Notes (03/11/2023): Please head to my profile if you want to know about what's been going on and what's next. Thank you!


With our departure from S.S. Anne, it was not long before the cruise was going to leave.

As the cruise ship released its final honks at Vermillion as its goodbye, it set sail and continued its journey around the world. A lot of people were there to witness yet another departure, including Sip and I.

Sip was more towards joining the crowd along with the flow; he was not actually as interested towards the happenings at his very eyes. He casually looked around him, noticing the people with negative emotions shown on their faces: some dejected, some disappointed, some concerned.

He was confused, "Are Kantonians supposed to be this upset over a ship leaving their town? It's not like they wouldn't see it return next year, anyway."

I replied, "I mean, S.S. Anne did have a long history with Kanto, especially Vermillion City. Over time, I guess people here did develop some sort of… feeling of attachment?"

Sip slightly laughed at my response, "I don't really get it. It's not like people here lost much after S.S Anne's departure; their lives just went back to normal. It's not gonna tremendously affect them or anything."

"That was just my assumption," I added, "it's either that, or it's the fact that they just lost a goose that lays golden eggs for months to come. S.S. Anne's arrival always attracts people all around the region, after all."

Sip chuckled, "It's always about the money for adults."

"We're not that far from becoming adults too, y'know." I replied.

As the cruise ship slowly disappeared from my sight, I sighed with a sign of wistfulness. At least Kantonians can still anticipate its return next year.

Meanwhile, some things just would not come back to you, no matter how hard you hoped for.

Deaths, friendships broken by quarrels, etc.

I looked at Sip, as his figure along with a few others close to me and were still doing well, flashed through my mind.

I lightly smiled.

The things I lost were just part of the challenges I had to go through, and eventually move on.

…Which is why it's important to cherish those I have right now.


As the commotion ended, we decided to register for our Gym Battle once we assumed there was nothing else we planned to do in Vermillion.

Upon entering the Gym, we were greeted by the lobby, decorated with the Gym Leader's medals and awards obtained during his military service. The decorations really showed Lt. Surge's pride at being part of the military.

Unfortunately, there was no receptionist working there as we entered during lunch hours. However, there was a set of paper forms that allowed trainers to write down their personal and scheduling details to be approved as soon as possible. As we were going to take two forms from the set, a manly voice slightly surprised us, "Ah, lunch hour things… You two here, scheduling for Gym Battles?"

We looked towards the voice and there was the Vermilion Gym Leader, Lt. Surge. He was a muscular and tall man, probably a result of his military service. His sleeveless green shirt, camouflage pants, black boots and a dog tag also resembled a throughout army look.

As usual, Sip was the one to approach Lt. Surge first, as expected from a much more sociable person compared to me, whose communication skills went downhill over the years. He said, "Yeah, we would like to schedule our Gym Battles at…"

However, Lt. Surge was not focused on my friend; instead, he glanced at me, emitting a fierce aura that slightly feared me. Then, he asked Sip, "Trainer, you better clarify whether I'm taking one or two Gym Battles here! It's really hard to know about that when it's just you talking."

Sip immediately clarified, "It's for the both of us, Leader Surge."

Thinking that the Vermilion Gym Leader would just be settled with the quick clarification, Sip was going to continue with the scheduling details. To his surprise, he was cut off again as Lt. Surge pointed at me and said, "You over there, stand straight and face me eye to eye! Show off your confidence as a trainer!"

I was startled, but I knew I had to at least try giving a response. I exchanged eyes with the Gym Leader for a few moments, but instinctively looked away right after. The task from the Gym Leader was quite the challenge for me, given that I hated face-to-face contact with strangers.

Lt. Surge probably noticed my uncomfortableness as his voice became slightly less stern while maintaining its powerful tone. He warned, "Trainer, better not act like this in battle! I expect a serious and flared up battle, and if you're not up for the challenge, it's better to just not schedule now. Understand?!"

The only response I could give was endless nodding.

I know Lt. Surge usually acts like this to every trainer, but I didn't expect to get a taste of it that quickly…

The aftermath of the conversation still lingered as I put my hoodie up.

Sip immediately tried to loosen up the tense situation, "Don't worry about that, Leader Surge! He's a whole new person when battling. You won't be disappointed!"

Lt. Surge continued examining me as he sighed, "…I guess. He does have two badges, after all… even if his confidence is non-existent right now."

He finally freed me from the staring as he reverted his attention back to Sip and immediately settled with the scheduling of both our Gym Battles, which will be happening in three days. Afterwards, we immediately left, me particularly with zero interest in staying any longer after what happened.

Upon leaving the Vermilion Gym, Sip was actually quite amazed, "Wow, he's just as the trainers said, serious and amped up! You can tell just from his behavior."

"...Scarily serious and amped up." I added.

Sip did not seem fazed at Lt. Surge at the slightest as he chimed, "At least that lifts up my expectations to have a great battle on Monday!"

"…Perhaps. We gotta train hard for that, then." I nodded.


The training was much more needed on my side compared to Sip's, in fact. On paper, there was close to no advantage for my team typing wise. This battle would probably be close to the toughest so far since I returned as a trainer.

After a short rest, I quickly started training for my team.

"Shadow, Psycho Cut!" I commanded right as my Absol unleashed her previous move mid-air. Despite being a less-balanced composure, she was trained enough to form the psychic power blades towards the tree that became the victim for her practice. The move ended up landing right at the middle of the tree trunk.

As she landed without trouble and walked back to me, I was proud, "You've definitely come a long way since you first joined the team."

As she smiled in response, I continued, "This Gym Battle will definitely be much different, though. Usually, Electric types tend to have faster movement and are able to dodge attacks much better, unlike that tree trunk that you just…. abused. Perhaps during battle, you could try to predict where they're heading for and land your attacks there to catch them off guard."

Of course, I knew that my advice was quite abstract, as proven by Shadow's confused expression. Darnit, I wish there's some way I can help her understand what I meant.

As the thought came into my mind, a Ninjask that I assumed was wild, appeared in front of our sights. Although it was rare to see any wild Pokémon, let alone… Ninjask? In the Kanto region? to even appear in the training areas I usually picked, it was not completely unexpected. Shadow immediately stood alongside me, ready to battle. The Pokémon's fierce expression showed its intention to engage anytime soon.

The Ninjask immediately flew towards Shadow, attempting an X-Scissor attack, but it was roughly predictable as my Dark type got herself out of the super-effective move rather easily. After that, she immediately fired back with a Psycho Cut attack, only for Ninjask to start its dodging shenanigans.

Ninjask, despite not being an Electric type, is known to be one of the fastest Pokémon to ever exist in this world. Instead of attacking, it seemed like it was somewhat stalling as it started to fly around Shadow at an abnormally fast speed, dodging her attempts in even landing a single hit on the Bug and Flying type. Watching her aim her attacks at the wild Pokémon reminded me of the times I attempted to land my bullets on moving enemies in the popular first-person-shooter game, Poké Strike.

Actually, doesn't this actually feel like the scenario I was trying to describe? I should take the chance to help Shadow out too.

I started focusing on the Ninjask's movements. Although it seemed to be flying in a pattern that was too miserable for any normal human to remember, I managed to roughly decipher the spots where Shadow can try to land hits on.

As I instructed Shadow on her aiming, I figured it was her timing she needed to work on, to make sure she hit the Ninjask when she needed to. Shadow was definitely back in shape after the battles and training she did throughout the Kanto journey so far, but it was still no easy feat for her, as shown from her still being unable to land consistent hits despite listening to my instructions.

Eventually though, she was able to analyze the information somewhat accurately, which was enough for her to predict when she should release her Psycho Cut attacks to land it perfectly. She would later even improvise when there was a sudden speed change in the Ninjask's movements.

After what felt like eternity, as Shadow started landing hits consistently, the "wild" Ninjask was finally done fooling around with us, as it collapsed onto the ground, drained. At that point, I had some doubts about this Ninjask actually being wild, but I walked towards Shadow and thanked her for clearing out the sudden trouble.

Shadow modestly nodded to my thanks and said, "...Now I kinda get it. That was good practice."

As I smiled and wanted to check on the Ninjask, it was actually already taken care of… by another trainer, answering my doubts a few moments ago. The trainer sprayed a bottle of Hyper Potion at the Pokémon, recovering it almost instantly. Another familiar individual arrived beside him as well, as I knowingly smiled, "Harry, Brawly, you two finally arrived."

"You bet!" Harry was energetic in his response as he returned his Ninjask, "That training was right on the spot like Soda Pop, ain't that right?"

"For sure. It'll help out in the battle against Leader Surge. Thanks for that."

"No big deal! Treat that as a thanks for visiting S.S. Anne in place of us two." He warmly shook hands with me. It had been such a long time since I met him, and he changed a lot since our journeys in Hoenn. As mentioned previously, his main interest became surfing, but he still occasionally battled when there was an opportunity to do so. He was also wearing a headband featuring what seemed like the scenery of Dewford Town, along with a black top and dark blue cropped pants. His skin was also noticeably more tanned compared to before, a result of his change to a more outdoor-based hobby.

"It's quite lucky for us to reach here right on time for the surfing competition, though. Harry's gonna be bummed if we missed it out." Brawly said. Over the years, his seemingly young appearance barely changed despite entering his early 30s. His vigorous activities plus his harsh training definitely contributed to that.

"When's the surfing competition happening, anyway?" I asked.

"In two days, actually!" Harry invited, "If you are free, you should come and watch. You won't be disappointed!"

I gladly accepted the invite, "Sure thing. It doesn't clash with my Gym Battle, anyway."

As I briefly showed them around town for them to familiarize themselves, we chatted about how each of us were doing in our endeavors. He also asked about Sip and was enthusiastic to see him again. Afterwards, seeing that there was still some time before the sun setted, Harry was eager to immediately start practice for the competition. With that, I temporarily parted ways with the two and went back to the PokéCentre.

He really changed from the first time I saw him, huh.

It was still quite amusing to me, how he was able to just do a 180 degree switch in his careers, letting go of his past as a previous Junior League Champion in the Ever Grande League. It was not unheard of, but the career switch was made by Harry, a person who used to be so extreme in his previous Trainer days just to ensure every battle victory. At least from the looks of it, he definitely did not regret his decision.

And in two days, I'll be able to see the results of his efforts over the years, when we were apart from each other.

I can't wait to see that.


It was not long before the day of the competition arrived. As I arrived at the venue with Sip, Harry and Brawly, unfortunately but as expected, there was a noticeable crowd around the area, consisting of a mix of the competing surfers and the audience. I was not too into the surfer scene, but the competitors looked confident going into this.

Harry, who probably also noticed, just laughed it off, "What a stacked competition! This should be quite the surf."

"Yeah, they do seem quite amped up!" Sip exclaimed.

"A surfer must have confidence in their abilities." Harry replied, "They're not just battling against the players, after all."

That's true… At the sea, they have to, as Surfer would say in the past, "ride the waves and win". Everyone here must've been prepared for this to prevent any mistakes that could break their runs.

As the father-and-son duo went together to check-in for the competition, Sip and I found a good location around the sandy area to sit and watch. Sip said, "Harry acts so mature and cheerful now, that I almost forgot he was completely different back then!"

"I guess us being involved in his Hoenn journey contributed to that. I'm glad." I was truly happy for Harry.

"Woah, it's nice of you to involve me in this and all, but it's definitely mainly just you. Whatever paths you two crossed during the Ever Grande League, you slowly but surely affected him in a positive way. In the matches, he just seemed better and better, not just skill wise."

He laid down on the sand with both his hands below his head, "Man, it only felt like yesterday that all that stuff happened! I actually met Harry yesterday and caught up with a lot of things between both of us."

"Oh, it must've been good talk, then."

"Definitely! He also asked me about you over the years, which I kinda just told him what I knew. Hope you didn't mind about that."

"Nah, I'm fine with it." I wasn't going to be unnecessarily secretive about… most of my previous life. Not that Sip would know the extremely disclosed parts, anyway. "Besides, even if I wasn't, you would probably still say it anyway just in the heat of the moment." I said, already imagining the look of Sip talking non-stop during his meetup with Harry.

"Wow, you just know me too well." Sip laughed.

After a bit of waiting, the competition began. It was quite the sight, seeing the surfers able to handle the waves just so easily while making such impressive feats with their surfboards. It was like they had combined as one with their surfboards, performing the impeccable waltzes with the sea as the grand stage.

It must've taken them so much practice and experience to be this good.

Of course, there were mistakes here and there from each competitor, but they were minor and did not undermine their overall outstanding performances. I was also able to learn some fancy terms about surfing moves, which the caster frequently mentioned.

And finally, it was Harry's turn to enter the waves.

As the caster called his name, the screen showing the surfers closed up switched the scene to a close-up of Harry, who at that time was located in the middle of the Vermillon Sea. Once everything was ready, he started taking off, just like every other competitor we had seen so far, paddling until he made sure he had caught the wave. After receiving the confirmation from his surfboard and the somewhat violent waves, he calmly pushed himself up, located his legs in a stable position on his surfboard before standing up successfully with no signs of tumbling. He was off to a great start, but it was no time for him to relax. It was just the beginning, after all.

He made use of the time he had efficiently, quickly getting used to the wave he was riding and started his tricks with two continuous right rolls. The caster, as usual, commented on what Harry was doing, "Surfer Harry Waves starting off easy with a clean Huntail Spiral!"

He then continued his run with another set of left rolls, called the "Gorebyss Spiral". The tricks he performed were no different than other surfers, but there was a hint of higher professionalism in Harry's movements compared to most surfers Sip and I had watched. His tricks so far seemed a lot cleaner and the executions were near perfect, which just showed the solid basics he had towards the new hobby he loved. The early results were definitely in favor of the Dewford native, as building an early momentum was always what a surfer needed before performing harder tricks.

Feeling much more confident about his condition, he readied himself to try something harder. He rode the wave and took off to the sky at a much higher height. Then, with a quick fashion, he made a continuous back and front flips while managing to keep himself balanced in the air before landing back onto the wave in succession.

"Now that was something we haven't seen in a while!" The caster commented, "What Surfer Harry just performed was a Lanturn 360! While this move was commonly seen in the Mantine Surfing activity in the Alola region, it proved to be much harder to perform on a normal surfboard. To see it happening for the first time on this stage was not only a brave feat, but an astounding one as well!"

The audience cheered at Harry's success with the trick. He smiled and waved at the audience, before quickly readying himself for another big one. After another Huntail Spiral to adjust himself, he made another huge leap from the wave on the surfboard and did what was called a "Primarina Twist" - three front flips in a row. There were only one or two competitors who tried this trick so far, and the trick proved to be only successful when the conditions and skills were fulfilled.

Harry definitely had both of those at the moment. He wasted no time the moment he reached the air and started the second expert trick.

One front flip…

Two front flips…

Three front flips!

The third front flip noticeably took a longer time compared to the others, but Harry fought the small mistake through and was able to make a slightly unbalanced landing. Nevertheless, in a risky fashion, the trick was once again defeated by Harry.

Despite keeping a smile and waving to the audience as they cheered for him, I could not help but feel a little worried for him.

That was close.

Just as everyone thought his performance was over, Harry suddenly turned a lot more serious and faced the wave once again. There was not much time for him, and made a slightly different pose to gain the most momentum possible.

The caster recognized the pose and said in a mix of excitement and shock, "That pose… There's no way! Surfer Harry is currently preparing for one of the hardest tricks in Pokémon Surfing history, Over the Gyarados!"

Some of the audience, who knew about the trick gasped as the caster continued explaining, "To briefly explain, competitor Harry later has to attempt a set of left and right rolls along with a front and backflip, all in a single jump. Just as you imagined, it was a near-impossible move, even in Mantine Surfing terms. Is Surfer Harry going to perform the trick unscathed today?"

As the caster ended to give Harry the full spotlight, Harry made his one last jump, higher than any of the ones he did throughout his run. With that, everyone held their breath as Harry started Over the Gyarados.

Left roll… succession!

Right roll… succession!

Front flip… succession!

but time is running out!

I thought as gravity started pulling him and his surfboard back towards the sea water. Instead of forcing a landing, he made a full send in his performance as he hurriedly made the final backflip required to complete the puzzle of the trick.

Back flip…

Unsuccessful. It was already too late by the time he managed to barely complete the final part as he crashed into the sea with a failed landing. The vicious waves showed no mercy as they engulfed Harry, causing the audience, including me, to become worried as help was immediately sent by the competition's staff. It was not long before Harry managed to escape from the sea, mostly unharmed.

Though the performance ended on a regretful note, the audience still clapped, for both Harry's overall run and the staff's quick reaction to support the competitors when they were in danger.

After a while, as the competition continued, Harry and Brawly managed to find Sip and I before sitting down and watching the other surfers too.

Sip fired his worries right at Harry while Harry reassured him that he was alright. I also expressed, "You seem fine now, but that was quite worrying for a moment there."

Harry shrugged it off, "This isn't the first time it has happened; won't be the last, either. Besides, I'm more disappointed by the fact I couldn't finish Over the Gyarados. Not only that it would lose me points, it also means that I have a lot more to learn."

Brawly comforted him like a good father figure, "Things won't always work out, Harry. Besides, you're still young and will have steam for the next few years to try all the tricks you want."

"You're right, Dad," Harry did not seem too dejected by the failure, either way, "I'll just come back stronger next time."

As the competition neared the end, Harry wanted to go for a short washroom break. While he was away, Brawly took the opportunity to tell Sip and I, "Y'know, don't tell Harry I said this, but he never actually succeeded Over the Gyarados once ever during his practice."

Sip was shocked, "No way! This guy has balls of steel to even attempt the riskiest move in a match."

"The way Sip described it was… kinda weird, but he's right. He was quite the risk taker out there."

"That's Harry for you," Brawly helplessly smiled, "never giving up until the last moment."

Not long after Harry returned, the competition came to an end and the results were announced. Unfortunately, Harry was not one of the winners. It was not unexpected due to the mistake he made, which was a nail in the coffin for his run in the competition. That did not mean it was not disappointing for us to hear the results with our own ears, though.

I was trying to think of something that could cheer my potentially upset friend up, but surprisingly, he was the most cheerful out of us four, "It's alright, guys. You don't win 'em all the time."

"I guess… What a bummer, though!" Sip sighed.

"Yeah, you must've worked so hard for the competition." I said.

Harry shrugged, "It's fine! The reason for me to join these contests is to see how far I've come with my surfing skills. If it doesn't work out this time, that just means next time will definitely be better."

I was impressed by how fast he got over his loss and his new mindset, a complete contrast with the overly competitive nature he possessed when I first met him in Hoenn. I smiled, "I wish I could have your mindset. You really have found your calling over the years, huh."

Harry chuckled, "For sure. Surfing is currently my main purpose of life now. I remember the few times we kept in touch through messaging in Pokégear, you would ask whether it was okay for me to switch careers from Trainer to Surfer…" He firmly faced me, brimming in confidence as he replied, "Through this contest, I just wanted to show you my final answer… yes, it was totally worth it."

I was feeling slightly bittersweet as I received the assuring answer; things really had changed, but in a good way for my former rival. Even though the paths we were taking would not be the complete same anymore, at least our friendship would stay the same for the rest of time.

I promised myself to never let this friendship go, no matter what, just like the others I was cherishing and appreciating.

Noticing my change in expression, he patted my shoulder, "Besides, it's not like I've completely given up on training my Pokémon! I even had a friendly match against my Dad last month. It was neck and neck!"

"That's true." I smiled.

"My journey as a Trainer might be on an indefinite hiatus…" He looked towards me once again, "but yours isn't right now. When I heard you're participating in the Indigo League, I was so sure you're going to do well, and so far, I think I'm right. Carry the spirits of both me and you from the very beginning… and walk forward to brave your own waves."

I needed time to digest all of what he said, but I was sure of the fact that I was not going to let him down. This journey was not about myself anymore, but also about the others who had hopes and expectations from me.

At that moment, I was determined to try my best, no matter my own circumstances and the upcoming hurdles I would have to leap through for the time to come.

After a while, Brawly walked towards Harry and gave his son a big pat on the back, "I'm really proud of you, Harry."

The competition was over, but the positive atmosphere remained as we went to Magmortar Hot Pot for dinner as a consolatory celebration for Harry's valiant efforts in the competition.


Lows' Team:

Surfer (Blastoise, male) Jolly Nature, moves: Scald, Aqua Tail, Ice Beam, Iron Defense

Grace (Gardevoir, female) Calm Nature, moves: Psychic, Shadow Ball, Thunderbolt, Calm Mind

Woody (Sceptile, male) Lonely Nature, moves: Leaf Blade, Giga Drain, Aerial Ace, Agility

Power (Machamp, male) Timid Nature, moves: Submission, Cross Chop, Rock Tomb, Bulk Up

Shadow (Absol, female) Quiet Nature, moves: Night Slash, Superpower, Psycho Cut, Protect

Star (Ampharos, female) Gentle Nature, moves: Discharge, Thunder Punch, Confuse Ray, Power Gem

Sip's Team:

Magma (Magcargo, male) Relaxed Nature, moves: Flamethrower, Ancient Power, Overheat, Stealth Rock

Bounce (Grumpig, male) Lax Nature, moves: Psychic, Shadow Ball, Bounce, Teeter Dance

Max (Flygon, male) Brave Nature, moves: Earthquake, Dragon Claw, Draco Meteor, Dragon Tail

Slash (Scizor, male) Serious Nature, moves: X-Scissor, Night Slash, Bullet Punch, Swords Dance