It was mid-morning before I woke up the next day.

I was a little too warm between Artis and the covers, and I kicked the bedding down to cool off. Both of my Pokemon murmured at the disturbance but neither one woke up.

I glanced around. Everyone else had left the room, leaving me alone with my Pokemon.

There was a sticky note attached to the bunk bed support near my head. I pulled it down and read it with bleary eyes.

We're lounging downstairs when you're awake.

No rush,

Hana.

I groaned, pushing myself out of bed. All of my muscles complained. My scrapes and bruises from the day before made me feel stiff and dry.

Artis stayed asleep, but Wisp slowly blinked her eyes open.

"Dreavus," she chirped quietly, giving me a wide smile.

"Good morning," I smiled. My voice was hoarse. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Mis drea!" The ghost nodded.

"Good," I got up and stretched, wincing as my body groaned and creaked. "I have stuff to do today, so we can't stay in bed all day."

I took a warm shower, loosening my sore muscles and cleaning the grime from my bones. I hadn't showered after yesterday due to sheer exhaustion, so I rinsed concrete dust out of my hair and cleaned dry blood off of my scrapes. I made a note to clean my bedding before tonight.

When I came back, Wisp had started waking Artis, and my Spheal was grumbling into the covers. He'd had a hard battle yesterday and had learned a new move. I didn't blame him for still being tired.

I returned him to his ball, letting him rest some more. I turned to Wisp.

"I have a bunch of conversations I need to have today. Do you want to go in your ball, or can I trust you to hang out in my shadow?"

Wisp tilted her little purple head from side to side. She debated the options before nodding twice.

The second one.

I nodded. "Good, and we can get your cake while we're out. Don't think I forgot."

"Midreavus!" Wisp cheered, vanishing into my shadow.

I smiled at the ground. Just a week ago I'd been terrified at the thought, but after yesterday I couldn't be happier to have Wisp around me at all times.

I grabbed my things and headed downstairs.

----------------------------------------

The lobby was surprisingly light on trainers when I went downstairs. There were still dozens of people walking around, but there was enough room that I found my friends lounging on a couch in one of the recreation areas all by themselves.

As I approached, my friends all noticed me and smiled, gesturing for me to join them in front of one of the large televisions.

"Good morning," Hana gave me a two-fingered wave, which I returned.

"Hey, Derek!" Amy exclaimed. They hugged me, but I saw an odd look flash across their face. It disappeared as soon as I saw it, so I didn't bring it up.

Yuji just offered me a handshake, gesturing to the television.

"We were unsure as to when you wanted to awaken, so we decided to watch some of the day's matches to pass the time," said Yuji.

I nodded, squeezing between Yuji and Hana. "Anybody good?"

Amy snorted, and Hana gave an agreeing look. "There are a few up-and-comers challenging today and tomorrow, though they are also just rookie trainers," Hana said. "Some of them did draw a crowd, though."

The Pewter Gym was packed. It was easy to see where all the trainers from the Center had gone to. I wasn't used to seeing a sold-out gym for a first-badge challenge, not even with all the battles I'd watched at home in Hoenn.

The display showed that the current battle was a 'Portia Cervelo', a trainer from Cerulean. She was tall and wispy, with blonde locks and dark skin. Portia wore an athlete wear outfit, complete with nylon pants and a riding jacket.

I only gave her a cursory glance, though, because her Pokemon had my attention. I didn't recognize the green quadripedal creature at first, but as it fired a series of Razor Leaf attacks, something started to worm at my brain.

"Isn't that..." I gestured to the TV.

Hana nodded. "Chikorita, normally given out as the grass-type sponsor Pokemon for the Johto region. She received hers from her family, and they must be loaded to afford one."

I raised an eyebrow at Hana's intensive knowledge of this girl.

She shrugged. "They had a pregame interview. It was a grass type, so I paid attention. I still think Bulbasaur is the better regional starter, though."

I glanced over at Yuji and Amy for their takes, but both were looking intently at the screen.

Not at the screen, I realized. They're just not looking at me.

No one in the group really seemed to care about the match, as when Portia's Chikorita took a really hard hit, none of them really reacted.

They were staring forward, and occasionally I'd see one of them glance at me out of the corner of their eye, looking away when they saw me looking.

They're trying to act natural.

My friends obviously didn't care about some other trainer's battle, at least not as much as they cared about me. They were keeping up appearances to let me have a normal day after the hell I'd had yesterday.

I inwardly sighed. I appreciated the gesture, but I didn't want my friends to go out of their way for me. It was best to resolve this soon, and I could do so by just giving them the whole story of what happened yesterday.

"Hey guys, I'm starving. Anybody want to get something to eat?"

----------------------------------------

I texted Daisy on our way to lunch and she met us at the restaurant. She was dressed much more casually today, but still in greens and browns. Thanks to the sheer amount of options Hana had gotten me for the date, we ended up matching again.

Daisy waved as she saw us, giving me a quick hug. She turned to the rest of the group.

"Hello, Hana, Yuji, and Amy," Daisy said, nodding to each one as she listed their names. All of them brightened that she'd remembered them.

I watched Amy as they exchanged greetings with Daisy. Not once did I see a trace of whatever they'd been bothered about last night.

I left it alone. I trusted Amy, and if they said that I didn't need to worry about it, then I didn't even want to think about it.

We all walked into the restaurant. We had decided against our normal pizza joint, with the others being insistent on finding a nicer place after I'd told them Daisy would be joining us. Instead, we'd found a place that Amy had tried on their day off, a little more of an upscale diner. It was clean and a little pricier, but it was still casual and comfortable.

We piled into a round booth, with me in the middle, Daisy and Hana on either side of me, and Amy and Yuji on the ends. Everyone sat facing me, and to a lesser extent Daisy, so that we could swap stories about what had happened yesterday.

"So," I cleared my throat. I looked towards my three friends. "I know you guys want to hear the whole story," I turned to Daisy, "and you want to know what happened after we split up."

They all nodded, though Yuji sent me an alarmed glance. He hadn't realized that I'd been alone at all during the attack.

"I think the best thing that I can do, is that I can just start from the beginning. If I miss anything, you can help me fill in where you remember. Right, Daisy?"

Daisy agreed, slipping her hand into mine under the table. I squeezed it.

Over the next hour, I told my story exactly as I'd told it to Ace Trainer Karen yesterday. Daisy occasionally chimed in, reminding me of things I'd forgotten. She was actually amazing at giving context to the gaps in my knowledge, like the layout of the museum or where she thought the Rockets had entered the building from.

Yuji, Hana, and Amy were mostly wordless throughout all of this, with the exception of Yuji occasionally scolding me for running into danger. It wasn't only them listening, either. Though they tried to be subtle about it, I noticed the waitstaff occasionally hovering by our table.

I didn't blame them for it. This was their hometown, and very few outlets had been able to get enough details to report exactly what had happened. This morning, Leader Brock had issued a statement, but it was mostly what you'd expect of a vague update given during an ongoing investigation.

When I finally got to the bit where I'd spilt up with Daisy, I hesitated.

I already told the League about everything that happened, but that was to help them hopefully track down some Rockets. Will it actually help my friends if they know how much danger I was in?

I pondered that for a long moment.

All of my friends, even Daisy, only knew so much about the day. Everything I'd told them about so far had been beyond the expectation of any trainer, but it was a necessity brought on by the danger I'd been facing.

The moment Daisy and I had split up and I'd gone after Rockets after I was safe? That was stupidity.

I'd walked straight into a fight between a Gym Leader, a member of the Elite Four, and someone who could simultaneously fight a Gym Leader and a member of the Elite Four.

It made sense for Daisy to fight the Rockets. She'd had two of her Pokemon with her, two Pokemon that had been trained to battle at the highest tiers of Contest battling. Even if it wasn't as intensive or brutal as gym battling, but it still put her on another level.

On the other hand, I'd been a zero-badge trainer with a half-fainted Pokemon and a ghost that I hadn't caught, walking into a fight that I knew professionals were already taking care of.

Those two things weren't quite like each other.

And yeah, I was embarrassed and ashamed that I'd done what I did, but that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was that I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I couldn't tell them that, not when I'd seen already how much they worried about me.

So instead, I played it down. I said this:

"After I left Daisy, I headed up towards the front of the museum," I glanced around, and everyone was following my words. Even the waitstaff had stopped being subtle. "Brock and Bruno were already there, and they were taking on the Rockets. The main guy, Proton, let slip that they were going to teleport out."

I felt Wisp shift out of my shadow under the table, rubbing her head against my leg in comfort. It made selling the lie a little easier.

"I stayed out of it, for the most part," I lied. "There was a big explosion from one of Proton's Pokemon, and in the confusion, Wisp used Mean Look on one of the guys."

When Daisy shot me a look of confusion, I explained. "I caught the," I glanced at the waitstaff, who went back to work when they realized I was aware of their presence. "friend from yesterday. I named her Wisp."

"That's good," Daisy nodded, though I could see she was still uncomfortable with the idea. "She really got us through the day."

I nodded, clearing my throat. "Anyway, I got injured in the explosion and had to get treated before I gave my testimony. That's why I finished up later than you did."

I didn't say things that I knew I should have said. Since I was already downplaying the danger, I left a lot of my injuries unspoken. They could see the obvious scrapes and bruises, but they didn't need to know about my hearing.

"And that's everything," I finally said. "Did you guys want to know anything else?"

Hana and Yuji shook their heads, looking mollified with what I'd given them, but Amy gave me a suspicious look.

I felt vulnerable under their gaze. I might've appeased the others and Daisy, but I physically couldn't lie to Amy. Their emotional senses were too good, and I knew that they could feel how conflicted I was about my own retelling.

Amy didn't speak up, and instead slowly nodded.

That nod carried with it an understanding. We would be talking about it later, and they would be getting the whole story.

Daisy must've sensed the tension in the air, because she was a saint and tried to throw me a bone.

"Now that that's out of the way," Daisy said, drawing the attention of the others to her. "I'm familiar with what Derek's told me, but I would love to hear more about each of you. For instance, where in Kanto are you from?"

Daisy had posed it as a question to the table but looked to Hana first. It made sense, given that she was the only one that Daisy had exchanged more than greetings with.

Hana wilted under the attention. "Oh, uh, okay," She stuttered. I hadn't missed it yesterday, Hana was starstruck by Daisy. "I'm from the Sevii Islands, down south."

"Oh! What island?" Daisy asked, genuinely seeming interested. "I did a tour of them after my contest season, and they were beautiful!"

Hana blushed. "I'm originally from One Island, but I did live on Three Island for a while."

"One Island was my favorite! The research going on there is impeccable, and I have a friend of a friend that is working on some exciting technology regarding inter-regional communication there!" Daisy fawned, "And Mt. Ember is a beautiful sight to see."

Hana nodded, excitedly telling Daisy about some of her favorite memories of the volcano on One Island. I leaned back, letting the two talk across me. It was nice to see Hana making a new friend, especially when that friend was Daisy.

My Pokenav+ vibrated.

I looked down at a text from Yuji.

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged, giving a slight upturn of a grin.

[[12:52, Yuji]] Daisy seems nice. Were you going to invite her to come to see our match or train with us?

I typed back.

[[12:52, me]] That couldnt hurt. Ill probs invite her to the battle, but shes supposed to be resting this week. btw, did you still want to do that today?

[[12:53, Yuji]] Only if you are feeling up to it, my friend. I am more than happy to push it by several days to give you a chance to recover. You are going to need it, after all.

I scoffed, looking up at Yuji. He had a smug look on his face.

Hana and Daisy didn't seem bothered by my outburst, but Amy shot us both a look. I quickly set up a group text for the three of us, sending Amy a screenshot of what Yuji had just said. They immediately started giggling.

I winced at Amy's all-caps response. It always looked like they were shouting when they texted.

[[12:54, Ames]] OOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!! YUJI CALLING YOU OUT DEREK! XD

[[12:45, me]] I think ill be okay. Im rested enough to wipe your sorry butt off the field. Dont forget who won the last battle.

[[12:45, Yuji]] That may be true, but I seem to recall the overall score being 4-1 in my favor. A betting trainer would put their money on my team.

[[12:46, Ames]] THE CLAP BACK!!!!

[[12:47, me]] Ya know, fair enough. Ive got some calls I need to make first, but we can one v one tonight.

[[12:47, me]] Does like 5 work for you?

[[12:47, Yuji]] I will look forward to it, my friend.

[[12:48, Ames]] Two rivals, meeting at sunset. Some people would call that ROMANTIC!

I sighed, looking at Amy. They were not-so-silently cackling into their Pokegear. Yuji gave me an unimpressed look. I nodded.

He leaned across the table, flicking Amy on the forehead.

"Ow!" They complained, rubbing their head.

Hana and Daisy snapped out of their conversation, obviously confused at what had happened. Hana giggled, but Daisy gave me a concerned look.

I shook my head while chuckling. "It's fine," I whispered to her. "Amy deserved it."

She seemed no less concerned but gave me an unsure smile.

I turned to address the group as a whole. "Now that I've finally eaten, I have some phone calls I need to make back at the Center. Me and Yuji's battle is still going to happen today, and we decided to do it around five."

Yuji nodded. "Did you want to meet at the waterwheel, or would you prefer just to battle at the Center? The field should be empty of the masses as the challenges at the Gym won't end until late this evening."

"The Center works. There's no reason to walk all the way out there for a quick battle."

I turned to offer for Daisy to join us, but Hana beat me to the punch. "Daisy, I don't know if you're busy or anything, but I'd love to show you more of my battle research at the Center?" Hana hesitated. "Or not, if that seems like it would be too much...?"

Daisy beamed at her. "No, that sounds lovely. I'd be happy to come with you," She turned to me. "Are you sure you should be battling, though? I know that you said that you're fine, but Artis took a big hit yesterday."

I winked at her. "It'll be okay. I've got some plans that have been percolating since last night."

She caught what I was hinting at, summer green eyes gleaming with amusement.

We settled our bill, heading outside into the cool Kanto weather. Yuji decided not to join us in returning to the Pokemon Center, instead heading off with his team to do some last-minute training. Hana excitedly took to walking ahead of us with Daisy in tow, the two discussing different methods of analyzing opponents and their Pokemon.

Amy and I trailed behind them. Instead of broaching the subject of what I'd left out of my story, Amy settled next to me in a comfortable silence. It was nice to just walk around Pewter, letting the wind ruffle our clothes and the sounds of the city settle over us.

I let my mind wander. I'd been through a lot yesterday, but all my friends my life easier. Yuji was nothing if not supportive, and Amy was an emotional rock that I could rely on in the best and worst of times. Hana was like me in a lot of ways, driven in her goal, but also different in ways that complimented me. Her analysis had been key to settling me into the region and making me feel at home here.

Daisy was... well, she was Daisy. Even though she hadn't been traveling with me, her texts had been some of the strongest moral support I'd had since getting here. Not even counting the multiple times she'd actively saved my life. Daisy was smart, analytical, and kind. She had an energy about her that just made people like her, which was probably why Hana had taken to her so quickly.

I glanced up at the two of them, smiling at their involved conversation. It made sense that they would be friends. They both loved researching Pokemon in their own ways, and both had amazingly intelligent minds. They both had little polite mannerisms and were inviting and fun. Even though Daisy was a little older, they were two Seedot in a pod together.

Honestly, they could be sisters...

I stopped walking.

Legends damn it, Amy.

I'd never seen Daisy and Hana side by side before, so I'd never put two and two together. Where Daisy was dark blonde nearing brown hair, Hana had light brown hair edging on blonde. Hana had lime green eyes whereas Daisy's were the color of summer. They both were tall, willowy, and graceful.

With the bright sunlight of the city making their features glow, they were almost identical.

Well, that wasn't true. Daisy's features were more delicate and rounded, and Hana's face was more angular and sharp. One was tanned from years spent on the islands, while the other had a light complexion from days spent in a research lab. One of them loves contests and the other loved battling. Hana wanted nothing more than to make it all the way to the Elite Four, and Daisy was still deciding what field of research she wanted to specialize in. Daisy focused on beautiful Pokemon that could create graceful performances, and Hana wanted hardy and strong grass types who could survive any amount of punishment.

They were very different people.

But at a glance? Even I'd struggle to tell them apart.

Someone tugged on my elbow, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked down, and Amy was giving me a grin that was somewhere between smug, abashed, and understanding.

"You just saw it, huh?" They said.

I sighed. "Yeah..."

Amy shrugged. "It's not like it means anything, but like, you gotta admit it's a little weird. At least, it shows you have a type."

My posture sunk even lower. "Ames, I'd have to be into Hana for that to work. And you have to stop shipping me with our friends."

"Nope," they clicked their tongue. "This is the closest I get to reality TV on the routes. I'm milking this for all its worth."

I went to speak, but they kept talking. "And at the end of the day, you and Daisy like each other. So it's not like it'll change anything."

"I'll pay you ten bucks to never bring this up again."

"Deal," they held out their hand and nodded when I handed them a bill. "After we get back to the Center. Imagine what would happen if you won a big battle, like at a Gym, and then you messed up and kissed the wrong one! The drama!"

"Amy!" I groaned.

----------------------------------------

When we got to the Center, I basically fled the rest of the group. Amy wouldn't just drop it, and I was not in the right headspace for thinking about any of that. Hana led Daisy and Amy up to the room to grab her laptop while I left for the computer lab.

It was weird walking around the Pewter Center with so few people around. It felt empty, even though this was probably the level most Centers operated at. The crowd those other rookies had claimed at the Gym was kind of unsettling.

I settled into the same stall I'd used last time, booting up the computer and pulling in my Pokenav+. I had two calls to make today and dialed my home number first. Mom and Dad deserved to hear everything first.

The phone rang for a moment before it picked up. The screen flickered on, revealing my dad's worried face. He was a little out of breath, like he'd come running when he'd hear the phone ring.

"Hey, Dad," I said, giving him an awkward wave.

"'Hey', yourself," He grumbled, settling into his chair. "This is the second time in a week that you're calling home to tell me you almost died."

I looked down at the desk, feeling shame in my chest. "Yeah..."

"And to be fair to you," he said in a flippant tone. I looked up in confusion. He was no less worried, but he was giving me a joking smile. "I did tell you that I almost died twice in my first month as a rookie. You didn't need to try and even the score, son."

I gave him a soft smile. "I just wanted to outdo you, ya know? I already have plans for near-death-experience number three."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Your mom would be so mad to hear us joking about this."

"Where is she? I thought she'd be home?"

He tilted his head, trying to decide how much he could say. I was used to it. With both of my parents having pretty important jobs, there were times when neither could talk about their jobs in their full contexts.

"She's dealing with some stuff going on at Evergrande. Nothing crazy, but she's spending a few days on the island rather than taking Bishop back and forth."

I nodded. Bishop was Mom's Gardevoir, given to her by the League to get to and from the island in emergencies. Teleporting sucked, though, so it always took a lot out of her to do more than a trip every few days.

Thinking about teleporting made me think about yesterday: the Alakazam vanishing with Proton and the rest of the grunts, failing to communicate with Wisp and grabbing the wrong guy-

"Der?" Dad asked.

I glanced up from my thoughts. I'd been zoning out.

"Sorry, Dad, I was just thinking about yesterday."

He nodded, his braid slipping down his shoulders to his back. My dad was dressed in a casual outfit today, a graphic t-shirt with a Gliscor on the front. That meant he hadn't gone on a patrol today.

"You know, Der," he said. "If you want to talk about it..."

I nodded. "I know, Dad. And I was actually calling to fill you guys in on what happened, so I could let you know that I was okay."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "I was actually going to say I might be one of the worst people to talk to about it," my dad leaned forward and grabbed a stack of papers off the desk, holding them up for me to see. "I pulled some strings with the Kanto office. I know what happened already."

"Oh."

I sat back, thinking about it. If Dad had access to the whole file, he'd already read my testimony. I'd told Karen everything, so there wasn't much more to share.

"What do you mean you'd be a bad person to talk to about it?" I finally asked.

He cleared his throat. "I'm your dad, but I'm also a career Ace Trainer. I'm proud of you as both of those people. That's not what you should be hearing right now. You need people who are going to set you straight and remind you that you're still a newbie."

I sighed. "Trust me, I know that I could've done better."

"That's not what I mean, Der!" My dad scolded. "You did better than half of my recruits in that situation. What I mean is that you should be talking with people who can help with the leftover jitters. You're still a rookie, and you don't have the mental facilities yet to deal with the doubt that always comes after missions like that. Honestly, you should be seeing a therapist."

My eyes snapped up to him. "A therapist? Dad, I might be rattled, but I'm not that bad."

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter if you think that. You went through two traumatic experiences in less than a month. I've benched trainers for less than that," his gaze softened. "And it's not like there's anything wrong with talking to someone. You know your Uncle Enrique?"

I nodded. He was one of my dad's friends, someone I'd known all my life. If I remember correctly, he also worked at the League with Dad.

"Yeah, he's been coming to family barbeques since I was like, six."

Dad smiled. "He's my therapist."

I gaped at him. I had no idea Dad was going to therapy.

"Yeah," he continued. "I started seeing him after I ran too many missions too close together. It was affecting my calls and my decisions. I wasn't getting enough sleep, and I just felt numb sometimes. I spent more time staring off into the distance than actually thinking about my life."

I swallowed. Some of those things felt really familiar.

"I got into contact with Enrique through the League as part of my medical package. After talking to him for a few months, he helped me unwind the knot in my chest. I could finally sleep better. I'm not saying you'll have the same experience, but just talking to somebody who's trained could probably help a whole lot."

I nodded, admitting that he was probably right.

My dad was right about most things.

"Okay, Dad," I said. "I'll give it some thought."

He smiled. "Good, that's all I'm asking," he readjusted in his seat. "Now, tell me about this ghost type. Have you caught it yet?"

I let out a breath, happy that we'd moved on to something that I was actually excited about.

"Yeah, Dad, and she's amazing. Her name is Wisp..."

----------------------------------------

I sat back against the computer lab chair, Wisp sitting happily in my lap. I'd talked to my dad for over an hour. Once he met Wisp, he demanded that I recite everything I knew about training ghosts, especially the dangers for inexperienced trainers. After that, he couldn't stop crooning over how cute she was and had her do all sorts of flips and twirls for him.

I looked at the clock.

14:31.

I still had a few hours before my battle with Yuji, but I wanted to relax a bit first. I wanted to make the next call quick, but a weight settled in my stomach as I thought about dialing the number. I was more nervous about this call than I had been about calling my parents.

Before I started the call, I sent a message to my friend in Hoenn. She'd want to know that I'd caught Wisp, the ghost nut that she was. After I finished I wrung my hands, knowing that I couldn't procrastinate anymore.

I dialed the number for the Oak Pokemon Laboratory.

The call immediately picked up, showing me a person about my age with dark hair and circular glasses sitting in the center of the Oak Lab's research floor. They had a traveled look to them, like they spent a lot of time outside, but were extremely professional in their posture and words.

"Professor Oak's Laboratory, this is Kyle. How can I help you?" they said.

"Uh, hi. I'm Derek Tracy, and I was calling to return a message from Professor Oak?"

Kyle smiled, clicking on their computer a few times. "Yes, Derek Tracy. Ah, it says here that the Professor is expecting your call, and to forward you through to his office. I'll move you through right now."

"Thanks, Kyle," I said.

"No problem! The Professor will see you now."

The screen flickered and Kyle disappeared. The camera now showed a private lab where Professor Oak was scrawling some notes on a board. The old man was wearing his bright white researcher's coat over a red polo and a set of khaki shorts. He smiled at the screen when he saw me and stepped forward, smile-line wrinkles showing proudly.

"Hello, Mr. Tracy," Professor Oak said. "Thank you for returning my call."

"It's no problem, sir. I was honored to get a message from you."

The old man's grin widened, and he waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense, I am just an old man with some titles under my belt, nothing more."

I chuckled at that. I was talking to a living legend and he was being humble.

"I don't think so, sir. You're one of the most respected people on the planet."

"Hmm," he mused. "You may be right, but I am also still just a man. A man who has a debt to settle."

I frowned. "I wouldn't go that far, sir. I just ended up at the right place and at the wrong time. You don't owe me anything."

"I disagree," Professor Oak said flatly. "And I would be lying if I did not say that I also see you as a promising young trainer that I was interested in helping develop further."

I sucked in a breath. I really hoped he wasn't trying to give me anything too crazy.

"Mr. Tracy, I'll admit I was curious about your decision to join us in the Kanto region," he continued. "But as I said before, your business is your business. However, you left quite an impression on me when I finally met you. A brilliant young man with the heart of a trainer, traveling the unknown of another region as his first foray away from home. And imagine my surprise when, the very next day, my own granddaughter and research aide arrives with a story of such a young man already having gone off-route, witnessing a spectacular Pokemon migration event."

I blushed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Professor, everybody sounds impressive when you describe them like that-"

"But I have not finished," the Professor chastised me as if I had interrupted him mid-lecture. "That same young trainer then travels to Viridian City and challenges the gym there, taking on what most consider to be the most difficult gym challenge as his first official League battle. While he did not achieve victory, his battle left a statement that he would be a powerful trainer to watch over the coming season. And just three weeks later, on an extracurricular trip with my research aid," I scrunched down in my chair, feeling his gaze on me. "He manages to successfully free himself and other hostages with an untrained ghost type Pokemon, eventually aiding in the capture of an officer of a criminal organization."

I was stunned. I hadn't realized that the Professor had been paying that close attention to my journey. The weight he said it all with, too, made it seem like so much more than it was. I'd just been doing my own thing on my journey, trying to do my best.

There was also a little bit of embarrassment there, too. Professor Oak definitely knew that Daisy and I had been on a date.

"I think that," he said. "That trainer deserves to be thanked by an old man who has precious little family left in this world."

I dipped my head. Professor Oak had laid out his arguments in a way that felt like I'd be disrespecting him if I said anything against them.

"Thank you, sir."

"It is I who thanks you, Mr. Tracy."

I look up and gave a small gasp. The former champion of the Kanto region and the face of Pokemon research was bowing to me.

I stood up, quickly bowing back to him.

"And with that, Mr. Tracy, I would like to offer you two things," Professor Oak leaned forward and clicked a key on his computer. A file attachment blinked in my inbox. "The first is access to the stables of the Oak Pokemon Laboratory. If you sign the document I have forwarded you, you will be able to store your Pokemon here for long periods of time. This would give you the freedom to catch additional team members outside of your training limit, giving you more variety in your team. They would be fed and cared for with the most cutting-edge resources that science can offer."

I opened the file, gawking at the sheer generosity of what the Professor was offering. My plan had been to send any extra Pokemon home to live with Dad's team, but that could only work with maybe one or two Pokemon. Professor Oak was offering to hold up to fifteen different Pokemon indefinitely, giving them access to all of the other inhabitants of his ranch to train against. Just leaving them in his hands would mean that they would continue to get stronger.

I hadn't taken up Professor Oak's sponsorship offer when I'd first met him because I couldn't stomach the thought of catching hundreds of different Pokemon. This, however, was very different. Any trainer worth their salt had a dozen different battlers that they could pull their team from. My dad, as a lead Ace Trainer, had twelve of his own Pokemon at home. While it wouldn't come in handy for a long time, Professor Oak was offering me security as a career trainer.

It was honestly priceless.

"Professor Oak, this is way too much," I protested.

"Nonsense. I place the value of my granddaughter's safety much higher."

I couldn't argue with that. And I couldn't argue when he kept talking, either.

"The second thing I would like to offer," the Professor said seriously, "Is a Pokemon."

I gulped. Professor Oak had access to almost any Pokemon that science knew about. If he was trying to add to my team, it could be literally anything.

"Uh- Uh, what Pokemon would that be, sir?" I stuttered.

He blinked. After a second, his grin returned. "Young man, I believe that you don't understand. I am offering you a Pokemon of your choice."

Oh.

Oh!

"Oh, shit!" I accidentally said aloud. I blushed, covering my mouth. The Professor gave me a reproachful look for my use of profanity but chose not to scold me.

I stared at the screen, waiting for him to tell me it was a joke, that he'd said the wrong thing.

He never did.

"You're serious?" I whispered.

"Quite so," the Professor nodded. "I know that this seems like too much for you, but you simply must understand, Mr. Tracy. I am old and I am well-connected. Obtaining almost any Pokemon is as easy a task as calling one of my many colleagues and requesting it. You nearly perished while assisting my granddaughter in escaping criminals. This is as small an offer as I am willing to make. It took Daisy's direct intervention to not offer you more, as she said it would make you too uncomfortable."

I was uncomfortable now.

I didn't say that, though. This was one of those offers that you couldn't refuse. If I did, I would not only be insulting the professor but I'd be throwing away something that secured my future as a trainer.

"I'll sign the stable document," I finally said. "But as for the Pokemon... ...could I have a while to think about it? Deciding about a whole new team member is going to require a lot of thought."

"I wouldn't have you do anything less," the Professor said proudly, obviously ecstatic that I was taking up on his offer. "I will be awaiting your decision, young man."

"Thank you, sir."

"With that, Mr. Tracy, I have several experiments that require my attention. Please do think on my offer, I hope that I can offer you even a fraction of what you have given me."

I looked up at Professor Oak. He was giving me a look of utter gratitude, and I could see the weight of the last few days on him. His granddaughter being in danger had really worn on him. He genuinely looked like an old man at that moment.

"You have. Have a good day, Professor."

He nodded, disconnecting the call.

I sat there for a long while, staring at the blank monitor. It had turned black after the call, giving me a mirror to look myself in the eyes.

Holy shit...

I absentmindedly stroked Wisp's head. She'd fallen asleep during the call and was now mumbling herself awake as I rubbed her head.

I looked down at her, smiling as her eyes fluttered open. "Hey, Wisp, we need to wake up now. Let's go get your cake. Then, we have a battle to win."

"Misdeavus!" she cheered, floating down into my shadow.

I shakily stood up, my legs feeling a little weak. I didn't know if it was for sitting for as long as I had, or if I was still in shock from Professor Oak's offer.

It was probably both.

----------------------------------------

I took a long walk around the block before getting to the bakery. I needed it after... ...well, after everything. I had thought the craziness was done after yesterday, but today I was being hit by revelation after revelation.

Wisp took her time picking out her cake, tapping my leg whenever we got to one that she wanted. I'd decided to have her stay as hidden as possible so that we didn't upset the other customers. It didn't stop people from getting a deep phantom chill, though, when she came out.

She decided on a tiramisu. I paid for the cake, wincing at how far it bit into my funds. I hoped the money from the League would come in soon, because I was down to three digits in my cash supply.

It was all worth it, though, when Wisp squealed upon seeing her cake. I pulled out a slice, letting her devour it before we walked back to the center. She could have the rest after the battle with Yuji. I didn't want her too full for fighting.

He might've seen me catch her, but he would not be expecting me to use her in a battle this soon. Normally, I'd be of the same sentiment, but after seeing her stare down a fully-grown Nidoking, I had full confidence in her abilities.

Speaking of, I pulled out my Pokedex and scanned Wisp as she ate. It would be valuable to see exactly what she could do before the battle. I grinned at the entry. She hadn't used up all of her tricks yesterday.

When we made it back to the Center, the others had all already gathered outside at the training fields. Like Yuji had predicted, they were nearly empty. Only one other battlefield was in use, and the rookies there were having their Geodude and Pidgey do move-repetition rather than actually spar.

I nodded to Yuji, and he inclined his head forward in return. He took his place at the end of the battlefield, his figure cutting an intimidating shape as the sun set behind him.

I stopped by Daisy and Amy, who were both sitting on the bleachers nearest the Center. I left Wisp's cake with them. Hana took up a spot on the center sideline of the battlefield; she'd be acting as our referee.

Yuji stared me down, excitement clear on his face. He tossed a Pokeball into the air, releasing his Pokemon in a flash of red light.

Achilles the Heracross slammed into the ground, releasing a bone-shaking roar. His armor glinted in the setting sun, and his massive horn gleamed with strength.

The two other trainers stopped their training, going slackjawed at Yuji's Pokemon. They returned their Pokemon, wandering over to the bleachers. Several other trainers wandered outside from the Center, pulling out phones and cameras.

We were gathering a little crowd.

I couldn't leave them disappointed. The familiar rush I'd gotten standing in the Viridian Gym started to thrum in my ears. My heartbeat sped up.

I called for Wisp, and the crowd looked around in confusion as no Pokemon immediately appeared. The first trainer to notice screamed, causing the rest of the crowd to look where she was pointing.

My shadow extended forward, encapsulating the ground in from of me. Two bright yellow and red eyes appeared in it, and her giggles echoed across the battlefield.

Yuji, Hana, Amy, and even Daisy, who'd seen this before, all grimaced uncomfortably as the temperature outside dropped another five degrees.

Wisp floated up, leaving my shadow.

Instead of pulling back like everyone else, Achilles leaned forward. The Heracross was excited to duke it out.

Honestly, I was right there with him. I'd fought Yuji several times but this was our first battle that felt like it had real stakes, even if it was only for who would go at Brock first.

This was my first battle against another trainer that I was willing to give my all.

"Trainers!" Hana announced, grabbing the attention of everyone present. "This match will be Yuji Amano against Derek Tracy, both competing for their right to challenge the Pewter Gym first. It will be a one-on-one Pokemon battle, using standard League challenge rules. Are both trainers ready?"

Yuji inclined his head, and I gave her a thumbs up.

Hana nodded to each of us, holding her hands above her head. She brought both of them down at once.

"Begin!"