Note: Kitto is pronounced [Kee-toe]. Kinda like the word Aikido.

This chapter, Koa has a new training partner as he journeys to his gym battle in Hearthome. How will his training go? And what other encounters will he have on the road there?

Echo (Male Golbat)

Hazard (Male Joltik)

Rascal (Female Tyrunt)

Anubis (Male Houndour)

Scrapper (Male Breloom)

"Mach Punch, again!"

Scrapper charged across the field towards Hitmonchan, his fist glowing. Then, when he was a couple of yards away, the energy dissipated. Scrapper lost his focus and looked down at his fist in shock. His foot caught on a stone and he tripped, flailing forwards and passing harmlessly by Hitmonchan, who had effortlessly stepped out of the way of the attack.

Koa winced. It was the morning after his battle with Kitto, and they had both woken up early to train. Or rather, Scrapper woke him up to train. Kitto was already up by the time he arose and requested a training match against Scrapper. So far, Scrapper had failed to replicate yesterday's success with Mach Punch.

As he watched, Scrapper scrambled to his feet and let out a cry of rage. He flew at Hitmonchan, throwing a series of wild jabs. They were fast, but nowhere near Mach Punch fast, and they lacked any kind of precision or power. Hitmonchan dodged every strike easily.

"Scrapper stop!" Koa shouted.

Scrapper whirled around, glaring angrily at him. Then, without warning, he charged.

Koa's eyes widened and he stepped back as the Breloom raced toward him.

"Enough," Kitto spoke. His voice was calm but easily carried from where he stood, several yards away.

Scrapper paused midstep, the fury dying in his eyes. His hands dropped to his side and he made an apologetic rumble. Koa swallowed nervously, giving Scrapper a sympathetic look. He knew Scrapper had been upset by his loss to Hitmonchan yesterday, and that compounded with his failure to harness Mach Punch again, put him on edge. He walked over to his companion, patting him comfortingly. "It's ok, Scrapper. We'll figure it out. Then we'll beat him," he added in a lower voice. Scrapper grinned, a bit of his earlier fire returning.

"We begin training today," Kitto said, walking up. "Your Breloom was able to use Mach Punch yesterday because he was harnessing the residual energy from his evolution."

Koa nodded, listening intently to every word.

"However, now that said energy is gone, he must now rely on his own ability. Which he lacks."

Scrapper grumbled at the comment but otherwise remained attentive.

Kitto continued. "Tell me, how do you think one learns to punch fast?"

Koa shrugged. "I don't know. Punching faster, I guess."

"And how do you 'throw a punch faster'?"

Koa blinked and frowned. He hadn't thought about how one actually punched faster. "I don't know," he admitted. "I guess you just... train? And move fast?" Even as he said the words, he was aware of how ridiculous the idea sounded.

"Punch me."

"What?!" Koa yelped. "I'm not gonna punch you."

"Why? Are you afraid you might hurt me?" A faint smile tugged at the corners of Kitto's mouth, his eyes glimmering.

"Well..." Koa didn't finish the sentence.

"Trust me, you won't," Kitto said. He didn't sound arrogant, but there was still absolute confidence in his tone.

Koa eyed him warily. The kid was only a couple years older than him. How good could he be?

"Go ahead-"

Koa didn't let him finish speaking and threw a wild swing at his face. Kitto moved his head and dodged easily.

"Again."

A scowl grew on Koa's face. He began to throw punches at Kitto, who easily dodged all of them. He found himself distinctly reminded of Scrapper's earlier (futile) struggle against Hitmonchan.

There was a sudden rush of air. Koa saw only a blur as Kitto moved his arm. Then his fist was a mere half-inch away from Koa's nose.

Koa blinked a few times, not sure he could believe his eyes. He hadn't even seen him move.

Slowly, Kitto lowered his fist, his intense gaze burning into Koa. "Now, why was my punch more effective than yours?"

Koa shrugged, still at a loss for words.

"Because speed is a lie. Remember that movie about the Rapidash who was a famous racer, but was getting ready to retire?"

After a few moments, Koa nodded. He recalled Blake taking him to see it for his thirteenth birthday. "There was a rookie Zebstrika named Storm who was crazy fast. Rapidash was worried that he couldn't beat Storm because he was faster."

Kitto nodded in agreement. "And who won?"

"Rapidash, obviously! He was faster because he used his superior technique to pass Zebstrika... Ohhh..." Koa said, understanding dawning on him. "So the only way to get faster is by having a good technique?"

Kitto grinned proudly. "That's the idea. Until your Breloom learns the proper technique, it won't be able to harness Mach Punch. He must hone his technique and control."

Nodding, Koa glanced over to Scrapper, who had been listening with rapt attention to every word that came from Kitto's mouth. "Let's go then! Hurry up and show Scrapper the technique!"

Kitto gave him a deadpan stare, then shook his head. "There will be no 'hurrying'."

"Oh. Right," Koa chuckled awkwardly.

"Scrapper, come stand over here." Kitto gestured to a spot next to him. Scrapper nodded obediently and trotted to Kitto's side. Jackie stood up a stance on his other side. "Now, watch Jackie carefully. Even though he can't use the actual move Mach Punch, he knows the idea behind it."

Koa watched as Jackie very slowly raised its fist and began to throw a punch. At least, Koa was pretty sure it was a punch, but it was the slowest thing he'd ever seen. Hitmonchan's fist only moved a few inches a second. Scrapper, however, was enraptured. He copied every twist and movement of Hitmonchan's punch carefully.

"Koa, get over here." Koa looked over to Kitto, who was beckoning to him. He approached hesitantly. There was an odd gleam in Kitto's eyes that put him slightly on edge. "You didn't think your Pokemon would be the only one training, did you?"

"It's not exactly like I can use Mach Punch," he retorted. As far as he was concerned, his main job was just helping his Pokemon learn. People couldn't use Pokemon moves.

"Your punch sucks," Kitto said flatly. "You may not be able to use Mach Punch, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to defend yourself. I'm going to teach you how to fight."

Koa suppressed a groan. "Are you kidding me? Why? I can handle myself fine, plus I have my Pokemon."

In a blur of motion, Kitto swung out his foot, hooking it around Koa's legs. They were yanked from under him and before he could process what was happening, he was thrown onto his back. In a flash, Kitto was on top of him, pinning him. The hard earth bit into his back and his heart pounded in his chest as he stared helplessly up at Kitto. His gaze bore into Koa and he trembled. A fire burned in Kitto's red eyes, but not a fire of rage. Instead, it was a controlled steady burn, one filled with passion and drive.

"If I was a poacher, I could have taken all your Pokemon."

Koa blinked up at him, still in shock.

After a few moments, Kitto stood up, then offered his hand, pulling Koa to his feet. Koa stared at him, feeling rather subdued. After how he'd managed to rescue Clefairy, he'd felt pretty confident in his own abilities. Now that feeling had vanished.

"Just as your Pokemon will protect you, you must protect them."

Koa nodded solemnly, still shaken. Despite his age, Kitto had demonstrated an impressive degree of strength and control. It was scary, scarier than someone like Wake, who was big and strong. It was also cool though. He realized it was rare to find trainers who were willing to fight the way Kitto did. Rarer still were ones who would train someone they'd just met.

Kitto grinned and slung his arm around Koa's shoulder. "Smile, Koa. By the time I'm done with you, you might be able to land a hit on me."

At that, Koa cracked a smile.

xXx

For the next three days, Kitto trained him mercilessly. Koa hated it. The problem wasn't that the training was hard. The problem was, it bored him senseless. Whenever they stopped, Kitto would drill them on the same thing. He would have them do a slow, controlled punch, over and over. Right hand, left hand. Right hand, left hand. And then keep practicing for nearly an hour at a time. Any time he caught either of them trying to speed up, he stopped them. It nearly drove Koa mad and, judging by the expression on Scrapper's face whenever they practiced, he felt similarly.

On top of that, Koa had been making an effort to get back into his daily exercise routine. The only silver lining was that Kitto decided they were decently fit enough not to add anything else to their training. They did end up running into a couple trainers along the way, giving Koa a chance to exercise Anubis and the rest of the team. He purposely kept Scrapper out of the battles, however. He really wanted him to finish his training and master Mach Punch.

His only real reprieve came during mealtimes when Kitto seemed to lighten up a bit. He was quite the cook and invented a variety of odd dishes using berries they found along the road. Koa found all his Pokemon loved the food, especially Echo. Every time Kitto started cooking, he would start drooling. Koa practically had to drive him away with a stick just so Kitto could have room to finish cooking.

On one such night, as Echo was devouring his share of food, Koa stopped eating to watch him. He still thought about his first battle with Kitto a lot. Echo had fought valiantly, but Koa always felt like he'd let him down. If he hadn't underestimated Kitto and then gotten overconfident with Confuse Ray, he was sure he could have won. His talks with Kitto only confirmed that Hitmonchan was only slightly stronger than his own Pokemon.

"Hey Echo," he said softly. Echo stopped eating for a moment, looking up at him. "I'm sorry about the battle with Kitto. I really failed you. I got overconfident and-"

Echo interrupted him with a happy shree, then fluttered to his side, patting his shoulder. Then he licked Koa, his long tongue dragging across his face. "Yuck," he muttered. He wiped the saliva away and looked at Echo. His eyes were filled with a look of eagerness. He gave another carefree shriek, then returned to wolfing down his food. Koa chuckled and shook his head. "You don't care do you?" Echo made no response, simply licking his bowl clean and flopping on the ground contentedly.

As he watched the Golbat, he got the impression that there was more to it than Echo not caring if he won or lost. It was more like... confidence? "I'll do better next time, Echo," he said quietly. Echo, however, seemed to have fallen asleep, his eyes shut and his body rising and falling steadily. Shaking his head, Koa lay back on his sleeping mat, staring up at the stars. His starter's absolute faith in him was pleasantly comforting.

One morning, during his usual (boring) training, he stopped to watch Scrapper. Instead of the slow punches, he saw Jackie teaching him something else. Jackie would do a flick of his shoulder, tossing his arm forward, and Scrapper would mimic the motion.

"How come Scrapper doesn't have to do these ridiculous punches?" Koa asked.

Kitto, who had been practicing on his own, quirked an eyebrow and regarded Koa. "Scrapper knows how to throw a punch," he said simply.

Koa frowned. "You're saying I can't punch?" He asked.

"Can you?" Kitto asked.

Koa opened his mouth to reply, then recalled his rather pathetic attempt at attacking the boy a few days ago. He scowled, though he wasn't truly upset. He trusted Kitto had a plan for all this practice, even if it was boring.

Kitto grinned at him. "Not to mention, Scrapper is a Pokemon. He already possesses great strength. You on the other hand... not so much." He gave Koa a mocking once over.

"Hey!" Koa snapped, pretending to be hurt. He gave a wry grin and shook his head. Kitto's wit was a pleasant reprieve from some of the other trainers he'd met. He liked it. Turning his thoughts back to his training, he resumed his punches. There would be a payoff soon, he was sure of it.

xXx

It wasn't until the dawn of the fifth day that something changed. Koa had done his usual morning routine and a brief jog then had breakfast. Kitto had drilled him on his punches again, much to his annoyance. His patience was wearing thin, but he refused to cave. He was still practicing when Kitto approached.

"That's enough for now. Come here."

With a grateful sigh, Koa let his arms fall to his sides. The practice had made his arms ache terribly the first few days, but by now it had faded. "Are we done?" he asked, trying not to sound too eager.

Kitto stopped a few feet in front of him and held out his hand, his palm first. "Strike my palm."

Koa raised his eyebrows. "You mean like... a real punch? Not a slow... 'thing'?"

Kitto's eye twitched upon hearing him say 'thing'. "Yes, as fast as you can."

A slow grin spread across Koa's face. Finally! Finally, the day had come when he didn't have to do those ridiculous slow punches. Mustering up all his excitement and anger, he zeroed in on Kitto's palm and threw a punch.

His fist connected solidly, forcing Kitto's arm back slightly. But what really shocked Koa was that he barely felt himself throw the punch. His fist had glided through the air so... fluidly. So easily.

A hint of grin traced Kitto's face. "Again."

Grinning madly, Koa threw another punch, this time with his left hand. Compared to his earlier wild strikes at Kitto, this was easy. He knew exactly how to throw the punch, and where it would land. He threw several more, reveling in his newfound speed.

Finally, Kitto put his hands down. "Now you're learning. And you're ready. Call Scrapper over."

Koa's eyes lit up and his heart started to beat faster. "Scrapper! Come here!"

Scrapper, who had been practicing his slow punches with Jackie, looked up. When he saw Koa's expression, his eyes lit up and he bounded over. Kitto took up a spot several feet away, facing Koa, as if it were a battle.

Koa didn't even have to ask - he knew it was time. His heart beat even faster and he could feel his blood pumping. "Ready, Scrapper?"

Scrapper glanced back at him, grinning dangerously.

"Now Scrapper, use Mach Punch!" He shouted, throwing his fist as he spoke.

With a joyous cry, Scrapper charged across the field, a white glow surrounding his fist. A mere few yards away from Jackie, he threw his fist. The attack was so fast, Koa couldn't even see it. It struck Jackie in the chest, sending him sliding backward.

Scrapper threw his head back and let out a loud cry of triumph.

Koa shouted with him, pumping his fist in the air. "Yes! We did it Scrapper!" He rushed over to Scrapper, giving him a fist bump, then grabbing him into a hug. "You learned Mach Punch." He stopped his victory dance long enough to look at Kitto, who watched their display with a smirk of amusement. He patted Scrapper on the head, then walked over to Kitto.

"Thank you," he said earnestly, holding out his hand.

"Someone had to keep you from looking like a fool," Kitto said good-naturedly, shaking Koa's hand.

xXx

With Scrappers Mach Punch training complete, Koa found they were able to pick up the pace. Nearly a week had passed since he'd left Pastoria, but in the last two days, they'd made good progress. The east-west portion of Route 212 lay behind them, and now they only needed to head straight north to reach Hearthome. By Koa's estimate, they would be at the Pokemon Mansion in just a couple days' time. He wondered if he'd run into Reina and Jeremy again. The other upside to finishing the Mach Punch training was that Kitto started to show him some actual combat techniques. Nothing too complicated, mostly some basic blocks and strikes, but they were a welcome change.

That afternoon, they stopped for lunch in the shade of some trees by the road. A small stream provided some fresh water, and Echo found a grove of ripe Pecha berries. Kitto put it together with some sandwiches, creating a surprisingly delicious meal. As they enjoyed it, Koa watched Kitto and Jackie thoughtfully. In all the time he'd traveled with Kitto, he'd never seen him with another Pokemon or other pokeballs. Up until now, he'd been so focused on training, he hadn't thought much of it. Now, however, it made him curious.

"How long have you been on your journey?" he asked.

"Three years," Kitto replied. "I started in Johto, actually, then traveled to Kanto for a time. Then I decided to come here to train. I plan to challenge Maylene at some point."

"Wow... so you've been with Hitmonchan for three years..." That explained how in sync they were, he supposed.

Kitto chuckled and grinned. Jackie threw back his head, laughing as well. "Jackie and I have only been training together for two years."

Koa stared at him. His mind whirled, trying to calculate. "So what other Pokemon do you have then?"

"Just Jackie," he said, shrugging.

"But that's impossible! What did you do for your first year as a trainer?"

Kitto gave him a dubious look. "I trained," he said flatly.

"Trained what?"

"My body, obviously," Kitto said with a grin. He gave Koa a once over. "You should try it."

Koa rolled his eyes, ignoring the comment. He knew by now that Kitto was really only kidding. Mostly. Kitto continued to baffle him, however. What sort of trainer started their journey without any Pokemon? "What did you do the whole time then?"

"I fought a lot, learned a lot. I met Jackie in Johto. We've been working together ever since, focusing on improving our technique and skill." Kitto stood up, brushing his pants off. He started to put away the lunch materials.

Koa watched him for several seconds, still baffled. The guy was an enigma, that was for sure. But then, he was pretty cool. He wasn't sure how long it would have taken Scrapper to learn Mach Punch on his own. With a shrug, he stood up and started helping him pack. Regardless of how odd Kitto was, he was glad to be traveling with him.

xXx

A cool breeze blew, ruffling Koa's hair and providing a pleasant relief from the hot sun. Hearthome city lay only about a day's walk away which meant they could reach it by the time the sunset. Koa was thoroughly looking forward to it since it meant his battle against Fantina would be soon. With the day being as pleasant as it was, he'd let all his Pokemon out of their pokeballs, and they walked alongside him.

Echo swooped overhead, though at one point he'd disappeared for several minutes and come back covered in honey. Leave it to him to find what was likely one of the only honey trees on Route 212. Ahead, Koa could already spot the familiar rooftop of the Pokemon Mansion. He smiled, remembering the night he'd spent there and the kindness of Reina and Jeremy. Maybe he'd run into them again. That'd be nice.

He broke into a run, leaving Kitto behind and jogging down the hill towards the mansion. When he reached the gates, they were shut, but he peered through them, wondering if the pair were walking in the gardens. Unfortunately, everything seemed quiet. He sighed and turned away. As much as he wanted to catch up, he also didn't want to tarry.

"Oh look, it's the stray," a harsh masculine voice said.

Koa scowled and whirled towards the voice.

Liam stood a short distance away, one hand in his pocket and staring disgustedly at Koa. His face was pressed into a condescending scowl and he eyed Koa's team. "Is that your team? It's a miracle you won even a single badge."

Anger burned in Koa and he clenched his fists. His Pokemon let out varying angry growls, screeches and snarls. "Big talk coming from someone who doesn't have any," Koa retorted.

Liam sniffed. "Like I said, I don't need any." His gaze traveled over Koa's team again, settling on Scrapper. Another burst of rage flared in Koa, and he glanced at Scrapper. The Breloom was glaring at Liam, his gaze filled with anger and determination. A low growl rumbled in his throat. The look told him all he needed to. Liam had been Scrapper's previous owner.

"So, you were the trainer who took my Shroomish," Liam said. "Or Breloom, now I suppose."

"You abandoned him!" Koa shouted. Unable to contain himself, he stormed up to Liam, standing inches away from his face.

Liam took a step back, his eyes widening slightly. "Relax, stray. I didn't 'abandon' him. I just had the help take me out to the marsh. Then I left him there and I told him I'd come back for him when he was stronger. That's all," he said, shrugging casually.

"You're his trainer!" Koa snapped, taking another step towards Liam. "You are supposed to help him get stronger! I bet you weren't even planning and going back for him!"

Liam shrugged nonchalantly. "He's stronger now though, isn't he?" He turned to address Scrapper, who was glaring at him, eyes blazing in anger. He gave the Breloom a sickeningly fake smile. "You can rejoin my team now."

Scrapper gave an angry cry and shook his head. Liam's face darkened. "You're still my Pokemon." He looked up at Koa, a strange shine to his eyes. "Give me back my Breloom."

"He's not yours," Koa snapped.

"I'll give you 20,000poke for him."

"No!" Koa said. "He's my Pokemon! I'm not selling him!"

"Fine then. If you're so good, battle me. My best Pokemon against whatever you want to use. If I win, you give me back my Pokemon. If you win, then you can keep him." Liam grinned smugly.

Koa opened his mouth to decline, then stopped. Liam was a terrible trainer. He'd seen Liam's Pokemon, too. They were strong, but he didn't know anything about how to use them. Defeating him would be easy. "Fine. You're on."

Liam grinned. "Perfect. Why don't we battle right here? It shouldn't take me long to defeat you."

Koa snorted. "Right. Because you won so easily last time."

Liam simply smiled, unfazed. "One-on-one again?"

"Sure," Koa snapped.

Liam smiled again, then turned around and started to walk a short distance away.

Koa returned his Pokemon and turned around, ready to get into position for the battle, and almost collided with Kitto, who stood a few feet behind him.

"What are you doing?" Kitto asked.

"That idiot over there-" Koa inclined his head towards Liam, who was watching impatiently a good distance away "- used to be Scrappers trainer. He just abandoned him in the marsh and told him he'd come back! Now he claims he wants -"

Kitto held out his hand to stop Koa's rant. "No, I heard everything. I mean, what are you doing? Do you really plan on giving Scrapper back if you lose?"

"I won't lose! I beat that guy before and I can do it again."

Kitto frowned. Koa pushed past him and took up a spot a good distance away, facing Liam. Scrapper stood behind him, bristling with anger.

"Shall I send out my Pokemon first? Or would you care for the honors?" Liam called, his tone haughty.

Koa bristled. "How about at the same time?" he snapped. After his previous battle with Liam's Monferno, plus his lack of badges, he was beyond certain that he could handle any of Liam's Pokemon.

Liam reached into his pocket and took out a pokeball. Koa selected Rascal's pokeball without hesitation. Of all his Pokemon, she easily possessed the most raw power. Plus, she was tough enough to take anything Liam could throw out, even Blissey. Koa tossed out her pokeball, Liam throwing his at nearly the same time.

In a splash of light, Rascal emerged onto the field with an eager roar. Almost simultaneously, Liam's Pokemon appeared.

A louder roar split the air. A literal chill spread across the area as a hulking, absolute beast of an Abomasnow took the field. It easily stood a foot taller than any Abomasnow Koa had ever seen. Fear washed over him and he instinctively took a step back. Rascal's eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sight of her opponent, and she took a step back as well.

No no no... Panic began to consume him. Abomasnow exuded a terrifying amount of power, way beyond Rascal's. When had Liam gotten his hand on one of those? How? Forget that though, he couldn't hope to beat that thing, even if he used all of his Pokemon. Even Anubis, with his fire attacks, would be pulverized. Something cold landed on Koa's face, and he looked up. A dark gray cloud had covered their battlefield, and tiny hailstones were beginning to pelt the field. Shoot. Snow Warning. Abomasnow's ability. It started a hailstorm when it entered the field.

"Well, stray? Aren't you going to call an attack?" Liam called.

Koa mustered up all his strength, pushing his fear aside. He had to at least try. "Rascal, Ancient Power." His voice cracked slightly even as he spoke the command. Rascal's eyes narrowed and she roared. A silver sphere of stone formed in front of her jaws, and she spat the rock at Abomasnow.

"Wood Hammer," Liam said calmly.

Abomasnow, however, didn't seem to care what Liam said. It raised one of its arms, an icy blue glow surrounding it. With a mighty swing, it shattered the Ancient Power with Ice Punch.

A chunk of hail the size of a softball dropped from the sky, hitting Rascal on the head. She grunted in pain, but shook it off.

"Bite!" Koa cried desperately. Her Strong Jaw meant that Bite might very well be his best chance. Tyrunt charged across the field, jaws open wide.

"Blizzard."

Abomasnow's green fists glowed, then two tendrils of grass sprouted from the earth, forming a knot a few feet in front of Tyrunt. Grass Knot.

"Jump, Rascal!" Koa shouted in a panic. Rascal launched herself into the air, narrowly dodging Grass Knot. As soon as she landed, another set of tendrils wrapped around her legs, tripping her up and sending her crashing to the ground. Without any command from Liam, Abomasnow charged across the field, its arm raised. A green glow extended from its arm, forming into a hammer-like shape. With a roar, it smashed its Grass Hammer straight down onto Rascal.

"No!" he screamed. Dust erupted from around Rascal's position, clouding Koa's view. But he didn't need to see Rascal to know what happened. As the dust settled, he saw a small crater around Rascal's unconscious form. Stunned, he took out her pokeball and returned her. He quickly returned Scrapper as well. Sick dread filled him as he looked across the battlefield. Liam returned Abomasnow, and the hail clouds faded. The sunlight returned, but Koa couldn't shake the chill.

In a daze, he watched as Liam strode across the battlefield towards him. The sick feeling in the pit of his stomach grew as Liam approached. Unconsciously, his hand gripped Scrapper's pokeball tighter. There was absolutely no way he was giving Scrapper back, he decided. What happened with Liam wasn't even a real battle. Abomasnow had ignored all of Liam's commands.

"Give it to me," Liam snapped, his gaze cold.

Koa drew his hand back. "No."

Liam lunged for Scrapper's pokeball, trying to snatch it from his grasp.

White-hot rage consumed Koa. He punched Liam in the face, sending him reeling backward. His eyes widened and his face contorted with rage. Then he charged. Koa was taken by surprise as Liam tackled him to the ground, wildly scrambling for Scrapper's pokeball. "Give it to me!" he screamed.

Koa kicked him away and scrambled backward, panting. "You cheated! That Abomasnow didn't even listen to your attacks!" He clutched Scrapper's pokeball tighter. "I'm not giving him back. Period." He stared Liam down.

Liam stood up, his fists clenched. Koa got to his feet as well, ready to fight. No way was he letting this bratty snob take his Pokemon-

"What on earth is going on?" A familiar voice to Koa's left called.

Koa glanced towards the Mansion to see Jeremy racing towards them. He stopped several feet away, panting slightly. He glanced between Koa and Liam, then frowned. "What is going on, Liam?" he said, his voice tight.

Koa bit his tongue as he waited for Liam's reply.

Liam shot him a dirty look before speaking. "I was just having a battle. He agreed that if I beat him in a battle, he would trade Shroomish... I mean, Breloom, back to me. I beat him fair and square, but he's refusing to give Breloom back."

Jeremy frowned deeper, staring at Liam for several seconds. "And what about you, Koamaru. Is this true?"

Koa stared at Jeremy. "We did agree that I would trade my Breloom back if he beat me," he said, his voice tense. "He said he would use his best against whatever Pokemon I wanted." His anger grew. "But I've seen Liam's Pokemon before! He used some kind of crazy-"

"I won! That's all that matters," Liam snapped. Jeremy shot him a sharp look and he shut his mouth.

"Please go on, Koa."

"He used a gigantic Abomasnow! He never had one when I saw his Pokemon before, and it didn't even listen to any of his commands. It wasn't a real battle."

"Hmm..." Jeremy said, tapping his chin. "Well, Liam, the agreement was that you would use your best Pokemon against Koa's, correct?"

Liam nodded, still scowling.

"And you agreed to this, right Koa?"

Koa nodded hesitantly.

"Well, Liam, it would seem that you won the bet..."

Koa's jaw dropped and he started to protest, but Jeremy held up his hand. "However, I do believe that Abomasnow belongs to your father. Not you. And seeing as how the agreement was your best vs Koamaru, you violated the bet."

A slow smile began to creep across Koa's face. Liam paled, then frowned. "Hmph! Well fine, maybe I did use father's Pokemon. But I could still take you in a battle," he said, crossing his arms.

"I'll take you up on that," Koa replied. "My Pokemon could use a light workout."

"You just got lucky last time is all."

Jeremy stepped between them. "It seems a rematch is in order. Liam, you will battle Koa again, this time with one of your own Pokemon. However, regardless of the outcome, you will not be taking Breloom back." He nodded his head towards Scrapper. "It is clear to me that Breloom has made his choice of trainer."

This made Liam scowl even more. "Well, whatever. I'll still prove who has better Pokemon. The only way to win a battle is with a strong Pokemon."

"That is enough. A battle will decide who is correct," Jeremy said calmly.

Once more, Koa took a position across from Liam. Jeremy stood to the side, watching with narrowed eyes.

"Try this on for size," Liam said. He lazily tossed a pokeball onto the field, revealing a Kadabra.

Koa glanced back, spotting Kitto and Jackie standing several yards away. Even from where he stood, he could see the wry grin on Kitto's face. After all his time training, he felt more than prepared. Turning back to Liam, he tossed out the familiar black and gold pokeball almost without thinking. Echo emerged onto the field and shrieked.

"Ha!" Liam chuckled. "A Golbat? A weak pokemon for a weak trainer."

Koa ignored the comment. He'd let Echo do the talking for him. "You can go first," he called.

"Psybeam." Kadabra's eyes glowed, and with a wave of its spoon, a thin beam of psychic energy streamed from its hands, straight at Echo.

"Dodge," Koa said, giving the command almost as soon as Liam gave his.

Echo spun his body sideways and the Psybeam passed by him, narrowly missing him. Koa frowned. Regardless of Liam's own skill, Kadabra was clearly no slouch. He'd have to be careful. Kadabra's tended to be special fighters, which meant he needed to wait for a chance to close the distance and strike. He really wanted to get in a good hit with Poison Fang early, whittle Kadabra down quickly.

"Wing Attack. Fly erratically and confuse it." Echo flitted through the air, his wings glowing with energy. As he darted back and forth, Kadabra watched it with narrowed eyes, trying to track its trajectory.

"Psybeam again. Wait til it's close."

Koa tensed. There was little he could do at the moment, except trust Echo's flight skills.

Echo dipped and weaved through the air quickly, approaching Kadabra. When it was barely a yard away, Kadabra's eyes glowed and it fired Psybeam from its spoon. The beam hit one of Echo's wings, but he spun with the hit, slamming his other wing into Kadabra. It smacked into the ground, briefly stunned. "Poison Fang."

In a graceful switch, Echo's wings ceased to glow and he shrieked as his fangs turned a wicked purple. Kadabra opened its eyes just in time to see Golbat's jaws close around its head.

"Shake it off! Flash!" Liam snapped.

Koa couldn't resist a grin at the irritation in the boy's tone.

Kadabra cried out and flailed, shaking itself free of Echo. It flicked its spoon and emitted a blinding blast of light at Echo before he could dodge. Not that Koa had any intention of dodging Flash. A memory of his fight with Kitto resurfaced, and an idea came to him.

"Fake it, Echo," he said softly. He just hoped Echo understood his intentions. He watched as the Golbat fluttered around Kadabra, eyes shut tightly and apparently utterly dazed and blind. Perfect.

"Hah! Thunder Punch," Liam called.

Koa almost laughed at his good fortune. He was sure Echo felt a sense of glee as well. In some small way, this would be retribution for his loss to Jackie.

Kadabra raised one of its small hands as electricity cloaked it. With a cry, it leaped at the seemingly blinded Golbat. Just as the move was about to collide with Echo, Koa gave his command.

"Crunch."

Liam's eyes went wide as Echo neatly dodged Thunder Punch and sank black jaws into Kadabra's side. Black sparks of dark energy crackled over its body. With a muffled screech, Echo dived to the ground, slamming Kadabra into the floor and creating a small crater. A moment later, Echo rose into the air, eyes glinting as he left behind the unconscious body of Kadabra.

"That's not possible!" Liam snapped, returning Kadabra. "I had the advantage!"

Echo flew over and landed in front of Koa, his body puffed up in pride. "Thanks, Echo. You wrecked him." He patted Echo on the head and he let out a happy squeak. Returning him, he glanced up at Liam, who was still fuming. "Well... well whatever... I... Hmph." His face flushed bright red from shame and embarrassment. Without saying another word, he turned his nose up and walked away.

Once he'd gone, Jeremy turned to Koa. "Well Koamaru, that was very impressive. I'd expect nothing less from a trainer like you."

"Thanks. I'm glad you showed up though." He had no idea what he might have done to Liam if he'd kept trying to take Scrapper.

"As am I," Jeremy said, chuckling. "I feel as though I should apologize for Liam. He has grown quite prideful with all his Pokemon. Though it is quite unfounded, considering he hardly trains them. He usually just sends them off to various other trainers, who do all the work for him."

"Well that explains a lot," Koa muttered.

"And who is your friend?" Jeremy asked, motioning to Kitto.

Kitto strode over and held out his hand. "The name's Kitto."

"My name is Jeremy." He glanced at Jackie, who stood by Kitto's side. "This is your partner?"

"I consider him to be more of a brother, actually," Kitto corrected.

Jeremy nodded thoughtfully. "I like that. I've always said that the deeper a bond with one's Pokemon, the stronger they are. That, and good training, of course."

Kitto grinned widely. "Exactly!" He glanced at Koa, shooting him a sideways smirk. "This guy gets it. You should pay attention."

Koa rolled his eyes playfully. "I beat him when we first battled though."

"Oh ho ho," Jeremy said, wagging his finger. "That was just my training Pokemon. Maybe when you get 8 badges, you can come back and fight my real team."

"Jackie and I would be honored to face you as well someday," Kitto said, a fire glowing in his eyes. "I want to face your strongest Pokemon, one on one. An all-out battle!"

Jeremy smiled. "Come back when you feel ready then. Perhaps you and Kitto can fight my wife and I."

Koa's eyes lit up. "Sure!"

"Then I look forward to your return," Jeremy said. "I assume you are on your way to Hearthome?"

Koa nodded. "I'm hoping Fantina is back by now."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "I hope so, for your sake. I swear she spends more time out of her gym than in it."

A strange scowl spread across Kitto's face, and he shared a glance with Jackie, who grunted, anger burning in his gaze.

"Well, you'd best be on your way. If you hurry, you can still make it to Hearthome before nightfall."

Bidding Jeremy farewell, Koa headed back for the road, Kitto by his side. His thoughts remained at the mansion however, wondering what sort of Pokemon Reina and Jeremy had.

"Do you really want to go back and challenge them?" Koa asked. The thought of having another tag battle against the couple, with Kitto as his partner, excited him terribly.

Kitto nodded firmly. "Of course!" He put his arm around Koa, a gesture that surprised him, though it wasn't unwelcome. "It's been an honor to travel with someone like you, and it would be an even greater honor to fight alongside you."

"Really?" Koa blurted. "I mean.. Thanks, I guess? Why though?"

"You punched that kid in the face! It was incredible."

At that, Koa couldn't resist a laugh. "Because I punched someone in the face?"

Kitto shook his head. His voice grew slightly more serious. "Because you stood up for your Pokemon. I've met a lot of trainers, and not all of them are willing to fight for their Pokemon like that. It shows you care."

Koa nodded thoughtfully, unsure how to reply. He'd never given it any thought. In the moment, all he could think of was keeping Scrapper safe.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, leaving Koa lost in thought. "So what's next after Hearthome?" he asked finally.

"Jackie and I have one goal." A familiar intensity rose in Kitto's voice. "To travel and challenge every trainer's strongest Pokemon and see who is the best. And one day, defeat Cynthia and Garchomp, and every champion."

Koa's jaw dropped. "Seriously? All the champions? I mean, Garchomp alone is crazy strong though! It's never been defeated in combat."

Kitto grinned again. "Then Jackie and I will be the first. We'll defeat every champion."

Jackie grunted in approval and punched his fists together as if already imagining the battles.

Koa stared at them with a sense of awe. He'd heard plenty of trainers who longed to win the League conference and eventually beat Cynthia. But after seeing how Kitto and Jackie fought, he supposed that if anyone could do it, it would be him. When that day came, he vowed he would be there to see it.

Echo (Male Golbat) {Ability: Inner Focus}

Hazard (Male Joltik){Ability: Compound eyes}

Rascal (Female Tyrunt) {Ability: Strong Jaw}

Anubis (Male Houndour) {Ability: Flash Fire}

Scrapper (Male Breloom) {Ability: Effect Spore}