"Sorry, do I know you?"
The kid stumbled at those five words. "Wait, you don't remember me?"
"I mean, should I?" Ethan asked with a one-armed shrug.
"I battled you at the Rota Town Pokémon Center with my rattata!" the kid yelled, spittle flying out of his mouth and drawing some looks from the other patrons inside the Pokémon Center.
Ethan kept his face from showing it, though he watched the spittle fly with distaste. "Ah, right. You're the kid with the rattata that's in the 'top percentage of all rattata', right?"
"I ain't a kid!" Brat yelled. "Don't mock me! And don't change the subject neither! Are you going to battle me or not?"
This kid has issues. Ethan breathed to push down his building irritation. "Sure, why not? Eevee hasn't had a battle all week, and she's itching for a fight."
"Eevee!" Eevee cheered at this.
"About time you made up your mind! Meet me out back!" Brat said, then walked away.
"You know, Eevee, I don't think I ever got his name. I've just been calling him 'Brat' in my head," Ethan whispered. Eevee jumped onto his shoulder and swatted the back of his head with a paw in reproval, even as she tried to hold back a laugh.
"Ow! Damn it, Eevee! That kind of hurt," Ethan winced as he rubbed the spot.
"Eev eevee, Eeveev!" Eevee said sternly.
"Fine, I'll be nicer," Ethan grumbled as he stood from the chair. "You didn't have to hit me."
Eevee nosed her trainer's cheek, licked him, and rubbed her head against his neck.
"You're lucky I love you," Ethan said affectionately, scratching behind Eevee's ears. "But only hit me when I actually deserve it, k?"
"Eevee!" Eevee nodded as they walked in the direction Brat– the rattata trainer went.
As they drew closer to the doors that led to the Pokémon Center's battlefields, Ethan noticed that other people were gathered around the fields where his opponent was, either waiting to watch a battle, watching another battle going on, or trying to find a battle themselves. "Looks like we'll have a bit of an audience, Eevee."
Eevee shrugged dismissively.
"You know, I'm so glad I never had to train stage fright out of you," Ethan said appreciatively. "I know I've still got some to work through before we battle in front of the big crowds at the Indigo League."
"Eev eevee," Eevee offered in support.
Ethan smiled. "I know I'll get it. We've got time."
The automatic doors opened before them, and they walked to the battlefield where the youngster awaited him.
"So, you decided to show up after all," he snorted derisively.
"I wasn't planning on running away," Ethan said neutrally. "By the way, I don't think you've ever told me your name. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."
"The name's Joey, from New Bark Town," Joey said. "My rattata isn't like other rattata. He's going to be the top rattata in the world!"
"Nice to finally meet you, Joey. I'm Ethan, from Rota," Ethan said. "What rules do you want for this match?"
Joey thought about it for a moment. "One Pokémon each. Rattata against your eevee, and a 100 Credit wager."
"Sounds good to me," Ethan agreed. They each stepped into their respective trainer boxes on opposite sides of the field, and another trainer stepped in from the crowd to the referee's box.
"My name is Olivia Jones. I'm a four-badge trainer and I'll ref this match for you both. This is a one-on-one battle with no substitutions. Are both trainers ready?"
Eevee shuffled in place on Ethan's right shoulder, eager to get started as both trainers voiced their readiness. Other trainers judging matches were rather typical, especially around Pokémon Centers.
"Trainers, send out your Pokémon!" Olivia declared.
Joey tossed his Pokéball out. "This is a revenge match, Rattata. Let's do this!"
"Eevee, let's make this quick," Ethan said as Eevee hopped onto his extended right forearm before he threw it forward, launching Eevee over the battlefield, where she landed neatly inside the center ring. This drew some cheers from the watching crowd.
Olivia looked to make sure everyone was ready before she raised her arms. "Let the battle begin!"
"Rattata, use–"
"Quick Attack!" Ethan barked out. Eevee disappeared in a blur before suddenly appearing where Rattata once stood.
The rattata tumbled over the dirt battlefield before regaining control and skidding to a halt.
"Hey! It was my turn–"
"Again, into Double Kick!"
Eevee again disappeared, and the rattata braced for impact. When he didn't immediately feel anything, he dared to crack an eye open only to see Eevee's glowing hind paws impact his midsection.
A chant of "Ee-vee! Ee-vee! Ee-vee!" started from the crowd. Ethan spared a glance to see that a group of six cheerleaders started it.
Huh. They look familiar, Ethan thought before refocusing on the battle.
The rattata slowly struggled to its paws before collapsing.
Olivia counted down from three, and when Rattata didn't rise, she made the call. "Rattata is unable to continue. Eevee wins, and the battle goes to Ethan!"
Man, talk about one-sided, Ethan idly thought as Eevee started walking back with her head held high.
"I call foul!" Joey yelled over the crowd. "We're supposed to take turns calling out commands!"
"What do you think this is? Trainer school?" a haughty voice called out. Ethan looked to see a trainer in a long-sleeved blue shirt, his jeans tucked into his boots, with a head of too-much mahogany-colored spiked hair approaching the two.
"Give him his winnings and get lost," the trainer said as he stopped. Joey looked like he was about to protest, then saw all the eyes on him before grumbling, shoving a few crumpled notes in Ethan's hand, and storming away.
Ethan watched him go before turning to the trainer. "I had that handled, but thanks anyway."
"Yeah, well, I didn't do that out of the goodness of my heart. You actually seem competent. I saw how you stomped that newbie and wanted a shot at you myself," the trainer said. "Gary Oak is my name, and don't you forget it."
Ethan grinned. "How could I forget? Daisy, Professor Oak, and Ash talked a lot about you."
Gary gave Ethan an appraising look before snapping his fingers. "Ah, you must be that Ethan, the third trainer Gramps sponsored this year."
"Third? Didn't a couple of other trainers receive starters from him?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah, but they weren't good enough for a sponsorship deal. Just you, me, and somehow Ash. I still don't get how Ash got one," Gary shrugged. "Guess it's none of my business."
Gary hummed before snapping his fingers. "Here's an idea. There's a small tournament tomorrow being sponsored by the Pokémon Fan Club for trainers with up to three badges. How about we register for that tournament and battle each other there, assuming you're good enough to make it that far into the brackets."
Eevee jumped to Ethan's shoulder and bristled but was quickly calmed by a reassuring hand on her head.
"Sounds like it could be fun. Haven't been in one of those yet," Ethan said thoughtfully. "What time does it start, and where do we sign up?"
Gary smirked and motioned Ethan to walk with him so the next trainers could use the battlefield. "It's a one-day tournament, so it'll start at ten in the morning at the Pidgeot Transport Arena at Celadon University. You can sign up at the Pokémon Center near the commerce district, which is the closest public center there. I was going to compete anyway, so I already registered."
Ethan nodded as he pulled out his guidebook and flipped to the map it had for Celadon City. "Okay, looks like that Pokémon Center is a pretty decent walk, and it's close to where I want to go after that. Thanks, Gary."
"Yeah, don't mention it. I'll see you there," Gary said dismissively before walking back into the building.
Ethan spent another moment studying the map before putting the guidebook away and looking at his partner. "Gary's a good guy, Eevee. Don't let his 'cool guy' attitude fool you. Anyway, let's go get registered. I'm not sure when signups close, so we're taking a bus."
Eevee nodded and tightened her grip on Ethan's shoulder.
----------------------------------------
After registering for the tournament, booking a room, and cleaning everyone up, Ethan and Eevee were on their way to the commerce district through crowds of people and Pokémon. "I've never been in a city this huge, Eevee! I wonder if this is what New York or Tokyo is like," Ethan said to his furry companion. "These are the tallest buildings I've ever seen!"
"Eev eevee!" Eevee exclaimed, taking in his infectious excitement.
Ethan looked around some more before he spotted something and laughed. "Definitely Tokyo. Just look at all those vending machines!" he said as he headed over to take a look at what they were offering.
There was the standard fare of candy bars and beverages, grossly overpriced, that you would expect from a vending machine. Others were more interesting, like ones that would spit out fully cooked hot meals, another one where you could customize bags of Pokémon food, and one that had an assortment of bagged treats, like poffins and Pokéblocks.
Nearby, a young woman placed an expanded Pokéball in a slot on a machine and made her selection. Several seconds after the ball was taken into the machine, it came back out with a newly printed floral pattern on both hemispheres. She took it off and showed it to her oddish, who didn't seem to care.
"Hey, this one has stickers specifically made for Pokéballs! I've been wanting something like this," Ethan said as he pulled a few notes from his wallet. "I think I'll grab a few sets in case the others want some."
As Ethan packed his purchase in his bag, Eevee's ears perked up, and she jumped off his shoulder and walked to a nearby window to look inside. "Eeveev! Eev eev eevee?"
"What did ya find, Eevee?" Ethan asked as he walked over to look at what was displayed. "Oh, wow! I didn't think I'd see one of these again!"
Inside, protected in a glass case, was a display model of a red Game Boy Color.
"It's a little over a year early, but damn. This brings me back," Ethan said as he placed Eevee back on his shoulder. "This thing was my first game console and what introduced me to Pokémon in the first place."
Eevee tilted her head questioningly. "Eevee?"
"Ah," Ethan said in understanding. "I haven't introduced you to video games yet, have I? That won't do at all! We're finding an arcade before we leave the city."
Ethan moved on, explaining the concept of video games to Eevee and doing his best to answer the questions she asked. They eventually crossed a street, entering Scissor Street, also known as Breeder's Lane. Ethan opened his guidebook and looked at the address scribbled on a sticky note tucked in one of the pages.
"Almost there," Ethan said as they passed by a trio of growlithe holding their own leashes as they sat outside a Pokéms food and drug store.
After navigating another few blocks and through the bustling crowds, they reached their destination. Ethan double-checked the address to ensure he was at the right place before nodding and opening the door with a vulpix design above the handle. A chime echoed in the store as he entered.
"Be with you soon!" a woman's voice said from further in the salon.
Eevee hopped off Ethan's shoulder onto the table at a booth where he sat. "It's so much quieter in here," Ethan remarked as he opened his bag and pulled out a canister of Eevee's Pokémon food, shaking it to get her attention.
"How about a little bite to eat to hold you over 'til lunch? I whipped this up last night," Ethan said, a smile coming to his face when Eevee cheered happily.
Ethan popped open the lid and picked out a few pieces to hand-feed her, which she eagerly enjoyed before nudging his hand for more.
"This batch must be better than usual, eh?" Ethan laughed as he poured some more bite-sized pieces into the palm of his hand.
A feeling of curiosity that Ethan knew was directed at him hit his senses, and he looked across the room to meet the eyes of a six-tailed fox on a puck bed staring at him with one eye open. Ethan looked at the Pokémon food in his hand, then back at the vulpix with a smile.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
"You're welcome to come try some of this if you want, Vulpix," Ethan said. "It's based on a recipe by my friend studying to become a Pokémon breeder. It's made with pecha and cheri berries for a great balance of sweet and spicy, just like Eevee."
Eevee raised a paw, seemingly ready to swat her trainer, before pausing and giggling. "Vee, Eeveev!"
"See what I mean?" Ethan said, laughing along with his starter.
The vulpix just rolled their eyes and laid back down, though Ethan could sense their amusement at the exchange.
A chime echoed in the store as the door opened and closed again.
"Sorry I'm late, Suzie! Classes ran a little long today."
"You don't have to apologize for that, Daisy," said a woman with waist-length teal hair and brown eyes wearing a bright, professional salon smock. "Your education is worth more than a few minutes of work."
"Eevee!" Eevee cried and jumped off the table, running up to Daisy and jumping excitedly around her.
"Hey, I know this eevee! Where's Ethan?" Daisy asked.
"Over here," Ethan said as he put the canister of food away and stood up from the table with a grin. "How've you been, Daisy?"
"I've been doing pretty well! I just have a few weeks left before I'm done with school, then I'll be moving to Cherrygrove City to open up my own salon," Daisy said as she picked up Eevee and opened her other arm to Ethan.
Ethan took the invitation and hugged her back. "Cherrygrove, huh? I hear that's the only place you can catch a boat to Alto Mare, so I'll more than likely come visit whenever I decide to take that trip."
"I'd like that," Daisy smiled. "So, did you see me on TV a couple of weeks ago?"
"I just got to Celadon today, and the only TV I've watched was an announcement about Pokémon contests coming to Kanto and Johto," Ethan replied.
"They are? Really!? That's fantastic news!" Daisy exclaimed, twirling in a circle with Eevee in her arms. "Well, Gramps revealed the fairy type to the public, so I helped him with a demonstration. The league had to tighten security around Mount Moon so that overeager trainers wouldn't disturb the clefairy's natural ecosystem."
"Really? I'll have to ask him about it when I see him this week," Ethan noted. "Anyways, I came here because it's starting to become a hot summer, and Eevee might need a trim to help stay cool."
Daisy dug her fingers through Eevee's fur in a few places and nodded. "Yep, she's not shedding much, so a trim is the way to go. You look like you could use a haircut yourself," she said, pointing out a few hairs that were touching the tip of Ethan's nose.
"I could take care of that," Suzie said. "Are you going to introduce me to your friend, Daisy?"
"Ah! Sorry, Suzie. Suzie, meet Ethan. He's one of my Gramps' lab trainers. Ethan, this is Suzie, a top Pokémon breeder in grooming and nutrition who also happens to have a barber's license. And she's Brocks' idol." Daisy giggled at the last part.
"Ah, yeah, he did mention that once, didn't he?" Ethan hummed. "Nice to meet you, Suzie."
"Nice to meet you, too! Why don't we take care of the two of you, then we'll close shop for lunch?" Suzie suggested.
"Yeah! I know all of the good restaurants around here," Daisy said. "Do you have a preference, Ethan?"
Ethan thought about it for a moment before looking at Eevee. "I have been wondering how Eevee would react to waffles. Got any waffle houses around here?"
----------------------------------------
After a trim and a haircut, the group found a comfy, rustic-looking waffle restaurant that allowed Pokémon to dine with their trainers. They took a large corner booth and gave a waiter their order for the all-you-can-eat waffle special. Ethan brought out Jade, Sandslash, and Charmander. Daisy brought out her Clefairy, and Suzie sat with her Vulpix, who had walked with them to the restaurant.
Soft piano Jazz was playing in the background through the speakers in the ceiling, creating a nice, relaxing atmosphere.
"Your Pokémon look wonderful and healthy," Suzie began, "but your Charmander looks like he's seen better days. What happened, if I may ask?"
"...Ash and I recently rescued Charmander from an abusive trainer," Ethan explained somberly. "Charmander was near death when we found him, but he's almost fully recovered over the past week. Isn't that right, bud?"
Charmander happily crooned as Ethan rubbed his head.
"So, is he yours now?" Daisy asked.
"Yep!" Ethan grinned. At that moment, Eevee, Jade, and Sandslash butted their heads against him, drawing laughter from him. "Hey, calm down! I only have two arms!"
Suzie giggled at the sight. "I think I see why you're friends with him, Daisy."
The first round of waffles arrived, and all the rest of the Pokémon dug in. Eevee eyed the odd-shaped piece of bread in front of her with no small amount of curiosity.
"This is a waffle, Eevee," Ethan explained. "The fun thing about waffles is that they're made to be topped with whatever you want. Let me prepare yours with the toppings I like. First, we top it with some of this moo-moo whipped cream, then top that with fresh pieces of pecha and oran berries."
Eevee's eyes lit up, and drool started to pool in her mouth before she gulped and took a sizeable bite. She chewed with her eyes closed for a moment and swallowed.
After a few moments. Eevee jumped in place and cried happily, causing Ethan's right ear to start ringing from the volume of her cry. Ethan's senses went into overload, and he had to hold back a groan with how much joy Eevee radiated at that moment.
"Yeah, I think this is a hit," Ethan remarked, rubbing his head.
"I'd say," Daisy giggled.
The group ate, taking time between bites for small chatter. Ethan was mid-chew when Eevee pawed at his arm. When he looked over, he quickly swallowed to avoid choking on his food. Most of Eevee's face, other than where she could reach with her tongue, was covered in cream dyed with the juices of the berries from her meal.
"You made a bit of a mess of yourself, didn't you?" Ethan whispered, silently laughing. He used a couple of fingers to scoop some of the cream off her face and held it in front of her so she could lick it off. They repeated this a few times before Ethan wiped her face with a rag to get whatever was left in her fur.
"Vee, Eeveev!" Eevee said before looking at her plate and deflating when she realized there was nothing left.
"You're welcome! We'll have to do this again sometime," Ethan said. I haven't seen anything resembling Mexican food yet. Maybe we should try that next. Now I wanna see Eevee eating a taco.
"There's more waffles where that came from, Eevee! Just don't overeat again, and remember to eat slowly," Ethan reminded her as he took a waffle from the community plate and prepared another serving for her.
Eevee looked up at him with an expression that said, 'I know that!' before going back to her new plate.
Ethan smiled and scratched the base of her tail, where she wriggled in delight. Then he looked up at Suzie and Daisy's amused faces.
"...What's with the looks?" Ethan asked with a raised brow.
Daisy and Suzie looked at each other and giggled.
"Oh, nothing. It's just fun seeing you spoil Eevee," Daisy answered.
"Oi! Get your facts straight," Ethan rebutted with a serious face before cracking. "I spoil all my Pokémon because they deserve no less."
After everyone finished, Ethan paid for his team's portion and returned Eevee and the rest of his Pokémon to their balls. The group parted ways, though Daisy promised to watch for him and Gary at the tournament the next day.
After mulling over what to do next, Ethan decided to make a quick trip to the Police Academy to introduce himself and see if they had any study material for him. He figured it wouldn't hurt to start studying, just in case they had a written portion of the boot camp that Jarvis suggested he attend.
After leaving the academy campus, even though it was barely late afternoon, Ethan decided to head back to the Pokémon Center. He hadn't been to a big city in a while, and his aura sense was starting to give him a migraine from all the auras he could sense in the densely populated metropolis that amounted to a constant buzzing comparable to white noise.
Aspirin and meditation. That's what I need. Right after I get everyone else started on their training, Ethan thought with a grimace as he switched out his regular glasses for his shades to help block out the light that was beginning to aggravate his eyes.
A sudden, nearby spike of fear and distress made itself known. Ethan looked around for a moment before realizing what he felt and started running in the direction the feeling came from. Before long, Ethan found himself sprinting through an area full of warehouses. Though they seemed a little run down, there were more wild city Pokémon than humans around.
"Give me the fairy, kid, and I promise not to hurt you," a man, who sounded like he had way too much to smoke, said as Ethan stopped at a corner and focused his aura. The alley next to him had four auras he could pick out. The furthest was a young human cradling an unconscious Pokémon. The others felt like a poison-type Pokémon and an older human with less-than-noble intentions.
Ethan's heart started racing as he took out his Pokédex and sent out an SOS, making sure the signal went out before pocketing it. He then enlarged the Pokéballs on his satchel and pulled one off.
"I-I can't! I won't!" the boy cried.
The man sighed. "Well, I warned ya. Nidorino, poi-"
"Sandslash, defend with Rapid Spin!" Ethan yelled as he threw her Pokéball.
Sandslash appeared in a bolt of light between Nidorino and the boy, already spinning horizontally and deflecting the venomous needles harmlessly into the metal and concrete walls of the buildings on either side of the alleyway.
"What the fuck!?" The man yelled, turning around and revealing a red letter 'R' on the front of his black shirt.
"Return your Pokémon to its Pokéball and get on your knees!" Ethan ordered as he grabbed another Pokéball.
The Rocket grunt sighed in relief. "Whew, it's just another kid. Doduo, take care of the pest," he said as he threw a Pokéball.
"Jade, Electroweb!" Ethan called out as he released his butterfree. "Sandslash, Swift! Don't let Nidorino get anything past you!"
"Doduo, dodge that and use Fury Attack. Nidorino, Poison Sting that Swift!" the grunt yelled.
The doduo jumped forward and actually began wall-running as the Electroweb flew under them. Suddenly, the Electroweb changed course and tangled up its legs and necks, causing the pair of heads to cry in pain as they spasmed and rolled across the rough, eroded asphalt.
"Nice one, Jade! Keep 'em down with Stun Spore. Sandslash, rock and roll!"
The grunt looked back and forth between each battle, seeming to realize with increasing horror how much he underestimated the 'kid'.
Sandslash, having finished Defense Curl, began rolling in place and sped toward the Nidorino.
"Shit, shit, shit!" the Rocket grunt swore as Sandslash rammed into the Nidorino, sending him flying past his trainer and onto the twitching doduo. Both Pokémon were electrocuted for a moment more before they lost the will to fight, too exhausted to continue any further.
Ethan scanned the area with his aura sense again, finding, much to his relief, that the Rocket grunt didn't bring any backup. "I'll say this one more time. Return your Pokémon to their balls and get on your knees!"
The man looked between his incapacitated Pokémon and Ethan, openly gaping before sighing and returning his Pokémon. After that, he shrunk the balls to their travel forms and tossed them a short distance in front of him before getting on his knees and placing his hands behind his head.
Ethan nodded and stepped forward, picking up the Pokéballs and placing them in his pocket. "Jade, Sandshrew, please keep an eye on him. If he tries anything before the police arrive, hit him with a dose of Sleep Powder."
After the two acknowledged his orders, Ethan turned his attention to the boy, who was staring at him with wide eyes.
Ethan's face softened as he closed the distance and knelt in front of him. "You alright? Are you or… Marill hurt?" he asked as he identified the Pokémon the boy was holding.
The questions seemed to shake the boy out of his daze. "My m-marill got hurt pretty bad. Thanks for saving us."
Ethan smiled. "You're welcome. Let me take a look at Marill," Ethan said as he put his bag on the ground and pulled out a small pillow and hand sanitizer.
At Ethan's gesture, the boy carefully placed the water fairy on the pillow and scooted back a bit to give Ethan space to work.
Right away, Ethan noticed several Poison Sting needles sticking out of Marill's side. He pulled off his gloves, cleaned his hands, and then gently placed the back of a hand against Marill's forehead.
"She's got a fever, and her breathing seems labored. She's been poisoned," Ethan deduced as he pulled a few items from his bag. "Luckily for us, I've got Antidotes to spare. Before I can administer that, though, I need to remove these needles."
"Will she be okay?" the boy asked as sirens started to fill the air.
"I'm sure she'll be fine," Ethan said as he grabbed his forceps tweezers from his first aid kit. "I'll do my best to stabilize her so we can get her to a Pokémon Center. Do you have her Pokéball?"
The boy nodded, and Ethan started carefully extracting the venomous needles so that the tips wouldn't break off. After that process, someone knelt beside him, and Ethan looked up to acknowledge them.
"You're doing a good job so far, son," the EMT said as he offered the bottle of Antidote, which Ethan had previously placed on the ground.
"Thanks. Just glad the needles weren't barbed," Ethan said as he accepted the bottle and looked behind him to see that a few officers were cuffing the Rocket grunt and placing him in the back of a police cruiser.
"You all missed the fun," Ethan joked as he sprayed the Antidote over the Marill's wounds.
"I'm not really much of a battler, so that's the kind of fun I'm okay with missing," the EMT chuckled. "Are either of you in need of medical attention?"
"I'm fine. Just have a headache, is all," Ethan said as he set the bottle down. "Though I'd recommend giving," he paused, realizing he never got the boy's name.
The boy flushed as he realized he was being talked about. "M-my name is Evan."
"I'd recommend giving Evan a once-over," Ethan continued. The EMT nodded and gently guided Evan over to the ambulance.
Marill began to stir, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Ethan reached into his bag again and pulled out a couple of berries. "Easy there, Marill, you were poisoned. Eat this," he said softly, exuding calming waves of aura as he held a Pecha berry to her mouth.
Marill took a few ginger bites while Ethan held his other hand over her head, feeling her fever drop the more she ate.
If we had these berries back on Earth, people would lose their shit, Ethan thought with a sad smile, not for the first time, as he packed everything back into his bag, having to move Marill to his lap to pack his pillow.
After Marill finished the Pecha, Ethan moved her to his arms and handed her an Oran berry, which she was able to hold under her own power. "Let's get you back to Evan, yeah?"
"Ril, marill," she nodded tiredly before returning to nibble on her berry.
As Ethan carefully stood and began walking to the ambulance, he saw Sandslash and Jade standing off to the side conversing with a pair of growlithe. After a moment, Officer Jenny noticed Ethan was done administering first aid and walked up to him.
"You're the one that sent out the SOS, correct?" Jenny asked as she took out a notepad.
"Yeah, and I'm guessing you have questions," Ethan sighed, to which the officer nodded. "Let me get this little one back to her trainer, then we'll talk."
----------------------------------------
After answering questions, giving his statement at the station, and remembering to hand over the confiscated Pokéballs, Ethan was back at the Pokémon Center watching over his Pokémon, who were hard at work.
At least my headache's going away, he thought as he cracked an eye open to check on his Pokémon's progress. He decided that with the tournament tomorrow, everyone would train light tonight, just enough to get some exercise and work on refining some of their new battle-ready moves. With all the battles they had gotten in this morning, he felt this was justified for tonight.
At least Jade and Sandslash were doing light training. Eevee was determined to make up for the week or so of missed training sessions, and Charmander seemed equally motivated to catch up to the rest of his peers.
Seeing that everyone was still doing fine and that they weren't bothering the other trainers or Pokémon around, Ethan returned to his meditation. He turned his focus inward and began consciously circulating his aura through his body, pushing his exhaustion away and slowly reducing the ache in his head.
I'm pretty sure that this is aura healing, Ethan thought with a grin. Aura is so damn useful!
After a few minutes, Ethan jumped to his feet with a sigh of relief, then went to assist Eevee with her cooldown stretches.
"How's your leg feeling, Eevee? Good?"
"Eev vui!" Eevee nodded as she moved the previously bandaged leg around before holding it up behind her for her trainer. Ethan placed his right hand under her chest behind her front legs, gently grabbed the knee of her back-left foot, and slowly pushed it back, stopping for several seconds when he felt resistance. They repeated this several more times until her leg was fully extended.
"All good! Let's get everyone's stretches done, then head inside," Ethan said. "We'll retire a little earlier tonight to warm up early tomorrow for the tournament. You excited for that?"
"Vee! I- eev eevee- am!" Eevee cheered excitedly.
Ethan stared at Eevee for a moment, then smiled widely. "I understood a couple of the words you said there, Eevee! That's awesome!"
"Vee? Eevee!" Eevee jumped into Ethan's arms and nuzzled his chest.
Ethan's smile didn't waver. "Come on, Eevee. Let's finish up out here, then you can talk my ears off before bed!"
Eevee was fully on board with that idea.