Marshtomp dissolved into red light as I recalled him before wiping the sweat from my forehead. That could've gone better, a lot better. With the help of his Nidorina and a tournament official's Rhyhorn, Hayden managed to dig out his unconscious Woobat before recalling it. As the tall teenager began to walk away, he caught my eye before his neutral expression turned to a wide grin and he gave me a wave.

Was he…enjoying this? It was strange, he'd just lost a battle but he was smiling anyway. Hayden was either extremely humble or really good at saving face. I returned his wave as I left in the other direction for the Center. Once there, I handed over my team to the Nurses and left to find a food stand near the tournament grounds. There were a few small ones that sold drinks and ice cream out of coolers but I had missed the free lunch at the Center and my stomach was growling. As I passed one of the larger food stalls I was hit with the scent of something delicious being cooked up. At a flat top grill was a man in his thirties with a clean shave and a backwards cap. He wore an apron and was managing sizzling piles of grilled onions and beef patties along with bread being toasted. I ordered one burger with cheese and onions, and it came wrapped in thick white paper. It took everything I had not to inhale it instantly but it was one of the best things I'd ever tasted, definitely better than the chain restaurants back in Jubilife. I walked to one of the fields being cleaned up and sat in the stands as I enjoyed my late lunch.

I opened my phone to check the brackets for the semifinals, and what I'd found wasn't encouraging. My next match was against Rhiannon Dulahan, who had just beaten Karl. Helen had also lost in the same round, but to a Trainer I'd never heard of named Neal Fischer. Neal would be facing Damien of all people, who I was surprised to see had made it this far but the same could be said for myself as well. I'd gotten through one of my matches because my opponent had dropped out after all.

Actually, Karl and Helen would still be here awhile and I needed to ask about traveling through Eterna Forest. It was something I hadn't considered until now but my Pokemon weren't the best for navigating a forest filled with Bug, Poison and Grass Types. Helen and Karl both had Fire Types, and Helen had her Meditite which was a Psychic Type. I'd heard the stories about Trainers going in unprepared and getting injured and maimed, and a few even died trying to get through it. There was also Damien's Pokemon to consider. He had a Fire Type as well, in addition to his Pancham and Wooper. But still…

If I thought about it for even a few seconds, I knew he'd blow a gasket if I asked to travel with them. Karl and Helen would probably back me up, but Damien would complain non-stop the whole time. I guess I could make the argument that they really only had a single Water Type if a fire got out of hand. I rattled off a text to Helen asking if I could tag along with them to Eterna City. I had my fingers crossed that she would see it and respond before they left Floaroma. In the middle of planning my next move forward, a voice nearby called out.

"Excuse me? Are you Titus Claren?"

I whipped my head up to see a woman in a bright blue blazer carrying a microphone. She was flanked by a man holding a hefty camera on his shoulder. The woman was wearing a great deal of makeup with a smile that showed off her unnaturally white teeth.

"Uh, yeah, that's me, wh-"

"Great! I'm Amanda from Jubilife News, we're interviewing the semi-finalists here at the Floaroma Rookie Tournament," she quickly blurted out with far too much enthusiasm.

Oh, absolutely the fuck not.

"Can we ask you a few questions? Which of your Pokemon was your starter? Do you have a competitor you're least worried about? What's your training regimen?," Amanda rattled off as the cameraman leaned in and adjusted the lens to get a good shot.

"Nope, no questions." I quickly blurted out before snatching up my burger wrapper and leaving the stands in a hurry, hoping to Arceus that they weren't going to follow me. After nearly an hour of walking around town I made my way back to the Center to pick up my team for the next round. I thanked the Nurses and left for the fields. Before I got there though, I texted my Mom and Glen and told them to tune in. If it was being broadcast, then they'd get the chance to watch and I know they'd want to see.

"From Celestic Town and holding one badge, Rhiannon Dulahan!"

Rhiannon waved to the crowd of people packing the stands. Now that the field had thinned out and it was clear she was the favorite, more people had opted to watch this match. The noise they were making was starting to get to me as I wiped my sweaty hands on my pants.

"And from Jubilife City and also holding one badge, Titus Claren!"

A few cheers and whistles, but nothing like the reception my opponent had received. That was fine. I didn't expect to win, not against her but I'd do the best I can and see where it took me.

"And begin!"

At the referee's whistle, we each sent our first Pokemon. Marshtomp materialized on the grassy field, stretching his arms as he prepared himself. Rhiannon had opened with Kirlia, the lithe Psychic Type's eyes narrowing as it glared at both of us.

"Water Gun!"

Marshtomp opened his mouth and a burst of water shot out towards Kirlia, who's eyes began to glow as the water curved into an impossible arc as the attack sailed harmlessly away from her.

"Dig!"

"Magical Leaf!"

The Water Type dove for the ground, the earth seemingly become liquid as it engulfed him while a flurry of multi-colored leaves sliced the grass and impaled the spot where he'd been a moment earlier.

"Pull it under!"

"Teleport!"

Fucking what?

Marshtomp burst out of the ground, grabbing Kirlia's legs and attempting to pull the Psychic into the earth. One moment she was in his grasp, and in a fraction of a second she reappeared a few feet away, unharmed.

"Pull it out with Confusion!"

"Dig, get out of there!"

Kirlia extended her arms towards the Ground Type and a purple light surrounded Marshtomp, who was still half-submerged in the ground. He cried out in pain and struggled to break free of the Psychic attack. Slowly, he was being lifted from the ground and into the air. None of our attacks had worked so far, but I had to keep trying regardless.

"Rock Throw, break its concentration!"

Marshtomp swung his arm in an upward arc and a chunk of stone burst out of the ground, striking Kirlia in the chin and sending the Psychic Type staggering backwards. The light surrounding my Pokemon faded and he dropped to the ground as Kirlia's confusion was temporarily halted.

"Wow, that was a great move! You might be the first challenging battle I've had all day!" Rhiannon called out.

A compliment?

"Thanks, I try!" I shouted back. "Dig, then Rock Throw!"

Marshtomp burrowed under the ground, and once he was out of sight stones began to rip themselves from the earth and fall around Kirlia. The Psychic nimbly danced around the falling rocks, occasionally twirling or leaping to avoid being struck. There were still moves we hadn't tried yet, but I seriously doubted we'd be getting more chances. I had to end this quickly.

"Astonish!"

The Water Type's head broke through the ground, his mouth opening to unleash an otherworldly shriek that caught Kirlia off guard, the Psychic Type stopping in place to clutch its head from the pain. Now was our chance.

"Mud Bomb!"

"Confusion, then Magical Leaf!"

Kirlia's eyes snapped open, glowing again as Marshtomp was lifted into the air, his arms and legs flailing uselessly to break himself free of the Psychic attack as he cried out in pain again. Dozens of multicolored leaves gathered around Kirlia before taking aim at Marshtomp and flying at him, tearing into his skin and causing him to bleed before she dropped him. After a few seconds, the Water Type didn't rise to his feet and the referee's whistle blew.

"Marshtomp is unable to battle, send out your last Pokemon!"

Between Sableye and Hitmontop, I didn't know that either of them stood much of a chance against Kirlia. And there was also her next Pokemon to consider. If I really thought about it, Hitmontop probably stood the best chance of pulling off a 2 for 1.

I sent out Hitmontop, who was itching for a fight after sitting out the last two battles.

Before the first commands could be issued, Rhiannon recalled Kirlia.

The Psychic Type dissolved into red light before being replaced by Riolu. The small blue Pokemon materialized on the field, the black appendages on its head began to rise and bob on their own as he and Hitmontop stared each other down.

"Rapid Spin!"

"Force Palm, break up the ground!"

The air around him kicked up as Hitmontop rotated, turning into a spinning blur that tore across the field and left destroyed grass in its wake. Riolu's paws began to glow as it slammed both of them into the ground, sending chunks of earth into the air as the Fighting Type was left sitting in a small crater of his own making.

"Now, Force Palm!"

Riolu leapt out of the crater to meet Hitmontop with a single glowing paw poised to strike. If it connected, it would likely do a lot of damage, just as it had to Harry's Ponyta. But Hitmontop was moving too fast, the Rapid Spin slapping Riolu's paw out of the way as they collided and Riolu was struck several times before backpedaling and rolling back into the crater.

"Hitmontop, don't!"

But it was too late, Hitmontop hit the edge of the crater and went tumbling through the air and into the shallow pit with Riolu. Hitmontop flipped over and began rising to his feet.

"Now Force Palm, it can't get away!"

"Triple Kick it away!"

Riolu dashed with his paw poised to strike, hitting Hitmontop in the midsection and causing him to scream out in pain before he spun and unleashed a flurry of kicks that pushed the other Fighting Type back.

"Get back! Use Mimic!"

"Stay on him with Quick Attack!"

Hitmontop jumped back and out of the crater but Riolu was already on the move, tearing across the grass and kicking Hitmontop in the leg. As he endured the hit, I noticed his eyes begin to glow blue. Mimic had gone through. Now we had to make an opening to actually use Force Palm. I couldn't mess this up, Mimic was only ever good for one attack before it was expended and we'd never tried to Mimic multiple moves in one battle.

"Low Kick, then Force Palm!"

Hitmontop's leg swung out, tripping the canine Pokemon up and causing it to fall on its back before stepping in close with a glowing fist-

"Detect!"

Riolu became a blur of movement that shot backwards and suddenly the Fighting Type was back on his feet and panting. Hitmontop's hand swung wide, the target of his attack gone. The blue glow had left his eyes. Mimic had been expended.

"Mach Punch!"

"Quick Attack!"

Both Fighting Types disappeared, then the sound of a whip cracking echoed across the field as they reappeared in the gap between. Riolu's foot was firmly planted against Hitmontop's temple, who had his fist stuck to Riolu's jaw. Neither one was backing down.

"Rapid Spin!"

"Force Palm, hit the ground!"

Hitmontop spun, his fist glancing off of Riolu's cheek as he picked up speed and became a blur as his opponent slammed the ground with another Force Palm, the energy breaking the ground apart and sending Hitmontop off balance as they both fell into the newly formed crater.

This wasn't going well. Every time Hitmontop used Rapid Spin to attack and defend simultaneously, Riolu broke the ground apart and made it impossible to maintain. Not only that, but he was tearing the field up and littering it with chunks of dirt and stone making it all the more likely Hitmontop would trip up trying to navigate the field using the move.

"Another Force Palm!"

"Mud Slap!"

Riolu swung with a glowing paw as Hitmontop sunk a hand into the earth and kicked up a spray of dirt that hit the other Fighting Type mid-swing and caused the Force Palm to go wide. As Riolu struggled to open his eyes, a blue glow began to surround him as dirt and pebbles began to rattle near him.

"He can't find you, use Triple Kick!"

But Riolu turned and leapt high, sailing nimbly over Hitmontop's barrage of kicks to land two of his own directly into his opponent's face before landing in front of him. In one smooth motion, Riolu landed and jumped into an uppercut that crashed into my starter's jaw and sent him flying out of the crater and skidding across the grass. I waited a few seconds, hoping that he would rise to his feet but he didn't. The referee whistled and the horn blared, signaling the end of the match. Riolu dragged himself out of the crater before falling to one knee, exhausted, before Rhiannon recalled the Fighting Type and I did the same with Hitmontop.

"Hitmontop is unable to battle! The victory goes to Rhiannon Dulahan from Celestic Town!"

The crowd clapped and cheered, and Rhiannon gave them an enthusiastic wave with a jubilant smile on her face. She looked like she was on top of the world.

I'd lost. It stung, but at least we gave it our best try. After all, I went into this not expecting to win, but I was holding out a little more hope after every round that I might be able to clench one of the higher prizes. Either one of those TMs would've been insanely useful, but at least we got some battling experience. I began to walk towards the Center to get my Team healed up. I could probably make it back here in time for the final rounds as well.

"Hey, that was a really good battle out there!" a voice behind me suddenly announced.

I turned and saw Rhiannon standing there, smiling warmly. From this close, I also noticed she had freckles on her face. Why exactly was she talking to me?

"You think so? I was trying my best not to get completely rolled," I admitted sheepishly.

The girl nodded. "Mhm, I do! None of the other first-year Trainers have been able to push Riolu that hard."

I continued walking to the Center, and Rhiannon followed suit.

"Is Riolu your starter?"

"He is, though I did get Eevee and Ralts at nearly the same time so it's kind of like all three are my starters," the girl replied with a lot of enthusiasm. It sounded like she loved to talk about her Pokemon. "What about you? Was Marshtomp your starter?"

"It was Tyrogue. A friend of mine couldn't take care of him and I needed a Pokemon to start my journey with."

The walk to the Center wasn't very far. Once we got there, we each handed our Pokemon over to the Nurse, and while a Nurse was taking mine I noticed Rhiannon scribbling something on a piece of paper which she promptly offered to me.

"Here, take my number. We should meet up again and battle if we're ever in the same city." she proclaimed.

"Yeah, sure!" I took the piece of paper and began putting her number into my phone.

"I have to run, but wish me luck in the next round, ok?"

"Definitely!"

With that, she took off towards her Center room, leaving me in the lobby. I only had Sableye's ball on my belt and now I wasn't sure what to do next.

There was a part of me that felt slightly bitter towards Rhiannon. From the outside it seemed like her Pokemon were just naturally better and that was how she won, but I immediately felt ashamed as soon as I wandered down that line of thought. She was a good Trainer, a great one even, and it came down to her being better. And she'd been a graceful winner on top of being kind and wanting to talk after the battle. I was just being an asshole feeling resentful towards her.

It was around five in the evening when I arrived at the match that was currently underway. When I looked for a good seat in the stands, I spotted a familiar face: Kalani, with Hawlucha by her side. Well, not by her side. He was resting with his head in her lap, her fingers scratching the vibrant green feathers on the Flying Type's head. The veteran Trainer caught my eye and waved me over before patting the bench beside her.

"Try not to look too down. Everyone loses at some point, better it happens now than later." she mused.

"You were watching?"

The Flying specialist nodded. "I caught both matches actually, I just thought it better not to say anything and risk putting pressure on you."

The crowd roared and the noise startled me as my attention went to the battlefield. As the horn announcing the end of the match sounded, I spotted Damien and his Houndour who had just won the battle and I'd missed the entire thing. His opponent, Neal, recalled his Teddiursa that lay on the smoldering ground. The Normal Type had been burned pretty badly.

"Come on, there's supposed to be a break before the finals." Kalani announced before she and Hawlucha stood up and began exiting the stands. Now I just felt foolish for trying to find a seat, but at least Kalani was fun to talk to. I followed the veteran Trainer and her Pokemon to a concession stand where she purchased a bottle of water. She took a few swigs of it before offering it to Hawlucha. The Flying Type nodded and she slowly dripped it on to his head, where he used it to wash and clean his feathers, paying special attention to his head and face where he smoothed them over and they took on a glossy, neater look. I watched this play out and I was slightly intrigued, mostly because I knew next to nothing about Hawlucha. Kalani noticed me watching, then took another sip of water before closing the bottle.

"He's particular about his appearance, so I let him bathe often, especially if we're outside a lot. It's the first thing he demands after a battle, but he won't let other people bathe him. It's kind of a trust thing," the tall woman explained.

"Lucha-cha!" the Fighting Type boasted, puffing his chest out and flexing his arms.

"Show off," Kalani snorted. "Well, time for the autopsy then?"

"The what?"

"You wanted to know how your battles went, didn't you? I can see it on your face, you were itching to ask but you're holding back."

She could read me like a cheap paperback. It would be rude to just pester her for training advice, so I didn't think to ask outright. Besides, I didn't want her thinking I was just hanging around her for that one reason. I just wanted to know more about Kalani outside of her being an experienced Trainer.

I nervously scratched the back of my head. "I do want your input, I feel like I could use the help, honestly."

"Sometimes it helps to just spit it out. But don't get pissed off once you hear something you don't like, got it?"

I nodded in agreement. Kalani and Hawlucha walked away from the stands to stroll around and I followed them.

"We'll start with the good parts. Your battle with Hayden showed that you have a way to deal with airborne Pokemon. However, I don't know why you didn't leave Marshtomp in to face his Salandit." She turned to me, an eyebrow raised.

"It's…he's afraid of fire. I don't know the specifics, but he panicked and began acting of his own volition the last time he faced a Fire Type. Something about the flames terrifies him." I admitted.

"That's strange for a Fire Type. I'm going to tell you this now, before it's too late and while your Marshtomp is still growing: You need to help him conquer his fear now. That fear is going to get you, your Pokemon or someone else hurt or killed. I mean it," she said, her tone growing serious. "If you can't depend on him, it may be kinder to let him go but you cannot continue to baby him. Not if you're serious about being a Trainer."

I felt something catch in my throat and I found it hard to speak. I didn't want to admit she was right. If he couldn't get over his fear, then I really might have to let him go.

"There's also your other two Pokemon. Let's go with Sableye for now. You're not using his abilities to their fullest. You make Sableye go in for straight exchanges when that's not what he's suited for. Look what happened against Salandit, he took a lot more damage than was necessary. You need to keep him far away and be a nuisance to whoever he's fighting," she explained.

This was something I'd already caught onto but Kalani raised a good point. Acknowledging something and actively working to change it were two different things. "Sableye can't stay far away though. He has no ranged moves."

"Not a single one? They can learn a lot of moves through TMs, that might be able to help you…," she trailed off as she noticed the look on my face. "Right, you're just starting out, not a lot of cash to throw around for that sort of thing yet."

"Rhiannon didn't seem to be struggling and I don't think she used any moves that come from TMs."

"Fair point, but her Pokemon are different from yours, they have different needs. Kirlia and Riolu likely won't need TMs for a while, whereas you're hurting for them at the moment," she explained. "Hitmontop also has an issue but you may not have noticed it. He just evolved, didn't he?"

That actually came as a bit of a surprise to me. I didn't notice any problems with the way Hitmontop had been battling.

"Yeah, he evolved during the first round. Why?"

"It's subtle, but I could tell he wasn't used to moving around the way he's supposed to. Make sure you give him plenty of time to exercise and get used to his new form. Mid-battle evolutions aren't always a blessing, I've seen them backfire a few times. Just something to keep in mind going forward."

"Now, starting from the battle with Rhiannon, I noticed a single glaring issue between you and that girl. I'll give you a single guess," she stated.

I was at a loss. Surely it wasn't our Pokemon right?

"I don't have a clue," I admitted.

"She wanted it more than you did. I'm not saying you didn't want to win, because you definitely did. But that girl had a reason to battle, it was plain in how she threw out her moves, she had something to fight for. And more than that, Rhiannon was having fun. Are you having fun when you battle? Do you have something to fight for?"

Being a Trainer and taking this journey was all I'd wanted, but I hadn't really considered why I wanted it. I did have fun battling, nothing I'd ever done before even came close to it. And there was nothing quite like getting to bond with my Pokemon and learn who they were. It was never perfect, but I don't think families ever are.

But Kalani was right. I didn't have a reason to battle beyond a superficial desire to be a Trainer.

"I…I don't," I replied somberly before a thought occurred to me. "Kalani, why do you battle?"

"The freedom. I don't ever want to be held down or told to stay in one place." she replied without missing a beat. "You need to find that, Titus. Address the issues with your team, and find your reason to fight. You won't make it very far if you don't have that."

Kalani departed for the battlefield to catch the final match while I left for the Route south of town from the Center. It was getting darker outside now, and the street lamps around Floaroma flickered to life. A gentle breeze kicked up, the leaves of the treeline rustling as the branches swayed in the wind. As I approached the edge of town, I unclipped a ball from my belt.

I released Sableye first, then clipped his ball back to my belt. The Ghost Type materialized and gave me a smile showing off his rows of menacing teeth. I had already broken the news to him about losing the battle, but the others were still being treated. With a heavy hand, I pulled out my Pokedex and flicked through the menus to get to Murkrow's information. My finger hovered over the release command before I pulled out her Pokeball and pointed it down the road.

Warning! This Pokemon will be released. This action cannot be undone. Are you sure?

Yes * / No

I punched in my Trainer ID and with a tap on the screen, the Flying Type was released around thirty feet away. Murkrow spotted us and glared with bright red eyes as an uneasy feeling washed over me. She screeched, a shrill piercing noise that echoed around us as she spread her wings and flapped, kicking up air towards us.

"Murkrow. You're free. You can go home, back to your family." I told her, my voice trembling as I felt my hands shaking.

Sableye looked at me, then back to Murkrow. The Flying Type beat her wings once more, taking to the sky and turning away from us. After a minute, she was out of sight.