Mauville City, Hoenn Region
Claire. Assistant Head of Operations
Battle observation day.
It was a day when the Mauville gym conducted the monthly assessment of the gym trainers, assistants, and prospective assistants.
Claire stood beside the observation deck window, clipboard in hand, posture straight.
Wattson, by contrast, leaned casually against the railing, his round cheeks lit with his usual grin.
"Another fine day to spark some growth!" he declared, twirling the end of his mustache.
Claire didn't look up from her notes. "You say that every time."
"That's because it is always a fine day to spark something," Wattson said with a wink. "Besides, don't you feel it? The crackle in the air?"
"Static buildup," Claire said. "I calibrated the floor panels this morning."
Wattson chuckled. "Always the romantic."
Claire arched a brow. "Speaking of romance, security reports show increased break-in attempts near the bike shop. Same number near the turbine outposts. Our network's being tested."
The smile on Wattson's face didn't fade, but something shifted behind his eyes. "And we'll be ready. That's why we're sharpening the blades now."
"Assuming the blades aren't dulled by pun overload."
"Now that cuts me deep."
Claire allowed herself a very small, very quiet sigh. Below them, the first match was about to begin.
...
Match One: Sparky vs. Vivian
The arena lights flared. Sparky strode onto the field, practically bouncing with energy, Pikachu at her heels. She spun once and threw a wink toward the crowd.
Claire adjusted her glasses. "There she is. Sparky. Ranked first in this year's Training School cohort. Pun-loving, irrepressibly upbeat, and somehow manages to be louder than your coffee grinder."
"Spitting image of someone, isn't she?" Wattson said, elbowing Claire with a knowing grin.
"Don't flatter yourself."
Vivian entered across the field, her Meditite bowing politely. Claire nodded in approval. Vivian was a veteran; steady, tactical. This would test more than just Sparky's flash.
The referee called the match.
Vivian started sharply. "Meditite, use Detect, then Feint!"
"Pikachu, dodge and dazzle, baby!" Sparky called. "Double Team and Quick Attack combo, light it up like a disco!"
Pikachu blurred, zigzagging through the glowing illusions. Meditite struck through a decoy but couldn't keep pace with the real one. The battle quickly became a storm of motion and sparks.
Claire's eyes narrowed. "She's not just energetic. She's improvising mid-pattern. Tight turns, clean angles. That Pikachu's acceleration curve has been drilled."
Wattson chuckled. "Told you she's got the zip! Can't spell spark without Sparky!"
On the field, Pikachu landed an Iron Tail just after a feint, an unorthodox reversal mid-air that stunned even Vivian. Meditite staggered, then dropped to one knee.
Match over.
Claire scribbled a note. "Instinctive, creative, and just reckless enough to be dangerous. She's ready for sanctioned challenges."
Wattson beamed. "She'll light up the League like a thousand-volt smile!"
...
Match Two: Wally vs. Kirk
Claire straightened almost imperceptibly when Wally stepped into the ring. His Ralts hovered beside him, pale and silent, its eyes already studying the terrain.
Claire's pen stilled as the boy stepped onto the field, quiet, measured. Ralts walked beside him, serene and silent. No theatrics. No crowd-pleasing smile.
"Now, here's the outlier," Claire murmured. "Shiny Ralts. Only registered a month ago. No Training School record. One tournament appearance. One Win. No official sponsor."
Wattson squinted. "But there's something about him, huh?"
Claire nodded faintly. "He doesn't move like a beginner."
Across from him, Guitarist Kirk spun his guitar once, then caught it. "Ready for a little thunderstruck battle, kid?"
Wally blinked slowly. "Is that a challenge or an album name?"
Claire's lips twitched. Wattson roared with laughter.
"Oh, he's got your brand of deadpan," Wattson said, elbowing her. "Must be why I like him."
Claire shook her head. "I feel judged."
The battle began.
Kirk sent out Electrike with a dramatic riff. "Let's go, Thunder Fang!"
Wally didn't move. "Double Team."
Ralts fractured into illusions, drifting like fog. Electrike lunged through one, then another.
"Sound pattern's off," Claire murmured. "He's syncing Ralts' copies to Electrike's rhythm."
"Kid's got an ear," Wattson said. "Hope Kirk's not tone-deaf."
"Confusion," Wally said quietly.
A pulse of psychic energy struck just as Electrike misstepped.
"Recover with Thunder Fang! Stay on it!" Kirk barked.
Electrike dug in, caught Ralts with a grazing bite. Ralts winced but hovered steady.
Then Wally paused. He looked down. Claire followed his gaze, metallic floor panels, subtly conductive, built for electric field calibration.
"He's going to use the terrain," she murmured.
Wattson grinned. "Now that's music to my ears."
"Ralts," Wally said. "Sync with the grid."
Ralts's eyes gleamed. A thin psychic thread extended, not to Electrike, but to the floor. It shimmered, not violently, but with a hum, subtle, calculated.
Electrike staggered, caught off guard by the vibration under its feet, feedback from its own static bouncing through the gym's grid.
"Now," Wally said, "Teleport. Behind."
In an instant, Ralts vanished and reappeared behind Electrike, who turned too late.
"Confusion."
It landed clean.
Electrike crumpled with a faint whine.
Silence followed. Then applause, not loud, but enough.
Wattson let out a long breath. "He played the gym like an instrument."
Claire added to her notes: Utilized environmental conductivity. The timing was nearly flawless. Tactical preemption. Ralts displays high synchronization, emotional and strategic. She glanced down at the field again.
"His Ralts doesn't second-guess him," she said aloud. "There's trust. Deep."
"Bond like that," Wattson nodded, "you don't teach that in class."
Claire clicked her pen. "No. You earn it."
As the matches wrapped and the trainers filtered out, Wattson turned to her.
"So, think they've got what it takes?"
Claire answered without looking up. "Sparky has guts. Wally has vision. Both can learn. Both are worth watching."
Wattson smiled. "You're almost sounding optimistic, Claire."
"I'm pragmatic."
"Ah, that's what they call hope these days."
Claire slid the clipboard under her arm. "If they're the future, I want them prepared."
"And if not?"
"Then we double security at the turbine gate."
Wattson chuckled. "Still no love for flair?"
Claire didn't respond.
But as Wally walked by below, Ralts leaning softly against his shoulder, Roselia perched at his other side, Claire allowed herself a rare, lingering glance.
Not because he was flashy. But because he was brilliant.
And brilliance, she thought, was worth guarding.
...
Mauville City, Hoenn Region.
Tate & Liza, Psychics
From the moment they stepped off the Magnet Train, Tate and Liza were buzzing, mentally and literally. A break from nonstop training and psychic drills was rare, and they weren't about to waste it.
Liza adjusted the strap on her shoulder bag.
Tate was already spinning like a Baltoy, arms out, eyes wide. "It's like the whole city's vibrating."
"You're vibrating," Liza muttered. "Stand still before someone thinks you're having a psychic episode."
He grinned, unfazed. "You're just mad that you can't multitask."
"I'm the one who packed everything for this trip. Including your socks."
"Emotionally, I packed the vibes."
Behind them, their mother sighed, equal parts fond and exasperated. "This is your day, darlings. But first, to the Mauville Gym."
Claire met them at the gym entrance, clipboard in hand, glasses sharp, not a strand of hair out of place. The gym's sleek doors hissed open behind her.
"Gym Leader Fulan," Claire greeted, nodding respectfully. Then her gaze flicked to the twins. "Wasn't expecting your children."
"You weren't?" Liza asked, already squinting at the gym's layout.
"Not exactly. But extra company is always welcome," Claire replied. "Why don't you two explore the city while we handle the boring parts?"
Liza's eyes sparkled. "We're free."
Tate clapped. "What now?"
"Not letting you pick."
Their mother crossed her arms. "It's too dangerous to let you two roam unsupervised. Who knows what kind of havoc you'd cause?"
"Mom!" both twins groaned.
Claire considered. "Kirk and Vivian are both out. Sparky's patrolling the outskirts. That leaves... Wally. But..."
"Let us guess," Tate said. "He's also missing?"
"Not missing. Just untraceable," Claire said. "I know he's in the city, green hair, quiet demeanor, and a shiny Ralts. Hard to forget."
"Shiny- " Tate began.
"Ralts?" Liza finished.
They turned to each other. "Interesting."
Claire arched an eyebrow. "You wouldn't mind helping me find him?"
The twins shared a glance, nodded once, and closed their eyes.
The city buzzed in waves, thoughts, sounds, energy, chaos; a rookie psychic may drown in the chaos, but Tate and Liza were anything but. Within a minute, they pinpointed the psychic resonance.
"There," Liza said, pointing north.
"Bet I spot him first," Tate said, bolting.
"Bet you trip on your face."
Their mother called after them dryly, "If you find him, then you're allowed to play."
...
They found him near the open-air mart, tucked between stalls brimming with berries. Wally stood beside a woman clutching an old Poké Ball, Ralts hovering at his side.
"She might not be strong now," Wally said gently, "but maybe she doesn't have to be. She just needs time."
The woman's eyes shimmered. "You're right. I didn't expect to be comforted by a teenager… but thank you."
Then she pressed a TM case into his hand. "Sky Drop. My husband's favorite. It belongs with someone kind."
Wally looked stunned. "I, I don't know if I should, "
"You listened," she said softly, and turned to leave.
Liza elbowed her brother. "He didn't even try to impress her."
Tate leaned in. "Right? And it still worked."
Wally noticed them. "Oh. Hello. You two aren't… lost, are you?"
"Nope," Tate said brightly. "We found you."
"You're Wally," Liza added, eyeing Ralts. "And that must be the shiny."
"That's us," Wally replied. "You must be the Mossdeep twins. Miss Claire just sent me a message."
"Soon-to-be Gym Leaders," Tate said proudly. "Our mom's ready to retire and become a full-time critic."
Liza tilted her head. "Ralts is beautiful."
"She is."
"You planning to specialize in Psychics?" she asked with a smile.
Wally looked at Ralts, then back at them. "Not really. I want to travel with different kinds of Pokémon. Choosing just one feels… limiting."
Liza studied him. "Shame. You've got the eyes for it."
Tate nodded. "Yes, we can feel the potential in you."
Wally smiled faintly. "High praise from people who could throw me across the street with their thoughts. Thanks."
The twins grinned.
"You're fun," Liza said.
"You have vision," Tate added.
"We approve," they said in unison.
"So," Liza continued, "what are we doing next?"
Wally tucked the TM into his bag. "Don't worry," he said, brushing dust from his sleeve. "I have plans."
...
The Battle Food Court was glorious, spicy chaos. Trainers shouted over sizzling grills, plates clattered, and the scent of Nanab curry hung thick in the air.
Tate and Liza both pointed to the same seat.
"I called it first," Tate said.
"In your head," Liza replied. "I had a psychic image of that seat seconds ago."
"Doesn't count if you don't say it."
"Still counts if I'm better."
Wally laughed quietly. "You'll have to win the seat first anyway. Order food, defend your spot. That's the rule."
They ordered. Three-on-three. Time to earn their meal.
Tate's Lunatone glided smoothly, its psychic aura catching attacks before they landed. Liza's Solrock crashed through opponents like a meteor, glowing hot. Ralts shimmered at Wally's side, strategic, focused.
"You blocked my Solrock's Solar Beam!" Liza snapped mid-battle.
"You walked into my shield bubble!" Tate argued.
"Your Lunatone floats like a rock with stage fright."
"At least it doesn't scream when hit."
Wally didn't flinch. "Do you always argue like this during battles?"
"Yes," they said together.
When they finally sat down, sweat-drenched and victorious, the food was worth every second. Plates arrived stacked with rare berry curries, glittering with Enigma shavings and subtle floral oil. Their Pokémon nibbled from their own trays.
"This is the best thing I've ever eaten," Tate mumbled.
"Second best," Liza replied, licking her spoon. "First was that time I beat you with a Wynaut and ate the prized chocolate."
"You cheated. You distracted me."
Wally chuckled. "They say the food helps Pokémon bond with their trainers. Good ingredients, good memories, it raises their trust."
They nodded, chewing in tandem.
...
Next stop: the Massage Center.
Warm towels, berry oil rubs, Pokémon lounging in aromatic bliss.
Liza tried to win by requesting rose petals.
Tate countered with extra-thick towels and cucumber slices.
"Classy," he said smugly.
"Desperate," she replied.
Ralts was silent throughout, as usual.
"Your Ralts is disturbingly zen," Liza murmured.
"She reflects the trainer," Wally said.
The twins gave identical groans.
...
Then came the Game Corner, now reimagined as a prize boutique, glowing with soft lights and lined with shelves of plushies. The air was soft with retro music.
Wally stepped in with familiarity.
"This place looks old," Liza whispered, scanning the scuffed tile floors.
"Practically on life support," Tate added.
"It was," came a warm voice. An older man stepped from behind the counter, adjusting his cap. "Then Wally came by. Helped me sort through the prize inventory, rebuilt the cataloging system, and fixed half the prize machines. That friend of his, Kirk, pitched in too."
"Wait, you fixed that?" Tate blinked.
"Not alone," Wally said, scratching the back of his neck. "Kirk did the heavy lifting. Ralts helped with the small stuff. She's good at levitating screws."
The old man chuckled, then waved them inside. "So these your siblings?"
"No-" all three said at once, then fell silent.
The old man raised an eyebrow. "Could've fooled me. You've got the timing of siblings, at least."
Ralts let out a quiet chirp, floating forward to nudge a plush Gardevoir off the shelf with psychic energy. It landed perfectly in Wally's hands.
"She picked it," he said, not quite smiling, but close.
The old man chuckled. "Good taste. Take it, and two more for your friends. Consider it, thanks for the repairs."
They left with three plushes: a Solrock, a Lunatone, and a Gardevoir stitched with psychic thread.
"You didn't have to get us anything," Tate began.
"I wanted to," Wally said simply, handing them over like it was nothing at all.
As the sky turned golden-orange, their PokéNavs buzzed.
"Time's up," Liza said, groaning.
"We should stretch it," Tate said. "One last rebellion."
Wally smiled. "I'll cover for you. Say you were helping a lost Skitty."
"Wait, can you lie?" Liza asked.
"I can edit truth," Wally replied, deadpan, but it carcked into a smile.
They walked in silence, Solrock and Lunatone floating behind like twin moons.
"We don't usually relax," Liza admitted.
"Always training," Tate agreed. "Always in sync. Or trying to be."
"You helped us be a little out of sync," Liza said. "And that felt good."
Tate reached into his bag and handed Wally a slim indigo notebook.
"It's on psychic attunement," he said. "How to listen, feel energy, center your mind."
"Don't show our mom," Liza added. "She'll say that we are too soft-hearted."
Wally took the notebook and said with a smile, "I'll keep it hidden under my Pokéblocks. No one ever checks the berry pouch."
The twins snorted.
"Seriously, though," Tate said, nudging him, "use it well."
"I will," Wally said. "I'm already hearing your thoughts loud and clear."
"Oh yeah?" Liza raised an eyebrow. "What am I thinking right now?"
Wally gave her a slow blink. "That Tate's outfit clashes and you're too polite to say it out loud?"
Tate gasped. "That's not true!"
Liza burst into laughter. "You're already on the right path."
"It's not bad…" Tate muttered, glancing down at his mismatched socks and neon hoodie. "Maybe a little bold."
"Maybe for a traffic cone," Wally said, straight-faced.
Liza wheezed.
Tate threw up his hands. "Okay, fine! Next time I'm wearing robes and brooding like the rest of the psychic types."
"Only if you also float ominously while doing it," Wally replied, his grin not fading.
"Deal," Tate grinned.
...
Thanks for reading~