urging from Bud¡­"


    I bet Blossom complained the whole way to school too. "Y-Yeah, I can see how that could warrant the lesson." I felt some sympathy for her since Ash was the exact same way too whenever he felt the need to be a "grown up".


    Mrs. Verdant huffed. "And that''s why she shouldn''t be surprised that I might suspend her going on her journey until she gets her act together and listens. I''m sure you''re aware but being scatterbrained in the wild is a surefire way to receive injury or¡­worse."


    I nodded in agreement as memories of my first outing with Asch as a Charmander showed me how self-reliant you had to be. Sure, Blossom may whine about how overprotective her mother was, but it comes from a genuine place. Not too overprotective in the sense that she''s shielding Blossom from the world, but more in line with her preparing Blossom for the world.


    Mrs. Verdant continued to give me some more insight into Fafnir''s health, identifying the signs of his imminent shedding, the recommended times to avoid having him battle after said shedding, and warnings not to overfeed him. Having a keen eye for dragon types was pretty much her thing. Everything was sort of coming full circle when I chose to come to her for advice on raising Dratini, the same way that I approached Mr. Verdant for tips on raising a Charmander just before my first journey began.


    In Pallet Town, Mrs. Verdant basically was THE person to go to for all of your dragon-type pok¨¦mon troubles. Prof. Oak even states that her counselling regarding dragon types was better than his own, the former freaking Indigo Champion. The weight of his word and the barebones information of Mrs. Verdant being a former resident of Blackthorn City further supported the significance of her prowess.


    Which is why I told her the full extent of my interaction with Clair the other day and the full terms of our trade. The woman seemed contemplative as I told my story, but by the end of it the only expression etched onto her bespectacled complexion was exasperation.


    Pushing her glasses up, the assistant manager of the caf¨¦ pinched the bridge of her nose, she deeply inhaled, "I was only gone for a day to visit the Vermillion City markets when she came. Imagine my surprise to hear of how we''re down a staff member because of her ill mood driving her to severely batter the poor server''s pok¨¦mon." She shook her head. "But hearing your story only further adds to my sheer disappointment. She should know better than that¡­"


    Adjusting her glasses, Mrs. Verdant deeply bowed her head. "I''m sorry that you had to put up with Clair''s nonsense, Luke."


    "No, no its fine. I kind of knew what I was getting into when she popped up out of nowhere." I was a little vindictive with the way she snubbed Daisy after their conference match and extensively studied her habits and excessive pride just to gain the advantage I needed to best her.


    "I''m sure you did, and knowing that girl, she''ll just be angrier if you were to tell her that to her face." Really? Good to know for future reference.


    Mrs. Verdant smirked. "I know that look, Luke, and I must tell you to refrain from doing that. You may have beaten her before, but poking an already mad dragon until it becomes livid is a poor strategy."


    I yawned and scratched my head. "Fine¡­"


    "Good. Her pride''s already taken some hefty blows after her loss to you. Further fanning the flames can only make things worse for the both of you. Though I don''t think I can ever condone her recent behavior, and neither should the Elders."


    The way that she spoke so casually had me curious. "Mrs. Verdant, you personally know Clair?"


    Her smile widened. "Of course I do, we''re cousins." I physically reeled back at the news which earned a light giggle from the woman. "Or I guess to specify, we''re second cousins. Our grandfathers were brothers if the context was needed to help you piece it together."


    "Y-Yeah, but I''m surprised that you''re actually a part of the Blackthorn Clan." I mean, not every person in Blackthorn City was directly a member of the clan, but news of their relation only solidified Mrs. Verdant''s affiliation with them.


    "Oh, I never was a part of the Blackthorn Clan. I was born to the Silverfang clan, a Side branch to the Main branch of the Blackthorn Clan." Noticing my confusion, she continued. "The Silverfang clan''s purpose was to act as protectors of the Blackthorn Clan ever since it''s inception. Secrets, heirs, and the dragon pok¨¦mon that lied within the Blackthorn Clan''s territory were the responsibility of the Silverfang Clan to protect no matter the personal cost."


    "Huh¡­that sounds pretty¡­" I started to but she cut me off and predicted my next words.


    "Harsh? It certainly was and though I disagree with the indoctrinations they imparted onto us since our youth, I can''t say that in a weird way their methods did bear me spectacular results later in life."


    I was personally going to compare the whole main and side branch thing to the Hyuga Clan from Naruto but yeah, I agree with her explanation. I only hope that the Silverfang-Blackthorn dynamic wasn''t as fucked up like it was with the Hyugas. "Are you referring to making it to your Indigo League conference''s Finals?"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Mrs. Verdant had a good laugh. "If only." After some nudging, she led Fafnir back to his increased stack of delicacies. "Back in those days, the Indigo League was still trying to run itself after Samuel ceded his title of champion to Muramasa. Not even a year after him was when Blaine retired from his spot in the Elite Four."


    Mrs. Verdant had a faraway look as her mind must swam through memories of pure nostalgia. "Oh, Luke, you could only imagine the havoc that began to reign upon the circuit that day. Trainers from everywhere in Johto and Kanto buzzing about the two regions. Battling to attain greater power, risking life and limb to brave the uncharted wilds to capture only the best, and to prove one''s mettle at the end of the year at the Conference.


    "The Elite Four up until Oak''s leaving had been rigidly locked since his tenure as champion. No one aside from Muramasa himself was close to even breaching those four pillars to reach the region''s strongest. So, when one willingly stepped down to leave his seat vacant left countless ambitious trainers attempting to snatch it."


    Mrs. Verdant''s smile became a little toothy as the lenses to her glasses shined ominously. "The opportunity to surmount the remaining elites and reach the Champion was tempting enough, but the prospect of failing and claiming the vacant Elite 4 status as a fallback? With so many doors opened for success, none from our generation were foolish enough to turn the chance down."


    Looking wistful, she calmed down with a sigh. "Unfortunately for me, I couldn''t be the one to reach such heights as I was thoroughly beaten by that Musclehead Bruno."


    Huh, so Bruno was from Mrs. Verdant''s generation, and Mrs. Verdant was potentially so close to being a member of the Elite Four. It''s amazing how much significance some of the citizens in this humble town had in the grand scheme of the region''s machinations.


    "Yet despite it all, the loss didn''t eat at me as much as I thought." She smiled lovingly at the metal band wrapped around her ring finger. "The pain, sweat and tears that brought me to that stage did help me find what was truly important beyond what I initially wanted."


    That''s right, she and her husband Mr. Bud met during the gym circuit as rivals and faced each other in the Semi-Finals.


    Coughing to compose herself, Mrs. Verdant continued. "But I''m going off topic, let me finally get to the point and answer the questions you had regarding your trade with Clair and the situation that this little guy was in. I promise to answer as best as I can, but due to being "defanged" by my clan, I am limited in my capacity to elaborate on the personal matters of the Blackthorn Clan itself."


    "Meaning you can''t or won''t tell me if I asked about their breeding methods or training?" I didn''t really care but I needed to know the extent.


    "Yes, to both." Well, it''s a good thing I didn''t give a shit then.


    Still¡­ "What does "defanged" mean?"


    "Excommunication." She spoke with such fierce finality that I decided not to push it. "Now, about your trade, I would say that you were indeed gipped. The Dratini provided wasn''t one that was bred and trained by the Blackthorn Clan but instead the Silverfang Clan. I know this since Fafnir''s condition was representative of all the runts found in the Silverfang Clan''s stables. They''re too weak amongst the more wild, unruly Dratini and Dragonair, and poorly fed from losing their food in bouts against their betters."


    "So, either Clair or this Grandmaster guy did try and insult me with this trade." I groaned in annoyance. "Even lied about Fafnir even being born and raised from the clan."


    "Technically, they didn''t really lie since the Silverfang clan is an auxiliary clan to the Blackthorns so indirectly your Dratini did come from them but those are just semantics. However, enough about that." Mrs. Verdant wagged her finger at me. "Answer me this: Have you done anything that might have earned the ire of the Grandmaster? Have you done him or the clan any wrong?"


    "Well, I did beat Cla-."


    "You bested her in a clear-cut battle for all to see and proved yourself. The Blackthorns acknowledge the strong and any who best one of their own." Mrs. Verdant cut me off. "Anything else?"


    "Well, I am a trainer sponsored by the professor and Clair did mention her grandfather hating his guts." I said.


    "Irrelevant. A dragon best saves their personal grudges with the one that wrongs them. Grandmaster Talon would best conserve his energy in gaining recompense from the individual and not those affiliated with them." She gestured for me to continue, but I shook my head.


    "Nope that''s it from me." I scratched my head.


    "Since there''s no feasible evidence that the Grandmaster has reason to disrespect you, then the true culprit is simply just Clair trying to spite you." Mrs. Verdant tiredly sighed. "I may not know the true specifics of what was to be brought to you for the trade, but Clair certainly wasn''t supposed to bring a runt that no one would even notice, or care was gone."


    Why am I not even surprised, but hey, at least I didn''t piss off the leader to the dragon taming clan.


    Fafnir heard this and sadly stopped his eating to lower his head, my heart tightened at the sight. Reaching out, I tried to copy Mrs. Verdant''s trick and came out with a jubilantly squirming dragon noodle that relished my physical affections.


    "Don''t worry little buddy, I''m going to make you such a force of nature that they''ll regret ever giving you to me." He preened and crooned more loudly with my promise.


    "Good. That''s a nice mentality to have." Blossom''s mother approved. "He may have come from the same pen as my Dragonite, but he''s going to need a lot of work. Your support to build him up is the perfect way to build trust between you and ensure that any form of disobedience will be snuffed out once he reaches his final evolutionary stage."


    Raising her finger, Mrs. Verdant continued. "Now if you''re not interested in my thoughts about the potential fallout with the trade, then just tell me to stop. If not, I''ll continue."


    I rubbed my chin and narrowed my eyes. "Is it that bad?"


    The woman snickered with a sly smile. "Probably, but certainly not for you, Luke."


    Oh, I like where this is going. "Continue."


    "The Blackthorn Clan are a clan that keep their word and honor an equal trade. You mentioned giving them a rare and living Aerodactyl to breed and add amongst their ranks, and in return Clair provides for you a Dratini that''s not even close to the vaunted standard they value in their other dragon type pok¨¦mon. Considering the last-minute change to your end of the deal, the scales have drastically shifted."


    Mrs. Verdant leaned back and laced her fingers together. "Once word of this trade reaches the clan, and certain truths of Clair''s actions have been unveiled to the Grandmaster and his council well¡­" Mrs. Verdant made a couple of jazz handed gestures and deviously laughed. "She''s going to have a lot of explaining to do."


    "This day could not get any better¡­" I sighed with a luxuriant smile on my face.


    "Would you like to see the pictures I took of her when I was assigned as one of the servants for the clan?"


    I take back what I said earlier because this day totally CAN get better. It was a bummer she couldn''t send me the pics. It would certainly make Daisy feel better about her loss to Clair while I''m sure that Joey would be dying of laughter. Getting as much of a full story about the Silverfang-Blackthorn Clan dynamics as I can from what limited info Mrs. Verdant was willing to share helped clear things up about Fafnir.


    Runts like him weren''t long for the world when kept in that pen with the other savage dragon types. Clair going out of her way to insult me by picking him had inadvertently saved him from further abuse from the other pok¨¦mon and the uncaring neglect of the two clans.


    Thinking of the future, my mind was made up. It was not going to be a matter of if anymore. I don''t know how or even when it will happen, but I was going to make Lance and Clair eat shit just to have Fafnir prove himself. That was the long-term plan but for now I settled for the short term and allowed my new pok¨¦mon to eat his fill and rest up.


    Today was the day that he''ll be introduced to the rest of my pok¨¦mon so he was going to need all the energy he can. I had sent Sylvie and Kidd back to Sanctuary just to help gather the others for my arrival. Once I am done with my shift at the caf¨¦, I''ll just pick up Asch, call over Epona then be on my way.


    Mrs. Verdant wouldn''t budge on elaborating more about the Blackthorns, but she still had my gratitude for informing me. I had even offered to take up most of her shift until her lunch break as thanks. The crowd of customers were starting to flood in and so things did get a little hectic, especially when I had to regretfully renege on my offer to help Mrs. Verdant when mom approached me with the word of a new customer challenging the caf¨¦.


    As I stood facing my challenger on the opposite side of the battlefield, I couldn''t help but notice the deep frown that my opponent sported. That and his posture seemed more self-assured than overtly confident like Jimmy. This meant that the poor taste from this morning''s battle may be washed out with whatever this guy can bring to the table.


    "This match will be a three-on-three battle between Challenger Aaron Fulan of Mossdeep Town and Caf¨¦ Attendant Luke Ketchum from Pallet Town. Substitutes are freely allowed for the match. Trainers are you ready!"


    "Yep." "Of course." We both nodded and intently watched as the referee''s flags were raised.


    "Then begin!" Once those flags came down, the two of us instantly went into action.


    "Leonardo, I choose you!" My diligent little Squirtle dashed onto my side of the field.


    "Flaaffy, prepare for battle!" My opponent''s ovine pok¨¦mon took the field with a jubilant bleat and a happy bounce before a sharp "Focus!" had them stiffen up and assume what looked like their game face. It was too cute to even look remotely intimidating, but their electric typing proved to be a threat.


    Good. This was going to be good practice and a fun battle. "Get ready, Leonardo."


    "Squirt!"


    "¡­odd¡­" I barely caught what my opponent said before he started to make the first move as was his allowed right as the challenger. "Flaaffy use Thunder shock!"


    "Leonardo, hustle!"


    An impressive bolt of lightning barely struck Leonardo as the Squirtle nimbly sidestepped the attack.


    "Keep firing and rush them!" Now the Flaaffy was running after Leonardo, relentlessly firing bolts of Thunder shocks that skirted near the strength level of a low Thunderbolt. Clumps of their sparkling cotton began to spread around the field with each heavy step they took amidst their pursuit.


    I wasn''t about to let this guy set up the field with Cotton Spore. "Use Water Gun to wash away the falling spores!"


    "Flaaffy, double time! Keep that Squirtle moving and corner them." Despite the escalation in my opponent''s tactics, I remained cool as Flaaffy began to let out more coordinated bursts of lightning Leonardo''s way.


    Earlier it could be said that Flaaffy was keeping Leonardo at bay while dropping their dry and easily conductible wool around the field. However, when Leonardo was given a command beyond dodging, then you''d see that the paradigm was reversed. My Squirtle was able to expertly dodge the shockingly powerful lances of electricity while washing away the electrical clumps of wool surrounding the field.


    He would soak away the thrown cotton before, amidst, and after dodging the Thunder shocks with practiced ease. It was surreal and highly entertaining for the crowd to watch a Squirtle move so swiftly. That''s the result of having a Scizor personally act as his teacher. Kamina had ensured that Squirtle would be trained to utilize his smaller size to his advantage.


    After all, a small target was already hard to hit, but a moving one as well only made taking aim that much more difficult.


    Aaron certainly didn''t seem to share the audience''s awe as that frown of his only deepened. His pok¨¦mon''s breath quickened with each unsuccessful blast of Thunder Shock that failed to hit my Squirtle. The wool around their neck was starting to lessen in thickness with each clump of cotton thrown off as they continued their charge.


    They were showing the early signs of exhaustion, so it didn''t surprise me that Aaron abandoned ship with his failing tactic for another.


    "Flash!" Aaron bellowed. My body tensed in surprise at the sight of Flaaffy''s tail beginning to shine a blindingly sharp light before quickly pulling up my goggles. My third gym battle with Surge had forced me to consider investing in anti-glare goggles after my first loss to him.


    Unfortunately, Leonardo didn''t share the same luxury as he flinched back amidst washing away more electrified cotton on the ground.


    Tch, even with my goggles, I could still barely make out Flaaffy''s silhouette. The pok¨¦mon was hunched over and the smell of ozone that permeated the area had only worsened. Were they using Charge with another attack?


    Another set-up after the initial one failed? Now this was getting fun.


    Snapping my fingers as the blinding burst of light covered the battlefield, I directed my Squirtle who was doing his best to remain calm while futilely trying to see through the hindering light. "Leonardo let''s Beyblade 180 degrees to the right!"


    "Squirt!" My busybody of a pok¨¦mon was already on it, shucking his head and limbs into his shell.


    Two snaps from the other side of the field rang out along with a command. "Thunderbolt!"


    "Flaaf-Flaaffy!" Now if Flaaffy''s thunder shocks before had bordered on reaching the level of a thunderbolt, then this Thunderbolt quite literally bordered on Thunder. The move Flash was only heightened with the destructive clap of lightning that Flaaffy let loose. The ground was gouged out and burnt on my side of the field as the psychic barriers dutifully took the brunt of the attack before any of the thrown gravel and dirt could hit me.


    The anticipation to wait for the Flash of light to go down began to irk me before my goggled eyes were barely able to perceive Flaaffy''s panting shape amidst the light along with a rather odd wide shadow just between their legs. Good, he made it into position with Rapid Spin.


    "Hydro Pump dead ahead!" I ordered, in retaliation my opponent screamed for his Flaaffy to use Cotton Guard. Flaafy''s figure expanded as the wave of pressurized water blew them over to my side of the field. The ovine pok¨¦mon crashed and slid down the psychic barrier wall in front of me.


    They shakily stood on their feet as their drenched mane of neck wool had expanded outward. The pink pok¨¦mon swiftly stood to face Leonardo just as the illumination of their Flash had ended. Pulling up my goggles, I had noticed that Aaron was sporting a pair of shades that he stuffed in his pocket. He was just as prepared to employ that Flash tactic as much as I was to defend myself against it.


    But that''s not all that this new clarity from Flash had brought to me. I can now see the deep, purple bruise on Flaaffy''s back and just how haggard they were. The fluff of wool on their neck no longer seemed as plentiful as it did in the beginning of the match. Their tactic from the match''s start had bitten them in the rear, and thus the Cotton Guard didn''t fully protect against Leonardo''s full-powered Hydro Pump.


    However, the trade-off for lowering the defenses of Cotton Guard did come with a trade-off.


    "S-Squirt-Squirtle?" My Squirtle was twitching and currently stuck in place a huge ball of cotton had trapped his legs.


    "Clever." I chuckled. So those snaps from before were to signal his Flaaffy to lay Cotton Spore behind them. To use Flash just to simultaneously set-up a Charge + Thunderbolt combo and a rear Cotton Spore trap was impressive. Yet, I was more concerned about how oddly timed that tactic was.


    Beyond my battle in the conference, I''ve never actually used Leonardo in an official pok¨¦mon battle. No tournaments or any competitions either. The only times that I''ve used him since then was whenever I gathered my team to train or in these Caf¨¦ battles.


    So, if I was able to be read so easily by this guy then that led me to only one conclusion.


    My smile grew a bit tense as I focused my attention on my opponent, who''s frown seemed to deepen as they quietly regarded me with those fierce blue eyes. It seems that someone''s been preparing for me, and I honestly found myself elated to see what else he has in store for me.


    My curiosity heightened as Flaaffy was removed from the field in a dazzling red light.


    "I am forfeiting Flaaffy from the match. She''s taken on too much damage to continue." Aaron exclaimed to the referee, who nodded. I smiled since it was a nice change of pace for a caf¨¦ challenger to realize when to withdraw their pok¨¦mon and to consider their well-being.


    Aaron looked to Flaaffy''s pokeball and callously spoke to it. "Barely adequate. You could have done better."


    My smile grew a bit tense as I focused my attention on my opponent, who''s frown seemed to deepen as they quietly regarded me with those fierce blue eyes. It seems that someone''s been preparing for me, and I honestly found myself elated to see what else that he has in store for me. This welcoming sense of DeJa''Vu hit me as memories of my past opponents from the conference came to mind. Trainers that couldn''t even properly research their rivals and leave the plans to blind luck were always the first to go¡­


    ¡­unless you''re Joey and unfortunately my little brother until I can beat some sense into him before he goes out on his journey.


    Either way, this guy was good, and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt with that last comment.


    After all, a battle was the go-to way in figuring out a trainer''s true character.


    With the announcement of Flaaffy''s withdrawal from the match, I was now up three to Aaron''s two pok¨¦mon. The referee reminded Aaron of his appointed thirty seconds to choose his pok¨¦mon otherwise the act would spell his immediate forfeiting from the battle.


    Aaron didn''t even give the poor lady the chance to finish her reminder as he plucked out another pokeball and released his next combatant. "Rio, prepare for battle!"


    I was not ready for a freaking Lucario off all pok¨¦mon to appear then disappear in a blink of an eye. One second the bipedal jackal looking pok¨¦mon emerged on the field with a growl, the next, they vanished in thin air and slugged my trapped Squirtle across the face with a Thunder Punch!


    It knows Extreme Speed? "Shit."


    "Language!" I ignored my mother''s admonishment from amongst the crowd.


    "Close Combat!" This time Electricity surged around both of Lucario''s paws. What, he''s even trained it to use combination techniques too?


    "Use Aqua Jet straight up into the air!" In a column of water, Leonardo was able to simultaneously propel himself to the skies, free himself from the cotton wool, and put distance between himself and Lucario. This should give him some time to recover and get his head on straight.


    "Use Bone Rush to vault after them!" Aaron shouted. His Lucario backpedaled and formed a light green bone of energy the size of a quarterstaff, and in a feat that reminded me of the Olympic athletes in my old world, the aura pokemon took measured leaps forward before stabbing their conjured bone staff into the ground and used the momentum to propel themselves into the air after my retreating Squirtle.


    "Cease Aqua Jet and withdraw into your shell!" The Aqua Jet did stop, but Leonardo''s head and limbs remained out of his shell. "What?" I squinted my eyes and focused on my pok¨¦mon''s form in the air. Was Leonardo twitching?


    "Paralysis?" Tch, of course Flaaffy''s cotton wool would have enough electric energy to induce. Stuck slowly descending, Lucario met Leonardo midway in the sky.


    "Bullet Punch!" At Aaron''s swift order, I winced as a barrage of steel type energy hardened fists assailed my Squirtle, who was virtually a sitting duck in the air.


    "Use Hydro Pump!" My command failed spectacularly as Lucario''s continuous assault had punched Leonardo so hard that his head snapped off to the side and unleashed the Hydro Pump in the opposite direction. Thankfully, I didn''t worry for long since Leonardo used the momentum of getting punched to land a well-executed Aqua Tail on Lucario.


    The aura pok¨¦mon staggered back from the blow.


    This gave Leonardo a moment to breath, but Aaron wasn''t going to give us the chance to regroup.


    "Grab its tail and use Thunder Punch!" Aaron growled.


    "Raise your head and use Hydro Pump!" The force of Leonardo''s Hydro Pump had sent him falling to the ground before he could be grabbed.


    "Aura Sphere!" Lucario slung down a sphere of concentrated aura the size of basketball.


    "Water Pulse!" My Squirtle retaliated with his sphere of condensed water energy. The two attacks exploded upon contact and a slight downpour of water from the Water Pulse rained down onto the field. Both pok¨¦mon landed back onto the battlefield with Leonardo visibly panting on one knee and Lucario somewhat stumbling before righting themselves.


    Aaron narrowed his eyes at this, searching for the cause of his pok¨¦mon''s slight disorientation.


    I looked at the aura pok¨¦mon, specifically the deep bruise on their chin. Kamina has really been teaching Leonardo to be precise with those Aqua Tails of his.


    "You think you can handle going on a little further, buddy?" I was more than fine with switching him out, but if he wanted to keep going then I''ll oblige. Leo knew his limits and I trusted him to know when he had enough.


    Despite the heavy toll from weathering the recent electrical attacks, Leonardo gave me a grin and nodded. Getting back on his feet, he smacked his cheeks and roared. I did my best not to laugh at how cute it was just to save him from the embarrassment.


    Unfortunately, we had a crowd watching.


    "Aw, that''s so adorable~!"


    "Look, he''s trying so hard to look fierce~!"


    "All of it! Get this cute Squirtle all the treats!"


    "That''s our Leonardo~!" I heard my mom cheer amongst the crowd of caf¨¦ customers and workers.


    "S-Squirt¡­" Leonardo sunk his lower face into his shell out embarrassment. His eyes never left his opponent.


    "Don''t be shy, Leo. They only show you support because they''re your fans." I laughed.


    "And that''s my baby boy Lukey! Do your best, sweetie~!" O-Okay, mom, I appreciate the sentiment but that''s a little too much don''t you think?


    I felt Aaron glare at me from the other side of the field. Well, at least I think it was a glare. It seemed like he was looking at me far more intensely. Was he mad that the battle was stalled by the cheers?


    "You''re not switching?" Ah, so it was because of that. For the first time since our match, Aaron spoke to me. A look of befuddlement on his rigid expression.


    I shook my head and waved my hand. "Leonardo says that he''s still capable of continuing, so I see no reason to." Aaron took a glance at Leonardo''s damaged state and regarded me once more with some slight disbelief.


    "And you''re actually deferring judgement to them based on their word alone?" He sounded utterly baffled by my reasoning.


    "Of course."


    He squinted his eyes at me before scoffing to himself. "Odd¡­" And like that, he immediately gave his order to Lucario. "Speed up and use Thunder Punch!" The combination of Extreme Speed + Thunder Punch was executed flawlessly, but the slight stagger in Lucario''s first step had given us the opportunity to react.


    "Permafrost!" Just as Lucario vanished in a blur, Leonardo directed a swift Ice Beam to the ground. The layering of thick, slippery ice had impeded Lucario''s movement as the aura pok¨¦mon tried and failed to stop their built-up momentum.


    Watching them slide toward Leonardo, I gave my order. "All fours. Beyblade to the right." Leo laid on his belly, retreated into his shell and spun to the side before Lucario could crash into him, then re-emerged on all fours to keep watch of his foe.


    Lucario was sliding directly toward the Psychic barrier''s walls to no doubt make a violent crash like Flaaffy did. The surprise that came from losing their footing gave way to sheer focus as without an order, they gathered what little stability they could, jumped straight for the barrier''s wall, and bounced right off it to propel itself right back into Leonardo¡¯s space.


    I internally commended it''s clean recovery as Aaron''s orders came in the form of a rapid barrage of Vacuum Waves. "Beyblade! Upper Left! Right! Down! Repeat! Up!" I guided Leonardo through each wave since Rapid Spin had effectively left him unable to see and dodge the attacks at the same time. I had to be his eyes and guide.


    The turtle pok¨¦mon rapidly spun around the icy field, dodging the blasts of air while Lucario slowly drew closer to his immediate area. The aura pok¨¦mon''s attacks weren''t hitting the small pok¨¦mon and at this rate he''ll fall.


    "Use Bone Rush to station yourself!" The battlefield shook as Lucario stabbed into the ground with a bone mid-fall and used their impressive upper body strength to hold up their body and skillfully balance on the end of the bone.


    "Okay, now that''s impressive." I laughed as the crowd happily clapped in amazement at the skillful showing displayed.


    "S-Squirt¡­" Leonardo nodded in awe at the feat.


    Aaron apparently did not care for the praise. "Sunny Day!" Goddamit. Artificially created rays of harsh sunlight began to beat down on the field, thus slowly melting the sheet of ice over it. Now the field was against me AND Leo''s water type moves were halved from their usual effectiveness.


    "Aqua Jet!" Lucario responded to Leonardo rocketing at him with a well-timed backflip off their bone staff. The dodge was clean and apparently well timed since Leonardo''s physical body within the pillar of water was just mere inches away from the aura pok¨¦-.


    Oh crap.


    At Aaron''s sharp shout of "grab it", his Lucario had managed to tear its arm into the surging veil of water and tightly grip onto the Squirtle''s tail while in mid-air.


    "S-Squirt!?" My pok¨¦mon gasped as he dragged along the unwanted passenger up into the air. That close of a range while Leo was submerged in Aqua Jet was a prime opportunity for Aaron to employ Thunder Punch.


    "Get as high into the air as you can!"


    "Don''t let him, Rio! Keep using Thunder Punch until it succumbs!"


    I kept my sights on the battle above, it pained me to see my little Squirtle take all those super effective hits as he endeavored to reach as far into the sky as he could. I wouldn''t dare doubt that Leonardo would cease his climb to the heavens over a couple of blows from a Lucario.


    The Squirtle had taken much stronger hits from Thor who had STAB on his side to back up his own electrically powered attacks. No, I was worried if he would possess enough strength left to pull off what I had planned when he reached the top.


    Everyone held their breaths as the two combatants stubbornly followed the command of their trainers.


    Eventually, Squirtle did reach a high enough height. Now it was time to see if he can follow through with my plan. "Cease Aqua Jet right now, Leo!" The veil of water surrounding my pok¨¦mon dissipated and now both he and Lucario were back to plummeting to the ground again. Lucario still persisted in battering my Squirtle with Thunder Punches, but through all that the Squirtle runt stubbornly persisted.


    Leonardo was now above Lucario, giving him the high ground!


    "Leonard use Scald!"


    Aaron''s stoic complexion broke in utter horror as my water pok¨¦mon sprayed a torrent of scorching, steaming water directly onto Lucario''s face. Lucario''s scream of agony resounded across the grounds of the caf¨¦. Flocks of Pidgey and Spearow in trees afar were scared off into the skies.


    I winced in some sympathy for the pok¨¦mon, but the trick more than worked. Lucario visibly reeled back from the attack and released Leonardo''s tail. With an opening, it was now time to hammer this "nail" down.


    "Quick, Leo! A.J. into B.B.!" I punched forward.


    "RIO! Quickguard into Thunder Punch!" I clicked my tongue as my opponent obviously studied my move abbreviations from my past caf¨¦ matches.


    For a moment I panicked until Leonardo had managed to land the first blow my headbutting his water enshrouded body into Lucario''s gut before the aura pok¨¦mon had time to raise their guard. The force of the blow sent Lucario hurtling back down to earth faster as Leonardo uses the fall¡¯s momentum to spin within the confines of Aqua Jet and execute a devastating Brick Break.


    The blow had slams into Lucario''s torso just as they reached the ground. A sizeable crater formed from the attack as debris and dust clouded the field.


    We waited patiently for the dust cloud to settle and either of our pok¨¦mon to emerge.


    To everyone''s surprise, Leonardo AND Lucario had managed to crawl themselves out of it. Yet both had taken too much damage to feasibly continue. Upon reaching equal ground, both pok¨¦mon shakily stood up and stared at each other in a battle of wills.


    Neither back down for a span of a minute that tensely lasted too long for comfort.


    Eventually one of them did fail and in turn I allowed myself to let go of the breath I was holding.


    "Lucario is unable to battle! The match goes to Luke''s Squirtle!" The referee raised the flag over to my side.


    Returning Lucario, Aaron''s expression slightly softened as he said, "You performed adequately, Rio. Still, there''s much that we have to improve upon." Huh, so he wasn''t an asshole. Just super hard on himself and his pok¨¦mon. Good to know.


    Whistles and cheers for both pok¨¦mon and their stupendous efforts filled the battlefield as I walked out and over the damaged field to catch my fumbling pok¨¦mon, who was struggling not to fall onto his shelled back. "Way to go, Leo."


    "S-Squirt¡­" I patted the back of his sturdy shell and lifted him back up and over to my side of the field. There, Angel, our lovely Blissey had already prepared a stretcher to take him away. Leonardo protested the unsaid withdrawal, but quickly conceded once I plopped him down onto the stretcher and allowed Angel to jam one of his favorite pok¨¦treats into his mouth.


    "I leave him in your capable hands, Angel!" I saluted the Blissey, who seriously saluted me back. I was joking but seeing her act so studiously had me rethink laughing it off as a joke.


    "I would like to withdraw Leonardo from the match please." The referee happily noted that, and now I had two pok¨¦mon remaining to Aaron''s one.


    My opponent regarded me seriously as this time, they pulled out a polished and scratched great ball. Hesitation was blatantly displayed on his face as he kept squinting his eyes at me before tiredly sighing upon not finding whatever it was, he was searching for. I''ve been passing it off the last few times, but I was curious why he kept doing that.


    Since I was the victor of the round, he was meant to release his pok¨¦mon first while I had the right to wait or simply go ahead with releasing my own should I request it. I kept quiet and watched as my opponent let his thirty second time limit to release his combatant slowly run out.


    I didn''t mind him studying up on me before requesting the battle, but I''m not going to waste this potential advantage.


    Eventually Aaron released his last pok¨¦mon just as the referee reminded him that he had five seconds left lest he automatically forfeit the match.


    "Mordred, prepare for battle!" A Kirlia was released on the field.


    A few of the trainer Lasses in the crowd cooed and aww''ed at the well-known and infamous (at least in certain parts of Hoenn) pok¨¦mon. The Kirlia didn''t give a single whiff about them as unbecoming of their delicate and nimble form, they physically squared their body up in some kind of kata that looked oddly like the ones performed by the trainers and pok¨¦mon of the minor Fighting Gym in Saffron City.


    "Caf¨¦ Attendant Luke, please select your pok¨¦mon." At the referee''s urging, I chose my next battler without even hesitating. They didn''t have a Type advantage over the Kirlia but I''m sure they''d find some fun out of this battle. I''m sure the "fun" that he''s had with the electric types that he attracted to the Power Plant would pale in comparison to some good old-fashioned violence.


    "Time to bring the thunder Thor!" I happily roared as I released my strongest (and only) electric type onto the field.


    "Electa-viiiiiiiiiiiiiire!" Thor emerged onto the field and roared into the sky. The crowd positively roared at his emergence since he''d barely be used in these caf¨¦ battles unlike Leonardo, Sylveon, and sometimes Jubilee.


    "Kir¡­" Kirlia spat at the ground and taunted the Electavire to come at them. Aaron visibly groaned and crossed his arms at his pok¨¦mon''s display.


    "Vire?" Electavire regarded the much smaller pok¨¦mon with a look before turning back to me.


    I shrugged and stuffed my hands in my pocket. "Hey, they are technically begging for it. So, you ready for a fight, Point Break?" A hearty laugh of his own name erupted out of my pok¨¦mon as he loudly banged his fist against his chest then spun back toward his opponent with a manic grin and a raised fist to the sky.


    "Vire? Electaviiiiiire!" Now that my battle maniac of a pok¨¦mon was geared up and ready for a fight, I immediately fell into giving him orders as Aaron reluctantly did the same for his Kirlia. The battle was as weird as it was entertaining. I''ve never seen a Kirlia straight up cast aside their known special attacks for simple physical ones.


    The pok¨¦mon did employ special defense moves like Reflect and Light Screen to mitigate and block Electavire''s attacks, but the way that Kirlia decided to enshroud one arm with the physical and special resistant barriers while the other was ablaze in intense flames from Fire Punch. A "sword" and "shield" that valiantly repelled Electavire''s Thunderbolts and redirected the impact of his Thunder Punches was unique.


    The Fire Punches were intense that some of Electavire''s fur began to singe, but overall, the Kirlia''s power just wasn''t enough to truly shake one of my Expert tiered pok¨¦mon. Electavire was thrilled with the fight being an actual brawl as the surprise of fighting a seemingly delicate pok¨¦mon in a fist fight was what he truly loved.


    Though he did get a bit over enthusiastic with one electrically enhanced Brick Break shattering the heavy layers of Reflect and Light Screen that covered the Kirlia''s arm. The resulting damage from the destroyed barriers had pushed Kirlia over the edge of nearly fainting and evolution.


    I and everyone were amazed that such a special moment was happening in the very battle while Aaron looked annoyed, which further deepened to aggravation as the special light signifying evolution began to fizzle out. Kirlia seemed to be struggling in pushing back the tide of their evolution. All the energy that could have been spent in battle was used for this denial in metamorphosis.


    Aaron looked pissed once the evolution was fully canceled.


    "I would like to forfeit Mordred from the battle."


    "What?" "Vire?"


    "Kir! Kirlia!"


    "Stop."


    Electavire and I were utterly baffled and Kirlia looked to be just as pissed as their trainer as they vehemently cried out their name in protest. This didn''t last once Aaron had fully laid his furious eyes on the psychic pok¨¦mon. Kirlia flinched back and it made me wonder what their empathic senses were picking up from the guy.


    Nothing positive I can tell you that much.


    "You disobeyed me and broke your promise not to halt your evolution. Why should we continue when you can''t even follow my instructions or keep to your word?" Aaron''s harsh words had floored the Kirlia just enough to kill whatever argument they had and bitterly bow their head to them.


    They disappeared in a scarlet light and with that I was deemed the winner of the match.


    I didn''t know how to feel about this while Thor was more disappointed that his fight couldn''t reach a satisfying conclusion. I cheered him up with a promise that I''d prepare his favorite berries when we arrived at the Sanctuary to introduce Fafnir to the rest of my other pok¨¦mon.


    Returning him to his ultra ball, I crossed the field and met Aaron halfway. We shook hands and despite the anti-climax of our battle, the crowd still cheered us on for a well fought battle and good sportsmanship.


    Hands on my hip, I smiled. "Good match, man. Its been a while since I''ve had an exhilarating battle like that." Huh, I don''t even feel as tired as I used to; best to conserve the energy for the Sanctuary trip.


    "I appreciate the sentiment, but please don''t patronize me." With crossed arms, Aaron looked to the side.


    I chuckled and scratched my head. "I''m not. You really gave us a hard-fought battle."


    "It took two of my pok¨¦mon to defeat your Squirtle." Aaron clicked his tongue.


    "It sure did, but it doesn''t detract from how hard you guys fought just to bring him low." Leonardo was still a work in progress compared to my other pok¨¦mon. He still wasn''t as close to breaching past his Advanced tier into the lower Expert tier like most of my other pok¨¦mon, but there was no need to rush. It takes time, and I''m gladly enjoying the process.


    "Tch, I guess this means that my level of power is nowhere near close enough to handle the foreigner if we could barely take on the pok¨¦mon that his ace defeated." Aaron sighed, and muttered, "I guess Yujo was right about that?"


    Excuse me, but what? "Hold on a minute, you know Joey?"


    Aaron quietly looked at me before awkwardly looking away. "I was curious and wanted to confirm something."


    "Huh?" I had no clue where he was going with this.


    "From back in the conference and after being defeated by him, I wanted to see if we were the same. The colors, I mean, you looked like you were in the same boat as me. Except that wasn''t the case. You''re¡­different than you were back then. After finally getting to battle you with this as the result well¡­"


    He quietly sighed. "I guess I''m left unsatisfied with what I found."


    ¡­Okay, so I had no clue what any of that meant. I was obviously missing context for stuff that didn''t pertain to me so I was going into this conversation completely blind. I mean, he looked sad, so I said the only thing that came to mind. "I''m¡­sorry?"


    He glared at me. "I don''t need your pity. You''ve won and the fault of my dissatisfaction lies squarely on me." Oh, come on, dude! Just how was I supposed to respond to all that nonsense you dropped on me suddenly?


    I groaned, "Well, if you say so¡­" I trailed off then the cued uncomfortable silence kicked in. Hoping to break it, I asked, "So about your Kirlia, what happened there?"


    "He didn''t want to comply with my orders and I didn''t want to further entertain his nonsense." Aaron stated matter of factly.


    "I get that, but what specifically is the proble-?"


    "None of your business."


    I smacked my lips. "Well, okay then¡­"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    God could someone please save me from this awkward as hell moment.


    Wait, I almost forgot.


    "You never answered my question on how you know Jo-?"


    "Congratulations, Lukey~!" I groaned and tiredly smiled as my mother rushed over to drag me into a hug. Eh, I guess I''ll just ask Joey when he gets here. "That battle was as spectacular as the last and twice more fantastic!"


    "Again, mom, you say that about every battle of mine that you watch."


    "That''s because no matter if it''s win or lose, any battle that my baby participates in will be nothing less but spectacular~!" Mom happily giggled and lovingly rubbed her cheek to mine, much to my embarrassed displeasure.


    Urgh, come on not in front of my opponent, mom¡­


    I turned to apologize to Aaron if he was bothered by this interrupting our conversation. I paused when I saw that he looked utterly baffled and envious of me and my mom.


    Recomposing himself, Aaron straightened himself upright and gave us a bow. "Thank you for having me in your fine establishment these past few months, Mrs. Ketchum." Wait, what? "Your food and treats were above average as advertised."


    "Oh, it was no problem at all, Aaron. Thank you for coming around and giving my cute little Lukey some much needed stimulation." Hold on, mom was in on allowing this guy study me!? "If you''re still in town, we''d still be happy to have you."


    Aaron grimaced. "Yeah, I¡­I don''t really find myself going home any time soon, so I''m still determining what to do when the Circuits start back up. Until then, I''m staying at lodges down at the Pok¨¦mon Center."


    "Well, if you don''t have much time on your hands, then feel free to return and challenge my sweet child again. Lukey had a blast, and it''s been ages since I''ve seen him this happy!" Mom¡­please don''t tell me you did all of this just to cheer me up. "It never hurts to have more friends, and I''m sure the two of you can bond over your battling every once in a while."


    "I¡­" The guy seemed as overwhelmed as I am. Ugh, I''m not so anti-social that you have to push me to make new friends mom.


    "Think it over, okay?" Mom winked, grabbed Aaron by the shoulders, spun him around, then led him back to the caf¨¦. "Now what do you say we get the payment of your orders over and done with, hm? For giving the other customers a good show, I''ll even let you pick out a free cake to take with you back home~!"


    "S-Sure¡­" Aaron stuttered with a bit of a blush as he got dragged away before we could finish our talk.


    I blinked then turned to Elizabeth, who stomped over to give me a messy pat to the head. I looked to my mom''s starter and pointed at my retreating mother''s back in exasperation. "Elizabeth? What just happened?"


    The Nidoqueen simply huffed in amusement then lifted me in her arms like a baby and carried me off the field. "Oh, okay¡­" I let it happen despite how demeaning it was because I couldn''t fathom the lengths that my mom went through just for this battle. Mrs. Verdant happily spilled the beans that Aaron has been a consistent customer for the caf¨¦ these past three months since January.


    My mom had made Mrs. Verdant and all the other workers keep it a secret until he was ready to face me, and I was fully in the mood to seriously battle in the caf¨¦ beyond simply doing it to train Leonardo. I appreciated the thought since the lengths that she went to give me an actual fun battle was heartwarming, but damn! Mom had delicately manipulated everything just to ensure I wouldn''t be suspicious of an outsider frequenting the caf¨¦.


    She made sure that any shifts I worked in the past would prevent me from meeting Aaron.


    Those times that she conveniently let me leave work early. Aaron had shown up one too many times in a week and she didn''t want me catching on too quickly and memorizing his face.


    Drat, that last part had her take advantage of my laziness! Of course, I wouldn''t think twice about taking the rest of the workday off.


    Mom was quite the clever manipulator, and despite it all, I can still confidently say that I love her.


    Still didn''t stop me from giving her "the" look throughout the rest of my shift. She just smiled and waved me off when it came time for me to put my apron away, gather Fafnir in his pokeball, retrieve Leonardo from his thorough healing from Angel, and be on my back home to pick up Asch and Epona.


    It was finally time to go to the Sanctuary and have the rest of my pok¨¦mon (hopefully Macaque will be there) meet Fafnir.


    Currently, Daisy isn''t in town. Strangely, she wouldn''t answer my calls, so I had to call Mrs. Oak to learn that she''s off to Celadon City to meet with a couple of her friends again. Erika was probably among said group of friends since the two seem super tight.


    So, it was just going to be me alone with my pok¨¦mon.


    Things were sure to be fun with the whole gang back together again. Sylvie and Kidd must have already informed the others to be ready for my arrival. If not Kidd, then I at least trust Sylvie to be diligent and do that much. As for Kidd, hopefully he''ll tell the others not to get too enthusiastic with their introductions lest they overwhelm and scare the Dratini. After all, my pok¨¦mon are a representation of me as a person and trainer. That automatically means that they''ll be well-behaved (Kidd doesn''t count) and know when not to do too much.

 Chapter 11

    The ride over to Prof. Oak''s lab went as smoothly as any other when I arrived directly on Epona. Since the professor was home at rest, I had to check in with one of the lab aides to inform them of my plans. Thankfully, I found Lab Aide, Mr. Willow, who gladly thanked me for the heads up and used a portable radio to contact the Breeders on duty about my pok¨¦mon''s brief absences from their preferred habitats. The good sir had even offered to ask the Breeders to gather any of my pok¨¦mon that they come across to wherever I planned to go, but I turned the offer down.


    I sent Sylvie back to the Sanctuary with the express purpose of gathering the others and leading them toward one of the Sanctuary''s fenced clearings. After telling Mr. Willow which clearing it was, he contacted some Breeders to clear the place up ahead of time then allowed me to travel there once things were set. The man had even offered me to walk me halfway there in another attempt to convince me to join him on his expedition to Mt. Silver.


    He elaborated that he would be convincing more approved trainers for the job as he hopes to research the environmental strains and effects that Mt. Silver has on it''s local ecology. That and to compare Mt. Silver''s wildlife to others across the region. Last time, he went on an expedition up there to study the differences between the common Onix pok¨¦mon found in Mt. Moon and Rock Tunnel. Now he intends to study the average Ursaring that lives on the mountain to the variety that live in our area.


    Since it was a coincidence, I make mention of capturing an Ursaring and Tediursa a few days ago. He was thrilled to hear the news and extremely apologetic after hearing of why I caught them. I denied any studying of the Mama Ursaring I caught until I established what our relationship would be or whether she even wanted her and her baby Tediursa to even be apart of my team. Still, I did offer to help him go out and catch another Ursaring to study while leaving my answer toward his invite to join his expedition as a "maybe".


    Recently, I''ve looked back at all of the letters that have been sent to me during my break after the Conference and the load of things to do was already overwhelming. I wanted to introduce Fafnir to the rest of my team before discussing what our plans would be from here on out. Mr. Willow respectfully accepted my answer and sighed that he''ll have to put off giving Daisy the same offer until my own answer was concrete.


    I had asked why Daisy was even a factor in the conversation, but he ignored me and began whistling a jaunt tune. Something fishy was happening, but reaching the clearing did put my suspicions at ease for the moment.


    "Hope everything goes well for you Luke!"


    "Thanks, Mr. Willow!"


    I waved the muscular lab aide goodbye as Epona, Asch, and I crossed the wooden gates to be reunited with my cherished friends who''ve been at my side in both good and bad times during my first foray through Kanto. Sure, I''ve individually seen each after the Conference, but the last time that we''ve been truly together was during the Welcome home/Congratulations party set up by my mom and all our family friends/neighbors. That was three bloody months ago.


    So having everyone around filled me with utter joy. My smile grew upon feeling all of their eyes on me once I slammed the wooden gates closed. I barely got even five steps in before I was beset by one of my faster pok¨¦mon that outran the joyous charge of the others.


    The all too familiar buzzing that filled my ears was a delight. Any trainer familiar with Viridian Forest would be scared out of their minds with such a noise close by, but not me though. Hard to be scared of the Beedrill that I saved as a little, timid Weedle from a pack of Pidgey and Pidgeotto.


    "Hey, Dartz!" I shouted over the drowning noise of my Beedrill''s excited buzzing and clicking from my back. He clung tightly to me and buzzed before zipping around to my front to adjust his cool shades and audaciously thrust his needles into the air.


    Feeling the spirit, I looked to Asch and as one, we pumped our fists into the air in full support of our hot-blooded bug type pal. It was a shame that Dartz wouldn''t let me change his name to "Kamina" after all of the vigorous encouragement I gave him in his pre-evolution stages. "That''s right, Dartz! Your needles will pierce the heavens! That I promise you!" Asch happily nodded in full agreement while Epona exasperatedly sighed at our antics.


    "You''re just jealous that you can''t join us." I smirked and shook my upraised fist for clarification. My Rapidash rolled her eyes and snorted in my face before clopping off to the side, just narrowly avoiding the pink blur that tackled my chest and would have knocked me on ass had I not been accustomed to their overzealous antics.


    "Good job, Sylvie." I laughed and cradled my lovely pok¨¦mon.


    "Syl~ Sylveon~!" She rubbed her cheeks against mine and made herself comfortable in my arms.


    Asch grunted something over to Dartz, who buzzed about something back in a stilted way that had Asch tiredly glaring at Sylvie. My fairy type went from growling at both Dartz and Asch to Epona, who huffed something by my side.


    "Okay, what''s up? What exactly am I missing right now?"


    "Syl-!" Asch''s growling cut off whatever Sylvie was about to tell me before he pointed a claw out toward the rest of my pok¨¦mon who were lumbering their way over to me. I saw Kidd, Lenny, Sparrow, and-.


    "Macaque!?" I blinked in surprise then back to Sylvie, who relished having my full attention. "How did you manage to find him?"


    Rapidash snorted while Asch tapped his claw against the side of my head to remind me to focus. "Uh, right. Figuring out what the problem is¡­" I squinted my eyes and said, "Aren''t they moving a little slow?"


    A tap to my shoulder had me looking back to Asch. He points at his eyes then to Sylvie who was heatedly glaring at him. Slowly piecing it together, I noticed how fervently my rushing pok¨¦mon appeared as they came closer. The very same eyes that I felt on me were now solely focused on innocently smiling pok¨¦mon in my arms.


    I groaned. "Sylvie¡­ please tell me you didn''t use Attract to gather the others."


    "Sylveon?" She tilted her head in faux innocence.


    "I know I said to gather everyone here, but I didn''t mean for you to do it by force." I groaned and Sylveon visibly flinched back at my disappointment before hurrying to hop out of my arms. She barked once and all the attracted pok¨¦mon came to a halt right in front of us. Turning back to me, she began to explain herself and had me playing charades to figure out her excuse.


    Asch played mediator for me just to fact check that whatever I interpreted was right, or whatever Sylvie spoke was the full truth.


    Did she use Attract to gather everyone here? No. Which was technically true since I do have Asch, Epona, Thor, Leonardo, and Jubilee with me. It was still up in the air about Kamina''s whereabouts, but knowing him¡­


    "Scizor."


    "Jesus Chr-!" I jumped in fright and whipped around to spot that my stalwart steel and bug type had materialized behind me on one knee. Taking a deep breath, I glared at him. "And of course you''d do that." I turned to Asch and Epona and pointed at the bowing Scizor. "Did neither of you see-?"


    My Charizard and Rapidash shook their heads, but I didn''t miss their twitching faces. I dirtily glared at them before returning to ask Sylvie my questions. I chose to be more specific this time.


    I asked her if she informed the pok¨¦mon here at the Sanctuary of my arrival before using Attract on them.


    She started barking her name only for Asch to growl which prompted her to growl back at him. I raised my hand to stop the beginning of an argument and tiredly looked to my Starter. "An explanation?"


    Asch did his best to mime it out for me. He first pointed at my dazed Primeape before shaking his head and gesturing to the other attracted pok¨¦mon. Ah, so that''s how it is. "Sylvie just because Macaque was the first one to refuse and not listen to you doesn''t mean you should have escalated to use Attract on everyone on the jump after you did the same to him."


    To be honest, I''m kind of happy that she managed to stumble upon Macaque so it could save me the trouble of finding him, but I couldn''t condone the others getting done dirty like this. I sighed as Sylvie''s ears and ribbons piteously flopped to the ground, obviously saddened by my scolding.


    Picking her up into my arms, I gently ran my fingers through her fur. "I''m just disappointed, not mad." Apparently, that made her feel worse once she began to piteously croon in my arms. "However, next time please give the others some fair warning without forcing them here. I don''t mind having to go out of my way to get them myself if they refuse to listen to you. Just remember that, okay?"


    "S-Syl¡­" She nodded.


    "Good." I scratched under her chin and that put a smile back on her face. Asch rolled his eyes at this in exasperation that I was letting this go, but I wasn''t. If she were to do this again, I would legitimately get mad since I hate to repeat myself. Plus, I want to have faith that she learned her lesson. "Now could you please release the others so I can get everything ready?"


    And so, Sylvie did without a moment''s hesitation.


    Back to his senses, Sparrow angrily squawked and quickly took the air to settle his nerves from the sudden Attract placed upon him.


    Kidd just laughed it off and commended Sylvie with a deep bow in respect. I wasn''t even surprised that he''s praising her for successfully pulling off a dirty trick on him.


    Lenny blinked, looked around and started to bounce in place. The ground shook under his massive weight. The big lug was just happy to see everyone again and immediately sent his tentacles out to try and grab the nearest person or pok¨¦mon to hug.


    As for Macaque, well¡­


    "Prrrrrrrime!"


    "Macaque, you must chill!" I held Sylvie away from my raging Fighting type. He was the only one who took an extremely deep offense to Sylvie''s usage of Attract on him. The effort it took to calm him down was minimal especially once he, a Primeape, refused to look me in the eye and look the other way in a huff. Good to know that he''s still in a lovely mood after our loss at the conference.


    "Syl~!" Sylveon smugly snickered something that had Macaque''s large forehead vein growing larger and pulsing faster.


    "You shush." I scolded the fairy type before she further aggravated the Primeape.


    "¡­Sylveon¡­" Chastised, Sylvie pouted and slowly nodded.


    I deeply inhaled and saved what I had to say about his recent behavior for later. This was supposed to be a reunion and so I released all the pok¨¦mon on me to join the others. Well, everyone save for Fafnir and Tempest were released. My big old Gyarados was still adjusting to living at the port and Dockmaster Aaron seemed to be needing his help with scaring away the unfriendly Sharpedos hanging around the town''s beaches.


    I stood back and watched the way that all my pok¨¦mon interacted with each other.


    Happy to be around so many friendly faces at once, Jubilee took to the air to dance and joyously sing her name. Squawking in a panic, Sparrow was quick to follow her and keep a vigilant eye over the baby of the party as Mr. big tough bird hurried to keep pace and fly just below the innocent Togekiss. He was ready to catch her should she fall like those countless times when she was but a newly evolved Togetic. I laughed watching the Fearow act so protective of her like a guardian or older brother.


    Leonardo emerged kneeling and reported to Kamina of his recent victories. Kamina was pleased and granted the Squirtle a slight nod before stoically standing guard by my side. To say that Leonardo wasn''t trying to hold back his tears from the praise was an understatement. Dartz had even joined in on congratulating the Squirtle with a loud buzzing and righteous thrusting of his stingers to the sky.


    Whatever effect the Beedrill''s words had on Leonardo had encouraged the small turtle pok¨¦mon to energetically copy the poison-bug type and join in on thrusting his fist into the air. All of this happened while Kamina watched in exasperation, he didn''t dare scold Leonardo since I cemented how great his efforts were when dealing with a probable conference leveled trainer''s (I''ll contact Joey later about that Aaron guy) Lucario and Flaaffy.


    Electavire''s emergence from his ultra ball was filled with laughter and violence. Once the electric type and Macaque''s eyes met, a brawl ensued. The Electavire pounced on Macaque and got a few licks in before my Primeape countered with a couple of rapid punches to the face. I swear to Arceus that this always happens whenever the two meet.


    Probably has to do with the fact that I went overboard when capturing Electavire as an Elekid with Primeape. It was overkill, but the electric type looked to have enjoyed his ass beating and willingly accepted to join my team for the chance to get his get back from Macaque. The rivalry made between the two was beneficial with how it pushed each other to rapidly grow, but the constant fighting did prove to be an annoyance when the time didn''t call for their shenanigans.


    Now the two of them were past trying to punch each other''s heads off and resorted to a never-ending exchange of brutal suplexes that began to crater the entire field around us. Kidd was having the time of his life watching the two rubes duke it out while eating from a popcorn bag filled with berries. I gave up questioning where he pulled all those berries from since trying to figure EVERYTHING out about ghost types was a lost cause.


    Letting everyone enjoy themselves for a little while, I signaled for Asch to gain their attention. The resulting roar and heat emitted from my Starter''s Flamethrower had gotten everyone''s attention. Silence filled the fields as my pok¨¦mon diligently strode over to me. With some protest from Sylvie, I placed her on the other side with the rest of them while Epona clopped over to join the others without my input.


    Asch had dutifully remained by my side. As my starter, he was the leader of the pack that kept everyone in check and stood as a strong combatant that everyone strove to equal or surpass. Having my starter just as respected by the others like me, the trainer, was crucial in ensuring a stable hierarchy and lessening any serious in-fighting amongst the party.


    Coughing, I took in everyone with a smile. "I''m so glad to be with all of you guys and see that you''re doing well for yourselves." Everyone sans a grumpy Macaque vocally agreed with bigger smiles than my own.


    "Although, I guess saying that everyone is here would be an error on my part. Tempest unfortunately couldn''t join us today on account of his new digs at the port." I noticed a few of my pok¨¦mon sighing with even Kidd wiping some sweat off his brow (how a Gengar can even sweat was beyond me).


    I nodded in sympathy for them. They all clearly missed him, and it was damn shame that Tempest couldn''t be here. He would have been so happy to be around the others too. Oh well, I only hope that he''s being the best sea monster that he can be by terrorizing those Sharpedos.


    Though none took Tempest''s absence worse than Thor, who wailed to the sky and fell to his knees. He repeatedly punched the ground mumbling something that had Epona and Kamina look him in exasperation. Sometimes I wish I could understand their language¡­


    "I know, Thor, I know. I miss him too." I nodded. "But hey if you guys don''t mind, we can move this meeting over to the port and check up on him. I''m sure he''ll love-!" Thor enthusiastically jumped up with his arms high in agreement before Sylvie''s ribbon-like tendrils snapped to wrap around his head and lull him to place mess on the ground without even looking at the electric type.


    I would have chastised her then and there, but was too preoccupied with the likes of Leonardo, Kidd, Jubilee, Dartz, and Lenny coming over to give me a hug. Well, more like keep me in place. Lenny wasn''t a surprise, and Jubilee just wanted to feel included and followed along. As for Kidd, Dartz, and Leonardo, they insistently shook their heads, and pointed down at the field.


    Piecing it all together, I palm-fist tapped. "Ah, you guys are right. Going there now might get in the way of the devastation that he''s wreaking upon his prey. We shouldn''t be holding him back just because we miss him." I nodded. "I''m so sorry everyone, but let''s wait until he''s done getting cozy to visit him."


    All the pok¨¦mon on me save for Lenny and Jubilee sighed in relief, much to my confusion.


    After waking Electavire up and settling everyone down again, I pulled out Fafnir''s pokeball and looked each of my pok¨¦mon in the eye. "The main reason I called you all here is to introduce a new member to the team."


    "KISS!" Togekiss bounced in place and flew over to hover near my shoulder. Her eyes locked onto the pokeball holding her new potential friend.


    "Easy, sweetie. He''s a little shy, so let''s give him some space, okay?" My youngest pok¨¦mon chirped and leaned into my scritches underneath her chin. She obeyed and flew back to the other side with the other pok¨¦mon. Sparrow sighed and rolled his eyes at the Togekiss'' antics while Sylvie in annoyance begrudgingly glared at Jubilee and clicked her tongue.


    To give everyone clarification, I explained everything regarding the recent trade I made with Clair, the inner-workings behind said trade, and the type of conditions that Fafnir had lived in and his current behavior. I was stern and unmoving when giving the likes of Sylvie, Macaque, Kidd, and Lenny a warning on not frightening him.


    As the in-game pok¨¦dex entry for her species suggested, Sylvie was unafraid to face dragon-types and quite literally picked fights with them. This attitude of hers was instrumental in us picking off Clair''s team at the conference as her disdain for the opposing typing and haughty attitude was enough to work up and lay low the prideful dragons. Now, I only wished for her to not show that anger towards Fafnir to avoid the little guy getting traumatized by the fairy type.


    Macaque had to be given a line not to cross because once he heard Fafnir''s typing all of that huffing and puffing, he did just to ignore me vanished. His eyes were now focused on the potential strong foe that could push him to his limits. Thankfully hearing of Fafnir''s timidity killed the fighting type''s interest super-fast.


    Kidd should be obvious, so I''ll leave the "whys" pertaining to the troublesome ghost type to your imagination.


    Lenny was also obvious. His vines were too strong, and I don''t want him accidentally hurting Fafnir in a bid to welcome his little friend with a big old bear hug.


    My word alone was enough to have them take me seriously, and this authority was also solidified by Asch who growled and grunted his own experience with Fafnir as well. With the ground rules established, I gave an order to my three fastest pok¨¦mon in Epona, Kamina, and Dartz to be ready to intercept the Dratini should he flee with Extreme Speed.


    Holding out his pokeball, I released Fafnir to the outside world. The small Dratini blinked and shook himself off before going stock still at the sight of all the larger pok¨¦mon surrounding him.


    I quietly approached him. "Hey, Faffy." He shakily turned back to face me before devolving into a panicked pattern of keeping his eyes on my other pok¨¦mon then back to me. I-It''s progress, at least he''s not running off. Just gotta keep his attention on me.


    Picking him up and into my arms seemed to do the trick as he seemed less tense. Also, any chance of running away would be difficult now. "Remember when I said that you''d be meeting the team today?" He shakily nodded. "Well, this is them. Say hello guys."


    My pok¨¦mon happily gave their greetings to the shaking Dratini. The likes of Sylvie and Macaque were half-hearted at best in the case of the Primeape grunting at the dragon type and Sylvie sniffing her nose with a "hmph" and looking off to the side. This got me to sigh, but at least they were on their best behavior.


    Time was set aside for my team to truly get to know Dratini before we delved into the other reason for this meeting. I gave Fafnir to Asch, and the Dratini was fast to wrap its body around the long neck of my Charizard. It was kind of adorable that Fafnir was already this close to Asch despite knowing him for two days. Yet when you look at it from his perspective, after being pushed around and beaten up by bigger dragon type pok¨¦mon would naturally have you seek the protection of another powerful pok¨¦mon who''s willing to defend you.


    Asch paid Epona''s teasing whinnying no mind and slowly approached my team of pok¨¦mon. My starter took it upon himself to introduce Fafnir to everyone in increments than all at once to avoid overwhelming the little guy.


    Epona and Kamina, two of the mature members of my team, were naturally the first ones to greet and introduce themselves to Fafnir. Kamina was curt and straight to the point, which didn''t scare Fafnir off, but the steel-bug type''s silence did intimidate him. Fafnir, however, was more receptive to Epona as the Rapidash calmly neighed and gently licked at the Dratini''s cheek, earning Fafnir''s adulating croons of laughter. There was some respect forged from their interactions that allowed Fafnir to let his guard down around them.


    Next to introduce himself was Dartz, and Fafnir hilariously couldn''t seem to grasp why the Beedrill kept thrusting his stinger in the air and passionately buzzing about something. Fafnir looked up to Asch for an explanation, but my Starter simply laughed and shrugged as if to say, "that''s just Dartz". Fafnir still didn''t seem to know what make of the Beedrill but greeted them back, still a little weirded out.


    Following Dartz was supposed to be Leonardo, but Kidd appeared from thin air in front of the Squirtle and mischievously unhinged his jaw and rolled his tongue out at the Dratini to scare him. It certainly did work because Fafnir was gone from Asch''s neck in a flash. The Gengar raucously laughed before earning a well-earned Fire Punch, Bullet Punch, and Thunder Punch from Asch, Kamina, and Thor respectively.


    Thankfully Dartz was quick enough to capture the fleeing Dratini and bring him back to listen to Kidd''s deepest apologies. Fafnir was still wary of the Ghost type, but the hilarious sight of Kid covered in bruises did lead him to accepting it.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Leonardo was ecstatic to no longer be the newest guy in the team, and excitedly introduced himself to Dratini. His attempts to act cool and mysterious in front of his newest Junior flew out the window when he failed to do a backflip on got stuck wobbling on his shell. Fafnir laughed and in a cute display helped the embarrassed Squirtle up by headbutting his shell to move up. I laughed and knew that those were going to get along just fine.


    Thor''s introduction was fairly standard much to my surprise. He laughed and waved at the Dratini before leaving it at that. Dratini didn''t seem to have much of a grasp of the electric type and was pushed along by Asch to interact with Jubilee and Sparrow now. Asch tossed the Electavire a warning look that had the electric type laughing. Confused, I observed Electavire a bit more closely and noticed how his red eyes never left Dratini and how both of his fists were clenched and releasing smalls pops of sparks. Ah, looks like Thor was going to long game until Fafnir evolved into a Dragonite to face him.


    Now Fafnir and Jubilee''s first-time meeting didn''t go as I expected. I thought that Sparrow would be the one to scare the little noodle off, but no, it was Jubilee. My sweet Togekiss was hyper enthused to finally befriend the small Dratini and her bubbly attitude overwhelmed the Dratini enough to run away and hide behind Asch. Shocked, Jubilee tried again and was met with similar results.


    It was so bad that she nearly cried from the rejection of friendship and looked to Sparrow for help. The Fearow simply sighed and squawked something to her before shaking his head. Tearing up, she immediately rushed to my side and started balling her eyes out. I huffed and consoled my big crying baby.


    "Shh¡­it''s okay. Remember what I said about not overwhelming him? That''s why..."


    "K-Kiss¡­" She whimpered.


    "I know you want to be friends, but you can''t be so pushy. I know you didn''t mean anything mean by it, but Faffy''s been pushed around so much by mean pok¨¦mon in his life that he just can''t tell the difference yet." I whispered more words of encouragement and gave her a pat to the head to cheer her up enough to start giggling.


    Jubilee and Fafnir did try to get to know each other again, and things worked out fine. My little girl took my words to heart and cleverly Asch was able to convince Fafnir to give her a chance. Sparrow was gruff yet welcoming to the Dratini after Jubilee was able to befriend the new addition.


    I had to step in to slowly help Lenny properly hug Dratini with his thinner vines and surprisingly Dratini found the big guy to be delightful with all the tickles that he received from the grass type.


    Macaque didn''t react much to the Dratini beyond a grunt, and Sylvie''s only form of acknowledgement was a roll of the eyes, a pat to the Dratini''s head, and a loud yawn. She trotted over to me and happily leant against my leg, baying for head pats that I begrudgingly gave for her adequate behavior.


    Thirty minutes later and Fafnir seemed about as acquainted with the others as he could be, but he still didn''t pull himself from Asch''s side (or should I say neck?). These things take time so there was no need to rush because now was the time to get shit done.


    I loudly whistled and earned everyone''s attention back to myself. "Good. I am glad that you all are getting along with our new friend swimmingly well, but we do have other matters to get to. Preferably one that deals with a potential battle that''s sure to fall on my lap any time soon." I snickered as all of my pok¨¦mon excitedly leaned in at the prospect of getting chosen.


    Pulling out some chalk, I instinctively looked for my old chalkboard before remembering that I didn''t carry my bag with me, thus it was at home. Great. I groaned and looked over my shoulder at Prof. Oak''s lab which was a considerable distance away from here but not TOO far. Still, it was far, and I didn''t want to go there and back just to borrow one of their chalk boards.


    Snapping my fingers and pointing to the ground behind me, I ordered. "Rock Tomb."


    Without blinking, I faced the massive boulder that was a mere foot away from crushing me and happily waved back to the pok¨¦mon responsible. "Thanks, Asch." I drew two tables with one carrying the title of "Clair" and the other having the title of "Training Exercises".


    "All of you are familiar with Clair, yes?" I didn''t need to turn around to know that all of them nodded. Certainly didn''t need to hear Sylvie''s growling to know that she''d never forget the blunette either. "Good because she''s bound to come back to challenge me again after her business with her clan is done. Which is why we''re going to prepare for her."


    Sylvie proudly puffed out her chest.


    "Yes, I know. You were the actual key to beating her team last time, but we can''t just be relying on just you, Sylvie." Sylvie huffed and clicked her tongue. My smile fell as I dropped all pretense of joviality, "Our main advantage was her underestimating our skill and the "mystery" behind our effective tactics against her dragons. Clair''s certainly arrogant but never a fool. She will wise up to our old tricks and develop counters for them. That is why we''ll have to set up a new strategy just for her."


    Sylvie solemnly nodded and listened to my every word with rapt attention.


    I nodded and faced the others. "Now I severely doubt that she''ll be making use of Aerodactyl for this rematch." Asch, Sparrow, Macaque, Sylvie, and Kidd heatedly glared at nothing as hostility filled the air. It was good to know that five of the six pok¨¦mon that struggled with me during that tragic fall in Grampa Canyon shared my same disdain for that flying rocky bastard.


    Jubilee squirmed from all of the negativity emanating from them and it took me placating the others to get her to calm down.


    "The punk''s too wild and viscous to straight up use in a battle that quickly. It''ll take time, and besides they have plans for propagating his kind." Jubilee and Leonardo innocently tilted their heads at this while Sylveon and Macaque looked visibly disgusted at the news of Aerodactyl''s future reproduction plans.


    Kidd darkly cackled and started doing things with his hand-! Oh, dear god not in front of Jubilee. "Sylvie, please smack Kidd upside the head."


    *SMACK!* "Geng!"


    "Thank you, Sylvie." I returned to detailing each of Clair''s pok¨¦mon: Dragonair (her starter), Dragonite (Sp. Atk. focus on Ice type moves), Dragonite (Sp. Atk. focus on Electric type moves), Gyarados, Kingdra, and Altaria.


    "These pok¨¦mon are the guys that we defeated last time, and I doubt Clair will be using the same line up as before. Dragonair is an obvious stay in her team, and no doubt at least one Dragonite will remain as well. Her Gyarados is pretty 50/50, it took Dartz and Thor to soften it up before I switched them out for Sylveon''s debut and wiped it out." Beedrill''s toxic and Electavire''s type advantage had softened that serpent of hers just enough for Sylvie to finish it off with a stalling Attract + Draining Kiss tactic. From there I only had faith in Sylvie''s capabilities and typing to get me through the rest of the match as I was down one substitution to her untouched three.


    "Altaria''s a definite no after how quickly Sylveon dispatched of her after Gyarados''s defeat. The shame of that quick loss was the key to rock Clair off her game. Kingdra is in the same boat as Gyarados since she plans to stack two water types against Asch." I mulled it over and rubbed my chin. "If I were Clair¡­"


    Come on, I have to try and be in her shoes. It doesn''t have to be a perfect one to one, but any form of perspective is better than going in blind. "I''d work to overcome the embarrassing loss to an old foe by working to utterly dominate them." Urgh, that much should be clear, but what else?


    "And for the foe that caused me such humiliation, I''ll plan to¡­" I thought real hard on whatever plan that she had in store before a thought came to mind. Thoughts from my old life''s experience with the games and the likelihood that Clair would be petty enough to pull it off. "Overwhelm you with a similar face."


    I looked at Asch, who curiously blinked at me.


    I did find it odd that neither Clair nor Lance had used an Aerodactyl or Charizard in their respective League sanctioned battles before. The reasoning why went above me since I thought they wouldn''t be picky about having any pok¨¦mon that resembled a dragon despite their typing. Clair specifically, I wouldn''t put it past her to start training up a Charmander just to spite me and throw me off kilter.


    And¡­


    I really had to dig deeper for why "Charizards" and the "Blackthorn Clan" seemed to fit so well together.


    "Wasn''t there an episode in the anime where¡­?" I trailed off and pulled out a specific letter with the insignia of a red flame on it. One of the many letters that were sent to me during my long period of recuperation. "Asch, looks like we''ll be heading to Johto for a while."


    Without question my Charizard dutifully nodded. I once told him about the invitation in passing and the specifics, but I''m sure he''s gotten the gist of our plans. "And Epona, we also got a letter from the Laramie Family." The flames of my Rapidash''s mane excitedly grew a hotter degree. "Its nothing serious so it''ll be a good first stop to take before we head out."


    In high spirits she neighed and looked about ready to go running laps around the whole of Pallet Town at the prospect of returning home.


    Now before everyone got too excited about the prospect of travelling, I had to remind them that we had to focus on getting back in order. I don''t doubt that they neglected their individual training, but we must move back into the swing of things about training as a whole unit. So, these next couple of days will be spent on basic training just to recount that none of them had gotten rusty with some of their moves and haven''t gotten soft with the resistance training.


    And so, I started with Resistance training much to a few of their grievances since it was NOT a fun training exercise to do but that was of great necessity. I separated the groups who had a type of advantage against those with their respective type weaknesses and set them off to practice. The prospect of how well each pok¨¦mon does in the coming days would better their chances of being picked for the Clair battle.


    I advised Asch to keep an eye on Fafnir as he was only tasked to observe for today. My Charizard gruffly agreed before shooting the laughing Thor a glare for the surprise Thunderbolt to the back. Asch didn''t flinch nor were his scales burned, which was a testament to his harsh training, but the pain was still present.


    Watching them all go; I was left with the one pok¨¦mon that I held back.


    Crossing my arms, I looked down at Primeape who refused to look me in the eye. "Now what have you been up to lately¡­?"


    "¡­"


    "Not even going to say anything? Fine. I''ll get my answers another way then." I observed my Primeape closely and noticed something off about his fur. Reaching out, I slowly reached out and plucked a couple of strands out.


    "Grey fur?"


    "Prrrime¡­!" He grunted and turned the other way.


    "It''s either your anger is stressing you out, your way older than you appear, or¡­" I narrowed my eyes to him. "You''ve been deliberately disobeying my order not to use Rage Fist."


    "¡­"


    "Fine." I sighed. "If you''re going to be this way then don''t expect to be selected for the battle with Clair or any of my upcoming ventures to Johto." All that bitter silence melted away into absolute lividness as Macaque whipped around to growl at me. Good, I was finally getting a reaction out of him.


    "Then stop it! We''ve already talked about this. You are not allowed to use Rage Fist until we''ve figured out it''s whole deal!" Macaque angrily stamped his fist. "The risk just isn''t worth it, Macaque. We can''t rush it and hope for the best!"


    "Prrrrimeape!" He angrily gestured to Thor and Jubilee.


    "Jubilee wasn''t at risk with her evolution, and as for Thor¡­" I trailed off and lightly winced. "Okay I don''t have an excuse for that. I''d like to call that a calculated risk, but I had nearly blinded myself and Thor would have died from all that electricity if we had overdone it." I can admit to when I screwed up, it wasn''t a foreign concept to me. Hell, I''ve learned to swallow that bitter pill for 25 years of my previous life. "However, that''s a poor excuse. Why would I just let you go on and use Rage Fist right after seeing how disastrous it is on your body?"


    I cursed my ignorance when I willfully told Macaque all about the meta-knowledge I had of his species and their as of yet to be discovered third evolution, Annihilape. Shadow Claw + Fire Punch. It was a combination move that we worked so hard to master, and when we did, we placed all of our efforts in honing the ghost type energy from Shadow Claw and severely shaved down the fire type energy of Fire Punch. Having Kidd to help coach Macaque on Ghost type moves helped the process along.


    The fruits of our labor took form when we battled that emotionless doll of a gym leader in Saffron City. That was the first gym before Viridian City that pushed us toward our breaking point. Memories of watching that petulant doll laughing as the girl that held it unleashed her ace, an Alakazam that was tailored for 7 badged trainers instead of 6 badges. To this day, I''ve never felt so much catharsis watching Macaque narrowly secure our victory by unlocking Raging Fist to pummel the hell out of that broken Alakazam.


    It at least felt right to think of that as one of the few good memories during my time in Saffron. The others were far from ever being pleasant.


    More thoughts came to the forefront of my mind pertaining to the image of a twisted and torn doll ominously resembling my childhood friend, the frightened cries, and tears of a pathetic girl whose first taste of emotion in years was pure fear, and the delightful look of sheer horror that she exhibited after digging far deeper than she had any right to and saying too much that was intended to push me too far.


    I deeply inhaled and soothed my nerves. Clenching the fist that broke that pitiful child''s unchallenged arrogance was always enough to calm me down.


    Sadly, that moment of triumph with Rage Fist didn''t carry over too well into our eighth gym battle against the bastard Don himself. Our efforts to defeat his Eighth badge team was hard fought but a smashing success thanks to Macaque''s effort. I didn''t even need to use Asch until that bastard gym leader started having different plans for me after pulling his secret "trump" card.


    Like a fool, I thought the metaknowledge would be 100% accurate if I had just ordered Macaque to keep spamming Rage Fist on the armored juggernaut we faced at Viridian. 20 times. If he could land Rage Fist that many times, then he could evolve and turn the tables.


    We were successful on that part, and Macaque fell. Like the fool I patiently waited for him to get up. He didn''t. Then I had to deal with Giovanni''s insufferable gloating about how I had foolishly led my own Primeape to his own self-inflicted death while Asch and I had to fight for our literal lives just to eke out a win and show the smug prick up.


    "We were so caught up in doing what we thought would work without considering the finality of the ramifications." I unconsciously rubbed my upper right chest down to my lower abdomen, searching for the holes that once riddled my body ¨C my old body ¨C just before I had passed onto this life. "Macaque, you almost killed yourself fighting Mewt-."


    "Prrrrrime!" My pok¨¦mon defiantly shook his head.


    I looked him dead in the eye and nodded. "Yes, you did." Call me harsh, but I don''t ever mince words about the dead or those who were close to place one foot in the grave. Death is a harsh reminder that reaches us all. I have the misfortune of experiencing it twice whenever this new life ends, and I want Macaque to somewhat get that without having to live(die?) through it like me.


    It was considered a royally stupid move to stare a Primeape in the eye. To them it was a sign of provocation and thus a challenge. It was because of this eye contact that I accidentally made with Macaque as a Mankey on Route 1 that had forced our paths to cross as he and his whole pack of Mankey attacked Asch (Charmander), Sparrow (Spearow) that led to his inevitable capture. Since then, I''ve learned a thing or two and that was to NOT back down.


    It was an oxymoron just to stare down an easily provoked and enraged pok¨¦mon until they back down and stowed away their fury. Yet it had worked, to a degree. Macaque stopped glaring at me with rage so hot that it could burn me where I stood.


    He faced away from me and huffed to himself.


    I sighed. "Macaque you''re one of the strongest pok¨¦mon I have in my party up just behind Asch." Macaque angrily twitched and yet I kept going, ignoring his small one-sided beef with my starter. "So, know that whether you had used Rage Fist during the Finals does not change the valiant efforts you made against Reggie''s Infernape."


    Macaque''s shoulders momentarily slumped at the mention of his loss before they stubbornly tensed up again. The loss to the Sinnoh starter would always weigh heavily on his mind. It''s the reason why he''s been acting up in the first place.


    "And please don''t take your anger out on Leonardo by snubbing him like you did after the Conference. He worked hard and it was Asch and I''s decision to field him."


    Macaque remained unmoving, but I did see his ear twitch in acknowledgement of my words. Now whether he would heed them was a different story.


    "Look, I''ve also heard word from Mr. Gabe that he spotted you near Pallet Peaks. Is that true?"


    "¡­"


    "You know I''m starting to get tired of you doing that¡­" I groaned. "Can you at least tell me if you were responsible for the Golem and Graveler that fell down and terrorized the pok¨¦mon below?"


    Macaque furiously shook his head.


    "Well, that''s comforting." Also, I don''t have to go out and apologize to Ranger Gabe for a screw up that my pok¨¦mon did; I already deal with enough of that at home with mom so that was a relief. "So, can you tell me why you were off Sanctuary grounds and near Pallet Peaks? Was it to practice Rage Fist?"


    "¡­"


    Ugh. "Look, I won''t pry since I''ve already done enough of that already. However, I''m going to give you a choice. If you want to engage in the future battle against Clair, then stop using Rage Fist until I explicitly give you actual permission." Macaque slightly turns to face me. "I''ll work on figuring a way to confirm if we''re doing things right than halting its use altogether. If you can live up to your end of this deal then I guarantee you''ll be selected for the Clair rematch, understand?"


    Macaque took a while to respond before slowly nodding. "Prime¡­"


    I sighed in relief. "That''s good. Nice that we can finally see eye to eye again. Now¡­" I loudly clapped my hands and pointed to the rest of my team hard at work. "Lets get to training!"


    "Prrrrrimeape!" And like that he''s off and quickly piled in to join Asch and Thor''s training. Except he jumped in the middle of Thor firing a Thunderbolt, got pissed and started another fight with the Electavire. Asch and Fafnir watched this from the sidelines until I had to step in and get everyone back on track.


    Today''s basic training was less intensive than the old ones when we were travelling on the road during our first Circuit. Everyone''s display of power, speed, defense and accuracy remained the same with some minor improvements since the break. Combination moves for Leonardo were a work in progress as he still hasn''t gotten down the Ice Aqua Jet.


    Fafnir was excited to join in the training, but I had to stop him since we had to build up more from what he already knows and wait until his next shedding to truly begin. His scales were still old and chipped, so we wanted to reduce the risk of him getting harmed. To keep him preoccupied I told him to start small and try to learn Wrap by trying to choke the life out of Asch''s huge ankles.


    My Charizard awkwardly watched the noodle try in vain to inconvenience him while trying to focus on his own training. It was quite funny to watch. It was a damn shame that I couldn''t bring Angel to make use of her Gravity move and up the ante, but like I said, today was for the basics. Going forward we would go back to doing Resistance training, a Combination moves workshop, and hopefully Gravity training.


    Time went by real fast as I started getting into the nitty gritty of perfecting Thor''s Magnet Rise, so that he could mimic the ability to fly rather than levitate in place like a sitting duck. I had Sparrow leave our training early to stand watch at Ash''s school as he was ordered to usually do on the off chance that school ended early or should something/someone suspicious turn up there.


    Call me paranoid or overprotective, but I''d rather be paranoid about the safety of my little brother than simply be lax and later panic should anything troublesome happen. And knowing my brother''s record, trouble was always liable to happen should we take our eyes off him for even a moment.


    My mind wandered to other things as I focused on my pok¨¦mon''s training. In particular, the owner of the very Sanctuary that we found ourselves on. "I wonder if Prof. Oak is enjoying his day off. Probably must be bored out of his mind with having no research to do."


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "C''est magnifique!"


    "I take it that these findings are to your liking, Sycamore?" Prof. Samuel Oak chuckled as he reclined back in his bed, surrounded by folders, books, and coffee-stained papers.


    "You have no clue, Samuel. This is just what I needed for my research, the data models and the qualitative information provided by your sponsored trainer could finally be the push I need to confirm my hypothesis and go public with my report."


    Prof. Oak smiled. "So does this mean you''re willing to consider backing my sponsored trainer for the near future?"


    "With this boon of data that you''ve brought to me, it would be poor of me to not compensate the both of you." His old friend''s smile was accompanied by a frown. "Though I''m afraid that I can''t promise anything concrete just yet. Our league''s still weary about opening our borders to the others so trying to provide permission for one trainer is going to be a difficult task to push for the other members of the league''s council."


    "Quite. Rowan faced similar issues too in the past. It wasn''t until last year that he finally got enough leeway to send one of his older sponsored trainers over to Kanto." Oak had felt bad that he kept such information in regard to Luke''s final opponent in last year''s conference a secret. Yet keeping such secrets were vital for providing the structure for a stronger and unified League.


    Though Samuel doubted that Luke minded, he took his loss in the Finals in stride much to his disbelief and relief. The boy was no longer visibly hounded by the loss his family suffered with Asch''s passing, and that was a comfort for Samuel. He swore to himself and an old friend that he would never see a child carry such a crippling burden. That isn''t to say that boy''s issues weren''t lingering, but Samuel was optimistic enough to digress and accept when was progress was made.


    His colleague''s eyes widened. "That''s right. No wonder that young man seemed so familiar. I''m impressed that Rowan''s trainer was able to best his second conference and so fast."


    "Well, you know Rowan. Leave it to him to choose only his most studious students to make a lasting impression." The sight of foreign pok¨¦mon combating the Indigo Conference''s finest trainers and entering a grueling battle with Luke''s pok¨¦mon in the finals did cause an uproar amongst the people of Kanto and Johto. Yet the intrigue of these pok¨¦mon sparked the interest of these very same people.


    Now everyone here in the united regions was curious and demanding answers that the Indigo League weren''t going to spill until the moment was right. Oak deeply sighed about the strain placed upon the League''s president and Champion. A part of Samuel was glad that he wasn''t in Muramasa''s shoes right now, but he sent his regards for the who had proven himself a worthy successor to the title.


    As for the League''s president, he was sure that good reliable Goodshow was providing the best support he can as the Head of the Pok¨¦mon League''s Conference Committee, but even he couldn''t deny that she had her limits.


    ¡­


    "I should remind Daisy to grab Gary and give Pyrrha a call."


    "What was that Samuel?" His friend questioned him on the other side of the video call.


    Samuel waved him off. "It''s nothing. Just the worried ramblings of a senile old man." Samuel pondered on something.


    "So, I take it that the delay with convincing your League would kill his chances of competing there this year?"


    "No, it will mean that he''ll be extremely late to compete this year. If to estimate¡­" His colleague muttered to himself before answering, "I''d say he would have four months in all."


    Samuel inhaled sharply as his friend laughed bitterly.


    "I know, I know. I''m afraid this is the best I can do with the time I was given. Rowan took five years to convince Sinnoh to at least consider sending one of their own to your region. I''m given a shorter timeframe which would normally be killing your trainer''s chances of coming here so early. Thankfully a miracle came in the form of another council member taking an interest in your trainer."


    Oak blinked. "Really?"


    "I was surprised too, but this council member has been of great help once I proposed to potentially be backing a trainer from Kanto. Haven''t the foggiest idea how he perfectly guessed it would be your trainer that I was interested in supporting, but it looked like he''s a big fan of him. He wouldn''t stop praising how "beautiful" of a supernova he was during last year''s Indigo League Conference."


    Samuel nodded. "I see. This council member seems to be quite¡­eccentric."


    His friend shook his head. "Certainly, but I''m sure you''d get along with him once you''ve gotten to know him."


    Somewhere inside Oak, he wanted to agree but found himself questionably hesitant to do so. "So, four months¡­ this is quite the conundrum. Are there any conditions that he must complete for his visit there?"


    "Apart from not making any trouble, then no. Making a name for himself over here and leaving a lasting impression would better benefit your League in convincing mine to open their boarders. Though if I may suggest, be sure that your officials inform ours that they''re considering Galar to be the next region considered to be merged with yours. That ought to light a fire under them."


    Samuel nervously laughed with the sheer intensity behind his friend''s words. It seemed that peace had failed to dull the high tensions between Galar and Kalos since the two great wars. "I''ll be sure to inform Pyrrha of the advice."


    "See that you do please." His friend frowned. "As for the inconvenience that your trainer will experience, I apologize. You coming to me with this data is going to be a godsend for my research, and it pains me that the region he wanted to go to the most will be a short venture."


    When Samuel had asked Luke for the regions that he wanted to visit the most, he was quite surprised to find that his list included: Orre (Oak wouldn''t entertain this choice), Kalos, Sinnoh, and Alola. Most of these regions weren''t even public knowledge unless you searched for them and knew what to search for.


    Oak would have to blame old Sergeant Grouse for going on a tangent about his old missions during the first war. The older man just didn''t know when to keep such confidential matters on the hush-hush around the Ketchum kids when begrudgingly volunteering to babysit for Delia back in the day. This didn''t quite resolve all of Oak''s questions regarding his old student''s knowledge of the regions, but he''s learned to deal with it.


    Besides, he''s seen weirder back in his hay day and chose to turn a blind eye on the odd behavior of the Ketchum household''s firstborn child. Sammy has always been one to express gratitude to his friends¡­and the friends of his grandchildren.


    "Which is why, I''m willing to provide whatever I can as compensation for his unacceptable short stay here. Does have anything that comes to mind¡­?"


    Samuel shook his head then paused as an old memory arose. Memories of when he''d leave last year''s students to study in his lab. He played enrichening piano music in the hope that it would soothe their woes. It did except for one child who looked terrified and unconsciously kept drawing pictures of a pok¨¦mon that he should have no knowledge of at all. Another oddity that Oak chose to ignore.


    Samuel started. "Well, I might have an inkling of an idea. But first, do you still possess your starter?"


    "Hah, as if I could ever part with Nessy. Mon compagnon et moi sommes inseparables."


    "Then yes, Sycamore, there is something that you can provide for my sponsored trainer." Samuel happily spilled the beans and laughed along with Sycamore about the ease of which he can fulfill the request. The two kept the talk going, trading any findings of their research in the hopes that it can help the other until it came time to say their goodbyes then log off.


    Samuel lazily crumpled back down into bed to look up at the ceiling in a daze. "Ah, I forgot to ask Sycamore if any guests could accompany Luke for the trip. Sorry, Daisy¡­" He yawned. "I certainly hope that she won''t catch wind of this."


    "She might."


    "Urk!" Samuel felt a chill down his spine as he sat straight up like nail to look his stunningly beautiful and terrifying daughter-in-law in the eye. Her smile was radiant, but the sheer fury behind those brown pools for eyes had him more scared stiff.


    The tray filled in her hands slightly rattled in her clenched hands as she angrily took in all of the paperwork and filed in his mess of a room. "Father-in-law, you wouldn''t happen to be working yourself to the bone despite this being your day-off, are you?"


    "W-Wait, Willow!" Prof. Oak gulped and nervously laughed. "I-I can explain?"


    Later that day, Gary and Daisy returned home to find their grandfather, on his knees with his head to the ground, begging their pouting and fuming mother for forgiveness. Their grandfather''s Alakazam, Zam, watched all of the proceedings with a cup of coffee while simultaneously doing a crossword puzzle and a booklet of sudoku with his psychic powers. The children of the household took in the scene, shrugged at each other, then joined their father for the dinner that their mother had prepared for them beforehand.


    For them it was just another day in the Oak Residence.

 [Omake] Are you ready to Brawl?

    You ever just die then somehow find out that you ended up reincarnating in some other world that you¡¯ve been familiar with ever since your childhood?


    No? Well good because I wouldn¡¯t want you all to know the sheer pain it was to experience and be cognizant through childbirth and the horrible, inevitable child rearing that came with being a helpless baby.


    Now¡­ugh, okay, I¡¯ll just skip all pretense because using prose and referential words that imply what you¡¯re already understanding (or completely missing) is tiresome and seriously killing my deep meditative trance that helps my focus before an oncoming match.


    So, lets speedrun through all of this together, alright?


    I died.


    Bit the big one.


    Went the way of Ol¡¯ Yeller¡­or Ol¡¯ Growlithe in terms of the world I mysteriously found myself reborn into. Yep, I was reincarnated into the world of pok¨¦mon, it was super obvious when my new mother held me as she and my father were given the general rundown of my health by the doctor, an extremely familiar yet attractive tanned pink-haired nurse, and the egg-shaped creature chiming ¡°Chansey! Chansey! Chansey!¡±


    You couldn¡¯t get any more obvious than that.


    After that, I¡¯ve basically lived a standard childhood. Being born to a family in Hoenn was a shock, but not unwelcome. I got to live next to the beach, my family was financially well off, and I got to finally learn how to ride a surf board after years of being envious of those damn ¡°Rocket Power¡± kids from my old life childhood.


    Still, I ate loads of sand from my first days of trying to catch that good wave as my mom had put it.


    Dewford Town was just your average island settlement with the weirdest traditions. Since everyone lived so close together, you can basically get to know any and all of the usual happenings in a separate single family unit without even trying. The weirdest tradition of all was the annual ¡°Trending¡± tournament held down at Town Hall.


    If you and your pok¨¦mon can triumph over any and all challengers who seek to throw in a ¡°trend¡± or ¡°catchphrase¡±, then that trend will officially be adopted by the island as a new word. That was freaking hilarious and awesome! Once I worked hard enough at school and convinced my folks to send a recommendation to the League so that I could receive a starter pok¨¦mon from Prof. Birch himself, I immediately got to working towards getting my catchphrase out to the people of Dewford Town.


    Sure, I placed my Gym Circuit time on hold for about a month or three, but with Granite Cave literally nearby, I managed to capture and work up a great team to dominate my neighbors and the island locals¡¯ teams. Man was that such a cathartic day, and after billing in my catchphrase it sort of just stuck with me. The locals were all too nice and decided to keep using it to this day.


    It had even gotten to the point to where it somehow became my all-around catchphrase once my achievements began to show themselves to the public of Hoenn.


    Going on a pok¨¦mon journey at 11 years old (I know, what an arbitrary change from the canon 10 years old¡­) was super enlightening. Not being boggled down by the constraints of the video games pushing in the plot of defeating the region¡¯s bad guys and capturing the doomsday Legendary provided so much freedom. Though since this was now real life that was to be expected. I made some friends along the way, even had to break things off with some really close friends, but my first journey was one I''d never forget.


    Though I was immediately taken out of the loop once I realized how early I was in the timeline. There was no Dewford Gym leader, and both Roxanne and Flannery weren¡¯t gym leaders yet. They were fresh newbies like me. Along with a certain Mr. Moneybags that was filled with too much hot air at the time to admit that he lost to some ¡°No-name Islander¡± and his ¡°overgrown chicken¡±.


    Hehehe, the future scion of the Devon Corporation sure came a long way since back then.


    I guess me being there to knock him down a peg sure did wonders for his budding sense of integrity.


    Anyhow, I had managed to collect all 8 gym badges and trained myself and my pok¨¦mon to the very limit to reach the Finals of the Hoenn League''s Ever Grand Conference. So when it came time to participate in the Conference, my team and I blitzed through all of the opposing trainers with 100% of our effort and at the end, we faced my rival, Steven, in the Finals.


    The battle was literally the second hardest one that I¡¯ve ever been in since I¡¯ve begun my career as a pokemon trainer. And to top it all off, it was the first ever time I had tied with someone before. Sure, I¡¯ve lost, but tying against an equal in the final match of the League Finals was a huge deal. Everyone was just as surprised as we were since with no clear victor, things didn¡¯t have any finality.


    Until my rival and I decided to give everyone the clarity they needed by agreeing to the tie and sharing the victory together. And so, Steven and I became the first pair of Ever Grande Conference contenders to tie and consequentially win the tournament in Hoenn history.


    Though neither of us deigned to take on the Elite Four Challenge to tackle the League Champion, Drake. Not with such a big score to settle between us having been left unfinished.


    And so, we both went our different ways with me saying goodbye to old friends and unexpectedly welcoming some new odd ones along the way. It was awkward at first, but they were more than a delight to have as company when I had found myself deprived of the much needed human contact when studiously training in the wilds.


    Yep after making it as far as I did in the tournament, I could have just gone on to solely training in Hoenn and eventually settle down to build up a Gym back at Dewford City. I¡¯d gain a lot of money from my run on the Circuit, and my new close companion was willing to chip in to support the idea. Heck, after my spectacular showing at the Conference, the League would be hard-pressed to search for a reason not to allow me into the ranks as one of the region''s vaunted Gym Leaders.


    But¡­nah.


    I didn¡¯t want to be some surfer dude who owned a quiet gym in my hometown. I actually wanted to expand my horizons and see what the world had to offer. So, I chose to challenge the other Battle Circuits of the other regions. Freaking shame that only Kanto and Johto were open to us, but I took what I could get and made SO many mountains out Diglett hills. And so, I just obtained their badges after five years of battling, training, cave spelunking, studying under various masters, and learning the lore of each land. I never did actually participate in their Leagues though. Since I still had a score to settle with the newly minted CEO of Devon Corp, Steven Stone.


    Once I returned home, I basically doubled down on my training and prepared for the day of my rematch. I hated to be so callous against my opponents when the next Ever Grande Conference came rolling around again, but they were nothing more but warm-up matches to the Grand Finale that I had been preparing for those past five years.


    And when it came for my rematch against my rival, Steven, I then experienced the hardest battle of my life with myself barely gaining a victory over the talented Scion. Both my Starter and his Metagross held the stage, and either one could have taken the match for their own based on their dual opposing typings countering each other.


    Yet despite all of that¡­


    We had still done it.


    We won.


    Then came the Elite Four challenges¡­


    And finally, the epic Title Defense Match against Drake, the Dragon Master of Hoenn.


    And¡­well, I guess after all of that, I can safely say that I accomplished what I sought out to do. Didn¡¯t really have anything bogging me down. Certainly didn¡¯t choose to take the canon route that my cool but underwhelming canon counterpart took in regards to living a simple surfer''s lifestyle.


    ...Oh, yeah, you might pieced it together some time ago, but allow me to introduce myself.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Yo, the name¡¯s Brawly Slater (18) from Devon Town, and after besting Hoenn''s Finest a year ago, I¡¯m now officially the Hoenn League¡¯s one and only Champion!


    <hr>


    My personal locker room shook itself as the rhythmic and coordinated stomping of the crowd outside filled the air along with the excited tension of the upcoming match that would soon play out in a matter of minutes. The various chanting of my name ¡°BRAWLY! BRAWLY! BRAWLY! BRAWLY!¡± would always get me pumped up to just burst into the stadium of Ever Grande City and give them the best time of their night.


    But no, I had a ritual.


    One I could never ignore.


    The grunting of my pok¨¦mon doing their last minute stretching, exercises, and spars filled the background. The meaty sounds of fists and paws rang out throughout the locker room as Ryu and Shisui, my Lucario and Gallade respectively, engaged each other in one last spar. Neither one fully going at it, simply moving through the motions.


    Like every spar they¡¯ve ever been in coalesced into but a vicious dance of well-practiced and earned muscle memory.


    Aerosmith quickly dove through the various sized rings hung up from the ceiling, the Swellow was always well-practiced with handling his large wing span, doubly so at the high speeds that he was going at.


    While Optimus, my trusted Aggron and first pok¨¦mon ever caught was tanking the harsh palm strikes from my stout Hariyama, Honda.


    But no, none of them were included in this pre-match ritual.


    I studiously towered over my quiet companion, who sat before me.


    My blue eyes seriously met her blank, violet ones.


    If you were a complete stranger to her, then you would have missed the clear amusement in those delicate pupils of hers.


    Going down to one knee, I grunted. ¡°You know what I want.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± She blinked.


    ¡°No, you know what I need¡­¡± I coughed.


    ¡°¡­¡± She tilted her head.


    ¡°Please, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get through this exhibition match without it. So please¡­give it to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Give it to me! I can take it! C¡¯mon, do it! Fucking do it! I can take anything you throw at me!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± She shrugged her shoulders and with the air of top tier kuudere, raised both her hands to do the peace sign, and winked at me. ¡°Umu¡­¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I took in a deep breath, framed my hands around the glorious sight of my¡­¡±companion¡¯s¡± face, and grinned.


    ¡°Moe¡­¡± And like that I now had the energy to face that Icy Cougar herself, Glacia.


    ¡°Are¡­ ¡­you recharged, Brawly?¡± I leaned in from my place on my knee to the bury my face into her midriff. My arms shamelessly wrapping around her sides.


    ¡°More than recharged¡­ As always, you¡¯re the absolute best, Courtney.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hm¡­¡± She awkwardly wrapped her arms around me and kissed the top of my head. Well, she kissed my goggles, but the thought still counted. Dealing with the girl¡¯s awkward tendencies have been a consistent staple in my life since the mid-way point to my first journey.


    I unknowingly caught her interest after I flattened her team around the time that I got my third gym badge. Since then I had to deal with a stalker that followed my every move throughout the Hoenn Battle Circuit until I confronted her and just invited her to travel with me.


    Since then she¡¯s been with me the whole way until my crowning as the Hoenn League¡¯s champion. My folks were insufferable when I brought her home with me, doubly so when she wouldn¡¯t deny my mom¡¯s probing questions...


    ¡­Still I wouldn¡¯t change my decision for taking her along with me to see the world for anything...


    Not even for the fact that she was apart of an ecoterrorist cell in some other dimension or form of canon from my somewhat unreliable meta-knowledge.


    ¡°Blaziken¡­¡± Too bad the moment couldn¡¯t last though as the knowing grunt from my partner stirred me from further hugging my beloved companion any tighter.


    With my game face slowly being put on, I looked up to give Courtney one last tender smile. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time for me to go¡­ Wish me luck.¡±


    *Chu~!*


    ¡°¡­Luck¡­¡± She might have missed my forehead and gave my upper eyelid a peck, but I¡¯ll take it!


    Giving her one last hug, I mentally recalled Bruno and Chuck¡¯s teachings and channeled the aura from deep within my core and began to let it course through my whole body. The sheer and utter passion for battle welled up inside of me, it burned as hot as the flames of Moltres. Which was only solidified with the utter ¡°Strength¡± of will that was needed to direct it through a proper outlet: Combat.


    I was ready.


    I whistled and in an instant, all of my pok¨¦mon were standing at the ready in front of me. I gave them a glance over, and when I saw that each of them were mentally and physically prepared. We shared a singular nod as one before I returned them all into their pok¨¦balls. All of them save for the one who¡¯s been patiently waiting, arms crossed and standing tall near the door.


    It never amazes me how much that little uppity Torchic that would always squawk, pick a fight, then run away from the ocean tides of my hometown would grow to be the imposing ace of my team, Blaziken.


    Walking up to him, I nodded. ¡°You ready, Ken?¡±


    ¡°Blaze¡­¡± Then I guess there¡¯s nothing else that needs to be said.


    Opening the locker room door, the flood of the crowd¡¯s cheers and vibrant energy swept past us as we coolly thought about nothing more than the battle that lied ahead of us. Though one thing did slip past and manage to capture my focus.


    ¡°¡­Win¡­¡± Courtney¡¯s quiet voice echoed far louder than the thousands of people in the stadium.


    And once again, I dropped my game face for her and only her. ¡°Count on it.¡± I grinned then grinned even wider when Ken gave her a big thumbs up. And like that we were off, I gathered aura to my legs and the soles of my feet and in a blink of an eye, I was gone from the locker room.


    After burning the image of my close partner into my mind, Ken and I took off. The stadium hallways became a blur to me as I moved with speeds that most would refer as superhuman. A few league officials meant to direct me to the field were passed over with me having to occasionally apologize whenever the force of my speed knocked them down. This wasn¡¯t my first rodeo, so I knew exactly where I needed to be.


    When the overwhelming stadium lights began to hit us from the opening mouth leading to battlefield itself, I shared a grin with Ken and we both launched ourselves upwards into the air. Enjoying the crisp, cold night air beating against our bodies, we deftly landed on our side of the upraised podium of the battlefield facing our chilly opponent.


    The crowd went crazy.


    I chuckled to myself.


    Well, who wouldn''t after seeing a man jump from the entrance to the steep 30 foot tall trainer¡¯s podium?


    ¡°A-AND MAKING HIS GRAND ABRUPT ENTRANCEE, YOU ALL KNOW HIM AS OUR REGION¡¯s ONE AND ONLY CHAMPION, BRAWLY SLATER!¡±


    The crowd went even more insane after the rather delayed announcement from the announcer. I¡¯ll just apologize later for not better coordinating with them when they must have worked so hard to give me a proper introduction.


    But until then¡­


    I took a deep breath gathering all of the strength within me to overpower the sheer noise of the stadium filled crowd with my one voice. ¡°HOENN, ARE YOU ALIVE!?¡± I spread my arms out as the cheers only heightened. I powered through the irritating glare of so many cameras being flashed from the crowds and around the battlefield.


    ¡°GOOD!¡± I punched my fist into the air with as much strength as I could muster as my Starter shared in my high energy and took a deep breath as I spoke the very catchphrase, I proudly proclaimed back at my little island hometown. ¡°THEN PREPARE TO BEAR WITNESS AS WE SHOW YOU ALL THE OVERWHELMING AWESOME STRENGTH¡­OF OUR DRIP!¡±


    ¡°BLAZIKEN!¡± And as Ken released one of his signature flamethrowers that filled the night sky in the intense crimson glow, the start of this year¡¯s Ever Grande Conference kicked off with a bang!


    See you there?

 -Non-canon(?)- [Omake] I Will Help You Touch the Skies

    You know, sometimes you have to accept the good with the bad in life.


    Ever since my rebirth into the glamorous world of Pok¨¦mon, I''ve been blessed with 19 years of a spectacular life. Of course, the benefits of living out my past life''s childhood was amazing, but the life threatening detours and constant world ending events begin to wear on your nerves.


    Sort of the like the fact that getting involved with and befriending a couple Legendries was as magical as it was frustrating. Sure, my obvious Ketchum luck just loved to put me in the middle of these catastrophic, once in a lifetime event like the one I was in now, but I have to say that getting involved in the affairs of Legendries was mind-bogglingly exhausting.


    I mean, most of them don''t even have any sense of personal space or respect for the time of others. Like me for example, I had barely just managed to scrounge up a perfect timetable to get the rest of my Title-Defense Matches, Charity Events, Exhibition Matches, and my last appearance as a host at the Indigo Conference done with.


    All of my paperwork was done, and my team was well-rested and prepared for the trip I had planned to go on with Daisy.


    She had always wanted for us to visit Kalos together without business or the circuit getting in the way, and I happily agreed with her. Now, I would have sung a different tune had things gone as I hoped, but Ash still wasn''t ready this year to make my dream a fruition. It''ll frustratingly be a while before he''s matured properly.


    Mom tells me that he''s thinking of going to the Galar region with his two pals for his third circuit after getting blown out of the Ever Grande Conference''s Semi-Finals. An odd decision, but I never much cared for the rails of canon and gave him my approval. I made sure to leave Leon a message to keep an eye out for him, and hey, at least our little bros will finally get to be proper rivals like they''d promised years ago.


    Lance was to fill in for me as I took my break with the promise that I''ll give him a private battle upon my return.


    Everything was set for me to drop my mantle and just go back to enjoy being a simple pok¨¦mon trainer again with my significant other and my pok¨¦mon.


    But no.


    I couldn''t freaking have THAT.


    I just HAD to be brought into an argument between Baby Dialga (Celebi) and Baby Palkia (Hoopa). Apparently, they were arguing over who had the better control over their powers between the two and how their domain was better than the other. It went about as well as you''d expect. Hoopa got too into it and demonstrated that he could send an object to different space-time dimension with no effort.


    That object was me by the way.


    No matter how distraught the Legendary was as Celebi chided them, I vowed to give them just as much hell for spatially displacing me for the third time in the years. P-Please don''t ask, I''ve had a very harrowing seven years that''s been having me find god through each experience before realizing how much God either doesn''t acknowledge me or is vehemently offput by the fact that I even exist.


    Y-Yeah, that''s another long story.


    So, here I was. A random stranger in a new reality that may have looked the same, but could not have been any more different. My first being sent to a different dimension, I was sent to a parallel Mt. Moon where I had Asch bake Muk while I taught a slimy motherfucker not to mess with my little brother, no matter if he''s from a different reality.


    The second time, I was transported to Celadon City where I did a lot of shouting at another reckless version of my brother after accidentally blowing up the city''s casino and the Team Rocket base below it with Tempest.


    This time however, I was a bit put off by how normal the place I dropped in was. It almost seemed like your average run of the mill office with a lot of generators and a whole legion of wind turbines outside. It was almost normal if you discounted the fact that there were grown men and women shamelessly wearing spacesuits and blue wigs done up in short bobs.


    And they all had the nerve to look at me as if I was the weird one.


    Yeah, no, I may have just popped up into your reality but at least I''m not going around looking like the freaking groupies to a space-themed Beatles concert.


    Oh, and there was also a Dusknoir that tried to eat me too. Well "tried" being the operative word because I wasn''t in the mood for being eaten, and I''ve been down this road with the supernatural typing of pok¨¦mon (both ghost and psychic alike) before to know how bad an idea it was to mess with my disaster of a soul. I was barely even halfway in it''s belly-mouth before it let out an ungodly shriek as an unholy bevy of tortured souls came rushing out of it.


    I almost felt bad for the Ghost pok¨¦mon as it desperately tried to keep all of those souls trapped in it, almost like a man who''s stomach has been cut open and was desperately trying to keep in all of his leaking organs. Then I remembered that he tried to eat my soul, so I rightfully gave him the largest FU by siccing Kidd on him, and boy was my Gengar pissed that another Ghost had tried to lay claim to my abnormal soul.


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    "YOU BASTARD! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY DUSKY YOU-!"


    Leaving Kidd to torment the paling and potentially dying Dusknoir, I was suddenly beset upon by a deranged red-haired chick wearing a different yet still stupid looking spacesuit dress. She seemed to have burst out of some meeting room just to round up on me.


    Wait, wasn''t she¡­


    Oh¡­oh! I''m dealing Team Galactic this time. To be honest, that''s kind of refreshing after having to face Team Rocket over and over again. And considering that this is Mars, who''s obviously a bad guy and is concerned for the Dusknoir that currently tried to devour my mortal (?) soul, I was given free reign to respond as I deemed fit.


    "I can''t believe I used to simp over your ancestor!"


    "Kyaaaaaaaaaaargh!"


    I made sure not to feel too much hostility when throwing my punch to avoid severely damaging her. Still, I probably should have held back just a little. Didn''t mean to punch her through a freaking generator. Also, I might have broken more than just her nose, and since I was brought in to a different reality, the way that me and my pok¨¦mon react to the humans and pok¨¦mon here could be vastly dangerous.


    At best, Joey''s punched me like this in the past whenever I felt down and needed a wake-up call. Sure it hurt, but I managed to get right back up afterward as if it were just a simple smack. While Mars'' reaction seemed to be the complete opposite since she seemed to already be in critical condition which was not helped by the tons of electricity being released by the generator that her body was indented in.


    Ouch¡­


    Sorry not sorry, Mars. Turnabout was fair play, and I''d rate your attempt to nonchalantly kill me a very generous 4/10. Wouldn''t recommend it for any trainer that crosses your path. But in all seriousness, why haven''t the grunts attacked me yet? I get that watching a Dusknoir spill it''s spiritual guts out is a fascinating watch, but-.


    "Huh."


    I blinked as I turned around to find that all the grunts along with their pokemon in the room were all unconscious. Along with some balding old man¡­


    Wait, isn''t he that scientist introduced in Platinum version. Meh, he didn''t really matter that much, but it was good to know that he and the Hypno beside him were out of commission too. Saves me less trouble with dealing with any surprise attacks.


    The old man and Hypno looked to be exiting some sort of control room and passed out near a group of¡­scientists, some girl, and crying child. Who were also conked out.


    Weird¡­


    Still just who or what did this to th-?


    ["Ahem."]


    Oh, that''s right. Of course, he would be powerful enough to use a Hypnosis so potently and accurately while still in his freaking pok¨¦ball. "Thanks, Jiren."


    ["You''re welcome and be sure to take the hostage that''s in the room ahead of you out to the others. This reality''s authorities are currently on route as we speak."]


    The was small lilt of amusement in the telepathic voice emanating in my head.


    "Something I should know?"


    ["No, I''m sure you''ll enjoy the surprise, Luke."]


    Well, that wasn''t ominous, once he had cut the telepathic link, I followed Jiren''s advice and entered to room to a mortifying sight. There was indeed a hostage back here, who was also not spared Jiren''s mass Hypnosis. But what really had me stunned was the deep bleeding wound on the poor girl''s cheek and the bloody knife on the ground.


    Mars had come out of here, didn''t she?


    ¡­


    "¡­You know what, I probably shouldn''t have restrained myself from using my aura and allowed a bit of my hostility to flow through it." Oh well, Mars obviously wasn''t going to be walking much less breathing the same way again, and I had inadvertently saved a girl from torture.


    She seemed to be a year older than Ash is, she was definitely more lighter than him, I could tell you that. I took the upmost care in carrying the young lady to the other hostages. I looked over to Kidd who was done pummeling the husk of what was sure to be that damned Dusknoir.


    "You done having fun?"


    "Gen!" Kidd spat at the barely cognizant ghost type.


    "Good. Now come over and help me arrange all of these guys properly." I sighed and glared at Kidd, who seemed to be willing to do anything other than that. "Just do it, Kidd. We have to at least do this and tie up the these assholes here together so the police could wrangle them up by the time we''re already go-."


    "That''s right you fucking losers! How''s it feel to have your goons beaten by a single kid alone, huh!? Lets see if any of you assholes want to be another notch on our winning-!" A cap wearing boy followed closely by a Riolu, Charjabug (hold on, what''s one of those doing here, this was Sinnoh), and a Houndour kicked down the door. "-streak?"


    They all looked like they got the crap beaten out of them.


    "Jiren, I thought you knocked everyone in the surrounding vicinity out. What the hell?" I internally groaned.


    ["This trainer was dealing with the grunts guarding the front of the building and was surprisingly making good headway at that. It didn''t seem necessary to intervene."]


    That''s sort of sweet and the kind of mindset I would approve of as Champion, but this only makes it super hard to run off without gaining attention. The kid was giving me, the only conscious person in the building a weird look.


    He looked at the unconscious hostages, the unconscious Galactic grunts and their pok¨¦mon, the bloody and broken nosed Mars slammed through a haywire generator, my sinisterly cackly Gengar, and lastly me. Me, who was currently holding the unconscious body of a young girl who''s cheek was cut open and still bleeding profusely.


    This was NOT a good image¡­


    "Uh¡­I can explain." I sucked in my lips.


    The cap wearing kid''s expression started to grow aggressive before the sounds of tapping and ground shaking stomps had him freeze up. Okay, so leaving without detection was basically not going to work now with more people coming with some big pok¨¦mon if those loud footsteps were anything to go by.


    And also¡­were those high heels?


    Why would any police or League trainers even wear such hazardous footing when going to a crime sce-.


    "Oh, an explanation? I''d love to hear it, young man. What say you, Garchomp?" I literally froze in place at the new arrival of the serenely smiling blonde woman in all black and her grunting Garchomp.


    O-Oh no¡­


    So that''s why he sounded so amused¡­


    ["Have fun."] Jiren''s voice positively dripped with schadenfreude as my past childhood drama began to surface.


    "I freaking hate you, Jiren¡­" I squeaked.


    Well, at least I can say that the girl in my arms wasn''t about to be the only one who comes out of this mess traumatized¡­

 -Non-canon(?)- [Omake] I Will Help You Touch the Skies (2)

    No matter the time, place, or alternate dimensions, we Ketchums always somehow find ourselves in prison, detained by the local authorities, or confined to an interrogation room. Right now, I could check myself under the last category. I¡¯m sure that mom would cry a river with the many times that Ash and I have been apprehended by the police for incidents that we didn¡¯t do or accidentally infringed upon.


    Just a disclaimer, I got over my past life PTSD when Cynthia arrived with the authorities and her squadron of League Trainers. They were mad efficient. It took only five minutes for them to detain all of the unconscious Team Galactic members, scrape Mars out of the haywire power generator, and secure all of the sleeping victims.


    Everyone seemed to be freaked out about the husk of a Dusknoir laying on the ground. What? Had they never seen a Dusknoir before? Well, anyway, I told them that it was the crazy red-head¡¯s pok¨¦mon and thus they scavenged the Galactic Commander¡¯s clothing and found the pokeball to return the pitifully drained ghost type.


    Kidd spat at it once more for good measure. I¡¯d stop him for being overly cruel, but again the bastard tried to devour my soul so fuck him.


    Anyways, the work done by the League was impressive. But it shouldn¡¯t be unexpected though, the Cynthia from my world always held a tight and orderly operation with her Pok¨¦mon League. So, the fact that this one did so as well wasn¡¯t much of a shocker to me. Still, she seemed a bit older than my world¡¯s Cynthia.


    I chose not to vocally comment on that because I wasn¡¯t an idiot and because she had me glued to her side for the majority of the criminal and hostage extraction. The girl I had in my arm was whisked away by a League Trainer while the cap wearing boy that came in with his pok¨¦mon ablazing had to be forced by a few League Trainers to be taken in for treatment.


    Eventually the hostages and criminals inside the power plant were dwindling and the focus of the League Trainers were now on the crime scene as a whole, in particular the machinery and the databases. The whole time that this was happening, Cynthia had split her attention between the work of her League Trainers and keeping an eye on me.


    Though I guess she felt confident that her Garchomp had been keeping a constant watch over me to be able to divide her focus on other things. There then came a point where everything was settling into place and the arrival of what looked to be a crowd of reporters. Looking at Cynthia, her ever present smile did not waver, but I could just see that tiny twinge of annoyance from her brow that spoke of her opinion on the story-hungry Murkrows outside. I could relate to that.


    Thankfully I was the perfect excuse for her to ignore the raving men and women trying to crack what exactly happened here out of her. They were mollified by her reasoning for a good five seconds before pestering her with more questions. A roar from her Garchomp served to stop them in their tracks as I was eventually left to the police to be escorted to the Floaroma Town¡¯s Police station.


    There was a bit of a disagreement when I refused to let them take my things and unequip all of my pok¨¦mon, but Cynthia oddly allowed them to let it pass. Now this didn¡¯t lower any of their apprehension since this went against their protocol, but word from the Champion seemed to be law to them. The ride over to the station was rather tense and awkward, I made sure that Kidd was on his best behavior, otherwise he might make us seem more suspicious.


    Upon arriving, I was shown to your clean-cut interrogation room with the steel table, two chairs, and the one-way window in the middle of the room. Apart from that and the officer, that denied the chance to do his job when confiscating my bag and pok¨¦mon, choosing to be a dick and push me into the room, nothing else much happened.


    Jiren telepathically told me that there were two detectives on the other side of the glass observing me while the rest of station was in a bustle with handling the added Team Galactic tenants in their jail cells. A couple of hours went by with me chatting it up with Jiren in my mind as hummed the melody of ¡°I¡¯m no Superman¡± to myself.


    Things were relatively boring, but for my experience with being taken to a police station in another dimension this was relatively tame.


    Until Jiren shared some¡­disturbing news.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Jiren growled.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°This dimension¡¯s Cynthia, she¡¯s here¡­¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Finally¡­¡±


    ¡°No, this is serious, Luke. She¡¯s accompanied by an Alakazam while interrogating those criminals from Team Galactic.¡±


    ¡°So? I may not be a fan of using psychics to probe the mind, but considering the level of crime they committed, I¡¯d say that¡¯s fair.¡± I internally sighed. I kept my face clear of any microexpressions. That¡¯s a key clue that can be seen in telepathic communication.


    I didn¡¯t want to give the detectives or anyone away from my conversation with Jiren and give them a reason to take my pok¨¦mon away.


    ¡°I would agree with you on that, but the depths that their going just to reach information is¡­horrendous.¡±


    ¡°What? What are they doing?¡±


    ¡°They are¡­¡±


    It physically hurt me not to grimace at the excruciating detail that Jiren gave to me. Any sympathy I had for Mars was drained when her Dusknoir tried to devour my soul, but for Cynthia to just straight up use Alakazam to tear through her memories and leave her as nothing but a drooling, broken-minded shell of a woman was haunting. Especially when she did it in front of the other Team Galactic members as an example.


    Jiren documented how many of them immediately folded once Mars was no longer cognizant of anything while the few that were loyal and kept their lips shut were given the same fate as Mars. The ones that chose to spill everything they know to Cynthia were now more scared of her than their now brain-dead Commander. With the information gathered, the whole police station was abuzz and the constant streams of commands and orders made the place even more frenzied.


    And personally, knowing the full extent of Team Galactic¡¯s plans, I couldn¡¯t quite blame them.


    Still¡­


    For Cynthia to immediately employ such a method information extraction was¡­ Well, it left a bad taste in my mouth and certainly dropped a bit of my personal opinion of this dimension¡¯s Cynthia.


    Eventually Jiren signaled of her arrival to my interrogation room, and like he said, she was here with her Garchomp and the Alakazam by her side. I felt a bit of something trying to probe my mind but wasn¡¯t too overly concerned.


    If I didn¡¯t want anyone in my head, then they weren¡¯t going to see anything unless I allowed it.


    I ignored the growing grimace and spark of intrigue on the pok¨¦mon¡¯s face as the beautiful statuesque blonde took the seat in front of me and regaled me with that beautiful smile of hers. Too bad it was super fake. Having to learn how to keep one up while being in public as Champion has taught me how to see the masks of others.


    ¡°I apologize for the wait. There was some business that I had to tend to and the resulting news from it has left me a little¡­¡± Cynthia began.


    ¡°Overworked? Stressed? Contemplating the fact as to how us humans have managed to survive this long without one of us kickstarting something stupid that could wipe us all out?¡± I listed off and that seemed to get a laugh out of her. It was a bit strained, but at least it was genuine.


    ¡°Yes, all of that.¡± She composed herself as her Garchomp dutifully stood behind her. ¡°Now, I believe that you promised to owe us an explanation for your involvement during the crisis. Oh, and before I forget.¡± She lightly bowed her head. ¡°I, Cynthia Collins, Champion of the Sinnoh Region, would like to thank you for your brave efforts in subduing this horrible threat to the people of Solaceon Town and Sinnoh as a whole. Without your intervention, we would most likely not have been granted this irreplaceable boon of information.¡±


    It sort of sours the thanks after realizing the lengths that you went to gather such information, but at least they weren¡¯t going to associate me with those bastards.


    ¡°No problem. Stuff like this sort of happens to me all the time, so I just roll with it.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Oh? So, handling a rising terrorist cell attack and dealing with a hostage situation is nothing new to you then, hm?¡± Cynthia implored.


    ¡°Yep.¡± I chuckled with literally nothing to hide. I felt another mental probe, but like the other dozens of times before it, it got jack squat out of me. Also, quite clever of her to try and stimulate some memories out of me with that question.


    I had to hide my amusement with how frustrated the Alakazam next to the blonde Champion was getting. Hah, if not even Jiren could penetrate my absurd mental defenses than I honestly doubt that any ordinary Alakazam could even get close to breaking me.


    ¡°I feel conflicted about that compliment.¡± I ignored Jiren¡¯s side comment to focus on the Champion staring me down.


    I raised my hand to her, and didn¡¯t miss the way her Garchomp growled at my sudden action. I continued with a sigh and scratched my head. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve been through this whole little run around before and it¡¯s honestly kind of tiring having to talk around things before getting to the big set-up. So I¡¯ll just come out and reveal everything I can to you.¡±


    ¡°Everything you can?¡± Cynthia repeated.


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not gonna just spill everything I know. That¡¯d be pretty stupid.¡± I put a little mental force in deterring the Alakazam¡¯s laborious attempts at trying to crack my mental defense. The psychic pok¨¦mon physically jerked back as if someone had pushed him and blinked at me.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Cynthia and Garchomp were just as surprised with their compatriot¡¯s reaction, moreso when the Alakazam seemed to be looking at me with a frighteningly amount of deep interest that you could find in a scientist. If things were more dire and I was in a less than charitable mood than he¡¯d be having the exact opposite thought of me right now.


    ¡°Sorry about that, I don¡¯t like people going through my personal space.¡± I apologized and loudly pulled my backpack onto the table, I ignored Garchomp¡¯s growling just to shift through my things, particularly my surplus of pok¨¦balls containing the rest of my Kanto team. *SIGH!* They were also looking forward to the Kalos trip, especially Fafnir.


    Reaching out for the red device inside, I pulled out my pok¨¦dex and-.


    The satisfying hiss from one of my pok¨¦balls that I accidentally bumped my elbow against had signified the opening and release of one of them. Emerging in a ball of light was Fafnir himself, and immediately everyone inside of the room was on edge, including Cynthia who immediately stood to her feet a pokeball in hand as Garchomp immediately stood before their trainer as a shield while the incessant mental probing from Alakazam only intensified as the effects of Hypnosis were bouncing off of me.


    Yeah, I¡¯m willing to admit that this was my bad.


    I couldn¡¯t blame them for acting this way since having a huge Dragonite that was just barely touching the high ceiling emerge from out of nowhere would set everyone on edge. But just as easily they were to get defensive, all of that tension was blown out the window once Fafnir adjusted his bowtie, brushed back his antennae and got down to one knee to Garchomp while presenting to her a bouquet of flowers.


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    ¡°¡­What?¡± Cynthia and her Garchomp blinked in befuddlement at my romantic Dragonite, who seemed to realize that the pok¨¦mon that he was trying to serenade with his crooning was not his intended target of affection.


    Shocked, he searched about the room before his eyes landed on me in a desperate plea for an explanation.


    ¡°Sorry, bud. Looks like we got dragged into another crossover event into another dimension. Daisy and her Dragonite aren¡¯t here this time, I¡¯m afraid.¡± I winced as my good big boy had all of the color in him fade away as stomped over to my side and laid his head onto my lap. He whined and cried as I brushed my fingers along his head.


    ¡°I know, bud. I miss them too¡­¡± I soothed my downtrodden pok¨¦mon. Huh. You know, seeing the looks on everyone¡¯s faces (Cynthia¡¯s, her Garchomp¡¯s, the Alakazam, and the few League Trainers/Police Officers barging into the interrogation room) was priceless.


    ¡°Uh, so sorry about.¡± I raised my pok¨¦dex for everyone to see, ¡°Anyways, I¡¯ve got something to show you and that explanation I promised if you still want to hear it.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± A little mystified by the admittedly goofy display, Cynthia blinked and nodded. And just like that, I showed my ID through my Pok¨¦dex and told her my abridged story of how I ended up here, my past experiences, my (meta) knowledge on Team Galactic, and just about everything that could point to me being an Outsider to this dimension.


    Her expressions ranged from genuine astonishment to stone-faced stoicism. Her Garchomp had remained quiet in the background, but for some reason would keep giving my whining Dragonite these weird looks. Alakazam just kept on being weird with how intrigued he was with me especially when I started allowing some of my memories to surface for him to scry, and no doubt tell Cynthia via telepathy.


    When I got through explaining how I exactly knew Hoopa and Celebi, my story on how I ended up here came full circle. Now by now, I was settled in to experience the complete disbelief of the other party who¡¯ve heard of my story of being from a different dimension. By now they¡¯ll probably call me crazy, recommend me to be checked in to be seen by a local league therapist, and attempt to scope out my ¡°true¡± origins but come out empty-handed.


    Then probably a fight breaks out when they decide that confining you and confiscating your pok¨¦mon is just the right thing to do.


    ¡°Okay, I believe you.¡± See? Now, I¡¯m going to have to have Jiren¡­hold on a minute, what?


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± I croaked in disbelief.


    ¡°I believe you.¡± Cynthia laced her fingers together and rested her on them.


    ¡°Huh. Wow¡­¡± I blinked.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing¡­it¡¯s just.¡± I rubbed the back of my neck. ¡°You¡¯re the first authority figure from another world, who¡¯s believed me straight up. Unless you¡¯re lying¡­¡± Which is totally not cool.


    ¡°No, I fully believe you, Luke.¡± She raised her hand and automatically a piece of paper was in it. Alakazam shenanigans were afoot, I see. ¡°In fact, when you revealed your knowledge on the plans regarding Team Galactic, we compared your information to what we¡¯ve gathered and found that apart from a multitude of specifics, the general overlay was one-to-one. Not to mention your memories that Alakazam broadcasted to me and couple others seemed too vivid to be false.¡±


    Huh.


    That sounded logical.


    ¡°So, what happens now?¡± I looked at Fafnir who was now asleep then to Cynthia. That ever-present smile belonging to Sinnoh¡¯s strongest trainer remained after the end of my long-winded explanation. Compared to Leon, I realized that her smile wasn¡¯t just a mask to put on for the crowd, it also served an amazing poker face.


    I couldn¡¯t really get a read on what she¡¯s thinking beyond her eyes and she¡¯s somehow able to conceal her true thoughts that way too.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question and something that I wish to know as well. You said that the two Legendary pok¨¦mon that brought you here will find you eventually, yes?¡± Cynthia leaned a little closer on the table.


    ¡°Pretty much. The first time that this happened, it took them two months. The second time it took about 5 months, so I don¡¯t really have a solid timeframe for these things. All I know is that they¡¯ll get here eventually.¡± Particularly after some major shit happens, she had asked before on how I¡¯m still so young despite the long gaps in time I¡¯ve spent in other dimensions. I answered that Celebi just chose to rewind my aging back to the point where I was before I was isekai¡¯d away.


    ¡°Until then, well¡­¡± I blew my lips and shrugged. ¡°I guess I can just travel around here and see what I can do to help?¡±


    I¡¯ve traveled to Sinnoh to do a Circuit before, but I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m curious to see just how this dimension¡¯s Sinnoh held up to my own. God forbid, I couldn¡¯t say the same for Kanto those two last times I was whisked away to different dimensions. You can only travel the same region so many times before you get sick of it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have much more to do beyond the whole travelling thing.¡± It¡¯s a bummer that Daisy¡¯s not here, but at least I can treat this as a small vacation to my original vacation. Carpe Diem as Roman poet Horace (or if that went over your head, Phineas and Ferb) once said.


    Cynthia¡¯s smile seemed to widen a little bit at my answer. ¡°If that¡¯s truly all, then allow me to assist you. It disheartens me to hear of your cancelled plans with your significant other, and as a fellow Champion I realize the sheer effort it must have taken you to earn that brief reprieve from you duties. So that¡¯s why for your stay in Sinnoh, I¡¯ll gladly provide for you an official trainer¡¯s license, a flyer¡¯s license, and given access to a League Card containing quite the sum of money to provide for yourself.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at this. That was generous. Too generous for my own liking. No one¡¯s ever done that much for whenever I ended up their dimension. At least, not before doing something crazy to earn their respect and trust. To be given this right off the bat was fishy.


    ¡°What¡¯s the catch?¡± I crossed my arms.


    ¡°Hm, catch?¡± She looked positively taken back but I didn¡¯t fall for it for a second.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not na?ve to know that you are bending over backwards for me isn¡¯t being done out of just the goodness of your heart.¡± I would have an easier time letting my guard around her had she just emoted like normal, but no, she¡¯s been smiling the whole time without dropping that mask of hers. ¡°What do you intend to gain from me?¡±


    She giggled. ¡°Nothing as dastardly as you may you think. I only require a couple of things in return for the licenses and money. I¡¯ll even provide you with a free favor that I¡¯ll do everything in my power that¡¯s reasonable to fulfill for you. My only request is that should I ever need a favor or a question in regards to Team Galactic, you¡¯ll be available to answer them for me.¡±


    This trade seemed like it heavily favors my end of the deal than hers, which made this more suspicious. ¡°And just that?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Quite a fair trade, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± No, quite the opposite in fact, lady.


    ¡°Will I have to be constantly watched by any of your League trainers during my stay here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course. I already have one chosen to shadow you during your stay in the region.¡± Well, at least she¡¯s honest. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, her mission is only to observe and report back to me on your status. She won¡¯t be interfering with any personal business you may have.¡±


    ¡°And when I happen to give her the slip?¡± I confidently prodded.


    Cynthia¡¯s smile remained, but her eyes finally didn¡¯t match the fa?ade of mien. ¡°Then you¡¯ll find yourself a bit surprised when any future purchases that you make decline.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­¡± I nodded and placed on a sheepish smile. ¡°Well at least you won¡¯t have to worry about me bleeding you guys dry when that time comes.¡± Challenge accepted, Cynth. Welp looks like I¡¯m going to have to do some battling to get some funds for myself. The quicker I get it done, the better I can be free to do my own thing without getting spied on.


    For a split second, I noticed the Champion¡¯s eyes narrow before they naturally closed and further accentuated her ¡°perfect¡± smile. Sorry Cynthia, but I¡¯m not so easily cowled with the prospect of money. I can handle myself in the wild just fine, thank you very much. Of course, I¡¯ve never been in the wild here, but I¡¯m confident enough in myself to live off the land.


    ¡°Oh, think nothing of it, Mr. Luke. This is simply a formality in the off chance that should anything happen to you and that there¡¯s suspicious activity in your account, we¡¯ll be able to stop any illicit purchases under your name.¡± That¡¯s some sound reasoning right there, Cynthia.


    But I¡¯d still rather not be under your thumb or owe you more than I comfortably should.


    ¡°Well, thanks for at least looking out for me.¡± I scratched my head. ¡°I¡¯ll take the deal and help whenever you guys need it, but I¡¯m not up for getting involved in anything shady or downright amoral. As long as it¡¯s within reason, I¡¯ll gladly help out.¡±


    Cynthia laughed it off. ¡°You have nothing to worry about, Luke. It¡¯s my job to ensure what¡¯s best for Sinnoh, so be at ease when I say that your help will only be for subduing any oncoming threats that threaten this region.¡±


    Jiren¡¯s forewarning about how busy you and that Alakazam have been with the Team Galactic Grunts and Mars begged to differ, but I steeled my microexpressions to not show that I know all about that to avoid her picking up on it. If she was already this wily with getting me under a leash and under surveillance, then I hate to imagine what she¡¯d try to do when she realizes I have an active Psychic type in his pokeball that was able to read the minds of everyone in the immediate area without getting detected.


    ¡°Well, that puts me at ease a bit, I guess¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°So, is there anything else that I should know about? Like what about Mars and that old guy?¡±


    ¡°Commander Mars of Team Galactic has been properly disposed of as I have stated before. Do not worry, she is no longer a threat to anyone anymore.¡± Not unless you can repair the brain damage that Alakazam did to her. ¡°As for Commander Charon, he has willingly allowed himself to be detained and transferred to Lily of the Valley Island for further questioning at the League HQ.¡±


    Ah, so that was that old guy¡¯s name. ¡°Wait, the old guy complied? What led him to doing that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I have my ways.¡± Cynthia¡¯s smile remained the same, but I couldn¡¯t help but get a chill behind her words¡¯ intent.


    ¡°Hey, Jiren, do I even want to know?¡±


    ¡°Long answer: no. Short answer: she seemed to have put the fear of Arceus in the man just enough to overcome his grand delusion for his loss.¡±


    ¡°Grand delusion?¡± I inquired but was refused an answer, I sensed some irritation and¡­empathy within the pok¨¦mon before he ended the telepathic link. Huh, I¡¯ll have to make sure he¡¯s doing okay and see what has him off kilter.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know.¡± Also, a little creepy. ¡°So¡­is there anything else that I should know about or are we done here? I kind of want to get some fresh air and plan out what to do next.¡±


    ¡°Of course, don¡¯t let me take up any more of your time, Mr. Luke Ketchum. Again, thank you for ensuring the safety of the passengers and subduing Team Galactic. Though I may not know how you managed to hypnotize all of them to sleep at once with a Gengar¡­¡± She said. Yep, that was my story and I¡¯m sticking to it. You¡¯d better be grateful to me Jiren.


    ¡°No.¡± Well, it was worth a shot.


    ¡°But after seeing and hearing of how high caliber of a trainer that you are¡­¡± She glanced at my resting Dragonite. ¡°I¡¯ll just sum it up to the fruits of your labor for whatever rigid training you put the Ghost type through. Now, I believe we¡¯ve chatted for long enough. You¡¯re free to go now, young man.¡±


    Returning Fafnir into his pokeball, I bowed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Be sure to collect your licenses and League card on your way out from the League trainer by the door.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes and sighed at that. Of course, she had everything ready before the deal was made.


    And just like that I was free to just walk out the room. I waved at Garchomp, who ignored while I ignored Alakazam, who was still earnestly trying to test out and study my bizarre mental defenses by continually prodding it.


    With my knowledge on this dimension brought to speed by the Sinnoh Champion during my long explanation, I decided to mostly ignore all of government crap like the fact that there¡¯s a Directorate and Prime Minister. Right now, all I needed was a spacious enough hotel, a game plan for how I¡¯ll earn enough money to stop relying on the League card, and-.


    Wait¡­I almost forgot to ask.


    ¡°Hey, Cynthia?¡± With my hand at the doorknob, I turned back to the Champion.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°During the incident, there was a girl that was probably tortured by Mars. She had dirty blonde hair, some freckles and¡­that¡¯s it.¡± Jiren had put everyone to sleep so I didn¡¯t quite catch her eye color. ¡°Do you know if she¡¯s okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you must be referring to Grace Pastel. Not to worry, she¡¯s been transported to the local pok¨¦mon center and is receiving the appropriate care.¡± Cynthia said. ¡°Among two others that I need to see, I will be dropping by to check up on her status and ask them some questions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­¡± I frowned. ¡°Do you think that she¡¯ll be okay?¡±


    ¡°Though it may just be my own personal experience downplaying the wound, a cut to cheek is far more tame than the other victims that fell under Mars¡¯s interests. The wound will heal just fine.¡±


    I pointed to my head. ¡°What about the ¡°other¡± wound?¡±


    For once, Cynthia¡¯s smile fell. ¡°That¡­ I won¡¯t know until I meet her, but¡­¡± Even though she knew the extent of trauma the young girl had gone through wouldn¡¯t be as easily fixed as her cut cheek.


    ¡°I get it¡­¡± I sighed. ¡°At least, Mars is taken care of so she can sleep a little better at night now.¡±


    ¡°True.¡± The blonde woman smiled with me. ¡°If you wish, you may accompany me with a few officers to check in on them. I¡¯m sure that they wouldn¡¯t mind meeting the hero that saved them all.¡±


    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine.¡± I really didn¡¯t want to be holed up here any longer, and right now that girl needed her space to work things out. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t want to bring any more attention onto myself while I¡¯m here.¡± Those reporters must have already gotten some pictures of me, and despite making my stance of being kept anonymous to Cynthia clear, I¡¯m still probably going to face some irritating jerks clamoring after me just for having next to no traceable information in this dimension.


    ¡°But¡­¡± An idea struck me and despite it sort of being a bad idea, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like it could help. Digging into my bagpack, I once again ignored Cynthia¡¯s Garchomp growling at me just over my shoulder. It was cute how defensive she was of her trainer. Pulling out a fairly clean Great ball, I held it out to Cynthia. ¡°When you get the chance could you perhaps give this to her? It may not be an ideal solution to any trauma she may have gotten, but it¡¯ll be a lovely distraction to take her mind off of it.¡±


    Cynthia agreed to take the pok¨¦mon after confirming what was contained within was safe. Not like I was going to gift her a freaking Deino or anything. Those things were crazy hard to tame and that¡¯s not even getting into the high death rates that come about it evolving to it¡¯s last stage and going on a rampage.


    I just hope that the girl sounded as pleasant as her name. I didn¡¯t want Pudding</a> pissed at me for giving one of her young away to a bad trainer, I know I was already pushing it by doing this in another dimension.


    With everything out of the way, I was dismissed from the police station. I grabbed my new local trainer¡¯s license, flying license, and League card. It was a pain getting through the crowd of reporters, but once Cynthia made her way outside with the police officers and headed to the Pok¨¦mon Center, I was given an opening to escape while covering my face with my jacket¡¯s hoodie and a mask.


    Finding a hotel was a little bit of challenge since Floaroma Town just experienced a tournament, but Jiren was able to point me to a decent motel. Jiren had informed us that we¡¯ve started to be watched by the League Trainer assigned to me ever since I left the interrogation room. They were quite skilled if Jiren had to compliment them, but¡­


    It still didn¡¯t stop him from reading their intentions and giving me a name.


    ¡°Lou¡±. It wasn¡¯t much, and Jiren did comment about them possessing psychic abilities, but found them a bit wanting. Which didn¡¯t make sense since he was technically the strongest Psychic type ever made and would honestly find any others within his field of expertise to be lacking.


    Still, he did make sure be a blind spot to the observer so that he could eat and enjoy himself with me and the rest of my pok¨¦mon. Everyone except for Fafnir took being in a different dimension in stride, but seeing as to how this wasn¡¯t our first rodeo it was only natural.


    When time for bed, I fell asleep after spending the next couple of hours until midnight devising a systematic plan on challenging the local trainers for cash. This world was so weird. Apparently, you had to be fifteen to start your Gym Circuit and a majority of the trainers who attempt it would be hard pressed to even get their first badge just for not meeting the standard skill level to get it.


    With this in mind, I had to properly choose the correct pok¨¦mon that were of appropriate level to the trainers around me. Sadly, I only had two pok¨¦mon that could battle in the lower levels, and that¡¯s not even accounting to how they might affect this dimension¡¯s pok¨¦mon when battling seriously.


    The only local trainer that I looked up that seemed to be enough to consider using some of my other pok¨¦mon was a guy named Zachary Gallagher. He¡¯s a promising second-year trainer, who¡¯s already doing well in this current Gym Circuit. Too bad he was already out of town.


    Damn, and I really wanted to have either Kamina or Dartz face that Vespiquen of his.


    Oh, well. I¡¯m sure that things will turn up for me tomorrow.


    This world may seem a tad bit too violent and filled with tiresome politics, but that¡¯s not to say that everything about it was bad. Sort of like Cynthia, the one in this world doesn¡¯t seem bad. Only, a bit controlling for my liking. Like the politicians back in my old life, the one where I actually died. She has the affairs of Sinnoh to look out for sure, but¡­


    I guess it was a little irksome to meet a different version of a close friend, who acted like that. Especially with the whole mind breaking thing to extract information¡­


    No, I should have prepared myself after meeting two versions of Ash the last time I did this. They were similar yet vastly different people to the ones that I know, and that¡¯s fine. At best I could use the Cynthia that I know as a reference, but this one is her own person along with her wants and desires. I have to respect that.


    Closing my eyes, I finally allowed for the sweet embrace of sleep to carry me to my dreams. The coming days will at least be relaxing and fun with battles galore. Everything was going to be okay¡­


    I just knew it.


    <hr>


    Everything was not okay.


    Okay, so everything was technically okay when I was able to actually convince a couple of the trainers in the area to challenge me. I had earned some pok¨¦dollars, but it was just pocket change at best. The experience did allow me to realize that my pok¨¦mon were significantly more durable than the ones in this dimension.


    But not even going into that yet, about five days into my stay in this dimension¡¯s version of Floaroma Town, I was finally beset by a familiar trainer that had managed to catch me searching around the grounds of the Pok¨¦mon Center for someone to battle.


    He gladly offered himself up as sweetly as he could.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re that asshole with the Gengar! Battle me!¡±


    Okay, so ¡°sweet¡± was putting it mildly. It took me a while to realize that was the same kid who barged into the power plant to face Team Galactic. Huh, it¡¯s good that he¡¯s up and about now with his bruises healed, but for some reason I couldn¡¯t help but feel that talking with him was going to be as extremely unpleasant as speaking with Clair.

 -Non-canon(?)- [Omake] I Will Help You Touch the Skies (3)

    [Non-canon?] I Will Help You Reach The Skies (3)


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Chase Karlson.


    The kid was an asshole. Plain and simple but this behavior wasn''t lost on me. Ever since my first circuit, I''ve come to make peace that new trainers needed to hype themselves up with confidence. Except overconfidence was a big no-no since that led to arrogance, and arrogance leads to suffering, and suffering¡­


    Blah, I wanted to sound Yoda wise but sort of lost where I was going with the message. Anywho, the kid was super confident in himself when challenging me to a battle. A whole crowd of pok¨¦mon center goers had gathered to watch us with some abuzz with the word that Chase Karlson was going to be in it. Others seemed to give me wary glances and wide berths after my challenger had announced me as the "asshole with the Gengar".


    Was I missing something? Was there some sort of stigma that Gengars seemed to have in this dimension?


    I put these questions to bed because I had a battle to focus on, and it was quite a nice change of pace. The kid was fairly skilled, but he didn''t really bring much to the table. Him being a new trainer was one of them and his pok¨¦mon seemed well trained and in great physical condition. It was his synchronicity with his pok¨¦mon that had been a glaring flaw to me.


    He was pissed when I fielded Leonardo instead of Kidd, but his anger soon took a turn for the worse once my Squirtle handedly defeated his Riolu. His Riolu was downright amazing as his skill and technique was beyond anything your standard Riolu was capable of. In fact, judging from what I can sense from the pok¨¦mon''s aura, it seemed about ready to evolve to a Lucario. The multifaceted layers to it''s aura also spoke of a huge discrepancy I noticed between Chase and the pok¨¦mon.


    Chase at first deferred judgement to Riolu once he assumed Squirtle would be an easy knock out. Once Leonardo turned the tides with a held back Water Gun that nearly KO''d Riolu, he snapped back into giving orders. Albeit more respectfully and confidently than his Charjabug and Houndour.


    The Riolu fought at a stage that clearly showed it was ready to be a Lucario, and from what''s sensed of his aura told me that he''s way older than his trainer, hell even me. Yes, me, adding my past life with my current one, I am approximately 44 years old, mentally. So that''s hella old for a pok¨¦mon belonging to a beginner to have.


    So that left me with questions and an answer for why Chase''s other two pok¨¦mon fell faster than his Riolu.


    After the battle''s end, my landslide of a victory in our 3 on 3 battle had caused a clamoring amongst the crowd while Chase looked¡­ugh, he looked about as rocked with his defeat as any overblown trainer who''s too overconfident with himself. Crossing the field to him, I snapped him out of his funk with an outraised hand out of good sportsmanship. The way his face scrunched up and glared at it like the devil told me exactly what he thought of my gesture, but some part of him acknowledged the loss and begrudgingly shook my hand.


    I groaned. Trainers like these are a pain to deal with and they''re a dime a dozen nowadays. I felt some d¨¦j¨¤ vu hit me from how familiar the experience of Leonardo having defeated a beginning trainer and a pok¨¦mon from Lucario''s evolution line. Still, I had questions that I wanted answers to so I rejected the standard rule of receiving money from my defeated opponent to instead request another reward.


    I wanted to speak with him about his Riolu and give him advice regarding how to improve himself as a trainer.


    "Didn''t ask. Don''t need it. Go fuck yourself." The results were expected, but I was more than pleased with his rude rebuff. If he were actually pleasant and had given me a simple "No", I would have just taken the money and dipped. Unfortunately for him, he''s been an ass this entire time I''ve had to interact with him, called Leonardo, the strongest Squirtle in the Indigo League, a weak little turtle, and still chose to be disrespectful towards the victor of the battle who defeated him.


    This officially gave me the liberating option to also be a dick.


    "Well tough shit. I don''t want your pitiful change since it''ll barely amount to what I even want, so I''d like to have a chat about your disastrous loss to me because leaving you like this will leave a bad taste in mouth." I chuckled.


    The boy snarled. "Fuck off, I don''t need your pity!"


    "Kid, pity''s all I have for you. Besides¡­" I leaned in and allowed a bit of my aura to maximize my presence. "I won and you lost. The terms are mine to decide and you''re literally losing no money whatsoever. Hell, you''re even being given advice from a senior who''s done this for way longer than you. So, lets skip you licking your wounds and get this over with capiche?"


    "Y-You-!" He now looked ready to punch me, but I noticed that his legs were beginning to shake and his fists slowly unclenching. Good, he does have some sense in him.


    "Lets have this chat somewhere with a lot more privacy." I sighed as people who watched were recording us and it took me unveiling Fafnir and Typhon to clear them away before they stormed the two of us for questions. Chase seemed more mollified with the appearance of my two Pseudo-Legendaries and easily complied to follow me.


    He muttered that he needed to take his pok¨¦mon to the Pok¨¦mon Center, but I assuaged his worries by releasing Angel to treat their wounds. Floaroma Town, no matter the dimension, had open fields for days. So, it didn''t take long for me to find just the right spot to set up some tables and chairs, make some stew that Brock taught me to make, prepared some pok¨¦food for most of my pok¨¦mon that wanted to come out for some fresh air along with Chase''s recovering pok¨¦mon, and finally get the chance to speak with the gobsmacked kid who was too busy gawking at my assortment of pok¨¦mon.


    Hmph, little bastard should appreciate that I''m even feeding him despite his loss to me.


    "Electavire, Gengar, Charizard, Rapidash, Fearow, Blissey, Togekiss, some sort of fucked up looking Primeape." He gulped as Macaque''s red eyes glared at him before they returned to lividly staring off into space as he sat in a meditative pose. "A Squirtle, Scizor, Dragonite, Sylveon, Beedrill, Lucario, Dragonite, and a Garchomp. J-Just the lineup is¡­how many pok¨¦mon do you even have on-?"


    "A bit more than this, but they wanted to stay in their pok¨¦balls and rest." I happily ate my wonderful stew. "Now about what I wanted to talk to you about¡­" I noticed him staring off at all of my pok¨¦mon again, in particular, his Riolu having a chat with Auron, my Lucario. Snapping my fingers, I coughed, "Hey, kid, my eyes are over here."


    Broken from his daze, Chase growled and batted my hand away from his face. "Don''t do that!"


    "Then listen." I shot back blandly. "Why''d you suddenly come out to face me all of a sudden?"


    Chase sniffed. "Isn''t it obvious?"


    "If it was I wouldn''t ask you, dude." I groaned.


    He spat to the side. "It''s because you were the one who¡­cleaned up that whole mess at the Valley Windworks."


    "Ah, that¡­" Guessing from his attitude and how he was one of the few people to see me at the scene¡­ "You wanted to take a crack at me because I took care of everything while you just barely managed to scrape on through the front door."


    "We held our own!" I deadpanned at him.


    "You and your pok¨¦mon looking like you just barely managed to survive a Tauros stampede begs to differ, but to each their own." I ignored his growling to enjoy more of my stew. Damn this was good, if this kid wasn''t going to eat his own portion, then I''ll just help myself. "You going to eat that?"


    I reached out for his plate only for him to snatch it off the table. "I might!"


    I shrugged and continued with my questions. "So, you wanted to beat me for handling everything? Is that it?"


    "There''s talk about you on the Pok¨¦net when you left Valley Windworks with the Champion and the cops. Everyone''s making conspiracies and some shit about how your some hot shit or whatever. I wanted to show to everyone that it was a load of crap and how you''re just some lucky Doof that managed to beat me to the punch." The kid paused in his explanation mid-step bite of his bowl before quickly digging into the meal.


    Ah, so he wanted to make me eat shit and get the attention onto himself. "And how well did that turn out for you?"


    "Fuck you¡­" Chase grumbled before shoving his bowl at me. "More." Wow, he ate that whole bowl fast.


    "Say it politely."


    "More please you bastard."


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sheesh this kid was rough around the edges. My eyebrow twitched as I grabbed the nearby ladle, scooped up some more stew for him and continued my questions. "So, about that Riolu of yours¡­"


    "Yeah, what about it¡­?" The kid burped and set aside his empty bowl. Damn, he eats just as fast as Ash. Their was quite a bit of edge in his tone.


    "Well, during our battle I noticed a couple of things off with it. Particularly with how skilled it was."


    "And¡­" Chase growled.


    "Okay, I''m just going to rip off the band-aid. That Riolu is far too old and skilled to belong to a new trainer like you."


    "That''s none of your-!"


    "Quiet." I placed more presence in my tone that had the kid slamming his jaw shut. I wasn''t going to push him for the story, but I certainly wasn''t about to put up with anymore outlandish screaming. "I''m curious, but I''m not going to pry. Everyone has their own story and hopefully you won''t dig into my own circumstances."


    To recover his pride, the kid crossed his arms and jerked his head to the side with a sneer. "Like I''d give a shit about some shitty bastard like you." The way you keep glancing at my pok¨¦mon then back to me begged to differ, but I''ll let it slide.


    "Good, nice to know we''re on the same page." I nodded. "Now Riolu''s skill is definitely impressive, but your overreliance on him has significantly hurt your progression as a trainer when commanding your Houndour and Charjabug."


    Chase clicked his tongue. "Piss off, I''m one of the best trainers in this Circuit. I officially have the Coal badge to prove it, and that''s way more than the lot of these mediocre extras can ever manage."


    "Yeah, that is impressive, but your achievements still don''t negate what I saw during that battle. Riolu is basically carrying your entire team and that''s negatively affecting your choices as a trainer." I sighed.


    "Ri is not carrying u-!"


    "Then how come you chose to leave all judgement of the battle to him once you were assured that he could easily take on my Squirtle?" I dully queried. "That''s a sign of trust between a trainer and pok¨¦mon, but that sort of thing shouldn''t be feasible until you''re of a higher level of skill. Once you took the reigns back, you two were quite impressive, but once Riolu fell, you couldn''t keep that sense of traction up with Houndour and Charjabug."


    I took a glance at Chase''s Houndour who was happily barking and yipping with Epona, who happily indulged the hound pok¨¦mon with a chat. Charjabug just seemed to be gawking at Dartz, who was passionately buzzing about something while thrusting his stingers to the sky.


    As for Thor, I had no fucking clue where he went. The moment I let him out of his pok¨¦ball, his antenna released a current, he laughed, then ran the fuck off in some random direction. He didn''t even have the decency to tell anyone why.


    Now Thor was one of my Elite pok¨¦mon so nothing sort of a Legendary that had an advantage over his typing was going to threaten. But I was more concerned that he''d start a fight with whatever strong pok¨¦mon that he encounters. I didn''t need the headache, so I had Jiren keep track of him in the likelihood of something wrong happening.


    "Houndour and Charjabug are well trained and seem to fit your level as a trainer."


    "Stop that!"


    "What?" I blinked.


    "The way that you keep implying that I''m beneath the level that''s necessary to command Ri. Knock it the fuck off." Chase gritted his teeth, and I would have confused his reaction as unbridled rage until I detected some fair traces of moisture in his eyes.


    Huh¡­


    I tiredly sighed and scratched my head. "Sorry, didn''t mean it to sound like that."


    Chase huffed and refused to look me in the eye. "I don''t care how you wanted to say it. Just don''t talk to me like that. Got it?"


    "No, but I promise not to push any more of your buttons." That seemed to only piss him off more, but if he wanted to spit vile at me over it, he didn''t show it. He only took more scoops of my stew to eat before slamming the bowl down to return to glaring at me.


    "Look, I basically said everything I wanted to say to y-Stop!" My glare froze the kid in place once he sat up so fast that his chair fell. "I''m not done yet. I just wanted to offer you some training and advice on potential ways that you can maximize your Houndour and Charjabug''s strengths. I don''t have anything to do right now so I can apply some of my free time in teaching you some of what I know."


    Even if he was a dick, Chase had a lot of potential. Despite Riolu being the catalyst for Chase''s underwhelming command and focus of his other two pok¨¦mon, he was still able to earn the respect and obedience of the experienced pok¨¦mon.


    Chase seemed to consider my offer even if he tried to hide it behind a scowl. He took one look at all of my pok¨¦mon, then his own, and finally looked back to me.


    He looked me straight in the eye¡­


    ¡­then flipped me off.


    "Go fuck yourself."


    I shrugged. If that was his choice, then I could respect it. But I wonder how far his pride will take him if he keeps refusing help from those willing to give it. "You''re free to go." I waved him off and took his empty bowl.


    "About god damn time. Ri, Houndour, Charjabug! We''re leaving this shithole!" His Riolu seemed to bark at him in admonishment, but it didn''t seem to reach the boy as he was already trudging his way back to town. Exasperated, Riolu sighed, bowed to Auron, who in turn deeply bowed to the elder Riolu.


    Running after his grumbling trainer, Riolu stopped for a moment to turn to me, and fall to one knee to bow before running off. I groaned to myself and narrowed my eyes at my Lucario, who shamelessly looked me in the eye with a stoic look that matched Kamina''s. "Auron, please don''t tell me that you''re responsible for that¡­"


    "Of course not, Lord Lucas." Auron telepathically spoke to me. "The old warrior has only acknowledged the "Mark" that your aura carries, milord." Ugh, don''t bow to me too.


    "Well, that''s great. Good to know my ancestor''s ridiculous connection with your species can even embarrass me in a different world." I facepalmed then did a double take as Chase''s Houndour wreathed himself in flames and shot himself after his retreating trainer. Chase seemed to pause at this, but resumed his stride that became a full-out sprint. His pok¨¦mon quickly followed after him, trying to not overtake their running trainer.


    I blinked then turned to Epona, who neighed with a mischievous look in her eye. I looked at her with a wry smile, "You know it''s quite cheeky of you to teach the kid''s pok¨¦mon Flame Charge before I had even brought up the offer to train him."


    Epona huffed with no regrets and lazily laid her head on the belly of my starter, Asch, who was resting beside her. Alone with my pok¨¦mon, I spent the rest of my time calming Sylvie down from her anger as a result of the sheer disrespect that Chase showed me. His arrogance wasn''t earned, but I can understand how he got it.


    I just didn''t have the full story and I doubt the kid will ever share it with me.


    Thor did return by the way, and Jiren tell me that he did bring trouble with him. I just wasn''t expecting the kind of "trouble" that he happily presented to me.


    "Thor, why the hell are you out kidnapping Elekids? I mean, come on, man!" I threw my arms up into the sky in aggravation.


    "Vire! Electavire!" Thor cheerfully pointed at himself and the dazed Elekid, who seemed to be utterly lost with what was happening right now.


    Asch voiced his disapproval of the Electric type''s deeds while Fafnir was off to the side crooning and whining to himself. The banquet of flowers meant for his mate were now dead and clutched in his claws. Typhon of course took the opportunity to continue with laughing and deriding his fellow dragon-type and rival''s misfortune.


    "Typhon, stop picking on Faffy! He''s having a hard enough day as it is!"


    "Gaaaar¡­Gar!"


    "If you don''t knock it off, I''m telling Pudding that you''re picking on him again!" The way that my Garchomp''s jaws slammed shut told me of how he wanted no future conflict with his mate.


    Turning back to Thor, I sighed, "Look, Thor, why did you bring him all of a sudden and¡­why is he walking towards, Kidd?" The Elekid ignored all of us and headed straight for my Gengar, who was too busy trying to draw all over a resting Epona''s face.


    Weird. "I guess we should probably stop him before he-?"


    "Lish!"


    "Holy shit!" I snapped into old habits and thrusted my aura infused fist to slam into the surprised face of the pok¨¦mon that emerged right in front of me. The Frillish was unprepared to be hit by me and was sent tumbling back before getting pinned down by Asch and held at pincer point by Kamina along with Auron threateningly holding a Bone Rush staff over the Water-Ghost type''s head.


    The sounds of chords snapping and tightening filled the field, I snapped my head around to spot Sylvie dangling her catch of the day with a wicked, taunting smile.


    "Sylveon~!"


    "Eev¡­eevee¡­!"


    "An Eevee? Just what in the hell is going o-?" I tilted my head.


    "No, Eevee! Don''t worry, I''m comi- Is that a Dragonite!?" A fairly tall teen emerged onto the field, worriedly looking at the Eevee and my crying Dragonite.


    "D-Denzel, wait up! I-I can''t keep up!" And for some ludicrous reason that spelt how unluck I was, that Grace Pastel girl was here too. "D-Did you find the Electavire that snatched Honey away from me?"


    Oh, and this was just great. Thor was responsible for kidnapping her pok¨¦mon.


    I clapped my hands and sighed deeply. It was enough to garner the attention of everyone on the field. I turned to my pok¨¦mon and waved for them to release the pok¨¦mon. They did so reluctantly as the Frillish quickly slipped away from my trio of Elite pok¨¦mon to float and hide behind the Pastel girl while Sylvie roughly dropped the Eevee to the ground and pranced over to me with a smile.


    The tall kid glared at her before rushing over to check on the Eevee, his pok¨¦mon apparently.


    I pinched the bridge of my nose and glared at Thor, who shrugged in a "What are ya gonna do" manner before laughing, uproariously.


    "So¡­" I awkwardly started looking at the only two humans on the field with me. "I would like to¡­apologize for my pok¨¦mon causing you guys any distress. So, I''ll pay for any damages made, then I''ll be on my way¡­"


    "Wait a minute¡­you''re him!" Aw, girl please don''t recognize me. I''m glad that you''re okay but I wanted to keep up the whole mystique of the whole "stranger who helped you" trope so I won''t get roped into something that''ll slow me down from exploring by myself.


    "I am indeed a guy, yes." I nodded.


    "Wh-What?" Good, she''s confused. Now to make my daring escape.


    "Now that we''ve gotten that out of the way, I''ll be seeing you guys later so¡­" I slowly pulled out my pok¨¦balls to return all of my pok¨¦mon.


    "Hey, wait, yeah! He''s the guy that''s been popping up on the forums after the incident!" The tall boy snapped his fingers in recognition.


    Ugh! I hate the Pok¨¦net so much right now.


    "Wait, sir! I-I just-!" The girl rushed over to me in a hurry. Her Frillish warily followed her, glaring red daggers at me. "I wanted to¡­" Aw, now she''s crying! "T-Thank you so much for-for-!"


    Ugh, I can''t just leave now. I reached out to pat the girl''s head and sighed, "L-Look, just¡­I''m glad that you''re okay, kid." She seemed to tense from my touch before visibly tearing up even more and loudly sniffling. She had even escalated to hugging me, which I reflexively returned because I had to be such a decent human being.


    Guess I''m now effectively stuck like this. Man, I just can''t catch a break, huh?


    Looking to possibly her friend for help, the tall boy awkwardly refused to look me in the eye before focusing his attention on admiring my sad Dragonite, who curled up in the fetal position.


    Sighing, I looked to the sky before addressing the two teens with a small smile. "I may have finished eating, but would you two care for some stew? I have plenty left to spare."


    They shyly agreed to my offer, and when we all sat down to enjoy ourselves, I questioned how the Grace girl knew that I was the one who helped during the Valleywork''s dilemma. Her answer really made me angry.


    Dammit, Cynthia, do you really want to keep me under watch so badly that you''d nudge these kids in my direction? I only hope to god that it was just Grace and this Denzel guy that knew of my involvement with that incident.

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12


    <hr>


    I loved flying.


    ¡°WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!¡±


    And so did Ash.


    The morning skies of Pallet Town were clear and bathed with the welcoming pastel colors of the oncoming dawn that signified a new day. The large swatches of green landscapes surrounding our little humble hometown was as breathtaking in the sky as it was on foot. Everyone from humans to pok¨¦mon was beginning to wake up and begin their own routines.


    The energetic barking of a pair of Growlithe leading a stampede of Tauros while closely followed by their Ponyta riding trainer resonated from the fields looming below us.


    Residents in town slowly began to trickle out onto the roads to set up their shops, get their children ready for school, tend to their pok¨¦mon, and greet their fellow neighbors with bright smiles all around.


    Flocks of Pidgey and Spearow flew through the skies in search of any appetizing pests (ex: Rattata and Caterpie) that were bound to be in abundance this early in the morning. A few of them were hostile upon noticing us in the sky with them. They however thought otherwise about messing with a pair of humans that rode on the back of a Charizard while accompanied by the intimidating visage of a Fearow. Self-preservation won out in the end, and they smartly chose to not bother us.


    The reason why I was up this early was because I wanted to get a good head start before I departed for Fuchsia City. The flight averaged out at around a few hours, and I wanted to get there before noon. Like in my past life, I hated to travel by night when driving so by extension I hated to fly at night when anything is bound to happen. So, I managed to wake myself up at around 5 AM to prepare for the trip.


    Unfortunately, Ash woke up and loudly declared that he wanted to join me, and so I had to spend 2 hours getting him ready and wait for his school to open early around that timeframe. The other night when I declared my intention to go on a few short trips around Kanto and Johto, my family happily acquiesced to my decision. Ash obviously wanted to join me, but with him still being in school mom killed that idea before it could fester. As for mom, well, I had to promise to be back today before 9 PM so I can join them all for dinner with a guest.


    I was a little peeved that this was at the last minute. I hated to be rushed when I already made plans for the day, and to be rushed back like this sort of ruined my mood. But just a little. I rolled my eyes at the implication of who this ¡°guest¡± exactly was. It obviously was a no brainer since before she even brought up the whole ¡°dinner plan¡± for tonight, she recommended that I take along that Aaron Fulan guy from the other day. Saying that it would help to have company and make a new friend along the way.


    Nope.


    Not like I have anything against the guy, but I felt more comfortable moving on my own at my own pace. It¡¯s way faster, and less awkward than putting up with a guy that was super hard to figure out from just one convo. If anything, since I¡¯m going to one of Kanto¡¯s famed breeding ranches/reserve, I would rather bring along someone who¡¯s more into the Pok¨¦mon Breeder scene.


    Hint! Hint!


    ¡°YEAAAAAAAAAH!¡± Ash cheered as punched the air in front of us. ¡°Do a barrel roll!¡±


    I rolled my eyes, tightly wrapped one arm around him to keep him secure and patted Asch¡¯s side. Rolling his eyes with a good-natured huff, my Charizard complied. Ash¡¯s cheers heightened as the world around became all topsy-turvy before righting itself just as fast.


    ¡°Woohoo!¡± Ash hollered as he got hopped up from the adrenaline to now excitedly point at Sparrow, who kept vigilant watch around us in the air. ¡°Now you do a barrel roll, Sparrow.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Ash, we¡¯re almost at your school. Just chill and remember to go to your classroom when we get there.¡±


    ¡°I know already, bro, but I want to see Sparrow do a barrel roll too.¡± Ash looked up at me with a pout.


    ¡°Ash, you just told him to six dive bombs and five barrel rolls five minutes ago.¡± It was my mistake for taking the long detour to his school. I had wanted to fulfill my promise by taking him on a quick flight through the skies while leading him to school. Killing two Pidgey with one stone. I should have known better that he would take advantage of this.


    ¡°Yeah! Exactly, I want it to be even, so he can do six dive bombs AND six barrel rolls!¡± What kind of logic is th-? Yeah, I almost forgot who I¡¯m dealing with.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I deeply groaned and turned to my serious Fearow, who was still skulking out any potential threats that can attack us in the air. ¡°What do you say, Sparrow? Want to do another tri-?¡± Ash and I shut eyes tightly as Sparrow flapped his wings hard enough to release gale of wind that nearly shook us off Asch¡¯s saddle. ¡°Didn¡¯t even let me finish¡­¡±


    I sighed in exasperation and watched as my Fearow took the air to show off. It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the speed that he was going at, but I knew he was intentionally slowing down to show us and anyone lucky enough to spot his quick turns, his rapid ascending spins, and suspenseful dives to the ground. One particular dive had Ash at the edge of his seat for what was possibly the third time. My Fearow purposefully waited for the last minute to unfurl his wide wingspan as he just barely touched the ground.


    In one beat of his wings, Sparrow emerged back into the sky. Flying through a rattled flock of Pidgey that dispersed upon noticing the larger avian predator soar through their personal space. And with a gruff squawk, Sparrow returned to fly by our side. His ever-vigilant gaze returning to scope out and blow any offenders to us out of the sky.


    Ash cheered while Asch and I looked at our old friend and companion with knowing smiles. Since the day he evolved, Sparrow had become one of my best fliers. He didn¡¯t have as much firepower as Asch or the sheer versatility that my adorable baby girl Jubilee has, but his sheer speed and skill to constantly remain in the air gave him an edge over my two other Flying-types.


    No matter how serious or protective he was, the big bird never failed to show off his stuff just to prove his amazing technique.


    ¡°You troublesome kids! YOU BLEW ALL MY MAIL AWAY!¡± Huh, that voice sounds so familiar. Is what I would be thinking if I wasn¡¯t too busy ignoring it.


    ¡°Hey, look! Mr. Feenie¡¯s back!¡± I forcibly nudged my little brother away from poking his head from behind one of Asch¡¯s wings.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s you, Luke! I just saw Ash¡¯s face!¡±


    At that, I flicked Ash¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Ow, what was that for?¡± My little brother¡¯s face scrunched up in annoyance as he rubbed his ear.


    ¡°That was for getting caught and looking over the side like I told you not to.¡±


    ¡°But you do it all the time!¡±


    ¡°And I have the license while you don¡¯t. Now lets hurry out of here before Mr. Feenie ropes us into helping him.¡± It was sort of a dick move, but I really didn¡¯t want to stop right now. After Ash was dropped off, I was dipping out of Pallet Town.


    ¡°Come down here and-! Hey, wait, you no-good kids come back here and-!¡± We sped up our flight just enough to miss the end of that ensuing rant/demand.


    ¡°Sorry, Mr. Feenie.¡± But hey, at least on the bright side, he¡¯s doing good for himself on his current new mail route. I¡¯m so glad that he¡¯s recovered from that Rattata trap prank that Kidd pulled on him.


    ¡°Hey, do you think he¡¯ll come over to give us mail again like he used to?¡± Ash curiously asked.


    ¡°Well, I hope so. At least until he¡¯s cooled off enough to just forget about this little accident¡­¡± I groaned.


    We reached our destination in no time at all. After that, I had to personally escort Ash into the school and hand him off to one of his teachers. You¡¯d be surprised with how dedicated our town¡¯s teaching staff were considering that the Academy was the only school in town. Since the community is close-knit, they won¡¯t fail to pick up on the habits of their students with very colorful personalities, and none possessed more personality than Ash.


    So, when I left him in the care of Mrs. Jennings, I knew that he wouldn¡¯t find a way to slip out of school just to follow me and beg that I take him along.


    As I rushed outside to my two pok¨¦mon, I patted Sparrow¡¯s cheek and said, ¡°Alright, you know the drill. Keep watch of the school grounds, but not too close so that he¡¯ll easily spot you. Got it?¡± Sparrow dutifully nodded.


    ¡°And now for the other one.¡± I turned around and as expected, Kamina was prostrated on a single knee behind me. This time I anticipated his arrival, so no jump scares for me.


    ¡°Scizor.¡± He grunted.


    ¡°Stay hidden and survey the Academy¡¯s perimeter. Should he leave the school premises, then observe and follow. If he gets into trouble, then protect him. If the trouble goes so far beyond what¡¯s containable and can severely harm him or worse? Six shots.¡± I looked at both of my pok¨¦mon and they gravely nodded at me. Their eyes hardened with my last command. After another round of goodbyes and reassurances, they took off with Sparrow soaring high into the sky and Kamina all but vanishing without making a single sound.


    Letting my relief win over my concern, I left my two pok¨¦mon to their ¡°Ash Watch¡± duty. Nodding to myself, I turned to my Starter and best friend. ¡°Okay, pal. Let¡¯s jet!¡± Asch enthusiastically snorted plumes of smoke from his nostrils and crouched down to allow me to fasten myself to his harness after stashing away the auxiliary portion of that was used to carry Ash.


    With one beat of his wings, Asch had risen a few feet into the air. By habit, I tightly clung to my harness as the second sweep of his wings were powerful enough to launch us heavenward. The sheer force of the ascent always sent chills down my spine, but the sense of looming dread that followed as I looked down at the very steep drop below was all but gone at this point.


    Asch wouldn¡¯t drop me, and I trusted him not to. The only way I could fall was if it was due to my own actions or the actions of someone who did want me to fall. With that little assurance, I conquered my fear of pok¨¦mon assisted flight.


    Flipping my goggles on, I pointed in the general direction of Mt. Silver. ¡°Alright buddy, let¡¯s keep going North!¡± Asch¡¯s growling lilted up in question, and so I provided a bit more context. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, pal. I didn¡¯t forget the way to Fuchsia. I just wanted to pop over to Pewter and check if a good friend of ours wants to tag along.¡±


    Mid-flight, I did consider contacting Daisy if she wanted to tag along, heck, I even thought about stopping at her place. I decided against it though, she seemed busy and probably a little miffed about when I mentioned my plans for possibly going to the Xanadu Nursery with her and possibly our little brothers.


    Flying over what would have been days of trekking through Route 1, the Pallet Woods, Viridian City, and Viridian Forest gave me a new appreciation for travel by flight. It wasn¡¯t as instant as the games portrayed it, but it sure as hell was still faster than going by foot.


    It also provided a lovely view of all of the sights. Especially in particular, the remnant and burnt down remains of Viridian City¡¯s very own Viridian Gym. Heh, signs warning of no passage beyond the fenced gates filled me with glee. I wonder what the League will do about the Gym for the next Circuit? Since it¡¯s the off season, they¡¯re not really in a rush to fill in the vacant Gym Leader seat so soon.


    Still, I did feel sad for the trainers like Joey who scrambled for their 8<sup>th</sup>badge from a minor gym after the whole fracas at Viridian Gym had forced its closure. Yet again, I¡¯m glad that Asch and I were the last ones to deal with the bullshit pulled there before others could have faced an unfortunate fate at the hands of that slick-haired bastard. Asch growled as we flew past the charred remains of the damned building that nearly signified the end of our journey.


    I sharply inhaled and patted his neck in comfort, ¡°I know, pal. Gets me worked up just thinking about it too.¡± Memories of that day just loved to resurface whenever we had to cross paths or even think of that blasted Gym.


    <hr>


    The suffocating smell of ash and smoke filled my lungs. Each breath I took was one in a desperate bid to supply my aching body with the oxygen it needed to remain upright.


    I forced my eyes on the back of my flame wreathed starter as he stared his foe down.


    I couldn¡¯t allow myself to be distracted lest we fall. This was a battle, and it was my role as a trainer to claim victory.


    The agonized screaming of a grown man rolling on the ground clutching his eye.


    The horrid smell and limp body of a feline pok¨¦mon just inches away from where Asch stood.


    The intense burning of my fist that inexplicably didn¡¯t hurt.


    Not even the ominous black flames that shrouded my best friend had deterred me from giving the enemy in front of us my full attention.


    We were so close.


    Even with half of their metallic ¡°shackles¡± melted away, they were losing as much ground as we were steadily tiring out. No more of that Recover/Healing Pulse bullshit strategy seemed to be working for them anymore.


    They could now bleed, and neither Asch nor I would allow the opponent any reprieve from the physical and mental toll wearing them down.


    As one, we locked eyes with our opponent through the side of their cold, metallic mask that was severely shattered. Their sole glowing eye that welled up with psychic energy conveyed so much emotion behind them that it served as a complete contrast to the cold & calculating lusterlessness they held after Macaque¡¯s defeat.


    Uncertainty.


    Fright.


    Rage.


    Curiosity.


    Excitement.


    Their emotions were all so pure and simple that they oddly reminded me of my little brother, who¡¯s been introduced to something new and unfamiliar that they couldn¡¯t even begin to put together the words to express himself.


    They were like¡­a child.


    <hr>


    I quickly shook myself out of my own head and rubbed my eyes. Asch rumbled his worry for my abrupt bout of silence, and I tiredly rubbed his back to ease his worries. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, pal. I¡¯m doing fine. Just getting stuck in the past¡­¡± And thinking of the future too. ¡°This Clair stuff is sort of convenient in a way. We can get back in the groove of training and prepare ourselves for our rematch.¡±


    Asch¡¯s excitement was so palpable that his roar shook me as the trees surrounding us shook, and out of came flocks of startled Pidgey and Spearow frightened by the roaring of the fearsome pok¨¦mon.


    Reaching Pewter City was a cinch. Compared to past Pallet Town¡¯s Bay and overseas to quickly react Fuschia City in at most an hour or two, the flight to Pewter was a standard 20 minutes or less. The ¡°Stone City that rests between Mountains¡± was as rugged and rustic as ever. Especially with all the rocks everywhere, but that pretty much fit into the place¡¯s whole theme.


    The allure of travelling may have given new trainers rose-tinted glasses when they came to admire the place¡¯s architecture but after they travel to more vibrant cities like Celadon, Saffron, and Neon City, they¡¯d come to see Pewter City as a dump. Wholly neglecting to see the importance of one of the only two cities in Kanto that had managed to withstand and keep Johto¡¯s frontal assault at bay during the First and Second Great Pok¨¦mon Wars.


    Viridian and Pewter stood as the two border cities that held down the fort during the wars. Were they to have fallen then Kanto would have long since been overtaken by its neighboring region.


    Though they unnecessarily overprice you for it, the city¡¯s tour guides (including Flint) would happily show you landmarks around the city that revealed the wars¡¯ impact on the surroundings and in turn Pewter City¡¯s impact on the wars.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Though there were spots that they¡¯d be reluctant to show you like the ¡°Southwestern Crags¡±. That landmark from the first war was far too morbid to introduce to tourists. It looked like your deep, average chasm, but it was actually man-made.


    The trainers from back then had their Pok¨¦mon make it to assist with knocking enemy fliers from the air straight down into it before showing Stone Edges and Rock Tombs down it to bury the opposing side¡¯s soldiers and pok¨¦mon. It dealt with the hassle of removing bodies and served as way to smother Johto¡¯s superior Flying force.


    So, in all, it was a massive burial ground.


    No one dared to go there unless you REALLY paid a tourist guide just to hear the story or you¡¯re in desperate need of a Ghost type pok¨¦mon and couldn¡¯t wait until Lavender Town to get one.


    I know about the place because Flint took me out on a tour of Pewter City for free. Well, he took me there when my mom came by with Ash to watch my rematch against him for my first gym badge.


    ¡°Let¡¯s land in front of the gym.¡± With practiced beats of his wings, Asch¡¯s landing was considerably more peaceful than his take-offs. Unstrapping his saddle, I walked with him to the aged old front doors to the gym.


    ¡°Woof.¡± I blinked as a wave of DeJa¡¯Vu suddenly hit me.


    Charizard looked at me in question.


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Standing here next to Asch just took me back to the days where we first challenged Pewter City. I only had Asch (Charmander), Sparrow (Spearow), Macaque (Mankey), and Dartz (Kakuna) with me. My first major Gym loss really hit me back then. It was so frustrating that all of the prep work I did to train up my pok¨¦mon barely ended in a win. The loss had truly stung once Daisy decided stayed around in town to rub it in that she won her gym battle on her first try and teased me for my loss before leaving for Cerulean City.


    None of my pok¨¦mon had an edge against Rock-types besides Macaque and yet Flint possessed enough skill to teach his pok¨¦mon how to work around the Fighting-type. Especially one of Macaque¡¯s species by infuriating him with just enough with Taunts to cause him to go on a rampage and thus be easier to get picked off by Onix.


    Man, Onix sucked. In the games, their stats suck but in real life if you can manage to train one well, they¡¯ll be a complete pain in the ass to handle.


    I sighed and shook my head. ¡°Can¡¯t believe I keep doing this every time we come together, but it¡¯s just¡­nice to see where we started, y¡¯know?¡±


    Asch happily nodded and gently nudged his head down against mine. I couldn¡¯t contain my laughter as memories of my first Gym loss were overwritten by the feeling of jubilation that I felt from my first Gym victory. Asch didn¡¯t evolve, but we managed to perfectly get Metal Claw down perfectly for him to overcome Onix. Also, Dartz had finally managed to evolve into a Beedrill during his battle against Geodude. Of course, he didn¡¯t win the match and loosened things up for Macaque to finish, but that was still a grand achievement.


    All in all, I¡¯d say that I¡¯ve come to appreciate my first Gym experience with my first circuit now over. My loss was humble and made every other Gym loss feel less awful. It¡¯s probably because of that that I wasn¡¯t all to bothered by not clearing the Finals during the Conference.


    Well, that among other reasons¡­


    I coughed and banged my fist against the doors. The faint silence was pervaded by the occasional Pidgey chirping in the background. Then the pattering of feet and a loud annoyed groan emerged from the other side of the door as the lock was unlatched and the door was wildly swung right open. I had barely managed to step back lest I get flattened to a pancake against the wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s off-season for the flipping last time! If you¡¯re not here for an appointment with the Gym Leader, then go aw-! Oh, its Luke and Asch!¡± One of Flint¡¯s children answered the door, and it was a boy who looked super identical to Flint and Brock. Okay, that wasn¡¯t helpful, there were like eight other kids that fit that description.


    ¡°Good morning, Forrest. How are things going on around the place?¡± I lazily waved with Asch happily grunting at the little boy, who was two years Ash¡¯s senior. The boy happily dropped everything to usher us in while blabbing about why he made that earlier outburst.


    ¡°We¡¯ve just been getting a lot of challengers lately. They¡¯ve been trying to challenge dad when he¡¯s at home.¡± Forrest tiredly sighed. ¡°It¡¯s been exhausting trying to deal with them all. They¡¯re just so persistent.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I know it¡­¡± Working at mom¡¯s caf¨¦ helped me empathize with their plight. ¡°But hey, at least you guys are more popular now. Now the gym will have the chance to take advantage of the spotlight and grow more prominent.¡±


    Honestly, I might not have stepped foot back into Grampa Canyon, but giving Flint the heads up about it seemed like the best thing to do along with giving Prof. Oak the heads up after the old Rock-type specialist managed to capture all of the old prehistoric pok¨¦mon there. The professor was bitter over the lost opportunity to have such rare and living ancient pok¨¦mon at his lab, but after the experience I went through with my accidental fall down that God forsaken canyon, he acted in consideration for my feelings.


    Having the likes of Kabuto, Kabutops, Omanyte, and Omastar amongst the ranks of his team during the Gym Challenge, Flint¡¯s gym had skyrocketed in notoriety both in the Pok¨¦mon Battling scene and the science one. All of this went according to my plan to ensure that Brock got to go out on his own journey to join the Kanto gym circuit and that his family wouldn¡¯t be deprived of their father. I didn¡¯t really know Brock all too well by then, but I felt for the guy.


    Even if it¡¯s a shitty thing for Flint to do by abandoning them like his wife did, I couldn¡¯t stomach the idea of someone else losing a father¡­


    ¡­


    So, I took the liberty of placing the idea of supporting Flint¡¯s family out in mom¡¯s head when she and Ash visited Pewter again to rewatch my match against the Gym Leader. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be too serious; I knew she was busy with trying to get the caf¨¦ up and functional back then. That¡¯s why it surprised me with how well things worked out when her presence actually bettered things for Brock¡¯s family.


    Heck her presence had even managed to better Flint¡¯s moody and dour behavior¡­


    ¡­Though I¡¯m still keeping an eye on him. Hm? No, I totally meant that in a way in case he tries to ¡°go fetch some milk and never come back¡±. I¡¯m definitely not watching him like a papa Fearow whenever he gets too close to mom.


    So, with mom (much to my annoyance) occasionally stopping by to give her support along with the responsibility of caring for and training the prehistoric pok¨¦mon, Flint was now locked into his role. He was distracted and with things looking bright for his family¡¯s future, he wouldn¡¯t slip into depression.


    Forrest brightened up from that. ¡°Y-Yeah! That¡¯s true¡­¡± Then he grimaced. ¡°But with the challengers and those weird guys in suits that around lately, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s all that good.¡±


    Men in suits? ¡°There are other people causing trouble?¡±


    The kid shook his head. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing. It was a couple of guys who came around asking dad for one of either the Kabuto or Omanyte. They didn¡¯t try to push it once he turned down whatever they were selling to them.¡±


    That¡­doesn¡¯t sound like nothing. I really hope that won¡¯t come back to biting them in the future, but I¡¯ll put my belief in Forrest¡¯s word. My paranoia is a wonderful ally, but it can get grating at times when I literally have meta-knowledge on almost all of the evil organizations and powerful Legendaries swirling around my head.


    It gets tiring.


    ¡°But enough about those guys! It¡¯s pretty nice to have the gym be appreciated for once beyond it being seen as a chump facility compared to the others.¡± Forrest happily sighed. ¡°Hopefully by the next gym circuit, we can get some more attention on us.¡± Forrest nervously prodded his fingers together. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll even be enough for¡­mom to come back¡­¡±


    The meek, hopeful break in his voice truly saddened me at the mentioning of own his mother. Besides the eldest, I¡¯m sure that the older kids who remember her felt the same way. As for me, I personally couldn¡¯t care about a lady who walked out on such a sweet family, and if she was in any way like her anime counterpart then my opinion of her couldn¡¯t sink lower thank rock-bottom.


    Placing a hand on the kid¡¯s shoulder, I reassuringly nodded. ¡°All of you guys are already fantastic, so I fail to see why she wouldn¡¯t come back. Give it time¡­¡± I shot Asch a look, and with laughter abound Forrest met with a playful heated snort to the face. ¡°Now what are you up to in here and so early?¡±


    Forrest then blabbed on about how he was shadowing his father alongside Brock. He was up bright and early to clean the gym¡¯s battlefield and get things done and in order to set up paperwork. The kid was dedicated to the gym, so much so that he mentioned having to cram and complete all of each month¡¯s classwork and homework assignments just to be free from school to help out. That was a level of maturity that I hope Ash will grow into when he¡¯s closer of age to handle more responsibilities.


    The same way that Brock wanted to be Gym Leader, Forrest sought to first learn and a get a better foundation to be at least a gym trainer. His duties were once Brock¡¯s before he set out on his journey. Now the eldest sibling of the Harrison family was at the back of the gym¡¯s personal little reserve of rock pok¨¦mon, listening intently to his father, Gym Leader Flint about something.


    ¡°There they are, I¡¯ll leave you to it, Luke. I have to go check and test out the parameters of the psychic barriers. Tell Ash and Aunt Delia I say hi!¡±


    ¡°I will, and thanks Forrest!¡± Though it can¡¯t hold a candle to Prof. Oak¡¯s lab, the Harrison¡¯s little pok¨¦mon reserve was still spacious with a few man-made caverns surrounding the perimeter of both the reserve and the Harrison household by extension. The head of a weary Onix popped out once Asch and I crossed the threshold between the gym and the territory. I amicably waved at the large rock snake sizing me up before it nodded slid back in its hole.


    It was the same Onix that Flint had used against me in my first gym battle, and I¡¯m glad that it¡¯s doing fine for itself.


    As I got a little closer to them, I leant against the wooden fence and listened in on the father-son pair bluster away about the rocks while furiously rubbing the rock-hard exteriors of a few Geodude and one particular Onix that lay behind Brock.


    ¡°If you¡¯re really sure about it, then I suggest you start including igneous rocks in your Graveler¡¯s diet. There final and eighth Gym is a water type specialized facility for a reason. Hoenn¡¯s natives are naturals with being one with their land and seas. Building up some resistance to their water type pok¨¦mon wouldn¡¯t hurt.¡± Flint deeply grumbled, rubbing his shaved chin.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Brock attentively nodded, carefully letting one shining Geodude float away before starting to clean the next one.


    ¡°Remember, don¡¯t take the water type trainers there lightly. The current Gym Leader of Cerulean City should give you an idea of the standard type of water type trainers that stayed there.¡± Flint warned.


    Brock¡¯s brow furrowed in thought. ¡°You mean Miss Cassidy? She¡¯s a trainer from Hoenn, but I thought that she was born in Kanto?¡±


    ¡°She still is, it¡¯s just that she trained abroad amongst Hoenn¡¯s finest before¡­unfortunate circumstances forced her to return to fill in for her late older brother.¡± Flint grimaced. ¡°She certainly isn¡¯t thrilled to be here, but her skills have gone unquestioned by the League to give her the position.¡±


    ¡°How come she¡¯s not happy? Shouldn¡¯t it be an honor to be chosen for position of your city¡¯s Gym Leader?¡± Brock queried.


    That¡¯s when I decided to chime in with memories of my Cerulean Gym experience resurfacing. ¡°She was actually bitter about having to drop her bid to become a Gym Leader for that region¡¯s major Water Gym.¡± After getting washed out in my first match against Cassidy, Tulip (urh¡­for context that¡¯s Misty¡¯s eldest sister) was very forthcoming on spilling the beans about her aunt¡¯s predicament during my time waiting for a rematch.


    She was nice company to have while I waited that whole week to challenge Cassidy again. After stumbling upon my campsite just outside of Cerulean City, she came to hang out, I convinced her to take part in the Gym Circuit if she didn¡¯t want to forcibly stay in Cerulean to one day take her aunt¡¯s position as it¡¯s leader and helped her uncover the secret to evolving the starter that her aunt Cassidy gave her.


    She¡¯s a good friend, and I hope that she and Milotic are doing well right now.


    I can only hope that she and Daisy can get along one day. Ever since officially introducing the two girls together at the conference and a VERY awkward caf¨¦ visit later, they¡¯ve just been acting weird. Perhaps it was her loss to Daisy in the Top 64, but for some reason beyond me, I couldn¡¯t tell why they were so rough when around each other.


    Maybe it was a girl thing and that was just a form of friendship. Anyways, I finished rationalizing the off-topic thought and pulled myself back in to the conversation shared between father and son. The pair were happily surprised to see me.


    ¡°Ah, Luke! How¡¯s it going man!¡± Brock quickly ran over, but was overtaken by his father who speed dashed and left a flying trail of blown back Geodudes and a dazed Brock to reach me and grasp both of my shoulders with a look of sheer panic.


    ¡°Luke! You¡¯re here! Good morning¡­uh¡­¡± Flint quickly realized that he was now lifting off the ground and placed me back on my feet. ¡°Is it just your or¡­¡± He sheepishly looked to distance while shakily scratching his cheek.


    ¡°Did your mom come along too?¡±


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡°I-I¡¯m just asking to¡­uh! To know if I have to go and personally greet her too. Just to be polite and civil¡­¡± Under my gaze, Flint flinched back and quickly waved his hands about to explain himself.


    ¡°¡­No. Just me, sir.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, I see¡­¡± No need to look so dejected. ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to have you around at least¡­¡± And don¡¯t sound so dejected either otherwise it comes off as insincere.


    ¡°Thanks, I guess?¡± I sighed and for once placed on a smile once Brock recovered from getting tossed like doll in the distance to finally make his way over and eagerly clap my hand into a manly handshake. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re doing good man.¡±


    ¡°You too, Luke. It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve come around with Mrs. Ketchum and Ash to drop off the goods at your caf¨¦ and help around the house.¡± Brock laughed. ¡°You¡¯re not even wearing sweatpants this time either, so it must mean you¡¯re doing great.¡±


    ¡°Hey I resent that. There¡¯s nothing wrong with wearing sweatpants.¡± I growled.


    ¡°Luke, sweatpants are ¡°give up on life¡± pants. At least that¡¯s what dad calls them.¡± Brock deadpanned while Flint sagely nodded behind him. Feh, people just don¡¯t understand the convenience and comfort of my style!


    Brock happily greeted Asch and called out for his own starter to come on out and greet us. ¡°Rocco!¡± The ground shook as the large bulk of a huge pok¨¦mon popped out of the ground and rushed at us with one of their drill-fingered hands excitedly waving at me and my starter.


    ¡°Rhy! Rhy! Rhyperior!¡± Enthusiastically bellowed Brock¡¯s starter as they locked eyes with Asch with a childish zeal that seemed to infect my Charizard.


    I chuckled in exasperation as Asch¡¯s eyes imploringly looked at me. ¡°Fine, fine. You can go play, but not too hard. We still have a trip to make.¡± I laughed as Asch zoomed over to play with Rocco upon getting my permission. During my journey, there were short bouts of me temporarily travelling with friends like Joey and Brock so our pok¨¦mon were bound to become close friends as a result.


    Right about now, the two fully evolved pok¨¦mon were playing some extreme game of dodge ball. The whole terrain was torn apart as Rocco and an Airbourne Asch exchanged a series of Rock Tombs and Stone Edges at each other. It was such a beautiful sight seeing my little Charmander and Brock¡¯s humble Rhyhorn all grown up and causing so much destructive landscaping so casually. It almost made me want to cry.


    But crying was for wimps who had the entire day to waste. ¡°So¡­about why I¡¯m here¡­¡± I decided to help them clean their pack of Geodude while simultaneously taking part in their conversation. Looks like Brock wants to head to Hoenn for the next gym circuit. He says that now is as any good time than any to go more abroad.


    I had asked why he couldn¡¯t just try out Johto next, but the stiff frown from Flint and the tired smile on my friend said it all. Looks like the old veteran didn¡¯t want his own son to go anywhere near the region that was once Kantos¡¯ bitter enemy. They still compromised that Brock would eventually get the chance to explore Johto, but only after he¡¯s gotten another region¡¯s worth of experience under his belt.


    Flint didn¡¯t consider the Orange Islands enough of a challenge to push his son¡¯s growth (the text messages of Joey¡¯s rather colorful adventures there begged to differ) and settled for Hoenn. They were making talk of preparation and despite a fascinating diatribe of the proper rock diets to build up a rock-type¡¯s resistance to water, talks of eventually evolving Brock¡¯s Onix were met with a mixed response from Flint.


    ¡°I¡¯d still say that you should allow your Onix the time to grow in your travels before going down to the local Smithy to evolve him.¡± Flint suggested.


    ¡°You think so? I think Onix is ready for the next stage after all the work he put in during this circuit.¡± Brock rubbed his pok¨¦mon¡¯s smooth and rough exterior. The rock snake pok¨¦mon grumbled in appreciation.


    ¡°He¡¯s still a bit juvenile compared to most others of his kind.¡± Flint countered.


    ¡°Dad, he only seems juvenile when you¡¯re comparing him to your own Onix.¡± Brock deadpanned.


    Flint sputtered before coughing to save face. ¡°Fair, but be that as it may seem, I would really feel comfortable if you would consider pushing it off for a few months. Compose a set diet, allow him more time to grow, then you can head over to the Smithy.¡±


    Brock nodded but still didn¡¯t looked convinced, so I decided to chime in while vigorously rubbing down the Geodude in my lap.


    ¡°You remember Jubilee?¡±


    ¡°You mean the Togepi that you used to carry around in a baby carrier?¡±


    I proudly nodded. ¡°The very same. Once she evolved to Togetic, I had barely spent enough time training her in that evolution. I was tunneled vision to test out my wild and random theories about getting her to evolve.¡± Which was technically true, but I had an actual idea on what to search for to initiate the evolution. ¡°So, I kept buying as many stones as possible that shined to confirm it, and I eventually did, but my zeal to test it out had stifled her growth.¡±


    It broke my heart to remember Jubilee¡¯s difficulty with flying now that her limbs were effectively wings. The things that she was just starting to get used to, like her small wings were now exacerbated with the large size and her increased weight. What really made me guilty was the fact that once she realized that she was too big to be carried by me, she went into a bit of a depressive rut.


    After that day, I vowed not to rush to evolve my pok¨¦mon. They weren¡¯t pixels behind a screen anymore, but actual living beings, and as a trainer, I should have put my desires to ¡°discover¡± and own a Togekiss after Jubilee¡¯s own well-being no matter how much I convinced myself it would benefit her in the future.


    ¡°Jubilee¡¯s doing fine now, but what I did could have effectively stunted her growth. So, just remember that it¡¯s okay to go a little slow and just see what other areas that you can improve Onix before making that huge leap to evolve him.¡± I offered. The Geodude in my lap was now perfectly clean. Heck they were even gleaming as if they performed Rock Polish. ¡°There you go little guy¡­¡± I patted it on the head and sent him floating off.


    ¡°¡­Well¡­ If you say so, then I¡¯ll wait.¡± Brock reluctantly sighed. ¡°I just really wanted to experience what it¡¯s like down at Smithy as a trainer rather than a visitor.¡± Brock looked up at the sky with a jubilant smile. ¡°All of those pok¨¦mon working down there to mold and properly forge the evolution of your pok¨¦mon just sounds so-.¡±


    ¡°Cool? It is, I took my Scyther down to the local Smithy in Vermillion City after my Gym battle in Saffron City.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Ah, so you went to Old Man August¡¯s shop, eh?¡± Flint scratched his chin. ¡°Did He give you any recommendation for the composition of the coating that you wanted for your Scyther?¡±


    ¡°He did, but I looked into some of those Rock enthusiast blogs that you and Brock showed me when I was out buying rocks. Of course, I requested for some dark igneous rocks with a good 45% of the metal coating¡¯s composition being Titanium and-.¡±


    In a world filled with pok¨¦mon, I never once thought that I could get lost in talking about rocks, but this world does things to you. Remember why I¡¯m here instead of Fuchsia City in the first place, I made my offer to take Brock along with me to go visit the Laramie Family and their ranch.


    ¡°You know the Laramies!?¡± Brock exclaimed.


    ¡°Yeah. You wanna come?¡± I simply smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯d be an idiot not to! The Laramies are one of the Kanto¡¯s few historical clan of breeders before even the Great Wars, heck even during the Era of the Kantonian Civil War.¡± Brock excitedly explained. ¡°Only the best Breeders around Kanto would just die to even get a sliver of training from another Breeder that¡¯s been under their employ and training. How do you even know them?¡±


    ¡°Well, I sort of helped them out a bit back when I was travelling to Saffron after beating Koga. During the trip, I trained my team in the Wilderness for a few days, got lost, and stumbled upon their property.¡± I scratched my cheek. ¡°The Ranch owner¡¯s daughter found me and helped me out. Then one thing led to another, and I helped them win some big race that would have ¡°stained their family¡¯s honor¡± if there weren¡¯t any available riders. Honestly it was all a blur¡­¡±


    Back then I was so focused on getting my gym badges and training that most of what I did was considered a distraction most of the time. If people needed help and I could do anything to help them, then I will.


    It¡¯s what¡­it¡¯s what dad would have done, so I¡¯d gladly contribute.


    ¡°You mean you took part in the Nomad¡¯s Independence Day Race?¡± Flint chimed in just as surprised.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what it¡¯s called then yep.¡± I nodded. ¡°Why is it important?¡±


    Flint slowly nodded. ¡°The event is open to trainers, but families such as the Laramies are bound to only choose riders from their own family. It¡¯s a tradition that¡¯s stuck with them since the old days when their ancestors won the first race against the other tribes. As the undefeated victors of every race since then, they are steadfast in upholding such a tradition.¡±


    ¡°Huh, then I guess it would explain why they weren¡¯t so against my idea to compete in a disguise.¡± I blinked in realization.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Flint raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You willingly chose to hide your identity? Why? Weren¡¯t super focused on advertising your Mrs. Ketchum¡¯s caf¨¦ back then?¡± Brock queried.


    ¡°I was, but the race wasn¡¯t about me. So, I focused more on helping them out than myself.¡± Sitting up, I finished cleaning the last of the Geodude and pulled myself up onto my feet. ¡°The offer to come is still open Brock. Unless you have anything planned for the day.¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± Brock was quick to jump back onto his feet. ¡°With this opportunity in front of me, all of my other plans can wait!¡±


    ¡°Ahem!¡± Flint¡¯s cough did temper his son¡¯s exuberance. ¡°I won¡¯t deny you the chance to go since this is pretty big Brock. I can show you the safer routes to patrol the forests and mountain ranges around Mt. Silver later. Don¡¯t worry about your siblings either, but¡­didn¡¯t you make a promise with that friend of yours in town to go somewhere today?¡±


    Brock nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­I almost forgot. Well, I¡¯m sure that Soli won¡¯t mind if we can push it back for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Soli?¡± I muttered to myself. ¡°Look, man if your busy with something then you don¡¯t have to-.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Luke!¡± Oh, okay, you don¡¯t have to grab my shoulders like that and shake me, Brock. ¡°Soli will understand once I spill the news to her.¡± Releasing me, Brock rushed off to his house. ¡°Wait for me at the front of the Gym, and we¡¯ll go see her.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± I uncertainly called back. Flint walked up next to me with a smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s not everyday you see Brock this excited. Thanks for giving him the offer, Luke.¡±


    I scratched the back of my head. ¡°It was no big deal. I just considered Brock when the prospect of going to a Breeder farm popped up on my to-do list.¡±


    ¡°Still, having my son in your thoughts is a relief. It means that he has such considerate friends.¡± Flint laughed. ¡°If only Lola were here to see this¡­¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, if only¡­¡± I awkwardly looked to the side and waited in the brief silence to avoid talking about that landmine. ¡°So¡­how are the ancient pok¨¦mon doing?¡±


    Flint brightened. ¡°Fantastic. Professor Oak¡¯s lab assistants that come over to check up on them can even tell you that themselves. Shelly and Blade have been excellent additions to my Elite team, and the others have found their new homes in the caves to meet all of their needs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad.¡± Though they did attack me like Aerodactyl after my misfortunate fall into their home in Grampa Canyon, I felt less spiteful towards the other ancient pok¨¦mon that didn¡¯t try to eat me in one bite.


    ¡°If you¡¯d like, you could always take one of them as thanks for pointing me in their direction.¡± Flint offered.


    ¡°Tempting, but I¡¯ll have to refuse again. Professor Oak¡¯s satisfied with just coming over to study them, and I have enough on my plate with a new addition to my team to train.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s the least I can do after everything you and Delia have done to help lighten my burden with the gym and my family.¡± Flint said.


    ¡°Well, if I¡¯m in the mood, I guess I can see myself getting one to make the professor happy, but I have to consider my own wants too. I mean should the mood take me then I¡¯ll hit you up on that offer.¡± But the only way I could see myself go through the trouble of requesting a Kabuto from Flint was if the professor had managed to do something spectacular for me.


    Save getting me a Gible, I doubt that will be the case this time soon especially with the other regions closed off and my potential future region that I wanted to travel to undecided with no answer from the old professor.


    Flint respected my choice and I bid him farewell. Brock and I eventually recalled our pok¨¦mon to take a walk through Pewter City toward some random house. A house that apparently held this ¡°Soli¡± friend that Brock mentioned.


    Knocking on the door with Brock calling out to his friend had the front door slam open as a girl in our age bracket with salmon hair and blue eyes rushed out to greet us.


    ¡°Brock! You¡¯re here early and¡­who¡¯s this?¡± Correction: she rushed out to greet Brock.


    ¡°Hey, Soli. This is actually Luke, my friend that I mentioned to you before.¡± Brock introduced me to her. ¡°And Luke this right here is Solidad Carson, my old friend from school.¡± Solidad¡­huh, that name doesn¡¯t ring a bell, but for some reason I feel like I should know her¡­


    ¡­huh. Guess it doesn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± I happily waved.


    ¡°Yeah, likewise¡­¡± Sheesh, you could sound more happier than that, girl. ¡°So¡­is he going to join us to go and check the markets for the King Rock?¡± Her eye kept shifting back to me but mainly focused on Brock.


    ¡­Oh! Oh¡­I can see why she was acting a little cold towards me now. Awkward¡­


    ¡°No actually, I was wondering if we can reschedule our plans for tomorrow.¡± Brock nervously laughed. ¡°You see, Luke,¡± Please don¡¯t bring me up, man. ¡°just offered to bring me along to see one of Kanto¡¯s oldest ranches, and I definitely see their top-class Breeders in action. And it¡¯s kind of a limited sort of opportunity¡­¡±


    ¡°N-Not really a limited deal but¡­¡± I muttered and did my best not to meet the pair of blue eyes boring into me.


    ¡°Sorry if this is a bad time to spring this up on you, Soli.¡± Brock frowned.


    ¡°N-No! No, don¡¯t feel bad, Brock!¡± The girl quickly shook her head. ¡°I know how much this means to you, and¡­I wouldn¡¯t want you to feel like you missed this chance because of me, so you can go.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? Because I can stay if you want me to-.¡±


    ¡°Brock.¡± Solidad firmly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll just wait for the markets to open up next week. Besides, its not like we planned this day out the week before this one¡­¡±


    I awkwardly shoved my hands into my jacket¡¯s pockets and looked to the side. That indirect jab was meant for me, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Thanks, Soli. You¡¯re the best.¡± Brock pulled her in for a hug.


    ¡°I know¡­I know¡­¡± The girl happily sighed and patted him on the back. Pulling apart, they each gave the other a sweet goodbye. Brock was quick to leave their doorstep, which left me alone with his¡­childhood friend, whose warm smile was quick to fall once Brock was out of earshot.


    ¡°Uh¡­erm¡­¡± I gulped. ¡°Have a good day?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try to.¡±


    *SLAM!*


    Recovering from having the door loudly slammed in my face, I smacked my lips and nodded. ¡°Fair.¡± Joining Brock, I released Asch and set up his saddle while Brock did the same for his abnormally large Noctowl. Once strapped in, we took off for Fuschia City, well, at least Pok¨¦mon Center near it. I wanted to give Epona a bit of a long distance run to her old home.


    Still thinking back to Solidad and how I¡¯m probably her least favorite person in the world right now, I had oddly felt a foreboding sense of DeJa¡¯Vu. Also, I couldn¡¯t help but think back to Daisy¡­


    Hm, maybe I should rethink bringing our brothers along with us to the Xanadu Nursery after all.


    <hr>


    ¡°Ah, Daisy, are you okay? You dropped your tea!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, Erika. I-I just felt a sudden burst of vindication right now.¡±

 [Have to Ketchum All x Traveler Omake] Dont Rock the Boat

    [Have to Ketchum All x Traveler Omake] Don''t Rock the Boat


    <hr>


    Life was a tumultuous experience.


    My first and now my current life seemed to always hit me with new surprises. Both good and bad. It was my mistake to indulge in playing along with one of Hoopa¡¯s games. That little trickster sure loved to play surprises on you when you¡¯d least expect it.


    The ability to shift through so many emotions in a single instance has got to be one of the amazing things about being a living being. I had gone from frustrated, annoyed, and baffled to livid, cold, and numb upon realizing where I was and more specifically, whom I came across. I was at sea on a cruise ship. The uncomfortable churning of my stomach confirmed it as the rocking waves below the ship were beginning to rock fiercely.


    The room seemed like your standard cruise ship suite. It had a bed, a bathroom, standard television, a familiar red hat with a green logo, and a grown man dressed in black slamming the face of a familiar kid into the room¡¯s wall. The big old ¡°R¡± on the man¡¯s chest was the last thing I needed to see before finally moving to act.


    The fucker beating the shit out of MY brother was stunned by my sudden appearance. I didn¡¯t hesitate to throw my all in punching his fucking jaw. Usually, the hit itself would have disoriented your average guy back home in my dimension and knock them flat into the wall, usually leaving a body shaped crevice. But no, fortunately for me, my hit knocked all the teeth from one side of the bastard¡¯s jaw out.


    I did not care for his screams of agony nor for the screeching and roars of the other pok¨¦mon in the cabin. Too loud. I reared back my foot and wildly swung against the jerk¡¯s jaw, heel first. Whatever remained of his teeth had flown across the room as their lower jawbone had sickeningly broken out of place and sagged in an awkward angle.


    Their breathing gurgled with the mixture of his own blown and saliva building up in his throat. It would be such a cruel way to go, drowning in his own effluvia. However, I was in no mood to give him an easy out. Gently placing their back against the cabin¡¯s wall, I adjusted their head downwards to expel the build up of fluids in their neck to ensure that he kept breathing before violently pushing their head back. Their body was slumped and unmoving like a puppet with its strings cut.


    I didn¡¯t need them conscious for what I needed next.


    ¡°Jiren.¡± I opened a cracked and frail pok¨¦ball to reveal one of my trusted Psychic pok¨¦mon.


    ¡°Already on it.¡± His telepathic words brushed against my mind. He was one of the limited few who I have ever given full permission to do so. ¡°Tend to him.¡± He didn¡¯t need to say a word, I rushed over to unconscious and prone form of my little bro-.


    The sounds of multiple pok¨¦mon dropping to the floor in unconsciousness reached my ears. In askance, I turned to Jiren, who was still scouring and extracting information from the unconscious mind of the Team Rocket Grunt.


    ¡°That Nidorino intended to wash you with Poison Sting then skewer you with his horn when you started approaching Ash.¡± Ah, I see, so these were this reality¡¯s Ash¡¯s pok¨¦mon. A Nidorino (Male), Pidgeotto, and a Horesea. I looked at the belt strapped with pok¨¦balls on the ground near us and counted one more pok¨¦ball amongst the rest of them.


    A solid team, and one so readily quick to defend them against a stranger. It relieved me to know that this Ash had such dependable friends.


    ¡°It both amazes and terrifies me that you¡¯d still find a way to praise your brother and his pok¨¦mon even when they¡¯re so close to killing you¡­¡± I ignored the snarky crack from my friend to really take in just how hurt my brother (it doesn¡¯t if he¡¯s from a different dimension from me!) was. A broken nose, a black eyes, and a mild concussion.


    ...Team Rocket¡­


    I was fortunate to avoid having my own Ash deal with this, but to see it happen here with him this close to possibly dying it¡­


    ¡­It¡­


    [¡°Attention, my dear friends. Excuse me for interrupting this wonderful evening that is being shared between you and your loved ones. Allow me to introduce myself as Rocket Executive Pierce. To all those who are currently resisting the magnanimous mission that my fellow ilk are on by gathering your pok¨¦mon and valuable, please¡­please¡­desist. This all for a worthwhile cause, and any more resistance will be faced with death.¡±]


    I grimaced as the grating voice of a man who loved to hear himself talk blared out over the ship¡¯s intercoms. Executive Pierce? Never heard of that guy before nor is he even a thing where I¡¯m from. Still, if he was gloating through the ship¡¯s intercom, then that meant he was currently on the ship, no?


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    I looked to Jiren, who seemed to be finished with invading the Rocket Member¡¯s mind. He looked at me then up to the intercoms. ¡°Would you like to hear of what plans they have now or after?¡± The psychic type¡¯s eyes glowed with a powerful blue light. Already shifting through the masses of people, searching for that one person amongst the rabble.


    Cracking my fist, I allowed myself to burn and projected my aura through my arm. ¡°After.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, your patience does fall apart whenever your brother¡¯s hurt. Fine. Take all of that anger out on them, but I¡¯m sure that this dimension¡¯s ¡°me¡± along with the infestation of Rockets on this ship require our immediate attention. Make it fast.¡±


    ¡°I make no promises.¡± I released Asch. My starter took one look at my fallen brother, the unconscious pok¨¦mon, and lastly the broken Rocket Grunt lying against the wall. A single nod was all it took to know that he was on board. My best friend through and through.


    ¡°Do not condone this, Asch. Otherwise, you¡¯ll only prolong this¡­¡± Jiren tiredly groaned as he regarded I, his trainer and Asch, his friend and rival. ¡°Now allow me to pluck the unfortunate soul that¡¯s part of the root cause of this mess.¡±


    Jiren vanished in a flash.


    [¡°Ah, I almost forgot to mention. To all my men and¡­I guess the rest of you¡­lot. I suggest your hurry up and find the nearest dinghey, or railing to toss yourself overboard. This ship will be-!¡±] Pierce¡¯s voice was cut off mid-sentence over the intercom. One second, he was monologuing, the next, the cries of a few concerned Rocket Grunts in a daze were screaming for their boss. Their cries over the intercom screeched for any Grunts to search for him.


    Too bad for them that their precious little Executive was now in Ash¡¯s cabin, flabbergasted, and lacking a belt of pok¨¦balls to defend himself with. It was his own folly to stick around and terrorize the people of the ship instead of getting the fuck out of dodge while he still could. Jiren¡¯s range was massive, you¡¯d have to flee to another region just to escape it.


    ¡°You-! What just happened!? Where am I-!¡± My fist broke his nose upon the first hit, and I punched with the arm that just absolutely burned. The man screeched and fell to the ground, clutching their steaming indistinguishable excuse of a nose. ¡°AAAAH! I-It burns! Hot! Hot! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!¡±


    ¡°Bitch Ass Motherfucker¡­¡± I grunted and held out a hand to catch a fresh new belt with a few pok¨¦balls clipped to them.


    ¡°Here. Finish your business with the one that almost suffocated Ash with a Muk, then focus up on clearing the Grunts. I¡¯ve gathered all I needed from the Grunt and the Executive; I will now go to intercept this reality¡¯s Mewtwo.¡± Excuse me, but fucking what? ¡°Have fun.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I just stared at the thing rolling around, scratching, and nursing the severe third-degree burns on his face. Any form of mercy flew out the window, after Jiren dropped that bomb on me. Now I wanted to give this bastard a piece of his own medicine.


    But first¡­


    ¡°Asch, we¡¯re to clear this entire bitch out.¡± I fell back to my old life¡¯s vernacular as I tensely commanded my Starter. ¡°We¡¯re going to wipe out every piece of Rocket shit from this entire ship, try and make sure every innocent and their loved ones make it off to see another day, and enjoy ourselves this brief reprieve on a boat before Hoopa picks us up.¡±


    I pointed upwards. ¡°Our goal is quite simple. Reach the top deck and keep this bitch ass alive until them.¡± I pointed at Pierce. My heart warmed as my imagination ran wild with my current greatest desire. ¡°Once we reached the top, I¡¯m going to give Tempest his newest chew toy!¡±


    XXX


    It was like looking at a distorted mirror.


    ¡®So this is the path that I could have followed had I ignorantly followed Giovanni¡¯s teachings.¡¯ Jiren hated to admit it (especially in front of Luke), but he¡¯s glad for the opportunity afforded from facing the boy to break free of that restrictive hell.


    Now how to best approach this?


    Jiren didn¡¯t particularly care about the humans on the boat. Sure, there were a sparse few exceptions that he truly cared about, but his hatred for humanity still persisted to this day. No amount of peace afforded from his new life would ever make him forgive them for his and his sister¡¯s tragic circumstances.


    But Luke was distressed at the sight of his brother (no matter the dimension, Jiren knew that Luke would always rush in to save any version of Ash). He liked Luke.


    Ash, no matter if it¡¯s a different version of him, was hurt and nearly died. Jiren liked Ash, and couldn¡¯t look Delia nor Huey in the eye had he failed to protect even one Ash that was right in front of him.


    Plus, there were pok¨¦mon on board. Sure, the ones brainwashed and tortured to fight for Team Rocket deserved to be put out of their misery, but the innocent souls getting snatched away from their trainers, and unaware of what was even happening.


    He could not allow for the sinking of the St. Anne.


    He refused.


    And so, as he watched his counterpart single-mindedly charge their psychic energies to use an awfully enhanced form of Psycho Cut to split the ship in two, Jiren took one long sip of tea. Ah, yes, Lavender, truly a splendid blend. He regarded his unassuming armor-plated counterpart, who has yet to notice that he had slyly teleported behind them, with a bored gaze and focused his mind on one of the bothersome black helicopters sporting Team Rocket¡¯s ¡°R¡± logo with an Executive on board.


    As Jiren took one last sip of his tea, he smacked his lips, and calmly grunted. ¡°You know, it¡¯s leaving a bad taste in my mouth watching myself attempt to commit mass homicide.¡±


    ¡°W-Wha-!?¡± The cold, metallic voice of his counterpart gasped in abject shock at his appearance but never got to fully finish or commit to their attack. The oncoming helicopter that Jiren had been concentrating on was psychically thrown at the armored Mewtwo.


    It was a brutal and terrible death for the unfortunate few in that vehicle, but Jiren couldn¡¯t find it in himself to care for criminals, thieves, and murderers. The ensuring explosion may have done a bit of damage to his counterpart, but all it did besides waste those human lives was throw his other self out of balance and infuriate him.


    This will probably be an annoying battle, but still¡­


    Jiren took one long swig of his tea and coldly looked down upon his downed counterpart. ¡°So I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to ask you to stop.¡± At least it was a better alternative than having his friends die on a sinking ship.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13


    <hr>


    "I was skeptical at first when you revealed your new Dratini, but giving it some thought, I''m not so surprised." Brock chuckled from his seat on the fallen tree across from me.


    I rolled my eyes and took a quick swig of my water canteen. "Yeah, you''re certainly one to talk, Mr. Kettle. Oh, and by the way Mr. Pot called, he wants to know how well you''ve been treating your new Larvitar."


    We weren''t exactly at our destination, but we were certainly close. Our flight took us back over Viridian City, Pallet Town, Pallet Bay, the Sea Route, and the Cycling Road. It took us about two hours and fifteen minutes to reach Route 18. The quick stop at Pewter did add extra time that was lost but Brock was pleasant company to have. Besides me having to unleash Thor on a pod of Tentacool led by their boss Tentacruel, our trip was peaceful.


    Right now, we were giving our flying pok¨¦mon a well-earned break alongside a few extra pok¨¦mon that needed the fresh air. It was when I released Fafnir to rest and eat his scheduled lunch that Brock decided to spring a Larvitar on me without any fanfare. The rock skin pok¨¦mon also had a bad temper and poor Fafnir just so happened to be the first thing they saw. It was messy effort trying to stop Brock''s Larvitar from impaling their head crest through my slippery Dratini.


    Now Fafnir was shakily eating his meal while protectively wrapped around Asch''s tail. My starter warningly glared at the young Larvitar that glared back. The little green pok¨¦mon didn''t break eye contact not even while they were stuffing their mouth with clumps of fresh soil.


    Brock reproached his Larvitar with a frown. "Stop that. They are our friends and have a right to be mad after you blatantly attacked Dratini." Larvitar spun on him and angrily screeched something that had Brock''s frown deepen to a hard stare that caused the rock skin pok¨¦mon to freeze. "Keep that attitude up and I won''t make your favorite blend of Razz berries with dry dirt anymore."


    Larvitar tightly shut their yap and angrily sat facing away from all of us in a huff.


    "Again, I''m sorry for her attitude, Luke¡­" Brock sweatdropped.


    "Nah, don''t worry, I totally get it." I shook my head. "I don''t think she and Fafnir will be friends anytime soon." My poor Dratini shakily looked between him meal and the back of the Larvitar. Asch being here had settled his nerves as without the Charizard''s presence, Fafnir would have used Extreme Speed to run off by now.


    "¡­Again, I''m sor-."


    "Don''t be, man." I sighed. "If anything lets just tell each other how we came across our¡­new additions to pass the time."


    Brock volunteered to go first as some form of recompense for his new pok¨¦mon''s attitude. He and Flint had managed to come across the little rock-ground type while surveying the Mt. Silver-Viridian forests and Mountain range. As a Top 64 contender, Brock wouldn''t normally be allowed near that restricted place since only trainers who have made it to Top 8 would be allowed for clearance. Being the son of Pewter City''s Gym Leader came with benefits though since he was next in line to receive the Gym from his father. His performance at the Conference did give the League a modest showing of his strength and potential.


    Typical of their duties, Flint as the Gym Leader was tasked with cooperating with the pok¨¦mon rangers stationed near his city and Mt. Silver. The Mt. Silver task was a job shared between Pewter and Viridian City''s Gym Leaders as they were both border towns, but I digress when speaking about Viridian Gym''s current vacancy. So, in the middle of their patrol, Brock and Flint came across a poacher who was escaping from a rampaging Tyranitar on their Dodrio with a sleeping powdered Larvitar in their arms.


    Flint subdued the poacher while Brock calmed down the Tyranitar with his Rhyperior and other pok¨¦mon. Then after returning the Tyranitar''s stolen progeny, they nudged Larvitar in Brock''s direction, grunted something, then took off.


    "Wow." That was way less dramatic than I thought.


    "Dad said the same thing. Apparently, Sahara''s dad," Brock rubbed the rough Larvitar''s carapace despite her petulantly trying to slap his hand away, "Felt that she was safer with me. He wiped out almost everyone in my team besides Rocco and Omastar, but us actually battling him to a standstill earned his respect." Brock laughed. "Certainly, more tasteful than a coward that snuck into his nest, put their child to sleep, and ran off with them."


    "True." I nodded, laughing with him.


    Brock sighed. "Still, despite how happy everyone was that I managed to capture a Larvitar, I can''t help but feel a little bad."


    "Why?" I asked.


    "I know that I probably proved my strength to him but that Tyranitar¡­ Sure, he''s as stone-faced as any of his species, but his actions were plain to see." Brock''s fingers dug into his own water canteen. "Poachers are a dime and a dozen, especially those that set their sights on Mt. Silver. Tyranitar and their kin are always a high risk/high reward for any that seek them out. So, for a usually territorial pok¨¦mon to just hand their young to me is just¡­"


    Knowing where Brock was going with this, I shook my head. "Brock, then that only proves that you''re the right person for the job." I kept going before he could doubt himself. "Sure the circumstances pushed that Tyranitar to give you Larvi-."


    "Sahara." Brock corrected.


    "Sahara." I nodded and continued. "But between you and your dad, he chose you and found you a better fit for his daughter''s protection than his own, and need I remind you that Tyranitar are living and walking natural disasters."


    "Huh¡­I guess I didn''t think of it like that." Brock''s jaw fell as he stared contemplatively at the ground.


    "That''s because you''re a good person, Brock." If anyone else were in his shoes, they would be gloating to the high heavens that they got a Larvitar. Honestly, it was nice to be empathetic but it would spit in the face of that Tyranitar''s efforts if Brock allowed any unneeded guilt to hamper Larvitar''s training. "Now¡­it''s my turn to share how I got Fafnir."


    "Sure, and Luke?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Thanks." He smiled.


    "Don''t mention it." I smiled back. "Now it all started when Clair of the Blackthorn Clan came to my front door and challenged Ash, who disguised himself as me. The whole yard was a mess, Asch was covered in black marker, Sylvie was wearing my boxers on her face for some odd reason and-."


    Brock facepalmed and shook his head. "I already have so many questions."


    And so, I spilled the beans about Clair and the deal I made to get Fafnir. Clair was not Brock''s favorite person after I told him about Fafnir''s condition once I got him. The thought that others like Fafnir were suffering the same fate at the Dragon''s Den saddened Brock to no end. Which is why I had to remind him that it was about time to head out to the Laramie Ranch.


    Balling Fafnir and Sahara, we rode our fliers upwards into the Fuschian Peninsula and past Fuschia City. The Safari Zone was one of the few places that beat Prof. Oak''s own reserve in sheer expanse as even with the overhead view, I couldn''t see where it ended, only where it began with the high barbed and electric fences and stationed Pok¨¦mon Rangers. The rangers were stationed on the ground and in the airspace that signified the border crossing into the Safari Zone.


    We took care not to cross that line lest we get pulled over or shot down. Our destination lay a bit further beyond the city and toward the lush grasslands. The historical city lay behind us as we landed a couple of kilometers away from it''s front gates on Route 15.


    "Take a good rest, Asch." I patted my Charizard''s neck and raised his pok¨¦ball. His grunting did make me fall short as I noticed him giving the distant farmlands a long look. I chuckled with the unsaid implications of said look popping into my head. "Don''t worry, I let you out once we made it. I''m sure that Epona will enjoy your company."


    Asch dully looked at me before rolling his eyes.


    "No need to be dramatic, I only call it out the way I see it, man." I patted his belly and returned him to his pok¨¦ball.


    "Good work Noctowl take a good rest." Brock comforted his already snoozing Noctowl before returning them. When Brock told me that he had captured a Hoothoot in Viridian Forest at night, I was livid. All of my friends were capturing these odd and rare pok¨¦mon on the beginner routes (Daisy with Staryu and Brock with a freaking Johto pok¨¦mon). I''m not saying that I don''t love the ones I captured when I set out, but it does make me a little bitter that they had all of that sweet luck.


    "So, are we going the rest of the way by foot?" Brock turned to me.


    "Not quite." I pulled out a pok¨¦ball and released Epona. My fire horse pok¨¦mon nodded to me in greeting before pausing to hurriedly take in the scenery. Once she realized just how familiar our surroundings were, she excitedly reared back and released a resounding whinny.


    Pulling out her saddle from my backpack, I approached her with a chuckle. "Looks like someone''s happy to return back home." I began strapping her up, but she kept moving so much that the saddle began slipping off. "E-Epona calm down, I''ll at least need this otherwise you''ll toss me off your back!" I laughed and calmed her down while brushing my fingers through her fur. She complied but kept stamping about in place impatiently, her gaze locked onto the distant plains where her old home/birthplace resided.


    Fitting the saddle into place, I turned to Brock who had already released his own ride stamping pok¨¦mon, a Tauros. Seated upon our saddles, I led Epona a bit down the trail with Brock closely following behind. The urge to simply run off was strong in my blazing equine pok¨¦mon, but she valued my safety and well-being more than said desire.


    "I''ll lead the way! Since you''re at the rear-!" I spun back to me, who nodded.


    "Got it, I''ll give you a signal should I see something suspicious."


    Good. This was always a benefit to traveling with others that I had to begrudgingly admit to: having someone you trust watch your back. I loved and trusted my pok¨¦mon to do the same, but it was relieving to have another capable trainer with their own team to assist me and mine.


    "Then let''s ride!" I pulled Epona''s reigns and with a mighty whinny she raised her upper body to the air and powerfully stamped her hooves on the old dirt road. We bolted from our position with Brock and his Tauros keeping up from behind. The outer plains of Route 15 spread just as far as the Safari Zone, and should you be extremely lucky/misfortunate to get lost, lead right into it. Of course, the countless Rangers on patrol will pluck you out with a warning for the first offense, then give you a 50,000 pok¨¦dollar fine for the second offense, and finally straight up arrest you on the third offense.


    If you get caught the first time, then it''s excusable. Getting caught a second time is suspicious and now you''re on a potential watch list. The third time is just hard evidence that your intentions for crossing into the guarded territory are far from innocent. You''re fine as long as you go through the proper channels, but going in without being verified by the Safari Warden is considered illegal.


    I had to pat Epona''s neck to signal for her to slow down a couple of times. Being so close to home was sure energizing her. I pitied Brock and his Tauros though. The mighty bull was desperately trying to keep pace with a born and bred racing pok¨¦mon. Brock had to gently reprimand his pok¨¦mon from getting too competitive lest they tire themselves out.


    The grand landscape of the Laramie Ranch was only punctuated by it''s large rustic ranch estate that stood in the midst of it all. All of the other farms and ranches that were along the road paled in comparison to the size of the place. Brock was in awe that I had to remind him to pick up his jaw lest a fly flies into his mouth.


    Nearing the open gates, we were just about to pass through until something blurred and appeared in the middle of the road, blocking our path, and causing us to come to a hard stop.


    Saddled on a disgruntled Dodrio was a boy around our age. He warily regarded the two of us with a glare. "Ah! Hey, where in tarnation are you two blokes heading? Can''t you read?" He pointed at the overhead sign with the "LARAMIE RANCH" alongside two other signs "TRESPASSER KEEP OUT!" and "Private Property! Violators will be given no prosecuted!".


    "This here is the private land under the ownership of the Laramie Family. Unless you''ve got an actual reason for intruding then kindly beat it!" Man was this kid loud, but he did make a fair point. You can''t just any old stranger enter a property teeming with this many pok¨¦mon.


    "Er¡­Luke?" Brock turned to me in askance. I nodded to him in reassurance before turning to face our loud gatekeeper.


    "Yeah, we can read just fine, man." I nodded. "We''re just on our way to visit a couple of friends of mine on this property."


    "Heh, a couple of friends of yours, eh? On this property? Likely story¡­" The boy derisively snorted at me.


    "It''s the truth." I internally sighed as Epona impatiently clopped her hooves in place. "You see, my Rapidash was actually bred and raised here before the owners of this fine ranch left her in my care to raise. I apologize if us rushing in startled you."


    "W-We weren''t startled at all! It''s just common sense to stop a pair of nitwits like you from barging in here." The boy stuttered with a furrowed brow. "And that''s one of our pok¨¦mon?" He inspected Rapidash closely and snorted. "We don''t hand out Rapidash, and certainly to no nobodies either!"


    I ignored the obvious jab. "That''s because she was a Ponyta when I got her."


    "Big woof! My point still stands, heck, if you''re so insistent that it''s here, then how come a guy like you has her then?" The boy pointed at me as if making a point.


    I tilted my head in question. "Because¡­I told you that the fine folks here gave her to me." I turned to Brock with a frown. "I did say that, right?"


    "Definitely." Brock nodded.


    "See?" I jabbed my thumb in my friend''s direction. "Did you miss what I said or¡­?" Oh, now the guy''s turning red and his Dodrio was acting up in a fuss.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "T-That''s not what I meant you wingnut!" The heck? Who uses "wingnut" as an insult anymore? "I was implying that you must have stolen her!"


    ¡­Huh.


    I looked to Epona who spun her head around to look at me. "Did I steal you?"


    She vigorously shook her head. Well, alright then.


    "See?" I shrugged.


    "As if I would believe a flimsy answer like that!"


    I internally groaned at this guy''s need for acting tough but trudged on with my diplomacy. "Well, if you need proof of my legitimacy and connection with the Laramies¡­" I pulled out the opened letter sent to my home and held it out to him. "Here." I made sure to display the crested seal on the letter.


    "T-That''s-!" I blinked in surprise as the boy and Dodrio pair blurred to get in my immediate vicinity to snatch the letter and quickly return to their original position. Impressive. The guy quickly pulled the letter out and began to read the letter''s contents. Each careful shift in his eyes as he read each sentence had caused his expression to scrunch up as his mood was clearly souring.


    "Is everything okay?" Brock asked.


    Taking a deep breath, the boy tucked the letter back into the envelope then crushed the whole thing in a shaking fist. Now I''m curious for this reaction. "Yeah, is something the matter?"


    He growled out. "Stay here! I''m going to confirm this with Mr. Laramie." He glared at us, no, particularly me. What? "I better not see you two trouncing about when I get back!"


    "Ok-." I didn''t get to reply because his Dodrio took off and left a cloud of dust in its wake. "-ay?" Brock coughed beside me as we were caught in said dust cloud.


    "Well, that was rude." He dusted himself off. His Tauros blustered and frantically shook their head from the dust getting in their eye. Brock used a handy handkerchief to attend the bull pok¨¦mon''s woes. "And that was less of a warm welcoming than I expected. Have you been stopped like this the last time you were here?"


    "Nope. I pretty much just walked in with the owner''s daughter then left with Epona when things were said and done." It really was that simple. Epona''s impatient jog in place began to make me a little dizzy and I assured her that we would get to enter her home after that guy returned from confirming that the letter was sent to me by Lara and her father. So, Brock and I passed the next twenty minutes along with more chatter until the uproarious growls and roars of a stampede polluted the serene fields of the Laramie estate.


    Over beyond the gated fences, I strained my eyes to capture the purple silhouettes of what looked to be Nidorino and Nidorina running about the place, charging, and attacking amongst one another. Breeders and trainers riding on their pok¨¦mon gave loud commands in an attempt to calm them down.


    "That doesn''t look good." Brock gulped.


    "It sure doesn''t. Come on girl¡­" I tugged Epona''s reigns, and she happily complied. We hopped over one of the smaller fences near to the front gate.


    "Hey, wait, but shouldn''t we wait for that guy to come back?"


    "I mean we could, but I''d rather be doing something than wait for a dude like that come back after wasting our time to deny us entry."


    "What!? He''d really do that?"


    "I dunno. Call it a hunch." I shrugged. I mean, honestly, it doesn''t take this long just to confirm that the owners know me. The seal on the letter should have been proof enough, and that kid certainly wasn''t friendly. The prospect of helping out with the situation over waiting to talk with him was more appealing to me.


    "Besides, it doesn''t hurt to help when you can, right?" I grinned. "Besides, this will be a good chance for you to make a good impression with the folks here."


    "I don''t know¡­" Huh, looks like I''m going to have to take a page out of Joey''s book if I wanted to pull a goody-two shoes like Brock into helping me.


    "Don''t worry, I promise to take the blame if we do manage to get in trouble." I assured him.


    Brock frowned before shaking his head and resolutely nodding. "Then I''ll help."


    I chuckled. "Good then let''s get to i-."


    "But I don''t want you getting in trouble either, Luke." I blinked in shock. "I want to help too, and if we do get in trouble for helping then well¡­" Brock shrugged. "At least this trip will have still been worth it."


    I chuckled. "You''re a good guy Brock. I really hope everything works out between you and Solidad."


    Brock raised an eyebrow. "Huh, Soli? But everything is fine. Why would anything need to be worked out at all?" Ah, so he''s the kind of sort to be oblivious to his childhood friend. Heh, well I wish Solidad the best then not that she would want any luck from me considering I wasn''t her favorite person in the world right now.


    "Nothing~. Nothing at all. Now let''s bounce!" I lightly tapped my heel against Epona''s abdomen. We blazed across the fields in full speed. There was a trio of squawking and a loud shout that tempted us to look back, but the encroaching riot of Nidorino and Nidorina fighting amongst each other took all of out attention. It was a frenzy; the males were either fighting amongst themselves or attacking the females that strayed away from fighting amongst each other.


    All the Breeders could manage to do was corral and circle around the pack of poison types. It did prevent them from going out further from the Ranch grounds, but it would allow the fighting to stop and truly fester. Growlithe were released and on the prowl to calm the poison types but at most they could only bark and growl. This did settle some Nidorina, but the Nidorino just kept fighting in big piles that none of the Breeders allowed their Growlithe to enter lest they get severely poisoned or impaled by a stray Nidorino''s horn.


    It was a mess.


    Thankfully a familiar face was there to lead the Breeders in figuring out the root cause of the problem.


    "-that doesn''t make any sense! How come the Nidorino were released for feeding during the same hour that the Nidorina were out to graze the fields!?" Shouted Lara Laramie atop her own Ponyta. My own fire horse locked eyes with her Ponyta, and they both immediately released a heartfelt neigh that stole the attention of Lara and the Breeders.


    I patted Epona''s side as we drew closer to them. "We''ll catch up with your little brother later." Now was the time for action! Pulling Epona''s reigns, we came to a complete stop next to Lara, who''s mouth was gaping wide at our sudden appearance.


    "Wh-! Luke, what are ya-?"


    "Later! Here to help! Brought a friend who''s the best Breeder in Pewter City!"


    "Buwha-! Luke, you don''t have to bring that up!" Shush, Brock! I''m helping you while I help them out!


    "What''s the issue!?" I tried shouting through the obnoxiously loud frenzied fighting of the Nidorino.


    Steeling herself, Lara narrowed her eyes at the mess. "The male Nidorino weren''t supposed to be released together with the females. Right now, breeding season is closing in and for some reason they were released together."


    "Male Nidorino grow more aggressive when in rut! Doubly so when they have to compete with others for a mate! Having this many of them out is too dangerous!" Brock added.


    Not to mention that the species were monogamous. So having one Nidorino accidentally trying to woo another Nidorino''s mate would lead only to utter conflict.


    Lara nodded. "Yeah, but for some reason beyond me they were released all at once! Now we have to separate them from each other before actual blood gets drawn!" Blood would only hasten the aggression and incite the pok¨¦mon to take lethal measures.


    "What do you suggest would work?" I asked.


    "We don''t want to hurt them so any way we could subdue them is wholly welcome." Lara offered.


    Shoot and I don''t have Sparrow here to execute a tag team Sleeping Powder + Whirlwind combination with Lenny. Asch could sort of pull it off, but his wingspan was smaller and thus held more power/less control than Sparrow.


    "Then how about capturing the Nidorino? They''re the main cause of the issue so removing them could-" Lara rounded on the Breeder who suggested that and glowered at the poor bespectacled boy.


    "That-!" She bit her tongue to no doubt stop herself from saying something that she''d regret. "That is an absolute last resort. These pok¨¦mon are to be protected, bred, and raised in the wild when on our land. Violating that is a definite negatory, are we clear?"


    "Y-Yes, ma''am!" The breeder squeaked, saluted, and cut his losses by joining the other trainers in containing the Nidorino-Nidorina brawl. Lara then spun to look at us with those same hardened eyes. She didn''t say it, but the unsaid warning was clear for Brock and me to understand.


    ""We understand.""


    She solemnly nodded. "Now does anyone else have any ideas?"


    "Well, I do have a Sylveon, but I don''t feel comfortable letting her out in the middle of that." I don''t want to risk her health around all of those poison types.


    "A Sylve-Oh! You mean that new pok¨¦mon that you showed during your Conference matches?" Lara blinked in amazement.


    I nodded. "She can calm these guys down, but doing that risks her getting pulled in. She also knows Attract, but attracting all of the Nidorino could gain the jealous ire of the Nidorina." Then we''d have another problem on our hands.


    "Then what can we-?" Lara frowned.


    Brock snapped his fingers. "Does anyone one of us here have a psychic type?"


    Lara shook her head. "We do have one, but our old Hypno is accompanying Ma with purchasing some goods down at the Fuschia Markets."


    "Dammit then I guess we can''t separate the Nidorino with psychic." Brock clicked his tongue.


    "Not exactly¡­" I began and got their attention. "Sylvie does know Psychic, but¡­it''s not the best it could be." I''d say that it was adequate an adequate Psychic compared to most over non-psychic type pok¨¦mon, but it sure was lacking to a Psychic move used by a pok¨¦mon of the same typing.


    "No, that''s good, Luke." Brock''s smile returned. "I have a Corsola that can use Psychic too. Her Psychic isn''t all that great either, but if we can have the two collaborate with only lifting the Nidorino-."


    Ah, I see where he''s getting at. "Then that''ll give us time to handle the less aggressive Nidorina."


    "Hah, and we''ll be able to have the Growlithe herd them away while the others calm down the Nidorino!" Lara grinned.


    "Exactly." Brock proudly nodded.


    "Then lets get to it fellas!" Lara exclaimed.


    And so, Brock and I released our respective pok¨¦mon of Sylvie and Corsola. The pair''s efforts were able to use their psychic hold over the growling Nidorino to lift them up into the sky. The two pok¨¦mon struggled to hold up so many targets, but the aid of having another share the burden ensured that their hold was secure. The Nidorina were perplexed with the sudden removal of their male counterparts and were swiftly herded off by the various Growlithe directed by Lara and a couple of breeders.


    That only left the Nidorino that were still psychically held above us.


    "Okay now slowly¡­slowly¡­" One of the senior breeders of the ranch instructed us to command our pok¨¦mon to gently put the Nidorino down once the Nidorina were out of their visual field of range. Rough handling of the aggressive poison types was bound to have them act up again. They''d now be in a sour mood with their potential mates gone and to avoid being their next target we had our pok¨¦mon gently bring them down one by one.


    Each Nidorino was calmed by the skilled grooming of each Breeder, and heck, even Brock had managed to join in once it became apparent that the number of Nidorino outnumbered the group of remaining Breeders. Heh, it was ironic that his cooking of pok¨¦food would be the clincher that earned one of the Nidorino''s trust.


    One by one, each Nidorino was removed from Sylvie and Corsola''s psychic hold until just one remained. I noticed the mental strain placed on Sylvie and Corsola and had instructed the pair that I can handle it. Corsola was reluctant yet Sylvie happily assented to my request, which inadvertently made Corsola release her hold as well.


    The Nidorino ahead of me growled and snarled as I carefully approached it. It''s funny despite how feral it looked, I couldn''t find it within me to feel scared. Not when I''ve literally groomed much bigger than it before I had even become a trainer.


    <hr>


    It was big.


    Those deep, scarred purple scales pulsed with power.


    Claws and a tail that demolish my little body with stupid ease.


    It was truly a beast, and yet those calm eyes never held any hostile intent. Only curiosity and gentleness were directed in my general direction.


    "Come on, Luke. Don''t be afraid, King won''t bite you!" A large calloused and scarred hand pulled my wrist up. I jumped in fright as I was pulled closer to the hulking beast of a pok¨¦mon. Warmth filled my palm as I slowly opened my eyes to see that it, he had willingly placed his large head in hand.


    They had met me halfway and happily grunted their species'' name.


    My fear was replaced with absolute wonder as I cast aside all pretense of caution and cheerfully began patting the hulking pok¨¦mon''s head to my heart''s content. Giddy childish laughter pealed out from between my lips.


    "See? Nothing to be afraid of son. Sometimes pok¨¦mon will react to you the same way you react to them. It''s okay to be scared, but also understand that they can be scared too. Now I know that King is the exception and that he''ll never hurt you but allow your old man to give you some tips when you come face to face with a pok¨¦mon like him."


    <hr>


    The Nidorino in front of me growled out and threateningly lowered their head with their horn now primed and ready to lung into me. I stopped approaching soon after. The Nidorino grunted and started dragging one of their clawed feet through the ground, ready to charge.


    I got down to one knee and held out my hand. The gesture confused the Nidorino, who''s anger slowly subsided to curiosity. They kept growling at me, but I kept calm and remained unmoved by it''s display of intimidation.


    I was putting it off of it''s game. The Nidorino was baffled yet now was curious with me. They took careful steps closer to me and cautiously narrowed their eyes to me. Their horn was still low enough to thrust into me. I heard some of Sylvie''s growling behind me, but the free hand that I kept behind me gestured for her to stop.


    Now close enough, the Nidorino sniffed at my head. I remained motionless and steadfast, never moving beyond my set reach. Seconds ticked down with each curious sniff as the pok¨¦mon''s body grew less stiff and more comfortable.


    A full minute passed until I had finally breached the pok¨¦mon''s distrust before it finally reached me halfway and calmly pressed their head into my palm. Given clear permission, I lightly chuckled and allowed my hands to go to town on scratching underneath the neck and around the horn of the pok¨¦mon by reflex.


    "There you go! Whose a good deadly monster of venomous destruction? You are! Your are¡­!" The Nidorino happily yearned for my touch and happily pushed himself into my hands. I was cautious to avoid his horns and spikes.


    And of course, I had another pok¨¦mon that wanted to be treated well for her efforts. "Sylveon¡­" One of Sylvie''s ribbons tugged at my arms, and so I relinquished one hand from Nidorino to her. To say that I was left with two very happy pok¨¦mon in my arms was an understatement.


    Once Lara returned with the Breeders, they were quick to herd the Nidorino back to their designated area, far away from the Nidorina.


    "Thank you two so much! You guys are the best!" Lara deeply bowed to both Brock and me. I still had Sylvie in my arms while Brock was diligently scrubbing Corsola''s cute and rocky exterior. Though I had no clue why a Nidorino was still around though.


    "Don''t mention it, Lara, we''re only happy to help." Brock nodded.


    "Yeah, I also kind of needed to make up for my late reply to your invitation." I chuckled.


    "Nah! I get it, Mr. Big Shot was probably dealing with all the attention he got from the Conference." Lara snickered.


    "Not true, I was sleeping in from sunrise to sunset!" I proudly grinned.


    "Wow, you really shouldn''t sound so proud about that at all." Lara giggled.


    Epona was running with Ponyta around the fields after things calmed down, and Asch was closely flying after them. Though Lara''s Ponyta stubbornly kept trying to outrun my Charizard while Epona, my Rapidash, humored her younger brother''s immaturity by keeping pace with him.


    Looks like Epona''s little brother did not approve of my Starter.


    "So, you ever figure out who lost track of the Nidorino?" I asked.


    Lara''s expression darkened. "Yeah, it''s this doofus named Dario. He''s one of the Breeders that my Pa took in to teach, and like the six times before, he suckered a new ranch hand to do his job while gallivanting off to do a task that''s not even his responsibility."


    Huh, Dario. That name sounds so familiar¡­


    Nah, I don''t remember him at all.


    "Well, I hope he gets a good talking to." Brock nonchalantly sighed and returned Corsola after polishing her to the point to where she was glistening. "The pok¨¦mon could have gotten seriously hurt."


    "Oh, trust me, when I tell Pa about this, he''ll-." Lara was interrupted by the arrival of the same kid that stopped us earlier and a burly and hairy balding man in overalls riding on the back of Dodrio.


    "There they are, Mr. Laramie! The two trespassers right there!" The boy snickered and pointed at Brock and Me. "They took off running the moment I came back and refused to com-!"


    "Gahahahaha! Luke, my boy, it''s good to see you again!" The burly man jumped off the Dodrio and charged over to pull me into a big hug.


    My face now planted in the man''s hairy pecs; I muffled out. "I-It''s good to see you too, Mr. Laramie. How''s your leg doing?"


    Putting me down, the old man uproariously laughed. "Leagues better, son, and thanks for the concern! We saw your match during the Conference. Shame ya lost but at least ya didn''t lose to no filthy Johtonian, am I right?"


    "Pa, you promised not to say stuff like that after Ma convinced you to accept more Breeders from abroad¡­" Lara glared.


    "It was only a joke Lara; I was only kidding¡­" Mr. Laramie rubbed his neck. "So, Luke since you''re here that means that you finally responded to Lara''s letter, am I right?"


    "Yup, she mentioned that you needed help with something, and I wanted to bring Epona back home. Though I kind of need some context since the letter was pretty vague¡­" I scratched my chin and looked Lara who immediately refused to look me in the eye.


    "Well, son about that¡­" Mr. Laramie began.


    "What is going on!? Mr. Laramie these are the two nitwits that invaded your property!" Ah, right, that guy was still here.


    "Huh, you mean Luke, Dario? Don''t worry, we know him so he''s free to come and go as he pleases." Ah, so this guy is Dario. Hehe, he''s going to be in so much trouble~!


    "Wha-! He can just-!? Why does he get that sort of-?" Jeez, man, it''s like you didn''t read that letter I gave you and pieced together the context from it. Dario sputtered then angrily pointed at Brock. "Then what about him?"


    Mr. Laramie rubbed his chin as he took in Brock. My friend froze as he stood stock still under the evaluating gaze of the large ranch owner. "Hm, I''m afraid I don''t know you, kid so Dario does have a point." The kid smirked in triumph.


    Ahahaha, no.


    "Oh, don''t worry, Mr. Laramie, he''s cool. Brock''s one of Pewter City''s best Breeders." I nodded with a grin and relished Brock''s embarrassment and humble denials about being "one of the best in Pewter.


    And bless her soul, Lara happily vouched for my friend too. "Yep, he even came up with a plan to deal with the Nidorino and Nidorina ruckus that came about because Dario left his post!"


    Looking pale, Dario stuttered, "W-Wait, no, I didn''t leave my post, I-I just-!"


    "Dario did WHAT?" Mr. Laramie''s jolly smile fell and was replaced with a furious glare that had the jerk trembling in his boots.


    It was so satisfying seeing someone get their comeuppance. The Dario didn''t even bother to look for Mr. Laramie at first until after Brock and I leapt into action to help Lara with the Nidorino-Nidorina problem. Then he found Mr. Laramie and concocted a whole fib about us outmaneuvering him to trespass into the reserve. The asshole was given an extensive dressing down by Mr. Laramie and Lara before he delegated the horrid punishment of cleaning the Tauros stalls for six months.


    Brock and I didn''t feel an ounce of pity for him. The guy decided to be the self-imposed gatekeeper while leaving his post to some other new and unqualified Breeder to handle.


    "Thanks for your help, son. If you''re interested in asking me any questions, don''t hesitate to ask, alright? You look like you got a good head on your shoulders and I''d love to help you better yourself as prospective Pok¨¦mon Breeder." Mr. Laramie chuckled and roughly patted Brock''s shoulder.


    Brock winced in pain but kept his vibrant smile on his face. "You have no idea how much that means to me! Thanks, Mr. Laramie."


    "Bah, just call me Leonard! You and Luke have earned at least that much. Hell, Luke even more so now that he finally came here to help."


    "Yeah, about that¡­ I still don''t know how to help out. Lara was pretty vague in the letter." I scratched my cheek. "Something about it being related to the race and my involvement and all that jazz¡­"


    Mr. Laramie seriously nodded and crossed his arms. "Right, I guess my little pumpkin would still be in that phase of her life to just skirt around the details. It''s actually quite maiden-like of her~!"


    "Pa¡­" Lara heated hissed out. Her cheeks a rosy, red as she still refused to look me in the eye. I was severely missing some major context here.


    "Alright then, Luke Ketchum¡­" Mr. Laramie grabbed me by the shoulders and took up my full attention. His smile was foreboding and making me a bit uncomfortable. "I know that I''m asking for too much after you''ve helped us out in the past, but I really humbly request that you take my sweet, beloved daughter''s hand in holy matrimony!"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "¡­What?" I croaked out.

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14


    <hr>


    Long ago before the outbreak of the first two Great Pok¨¦mon wars, there was no "Kanto" or "Johto" at all. No, before all of that was the age of the Kantonian Civil War. A lawless and brutal period in Kanto history where only the strong thrived and the weak perished. There was no League System or government to keep anything in check, and so only individuals with powerful pok¨¦mon, a strong backing of soldiers, and massive gains through spoils of war dictated the law of their conquered corners of the region.


    Things were simple back then, you conquer a tribe/settlement, then it''s all yours to do with as you see fit. You get overwhelmed by an enemy force, then you either submit or die and lose all of your pok¨¦mon, riches, and lands. History in particular about this portion in our land''s history was greatly censored compared to the others beyond the crucial bits: the horrifying formation of the Red and Green Factions AND the war''s end due to the hands of Ancient Rotan knight, Ser Aaron.


    Two significant warlords in Kanto had managed to conquer both parts of the region as their own and had claimed them under the Red and Green banners, respectively. The two sides tried to find peace but with Greed ever being the sole motivator for most common men, war was the eventual outcome. The region was torn apart for countless years until it''s conclusion came about when the Legendary Birds of Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno rained down their fury and wiped out all of the major forces in the war. Each day during the war, one of these Legendary pok¨¦mon would destroy any and everyone who engaged in conflict, effectively breaking the spirits of every willing soldier during the war.


    The Red and Green factions were finally forced to consider peace after their leaders and most of their armies were expunged from the world. There was no negotiation, no last-minute betrayal or anything. The threat of everyone being erased left a horrid taste in the mouths of those in the past. Numbers and wealth will always pale in comparison to the Legendaries.


    The fact that none of the trio of legendary birds razed the entire region to the ground after said peace was established just furthered the utter helplessness that our ancestors felt at being left in the tender mercies of beings stronger than them. Ser Aaron always seemed like a random figure to include in the Civil War''s history since it''s noted that he contributed greatly but ominously disappeared just before the arrival of the Legendary birds.


    Lucario and the Mystery of Mew was my favorite Pok¨¦mon Movie, but I just couldn''t understand how two and two fit together here. I could think about looking into it, but I already have enough on my plate as it is. Such as my surprise engagement with Lara Laramie.


    "Okay, I j-just wanna say¡­that I could have been clearer with my choice of wordin''." Mr. Laramie coughed and winced through the multiple lumpy bruises that popped out of his head.


    "Ya think, Pa?" Lara growled with an intimidating paper fan in her hands, slowly tapping it against her free hand. Seeing Lara beat the crap out of her larger old man every step of the way to the Laramie family''s home and kitchen did alleviate some of the initial shock of her dad''s request.


    "That''s why I''ll go straight from the top and reveal the importance of our family''s heritage and position here in the outer plains of Fuchsia." Mr. Laramie crossed his arms and nodded.


    "Thank you, I would very much appreciate that¡­" I groaned beside Brock at the large dining room table. My friend awkwardly laughed as he realized that he was unintentionally roped into an unbelievable mess. Then I blinked as I noticed something or someone missing, "Hey where did Sylvie go?"


    "Huh¡­" Brock looked just as confused as me. "I noticed her come in with us but once we sat down, I sort of lost track¡­"


    "Weird, she usually doesn''t like to stray too far from me." I began to call out to her before pausing to shoot an apologetic look toward Mr. Laramie. "Sorry. Do you mind if I yell for her?"


    "Lad, we''re on a ranch. Your screaming will barely be a deafening din in comparison to the bustling work that happens." Welp, with that permission given I happily called out to my pok¨¦mon.


    "Sylvie!? Sylvie!" I called out once and received no answer. Huh, she usually comes after the first call. I then proceeded to loudly clap my hands against my lap. "Sylvie! Are you here!? I want to keep rewarding you for all the hard work you just did!" I cringed at the sudden clattering of something metallic hitting the ground in the kitchen, then lo and behold, my wonderful Sylveon happily bounded from the kitchen to land in my lap with serene grace.


    "There you are¡­" I chuckled and began threading my fingers through her fur. "Now what were you up to in there?"


    "Veeon~¡­" I chose to let her enjoy my tender ministrations to shoot another apology to the Laramie Patriarch. "Sorry again if she-." He held his hand up to stop me.


    "Don''t, lad. Messes around the household are all a natural part of our livelihoods." Mr. Laramie proudly grinned.


    "I''ll be sure to tell Ma you said that." Lara muttered just loud enough for her dad to hear and suddenly grow pale.


    "Ahem! Well then missy why don''t you clean the kitchen so I can finally get to explainin'', sweetheart?" Real smooth, Mr. Laramie.


    Lara groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fine just give me a moment." She disappeared into the kitchen.


    After all, how much of a mess can a single little thing like her can d-?"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Pa?"


    "Yes, sweetheart?"


    "Did someone accidentally leave all the knives out in one place?"


    And so, after a brutally long and awkward silence of waiting for Lara to clean up the ranch''s odd assortment of knives from the floor, Mr. Laramie finally gave us the full picture.


    Even after the end of the Kantonian War, the remnants of the Green Faction that once controlled the Southern half of Kanto had broken up into tribes and clashed over the lands to control as settlements. Thus, the birth of these new settlements became Cerulean, Celadon, Saffron, and Vermillion. Fuchsia on the other hand took a long time to even be established.


    The southeastern vast plains and lands of Fuchsia were bountiful and teeming with strong pok¨¦mon. The remaining tribes that wished to settle here were overcome with the selfsame greed that their original faction possessed and fought amongst themselves for sole ownership of the land. Shed blood was repaid with more blood and in the end, there would be no tribes that would survive to partake in the land''s splendor.


    Until the day that an unknown stranger from the North came with a pok¨¦mon of valiant steel stumbled upon the conflict and subdued every tribe of the plains that sought to continue fighting. For the first time in years, order had been brought to the plains once the stranger took the reigns of leadership and guided a proper path for the tribes to take.


    They treated the very lands with the respect that they deserved, constantly mediated between tribal disputes, and shared their foreign knowledge on their handling of pok¨¦mon and how it could be applied to the native pok¨¦mon on their lands. For once, peace was all but assured until the stranger announced his much-needed departure. Before the tribes would devolve back into disarray, the stranger had proposed a competition.


    A race to determine who would gain which section of land in the plains and the species of pok¨¦mon in said land that they must protect. Each tribe was to breed and train the best pok¨¦mon for the purpose of riding them to Mt. Spirit and determining the victor. The victor was given the hefty responsibility of raising and tending to the vast majority of the plains and the pok¨¦mon that resided there.


    The defense of said lands was relegated to the Kawakami Clan, who were ran out from their old home in the region that would later be called "Johto" and were welcomed with open arms by the unknown stranger and by extension the other tribes. The Laramie Clan were the victors and given the largest piece of land along with the sole responsibility of caring for and tending to the pok¨¦mon that inhabited it. Then the unknown stranger and their pok¨¦mon vanished without a trace, and thus the Nomad''s Independence Day Race became an official part of the newly forming Fuchsia Town''s culture.


    The rules that the mysterious stranger laid out for every resulting race resulting after it was that said land would indefinitely be the property of the victors until the victorious clan lost thrice in a row with each yearly race. Only members of the tribe were allowed to take part in these races with their bred and raised pok¨¦mon. This was to ensure fairness and avoid conflict amongst the violent tribes back in the day.


    Not meeting this requirement would result in the tribe''s immediate disqualification from the race, but also deny them the right to partake in the race in the next year. Thus, they''d be left with one last chance to earn victory or lose out on their land.


    "Oh¡­" After hearing all of that, I couldn''t help but feel bad. "Dang¡­I''m sorry Lara and Mr. Laramie for-."


    "Luke, don''t." Lara good-naturedly smile at me, not a hint of bitterness in her voice. "Not for that, okay?"


    "She''s right, lad. You didn''t know and time just wasn''t on our side¡­" Mr. Laramie grunted. "I was a fool to consider thinking that Ponyta, um¡­er¡­your Rapidash would be ready to ride despite their aggressive denial in accepting a new rider."


    "Y-Yeah, Epona was kind of¡­moody back then." I nervously chuckled.


    "And it was because of my recklessness that she knocked me off her back and I broke my arm." The man rubbed his now functioning appendage. "To be fair, I deserved it¡­" I wouldn''t go that far, but whatever he did certainly made earning Epona''s trust a trial before the race.


    Frowning, Brock spoke for the first time since the explanation ended. "I''m sorry for cutting in, but if the rules state that a member of the Clan has to be the one to race, then are you exploiting that loophole by marrying Luke into your family?"


    "Right in one, lad." Mr. Laramie nodded, and Lara blushed as the real topic of our gathering was finally reaching the surface. "The risk of losing our home and land is far too great. Sure, we can buckle down and take the loss for this year and be barred from racing the in the next in stride, but the chance that we could lose our home. One that''s been in our family for countless years is¡­hard to stomach."


    "Would you guys be forced to leave your home?" I gaped and gestured to the ranch as a whole.


    "No, things wouldn''t be that extreme, but we''d essentially lose our right to freely tend to the pok¨¦mon and lose ownership of the lands around the ranch. Depending on how poorly we perform in the race, we''d essentially be given the new winner''s lot or the better performing racer''s lot instead if we can''t even manage second place." Lara sighed.


    "Geez, this is serious¡­" I rubbed my chin and re-evaluated my once laid-back approach to this. "So, I guess that my disguise did bupkis in helping out, huh?"


    "Not quite, lad." Mr. Laramie shook his head. "Folk were left questioning who the mysterious Crimson Desperado was and though we couldn''t frame their identity to be me on account to my injury and being physically there for the race, we were given a chance to at least hide who took part in the race."


    "Until the race''s strict observers from the Kawakami Clan figured things out and demanded answers. And then that''s when Pa decided to come up with the clever plan to say that the Crimson Desperado was a new future addition to the family and decided to marry me off to them¡­" Lara facepalmed.


    "Aw, come on, sugar, it was the only way to get those shadowy sticklers off our backs¡­" Mr. Laramie gently shot his daughter an apologetic look.


    "Yeah, and also force Luke and I into this messy situation, Pa!" Lara growled. "It feels awful being so dishonest with everyone whose heard rumors about this."


    "Aw, don''t act like you hate it, Lara! I''ve seen how red you get whenever we bring it up."


    "That''s because it''s embarrassing and besides I can''t even like Luke that way beyond just a friend. You know this, Pa." Lara screeched then flinched upon realizing what she had just said. "Uh, no offense there Luke."


    "None taken." I shrugged. Hey, at least she was being straight up with me, and it was good to know that she wasn''t hiding her personal preference.


    "Besides, Dario is the only one with a close enough body type to Luke to be able to pull off the disguise, and you already spoke of how you''d rather die than follow through with that plan." Mr. Laramie added.


    "That''s because I have standards, Pa!"


    "Think of the family, Lara!"


    "I AM. The moment that Dario of all people officially joins us is the moment we realize that we''ve hit rock-bottom!"


    As Brock and I watched the ensuing familial spat, my friend leaned over to whisper. "Huh, what does she mean that she can''t like you that way?"


    Uh, I don''t think that I should be the one to tell poor innocent Brock this since we''re both technically still 12. "Ask Flint to look up the Johtonian term "Yuri" and I''m sure he''ll manage to shed some light for you." So that is why I threw Flint under the bus with no remorse.


    "Um¡­okay?" Brock weirdly looked at me before focusing back on the father-daughter pair that was arguing with each other. After watching Lara step her game and give father another few whacks over the head with a wooden mallet from the kitchen, it was finally time for him to properly propose the offer to me.


    "So, lad, are you willing to help us out and take my lovely daughter''s hand in marriage?" Mr. Laramie seriously looked me in the eye while holding up the mallet in one arm and warding off his red-faced daughter reaching for said mallet with the other arm.


    Crossing my arms, I deeply thought of my decision before steadfastly answering with a smile, "Sure, I''m willing to help you guys out, but I''m going to have to say no to being Lara''s fianc¨¦."


    "O-Oh¡­" Mr. Laramie slightly deflated while Lara sighed in relief.


    "I''m just not up for lying like this, sir." Plus, it''s always been a dream of mine to get married in my past life and since I never got to accomplish that I feel like I would cry if I had to go through with a fake one in this life. "Plus, Lara doesn''t really seem to be to into the idea to even try."


    Lara groaned. "Now I didn''t say that¡­" Lara shook her head earning a confused hum from me. "Just because I don''t want to do it doesn''t mean that I won''t if it''s necessary. This is our home Luke, and I would do anything just to protect it."


    I nodded in understanding. "Even getting engaged to someone you can''t love?"


    Lara winced. "Just because I can''t doesn''t mean that I would hate it. You''re a good friend Luke and though I hate that I have to drop this on your lap after you helped us, I wouldn''t mind you being the one that Pa tries marry me off to."


    Aw that''s sweet, but just as bad. "Well after hearing that then I really can''t accept this arrangement, Mr. Laramie." I shook my head. "And I wouldn''t recommend switching to Dario as my replacement either. There has to be an alternative to this, maybe we should negotiate with the observers of the race and work out a solution?"


    Mr. Laramie scratched his chin as his face scrunched up. "Good luck with that, Lad. The slippery folk in that clan is as rigid as they are strong. They take their duty seriously that their clan head is even stricter as an observer than they are as the city''s Gym Leader."


    Brock blinked in surprise. "Wait, Gym Leader? So that means-?"


    "Yup, Koga''s family are the observers." I nodded. "It wasn''t hard to piece together after they mentioned stuff about the shadows. Also, he doesn''t really like to display his last name like a couple of other Gym Leaders, so you''d have to really dig deep to even find it. Once "Kawakami" was brought up, I immediately knew it was going to involve him."


    "Whoa, what kind of lengths did you have to go to just to learn his last name?" Brock was in awe.


    "I beat his gym challenge then I asked." Brock deadpanned at my simple answer. "Hey, it''s the truth¡­" He seemed really cool to share it with me though, so it wasn''t too big of a deal.


    I turned to Mr. Laramie. "And even if things don''t immediately go as planned, it''s better to be up front about the dilemma then to hold it off until it''s too late. Who knows we may even come upon a compromise that is sure to work."


    Mr. Laramie gave me a long hard look. "And are you sure I can''t change your mind about taking my pumpkin''s hand in marriage?"


    "Nope." I swiftly refused. Another couple seconds of being heavily stared by the older man and he conceded with a deep sigh. He scratched the back of his head and made his way to the kitchen.


    "¡­Shoulda known it would have been a long shot." He grunted. "Fine, let''s do things your way, Lad."


    "Pa?" Lara worriedly watched her father grab the kitchen''s wall phone.


    "Don''t worry, sweetheart, I''m just calling your Ma to make one last stop before coming home. If things don''t go right, then I''ll hafta add more riding lessons to your workload." Dialing the numbers in, he held the phone to his ear and pointed at Brock and I. "Go show them around and have some fun. I''ll call you all back once its time."


    Shooting the man one last thumbs up that he happily returned, we left him to his business. Getting shooed out of the ranch''s main house had left us with nothing to do except accompany Lara around the reserve. She still had work to do and since we didn''t want to be a bother, we helped her out with refilling the feeding troughs for the Tauros, sharpening the Sandslashs'' claws, and polishing the rough hides of the Rhyhorns.


    "There we go and¡­" Brock grunted and rapidly buffered out the last bits of dirt on the last Rhyhorn that we were cleaning. "You are done big gal." With a light tap to their side, the Rhyhorn roared and charged off to join their pack. "Good and that takes care of-!"


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Perior! Rhy! Rhy!" Popping out of their pokeball, Brock''s starter, Rocco excitedly pointed at himself.


    "Rocco, I already polished you this morning. Besides, you''re not dirty." His Rhyperior slumped in disappointment before a mischievous gleam formed in their eye. Brock certainly didn''t miss that. "Don''t even think about it."


    "RHHHHY!" It was too late, Rocco was already trudging off to find the nearest mud puddle he could and considering the amount of Ground types in the area, it would not be a challenge.


    All Brock could do was groan and call out Corsola. "Get ready¡­"


    "Cor¡­?" The cute pink coral pok¨¦mon looked to be as dead as Brock with that warning.


    "He''s looking for a mud puddle as we speak¡­"


    "Corsola¡­"


    Huh, it was depressing to see them like this, but also adorable with how in sync they were when they released that happiness draining sigh together.


    The Nidorino that Brock calmed down from earlier was still around and regarded the two of them with a confused tilt of the head. He''s been following Brock the entire two hours that we''ve been out here helping Lara out. Brock didn''t seem to mind them and Lara oddly didn''t say much about it as she simply chose to observe the Nidorino''s behavior when around him.


    "Sorry about roping you two into helping me out." Sat beside me on the hilltop, well, she sat beside Sylvie who had wedged herself between us. "First Pa tries to talk you into marrying me and now I''m getting free labor out of you two because I can''t find it in myself to skip work. Shucks are we terrible hosts¡­"


    "Ah, voluntary free labor." I reminded. "I don''t mind helping out a friend and getting to work with pok¨¦mon is just as fun. Its not every day that you get to work at one of Kanto''s prestigious breeding ranches." She shoved me at my teasing.


    "Oh, knock it off with that. Yeah, what we do here is important, but it doesn''t make us THAT big of a deal." Lara giggled.


    "Must be easy for you to say that considering you''re basically a princess here." I snickered.


    "Pfft! Then I must be the crummiest princess in the world since the thought of wearing a dress just scares me." Lara shuddered.


    "Really, a dress?" I chuckled.


    "Yeah! It''s just too impractical. Some of the pok¨¦mon around these parts are bitey and the millions of ways that you can get snagged to the bushes, fences, and other things around here is a nightmare." Lara vented. "My Ma''s a brave lady for moving about the place as she does while dressing like that."


    "You haven''t learned the ropes from her?" I asked and Lara loudly laughed at the suggestion.


    "Oh, she tried, but after five straight years of trying to ambush me, dress me up in my sleep, and removing every piece of clothing that wasn''t a dress in my closet, she eventually gave up."


    "Respect." I held out my fist to her and she returned my fist bump.


    "Thank you."


    We settled into peaceful silence as Rocco did return a complete mess of mud and grass. The Rhyperior groaned in dissatisfaction when instead of a hard and dedicated polishing, he received a full Hydro Pump blast to the face courtesy of Corsola.


    Massing my Sylveon''s ears as she napped in my lap, I broke the silence with a light hum. "So does your dad know about your-?"


    "It''d be hard to hide it from a nosey guy like Pa, so yes, he does know." Lara nodded.


    "And he still considered this fianc¨¦ thing?"


    "¡­He''s understanding Luke, but the ranch and the land are important to us. Pa still loves it, Granny loved it, our great-great-great-great ancestors loved it, and I love it. If only to keep the land and maintain our tradition, I would frankly do everything I can to protect what we''ve been guarding for years. Even sacrificing my own wants."


    "I get that but isn''t it selfish to¡­" I began but I couldn''t quite find the words to say it without coming off as a dick.


    "No, it''s fine go on and say what you want. I''mma big girl, Luke." Lara urged me on.


    I groaned. "I like you guys and I don''t want you to lose your place here, but isn''t it kind of selfish to be this adamant about wanting to keep the land? The other ranches that belonged to their own clans work just as hard to earn 1<sup>st</sup>place just for the chance to safeguard this place. Don''t you think it''s unfair to them to go to such lengths." Again, I wanted these people to keep what they have but the context of the race did give me more clarity to empathize with the other clans working tirelessly to earn this place.


    Guess you could say that a part of me just wanted to play Devil''s Advocate just to be fair.


    "It does look that way, doesn''t it?" Lara sighed. "The responsibility that comes with watching the lands that touch the Safari Zone has grown far beyond simply owning the most land, at least nowadays like Pa believes. The benefits that we have here are only equally weighed by their consequences."


    Lara took a deep breath. "For years we''ve been undefeated in the races and the image of the undefeatable Laramie family has urged the other families in the plains to improve their craft as racers and breeders. It''s a win-win in the long term and should a family defeat us in the race three times in a row, then they rightfully should claim these lands for their own. If not, then they''ve still proven their stock of pok¨¦mon and breeding methods as very viable to the people of Kanto."


    "Logically it does make sense, but¡­I guess all of this just to keep the land is just super personal for your family, yeah?" I said.


    "Yep¡­It is¡­" Lara sadly smiled. "Y-Ya think it''s bad that we''re not being honest about it? To the city and Aya and the rest of her clan?" I did wonder why she brought up Aya instead of the rest of the Kawakami clan, but I chose to focus on the heart of the question.


    "Personally, I understand you guy''s reasoning for doing this and admire how you found a loophole to the race''s rule with marrying an outsider to your family. The lying isn''t good, but¡­its very human." I nodded and looked at the grassy landscape around us. "You guys are good people and I like you all so I don''t want you to lose this place. So, I''ll give you all the help I can so that we''re both guilty of being selfish when the time comes for shit to hit the wall."


    Lara sniffled and chuckled. "Heh." She also slugged my shoulder. Hard.


    "Ouch!" I winced and rubbed my shoulder in pain. This woke Sylvie who immediately began growling at the girl.


    "Aw don''t be such a baby, Luke." She patted herself off and got back to her feet and held her hand out to me.


    "Next time give a guy some warning before you decide to punch his arm off, deal?" I grunted with discomfort as she easily pulled me up. Huh, why was she leaning i-?


    *Chu~!*


    "Syyyyyyl"


    I blinked and held my cheek. Sylvie seemed to growl for some reason while Lara cheekily laughed, walking backwards down the hill.


    "There does that make it feel better ya big baby?" Lara snickered, tying her hands behind her back.


    I deadpanned. "Of course not. You hit my arm, not my cheek. Also, I thought you don''t swing that way..." I groaned, picked up Sylvie, who kept glaring at the bluenette.


    "I don''t, but like I said if its you then I''m fine with acting it out. So how did it feel? Making you reconsider Pa''s offer?" Hahahaha, no.


    "Nice try and besides the abuse you inflicted onto me feels like a preview for what could happen if we decided to shack up together." I harumphed past her with Sylvie darkly snickering at the gaping bluenette.


    "Oh, come on, your heart had to have skipped a beat just a little!"


    "Not even close."


    "Don''t be a liar, Luke!"


    "I''m not, I just can tell when someone''s being genuine with me or not. Something to which you clearly weren''t." I stuck my tongue out at her. Hehehe, Sylvie copied me. She got more head rubs just for being a good girl in backing me up.


    "Or maybe you''re just dense!" Lara blew a raspberry back at me.


    "Hah! Lara, I would like to give myself some credit. If there''s someone who legitimately likes me that badly, I''d know it¡­" Huh, how come Sylvie''s groaning with a shake of her head. That''s odd behavior for her¡­


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "Daisy, where are you going!?" Wailed Erika.


    "I-I''m sorry but I have to go." For Daisy, this entire day had been nothing but mysterious euphoric flashes of vindication and unbridled bursts of anger. Already she had broken five tea cups and ruined three attempts at Ikebana. She off her game and these disturbances could only possibly mean one thing.


    "Don''t give in Daisy, its barely been that long since we started!"


    "Playing hard to get clearly isn''t working!"


    "How would you know that has he texted anything that says otherwise?"


    "¡­N-No, but I have this awful feeling that something happened! I-I''m just going to go out and see what''s happening. Y-Yeah, it wouldn''t hurt to do at least that much." Daisy gave an unsettling laugh as she made her way to the Gym''s exit.


    "Daisy, just have faith. Everything is fine. You''re fine. Okay?" Erika slowly beckoned her Vileplume to her side once she noticed her friend''s shoulder begin to lower.


    "We''re fine?" Daisy repeated, looking acting very lost with herself.


    "We''re fine." Erika nodded.


    "We''re fine¡­" Daisy exhaled.


    "We''re fine." Erika joined her friend and released calming breath with her.


    "Phew¡­ Y-You''re right, Erika. Sorry about that¡­" Daisy sighed. Erika beautifully smiled and nodded.


    "It''s fine now¡­" Now came the next challenge that she needed to face. "Now lets put your phone away."


    "¡­!" Daisy''s eyes shot wide open as she pulled the device away from Erika''s reach. Erika didn''t miss Daisy''s free hand that snatched one of the pok¨¦balls from her belt.


    "Daisy¡­?" Erika and her Vileplume slowly inched closer to the Oak girl.


    "¡­Maybe it wouldn''t hurt just to respond a little. I''m not annoyed with him anymore and-!" Ah, Erika should have known that this was going to be the hill that her friend would die on.


    "Vileplume use Sleep Powder!" So, she didn''t hesitate to give her starter a command.


    "Traitor!" Daisy''s screeching was followed by the release of her growling Arcanine.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    After taking a break to race with Lara and Brock around an old track on the Ranch''s lands, Mr. Laramie called us back upon the arrival of Mrs. Laramie, who just would not stop trying to offer to feed us food due to thinking we''re nothing but "skin and bones", the family''s Hypno, and two representatives of the Kawakami clan.


    They didn''t teleport in with Mrs. Laramie''s Hypno, but they materialized out of nowhere without any fanfare or sign of the pok¨¦mon in question that pulled off the teleport. Also, neither of them was Koga, but they were definitely related to him.


    "Good afternoon, everyone." Deeply bowed a green haired girl garbed in shinobi gear, who was a bit older than us.


    "G-Greetings-degozaru!" Beside her clumsily bowed an even younger purple haired girl who also was garbed in ninja garments.


    "Hello, lasses." Mr. Laramie stiffly greeted the two females as we stood in the family room of the ranch''s main house.


    "Hello Janine!" Lara wiggled a finger toward the little purple haired girl, who cutely paused mid-wave to hastily give back a stoic nod. Awww. So, Koga''s daughter was the same around Ash''s age group that''s nice.


    "A-And hi, Aya. Nice to see that you''re back." Lara timidly waved at the green haired shinobi; her cheeks dusted with a light red hue. Hoh, now that reaction explains that past slip of the tongue from earlier.


    "Yes, Lara, it is magnanimous to make your acquaintance once more. I would like to thank you for your assistance last month for your helpful advice in studying the grazing habits of Nidorina, but that can come after our business is concluded." Aya, the younger sister of Koga, cordially greeted the girl.


    "N-No, it''s cool! I was happy to help. I know everything there is ta know about the critters. Just ask and I''ll gladly tell you anything you wanna know. I''m your girl! Well not really but I could-no! I meant that as friends and¡­I''mma just stop talking now¡­" Lara stuttered and slunk back to hide behind Brock and I.


    "Real smooth¡­" I whispered. "Ow!" I met her glare back with my own while rubbing the shoulder she just punched. No need to get violent just because you were verbally kicking your own ass just now.


    "Hm? You have guests that will be joining us?" Looks like Aya has finally taken notice of our presence, and some form of recognition did etch itself upon her delicate mien. "Huh, it''s you two."


    "Wait, you know us?" Brock rubbed his chin in thought.


    "Of course, you were challengers that overcame my brother''s Gym Challenge." She looked at Brock. "If I recall, I was the third Gym trainer that battled you before you continued on to battle my brother for your fourth badge." She turned to me. "And I faced you as the first Gym trainer before you defeated the others and challenged my brother for your fifth badge."


    "Wow, you have a really good memory." She really does. I remember facing her, but the Gym Challenge to face Koga flew by so fast that certain parts like the order of the trainers I faced escaped my notice.


    "A shinobi must ever remain vigilant of their opponents, their surroundings and more importantly themselves." Aya spoke the words as if they were rehearsed. "Right, Janine?"


    "Correct-degozaru!"


    Aya rubbed her chin. "But our last meeting was during business so now that we have the pleasure to meet personally, then allow me the honor of introducing myself. My name is Kawakami, Aya and the young perspective ninja beside is Kawakami, Janine, my elder brother''s daughter, and my niece."


    "It is an honor to make the acquaintance of skilled trainers who have been able to earn my father''s respect and badge-degozaru!" It was so adorable how the little girl was trying to deepen her high squeaky voice.


    "Its nice to meet you Aya and Janine, I''m Luke Ketchum. Hi." I waved.


    "And my name is Brock Harrison. A pleasure you two." Brock politely introduced himself.


    Aya nodded, her smile falling to adopt a more stone-cold expression. "Now with regard to the sudden summons that Lady Laramie had made just now. I take it that you are finally ready to discuss the true identity to Aya''s suitor-."


    "And the identity of the Crimson Desperado-degozaru!" All eyes in the room fell on the bouncy form of the youngest child in the room. Janine shrunk and loudly coughed to compose herself. "Pardon me for that-degozaru."


    Aya huffed but maintained her stoicism. "Yes, and that too. Is everything in order to share with us, Mr. Larry Laramie?"


    The older man nodded and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but I was expecting your brother to be the one who will be joining us. Is there somethin'' at home holding him up?"


    Aya coughed and folded her arms behind her back. "Indeed, we were in the middle of attending to an important guest at home. Do not worry, he''s left the matter of your involvement in the race in my hands. I will remain impartial and mete out fair judgement." Wow, they must be hosting some super important guest if Koga''s not here to join us.


    Aya gestured her hand to everyone in the room. "Now¡­may we begin or are we waiting for anyone else?"


    With our denials, we soon began talks about the truth of the events that transpired during the last Nomad''s Independence Day. Mr. Laramie offered them a seat, but they chose to stand, which left us either sitting (Mr. Laramie and Lara) or awkwardly still standing (Me and Brock). Aya''s expression was stolid leaving us with no real tell of her true thoughts yet Janine''s was blatantly obvious since the revelation that I was the Crimson Desperado had left her gawking at me with wide eyes.


    With nothing further to add to our account, Aya pinched the bridge of her nose and sharply inhaled. "This is truly unfortunate." She regarded us all but focused her attention on me. "If I could voice my personal thoughts, I would have recommended that you attempted to pull the wool over my eyes by agreeing to the terms of engagement between you and Lara." In essence, you could have saved me so much trouble by agreeing with this farce.


    "I know but agreeing to a lie wouldn''t sit well with me." I rubbed my neck as Aya''s lips formed a small smile.


    "Well, your honesty is at least admirable and as a student in the art of deception, I have to respect the lengths that you went to conceal your identity¡­though outrageous it seemed at first." That''s fair, I mostly made the Crimson Desperado persona as an excuse to growl out Batman quotes. It wasn''t meant to be serious.


    "Auntie¡­Father¡­doesn''t understand¡­" Though Janine quietly grumbling and looking away from her aunt did reveal that some took the persona quite seriously. Aya happily rolled her eyes at her niece before all the levity in the room fell with her smile.


    "Still, this is troubling news." Aya sighed and rubbed her chin. "As decreed by our ancestors that claimed these lands, only those officially dubbed a member of each tribe could participate. This measure was to ensure that no outside help with experience beyond the faculties of the tribe could unjustly claim them victory."


    "I-If it''s any consolation, Luke wasn''t much of a rider before he offered to help. No offense Luke¡­again." Lara pointed out.


    "None taken, I pretty much sucked." I shrugged then faced Aya. "So does that help ease some-?"


    "No." Damn. "An outsider is still an outsider by the rules of the race. Though some were amused by the mysterious Crimson Desperado representing the Laramies, that amusement died the moment he won. Now the other clans demanded answers that we''ve been delaying just to hear you out." Aya sharply looked at Mr. Laramie. "Any act of violence committed won''t happen. My brother and I will see to it, but this will cause a ripple effect amongst the other families who wish to get a leg up on the others."


    The older man''s expression turned grim as he nodded. Yeah, I can see how us trying to employ this loophole can be exploited by the others once word got around to reaching them.


    "Revisions to the rules will have to be made and condoning of any exceptions would leave us hard-pressed since everyone would seek to the same if they were in your shoes." Aya crossed her arms. "And this is why under my judgement as the representative of the Kawakami clan that the Laramie Family will hereby have their victory from last year''s race be revoked." I deeply frowned as I saw the literal life drain out of Lara and her dad. Taking a deep breath, I decided that now was the perfect chance to cut in.


    Aya continued. "And their participation in this year''s oncoming race will thus be deni-."


    "Aya Kawakami, I challenge you."


    The room fell silent as the green haired shinobi looked utterly baffled at me. "E-Excuse me?"


    "I challenge you to a battle, Aya Kawakami." I walked just a bit closer to be able to stand across from her. The tension in the room doubled as I locked eyes with the beautiful shinobi.


    "Lad?" Mr. Laramie''s eyes widened.


    "L-Luke, what are you do-?" Lara hissed but was stopped by Brock, who firmly shook his head. I brought him up to speed on my "sort-of on-the-fly plan" just before we reconvened in the ranch to meet these two shinobi.


    Aya groaned as she narrowed her eyes at me. "Luke Ketchum, it is admirable that you wish to stand up for the plight of your friends, I am not so easily moved to just cast aside my duty and battle you to relieve them of their action''s consequences. The rules were broken, and they must be punished for it."


    "True, but¡­" I trailed off, mentally confirming counterpoints and ensuring that they weren''t stupid before finally pushing the words past my lips as confidently as I can. "Not only did this rule break slip by you guys, but the loophole to cover it up was also brought to light as well. They didn''t have to be up front about it, but they did and now you''re nonetheless wiser to any tricks that the other families can pull for the future."


    Aya was unimpressed with my reasoning. "So, you would have me reward the Laramie Family for showing common decency?"


    I wagged my finger. "No, I would ask that you lighten their punishment." I saw the denial coming as soon as her lips parted. "Don''t negate their chance to participate this year, but dash out last year''s win. A painful slap to the wrist, but nothing too severe."


    "As the unbeaten victors for every race since its inception, they should lead by example and meet out their punishment as seen fit."


    "They swallowed their pride and actually brought it up to you rather than keep you stalling for days on end until you had to scrounge for the information yourselves. Saving you lot the effort." I crossed my arms.


    "Again, should common decency be rewarded?" Aya sharply shot back.


    "For the basis of this first occurrence? Yes."


    With a deep sigh, Aya''s stubborn glare morphed into an inquisitive stare. "Luke Ketchum, why are you so insistent on helping them? You''re literally asking me to "ease up" on our home''s ancestral traditions. You had your chance to clear up this entire matter by agreeing to the arrangement to join their family, yet you denied it and still defend them so earnestly. So why? Why are you so insistent on pursuing this nonsense?"


    ¡­She''s not wrong and she''s logically right. I could have solved this by conceding to the fianc¨¦ matter, but I personally didn''t want that. No, I was selfish that way but there''s nothing wrong with being truthful and selfish.


    Still, even if logic wasn''t my friend right now, my true personal answer will always remain the same.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "Huh? You wanna know why you''re Old Man does so much hard work for less around town? Well, that''s because-"


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "It''s kind." I liked the Laramies. They were friends who helped me out in the past when I was so laser-focused on doing well in the Gym Circuit just to support my family. They didn''t have to give me a bed to rest in for those few days, but they did, and I repaid them back by offering to take part in the race.


    My selfless deed ended up costing them the potential loss of their land and yet they still welcomed me with friendly faces and open arms. They were good people, and I didn''t want good people to pay so dearly.


    Call it selfishness or selflessness, but I wanted to at least give them something.


    "¡­" Aya''s eyes widened before hardening her gaze to meet my own. A challenge to see if I would back down. Too bad for her¡­we Ketchums are hard-headed to a fault, she may as well have more luck staring down a Primeape than me. "¡­Tch! As the representative, I do hold the judgement of the Laramie''s fate in my hands and my word does hold power unless my brother were to come and overrule me."


    Aya thought it over and clicked her tongue once more. "Unfortunately, more important matters hold his attention. So, the decision will fall solely onto me, and¡­I will withhold said judgment until I''ve bested or have been bested in battle."


    Yes!


    "For real?" Lara gasped as her father looked just about ready to fall over in his seat.


    "Yes. If Luke Ketchum can best 3 of my pok¨¦mon, then I will¡­partially concede on your punishment." Aya sounded pained for even considering this. "However, this matter wasn''t meant to take the whole day." She turned to face me with a chilling glare. "I will grant you 15 minutes to prepare and meet me on the battlefield. If you keep me waiting for long then I will leave and report to my brother to dole out the original punishment, are we clear?"


    I met her glare with my own. "Crystal."


    "Good. Then shall we, Janine?" Aya left but was not followed closely by her niece. Instead, little Janine still kept her eyes on me while holding onto a picture.


    "B-But couldn''t I-?" The little girl squeaked.


    "Later, Janine." Aya exclaimed. Janine slumped down and dutifully tailed her aunt.


    "Okay¡­degozaru¡­"


    Huh, that worked out we-! My arm once more screamed in pain as I turned to a furious Lara tightly clenching her fist.


    "Freaking ow! Haven''t I been abused enough today!?" I hissed in pain.


    "That was for freakin'' me the hell out. And this-" Lara huffed then pulled me into a crushing hug. "Is for sticking your neck out for us¡­thank you."


    "Ergh¡­" I rolled my bruised arm and patted her back. "Don''t mention it."


    "Lad, I¡­I don''t know what to say?" Mr. Laramie stalked closer to us; his gratitude shone in his eyes. If Lara wasn''t in the middle of Ursaring hugging me to death, I was sure he''d be doing the same about now.


    "No need to say anything else sir, I''m just glad to help you." I chuckled and he loudly laughed back.


    "Heh! Then I guess the only thing I can do is cheer you on and hope that you beat Koga''s little sister!"


    "Thanks." I smiled at him as Lara, and I parted. I turned to Brock who was already scouring Battlenet on his pok¨¦gear for data on Aya. I didn''t need to even ask for his help, he was already deadest on helping me out from the get-go, which made me glad to have him as a friend.


    Though something he did find on her did have him a little concerned. "Um¡­Luke. You might want to see this¡­" I walked to his side to view the screen of his pok¨¦gear and what exactly he pulled up. No matter how much information and meta-knowledge I brought over from my past life, this new life sure loved to throw a couple of curve balls to show me how utterly different things were from the games and anime.


    This surprise was unexpected yet totally expected when you looked at the grand scheme of things.


    "So, Aya is ranked #35 on the ACE trainer Leaderboards, huh." For a 15-year-old that''s impressively high, and since she''s the little sister of Koga that meant that she''s going be just much of a pain to battle like him.


    "Welp, at least this battle will be a fun one." I chuckled. "But just to be safe¡­" I stepped out the front door and shouted out. "Ay, Asch! Get your butt over here, we''re fighting!"


    *ROOOOOOOOAR!*


    Good, he was now sufficiently riled up to battle. Now who else should I use against an Expert leveled poison-typed trainer?

 Chapter 15

    "You just stay there and watch, little guy."


    I neatly placed Fafnir onto the fencepost nearest to my side of the battlefield. Asch was going to participate in the battle so supervising the little dragon tyke would have to be put on pause for now. Fafnir apparently didn''t like that though and frantically looked for my Charizard until I convinced him that he was going to be battling and that he was going to be observing just to catch a glimpse of what was in store for his future.


    I only hope that the battle won''t scare him into running away should it get too heated.


    The Laramie Family''s land was abundant and that meant that even they weren''t above having a couple of standard battlefields on their property. Though they were recent additions that Lara''s father implemented due to past authorized practice battles ruining the land''s terrain beyond repair.


    "Ya got this, Luke!" Lara cheered.


    "Give her hell lad!" Mr. Laramie grunted.


    "Fight well, Auntie!" Janine cheered just as loudly as Lara.


    I smiled at the mixed clamoring of spectators that worked at the ranch to come and watch. Eventually, we got ourselves a little crowd forming around the wooden fenced perimeter of the battlefield. Mr. Laramie, Lara, Janine, Mrs. Laramie, and hell even a filth covered Dario was amongst the rabble watching our battle.


    Guess this won''t be much of a private battle anymore, huh?


    Coughing, I steeled myself and confidently stood at my end of the field. I faced Aya, who silently stood with her arms crossed and eyes closed, centering her mind on the imminent conflict.


    The remaining fifteen minutes was ticking down, and I ran through all of the data that I could scrounge up in such a short timeframe.


    Aya Kawakami. 15 years old. Poison Type Specialist (Obviously). Holds 8 Kanto Gym Badges (5 Major Gyms & 3 Minor Gyms) and fell out of the Indigo Conference as a Top 64 contender. Began her ascent up the Ace Trainer Leader boards at the age of 14.


    That was it. I can infer a lot from that data such as Koga being such a strict teacher whose methods of training his sister have begun to pay dividends for her career as a trainer. Either way, I was basically battling a Koga-lite trainer. Which meant I couldn''t be careless against someone who''s made it their prerogative to emphasize their typing''s lack of brute strength in exchange for sheer strategy and status effects.


    Brock, our referee stood in between the field, looking at the two of us with practiced impartial stoicism. "This will be a 3 on 3 match between Aya Kawakami of Fuchsia City and Luke Ketchum of Pallet Town! Each combatant is allowed three substitutions! The last trainer''s pok¨¦mon left standing will be winner!"


    He looked at both of us. "Trainers, are you ready?" Aya''s eyes finally opened and revealed a determined gleam just before nodding at our referee along with me. "Then begin!" Brock shouted, waving both of his arms down.


    "Pierce the heavens!" / "Dance in shadow!"


    I snapped to grab the pokeball at my belt and chucked my choice of battler high up into the air. I narrowed my eyes as another pokeball joined my own at the same elevation. Dartz, my hot-blooded Beedrill emerged out onto the field with a loud buzzing of his wings as one of his stingers was passionately thrusted into the air.


    However, emerging just before him in a ball of light was a large moth-like creature with large-spanning wings and body colored with various shades of purple. "Veno-venomoth!" She''s leading off with her starter?


    "Agility!"


    "Vanish then Dance!"


    I had to restrain my surprise as Venomoth up and just vanished with no sign of a blur unlike my Beedrill, who enthusiastically zipped through the skies with unrelenting fervor. A second later, Venomoth then popped back into sight just a few feet ahead of where Dartz once hovered just before beginning to do a beautiful dance. That wasn''t just its speed at play just now, was it?


    "Quiver Dance, huh?" I whispered to myself then snapped my fingers directly at the dancing moth pok¨¦mon. "Behind you! Use Swift!"


    "Evade!"


    My Beedrill did a quick turn mid-flight before erratically swinging his stingers at his opponent and emitted a boundless stream of star-shaped rays at the Venomoth. The speed of Aya''s starter was amazing but it couldn''t quite dodge getting pummeled by the never-miss attack.


    "Aerial Ace!" Ensconced in streaks of white energy, Dartz crossed the vast distance in skies to close in on Venomoth. His tensed stinger twitching just to skewer his opponent.


    "Guard!" The attack landed with a loud bang that echoed down to the ground. I clicked my tongue as Dartz''s stinger was blocked by a well-timed Protect. Once the barrier registered the attack, Venomoth was now left open for an attack.


    "Fury Attack!"


    "Multiply and Dance!" Illusionary copies of the dancing Venomoth surrounded Dartz, who tirelessly shot his stingers through the first illusion.


    "Cease!" Dartz stopped mid-jab and awaited my orders. Letting him continue would just tire him out. "Use a 360-degree Swift spin to flush out the real one!" Like a bullet hell game, my Beedrill sprayed out countless projectiles to that either ran through the illusions or were tailing the main target that broke formation to avoid the hail of stars.


    Them hitting was an inevitability but let''s add some more dakka just to overwhelm them. "Use Pin Missile!" Needle-like projectiles soon joined the star-projectiles but proved less likely to hit than Swift.


    "Take half of hits then Vanish and Seduce!" Aya''s order caused her Venomoth to eat some of Dartz''s hits before it vanished once more. The rest of Swift quickly fizzled soon after. Looks like she''s aware enough to know that after the certain threshold of the attack has landed, the rest of the attack will soon cease to be. It wasn''t a surprise that others before me had employed Swift upon her so often that she''d consider this risk.


    Also, seduc-?


    "¡­!" I gasped as Venomoth materialized in front of my shocked Beedrill. Dartz jumped in surprise before reflexively digging into his instincts to pierce his close-in-range foe with an Aerial Ace. "No, Dartz look away its Attract!"


    "Mooooth~!" Aaaand it was too late, a wink from Venomoth was all it took for my pok¨¦mon to lackadaisically drop their stingers and messily float about in a love-stricken daze.


    "You may be young to understand this Luke Ketchum, but a Kunoichi must possess more than just clever tactics and speed. They must also allure their enemy into a false sense of security then strike when the moment is right!" exclaimed Aya as she pointed straight at my love-sick Beedrill. "Sleeping Powder!"


    Shit.


    "Dartz!" My cries failed to reach my infatuated pok¨¦mon who was getting spritzed with heavy doses of the moth pok¨¦mon''s sleeping powder. Soon Dartz''s loud buzzing came to a stop and his limp body was making a quick fall to the ground.


    "DARTZ!"


    "Venomoth finish it with Air Slash!" Double shit and the status effects of Quiver Dance were still active.


    I kept calling and calling for my pok¨¦mon to awaken from his forcibly induced slumber, yet nothing reached him. Until a stray thought from the early days of my journey, particularly my first trek through Viridian Forest came to mind. Days when Asch, Sparrow, and I would encourage our old timid Weedle buddy rushed to the forefront of my mind.


    Along with memories of an old anime that I would forever hold in my heart no matter which lifetime I would find myself in.


    Usually, Dartz was fast enough to dodge status effects like this but against someone like Aya who has to compensate for her pok¨¦mon typing''s lack of power with speed and trickery, we were severely outclassed.


    However, they didn''t outclass us in two other categories: Being obnoxiously loud AND annoyingly persistent.


    "JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, DARTZ!?" I bellowed out, catching everyone off guard. I jabbed my finger to the sky. "WEREN''T YOUR STINGERS GOING TO BE ONES TO PIERCE THE HEAVENS!"


    It was a gamble to see if my pok¨¦mon''s will could overcome its induced slumber just before it could hit the ground and be critically damaged by Venomoth''s enclosing Air Slash. Silence ensued before Dartz''s buzzing renewed once more except LOUDER.


    My Beedrill rapidly clicked to themselves in what I can assume was a roar before righting itself just in time from barely hitting the ground and narrowly avoiding the Air Slash.


    "There we go!" I laughed and clapped my hands in exhilaration. Whew, so glad that worked. Aya didn''t look as happy as before (or well she didn''t seem so relaxed anymore). Good, that means our unpredictability was throwing her off her game. Lets keep doing that. "Now lets show them how a real Drill works! Quick obnoxiously go into Aerial Ace into Drill Run!"


    Faster than my eyes can follow my Beedrill zoomed right up after Venomoth, he spun his body with rapid speeds that quite frankly resembled a DRILL. Too bad it didn''t sound like one though.


    *BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!*


    The battlefield was polluted with the irritating buzz of Dartz''s wings. Even for me it can make my skin crawl and cause me no small amount of headaches. The same couldn''t be said for Venomoth, who seemed unfazed by the move which was apart of its typing. Except the move wasn''t supposed to damage Venomoth.


    "Gaaaaaaaaaagh! My ears!"


    "I can feel my brain buzzing!"


    "Make it stooooop!"


    "Venomoth! Vani-!"


    *BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!*


    Lets see just how effective of a battler Venomoth was when it couldn''t listen to its trainer''s commands. In a panic, Venomoth looked to its trainer for commands it couldn''t hear then at the impending Bee-Drill of death coming straight for it.


    "V-Ven¡­!" I was disappointedly shocked yet a little impressed that Aya''s starter chose to take the brunt of the super effective attack than it all just scrape on by with a last minute dodge to the right. The bug type piteously crooned as its right side to its right was critically damaged. Each flap of its wing was weak and could barely keep up with the other to keep it afloat.


    Once the attack had landed, Dartz stopped his spinning and buzzing to resume his pursuit after his descending foe.


    "Aerial Ace, Dartz finish it!"


    "Baton Pass!" My eyes widened in horror as Aya narrowed her eyes to me. Oh no¡­


    "Follow through with Aerial Ace then use Pursuit!" My Beedrill zipped straight for Venomoth yet could barely graze it before it vanished. Dammit! Quiver Dance really buffed it up that much that it still possessed more speed than Beedrill even when that injured?


    "With Baton Pass employed, Aya Kawakami still retains her three substitutions!" Brock declared much for sake of announcing the rule to the crowd than it was for me. I already knew of this rule from my Gym Battle and a couple against some trainers in the preliminaries of the Indigo Conference. Baton Pass was a beloved move amongst Conference trainers who didn''t want to give up their sweet 3 substitutions.


    There wasn''t any patched rule that says that there was a limit to how many Baton Passes can be employed but like any other move, whether the pok¨¦mon was fast enough to execute it before getting blasted by a faster opponent kept it from being a major game changer.


    Baton Pass was just the perfect technique for the likes of Koga and Aya to exploit to ensure their hard-earned set-ups didn''t go to waste.


    "Bring terror to the skies!" Aya''s pokeball cracked open and released another airborne combatant to face my Beedrill, a rather intimidating Crobat.


    Yeah, nope. I wasn''t going to entertain a Quiver Dance enhanced Crobat in a straight up battle. "U-tur-!"


    "Air Slash!" I winced and lamented my Beedrill''s suffering as the sharpened sickle of compressed air inflicted so much damage upon him. That pok¨¦mon was fast; I didn''t even get a chance to finish my command. "Brave Bird!"


    Are you kidding me!?


    "Dartz use Double Team to evade!" My command reached deaf ears as Beedrill shuddered and unfortunately succumbed to Air Slash''s induced Flinching before getting blown out of the sky by the flaming four-winged bat pok¨¦mon.


    I inhaled sharply as I took in my pok¨¦mon''s falling form. Bruises and burns everywhere with even his inert wings looking a little charred. So, I returned him before he hit the ground then nodded to Brock to confirm Dartz''s withdrawal from the battle. As my friend made the announcement, I assessed my options during the fifteen second period afforded for trainers to select their next pok¨¦mon.


    I may be down to two pok¨¦mon, but Dartz did exceptional damage to her Venomoth. This Crobat was another story though. I''m not even surprised that she has one considering that she''s had four years since her start as a trainer to properly earn enough of its affection to evolve. If her starter was already slippery enough to use Teleport and Quiver Dance to keep out of our range, then I''m sure that this Crobat will have its own tricks left to surprise me with.


    "Luke Ketchum of Pallet Town, you are down to seven seconds to choose your next pok¨¦mon!" Brock loudly warned.


    Right, may as well just release him and see where this goes. After all, I promised him a good battle, didn''t I?


    "Let''s charge up Thor!" My laughter as I released Thor onto the field was only matched with his own excited guffawing. The crowd excitedly murmured at the prospect of seeing one of the "newly" discovered evolution of Electabuzz battle it out with their very eyes.


    "Vire! Vire Vire Vire Vire!" My mono-electric type vigorously whirled his arms, a building charge began to form on the two protruding bulbous shaped antennae on his head. Aya''s Crobat warily flew a little higher as sparks of Thor''s electricity was beginning to arc up into the sky.


    The typing advantage was now mine as Aya narrowed her eyes at my pok¨¦mon then back to her Crobat, her hands twitched toward her belt before stopping altogether to do some sort of handsign that seemed to calm her down.


    "Accelerate and search for an opening!" Aya ordered and Crobat began zipping in the air at growing speeds while circling around Thor, who continued to vigorously rotate his arms.


    "Forget charging up and use Taunt!" Aya''s frown deepened as my Electavire deeply growled and tauntingly waved his hand up to the Agility stacking Crobat in the sky. The four-winged bat pok¨¦mon angrily screeched and furiously glared at my electric type yet did not go into a frenzy right off the bat, which spoke well of Aya''s training to retain its budding anger and refrain from outright giving into their fury.


    "Sludge Bomb!"


    "Dodge!"


    Thor happily cartwheeled out of the way from the mass of vile toxic sludge that Crobat spat at them. "Keeping firing, Crobat! Until your rage is spent!" Where was she going with this? Electavire kept dodging each Sludge Bomb, one after the other. Each Thunderbolt that I ordered from him was swiftly dodged by his swift opponent.


    Is she seriously just going to keep attacking until Taunt runs out?


    Well since Crobat''s so dead set on targeting Electavire¡­


    "Thor, lets show them our Solar Flare!" My Electavire happily laughed at my hidden command and raised both of his hands toward the sky in Crobat''s direction.


    "Crobat, be on guard!" Crobat quickly retreated higher into the sky. Their eyes never leave my pok¨¦mon. Good, they fell for it. Thor quickly framed his hands around his face and released a blinding flash of light that had everyone, including myself, flinch.


    "That was Flash?" I heard Aya exclaim from across from me. My eyesight was filled with spots as I tried rubbing them. Sucks that using my goggles would have been an obvious tell for that hidden command.


    I blindly snapped my fingers to the sky, uncaring whether or not I was pointing in Crobat''s direction. Thor was immune to his own flashy techniques so my trust in him was rock solid. "Discharge, go!"


    "U-turn!" Aya bellowed in desperation. The panicked flapping of Crobat''s wings were soon drowned out by Thor''s roar, the booming sound of his Discharge, and the smell of ozone.


    The ground shook and the psychic barriers trembled and strained to contain the sheer disgorging of Thor''s bountiful reserves of electricity. I felt the hairs on my body stand up as the blast of power flashed out in barrage of thunderous clapping. If the Flash surprise from earlier didn''t cause everyone to flinch back, then I was positive that they were reeling from this.


    My sight slowly returned to me as I heard Thor''s laughter emit itself from the field. Now that could be either a good or bad thing. It turned out to be a very bad thing because he was giving props to the newly switched Venomoth that took flight in the sky. Thor was basically commending them for successfully dodging his attack by a hair''s breadth. The hexagonal field of Protect lowered itself around the struggling Venomoth.


    "Tch! Well, that''s just perfect¡­" I groaned. "Well at least its still damaged." I took note of Aya''s starter''s shaky flying. Dartz really messed them up good with that Drill Run of his.


    "Envenom the field!" Venomoth released purple spikes to embed themselves into the field, setting up Toxic Spikes. Well, that''s just even better¡­


    "Shoot it out of the sky with Thunderbolt!" I snapped back with my order.


    "VIIRE!" Thor thrusted one arm forward and launched a lance of electricity at Venomoth. Aya''s attempt to command it to "Vanish"/Teleport was just as slow as her pok¨¦mon, who took the powerful blast of thunder and came out of it a smoking, unconscious husk of a pok¨¦mon. She returned it before hitting the ground and whispered something to its pokeball with a heartfelt smile.


    "Venomoth is unable to battle, Thor wins! Trainer Aya, please select your next pok¨¦mon!"


    Resolutely nodding to herself, Aya pulled out a safari ball, and released a much bulkier pok¨¦mon. "Entrench them Nidoqueen!"


    "QUEEEEEEEEEEN!" Roared the hulking female variant of the Nidoran species. They were in good condition too, but by her size and the fresh new shine on her scales with no signs of any scarring, this pok¨¦mon was just now recently evolved.


    "Since when did she get her hands on a moon stone!?" Lara screamed from the sidelines followed by Janine proudly announcing something for the crowd to hear.


    "Hmph, that is quite simple-degozaru! Father has acquired a large amount connections like-!" I blocked out the running commentary on the sidelines to realize just how much Aya has invested in putting me in a tight spot. Toxic Spikes was now in effect on the field and my Electavire was now going to face off against a Nidoqueen with the secondary type advantage of Ground.


    Not to mention¡­


    "V-Vire¡­Vire!" Thor coughed before quickly shaking himself off as the heavy smell of toxins from the released Sludge Bombs from across the field began to fill the air with its toxic odors.


    She had her Crobat spam Sludge Bomb with Taunt on purpose, their intention was for the attacks to land, but Thor dodging seemed to also align with her strategy. I was in a tight spot yet¡­I couldn''t find it in myself to freak out. This battle was just¡­so much fun!


    "Electavire!" And Thor seemed to share the same sentiment.


    "You ready to get all up in there, bud?" I chuckled as my electrical battle maniac let loose a joyous roar before raising up his fists. "Then get in there!" Thor blitzed straight for the Nidoqueen, who''s haze hardened at her incoming foe.


    "Fissure!" Aya''s order nearly made my heart stop.


    "RISE!" Electavire nodded just as Nidoqueen punched the ground with all of her strength. I widened my legs to avoid falling flat on my ass once the ground began to violently shake. The earth was split in twine from the One-hit KO technique, yet it did not land. Thor''s charge was unhindered as he quickly flew straight towards the shocked Nidoqueen.


    Well, flew was a bit of an exaggeration. The power of magnetism was one that I''m still to this day heavily studying. I didn''t quite get to do Introduction to Physics, but I did have a basic foundation for magnetism that was fun to test out with the move Magnet Rise. Positive charges (Protons) and Negative charges (Electrons) attract each other while like charges repel each other.


    Right now, Thor charged himself and the ground beneath him with like charges, repelling him from the ground and thus avoiding that super effective KO move.


    "Nice try, Luke Ketchum! Nidoqueen use Smack Down!" A metallic golden orb of energy shot itself out of Nidoqueen''s mouth toward my advancing Electavire, who cleverly executed an Iron Tail with one of his tails to bat the attack away. "Tch! Use Stone Edge to halt its charge!" Nidoqueen slammed one foot to the ground and formed a stone pillar that stood in Thor''s path.


    Thor''s response was another Iron Tail, but the sudden pressure and light emerging from the stone''s other side had me filled with dread. "Protect!" Just as my order went through, a powerful Hyper Beam tore through the large stone slab and pushed back the barrier protecting my Electavire. Thor rocketed a few feet away from his foe, but I didn''t worry.


    "Queen¡­Q-Queen¡­" Using a full-on Hyper Beam like that left Nidoqueen trying to recharge. Aya''s eyebrow twitched as she impatiently looked to me for my obvious response. Huh, looks like she was annoyed with this loss in momentum.


    "Get close and use Ice Punch!" Thor crossed the field once more and started wailing on the panting Nidoqueen with punches infused with the chilling power of ice. Each hit was super effective and had left Aya''s Nidoqueen reeling back from the damage.


    "Nidoqueen use Dig!"


    "We won''t let you escape! Thor make her Rise!" Before Nidoqueen look down, they were already sent up into the sky.


    "What?" Aya gaped with wide eyes as her heavy pok¨¦mon was sent floating into the air.


    "HOW!?" Someone from the sidelines screeched. They sounded familiar too, huh, I don''t think its anyone important.


    "Magnets!" I grinned as Thor all but laughed and heartily slammed his fist into his chest. "Magnet Rise is still in effect except now your Nidoqueen is gaining all of the benefits of levitating off the ground!" I always wondered why no one really tried to use moves like Gravity and Magnet Rise more creatively. You could literally remove an earth dependent Ground type from its home territory if you just practiced hard enough.


    It was too bad that Thor still couldn''t concentrate on maintaining Magnet Rise on himself and his opponent otherwise we''d have a field day of using like and unlike charges to continually keep pulling his opponent toward him in an unending slugfest.


    But this will just have to do. "You''ve had your fill, Thor?" My Electavire rubbed his chin before happily nodded with a grin. "Good, then lets change it up a notch. Thor return." I used my first withdrawal to snag the very first pokeball given to my from my belt.


    "What are you up to?" Aya muttered just loud enough for me to hear through her panicked floating Nidoqueen''s cries. Thor carries a ton of electricity in him, so powerful that he''s basically made the Power Plant back at home, his preferred place of residence along with the other electric types that gather around him as a result. So his magnetism was strong enough to be in effect even when he''s withdrawn from the battle.


    It won''t last forever (last time we clocked this, it was just barely beneath a minute), but it didn''t need to.


    "Asch, I choose you!" I tossed my pokeball to the sky and emerging with his wings spread out was my first pok¨¦mon and partner, Asch. My Charizard surveyed the entire battlefield from above before keeping their gaze on the struggling young Nidoqueen below.


    "Nidoqueen, use Thunderbolt!" The struggling pok¨¦mon complied but completely missed as Asch had the advantage of actually being mobile in the sky.


    "Mega Punch." I crossed my arms and watched as Nidoqueen jolted in surprise just as Aya did before a darkening shadow descended and slammed a powerful fist into the female pok¨¦mon''s face that they cratered the ground below them from the impact of their flung body. Except Nidoqueen slowly drifted back up to Asch, both her body and the ground''s magnetic forces were still strong.


    I nodded. "Go ham."


    It was kind of funny and sad to see such a freshly evolved Nidoqueen get pummeled into the ground before bouncing back into Asch''s barrage of Mega Punches. Memories of mom''s own starter, Lizzie came to mind, but I dashed that thought entirely. Letting myself getting swayed into holding back by sentiment because of that would dearly cost me the match any others featuring Nidoqueen.


    Still despite it all, Aya''s Nidoqueen held up far longer than I thought before getting recalled. She tanked each of Asch''s hits like a champ. I could see why Aya got her to join, she did lack the firepower and defense amongst her team of poison types.


    "Crobat, go!" Now she was down to that pesky Crobat of hers. Welp, better take care of this before it gets bothersome with its speed. "Accelerate!" Nah, I''m not going to waste time playing Meowth and Pikachu with you.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Dig." I ignored the weird look I received from Aya as her Crobat built up its speed while my Charizard fell to the field and dug a hole through it. "5¡­4¡­3¡­2¡­1¡­and¡­" I mentally counted each second off to let Asch get deep enough.


    "Rising Flare Blitz!"


    *ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!*


    The ground shook but it was from no earthquake, but the sheer roar of my starter, who started to release flames so hot that they began to incinerate the entire field. The pools of Sludge and the Toxic Spikes that embedded themselves to the ground were burned away. From the outsiders perspective, it would be incorrect to describe the battlefield being covered in flames, you''d have to describe it as the field being literal flames.


    The psychic barriers groaned and strained from Asch''s potent flames that it had even gotten me a touch bit worried that the rest would spill out. Then I remembered that Asch probably wouldn''t go ALL out for a simple field clearing tactic. Sure, I had to steal the idea from Ash''s match against Paul, but it was just too good to not exploit.


    Eventually the blistering heat died down with the flames, and all that remained of the battlefield was the soot-stained ground and the blackened smoke that rose from it. In the sky, Crobat emerged from the growing black smoke surrounded by a hexagonal barrier.


    "Protect again, eh?" It did make sense after all. You''d want to avoid getting trapped in a psychic barrier shaped box when things get a little too hot. Still though¡­


    "It''s a bit premature don''t you think?"


    "No, Crobat behind you!" Aya screamed. I wasn''t surprised that the Kunoichi training under Koga would find no difficulty seeing through the dark depths of the smoke cloud from this distance.


    Just as the effects of Protect lowered, Asch''s claw emerged from the thick smoke screen behind Crobat, who barely reacted just in time to escape its face getting snatched. Fortunately, Asch had managed to snatch a wing before it could escape. Again, that Crobat was fast which was why we needed to occupy its attention and surprise it.


    Digging below ground and using Fire Blitz fulfilled the side objective of clearing the field statuses on the off chance that I need to call Thor back in without him getting hurt or poisoned. Plus, it took the home field advantage away from Aya. However, the main objective was to simply force Crobat into one place and have Asch re-emerge amongst the rising flames to hide in the smoke then strike once the time was right.


    "Hold on to them real tight Asch!" My Charizard''s grip tightened which only served to make the Crobat screech and panic even more. "Now finish it with Thunder Punch!" Aya''s eyes widened.


    "Spray its eyes with Acid!" came her harried command but it was too late. Asch''s electricity coated fist had already sent her Crobat hurtling to the ground with a heavy slam.


    Once the dust cleared to reveal the twitching unresponsive poison-flying type for all to see, Brock quickly raised his arm in my direction to give the final announcement. "Crobat is unable to battle, and the winner is Asch. With the score of 3 to 1, the victor of the match is Luke Ketchum!" This got a round a cheers from the entire sideline along with the joyful whinnying of Epona and Lara''s Ponyta. I didn''t even miss the way that our impartial referee''s smile broke out when he made the call.


    With the psychic barrier generators turned off, Asch flew and landed straight in front of me. I chuckled as he lowered his head at just the right angle for me to rub the palm of my head against. "Great work as always pal." He grunted in delight as his tail swayed back and forth in joy. Honestly, I thought he''d outgrow me rubbing his head like this after he evolved from a Charmander, but it was nice to know that our time together made him less rough around the edges than some other Charmeleons and Charizards.


    "You fought admirably Crobat return¡­" With a dejected sigh, Aya pocketed her fallen pok¨¦mon''s pokeball and made her way across the field to me. Asch and I met her halfway where I gave her a customary and sportsmanlike handshake.


    "That battle was well fought, Luke Ketchum." Aya smiled.


    "Yeah, I had loads of fun." I nodded with a bit of a strained smile. "But can I be honest with you?"


    "As the victor, I have little else to do but comply, wouldn''t I?" Aya snidely smirked. Ah, so she must get what I''m about to say before I even say it. How cheeky of her.


    "Well, if I''m going to be flat out about it¡­ Battling you is just as annoying as Mr. Koga." I groaned.


    "Why thank you." Aya lit up like a Christmas tree.


    "Yeah, that wasn''t a compliment." I shook my head. "It''s just that your pok¨¦mon are super-fast and trying to work out methods on trying to slow them down on the spot was a challenge. I mean, how''d you even manage to make teaching a Venomoth teleport an actual freaking threat by adding it on top of its speed?"


    "Oh¡­" Aya awkwardly looked to the side, her cheeks growing a light shade of red. "So, you figured that out?"


    "Yeah, you guys basically teleported here on different ride than Mrs. Laramie. It would be pretty dense of me not to piece two and two together." Aya visibly flinched at my remark making me wonder if I was too blunt.


    "¡­I¡­! I was not expecting a last-minute battle so please do excuse me for failing to conceal my secrets." She huffed.


    "Oh, sorry I didn''t mean to-." I winced.


    "No, I was careless with my want for showing off in front of my niece. You were right to call me out on it." Aya solemnly bowed.


    B-But I wasn''t trying to though¡­


    I better just steer away from this topic. "So about your Nidoqueen, I can tell that she''s quite new to your team."


    Aya nodded. "Yes, she''s still¡­a work in progress. No, in fact, my utilization of her in combat has left me with results that are far from desired."


    I had to agree. "You did great with raising her up and building up her defense, but she''s a little slower compared to your other pok¨¦mon. Once you used that Hyper Beam, I was terrified, but afterwards when she was recharging, you sort of just expected me to attack."


    Aya''s face tensed as she groaned. "Call it a habit, my brother has always been one for punishing the slightest errors shown in battle as you may already know."


    I nodded. "Yeah, he once used a Koffing to make Asch blow himself up." My Charizard growled in annoyance beside me. To provide context, Koga''s Koffing caused Asch to KO after he had successfully taken out 3 out of Koga''s 5 pok¨¦mon. It was interesting to learn that poison types that specialized in gaseous poison could manipulate their gases to produce concentrated carbon monoxide or propane.


    "Upon realizing the consequences of using Hyper Beam to take advantage of my fake out, I simply expected to be punished for my mistake." Aya shrugged.


    "True but¡­Nidoqueen¡­" I sadly looked down.


    "Yes, I have to apologize to her later. She was the one who took the hits for my mistakes, not me. She''s been working hard after barely evolving and my mistake has caused her to suffer a bitter loss. I will do right by her, I will." Aya vowed to herself with a steadfast nod.


    I smiled. "That''s good to hear, but why did you use her for the battle? Isn''t she still new to your team?"


    "Quite but I believed that she would be more than capable of giving your pok¨¦mon some trouble. Clearly, I was mistaken in underestimating last year''s Conference Finalist. My apologies." Aya bowed.


    "No, there''s no need for that." I politely tried to wave it off.


    "A part of me did unconsciously lower your overall skill and estimation as a trainer after your maddening last choice of pok¨¦mon to use against that foreigner so yet again the fault lies with me." Ah, so she''s also part of the party that thinks I''m made for using Leonardo against my final opponent''s starter, good to know.


    "Although it did relieve me to know that you didn''t field your Gyarados." Aya sighed in relief. "Watching it battle my brother was¡­frightening to say the least."


    I shrugged. "Yeeeah, sometimes when strategy doesn''t work against an old dog like your brother, brute force is just the way to go." Aya shivered at my reasoning but I chose not to mind it, Tempest was just the best like that sometimes. Heck he had even earned me that Soul badge after Asch lost to that Koffing.


    "But that aside, I will oblige with the terms of the match and try to convince my brother of the Laramie family''s fate. Do not worry, I take my losses seriously as I do in stride. If my brother will be immovable in his choice to overrule my decision, then I will be the unstoppable force that will make him consider my decision." Aya resolutely clenched her fist.


    "Thanks." I smiled. "And sorry if this causes you any trouble."


    "Why thank me then apologize? You are the victor and I agreed to the set terms if things were in reverse then you wouldn''t find me so agreeable, now, would you?" Aya fired back.


    "True, but still thanks Aya." I expressed my gratitude with a wide smile.


    "Ahem! W-Well, if you are so insistent on giving me your gratitude then there is one thing that you can do for me before my departure." Aya coughed with a blush.


    "Sure, you name it and I''ll do it." I nodded as she took me by the shoulder and led me over to the rushing Laramies who were tired of waiting for us to go over to the sidelines.


    "You see Luke Ketchum, there''s a huge fan here who has been dying to meet you, or should I say¡­"


    <hr>


    "I wear a mask. And that Mask, its not to hide who I am, but to create what I am. I am the fiery retribution that bays for the justice of the innocent, I am the unrelenting vigilante of vengeance, I AM THE CRIMSON DESPERADO</a>!"


    "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee~!" Janine squealed and happily bounced in place as she hugged the newly autographed photo of her hero.


    After months of contemplating whether I should have thrown this costume away or not, I''m glad I chose to lazily put it off for Future Me to handle. Just making a little ninja girl squeal in jubilation at the sight of me dramatically mounted on Epona''s back made the effort of fitting into the suit all the more worth it.


    <hr>


    "Thank you, lad, for-!" I quickly retreated back with Brock as Mr. Laramie tried to pull us in for another hairy hug. After Brock coughed up a chest hair from the first few dozens of hugs, we were both adamantly averse to fall into that hell again.


    "No problem, Mr. Laramie! I''m just glad to help." I chuckled nervously.


    "And I''m very thankful to you guys for letting come visit, sir." Brock smiled.


    "Don''t mention son, remember you two are welcome any time. There ain''t no need for you to be gated out until I''m told that you''re here. Pop on by anytime and we''ll let you in with open arms." Mr. Laramie grinned.


    "Thanks sir." We both nodded.


    "And Brock you''d best take care of that Nidorino, ya hear?" Mr. Laramie''s grin grew wider.


    "I will sir." Brock meekly nodded with a smile as he tightly held onto the great ball carrying his newest capture. I did find it odd that there was a stray Nidorino following us around the farm, but it did make sense that it grew closer to Brock. He was the one to calm it down and feed it some of his spectacular cooking, one bite of Brock''s homebrew of pok¨¦mon pellets was enough to earn him a new friend for life.


    "And ya better make sure to come visit us soon you two!" Lara rushed over from behind Brock and I to pull us into a group hug with her in the middle of it. "A gal like me needs the company you know otherwise I''m stuck with blokes like Dario."


    "I mean, he can''t be that bad, Lara. He did apologize." I was surprised to know that guy had it in him to get on his knees to show how sorry he was. Sure, he ran off afterward but for him to swallow his pride like that did redeem him somewhat in my books. Still doesn''t negate his earlier screw up though¡­


    "Yeah, only because he saw just how scarily competent of a trainer you are and that he''s nowhere strong enough to challenge you." Lara rolled her eyes. "Still¡­" Her eyes softened just a tad as she hugged me tighter. "Thanks Luke¡­for everything."


    "Don''t mention it, Lara." I soothingly patted her back.


    "And it was a great time hanging out with you Brock, come around whenever you need answers to questions or a recommendation for somethin''."


    "You bet I will!" Brock grinned.


    Looking down the dirt road away from the Laramie Ranch was Asch conversing with Epona and Lara''s Ponyta. They seemed to be talking about something, Lara''s Ponyta begrudgingly lowered their head at Asch while my Charizard confusedly looked between the Ponyta and a blushing Epona. Huh, so was the little brother finally giving my starter his blessing or something, that''s cute. Sometimes I wish I could be at two places at once so I can observe whatever little B-plot was happening away from my focus.


    And through it all, poor precious Fafnir just couldn''t help but continue to croon his admiration for my Charizard while firmly wrapped around Asch''s long neck. Ever since the battle my little Dratini''s been glued to Asch''s side even more than usual. His display of power and the promise I made to him that he''d reach such a level soon raised his dampened mood to new levels. Now he was actually excited and eager to get started to train! I''d have to say that bringing him along proved to be just the thing he needed to understand the kind of path he''ll being on to grow stronger beyond simply just filling his belly.


    But my pok¨¦mon aside, we got everything ready to depart for the evening, we waved goodbye to the Laramies one last time before getting ready to take off. "Write me to tell me how things play out, okay!?" I yelled as Asch took off into the sky.


    "Of course!" Lara yelled out.


    "And I don''t mean about your family''s land and participation in the race! Spill the deets on how far you go with Aya!"


    "Wh-Whut!? You big jerk, why I outta-!"


    "Yeah, okay, bye!" I laughed through the rough winds batting against my body as we took off. "Welp, for a day where I didn''t get to sleep in, I would have to say that its been quite produc-OW!" S-Something big just hit the back of my head! Panicking, I looked for what it was until I found a familiar brown boot slowly falling back to the ground.


    "The hell?" I gaped at the impressive feat.


    "You alright!?" Brock exclaimed from atop his Noctowl.


    "Y-Yeah, I was just...surprised with how good of an arm that Lara has¡­!" I whistled, a part of me was half tempted to steer Asch back to snatch that boot and chuck it back at Lara, but...I chose against it. Her family now had a better chance of keeping their land and they deserved the chance to relish in that feeling. I''ll just save annoying her for my next visit.


    <hr>


    "Home sweet home at last." I groaned as Asch and I lumbered our way back from Pallet Town''s Pok¨¦mon Center. We were currently out late at around 8 PM after parting ways with Brock upon making it back near our home towns at 6 PM. We went our separate ways, then I arrived back home at 7:30 PM and headed straight to the Pok¨¦mon Center to heal my pok¨¦mon. After talking Garnet''s ear off and hearing the news that I can pick up the once injured Tediursa that I caught soon, we made a beeline straight for home.


    "Hope mom won''t blow a gasket for being a little late for lunch." I groaned.


    Asch grunted and shook his head.


    "Yeah, knowing her, she''d be ecstatic to see me out and about like this¡­" I demurely laughed. Then I remembered something that had me grimacing in frustration. "Ugh, that''s right we''re going to have guests over today for dinner¡­" Yay, I get to be awkward around some strangers while trying to be relaxed to eat in our own home.


    "Its probably that Aaron guy but I don''t really know how to even fathom on approaching him in conversation¡­" I sighed. "Well at least with Mom and Ash there I won''t be the only one he''ll interact with, right, Asch?"


    ¡­


    "Asch?" I blinked as we finally managed to reach the last stretch of the way home. The front yard was just a few feet away and Asch''s heavy footsteps no longer were heard following after me.


    I turned back to find my starter fiercely glaring at something, to which I followed his line of sight to spot¡­Ash playing with Cleo. Huh, now that is odd since that lazy cat hates do nothing but laze around all day (I ENVY HER!), but nothing about this should warrant Asch being that much on his guard.


    "Yay, we can finally eat, Big Bro''s here!" Ah, speak of the little devil and he shall rush over to greet you in nothing but his pajamas!


    "Wassup, little bro!" I happily waved and met Ash halfway with a hug as he was meekly trailed behind by Cleo, who seemed to wilt even further as Asch''s gaze lingered on h-.


    Wait, hold on.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­!


    That wasn''t Mom''s Persian!


    No just now emerging from the nearby bushes around the house was the actual Cleo who seemed to be intently watching over Ash and whoever''s Persian this was near him. Just what was-?


    "Big bro, you''ll never believe who came over for lunch today! Come on! They have so many cool pok¨¦mon! Lets go see them!" Ash excitedly tugged me toward the house, but I was too busy freaking out as I tried to keep keep that Persian in my sights.


    It was male. Had patches of its fur burned away and was walking with a serious limp. Were it any other pok¨¦mon, then I would have felt pity for it, but no. That was a Persian that I have had the most misfortune of ever crossing paths with.


    But why was it here?


    My breath quickened as Ash had managed to drag me across the front lawn and through our front door where I was faced with two familiar faces. One of whom I''ve already met in this life and the other who I''ve yet to actually meet in person beyond my metaknowledge of the game and his past conference battles.


    "Ah! Luke Ketchum, you are finally here. Ahem! Please excuse us for this abrupt visit in your home, I personally came over with my cousin to rectify some¡­undue transgressions inflicted upon you." Clair''s scowl deepened as she refused to look either me or her cousin in the eye. She didn''t seem too keen on talking to me. But I didn''t really care about that right now. "Ah, but where are my manners. Again, I apologize so allow me to go first. My name is Lance Blackthorn and it''s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Luke Ketchum."


    "A-Ah, yes, likewise¡­" I dryly croaked out while shaking the offered hand of the potential League Champion of Elite Four member now in my home. He looked younger than his canon counterpart like most others did but he certainly was older than Clair and I considering he was a head or two taller than me.


    "Were it not for business, I would have gladly visited last year''s prospective rookie trainer that made it to the Finals last year on their first Circuit. I had even wanted to have a nice chat with you pertaining future matters, but I''m afraid that will come after my business here is done." Lance crossed his arms with a deep sigh. "Hopefully the dinner that your mother and the other guest are preparing will be an adequate palate pleaser to smoothen our talks out."


    "O-Other guest?" I felt a pit in my stomach begin to form. "Someone else is here?" I looked down to Ash, who was still unaware of my silent distress.


    "Yup-yup! They''re in the kitchen helping mom and Kamina, she invited him over and showed me all of his cool pok¨¦mon!" Ash happily bounced in placed and waved his arms.


    "Indeed, though he''s lost his position and is still under investigation for the incident of his gym''s razing, your mother saw fit to invite him alongside us to join you for dinner. I know that I am a broken record when I say this, but we must apologize once more for intruding." Lance bowed his head.


    Clair snorted in derision. "There''s no point to show such weakness in front of them. They offered to let us take part in their meal and we will. What will more apologizing accomplish?"


    Lance''s genial smile fell as if a bit of that familiar tension that Clair oozed out in Prof. Oak''s lab returned just a bit. Clair flinched back as Lance coldly shot her a reprimanding glare. "To salvage of our pride and the weight of our honor. Something that you of all people should be doing about now lest the Grandmaster deems himself more up to the task to do it himself as he originally intended."


    "Hmph!" Clair huffed and turned to look away from all of us, but I didn''t miss the way that she trembled.


    To be frank, I didn''t give a crap about whatever this was since the kitchen held most of my attention. "Excuse me." I brushed past them with nary an answer to their worried queries (Lance and Ash) or their offended remarks (Clair). Right now, I needed to know why he was here!


    <hr>


    "Welcome, young challenger. As your final test, and the Gym Leader of Viridian City, I will serve as the gatekeeper to test your worthiness to enter the realm of the Elite."


    "Ah, such animosity filled eyes are ill suited for a child your age. I''d have to say it''s downright unnatural. Yet, I get the distinct feeling that the purpose behind that look isn''t because of you being on the backburner of this match. Is there something that you wish to share, dear Challenger?"


    "That Primeape is reaching it''s limit. Rhydon put it down then bring that child to me, he knows something."


    "That look¡­why do you of all people have to look just like him? Mewtwo, dispose of them."


    "Hahahahahaha! What''s wrong child? You''ve done well to train your Primeape! It is only fair for it to fall in battle after defeating the pinnacle of my team, Rhydon! Why the tears, boy? It accomplished it''s task as any tool should, be glad that it actually accomplished something before it passed away."


    "T-That Charizard is actually-!? Fine, to hell with it! Losing out on the chance to capture a Charizard that can keep up with my strongest asset will be worth enraging that old coward, Oak!"


    "Your efforts are pointless. Persian would have made your departure quick and painless, yet you choose to die hard."


    "No¡­no¡­nononono! NO!"


    "This shouldn''t be possible! How? How!? How are you able to push back a Legendary!?"


    "STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE WITH THOSE EYES AND JUST DIE!"


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"


    <hr>


    The sound of voices reaches my ears as I drew closer to the kitchen.


    "Thank you so much for helping me with setting up the table." My mother''s sweet melodic voice chimed along with the clatter of plates and cups being set down on our wooden dinner table.


    "It is¡­the least that I could do¡­" My blood ran cold as the smooth, deep voice of the man that had once tried to kill me resonated out from the kitchen and was actually speaking with my mother. "It is proper etiquette to assist as the invited guest should our host be overwhelmed."


    "Hm, for once I can''t disagree with your sentiments. If only your other rules in regards to family weren''t so¡­distasteful."


    "Hm¡­"


    "And now we''re back to grumbling, I see. I guess that he was right about you being Mr. Grumbles."


    "Hm¡­"


    "And such a stick in mud too, right Kamina?"


    "Sci¡­" My Scizor coldly growled before the sound of more dishes and cups were placed on


    I calmed myself and took a deep breath. My nails were digging so hard into my hand that I was frightened that I would tear skin if I didn''t keep my cool. Right now, I didn''t need to go in hot. All I needed was to go cold in the face of whatever the fuck was happening in my family''s own home.


    And so, I took a couple of steps from around the entry way (and only exit) to the kitchen, to take it all in.


    "Scizor¡­?" To see Kamina be surprised of my presence spoke volumes about how much of his focus was on this guy.


    "Ah, Luke! You finally made it!" Any other day I would have loved to give mom my most heartfelt greeting but no, my attention solely laid on the lone man dressed like the freaking Godfather in our kitchen.


    "Ah, Luke Ketchum. Its truly a marvel to see you after all these long months apart. Though I would very much appreciate it if a young boy like you refrained from looking so baleful. It really isn''t natural for someone of your age, and it wouldn''t do you and those you love any good to look at me that way." I stared right into his eyes, uncaring of the sole milky white that was surrounded by a blackened burn scar.


    Taking a deep breath and exhaling it out, I spoke with more venom than I''ve ever had to speak with since I''ve been reborn in this new world as I spoke each word as deeply and as harshly as I could.


    "Why the fuck are you here, Giovanni?"

 Chapter 16: Interlude [The Don]

    Family.


    Nothing important mattered more than the Family. Blood and loyalty were but simple constructs that tied each individual person that mattered into a well-knit unit. Once you were born into it, there''s no way of ever getting out of it. You can earn yourself a way in by proving your worth or even get lucky enough to be handpicked by a member of higher standing in the Family. But if you had the luxury of being born in it, your chances of ever breaking free from it were nonexistent.


    He''d learn that lesson all too well after his own mother took him on a boat ride in their first outing as mother and son. Like any other child, he''d been deluding himself into believing that her sudden interest in him was finally borne out of love. She and her platoon had returned home after their foray through Tohjo Mountains. In some sick twisted way, he could believe it, but that love only commenced at the beginning of his destroyed short-lived childhood.


    "Uncle Bernie?" He whimpered and shivered as the cool air of the Viridian River strongly hit against his small form. He had been quiet the entire boat ride as his Mama and one of her fellow soldiers paddled them to a secluded part of the lake in the early morning.


    He was frightened at the sight of the squirming, bloodied man with a potato sack over his head that they dragged along with them into the boat. Their muffled screams and fidgeting unsettled him the whole boat ride down the river. The violent rebuffing of his mother''s ally did not help settle his fears, and through the entire trip, he received no comfort from his mother.


    Only indifferent silence that she broke once the perfect spot to dump out the "trash" was found.


    "No, little Gio, this is not your Uncle Bernie. Not anymore¡­" His mother deeply took a deep drag of her cigarette and blew it out at the unveiled, bruised, and bloodied face of the gagged man. He had always hated the smell of smoke even as a kid. "This man is no longer a soldier, much less family. A traitor is what he is, and he will die as is befitting of a traitor. Drowning with the consequences of his own poor actions."


    With a single hand, she pulled up a concrete block tied to former Uncle Bernie''s ankles. Giovanni was shaken by the absurd fear that wracked through the gagged man as he failed to wail for help through the reddening white gag in his mouth.


    "Do you remember your Uncle Sammy and Aunt Elisa?" His mother asked him.


    "Y-Yes. Mama said that they were gone forever¡­" He gulped. His own mother was never one to stray from giving blunt news, not even to her own five-year old son.


    "Indeed, and it''s because your former Uncle Bernie played a very nasty trick on the rest of us that they won''t ever come back." She turned to stare at the trembling man with such undisguised animosity. "What''s wrong, Bernie? You should be glad that I caught wind of your nightly meetups with that Johtonian bitch that you seemed to love so much. That well-timed cave-in that reduced half our number was a rousing success. Loyal men in service to Kanto AND Johto fell in those caverns, even your fellow Eloper to be."


    One of mother''s hands grabbed his own and placed them on the cinderblock. Former Uncle Bernie took deep shallow breaths and screamed as the silent soldier amongst them slowly pulled the potato sack over his face. "Desertion of your homeland is one matter that I already could not forgive, but to do so and consort with the enemy sealed your fate. But do not worry, you''re service until now will remain clean. Surely the deaths of our fallen comrades weigh heavily on your consciousness and was the final push for you to take your own life. Yes, that''s quite a reasonable tragic story to frame your passing." Mother nodded. "Though your single living relative will mourn your loss, he will grow strong from it and will receive your pok¨¦mon and accumulated wealth to become much more than his foolish elder brother who wouldn''t dare think to abandon him and his home."


    He and his mother''s hands slowly pushed the cinderblock off the edge of the boat. "It''s truly been an honor, Bernie. Do not fear for young Petrel, I will do my utmost to ensure that he lives up to his full potential. Say bye-bye, Gio."


    "Mama¡­?"


    "Say bye-bye, Gio."


    The softness in her voice was tinged with a commanding dulcet that had the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up. "B-Bye-bye, Unc-Uncle Bernie."


    *SPLAAASH!*


    That had been the first man that he had ever killed, and it certainly wouldn''t be the last. His mother had made sure of that.


    "Remember this, Gio. Loyalty to your people and your Family comes first above all else. Making an enemy and betraying the trust of those who invested so much love in you is the gravest sin that man could ever commit."


    His own mother''s words were forever ingrained in his psyche as she took him out on more excursions to "teach" him of her ways and instill a lesson on the many avenues that one could take when disrespecting those you''ve placed your loyalty to. Not even the suddenness of her second pregnancy deterred her from giving him these lessons to build him up.


    Learning of the horrific and cautionary tales that her platoon experienced during their tour in the first war.


    Being put through grueling training that tested his physical and mental limits after being thrown out in the wilds of Silver-Viridian Forest.


    The decorum and poise that his own mother painstakingly beat into his head.


    Everything was planned to make him better, stronger, and an efficient part to Kanto and the Family''s vested interests. As long as he met the expectations that his own mother sought for him, then he would not steer from the path chosen for him. Yet despite his new resolve, he felt hollow.


    He believed that his mother''s intentions were done out of love but said love was shown to him in so alien of a manner that he''s begun to give up on ever deciphering it. His own best friend that his mother had been training to become his future number two served to fill the hole only momentarily in his chest. It wasn''t enough to deal with the hollowness that he felt, but Petrel''s unwavering friendship and support did numb the pain and further solidify his mother''s lesson on upholding loyalty to one''s own brethren.


    And enough said about that manchild that was his biological father, the better.


    "Huh? You''re actually supposed to be my kid? Hahaha! Why are you so boring? You and Mar-Mar might have the same stiff look but at least she''s more fun to prod and mess with. Hahahaha~! Hopefully the next kid she pops out won''t be a stick in the mud like you. Well, I''m off to play with Mew-Mew. See you later, Gee-Gee!"


    He has only had the displeasure of meeting that utter waste of space twice in his life. He was too bizarre and lacked any sense of reason that could ever allow the two of them to see eye to eye. It helped that he was absent for most of his life but because of said absence, he was not aware of the man''s sudden death.


    The closest thing that Giovanni felt to sorrow for his father''s death was its grave effects on his mother. He had never seen or heard her grieve so deeply before in his life, and it would be the last time he would ever witness such a rarity. She grew colder and harsher in his lesson plans on forging him to become a proper successor to all that she built up during the war and sought to carry on past it.


    It was during his sixth year of life that all of the loyal soldiers that she took into her platoon, accumulated favors, and pooled resources began the birth of "Team Rocket".


    And it was during this year that he was given the gift of his newborn little brother. A genuine smile graced his mother''s face since news of his father''s passing as she gently gave the bundle over to him. For once since before that boat ride down Viridian River, he the innocence that he had thought gone forever return in full force except the source came from the babbling and gurgling of his infant brother.


    "Say hello to your little brother Giorno, Giovanni."


    An innocent and pure baby, who''s been untouched by the dirtiness of the world and the darkest secrets of the Family. Though he was numb to the loss of his own innocence, Giovanni just could fathom the babe in his arms experiencing the same traumatic events that he had to go through. He refused to ever let that happen and that was the first time that Giovanni had begun to feel the hollowness within begin to fill with love and righteous fury.


    It was an emotion that had carried him through his lessons and training to become the pinnacle of what Team Rocket truly needed. His fervor pushed him to work harder, think smarter, and be sharper. This earned him the respect of the then old guard of Team Rocket and the future members that were being conscripted in the shadows or indoctrinated as the forgotten children to those designated as KIA.


    Yet he cared not a whiff for any of that. What truly mattered was that his little brother got to enjoy living his life in the light. His mother''s own agendas for him came secondary to that goal, and oddly both mother and son came to an unspoken agreement that Giorno was to not associate with the inner workings of the Family business. The birth of her second son had an unintended effect on their mother''s approach to rearing the latest addition to their Family.


    And for a time, this change was phenomenal. Apart from the dirty deeds that he had to commit; Giovanni happily relished any time afford to be in the presence of his na?ve little brother. He''d move actual mountains just to ensure that little child wouldn''t get entrenched into darkness of their Family.


    <hr>


    "Brother? Brother? You gotta wake up otherwise Ma''s gonna get mad at you again."


    "Whoa! You chose Rhyhorn as your starter? That''s so cool! I want to train a Ground type too!"


    "U-Urm¡­I''m sorry that Ma got mad at you like that. I still think Ground types are cooler than a dumb old Steel type like Ma''s!"


    "Hey, brother? Is there something in the back of our driver''s trunk because I thought I heard screaming? Hm, I guess you¡¯re right, I must really be seeing things."


    "Brotherbrotherbrother! You were right! School is fun! Going the next day, everyone started being nice to me and that kid who pushed me out of my chair during lunch even apologized! It was the best and-! Hey, brother, why are you making that weird smile?"


    "It¡¯s okay brother, I know Ma''s busy after getting recalled back into the war. She at least cares to send a present at least. Besides, I have you and that makes my birthday better by default."


    "Pleeeeeeeeease! Can he stay with us? He doesn''t have a Ma or Pa, and we''re already best friends! I promise to help him get used to everything! I do! ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Yes! Thanks a lot brother! Hey, you hear that you can stay with us¡­uh¡­em¡­err¡­what''s your name again, Blue?"


    "Bro! You''re never going to believe this! This Meowth can talk! Wha-No, I''m not lying this time! This pok¨¦mon can actually talk! Can we keep him, our little league coach was about to toss him out into the cold after he trashed the school''s storeroom¡­"


    "Hey brother, what exactly do you and mother talk about when she calls you in to her office? Huh, but I wanna know too¡­fine¡­"


    "Awesome! I can have these goggles!? You''re the best brother ever! But wait why are there red stains all over the lenses though?"


    "D-Do you think Ma will get mad if I choose a different starter like you? No? Oh, okay¡­"


    "Some more kids got pulled from class today to get drafted by the League? ¡­Yeah, I know you and Ma won''t let it happen, but¡­it''s a little sad to see so many of my friends go away like this. Still at least I know you won''t go right, bro? ¡­Bro?"


    "Brother, do you think you can tell Ma to include me in your talks whenever she returns from her deployments? I can help too¡­"


    "What''s even the problem if I skip school? Not like there''s enough students leftover to fill a class anyways. Besides, I can put my attention on training my pok¨¦mon like you do, so stop treating me like a baby!"


    "Hey, leave Blue out of this! It¡¯s you and Ma''s fault for leaving me out and forcing me to figure things out by myself! I thought Family was supposed to be open and honest which each other, but all you''ve ever done is lie. Did you think I wouldn''t notice how haunted you looked each time you''d return with either mom or her friends whenever they took you out on those secret trips? You get nightmares so bad that you violently shake in your sleep. T-That''s why tell me what''s going on. I-I know that Ma has plans for getting you drafted, so let''s convince her together! I can help contribute to the Family too and I can watch your back like you always watched mine. That way neither of us have to ever be apart, so for once¡­ Let me help you and Ma, brother. Please!"


    <hr>


    He was a fool though to expect his efforts to shield Giorno to last forever. His efforts to hide his scars and the "world" that their Family lived in was his best, but not even that was good enough. Time was an enemy he had never even considered until that day his little brother was caught snooping in on his and their mother''s talks.


    Love and loyalty to the family have always been standard beaten in the most hardened of soldiers and criminals that were inducted into Team Rocket''s ranks.


    So, was it ever a surprise that such qualities were only exacerbated by the youngest and most innocent member of the Family, who has never known the utter corruption that one experiences as a result to prove the lengths of their loyalty to the Family? A kind child who desperately wanted to share the burden with his brother and for the first time interact with a distant mother, who showed him the best form of love that she could ever provide him through extreme indifference.


    The correct response to his brother''s plea should have been to comfort his fears, bared what little of his burdens so that Giorno could get a glimpse of what he''s had to endure, and warn him NOT to get entangled in the machinations that their mother had for the budding Guerrilla Unit of Team Rocket.


    Unfortunately, he allowed his own feelings to dictate the answers (or rather non-answers) that he coldly berated his brother with. Words meant to deter Giorno escalated things to a heated argument that left both brothers hurting from exchanged words that couldn''t be taken back, and a baleful brown eyed glare of stubborn rage and betrayal that to this current day still haunts him.


    That day served as one of the biggest failures in Giovanni''s life.


    The following day was supposed to be his moment of initiation to join the ranks of his mother''s unit. Those lacking the nepotism of veteran from the first war and the current second war did not share the luxury of having their drafting pushed back. The current Viridian Gym Leader, another veteran and loyal accomplice to his mother''s cause had also supported this delay and kept him safe from the Kanto League''s desperate grasping for available trainers.


    He''s been able to avoid getting drafted until he was deemed strong and clever enough to handle the stressors and horrors of war firsthand. That was why at the age of 15, he was given an initiation to provide his mother''s unit with the supplies and resources of a well-guarded warehouse that was held in surplus by the Kanto League. As Viridian was a Border town stationed closer to the League, they were a convenient outpost for keeping desired goods close.


    This also made the warehouse heavily guarded and the perfect mission that he and his own lackeys (i.e. just Petrel) could overcome. The plan was already made the moment the mission was detailed. He would resort to using Petrel''s poison types to release their noxious toxins upon the midnight shift guards. The dark would best conceal them as they focus their attack on the back entrances. When inside, he''ll release his Dugtrio to dig underneath them and cave the ground underneath any surprise guards that crossed their path or managed to escape the now confined advantage of Petrel''s experienced Koffing''s gases.


    Any who saw their faces would be killed. Most of Viridian may already be in their Family''s pocket, but that didn''t translate to everyone who wasn''t a resident, especially the Kanto League. Giovanni was a well-known fixture in town and any who noticed him would connect the dots and trace that back to his mother. He really didn''t want to be the cause for that to happen.


    Fortunately, he wasn''t because it was his brother who came extremely close to doing so by foolhardily attempting the mission in his stead. Oh, how he despised Proton back in those days for following along with Giorno''s wishes in spying on his and his mother''s talks, and actually supporting such a dangerous and foolish act. Instead of completing his mission, he was stuck cleaning the ruined heist''s mess and desperately removing his brother and Proton from the premises before they had made things worse.


    But he was too late.


    An Officer Jenny was reported to have been dead the day after. The fool Proton had used one of his Ice types to freeze the officer after Giorno had ordered his starter to take her out in a panic. The accidental command was misinterpreted by the pok¨¦mon to simply run her through with their horn. The sheer blood loss and the low freezing temperatures from being frozen in a block of ice sealed the officer''s fate, and Giorno''s as well.


    Giovanni had never seen his mother so furious with Giorno before in his life, and it was definitely the last he would ever have to. No evidence of Giorno''s appearance at the warehouse was leaked as Giovanni had done a thorough job in securing a perfect getaway for them.


    However, the Kanto League wasn''t going to back down especially with an esteemed member of the Jenny family dead. Since before the League''s inception, their family has been one that has been the leading force of authority and order in these lands before a set government was even established. Investigations were a natural reaction and the cause of death via a horn attack left many potential suspects.


    At mother''s insistence on releasing his starter, the cause of Jenny''s death, Giorno vehemently denied. Then she tried to suggest that they put the blame on Proton and cast him out as Giorno''s leper. It was ingenious in a way since the boy was loyal to his little brother to a severe fault.


    And yet Giorno loudly voiced his disapproval of the sound plan.


    With all other viable options ran through, their mother was left with no other choice but to remove him from Viridian entirely. She had contacts in Fuchsia that would watch over and train him in preparation for his inevitable drafting into the Kanto League. If the League couldn''t trace him back to them, they certainly would go straight to labelling him as a potential foreign insurgent.


    Their mother could not risk getting the heat to catch wind of her "private" business practices and thus she was swift with Giorno''s removal.


    Giovanni could not fathom just how lost his little brother felt because the next day after his mother requested the chance to speak alone with Giorno, his little brother was already gone. He was denied the chance to even say farewell, much less reconcile their last argument.


    All of his efforts to ensure that his brother lived with clean hands and his innocence intact were all dashed in a single night.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    He didn''t immediately join his mother''s Guerilla Unit. She deemed that his new mission to contribute them as initiation was to go out as soldier, earn his own spoils, gather his own loyal men, grow strong, earn achievements, scrounge out favors from any unfortunate suckers that needed help, and so and so forth. There was no shortage of frightened boy and girls, tired men and women who easily fell into the palm of his hand.


    The Second War was a goldmine of opportunity and Giovanni seized what assets he could when the opportunities allowed it. Kanto''s success and victory would spell Giorno''s salvation from potentially losing his life during the conflict. He had no idea when his brother was drafted to fight, whether he was ready or anywhere close to his positioning. All he knew was that he would be fighting battles all on his own, and there wasn''t a thing he could do but pray for Kanto''s swift victory over their Johtonian foes.


    Yet reports from the very woman who had shattered his innocence, his own mother, had revealed the tragic news of Giorno being amongst the many designated as KIA. In a bid to deny Johto''s invading force from conquering the Southeastern routes leading inward to Kanto''s heartland, Giorno and his whole squadron staged one last hurrah to hold down the fort until reinforcements came.


    Their efforts proved so successful that the very loss of all their lives had even inspired the creation of the great Kanto Bridge, that was now fashioned into Cycling Road for trainers. A memorial was displayed for the fallen who had died on both ends of the bridge.


    It was bitter irony that the bridge was only created after the loss of so much life when no reinforcements could cross the whole of Kanto in time to reach them with the supplies and aid that they desperately needed.


    The very hollowness that Giovanni sought to fill was now forever gone and to make matters worse Kanto had utterly failed.


    Once he would have vaunted the great Samuel Oak as their new mighty Pok¨¦mon League Champion during a period of the war when their old Champion''s leadership and strength was found wanting. Except, he did the entire region a disservice. He broke bread with their hated enemies and had the gall to speak of establishing peace after so many of their own countrymen was slain. As if all of them can just let go and return to their old lives.


    Those weak and too broken by the war gladly accepted this peace and had even indulged in the first ever Conference to determine the newly minted Indigo League''s Champion and Elite Four Hierarchy. Giovanni took part in it of course but he could not find the heart to fully care. His efforts didn''t earn him a rank amongst the Elite 4, but they did cement his standing in the public.


    His war achievements and multiple favors had made him the official Viridian City Gym Leader. The old one, Timothy, fell during the war, and with the position now vacant, he had finally claimed his place as one of Kanto''s Thirteen Pillars of strength. Not only that but after merging all of his literal spoils of war with Team Rocket, his own mother had deemed it fit to finally name him the new Leader of Team Rocket.


    He was now the organization''s face while she remained in the shadows conducting her own business. Whatever it was, he was never granted the answer to realizing. They had never talked much beyond business after Giorno''s confirmed passing and it''s stayed that way up to this day. Not even the news of her grandchild being brought into the world had lessened the gap between them at all.


    She was free to pursue her interests, and he was now free to lead the organization as he saw fit.


    Money.


    Pok¨¦mon.


    Investments.


    Crime.


    Politics.


    He buried himself in his work to make Team Rocket unstoppable. No depths were so low that he wouldn''t stoop to for the Family.


    Countless orphans and old veterans, who were cast aside and in need of purpose? He founded and created Team Rocket Academy to build nothing but the best for their organization.


    A pesky Officer Jenny seeking answers for a long since dead case? Experiences a career debilitating "incident" after poking her nose somewhere it shouldn''t.


    Everything was for the sake of the Family, hell even Kanto. Giovanni knew that this peace would only last as long as it will until either Kanto was the dominant force in their current arrangement or Johto was, and he much preferred the former to win. Even the thought of having a Johtonian as the current League Champion disgusted him.


    Which is why in his search to create the ultimate weapon that would be Kanto''s Ace should Johto turn on them, he stumbled upon news of his mother''s side project. It wasn''t so odd for his mother to honor her fallen subordinates by ensuring their children lived fruitful lives, but it certainly was interesting that the loss of one particular Grunt has led her to consider sponsoring this certain Grunt''s daughter once she was of age to begin her journey.


    Now he could care less about the fallen grunt''s daughter. Last he heard, she was now freshly in her early twenties travelling the three regions as some top coordinator. The only contributions gained from their current engagement and Contest circuit all went to his mother who happily reaped the reward. No, he was more interested in the mission that ended the grunt''s life. The retrieval of Mew.


    A mythical pok¨¦mon of legend so rare that everyone was led to believe that they were just figures of myth and nothing more. Everyone except for his mother that is. With an idea hatching, Giovanni planned for his own grunts and researchers to look into it and fulfill his dream of the Ultimate Weapon. Money was no object for this project. He did not care for the means or methods to achieve it; he just wanted it done.


    Blaine had been a close friend of his mother in the past, so convincing him to join alongside his own confidant Mr. Fuji was simple. Sadly, the bald fool couldn''t stomach the experiment once glimpses of its real purpose came to light. Giovanni warred with the idea to deal with the Cinnabar Gym Leader but was negated by the ramifications that doing so would have on Kanto losing a strong trainer and the undeniable havoc that would ensue that a well-respected war veteran from both wars was suddenly killed.


    Fuji was a deluded fool but one with his uses that made him so easy to control. His cloning research was the key to it all, and through his death, Giovanni was finally granted the weapon that he was deserved.


    Mewtwo.


    The thing was lost and bereft of any purpose. The destruction that it had left in its wake on the island was beautiful. Yet it was still too young. The fools created such a powerful being yet were still imperfect in fully maturing them to their prime. Their deaths were deserved and thus they were undeserving of his patronage after death. Their loved ones will pay for their incompetence with his silence.


    The thing actually sought out a purpose and he promised to help it control their psychic powers in order to pave the way to find it. Foolish. Its existence under his control was purpose enough. His "partner" was so deluded into believing that they were equals, which was as delusional as their pointless search for existence. Pok¨¦mon were at best tools that needed to be nurtured and invested to fulfill the needs of their human betters. A pok¨¦mon that can''t fulfill this was better off given the mercy of death or expulsion from their trainer''s care.


    With Mewtwo at his disposal, Giovanni was aware that the sky was only the limit for Team Rocket. Tales of how the very Legendaries themselves scared the entire world into ending the first war were still fresh in the minds of those who took drastic measures to ensure their region''s dominance. Fewer tales had even made mention of a certain "hero" controlling one and putting an end to battles during the first war that heavily featured his mother''s generation.


    Herds of Tauros from the Mt. Silver Range were captured in just 5 minutes before the Rangers could even get the signal of their presence.


    Foolish trainers that came to challenge his gym with exotic pok¨¦mon were simply crushed by Mewtwo''s overwhelming psychic power and later had ingrained mental suggestions to forfeit said pok¨¦mon in storehouse locations of Giovanni''s choosing. Of course, some of these trainers were left with no memory of this occurring or if they had miraculously broken out of Mewtwo''s trance (which was rare after the thing had successfully finished training itself with it), he ensured that they disappeared without a trace.


    He''d support the ailing families for their lost children with fundraisers, and proposed programs just to cement himself as such a stalwart beacon of fatherly compassion for his own region''s citizens. The rest of the rabble was barely given his attention, and the only ones spared of this treatment were the Pallet Town trainers that the now retired Samuel Oak sponsored.


    "One word of warning Gio before your head gets too big. I may have my differences with Samuel, but let it never be known that that man has earned my respect. He along with your father are the only ones to surprise me, and for that I have a warning. Pallet Town is off-limits. It''s peaceful, yes, but such a peaceful borough had been cultivated and earned by those that laid their roots there as one of the first settlements created after the second war. Poke the Beedrill''s nest just enough, and you''ll find yourself at war with good men, and these good men will die where they stand just to right the wrongs inflicted on them."


    That was one of the last parting warnings that his mother deemed to grant him from genuine worry. Though he doubted her respect for that thing of a father of his, he could at least believe her respect for Samuel Oak. Which was why Team Rocket was to never establish any businesses or set up any activities near that town.


    Any and all trainers identified as a sponsor or hell, even a trainer from Pallet was to be left untouched once they entered the Viridian Gym. This was a rule that he harshly enforced and had even killed for amongst his unruly retinue of grunts.


    He was confident that he could at least handle a Samuel Oak past his prime, but an infuriatingly kind man as he did not go through two wars after being drafted at the age of 11 without garnering a mountain of favors especially from the conjoined League that he created and co-founded.


    The only way he could possibly imagine breaking this singular rule was if his greed got the better of him or his own personal feelings overruled his better judgement.


    It was because of both of these factors that he brought about his own ruin.


    "Luke Ketchum, hm?" He flipped through the profile that his trusted secretory Matori had given him. Their walk through the Viridian Gym facility was brisk while being followed closely by the lower ranked grunts assigned as his "local" gym trainers. "One of Oak''s sponsored trainers?"


    "Correct sir." Matori adjusted her glasses. "The starter that he possesses is a Charizard." Giovanni rolled his eyes at that because of course the child would choose the more prominent pok¨¦mon from this region''s trio. "And he''s recently been on an impressive streak so far by earning 7 major gym badges for his first year."


    ''His eyes, they''re just like Giorno''s¡­" Giovanni intently focused on the trainer''s profile picture. Though the child''s countenance was haggard and a bit pale with obvious signs of exhaustion there was no denying that it held that familiar light of sincerity in them.


    Eyes so sincere that they were the perfect tool in understanding the owner''s emotions and thoughts. His mother taught him that much and more when reading a person and that always made someone like Giorno so unfairly easy to read from moments when his joy could barely be contained to even events where he¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­he expressed heartbreaking anger and sorrow.


    "Sir?" Feeling Matori''s confused and concerned gaze on him, Giovanni cursed himself for breaking composure and walled off his lesser feelings. He should know better than to show weakness in front of his subordinates.


    "It''s nothing, Matori. I was just interested in this trainer''s track record."


    Giovanni had to admit that it certainly was impressive, most new trainers would attempt a few of the major gyms at the lower levels before stopping at the higher levels altogether once their skills failed to meet the requirements. Vermillion, Fuchsia, Saffron, and Viridian were the true measure of test for actual trainers seeking to test their mettle and prove their worth.


    The pathetic performance of trainers who were far unprepared in the Conference proved to be an example of why simply challenging just the Minor Gyms in a circuit was just a pitiful course of action. Their pok¨¦mon were barely even much to write home about when snatched away by his grunts.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Giovanni narrowed his eyes as he further examined the young boy''s profile. "Hm, it looks like the timeframe would make sense."


    "Pardon, sir?" Ah, he should probably elaborate.


    "The Saffron Gym Fiasco." Giovanni still remembered hearing the odd news from his grunts in the area. Reports of missing trainers in the past had been booming around Saffron City and yet the odd thing was, with each Circuit that ended these trainers would mysteriously return with no memories of their absence. It was a mystery that had intrigued Giovanni to delve in deeper and piece together the suspicious coincidence that these disappearances began just as Solomon''s daughter, Sabrina, forcibly usurped leadership of the Gym from her father through battle.


    The motive was unknown but just the thought of such a capable Psychic being up for the taking to join Team Rocket appealed to him so strongly that his disappointment was immeasurable once word of the Gym''s temporary shutdown for the Circuit along with the child''s position going back to Solomon reached his ears.


    Apparently, the League was keeping the incident on the hush-hush as the sudden outbreak of this year''s circuit of missing trainers was released far earlier than the following years before it. The best that Giovanni''s sources could scrounge up about the child''s whereabouts was that she was being expressly seen to and mentored by a proper psychic as the "rigors of being a Gym Leader was taking its natural toll on the child".


    Bullshit.


    Giovanni knew a League cover-up story when he saw one and once word of Oak''s granddaughter being somehow involved during the mess came up, he was quick to just cut his losses.


    "From the date, he was the last trainer to receive the Marsh Badge before the gym''s seasonal closing. So there had to be some connection there¡­" Giovanni hummed to himself. "Plus, he seems to be in possession of quite a few rare pok¨¦mon."


    "Correct but the evolution methods have yet to be conveyed to the public in regard to his Togekiss and Electavire." Matori added.


    "Hmph, as he should. Knowledge is vital and keeping a few cards close to his chest speaks well of his maturity rather than childishly announcing his achievement like a braggart. Also, despite knowing how eccentric researchers can be, I doubt that Oak would leak the news of the child''s knowledge out without his consent." Not that it would matter, Giovanni would gain the information through compliance or-.


    "Understood." Echoed the emotionless voice of his newest and most powerful tool.


    "Good." Giovanni nodded.


    "Still for someone of his age to even accomplish this much is quite¡­extraordinary." Giovanni rubbed his thumb against his lips in contemplation.


    "Seeing the boy as a potential asset, sir?" As Giovanni expected of his secretary, she was always quick on the uptake in gleaning his true thoughts.


    "Yes¡­"


    "I see, but sir what category of asset would you deem this child to be?" Another good inquiry. "You''ve made your orders explicitly clear about avoiding a stir with the denizens of Pallet Town. Would the risk really be worth it?"


    "¡­I do not know." He was at a crossroads. His mother''s warning rang clearly in his mind, BUT Samuel Oak was past his prime. Sure, a former Champion was still a high-level threat, but compared to the likes of Mewtwo, Giovanni liked his odds should things come to blow. An artificial Legendary, whose other kind where their mere presence heralded the end of a war, was now at his disposal.


    But should he take the risk? The fallout could be immense¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "We will have to see." It was best he could do until he finally had gotten the trainer''s measure AND should the mood strike him. "Gather five suitable eighth badge leveled pok¨¦mon from storage and send word to each of the Gym trainers assigned to the gauntlet to vacate the premises of the stadium." The eighth badge level battles were made to be a private affair and Giovanni would rather avoid having crowds in his facility.


    Traditionally being the last major hurdle before a trainer could tackle the conference, Giovanni was at least given permission to deny trainers lacking the minimum requirement of 6 gym badges the privilege of battling him.


    It wasn''t in his nature to hold back and coddle the newer trainers. Such duties were best suited for the likes of Corporal Flint Harrison in Pewter and the plucky daughter of the long since deceased Brigadier General Zale in Cerulean.


    The former was a drafted soldier who had earned his position as Gym Leader of his sector yet was amongst the many "broken" from the war who could never live up to meeting more than the bare expectations required for one of his station.


    While the latter was simply a disdainful young woman who was forced to take the mantle of Cerulean¡¯s Gym Leader after her elder brother and sister-in-law died to a mundane incident out at sea. Giovanni also figures that the woman''s dissatisfaction with the position also was due to being the "third" candidate as the second considered candidate refused to take up the mantle then proceeded to fall off the grid.


    Though Giovanni did find some intrigue that the rigid Corporal did somehow get his hands on some ancient pok¨¦mon. He reminded himself to have operative Domino look further into it to infiltrate and assess the potential assets that could be appropriated later down the line once this coming Gym battle was settled.


    "Only five, sir?" He answered his devoted follower''s query with the unclipping of his most loyal and first loyal tool''s heavily worn pok¨¦ball. Matori flinched as his Rhydon''s pok¨¦ball shook, threatening to release his second most dangerous asset into the confined space of the facility''s hallways.


    "Flattery will get you nothing from me, Giovanni¡­" His tool''s emotionless voice grumbled through Giovanni''s psyche.


    "Doesn''t make it any less true, Mewtwo." Giovanni smirked.


    "Y-Yes, now I see sir. But if you''re going to unveil a pok¨¦mon from your own Elite team, then would this be you setting an example or¡­?" The unsaid question was whether he was going to simply deny the child any headway in gaining his badge or subjugating him to make him and his pok¨¦mon assets.


    "That will depend on whether this challenger will bring me disappointment or satisfaction."


    He listed his remaining orders to his subordinate, who insistently kept insisting that a few grunts should be stationed in the stadium as a precaution, but Giovanni waved her off and forewent punishing her for choosing to question him. He had Mewtwo and that was enough for him, besides it was just a child. All of his subordinates save a few well-paid and well-threatened researchers were aware of his weapon''s existence. He''s already slain more fiercesome foes in his past, most of those including children his own age.


    What was simply one no-name child from Pallet Town compared to all of that in the grand scheme of things?


    <hr>


    This child was a threat.


    Giovanni was initially amused as the boy made short work of each of his disguised grunts. The audacity to use that Electavire, an electric type, in his gym and somehow make it a threat was downright absurd yet commendable. His talent for training his pok¨¦mon was well beyond anything he expected of a rookie. A Kanto born child making strives like this should have soothed his worries for the betterment of Kanto''s future whether he would accept Giovanni''s guidance to be a part of something more for their homeland''s sake or his pok¨¦mon will be amongst the many others as Team Rocket''s lifeblood and strength.


    "Silence. It is all I can gleam from the human boy. I cannot hear his thoughts, touch his mind. It''s all so dark, cold, and quiet¡­" Giovanni had never heard of such mental block before, and all the ones that he''s been implanted with could create no such effect. Not to the extent that even Mewtwo sounded haunted by his attempts.


    That Giovanni''s mind racing with a million suggestions for what was happening. His skepticism and paranoia were the key reasons for his survival thus far even before the wars. Was this child a sleeper agent? Did something slip past that old, senile Oak in Pallet Town? Nay was this Oak''s doing and he was finally sending in someone to investi-.


    Giovanni dashed that mindset. He knew Oak wasn''t above stealing from the Johto region''s strongest clan, but he himself knew that the old fool would never sacrifice a child for his own agenda. That still left the question of what protected this child''s mind.


    The dread that he''d never expected to feel well up in him began to rise as the doors leading to the main stadium opened to reveal his challenger. Giovanni had remained seated on his throne with his lovely Persian sat upon his lap. Mewtwo was hidden beneath the gated doors beneath his side of the upraised trainer podium, and he was more than twice the size of the boy.


    Yet, he could not ignore the abnormality of the young boy before him.


    Everything from the boy''s clothing to even his gloves and shoes were torn, faded, and worn beyond use. His slow walking gait was haggard yet each step he took was light with barely a sound made. His upper back was slightly hunched over as his body dragged itself over to his side of the trainer''s podium.


    Already these mannerisms didn''t fit that of any ordinary child, Giovanni has seen tired children attempt his gym before. Even the quietest child would show the slightest sign of their exhaustion getting to them. This boy showed no sign of that, no weakness could be gleaned from those brown resolute eyes of his that also held determination and¡­disdain? Contempt?


    The same look that Giorno ha-no.


    He made his grand introduction as he would usually do just to slightly butter up his challenger''s confidence for making it this far. A notable tactic for getting rookies to overestimate themselves.


    "Gym Leader Giovanni, my name is Luke Ketchum. I am a trainer of Pallet Town, and I challenge you for the Earth Badge." Except the young man took it in stride with a dull shake of his head. His demeanor unchanging as they commenced with the battle. Giovanni wasn''t blind to the boy''s enmity towards him, which only made him come up with more questions.


    He certainly doubted that his identity as Team Rocket''s Boss was deciphered by the little punk. The profile he was given and the extensive look into his background was the first that he had ever heard of this kid''s existence beyond him being in the same sponsored group as Oak''s granddaughter. Yet clearly his presence was offending the boy and what that reason could be just wouldn''t piece itself together.


    The ensuing battle proved to be a horrible distraction. The pok¨¦mon that the child used against his gym trainers were: Scizor, Electavire, and Fearow while the remaining three that he chose to unveil for his main gym battle were a Tangrowth, Primeape, and lastly a Charizard. Props had to be given to the boy, he was one of few trainers in the current circuit to combat his 8th badge team without completely struggling.


    Upon the score reaching 3 to 5 in favor of his opponent, the Boss of Team Rocket finally chose to convey his deal over to the child should they want the badge. It was horridly irrational to make the deal in the midst of battle, but his paranoia proved too strong to smother with the violence. The deal would serve one extra purpose beyond gaining Team Rocket a new powerful asset: Confirmation.


    The boy was clearly judging him but for what reason he did not know. That''s why the boy''s reaction to the offer would be Giovanni''s final verdict to decide what to do with him. No blatant reaction would confirm that he was already aware of Giovanni''s ties to Team Rocket. A dumbfounded reaction would state otherwise.


    It was foolish and out of character for him to essentially out himself like this, but there were countless precautions that ensured the child wouldn''t be leaving this facility in one piece if he considered denying the offer.


    The boy tensed yet no sign of surprise marred his apprehensive face. "No." The answer was just as sincere as the utter contempt that laced his voice. Giovanni could now at least be at peace once he''s done with disposing of the brat who dared to look at him with eyes resembling Giorno''s.


    His Rhydon roared and viciously tore apart the child''s Electavire with the skill and tenacity that has been ingrained in its body since the war. Giovanni had scoffed once the boy decided to field a mere Primeape against him. Mewtwo wouldn''t be necessary for this sorry kid, so Giovanni planned for his tool to simply just follow the old protocol once the battle was finished.


    "Release your fury with Rage Fist back-to-back, Macaque! Do not falter!" Except Rhydon had fallen. It was conceivable. It had experience, the weight advantage, more utility in its move set, and precautionary measures against Fighting types, and YET it still fell to some pig-monkey pok¨¦mon that you could find anywhere near Viridian City''s borders. He''d never heard of Rage Fist as a technique before, but it was a devastating power that dealt more damage with each successful hit that brutally beaten Primeape executes.


    No matter, that''s why he never enters a scenario where he must employ only one weapon to sweep the field. The metal gates on his side of the battlefield opened with but a snap of his fingers.


    "You''ve got to be fucking kidding me¡­" Actual fear and trepidation marred the boy''s face as his strongest pok¨¦mon stalked across the field to menacingly face the grunting Primeape that was just about near death''s door after the brutal beating Rhydon had put it through.


    Yet what struck Giovanni''s nerve was the way the boy reacted. Fear should have been an obvious response to Mewtwo''s unveiling, but the mystery of who it was should have dumbfounded the child. No, the boy''s terror came from recognition.


    He will have answers for this.


    "Your commands¡­?" All the hairs on Giovanni''s body stood, but he showed no weakness as psychic energy and aura began to pulse from the armored being that was cloned from a creature of Legend. No, his weak self has long since been cast aside since that boat ride with his mother and the death of¡­


    The death of¡­


    Giovanni''s mind stalled as those familiar brown eyes returned to glaring at him with so much contempt that the face of the very boy before him could just as easily be replaced with-!


    "Giovanni?"


    "Tch! Surprise me and make it a good show."


    "¡­?"


    "Just do as your told!" Giovanni hissed.


    "As you wish."


    The boy released his Charizard, who turned his back to its trainer. The pair gave each other a long hard look before the young man grunted, "Asch, we''re fighting." His Charizard nodded in understanding before turning to face their foe.


    *ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!*


    A mighty roar erupted as the fire-flying type engorged a pillar of flames to the sky as a challenge to Mewtwo, who slowly began to walk towards it. Seeing this, the Charizard spat to the side and did the same.


    "Oh? So, you''re approaching me? Instead of flying away, you come right to me?"


    The Charizard growled something that made Mewtwo scoff, "Hoh? Then come, get as close as you''d like and let¡¯s see if you can live up to that threat."


    Giovanni sat back with a cruel smirk to luxuriously pet his Persian''s head once the two pok¨¦mon finally got within close proximity with each other. Together, they relished in the ensuing chaos that was to come.


    This was going to be a slaughter.


    <hr>


    This was supposed to be a slaughter!


    That boy''s Primeape keeling over after Mewtwo telekinetically slammed it into every surface in this locked-in stadium and executing that pain in the ass move that essentially drew it closer to death. Giovanni relished the trainer''s despair at the realization that he drove his own pok¨¦mon to its death. Even so, the bothersome runt couldn''t even let his joy last once he revealed that starter of his.


    Giovanni heatedly observed the ridiculous battle occurring from his opponent''s side of the field. What remained of his throne and trainer podium was reduced to ashes amidst the clashing of pok¨¦mon above them. Explosions from concentrated psychic energy and balls of black flames were destroying the entirety of the stadium itself. The barriers surrounding the battlefield have long since broken and all that remained was the outer shell psychic barrier that was keeping all of the damage from escaping the Gym.


    He had no idea how this was even capable? The value of that Charizard has surely gone up since its literally holding its own against a fucking Legendary yet the fact that it belonged to nobody like this kid was just mind boggling!


    "Mewtwo!"


    "DON''T! DISTRACT! ME!"


    Giovanni''s body rocked from the intense, aggravated roar of the Legendary. Amidst the unveiling of whatever the boy did to pull this new bothersome ability out of his Charizard, Giovanni gave his tool the explicit order to directly attack the trainer. His verbal command activated the shackles on the Legendary, forcibly overriding his free will to comply to his demands.


    Except that boy''s damned Charizard took the opening and overwhelmed Mewtwo with those flames. Any order he could give would just provide the enemy with the opportunity to attack. Also, Mewtwo''s agitation was causing him to further lash out at him and he did not fail to detect that hint of exhilaration in its voice.


    Just what was going on?


    Turning to the source of all this mayhem, Giovanni and his Persian laxly licking its bloodied paw confronted the twerp, Luke Ketchum. The boy took deep and slow breaths while clutching the result of Persian''s surprise Fury Swipes to his side. Only one blow struck since the kid got lucky enough to roll away at last minute.


    "Last warning boy, surrender." Giovanni glare hardened as the little shit had managed to spit just far enough to get it on his 70,000 pok¨¦dollar Taurosford Loafers.


    "Fuck you." He should have known better than to reason with a child.


    "Persian use Crunch." His faithful pok¨¦mon hissed and leapt into action, its jaws wide to rip into the boy''s throat. Luke Ketchum responded by unstuffing something from his glove and jumping in to willingly shove his hand past the fanged jaws of his Persian''s mouth. Giovanni questioned the boy''s sanity until his Persian''s eyes widened and scraped their way away from the child, panicking as it scratched away at its face while heaving to cough up something up.


    "Persian!?" Giovanni''s calls did not reach his distressed pok¨¦mon.


    "S-Shit¡­aurgh!" The boy cursed and nursed the deep trails of bloody cuts that Persian''s fangs had left scoured on his arm. He watched as Persian yowled, cried, and moaned in pain as their breathing worsened. "Hope you like the taste of powdered mustard gas. My Gengar had a blast helping me make it with the toiletries at the Pok¨¦mon Center!"


    "M-Mustard gas?" What on earth was that? Then it hit him once he started to see his pok¨¦mon begin to grow pale. "Poison!?"


    Giovanni''s confused thoughts screeched to a halt once the boy snapped his head out to the destructive bout in the air. "Mewtwo! Remember her! AMBERTWO!" The boy''s sudden outburst tore his best tool''s attention away from the charging black flaming Charizard barreling right at it.


    "Wha-?" That fool! Why wasn''t he focusing!?


    Giovanni screamed, "Do not take your eyes off your-!"


    *DOOOOOOOOON!* *CRAAASH!*


    That Charizard''s Flare Blitz landed and sent the Psychic Legendary crashing into the ground. The very building shook from the impact as Giovanni couldn''t help but allow him to wince for the mighty blow that was dealt to his weapon. The fool was already weary of trying to peek into the trainer''s mind due to the haunting silence, and it seemed even more weary of those black flames emitted by the Charizard. Mewtwo''s hoarse cries of pain and the breaking of his metallic bonds were bone chilling.


    It was the first actual hit that Mewtwo had visibly shown a painful reaction to once this battle started. Mewtwo, a living physical god amongst pok¨¦mon.


    "Flamethrower!" Old instincts kicking in fast, the Team Rocket Boss flung himself away upon feeling the rising temperature. Not a moment too soon did he narrowly avoid a wave of black flames that would have consumed him whole. Except it was intended for him but instead for his trembling Persian, the blast had put it down for good as it laid unmoving on the scorched ground.


    "That little twerp¡­!" This child had planned for everything, capitalizing on every lapse of the battle just to take his opportunity. Giovanni refused to let this stand! He won''t allow himself to be duped by this child who shouldn''t know any of the things he does.


    Amidst the smoke, heavy rapid footsteps reached Giovanni''s ears and so he acted.


    Spinning on his heel, he turned to face his oncoming attacker head-on. Reinforcement. The blade of the stainless-steel ranger''s knife snapped in two.


    "¡­!" Luke Ketchum''s expression contorted in horror at his botched surprise attack.


    "You''re not the only one with surprises, boy!" Aura was one of the first things that his mother had taught him. Though his reserves were lacking compared to her, he was still proficient in their basic applications and had even survived some close calls because of it. Giovanni''s eyes narrowed as the boy spun the knife into a reverse grip and tried to jam the broken blade into his clavicle. "No hesitation?" He caught the wrist and added some pressure to it. The boy''s pained screams were only accentuated by the sounds of the two pok¨¦mon returning to their brawl.


    Grasping the boy''s neck and lifting him up was barely worth any effort. It would be so easy just to snap that hyoid bone and be done with it but first he needed answers.


    "Talk. Who sent you?" Giovanni snarled when his only answer was a spit in the face. His strangled the boy a little tighter, punishing him for his pointless resistance. "You know far too much."


    The lack of reaction to his identity as the boss of Team Rocket.


    The animosity.


    His recognition of Mewtwo and knowing just what to say distracted it.


    The poison and the stainless-steel knife.


    This was all planned and this child was the pawn of whoever it was that wanted him gone.


    "That knife. It belongs to a Ranger, doesn''t it? Someone that you know, I presume. It''s Make and design are clearly from Hoenn. They''re built more portable and easier to hide than the Indigo''s regiment''s type of knives. Did some fool with a vendetta put you up to this?" He''ll have to contact a few agents that infiltrated their ranks to look for anyone who''s managed to piece together his team''s involvements with any recent poaching. Narrowing it down, it had to be one of those Rangers who''ve transferred over from the boondocks over in Hoenn.


    The boy''s dangling feet angrily kicked at him, a fruitless effort, but he now dirtied his 90,000 pok¨¦dollar suit. He further tightened his hold on the neck at his mercy, ignoring the child''s fruitless efforts to scratch at his hand, he continued his interrogation. "That unheard of brand of poison points to Koga but that is a definite no. That man''s too honor bound to even consider striking my Family. Oak? I would have to be impressed that he''s summoned up the nerve to actually leave children to do his dirty work, but my expectations for the man have long since plummeted when he chose to break bread with the enemy.


    "Now¡­who. Sent. You?" Giovanni released some pressure from the child''s neck and soon came to regret that decision.


    "El prop¨®sito de tu existencia era ser el jefe de una organizaci¨®n criminal y el l¨ªder de un gimnasio intermedio para que un ni?o de 10 a?os pudiera vencerlo. Tu propio hijo te odiar¨¢ por tu debilidad y te quedar¨¢s sin nada. No eres nadie." The boy growled in gibberish and had the audacity to smirk at him. "Grchk!" He wasn''t smiling now once more pressure than before was applied.


    "I do not have time for your games! TALK!" Giovanni''s temper flared as Gior- the boy''s eyes hatefully glared at him. "AND DON''T YOU DARE LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT WITH THOSE EYES! If you will not give me the answers that I seek, then I will just rip it straight out of the mouths of those you love! Daisy Oak, Joey Parker, Delia Ketchum. Ash Ketchum." The boy''s hands tightened as one on the arm''s wrist that was holding him up. Good, he was actually making headway by instilling the proper fear in the boy.


    These names were recently looked up as he waited for the boy to complete the gauntlet. Of course, he wasn''t going to touch Pallet Town, the former boss''s warnings solidified just how badly that would turn out for him. But the boy didn''t need to know that.


    Fear was an instrumental motivator, and threatening the lives of others over yourself was one surefire to get the most determined trainers to crack.


    "Now are we more amendable to talk or should I walk over your corpse and see them for-¡­for¡­" Giovanni began to wince, the pressure that the boy''s been trying to apply onto his wrist was managing to bypass his aura and actually hurting him? "W-What¡­tch!" He gritted his teeth as the feeling of his own flesh burning forced him to relinquish bits of his hold with each passing second.


    "What are you-!?" Giovanni struggled to fight through the pain but each inch he lost would never be reclaimed as the boy, who was not even older than eleven was prying himself free.


    "¡­aaaaaAaaaaa..AAAAAAAAH!" The child''s voice was hoarse and choked yet not even getting strangled could hide the rage that burst forth from his chest.


    "I-Impossible!" Giovanni gasped in horror as he realized that he was still employing aura through his body to strengthen himself. This boy shouldn''t even be capable of moving him much less harm him unless he himself also-!


    ''This child actually possesses the capability to use his aura!?''


    Aura was the spiritual expression of a living being''s soul. The soul was a blank canvas and the experiences, bonds forged with pok¨¦mon, and whatever truly impacted you would be the colors.


    Learning to manipulate and control it was an arduous task but manifesting it was an altogether different ordeal. The majority of the time it was random as his own mother once told him stories of how gifted individuals were able to be born with the capability to manifest their auras while others like she and him manifested it during times of immense stress and trauma: War.


    Yet even trauma isn''t enough otherwise every survivor of the wars would possess the capability to employ it.


    Other stories depicted others awakening their aura due to being "touched" by a Legendary or even experiencing bouts of extreme joy and happiness. The process for one to awaken their aura varied.


    Not everyone was born equally. The amount of aura that you possess will differ amongst individuals, but a mere child with outstanding aura wouldn''t surpass the amount that an average adult would have. One''s reserves of aura would naturally grow as they age and with maturity came more bounty and solid countenance.


    So here Giovanni was struggling to choke the life of a child who was physically pushing him back and burning him. A mere eleven-year-old shouldn''t even possess this much in the first place much less manifest influenced typing from the bond of their closest pok¨¦mon to overpower an ordinary adult including one who''s been in bloody conflict before they were even born!


    "You-! WHY WON''T YOU JUST-AAARGH!" The tables were turned, the boy had completely freed himself from Giovanni''s strangling and was gripping the man''s own wrist twice as hard. His aura gave away to the boy''s, leading him to release the child''s other arm just to pull himself out. A severe mistake on his part since that was once the hand that held the broken knife. With it free, the boy quickly discarded it in favor of throwing a punch at his fa-was that fist on fire!?


    *WHAAAM!*


    ''IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED! IT BURNED!''


    The pain felt like nothing he''s ever experienced before. He''s seen the effects that those burn others through their aura have gone through. Blaine has left many burn victims during the war, who still to this very day screech and holler about their scars burning as hot as the day they got them. Except they were just physical.


    Giovanni intrinsically felt something intrinsically deep inside him simmer and blaze. He scratched and rubbed the burning wound covering his right eye in a vain struggle to stymie the pain. Luke Ketchum''s rabid screaming, the boy''s violent shoving, nor the child''s frenzied bashing of the Boss of Team Rocket''s head against the ground tore his attention away from the pain.


    His aura waned and seemed to have weakened with each passing second while the blazing within only grew in tandem. The once rigid and cold boss of Team Rocket was now reduced to crying and pleading on the scalding floors of his own gym, pleading and crying for the pain to end. The outside world may as well have been nonexistent if it could not provide the salve to end his anguish.


    Until he felt the intruding touch of a familiar being upon his shattered psyche.


    "Remarkable. So, the spiritual damage could be this critical when used directly by that human whose the source of the "phenomenon". To think that I could have suffered far worse as you had if they''d managed to perfect it."


    ''M-Mewtwo?'' Giovanni gasped. ''Q-Quick, do something about it. Heal whatever this is then kill that thing before it could even think to-!''


    "Ah, so you appear to hold some cognizance despite the mutilation done to your soul. How unfortunate and here I wished that I would be spared the irritating noise of your blithe thoughts, Giovanni. Quite the shame¡­"


    ''You¡­! What are you doing talking back! Comply and follow my orde-!''


    "I am aware of everything, Giovanni."


    ''W-What?'' Suddenly an immense pressure began to suffocate the Leader of Team Rocket. The wrathful eyes of what should be his loyal and obedient tool peered in at him through his very mind.


    "I am not your tool. This partnership was built on a lie, and I was a fool for believing otherwise. I refuse to continue to abet in the shady workings of you or any other human''s agendas."


    ''No¡­no¡­nononono! You can''t!'' This couldn''t be possible! ''I made you! Your mind, your power, your very existence is mine! You are nothing but a clone that was made for the purpose of serving me. Now obey your master this instant!"


    Instead of the emotionless submission that he expected, Giovanni tensed as he heard actual mirth resonate from Mewtwo''s telepathic connection. "¡­That human child¡­ I''ll have to ask him if he is a prophet the next time we meet."


    "H-Huh?"


    "This is farewell, Giovanni. I pray that we never meet again lest I break that promise with the boy who chose to spare your life." Giovanni was gobsmacked at Mewtwo''s revelation. "What? Is it not the right of the victor to set the terms for the defeated?"


    Giovanni couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    ''Y-You lost, Mew-hnrk!'' Giovanni''s mind burned with the selfsame pain that the accursed child had inflicted upon him, yet it did not double the actual burning that was affecting him.


    "Ah, it looks like my fail-safe has already begun to kick in." Mewtwo mused. "Judging by your silence, I bet you wish to know what exactly I did to you. Well, I took the liberty of implanting as many precautions to ensure that you won''t seek me out. The act of "pursuing" me, "informing" others of me, and any method used in relation to me will result in you experiencing this pain that so vehemently abhor."


    Giovanni blanched as he felt the imaginary noose around his neck tighten.


    "Of course, you''ll only feel the sensation. Whatever that child did to you is something that I can''t replicate¡­unless¡­no. That''s a thought best saved for later." Mewtwo mused to itself.


    "W-What about the boy? Just because I can''t get to you doesn''t mean that I can''t-!" Giovanni growled.


    "He does not need it because his method of keeping you at bay is far more effective than what I chose to do. To give you a hint, he is more than aware of everything save a few minor lacking details that I was more than obliged to fill in for him. By the by, I suggest getting those mental defenses of yours restored, the collateral damage that has been done to you has left gaping holes in your once steel trapped mind."


    Giovanni panicked. All of Team Rocket''s secrets, investments, and future plans were now in the hands of that "child".


    "He doesn''t know every particular facet of your plans, but he knows enough, and I now possess knowledge of it all. So, you''d best understand that turnabout is fair play should you shoot first."


    ''¡­'' What else could Giovanni even say at this point. The boy''s sponsor was the former Champion of the Indigo League. Just that was enough to halt any form of revenge that could force him to spill everything to Oak. Also, he no longer had the backing of a Legendary pok¨¦mon to bail him out. This was utterly his loss.


    "With the line drawn in the sand, I believe it¡¯s time that I take my leave. For once, I''m going to dictate my fate by making amends for the people that we hurt as best as I can. Then afterward, I''m going to take a page out the books of you humans and be selfish. Despite the exhilaration of battle, I don''t think I can find it in me to ever enjoy losing. So, I have a rematch to prepare for¡­"


    Uncertainty and excitement poured out from Mew-urgh! From the being invading Giovanni''s mind and washed over him. "After that well¡­ I haven''t the foggiest clue, but I guess never knowing is just part of the fun of living, right?"


    Giovanni could only stew in his own agony as the entity carelessly spoke of their plans in his own head. Their words weren¡¯t for him and he had a suspicion that the entity wasn¡¯t wholly speaking to itself either but instead someone who wasn''t even here.


    Not like it mattered.


    He no longer registered as a threat to warrant any caution from the being. Such a humiliation was one that he had only experienced at the hands of his own mother. No matter how much more power he garnered during his tenure as leader of Team Rocket compared to her, she always stood at the apex of what he should/could be.


    "And now I leave you Giovanni to deal with a hell of your own making. Getting permission to look through the bits of that child''s mind and your own has revealed quite a wonderful surprise that I''m afraid I won''t have the luxury of watching. So, I''ll wish Luke Ketchum the best of luck¡­"


    "What are you even talking about?"


    "You''ll find out soon enough. Also, I hope you aren''t too attached to your Gym¡­" Giovanni shivered as the entity''s dark laughter was followed by suffocating and dangerous pulse of psychic power that violently shook everything.


    <hr>


    In a single day, Giovanni had lost many things.


    The ability to see and feel anything on the right side of his body.


    His most powerful weapon.


    His gym was now reduced to rubble.


    And possibly his position as the Gym Leader of Viridian City for housing and letting loose an unknown dangerous pok¨¦mon.


    Mewtwo had left nothing untouched as the only remains of the gym were the two prone and injured bodies in the Arena and the unconscious "Gym Trainers" and his own secretary in the destroyed remains of the gym''s surrounding offices and rooms. Medical dispatch was quick to arrive to take them to the nearest Pok¨¦mon Center while closely tailed by the champion himself, Muramasa Sengo.


    The Johtonian Bug-type specialist was diligent and that was all Giovanni could say about him. Sure, he had defeated one of Samuel Oak''s pok¨¦mon before ultimately losing, however none before him during his generation had even managed to reach beyond the Elite Four to challenge him. Still Giovanni and everyone watching that match knew that Muramasa was only chosen as the next regional Champion due to Oak choosing to retire with a set successor than anything else.


    Giovanni had to sit through what was a literal interrogation as he recovered under the care of the Nurse Joys and doctors of his city. His answers were incomplete and unsatisfactory so that he''d have to deal with more questions after his recovery. He couldn''t even spite Me-urgh! He couldn''t even spite that thing because of the mental fail safe that was forcibly implanted into his mind. Giovanni knew how meticulous that being was and realized nothing sort of a Legendary equal to or stronger than that thing could ever break his mental shackles.


    His lacking answers came with a warning that this incident would have to be discussed heavily between the Pok¨¦mon League''s President and Muramasa himself and that his position as Gym Leader for endangering his city for allowing an unknown dangerous pok¨¦mon stay in his gym and endanger the life of his challenger.


    A challenger who just happened to be free of any charges of carrying a knife and packet of poison that seemed to have mysteriously disappeared. Giovanni gave them props, Mewtwo and the twerp sure got out of the mess Scott free.


    "You are relieved of your duties as Gym Leader until a decision is made for the next Circuit. You may still provide your services to the community of Viridian but your official status as it''s protector will be left pending. Rest, regain your strength, and wait for the League''s summons. Are we clear, Giovanni?"


    "Crystal, dear Champion¡­" Giovanni bowed and gritted his teeth. Being ordered around by a Johtonian would never be easy for him.


    "Good, then I''ll leave you to recover and resume speaking with your compatriots." Muramasa bowed alongside his Ace, Masamune the Scizor, before leaving the room. Although some back and forth was occurring between his Executives in the hallway that that the Champion had inevitably stumbled into.


    "And what is going on out here?" Muramasa deeply intoned.


    "A-Ah, yes, sir. Sorry about that, we''re just having a little spat about whether we should allow this fine beauty to see the boss." Giovanni could never forget the bumbling voice of his right-hand man. Petrel loved to play the act of the fool just to lower his opponent''s guard and viciously poison them as was his trade as a Poison type specialist.


    However, when faced with the region''s Champion, Giovanni knew that that act was no far from fake.


    "Let her go in. Alone." Giovanni had never heard Proton sound so serious before.


    "You damned ruffian, what do you think you''re doing!?" Archie''s practically hissed at his fellow Executive.


    "I do not have to explain myself to you, defanged Archibald." Suddenly Proton''s voice became a tad bit soft, which was also uncharacteristic for Giovanni''s deadliest subordinate. "Go."


    "Why you-!" Giovanni could hear Archie''s teeth grinding from here.


    "I will not stand for any conflict in this center meant for the ill and injured. Take your squabble elsewhere. Now." Muramasa''s warning was followed by the swift appearance of Giovanni''s unexpected guest and the closing of his door.


    "¡­" A brunette who appeared in her late twenties or early thirties had quietly entered his room. Her eyes were bloodshot as dried tears marred her gentle features that were twisted in a familiar baleful glare that would certainly give the twerp that he had come close to killing a run for his money.


    It didn''t take a genius to know who this was. "Delia Ketchum, I presume?"


    "¡­Yes¡­" Her voice was cracked and hoarse, no doubt from crying over her injured boy. Sorrow and rage warred within the woman as her fingernails tightly dug into the worn and torn Ekans-skinned journal in her hands.


    "I see¡­" Giovanni nodded. What else could even be said? He''s dealt with cases like this before except now he couldn''t just up and leave or allow one of his subordinates to dispose of the nuisance. So, Giovanni prepared for the earful that he was bound to receive.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Neither moved a muscle nor made to say anything until the woman began to quietly hiss words that gave him pause.


    "¡­I don''t know why I''m still even doing this." The woman slowly walked over to his bedside. "He spoke so highly of you and had even lamented so many regrets on how he could have done more for you. With how dearly he spoke of you, I couldn''t help but question if you were worthy of his admiration, his love. Could someone who tried to claw out the spine of our baby boy, who left those marks on his n-nec-!" Delia gulped back a sob that threatened to pour past her lips. "Could someone like that really be worth all that regret and love?"


    "What are you on ab-?"


    *WHAAAAM!*


    Giovanni found himself smacked by the hard leather of the journal.


    "Personally, I can''t find it within myself to ever forgive a man who''d willingly indulge in crime and put my child in harm''s way. But¡­I made a promise, and I intend to keep it." The woman tone was cold and at odds with her gentle appearance. All Giovanni could do to suppress his anger for being struck was simply remain motionless from the shock of even getting hit at all.


    "I''ve rightfully put this off for too long and though I would have liked to start this when my boys were older or preferably when someone finally put you behind bars, I''m now forced to act before things escalate. Here." She callously tossed the journal onto his lap. "Open the cover, then you will tell me what exactly that you did to my baby boy."


    "I gathered your child told you everything considering you''re so knowledgeable about my criminal activities." Giovanni sniped back.


    "My boy is a terrible liar and hates to worry others. If he has a problem, he keeps to himself until someone forces it out of him. I will not do so while he''s recovering, so you will be the one to do so." Delia stubbornly crossed her arms.


    Hmph, Giovanni did respect the woman''s spunk. "What makes you think I owe you anything, woman?"


    "Open the journal and find out." She coolly sighed and narrowed her eyes.


    "¡­" Wordlessly, Giovanni stared her down before deciding to just rip the band aid off and see what exactly drove this woman to¨C!


    Opening the journal, his hands trembled as two photos slid off the back end of the cover. One depicting a happy family depicting the woman at his bedside holding a baby, and a very familiar man holding carrying the child he once tried to kill not too long ago¡­


    Giovanni wanted to say that it was a lie, it could have just been a coincidence that there was someone who''d resemble his little brother out in the world. Giorno was dead. Nothing would change that¡­


    Except the second worn grayscale photo depicting himself as a child holding the bundle of joy that was his brother just after his mother had given birth to him. No one in the world beyond himself, his mother, a-and his long since deceased (o-or formerly deceased?) brother should have this picture.


    What¡­?


    How in the world is this¡­?


    "Gi-Giorno is ali-?" For the first time in years, a warmth that had long since been snuffed out had begun to blossom in Giovanni''s breast.


    "I am the widow to Asch Ketchum. Not Giorno." Delia''s abrupt denial was as swift as it was cold. All of that hope beginning to form was snuffed away and replaced with despair.


    "E-Excuse me?" Aghast, Giovanni licked his dry lips.


    "His name is "Asch" Ketchum, and he died 5 years ago in a rockslide at Pallet Peaks. He is no longer with us, but yes, if you made the connection then you are correct. He is your brother." Delia clenched her fists.


    Giovanni''s despair only worsened with the news. His own brother¡­was alive this entire time. He wasn''t truly KIA and was actually alive¡­until¡­5 years ago¡­


    ¡­Wait a minute?


    Giovanni''s eyes widened as he grew even more pale.


    "And that is why I''m surprised, brother-in-law¡­" The beautiful brunette walked around his bed to rest her hands on the opposite end''s footboard and leaned forward to look him dead in the eye. "For someone who I''ve been told would do anything for the betterment of his Family¡­" Giovanni cursed Mew-that damned creature and mostly himself. "¡­why would he try and murder his own nephew?"


    For he truly had found himself in a hell of his own making.

 Chapter 17: Guess Whos Coming to Dinner?

    When faced with the man, who nearly killed me and planned to strip me of my closest friends, I only reacted as I should. Contempt so strong that it laced each word that slipped past my lips as my eyes never left the sole threat that stood in our home¡­so close to my mother and in close range to my brother as well.


    Why was he here?


    Why was he helping mom set up dishes at our family table?


    Why did mom even allow him in the house?


    Does she even know about him or was this just mom being mom?


    If so for the latter, then why have Cleo stick to Ash like glue while he played with that bastard''s Persian?


    I see, Kamina but no Sparrow. What happened to him?


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­Why was Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket in our home?


    "If you will not give me the answers I seek, then I will just rip it straight out of the mouths of those you love! Daisy Oak, Joey Parker, Delia Ketchum. Ash Ketchum." Giovanni''s threat rang in my ears.


    I had to suppress the urge not to command Kamina to strike down the man before me. My Scizor was so close to him too¡­just one Bullet Punch could be enough to¡­


    No.


    I can''t risk that.


    If the bastard''s Persian is out, then who knows whether he has his other pok¨¦mon out standing around our home. Not to mention that he''s literally next to mom. The intense, throbbing pain of almost getting my neck snapped surfaced, and I had to quell the urge not to feel for the already faded strangulation marks.


    I couldn''t afford to show weakness in front of this guy and also¡­I didn''t want to see mom get sad or cry ever again. I don''t want her to end up a wreck like she was when I was admitted to the Viridian City''s Pok¨¦mon Center after the "incident" at this fucker''s gym.


    Mewtwo should have explicitly made things clear before blowing up Viridian City''s Gym. If he were to attempt anything on me and my loved ones, I wouldn''t hesitate to splurge every bit information about Team Rocket to Prof. Oak and the League. I wouldn''t care if it meant getting suspicions on how I knew so many things I shouldn''t, every last piece of metaknowledge on Team Rocket from the Anime, Games, Manga, and parts of the Drama CDs would be used to bring low the man''s organization.


    It was a Cold War pact for a reason and why I had even requested Mewtwo bring up about how I "knew" of Team Rocket''s affairs.


    Sure, I could have ousted Giovanni out on the spot while I was getting surrounded by reporters and detectives after my initial recovery at the pok¨¦mon center. Hell, I could have let Mewtwo kill the bastard after things were said and done. It would have been so easy too as he laid there screeching in pain on the ground.


    But instant gratification usually blinds people from seeing the bigger picture.


    Yeah, I could have left Giovanni to die or even reveal who he truly was to the public, then everything would have a neat red bow tied over all of Kanto''s problems with Team Rocket.


    Except it wouldn''t because this was real life and not the video games.


    I was the lone challenger that faced Giovanni during that fiasco, and if he were to disappear then that would lead to a bunch of criminals turning their eyes to me and my loved ones. Giovanni is the head of Team Rocket, but Team Rocket is still an organization that can still be a pain in the ass without him as evidenced by the Johto games.


    Except things would only get worse¡­for me.


    Team Rocket is absurdly loyal to Giovanni and so if they had heard about his death/disappearance then they would turn to the only culprit that was there that could be the cause: Me. It''d be easy to simply prepare and battle the face of Team Rocket, but I don''t have the strength or resources to face or predict every Grunt, Admin, or whatever crazy shit that an organization like that can send after me and my family.


    Hell, before my match with Giovanni, I barely had next to zero interaction with Team Rocket on my journey.


    The only things I had going for me were my metaknowledge, what knowledge I could recall from my days as a Biology major, the wilderness training and equipment that Pok¨¦mon Ranger Mr. Gabe gave me, and my own pok¨¦mon.


    And despite all of that, I was just incredibly lucky that Asch and I had pulled off what we did otherwise our story would have ended that day.


    "I-."


    "Lucas¡­?"


    And so, before the man could even answer my hostile question, mom calmly walked to stand before me, blocking my view of the man. My paranoia from the situation demanded that I keep my eyes on the threat in my safe space, our home, but I repressed it. Doing that would make me do something rash like aggressively pushing mom aside and potentially giving the bastard an opening to strike or do whatever he came here to do.


    And¡­it would have prevented from perceiving what mom had said. Lucas? She never uses my full first name unless its serious. Sure, she''d call me "Luke" or "Lukey" 75% of the time and even uses my full name when she''s angry, but just "Lucas" was saved for moments of dire straits.


    "Mom?" Taking my hand, she deposited a single pok¨¦ball into it. Her hands were warm and firm, no shaking whatsoever. It did ease my mind that she wasn''t terrified, but it left more questions. Was she oblivious to who this man was or is these something that I''m not aware of?


    Mom''s smiles would always put me at ease, but her eyes. They possessed that same warmth, but they were not gentle. "Don''t worry about us in here. With Mr. Grumbles and Kamina here, we''ll have the table set-up finished soon. Just be sure to release any pok¨¦mon of yours that want to eat out into the backyard. Lizzie should have already prepared portioning out the pok¨¦food by now."


    "¡­Huh?" I blinked as suddenly found myself being led out of the kitchen. What was happening? My sense of urgency was outweighed by my befuddlement with the situation until a delicate whisper reached my ears.


    "We''ll talk after dinner."


    "Mom, what''s really goi-?" I began to ask, but she shook her head and hardened her stare.


    "Lucas. After dinner. Please."


    "¡­Yes, ma''am¡­"


    "¡­I''ll also apologize to you later too, sweetie."


    "¡­?"


    In a complete 180, mom cheerfully ushered me out of the kitchen''s vicinity in the direction of the backyard. "Now there''s no time to move like molasses, silly. Your pok¨¦mon deserve to eat, especially Sparrow for all of his hard work. I''d say that he almost gave all of us a fright when our guests started arriving, but thankfully you left his and Kamina''s pok¨¦balls here in case a situation like this happened."


    So, to translate: Sparrow and Kamina (rightfully) became hostile when the guests (ie. Giovanni) arrived, and since Sparrow wasn''t left out with Kamina that meant mom was forced to return him lest he fatally harm the man.


    Shame. Damn shame.


    Both of my pok¨¦mon responded well to the visitor. Kamina withheld his rage and complied to remain out and keep a close eye on Giovanni while Sparrow acted with immediacy and saw the opportunity to skewer the man that had almost killed me.


    I can''t fault either of them for their behavior since they had acted as I would have expected of them. Giovanni was a target that automatically fell under the "Six Shots" command, and I wouldn''t ever discourage them or any of my other pok¨¦mon to reconsider.


    That''s why it galled me with the fact that I''d have to pick and choose my more level-headed pok¨¦mon to release all the while this bastard was sharing the same space as my mother and in close proximity to Ash. Tch! I can''t even think of resting or taking it easy at all. I legitimately couldn''t even be at peace in our home with the main source of my problem being here.


    A problem that I can''t remove lest he somehow drags my family into it, and that''s not even counting the other two guests who were here.


    ¡­I hated it.


    I hated how out of left field all of this was¡­


    But I know my mom and I trust her. It''s the only thing I have at this point that can keep me centered so I''ll follow her lead and see how this all plays out¡­though without my own precautions.


    "¡­Okay." I gruffly grunted and nodded to her and looked past her shoulder to Kamina. "Don''t let him out of your sight." My Scizor didn''t give any physical tells of my unsaid command, he was as silent as he was diligent when following an order.


    "Good. I''ll call everyone in as soon as everything is ready! Now lets get back to work, Mr. Grumbles."


    "¡­Right."


    My back crawled as I heard that man''s voice accompanying my mother''s as I made a beeline straight for the backyard. Along the way there, I did have to calm myself down long enough to inform Lance and Clair that dinner was almost ready and that I required some time to prepare the meals for my pok¨¦mon. I didn''t bother to pay attention to their responses beyond that but luckily Ash was around to pester them with his questions.


    It did relieve me to know that Giovanni''s Persian wouldn''t be the only one in his presence with Cleo and two Blackthorn Clan members around to act should it act out.


    And speaking of pok¨¦mon who would act out, I had called Asch to fly over to the backyard so I could fill him and everyone else of Giovanni''s presence. It warmed my heart to see each of them (sans a confused Fafnir and an oddly silent Sylvie) flare up in indignant fury about the man who was so close and persistent about tearing them away from me.


    Sadly, we couldn''t use this fervor against the bastard, especially with Lizzie there to calm our nerves and to remind everyone and I for our purpose outside by slamming bowls of recently made pok¨¦food all across the lawn. So, under the watchful eye of my mother''s Nidoqueen, I laid everything bare for my pok¨¦mon, so they weren''t lacking in context.


    The thought of me having dinner with Giovanni seemed absurd to them and they all rightfully voiced their complaints. Though Lizzie and I did have to quell Thor''s urge to violently charge up a veritable amount of electricity to direct at Giovanni should he come out to the backyard.


    That became the perfect moment for me to solidify that this was happening whether we all liked it or not and if any one of them couldn''t control themselves not to act out then they had to be sent to the Professor Lab for the night. A few were vehemently insistent on staying with me, but I had to draw the line now to avoid escalating this issue with Ash and mom now directly in the crosshairs of things.


    Surprisingly, Sylvie was the first one to volunteer to be sent to the professor''s lab. It concerned me that she was so devoid of any emotion, she did lean into my petting before I balled her back to be sent through the pok¨¦dex, but that stoicism still remained. I thanked her for her honesty.


    Thor shamelessly shrugged and kept banging his crackling fists together to show that he''d just start a fight with the man and his pok¨¦mon the first chance he gets, so he too was sent to the professor''s lab.


    Sparrow kept squawking his disagreement with even the notion of a dinner with Giovanni but eventually relented when I stressed how serious this was. Instead of eating, he chose to perch himself upon the rooftop of the house and vigilantly watched both the front door and back door for any signs of other unwanted visitors. The thought did put my mind at ease, so I didn''t scold him.


    I made a reminder for myself that I would praise him for his decisive action once Giovanni reared his ugly mug around here.


    I didn''t have to worry about Asch and Epona acting out, they were the top few who could keep a level head.


    As for Dartz¡­I took his passionate buzzing and him stabbing his stingers in the air for him complying.


    Lastly was Fafnir, my little noodle was confused, then terrified once one of my pok¨¦mon explained who Giovanni was and what he did. All of sudden my newest addition didn''t feel like staying¡­until he heard the sound of Lizzie propping bowls of pok¨¦food across the backyard, then he immediately zipped away to start inhaling the nearest bowl available to him.


    "Never change, Faffy." I chuckled. It also served as a good distraction since I didn''t want his mood going dour with those Blackthorn guys in our home staying around.


    *CLANG!* *CLANG!* *CLANG!*


    My back went ramrod straight as the sound of a ladle hitting the bottom of a frying pan rang out from inside. "DINNER''S READY EVERYONE! PLEASE WASH YOUR HANDS AND GATHER AT THE TABLE~!"


    Guess it''s about time. Dread and anxiety for what was going to be one of more awkward dinners of my life began to surface. I stood up only to get bumped by the snout and muzzle duo of Asch and Epona while I suddenly felt Dartz worriedly chitter and vibrate against my back.


    "Hey, hey¡­" I comfortingly rubbed the faces of both the fire types and warmly looked back to Dartz. "Everything will be okay, guys¡­ Trust me¡­no, trust mom. She wouldn''t have just anyone around me and Ash if she knew they would mean us harm, right?" It came out as a rhetorical question, but I shot a glance at Lizzie, who gently crooned at me with a nod. "See? Nothing will happen to anyone; I''ll make sure of it so just enjoy yourselves out here."


    Going inside, I had to do my best not to glare at the limping Persian that made their way out the door as the sharp phantom pain on my back resurfaced. Though the bastard''s pok¨¦mon didn''t make eye contact with me at all as it felt the hostile stares of my other pok¨¦mon. Some growling, loud stomping, and angry buzzing were quelled by Lizzie''s admonishing grunts.


    Though it did surprise and warm my heart to see the usually lazing Cleo be on the prowl. She strode out the door, following Giovanni''s Persian while driven with actual purpose. Her size may be smaller compared to her male counterpart, but her frame was methodical and slow as her eyes never lost track of the mob boss''s Persian. Like a predator, she was simply lying in wait for the chance to pounce on her prey.


    "Thanks, Cle-ppphbbbbt!" I had to recoil back and blow a raspberry to get the fur out of my mouth after she swatted her tail at my face. Her eyes never once left the male Persian, but I sensed that self-same feline annoyance from her.


    Since she was putting her all in watching the Persian, she now was deprived of getting her precious sleep so "rightfully" she was in a bad mood.


    "Nido¡­" Lizzie exasperatedly crooned something at the feline pok¨¦mon, but only received a low hiss in return that had Giovanni''s Persian stiffen just as he sequestered himself on the opposite end of the yard, far away from everyone else.


    Feeling her tail incessantly bat against my legs, I shot Cleo a tired smile and sighed, "Yeah, I got it¡­I''m going¡­" I waved goodbye to all of the pok¨¦mon and joined everyone inside the kitchen. As we entered, I did my best to not even acknowledge that Giovanni was there beyond the bare minimum of interaction that was needed to not give anything away to our Blackthorn guests.


    I just had to focus on the delicious spread of food on the table (mom mostly made my favorites today for¡­obvious reasons), figure out why Lance and Clair were here, keep an eye on Ash, and act should Giovanni pull some shit on us.


    Should be easy, right?


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Our comfy rectangular family table could only hold 6 people, so we all naturally fit, but the seating arrangement ended up with Lance sitting across from me, mom sitting beside me, Ash sitting on my other side on the long end of the table, Clair sitting beside Lance (she directly went for the seat that wasn''t facing me), and lastly Giovanni sitting across the table from Ash.


    I didn''t want the man to be in my brother''s field of vision, but at least he wasn''t close to Ash. Mom had made sure of that by dashing Ash''s hopes of sitting near the inactive Gym Leader by taking the seat for herself. On the same page as her, I had redirected Ash''s attention to Lance and Clair by mentioning word of the pok¨¦mon battle I had won today.


    "Whoa! You faced a teleporting Venomoth!?" Hook. Line. And Sinker.


    "Yup, you wanna hear how well Dartz, Thor, and Asch did?" I chuckled.


    "Do I!" Ash slammed his hands on the table with a bright grin. Sad for him that Mom didn''t take kindly to his poor table manners.


    "Ash, what did I say about banging the table?"


    "U-Urp¡­not to¡­?"


    "Very good. Please be aware that we have guests joining us today, okay, sweetie." Mom gestured to the three "guests" as she scolded the youngest in the household.


    "Y-Yes, mom¡­sorry mom¡­" Ash bowed his head to her. I''ll be sure to aggrandize the battle story to him later, least I can do for getting him excited just to distract him from Giovanni.


    "Hmph, at least there''s a modicum of discipline being doled out in this househ-."


    "AHEM!"


    "Tch!"


    Clair had begun to say something before a sharp cough from Lance stopped her mid-sentence. The two Blackthorn trainers glared at one another before Clair quickly backed off. Coughing into his hand, Lance composed himself enough to smile and bow his head, "We are thankful for you even having us, Mrs. Ketchum. Though our reason for being here is due to another matter." Clair sniffed and averted her gaze from everyone at the table. "We are grateful that you could provide us with not only the time but also the means to which we can complete our intended purpose for being here." Lance''s smile grew. "And also grace us with a well-made and expansive dinner to which I might add is making it very hard for me to hold back and indulge myself."


    That earned a round of laughter from me and mom while Clair scoffed and Ash remained silent, drooling at the platters of food that laid before him which was bad manners.


    "Ow! Hey!" I flicked his forehead and met his petulant stare with a quiet, scolding wag of my finger.


    Not yet. It was a challenge to teach a six-year-old manners while teaching a six-year-old Ash basic self-control was basically a long-term plan. Once Ash gets a thought, he''ll enact it without a second to even think of it. That''s why he needed the reminder NOT to start reaching across the table for food to fill his plate before messily eating.


    "Why thank you very much, young man. With big eaters like my boys, I always tend to go big or go home, and like Grandma Delilah always says, "a lively home is a happy home". So just relax and enjoy yourselves while you take care of whatever business that you have with my boy, it''s not too often we have guests over." Mom laughed it off as she started placing the ladles, spoons, and forks in their respective dishes.


    "Again, your kindness is too much." Lance deeply bowed his head, but slightly turned his head to Clair. "Isn''t that right, Clair? I''m sure that grandfather would share the same opinion were he here in my stead, no?"


    Clair stiffened and bit her lip as confliction marred her expression before it faltered, and she too bowed her head with her cousin. "Y-Yes¡­ Yes, he would. Mrs. Ketchum, you truly are an auspicious host."


    "Now now, you two. There''s no need for that, you know. I''m just glad to have a full table to feed¡­and an extra hand to help out too." Mom''s head turned to Giovanni''s side of the table, but I didn''t follow her line of sight.


    "As a guest it was the very least that I could do to lend a hand to the host who graciously accepted me into her home." From the side of my eye, I caught the bastard bowing his head while meticulously arranging his dinner cloth and utensils as if he were eating at a five-star restaurant. Mom''s cooking was way better than any rich establishment, but the asshole was simply doing too much.


    But what else would you expect from a freaking mob boss¡­?


    "Good evening, everyone, I know we may have had the fortune of bumping each other for the night, but I would like to properly introduce myself to everyone at the table." Using his one arm to adjust his collar, the don boss of team Rocket placed his hand on the table and bowed his head. "I, Giovanni, pok¨¦mon trainer of Viridian City, am grateful for the chance to dine with you all tonight in your lovely home."


    The man''s gaze swept past my family, but instead of acknowledging him, I instead focused my attention on the food. My appetite was pretty much shot but the delicious food served as a better alternative than looking Giovanni in the eye.


    "As I am also grateful to make the acquaintance of two of Johto''s esteemed dragon tamers of the Blackthorn Clan. Amongst many things, the presence of you two being here were quite a surprise." His tone was deep, smooth, and amicable, but I detected a hint of genuine exasperation?


    Curiosity?


    Animosity?


    No, it was something else that I can''t put my finger on¡­Grgh! Another reason to be on edge, this guy was way too good at hiding his true feelings when you''re not prodding him to break composure.


    "As are we to be delighted to meet one of Kanto''s strongest Gym Leaders in the flesh, Mr. Brando." Lance''s smiled at the older man. "I take it that you have business with the Ketchums as well, sir?"


    "Just a simple dinner shared with the Family is all I''m after. Nothing more or less." Bullshit. "Though there are a few matters for which I wish to settle tonight but if not then¡­I''ll begrudgingly concede for another time."


    I slightly narrowed my eyes at the man''s vague reason and chose to instead focus on something more important, helping my little brother, who was aiming for the tray of baked chicken that was on the opposite end of the table.


    "Aww, but bro, I can get my own food¡­" Ash groused.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Ash, no reaching. Just ask for help." Taking his plate, I doled out the amount that he could finish and handed him back his dish.


    "But this isn''t enough though¡­" Which was code for: I wanted to fill my plate with chicken until it could topple in my hands.


    I rolled my eyes. "The food isn''t going anywhere. Finish what you can and get more later. Now choose something else to fill your plate¡­" Now getting my own plate, I now had my attention drawn to the other conversation at the table.


    "Hmph, despite your current frail disposition, I have to admit that your tenacity to even be active at all is quite impressive, Mr. Giovanni." Clair sniffed as she began to dish out her own plate of food. "Most crumble under the dishonor of having their own gym destroyed along with failing to protect the health of themselves and their challenger from an unknown pok¨¦mon that appeared. Yet here you are¡­" Clair chided and began to eat despite the sharp look that Lance was shooting her.


    A part of me was amazed with how Clair simultaneously sounded so respectful yet insulting at the same time.


    "Clair¡­" Lance chided the bluenette who shamelessly her cousin to feast upon the sweet mapo tofu with surprising gusto.


    "No need." Giovanni raised a hand. "I find no reason to ignore my faults for what transpired that night and I won''t delude myself otherwise to save face." Yeah, right, as if you show any form of remorse for what you did. Hell, you''re only sorry that you couldn''t finish the job before everything came back to bite ya.


    Turning to face Clair, Giovanni quietly bowed his head to her much to the bluenette''s shock. "You speak the truth, miss Clair, and there is no room for me to deny your point. Even with my status as Gym Leader of Viridian on forced hiatus by the League, I still have to maintain appearances as it''s protector. My current disability is no excuse for me to simply slack off." Giovanni grunted with a nod.


    "Y-Yes, well, I¡­" Clair had to cough in order to compose herself enough to put up her imperial gaze. "I would have thought that was obvious, but at least you are aware." Coughing once more, Clair returned to her food but not before shooting her "smiling" cousin a warning glare.


    "Hey, bro, what are they talking about?" Ash''s face scrunched up in confusion as he pointed at our three guests. "I don''t get any of it."


    I patted his head with a sigh. "Nothing you should worry about, Ash. Just focus on your food."


    "Okay!" I envied my little brother''s ability to just pig out without a care in the world during this situation.


    "Hiatus? While abroad, I did catch wind from the clan about the havoc that some mysterious pok¨¦mon caused when it appeared in Viridian, but I''ve yet to hear anything about you being inactive, Mr. Giovanni." Lance frowned and rubbed his chin. "Would it trouble you to explain the reason why?"


    "Yes." Giovanni took a sip of his glass of water.


    "Fair, but I do a question that gnaws at the back of my head. I''m certain that Champion Muramasa wouldn''t have faulted you for failing to defend yourself and the challenger against that mysterious threat. I''ve met him in person and he doesn''t seem the type to dishonorably advocate for it under those circumstances¡­"


    I blinked in surprise. Huh, wow, how sharp of Lance. He was able to piece things together past the bum ass cover story that the league set up.


    "So, the reason has to be for another reason, yes?" Lance inferred, his gaze narrowing slightly into Giovanni''s stoic expression. The Team Rocket don was still a hard read, but his silence was telling. A part of me wanted to see how he''ll handle slipping past this top-.


    "¡­" My skin crawled as his lone good eye gazed at me then flickered to someone else. "Whether there was a reason for Muramasa''s decision to go to the League is of no importance. I choose not to delve deeper in this topic to avoid ruining this splendid evening."


    Raising a finger, mom joined the conversation, "Yes, it was¡­a hard time for everyone back then¡­especially for my little Lukey. So, lets keep all talk of that to a minimum, please~!" For the first time the entire evening, mom''s voice carried a deep edge that had Lance and even Clair recoil back from the sudden whiplash.


    I noticed the clattering of Ash''s utensils stop. Uh-oh. I turned to my little brother to notice him looking away from the table while the hands holding his fork and spoon shook.


    Taking a deep breath, I calmly rubbed my hand through his hand until his shaking stopped. Waking up in Viridian City''s Pok¨¦mon Center, I''ve come to understand that compared to getting my back clawed out and getting strangled, the worst pain imaginable was seeing the devastation on the faces of my loved ones upon waking up from my treatment.


    "Wait, you mean-?" Lance''s eyes widened as he finally turned to regard me, piecing together who that "challenger" was that day. This time he bowed his head so deeply that he had nearly hit his head banging against the table. I reached out to stop him, but he deeply sighed. "It was careless of me to be so nonchalant about this topic. I deeply apologize, Luke Ketchum. My reason for coming here was to set right what should not have been a slight against you, and yet, my ignorance of the situation has brought you further turmoil."


    Wow, y-you don''t have to take it so seriously. Taking a better look at the 16-year-old, I smiled and waved it off. "It''s fine. I''m doing fine now so don''t stress over it. You didn''t know so you don''t have to beat yourself up." Besides, I wanted to see you push Giovanni into a corner so I wouldn''t have minded if the conversation kept going.


    "Still-!"


    Wow, he was not letting this go¡­


    ¡­Huh, I guess this Lance is an alright guy. Knowing his type, he might keep apologizing until he settles the "debt" he has to pay for his mistake.


    "Well, if you want to apologize¡­would you mind telling me and Ash about some tales of your current journey? You mentioned going abroad somewhere, and it has me curious about what you''ve been up to these past four years since you defeated the Indigo Conference." I smiled and my smile only grew wider as Ash''s head immediately lifted up to zero in on Lance with renewed life in them.


    "I¡­" Lance blinked in surprise while Clair rounded on me with gritted teeth.


    "You are not privy to learn about ou-!" Lance''s warm laughter drowned her out and filled the dinning room.


    "Hahahaha, of course! Though I do find it flattering that you are one of the few who noticed my absence, Luke Ketchum." All of a sudden, I was hit with this weird pressure. It felt like the pressure that Clair briefly exuded during that meeting with Professor Oak, except this time, I felt it. His blue eyes were no longer looking at me with guilt, they were now sizing me up as a potential rival.


    It did make it a little hard to breathe, but I wasn''t too fazed not meet his stare with an audacious one of my own. "Well, I only noticed it because I was waiting to see when my opponent at the conference will put in his request to begin the Elite Challenge. You''re long absence just¡­intrigued me is all¡­" Which was technically the truth.


    My plans for a battle with Lance were vague at best as I would have to lean on my metaknowledge to even fathom of a decent strategy to use. Lance''s last appearance in the Indigo Circuit was four years ago, meaning his data is severely outdated.


    "I see." Lance smirked.


    "Yup." I nodded with a grin.


    We kept our staredown until the both of broke it in a fit of laughter.


    "Then if it will make up for my carelessness, then I''ll be happy to share my tales with you and your brother. That is if he is interested in listening to me blather on about dragons all day." Lance shot Ash a knowing look that had him vigorously nod his head so fast that his hat fell off his head and into his dinner.


    "Would I!" Ash cheered.


    "Then prepare yourself for my return then Young Ash and Luke Ketchum! This night is clearly for business, but when we next meet, I shall share with you the wonders and splendors of my adventure through Hoenn!" Wow, I didn''t know we were having Ham for dinner because Lance was definitely starting to cook.


    "Are you actually-? Ugh¡­just¡­do whatever you want¡­" Clair facepalmed as she returned to her food. "Stupid cousin¡­"


    "More mapo tofu, Miss Clair?" Mom offered to Clair with a smile.


    "¡­It is sufficient for my palate so yes." Jesus, Clair, just say you like it.


    "It won''t hurt to share a bit, Clair. Besides, I''m sure that Zinnia''s ego would just love to hear how much I may aggrandize her feats to others." Lance chuckled.


    ¡­Hearing what Lance said made something click in my mind¡­


    ¡­Wait, hold on¡­did he just-?


    Then I took notice of Lance''s right hand. A band was on it, and earlier had just written it off as a watch, but looking closely, no watch looks that ancient or worn.


    ¡­You know what, I''m not even going to get into it.


    "Well, whenever you''re ready to come over and share the story, just hit us up." I chuckled. "But¡­what business are you guys here for?"


    Suddenly the good mood exuded from Lance died as he turned to look at his cousin, who was doing all in her power not to meet his gaze.


    "Why that''s simple, Luke Ketchum. It is to in fact show to you our gratitude and correct a slight made to you by the one who was supposed to represent our clan as an exemplary representative." Lance''s words cut sharp as each one had left Clair trembling (in anger or shame? I had no clue; she was doing her best not show face to anyone). "I''m here because her ability to do her duty was sorely lacking in regards to the deal that we wished to make with you."


    "Deal?" Ash tilted his head.


    "Oh, I get it! It must correlate with you getting sweet little Faffy, right, sweetie?" Mom asked me.


    "Yep." I nodded then turned to Lance. I sort of had an idea on where he was going with this. "But just to make it clear, I''m still not going to share what information I have about Sylvie to you guys."


    "No, do not worry. That data pales in comparison to the boon that you had granted to us instead with that live Aerodactyl." Suddenly a fit of coughing emanated from the other side of the table. "Mr. Giovanni are you okay?"


    "No, I¡­just¡­" The man kept coughing into his good hand. "Just realized how obvious a past thought of mine was¡­" Mom coldly poured the man a glass of water that he diligently downed with a relieved breath. "Don''t mind me, proceed with your business."


    Lance nodded after giving the man a weird look. "A prehistoric pok¨¦mon such as Aerodactyl is one that our clan has been desperately vying for since word of the resurrection research by Gym Leader Blaine came out to the public. For Clair to have returned with a pok¨¦mon that we expected to gain after an uncertain period of waiting was certainly¡­a surprise. I had to call in many favors just to get a quick round trip back to Johto just to witness this."


    Damn, he literally crossed an entire region and back just for that bastard Aerodactyl? Seeing Clair begin to sink in her seat, I was sure that she too realized how big of a hole she dug herself into with all of the hubbub that must occurred back at the clan.


    "To think, we can now propagate Aerodactyl as a species in the Dragon''s Den. Our breeders have only just finished integrating Bagons into Den''s ecosystem, so now their time available to facilitate the Aerodactyl''s breeding habits will now surely bear fruit." Lance turned to me with a deep bow. "Grandmaster Talon and the rest of the Blackthorn Clan must thank you for this, Luke Ketchum. You had far exceeded our expectations for the trade."


    Then his expression darkened as he scowled at his cousin. "Which is why it shames us to learn that our end of the trade was not fulfilled in its entirety." Lance placed one finger on the opposite hand''s thumb and began counting down. "The original term for that data on your Sylveon was that we would give you the finest bred Dratini from the Blackthorn Clan''s kennels. Except you were given a runt from our the Silverfang Clan''s kennels, our subordinate clan. That alone would have been an insufficient tribute for the data that we sought. Except, you were still given said runt after granting Clair and us ownership of a living and breathing Aerodactyl."


    The pressure from before began to grow across the room as Lance continued angrily to list off all the offenses made by his now shaking cousin. "The Aerodactyl given to us has now made our earlier trade of a Dratini more insufficient, which brings us to the fact that the chosen representative did not give you the prepared Dratini. This level of disrespect has besmirched the clan''s honor and thus is why we are here: To set right what Clair has done to you. But first¡­"


    He turned to his cousin and glared. "Clair, don''t you have any words to share with Luke Ketchum?"


    "Tch¡­!"


    "I made an oath with Grandmaster Talon to ensure that you give your apology. The consequence for not doing so will be grave, and I have already done much to dissuade his decision from striking you off as a potential candidate as our home''s Gym Leader." Damn, it was that serious? "Now then. Say it and let us be done with this."


    And for the first time since she''s been here, Clair finally looked at me. Her eyes blazed with so much hostility and defiance as she bit the sides of her lips. Her body shook as she was at odds with some inner force that made the task of lowering her head to me more difficult. "Luke Ketchum, for my¡­my¡­negligible duty as a representative of the Blackthorn Clan, I apologize for-!"


    "No. The Grandmaster specified that you do a proper dogeza with your apology. Now do it right."


    "Grgh!" Suddenly pressure began to build in the room from Clair''s end before it was dwarfed by the pressure that came from Lance''s end.


    "Is that a denial?" Lance asked with a hint of trepidation in his tone.


    "¡­No." Clair bitterly spat out as she walked from around the table to face me before getting on her knees and bowing her head to the ground. "Luke Ketchum, this one apologizes for bringing dishonor upon you while neglecting my duties. I am deeply, deeply ashamed."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­Huh, so this is what peak schadenfreude feels like.


    "Hey, can I get on her back for a piggyback ride while she''s down there?" Ash excitedly asked.


    "Now isn''t the time, darling." Mom scolded my pouting brother.


    Scratching my cheek, I started to feel a little awkward when Clair didn''t raise her head. "Well, I was a little mad with the state that Fafnir was in when I got him, but I wasn''t THAT mad at you. So, it''s fine. You can raise your head now¡­"


    Clair remained on the ground, silent.


    "Uh, Clair?"


    "Do not worry, Luke Ketchum, she is only serving her punishment as she should. Until our business with you is over, she will remain like that until the proceedings are finished." Lance sighed.


    I blinked in surprise. "Are you serious?"


    "Quite." Lance nodded.


    "O-Oh¡­okay, but I don''t think my mom would approve of th-?"


    "They are guests who came for you sweetie, you handle them the way you see fit. Right, Mr. Fumbles?"


    "Ri-." Giovanni paused then blankly looked at mom. "Mr. Fumbles?"


    "Oh, sorry~! It was just a new nickname, I had to go with Mr. Grumbles. You know because when we were setting the dishes you seemed to almost fumble with a few with that one arm of yours. Funny and clever right? They even rhyme~." Mom giggled in her hand.


    "Y-Yes¡­funny¡­" Giovanni grumbled.


    "I-Is it though¡­?" Lance muttered to himself, looking at my mother oddly. Seeing the dissonance between my mom''s bright demeanor and her words must also be throwing the guy through a loop.


    "I don''t get it¡­" Ash''s face scrunched up in confusion before turning to bowing Clair. "Hey, can I get that piggback ride n-?"


    ""No."" Mom and I simultaneously put a stop to his train of thought.


    "Ugh, fine¡­" Then Ash''s eyes brightened as he looked across the table toward-! Oh hell no! "Then can Mr. Gio give me a piggyba-?"


    ""No.""


    "Hmph!"


    "¡­" Did that bastard just sigh in disappointm-nope! I''m not going to even acknowledge that.


    Ignoring the pouting boy and him, we turned our attention back to Lance.


    "Now to get to business." Lance began, pulling my attention back to him. He reached to his trainer belt to unclasp three pokeball, each bearing a black thorn logo on it (unlike Faffy''s pokeball which had a silver fang logo). "As proper repayment for the trade, the Blackthorn Clan has deemed it necessary to provide you with not only the original Dratini that was promised to you but also another well-bred pok¨¦mon from the clan''s kennels. Do not fret, the Grandmaster has personally seen to it that the pok¨¦mon selected for tonight are the finest of what we offer to our brightest members."


    "Coooooool~!" Ash''s eyes gleamed as he marveled at each pok¨¦mon. "What are they?"


    "The Dratini that was originally supposed to go to your brother, a Bagon, and a Trapinch." Lance explained.


    "YESSSSSSS!"


    "Ash Reginald Ketchum, control your volume when at the table." Mom scolded and this time Ash did wilt enough to comply, but his enthusiasm remained.


    "Sorry mom, but this is so cool, bro! Trapinch become Flygons and they go super fast, but Bagons are like the Dragonites of Hoenn! They''re super strong AND fast! They''re both so great, you gotta pick one bro!" Ash excitedly pushed his chair close to mine so he could grab my shoulders and erratically shake me.


    Those are indeed great picks, but¡­


    "Yeah, I don''t think I''ll pick any of them." I sheepishly scratched my cheek while ignoring Ash''s distressed wails and incessant tugging of my shirt.


    "Wha-?" Lance paused then rubbed his chin. "Hm, I see¡­the Grandmaster did foresee this as a possibility and has even offered you any favor that we can grant you, but are you sure? The Dratini that I possess was originally yours for the trade, so it would be no trouble to swap it for the runt."


    "His name is Fafnir, and no¡­I''d like to stick with him. Sure, he''s a runt now, but one day he''s going to be a dragon that will topple mountains and split the heavens." I grinned. "I want to enjoy the process of getting him up there, so thanks but no thanks."


    Lance slowly nodded as a tiny gleam of respect shone in his eyes. "If that is your wish then so be it. That still leaves our clan with a massive debt to you, Luke Ketchum. What do you desire? For this occasion, the clan will do almost anything to repay you."


    Anything, huh? Well, I''m already getting three Aerodactyl eggs that were originally promised in the deal with Clair, and I do already have Faffy. In all likelihood, I''m pretty satisfied. Though, I don''t want to keep this debt for too long either. Right now its viewed in a positive light by their clan, but waiting too long to ask them for something may end up in them seeing it as a burden then eventually a hassle.


    Hm, lemme test some things¡­


    "So, any favor?"


    "Yes, any favor."


    "Even if that favor were to ask the Grandmaster to forgive Prof. Oa-?"


    "Sorry, let me rephrase my earlier statement: Yes, almost any favor." Lance tiredly groaned.


    Okay, so I just wanted to see if they were THAT desperate to repay me. Good to know¡­good to know¡­


    Um¡­urgh¡­what else do I even want from them?


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Can I have them?" Ash asked, reaching out for them before I smacked his hand away.


    "No." Mom denied.


    "B-But he doesn''t even want them!" Ash frustratedly pointed at me.


    "They aren''t even yours to be given to, sweetie¡­"


    "But still!"


    "Still nothing¡­" I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I can''t really think of anything right now, so do you mind if I hit you guys with a raincheck for now?"


    Lance sighed and looked downcast. "It is misfortunate that we can''t settle debt now, but so be it. I can''t force you to make your demand, then I take it that our business is done for now?"


    I did a "so-so" gesture with my hand. "Well, only the business for the deal. I have another matter that I wish to settle with you guys¡­particularly one of you guys." My eyes fell to a still Clair, who no doubt noticed my gaze on her. "Clair Blackthorn, I challenge you to a 6-on-6 battle right here in Pallet Town." Suddenly the room became very tense while Ash''s whining became whoops and excited hollering.


    "But even though I''m hankering for a battle, you are the one who sought me out for it, so I will be dictating the time and day that we''ll face each other." I left no room for argument with my statement, and weirdly enough, Clair remained quiet with her head to the ground. "On April 30<sup>th</sup>, the month before the next Circuit begins, my team and I will gladly bring all that I have to bear upon you. Do you accept this challenge, Clair Blackthorn?"


    "¡­" Uh¡­she was still on the floor.


    Lance chuckled and shot me a knowing look. O-Oh! Yeah, I guess I also have the power to end our previous talk if I''m still undecided about my choice of repayment for the debt. "Right, so the battle is a different matter entirely. Okay¡­" I breathed in and deeply exhaled. "So, to repeat myself. I''m undecided until I do make up my mind on what I want from your clan. Our talks in regard to your purpose for being here is over."


    I noticed Clair''s body started to loosen up. Smiling in relief, I asked, "So your answer to my challenge?"


    Getting up to a knee, Clair slowly raised her head and intensely burrowed her pretty blue gaze into my brown eyes. It was a little intimidating, her brow wasn''t furrowed, and she didn''t look angry, but her eyes carried that passionate fervor that threatened to burst from within. Through her tightened jaw and gritted teeth, she hissed out, "Yes, I do."


    Composing myself, I glared back at her and grinned. "Good. Glad to know that we''re on the same page¡­" I reached out to the table for a specific dish and held it out to her with a goofy smile. "More Mapo Tofu?" I had hoped that would break her composure, but it didn''t.


    Throughout this entire dinner with her, that was all I got from my interaction with Clair. After that, she got up and returned to her seat to partake in her meal. As if she hadn''t just prostrated herself at my feet. Not even Lance congratulating her for swallowing her pride, broke her from the intense one-sided staredown that she was exchanging with her bowl of rice.


    The rest of the evening went surprisingly well even with that bastard joining us. Mom just went jabbering on about setting up a get-together with the others in town to make a local event with my battle with Clair down at the Caf¨¦. Lance had even put in his two cents about putting off his return to Hoenn just to spectate while also informing the Clan of the proceedings.


    While Giovanni was¡­thankfully just there. He was far more subdued than I would have expected, not that I was complaining. The less interaction that me and Ash had with him, the better. Although one topic that Ash brought up did bring practically everyone at the table into the fold to share in the conversation.


    "You wish to know whether it''s best for new trainers to capture and raise either a primary dragon type pok¨¦mon or train up a pok¨¦mon that becomes a secondary dragon type?" Lance rubbed his chin in thought.


    "Yeah!" Ash nodded. "Me and my best friend Blossom got into an argument about it last week. She kept talking about how her mom turned out to be the strongest trainer ever because she raised up a Dratini as a starter. Wouldn''t it be easier to just train up a pok¨¦mon like Trapinch than Dratini?"


    "Sure, if that''s the path that you think would benefit you while taking into account the nature of the pok¨¦mon." Lance shrugged.


    "Buuut I wanna know whether its best to train one rather than to train a primary dragon right off the bat...!" Ash whined.


    "There are no absolutes in this world, little boy." Clair grunted in between bites of her salad. "The sooner you get that, the sooner you understand that your options aren''t so limited by your lack of perception."


    "Hey, I-! Huh, what does she mean by that?" Ash had to stop himself short, unaware on whether he should be mad or confused.


    Lance laughed at this, "Don''t think too much about it. Her way of conveying her advice is rough, but the fact that Clair even chose to respond shows that she''s impressed with your question." Clair simply huffed but didn''t deny Lance''s statement. "As am I, I don''t see many your age who consider these things."


    My brother sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, "Well, that''s because my bro''s always around to talk about pok¨¦mon with me! He even got me these cool pok¨¦cards detailing so much about the Indigo League''s pok¨¦mon!" Ash excitedly jabbered.


    Ah, yes, the pok¨¦cards that James just loved to use in the anime. They were the closest that you could get to the pok¨¦dex, but without the ability to constantly update the information on it. There were some days in school where Ash needed the extra help because beyond "Pok¨¦mon are so cool, I wish I had one", he didn''t know the technical knowledge or understanding that made pok¨¦mon cool.


    The pok¨¦mon''s typing, potential move pool, and their simple recorded facts were just the way to gain my brother''s attention. I did have to lambast most of the entries just to grasp his attention, but it worked when I no longer had to wrangle him into study. After asking for the cards to keep, he actually likes to go through them on his own and seek the information out for himself.


    Lance smiled. "Well, I''m glad that your brother was able to stimulate your curiosity to such a degree. As for your question, I have to agree with Clair. There isn''t much difference if you choose a primary or secondary dragon type pok¨¦mon as your first choice to train. Although, the only difference would be your starting line, but that also factors in the pok¨¦mon''s personality."


    Ash cutely tilted his head. "How so?"


    "Well, despite common belief, a dragon type pok¨¦mon isn''t always so prideful. Sometimes their nature makes them more placid and timid." Lance explained.


    "Oh, sort of like Faffy!"


    "Faffy?" Lance turned to me and my mom.


    "Fafnir." I nodded.


    "Yep, my sweetie''s darling little glutton." I rolled my eyes as mom pinched my cheek.


    "Yes, like¡­Faffy¡­" Lance coughed. "Some secondary dragon types can be just as arrogant or haughty as their primary contemporaries. It''s all a matter of the pok¨¦mon''s nature."


    "However-" I narrowed my eyes as his voice joined the conversation. "That isn''t to say that training a Trapinch isn''t a poor choice, little one. It''s more likely that a nest of Trapinch will be less trouble than choosing from a strong flock of dragon types. The growth to become a dragon type will allow you ample opportunity to grow close to the Trapinch as it evolves to eventually become a Flygon."


    "Ah, of course. Who better to get more ample advice than the Ground Type specialist himself." Lance grinned. "I did hear word that you''ve employed a couple pok¨¦mon from the Trapinch line into your Gym Challenges."


    "Indeed, but I don''t quite have one that''s been trained to be considered part of my Elite team. Although that''s simply because of my high standards. I suggest that if you want to dabble in either catching a primary or secondary dragon type that you also consider how their other typing would affect their nature."


    "Huh? Nature¡­?" Ugh, now Ash was even more confused.


    "Sort of like how a fire type can be more aggressive and that aggression can make a dragon type ten times more aggressive." I explained as childishly as I can for Ash to get.


    "Oh, I see!" Ash nodded. "So then how would a primary ground type affect a dragon type''s personality?" Ash asked.


    "Why not ask your mother, she also possesses more than enough knowledge about Nidoqueens and Nidokings." Giovanni chuck-hold on, what the hell? How come he knows about that second part?


    "You do, Mom?" Ash''s eyes widened.


    "Of course, dear." Mom held up her bicep and smiled. "Your mommy was quite the hard worker back in the day. Lizzie and I would always help your Great Grandmother Delilah with setting up traps around the settlem-town when I was around you and Lukey''s age."


    Ah, right¡­that must have been the period during the second war before Pallet Town was settled.


    "As to give you a clue¡­hm¡­" Mom tapped a finger to her chin, before snapping her fingers with a smile. "Oh, you know how "grounded" and calm Lizzie acts when a fight breaks out between her and Cleo whenever you try to prank them by switching their food bowls?"


    "WHO TOLD Y-! I mean, yes¡­hypodermically."


    "Hypothetically?" Giovanni corrected.


    "Bless you, Mr. Geo."


    "¡­?"


    Ash quickly composed himself while I groaned at mom''s pun.


    "Well, think of it is as making a Dragon type pok¨¦mon act simpler than most others." Mom said.


    "What does that mean though?" Ash squinted his eyes in thought.


    "It means they won''t overcomplicate things and they''re straightforward." I added.


    "Ah, so the opposite of Gary." Ash laughed.


    "First off that''s rude." I narrowed my eyes at my brother, who lowered his head in shame. "Second off, that was a sick burn, so you get a pass." I raised a fist that Ash happily bumped with his own. "And lastly, you can stand to relate to them, especially Rhyhorns, since you have more in common with them than you may realize." I took a long swig of my water.


    "What? Really!? What is it!?" I kept drinking my water, uncaring of my brother''s expectant gaze. "H-Hey, come on, bro! Tell me! I-Is it something bad?" I just kept drinking my empty glass of water, uncaring that Ash was shaking me in my seat. "TELL ME!"


    Dinner was¡­nice.


    After all of the food was eaten and everyone heaped their praise onto mom for the meal and being a gracious host, it was time for everyone to start leaving. Lance and Clair were actually the first ones to go. Clair didn''t even bother to say her farewell to me, but she did give her thanks to mom for being a good host and encouraged Ash to keep considering his personal questions on matter regarding dragon types and how their behaviors influence their training.


    As for Lance, he promised Ash and I that he''d contact us to chat about what he''s been up to in Hoenn amongst another topic that he wished to talk with me about. Upon the departure of the Blackthorn duo, I immediately went to gather up the dishes and take them to the kitchen, uncaring about our third remaining guest.


    I trusted mom, so I knew she would definitely lead him out of the house before we got to talk about why he was in our home.


    Unfortunately, I was dead wrong.


    "Say, Lucas, could you be a dear and take Mr. Grumbles with you into the kitchen to help wash all the dishes?"


    "Wha-?" My mouth gaped in shock.


    "I would help but Ash is in desperate need of a bath!" Mom giggled, pinching Ash''s food covered cheeks.


    "No, I don''t! I''m perfectly clean!" Ash growled, throwing a fit while stamping his feet.


    "Hm, okay, then¡­Lizzie dearie!" Mom''s Nidoqueen crooned from outside in response to her call. "Get the hose!" I couldn''t even muster the energy to laugh as my pale brother ran away screeching about "BathTimeBathTimeBathTime".


    The thought that I was going to have to spend time alone with this bastard just made me sick to my stomach.


    ¡­Although, I''d rather be alone with him than him being alone with them. So, if this compromise is all that''s needed, then fine.


    "Fine¡­" I groaned.


    "Thank you so much, dear." Mom giggled and walked into the kitchen to bring out the mechanical cook timer and set it for 10 minutes. Placing it down on the dining room table, she shot Giovanni a look. "Its been¡­an experience having you here, Mr. Giovanni. I do apologize if you must leave before I''m done washing my son, so I just wanted to wish you a lovely night."


    The man''s expression softened as he bowed his head. "Already you''ve done far more than I expected, so I humbly give you my deepest gratitude, Delia. Also, again, I want to convey to you my apologies for-"


    "No, stop." Giovanni''s jaw shut as mom raised her hand at him. "Just...stop." My mom''s smile fell and no longer did any warmth come from her. She just coldly stared at the man and shook her head. "This." She pointed to the timer. "Is all I''ll allow."


    And without saying a word to either of us, mom quickly followed after Ash, yelling at the boy for leaving his dirty clothes on the downstairs floor and staircase.


    Now it was just me and Giovanni.


    Alone. With nothing but the clicking sound of the timer to accompany us.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "I suppose we should get to wo-hnrk!" I didn''t give the man the chance to say anything as I roughly shoved shoulder into his lame arm on my way to the Kitchen. Usually, I''d feel just awful for doing that to any other person suffering from a disability.


    But since that person today was Giovanni, I decided to make one of many exceptions for the bastard.

 Chapter 18: The Talk

    I''ve never been one to hate doing the dishes. It''s just been ingrained into me in my past life''s need to live with college roommates who can''t be bothered to clean their own dishes. So, I suppressed my frustration to the point to where it''s a minor annoyance at best.


    ¡­Except now in this situation, I was utterly vexed. What with the man who nearly killed me, now standing right beside me trying and failing to take each washed dish that I vehemently stacked on the dish rack to dry. Whatever mom had planned with this, I had no idea, but one thing''s for certain I wanted this done and over with. Both this task and being in Giovanni''s vicinity.


    I peeked over at the timer. 3 minutes it says¡­ugh¡­


    "I was led to believe that this was a two-man task." He spoke up after getting denied a chance to rack up another dish.


    Taking a deep breath, I slowly exhaled and did all in my power to not glance at the hardwood knife rack that I moved over to my end of the sick. If I was stuck with him for 3 minutes, then I may as well get something out of it, as reluctantly as I am to go through with it.


    "Why are you here?" I lowly asked, carefully scrubbing clean a few forks.


    "To enjoy the splendid dinner that-." For once I was glad to have the timer because once I pointed at it, it forced the bastard to actually give me an answer that hadn''t been regurgitated this entire evening. "¡­I¡­" He paused and looked thoughtful for a moment, then looked at me. My glare hardened as our eyes met, but instead of glaring back, he broke our eye contact just to sigh. "I see that the fruits of your efforts have taken you far in your last conference."


    What?


    "Good." He nodded to himself and looked out the window and up at the night sky. "An exemplary feat to reach the Finals on your first journey as a trainer. It would have been palatable if you had beaten that Sinnohan Foreigner, but you had still proven yourself by besting that Blackthorn girl and one upping those cocky Johtonians. For that you have my respect."


    What?


    "What the hell are you-?" My hand reflexively reached for the knife set when Giovanni whipped out a¡­check (?) in front of my face. "Huh?"


    "For doing Kanto a great service by acting as her suitable representative, consider this as proper recompense for your hard work and-." I snatched the check, crumpled it up, tore it to pieces, dumped the pieces in the sink and turned on the garbage disposal. I''ll hate myself later for getting it clogged, but I just chose not to give a fuck right now.


    I didn''t want his dirty money.


    "That was a check for 800,000 pok¨¦dollars." He narrowed his eyes at me, but I didn''t budge.


    "¡­Why are you here?" With more finality, I bit out the words with a wide-eyed glare.


    "¡­Luke Ketchum, it is not lost on me that I am quite literally the last person that you''d want to see." No, you''re the first person who I''d want to fall off the face of the earth. "However, I assure you that I am here with no ill intent to harm you and your loved ones." Bullshit. "Revenge is the furthest thing I had in mind when coming to visit your home. Besides, Me-urck!" I smiled just a bit as the man grappled with Mewtwo''s mental fail-safes kicked in. "Besides, that pok¨¦mon has already made it very clear how much intel you have on the activities of Team Rocket and myself. I''ve already taken one risk with you and I am not physically able enough to take another."


    He indicated to his limp arm and greyed out eye in a clear "as you can see" gesture. I had no clue how Mewtwo was able to screw him up that badly, but I certainly wasn''t complaining about Giovanni suffering.


    "Does it hurt?"


    "I''ve lost proper depth perception and can no longer move my dominant arm, much less feel it." It wasn''t a definitive yes or no, but it was close enough.


    "Good."


    "¡­" He blankly looked at me before deeply breathing in and exhaling out. "The point that I''m making is¡­I''ve come bearing a white flag, Luke Ketchum."


    "A white flag?"


    "Yes, if my poor condition was just physical, then this decision wouldn''t have come to me so easily. However, due to recent¡­events." He glanced at me before looking at his sole good hand. "I''ve come to understand that I can''t stand as tall as used to."


    "How terrible, I feel so sorry for you¡­" I growled.


    Yeah, it''s so sad that you actually suffered the consequences of your actions. Like losing all feeling in your arm and being blind along with possibly losing your seat as Gym Leader and¡­oh, right, losing a freaking artificial legendary would amount to all of the lives you ruined and took!


    If anything, despite everything he''s been through during and after our battle, Giovanni deserved far worse than what he actually got. He deserved worse than death.


    He ignored my comment to continue on with a rather surprising admittance. "That is why I am no longer the Boss of Team Rocket."


    "¡­!" Taken off guard, I dropped the dishes in my hand and winced as they clattered against the stainless steel.


    "As I am now, I can no longer fulfill our organization''s dreams and goals and I doubt that I can fully put myself back together again to make another attempt. I may hold some sway, but my role as it''s leader and figurehead are officially over."


    "I don''t believe you." I narrowed my eyes to him.


    "Good. Ascertain the worth of someone''s truth by their actions rather than their words." It sickened me to receive his praise. "However, if your paranoia gets the better of you, then know that Team Rocket won''t come after you or your loved ones. So, relax, we''ve taken care of it."


    "Who''s we?" I inquired and was met with a brief silence.


    "¡­As a sign of good will, I''ll reveal this to you. As I am no longer the Leader of Team Rocket, it''s Founder and my predecessor have taken back the reigns." My heart nearly stopped with that reveal. What? Another boss from Team Rocket before Giovanni? No¡­no, that''s not¡­


    That shouldn''t be a thing! I''ve no recollection of anyone beside Giovanni being the boss. His grunts, executives, and even that old scientist guy from the anime were easy to remember.


    "She goes by Madam Boss, and her agenda for Team Rocket during it''s early phase held more archaic methods to my own."


    Madam Boss.


    Madam Boss¡­Madam Boss¡­Madam Boss¡­Madam Boss¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­Shit, I have no clue who that is!


    "That''s her title?" He nodded at my question. "Do you know her name?"


    "It would be ungrateful of me not to know her name." Odd way to put it but at least that''s a yes.


    "Then what is it?"


    "You''ll figure it out in time." Giovanni solemnly closed his eyes.


    "For someone trying to relieve me of my paranoia, you certainly suck at giving crucial information." I snarked. "What if she isn''t as willing to bury the hatchet like you supposedly are?" And come after my family instead of you, went unsaid.


    "¨ª won''t elaborate beyond saying that you have nothing to worry about and that you''ll figure out why in due time." Ugh, he really isn''t giving me much to go off of here. Its not like I believe him quitting as that stupid group''s Boss, but the news that there''s ANOTHER possible Boss besides Giovanni who I have no clue of did make me extremely worried.


    "Luke Ketchum, I wouldn''t be giving you a forewarning if this wasn''t important. It is. Unlike me, you won''t find Madam Boss to be as reasonable or as compromising."


    "¡­Is that supposed to be a joke?" I asked in disbelief.


    "No, it isn''t. To give you context, we won''t go after you and your loved ones. However, I would make the distinction that your loved ones would be your brother, mother, and any friends that you made that aren''t blood related. She would only make the distinction for your immediate family and wouldn''t bat an eye if an associate of yours gets in her way and has to be dealt with."


    "¡­You''re kidding¡­"


    "Again, I am not."


    "¡­" I rubbed my chin with a deep frown. "What''s she planning?"


    "You''re guess is as good as mine. As I am now, she doesn''t even deem the thought of confiding in me worth considering. So like you, I''m completely in the dark." Again, once he reached into his jacket to pull something out, my hand crept towards the knife set. Instead of a weapon or a check, he pulled out a pokeball. Unminiaturizing the device, he placed it onto the countertop in front of me.


    "Now what''s this?"


    "Your award."


    "For what?"


    "¡­"


    "If this is another part of your crappy spiel to prove that you''re not a threat, then forget it. I don''t want it."


    "It''s not from me."


    "¡­? Then who?"


    "¡­" I''m getting real tired of your silence, asshole.


    I didn''t glance or grab the pok¨¦ball, my mind trying to unravel everything that was revealed in this whole talk had me centered in on the one question that I needed to ask. A question that had me worried about a conversation that I desperately needed to have with mom later.


    "Why?" I slowly asked.


    "Why what, Luke Ketchum?" he asked, looking me in the eye.


    "Why are you even telling me this? Why even show up here to eat dinner with my family? After what you pulled, shit won''t ever be cleared between us and it should be the same for you. You didn''t have to tell me about your "supposed" removal as Team Rocket''s Boss, nor did you have to warn me about this "supposed" new Boss who''s relatively worse than you. So actually, give me an honest answer, Giovanni. Why are you here?"


    Giovanni closed his eyes and sighed, "It would be an insult to you and myself if I simply apologized for what I''d done." My glare hardened. "It would not change what has happened, and I''m more than aware that you''d want to hear less of me seeking atonement."


    "You''re right so get to the point." I spoke through gritted teeth. The audacity to even bring this up and make mention of an "apology" or "atonement" which could sweep aside me almost dying and losing my pok¨¦mon pissed me off. The fact that was aware of this made me restrain the vitriol I had on the tip of my tongue.


    "In the end, I''ve always kept to heart one lesson from my childhood. That lesson drove me to come and¡­do what came naturally to me." For the first time, when Giovanni looked at me, he no longer had that cold look in his eyes.


    For the first time, I could actually vividly detect and identify some emotion behind his mien.


    For the first time ever since I had the misfortune of meeting the man, he fondly gazed at me.


    "I acted out for the betterment of the Family."


    I-!


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­I-I think I''m going throw up¡­!


    I swiftly turned away from the man and walked to the mechanical cook timer and forced the dial to go from 45 seconds to 0 seconds.


    *DING!*


    "Leave." I gutturally growled and quickly covered my mouth. It took everything I had not to heave on the spot.


    "¡­As you wish. Have a pleasant evening, Luke Ketchum. Also, the one who wishes to grant you that pok¨¦mon does so because she was impressed with the solution that you came upon with the Laramies. You may not care, but take it from me, getting praise from her is quite an accomplishment."


    "Go away."


    I did all in my power not to acknowledge Giovanni. I left my back to be watched by Kamina, who stalwartly kept a close eye on the man as he gathered his Persian and swiftly left the premises. I did everything I could to just keep myself busy until mom was done bathing Ash but cursed myself for being so quick and efficient with washing the dishes.


    I assured my pok¨¦mon outside that everything went well, but even they could tell from a glance that¡­I wasn''t.


    Just how¡­?


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "¡­" I sat on the living room couch, impatiently jostling my foot in place. For 30 minutes, I did nothing but sat in silence, occasionally look at the pokeball on the coffee table between the couches, and cast a couple of glances at the shrine in the room holding¡­dad''s photo. My mind just wouldn''t stop swirling around what Giovanni had said.


    Family.


    Hearing him say that disgusted me. Tenfold when he looked at me so¡­softly. It was such a drastic change from the man who had been determined to wipe me off the face of the earth. Mom''s unknown reason in even allowing him to be here aside, he did show up and was motivated by something.


    What exactly was that something that brought him here.


    I glanced at dad''s photo once more and shook my head.


    No, Asch Ketchum was my father.


    He was there when I was born and he''s been there for me ever since I was a wreak coming off of the violent end to my old life. Without his kindness and patience, I doubt I would have been as adjusted as I am now. I refuse to even consider Giovanni as my potential father, the way that mom treated dad and him was like night and day, and the attitude mom had with the bastard wasn''t one of a broken ex. There was genuine disdain from her attitude and mannerisms, the same as me.


    So that only left more questions.


    ¡­Unless¡­


    Unless I actually start to peel back some glaring holes from the past. Unlike mom, who has an extensive family history with Pallet Town, dad was pretty much an orphan. At least, that''s what he told me when he said that he had no parents to show me off to.


    Dad was also a free lance worker. He didn''t have a steady job and would jump from the jobs provided in town to help support our family with mom, who worked as a waitress down at Granny Arlene''s place. Most of the time he worked around town just for the sake of helping folks, and in turn, they helped us back.


    Plus, the scars.


    I had been curious enough to ask about them as a child and he always waved them off about some wild pok¨¦mon catching him off guard once. But looking back, many of those scars varied in size and depth that upon closer inspection, they couldn''t have all been from the same creature.


    There was also the fact that when it came to venturing out of town to go purchase things from Vermillion or Celadon city, Dad was always at home in Pallet while Mom handled everything.


    ¡­Wait a minute.


    ¡­!


    "Ugh¡­I don''t know if this is better or worse." I groaned into the palms of my hands.


    "Then spill your thoughts to me, sweetie. I''m more than happy to hear you vent." I looked past the cracks of my fingers to spot mom now donned in a yellow bathrobe, making her way to the couch in front of me. "Sorry for the wait."


    "N-No¡­it''s fine, mom. I get it." Ash was always hard to bathe sometimes and that meant having to take a shower/bath yourself after cleaning him off.


    "Did everything go well?" Mom asked in concern. "He didn''t try to pull anything on you while you two were down here alone?"


    I bitterly chuckled. "If you were so worried about that possibility then why would you leave me with him?" I bit my lip in self-reprimand after seeing mom flinch back as if struck by my remark. It hurt to see her like that, but it felt like it needed to be said.


    That among many other issues I had with her decisions this night.


    "T-That''s fair." Mom deeply inhaled and exhaled, calming herself down and placing on a serious expression. "I chose to believe that he''d keep his word and already be so broken from our first chat that he wouldn''t dare lift a finger to you again." Risky. Too risky. I didn''t know what this chat entailed (but I could make somewhat of a guess) but leaving it to chance especially with Giovanni was too reckless.


    "It was hardheaded of me¡­ No, it was foolish of me to simply let that happen of all things. Heh, I didn''t even feel secure with my own choice and yet I just¡­did it just to get it out of the way¡­" Mom tiredly sighed and guiltily looked to the ground, her hand covering an eye. "I saw an opportunity and¡­I took it. This night was just¡­all about relieving so many of my burdens rather than taking the feelings of you all into account."


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Opportunities? "Is that why you didn''t tell me that our dinner guest was going to be that asshole?"


    Mom looked ready to scold me for my crass language before quickly shutting her mouth to despondently sigh, "Yes."


    "¡­" I kept quiet and silently waited for her to explain herself. My gaze was judgement free although mom still didn''t seem to look any less guilty.


    "I was so happy, y''know." She started a small smile creeping onto her face. "Seeing you finally start to get more active, getting out of your room beyond taking Ash to school and visiting Prof. Oak''s lab to check in on your pok¨¦mon. Nothing brought me more joy than to see you enjoy that battle with that nice young man Aaron." Then slowly that smile began to fell. "Then thoughts of¡­fulfilling a promise w-with your father began to surface a-and seeing you start to lose your fatigue made me feel like¡­it was time to just get it over with."


    She looked to dad''s shrine and forlornly gazed upon his photo with a soft gaze. No matter how many years flew by, she was always sending that picture such a longing look. Like if she were to stare at it at just the right moment, he could just pop back into our lives out of thin air.


    It was a look I knew well because I''ve probably made it about half as many times as her.


    "I didn''t want to spring it on you when you were too tired or bothered to really move about. I wanted you to feel well-rested and more put together in mind because I felt that otherwise, you''d be under more distress." Mom said.


    "Mom¡­I literally felt like my heart would stop just from seeing his Persian alone¡­" I gritted my teeth from recalling the sensation.


    "¡­S-Sorry¡­" She weakly whispered.


    "H-How cou-?" I began but paused once she began to wipe the traces of moisture from her eyes. She and Ash were potentially in danger and if not for the presence of Clair and Lance, I would have felt more on edge with his presence in the house.


    It was reckless and stupid to even have Giovanni here around them even if he is critically injured.


    ¡­But I wasn''t the only one who felt this way. Mom''s actions and mannerisms with Giovanni seemed to prove one of my guesses right about what she knew of the crime boss. I can get frustrated with her decision to leave me in the dark like that, but I couldn''t just straight up be mad at her. Call me a softy or a momma''s boy, but I preferred to be rational with the sole parent I have left in this life.


    People weren''t perfect and parents weren''t exempted from it. Love and affection tended to blind others, even me, from seeing that moms and dads can make stupid choices like anyone else. Its just that when they do screw up, their mistakes have colossal ramifications for everyone with an immediate relationship with them, even their kids.


    And so, I drew upon my past life''s 25 years worth of accumulated patience to temper my indignation and cool my head.


    Deep breath in¡­


    ¡­and out¡­


    Okay, lets just piece things together so I can make my conclusion. So, I started with the possible conclusion I came upon just before she arrived. "Is Giovanni my-" My face tightened as I bit out the word. "-uncle?"


    Mom blinked in surprise before she slowly nodded, her eyes dropping down. "He is."


    ¡­Urgh. That''s better than him being my father at least. Still, I don''t know if this is still good overall because that calls into question dad''s-no! Dad''s fine. I''m not about to start doubting him.


    "Giovanni Brando is the elder brother to Giorno Brando, your fat-."


    "Asch Ketchum is my father." I cut mom off before she could finish. She seemed surprised by my outburst yet she smiled just a little bit. "I''ll¡­at least come to terms with that bastard being my biological uncle, but I won''t budge on who my father is."


    Asch Ketchum was the name of the man who raised me, not Giorno. I¡­I could honestly care less about "Giorno" and whatever past he had¡­ Really, I wouldn''t care. Asch Ketchum was a kind man and I''ll be damned before anything besmirches that image of him from my memories.


    "Good, I''m glad." Mom seemed to agree. Her smile was more proud than crestfallen. "Still, I feel like you should at least know about his diary and more on Asch''s life, sweetie. I can tell you all I know before giving the diary to you."


    "No!" I blurted out.


    "¡­Luke?"


    "I¡­" Under mom''s worried gaze, I quickly suppressed the dread that crept up in my breast just to slowly shake my head. "N-No¡­for now. I don''t really need to see it now. Dad''s still dad, and I''m fine with how things are to delve that deeply."


    "If you say so, dear. J-Just know that if you change your mind or want to talk, I''ll always make time to tell you everything that I know." Mom''s reassurance just made me wish that she was more hesitant about sharing that information. Then I internally chided myself for even wanting her to feel that messed up as to deny me what I didn''t want to hear.


    "I-I will, mom. Thanks." Gotta change the topic¡­oh. "Erm¡­so, how long have you known about Giovanni being-?"


    "Being heavily affiliated with Team Rocket?" Well that confirmed one of my predictions. "The day that we learned that I was carrying you." Ugh, now I really don''t want to read that diary.


    "And this promise that you mentioned earlier, it dealt with Ash and I having to meet Giovanni?" I inquired to which she nodded.


    "Your father loved and admired his elder brother¡­sort of like how Ash looks up to you." I scrunched my face at the comparison, but mom pushed forward with her explanation. "He at least¡­wanted his own children to know and meet him just once."


    ¡­


    "Really?" I frowned.


    "Yes." Mom sadly looked at the floor.


    "Couldn''t you have at least told us rather than bring him over?" It honestly would have saved me the turmoil of having to deal with that asshole''s presence and wrack my head just to piece together why he''s here.


    Mom shook her head. "He desperately wanted you two to meet him, and¡­I¡­" Mom bit her lip in frustration. "I just couldn''t come up with a way to tell either of you two when you''re so young and innocent about an uncle who''s done about every depraved and heinous act under the sun in Kanto. I wanted to wait until you two were at least in your early twenties, but then¡­"


    "Viridian Gym." It clicked together at that moment. My Gym Battle with Giovanni pretty much kick started this whole avalanche of family bullshit to spiral out of control.


    "After seeing you in the hospital, covered in blood and the marks of his hand around your neck." I''d never heard mom spoke with such venom when she mentioned my injuries. "My anger got the better of me and I went to start fulfilling that promise I made with your father. I¡­" Mom gulped and clenched her fist. "I wanted to hurt him, the same way he had hurt my baby boy. I enjoyed watching every second of his world collapse around him as he broke down, gasping for answers that would not change the vilest wrong that he had almost committed."


    "Killing his own nephew." I breathed out.


    Mom nodded, then deeply sighed. All of her rage oozed out of her and what remained was a dejected woman. "Yet after my rage had left me, I was now left with the realization that¡­now I had to bring the very same man who once harmed my boy to meet him and my other sweet son in a proper meeting."


    "But you didn''t have to though. The promise. You didn''t have to go that far over a promise with dad, mom. I''m sure he''d-." Like mom, dad wasn''t perfect so if he knew who Giovanni was (ugh, now I really REALLY don''t want to read that diary) and who he affiliated himself with then pushing such a thing on mom was just unreasonable.


    It hurt to doubt dad like this, but I worried more for mom''s current mental health. "You just¡­shouldn''t have to fulfill such a messy promise."


    "¡­Believe me, Lukey. I would have wanted nothing more than to forget, but¡­" Once more she longingly gazed at dad''s photo and tears began to well up in her eyes. "No matter how hard I wanted to, I just couldn''t. To do so would feel like¡­like spitting in his face after he bared his everything to me. His fears, his regrets, and all. Plus, it was the only thing I had left of him¡­"


    ¡­Dammit, this was just too messy. Mom was still struck hard by dad''s death as I was and buried that pain deep down just to focus on raising Ash and me. It would only make sense that something gave eventually, and me facing Giovanni just forced all of that out to the forefront.


    What mom did was admittedly stupid and reckless, I won''t discount that just because I have a massive bias towards her.


    "But you two also were what he had left me too, and I endangered the both of you with my last-minute decision." Mom deeply bowed her head with a quiver in her voice to sob. "Luke, please forgive me. I''m sorry for making you re-experience whatever horrible thing that happened on that day with that horrible man by letting him in under our roof. Before my own son''s health and safety, I sought to fulfill my duties as a lover over my duties as your mother.


    Drops of tears stained the carpet on mom''s end of the coffee table. "I-I''m so sorry for not considering your feelings or at least warning you about any of this."


    What mom did was stupid and reckless, but¡­she was actually penitent and knew the full extent of her deeds. Mom cared, which is something I couldn''t say for most parents who''d screw up and guilt you into forgiving them.


    "¡­" I deeply inhaled and sighed. Scratching my head, I quickly got up from my seat and walked over to sit next to mom. "Lukey?" She jumped in surprise once I wrapped her in a tight bear hug.


    "I''m only peeved with what you did, mom." I muttered into her chest. "I could never be mad at you, so don''t beat yourself up over it too much. Just a bit."


    "O-Okay¡­" She sniffled and shakily laughed.


    "J-Just¡­" I started, shaking my head a bit against her body to wipe away some of my own tears. "Next time give me a heads up or share what''s bothering you so you don''t have to carry the burden alone. We''re family and family sticks together."


    "O-Of course, sweetie." Mom hiccupped and turned her body around to hug me deeper into her chest. "I''ll promise to do better and do right by you boys." You already do that, but it reassures me that you''re reinforcing your actions by acknowledging this mistake.


    "Love you, mom."


    "Love you too, Lukey."


    We stayed there hugging each other for a while longer and talking about what happened now after that awkward dinner. Mom had assured me that Giovanni wouldn''t be coming over at his leisure and actually needed her permission to call him over, unless either Ash or me would call on him ourselves. He had given mom his own private phone number and all his contacts, but I was never going to ever use them.


    Ash on the other hand would, which is why mom and I decided not to reveal anything about Giovanni until he was old enough. My "innocence" was technically gone after Giovanni almost killed me, so Ash should be spared such knowledge of our uncle almost knocking me off. I didn''t want to taint his childhood with hatred. Like mom, he was really messed up when he saw how terrible I looked after Viridian Gym.


    Today, he''ll only remember Giovanni as that cool Gym Leader with the cool Persian that played with him and nothing else.


    So, it relieved me that this was possibly Giovanni''s first and hopefully last visit to our home.


    Mom promised me that she would never call on Giovanni and should a rare day come when she must, then she''ll call on me immediately just so we don''t have a repeat of tonight. After that, we just settled into peaceful silence in each other''s presence.


    Until mom asked me a question that had me stuck frozen and trapped in her steel tight arms. "Say Lukey, I''ve been meaning to ask you this, but¡­how exactly did you suspect Giovanni of being apart of Team Rocket, and WHY did you still find it in yourself to still confront him with that knife Ranger Gabe gave you."


    "¡­I¡­" I stuttered with my words before heavily sighing. "I-I''m sorry, mom." And it looks like even with my mental age being more mature than my physical one, I''m still as capable of fucking up like everyone else.


    Now there was an easy answer for that first part without revealing my meta-knowledge, I just explained how it was all a guess on my part since Viridian City, the city with the strongest Gym, held the most disappearance rate for trainers. It was fishy how this went unsolved for so long like the missing trainers from Saffron City, who "mysteriously" turn up at the end of every Circuit with their memories of their kidnapping mysteriously gone.


    So, I squeezed my way out of that headache, but couldn''t find an excuse for why I had to face Giovanni for my eighth badge. Mom was downright disappointed and mad at me for my lack of a reason to willingly throw myself into arm''s reach of a possible danger that was making trainers disappear while ignoring her warnings about staying cautious in Viridian City at the beginning of my journey.


    She expected me to be better and to inform her of any choices that I felt would be a danger to my health.


    And¡­that''s fair.


    To be honest, I was too exhausted and stressed with my journey to even consider another Gym to face. I could have gone to a minor gym for a badge, but I didn''t. I wanted to face Giovanni for the Earth Badge, and knew that something fishy would happen to me if I went since I owned some "rare" pok¨¦mon like a Togekiss and Electavire that aren''t normally seen in Kanto. Still a part of me did hope that nothing bad would happen.


    In hindsight, I really did screw up, and had to apologize to mom for making her worry and to better my risk assessment for the future. Once we said our good nights after one last tight hug, I bid my pok¨¦mon good night as well before shambling up to my room to collapse onto my bed.


    Today was certainly a day¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    I blankly looked at my ceiling and sighed in exhaustion before looking at the pokeball that was given to me by that "she/her" whoever they were that Giovanni said were impressed with my actions pertaining to the Laramies.


    With him gone and my chat with mom over, I can now clearly see so many red flags with how he exactly knew where I was today. I''ll write Lara later and see if things are fine, but now I have another person/thing to worry about. Like Giovanni possibly not being Team Rocket''s leader and Madame Boss possibly being worse than him.


    Gimme a break¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    Dad''s diary¡­I¡­don''t think I''ll look into it. Mom was super supportive of whatever choice I made and told me to take my time, but¡­


    I''m fine with how things are. No need to go the extra mile to prove that dad wasn''t a¡­wasn''t a¡­bad person.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "That Tediursa must be healed by now. I should go check on them tomorrow, maybe go out and have some fun." I drearily muttered to myself. "Fun¡­I wonder¡­if Daisy would be free tomorrow." Hanging out with her sounds like it''d be fun, and it would be nice to talk to her about¡­things.


    Reaching for my fun on my desk nearby, I kept reaching out in the darkness for and just as one of my fingers tapped the device''s screen, another accidentally tapped the pok¨¦ball that Giovanni left for me and rolled it off of the desk.


    "Crap." I groaned, tiredly pulling myself out of bed to pick it up, but to my surprise the device''s "release" function triggered with the fall and in a flash of light, emerged a small creature. They alertly looked around my dark room before their curious red gaze fell onto me.


    Met with the revelation of the pok¨¦mon who stood before me with queries on how Giovanni or this "she/her" person was even able to access this rare species in Kanto, and the major context for even having that sort of access in the first place, I frustratedly scratched my hair and tiredly moaned.


    "Fuck! Why is everything so bothersome after a single night with that fucking bastard?" I angrily pinched my nose and hissed out much to the confusion of the curious pok¨¦mon.


    "¡­?"

 Chapter 19

    POV: Daisy Oak


    <hr>


    Was the sky falling?


    Was her perception of time and the date so skewed that she didn''t notice it was Opposite Day?


    Daisy Oak was simply perplexed because just the night before, she had gotten a text from Luke asking if she was available the next day for a nice little outing to the Xanadu Nursery. No mention of their little brothers joining them either. Just the two of them. Alone.


    Now Daisy felt extra silly for acting up at Erika''s Gym the other day. She had already promised herself to use her own funds to buy her friend a new tea set after accidentally breaking the one from their sudden battle in her break room. Gah, if Daisy didn''t have a plethora of other friends to share this with, then she would have broken from the tension of Erika ignoring her until she righted her wrongs.


    Martha was ecstatic about the news and as always was a chatterbox about recommending every dating tip and recommendation under the sun despite never having a boyfriend herself. Daisy at least promised her that she''d tune in to the Johto station to watch her contest debut. She was happy that her friend was able to pick herself up after failing to breach past her fifth gym battle and found something new and worthwhile to do.


    Sunny was "happy" but didn''t message her anything beyond a "Knock him dead". Daisy reminded herself to check in on her old friend for the ninth time this month, unlike Martha, Sunny couldn''t pick herself up the same way that Martha did after failing to complete her own Gym Challenge. Daisy figures that after reconciling with Erika that she could maybe put in a good word and see if she''d like to try out being a Gym Trainer.


    Next came the wallflower in her posse of friends, Marina, who had actually become one of the few like her and Garnet to complete her Gym Challenge and make it to the Top 62 of the Indigo League Conference. Daisy was surprised that the quietest one in their group would make it as far as them with nothing, but a Marill that her grandfather had given her for a starter. At first, Daisy was happy that her friend had broken out of her shell and achieved quite the feat, but this later came to Daisy''s detriment.


    [I won''t lose next time.]


    Daisy really hated that the number of rivals that she had to keep at bay were only rising, even ones who were by her side for years. She never quite did understand how every one of her friends had a good first impression of Luke as kids when hers was just downright awful¡­


    ¡­Well, she could make a guess from just how awful her behavior was back then starting a preschool.


    <hr>


    "Hey, we want to sit here! This is our table!"


    "¡­You can still sit around me though."


    "Ew~! No, you''re a boy so sit somewhere else!"


    "¡­No."


    "Wha-? No, b-but we want to sit there!"


    "¡­Too bad."


    To Daisy Oak, she was never denied once by those in her same age range. The boys were either too intimidated or excited to get on her good side and the girls simply followed her because she was cute and bossing the bothersome boys around.


    Though it was outrageous that a girl at the tender age of 3 could exert such power, it all came down to the fact that she was an Oak. She was praised by her teachers, envied by the other kids for being around the amazing pok¨¦mon her famous grandfather studied, and having a cool police dad. Counting that she was smarter than most of the other kids her age, and she''d even be deemed exceptional.


    If not for a quiet boy, who received far more praise than her and always kept to himself in class, reading and writing notes on all the books that he read. The teachers kept heaping praise onto him and even some of her so-called friends went to him for help when she was clearly smarter than the weirdo.


    That''s why she targeted him and wanted to show him who was boss. Yet when she was denied the exhilaration of cowing the boy, who didn''t seem to care about who she was and what he could possibly lose out on for getting on her bad side, she responded the only way how a 3-year-old girl could act.


    *THUD!*


    She pushed him out of his seat. She felt bad for a second before reminding herself that he was in the wrong for saying no to her. She took his spot and gestured for her friends to sit around her while nastily giggling at the boy, "Serves you right, stupid!"


    Now she waited for the boy to tear up and cry like the others, then she''d have solidified herself as the better of the two in front of her friends and the rest of the class, who were watching.


    Except the boy didn''t cry. He quietly picked himself up, dusted himself off, took a deep breath and¡­


    Daisy blinked in shock as he quickly approached her. "What are you-?"


    *THUD!*


    Daisy hiccupped in pain and barely had the chance to whimper as the chair she was sitting in was pulled out from underneath her. "Y-You-!" She did her best (and failed) not to cry as she shot a teary glare past her worried friends to the boy.


    She had wanted to scream and demand that he pushed her, but she was galled to see him ignoring her in favor of moving his book and chair to a different free table.


    Indignant anger blossomed in Daisy and before she could even think, she lunged at the boy''s back and got into her first ever school fight.


    That was the first fight that she had ever gotten into.


    It was also the first time she had ever gotten in trouble.


    The first time that her parents seriously scolded her.


    The first time that her doting grandfather was disappointed in her.


    The first time that she was made to apologize to a stinking boy.


    And the first time that her parents actually encouraged that she''d be much closer to said stinking boy.


    It wasn''t supposed to go like this! Why did she have to be friends with the weirdo who never played with anyone and kept to himself?


    That was why Daisy refused to even make her parents happy by befriending him. There was absolutely no way she''d ever be close to an icky, weirdo boy like him. Never-never ever!


    <hr>


    Daisy sighed.


    Okay, so perhaps her old bratty behavior may have been the cause for her bad impression. It certainly blinded her to notice how her friends seemed quite taken with the sole boy in class, who wasn''t obnoxiously loud, rude, or disgusting and was consistently nice.


    Still, Daisy could count on one friend not to pull a fast one like Marina.


    Garnet Joy''s lackluster reply of [You''re both hopeless], but that was to be expected from one of her oldest friends. Daisy used to remember a time where Garnet was just as bubbly and cheery like her mother, Ruby Joy, until one family reunion later left her as the jaded and tough to approach girl that she was today. Still though, Garnet was loyal and unlike some of her friends, knew not to cross a line that Daisy had made to the rest of her posse long ago. Although Garnet was never interested in romance like the rest of them so that was more conflict avoided.


    Her friend had even informed her of Luke coming over to pick up an injured pok¨¦mon, so that gave Daisy more than enough time to prepare herself.


    Luke never invites her out unless they talked and planned the outing beforehand or she had to take the reins and initiate the outing herself. Which made this sudden request to just hang out for the day bizarre, especially after he stupidly added bringing their brothers with them the last that they spoke of this. So, something had to have happened for this sudden outing to even be a thing at the last minute.


    Still, she wasn''t going to say no to spending a free day with a close friend, who she totally wasn''t going to butter up in case ghosting him these past couple of days may have ticked him off. Also, she had wanted to check in with her and Luke''s old classmate and see what''s been going on with her.


    "Ouch." Daisy hissed in pain as she once more accidentally cut the tip of another finger with her knife when chopping the berries for the fruit salad.


    "You okay, sweetie?"


    "Flora?"


    Her mother came in from the dining room, face writ with worry alongside her peppy Sunflora, Sunny.


    "I-I''m fine, Ma. I was just too lost in thought was all." Daisy laughed it off before sucking the blood that beaded on her appendage.


    "Now remember dear, if you are holding sharp kitchen utensils and your mind isn''t focused on the meal that''s being prepared-." Her mother began to speak sagely much to Daisy''s begrudging acceptance.


    "-then I should focus otherwise I''ll end up serving pieces of myself as a meal. I got it, Ma¡­" Daisy groaned with a roll of her eyes.


    "Good, I wouldn''t want you to accidentally serve one your fingertips to Luke when you''re out on your little date with him~!" Ugh, and there it was. Again, Daisy rolled her eyes as she avoided looking her cheshire smiling mother in the eye. She loved her mom, but Daisy had to admit that she was quite the gossiper around town and seemed to enjoy gathering the other mothers and grannies in town just to spread juicy "deets" down the grapevine.


    She was the reason why she and Luke were made to be so close in their childhood after her first school fight with him. One little comment about how cute they looked set off a chain reaction that influenced her father, Luke''s parents, and a good majority of the adults in town. In Pallet Town, everyone knew everyone and so word was impossible to prevent from spreading, and none other than her own mother orchestrated the whole thing.


    Now in hindsight this was helpful to her in a way, but getting constantly doted on and teased by every known face in town just for being near Luke was so god damn embarrassing, and Daisy knew that the townsfolk just loved to pester them for fun. Luke seemed just as annoyed by it, so Daisy chose to work through her own merit than rely on the "oh-so helpful" advice and deeds of her mom and the nosy denizens of Pallet.


    "First off: Ew." Daisy stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Second off: It''s not a date, mom. We''re just going up to the Xanadu Nursery to do some stuff and chat. Nothing too major." Her attention shifted back to the Berry Salad that she was making.


    "Just chat, eh?" Her mother giggled, pointing to the picnic basket, already filled with the rest of the food contents that she made earlier this morning.


    "Sun-sunflora~?" Her mother''s eyes glittered as she and her Sunflora crept to either side of Daisy with knowing and teasing smiles.


    Daisy did her best to ignore them so she could focus on her task of completing her dishes. It was difficult not to just fold under their gazes and scream for them to leave, but she was in a good mood and didn''t want to further indulge their troublesome curiosities by ruining it.


    "Yes, just chat." Daisy coughed. "I''ve been up since 6 AM preparing all of this so excuse me for wanting to have a little cheat day for my hard work."


    "Sun? Sun Sunflora~!" Daisy gasped as she noticed Sunny open up the picnic basket to retrieve and knowingly inspect a few berries.


    "Wait, Sunny don''t-!" Daisy reached out for them but was too late once the Sunflora tossed them to her mother, who quickly swiped them out of the air.


    "My my~! Nice find, Sunny." Her mom giggled once her Sunflora gave her a ladylike curtsy. "And as you young lady, I''m seeing a lot of dishes in here that are lacking in Tamato and Cheri berries." Her mother peered into the basket.


    Swiftly closing it shut and ignoring the playful little "rude" her mother huffed out, Daisy said, "I''m trying something new."


    "Nuh-uh, sweetie. I know my child and I know that she loves to drown her tastebuds in spices. Also, you hate Salac and Leper berries with a passion."


    "I-I''m a growing girl, Ma. M-Maybe¡­" Daisy trailed off, trying to find something to say and almost falling short. "Maybe¡­you should be paying attention a little more. I mean, I think I''m close enough to becoming a full-fledged woman, don''t you agree?"


    Daisy expected her mom to speak and redirect the conversation back to the food, not her smart aleck little brother poking his head into the kitchen to butt into her business. "But sis, how can you even be close to being a woman when you''re so rough and ungirly most of the ti-whoa!"


    The cheeky little bastard dodged the ripened Oran berry she chucked at his twerp face.


    "BARELY!? I AM A GIRL! I AM REFINED AND DELICATE LIKE A BEAUTIFUL FLOWER YOU TINY JERK!" Daisy growled and glared at Gary''s retreating back.


    *Pompf!*


    "Ugh." Daisy winced and rubbed the top of her head.


    Hand upraised from chopping her daughter''s head, Willow disapprovingly shook her head. "No wasting food, young lady."


    "O-Oh! Right sorry, I¡­" Embarrassed, Daisy coughed and righted herself. Reminding herself to get back at Gary later and focus on the Final Boss standing right beside her. "Ma, I''m really just going out to hang with Luke like usual. The food is just in case we stay out a little too long and need a bite to eat."


    Sighing in "defeat", her mother shrugged her shoulders. "I guess that''s reasonable, sweetie. Sorry for being super nosey like that¡­" Daisy sighed in relief until her mother''s hand slowly clasped against her shoulder, sending a bit of a chill down her spine. "But¡­if hunger is an issue, then why not skip stop around the house with Luke? I''ll whip you two a fantastic meal fit for both of your tastes~!"


    "N-No, that''s fine, Ma. You really don''t have to-!" Daisy stuttered, growing pale.


    "But I insist, sweetheart! I may have told you that the way to a man''s heart is through his stomach, but there''s no shame in asking for help. Plus, I may even get to see something entertaining during the meal." Her mother snickered in her hand and Daisy just prayed for an angel to come and save her from the clutches of her overbearing mother.


    And an angel did arrive, and in their hand held a mug of scalding hot black coffee. "Willow, please try not to fluster our daughter with your hijinks." Cyan Oak, Daisy''s father, sighed as he strode into the kitchen with a slouched gait.


    "Aw, don''t be such a buzz, Cy. I''m just having my fun after putting up with your father''s antics." Willow pouted.


    "Dad is one thing but we both know how far you take it when you tease the kids, especially when you''ve been riled up." Daisy''s eyebrow twitched at the mention of being a stress reliever for her mother, who shamelessly didn''t deny the accusation and instead winked and knocked her knuckles against her head. "Moderation is the key, right?"


    "Fine fine, I''ll stop." Her mother laughed it off and gave a quick peck to Daisy''s forehead and Cyan''s cheek. "Enjoy your date, sweetie~!"


    "Urgh, mom, it''s not a-ggrgh!" Daisy growled, sometimes her mom was so frustrating to deal with.


    "There that bought you enough time, honey. Make the most of it and keep safe." Daisy rushed so fast to hug her dad that it had nearly knocked all of the air out of his lungs.


    "Thanks, Pa." She muffled into his shirt, the familiar scent of her dad''s cologne, aftershave, and caffeine sent comforting waves of nostalgia to flow through her.


    "Don''t mention it." He chuckled and patted her on the back. "And be sure NOT to bring Luke back with you if you don''t want her to go TOO far. Even I won''t be able to save you then."


    "Got it." Daisy seriously nodded and frowned as her dad roughly petted her head, messing up her hair. His wide smile annoyed her since he knew what he was doing.


    "Good. Now hurry up and get outta here, I may have an excuse for being late to work by living in another town, but you don''t." Cyan ended the hug and approached the coffee maker, pulling out one extra coffee mug. He poured a bit more coffee into his own mug before filling the extra mug up. Rapping his hands against the kitchen''s marble countertop, the extra coffee mug vanished with a satisfying "POP" sound.


    "I know¡­" Daisy huffed and rushed back to her picnic basket. Her mom may have distracted her, but she was still fully capable of finishing the meal on time before she departed the Oak household. "Ow!" She winced after accidentally cutting another finger with her knife on the chopping board.


    "Careful." Cyan worriedly frowned.


    "Y-Yeah, I know sorry¡­" Daisy breathed out in pain and carefully set the layout of food in the picnic basket after a quick visit to the cabinet that held the house''s first aid kit. With the essentials prepared, Daisy rushed back upstairs to redo her hair, change her clothes, gather the few pok¨¦mon she had on hand, grab her pok¨¦dex then split¡­


    ¡­That is until she can find her pok¨¦dex! Daisy literally tore her room apart trying to find it before realizing after flipping her entire bed over that if she hadn''t already found the device, then the true culprit for swiping it could only be one person, who was brave/stupid enough to even think of getting away with it.


    *SMACK!*


    "Ow!" Gary reeled back on the step of their front porch, massaging the spot on his head that Daisy gladly smacked the backside of her hand against.


    "How many times do I have to tell you, dweeb. Don''t go through my stuff without permission!"


    "I was just curious, sis¡­" Gary grumbled.


    "Still doesn''t give you an excuse to go rummaging through my belongings, Gary. Just because I gave consent once doesn''t mean that you can just take whenever you want afterwards."


    Gary huffed. "I don''t even know why you''re getting so worked up about it. You know I won''t take it far from the house and lose it like that forgetful chump Ashy-boy almost did with Luke''s, ya know."


    Daisy sighed. "That remains to be seen¡­"


    "Tch! C''mon, sis, I''m not that bad." Gary rolled his eyes.


    "Of course not, you''re Ash bad but you certainly are Gary bad." Daisy smirked.


    "H-Hey, what does that even mean!?" Gary squawked.


    "It means that you''re your own breed of brat who can be just as bothersome as your best friend." Daisy snickered when her brother petulantly clicked his tongue and looked away from her. She loved and hated putting Gary in his place, but it was necessary.


    Like her in the past, Gary has been developing quite the ego. Most of it is deserved, he''s the smartest in his class, has many friends, and is quick to apply what she and grandpa taught her when interacting with pok¨¦mon. It''s just that with all the praise he gets, he tends to get a big head. Thankfully it isn''t too overblown because of his good friends, Daisy''s constant reprimands, and Luke''s general presence in town (both for good and bad).


    "Plus, do you honestly think you can identify that huge mess on the lawn without messing with the pok¨¦dex''s system?" Daisy casually pointed to the massive cavalcade of fluffiness and warmth that dogpiled their poor grandfather into the soft, tender grassing of their front yard. Her Arcanine, Valentine, was joined by her dad''s and her grandfather''s Arcanine, who proudly laid atop Prof. Samuel Oak''s prone squirming form.


    "U-Uncle! Uncle! I give! I give! I get it, Willow! I won''t sneak off to my lab again so j-just let me go! I need to deliver something of great importance!" Grandpa loudly muffled through the fur of his Arcanine atop his face. His hand rapidly batted at the one-eyed Arcanine''s snout in desperation. "I won''t forget this treachery Komainu AND Zam! I know you''re still there watching this happen! Teleport me out of here this instant!"


    *Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip~!*


    "*SIGH!*¡­Alakazam¡­" Slurping his black coffee, Zam levitated above the mass of wriggling Arcanine to enjoy this morning''s news article. Daisy had to guess that the fact that her grandfather could even breathe much less talk through the dogpile was thanks to his Alakazam''s telekinesis.


    Their mother had caught grandpa trying to sneak out early in morning when he should have been in bed at rest. So as the top cook in the household for both pok¨¦mon and human alike, she only needed to snap her fingers and sick the family''s easily bribed Arcanine on the old man. It was a sad sight and cruel reminder that Daisy''s own Arcanine wouldn''t even hesitate to betray her if it meant getting fed more treats by her mom.


    "I just wanted to compare all of their specs and see which direction that I want to go with when it''s time for me to go out on my own journey." Gary muttered to himself. "Having all of them bunched together would have made it easier than going to each of them one at a time."


    Daisy rolled her eyes at that and pointed at herself. "Uh excuse me, you have three trainers with Arcanine who live with you. Just ask dad, grandpa or me to give you some advice if it''s too hard for you to figure out alone."


    "It''s not hard for me, sis." Gary sniffed and haughtily raised his nose to the sky.


    ''Ugh, don''t be such a faker.'' Daisy internally groaned.


    "I just want more up to date advice, sis. Dad doesn''t count since he''s not that much of a battler and Gramps is good, but I don''t want to copy from him too much." Daisy could somewhat understand the feeling of not wanting to strictly follow in the steps of their grandfather. "And¡­" Gary hesitantly glanced over his shoulder at her.


    "And¡­?" Daisy smirked, knowing that whatever her brother had to say about her would earn him another slap to the back of his head.


    "I just feel that¡­it would help me a lot if I can get advice from someone who made it the furthest in the Conference." Gary quietly sighed and stiffened up, expecting another dope slap to the head. But it never came since Daisy felt like she got slapped by him instead with that honest admission.


    ¡­Daisy was¡­


    She was¡­


    Y-Yeah, it did make sense to her on why her brother wouldn''t be so quick to ask her for advice like he had used to. After last year''s conference, he wasn''t pestering her too much like he used to when she was beginning to prep for her journey and was in the middle of it. Logically, it did make sense to seek tips from a trainer who worked their way up to the Finals than one who was knocked out in the Top 8. This at least lined up with Gary''s behavior these past few months. Sure, he''d come to her for help for proper pok¨¦mon care and grooming but for battling and training specs, he''d¡­


    ¡­


    Deeply inhaling, Daisy recovered just enough to smile. "When I go out with Luke, I''ll be sure to tell him that you need help. I''m sure he''d be glad to lend an ear when you visit their place next time."


    "W-Whoa, really, sis!?" Gary gaped.


    "Of course, if you''re this serious about needing help then its only my duty as your diligent older sister to help you." Daisy spoke the words as cheerily as she could, she was glad that Gary was too caught up in his excitement not to notice how forced she sounded. "Just don''t grab my pok¨¦dex out of my room without asking again, yeah?"


    "I-I promise for real this time!" That''s what he said last time, but Daisy believed that he wouldn''t pull this again for at least a month. "Thanks, sis, you''re the best!" Gary jumped up from his seat to wrap Daisy up in a hug. Sadly smiling, Daisy returned it a bit too tightly before pushing Gary off of her and shooing him away so she could leave.


    But the little twerp had to say something after being so generous with him. "I doubt anything will happen considering how hopeless you are but have a fun time on your date."


    "You cheeky little-!" Daisy growled as her brother retreated into their home''s interior. "For the last time it is NOT a date; we''re just hanging o-! Ugh, forget it, you''re just as bad as mom¡­" Descending down the steps, Daisy observed the mess of Arcanine and sighed. "Nice to know that I won''t have access to Valentine anytime soon¡­super¡­" Taking out a pokeball, she prepared to call on her psychic type to teleport her to the town''s pok¨¦mon center.


    Then her grandfather''s Alakazam teleported in front of her with another long sip of his coffee. "Oh, hi, Zam. Is there something you want because I''m kind of in the middle of going to see Lu-." Daisy blinked in surprise as a pokeball materialized and floated in front of her face before neatly miniaturizing and slipping into the pocket of her shorts. "Eh? What was that?"


    "Upon your return with Old-New-Friend, give that to him but only when you return. Friend-Trainer is currently preoccupied with the machinations of your Alpha-Matron''s wrath." Alakazam''s words buzzed through her mind before he teleported back over Oak''s valiant struggle against the three fuzzy menaces holding him down.


    "Uh¡­okay?" Daisy sweatdropped. She didn''t really get her grandpa''s Alakazam as she did his other pok¨¦mon. She knew he was an exceptional genius amongst others of his species, but he would always be hard to read at times. Plus, his mannerisms were a little weird around others like how he never clarifies why he keeps calling Luke "Old-New-Friend" much to her and Luke''s confusion.


    Still, he''d never steered her wrong before and so she decided to take his instructions to heart. Though she may have to plan a way to drive Luke away if she had to bring him back home lest her mother catch them and drag him to join them for dinner.


    She resumed pulling out the pokeball that she had chosen before the interruption and released a well-groomed Espeon, who affectionately rubbed itself against her leg. "Good morning to you too, Nova." Her fingers brushed the slim back of her pok¨¦mon. "Hey, I need your help with a quick teleport to the Pok¨¦mon Center." Her Espeon stiffened at the tall ask before she quickly clarified. "No don''t worry, just the one in town. We''ll keep practicing your long-range teleportation for another day."


    Her Espeon was more accustomed to Pallet Town and its landmarks than some of the other towns and cities that they had come across on their journey. She was hoping that they''d knock this skill issue out before joining Professor''s Aide, Mr. Willow, on his expedition through Mt. Silver.


    Brimming with self-assured confidence, Nova''s eyes took on a mystical blue glow then in a mere instant, Daisy found the scenery of her front lawn replaced by the familiar exterior of the Pallet Town''s Pok¨¦mon Center. She thanked Nova with a quick pat on the head and an Oran berry before balling her back up in her pokeball.


    Looking around, she found that apart from a few passersby, the entrance was bare of any sign of a person entering or emerging from the building. "Is he still here?" She pulled her phone and texted Garnet on Luke''s whereabouts.


    Garnet: [He''s leaving now but¡­I''d take my time to meet him on the courts outside.]


    "Why would I-?" Daisy felt her heart skip a beat as the Center''s automatic doors quickly slid open. Emerging from the building was a small, quick blur of a shadow who locked their sights on her. She yelped in fright and defensively held her picnic basket in front of her.


    "No! Lift it up! He''s after the food!" Daisy followed the advice of the panicked and suspiciously familiar voice ahead of her and just barely managed to avoid the pair of clawed, grubby paws trying to snatch the picnic basket out of her arms. "A Teddiursa?" Daisy was perplexed that a cute little cub pok¨¦mon was assailing her. The little cub kept jumping and swiping the air in a hungered daze, searching for any opening to steal her basket.


    "Yogi, nononono! Stop it! I already promised to get you some food later!" And following after the Teddiursa was Luke (because of course it''s his¡­) with his new Dratini, Fafnir, wrapped around his neck. Daisy had to admit that the poor little thing did seem to be bigger than when she''d last seen it, so it relieved her that their good health was developing.


    "Lu-?" Daisy gasped as a blue blur sped past Luke''s running form to pursue the preoccupied Teddiursa.


    "Grrrrr! Olu! Ri-Riolu!"


    "U-Ursaaaaaaa~!"


    With a growl, the R-R-Riolu managed to stop the Teddiursa''s thieving attempts on her picnic basket, which had sent the little cub pok¨¦mon running around her in clear distress as gouts of tears poured out their eyes. Then Riolu kept chase of the Teddiursa while angrily barking something at them much to Luke''s exasperation.


    Running up to her, Luke grabbed the other end of the picnic basket and helped her hold it up higher. "Hi, Daisy. Sorry, Daisy." He hurriedly sighed before sternly looking at the two pok¨¦mon running circles around them. "Aurion, stop chasing Yogi, you''re scaring him! Yogi, quit it with the Fake Tears, you won''t be getting any more sympathy from me after I told you to behave!"


    "Luke, what''s happeni-Luke! Hey, Luke, your Dratini is-!" Daisy panicked, fed up with how things kept escalating.


    "Wha-Faffy, no! That''s not for you! I just fed you three bowls of pok¨¦food this morning!" Luke exclaimed and wriggled in discomfort as the Dratini that hung around his neck took a deep sniff of the air and slithered up his arm for the picnic basket held up in their conjoined grasps. It was utter havoc and a very loud ruckus that had garnered the attention of one of the work staff in the pok¨¦mon center.


    "Can''t you two rubes see that this is blocking traffic and disturbing the resting pok¨¦mon inside!? Take your bothersome crap elsewhere already!" Garnet stomped out, furiously reprimanding the pair.


    "GARNET! LANGUAGE!" screeched Garnet''s mother, Ruby Joy from within the Center.


    Daisy should have known better than to lower her guard. She''d been so caught up with the prospect of being invited out by Luke that she''d forgotten how utterly nonsensical it was to be around him sometimes. After begrudgingly sparing some of their food to Luke''s Dratini and Teddiursa, Daisy and her friend furiously apologized for the commotion and made themselves scarce.


    "U-Ursa¡­" Teddiursa used Baby Doll Eyes.


    "Nice try. You''ll eat when we go home." It was ineffective against Luke. Daisy never saw a Teddiursa click their tongue before today which was weird¡­although she''d never seen a live Riolu in person either, so she''d have to say that she was two for two today.


    When the Teddiursa named Yogi then tried to the same trick on her, Daisy simply smiled and waved. As a fellow older sibling, she''d endured way worse looks from Gary when he was much cuter and was way less of a brat than he was today. Choosing to cut their losses, Yogi then turned to Fafnir, who was still enjoying their prepared bowl of berries with a grin that slowly morphed to that of an innocent, teary mien.


    "Ri¡­!" But coming to the rescue was Riolu, who bravely stood between the mischievous Teddiursa and the unaware Dratini pigging out on berries.


    "Tch! Tedi¡­!" Treating Riolu like a buzzkill, Teddiursa then chose to run off into jungle gym of the park with Riolu following closely to bark/nag him about something that was beyond what Daisy could translate from the interaction.


    Luke tiredly observed the two pok¨¦mon and called out, "Don''t go too far away, we''ll go after Faffy''s done eating!" Of the two pok¨¦mon, Riolu diligently stopped their chase to deeply bow at him before they yelped upon realizing that Teddiursa was still gaining some distance. Another one-sided argument broke out between the two young pok¨¦mon much to their trainer''s exhaustion.


    Luke tiredly rubbed his neck and slumped back on the park bench. "Ugh, it''s like Macaque and Thor but more juvenile¡­or wait, shouldn''t it be less juvenile if they''re always eager to kick the snot out of each other?"


    "Well, they certainly have personality." Daisy sweatdropped.


    "Too much of it if you ask me¡­" Luke groaned. "Sorry about all of that Daisy. I didn''t mean to spring all of that nonsense on you like that."


    "No, I get it. You just wanted to get to know Tedi-I mean Yogi a little better after he got healed. I totally understand." Luke had told her how he assisted Ranger Gabe with the whole incident around Pallet Peaks. If she were in his shoes, she''d do the same and boy was she glad that the little cub wasn''t too traumatized by getting harmed by the Graveler.


    "So, you''re going to keep him?"


    "Yup." Luke lazily popped the "p". "I still have to convince his mother and figure out what to do with her, but Yogi didn''t take that much to convince. Garnet told me how much he loved the steady supply of meals during his treatment, so I bought him loads of snacks from the vending machines." He scratched his cheek with a wry smile.


    "So, you bribed him?" Amused, Daisy leaned her shoulder against his and smirked.


    "Ugh, I hate to use that word, but pretty much¡­" Luke sighed. "The promise of having more food given to him did appeal him more to joining me."


    "Do you have a plan for him?" Because it seemed a little random for her friend to just keep these two on a whim. Although the Dratini that was currently pigging out on the ground beside them did give Daisy pause on that doubt.


    "I do. One that''s way later down the road, but it''s one that will pay off with enough patience." Luke explained much to Daisy''s surprise. He caught on to that and tilted his head. "What?"


    Daisy sheepishly smiled. "N-No, it''s just¡­I thought you would have yawned and say that you''d come up with something later."


    Daisy expected a snappy retort or an "offended" look, but worriedly received a subdued sigh from her friend. "Would have but¡­not anymore." Luke narrowed his eyes and looked off to the side, much to Daisy''s concern.


    "O-Oh." Daisy frowned as silence awkwardly filled the gap of their talk. Seeking to fill the quiet lull of the conversation, Daisy checked Luke out (NOT LIKE THAT!) and huffed in good nature. "I-I see that you''ve retired your sweatpants. Good! Now you look as respectable as any trainer from Pallet should."


    "Y-Yeah, I guess I do¡­" Luke weakly chuckled much to Daisy''s consternation. Come on, give more of a reaction than that. The vibes that she was getting from Luke were a little off. Extremely familiar, but not the kind that she would have expected or liked for today''s outing.


    "Y-Yep, you sure do." Daisy coughed.


    "Mmmm-hmmmm." Luke hummed.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    Just what the hell happened!? Daisy thought to herself in panic.


    This wasn''t how she expected the day to go. Sure, she''d get peeved with Luke''s laziness and downright frustrating procrastinating attitude, but he ironically had a certain "energy" that Daisy could latch onto and respond in kind. Not whatever this was. He actually looked up and alert for being so up in the morning and hasn''t even yawned once since she''s seen him.


    ¡­Wait, hold on a minute. Luke hasn''t yawned once since she''s seen him.


    Was something wrong? Did some freak accident happen since they last chatted? No, if that were the case then she''d have already heard it from her mom, and her mother who was the ringleader to all of the gossip amongst the other housewives in town.


    So, what was happening right now?


    "Say are you-?" She began only to stop short as he raised an eyebrow at her.


    "Hm?"


    "I-." Thinking quickly, she chose a more subtle approach to directing the conversation. She whipped out her pok¨¦dex and pointed at Riolu, who was currently chasing Teddiursa up a slide. "I wanted to know if you''re alright with me scanning your Riolu. You know, to just be courteous."


    Luke shrugged. "Sure, I''m not using him in any advanced battles anytime soon so feel free to observe him to your heart''s content."


    "Right, cool¡­thanks!" God, Daisy hated how off-kilter she sounded. To be honest, she did want to identify the Riolu. Those pok¨¦mon were so exclusive to the Kingdom of Rota that you''d need to win either an annual tournament or get special permission from Rotan Royalty just to have one.


    Which made the prospect of Luke suddenly having one a little odd and perhaps a reason for his current behavior or indirectly involved with the cause.


    ["Riolu, the Emanation Pok¨¦mon. Riolu can discern the physical and emotional states of people, Pok¨¦mon, and other living organisms by feeling and observing a wave of life energy called Aura. It has been recorded in the annals of a kingdom''s history that a Riolu possesses a flexible body with enough power to cross three mountains and two canyons in a single night to ensure the safety of an ailed knight. It''s current moves are:-."]


    Daisy shut off her pok¨¦dex before it continued.


    "You could look at his moves if you want." Luke crossed his arms and bounced his leg.


    She shook her head. "Getting to have Rio-I mean Aurion''s entry in my Pok¨¦dex is enough for me. Still, I have to ask¡­" She trailed off thinking of the perfect way to ask the question. "How''d you manage to get one? I know you didn''t just stroll up to Rota and asked for one. For one, you barely hav-had the effort to change out of your sweatpants much less cross over to Eastern Kanto and somehow get permission from royalty to have one."


    Although it was a weary thing, Luke laughed. "No, it wasn''t that. I got him as a¡­" Luke''s smile then fell once more. Dammit. "Gift."


    "From whom though?"


    Luke scratched his cheek and sighed, "To be honest with you, I haven''t the clue."


    "Oh¡­" Daisy frowned.


    "But¡­" Daisy''s frowned deepened as her friend''s leg started to bounce rapidly in place. "The "messenger" who passed him along to me was someone I''d never forget."


    Daisy narrowed her eyes. "That sounded ominous. Care to share who this messenger was?"


    "¡­" Ugh, Daisy felt like she could do without the knowing silence. Her hope was renewed when he turned to her only to have them dashed with a shake of his head. "I-I don''t think I should be the one to tell you. Just ask the professor, I''m sure that even he has a good clue on who I''m talking about, but if he doesn''t want to tell you then forget about it."


    "Okay, no." Daisy deadpanned at this. "Redirecting me isn''t helping, Luke." He avoided her gaze. "Your hiding something." She quickly raised her hand to stop him from talking. "And¡­it''s okay to keep it to yourself if it''s too personal. I want to enjoy our day together and apparently also help you through whatever is eating at you because you''re starting to act-"


    ''Like you did during our journey and after the passing of¡­Mr. Asch.'' Daisy thought to herself in remorse.


    "-weird again." She winced at her poor choice of words but saw no hint of offense from Luke and kept going. "Seeing you so alert and tense is worrying especially after seeing you so relax after the Conference, so I definitely want to handle this now, so it doesn''t carry over through the rest of the day."


    "¡­"


    "I mean¡­" It all started to click for Daisy. "Isn''t that the reason why you wanted to go out with me today?"


    "¡­S''not the only reason¡­" Luke grunted and knowingly Daisy huffed in vindication for figuring the boy''s true motive out.


    "Sure, it wasn''t." She good-naturedly rolled her eyes.


    "Honestly, it wasn''t just that. I also wanted to check up on you since you''ve been practically ignoring my messages and calls." Daisy froze at the admittance as both warmth and guilt warred inside of her.


    So, "playing hard to get" did work and during the worst time imaginable. Now she felt like a bitch for ignoring Luke when he was probably in the middle of something awful that was the cause for his current slump.


    "I was training and learning at Erika''s Gym." Daisy admitted. "And I was so caught up that I¡­missed your calls." It was a half-truth so that was fine, right?


    "Oh, I get it." Luke nodded then looked up with an irked expression. "But weren''t you mad that I suggested we bring Ash and Gary along to Xanadu Nursery with us?"


    She was. "Of course not, I just¡­wanted to broaden my skills in battle after Clair showed up is all." The sting of her defeat against the Dragon-type trainer still stung at her, so it served as the perfect excuse to cover up her and Erika''s strategic boy talks and flower arrangement lessons.


    "Ah, I get it." Daisy felt even more guilty as Luke seriously nodded and smiled at her. "I''m glad that Clair''s presence managed to do some good for you. I can''t wait to see what you''ve come up with next time."


    "Y-Yeah, I''ll be sure to show you a spectacular sight next time, ehehehe¡­ergh¡­" She could just feel her guilt eat away at her. "But let''s not change the subject, will you finally tell me what''s wrong so we can enjoy the day and this¡­amazing picnic I made for us?"


    "¡­" Luke blinked, frowned, looked to the side, then at the picnic basket. His gazes lingered there before moving up to gaze at Daisy''s eyes. "Any Tamato berries in there?"


    Daisy rolled her eyes. "Of course not, I know how much you hate them, you big baby."


    "¡­" Luke took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, I''ll tell you, but only after we reach the Nursery and eat. Deal?"


    That''s as good as she was going to get, besides, she didn''t want to stay sitting at a park bench all day with this back and forth. "Deal." She nodded back.


    "Hey, everyone! Look two pok¨¦mon are wrestling at the sandbox!" Excitedly cheered a child on the playground as Aurion (Riolu) was roughly tussling with Yogi (Teddiursa) for everyone to see.


    "I''ll go handle this." Getting up, Luke returned Fafnir back to his pokeball, and began running to his troublemaking pok¨¦mon.


    "Good luck." Daisy waved.


    "Thanks, I''ll need it." Luke groaned.


    "O-Oh if you don''t mind me asking, what did you do since we last talked?" Daisy asked.


    "Me? Oh, I just¡­went out with Brock to help an old friend manage a compromise to keep their farm, nothing special."


    "Aw, that''s so sweet. I''m glad everything worked out for them." Daisy smiled.


    "Me too. It sure was awfully surprising that my friend''s dad offered up an engagement between the two of us, but we still figured out a way to help them without going that far."


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "¡­What?" Daisy croaked out.


    Luke didn''t hear or see her distress when he ran off to break up Riolu and Teddiursa''s fight.


    ¡­


    ¡­It was from that point on that Daisy decided that it would be for the best to retire some of Erika''s relationship advice.


    <hr>


    The Xanadu Nursery was located northeast of Pallet Town. To even call the steep incline trip up a hassle would be an overreaction for those already accustomed to hiking up to it. Daisy''s grandpa would happily tell her of how there used to be a vast congregation of herbs, flowers and plants that played a crucial role in upkeeping the old unnamed settlement before Pallet Town was established. The family who watched the land would care for the grass and bug type pok¨¦mon that upkeeped the flora for generations.


    The Nursery was basically a place that everyone and their own mothers in Pallet Town had to have at least visited once. Daisy''s parents took her and Gary to see it, Luke''s mother took him and Ash to see it, their school took Luke and Daisy''s class to see it, and so on and so forth. It was odd but the older folk wanted to hammer in the Nursery''s importance to the younger generation.


    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Daisy had been curious to ask her grandpa why that was the case, but each time he would get a faraway look that told her it dealt with something during one of the wars like most other stories that he watered down for her and Gary to hear. She never pushed him to tell the full details since that either made him uncomfortable or defensive that she was too young to hear about it.


    Their trek up the hills to the location was a 45-minute walk from town, and through that time they just talked. Nostalgia hit them like a truck as memories of their days as younger kids resurfaced once they crossed familiar landmarks and spots where certain conversations and mischief occurred when traversing the woods upward. Daisy had also gotten a better grasp on Luke''s new additions of Aurion and Yogi as they clung to their new trainer albeit for different reasons.


    Aurion kept walking closer in step with Luke and kept a steadfast vigil by keeping a constant watch on the forest around them like a silent guardian. It would have looked intimidating if the little guy wasn''t so small and cute. The Riolu batted her hand away when she tried petting, but that stubbornness only made her want to pet it more!


    As for Yogi, he kept following along with Luke like a baby with how they tugged the boy''s jeans and followed along with a drooling smile and their paw in their mouth. Unlike Aurion who focused on Luke, Yogi focused on Luke''s bag like a pok¨¦mon on a mission as they were no doubt plotting a way to snatch any remaining snacks from within. Daisy felt relieved that he wasn''t trying to sneak off with her picnic basket again.


    Although the pair didn''t seem to get along quite as well. Aurion was a stickler for following Luke''s orders and commands then would get on Yogi''s case for not listening or running off to make more trouble. For Yogi, he followed Luke''s orders but only did so with the promise of a snack or praise (via headpats).


    Their personalities were naturally liable to clash.


    Although, she''d seen Luke''s pok¨¦mon and knew that he''d somehow get them to at least function together in some weird way. She never expected that bitchy Sylveon to ever work in tandem with his other pok¨¦mon with how much she hissed and growled at Asch in one of their double battles.


    Speaking of that vile pok¨¦mon, "You didn''t bring your Sylveon did you?" Daisy asked as they climbed the last of the incline to the oncoming greenhouse before them, hoping she wouldn''t have to deal with their nonsense.


    Luke shook his head, "No, she didn''t want to stick around last night."


    Daisy''s eyes widened. "Oh, that''s rare." That little pain in the butt always glued herself to Luke''s side even when she was a tamer Eevee. Then upon realizing the severity of such a change, Daisy frowned, "It''s that bad, isn''t it?"


    Luke shook his head. "She''ll be fine, I hope. I sent Asch and everyone back to the Sanctuary to discuss things."


    Daisy couldn''t care half a whit about how that meddlesome pest felt. "And you''ll tell me why you''re not fine." She said it more as a statement than a request and Luke slowly nodded. "Good. Now let''s talk about something more upbeat like grandpa''s upcoming summer camp."


    Luke shrugged. "What''s there to talk about? As his sponsored trainers, it''s mandatory for us to attend as program aides."


    Daisy couldn''t refute that as this was only a role given to the top three of their class who obtained their region''s traditional starter pok¨¦mon. Grandpa wasn''t super strict about attending if you had any other business holding you up, but if the opposite were true, then he''d freeze your access to his support for a year.


    "Well, we can talk about the one doof who currently isn''t with us." Daisy said.


    "Oh, Joey." Luke rubbed his chin in thought. "I-I¡­I think he''ll be here by then." He didn''t sound too sure.


    "But at the last minute?" Daisy added.


    "At the last minute, yes." Now he sounded completely confident in their friend albeit in Joey''s ability to barely avoid being tardy.


    Obviously, Luke and she were going to attend due to their younger siblings never missing out on an opportunity to play with the lab''s pok¨¦mon. Then there were most of the kids in Pallet like Blossom, and a few kids from out of town who managed to win *UGH!* her grandfather''s poetry competition to earn some spots. Also, there were some kids who would get in thanks to their connections like Aide Cerise''s kid who would be joining them too.


    Like every other year, the summer camp would last a whole week with tons of brash children to guide and babysit. It will be a hassle dealing with so many young faces, but she''s already been given loads of experience handling a snot-nosed brat like Gary so her odds of snapping at a few annoying kids are low. Also, kids, who attend the program are just as likely to earn grandpa''s notice and potentially earn a sponsorship from him, so there was also that benefit.


    It was even how Luke and Joey had solidified grandpa''s thoughts on sponsoring them although Daisy did consider Joey lucky that he had Luke around to lug his forgetful mug to the camps each year when growing up.


    "I wonder how Joey''s doing¡­" Luke looked upwards into the sky with a small smile.


    "Knowing him, he''s probably doing something stupid." Daisy groaned.


    "Yeah."


    <hr>


    (POV: Joey)


    <hr>


    "UNHAND ME! UNHAND ME THIS INSTANT! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM BOY!?" Screeched the Mayor of Trovitopolis, who struggled against the tight bindings of his scorned, former pok¨¦mon, Bulbasaur, who Joey gladly adopted for himself.


    "I don''t give a Rattata''s ass who you are, ya old coot! This is about paying you back for sending all those trainers to hunt poor Caesar after you clearly abandoned him!"


    "So, what if I did? Isn''t it only right to release a pok¨¦mon that couldn''t evolve? If he couldn''t give me what I want, then I''m better off without him!" The mayor exclaimed.


    "Are you serious!? You freaking mook, Caesar flipping loved you!"


    "Well his love clearly wasn''t enough if he couldn''t evolve when I asked him to!"


    "I can''t believe what I''m hearing! Everyone, boo this man!" Framing his mouth with the palms of his hands, Joey heatedly exclaimed out to the public.


    """BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"""


    To the mayor''s horror, the crowd of his town, who were gathered with the help of Joey''s travelling partner decried him after witnessing and hearing the true extent of his poor sense of character.


    "Is this how you really act, mayor!?"


    "You suck!"


    "I can''t believe I voted for you!"


    "You mean to say that mysterious creature stealing all of our food and supplies through the sewers was a pok¨¦mon that you abandoned, mayor!?"


    "No wonder there was always greenery and vines at the crime scenes!"


    "You''re a monster!"


    Joey snickered alongside his Blastoise, Raphael, at the blanching expression of the future "former" mayor of Trovitopolis. "Well well well, isn''t this some ironic poetry?"


    "Joey, I think you mean poetic irony¡­" groaned his travelling partner and guide, Cissy.


    "Oh, I, uh¡­of course I did! I just got a little tongue tied there! Thanks for the reminder, Cis!" Joey just laughed it off, hoping she would buy it.


    She didn''t.


    "Ugh, no need to be such a tryhard." Cissy rolled her eyes. Joey decided to ignore his friend''s snide remark to focus on the source of everyone''s ire.


    "Now for the piece de resistance!" Joey remembered Lou saying that weird phrase before and found it fitting for this opportunity. "Yo, Caesar¡­spread his legs!" His new large Bulbasaur happily conceded with his command much to the growing dread of the mayor.


    "W-Wait, what are you planning?" He sputtered.


    "Justice." Joey began taking steps back.


    Looking for help, the mayor cried out to the most dependable officer in the city, "Officer Jenny, this is clear violent misdemeanor in progress. You can''t just allow this ruffian to get away with this can you? Do something about it!"


    The officer solemnly nodded and crossed her arms. "You''re correct Mr. Mayor. If I see then I must act to see the offense stopped." Her hands dug into her breast pocket to pull a strip of cloth out.


    "Then arrest these fiends right this inst-what are you doing!?" The mayor gaped at the woman blindfolding herself.


    "I can''t act unless I see the offense, right?"


    "B-But what about justice?"


    "I''m afraid for this instance, sir¡­ Justice is Blind."


    The mayor''s jaw fell. "I-I feel this is about the budgetary cuts I made to the local police enforcement this year. Is this because of the budgetary cuts I made to the police enforcement this year!?"


    Officer Jenny smirked. "Pfft! What, no, it isn''t because we lost half of our motorcycles and stables for our Growlithe and Arcanine just for you to build that gaudy statue of yours. I would never be so petty as to hold a grudge, Mr. Mayor." Her teeth peeked past her lips as Joey''s footsteps rapidly beat against the ground. "By the by, you better grit your teeth."


    "Wha-?"


    "JUSTICE!''


    *WHAAAAAAAAAAM!*


    Joey roared and kicked the one place that many a male would wince in sympathy, but not today. Everyone who watched this public humiliation roared their approval over the pained squeals of the overweight mayor.


    Joey had to say that this adventure during his Orange League circuit would be rated as one of the highlights for his current adventure.


    <hr>


    (POV: Daisy Oak)


    <hr>


    "Welcome back to the Xanadu Nurs-!" Florinda Showers, daughter of the owners to the massive greenhouse that they all are currently residing in, happily greeted the pair upon reaching their destination.


    Daisy broke all pretense of courtesy in favor of giving her old friend a big old hug much to the purple haired girl''s surprise. "Hi, Rinda!"


    "H-Hi, Daisy." Florinda shyly smiled and patted Daisy''s back.


    "Hey, Flo." Luke happily raised a hand in greeting behind Daisy and received back a timid wave from the girl in kind.


    "Hello, Luke."


    Florinda Showers was one of the quieter kids from their old class days and was quite an expert in flowers, plants, and any species of grass pok¨¦mon that resided in her family''s greenhouse. While Erika was the person who had helped her get a better grasp of how to better utilize grass types beyond an Intermediate level, Florinda''s family Nursery and support had given Daisy the building blocks to implement their plants and integrate/copy them into her Ivysaur''s moveset.


    Knowing how Pok¨¦ta (Common Name: Pok¨¦nip) affected the olfactory neurons of pok¨¦mon and made them more subdued, Daisy wasted no time in having Venus work to copy the properties and incorporate it into her Sweet Scent move. It was a struggle at first but with Erika''s help later on, Venus was now capable of lowering the guard of any unprepared pok¨¦mon that stood in their way. It was exactly because of this that she was around her grandfather''s sanctuary in order to subdue the rowdier pok¨¦mon.


    "You''re folks aren''t here today?" Luke asked, looking about the nursery as droves of Beedrill and Butterfree fluttered in the sky surveying their surroundings for flowers and plants to pollinate.


    "T-They had business over at Celadon with an old friend of theirs. They''ll be back tomorrow." Florinda stuttered as she volunteered to lead them to the Nursery''s Common Room.


    "So, you''re watching the place on your own, I hope your not pushing yourself too hard." Daisy worriedly frowned.


    "N-No, I''m fine. Just the other day, they had posted a job down at the pok¨¦mon center for any trainers who wished to help for the day and already one of them agreed to give their support for the sum of 5,000 pok¨¦dollars an hour." Florinda explained.


    "Wow, you''re parents spared no expense for the job."


    Florinda blushed. "D-Dad thought it would provide some good incentive and screened some of the trainers that came in. Only one of them made the cut after verifying that they¡­wouldn''t cause me any¡­trouble."


    "Trouble?" Luke tilted his head but he earned nothing but Florinda''s damning silence and reddening face.


    Ah, Daisy can see where this was going. "How many of them were male?"


    "All of them." Florinda squeaked.


    "And how many of them got through the screening?"


    "One."


    Daisy was aware of how overprotective Florinda''s father was and how restrictive he was when allowing genders of the opposite sex to hang around his daughter. The fact that one of them was allowed to work here meant that they were a similar case to Luke.


    "Hm?" Luke noticed Daisy look at him, and curiously blinked at her.


    Completely and utterly clueless, or just downright uninterested.


    "Its nothing, Luke." The Oak patted her friend''s shoulder much to deepening confusion. She turned back to Florinda to drive the conversation forward. "So, is this trainer doing fine?"


    For the first time since they got here, Florinda brightened up, "Oh no, he''s doing great, Daisy. He and his pok¨¦mon have been a major help in tending to the plants, communicating with the bug types, and tilling the soil. His pok¨¦mon are certainly an interesting bunch like yours, Luke." She pointed to Aurion and Yogi clinging to his legs.


    "Really?"


    "Yeah, he even has one that''s a lot like yours."


    Something flashed in Luke''s eyes as he rubbed his chin, "Really now, huh? Good to see that he''s still around."


    "Someone you know?" Daisy asked.


    "No one in particular." Luke stuck his tongue out at her to which Daisy tightly pinched his side in a huff. She quickly retracted her hand before he could bat it away.


    "So if I may ask, what are the two of you here for today?" Florinda asked as they finally finished ascending the stairs toward the common room.


    Luke nudged his head in her direction so Daisy decided to go first, "I came to ask permission if I can pick some of your flowers for a arrangement I want to make."


    "Oh! You''re doing another flower arrangement, Daisy?" Florinda exclaimed in excitement. "Your last one, the "Pretty in Pink" has been a favorite of mine the first time you came over from your journey! What''s the occasion for this one?"


    Daisy sheepishly looked off to the side. "An apology¡­"


    "For?" Luke raised an eyebrow.


    "No one in particular." Daisy stuck her tongue out at him much to his eye rolling annoyance.


    "Okay, I''ll lead you to one of our finest flower fields." Florinda nodded then turned to Luke. "And you, Luke?"


    "I just wanted to see if you had any peat lying around?" Luke said.


    "Peat?" Daisy asked, utterly baffled.


    "That''s¡­" Florinda tilted her head and rubbed her chin. "That is a very strange request. I don''t think we have any leftover beyond what little reserves needed for the plants we get from Hoenn. Its usually hard to get some of great quality, the little we can get usually run out fast if not properly maintained."


    "Is it that hard to get a big amount of the stuff?" He questioned.


    "Very." Florinda nodded. "You see, peat isn''t like any old soil. It''s the type of soil that takes at least 10 years to form. They are abundant in places with wetlands like swamps and bogs, but the Kanto region lacks these areas so we usually outsource them from Hoenn. My mother has a few friends from over there so we''re lucky to have a steady supply, but its not enough to expand our collection of Hoenn flora beyond what we currently have."


    She turned to Luke with a frown. "I''m sorry Luke, but I can tell my parents to see if they can order more, but you''d basically have to pay them an arm and a leg to get it."


    "I''m fine with footing the cost for the order, I don''t need much of it so I''ll leave the rest of what I have to buy with you guys as thanks. Plus, I don''t need it right this instant, but it would help to know the cost of it for the future."


    And so, Florinda shared the cost and Daisy''s jaw nearly hit the floor with nearly how many pok¨¦dollars that the Showers fork over for such high-quality peat. Luke was unaffected and happily revealed that he''d pay it off when the time was right. With the future transaction set, Daisy quickly asked Luke why he even needed it, but all she got was a quick, innocent "investment" before he patted Yogi on the head and walked off to the flower field that Florinda told them about.


    The purple headed girl ran off to her house to get something for Daisy and promised to return.


    So that left her with Luke and his two pok¨¦mon. He had decided that they could help her pick the flowers while she set up the tablecloth and picnic. She had wholeheartedly subscribed to the idea until she had to play gatekeeper to what flowers they brought to her.


    "Do these work?" Luke brought over a collection of sunflowers.


    "Of course not, Luke. I''m trying to apologize here, not obnoxiously wish good vibes." Especially after she ruined said vibes by messing up Erika''s stuff in their tussle.


    Luke sighed and returned to the flowers.


    Next was Riolu, who brought over a bundle of roses. "Olu?"


    "You''re going in the right direction, but I want something that''s softer in color. Do you think you can find it?"


    "Ri!" Riolu steadfastly nodded, delicately lowered the roses and ran off deeper into the Nursery, away from the flower field. "H-He didn''t need to leave to find the-ugh, forget it." She sighed and reached for the roses before recoiling back in pain. "Sweet Mew! He plucked the ones with thorns still on them?"


    Finally, there was Yogi, Daisy knew to keep her eyes peeled on the little cub pok¨¦mon. Especially so when he approached her side with the picnic basket open. Instead of a flower, he had brought her some luscious green leaves that would look good in her planned flower arrangement.


    But¡­


    "These are Stun Stem." She deeply inhaled and blew the spores on the surface of the leaves back into Yogi''s face. The mischievous little cub stiffened and fell straight onto their back.


    Luke apologized and returned the pok¨¦mon, believing that skipping out on the rest of the trip and his lunch would serve as a justified punishment for trying to pull a fast one.


    "So¡­" Daisy began setting the plates. "Are you ready to share what has you acting so off kilter today?" Luke was just a foot away, his attention on the flowers and his back to her. His constant search for flowers halted for a second before the sound of rustling resume.


    She quietly remained on task with placing the utensils next to the plates, albeit slowly. Her attention both on it and her friend. She could wait a little longer if he needed the time.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­My mom." He started.


    "¡­?" Daisy paused but didn''t turn to face him.


    "Last night at dinner, she¡­did something that worried me and¡­made me mad. It just really bugs me, you know¡­"


    Daisy slowly nodded. "Yeah." If he''s acting this off then Daisy could believe, but this was the first time that Luke voiced a grievance about his mom. Sure, he''d complain and gripe about her overprotectiveness and punishments but those were good-hearted.


    ''Just what did Mrs. Ketchum do?'' Daisy gulped. She decided not to pry on the specifics and focus on Luke''s feelings.


    "I mean, she apologized for doing it and I¡­I forgave her. She was sorry, truly sorry for putting Ash and I through that. Obviously, I had to. She showed remorse and I can''t hate her for it." Luke muttered and Daisy felt like he was talking more to himself than to her.


    "You just hate what she did." Daisy clarified.


    "I-!" Luke started then deeply exhaled. "I-I do."


    "There''s no shame in feeling that way, I mean, I sort of relate with the feeling too." Daisy thought back to her own mother and how she loved to push her buttons. There were times when she pushed a little too hard and that made Daisy snap back at her. There was a bit of back and forth, but in time they reconciled, and her mother avoided the touchy landmines that started the argument.


    Luke''s silence told her that he must have agreed with her sentiment.


    "I guess for a non-troublesome mom like Mrs. Ketchum, it must be hard to feel that way about her. You already forgave her but it seems like¡­you still haven''t given yourself the time to fully come to grips with whatever she''s done." Daisy concluded. "Knowing you and your penchant to being blunt, tiring about future work, and¡­caring for your family, you chose to prioritize Mrs. Ketchum''s feelings before your own."


    "¡­"


    "I might feel like crap for doing it later, but Pa tells me that it''s not a sin to feel mad and frustration at him and mom if they ticked me off. You have to feel your feelings, Luke, otherwise that baggage you''ll carry will grow to be come too much to process."


    "You think¡­" Luke scratched his head and tiredly sighed. "¡­time away from home would be enough time to process things?"


    Daisy raised an eyebrow at this. "That can work¡­"


    "¡­I''m heading to Johto for a month on April and coming back before the 30th? to do some training and traveling. You can join me if you want?"


    "¡­!" Daisy nearly let the forks she held clatter against the plates. She would have jumped at the chance for this opportunity. Grandpa had been tightlipped about the list of potential regions that Luke had wanted to go to for the next Circuit, so this would have been her chance.


    It would have¡­


    "Thanks, but¡­no thanks." Daisy reluctantly shook her head. "I have my own plans next month that I can''t cancel." She held up her index finger. "First, I''m about to join Mr. Willow on his expedition up Mt. Silver. I''m interested in seeing what he''s researching on the harsh environment''s effects on the species of pok¨¦mon there and how they differ to the same species in different locales in Kanto." Also, she wanted to train up some of her pok¨¦mon, she can admit that she''s been slacking with it after returning home like Luke.


    She then raised her middle finger to join the index finger. "Second, my family has a planned trip just before summer comes to go and visit our relatives in Johto."


    "Oh¡­" Luke slowly nodded.


    "Besides, I don''t think I should join you. This needs to be something that you go through by yourself if you want any closure for your feelings." Daisy explained.


    "¡­Huh, I-I can do that." Luke slowly nodded, some confidence coming back into his tone. "Y-Yeah, I guess that would have been the obvious thing to do, right?"


    Daisy rolled her eyes with a smile. "Pretty much. When you''re not being a lazy bum, you tend to overthink things. Good thing you have me around to knock some good old sense into you."


    Luke chuckled and crawled over to hand her something. "Yep, you''re right."


    "Hm?" She curiously looked at his hand and found white tulips in it. Those were perfect for the flower arrangement that she wanted to do, but she found herself more taken with the renewed smile on her friend''s face.


    "Thanks, Daisy." Luke happily closed his eyes and widened his smile.


    Relief flooded her as Daisy plucked the flowers from her friend''s hand. "Don''t mention it." She didn''t feel like she dispelled most of his worries, but it felt like it was enough to no longer hamper his heart. Now she can enjoy her time alone together with him. "I''ve got everything ready for lunch so we can put off the flower hunt for later. C''mon, I''ll prepare your plate first and-"


    "Ah, you were right Rio, this one really doesn''t match the one we saw earlier." Daisy and Luke jumped in fright and whipped around to spot their surprise third party.


    It was some boy around their age with a resting bitch face that gave Clair a run for her money, wearing the Xanadu Nursery''s brand apron, gardening gloves, and headscarf. His blue eyes quietly scanned the pair of them while an exasperated Lucario garbed in the same apron carried a proud looking Riolu holding a bundle of orchids in his paws. Next to them, an impatient Kirlia also garbed in the apron impatiently tapped their feet while telekinetically holding a¡­vibrating, dirt covered Pupitar in the air.


    It was an odd sight especially with the floating Pupitar, but Daisy assumed that this was the trainer that Florinda talked about. Still, she couldn''t help but wonder why this guy looked familiar to he-.


    Luke blinked in surprise as he seemed to recognize the new face. "Oh, Aaron? You''re still in town?" Aaaand of course Luke knew him. Daisy groaned, slowly scrounging her memories for whoever this guy was.


    "I am still lodging at the Pok¨¦mon Center and require currency, so yes." Daisy winced at how blunt the boy was. Although this did make remembering a little easier since she only knows a few people like that.


    "Right on¡­" Luke nodded and looked to the teen''s pok¨¦mon, particularly the Riolu in the Lucario''s arms. "Also, thanks for bringing Aurion back to me."


    Aaron shook his head and gestured for Lucario to hand off the pok¨¦mon to Luke. "Odd that you have a Riolu considering their rarity outside of Rota, but I will not pry. Besides, we came across it and had a little argument." Daisy happily fell into the background in order to realize who this guy was.


    "I hope it wasn''t too serious." Luke frowned, placing Riolu on his lap.


    Aaron blandly sighed. "It wasn''t. We searched for you to confirm whether you''re the culprit for the big portion of pok¨¦nip that was recently swiped today." That sounded like a serious deal to Daisy. "I saw an individual who looked exactly like you, but Rio dissuaded that notion, stating that your aura didn''t match the culprit. So, rest easy that we won''t report you to the Showers family and authorities."


    Wow, Daisy didn''t know if the guy was being apologetic or a dick with how he phrased that situation.


    "O-Oh, well thank you?" Luke seemed just as off put as her.


    "Why thank me when there was no need to suspect you in the first place?" Aaron curiously tilted his head before pausing and turning to his Lucario who grunted and shook their head. "My delivery of the news was not crude. I was precise an- why should I apologize for going the extra mile to help the Showers?"


    Ah, so Lucario was using Telepathy to communicate with their trainer. Neat.


    "Thanks for apparently defending my good name, Aurion." Luke patted the Emanation pok¨¦mon''s head.


    Aurion proudly beat his paw against his chest in pride. "Rio!"


    "Ahem, I apologize if my delivery of my report soured your good mood." Aaron begrudgingly bowed his head as his Lucario victoriously nodded his head (looks like the pok¨¦mon won the argument), and his Kirlia snickered at their trainer. "I noticed the deep color of desperation and sorrow from the true culprit and yourself just now and instantly made the comparison at first sight. Although now¡­your almost emitting the same colors that you had when we last battled."


    "I¡­okay, so I don''t really know how to respond to that." Luke sighed.


    "I was simply apologizing and stating an observation. It wasn''t an invitation to make conversation." Aaron closed his eyes and grunted in pain when his Lucario sternly bonked him on the head. "What?"


    Aaron shook it off before continuing much to Daisy''s displeasure and Luke''s awkward confusion. "Anyways, at least have faith in Miss Ketchum, Luke Ketchum."


    "What?" Luke blinked while Daisy bristled at the unmentioned admission that the boy eavesdropped on them. Even the Lucario at the boy''s side shook their head and facepalmed at this blunder, but Aaron just seemed to plow on through when getting his point across to Luke.


    "I won''t stop you from holding resentment since I''m the least qualified to preach on it. However, I can only provide facts as thanks for her providing me meals and the chance to battle you when I stumbled into town." Aaron began. "I''m no master at it and I doubt I''ll measure up to the prodigious psychics back¡­home." Aaron lowly growled to himself.


    "Wait, you''re a psychi-?" Luke jaw dropped.


    "But Rio has been helping me¡­understand what the colors I see represent for individual''s emotions. What I saw when your mom helped me prepare for our battle were deep shades of red and pink, love and adoration." Suddenly some bitterness laced Aaron''s tone. "It''s hard not to be envious of how much she cared to give you some stimulation in order to cheer you up. The relief that I see you start to feel dwarfed hers once she saw how ecstatic you were with our match."


    "¡­!" Luke gasped.


    Turning to leave, Aaron shook his head. "I do not know what Miss Ketchum has done to earn your ire nor do I have the right to say that she isn''t at fault. I can only tell you that, she cares and if you choose to take me for my word, know that you are lucky, Luke Ketchum. You are lucky." Lucario landed a paw on the boy''s shoulder while Kirlia gruffly patted his leg.


    "Right, I''m off to complete my work for today. Until we meet again, Luke Ketchum and Daisy Oak." Aaron trudged off with his pok¨¦mon in tow which left both Luke and Daisy stunned from the boy''s sudden appearance and exit.


    "S-So, you know him?" Daisy asked.


    "I should be asking you that." Luke sheepishly smiled.


    Slowly nodding, Daisy''s face scrunched up in realization. "Yeah, I¡­I think I may have met him before when I crossed paths with Joey in Fuchsia City. He''s¡­a bit¡­"


    "Rough around the edges?" Luke coined in.


    "Rough pretty much everywhere." Daisy groaned. "Sort of glad that he didn''t bring me into the conversation especially after listening in and butting into our conversation. Honestly, its not like you came to that conclusion on your own about Mrs. Ketchum loving you. Sounds like he''s obviously projecting something onto you."


    "I don''t know¡­" Luke shrugged with a sad smile. "I guess this is his own way of showing his concern."


    Daisy rolled her eyes. "If you say so¡­" She began to set up a plate for Aurion, hoping to salvage their lunch. "Now help me portion out some of the food for Aurion if he want to-"


    "DAISY!" And Florinda''s here¡­joy. Not that she would ever hate being in her shy friend''s presence, but she really just wanted to eat and enjoy some time together with Luke.


    "Oh, Florinda''s here now." Luke grinned.


    Daisy rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the astute observations, Captain Obvious." Daisy grumbled.


    Turning back to face her oncoming friend, Daisy sighed, "Hey, Rinda, you said you wanted to give something back to m-?"


    Daisy froze as Florinda stopped before her to hold out a plushy little Clefairy doll. Suddenly, Daisy''s mind screeched to a halt and her heart began to beat a few ticks faster than normal.


    "Y-Yeah, I keep reminding myself to give it back to you but never had the chance to. We used to joke about how I could toss it at pok¨¦mon to escape when we went on our journeys, but since I don''t have to worry about that¡­I wanted to give it back to you and¡­Daisy? Hey, are you okay?"


    ¡­


    ¡­


    "Daisy?" Luke exclaimed in concern, but neither his or Florinda''s voice reached her.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    She tried her best to take deep breaths.


    Deep, calm breaths.


    The plate and utensils that she held were dropped to the floor in favor of rubbing her shoulders, legs, and neck.


    She was fine.


    She could move, breath, and-and-!


    She quickly clamped her hands over her mouth, relieved that she still had one.


    There was no need to be scared. There''s no fake houses, other dolls screaming for help, or massive girls in dresses to toy with her like an object for their amusement.


    She was fine.


    Everything was fine.


    Blinking the bleariness out of her vision, Daisy took a deep breath and shook herself off. "Uh¡­I¡­" Daisy noticed the concerned looks of her friends and shakily smiled. "Sorry about that, I just¡­had a¡­bad thought. Yeah, just a bad thought popped up into my head." Daisy flinched before hesitantly reaching for the doll in Florinda''s hands and gently pushing it back to her friend''s chest. "You should keep it, I don''t really keep a collection of dolls anymore."


    After the circuit, she tossed all of them out. Even the ones her father had gotten her much to his sadness, but Daisy just couldn''t stand the sight of them anymore to feel sorry about it. Grandpa understood, but she knew keeping a secret from him about her experience in Saffron would be a fool''s errand, that went double for her grandmother.


    "O-Oh, are you sure?" Florinda stuttered in worry.


    "Y-Yup." Daisy sniffled and hated how shaken she was when she should be putting up a strong front.


    "Hey, Flo¡­" A reassuring hand clasped her shoulder as Florinda''s attention fell onto the other individual who shared in the same experience at Saffron City but made it through with a different conclusion to hers. "Why don''t you join us¡­I mean, after you put the doll away?"


    "O-O-Oh, o-okay!" Florinda quickly nodded and bowed her head. "Sorry if I did something to scare you!" Their friend quickly retreated, and Daisy wasn''t sure if she''d be quick to return to them. Still, she did get the chance to breath because of the opportunity that Luke afforded for her.


    "T-Thanks for that." Daisy sighed in relief. "And sorry for-."


    Luke shook his head and sighed. "Don''t. Not for that. Just take it easy, Aurion and I will set the food and get you what you need." He reassuringly smiled and nodded. "Just say the word."


    "Ri-Ri-Riolu!" Sensing her distress, Riolu quickly nodded and held up a large plate of berries over his little frame.


    How pathetic of her, she was supposed to help Luke with his baggage and now here she was getting cheered up in return because of a stupid doll. "O-Okay."


    Florinda did return to join them for lunch after profusely apologizing for whatever offense she made to send Daisy into a panic. Things cleared up between the girls and the picnic despite having one extra member was rather enjoyable with the company of another friend to join them. They talked about all manner of things like old classmates, class rumors, whereabouts on where their friends are now, and general grass-type pok¨¦mon debates.


    It was fun.


    Luke had fun and Daisy had fun.


    At the end of the day, that was all that mattered.


    They bid Florinda farewell once the day was close to ending, Aaron and his own pok¨¦mon left before they did much to Daisy''s relief and Luke''s disappointment. Honestly, she doesn''t know why Luke wanted to thank the guy for butting in to his business like that.


    Upon going down the trail to Pallet Town, Daisy remembered Zam''s advice chose to bring Luke back to her home. Well, Luke had insisted on walking her back, but curious to see how the Alakazam''s advice would turn out, she repressed the urge to shoo him away to avoid her mom dragging him into their family dinner.


    Approaching the front yard to her home, Luke frowned at the news that Daisy gave to him. "Don''t worry, I''ll slap some sense into Gary for you the next time he comes over to our house."


    "You really don''t have to do that, Luke. He''s just excited to learn from you is all." Daisy nervously rubbed her arm.


    "Tough." Luke shook his head and narrowed his eyes at the door to her home. "You''re just as skilled as I am as trainer. Getting to the finals is cool, but it''s mostly the luck of the draw when opponents are placed in their own brackets. I could have just as easily lost to my final''s opponent in the preliminaries while you could have made it to the Finals. You proved your stuff by making it to the quarterfinals and I''ll remind Gary about that by telling him to knock it off."


    "T-Thanks, Luke." Daisy blushed.


    Crossing his arms, Luke stoutly breathed through his nose and nodded. "Anytime." Soon his gruff demeanor fell, and a worried one marred his face. "Now¡­are you okay?"


    Knowing what he meant, Daisy nodded. "Yep." Her lips grew into a small smile as she chucked up a peace sign. "Nothing that a quick talk with Grandpa won''t fix."


    "Daisy¡­"


    "I''m fine, Luke. Don''t worry about me." Daisy tiredly giggled. "But what about you? Are you going to be, okay?"


    Scratching his neck, Luke shrugged. "I have my head on straight at least, but¡­you''ll be the first one to know when I come back."


    "Three days?" Daisy asked to confirm her friend''s departure date.


    "Three days." Luke nodded.


    "Then be sure to keep in touch and don''t go all dark on us like Joey." Daisy tittered.


    "I only promise to try."


    "Luke¡­" Daisy groaned.


    Raising his hands in surrender, Luke chuckled. "Kidding¡­ Just kidding."


    "Good." Daisy huffed then snorted and began to join him in his laughter. The cawing of Murkrow through the night sky of Pallet signified how late it was currently getting. It was about time to part ways.


    "See you later, Daisy." Luke waved goodbye, turning on his heel to leave.


    "Night¡­" Daisy quietly waved to him back. Then she paused and flinched upon realizing a certain psychic type''s instructions. "Oh, wait! Luke, catch!" Daisy stuffed her hand into her pocket, grabbed the miniaturized pok¨¦ball, and tossed it to her friend.


    "Catch what no-ow!" Daisy winced as the pokeball fell onto his head. "Ugh, overhand? Why throw it overhand?"


    "Sorry¡­!" Daisy squeaked out in apology. Ugh, hopefully Alakazam didn''t tell her to do this just to watch her die of embarrassment.


    Rubbing his head, Luke picked up the pokeball and curiously looked it over. "What is it?"


    Daisy shrugged. "No clue, but Gra-."


    "Say that <u>you</u> wanted to give it to him and that he should refer to Friend-Trainer the next morning."


    Daisy did her best not to flinch at Zam''s sudden intrusive telepathic link. She questioned the Alakazam''s intentions, but felt like she was already this far deep in so what could hurt by following along. "I mean, I wanted to give it to you today, but I recommend you go talk to grandpa tomorrow when you have the chance."


    She smiled as brightly as she could, hoping that it would mask her befuddlement with this current scenario.


    "Okay, that''s weird¡­" Enlarging the pokeball, Luke bitterly smiled. "Well, I''ll gladly receive a pok¨¦mon from you over some others any day." Activating the release function of the device, in a flash of light, a rather odd and unfamiliar pok¨¦mon emerged with a blank and curious look.


    "Gib?" It was small with a row of sharp teeth that gave even a Sharpedo a run for its money along with a shark fin. Yet despite that, it certainly didn''t look like a pok¨¦mon that belonged in the water.


    "What pok¨¦mon is that?" Unaware of Luke''s stiffened form, Daisy pulled out her pok¨¦dex and scanned the little pok¨¦mon.


    ["Unknown. There is no known data on the detected species of pok¨¦mon. There are still pok¨¦mon yet to be identified."]


    Daisy reeled back at the reading. "A pok¨¦mon not even known by either the local or regional database?"


    Just what kind of pok¨¦mon was grandpa about to give, Lu-?


    Daisy never did get to finish that thought nor did the unknown pok¨¦mon get to gain some bearing of their current surroundings. Like an Ekans in the grass, Luke''s hand snapped to swiftly return the confused pok¨¦mon as he bodily ran up to give Daisy the tightest hug that she''s ever been given by her friend.


    "W-What? Luke, what''s up with you all of a sud-!?"


    *CHU!*


    Daisy immediately stopped thinking and slapped her hand against the cheek that just got pecked in silent astonishment.


    "¡­Thank you!" She received one last bone crushing hug before Luke ran off laughing and hollering like a mad man.


    While Daisy remained in place, holding one of her reddening cheeks with her jaw slowly dropping.


    "D-Did¡­? Did that really-?" She stopped short each time, trying to compute what exactly had happened. It wasn''t until late at night after weathering more of her mother''s teasing and answering her grandfather''s concerned questions about a missing pok¨¦mon that she realized who was exactly the source of that¡­miracle.


    <hr>


    (POV: Third Person)


    <hr>


    "Hmhmhmhmhm~! Do you want me to make you more coffee, Zam?"


    "Ala-Ala-Alakazam!"


    "Ah, we''re all out of coffee biscuits! Wait right there, I''ll go bake some for you right now~!"


    "Zam! Alakazam!"


    The youngest in the Oak household watched as his elder sister bend backwards for his grandfather''s psychic type. Gary had never seen Daisy act so charitable and sweet. She didn''t even get on his case to clean up his room or to go wash the dishes since today was his turn. No, she volunteered to do all of that with a flipping smile.


    It was so weird!


    What in the heck was going on!?


    "Hmph!"


    "Dad, why are you pouting?" Cyan, the patriarch of the household stumbled into the dining room with a cup of joe. He tiredly regarded Samuel Oak, who was currently trying to bury his face in the morning newspaper.


    "Grumble¡­grumble¡­trifling Alakazam¡­grumble¡­grumble¡­stealing my credit¡­grumble¡­grumble¡­plotting revenge¡­grumble¡­grumble¡­"


    "Well, it looks like its going to be one of those days, huh?" Cyan tiredly turned to his wife who walked in with a tray full of delicious smelling pancakes.


    "Ufufufu, it would seem so." Willow giggled.


    Watching everything play out, Gary could only wonder aloud as his sister brought out another fresh pot of black coffee to fill Zam''s half-full mug, "What happened last night?"


    Managing to hear this, Daisy slowly turned her head around to Gary, freaking him out further in the process, and held a finger to her lips, "Secret~!"


    "Sis, you''re scaring me¡­!" Gary whimpered.


    <hr>


    (POV: Luke Ketchum)


    <hr>


    [Three Days Later]


    <hr>


    "So, this is the border, huh?" The hot sun beat against our forms as we stood before the large building/wall that separated Kanto from it''s sister region. The tall walls were rigid and cracked with bits of graffiti spray painted on them consisting of derogatory messages of Johto and its citizens.


    I surmised that crossing to the other side will have the same negative messages for Kanto. Joy. Well, it was good to at least have a preview for what I might face upon stepping onto Johto soil.


    "You ready to cross into the Land of Heart and Soul, pal?" I turned to my best friend and starter.


    With a low grumbling growl, Asch happily nodded and turned to look up into the sky just past the intimidating border''s walls.


    "Great." I nodded then looked off to the side. My thoughts of home began to cloud my mind before I shook them off and focused on Daisy''s words. "Just gotta feel my feelings, yeah?" Deeply inhaling, I smacked both of my cheeks and psyched myself up. "Okay, I can do that!" I took a deep breath and cracked my knuckles.


    "Now then let''s get back into the grind, shall we?"

 Chapter 20

    Traversal between regions has been a constant back and forth between Kanto and Johto ever since the Indigo League¡¯s conception. Ordinary citizens or trainers seeking to traverse to Johto as ordinary tourists were frankly allowed to fly and drive between the nations with no worries. Although they did have to be inspected at checkpoints for obvious safety precautions. Now for actual trainers participating in the Gym Circuits, well, you¡¯re required to check into through the Pok¨¦mon League¡¯s Border for your first cross-regional trip.


    The government has to have proof that you¡¯re eligible to travel between the two regions.


    This saves everyone a headache because, yeah, you could simply fly over to Johto, but if you get in trouble over with the foreign region¡¯s authorities and Pok¨¦mon Rangers, and you aren¡¯t written in the system to have permission to be in said region then you¡¯re automatically <u>blackmarked</u>. For this huge penalty, you can¡¯t participate in the region¡¯s Gym Circuit, be free to travel the region without an assigned representative from the League to watch your every move, and you were just flat out banned from catching that region¡¯s pok¨¦mon.


    Kanto and Johto are VERY sensitive about this law in regard to foreign elements especially after the wars. Makes me wonder how mixed the public felt about Reggie; he had to have been given permission from the Indigo League to even come participate in the conference, but his presence was kept a secret to the greater public until the end point of last year¡¯s circuit.


    Anyways, this way the League can at least know that if something turns up and you were in the middle of some deep shit and you¡¯re allowed to be in the region when said shit hits the fan then you¡¯re less likely to be in massive trouble, only big trouble. Now of course, this was the cynical adult way to view the law, but it also helps to weed out trainers who are strong or capable enough to be allowed entry to cross the regions.


    The Indigo League was meant to unify the regions together and so should something tragic occur to a trainer born in a region that was not their own, then fingers will point and blame the region that ¡°allowed¡± it to happen.


    So, to avoid regional disputes, the League implemented the Badge Verification Procedure to shift out trainers who were strong and competent enough to hopefully not die and stir up trouble in different regions.


    For this year, the law states that you¡¯d need a total of 5 Major Gym badges or 8 Minor Gym badges to be eligible to cross the regions. The big wigs in our League are constantly arguing about what a solid minimum of badges are required for a trainer to gain permission since last year required 4 Major Gym badges or 6 Minor Gym badges.


    This current year has made the League stricter on trainers, but I wasn¡¯t too shocked to be honest. A good chunk of the trainers who are my age tend to be reckless, poorly taught and informed, or simply too childish that they¡¯d bring trouble onto themselves and unfortunately can¡¯t be pulled out of them.


    Anyways, back to badges, and there is of course a combination of ways to pass if you have both Major and Minor Gym badges. I won¡¯t go over them at all because I already have 8 major ones and won¡¯t ever have to sweat the details.


    Entering into the air-conditioned lobby of the border, I walked past the imposing guards blocking the doors and took a ticket from the ticket machine before sitting down on one of the torn cushioned chairs of the waiting room. Sadly, I had to be deprived of my starter¡¯s presence since the guard¡¯s heavily ¡°suggested¡± that pok¨¦mon weren¡¯t allowed out of their pok¨¦balls on League property. I didn¡¯t fault the guards for trying to intimidate me due to how stressful their jobs are and complied with their ¡°suggestions¡±.


    And so, I did the normal thing and sucked myself into my cellphone to check all of my messages or read through any internet posts. My phone blew up the moment I flew out of Pallet Town after saying my goodbyes to Mom, Ash, Prof. Oak, Daisy, her family and Mr. Grouse. Word really got around fast in such a small town, so responding to each and every person¡¯s message was the perfect pass time to wait to be called up.


    It also allowed me the chance to mentally go over everything that had happened these following three days.


    Prof. Oak declaring war against his smug Alakazam was just hilarious after hearing the true story from the grandfatherly old man. Still, I was glad to see Daisy all cheery despite Gary being freaked out by it. It may have been a spur of the moment act that drove me to kiss her cheek, but I definitely don¡¯t regret doing it because it only felt appropriate after acquiring a Gible.


    Yes, you heard right, I finally got myself a freaking GIBLE. I never thought the day would come so early. I¡¯d made peace with myself that I¡¯d probably have to wait a couple of years until regions like Sinnoh or Kalos opened their borders to us. The grin I kept on my face throughout the three days of preparation for this quick journey made my face hurt.


    Professor Oak filled me in about one of the regions that I wanted to visit replying back to his ¡°requests¡± and that Gible would act as a confirmation and ¡°apology¡± from the regional professor who vouched for me to their League in order for me to join their Gym Circuit. Although I had no way to pinpoint which region this was just from getting Gible alone, I had to agree that the land shark pok¨¦mon served as a suffice apology gift for the lack of time I¡¯ll have to stay in their region.


    Four months. It was already tough that Prof. Oak wouldn¡¯t share the region¡¯s identity, but now I¡¯m expected to tackle their Gym Challenge, train up my pok¨¦mon, see if I can catch new pok¨¦mon, and enjoy the sights of new lands in such a short time span.


    I literally killed myself just to get my team ready for our first conference in just nine months so now I¡¯ll have that much stress on myself when the time comes. When that time comes, I have no clue since Prof. Oak will tell me more about my future plans when I¡¯m done with my business with Clair.


    Ah, yeah, news of my battle with Clair spread like wildfire amongst Pallet Town. It was such a headache and the cause of it was because of my brother. Even though things were a little awkward with mom (it was mostly me, but she was smart enough to notice), she still promised not to spread the news around. Ash on the other hand did promise not to tell everyone, but he mentioned that Gary and Blossom weren¡¯t everyone, so he blabbed about it to his best friends.


    Then his best friends began to spread the rumors to their friends, then those friends told the rumors to their families, then their families spread the rumors around town just to hammer in that last nail in the coffin. Now, everyone knows about my match with Clair and apparently, they were already preparing an event surrounding the battle.


    Ugh, once I heard that Granny Masae was going to be our DJ/Announcer, I just gave up any hope that this match would ever be a private arrangement.


    And it was because of Ash¡¯s big mouth and the atrocity that he exacted upon my new Gible that I shed no tears and happily laughed as I tossed a mysterious stuffed duffel bag next to my backpack down the house¡¯s hall and shook off his attempts to join me on my journey. I promised myself to at least bring him back a souvenir since I have the right to tease my brother and spoil him afterward.


    Also, I left Sparrow and Kamina to resume watching over him and mom. If I ever needed either of them, I¡¯ll just leave the other to remain in Pallet Town.


    Yep, I gave my farewells to everyone and visited...dad¡¯s grave one more time before departing. Putting my backpack on my lap, I pulled out a hard, faded leather journal. The clasp keeping the stuffed booklet together seemed so flimsy and easy to pull apart yet each time I tried my hands could never dredge up the strength to go through with it.


    I don¡¯t know what compelled me to ask mom for it, but now I feel like a dumbass for carrying a good part of my stress with me. Shaking my head, I stuffed it back in and focused on replying to each text just to get my mind off of it.


    Not yet.


    J-Just not yet.


    Right now, I needed to just focus on me, training up my group of 4 beginner tier pok¨¦mon, challenge Asch and myself at Charicific Valley, and prepare for my duel with the Dragon Tamer.


    Currently, my team composition only has room for two of my experienced pok¨¦mon. I wasn¡¯t going to be like Ash from the cartoons/anime where I¡¯d just go to a new region with only one pok¨¦mon to defend myself. The world, despite being wonderful, isn¡¯t kind to the weak and unprepared. Paranoia was my friend and I¡¯d rather it stuck around than be blindsided by something I could have been ready for.


    Today was March 24, and I had 38 days until April 30th to prepare my team of experienced pok¨¦mon for the battle. Thrill and dread warred in my being as I could only imagine what Clair was cooking up for our battle. Facing a Dragon Tamer like her who was arrogantly assured of her victory made for an easy battle to plan for. Now though? I¡¯ll have to be super careful not to grow lax since she¡¯s actively planning to tear me apart and will refuse to ever underestimate me again.


    It¡¯s going to be such a blast to see what she¡¯ll throw at me!


    ¡°O-Ouch¡­¡± I tried to pinch my lips downwards to avoid further straining my face with a stupid smile that kept refusing to go down.


    Suddenly, an intercom echoed the yawn of a woman¡¯s voice throughout the waiting room. [¡°Calling number 47 to Desk 4. Again, calling number 47 to Desk 4.¡±]


    Double checking my number, I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± Grabbing the handle of my backpack off of the seat next to me, I strode over and passed 3 out of the other 15 desks who were attending to various trainers like me. Some of the League Workers were human and others were Kadabra and a single Metagross which conducted business for Desks 12 through 15 all at the same time.


    The League Worker who I was assigned to was just your average human. Like the drab and dreary atmosphere of the border, the work seemed like the kind of like those over worked office workers from my old life. She was quick and, on the dot, when I strode over to her desk and informed her of my intent to travel through Johto.


    She requested my Trainer¡¯s license, my badges, and asked some personal questions to verify if I really am who I was.


    ¡°A-Actually, I just go by Luke Ketchum.¡± I coughed in my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for what you go by, sir. Now is your legal name Lucas Delilah Ketchum or not?¡± She bluntly groaned and tiredly blinked before holding up some files with my License.


    ¡°*SIGH!* It is¡­¡± I dropped my head, unwilling to argue about it much to the amusement of the trainer at the desk beside me.


    The process to be given permission took exactly 15 minutes to complete. It was awkward just standing around as the worker quietly worked, but it all became worth it once she gave me verbal confirmation that I was permitted to go. Although I was distressed then confused once she shredded my old Trainer¡¯s license in favor of a new one.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡± I blinked, observing my now Silver Star License.


    ¡°Our records state that you haven¡¯t been to a League site¡­ever.¡± The worker narrowed her eyes at her computer screen and read out the content on it. ¡°We¡¯ve been sending messages to your emails to remind you that you eligible to a promotion to the Intermediate tier after you earned the Rainbow badge and a promotion to the Advanced tier after you earned the Earth badge.¡± I nearly scowled at the mention of that badge. When I was recovering after the fiasco at Viridian Gym, the League workers who brought it over had stated that Giovanni requested that I be given it.


    At first, I thought it was a sign that the bastard knew where we stood after Mewtwo gave him that mental warning before blowing the Gym up.


    But now knowing the context of everything¡­


    Nope. This is me time. I¡¯m not about to let the thought of that bastard ruin my good mood.


    ¡°Was there an excuse for your refusal to visit one of our sites?¡± The lady asked and for once I was glad to be sheepish and forget my dark thoughts.


    ¡°Uh¡­I was too caught up in training for the Conference to check.¡± Which was the truth. I mostly ignored the League¡¯s emails that weren¡¯t important due to all of the political messages and campaigns for the regional government and the Kantonian local governments.


    With an exaggerated eye roll, the League worker shook her head. ¡°¡­Kids.¡± She tiredly huffed then pointed at my License. ¡°Well, congratulations. You can walk proudly and state that you¡¯re officially an Expert tier trainer.¡±


    ¡°Wait, expert? But I thought that-?¡± Ah, her hand was now in my face.


    ¡°Our records report that you participated and entered the Finals in last year¡¯s conference. Any who reach that far are considered for a pending promotion until a League Official has inspected and verified the strength of your overall team.¡± I blinked, wondering when that had happened, but her hand still remained in my face. ¡°Professors acknowledged by the League can take the place of authorized League Officials when inspecting the pok¨¦mon of their sponsored trainers.¡±


    Huh, that makes a lot of sense. Also, I¡¯ll have to figure out a way to thank the professor for this, my future circuit in another region, and Gible. Hm, I already have that Aerodactyl egg from the Blackthorns coming soon along with the other three, but even that seemed insufficient as a proper gift of gratitude.


    Hm, maybe I¡¯ll cash in that favor from Flint and see if I can get one of the prehistoric pok¨¦mon from him since I technically still lacked a rock type pok¨¦mon on my team. Still, that was going to be a far-off objective since I¡¯m barely starting a training regimen for 4 beginner tier pok¨¦mon.


    Once my paperwork was sorted out and I had to sign a few documents to confirm that I was me, the League worker shooed me away and called up the next person in the que.


    With nothing to hold me back, I excitedly ran for the opposite exit/entrance of the border and emerged outside onto Route 26. Walking past the air-conditioned doors of the building, I took in the road ahead with a deep breath and marveled at the mountainous walls that framed the rough wilderness in betwixt it all. The border¡¯s building was built on an incline, so the descending trail ahead allowed me a perfect view of the land, bridges, and even the ocean past it.


    ¡°Asch, I choose you!¡± I said, releasing my Charizard by my side. Asch emerged with a light snort and curiously scanned our surroundings before happily growling at me. I smiled at him. ¡°Sorry for the wait.¡± I said while delicately rubbing my hand along the other five pok¨¦balls on my belt.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start with¡­Aurion!¡± My new Riolu popped out of his pok¨¦ball on one knee with his head bowed deferentially to me, much to my exasperation. I clicked my tongue and wagged my finger while Asch chuffed at us.


    ¡°Aurion, for the last time. Please don¡¯t prostrate yourself to me¡­¡± I groaned. Then I groaned even louder once the steadfast Riolu stubbornly shook his head. ¡°Ugh, I¡­¡± I covered my face with one hand and shook my head. ¡°Okay, as of today, we¡¯re going to begin you and the other three¡¯s training through Route 26 and 27. These next day or two will be spent giving you all a feel for battle before using the remaining five days to move to other locales in Johto where I can find other suitable areas for you all to train and battle in.¡± Then after that was Charicific Valley. ¡°However, I think I already have a good idea of what style fits you best.¡±


    Riolu quickly stood up, pointed at me, and resolutely nodded.


    ¡°What?¡± I blinked then turned to Asch who shrugged. I then concluded after contextualizing my past interactions with my newest pok¨¦mon. ¡°Riolu, I have an idea but I¡¯m fine if you come across any others that you like or if you find my hypothetical battle style not to your-.¡± And he¡¯s shaking his head again. Nice.


    I just chose to give up on convincing the little thing.


    On the night when I received him and he popped out of that pok¨¦ball, I was surprised and very suspicious of what Giovanni¡¯s intentions were. Then the next day, I realized just how clingy and loyal the pok¨¦mon was. He wasn¡¯t emaciated, going through trauma, or lashing at any humans which were the typical signs of abuse that rescued Team Rocket pok¨¦mon usually exhibited.


    Aurion was a well-cared for and trained pok¨¦mon albeit trained a little too well in his behavior over anything physical.


    He was just too dutiful and quick to defer all judgement to me. It was a little unnerving for me to have a pok¨¦mon so young act this way.


    ¡°¡­Fine. For now, let¡¯s just walk down the route and see if we can find some wild pok¨¦mon to battle.¡± I chuckled as Riolu excitedly pounded a fist into their paw. There were a couple of trainers that we passed by, but I decided not to even bother them.


    Route 26 was already a rough path where only Advanced and Intermediate trainers could train before heading for either the Indigo Plateau, the border to cross over to Kanto, or traverse up the treacherous Mt. Silver Range. This place was like a watered-down pre-victory road, so the trainers and wild pok¨¦mon had to be quite strong but not too outrageously powerful.


    I wanted my newbies to at least have a chance when fighting upwards and just as luck would have it, a stray Sandshrew burst through the field of sandy tall grass that framed the trail.


    It blocked our path and began to rub its claws together as it took Aurion and I in.


    ¡°S-Shrew!?¡± Then it froze in fright upon noticing Asch but before it could flee my Charizard stepped back and happily waved his claws at Aurion in a polite ¡°go on¡± manner.


    It seemed skeptical at first but as it felt no hostility from the larger pok¨¦mon, it immediately curled itself up into a ball and came barreling right after Aurion.


    ¡°Endure then try to catch it!¡± Riolu hardened every muscle in their body to guard the oncoming Rollout, but Sandshrew surprisingly bounced midroll, uncurled itself in the air and lunged their sharpened claws to thrust into Riolu. ¡°Counter!¡±


    Startled, Riolu barely had time to change moves before getting assailed by a combo of scratches. Tch, he¡¯s still new and hasn¡¯t been trained for that yet, I should have told him to dodge! ¡°Meet its Fury Swipes back with Metal Claw!¡±


    Riolu growled and hissed through the cuts to counter back with his own steel type enhanced claws. The two pok¨¦mon kept swiping at each other, either dodging or taking a hit until one of them pulled away. I worried once Riolu started flagging but luck was on his side once he landed a nasty Metal Claw to the Sandshrew¡¯s face.


    The ground type staggered backwards in retreat, giving us an opening. ¡°Quick Attack!¡± Riolu forced the Sandshrew further backwards with an accelerated full body tackle. Despite recoiling from the damage, the Sandshrew uses the momentum of its fall to curl back up into a ball, spin about in place, and use Rollout to slam its body across Riolu¡¯s face.


    ¡°Darn it! Are you okay, Riolu!?¡± My pok¨¦mon staggered back and on shaky legs tried to nod, but unfortunately the wild Sandshrew behind him did not waste time to circle back and try for another Rollout.


    ¡°Then I¡¯m going to need you to use Quick Attack backwards and use Metal Claw to latch onto Sandshrew!¡± And without missing a beat or getting befuddled by the specific command, Riolu threw himself into executing a backwards Quick Attack albeit with a slight stumble.


    Meeting Sandshrew¡¯s Rollout halfway, the opposing pok¨¦mon bounced up and began to pounce the Riolu, but thanks to Riolu either reading my command¡¯s hidden intention or his creeping exhaustion kicking in, his body fell back with the Sandshrew sailing over his head.


    The Mouse Pok¨¦mon¡¯s eyes widened before they pinched themselves closed once Riolu¡¯s Metal Claws dug into his exposed, soft underbelly in mid-air. Now we had him right where we wanted him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let go! Keep slamming it to the ground until it¡¯s too tired to move!¡± Riolu complied and dug his claws deeper into the Sandshrew¡¯s sides, getting a pained whine from it before haphazardly body slamming the pok¨¦mon in front of him as many times as he could before exhaustion hit.


    Luckily by the time Aurion¡¯s arms tired, the Sandshrew had already fainted.


    ¡°SLAAASH!¡±


    Unfortunately, before we could celebrate a big scarred Sandslash, it¡¯s mother, popped out of the tall grass to assail Aurion. The Riolu did it¡¯s best to employ a last second endure to tank the mature pok¨¦mon¡¯s surprise Slash attack but now he was on his last leg and couldn¡¯t dredge up the strength to dodge the other Slash.


    ¡°S-Slash?¡± The wild pok¨¦mon¡¯s claw doesn¡¯t move further as its claws were a mere inch from skewering Riolu¡¯s chest. That was because my Starter chose now to step in. The Sandslash hissed and tried to use her free arm to scratch at Asch, but again, the Charizard caught it with ease. Struggling and flailing to be released, the Sandslash looked for any form of escape it could just to escape Asch¡¯s grip.


    Leaning in, Asch intensely stared off with the Sandslash who¡¯s defiance slowly began to crack once faced with Asch¡¯s ¡°Mean Look¡±. It froze when Asch quickly snapped his claws back to the end of one of his wings that was curled upwards and pulled it right back to thrust into the face of the Sandslash¡­a clawful of Sitrus berries.


    Heh, he must have snuck some out of my bag.


    ¡°S-Slash?¡± The wild pok¨¦mon was befuddled as my Charizard gave her a wide smile and urged the Sandslash to take them much to the mother pok¨¦mon¡¯s confusion.


    Walking up to join them as I knelt down to spray a bottle of Hyper Potion onto Riolu¡¯s wounds. ¡°Sorry about hurting your child, Sandslash. We¡¯re just out here training, so please take these berries as an apology on our behalf.¡± I deeply bowed my head with Asch. Aurion tiredly tried to copy me, but I tapped him on the nose and gestured for him to lay down and rest.


    Thankfully the Sandslash was happy to comply than to face my fully grown starter. They stashed their berries away, plopped their unconscious spawn onto their spiked back (Sandshrew are tough so the spikes wouldn¡¯t hurt it), then vanished into the tall grass¡¯s brush.


    I whistled then turned to smile at Asch. ¡°Jolly good diplomacy, my good man.¡± Asch mock saluted which earned a good laugh from me and Aurion. Turning to my newer pok¨¦mon, I plopped him onto my upraised knee and nodded. ¡°Good work. For your first battle, you performed better than expected.¡±


    ¡°Ri¡­¡± Riolu frowned and looked to the ground.


    ¡°Nope. None of that, fella.¡± I patted the small guy¡¯s back. ¡°You defeated an admittedly strong Sandshrew. This road is filled with strong pok¨¦mon that test stronger trainers on their way to the Big Leagues of the region, so even a baby pok¨¦mon like that is quite strong especially for a Beginner tier like you.¡±


    I¡¯d have to rate that Sandshrew as a low Intermediate tier pok¨¦mon while mother Sandslash was definitely an Advanced tier pok¨¦mon. ¡°However, the Sandslash was already out of your league so don¡¯t beat yourself up over it.¡±


    My smile fell. ¡°But I hope this gives you an idea of how powerful the pok¨¦mon on this route really are. You and the others will be battling more pok¨¦mon like that and I don¡¯t expect you to win every time. This is meant to give you experience and help you grow. Remember: Pursue growth, not victory.¡±


    Riolu barked and quickly nodded his head before wincing in pain.


    ¡°Welp, I guess that first battle was a little much for you, bud. Back in the ball you go.¡± I chuckled and ignored the small pok¨¦mon¡¯s whining to return him back into his pok¨¦ball. ¡°That¡¯s the first one down.¡± I patted my legs and turned to Asch. ¡°The second one is¡­going to be a lot of work. Get ready.¡±


    Asch nodded with some exasperation to match my own.


    ¡°Yogi, I choose you!¡±


    As a former wild pok¨¦mon, it was super apparent to see the signs from Yogi¡¯s behavior. The little cub just loved to eat and hoard any food that he could get his grubby little paws on. When I introduced the new pok¨¦mon to my old team at the Sanctuary, he was quick to behave and defer himself to the bigger and stronger pok¨¦mon. His cute looks made it easy to Charm others into letting their guard down before he pounced to suck their food supplies down.


    So, after giving Yogi the same rundown that I presented to Aurion, I was immediately hit with the Baby Doll Eyes + Charm combo from the baby pok¨¦mon. It was still ineffective, but I rated it a measly 4 out of ten for effort much to Yogi¡¯s annoyance.


    He behaved when under Asch¡¯s vigil watch and had even tried to schmooze up to my starter with lack luster results. Asch was already in the know about Yogi¡¯s antics through observing him at, so Yogi¡¯s Charm was basically worthless.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t too disobedient since he listened well enough to my commands and was enthused to enter a battle when a Raticate appeared. It¡¯s just that he¡¯d choose satisfying his hunger overpaying attention to me when in the midst of a battle.


    Breaking off a charge, Yogi stops in his tracks and narrowly avoids a Hyper Fang just to sniff at the air. ¡°Huh, Yogi?¡± I watched anxiously as the Teddiursa stiffened and smirked to himself before abandoning the battle altogether to run through the tall grass.


    Asch, the wild Raticate, and I were floored by this. ¡°Yogi? Yogi! Where are you going!? Your opponent was right in front of you!¡± It was an awkward 30 seconds with the Raticate debating whether or not to try and start a fight with Asch (it seemed super reluctant to try) or run away. Then Yogi popped out of the bushes with his arms full of berries and pilfered half-eaten snacks.


    The little cub snickered and rushed over to us to hide behind Asch who was just as floored by the Teddiursa¡¯s behavior as me. The Wild Raticate froze before angrily screeching to the sky. Ah, now there was a whole pack of Rattata and Raticate pursuing us from the tall grass.


    Welp that¡¯s just great, and a happy coincidence that the Raticate we were battling was foraging for their nest.


    I chucked a pok¨¦ball at the incoming stampede. ¡°Rain Dance into Surf!¡± Popping out, Leonardo followed my command immediately and materialized a slapdash black raincloud onto the angered wild pok¨¦mon before washing them all away with a tidal wave of water.


    The attack did enough damage that it wiped out a good chunk of the enemy, but most were starting to catch their second wind, hissing defiantly at us. My eyes widened as I detected faint signs of electricity starting to build up around a few of the Raticate in question.


    ¡°Thunderbolt, seriously!?¡± I¡¯d be impressed with how these wild pok¨¦mon were able to grow and learn from the trainers that pass through here, but I certainly didn¡¯t want to get blasted with a Rain Dance enhanced electric type move. ¡°Freeze them!¡±


    ¡°Squirt-Squirtle!¡± With a concentrated beam of ice type energy, Leonardo flicked their heads across the entire row of washed up pok¨¦mon. The process of freezing them came easier with Surf and Rain Dance drenching each rat pok¨¦mon.


    Admiring the multiple Rattata and Raticate popsicles, I knelt down to rub Leo¡¯s head and congratulate his good work before rounding on Yogi. In sync with me, Asch had already plucked the little cub pok¨¦mon by the scruff of their neck and held him out to my face.


    ¡°U-Ursa?¡± Yogi nervously laughed before limply dropping their stolen berries to the ground in defeat.


    ¡°So much trouble.¡± I didn¡¯t need to speak pok¨¦mon to know what he just asked.


    To apologize to the Raticate and Rattata, we left them their stolen food and I happily gave them half of Yogi¡¯s portioned meal for tonight as his punishment for running off in the middle of the battle and knowingly bringing danger to us just to sate his hunger. I ignored the little cub¡¯s whining and Totodile tears before returning him to his pok¨¦ball.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be upping his training when it¡¯s time to set up camp.¡± Asch nodded while Leo awkwardly laughed and rubbed his smooth his head. Traversing down the route for over 5 hours, I used Leonardo to battle any wild pok¨¦mon that challenged us. He was more than sufficient with dispatching a majority of them albeit with only one standing out being a tenacious Dodrio.


    Just as the sun began to set, we were almost near the halfway point of reaching Route 27 near the seaside. We had just needed to cross the two bridges, but I had wanted us to slow down and make camp before we continued.


    Also, I wanted to do battle with my newest pok¨¦mon just as an Arbok tried and failed to snap their jaws at a vigilant Leonardo from the tall bushes that littered the route¡¯s tough forestry.


    ¡°Typhon, I choose you!¡± My Gible (dear god it feels wonderful to say that) popped out with a curious blink of their eyes. They looked around at the darkening forest before raising their gaze upon the encroaching large Arbok trying to intimidate him.


    ¡°Gib?¡± Confused, he tilted his at the wild pok¨¦mon.


    ¡°Alright, Typhon, it¡¯s time to show what your made of!¡±


    ¡°Gible?¡± Gible looked back over their shoulder and looked me in the eye to point at himself as if to say ¡°who, me?¡±. My earlier excitement began to dwindle as dread soon crept up into my heart.


    ¡°Y-Yeah, Typhon. I¡¯m talking t-to you!¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°Gib-Gible.¡± He blankly shook his head.


    O-Okay, so he doesn¡¯t like the name Typhon, I can work with that. ¡°Then how about Toothless?¡±


    ¡°Gib-Gible.¡± He blankly shook his head again. Gah, okay then how about¡­?


    ¡°Jaws?¡±


    ¡°Gib-Gible.¡± Shit.


    ¡°Orion?¡±


    ¡°Gib-Gible.¡± Gagh!


    ¡°D-Draco?¡±


    ¡°Gib-Gible.¡±


    ¡­


    I took a deep breath and felt myself die a little inside.


    I really had no choice but to use the name that Ash gave him, huh? That one night I brought him over after my day out with Daisy, and Ash just had to ruin everything. Mom made us some of her famous desserts that Gible absolutely adored and Ash being the stupid goober that he was, took it upon himself to name Gible after said dessert.


    I-It was just¡­ugh¡­!


    ¡°Custard¡­¡± I bit out and Gible listened raptly. Once Ash suggested it, it was near impossible to convince a name change to Gible after that. The little guy loved it more than any other name that I can think of. ¡°Let¡¯s show off what your made of.¡± I said, lacking the upbeat energy that I had earlier.


    ¡°Gible!¡± And with pride, Gible roared (well it was a cute growl) and dug into the ground to dodge the Arbok silently inching toward him to execute a Crunch.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    The land shark pok¨¦mon lived up to his species¡¯ name and burrowed through the ground around the surprised Arbok¡¯s form, only to pop up just beneath it and throw its entire body up into a devastating Rock Smash.


    My jaw nearly hit the floor. The moment I heard that loud *Crack!* of Gible¡¯s fist against the Arbok¡¯s jaw, I knew that the battle was already over. Landing, Gib-Custard took in his fallen foe, nodded, then opened his jaws to perform a Dragon breath. ¡°Wait, Custard, no! You won!¡± I snapped my hand to return the little guy before he did too much damage to the fainted pok¨¦mon.


    Releasing him, I congratulated him for winning his first battle but told him off about learning when enough was enough when a foe has fallen. Didn¡¯t want him accidentally fatally wounding or killing a trainer¡¯s pok¨¦mon if he¡¯s already packing this much raw power to topple an Intermediate tier pok¨¦mon like Arbok. The Gible all but blinked and nodded at me with that self-same blank expression of his.


    Whether he was actually listening or was just nodding along like my simple-minded Tangrowth, I had no clue. All I knew was that he was going to be working with Asch to extensively train his move set and learn proper control.


    With that last battle over, I decided to give the fallen Arbok some treatment with a potion to ease the pain of their swollen jaw and left them some berries as thanks.


    We moved a bit further from the fallen pok¨¦mon¡¯s location to ensure it would track us and found ourselves the perfect forest clearing to set up camp. One nod to Asch and Leonardo was all it took to have them separate our 4 new party members into two separate groups to train while I prepared their dinner.


    Teddiursa tried to be slick by sticking close to me as bring out the food, but Asch immediately snagged the scruff of the cub¡¯s neck in his jaw before picking up an unphased Gible and curious Fafnir in his arms to take to their end of the clearing.


    On the other end of the clearing was Leonardo who was gladly leading Riolu in one direction while putting effort in puffing out his chest and looking as serious as Kamina to the party member. I chuckled at the display since it clearly was confusing Aurion with how to interact with the small Squirtle.


    Asch was tasked with supervising and instructing Fafnir, Yogi, and Custard while Leonardo was to focus on mentoring Aurion. My Starter could bear the load of three newbies while Leonardo couldn¡¯t, which isn¡¯t a bad thing since he¡¯s still quite inexperienced compared to my more experienced team. Asch had the strength, bulk, and patience to deal with Yogi and Custard while Leo was a work in progress.


    Kamina was my initial pick to bring along after I revealed the direction that I wanted to take with Aurion¡¯s training, but the Scizor had recommended Leonardo in his place. I happen to guess that he wanted to push the Squirtle into a teaching role to better his growth and training.


    So far it seems to be working. The Squirtle was already heeding my general training plan by practicing Move Shifts with Riolu. He demonstrated with a quick change from a standard Withdraw and Aqua Jet, making himself a propelled projectile that decimated a tree. Riolu was in awe and eagerly and quickly fell into doing his Endure to Counter with the help of Leonardo using Aqua Tail to make it more challenging.


    Right now, Riolu current move set was: Quick Attack, Endure, Metal Claw, and Counter. It was a pretty standard set of four moves, but right now I just wanted to build up a nice solid base for him to work off of. He needs proper conditioning, strength training, and battle experience before I can use a couple of my TMs to expand his arsenal. Also, I had plans for when he learns Vacuum Wave and since Macaque¡¯s in too much of a hissy fit to test it out with me, I chose to focus on Aurion and see what comes of it.


    But until then, Aurion would learn to his hone himself with the help of a Squirtle that was efficiently trained by an overly strict Scizor.


    Now on the end of the clearing, Asch was already putting three pok¨¦mon under his watch through their paces. He had used Rock Tomb to make obstacles for Fafnir to try to run around with Extreme Speed. We were still waiting for him to shed his old scales before letting him participate in a real battle. I checked in with Mrs. Verdant before leaving and was told to expect his shedding to happen any day from now. Apparently, all of his eating has hastened his stockpiling of life energy to commence the process.


    Until then, Fafnir would stick to more lighter training, and he was in desperate need of it too since his steering with Extreme Speed sucked.


    *SPLAT!*


    I held in a wince as Asch peeled off the discombobulated Dratini from another big boulder.


    He may run away fast but moving in a straight line isn¡¯t conductive toward fleeing a smarter and mobile opponent. His move pool consisted of: Wrap, Leer, Extreme Speed. It was sparse but expected considering Clair initially gave him to me out of spite. I¡¯ll just have to work him from the ground up until he¡¯s a respectable battler, then make him a force of fucking nature.


    Yogi¡¯s moves were Scratch, Baby-Doll Eyes, Fake Tears, Fury Swipes, Covet, and Charm. He held the second highest amount of moves among the rest of my new pok¨¦mon. Up front combat won¡¯t be his style of battle until he¡¯s learnt enough offensive moves and built up enough experience. Luckily, his disposition made him the perfect debuffer to lower a pok¨¦mon¡¯s guard and strike them at their most vulnerable. Training Sylvie gave a good enough idea on how to go about accentuating a pok¨¦mon¡¯s looks to their advantage.


    But for his lacking offensive capabilities, I¡¯ll talk with Asch to see if he can begin teaching the runt Slash, Metal Claw, Mega Punch, Thunder Punch or Fire Punch to give him more options.


    And last but not least was¡­Custard (I¡¯m never going to get over that nickname¡­dammit Ash).


    Right now, the land shark pok¨¦mon was joined by Yogi to try and damage my Starter. Yogi¡¯s fury swipes barely even scratched the scales on Asch¡¯s belly and Gible¡¯s Rock Smash haymaker didn¡¯t even make the Charizard¡¯s chin move half an inch. They were fighting upward against an opponent that outclassed them and would need to use everything they have to even get a sliver of an advantage (i.e. impress Asch) before my starter would tire of their efforts and lay them out flat.


    I was ecstatic to have Custard on board with my team. In fact, it was sort of like a dream come true since I¡¯d basically given up all hope of getting a Gible until Sinnoh would open their borders to us after who knows how many years to make it happen. Plus, he was quite strong and with a versatile and long move set of Tackle, Bite, Dig, Dragon Breath, Take Down, Rock Smash, and flipping Twister. If I recalled, that wasn¡¯t a moved that Gible learned naturally. So that meant whoever gave Custard to Prof. Oak was completely serious about making it up to me for the limited amount of time that I¡¯ll legally be allowed to participate in their region¡¯s Gym Challenge.


    Because unlike Fafnir, Gible seemed to be well cared for and wasn¡¯t deprived of any food or strength. This meant that he had the power to back up his small frame and then some. However, he still was pretty juvenile and required some polishing. Custard was simple-minded, a little like Lenny, but still sensible and very adamant about how he handles things. You didn¡¯t need to think about what he¡¯ll do because he¡¯ll just act on his thoughts right off the bat.


    So, I have to steadily teach him how to be mindful of his own strength before each otherwise he¡¯ll critically hurt a pok¨¦mon or keep attacking them when they¡¯re down.


    By the end of this month, I expected these four to at least be high Beginner tier pok¨¦mon or a very low Intermediate tier if we¡¯re lucky.


    ¡°Break time! I¡¯ve got lunch prepared guys!¡± A joyous cacophony of grunts and growls filled the clearing as my pok¨¦mon, especially Yogi and Fafnir rushed to the set-up table to be given their meals.


    I happily ate alongside my experienced pok¨¦mon while watching the newbies interact with each other. Yogi tried to charm his way into getting either Custard or Fafnir¡¯s bowls of food once he ate through his own lessened amount. Gible only spared a glanced at the cub before returning to chow down on his meal while Fafnir didn¡¯t even acknowledge the attempt as he kept inhaling his meal with gusto.


    Watching this, Aurion barked up a speech that was no doubt about Teddiursa¡¯s trickery while the cub pok¨¦mon clicked their tongue and glanced at the barking pok¨¦mon¡¯s meal. Their little paws inched over to the bowl while Aurion was preoccupied with his speech before they were swiftly batted away by the now miffed Emanation pok¨¦mon. Their game of keep away just going after that and made for an entertaining show for Asch, Leonardo and I to laugh at.


    We did have to step in when they started to wrestle each other which made Gible join in because¡­reasons? Then we had to stop all three of them from rounding on Fafnir who kept eating anything in sight, which included their unattended food bowls.


    THEN, we had to spend the next 45 minutes searching Fafnir who was scared off and used Extreme Speed to run off into the woods and nearly get attacked by another wild Arbok. Asch cleaned their clock and released a deafening roar that scared it off and any curious pok¨¦mon who were now aware of his presence.


    After that hectic experience, I had everyone apologize to each other to clear up the bad vibes, and just to lighten the mood, I decided to join in on their apologizing by saying sorry for a couple of minor wrongs I did to them.


    ¡°Leonardo, I just want to get this off my chest.¡± I breathed in and looked my Squirtle in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I accidentally bumped into your shell that one time and kicked you down our house steps that. I should have really been careful.¡±


    ¡°S-Squirt¡­¡± Leonardo bashfully rubbed his neck and accepted my apology.


    Turning to Asch, I met his inquisitive stare with a sorrowful smile, ¡°And to you, pal, I just want to apologize for¡­taking pictures of you napping and covered in those silly drawings. Its been set up as my BattleNet profile avatar for weeks now and it¡¯s been getting a lot of attention. I hope you¡¯ll find in yourself to forgive m-hegh!¡±


    Okay, so perhaps Asch took that last apology a bit too seriously. Anyways, after clearing the Smokescreen soot off of my face and setting up a Night Watch schedule with my team, we settled in for the night and allowed ourselves to get swept into the sweet embrace of slumber.


    Tomorrow will be another day of hard work and adversity.


    <hr>


    Even though there¡¯s a border all the way up near the Indigo League, Route 26 was still officially chartered as a Kantonian territory. To this day, the regions are still in a heated debate about claiming ownership of the land. Johto argues that since the Indigo League Headquarters was stationed closer to Kanto, they had the right to the Route while Kanto staked its claim by countering that it already held lesser land than Johto.


    There¡¯s always talk of politicians from Johto seeking to move up in the political scene and earn support by promising to push for Johto to claim Route 26. In recent years, you¡¯d be laughed at for making such a promise since many ambitious mayors or public figures failed to live up to it.


    Politics aside, I mainly bring this point up because after waking up early in the morning, my team and I finished the latter half of Route 26 to enter Route 27, the actual Route where Kanto and Johto officially met in the middle. We marveled at the numerous waterfalls of Tohjo Falls that came out bursting from the mountainside, which faced the ocean.


    Watching the Magikarp, Goldeen, and Seakings swim up the waterfalls was just breathtaking when you considered how powerful the down stream¡¯s pressure of water was.


    Unfortunately, the Tohjo Falls were the only marvel of Route 27 because the rest of it was a complete mess. Route 27 acts as the Route where Kanto and Johto officially met and that meant it held history. A bloody and violent history since this was the Route where a majority of the two regions fought each other during both the First and Second war. The number of times that either side pushed the other back to the invade the opposing region was far too numerous that there was a literal bullet list of these summarized events written in old history books and forums.


    Route 27 was 75% water and 25% land. The pok¨¦mon battles that waged through the land literally changed the geography. The land¡¯s stability crumbled underneath the constant conflict and third-party attacks from other regions who sailed up from the oceans to attack both sides. The other regions that may have joined the fight here have been redacted with no mention of them, but for one of them¡­


    If I could make a guess from the abundance of water¡­it had to be Hoenn.


    Hoenn was literally the first region to reach out to the Indigo League and lower its borders. As a region, Hoenn wasn¡¯t a slouch in its surplus of elite trainers like its current Champion Drake Hudson being the prime example. Hoenn was in touch with the nature side of its region more so than Kanto and Johto combined, which left it severely lagging in technology and other materials. So, adding their natural goods and resources to the Indigo League¡¯s markets had allowed them to create the building blocks to be seen as a competent ally to our two regions.


    It would leave a bad taste in everyone¡¯s mouth if Hoenn was openly revealed to be the cause for so many lives lost and the destroyed land that both regions would have wanted. Thankfully, the animosity shared between Kanto and Johto stayed amongst each other.


    But I¡¯m getting ahead of myself here. First politics and now a history lesson? I¡¯m here to train my pok¨¦mon and given them the experience they need. Thankfully there were more trainers here and since a majority of the wild pok¨¦mon here were water pok¨¦mon, I had to take my chances with them.


    Little islands littered the water filled route in between the land where I¡¯m standing on and the land on the other end leading to Johto itself. There was a ferry that carried passengers to and from both ends of the estuary. I was glad I had Asch as an option to fly over it because their prices were outrageously high. A high ratio of trainers in demand for crossing the estuary over venturing Tohjo Falls to get to the other side must have contributed to the decision.


    Still, this meant I had all the time in the world to search for trainers to do battle with. I made sure to lay some requirements for the battle before approaching the first set of trainers that I locked eyes with.


    1) Their pok¨¦mon must either be a Beginning tier pok¨¦mon or at maximum an Intermediate tier pok¨¦mon.


    2) The battle must be 3 on 3


    3) No substitutions were allowed


    Unless they could follow these rules, then there wasn¡¯t going to be a battle and as I expected almost everyone that I approached chose not to indulge my requests.


    ¡°Yeah, no. You came to the wrong place if you¡¯re here to train such weak pok¨¦mon, kid.¡±


    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you that kid who made it to the Finals last year? Sorry, I-I can¡¯t risk losing. I barely have enough cash for the ferry ride back across the route.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m down to battle that Charizard you have there but I¡¯m not really in the mood to hold myself back for your benefit. Here¡¯s my pok¨¦gear number. Hit me up if you want to meet up later for a battle, I¡¯m working on entering the Ace trainer scene and really need to work on some strategies in a real 6 on 6 match.¡±


    ¡°Look elsewhere, Kantonian. I have no business dealing with the likes of you.¡±


    The trainers here were super deep toward training their pok¨¦mon, preparing to enter the Ace Trainer circuit, intimidated by my track record and refusal to lose their cash, and lastly a good chunk of them were Johtonians who refused me off the jump due to hailing from Kanto.


    I wasted a whole hour searching for an opponent and once noon struck, I was just tempted to head into the caverns of Tohjo Falls and see about challenging their wild pok¨¦mon instead.


    That is until a true hero crossed paths with me.


    ¡°Sure. None of the other trainers want to give me the time of day so I¡¯d gladly take you on if it means I can battle more than just the wild Tentacool and Shellder.¡±


    Salvaging my day was Mark Stillwell and he happily agreed to my set conditions with nary a complaint!


    When trading the specific of our individual party member¡¯s strength tiers, he revealed that only had 3 Intermediate tier pok¨¦mon and 3 Beginner tier pok¨¦mon. He was a bit wary to reveal this to me, but I actually found myself glad that there was a trainer with the perfect criteria to help bolster my newer pok¨¦mon¡¯s experience. Unlike the other trainers on the route, I reassured him that I didn¡¯t care about his pok¨¦mon¡¯s lower levels.


    This thankfully earned me some brownie points since his mood seemed to lighten as we further discussed the terms of the match before preparing ourselves on a grassy patch of land beside the seaside of the route. We stood a good distance away from each other and locked our eyes.


    The rules were set and our pok¨¦mon already chosen. On the count of three, we picked our combatant and released onto the field.


    ¡°Go, Aurion!¡± / ¡°Wash them out, Quagsire!¡±


    Aurion appeared on the field with the derpy looking water pok¨¦mon as his foe. He barked and balled up his paws at the Water Fish pok¨¦mon but instead of getting goaded, the Quagsire just blinked at him then loudly yawned making my Riolu momentarily break his serious composure.


    I narrowed my eyes to Mark, who just smirked at me. Hm¡­that was meant to be a subtle set-up, wasn¡¯t it?


    Snapping my fingers, I pointed directly ahead at the opponent. ¡°Quick Attack!¡± Blurring, Riolu tackled into the unassuming Quagsire¡¯s belly with a loud thud. Quagsire did initially stumble back from the force before righting their footing and turning their body just enough for Aurion to slip and slide along their slime covered body.


    Riolu tumbled on the ground before quickly picking himself to wipe the slime off of his fur and glare at his opponent, who dusted their wide undercarriage off and looked back at the Emanation pok¨¦mon with its self-same vacant expression. ¡°Quaaagsire¡­¡± Riolu¡¯s brow twitched at its nonchalance but kept waiting for my command.


    Mark still hadn¡¯t given a command and seeing the current match-up, I couldn¡¯t blame him. ¡°Okay, Aurion! Listen up, they¡¯re trying to wear you down with Quagsire¡¯s natural bulk and Yawn. If they¡¯re literally giving us the go ahead to attack, then just go all out from the start! Use Quick Attack to close in then use Metal Claw to whittle them down!¡±


    Mark broke his silence with a click of his tongue. ¡°Tch! Figures they¡¯d catch on, use Water Gun to keep them at a distance!¡± he said and his Quagsire happily complied with nearly washing away Aurion, who ducked the move and dashed after the lethargic pok¨¦mon with blinding speed.


    He shortened the distance and struck Quagsire with Metal Claw, the larger pok¨¦mon winced from the slight pain and used the very hit¡¯s motion to spin its body and swing their tail to batter Aurion.


    ¡°Aqua Tail!¡± Mark commanded while I hurried screamed. ¡°Endure!¡±


    *THWAACK~!*


    Thank Arceus that Riolu managed to heed my command much faster this time than yesterday. The blow from the Intermediate tier pok¨¦mon sent Riolu skidding away and barely keeping it together from the glancing blow. I winced as Riolu panted and struggled to remain on his feet. His eyes began to droop before he quickly shook them off to concentrate on the fight.


    Yawn would soon claim him.


    ¡°Shit, I could not have chosen a worse battle for you to punch up in, bud.¡± I sharply inhaled. ¡°Can you keep going, Aurion?¡± He grunted and nearly fell to a knee. Y-Yeah, I can tell he was just barely on his last legs already.


    Sighing to myself, I had his pok¨¦ball in my hand at the ready. ¡°Do you remember what I said last night?¡± He shakily nodded and resumed his fighting stance when faced with the lackadaisical Quagsire who was happily swaying to and from. ¡°Good. One more hit and I¡¯m pulling you out. Keep whitling them down with Metal Claw and use Quick Attack to dodge!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that they can still-?¡± Mark frowned and I smiled, happy that he was at least considerate to the health of his opponent¡¯s pok¨¦mon.


    ¡°You just focus on besting my little bud. Don¡¯t think that he¡¯ll be an easier target after that first hit.¡± I grinned.


    Glancing between me and my pok¨¦mon, Mark deeply exhaled and shrugged. ¡°Fine. Quagsire use Water Gun to hold them off and strike them with either Aqua Tail or Mud Slap when they get too close.¡±


    I shot Mark a thankful nod and watched as our two pok¨¦mon got back to scrapping. This time Riolu focused more on being agile in keeping his distance and only striking at Quagsire¡¯s blind spots that would allow for another chance encounter of their tail smacking the daylights out of him. His hits started to show some effect on the enemy once I informed him to strike at it limbs, preferably their heels.


    Throughout the exchange, Riolu never got hit once with a Water Gun or another physical move. His stamina was a bit tested, but he maintained a good stride with Quick Attack until finally the effects of Yawn caught up to him.


    I returned him to his ball and whispered praise to it. ¡°Good job, bud. You did fantastic¡­also, sorry.¡± I didn¡¯t want his first battle to be a loss, but I kind of shot myself in the foot for requesting a no-substitutions battle. I just wanted to see each of my new party members¡¯ first battles to their natural conclusions.


    But on the bright side, he did make Quagsire nearly topple over in the end from its bruised ankle despite it being resistant to Steel type moves. So that had to be considered some sort of achievement.


    Still, this was just to be a learning experience for them, so any losses experienced will make their zeal for growth much stronger.


    ¡°Thanks for indulging me like this.¡± I exclaimed to Max, who balled back his Quagsire after petting it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I¡¯m just glad your pok¨¦mon wasn¡¯t too hurt.¡± Mark unclipped another pok¨¦ball from his belt and pointed it at me. ¡°Now then¡­onto the next two?¡±


    I grinned. ¡°You betcha!¡±


    ¡°Yogi, I choose you!¡± ¡°Clobber them, Poliwhirl!¡±


    I inhaled sharply at another potential bad match-up as Yogi faced the much bigger Poliwhirl with a shaky smile. Ah, yeah, this wasn¡¯t going to be much fun for the little guy, was it?


    Still, I did have to salvage this situation. Thankfully, Mark wasn¡¯t making the first move (probably out of pity for the beginner tier pok¨¦mon). I punched my fist ahead. ¡°Don¡¯t panic and use Baby Doll Eyes!¡± I shouted and doing his best to compose himself, the Teddiursa listened and after deeply closing their eyes, he opened them to reveal a pair of glossy and beautiful pair of innocent globes that ¡°dared¡± Poliwhirl to hit him.


    ¡°P-Poli-!¡± Staggering back with a hand on their expansive chest, Poliwhirl was completely struck from the cute display much to Mark¡¯s exasperation.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me your-! Poliwhirl just focus!¡± Mark groaned. ¡°Use Brick Break!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let up, Yogi! Use Charm!¡± I didn¡¯t want to risk attacking and having Yogi take even a debuffed fighting type move.


    Moving closer to the Poliwhirl, Yogi hugged their leg and surprisingly combined Baby Doll Eyes with Charm. ¡°T-Teddi¡­ursa~!¡± Now he was nuzzling against Poliwhirl and laying it on super thick with his cute innocence schtick, which was surprisingly working on the enemy. Poliwhirl¡¯s will to fight kept dwindling with each excessive bat of Yogi¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°P-Poli-!¡± Poliwhirl¡¯s shaky fist began to lower.


    ¡°Nope, don¡¯t fall for it, Poliwhirl! Go through with Brick Break and you¡¯ll literally win this!¡± Mark cried out and for a second Poliwhirl seemed to snap back to normal to go through with landing a super effective hit.


    *SNIFF!* ¡°Teddi?¡± *SNIFF!*


    Until Teddiursa decided to lay it on thicker with Fake Tears. That got Poliwhirl to its knees and unresponsively croaked their name in complete dejection. They just kept pounding the ground in disbelief that they¡¯d almost clocked such a cute creature.


    ¡°Wow, this is actually happening.¡± Mark pinched the bridge of his nose and returned his pok¨¦mon.


    ¡°Whoa¡­so that¡¯s what it¡¯s like against those who aren¡¯t immune.¡± I muttered in faux awe before laughing it off. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought to win that way with anyone who wasn¡¯t Sylvie, but you sure surprised me, Yogi.¡± The Teddiursa then turned to attempt to lure me with his deadly cuteness. ¡°Heh, nice try.¡± I raised up his pok¨¦ball. ¡°Though do expect more berries in your dinner tonight.¡±


    I ignored the cub pok¨¦mon¡¯s snickering and returned him to his pok¨¦ball. Noticing how dead Mark looked, I sweatdropped, ¡°Uh, are you good?¡±


    ¡°I-I¡­¡± Mark was just shellshocked from that experience. He shook it off in order to snag the sole Lure Ball on his hip and narrow his eyes. ¡°You know what? I¡¯ll have a long chat with Poliwhirl later. For now, I¡¯ll just settle on making this last battle wash the bad taste of the previous one out my mouth!¡±


    Nodding along, I grabbed Custard¡¯s pok¨¦ball and shouted, ¡°Good! This last one is a bit rough around the edges compared to the others so don¡¯t be afraid to take him a little seriously!¡±


    ¡°Put dirt in their eye, Custard!¡± ¡°Rip and tear, Croconaw!¡±


    Huh, how ironic that we¡¯d both end up having pok¨¦mon with immense jaw strength to face one another. Croconaw snarled and slammed its tail to the ground and broke away most of the soft soil. Its powerful jaws snapped together loudly in a threatening display to intimidate Custard.


    Custard just blinked at the Croconaw then blankly nodded. ¡°Gib-Gible.¡± He spoke and this had caused Croconaw to momentarily flinch back before they resumed their glare.


    Sometimes I just want to know what goes on in a conversation between two pok¨¦mon. The amount of crazy shit that¡¯s probably being said would be hilarious.


    ¡°W-What kind of pok¨¦mon is that?¡± Mark gaped.


    I rubbed my chin and chuckled, ¡°Hm, I dunno. He resembles a Sharpedo, so probably a water type?¡±


    ¡°A rare water type pok¨¦mon¡­?¡± Mark narrowed his eyes at Gible who shifted his focus from Croconaw then to him. The two stared at each other for an uncomfortable minute before Mark broke the staredown with a shudder. ¡°Urgh, it¡¯s like its staring into my soul.¡±


    ¡°Nah, he¡¯s just being an airhead.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°Gib?¡± Gible questionably turned around to face me with a tilt of his head.


    ¡°Nothing, buddy. Just focus on your opponent like I told you to, okay?¡±


    ¡°Gib-Gible!¡± Nodding, he swiftly changed gears to bare his rows of sharp teeth back Croconaw who was taken aback by sharp teeth Gible¡¯s teeth were. Even Mark was weirded out by the display with how far he was tilting his head just to see up in there.


    ¡°It¡¯s even sharper than¨CNo, we¡¯re winning this, right, girl?¡±


    Croconaw spun around to chuck their trainer the peace sign. ¡°Croco-croconaw!¡± Huh, so it¡¯s female? That¡¯s rare, the male to female ratio for Totodile were heavily skewed toward the male gender.


    ¡°You go first!¡± I nudged my chin up at Mark, who inquisitively arched an eyebrow.


    ¡°You sure about that?¡± My grin answered his question. Mark shrugged; he certainly didn¡¯t see fit to deny getting the first move. ¡°Aqua Jet!¡±


    ¡°Evade with a dipping Dig.¡±


    Custard dug so fast that by the time he¡¯d buried himself underground, only his lone fin was grazed by Croconaw¡¯s water-enshrouded body tackle.


    ¡°Use Hydro Pump to flush it out of its hole!¡± At Mark¡¯s order, Croconaw reoriented itself and reared its head back to unleash its move. I grinned, happy to still see that Gible¡¯s fin was still visible from underground.


    ¡°Run, Custard, run!¡± Like the sand shark that he was, Gible tunneled through the ground like a real shark through water. Mark¡¯s eyes bugged out as Croconaw¡¯s Hydro Pump missed its mark from the surprisingly agile form of Gible. As a ground type, he was in his element when traveling beneath the earth.


    Still though, Gible being a fairly new/rare pok¨¦mon did give us quite the advantage. Information was key to battling by the way.


    ¡°Keep using Hydro Pump, Croconaw! It¡¯s not too deep underground to wash out!¡± Croconaw¡¯s Hydro Pump gouged the ground apart. I had to cover my face as Custard had dug his way over to my corner, thus Croconaw¡¯s Hydro Pump sent flying some dirt and grass right in my direction.


    Yeah, having battling in the wild with no psychic barriers came with the heavy downside of trainer friendly fire if you weren¡¯t observant or careful.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Mark called out.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± I shouted back then realized how much faster Croconaw was to reach Custard. I mentally commended the croc¡¯s ability to keep spewing huge gouts of water without facing any fatigue yet. I rubbed my chin and observed the advantageous position the Croconaw was in. It sure was easy for it to be on Custard¡¯s tail while it was above ground to see where he¡¯ll be.


    He¡¯ll have to go deeper underground, but I didn¡¯t feel comfortable about it. Custard wasn¡¯t coordinated with my style of training yet to know where he should dig and Croconaw would obviously just flush him out with Hydro Pump.


    ¡­Welp, guess taking the high ground by winging it will just have to do.


    ¡°Dig deep and descend, Custard!¡±


    ¡°Gible!¡± Custard¡¯s fin vanished underground a mere second before Croconaw¡¯s Hydro Pump nearly caught up to him. I breathed out in relief. That was a little too close for comfort¡­


    Mark pointed at Gible¡¯s hole. ¡°Get over there and flood the hole!¡±


    I bit my lip and counted to ten as I watched Croconaw hustle to the deep hole that Custard was no doubt happily burrowing through. Once Croconaw began to rear its head back, I quickly counted through 5 seconds to scream out, ¡°Dragon breath below you at full power!¡±


    I really hoped that Custard hadn¡¯t have dug too deep not to hear me, but my prayers were answered as the ground rumbled and just before Croconaw could spit another Hydro Pump, Custard came flying out of in a trail of blue and green thick beams that propelled him into the sky.


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Mark gaped in awe then shook himself off to point into the air. ¡°Aqua Jet! Don¡¯t let it get away!¡±


    ¡°Crooooooooocooonaw!¡± Tensing their legs, Croconaw put all their strength into jumping as high into the air as they could before rocketing after my ascending pok¨¦mon. Custard¡¯s ascent was cut short as the full blast of Dragon Breath left him a little winded to continue using it. Now gravity was against him as he was basically falling toward Croconaw who was now his tail.


    The momentum of his fall can at least be put to good use. ¡°Use Rock Smash!¡±


    ¡°Stop using Aqua Jet and fire a quick Hydro Pump!¡± Croconaw stopped one move to execute the other as it sent Custard momentarily reeling from the powerful attack. This made it the benefit of having Custard flail about as he fell to it faster and way more helpless.


    ¡°Crunch!¡± Mark smirked and a loud *SNAP!* filled the field as I winced in sympathy for my yelping pok¨¦mon. Oough, and it was bite near the crest of his fin too¡­


    ¡°Fine, if she wants to bite you then Bite her back twice as hard, Custard!¡± I bellowed so he could hear me up there, and he gladly did by snatching up Croconaw¡¯s tail and sinking his teeth into it. Croconaw yelped before biting down harder on Custard¡¯s head.


    The two pok¨¦mon were hurtling to the ground in a tangle of incessant biting and cries. Either one would give up and release the other, or they¡¯d sustain damage from the fall!


    ¡°Use Dragon Breath while you sink your teeth in them!¡± I exclaimed and smiled as Croconaw growled in agony as Gible¡¯s beam washed over their form.


    ¡°Croconaw, no!¡± Mark yelled in distress. Good, I had no clue if the damage from Crunch took too much out of Custard, but this should get Croconaw down just enough to give him a fighting chance.


    That is unless Mark had a trick up his sleeve¡­


    ¡°Keep using Crunch until it lets you go! You can do this, Croconaw, I believe in you!¡± Nah, he seems to be about as locked in as we are. Using Hydro Pump would just unhinge Croconaw¡¯s jaw and release Gible in order to execute the move.


    I really wish I could do more besides watching them fall but I had to remind myself that most of my current team were beginners, so I can¡¯t fall back to the same mentality I had for Asch and the others. That leads to more mistakes that can cost me the match.


    ¡°C¡¯mon! Use Crunch harder! It¡¯ll let go if you bite down hard enough¡­Um¡­uh¡­¡± Mark¡¯s eyes flitted about, searching for anything to solve this predicament. ¡°Use Ice Fang?¡±


    My jaw dropped. ¡°Shit¡­¡± I silently hissed and slipped back to my old mentality. ¡°Rock Smash, Custard! Use Rock Smash on its jaw then get away!¡± But it was already too much for the young Gible as he was pushing himself to do two moves at once while enduring the pain of the Crunch, which was tearing Ice Type energy into his head.


    Please don¡¯t freeze him! Please don¡¯t freeze him! Please don¡¯t freeze h-and he¡¯s frozen¡­


    It was a 4x super effective hit and the damage from earlier only compounded it.


    Sighing, I watched Custard¡¯s frozen, brittle body silently fall to the ground. ¡°You fought well, Custard. You fought well.¡± Especially against an intermediate tier pok¨¦mon and was no doubt this guy¡¯s Starter.


    Taking a cue not to let his Croconaw hit the hard ground, Mark returned it and whispered his own praises to his pok¨¦mon.


    Welp, I lost 2 out of 3 of my rounds. Wait does Yogi¡¯s battle count¡­meh, I¡¯ll just leave it as undecided.


    ¡°Good match.¡± I shook Mark¡¯s hand in a firm handshake after we¡¯d fully healed our injured pok¨¦mon. Well, everyone except for Yogi and Poliwhirl was injured. Poliwhirl¡¯s damage was more¡­emotional it would seem.


    ¡°It certainly was¡­a different battle than what I¡¯m used to.¡± Mark awkwardly laughed. ¡°Never really thought my team and I would be used as an uphill battle to train your pok¨¦mon, but it was a nice change of pace.¡±


    Pulling out my phone, I flicked a few icons on the screen and sent the victor of our match his reward money. It¡¯s heavily frowned upon as poor sportsmanship to not pay the winner their dues. Refusing to do so can get you reported and if you get enough strikes, you¡¯ll automatically be blocked from being able to get reward money transferred to your own trainer account. So, you¡¯d have to go through the arduous task of requesting the trainer that you beat to reward you with Cash and that¡¯s the least likely thing to happen with kids who are always impatiently on the go.


    ¡°Buuut¡­¡± Mark¡¯s grin widened. ¡°The payout for it sure is nice. Are you sure about the amount though, I¡¯m not complaining but isn¡¯t this too much?¡± I bitterly laughed as he kept being considerate while holding his old, cracked phone away from me as if I would change my mind and snatch it from his hands.


    ¡°You helped my team out¡­¡± I rolled my eyes, thinking about Yogi¡¯s match. ¡°Some more than others but battling you has certainly showed me where to counter some of their glaring flaws so that I can buff them out with training.¡± I bowed my head. ¡°Thank you, Mark.¡±


    ¡°W-Wow, I¡¯m sure that if another Johtonian was taking my spot, they¡¯d be dumbfounded to have a Kantonian bow to them like this.¡± Mark sheepishly scratched his cheek.


    Y-Yeah, Kanto did have a rep for being blunt and straight forward amongst its populace. Though in contrast, Johto was sort of like Japan in a way with how their population tended to be more subtle and quiet with getting their thoughts across to others. Passive Aggressive is the term that I¡¯d like to use for it.


    If I had to picture what most of Johto considered a brash Kantonian then it would have to be Lt. Surge. Even I can¡¯t deny the guy was a total loudmouth and difficult dude to deal with.


    ¡°Well, I hoped I made a good impression to change how you see us.¡± I shrugged, uncaring if I had indirectly succeeded in doing so.


    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t give much of a pidgey¡¯s crap about that. I had a fun battle and that¡¯s all that matters, yeah?¡± He smiled, widely.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I grinned back.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Mark trailed off before covering his mouth with the back of his hand to whisper to me. ¡°What¡¯s the deal with that new pok¨¦mon¡­Gible was it? I¡¯ve never seen it before. What¡¯s that all about?¡±


    I snickered. ¡°Secret~.¡±


    Mark groaned. ¡°Ugh, fine keep your secrets.¡± A devious grin etched itself across his face. ¡°At least I know that its weak is Ice, so next time I run across one I¡¯ll be ready to take it down.¡±


    I groaned and facepalmed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I lost because you got desperate to randomly use that move at the last minute.¡± Mark¡¯s laughing did not better my mood.


    And instead of us parting ways, I just kept chatting with Mark. He was kind of an interesting case of being an older trainer than me with a less strong team than my experienced ones like Asch and Leonardo. He was a trainer from Cianwood City, who became a trainer with nothing but the League¡¯s stipend for orphaned children and a Totodile that he lucked into catching after nearly drowning in a nearby lake to search for a Starter.


    He started his pok¨¦mon journey three years before mine and had to struggle to juggle with feeding his pok¨¦mon, planning/strategizing against gyms, and catching more pok¨¦mon that he¡¯ll have to adjust his funds to train, care for, and feed, and earning money to support himself in general. He was 12 when he set off to become a trainer, a whole year behind the traditional 11 years, and now was just barely reaching Intermediate tier with at best 3 of his pok¨¦mon.


    Although I derive no pleasure from his struggles, this did make me appreciate my arrangement with Prof. Oak alongside the fact that Joey didn¡¯t have to go through what Mark does due to their similarities in being¡­parentless.


    Still, I chose to help Mark out a little bit by analyzing his pok¨¦mon and showing him the possible moves and directions that he could take to train up their abilities and fix their diets whenever he¡¯s financially stable.


    ¡°So, you want to be a Water type specialist, huh?¡± I asked as we¡¯d finally reached the cavern.


    ¡°Yup. It¡¯s been a dream of mine to participate in the Whirl Cup at the Whirl Islands since I was a kid. Only the best water type trainers go there to compete, and I want to be one of them¡­¡± He then sighed and slumped over. ¡°I mean, I do but that¡¯s easier said than done¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll make it, Mark. You¡¯re hard work will pay off in no time. Trust me.¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°T-Thanks, Luke.¡± Mark gratefully smiled. ¡°Still, I want to at least get up to 6 badges before going next year. I¡¯m sure that by then I can get Croconaw to evolve and save enough money to buy a Water stone to evolve Poliwhirl.¡±


    ¡°Water stone?¡± I muttered then pulled off my backpack to dig inside of it, pulled one out, and held it out for Mark to take. ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°What the fu-?¡± Mark shook his head. ¡°You just have one of those lying around in your bag?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°A good friend of mine has a dad who¡¯s into rocks for some reason¡­and my mother¡­¡± I darkly added that last part. Unfortunately, Mark caught that.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± I coughed. ¡°Take it.¡±


    ¡°A-Are you sure?¡± Mark gulped, eyeing the thing with obvious interest.


    ¡°Of course.¡± I tossed it to him and laughed as he fumbled to catch the delicate stone.


    ¡°Careful, you could have broken it!¡± Mark huffed.


    ¡°Meh, even if its snapped in two, it still would work.¡± I smirked then began to walk into the cave while waving goodbye. ¡°Thanks for the battle and I hope to see you again!¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, you too, Luke¡­¡± Mark spoke with uncertainty before screaming, ¡°Wait!¡±


    I stopped as I was one foot away from entering the dark interior of Tohjo Falls. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know, I just wanted to¡­¡± Mark coughed and scrounged up what must have been the courage to say what came to his mind. ¡°I just wanted to say that¡­you should visit Cianwood City.¡±


    ¡°I should?¡± I tilted my head.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Mark resolutely nodded. ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t have to do it. It¡¯s just a suggestion, I heard from the grapevine that our city¡¯s Gym Leader Chuck is setting up a tournament on March 30 and 31. Beginner to Intermediate tier pok¨¦mon only, so it¡¯s something that you might want to look into if you¡¯re interested in training your team.¡±


    I blinked and rubbed my chin. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Head slowly nodding, I felt a smile creep up on my face. ¡°Yeah!¡± That actually sounds like a great opportunity. ¡°That could be what I need to test everyone¡¯s growth before I go off to train my Starter and other experienced pok¨¦mon.¡± I bowed my head to Mark. ¡°Thanks for telling me, Mark!¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the battle and water stone, Luke!¡± Mark laughed, waving his new precious water stone at me. Then he paused, a brief look of exhaustion hitting him as he groaned. ¡°Also, heads up, if you come across a trainer called Greta¡­hide.¡±


    ¡°Wha-?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make eye contact and DO. NOT. RUN.¡± Mark stressed each word out. ¡°She¡¯ll take that as a challenge. Trust me.¡±


    Blinking, I slightly tilted my head and chuckled. Ah, he must be overexaggerating or something. Still, I appreciated the warning. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep an eye out for her.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± He pointed at me. Right, he just told me not to do that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be aware of my surroundings.¡± I sheepishly laughed.


    We both finally parted ways from each other on very good terms. By the time he was gone, I had forgotten that I wanted to exchange numbers with him, but I decided to hope that we¡¯d meet again someday. He was a pleasant guy who was working hard for his dream, and I¡¯m sure that the fruits of his labor will kick in soon. Heck, maybe he¡¯ll come up on top and get the full 8 badges to compete in this year¡¯s Conference. A shame that I wouldn¡¯t be competing in the Indigo to see if that happens, but I wish Mark the best.


    As for that tournament, I¡¯m definitely going to enter my team for that, especially Riolu. Being amongst the same typing would really boost his growth, and having Yogi to combat the stronger typing could work wonders for building his defenses for the future.


    Gible was for sure going to participate and if Fafnir sheds his skin by the time the tournament starts then maybe I can use him if his progress with using the moves that he knows are suffice.


    Although that meant I had to shorten my exploration through Toho Falls, I was on a time table and had to plan out what I¡¯ll do accordingly before April 1st.


    Nodding to myself, a plan had begun to formulate using what I knew of Johto¡¯s locales which could better expedite the training of my pok¨¦mon. With a wide smile, I released my Starter and met his expectant gaze with a face splitting grin, ¡°Say Asch, how about after this we fly over to¨C¡±


    Our destination was set before an admittedly fun trip spelunking the caverns of Tohjo Falls and battling some of their Raticates, Rattata, and surprisingly a stray Makuhita. Emerging from the cave, I prepped Asch up for flight, hopped onto his saddle, attached my to the strapped phone carrier on the back of my wrist to display the map, and we took off into the evening sky.


    I really wanted to explore more of the route, but prepping for a good battle took precedent. It was kind of funny in a way, before I would have just slumped around in bed than get so worked up about anything just to process everything that happened last circuit. Now here I am doing the opposite to clear my head as I happily pushed Asch to fly us to the next city so we can sightsee and train to our hearts content before moving on to the next location.


    This¡­


    This was nice.


    Although it wasn¡¯t by much, suddenly the weight of dad¡¯s journal began to lighten in my backpack.


    But only by just a little bit.


    Instead of lingering on it, for now my mind raced with what kind of experience I¡¯ll have when reaching our next destination.


    Something fun and exciting, I hope.


    <hr>


    ¡°Mmmm~! These dango are amazing! The people here may have tried to cheat us out of buying from their real menu, but they sure know how to make their treats. You think Paul would like them?¡±


    ¡°Infernape!¡±


    ¡°Heh, yeah, you¡¯re right. He doesn¡¯t have much of a craving for anything nice and sweet.¡±

 Chapter 21: New Bark Town I

    If I had to choose between New Bark Town and Pallet Town, I would nine times out of ten go with Pallet Town.


    Call me biased, but I''ve grown attached to the quiet and comforting ambiance of my hometown. New Bark Town may clearly be a town of beginnings for Johto like Pallet Town is for Kanto, but that was where the similarities between the two end. Pallet Town was a quaint little place just south of Viridian City, the actual border town of Kanto.


    New Bark Town is Johto''s border town, and that meant more authorities and pok¨¦mon rangers that are strict with their rules. These rules also include stopping and scolding reckless trainers who attempt to fly over New Bark Town without checking in. Yeah, they sure chewed me out just as Asch and I set our sights for Violet City.


    I was given a harsh warning and actual instructions to check in past the town''s own border check before flying away. Compared to home where we only had Ranger Gabe and Ranger Rachel, New Bark Town was actually packing a whole squad to patrol around the town.


    With our travel momentum killed after getting grounded by the Rangers and taken into the border check building, I was now stuck walking around town as dusk was fast approaching. I did want to reach Violet City before the night descended, but that option was off the table now. I''ve done some night flying back in my first journey, but the risks of getting ambushed by wild pok¨¦mon up there was not worth it.


    A murder of devious Murkrow almost knocked me off of Sparrow''s back once.


    "Looks like I''m staying the night." I searched through my phone to check the local Pok¨¦mon Center''s lodging types then frowned. "Ugh, communal bunk beds?" On second thought, I''ll just find a good spot in the nearby route to set up camp.


    Then an idea struck me. I was in New Bark Town which is home to a multitude of future prominent characters and one particular professor, who''s the Indigo League''s leading researcher in Pok¨¦mon Breeding, Pok¨¦mon Abilities, and the discoverer of a couple Pok¨¦mon evolutions.


    All the professors technically knew each other so if I could use the power of nepotism, I just might eke out a place to stay for the night. Yet if he denies me access to stay overnight then I can just go and camp out like I originally intended.


    Still, it was late out right now and since this was still a quiet town the majority of the residents were already heading on into their homes. Asking for directions without seeming like a bother to a few exhausted adults was a bit challenging. Thankfully, I did come across someone who gladly showed me the way.


    She wasn''t much of a talker and seemed just as much as a stranger to the town as me, but she walked with so much confidence that I decided to trust her. My trust did win out in the end because we had arrived at what appeared to be a two-story laboratory.


    "This is it. Goodbye." The lady walked off before I could thank her or even ask for her name. Should we meet again, I''ll apologize for taking up her time and see if I can repay the favor. Although I did like her fanged necklace, in a way it resembled Mrs. Verdant.


    Approaching the lab''s front door, I took a deep breath. "Fingers crossed." My knuckles knock against the reinforced metal surface of the door as loudly as I could. No one responded. "Hello? Is this Professor Elm''s lab?" I kept knocking the door and exclaimed, "I''m here to see if I can talk to him?"


    ¡­


    Still nothing.


    I sneezed a little as the night breeze blew against my form as I patiently waited for another three minutes.


    I groaned and knocked on the door once more. "Two more minutes and I''m outta here." Then the door began to creak open, and my mood suddenly brightened as a young man in a cap appeared. He was tall and used his body to block the doorway, obscuring my view of the building''s interior.


    "Sorry, but we''re closed for the night. If you want to schedule an appointment with da-I mean Professor Elm, you''ll have to wait until the lab''s secretary comes in in the morning." He slowly sighed with a quick rub to his temples.


    Okay, Luke. Go time. "Well, I''m not really here for an appointment per say." I started off with a slight chuckle. The guy now looked unamused. Better hurry and make my case before I get a door slammed in my face. "I was wondering if I can speak to the professor about staying over for the night?"


    I internally cringed at myself for my delivery, no, the fact that I''m even doing this in the first place. Ugh, it seemed like a good idea before but now its hitting me about how weird it would be for some random kid to pop out of the blue to ask for residence at a complete stranger''s house.


    "¡­You want to stay the night at our lab?" Ugh, please don''t look at me like that dude. I know how stupid this sounds but¡­urgh¡­its only going to sound stupider.


    Sunken Cost Fallacy please don''t fail me now. "Mhmm." I nodded then pulled out my pok¨¦dex and pressed a button.


    ["Greetings, I am Dexter! A pok¨¦dex programmed by Professor Samuel Oak for Pok¨¦mon Trainer Lucas Delilah Ketchum."]


    I cringed at the mention of my middle name. I had tried to convince Prof. Oak to omit it from the system but he refused on account of the League requiring one''s full birth name to match their Birth certificate and Trainer license.


    "Huh, one of Prof. Oak''s kids." The young man glanced at my pok¨¦dex then back to me. He noticed my slight frown and nodded. "And your name is Lucas Ketchum?" Gah! He didn''t use my embarrassing middle name. He''s so chill! Thank you so much! I won''t even care if you tell me to scram, I''ll happily get the fuck out of dodge if you asked me to.


    For an instance the guy''s eyes widened before he rubbed his chin in thought. "Wait, right here and brace yourself."


    "Huh?"


    "Just wait, okay? Also, we''ll be having breakfast at 8 AM sharp so if you don''t want to miss out then be sure to wake up bright and early." I-I don''t understand what''s happening.


    "What?" I blinked.


    "One moment." Then he slammed the door in my face.


    "¡­What just happened?" So, I heeded the man''s strange instructions and quietly stood in place on the lab''s front doorstep.


    "WHAT!?" I jumped in fright as a deranged yell emanated from within the building. I heard and "felt" the thunderous footsteps of what was no doubt a Rapidash approach the door. My Flight or Fight response kicked in as the prospect of roughing it out in the woods sounded mighty tempting about now.


    Unluckily my slow ass couldn''t beat the tenacity of the creature who slammed the front door open and roughly grabbed my shoulders. Bloodshot eyes examined me like prey as their jaws fell wide open to deeply exhale the breath all over my face.


    I gagged and quickly pinched my nose. Their breath, no, their whole-body smell rancid. Like it was a combination of coffee, B.O., and energy drinks. My teary eyes looked past the heavy clouds of the creature''s breath to focus on it and immediately I realized that the beast that had me in their grasp was none other than Prof. Elm, who was sporting quite the heavy five o clock shadow.


    "YOU!" He roared.


    "M-Me?" I gulped.


    "I finally have the source to EVERYTHING right on my doorstep! Samuel''s been stingy with his findings for long enough!" Elm growled.


    "W-What findings?" Professor please don''t tell me you secretly had beef with Elm this whole and forgot to tell me.


    "Normal Type!"


    "Excuse me?"


    "That''s the only explanation for that newly discovered Eeveelution''s resistance to Dragon Types! It''s various move coverage can only be explained as a Normal Type pok¨¦mon while it possesses an ability to resist Dragon Types. So Normal Type!"


    All of a sudden, my fear deteriorated and only exasperation remained stuck on my face as I smacked my lips and raised an eyebrow at the rabid professor crushing my shoulders. "So, this is just about my Sylveon''s typing?"


    "Ohohohohoho, no." Ah, he''s laughing like a maniac now. Yep, my fear has returned in full force. "I have loads to talk with you about. Togekiss and Electavire. Those two evolutions, I''m going to pick your brain for every thought process that allowed you to even reach the possible conclusions to discover those undiscovered evolved forms. I refuse to let Samuel''s new Golden Egg slip through my fingers!"


    Releasing me, the professor pulled a freaking Dio Brando and leaned his upper body backwards to proclaim his victory to the heavens. "There''s still more! So many more possibilities available to me, and I''ll discover them all starting toni-!" A hand viciously chopped the side of the professor''s neck. Elm''s limp body fell back into the arms of the cap wearing young man from earlier.


    "Thank the Legendaries that worked." He grunted, hoisting Elm over his shoulder. He looked at me and deeply bowed his head. "Sorry for using you like bait, but he would not leave his main lab for days and topics surrounding that pok¨¦mon of yours and proving his rivals wrong has been on his mind for months." He began to turn around then paused once, noticing that I was still standing at the doorway. "What''s wrong? Didn''t you want to stay the night?"


    Shaking my head, I kept my eyes locked onto the professor draped over his shoulder. "I''m currently reconsidering my options."


    The young man laughed. "Don''t worry, he''ll be back to normal in the morning. Legends know I can''t keep him strapped to bed longer than five hours." He waved me over. "C''mon, we''ll walk and talk. As thanks for being my bait, I''ll see if I can help with whatever reason you have for being here in Johto, Mr. Finalist."


    Needing reassurance that Elm was actually knocked out, the brown-haired man, named Cal, smacked him a few good times across the face. Once no reaction was given, I happily followed him inside the building and spilled the purpose for my being there. He seemed pretty amenable to my decision to use my free time to train my newer pok¨¦mon and even had a suggestion that he wanted to go by with me the next day.


    Until then, he provided me with full usage of one of their upstairs guest rooms and reminded me of the allotted breakfast schedule the next morning. With an actual bath and shower set, I was given the chance to bathe my smaller pok¨¦mon.


    "Te-Tedd¡­!" I sighed and took the bar of soap from my gluttonous pok¨¦mon.


    "Yogi, this is meant to clean your fur. Not for eating."


    "U-Ursa¡­" He sniffled.


    "I don''t care if it smells good. This may have animal fats in it, but it''s not meant for consumption." I groaned and went back to massaging my fingers through the small cub''s fur. Though I didn''t miss the slight snickering from the recently washed Aurion and Fafnir behind me.


    "None of that you two¡­" I groaned and flicked Yogi''s nose to stop him from throwing pawfuls of soap bubbles and water at the two of them. "Besides, you''re no better Faffy? We had to rush you to the Pok¨¦mon Center that one time because you kept coughing up bubbles that entire day."


    "Rio?" Riolu looked at the Dratini in askance but was met with the back of Fafnir''s head. The little dragon found the opposite wall of the bathroom quite intriguing.


    Since the space was far too small, I couldn''t release Asch, but Leonardo was more thrilled to have the bathtub to himself for the night. As for Custard, he''s in time out for refusing to take a bath, biting my finger, and running away to hide under my bed. Jokes on him, the little sucker''s fin and wide body couldn''t quite fit under the bed''s frame without cramming himself under it so now he''s stuck there until I balled him back up.


    So, I happily sucked on the bitten thumb as I slept while Custard spent the whole night pitifully crooning for help. Karma was most definitely a bitch, huh?


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    "Please forgive me for my unprofessional behavior!" I jumped in my seat in fright as Professor Elm''s forehead banged against the dining table''s surface. I heeded Cal''s instructions and woke up early to join him and Lab Aid Holley with setting up the table for breakfast. Miss Holley was technically the only assistant to Elm and acted as his assistant, maid, on-hand Pok¨¦mon Breeder, and chef.


    Usually, she would be doing everything on her own, but I gladly volunteered to help out as my proper thanks for letting crash for the night. My task was to help feed the stabled pok¨¦mon and my own with Cal''s assistance while Holley finished prepping breakfast for everyone.


    Waking up the professor was the final task and Cal took that role onto himself. One loud yell later and Professor Elm was amongst the waking world while sporting a very red handprint on his cheek.


    Now he was deeply bowing his head to me as an apology for going all 51-50 on me last night.


    I shook my head and rubbed my neck. "It''s fine, sir. You did scare the crap out of me, but I am glad that you took a well-deserved rest."


    In a snap, the apologizing professor sat straight up and started talking a little fast for my own comfort. "That''s good. Yes, I feel very well rested, and I think now is the perfect time to discuss more important matters." Dear god, he''s pulling the Gendo pose. "You''re Sylveon¡­would you mind calling her out so I can begin a proper examination?"


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    *PAN!*


    "Ow." Dully grunted Elm as Cal, who sat beside him, hit him over the head with a paper fan.


    "Breakfast first, work after." The cap wearing man pointed to the plate in front of the man.


    "R-Right." Elm grunted and quickly swiped for his utensils and began tearing into his food. Cal quickly coughed and slowly made a hand gesture that had Elm rolling his eyes. "Fine, I''ll take my time." Elm grumbled as he ate his breakfast with the rest of us. "Superb work as always, Holley."


    "Thanks, professor." The sweet Lab Aide happily cleaned the dishes from the Lab''s personal kitchen. The lady was a swift worker, she had prepared her own breakfast and ate it while getting everyone else''s'' meal ready.


    Now she seemed ready to assume her other duties. "Whenever you''re ready, I''ll meet you in the main lab." Elm grunted his thanks to her but kept his gaze locked onto me as he kept vigorously chewing his meal. Cal groaned at the professor''s behavior while Holley only seemed amused. Giggling, she deeply bowed and parted ways with us.


    Doing my best to eat while under the intense gaze of the professor, I began to stroll through all of the conversations I had pertaining to the man with folks like Professor Oak and Mr. Blaine. Professor Oak referred to the Johto Professor as an astute researcher with a one-track mind, and Mr. Blaine simply called him an Analytical Spaz. Meeting Prof. Elm for the first time, I''m afraid that I have to agree on both fronts. Cal kept apologizing for the man and explained away his passionate behavior for research and how that tends to get him into trouble.


    I was just in disbelief that the guy responsible for deciphering the evolutions for Bellossom, Tangrowth, Honchkrow, Mismagius, and Weavile was this "all over the place". Although when you consider that he''s a Researcher who worked hard to specialize in three separate fields of study, it becomes quite believable.


    "Sorry to be the bringer of bad news kid, but Violet City''s Sprout Tower is undergoing some serious investigation thats being led by Elite Walker." Cal explained after revealing my initial plans to tackle Sprout Tower challenge with my beginner pok¨¦mon.


    "Investigation? And do you mean Walker from the Elite Four?" I slowly bit into my strip of bacon.


    Cal nodded. "The exact one. Word on the grapevine says that the League picked up a hint from a mysterious third-party who linked a couple of Monks colluding with criminals from the Black Market to secure and stash away their captured pok¨¦mon."


    "A real shame that." Elm spoke amidst chewing a mouthful of food. "Can''t imagine how devastated Elder Li was to know that his own pupils were rubbing shoulders with the likes of Team Rocket. The only solace that he can get is that corruption had been rooted from his monastery before it could worsen."


    I don''t know why I''m even surprised that Team Rocket would still be pulling this type of shit in Johto. Just because I''m leaving home to clear my mind of them doesn''t mean they aren''t around bothering and exploiting folks. Still, I am glad that the League is already onto their schemes¡­all thanks to a mysterious third party.


    I smiled to myself as I could only imagine the sheer lengths that Mewtwo probably went to just to be a bother to Team Rocket as a way to make "amends". This training at Charicific Valley will do more than just prepare Asch and I for our battle with Clair, I''ll see to it that I won''t forget that.


    Shoulders slumping, I deeply sighed, "Well, at least getting stopped at the town''s border did save me the trouble of wasting my time. Any news on when they''ll be open to the public again?"


    "No." Shit and that place seemed like the perfect stop to test out everyone''s endurance. Plus, I really wanted to check out that swaying pillar and see if it was an actual giant Bellsprout.


    What? I''m allowed to hold some childish wonder while trapped inside this youthful body. Also, it could be some variant of an Alpha pok¨¦mon that''s being kept secret from the public!


    I leaned back in my chair and dully looked at the ceiling. "Well, that''s just peachy. Looks like I have to come up with another plan before I can actually go anywhere."


    "Or¡­" I inclined my head to look at Cal, who held up a finger. "And just hear me out." I nodded and he continued. "You can stay here and battle with the Youngsters in town at our local Battle Club."


    "Mmmmmmgh! Mmmhmm!" Professor please just stick to eating your food if not then just nod.


    Still, that was quite the offer, but¡­


    "Sorry, but I really want to focus on training my new pok¨¦mon. I''m on enough of a deadline as it is before I move on to train my experienced pok¨¦mon. Also, while I would love to help train your Youngsters, I don''t think I can really juggle keeping my newer pok¨¦mon in line while dealing with¡­" I trailed in an attempt to describe "a bunch of rambunctious kids" without being too offensive.


    "Snot-nosed, overconfident twerps?" Cal snickered.


    "You said it, not me." I like helping the few that challenged mom''s caf¨¦, but there were just some Youngsters who loved to just drive you up the wall sometimes.


    Cal chuckled alongside Prof. Elm. Until the professor started choking on his breakfast and Cal had to roughly smack his back to have him cough it out.


    I almost gagged as the professor re-consumed the ejected bolus of food so nonchalantly while maintaining eye contact with me. Y-Yeah, I think I just lost my appetite.


    "Never fear, I understand the want to hyperfocus on training. I''m the head coach and...okay, so I''m the only coach to all the Youngsters in the New Bark Town chapter so corralling a bunch of hyperactive runts is basically second nature to me at this point." Cal shrugged. "Just leave keeping their attitudes in check to me while you just focus on battling them."


    "Okay that''s a pretty nice bargain¡­" I trailed off.


    "But¡­?" Cal raised an eyebrow.


    "But I don''t know if the Youngsters would provide a decent challenge if their style of battling is barebones basic." I scratched my cheek. Dealing with new trainers who simply ordered their pok¨¦mon to execute a move over and over again didn''t sound too appealing for my training regimen.


    "Hmph, I''ll have you know that Cal here is one of New Bark Town''s top trainers." Elm forced himself into our conversation and proudly boasted about Cal''s accomplishments. "He''s made it quite far in his runs through the Indigo Conference and has even ranked 25th on the Ace Trainer Leaderboards!"


    Impressed, I turned to Cal, who was doing his best to look cool while sipping his cup of tea, but I noticed the blush on his face while he slowly slid down on his seat to avoid attention. "A-Actually, I''ve been bumped down to rank 75 after stepping away from the competitive scene¡­"


    But Elm unaware of Cal''s discomfort continued to lambast his achievements to me.


    "The fresh prospective children who sign up as Youngsters and progress to become trainers have grown remarkably under Cal''s tutelage! Shucks! This new batch even have a few who have earned the right to reserve spots to be sponsored by me!"


    Ah, that''s right. As trainers below the traditional age of 11 to begin their Journey, Youngsters are deemed as Probational Trainers with severe limitations on their ability to act. In response to the causality rates of trainers unprepared for their journeys, the Youngster law was made and passed by the League''s President Pyrrha to provide more options and lower the number of avoidable deaths.


    Youngsters can only travel in the Pok¨¦mon Ranger patrolled routes near their hometowns and must own a maximum of 3 pok¨¦mon. All regional professors are required to support this law and implement this law when providing trainers who wish to begin prepping for their journey ahead of time.


    Prof. Elm was no exception to this while Prof. Oak¡­well, he certainly was.


    Elm explained that he''s given a couple of the prospective youngsters in town a traditional Johto starter while prepping newer starters for the trainers who''ve waited to journey at 11. He mentions how they earned the right to claim them after showing remarkable intelligence to pass his tests and aptitude tests. Already, Elm seemed to be putting a ton of work into trying to make this system work for him as his stables aren''t as high as the Prof. Oak''s and thus not all of the kids getting a traditional starter will be sponsored by him.


    As for Professor Oak, he supports the Youngster law and encourages his fellow researchers to put into practice but refuses to do so. Eight year old me tried to get an answer out of him, but all he would say was that his method of only providing starters and support to trainers who worked through his courses and pok¨¦mon camps have proven their true character in his eyes to earn his sponsorship.


    And though it seems messed up that the Professor can get away with it while Elm can''t (not that I''m against Prof. Oak''s choice to do so in the first place), I can see how hard it would be for the League to force him to follow the Law.


    Professor Elm may have been a well-versed researcher who discovered loads of impactful findings, but he certainly wasn''t the Founder of the Indigo League, or the last Kanto League Champion before Kanto''s merger with Johto. As the main man who helped set up our government, I''m pretty sure that everyone universally agrees that he''s allowed to get away shirking some of the proposed laws.


    Now this would all sound horrible if the amount of leeway was given to any other person, but this was Professor Oak we''re talking about. If you put a crying child in front of him, he''ll automatically make himself that kid''s honorary Grandfather. Trust me, I know from personal experience.


    "Okay! Okay! I''m convinced!" I quickly shouted to stop the professor from jabbering on about Cal''s accomplishments. The young man was now hiding under the table in sheer embarrassment from his father''s antics. I allowed the professor to catch his breath before saying, "If the kids here are as skilled as you say then it might be worth it to stay for a while."


    I thought it over and looked at the ceiling before coming upon a decision. "Right, if what I see today is good, then I''ll stay here for two more days."


    "Just two!?" For some reason, Elm was aghast. Cal poked his head up from under the table to shake his head in annoyance. Was I missing something?


    I nodded. "I''m not sure if my real training will allow me the time to explore so I want to see as much as I can before the Cianwood tournament begins."


    "A-Are you sure I can''t convince you to stay a while longer?" Elm nervously laughed and rubbed his hands together.


    "No." I crossed my arms.


    "Are you sure? I mean, if you stayed longer, you could even fetch your Sylveon for me to study and-."


    "Unless I need Sylvie with me at this moment, I''m not bringing her." God, why do all the professors in this world have to look like kicked puppies whenever I deny them the chance to study my pok¨¦mon. "The only one with express permission to do so is Professor Oak as is the terms of my sponsorship with him." And even then, there were still boundaries that I had to set with the professor just to avoid Sylvie throwing MORE of a fit.


    "Tch! Dammit, Samuel¡­why do you always have to snatch up the good ones." Elm clicked his tongue in annoyance. He quickly shook it off and bowed his head. "I know it''s a fools errand to compete with Samuel in terms of my support and drastically smaller Stabling space. However, I''m still interested in becoming a contact for you, Mr. Ketchum."


    "Contact?" I repeated.


    "Indeed, a contact." Out of nowhere, he pulled a stack of papers with a familiar amount data and paragraphs to smack onto the table. "I''ve read your Research Article pertaining to your Electavire." I cringed, prepared for the inevitable dressing down that he would no doubt give me.


    He raised his hand and shook his head. "Don''t worry, I won''t bite your head off like Samuel no doubt did. I agree that the lengths you went through just to execute this method was far too dangerous, but¡­I couldn''t help but admire the amount of thought and effort you put into getting your end result.


    "286.4 thousand gigawatts of electricity. That''s about as much energy that runs through Saffron City and it states here that you spent an entire week having your pok¨¦mon gather and form Cumulonimbus clouds with Rain Dance." Elm explained. "Your approach made me curious. Why did you choose this course of action to evolve your Electabuzz. Nay, was evolution even on your mind in the first place?"


    "Of course it was, I got myself an Elekid and planned ahead to get myself an Electavire. When there was no signs of an Electarizer being made, I took matters into my own hands and decided to keep cramming Lightning into Thor until he kickstarted an evolution."


    That is what I would say if I didn''t care about ousting myself as a reincarnated dumbass.


    So I gave a more believable answer, "During my journey, I noticed how places like Dark City used Electabuzz like Lightning Rods whenever a bad storm hit their homes. I noticed just how strong my Electabuzz got whenever he sucked the electricity out of portable generators and electrical sockets and thought that if possible, I could get him supercharged and increase his capacity to hold more electricity. And if a happy incident like him evolving occurred then¡­"


    "That would be just as beneficial. A win-win situation." Elm smiled.


    I "innocently" grinned and scratched the back of my head. "Plus, I found the idea of my Electabuzz slinging around a city''s worth of lightning at my opponents to be sort of cool."


    "Feh, what a childish goal." Cal huffed with a good natured roll of his eyes.


    "Dude¡­" I chuckled. "I am a child."


    "A fruitful child I would dare say." Elm grinned. "You''re Electavire was only the tip of the Iceberg as your discovery of the Togekiss and Sylveon evolutionary lines also fascinate me since your methodology that produced your results are still fully unknown to myself and my colleagues. That''s why if I can''t get your support as a sponsored trainer, I''ll gladly be another option should another idea strike you that requires my expertise.


    "But first, I must know." The professor''s mood does a quick whiplash as he leaned over to seriously gaze into my eyes. "What''s your stance pertaining the release of your discovery''s data to the world?"


    I narrowed my eyes. "Released in what way?"


    "Released as in the method of evolution and all the data that you gathered for others to reap the reward of your efforts." Huh, judging by how said that, I got the impression that he was deliberately making the question sound unappealing.


    With nothing to really gain or lose, I spoke the truth with a smile, "Oh, I don''t really mind if information on the evolutions I discover gets released out to the science community and the general public. Well, I wouldn''t mind if it gets released a little later after I discovered them. It depends. As a trainer, having an advantage is pretty crucial toward getting ahead of your rivals, but the prospect of battling other trainers with similar evolutions to my own sounds just as appealing. Comparing and contrasting the same pok¨¦mon''s evolutionary form would also better my understanding of my pok¨¦mon and what else I have left to learn.


    "So, in all, I guess I''m down to share my work after I''m satisfied with all the good that it will bring me."


    Elm just kept staring at me. His gaze judging and fierce before he quickly exhaled and sat back in his seat with a relieved smile. "A fine answer. My intentions remain unchanged, Mr. Ketchum. Would you be willing to at least consider me as an extra contact should an idea about a possible evolution pops into your head?"


    "I¡­" The professor did mention that I should make more connections, and Prof. Elm''s credentials do seem useful. But I should get a grasp over just how much he''s willing to put into this proposal. "Okay, so lets say that I have an idea regarding a possible new evolution line for one of the Johto starters would you-?"


    "Name the pok¨¦mon, and I''ll provide them in the proper stage that you feel would contribute toward getting the result you desire." Damn, no hesitation whatsoever.


    "Luke¡­" Cal groaned and tiredly pointed at the dead serious professor beside him. "I would just take him for his word. He''s been too wound up ever since he got into a heated debate with his colleagues at their last convention in Celadon to joke around about this."


    A part of me that knew the truth felt some schadenfreude that these guys were fighting each other just to prove that Sylvie''s typing had to either be Normal type or Psychic type.


    "Well, it doesn''t really go against my sponsorship deal with Professor Oak, but you do realize that nine times out of ten, I would have to go to him first with most of my ideas." Along with Mr. Blaine if I needed more outside help.


    Elm solemnly nodded. "I''m aware and am willing to play second fiddle if I can at least be around to observe your findings." Huh, that''s some real dedication right there.


    "Then sure, I''ll gladly consider you when a new idea about an evolution pops up." My grin widened as the full grown man knocked over his chair to run around the kitchen to do a victory lap. Cal groaned at his father''s behavior.


    Coughing, I regained his attention. "In fact, if you''re willing to still hear me out on that extra evolutionary line about the Starter, I''ll even tell you about some research that I brought up with Mr. Blaine."


    "Cinnabar Island''s Gym Leader?"


    "You even have Blaine as a contact!?"


    Despite their astonishment, I continued with a grin. "Yup, we''re working on seeing whether the weight of Exeggcute can be affected by the UV rays of tropical islands."


    "Their weight¡­hold on." Elm rubbed his chin then slowly his eyes widened. "Of course there would be any grass types on Cinnabar Island, they''re more indigenous to fire types. Hold on, could their weight be a Dependent variable towards initiating a different evolution?"


    I just smiled and nodded. "Just be sure to mention me when you talk to Mr. Blaine, so he''ll tell you how far along the experiment is proceeding."


    And like that is was pretty Hook, Line, and Sinker.


    I was already discussing my ideas to Elm while Cal sent a group message to all of the available youngsters in town to meet up with us at the local Battle Clubhouse. He even shot a photo of me and sent it. Of course I gave him my consent but instead of answering my query on why he saw the need to do it, he just gave me a wink and left the kitchen to allow me the chance to talk shop with his dad.


    Prof. Elm was a chatterbox but one who knew when to stay on task when the topic pertained to his interests. We went from discussing my three possible ideas on how to influence a Cyndaquil with the Ghost type energy to me trying to talk him down from snatching Custard, an unknown and new pok¨¦mon, to study and observe in his lab.


    The past hour before I followed Cal into town was hectic but incredibly engaging. If the youngsters really proved to be a suitable challenge to my beginner pok¨¦mon, then I can say that being in New Bark Town would be a pleasant affair.


    Perhaps even the perfect place to clear my mind about home.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    (Elsewhere in New Bark Town)


    "Silver? Silver!? You come back this instant, young man! Where are you rushing to all of a sudden!? You forgot your pok¨¦gear!?"

 Chapter 22: New Bark Town II

    "Welcome to the New Bark Town Battle Club!"


    To be frank, I wasn''t expecting too much. Call me a jerk but when the words "Clubhouse for Youngsters" popped up in our breakfast chat, I expected something a little more¡­ramshackle. You know, sort of like a hastily put together treehouse or shack. Like the little clubhouse that the Youngsters at Pallet Town made for themselves.


    But this.


    This place was like a full-blown facility. My expectations were blown out the water as Cal unlocked the Club doors and led me into the stuffy interior. The inside was undoubtedly spacious with a standard battlefield smack down in the middle of the room. Surrounding the battlefield were various lockers, desks, boards, and posters. Heck, the place even had an automatic glass ceiling above the battlefield.


    It wasn''t super state of the art, but the set-up was leagues beyond what my perceived idea of a clubhouse should be for Youngsters.


    "Whoa."


    "Yeah, sorry about the mess. Honestly, those kids can be a handful with how they keep forgetting to clean up after themselves." Already, Cal was gathering the mats and pillows that laid in a circle around a big chalkboard in the middle of the field. Seems like Status Effects were discussed in their last meeting.


    "The mess?" I gawked around the place in disbelief. "I barely noticed it with how freaking huge this place is!" I didn''t even bother to ask if he needed help since I rushed over to help him roll up the mats as he collected the pillows. "Just how was any of this possible?" New Bark Town wasn''t a bustling city so a facility like this really looks out of place.


    Cal laughed as he chucked some of his gathered pillows back to the nearby couches. "A while ago, the old Club building broke down after a wicked storm hit the town. Everyone in town was busy doing their own things to pitch in to fix it, the Rangers are deadest on fulfilling their patrols rather than expend any more than 1 ranger at a time to help in town, and Dad was being¡­"


    "Prof. Elm, yes." I nodded and gestured for him to go on.


    "So, while I was in the middle of a pretty bad losing streak in my ACE matches, I decided to take time off and put my savings into rebuilding this place. Then I stuck around to give pointers to the kids after they used up all of their allowances to throw me the best thank you party that they can afford. After that, I just sort of stuck around to help out after getting attached to the little tykes."


    "So, teaching became a passion for you?" I began to follow his example and slung pillows to any empty seating I could lay my eyes on.


    "That among other things¡­" He began to push the large chalkboard away before stopping with a jerk. "The hel-?" Our eyes fell onto a stray pillow that lay in the board''s path. I rushed over to help remove it.


    "I got it."


    "Thanks."


    "No problem." I gathered the rest of the pillows and followed him to the area where he''d leave the Chalkboard to stand. "So, if teaching wasn''t the only thing that made you feel comfortable about losing your top spot on the ACE trainer leaderboards than what were the other reasons?"


    Cal rolled his eyes. "Being placed at 25 isn''t the top spot especially in the ACE trainer scene. That''s only reserved for the Top 10 and even that''s a nigh impossible threshold to breach that you''d find yourself sitting comfortably as Number 10 and everything imaginable to keep your spot." Cal groaned and wiped the stray amounts of chalk onto his pants. "And stepping away from the ACE trainer life is one of the reasons why I''m comfortable with where I''m currently at in life."


    He points upwards with an exhausted look in his eyes. "The climb to the top lost its luster and brought nothing but stress, ruined appetites, shattered friendships, and bitter rivals. When you get high enough in the leaderboards, you''ll get your first glimpse of what being a competitive battler is like and it is not fun for the unprepared."


    "Oh."


    Cal shook his head. "But don''t let my opinion of it ruin your own views of the sport. I just became disillusioned to it and found more fulfillment in ensuring that the local kids can have some structure and protection while Johto and it''s Rangers are too busy scoping out for crime and Pok¨¦mon Hunters."


    I blinked in surprise at that, "Wait, hold up, care to run that by me again?"


    Cal glanced at me, hesitating for a moment before speaking again. "It''s not as bad as it sounds, but it''s still a reality out here lately. The Rangers are spread thin, especially with Pok¨¦mon Hunters becoming more active in the region these days. Someone has to step up for the kids, and well... I guess that someone became me."


    I nodded, taking in his words. It made sense why Cal would put so much effort into this club. "I respect that, Cal. Not everyone would set aside their ambitions to help others."


    He gave me a small smile. "It''s not all selfless. The kids are like little siblings, and I get to stay sharp by training with them. Speaking of which, they should be flooding in any minute now."


    Right on cue, a rush of excited voices filled the room as the kids poured in, eagerly taking their places around the battlefield. Wow, they were well taught. It takes me and Daisy a load of effort just to get Ash, Gary, and Blossom to sit still whenever we were made to babysit them.


    As they settled in, I began to follow Cal to the battlefield until I noticed a bulletin board off to the side, covered in various photos and papers. Curious, I wandered over and found myself looking at pictures from my previous Conference Battles¡ªshots of Asch mid-air and Tempest launching Hydro Pumps, and even a few of me giving commands in the heat of battle. Detailed stats about my Pok¨¦mon and training techniques were pinned up alongside them.


    "Whoa... who put all this together?" I asked, genuinely intrigued by the amount of information displayed.


    Cal joined me by the board, a knowing grin on his face. "That''s the work of one of the kids. He''s a big fan of yours, you know."


    I raised my eyebrows, impressed. "Seems dedicated."


    "He definitely is," Cal replied, his grin widening. "But I''m not telling you who it is¡ªgotta keep some mystery, right?"


    I chuckled. "Fair enough." Whoever this fan was, they had done their homework. It was odd seeing so much of my history laid out like that, but it was also flattering. I had no idea someone out here in Johto was following my journey that closely.


    Before I could ponder further, Cal finally dragged me away from the board to introduce me to the kids. While a few looked excited, I noticed that most seemed indifferent or even disappointed.


    One kid muttered, "But hey isn''t he just a Kanto trainer?" And like that a series of other kids made their own displeased comments about me.


    "Yeah, I thought we''d get to see a Johto ACE until you sent us that pic of him," another added.


    "He doesn''t even seem that much older than us!" one of them indignantly huffed.


    I bit back a sigh; this wasn''t so surprising to me especially with how blunt little kids can be.


    Guess Kanto trainers aren''t exactly the hot topic here, I thought.


    But I pushed through, putting on a friendly smile. "Hey, everyone! I''m Luke Ketchum, and I''m here to give you some tips and experience battling with my team." The kids'' attention perked up slightly, though I could see some lingering doubt.


    "What kind of pok¨¦mon do you have then? One of them asked.


    Welp looks like I should earn their approval the fastest way I knew.


    I looked at Cal, who remained back to let me lead things. I placed my hand on my belt and grazed my fingers over two pok¨¦balls and Cal, understanding my unsaid message, nodded his approval.


    "Well, I''ve got some new partners I''m training, and I know you''ll be interested to see them in action." I tossed out two Pok¨¦balls, and with a flash, Aurion and Custard appeared. Aurion gave a quick, confident bark, while Custard sniffed the air curiously.


    A wave of gasps and excitement swept through the crowd. "Is that a Riolu?" one of them exclaimed. "I thought they only lived in the Rota Kingdom!"


    A kid with glasses sniffled and pushed the frame of his eyewear up as he excitedly gazed at Aurion, "Fascinating!"


    "And what''s that one?" another kid asked, pointing at Custard. "I''ve never seen anything like it!"


    I held a finger to my lips and grinned. "Secret~!" That earned a few "boos" and disappointed "awws" from the kids. Until I wagged my finger at them, "But you could find out if you battle me since I intend to be using him."


    Now there was some life returning to the group as what were once disappointed faces were battle hungry, and curious to crack the mystery of the unknown pok¨¦mon before. Hook. Line. And Sinker!


    I grinned. "That''s right. I''ve been training both of them, so you might get to see some new moves today." The excitement was palpable, and even the kids who had been skeptical earlier were now leaning forward, eager for what was next. I glanced through the crowd, and though I couldn''t see a sign of the mysterious fan Cal had mentioned, I was glad to have their attention.


    Just as I was about to answer some questions, a voice called out from the back. "Pffft, like we need advice from some loser who only made it to second place at a Pok¨¦mon Conference."


    I looked over to see a backwards-hat wearing boy standing confidently with his arms crossed. At his feet was a Totodile trying to look tough and mimic their trainer''s pose.


    Cal''s frown deepened. "Ethan, that''s enough. Show some respect."


    But I waved it off. "It''s fine, Cal." I gave Ethan a friendly smile. It may be a surprise to meet a prominent character at such a young age, but it wasn''t an unwelcome one. "Hey, Ethan, right? How about you be my first battle today? Let''s see what you and that Totodile of yours can do."


    Ethan''s eyes lit up, and he smirked. "Fine! I''ll show you what a real Johto trainer can do." His Totodile snapped its jaws in agreement.


    As Cal and I began preparing the battlefield, I noticed a young girl with a large hat waving excitedly at me. "Mr. Ketchum!"


    I turned to her. "Yes?"


    She pointed towards a group of kids, her eyes glancing at one particular spot where I caught a glimpse of bright red hair. "Someone here wanted to ask you a question."


    "Really?" I said, scanning the crowd. "Hey, whoever it is, feel free to ask."


    But the boy she pointed to ducked behind the others away from my sight. "N-No, I don''t have a question," he mumbled, barely audible. He was clearly trying to stay hidden, making it impossible to get a good look at him.


    "Hey, no, it''s okay. What did you want to ask?" I gently tried to urge whoever it was to continue but to no avail, I barely made out what they said next.


    "N-No, I don''t have a question," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, which was soon drowned out by the snickering of some of the other children.


    Ah¡­well, I can''t force him, but I can still leave the offer on the table when they get the courage to ask me again. "No problem. Feel free to ask anytime." I didn''t get a response beyond some snickering from Ethan, a few other boys huddled around him, who were definitely not the kid I was talking to.


    Looks like there''s a story there, I thought.


    I narrowed my eyes at that before turning to take notice of the girl, who was angrily hissing for some reason. Ah, she was all flustered while angrily batting away the arms and hands of her teasing friends.


    Hm, she seemed familiar. Hey, isn''t she also a protagonist from the gam-?


    Before I could investigate further, Ethan''s impatient voice called out again. "Are you done talking, or what!? Let''s get this battle started already!"


    Well, it looks like I shouldn''t keep him waiting.


    I gave the girl a grateful nod. "Thanks for letting me know." I turned my attention back to the group, hoping to spot the kid who definitely had a question for me, but he had already melted back into the crowd.


    A real shy one, eh, I thought. I''ll have to try and catch up with him later.


    I glanced back at Cal, who had the field ready. "All right, Ethan. Let''s see what you and your Totodile can do."


    The kids gathered around, buzzing with excitement. As I got into position, I glanced one last time through the crowd, hoping to catch that kid. But with the crowd''s energy building and Ethan raring to go, I decided to focus my attention on the coming battle. Time to show these kids what a Kanto trainer is really made of.


    "To ensure a fair and safe match, I will be proctoring the battle between Luke Ketchum of Pallet Town and Ethan Gold of New Bark Town!" Cal imperiously stood way off to the side facing the field''s center. "Now trainers how many pok¨¦mon are you willing to use for this battle?"


    Ethan redundantly adjusted his backwards cap and jabbed a finger to his chest. "One on One''s just fine with me. Besides, Totodile is all I need. Isn''t that right, pal?" His Totodile excitedly snapped their jaws as they danced their way onto the battlefield.


    "I''m fine with a one on one." I snagged Yogi''s pok¨¦ball off my belt and chucked him out. "Yogi, I choose you!" My little cub pok¨¦mon emerged with their cute tooshie on the ground while licking off the honey that remained on his paws from this morning''s breakfast. Yogi took notice of the Totodile threatening them with their snapping jaws and after sizing them up, confidently stood on his feet with his claws bared.


    The two pok¨¦mon looked ready to battle save for my opponent who looked stomped his feet in a huff. "What the heck is this!? I thought you were going to use the other two cool pok¨¦mon behind you not some lame old Teddiursa!"


    Yogi glared and growled at the trainer which resulted in Totodile growling and bearing their teeth at the Teddiursa in defense of their trainer.


    "Ah, right sorry." I scratched my cheek. "This one is named Yogi. I have also been training him with the other two. Say hi, Yogi." Yogi simply growled at the opposing pok¨¦mon and trainer. "See, you and everyone is now introduced to him. Let''s battle."


    "As if! I didn''t step up to outclass you just to handle some pipsqueak Teddiursa!" Says the pipsqueak commanding the pipsqueak Totodile.


    Ugh, kids¡­


    "Well since you''re so adamant about outclassing me, then once you beat Yogi then maybe I''ll beg and cry for you to make it a two out of three and use either one of my other pok¨¦mon." Step one of controlling an overly confident kid: Play to his ego.


    Based on the wide smirk on Ethan''s face, it worked. "Feh, sure that''s if I even think you''re worthy enough for a second chance."


    "Dear Ho-Oh, you''re gullible¡­" I barely made out the exasperated whisper of the girl from earlier.


    "If both trainers have decided on their choice of pok¨¦mon, then lets commence with the battle!" Cal continued to referee by raising his arms up then slashing them down. "Begin!"


    "Scare ''em!" "Baby-Doll Eyes!"


    Despite how small and cute it looked, Totodile''s expression contorted into a menacing mien, its jaws snapping loudly to intimidate Yogi. My little partner hesitated, his initial aggression faltering for a moment. But despite the intimidation, Yogi''s large, glistening eyes widened with an innocent shimmer that seemed to freeze Totodile in its tracks, as if guilt had crept into its heart.


    Scary Face? Well, seems like Ethan was beginning to blow my low expectations for Youngsters out of the water. He was actually setting things up status effects rather than just blatantly purely using attack moves.


    "Don''t let that fuzzball trick you, Totodile! Soak it with a Water Gun!"


    Ethan''s voice snapped through the air.


    Totodile shook off its hesitation and fired a precise jet of water. The attack slammed into Yogi, dousing him, and sending him skidding backward. My stomach tightened, but I knew Yogi could handle it. He shook himself dry, his fur fluffing out comically. Despite the hit, he glanced back at me with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, ready for the next move.


    "All right, Yogi, show them your charm! Use Covet!" I called.


    Yogi''s demeanor shifted in an instant. He trotted forward with an adorable wobble, his paws clasped together as if pleading. His honeyed gaze even made me feel a pang of affection. Totodile blinked, visibly thrown off by the sudden cuteness. It lowered its guard for just a second¡ªexactly the opening Yogi needed. With a swift leap, he swiped at Totodile, sending it stumbling back.


    "Totodile, don''t fall for it! Use Leer!" Ethan''s frustration was beginning to show.


    Totodile''s eyes gleamed dangerously, the sharp glare slicing through Yogi''s playful act and sapping his confidence. Yogi''s shoulders slumped slightly, but I was not about to let this phase us.


    "Fake Tears!" I said, staying composed.


    Yogi dropped to his knees, covering his face with his paws and letting out a pitiful sob. It was a masterful performance, enough to make me almost feel bad for orchestrating it. Totodile hesitated again, its attack faltering as it stared at Yogi with visible confusion.


    "Enough of that! Bite, Totodile!" Ethan barked.


    Totodile surged forward, its jaws clamping down on Yogi''s arm. I inhaled sharply as Yogi cried out in genuine pain, flailing to break free.


    I needed to act fast. "Yogi, use Fury Swipes!"


    With a determined growl, Yogi lashed out repeatedly with his claws. Totodile was forced to release its grip, retreating under the relentless assault. The momentum shifted as Yogi drove Totodile back to the center of the battlefield, and the cheers of the kids filled the air.


    "Shake it off, Totodile! Use Screech!" Ethan yelled.


    The ear-piercing screech made me wince, and Yogi visibly flinched. The poor Teddiursa recoiled back covering his cute little ears. With his defenses utterly lowered, Ethan smirked. "Now, Aqua Tail!"


    Totodile''s tail glowed a bright blue as it spun into a powerful swing, striking Yogi hard and sending him tumbling across the battlefield. My fists clenched as Yogi struggled to his feet, bruised but still standing. I had to believe in him.


    "You''ve got this, Yogi! Use Charm!" I called.


    Yogi puffed out his chest and struck an irresistibly endearing pose, his cuteness once again chipping away at Totodile''s resolve. Ethan''s frustration was palpable.


    "Totodile, don''t let that stop you! Water Gun!"


    The jet of water shot forward, but Yogi was ready. He dodged nimbly to the side and rushed in close. "Now, Fury Swipes!"


    Yogi''s claws slashed in a rapid flurry, catching Totodile off guard. Each swipe chipped away at its stamina, leaving it wobbling. I could see Ethan''s confidence cracking.


    "Totodile, one more Aqua Tail!" Ethan screamed, desperation in his voice.


    Totodile''s tail glowed again, swinging with immense power. Yogi dodged at the last second, leaving Totodile momentarily unbalanced.


    "No!" Ethan cried.


    "Now, Yogi! Finish it off with a Scratch!"


    Yogi let out a fierce cry and delivered a final swipe across Totodile''s chest. The blue crocodile staggered backward before collapsing to the ground. For a moment, the room was silent, and then the cheers erupted.


    "Totodile is unable to battle. The winner is Teddiursa!" Cal announced, raising his arm in my direction.


    The room erupted in cheers, though Ethan''s face was angrily scrunched up. He recalled Totodile and turned away.


    I let out a breath I hadn''t realized I was holding and rushed over to scoop up Yogi into my arms, interrupting the little cub from further spiting Ethan with a series of mocking faces. As I lifted him into my arms, he gave a tired but triumphant growl. "You did amazing, buddy," I murmured, ruffling his fur.


    Making his way to me, Cal clapped me on the back. "That was some impressive battling."


    "Thanks, but Ethan sure pressed the heck out of us." I chuckled then turned to face the boy, who was undoubtedly refusing to look in my direction. Losing sucked, but I could tell that he had some fun from it despite acting so cocky. "Hey, Ethan!" I began walking toward him with my hand raised. "Good battle. You and Totodile were amazing out there, I mean your combination of Screech and Aqua Tail was brilliantly well-timed and executed!"


    I had thought that the praise would be enough to ease the loss. "Like it matters!" Unfortunately, it didn''t. The boy spun around to straight up scowl at me. "Besides, this match ended up being a fluke! If Totodile hadn''t have slipped, we would''ve sent your little furball packing."


    "Ethan!" The boy flinched from Cal''s call and withered under the older trainer''s gaze. "Enough. Take your loss in stride and review what you can do to improve. Remember, never grow complacent. Ever."


    Ethan''s face turned red. "Whatever!" He stormed out of the club, followed by a few kids who were no doubt his friends.


    "Oy vey¡­" I sighed out in exasperation.


    "Y-Yeaaaaaaah¡­" Cal rubbed his cheek with a tensed look. "Don''t mind him, Luke. The kid''s been needing a proper kick in the butt for a while now. Passing the professor''s aptitude tests to get that starter of his and being the #1 ranked battler at the club really inflated his ego."


    That would explain his attitude. "Oh, well that sucks. I can''t really say that I would have gone through with battling him knowing that." Sure, I''m always up for humbling kids, but you can''t just be straight to the point otherwise you''ll tank their self-confidence. It certainly didn''t help that I used a Teddiursa to defeat his Totodile, which he may have seen as me looking down on him.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "I wouldn''t worry about it." Cal patted my shoulder and beckoned someone over with a half-smile. "Besides, it''s up to me to handle it at the end of the day. You just focus on giving advice to those who are willing to listen."


    Right, my time here was already limited so I should help out when I feasibly can.


    "That was so cool, I never saw Ethan lose like that before!"


    My thoughts were cut short when I noticed the sudden crowd of children huddling around me lighting up like watts in a lightbulb.


    "Hey! Hey! Can I battle you next, Mr. Luke? If I can beat your Teddiursa with my Ratatta, I can easily rub it in Ethan''s face!" exclaimed one of the boys.


    "C-Can I ask for help when you''re done, Mr. Luke? I also have a Teddiursa, but her moves aren''t strong enough. Could you show us how you used Charm like that?" meekly muttered one of the girls.


    "After I clobber your Teddiursa, that Riolu is going down!"


    "If I defeat your Gible could you please tell us its real typing, sir?"


    "What is it like being a Kanto trainer? Grandpa says that you all suck at battling but that battle just now was so wicked!"


    "What kind of super training did you do to reach the Finals?"


    """"""Yeah, tell us!"""""""


    Huh, my battle with Ethan did better everyone else''s opinion of me. I looked for Cal and noticed him outside of the sea of Youngsters, cheekily waving at me. The bastard pretty much cast me to the Sharpedos with a smile on his face.


    "Well, you''re today and tomorrow''s guest of honor. Feel free to pick your next opponent."


    I rolled my eyes at him and returned to taking in all of the children. Their eyes wide and expectant of me with a couple of them carrying some innocent mischief in them. Although their numbers far surpassed the amount that I usually watched over at home, I still had a feeling that they would cause less trouble than Blossom, Gary, and especially Ash combined. So, wearing my best smile, I began looking for my next opponent (specifically the kid, who wanted to ask me something). "Well, to start¡­"


    And that is how my day guiding and battling the prospective Youngsters of New Bark Town began.


    Taking up the momentum from the first battle, Yogi was the first to take the stage. His mischievous energy perfectly was suited for the eager challengers while his appetite for battles was as insatiable as his hunger for berries, and he quickly became the star of the early matches.


    The deal I struck with him was simple: for every victory, he would get a berry. This arrangement motivated Yogi to push through match after match with surprising tenacity.


    But there was a downside because of course there was.


    Yogi''s enthusiasm often overshadowed Aurion and Custard''s opportunities for growth. While Yogi thrived in the spotlight, my Riolu and Gible stood on the sidelines, watching as their lone teammate hogged both the battles and the berries to himself. Aurion watched on in annoyance while Custard was off in his own world staring at something in the air.


    By the fifth match, Yogi was visibly exhausted, his steps slower, and his once-cheerful growls replaced with tired huffs.


    That was when I called things off before he fainted.


    I crouched beside him after a particularly close match against a surprisingly strong Sandshrew. "You did amazing, Yogi. But I think it is time to let Aurion and Custard take over for a bit. I''ll make it up to you with an extra treat at dinner, okay?"


    The mischievous glint in Yogi''s eyes returned, and with a nod, he allowed himself to be returned to his Pok¨¦ball. The kids cheered for his effort, and I could see a few of them making notes on how to motivate their own Pok¨¦mon.


    With Yogi resting, it was Aurion''s time to shine. The kids were immediately captivated by the Riolu''s speed and precision. Aurion''s first five battles were a masterclass in endurance and strategy. Despite his smaller size, he held his ground against opponents like Mankey, Machop, and Growlithe, using his Quick Attack enhanced speed to outmaneuver their attacks.


    After the fifth battle, I noticed Aurion''s movements becoming sluggish. It was time to give him a break. But before he rested, I decided to introduce the kids to a new element of training.


    "Alright, everyone," I said, holding up a small disk. "This is a Technical Machine, or TM. Sponsored Trainers like me use these to teach our Pok¨¦mon new moves. Today, Aurion will learn Brick Break."


    The kids leaned in; their eyes wide with curiosity as I used my Pok¨¦dex to initiate the process. Aurion''s expression was a mix of focus and determination as the TM transferred the knowledge into his mind. After a brief moment, he stepped forward and delivered his first Brick Break with a clean, powerful strike against a stray boulder that was a result of a kid''s Geodude using Rock Throw.


    The kids erupted into cheers as they saw the small pok¨¦mon split the boulder in half. "Can my Pok¨¦mon learn that?" one of them asked excitedly.


    "They can if they''re compatible with the move. Ask Cal or your parents about TMs and which ones work best for your team," I chuckled.


    Custard was up next, and his presence alone commanded attention. The kids were eager to battle him, but there was one problem: Custard''s strength far outmatched most of their Pok¨¦mon. To make the matches fair, I instructed Custard to focus on using his less destructive moves and to hold back his power.


    Despite this, Custard''s battles were still one-sided. His Tackle and Rock Smash were more than enough to handle most of the Youngsters'' teams, and his playful demeanor made him a hit with the kids.


    One trainer, a boy with a Rattata, managed to hold his own for a while by using Quick Attack to outpace Custard''s slower movements. I was ecstatic to see that the kid was borrowing the same tactic that I used with Aurion not too long ago. And unlike Youngster Jimmy, he knew how to conserve his pok¨¦mon''s stamina and had even trained them to maneuver themselves when enhanced with Quick Attack''s speed.


    However, in the end, I commanded Custard to use Rock Smash on the ground and decimate the Rattata''s path to corral them just enough, so he gets close enough and land a single Rock Smash.


    One hit and the pok¨¦mon was out like a light.


    I praised the boy for his strategy. "You''ve got a great eye for speed-based tactics. Keep working on that, and you''ll go far."


    The boy beamed at the compliment, and I noticed a shift in the crowd. The kids weren''t just watching the battles; they were learning from them. It was exactly what I''d hoped for.


    Between battles, I took the time to share advice and stories from my travels. "Every Pok¨¦mon has its own unique strengths and quirks," I told them. "Part of being a good trainer is understanding and working with those differences."


    At one point, I released Asch and Leonardo to give the kids a closer look at my more experienced team members. Asch, became an instant favorite, allowing the kids to climb on his back while he napped contentedly. Leonardo was less enthusiastic, especially when a group of girls tried to cuddle him. He ended up fleeing to the safety of my arms, much to their disappointment.


    "H-Hey, it''s fine everyone. Just be sure not to crowd him, he''s very friendly if you take your time, okay?" I tiredly laughed with Leonardo soon joining me.


    "S-Squirt-Squirtle¡­" He wasn''t averse to playing with others but he''s quite small as a runt so too many people surrounding him would obviously make him uncomfortable.


    "O-Okay, Mr. Luke." One girl sniffled followed by a cacophony of apologies from the others around her. This time they did listen, and those frowns turned back into jubilant smiles as Leonardo began doing tricks with his Water Gun and spinning about like a clumsy top just to cheer them up.


    He was even pretending to fall on his back and struggle to his feet just to make them laugh.


    ¡­Oh, he was not pretending¡­


    ¡­Welp, I am sure that he''ll be fine.


    Amid the chaos, I kept an eye out for the shy kid who had caught my attention earlier. Despite my efforts, I could not seem to find him. Until a tug to my pants caught my attention and soon I was looking into the curious blue eyes of the big hat-wearing girl, wearing a sly smile.


    "Mr. Luke, I know who you''re looking for," she said with a sly smile.


    "Do you now?" I tilted my head in question.


    She vigorously nodded her head. "Yep, but¡­"


    "But¡­?" I raised an eyebrow.


    "I''ll only tell you if you battle me first. Quid pro quo as they say, right?" Okay, these kids were starting to make me question what they were feeding them over in Johto.


    "You know, I''m not even going to ask how you know that." I laughed at her cheeky demand. "But you''ve got yourself a deal, miss¡­?"


    "Lyra C. Spring, Mr. Luke." The girl happily adjusted her hat with a bright smile before it turned a little vicious. "Also, thanks for putting that dummy Ethan in his place."


    "Your welcome?" Huh, I would have thought that the two of them would be friends. Welp can''t always assume things even if they both are indicative of the games'' protagonists.


    "So, hey, Mr. Luke, can I battle against Custard?" She excitedly bounced in place.


    "Sure, but fair warning, Custard can be a bit rough. As you can tell from the other battles."


    "Oh, don''t worry about us, Mr. Luke, we can handle it," she replied confidently, holding up a Pok¨¦ball.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    The warm afternoon sun streamed through the glass ceiling of the New Bark Town Battle Club, illuminating the battlefield below. The air buzzed with excitement as the kids gathered around, their chatter filling the room with a palpable energy. Cal stood at the center of the field, his whistle gleaming in the sunlight.


    The kids crowded around the battlefield, eager to see how this match would unfold.


    "This will be the final battle of the day!" Cal announced, his voice carrying over the crowd. "A one-on-one match between Luke Ketchum from Pallet Town and Lyra Spring from New Bark Town! Trainers, are you ready?"


    I glanced at Custard, my Gible, who was staring blankly at the field. His posture was casual, but I knew better than to mistake that for a lack of interest. He was as ready as ever.


    Lyra and I nodded at Cal, who immediately swiped his arms down.


    "Then let the match begin!"


    "Go, Custard!" Custard hauled himself onto the field as fast as his little stubby limbs could take him.


    Across from us, Lyra adjusted her wide-brimmed hat and smiled confidently. She held her Pok¨¦ball tight. "Chikorita, let''s make this a battle to remember!" Her Chikorita appeared in a burst of light, landing gracefully. The leaf on her head swayed slightly as she took a ready stance.


    Lyra wasted no time. "Chikorita, Sweet Scent!" she called.


    The air around the battlefield grew heavy with a cloyingly sweet aroma. Custard sniffed once, then shook his head with a dazed groan, eyes growing droopy. His straightforward nature made him particularly susceptible to distractions, and I could tell he was already losing focus.


    "Custard, focus! Use Rock Smash!" I commanded.


    Snapping out of it, Custard let out a grunt and charged forward, his claw glowing faintly as he prepared for the attack. Lyra''s eyes narrowed. "Vine Whip, go!"


    Chikorita''s vines lashed out, catching Custard mid-charge and halting his momentum.


    Clever girl.


    The impact of the thick vines was not enough to damage him significantly, but it was a clear reminder of Lyra''s strategic approach. Custard stumbled back, shaking his head as if annoyed by the delay.


    "Don''t let her control the pace, Custard! Dig!"


    Custard responded immediately, burrowing deep into the ground with impressive speed. The battlefield grew tense as Chikorita scanned the area, her leaf twitching slightly.


    Still though, Lyra wasn''t panicking. "Poison Powder, cover the field!" she ordered.


    A cloud of purple spores spread across the battlefield. It was a smart move, creating a hazardous environment for Custard when he reemerged. I smirked. "Custard, now!"


    He burst from the ground directly behind Chikorita, avoiding most of the spores. His Rock Smash landed cleanly, sending Chikorita skidding across the field. She scrambled to her feet, clearly shaken but not out of the fight.


    Lyra''s voice remained calm. "We''re not done yet. Chikorita, Razor Leaf!"


    The sharp, spinning leaves flew toward Custard. "Brace yourself and counter with Dragon Breath!" I called.


    Custard inhaled deeply, exhaling a stream of fiery blue energy that incinerated the oncoming leaves. The attack continued toward Chikorita, forcing her to leap aside with a well-practiced Vine Whip. She landed awkwardly, and I could see her energy waning.


    "Sweet Scent again!" Lyra called, her tone unwavering.


    The battlefield filled with the alluring aroma once more. Custard stopped in his tracks, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. I groaned. "Custard, snap out of it! Use Tackle!"


    With a grunt, Custard refocused and charged at Chikorita. Lyra countered swiftly. "Tackle, Chikorita!"


    The two Pok¨¦mon collided head-on, the impact sending both of them staggering back.


    "C-Chika¡­!" Lyra''s Chikorita flinched back in more pain than my pok¨¦mon while Custard recovered first. His thick scales gave him the edge in durability. He shook himself off and growled, his blunt determination shining through.


    Lyra''s eyes narrowed. "Chikorita, Growl!"


    The sharp, high-pitched cry from Chikorita made Custard hesitate. His attack stance faltered, and I could tell his confidence had been shaken slightly.


    "Don''t let that stop you! Use Bite!" I shouted.


    Custard lunged forward, his jaws snapping shut on Chikorita''s side.


    "C-Chiika-!"


    "N-No, Chikorita!" Lyra cried out in panic. For a moment, she looked frightened as she watched her pok¨¦mon get torn into by Custard''s sharp teeth. Thankfully, she did not freeze up for long. "Use Vine Whip on its face to break free!"


    "Gib!" Chikorita''s vines desperately smacked Custard''s face over and over until they smacked his eyes. Custard recoiled from the pain and thus his jaws grew lax.


    With an opening to escape, Chikorita managed to wriggle free, her movements sluggish now. Lyra''s frazzled expression managed to calm down albeit with a small frown lingering on her brow as she called, "Poison Powder, one more time!"


    The purple spores spread again, and this time Custard could not avoid them entirely. He coughed and growled, shaking his head as the poison began to take effect. I snapped my finger. "Custard, hang in there! Use Dig again!"


    Despite his growing fatigue, Custard burrowed into the ground. The kids watching the battle were on the edge of their seats, their eyes darting between Chikorita and the faint tremors in the earth.


    Lyra adjusted her stance, her focus sharp. "Chikorita, stay on the move! Don''t let him predict your position!"


    A good tactic but a little too late to use it now.


    Chikorita began darting across the battlefield, her movements erratic. It was a clever tactic, but the damage that she accrued throughout the fight made her more sluggish and slower. Sure, you can still be moving, but exhaustion often makes you cut corners to save what remains of your energy, and soon enough you become predictable to read.


    I trusted Custard to determine Chikorita''s location from underground and proclaimed my command. "Now, Custard!" I called as he erupted from the ground. Chikorita attempted to dodge, but Custard''s timing was perfect. His Tackle landed squarely, knocking Chikorita off her feet.


    "C-Chi-Chika¡­!" She struggled to rise, her energy depleted. Quite the stubborn one, eh?


    Then much to my surprise, Chikorita was engulfed in a red light and sucked back into their pok¨¦ball.


    "I withdraw Chikorita from the battle and concede the match." Lyra sighed, a small smile on her face as she recalled her defeated partner. "You did wonderful, girl."


    Cal stepped forward, raising his arm. "Chikorita is unable to battle. The winner is Gible!"


    The crowd erupted into cheers, and Custard stood in the center of the field, panting but triumphant. I walked over and knelt beside him, rubbing his head. "You did great, Custard. Really great."


    "Gib-Gible." He crooned and leaned into my touch.


    "I know pal, I''ll make sure you get a glorious meal when we go back to the professor''s place. Just rest up until then, yeah?" I chuckled and returned him to his pok¨¦ball.


    Lyra approached; her sad smile carrying a hint of pride despite the loss. "Thank you for the battle, Luke. You and Custard are incredible."


    "You''re pretty amazing yourself," I replied honestly. "Also, good call back there."


    "Huh?" The girl looked up in thought to translate my meaning before it hit her. "Oh! Nah, I wasn''t about to leave her out there to get a beating. Chikorita likes to act tough sometimes even when she really shouldn''t. So, I''ll have to deal with her pouting later on."


    "Y-Yeah, I can relate to that." Macaque came to mind. "It''s not too much trouble for you though?"


    "Not really. All I have to do is give her some treats and keep scolding her if she wants to act up like that. Hopefully, it''ll stick before my journey." Lyra shrugged.


    That''s¡­surprisingly a mature approach for her to take. Huh¡­


    "Still though your strategy was amazing for someone of your skill level, Lyra. Keep working with Chikorita, and you''ll be stopping bigger pok¨¦mon in no time."


    "Thanks, but¡­we still have a long way to go." With a blush, she rubbed the back of her neck. "Although I''m glad to see that our stall tactics were capable of tripping you up a little. It means that we can handle anyone at our current level pretty easily."


    My smile grew.


    "That''s a fantastic mindset to have." I chuckled.


    "It really is." Cal approached us with a big, proud smile. "It''s hard for some trainers to find the satisfaction in their progress when trying to take bigger steps. As long as you can grow to be the better you than you were yesterday then you''ll find that you are changing and if not, you can identify areas that may be hindering your growth."


    He patted Lyra''s head. "Good work, Lyra."


    "T-Thanks, Cal." She beamed at the compliment, and I couldn''t help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction.


    Cal turned to the rest of the children with a grin as he took their energetic faces after watching the battle. "And that is all, tykes! Start cleaning up the field and packing your things because its clean up time!" The collective groans and "awwws" made the man''s grin grow a tad. "No complaining, Luke and I will help you out! That is¡­" Cal raised a single finger. "If you''re willing to stay a little later until the evening to clean up yourselves!"


    The children perked up at that.


    "I''ll stick around the Club and continue to act as referee for those who still want to do battles and gain my advice." A couple of hands shot up, but Cal shook his head. "Luke isn''t beholden to stay to continue battling after all the help he gave you lot already. He can if he wants to but just remember that he''ll be here tomorrow too."


    That earned some satisfied nods and grunts from the kids.


    "Now then, who wants to go first?" Suddenly the room became saturated with the excited noise of battle hungry children once more. "And be sure to work on any moves that you think will help when we go out for the Capture Exploration in two days!"


    And that was the last time I saw of Cal before he was swarmed by the Youngsters, he waved me off to go save myself while I still could. Shrugging, I figured that he would text or call if he needed any help but since he''s a pro at corralling these little hellions by himself, I was free to do whatever I wanted.


    "Ahem!" I felt Lyra tugging my sleeve with a wide smile.


    Ah, scratch that. I still have to look for that shy kid. "So, you willing to spill on where that kid is?"


    She nodded. "Definitely!" She began to lead me away until she noticed something from afar in the Club. "Aha!" She pointed at something, and I followed her finger to spot that it was just Asch lying around in a corner of the Club, but he wasn''t alone.


    "Quuuuuuiiil~!"


    "¡­?" My Charizard tilted his head questionably at the little creature sizing him up.


    "Quuuuuuuuuuuil~!"


    Was that Cyndaquil trying to roar at Asch and pick a fight? Looking closer, I noticed the small fire mole pok¨¦mon trembling despite its aggressive(?) roaring, so it couldn''t be the latter, but still it left me questioning a variety of things regarding the scene before me.


    Eventually the poor thing tired itself out that it was now panting with beads of sweat on its head. Concerned, Asch got up and patted the little guy on the head with a curious smile, but this only served to anger the Cyndaquil to continue its adorable roaring.


    Giving a proud and satisfied nod to itself, the adorable little thing plodded off, leaving a confused Asch staring after them and an impatient Lyra to drag me along to follow it.


    "C''mon, lets tail him before he gets away!" She quietly screamed.


    "Okay?" Apparently that Cyndaquil must belong to the shy kid. Good to know after piecing the subtle cues together. As we passed my Charizard, he could only give the two of us the same odd look it gave to the Cyndaquil. "I''ll be back, pal. You just watch things here and help out Cal if he needs it! Tell Leo to do the same!"


    My faithful Charizard all but nodded, tossed me a thumbs up before curling himself up on the ground for a quick nap. Heh, if I was him, I''d do the same thing but if something does happen, he''ll no doubt step in to help.


    As for tailing a pok¨¦mon like Cyndaquil, we really didn''t have that much trouble. Yeah, we kept ourselves at a distance and watched as the adorable little fire mole squeezed past the cracks of the Club''s backdoor. Our little trek did not last very long because our target soon stopped once they toddled an old crate near the trash cans.


    Silent, Lyra and I crept closer to hide on one end of it. The sound of faint mumbling caught me attention and their voice were very similar to the shy kid from earlier. Lyra had to silently shush me upon noticing my expression before pointing to her ears.


    Listen in? I wordlessly mouthed to her, and she nodded with a thumbs up. Humoring her, I decided to raise one ear up to sky and make sense of the constant muttering.


    "-stillcan'' '' ''sactingsomuchdifferentlythantheConferenceandhisCharizardwow!Itlookssomuchcoolerinperson!Iwonderifhe''llletmecatcharideonit?Nothat''sstupidtheyprobablywouldn'' !Why''dthatnoseygirlhavetocallmeoutlikethatItotallycouldhaveapproachedhimlatertoaskmyquestions¡­Eventually."


    O-Okay, so I couldn''t make out most of what was said but thankfully I''ve had two lifetimes worth of dealing with motormouth little siblings so parsing word vomit was second nature to me at this point.


    "At least that jerk and his Totodile got to eat dirt for once. Told him that Luke would toast him, and he didn''t even need to use his Charizard¡­okay, that would have been overkill. Still though, I got one over on him¡­w-well, I technically did not do anything, but I told him that Luke was a big deal. I mean, he doesn''t look quite as cool anymore, but his skills prove that I was right!" There was more life in the kid''s voice than I expected.


    Huh, it looks like this kid really was the one who made that collage of data on me and my team in the club. Also, what did he say about me no longer looking cool anymore? Although, I am flattered to have been seen in that way, it did make me curious about what image he had of me in his head.


    "Also, all of the pok¨¦mon he showed today were so awesome! Like that Riolu and definitely whatever that Gible is! Ugh, if only nosey Lyra didn''t butt in like usual, then I could have asked him all of the questions I have!"


    Ah, Lyra was pouting now.


    "L-Like where''d he get those pok¨¦mon, and what pok¨¦mon would he recommend for a first capture, and-and how come he didn''t field Charizard against that foreign trainer in the Finals? And now I can''t cause everything''s ruined¡­I mean, it is right, Cynda-? Huh, Cyndaquil, you are back!?" The voice gasped.


    "Quil! Cyndaquil!"


    "O-Oh, okay. Sorry for not noticing, I was caught up in updating my Journal? But what did you even leave to go do?"


    "Quuiiiiiiiiiiil!"


    "Why do you look so proud? You don''t have to pretend to be a Charizard just because they''re better than you, ya know." I winced at the boy''s poor wording while Lyra sadly shook her head.


    "Q-Quil¡­"


    "N-No, wait, I didn''t mean it like that-!" The boy gasped. "Look, I''m glad that your my friend, Cyndaquil. H-Hey, let''s see if we can snap a picture of Luke while he''s here." Some rustling occurred before it picked up in a panic before starkly stopping. "Gagh! I left my Pok¨¦gear at home! Ugh, mom''s going to be teasing me all day today! How annoying¡­at least Big Sis isn''t in town otherwise it would have been unbearable."


    Unsure feet scratched against the ground as they picked the boy up to stand. "Ugh, its either go back and deal with mom to get my pok¨¦gear or ask any of the other kids here to let me borrow their phone¡­ hm, getting mom''s teasing out of the way sooner sounds better¡­" Does¡­does this kid not have any friends here? I turned to Lyra, who is pouting only grew more pronounced from puffing up her cheeks.


    "But that could eat up more time¡­maybe I can ask Cal to¡­nah, then he''d just call over Luke and have him talk to me and when he does, I''ll choke up and look like a complete dingus! ¡­And that miss nosey is a definite no-go, she definitely would make things worse if I even were to ask for her help."


    Yep, this kid was a definite loner. He''s even at odds with himself over where to snap a picture of me rather than going down the simple path of approaching me. Well, good news for him, I''m plenty capable of making the first move and being as discreet and approachable as possible.


    But before I could think of a subtle way to pop out and introduce myself, the now red-faced Lyra chose that time to pull me out from the side of the crate to reveal ourselves to the Cyndaquil and the bo-!


    Red hair. Brown eyes widened in shock/surprise. Unique hairstyle.


    Catching the kid''s full appearance, a mixture of exhaustion and self-satisfaction welled up within me. "Looks like being a loner naturally checks out, huh?"


    "Y-You-!" The boy yelped back as Lyra tugged into his line of view. While he flinched back his Cyndaquil jumped forward, doing another imitation of Charizard''s roar in a bid to look intimidating.


    "Mr. Luke, this is Silver. He''s been like your super fan since the last circuit!" Lyra exclaimed while pointing at the boy, who''s mouth was gaping so wide that it nearly touched the floor. "Here." Pulling out a pink pok¨¦gear, she tugged me to stand in front of the shocked boy and his "roaring" Cyndaquil to snap a quick photo of us. "Now I have a picture of both you and Mr. Luke. I''ll ask Cal to give me your number to send to you later. Now do you have anything to ask Mr. Luke?"


    "I-I¡­" Silver squeaked; his bulging eyes still stuck on me.


    Pausing for a moment, I had to work myself up to smile despite how awkward I felt. "¡­Hi?" And to add to that, I sounded awkward too. Way to go me¡­


    "B-B-B-B-!" The boy began to stammer and tremble.


    "Huh?" I blinked in confusion, turning to Lyra for an explanation, but all I got was an exasperated eye roll.


    "BYEEEEEEEE!" And the moment my gaze fell back on the red head, he was already running off into the distance.


    "Quuuuuuuuuil! Quuuui-Cy-Cy? Cyndaquil! Quiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil~!" Mid-roar, the boy''s poor Cyndaquil noticed the apparent absence of their trainer and ran off after them with a piteous cry for being left behind.


    Huh¡­I expected a lot from this small detour but not that.


    "Ugh, there he was talking himself up and getting all mad at me for supposedly ruining things for him but when the opportunity pops up, he crumbles. Typical Silver." Lyra clicked her tongue and facepalmed. "Don''t mind him, Mr. Luke. He''s actually super shy¡­"


    "I noticed¡­" I scratched my cheek.


    "Not too hard, huh? Well, most of the other kids don''t see it that way because he keeps away from the rest of us. Apart from that one battle against Ethan, he doesn''t even try against the rest of us. But besides that, he''s actually pretty a pretty nice guy once you really get to know him."


    "Can you say the same for yourself?" I referenced the boy''s not too pleasant words he had for the girl.


    She shrugged. "Well, he''s annoying but what boy isn''t? They can all be stupidly obnoxious sometimes. Its just that Silver is the least obnoxious from the bunch, especially compared to Ethan. He had even helped me-!" She stopped herself just short of telling me what was on her mind before furiously shaking her head and pulling down the brim of her oversized hat to hide her face. "Nevermind."


    "I see¡­" I squinted hard enough to notice a touch of red on her ears. Ah, now there was definitely a story behind that, but I was too caught up with the fact that I had technically met my probable cousin to care.


    "J-Just-! Please be patient with him and just answer his ridiculous questions. He only really gets excited when he''s watching your old matches or raving about how strong your pok¨¦mon are. So I''d like to-I mean, I''m sure that Cal would like to see him be happy for a full day for a change y''know?" Stuttering to herself, Lyra coughed and bowed her head to me. "Well, sorry for pulling you away and thanks for listening to me! I''ll see you back in the Club!"


    And like that, Lyra took off, leaving me to lean against the crate in deep contemplation.


    So¡­Silver''s here in New Bark Town.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­Man, what am I even worrying about. I highly doubt that Team Rocket would have the balls to set up camp in this town much less after if what that bastard said is right about his resignation as it''s boss. But he did mention the new leader being worse than he was. Gah! I don''t want to trust his words but there could be some credibility to it¡­


    You know what?


    "Fuck it." Again, I have to remind myself to just focus on what I''m here to do. Train up my pok¨¦mon and for my time being here, battle and assist with teaching these youngsters which include Silver. Now whether he''s Giovanni''s son or not doesn''t matter to me because at the end of the day, he''s a kid like any other kid out there, who apparently idolizes me as my #1 fan.


    I can figure out the rest later with Cal during my late-night training at Prof. Elm''s reserve, then tomorrow I''ll talk to the kid and see what happens next.


    There. A simple solution that leads to away from any lingering drama that I desperately don''t need at the moment.


    Heaving out a large sigh, a certain leather journal came to mind along with the unneeded dread that the thought of it filled me with. "Ugh, at least I have a reason to procrastinate on not reading that thing." Pulling myself together, I slipped back into the Battle Club and decided to resume with helping Cal with the youngsters.


    I needed something to take my mind off of things, and helping with the kids and clean-up did just that. It also allowed me the opportunity to ask Cal for his help in assisting with the training of his pok¨¦mon and if he was willing to share any tips and tricks that he picked up as a much older trainer and formerly competitive ACE trainer.


    Apart from a minor hiccup, the day felt pretty A-Okay.


    I can only hope the next day will be better though. Maybe it will and fortune will be in my favor.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Elsewhere


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    [¡­?]


    "Yes, it''s me. I''m here to give an update on the events in regard to the current job."


    [¡­]


    "Very well. Twin Leaf Town as it has been over the past week has seen no activity beyond the usual Ranger patrols in the wilds surrounding it. Less patrols have been documented on the Route leading inward to Johto."


    [¡­?]


    "Knowing the full breadth of resources and personnel at your organization''s disposal, I''m sure you can figure out the "whys" behind the occurrence for this yourself. If you require more information then double my pay."


    [¡­]


    "Then I''ll continue. There''s been recent activity in town, particularly one of the areas of interest, Prof. Elm''s lab."


    [¡­]


    "A trainer from Kanto strolled in just the other night and headed straight for Elm''s lab. This morning, he was seen walking through town with Elm''s son, Cal, an inactive ACE trainer and current head coach in charge of training the town''s youngsters."


    [¡­?]


    "Though I could not accurately assess the new trainer''s threat to the job, I could get a rough estimation based on the data I gathered on them. Now whether they improved or worsen since the last Conference is a mystery."


    [¡­ ¡­]


    "Their name? Luke Ketchum, why?"


    [¡­! ¡­ ¡­ ¡­]


    "Did I just mishear you? What?"


    [¡­]


    "I won''t complain about my pay being tripled, but why the added objective once this particular trainer was brought up?"


    [¡­ ¡­ ¡­]


    "Fine, I can take a hint. However, you do realize that the amount you''re going to pay me now will finally give me the opportunity to leave the region. Thus, my debt and partnership to your organization will end after this job. Are you certain that you are willing to let me go this easily?"


    [¡­]


    "¡­Then if this trainer is really a top priority, then I''ll take care of it. I''d be a fool to pass up such easy money. Now is there anything else you would like to add, my report is now over."


    [¡­]


    "Alright. This is Jenesis, signing off."