Pokémon Gray

by Carlos Shiny

Pokémon Gray. What if Ash had never traveled to Unova before now? Ash, now eighteen and strongest trainer in the world, wants to take an important step in his journey to become a Pokémon Master. It's not about participating in another Pokémon League Tournament or defeating other champions, but doing something new and completely different.

8. Family Reunion

Good morning and hello gentlemen, I am one of the writers. For readers and gamers, I am Reshiram Lego, and for followers, ASEK...

I wanted to help Mr. Carlos with this chapter, which I, a fourteen-year-old who practices his work as a passion in any favorable situation, have created. But we are not here for a detailed introduction about myself.

Ash, Anita, Serena, and Carlos have arrived in Nacrene City. Along the way, they met a Houndour, who had apparently been separated from its Trainer. The Dark Pokémon befriended Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon managed to convince it to follow him and to make friends with the kids. Noticing its injuries, they decided to take it to the city's Pokémon Center. During the search for the Trainer, the four decided to participate in the city's Double Battle Tournament. After a series of battles, Ash and Anita achieved a great victory, partly thanks to Ash's Snivy evolving into Servine. The awards ceremony was interrupted by an attack from Team Plasma, who kidnapped Agent Velaurora, an extremely skilled international police agent capable of assuming the appearance of other people. Ash was summoned to rescue her in a delicate mission, which fortunately, was successful.

8

Family Reunion

Anita was returning from the store where she had bought some Poké Balls, potions, and revitalizing salts. She had also succumbed to the temptation to buy a cap. Mainly white, with a pink visor. On the front was a pattern similar to that of a Poké Ball, in pink. A cool breeze was blowing through her hair, trying to snatch the Quagsire-shaped balloon from the child sitting on a bench not far away.

At that moment, the girl was alone with her Pokémon. Ash had advised her to be careful of Team Plasma. For this reason, the girl had decided to be escorted by Oshawott and Herdier. The two Pokémon had become accustomed to coming out of their Poké Balls only to fight, train, or eat. A glance between the two was enough to understand that this was one of the few occasions they had to have some fun.

Oshawott and Herdier's attention was caught by the feather of a Pidove, fluttering in the air. As the two Pokémon chased it, weaving between the legs of passersby and nearly causing some to fall, they noticed a Swablu. The Cotton Bird Pokémon was watching them and seemed to want to join them, only to take flight and move away.

«Guys, don't cause trouble! Please!» The Trainer scolded them, looking at them with a happy expression.

She was happy. The recent victory in the Double Battle Tournament alongside Ash had given her a good dose of confidence. She thought about Ash's words. Noticing her worried expression just before letting her go, he had said: "You are making great progress. Your way of battling has improved a lot. You seem more confident when you order your Pokémon to attack. They notice it, and their attacks become stronger." He had also said, "If you want to become a Champion, the road is still long, but I'm sure you'll make it."

Those words of appreciation sounded strange to her. Ash was used to congratulating her on her progress. She was very happy to finally find someone who appreciated her.

This sudden burst of joy was dampened by several thoughts that tormented her. She couldn't help but think of Ivan and how he tried to belittle her at every opportunity. Perhaps he was right? Should she travel alone and learn by herself? Did she really deserve Ash as a mentor?

The girl turned to check on Oshawott and Herdier; they were hopping between the tiles on the opposite sidewalk, avoiding the edges, because otherwise, Krookodile would eat them.

"What are those two doing now?" Anita wondered, rather embarrassed. The strange behavior of her Pokémon distracted her from her worries.

The girl looked left and right. She didn't want to risk being run over by some distracted driver before crossing the short stretch of pedestrian crossing that led to the other side of the road, where her two Pokémon were pretending to survive the Threat Pokémon.

«What are you two up to?» The girl's tone was halfway between reprimanding and amused.

The two Pokémon put on an almost theatrical performance: Oshawott, showcasing an imitation ability second only to Ash's Pikachu, mimicked the face of the Threat Pokémon, which was very similar to that of a crocodile, and when Herdier stepped on the space between the tiles, gave it a decisive bite.

The Loyalty Pokémon tried to hold back the scream of pain. What would have likely been one of the most powerful Hyper Voices in history turned into a frantic run, ending up crashing into an old man. The gentleman fell heavily to the ground. The Pokémon, probably unaware of the possible damage it had caused, began to lick the old man's face. «You devilish dog! Get off my…» Anita rushed to the gentleman in distress. After glaring at her Pokémon, she hurried to help the elderly man, an average-height man, about seventy-five years old. He was wearing an elegant brown suit. He had long white mustaches and short hair of the same color. His eyes were dark brown.

Anita helped him to his feet. «I'm sorry, sir...» The girl bowed deeply. «Young lady! Watch your Pokémon! I could have broken a bone! I'm old!» Anita turned back to her Pokémon. «Did you hear that? You could have hurt him badly!» She scolded. The girl tried in vain to be authoritative with her Pokémon, though her main concern was another: «Do you want me to accompany you to the emergency room?» She asked, worried. «No! Don't worry, I'm fi…» The old man stopped due to a sharp pain. «Maybe it's better to visit the emergency room.» Commented the girl.

Trying not to panic, the girl took her Smart Rotom and dialed the emergency number. Fortunately, an operator answered after a few rings. «Hello?» «It's an emergency! There's been an accident and an elderly man has fallen and is now in great pain.» The girl tried to explain. «I understand.» Replied the operator. «Where are you?» She asked, trying to be as gentle as possible. «Near the market in Nacrene City... not far from a little park...» She explained, rather vaguely. «Yes... I understand where you are. Try not to let him make any sudden movements. An ambulance will be with you within ten minutes.» «Great.» Replied the girl. «Did you hear that? An ambulance will be here soon.» The old man shook his head.

«Young lady, I can manage perfectly well on my own. Rather… get that flea-ridden dog out of my sight!» The girl, quite embarrassed, had no choice but to return her Pokémon to the Poké Ball.

The ambulance was quite punctual, arriving exactly within the time estimated by the operator on the phone. The ambulance stopped, and a young boy got out of the door. He could have been at most twenty-five years old. He was dressed in a high-visibility vest, with symbols linking him to the organization he worked for as a volunteer.

«You could have said he was your grandfather! We wouldn't have treated him any differently!» He admonished them.

«Look young man, I don't have any grandchildren!» The old man, in pain, was quite surprised. «The blow must have made him lose his memory,» the boy commented as he began to attend to the elderly man. «Are you sure he didn't hit his head?» asked the boy. «I'm absolutely sure,» the man replied. «And just as sure that I don't have…» The old man looked more closely at the girl, who was tapping her foot on the ground, causing a loose sidewalk tile to tremble. «Now that I look at you more closely…» the old man said. «You look a lot like my daughter Jessica, you know?» Suddenly, a spark lit up inside the

old man.

«What a coincidence…» Anita seemed embarrassed. «What a coincidence! My mom's name is also Jessica,» she replied, scratching her head. «Indeed, it is a strange coincidence…» the old man replied.

«But this proves nothing. As I said, I don't have any grandchildren!» The man seemed increasingly less convinced of his words. «And how can you prove to me that you are indeed my granddaughter? It could just be a coincidence, a strange coincidence… I've had many in my life, especially when I was young…» The old man looked at the girl again. «Now that I look at you more closely… you really do look a lot like my daughter… when she was a young girl… far too much to be just a coincidence.» The girl took on a rather puzzled expression. The man's tough exterior was beginning to melt. The old man ran his hands through his hair and explained the situation. «Now that I understand you really are my granddaughter, first of all, I'd like to know your name.» The girl then clearly told her grandfather, «My name is ANITA.» The old man then smiled, «Anita… what a beautiful name, it means 'blessing,' we have been fortunate… do you have any brothers or sisters?» Anita, rather worried, replied, «No, I'm an only child.» The girl thought but did not say, a "fortunately." «Just like my mother, after all.» The old man then breathed a sigh of relief. «That means you are my only granddaughter…» the old man commented a little later.

A cold silence fell a few moments later. The old man was still waiting for the results of the check-up, with the poor volunteer who had, unwittingly, witnessed a family reunion. «Can we continue this conversation at my house? What I have to tell you must remain between us, Grandma, and your Pokémon… by the way, what were they doing?» The girl felt slightly embarrassed to explain. «I think they were playing.»

Oshawott started mimicking Krookodile again. However, the absence of Herdier took away much of the scene's impact. «Maybe you should come out too, Herdier… at least you can apologize.» The girl released her Pokémon from the Poké Ball, allowing the two to enact their little play.

Herdier began jumping from one tile to another, and whenever he touched the edge, the Sea Otter Pokémon tried to catch him. This time, without really biting him.

«Your Pokémon seem very smart and lively, it's clear they care about you.» He complimented her. His granddaughter blushed and thanked him, a truly unexpected compliment. «Well, actually… mom has always told me about the family tradition…» While Anita talked about her Pokémon's abilities, they noticed that the Pidove had reclaimed its precious feather, taking advantage of their distraction.

Ignoring the volunteer's advice to get a more thorough check-up at the hospital, the four of them walked towards the old man's house, which fortunately was not far from there.

Suddenly, a powerful music startled Anita and her grandfather; it was the latest single by Roxie, a Gym Leader specializing in Poison types and a famous singer. The smart Rotom floated in front of the two of them;

It was Ash. Anita put her hands on her face as if to say, "What does he want now?"

The girl couldn't do anything but accept the call. On the device's screen, she immediately saw Ash training with his Pokémon, as usual: «Hi Anita, Servine… use Vine Whip to reach the tree, Sandile, move closer and use Bite to deflect the hits!» Anita was shocked by the perfect timing. Did her friend have to call right at that important moment? «Ash, it's okay… I'm fine. Everything's alright. It must be urgent… you called me during your training session. And you usually never interrupt a workout…» The boy, sensing his friend's concern, explained the situation, «I admit it. I was a bit worried. You said you were going to get some Poké Balls, and since you're taking a while, I thought something might have happened to you. You know, after what happened with Team Plasma. So, seeing that you're fine, I just wanted to ask what you were doing and if you got the Poké Balls. And then to ask when you'll be back with us so we can train a bit and…» «Don't worry… everything's fine. I'm safe.» «Okay, relax. Maybe I'm becoming a bit too overprotective… besides this… when do you think you'll be back?» Anita sighed, «I don't know, I think I'll be back by dinner… I wouldn't miss anything cooked by him for the world…» The girl couldn't help but smile. «But… on a serious note… I have some good news for you. Look who's here!» Ash then turned around after having Servine use another Vine Whip. «I bet my sandwich that's your grandfather!» Ash joked, bringing another smile to his friend's face. «Ash, you risked betting on your burger, which by the way was made by…Carlos…, you who are second only to Snorlax when it comes to appetite…» The girl thought of making a joke about how despite her friend eating so much, he remained very slim… something like "even though you're still a stick."

Ash then justified his words with a philosophical statement, «In life, as in battles, you have to risk something to win.» The old man complimented Ash on the phrase.

«Your friend must be very good at battles to say something like that. Well done, young man, I'm sure you're already a phenomenon in battles!» Anita looked quite puzzled. Could it be that her grandfather hadn't recognized him?

«You know… Ash is a very, very skilled Trainer.» «I noticed from the confidence with which he commanded his Pokémon,» the old man replied. «He reminds me of the Champion… what's his name… Nando… Nardo…» Anita shook her head. «He's no longer the Champion. It's Iris, and she's a Champion.» Her grandfather was a bit taken aback. «Ah… it's not him… huh?! He got beaten by a girl?» The grandfather seemed incredulous. «Yes, and she's a friend and rival of Ash,» Anita explained. «But if she is the Champion and Ash is her rival… then he's not that strong.» The old man let slip. «Well… it's not exactly like that,» the girl replied. «How? If she is the Champion…» The old man's perplexity had reached stellar levels. «Ash is part of the Elite Eight… the Eight strongest Trainers in the World. Iris and Ash are part of it. Iris is eighth… Ash is the first.» The man smiled. «Then you must really be a very skilled Trainer.» Ash was really happy with the compliment received from the old man. «No wonder he's my teacher,» the girl announced proudly. «And I imagine my Anita is a good student, right?» Ash agreed, replying, «You are not wrong, sir.» «I'm glad,» replied the old man.

The girl, the old man, and the Pokémon resumed their walk. Grandpa Alessandro began, «Your friends seem very nice; I'm glad you've found a good company... you almost remind me of myself at your age.»

Anita, quite surprised, asked for clarification, «What do you mean, at my age?» The old man took a deep breath and began his story, «You see... it was fifty or sixty years ago... and back then, there wasn't the technology we have today. The Pokédex was written on paper. It consisted of a booklet and a small instant camera. What times! My friends and I traveled from region to region to see different Pokémon, study them, and battle.

And, quite a few became my companions too. Unfortunately, now I only have my dear Azumarill left, who helps your grandmother with household chores and goes to the hospital with her on Wednesdays.

Going back to my age, initially, there were four of us friends, plus our Pokémon... then I met your grandmother and had to choose whether to continue my journey with my friends or leave them to be with her. Actually, when your grandmother and I got engaged, there were only three of us. One of my friends had made the same choice, preferring love over adventure. Even as parents, your grandmother and I never lost our passion and love for Pokémon. We battled each other a lot, but it always ended in a draw. In search of the emotions I had lost, I decided to start with Gym battles. Along with my Pokémon, I managed to win the badges and challenge the Unova League. I managed to defeat the Elite Four, but I was beaten by the Champion. I managed to defeat five of his Pokémon before capitulating. Ah, those were the good times of youth!»

Anita listened carefully to his explanation. To avoid being overwhelmed by an endless cascade of thoughts, she decided to ask him questions. «You miss your friends, don't you?» «To be honest, what I miss most is being able to battle with my Pokémon. It was really nice traveling with my friends, but the thing I liked the most was the battles.» Anita was quite surprised by that response. No matter how hard she tried to come up with another question, it was impossible for her.

«Here we are!» said Grandpa, who had introduced himself in the meantime, revealing his name to be Alessandro.

The old man pointed to a large house made of cherry wood. It was surrounded by cherry trees sprouting from the backyard garden. Oshawott was amazed by the grandeur of the house. The girl's Herdier had a different opinion. She found it impractical for a domestic Pokémon's life.

«Well then... Anita, welcome to my humble abode,» the old man welcomed her.

«It... it's really impressive... wonderful!» commented the girl. Grandpa smiled and rang the intercom.

«Alessandro is at the door and we have guests!» An electric sound was heard, and the gate opened. Grandpa invited Anita and her Pokémon in: «Do you want to stay outside?» He invited them with a hand gesture. Oshawott ran full speed towards one of the flowers, followed closely by Herdier.

Anita crossed the gate and looked around. She was amazed at how well-maintained the garden was. It was so perfect it looked fake. Overcoming her initial shyness, she decided to ask the old man about it. «Sorry if I'm being intrusive... but how do you keep the plants so healthy? Do you use some fertilizer, magic water, or Leaf Stones?»

Grandpa, after stifling a fit of laughter, answered his granddaughter, «Ah, well, you need to ask Picernese about that.» "And who might this Picernese be?" Anita wondered.

With that question still in mind, the girl continued to look around, wondering who this gardener with such a peculiar name was... he must really be a genius of herbology, gardening, or whatever he dealt with.

«My wife and I love Pokémon very much. Now only they are left to us.»

The two Pokémon decided to continue their game, which consisted of avoiding the spaces between the tiles.

At one point, some poisonous thorns brushed against Herdier's whiskers. The Pokémon looked up and noticed what appeared to be just two simple roses. One was red, and the other blue. They stood still in the middle of a flowerbed. The Loyal Dog Pokémon reported the situation to his colleague Oshawott. The Sea Otter Pokémon was quite skeptical, thinking it was just his imagination. When the two Pokémon returned to the scene of the incident, the poisonous thorn was gone.

Soon after, a second blow slightly cut Herdier's fur and knocked Oshawott's shell off. Only then did Oshawott realize it was all real. Herdier hadn't lied. The two Pokémon turned and noticed the two roses were now on the stone path leading from the gate to the entrance.

Only then did the two roses reveal their true identity. They weren't just flowers. They were a Pokémon, a Roselia. That Pokémon had been living in that garden for who knows how long and didn't seem to appreciate the presence of the two.

«She is Picernese, a Roselia,» the old man introduced the Pokémon to his granddaughter. «I see she's already made friends with your Pokémon,» he commented. The girl had never encountered a Roselia before, so she decided to scan it with her Smart Rotom. «Roselia. Thorn Pokémon. Grass and Poison type. Female specimen. The beautiful flowers on its arms have poisonous thorns. Don't try to pick them! Known moves: Giga Drain, Petal Dance, Sludge Bomb.» Thanks to the Pokédex information, Anita then realized many things. "I should have figured that out myself!" she scolded herself. «I don't know how I didn't think of it earlier. Roselia is a Pokémon that knows exactly when a flower needs something because it is one itself!»

Grandpa pressed on, «Thanks to Roselia, not only does the garden look magnificent, but the cherry trees also produce excellent cherries. We use them to make jam that we even sell to locals or supermarkets in the area.» Anita was shocked by the work Roselia was doing. She seemed tireless. She never stopped tending to the flowers and various plants, cutting all the weeds and excess blades of grass with millimetric precision, moving from one part of the garden to another at great speed.

«And this is the inside of the house.» As soon as the old man opened the door, the girl found herself in front of a television broadcasting a series she didn't know, probably a telenovela, much loved by that type of audience. To her right were the kitchen area and the sustainable washing machine, and further ahead was a door leading to the bathroom.

To the left were poufs with blankets and names on the cherry wood parquet floor, the names engraved were "Minnie" and "Picernese."

Anita immediately realized that those were the beds of Roselia and the Azumarill her grandfather had mentioned. In front of the television was a huge sofa. At the foot of the sofa was a small table, usually used for snacks or serving tea. A bit further to the sides of the sofa were two armchairs.

The upper floor was accessible via a staircase that covered the entire wall behind the television. Suddenly, there was a static noise. Anita turned towards the television. It was produced by Mechas. On the screen appeared a snow-like effect. Grey and black.

That television had been installed on that wall the same day it was launched on the market. It was an extremely reliable device. The static on those televisions was solely due to some flying or floating Pokémon interrupting the satellite signal by positioning themselves between the satellite dish and the satellite.

Immediately, a woman's voice was heard sighing: «Why is that Gliscor still here? Someone should give it a good lesson! Maybe it's the trainer, but that braggart doesn't think it's a problem! I'd like to see him if it happened to him! What are we supposed to do now?»

Anita's heart started to beat fast with excitement; she was about to meet her grandmother. She didn't have high expectations. For her, it was enough that the lady accepted her.

The old woman was about seventy years old, not very tall. She had grey hair, small brown eyes, a large nose, and a mole on the right side of her forehead. She wore a blue apron that covered a simple red shirt and blue jeans.

The old woman got up from the sofa and turned to see who was at the door. Her husband was not alone. He was accompanied by a young girl with a visor cap and a trainer's bag. She was accompanied by an Oshawott and a Herdier. Both Pokémon looked energetic and lively. The old woman asked her husband in a reproachful tone: «Alessandro! Let's see... who is this girl visiting us today?» Grandpa contradicted her with a small shake of his head. «Look, she is no longer a child; she is a grown and mature young lady! Not like her mother. She's already... eeeeeeeee...» Anita coughed «Ahem... sixteen years old.» The old man continued, «...sixteen years old. Her name is Anita, and she is your granddaughter.» The old woman was overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions. «Oh my! Come here, my dear, let me hug you. We didn't know of your existence, and it's all your mother's fault! She left when she was your age, and we haven't seen her since. She started her journey as a Trainer, but soon after, she stopped contacting us. And yet, even then, Pokémon Centers had phones! Ah... but I know you are not like her! If my beloved Alessandro says so, it must be true!» Anita seized the moment: «It's wonderful to meet you too, Grandma... just please don't hug me so tightly! You squeeze harder than Ash's Servine!» The grandmother, smiling at the joke, apologized, «Oh... forgive me, dear, but we thought we had no grandchildren. I see you eat well and keep healthy; you are very fit!» Anita credited Carlos, «Everything I eat is actually prepared by my friend Carlos; I don't decide. Actually, even he doesn't decide for us; Ash sets the menus.» Grandpa chimed in, «We men already knew how to stay in shape and cook well.» Then Grandma said, «Alessa... if it weren't for me, you'd die of hunger, thirst, and maybe even sleep deprivation!» Anita tried to calm the discussion, «Please, calm down... can we at least finish the introductions?»

Grandma reasonably complied, «Yes... right... forgive your grandfather; age has gone to his head a bit... You know... sometimes he forgets to take his medicine and...» The girl nodded in understanding. «Anyway,» the old woman returned to the main topic, «I am Grandma Noemi!» she introduced herself. «If you want, I can give you a tour of the house... or offer you something to eat... you seem a bit low on energy. And it's almost snack time! Do you want some panettone? It's fresh... I made it yesterday! Or do you prefer some cookies? I got it! You want some orange juice!» Anita politely declined the elderly woman's kind offers. «No... no! Thank you! I'm fine as is! Maybe my Pokémon want something... what do you think?» The old woman approached Anita's two companions, «I'm sure they are very hungry, these little sweets.» The elderly woman knelt to cuddle them. She stroked and caressed them, even pulling their cheeks, «Your Pokémon are really beautiful! But tell me... do you have any others to introduce to us?» Anita responded with a small affirmative gesture to the old woman's words. She pulled out the Poké Ball containing Vivillon, «This is the last Pokémon I caught, just a few days ago. COME OUT VIVILLON!»

Out of the Poké Ball came a beautiful Marine Pattern Vivillon. This Pokémon inspired a great sense of security in Grandma. Grandpa, on the other hand, had a different reaction. Mr. Alessandro remembered an episode from his youth, particularly the day he found his first shiny Pokémon. The butterfly seemed a bit scared of the two elders. Understanding the Pokémon's discomfort, the old woman took a metal container with Pokémon printed on it. It contained snacks for Pokémon. A few moments later, the old woman called her helpers, «MINNIE! PICERNESE! WE HAVE GUESTS, AND WE'RE SERVING SNACKS!» Picernese arrived immediately. She was right there in front. Minnie, on the other hand, had to come down the stairs. «Even though she's a bit old, she's still spry, as if she were twenty years old,» the old woman recounted. «She's also very good in battles,» she added shortly after. «Of course... not like she used to be... now she can't chase away that darn Gliscor that interrupts the TV signal every time...»

Minnie rolled down the stairs, revealing her appearance. Minnie was Grandpa's Azumarill. Until a little while ago, the Pokémon had been dusting the bedroom upstairs. As soon as she reached the ground floor, the Pokémon started greeting the guests and getting to know them.

«When Azumarill was young, she could defeat even strong and healthy Pokémon like yours. Now, instead, she helps your grandmother with the house chores,» recounted Grandpa.

Minnie approached Anita and shook her hand with her ear. «Nice to meet you, I am Anita,» the girl introduced herself. «And I am the trainer of these three young prospects. Oshawott, Herdier, and Vivillon.» Azumarill approached the girl's three Pokémon. She started with Herdier and began chatting with the Loyalty Pokémon. «Az-zu-ma-ma» (You seem very strong and in good shape.) «Zu-zu-zu-ma» (You still have a long way to go, and you will become even bigger and stronger.) «Rill-Rill» (This will also help you in the toughest battles.)

After encouraging Herdier, the Pokémon moved on to Vivillon. «Ma-ma-Rill-Rill» (You have a lot of potential. I'm sure you are a perfect support for your Trainer.) «Zu-Zu-Zu» (I think you will soon make a big leap in quality.)

Finally, she turned to Oshawott but didn't shake hands; instead, she decided to pat him on the head with her little hand. «Azu-ma-Azu!» (You have a bright future ahead of you, just listen to your trainer's advice. She is a very kind girl.) The Sea Otter Pokémon seemed extremely happy with the Pokémon's words.

«This behavior is uncommon,» explained the old man. Anita was puzzled by that statement. Azumarill behaved so naturally... «What?» she asked. Grandpa realized he needed to give an explanation to his granddaughter. «In all these years, it has happened only three or four times. It's very rare for Azumarill to act like this with new guests. If I understand correctly, it seems she sees immense potential in Oshawott.»

Oshawott blushed at those compliments. Anita looked at her Pokémon thoughtfully.

The elderly woman returned from the kitchen, holding a large cherry wood tray in her hands. Upon arriving in the living room, she placed it on the coffee table, allowing the Pokémon to eat. Herdier and Oshawott immediately dove onto the tray. The other Pokémon exchanged amused glances before starting to eat as well, albeit much more calmly. Shortly after, the girl's grandmother had disappeared again, only to return a little later. This time she had prepared some excellent panettone. The dessert looked very inviting. The dough was a nice yellow and seemed incredibly soft. It was garnished with chocolate chips and white cream. The whole thing was enclosed in a kind of rather flattened cylinder, covered with whipped cream decorated with cherries. A delight for the palate.

Anita couldn't help but think of Ash. Her friend would probably have devoured that Arceus-given treat in a heartbeat. The vision of the boy eating that dessert with gusto brought more than one smile to her face.

Anita and her newly found grandparents stopped to watch the five Pokémon eating the snacks. From their smiles, it seemed they wanted to join them...

The scene was interrupted by Grandpa with one of his remarks. «Ah, Pokémon, mysterious creatures, even though we know many things about them. Mysterious because over time they change behavior, habits, even habitat. If I still think about those Alolan Ninetales compared to the regular ones...» Grandma Noemi chuckled, «Alessandro, let's not start with the technical terms; the girl might not understand.» The old man laughed heartily, «Again? I told you she's a responsible and smart girl, good and intelligent, beautiful and polite, adventurous and modest.» Anita stopped him, blushing, «No... no, I'm not all those things...» The old man, disagreeing with his granddaughter's words, said something that embarrassed the girl so much she was glad no one else was listening. «Don't tell me it's not true! I'm sure, and I'm telling you as a great charmer... so I suppose I passed on those genes to you... so I'm sure there are many boys out there who would line up just to be with you... who would fall at your feet just for a smile from you!» Anita was rather embarrassed by those words. She didn't feel ready to have that kind of relationship... not yet. "Thank goodness this stays between us! But wow... how embarrassing!" Grandpa, not content, decided to up the ante with a phrase that seemed designed to embarrass the girl: «Surely those "friends" of yours, well... as you call them... are already your boyfriends... well... in that case... you just have to decide who will be your husband. But don't worry! You have plenty of time to decide.» At that moment, Anita wanted to evaporate. At the very least. Or if not, she just wanted to lock herself in her room and never come out. Out of embarrassment, she turned redder than a Darmanitan. She also noticed how much she was sweating.

"Oh God, if my friends had been here, what would have happened?" she thought, "I never want to find out now or ever." Those visions didn't leave the girl's mind for a long time.

Grandma, fortunately, noticed the girl's embarrassment. «Um, dear, I don't know if this topic is appropriate... it's a bit embarrassing. My poor granddaughter is completely shocked, can't you see? Do you realize you went overboard?» The woman scolded her husband, who, rather than respond, tried to change the subject.

«Now I really need to go to the bathroom, excuse me.» The old man got up and pointed to the bathroom door, indicating to the young guest where the facilities were located.

«Sweetie, are you sure you're okay?» The elderly woman took on an even more understanding tone. Anita still hadn't fully recovered from those statements. Despite this, she tried to reassure her. «Yes, yes, Grandma, everything's fine, don't worry... I'm okay... it's just that I never expected this topic to come up… that's all.» Understanding the situation, the elderly woman took responsibility for what had happened. «If I don't remind him to take his medicine, he forgets, and when he does, he sometimes says silly things,» she explained. The girl took on a sympathetic expression. «By the way, ALESSÀ, TAKE YOUR MEDICINE AFTER YOU'RE DONE!» The old man responded to his wife's scolding, «I'M UPSTAIRS!»

Grandma sighed, «Why does he always leave things lying around? Anita, dear, can you go upstairs and get them? The medicine should be on the nightstand.» Anita couldn't refuse. «Sure... I'll go right away.» The girl got up from the couch and

headed upstairs. She had barely set foot on the first step when she tripped. She was about to hit her face on the stairs.

To her right, a pinkish veil appeared. At the same time, a strange figure lifted her and placed her on the pink material. The strange material felt like a sort of mattress. Thanks to this rescue, Anita didn't get a scratch; it seemed she was held by something oval with big ears. The girl looked down and noticed a blue egg-shaped creature. Two bands covered its mouth. It was Azumarill. She had just saved her from a nasty fall.

«Anita... oh my goodness! You scared me! Thank goodness Minnie noticed your fall... maybe it's better if I go,» said Grandma.

Grandpa then came out of the bathroom and apologized to his granddaughter, «Sorry about earlier... maybe I shouldn't have brought that up... but ever since your mother...» The man paused for a few moments. «Ah, right… we need to continue this conversation with Grandma...» Just then, the elderly woman joined them, holding a container and a glass of water. «Now you have no excuses.» The old woman practically forced her husband to take his medicine. «Come on, or we'll be here all night!» she complained, noticing her husband's hesitation.

Once he finished, or pretended to finish, taking the medicine, Grandpa resumed, «So, continuing from earlier, we haven't had any contact from your mother since she was about your age. She was a very promising Trainer. She defeated the first two Gyms without much difficulty, thanks to her Pokémon. A Tepig and a Herdier… although… in the last few times we heard from her, she seemed less and less convinced. She talked about this friend of hers and his ideals. Even though I didn't agree, I decided to let it go. After all, it was her life.» The old man shook his head. «I've been taking this medicine since then. Do you know what it means for a father to have no contact with his daughter...» he explained. «These medicines keep me from going crazy. Probably without them, I wouldn't be here. When I don't take them, the first symptom I get is saying inappropriate things... anyway, did she tell you about her past?» the old man asked. The girl nodded and replied, «Yes... don't worry, she told me just recently. The day I became a Trainer, she also told me how she didn't want me to make the same mistake.»

Grandma then relaxed with joy, «Thank Arceus! At least our daughter woke up!» The old man's expression changed completely; he became thoughtful and reflective, «Thank goodness your mother didn't influence you with those strange ideas, but instead told you not to make her mistakes.» Anita was getting tired of hearing the same stories and changed the subject, «Grandma... earlier Grandpa told me about some childhood episodes...» The elderly woman signaled that she understood.

«Do you want me to tell you some too?» The girl gave a small affirmative nod. The elderly woman took off her glasses and put the slice of panettone she was chewing on the plate on her lap.

«Many years have passed... I was a child like you...» Grandpa immediately interrupted her. «Girl...» The old man coughed. The woman, annoyed by the interruption, resumed her story. «I was your age, okay? It's not very important. Those were distant times. The world has really changed since then. Just think, back then, Pokédexes were on paper. Today the Pokédex is just one of the many functions of your phones...» The woman began to digress. «Anyway, my calling was not to complete the Pokédex. I was more dedicated to taking care of people in need, something that, in my small way, I still try to do today. I don't know if you know the hospital on Via Laven...» The elderly woman noticed the girl's lost look. «It doesn't matter if you don't know it… really. Anyway... I go there every Wednesday, including yesterday. You know, from the first days I went there to now, many things have changed... for example, the entrance. Before, the main hall wasn't as big as it is now, it was very narrow, the cleaning cart could barely pass through, just by three centimeters… otherwise, it would get stuck. We should consider ourselves lucky. Science has progressed, for example, now there are more treatments than a long time ago... before some diseases couldn't be cured in any way. Today, luckily, many of them have become treatable. Sure... the process is still long and sometimes painful... but now there are also many more doctors compared to my time. You know? Before everyone wanted to become lawyers and businessmen. Today, however, there are many doctors… which is a good thing. Although it's likely that, in the future, there will be fewer. You young people today unfortunately think about staying on those Smart Rotoms. In my time, there were no such advanced technologies. Now everything is simpler and in the future it will be even more so. I still remember the day I started volunteering…

It was a winter morning. A not very tall and rather thin girl, with brown hair and eyes of the same color, dressed in a simple shirt, a jacket, and a dark skirt, wearing plain black leather shoes, noticed an elderly man warming himself near a small fire burning inside a yellow barrel. He was using that fire to cook sausages. «Sir, do you need a hand?» she asked almost instinctively.

Only at that moment did the girl notice that the old man had a wound on his leg. The girl approached him and asked again, with an even gentler tone, «Sir, do you need a hand?» The man looked at the girl, terrified, and replied, «Actually, yes, young lady. You see, I am a poor homeless man. You seem very kind, but I don't think you can do much.» The girl looked at the old man with a sorrowful expression. "He's right. I can't do much," she thought. "I'm only sixteen. Maybe my parents or some older relatives could give more… but it wouldn't make much difference." A second thought followed shortly after.

The girl, driven by a burst of generosity mixed with a touch of folly, decided to spend the entire night with the old man.

The next morning, the girl asked her father, «Dad, yesterday I met a homeless man. How can I help him?» The girl's father, rather surprised by the question, said, «Sweetie, I may be one of the most sought-after people in our city, but I really don't know what we can do. We could make small donations. Maybe, for now, we could buy something for him. But if you really want to help these people, you should contact an organization, like a care home or the hospital on Via Laven. It's not very far if you use your bike.» Her mother intervened, «If it means so much to you, honey, after school you can go and see if you can help in any way.»

The elderly woman interrupted the story. «In my day, school ended at eighteen by law. Only after completing mandatory studies could one start traveling. Nothing prevented you from having Pokémon already, but education was the priority. Over time, the laws changed. Even when your mother was in school… In some regions, Trainers start their journey at ten years old. Here they lowered the limit to sixteen. But anyone who wants can still continue their studies.» After this brief digression, the elderly woman resumed her story.

The young girl arrived at school. That day there would be surprise tests. Despite this, the girl still had time to reflect. After school, the young girl was dragged onto the bus by her friend, Miriam. The latter immediately noticed how thoughtful Noemi was: «What's going on with you today? You're so pensive, still undecided about who is more attractive between Pascal and Franz?»

At this point, the old man interrupted the story: «What?» The grandmother responded without batting an eye. «At the time, I didn't realize they were dirt poor. And besides… you don't know them… although by now they must be several meters underground.» The old man calmed down: «Thank goodness… although I think I understand who they were.»

The woman continued the story:

Young Noemi replied to her friend, «It's something else, and it's much more important. I don't know if you can understand.»

Miriam asked for more details: «If I don't know what you're talking about, how can you expect me to understand? Come on, tell me more!» Young Noemi sighed: «From today, I want to help people in need, whether they are injured or homeless. Or any other kind of people in difficulty. Because I feel sorry for them.» Miriam smiled. «And this was something difficult for you to understand? It's a very generous gesture on your part. I can only wish you good luck.»

Anita timidly interrupted the woman: «Maybe I'm being intrusive, and in that case, I apologize, but… did your friend never want to accompany you?» The grandmother looked at Picernese for a moment and sighed: «Unfortunately, Miriam didn't have time. Every afternoon, except Sunday, she had piano lessons. And on the day she didn't have piano, she went out with the boys from our school. You know, in my day they didn't assign homework.» After closing yet another parenthesis, the woman returned to the story.

That same afternoon, the girl took her bicycle and reached Via Laven. She also brought Picernese with her. At that time, the Pokémon was still a Budew and had not yet received her nickname. Being just a Budew, unfortunately, she could only be a spectator. Her body was rather fragile, and she could only carry very light objects with her tip. To be of more help, she would have to evolve at least into Roselia. It wasn't time yet. Noemi couldn't know it, but she wouldn't have to wait much longer.

Upon arriving at the hospital, the girl entered and immediately noticed how narrow the hall was inside. The same could be said of all the corridors. Upon entering, the girl was greeted by a receptionist. «Hello, young lady, how can I help you?» The woman seemed rather kind. «Hello, could you take care of a homeless man I found on the street?» the girl replied. The kind receptionist answered politely: «Of course! Can you give me the name of the person we need to take care of?» Noemi seemed rather embarrassed: «Actually, I don't know his first or last name.» The nurse explained the situation: «Miss, we need his name. If you can't provide it, we can have him come here. Do you think you can bring him here? If not, we can send someone to get him.» The young girl got annoyed and asked, «Can't you just send someone directly? I know where he is staying unless he's a wanderer.»

The woman accepted the proposal: «That's actually a great idea.» Noemi indicated the street where she had met the man. Accompanied by a large, strong man whose wet chest was clearly visible, they went to get him.

The muscular man seemed quite enthusiastic about it, at least from his words: «Let's go get this person, miss… could we at least know your name?» The girl replied, blushing: «My name is… my name is Noemi.» The nurse, hearing that name, chimed in: «What a coincidence! My sister's name is also Noemi! I think your mother is also named that, right, Matt?» she addressed the big man.

He responded with a smile. «Exactly, Antonella, my mother is also named like her. Anyway… enough with the chit-chat, shall we go?» Noemi simply nodded.

The big man accompanied the girl to the entrance, then motioned for her to wait. It would only be a few minutes. The wait was enough for the girl to wonder what the man was doing.

He arrived at the entrance, driving a peculiar rescue vehicle. Apart from some stickers, it appeared like a normal car from the outside. Even the interior, at first glance, resembled that of the popular production model.

The girl didn't have much time for those details. She had to give directions to reach the homeless man.

Sentret Alley.

The elderly woman found time for yet another digression. «You know, that alley has seen everything over the years. Currently, it's famous for the deli "Dependence Pasta."» Apparently, the digressions were not over. «We only had one daughter, Jessica, but if we had had a son, we would have named him Matt.» The old man confirmed these words: «It's true, Matt is a name I've always liked.»

After finishing yet another interruption, the elderly woman resumed the story.

The journey to Sentret Alley wasn't very long. The man didn't say anything during the trip. Before departing, he simply asked the girl how old she was. Noemi replied that she was sixteen. Without further conversation, they arrived at the alley. There, they found the man, busy eating the sausages he had with him from the day before. They got out of the car. The girl approached the man and explained the situation: «Sir, I can't do much alone, but they can help you.» The man smiled: «Thank you, young lady! I did well not to move.» They helped him into the car. Matt greeted the man: «Good morning, sir, Matt Romaniello.» The man introduced himself: «Nice to meet you! My name is Jean Balvano.» The big man then said: «Fantastic! You've already given us your name, or is it fake? Anyway, we're going to the hospital now, you don't seem to be in very good shape.» The elderly man didn't say a word. Matt wasted no time. He started the engine and left. On the way, he thanked the girl. «Thank you, Noemi, now we can help this person. And it's all thanks to you! We'll give you a nice reward, you'll see. You seem like a smart girl, so what do you think? You could come back and help us manage the hospital.»

The lady took a short break from her story. «And since then, I go to the hospital every Wednesday.» Shortly after, the old lady glanced at the grandfather clock that dominated the wall.

«Incredible! It's already five o'clock! How time flies when you're with your grandchildren!» said the old lady, winking at the girl, who was amazed by the story.

Grandpa chimed in: «Does anyone want some of that blueberry jelly that's been left over since Friday night?» Grandma, caught by surprise, said: «Oh no! Please! Don't do it again! At least not in front of your granddaughter!»

Grandpa, seemingly unaffected by the medication, retorted: «I'm going to do it! And it's a lot of fun! Want to try, Anita?» Anita, a bit worried and quite scared, asked her grandpa: «What should I... try?»

Grandpa got up and went to the drawer. Not finding what he was looking for, he grumbled: «Ugh, Minnie! Can you get me a spoon?» Azumarill got up, placed the now empty bowl in the sink. Then, using its large ears, it opened the lowest drawer and handed the spoon to grandpa.

Grandpa Alessandro couldn't contain his laughter about what he was about to do. He took the spoon and slowly approached the blueberry jelly, then touched it with the tip of the spoon.

The jelly started wobbling like a giant tower of suitcases and shaking as if haunted by a Gengar. Meanwhile, grandpa came out with a phrase that made Azumarill and Oshawott burst into laughter: «WIIIIIIIIII, blueberry jelly!» Grandma covered her face with her hands while the two Water Pokémon laughed uproariously. Vivillon blushed; Herdier simply ignored it, while Roselia looked at the old man with resignation. Anita, however, gave a little smile that could be translated as: "What are you doing, grandpa? Can an old man really still do such childish things?" Grandpa didn't care what people thought of him. Grandma intervened: «Ale! Do something! Take your medicine again! It seems the effect has worn off.» Grandpa retorted: «Come on! I know you would enjoy it too! And I think Anita would as well!» The Trainer was encouraged by Minnie and Oshawott to play that game with the blueberry jelly. The girl accepted, not entirely sure what she was about to do. She took the spoon and brought the tip closer to the jelly, closer and closer, just a centimeter away, then a millimeter, and before she could touch the substance grandpa stopped her: «WAIT ANITA!» The spoon slipped from the girl's hand. Fortunately, Oshawott caught it in mid-air before giving it back to his Trainer. Grandpa added: «Don't forget to say "WIIIIIIIIII, blueberry jelly!» The girl then touched the jelly with the tip of the spoon and said, very unconvincingly: «WIIIIIIIIII, blueberry jelly…»

The old man started crying. He was proud of his granddaughter, at the same time he laughed. He found it very amusing, and the same could be said for the two Water Pokémon.

Anita was a bit embarrassed. Grandma, noticing her granddaughter's discomfort, sighed and got up to get the medicine. Luckily she had left it on the nightstand, next to Azumarill's bed. She took it and forced her husband to take it, scolding him. The old man, not at all happy about the scolding, replied: «Okay Noemi, I'll take them, this time for real, but calm down! It was really very funny.»

The old man, as before, took a sip of water, put the pill in his mouth, and drank the liquid again, swallowing loudly. «That's much better, now, though, can we eat the jelly?» Roselia handed everyone napkins and plates with the jelly.

Anita had never tried blueberries, but she often ate jelly, at least when she was still at home, but she had never had blueberry jelly.

Anita then extended the spoon toward the piece of jelly, dug into it, cutting it, making it wobble like before. A thought overflowed in her mind: "Anita, calm down, it's like the other jellies, maybe even tastier, you don't have to think it's not good just because it's different." Only then did the girl decide to put the spoon in her mouth, pulled the jelly onto her white teeth that her grandparents would love to have again after all these years... when, suddenly, she felt a sensation she had experienced before. She liked that jelly... and then?

That's it, she simply ate it like all the other times with the other jellies.

After finishing the jelly, Roselia collected all the plates and began washing them gently one by one.

Grandma explained: «Picernese is very hardworking, she's really tireless. In short, she always wants to keep busy. She became like this since she evolved. I remember it as if it were yesterday.»

Herdier, who had been quiet most of the time, closed her eyes and imagined the scene throughout the story.

It was a sunny Wednesday in spring. Noemi, as she did almost every Wednesday, went to the hospital. Upon arrival, she was surprised to see Franz and Pascal in the hall. According to them, they weren't there for health reasons but to help out.

This made the young girl suspicious, and she felt compelled to ask for clarification. «What happened to you for you to come here? You seem as fresh as Roselia!» Shortly after, the girl turned to Budew: «I know one day you will evolve and become a magnificent Roselia.» What the girl couldn't know was that the day had arrived. The two boys looked at her and seemed quite amused: «We're not here because we got hurt; we came to help as volunteers. We are good people, so we need to be noticed for our kindness.»

At this point, the girl asked: «But Franz, didn't you want to beat up that poor Eugenius? After he threw a ball in your face at the gym. Did you go after him to prevent me from getting hit? And you, Pascal, didn't you want to fight Andrea because he reminded the teacher about the test?» The two responded in unison: «Oh, please! We're talking about prehistory… It happened two or three years ago!»

It seemed the girl had only embarrassed herself in front of everyone. «It all happened a week ago, all within 48 hours. I don't think history has passed in a week.» The two turned red like Darmanitan. They tried to get out of the mess: «Well, we're just vengeful, but apart from that, we are people with hearts of gold. All the pranks we've done over the years were just acts of revenge.»

The girl, although she didn't agree with their ways, believed their story, at least partially. She just mentioned it to Antonella: «Hi, these are two classmates of mine who want to join us. I'll give them a tour of the hospital first, okay?» Antonella was annoyed: «You will have to prove this kindness you spoke of earlier.»

A few moments later, one of the boys popped out of the storage room with a mop on his shoulder like it was a sack of potatoes. He asked: «Did someone call me?» The girl replied: «No, no… we were talking about when I proved myself and you recognized it.» The boy returned to the storage room: «Okay, I'm also done here. Now Marvin can put everything back in order… Audino, let's go clean the bathroom!»

The old lady explained how Audino was Matt's assistant at the hospital and how the boy also had a Pyroar, although the old lady had no idea what a Pokémon like that could do. The old lady recounted how the rest of the tour wasn't particularly interesting, with the two boys just "taking notes," which was more like creating a map of the building.

The old lady continued her story.

At that moment, the group heard a rather familiar noise inside the hospital. That noise could only mean one thing: the ambulance had arrived. Following protocol, Noemi and the others moved to make way for the stretcher, which was urgently heading to the operating room. Specifically, they sat on some seats mounted along the corridor. These had been installed just a month earlier. They were quite comfortable. The two boys sat in such a way that Noemi was forced to sit in the middle. They positioned their arms to give the girl almost the feeling of being imprisoned.

After the stretcher, carrying a shiny Nosepass, passed by, the girl got up and gave a brief introduction of what she did. The two boys immediately replied: «Look, we'll come and help you, but you'll have to show us how.» The girl seemed rather annoyed: «Carrying and moving things doesn't seem that hard to me. I think four extra arms will be a big help with the operations… another thing…»

The girl explained to the two boys what happened when there was no work to do: «It's very important to keep the place clean and entertain the patients, maybe with some books or activities. The activities are chosen by a member of the medical staff with authorization from the veterans.» The two looked at each other, and one of them said: «Entertaining the patients could be very interesting; it could be an exercise for some illnesses. It's our field; it could be our chance.»

The two accepted the task, looking at the girl as if she were a goddess. They immediately got to work. The girl took them to the back, precisely to the area where the deliveries of medicines and other supplies arrived. It wasn't a very spacious place, but enough to fit a van loaded with boxes. The driver was a man of about forty-five. He was famous in the neighborhood for being one of the participants in a contest where participants competed to catch the smallest Cutiefly. He placed one hundred sixty-fifth out of five hundred participants. After parking, he got out of his van and approached the three to have them sign the delivery receipt. The man knew the names of everyone who worked there. As always, he addressed the girl: «Hi Noemi, the shipment of medicinal leeks has arrived. Can you sign this form?» The man pointed to the spot where the girl had to sign and, moments later, where to mark the date. A few moments later, he added: «I would like another member of the staff to sign too.» A moment later, he looked up and addressed the two boys in a friendly manner: «Hello, boys. Are you new here? According to regulations, you can only sign after fifteen days from your arrival.»

The man did everything by himself. Pascal scratched his head and went to call another employee to sign. Matt was about to sign the document when he bumped into Pascal. Evidently, the boy hadn't noticed their presence: «Oh, sorry, boy.» A few moments later, the boy addressed Noemi: «Do you know that boy, by any chance?» He didn't even give her time to answer. «Good morning Bob, and another boy I've never seen before.» The girl finally had the chance to explain: «They are my classmates (somewhat interested in me) who want to volunteer because they say they want to prove their kindness to others.»

Matt whispered something in the girl's ear: «I did the same; be careful with their every move or word.» Then he got up and took Bob's signature sheet. «So Matt… today is April 21… perfect, now you have to sign here, Noemi…» The girl signed, as always, putting a heart as the dot on the "i". Bob announced: «Be careful, I'm opening the doors!» The three stepped aside. Meanwhile, Franz turned to Pascal: «Why did they move away?» Shortly after, he said: «I don't know, but we better follow them.» Bob opened the doors, and from the cargo hold of the van, four Nosepass emerged. The Compass Pokémon were the driver's assistants. They helped him prevent the boxes from falling. The two Pokémon ran into the two poor boys. They managed to drag themselves out with difficulty.

The old lady explained how those Pokémon liked to be petted and how they were very helpful, for example, sorting boxes by category, color, and quantity. She explained how particularly good they were at this. She explained how, with so many boxes, being able to rely on their help was very important.

The story resumed.

The two boys' instinct to be bad kicked in. They started whispering to each other. It seemed like they were talking about something related to the Nosepass. It looked like the two were planning a prank. They pretended to go to the bathroom while laughing under their breath. The girl sent her Budew to keep an eye on them while she continued moving the boxes. Matt was quite concerned about the situation. He signaled the girl to stop and warned her: «Noemi, wait!» He said with a worried look: «I'm afraid these boys are trying something not very honest. I've already figured out their fate… don't get swept away by their charms and find yourself a good guy who isn't so selfish.»

Grandpa Alessandro boasted and confirmed the lady's words: «This Matt seemed very wise. I'm sorry I only met him a few times because he set you on the right path... I mean... I was your grandma's choice, but it could have been someone else. I'm sorry you can't see him, we don't even have a photo.» Anita felt much more involved in the conversation, and the same could be said for her Pokémon. At the same moment, Roselia winked at Grandma, while Azumarill patted Oshawott.

«I remember when Azumarill evolved... but I'll tell you about it later, let's let Grandma continue.» Anita's eyes sparkled with interest. The old lady resumed her story.

Noemi and Matt were still working, while the two boys were plotting their plan. As soon as they noticed Budew's presence, they taped her to the wall. Once done, they exited the bathroom and rejoined Noemi and Matt. «We have a gift for the Nosepass,» they said confidently. Franz opened the bag while his accomplice took the object out of the backpack. At that moment, young Noemi thought, "Please let them be pretty flowers and not the usual prank stuff. Please, Arceus!" But Arceus had other things on his mind. The two pulled out a roll of toilet paper, saying in unison: «Use this to wipe your noses Ahahahahahaha... cough... cough...» The Nosepass, due to the boys' behavior, lost their temper. The Pokémon started attacking everyone indiscriminately.

«What are you doing? Are you crazy? Audino, use Tackle!» The Pokémon tried to charge one of the Nosepass, but it tackled back and, holding it with its small arms, generated a large rock right behind Audino. The other Nosepass attacked it with Rock Smash, hitting Audino with considerable force. The blow was enough to knock Audino out. «Noemi, run! We'll handle this!» Matt urged her, throwing a Poké Ball. From it emerged a male Pyroar, a lion-like Pokémon. Its body was mainly dark brown, like the area around its eyes. The eyes, however, were blue. Its paws, tail tip, head, and outer ears were hazel. Being male, it had a thick red and yellow mane.

Quickly, the Pokémon was surrounded by the Nosepass. «Use Fire Fang to deflect the rocks!» Matt ordered. The plan seemed to be working; the Pokémon spun rapidly, but despite managing to deflect most attacks, it still took some hits. Meanwhile, the two miscreants had run away, saying not-so-nice things.

Noemi immediately realized she had to do something, anything. The only two options were to leave or stay. At that moment, she couldn't even count on Budew, tied up by the two boys. To make matters worse, Bob had been petrified, like a Sunflora statue in the center of Las Brasas.

Then one of the Nosepass lunged and clung to the lion's mane. It tried to shake it off, unsuccessfully. It then attempted to use Headbutt, leveraging the powerful neck muscles, while its comrades bombarded Matt's Pokémon with rocks. «PYROAAAAAR! No, no wait» In difficulty, Bob sent out his Tentacruel, a large marine Pokémon resembling both a jellyfish and a squid. The upper part of its body resembled a large blue cap, decorated with three red gems. The two on the sides were larger, while the third, set in the center, was much smaller. The three gems formed a sort of Y. Its head was semi-spherical and black with two large white eyes and a giant blue beak; it had a large number of grayish-brown tentacles. «Until they calm down, I can't return them to their Poké Balls. Tentacruel, use Hydro Pump» Matt ordered. The Medusa Pokémon, despite trying to give maximum power to that water jet, couldn't repel the enraged Nosepass that quickly swarmed onto its back, bombarding it with flying rocks and repeated blows. At that point, the Pokémon turned to Noemi, indicating she would be the next target. The girl tried to run but, taking a wrong turn, ended up in a dead end. She was terrified and screamed: «SOMEONE HELP ME! HELP ME!»

At that moment, a powerful, bluish-white light shone from the nearby bathroom, accompanied by the sound of adhesive tape being ripped off. This was the bathroom where Franz and Pascal had taped Budew to the wall. Only now, it was no longer a Budew. It was a different Pokémon, taller, more delicate, thornier, and greener, with two flowers as hands... It had evolved into Roselia.

Immediately, the Pokémon blocked the path of the Nosepass, who were charging at full speed. It looked at Noemi as if waiting for her instructions. The evolution had changed the Pokémon's demeanor, making it appear colder, more confident, and invigorated. It was finally ready to fight seriously.

Noemi, before ordering any attack, seemed to take a moment to admire her newly evolved Pokémon. «Roselia! Use Mega Drain!» Due to the large amount of energy absorbed by the Pokémon, manifested to the onlookers as a green energy stream, the Nosepass began to slow down. Due to the significant amount of energy drained from their bodies, the Pokémon appeared increasingly exhausted. At that point, Roselia, without her Trainer ordering a single attack, unleashed a new move. She began to spin rapidly, creating a petal vortex, resembling a tornado. Moments later, the Pokémon rose and overwhelmed the Nosepass with petals, sending them back into the delivery van.

Noemi was incredibly moved by her Pokémon's sudden evolution, and could only say: «Roselia... you... are beautiful!» At that point, the girl burst into tears. Roselia then indicated to the girl what had happened to her. She had been tied up by Franz and Pascal.

The next day at school, during lunch, the girl slapped both Franz and Pascal hard.

«And this is how Picernese evolved. From there, she also gained her nickname," concluded the elderly woman. Anita

remained open-mouthed for a few seconds. It was truly an incredible story.

Still in shock, the girl looked into space and thought, "I would have liked to meet this Matt; he seemed really wise. Perhaps he could be one of those trustworthy people my mom talks about."

Then she ventured, "I apologize if I'm being indiscreet... but why hasn't Roselia evolved into Roserade yet?" The grandmother replied, "Roselia is a rather small Pokémon, which helps her clean even the tiniest corners. I even bought a Shiny Stone." She pointed to one of the drawers in the cabinet. "But she made it clear to me that she just doesn't feel like evolving." Anita understood what the elderly woman meant. Pokémon shouldn't be forced to evolve. In fact, it wasn't news to her, since she already knew a Pokémon that didn't want to evolve and felt perfectly fine in its current form.

The girl took her Smart Rotom from her bag and checked the time. It was only quarter past five, much earlier than she expected.

Suddenly, a cheerful tune played. Before she could put her Smart Rotom back in her bag, it started ringing. Serena was calling her.

The girl tried to grab the phone, but unfortunately, it slipped from her hands and ended up in the small arms of Azumarill. Whether it was voluntary or not, the aquatic rabbit answered the phone.

"Hello? It's Serena! Is everything okay? Did you find the Poké Balls? And the potions?" she asked, without even looking at the screen. Like Ash and Carlos, she had also gone shopping. Together with the two boys, she had restocked the group's food supplies.

A tomb-like silence fell inside the house. One could even hear the sweet chirping of a Fletchling on one of the cherry trees around the house.

Azumarill responded to the girl with a sweet «Zumaa!» leaving the Kalos native rather perplexed and forcing her to glance at the screen. Noticing the particular interlocutor, a blue Pokémon with large ears, she greeted it, «Hello Azumarill! You know, you're really cute. Are you one of Anita's Pokémon?» she asked. The Pokémon shook its head in a small gesture of denial. «Oh! I'm sorry! That's okay!» The girl apologized for the mistake, immediately forgiven by the Pokémon. «I guess there's a girl near you named that. She has dark brown hair... very long... a dark jacket... black pants...» The Kalos native tried to describe her friend's appearance. The Pokémon seemed to understand the Performer's words. «Here, could you please pass her? I need to ask her something important.» The Pokémon passed the phone to the young Trainer, hearing the thanks from the Kalos native.

Anita felt somewhat embarrassed by the situation, enough to blush. As soon as she received the phone from Azumarill, she tried to explain the situation to the older girl.

«Hi, don't worry! Everything's fine! But no... it's not what you think...» Serena had partly already understood, but decided to listen to her friend nonetheless. «You see... Azumarill isn't my Pokémon...» «Don't worry about that. I thought it was your Pokémon... you know. Azumarill is a very nice and cute Pokémon. And according to Ash, it can also become very strong. That's why I thought it was yours...» she explained. She also tried to make her understand that such a small misunderstanding shouldn't be a cause for embarrassment. «By the way... will you be joining us for dinner?» she asked. The young girl had to think for a few moments. «I think so. I should be able to make it by seven-thirty, or at the latest, eight. Don't worry, I'm safe here.»

«Is she your friend?» the elderly woman asked. «May I meet her?» she asked. Anita didn't say a word, just passed her phone to the elderly woman.

While the Kalos native was bombarded with questions from the elderly woman, Vivillon approached its Trainer, smiling with its eyes. Even the Pokémon understood how the elderly woman couldn't stay quiet.

The old man sat next to the girl. «Anita... Anita, dear Anita, I didn't think my granddaughter could be in such a crisis over something so small. As difficult as it may be, you need to try to be more confident in yourself. You were out on your own and separated from your friends because you wanted to prove you could handle things alone. Is that right?» the old man asked. Not noticing any reaction from the girl, he decided to push a bit harder. «If that's the case... it's not the right way to approach it. I don't know what prompted you to do it, but it's not the right way to face difficulties.» Still no reaction. «Staying silent won't change things. That's the reality, no matter how harsh it may seem. I was like you at the beginning of my journey.»

Anita stared at the carpet for a few seconds with a lost look in her eyes.

«I understand.» The old man almost startled her. «Do you want to know how I went from being a shy and insecure boy to becoming a Trainer who defeated the Elite Four and was able to face the Champion?»

The girl remained silent.

«It was all thanks to Minnie. Her evolution made me realize what I was missing to become stronger. I had to become more confident. I had to roll up my sleeves and act like a leader. As difficult as it was. This helped me improve my bonds with my Pokémon. Finally, they saw me as a role model, not just someone who tells them "use Water Gun!" "use Bite!" and so on. Although now only Minnie remains with me. Don't get me wrong. It's clear you care about your Pokémon. That you love them and try your best for them. But believe me, it won't always be like this. Oshawott is a Pokémon often given to young Trainers. It forgives many mistakes of inexperience. Herdier is a Pokémon that easily bonds with Trainers, and Vivillon is a Bug-type Pokémon. And Pokémon of this type are very easy to train.» he explained. Anita's expression changed. Perhaps she had misjudged the old man. Initially, he had told her that his Pokémon were well-trained... and now...

Anyway, the old man cleared his throat and said, «Picernese evolved, showing both her strength and affection for your grandmother. It was the same for Minnie. You still have two Pokémon that can evolve. And surely this will benefit their strength.» Those words made Anita think about how different her grandfather's approach was compared to Ash's. For the latter, evolution could never replace training.

Azumarill offered Anita, her elderly Trainer, and his wife a glass of fruit juice. Anita thanked her and, without thinking, took a sip of juice. The grandfather, after downing the glass in one gulp, began his story.

It was a sunny summer day, so hot that even the Taillow refused to chirp. In one of the many houses in the city, a young Trainer got up and headed towards the kitchen. The room wasn't very large; it was mostly occupied by the kitchen, which took up an entire wall covered with tiles rather than wooden slabs. The furniture was made of fine wood, and the countertop was crafted from dark granite. In the center of the room was a large table surrounded by several chairs, only two of which were occupied.

The two chairs were taken by two friends of the boy, Fred, a sixteen-year-old with closely cropped hair and small eyes of the same color. He was dressed in a simple short-sleeved t-shirt and short jeans, and Jessie, also sixteen. She had red hair and big brown eyes, a small nose, and thin lips. She wore a light pink shirt and a skirt, paired with elegant shoes. «Alessandro, you finally honored us with your presence! We've been waiting for ages!» Fred greeted him while stroking his Togedemaru, a spherical-shaped Pokémon resembling a rodent. It had black eyes and nose, yellow cheeks, a white front body, and a mainly gray back. Its front legs were rather small, while the hind legs were round. Its tail was mostly gray with a yellow, lightning-shaped tip, adorned with yellow and brown triangular marks.

Jessie, meanwhile, was preparing breakfast, assisted by Clefairy and Alcremie. «Hi guys, aaaaaa, I'm going to the bathroom

and I'll join you.» Alessandro was heading to get ready. He left the kitchen and started down the small, narrow corridor connecting the various rooms. The corridor, already narrow, was cluttered with furniture and plants. In fact, the boy almost stumbled over a small table. He looked up at the painting above. It depicted a battle between Dialga and Palkia and Groudon and Kyogre.

The boy was quite excited. It was going to be a day he wouldn't easily forget. "Today is the big day! I finally have to face the fourth gym!" he thought. "It specializes in Electric-type Pokémon, and the Gym Leader is really strong. Few have managed to win that badge. This means we have to try not to make stupid mistakes... am I right, guys?" The boy released his Pokémon from their respective Poké Balls. From distinct beams of light emerged a Sandile, a Pignite, a Woobat, and a Staravia, traded with a Trainer from Sinnoh for a Roggenrola, a Goodra, and a Marill.

The elder didn't miss the chance to hint at a possible relationship between her and Ash, noting to her granddaughter how he also owned a Sandile and explaining how Marill had been his first Pokémon. Anita tried to explain that Ash wasn't interested in that way, and that it would instead trigger the jealousy of another girl who was truly interested in him. The elder pretended not to notice, resuming his story.

As he prepared, Alessandro thought about what strategy to adopt. The boy was deeply lost in his thoughts, so much so that his friend Jessie asked him, «I see you're so thoughtful... are you worried about meeting Lionel?» Alessandro replied, coming out of his reverie, «Yes... let's say I'm a bit nervous.» Fred tried to reassure him, unsuccessfully, «Friend, calm down! Today you can and must win, you have a great team! You have until tonight to study his fighting techniques.» Jessie intervened, «Excuse me, Fred, but why don't you help him somehow?» Fred, still cuddling Togedemaru, retorted, «I don't know anything about battles! I only know what moves they should use, but I don't understand how to fight. In fact, I can't even catch wild Pokémon. If I want to catch one, I sneak up and try to catch it like that.» Jessie sighed, «Forget it, he can only do that! I want to see what happens when a legendary Pokémon appears, if he catches it from behind! Instead, stay calm and try to prevent your Pokémon from getting hurt.» Alessandro thanked Jessie.

The grandmother interrupted, «And now who is this Jessie? The one who lives in Vicolo Duefoglie?» Her husband wasted no time seeking justification. «She's my second cousin, don't you remember? The one you're talking about is Jessie Minsk, who works for Pinuccio on Viale Fiordoropoli.» Anita stayed on the sidelines. She didn't want to get involved in these stories. She just glanced at her Pokémon and smiled at them.

The elder resumed his story.

Alessandro wasn't particularly impressed by Jessie's advice. At that time, it was quite normal for Trainers to teach Protect to all their Pokémon. They used methods that were not exactly orthodox, forcing one of their Pokémon to repeatedly attack the newly caught one until it learned Protect. The same applied to those learning moves like Detect. Alessandro, on his part, was against this training method, finding it highly predictable. After this discussion, they left and headed towards the station. Fortunately for them, the train station was not far from their home.

At the ticket counter, the three bought tickets to Nimbasa City. They boarded the third train of the day headed to the region's second most important city.

They arrived in the city at lunchtime. The journey, due to the train's not exceptional speed, lasted almost two hours. A time already quite long, but due to the lack of air conditioning in the carriages and the high temperature, it seemed endless.

The train seats were made of dark blue fabric with a pattern of various colors, arranged in pairs.

The three got off the train, soaked in sweat, and their first thought was not so much to find a place to eat but rather to find a vending machine and buy some cold drinks to replenish the fluids lost during the journey. Once they had replenished their lost fluids, the three could focus on finding a place to have lunch.

Without much effort, they found a rotisserie called «Toast for the Stoat». It was a rather simple place, with most of the tables located outside. A canopy with red and blue stripes ensured that all tables were shaded.

Right in front of the restaurant, the three were captivated by a mixture of different, incredibly inviting scents. If their hunger had been somewhat subdued before, now it began to seriously knock at the door.

They sat down at one of the free tables outside. Hardly had they sat down when they were immediately approached by a waitress. She was about five feet three inches tall, with an athletic build and a rather sharp face. She had light brown hair tied tightly in a bun. Her eyes were also brown, and in the sunlight, they almost seemed filled with honey. «Welcome to Toast for the Stoat!» she greeted them. At that moment, the three learned the young woman's name: Charlie.

«Hello, what would you like to order, guys?» she asked. «By the way... do you have any Pokémon with you?» she added shortly after.

The three listed the Pokémon they had brought with them.

«Alright, so there are three of you and you have eight Pokémon? Five small ones and three medium-sized ones,» she noted in her notebook. «Oh! Silly me! I haven't given you the menus.» The waitress handed them menus printed with the names of various dishes and their prices. Despite the location of the restaurant, the prices were quite reasonable.

While they had lunch, the three also had to make sure their Pokémon didn't cause any trouble. While waiting to be served, Fred's attention was caught by a small Pokémon with white wings that seemed almost made of clouds, a sharp white beak, two long, thick... yellow tufts? Just like its small body, barely half the size of its wings. The wings opened, revealing two small jet-black eyes with a pupil of pristine white. There was no doubt. It was a rare shiny Swablu.

Fred didn't miss the opportunity, throwing a Poké Ball at the unsuspecting Pokémon. Incredibly, he managed to catch it on the first try, much to everyone's surprise. As soon as he retrieved the Poké Ball, Fred immediately released the Pokémon, boasting to those present. The waitress had to adjust the order, changing the number of small Pokémon from five to six.

Alessandro and Jessie pretended not to know the boy, who couldn't stop boasting about how beautiful his new Pokémon was.

The elderly woman interrupted her husband with an observation: «You know, Swablu is a very rare Pokémon to find in those areas.» The man contradicted his wife: «Certainly today, but back then, it was quite common. But thank you for pointing that out. Oh... another thing. The rules for gym battles were slightly different back then.»

After this brief interlude, the elderly man resumed his story.

After finishing lunch, Alessandro returned to focus on his thoughts. The worry about the gym battle hadn't entirely left him.

The boy was thinking aloud about who would fight: «Let's see... Sandile is part Ground type, so against an Electric type Pokémon, he could do well... he'll be my ace. After all, Lionel's Pokémon are Galvantula, Zebstrika, and Ampharos, his ace. Zebstrika is very fast, Galvantula is extremely formidable. As for Ampharos... I know that very few have managed to defeat it. And to think this is only the fourth gym.»

Unbeknownst to him, Jessie had been listening the whole time and immediately tried to reassure him: «I'm sure you'll do it!

Remember to leverage the type advantage of your Pokémon. Also, sending out a Pokémon first to scout the terrain can be

helpful.»

The boy turned to his Pignite, who was finishing his lunch. At that moment, Jessie continued her advice: «Don't worry if his Pokémon are fully evolved; battles are unpredictable. You can't know what will happen unless you fight. And don't think about what might happen if you do this or that, just act. Remember to focus on your Pokémon and your opponents' moves.»

At this point, the boy turned to his Sandile. After hearing Jessie's advice, Alessandro understood how important his role would be in that battle.

After finishing their meal, Alessandro went to pay the bill. Once lunch was settled, composed as much for the Trainers as for the Pokémon with an appetizer, first course, second course, side, fruit, and dessert, which came to just twenty-five thousand Pokédollars—a rather modest price for three people and nine Pokémon—he took the receipt, and they left the place after recalling their Pokémon into their Poké Balls.

After that, they headed towards the gym in Nimbasa City where Alessandro would battle for the badge. A medal that was extremely difficult to obtain, so much so that it had earned the nickname "Forbidden Badge."

Upon arrival, they went to rooms to change and adjust their attire to match the elegance and grandeur of the venue. In Nimbasa City, there was a tradition, in place since Varieties became an independent event, of integrating gym battles into the Variety show.

Specifically, the challenge would take place after the last Performer's showcase and before announcing the winner. Fighting on that occasion was the forbidden dream of many Trainers, as the Variety show occurred only once a year. The Gym Leader allowed this opportunity only to Trainers challenging him for the first time.

That year, Alessandro would have the chance to face Lionel. Besides facing the Gym Leader, the Trainer who fought him would have the privilege of sitting in the VIP seats, along with his companions.

Alessandro and Jessie were quite interested in the performances, unlike Fred, who fell asleep along with Togedemaru shortly after the first contestant.

At the time of the fourth-to-last Performer's showcase, a lady around thirty, dressed quite elegantly, took the stage. She held a microphone and a clipboard. «The challenger for the Gym Leader is requested to follow me!» she announced.

Alessandro bid farewell to his friends, receiving Jessie's best wishes before leaving. Fred, on the other hand, continued to sleep deeply, snoring like a tractor.

«And to think that, despite this, Fred is still my best friend. You know, he even had a thing with Jessie. I'll tell you more. They got married and now live in Verdanturf Town. They have a grandson named Charles.» the elderly man recounted, before continuing his story.

Alessandro was led by the lady to an area normally reserved for Performers during Varieties, allowing him to change into his Trainer attire. As soon as the boy finished changing, the lady immediately posed the fateful question: «Mr. Alessandro, you must choose three Pokémon for the battle against Lionel, as required by the rules. The battle will be three-on-three.»

Alessandro decided to rely on a trio of Pokémon that hadn't battled in a while: «Sandile, Pignite, and Marill.» Staravia and Swoobat weren't sad for not being chosen; instead, they cheered on their teammates who had to uphold the honor of their team.

While the last performer was showcasing, Alessandro glanced quickly at the stands, locking eyes with his friends. Jessie nudged Fred, attempting to wake him up, to no avail. Alcremie, noticing the girl's struggle, decided to lend a hand. The Pokémon shot its cream towards the boy, waking him up abruptly.

Alessandro noticed how Jessie was trying to say something to Fred, though he couldn't quite make out her words. Truthfully, the boy wasn't concerned about knowing. What mattered to him was defeating Lionel and being recognized as one of those truly strong Trainers. The boy was extremely charged up. All his worries slipped away when he noticed Fred.

«You don't have to be afraid; we've already won very difficult battles. Now let's show that we're worth more than most Trainers today!» the boy tried to motivate his Pokémon. Sandile was fascinated, Marill proud, and Pignite invigorated.

The boy recalled his Pokémon into their respective Poké Balls just as the last performer finished her showcase. After her performance, various mechanical noises were heard, like objects being moved and a heavy object being lifted. Once those sounds ended, darkness and silence fell inside the theater.

On stage appeared a human figure. His steps broke the silence, and slowly, murmurs rose from the audience.

Suddenly, a spotlight illuminated the figure. It was a young lady in elegant attire, wearing a voluminous hat adorned with various decorations. She stood still on stage, waiting for something or someone. From above, a large microphone was lowered.

«Ladies and gentlemen, today I have the pleasure of presenting a Pokémon battle, as tradition dictates. Before announcing the winner of this Variety Show, we will witness a Pokémon battle between Gym Leader Lionel and a Trainer who has had the honor and fortune to challenge the Gym Leader!» All present began a brief but intense murmur that quickly subsided, replaced by an almost deafening silence. Then the lights dimmed again.

«The challenger who today has the honor of facing Lionel on this occasion is a 16-year-old boy passionate about Pokémon battles with a goal to reach the summit of Unova! His name is Alessandro!»

At that moment, the spotlights focused on the boy, who was immediately applauded by the audience. Caught up in the excitement, the boy bowed before the audience. Now he seemed to have no more fear of the battle.

«And now, our esteemed Gym Leader, bearer of the Forbidden Badge, as named by Trainers, the stylist Lionel!» A loud applause erupted from the audience as Fred tried unsuccessfully to voice his "booooooooo" amidst it all.

The lights accompanied Lionel as he moved towards the center of the stage. Once in the center, he addressed the boy, «So, you're the Trainer who wishes to battle me for the badge? I am Lionel. I know that you and your Pokémon will give your all to defeat us. Do not be afraid, otherwise the battle won't be fun.»

The boy replied, «The important thing is to try your best. Even if you lose, you can say you gave it your all.» The boy and Lionel wished each other good luck and moved to opposite sides of the stage.

The presenter then announced to the referee, «The referee overseeing the match will be Robert Kluski, from the judging panel, let's give him a big round of applause!» The lights focused on a tall, slim man with blond hair and long mustaches. He wore the classic green referee's outfit. The man was accompanied by an Aegislash.

Finally, the stage was illuminated, and Robert announced, «Trainers, choose your first Pokémon!» Alessandro decided to test the waters with his Pignite, taking out the Poké Ball of his Tepig.

«Trainers, send out the Pokémon you've chosen!» ordered the referee. Lionel sent out his Zebstrika, a quadruped Pokémon resembling a zebra. Its body was adorned with zigzagging black and white stripes. The mane consisted of a series of sharp spikes, forming horn-like shapes on its head, while its tail had a star-shaped tip. Its eyes had a blue iris with yellow rims, blue inner ears, a black muzzle, and gray hooves. In those days, there were no Rotom Phones, so it wasn't possible to know a Pokémon's moves in advance. Alessandro deduced that, being a Gym Leader's Pokémon, Zebstrika likely knew four moves.

As planned, Alessandro sent out his Pignite, the only Pokémon in his team that knew four moves.

After some endless seconds of silence, Robert declared, «Let the battle begin!» A murmur rose from the stands. Much of the

audience was not pleased with the interruption, despite it being a tradition, while Alessandro's friends were thrilled to see

him battle.

«We'll start, Zebstrika, use Spark immediately!» The Zebra Pokémon approached Pignite with great speed, its body fully charged with electricity. Alessandro had to quickly think of a strategy to allow his Pokémon to withstand it. «Pignite, use Protect!» he ordered. The Fire Pig Pokémon created a greenish energy barrier that repelled the electric zebra. Lionel smiled and commanded his Zebstrika, «Let's keep attacking with Spark!» The boy continued to watch the opponent's Zebstrika, well aware that Pignite couldn't protect itself indefinitely. So he ordered his Pokémon, «Watch it closely and dodge the blow!» The Zebra Pokémon's movements were the same as before, so Pignite managed to evade it. «Flare Blitz!» ordered Alessandro. An orange aura formed around Pignite. «NITEEEE!» shouted the Fire Pokémon. Now its attacks would be even more powerful. This didn't seem to discourage Zebstrika, which attacked again with another Spark. «Behind you!» warned Alessandro, prompting his Pokémon to move. Unfortunately, it was hit by electric shocks that had charged the air. Fortunately, the damage suffered by the Pokémon was not severe enough to impair its fighting ability. Lionel, noticing this, ordered his Zebstrika, «Now hit it with Flame Charge!» Alessandro urged his Pokémon, «Continue attacking with contact moves! Take this chance to use Brick Break!» Zebstrika was approaching closer and closer while Pignite stood ready to strike with one of its arms. The Zebra Pokémon was charging at full speed to hit the Fire Pig Pokémon. Everything seemed to go according to the Gym Leader's plans. Pignite was hit squarely in the chest, but at the same time, it grabbed the Zebra Pokémon, delivering a solid blow to its neck. Due to the force of the blow, Zebstrika was struck by a powerful surge of energy but was still able to fight.

The boy then commanded, «Let's finish one off right away! Pignite, use Flamethrower!» A powerful orange flame burst from the Fire Pig Pokémon's nose, engulfing Zebstrika. «Zebstrika is no longer able to continue! Pignite wins!» announced the referee. The crowd did not cheer very much, only a few besides the boy's friends celebrated the first, crucial victory.

Alessandro was happy. He had already defeated Zebstrika, the fastest of the three Pokémon. Certainly, he had won only thanks to the power of the well-placed Brick Break in the neck, but that was fine.

As Pignite flexed its muscles to the crowd, the boy decided to return it to its Poké Ball. «Pignite, return. Rest a bit, I'll need your help later.» Lionel had already chosen his second Pokémon, while Alessandro was still undecided on what to do next. «Lionel, send out your second fighter,» urged the referee. Meanwhile, Alessandro had decided which Pokémon to choose. In the end, the boy chose Sandile, a Pokémon at the time little appreciated for its appearance. Many were not aware of the saying "looks can be deceiving."

Lionel sent out his Galvantula, a Pokémon that closely resembled a tarantula. Its body was mainly yellow, with blue fur on its belly. Its six eyes, four of which were very small, were blue, as were its four legs. It had several purple marks on its back and around its mouth. The Gym Leader employed this Pokémon when facing Pokémon types unrelated to Electric, such as Fairy, Bug, or other types.

The battle continued. Alessandro immediately ordered an attack from his Sandile: «Use Dig, don't let them hit you right away!» The Pokémon dug a hole in the battle ground and remained underground for a few seconds before popping up somewhere else in the battlefield. A few moments later, it burrowed underground again and resurfaced in another spot. This technique soon irritated Lionel. The Gym Leader huffed, «Galvantula, close all the holes with Electroweb!» The Pokémon approached the nearest hole and spat webbing inside, covering all the openings. «Sandile, watch out! Cut through the web with Crunch!» ordered Alessandro. The idea was sound; the Pokémon's powerful jaws could break through Galvantula's sturdy Electroweb, but its effort fell short. In no time, the Ground type Pokémon was ensnared in the webbing by Galvantula. «Galvantula, use X-Scissor and level the playing field!» commanded Lionel. Sandile was helpless in the cocoon, yet Alessandro didn't lose hope. «Use Rock Tomb!» he ordered. Small rocks flew from the Pokémon's mouth, hovering in the air. A few moments later, the Pokémon was hit by the powerful opponent's attack. The referee immediately announced the result of the battle: «Sandile is no longer able to fight, Galvantula wins.» The audience applauded the Electric Spider Pokémon's victory, which waved to the spectators as if it were a king. Alessandro withdrew Sandile into its Poké Ball, telling it, «You did your best; those rocks will be useful until the end of the battle.» The boy had the feeling that inside the Poké Ball was a smiling Pokémon who believed in its friends.

«Galvantula, return!» Lionel recalled his Pokémon. «Later, you'll have to assist Ampharos.» Lionel sent out his Ampharos, using a dramatic phrase: «Now, the storm begins, go Ampharos!»

Alessandro intended to send out Marill, but before doing so, he realized he had to do something first. «Go, Pignite!» The boy sent out the Fire Pig Pokémon again.

There were some glances exchanged between the two Pokémon, waiting for the opponent's move. A stalemate was developing. Since no action had been taken for several seconds, Alessandro decided to communicate his intentions to the opponent, «Pignite, use Flare Blitz!» As before, an orange aura formed around the Fire Pig Pokémon's body, enhancing its attacks once more. Despite this, the stalemate showed no signs of breaking. The two Trainers continued to watch each other. Alessandro took advantage of the situation to execute his plan, «Pignite, use Flamethrower in the air while spinning around!» he ordered. No one in the audience understood the Trainer's intentions. Quite the opposite. Some even laughed. Almost everyone laughed, except for the boy's friends and their Pokémon. Lionel couldn't help joining in the general laughter. Struggling to contain himself, he turned to the boy, «But what was the point of that?» he asked. Alessandro knew his plan had succeeded. He had distracted his opponent. He was aware that his time was limited. He quickly ordered his Pignite to attack, «Come on! Use Brick Break, try to hit it in the center of the neck!» While Ampharos was waiting for instructions from its Trainer, it was sweating, seemingly suffering due to its Trainer's indecision. It was there, immobilized, waiting for its Trainer's orders. Except that the latter was still laughing. The Light Pokémon was hit by one of Pignite's hands. Lionel, hearing his Pokémon's cry of pain, came to his senses. Ampharos had particularly felt the blow, but it was still able to fight. Lionel immediately ordered an attack: «Don't worry, use Hyper Beam!» The Light Pokémon generated a thick and powerful beam of white energy, which quickly hit Pignite. Due to the force of the impact, the Fire Pig Pokémon was violently thrown to the other side of the battle field.

«Pignite is no longer able to continue!» declared the referee. The crowd erupted in applause, even though the battle was not yet over. Alessandro, in fact, still had a Pokémon to fight with. Meanwhile, Lionel changed his Pokémon again, sending out Galvantula. The Electric Spider Pokémon was practically unscathed from the previous encounter with Sandile. «Go, Marill, we can still make a comeback!» The Water-Fairy Pokémon emerged elegantly and delicately from its Poké Ball, in stark contrast to Lionel's Galvantula's brutal entrance.

The boy was not worried at all; in fact, he and his Marill knew they could take the lead with a single move, provided it hit.

The boy ordered Minnie, as the Pokémon was nicknamed: «Go, Marill, jump and retrieve the rocks!» Using its tail, the Pokémon soared into the air and performed several spins. The Pokémon's goal was to take the rocks previously heated by

Pignite and hurl them at Galvantula. As soon as the Pokémon landed, the boy wasted no time: «Come on, Marill, now!

Throw!» Lionel wondered, «But what is he doing?» He seemed powerless as Marill hurled all those rocks at his Pokémon. «And now, let's finish it with Aqua Tail!» he ordered. The Pokémon made a big jump, with its tail clad in water. Galvantula was hit hard. Initially, it seemed that the hit was not enough to defeat it. However, some rock fragments, still suspended in the air, struck the Electric Spider Pokémon, sealing its defeat. Lionel was stunned, as was the entire audience. This gave

Alessandro immense confidence. He was certain he could defeat the Gym Leader.

«I'm sorry, Galvantula, I was the one who was stunned by this attack.» The Gym Leader withdrew the defeated Pokémon from the battle.

Anita was stunned. It seemed Ash wasn't the only master of improvisation after all. Intrigued, the girl asked her grandmother, «That seems like a truly brilliant technique. Are you sure...» Minnie chirped, «I believe she means 'it's all true, young trainer'," the elderly woman translated. «Your grandfather was truly an extraordinary fighter; he only lost to the champion after a very long battle. He lost because the opponent's Pokémon used Endurance at the last moment. If Minnie weren't so old... she could give the world champion's Pikachu a run for its money.»

Anita scribbled down these details on her Rotom smartphone. Glancing at the time, it was six in the afternoon.

The elderly man was now nearing the end:

The referee announced, «Galvantula is no longer able to continue; Marill wins!» The applause was more substantial than when Pignite defeated Zebstrika, though not comparable to what accompanied Lionel's victories. Still, it was something. Alessandro's friends had a completely disproportionate reaction. Fred, in joy, literally began shaking Jessie. Alessandro realized he couldn't laugh. He couldn't afford to be distracted from the battle.

«Ampharos, you're all I have left,» the Gym Leader sent out his Pokémon, which, like Galvantula before it, had been partially hurt by Stealth Rock.

The Gym Leader made the first move: «Ampharos, use Thunderbolt!» The boy commanded his Pokémon, «Marill! Respond with Aqua Tail!» The two Pokémon clashed at the center of the field. Ampharos was fully charged with electricity, and Marill was enveloped in a pink aura. The clash was extremely intense, sending the two Pokémon flying to opposite sides of the field. Between them, Marill took the brunt of it, but despite the injuries, it was still able to continue. Alessandro noticed immediately, «Marill, hang in there and get ready with Water Gun!» Lionel ordered his Ampharos, «Let's end this with Hyper Beam!» The light Pokémon generated a powerful, thick beam of white energy aimed at Marill. The Pokémon managed to cut through the powerful beam of energy thanks to the large amount of water coating its tail, significantly reducing the damage.

«Come on, Marill, it's not impossible, we have to keep trying, take advantage of its rest! Hit it with Aqua Tail!» Lionel could do nothing; it was the effect of the Hyper Beam move. Due to some residual electric shocks, Marill suffered further injuries. It collapsed to the ground, in an unnatural position. With one eye half-open, standing on one foot, it seemed it could give in at any moment. Not that Ampharos was doing much better. It too had suffered from the consequences of the battle. It was dripping with sweat and barely standing.

Lionel ordered, «Ampharos, let's finish this with Hyper Beam! Full power!» The Pokémon concentrated and created a giant sphere of luminous rays that was about to be unleashed toward Minnie.

Marill looked at its Trainer with a proud gaze. The Trainer barely had time to return the Pokémon's gaze when Ampharos's beam fired off. It completely engulfed Minnie, who remained within the beam of light for a few seconds.

At the end of the attack, the referee approached Minnie to see if she was still able to battle. The Pokémon was still in the same position as before. At one point, her eyes began to shine. She smiled, and silence fell.

A light enveloped Minnie's round body. Upon seeing the light, the choreographer immediately turned off the lights, highlighting the light produced by the Pokémon's body. The audience was astonished. So was Alessandro. He had no idea his Pokémon could evolve during that battle. Despite the intense light, the change in the Pokémon's appearance was clearly visible. Its previously round body became oval. Several white spots appeared on the lower part of the Pokémon's body, its feet grew larger, and its ears grew significantly larger and sharper, resembling rabbit ears. The body color remained blue. Finally, Marill had evolved into Azumarill.

Lionel was completely thrown off guard, but despite this, he didn't give up, «Ampharos, don't hesitate! Hit it with Thunder Punch!» The Pokémon's arm enlarged and became increasingly charged with electricity as it approached Minnie. The Trainer ordered, «Use Bounce!» Minnie's ears lit up blue and blocked Ampharos's Thunder Punch. The Pokémon managed to use the opponent's force to send it flying high. «Use Aqua Tail!» he ordered. Azumarill jumped high and struck Ampharos, sending it even higher. The two Pokémon crashed to the ground, causing a loud crash. Minnie was on top of Ampharos and pushing it downward.

Both Pokémon were exhausted. They could keep fighting, but not for long. Lionel commanded the final attack, «Finish it off once and for all with Flash!» The Electric Pokémon generated a massive aura of electricity around its body and struggled to approach Azumarill. The boy didn't know what to do. Whatever action he took, Minnie would take the hit first, which meant losing.

The boy felt something under his feet. Was it an earthquake starting? Or was it just a sensation? The answer came immediately. No, it wasn't a sensation. Everyone was about to fall, except Azumarill. Major seismic shocks were converging just a few meters ahead of the boy. There was no doubt. Minnie had learned Earthquake. Ampharos was about to fall and could already sense how it would end. He tried to stay upright but failed, losing his balance and falling to the ground. The Electric Pokémon was continuously jolted by the seismic shocks.

After the shocks subsided, the referee approached Ampharos. Silence fell over the entire arena. Lionel was sweating profusely. Finally, the verdict came, "Ampharos is unable to continue. Therefore, the winner is Alessandro!" A standing ovation erupted from the stands. Even the staunchest Variety fans were applauding. Even the contestants who had performed just before.

Jessie and Fred joined their friend on stage just before Lionel presented Alessandro with the medal. "Alessandro, I am thrilled to announce that you are one of the few trainers to possess this medal. Perhaps it was never Prohibited for you." The boy kissed the medal, held it close to his chest, and celebrated his achievement with his Pokémon and friends.

And so the elder concluded his tale. Anita had shown genuine interest in the elder's story. The same could not be said for her Pokémon. Herdier had fallen asleep halfway through and was only just waking up now, while Oshawott had drooled from the mouth. Vivillon covered its eyes with its wing from forehead to behind its neck. Minnie boasted about how strong she used to be when young, and Roselia couldn't help but remain indifferent. She had heard that story too many times now.

The grandfather then glanced at the time; it was six twenty. It was time for his medication. Otherwise, others would suffer the consequences of his delusions. He reached for the box that contained them and immediately noticed something wrong, "We have a little problem, the pills in this box are finished!" The old woman panicked and said, "Oh no! Please, dear Anita, can you go upstairs and get Alessandro's pills? Be careful on the stairs!" Anita nodded, got up from the couch, and headed towards the staircase, paying attention to where she stepped.

As the girl climbed the stairs, her grandmother pointed, "They're on your grandfather's nightstand, the one on the left!" Anita understood where to look. She followed her grandmother's directions, but despite this, found herself immediately against the bedroom wall. She turned suddenly and immediately noticed Azumarill's presence, who had witnessed the scene. The Pokémon wanted to make sure the girl didn't get into trouble. The Pokémon was followed by its colleague of the same type, Oshawott.

Entering the room, the girl was quite surprised. Her grandparents had a dream house. She wouldn't mind living there with her friends at all. The room was square-shaped and quite spacious. The walls were painted a piggy pink. The bed was against the center of the wall opposite the entrance. Next to it were two nightstands, one on the right and one on the left. On the left nightstand was the pillbox, and on the right was the lamp that illuminated the room in the evening.

On the right wall was a cherry wood table with a brass-framed mirror, while the left wall was adorned with a giant photo in an elaborate frame. The photo depicted the girl's grandparents and her mother Jessica. The photo must have been taken many years ago. Not far from the photo was a shelf with two albums. One was covered in red leather, the other in blue. Both had labels. The first read "Family Photos," and the second read "Pokémon: Moments from the history of battles lived."

Anita didn't get distracted. She grabbed the pillbox from her grandfather's nightstand.

"Took you long enough!" the grandmother scolded her. "If you wanted to look at the albums, you could have told us, and we would have explained things to you." The girl tried to change the subject. "No... no... it's just that... your room is really beautiful... that's all!" The old woman brought her back on track. "Your mother didn't even teach you how to lie properly. Now go... fetch it!" The girl handed over the pills and returned to the room, where she retrieved the album.

The young girl returned downstairs, escorted by the two Water-type Pokémon. The wise grandfather swallowed the pill and drank water before noticing what the girl had in her hands. «Ah yes, the most incredible battles in history that your grandmother and I were fortunate enough to witness!» The man forcefully took the album from the girl's hands and began explaining the few photos inside. «...here is when a trainer defeated six opponent Pokémon with just his Infernape. It's been forty years since then... here is when Galar fossils were first used... here is when Dandel became world champion...» They arrived at the last photograph, Ash and his team lifting the trophy for the world's strongest Pokémon trainer. «Here is when your grandmother and I went to see the World Championship final, when a boy became champion with a Pikachu... although... now that I look at it, it seems familiar.» Anita then intervened, «That trophy was really impressive; I wonder why Ash never showed it to me.» The grandfather had a realization, scratching his chin. «Of course! That boy we were speaking to on the phone earlier is Champion Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town! His face seemed familiar.» The grandmother, Roselia, and Azumarill gasped in surprise. Had the elderly man not realized it? Then the elder exclaimed, «Oh, my granddaughter can contact the world champion anytime and you didn't tell me?» Anita felt a bit embarrassed. She glanced at Vivillon, as if seeking distraction.

The grandfather then asked the girl, «Why can you call the world champion and vice versa? Did you ask him?» Anita replied, scratching her head. Even though she felt she had already explained it, «Basically, my mom is friends with Professor Aralia, a renowned Pokémon researcher, who in turn is friends with Professor Oak, who is Ash's friend. Ash has always wanted to become a Pokémon Master. To achieve this, he understood that he needs to help someone else reach their goals. And that's how he became my mentor.» The grandfather smiled, «Ah, I'm really glad to hear this news.»

At that point, the grandmother took the remote and turned on the television. «Quiet everyone, the 6:30 news is starting.» Initially, the screen showed ads for ceramic products, but then there was a jingle—the news broadcast the grandmother had mentioned, TG 6.5.

Before the journalist could be properly framed on screen, there was a buzzing noise, static. The two elderly complained in unison, «Oh no... ag... it's not... darn it... why... that... isn't... working!» Anita didn't understand and asked the two elderly for explanations, who seemed to want to destroy something. «Why are you... upset over... well, it's just a small issue... it'll pass soon... no need for... oh... to be like this.» The grandmother explained, «Anita, don't worry. It's not your fault. These TVs aren't perfect; if there's a big enough Flying-type Pokémon, it can disrupt the satellite signal. And given the issues, it must be a pretty big Pokémon; this doesn't happen with small Pokémon like Pidove. They need to be pretty big, at least as big as Talonflame.» Anita then stood up and adjusted her hat, thinking, "I can try to solve the problem," then asked, «Do you know which Pokémon it is?» The elderly warned her, «Be careful. It's Gliscor, and it's quite dangerous. Maybe Vivillon could defeat it, as it can fly very high and might avoid most of its attacks. Also, consider that Gliscor floats at an altitude too high to be hit by ground-based physical moves, like Rock Slide. Even an Inteleon's Snipe Shot wouldn't hit it as high up.» Anita looked at Vivillon and asked, «Do you feel up to it?» Vivillon glanced at the other Pokémon present, then nodded slightly. Trainer and Pokémon both headed towards the door. The elderly and other Pokémon followed and went out into the dream garden of a florist.

Anita looked up and noticed Gliscor in the sky. The girl thought, "We absolutely have to stop it! Even if it means fighting. I hope this will be enough to keep it away for a while." The grandfather tried to advise his granddaughter, «Don't attack it, provoke it first into fighting. This way, Gliscor will be blinded by rage. Move after move will bring us more and more advantage.» The girl listened carefully to her grandfather's instructions and approached Vivillon, «If you're in trouble, launch Swift at this cherry tree.» She touched the rough, solid trunk, reassuring it, «Don't worry! I know you can do it!» Vivillon looked at Gliscor, fluttering around.

The grandfather then instructed the Pokémon, «Be careful!» Vivillon rose to Gliscor's annoying height. She took a deep breath and focused on her opponent. Until then, she hadn't been noticed. Anita took advantage of this to scan Gliscor with her Smart Rotom, «Gliscor, the Fang Scorpion Pokémon, male specimen. If he can catch a current of air, even the smallest one, he can make a lap of the globe without ever fluttering. Known moves: Poison Tail, X-Scissor, Acrobatics.» Vivillon, to attract Gliscor's attention, launched Energy Ball. She aimed not to hit him directly but rather to skim him. Her intention was to make him fully aware of her position. Gliscor turned around, but there was no one. A second shot followed shortly after. Gliscor turned again. This time, too, there was no one. The Fang Scorpion Pokémon began to get agitated. The situation worsened further when a third and then a fourth shot was thrown. Gliscor was intent on fighting with the Pokémon that was blocking it. Vivillon took advantage of this to regain his attention. This time, she wasn't going to run away. On the contrary. She wanted to see and confront him face to face. The Fang Scorpion Pokémon turned around for the umpteenth time, giving a nasty look at his opponent. He made it clear that if he didn't stop, he'd get in trouble. Vivillon kept provoking him and making him angry, more and more until he lost his patience. At that point, the grandfather guided Anita to the start of the real fight, «Now is the time to fight; it is completely at the mercy of provocation.» Anita adjusted her hat, to get some tension. She was a little excited at the idea of fighting against such a strong Pokémon. It was perhaps the first serious encounter with a Pokémon that was really strong and had no reason to hold back.

When she trained with Ash, the boy's Pokémon always held back. The girl knew she had to do it for everyone in the neighborhood, especially her grandparents. Hoping to scare him away for a while, or even forever.

Finally, the real battle began. «Vivillon, let's start with Swift!» The Pokémon generated golden energy beams shaped like stars that headed towards Gliscor. With one of its violet pincers, Gliscor parried the stars thrown by its opponent. A few moments later, Gliscor's body emitted a faint purple aura. Simultaneously, it began to rapidly approach Vivillon. Fortunately, the Pokémon skillfully dodged the attack, gaining altitude and returning to its previous height. «Vivillon, go with Energy Ball!» Anita ordered. The Pokémon thus formed a sphere of energy emitting a light green glow. Once ready, Vivillon violently launched it towards Gliscor. The Pokémon had not yet realized where Vivillon had gone. It was hit squarely and lost a few meters of altitude.

Quickly, Gliscor turned and regained the lost altitude. As if nothing had happened, it began to charge its opponent. Its large pincers lit up with an orange hue. Anita noticed the opponent's intentions and ordered her Pokémon to counterattack: «Stop it with Aerial Ace!» The Pokémon generated strong gusts of wind that took on the appearance of blades, reaching Gliscor and forming an X shape. Unfortunately, the Fang Scorpion Pokémon dodged all the gusts and headed straight for Vivillon, hitting her. Fortunately, Vivillon endured the bug-type moves without major problems, pretending nothing had happened and continuing on. Thus, Anita insisted, «Use Swift!» The Pokémon generated golden energy beams shaped like stars, in greater quantities than before. This time, Gliscor was forced to take the hit. The impact of the stars against its body generated a small cloud of smoke. The Fang Scorpion Pokémon managed to free itself after just a few seconds. It seemed even fresher than before.

From the ground, Oshawott wanted to find a way to help its colleague, showing itself more cooperative than Herdier, who was more asleep than awake. The Otter Pokémon and Azumarill shot a jet of water, moving Herdier a few meters and finally bringing it back to its senses. This maneuver caused some damage to the lawn, damage that Roselia immediately fixed. Vivillon glanced at the scene and had an idea to win; thus, she launched Swifts towards Oshawott. "What could it possibly mean?" wondered the girl, before the Pokémon resumed its attacks on Gliscor.

«Use Energy Ball again!» The grandmother, who until then had remained silent, commented: «I think Vivillon wants Oshawott to join the fight. After all, it's a Water-type Pokémon... If it could hit him, we'd have a nice advantage and...» Anita intervened, «You're right! It's just that... from here, Oshawott couldn't reach him.» The grandfather added, «We need to find a way to get Oshawott up there. And we can't bring Vivillon down here, or else Gliscor would attack us too!» Minnie stood up, dusted herself off, then signaled her Trainer with a chirp. The old man immediately understood Minnie's intentions: «Minnie, you're brilliant! Now listen to me, everyone!» The elderly man began to explain his plan, while Vivillon continued to dodge Gliscor's various attacks, which, as time passed, became slower and slower. Anita encouraged her Pokémon, «Hang in there, Vivillon! Reinforcements will arrive soon!» Vivillon signaled her understanding with a small nod, while continuing to defend against Gliscor.

«So, now Herdier must take Azumarill and Oshawott to the roof from our bedroom window, using Action, then Oshawott must be caught by Minnie. As soon as he's ready, he'll make a nice flight, but as soon as he reaches the height of Vivillon. She will have to grab him, so he can help her win, clear?» The old man explained. Everyone nodded. Oshawott, Herdier, and Azumarill quickly entered the house, climbed the stairs, and entered the bedroom of the two elderly.

For a moment, Anita's two Pokémon stopped to look at the room, but fortunately they quickly realized they shouldn't waste time. The Pokémon immediately climbed onto the bed, climbed over it, Azumarill opened the window. As soon as this was open, the three Pokémon arrived on the terrace.

Minnie took Oshawott and clung with her ears to a foothold. At that point, Herdier gave her contribution, reaching the opposite side of the terrace, then started running, loading a powerful punch. The Pokémon hit Azumarill's back violently. At the same moment, the Pokémon left the hold and clung with its ears to the roof of the building. With incredible agility, she arrived safe and sound, holding Oshawott firmly in her arms. A few moments later, she took the Otter Pokémon with her ears. Anita was amazed by Azumarill's work. The girl asked the old man, «Are you sure she's old? She seems very athletic!» The grandfather came out with a poetic phrase, «When a person or a Pokémon is recognized as one of the strongest in the world, they will always preserve their virtues. You must know that we have been among the top 20 strongest trainers in the world. An elite group that includes Champions from various regions and other Trainers who prove their worth.» Anita was astonished. She remembered her grandfather's words about the family having a great tradition of Trainers. All this until Herdier collapsed on her, bringing her back to reality, licking her cheek. «Hahaha, you were great, but like this you tickle me!» Meanwhile, Minnie was holding Oshawott, waiting for it to be ready to go. The Otter Pokémon was watching Vivillon, thinking, "I have to help her! I know it's very high up, but I have to do it, I have to show what I'm capable of!" Oshawott indicated it was ready, so the old man ordered, «Go, Azumarill, use Launch!» The ears of the Pokémon lit up. A few moments bent, to increase the range of the throw. As soon as he thought he had sufficient strength, he threw Oshawott forcefully, in the direction of Vivillon. Meanwhile, the Pokémon had provoked Gliscor even more, further increasing his nervousness.

The Pokémon felt something approaching. For this reason, the Pokémon looked down. She noticed a small white dot that gradually grew larger. Small blue parts began to appear as well. Vivillon understood. That little speck was Oshawott. Eventually, the Pokémon managed to grab him with its paws, taking him under the armpits. Flying with that burden was not easy at all, especially since the Otter trembled like a leaf. He was not used to flying at all. Until then, he had always touched the ground with his soft little feet, and now he was flying aboard a Vivillon? What could possibly go wrong?

Noticing her Pokémon's difficulties, Anita began to give directions: «Oshawott, use Aqua Jet!» A jet of water generated from the Pokémon's mouth hit Gliscor squarely in the face. «Now use Water Gun! Vivillon, hold him still with Psychic!» While Vivillon held Gliscor still, Oshawott coated its body with a thin layer of water and, like a bullet, reached Gliscor, hitting it right in the belly. Afterwards, he reversed his route, getting caught again by the butterfly.

«You were amazing! Keep it up!» congratulated the girl. The two Pokémon continued for a few minutes until Gliscor started to plummet. Spirals formed in its eyes. «Viooon!» Vivillon pointed out to Minnie that the Pokémon was now defeated. Understanding her ally's intentions, the Pokémon used its Water Gun to soften the Terra/Flying Pokémon's fall.

Meanwhile, Vivillon gently escorted Oshawott to the ground, to his great delight, and the latter began kissing the ground. Meanwhile, the grandparents reproached Gliscor, convincing it not to disrupt TV signals anymore. The Fang Scorpion Pokémon moved away, much to everyone's joy.

Once the TV was turned on, the grandmother put on the replay of the news. The elderly man, as the headlines of the main news were presented, which, as often happened, mostly concerned tragedies like accidents, murders, kidnappings, and wars, complimented Anita: «You have talent, you and your Pokémon, you really have so much potential. It's clear that our stories inspired them for this battle.» The girl blushed at the compliment. She was flattered by those compliments.

The grandmother gestured to her husband to be quiet. The news was almost over: «You can talk later! They're about to announce the results of the doubles tournament. I'm sorry we couldn't be there in person. I want to know who won.» The girl hinted a smile, while the journalist presenting the fight reports began to announce the news: «Yesterday, the seventy-fifth edition of the Zephyropolis doubles tournament was held. A tournament that, like every year, delighted us with extremely thrilling fights. But let's get to it. The absolute winners of the tournament were the pair of trainers Ash Ketchum, the World Champion, and a young trainer from the small Sootopolis, named Anita White. The two trainers showed great harmony, it seemed they already knew each other, from how they looked at each other and how they fought. The second place was instead obtained by the pair of trainers Carlos Martin and Ivan Hollenback, and finally, in third place, a young trainer named Raoul Power and the Performer and Coordinator Serena Gabena. The Performer who, for the record, also won the last Variety, held at Aeolia. Unfortunately, we were unable to interview the participants. During the award ceremony, there was an attack by the infamous Team Plasma. The organization, which preaches the liberation of all Pokémon, attacked from above, breaking through the roof of the building. The audience managed to escape, but due to the crowd, there were twenty-two injured. None of them were in serious condition. The presenter of the awards ceremony was not so lucky, as she was kidnapped. At the moment, we have no idea where she is or her condition.»

A long applause followed from the grandparents and the Pokémon present, which moved Oshawott to tears, extremely proud of his work. «You already win tournaments! Forget about potential! You have what it takes for battles!» congratulated

the grandparents. Those celebrations overshadowed the last-minute news.

The Unova Government had suspended, with immediate effect and until further notice, Pokémon Showcases and tournaments. The measure had also limited the number of people who could attend battles in gyms.

Anita tried to downplay her position, «No! I mean, I was on a team with Ash... He deserves much of the credit. Even though he used Pokémon he had recently caught, it was he who led us to victory. We didn't do anything incredible.» The elderly man retorted, «If you say so! But your friends did well too, right? I absolutely think so. By the way... forgive my curiosity, but what did you win?» The girl replied, «Four tickets to the Twenty-four Hours of Spiraria, if I'm not mistaken.» The grandparents advised her to be careful, and Anita simply nodded.

Suddenly, a little tune played. It was again the girl's Smart Rotom. Serena was calling her again. The girl's Smart Rotom floated in the air, while the call started. «Sandile, use Dig, Servine, use Leaf Tornado!» A deafening scream was heard: it was Ash. Carlos had asked him if they could have a double training battle, to allow the Levantopolis native to get to know the recently caught Houndour better. «Um... Hello?» Serena appeared in the frame of the Smart Rotom and greeted, «Anita? Is everything okay? I just wanted to remind you it's seven o'clock. You said you'd be back with us in half an hour. I'm saying it for your sake, I don't think Ash wants to leave even a single breadcrumb, so... Joking aside, how's it going? Are you having fun, wherever you are?» Anita, understanding her friend's reasons, didn't want to be rude to her grandparents. A bit shaky, she said, «Oh... Sorry. I promised Serena I'd be back by half past seven and...» The elderly woman gestured that she understood. Meanwhile, the grandfather appeared in the frame. «Can we greet your friends too?» he asked. Anita, though not entirely convinced, agreed and invited her grandmother to join the call. So, they began rather questionable introductions.

There was a commotion behind the Variety winner; Servine had been hit full-on by Houndour's Ember and had been burnt. Serena turned around: «It looks like Servine needs a Burn Heal. I have to go. Kisses!» Anita said goodbye to her friend, «See you later!» «See you soon, Serena!» The two grandparents said goodbye to the girl before ending the call.

Anita got up and exclaimed, «Sorry, but I really have to go now. We're staying on the other side of town. It's a long walk, so excuse me, but I really have to go.»

The two elderly people got up as well. «Goodbye Anita, take care of yourself!» The grandfather kissed her on the cheek. «Be careful, and pay attention to the people you meet!» said the grandmother, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Then the girl approached Picernese: «When I need a gardener, I'll call you!» At that moment, the girl's Pokémon also bid farewell to the elderly couple. The girl didn't forget to say goodbye to Minnie either: «Thank you for saving me earlier, and for helping us! Maybe one day you'll battle Pikachu.» After saying this, the girl hugged Minnie, noticing how soft her skin was. After the tender embrace, the Pokémon began to say goodbye to the girl. She also said something to Oshawott. The otter responded with a wink, as if to say, "I'll do it!"

The two elderly people accompanied the girl to the front door. The girl took a few steps, escorted by her Pokémon. When she was far enough away, they returned inside and closed the door.

Anita recalled her Pokémon into their respective Poké Balls. The girl continued to think about her grandparents' stories. She really hoped to take something good from those teachings. As she crossed the gate, she reviewed the Pokédex pages of her grandparents' Pokémon, careful not to stumble as she had already done.

She continued like this for a while until she reached the other side of the city, at the Pokémon Center where she was staying with her friends. Only upon her return did she realize how much ground she had actually covered.

As soon as she entered the Pokémon Center, something indescribable unfolded before the girl.

Ash was running around frantically: «WHAT DO WE DO NOW?» Meanwhile, Carlos attacked: «You can do something, think about it carefully!» At that point, Serena replied: «Can I throw a pinch of salt at him?» Carlos laughed, «You can't, I activated the double steel barrier, and besides, the glass does nothing to him!» Anita seemed quite curious about the situation: «Hi guys! But what's happening? Why is Ash shouting like that?» Carlos replied: «We're playing a role-playing game where humans who look like Mismagius, called "Wizards," are the protagonists. Right now, Serena and Ash need to take an action, otherwise they can't roll the dice to reach the final square.» Anita looked at the board more closely and said, «Oh yes, I know this game, I've seen some videos.» Serena then asked her, «Can you help us, please? We only have two tries and these cards, if we don't make the right choice, he'll use the lucky die and win. We also have it, we also have these objects. Here are the bonuses and defenses.» Anita looked more carefully at those present and noticed a small detail: «So the teams are you and Ash against Carlos and... Delphox?» Ash changed the subject, «Oh, hi, you're early, you said you'd be here by eight. Anyway... back to us... we have TWO» The boy emphasized "two" «Problems. We have to win the game. It's for our dinner. Then we have a little problem... Vivillon and Herdier need to retrieve the Pokémon ball that ended up in the trees of the forest, and we can't see it.» The girl responded, «Okay, I understand, but one thing at a time. I can help you here while they look for the ball.» The girl released Herdier and Vivillon from their Poké Balls and instructed them on what to do. Sylveon offered to accompany them into the forest, hoping to find the lost item as soon as possible.

The three Pokémon managed to retrieve the ball in an extremely short time, amazing the other Pokémon present. At the same time, Anita was thinking about how to resolve the situation. She carefully examined the table. After a moment of reflection, she took the "steel shovel" card and the "mysterious spray" card, saying, «I dig a hole with the shovel and use the spray on it, if a number between 4 and 7 comes out, it bends and hits you, thus giving the die.» Anita then took the dice while Carlos smiled ironically. «Really impressive! Well done! But it's not the right time to make these 200 IQ plays, especially since something else might happen!» Meanwhile, Anita took the dice. They were two wooden dice. One was green and the other was purple. She clenched them in her hands, shook them, and threw them. Ash closed his eyes, «I don't want to see!» The other three also closed their eyes. One of the two dice continued to spin.

Without anyone asking, Oshawott emerged from its Poké Ball and saw the die spinning, noticing that all the boys had their eyes closed, it stopped it. Then he pressed the unlock mechanism and returned to the Poké Ball. «It came out five!» said Serena, with great surprise. «Ash, you know what to do!» She turned to her teammate. «I switch the die with the lucky one and choose 3! We won!» The boy didn't realize how loud he was shouting. And the fact that he scared some of those present at the Pokémon Center, as well as several flying Pokémon resting in nearby trees. The girls looked at him embarrassed.

Then Carlos got up and said, «Come on, everyone to the table, I don't want to hear about this game until at least next year!» The boys all sat at the table. The tablecloth was a very bright orange, with floral decorations, terrible, according to Anita.

During the meal, big and juicy sandwiches with hamburger, among which Ash's stood out, flavored with six different sauces (mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce, barbecue sauce, and two secret sauces prepared by Carlos) Serena started talking, addressing Anita: «So... were they your grandparents?» The girl replied, «Yes, I would never have expected that the only time I went out alone, I would meet wings. Fortunately, they weren't angry with me or anything, for what happened with mom. They were very kind and tried to make me comfortable. They even told me about their past experiences, for example their Pokémon are still alive, they evolved.»

Ash, as usual, took off like a rocket: «Were they strong Pokémon?» Anita immediately resolved her friend's doubt: «You know, my grandfather, when he was young, was among the twenty strongest trainers of his time. My grandmother, on the other hand, preferred to help people in need.» Ash dropped the salad from his sandwich. He almost didn't believe his friend's words. «Was your grandfather really that close to the top of the world? He must have won so many battles! Tell me,

what Pokémon did he have?»

Anita racked her brain to try to remember: «From what he told me, he had a Sandile, a Staravia, a Woobat, a Pignite, a Goodra, and the only one still alive, Azumarill. He didn't tell me if his Pokémon evolved, but I think so.» Ash noticed a strange coincidence. «Of these Pokémon, I caught three. You've already met Sandile and Staraptor, while I released Goodra in Kalos. It was hard to separate from a friend. But tell me, were Azumarill, Pignite, and Woobat strong?»

The girl's response was not long in coming. «I saw Azumarill in action, it was really strong! You should have seen her! She may have some age, but she's still spry. Of course, she's not as strong as when she was young, but she keeps herself in shape. According to my grandfather, in his time she was even stronger... than... Pikachu.» These words sparked a laughter crisis in Ash: «Okay, if he says so... Unfortunately, you can't go back in time that easily. Even though it would have been nice in his time, right, buddy?» Ash turned to Pikachu, who responded by emitting very light electric shocks from his cheeks.

The evening continued calmly with Anita trying to summarize her grandparents' stories. Stories that made Carlos applaud, showing a certain envy towards the girl. Ash's reaction was different: «One day I want to challenge your grandfather and see what's left of Minnie.» Serena, for her part, was thinking about possible combinations inspired by the legendary battles fought by the girl's grandfather.

The four separated only late at night, returning to their rooms.

«The grandparents were really something,» Anita commented. Then she took the Poké Balls from her bag. «Let's make them proud of us. Together we will manage to defeat the Champion.»

An unexpected encounter that gave many lessons to the young Trainer, even more motivated to pursue her goal of becoming the Champion of Unova.

Reshiram Lego