The sun was high over Dewford Island, its golden rays illuminating the streets as Noah, May, Max, and Brock wandered through town. The ocean breeze carried the scent of saltwater and fresh fish, giving the small island a lively yet laid-back atmosphere.
But the team's current discussion was anything but relaxed.
"You lost?" Max blurted out, staring at Ash with wide eyes.
Ash scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin forming. "Well… yeah."
May folded her arms. "I told you not to rush in without thinking, Ash!"
Brock sighed, adjusting his backpack.
Ash groaned. "I went to challenge Brawly, but he just wanted to surf and chill at first. It took forever to get him to take me seriously. When the battle finally started, I thought Pikachu had it, but Brawly's Makuhita was really strong—and right before the end, it evolved into a Hariyama."
Noah's eyes narrowed slightly. So that's what happened.
Max whistled. "That's just bad luck."
"More like bad planning," May muttered.
Ash huffed. "It's not like I expected him to evolve in the middle of the battle!"
Brock crossed his arms. "Brawly doesn't just rely on brute strength. His battle style is based on momentum and adaptability. His Pokémon are constantly moving, dodging, and attacking at the right moments. You can't just hit them head-on."
Ash clenched his fists. "I was trying to match his strength!"
Brock shook his head. "That's not how you beat him. He doesn't just fight with strength. He uses rhythm."
May tilted her head. "Rhythm?"
"Brawly fights like a surfer riding a wave," Brock explained. "His Pokémon flow with the battle, dodging attacks, countering at the perfect moment, and never letting their opponents settle into a pattern. If you fight him the way he wants, you'll lose."
Noah listened carefully to Brock. It made sense. Brawly was a fighter who didn't just rely on power—he relied on timing and movement.
That meant going in without a solid plan was a mistake.
Noah turned to the others. "I'm heading out."
May blinked. "What? Where?"
"To train."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you gonna challenge Brawly?"
"Not yet." Noah's voice was calm but firm. "I'm not using Tide this early in a real battle, so I need to work on a different strategy."
Max scoffed. "So you're running away?"
Noah shot him a sharp look. "I'm preparing. There's a difference."
Max shrank back. "Yeesh, okay…"
Brock gave a nod of approval. "That's the smart. Rushing in again would be a mistake."
Noah turned on his heel and started walking away. "I'll meet up with you later."
May watched him go, a slight frown on her face. "He's always so serious…"
Ash crossed his arms. "Yeah, but… I kinda get it."
Brock chuckled. "That's what it takes to win."
Noah walked away from the town, heading toward a more secluded area near the beach where he wouldn't be disturbed. He glanced down at Tide, his Nosepass, who had been following silently.
"You're not battling yet," Noah told him. "Go eat whatever you need."
Tide hummed quietly, then turned and floated toward the rocky cliffs, seeking out more mineral-rich stones.
Noah then released the rest of his team—Aeris, Sage, and Grimm.
Aeris fluttered her wings, enjoying the fresh air. Sage remained calm as always, its glowing spots flickering gently. Grimm, on the other hand, stretched his arms and gave a mischievous grin.
Noah pulled out his Pokédex and scanned Grimm. He hadn't checked his full move list before, and now was the perfect time.
Grimm – Impidimp
Moves: Fake Out, Bite, Assurance, Swagger
Typing: Dark/Fairy
Noah frowned. Dark and Normal-type moves… That's a problem.
Fighting-types were strong against Dark-types. If Grimm relied only on his current moves, he'd be at a serious disadvantage against Brawly's team—especially against a fully evolved Hariyama.
Noah narrowed his eyes. I need to fix this.
He needed a move that could counter Fighting-types.
His mind worked through the possibilities, and one move stood out from the catalogue about impidemp he had read through on the boat.
Low Kick.
It was a Fighting-type move that dealt more damage to heavier Pokémon. And Hariyama? It was one of the heaviest Pokémon around. A perfect choice.
Noah turned to Grimm. "You need a new move."
Grimm tilted his head. "Imp?"
"We're learning Low Kick."
Grimm's grin widened. He liked the sound of that.
Noah had seen Low Kick in battles before—it was a simple but effective attack. Instead of using brute force, it used the opponent's weight against them.
"Alright, Grimm," Noah said, motioning for him to stand in front of a large boulder. "Low Kick is all about hitting your opponent's legs or weak points to trip them."
Grimm stretched his arms, looking excited.
Noah pointed. "Try sweeping your leg forward and knock over that rock."
Grimm smirked and dashed toward the boulder—but instead of using proper technique, he just slammed his foot into it.
Pain shot through his leg, and he immediately yelped in pain, hopping on one foot.
Noah sighed. "Yeah, that's not how it works."
Grimm pouted.
"You don't just kick things hard. You sweep your opponent's legs out from under them using your energy to not hurt yourself from the impact"
Grimm frowned but nodded.
Noah demonstrated by crouching low and mimicking the movement with his own leg. "Like this. Use the weight against them."
Grimm watched carefully. Then, this time, instead of kicking the rock, he swung his foot in a lower, more controlled motion—his foot slid across the base and pushed slowly, shifting the rock's balance slightly.
It wasn't much, but it was progress.
Noah smirked. "Better."
For the next hour, Noah drilled Grimm on Low Kick over and over again. Each time, Grimm's movements became sharper, more controlled. He stopped trying to just hit hard and started focusing on timing and precision.
Aeris and Sage watched silently, both understanding that Grimm was being prepared for something important.
Finally, after several attempts, Grimm successfully knocked over a boulder, making it roll slightly.
Noah's eyes gleamed. Now we're ready.
As Noah sat on a nearby rock, watching his Pokémon rest, he went through the battle in his head.
Tide wouldn't battle. He was too slow and not strong enough yet and the disadvantage was there as well.
Sage had a type advantage, but Noah wasn't sure how well he could handle Hariyama's sheer power.
Aeris was fast and had flying moves, but endurance was a concern.
Grimm was the trump card. If he could land Low Kick properly, he could take advantage of Hariyama's size and bring it down.
Now I just need to test it in battle.
Noah stood, recalling his Pokémon.
Noah's training area was set against a quiet stretch of Dewford Island, where the rocky cliffs met patches of sturdy grassland. It was the perfect spot—far enough from town to avoid distractions but still within reach if he needed supplies.
Tide, his Nosepass, had finished roaming and was now resting nearby, settling into the sand like a statue. He had eaten enough mineral-rich stones to last him a while, so Noah left him alone. Tide needed rest, and disturbing him now wouldn't be useful.
Instead, Noah focused on the rest of his team. Grimm, Aeris, and Sage. Each of them needed to improve.
Grimm had made real progress with Low Kick, but the move wasn't perfect yet—it still lacked power and precision at times. He needed to execute it smoothly, without hesitation.
Sage, his Dottler, was already strong, but Noah wanted to push them toward even more precise attacks. Brawly's Pokémon moved fast, so landing direct hits would be difficult.
And finally, there was Aeris.
His Pidgey had improved since their journey began, but Noah had been underestimating her a little. She had learned Quick Attack at some point, yet he hadn't thought much of it due to its power being similar to Tackle.
Now he realized that speed mattered.
Aeris didn't need to just attack—she needed to strike fast and strike clean.
And that meant training her properly.
Noah turned toward Aeris, who was already fluttering in the air, her small wings flapping steadily against the island wind.
"Alright, Aeris," Noah called out. "We're focusing on two things—speed and force."
Aeris chirped in response, her sharp eyes watching Noah attentively.
"We're not using boulders or targets," Noah continued. "You need to build up power and control without needing something to hit."
Aeris tilted her head slightly, as if unsure, but nodded.
Noah pointed toward the open air. "Start with Quick Attack. Show me what you've got."
Aeris immediately shot forward, her body glowing faintly white as she moved in a straight line at high speed. The burst of acceleration was quick, but…
It wasn't controlled.
Noah frowned as Aeris nearly overshot the area, flapping her wings wildly to slow down.
"Again," Noah ordered.
Aeris turned sharply, flapping her wings harder, and launched forward once more. The attack was faster, but again, she almost lost balance at the end.
Noah narrowed his eyes.
She's fast, but she's not adjusting mid-flight.
Quick Attack wasn't just about speed—it was about hitting fast while keeping control.
Noah called Aeris back. "Don't just go in a straight line. You need to be able to move mid-air without losing control. Try weaving in different directions."
Aeris blinked, considering his words.
Then, she took off again—this time attempting to swerve left and right as she moved.
It wasn't perfect—her turns were too wide, and her momentum almost threw her off course—but it was progress.
Noah smirked. "That's more like it."
After a while, Noah checked Aeris's Pokédex entry and noticed something surprising.
Aeris had learned Mirror Move.
Noah blinked. Wait… when?
He hadn't seen her use it before. Maybe it had happened during a previous battle without him realizing.
He frowned slightly. What does Mirror Move even do?
Noah knew a few Flying-type moves, but this one was unfamiliar. If it was something Aeris had learned naturally, then it had to be useful.
But without knowing how it worked, training it would be difficult.
Noah sighed. I'll ask Brock later.
For now, he focused on improving Quick Attack.
While Aeris worked on speed, it was Sage's turn.
The Dottler had always been a Pokémon that relied on patience and defense, but against an opponent like Brawly, that wouldn't be enough.
If Brawly's Pokémon moved fast, then Sage needed to make sure his attacks landed precisely.
"Alright, Sage," Noah called out. "You're strong, but I need you to be faster when reacting."
Sage's glowing body pulsed slightly, indicating that he was paying attention.
"We're going to work on targeting moving opponents."
To do this, Noah gave Aeris a simple command.
"Fly around Sage. Make it harder for him to hit you."
Aeris chirped and immediately took to the air, circling around Sage in unpredictable movements.
Noah then turned to Sage. "Use Confusion to hit her—but only when you're sure you won't miss."
Sage glowed with psychic energy, his body flickering as he focused.
Aeris moved fast, her small frame making it difficult to track. Sage tried firing off Confusion, but his first attempt missed completely.
"Wait until you're sure," Noah instructed. "Don't rush—plan ahead."
Sage hummed , his pulsating glow becoming steadier.
Aeris **dove low, then sharply turned upward—**but right as she moved, Sage's eyes gleamed.
The moment she committed to a direction, Sage's Confusion struck her mid-air.
Aeris flapped wildly, thrown off by the attack.
Noah grinned. "Now you're getting it."
With both Aeris and Sage improving, Noah returned his focus to Grimm.
His Impidimp had successfully learned Low Kick, but the move was still slightly clumsy.
Grimm had power—but he lacked control.
Noah pointed toward a small pile of stacked rocks. "Use Low Kick, but only on the bottom stone. Don't knock the whole stack over do a strike and push suddenly"
Grimm's grin faded slightly. This was harder than just kicking something.
He approached the rocks, lifted his foot, and…
CRASH!
The entire stack toppled over.
Noah sighed. "Try again. Lower your power—just trip the bottom one."
Grimm frowned, his mischievous nature making it difficult for him to focus on something so precise. But Noah wasn't going to let him get away with half-effort.
Again and again, Grimm practiced, each attempt slowly becoming more refined.
By the end of the session, Grimm had successfully knocked over only the bottom stone.
It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.
Noah smirked. "That'll do for today."
As the sun began to set, Noah's Pokémon gathered around him, tired but clearly stronger than before.
Tide had returned from his rest, his energy fully restored. Aeris had mastered Quick Attack, and Sage had become far more precise. Grimm had honed Low Kick to be more effective, though he still needed more time. Noah stretched, feeling satisfied with the progress.
Tomorrow, he'd talk to Brock about Mirror Move, and soon…
He'd be ready for Brawly.