A small ferry boat slowly made its way across the waters of the Galarian Strait, toward a small island off to the northeast. The sun had only recently risen, and at this early hour there were only two passengers accompanying the captain and crew. One of them was a blue-and-black, fox-like Lucario, standing on the deck of the ship with his paws on the railing, eyes forward as he traveled toward his destination. The other, standing next to him with her face down and her arms resting on the railing, was his trainer, a sixteen-year-old girl with a long blonde ponytail, a white skating outfit, and a downcast expression.
Korrina was trying and failing to stop herself from dwelling on what had brought her to this ferry. She didn't need any more reminders of her recent failures as a trainer and a Gym Leader. She didn't want to think about the strained relationship between herself and her lifelong Pokémon partner, who was standing next to her now. She had already shed enough tears over it three nights ago, after handing the keys to the Shalour City Gym over to a member of the Kalos Elite Four.
"Rio." She glanced up at the sound of her Pokémon's grunt, clearly trying to get her attention. Looking forward, she could see her destination starting to come into view. The island was small and sparse, mostly covered in grass or wetlands, with numerous Pokémon prowling about. Dominating the island were two wooden towers that stood tall over the landscape, covered in large windows. If she looked carefully, she could see the tiled roof of the short, traditionally-styled dojo that was her true destination.
"That's going to be our home now, for however long it takes," she muttered to herself and her Pokémon. "Lucario, are you ready?" He gave a resolute nod and a grunt, keeping his eyes forward, not looking her way. She wasn't surprised by his curt response, which had become the norm for him as of late. She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, determined to not let this opportunity go to waste.
Korrina had greatly underestimated the difficulty of being the Shalour City Gym Leader, back in her native region of Kalos. She'd been thrilled when she finally lay claim to her own piece of Lucarionite for the first time two years ago, and not long after she'd had the battle of her life against a new friend and his Pikachu. After that, however, she found herself having the battle of her life on a regular basis, as one powerful trainer after another challenged her for their Rumble Badges. Several months on, the strain of giving it her all on a near-constant basis was starting to take its toll.
She had blamed herself for not having the strength to battle the way she needed to. Her Lucario tackled every single battle with gusto, giving it his all day in and day out, and she aspired to have the fervor and will that he had. She began doing special training on her own, not wanting to involve Lucario, not wanting to stress him any more than he already was, with all the battling he was doing. She was the one who needed to work harder, not him. After months of this, she was starting to see some results, and was feeling better equipped to handle the duties of a Gym Leader.
Unfortunately, she had made a major miscalculation. The more that she focused on training by herself, the more her relationship with her beloved Lucario began to fray. They were no longer in sync the way they used to be during battles, leading to more frequent losses against challengers, and increased stress between the two of them, trapping the both of them in a downward spiral.
The first sign of serious trouble was when Lucario disobeyed his trainer during a Gym Battle.
Korrina had been absolutely dumbfounded, feeling like she had been punched in the stomach. She had called for a Bone Rush, but Lucario had used an Aura Sphere instead. Lucario had never willingly disobeyed his trainer before, when he was fully in control of himself. They had won the battle, but her pride had been deeply wounded. She had confronted him about it later that night, and the discussion turned into a heated argument, which eventually turned into a shouting match. She couldn't understand his words, but she had always been able to feel the sentiment behind him, and he was just as angry as she was, for reasons she couldn't fully understand. After storming off in opposite directions, they eventually returned and tearfully made up. Unfortunately, the discord between them remained.
Even though Korrina had resolved to be more understanding of Lucario's feelings, this turned out to be much easier to say than do. Their battles grew steadily more difficult, and Lucario's disobedience became more common, as the bond of trust between them gradually eroded. The formerly unbreakable bond between the pair was starting to slowly but painfully unravel. Everything had come to a head three weeks ago, when for the first time since finding their Lucarionite, the two of them had failed to achieve a Mega Evolution. Korrina had temporarily closed the Shalour City Gym the next day, too deeply humiliated to face another opponent.
Both of them knew they could not continue like this, but neither of them was sure of how to rectify the situation they found themselves in. It was her Galarian friend Bea who eventually proposed a solution, during a phone call. She told Korrina of a school known as the Master Dojo, on the Isle of Armor, off of the northeastern coast of Galar. Bea had trained there for several years when she was young, and insisted that it had made her much more capable as a Pokémon trainer. After much deliberation, Korrina had taken her up on her suggestion, willing to do anything to make herself worthy of her position once again.
After a brief search for a substitute Gym Leader, Siebold of the Elite Four had generously agreed to take on the position, contingent upon Korrina's acceptance into the Master Dojo. Korrina had packed what little she needed and set off for Galar weeks later. She hadn't said anything to her grandfather Gurkinn, who had been the previous Gym Leader. She couldn't summon the courage to tell him. Instead, she had left a letter for him to find in her bedroom. She hoped that would be enough.
Korrina and Lucario were now committed to years of training at the Master Dojo. She was certain that this would work, because it had to work. She needed to reclaim the gym that was her birthright, and she needed to repair the relationship that she knew she couldn't live without.
As the ferry docked at the minuscule port, Korrina took a quick look around at the isle before her. She had been told that one of the students would be leading her to the school, but there wasn't anyone here who looked like they belonged at a dojo.
"Hello there! You must be Korrina." She turned her head to look at a young man walking in her direction, with a subtle smile and a not-at-all subtle outfit. The man had round glasses, long blonde hair stretching partway down his back, an unusually tall, black top hat, and a loud purple outfit that made Korrina briefly wonder if he was colorblind.
"Um… yes, that's me," she answered, eyes eventually drifting back up to his face. "Are you from the dojo?"
"I am," he confirmed with a light nod. "My name is Avery. I'm here to escort you to the Master Dojo, only…" His voice trailed off, as the smile left his face.
"What?" she prompted, already worried.
"Well… I hate to tell you this, but our dojo is already at capacity," he answered, an apologetic look on his face. "There isn't any room for another student."
"Oh, right, that." Korrina relaxed. "Yeah, I know. I talked with the master's wife, and she told me to come and plead my case. She said they would be able to make an exception."
"Oh! Is… is that so?" Avery look flustered at this, but quickly plastered a smile onto his face. "Well, that's good news. Have you thought about how you are going to make your case to him?" He turned and began walking, motioning for Korrina and Lucario to follow, which they did.
"Mhmm," she replied. "See, I'm the leader of the Shalour City Gym in Kalos. The gym has been in my family for generations, and I just… I want to be worthy of it, you know? I want to uphold its legacy."
"I completely understand." The man gave her a genuine smile. "I have a legacy of my own to uphold. I come from a family of very powerful psychics."
She gave him back a weak smile of her own. "And you want to follow in their footsteps?"
"Naturally. I have considerable psychic powers of my own, but I want to bring out the absolute best in myself. That's why I'm here." He adjusted his glasses. "In any case, I'm certain the master of the dojo will allow you to stay if you explain all of that. Legacy is something that is very important to him."
"I hope so. I need this to work out. I don't know what I'm going to do if it doesn't."
Avery nodded. "I wouldn't worry if I were you. Just make sure you sell yourself properly and everything will work out fine. I'm certain of it." Korrina nodded back, swallowing her nerves and hoping that he was right, as they approached the building that housed the Master Dojo.
The front door of the dojo opened to reveal a large open room, where two dozen students were training in outfits that looked more like sports uniforms than traditional gi. They had all manner of Pokémon with them, as well; Korrina could spot numerous Fighting-types, Grass-types, Poison-types, Psychic-types and more. She spent a moment studying the training and battling going on around her, trying to discern exactly what sort of education took place in this school, before she heard the sound of her own name being called. She turned her head to see Avery waving her over, motioning for her to follow. She jogged over to catch up to him, with her Lucario behind her, as he led her down a hallway.
"The master of the school is waiting for us this way," he explained. "Are you ready?"
Korrina took in a deep breath and let it back out. "Yes, I'm ready." She glanced down the hallway, her eyes settling on the door at the far end. "What kind of person is the master?"
"Oh, he's a very jovial fellow," Avery reassured her. "He might be the friendliest person at the school. There's no need to be worried about him. Just tell him everything you told me before." They both reached the end of the hallway after a few more seconds, and the man reached out and knocked gently on the door. A wizened but friendly voice told them to enter, and Avery opened the door and stepped inside.
Korrina followed him in, her eyes quickly finding an old man standing inside, standing a few inches shorter than herself due to his hunch. He had a black-and-green hat sitting atop his bald hat, and wore a matching windbreaker along with a pair of white pants. The man's eyes lit up joyfully upon seeing her, and he stepped forward to greet her.
"Well, hello there! You must be the aspiring student, then?" he asked, his voice bright. "My old student Bea had plenty of good things to say about you."
"I hope so, sir." She smiled as she gave him a respectful bow. "My name's Korrina."
"A pleasure to meet you, Korrina! Call me Mustard." He reached out his hand, and the two shook briefly before he took a step back. "What do you think of the school so far? It's the best dojo on a remote Galarian island that you've ever seen, don't you think?"
"Ah… I suppose so, yes," she answered awkwardly. She took a moment to study the man carefully, noting his eccentric outfit and jovial demeanor. Her eyes were drawn to what she thought were the remaining strands of hair from his bald hair, but she soon realized, with shock and a bit of disgust, that they were actually attached to his unusually long eyebrows. This strange man hardly seemed like the respectable master that Bea had sworn by.
"Now, I'm sure you know that the school is currently at capacity. We've already enrolled every student our facilities and dormitories can normally handle. However…" He reached up with one hand to fiddle with one of his eyebrows. "Bea was insistent that we do our best to help you out. She said you were in quite a bad way, and were in need of the guidance our school could provide."
"I am, sir." She bowed again, more deeply this time.
The old man nodded. "Well, tell me more. Tell me why you need training here so badly. Maybe we could find some way of accommodating you after all, if your need is great enough."
Korrina stood up again, her hands clasped contritely in front of her, diving into the explanation that Avery had recommended. "You see, sir, I'm the leader of the Shalour City Gym in Kalos. It's been in my family for generations, along with the Tower of Mastery." She kept her eyes on Mustard, who frowned and nodded as he listened, and she continued.
"Over the past year or so, I've been… struggling. I haven't been the sort of Gym Leader that I need to be. I'm afraid that I haven't been living up to the reputation our gym has, or the other Kalos gyms." She closed her eyes as she thought over her next words. "I need to become stronger, so I can uphold the legacy that our gym has held for so long. I think that-"
"Enough." Mustard's voice cut sharply through the air, and she opened her eyes in surprise. She was shocked to see a look of deep discontent on the man's face. "What a disappointment."
"What… what do you mean?" she asked nervously.
"Do you know what legacy is, Korrina?" Mustard responded, his voice far colder than it had been moments ago. "Nothing but vanity stretched across generations. It is the pride of our vainglorious ancestors forcing itself onto their descendants." He shook his head. "It is no concern of mine how your ancestors feel about their gym."
He stepped forward to walk past her. "I'm sorry, but we cannot help you. I can't make an exception to our enrollment limits for such a reason. You will have to find some other way to strengthen yourself."
"No…" Korrina felt her blood going cold in her veins. "No, sir, please…!"
"I have a class to teach," he replied curtly. "The ferry should still be waiting at the dock. You can catch it for the return trip if you hurry."
Korrina's heart dared not beat as she watched him walk away, her dumbfounded Lucario standing beside her. She had never even questioned that she would be accepted, nor had Bea, and now out of nowhere her world was crashing down around her. She turned her head toward Avery, who was still standing in the corner of the room, looking at him for some sort of explanation. His lips were twisted into a cruel, malicious, satisfied smirk, one that he continued to wear as he followed Mustard out of the office. As she watched him walk away, she could acutely feel the cold steel of the metaphorical knife sticking out of her back.
At the other end of the hallway, Mustard let out a disappointed sigh before raising his head, looking at the students gathered in the room. They had all stopped training as he walked in, and they were now looking to him for instruction. He forced a smile onto his face as he began. "Alright, everyone-"
"Sir!" He stopped himself as he heard a voice from the hallway. "It's… it's my Lucario!"
He turned on his heel and looked behind him, eyes widening as he saw Korrina there on her hands and knees, humbling herself before him. Her arms were trembling, and her eyes were closed tight. Her Pokémon was standing next to her, looking shocked.
"Lucario… he's the most important person in the world to me! I love him more than anyone else!" She was nearly shouting as she pleaded for his attention, causing several students to step forward and look down the hall at her. "He's so strong, and works so hard… he dedicates all of himself to every battle we fight! I have to become stronger, for his sake! I want to be a trainer worthy of him! It's the least that he deserves!"
She could feel her heart pounding as she poured all of her emotions out in front of this stranger, but she refused to stop herself. "Maybe I don't deserve to be here and train… but I know he does! So please… for his sake, please let us stay!"
The room had gone completely silent. She could feel the eyes of everyone in the dojo on her, staring incredulously at the girl who was nearly prostrating herself before the master. She refused to look back at them, not allowing herself to be intimidated. She had left everything behind for this opportunity, and she was going to do anything to make sure she got it. She kept her eyes closed as Mustard's footsteps slowly approached, and she could feel her Lucario taking a step forward, reflexively, protectively.
"Why do we choose to battle with our Pokémon, Korrina?" he asked, coming to a stop in front of her. "Why do we send our faithful partners into battle, instead of fighting with weapons, or with our fists?" She opened her eyes and looked up at him, sitting back on her ankles.
"The act of battling with your Pokémon is the act of two souls becoming one," Mustard continued. "Pokémon and trainer becomes extensions of one another, combining their strengths and uniting their wills. To battle at the peak of one's ability requires absolute, unyielding trust in one another." He knelt down in front of her, on one knee. "This display of trust creates a deep, lasting bond… much like the bond you share with your Lucario."
"Sir…?" Korrina's eyes were wide as saucers.
"I told you, call me Mustard." The old man was smiling again as he stood up, extending his hand toward the young girl in front of him. "I'm certain we can find a place for you to stay around here somewhere. My wife will figure something out. She always does."
Korrina felt as if she might faint from the force of the relief washing over her, as she reached out and clasped Mustard's hand, shaking it vigorously as she stood. "Thank you, thank you so much! I'll be the best student you ever had, I promise!" Looking at him now, after hearing his words of wisdom, it was more clear to her now why Bea spoke of her old master with such reverence.
He chuckled and reclaimed his hand, his personality already reverted to the jolly old fellow who has introduced himself to her. "Well, if you like, you can stay here for this lesson I'm about to teach, or you can talk with my wife Honey about where you'll be staying. What will it be?"
"I'll stay for the lesson," she replied without a moment's hesitation. She looked back toward Lucario for confirmation, and he gave an affirmative nod and grunt in response.
"Good! I like your initiative. You're going to fit in well here." He turned back toward the open room, where all of the students who had been listening in quickly backed off, trying to act as if they hadn't been eavesdropping. Mustard gestured toward the space before him. "Take a seat anywhere."
She nodded and stepped forward into the room, looking around for some empty floor space where she could sit with her Pokémon. Her eyes found Avery sitting in a corner of the room, determinedly not meeting her gaze, an infuriated but slightly panicked expression on his face. Korrina had no idea why he had lied to her, nearly ruining her chances of being accepted into the school, but she put it out of her mind. She had more important things to dwell on than the bitter machinations of the other students.
She soon found an open space and sat down on the floor, cross-legged, and her Lucario promptly sat by her side. She turned her eyes toward Mustard, who was standing in the recessed center of the room as he began his instruction. She could feel many of the other students looking in her direction, having overheard her desperate pleas to the headmaster. She didn't pay them any mind; her standing and her reputation with the other students were of no concern to her. There were only two people whose opinions mattered to her right now. The first was the teacher instructing her from the center of the room. The second was the Pokémon sitting by her side, whose paw was gratefully and lovingly resting in her clasped hand, as they both took in their first lesson.