Ryan was awake only a few hours after falling asleep in the Hotel Room. He was up on his feet in a manner of seconds, while Addison and Holly slept away on the beds. He yawned and stretched himself out and made his way for the bathroom to look over himself. He looked at himself in the mirror was was surprised. He was already looking stronger and feeling more muscular. All the work he had put in the previous day was hopefully paying off. He looked towards his Sandshrew, who crawled up after him and yawned.
"Hey buddy" Ryan called to his Sandshrew quietly. "Are you ready for today?"
The Sandshrew nodded and rolled out towards the door of the Hotel Room. As Ryan affixed his bandanna to the top of his head, he followed his Pokémon to the doors. He looked back on his friends and wondered if they would want to see him go to the Gym or not. Despite his Sandshrew scratching at his leg, Ryan walked over to Addison and tried to wake her.
"Addy?" Ryan spoke to her.
"Mm-hmm?" she said, still locked in the bowels of her dreams.
"I'm going to go to the Gym" he told his best friend.
"Mm-hmm" she said, before turning over in her bed to continue sleeping.
Ryan sighed. Get some sleep then, Addy. He then made his way over to Holly. "Holly?"
The girl yawned which at first felt like a squeak. "Ry?"
"I'm headed for the Gym now, did you want to come with me?"
Holly was about to turn over to go back to sleep, when one of her eyes opened. "Wait, you're going to the Gym?"
"Yeah" Ryan told her.
"Alright" she groaned, getting out of bed. "I'm up. I'm up." She stretched herself and walked into the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face. Ryan and his Sandshrew waited by the door for her. To their surprise, when she came out, she had almost completely woken up from her slumber. Whether she was putting up a façade or not, he did not know. But she brightly smiled as she came out of the bathroom. "Sorry I took so long."
"You didn't" Ryan laughed.
Holly shrugged. She took one good look at herself in the mirror and then turned towards her friend. "How do I look?"
Ryan, knowing this was likely a trap question, knew there was only one correct answer. "Great. Are you ready?"
Holly beamed. "Of course. Let's go get you your Gym Badge." She opened the door, grabbed Ryan's arm and pulled him out the door, with his Sandshrew following them. Ryan followed the surprisingly eager Holly out into the halls and towards the elevator. While they waited for the elevator, Ryan turned towards his Pokémon. His Sandshrew, who had spent the first few days of his life doing nothing but eating and acting like a baby, now felt determined to make his part on Ryan's team.
He scratched under his Pokémon's chin. "Don't worry buddy. You'll be getting yours very soon."
The Sandshrew looked past Ryan and hopped into the elevator. He hopped in just before Holly dragged Ryan inside after her. The door quickly closed behind them and soon, the elevator dropped down to the base floor. When they made it to the front desk, the clerk called out to them. "Hold on a moment, young man."
Ryan turned and addressed the woman. "Yes?"
"Are you Ryan Kingston?" she asked him.
"Yes?" Ryan replied.
She reached underneath her desk and gave Ryan a capsule. "This was delivered here earlier this morning for you."
Ryan took the capsule and looked at closely. "This is a Protein."
"Doesn't that help raise a Pokémon's power? Holly asked him.
Ryan nodded. "I think it makes a Pokémon more physically strong." He then returned his attention to the clerk. "Did it say who it came from?"
The woman shook her head. "No, it didn't. I'm sorry."
Ryan knelt down to his Pokémon's side and offered the Sandshrew the Protein vitamin. The Sandshrew at first showed no interest in taking the vitamin, but Ryan opened the bottle for him and allowed him to drink the contents. The Sandshrew suddenly puffed out as if it had become bulkier and growled ferociously. With it's newfound strength, the Pokémon raced out the door for a straight trip to the Gym. "Sandshrew?"
"Does he even know where he's going?" Holly asked him.
"There's only one way to find out" he said, grabbing Holly's hand. "Come on." The two hurried out after the Sandshrew, who was rolling like a bowling ball uphill towards the Terra Town Café. The village was fortunately still waking up, though, meaning that no one would be startled by a Sandshrew tumbling his way down the dusty road. Ryan and Holly followed him up the hill, until Holly grabbed Ryan and pulled him back, anchoring him to a stop. When he looked back at her, she pointed towards the skies above them. Ryan looked above and saw a shadow flying above him that almost looked as if it were Rhaegar.
"Is that Mike?" he asked.
Holly tried to look into the air. "I can't tell. Maybe it isn't him?"
Ryan sighed. "It would have been nice for him to see me battle Greg, oh well. Let's go catch up to my Pokémon." The two made their way towards the Sandshrew who was rolling towards the enormous rock, determined to push it out of the way. Despite feeling strong, Ryan could tell that his Pokémon couldn't move the boulder on his own. Ryan turned to Holly. "I have an idea."
Holly squeezed his hand. "Good luck." With that, Ryan let go of Holly and walked over towards his Sandshrew. While his Sandshrew pushed with all his strength, Ryan did the same and the two began to move the boulder out of their way. When the doorway was finally cleared, he and his Sandshrew high fived.
Holly cheered. "You did it!"
Ryan smiled to himself and to his friends. "We did it! But it's not over yet."
Holly came over to his side. "You're going to do just fine. I'll be in the stands, rooting for you." Ryan looked towards his Sandshrew and patted him on the head. "Let's go get the Tectonic Badge!" When his Pokémon gave his approval, the two ran inside to confront Greg.
{Meanwhile}
Rhaegar landed just outside of the Terra Town Café and shook himself awake after a long night of flying. Michael climbed off his Pokémon's back and patted him beneath his wings. The Dragonite yawned and grunted as he tried to keep himself standing.
Michael rolled his eyes. "Rest easy, Rhaegar. You had a long night. Get some sleep." He recalled his Dragonite, who happily vanished within his Poké Ball. Once his Dragonite was safely inside his Poké Ball, Michael made his way into the Café. As he went in, the waitress at the counter gasped. He waved his hand to calm her. "Would it be alright if I took that table in the back corner?"
She nervously nodded. "Of course, sir."
Michael nodded to her. "Thank you. I'll have a Moo Moo Milk and a Blueberry Muffin." With that, he made his way towards the back corner and sat down, picking up an old newspaper that was still on the table and decided to read it. After a moment, Michael soon smelled his Blueberry Muffin coming towards him.
"Here is your Blueberry Muffin, Mr. Champion" she smiled.
"Why thank you" Michael said kindly.
"And what will you be having sir?" she asked, as if someone had been sitting beside him.
Michael's eyes flared when a man answered her. "I'll have a Hot Tea with Ginger." The waitress hurried back out and Michael lowered the newspaper. A man in a worn trench coat and an equally desheveled fedora sat at the table beside him. Though his face was emotionless, Michael could tell his guest was content to hear from him after all these years. "It has been a very long time, Michael."
"Twelve years, if I'm not mistaken" he replied.
"So it's been" the man said. "I do have to thank you and your friends. I never got the opportunity to when we first met on Mt. Silver all those years ago."
"Thank me for what?" the Champion asked.
"Confirming to my former comrades that a return to power was not meant to be" he replied. "It would take a little while for it to sink in, including a dust up in Goldenrod City's Radio Tower, but they seem to finally understand that when I ended Team Rocket, I meant it."
"Some people have a hard time letting go of the past" Michael said. "Lord knows I'm one of them."
"And yet your past is still lurking in the present, or so I've heard" the man spoke softly.
"Mine's a little harder to get away from" Michael explained.
"It seems Elezar Aced has once again turned up in Arcana" the man replied, after being given a cup of tea from the waitress. "That is, assuming he ever left in the first place."
"Did you know Elezar?" Michael asked him.
"Not personally. I delegated foreign investments and entanglements to others beneath me. Though I do remember one of my former flunkies was involved in some high stakes assassination attempt here. Whether it succeeded or not I don't know. All I can tell you is that once he got a taste of the power, he never got over it." He took a sip of his tea. "That may explain why he's come all this way."
"So he is in league with the Syndicate?" Michael asked.
"He tried to contact me a few years ago about resurfacing" the man explained, "but when I turned him down, he renounced Team Rocket and joined up with a group he claimed was better in every way." The man laughed to himself. "Considering they were desperate enough to hire that fool in the first place, I find it hard to believe."
"Still" Michael said, taking a bite from his Blueberry Muffin, "I would like to get some insight on how their minds work, if I can."
The man grinned. "Anything to snuff out the competition, eh Michael?"
"You know it" Michael responded. "Tell me whatever you can, Giovanni."
{Meanwhile}
Addison burst through the door of their hotel room, desperately trying to make sure each and every article of clothing was on. She didn't care if what she wore was matching or anything else. She was so ashamed of herself. "I fine friend I turned out to be. I sleep late and may very well miss Ryan's Gym Match!" Once she was sure her shoe was on properly, she shut the door behind her and raced out the door, her Eevee hot on her trail.
There's no telling how long Ryan and Holly have been gone, she cried out to herself. How could I sleep in on a day like today? She made her way for the elevator, but when none were there waiting for her, she decided to run down the stairs instead.
{Meanwhile}
Ryan stood in the middle of the Terra Colosseum, awaiting Greg's arrival. With Addison still resting in the hotel and Holly not being nearly as coordinated about Pokémon matchups as she was, Ryan knew he would just have to figure things through himself. He looked at his Sandshrew confidently, who echoed his sense of confidence by nodding.
Ryan bent down to his Sandshrew. "I'm gonna start the battle with Marahute. I want to save you as my secret weapon, okay?"
The Sandshrew seemed disappointed at first, but nodded in agreement.
Ryan looked towards where his opponent was to stand. A huge platform rose toward the roof of the Colosseum. Once it hit the top of the roof, the platform finally began to descend back down towards the Colosseum floor.
"It's him!" Holly gasped in the stands.
Ryan looked and saw the platform was lowering down and was now carrying someone. Tall, broad, barrel-chested and black bearded, Greg descended down towards the arena floor. He was almost the height of two Ryan's in one, with a bodybuilder's body as if he was in the Olympics as well as the Gym Leader of Terra Town. When he spotted the identity of his challenger, he grinned.
"Your brother told me to expect you" Greg told Ryan.
"Greg" Ryan remarked.
"Though to be honest" Greg responded, "I've been expecting you for a few days now. I guess you ran into a few problems?"
Ryan thought for a moment. Where would I even begin? The Gyarados on the way to the Northern Outpost? Anthony's Banette terrorizing everyone in the Chateau? Lily and Lena in the Ruined Tunnel? The Ball? Training under Mike? He shrugged and summed it up in the best way that he could. "Yep. It's been a while since I faced Tori in the Craft Terrace Gym."
Greg looked down as the platform finally hit the ground and allowed for him to climb down onto the arena floor. "Not bad. It's important that you experience everything you can when you go out on your Pokémon Journey. And I can see that you've been through a lot, with more to come. But before you set off on whatever journey lies in store for you, you need to prove that you can reach the heights I've only ever seen one person reach." He pointed towards his opponent. "Ryan, if you want to one day become a Pokémon Master, you're going to have to contend with my legion of Ground Pokemon!"
"Bring it on!" Ryan exclaimed.
"Good luck Ryan" Holly cheered.
Ryan looked towards his friend and gave her a thumb up. He then turned towards Greg, who was already throwing out his first Pokémon.
"GO DUGTRIO!" Greg roared. From out of the Poké Ball sprouted a trio of small Ground Pokémon chirping loudly as they emerged, half their bodies buried beneath the ground. "Your move, Ryan."
"Get ready" Ryan called. "Go, Marahute!" His Pidgeotto emerged from the capsule, hey eyes fixed on her next opponent.
"Take him down, Ryan!" Holly cheered.
"Hmm" Greg responded, folding his arms. "So, you know my Dugtrio can't hit Flying Types with it's most powerful moves. Impressive, but I'm afraid there's more to battling than that."
"Go Mara!" Ryan shouted, "Use Wing Attack!" The Pidgeotto soared right at the Dugtrio, who simply burrowed his way underground to avoid the attack. The Flying Pokemon landed and looked around for the Dugtrio.
"Use Slash!" Greg shouted. Within a flash, the Dugtrio remerged and struck hard at the Pidgeotto. Marahute was sent back into the air by the harsh blow from the Dugtrio, but she remained airborne and fixated on her opponent. When Marahute plunged down towards them, the Dugtrio simply vanished beneath the ground once more.
"Come on out, Dugtrio!" Ryan demanded.
"Why?" Greg asked him. "My Dugtrio can stay submerged all he wants and there's not a thing your Pidgeotto can do about it."
"Oh really?" Ryan asked. "Marahute, use Gust!" Marahute flapped her wings and sent a small tornado towards the hole where the Dugtrio had submerged. Within an instant, the winds pulled the Dugtrio out and into the air.
"What the-?" Greg asked.
"Now's our chance!" Ryan exclaimed. "Marahute, catch the Dugtrio and pull them up into the sky!" The Marahute swooped down towards the Dugtrio, picked it up with her talons and brought the squealing Pokémon trio into the air. "Now! Use Sky Drop!" Within a flash, the Pidgeotto plunged downward and crashed the Dugtrio into the ground. When the dust cleared, the Dugtrio was KO'd.
"Alright!" Holly cheered!
"Well played" Greg complimented Ryan, recalling his Dugtrio as he did. "But that's only a beginning move. How can you play for the remainder of the match?" He then sent out another Pokémon, a bizarre looking fish creature that was brown and yellow.
"That thing looks like a mix between a fish and a potato!" Ryan exclaimed. "It won't be around much longer. Marahute! Use Wing Attack!" Marahute swooped down to deliver a colossal attack.
"A predictably foolish attack" Greg told the boy. "You still have a lot to learn Ryan! Stunfisk, use Discharge!" The Stunfisk spits out an immense charge of Electrical Energy at Marahute, striking her right in the head and causing the Flying Pokémon to crash into the ground, knocked out.
"What just happened?" Ryan asked, seeing his Pidgeotto completely knocked out.
"There is an entire world of Pokémon Types and Sub Types" Greg explained. "My Stunfisk is also an Electric Type. I save him in case someone thinks a Water or Flying Type could stop me." He folded his arms and laughed. "And it seems that you fell for the trap, yourself."
Ryan grunted. "This isn't good." I was counting on Pidgeotto to help me win this match. Now, I'm going to have to look to Sandshrew to carry the rest of this match. He looked towards the Ground Pokémon by his side. "Are you ready, Sandshrew?"
The Sandshrew rolled out onto the field and growled.
"A Sandshrew?" Greg asked. "You've got a good taste in Pokémon. But it's all for not."
"How so?" Ryan asked.
"Let's face it, Ry" Greg warned him. "You're just not prepared for me! Stunfisk! Use Muddy Water!" The Stunfisk caused a tidal wave of muddy water to hurdle towards the Sandshrew.
"Sandshrew, Dodge It!" The Sandshrew rolled out of the way and slammed into the Stunfisk with it's Rollout Attack, but it did very little. Ryan himself had to leap out of the way of the oncoming brown water surge headed his way. When the wave crashed against the wall, Ryan recovered, only to find the Stunfisk preparing for another tidal attack.
"You may have escaped it once, but let's see you try it again!" Greg warned. "Stunfisk! Muddy Water again!"
Ryan grunted. There's no way we're going to be able to dodge it again. How can I beat this thing if my moves won't do much to it? If only I had a Water Pokemon or something to-to-THAT"S IT! "Sandshrew! Burrow Underground!" The Sandshrew dug underground as the Stunfisk spat out another wave of water.
Greg laughed. "You really think the waters won't hit him there? The water will go into your Sandshrew's burrow and flush him out!"
Ryan grinned. "And that's what I'm counting on!"
"Huh?" Greg asked.
Holly was also confused. "Um, Mike. If that attack hits, your Sandshrew is toast!"
"We'll see exactly what it hits!" Ryan smirked. Greg gasped. The Sandshrew reemerged right beside the Stunfisk and rolled out of the way. Before the Stunfisk could react, the Muddy Water emerged from the burrow like a geyser, spraying it into the air. After being pummeled by the water for a good few seconds, the Stunfisk began to plummet to the ground.
"GO SANDSHREW! USE HEADBUTT!" Ryan called. His Sandshrew lunged forward and smashed it's head into the midsection of the Stunfisk, KO'ing it completely. The Ground/Electric Pokemon tumbled back towards his trainer, while Sandshrew recovered and rolled back in front of Ryan. "And that's the way it's done!"
"Grrr" Greg grumbled. "Not bad."
"WAY TO GO, RYAN!" Holly cheered. "Ryan! Ryan! He's our man! If he can't do it-"
"GO FLYGON!" Out of Greg's third and final Poké Ball came a particular green dragon with red specs to shield it's eyes. Holly's cheering suddenly evaporated as this immense Mirage Pokémon rose and roared in triumph.
Ryan stepped back in terror. "What the heck is that?" Ryan exclaimed.
"My trump card" Greg said proudly. "After your brother crushed my last trump card, I needed another one. And what better Ground Pokémon than a Dragon to bring out."
Ryan gulped. "That's not good." Well, I knew I would have to fight a Dragon eventually, but I wish it wasn't now.
"Flygon" Greg called. "Let's give our guests a welcome greeting. Use Dragon Pulse!" The Dragon shot a pulse of energy directly at the Sandshrew, blasting it out of the ring and knocking it out. When the dust cleared, the Sandshrew was completely out of energy and lay at his trainers feet. Greg laughed proudly. "And that's the power of my Pokémon, Ryan. Bring out your next Pokémon, so I can make it your last for the match!"
Ryan was shaking. This wasn't a matter of him being outplayed or out battled. Greg's Pokémon were in a league above his own. And now, not only was he about to lose the match, he knew there wasn't a single Pokémon left he could count on for a victory. Sparks Electric attacks would be useless, and so too would Cinder's Fire Attacks, thanks to the Dragon's resistance to fire, not to mention how quickly the Flygon would rip through them.
"You should just admit defeat, Ryan" Greg warned him. "Because my Flygon will gladly throttle whatever you have left."
"No way, Ryan!" a voice called from behind him. Ryan turned back to see Addison in the seats behind him.
"Addy?" Ryan asked, almost relieved to see his best friend.
"You can't give up now" she told him. "You've been in tough situations before. This is no different!"
"But how can I stop this thing?" Ryan asked.
"Remember what you learned from Mike" Addy told him. "Sometimes, you have to have faith in your Pokémon, no matter how badly the odds are stacked against you!"
Ryan thought to himself. Do I have faith in my Pokémon? The same way Mike had faith in his kids? He looked towards the Gym Leader, who now looked supremely confidant whatever Ryan could throw at him would be battered away like nothing. "No way, Greg! I'm not down just yet!"
"Fine" Greg waved his arms. "Show me your power!"
"Gladly!" Ryan said, reaching onto the latest Pokémon he'd added to his team. "Go, Ralts!" From out of his third and final Pokémon Ball of the battle came his Ralts. The small and timid creature looked around for whatever it was to face and then looked up at the Flygon right above him. He at first seemed timid, but he turned back and sensed Ryan's unyielding confidence in him. With his renewed vigor, the Psychic/Fairy type stood to face the toughest challenge Ryan had faced yet.
Greg let out a bellyful laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's your last Pokémon? That puny little thing?"
"Don't underestimate anyone's appearances" Ryan insisted.
Greg folded his arms. "Fair enough. I am the one who used a Stunfisk, after all. But I don't think you understand why I'm laughing. Your Ralts is impervious to my Flygon's dragon attacks. Yet it's still too frail to withstand one of my beast's other powerful attacks!"
"We'll see about that" Addison said loudly.
"Go Ryan!" Holly cheered.
"Flygon!" Greg commanded. "Use Earthquake!"
The ground began to shake violently. Addison and Holly clutched onto their seats for their lives. Ryan was flopping about like crazy. Ryan looked out towards his Ralts, who was seemingly focusing on its enemy. "Ralts! Use Teleport!" The Ralts suddenly vanished, before the deadly strike could hit him.
"Where did he go?" Greg demanded. He then looked at his Pokémon and gasped. The Ralts had reappeared on the Flygon's back!
"Ralts, use Confusion!"
The Ralts calmed itself and sent a telekinetic charge directly at the Flygon's head, causing it to become confused. Because of Ralts's manipulation, the Dragon was soon rolling around in the air, unsure where or what to attack. The Ralts teleported back off of his back and landed in front of Ryan.
"YAHOO!" Holly celebrated.
"It's not over yet, Ryan" Addison warned him. "Focus!"
"It's time I ended this now!" Greg growled. "Flygon! Use Giga Impact!" The Flygon roared and charged directly at the Ralts to deliver the crushing blow. It's speed continued to increase as it rushed closer and closer to the Ralts.
Holly let out a scream. "Ryan!"
"RYAN!" Addison cried out.
Ryan, however, remained completely calm. Instead of facing adversity with terror or confusion, he took a deep breath and concentrated as hard as he could. He didn't know if he would reach his Ralts as they had when they first met, but he was certain that there was some sort of connection there. Why else would his own Pokémon have been so calm after learning what it was up against? And in a flash, it all clicked for him. His Pokemon was calm, because he knew the battle was already over. And only he and the Ralts knew the outcome. But that wouldn't be for long.
"Ralts" he called to his Pokemon. "Use Fairy Wind!"
"WHAT?!" Greg shouted.
The Ralts took a deep breath and shot a magical wind directly into the face of the Flygon. Though the winds appeared to be small and insignificant, they felt on the Flygon as if it were being sliced with a series of swords. The Dragon Pokémon howled in pain until collapsing on the ground, right in front of his opponent, his mighty attack failing it. When the dust cleared after the Flygon landed, it was completely passed out.
The Ralts smiled to himself and lowered his head approvingly.
"WE WON!" Ryan exclaimed.
"He did it!" Holly cheered, trying desperately to make her way towards Ryan.
Addison jumped onto the Arena floor and hurried over to him. "Ryan, you did it! That was incredible!" She flung her arms around him in an embrace, prompting the winning trainer to flush with color.
"Uh yeah. I did, didn't I? And I couldn't have done it without your guidance, Addy."
Addison looked at him, confused, when their embrace ended. "But, I didn't say anything about Dragon Types."
"I could have sworn that you did" Ryan said, now as confused as her.
Addison looked at him in awe. "You must have just known that Ralts would be able to stop it."
"Ryan, that was incredible!" Holly cheered, she too embracing him for his victory. "I knew you could do it! I just knew you would!"
"And I have to give you some credit, Holly" Ryan smiled. "If it weren't for you, I might not have made it past that Stunfisk."
Holly beamed. "Well, if you say so."
"I would have been here if you guys had woken me up" Addison insisted.
"I tried" Ryan laughed. "But at least we all get to celebrate!" He warmly embraced both of his friends, as well as his Ralts, who he scooped up into his hands.
"That truly was impressive" Greg remarked, after recalling his fainted Flygon. "Truly, it was. You and your brother have two very different battling styles. To be honest, I prefer yours. You're in sync with your Pokémon no matter what. They have a devotion to you. They won't give up the fight until it's completely lost. And for that, you deserve all the credit you get Ryan." The two trainers shook hands.
"Thanks Greg. I'll keep improving for our next battle."
"Be sure that you do" Greg told him. "Because I intend to do the same. But, for now, I have to give the victor this badge." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge that looked like a rock being shattered in half. "The Tectonic Badge is yours!"
Ryan was about to take it, when the Ralts used it's telekinetic powers to raise it in the air and look at it himself, before dropping it into Ryan's hands. The two celebrated their victory. "WE GOT THE TECTONIC BADGE!"
"One more thing, Ryan" Greg said, handing him another Technical Machine. "This one here is for Earthquake. It's a dangerous move to use, but it's power is almost limitless. Be sure to use it carefully."
Ryan nodded. "I will Greg. Thanks again."
"No problem" Greg told him. "You earned it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some Pokemon to go heal." With that, Greg headed off into a dark corner of the gym, leaving Ryan and his friends to celebrate.
"This is incredible" Holly told him. "I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks Holly" Ryan remarked, as he put the Tectonic Badge next to the Peace Badge and Aroma Badges he'd already won. "Three badges down, but we're still a long way from competing in the Pokémon League."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Addison asked. "How about we head on to Iron Mountain to confront your next Gym Badge?"
Holly stopped in her tracks. "But Addy? What about the Contests in Taghwan City?"
Addison stopped herself. "We've still got a few days before then. Worst case scenario, we can get a Corviknight Cab to take us to Taghwan City in time. But Ryan is on a roll right now and we need to keep our focus on his next Gym Badge."
"There is a gym in Taghwan City" Ryan told his friends. "I don't want to put you guys out just for me."
Addison looked at him, surprised. "Are you sure?"
"Iron Mountain isn't going anywhere" Ryan told her. "And this isn't just a journey about me. This is a journey about you guys too."
Holly cheered. "Strong, smart and sensitive! You really are the best, Ry!" She flung her arms around Ryan again, much to the dismay of Addison.
"Uh, thanks Holly" Ryan told her awkwardly.
After hashing out their traveling plans, the three set off from Terra Town's Gym to the Terra Town Pokémon Center to heal up Ryan's Pokémon for the journey to Taghwan City. As the three trainers neared the Terra Town Cafe, Holly stopped Ryan and pointed at something she saw in the window of the Cafe. "Ryan, we were right. That is Michael."
Ryan looked to where Holly was pointing and saw Michael and another man talking at a table. "Wow, you're right. That is Mike. But what is he doing here? Let's go find out."
Before any of the girls could react, Ryan ran inside, prompting them to go in after him. While Addison and Holly went to get themselves a table and make their orders, Ryan made his way through the tables of people to try and find Michael. He found him and the man talking things over in the back corner of the Cafe. When he and Ryan locked eyes, Michael was at first surprised, then delighted. "Ryan? Come on over!" Ryan raced to his cousin's side.
The man looked behind him at the incoming trainer and nodded. "Your son?"
"Oh no, my cousin" Michael told him.
Ryan came over and embraced his cousin, his eyes on the man Michael was talking to. When the two pulled away, Ryan nodded to the man. "I'm Ryan."
"Good to know" the man said, uninterested. "Well, Michael. I can see this place is getting a little claustrophobic for me, so I'll be heading out."
"Thanks again for meeting me. I owe you."
"That you do, Michael" the man said. "The next time you see me, I'll be ready for a rematch. Be sure that you are as well."
Michael nodded. "Will do." With that, the man in his trench coat headed for the exit.
"Who was that?" Ryan asked Michael.
Michael shook his head. "It's not important."
"It seemed like it was" Ryan said.
"Which one of us is the experienced Champion here?" Michael looked dryly at his cousin.
"Sorry" Ryan said, lowering his head.
"Maybe someday" Michael told his cousin, taking off his bandanna and messing with his hair, "when you aren't so childish, I'll be able to tell you." Michael stretched and yawned at the table. "But for now, worry about your own adventure. Besides, you should be focusing on how to beat Greg in his gym."
"Already beat him" Ryan remarked.
"Really?" Michael said, surprised. "Now that's impressive. You might be Champion material yet."
"Thanks, Mike" Ryan said.