Al had spent three days training in the woods outside Cherrygrove, and though he’d come a long way in understanding his Pokémon, something still gnawed at him.

  He hadn’t been tested. Not really.

  Most of the trainers he’d met were kids just starting out—full of fire but lacking strategy, their Pokémon untrained and battles too easy to call practice. What he needed was pressure. A real match. A situation where instincts and trust carried more weight than pre-planned combinations.

  That’s when he heard footsteps crunching through the underbrush.

  He turned.

  The guy emerging from the woods was maybe a few years older than him. Short silver hair stuck out under a dark-blue cap, and his black jacket was worn but well-kept. Six Poké Balls lined his belt. He moved like someone used to long treks and wild terrain.

  Their eyes met, and without exchanging a word, Al knew.

  This guy could fight. But what is this, protagonist luck?

  The stranger stopped a few feet away, raising an eyebrow. “You heading to Violet?”

  “Yeah. You?”

  “Same.” He paused. “You training for the Star Badge route?”

  Al’s pulse jumped. “I am.”

  A short nod. “So am I. Name’s Riven.”

  “Al.”

  They stared for a beat. Then Riven cracked a lopsided grin. “How about we size each other up?”

  Al’s hand dropped to his belt. “You read my mind.”

  “No doubles,” Riven said. “One-on-one format. Two total.”

  Al grinned. “Let’s do it.”

  (break)

  They cleared the space between the trees, stepping into a natural glade where sunlight streamed through in sharp beams. A faint breeze stirred the grass as the two trainers took their places at opposite ends.

  “Go, Breloom!”

  “Go, Talonflame!”

  The forest exploded with light and noise. Breloom burst forward, bouncing on the balls of his feet, fists already clenched. Talonflame shrieked as it took to the sky in a spiral of feathers and fire.

  Al’s mind kicked into overdrive. Talonflame—Fire/Flying. Massive threat. Fast, aggressive. Breloom didn’t have the typing to win, but maybe he didn’t need it.

  “Talonflame, Acrobatics!”

  The firebird dove in a blur, wings glowing. Breloom barely rolled aside, a feather catching his shoulder and sending him spinning.

  “Breloom, Spore!”

  Breloom recovered mid-roll, releasing a cloud of pale green mist. Talonflame banked hard, avoiding most of it—but a few spores clung to its wings.

  Al narrowed his eyes. He’d aimed wide on purpose. Just needed enough.

  Riven frowned. “Flame Charge!”

  Talonflame’s wings ignited as it blazed forward, but its flight was uneven, a slight lag in its turn radius.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  The spores had taken hold. Not full sleep—just fatigue. Slowed reflexes.

  “Dodge left! Counter with Rock Tomb!”

  Breloom darted sideways, avoiding the burning tackle. Slamming his fists into the ground, he summoned a sudden burst of stones that cracked the earth and launched into Talonflame’s path.

  It shrieked as a chunk clipped its wing, sending it spiraling downward.

  “Mach Punch!”

  In a blur, Breloom shot forward and struck the firebird mid-air. The hit knocked Talonflame into the dirt, groaning.

  Riven raised his hand. “Return.”

  Al exhaled slowly. One down.

  Riven already had his next Poké Ball in hand. “Alright. Let’s see what else you’ve got.”

  “Go, Aegislash!”

  Al tensed as the spectral sword materialized midair, gleaming in Shield Form. Ghost/Steel. A different challenge altogether.

  Al recalled Breloom without a word and swapped to his second choice.

  “Gardevoir, you’re up.”

  She appeared in a shimmer of light, her gown fluttering in the wind, eyes already locked on the blade across from her.

  Riven didn’t wait. “Swords Dance.”

  The blade spun in midair, energy crackling along its edge.

  “Calm Mind.”

  Gardevoir closed her eyes, centering herself in a pulse of pink-blue light.

  “Shadow Sneak!”

  Aegislash shifted forms in an instant—into its Sword stance—and vanished into the ground. It reappeared behind Gardevoir with a lurching slice.

  “Teleport!” Al barked.

  Gardevoir blinked out of existence just before the shadowy strike landed, reappearing in the air behind Aegislash.

  “Moonblast!”

  A radiant orb of light exploded from her hands and slammed into the steel ghost, forcing it back with a groan of metal.

  Riven’s eyes glinted. “King’s Shield.”

  The shield snapped up just as Gardevoir prepared another attack, her blast fizzling against the spectral barrier. She flinched—her attack power sapped slightly.

  “Shadow Ball, now!”

  Before Gardevoir could react, Aegislash shot a black sphere from beneath the shield. It hit her dead-center, sending her crashing to the ground.

  Al gritted his teeth. “Back up—Hypnosis!”

  She staggered upright, eyes glowing softly as spiraling rings launched toward Aegislash. They hit—but the sword didn’t falter.

  “Ghost-types don’t sleep easily,” Riven said. “Shadow Sneak.”

  The blade vanished again.

  “Teleport again—diagonal left!” Al called.

  She blinked aside just in time. The sneak attack grazed her hip instead of landing a direct hit.

  Al raised a hand. “Dazzling Gleam. Don’t hold back.”

  Gardevoir glowed, then unleashed a burst of prismatic light that lit up the entire clearing. Aegislash shrieked as the blast hit full-on.

  When the light faded, the sword trembled… then dropped to the ground.

  Riven held up his Poké Ball. “That’ll do.”

  (break)

  The silence afterward was deep, broken only by Gardevoir’s soft breathing and the rustle of wind through the trees.

  Al let out a breath, walking over to his partner. “You good?”

  She nodded, then gave a graceful bow, acknowledging both him and her fallen opponent.

  Riven approached, wiping a smudge of dirt from his jacket. “You fight smart,” he said. “Didn’t rely on brute force.”

  “I’ve been training for a few days out here. Figured I needed to know my team better if I was going to survive the Star route.”

  “That’s rare,” Riven said. “Most people think strong moves and typing are all that matter. But you let your Pokémon think. Adapt.”

  Al extended a hand. “Thanks for the battle.”

  Riven shook it. “No problem. You’ve got the mindset. Violet’s going to be a challenge, though. Falkner’s elite team doesn’t mess around.”

  “I’m counting on that,” Al said with a grin.

  Riven nodded once, then turned and walked back into the woods.

  (break)

  By late afternoon, the road led Al into the gates of Violet City.

  The skyline was marked by the towering silhouette of Sprout Tower, its bells faintly audible on the wind. The city itself was quiet but charming—stone-paved streets, traditional roofs, and carved wooden signs swinging gently outside shops.

  The Pokémon Center offered a welcome reprieve. Al dropped off his team for healing and then walked the few blocks to the Johto League Registry, housed in a sleek modern building nestled between old-style homes.

  A clerk greeted him with a nod. “Here to register?”

  Al handed over his PokéNav. “For the Star Badge Challenge.”

  The clerk raised an eyebrow. “That’s no joke. First match will be Falkner. You sure?”

  “I’m sure.”

  She smiled. “Your challenge is confirmed. The Gym will be ready for you tomorrow.”

  Al stepped outside into the evening air, the sky a wash of gold and purple.

  He was ready for this. Not just because he had strong Pokémon—but because he was finally learning to be the kind of trainer this world respected.