Our heroes are continuing on towards Hephas City for Davis' gym battle. As they have stopped at a local Pokemon Center, they are not that far from their destination.

"Slotter, Aqua Jet! Cubolt, Spark!" Davis called. Both of his pokemon went at each other and collided into each other with their attacks. Cubolt won that struggle with Slotte taking some damage. "Are you okay, Slotter?"

"Slotter..." Slotter took some damage, but managed to get back up.

"That's what I like to see. Don't back down." Davis said. Both he and all of his pokemon are working rather hard to get ready for their next battle.

"Davis and his pokemon sure are getting pumped." Terra said.

"It won't be long until his next gym battle. Of course he's excited for it." Cletus said.

"Now use Water Gun!" Davis called. Slotter used the attack, but Cubolt dodge the attack with the Water Gun flying by.

"Watch it! You almost hit me!"

"I did? Sorry." Davis said, but he wasn't when he saw who it was. "Jason!" It looks like they're met with Jason once again, and that means tension. What none of them knew was there was someone else watching from the shadows.

I want to be the very best

Like no one ever was

To catch them is my real test

To train them is my cause

(Pokemon!)

Every challenge along the way

With courage I will face

I will battle every day to claim my rightful place

(Yeah!)

Pokemon

Gotta catch'em all

Oh, so true

Our courage will pull us through

You teach me, I'll teach you

Po-ke-mon

Pokémon

(Davis' voice): Haunt Taunt

"It's been a while, Jason." Davis said. " I didn't know you were here. We were just getting ready for our Hephas gym battle."

"In Hephas City? You're saying you're going there for a battle?" Jason said. "Aren't you going to be disappointed once you get there. Then again, getting a badge there will show you're an even bigger loser."

"What did you call me?!" Davis said.

"He sure hasn't changed his attitude, but what do you think he means about the gym?" Terra questioned.

"What do you mean, Jason? What do you know about that gym?" Cletus asked, but Jason didn't really answer. He took a look at Davis' pokemon.

"I see you caught yourself a Slotter and a Cubolt." Jason said as he just changed the subject.

"Slotter and Cubolt? Yeah. They're both passionate battlers." Davis said. "In fact, I just recently caught Cubolt and can't wait to see what he can really do in battle."

"You caught it without even knowing what it's fully capable of?" Jason taunted. "You really are lame. Plus, none of your pathetic pokemon have evolved since the last time we saw each other. If you're not going to get rid of these weaklings, you should at least get them to evolve."

"Hey! Quit calling my team weak!" Davis called with all of his pokemon getting irritated now. "You think you're so tough, let's battle and I'll show you how strong we really are."

"Why bother? I'm not going to waste my time with weaklings." Jason claimed as he just walked away.

"Get back here! I'm not done with you!" Davis called.

"Just ignore him, Davis." Terra said.

"I much rather beat him." Davis said. What he didn't know is that someone in a dark cloak was watching them.

...

The Pokemon Center

"Man, I can't stand that guy." Davis said as he and the others were having lunch, but Davis was complaining more than eating. "What's the deal with him?"

"Davis, just forget Jason." Terra said.

"She's right. It isn't good to focus on someone like this." Cletus said.

"You don't know Davis that well. Once he finds someone he doesn't like, he would love nothing more than to outdo them." Imperialdramon said. "This one is real bad if he doesn't even want to eat."

"I know I can beat that jerk, but he won't even give me the chance to." Davis complained. "I'm not some weak trainer."

"Don't you think you should work more on improving to prove that you're not weak." That was when they all looked up and saw the guy in the black cloak that concealed his face. He gave quite an ominous feeling.

"Uh... Hello..." Davis said with him feeling a bit nervous.

"I saw what was going on between you and the other trainer. It sounds like you two have some problems with each other."

"You don't know the half of it." Davis said.

"Care to tell me about it?"

"Well, the guy is a jerk." Davis claimed. "He seems to think that the raw strength and power of a pokemon is all that matters. I even saw him just give up on some pokemon because they weren't meeting his standards or because he thought they were too weak."

"And what do you think?"

"Well, just because their weak doesn't mean you just give up on them. You can make them stronger, but he thinks it would be a waste of time." Davis said. "I just don't get what his deal is to make him think like that when pokemon can be our friends and partners. I've been at stuff like that for a long time to know that much."

"You seem to have the right idea, but your focus is shifted." He said as he turned away. "Maybe he thinks you're weak because of that."

"What do you mean?" Davis questioned.

"Does anyone know what he's talking about?" Imperialdramon questioned.

"We don't even know who he is." Cletus said.

"I can tell that you're the type that would learn more through a battle."

"You want to battle? I understand that!" Davis said as he was getting excited for one.

"Wait. We don't even know your name." Terra said.

"You can just simply call me Specter."

"Specter?" Terra questioned as there was something about that name.

...

The Battlefield

"I'm ready Specter! Let's do this!" Davis said.

"Very well." Specter said as he he held out on of his pokeballs. "Here's the pokemon I'll be using. Armourn." He opened it up and a brand new pokemon came out. It was a knight-like pokemon in eerie purple armor with it shorter than its trainer by a head. The spooky thing was that there was no one inside the armor.

"Armourn." The way it talked even sounded spooky.

"What is that?" Davis questioned with him using his pokedex.

"Armourn, the Haunted Armor Pokemon. A ghost and steel-type. It is said that this pokemon came into existence when the soul of a warrior with strong passion for battle inhabits armor."

"Okay, I'm ready." Imperialdramon said.

"Wait, Imperialdramon. Ghost-types aren't your forte." Davis reminded. "Plus, this gives me the chance to try Cubolt out. Cubolt, let's go!" He called out.

"Cubolt!"

"Let's do this, Cubolt." Davis said. "I'm ready to start this battle. Cubolt, start this battle by using Spark!" Cubolt charged right at Armourn with it coated in electricity.

"Shadow Punch." Specter said. Armourn attacked by shooting a shadowy punch and it made contact with Cubolt so fast. "Good. Now use Iron Head." Armourn hardened its head and smashed it against Cubolt.

"Ouch. Steel-type attacks aren't that effective against electric-types, but that looked like it hurt." Terra said.

"He's raised that Armourn well." Cletus said.

"We won't back down. Fury Swipes might not work, but we'll try Thunder Fang!" Davis said. Cubolt had electricity flow through its teeth and jumped at Armourn. However, Armourn used its arm to try and block the attack. "That's it, Cubolt! Keep it up!" While Davis was calling and shouting, Jason overheard him. He took a look at what Davis was doing and was a little surprised to see who Davis was battling against.

"You'll have to do better than that." Specter claimed. "Armourn, Shadow Punch." Armourn was able to shake Cubolt off its arm and blasted Cubolt with the attack again. "Is that really the best you can do? Is that trainer from before right?"

"No way!"Davus said as he started to think about Jason. "I'm going to beat that jerk one day and..." Davis didn't finish that as he heard that Cubolt was attacked once again. "Hey! I wasn't ready!"

"Keep your focus on the current matter." Specter claimed. "If you lose, what will all your rivals think?"

"All my rivals?" Davis wondered. His mind wondered off for a second only to have it be brought back by Cubolt's cry with him seeing that Armourn had a hold of Cubolt.

"Didn't I just say to focus on the current matter?" Specter said. "If your mind wanders, even for a second, your opponent will take advantage of it. If you're like that, how can you hope to defeat me, your rival, or let alone Fauna."

"Fauna? Who?" Davis questioned.

"You don't know who Fauna is?" Terra said. "Fauna happens to be the champion. The best trainer in all of Grecko."

"The best?!" Davis said.

"Your mind is wandering again." Specter said to snap Davis back to him. "Focus on the matter at hand. Stop thinking about what others might think."

"What are you talking about? You're saying one thing and then saying another." Davis claimed.

"Your focus has to be on yourself, your pokemon, and the battle." Specter claimed. "Don't think about anything besides that no matter what anyone says."

"I get it. Specter is trying to tell Davis that he should stop letting what people say get to him and focus on himself and what he's doing." Cletus said. "Davis was offended by the things Jason said, so Specter is telling him to stop caring about that and just do what Davis does."

"That's it? I always do what I do." Davis said.

"So why are you reacting the way you do?" Specter questioned. "You're just wasting energy that could be used to help improve."

"I've had enough of all this." Davis said. "Cubolt, let's wrap this battle up. Use Bite!" Cubolt charged right at Armourn for a powerful blow.

"Phantom Force." Specter claimed. Cubolt jumped right at Armourn to take a bite out of it, but Armourn disappeared into the ground and Cubolt missed.

"What happened?! What's Phantom Force?" Davis questioned as he can't tell where Armourn is going to come out from. Suddenly, Armourn emerged right under Cubolt and did some serious damage.

"Finish with Dark Pulse." Specter said. Armourn unleashed the attack and blasted Cubolt with it and knocked Cubolt out.

"Cubolt!" Davis called as he hurried over to Cubolt.

"I guess that's it. Poor Cubolt barely did anything." Terra said.

"They're quite strong. I'm not even sure if they were using their full power." Cletus said.

"Man... That looked pathetic." Davis claimed.

"It might have gone differently if you had focus solely on the battle, but I do understand." Specter said. "You clearly take great pride in your pokemon and in battles. So when someone insults your pokemon, you feel that your pride itself is being insulted. It's good to be proud of yourself, but too much can be a bad thing."

"I guess so..." Davis said. "It's just so hard to ignore what guys like Jason say."

"So channel that energy to make you stronger." Specter said. Davis does have pride in being a trainer. That's why he came back to this world. It feels like a huge part of him ever since he first came to this world, but it seems he still has a lot of work to do to be the best trainer he can be.

"Davis, are you okay?" Terra asked.

"A little bummed, but I'll be okay." Davis said. "Thanks, Specter." He said, but when they all turned to him, he and Armourn were gone like the wind.

"Eerie. We turned our eyes away for a moment and he's completely gone." Cletus said. Specter surely left an impression. As for Jason, he just simply walked away as he felt like he already grasped what Specter said.

...

Later

"Cubolt is all better now. Time to hit the road." Davis said as he and the others were ready to go. However, Terra was reading a magazine and was surprised at what she saw.

"Terra? What is it?" Imperialdramon asked.

"I thought there was something about Specter! Look at this." Terra said as she showed what she was reading. "This article is about the Elite Four! First, we've got the cold ice-type specialist: Bruce. Then, there's the insightful psychic- type user: Simon. We also have the lovely dragon-type user: Laurel. Finally, look who is the ghost-type specialist." They looked at the photo and were shocked.

"It's Specter!" Davis said.

"So he was one of the Elite Four the whole time! No wonder he was so strong!" Cletus said.

"The Elite Four... The champ is named Fauna... I guess I still got some ways to go and improve, but I'll beat those guys one day." Davis claimed as he could feel his spirit rising once again.

Having a chance to battle one of the Elite Four, Davis feels like himself again. It might be hard for him to brush past the insults, but he'll just simply get stronger and have his moment eventually. It might be at the next gym...as the journey continues.

To Be Continued...