"Hey this is Drew, from Center Logistics.

I understand there was an issue with the warehouse supervisor. We'd really appreciate you coming back and working with us.

Please get back to me as soon as you can."

I didn't want to tell Mom that I'd lost another job, but the text I'd gotten the following morning meant I wouldn't have to break that news to her. From the sound of it, I could still work there while I found something else in the meantime. Money was beginning to get scarce again, and while I was fine for maybe another month or two, that pressure was still there and it ate at me any time that I had a few moments to myself. More often than not, the guilt swept in like a heavy rain whenever I was helping at the Rehome Project. It was volunteer work, but so there was no pay or incentive, it was just time I was sinking in that wasn't helping me. Still, helping the Pokemon made me feel like I was making a difference.

Friday was warmer at least, the morning sun overtaking the last of the winter chill. It would be a good day to get Tyrogue out for some exercise.

As I stepped into the lobby at the Rehome Project, I noticed Wendell talking to a kid of maybe thirteen or so from behind the counter. No sign of Elaine and Deeni though.

"C'mon old man, you can give me a Pokemon right? A super strong Fighting Type, no lame Grass Types for me!" he whined. "Besides, I've gotta show that jerk Terrence not to mess with me! His Dad got him an Aron and I-"

"Nah, no can do, kid. The Pokemon here ain't for fightin'," Wendell said, scratching his beard and making a shooing motion with his other hand. "They're livin' breathin' creatures, not fightin' machines. Ya can come back and help out when ya've learned that."

The boy groaned and stomped his feet before kicking a nearby chair. I got a scathing look from him as he passed me on his way out the door.

"Ah, Titus, good," Wendell said, noticing that I'd been standing there. "I was gonna get 'em breakfast if ya don't mind givin' me a hand?"

I agreed, offering to split up the duties between the two of us. Wendell took the aquatic and plant Pokemon, while I handled the cave and field species. The cave creatures were interesting to me. I'd never been around them much having grown up in Jubilife, but I'd learned to appreciate them just as much as the others. At first I was terrified to go in and offer them food because of the Zubat that clung to the ceiling, but Wendell had shown me they could be quite docile and even friendly given enough time. Though blind, he explained that sound and echolocation were important for their survival, so much so that they knew him by his voice and that it was important that they learn mine as well. There was a pair of Geodude with constant scowls that never changed, a Drillbur that liked to poke his head out of the ground and watch me as I moved about the environment, and an Aron that liked to follow me around as I fed the other Pokemon and only ate once I left the room.

I filled bowls and passed them out around the next room. More than once I had to stop a few from eating out of the same bowl, like a Pachirisu who tried to sneak a bite out of Lillipup's dish when she hadn't seen that I'd set one down for her. Eventually I found Tyrogue on his own this time. I filled his dish up with what Wendell had recommended, a kind of high-protein pellet that would give him everything he needed to grow properly. As he pulled the bowl towards himself and began chowing down, I spoke up.

"Hey, once you're done eating we can go for a run and get some exercise if you want?"

Tyrogue looked up at me, a frown growing across his face as he glared at me. He chewed slowly before looking back down at his bowl.

"Or you can stay cooped up in here, not battling or getting stronger I guess," I stated.

Eventually, the Pokemon in the room had finished their food, Tyrogue included. I had to collect all of the bowls, as they were likely to use them as toys if you let them sit around too long. As I went to scoop up Tyrogue's dish, he tossed it away from me. I had to lunge for it, but I managed to snatch it out of the air before it hit another Pokemon. The Fighting Type seemed to get a kick out of me diving after it though. The real surprise came when I began to leave the room with the bowls in hand, and Tyrogue was right behind me, staring up at me with large yellow eyes and a scowl.

"You were giving me the evil eye five minutes ago, and now you want to leave? That's not-"

He stomped his foot, and the Pokemon nearby jumped and scattered away from him.

"Tyro!"

"Yeah, and I still don't speak Pokemon, pal. Stomping and making demands isn't how you get your way," I reminded him.

Before I could exit the room, Wendell walked in and held out his hand for the stack of bowls.

"Here, I'll trade ya," he said, handing me a Pokeball. "Figured ya were plannin' on takin' Tyrogue for some exercise, right?"

I rolled the metallic ball in my hands as I looked down at the Fighting Type. The scowl he'd been giving me had changed to an expression of genuine worry.

"Yeah, we were gonna go for a run, maybe walk around some of the parks," I told him.

"Well, yer gonna need that. If he's really itchin' for a fight, come back and I'll spot ya some scratch for the Center. Otherwise, try to avoid it if ya can," the old man told me before leaning down and looking Tyrogue in the eye. "An' you. Try not to give Titus such a hard time, can't let ya leave 'n battle if ya can't get along."

At that, the Fighting Type looked down and refused to meet Wendell's gaze.

"Oh, how's Purrloin doing? I almost forgot about them," I asked, remembering the newest intake had only been brought in yesterday.

"Ah, she's great. Got a bit of rest and food, now we're gonna let her take it easy before we start to introduce her to the other Pokemon. She's a little skittish, and young from the look of her, but she'll be just fine," he replied.

"Any idea who the owner was?"

"Nah," Wendell admitted, scratching his head. "Wasn't registered to anyone, but that doesn't mean we can't give her a good home."

After that I left with Tyrogue at my heels, stretching my arms over my head as we stepped out into the morning sun. The Fighting Type began his own warmup by stretching his legs.

"Hey, we're not doing anything crazy, alright? Just a light jog but you have to stay with me," I reminded him.

Tyrogue stomped his foot twice, glaring up at me.

"I mean it. If I have to put you back in the ball, you're going back and Wendell won't let you battle anymore."

"Ro-Tyro!"

"Yeah, that's still not helping your case. Let's go," I told him.

Keeping up with Tyrogue was. Interesting.

I wasn't in terrible shape but if we were just going for a run or a jog around the city it wouldn't have been so bad. I quickly realized that Tyrogue was trying to set the pace and constantly speeding up ahead of me. More than a few times I had to yell at him to slow it down, which he would typically ignore at first but would relent after I said it a few times. The worst had been a near disaster when he'd suddenly changed course and darted between two parked cars. I guess he'd wanted to cross the street without saying anything, but I had to dive after him to grab him before he ran out into traffic and got hurt. He hadn't been happy about that.

Eventually, we made it to one of the parks. There were benches and ponds, and even a small playground, though no parents or children using the play equipment. It was the middle of the day after all, and winter hadn't quite left us yet. The air was cold, and the grass was a yellowish brown from the dense snowfall that had recently melted.

I took a seat at a nearby bench while I caught my breath. My shirt was soaked with sweat and I was winded, but the exercise felt great. In school, gym class had always been one of my favorites, especially if it was a day where we used the running track. I'd never been part of the track team, though I did a decent job of keeping up with them. More than once the coach had asked me to join, but I had to decline every time.

As I sat down, Tyrogue plopped down onto the ground as well. Apparently, he had needed the break as well, splaying out his arms and legs as he layed in the grass. Over the course of our run, a thought had occurred to me about how Tyrogue and I couldn't really communicate.

When I could finally talk without gasping for breath, I spoke up.

"Hey, Tyrogue," I began.

The Fighting Type raised his head from where he was laying in the grass, looking at me skeptically.

"We don't really have a way of communicating, you and I. Like you can understand me, but I never know what it is that you're saying. We should try to fix that," I told him.

Slowly, Tyrogue sat up, rolling his shoulder as he looked at me.

"How about something easy? You'll make this gesture," I told him, giving him a thumbs up. "If you agree or think something is good, and this one," I flipped my hand, jabbing my thumb downward a few times. "If you don't like something or you disagree with something."

He looked at me warily, flexing his fingers as he copied each motion.

"Yeah, that's it. I don't often know what it means when you stomp or yell, but this way I can start to understand what you need. We'll start with a few questions…"

Surprisingly, Tyrogue went along with it. I really thought he would've balked at it immediately but he played along.

How was he feeling? Thumbs up.

Did he like his breakfast? Thumbs up.

What did he think of Wendell? Thumbs up.

Elaine? Thumbs up.

Audino? Thumbs down.

Me? He stopped to consider this one. Double thumbs down. Ouch.

"Not my biggest fan huh? That's alright. Is it because of those battles the other day?"

Tyrogue gave me a thumbs up, then pointed directly at me.

Wait, was he..?

"You're blaming me for you losing?"

Two thumbs up.

"No, that's…that's fair. I tried in the first one, I really did but..," I trailed off.

How did I tell him it was his fault without him getting upset? Maybe that was just a part of it, that I had to be upfront with him about.

"It's hard to help you in battle when you won't listen to me," I finally told him. "And the second one, that wasn't fair of me, I'll admit that. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have given up on you and left you out there on your own. I know you don't want my help but you won't win unless we work together."

Tyrogue rubbed his hands together and kicked a rock, ignoring me entirely. His face was sullen, and it looked like he was deep in thought. At least that was my impression.

Another idea came to mind.

"That punch you threw at Machop was pretty impressive. Can you show me that again?"

Tyrogue looked at me, his eyes going wide before looking down again. He fumbled with his hands for a few seconds before giving me a thumbs up.

The Fighting Type squared his shoulders and widened his stance. He closed his eyes, holding one fist back at his side, while the other was poised to block. Tyrogue's right fist began to glow white before his eyes snapped open and he yelled, pivoting and twisting to throw his whole body into the punch.

He let out a hefty sigh before leaning forward on his knees. I had no idea the move would be that draining for him, but I guess he was still a growing Baby Pokemon.

"Wow, that's awesome! Did you learn that yourself or did someone teach you?"

He looked at me with an accusatory glare and gave me a scathing thumbs down.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess that's too personal of a question?"

Thumbs up.

"Gotcha. How did you do it, like this?"

I stood up and settled into the same stance, a clenched fist at my side and one arm out to block. Something collided with my foot, and I looked down to see Tyrogue kicking my foot, trying to push on it.

"Oh, wider stance then-?"

With one hand, he slapped both of my knees and did a squat, pointing both hands at his legs.

"And bend at the knee? Like this?"

Thumbs up.

I performed the motion slowly, but as I did Tyrogue slapped my leg.

"Ow, what? I did it just like you did."

He pointed at his foot with both hands before twisting it. Tyrogue settled into his stance again, and performed the punching motion slowly, emphasizing the twisting of his foot as he leaned into it.

"Ah, okay, I missed that part. I guess I don't really know how to throw a punch, or how much can really go into it. But you throw your whole body into it, is that why it worked on Machop?"

He shrugged, which was as good of an answer as I could've hoped for.

I tried it again slowly, and when Tyrogue had no notes, I did it again at full speed, twisting my body into the punch. It felt weird, but then again it wasn't something I was really used to.

"Come on, we're gonna go this way," I told him, rolling my shoulder in the same way Tyrogue had done.

Tyrogue actually listened for once, though he stayed off the path to see what the rest of the park had to offer.

Eventually, the path led to a memorial I hadn't noticed before. A large circle made up of individual bricks made up the memorial, with a stone slab standing in the middle. I got a better look at the engraving as we approached.

"In honor of the citizens, Trainers and Pokemon who tragically perished that day, May 23rd, 20XX."

It had been almost three years since that day. As I read the inscription, I noticed a similar detail on the bricks that made up the memorial. There were dozens of them, all bearing names of people and Pokemon. My thumb traced over the name Lillian Albright, her partners Luna and Begonia, a Teddiursa and Roselia respectively.

Mom had just started her new job at the office a few weeks prior. I should've been at Clancy's that day after school, but they had to have repairs done on their walk-in freezer and other appliances. It was odd being at home by myself, I typically had something going on during most evenings, so coming home to an empty apartment was strange.

I had sat down on the couch to scroll through my phone, just sort of lazing about when the first incident was reported.

The first bomb had gone off in Pastoria City, near the Great Marsh. It was only the first of many across the region. Veilstone Department Store, Canalave Library, every significant landmark or place of interest within each major city was targeted. Jubilife had arguably had it the worst, being the largest city where the attacks were indiscriminate. Office buildings, apartments, high-rise towers, nothing was safe. I remember peeking out the window and seeing smoke in several spots rising from across the city, that dread feeling creeping over me as I closed the curtain.

There were theories online of course, about who was behind the bombings. Some said it was the Church of the Thousand Arms, a religious group devoted to the worship of Arceus. Others say it was a politically motivated attack from another region, that Kanto or Johto was behind it, or a militant group from the Sevii Islands. But eventually it became known that an organization known as Team Galactic was behind it. They hadn't been hiding it, in fact they openly admitted it was their doing, that it was just one part of their grand ambition for the world.

And I began to panic. First, for myself, then for my mother. She had a hard time getting around, and she needed to take the bus to get to and from work. There would be traffic, a ton of it, and that was assuming the roads were even clear and the buses were running. It started with bombings, but the streets outside became a nightmare, descending into chaos. Buildings and cars were lit on fire, stores were looted and ransacked. More than once I would hear a booming noise or someone screaming out in the streets. I tried to cover my hears, to not listen to it.

Eventually, I did get a call from my mother.

Under threat of losing their jobs, the workers in her office were forced to stay and finish out their shifts for the next three hours. Meanwhile, the executives and managers had hightailed it out of there. My mom had later told me that within an hour of her calling me there wasn't a single person in a manager or higher up role there. She wasn't sure she could make it home, and the way things were going she thought it best to lie low. Literally, in this case, as some of her co-workers had the same concerns. They camped out in the basement floor of the office, figuring that it was the safest place to be. Team Galactic hadn't been targeting empty buildings, everything they'd gone after had been large structures well within the public eye.

So my Mom had to sleep on a concrete floor while the city of Jubilife descended into chaos. I feared for her safety more than my own, though the fact that more than a few apartment buildings had been attacked still scared the shit out of me. I slept in the living room with a hammer in my hands. It came from the toolbox we kept for repairs around the house. Admittedly, it wasn't much of a threat against looters or Arceus forbid, Team Galactic, or anyone with a Pokemon really. Once, I woke up startled around 3 AM to the sound of something slamming into the front door. I rose from the couch, clutching the hammer in both hands as the door handle began to rattle and shake. I screamed at whoever was on the other side that I had a Houndoom and a baseball bat at the ready. Eventually I heard the shuffle of footsteps and the noise stopped. For what seemed like an eternity I stood there waiting, certain they'd come back again, but the apartment and the hallway outside were quiet. Once everything fell silent I loosened my grip on the hammer and fell back onto the couch, trying not to make any noise.

I curled up there for awhile, phone in hand as I tried to find more information about what was happening around the region. The Elite Four and Gym Leaders, as well as Champion Cynthia had been out in force putting out fires and helping wherever they could. I couldn't fall back asleep, not after all that had just happened, so I continued scrolling and hunting for information. There were videos, livestreams, photos, forum posts. I waded into it, piecing together a picture of what had gone on across the Sinnoh region. The docks of Snowpoint were a ruin, parts of the Sunyshore electrical grid had been destroyed right after the city had recovered from a massive blackout. One video I caught featured a teenager with fiery orange hair getting people to safety with his team of Pokemon. Among them was a hulking Arcanine.

Hector's Arcanine.

Either out of the need to appear like a hero or because he actually cared about the people and Pokemon that made up this city, I wasn't sure. But it couldn't be denied that he was helping, contributing and lending his strength and resources to others in need. And I sat here fearing for my life and just watching.

I closed my phone and retreated to my room.

As Tyrogue and I made our way back to the Rehome Project, I began to wonder about where he came from. Elaine had said he wasn't registered to anyone, but he had clearly been raised by or taken care of by someone, be it people or Pokemon. He had to have had parents, or maybe he was separated from them?

The sky was beginning to get overcast, and it looked like rain was a definite possibility. As we passed a few stores, Tyrogue stopped to stare into the glass window of a shop with a bright pink and yellow awning. He turned to me, then pointed into the window, where a display case of brightly colored Pokemon treats were on full display.

"No, sorry. That stuff is expensive, and it's not really good for you anyway-"

Tyrogue groaned, leaning forward and allowing his head to hit against the glass with a dull thud that rattled it. On the other side of the glass was a woman with red hair tied up into a bun. She wore a heavily stained apron and in her hands was a sheet tray full of baked goods. As she spotted Tyrogue, she giggled and gave him a little wave before filling one of the display trays in the case. A small plaque indicated that these were "Lum Berry Tarts", small golden pastries that featured a berry curd that Pokemon would love.

"Are you hungry? I just realized we don't have a signal for that either."

Hands pressed to the glass, Tyrogue looked at me and nodded, looking slightly glum.

"Okay, how about this? Put your hand on your stomach and make a motion like this," I told him, placing a hand on my stomach and making a scooping motion towards my face with my other hand.

He looked at me with a frown but repeated the motion anyway.

"Yeah, that'll do it. Let's head back and get you something to eat."

Over the next few days that I had free, Tyrogue and I would go for runs around Jubilife. There was a lot of open room at the parks around the city, and since there weren't as many people around during the day it made for a good place to train as well.

In the evenings and on days where I worked, I began trying to put together some strategy for helping Tyrogue in battle. I didn't want to let him down if he never needed my help in the future. So I started looking into different moves he could learn, and found that there were quite a few that could help him. Unfortunately, it could take a long time for a Baby Pokemon to learn new moves, and that was assuming he was willing to work with me on this. However, there was nothing saying we couldn't iron out and improve the moves he had.

After dinner on Wednesday I was scrolling through my phone when a video caught my attention. It was a boxing match, with one man advancing on his opponent who he had trapped in the corner. Each time the cornered fighter tried to break away, his opponent would advance, keeping him pinned to the ropes. When it seemed like a clash was inevitable, the boxer in the corner sprang forward with a powerful uppercut. The incredible part was the range of his punch, where he seemed to go from hunched over and cornered to leaping into the fray almost instantly.

It stood out to me in particular, as Tyrogue lacked a good way to engage and close the gap. It wasn't the only thing he was hurting for though. Outside of Leer, he had no utility moves and he absolutely couldn't fight an opponent at range. If a faster Pokemon decided to harass and pelt him with attacks from a distance, there wasn't really much he could do. Then again, as a Fighting Type it wasn't really his main concern to be battling from afar anyway.

On Friday, Tyrogue and I went to the park after our run. The previous day I had gone to a sports equipment store and purchased a pair of mitts for practicing. If Tyrogue got anything out of this, then I'd consider it money well spent.

"Alright, gimme a one-two," I told him, holding up the mitts in front of me. I had to squat down to make myself a valid target for him, but I didn't mind. Tyrogue raised an eyebrow at that.

"One punch, then another. Do you like using your left hand or right hand more?"

He looked down at his hands, then flexed his fingers before looking back to me and raising his right hand.

"Alright, start with your left, then follow up with a right," I encouraged, holding up the mitts again. The Fighting Type dashed towards me, laying into the padded glove with a left jab, then followed up with a strong punch from his right that I could feel through the mitt.

"Again, keep it up!"

One-two, one-two.

Tyrogue's fist made solid contact with the mitt, and as he started in once again, I swung a mitted hand out trying to strike him, barely clipping the sid. Stepping back, he rubbed his cheek and looked at me, clearly offended.

"If you focus too much on your punching, you're easy to hit. You have to stay on your toes. I'll throw in swings as a mix-up, because an actual opponent won't just let you lay into them," I informed him, holding up the gloves again. "Try it again."

Tyrogue took to it with a renewed vigor. I managed to graze him with the mitts a few more times but that didn't slow him down. After several minutes, my hands began to go numb and I called a break. I handed the Fighting Type a bottle of water before finding a spot under a tree to relax. Tyrogue was breathing heavily, and his arms seemed to be sagging slightly as he plonked down on the spot and drank from the bottle.

After a few minutes of rest, I picked the mitts back up again and stretched my arms before Tyrogue stood up to meet me. I was glad he wasn't ready to call it quits just yet.

"Alright, we're gonna try something a little different. I want you to stand there," I told him, while I took a step back and turned the mitts horizontal, crossing one over the other to better absorb the impact. "Now, I want you to push off with your legs and try to dive in as quickly as you can while you swing upward. Give it a go."

Tyrogue raised his arms, readying himself as he clenched his fists before leaping forward and swinging upward with his right hand-

To barely graze the mitts. His spring forward hadn't taken him far enough, and his fist caught the edge of the gloves. Against an actual opponent it would've been a glancing blow even if it had landed, and worse, it might've left him open to a counterattack.

Undeterred, Tyrogue took a step back and prepared to strike again.