He ambled back toward the Pokémon Center, his mind set on stowing away his gear before continuing his leisurely day. The backpack he was wearing was still quite heavy, even with its spatial capabilities. But as he neared the entrance, the excited shouts and the rhythmic thud of battling Pokémon drew his attention.

Slowing his pace, he caught sight of a makeshift arena bustling with activity, where a very familiar face was locked in a lively battle.

"Sparky, dodge it!"

Ritchie's voice rang out clearly across the battlefield, but the command came too late.

A sharp cry split the air, followed by the distinct crackle of electricity. Caelan barely flinched, standing at the edge of a small crowd gathered around to watch the battle. Ritchie's Pichu stumbled back, its tiny form struggling to remain upright against the onslaught of its opponent's attacks.

It was clear the battle was coming to a close, the outcome all but certain.

Caelan shifted his weight, one hand in his pocket, as Ritchie's expression wavered between determination and frustration. The opponent—a stout little Swinub—charged forward once more, its icy breath leaving trails of frost on the ground.

The girl across from him smirked as her Swinub delivered another blow that sent Pichu tumbling to the ground.

Ritchie's battling strategy seemed to utilize various repelling attacks to outlast the opponent before going in for a single decisive blow once the other Pokemon was exhausted. It wasn't a bad idea, but his Pokemon was far too inexperienced and weak to effectively use it yet.

Against a Pokemon not only immune to half of his Pichu's moves, but also defensive in nature, he had no chance.

The crowd erupted into applause, but Caelan just crossed his arms, disinterested in the inevitable conclusion.

The referee stepped forward, raising her hand. "Pichu is unable to battle! The winner is Fiona and her Swinub!"

Ritchie sighed, shoulders slumping as he walked over and scooped Pichu into his arms. "You did your best," he murmured, forcing a smile as he looked at his opponent. "That was a great match."

Fiona grinned back, clearly pleased with her victory. "Thanks, you weren't bad yourself. I haven't had a challenge like that all day."

As the crowd began to shift, Caelan noticed when Ritchie's eyes locked onto him from across the arena. His face lit up. "Caelan!" he waved him over.

Caelan, not intent on getting in the middle of the crowd, raised an eyebrow but didn't move. Ritchie jogged over to him, still breathless from the match. "I didn't know you were here!" he said, grinning. "Did you see the battle?"

"Some of it," Caelan replied with a nod. "You did as well as you could've."

"Ooh, new person!" Before Ritchie could respond, Fiona joined them, her Swinub waddling by her side. She looked between the two boys, a curious look on her face. "Are you a trainer too?" she asked Caelan, tilting her head.

Caelan was about to shrug it off when Ritchie, his enthusiasm rekindled, jumped in. "Are you kidding? Caelan's a great trainer! He wiped the floor with me the other day—didn't even give me a chance."

Fiona's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? You were the toughest battle I've had all day. Now I'm curious... How about a battle, then?" She turned to Caelan, a challenging gleam in her eye.

'Yeah… no.' Somehow, he could tell he wouldn't like this girl.

"I wasn't planning on battling today," Caelan said, his voice steady and carrying a subtle firmness. "I was just here to take a break."

The crowd, stirred by the prospect of a new match, began to gather around the arena once more, their whispers carrying a sense of anticipation. Some of them recognized Caelan from the Battle Club, their expressions shifting from casual interest to intrigued curiosity.

Fiona's expression faltered, but she was spurned forward by the energy of the crowd. "Come on! Don't be a spoilsport." She insisted with a smile. "It won't even take that long. My Pokemon are pretty experienced, so I'm sure we'll make short work of the competition. Or maybe you're just scared…?"

"Petrified," Caelan drawled, bored at the petty taunts.

'Why are trainers like this?' He couldn't help but wonder. Most of the trainers he met were either battle junkies or insanely cocky.

Then again, from an outside perspective, he sort of fit into the latter category.

"Fiona, if Caelan doesn't want to battle you should–" Ritchie began, the boy starting to come to his defense. Honestly, the boy was probably the one exception to the rule. He wasn't too arrogant nor a battle junkie–-just a trainer who was striving to become better.

But he was cut off when Rattata abruptly let out a small burst of crimson energy, startling everyone present.

"Ra-Ta-TAA!" She exclaimed, enunciating loud and clear for everyone to hear.

Instead of being put off, though, it was as if her words had ignited the energy of the crowd. Their enthusiasm grew, and Caelan found himself being drawn into the impromptu challenge. He truly didn't care about how eager the crowd was, but their liveliness was almost infectious.

Keyword—almost. If it wasn't for Rattata saying something, he would've gladly left by now.

He glanced over to Rattata, obediently sitting on his shoulder despite her indignance. Her posture was firm, her eyes locked on Fiona with unwavering focus. She was visibly brimming with energy, her small form radiating with zeal.

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Seeing her battle lust on display, he sighed fondly. When she was this fired up, how could he deny her?

"Fine," Caelan relented, his voice carrying a hint of challenge as he stepped into the arena. "Let's get this over with."

"Hell yeah!" Fiona agreed.

The surrounding crowd spread out as the two made their way to the opposite sides of the arena.

'She seems to irk Rattata pretty easily. That wisp of rage should be enough for her to finally pull off the technique we've been working on…' Caelan thought, letting out a breath. 'Though I really would like to just get this over with.'

"Front and center, Rattata," Caelan called as Rattata bounced into position. "Stay alert."

A few people in the crowd scoffed at the sight of his Rattata. They should've expected him to use the Pokémon on his shoulder, but there were still quite a few extras who thought their opinion mattered.

If Fiona was as biased as the crowd, she didn't show it. A near-feral smile spread across her face as she held up a Poké Ball, clicking it open without any flourish. "Let's show 'em, Krampus," she said quietly.

In a flash of light, a large bird appeared at Fiona's side. The penguin-like creature scanned the field, and it only took a second for its eyes to lock onto Rattata. Sauntering onto the field, Delibird let out a mocking caw, a malicious smile playing on its beak.

"Deli, li," Delibird cawed, its tone dripping with condescension. But Rattata stared back at the bird impassively, unfazed.

'She's indignant, not an idiot.' Caelan's eyes narrowed. 'I didn't even have to train her to control herself. She knows when she's being baited.'

The same older teen from Ritchie's battle stood at the side of the battling area, glancing between the two Pokemon with a bored look on his face. He didn't look the smallest bit surprised at a new opponent.

"This is a one-on-one match between Fiona's Delibird and Caelan's Rattata. Standard rules apply.

"Are both trainers ready?!"

"As I'll ever be," Caelan replied blankly.

"Yup!" Fiona agreed with a smirk.

Chopping his hand down, the referee took a step back. "Begin!"

"Set the stage, Krampus, Snowscape!" Fiona ordered without hesitation.

The penguin crowed into the air above, a gust of cold air flowing out of its body toward the sky. Within a few seconds, the air was filled with an icy chill as snow began to fall from the clouds above.

Caelan raised an eyebrow at the move he barely recognized. It was one of the newer weather effects that raised an ice-type Pokemon's physical defense.

'So that's what you're going for, huh? Everyone seems to have a strategy for mitigating Rattata's physical damage.' He noticed. 'Maybe that's why she's so looked down on. It's like the first Pokemon Kantonians would come up with counters for.'

Too bad it wouldn't matter.

"While he's distracted!" Fiona called out dramatically, pointing at Rattata. "Delibird, use Icy Wind!"

The air around Delibird shimmered sky blue as it unleashed a frigid gust of wind. The icy chill rushed toward Rattata, the ground beneath her feet frosting over as the attack closed in.

"First Gear," Caelan commanded, his voice calm but firm.

Rattata dashed to the side in a blur, easily evading the Icy Wind. Without a second to waste, she reappeared mere inches in front of Delibird, startling it with how close she suddenly was. Delibird squawked in surprise, flapping backward to regain its balance.

With her speed, it was about as effective as a mild Fake Out.

Fiona's eyes narrowed. "Aerial Ace, now!"

Delibird shot into the air, wings spread wide as it dove down in a swift, precise strike. But just as the attack was about to connect, Rattata once again darted to the side, her speed out matching the Delibird's maneuver. The bird's sharp beak struck only air as Rattata skidded to a halt, unscathed and ready for the next move.

"Let's not waste time—Second Gear."

Rattata's form seemed to blur again, but this time, it was different—even faster, more intense. She zigzagged across the battlefield, her movements unpredictable, leaving afterimages in her wake.

Delibird, still attempting to use Aerial Ace, followed her. But every time it struck, it only hit an afterimage left in her dust.

"Don't let up, Krampus! Use Drill Peck!" Fiona shouted, frustration creeping into her voice.

Delibird stopped in front of Rattata's path, landing with a soft thump. A white energy emanated from its beak, swirling around it like a drill. When it thought Rattata was in range, the Delibird pecked at her form with all of its effort.

But Rattata was already gone, side-stepping the move and appearing behind Delibird with ease.

"And that's that. Rampage, now." Caelan ordered, his irritation at being bothered on his off day leaking into his command.

As if using that irritation as fuel, Rattata's body crackled with a bloody aura as she launched herself at Delibird, the ground cracking under her feet with her pounce. Mouth wide open, a sinister black energy began to emanate from her fangs as Bite was boosted by Rage.

Rattata latched onto Delibird’s wing, her fangs sinking in with a ferocious intensity. The bird Pokémon let out a pained cry, its wings flailing, but Rattata’s grip was unyielding. With a flash of raw power and a primal glint in her eye, she swung Delibird around like a ragdoll. The crowd watched in shock as Delibird’s form crashed into the ground with brutal force—once, twice, and again—until its cries grew weaker.

Rattata didn’t stop. Each slam was a declaration, every impact shaking the battlefield. Gasps rippled through the audience as they witnessed the viciousness unfold. Finally, with a growl, she hurled Delibird into the air, the sickening crunch of bone sending a chilling silence through the clearing.

"Ice Shard!" Fiona’s voice trembled, the urgency palpable.

Rattata, teeth still bared and eyes burning with unrelenting fury, leapt into the air as Fiona's desperate command echoed across the battlefield.

Delibird, despite its battered state, somehow summoned the strength to fire off several sharp shards of ice. The frozen projectiles sliced through the air with a deadly precision, each shard a potential knock-out blow. But Rattata, consumed by her Rage, charged headfirst into the icy assault.

The shards flew at her, but each one barely grazed her fur, bouncing off like harmless snowflakes against her steely determination. Her anger fueled her every movement, a protective shield of raw emotion carrying her higher and higher.

As the distance between them shrank, Delibird’s wings flapped weakly, panic flashing in its eyes as Rattata closed in.

Fiona’s face paled as Rattata ascended with unstoppable momentum, her Pokémon hanging in the balance.

“Finish it, Rattata!” Caelan commanded, but he didn’t need to. She’d do it regardless.

Rattata shot upward, her crimson energy flaring as she met Delibird mid-air. There was no dodging—Delibird was too battered, and Fiona’s words were nothing more than empty noise.

Finally reaching the peak of her ascent, Rattata locked eyes with Delibird, a fierce wrath burning in her gaze. In one swift motion, she twisted her body, her Tail Whip slicing through the air before it connected with an audible—

–Crack!–

Delibird plummeted, its body spinning helplessly from the blow. The air hissed with its descent, feathers flailing as it tumbled toward the ground, powerless to stop its fall. Time seemed to stretch, the battlefield narrowing down to the sight of Delibird’s limp body cutting through the stillness.

The ground raced up to meet it.

With a dull thud, Delibird crashed into the dirt, a small cloud of dust rising around its motionless form. Its wings hung limp, feathers disheveled, its struggle to fight back now a distant memory.

Rattata hovered for a heartbeat longer, her crimson energy flickering before she gracefully descended. Her paws met the ground softly, her chest heaving from the exertion, yet her gaze remained locked on Delibird, daring it to rise again.

Silence fell like the gentle snow.