Chapter 5: Lessons in the Leaves
By the time Ren reached the outskirts of Sandgem Town, the sky was streaked with pale oranges and purples. The town was small, but lively in a gentle, coastal kind of way. The air smelled faintly of salt and blooming trees, and the rooftops all looked just a little too perfect, like a storybook had rolled itself out into reality.
Bidoof trudged along beside him, clearly exhausted, but still refusing to be returned to his Poké Ball.
"Stubborn," Ren muttered with a grin, matching his pace. "But I respect that."
They passed a small wooden sign reading:
Welcome to Sandgem Town – A Breath of Fresh Start
Ren raised an eyebrow. "That's cheesy."
Bidoof grunted.
The Pokémon Center wasn't hard to find—its red roof stood tall over the rest of the buildings. They stepped inside, where a handful of trainers were gathered: some healing their Pokémon, others chatting, eating, or planning tomorrow's routes.
Ren walked up to the front counter.
"Hi! First time here?" asked the nurse behind the desk, already smiling. She had soft pink hair tied up in buns and a tone that made Ren stand straighter out of pure instinct.
"Uh—yeah. First time. My Bidoof took a bit of a beating today."
The Nurse Joy nodded, holding out a tray. "Pop his ball here and we'll have him good as new in no time."
"Actually…" Ren glanced down at Bidoof, who was still standing beside him, silent but firm.
Joy blinked. "He doesn't want to go in his ball?"
"I guess not."
The nurse smiled gently. "That's alright. He can rest in the recovery area with a light patch-up. Follow me."
---
Ten minutes later, Bidoof lay on a cushioned mat in a quiet side room, his fur fluffed and clean, eyes already closed.
Ren sat nearby, watching in silence.
He wasn't used to slowing down.
Everything since the start of his journey had been full of energy—new experiences, challenges, even that surprise encounter with Chimchar—but now that he was here, really here, in the world he'd admired his whole life…
He finally had space to think.
And his thoughts, surprisingly, didn't race forward. They settled.
He was thinking about Bidoof.
"Why you, huh?" he murmured.
The little Pokémon's ear twitched.
"You're not flashy. You're not strong—yet. You're stubborn, sure, but so am I. So maybe we're a good match after all."
He leaned back and looked up at the ceiling.
"I'm still gonna do it, you know. Be the first Normal-type Elite Four. Even if everyone thinks it's impossible."
There was a pause.
Then, quietly:
"…Doof."
Ren smiled.
---
The next morning, Ren walked up the hill to the edge of town where Professor Rowan's Lab stood. It was quieter than he expected. A few aides buzzed around, sorting notes and cleaning equipment. Ren spotted a familiar figure near the back, clipboard in hand and talking way too fast.
"Wait," Ren said. "Is that—?"
The girl turned, her dark-blue ponytail swishing as she noticed him.
"Oh! Hey there," said Dawn, looking a little surprised. "New trainer?"
Ren blinked. "You're… Dawn."
"Yeah?" she said with a laugh. "Do we know each other?"
Ren quickly shook his head. "No, just… heard about you. You trained with Ash, right?"
"Wow, that was years ago," she said, smiling. "Still gets brought up. Anyway, Professor Rowan's not here today, but I can register your Trainer ID if you're just starting out."
Ren nodded, still a little dazed. "Uh—yeah. That'd be great."
Dawn led him to a terminal and walked him through the process. He got his Trainer Card, Pokétech ID, and even a Pokédex—though he insisted he wouldn't need it much. His focus wasn't on collecting, after all. Just training. Proving a point.
"Normal-types, huh?" Dawn said, scrolling through his file. "You don't see that every day."
"I'm gonna be the first Elite Four member that specializes in them."
She paused, then smiled again.
"That's a big goal. But hey, everyone thought Ash was crazy too."
---
Later that day, Ren and Bidoof trained outside town in a quiet clearing—practicing dodging, Tackle angles, and defense.
"Again!"
Bidoof darted left, spun midair, and rammed into a rock with enough force to knock it over.
Ren whooped. "That's what I'm talking about!"
Bidoof panted, but there was something in his eyes now.
Not just obedience.
Drive.
Just then, the leaves rustled at the edge of the clearing.
Someone in a green cloak stood there for only a second—watching silently, before turning and vanishing deeper into the woods.
Ren blinked. "Who…?"
He stood, but when he reached the spot where they've been, there was nothing but footprints.
That was weird.
---
That night, Ren stared up at the stars, Bidoof snoring softly beside him.
Somewhere deep down, he felt it: a shift.
His journey wasn't just his anymore.
Something was beginning.
Something big.
He just didn't know it yet.