After seeing off Ann, Liko parted ways with Jin and headed towards the girls' dormitory.

"I need to finish packing quickly."

Tomorrow, Liko and her Sprigatito would join Jin and his Pokémon on a journey. She was eager to get her preparations done.

"This is going to be fun, Sprigatito!"

"Meow!"

Not only was Liko excited, but Sprigatito also looked forward to the trip. It wanted to test out the techniques it had learned from training with Jin's Pokémon, especially the admired Sceptile.

"Ah, Liko, you have a visitor," said the dorm mother as Liko returned to the dorm. Next to her stood a young man in a suit, with hair colored in a striking black and white.

"Hello, you must be Liko," the young man said.

"Yes, that's me. Who are you?"

"I am a representative of your grandmother. I have a letter for you," he said, pulling an envelope from his inner pocket and handing it to Liko.

"A letter?"

(From Grandma?)

"What is this about?" Liko asked.

"I'll explain later. Your grandmother emphasized that you must bring your important pendant with you," he replied.

"Meow!"

Sprigatito suddenly started to growl and hiss as the young man approached. It seemed to sense something off about him.

"Sprigatito, that's rude! I'll go get ready. Please wait here," Liko said, chastising her Pokémon and heading to her room, closing the door behind her.

(No, no, no! Something's not right. Grandma sending a letter? That's strange! And...)

"Asking for the pendant? That's definitely suspicious!"

While Sprigatito's instincts sensed danger, Liko also felt a vague sense of unease. Making the young man wait outside to buy some time was a smart move. Liko retrieved the pendant from a box under her bed and put it around her neck.

(What should I do next... First... First... Oh, right! Jin! I need to call Jin...)

Liko took out her Rotom Phone and dialed Jin's number.

(Jin, please, pick up!)

After a few rings, Jin answered.

"Liko? What's wr—"

"Jin, help me!"

Liko immediately pleaded for help as soon as Jin answered. The mix of fear from the unknown threat and the relief of Jin answering her call drove her actions. It was understandable given the circumstances.

"Calm down, what happened?"

"There's a suspicious person at the dorm. He claims to be an acquaintance of my grandmother, but he seems really shady, and so..."

"Liko, where are you right now?"

"I'm still in my room. I've asked him to wait outside, but...!"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The timing made it clear that it was the young man from earlier. Acting quickly, Liko grabbed her backpack, exited through the window, and climbed onto the roof.

"Liko! Liko! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I think. The guy came to my door, so I went out the window and got onto the roof..."

"Stay hidden there. I'm coming over right now."

With that, Jin ended the call.

(... Jin)

Liko knew she had to wait for Jin to come to her rescue, but she couldn't shake off her anxiety. From below the building where Liko and Sprigatito were hiding, she heard voices. A woman in a black suit was talking on her Rotom Phone.

"Have you found her?"

"No. She must be hiding somewhere."

"This is troublesome..."

(That voice... it's the guy from before! So, she's his accomplice!)

"There she is!"

"Oh no!"

Liko, too focused on eavesdropping, leaned out too far and was spotted by the woman. Realizing it was impossible to stay hidden any longer, Liko and Sprigatito quickly descended from the roof. Unlike Sprigatito, Liko wasn't used to such physical exertion and landed with a thud.

"There you are!"

A man with spiky hair, also dressed in a black suit, appeared. Seeing Liko, he pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Go! Rhydon!"

"Rhydon!?"

"Meow!"

(Sprigatito looks ready! ... We have no choice but to fight!)

"Sprigatito! Show them the results of our training!"

"Meow!"

Seeing Sprigatito's determination, Liko decided to fight. The confidence gained from training with Jin's Pokémon gave her the courage to face the opponent.

(... Stay calm. First, observe the opponent.)

"Seriously, do you think your little Sprigatito can beat my Rhydon?"

"Rhydoooon!"

Rhydon roared, trying to intimidate Liko and Sprigatito. But after countless training sessions with Jin's Pokémon, such threats meant nothing to them.

"It's okay, Sprigatito. That Rhydon is nothing compared to Jin's Sceptile or Aggron!"

"Meow!"

"W-What did you say!?"

Liko wasn't trying to provoke her opponent. She was encouraging herself and Sprigatito, but it was also an undeniable fact. The overwhelming aura she felt when she first saw Jin's Pokémon was absent in the Rhydon before her.

"Don't mock me! Charge, Rhydon!"

Angered, the man's commands became simplistic. Rhydon obeyed and charged straight at them.

(... It's okay. We can do this!)

"Now! Use 'Leafage'!"

"Meowww!"

As Rhydon charged, Sprigatito unleashed a flurry of leaves that enveloped Rhydon.

"W-What is this amount of leaves?!"

To the man, this didn't look like 'Leafage.' It was so massive and powerful that he could easily believe it was 'Leaf Storm.' When the leaves cleared, Rhydon was on one knee, clearly damaged.

"Hold on, Rhydon!"

Responding to its trainer's call, Rhydon struggled to its feet, still able to fight but visibly injured.

(We didn't finish it off! What should we do next...?)

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Everything was a first for Liko: the first enemy, the first serious battle. The tension and anxiety threatened to overwhelm her. But then, Jin's words from their training by the lake came to mind.

"Liko, it's not bad to get passionate during a battle. But as a trainer, you must always stay calm and make rational decisions."

(... That's right. Jin always said that. I need to stay calm... That Rhydon has lower endurance than Jin's Aggron and is slower than his Sceptile... In that case!)

"Alright! Let's go, Sprigatito! Use 'Leafage' again!"

"Meow!"

Sprigatito prepared to attack once more.

"Damn it! Rhydon, defend yourself!"

The man, having seen the power of the previous 'Leafage,' knew that taking another hit without any defense would surely take Rhydon down. Rhydon crossed its arms in front of its chest, ready to block the attack.

"... Huh?"

"... Rhy?"

But this time, the 'Leafage' was much smaller in scale compared to the first. The man and Rhydon, expecting another overwhelming barrage, were caught off guard.

That moment of hesitation was exactly what Liko aimed for. The leaves from Sprigatito's attack slipped through Rhydon's defenses, hitting it squarely in the eyes.

"R-Rhy!"

"Damn it…"

The ability to adjust and control the power of 'Leafage' was a strategy Liko and Sprigatito developed to hit the fast-moving Sceptile. Jin had praised this tactic as an excellent way to confuse the opponent after showing the large-scale 'Leafage' first, making it highly likely to hit the target.

"Sprigatito, use 'Tackle'!"

"Meowww!"

With its vision impaired by the 'Leafage,' Rhydon was unable to dodge Sprigatito's powerful 'Tackle.' The attack hit Rhydon hard, knocking it over onto its back.

"No way… Rhydon…"

"We did it!"

(Wait, this isn't the time to celebrate!)

Although Liko wanted to celebrate her first battle victory with Sprigatito, she knew there were still enemies around. She quickly left the scene and climbed back onto the roof. However, her escape didn't last long.

(I'm trapped…)

"Stop!"

Behind her, the young man from the dorm and the other two were closing in.

"Hand over the pendant quietly, and we won't hurt you."

(Like I'd believe that…)

"That's not very convincing. Sceptile, use 'Bullet Seed.'"

"Wha…!"

'Bullet Seed' was fired from the sky, forcing the young man in the lead to back off. Sceptile and Jin landed in front of Liko.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Liko."

"Scep!"

"Jin! Sceptile!"

"Meow!"

"I've been looking for you everywhere."

Jin had gone to the dorm roof right after the call, but Liko was already gone, so he searched the area extensively.

"Sprigatito's battle with Rhydon made it easy to find you."

"Meow?"

The aftermath of the 'Leafage' attack had left a trail for Jin to follow.

"Who are you?" asked the youngest of the trio, addressing Jin.

"I should be asking you that. Why are you targeting Liko?"

"We're not interested in her. We only want the pendant."

"The pendant?"

Jin looked at Liko, noticing the pendant hanging around her neck, something she didn't usually wear.

"Why do you want this?"

"It's none of your business. Hand it over, and we'll let you go."

"You're looking down on us quite a bit, aren't you?"

While Jin was talking, Liko was clutching the pendant tightly with both hands. Jin glanced at her.

"Liko, is that pendant important to you?"

"Yeah... it's a charm from my grandmother."

"I see..."

From her reaction, Jin understood that it was indeed a precious item to Liko. His answer was clear.

"Sorry, but I can't give it to you."

"...I see. Don't regret it."

With that, the young man took a Poké Ball from his waist. Emerging from the ball was a humanoid Pokémon clad in a blue-purple armor, resembling a dark knight.

"Saww!"

(...I've never seen this one before.)

"Rotom, can you identify it?"

'Searching... searching... Ceruledge, the Fire Blades Pokémon. Fire/Ghost type. It evolved through the spirit of an ancient warrior imbuing old armor. It mercilessly slices its foes.'

(The type disadvantage... and that Ceruledge seems very strong.)

(Type-wise, we have the advantage... but the strength emanating from that Sceptile is considerable. I can't be careless.)

Both Jin and the boy assessed each other's Pokémon, recognizing that their opponent was a skilled Trainer. They understood that even a moment of complacency could decide the battle.

(I have to do it. I need to buy time for Liko and Sprigatito to escape.)

Determined not to be taken down easily, Jin prepared to instruct Sceptile. At that moment...

"I've found you!!"

A man with white hair, wearing a flight jacket, swooped in on a Charizard.

(What? Another one?)

"...Who are you?"

"What's going on?"

At this moment, Jin and the young man shared the same bewilderment, unable to hide their confusion at the sudden intrusion.

"That's my line. We're after that girl."

"We are too. Then let's settle this with a Pokémon battle."

(Ceruledge is Fire/Ghost type, and now there's a Charizard user. This could be bad.)

Both Ceruledge and Charizard had a type advantage over Sceptile. Of course, battles aren't decided by type alone, and there were many strategies to employ. But there was no guarantee that the Charizard user was an ally. If it turned into a three-way battle, the outcome was unpredictable.

However, Jin's worries would soon be put to rest.

"Bring it on! Hey you, protect that girl!"

"...Who are you?"

"I'm gonna battle this guy. See you later!"

The young man's companions tried to join the fight, but he signaled them to stay back.

"Use 'Bitter Blade.'"

"Charizard, 'Flamethrower.'"

Charizard's 'Flamethrower' was intercepted by Ceruledge's crossed swords.

"Ceruledge, 'Night Slash!'"

"Charizard, 'Dragon Claw!'"

The two Pokémon clashed fiercely, sometimes attacking on their own without waiting for commands from their Trainers. The ability to act independently in critical situations was a testament to their rigorous training.

"…Liko, let's go!"

"...…"

"Liko!"

"Ah! Y-yeah."

Jin and Liko turned their backs on the two battling trainers and headed toward the clock tower. However, one of the trio had somehow gotten behind them.

"You're not going anywhere!"

"...Persistent guy."

"Go! Skarmory!"

The man released Skarmory, the Armor Bird Pokémon, from his Poké Ball to block Jin and Liko's path.

"Liko, we'll hold him off. You go ahead."

"Jin… but—"

"Trust me, go!"

"…Don't get hurt."

Reluctantly, Liko left Jin and his Pokémon, heading up the clock tower to avoid being a burden.

"Damn it! Skarmory, don't let her escape!"

"Sceptile, use 'Double Team' to surround Skarmory!"

Sceptile created multiple clones, surrounding Skarmory and preventing it from pursuing Liko.

"Out of my way!"

"Sorry, that's not happening."

(We can't use powerful moves while Liko's close. We'll have to engage him with close combat moves…)

Using an attack like 'Leaf Storm' could potentially hit Liko and Sprigatito if they were behind the clock tower. That had to be avoided at all costs.

"Use 'Steel Wing'!"

"Counter with 'Leaf Blade'!"

***

Liko and Sprigatito had overcome the clock tower but faced a new problem.

(...So we have to jump across this...)

There was no path on the other side of the clock tower. The distance to the next building was considerable. To get away, they had to leap across it. Ordinarily, this seemed impossible.

"Meow!"

"...I know."

(I have to take the leap, or we'll be caught!)

***

"Drill Peck!"

"Protect!"

Sceptile completely defended against the attack from Skarmory, who was spinning its beak. Taking advantage of Skarmory's unsteady position, Sceptile leaped in close.

"Finish it with Thunder Punch!"

"What?!"

Sceptile's fist, charged with electricity, smashed into Skarmory, sending it crashing to the ground with a pained cry.

"Alright!"

"Damn it! I didn't expect Sceptile to use Thunder Punch…"

"It's for dealing with Flying-types."

As a Grass-type, Sceptile had five weaknesses: Fire, Bug, Flying, Poison, and Ice. To counteract these disadvantages, Jin had trained Sceptile to learn as many different types of moves as possible.

(Where's Liko?)

After defeating Skarmory, Jin spotted Liko behind the clock tower…

"Liko? What are you doing?"

For a moment, Jin was puzzled as he saw Liko preparing to jump to the opposite building.

(Can she make it?)

From where he was, Jin couldn't tell if she could make the jump. He had no choice but to trust her. But at that moment, bad luck struck. A Psycho Cut from Ceruledge, battling Charizard, missed its target and was heading straight for Liko mid-jump. Dodging in mid-air was impossible.

"Likoooooooooooooooo!"

All Jin could do was scream. Even if it was pointless, he couldn't help but shout.

Then, something happened that no one present could have predicted.

Liko's pendant suddenly began to glow, creating a protective barrier around her and Sprigatito, deflecting the Psycho Cut.

"Whoa!"

But the barrier only lasted a moment. It vanished quickly, and Liko and Sprigatito started to fall. If they hit the ground, they'd be seriously injured.

"Seriously, you sure like falling from rooftops."

"Huh?"

"Meow?"

Jin had caught Liko and Sprigatito. While everyone else was frozen in shock, Jin and Sceptile had already moved to the landing spot before the barrier disappeared.

"Jin… thank you."

"Yeah, what's the word for this? Déjà vu?"

"What?"

Déjà vu— the feeling that you've seen or experienced something before. Hearing that, Liko remembered. This was just like the day she first met Sprigatito.

"Ah! Not again! Put me down!"

"Alright, alright."

With a red face, Liko squirmed as Jin gently set her down.

(…I got princess-carried again…)

"Liko, it's not over yet."

"Oh! Right…"

Yes, although there had been an odd interruption, nothing had been resolved. They couldn't afford to let their guard down.

"Hey, that was pretty reckless of you."

The silver-haired man on the Charizard approached.

"But I like your guts."

(It nearly gave me a heart attack though.)

"Both of you, get on! I'll take you to a safe place."

The man extended his hand to them. There was no sense of malice in his gesture.

"…Jin, what should we do?"

Liko, unsure, looked to Jin for guidance.

"I think we can trust him."

"…Are you sure?"

"At least he seems more reliable than those guys."

The three people still glaring at them from the roof were far less trustworthy. Jin made his decision.

"Have you decided? Then…"

"No, we're good."

Jin took out a Poké Ball from his pocket and released the Pokémon inside.

"Let's go, Salamence!"

"Salamence!"

Jin returned Sceptile to its Poké Ball and climbed onto Salamence's back. He didn't think the man was an enemy, but there wasn't enough information to fully trust him yet. This was a precaution.

"Liko, Sprigatito, get on behind me."

"O-okay."

"Meow~"

"Hold on tight."

"Y-yes!"

Liko and Sprigatito followed Jin's lead, sitting behind him on Salamence's back and holding onto him tightly.

(So close… My heart is pounding. Jin's probably noticed…)

(…What is this? My heart is…)

Despite the situation, both Jin and Liko were unconsciously experiencing the confusion of adolescence.

"That's a fine Salamence! Alright, let's go!"

The man didn't seem to notice Jin and Liko's state, nor did he care about their cautiousness. He genuinely admired Salamence.

(…Well, this guy sure knows how to disarm you.)

"Sorry! We'll have to battle another time! Charizard, let's go!"

At his command, Charizard took to the sky, and Jin and the others followed. They had no idea what awaited them next.

---

Jin's Current Team:

- Sceptile

- Aggron

- Salamence

- ???

- ???

- ???

So, the third Pokémon is Salamence! Although it had a minor role this time, it will have more appearances in the upcoming airship scenes.

This was Jin and Liko's first battle. It was mainly Liko's battle, and Jin's part was written briefly, but I definitely want to have a serious battle between Jin and Amethio somewhere. Better luck next time to Zirc, whose team was completely defeated!

//End

//2.8K Words