Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon but I do own my OCs.

Sliding down to the gym entrance was a nice little reward for making challengers climb to the top. It was broken up into three segments and the surfaces were essentially one giant smooth rock making the process easy. The person at the gym entrance registered me for Winona's flying class before I made my way back to Sadie's apartment.

I decided to take it slow and enjoy the scenery on the way to Sadie's place from the Pokémon Center. The outdoor field was further away than I thought yet the top half of the podium towers were clearly visible. Someone could've watched from afar if they didn't want to make the long walk and had binoculars. I appreciated the bridges connecting the upper part of the city and just how everything worked. People put in a lot of effort to reap the benefits of nature while leaving a decent amount untouched.

Sadie's front door was surprisingly unlocked when I got to her place. She was watching television on the futon when I walked in.

"Took the day off?" I asked.

"Yup. I figured it would be worth it. How'd your battle go?"

I pulled out the badge. "Came away with a win. It was an ugly battle."

"Hey, it still counts. What's your plan moving forward?"

"Well, I was wondering if I could stay another night. Winona is having a flying class tomorrow. After that, I'm heading out." A knock at the door came when I finished. "Are you expecting someone?"

My sister hopped up. "I am. Just a little surprised about the early arrival though."

A quick burst of paranoia swept through me. What if it was someone from Pokémon Services? Jen was the face of their public relations department and could've come to Fortree to promote the business. She had a persuasive attitude, so a personal in-home visit wasn't too farfetched. Oddly enough, a Pelipper stood in the doorway after she moved to the side.

"Look who it is! Come on in!" Sadie happily exclaimed. I didn't understand what was going on even as it waddled over to me.

"Am I missing something?"

"Remember how you wanted to send items back home through the mail?" I nodded. "I figured I could help you out. Mom usually sends Pelipper when I want to send things home right away, so I gave her a call. Don't worry about your gift being spoiled."

I picked it up. "It's so good to see you!" A happy cry with its eyes closed was its response.

Sadie urged us to go outside. "Sorry, somebody is sleeping in my room. Besides, there's a lot more space outside for introductions. Take this pen and paper if you want to write a note."

We let out Pokémon it was familiar with to complete the reunion. Castform was happy to see it, but nowhere near excited as Linoone. He spazzed out at the sight of Pelipper by running circles around it then rolled on the ground in excitement. Linoone bounced in place while talking to it before climbing on its back; he always liked flying on it as a Zigzagoon. Magneton was still upset about the gym battle but eventually let it go to enjoy some catching up while I wrote my note.

Sadie probably told you a lot about me, but she didn't tell you that I got you guys presents! There are three TM discs attached to this note: Overheat, Roost, and Aerial Ace. Torkoal could benefit from Overheat in a pinch but be aware that using it lowers its special attacking power after each time. Mom, you'll have a move that can do some damage and another one to heal it off. Keep them and use them anytime you want. Love you!

-Ryan

Pelipper took the discs wrapped in the note after it was done playing around. I was confident it wouldn't swallow anything because the package was for my parents and it probably didn't taste good. On the off chance it did swallow, it would spit the everything back up. We waved it away as it took off into the sky.

"You gave them two more discs?" Sadie asked.

"Mom could probably make better use of Roost and Aerial Ace than I could."

About forty-five minutes had passed since Pelipper's arrival and it wasn't quite time for dinner. We walked back inside after recalling our Pokémon to see Sadie's door open and the bathroom door closed. She casually sat on the futon to watch her show.

"Aren't you going to tell me who's here?" I asked before I got lost in what was on.

She smiled. "Nah."

The sound of the toilet flushing and sink running took my attention off the television. When the door opened, I had to do a double take.

"No way…" I whispered. "Why the fuck did you hide this from me!? Lucas! What are you doing here?" He nodded then came in for a hug.

"Hoenn's national Pokéathlon team is in Fortree to train for a few weeks this offseason. I've been 'busting my ass in practice' since that favor you did for me just over a year ago. Honestly, a lot has changed in that time."

I was glad he never told anyone about the 15,000P I gave to him so he could go to his first tournament. Safe to say my parents would've tried to pay me back after that considering that was nearly half of my bank account at the time. I internally shuddered at how Sadie would've reacted back then.

"That's great! Are you staying here or in a hotel?"

"Hotel. I wanted to visit home, but it's too far away and we don't have that much free time. I have another surprise for you too." His partner in crime materialized looking much different.

"You motherfucker," I said with a big smile. "Manectric is going to dominate in the speed events."

"Absolutely. The evolution happened in the locker room after the last match of the season."

I called out Linoone again. "My mischief maker evolved too." Both of them took a minute to process the new evolutions then begged to go outside.

"Don't you also have a Magnemite?"

"Had one. Also evolved." All of them bolted outside when I opened the door. "They'll tire themselves out. Why don't you show me some highlights? I haven't been able to watch any on the road."

Lucas bounced around from video to video on Sadie's laptop showing off his best. The amateur circuit's video quality was awful, but I still saw him dominate in each performance. He took a break to tell me how he got called up to the professional team and how he's been a fringe athlete ever since. Most of his professional matches were just like our unofficial family motto: a lot of heart and skill but couldn't get over the hump. For those few times he did win a speed event, I saw the unadulterated joy on his face.

Sadie wanted a family dinner which meant she had to go to the mart for more food. I gave her the money and told her she could take Aggron to help carry things. Lucas waited a few minutes after she left before pausing the current video.

"Ryan, you know a lot more about Pokémon than I do. Is Manectric really going to cut it? There's a good chance we'll be cut before the season starts up again."

"Based on speed alone, it should be fine."

He pulled up clips of a five-year veteran and her Rapidash from Johto. "This is what I'm up against and she finished in the middle of the pack this past season. She also won an individual speed title two years ago."

"Let me give you some advice. You may have heard this from your coaches, but bear with me. Focus on bettering yourself because that's what you can control. All you can do is train until the deadline and see what happens. Despite our different paths, we're in the same boat."

My bother looked hesitant to take my advice. "We'll see since training continues tomorrow. I'm shooting for a guaranteed one-year contract at the minimum. Stability of any kind is a good thing in the world of an athlete but it's really hard to come by."

"Having a specific goal in mind will help keep you focused."

"Also trying to avoid a sophomore slump," Lucas added.

Dinnertime came quicker than expected since we went back to watching highlights. Aggron ended up carrying most of the bags which put a frown on his face. Everyone got rounded up outside so they all could eat together; everyone on my team got a double serving of food for their effort in gym battles. It didn't come as a surprise that they fell into a food coma shortly after; they didn't even notice getting sucked back in.

We traded stories from the best of times to the bullshit that had to be dealt with. As usual, I had to hold back with the whole Latias incident and the fact I had a mansion. The weird part was that my life still seemed normal in comparison Lucas'. Being a professional athlete made for all kinds of stories, so we let him talk as long as he wanted.

"Unfortunately, it's getting close to curfew. I have to head out," Lucas said.

"Really? That's dumb," Sadie replied.

"That's one of the downsides of being a pro athlete. Here's my number before I go. I didn't think you guys got PokéNavs."

I started to input the number. "A trainer that doesn't have even the most basic one is in for a rough journey."

"Helps me at work too since it's more advanced. There's only a landline phone at home," Sadie added. "Maybe we could convince at least dad to get one."

"If we can all meet up at home, we can do it then. No way you guys want to play tech support over the phone," I said. Lucas gave Sadie a farewell hug then turned to me.

"You better make it to Ever Grande City because I want to see the results of your training," he teased followed by a hug. He walked into the night with Manectric beside him.

Seeing him was a major confidence booster.

Falling asleep took longer than usual. Even the idea of flying in a relatively safe environment still had me nervous. Why was I so scared? Altaria always made sure I was comfortable when flying on her back. She also caught me well before I hit the ground after Latios' vision caused me to fall off. It took a lot of effort to shrug it off before saying goodbye to Sadie and going to the gym after breakfast.

Four others were waiting on the ground floor before class started. A male trainer that looked no older than thirteen years old, a middle-aged couple, and a female trainer my age were the participants. The gym assistant that I didn't battle was preparing the area when Winona walked over.

She was wearing something I didn't even know was considered a flight suit. Light turquoise for the outer layer, helmet, and shoes while her pants and gloves were white. It was a sharp contrast to the lime-colored lenses on her goggles. Makeshift wings went from the bottom of her pants to the knees before angling slightly upward behind her. The helmet allowed for her hair to sick out the side in a unique pattern and there was a gap on the top of the back of her top to show off another wing pattern and a small amount of skin. Same went for the front.

If anyone needed proof she cared about her job, it was staring them in the face. It was less bulky compared to what she wore during our match and it was a little warm in the gym. My face was also warm if not visibly red but I could at least blame that on the heat. Flashbacks of prom season four years ago came to the forefront of my mind. She was grace and elegance personified. I hoped she hadn't noticed.

"Welcome to my flight class for beginners! Before we start, how many of you have flown on a Pokémon's back as a passenger?" Everyone raised their hand. "Good! The focus of this class is to make sure you and your Pokémon stay safe and comfortable when flying as the pilot. I'll be using Tropius as my partner."

The large grass and flying type stood confidently while surveying everyone. Using it in battle would've saved me a lot of trouble if it replaced Skarmory or Altaria. It eventually lowered its head so Winona could get on.

"Call out your partner and wait for my instructions," Winona said.

Variety was more prevalent compared to Flannery's yoga class. The trainer my age had a Pidgeot, the couple had a Tropius of their own plus a Skarmory, and the young boy had what he said was his parents' Flygon. Altaria gave me a confused head tilt when she materialized.

"You're fine, girl. I've been scared to fly for too long and I'm doing something about it. Do you want to fly around like when we first met?" I whispered. She nodded then rubbed against me. It was a quick sequence, but Winona definitely saw it. She eventually got everyone's attention.

The first half of the class was lecture based. Points were written on a whiteboard by the assistant and were then demonstrated by Winona. Most of it was simple stuff like making sure the rider is not tired while flying or recognizing when a Pokémon is struggling to stay airborne or even staying awake. It was nice to have a refresher. After some minor questions were answered, Winona pointed to us.

"Now for the activity portion. First, mount your Pokémon then make sure both of you are comfortable." That part was easy. "Next, ask your partner to hover in place. We want them to get warmed up."

The initial liftoff wasn't a problem since we were only five feet off the ground. Altaria looked back to make sure I was okay; I gave her a rub on the middle of her neck. Winona waited about five minutes before proceeding.

"We're going to do a few laps around the gym in a line then come back here. Follow me!"

She started off as low as possible without making us dodge any stumps or quick movements. I was simply looking ahead and keeping my mind blank. Lap two was slightly faster although still close to the ground. Panic set in on lap three where we went a little higher but went slow; my hands slowly dug into Altaria's side. The fourth lap took a lot of effort to keep my eyes open as it was high elevation and higher speed. Luckily, it was also the last one.

"Perfect! You have two choices for this next part. You can continue to take a few laps if you're still not comfortable or you can come with me for handling obstacles." I was the only one that took more laps.

I was slightly more confident the sixth time around and Altaria was loving the extended flying time. Speeding up was something I was hesitant to do but I eventually did it in short bursts. Those bursts got longer until I ended with three straight fast laps. I hadn't been paying attention to Winona's other drill while flying around and didn't understand when the trainer my age was done.

"What are we doing?" I asked while looking at a duffle bag full of rubber bouncy balls the size of a tennis ball.

"A simple exercise. I want you to fly around on Altaria while I lob these in the air. I'll start off easy then my assistant on the other side will throw them harder or more than one at a time."

"Seems a little weird."

She pointed up. "The sky isn't always empty and Hoenn isn't under a roof. If you fly high enough, you might run into Pokémon."

"Tell me about it," I mouthed after turning around to face Altaria.

"Just move left or right first and try to stay low. Here we go!"

Everyone was essentially watching me play dodgeball except I couldn't fire back. Slow underhand lobs turned into overhand ones. Her fastest speed was the equivalent of baseball players long tossing; enough distance to get to me but a lot less velocity.

Altaria had fluid movements which made the experience easier. Not once did I feel like I was going to fall off. I felt guilty for not trusting her since our encounter with Latios.

"Round two coming up! Move in any direction," Winona yelled up after the balls were gathered up by her assistant. There was no mercy.

He chucked them harder than I expected. As soon as Altaria would go to the left, he threw to the left. Going up? He threw higher. A few hit us since he started anticipating where my Pokémon would go. I dug into Altaria's side and sped up my breathing as her movements became less precise. There was a small victory near the end when I loosened my grip and calmed down.

"We've got a little time left if anyone wants to go again. Otherwise, we're all done," Winona said after I landed. I raised my hand.

"Me… after everyone else. I just went." Nobody wanted another try. "Both of you can throw however you want."

The assistant stepped forward. "How would you feel about flying around more while we try to hit you? It's something for the advanced class."

"Go for it," I replied feeling confident after the previous outing.

Neither of them held back on their throws and even Tropius kicked some up. I actually smiled as I dodged the first dozen or so balls. One grazed my arm from behind and I started to pay more attention to the assistant since he had the angle. A few more got Altaria on the wings so she started leaning right while going up. Her speed never decreased and I really dug into her; she yelped then slowed down.

"No more! I think I'm good," I yelled down.

They stopped and started rounding up the balls while I went to land. It wasn't as bad as I thought but keeping cool was going to take time. A slight tilt like that shouldn't have been a problem.

"I'm sorry Altaria. Hold still for a second," I urged.

Rubbing the spots where I dug in made her feel better over time. I gave her a lot of credit for not throwing me off even if it was by pure reaction. She had a lot more confidence in me than I thought.

"Glad you all could come! That's it for today!" Winona said. I continued to comfort my partner when she walked over to me. "Hey Ryan! Do you have a second?"

I recalled Altaria. "What's up?"

"Would you mind coming into my office? I'd to talk to you about something." She had a hint of concern in her voice.

"Um, okay? Where is it."

"Fortree's Tree Tower. It's on the far southeast side to guide those coming from Lilycove; can't miss it. I'll meet you there."

The place was built on the biggest tree in the entire city and its modern look came as a surprise. The birdcage style lift was still made of heavy wood. Winona eventually came flying in on Altaria. She had changed into a plain long-sleeved white shirt and more comfortable pants. The thing that got me the most was her hair. It was down to her waist without a ponytail and the sides still held that winged look.

"I saw the lift but wasn't sure if anything else needed to be done," I said, trying not to let my face get too red.

"There's a door up there that I have to unlock. Also, you can fly up if you want."

"Maybe next time," I sighed.

Despite how large it was, there wasn't too much inside. A small lobby with a few couches broke off into three hallways. The right one led to a bathroom and a storage room, the center one led to a large modern conference room, and the left one went to Winona's office.

It was a typical looking space with the standard office furniture and equipment. Unlike Wattson, she kept everything tidy from the trinkets on her desk to the posters behind her. She also had a nice view of the city. I took a seat in front of her desk while she sat down.

"Last night, I couldn't stop thinking about our battle. I'm concerned for you," she softly said. I didn't know how to take that.

"Why? I'm just not a fan of heights."

Winona nodded. "Fair point but more specifically, I couldn't stop thinking about what you said near the end of the match and afterward."

"Okay?" I replied, pretending to play dumb.

"First, I'd like to know about your bad flying experiences. I think anyone that has a strong enough bond with their Pokémon to fly on it should be able to enjoy the experience."

Keeping certain details out was nothing new to me. "I flew from Mauville to Fallarbor on a Skarmory as my first ride; that was fine. My second time in the air resulted in a crash landing on route 114 because we were being attacked."

"By trained or wild Pokémon? Was it an accident or on purpose?"

"Trained and on purpose. Not even a debate," I bluntly answered.

"Do you remember how the crash happened?"

She was putting me through the ringer, yet I felt comfortable talking to her. "Nosedived. Skarmory took most of the impact and I tumbled along the ground after being thrown off."

Winona put her hands on the back of her head and leaned back. "Whew… trial by fire."

"At least I went back to flying two days later. The second incident was what made me stop." It took a few seconds to realize I had a slip of the tongue.

"Honestly, it's impressive that you went back to flying so quickly. What happened the second time?"

Making up a story on the spot was pointless. Winona was doing her job by helping me overcome my fear and was going to keep asking questions I didn't have answers for. There was still hope to minimize the damage.

"Let me answer your question with a question. Have you personally seen the Eon duo flying around Hoenn?"

A set of glass figurines were taken out of a drawer in her desk. "These were made by the artist who makes the winning trainer's team after the tournament is over. Even with a league discount, they cost a decent amount of money. My Pokémon love them just as much as I do. But there are two that I love the most." She went back in to get Latias and Latios figurines that were in display cases. A picture was handed to me.

"The artist did a good job. No offense, but your picture isn't exactly crystal clear."

Both Pokémon looked to be perched on top of the support beams for the trainer podiums. They also appeared to be looking at the camera. It was mildly surprising to see them so close to the ground in what appeared to be the middle of the day.

"It's better than most other pictures out there. As soon as I left my office, they were gone. Anyway, where are you going with this?"

"Just wanted to see if you knew about them," I replied. "Feel free to believe me or not, but I ran into Latios high in the air around Mauville City."

Her eyes lit up. "That's awesome!"

"No, it wasn't!" I yelled while trying not to break out into a cold sweat. "It showed me a vision that I wasn't prepared for and I fell off Altaria. If she wasn't fast enough to catch me, I was going to die!" My heart rate jumped and breathing became quicker.

Winona waited a few second to process my experience. She remained calm as I simmered down and eventually let out a big sigh.

"I'm sorry you went through that," she sincerely said. "Falling off from that high up is something that affects even the most experienced flyers. If it's any consolation, it has happened to me."

"R... really?"

She nodded. "I got caught in a storm on the way to Ever Grande City when I first got the job a few years back. Swirling winds knocked me off Skarmory and into the choppy waters on route 128. Even now, I try to avoid flying east of Lilycove if the sky isn't clear."

It went silent when she finished. Why did I assume she never went through that? Hell, I didn't even think she had a single bad experience based on how much she loved flying. I thought I did a good job of hiding things.

"By the way, what did you see that caused you to fall off? I've heard stories from Liza about receiving visions from psychic types but nothing like that."

Just like that, I was past the point of no return. Norman had a hunch that something was wrong with Pokémon services, but I didn't feel comfortable telling him the whole story. Winona was the best person unfamiliar with the situation to come clean to; she had that aura of a person anyone could trust. I took a deep breath then leaned back.

"There's something going on with Pokémon Services that involves a Latias being a prisoner."

Winona let me talk without interruption. She kept a stone face as I told her about my relationship with Pokémon Services, being attacked in the mountains of route 114, the battle after first crash, Latias bringing me to the doctor's house, the second attack on the way back to town which led to my escape and her capture.

"Going to the police with me saying 'these guys attacked me and stole Latias' with no evidence other than my word is dumb. Besides, they've already visited on an unrelated call and found nothing wrong." The anger that I had suppressed finally boiled over. "I don't know where she is! My only plan is to get stronger, somehow find her, and free her myself!" I screamed while punching the chair's arm.

Letting my frustration out felt amazing. The gym leader remained still long after I finished hyperventilating. I was so distracted that I almost jumped out my seat when she reached for a piece of paper.

"Are you really alone in all of this?"

She snapped me out of my rage. "N… no," I sighed. "But now I'm not sure if I want anyone else involved. This is my fight." The paper was handed to me after she wrote something down; it was her PokéNav number.

"It's my fight too."

I didn't take my eyes off the paper. "You're taking me seriously?"

"Yes. A description of events with that much detail should be taken seriously. I believe you."

It felt like a small amount of stress was gone with someone like her in my corner. However, I was hesitant to give her the numbers of everyone else on my side right away. Maddie wasn't as comfortable as she used to be plus I didn't want her knowing about Jack and Rebecca being my housekeepers. I put my head in my hands.

"Can I call or text you tomorrow night?"

Her chair squeaked then I heard footsteps. A soft touch on my back made me flinch and then she patted it like Aggron did to Altaria. The patting turned to a back rub; I nearly fell asleep because it was so soothing.

"Of course. I'm free for the rest of the afternoon if you want to keep talking or if you want to rest here," she cooed. I gave it a few more minutes before standing up.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm good. You gave me some confidence to at least fly straight so I'm going to test it." A light bulb went off in my head. "Do you know if there's a treehouse shop that sells flowers or trinkets?"

She went over the window and pointed. "Not too far from here. It's got a light blue banner out front when you walk by."

"Prefect. Talk to you soon."

Winona escorted me back to the ground then waved goodbye. I still had a hard time processing the idea that she willingly injected herself into a potentially dangerous situation. Was she simply obligated to because she was a gym leader or was it something more? She made it sound personal by telling me it was her fight too. I eventually found the shop with a father and daughter that looked eight years old sitting at the register.

"Looking for anything?" the father asked.

"Got any flowers?"

The daughter's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Ooh! I know!" She sprinted to the opposite side of the shop and brought back something covered in her arms. "Ta-dah!"

It was a colorful flower crown. I would've preferred a bouquet, but it was really hard to turn down the little girl. There was a small twinkle in her eyes as I looked it over; she probably made it herself.

"Well this looks great! I'll take it!" I said with playful enthusiasm. Paying for something never felt so wholesome. Altaria was let out on the ground level after I finished preparations.

"Let's go for a ride, shall we?"

Despite her excitement, she kept a slow pace relatively close to the ground. The line between Fortree and route 120 was clear as the sea of trees below turned into dirt paths or tall patches of grass. A few trainers were battling by the south pond, so I forced myself to look down; an unexpected stray attack was something I wanted no part of. We eventually veered southeast until we were at the dock of Mount Pyre.

The place was nearly empty although it was the middle of the afternoon. Even the Pokémon inside the mountain base didn't feel like coming out to cause mischief. Climbing to the top was almost as easy as going to Ellis' funeral. I recalled Altaria once we reached the last flight of stairs.

A thin layer of fog covered the summit as I made my way over to the right side. I caught a glimpse of a Vulpix blankly staring at me while walking. The rustling in the grass picked up and I turned around to see it slightly closer to me. Its ears perked up following a head tilt. Curiosity gave way to instinct as it trotted in the other direction.

Doctor Ellis' gravesite was empty; a stark contrast to what it looked like at the service. Regardless if the staff had to maintain it or nature took the mementos away, it was a depressing sight to see for a man who had helped so many people. I did my best to place the flower crown around the tombstone then took a step back.

"Sorry I didn't bring anything the first time. Hope this makes up for that," I mumbled to the ground. "The good news is that everything you worked so hard for is in good hands. Taking Jack and Rebecca under your wing had to be two of the best decisions in your life."

I ended up sitting in front of the tombstone just staring ahead. How I wish he were alive to see how much I had grown as a person since the night he took care of me. There was no doubt he would've been happy to see Altaria again. Small clouds covering up the sun allowed me to lie down on my back with my hands behind my head.

"Please forgive me for losing Latias. If you spent your final days worrying about her… I'm sorry. I'll do whatever it takes to get her back but it's going to take some time."

After getting up to bow, I went to the single empty plot on the highest point. Long ago, builders dedicated a spot for anyone to pay their respects. The land could never be purchased to bury a Pokémon or human and the blank headstone would never have anything engraved on it.

"Here lies my past ignorance of Pokémon Services and past failures," I said before spitting on the stone.

Walking away felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Making the trip exclusively by flight also got me excited to ride on Altaria again. With a clearer mind, I went to the left side of the mountain to see if I could catch a new teammate. What I assumed was the same Vulpix made another appearance behind me with its head peeking out from a bush.

"Vulpix! What are you doing? It's not nice to sneak up on people like that," a man in his late twenties said while walking in front of me. He was shorter yet more muscular than me.

"No problem here," I responded.

"Maybe to you. Little runt likes to wander off a lot even though I've had it for two years. I think my older brother did a bad job of raising it before he moved."

The fire type hesitantly walked back to its trainer's side. I didn't know if the fog was playing tricks on me, but it looked a little underweight. Its legs also looked ridiculously toned. Must've been because it ran around a lot.

"Sounds like you need some help," I casually said. The man got right up in my face.

"You callin' me a bad trainer?"

He probably could've kicked my ass, so I tried to keep the sass to a minimum. "No."

"I think you are. Better yet, I'll prove you wrong. Let's battle." He had a short fuse; another ball was pulled from his pocket.

"Duking it out here is a bad idea. Around the Safari Zone is better," I urged.

"Fine by me. I'll lead the way."

The arrogance oozed out of him the entire way down to the bottom. He told me he was a dock worker in Lilycove and how he was the most efficient crate mover. If Vulpix didn't look back at me every so often, I would've completely zoned out. A ferry took us to route 121 where we found a safe place to battle.

"We'll make this a double battle," he said. I tried not to roll my eyes.

"Sure. Just two against two?"

"I only have two Pokémon, so yeah. Vulpix, Machamp, here we go!"

Wonderful… a fighting type that could easily rip my team apart. If he just used it for moving crates around, then it may not have been as strong as one with more battle experience. Vulpix took its place with its head down.

"My pair will be Altaria and Magneton!"

The combination of those two would at least allow me to get a hit off. Machamp didn't waiver in the face of Altaria which was admirable and concerning. I've seen Steven's Metagross at least grunt at the sight of ground or fire types on television.

"Time for our strategy! Vulpix, use Will-O-Wisp on Machamp! After the burn, use Façade!"

Holy shit… I couldn't tell if that was a genius move or just insane. Guts boosted Façade from any Machamp was going to put a dent in something. My best chance was to minimize the damage.

"Cotton Guard, Altaria! Magneton, slow it down with Flash Cannon!"

Machamp embraced the small flames before running ahead. Altaria tucked her head in and her wings grew bigger. Flash Cannon scored a direct hit, but it didn't do much to stop the rush. Two arms were raised over its head then came down on Magneton when it was close enough. It took a hard hit then got back up. A wince came from the fighting type as it reset itself.

"Vulpix, cover Machamp with Flamethrower! Machamp, use Dual Chop on Altaria!"

Another rough combination. "Dragon Pulse to keep it at bay and Thunder to counter Flamethrower!"

Magneton fired first which forced a quick response from the fire type. Both attacks met halfway while Altaria poked her head out to fire short bursts at the fighting type that was still on fire. The seemingly fearless Machamp's arms glowed as it powered through the blast to land two hits. Altaria moved behind Magneton but stayed close to me and Machamp geared up for another round. The other two attacks were holding steady until I saw a chance.

"Stop using Thunder and get out of the way!" I called out. Magneton immediately responded by floating to the left.

"Look out!"

Machamp was too slow turning around and took the full force of the Flamethrower. Between the initial burn, Dragon Pulse, and Flash Cannon, it didn't get back up when the attack stopped. My opponent's face went red as my partners went back to my side.

"You fucking asshole! Honestly, are you happy with that?" he screamed while recalling his preferred battling partner.

"Why wouldn't I be? Besides, I'm not the one who asked for a double battle or have one of my teammates attack the other." He shrugged me off then turned to the fire type.

"And you were useless this battle! Why did you just stand there the whole time!? Why didn't you try to attack while moving? Fire away now, I guess. Maybe you'll get a knockout. It'll be something to look back on at work tomorrow since it won't be as busy."

Vulpix looked dejected then put its head down again. With no will to battle in a low-pressure situation, I didn't feel comfortable attacking. My own Pokémon looked back at me in confusion.

"I take back what I said earlier. You may be hot shit at work, but now I know you're a bad trainer."

"Oh please! Like you haven't berated your Pokémon in the middle of a battle."

"Fair point, but at least mine had the will to continue." I folded my arms after recalling my partners. "Let me take Vulpix off your hands if it's so useless to you."

He laughed. "You think I'm just going to give Vulpix up for free? Come on man, make me an offer."

It was a little concerning to me how quick that transpired. No pleading or ranting about getting better will take some time… just an instant reaction.

"I don't have any Pokémon to trade. How about 20,000P?"

"Please tell me you're joking," he sighed.

"Okay, how about 50,000?" I sternly replied.

The look on his face turned serious. "You don't have that much money."

"Does it sound like I'm joking? My offer is still on the table."

Vulpix looked back and forth between us trying to feel out the situation. Its body language was slightly better than the start of the battle.

"Okay mister moneybags, I believe you. We'll go to Lilycove's Pokémon Center and you can give me 1,000,000P there."

I threw on a fake smile. "Ha ha, good one. Let's try 75,000."

"Nope," he immediately replied. I changed my strategy.

"You want something for later? One vitamin capsule from the department store of your choice plus 100,000P wired to your account. My bank is still open. We can do this today."

My offer left him in a deep state of thought. I didn't want him to milk me for any more and I was willing to mix in a few items to keep the cash cost down. Part of me wanted to snatch Vulpix and run, but that would put me in a bigger hole.

"Deal. Let's move," was uttered above a whisper.

The three of us walked to the Pokémon Center in silence. I made the call to my bank for a wire transfer and eventually closed the deal. Protein was his vitamin of choice at the department store which would eventually Machamp's overall physical attacking power. We were given dirty looks since Vulpix was still out.

"Before I forget, I need the ball," I said while we exited.

"Follow me."

I grabbed his wrist. "You mean to tell me there hasn't been a ball around this entire time?"

"Just come with me."

An apartment complex slowly came into view by the harbor. He motioned for us to wait outside while he searched for the ball. The place was cleaner than I thought and looked like a decent place to live space wise. He came back to the doorway holding a Poké Ball.

What was supposed to be simple handoff turned into a temper tantrum. Without a word, he dropped the ball then stomped on it until it was clearly broken. A hard throw into the kitchen came before the door was slammed in our faces. I was in complete shock while a glowing light surrounded Vulpix before breaking into tiny balls. It eventually looked up at me with a blank stare.

"Never thought that would be a reason to carry around Poké Balls but whatever," I said while pulling one out. "Alright, in you go. I think you need a rest." One shake was all it took before the ball stopped moving.

I went back to the Pokémon Center to run everyone through the healing machine. Mossdeep City was the next place with a badge, but I decided Vulpix needed to get comfortable with everyone else first. It was just past 5:00pm so getting home before dark was a possibility. I took out my PokéNav.

"Hello, Jack? I'm in Lilycove but I'm coming home. Would you mind picking up some fire type specific food before I get back?"

"Already? And fire type food?" he replied in a surprised tone.

"Long story short, I'm comfortable enough with flying and I have a Vulpix now. I can fill you in later."

"Oh! We'll have some food for everyone when you get back. Call us if there's a problem beforehand."

Altaria had a huge smile on her face before taking off into the clear evening sky.

Have a good day and I will see you next chapter :)

-W4f