[episode two]

By the time she went to his room the next morning, Lance was already gone. The receptionist of the hotel smiled apologetically as he handed her the letter Lance left behind, which briefly explained he'd taken the early train to the League, that he'd see her in Lumiose in a few days, he'd made sure she had no access to her dragons, and good luck on her first Gym battle! Clair pursed her lips. This'll be good for you and Fennekin, he'd written. How cruel he was to leave her in a strange place, without even her Dragonite by her side. She glanced at Fennekin, who sat dutifully on her foot, and sighed. Have it your way, then.

Clair picked up Fennekin, set her on her shoulder, and walked out of the establishment. Fennekin reveled in the attention: she yipped and danced in circles and drew too much attention to herself from her cuteness. Nearby Trainers—young girls—squealed with delight. "Settle down," Clair hissed, poking the small fox on the nose. Fennekin licked her finger in response. Annoyed, Clair picked Fennekin up and placed her by her feet. "If you don't behave, I'll stick you in your ball," she warned. "Now come on."

Last night, the small Fennekin slept soundly beside Clair, curled up and cuddling next to her in a neat little ball. Clair assumed that the fox would be calmer once rested, but she was wrong. Morning came and the scamp was all energy, leaping from bed to floor and dancing around the room. When she caught Clair's attention, the Pokémon all but sang her excitement and jumped on her stomach and licked her face. Clair was a woman used to dealing with stoic dragons—the absolute affection Fennekin already held for her was something else.

With Lance gone, Clair had no other plans. He'd mentioned her taking on the Gyms, but she didn't believe her new Pokémon was anywhere near ready for that kind of commitment. Besides, the fox was as silly as they came: Clair didn't think she'd had the focus for battling. But I could change that, a small voice said. A small, mischievous little voice that had never steered Clair wrong before. A voice that made Gyarados out of Magikarp. She grinned. "Let's go, little one," she said, glancing at her Pokémon and motioning towards the edge of town. "I think I can make a Champion out of you yet."

Rather than head towards Lumiose by way of Parterre Way, Clair instead went back into Détourner Way, towards the Rhyhorn Racing fields. Gone were the banners and balloons of yesterday, and the many vending stalls had vacated to other areas of the route. Families and traveling Trainers were scattered about, with brick road winding its way around many patches of tall grass. Trees and flower bushes of all sizes dispersed the pains, leaving Détourner Way a perfect place for people and Pokémon alike. Clair walked along the path, avoiding junior Trainers, until she came to a nice secluded spot along the river. She opened her bag, placed out a blanket, and sat along the shore. She sat cross-legged on the blanket—Fennekin snaking her way past her arms and sprawling over her lap—and booted up her Arc phone.

Now that she had time to really look at it, the device was exceedingly modern. Lance mentioned it not being as advanced as his, but to Clair, anything other than her Pokégear was a technological marvel. She tapped the button that looked like a Bulbasaur's bulb—Bulbapedia, the Pokédex app, she remembered—and found the page for Fennekin. Apparently the device had already connected with her Poké Balls. Confused but pleased, Clair then spent the next several minutes studying its physiology and other data, remarking how similar it appeared to Vulpix, but surprised that it turned into a dual psychic type.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO NICKNAME FENNEKIN? A small button on the screen flashed. Clair cocked her head. Now that was a new one. She'd never given thought to nicknaming her Pokémon before—her dragons needn't any—but Fennekin? She glanced at the dozing Fennekin who'd taken over her lap, blissfully unaware of the intense training that was to come. Yes, Fennekin definitely seemed the type to have a name. Smiling, Clair typed in WINDIE and accepted the change. "Okay, time to get to work," she said, standing up and brushing Windie off.

Windie toppled to the ground comically, first hopping to her feet then turning in circles and laying back down. Clair tutted and picked her up once more. "Now Windie, it's time to see what you can do," she said, setting Windie down six feet from her. "The 'dex says you already know a fire-type move. Show me your Ember."

Windie sat. Cocked her head. Then danced her way back to Clair's side, tail wagging. Clair picked her up and set her across from her three more times before Windie got the idea that she needed to stay. Frowning, Clair picked up a rock and gently tossed it in front of the Fennekin. "Ember!" This time Windie understood. Standing on all fours, she yipped and fired a blanket of small orange sparks at the rock. It fell to the ground, smoking. "That's it!" Clair said. She tossed another rock, and Windie shot it from the sky. Clair went over to her Pokémon, smiling from ear to ear. "I knew you could do it." She stroked Windie underneath the chin and ruffled her fur. "Now let's try out Flame Charge."

Clair's philosophy when it came to training was usually an all-out offensive. To her, a good defense meant a strong offense, and if you were faster than your opponent, then you had the ultimate advantage. Fennekin and its evolutions had the upper hand in that they were both quick and powerful, and if she could harness Windie's innate potential—rather than let her dance her way to a surprise victory—they could go far. So Clair drilled Windie until the Fennekin could reliably shoot a rock from the air, and, Windie's favorite, run as fast as she could away from Clair without being caught.

Clair collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily, after about two hours of intense training. Windie slumped beside her. She felt a little out of shape after not exercising since she arrived in Kalos. I'll have to change that, Clair vowed. She brushed her bangs from her eyes and rolled over onto her back, watching as the clouds lazily drifted across the blue sky. Windie snuggled against her side; Clair absently stroked her fur.

It wasn't much, but it was honest work. Windie still had a way to go before she was ready for a Gym, but Clair felt more confident in her Pokémon's abilities now that she'd seen her focus. Though silly, Windie wanted to fight, and was happy to do whatever Clair asked her to do. Clair found herself thinking, again, that perhaps Lance's professor friend really did know what he was doing when he gifted Fennekin to her. "All right, break's over," Clair said, rousing Windie and getting back on her feet. "Let's do another hour and head back."

Windie had other plans. Usually very compliant, she instead snuffled the ground, sniffed the air, and then took off running. Thinking her Pokémon was taking the initiative, Clair followed her at an easy jog before picking up the pace, as Windie's quick learning caused her speed to increase. "Windie! Get back here!" Windie ran through the tall grass, up the path, and doubled back along the river before settling on a direct course to the deeper part of the route. Nose held high, she crashed head first into the thicket and straight into the path of a small blue Pokémon in the middle of practicing formations. Clair called out too late for the Fennekin to stop. "Windie—!"

Just as Windie was about to collide into the Pokémon, it sidestepped in one smooth motion, turning around and facing Windie. It barked at her. Windie leaned forward on her haunches, a play bow, yipping and altogether unphased. Clair crept closer, careful to avoid detection. The Pokémon kicked at Windie, but Windie rolled over, her tongue lolling and her tail wagging. Clair watched as the other Pokémon relaxed, but remained visibly wary of the Fennekin. It circled Windie, suspicious.

She'd never seen a Pokémon like this before, but the Champion Cynthia had something similar, a Lucario. Clair remembered Cynthia mentioning its aura-sensing capabilities, and how, with training, they could use their opponent's aura to predict their movements. Vastly sensitive, Lucario could understand human speech and only trusted those persons with righteous hearts. Clair had always prided herself on only raising dragons. She'd never dreamed of training anything else. But in this moment, watching Windie attempt to initiate play with the Riolu, she wanted nothing more than to make it hers.

Clair glanced over her shoulder. Nothing. So it really was alone. "Windie, come here," she whispered, motioning over at her Pokémon. Windie didn't seem to notice. The Riolu, however, did. Its ears pricked as she spoke and it immediately went on the offensive, launching itself at Clair and nearly knocking her in the jaw with its paws. Clair scrambled backward as the Riolu lunged again, this time leading with a roundhouse kick to her shins. "Flame Charge, now!" she sputtered, jumping backwards to avoid being hit.

Windie leaped into action a fraction of a second too late: despite letting the red flames increase her speed, she was still too slow for the Riolu. Clair ducked and weaved from the Riolu's aggressive charges as Windie failed to tackle it. After one close miss, Clair decided she'd seen enough. The Pokémon was spirited, eager to fight. The perfect partner. She just needed to make it hers. As the Riolu lunged for another punch, Clair held out her hands and blocked it in her palms. It slammed against them with an audible SMACK! Clair winced but grappled the Pokémon's paws and held tightly. "Windie, now! Ember!"

The Fennekin hesitated, looking from her Trainer to the Riolu, before letting out a blast of sparks. Clair let go of Riolu as the flames hit, just barely managing to avoid being singed. Riolu was buffeted from the fire, and Clair took her chance. She grabbed an empty Poké Ball from her belt and lobbed it at the Riolu, praying to the spirits that the thing would accept defeat. The capsule shook once, twice… three times… ping. It appeared to be caught. Her Arc phone buzzed at her side. WOULD YOU LIKE TO NICKNAME RIOLU?

Clair stared at the inert ball for what seemed like hours. Then she shook her thoughts free, grabbed the Poké Ball, and released the Riolu within. JUDE reappeared in a flash of light. He stared up at her with intelligent eyes that seemed to read her soul. And instead of attacking her, he seemed shy, averting his gaze and choosing to look toward Windie, who happily pounced on him. The two Pokémon wrestled as Clair nursed her aching hands. It wasn't the first time she'd taken a hit from a Pokémon. Though small, the Riolu was mighty. And with the way Windie had taken a shine to him, Clair surmised that she could use that to her advantage.

"Hey Jude," Clair said, her voice soft. "I'm Clair. I hope we can do great things together." She dropped to her knees and held her hand out. Windie leaped toward her open arms and snuggled in her lap, circling and failing to find comfortable purchase. "This is Windie." Clair laughed and gently pushed Windie off her lap. Windie remained on her side, tail thumping on the grass.

The Riolu, still hesitant, came forward and sniffed her hand. He studied her again. There was something unsettling in his piercing gaze, as if he knew who she was, who she would become. Jude seemed satisfied, however, and allowed Clair to stroke his head. His fur was unusually soft. Clair's heart swelled until it felt like it would burst. It was the same feeling when her Dratini evolved into Dragonair, and eventually into Dragonite. A sense of accomplishment, a labor of love. And at the center of it all was heart.

Clair wasn't sure if it was her embarrassing sentimentality or whatever, but she didn't want that feeling to end. Was this what Lance wanted for her? To feel like other Trainers did, without their grandfather's unwavering attention on them? To have an adventure, free from crushing responsibilities? With two Pokémon by her side, was she considered an "official" Pokémon Trainer, separate from her identity as a dragon tamer? Clair shook her head. Okay, enough of that nonsense. She was just Clair. There was nothing special about her.

Satisfied with his sniff, Jude went back to Windie and assumed a back stance position. He held his paws out and barked at Windie, presumably for her to jump him. Windie yapped back and obliged, lighting her small paws with orange flames and rushing at him. With one circular motion, Jude deflected Windie and sent her barreling to the ground. Clair watched her Pokémon spar for a few more minutes before realizing the time. It was nearly noon, and they'd spent most of the morning messing around. "Let's head back," she said, standing from her spot in the grass and wiping herself off. "Jude, we'll practice against real opponents after lunch."

Jude bounced on his toes and, with a look at Windie, cartwheeled over to Clair. She patted him on the head and stroked his soft cheek. Windie, not wanting to be left behind, dashed as fast as she could over to her Trainer and crashed into her legs. She barked and pleaded for attention, scratching with small paws at Clair's shins. "Okay, okay, you too!" She kneeled and stroked the Fennekin, who hopped into her arms. Clair laughed and set her on the ground. "I'm not going to carry you," she chastised. "We'll go together."

Windie was not pleased that she had to walk, but she forgot her disappointment as quick as it came. Instead, she trotted in circles around Jude, who walked dutifully by Clair's side. Despite being so different from the dragons she'd raised, her two Pokémon were starting to grow on her. Even Windie, whose boundless energy was somehow charming.

Backtracking to retrieve her things only took a few minutes. Clair packed up her belongings and, with a sly grin to her Pokémon, plucked out a Sitrus berry from its pouch and gave one to each Windie and Jude. True to their natures, Jude took his with gentle paws, while Windie snatched hers and devoured it, the glutton.

Snacks eaten, Clair began the long walk back to town. While she normally would spend entire days—weekends, even—out in the wilderness with her dragons, her current team was quite inexperienced. And Jude was freshly wild. If she was to meet Lance in Lumiose and defeat the Gym leader all in a few days, she had to get her team into shape. The fastest place to do that was the Trainer's School. Brimming with junior Trainers, the schools were the perfect place for new and experienced alike to test their skills. Young Pokémon were able to practice without serious injury. Clair assumed that the school here in Santalune would provide more than enough experience for her team. They were, after all, the Pokémon of a dragon master.

【-】

Clair approached the brick building with the swagger of experience. In the courtyard she saw a gaggle of children eagerly watching their teacher show off a series of techniques from a fluffy white Pokémon she later learned was Furfrou. At her side, Windie and Jude appeared both nervous and excited. She smiled down at them and walked inside the rather regal-looking building. It was richly decorated, with comfortable wood paneling and dark tile flooring. While not particularly busy now—Clair assumed most everyone was on lunch—it would be packed soon enough. She made her way to the front desk, intent on signing her Pokémon up for battles. These kids would be good experience for her team.

The receptionist looked ecstatic when she approached. "Bounjour! What brings you—"

"I want to battle," Clair said, cutting the woman off. "Fennekin and Riolu. Any matches happening soon?"

"Ah—oui. Certainly. One moment." The receptionist's cheerful smile had disappeared, leaving only curt professionalism. She studied the monitor for a few moments, attention leaving it only to give Clair a distasteful once-over. The soft tap tap tap of thin fingers on a keyboard echoed through the vacant hall. "Yes, it appears we can fit you in. Lucky you."

Clair frowned. "Yeah? Good." She came to fight, not to be judged. She didn't need some prissy Kalosian's approval, anyway. Her accent was hard enough to understand. "We'll back in an hour."

"Have a great day."

She left, seizing a pamphlet for the city's Gym on the way out. Clair grumbled and fumed for several more blocks, until she reached the nearby Pokémon center. It was bustling, as always, but Clair managed to find a small corner to herself. The Centers were perfect for travelers, providing both food and rest to those who asked. Clair sat on the cushioned seat, knees pulled to her chest, the pamphlet sprawled on the table in front of her. The Gym leader's smiling face stared up at her. Tch! Clair put her boots on the table, covering it.

So much for having a good starting adventure. It was bad enough she couldn't understand the language—Clair had to rely on her subpar Common to get by—but now attitude from the locals? Give me a break. From the floor, Windie and Jude looked on expectantly. Sighing, Clair pulled out another pair of Sitrus berries from her bag and handed it to her Pokémon. "Stay here," she told them as she got up from her seat. "I'll be back."

Leaving her bag and Pokémon behind, Clair walked across the lobby to the food stand. They were giving out sandwiches and energy drinks, both of which she grabbed, although she wasn't particularly in the mood for either. Her Arc phone beeped and her cousin's name appeared on the screen. It showed an image of him smiling, an arm around both Will and Karen. SENDING BEST WISHES, the caption read. Her phone beeped again and another image, this time of just Lance giving double peace signs, popped up. GOOD LUCK!

Clair pursed her lips. Tried to fight the warm fuzzies building in her stomach. Spirits, her cousin was such a dweeb. But she smiled, knowing that at least her friends were there for her. Will with his dumb mask. Karen with her sly smiles. Those two made her matches against the Silver League more bearable when she faced her cousin as Champion. And when Clair lost, as she always lost, Karen always knew the right words to say. With a deep breath, she made her way back to her Pokémon and flopped on the couch. She gave them each a bite of her sandwich before scarfing the rest down. Windie, as usual, wanted more.

"So let's see who this so-called Leader is," Clair said to Jude, who stood near her knee. He stood as tall as he could manage before falling snout-first on the table. Clair laughed and set him in her lap. Windie, jealous, barked from the floor. She ignored her; she wasn't going to reward demanding behavior.

The pamphlet introduced Viola as Santalune's Gym leader. A bug-type user by trade, Viola's main passion was photography. Reproductions of her work filled the gallery in front of her Gym, and were again replicated on the page. Viola seemed to prefer close-up portraits of unaware subjects, and did not discriminate between people or Pokémon. Her most outstanding work, the pamphlet read, was in the innermost chambers of her Gym. And only those who challenged her could view them…

Clair didn't know the truth of that, but she supposed a bug-type leader would be easy enough to defeat. Unlike Bugsy, whose expertise with technical moves and a killer Scyther made him a formidable opponent, Viola led with a Surskit and something called a Vivillon. At least, she did when her adversary had limited badges. Windie had finally settled down, so Clair set her on the space beside her. The Fennekin immediately snuggled in close. Jude, stoic and yet still a young thing, fought back a yawn. Clair checked her phone—25 minutes until they had to be back at the school. Maybe a brief nap would be okay.

【-】

They made it to the Trainer's school with moments to spare. Clair arrived at her battle spot at the far end of the field, Jude on one side and Windie on the other, and stood expectantly for the other contender to arrive. A bell tolled in the distance, signaling the start of the afternoon's matches. A young boy with a Bulbasaur finally wandered in. "Are you Chase?" Clair asked, frowning. Kid looked like he was about 15 years old. He nodded and wiped the snot that was dribbling down his nose with the back of his hand. Clair made a face. "Okay. Get over there," she pointed toward the other end of the field. "Windie, like we practiced. Flame Charge, then hit it with Ember."

Windie yipped and leaped into action, more awake than she had been all day. The Bulbasaur waddled opposite her. With a wag of her tail, Windie's small paws lit with orange flame, and she ran in wide circles around the Pokémon. Jude watched, red eyes lit with passion, as the Bulbasaur failed to keep eyes on his foe. With a defying yowl, Windie slammed against the Bulbasaur's side, causing it to stagger slightly. But the Bulbasaur's had a hearty constitution, and slapped her away with its Vine Whip. Windie hopped aside, shaken. She looked at Clair with tear-filled eyes.

"Go on," Clair urged. "Ember!"

The Fennekin leaped aside as Bulbasaur lashed out with another Vine Whip. This time Windie let loose a spray of flames that singed the vines, causing Bulbasaur to recoil. Emboldened, she ran forward and released another Ember point-blank. Bulbasaur tried to turn too late. It collapsed on its stomach, defeated.

"No! Bulbasaur!" the other Trainer exclaimed. He pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You cheated. No way can Fennekin be that fast."

Windie ran over to Clair and leaped into her arms. She spun her little fox around once and held her close. "Great job!" she said, tickling Windie under the chin. Windie basked in the attention, yipping cutely. Noticing the boy still standing there sputtering curses, Clair shot him a dirty look. "Go find your next match, kid."

"Hell no! You cheated—"

Clair held a hand up, frowning. "Listen kid," she said, "it's called practice, of which you so obviously lack." Her eyes narrowed. "Shame you can't be as smart as your Pokémon."

The boy left in a huff, taking his Bulbasaur with him. Not that she cared; if a Trainer didn't bother with proper technique, they wouldn't go anywhere. No League, no badges, no nothing. Some people just didn't have what it takes. She did. Ignoring the kid, Clair set Windie on the ground, gave Jude a pat on the head, and went to find her next battle partner. Windie did better than Clair initially gave her credit for, and after another speedy battle, Clair was positive Windie was ready to face the first gym.

Jude's training was no different. Upon his next battles, the Riolu proved he was just as quick as Windie, if not more. Only two feet tall, Jude used his speed and small stature against larger opponents. He ran with a Quick Attack and rammed into his opponents, knocking them down with a swift blow to the ankles. But despite Clair's encouraging, Jude did not seem to know any other techniques. He could dodge and he could run, but he had no aura abilities. His fists seemed to lack that innate strength that fighting-types were known for.

Clair consulted the Bulbapedia app, but the Arc phone was no help. It only showed what her Pokémon was currently capable of. What was the point of an encyclopedia when the information was missing? Maybe it was a feature. Clair huffed and stuffed the phone into her pocket. Useless. Absolutely useless.

After a brief intermission, Clair and her team were ready for one final battle. Windie and Jude both were exhausted from the day, though Jude tried hard not to show it. Breathing deeply, he readied himself before his opponent, a Zigzagoon. The other trainer called greetings, but Clair ignored them, her focus on her Pokémon. How would he, without any special abilities, pursue this fight when the two were evenly matched? Zigzagoon was known for its zigzag movements. Jude had one technique. As Clair watched, she understood how the Riolu never found a trainer. He had a slight hitch in his right hock that hindered lateral movement just enough to be significant. His winding way of running and the careful, measured leaps were his way of countering that.

Zigzagoon rammed Jude with a solid Headbutt, sending him rolling across the battlefield. He came to his feet, albeit slowly, and got into battle stance once more. Uneasiness crawled into her stomach. Clair frowned. Maybe some passive range of motion exercises would loosen the joint up. She called for another Quick Attack and Jude lunged, pulling his small paws back for a heavy hit. Zigzagoon dodged, weaving its way back to its trainer. It barked, taunting Jude with its bottlebrush tail. Jude lunged again, this time hitting with a solid punch to the side.

Clair watched as the Zigzagoon took the hit and went rolling away. It lay there for a moment but… something seemed off. And as Jude made his way back to Zigzagoon, the Pokémon sprayed sand in his eyes, sending him in a frenzy to scratch the grit out. "Now's your chance, Zag! Headbutt!" the other trainer called.

"Step back, Jude!" But she called out too late. The Zigzagoon darted forward and collided with Jude, sending both Pokémon sprawling across the lawn. Zigzagoon got to its feet. Jude did not. The zigzag Pokémon waddled back to its trainer, triumphant.

She lost.

Clair watched as her Riolu struggled to his feet, mouth set. She thought he could make it—he was quick enough. But her poor judgement messed that up. Injured Jude. What kind of special fuckup did that make her?