Kurishimi recalled her Pokémon when self training had finished and watched the sun begin to set. If Akuma didn't show up shortly it would be the first time he was late since… ever! Kurishimi bit her lip impatiently and looked up the road Akuma would be coming from when she spotted a younger boy running towards her. Welcoming a brief distraction she called him out which probably wasn't necessary, but she wanted to be sure to get his attention anyway.

"What's the rush?"

"I'm late!" the boy replied nearly out of breath. "My teacher sent me here to wait for him and said there would be someone here he was supposed to meet up with."

Kurishimi looked around and didn't see anyone else in the area. "I'm the only one that's been here for a while though. Maybe that person hasn't arrived yet?"

"I wouldn't know since I haven't met them before. My teacher just said that he had to be back here by sundown or he'd be late."

That sounded like Akuma, Kurishimi thought, but he wasn't the type to take on a student. "Where's your teacher now?"

"He was in a big battle a minute ago. I wasn't running as fast as he was so he was way out ahead of me. When I wasn't catching up very fast he sent a big Pokémon to come pick me up and bring me to him. When I got there, there were a bunch of unconscious Pokémon around him and he stayed behind to talk to one of the trainers that attacked him."

Now it really sounded like Akuma. "Wait a moment, there was more than one trainer you said?"

"Yes, there were three I think. I only saw three anyway. I think they jumped him and tried to fight him, but he beat all of them with just one Pokémon! I know it was just one because when I caught up to him I saw him calling back his Pokémon with only one pokéball. The pokéball looked real funny though; not like the regular ones most trainers use. I don't know what kind it was because I haven't seen it before."

There was coincidence, and then there was blatantly obvious. Coincidence had just been tossed in the back seat. "Is your teacher an older guy with messy hair, who wears a heavy looking vest, and has an attitude worse than a Primeape?"

"That sounds like him," the boy said with a nod. "Do you know him?"

"She's the one I'm meeting with," Akuma said from behind him as hefinally caught up, nearly out of breath. "Sorry I'm late, I was repeatedly delayed."

Kurishimi stared for a minute trying to figure out which question to ask first. "I hope this isn't the start of a new trend for you," she finally got out.

"I'm just as surprised as you are," Akuma said, but his face remained fit for a poker table so surprise wasn't obvious if he really was. "We'll be lodging in the Pokémon center back in Cerulean for tonight. It will be dark by the time we arrive there and we'll need sleep anyways. Let's move."

He started down the Cerulean roadway back to the city, once again not watching to see if the other two followed. Kurishimi caught up to walk beside him in order to ask more questions.

"So who's our new scapegoat?" she asked jokingly.

"My new student apparently. He wants to learn from the best on how to be the best so I'll be teaching him when I get the opportunity."

"That's really unlike you. What brought this on?"

"Kid's got something. I don't know what it is, but he's got it. I'm interested to see what I saw in him even though he lost his battle badly."

"So what's his name?"

"I didn't bother to ask. It won't make a difference in his training whether I know it or not and I don't feel pressured to learn another name I'll overhear being used eventually anyway."

"You're so cruel, you know that?" Kurishimi said with a cold look. Then at the same time they both said, "It gets the job done."

"No need for comments that you already know the answer to," Akuma continued.

"You could still do with a change though, Akuma. Being cruel isn't necessary to finish the job all the time."

"I'll practice if I feel like it. Until then your badgering is pointless."

Kurishimi noticed a different tone in his voice while he talked. "Is something wrong?"

"I had to use my backup to make it to the crossroads in time," Akuma said as he grimaced slightly.

Kurishimi slowed for a second as she remembered what happened outside Mt. Moon a few days ago. They had been ambushed by the criminal gang Team Rocket following a battle between Akuma and another trainer that ended in a stalemate. The Rockets were numerous and had been drawn to the immense energy that the two sides had put out during the battle. In just a short time there had been a thunderstorm, tidal wave, heat wave, earthquake, and something that she couldn't begin to describe all from the two trainer's Pokémon using their highest level of attacks. Akuma had held off two rockets with two of his own Pokémon in two separate battles, but after losing all battles with each trainer, the Rockets took off the gloves and attacked the entire group with every member and Pokémon they could bring to the fight. In desperation Akuma used a Pokémon that not only defeated the Rockets and their Pokémon, but nearly tore down half of the nearby forest on a rampage before Akuma was able to recall it. Kurishimi had been led away from the group momentarily, but she'd seen that the Pokémon Akuma used was more than a little dangerous. Afterwards Akuma informed her that the creature was so brutal that he couldn't control it at all and refused to use it except in the most extreme emergencies. Even then it was a last resort option that he might not use at all.

"And… what happened?"

"Same as last time, but I was able to recall it as the final opponent went down. I acted out of rushed impulse though and could have used one of my other Pokémon to get out of that mess. It was a poor decision on my part and I knew better but did it anyway."

"Couldn't you be over thinking this a little too much? Something happened that you weren't used to and it threw off your judgment for a moment. Of course you would make a mistake then, it's only natural."

"You still haven't seen its real power Akashi. Not even outside Mt. Moon was it comparable to what I've seen it do. If you'd seen what I'd experienced you would know that I overreacted too much."

"You apparently aren't going to let this go so I won't argue with you, but I still think you shouldn't beat yourself up over it like you are."

"I don't care what you think."

Feeling a little hurt, Kurishimi stepped back a pace to walk between him and the boy following them. She realized she hadn't introduced herself to him yet and slowed down until he caught up to her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked before she could say anything.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Kurishimi said putting on a fake smile. "Akuma's just hard to deal with sometimes."

"You don't look well. Did he say something mean?"

I don't care what you think.

"He's just like that sometimes, don't worry."

"Like what?" the boy asked with a confused look.

"Um, nothing, don't worry about it. Hey, my name's Kurishimi, what's yours?"

"I'm Chad," The boy said with a smile more real than Kurishimi's was. "I'm going to be the League Champion someday!"

"Oh really? Are you just taking the gym challenge in this region, or will you be traveling everywhere and mastering everything?"

"I'm just doing the one at the Indigo Plateau, but when I can I think I'll go everywhere I can to become the champion all around the world too!"

"That's a big goal you have. How are you going to do that?"

"I'm going to get Akuma to teach me everything he knows of course! If there's ever a person that I think could be the best it's him. If I get taught by the best trainer ever I can be the best too. But now I don't think I might make it."

"Why is that?"

"Well he beat at least three people's full Pokémon team with only one of his. That's incredible no matter how you look at it! If I'm going to be the best trainer in the world then I need to beat him first. Even if I trained until I was an old man I don't think I could ever beat him and since he's not a champion I don't know how much better than him I'll have to get."

Kurishimi remembered her match against Misty that morning and recalled that she once felt the same way. "Well don't worry, he's taught me a lot of techniques and strategies too. When I beat Misty in a match this morning I surprised myself even!"

"Aww," he moaned looking down at the ground. "I've tried to challenge the gym before too, but I keep on losing against the studying trainers and can't ever get a glance from Misty. I don't know if I'll learn enough in three weeks to convince him to keep me around."

"Why do you only have three weeks?"

"He told me that unless I get lots better in three weeks I won't be able to keep learning from him because he won't teach me anymore. I need to learn as much as I can quickly or I'll never make it."

"Don't worry about that," Kurishimi replied with a now real smile. "I'll help you learn too. That way you'll become stronger even faster."

"You said you beat Misty, but are you really strong?"

"Misty told me afterwards that I battled like a trainer in the Pokémon league after we were done. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as being strong doesn't it?"

"Yeah I think it does. So can you help me when he's not?"

"It would be my pleasure! I can stay warmed up in case I have unexpected battles too."

Shortly after that they arrived at the Pokémon Center where they turned in their Pokémon for the night. Akuma left only two of his Pokémon with the nurse and went to use the videophone as he did whenever they spent the night at a center. Kurishimi and Chad retired to the trainer's rest area while Akuma did his thing. After they had gone to sleep and the center began to quiet down Akuma switched out two of his pokéballs with someone on the other end of the line and silently left the building around midnight. He returned two hours later and retired in the same room that Kurishimi and Chad were already asleep in.