The cheers still echoed behind him.
As Shion stepped out of the towering coliseum gates, the noise from the grand arena faded only slightly. The crowd inside roared for the fifth battle royal round, but here just outside the walls Ravios felt like a festival city on fire.
Banners fluttered from every pole, dozens of food carts lined the paved stone roads, and a dazzling burst of color from floating lanterns lit the dusk above. The Grand Festival was fully underway now, with nobles, knights, students, adventurers, and foreigners from far kingdoms mingling in the wide-open plazas.
And right beside him, a familiar voice broke the moment.
"I smell… fried Pecha."
Shion glanced down.
Bidoof's snout twitched wildly, eyes locked like a predator. "Two carts ahead. Cinnamon Pecha skewers. One silver coin per stick."
Shion blinked. "Are you sniffing out prices now?"
"I have skills," Bidoof declared proudly. "You just have hunger. One of us is prepared for greatness."
With a resigned sigh, Shion dug into his pouch. "Alright, alright… food first. Then training."
Ten minutes later, Shion sat under the shade of a stone awning near the edge of the western market, handing out treats.
"Here." He gave one skewer to Bidoof, who immediately face-planted into the Pecha-glazed fruit like he hadn't eaten in weeks.
Kiba, standing nearby, sniffed his offering with a low bark of approval before carefully taking the treat in his jaws.
Rune, too large to sit without drawing attention, remained in his Poké Ball. But Shion had already bought him a heavy satchel of compressed mineral kibble delivered via cart just for later.
Last came Raku, perched quietly beside a wooden planter.
The Treecko looked more alert than usual these days. Its eyes followed the foot traffic, tail twitching slightly, but it didn't flinch like it once had.
Shion offered it a fresh berry pastry warm and lightly sweetened with honey and Cheri jelly.
Raku hesitated.
Then, slowly, it took the treat with both hands and bit in.
Shion grinned.
"That's my boy."
After everyone was fed and satisfied except Bidoof, who demanded "dessert pricing" Shion left the market plaza behind, weaving through the cobbled streets toward the western gate of Ravios.
A pair of guards in gold-trimmed steel gave him a curious look as he approached.
"Adventurer?" one asked.
"Yeah. Silver rank," Shion said, showing his card. "Heading out for private training."
"Keep clear of the northeast glade," the guard warned. "A report came in about a corrupted Gliscor yesterday."
Shion's stomach tightened slightly, but he nodded. "Understood. Thanks."
With a creak of iron and a call of "Clear!", the gates opened, and Shion stepped out into the wilds once more.
---
The Ravios countryside was different from the lands he'd traveled before.
Hills rolled like ocean waves, covered in thick grass and clover. Large oak and sycamore trees clustered in small groves, and dragonflies buzzed low over wild berry shrubs. The distant call of bird Pokémon echoed through the open sky.
Shion finally stopped near a small cliff overlooking a shallow stream, not far from the main road but hidden enough to feel like their own space.
"Alright," he said, pulling off his Scarf and laying it across a stone.
He unclipped the Poké Balls from his belt.
"Kiba. Raku. Rune. Let's go."
Beams of red light flared one flash of agile muscle, one of lean green limbs, and one of towering stone and ancient iron.
Rune landed with a soft, ground-shaking thud.
Kiba shook himself out, stretching his limbs.
Raku landed nimbly, blinking as the sunlight caught in its yellow eyes.
Bidoof waddled up last, still licking syrup from his paws, and flopped onto a smooth rock with a groan.
Shion grinned.
"Alright, you glutton. Nap if you want, but keep an eye out."
"Not paid enough to babysit gods," Bidoof muttered.
"I'm not paying you at all."
"Exactly."
Shion pulled a small leather notebook from his satchel hand-bound, with several pages dog-eared and covered in scribbled notes. His "Trainer's Manual," he called it. Dunlin had laughed when he first made it.
He flipped to three sections.
> Kiba
Tackle
Quick attack
Rock throw
Accelerock
Crunch (formerly Bite)
Rock Slide
Counter
New move : Drill Run (just learned, untested for repetition)
> Rune
Shadow Punch
Heavy Slam
Earth power
Dynamic punch
>Raku
Absorb
Quick Attack
Leer
Bullet seed
Double team
Pound
Candidate: Mega Drain or Agility?
Shion tapped his pen against his chin. "Okay. Kiba, you're solid, but we need to refine that Drill Run. Rune, your combos are great, but I want to try reaction defense training. Raku..."
He turned to the Treecko, who now stood on a rock with arms folded, tail twitching with focus.
"We're going to sharpen your senses and hit speed drills."
Raku nodded.
Kiba barked in agreement.
Rune let out a low, echoing hum his usual form of consent.
Shion smiled.
"Let's begin."
The sun crept lower as they trained.
Kiba moved through sprint lines Shion tossing rocks at unpredictable angles, forcing him to use Accelerock to dart, redirect, and strike. The orange Lycanroc learned quickly, mastering tighter turns and now pairing Drill Run into his finishing patterns.
Rune stood stoic while Shion and Raku tested his defense protocols. Raku leapt from rock to rock, striking Rune's armor with low-powered Quick Attacks each blow met with Rune's delayed but precise retaliation.
Raku dodged again.
Again.
Until it didn't.
Rune's Heavy Slam hit the ground next to Raku with a WHUMP, sending a shockwave through the grass.
Raku was tossed backward.
"Raku!" Shion called, running to him.
But before he arrived
Raku was standing.
Shaking.
Growling.
Eyes sharp.
And then
Light.
Green energy spiraled around him, curling from his tail to his snout.
Shion skidded to a stop.
"No way…"
Raku's form elongated limbs stretching, his tail sharpening into a leafy blade, frills extending behind his head like swept feathers.
The light faded.
A sleek, elegant Pokémon stood where Treecko had been.
Grovyle.
"…Raku?" Shion whispered.
The Grovyle opened one eye, flashed a small, toothy grin, and gave a nod.
Shion broke into a smile. "You evolved!"
Kiba barked in celebration.
Rune rumbled an approving hum.
Bidoof cracked one eye open from his rock. "Took long enough."
Shion laughed. He didn't even realize his chest was tight until it loosened with joy.
"Okay," he said, looking at his team.
"You're not the same team who left Riverleaf. Not even close."
He turned to the setting sun and grinned.
"But neither am I."
---
The sun had dipped low over Ravios, casting warm gold across its marble towers and red-brick roads. The cheers from the fourth preliminary match still echoed faintly from the grand arena, but Ren barely noticed.
He walked calmly through one of the inner halls beneath the coliseum a winding corridor lined with arched stained-glass windows and fluted stone pillars. A satchel rested on his shoulder, and at his hip hung four Poké Balls. The fifth Haxorus had just been returned after healing.
He glanced down at the ball and exhaled.
"You really showed them."
The Haxorus had evolved just days before the tournament began, after one final spar with Commander Seris that left Ren bruised and winded. It had been ferocious even as a Fraxure, but now it fought with the poise of a seasoned warrior.
Ren hadn't expected the evolution to bring such a leap in strength but after that battle?
Haxorus tore through them like a blade through silk.
Just as he stepped out into the open coliseum plaza, two familiar voices called out.
"Ren!"
He turned, blinking as Mila and Vince waved and crossed the stone walkway toward him.
Mila, as always, wore her traveling coat half-buttoned, her long pink hair tied back in a loose braid. Her Gardevoir walked beside her, silent but graceful. Vince, in contrast, wore a sleeveless padded vest with the Ravios Academy crest. His Flygon hovered behind him, low in the air, wings beating like a whisper.
Vince grinned wide. "Well, well, the Dragon Knight himself! You destroyed your bracket, man."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "That's exaggerating."
"Not really," Mila said, folding her arms, smirking. "You trashed that whole round. I watched it with three professors and two noble brats. One of them fainted when your Haxorus took out that Aggron with a single dual-chop."
Ren shrugged. "Haxorus was just showing off."
"Modest," Vince muttered, "and lethal."
He laughed, then elbowed Ren. "Seriously though. Your group barely had to lift a finger. You carried the whole field."
Ren glanced away, mildly uncomfortable with the praise. "It was just timing."
Then, turning slightly, he asked, "What about your match? You were in the first bracket, right?"
Vince rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. "Yeah. Barely made it through. Got ganged up on by some freakin' aerial trio. My Flygon handled it, but not before I nearly got cut in half by a wild Zangoose."
"And the top ten?" Ren asked.
"I made it. By the skin of my teeth." He brightened. "But there was this one guy…"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yeah. Kid with this orange Lycanroc. Wild, right? Never seen one that color. It was dusk-toned not midday or midnight. Fast as hell. Smart, too."
Mila and Ren exchanged a glance.
"Orange Lycanroc?" Mila asked.
"That's rare," Ren murmured.
"Yeah!" Vince said, clearly still amped. "He was surgical. Took down a Rhyperior, dodged a Floatzel blitz, and learned Drill Run mid-battle. Like, actually learned it in the match. I wanted to ask about it afterward, but he slipped off before I could catch him."
Ren hummed in thought.
Mila tilted her head. "He sounds strong."
"I hope I get matched against him in the next round," Vince said, cracking his knuckles. "I wanna see if that Lycanroc can handle a Dragon Pulse to the face."
Mila chuckled.
Ren remained quiet.
Something tugged at the back of his mind.
Orange Lycanroc… that sounds…
Then it clicked.
He looked up, slowly.
"I think… I saw Shion."
Mila stopped in her tracks. "Wait. What?"
Ren nodded. "Just before my match. At the coliseum gates. I wasn't sure at first, but…"
Pink eyes widened. "Shion's here? In Ravios?"
"I'm not completely certain," Ren added. "But… it looked like him."
Mila's heart skipped. She turned to Vince. "Do you remember the guy with the Lycanroc? What did he look like?"
Vince blinked. "Brown hair. Green eyes, I think? Country accent. Looked kind of scrappy but focused. Why?"
"That's him," Mila whispered.
"That has to be him," Ren echoed.
Mila looked around the crowd in the plaza, scanning faces no sign of him.
"Did he say anything?" she asked.
Ren shook his head. "Didn't talk to him. Just caught a glimpse."
Mila's shoulders slumped. "I did hear someone tried to enter the Academy looking for us a while back… the guards wouldn't let him in. That had to be Shion."
Ren nodded slowly.
Vince blinked between them. "Wait. That was your childhood friend?"
"Yep," Ren said.
"Shion," Mila confirmed.
Vince let out a low whistle. "Small world."
Mila smiled faintly, placing a hand over her heart. "He's here…"
Ren folded his arms. "He might be in the next round."
Mila grinned. "Then we'll find him soon enough."
The three of them began walking through the city together, their conversation lightening as the sky deepened to indigo.
Vince launched into a full retelling of his match complete with hand gestures and exaggerated near-death experiences. Mila laughed and chimed in. Ren listened with a small smile, but his mind wandered to a simpler time.
Back when all they had to worry about was finishing chores and sparring by the creek.
---
Far above them, hidden among the rooftops near the bell tower, someone watched.
A woman in a long violet coat leaned against a parapet, one hand on her hip.
Her green eyes glinted like blades in the moonlight.
From the shadows behind her, her Gengar emerged, floating beside her silently.
"So that's him," she whispered, watching Ren.
She turned and vanished into the darkness"interesting" she muttered as she disappeared into the dark