Note- Welcome back, Heart and Soul readers! Only two weeks later, and we have ourselves a new chapter! Thank Arceus for the summer! When we last visited our story, we found Chris and his team lost deep in Mt. Mortar. Just as anxiety had begun to set in, the group stumbled upon a pair of Fighting-types on sentry duty. One of the Pokémon, a Machamp, absolutely wrecked Chris' Pokémon and would have done the same to a charging Chris had a mysterious man not intervened. We pick up there today! Thank you for joining me for another action packed adventure in Heart and Soul! Hope you enjoy! Please Review and Subscribe!


Chapter 41

"Who are you?"

Chris had managed to run over and check on his team during the momentary calm. Despite being quickly beaten, all of his Pokémon looked to be already recovering from the conflict. Machamp had released Typhlosion and backed a good distance away from the team. Seeing this, Chris had turned his attention back to the man who had brought about the temporary peace. Between seeing his teammates beaten down, and the certainty of the same happening to him as he charged in, the trainer's adrenaline was at an all time high. He watched with clenched fists and gritted teeth as the man drew closer. Seeing his headband and gi only added to Chris' suspicion: he really was about to get his ass kicked. Even in the darkness, Chris could see that, in addition to being tall, the man was also built like a tank. As Typhlosion's flames increased, and the man drew closer, Chris could make out his tree trunk sized legs. He stopped only a few feet away, and brought up one of his beefy arms to point.

"You shouldn't be this deep into the mountain," his raspy voice replied. It wasn't nearly as deep as Chris had expected.

The trainer studied the man's neutral expression. "I can promise you that it wasn't on purpose," Chris clarified. "We were heading on the primary route east when—"

"I don't care how you got here," the man interjected. "You need to leave."

"That's the problem, sir," Chris gingerly replied. "We aren't sure how to get out. That's how we wound up here."

The man tightened the black belt at his waist. "New trainers shouldn't be traveling through Mt. Mortar anyway," he said. "This place is a pitch black maze. Only experienced trainers and large parties of treasure hunters can traverse it safely."

Chris could sense that he was treading on unstable ground, but he pushed ahead with his train of thought. "I can definitely tell you're an experienced trainer. Your Machamp took out my team like we were nothing."

The man frowned. "That has more to do with your inexperience than my skill."

The man was clearly trying to turn Chris away with his negative comments, but something in the trainer held him firm. "I've only been on my journey for four months or so, but we've accomplished a lot in that time. We already have six badges."

The man's frown stayed put. "Six badges," he repeated. "That doesn't make you any less green, but I'll bite; who have you beaten?"

"Falkner, Bugsy, Whitney, Morty, Chuck, and Jasmine," Chris answered, counting them off on his fingers as he went.

At Chuck's name, the man's eyebrows rose slightly. "So the old man's roaring fists couldn't do the talking. He probably should have retired years ago."

"He's too passionate to submit to age so easily. And besides," Chris added, pounding his chest with a clenched fist, "if he'd left, I would have never gotten the title of gladiator."

The man snorted. "'Lotta good that did you against Machamp."

Chris ignored the comment, instead focusing on something the man had said earlier. "You spoke about Chuck like you knew him pretty well. Did you train with him? Did you compete in the Johto League?"

The man turned away from Chris and pointed back to the far end of the cavern. "You don't need to stick around here for long. Your Pokémon need healing. Machamp can escort you back the way you came. I would suggest finding a way across Route 42's lakes."

"We can't go back that way, sir."

The man's long brown hair whipped around as he turned to face Chris. "Why not?"

"The connection between this path and the main route is covered in magma."

The man stared at Chris for a long moment. The trainer felt as though the older man could somehow see beyond his outward expression. He turned his gaze to the stalactite covered ceiling and gave a long sigh. Bringing a hand up, he waved for Chris and his team to follow him. Machamp and Conkeldurr passed behind him through the man-made opening in the wall.

Chris' team looked hesitant to follow the Pokémon that had just beaten them down. The trainer gave them a reluctant shrug. "We really don't have a choice at this point. But if they try to hurt us again..." Chris trailed off as he punched his hand.

"Flaaffy," the Wool Pokémon sternly replied, rolling her eyes.

The trainer flashed her a nervous grin. "No worries."


Passing through the expanded crevice, the team found themselves in the largest chamber of the mountain yet. Typhlosion and Flaaffy's combined lighting could reveal neither the ceiling or the far end of the passage.

"Scy'?" came the Mantis Pokémon's request. The creature pointed toward the ground around his trainer.

"I don't think we'll need to get back in formation," Chris replied. He looked ahead at the dark figures of the man and his two Fighting-types. "If they're protecting us, we've got nothing to worry about."

A strained silence fell on the team as they continued to follow the trio. The echo of footsteps and flapping wings reverberated back as a faint drone. The sound of moving water could be heard off in the distance. Still they walked on. The ground seemed remarkably flat after all of the rolling caverns they'd traversed along the way. It made Chris wonder just how far they had traveled.

Finally, the leading trio came to a halt. As the team drew hesitantly closer, a small beacon of light grew in their vision. Drawing closer, Chris could see a small fire burning on a platform made of dark stone.

"Bring up the lights," the man muttered to his companions. Each Fighting-type scooped up a branch-like object and held it over the fire. A moment later, they were carrying the makeshift torches in opposite directions. Both came to a halt at what Chris could only assume were the opposite ends of the cavern. They held their pieces of the flame up to the wall. A moment later, the fire had passed from their torches, and quickly spread along the outer edge of the cavern. The flames surged until the space had become surrounded by a ring of fire. The amount of light put off illuminated the entire cavern.

"Woah," Chris breathed.

Between the two parties, a makeshift battlefield had been etched into the stone. The battle lines had been carved into the solid foundation through what could only have been sheer power. A row of stone columns towered over the team on their left. Further on, and to the right, Chris could make out a pile of boulders resting by the cave wall. That line of vision brought his attention to the pool of water that resided just to the left of the pile. Even beneath the fire light, the pool seemed dark and foreboding. The surface was calm, but the trainer thought he could make out a current of sorts. That's when his gaze found the waterfall gushing from the back wall.

"What is this place?" Chris asked the man.

He didn't respond. Without looking back at his guests, he dropped onto the ground beside the flame-topped platform and began rummaging through a bag he must have concealed in his gi.

As Chris and his team drew closer, Nidoking and Typhlosion stopped to admire the stone-carved battlefield. Cracks and chunks of missing rock bore the story of many hard fought battles.

"Here," came the man's voice as he tossed several small, wiry objects to Chris. "Break 'em in half and give each Pokémon a piece."

"Are these... the roots of a plant?"

"They're medicinal."

Chris did as he was told. He received some awful looks as the injured members of his team chewed on the roots. The ever animated Nidoking let loose a poorly masked groan.

The trainer caught the powerful man's eye. "They're finding it a bit… bitter," he hastily explained.

The man actually chuckled. "Hard to tell."

Typhlosion looked as though he might vomit. The Volcano Pokémon's chest fluctuated quickly, and even in the dim light, Chris could see how pale his scrunched cheeks had become.

"This will help you," Chris reminded him. He stepped over to pat Scyther on his back before shifting to Flaaffy. Blinking back tears between bites, the Wool Pokémon gave her trainer the best thumbs up she could produce. "I would have just given you guys some of my medicine had I known," Chris whispered to the Electric-type as he passed. He looked back toward their host and found the man already back on his feet. "Thank you sir for the, uh, unique medicine."

The man waved away the gratitude. "It's all we have."

"So… you don't go in to town much?"
A moment later, Chris found the man towering over him.

"What do you think?" he asked.

Fighting the urge to run, the trainer forced himself to take in his surroundings once more: the heavily used battlefield, the columns of stone, a pile of boulders, the Fighting-type Pokémon who had guarded the entrance, and a pool of running water. With the surrounding fire light, two openings—one at the back of the cavern by the waterfall, the other to Chris' right—could be seen. He looked over his shoulder at the bitter roots his team were attempting to down. Then he looked back up at their imposing host. "I think you live here. And I don't think you've left for a long time."

The smallest of smiles creased the man's lips. "Not bad. What else? "

It took every ounce of mental fortitude for Chris not to flinch. He could hear the cautious footsteps of his approaching teammates. He waved them off. Something about the man's hard stare belied a deeper feeling etched onto the edges of his scarred, creased cheeks. "I'm not sure," Chris admitted. "I just sense that maybe... you're in hiding."

The man scoffed. "Who would me and my Pokémon need to hide from?"

A valid question, Chris silently acknowledged. "Maybe it's not a 'who'," he said slowly. "Maybe it's 'something'."

"Too vague."

"I'm not a mind reader."

"No excuses," came a harsher rebuke than Chris had expected.

The trainer forced himself to find the man's eyes once more. He stared through the dim light as hard as he had ever looked at anything in his life, pausing only to wipe a bead of sweat that had dripped into his eye. "You found out something about the world that you didn't like," he said. When he didn't get an immediate rebuttal, he continued. "And that something changed your perception. It… it put your goals out of reach… destroyed your purpose." Chris went silent. Another drop of sweat slid into his eye, but he fought off the urge to wipe it away.

"Kiyo." The man's sudden reply nearly went missed.

"Kiyo," Chris repeated. The trainer tried to rationalize the word, but could only come to one conclusion. "My name's Chris."

"Pangoro," Kiyo spoke without taking his gaze off Chris, "get this young man and his team some food."

An imposing figure emerged from the opening closest to the waterfall. The hulking creature carried a bag of sorts in its long arms. Each laborious footstep sent a noticeable ripple through the dark pitchstone. Despite Kiyo's apparent innocent intent, Chris soon found a suspicious Typhlosion and Scyther at his side. Kiyo took several steps away from the team as the behemoth of a Pokémon came to a stop a few feet away from them. The white and grey furred creature chewed on a leaved shoot as he stared down at Chris and his team. He unceremoniously dumped the bag at their feet, before turning and lumbering back through the passage he had entered.

Chris knelt down and found a wide assortment of fruit, beans, and Pokémon food. He separated it all out as best he could in the low lighting. "Thank you, sir."

"Kiyo," the man repeated.

The trainer divvied out the food to his team before sitting back and chomping into an apple. Between nearly getting toasted by magma, the long trek through Mt. Mortar, the intense skirmish with Machamp, and the intimidating showdown with their host, Chris had not realized how hungry he had become. Based off the fervent feasting of his teammates, it appeared they had been in the same boat. He helped himself to some beans and berries before finally pulling himself away. As he turned, he found Kiyo staring off at the opening Pangoro had just disappeared through.

"Pangoro are almost unheard of in Johto," Chris said aloud. When the man didn't turn to face him, he continued. "That's actually the first one I've ever seen in person. I know their species is native to the Kalos region. Have you been there?"

At that, Kiyo turned. "No points for deductive reasoning there. That one is obvious."

"For someone who lives in a cave," Chris began, feeling a bit more brave on a full stomach, "you sure have gotten around. Kalos is on the opposite side of the planet."

"That was both before and after my cave dwelling days."

Chris furrowed his brow at that. "Before and after?"

"Have you ever lost hope in a dream?" The sudden intensity of such a question left Chris speechless. A grim smile appeared on the man's lips as he stared up at the ceiling. "What are your plans moving forward?"

That question helped straighten out Chris' thoughts. "I plan on qualifying for the Silver Conference," he said with renewed confidence.

"What if you don't?"

The answer seemed obvious enough to Chris. "Then I try again next year."

"Can you afford to go around the region and attempt to collect all eight badges again?" Kiyo asked.

Chris thought about his family's financial situation. With Matt not in the picture, he was the only child his parents had to provide for. His mother made decent money. Combined with his father's substantial income, he had no doubt he could afford to take up the Johto League Challenge once more. Throughout his time in school, he'd saved up all the money he'd earned through mowing yards and tutoring peers with their math homework. He'd asked for money anytime someone had wanted to give him a birthday gift. His mother had even let it slip that she'd opened up an account should he need emergency funding. He was beyond fortunate when it came to his financial situation. He couldn't imagine the kind of stress Luke must have been under with his parents having to provide for he and his two brothers.

"I could," Chris calmly replied.

"So let's say you do qualify," Kiyo added, rubbing his hands together. "What happens if you don't win?"

"You can't live your life based off what-if's," Chris retorted.

"What do you do if you lose?"

Chris took a moment to gather his thoughts. "If we don't win the Silver Conference… we probably will challenge another league."

"Which will cost more time and money for the added travel," Kiyo replied. "And unless you get some quality sponsors, the cost will have to come straight out of pocket. That's to say nothing about the challenge of battling unfamiliar trainers and Gym Leaders. Plus, if you don't win that league, you can't use your same Pokémon in any other regional climax tournaments."

That was a worst-case scenario Chris had purposefully avoided thinking about. He would only get two shots at a region championship with his participating teammates. He understood the rule and the balance it brought to league competition, but it still put a depressing cap on the length of his current team's regional run. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

"We plan on winning," Chris affirmed.

"And I planned on running my Gym until retirement," Kiyo snapped back.

Silence fell over the cavern. Chris' team looked at their host, and then at their trainer. Machamp and Conkeldurr strode over to the nearby stone columns and began to work through a punching drill. They hadn't seemed perturbed by their trainer's raised voice.

"You were a Gym—"

"I'll have a couple of my Pokémon escort you out through the east passage," Kiyo calmly cut him off, jabbing a thumb at the wall opening to his left.

"We don't need an—"

"The Pokémon you'd encounter are too powerful for your team to handle."

"We're not getting an escort," Chris reaffirmed.

Kiyo had turned to look at him now. The normally stoic man couldn't hide the annoyance that had seeped onto his face. "Would you have you and your Pokémon die because of pride? If so, you don't deserve to be a trainer."

"We're not going east yet."

Confusion momentarily overtook Kiyo's perturbed expression. "That's the only remaining way to get to Mahogany Town. You said yourself that the southern passage has become a magma chamber."

"I wasn't lying," Chris replied. "And I believe you when you say that that's the only other option." The trainer looked over his shoulder and found the eyes of his team on him. Despite a long trek through the darkness and a defeat at the hand of Kiyo's Machamp, one good meal and some rest had revitalized the group. He wasn't sure if they knew what he was about to say, but none of his teammates showed any signs of withdrawing their support. He nodded slowly, then turned back to Kiyo. "We aren't heading south or east. We're staying right here."

Kiyo opened his mouth to laugh, but faltered when he saw Chris' expression. Despite the fire light, the distance between the two trainers prevented either from truly getting a clear picture of their counterpart. Kiyo stood up and covered the distance between the two. Chris also stood up, but couldn't bring himself to meet the man halfway. His body felt as though it was wrapped tightly around a handle. He stood, back completely rigid, as the monstrous man came to a halt right in front of him. Their eyes could see one another in perfect clarity from this close. The older man's intense, dark brown eyes looked nearly black in the dim lighting.

"You want to train with us?" came Kiyo's raspy question.

Chris fought the urge to take a step back. "I think it'll be a great learning experience."

"What can you possibly learn from a failure like me?"

The young man had to think about that. "Your Machamp crushed my entire team," Chris answered. "If I'm on the path to becoming a failure, the least I can do is learn some mistakes to avoid and surpass another failure."

"And you're willing to drag your team into this?"

"Ty'!" came the fire starter's reproach.

"Cro'!" the Poison/Flying-type echoed a heartbeat later.

Scyther and Nidoking joined in unison a short moment later, as did Eevee. Flaaffy cast a cautious glance at the exercising Machamp and Conkeldurr behind Kiyo, but her call of support was unmistakable.

"I don't think I'm dragging them into anything," Chris fired back after the last of his teammates had responded.

Kiyo tilted his head to the side. "I don't think you understand what you'd be in for."

"Maybe not," Chris acknowledged, "but we don't back down from a challenge just because it's tough." He made sure Kiyo's eyes were on his. "Only failures quit when the road gets hard."

Kiyo maintained his unrelenting stare. His expression had returned to its neutral default, but Chris thought he could see a glint of something in the warrior's eyes. He slowly brought both fists to his hips. "Know that I can't guarantee your safety, nor can I predict how long your training will last."

Chris frowned. "You think it will take a while?"

That brought a chuckle from the fighter. "You did see how badly outmatched your team was, right?" He then looked Chris over. "And a scrawny fellow like you needs even more work."

Chris looked at his arms and legs. As a byproduct of his competitive nature, he'd played every sport available growing up. He'd run every night, loving the opportunity to air out his thoughts as much as improve his cardio. He'd implemented that same mindset when training with his team. They'd always get a workout in at least once a day, which Chris found to be impressive considering the summer's noticeable heat. But as he turned his gaze to the man before him, a crushing realization settled over him. Despite all the exercise, the young man's muscles looked like twigs compared to Kiyo's. "Guess I do have some room to grow," he admitted.

Kiyo nodded. "We'll begin at once, then."

"Wait," Chris said. He pointed to the PokéGear on his wrist. "I need to send out a message."

The warrior scoffed. "You're on your own journey, now. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to grow up fast."

"This is different," Chris said, his words weighted by a tone of importance. "My parents have… already had to deal with something like this once. I can't put them through that again."

Kiyo's expression didn't change, but he gave a short nod. "You won't be able to send any messages from here. Follow me."

Chris and his team were led to the opening in the back wall of the cavern. Machamp and Conkeldurr paid them no mind as they passed by. The opening revealed a jagged and uneven passage that steadily climbed as they walked. With Typhlosion and Flaaffy walking beside Chris, Kiyo had no light to aid him. Even so, he strode forward without so much as stumbling or slowing down.

"You go this way often?" Chris asked.

"When we need food."

After more than an hour of inclined hiking, the path ahead became clearer. Several more steps brought them close enough to see light filtering through the passage. As they came around a bend, a rush of cold air blasted Chris' bangs back and sent a wave of chill bumps racing across his body.

The light appeared white as they stepped toward the passage's exit. Blinking away the stinging in his eyes, Chris found himself standing in a couple inches of snow. He and his team looked around, and realized how such a thing could happen in August.

"Ty'," came the Volcano Pokémon's low growl.

"I don't think I've ever been this high up either," Chris quietly replied.

The team found themselves at the top of a bluff. Looking up, the trainer was stunned to find that they now stood near the top of one of the mountain's many ridges. That would explain the snow, Chris thought. One of the dark spires above stood in stark contrast to the baby blue sky.

"Nido'!" the Drill Pokémon roared, reaching over to yank Chris' arm.

The trainer followed his Pokémon's pointing claw and found a large stretch of Johto laid out before him. The three lakes below looked like tiny puddles. A stretch of woodland, resembling grass from this high vantage, extended out to the south until it met a good sized collection of buildings. A three-storied, spire topped pagoda caught Chris' eye. He pointed the structure out to his team. "That's Violet City!"

"'Vee!" Eevee cried, nodding to their right. The historical city of Ecruteak lay splayed out in all her beautiful, traditional framework. Chris' eyes were drawn to its closest structure, the normally imposing Bell Tower. Even though the sight of its golden spire still inspired awe in the trainer, he couldn't help but find humor in how much smaller it now appeared.

A black sphere of energy shot by Chris' face, nearly dropping the trainer to the ground. He turned and found Eevee—a determined look on his face—nodding toward Ecruteak. The Shadow Ball attack had been aimed at the city, but the high mountain winds destabilized and eventually swept it away. Chris and the rest of his team turned to face the Normal-type.

"What's up?" the trainer asked.

The Evolution Pokémon tapped its stomach with a paw and pointed toward the city far below. He then pointed a paw at the spot his Shadow Ball had dispersed. "Eevee!"

"That battle with the Kimono Girls must have psyched you up," Chris said. He remembered the impressive battling display put on by Espeon and Umbreon. His Eevee had been there to witness their powerful attacks and unique strategies. "I'm glad your aiming for the top. Maybe after this training we can go back and show them a thing or two, eh?"

Eevee nodded fiercely at that. "'Vee!"

"Your message," came Kiyo's raspy, but firm reminder.

Chris opened the panel on his PokéGear and began to type out a message for his mother and father. He made sure to mention his location and the name of the man he'd be training with, but when it came time for him to give them a timeframe, he froze. Turning around, Chris found Kiyo standing at the passage's entrance. "Without anywhere to charge it, my PokéGear battery will die in a few days," he explained. "I'm going to keep it off while we're training, so this is the only chance I'll have to give them a heads up. How long should I tell them I'll be unreachable for?"

"A while," came Kiyo's curt response.

Chris cringed at that, but knew he had no way of guessing their timeline going forward. A few seconds later, he'd finished and sent the message.

"Time to head back," Kiyo said.

As Chris and his team began to file back toward the cavern entrance, movement above the opening caught the trainer's eye. He found the towering figure of Pangoro looking down at them from the short bluff. The Daunting Pokémon still carried its food bag and the frown on its face. The young man from Cherrygrove made for the entrance once more, but something behind Pangoro brought him to a halt. Even though it still resided many miles away, Mt. Silver dominated the horizon. It's white peak loomed far above even Mt. Mortar's highest ridge.

If I can just win the Silver Conference... Chris silently began.

"Focus on the task at hand."

Chris found Kiyo's eyes on him. The man's neutral face belied his stern gaze. "You'll have enough to worry about here," he added.

The trainer forced his gaze to remain straight ahead. He gave a stiff nod and motioned for his team to head back into the heart of the mountain.


"You can't break yet!"

Shoot.

Despite the alarming amount of lactic acid he felt in his arms, Chris gritted his teeth and grinded out four more pushups. He then fell onto his back and began to gasp for air.

"You were twenty short," Kiyo's voice echoed in the trainer's ears.

"I haven't been at this long," Chris wheezed.

"Two weeks is long enough."

Chris blinked away the stars in his eyes. "Two weeks?"

"Time flows much smoother when you're disconnected from the chaos."

There wasn't enough oxygen for Chris' brain to properly digest that at the moment. Instead, he rolled onto his stomach, staggered back to his feet, and looked around. The new norm of limited lighting, and having not seen the sun since sending the message to his parents, had forced Chris' eyes to adapt. He could see Typhlosion and Flaaffy sparring with Conkeldurr on the nearby battlefield. The Fighting-type bashed through a Flamethrower and Thunderbolt with his black, stone columns. The duo barely avoided the pillars as they pressed forward for attack.

"Next station," Kiyo directed.

Chris scrambled over to the blocks of stone lined up in rows. His arms already felt heavy despite the day's training having only recently begun. Glancing around, he found Scyther on one side and Machamp on the other.

"Begin!"

Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

Chris looked to his right and found Machamp pounding away at the dark stone with machine-like efficiency. Each punch landed solid and shook the block to its core. He turned and found Scyther slicing away at the stone. The swings were much slower, but the Mantis Pokémon appeared to be putting his all into each strike. Chris turned back to his block and took a deep breath. Kiyo's words from their first day of training echoed through his mind. When training, no action should ever be mindless. He should have learned it on his first day after nearly breaking two of his knuckles with a misplaced punch. He sought out the grooves and indentions in the rock from the countless prior punches. To offset the dim light, he traced his taped up knuckles across the stone, and found a pair of worn ridges that might offer less resistance. He slowed his breathing and drew back a fist. Swinging forward, his knuckles struck flush against the stone. He'd measured his distance correctly, not whiffing or driving the punch too hard against the tough stone. The only issue had been his aim.

"Son of a—" he bit his tongue to silence his mouth and distract from the pulsing pain in his hand. He brought back his other fist and made sure his aim was true. The punch made solid contact with the intended location and, aside from striking a bit too hard, proved to be an efficient blow. Chris slowly built up a series of effective strikes before everyone was shifted to their next station. The trainer found the boulder hauling workout to be the least mentally demanding, but that took nothing away from the weight of the rocks.

"Lift with your legs," came Kiyo's raspy reminder. It was the same direction Chris had heard a dozen times from his mother when moving furniture around the house.

Chris squatted down and took hold of a decent sized chunk of earth. With a heavy exhale, he scooped up the rock and began to march slowly around the edge of the cavern. Nidoking walked by his side, his large biceps flexed around a boulder much larger than Chris'. Conkeldurr strolled along beside them, balancing a rock almost as big as himself on one of his black columns.

"'Keldurr," he growled, pointing at the rock in Chris' arms.

"Lower?" Chris asked.

The Fighting-type nodded.

After adjusting his grip and lowering the boulder in his arms, Chris felt a weight lift from his lower back. He looked over at Nidoking and encouraged the struggling Drill Pokémon to do the same. Despite having to watch his footing, Chris snuck several peeks at his team as he made his way around the cavern. Crobat and Eevee were sparring with Kiyo on the battlefield. As quick as they normally were, both Pokémon looked fatigued, and neither could land a hit on the martial artist.

"You repeat the same angles of attack," he heard Kiyo explain. "That makes you more predictable the longer the battle goes."

Chris tried to make a mental note of that as they circled by the stone pillar station he had recently finished. Typhlosion punched and kicked with everything he had. The trainer knew his starter had to have been fatigued after a fourteenth straight day of training, but the Fire-type refused to show weakness. Chris cracked a smile at that. No amount of evolving can change your pride, he thought. His starter had been a focused and determined hard worker from the beginning. It was up to Chris to follow suit. That thought helped him carry his boulder the rest of the way. It also helped keep him from groaning when Kiyo called for a station change immediately after.


"Don't slow down!"

With each swing of his aching arms, Chris pulled himself through the pool. Each kick propelled him forward and sent a spout of water skyward. It reminded him of the swimming he would do in Cherrygrove Bay. Well, minus the warm water… and the beautiful sky overhead… and an open expanse to traverse. So they both involve swimming, Chris silently berated. Each time he made it to one edge of the pool, he'd turn his body and kick off to begin his trip to the other side. A quick look over his shoulder revealed Eevee's position. The Normal-type may have been smaller, and not in possession of the same cardio as Chris and his team, but he continued to give his all nonetheless. The trainer had known from the beginning that Eevee's background would give him a chip on his shoulder. But ever since his battle with the Kimono Girls, and their later charge at Machamp, Chris had noticed a change in the Evolution Pokémon's demeanor.

"That's it."

Chris felt his hand grasp the edge of the pool. It took him several seconds to realize that he had just completed the final lap for the day. Not long after, Eevee's paw touched land. He turned to look at his trainer as he always had, but that hopeful look for validation had vanished. The trainer was surprised to find a smirk—not unlike his own—on the creature's visage. Chris almost congratulated his teammate on another successful station, but thought better of it. He's gotta' learn that confidence comes from within, the trainer silently conceded.

"Cool down," Kiyo's raspy voice announced.

All the Pokémon in the cavern, including Kiyo's, jumped into the pool. Even Typhlosion had realized that the muscle relaxing bath superseded his hatred for water. That didn't stop him from staying at the edge of the pool and keeping a paw on the firm rock. Nidoking didn't seem to care that he possessed the same weakness, cannonballing into the water beside his trainer. Scyther slid into the pool and treaded water beside Chris. Crobat flew across the water's surface and used his lower wings to splash himself. He then took off into the darkness overhead, but his trainer spotted him not long after chilling on the lowest hanging stalactite. Flaaffy slid into the water and paddled over to the waterfall for a drink. Chris thought he'd do the same.

"How are you holding up?" he asked her.

"Flaaff'," came her tired response, offset by a positive wave from one arm.

"You sure?"

Flaaffy nodded and waved off his concern. She pointed to her mouth and exhaled slowly.

"I'm still catching my breath from the last station," Chris acknowledged. "Do you feel like you've gotten quicker?"

The Wool Pokémon nodded emphatically. She pointed down at the water and then at the battlefield. When her eyes found the latter, she froze. Chris followed her gaze and found Pangoro's lone figure. He looked to be running through some individual routine.

"What do you make of him?" Chris asked her.

A somber look came over the Electric-type's face. "Flaaff'."

A large arm fell over the shoulders of Chris and Flaaffy. The two found Nidoking wedged between them. "Nido'!" he roared, squeezing each of them with a flex of his muscles.

"Good to see that boundless energy still going strong," Chris said, attempting to hit the Drill Pokémon with a vice grip of his own. The Poison/Ground-type chuckled at that and gave his trainer a firm pat on the back. Fighting back a fit of coughs, Chris excused himself and swam over to the opposite side of the pool. There, Kiyo and his two participating Fighting-types lounged.

"Uh, sir?"

Kiyo sighed. "We've been at this for a month—it's Kiyo."

"Sorry, must be fatigue."

"What is it?"

"Well," Chris began again, "I've noticed that Pangoro hasn't joined us during any of our daily routines."

"Yeah?"

"And I was just curious as to why."

Kiyo looked up and located Pangoro. "It's not important."

"Does it have to do with your time in Kalos?"

"I said it's not important."

Chris normally hated confrontation, but curiosity superseded his politeness. "We've worked with you for a month now. In all that time, Pangoro hasn't so much as spoken to me or any of my team. I feel like we have a right to know if we've done something to upset him."

"It's not you, kid."

"Then…"

Kiyo sighed again. "Let's just say he didn't get to see me at my best."

"You said you were a Gym Leader, right?" Chris asked. Before Kiyo could kill the conversation, he added, "I've always held Gym Leaders in high regard. You guys are some of the best trainers in the world. And since I've started my journey, I've gotten to see just how amazing you guys can be off the battlefield." He thought back to his talks with Falkner and Jasmine, Chuck's unyielding spirit, and Bugsy's passion for his preferred type of Pokémon.

"We can't all live up to those high ideals," Kiyo quietly replied.

"You obviously earned your team's respect," Chris countered. "They've stuck with you and continue to train to grow stronger. And it sounds like you blame yourself for Pangoro, but he's stuck with you too."

"I don't deserve their loyalty."

Before Chris could say anything else, Kiyo pulled himself out of the pool and walked away. The trainer turned his attention to the two Fighting-types close at hand. "How long has he been like this?"

Machamp held his arms up and shook his head. "'Champ."

Chris nodded, but his brow stayed creased.


Turns out our mysterious mediator, Kiyo, just so happened to be the trainer of the two powerful Fighting-types! But despite his best efforts, the middle aged warrior couldn't rid himself of the persistent youth at his doorstep. Chris now finds himself a pupil of the martial arts' expert. Even after a month of training, and the gains he and his team have already earned, the trainer still feels off about a pair of things... or more precisely, a couple of individuals. What is the story behind Pangoro's self-imposed isolation? What is Kiyo hiding about his past? How will the team's training conclude? We'll find out the answers to these questions in the next impactful installment of Heart and Soul! I hope to see you then! Please Review and Subscribe!