The glass doors slid open, and I walked straight to the counter with two tired Poké Balls in hand."Nurse Joy, please help me heal my Pokémon," I said.
"Of course! I'll take care of them right away," she answered warmly.
After a short wait, the announcement called me to retrieve them.
"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" I said, holding the Poké Balls close. "We'll keep pushing forward."
I found an empty seat nearby and sat down with a long exhale. Lotad and Torchic popped out beside me—fully healed and lively again.
"Tomorrow, we start training for the next gym," I told them. "We're getting stronger every day."
Torchic pecked my sleeve gently, and Lotad stared at the ceiling light as if it could already see our next destination glowing in front of it.
A soft voice came from beside me."That was an amazing battle back there."
I turned and saw the girl who had been watching earlier.
"My name is Clara," she said with a bright smile. "We recognized each other, but didn't even know names."
She introduced herself and praised my gym battle.
"Thanks for cheering me on," I replied. "You also used Treecko's ability and traits really well to beat Brawly, didn't you?"
"That's different!" she said excitedly. "You fought Makuhita and its evolution. Your Lotad was at a lower level, yet your strategy completely flipped the situation. You really made use of your Pokémon's size advantage!"
I rubbed my eyes. "Okay… anything else? I'm exhausted, and my Pokémon need rest too."
"Oh—right." She laughed softly. "What's your next destination? I'm heading to Slateport City."
"I still haven't earned the Stone Badge in Rustboro City," I replied simply.
"Oh! I forgot," she said. "But maybe we can meet again in Mauville City. Our routes intersect there."
"Probably," I said. "I'm staying here for a few days, though. I can walk you to the harbor first. What's your schedule?"
"I'm taking the ferry tomorrow morning. There's a cave southwest of this city—you might be able to find Rock-type Pokémon there."
"Thanks for the advice. I'll check out that cave and look for new team members."
"It's getting late. I shouldn't keep you and your Pokémon awake. Bye!"
"Bye."
After our farewell, I headed home, thinking about her suggestion.My team currently had Fire, Grass, and Water—the three basic starter types covered. Once Torchic evolves, I'll get Fighting as well.
But Dragon-types… those were troublesome. They resisted all the basic types and weren't weak to Fighting. Their movepools were extremely wide too, covering almost everything.
"I should prepare early. The best solution is Fairy types," I murmured. Fairy types are immune to Dragon moves and hit them super effectively.
Plan B was Ice types—not just for Dragons but also for Flying types, which my team struggles against. Freeze-Dry could even reverse Water-type matchups.
"But there won't be Ice types in the cave," I sighed. "So that plan waits."
By the time I reached home, I had stopped thinking without realizing it. I pushed open the door. Mom was preparing dinner, and Dad was watching television—something he rarely did.
"So? How was the gym battle?" Dad whispered, eyes still on the screen.
"Your son didn't get stuck this time!" I said proudly, showing him my badge.
Dad chuckled. "Funny. The gym operator said you barely made it."
"Wow, your information network is too sharp. Anyway—what are you watching? You hardly touch the TV."
"You'll see if you keep watching."
The screen showed two Pokémon locked in battle: Garchomp and Beautifly. Their trainers were instantly recognizable. A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair covering her left eye, wearing a black dress, looked calm and entertained. Her opponent—a green-haired man in a black tank top with orange lines—seemed nervous.
"That's the Sinnoh Champion, Ms. Cynthia… and the Bug-type Elite Four member, Aaron!"
Even though Beautifly was Aaron's ace, the level gap was overwhelming. Cynthia still had two Pokémon, while this was Aaron's last.
Just as expected, Beautifly fell to Garchomp. Cynthia defended her title once more.
"No one can stop her—the strongest trainer in Sinnoh, Cynn~~thiaaa!!" the announcer shouted before the program ended and switched to advertisements.
This was a true champion-level battle.I had read many books and watched recordings, but seeing it live—even through a broadcast—was on a different level. Garchomp's power shook me.
"Dinner's ready!" Mom called. Dad stood from the sofa and walked toward the kitchen.
The weight of my dream settled in. The road ahead was much harder than I imagined.
But fear faded quickly—replaced by excitement.
"Interesting," I muttered, turning off the TV. "Dreams are supposed to be hard to achieve."
"Mom," I said as I entered the kitchen, "the first step toward my dream is winning the Ever Grande Conference!"
"So you already got your badge, right?" Mom asked casually.
"…You both knew?"
She smiled. "Your strange behavior made it obvious. And your dad was right—we shouldn't treat you like a little child anymore."