"AWESOOOME!" Trucy gazed at the Boulder Badge through the screen in awe as Delia patted her head.

After checking in Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant to be looked over by Nurse Joy, the boy had rushed over to the video phones to call Delia as quickly as he could. He had been delighted to find out that he had caught her on a morning where she had been asked to look after Trucy for the day.

Delia's eyes had the slightest hint of tears in them as Ash had delivered the news, but she kept it together as she beamed at her son.

"I'm so proud of you, Ash! And in only half a month! Professor Oak says that's really rare."

Ash's face mirrored that of Delia and Trucy, and the young boy briefly feared that his grin would split his face open.

"It was really, really, really tough." he emphasized, feeling the relief washing over him about how the battle was finally over. "There were so many times where I felt like I was going to lose."

"Was he that tough?" Trucy asked, settling down still smiling nonetheless. "What Pokemon did he use? Oh! And you?"

"Geodude, Rhyhorn, and Onix. In that order. I used my Starly Nebula, my Ralts Valiant, and Pikachu."

Delia's eyes widened a bit. "Onix? I didn't even realize they had one of those."

"Yeah, I was pretty shocked too. Took everything Pikachu and I had and more to beat that thing." he grimaced. "Pikachu's ears are probably going to be sore for a while. That thing's roars were loud."

"Yeah I'll bet. Speaking of which, how is your team doing? They're not with you right now."

Ash sighed. "They… got beat up pretty badly. I think Nebula got the worst of it. I owe her an apology."

Delia frowned sympathetically. 'I don't want to sound cynical but… you're going to have to get used to that. These battles aren't going to be getting any easier."

"Yeah, Brock himself said that…" Ash trailed off as a frown on his own appeared.

What happened to Nebula was pretty much going to become the norm at this point. Even as they grew stronger, their upcoming battles would all grow in intensity. And based on what he knew, Brock wasn't even close to being the most ruthless Gym Leader in Indigo. He had no way of knowing just how merciless all of the others were going to be.

Images of Nebula's injured chest flashed in his mind. Moments like that would become the norm. It was a scary thought. Many trainers just couldn't handle it. Especially rookies. It was one of the may reasons why beginners rarely even reached the Conference in the first place.

As if the lack of experience wasn't already disadvantageous enough, the sight of such a brutally battered and beaten Pokemon on a trainer's own team was just about as demotivating and morale reducing as it gets. And Ash himself had almost fallen into that trap.

But he knew that he couldn't let that discourage him. At the same time, however, he wondered how his team felt about that.

Now that the battle with Brock was over, Pikachu, Nebula, and Valiant all knew exactly what professional Pokemon training was like. Now that they had officially challenged a Gym, they had all officially entered the world of professional Pokemon training. Was their resolve any different after finding out about just how brutal it actually was? It was one thing to simply hear about it, but to actually experience it for yourself…

He shook the thoughts from his head. He didn't want to look glum in front of Trucy. The young girl was already starting to look a bit worried by his saddened facial expression.

"Hey, so you two wanna hear about how the battle went?" he asked as the smile returned to his face.

Trucy's eyes were practically shining as Delia nodded happily, and Ash began giving them a rundown of the battle. It was all still very fresh in his memory, and he doubted that he'd be forgetting it any time soon.

/

Nurse Joy had given him a rundown on the conditions of his team.

There was both good news and bad news to this. They would all be recovering by today, but it would take until midway through the afternoon at the very least. And hearing about just what his team had gone through had especially upset him.

Nebula was the most obvious example. Her chest would be sore for the next couple of days. Her bones had been broken, which would have taken a devastatingly long time to heal had it not been for the regenerative technology that the Center had access to. Several tissues also had to be replaced via modified Ditto cells, And until she was no longer sore, she could not battle or train. Beginner level Pokémon such as her were much more susceptible to injuries that would take a longer amount of time to recover from, as even high level Pokemon that received injuries of similar intensity could usually come back from it after a day or two: the only reason big, high level tournaments like the Indigo Conference could possibly function properly. Ash wasn't entirely aware why. He wouldn't be too surprised if especially advanced healing equipment were in place during tournaments such as the Conference, but apart from that, perhaps a Pokemon's natural regeneration just functioned a lot more quickly the more developed that they were?

Either way, Nebula would be out for a while, and Nurse Joy had recommended keeping her in her Poke Ball as much as possible. Letting her out on occasion would be very important to make sure that she stayed active without overexerting herself, but for the moment, she was to spend the majority of time in her Poke Ball while her body healed itself further.

Valiant had nearly suffered a concussion from his fight with Rhyhorn, making it a miracle that he was even able to use his psychic type moves or even continue to fight in general. Unfortunately, the fact that he had continued to use such moves despite the head pain had been very mentally taxing for him. psychic type moves were, of course, powered by the mind. By continuing to use them despite the minor head injury, Valiant had effectively been inflicting even more pain upon himself: the pain in his head only increased the strain of each Move.

Nurse Joy had told Ash that Valiant shouldn't be using any moves for at least a day once he recovered. He was, however, permitted to be out of his Poke Ball regularly if he wanted to be. Laying down every now and then was recommended, however; he still needed the extra rest.

Finally, there was Pikachu. The least damaged of the trio, he simply had burns and cuts that would be healed traditionally by the Center's technology. Although Pikachu had come out of the battle with Onix far from unscathed, it hadn't been nearly to the same extent as the blunt force trauma that Nebula had suffered from, or the mental strain that Valiant had put himself through. What Pikachu had suffered from had been, for the most part, standard battle injuries by beginner Pokemon standards. It wouldn't be an abnormal recovery.

Despite his relief that his starter Pokemon was going to be just fine, Ash couldn't help the guilt that overcame him regarding both Nebula and Valiant.

He was the one who wanted to become the best. And yet… it was his own Pokemon that ultimately did the suffering for them. What did he even do for them? Apart from giving out orders from the safety of his standing position behind the barriers? Did all Pokemon Trainers feel this sort of guilt?

Ash needed to prove to them that it was worth it. That his own goals were worth their efforts. They put at least as much effort as himself, if not more, given that they were the ones who were actually battling. And as their Pokemon Trainer, it was his job to convince them that he had earned their efforts.

But only if they actually still wanted to do this.

If they wanted out and no longer wished to get involved with this stuff… maybe even wanted to leave outright? Who was he to stop them? At the very least, he hoped that they would still stay on the team, regardless of whether or not theys till wanted to battle, but… If they just wanted to leave…

"Ummm… excuse me?"

The young boy perked up.

Right now, he was sitting in the Center's waiting room. This one was similar to Viridian's, except there wasn't nearly as much glass making up the walls. The glass ceiling, however, was still present.

Still a couple of hours remained until his team was projected to be ready. Pikachu was good to go, and Ash was fumbling around with the young mouse's Poke Ball in his hand. Nebula and Valiant still needed more time.

Right now, he was trying to read the latest issue of Inside Indigo's Tech, but constantly found himself distracted by his thoughts.

The voice had snapped him out of that, though, as he looked up to see the source of it.

It was a young girl with short, red hair. A Sentret stood next to her, fidgeting constantly as though it were a habit. Behind her, a taller, somewhat lanky boy with blue hair stood alongside what Ash recognized as a Tyrogue.

The girl was frowning, her voice timid and uncertain. The boy seemed significantly more relaxed, although his Tyrogue seemed to be staring off into space, as though it wasn't aware of, or simply didn't care about, its own surroundings.

Ash was caught off guard. This was the second time somebody his age had approached him unprovoked like this. Suddenly feeling awkward, he adjusted in his seat as he looked between the newcomers. "Ummm… yes?"

The girl seemed to turn skittish all of a sudden, her cheeks reddening as she looked back to the boy, who merely sighed before stepping in front of her. He wore a relaxed smile as he looked down at Ash, in stark contrast from his nervous companion.

"Sorry to bother you. She's been wanting to speak to you for a bit but was too nervous. We were just hoping we could ask you something."

Blinking, Ash put the magazine down and eyed the boy carefully. "Oh… um… yes?"

Rubbing the back of his neck bashfully, the boy spoke. "You see… we sort of overheard that you beat Brock. We've been trying for the past few days or so and have both lost to him twice. We were just… you know, hoping for some pointers? If you've got the time, I mean?"

Ash was thrown. These two… wanted help from him?

He felt his cheeks reddening a bit, but tried to fight it off.

This was it. He'd been meaning to try and mingle with the trainers here for some time now, but he'd been hoping that he would eventually work up the courage to take the initiative. This basically felt like a repeat of Janine, where once again it was someone else who had to do it for him.

He couldn't think about that right now, though. These two kids actually wanted to talk to him. What's more, they actually wanted his help. He couldn't remember anything like this happening at Pallet Town…

It felt… different. This wasn't like his peers back at Pallet Town looking down on him. This wasn't even like Janine trying to console him after an awful day, as much as he had appreciated her gesture. These two… actually wanted him to help them?

It felt… foreign. Something that didn't belong with him. But it made him happy, he suddenly found. The fact that his input was specifically being requested. They weren't even settling for him, they actually wanted his help.

Putting on his best smile (and hoping he did a good job) Ash nodded at the two. "Sure. I have a couple hours before i need to be somewhere after my team gets healed up, so I'll see what I can do." They still needed to visit Elacia after Ash was done talking to his team and buying them treats to celebrate their victory.

The girl beamed while the boy reached out to shake Ash's hand.

"You see, Emily? I told you there wasn't anything to make a big deal about." as the girl blushed in embarrassment yet relief, the boy gave him a thumbs up. "Oh yeah, I'm Rick, by the way."

Taking his hand, Ash match's Rick's thumbs up with one of his own. "Ash."

/

Ash and the two fellow rookies spent the next two hours discussing what Rick and Emily's plans for Brock were.

As Ash learned, the two fellow rookies were actually both from Blackthorn City, but had chosen to be teleported elsewhere due to their home city not being a suitable starting point for beginners. They had chosen to go to Viridian in order to head over to Pewter, as they each wanted to check out the museum. The two were classmates back at school, and their class had made a mutual agreement to pair up with one another to make traveling easier. Apparently duos were determined by a drawing. Sentret and Tyrogue were both their starters, but, although Sentret had been near Emily and Tyrogue had been near Rick, Ash had eventually learned that Tyrogue was actually Emily's starter, and that Sentret was Rick's starter, and not the other way around.

Rick currently had a team of Sentret, Bellsprout, and Butterfree, while Emily had a team of Tyrogue, Growlithe, and Eevee. Ash wasn't too surprised to find out that Brock hadn't been using the exact same team of Pokemon against them as he had against him: he had used Geodude against Rick and Rhyhorn against Emily, but had also used a Pokemon called Cranidos against the both of them. According to Rick (and greatly emphasized by Emily) it was a rock type that could move really fast and strike hard with powerful Headbutt attacks. It could also attack at long range with Flamethrower, making it very difficult to keep it off of their toes, as even at a distance they were not safe. And thanks to its speed, maintaining distance was already quite hard anyway.

On their first attempt, each of them had gotten easily defeated by just Brock's first Pokemon alone. On their second, most recent attempt, they fared better, taking out Brock's Pokemon after losing one of their own. However, at that point, their second Pokemon was already injured and exhausted, and Cranidos easily finished off the battle.

Although Ash had emphasized to both of them that he had only barely beaten Brock, and that he had very nearly lost several times over, both of them were eager to hear his advice nonetheless. Ash wasn't entirely sure just how much advice that he would be able to give; as they both had very different teams than himself and weren't going up against the exact same opposition as himself either. Nevertheless, he did what he could, and described the training regiment that he had given his team. Emily seemed particularly interested in the mobility training that he had given Pikachu: Apparently her Growlithe was really fast but couldn't traverse the terrain properly. The female, Fire-Type canine Pokemon had kept losing her footing while trying to run at full speed which left her vulnerable to Brock's powerful attacks.

The girl had perked up when Ash suggested that she spend at least a few days getting Growlithe to train in traversing rocky fields before challenging the Gym again: suggesting that Growlithe's speed could potentially counter Cranidos after the Pokemon learned to maneuver around the rocks correctly. This would also benefit most of the Pokemon that were currently in their group.

Apparently, Rick's Sentret was having a hard time mastering Iron Tail, which was yet another thing that Pikachu could probably help out with. Realizing that the mouse would be the perfect training partner for these two, Ash had promised Rick and Emily to meet up with them tomorrow morning, so that he could show them where he had trained at Nurse Joy's suggestion, and so Pikachu could assist their teams in practicing. It would give the young mouse something to do, as Nebula and Valiant would both be needing their rest.

Not to mention, it would give Ash some extra chances to interact with a couple of other trainers, as an added bonus. He found that he liked these two quite a bit. Much like Janine, they were infinitely more approachable towards him than any of the other kids at Pallet Town could have hoped to have been. Not to mention they actually seemed very eager to get an extra opinion on how they had been approaching the battles with Brock. They knew that fighting Gym leaders was really hard and how much they needed improvement in order to close the gap. They certainly weren't arrogant. Nor were they making excuses for their losses like certain rookies stereotypically did.

Rick had been pretty open with him right from the start, and had quickly settled into the conversation as he and Ash exchanged potential ideas. Emily had taken a bit of time, and was clearly the shy one of the two (almost reminding Ash a bit of himself in fact), but it wasn't too long before she had grown used to Ash's presence, and as she came out of her shell, her personality practically changed. Apparently, according to Rick, she just wasn't good with strangers, but as she grew more comfortable with Ash being around, she was suddenly cracking jokes that had left his ribs hurting. Although she had stayed standing at first (while Rick had quickly sat down next to Ash), as she opened up, she had quickly taken the other seat next to Ash, flashing him a cute grin that could give Trucy a run for her money in terms of friendly aura. It wasn't too long before Ash suddenly found himself wishing that he had grown up with people like these two in his class.

Ash himself had surprisingly found that it didn't take too long for him to get comfortable with them. It was pretty much a sure thing after Emily had started firing off with her jokes, but Rick's easy going demeanor had quickly reeled him in as well.

He had also given them a rundown on how his battle with Brock had gone, warning them about Onix just in case.

After giving them a few basic ideas and making plans to meet up with them in the morning, Ash had received word from Nurse Joy that Nebula and Valiant were both ready.

After heading back up to his room, Ash let out a deep sigh as he prepared to release his team.

The trio appeared before him in three bright flashes of light. The three of them exchanged greetings with one another as Pikachu and Nebula quickly nuzzled each other.

While Nebula and Valiant looked up at their new Trainer expectantly, Pikachu was in a much more pleasant mood.

That's right, Pikachu already knew the outcome of the battle, unlike Nebula and Valiant.

"Hey…" said Ash unsurely as he kneeled down to face them better.

Pikachu gave Ash a grin before looking to his two teammates, obviously wanting the boy to give Nebula and Valiant the news.

The eagerness in the young mouse gave Ash a sense of optimism. He wasn't sure how Nebula and Valiant felt, but it seemed like Pikachu was still committed to this.

Smiling now, Ash announced in a happy tone. "We won."

At the news, Nebula and Valiant immediately perked up with joyful cries. Ash's grin grew as the mood in the room quickly grew ecstatic.

A whole week's worth of training had paid off for them in the end. Just about everything that they had worked on had played a role in the fight, and, by extension, their victory.

Nevertheless, the thought at the back of Ash's mind lead to him cutting the celebration short. He still needed confirmation from all of them.

Now that they knew what it was like to be involved in this kind of training… was this really what they wanted?

Raising a hand, Ash slowly silenced his team as he eyed them seriously.

"Listen… I know that fight was brutal for all of you. And I can't sugarcoat it… it's only going to get worse from here. I know this is asking a lot from all of you so… if any of you want to stop, I'll understand."

He really would. Seeing their injuries, especially Nebula's, had been a really big wakeup call for him. This wasn't like the Spearow incident where Pichu had been injured because Ash messed up. This was something much more unavoidable than that.

Before doing anything else, Ash needed to see if the battle had changed their mindsets.

The three Pokemon looked between each other, exchanging curious looks, as though they were trying to figure out what each other was thinking.

Pikachu and Valiant were both the first to step up, but Nebula quickly followed. Seeing the determined looks on their faces, Ash couldn't help his didn't want to waver, so neither did he, either. He really didn't deserve them.

/

Ash placed a gentle hand on Nebula's chest, the young bird perched on a desk in the room. Pikachu watched a few steps away from Nebula, while Valiant sat on the bed watching a breeding show.

When Nebula winced, Ash immediately decreased the pressure that he was putting on her, sending her an apologetic look.

"S-...Sorry, Nebula." he frowned sadly at the bird, who didn't seem unhappy with him, but still remembered the fight glumly. "I really thought you'd be able to win."

Geodude had been a pretty disadvantageous matchup for her. They had to knock him off balance just to get a Steel Wing in, but all of that had immediately gone out the window the moment Brock had figured out a way to counter Wind Blast. Ash cursed himself for not being able to think of a different strategy. As Brock had pointed out, he had essentially used the same tactic repeatedly and expected it to always work.

In fact, he'd made a fair share of bad oversights in his time as a trainer. Nebula getting hurt when fighting that Venonat, and the fact that he never thought to teach Pikachu to evade attacks while practicing mobility until Elacia had pointed it out…

He was still only starting out, but he really needed to up his game and plan ahead more. It was the only way to prevent more incidents like this. What had happened to Nebula was a result of his own shortcomings as a trainer.

Although Nebula seemed unhappy about how the battle had ended, she sent her trainer a reassuring gaze as Pikachu patted her back reassuringly.

"We'll keep working on your Reckless Ability." Ash promised. At Nebula's nod, he smiled.

If she had been able to activate the Ability, they might have been able to win. Obviously, he had no way of knowing that for sure…

/

The downtown section of Pewter City didn't have any of the significant locations that the city was famous for, to Ash's knowledge. The Gym and the museum were both elsewhere, as was the Pokemon Center.

But after looking at the address on the card, and getting additional directions from the police station, Ash found that it was where Elacia had chosen to set up shop during her time in the city.

Although her main location of business was at Celadon, she had minor shops elsewhere, likely for when she needed to do business outside of her home. Ash wondered how often that was for her, given he didn't know the full details on what her work entailed.

Pikachu was perched atop his Trainer's shoulder, and seemed content with a smile, as though they had suddenly done this for years.

After celebrating their victory for a bit with some treats, and showing each member of the team their new Boulder Badge too, Ash had returned both Nebula and Valiant to their Poke Balls for additional rest as per Nurse Joy's advice. Pikachu, however, was still good to go, and chose to remain outside.

Elacia's place in Pewter City was a lot smaller than he thought it would be, as Ash gazed at the one-story building. Not to mention it wasn't all that much of a stand-out building to look at. It blended right in with everything else in the city. Even though it was just a minor shop of hers and not her main shop from back in Celadon, Ash was caught off guard by how surprisingly low-budget the place seemed to be.

Knocking on the door for a few seconds, Ash only had to wait a few more seconds before it opened, revealing the pretty red haired woman, flanked by Slurpuff.

"Ash! I was wondering when you'd show your face!" smiling upon realizing who it was, she gestured him inside, which he gave her a quick thank you for. Ash was surprised to notice that his thanks hadn't come out in a timid squeak.

Taking in the inside of the shop, Ash quickly found that there wasn't really anything remarkable about it from an interior standpoint either. The room was dimly lit, with the lights on the ceiling only half switched on, A coffee table sat in the middle of the room, surrounded between two sofas and two chairs. All looked like they would be super comfortable to sit in, however.

Ash declined Elacia's offer for a cup of iced tea, instead accepting the apple cider that she offered afterwards. Sinking into the cushions of one of the couches (Pikachu leaping off of his shoulder to sit down next to him) he immediately reveled in the comfort, suddenly wishing that he could be here forever. Looking over to his Starter, Ash could already see Pikachu slowly closing his eyes with a smile on the mouse's face.

"I'm glad you stopped by." Ash looked over to see Elacia settling down across from him, plopping down onto the couch while Slurpuff took a seat next to her. The fairy type pokemon seemed amused by Pikachu's immediate elatedness to the couch. "This morning was way too busy. Needed to unwind after all of that."

Ash frowned. "What happened?"

"The usual stuff." the red-haired breeder shrugged while scratching behind Slurpuff's back, much to the fairy type's apparent delight. "Phone call after phone call. Constantly looking stuff up. A few League agents stopped by for a visit to discuss things in person. All of it condensed into one morning, so there was little room for downtime." she sighed. "The one downside to being such a successful breeder is that the League is always hounding you. They have multiple contracts going with me at once. And I'm sure most of the top breeders here in Indigo can say the same."

Ash blinked. "They turn to you that much."

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She grinned exasperatedly. "We breeders make our money in a variety of ways. Selling Eggs and recently hatched Pokemon to trainers, giving therapeutic treatment to Pokemon, such as Suzie's famous massages or my food recipes, consultations for raising a Pokemon or training them, the latter being something that I specialize in, grooming, selling supplies to perform any of the aforementioned tasks, you name it, really. I've barely even scratched the surface."

Ash was taken aback. He knew that breeders were experts in a variety of fields, but it wasn't until he heard it from Elacia's mouth that he realized just how significant it was.

But it made sense. A Pokemon breeder's specialty, first and foremost, was raising a Pokemon. And that alone required a multitude of knowledge on various topics. So much went into the process that it was undoubtedly one of the most studious practices in the Pokemon world. It probably required every bit as much dedication as being a dedicated Pokemon trainer did, but just in a completely different way.

But Elacia had mentioned the League as well.

"So… the League turns to you for all of that?"

She snorted, as though it were obvious. "Only like, all the time." she chuckled. "The League always keeps track of who the top rated breeders are. The charts are printed annually, and they're always the first to snag 'em up. The League relies on people in the breeding profession for a lot of things. A lot of it is some sort of form of what we do for regular clients, such as normal trainers, for example. We help supply Gym Leaders with extra Pokemon, for one thing. Suzie and I are both best buddies with Erika. She's been our number one client for years now, since she runs the Gym in Celadon where we've set up our shops. But the League often goes to multiple breeders at once for a variety of widespread projects. Big agencies often handle starter distribution, making sure there are enough Pokemon breed to be handed out to trainers on Opening Day each Season. The League often requests our help with food supply, since many of us have all the best recipes for Pokemon food. Not to mention the foreign Pokemon they keep in captivity. Sometimes we're more likely to know about them than they are, since we often research them in advance, so our advice for what living conditions to put them under is often imperative." she sighed. "I'm here in Pewter right now because I have business with a League Official who needs to be here because of business at the museum. But it's far from the only thing I'm working on right now. I'm still taking phone calls left and right, talking to clients from the League and even having a few agents coming over from time to time. Even when I'm in the middle of traveling or working away from home like now, it doesn't always just stop. It's a constant thing regardless of where I currently am most of the time. Breeding is always busy, but once the League takes notice of you, that's it. They'll never stop finding uses for you or your help."

Ash scratched the back of Pikachu's ears for a moment, smiling softly as he listened to the young mouse cooing in response. "So a lot of it is determined by the ratings?

"Oh yeah. The moment you reach the high sections of those charts, expect a phone call from the League within a few days at least. At that point, you go from doing business with trainers and other folk, to practically working under the League in an unspoken sort of manner. I still do plenty of work for those outside of the their ranks, but it's definitely made up the bulk of my work ever since I rose near the top. And sadly, it's often the most demanding."

Ash looked at her sympathetically. Now that he was taking her in, she did seem pretty tense. He wondered just how much she did from day to day. Sure, she was free in the afternoons now, but that could just be her schedule as it is for the moment. Who knows when it might change?

"What's the breeding field like?" he asked curiously. "I mean, apart from the workload in general?"

Flashing him a smile, Elacia patted Slurpuff's head for a bit. "It's pretty fulfilling. I was always drawn to it since my family worked in an organization that made its name off of taking care of Pokemon. I found that I was in my natural element the moment that I started out. Not to mention, the 'competition' of the field isn't always so competitive."

Ash blinked. "It's not? But didn't you just say that you all get ranked every year?"

"Yup. But really, with the number of collaborative projects that we all do together, a good deal of us all owe our respective successes to each other. Take me and Suzie, for example. We're the top rated breeders in Indigo, but we work together so often. It helps that we're both primarily stationed in the same exact city and are also really close to Erika." she winked teasingly. "In our field, it's usually pretty hard to definitively separate the terms 'rival' and 'business partner'."

That… certainly was different from how Pokemon training usually went. Many famous rivalries have spawned between professional trainers aiming for the top. But since breeding was a business, rather than a sport…

"It sounds like a pretty friendly field to me." Ash admitted.

She nodded. "Yeah. I'm a businesswoman, above all else. In the end it's really just about the money. Those charts are nice, but we breeders are really just looking for financial success. It keeps us afloat just as much as an approval rating ever could." taking a sip from her tea, she eyed the boy carefully. "Don't get me wrong, the recognition is great, but we don't need to worry about being considered the 'best'. I'm sure Suzie loves being number one, but it's hardly ever what she talks about."

Sipping his apple cider, and briefly finding himself absorbed in the taste (it tasted so good) Ash asked. "So you said your family has been doing this?"

"Not really the same thing. They're not breeders, but the people that they work for focus on preserving Pokemon life. Not a lot of people know this, but I'm not even from Indigo."

Ash perked up at that. It wasn't too uncommon for foreigners to reside here, as many people from Ever Grande and Lily of the Valley did, due to the three League having close relations, but it still surprised him. "So you're from Hoenn? Or Sinnoh?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Alola." At his shocked expression, she chuckled teasingly. "Yup, I know. The other side of the world."

Ash almost spat out his cider at that. Alola was often considered a secluded Region, separate from the rest of the world. No real political relations or a form of government akin to that of Indigo, Lily of the Valley, or Ever Grande, for example. The isolated Region had its own rich culture which the young boy was sorely lacking in knowledge of, and not much was known about it to outsiders in terms of in-depth information. The fact that it was so far away only contributed to this.

"Wait, so you mean… You came all the way here…"

"Yeah, it's not something you normally hear, is it?" finishing off her tea, she let out a satisfied sigh as she rested her cup on the coffee table. "Alola has its own form of Pokemon training. Sort of rooted within the Region's traditions and such. That's how I got my start, and once I was finished with that, I switched over to breeding. I had always been interested in it."

"But… why did you come all the way to Indigo?" That was something that he was having difficulty wrapping his head around. He wasn't sure how common it was for people to move out of Alola, but Alola and Indigo were both practically on opposite ends of the globe.

"Personal reasons, mostly. Wouldn't want to bore you with the details. I think there might've been at least one person working with my parents who was actually from here, though." changing the subject, she eyed him expectantly. "But enough about me, what happened at the Gym? Your team seemed fired up yesterday."

Ash's grin nearly split his face in half. "We won! Here…" taking the Boulder Badge out, he held it up in front of her proudly, and her face lit up.

"Atta boy! Betcha you're feeling a lot better now, huh?" at his crimson face, she chuckled. "I thought so."

It was true. Ever since Ash had first been handed the Boulder Badge, he really had felt a lot better about himself.

But really, the badge was just a reminder that he had potential. He couldn't just see it as a sign that he was suddenly the best. It was his first step. Their first step. It wasn't over just yet. He knew that there were a multitude of areas in which he still needed to greatly improve.

Smiling bashfully, Ash put the badge away. "It felt good." he admitted shyly. "But… I know it's just the beginning. To make it to the Conference…" he stopped as she raised a hand.

"One badge at a time, kid." her reassuring yet stern facial expression convinced him to relax. "That's one of the many mistakes I've seen you rookies make. You don't go into this with the right mindset to prevent yourself from feeling overwhelmed. It's inevitable that your mind is going to dwell on that stuff, but try looking at the picture in front of you one spot at a time."

Petting Pikachu again for another few seconds (the mouse was off in his own world at this point) Ash thought about her words for a moment. "So… you've spoken to a lot of rookies, then?"

"Of course I have. I'm a breeder; I get clients of all shapes and sizes, and run into even more people at random. Like with you." she added in as an example. "Indigo's training environment is worlds different from that of Alola, but I've still been here for years. I know all about the way that you guys think, and it's easy to see why so many rookies fall astronomically short in their first year. Hell, even the ones who make it to the Conference might still have something holding them back." leaning forward a bit, she raised a few fingers and started counting. Ash took note of the red paint on her nails. "First, a lot of rookies take a while to properly build upon the pre-existing knowledge that they gain in school. Just applying it to real life experience is hard enough, but even then you're only really taught the basics. The bare minimum. It's your job to fill in the rest and carve your own path. But lack of experience yields lack of creativity. You need to find a way to be inspired."

Inspired… like how he had Nebula adapt the bug catcher leader's technique into Wind Blast.

"Secondly, initiative. You'd be surprised just how many rookies are lacking in it. The ability to think ahead is imperative for Pokemon training, and yet, most inexperienced trainers, albeit understandably, aren't great with this. This sort of ties into one last point: adapting. When things don't go a trainer's way, it's very easy to freeze up. And rookies get hit with this the most. Perhaps they have a plan, but do they have a backup plan? And have they considered every variable? Either they get overwhelmed by the big picture, or aren't actually able to see the full thing."

Consider every variable…

"Funny you should say that…" Ash frowned, suddenly finding the floor pretty intriguing. The carpet pattern looked nice, consisting of pictures that looked like they might have been Pokemon, although Ash couldn't recognize them. He couldn';t make out the one on Elacia's side, but the one on his side was lion-like, with the sun hanging over it. "Back in the forest… I sort of got Nebula injured. I used a dive bomb tactic to win a battle, but she wasn't durable enough to handle it and injured her wing. I should've known better. I don't know how I overlooked something so obvious. And… even when we were training… you were the one who pointed out a mistake that I made… and it would have cost us the battle if you hadn't been there to point out something that needed to be corrected. And even in today's battle, I fell into repetition, and Nebula lost because of it." he sighed. "Maybe I'm not considering everything. I'm one of those rookies who can't see the full picture…"

Turning his gaze upwards, he found the woman looking at him thoughtfully. After a moment, she replied. "Don't get me wrong, kid. I'm not saying these issues aren't normal." leaning back, and allowing her back to fully press against the cushions, she patted Slurpuff. "At the end of the day, you're just a kid who's started out. This is only the fifteenth day of the Season. You can't expect yourself to become perfection incarnate in just half a month."

"But… to make such obvious mistakes?"

"Obvious shmobvious. You know how many 'obvious' mistakes I made when I first started out in Alola? I sure hope that was normal." She looked downward a bit as a smile creeped up to her face, as though she was suddenly lost in thought. "My cousin was always one step ahead of me despite starting out on the exact same day, and even he made some pretty big goofs. His first battle with an Island Kahuna was embarrassing to watch… and that's despite the fact that I knew perfectly well that I couldn't do any better…"

Ash blinked as Elacia began muttering under her breath to herself. He couldn't quite pick up on what she was saying, although her voice sounded fond.

Suddenly, she seemed to realize what she was doing and perked up, shaking the thoughts out of her head. "Sorry, got caught up reminiscing. But the point is, it doesn't matter how much any given mistake seems 'obvious' to you in hindsight. A lot of oversights are going to feel that way once you've realized the full extent of your error. The repercussions hammer it in. But in the moment? You're not just going to magically see or consider everything. When you're battling, or even just training, your mind is already occupied with so many things at once. It's only natural that a few key details are going to slip through the cracks from time to time. The fact that you've taken notice of your own shortcomings is already a great first step. A lot of trainers-not just rookies-often have a hard time determining just where exactly they need to improve, and what aspects of them and their team still needs work, and they often stagnate as a result. A lot of the most successful trainers out there are the ones who scrutinize themselves to the bone. Making sure that they always know where they're strengths and skills need to be honed so that their growth won't be stunted in the long run. Never being satisfied with where they currently are at the moment." She gave him a serious look. "But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you should be looking at all of your flaws with a 'I suck at this part' attitude. You need to examine your strengths and weaknesses in confidence. And then figure out how to fix them. It sounds to me like you make a lot of oversights, so find a way to be more observant. You already have the initiative-I saw that in you when you were training before-so now use that initiative to bolster your ability to think ahead."

Ash took in her words, feeling like a boulder's worth of knowledge had been dropped into his skull.

She really did speak like someone who's been there before. He didn't know what kind of training people did in Alola, but whatever it was obviously hadn't left her lacking in advice to give. She was a breeder, but her status as a former trainer was certainly shining through right now.

"Th-Thanks." Ash grinned at her, earning himself a pleased look from the woman. "I'll be sure to remember that." he felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "You're really helpful, you know that?" she could have passed off as a school teacher at this point.

But Elacia just waved it off. "Nah, don't mention it, kid. I'm always happy to pass off some knowledge to a young rookie like you. Especially ones who actually seem to hold some promise in them. I doubt it's going to be for nothing, given that you already have your first badge." she leaned forward. "Speaking of which, just how tough was the battle?"

Ash grimaced as his hand rested upon the now sleeping Pikachu's head. Brock's the toughest opponent that I've ever faced by a long shot. And this was just my first Gym battle." he frowned. "He was pretty harsh, too. He got me to freeze up just by being there."

At her haughty laugh, he looked up in surprise. "Yup, that's Brock for you. Always putting on the tough guy show. It's his real talent, if you ask me."

Ash blinked. "Ummm… show…?"

She shrugged. "Believe it or not, Brock's not really all that into his job. His real passion is for Pokemon care. Breeding, medicine, that kind of stuff. He only took up the Gym Leader position so that he could hold it for his younger brother. But in reality, he really couldn't care less about that kind of stuff. That's why he puts on such an act whenever he's on the job. He has to look and play the part of what he is being at the moment." she chuckled to herself. "Beneath all of that, he's actually kind of a dork. But you would never be able to tell with that impressive facade that he always loves to play up. In all honesty, he'd probably be best off as an actor than anything else."

Ash was dumbfounded. Brock of all people… a dork?

Seeing his confusion, she giggled. "Sounds crazy, doesn't it? I've known his family for a while now since I used to work with his father, so I know a few things about him that most people don't. He's a good guy, and is more than capable of holding his Gym Leader position if he actually wanted it."

"But… he's not interested?" Ash was having his trouble wrapping his head around such a concept. Why would Brock be so disinterested in something that he was most obviously so gifted at?

She shrugged again. "That's just how it works sometimes, kid. You're not always going to be into everything that you're good at. Brock is one heck of a battler, but he just finds caring for Pokemon a lot more appealing. If he wanted to be, he could be the Gym Leader of Pewter City for a very long time, and nobody would complain, because he excels at it like crazy. This is just a placeholder position until his younger brother is ready for the mantle. Then, Brock will be moving on to following his real dream."

A realization suddenly hit Ash. "Is that why you quit training?"

A shake of the head. "Nope, I actually had a lot of fun doing my thing in Alola. But Pokemon training doesn't receive the same glorification there. It's just looked at as our first step. We have dedicated trainers there, for sure, but for the most part, it's just a rite of passage. A ritual that we go through as kids. It's sort of like that here, for some, but Alolan culture leans into it a lot more heavily." tickling a now delighted Slurpuff with her fingers, she continued. "Once I completed the island challenge, it was time to determine my future. I was inspired by the path that the rest of my family took, so I carved my own version of it. And that's how I became a Pokemon breeder."

Her answer was curious, but Ash couldn't help but smile at it. He wondered what sort of trials that she and her team had to endure back at home. He knew next to nothing about Alola apart from it apparently being a tropical paradise, but he suddenly found himself imagining in his mind how their form of Pokemon training differed from Indigo's own.

He blinked as she rose up, then gestured to the door. "Anyway, you wanna get out of here for a while? There's a family owned place nearby that has some pretty good dinners on the menu. But they also serve some really killer ice cream for dessert. I can treat you, if you want, so what do you say we continue this conversation there?"

The boy could only grin.

/

Five days had passed since their triumphant victory over Brock.

While Nebula and Valiant rested, Ash and Pikachu had assisted Rick and Emily in their training, and it didn't take too long for Pikachu to get along with Tyrogue, Sentret, Eevee, and Growlithe (the four Pokemon that he was currently working with). Growlithe had made it her personal mission to become faster than Pikachu, putting everything that she had into mobility training.

In the meantime, Ash had begun teaching Pikachu Electro Ball. Elacia had given the recommendation to prioritize the Move over anything else, as it required control over Pikachu's electricity, which would extensively make future Electric Type Moves easier to learn in the long run.

At the moment, Pikachu could only barely manage the Move. He was beginning to successfully condense his electricity into a ball, but it was sloppily formed and difficult to hold together, often fizzling out mere moments after being fired.

After Nebula and Valiant had recovered, Ash had played it safe and waited a couple more days before he resumed training them.

Although they would be leaving soon, Ash had to admit that he was enjoying his time in Pewter City quite a bit. Since Pikachu had been the only Pokemon doing any real training for the past few days, things were much more easy going for them, and Ash had settled into a daily semi-routine while living in the city. Spending his mornings with Rick and Emily while working on Pikachu's Electro Ball, paying Elacia a visit in the afternoon, and hanging out with Rick and Emily over dinner back at the Pokemon Center at night.

Having been living here for nearly two weeks now, Ash found himself becoming quite accustomed to the urban environment. Along with a sense of dread at the thought of leaving the comfort of the city to return to the wild.

But procrastinating would yield them nothing. Ash had informed his team that they would be leaving in a couple of days, to which they were okay with.

They could take a break for now, but he really didn't want to get settled in too much. The nomadic life of a Pokemon trainer was something that he was not used too quite yet, but he knew that he needed to be.

At the moment, Ash was on the outskirts of the city with his team, taking a walk along the outer parts of Viridian Forest. They had just spent some time at Elacia's shop and the sun would be setting soon.

Valiant had been a bit nervous about going back into the forest, but Ash assured him that they wouldn't be going in deeply. This seemed to give the young Ralts some peace in mind, although he notably stuck very closely to Ash the entire time.

Ash couldn't help but notice that Valiant's personality was almost entirely different while they were in the forest. Outside of it, he was quite well composed, yet he became so… timid in nature while in the forest for whatever reason that Ash could not quite grasp just yet.

Ash was in the middle of trying to coach Nebula with her Reckless Ability (Pikachu and Valiant helping out) when it happened.

The bolt of electricity fired off in the near distance, somewhat deeper into the forest, had drawn their attention, and compelled them to investigate.

Ash didn't know it yet, but what he would find would impact his journey immensely.

/

It didn't take too long to reach the source of the electrical attack. The group quickly reached a slightly deeper area in the forest, and were immediately greeted by the sight of two figures.

Standing tall was a Pokemon that Ash immediately recognized as an Elekid.

They were an electric type species of Pokemon, well known for their strong Evolution, Electabuzz, and, infamously, for their incredibly powerful-but super rare- final Evolved form, Electivire.

A boy with purple hair was standing next to the creature as he held a Poke Ball in his hand.

The boy looked about Ash's age, but his exterior seemed a lot more rough. In fact, if Ash didn't know better, he probably would have suspected that the boy was older than him.

Something about him was unsettling to look at. Ash couldn't even pinpoint it, but ignored the unease that was settling into his stomach as he and his Pokemon looked on at the scene.

Stuffing the orb away, the boy turned to Elekid, who met its trainer's gaze with a fierce, but not disloyal, expression on its face.

"Okay, we have three now. Good work, Elekid. We'll start comparing them." His voice was surprisingly deep. He sounded oddly grown up, and his tone had a hint of inherent callousness to it.

The electric type made a whirring noise as the boy suddenly turned in Ash's direction.

Ash involuntarily flinched as the boy's gaze met his own. What was it with this new boy's eyes? The look in them made his stomach feel like an empty pit for some reason.

The purple haired boy scoffed at the motion as he crossed his arms and eyed Ash and his team scrutinizingly.

"I didn't realize that it was considered productive to spend your time staring at other Trainers. I wonder what skills you're honing by standing around twiddling your thumbs." his voice was laced with bluntness, uncaring to what was coming out of his mouth, only concerned with getting it out.

The Elekid seemed to be sizing them up, its fierce gaze never leaving its eyes as it looked between the group.

Ash found himself unable to come up with a response to the boy's callout. To his credit, he was right that Ash and his team had no reason to be here, having only been drawn over by curiosity alone.

Before Ash could find his words, the boy seemed to perk up.

It was only for a brief moment, but recognition seemed to appear on his face.

"Wait… I know you."

The confusion helped Ash find his voice.

"Ummm… what?"

Behind him, Pikachu and Valiant were feeling the same unease. Nebula, having perched herself on his shoulder, was gazing at the purple haired boy with a look resembling distrust.

Next to the boy, the Elekid's face suddenly seemed to fill with recognition too. It looked to it's trainer for a moment as the other boy began to speak. It almost felt like the two of them mirrored each other based on first impressions. It felt like an ironic contrast from Gary and the stoic Squirtle that he received. But Ash wasn't certain what to make of it.

His hands falling to his sides, the boy eyed Ash carefully.

"Yes, I remember, I saw you catch that Starly that you have with you… I think."

Ash blinked. Nebula? This new guy had seen them do that?

"I… didn't know anyone was watching." he admitted.

The purple haired boy looked between Ash's trio of Pokemon, his scrutinizing gaze seemingly intensifying.

"Hmm… do you really think that Starly was worth the trouble?"

A fierce growl escaped Pikachu's throat as a fierce glare appeared on Nebula's face.

Ash's eyes widened, taken aback by the question. Suddenly, his surprised face twisted into a glare. What right did this kid think he had to judge his Pokemon like that?

"What are you talking about?" he growled out, trying his best to be intimidating. It wasn't working.

The Elekid seemed amused by Ash's reaction, but said nothing as the boy remained calm.

"Like I said, I watched you catch it. Don't you think you'd be best off catching as good as one as possible?"

Confusion again. "What do you mean by that?" Ash asked carefully. He remained on his guard as the purple haired boy unclipped two more orbs from his belt. Now with three Poke Balls in hand, he placed them carefully on a boulder before taking out a Pokedex. This one was black, and seemed to have a wider shape to it, compared to the ones Ash normally saw. Almost like it was a completely different model.

"I'm sure you're aware that your Pokedex can scan the Pokemon that you've caught to assess their Moves and Abilities. I take advantage of this." Ash watched curiously as the mysterious new boy held his Pokedex in front of the three orbs, analysing the data. After a few moments, the Pokedex was put away as the boy took one of the Poke Balls. The boy had pushed a few buttons on the Pokedex before stashing it away, causing Ash to raise a brow. "This Murkrow I just caught knows Brave Bird, Confuse Ray, and Mirror Move. Rare Moves for her species at such a level. And the perfect cherry on top is that her ability is Prankster. In comparison…" clipping the Poke Ball to his belt, he took the other two Poke Balls. "These two don't have a lot to go off of. I won't be needing them."

Ash was taken by surprise as a Spearow and Pidgey emerged in two flashes of light, flying away deeper into the forest.

The boy had… released them?

"Wait a minute…" said Ash, raising his hands up above his head. "Did you just… let them go? Just like that?"

The purple haired boy shrugged boredly. "Those two had been easy catches, so I wasn't expecting much from them, but I was even more disappointed by what they had to offer than I thought I'd be. I'm just narrowing down my options."

The feeling of unease in his stomach intensified. Behind him, Valiant's face scrunched up a bit.

"You're saying you just choose your teammates based on what Moves they already know?"

A light smirk appeared on the boy's face. "It's a pretty pragmatic way to go about things. What would you do if you had to choose between an Abra with a couple of basic moves, or one with a few significant ones?"

His point made sense in theory, but… "An Abra with basic moves can still learn the advanced ones later. Any Pokemon can be strong if you train them properly." Apart from Volt Tackle and Double Edge, which they couldn't even use at the moment, Pikachu and Nebula had nothing extraordinary going for them when he had first met them, with Nebula's reckless ability being the obvious exception. But both of them had grown far stronger than before in such a short amount of time. Ash knew from experience just how talented that they were.

An amused chuckle escaped the boy's lips. "Any Pokemon, huh? That kind of mindset is the same trap most rookies fall into. It's why so many people in the field look down on newcomers like us." his face hardened. "The fact remains is that where a Pokemon starts out is what showcases its potential. Maybe they have a bunch of powerful Egg moves that can be tapped into later, like my new Murkrow. Or maybe they've already learned some impressive techniques by themselves, without any guidance, like my Skorupi." Ash stole a quick, concerned glance at Pikachu as the electric type mouse flinched at the mention of the bug poison type Pokemon. Clearly, it was a sore spot for the both of them. His gaze returned to the purple haired boy as he continued. "You need to learn how to distinguish the best from the masses. The Pokedex has given us the tools to do so, and yet so many rookies are satisfied with trying to train up whatever Pokemon they can get their hands on, no matter how insignificant the catch is when compared to everything else available, not caring to put in the work and actually seek out the potential team members that would be the most worth it in the long run. Why waste time trying to tap into some average Pokemon's potential, when the next one you encounter could have far more? Why put so much time into trying to develop a Pokemon's work ethic, when the next one you encounter might already have one? Any Pokemon can be strong, for sure, but we're talking about a demanding profession where only the best can prosper without eventually fizzling out into obscurity. The best trainer needs the best Pokemon to utilize their training skills with. Otherwise, you'll be stuck with an average team, with nothing worth remembering. You'll just be yet another trainer, doomed to fizzle out with the rest of them." Ash took a step back from the intensity in the purple haired boy's eyes. "So many rookies claim that they'll never be forgotten, that they'll actually amount to something. But unlike them, I'm actually taking the actions necessary to live up to those words."

Ash felt a brief surge of anger in his chest.

Where Pokemon start out? Potential? This kid was starting to sound a lot like Gary, and he didn't like it. He wasn't as obnoxious, what he said made sense, and to his credit, he certainly did a much better job at explaining himself, but…

Images of subpar test grades flashed through his mind. But then he remembered the words of encouragement, and the Boulder Badge…

Having your potential be determined by where you start out? A foregone conclusion that couldn't be changed at all? That didn't sit right with him. And looking at his teammates, he could tell that it didn't sit right with them, either.

Suddenly feeling a sense of vigor in his spirit, Ash took a bold step forward and tried to harden his face to match the mysterious boy. Based on the unflinching expressions worn by the purple haired boy and his Elekid, Ash doubted that his attempt was a success, but he wasn't just going to stop.

"Who's to say a Pokemon doesn't just need a little bit of extra help to realize their true potential?" he challenged with as bold a tone as he could manage. He found himself suddenly having a little bit more backbone than he did with Gary. Pointing off in the direction where the Spearow and Pidgey had flown off, he narrowed his eyes. "Those two birds could have become even stronger than Lance's main trio, for all you know. You wouldn't know until you gave them a chance."

The boy's brow furrowed. "And what's the likelihood of that? You're taking a shot in the dark, and your ammo is pretty scarce." the look in his eyes intensified further, and Ash suddenly found himself taking an involuntary step back, eliciting a chuckle from the Elekid. "Look, kid. The Conference is in less than a year. I don't have time to play the lottery and hope to win. And neither do you, if you're really that passionate about making it to the Indigo Plateau on your first try."

Kid? Kid? Was he being condescending, now? They were the same age!

Ash growled. "So you think my team isn't good enough?" he challenged defensively.

A shrugging motion was made by the boy. "Only one way to find out. Besides…" he turned to Elekid. "There is a pretty reasonable way for trainers like us to settle disputes like this." the electric type whirred in agreement, and what seemed to be anticipation, as well.

Ash's eyes lit up in realization, as the looks on Pikachu and Nebula's faces steeled. Valiant stepped forward too, standing in front of his new trainer and looking as determined as ever. "You want a battle?"

An expression of challenge dominated the purple haired boy's face as his hand ran along his belt of Poke Balls. "Every Pokemon I have are those that I handpicked with care. This will be the perfect way to prove my point. And plus," he added with a minor hint of callousness. "It's easy money."

Ash's face scrunched up at that, but he nodded nonetheless.

"Alright, we can take you." This boy clearly knew what he was doing, but so did they. Regardless of what this new kid's intentions were, Ash had his own, and he was about to put his money where his mouth is.

Valiant's steadfast stance told Ash that his team was thinking the same exact thing.

A light smirk appeared on the purple haired boy's face. It wasn't malicious or mocking, like Gary's, but was much more intimidating. Nevertheless, Ash did his best not to waver. Elekid wasn't chuckling this time. Did that mean he succeeded? Or was the opposing electric type too busy eying his team?

For a brief moment, Pikachu and Elekid locked eyes, as though the two were both communicating a mutual challenge to one another.

The purple haired boy broke the silence of the standoff. "Okay, we'll do this at the Pokemon Center, then. It's getting late, and we won't have to worry about any wild Pokemon interfering with us." turning around, he looked back for a moment. "The name's Paul, by the way."

Ash offered the boy a brief nod before giving his own name in response.

"Ash."