Chapter 14: Making Friends

Neil lay on the grass and stared up at the sky, a content sigh escaping him. He had forgotten how peaceful the areas around small towns were. The calming silence, the pleasing scent of grass on the summer breeze. It seemed so much easier to get his thoughts in order.

He held the vial of serum over his head and examined the clear liquid in the light.    When he was first asked to use it, he jumped at the opportunity without hesitation. The chance to be at the front of a new breakthrough in the advancement of science? This serum could change everything about the training circuit. Of course Neil wanted to be at the front of that. But now that the adrenaline had worn off, he was beginning to have second thoughts.

            There were plenty of legal enhancers for Pokémon, but he had never resorted to using them. Never even considered it. Now his first time using them it was going to be something illegal.

            Using an untested drug on his Pokémon, never had he believed he would do such a thing. If things went wrong, he would lose his license or even face jail time and Pokémon would be taken away.

            So he decided to pull out all the stops to ensure his team’s safety. He didn’t need to use it in battle. A simple training exercise should do nicely. He even chose a nice isolated location where they could practice so no one would get involved if things did go south.

            He sighed and stood up. After brushing the grass of the back of his clothes, he released all of his Pokémon from their balls. Holding up the bottle of serum, he said, “Okay, guys. This is a special drug used to enhance your abilities. I’ve been asked to test it. The problem is I don’t know what it will do to you. I’ve been told it’s safe, but I still want the choice to be yours. Who wants to volunteer?”

            Their response was expected. None of his Pokémon stepped forward and became more interested in the scenery than looking him in the eye. Neil sighed in defeat. If none of them volunteered, he couldn’t make them, and he wouldn’t even if he could.

            Neil was going to call it quits when Pyrus barked and stepped forward. Neil smiled at the Flareon. It almost seemed as if his dreams were going to be derailed because his Pokémon were afraid. Ember said something to her companion in Pokémon speech. Pyrus looked back at her and nodded.

            “Okay, here we go.” Neil said. Normally, enhancers were given in the form of food pellets as some Pokémon had very hard bodies and couldn’t take injections. But in this case, that wasn’t an option. He would need to pour it on Pyrus’ food.

            Before he could pour the serum onto the food, a loud noise drew his attention. He looked up in time to see a plume of dirt shoot into the air several yards away. Without thinking, Neil ran toward the commotion. He didn’t get far before Sentinel landed in his path, throwing him a disapproving glare.

            “What? Someone could be in trouble,” Neil said. “A Tyranitar just attacked the Pokémon League not that long ago!”

            Sentinel warbled something and led the way. Every time Neil attempted to pass her, she pulled him behind her. He quickly got the hint and stayed back for the rest of the trip.

Four Pokémon, a female Lucario and Pidgeot, and a male Ampharos and Goodra, stood at the “blast zone” which was a sizeable crater in the ground, wide enough for Neil to lay down in. The Pokémon were all covered in dirt. The sound of coughing brought Neil’s attention to a trainer about his age, maybe a little younger, picking himself up off the ground. The young man’s thin frame and pale skin didn’t scream powerful trainer to him. Neil didn’t want to admit it, but the young man looked like the kind of guy who would screw something up.

            “Hey, are you all right?” Neil asked.

            “I’ll live,” the young man replied hoarsely. He brushed some of the dirt from his long black hair and straightened up, groaning as he rubbed his back. “Sorry, you didn’t get caught in any of the fallout did you?”

            “No. I heard the explosion and ran over to check on you.”

            The young man blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, sorry to worry you like that.”

            “You apologize a lot, you know.”

            “Sor—” the young man began looking around in a panic. “My laptop! Where’s my laptop?”

            A happy warble made Neil turn to the Goodra. For the first time, he noticed it was a shiny Goodra with pale yellow skin instead of the usual light purple. The Goodra beamed at his trainer as he held out the broken remains of the young man’s laptop which was now covered in the Goodra’s slime.

            “Butter!” the young man cried. He sighed and accepted the gift. “I guess I can’t get too mad at you. It’s already broken anyway.”

            “Tough break,” Neil said. “Anyway, it looks like you have things under control now, so I’ll be going.”

            “Yeah, thanks. Oh! By the way, my name’s Ian.” The young man held out his hand, now dripping with Goodra slime. Neil grimaced without meaning to, and Ian pulled his hand back, his blush returning. “Sorry about that. I’ve had Butter with me since he was a Goomy, so I kinda forget about the slime.”

            “It’s cool. Anyway, my name’s Neil.” He pointed to his Pokémon behind him. “This is my team, Ember, Pyrus, Sentinel, Light, Garden, and Noxis.” All of his Pokémon cried out or nodded except Noxis who partially hid behind Sentinel. It then occurred to Neil he had no idea how the Salazzle would react to strangers.

            Ian’s face lit up. “Did you say you’re Flareon’s name is Pyrus?”

            “Yeah,” Neil said slowly. “But what does that matter?”

            “No reason,” Ian replied quickly. “I just remember hearing about a trainer who had a Flareon named Pyrus is all.” He turned to his Pokémon. “This is my team, Lulu, Flux, Butter, and Gale.” He pointed to his Lucario, Ampharos, Goodra, and Pideot in that order. Ian’s Pokémon gave a small wave or nod in greeting except Butter who hid behind his trainer. Given the massive size difference, Neil found it adorable. It reminded him a lot of Ember. She had mostly gotten over her shyness, but she still hid behind her wings if she felt too overwhelmed.

            “Nice to meet all of you,” Neil said. He turned to Ian. “So what were you doing out here?”

            “Trying out a new move combination,” Ian replied as he opened his bag and took out a plastic bag and a moist napkin. He slipped the ruined laptop into the bag and wiped his hands on the napkin. “It didn’t go very well.”

            “Move combinations can be pretty dangerous if you don’t play your cards right. What were you trying to combine?”

            “Butter’s Dragon Pulse with Lulu’s Aura Sphere. Problem is the moves instantly exploded once they collided.”

            Neil scratched his chin. Move combos were a pretty advanced technique, and very hard to master. Even most veteran trainers used them sparingly. Assuming the two attacks were compatible, it could still deal lethal damage to an opponent. If the scarred ground was any indication, Neil figured Ian would be smart to give up combos.

            It reminded Neil he would need to work out some combos with Garden and Noxis. His other Pokémon had learned to work together, so they’re teamwork was solid. He didn’t want his newer members to feel left out, and a skilled trainer would try to exploit the lack of attack combinations. Making a mental note to do some research when he got back to his parents’, he turned to walk away and motioned for his team to follow.

            “Hey, you got any tips?” Ian asked after him.

            Neil stopped and thought for a moment. “Well, you said the attacks exploded the moment they collided which likely means there’s too much energy being used. You definitely don’t want them firing off combined attacks at max power. They could hurt someone. Get them to crank it down and it should work just fine.”

            “Wow, that’s it? I can’t believe I missed something so simple. I’ve been training Pokémon for years and I’m still making rookie mistakes.” Ian rubbed the back of his head and laughed though Neil failed to see the humor in the situation. Not that Neil could fault the young man’s energy and enthusiasm. Some trainers would likely kick themselves all the way to Lumiose City.

            “Don’t worry about it,” Neil said. “Anyway, you should probably get your Pokémon checked out at the Pokémon Center before you try again.”

            “Yeah, sure thing. Thanks again for the advice.”

            After taking ten steps, Ember tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at something behind them. Neil spun around to see Pyrus remained near Ian. It was odd that Pyrus would disobey him, that was more something he expected from Light or Sentinel. He walked back to his Flareon. “Hey, buddy, is something wrong?”

            Pyrus turned to Neil and said something in Pokémon speech then looked at Ian. Neil wasn’t sure what his Pokémon was saying, but it seemed the Flareon had taken a liking to Ian or was worried about the trainer. Neil couldn’t blame him. Ian definitely wasn’t the most cautious trainer. He couldn’t shake the feeling this guy was going to hurt someone if he wasn’t careful.

            “So…uh…Ian, you want to grab some lunch?” Neil asked.

            Ian turned to Neil, his eyes lighting up in what Neil assumed was joy. “Really? Sure! I’m starving!”

            Neil, had only brought enough food his team, and Ian’s had been ruined by his failed combo attempt, so they had to go back into town to grab more. It suited Neil just fine as Ian had to take his Pokémon to the Pokémon Center before they did anything else. They decided to walk rather than use their Pokémon to fly there, mostly because Ian’s Pidgeot, Gale, refused to let her trainer get on her back.

            “She’s a total neat freak and hates getting dirty,” Ian explained. “If I have even a spec of dust on me, I’m pretty much walking.”

            During the walk to the Pokémon Center, they talked about their Pokémon and their desires as trainers. Neil learned Ian wanted to become League Champion as nearly all trainers did. Neil lied and said he had no intention of becoming Champion. It was only partly true. His desire was to unseat Sharon the current Champ but also didn’t want Claire dragged into what would most likely turn into a trainer war. If Sharon’s tantrum at her victory over Maya was any indication, she didn’t like when things didn’t go her way.

            They also discussed how they captured their Pokémon, or rather, Ian discussed. Neil didn’t want to go into the story of how he captured Pyrus and Garden as that story was too personal, and there was no way he was telling a stranger about Noxis and his investigation. Ian didn’t notice Neil’s lack of contribution, or if he did, he chose not to mention it. Neil did learn that Ian was a legacy like himself. It was nice to meet someone who came from a trainer family and didn’t make him regret it. Though it did make him question why no one was giving him advice on properly training his Pokémon. Neil decided not to ask. Whatever the reason, it was personal and none of his business.

It didn’t take long for the nurse to treat Ian’s Pokémon. Other than being covered in dirt, Ian’s Pokémon were completely healthy though his laptop couldn’t be salvaged. “It’s not a problem,” Ian said. “I actually go through those at least once a month. Downside to having a friendly Goodra and an electric-type with anger issues—Ow!” The mentioned angry electric-type kicked his trainer in the leg. Ian rubbed his leg and gave a nervous laugh at his Ampharos’ angry glare.

            They turned to begin the next stage of their trip when Neil froze. Standing before them was Vance Doyle, the Flash of Kalos. The man was legendary for his quick Pokémon and ability to end battles in record time, literally. He still held the world record for the shortest one-on-one Pokémon battle: three seconds. He looked every bit as calm and intimidating as he did on TV.

            Neil’s mouth fell open. This man was one of his favorite trainers, and he was here…in Neil’s hometown! Neil didn’t care what brought his childhood hero there, he couldn’t let this moment slip away.

            “Hello, Dad,” Ian said tonelessly.

            Neil turned to Ian so fast, his neck hurt from the movement. “What? You’re dad is Vance Doyle?!” Looking closer at the two, there was a resemblance. Neil was surprised he hadn’t noticed it before.

            “Hello, Ian,” Vance said. “How are you?”

            “Fine,” Ian replied.

            Neil had seen enough awkward conversations to know where this was going. He knew he should walk away and give them some privacy, but he also couldn’t pass up such a rare opportunity. It wasn’t everyday he could meet someone he idolized.

            “How’d you find me?” Ian asked.

            “I asked a friend of mine where you were. You haven’t been returning my calls.”

            “Because I don’t want to talk to you.”

            “Ian, I’ve been meaning to say to you—”

            Ian walked away before he could finish. “Kinda busy right now, so I can’t talk.”

            Neil avoided looking at Vance as he followed Ian. He wanted to ask for an autograph, but after that awkward situation, there was no way he could do it. Uncomfortable moments between family were something he was all too familiar with. Patrick’s conversations with his folks had often ended in a discomfiting silence—especially whenever Cassandra was mentioned.

            He waited until Vance was out of sight before turning to Ian and asking, “That was pretty rough back there. You okay?”

            “I’ll live,” Ian replied flatly. He looked at his watch and swore. “The walk back to town took longer than I thought. I’m gonna be late to my group now.”

            “Group?”

            “You mean I haven’t mentioned it? I go to a support group for trainers with traumatized Pokémon.”

            Neil had heard about groups like that though he never joined one. He wondered why Ian was attending that kind of group. None of his Pokémon seemed traumatized when he met them, and Ian didn’t mention anything when he talked about his team. But he couldn’t blame him for not sharing something like that. Thinking about the group reminded Neil he should probably attend. If anything it would look for his evaluation coming up in a few days and having some support for training Noxis couldn’t hurt. “Hey, uh, is it okay if I come with?”

            “Sure,” Ian replied with a shrug.

            There was nothing else said as Neil followed Ian to the group meeting. Neil couldn’t get the awkward conversation between Ian and Vance out of his head. He couldn’t help but wonder if it was related to the reason why Ian wasn’t talking to his father, but he also knew better than to ask.

            They went to the community center. Neil was filled with nostalgia as he looked at the familiar brick building. He hadn’t been there in years, but he already could see the halls and rooms he once spent time in as a child.

            Once inside, the first place he went to was the wall right next to the door. A large tree was painted on it from the floor to the ceiling. On it’s many branches were painted handprints, each one marked with a child’s name and their dream when they grew up. Several of the handprints were faded, but there were also several new ones which made Neil smile. Just like when he was a kid, most of them claimed they wanted to be Champion when they grew up. He stared at his name and handprint with the word “Champion” written beneath it, a little faded, but still readable. Patrick’s handprint was right below it. Seeing it caused a slight tug in Neil’s chest.

            “Your name up here?” Ian asked.

            “Yeah. This one right here.” He pointed at the faded print with his name on it. Pointing to Patrick’s, he added, “This belonged to a close friend of mine. We made them at the same time.”

            “Cool. Looks like you both wanted to be Champions.” He smiled at Neil. “You ever make it?”

            Neil shrugged. “Afraid not. I realized there were better things than being Champion, and Pat…he, uh, died.”

            The smile fell off Ian’s face. “Oh. Sorry.” He turned back to the wall. “Hey, isn’t this…”

            Neil knew exactly what Ian was referring before he pointed to it. One of the handprints was badly faded, but there was no mistaking Maya’s name on it. What stood out even more was the word “tras” that had been written over it. Neil looked away. He still remembered that day. It was the day Maya first declared she was going to be Champion no matter what. But unlike all the other times, there was a conviction in her words. A strength fueled by pain and anger he refused to see. He pushed back the guilt he felt beginning to build.

            “Man, kids can be real dicks sometimes,” Ian said. He turned away from the wall. “Anyway, we’re late as it is. We should get a move on.”

            Neil was more than happy to follow.

            “That name, Maya, is the same as the Champion, right?” Ian asked.

            Neil fought the urge to sigh, and it didn’t escape his notice that Ian’s tone suggested he already knew the answer to the question. But Neil chose to play along anyway. “Yeah, it’s the same one. She actually lived down the street from me.”

            “Whoa. So what was she like?”

            Neil shrugged again. “Stubborn, reckless, and determined. She was worse than a Poochyena with a bone once she got an idea in her head.”

            “Sounds like she got into a lot of trouble.”

            They reached the room, bringing an end to their conversation. Neil hid his relief and followed Ian inside.

            There were only three people inside which was fewer than Neil expected, but he preferred a smaller crowd. The fewer people knew about him and Noxis, the better.

            “I don’t see the group proctor,” Ian said, looking around. “Let’s grab a seat and wait for her to show up.”

Before they could move, a female voice next to them said, “Ian, you’re late. You better have a damn good excuse.”

Neil turned to see a young woman watching them, her hands placed on her hips as she gave Ian a disapproving stare. She wasn’t that much older than Neil and Ian, but she carried herself with the authority of a parent. It threw Neil off because her long brown hair was tied into a sloppy bun, and her shirt was tied around her waist, showing off her muscled form in a tight-fitting tank.

            Neil recognized the woman immediately. “Madeline? You run the group?”

            Madeline smiled. “Hey, Neil. Wow, you’ve really grown up since I last saw you. How’ve you been?”

            “Pretty good. Wow, I had no idea you ran a support group for trainers.”

            “Is it really that surprising? I mean, Cass runs a Pokémon sanctuary, so why wouldn’t I follow her?”

            Neil supposed she had a point. It just shocked him that someone who lived near him for years was doing this, and he hadn’t the slightest idea. That and Madeline was known for being confrontational. Growing up she was either getting trouble with Cassandra or getting caught up in a fight, sometimes with Cassandra. 

            “Anyway, we’re glad to have you,” Madeline said. She offered her hand to Neil which he shook. She then turned to Ian. “So why are you late again?”

            “Lost track of time,” Ian mumbled.

Madeline sighed heavily. “Ian, I seriously want to cut you some slack, but you have got to try to get here on time. It throws off the rhythm when people come in during a session.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, just don’t make a habit of it,” Madeline said. Turning back to Neil, she added, “Lemme explain the rules since this is your first time here. One: no battling. These Pokémon have had traumatic experiences and the last thing we need is someone triggering bad memories.”

            “Would someone actually do something that stupid?” Neil asked.

            “You have no idea,” Madeline replied, rolling her eyes. “Second: you’re free to share as little or as much as you want. But I won’t have anyone being pressured to talk or shut up.”

            “Yeah, I get it. Be considerate. Do we really have to go through this? You honestly think I would be an asshole?”

            “Everyone hears the rules or they don’t sign up,” Madeline said matter-of-factly. “Last rule: You’re only allowed to release one Pokémon at a time. Too many and they start to feel overwhelmed.”

            “Okay, I can handle that.”

            Madeline smiled. “Sweet! Follow me, and I’ll get you registered.”

            Neil didn’t follow Madeline to another door at the other side of the room. “I, uh, have to register?” He didn’t expect that. There were privacy laws in place for groups like this, but he had hoped to remain anonymous. Since Madeline was a close friend of Cassandra’s he hoped she could be trusted to keep a secret if he asked her to.

            Madeline stopped and turned around, her brow furrowed. “Well, yeah. You can’t exactly go around gathering abused Pokémon in a public space without telling someone first.”

            Ian appeared by Neil’s side and comfortingly patted his shoulder. “It’s all right. Nothing we talk about leaves this room.”

            Neil nodded and followed Madeline into the other room. The room was a small office with only a single desk with a computer and a small scanner for what Neil assumed was for the Pokémon he brought with him.

            Putting at the scanner, Madeline sat down behind the desk. “Go ahead and put the Poké Ball of the Pokémon you’re registering and we’ll get started.”

            Neil placed Noxis’ Poké Ball in the scanner and sat down in the remaining chair on the other side of the chair. He wasn’t in any trouble, but he couldn’t shake the feeling he had been called into the principle’s office. The clacking of Madeline’s fingers on the keyboard and the low hum of the scanner were the only things breaking the silence. Neil sat up straight and tried to avoid looking guilty, but no matter how many times he told himself he had done nothing wrong, the trepidation remained.

            “Oh, a Salazzle? Never seen one of those before,” Madeline said. “You came across a pretty rare—shit.”

            Neil leaned forward in his seat, trying to keep the fear out of his voice as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

            Madeline leaned back in her chair and sighed. “Sorry, Neil, but you can’t register here. Salazzle are listed as a rank S threat and endangered level C. I can’t treat her without a special license. I can apply for one, but it’ll take a few days.”

            The threat ranking system evaluated the danger a particular species of Pokémon posed to others or itself. The endangered list determined how close a Pokémon was to being extinct. At higher levels a trainer needed special permission just to capture a Pokémon. But Noxis being level C put her one level below that requirement. Threat level S was a different matter. It meant he needed permission to train her, something he had gotten taken care of when he captured her.

            “So what happens now?” Neil asked. “Can’t we just keep this low-key until you get the license?”

            “Absolutely not,” Madeline said, her expression and tone serious. “If something happened, you have the no idea the shit storm it would bring down on my head. Not to mention, I’ll be putting the other group members at risk. I’m sorry, Neil, but I just can’t risk it.” She took the Poké Ball from the scanner and gave it back to Neil. “The license isn’t just some rule to be an asshole. They need to make sure I know how to handle Salazzle. Just be a little patient all right?”

            Neil nodded and stood. Part of him was glad he had to drop out. It seemed a good idea when Ian brought it up, but now Neil had time to reflect on it, he preferred to remain incognito. He handled Noxis on his own this long. If it meant keeping her hidden from everyone then so be it.

            “Well it was nice seeing you,” Neil said. “I’ll get out of your hair and let you work.”

            “Yeah, you too. Just give me one week, Neil and I’ll what I can do. You can stay if you want. You just won’t be able to release your Pokémon.”

            “Thanks, but I would rather wait until I can let her out.” Neil smiled and left, knowing he had no intention of returning. Ian was waiting for him on the other side of the door. The eager look on his face reminded Neil of Pyrus when he came home. It was hard to fight back the guilt when ha had to say. “Sorry. I can’t register yet. Madeline needs a special license to look after my Pokémon.”

            “Oh. Well that sucks,” Ian said, his voice laden with disappointment.

            “What can you do?” Neil replied, shrugging. “Hey, can I have your number? Maybe when you’re free, I’ll show you around my hometown.”

            “Sure.”

            After exchanging numbers, Neil left the community center. With nothing else better to do, he decided to head home. His watch said it was still early in the afternoon, but by the time he tracked down a place where he could train his Pokémon in peace, it would likely be dark again.

            I’ll just have to test the serum tomorrow, Neil thought.

            The moment he reached the front step, the door opened and his father came outside. Judging from the way Samuel froze when he saw Neil, he hadn’t expected to run into anyone.

            “Neil, I was just about to look for you. Sensed your old man needed to talk to you, huh?” Samuel said, smiling.

            “More like I just wanted to come home and relax,” Neil replied. “But I got plenty of time. What’s going on, dad?”

            Samuel looked over his shoulder at the front of the house. Neil peered around to see what his father could be looking at, but he saw nothing.

            “Come with me,” Samuel said before walking around the back of the house. Neil followed, wondering the cause for all the secrecy. It couldn’t be anything life-threatening or else his father would’ve said something. A chilling thought crossed Neil’s mind: did his father know about the investigation? That would explain the secrecy if he was trying to keep his mom finding out.

            It’s okay. I didn’t do anything wrong, Neil told himself. If he asks, just tell him the truth.

            When they reached the back of the house, Samuel looked around again before turning to Neil. “Do you know about bond transformations?” He sighed when Neil shook his head. “Bond transformation is a high-level technique—one of the highest to be honest. This is an even rarer form than mega evolution and several times more difficult to achieve.”

            That certainly caught Neil’s attention. Mega evolution was already regarded as a very high-level technique. So high that gym leaders weren’t allowed to use it in official gym battles.

            “So how do I do it?” Neil asked, his eagerness creeping into his voice and making no attempt to stop smiling at the possibilities that awaited him. A rare high-level technique was the sort of trump card any trainer would beg for. It was the sort of thing that could turn the tide in any battle, especially if the opponent didn’t know what it was.

            “Slow down, Neil,” Samuel said. “This technique is dangerous. It puts a strain on your body as well as your Pokémon’s. If you overuse it or use it improperly, it could put you in the hospital.” He sighed and rubbed his head. “Your mother doesn’t like the idea of teaching it to you. But you’re going to hear about this technique at some point, and I would rather you learn how to use it safely…” He rubbed his chin, leaving the rest of his sentence to hang in the air as if let the weight of his words sink in.

            Neil remained silent. This was another one of his father’s secret tests. If he answered too soon without thinking it through first, it meant he wasn’t ready. Samuel had already taught him that no victory was ever worth putting a Pokémon’s life at risk, so anything that pushed his team to the limit needed to be considered with the utmost care. Neil understood it perfectly. Trainer Rule #45: The safety of your Pokémon is ALWAYS your top priority, No way he would break the rules he and his friends set years ago.

After several minutes of silence, Samuel smiled. “So let’s start by releasing Ember from her Poké Ball.”

            Neil did as he was told and released his Charizard. Ember stood patiently next to her trainer almost as if she expected what was to come next.

            “Now there is one very important requirement for this to work,” Samuel said. “You and your Pokémon must have an unflinching trust in one another. Since you and Ember grew up together, it’s safe to assume that she’s the most likely to be compatible with you.”

            “No objections there,” Neil said, wrapping an arm around Ember’s neck. She trilled happily and licked his face.

            “You say that now, but this technique will allow you to see the world as your Pokémon does, and you’ll feel what she feels. Now close your eyes.”

            Neil did what his father said. He didn’t feel or see anything. “Dad, I’m not seeing anything.”

            “No talking. Just empty your mind. Feel her energy, her heartbeat. Imagine what it would feel like to fly through the air as she does, walk around like her, to sway your tail like she does when she’s happy.”

            It felt weird thinking of his body that way. He didn’t have wings or a tail, so it was difficult. He tried envisioning the feeling when he rode on Ember’s back as she flew through the air, the feeling of freedom, the wind blowing through his hair.

            Eventually, he saw a small light in the distance. He tried reaching for it, but it moved out of his reach.

            “Dad, I think I see something. It’s like a small light, almost like a flame.”

            “That’s good. Now just focus on it.”

            Neil tried focusing on it, but it wouldn’t hold still. It seemed to be getting smaller no matter how much he chased after it. A strange feeling came over him like being underwater. It made it that much harder to chase after the light.

            “Okay, I think that’s enough for one day,” Samuel said.

            Neil opened his eyes and lay back on the grass. His breathing came in hard bursts as if he had just run a marathon. His body hurt as if he had done an intense workout. He heard Ember lay down next to him, also breathing heavily.

            Samuel walked over and offered a hand to help Neil stand. “You didn’t succeed, but don’t worry about it, Neil. The first time is always the hardest. Once you feel it you’ll be able to call on it whenever you need.”

            Even after standing, Neil had to lean on his father for support. He recalled Ember to her ball and started walking back toward the house. “I…didn’t think…sitting…in one place…was this…tiring.”

            “That’s the effects of the battle bond,” his father explained. “It takes a lot outta you first few times. We might have to start you on a workout regimen to increase your stamina. It wouldn’t be the first time someone passed out from using this technique.”

            Neil raised a brow at his father for not mentioning that sort of thing sooner. At first, he was happy to learn a new battle technique, but now the idea of going through this with all six of his Pokémon made him wary.

            “Don’t focus on trying to do this with all of your Pokémon,” Samuel said. “I’ve been doing it for years and I still haven’t succeeded. Neither has your mother. It takes not only a strong body, but an unbreakable will to go with it.”

            Neil was too tired to say anything. There probably were trainers in the world who could perform a bond transformation with multiple Pokémon, but he didn’t even want to think about how much work and training they put in to do it.

            Samuel carried Neil into the house and steered his son toward the sofa. Neil was grateful to sit down and rest.

            “Stay here while I start dinner,” Samuel said before heading back to the kitchen.

            It wasn’t as if Neil had the strength to move even if he wanted to. He was just grateful he didn’t need to use the bathroom. Sitting alone in the living room gave him time to plan out his next actions.

            But there was one thing weighing on Neil’s mind that he needed to ask. “Dad, why the sudden interest in teaching me this?”

            Samuel stopped and turned around. “I always planned to teach this to you, but I wanted to wait until you were ready to challenge the Elite Four. Since you no longer plan to become Champion, I figured now is just a good a time as any.”

            Neil nodded as he watched his father head into the kitchen to make dinner. He had never been one to believe in fate, but he couldn’t deny his dad’s timing couldn’t be better. These next few months would be critical. He needed to take advantage of the loop hole and challenge Sharon for the Championship before Claire did. To do that, he needed to learn bond transformation. He already had mega evolution, but so did Sharon. Having an ace wouldn’t hurt. Thinking back to Sharon’s Espeon, he shuddered. That Pokémon had almost no emotion in its eyes during the battle with Maya. Facing down Maude in her mega evolved form, the Espeon not once showed any hint of concern. He didn’t want to consider what kind of training it to had gone through to achieve such calmness.

In the end, he supposed it didn’t matter. No matter what, he planned to master bond transformation before the start of the League Championship Tournament.