The sun had barely peeked over the horizon when Gladion slipped out of bed, careful not to wake up his sleeping sister. He tiptoed down the stairs, wincing at every creak of the old wooden floorboards. His heart raced as he reached for the doorknob, half-expecting his mother's stern voice to halt him in his tracks.

But the house remained silent, and Gladion let out a sigh of relief as he stepped into the cool morning air. He had been grounded for some time now, punishment for his unauthorized Pokémon battle at school. His parents had been furious, lecturing him about responsibility and the dangers of battling without proper training.

"I'll show them," Gladion muttered, clenching his fists as he made his way to the secluded clearing in the nearby woods. "I'll become the best trainer they've ever seen."

As he reached the clearing, Gladion pulled out two Poké Balls from his pocket. With a flick of his wrist, he released Machoke and Larvitar. The newly evolved Machoke flexed its muscles, while Larvitar rubbed itself against Gladion.

"Alright, team," Gladion said, his voice barely above a whisper. "We've got a lot of work to do. Machoke, Do your daily workout. Chansey is still with Dad so no gravity training for today."

Machoke nodded eagerly, ready to begin.

As Machoke began its grueling training, Gladion turned his attention to Larvitar. The rock-type Pokémon remained motionless, its gaze unwavering, showing that he was ready for his own training.

"Larvitar, it's time we started working on your moves," Gladion said, kneeling beside his Pokémon. "Let's begin with Rock Slide. Concentrate on the energy within you, and imagine rocks falling from the sky."

Pupitar's eyes glowed briefly, and a few small pebbles materialized above them, clattering to the ground harmlessly. Gladion nodded encouragingly.

"That's a start! Keep practicing, and soon you'll be creating boulders instead of pebbles."

As his Pokémon trained, Gladion closed his eyes, focusing on his own Psychic aura. He had been neglecting his powers lately, too caught up in Pokémon training. But he knew that to be a truly great trainer, he needed to master his own abilities as well.

He concentrated, trying to lift a twig that was a little far away from him with his mind. The wood trembled slightly but remained on the ground. Gladion frowned, pushing harder. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he poured all his energy into moving the twig.

Suddenly, the twig shot into the air, flying past Gladion's head and disappearing into the underbrush. Gladion blinked in surprise, then grinned triumphantly.

"Progress," he murmured, wiping his brow. "Slow, but steady."

The sun climbed higher in the sky as Gladion and his Pokémon continued their secret training session. By the time they finished, all four of them were exhausted but satisfied with their improvements.

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"Great job, everyone," Gladion said, returning his Pokémon to their balls. "We'll do this again tomorrow."

As he made his way back home, Gladion's mind wandered to the exciting news they had received at school the day before. Their school had been selected as one of the few where the top three students would receive regional starter Pokémon when they turned ten.

The entire class had erupted into excited chatter at the announcement. Everyone wanted to be one of the lucky three to receive a Bulbasaur, Charmander, or Squirtle.

Gladion smirked to himself, remembering the looks on his classmates' faces when he had refused to reveal which starter he would choose. Let them wonder, he thought. They had no idea what his knowledge was truly capable of.

As he entered the house, he found Gwen already at the breakfast table, chattering excitedly to their parents about the starter Pokémon.

"I'm definitely going to choose Bulbasaur," she declared, her eyes shining. "Then Gramps' Venusaur will have a friend!"

Their mother, Erza, smiled fondly at Gwen's enthusiasm. "That's a wonderful idea, sweetheart. Bulbasaur are excellent Pokémon, loyal and dependable."

Gladion slid into his seat, trying to look innocent as his father, Ben, raised an eyebrow at him.

"And where have you been this morning, young man?" Ben asked, his tone stern but his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Just... out for a walk," Gladion replied, busying himself with pouring a glass of juice. "Thought I'd get some fresh air before breakfast."

Erza and Ben exchanged a knowing look but didn't press the issue. Gladion breathed an internal sigh of relief.

"So, Gladion," Erza said, changing the subject, "have you given any thought to which starter you might choose, if you're one of the top three students?"

Gladion shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I haven't really decided yet. They're all great Pokémon."

"But you already have three Pokémon," Gwen pointed out, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why would you need another starter?"

"Because, dear sister," Gladion said, a mischievous glint in his eye, "a true Pokémon master is always looking to expand their team. Besides, who says I can't have both my current Pokémon and a regional starter?"

Their parents laughed at his ambition, but Gladion could see the pride in their eyes. Despite his recent mishap with the unauthorized battle, they knew how dedicated he was to becoming a great trainer.

As they finished breakfast and prepared for school, Gladion's mind raced with possibilities. He had to be one of the top three students. He had to prove himself worthy of a regional starter, even if he already had a team of his own.

The walk to school was filled with excited chatter from other students, all speculating about the starter Pokémon and who might be chosen to receive them. Gladion hung back, lost in thought, while Gwen skipped ahead, joining in the conversations enthusiastically.

As they entered the classroom, Gladion's eyes met those of Rex, his rival from the recent battle. Rex smirked, sauntering over to Gladion's desk.

"So, Gladion," Rex said, his voice dripping with false friendliness, "thought about which starter you're going to choose? Oh, wait, that's right - you probably won't even be in the top three."

Gladion raised an eyebrow, unfazed by Rex's taunting. "Is that so? And I suppose you think you'll be getting one?"

Rex puffed out his chest. "Of course I will. And when I do, I'm choosing Charmander. It'll become the strongest Charizard anyone's ever seen!"

"Interesting choice," Gladion replied coolly. "I'm sure it'll be a formidable Pokémon... in about five years when it finally evolves."

Rex's face reddened with anger, but before he could retort, their teacher, Mr. Hoot, called the class to order.

As the lesson began, Gladion found his mind wandering to his secret training sessions. He knew he was taking a risk by continuing to train his Pokémon without official permission, but he couldn't help himself. The thrill of becoming stronger, of unlocking new potential in both himself and his Pokémon, was addictive.

He thought about his Pupitar, slowly mastering Rock Slide. About Machoke, pushing through increased gravity to become faster and stronger. About his own growing psychic abilities, still unpredictable but full of promise.

A small smile played on his lips as he imagined the looks on everyone's faces when they saw what he and his team were truly capable of. They thought they knew him, thought they could predict his choices and his strengths. But Gladion had secrets up his sleeve that would shock them all.

As Mr. Hoot droned on about Pokémon type advantages, Gladion's hand absently stroked the Poké Balls at his belt. His team was growing stronger every day, and soon, they would be ready to take on any challenge.

The rest of the school day passed in a blur of lessons and excited whispers about the upcoming starter selection. As they left the classroom, Gwen tugged on Gladion's sleeve.

"Come on, brother," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Let's go to the park and practice our abilities! I want to show you this new trick I learned with Gastly!"

Gladion hesitated, thinking of his secret training spot in the woods. But the eager look on his sister's face melted his resolve.

"Alright," he agreed, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Show me what you've got, little ghost."