CircusControl: I appreciate your appreciation! We would all kill for Goly!

ArcLight: Good to hear from you again! Grinding is indeed a lifestyle.

Rockfall: Kecleon is an interesting thought. Hmmm...

Zatchpotter: Not sure about legendary or mythical Pokémon yet, but we will see where this goes. Thanks for all the recommendations!

All Other Commenters: Thank you so much for your continued support of the story. It really does brighten my mood every time I read a comment, so keep them coming!

This one should be a doozy, so buckle in and clench up. It's a wild ride!


BZZZT* *BZZZT* *BZZZT*

The persistent buzzing awakens a primal hatred from the deepest depths of my soul, and hatred floods my very being. Luckily, all it takes to silence that infernal noise is a quick tap on the device on my wrist.

Sleep takes me back into its loving embrace.

"Zig! Zigzagoon!" Unfortunately, that beautiful comfort quickly turns into shocked pain when sixty pounds of adorable pounce on my gut.

"OOF!" I reflexively shove the oversized Zigzagoon off of me and sit up. "Geez, Goly! I told you that you can't be doing that anymore. You're gonna kill me!" Since he's held off on evolving for so long after he was ready, Goly is absolutely massive for a Zigzagoon. He's already nearly as big as the average Linoone.

"Zig! Zigzag!" He ignores my complaint in favor of pushing me off the bed and towards the door.

"I get it, so knock it off already!" He keeps pushing, but I just look at my wrist to see that the time is indeed 5 in the morning. "I know Goly, today's the day, but the match is scheduled for 11. No amount of rushing will let you fight any sooner than that."

"Zagoon!" He angrily barks at me.

"Enough already," I push his face down into the blankets as I stand up. "You're going to wake everybody up. Keep quiet until we leave the room, you don't want to wake up the little one, do you?" I ask, feeling the irony of my words.

"Zag." Goly seems to accept it though, he rushes out of the bedroom.

I can't see him, but I already know that the little glutton is in the kitchen, waiting for breakfast. Well, at least he won't be waking up any of the children sharing the bedroom with me, or anyone else in here for that matter.

I open the Silph bag next to my bed and pull out a set of athletic clothes: a form-fitting, short-sleeve shirt, gray joggers with thin material to stay breathable, and a pair of snug running shoes.

After getting the Silph bag from Tracy, I used some of the money I had saved up from work to buy a few more sets of workout clothes. Tracy already supplied me with enough outfits to cover my journey, but they aren't really the best workout clothes. Besides, I don't want to be sweaty every day after my morning exercise, so the extra outfits were a necessary expense.

Changed and ready to start the day, I take one last look at the floor beside my bed to confirm that my little sweetheart is still sleeping soundly before heading to the kitchen to make a nice meal for Goly and myself.

We'll have to keep today's workout light; just a warm-up to get the blood pumping. After all, we've got to save ourselves for the main event.


We return to the orphanage at 8 o'clock. We decided to warm up in the clearing this morning, instead of our usual strength training in the gym.

After some light cardio, we ran through Goly's entire move set. Nothing we did today was new; only a repetition of motions that he has practiced and used thousands of times. Today's battle isn't going to be won by pulling out some crazy new tactic. No, I've come to find that Pokemon battling is infinitely similar to sports, and every athlete knows that big matches are won by doing the little things right.

If Goly manages to reach a breakthrough on Belly Drum today, that will be great, but relying on that alone will lose us this battle. I plan to win with what Goly has already learned and accumulated throughout our eight months together. Learning a new move or evolving are just the results of that effort. I will consider those bonuses.

Goly and I sneak quietly back into the bedroom, dragging with us the stench of sweat. We both breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of our little girl's large form, still curled up on a pile of blankets and pillows beside my bed. She doesn't wake easily, but it could have been bad if she had woken up without me here.

Before the situation changes, I grab a towel and my official Trainer outfit (as decided by Tracy) and leave with Goly for the bathroom. A quick shower and a wet trash panda later, and I'm left standing before the mirror, looking at what will become my trademark image.

Starting with myself, my light-ash-brown hair has been cut and tamed. Where my naturally curly hair used to trail down to my shoulders, it is now kept at a medium-short length on top, and the sides are tapered off into a short fade. Furthermore, my sickly pale skin has become a brown-tan color after spending just about every single day under the sun. The most exotic parts of my physical appearance, and the part which reminds me that I'm in an anime world, are my bright orange eyes. Even looking at them myself, they seem to be smoldering with intense ambition.

The part of my appearance that I take the most pride in is my body though. I'm still far off from the amount of muscle mass I had in my previous life, with my decade of dedicated weightlifting. However, that's to be expected as a mere 12-year-old. Instead of my previous buff appearance, my current body is shredded with lean, but distinct musculature. As for my height, I'm definitely tall for my age at 5'8, but I'm still impatient to surpass 6' again. I was right about this body's frame being great for muscle gain though.

All told I'm certain that this body is going to grow up to be one handsome lad. Though, I'm also pretty certain that my terrible flirting abilities and lack of romance skills will likely cancel out the benefits of my appearance. I am cursed with what you might call "negative rizz."

Well, that's a concern for the far future anyways.

Moving on to my outfit, I have to admit that Tracy did a better job here than I could have.

From the bottom up, the outfit starts with a pair of nice black, waterproof hiking boots. My pants are also black and are something I never would have thought to pick out on my own. Apparently, they are called techwear cargo pants and I can see how they'd be useful as a Trainer. They're kind of baggy, but the things have pockets upon pockets, all over the place, which seems ideal for quick access to any items I may need on the trail or in wild battle encounters. The hanging straps seem a bit useless, but maybe I just don't know what they're for. I'm fairly certain Tracy just picked them for their appearance anyway.

Moving on to the top half, we start with a short-sleeve white compression undershirt. The only design in this is a Premier Ball logo on the left pec, but its thin and form-fitting material really highlights the work that I've put into my body's aesthetics. Unfortunately, this shirt won't be seen too often, as, true to its name as an undershirt, it's going to be covered up ninety percent of the time.

Instead, a loose sweatshirt made of rather thin material is the outfit's centerpiece. Other than its color, it is very similar to the oversized shirt Roxie wears in her official art. The sweatshirt, if you can call it that, is colored and patterned like a Zigzagoon's fur, which I actually prefer to a Linoone's pattern, even for after Goliath evolves. The neckline is so wide that it almost looks ripped, causing the shirt to sit at a bit of an angle and the sweatshirt is slightly oversized.

Overall, the outfit gives a look that's something of a mix between punk and cozy, completed by the pair of silver headphones around my neck. Definitely not a look that I would have chosen myself, but I can't deny that it has its appeal.

As I admire myself in the mirror while scrubbing Goly with a towel, my musing is interrupted by a cacophony of thumping feet and panicked cries coming from the bedroom, both human and Pokémon.

"I'm here, sweety!" I shout from the bathroom, tossing the towel I had been scrubbing Goly with aside and speed walking out of the room. "I'll be there in a moment! Wait right there for me, girl!"

I rush back to the bedroom, worried about how much damage might occur if my newest Pokémon decides to run through the halls looking for me. I barely got Mrs. Melda to agree to let her sleep in the building in the first place, and that was only because I only had five days left here. I can't imagine the dressing down I'd get if she broke anything on the last day here.

Relieved at the fact that the noise had died down after my shout, I open the door to the bedroom with a wide smile. I'm immediately greeted by a large figure sitting inches away from the doorway. Her eyes light up when she sees me and a happy cry resounds throughout the orphanage.

"Good morning, sleepy beauty," I hug her long neck. "Did you sleep well?"

Talking with my newest partner like this, I can't help but think back to our first meeting.


"What do you think we open up first, Goly?" I reach into the box with both hands and take out the envelope and the Pokeball.

"Zig!" Goly dives for the Pokeball without hesitation, even attempting to knock it from my hand.

"I suppose that should have been obvious," I quip as I move my finger to press the release button. I freeze right before touching it though, as a sudden thought comes to mind. "But knowing Tracy, what if this is something crazy?"

"Goon." My partner scoffs at me. His eyes are calling me pathetic. I understand that much even if I don't know what his words mean.

"I'm serious!" I respond defensively. "Tracy would totally be the type to have something like a Pinsir or a Grimer in here, the smart thing to do would be to read the letter first, just so we can prepare ourselves."

Zigzagoon doesn't even respond. Instead, he just narrows his eyes at me before sighing and laying down. That alone speaks volumes.

"Ahem," I clear my throat, trying to lessen my embarrassment a bit. It doesn't work, but I still think that reading first is the right choice, so I sit on the floor and set the Pokeball down beside me before opening the letter. "Besides, it's only polite to read the letter before opening the gift. Anyway, ahem…" I peek at Goly, but when he gives no reaction, I begin to read the letter aloud.

"I wonder if you opened this or the Pokeball first. I know which one I would have opened, but a serious kid like you probably opened this first. Seriously boring, right Goly?" My trusty partner exhales a laughing breath, so I give him a nudge with my foot before I continue.

Anyway, as you can see, my other gift is a Pokémon. A while back, shortly after I met you, actually, one of my Pokémon laid an egg. I hadn't even known that she was pregnant, so she must have had herself a little love story in the border forest while I was looking for you. Regardless of how, the egg was there so I took care of it with her and hatched it, but I knew I couldn't look after a new Pokémon forever, so I had to find a home for her.

The problem is that she takes after her mother and has a natural love for battling. With most Pokémon, this would make it easier to find her a home, but her species isn't known for being great battlers. Even her mother isn't one of my core battlers. She has more of a utility and support role on my team.

However, if this precious girl wants to battle, then I want to find her a Trainer who will bring her to the top. That's why I thought of you, the kid who dreams of conquering the world with a Zigzagoon. If anyone can make the impossible possible and let the child of one of my earliest partners thrive, I think it will be you.

You've got good material to work with too. I raised her through her infant years and up to the toddler stage that she's at now. She's stronger than any other juvenile of her species that I've ever heard of. I know that her mom is strong for her kind, but papa must be a force to be reckoned with. Her potential is there, she just needs a Trainer who can overcome the so-called limits of her species.

I explained the situation to her with her mother, so she knows that she is meeting her new Trainer, but she's a bit of a shy girl. Take care of her for me, please.

That's what I'd like to ask, but as a Trainer who aims for the top, don't feel like I'm forcing her on you. If you don't want to fill your team with another Pokémon that is seen as having clear limits, just send her back to me. I'll still be able to find a home for this girl.

Thank you,

Tracy"

I set down the letter and look closely at the Pokeball, contemplating what might be inside. I'm not too worried about what Tracy said there about limits and whatnot. Most Pokémon have some strategy to make them viable, and Tracy said it, no "she," was the child of a member of her elite team. That means she has the potential to reach that level at least. I just need to find a way to make her surpass that level.

What actually kind of got to me was the fact that Tracy made it sound like it was me doing a favor to her by taking in this Pokémon, rather than me receiving a wonderful gift from her like I am. The fact that she felt the need to take that kind of attitude about this honestly feels a little shitty.

Are Trainers aiming for the champion level so picky about which Pokémon species have the potential to be allowed on their teams?

A real champion-level Trainer should be able to reach that level with just about any team of Pokémon.

I'll prove it.

I reach out to grab the Pokeball beside me, determined to turn the young Pokémon within into a star. Only… Goly bats the ball away just as my hand brushes past it. The ball goes rolling towards the open bedroom door and both Goly and I move to chase it.

"Dang it!" I admonish the brown raccoon, even as I scramble to catch up to the runaway Pokeball. "You couldn't hold it in for one more second?!"

"Zag!" Goly snaps like a petulant preteen. "Zagoon!" He pounces on the ball, stopping it just before it reaches the empty hallway.

A bright red light erupts from below his paws and spills out into the hall. The light gets bigger and bigger… and bigger still.

It only stops growing when it has dwarfed my 5'8 frame, both in height and girth. Soon, standing before me is a tropical plant-like dinosaur with leafy wings and fruits that look like bananas growing from its chin.

She sees my face, red and panicked from chasing her ball, and immediately shrinks in on herself, dipping her head towards her chest. At over 6' feet tall, I don't think she even saw Goly below her.


After that less-than-ideal first impression, our relationship swiftly improved. Beckoning her back into our room and offering her one of Goly's poffins helped a lot towards that end.

With one hand scratching the beautiful dinosaur-plant's neck as she munches away at the delectable sweet that she was tasting for the first time, my other hand now uses my Poketch to look up information about her species online.

One of the very first things I find when searching "young Tropius care" online is a little bit disappointing, to be perfectly honest. It says to make sure that you don't attempt to fly on your Tropius until it reaches at least the minimum size to be considered an adult, which is 6 '7" from the ground to the crown of its head. This is apparently because the wings are the slowest part of a Tropius's body to mature. As a result, until the rest of the body has grown to a certain point, their wings remain rather flimsy and fragile.

In fact, those may have been the wrong words to use. Their wings are durable enough from birth that I wouldn't be able to break one, no matter how hard I tried. The problem lies in the fact that those wings need to support their massive bodies, along with the added burden of any riders. At a young age, the muscles in those wings just aren't powerful enough. Even just their own weight can only be held aloft for a brief time. As such, the "flimsy" in this instance is only in relation to how strong they need to become.

"Tropius!" She trills in satisfaction after finishing the tasty treat.

"Zag. Zagoon." Goly, on the other hand, sulks on the bed after losing said treat.

"Well, looks like I won't be sailing the sky any time soon." I pat her large neck a couple of times. "I wonder how much more growth you have left until we reach that point."

I can't help but stare at my massive new team member for a while. Goly is one thing, but being so close to a being like her really helps it sink in that I'm in the Pokémon world. Even when I was a child, I've always thought that there are very few Pokémon who visually exemplify what it means to be a Pokémon as well as Tropius does, if that makes sense. She truly is a beautiful creature.

As I watch her, her own gaze turns toward Goly's pouting form. She looks at him with what appears to be a slightly guilty expression, before steadily walking over to the bed he lies upon. She hangs her massive head over him as he looks up at her with curiosity.

Before I can guess what she might be doing, a bladed leaf shoots up from her chest and skims her neck. The leaf goes straight by her chin and ends up burying itself slightly into the ceiling. Let's not tell Mrs. Melda about that one.

Instead of worrying about that, or about the fact that she just used what appeared to be Razor Leaf, my attention is drawn to the three banana-like fruits which had been cut off of her chin by the motion.

Tropius uses her nose to nudge one towards Goly and picks up another in her mouth. This one, she presents to me, holding it out towards me in a way that is awfully reminiscent of how my old cat used to bring me the mice it caught.

"Is this a gift for me?" I ask with a gentle tone and Tropius nods her head up and down. I don't know about eating what might be my Pokemon's own body, but I can't reject her gift if I want to bond with her. I reach out and take the fruit from her. "Thank you so much! I love it!"

"Pius!" She smiles back at me after a happy trill and snaps up the third fruit from the bed.

The joy with which she consumes that fruit is nearly reverent. I guess feeding her will be easy. Already, new fruits are beginning to grow on her chin to replace those that had been cut off.

Goly watches her for a bit before taking a tentative bite out of his own fruit.

"Zig!" His eyes widen and his next bite is as large as he can possibly open his mouth.

I stare at the fruit in my hand. I know that people eat these. Just my short research from earlier contained tons of information about the fruit and how it is considered a delicacy. I know this, but eating this still feels wrong.

"Trop!" A large head pushes my hand with the fruit into my face. Tropius's eyes look up at me with a hint of sadness, as if wondering why I wasn't willing to accept her gift.

At this point, I guess I've got no choice. Tracy would kill me if I made her baby cry. Not to mention that I'd feel like shit too. I quickly peel the fruit like a banana and take a bite.

Delicious!


In the clearing that Goly and I use for training, Tropius and I stand face to face.

The entire walk here, she had her head ducked down behind my back. I've come to find that she is quite shy around any humans who aren't me. However, when she heard that we were heading to training, she was determined to come along.

"Well, it's time to figure out what your battle style will be." The massive creature's head tilts to the side in confusion. "A battle style is the method of fighting which works best for you. It's fine and all to just use the moves you know and try your hardest, but the best fighters have a clear plan that they are trying to execute in every battle." I point to Goly as he creates over a dozen copies of himself and attacks in sync with them at high speeds. "For example, Goly's style is to constantly stay in motion and lower his opponent's accuracy before starting a relentless and hard-hitting offensive. That means it's important to train his speed and strength to the limits, while also making sure he has the cardio to keep it up."

"Pius!" Her head nods slightly to indicate that she understands, however, she gestures towards herself and asks a question. "Tropius?"

"That's what we're trying to find out," I smile at her and take an Oran berry out of my bag. "I can think of three methods to make a Tropius a powerful battler, but first we need to find out what moves you know, and more importantly, what your ability is."

"Tro!" Her head leans back and her wings spread out behind her. "Pius!" She flaps forward and an incredibly strong wind blows past me. Even being outside of the actual attack range, just being in the attack's general direction knocks me off my feet and onto my rump.

My eyes widen at the unexpected attack and I barely manage to prevent the berry in my hand from getting smushed, but I can't help but to break out into laughter. My partners are both interesting characters, it would seem.

"Woah! Easy now," I hold out my hand towards Tropius to placate her as I stand up. "There's no need to use your moves yet. I want to test something else out first."

"Pius." The gentle giant lowers her head and lets out a subdued voice.

"But that was Gust, right?" I ask with a bright voice, hoping to lift her spirits. "Along with Razor Leaf from before, you've already got some great moves!"

"Trop?" Her head lurches back up in surprise at the sudden praise.

"We'll see about your other moves in a bit, but let's test your abilities first." I hold out the Oran Berry in my hand to her. "It's too bad we don't have Sunny Day to test you for Chlorophyll or Solar Power, but we can check for Harvest right now!"

When researching how Harvest works in the real Pokémon world, I found that it's actually super interesting. Pokémon who have Harvest will actually grow the last fruit that they had eaten somewhere on their body. For Tropius, that is the neck. They usually only grow one or two of them, depending on how much energy that fruit takes to grow.

For example, even the most powerful Harvest users typically only grow a single Sitrus berry, but those same Pokémon can grow three or four Oran berries. Similarly, if they eat a regular apple with the intention of using Harvest, they can sometimes even grow a dozen of them.

"For now," I begin as Tropius sniffs the berry in my open palm. "Just eat this, but when you do, I want you to think really intensely about how much you would love to have another one."

"Tropius?" The confused tone and tilted head tell me that she doesn't quite understand my goal, but she chomps away at the Oran berry anyway.

I watch the entire process intently. Chew. Widen eyes with glee. Swish. Swallow. Sigh in satisfaction. My own gaze is focused upon her neck, waiting for any new buds to appear.

Nothing.

"I guess you don't have Harvest then," I sigh slightly. This means that, until we get a Sunny Day user, it will be a little hard to work on building a fighting style specific to Tropius. "That rules out the defensive stalling fighting style. We can't check if you have Chlorophyll or Solar Power now, so we'll just check your move set now."

Honestly, I have never been a big fan of stalling anyway, though I can't deny its effectiveness. Rather, the slight disappointment comes from the loss of options that not having Harvest means.

You see, I've come to learn that Pokémon here are capable of having more than one ability. A Vaporeon doesn't have Water Absorb or Hydration, but rather, they all have Water Absorb, as a result of their unique trait of being able to turn their bodies into water. Hydration, as a hidden trait, is something that some of them have, on top of having Water Absorb.

Take Goly, for example, in the woods I found out that he likely has Pick Up. I can guarantee you that he has Gluttony, as he will always eat his food early if he has the chance. Reviewing our old battles, I've also found that he may have something more, too.

Having Harvest, on top of either of the other two possible abilities would allow Tropius to have a free heal, while still being offensively viable. However, not having it isn't the end of the world either. We will make do.

"Well, let's get to testing your moves then," I keep my tone bright and positive; nothing good will come from making Tropius feel dejected. "I've already seen Gust and Razor Leaf, so let's see any other moves you have first."

"Tropius!" My new partner trills happily before scrunching her face in concentration.

White tendrils of Normal-type energy emerge from her feet and enter the ground. After a moment, they seem to extract a large amount of energy from somewhere and pump it back into Tropius. The effect of that energy is immediately evident, as her already large body swells up and grows slightly larger. It's nothing drastic, but there is a clear difference.

"Hmm," I think for a bit, but it doesn't take long to identify the move. "That must have been Growth! That's great that you already have a buff!"

Tropius responds to my praise with a joyful sound, but her body soon shrinks back to her normal size. It would seem she isn't very proficient yet.

Once again, she adopts a serious face and concentrates. This time, the move comes much quicker and easier.

She puffs her cheeks up and spits a small seed into a nearby tree. The tree seems to slightly dry up where the seed makes contact. Over time, that part of the tree turns to dead wood. Tropius approaches the tree and eats the seed. After eating it, the fruit Pokémon seems to be rejuvenated.

"Leech Seed," A wide smile splits my face. There are few moves more annoying to deal with than that one. "That's perfect!"

"Pius!"

Once again, the young giant tightens her face in concentration. An eerie purple energy surrounds her body, but the move appears to fail, as the energy quickly dissipates.

"Tro." Her tone and face take on a sheepish affectation.

"Don't worry about it, girl." I'm not worried that she failed. If that move is what I think it was, we have a lot of material to work with. "That's why I'm here; to help you learn things like that. You know a lot of moves already though. Is that all?" She shakes her head. "One more?"

She nods at this and gets ready to perform one more move. However, my attention is attracted to something else entirely. At some point, a blue fruit the size of a plum has grown under her chin, partially hidden behind the banana-like fruits that were already there.

Harvest, Leech Seed, Curse, and Growth for some offense. Considering that I can also expect her to have at least one of the sunlight-boosting abilities too, I can already see her shaping up to become a nightmare to battle against.

When I see her final move, I can hardly wait to try out some battles with her.

This will be perfect.

Really though, I can't help but grumble to myself that this would all be so much easier with a Pokedex. I may need to head to Littleroot town soon.

Now, as for Tropius, I think she will be doing just fine on this team. I look idly at the destruction her latest move has wrought. She just needs a name.


"Today's Goly's big day," I separate from my hug with the leafy giant and cup her face with my hands to look into her eyes. "Will you be okay watching him next to me? There are going to be a lot of people there."

"Tropius!" She trills lightly in acknowledgment. She wants to support her big brother.

That's right, Goly and our newest family member took to each other like bees and honey. Goly is the annoying bee that buzzes around the poor girl, especially trying to get her to give him some of the fruits she grows. Our little baby Tropius somehow loves this and happily supplies the glutton when asked. Her goodwill turned into admiration after I brought her to the Pokemon Center to watch Goly have a couple of battles. Goly has firmly, and ironically, taken the position of big brother in her heart.

"Alright, Mirabelle," I smile at my big girl and pat her neck. "Then let's make sure we cheer him on as best we can."

"Tropius!" She trills once again and inclines her head, offering me a fruit.

"Thanks, girl," I pick one and peel it like a banana before taking a bite. "Delicious as always, sweety."

Another happy dinosaur-plant noise is my response. I pick another fruit and feed it to her, even as I munch away on my own. I initially had my reservations about eating what could in some ways be considered the flesh of my own Pokemon, but she was always very insistent that I try it. Once I caved, well, it really is too delicious.

Her name, Mirabelle, was also a play on her yellow fruits. It's the name that I gave to the Tropius that I used in my Alpha Sapphire playthrough. Just like that Tropius, I plan to beat the Champion with her.

As for my goal in this life, I don't know if I want to become Champion, but I am certain that I want to beat the Champion. For now, the only goal I need is to reach that level.

"Let's go, Belle, Goly. There's still a little over two hours before our battle, let's go on a walk until then." I take out Mirabelle's Pokeball and lightly apologize to her. "I'll let you out as soon as we get outside. I promise." I press the button and my Tropius disappears in a red light.

I grab my backpack and make sure that every one of my belongings is in it before swiftly leaving the orphanage with Goly at my heels and releasing Mirabelle once again, only to see Mrs. Melda standing outside by the gates. Walking up to her, she remains silent, seemingly studying me as I approach.

"It would seem," Her eyes carefully scan the two Pokemon behind me when I arrive before her. "That you truly intend to choose the most difficult route possible."

"I disagree," I shake my head and place my hand on Mirabelle's shoulder. "I can't imagine a path I'd rather take than the one I'm on."

"I have come to understand as much about you," Her eyes now bore into my own, searching. "It will be harder than you can imagine."

"I know." The only thing she will find is conviction.

"You may complete the gym challenge," She admits. "You may even win the Ever Grande Conference, but you will hit a wall. It will be impossible to reach the Champion with those Pokemon."

"If that's what everyone thinks, we will just have to make it possible." I smile as Goly hops on the back of his much larger teammate.

"With as much talent as you have, you could reach the top so easily if you do things the right way." Mrs. Melda tries to reason with me one more time.

"Maybe," I find myself agreeing. "But that isn't what being a Champion means to me."

She stares at me for a long while, only confidence and conviction stare back.

"Very well," Finally, her gaze drops down and she does something that surprises me. She takes out two Pokeballs and releases her Pokemon. I never even knew that she had any Pokemon. "We will be cheering you on, from start to finish."

An Illumise and a Delcatty surround her. Both show signs of age, but more than that, they show signs of great strength and training. They are easily at the elite level, and Mrs. Melda's insistent warnings begin to make a bit more sense.

I open my mouth to reply, but a wave of voices from behind me cuts me off.

"Reid!"

"You got this, Reid!"

"Go, Reid!"

"We'll be there for you today, Reid!"

"Go for it, Goly!"

"Mirabelle, I love you!" My young Tropius's fruits were a hit with the kids too.

"We'll miss you, Reid!"

The kids of the orphanage are all leaning out the windows, shouting their cheers and well wishes at me. It's honestly a bit overwhelming. I turn back and wave my arms at them.

"WE'LL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE CHAMPION!" I yell back at the top of my lungs, announcing our dream to them, to the world, and to ourselves. "JUST WATCH US DO IT!" I turn to Mrs. Melda and mutter once again, much more quietly. "Just watch us."

"We will." Mrs. Melda steps aside and smiles at me as I walk out the gates and away from my home for the last eight months. "Every step of the way."

During my stroll through Mauville City before our Gym battle, I'm stopped or called out to many times over by people who recognize me from my unofficial battles. Each of them expresses their excitement about today's battle and how far I'll go before wishing me good luck.

Goly lavishes in all the attention and is practically bursting with energy in his impatience to start the battle. Even Mirabelle has broken out of her shell a bit at all the positivity the people around us are radiating. Hearing that so many people are on her side has perked her right up and allowed her to look around and indulge her own curiosity about the city around her.

The weight of today's battle feels much heavier as I walk down the street.

I wouldn't have it any other way.


"I'm introducing you as 'Goliath' today," I kneel before my first partner in this world and look upon him with pride welling up in my chest. "This is the time to live up to that name."

"Zig! Zigzagoon!" Goliath's eyes shine with determination. The dream I told him about all that time ago has finally become visible.

There hasn't been a single moment in these last eight months that the young Normal-type had forgotten the words his Trainer had told him on the day they decided to become partners. The first time he had learned what it means to have a dream is a distinct and precious memory to Goliath.

"You've done everything you possibly could have to prepare for this," I run my hand alongside his furry head. "All that's left is to prove your efforts."

"Tropius!" Sensing both of our nerves, Mirabelle encourages the smaller Pokémon from behind me.

"Challenger Reid," Aly peeks into the waiting room, just slightly cracking the door open fills the room with a rush of noise from the crowd outside. "Two minutes until go time! We sold out tonight, so be ready to perform! I'm cheering for you!"

"Thanks, Aly." I smile at her and sit down on the bench. My limbs shake with anxious jitters. "We'll make it a show to remember."

"We all know," Aly says as she closes the door. "That's why everyone's here."

"That's right," I smile, to myself or my Pokémon, I don't know. "It won't be easy. This will be our hardest battle ever by a long shot, but that's why it matters. You've got something special, Goliath. Just look at how many people are cheering us on. Just trust yourself, and we'll be fine."

"Tropius!" Mirabelle lies down on the floor in front of my spot on the bench and rests her head on my lap.

"Zigzagoon!" Goliath nudges his head under my hand and curls up into a ball beside me.

Time passes in an instant, only the sound of my heartbeat and our collective breathing fills the room. Somehow, the silence seems to consume even our nerves. There's nothing left but to make it happen.

It's time. We stand up as one and face the arena.

The door creaks open and the silence collapses. The fervent screaming of the crowd is louder now than ever.

Aly looks in from outside the door and mouths 'You're up.'

"It's the moment you have all been waiting for!" The MC's voice rings in my ears. I find myself holding my breath, hyper-focused on his words as I wait for my call. "We now come to the final Gym battle of the day: it's time for our main event!"

My heart beats loudly in my chest. However, I'm not nervous. As my hand opens and closes several times, as if testing my grip, I find that the jitters running through me are not nerves. No, it's sheer, electric excitement that is coursing through my veins: excitement, and an eagerness for battle that I have never felt before. I know somewhere deep in my soul that this battle will be the greatest rush yet.

"I must say," The MC continues to work the crowd. "It's a rare treat indeed to get such an incredible battle as this so early in the Gym Circuit. This next battle is what you've all gathered here for! It's a battle with rules so special that Gym Leader Wattson decided that it would be his last battle of the day, closing the Gym to any more challengers until tomorrow, so you know he's going to put his all into this!"

To my right, Goliath steps out in front of me. To my left, Mirabelle takes her place a half step behind me. Both of my partners nod assurance to me. We're ready to go.

"This will be a first-badge challenge, but the challenger has requested to have a one-on-one battle with any member of Gym Leader Wattson's five-badge team!" After explaining the battle's special circumstances, the words I had been waiting for finally arrive. "Now, without further ado, let's welcome our challenger! The Local Legend, or the Local Looney. The Boy Genius and the Battle King. He's a boy who has come to be known by many names within your Mauville City, but most know him as the Zigzagoon Kid." Aly waves for me to begin walking out. "Give it up for REID REDWOOD!"

The first to emerge from the tunnel and enter the arena is Goliath. He is met with a massive roar from the crowd. My excitable partner lavishes in the energy of the arena. His even walk turns into a bounce from one foot to another and his tail nearly causes wind currents.

I'm the second to emerge, and the first thing I do is squint my eyes to adjust to the bright stage lights. Once adjusted, I scan the crowd to see an incredible amount of familiar faces: Mr. O'Neill and my classmates, Mrs. Melda and the orphans, Mrs. Hailey, Kyle, and many more Trainers who I've battled behind the Pokémon Center, even Nurse Joy has shown up (Seriously, is the Pokémon Center ok?). Luckily, they are all seated in the front few rows, otherwise, it'd be hard to find them.

The 1200-seat capacity limit of the arena has been completely filled. I get that excitement is high since it's the first day of the Gym Circuit, but this is crazy. Luckily, Mauville is one of the highest-capacity Gyms and can hold so many people. I realize upon seeing the cameras in the corners, and one attached to a Magnemite, floating around the arena, that far more still are watching this battle elsewhere.

Mirabelle is the third to enter the arena, and she does so right at my heels. At first, she flinches down from the noise, trying to hide behind my back. However, it only takes a few steps for her to find her courage and allow curiosity to take the reins. Soon, she is standing tall, swinging her large head from side to side, soaking in every bit of this new experience.

Soon, we arrive at the challenger's box where we must wait for our opponent. It doesn't take long. A wired microphone sits there which I have been instructed to attach to my collar.

"All that's left to get this battle underway is for you all to please join me in welcoming our electrifying Gym Leader, here at Mauville City." The MC brings the excitement to a crescendo. "He's been the heart of Mauville City for over 30 years now. You know him, you love him, and our children look up to him. He's Mauville's jovial Gym Leader, and we wouldn't have anyone else. IT'S WATTSON!"

A fresh wave of fervent cheers accompanies a rotund old man with an infectious smile as he waltzes into the arena. The MC continues to play the crowd, but I can no longer hear his words. All my senses are paying full attention to the man in front of me. What stands across from me is the stepping stone that I need to use to climb to the top of the world.

"Wahahahah!" He laughs loudly while holding his belly. He, too, is mic'd up for the crowd to hear. "Don't glare so hard, boy! It's a little too shocking for me. Wahahahahah!" He cracks up at his own pun.

"Thank you for accepting my request," I slightly nod my head forward. "I'll make sure to prove that we're worth it."

"Wahahah! I have no doubt about that!" He still smiles widely, but his eyes turn a bit sharp. "I've seen a few of your battles, as I'm sure most people living in Mauville have, and I believe you're up to the challenge. I wouldn't have accepted such an absurd request if I didn't! Wahahaha!"

"We'll prove your confidence was well-placed." My face and tone remain serious and stoic in the face of the old Gym Leader's jovial nature.

"I must say," He takes out a Pokeball and tosses it in his hand: up and down, up and down. "I really should thank you for this. As a commonly known beginner Gym, it's not often that I get to have a battle with advanced-level Pokémon like this. Let's have ourselves an electrifying experience! Wahahaha!"

"Trainers," The referee's voice cuts off our conversation. "Are you ready to battle?"

"Yes." My response is brief.

"Of Course!" It would appear that Wattson doesn't want to wait any longer than necessary either.

"This one-badge, special-rules Gym challenge will be a one-on-one battle between Gym Leader Wattson and challenger Reid Redwood. No items or switching will be allowed. The battle will continue until one Pokémon is unable to battle or one Trainer forfeits. As the referee, I have the power to forcibly end the match if I believe that continuing it would only bring harm to one or more Pokémon." The Referee is quick and efficient at explaining the rules. "Trainers, send out your Pokémon."

"Goliath, prove yourself." I point to the field and watch as my powerful partner Zigzagoon rapidly appears on our half.

"It should come as a surprise to nobody, but Reid selects his Zigzagoon, apparently named 'Goliath,' for this battle. He's proven all of his doubters wrong thus far, but can he continue his miracle streak?"

Wattson catches the ball he had been tossing out of the air and brings it close to his mouth. After whispering something I can't make out, he taps the button and releases his partner toward the battlefield.

"Strike like lightning, go Jolteon!"

"Jolteon!" A small yellow fox materializes on the field, and I realize that this battle will be an uphill battle from start to finish.

I had narrowed our most likely opponent down to one of four Pokémon by researching Wattson's five-badge challenges. The four were Manectric, Electabuzz, Jolteon, and Magneton. That order also lists them from easiest to hardest to deal with. Magneton's steel typing, combined with the ability to float makes it a hard counter to just about all of Goliath's options, but I was counting on Wattson being aware of that. After all, the Gym challenge, especially for the first badge, is about learning and growing as a Trainer. He wouldn't choose a battle that has no path to victory for me.

That means that Wattson chose the most difficult opponent who I could have a fair battle with. Jolteon's insane speed means that Goly's best stat has just been dwarfed and made obsolete by his opponent. In terms of level, Goly and Jolteon are probably about the same, but the raw stats of a Jolteon are about double those of a Zigzagoon.

"Trainers, let the battle," The referee's arm is raised high in the air. "Begin!" His arm slashes downward.

"Thunder Wave!"

"Protect!"

The action is instantaneous! A tendril of electricity shoots across the battlefield faster than the eye can follow, but it peters out after hitting a green sphere of energy. Jolteon's speed doesn't only apply to physical movement.

The crowd is sent into an uproar by the impressive reflexes both Pokémon display.

"Double Team!"

"Quick Attack!"

This time, I get my orders out first in this rapid-fire, fast-paced battle. A good thing too, as I successfully predict my opponent's call for the second time. With as much of a speed disadvantage as we are at, a large part of this battle will be decided by how well I can read Wattson's calls.

A couple dozen Zigzagoons appear around the field, but a blurred yellow line erased them from existence, one after the other.

"Dig!" My voice is still even, having expected this from the moment Jolteon was released.

The seven, no, make that six, Zigzagoons remaining all paw at the ground before disappearing. Only one of them leaves a hole in the ground behind himself.

"Stay on the move, Jolteon!" Wattson doesn't sound worried about the super-effective move being used. "Be ready, girl."

I stomp the ground, signaling Goliath to attempt our feint strategy.

"Now!" A burst of dirt shoots up from below Jolteon, perfectly timed, despite her fast speed. She flinches dramatically and leaps back. "Now! Attack!" I shout once again.

"Zagoon!" Goliath bursts free from the ground under Jolteon's new position, but the expected result doesn't come.

"Teon!" Jolteon takes a second retreating leap and gets away with only a claw scraping her side. Instead, she counterattacks during her narrow escape and shoots a burst of electricity into Goliath's side.

It doesn't appear to cause my partner any pain, as he bears it without a sound, but the slight twitching in his muscles tells me that it was more than effective.

"Rush into Headbutt!" I waste no time with my next call.

"Zig!" Goliath takes off without hesitation, remembering our time planning for this moment. "Zag!"

"Jol!" Our opponent yips with surprise when Goliath appears before her so quickly, even after being paralyzed.

"Goon!" Goliath's glowing skull rams into Jolteon's back hip as she belatedly attempts to dodge.

The heavy impact sends her twirling away uncontrollably with another cry, this time out of pain. We landed the first heavy blow.

There's only one reason such a reckless offensive worked. After analyzing the footage of my battle with Katie, so many months ago, I came to the realization that Goly had gotten faster after being hit by Will-O-Wisp. That was what had allowed him to Dig behind Misdreavus and hit her with Iron Tail. That can only mean one thing.

Goly's ability is Quick Feet.

Unfortunately, Wattson now knows that too, so it won't work again. Even with the boost, Jolteon is still overwhelmingly faster and we are still paralyzed. I need to pour on the offense now, while Jolteon is still unbalanced.

"Hurry and chase," I yell out. "Another Headbutt!"

"Forget about catching your balance," Wattson finally reacts, but his order doesn't make sense to me. That is until he says this: "Discharge! Put your all into it!"

His words immediately calm his Pokemon and silence her panicked cries. Even as she tumbles across the floor, Jolteon soon begins to glow with an electric charge.

"No!" I immediately realize how dangerous this is. "Protect!"

Lightning bursts out from the electric fox's body and shoots in every direction possible. A sigh of relief escapes me when a green wall begins to form around Goliath, just in time. That sigh gets stuck in my throat when Goliath's body convulses and Protect collapses.

There's no time to react. The powerful and uncontrolled bolts of wild electricity slam into my partner and wreak havoc on his body. They only last for the blink of an eye, but the effect of that fraction of a second is that Goliath has been sent rocketing into the arena wall.

"Pius!" A worried cry comes from Mirabelle behind me at the sight of Goliath being hurt, but I can only ignore her for now.

"Dig! Now!" I urge my Pokemon to push through the pain and move immediately.

"Quick Attack! As soon as you get up!" In line with his specialty as an Electric-type Gym Leader, Wattson continues to strike with his fast-paced battling style.

Jolteon flips to her feet as quickly as she can, but even when she blitzes across the field at an impossible speed, her opponent is nowhere to be seen.

"Look out," Wattson warns. "He's und…"

"Now!"

"Zagoon!"

Goliath and I strike back with a rapid offensive of our own, cutting off Wattson's warning to his Pokemon and catching both of them by surprise. Neither expected a mere Zigzagoon to bounce back from a direct hit from Jolteon's strongest currently known move so quickly.

"Jolteon!" Wattson finally lets some panic leak into his voice when his low-defense Pokemon is hit directly by a super-effective move.

Even so, Goliath isn't in a good spot either. We need to end this quickly.

"Iron Tail!" I call for the finish. "Don't let up!"

The wounded Zigzagoon flinches from another muscle spasm and then runs to his fallen foe.

"Fake Tears!" Wattson's response is laced with worry. He knows that another direct hit can end the match.

"Ignore it, Goliath! She's a fighter, just like you. Just think about pushing ahead to victory!"

Unfortunately, while Goliath and I have a great deal of battle experience, we are still new to the competitive battling scene. We've yet to come up against the sly trickery of Dark-types and have only battled the mean Poochyenas and Mightyenas of the Dark-type.

Goliath sees Jolteon's big crocodile tears and freezes, for just an instant, but that instant is all it takes to kill his momentum.

"Now, Wish!" Wattson's next order cannot be allowed to happen. No matter what.

"Don't let her!" I yell, mentally preparing myself for what comes next. "Extreme Speed!"

Goliath's ears perk up and his legs brace themselves. His claws dig into the soil. Jolteon builds up her Normal-type energy and is nearly ready to release it. It's now or never.

Goliath's entire body flickers out of existence, then reappears halfway between where he was and Jolteon, skidding through the dirt on his face.

Before I can ask myself what happened, I already can see the answer. Sparks of electricity jump between his shoulder blades. The paralysis had kicked in.

"What in the world was that!" I can hear the MC once again; the silence of the crowd at my partner's feat allowing his voice to clearly enter my ears. "Goliath the Zigzagoon just moved so fast he seemed to teleport! He doesn't seem to be able to control that speed, but that looked much faster than Jolteon's quick attack, didn't it? Is that kind of speed even possible?"

I have no choice but to focus back on the battle, as Jolteon completes the move Wish. In this world, the healing from Wish typically takes effect 30 seconds after the move's completion. If we allow it to take effect, this uphill battle will turn into one that's nearly impossible to win as we are now.

"Agility!" Wattson finally decides to buff his partner's speed; either spooked by Goliath's recent display or attempting to stall until Jolteon's Wish comes.

"Extreme Speed!" I call out again, even as Goliath's chest heaves wildly. "Push through tired if you want to win this one!"

A blue energy surrounds Jolteon as she sidesteps back and forth.

BOOM!*

All of a sudden, Jolteon is gone. Where she stood an instant ago, now only empty soil remains. My eyes rapidly focus on the far wall where Jolteon and Goliath both lie still.

Goliath slowly stands to his feet, his chest heaving and his limbs alternating between shaking from exhaustion and spasming from the paralysis.

Jolteon remains unmoving.

I look at the referee anxiously, but he appears frozen in shock. I get that he's human too, and just as liable to be dumbfounded as anyone else, but I can't afford that right now. I need him to make the call quickly.

"Ref!" I yell out. "Call it!"

His body jerks and he seems to snap out of his daze. He stares closely at Jolteon, and his hand holding the flag rises. Before he can bring his arm back down, a white light engulfs Jolteon, and she jumps to her feet.

I look at him for a bit longer, but he returns his arm to his side and signals for me to continue battling.

Damnit! That was all Goly had left in the tank! I needed that call there!

Wattson looks across the field at me, and I can see a moment of pity, but things like this happen in battles. We both know that. It's my fault for leaving the battle in the hands of a referee's call in the first place. Had I predicted that Jolteon would know Wish, I wouldn't be in this position.

"Finish them off, Jolteon!" Wattson mercilessly strikes. "Double Kick!"

"Protect!" I can only respond defensively here.

Jolteon is in front of Goliath in less than an instant. Her previous use of Agility allowing her to close the distance while Protect is still forming. The first kick shatters the half-done Protect. The second kick shatters Goliath's ribs with a super-effective impact.

Goliath flies out and tumbles across the arena floor until he comes to a stop, just in front of the challenger's box. Mirabelle lets out a low whine at the sight. He looks like hell.

The referee is now looking at our side closely, but before he can even think of calling the match, Goliath is back on his feet.

Nobody but Goliath knows how powerful a force the dream within himself is. He would sooner die himself than let the dream that he discovered for the first time be squashed.

"Goly!" My voice is laced with panic. He turns his head to look back at me, and I see something in his eyes that forces me to swallow the words I was about to say. What he needs to hear now is… "Keep pushing! You can do this!"

"What unbelievable willpower we are being shown by such a small Pokémon!" The MC's voice brushes at the edge of my mind. "Battered but not broken! This Zigzagoon will not fall! Who among our viewers would still dare to ridicule this Pokémon?"

"We'll finish this with a bang, Jolteon!" Wattson's voice echoes from across the field. Even if we haven't lost yet, we will if we don't do something fast. "Use Discharge! Full power!"

"Protect and listen to me, Goliath!" My bruised and fatigued partner struggled to push out a green sphere of energy in time to block the burst of electricity. The lightning is accompanied by a loud roar but his perked up ears tell me he is listening to me. "It's now or never if we want to win this thing. You've held back for long enough, go ahead and release it."

While I was speaking, the first use of Discharge ended, and Wattson already called for another.

"Zag! Zagoon!" He shakes his head from side to side, disagreeing with my decision in battle for the first time since our battle with Addison.

"I know what you're worried about," Protect begins to flicker as a second wave of electricity hammers against it. "You've practiced holding in the energy enough, you'll definitely be able to use it after you evolve. You're just too weak to use it right now anyway! Just trust me!"

"Zagoon!" Another shake of the head, firm and resolute. "Zigzagoon!" Protect and Discharge both flicker out of existence together.

"I see," To Goliath, this isn't about learning a powerful new move or becoming stronger. "It's about proving yourself then." My partner yips to confirm my words. "Then do it. The only way to win as you are now is to use it, regardless of what your condition is. You need to push yourself far beyond your limits for one single instant. This won't end with a short trip to the Pokemon Center."

"Zig!" My partner's response is brief, yet determined. He too knows what the price will be.

"One more time; they can't use Protect forever." Wattson spams his strongest move like a practiced Pokemon gamer. "Discharge!"

"Belly Drum and Extreme Speed." I give my trusted partner the single most dangerous order that I can possibly call. It'd be safer for him to jump headfirst into the Discharge and take the brunt of the attack, but this is the only way to win.

Goliath stands on his two back legs and scrunches his face in pain. I can tell that he has just expanded the Normal-type energy stored in his body for his evolution to its limits. His front paws begin to glow with a bright silver luster and he holds them up above his midsection.

"NO!" A scream comes from the crowd and, from the corner of my eye, I see Nurse Joy standing up and gripping the rails of the front-row gate. "Reid Redwood you fool! I can't believe this! You just wait until this is over!"

I wince at the thought of making such a kind-hearted lady so furious, but I understand why she is mad enough to blow up like that. There's a reason why you can't use Belly Drum below half health in the games. Having an incredible surplus of energy, much more than you can normally hold, vibrating violently within your body is a hard thing for any Pokemon to take. Now give that same experience to a young Zigzagoon who's already on his last legs, and the damage will be multiplied a hundredfold. Not to mention the fact that Goliath's ribs are certainly broken already from Double Kick.

Needless to say, his insides will become a mess. If I had any intention of fighting for more than a single moment in time in this condition, he could even die. I have no intention of doing that, of course.

"Zig!" Goly's paw glows brightly as it slams down on his belly for the first time. "Zag!" His other paw causes a second impact, and his entire body has begun to ripple with energy. "Goon!" A final slam with his first paw completes the move and has his entire body pulsating with power. His face screams with obvious pain.

Jolteon hasn't stopped collecting energy for Discharge throughout his entire use of the move, but the process has been much slower this time. Maybe using her most powerful move so many times in a row has been forcing her to slow down the process. After all, she isn't one hundred percent either. Both fighters have taken a lot of damage in this slugfest.

It doesn't matter though.

BOOM!*

Nobody saw it. Nobody reacted to it yet. Nobody could. Only I predicted it, but it was still too fast for me to follow. No, fast isn't even the right word to use. It was instantaneous.

One second, Jolteon was getting ready to release her electricity at the Zigzagoon standing before her. Then still during that same second, she had slammed into the arena wall at an incomprehensible speed. The Zigzagoon now stood atop her still form, shaking like the last leaf on a dying tree in a hurricane, but standing nonetheless. The excess energy within him had already dissipated into nothingness.

Complete and utter silence fills the arena. Every single person there, myself included, stands stock still. All are awestruck, having caught a fraction of a glimpse of the dream shared by Goliath and myself.

Despite the tremors of pain coursing through his body, even Goliath himself is standing wide-eyed. He simply stares down at the fallen Jolteon before him. For the first time, the dream he has been so desperately clinging to has shown itself to be more than just a dream. He, too, has just caught his first glimpse of what he could be.

A banging sound and a sharp noise come through the speakers. The MC had dropped his mic.

"Jolteon is unable to battle!" The sharp noise jolts the referee to action, but he is still just responding as he's trained to. His mind is still clouded by what he had just witnessed. "Zigzagoon and Reid Redwood are the winners!"

I'm already hopping over the rail and onto the field. Mirabelle follows close behind me, flapping her wings and flying over the rail to not be left behind. Nurse Joy, having apparently beaten me to it, arrives at Goliath's side by the time my feet touch the battlefield. She releases Chancy and kneels down between both Pokemon. That last impact was more than Jolteon could take in her state too. Goliath sways on his feet, looking ready to collapse at any time, but his eyes are still locked on to Jolteon's form.

"Absolutely incredible!" The MC must have picked his mic back up. "Ladies and gentlemen, you may have just witnessed the birth of a legend! The birth of GOLIATH!"

Goliath's ears perk up at the sound of someone mentioning his full name. I never knew it, but my words, when I told him that he would need to earn his name, had weighed on him heavily.

"Goliath!" My voice is equal parts excited and nervous.

He struggles to face me. Limping and swaying just from the effort of turning around. However, I will never forget the look on his face when our eyes meet. Pride, joy, excitement, relief, love: a vast array of emotions are present in his gaze, and each is just as meaningful as the last. However, one other emotion encompasses and eclipses all the rest.

Trust. In his eyes is complete and utter trust in me, in himself, and in our dream. What was once a fun dream to chase has now become something more. Now, instead of a dream about what our future could be, he has a belief of what our future will be.

Radiant white light envelops his form.

"Oh my!" Nurse Joy opens her mouth in shock before covering her eyes with her arm.

I do no such thing. I watch the process from start to finish, even as white spots begin to form in my vision. I have to see the results of Goliath's work through to the end.

When the light fades, a large and powerful Linoone lies unconscious before me. I know I should be worried, but I'm certain that he will be perfectly fine. After all, this Pokemon is one who is destined to become so much greater than this. Fate would never let him fall here. Besides, even if fate did decide this was it for him, Goly himself wouldn't allow that to happen. His stubbornness will never let him stay down for long.


Reid Redwood

Badges: 1

Pokémon: 2

Goliath (Goly)

Linoone

Abilitie(s):

Gluttony, Pick Up, Quick Feet

Moves:

Headbutt, Take Down, Dig, Pin Missile, Iron Tail, Extreme Speed, Covet, Flail, Protect, Rest, Belly Drum, Double Team, Growl, Sand Attack, Tail Whip

Mirabelle (Belle)

Tropius

Abilitie(s):

Harvest, ?

Moves:

Razor Leaf, Gust, Leaf Storm, Leech Seed, Curse, Growth