AN: Sorry for the long wait. It took some time to reimagine how I wanted to really write this story. As this story has past both the 100k words mark and its 2nd year anniversary, I pledge for at least 50k more and 1 more year to wrap up this story! There are more chapters to come, this time much quicker.

As for some reviews, Ollie Z, thanks for catching my mistake with Barry's Empoleon, my notes don't keep everything up to date admittedly. As for the comment, I think you, Palyeus, and Coolguy001 will find to be pleasantly surprised with some of my future plans. Darkrai just so happened to be off the table. That pesky Darkrai ditto would've been weird to write!

jppokemon99, high tense situations can dull the mind when it comes to Torterra. Also, I honestly didn't think of it when writing lol. Hope that isn't disappointing.

Thanks for the review RHatch89, as always. And faster updates coming, Amal Chandran. Cynthia will also be featured more, but who knows what'll happen for romance?

As for those with the ffn app, I will be updating the previous chapters in a sort of rewrite fashion to make things cleaner and more up to my standards now, so if you see updates, that's what it's for!

Give me that feedback to keep going and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Raptor!" called out Staraptor as we flew over the region.

"We're almost there then. Be prepared for more training, Staraptor," I warned as I leaned closer into Staraptor.

Flying from Alamos Town had been a half-day venture and even with breaks, it was getting dull. Yes, flying fast in the sky was getting boring.

Battles like the one yesterday, the triple battle, were much more interesting. Not only was it pretty close, but I learned a lot about Ash and Barry's progress. Ash in particular has grown a lot since I've last seen him.

Barry and I, however, both dwarf him in the amount of badges we have, so it would seem he's excited to get back to challenging gyms.

Everything that happened in Alamos Town was certainly exciting, with time and space in conflict while we made a simple tune play, but as of right now, what I took back from that experience was just how much room my Pokémon and I had to grow. I don't think of myself as a battle maniac, but something about not knowing our limit makes me want to push it further and find it.

Oh, my house is right there. We've made it to Veilstone City. "Drop us down here,"

A solemn chirp of "Raptor" was said in response.

A figure stood outside the house, expecting me by the looks of it. That mop of hair gave it all away. Well, that and this being his house.

Reggie was here to greet me.

Getting off Staraptor's back, I said a word of thanks before returning him. Reggie had a grin on his face as he said, "So, it looks like you've been up to some fun stuff, Paul."

"I guess so. Has breeding been keeping you excited?" I asked sarcastically. I respect the craft, but all that information can get pretty tiring to recall.

"Hey, I don't like that tone of yours," Reggie joked, "Whatever your opinion is, this top notch Pokémon Breeder is keeping your Pokémon taken care of. Your ever growing party keeps me on my toes for what food I need to keep stocked. Do you plan on having any more Ground Types?"

Deciding to ignore his complaints, I responded, "I am thinking of diversifying my team a little more. I have a few Pokémon in mind that I want to capture, but I won't be traveling to those routes just yet."

"So, you're staying over for how long?" he asked.

His question brought a smirk to my face. "Trying to kick me out already?"

"You know what I mean."

"I don't know how long I'll be, but I have a few things on my agenda to finish. I have training to do, a gym to beat, and some strategies to form. Can you help with any of that?"

"It's been a while since I've thought about that stuff, but sure, I think you can rely on me to help you with a few of those things."

Reggie's understating his experience. Even if he's now a Pokémon breeder, he was an elite ace trainer back in his hay day. In fact, part of his success is why I'm here right now training. Beyond the great care a Pokémon Breeder can give to my team, the former trainer, Reggie can provide a lot of advice and criticism.

Reggie and I started chatting about nothing as lunch was getting prepared. It's been a few months since we've been able to sit down and talk, so it was a welcome change of pace for me.

Incidentally, at some point in the conversation, I turned on the tv to find a contest being broadcasted.

Seeing a familiar face on screen, I couldn't help, but say, "Oh, it's her."

Reggie took notice of my comment and asked, "What is this, the Hearthome Contest? You know someone competing?"

"Yeah, a trainer I've encountered a few times has a coordinator in their group," I said with a shrug. "She's the Bluette competing right now. Her name's Dawn I think." Yes I did know for sure her name, but Reggie can't know that.

"Hm, she's definitely talented, but somethings off about her performance."

If my memory serves me, she gets on a losing streak for one reason or another. She is eventually brought out of her funk by battling Maylene, the Veilstone City Gym leader. Of course, with how I'm doing things, Maylene won't ever have cause to battle her. She only did it originally because I thrashed Maylene and ruined her confidence.

I wonder how she'll proceed without that confidence boost.

Her performance ended and the next person came up with their own. I couldn't help, but turn the tv off at that point.

"Funny how you turned it off once this 'Dawn' was done with her performance," Reggie said. Uh, what? "I know what you're thinking Paul, but you are getting to be about that age. I'm just trying to keep you on your toes."

"You're reading too much into me getting bored. Also, I'm 16, not 12."

"Hey look, I'm just wishing the best for you while you're adventuring. Maybe someone can break that cold competitive shell!"

"If you keep this up, I'll break your 'shell'!" I forgot how Reggie liked to 'play older brother'!

(-)

From then on, Reggie really did start spending a lot of time with me and my team. I didn't have a large team considering the amount of regions I've been to, but balancing everyone's training proves to constantly be a challenge.

Past Pokémon that've been benched like Wobbuffet, Anorith, Shuckle, and Misdreavus are ones I especially want to work with Reggie to make them a threat. Even Magmar isn't a Pokémon that I've given suitable practice. He was really originally Monferno's reserve.

Speaking of which. "Hey, you two can learn a thing or two from each other. Magmar, you have the firepower to really compete against the bigger Pokémon while you, Monferno, have the speed to keep the firepower going. You're not going to be able to replicate the other's strong point exactly, but exchange some notes on it."

For the most part, training wasn't the only thing the stay at the ranch was for. As I saw Magmar, mentoring his fellow fire type while Monferno eagerly showed off his moves, I had my thoughts affirmed. These Pokémon creating these bonds really add to their experience of being able to grow past their limits, adding experiences compounding into their strength. It meant something.

"Hey, Paul, can you come over here?" Reggie called out to me. He was sitting with Misdreavus, Anorith, and Trapinch.

"Do you have anything planned for them?"

"A few ideas, but I want to hear your thoughts first. You're the one who paired these three up."

Misdreavus, despite her mischievous nature, was very motherly to the two younger Pokémon. Anorith, despite being a fossil Pokémon, was just revived from one that I found during my travels in Hoenn. He took to Trapinch, who was all grins, well.

"I thought that having Trapinch interact with other Pokémon would be a good idea. She's only majorly been around Luxio. Also, Luxio's training requires a much more… destructive approach than Misdreavus whose main struggle is power.

"So Misdreavus' training will be supervising the other two getting a hold of their moves?"

"Precisely," I replied. Reggie certainly knew my train of thought when it comes to this stuff.

Reggie crossed his arms as he contemplated the idea. "Misdreavus being able to cover Anorith and Trapinch's mistake would make for some good experience, but I think you need something more. Play up Misdreavus' tricks, I have no doubt it'll be useful in battle," Reggie said, smiling at the cackling ghost Pokémon.

"You could be right. I'll think about it."

"Oh, that reminds me. Lairon is in tip top shape and is ready to evolve!"

That came as no surprise. "He's been working hard lately, so it was only a matter of time. I guess he just needs one big push then."

"Yeah. You could either save it for the gym battle with Maylene or have Torterra force it out of him. Just be sure to be able to account for Lairon's shift to two hind legs, that'll sacrifice some charging speed for that power you like so much."

"Hey, if anything, I prefer these small guys' build," I commented, petting Trapinch and Misdreavus. Misdreavus was reluctant to do anything in response, but Trapinch leaned into my hand, fully appreciating the gesture. "Their size benefits with being hard to hit. It just so happens that not a lot of Pokémon can keep up their strength unless they fully evolve into the big guys like Torterra."

"Each Pokémon has their strengths and weaknesses. With Torterra, neglecting his speed isn't a bad thing when he can tough out any attacks. With someone like Monferno though, that's another story. Just make sure you're not looking for the wrong thing with each of your team."

"Yeah yeah. I get it. You've told me these things a million times already."

"Well maybe this time, you'll get it. Oh, and can you get some supplies from the general store? There's a few things I want you to take with you when you start for another city."

"Sure thing," I said, taking the money that he offered to pay with.

Waving me away he said, "I'll get the ball rolling with some of your advanced team members. The rest, I'm going to get my team to help work with." That's good. Reggie's Staraptor is plenty experienced to be able to pass on my Staraptor some tricks.

And so I was sent away into the crowded city of Veilstone.

Thanks to the help of the Pokétch, basically the Pokégear of Sinnoh, it wasn't hard to find the store I was looking for, it just took a walk around the block to get there.

Incidentally, I started to get a call while I was walking up. Huh, Hilda was calling me. I was wondering how she and Isla were doing. "Ready for that rematch already?"

"As if! I just wanted to hear from you. I heard you were at the debacle in Alamos," I could hear her curiosity.

"Has news of that been spreading?"

"A little. I only heard the full details because I was in the area recently after it all went down."

"Really? What were you doing in the area?" I went out of my way to travel there. The only thing I can think of for why she'd be dropping by is…

"I was making my way to Roark. Just beat him by the way. Oreburgh has kept me interested in the area though."

"Oh, you're there. What badge does that make it?" Hilda is a pretty experienced trainer, so I wouldn't be surprised if she was ahead of me.

"This makes three! What about you?" Oh, I guess she's traveling through the cities in a weird order.

"I'm at four, nearing my fifth."

"It looks like I have some catching up to do," Hilda mumbled. As I switched hands to open the door to the general store, I heard her ask, "Where are you right now?"

"Veilstone City. You'd probably like it more than Oreburgh. It has more attractions than a place like that."

"Oh, you think so? I've heard about the meteorites there. Their game corner is also something I've heard to be lots of fun to mess around in!"

Walking through the aisle, I marked an item off Reggie's list as I responded, "The game corner is definitely the place to go to if you want to spend all your money. You just need to know when to stop."

"You're acting like it's gambling. Most of the places there are pretty kiddish. It's not like Kanto's Game Corner. That place is infamous for being misunderstood!"

"I'm just giving you a fair warning. You're the competitive type, so you're liable to compete until you win."

"You act as if you're not the same way.," she countered.

I got another item up in the basket and said, "Of course I'm the same way, but I'm also not stupid."

"Hey! I don't appreciate that implication! Your monotonous voice makes it hard to know when you're joking!"

I don't think my voice is monotonous… Also, I was kidding for the record or well, half-kidding anyway. "You know I was messing with you. You're an experienced trainer. That takes some smarts. Have you caught any more Pokémon during your stay here?

"Oh, so you're curious," she replied, a smirk probably enveloping her entire face. Now that she had the power to confirm or deny my questions, she wanted the upper hand. "Yeah, I've caught a few. They've been interacting well with my team from Unova."

"Are you going to tell me which Pokémon?" I already knew the answer to it, but I might as well ask."

"You'll see when we battle next. Hey, if you're in town for the Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition, maybe you'd see it then."

Almost dropping my basket, I said, "Hey, that's happening in a few days. I'd have to rush there after I'm done here if I were to make it!"

"Huh, you are in Veilstone City, right? Isn't it a half day's flight's journey?"

"Yeah, but it's a pain. You know what, I'll be sure to root for you on TV." All these events are always broadcasted.

"Hey! You can't just watch it on tv! I want you to participate! It'll be fun."

I couldn't help but sigh as I went up to check out. "Fine, I'll be there. There's no guarantee of what the teams are going to look like though," I said.

As the clerk told me the amount I had to pay, I heard some cheering from the phone and took that as a cue to end the call. "Text me if you want to meet up beforehand or something. Till next time."

Now I hope I didn't miss anything on Reggie's list…

(-)

You know, there's just nothing quite like eating with all your Pokémon. Doing it with a full party is a similar feeling, but it really feels different with everyone.

Monferno was eating while picking at Electabuzz's food while Electabuzz tried hitting Monferno away.

Torterra was watching over Weavile and Scyther. Although they didn't have many chances to interact, Weavile did get along well with Torterra and Scyther has meshed well with Weavile.

Murkrow hovered over Nidoking and Lairon . I'm curious to see how Lairon evolving into Aggron will size him up with Nidoking.

Staraptor, who has been learning under Reggie's Staraptor, is unsurprisingly eating and chatting with him. They've bonded well it seems from being the same species.

Wobbuffet and Croagunk look as if they are eating, but with how stoic the two of them are, it almost feels as if they're just staring at me.

Ninjask is buzzing around Shuckle as the fellow bug types chat. Although admittedly, although they are both bug types, I thought Ninjask didn't get along with particularly anyone. I'm glad I was proven wrong here.

Luxio reunited with Trapinch although Misdreavus is now also along for the ride, adding more friends to their group.

Gastrodon. who had a little pool to himself, stayed kinda silent as he soaked in the water.

Meanwhile, the little Anorith and Hariyama are chilling together with their food. Despite his appearance, Hariyama is very docile and since they're from the same region, perhaps there's some kinship there.

"You've been strangely happy today," Reggie said, sitting down next to me with his dinner. "Who are you and what've you done with my brother?"

"Har har. Do you have any more good jokes?"

Reggie's smirk shifted toward a genuine smile as he said, "Hey, I don't want grumpy Paul back. I prefer the new and improved one!"

"Well, I for one do want the old grumpy Paul back. I've been getting dragged into too many things."

"Oh, where're ya headed?"

"Hearthome City. I'm facing the gym tomorrow, then spending the next day here, and then heading out."

"Ah, for the Tag Battle Competition, I see. Now who is it that has forced my little brother's hand. Perhaps a girl?"

"Not this again, let me eat dinner in peace!"

"Aha! So it is a girl! What's her name?"

"Anorith, Water Gun!" I commanded.

"Wait, what!" Reggie called out before getting drenched.

"Good job, Anorith," I said, petting him in a purposefully obnoxious manner. I'm sure Anorith is enjoying the care though.

"Do you really want to do this? I did beat all the Sinnoh Gym Leaders and all but one Frontier Brain?"

"I plan on beating Brandon, so I don't know where that puts you."

"Let's go then! Drapion, let's show Paul that we haven't lost our touch!" One of Reggie's oldest Pokémon, Drapion was a big and powerful beast. He has the power to very easily grab a smaller opponent and hold them there as he tirades on them.

Well, I never expected anything less from Reggie. I know who can go toe to toe with Drapion! "Croagunk, stand by for battle!" The slow but steady frog's movements are deceiving and I know he has more power than what he lets on and that's why he's the perfect pick.

"You're going to regret this, Paul!" Reggie's warnings fell on deaf ears as a smirk came onto my face.

"Not as much as you're about to!" I replied. Our surrounding teams seemed to have caught our excitement as they huddled around us, creating space for our stadium of sorts.

It was going to go down!

"Drapion, Cross Poison/Croagunk, Mud Bomb," We both called out our attacks!

And then, I waged my battle against Reggie.

(-)

Reggie unequivocally beat down both myself and Croagunk. We put up a good fight, but Croagunk's unorthodox attacks and speed was hard countered by Reggie's fantastic mind for battle.

I'd like to think that I could measure up to that mind, but I've only been scratching the surface. I guess it's back to the drawing board in that respect.

Reggie did end up giving me advice in strategizing. It's not so much as a problem with visualizing different methods for attack, but an issue of always staying ahead of your opponent. Predicting the opponent's next play and knowing how to counter that before it happens.

I've seen in person Reggie use methods like these to totally take control of the match. Unfortunately, it's harder to predict high level trainers like the Pyramid King or the Champion herself. Either their overwhelming strength defies logic and the counter or their moves are so unpredictable that the so-called counter ends up being a detriment.

Thankfully, this doesn't seem to be the case for Maylene.

Yes, I am the proud owner of a fifth gym badge now.

Maylene was an interesting opponent. Although her and Lucario aren't up to as much sync as they could be with each other, it was only a small matter that more time together would solve. Thankfully, they were a tough enough opponent to force Lairon into evolving into Aggron. Aggron was very enthusiastic to have some newfound growth in power.

Her Meditite and Machoke were not traditional fighting-type Pokémon in the sense that the source of the fight would be a head to head clash. Their power relied on their skill in executing their attacks.

Meditite was especially skilled at confusing her opponent while Machoke utilized great defense while using his intimidating strength to bait moves out of his foes.

Of course, Maylene was a young gym leader. She's just around my age and all. There's immaturity in how she challenges a trainer that isn't usually there in a more well-traveled trainer. And although I didn't berate her, it appeared she still struggled with confidence issues.

Seeing as I wasn't just going to leave her like that, I gave her some words of encouragement that I hope were helpful. From trainer to trainer, us Veilstone City natives have to stay strong and all. Also, if word got out around the city that I caused her problems, I'd imagine I'd get more than a few stern words thrown my way. I did not want to deal with that.

The afternoon was then spent training with Reggie and getting the Pokémon to get some experience battling together. If I'm going to compete in the Tag Battle, I'm going to do it right!

"Electabuzz, cover Monferno with Thunderbolt!" Monferno ran up to Reggie's Tangrowth and uppercuted him with Fire Punch.

"Don't let him get away with it, Bibarel. Water Pulse!" A devastating punishment as Electabuzz's cover didn't hold out after Monferno had gotten his hit in. Monferno took great damage from the attack.

"You see, Paul? You can't just account for the attack landing. You have to account for what happens after the attack as well."

"Fine then, I get it."

"Hey, no need to be so wound up because of it. It's a learning process."

"Self improvement also requires one to be hard on themselves, Reggie. You know that."

"Perhaps, but you also need to keep a clear head when evaluating yourself. Nonsensically putting yourself down doesn't help."

"Lecture time is long past. It's time to head back to the house." We were in another part of town surrounded by trees, a place where some natural privacy could be gained.

It was going to take a bit of a walk to get home, but it was well worth it for the atmosphere.

Reggie and I chatted about idle nothings as we walked through the outskirts of the city.

We were coming up to the pathway to an attraction when I heard something, a slight buzzing in the air.

Is it a Beedril? No, this buzzing is different. This one sounds like… a helicopter. Why would a helicopter be around here?

Looking upwards of the path to one of the local attractions, some meteorite craters with real meteorites in them, I saw it. It was hard to see, but some sort of helicopter was definitely there.

Why would something like that be- wait, didn't Team Galactic cause some trouble here or at least they were supposed to? Why were they doing it here now without Ash?

"Hey, somethings going on," I said to Reggie as his attention was now drawn to the helicopter. We got closer to it, being within the vicinity of the 'guardians of the city', the meteorites.

"This has to be Team Galactic," I said, being proven right immediately when grunts came out from all directions, covering the meteorite field. I don't know how Reggie feels about this, but personally, I think we can and should stop them!

"I'm calling Officer Jenny," Reggie said, covertly explaining the situation before hanging up. "We were advised to stay out of trouble and stay put."

"But?" I asked as the way he was talking it felt like it was coming up.

"But, Officer Jenny admitted she was not going to be able to get here fast, so their operation will largely stay in progress." That'll leave ample time for their escape.

"Unacceptable. We have to stop them!"

"Now now Paul," Reggie said, putting a hand on my shoulder as he stopped me.

"We have to have a plan of attack. Follow my lead." Using the Pokémon we were just battling with, Reggie sneaked along the side of the field before targeting a grunt, alerting the others that something was amiss.

So, it was my turn. I quickly ordered Monferno and Electabuzz to spread along the other side of the field and start wiping out the grunts on that side.

Some of them were very quickly dispatched but other ones were all over the place, trying to figure out where the attacks came from.

From my view, this was a simple divide and conquer scenario where Reggie and I pick them off one by one. It appears that Reggie was undetected on his side, so I had to also follow suit and stay hidden.

Unfortunately for me, that helicopter is riding a little too close to me for me to think he doesn't see me. I am again proven right. "Not you again," A certain Blue-haired Team Galactic admin said.

Seeing as my cover was blown, I took out Misdreavus and Torterra as support as I replied, "Yeah, it's me."

"Then there must be another pesk doing the dirty work over there," he commented as he saw other grunts getting taken out. "Alas, we may be almost done here, but destroying you will be my pride and joy here."

"Not if I have anything to say about it. Torterra, Leaf Storm!" A little quieter, I added," Misdreavus, get them with Psywave."

Monferno and Electabuzz had their hands full, so I have to rely on Torterra and Misdreavus right now.

Torterra's Leaf Storm flowed through the field, seemingly enveloping Toxicroak into this thick attack. Saturn squashed the thought of that doing him in very quickly.

"Sludge Bomb." That attack bit back the harsh Leaf Storm with a poisonous fever. Its collateral damage was huge, causing Misdreavus' attack to fumble as the psywave only partially hit.

Dang, he's adapting. He released Golbat for support, causing even Reggie's side to have problems. We're going to have to put on a more frontal assault.

"Those petty tricks won't work on me. Who do you think I am?" Saturn asked as if we knew him personally.

"A criminal, who needs to be put down. Torterra, Sunny Day!" As the sun glittered in an odd contrast to the night sky, I followed up with "Misdreavus, Shadow Ball!"

"Even with the blinding light of the sun, it's all useless! Toxicroak, Earthquake!" That won't stop Misdreavus though, unless… no!

The shifting land allowed a raised amount of ground to pop up, shielding Toxicroak and the others covertly.

"Didn't I tell you that you have to stay ahead of your opponent," a voice called out before their Pokémon attacked.

Toxicroak was pushed back by a powerful force. It was Bibarel's Hyper Fang!

Did Reggie finish up over on his side? But then doesn't that mean he's not attacking in secret now?

"Allow me to offer a practical demonstration. Tangrowth, Stun Spore!"

"No! I won't let you!" Saturn grunted out, as if he was struggling to react. At a glance in the distance, I saw Monferno and Electabuzz retreating back to me. I will help too!

"Electabuzz, Shockwave!" The electric attack had a large area of effect, activating immediately, stopping Saturn in his tracks, leading to him and his grunts taking the full brunt of the Stun Spore.

"Golbat, Air Slash," Saturn said behind gritted teeth. Golbat was the only one who could really do anything. But it seems that Reggie had already taken that into account.

"Bibarel, Thunder." With electric mastery that made him look like the type, Bibarel fired a fast bolt of lightning with accuracy that was very uncommon for the move.

I really did underestimate the strength of my brother. This is just getting more and more exciting!

"Paul, together now!" Reggie called out, shaking me back into reality.

"Alright, I'm ready!"

"Torterra/Tangrowth," we both addressed our attacking Pokémon, "Frenzy Plant/Power Whip!"

Both of our Grass Pokémon's attacks flowed together, with tough vines wiping out the still-shaken grunts and Saturn.

As we took a breath to take a look at the fruits of our labor, the distant sound of sirens could be heard approaching. Good, Officer Jenny is on her way.

Now, to deal with them, lots of grunts and their Pokémon were wiped out in this scuffle. Even Saturn was pretty wiped out.

"I'm not out of this, yet! This mission will be a success!" Saturn yelled, "Golbat, Swift!"

With the last of his strength, Goldbat released many stars in the sky which, as opposed to hitting our Pokémon, hit the ground, causing a dust storm to pick up.

When the dust settled, Saturn was up in the helicopter. Damn it, I forgot about that.

"Next time you interfere, the consequences will be great," Saturn said ominously before taking off.

"Reggie, if we follow them with Staraptor we should be able to-"

"No, Paul. It's too dangerous for us to put them up to that task. You know that," Reggie said, before turning his tone upside down. "Hey, look on the bright side. We took out a lot of those grunts and none of the meteorites look to have been taken."

"Yeah, but it didn't sound like whatever they were here for was ruined," I commented, remembering Saturn's words.

"Details, details. Let's not worry about that right now. It's going to take a long time before we're going to be allowed to go home and sleep after all." Ah, explaining this to Officer Jenny is going to be hard. At least I have some practice at explaining myself in situations like these.

The police motorbike that led dozens of cop cars slowed down as the head honcho of the squad got off her bike and started asking the main questions. "Now what happened here?"

(-)

It actually ended up being a very quick explanation thanks to Reggie being a pretty famous person from Veilstone. Local trainers were remembered and celebrated for being the pride of their cities. Reggie was no exception even if he became a Pokémon Breeder.

Reggie had a good laugh at what happened despite the seriousness of the situation. He went on about something like him never expecting me to 'play the hero'. It was kind of embarrassing for him to say something like that, when these things are just sort of happening all over the place. It's not really that I'm seeking the trouble, but rather I'm getting involved by coincidences. I don't intend for that to be true for a few events I know, but who knows what's going to happen at this point?

The next day flew by as Reggie's Pokémon and my own bonded over battle. Aggron worked on his two-legged movements with Nidoking while many other Pokémon did their own training like Anorith with Trapinch.

By the end of the day, it was time to pick out a team to take to the Tag Battle Competition. We were on the road again.

The Pokémon I didn't pick were slightly disappointed, but the ones I did were ecstatic for some adventuring.

"Hey, take care of yourself and remember my advice," Reggie said.

"That's the plan. Now you can get back to doing whatever a breeder does," I flippantly said.

"You better not be looking down on the noble art of Pokémon Breeding! Also, you better not forget, I'm going to be watching for you and that girl you know! His tone made it obvious his goal.

A grin couldn't help but sprawl onto my face as I said, "Shut up!"

I took off with Staraptor in the dead of night so that I could prepare the next day for the competition.

It was… fun I guess.