"I'm happy to hear everyone is excited for the classes to come," the teacher smiled at the kids seated at their desks. "I know five years is a long time, but when you all get the chance to become trainers, it will be a moment you'll remember for the rest of your lives." neatening the papers in her hands, she began passing them to each student. "As we told you before, the past first couple of weeks will not affect your grades, but it's still important you all get your test results back. Most of you did fairly well for this early in, but if you didn't, try not to worry too much. We're only getting started, after all."

Five year old Gary Oak found his legs impossible to keep still as his eyes remained locked on the teacher passing the papers to each of his classmates. It almost felt like fate was mocking him; the longer it took for her to reach him, the more it started to feel like everyone else would get their test results first. His tiny legs kicked at the air beneath his desk, and almost subconsciously, he began working on a rhythm, as though that would somehow keep him entertained before the moment of truth.

He saw Ash get his paper next, then Angelina right next to him. There were only a few left, so it shouldn't be long now…

His heart skipped a beat when the teacher finally stopped in front of him. It was certainly less than five minutes, but his brain had not processed it as such. It felt like he had been sitting here for a whole hour, and the woman almost seemed amused at his eagerness.

"Well done, Mr. Oak." she spoke softly as her hand set the paper on his desk, and his eyes almost bulged at the score.

96… he had been so nervous taking the test, paranoid at every answer he wrote down… and he had scored almost perfectly?! For a while he just stared at the big number, the excited grin on his face only going away as he realized the teacher had started talking again.

/

"I must say, Gary," Mr. Henrod's words echoed in the young boy's mind as he sat at the cafeteria table. The bag of chips in his hands was being oddly uncooperative while trying to pull it open. "I don't think I've ever seen someone your age do so well this early on. At the rate you're going, I'm certain to expect great things from you."

Despite his frustrations with the bag of chips, Gary couldn't help the smile on his face. All of these Pokemon training lessons had been so fun, and he was so good at all of them! Every adult in the room would talk about how much promise he held, and how he could be just like gramps one of these days. It was super encouraging, and had him looking forward to every lesson and assignment.

Finally, the bag opened, and the spikey-haired boy's hands greedily reached in so he could start munching. The echoing chatter across the cafeteria drowned out the sound of footsteps, and he didn't notice Sarah until she had placed her tray next to his.

"Why do they keep serving tunaaa?!" the blonde-haired girl whined. "It's so gross!"

Gary tilted his head oddly at his friend. "But it's been three weeks." taking a bite out of his sandwich, he added after swallowing. "And I think it's the school that's the problem; I've had good tuna at home. The one Miss Ketchum made for me was also really good."

"Well, they should make it better." she huffed. "I'd rather go hungry than take another nibble of this junk." as if to prove her point, she took her sandwich and placed it on his tray, leaving only an apple and a small cup of pudding on hers. "Here, you like it so much, you eat it. I'll wait till I'm home digging into daddy's raviola."

"It's ravioli, Sarah." Gary corrected with a small frown. "And you'll have to get used to cheap food when we become trainers," he tried to remind her. "We won't be eating first class on the road, you know." Despite that, he accepted the second sandwich. At least the bread was good.

In getting to know the blonde girl, he had come to realize that she was quite the brat. Every other day either she or her parents would find something to complain about. To the school, to the ice cream shop, to the arcade, just about anywhere public, it almost felt. What was it Daisy called people like that? 'Snobs', if he remembered right. Was it because they were city people who had just recently moved into the much quieter town? A lot of people from the city seemed to be like that; looking down on the smaller places and preaching "bigger is better".

But Sarah was pretty. Really pretty. Beautiful, even. He remembered his eyes being drawn to her like a magnet when she first walked into the classroom, and before long he was quickly starting to find excuses to talk to the new girl. The developing familiarity had often gravitated the new girl towards him, and although his ears were constantly exposed to her whining, Gary found that he cared little. For all the times she complained to him, her complaints were never about him.

"Ugh, please don't start." the pretty girl moaned while opening her pudding (was she really going to go the next few hours with just that and an apple?). "Just because my big brother is a cool coordinator now, mommy says I have to be a trainer too. I love Pokemon, but I don't want to camp everyday!" sighing, she shuffled her feet before turning to him. "That's why you have to do it, right? Because of your grandpa?"

Gary quickly shook his head. "No, I WANT to be like gramps." feeling a surge of pride, he puffed his chest. "Gramps is one of the fastest Conference winners, and now he's the best researcher ever! And everyone says he could have been Champion if he hadn't switched. So, that's what I'm going to be!"

"A Champion or a researcher?"

"Gramps is already the best researcher, so I'll be the best trainer."

Her lips curled into a smile. "That sounds nice. Oh, and I heard you aced that test on the…" feeling awkward, she suddenly looked down at her tray. "On the…" her words hung in the air as she bit her tongue in bewilderment.

"It was on camping."

"Ugh! No wonder I forgot. But congrats."

"Thanks," and all of a sudden, the Oak boy felt his mood lifted as the memory of his conversation with Henrod replayed in his mind once more. "This morning Mr. Henrod says I'm going to be doing great things if I keep this up. I bet he'd say I can be Champion!" giggling a bit, he scratched his cheek. "I think everyone did pretty good on the camping test. Not as good as me, but I think we'll all be great trainers."

"Hmmm…" Sarah hummed for a moment, pudding-filled spoon pausing halfway to her mouth as she tried to remember something. "I heard Ash got a bad grade."

"Huh?" Gary perked up. Ash was one of the kids who would always show up whenever the Oak boy gathered their class to play pretend trainer games. Ash Ketchum was always energetic and happy, and Gary remembered him talking about how much he wanted to be a great trainer as well. His mother was such an incredible cook as well; like the Lance of food! "What do you mean?"

"I think Mark might have said it or something?" Sarah answered after swallowing her pudding. As if by accident, she glanced to the side and perked up. "Oh, he and Angelina are coming!"

Sure enough, a boy with muddy brown hair and a girl with blue pigtails were approaching their table. There were five seats and Gary and Sarah were the only ones there at the moment, so there was still plenty of room.

Mark and Angelina were two other kids who would always come to Gary's gatherings. Both were just as excited to be trainers as Gary was, although neither thought they would become the best. They were both pretty excited when hearing of the Oak boy's intentions, though.

"We needed to switch tables," Angelina explained as she set her tray down next to Sarah's. "Jake and Ash spilled their juices and it got everywhere."

"That's why you bring your own juice box!" Sarah replied a bit too loudly. "Daddy says they shouldn't be giving us drinks in cups, because they're too big for our hands. It just makes a mess!"

Gary had to admit he'd never thought of that before, so he offered his blonde friend a quick nod before turning to Mark, who had sat down next to him. "You said something about Ash doing bad on the test?"

"Oh, Ash?" With some effort, Mark unpeeled his banana. "Yeah, I was sitting next to him and saw his paper. He failed the thing on camping. Seemed a little bit bummed, actually."

"I didn't know that," Angelina commented after swallowing a bite of her sandwich. "When we were playing during recess last week he told me he failed the move quiz."

"That shouldn't count," Sarah huffed. "Pop quizzes aren't fair! They don't let you study first! Mommy calls it Sa… savo… uh…"

"Savotage?" Mark asked.

"Sabotage," Angelina corrected. "But I thought the quiz was pretty easy until he told me."

"It was pretty easy," Gary remarked. He barely remembered that pop quiz because it was so simple. The answers were Thunderbolt, Blizzard, Snowscape, Focus Punch, and Gyarados. "How did he fail it?"

"He said they were hard to remember," Angelina spoke with minor strain, as though trying to recall a past conversation.

"No they weren't," Mark shook his head. "I get the camping test, though. Who cares about camping, anyway? I just want to battle."

"Exactly!" Sarah agreed.

/

"Hey Ash, wait up!" Shortly after the school bell, Gary spotted the other boy in the crowd of dispersing kids in the hallway. For a moment, he was worried his friend couldn't hear him, but Ash thankfully looked back to see him shortly after. Adjusting the straps on his backpack, he stopped walking and turned to face the approaching Oak boy.

Not wanting to keep Ash waiting, Gary quickened his pace before stopping in front of his friend. A few passing students glanced at them curiously, but kept walking as Gary raised a hand in greeting.

"Hey Gary, what's up?" Ash's tone was one of casual familiarity. Though Gary was the grandson of the legendary Samuel Oak, these kids saw him nearly every single day. All eyes fell on him whenever he entered the room, but there was little stammering when addressing him. Gary liked that.

"I'm sorry for holding you up," Gary quickly apologized. From what he could tell, Ash's mom was always something of a doter, but he was sure she wouldn't mind him getting held up for a few minutes at most. Not if it was talking to a friend. "I just wanted to talk to you about something, really quick."

"Sure, of course." Ash quickly reassured, completely unbothered. "Did you need something from me?" The other kids were always down to do a favor or two for Gary.

"Not exactly, but…" Gary paused for a moment, suddenly finding mild difficulty in managing his words. 'Come on, Gary, this is important! You knew what you were going to say!' Regaining his tongue, he shook his head for a moment before looking the other boy in the eye. "It's just, I heard you did badly on yesterday's test. The one on Pokemon food, remember?"

As though a switch had been flipped, Ash's face fell. "Wait… who told you that?"

Quickly, Gary held his hands up to assuage Ash's concerns. "Jake noticed the score on your paper by accident; don't worry, it's not his fault."

In truth, Jake had peaked at Ash's test score because Gary had asked him for a favor. But Ash didn't need to know that; Gary was doing this for his sake, after all.

A mild pang of guilt made itself known in Gary's chest as Ash let out a light sigh, adjusting himself for a moment before returning the Oak boy's gaze. "Okay, it's… true, I guess."

"But that isn't that three tests in a row now?" Gary bit his lip.

"How did you…" Just before Gary's face could turn pale, Ash shook his head, brushing it off, and the Oak boy held back a sigh of relief. "Yeah, the past few tests have been kind of difficult. The pop quiz on moves was really hard and I wasn't ready."

Gary looked Ash over as the other boy's face fell further. Seeing Ash's reaction, a part of Gary almost regretted bringing it up. Almost. But he couldn't express his concerns without bringing it up, so he knew he was doing the right thing.

"But… What about your grades?" the Oak boy pressed. "You remember what Ms. Staridd taught us on Tuesday, right? 'Good momentum VS bad momentum'. If you keep on building bad momentum, you won't be ready for the Qualification Exam in a few years. And if you fail that you won't get to be a trainer."

Ash's eyes widened at Gary's statement, but he did not respond. Gary wasn't done talking yet, and he never needed to worry about the other kids interrupting him. He was so smart, that even the teachers sometimes allowed him to go on whenever he was on a roll.

"You said you wanted to be a Master, didn't you?" Ash silently nodded, and Gary put on an encouraging grin. "I want to be a Master too, you know. But I can't be one if I don't do well in school! I'm just worried about you. Not all of our classmates are looking for the big Leagues, but if you are, then you need to do better. Only the best in Indigo get to be at the Conference."

Ash didn't say anything; Gary still wasn't done yet.

"I mean, just imagine it!" Gary held his shaking fists in front of him, eyes glowing like a Draco Meteor. "We've seen what that tournament is like on TV! It's amazing! Incredible! And to be the best in the world, a trainer needs to be a part of it! I wanna be, you wanna be, some of our friends wanna be." giving himself a moment to breath, he lowered his arms, closing the distance a bit to place a hand on Ash's shoulder. "But that can only happen if we do well. That's 'positive momentum', like what Ms. Staridd said, you know? She's trying to tell us that if we want to be something great, we need to start out as something great. That way, we can continue being great once we've left town with our starters! You get it, don't you?"

Ash blinked for a moment, and Gary had a hard time reading the other boy's expression before his friend put on a smile. "Y-Yeah, I know all that."

"Good!" Gary nodded back at him. "As your friend, I'm just telling you that you need to fix this. Make sure you do better on the next test, okay?"

Turning to match Gary, Ash nodded. "...Alright, thanks Gary."

Gary beamed, both at Ash and himself as his friend walked off outside to where his mother was waiting.

/

"And, that's the story." Professor Oak leaned back in his recliner as seven year old Gary Oak stared in awe from his place on the couch. In between them was a plate of cookies and muffins that was mostly eaten at this point, coupled with two empty glasses of milk. "I was crowned winner of the three hundred and sixtieth Indigo Conference, and to date, it's my favorite battle I've ever fought." Gary's grandfather smiled fondly, clearly remembering times that were now ancient history, but forever cherished and, on some levels, maybe even coveted to return. "I'll tell you, I was certain Agatha had me dead to rights for a moment there during those last few minutes. It could not have been a closer battle unless Golem was on the ground right next to Banette."

"But you still won," Gary pushed.

"Yes," Samuel nodded.

"That's so epic!" Gary pumped both his arms downwards, fists clenched in front of him. 'I'm totally gonna have an awesome story like that after I win!"

"Yes, I bet you will." Samuel encouraged as Clefable removed both empty glasses from the table. The fairy type was clearly nostalgic as well; even though her part in the story had Agatha's Ninetales, Sage, dancing circles around her, the moment the battle represented was more than enough for her to view the memory fondly.

Gary, too energetic from his grandfather's exhilarating story, quickly found himself standing. His grandfather was the greatest in the world, and had been a successful trainer from his very first year. If he was already good as a rookie, Gary imagined he must have been good in school too. Yes, that was right: His grandfather had positive momentum going for him. Just like Gary himself now did today.

"Yo, gramps, that reminds me of something." Quickly getting a hold of himself, the boy remembered the question he had kept on forgetting to ask. He just barely remembered, what a relief: This was the perfect time to ask.

"Go on, shoot." Samuel nodded at his grandson's eagerness.

"Well, you see…" All of a sudden, Gary found his cheeks going red. What an embarrassment! "People say that if you had not quit training to become a researcher, you would have been Champion eventually."

"Hmmm…" Samuel hummed, drumming his fingers against the cushioned arm of his chair. "Yes, I have heard that plenty of times."

"Sooo, uh…" Gary was blushing again, but quickly did his best to shake it off. Did his best, at least. "Do you think…" his index finger poked the palm of his hand. "You know, that they're right?"

Professor Samuel Oak smiled thoughtfully at the inquiry. "Well, it's not like we could really say for certain. The title of Champion is considered 'beyond unreachable', as is the title of Elite Four. I did come close to beating Elite Four Alexandra, who was certainly a Master of larger than life capability, but to make all the way to the Champion's throne is too much of a hypothetical for me to say for certain." leaning forward a bit, he accepted a second glass from Clefable with a quick 'thank you'. "To answer your question, though… I will admit; I believed in my heart that I had a chance. That I had that in me."

"Do you regret becoming a researcher instead?"

"Not at all." Samuel's voice was firm as he shook his head. "Training and battles were moments that I'll never forget, but my number one pursuit was always the path of knowledge. To crack open the world of Pokemon and bring all of the mysteries that it offers to light, sharing them with everybody else to broaden humanity and Pokemon kind's understanding of this planet. Research was my calling, and success as a trainer was simply one of many steps to that." he sipped his glass for a moment. "In another life? Perhaps 'Indigo Champion Samuel Oak' would have been the name. And in that life, I imagine I would not have traded that for the world. But in this life? I feel the exact same way about 'Professor Samuel Oak'. That was my one, true destiny."

"And… right now you're basically the researcher's equivalent to a Champion, right?" Gary pointed out.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

That got an amused laugh out of his grandfather. "Ha! I suppose that may be an appropriate way of putting it."

Gary's grin was wider than ever, fists planted firmly against his hips. "Well… just you watch, gramps! I'll do it!"

"Become Champion you mean, correct?" Of all people in the world, nobody was more aware of Gary Oak's dream than his grandfather. Not that it was a secret to the rest of Pallet Town.

"Yeah, of course!" Gary pressed. "I inherited this from you, just like everybody says! If you're at the top of the research field, and chose not to become Champion in exchange for that, then I'm gonna use my potential to win the title you never did! Wouldn't that be something?"

"Sounds like quite the romantic tale," Samuel replied with easygoing posture. "But I won't deny it sounds like a strong motive."

/

The edge of Fuchsia territory was a place deliberately touched by few faint of heart travelers, and those who simply found it by losing their way likely would not find much more luck anytime soon. Crossing the border was like walking through an invisible portal, to a place where the road was harsh and the wildlife were equally unpredictable. Certain "claimed" areas of Fuchsia made for good stomping grounds for higher leveled trainers looking for the appropriate training environment, but those who weren't ready to brave the road ahead would find themselves overwhelmed in a myriad of ways. Because of this, Fuchsia City did not see many rookie visitors coming in from the north, and those taking the large bridge from near Viridian to the northwest would likely find themselves ill prepared for the Gym anyway.

It only made sense to set up a Pokemon Center on the border leading into Fuchsia territory, even if it was somewhat off the beaten path to be fully convenient for those looking to go in. It served a double purpose for travelers who have lost their direction to regroup, and not go even deeper. Benver's Lodging served a similar purpose, and with its somewhat more convenient positioning, it doubled as something of a hangout for more seasoned travelers.

Gary Oak had certainly felt like the odd one out walking into the place: his grandfather had warned him that the less "beginner friendly" an area was, the more judgmental those around him would be towards such rookies. A ten year old in a place like this could only mean one thing: he had wandered too far and gotten lost. In the eyes of most people looking the Oak boy's way, his presence was not a sign of boldness and bravery to challenge himself traveling to a place like this, or even a sign of recklessness; but a sign of incompetence for coming here by accident. The thought of a rookie venturing their way over here on their own, full intent was once in a blue moon, and the inexperience leading to a poor sense of direction was by fae the more plausible interpretation of his actions.

The thought mildly disgusted the Oak boy. He could tell what those teenagers were thinking just by catching sight of the lingering looks sent his way as he walked through the lobby and into the halls to find his room. But who did they think they were, turning their noses up to him!? The grandson of Professor Oak, golden child of Pallet Town and first to ever score perfectly on the Qualification Exam? Who already had four badges to his name well before the Season's halfway point? He was nothing like any of the other rookies, he was certainly much better now than these so-called "experienced trainers" had been at his age. He was (thankfully for them), too exhausted to say anything, simply leaving his team in the healing machines for a few hours while getting settled in his room. The next morning, he opted to eat breakfast there as well, rather than in the lobby; he simply was not in the mood.

"Is something wrong, Gary?" perking up from his chair, he saw Meditite seated at the table in front of him. Most of his team were still asleep, as he had woken up early, although Wartortle's shell leaned against the wall as the water type watched his trainer in stoic silence.

Gary regretted to admit to himself that he had not noticed Meditite at first; he had been deeper in thought than he realized. And he knew why. Every now and then, that battle would replay in his mind.

"I'm just…" Gary's fingers drummed against the table as a bitter taste touched his tongue. "I keep thinking about the last time we fought Ash, back in Celadon."

Ash Ketchum… when the hell had that kid of all people become such a thorn in his side? He shouldn't be this held up on a battle that he had won, of all things, and yet… It was him.

More bitterness found its way into the Oak boy's mouth. Him. The fact that he had beaten him for the third time in a row had barely even registered. All he could think about was how close they had come to losing. That they would have lost if things had gone even slightly different. And after how decisive things had been the first two times, what the hell had changed?

"That's still on your mind?" Meditite's voice was as gentle as it was careful. She was well aware that Ash Ketchum was a sore subject for their trainer, having been such ever since the run in back at Celadon. The smallest of frowns graced the psychic's face as she eyed Gary's features.

As though her words had pushed a button, Gary let out a deep, deep sigh that suddenly made his chest feel somewhat lighter. One of his hands curled as he looked out the window, observing the clouds as though trying to distract himself. With the increasing grayness, he may have to close the window by tonight. The forecast had made a fifty-fifty prediction…

"I know it's nonsense," he started, locking eyes with Wartortle before looking back at his psychic friend. His starter was still leaning against the wall, although Gary could tell he was listening as intently as he was looking. Wartortle was always like that, rarely using his mouth, but always using his ears. "You never saw Ash until Mt. Moon, but the kid's a walking fluke. He floundered his way through school and somehow lucked his way through the Exam. Our first battle exposed him for the fraud he was, he had no idea what he was doing. And we put him down in our rematch too." Breathing through his nose, he felt his fingers drumming against the table once more. "It was the same as it had always been between us, long before we got our starters. So why…" more drumming. "I keep asking myself how he could have come so close that third time. We were so far ahead of him for so long, and all of a sudden he comes up by a hair? After everything we did to keep getting better?" his hand curled again. "He couldn't have been improving faster than us, yet he's done better in every match we've had. So…" he bit his tongue. He couldn't speak the forbidden sentence.

But Meditite spoke it for him. "You're thinking that if a fourth match were to happen, he might win."

It was spoken out loud. Telepathically, at any rate, but either way, the words were now out there, no longer confined to his own thoughts. And hearing them, Gary suddenly felt the sweat as he fought back the paling complexion in his face.

"It really is as ridiculous as it sounds…" Gary trailed off after a moment, his sentence giving way to unsteady chuckles. "Two months ago, there's no way I even would have thought of it, and I know I shouldn't be thinking of it now. Celadon was a fluke, just like the Exam. I know it'd never happen again." he rubbed his forehead, fingernails somewhat digging into the skin. "But that's not the point. The thought won't leave me alone, no matter how untrue I know it is. It just keeps… staying there." he hissed those last words.

Ash Ketchum, Ash Ketchum, Ash Ketchum… the little prick wouldn't leave his mind; he'd been taunting him ever since he got stupid ninety on the Exam. One lucky grade and the walking failure had completely forgotten his place back in Pallet. He'd probably cheated his way all the way through the Exam and his journey.

Meditite's sympathetic gaze fixed onto her spiky-haired trainer as she crossed her arms and legs. It was a similar pose to when she meditated, and given the upcoming weather, she'd likely be doing so decently soon. She always enjoyed doing it during rain.

"Gary… maybe we need to prove it, then." After knowing she had his attention, she closed her eyes and continued. The pause was welcome; she still wouldn't be fully equipped for full-length conversions for some time. "If you keep… letting this gnaw at you, it's only going to keep coming back. Just remind yourself of that, and… once we see him again, we'll beat him again." Opening her eyes, she locked gazes with him and nodded. "That's how you can show that little voice in your head… that it was just a fluke."

Some of the tension disappeared from Gary's shoulders as her words sank in. Meditite was right; what the hell was he doing? Letting Ash freaking Ketchum of all people be the one to get stuck in his head. He needed to stop letting that tiny whisper in the back of his mind be the one that spoke the loudest. It shouldn't even be quiet; it should be silent, nonexistent. He knew who he was, and who Ash was. It was Ash who needed the reminder. To fall in line.

Standing up, his hand rested on Meditite's head, the psychic closing her eyes with a soft smile as he patted her. "Thanks for the… you know, reality check, buddy. I shouldn't be letting a little prick like him try and dictate my thoughts. We'll lay those to rest on the dot."

"I'm always there for you."

"Yes… you are," taking his hand off of her, he straightened his posture. "Now try and get some rest; you'll hurt yourself if you keep talking for too long. Good exercise, though."

Allowing himself a breath, Gary turned and walked closer to his bed. On the way, he locked eyes with Wartortle, who was still sitting against the wall, eyes on his trainer. The sight elicited a small grin from the Oak boy.

Ash Ketchum was like a leech. A needle digging into his skin. The thought of him was like both, snuggling in the back of the mind. Sooner or later, they'd be rid of that once and for all.

/

"Miltank, Iron Roll!"

Across from Ash stood another boy commanding the normal type, who ignored the painful gash on her face as she curled her body into a metallic ball and shot forward for Glaceon. The quadrupedal ice type leapt to the side to cleanly avoid the missile-like force of her attacker, only for the cow to immediately change direction without effort, once more with sights set on her. Glaceon dodged again, but Miltank was gaining speed, and once more changed direction in hopes of pulverizing her frosty opponent. The ice type's teeth clenched, a frustrated growl hissing through her teeth as she watched her opponent turn.

'All that momentum will leave Glaceon in bad shape if the attack connects, but if we could halt it all at once, the whiplash could leave Miltank dazed.' With that thought in mind, Ash quickly got his icy friend's attention. "Meet her, with Super Tail!"

Even as Miltank's metal-coated form once again shot forward towards her, now faster than both of the previous two attempts, Glaceon's legs launched her off of the grass straight for him. The velocity immediately took hold of her, pumping adrenaline throughout her blood as the distance was closed in an instant. Since evolving, she, with Quick Attack, was now fast enough to tail Pikachu when he used Agility, and the mouse found he stood no chance against her in a footrace otherwise. She had been as shocked by the exponential increase as she was by how used to it her body almost immediately seemed to be.

Her physical strength, however, had been boosted at least as much. As she and Miltank's rolling form came head-to-head, she swung the powered up Iron Tail with a force that Nebula's Reckless could not hope to match, and the impact of both metallic attacks was loud and grating as Miltank's momentum halted almost immediately. Losing her metal coating, the normal type cow lurched back, head-over-heels before collapsing into a sitting position on the grass in front of her opponent, gripping her head in a confused daze.

With her opponent momentarily unable to register anything, Glaceon performed a tiny hop as an Ice Beam left her mouth. Though not perfectly formed, the attack was still forceful in striking Miltank's belly, shooting a sharp, frigid pain throughout the normal type's body just in time for an Iron Tail to bash her over the head. A beam of red light returned Miltank to her Poke Ball as her eyes glazed over, losing consciousness. On the sidelines, Pikachu and Phenom both applauded, to which the ice type turned her chin upwards with a somewhat too satisfied grin.

After leaving Lavender, Ash and Janine had made a point to battle as many trainers as possible on their way to Benver's Lodging, and thankfully had found no shortage of opponents. Despite a few close calls, both trainers had maintained a streak, earning back the money previously spent and then some.

On Ash's end, although everybody saw action, the majority of the team's battles had been fought by Glaceon, Phenom, and Tempest, in what almost felt like something of a feedback loop. Eevee's evolution had brought on an ironic shift in the team; after all the effort she had put into catching up with her teammates (an endeavor she had most certainly succeeded in well before evolving), the freshly evolved ice type was now the one making everyone else feel as though they were under an eclipse. It almost reminded Ash of the time Nebula had first evolved; the very Pokemon that had defeated Eevee so soundly in the first place.

Glaceon's battles were won faster than anyone else's. Her legs carried her at a far greater speed than anyone short of Pikachu's Agility could manage, and the sheer force behind her attacks could only be rivaled by Nebula's Reckless ability, which itself was far outclassed whenever the time came to use Super Tail. With one stone, it was as though Eevee had left all of her comrades in the dust, and though such a fact acted as motivation for everybody, none felt it anywhere nearly as a certain crab. It had not taken Tempest long to request a match with the formidable ice type, and following his defeat, it had taken even less time for the water type to throw himself head first into any battle, trainer or wild, he had a chance to fight, although thankfully, he never picked a fight without his trainer's approval.

Phenom's eyes, however, were locked on the river crab, to Ash's close observation, and Tempest's resolve and worth ethic were quickly followed by a dinosaur-shaped mirror seeking to upstage him in every affair. If Tempest won a fight, Phenom wanted to win two. If Tempest smacked an opponent hard, Phenom would find one to smack harder. If Tempest pulled off a particularly memorable move in battle, Phenom would seek to impress just as strongly. It had not taken Tempest too long to catch on to his prehistoric teammate's pursuit of him, and although annoyance had not gone unfelt by the water type, it only took a little bit longer for him to take the unspoken competition just as seriously, not allowing himself to be upstaged by the Tyrunt.

The two had kept at it for as long as either of their bones would allow it, until both were soon to be capable of little other than rest. Ash permitted them to indulge for as long as it remained safe, but no responsible trainer would allow their team to continue past the point Phenom and Tempest were at when he finally benched them permanently. Although Tempest rested in his ball for the remainder of the trip, Phenom had been let out recently to watch Glaceon. Though the self imposed gauntlet the Tyrunt had put himself through put the aggression-fueled shift in his demeanor on full display, his old self would still make itself known whilst observing his ice type friend, although Ash could not tell if that was partially owed to him having spent everything on battle after battle.

Glaceon herself saw equally frequent battles along the road. The ice type quickly worked her way to a proud winning streak against an appealingly varied roster of opponents, even overcoming a couple of fighting types with her new, overwhelming speed and hard-hitting force. Her evolution had immediately opened the door for her arsenal, the effects of which were quickly felt, but would only be tapped into more and more in the coming weeks and months. She had essentially gotten Icy Wind for free, and Ice Fang proved not much more difficult to learn. Ice Beam and Chilling Water, through the combination of her natural biology and the guidance of TMs, were given promising starts, but would require more work. The former was more battle-ready than the latter, however.

Glaceon's biology in question would still require getting used too, however. What was once a fluffy, pillow-esque comforting coat of fur was now cold to the touch, as though winter itself resided in the ice type's new coat. Phenom was mildly disappointed that he could no longer comfortably snuggle against her (particularly since his typing made him more sensitive to the cold), but it did not take him too long to get over that, not as infantile as he once was. Glaceon would often have to remind herself of this, of course, acts of affection towards any given teammate needing to be performed with care.

As Ash's opponent prepared to release his second Pokemon, Glaceon dug her paws into the dirt, eager to extend her undefeated streak even further. The Pokemon that greeted her was an Azumarill, and as the aqua rabbit quickly turned to his trainer for instructions, Ash silently gestured for his friend to come over.

"Glaceon," kneeling down, Ash kept his eyes fixed on the water/fairy type newcomer as Glaceon approached him expectantly. "Some Azumarill have an ability called Huge Power, which gives them incredible space. Think Tempest's ability, but offense instead of defense. You understand?" she silently nodded. "Good… I don't know if that Azumarill has it or not, but our opponent saw how strong you were when you stopped Miltank as easily as you did, so he could be keeping that in mind." As Azumarill assumed his position, having heard whatever instructions his trainer had given him, Ash got ready to wrap up their quick exchange. "Also, some Azumarill have the Thick Fat ability. You dealt with that already with that Munchlax yesterday, but Azumarill is already resistant to ice, so those moves might be next to useless, even with your power. We'll get a feel for it, okay?"

Glaceon's expression had turned more serious (but not nervous) as Ash laid out the potential problematic attributes. Nodding steadfastly, she enjoyed a quick rub on the hand (Ash trying not to flinch too much from the cold touch) before returning to her position and fixing her eyes on her aquatic opponent. In return, Azumarill directed a quick glare towards her, but the expression did not last long as she sprang into action.

"Scald, Azumarill!" It was a clever tactic: Being an ice type, Glaceon would theoretically be more susceptible to the heat of the boiling water, even if it was not the same as getting hit with something like a Flamethrower or a Fire Blast. Ash's partner seemed no less aware of this than him, quickly dodging the stream with a clean, admirable sideways leap. "Aqua Jet and Iron Tail!"

'We'll feel out their strength.' Ash seized the opportunity as Azumarill surrounded himself in water. "Glaceon, Iron Tail!"

Both combatants shot forward, Glaceon moving a decent bit quicker, but her opponent not failing to impress. The two Iron Tails clashed as the grass enjoyed a comfortable drizzle from liquid of Aqua Jet, and Glaceon, grinding her teeth, immediately felt the resistance behind her opponent's strike.

Azumarill's Iron Tail was strong, enough to where she regretted not using Super Tail instead. Perhaps he did have the Huge Power ability as Ash suggested? Or was he capable of threatening her without such a thing? The thoughts raced through her mind as she struggled to push him back, but her opponent's trainer followed up faster than Ash.

"Brick Break!" Using his tail as leverage, Azumarill pushed off of Glaceon and whirled around to drive his fist into the side of her chin. The impact was agonizing, and the shock prevented her from crying out as she tumbled sideways away from her opponent. Her body was tumbling fast, too, and as she worked her way back to her feet, it began to register how far her body had been launched. "Scald, again!"

The upside to that was that she was not close enough for her adversary to land an easy follow-up hit, and the time it took took for Azumarill to position himself for a second stream of boiling water provided herself with a valuable moment or two to shift her body to face him once more, and regain some of her composure. Her jaws burning from that previous strike, and had she still been an Eevee, she regrettably doubted she'd even be conscious. But evolution had been a boon for her durability as well. In the plentiful battles she had fought since Lavender, she found she could shrug off hits better than anyone on the team short of Tempest, and according to Ash's prior research, Glaceon were deceptively durable creatures.

No Pokemon since her evolution had inflicted this much hurt on her in just one single attack as the Azumarill now preparing to bathe her in Scald, but it was far from enough to put her down.

"Quick Attack, circle him!" Ash regretted to admit he had been alarmed by Azumarill's dominant display of brute strength, but it at least provided them with a clue, even if it confirmed very little. He wouldn't be so arrogant as to assume that no Pokemon around these parts could match Glaceon's might without an ability like Huge Power. Nonetheless, this would require care, especially after taking such a big hit.

Borderline at the same moment the Scald had left Azumarill's mouth, Glaceon took off running. Zipping across the makeshift battlefield with a sharp curve, the ice type covered her ground at an astonishing pace, already in the process of circling her alarmed opponent.

Azumarill's trainer was significantly less alarmed, however, composure fully maintained as he shouted "Meet them with Aqua Jet and Iron Tail!" Quickly getting over his brief shock, Azumarill launched himself off of the ground in the opposite direction, performing a sharp curve of his own to put himself on a collision course with the ice type. Not allowing herself to fall victim to the same tactic twice in a row, Glaceon jumped as the two approached one another, her legs carrying her off of the ground and over the Aqua Jet like a fast approaching hurdle. Upon landing, she slid to a stop, glaring to the side at her opponent as he stopped on the opposite end. "Once more!"

'They're committing to it.' Ash watched Azumarill submerge himself a second time, once more becoming an aquatic missile as he launched himself at Glaceon. "Full speed, Super Tail!"

Once more, Glaceon organically slipped into Quick Attack, now charging Focus Energy through her Iron tail as the two attacks clashed. This time, although Glaceon still felt the force behind the opposing tail, and grinded her teeth all the same, she pushed back against her foe's momentum, and Azumarill yelped as his advance was halted moments later, water splashing all over the grass as he was sent tumbling onto his bottom. With not a moment spent, a Shadow Ball found its way from Glaceon's jaws to her opponent's stomach, knocking him back with a pained cry.

"Perfect! Iron Tail, then Ice Beam!" With just as much speed as before, Glaceon bounded her way across the grass towards the aqua rabbit. Though he swung another Iron Tail to meet her own, the speed and momentum behind her advance had forced the stationary Azumarill into an uphill battle that he easily lost, once more rolling across the dirt as the ice type pushed him away. Not missing a beat, she sent an Ice Beam into his stomach next, even as her trainer gave his next and final command while the attack was still leaving her mouth. "Super Tail!"

A direct hit from Eevee's Super Tail was an agonizing blow that only Nebula's Reckless ability could dispute in pure, raw power and pain, almost a certain death sentence for whoever was on the receiving end if landed in the right place. When Glaceon used it, the might was untouchable. What was already a devastating knockout punch could not compare to what it had now become, just the same for all of the boons granted by the Ice Stone.

Azumarill had still not been given the opportunity to brace himself for the fatal blow that struck his body, and Ash himself could not help his wince as the aqua rabbit was launched far, well out of bounds from the unspokenly agreed upon area. Lying face first in the dirty grass, he was completely motionless.

/

"That was incredible, Glaceon! Here, eat this real quick."

Once Glaceon was finished swallowing the oran berry, almost immediately feeling the pain in her jaw lessen, Ash endured the cold touch of her fur to place a hand on her head. The most beautifully soothing of purrs escaped the ice type's throat as she closed her eyes, lips stretching into a relaxed grin.

Their latest opponent had paid them well, and offered compliments that Ash had been quick to return. Incidentally, Azumarill and Miltank's trainer was coming directly from Benver's Lodging, having spent the night there after losing his way (and would be staying there again to shelter the incoming weather), although he had expressed some surprise in learning that Ash and Janine were headed there deliberately. Nonetheless, he had informed the pair that they were close before turning around and hurrying off.

A happy call from Pikachu directed Ash and Glaceon's attention to him and Phenom, who were both quick to praise the ice type as Ash turned to Janine, Ivysaur, and Toxtricity, the trio having hung back a bit.

"I think he speaks wisely," Janine offered as Ash approached her, angling her head up to the sky. The gray clouds had grouped together to block out almost all views of blue, and had become quite thick in addition. Though they still had daylight in theory, the coming storm had darkened the area a fair bit. "The moisture in the air is getting a lot more… undeniable, and it won't be long before the sun starts setting anyway." she returned her gaze to him. "By then, I imagine we'd already be drenched."

He nodded in agreement. "We'll bike the rest of the way, see if we can beat the rain. Hey, everyone!" His voice grew mildly authoritative as he turned to Pikachu, Glaceon, and Phenom to call out to them. The trio immediately directed their attention to him. "We're moving out now before the storm hits, and we won't be on foot. Pikachu, you can ride in the basket if you want, but I'll have to return you two." Phenom, once a perfect fit, had begun growing too big for the bike's basket at this point. All three Pokemon nodded as Ash reached for the dinosaur's Poke Ball, as well as Glaceon's.