"Why does my Piplup seem to know your Turtwig? What's going on?"Barry asked curiously.

  Paul shook his head. He had only just caught Turtwig a few days ago and had no idea about its past.

  "Wait, could it be..."

  Barry suddenly had a fsh of inspiration.

  "Could this Turtwig be the ohat Professor Rowan lost at Lake Verity?"

  "My Piplup must have met Turtwig before I even received it as my starter. If the Poké Ball taining Turtwig was pletely damaged at Lake Verity, it makes sehat you were able to catch it. But still..."

  "Why would a Turtwig lost at Lake Verity end up ierna Forest?"

  Barry couldn’t make sense of it. The distaween Lake Verity aerna Forest was signifit. Could it have gotten lost and wandered all the way there?

  The truth, as always, was ued yet perfectly reasonable.

  Paul wasn’t ied in pyiive. He asked directly, "Turtwig, were yinally one of the Pokémon given to rainers by Professor Rowan?"

  "Twiig!"

  Turtwig nodded. It had no idea how it ended up swept away by water while napping in its Poké Ball.

  It wandered around, searg for Saown, asking other Pokémon for dires, but somehow got lost and ended up ierna Forest, where Paul caught it.

  Turtwig itself didn’t uand how it could be captured again after already being caught. When Barry mentiohat its inal Poké Ball was pletely broken, the mystery was finally solved.

  "Let’s battle first. I’ll tact Professor Rowan afterward." Paul said decisively.

  tag Rowan was ohiurning Turtwig was ahat wasn’t going to happen.

  "Piplup, get ready for battle!""Turtwig, prepare yourself!"

  At their Trainers' ands, both Pokémon stepped back, creating some distaweeheir eyes locked, and they shared the same thought:

  This battle would be their ce to show their former panion how much they had grown—to prove themselves!

  "Piplup, use Ice Beam!"

  As soon as the battle began, Piplup unleashed a bright icy-blue beam without hesitation.

  "Dodge."

  Turtwig remained calm, the trajectory of the Ice Beam. At the st moment, it sidestepped vanishing from its inal position.

  "So fast..."

  Barry was surprised to see a Turtwig move with such agility.

  "Razor Leaf!"

  Closing the gap, Turtwig swung its head sending sharp, spinning leaves toiplup.

  "ter it with Ice Beam!"

  Piplup quickly redirected its Ice Beam, intercepting the Razor Leaf. The two attacks collided, her side willing to back down.

  "Tackle!"

  While the two attacks cshed, Turtwig dashed forward with unyielding momentum.

  Caught off guard, Piplup couldn’t dodge in time, but Barry had no iion of avoiding it.

  "Piplup, use Pound!"

  Piplup’s wings glowed white as it charged forward to meet Turtwig head-on. Fueled by determination, Piplup unleashed more power than ever before.

  Crash!

  The collisio Piplup sliding back a few meters, but it mao stay on its feet.

  "Leech Seed!"

  As soon as Turtwig pushed Piplup back, a seed shot out from the sprout on its head, instantly tg onto Piplup.

  The seed burst into threen vines, ing around Piplup and draining its energy.

  "Pipluuup!"

  Piplup cried out in disfort as the viightened.

  "Energy Ball."

  Paul gave no ce for recovery. Turtwig summoned a glowing green sphere of energy and u at Piplup.

  "Use Agility to dodge!"

  At Barry’s and, Piplup increased its speed, narrowly avoiding the Energy Ball and creating more distaween itself and Turtwig.

  "I o deal with those Leech Seed vines first." Barry thought as he analyzed the situation.

  "Piplup, use Whirlpool and throw it upward!"

  "Pipluup!"

  A small, swirling vortex of water formed in Piplup’s flippers, growing rger in seds. Piplup tossed it into the air, where it expanded into a protective barrier.

  "Now, Drill Peck!"

  Trusting its Trainer pletely, Piplup leaped into the Whirlpool, spinning rapidly as its beak began to glow. The bined force of Whirlpool and Drill Peck shredded the Leech Seed vines.

  Protected by the swirling water, Piplup was safe from immediate attacks.

  But Paul and Turtwig remained unfazed.

  Turtwig’s sprout began to glow faintly as it absorbed sunlight.

  "Sor Beam, fire!"

  With Paul’s and, Turtwig unleashed a blinding beam of sor energy directly at Piplup.

  "Piplup, dodge it!"

  Piplup tried to escape, but the Whirlpool both shielded and trapped it, leaving no time to evade.

  Boom!

  The Sor Beam tore through the Whirlpool, hitting Piplup directly and causing an explosion.

  The super-effective hit sent Piplup flying. It tumbled across the ground before ing to a stop.

  "Piplup, are you okay?" Barry called out.

  "Pip...luup..."

  Using its wings for support, Piplup struggled to rise.

  "e on, Piplup! I believe in you—you do it!" Barry enced.

  "Piplup!"

  Inspired by its Trainer’s words, Piplup mustered its strength and stood up.

  It was a heartwarming moment of camaraderie between Trainer and Pokémon, but Paul was unimpressed.

  "Razor Leaf."

  "Twiig!"

  Turtwig’s Razor Leaf struck Piplup, bringing it down food.

  As Barry moved to recall his fainted Piplup, Paul’s voice cut through the air.

  "Holy, I’m very disappointed."

  "What?"

  Barry looked up to see Paul’s cold, disapproving gaze.

  "I thought you might be a det oppo, but clearly I was wrong. Perhaps I shouldn’t have expected anything from you."

  Paul’s tourned harsh.

  "‘Believe in you,’ ‘You do it’—do you think that’s enough to win battles?

  Withorous training, relying on passion alone will only get you so far. How many battles you actually win like that?"

  With that, Paul turned and walked away with Turtwig, leaving Barry kneeling beside his fallen Piplup.

  "Damn it... Is the gap between us really that big?" Barry muttered, g his fists in frustration.

  Three battles, and he hadn’t dominated a single one. His only signifit success against Ursaring was due to catg Paul off guard.

  "If it's just like this, fet defeating my dad, it's even difficult to catch up with Paul or Lucas!"

  "Piplup..."

  Piplup opes eyes and called out softly.

  "Piplup, am I really that useless?" Barry asked, his voice was heavy with disappoi.

  "Pip? Piplup! Pipluuup!"

  Piplup paused, then leaped up and smacked Barry on the head with its wing, shouting angrily.

  "I see... I won’t give up! I’ll catch up ahem all!" Barry decred, renewed determination in his eyes.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------If you want to access advance chapters, please visit: patreon. / PMadz_23