She led us to the center of the room, where Nona the Audino had finished setting up what looked like miniature cameras in each corner of the sparring field. She was also wearing some kind of metallic bracer on her arm.
“Alright, little one,” Aline said to Teddy. “You’ll use each of your moves against Nona. Don’t worry—she can take it.”
She turned to me. “Call them out one at a time.”
I pulled up the move list on my Pokédex:
Fling, Covet, Scratch, Baby-Doll Eyes, Lick, Fury Swipes, Counter, Play Rough.
“How’s he supposed to use Fling without an item?” I asked.
Aline tossed a small iron ball to Teddy. “Use this.”
“Teddy, use Fling.”
Dark energy flickered around his paw as he hurled the object at Nona. She didn’t even flinch.
Aline glanced at her tablet. “He’s not used to channeling dark-type energy. Slow charge, weak hit. I’ll log the data—next.”
“Use Covet.”
Teddy blinked, then gave Nona his cutest big-eyed stare before darting in and smacking her hard with his paw. She let out a soft grunt.
“Much better,” Aline muttered. “He’s definitely practiced that one.”
“He uses it a lot,” I said. “Likes to catch opponents off-guard.”
“Smart little guy,” she said. “Next.”
We worked through Scratch, Baby-Doll Eyes, Lick, and Fury Swipes. Nothing stood out. Aline mostly observed, Nona barely reacted, and Teddy went through the motions without issue.
Stolen story; please report.
“Next is Counter,” I said.
Aline paused. “Alright. Nona, keep it gentle. Teddy, go ahead.”
“Use Counter.”
A soft orange glow surrounded him.
“Nona, Pound—ten percent power.”
She stepped forward and lightly slapped Teddy across the cheek. The glow pulsed, and energy bounced back at her. This time, she winced.
“Life Dew,” Aline said. Nona summoned a small drop of light, split it, and healed them both.
“Counter’s tricky,” Aline said. “When used right, it can deal double the damage taken. Fighting-types are especially nasty with it. But your Teddiursa’s control is decent for his level.”
She tilted her head. “Do you know what species his father is?”
I blinked. “No.”
“Might be worth asking,” she said. “If his dad knows Counter, it could speed up his training.”
She tapped her tablet. “Any more moves?”
“One left—Play Rough. His mom’s been helping him learn it.”
Aline’s eyebrows rose. “Let’s see it.”
“Teddy, Play Rough!”
A soft pink glow coated his body. It pulsed and expanded as he rushed toward Nona. The light surrounded both of them, obscuring their figures in a hazy blur of motion. When the glow faded, Teddy backed away, and Nona stood with fresh scratches on her arms.
“That’s surprising,” Aline said. “His Fairy-type control is very refined for his level. His mother’s done excellent work.”
She tapped her screen. “Check your Pokédex. The move data’s been added.”
I opened Teddy’s profile and saw the update:
*
Teddiursa (Teddy)
Level: 12
Type: Normal
Gender: Male
Moves
- Fling — Initial
- Covet — Middle
- Scratch — Early
- Baby-Doll Eyes — Early
- Lick — Initial
- Fury Swipes — Initial
- Counter — Initial
- Play Rough — Middle
*
“Move mastery shows how comfortable a Pokémon is with each move,” Aline explained. “Initial means they’re still learning—slow to activate, weaker impact. From there, it goes: Early, Middle, Late, Peak, and Master.”
She looked up. “My advice? Focus on Play Rough and Counter. They’ll scale well as he levels. Covet too—it’s solid for a Normal-type. The others will get replaced soon enough.”
She lowered the tablet.
“That’s a full first-year analysis. There's a lot more to cover, but for now—you’ve got a solid foundation.”
She turned toward the entrance, where Flavio and Melody were waiting. “Alright—who’s next?”
*
Teddy wandered back to my side, tail swaying, looking perfectly pleased with himself.
I knelt and ruffled his fur. He chirped and leaned into my hand.
He didn’t look like much—not yet. Soft, unassuming, more obsessed with food than fighting.
But that glow he’d carried during Play Rough? That was something else.
He had power. Real, growing power.
And tomorrow, Irene would see it too.