The Lindenberg house felt strangely quiet after Tony's plane disappeared into the vast afternoon sky, leaving only a fading contrail behind.
Jake hadn't stopped talking since they stepped inside.
"Was that really a Pokémon from another universe?"
"Did he fight a Tyrantrum or was he joking??"
"Do you think he has a Salamence? Or a Charizard?"
"Would you beat him?"
His grandfather Joe only chuckled at the questions, shaking his head in amusement as he gently nudged the young boy forward.
"Come with me," he said with a smirk, while patting Jake's shoulder. "There's something I want to show you."
Charmander followed them on light feet, tail flame flickering in the hallway's dim golden light.
Joe led the curious duo past the familiar photos and paintings on the walls until they reached the living room—one wall dominated by a polished walnut display cabinet. Inside it, nestled among various framed photographs and worn medals, was a low glass case. Jake had seen it before, but never asked about it, because he was always interested in badges from Pokémon gym battles.
Joe slid the glass aside and carefully lifted out the box.
It was thick, wooden, and dark with age. A silver inlay traced the royal crest of the Bohemian League on its lid. Four indents held four small badges—each a different shape and color. Below them, engraved into the wood itself, was a fifth crest: a rising Tauros over a golden prairie. The emblem of the Battle Ranch.
"This…" Joe said, settling into a chair and motioning Jake closer, "is the real proof I beat the other Brains before the League agreed to add our Ranch to the list of Bohemian Frontier facilities. I needed to win all four Symbols. And this—" He plucked out one sharply etched steel badge shaped like a tower of antlers. "—is the Battle Spire symbol."
Jake's eyes widened. "That's really from that Tony-guy?"
Joe nodded, resting back into the chair, badge glinting in his hand.
Jake leaned forward on the carpet, knees tucked under him.
"So you really did beat him? What was it like? Was it hard? Which Pokémon did you fight with?"
Joe paused a moment, his expression distant. Charmander hopped into Jake's lap, curling its tail inward and staring up at the older trainer in anticipation as well.
"There's something you need to understand," Joe said, voice softening. "The Spire isn't like our Ranch. It's not in the highlands, but in the mountains, where they don't have as much space around as we do. Meaning, there's not so many Pokémon there as we have here."
"No?" Jake frowned, "so what is it like?"
"It's up in the southern ranges. Twin towers built right into the mountains. Wooden frames, hanging bridges… clouds so low you walk through them."
"Wow, sounds cool."
"Yes, imagine mist in your nose, pine needles under your boots. You don't feel like you're walking into a building—it's like stepping into a different, some would say cloudy, world."
Jake was already hooked, eyes wide.
"And the fight? Do they have the testing rounds like we have here? Or did you go straight to Tony? And did you bring some friends with you to cheer for you?"
Joe chuckled and continued. "No, no cheerleaders, I went alone. No fanfare. After I registered for the battle, I passed the preliminary match—some poor guy had a Golbat, Skarmory, and Mismagius. Magnezone swept the floor with them. This is to answer your question about testing round. And after that, it was time to face the big guy."
"Did you beat him?" Jake interrupted eagerly.
"Nope," Joe smirked. "Not that time."
Jake blinked. "Wait… you lost?"
Joe nodded slowly, eyes drifting back into the memory. "Six times, actually. That first match taught me a lot."
He tapped the badge thoughtfully against his palm. "I opened with Magnezone, thinking I could overpower whatever he threw at me. But Tony sent out a Gliscor."
Jake's mouth fell open slightly. "Gliscor? But isn't it immune to Electric attacks?!"
"Exactly. I went in cocky, thinking Flash Cannon and Gyro Ball would do the trick, but Gliscor danced around Magnezone like a gust through leaves. It chipped away with Fire Fangs and Night Slashes. Too fast. In the end, it finished my Magnezone with a super-effective Mud-Slap."
Joe placed the badge on the table and started to walk around the room while recalling more details.
"So, I brought in Tropius. Slower, sure—but bulkier. We used Leaf Storms to scatter Gliscor. And even though Tony fought back with more Fire Fangs and even tried to use Guillotine, I finally flattened it with a Body Slam."
Jake pumped a fist. "Yes!"
"Don't celebrate yet. Tony brought out Delibird next."
"…Delibird?" Jake tilted his head, "are you joking?"
Joe gave a dry laugh. "I thought the same. But it opened with Hail, then froze the whole battlefield over with Blizzard. One Ice Beam after another—and Tropius didn't stand a chance."
Jake gulped, tightening his hold around Charmander.
"So I called in Oranguru," Joe said. "Tricky little psychic, you know him. He Teleported all over the place. Fired off Future Sight after Future Sight. Used Extrasensory to bind Delibird and slam it into the ground. It looked silly, but it worked. Delibird just couldn't keep up."
"Did that mean you won?"
"Not quite. You are not counting correctly. Tony had one more trick: Aerodactyl."
Jake gasped. "Wait… that's a fossil Pokémon, right?"
Joe gave a grim smile. "Correct, that's the one."
Charmander whimpered slightly, its tail flame dimming. The Pokémon only saw a picture of Aerodactyl and couldn't even imagine fighting the ancient beast.
"Right from the start, it was overwhelming. It rained down Rock Slides and fired Air Cutters, scattered Oranguru all over the place. We were unable to attack, only dodged him. But we hung on long enough to land a few good Future Sight hits."
Jake leaned closer. "And then you won?"
Joe's eyes darkened slightly, but with a smile at the corners. "That's when he Mega Evolved. Aerodactyl became bigger, faster, and stronger. It used Ancient Power to power itself up even more. Then came the Meteor Beam."
"And? What did you do? How did you fight back?" Jake asked with wide eyes. Charmander trembled in his lap, hiding behind Jake's arms. He remembered when they saw Meteor Beam on Youtube video, where Clefable used it to defeat Talonflame.
"I didn't," his grandfather sighed.
"Why?"
"I lost," Joe said at last. The room was quiet for a several minutes as Joe was thinking back to that time and Jake was imagining how he and Charmander would battle against Pokémon like Mega Aerodactyl.
"But you came back and won, right? You have the symbol, so you had to win!"
"Yes, I did. But fighting against Tony is crazy. He's on totally diffent level. And now he also controls his own Ultra-beast..."
"So…" Jake asked, eyes sparkling, "did Tony always use those same Pokémon when you battled him?"
Joe, lounging back on the old family couch with one leg propped over the other, chuckled. "Now that's a good question."
Jake sat up straighter, practically vibrating, eager to hear about more super-strong Pokémon.
"No. Not always," Joe continued. "Back then, I thought Mega Aerodactyl was his ace. I mean, it's a prehistoric monster with wings made of stone knives—who wouldn't?"
Jake grinned. "I wouldn't want to battle that, right Charmander?"
"Char!" the little lizard shivered a little and hid his face behind his paws.
"Well," Joe said with a chuckle, "I did fight that. More than once. And in our second match... I might've pulled a little nasty trick on him."
Jake leaned forward. "What kind of trick?"
Joe grinned and tapped the side of his nose. "Me and Magnezone planned it through beforehand. We knew Aerodactyl was fast, brutal, and once it Mega Evolved, almost unstoppable. But we had one card to play: Explosion."
Jake's jaw dropped. Charmander chirped curiously and scooted closer to Jake, tail flame flaring.
"You blew up your Magnezone?" Jake asked, shocked.
Joe laughed. "Well, technically Magnezone blew itself up. Got in real close—right under Aerodactyl's belly—and boom. Took itself out and..."
"Aerodactyl, too! Right?" Jake exclaimed.
"Unfortunately, no. But Oranguru stepped in and immediately used a powerful Thunder."
"Did it work?"
"Aerodactyl dodged the first few attacks, but it was exhausted and badly injured from the Explosion and Oranguru managed to drag that ancient beast down."
Jake whooped. "That's so cool!"
"But it wasn't over," Joe said, holding up a hand. "Tony brought out Delibird. And again, it wasn't handing out presents. He started to use Fling."
"Fling? What's that?" Jake asked.
"A dark-type move."
"So it's super-effective against Oranguru, right?"
Joe nodded. "Exactly. It pulled out rocks from its sack, infused with dark energy. Started lobbing them like grenades. Poor Oranguru had to teleport all over the place just to stay in the game. Then—bam—teleported straight into an Ice Beam."
"Oof," Jake winced. Charmander covered his eyes with a tiny claw.
"Yeah. Bad luck for us. Got ugly for a second. But then... Delibird tried to finish it with Present."
Jake blinked. "Present? Why not use Fling again?"
"Hard to say. But listen, Present's quite a gamble. And this time, the thing actually healed Oranguru instead of hurting him."
Jake burst out laughing. "Delibird healed his opponent? Nice!"
"Yup. Oranguru didn't waste the opportunity. Grabbed Delibird with Extrasensory and smashed it into the cliffside before it could throw another rock."
Jake giggled. "Revenge is sweet!"
Joe gave a slow nod. "But then came Tony's real ace... Hawlucha."
Jake tilted his head. "Wait, really? That weird wrestler bird?"
Joe raised an eyebrow. "Weird, yeah. But also deadly. That Hawlucha was like something out of a martial arts movie. First move—X-Scissor—took Oranguru down in a single hit."
"One hit?!" Jake gasped.
"Just like that," Joe said with a snap of his fingers. "So I sent out Togekiss. Figured Fairy moves would be enough to tip the scales."
Jake leaned closer, eyes wide.
"And were they enough?" he jumped in.
"Calm down and listen... Hawlucha opened with combination of Acrobatics and Aerial Aces. We did nothing but dodge. Then Togekiss tried Calm Mind to power up—Hawlucha used Taunt. Shut us down. We tried to use Magical Leaf—they sliced through the leaves with Poison Jab. Tried Ancient Power—they dodged all the missiles. Tried to heal with Life Dew—another Taunt."
Charmander hissed in sympathy as it knew how Taunt worked as well.
"And just when I thought we were getting somewhere with Fairy Wind... Hawlucha combined Giga Impact and Aerial Ace. Smashed Togekiss like a comet."
Jake looked stunned. "I didn't know that Pokémon could do that…"
Joe nodded gravely. "Neither did I. I fought and lost to that same Hawlucha two more times."
Jake leaned forward, whispering like it was a campfire tale. "So how'd you beat it?"
Joe smirked. "Luck. Pure, sweet luck. The sixth time we faced off, Tony opened with Hawlucha. I opened with Magnezone. First few hits didn't land. Then Thunder Shock hit and—bam—paralysis."
Jake fist-pumped. "Yes!"
"Magnezone followed with Charge and Lock-On, then started preparing a really intensive Zap Cannon. Even paralyzed, Hawlucha tried dodging, but the Lock-On wouldn't let it. We wore it down."
"Finally!" Jake giggled.
Charmander bounced slightly, tail flicking in approval.
"And when Aerodactyl came out again," Joe said, "we repeated the Explosion trick. Magnezone was out, but Aerodactyl was badly damaged. So when I called Tropius, it was easy to finish the round with one powerful Solar Beam. Knocked that flying fossil right out. Tony's face—I'll never forget it."
Jake was so excited he almost knocked Charmander off his lap. "That's so cheap! And Magnezone is awesome! I love it!"
Joe chuckled. "It worked like a charm."
"So what was the last one? Delibird? Gliscor?"
"None of those. Kilowattrel. Fast, agile, and brutal. Took down Tropius with a massive electric Hurricane that turned into a tornado. It was like watching a tree sucked into a blender."
Jake winced. "Poor Tropius."
"Yeah. But Tropius landed enough Leaf Storms to weaken it. So when Braviary came out... well, we had a plan. Braviary used Psychic to pin it in place and then we finished it off with one super-effective Rock Slide."
Jake sat back against the couch, eyes glazed in wonder. "That's... that's the coolest win ever."
Charmander, overwhelmed, rolled on his back with all four paws up, making little spark noises with his tail flame.
Joe ruffled Jake's hair. "More like lucky-iest, kiddo. But still, that random win did earn me this symbol."
Jake glanced up at the trophy box on the mantle, where the Battle Spire emblem lay in its velvet bed, gleaming in the soft light.
Charmander, still nestled beside Jake, craned his little orange neck forward and pointed with one clawed finger—not to the Battle Spire symbol in Joe's hand, but to the other three untouched emblems embedded in velvet.
Jake followed the motion and felt the Pokémon's curiosity.
"Hey, Grandpa," he said, eyes lighting up with new excitement, "what about those three?"
Joe chuckled, a low, nostalgic rumble in his chest. "Curious as ever, huh?"
Jake nodded rapidly. "What are they for? They look awesome, too!" He leaned in. One had a carved image of a shoe, another a castle turret, and the third a ship slicing through waves.
"Those," Joe said, setting the Battle Spire symbol back in the box and pulling out the shoe-engraved one, "are the other three Bohemian Frontier Symbols."
Charmander blinked with wide, fascinated eyes.
Jake's voice was rapid-fire now. "Shoe's for Battle Shoemaker, right? Castle… Battle Castle? And the boat is, uh—Battle Boat?"
Joe laughed. "Close enough. Shoe is for Battle Factory. And ship for Battle Steamboat."
"Ohhh…" Jake breathed out in wonder. "Okay, okay. So what are they like? What do the trainers use? What kind of Pokémon? How many times did you have to fight them?"
Joe lifted the shoe-emblem in his calloused hand, running his thumb over the grooves. "You're in for a ride, kiddo. Let's start with this one—Battle Factory."
Jake and Charmander shuffled closer as Joe leaned back into the worn armchair, eyes clouding slightly as memory swept him away.
"The Battle Factory's not what you'd expect," Joe began. "It's tucked away in this sprawling industrial zone in the east part of the country. Most of the buildings are still used for manufacturing—you know, shoes, boots, steel-plated soles for everyone—but right in the middle is this enormous warehouse, almost falling apart from the outside. Looks like it shouldn't be standing. But step inside, and it's a whole different world. Metallic walkways, flickering neon lights, conveyor belts running in every direction, steam pipes hissing like angry Ekans…"
Jake was grinning already. "That sounds like a secret base from a movie!"
"That's the feel they want. Real gritty. Real unpredictable." Joe nodded. "The Frontier Brain there is Zdeněk Redl—chief engineer, technician, bit of a mad genius. Wears these goggles on his head, always covered in soot. And his team?" Joe whistled low. "Full of mischief. He doesn't go for brute strength. No, he goes for weird combos. Tricksy stuff. First time I went in, I thought I had it all figured out."
"What Pokémon does he have?!" Jake asked, leaning so far forward he nearly fell off the couch.
Joe smirked. "He opened with a Ditto."
Jake blinked. "Just… Ditto? That the pink gooey blob that can change?"
"Don't underestimate it," Joe warned. "Zdeněk's Ditto transformed into Oranguru the moment the match started."
"And did it know Oranguru's moves?" Jake asked.
Joe nodded. "Yes, it did. Every psychic trick we tried, it threw back at us. Teleport, Future Sight… everything. And since it copied our stats, it could survive long enough to stall. It copied Oranguru's Foul Play and knock it out."
Charmander tilted his head in confusion.
Jake groaned. "That's so unfair!"
"No, that's Pokémon battle, it's not unfair when you are not strong enough. Anyway, Oranguru ran out of steam, and I sent in Pinsir. Thought I could crush the Ditto with sheer power."
Jake grinned as he recalled the Pokémon easily snapping a tree in half. "Yeah, Pinsir is super strong!"
"He is. But not fast enough. Ditto-Oranguru changed to Ditto-Pinsir and when our Gilloutine missed its target, they copied the move and did not miss. Tough luck."
"Oof… So the blob knocked out two Pokémon..." Jake sighed.
"I had one left—Crabominable. Big, tough, not too quick but a real powerhouse. And you know what?"
"What?!"
"He flattened that Ditto. Dynamic Punch and Ice Hammer combo."
"YEAH!" Jake whooped, punching the air. Charmander squeaked in celebration, tiny flames dancing from his tail.
"But then he sent in Rotom. Wasn't sure which form at first. Turned out to be the fan form—Rotom-S."
"Oh… Fan form? Is it Flying-type? Right?"
"Exactly. And it zipped circles around poor Crabominable. Thunderbolt, Air Slash, and a sneaky Confuse Ray. My big guy couldn't land a hit. Match lost."
Jake nodded solemnly, but his grin was already returning. "So you came back, didn't you?"
"You bet I did. Two months later. This time, I brought in Exploud."
"Exploud?" Jake's eyes sparkled. "Why?"
Joe laughed. "Why? I tell you why. Soundproof ability. I figured he might try Ditto again—and he did. Ditto copied Exploud, but that meant it couldn't hurt us with sound-based attacks."
"Oooohh, sneaky!"
"I started with Work Up—got my attack and special attack boosted a few times. Ditto tried the same, but I'd prepared Taunt just for that. Shut it down before it could snowball. Then—Brick Break. One after another. Took Ditto down."
Jake pumped his fists. "Exploud's a genius!"
Charmander clapped happily with his tiny claws.
"Well, it was mostly my idea to fight like this, but okay. Exploud's the genius..." Joe snorted making Jake giggle.
"Okay, okay. But then," Joe said, leaning in with a grin, "Melmetal appeared."
Jake gasped. "What's that?"
Joe nodded slowly. "That, my boy, is a mythical Pokémon. Big, solid steel giant. Looks like a golem made of liquid metal, with bolts for arms. And when it punches, it's like a wrecking ball. We used several Brick Breaks, but poor Exploud didn't stand a chance."
"Then what?!"
"Then…" Joe's voice deepened dramatically, "I sent in Emboar."
Jake's eyes grew wide. "Fire and fighting! It should be good against steel, right?"
"Exactly. Double advantage. We used Flame Charge to boost speed, then Arm Thrust, Focus Blast, and a well-placed Earthquake. It staggered Melmetal, knocked it off balance. The guy was sweating."
"Was it enough?"
"Not yet. We needed to finish it. So I had Emboar summon Sunny Day, then go for one last move—Blast Burn. Emboar's strongest fire-type attack."
Jake's jaw dropped. "You nuked it?!"
Joe grinned. "Let's say their roof might still have scorch marks."
Charmander mimed a massive explosion with his tiny arms and fell backward in mock shock.
"But Emboar must've been exhausted…"
"He was. That's when Porygon-Z came in. Fast, unpredictable, and annoying. It used Thunder Wave to paralyze Emboar, then Lock-On and Psybeam. We couldn't even try to dodge."
"So what did you do next?"
"Next was the last round. I called in Arbok."
Jake tilted his head. "Arbok? But what was your advantage?"
Joe gave a sly grin. "Don't underestimate the classics. Arbok slithered in, used Poison Sting, Sludge Bomb, and Acid to start the poisoning. Then, just when Porygon-Z thought it had a handle, Arbok dug underground."
Jake leaned forward. "Dig! Nice one!"
"But with a twist—while underground, Arbok used Stockpile to boost its defenses. Came back out, and hit Porygon-Z with Venoshock. The poison made it twice as strong."
"And it worked?!"
"Worked like a charm. Porygon-Z tried Psybeam, Discharge, even Tri Attack, but Arbok kept slithering, dodging, and going under again. Another Venoshock sealed the deal."
"Ha!" Jake cheered. "Take that, you weird duck!"
Charmander mimicked Jake's a excited pose.
Joe chuckled, shaking his head. "It wasn't easy. But I earned this symbol fair and square."
He held the shoe-engraved badge up. Its metal surface glinted in the light as Jake gazed at it in awe.
"That was so awesome," Jake whispered. "You are really like… a real superhero trainer."
Jake's eyes danced between the emblems—he had already heard the tale of the Battle Spire, and the tale of the Factory still lingered in the air like the scent of burnt circuitry and sweat. But now his gaze fixed on a polished bronze symbol shaped like a towering castle spire. Ornate engravings surrounded it—ivy-covered battlements, miniature flags, and the tiniest crown etched above the portcullis.
Jake pointed with a little gasp. "That one! The castle one! What's that for, Grandpa?"
Charmander perked up too, blinking at the symbol with his head tilted.
Joe, still leaning back on the couch with a distant, thoughtful gaze, smiled. "Ah… that one's special. That, Jakey, is the symbol of the Battle Castle."
Jake's eyes lit up. "Castle? As in, knights and kings and stuff?"
Joe chuckled softly and sat forward, the leather of the couch creaking. "Exactly that. The Battle Castle is deep in the northern highlands. It's not just a battle—it's a ceremony. The whole place operates like a noble court from centuries ago. If you want to challenge Lady Helena of House Hügelberg, you don't just walk in with Poké Balls swinging. You've got to prove you belong there."
Jake blinked. "Prove… like, win a battle?"
Joe shook his head. "Before you even get to battle, you've got to pass the reception—a long ceremonial trial. There's a whole staff waiting for you. They ask you questions. History of the Bohemian Kingdom. Genealogy of royal family. Proper forms of address. Even such small details as forks."
"Forks?" Jake's eyebrows shot up. "Like… eating forks?"
Charmander mimicked stabbing an invisible fork into the carpet and looked up proudly.
Joe laughed. "Yes. I got asked whether the salad fork goes to the left or the right of the main course fork."
Jake narrowed his eyes, deadly serious. "There is more than one fork? Why? And what was the answer?"
"That's the way it is. And it goes to the left," Joe said gravely.
Jake leaned toward Charmander, whispering, "Gotta remember that."
Charmander gave a sage nod.
"And why did they ask you all those question? What would happen if your answers were wrong? Would they kick you out?"
Joe continued. "It's like this: The better you do at the etiquette trial, the more potions, berries, and healing items you're given. You can use them during the final battle, and believe me they will be more than handy!"
Jake's mouth fell open. "That's… that's something..."
Joe shrugged. "It's their rules. Lady Helena believes in giving advantage to - as they say - the truly refined."
Jake cocked his head. "But… Grandpa, you are from a ranch, not from a castle! So how did you know about knights and those eating stuff?"
Joe chuckled. "Come on, Jake. You forgot, we are from a noble line, even if a minor one—House Lindenberg. You know, I got a head start."
"What head start?"
"When I was your age, my parents made sure I know all of those things."
Jake exhaled. "Phew..."
"And when you are older, we will need to teach all those things to you, too. You are a Lindenberg after all!"
Jake exhaled again and rolled his eyes. "Ugh."
Charmander shuddered dramatically and pretended to faint.
Joe winked at him. "Those curtsies might just win you a Hyper Potion someday."
Jake's grin widened. "Can you tell me about the battles?"
"Haha. So I passed the trial. Earned a decent stash of healing and reviving potions. Then came the preliminary match, held in the courtyard—a cobblestone ring with ivy-covered archways and a fountain in the middle. My opponent was Lady Helena's steward—Sir Merten. A grizzled man in his sixties, in full waistcoat and gloves. He sent out Slaking first."
Jake's eyes grew wide. "The big sleepy gorilla?"
Joe nodded. "Exactly. And I countered with Hitmonchan."
"Oh boy," Jake said, eyes already darting in anticipation. Charmander clenched his tiny fists like a boxer.
"It was brutal," Joe said, smiling at the memory. "Hitmonchan bobbed and weaved between Slaking's giant fists. Poison Jab. Thunder Punch. Slaking got one Hammer Arm in, but Hitmonchan held strong. Took him down with a clean Mach Punch."
Jake whooped. "Yesss!"
"But then came Pyroar."
"Like Deena? Uncle Frank's Pyroar?"
"Yes, but this one was male. They came with large mane. And they're mean as hell. Hitmonchan fired several more moves, I think another Poison Jab and few Mud-Slaps and Drain Punches. But when Pyroar started to use psychic moves, I forfeited Hitmonchan—he was already exhausted—and sent out Magnezone."
Jake frowned. "But isn't steel weak to fire?"
"You're right, but Magnezone was able to quickly paralyze Pyroar. I used Thunder Wave to slow him down, then Zap Cannon and Gyro Ball to knock him out. Clean and precise."
Jake leaned forward. "And then?"
"Empoleon. Water and Steel. It played defensive, using Aqua Jet and Iron Defense. But Magnezone outlasted it. Tri-Attack and Mirror Coat finished the job. That was my ticket to the throne room."
Jake sat up on his knees. "Wait, actual throne room? Like the one we saw in Pragengrad?"
Joe nodded. "Not that big. But still... Vaulted ceilings. Banners bearing House Hügelberg's sigil—silver Ninetales on a field of indigo. And in the center, Lady Helena herself. Sitting on an oak throne carved with vines, holding her cane like a scepter. Regal, cold, and proud."
Jake gulped. "And she battled you herself? Was she good?"
"Yes. Very good. Three-on-three match. But I had unlimited swaps and the right to use the potions earned earlier. She opened with Sirfetch'd."
"The duck with the leek sword?"
Joe nodded. "Don't forget, it also has a shield made of leaves. That thing's a knight in its own right. I sent in Braviary."
Jake beamed. "Fast and flying—should be easy win!"
"Not quite. Sirfetch'd dodged every Psybeam I fired. And then came Brutal Swing—knocked Braviary clean out of the air. I had to recall it and heal while I sent in Trevenant."
Jake leaned closer and cheered. "Go, Rootie!"
Charmander wiggled his paws ominously, mimicking Trevenant's spooky movement.
Joe continued, "Sirfetch'd slashed and spun, but Trevenant's ghost nature gave him the advantage. Then we went on offense. Branch Poke. Phantom Force. Shadow Claw. Sirfetch'd finally went down."
Jake whispered, "Nice…"
"But then came Armarouge."
"What's that?"
"Hmm, imagine a fire and psychic knight!"
"Oh, yes. I remember, I saw that Pokémon in Paldea!" Jake grinned at Charmander, who perked up at hearing of another fire type.
"It was like a walking suit of armor lit from within. Trevenant got a few licks in—Astonish, Phantom Force—but Armarouge scorched him with Flamethrower and Mystical Fire."
Jake's eyes widened. "That's gotta hurt."
Joe nodded. "I switched back to Braviary, healed Trevenant, and let Braviary take the stage. We dodged fireballs left and right and then struck with Air Slash. Finished it off with Night Shade."
Jake made a slow motion slicing gesture. "Boom."
"Then," Joe said, voice lowering, "Aegislash descended."
The room suddenly felt quieter.
"That thing doesn't move like normal Pokémon. It floats. Like it's gliding between worlds. I hit it with everything—psychic blasts, ghost moves, flying strikes. Nothing worked. It countered with Sacred Sword. One hit. Braviary was out cold."
Jake winced.
"My next choice was Crawdaunt. We tried Dark Pulse, Night Slash—it flinched but didn't fall. Aegislash retaliated with Iron Head. Crawdaunt went down."
Jake bit his lip. "Then what? You tried it again?"
"You forgot about the potions. I used a revive. Got my team back on feet. We tried different moves. But Aegislash cut both Braviary and Crawdaunt down again."
Jake blinked. "So…?"
Joe looked serious. "That's when I brought Trevenant back in. He and Aegislash disappeared into the shadows—merged into darkness. You couldn't see where one ended and the other began. In the end, shadow roots crawled from the floor. Trevenant used them to bound Aegislash in place."
Jake's eyes sparkled. "So you won?"
"Not exactly. Trevenant immobilized Aegislash, but was not strong enough to knock it out."
"So what happened?"
Joe paused. Then smiled faintly. "Lady Helena stood. Bowed her head. And forfeited. Said it was a honorable tie and admitted that she enjoyed the fight very much."
Jake whispered, "That's so… cool."
Charmander nodded, as if saluting a fellow knight.
Joe reached into the box and gently held up the castle emblem. "Maybe cool, maybe lucky... The symbol of nobility, Jakey. And you don't just earn it with strength. You earn it with grace, experience and wisdom, too."
Jake reached out and touched it gently. "One day… I'll win it too."
Charmander nudged him with an elbow and made a slightly annoyed cry.
"Sorry, I meant we'll win it!" Jake corrected himself with a grin.
Joe raised one eyebrow. "With your manners?"
Jake laughed. "Hey! I know my forks now!"
Charmander held up two claws like cutlery.
Jake pointed excitedly toward the last symbol in the box — the one engraved with a steamboat.
"The last one!" he said, bouncing slightly. "What's that one mean, Grandpa? The boat one?"
Joe chuckled, eyes gleaming as he picked up the silver symbol. "Ah, the Battle Steamboat," he said, running his thumb across the tiny engraved smokestack. "This here… this came from the S.S. Velvava."
"S.S. Velvava?" Jake repeated, blinking. "That's the name of the boat? The same name as the river in capital?"
"Yup," Joe grinned. "The boat is the facility, mister. And yeah, I know — sounds confusing. A boat called Velvava floating on the Velvava River, I get it." He gave Jake a little wink. "But she's a beauty. Big ol' steamer, older than me and probably older than our ranch. Brass decks, wooden beams, paddle wheels, and a big roaring engine that hisses like an angry Torkoal."
Jake's eyes widened. "But… it still works?"
"Oh, she's been regularly refurbished, rebuilt, repainted, re-everything. The Captain keeps her in top shape. But you can still feel how old she is. The planks creak, and the fog horn's got this real ghostly sound — like the boat remembers things."
Charmander let out a curious chirp, tail flaring.
Joe leaned back, letting his voice take on a storyteller's rhythm. "See, the S.S. Velvava used to sail across seas and oceans. But once its captain — Captain Robert Smith — became a Frontier Brain, he anchored her here in Bohemia, on our greatest river. Now she sails back and forth across those misty waters, and challengers board her midstream."
Jake squinted. "Wait… so… this Captain Smith lives on a boat?"
"Lives, battles, and breathes it," Joe nodded. "Old Robert's the real deal. He speaks like he's straight outta a pirate tale. Always tossin' in things like 'Ahoy!' or 'Bat'ten down the hatches!' Makes you feel like you're about to battle at sea even though you never leave the river."
Jake giggled. "That's so cool!"
"Oh, he's more than cool," Joe said, voice lowering just a touch. "He's one of the toughest trainers in the kingdom. You won't find him bragging, but his ace — Palafin — is nearly unbeatable."
Jake gasped. "Palafin!? That's the superhero dolphin one, right?"
Joe nodded. "Yep. Looks like a cute little thing at first, but once it switches into Hero Form…" He whistled. "You'd better hope you've got a plan, or you're swimming with the fish."
Charmander trembled a little at that.
"But wait," Jake said, scooting forward. "You said he lives on a boat. What did he do before he became a Frontier Brain? Was he a sailor?"
Joe scratched his chin. "Nobody really knows. Some say he was a sea captain in the navy. Others whisper that he's a war vet. Some even say that he was a pirate hundreds years ago that met Dialga and sailed through worm hole ending up here in our time. Nobody knows the truth. And he doesn't talk about it. Just gives you this quiet stare and says stuff like, 'Time to weigh anchor, lad.' I think he's seen some incredible things. Strange fella, but full of honor."
Jake's brows knitted. "So… did you beat him?"
Joe laughed. "Not right away. Took me three tries. Let me tell you how it went…"
Joe's voice lowered slightly. "First time I boarded the Velvava, I thought I was ready. One-on-one match. Captain sent out Dhelmise — a shipwreck ghost wrapped around a rusted anchor. Thing looked like it crawled outta a haunted cove."
Jake shivered. "Ewww."
"I sent out Trevenant. Figured ghost on ghost was fair. Tried to trap it in roots and bind it like I did with Aegislash… but Dhelmise was faster. Those sea-worn chains of his moved like they had a mind of their own. Before Trevenant could even dig in, he got yanked into the air and slammed down like a sandbag."
Charmander winced and hid behind Jake's arm.
"Battle was over before it began," Joe sighed. "But I learned. Captain Smith doesn't mess around."
Jake leaned closer. "So you went back?"
"Of course I did. I don't back down," Joe said proudly. "I trained several weeks and challenged him again. Second time, it was a one-on-one again. This time he sent out Dondozo."
"What's a Dondozo?"
Joe smiled. "A fish. But not like any fish you've ever seen. Bigger than this house. Big ol' blue giant with teeth like plows and a tail that could capsize a ferry. I sent Ludicolo — Water-Grass, perfect type match-up. I was confident."
Jake grinned. "Did you win?"
"Nope," Joe said flatly. "Ludicolo hit it with everything — Leaf Storm, Solar Beam, a whole salad's worth of Energy Balls. Dondozo just kept tanking it. Barely flinched. Then it rolled over and body-slammed the deck. Ludicolo went flying."
"Yikes," Jake said, eyes wide.
"Yeah. It was like trying to knock out a mountain with a twig."
Joe's smile returned. "Third time, I came prepared. Well, to be honest I trained almost a year before I returned. This time, it was two-on-two. I led with Arbok. Smith sent out Cramorant."
Jake laughed. "That weird bird that spits fish?"
"The very one," Joe chuckled. "Arbok slithered around like a shadow, used Toxic right away. The poison set in, and then I hit it with Acid and Sludge Bombs. Cramorant tried its Dive-and-Spit trick, but Arbok kept to the shadows. Wore the bird down till it keeled over."
Jake cheered, punching the air. "Yes!"
Joe held up a hand. "Then came the big boy. Bloodmoon Ursaluna."
Jake blinked. "Huh? Bloodwhat Ursawhat? What's that?"
Joe's tone turned almost reverent. "Imagine a Ursaring evolution. And give it red-glowing eyes, moon tattoos, and a rage so thick you can feel it from fifty feet. Bloodmoon means it's not a normal Ursaluna, because it evolved during the blood moon circle. Some say it's touched by something dark and ancient."
Charmander shivered again.
"Arbok managed to poison him, too," Joe said. "But Ursaluna didn't care. Charged in with Headlong Rush. Boom. Arbok's down."
Jake frowned. "Then what?"
"I sent out Crabominable. It was a slugfest. Crab Hammer. Ice Hammer. Ursaluna slammed back with Earthquake and Facade after being frozen. We were both on our last legs. Then I told Crabominable to use Reversal."
Jake tilted his head. "What does it do?"
Joe grinned. "The more damage the user has taken, the stronger the hit. It's like putting all your pain into one final punch."
"Whoa…"
"Ursaluna didn't see it coming. Boom." Joe clapped once. "The blood moon bear was down."
Jake stared at his grandfather, absolutely glowing with awe. "And that's when you became a Frontier Brain?"
Joe smiled, eyes crinkling. "Yup. That battle earned me the final symbol. Captain Smith shook my hand. Said, 'Welcome aboard, mate.' Never forget it."
Jake sat in silence, wide-eyed, and Charmander gave a triumphant little roar.
Then Jake leaned forward. "One day… I wanna fight them all too."
Joe raised a brow. "You will. But maybe start with the gym leaders, yeah?"
Jake groaned. "Graaandpaaa…"
Joe just laughed, pulled Jake into a side hug, and let the fire crackle around them, carrying the memories of steamships, phantom swords, and steel mills across the whole kingdom full of stories.