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


There was a feeling of extra weight on my shoulders from the moment I woke up. I couldn't think of a comprehensive training program in my sleep or during breakfast. Intrasquad battling was probably good enough for the day assuming nothing else clicked. However, an idea did come to mind when we were all in the dining room. I asked the housekeepers to follow me out back to the makeshift field with the portable healing machine after cleaning up.

Cooler air with cloudy skies was no surprise, but I wished I could train around Mauville which was warmer on average. At least I could increase my wind and cold tolerance on the ground; same for flying around on Altaria.

"Before I get started, I'd like to get your opinion on something," I said to them. "How would you feel about your Pokémon helping with my training?"

"Like… every day?" Rebecca asked.

"Not exactly. Just for specific situations if I were to think of something." I could sense their uneasiness. "Battling normally would be the hardest thing they would have to do."

Jack nervously looked at his two Poke Balls. "With all due respect sir, I have to decline when it comes to battle."

As soon as he finished, I realized how dumb my question was in his eyes. He got out of the gym circuit because of how brutal the hits looked. I almost forgot he nearly quit battling altogether. The difference in strength between my Pokémon and his definitely grew since our first meeting. Delcatty wasn't known for its offensive prowess. Breloom could hit hard but it had a poor defensive typing. My team could hit harder and score a knockout first.

"Maybe if it's not related to combat," Jack added while I was processing his reasoning. "And if I'm here."

Better than nothing. "Of course! I don't expect you to just hand over your Pokémon willy-nilly. I also don't expect you to drop everything you normally do either."

"One of us should be here regardless. We will be happy to assist you if possible. The portable healing machine is always available to use," Rebecca replied. "I do not mind offering Absol's help provided I am nearby too."

"What about Salamence?" I asked.

"Do you remember what I said about him?" Rebecca responded.

"Yes. I know he doesn't take it easy. It would be great to see how my team stacks up to him at some point." I looked in the direction of Meteor Falls then towards town. "Do you think he would be willing to fly me around at times?"

"Maybe give him some notice? I think he'd be more likely to than not since you got him that figurine."

"Sounds good. Aside from that, I don't need anything else from you guys today. Feel free to stay as long as you like. Now if you'll excuse me, come on out everyone!"

The six Pokémon who were willing to support me came out looking focused. It would come down to if they could sustain it through training. Then there was getting back in the zone once we hit Ever Grande City. I paced back and forth.

"Let's keep things simple today. I'm going to split you guys up into three groups of two. From there, you will battle without me calling out any orders. The battles will end on my command, but the goal is to knock out your opponent. Ready?" They nodded. "Alright. We'll start with Sealeo versus Altaria."

A small grin formed on Sealeo's face at the matchup. Altaria also smiling was more of a way to hide the nervousness of going against the ice type. They took their positions with the dragon and flying type twitching.

"Go!"

She wasted no time firing off a Dragon Breath not for damage, but to hope for the secondary paralysis effect. Sealeo countered with Surf hoping to overpower the blast. The water suffocated the green flames while tossing Altaria around. She eventually flew up to plan her next move.

Sealeo used Swagger even though his words and movements didn't affect Altaria since she was so high up. The nonchalant attitude baited Altaria to go in for a huge hit; not a good idea. Frost Breath came out at the right time for the Ball Roll Pokémon because it was unavoidable and limited the impact of Fly. He followed it up with Swagger while Altaria was gathering herself.

Dragon Pulse was her response. Sealeo arrogantly stayed in place with his chest puffed out hoping for Altaria to hit herself in confusion; he took a direct hit. Another one was let loose and the confidence faded away when he got hit again. Aggron facepalmed when the battle started to turn. I saw an annoyed huff before Sealeo used Brine to finish the job.

"And time! That's a wrap!" I called out while walking to the winner. I got down on one knee so he could hear me whisper. "For fuck's sake Sealeo, you can't be begging to get hit. That isn't going to work all the time. The only reason it worked out is because Altaria isn't much of a physical attacker."

He pointed over to Magneton then shook his head. Then he pointed to Ninetales before nodding. The innocent looking smile he gave me caused a little frustration. At least everyone else didn't understand what was going on.

"I promise you that the competition we're going to face isn't going to be that simple. What if you went against an Altaria or Ninetales that knew Solar Beam and I didn't know about it?" He titled his head then shrugged. "My point is that you keep your head in the game even if you're trying to get inside of your opponent's. Rest up."

No doubt it would take a lifetime to train him out of his bold nature. The issue was how much could shine through before it became a detriment? Would there be second chances in battle or would Sealeo get knocked out the first time he tried it? At the very least, I could teach him to strut after a win or stoppage. Altaria gave me a look of disapproval when I got to her. I looked over to the rest of my team then positioned myself so they could all see me.

"Listen, I want you all to get more comfortable dealing with unfavorable matchups. That includes me not giving out orders. If I can't process information fast enough, I want you to be able to defend yourselves." I kneeled next to Altaria. "Good job. I'm proud of you for hanging tough. One thing you need to be careful with on your approach for Fly. You don't have to go head-on all the time. Maybe you could've used it again after the boost from Swagger. Let's heal you up."

Rebecca brought over the portable healing machine after I recalled the two battlers. I let them out after. Jack started to make his way back up to the house.

"Next up is Ninetales versus Aggron."

Considering the fire type's past behavior, I was surprised to see her confidently take her place on the field. Aggron didn't have any qualms about facing her. It was an odd matchup because they each had one thing that could turn the tide in their favor.

"Start!"

Ninetales immediately went for trump card in Will-O-Wisp. Aggron calmly dodged the first wave of fire then rolled away from the second wave. He followed up with Rock Slide to which Ninetales dodged. They shared a smile while getting into position for their next move.

Aggron sprinted ahead with Double-Edge and Ninetales took one step back. Her body tensed up and she froze in place. I thought about stopping until she loosened up. Flames came out the side of her mouth. When Aggron was in her sweet spot, she let loose a powerful Flamethrower.

Unfortunately for her, it turned my heaviest hitter into a flaming freight train. The impact sent the fire type flying back some 25 feet with a hard landing on her side. Aggron rolled on the ground to put out any stray cinders. Rock Slide was then used from a safe distance. Ninetales hopped up to face the barrage.

Extrasensory was the move I nearly forgot she head, but it came in handy for her. Rainbow-colored beams destroyed the smaller rocks while the bigger ones lost their momentum. She went back to the well for another Will-O-Wisp; it missed by a thin margin. Her back legs gave out and Aggron took advantage by charging in with Iron Tail.

Maybe it was out of panic. Maybe she thought Will-O-Wisp connected. Regardless, she went with Hex as her move of choice. It was a minor inconvenience to the steel and rock type who grunted when hit before continuing. One slap to her side was enough to make her faint. He backed off right away. Linoone winced but otherwise remained under control. I walked over to Aggron first then patted him on the back.

"Nice work on that dodging. It's an uphill battle if you get burned. You may want to think about making Pokémon with ranged attacks come to you. Especially fire and water types."

He was more accepting of my criticism. Ninetales' eyes fluttered while she got the cobwebs out of her head. Once she looked aware enough to understand my assessment, I delivered it.

"Very creative with Extrasensory. I almost forgot you had that move," I half joked. "But I think we could do better than that move. How would you feel about me getting rid of it?"

She gave me a blank stare. Not sure if it was because she was shaken up or she didn't know how to respond. The move itself was fine, but I felt there were better options for her. Even without Drought as her ability, Solar Beam was a viable choice for better coverage.

"Also, I think you used Flamethrower on Aggron too late when he was charging. The attack might keep smaller or lighter Pokémon away, but not him."

That was partially on me since I tended to wait for the last second to land a blow in most circumstances. Problem was that strategy wasn't going to be as reliable at the tournament. Most fully evolved Pokémon who were type neutral against fire had size or weight on their side. I could see them pushing through at close range to land a hit, burn be damned. Also didn't help that Aggron was pretty healthy when the maneuver happened. If he was almost out of energy, then she might've scored a knockout.

"Okay then, last up for round one is Linoone versus Magneton." I healed my other two partners while they took their place. "All set? Go!"

Knowing he was at a type disadvantage, Linoone went for Sand Attack to buy himself time. Magneton started firing Flash Cannons like there was no tomorrow. Each one kicking up dirt as Linoone was on the run.

Linoone was getting pissed he couldn't set his feet to dig in; Magneton had not moved from its position. The normal type was running for his life and had a few close calls getting hit starting around the tenth attempt. However, the plan came to a screeching halt when nothing came out after the sixteenth Flash Cannon. It didn't seem to matter as Linoone was trying to catch his breath. Confused about what to do, Magneton turned to me.

"You're on your own for this one."

Shadow Claw blindsided the Magnet Pokémon and Linoone licked his lips while grinning. No doubt he was tired, but the hit appeared to do more damage than expected. Unfortunately for him, Magneton didn't need any strategy going forward.

Thunder easily connected and when Linoone tried another Sand Attack, he got zapped again. It appeared he was getting up until Tri Attack came at him ensuring a knockout. I waved my hands as a signal to stop. I casually walked out to give them pointers, but Magneton was still emitting sparks.

"Woah! Woah! That's enough! Battle's over," I said in a slightly aggressive tone with my hands still up. "Play to the end of the battle, not after it. Referees can hand down punishments for late hits."

Magneton snapped back to reality and happily waved its magnets around in celebration. Ninetales shook her head in disappointment; couldn't tell if it was because Linoone lost or because of Magneton's behavior. I went over to the steel type first.

"I'm serious. Come on now, you're better than that." My mild scolding got Magneton to stop. "Onto the battle. Really impressed how you kept Linoone from attacking, but you should alternate moves for that situation." Linoone begrudgingly stood up to face me.

Based on how long I had known him, a bruised ego was the only thing I had to worry about. Had it not been for the lapse in judgment on his opponent's part, he would be more frustrated. My critique for him applied to everyone else as well. I faced everyone again.

"Competition will be fierce. One or two attacks may be enough to knock every one of you out at any given moment. The good news is that you all have the potential to do the same. How it can happen varies on who is in battle. We'll take a short break then get back to work.

The rest of the afternoon was battle after battle. Physical wounds weren't the problem: mental fatigue was. I did my best to evenly space out everyone's rest period despite the healing machine doing its job. Effort held up nicely after each round.

Just as I thought, some battles were done in one or two hits. Sealeo washing Ninetales away, Magneton destroying Sealeo with Thunder, Ninetales making quick work of Magneton and to a lesser extent, Sealeo over Aggron and Aggron over Linoone. I made sure to reinforce that losing in a matter of seconds to teammates wasn't something to get too upset about. One thing I did notice was Linoone held back against Ninetales; not using Sand Attack was a dead giveaway. The fire type pulled punches early on but eventually treated it like a normal battle on her way to a win.

Rebecca stayed with me the entire time to observe. I saw her fumbling Absol's ball around in case I called on her. We both looked at each other after the final battle of the final round and decided to call it a day. All my Pokémon were on their backs looking up at the sky apprehensively.

"No more for today. Let's get some food." They let out a collective sigh of relief. I had my training regimen going forward.

Jack was carrying a tray of assorted medicines when we returned. An elderly woman was in the living room standing over her Spinda. The normal type had no visible signs of injury but rather a wet towel on its head.

"Fever. Nothing serious once it takes a dose of modified acetaminophen. I can fly these two back to town in a few hours," he nonchalantly said. "Rebecca, please take the remaining three bottles and go upstairs to med room one. Got a call from a ranger on patrol to pick up a 14-year-old boy with a sprained ankle and minor cuts. His Lombre needs moderate care. Classic case of IOH with a Seviper at the base of Meteor Falls."

"Understood," she said.

"Anything I can do?" I asked.

They looked surprised for a second. "I'm fine down here. Follow Rebecca."

We made our way up at a normal pace. I felt nervous about having two people in for treatment. Hearing about the house being a safe haven was one thing. Witnessing it was a different story. And it was after jack had presumably calmed them down.

"So, what does 'IOH' mean?" I asked.

"Doctor Ellis' code for 'in over their head' when taking notes. Usually means trainers put themselves in awkward or bad situations. A good acronym in case a patient overhears us."

"Wouldn't they ask anyway?"

"Yes. They get 'internal or outer hurting' as an answer. Sounds unprofessional but some people that come here are more concerned about their pride as a trainer. I'm sure you can understand," Rebecca said.

The boy was lying down on the bed with a clean pair of clothes on. His ankle was resting on three large pillows and had a bag of ice attached. Lombre was sitting up on a cot pondering what had happened to them. It had nasty bruises on its midsection to go with a large bandage on its left leg.

"How are we doing now? I brought some medicine for Lombre," Rebecca said.

"Fine, I guess. My ankle still kinda hurts," the boy sighed.

"Keep it in that spot and it will feel better in a few hours. You might need a day or two more to fully recover."

He slammed his head against the pillow. "Ugh! Really? We need to get back to training. All I did was run into a tiny divot. And who is this?" he huffed.

"Yeah, the human body is weird. I'm Ryan by the way."

"You don't look hurt," he bluntly stated.

"Because I'm not. I was passing through." Better that he didn't know who I really was.

Rebecca tended to Lombre. "The antidote seems to have done its job. I'll apply a super potion and change the bandages."

"Seviper is a piece of shit Pokémon. We had it beat until it called on its buddies. Poison Tail from three of them was too strong. Then when I ran, the fuckers chased after me," he said in a mild outburst.

"Tell me something… how long have you been travelling around Hoenn?" I asked.

"About two months. I'm originally from Petalburg. In fact, I already have the Stone Badge. What's it to you?"

"Excuse me for a moment."

I walked out of the room then came back with my badge case. His jaw dropped when I revealed all eight badges. There was an attitude adjustment too.

"Over time, you'll see that each individual Pokémon in its species is different. Then you have being wild versus being under the care of a trainer. Am I right to say that Lombre has changed compared to when you two first met?"

"Yup."

"I get that it's the heat of the moment but consider that thought moving forward. You may meet someone who has a Seviper on your journey. Just because they have one, doesn't mean you should shit on them."

Rebecca was done on her end. "One of us will be back to check on you later. Continue to rest. Ryan?"

We left knowing they were going to be fine. Jack had escorted the woman from downstairs to another guest room so she could sleep. My stomach growled so I made a sandwich. I haphazardly dumped Pokémon food into six bowls. Everyone dug in as if their life depended on it.

"Having a trainer to relate to will make our jobs easier," Rebecca said. "Thanks for helping. Hopefully we won't have to bother you too much."

"Eight badges can get you a lot of respect. It sucks because there are trainers out there who haven't participated in any big-name tournaments yet could easily hold their own. Nobody gives a shit about a person who couldn't even make it to a big stage."

The other housekeeper walked in. "If you don't mind me asking, would other trainers take you seriously if you got eliminated after one battle?"

"People have a tendency to stretch that accomplishment out for as long as possible." Jack looked dumbfounded. "Most battle analysts on television are either former participants or have deep connections with the league. Same goes for sports. My brother could win a Pokéathlon title this upcoming season, quit immediately afterward, and still be held in high regard among the general public simply because he made it as a professional athlete for two years. Would he abuse his status? I don't know."

"Would you?" Jack sincerely asked.

"Depends on how far I got. The deeper run, the less likely people are going to make fun of you." I thought about it more. "Bragging would start the moment I had a dedicated time slot on television if I really wanted to bring it up. The first couple of days are a mess because there are so many battles taking place on fields away from the main stadium."

I looked at my team falling asleep up against the dining room wall. The ideal scenario was winning it all; the sacrifice would be worth it to them. Our worst-case scenario was getting bounced at the earliest possible moment. Then again, losing was something nobody wanted to happen.

"Can you guys come over here for just a minute? I need to ask a question."

They reluctantly made their way over. Linoone hopped into my lap where he closed his eyes. Sealeo stared intently at Jack's pocket until I snapped my fingers.

"I was thinking of working with each of you individually for a few hours a day as opposed to what we did today. How does that sound?" They all nodded furiously. "There may be group sessions mixed in. All I ask is that you trust me and be ready when it's your turn. You will be worked hard but you will still be treated fairly. That said, who wants to start tomorrow?"

Aggron started to raise his hand but Linoone's eyes shot open. He jumped on the table then looked at me with piercing eyes. Him taking the initiative didn't come as a surprise considering the hype I had been feeding him over the years. The larger Pokémon awkwardly backed away.

"Very well. Altaria, Linoone, stay behind. Everyone else is dismissed."

They went to watch the sunset in the sunroom. I focused on the normal type first by shooing Altaria away just a little bit.

"Buddy… you can't go easy on Ninetales in battle. I know it's hard, but I don't want her lured into a false sense of security or to develop bad habits. The margin for error at Ever Grande City can be thinner than paper." He went from scowling to putting his head down. I gently scratched his head. "You know how much I care about her."

He scampered away not entirely sold on my stance. I couldn't tell if he was worried about Ninetales or he was putting on a show. Altaria didn't seem to care either way.

"Managing your workload will be important going forward. Can't train too hard otherwise we can't practice flying. I was thinking of training in the morning then working on flying in the afternoon on your training day."

She stuck her tongue out after turning away. Rebecca looked uncomfortable that I proposed such an idea. Jack had a mildly concerned look on his face.

"The next day would be a rest day for the whole team," I added. Still didn't get her to turn around. "It's either do both in one day or split it up over two days. Your choice."

"Now hold on a second," Jack interjected. "Why not alternate each week?"

"Personally, I'm not a fan of going 13 days without a serious training session. Let's say everyone trained on the 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th of a new month; Altaria would have to miss out on the 8th and 22nd. She'd be behind the curve by the time the battles matter."

"So then train her on the way to Ever Grande City?" Jack asked.

"Then I'd have to use her a lot more than my other five Pokémon. Keep in mind I'd still have to occasionally fly on her back."

"There's more than one way to get there," Rebecca said. I was getting annoyed.

"Sealeo can carry me across water. Altaria can carry me in the air. A series of ferries are slow as shit, can be unreliable, cost me money, and frankly should be my last resort." I turned to Altaria. "You have time to figure it out. Push comes to shove we can change it. Go do whatever you were going to do."

I cleaned my spot then watched Sealeo come back in. He tugged at Jack's pants until he let out Delcatty. Getting a morale boost from her could help get him through rougher days. For better or worse, I could turn their budding relationship against them. Same went for Ninetales and Linoone. Aggron and Altaria didn't have much going on in the public display of affection department but I had caught them nuzzling up before. I felt bad for Magneton not having that special someone but then again, I hadn't seen any effort to court any Pokémon. Who was I to judge?

Crashing on the couch and turning my brain off was great. Spinda was making its way to the stairs to check on its owner. The relaxing feeling didn't last long when my PokéNav rang.

"Hello?" I answered with a hint of frustration.

"Ryan! Did I call at a bad time?" I perked up.

"Not at all dad. I just wasn't expecting you. Is something wrong?"

"Quite the opposite. Happy birthday!"

I sat there with a blank stare. My life had become so busy, so stressful that I forgot about one of life's simple pleasures: celebrating another year on earth. Last year I felt on top of the world working for Ardos until it all came crashing down.

"You still there?"

"Oh… oh! Yes. I've been so busy that I almost forgot it was my birthday," I said in a playful tone to mask my frustration of not being able to enjoy it the way I wanted.

"Feel more mature now that you're 23 years old?" my dad teased.

"Honestly? Yeah. Travelling around Hoenn did a lot for me."

He laughed. "Wonderful! Your mother and I are looking forward to seeing you at the Pokémon League. Any updates for us?"

Shit, I hadn't checked any updates since winning my eighth badge. "Not yet. The matchups will be out right before the opening ceremony."

"Ah, I see. We'd love to come watch."

"Don't worry about it for now. Anyway, how are you guys doing? Still like working normal hours?"

"Keeping them for now. I'm up for a promotion." I was surprised. "Shift supervisor for my normal shift. Pay increase plus a mix of office work and patrol work are nice perks. No word on an interview date yet."

"Waiting is probably going to be the hardest part for you," I joked before getting serious again. "How's mom?"

Dad sighed. "Rydel is thinking about making her the assistant to the assistant manager. He doesn't regret his initial choice and the business is holding steady."

"Kinda sounds like a backhanded compliment to me," I said.

"New hire is not too relatable. Rydel is trying to nip any problems in the bud. Mom likes the support from the rest of the store even though it's an awkward situation. I don't think she'll turn down an offer if the rumors are true," dad noted.

"Guess she'll have to wait too. Before I forget, what about Vinny? I heard the new owners of New Mauville were giving him some trouble."

A laugh was dad's immediate response. "That's putting it lightly. He was let go."

"Really? They just let him walk?"

"It's private property now so there's no need for him to ferry tourists around. At least he was compensated for his unused paid days off in a lump sum. I wouldn't worry about him too much. If Vinny really wanted another job on the water, his resume is top notch. Getting you from Pacifidlog to Slateport was what he considered his last assignment, so he felt he went out on a high note."

I let out a long, silent yawn. "Hate to end so soon, but I've had a long day and I'm fading fast."

"No problem! Always a pleasure to talk. Call if you need anything. We love you!"

"Thanks dad. Love you too."

Despite not wanting to, I dragged my ass to the study to look at the updated league rules. Winona had told me there was a potential for serious rule changes. I suspected they wouldn't be final because people could still register. Both housekeepers walked in as I loaded the league page.

"Jack will be tending to the patients for a bit. I will be going out for a bit. Do you need anything?" Rebecca asked. I regained a little bit of energy.

"Tell Nurse Joy that I can start volunteering next week and I can work out the details with her going forward."

Four generic yet major rule changes caught my eye once they left: preliminary rounds were pool-based instead of single elimination, trainers would be seeded within their pools and have an overall seed displayed next to their name, successfully navigating Victory Road improved one's trainer score which could lead to a higher seed, and the last battle in pool play would be a three on three singles battle while the others would be doubles.

The single elimination bracket started after pools. Trainers would compete in full six on six single battles. Still too many double battles in my opinion, but the last battle of pools being a singles battle was a decent compromise. The reception online by trainers and fans was mostly positive. Some criticized the league's image got softer with pool play, but I felt it made sense. Pools allowed for more consistency instead of relying on a stroke of luck to advance. It also allowed more film on competitors for later rounds plus it allowed trainers more time to enjoy the feeling of being there even if they lost every battle.

I was too tired to do any real film study. Instead, I chose to watch one-sided battles from past tournaments for hours. What got me was the wide range of emotions of the losing trainers, especially in the later rounds. Some knew their luck had run out while others were… less gracious in defeat on the field and in the post-battle press conference. The best one was from five years ago that I had forgotten until I saw it again.

A 16-year-old bragging how even though they lost in the round of 64, they could wipe the floor with Phoebe. Such a bold claim got the ghost trainer's attention and she scheduled a battle a few weeks down the line. Some people in the crowd had brooms or posters with brooms on them before they even came out of the tunnel. Despite having a Sharpedo and an Exploud with Scrappy, the trainer got swept 6-0. Phoebe barely broke a sweat while treating her challenger with respect. That was the best video to end with. Only when I looked outside did I feel tired. Jack poked his head in from the right.

"Just wanted to stop by and say your Pokémon are sleeping downstairs," he said. "Got anything left in the tank?"

"Depends. What's up?"

Rebecca walked in from the left side with a large paper shopping bag while Jack came into full view holding a cake. It was a circular one with more than enough servings. There was a numerical 2 candle and a numerical 3 candle next to one another in lieu of 23 individual candles.

"Please forgive our eavesdropping. We heard 'birthday' and felt it was worth it," Jack happily explained. They sang quietly then I blew out the candles. I found myself in a whirlwind of emotion.

"I… um… thank you!"

"Open your present! I think you'll like it knowing how things are around here."

A royal blue robe was not what I was expecting. It was soft all around and surprisingly warm. The fabric makeup was cotton and Mareep wool. The same Mareep wool I had lining the interior of my suit I bought for my battles at Lostelle's.

"Quality product in my opinion," Rebecca said. "Would you like some cake?"

"Sure! A small piece though."

We had a slice and caught up on the rest of the day. The older woman and Spinda were flown back to town. The trainer with the sprained ankle was cleared to leave in the morning. Jack told me he had gotten more comfortable about Delcatty spending time with Sealeo. Rebecca mentioned Salamence was eager to battle once we were deep into our training regimen; Absol felt the same way. The small sugar rush didn't last long and we all got ready for bed.

I needed all the rest I could get.


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

-W4f