Indigo Plateau was vast as it was empty. The whole wide-open area reminded Thad of an airport in between flights. With no official league matches scheduled in the bordering final destination of many Kanto and Johto based trainers, all the vendor booths were closed up, leaving only a small market and the Pokemon Center in operation. It was the only checkpoint between the two regions, but anyone that wasn't a well-seasoned trainer would always opt to take the bullet train or sail around.

Yet, this was the place that Chuck said Bruno would be. The man to shed some light on Thad's peculiar case of vanishing due to a shroom trip. The jock had half-considered that it was maybe all a dream, but that theory had faded over time into obscurity. Everything felt real enough, so who was to deny it? Besides, the reports of other strange wormholes opening up offered a semblance of an answer too.

These statues though. Reminds me of going to Rome. Thad stood in front of one of the many Nidoking statues outside the main gates to the Indigo Plateau. He could nearly see his reflection in the carved marble, taking the opportunity to check his teeth for any bits of meat that may be hiding from breakfast. Still looking damn good. Nice.

Soft pitter-patter echoed from the marbled steps leading up to the greater atrium. Thad looked away from his reflection to see Jasmine descending; the sun shining down on her brown pony-tailed hair. She adorned a darker metallic summer dress this time, but the chilly mountain region had encouraged her to pair it with a pair of matching leggings.

"Still admiring the landscape?"

Thad let out a short burst of laughter and pat the statue on the side. "Pretty much. This place is dope. Reminds me a lot of the big venues I'd play at back in the day." Thad felt a lump rise in his throat, but he swallowed quickly and fought it down. "Just didn't think my pro debut would be as a coach. Always figured I'd be in the decathlon, doing rugby, or pole vaulting in the Olympics."

"Life has a way of surprising us." Jasmine saddled up beside Thad, looking at the Nidoking statue. "I became a gym leader to avoid board meetings for my family's steel industry. Throwing everything I had into training eventually led to, well, the results you see now."

Thad wrapped an arm around Jasmine's shoulders, pulling her closer. He chuckled as her head barely reached his pec. "It's about drive and power, and Jazzy, we came and devoured."

Jasmine sunk deeper into Thad's hug. "I suppose you're right. Granted, this test ahead will be like none you've ever experienced. Trainers from all across the world will be gathering in Sinnoh soon. A lot more than egos are at stake."

"You mean sponsorships?"

"H-how did you," Jasmine looked up with wide eyes, and then settled back down, "yes, to put it bluntly. It's not just for a fancy trophy. Lots of business and advertising hinges on how strong a region is perceived."

So it's like March Madness had a baby with the Superbowl… nice.

"So, what're the deets of the tournament? One and done, or is it more complex?"

"Double elimination, but with different rules throughout the rounds. The people like variety, and part of being a great trainer is adaptability."

Thad hummed. "I getcha. How many people are on the chopping block?"

"One hundred and twenty-eight," Jasmine recited. "Most are from the major regions like Johto, Sinnoh, or Kalos. Minor regions without official leagues like Fiore also have a couple of representatives, but they've never won in the past. I'll show you the rules later on the trip. The only thing of real note is the seeding is arranged in a way that you won't battle someone from your own region until round three at the earliest."

"So we might meet in the finals you say?" Thad playfully added.

Jasmine blushed and untangled herself from Thad's hug. "Only if you're good enough. I've gotten close before, and I don't plan to lose. Plus… we will have some time to train before the tournament starts. It's in about a month, and it'll take about two weeks to arrive. Maybe enough time to bolster your roster before entering."

"Now you're talking my game, Jazz. Training and gains are what I live for!"

"Great," Jasmine said, "now one last question before we get you introduced to the others inside."

"What was the plan with King in our battle?"

Thad rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. "Had to avoid the psychic stuff somehow, so figured bouncing into a Hammer Arm from above would have been cool. Was gonna shout 'I dropped the hammer on ya' and everything. Next time it'll work, trust me. I don't mess up a move like that twice."

"I look forward to it," Jasmine said. "Now, let's go. No need to keep Bruno waiting any longer."

Much like the man himself, Bruno's quarters inside the Pokemon League were sculpted, rugged, and oozed machismo. Thad inhaled the smell of dried chalk and salt as Jasmine led him into the arid arena. A few sandstone blocks and boulders lay on the sides; obstacles for trainers during matches, but all pushed to the side.

Bruno sat cross-legged atop one of the boulders, his eyes closed and head tilted down as he breathed slowly and deeply. Shirtless with a pair of torn-up, loose, white pants the man was nearly as large as the boulder he rested atop. His messy hair ruffled from a faint current exiting a nearby air conditioning vent.

Thad placed a hand on Jasmine's shoulder, leaning down to her ear. "Let me handle this."

"I know Bruno, I don't know what you—" Jasmine caught herself and quickly became tight-lipped. She let out an exasperated sigh and shrugged. "I suppose I'll never really understand Fighting-type specialists."

Thad carefully stepped up to the boulder where Bruno sat. He placed a hand against the smooth exterior, letting the roughness of the stone brush up against the calluses on his hand.

Bruno peeked an eye open and let out a gruff exhale. His chest puffed up as he raised a hand, bringing it down in front of him. Cracks permeated throughout the boulder until one final loud pop echoed out and the boulder split in two, allowing Bruno to drop down to ground level with Thad.

I actually have to look up to this dude. Dude is massive!

Bruno stood nearly a head taller than Thad, his steely gaze meeting Thad's indomitable pose. Ever unphased by the dust from the boulder cracking and the mammoth of a trainer standing before him, Thad stood proud, chin raised ever so slightly with hands on his hips.

Both trainers locked eyes for several moments before they extended their right arms in sync, grasping each other into a tight upright handshake. Both the men's biceps and forearms flexed, knees bent, and the tension in the air thick as a Snorlax.

Jasmine watched with a mix of awe and confusion as both men continued to hold the pose for nearly a minute before separating. They both again stood across from each other for what felt like ages before each offered a slight bow before Bruno took a seat and Thad turned back to Jasmine and walked over.

"Hey," Jasmine quickly waved Thad over in a hushed tone, "what was that? You guys stared at each other, shook hands, and then looked at each other again for almost five minutes. I thought you were going to ask questions."

"We did. We talked in our native language: strength," Thad replied, casting a glance over his shoulder at Bruno who had returned to a meditative state. "Homie is built like a shitbrick house on the roids, but he's all-natural. He's what we call in the business, OBM."

"OBM?"

"One big motherfucker," Thad clarified. "But, yeah. Super chill dude. Kinda funny too. He said," Thad caught himself and bit down on his words, "nevermind, you wouldn't get it. Keep training and I'll let you in on the secrets of our language."

"O-okay… so what's the news? Are you able to return home?"

"Oh, I'm like super stuck here, Jazzy. Totally shit outta luck as far as the big man knows. Said maybe some scientist from Aloha or whatever might know. I was gonna tell him they're actually called Hawaiians, but he was on a roll. He did say though as long as there are gains to be made, doesn't really matter where we are. The heart is a muscle we gotta train. His words, not mine, but it kinda hit me deep."

"Are you gonna be okay?" Jasmine whispered. "I know that a lot of, this," she gestured to the arena, "has been a healthy distraction for you. Still, it's normal to have to unpack that at some point."

"Yeah, I getcha. But, let's give Bruno some space here." Thad grabbed Jasmine's hand and began to lead her deeper into the Pokemon League arenas. "This place is dope and I want to fully check the place out."

Jasmine lightened up and bounded alongside Thad as they weaved in an out of the trial areas. Only Koga's poison-themed room filled with numerous bug and grass Pokemon, live trees, and even a murky swamp was a bit too much due to the noise and humidity. Lorelei's room smelt of cold ocean tides that highlighted a floating arena connected with a series of bridges. Will's room was covered in velvety purple drapes, low light, and crimson carpeting.

As they reached Karen's arena, highlighted by the silhouette of an Umbreon's markings around the tunnel door, Thad paused. His feet planted like roots, almost jerking Jasmine backward.

"Is there a problem?" Jasmine looked at Thad's perplexed expression, and then at the decor. "It's not a Ghost-type arena, if you were wondering."

"It's not that. Was just wondering why it's called the Elite Four if there are more than four of them, ya know? I mean, look," Thad placed a hand on his chest, "I'll be the first to admit that numbers ain't my bag if it's not directly related to a sports stat, but this is def more than four. What gives?"

"Oh! I'm sorry for not explaining. The Indigo Plateau is the final destination for Johto and Kanto, so there is technically two Elite Four present with their respective champions."

Thad snapped his fingers. "Gotcha. Makes sense. So which one is Bruno a part of?"

"Uh, technically he does double duty. He's ranked for both."

"Why?"

Jasmine gave Thad a knowing look. "Would you want to be the one to tell Bruno that he can't be in both leagues?"

"Hmmmm. Yeah, that makes sense. Don't want to disrupt a homie's workout routine."

Jasmine blinked and forced out a smile. "Uh, sure. Let's go with that—"

"Have you thought about applying? Like what's the process?"

"That's a bit complicated."

"So Thadify it for me."

Jasmine's face became tense as she tried not to roll her eyes. "It's… basically a job application. They look at your experience, but not always. You can be appointed by a champion or voted in by the league itself or the regional-" Jasmine caught herself delving into the details once more, and cleared her throat, "basically, if you're strong enough, you get in by having a talk with the champion."

"Nice. So where's the champ? I'd like to have that talk."

"Wait, what?"

Thad smirked and stretched out his arms. "That talk. I wanna see the boss person in charge. Flex on 'em a bit, and bag the gig."

Jasmine felt herself sputtering to get the right words out, her mouth unbearably dry. "B-b-but that's not how it works! Not even close!"

"You just said that's how it works!" Thad laughed. "Jazzy, if you all can't talk Bruno, then y'all's sure as heck need a better HR or something. I dunno if that's true or not… and you know I don't business that hard, but I do know that I could probably flex a bit and have a chance. Flash the ole abs and glutes, then bing, bang, boom. Elite Four, baby."

Jasmine's eyes were wide as saucers, burrowing into Thad's wry grin. With a twinkle in his eye, Thad skipped ahead laughing. Jasmine set her jaw and trudged behind, mulling over her decision to divulge the information to Thad.

Letting someone like Thad understand the inner workings of a complex organization was a tricky notion. Pokemon Leagues were directly linked to business and politics all the same and played a vital role in maintaining conservation efforts. Thad had plenty of capacity to obtain the job and do the part, but Jasmine quietly worried about the implications of his responsibility to the potential position.

That, and Jasmine smothered her seething anger over a conflict of interest. She balled up her knuckles and marched back beside Thad, holding his hand as she took him through Karen's shady arena.

The dreams of grandeur Jasmine held to have a similar place of her own still burned inside her heart. What was once an escape, now evolved into something so much more than she'd ever conceived. As much as she liked Thad, and perhaps was even enamored, he'd still have to pry the job from her iron-clad grip. Not that Thad would be averse to competition by any stretch of the imagination.

"Yo, I think we finished the tour, yeah?"

Jasmine snapped out of her stupor and looked up at Thad, feeling herself smiling at the bronze adonis' cheerful face. "It would seem so. Would you like to get dinner before we prepare to board? It's a quick flight to Cinnabar Island, and then it'll be a ship ride. The Pokemon League has registered rooms on the boat, so it's best to get there and settle in soon."

"How far away is it?"

"If we fly, maybe half a day. Little less with good weather. I'll be riding Ceris as you can use Hawlucha. It's another HM technique that I can show you."

Thad narrowed his eyes but nodded along. "Ahuh. So you think Nacho can support my massive bod for hours on end? I mean, the little guy's got spirit, but, uh, you sure about that?"

"That's why HM techniques are useful. It relies on the aura, rather than raw physicality."

"I see… could a person have that power?" Jasmine raised an eyebrow and Thad immediately began gesturing and took a step back. "Like, in theory or whatever. If I, I dunno, thought about whatever birds think about, could I fly?"

"Hypothetically? I suppose…" Jasmine rested her chin underneath her fist. "It'd require the person to be a natural reservoir of aura, which isn't completely unheard of. Just very rare, and it's a whole other factor to actually use it effectively."

Thad shrugged and perched his hands behind his head, flexing his biceps a bit. "Was worth a shot. We want to get rolling?"

"Yes," Jasmine said, "Marley should be waiting out near the north end of the plateau. Usually, it's a training ground for the Elite Four members, but it's a good place to learn the Fly HM and get your bearings."

"Dope. Lead the way!"

Jasmine walked ahead, turning down a swath of dimly lit corridors. The main path through the Elite Four rooms was a straight shot, but the side passages for employees to fix the arenas were more like maintenance tunnels than any true hallway. After a dizzying amount of weaving through the complex, Jasmine pushed through a large set of double doors and sunlight graced Thad's eyes.

Thad blinked a few times as he stepped into the courtyard. Old paved brick covered the Pokeball-shaped area with large bushes skirting around the sides that smelt. A pungent, soggy mushroom mixed with a delicate floral scent dominated the winds, tickling Thad's nose. Almost enough to make him sneeze.

Mountains loomed from all directions, creating a hidden sanctuary where the most elite trainers could relax with their Pokemon in peace away from the packed arenas filled with the heat of competitions and the jeers of fans. Despite the raw humidity that seemed to be trapped in between the rock edifice, Thad felt at peace.

Marley swooped down, sitting cross legged atop her purple, quad-winged Pokemon. Thad let out a low-toned, appreciative whistle. "Well, if it ain't the Batman, himself."

"It's pronounced Crobat." Marley stepped down and gave the large purple blob a pat on the head, and then dug out a small yellow poffin from her dress pocket. The Crobat let out an excited screech and scarfed the treat down. "Jasmine said you might be late, so I was just getting some practice. There's a reason why most regions require a minimum amount of badges before letting people access the Fly HM."

"Makes sense. Practicing high-level tech shouldn't be left to the rookies," Thad acknowledged. He rubbed his hands together eagerly, turning toward Jasmine. "So, time for Nacho to eat that weird disk, yeah?"

"Nacho already knows Fly," Marley commented. "He's known since before we traded."

"Oh. Then, uh, why not tell me?"

Marley rolled her eyes. "I thought you knew, honestly. After a while though, I figured you would stumble upon it naturally. Any halfway decent trainer goes through and catalogs their Pokemon's move list."

"Bruh. Like half of Nacho's moves are 'fly around and do a thing'. C'mon, you know that ain't fair."

Jasmine stepped between the bickering trainers and raised her hands up to diffuse the situation. Marley slumped back, folding her arms across her chest and upturning her nose while Thad shook his head and began digging through his bag for Nacho's Pokeball.

"Let's not get too agitated, yes? We're all on the same team," Jasmine gently said. She turned to Thad and placed a hand on his well-sculpted shoulder. "Go ahead and let Nacho out. Ask him to transport you with Fly."

"Fo' Sho'."

Nacho barreled out of his Pokeball's red light, striking a pose with his wings spread out wide and plumage ruffled. Thad slid next to his partner and struck a quick dab, then fist-bumped Nacho. Marley let out a muffled sound of disapproval while Jasmine covered her mouth, poorly hiding her amusement and dip in composure.

"Alright, we are ready. Nacho," Nacho's head quickly tilted, looking up at Thad, "I need you to use Fly. Yeah, just that. You gonna carry me around."

"Lucchhhaaa!"

Nacho crouched forward and spread his wings out as a faint gray glow washed over his body. Thad tentatively stepped onto Nacho's back like he would a surfboard, holding his hands out for support. Nacho flapped his wings a few times and then leaped into the air, carrying Thad along with no visible effort.

Thad kept his knees bent as he surfed the air currents atop Nacho. "Reminds me of surfing in Cali! This is sweet!"

"That's good!" Jasmine cupped her hands around her mouth. "Just make sure you follow Marley and me to Cinnabar. Skies should be clear, so try not to get distracted."

"Dope!" Thad called out while doing a sick mid-air barrel roll. "Start flapping and I'll start tracking!"

Jasmine released Ceris from their Pokeball and gave Thad a thumbs up. Ceris dipped their head low and let Jasmine settle on top of their metallic body with care. Jasmine gave Ceris two soft pats on the side of their chest, and she lifted off, racing ahead of Marley and Thad toward the opening in between the crested mountain tops.

Marley lifted off the ground once more, trailing behind Thad as Jasmine took the lead. They sailed into the cloudless blue sky; small wisps of Flying-type aura brushing away the blasting headwinds. Thad hummed a tune from his home under his breath as he soared through the sky, taking note of how small the treeline seemed from their height and the hordes of other bird-like Pokemon.

It's like a whole new world up here.

The salty aroma of the open seas immediately reminded Thad of the beaches of his homeland. The sun had begun to dip below the horizon by the time Cinnabar came into view and they landed near the northern docks. Marley immediately departed to head for the Pokemon Center for some rest; her ruffled hair and dark circles under her eyes were notion enough to Thad that she didn't prefer to fly.

Jasmine seemed rather fine in contrast, only taking a few moments to smooth out her summer dress and thank Ceris for the smooth trip with a few chin scratches and a red poffin. Thad mimicked the gesture by giving Nacho a protein bar, to which he scarfed down the delicious nutrients with incredible haste.

"So, an evening on the docks, eh?" Thad mused.

"We've got to get to the ship. It'll be departing in a day or so," Jasmine replied as she recalled Ceris to their Pokeball. Thad did the same for Nacho as he observed some of the civilians meander around the docks with various Pokemon trailing behind some of them. "Rooms should be assigned by the league, but since you're covering for Chuck, I'm not sure where they've placed you. Might as well get settled in while you can. It'll be almost two weeks on the open waters."

"You coming with?"

"Sorry, but I've actually made plans," Jasmine said with an apologetic smile. "I made a few calls at Indigo Plateau and Whitney wanted to get dinner to catch up. Figure you can manage on your own?" She pointed toward the East side of the port town. "Just look for the banner of the Pokemon League, and tell the shipping attendant who you are. It should be simple. I'll probably be out late, so we can catch up tomorrow."

"I gotchu fam, no biggie," Thad said, pounding his fist against his pec twice. "I'll catch you later, Jazzy. Figure I'll get in a late-night workout after checking out the ship's protein stock."

Jasmine waved goodbye as she strolled deeper into the dusky town center. Thad lingered for a moment, watching as her lithe form disappeared down the street.

Well, time to get crackin'.

Thad popped Chad out of his Pokeball and began to saunter across the coastline with his prized homie. Chad held his upper arms behind his head while his lower second set of arms placed firmly on his hips. Thad gave a few thumbs up and appreciative nods to a few people's flamboyant beachwear.

By the time Thad and Chad arrived at the eastern docks, the moon had overtaken the sun in the sky as an orange glow peeked beyond the horizon and the stars made the sea sparkle. The Pokemon League cruise ship was a relatively large luxury yacht, complete with two men watching the on-boarding steps. Thad rolled his shoulders and walked up to the men dressed in orange safety jackets.

"My dudes, I'm here to board up," Thad announced, jabbing a thumb toward Chad. "I'm the dude that's filling in for Chuck. Name's Thad."

The older of the two gentlemen with short graying hair scratched at his beard, humming in a deep tone as he absorbed Thad's surfer-bro jargon. The younger man whipped out a clipboard and began to flip through several papers, looking up occasionally with a suspicious glance. Thad and Chad gave him a few different bodybuilder poses, primarily focusing on his back muscles and legs before the younger man let out an irritated huff.

"It's all here. You've been assigned to room six. Here," the younger man held out a thin blue card, "this is your room key."

Thad snatched the key card and stuffed it into the waistband of his compression shorts. "Dope. See y'all on the flip side dudes."

The lights on the ship lined the docks with a shimmer of starlight; only upon Thad squinting a bit closer he noticed that small purple and red Bug-type Pokemon floated around through the various areas, stopping by the tactically placed potted plants at the corners of entryways. They continued on their set pathway, seemingly unaware or uninterested in Thad's presence on the silent ship.

They must be on shift or something. Firefly kinda guys. I can dig it.

Thad found his room with relative ease, but only after asking one of the Volbeat for directions who buzzed a bit while letting their tail glow light a path. He swiped his key card through the reader beside the door and stepped inside to the spacious cabin quarters; a bathroom to his immediate right while straight ahead there was a divide in the living space, leading to two separated bedroom sections.

"Looks like we are rooming it up," Thad said over his shoulder to Chad. "Let's see if the other person is here, unload our crap, and then get in a circuit before we protein up."

"Champ."

Thad lumbered his way to the left side; sliding his hand across the wall in search of a light switch. Man, I should really get me one of those fire dudes. Thad blinked and paused as he felt his hand land on something wet and cold.

"What the hell, someone leave a slime surprise?."

"Gengaaa!"

Thad squeezed down on the cold part he felt, but his grip slipped and he felt himself lurch forward. He braced himself against the wall and quickly recomposed himself, looking around wildly for the intruder.

"Macho?" Chad was already using foresight; using two of his hands to look like makeshift goggles over his eyes as he scanned the room. "Machoooo!"

Ambient light from the other side room flickered on. Thad prepped himself to throw hand, dropping into a low stance as he listened for the soft footsteps to get closer to the opening. He braced himself, tightening his glutes and core.

With a vicious case of bedhead, Morty stepped out into the open. He wore a simple purple t-shirt and sweats combination with a large green scarf messily wrapped around his torso. He rubbed his eyes and wearily waved to Thad.

"Good morning, there. My snoring didn't wake you, did it?"

"It be night, broski."

"Well," Morty cleared his throat, "my morning to be specific. Nocturnal sleeping schedule is best for me and my work. I was wondering when you'd arrive."

"The guards told you?"

"I asked for the room ledger when I arrived yesterday. Despite it being a luxury cruise, there's only so much space for two regions' worth of competitors." Morty rubbed his eyes more, and blinked a few times to get his bearings. "Did something startle you?"

"Uh, something wet and slimy. You ain't keeping, uh-"

"Whatever you are about to imply, it's not that. I let my Gengar wander about while I'm asleep. They're to wake me up if anything happens in the meantime," Morty clarified. He smiled toward a shadowy corner of Thad's room. "Excellent job, friend."

Thad wiped off his damp hand on a nearby blanket and forced out a tight smile. "Yup. Accidentally deep-throating a ghosty boy is exactly how I like to be greeted."

"Hold the sarcasm until I've gotten my coffee at least," Morty lazily replied. He began to turn back to his side of the room, but paused mid step and raised a finger. "But… since you are here, I've been wondering about asking you for your help with something. Someone of your unique capabilities."

"If you want me to teach you shadow boxing, it won't turn you into a ghost."

"No, no… but you aren't too far off, incidentally. I would like you to shadow box for me on the top deck. From what I've heard and observed, I think you have just the unique qualities I've been searching for in a person to attract a certain Pokemon."

"Really now," Thad drawled. Curiosity got the better of him and he leaned in. "I just, what exactly, pretend to fight the air? Summon the ghost of Tae-Bo? Phantom of P90X? The warrior spirit?"

Morty let out a dry laugh. "Maybe. One way to find out. Follow me and Gengar to the top of the ship. It should be empty around this hour, which is the perfect place for this exercise."

Thad tossed his bags into the room while Morty slipped on a pair of sandals. Gengar slipped across the floor as a darkened shadow, sliding beside Morty on the wall. Thad eyed the Pokemon with a heavy dose of skepticism. He'd never trust anything he couldn't suplex at will, and the concept of ghosts alone sent a shiver down his spine.

Nevertheless, Thad pressed onward to the top deck behind Morty and his ghastly companion. Chad trailed behind, covering Thad's flank in case of any other sneaky ghouls. Foresight or not, anyone or anything jumping out of the shadows would get a slap powerful enough to knock out the most sturdy of foes.

The uppermost deck of the ship had a small wooden cabana with a bar setup, although closed with empty shelves at the moment. A few lanterns remained lit and illuminated a slick wooden dance floor. The salty ocean breeze rolled onto the whip in fragrant waves, tickling Thad's nose with long lost memories of delicious Californian sushi. Only a small chest high barrier encircled the area to prevent people from getting thrown overboard, but not so much a deterrent to keep any boozed up patron from trying to take a dive into the warm waters.

But we ain't here to booze and cruise. Not yet, at least. Scarf master said I'm the only one who can attract some Pokedude, so I'mma see what this is all about.

Thad took in a deep breath through his nose, savoring the evening air. "So, Capt. Scarf, whatcha need me to do exactly? Does Chad need to do anything?"

Chad looked over to Morty skeptically, then down to the ground where his shadow stretched across the floor with another bulkier shadow beside it. "Mach?"

"Nothing from you Machamp, but he's welcome to observe. We may have use if this proves successful." Morty took a seat on the hardwood floor in a cross-legged position, hands resting on his thighs. "Gengar here will be monitoring for spiritual activity, using their Mean Look technique to ensnare our elusive quarry. What I need you to do is simply go through one of your exercise routines until I give you a signal."

"Eh, I'll need all the focus I can get, sorry buddy," Thad recalled Chad to his Pokeball, and hooked it back onto his waistband. "Also, what kind of signal?"

"I'll knock on the floor twice, like so," Morty rapped his knuckles against the floor softly, "and then that's when you'll break from your routine and act. It must be swift and concise with no wasted movements. As fast as you possibly can. You must catch your own shadow."

Thad began to laugh, but clammed up as Morty's stony expression didn't shift. "Wait. You're serious? This ain't some kind of riddle or something, yeah?"

"No tricks, Thad. Just choose a martial arts routine and we'll proceed."

Well, alrighty then. I'll chug a protein drink to that, my dude.

Thad swung his legs a few times, stretched his arms out, and rolled various joints with a few satisfactory pops. He settled quickly after into a kickboxing aerobic workout he'd seared into his memory from one of his many college classes. It was a simple workout for him. A heavy emphasis on proper form of jabs with a slow crescendo leading up to spinning back-fists, crosses, and working in alternating uppercuts. Even a few flip kicks and roundhouse kicks mixed in just to have some fun and work through his range of motion.

Sweat began to drop from Thad's chiseled body after nearly an hour on the boat. Distant lights in the island town began to dim or snuff out completely, the moon shining like a cream colored coin in the sky, and the soft murmurs of roaming herds of Dewgong wafted out in the distance. Thad felt a subtle harmony with the movements, letting each repetition meld into a majestic dance of protein enriched machismo.

Two taps rang through the air, and Thad was sprung from his trance. He whirled around mid kick and spun on his left heel. He could feel the salty air rip past his ear drums as he dove toward his shadow. The edges of his vision began to blur as he reached forward; feeling a strange churning inside his chest not too unlike when he'd focused on the forbidden drink of the most basic of bitches to chop down a tree.

Something soft and pliable filled Thad's fingers as he drove his hand through the wooden deck. He had punched a hole through the ship, but he'd grabbed something. He ripped his hand upward, showing his prize for all the world to see, bringing his shadow into the soft light of the cabana lanterns.

"MAAA!?"

Morty stood up quickly, his eyes wide and jaw dropped. "Y-you actually did it. That's a Marshadow!"

"I don't care if it's my mom or dad's shadow, there ain't no free rides in this dojo!"

The small shadowy humanoid barely reached about two feet tall, with their smokey horn firmly gripped by Thad. It's stubby arms and legs flailed helplessly as Thad brought the creature face to face, peering into its astonished orange and yellow eyes.

"It's a very rare Pokemon, Thad. It's the only known Fighting-Ghost-type hybrid," Morty rattled off. Gengar stood beside him, its eyes glowing a bright blue. "You continue to surprise me more, I didn't think that one would show. Actually, it may have been with you for quite some time."

Thad raised an eyebrow. "Oh really, now." He gave the Marshadow a little shake, focusing its attention back on him and not an escape route. "How long you been stalking me?"

"Mash."

"Right." Thad's expression fell as he turned to Morty. "I need a translator. I don't speak ghost or Pokemon."

"A moment," Morty dug into his pants pocket and unfurled a portable spirit board on the ground. The Marshadow turned their head over toward the Ghost-type specialist. "Go ahead and tell us," Morty warmly replied.

The letters began to glow in rapid succession. Thad shrugged as he kept a firm grip on the shadowy stowaway as Morty pieced together the Pokemon's rebuttal.

"They say that they've been following you since Sprout Tower."

"The damn vegans?"

"It appears so," Morty paused as more letters lit up, "They were looking for martial art techniques from the monk… yes, yes…. And they decided to follow you. Very enamored in your protein slathered ways."

"Bruh. That means this little dude was there when we had our rematch!" Thad said. "Did you not know, or was this just a hunch?"

Morty shrugged. "I was in the dark at the time and suspected nothing. Marshadow are well renowned for being elusive, even among Ghost-specialists. I'd heard a rumor from a trainer who'd spent time in Alola recently, but it was all very partial data. I thought this would be a good test to get any activity, not actually find one."

"Soooo… what do we do now?" Thad asked, eyeing the Marshadow. "I can't say I feel comfortable with some dude literally living in my shadow. I mean, I'm flattered, but it's a bit weird."

The spirit board lit up once again. "They apologize," Morty translated.

"Accepted. Water under the bridge. You've got good taste at least," Thad said with a grin. "Say… you want to train for real? Not just like me, but with me? I'm usually not one for the spooky crew, but a warrior spirit dude sounds dope as hell."

The Marshadow raised its stubby arms and smiled. "Shaaaa!"

Morty leaned over to the spirit board, but Thad waved him off. "Don't need translating that," he set the Marshadow down beside him, "welcome to the big leagues, my dude. But first, before you meet the crew we gotta do two things."

Morty began to roll up the spirit board as The Marshadow tilted its head and brought one of its arms to their chin.

"We gotta finish our workout," Thad raised one finger, "and then we gotta get you a nickname. And I know just the one. Shadow boxing got me thinking of some of the greats, so I'mma think you could go by Ali."

The Marshadow leaned forward into a firm bow and the pact was sealed. Morty chuckled as he and his Gengar slipped away into the shadows. Thad and Ali took a wide stance on the top deck, arms raised and ready to strike.

"Just follow me, little dude. Champions in the making, right here, right now. Let's go! From the top!"

They made sure to avoid the hole in the dance floor as they flowed through their nightly exercise. That was a problem for tomorrow that could be easily explained by the League not Thad-proofing the cruise ship. An honest mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.

A/N: Now, look at that turn around! Perhaps it was a mix of extreme motivation and guilt, but I couldn't leave y'all on the hook for the same amount of time for another chapter. It was a very enjoyable one to write, and I hope it was equally entertaining to read! Oh, and a new team member has joined the Protein Cult and we're bringing back some of the characters of previous chapters. Oh yeah. It's all coming together.

I'm already plugging away onto the next chapter and grinding away. I want to keep that sweet, sweet momentum rolling.

Thanks for all the wonderful feedback, and until next time! Hoping to drop another one by the end of the month!