Sato and White hadn't seen each other in a long time, but there was no awkwardness at all. As they talked about what they'd each been through over the years, both couldn't help but sigh in reflection.

Sato's experiences went without saying. Whether it was during his time guarding the Gym or his journey through Sinnoh, it had all been nothing short of remarkable.

According to White, even though he now lived in a mansion -castle- and looked like he had no worries at all, his path as a Breeder had been full of setbacks.

Three years ago, White's parents, unable to stand their son "wasting his life," ruthlessly cut off his allowance, hoping to make him come to his senses.

Though White always had a carefree smile on his face, when he got stubborn, he really meant it. He never asked his family for another cent.

Fortunately, his Pokémon Breeding skills weren't bad at all, and he quickly found a job at a breeding center in Silver Town. He stuck with it dutifully for two whole years.

In the end, the "battle" between him and his family concluded with his mother getting pregnant with a second child…

"So you really gave up inheriting billions?" Sato glanced at White, thinking to himself, 'Rich people really do live differently.'

"Well... not exactly. Before my little brother inherits the family business, I still have to keep an eye on things. Gotta keep up appearances, after all."

White didn't care one bit that the butler beside him was frantically signaling at him with his eyes, he just spilled everything.

Sato nodded thoughtfully, while Clair looked completely uninterested, focused only on playing with her Dratini.

"Hey, let's battle!"

Suddenly, Clair held up Dratini in front of Sato, her eyes sparkling with eagerness.

"Sure, sure. Just talking is boring! Let's see how strong our great Gym Leader Sato has become~"

Seeing this, Sato naturally didn't refuse. He stood up and said, "Lead the way, then."

"Aye sir~ Right this way!" White replied with a mischievous grin, playing along dramatically.

The three of them left the castle and headed straight to the garden. The battlefield was located right in the middle of the flower-filled park.

"May I ask how many Pokémon the two of you intend to use for the match?" the butler asked, bowing as he stepped forward.

Sato and Clair exchanged a smile.

"2v2…"

"3v3!"

They both said their preferred formats at the same time -with zero sync- and an awkward expression appeared on their faces.

In the end, Sato took the initiative and said, "Let's make it 2v2. It's getting late today, and I still have to catch a ride to Pallet Town."

"Fine… two it is." Clair pouted, then turned and walked toward one of the command platforms.

"Go easy on her! Don't make her cry right at the start~" White said while patting Sato on the shoulder. He sounded like he was trying to mediate, but said it loudly on purpose.

"White! I'm telling Lance tomorrow that you bullied me!"

"Bleh~ Go ahead! You're battling Sato, not me," White shrugged without a care, making even Sato feel like smacking him.

"Ahem… if both Trainers are ready, shall we begin the match?" The butler, apparently unable to tolerate his young master's antics any longer, subtly urged them to start.

"Sato, don't underestimate me. You're not the only one who's been improving these past few years!" Clair said seriously, her red and white Poké Ball enlarging in her hand.

"Now commencing a 2v2 rotation battle between Trainer Sato and Trainer Clair. Once both Pokémon on one side lose the ability to battle, the match will end!

Begin!"

With two loud bursts, Clair's Dratini and Sato's Skorupi appeared on the battlefield at the same time.

Clair gave Sato a complicated look, thinking, 'You really are underestimating me.'

"Dratini, use Agility!"

"Skorupi, use Acupressure."

At the start, neither side launched an attack. Instead, they each used buff-type moves.

Dratini was small, but with the boost from Agility, it zipped around at lightning speed, circling Skorupi several times in a blink.

Meanwhile, Skorupi just stood still without moving. From an outsider's perspective, it looked like it was foolishly stabbing itself with its tail pincers.

'What was it even boosting?'

Clair and the observing White couldn't help but grow curious. But since Skorupi didn't make any big movements, they couldn't figure it out right away.

Sato smiled. Others couldn't read Skorupi's state, but he could tell everything from its subtle motions.

All of this, of course, had been prepared in advance through special training.

After a while, seeing Skorupi still standing there dumbly without reacting, Clair couldn't hold back any longer and ordered Dratini to attack again.

"Use Dragon Tail!"

"Tini~"

With a light cry, Dratini slid swiftly to Skorupi's side and whipped its tail down hard!

"Dodge."

As soon as the words left Sato's mouth, Skorupi sidestepped to the other side, narrowly dodging the Dragon Tail.

Yes! Skorupi had used Acupressure to boost the rarely-triggered evasiveness stat¹1!

"Poison Fang."

In the next instant, Skorupi's tail pincers shot out and clamped down hard on Dratini, injecting a stream of poison directly through the wound.

"Dratini! Use Twister to escape!"

Clair shouted urgently. She hadn't expected Skorupi's attack to be so fierce and fast!

A fierce Twister whipped up around Dratini, kicking up a storm of dirt and grass that battered Skorupi's tail.

Skorupi winced in pain and instinctively loosened its grip; Dratini slipped free in an instant.

"Safeguard!"

Clair had plenty of battle experience. She immediately noticed the signs of poisoning and activated the defense without hesitation.

Sato wasn't bothered at all that Poison Fang's added effect didn't trigger. He gave the next order calmly: "Acupressure."

Clair instantly clenched her fists. '…What stat would it boost this time?'

Skorupi once again entered its silly-looking stance, using Acupressure by "poking" itself with its tail pincers.

Skorupi: I'm stabbing myself… and getting stronger with every stab!

The still-latent poisoning in Dratini's body was wiped away instantly by Safeguard, but seeing Skorupi standing still again, Clair had learned her lesson this time.

"Dratini, use Thunder Wave!"

'Let's see you keep stabbing yourself when you're paralyzed!'

"Skorupi, Dig."

Thunder Wave was incredibly fast, but Skorupi had previously raised its evasiveness, and now had just boosted its speed.

So in a blink, Skorupi vanished into the ground, and the normally infallible Thunder Wave missed completely!

"Dratini, use Aqua Tail to flood the tunnel!"

Clair reacted swiftly this time, Thunder Wave flowed seamlessly into Aqua Tail.

Down below, Skorupi seemed to panic and quickly dug back out from underneath Dratini. Using the impact force, it launched Dratini into the air.

"NOW! Aqua Tail!"

"Tini!"

Despite the damage from Dig, Dratini spun midair and fiercely slammed Aqua Tail straight into Skorupi's face.

Boom!

Skorupi didn't see it coming and got blasted away by the Aqua Tail, not getting back up for quite some time.

"Amazing!"

White couldn't help but pump his fist, thoroughly impressed by the coordination between Dratini and Clair.

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¹.In-battle stats. Evasion rate or Evasiveness.

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150 PS - Chap

In-battle stats. Evasion rate or Evasiveness.