It was a mission to drive an Onix out of a narrow mine.
No mine ever wants to deal with a Pokémon like Onix. With its massive size and Rock/Ground typing, it's incredibly powerful; just moving that eight- or nine-meter-long body makes the tunnels hum like they're about to give way.
Not to mention how adept it is with a host of Ground-type moves.
If it's in a bad mood, it doesn't even need Earthquake—one single Bulldoze could cause a cave-in and bury a bunch of flesh-and-blood miners alive.
And the Onix that caused it all could just flick its tail, dig a new tunnel, and leave without being affected in the slightest.
In a mine, Onix was easily one of the most troublesome Pokémon to handle.
Including Lucas and Kimura, eight Trainers were summoned for the job, and several of them had Water- or Grass-type partners.
By strength alone, Lucas shouldn't have made the cut. After all, his Luxio's Electric-type attacks were basically useless against Onix.
There was only one reason he was picked: his Snivy—no, his Servine—had learned Grass Knot, which was brutally effective against a huge Pokémon that gets hard-countered by Grass.
In that tight tunnel, Onix's presence was overwhelming: a roar that shook you to the core, a hulking body whose every movement rattled the walls. Beast of the caves wasn't an exaggeration.
But against multiple prepared Trainers, Onix could only have its weaknesses focused down until it lost the will to fight, then be captured in a Poké Ball, sent to the Pokémon Center for treatment, and eventually released back into the deep mountains by professionals.
Thanks to Servine's—no, thanks to Ceruledge's—outstanding performance, Lucas drew the team's attention and naturally got to know Kimura, the leader at the time and one of Zapapico Town's best Trainers.
Back then, Kimura was a model senior. He would occasionally correct mistakes Lucas made due to gaps in common Pokémon knowledge during training, and their relationship became a comfortable blend of mentor and friend.
With time, they learned about each other's pasts. When Kimura found out Lucas had collected two Badges in a short span, he openly admitted his envy—envy that Lucas's talent as a Trainer far outstripped his own.
When he first started as a Trainer, it took him three whole months just to get past the first Gym. The later Gyms were even worse.
In one idle chat, Kimura spoke about his past.
He was nearly thirty now and had been stuck at the seventh Gym for who knew how many years.
Even so, he went to Alfornada Town to challenge the Gym at least once every year.
Charcadet was the new card up his sleeve for breaking through the Psychic-type Gym in Alfornada. He planned to raise it into a Ceruledge and use the Ghost typing to counter Psychic.
That was the first time Lucas met Charcadet. Back then, its eyes were full of fighting spirit and a hunger to grow stronger—as if it had made Kimura's goal its own creed.
Lucas felt Kimura was lucky to have caught such a Charcadet. It had everything it needed to become strong, and even Lucas couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
In the missions they took on afterward, Kimura showed real leadership, responsibility, and battle prowess.
Honestly, Lucas had never imagined he'd be the kind of person to abandon a Pokémon.
But when Lucas had finally saved up enough to travel on, after his Luxio evolved into Luxray in real combat and he was about to leave Zapapico Town, he ran into Charcadet alone in the wild—spines up, bristling with hostility toward humans.
Lucas was sure he wasn't mistaken; he admired that Charcadet's character back then, and he could guarantee this was Kimura's Charcadet.
Seeing a Charcadet all by itself in the wild made the situation obvious.
Lucas admitted he was stunned for a moment. He couldn't understand why Charcadet would be abandoned. He tried to approach and ask what had happened, but Charcadet responded with fierce rejection and resistance.
It was as if overnight, Charcadet had completely lost all trust in humans.
Perplexed, Lucas went to Kimura—and Kimura showed a side utterly unlike the calm, gentle image Lucas had of him.
His expression was indifferent; his voice was winter-cold.
Lucas still remembers every word.
"It just doesn't have what it takes. No potential to become Ceruledge. I put Malicious Armor on it and couldn't trigger the miracle of evolution. I'm pushing thirty. I don't have prodigious talent like you as a Trainer. How much longer can I cling to my dream?"
"I'm not willing to accept this. I think I work harder than anyone. Why can't I get past the seventh Gym? Just once—just once—I want to go to the League HQ and take the final interview."
"I poured so much of my income into it, and this is how it pays me back? There's no point training it any further. Rather than waste more time, better to part ways for both our sakes. If I drill Buizel some more, maybe I'll still have a chance."
Kimura's obsession made Lucas realize for the first time how fixation can warp a person.
When Lucas demanded to know why he abandoned Charcadet, Kimura snorted, as if mocking his naivety.
"The League forbids abandoning Pokémon, sure. But I caught Charcadet outside Zapapico Town. I decided it wasn't a fit and released it back where it used to live. That doesn't break any laws."
With that, Kimura strode off. What followed was the story of how Lucas, unable to bear the thought of Charcadet living on in the hatred and loneliness of being cast aside, won it over.
Thinking of that, the patch of scarred, burn-marked skin on Lucas's right forearm itched faintly, pulling him out of his memories. He gathered himself and walked into the Pokémon Center without hesitation.
No potential, huh? With its own effort, Charcadet evolved into Ceruledge all the same and became a powerful, shadowy swordmaster, didn't it?
But neither Lucas nor Ceruledge had any intention of picking a fight with Kimura anymore. Life was good now, and there was no need to invite more trouble.
Even Ceruledge had long since put that man behind it.
Lucas wasn't at the Pokémon Center to lie in wait for Kimura and stage a dramatic comeback just to rub his face in it. He only wanted to see an old acquaintance.
As he stepped inside, the Center's relaxing light music eased the mind. The lobby was fairly crowded, especially around the bulletin board for job postings. He hardly recognized anyone; most faces were new.
A lot of them were still green—probably rookies, like he had been, looking to make some money.
He threaded through the crowd to the counter with practiced ease. It seemed to be a slow moment. Nurse Joy—with beautiful, silky pink hair—was sipping hot tea, eyes glued to a drama series.
Her partner Wigglytuff was nowhere to be seen—probably doing rounds in the wards.
One look and he could tell she was slacking off again. Lucas cleared his throat, making Joy jump. She scrambled to lock her phone, and the words she'd said a thousand times tumbled out of her: "Welcome to the Zapapico Town Pokémon Center—how can I help… Lucas?"
Joy's voice held four parts surprise, three parts astonishment, two parts hesitation, and one part nostalgia.
Lucas waved and teased, smiling, "Long time no see, Miss Yumi. You're still the same as ever—always finding time to slack off."
There are many Nurse Joys in the world who look nearly identical. They share the family name "Joy," but only a few close to them know their given names.
Back when Lucas was short on cash, he had stayed for a while in the Center's shared rooms. During that time, he got to know this Nurse Joy, whose name was Yumi.
"Well, I'm terribly sorry then!" Yumi's tone picked up a hint of mock offense as she swiftly hid the snacks by her side. Curious, she asked, "What brings you here? Weren't you traveling to other cities?"
"I—"
"Wait, don't tell me. Let me guess!" Before Lucas could get a word out, Yumi held up a hand to silence him, eyes sparkling. "You lost at which Gym? Don't be discouraged—challenging that many Gyms so quickly is already great. Or is it that you're short on travel funds again and came back to make some money?"
"There have been lots of jobs lately—you came at the perfect time."
"Hmm… judging by your face, I'm totally wrong, aren't I?"
Her voice tapered off as she eyed Lucas suspiciously.
Finally, she stopped talking. Yumi Joy was as chatty as ever.
Lucas sighed in mild exasperation. "I've retired as a Trainer. I opened a farm in Los Platos Town. I'm just here on an errand and happened to pass through Zapapico today."
"As for the Gym challenge—I cleared all eight Gyms and passed the Champion Assessment."
"…"
Yumi's expression shifted and shifted again. When she heard he'd retired, she looked surprised and a little regretful, as if she thought it was a shame that someone with Lucas's talent hadn't stuck with it.
But the second half turned her expression to sheer shock. She stared at Lucas like he was a rare specimen. Her mouth fell open so wide you could stuff an egg in it.
Champion rank!?
Yumi didn't think he was bragging. She knew him well enough to know he wasn't the type to lie about something so easy to expose.
"You're amazing," she said sincerely. "If Mr. Kimura knew, he'd be even more shocked than I am."
"But he's out leading a team on a very important job right now. How long are you staying in Zapapico? They might be back tonight."
At the mention of Kimura, Lucas's expression turned slightly stiff, but he quickly smoothed it over and smiled. "I just wanted to see you and catch up a bit. I'm heading back soon—the farm keeps me busy."
"I see… That's fine too. It makes me happy to see you building a home of your own."
Yumi Joy didn't hold back her warm, gratified smile.
She wished everyone a smooth journey, no matter who they were.
But seeing Lucas achieve so much and settle into a steady life still filled her with the particular solace of watching a child grow up.
They chatted for a while longer in the Pokémon Center—travel tales and funny stories, plus little farm chores—filling Yumi, who was always stationed in Zapapico, with longing.
The Joys are the lifeline of every town. While they save lives with unwavering dedication, they also lose the freedom to go where they wish. But listening to travelers' stories helps them keep going.
There were a few small tremors in Zapapico during their chat. Neither Lucas nor Yumi batted an eye. The wilds around Zapapico were thick with Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon, and the shockwaves from their scuffles often rippled into town.
Nothing unusual.
After catching up, Lucas waved. "I'm off, Miss Yumi. I'll come see you when I can—and bring some farm specialties."
"I'll look forward to it," Yumi replied.
Just as Lucas was about to step out of the Pokémon Center, a rush of footsteps sounded outside. Several familiar faces he knew burst in, panicked.
They clutched Poké Balls or carried badly injured Pokémon in their arms, bedraggled and anxious. "Nurse Joy! Please treat our Pokémon!"
"Oh my! Nanna, Ryou, Kirk, what happened? Weren't you driving a Tyranitar out of a mine!?"
Yumi hurried over to them, frowning as she assessed their partners.
"These injuries are serious. We need treatment immediately—Wigglytuff!"
She called out loudly for her partner. Moments later, wheels rattled on the floor as a Wigglytuff pushed a gurney over at speed.
Once the most severely injured Pokémon had been rushed into the treatment room, Yumi looked at them sternly. "What happened? Weren't you just supposed to shoo off a Tyranitar?"
Nanna clutched his head, face twisted in pain. "That Tyranitar is too strong. Our Pokémon got hurt in just a single exchange. Mr. Kimura is still out there trying to keep it busy."
"We came back not just to get treatment—we're here to ask for reinforcements. Please post an emergency request and gather Trainers to go help!"
Yumi nodded. "I understand—"
Before she could turn to post the emergency request, Lucas—who had been quietly watching—said mildly, "Where is it?"
Yumi paused mid-step. Nanna and the others turned to him, startled. "You're… Lucas? You're back?"
"Long time no see," Lucas said with a small nod. Then, in a tone that brooked no delay: "Where's the job site? I'll take care of it."