“Bronzor, you go first!” I shout, sending out my slow but sturdy Pokémon.

  My opponent wastes no time. “Pidgeotto, let’s finish this quickly! Quick Attack!”

  There’s no way Bronzor can dodge a move from a rival that’s at least three times faster than him. Luckily, all the impact manages to do is push it back into the ground, like a tap on the face.

  “Now, Bronzor, use Gyro Ball!”

  “Bronzoooor!” Bronzor spins in pce, building momentum, and then sms into Pidgeotto. The impact sends the bird flying like it was hit by a windshield.

  “Pidgeotto!” the kid cries in confusion as his Pokémon struggles to stand. “Alright, no more messing around! Pidgeotto, show them your dragon move—Twister!”

  Pidgeotto’s wings whip up a mini cyclone, sending it spinning towards Bronzor. But once again, my Pokémon takes the hit like a champ, showing no visible damage.

  He… Really doesn’t has anything against a steel-type, huh.

  Panicking, the young trainer instantly barks another command. “Sand attack, now!”

  That’s actually not a bad idea, all things considered. But it is too little, too te.

  “Bronzor, Psywave!” I counter.

  The psychic energy slices through the cloud of sand and sms into Pidgeotto, knocking it out cold. The force even sends the bird crashing into its trainer’s chest. The kid stumbles but catches his fallen Pokémon, kneeling down to cradle it gently.

  “It’s okay… you fought really well,” he murmurs, patting Pidgeotto before returning it to its Poké Ball. He looks up at me with wide eyes. “I didn’t know Bronzor could be that strong!”

  I shrug, feeling a little embarrassed. “It’s not that strong. Pidgeotto just didn’t have any moves that could hurt a steel-type.”

  His face morphs into surprise. “But how did you know Pidgeotto’s moves?! This is my first time even seeing this Pokémon!”

  Oh, right…

  Most people in this world don’t have the same knowledge of Pokémon I do. They can’t even name a hundred Pokémon, let alone know the movepool of a bird you’d find half-way across the world.

  “I… I just really like learning about Pokémon,” I expin, trying not to sound too weird. “Your Pokédex should help you see their types. That’s always a good start. That’s also why I picked from the red box. Less chance of getting beat purely by type advantage.”

  The kid nods, a lightbulb clearly going off in his head. “I guess types really are important, huh… Next time, I’ll beat you for sure!”

  With that, he returns his Pidgeotto to its Poké Ball and takes off, probably heading to heal it up.

  I watch him go, a little surprised by his enthusiasm. It’s such a weird feeling… How are they all so happy, even after losing?

  [Mission Completed]

  You’ve gained 1 Skill Point.

  I smile at the notification. Well, that wasn’t so bad.

  ?

  After resting for a bit, I decide it’s time to find my next battle.

  As I wander the garden, my eyes keep going towards that Golem stomping around. I know Bronzor could probably handle it, but… let’s not go trying to tempt luck. Croagunk wouldn’t st two seconds against that rolling boulder, no matter how much faith or friendship I may have.

  Before I can think much further, a loud voice rings out behind me. “Hey, you!”

  I turn to see a girl with long, golden hair, her hand on her hip, pointing directly at me. “Yeah, you! I saw you win that st battle. You must be pretty strong.”

  This girl… I think she had… Nidorino?

  I turn around, trying to keep things light. “Maybe I was just lucky. Care to find out?” I pull out a Poké Ball, ready for action.

  But before I can release my Pokémon, the girl calls over her shoulder, “Bud, you heard him! Take care of this for me!”

  Suddenly, a massive guy rushes towards me, chest puffed out like he’s trying to hide his fat belly. “Heh-heh. Leave it to me, Luna!” he says, his voice deep and slow.

  I take a step back, confused. “Wait, what?”

  The girl—Luna—groans, pretending to be annoyed. “Ugh, do you seriously not know how Pokémon battles work? You can’t just walk up to the gym leader and challenge them. You’ve gotta deal with my followers first.”

  She gives me a pyful wink, while Bud sends a Poké Ball into the air. Out pops a big, dopey-looking Bibarel.

  “Bibarel’s actually pretty cool,” I mutter to myself. If only it was strong too.

  I decide to give Croagunk a shot and throw his Poké Ball into the air. As soon as he nds, Bud makes his move.

  “Show 'em what we’ve got, Bibarel! Use Water Gun!”

  “Croagunk, push through and use Low Kick!”

  Croagunk charges forward, sliding right through Bibarel’s Water Gun as if it was nothing, then kicks him right in the side. Bibarel stumbles but doesn’t back down.

  Huh, it must be stronger than I thought.

  "Hey! You can't just charge through my attacks like that, that’s cheating!" Bud protests.

  Just then, a small notification appears in the corner of my vision:

  [Croagunk’s Dry Skin has absorbed the attack]

  But I’m not about to tell him that.

  “Guess my Pokémon’s just the best, right?”

  Croagunk, emboldened by the praise and the refreshing water, steps forward confidently. Ready for more, he’s visibly taunting his opponent. Bud’s blood is already starting to boil.

  “Oh yeah? How about this? Bibarel, use Super Fang!”

  Super what?!

  There’s no time to react. Croagunk tries to dodge, but Bibarel’s size gives it the advantage in pure melee. Its fangs fsh and sm down into Croagunk, nding a brutal hit that sends my Pokémon back with a rough cut.

  "Ha! Where did all that attitude go now, loser?!"

  Time to get serious.

  “Croagunk, just focus on dodging! Who cares if they nded a hit? The only thing slower than that Bibarel is its trainer!”

  Bibarel charges again and again, but Croagunk is way faster, dodging every attack with ease as he simply keeps a safe distance now. It’s a gamble, but I know Croagunk can take another Super Fang if it comes to that. Besides, Bud’s frustration is only growing, and I can tell he’s about to do something stupid.

  “Bibarel, stop pying around and use Aqua Jet!”

  Perfect.

  “Now, Croagunk—Low Kick!”

  As Bibarel rushes forward, propelled by Aqua Jet, Croagunk times his attack perfectly. His leg sweeps under Bibarel’s massive body, sending it crashing into a distant tree. Before the Pokémon can get up, Croagunk strikes again, and the fight comes to an end.

  “Croa-Gunk!”

  I smirk, unable to hide my satisfaction. “Looks like I’m two for two. So, can I challenge the gym leader now?”

  Luna’s face flushes, eyes wide with indignation. She hesitates for a moment before turning on her heel and running away, not daring to look back. Bud scrambles after her, hurriedly recalling his defeated Bibarel. “D-Don’t think you’ve won!” she shouts over her shoulder. “I’ll find someone stronger to beat you!”

  The scene is so absurd, I can’t help but ugh. With a gnce around, I notice the other students are still engrossed in their own battles. Elesa, meanwhile, has set up a small table nearby, arranging drinks and snacks.

  I walk over, thinking about recalling my Pokémon for now. They do appear to heal a bit over time as long as they remain inside their Poké Balls. But this time I release both of them, curious to see how they’ll behave when left to their own instincts.

  Croagunk immediately waddles towards the table, snatching a pstic cup with his rough paws. Before I can stop him, he dumps the entire contents over his head. His croak of surprise quickly turns to irritation as he realizes the soda is sticking to his skin instead of refreshing him like water.

  “That’s not what you were looking for,” I sigh. “Come here.”

  Knowing full well that Croagunk could easily knock me out if he wanted to, I cautiously approach. To my surprise, he doesn’t resist as I pick him up, though it takes more effort than I anticipated. He is heavy. Grumbling under his breath, he remains still as I carry him to a tap near the edge of the garden. A part of me wonders if he’s only tolerating this because he was told not to attack the novice trainers, but as soon as I turn on the water, Croagunk rexes, purring softly as the cool stream washes away the sticky soda.

  Bronzor, on the other hand, is harder to read. He hovers nearby, spinning like a coin tossed in the air. Occasionally, he emits a metallic chirp, which I think might be his way of showing approval—or maybe it’s just random. I don’t know.

  Curiosity gets the better of me, and as soon as Bronzor stops spinning, I grab him by the edge and shove him under the stream of water, wondering what he’ll do.

  The result is… predictable. Bronzor lets out a high-pitched whine and pulls away from me, bouncing through the air in a panicked frenzy before diving back—straight into my face. The impact sends me crashing to the ground with a groan.

  “Agh… yeah, I guess I deserved that.”

  “Yes, you did,” Elesa’s voice joins in, light and amused. She hides a smile behind her hand, watching the whole scene unfold. “But I must say, you’re conducting yourself pretty well for a first-timer.”

  I gnce over at Croagunk, who’s now nearly dozing off from the cool water. “What exactly did you promise them to make them tolerate us?” I ask, half-joking. “I’m pretty sure this guy’s itching to punch someone. Anyone.”

  “Oh? You think I had to bribe them to listen to you? Talk about tension.” She doesn't deny it, though, and that pyful sparkle in her eyes makes me wonder. “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. But one thing’s for sure—if Croagunk wanted to punch you, you’d already be down.”

  “Which means?”

  “Which means,” she continues with a knowing smile, “you’re doing something right. If I had to guess, as long as you keep winning, Croagunk’s going to keep indulging you.”

  She pauses for a moment, then her gaze sharpens, shifting ever so slightly. “And speaking of winning…”

  It takes a second for me to follow the line of her eyes, but then I see it. There, in the shadow of the old oak tree, sits the girl who stopped by my room earlier. Alone on a wooden bench, she watches the world with a silent stillness.

  There’s something hard to describe about her. When focusing for a second, I can feel her presence a bit more clearly than that of everybody else around us. In fact, I hadn’t even noticed that I could feel everybody else’s presence due to how weak they were. Most people’s energy is faint, like a soft breeze, easy to overlook. But hers, it feels… anchored, solid.

  “She’s strong, isn’t she?” I ask the gym leader, watching as everyone else unconsciously gives her space.

  “Strong?” Elesa whispers, her voice thoughtful. “I guess you could call it that. But that’s not what I meant. She’s... like you. Someone who’s here because Hilda saw something in them—something worth keeping around.”

  I chuckle, though a bit uneasily. “I can’t tell if that makes us special, or just patients under observation. Is that why you sent her for me? Trying to see if we’re the same kind of weird?”

  “You’re… shockingly self-aware for someone trying to run from his past,” she says, a hint of surprise in her voice. “Sera hasn’t been here long, and she’s had trouble connecting with others. Like with this exercise. She doesn’t seem too interested in swapping her Pokémon for random ones, so it’s been hard to include her.”

  “And you want me to go over there and knock some sense into her?”

  To that, she ughs, shaking her head. “Okay, maybe not that self-aware. But I admire the confidence. And you’re clearly no beginner when it comes to Pokémon battles.”

  I gnce down at Croagunk, tracing my fingers along his back. “Actually... this is my first time. I’d never even touched a Pokémon before today.”

  Elesa’s smile fades, her eyes scanning me with renewed interest. “Then I might not be giving Hilda enough credit.”

  ?

  “Hey.”

  Sera opens her eyes, gncing subtly in my direction before I get too close. She’s small, delicate, like a porcein doll, with a sadness in her eyes that suggests she’d rather not engage with me at all.

  “I didn’t see you pick any Poké Balls,” I say, noticing the ones resting by her side. “Do you want to battle?”

  “Why?” she asks softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

  “Why?” I repeat.

  “Why fight?” she continues, her tone distant. “Every day, people and Pokémon. Fight, fight, fight... For any reason, for no reason. It's all so pointless, isn’t it?”

  I tilt my head, considering her words. Then, without hesitation, I step forward and grab the Poké Ball sitting beside her. I toss it gently into the air. Her eyes widen slightly, a flicker of surprise breaking through her calm expression.

  “Is there a Pokémon in here?” I ask.

  “Lillia,” she murmurs.

  “Do you care about Lillia?” I ask, pulling my arm back, ready to throw the ball into the distance.

  Sera’s eyes widen further, and she nods urgently. I hand the Poké Ball back to her.

  “Your Pokémon can’t always protect themselves once you’ve captured them. I’m sure Lillia would protect you if you called her out, but that also means she trusts you to protect her, too.”

  I sigh, feeling a bit tired, and plop down beside her. “In the end, it's the same everywhere. You can only go as far as the path you make for yourself.”

  She looks down to her p, fidgeting with the metallic ball. “That’s… bad. Nobody should have to fight just so they can live.”

  “You’re right,” I admit. “Maybe you don’t have to fight. Nimbasa is a safe pce. As long as you stay in the city and don’t go out onto the routes, you’ll be fine. But... I wouldn’t really call that living.”

  She remains silent for a long time, her gaze fixed on the Poké Ball in her hands, as if lost in thought. That subtle sadness lingers in her eyes, making me wonder what’s really going on in her head. Then, with a deep breath, she stands up in front of me.

  “There’s... somewhere I need to go. Something I can’t ignore,” she mutters, her voice quiet but firm. “Fight me.”

  That’s all I needed to hear.

  With a small smile, I take the initiative, releasing Bronzor into the open field. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got!”

  Sera steadies herself, then let’s go of her Poké Ball.

  “Li-li!”

  A small Lilligant emerges, gracefully standing before us. She mirrors her trainer in her quiet elegance, but there’s something different about this Pokémon. I can feel it in her stance, in her gaze. This Lilligant is far more powerful than anything I’ve encountered so far. She’s on a different level entirely.

  I gnce at Sera, and even she seems more confident now, standing a little taller.

  Before any of us says anything, Lillia rushes forward. There’s no command of any kind she simply screams and releases an Energy Ball straight at us.

  “Bronzor, payback!”

  Bronzor reacts just in time, the dark energy surrounding him as he charges straight through the oncoming attack. The Energy Ball bursts against him, but somehow, he powers through, smming into Lillia to nd a good hit. But I can already tell—he’s not tanking another one of those. Not even close. And he doesn’t have the speed to dodge either.

  “Confuse Ray, now!”

  As Lillia charges another green Kamehameha, there’s only one thing in my mind. If this thing has Own Tempo, we’re fucked. I watch as Bronzor releases the eerie flicker of light, making it spin around her head. The ray spins faster, and to my relief, soon Lillia starts to spin too.

  At least whoever gave her this walking nuclear reactor didn’t go full minmax.

  “Lillia?! What are you doing?!” Sera shouts with confusion and worry as her Pokémon struggles to stay upright, dazed and stumbling in pce.

  This might be our only opening.

  “Bronzor, come back!” I pull him out, knowing he’s already done his part. “Croagunk, go! Astonish, now!”

  Croagunk steps out and then turns to me, his rge, amphibious eyes narrowing as if to ask, Are you seriously making me attack someone who can’t defend herself while the trainer just stands around?

  Yes, I am.

  With a resigned sigh, Croagunk abandons any notions of honor or sportsmanship, walking forward and giving the Lilligant a solid double-handed sp. The force of it snaps her out of the confusion, and immediately Sera reacts.

  “Oh no! Lillia, use Mega Drain!”

  Lillia obeys, half-heartedly.

  “Poison Sting!”

  At this point, the battle feels like a desperate gamble on status effects. I realize there’s no way I’m overpowering this thing head-on. Every hit Croagunk nds is undone as the Lilligant continues to heal herself over and over again. It’s like watching someone headbutt a brick wall, hoping it’ll crack. But slowly, I start to see it—tiny fractures forming in her recovery.

  Croagunk keeps at it, injecting poison with each attack. Eventually, after receiving enough venom to put down a baby elephant, Lillia’s healing begins to fail. Finally, she stops regenerating and starts losing ground too.

  But just when I think I’ve got this, Lillia stops responding to Sera’s commands, like she’s decided to take matters into her own hands. She charges another Energy Ball. There’s no time for me to switch Pokémon and keep the stall going, the attack sms into Croagunk, sending him to the ground.

  He is down.

  “Yes!” Sera screams. “Just one more to go!”

  At this point, I’m left with only one option, and I have to decide just how far I’m willing to go. How petty do I want to be?

  With a flick of my wrist, I use my skill as a Perfect Pitcher, sending Bronzor’s Poké Ball high into the air. It arcs gracefully before getting caught between two branches of the towering oak. The ball pops open, releasing Bronzor among the leaves as Lillia continues to suffer from the heavy poison coursing through her.

  “Oh no!” I say, gasping dramatically. “Bronzor, be careful on your way down!”

  On the other side of the field I can see the small, mint-haired girl staring daggers into me. Her Pokémon, a lot less subtle, charges her next attack and fires it against the floating Bronzor, trying to snipe it down.

  It isn’t until we’re too close for comfort that I decide to repeat my winning strategy.

  “Bronzor, use Payback!”

  The same familiar explosion erupts between them, dust and light scattering across the field. When it clears, they both colpse, unable to fight any longer.

  A draw.

  “You cheated!” she screams.

  For a moment, I think about lying. But instead, I shrug. "Yeah, pretty much."

  The only thing interrupting our tense silence is the sound of Elesa’s wild ughter.

  Sera doesn’t waste any more words, storming off in frustration. Fair enough. But as the moment fades, I’m left wondering: does a draw count as a win or a loss?

  [Mission Completed]

  You’ve gained 1 Skill Point.

  Worth it.