Jared realized how good of an idea it was to watch Noah's gym battle. There was no hope that he would be able to replicate his friend's battle because he didn't have a Water-type Pokémon like Noah's Squirtle but that didn't mean the battle was enlightening. While gym leaders had different teams for different levels of opponent, Jared had an idea of what to expect facing Brock. Before going to bed that night, Jared was sure to take notes on what he saw.

The next morning, Jared woke up and reviewed his notes to come up with a plan for his gym battle. Against trainers with no badges, Brock used two Pokémon, a Geodude and an Onix. From watching the fight, Jared realized that Brock's Geodude didn't know any Rock-type moves, meaning that his Pokémon could reasonably defeat it. Jared settled on starting out with Weedle. His plan was to try to poison Geodude to overcome its defenses. It was the only way that Weedle would be able to win against Geodude.

However, as hard as he tried to come up with a plan, Jared couldn't come up with a way to reliably defeat Onix.

Onix was Brock's greatest threat that so happened to be capable of crushing Jared's team without question. Even if Metapod could get a Harden or two in, Onix knew Rock Tomb, and while it was possible it could miss once or twice, it would take two or three hits to bring down Metapod, and even less for Weedle. Both of Jared's Pokémon couldn't bring Onix down in time, even if Weedle was fortunate enough to poison both of Brock's Pokémon.

Jared was going to need to train more if he was going to defeat Onix and claim the gym badge from Brock.

"Jared!" the young boy's thoughts were interrupted with his younger sister calling for him from downstairs. "Your friends are here!"

"Thank you!" Jared called back.

Jared was waiting for Celena and Noah to come and pick him up so that they could start training. Danny would be busy hyping his team up for his gym battle but promised to help train in the afternoon. Although he would have enjoyed training under Henry, the older trainer caught up with the group after Noah's gym battle to inform them that he needed to prepare for his battle as well and that he would train with Jason for that. Still, Jared was confident with training with his friends. Celena knew Henry's training methods and Noah was a more difficult opponent. His Pokémon would gain the strength they need to defeat their opponents.

Jared neatly tucked his notes into his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. He made his way downstairs, optimistic at how today's training would turn out.

"Use Water Gun!"

"Noah, wait!"

Celena's call came too late as Squirtle, listening to his trainer, blasted the weakened Weedle with a blast of water. The force of the blow was enough to send Weedle and knock the Bug-type Pokémon out. Although Noah smirked at the victory and went to give his Pokémon a high five, Jared's shoulders fell and he looked down in defeat.

It wasn't their intention to fight until a Pokémon was defeated. They were supposed to fight until Celena, as the acting referee, called the battle off to treat their Pokémon. However, Noah kept fighting to the end, and his Pokémon had defeated Metapod and Weedle. Jared wasn't mad at his friend, realizing that Noah got caught up in the battle and wasn't used to the kind of training Henry taught them. Still, if he couldn't beat one of Noah's Pokémon in a fight, he thought that he had much to improve on before he could fight Brock.

Although Jared didn't want to argue with Noah for not following the training plan, Celena had other ideas. The young girl advanced on their friend, holding a finger up as she started to speak.

"Noah, you're supposed to help Jared," Celena harshly reminded him. "Defeating his Pokémon won't help."

"I'm sorry," Noah said with a shrug. "The way I see it, Jared's Pokémon still need to fight in actual battles. It's not like Brock is going to let any of opponents treat their Pokémon with a Potion while the battle's still going on."

"But this isn't an actual battle," Celena pointed out.

"He's right, Celena," Jared admitted with a sigh as he recalled Weedle into his Poké Ball. "My team needs to win some actual battles if they're going to beat Brock. If I can't beat Noah, I don't think we're going to win against Brock."

"But you defeated Danny's Rattata yesterday," Celena pointed out. "You're getting better."

"And I'll still have a lot to improve on before I'm ready," Jared said. "We'll need to go back to the Pokémon Center to treat my Pokémon."

"It'll be close to time for Danny's gym battle by the time we're finished at the Pokémon Center," Noah told his friends. "He wouldn't want us to miss that."

"Then we should watch his battle before we get back to training," Celena said. "Noah, when we start training, you'll be the referee. You're too rough on Jared's Pokémon."

"But it's more fun to battle!" Noah argued.

The trio started to walk back to Pewter City from their training area in the wilderness. Jared remained quiet as his friends debated who would train with Jared through battle. It didn't really matter to him when he had lost the confidence he built up. He didn't think watching Brock battle again would help him come up with new ideas and he wasn't sure if he was pushing his Pokémon enough to become stronger. Jared wasn't sure what it would take to restore his morale but something would have to change if he wanted to follow his friends on their journey together.

"Faster Zubat!" Henry called out. "You can win!"

"This is so dumb," Jason said and crossed his arms. "We should just battle instead."

"You're just mad that I'm winning!" Henry said with a grin.

"So that's how it's going to be," Jason commented and a smirk formed on his face. "Alright, Pidgey! Don't lose to that Zubat!"

It was Jason's idea to train by Viridian Forest instead of heading east like the young trainers Henry was helping were at. He didn't want his older brother to be distracted from preparing for his gym battle. Jason still couldn't understand why Henry wanted to help them. They were potential obstacles to becoming Kanto's next champion and the weaker they were, the more likely the Silva Brothers would prevail.

While the training spot was Jason's idea, it was Henry's idea for how training would go. The older brother wasn't worried about training his Onix and wanted to work on helping Zubat. Truth be told, Jason thought that Henry could win against Brock with just his Onix but decided to keep quiet. Instead of a normal battle, Henry insisted on a race through the trees of the forest. He wanted to focus on Zubat's speed so that his Pokémon could dodge hits better.

So, the two brothers chased after Zubat and Pidgey as they weaved between trees in the air, heading toward a spot marked by Henry as the finish line. Jason grinned when he noticed that Pidgey was picking up his pace when he called out and the bird was able to pass by the bat. A few seconds later, Pidgey passed the finish line, winning the race as Zubat flew behind.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Jason clapped his hands as Pidgey landed on a tree branch "Great work, Pidgey! Now who is the master Pokémon racer."

Henry shrugged and whistled for Zubat to land on his forearm. "Zubat's getting faster. That's good for me."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Don't say that you won too."

"I'm not," Henry chuckled. "We're training. There are no winners in training. We just get a little better each time."

"Sure," Jason said. "Whatever helps you come to terms with your loss."

"Excuse me," Jason and Henry both turned to the sound of a new voice. "Might I train with you for a few minutes?"

The two brothers looked at a boy that was around Jason's age. He was slim with pale blond hair that was cut short. Jason nearly thought that his hair was white before realizing it was just the way the sunlight lit up the clearing they were in. The boy wore a black polo shirt and a pair of jeans for a business casual look with a backpack over both his shoulders. Jason locked eyes with the boy, noticing a sharpness behind his green eyes, but the boy looked away out of nervousness.

"Forgive me," the boy said. "I didn't mean to intrude. I'm actually on my way to Viridian City for the gym challenge."

"The Viridian City Pokémon Gym is actually closed," Henry told the boy. "I'm not sure when it will open."

"That's a shame," the boy sighed. "I almost thought that I would get two gym badges today."

"Two gym badges?" Jason asked. "So you beat Brock then?"

"Yes, I have," the boy said with a nod. "It was a tough battle but my team was prepared for such a fight. How about you?"

"I have but my brother hasn't," Jason answered. "The name's Jason. He's Henry."

"It's good to meet you," Henry said.

"My name is Wolf. I should probably get going. Sorry to bother."

"Hold up," Jason said with a smirk. "Are you serious about training?"

"I am but I thought…" Wolf started to answer.

"Let's battle," Jason challenged. "Henry won't give me the time for a battle today and my team could use the exercise. How many Pokémon do you have on your team?"

"Four."

"Four?!" Jason gasped.

"That's more than you, Jason," Henry chuckled. "I'll be the ref. We should probably do a one on one battle."

"Two on two," Jason told Henry. "I want all of my Pokémon to battle."

Henry sighed. "Two on two. Take your places on opposite sides of the field. This is as good of a place as any for a battle."

Jason immediately took to one side of the field and whistled for Pidgey to take his place as the first Pokémon he would battle with. Wolf took to his spot on the opposite side of the field and started to pull out four Poké Balls and took the time to decide which of his team he would send out first. Although his opponent was timid, Jason could tell that he had some experience as a Pokémon Trainer. He knew that he was going to win but didn't underestimate Wolf. They both had a single gym badge so far, showing that if anything, they were equals.

Only a victory would change that and Jason was determined to remain undefeated in Kanto.

Finally, Wolf made his choice. He threw one of his Poké Balls and released the Pokémon within. Jason was surprised to see a small Pokémon with brown-and-tan fur. He had seen pictures of an Eevee before but never one in person since they were rare. If Wolf had such a Pokémon on his team, he must have traveled somewhere to catch it.

"Eevee, you've got this," Wolf encouraged his Pokémon. "Let's show our new friends what we can do."

"Pidgey, it's time to battle," Jason told his Pokémon. "We're going to win!"

"Begin!" Henry shouted.

"Eevee, Growl!"

"Pidgey, let's start off with Gust!"

Pidgey started to fly a few feet off the ground and flapped his wings quickly, sending a strong gust of wind towards Eevee. Although the opposing Pokémon stumbled backwards, she let out a cute growl. Jason frowned, knowing that Pidgey would be less likely to go for strong attacks after hearing the Growl.

"Pidgey, we need to blind Eevee with Sand Attack!"

"Now, Eevee! Get in close with Quick Attack!"

Suddenly, Eevee dashed forward in a blur while Pidgey flew down to the ground to pick up some dirt. However, before Pidgey could kick dirt in Eevee's eyes, she slammed into him and knocked him backwards. Pidgey tried to kick some sand forward but Eevee turned around, protecting her eyes. Jason couldn't help but see that Pidgey was more hurt than Eevee even though they both only took one hit. Wolf trained his Pokémon well.

"We're not done, Pidgey! Get back in the air and use Gust!"

"Eevee, Quick Attack again!"

Wolf was intent on taking advantage of Pidgey being on the ground while he still could. Before Pidgey could fly, Eevee quickly slammed into him, knocking him further back. Pidgey finally took to the air with a weak cry and flapped his wings to send another gust of wind. Eevee was hurt but still had plenty of energy to fight with. Pidgey simply couldn't hope to keep up with his foe much longer.

"Alright, Pidgey! Let's weaken Eevee with one more Gust!"

"Eevee, take Pidgey down with Swift!"

"Swift?!" Jason gasped.

Jason thought that Eevee was confined to the ground and wouldn't be able to get to Pidgey quickly enough for an attack. Seeing Wolf's Pokémon conjure stars that were sent out toward his Pokémon was a shock to the trainer. Pidgey did his best and flapped his wings, sending a gust of wind out at the same time as the stars. Both attacks hit their opponent, and while Eevee remained standing with a pained look, Pidgey collapsed down to the ground, unconscious.

"Pidgey has been defeated," Henry said.

"This isn't over yet," Jason declared and recalled his fainted Pokémon. "I'm sending out my strongest Pokémon now."

"I look forward to seeing you at full strength," Wolf said with a smile. "Come at me with everything you've got!"

"Don't go too hard on him," Henry quietly told Jason. "You've got this."

"I sure do!" Jason grinned. "You're up, Pinsir!"

This time, it was Wolf's turn to be surprised as he looked at Jason's next Pokémon in awe. "That is quite the strong Pokémon."

"Resume battle!" Henry called out.

"Eevee, Quick Attack!"

"Pinsir, let's get Revenge for Pidgey!" Jason commanded. "You know what to do!"

Jason realized that Wolf knew that one hit from Pinsir would be enough to take down Eevee and had to do what he could so that his next Pokémon could win. Eevee dashed forward quickly in a blur and slammed into Pinsir's chest but Jason's Pokémon didn't flinch. Empowered from taking the hit, Pinsir slammed a fist into Eevee, throwing her back toward her trainer. Eevee tried to stand back up but collapsed, out cold.

"Eevee has been defeated," Henry said. "Both trainers are on their last Pokémon."

"You did well, Eevee," Wolf said as he recalled his Pokémon. "This battle isn't over, Jason."

"You're going to need a miracle to beat Pinsir," Jason taunted.

"Not a miracle," Wolf shook his head. "I'm going to need to think to win. Fortunately, I know just the right Pokémon to take on Pinsir. You're up, Ponyta!"

Wolf threw his Poké Ball back to the field to release a small pony with fire running across his back. Jason frowned, knowing that Ponyta had a type advantage over Pinsir. It was Wolf's plan to use fire to burn down his opponent and claim the battle. It was a smart choice but Pinsir was still strong enough to keep up the fight. Jason remained confident that he would win.

"Resume battle!"

"It's up to you, Ponyta! Start off with an Ember!"

"Pinsir, you need to get in close and get that Ponyta with Vice Grip!"

Ponyta spit fire towards the charging Pinsir, who endured the flames with a painful growl. Pinsir quickly lunged forward and caught his opponent in between the two pincers atop his head and squeezed hard. However, the flames on Ponyta's back danced off of him and onto Pinsir, setting the Pokémon aflame. Jason's jaw dropped when he realized that his opponent wanted Pinsir to get in close, hence why he didn't bother ordering Ponyta to run.

"Good work with Flame Body, Ponyta!" Wolf said with a grin. "Now, break free with Flame Charge!"

"Throw Ponyta away with Seismic Toss!"

Pinsir reached up with his arms to grab Ponyta and throw him away but it was too late. Ponyta's body was developed fully in fire that burned his opponent more although his pincers kept him trapped. With a violent screech, Pinsir grabbed hold of Ponyta and tossed him away toward the ground. However, Ponyta got back on his feet with a limp while Pinsir was barely standing and still on fire.

"It's time to end this battle, Ponyta!" Wolf declared. "Go in with Flame Wheel!"

"We're not done yet!" Jason called out. "Pinsir, use Protect!"

Ponyta's flames grew more volatile as he charged forward toward Pinsir, who had his eyes closed in anticipation. When Ponyta grew nearer, he collided into a green dome that protected Pinsir from his attack. Jason was about to call his Pokémon to make a counterattack when Pinsir collapsed onto the ground with his dome fading away. The fire that stuck on him, which knocked the Pokémon out, faded away as it had done enough damage. Jason blinked several times as he processed what happened.

Jason had lost against the stranger.

"Pinsir has been defeated," Henry declared and motioned in Wolf's direction. "Wolf is the winner of the battle."

"Well fought, Ponyta," Wolf complimented his Pokémon and ran his hand across Ponyta's back as though the flames didn't bother him. "You've earned a break."

Jason recalled Pinsir the same time Wolf recalled Ponyta and shrugged. "So you've won. Good for you. I'm winning next time."

"I look forward to our rematch then," Wolf said and extended his hand out. "It's been a while since I've battled someone like you. I hope we do so again soon."

"We definitely will," Jason said and shook Wolf's hand. "Only one of us is going to become the champion and it's going to be me."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Wolf told Jason. "I won't make it easy for you."

"You're on."

Jason could have been mad or upset at his loss but he pushed those feelings aside with ease. There was no such thing as an undefeated trainer, and if a trainer said they were, it was because they didn't take any risks. Although Jason had hoped to keep his winning streak in Kanto longer, he was willing to let it drop here.

Henry smiled to see his brother's sportsmanship. Jason was uninterested in the sportsmanship aspect of being kind. He knew that if he wanted to become stronger, he was going to need to fight tougher opponents. Henry was a good trainer but he was always so hesitant to battle. On the other hand, Wolf only needed some prompting to start a Pokémon Battle and proved to be a skilled trainer. Even better, they both had the same goal of becoming champion of Kanto even though only one of them would be able to make it that far.

Jason had found his rival.

As Jared expected, watching Danny's battle against Brock uncovered no details that could help with his own upcoming gym battle. Rattata was defeated by Geodude but Bulbasaur was able to deal with both Geodude and Onix for Danny to claim the victory. Even though Bug-type Pokémon typically shared the same environment as Grass-type Pokémon, his Pokémon didn't have the ability to learn any moves that could effectively hurt Brock's Pokémon.

And so, Jared and his friends returned to the field. Danny and Celena took turns battling against Jared's Pokémon and serving as the referee. Noah, who didn't have anything else to do, decided that if he couldn't battle that he would instead treat the injured Pokémon with Potions. The training went on for about an hour into the afternoon when the four trainers took a snack break.

Jared didn't eat, unsure of what to think about how training was going. While the battles were more efficient than the time he fought Noah earlier, his Pokémon weren't showing any changes. Weedle had yet to evolve and Metapod seemed to be reaching the limit of what she could do. Jared hoped that he wasn't exhausting his Pokémon with these repeated battles or that this was all training could do. He wasn't sure what other options he had.

"This way, Jeff!" A voice of a girl nearby called. "We're almost to Pewter City!"

As Jared and his friends looked where the voices came from, they saw two teenagers walk over a nearby hill. They looked to be closer to Noah than age but were likely a year or two older given that they looked taller. The girl that called out to her friend had an athletic build and had her long brown hair tied back into a ponytail. She wore a red sweatshirt, black shorts, and a nice pair of running shoes. Jared thought that she must have been some sort of athlete when she wasn't traveling.

Her companion, Jeff, was a few steps behind her. While his friend was more toned, he was more bulky and muscular. He showed off his muscles with a white tank top that didn't cover his arms and a pair of gray sweatpants. His head was shaved but he had a warm and friendly smile on his face that made him seem less dangerous than he looked. Notably, Jeff carried two backpacks, both of which looked quite heavy.

The girl and her companion noticed Jared and his group as they were on the way to Pewter City. They started to approach with Noah waving at them. Danny smiled and ran forward to meet them.

"Hiya!" Danny greeted. "Are you also taking on the gym challenge?"

The girl laughed at Danny's enthusiasm. "I am but Jeff isn't."

"Why not?" Noah asked, looking over to Jeff.

"It's not my dream to become champion," Jeff said and pointed a thumb toward himself. "I'm going to become a Fighting-type master!"

"Becoming champion would help with that," the teenage girl said in a teasing tone. "It's not too late to take the challenge. You might even be able to fight Bruno."

"I wouldn't have a full team, Lucia," Jeff said with a shrug. "I'll find my own path to becoming a master."

"What about you?" Lucia asked the four trainers. "Are you challenging the league too?"

"We are!" Danny answered with an excited nod. "I got my first badge today!"

"And I got mine yesterday," Noah said then gestured to the group. "Since we know your names, you should probably know ours. I'm Noah, and this is Danny, Jared, and Celena."

"It's good to meet you all," Lucia said and tapped her chin in thought. "So, I haven't had a chance to take on any of the gyms but I think it might be a good idea to have a battle. Are any of you interested?"

"Ooh, I'll battle you!" Danny volunteered.

"Sorry, Danny, but you've been training all day," Noah said and stepped forward. "Let me have this battle."

"I think Jared should battle," Celena said.

"Huh?" Jared blinked in surprise along with his friends.

"You need more training to challenge Brock," Celena told him. "Let's see what you can do after how long you've been working with your Pokémon."

"What about you, Celena?" Danny asked. "You still need to challenge Brock too."

"I think I can help with that," Jeff said as he dropped the two backpacks on the ground. "I can't pass up on a battle."

"Then we should make this interesting," Lucia grinned. "Let's make this a Double Battle!"

"Yes!" Danny jumped up and cheered. "Double Battle time!"

"This should be interesting," Noah nodded. "I might enjoy watching this. Does one Pokémon for each trainer sound good?"

Jared and Celena walked to one side of the clearing while Lucia and Jeff went through their backpacks to grab a single Poké Ball for each of them. Jared tried to push back his thoughts of how good of trainers they might be away. They weren't that much older than Noah, and if Lucia didn't have a gym badge yet, it meant that they were new trainers as well.

"We only get one Pokémon to battle with," Celana whispered to Jared. "You'll have to use your strongest Pokémon if we're going to win."

"That'll be Metapod," Jared said and he pulled out her Poké Ball. "Do you have a plan?"

"I do now," Celena said with a nod. "I'll try to keep them off of you with Mankey. Have Metapod Harden for a few times before you join the battle."

Noah, who stood as the referee while Danny sat next to him, addressed the four trainers. "It looks like you have your Pokémon ready. Send them out and we'll begin."

Jared and Celena threw their Poké Balls, sending out Mankey and Metapod. At the same time, Lucia and Jeff sent out their Pokémon. Jared was expecting for Jeff to send out a Fighting-type Pokémon and wasn't surprised to see a Machop flexing and ready for battle. Lucia sent out a Nidoran with purple scales that crouched down low next to Machop.

"Begin!" Noah called out.

"Metapod, keep using Harden until I tell you otherwise!"

"Mankey, use Fury Swipes on Machop!"

"Machop, it's time to fight! We're going with a Low Sweep on that Mankey!"

"We'll help you! Nidoran, use Peck on the Mankey!"

Metapod stood in the backlines and started to harden her cocoon while Mankey charged forward. Yet, Jeff knew that Celena wouldn't be able to last long against two Pokémon, especially when Nidoran knew Peck. While Mankey slashed his claws against Machop repeatedly, Nidoran circled around his opponent and jabbed his horn into Mankey's back. Mankey screeched out in pain and the distraction was enough for Machop to sweep his opponent's legs, sending the Pokémon collapsing down onto the ground.

"Keep fighting, Mankey!" Celena encouraged. "Use Fury Swipes on Nidoran!"

"Get that Mankey off of Nidoran with a Seismic Toss!"

"Nidoran, wait for the opportunity to use Peak!"

Jared could only watch as Metapod continued to use Harden as the battle continued to turn against him and Celena. In his fury, Mankey proved to be faster than his opponents and jumped on Nidoran, starting to slash his claws. He was only able to get a few hits in before Machop grabbed him and slammed him roughly on the ground. This gave Nidoran a chance to jab his horn right into Mankey's pig-like nose. Mankey screeched again and collapsed onto his ground, not having the strength to get up.

"Mankey has been defeated," Noah said. "Celena, please recall your Pokémon so the battle can continue."

Celena recalled her Pokémon as instructed. "It's up to you, Jared."

"There's no way I can win this!" Jared said and shook his head.

"You just have to trust in your Pokémon," Celena told Jared.

"You've got this, Jared!" Danny cheered from the sidelines.

Jared took a deep breath in, then nodded. "Right. I can do this. We can win this, Metapod."

"We'll finish this battle together," Lucia told Jeff. "Nidoran, go in with Peak!"

"Machop, let's go for another Seismic Toss!"

"Metapod, give it all you've got with Tackle!" Jared called out.

Despite what some trainers thought, cocoons such as Metapod were capable of simple movement. She lurched forward with a Tackle and slammed into Nidoran as he slammed his horn into her body. If it wasn't for two uses of Harden, Metapod would be in more trouble than she was. However, she didn't have a chance to react to Machop grabbing her and hurling her into the air.

Just when Jared thought the battle was over, Metapod started to glow while flying upward.

Everyone looked up to see Metapod's cocoon shed away. As the bright light faded away, a Butterfree flew in the air where Metapod once was, her wide red eyes looking down in the battlefield while her wings flapped gently. Danny cheered wildly and even Noah gasped in surprise at the evolution. With Celena smiling at his side, Jared knew that he could win this battle. He pointed a finger towards the battlefield and shouted a command, thankful to have done enough research into his Pokémon to know some of Butterfree's new moves.

"You look amazing, Butterfree, and it's time we win this! Use Confusion on Machop!"

Both Lucia and Jeff were stunned by the development and didn't recover in time to command their Pokémon. Butterfree's eyes flashed blue as a blue outline formed around Machop. The Fighting-type Pokémon held his head in pain before he collapsed, unable to bear the psychic attack. Machop must have done enough damage to the opposing Pokémon that all it took was one Confusion. Jared and Butterfree only had one more Pokémon to defeat.

"Machop has been defeated," Noah declared, recovering from his earlier shock.

"Aw man," Jeff muttered and recalled his Machop. "It's up to you, Lucia!"

"Right!" Lucia nodded in determination. "Nidoran, use Poison Sting!"

"Let's finish this battle with one last Confusion, Butterfree!"

Nidoran could only rely on ranged attacks to hit Butterfree and fired off poison needles towards the flying Pokémon. Although the attack struck, it wasn't enough to bring her down. Butterfree once again channeled a psychic attack, this time aimed towards Nidoran. Although Nidoran tried to resist, the attack was too much and he fell down, defeated.

Noah didn't have time to call for the battle to end before Danny ran toward Jared and Celena, congratulating the former on Butterfree's evolution. Celena nodded in agreement and Noah, with a shrug, approached to give Jared a thumbs up. Although they were defeated, Lucia and Jeff took their defeat in stride. Jeff gave a quick clap and Lucia, after recalling Nidroan, stepped forward to the group.

"That was an exciting battle," she said. "Thanks for that. We're going to have to have a rematch another time."

"Thank you," Jared said with a smile.
"Can I battle now?" Danny asked.

"That was my last Pokémon," Jeff admitted. "I'm going to have to get to the Pokémon Center."

"So should we, honestly," Noah said much to Danny's disappointment. "Celena should get Mankey treated."

"I would like that very much," Celena said in agreement. "Good job, Jared. Your training's paying off."

"It really is," Jared nodded. "I can't wait to let Henry know."

The trainers didn't talk about heading back to Pewter City together, it just happened naturally. Danny asked question after question to get to know Lucia and Jeff while Noah and Celena followed behind. Jared was at the back of the group and didn't pay attention to the conversation. Instead, he looked up to the sky to see Butterfree fly above the group, exercising her new wings. He couldn't be any prouder of his Pokémon.

The doubts that he had earlier faded away. It just took time to see the results of his training. With Butterfree, Jared knew that he was becoming a stronger trainer. He even thought that he could beat Noah in an actual battle now and those odds would only go up once Weedle evolved. However, Weedle's evolution and the rematch against Noah would have to wait. Jared had his mind set on higher ambitions.

Tomorrow, Jared was going to challenge Brock.

A/N: So, I just want to say I didn't forget about this story. It takes me longer to write chapters for Road to the Championship than my other stories, so naturally, I end up focusing on this story.

For those of you who are wondering, I intend for Wolf, Lucia, and Jeff to be recurring characters. We won't see them all the time, but like Victor, they're going to be familiar faces that serve as a challenge for the main cast.

Next chapter, it's Jared vs Brock. Will Jared's training be enough to win despite the type advantage Brock has over him? Find out next time.

Until next time.