Thad stretched his arms out wide and let out a yawn as he walked through the waystation leading into Goldenrod City. With Jasmine's assistance, he'd managed to get in some much-needed practice against the trainers on Route 36 with his crew of Pokemon after walloping several strange creatures. He'd flipped through Chuck's journal, marking some of the moves and creatures alongside the chart he'd created in Ecruteak.

A playbook was in the making, and Thad was determined not to be embarrassed again without a strategy. Granted, having bigger muscles was usually a pretty good strategy.

Chad continued to carry Jasmine's oversized backpack of necessities without complaint, humming along in a pleasant tone, and occasionally dropping into a squat or lunge when the group's pace would slow. Jasmine watched with mild amusement as Thad would congratulate and continuously shower his proud Machop on his form and dedication.

"Now, this is a city." Thad craned his head, his childlike wonderment taking in the multistoried buildings and large bustling streets filled with people and Pokemon alike. "So, where we going shopping?"

"The department store," Jasmine pointed down the main street, "it's the six-story building on our left just across the Magnet Train tracks."

"Then let's hustle, eh? Feelin' a bit breezy in the thigh area," Thad said, flapping the shredded ends of his gi pants that barely came down to his midthigh. "As much as I don't mind showing off the quads, I feel it's time for an upgrade."

Jasmine gave the hint of a nod and grabbed Thad by the wrist, pulling him along. He shrugged and let Jasmine lead him through the crowd, his eyes drawn to the various Pokemon following folks or doing labor tasks, looking at billboards for strange products, looking up at the giant spire to his West that he assumed was the radio tower. Chad scampered behind them, latching onto Thad's free hand, creating a hand link between the three.

Not too much different from back home, Thad scooted to the side, letting a large bipedal green Pokemon with a leaf on its back lumber on by. Two sets of vines sprouted from its back, holding a bundle of two by fours with a man in hardhat leading it. Instead of a forklift, he's got a viney dude. Neat.

Jasmine pulled Thad to the side of the street and in front of the large glass sliding windows of the department store. Her eyes darted around haphazardly, but Thad paid no mind. He figured it was just the crowds getting to her.

"So, how many Pokedollars do you have?" Jasmine asked.

Thad unslung his travel sack from his right shoulder and withdrew a small drawstring bag. "Last time I counted, probably a few thousand," he lowered his voice, "but considering your economy, that's not a whole lot."

"It should be enough for clothing. Only Pokemon accessories and materials tend to cost a dramatic premium," Jasmine noted. "Will it be fine to shop by yourself as I do some of my own?"

"I've dressed myself before, Jazzy, relax," Thad waved Jasmine off. She crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow, standing her ground. He massaged the bridge of his nose and groaned. "I will not buy more protein until we have more money. Promise."

Jasmine looked to Chad. "Keep an eye on him for me?"

"Chop!" Chad shouted, giving Jasmine a thumbs up. Jasmine smiled and nodded at the Pokemon as Thad rolled his eyes.

"Trusting Chad over me?"

"He's proven to be a little bit more responsible than his trainer." Jasmine covered her mouth with her hand, hiding the beginnings of a smile. "Just… meet me back down in the lobby in an hour, okay?"

"Lobby. Hour. Got it," Thad repeated. He waved Jasmine to go on with a kind smile. "Now, let us have some bro time. See ya soon."

"Macho Mach!"

With a nod, Jasmine turned on her heel and entered the department store, disappearing into the crowd of people. Thad turned to his companion and leaned down, a wide grin on his face.

"She said we couldn't buy anything, but nothing about looking or maybe getting some samples!"

Chad's eyes lit up and he pumped his fist in the air. "Machoooo!"

"Damn right, whatever it is you said! Let's go bag us some stuff! And some pants." Thad took a step, then paused and rubbed his chin, and looked back at the Machop. "Wait. Do you need pants too? Do Pokemon wear pants?"

Chad shrugged and shook his head. "Machop?"

"Uh, do you want pants?"

Chad shrugged once more. Thad furrowed his brow, deep in thought. He slowly continued to walk into the department store; the employee's greeting near the glass doors went unheard as Thad contemplated the mysteries of the Pokemon universe.

To have pants or not to have pants?

Jasmine tapped her foot on the tiled lobby floor of the department store. She glanced at her PokeNav for the time, and let out a sigh.

"He should have been here by now," Jasmine whispered to herself. She set her two bags of materials on the ground; her arms arching from Thad's regiment that she'd been gently persuaded to join in on. She massaged her bicep, feeling a slight pulsing from the tired muscle.

I feel like a wet noodle, Jasmine thought. I just can't understand how he doesn't get tired.

"Ey!"

Jasmine's head perked up as she turned toward the boisterous voice. She noticed Thad's head tower over the crowd of people; a great big smile plastered on his flawless face. She couldn't see Chad, though she suspected he followed. She glanced down, straightening her flowy summer iron-colored dress out a bit, frowning at how it had wrinkled slightly while being stowed away in her pack.

Thad made his way toward her corner of the department floor, and her eyes immediately inspected and appraised his attire. He'd actually bought a shirt, granted it looked nearly painted on with his biceps testing the limits of the short sleeves, broad shoulders stretching it sideways, and his pecs on full display. He'd paired the sleek red, white, and orange shirt with the silhouette of a Dragonite on the front with a pair of red and black compression shorts that were popular amongst bikers.

His trusty Machop stood next to him, grinning ear to ear with a matching shirt and no pants. What caught Jasmine's eye though was the two extra bags in Thad's hands.

"So, how does it look? Sporty, right?" Thad said, twirling around to give her a full view.

She pursed her lips and felt her face heat up as she glanced at his toned rear; while the shredded gi pants were borderline scandalous, the compression shorts left very little to the imagination. A protest died on her lips as he finished his rotation; she figured he knew what he was doing in wearing that, or at the very least only considered the 'tactical advantages'.

"It looks good," Jasmine replied with an even tone. She tilted her head, pointing at the bags in his hands. "What else did you get?"

"You ain't gonna believe the deals I found." Thad dropped the bags and began sifting through them. He tossed a few extra garments to Chad, who clumsily caught them. "They were having a discount on a few extra things, so I managed to snag some snazzy stuff. Also!" Thad pulled out a large container of protein. "I managed to persuade the lady at the supplement counter to give me a free sample. Said I was a trainer, and they were looking for sponsors."

"And you agreed?" Jasmine squeaked out.

Thad threw his head back, laughing in a deep, rumbly manner. " Of course not! This isn't the first time I've been scouted and someone has tried to recruit me. The gifts are natural, like this sweet, sweet powder." He gave the white container a kiss on the lid and looked at it with half-lidded eyes. "We are gonna build so many muscles, my friend."

Jasmine let out a breath of relief. "That's good. I was worried for a moment. Some businesses can be very predatory when it comes to hooking in trainers into deals."

"For sure, Jazzy. For sure." Thad agreed, nodding his head. His eyes wandered downward towards Jasmine's bags. "So, what'd you end up getting?"

"Some essentials. Some trail rations, a few extra potions, and a technical machine disk I think that might be handy." Jasmine retrieved the light blue circular disk from her bag. The disk was about a millimeter thick and slightly larger than a CD. "Since you enjoy punching things, I figured you might like something to help expand your move pool."

"Uh, that's kind and all Jasmine, but I'm not sure how some new tunes are gonna help me and my bros punch better," Thad said with a heavy side of skepticism. He gently grabbed the disk between his fingers, checking the back and front of the sheer object. "So… it's like an instructional video or something?"

"Not quite, may I?" Jasmine held her hand out, and Thad handed the disk back. "A technical mechanic, or TM as most trainers call them, store information and data much like a Pokeball. Think of it as like a one-time use thumb drive, but instead of pictures or files, it has a memory core that a Pokemon can absorb simply by holding it and focusing."

Thad's jaw dropped. "No way. That's rad as hell."

Jasmine shrugged. "I'm not sure if it's that amazing. We've had them around for a while. I know you're out of the loop a bit, but… you've never seen this stuff before?"

"Does it work on people?"

Thad's voice took on a hopeful tone but quickly died down as he noticed Jasmine shake her head. He looked over to Chad and scratched his head, exchanging a confused glance with his PokeBro.

"So, why's it not work on people?" Thad asked.

"It's to do with our bodily chemistry and how our inner aura reacts to energy as far as I know," Jasmine said. She patted the downtrodden hunk on the arm. "I'm probably not explaining it well, but that's the gist of it. The good news; you could teach Chad here Ice Punch either by handing it to him, or placing him in his Pokeball and placing it in the center of the disk."

"Chop?"

Thad looked down to his companion and smirked. "You wanna have some frosty fists, my dude?"

Chad flexed his biceps and puffed out his chest. "Chop chop!"

"Nice. You're gonna be one icy king!" Thad placed the TM on Chad's head, balancing it on the wavy grooves that served as a kind of hair. "Alright, just think really hard about ice or whatever, and then science will happen." Thad looked toward Jasmine out of the corner of his eye. "Right?"

Before Jasmine could reply, the disk shattered into dust with a dull crack. Chad's nose twitched and he itched at his ribbed chest, but otherwise seemed unphased by the event. Thad inspected his Pokemon, but Chad merely shrugged at his trainer's inquisitive behavior.

Jasmine gestured for Thad and Chad to follow her out of the store, and the two did so without question, though Thad skeptically looked around the area for the particles of the technical mechanic. The sun was bright and the weather was cool as they left the stuffy department store and made for some shade provided by the department store overhang. A few people gave Jasmine and Thad odd looks, whispering amongst each other, but otherwise, the less crowded area gave the group a chance to relax away from the public eye.

Thad took the moment of respite to sit on the pavement and lean against the building. He leaned forward to stretch, managing to get a few pops from his back, and Chad quickly followed suit by mimicking his trainer's behavior. Jasmine remained standing, facing toward Thad and the wall. Her hands gently tugged at the hem of her dress, making sure the flayed-out edges were at least covering her knees.

"I think it's time for a protein break before we get moving again." Thad set his shopping bags aside along with his travel sack. Chad set down Jasmine's overstuffed bag to the side as well as Thad dug out three protein bars from his shopping bag. He handed one to Chad and held one up for Jasmine. "Here, keep up your strength. Gotta feed your muscles with the good stuff."

"That's a Pokemon nutrient bar," Jasmine said as kindly as possible, trying not to sound condescending. "Thank you...but I'll pass."

Thad rolled his eyes. "I know that. But!" He turned over the bar and began reading the label. "When I compared it to the human protein bars or whatever, they had nearly the same ingredients but the Pokemon one has way more vitamins and protein!"

"Uh, how much protein does it have?" Jasmine asked hesitantly.

"Only 45 grams." Thad peeled open the wrapper and took a bite of the brownish bar. The food was chewy as he struggled to mow down on the fibrous treat. "Ish full o' fiber too!" He said with a full mouth. "Ish real gud. You try, yesh?"

"Alright! I'll try it!" Jasmine's voice was upbeat, though it petered off into a defeated tone as she grasped the protein bar from Thad. She made a sour face as she peeled open the wrapper; the strong scent of meat and sawdust emanating from the stick of nutrition. "Are you sure it's good?"

Thad nodded vigorously, and Chad chewed on the treat with delight. With one last deep breath, Jasmine sunk her teeth into the bar. She began to chew, letting the flavors of Oran berries and milk swirl around in her mouth, and then she felt her stomach do a somersault as she reached the chewy core; an oily flavor that could only be attributed to ground-up Feebas.

Jasmine covered her mouth and her eyes widened. A life of primarily vegetarian lifestyle hadn't prepared her for something so pungent, let alone trying Pokemon food wasn't considered the most civil of things, even if some trainers and breeders swore by the practice.

"You doing okay there?" Thad asked, having swallowed his first chunk.

The gym leader shook her head. She forced down the vile concoction in a few rapid chews, and then one large swallow. Her eyes were nearly tearing up in the corner as she handed Thad back the rest of the bar.

"I don't think I'm ready for that… it's a bit strong," Jasmine choked out. Thad nudged Chad in the side, and the Machop nodded. A waterskin from Jasmine's bag was quickly provided, to which she greedily drank from the leather container. "Yeah. Sorry, but it's a no from me."

"All good, girlie. You gave it the ole' college try. I can respect it."

Thad gave her a genuine smile; not one of the usual cheesy ones he'd flash at pedestrians they crossed whilst he'd flex his muscles. The unease in Jasmine's gut fluttered for a moment, distracting her from the oily flavors that lingered on her tongue, for just a moment before draining the rest of her waterskin, and devolving into a coughing fit from drinking too fast.

"Take it slow! Haha!" Thad shook his head but kept on smiling. "Let's meet up at the Pokemon Center in an hour or so, yeah? I gotta go talk with Whitney, or whatever her name is about setting up Thadmania."

Jasmine narrowed her eyes slightly, and her lips formed a thin line. " Thadmania?"

Thad snorted, as if the answer were obvious. "It was that or 'Wrestle with the Thadman' but I liked the other one. Chad helped me pick it out when we were shopping."

"Machoo!"

"See?" Thad jabbed his thumb toward Chad. "He likes it."

Jasmine closed her eyes and took in a slow, deep breath. "Thad. Nobody has even agreed to it yet. And it still depends on me securing an interview at the Radio Tower and you convincing Whitney. Why are you so sure this will work?"

"Because look at us." Thad gestured to himself and then to Jasmine. "You're adorable and a gym leader, so anybody who turns you down is insane. Just gotta play the cute girl card. Easy. And don't you worry about Whitney. I've got a plan."

Jasmine's eyes squinted at the jock. "Why do I feel this is another thing you cleared with Chad." She looked at the Machop, the little guy shrinking back from the brunette's scrutinizing glare. "You were supposed to keep an eye on him, not encourage him!"

The Machop gave Jasmine a meek shrug. Thad consoled his buddy by giving him a back rub, much to Jasmine's dismay.

"Alright, alright." Jasmine pumped her hands out, steadying herself. "You've clearly got something in mind. Just… don't push it, okay? Whitney can be a bit, uh, excitable. Pokemon Center in an hour?"

Thad hopped up and dusted off his compression shorts. He swallowed the rest of the protein bar like a Wailord gobbling up seaweed. "Fo' show, Jazzy. Have faith in me and my muscles. There hasn't ever been a problem I couldn't flex my way out of." Thad paused and rubbed his chin. "Except those times it didn't work. But, that's like five tops."

"Can Chad come with me? He's got my stuff, and the Radio Tower is near the Pokemon Center. I can reserve us a room on the way there," Jasmine offered. She looked away and rapidly continued, "plus I'd like the support."

"He's yours if he agrees." Thad glanced down to Chad, but the Machop was already on his feet and marched up to Jasmine, giving her a wide grin and a thumbs up. "Well, there ya go."

"Thanks. See you in a bit."

Thad began to stretch, leaning side to side. "No problemo, Jazzy. See you in a hot sec."

A faint bell chimed as Thad burst through the double doors of the Goldenrod City Gym. He dusted off his shoulder and looked up at the large skylights that illuminated the high stacks of flower boxes and tile walls. A tired-looking middle-aged man in a striped shirt stood near the door, leaning up against the wall adjacent to the entrance; his arms crossed and eyes closed.

Napping on the job, Thad noted as he looked ahead at the labyrinthine path ahead of him. Well, no weird skate rink here. Some kind of corn maze fan, I guess?

Thad took a sharp right and walked along the path, hands resting behind his head. He began to whistle a quiet tune, as he needed something to fill the space in his head since the gym seemed all but abandoned. Well-tended with the lush boxes filled with verdant flowers, but no sign of any groundskeepers or sounds of chatter or battle.

"Maybe I should get a better look?" Thad looked up at the nearby tile wall. It was only about 8 feet tall off the ground and looked to have enough space to stand on top. The jock rolled his neck and pulled each of his knees up to his abdomen quickly. "Time for the ole' squat jump and climb."

With a small backstep, Thad launched himself forward like a panther pouncing on its prey. He soared as his hands caught the edge of the platform, and then he lifted himself up with ease. He let out a deep chuckle as he placed his hands on his hips, taking in the view.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be up there!" A shrill, feminine voice called out.

Thad's head swiveled toward the voice, his eyes squinting to try and find the source. He smiled and waved. "Hey! Just someone that can help!" Thad hopped down from the platform, landing nimbly on his feet. He quickly ran a hand over his shortened hair, making sure a strand wasn't out of place.

The woman in front of Thad had tanned skin, vibrant shoulder-length blue hair, a white sleeve tank top, and matching blue pointed heels and skirt. She came up to Thad's chin and looked up at him at first with scorn, but as he returned a soft smile she slowly lowered her finger.

"Ey! So, you work here or whatnot?" Thad asked. He held out a hand for a handshake. "Thad by the way. I'm looking for the boss lady, Whitney. You know where she be?" He paused, glancing over her curvaceous body. "Wouldn't mind knowing who you are either."

"Akemi," she curtly replied. A sly smile crept over her lips as she playfully tapped a Pokeball on her waistband. "You must be a trainer, right? You don't look like the usual maintenance crew."

"Yeah, more or less. Can you point me in the right direction towards Whitney, but, uh," Thad waggled his eyebrows, "if you got a number, I'd be down to hit you up later for a drink or something."

Akemi closed her eyes and shook her head. "Oh, that's very sweet of you. How about I say yes if you beat me in a Pokemon battle? I'd rather not get chewed out by Whitney if she catches me not doing my job." She leaned forward, nearly brushing her chest against his as she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Think a big strong man like yourself can handle me?"

Thad inhaled and exhaled deeply from his nose. He pressed his hands together and smiled warmly. "I know I can, baby. We doing this right here, right now?"

"A man with initiative." Akemi licked her lips. "I like it."

She pulled forth the PokeBall from her waistband and cracked it open, the red light giving way to a small marsupial with a white circular pattern on its chest. Thad nodded thoughtfully, and reached for his own Pokemon, but cursed under his breath.

Shit, I left Chad with Jazzy. Looks like I gotta go with my other equally amazing plan that I completely considered.

Thad reached for Dwayne's Pokeball, but as he almost touched it, the other adjacent Great Ball flashed open, and his Sneasel appeared before him. Akemi placed a hand over her mouth, hiding her soft giggles and Thad looked at the ground and shook his head.

"Why do you got to live up to your name?" Thad bemoaned. He quickly looked up with a slightly forced smile. "Alright, hope you and that flying squirrel of yours is ready for some action!"

"Snee!" Trouble shouted, smacking its long claws together like someone would sharpen a chef's knife. The small Normal-type Pokemon looked back toward its trainer, shivering a bit, but Akemi gave it a nod.

"Alright, show me what you got!" Akemi shouted. She pointed at her fuzzy Pokemon. "Sentret, use Defense Cu—"

"Thbhbbbhbh."

Trouble stuck her tongue out, blowing the loudest raspberry Thad had ever heard. Akemi and her Sentret blinked and looked at the Sneasel in astonishment. Whatever defensive maneuver Akemi had instructed had fallen on deaf ears as the Sentret raised its tail and reared back on its hind legs to pounce.

"Uh, I didn't teach 'em that," Thad protested. He leaned down and whispered in a harsh tone, "C'mon, you're embarrassing us in front of the blue-haired hottie. Go give 'em the swipe and slap."

Trouble rolled its eyes, but begrudgingly followed her trainer's orders by dashing toward the Sentret with blistering speed. Akemi's eyes grew wider as she stomped her foot and pointed at the zipping Sneasel.

"Sentret, quickly dodge and—"

The order didn't come fast enough as the Sentret tried to step aside, but the more agile Trouble pounced onto the smaller critter and began smacking it repeatedly with its claws in a harried frenzy with hardly a pause between the furious blows. Akemi gasped at the barbarity and Thad also winced at the display. He'd practiced a bit with Trouble on the route to Goldenrod City, but the persnickety Sneasel definitely didn't fight with honor and gave its foes no quarter.

Once the Sentret went limp, Akemi quickly returned the wounded Pokemon to its ball. She grimaced looking at how the Sneasel hopped around triumphantly, waving its claws in the air.

"Alright," Akemi announced, holding up another Pokeball, "I think I've caught onto your games, Thad. I should have assumed you'd have such brutish Pokemon by looking at you."

"First off, hurtful," Thad said, raising a finger, "and secondly, we just wanna call it good there?" Trouble blew another raspberry at the flustered bluenette, and Thad sighed. "Trouble, I don't think Taunt works on people."

A mix between a scream and a groan came from deep within Akemi's throat as she hurled the Pokeball, revealing another Sentret. Or does it? Thad thought he watched Trouble go to work, taunting, tormenting, and eventually slashing up the Sentret. And the third Sentret Akemi would hastily thrust out in a desperate attempt to land a scratch on the Sneasel.

She didn't. Trouble pranced around on the tile, humming a whimsical little tune with a great big smile on its face. Thad scratched the back of his neck and walked past his mischievous Pokemon and over to Akemi, who had recalled all her Pokemon and was now in a staring match with the floor.

"So, uh, good match?" Thad went to pat her shoulder, but she raised her arm, pushing herself away. He put his hands up defensively. "Whoa, whoa there. Just checking on ya."

"You raised a terror," Akemi sniffled. She looked up at Thad, her eyes glossy on the verge of tears. "I'm supposed to be a challenge, but I didn't even get off a single attack. Wha-what do I even tell Whitney?"

Thad pursed his lips. "We… don't tell her? I'll put in a good review for you, or however this works. I'm just looking to talk with her about a business project."

"Wait," Akemi wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, "you aren't here for the gym challenge?"

Nah fam, I'm rolling around with my good friend Jasmine. Ya know, the cutie from Olivine? We gotta spit some deets with Whitney about Thadmania."

"Is that... a Pokemon?"

Thad scrunched his face and furrowed his brow. "Do I look like a Pokemon, honey?"

Akemi tilted her head to the side. "Not going to lie, but it looks like your best friend is a Machoke."

"His name's Chad, and yeah we lift—" Thad paused and clicked his tongue. "We're getting sidetracked. Take me to Whitney if you're all chill?"

"I suppose so…" Akemi waved to Thad to follow and began to lead him through the bevy of planter boxes. "She should be down here wrapping up some paperwork. She has a small office at the far end of the gym."

"Great! Also, did you want to swap digits?"

Akemi glanced over her shoulder, batting her eyelashes. "I think I'll pass. While you are sweet, I don't think my Pokemon will be as forgiving as me."

"Sneeehehe." Trouble snickered from behind Thad. He whipped around and gave Trouble a stern look, pointing two fingers at his eyes and then jabbing them toward the Sneasel. "Sneash," the Pokemon retorted with an eye roll.

Maybe I should have named 'em 'Rule Follower' or something, Thad pondered as he followed Akemi's swaying hips. He rubbed his chin as he paid close attention to the gym trainer's gait. I'll need to work on more with Trouble. Little bugger is gonna get me into a lot of trouble… I'm a victim of my own genius.

"Bruh," Thad mumbled. Akemi looked over her shoulder, a slight frown on her face. Thad deflected with a smile and shook his head. "Nothing. Keep on going. I'm right behind you."

A/N: So, a bit longer on this chapter and sticking in Goldenrod City for at least 1 more chapter after this, but I've got a plan. Sat down the other day and did a bunch of in-depth outlining (for once) on this story, and it's shaping up pretty well. Hope ya'll are ready for more Thad in the future.

Hard to believe this story isn't even a month old yet. Thanks for all the reviews and feedback thus far! You all are awesome and kind, and I'll be replying to a bunch post-Thadmania. Stay tuned :)

For more quality fics from tons of other talented fanfiction authors, writing advice, memes, or if you want a place to chill and/or bug me, come stop by the Fanfiction Treehouse Discord at discord. gg / 9XG3U7a

You can also catch me on the Fanfiction Treehouse Podcast on Spotify as well, where lots of fanfic talk, constructive help, and banter happen.

Anyways, I'll see you all again sometime next week with an update that is shaping up to be quite fun.

Thanks for reading!