Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, slipping past the edges and spilling onto Leyn's face.
He stirred, the pleasant warmth coaxing him awake. As he blinked away sleep, something soft and warm brushed against his cheek.
Leyn froze.
A pair of round, brown eyes stared back at him—far too close for comfort.
"P-Pika!" squeaked the creature.
"W-WAAH!" Leyn shouted, practically leaping out of bed.
Startled, Pikachu jumped too, their foreheads knocking together with a light *bonk*.
For a moment, the room was silent—then both of them yelped again.
"Why are you here?!" Leyn gasped, rubbing his sore forehead.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu protested, cheeks sparking faintly in agitation.
The commotion drew footsteps thundering up the stairs. The door swung open, and Rhea rushed in, still wearing her apron.
"Leyn! What happened—oh!" Her eyes widened at the sight: Leyn tangled in his blanket on the floor, Pikachu perched on the pillow looking equally frazzled.
Leyn pointed at Pikachu, trying to explain. "He—he scared me awake!"
"Pika!" Pikachu retaliated, little paws crossed in offense.
Rhea blinked, then burst out laughing. "You two… honestly."
Downstairs, the laughter hadn't stopped. Gerald nearly choked on his toast trying not to laugh as Rhea reenacted the morning drama—again.
"So there they were," she said, eyes watering with amusement, "staring at each other like two startled Meowths!"
Leyn groaned, cheeks red. "Mom, please—"
"—and then they both screamed!" she finished, slapping the table.
Pikachu covered his face with his tiny paws, cheeks tinting pink.
Rhea reached over to pat its head affectionately. "Sorry, sweetie. But you two make such a funny pair!"
Gerald was laughing too now. "I wish I'd seen that—would've been the best part of my morning."
"Seriously, can we just eat in peace?" Leyn muttered, stabbing at his eggs.
But his family's laughter was contagious, and after a few moments, Leyn's lips twitched despite himself. Even Pikachu let out a resigned chuckle.
---
Later that morning, the two headed out to pick up Leaf.
"Promise me you won't zap me if you get scared again," Leyn teased, glancing at Pikachu perched on his shoulder.
"Pika!" Pikachu huffed indignantly, turning away.
Rhea, who accompanied them partway, chuckled. "You two are like siblings already."
When they reached the Maple residence, Rhea rang the bell, and Mrs. Maple appeared, smiling warmly. Leaf soon joined them, curious.
Rhea wasted no time.
"Leaf, you won't believe what happened this morning—Leyn and Pikachu both screamed at each other!"
"Mom!" Leyn groaned again.
Leaf blinked, then burst out laughing so hard she had to hold onto the doorframe.
"Y-You screamed?!" she managed between fits of giggles.
"It was mutual!" Leyn defended, blushing furiously. "He screamed first!"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu argued, cheeks puffed out.
Rhea grinned mischievously. "I told you it was cute."
Leaf was still laughing when she waved goodbye to Rhea and joined Leyn on the way to the lab, giggling every few steps.
"Stop laughing already," Leyn muttered, ears burning.
"I can't," she said, wiping tears from her eyes. "That's the best thing I've heard all week."
---
By the time they reached Professor Oak's lab, the story had somehow traveled faster than they did.
Rhea must have told Gerald—and Gerald must have told Oak—because when they stepped inside, the two men were already chuckling.
"And then what happened next?" Oak asked with a mischievous twinkle.
"Professor! Please, not you too!" Leyn pleaded.
Oak chuckled heartily, stroking his beard. "I can't help it. Rhea's storytelling is too vivid."
"Mom already repeated it two times already!" Leyn groaned, face in his hands.
Leaf stifled a snicker beside him. Pikachu hid behind his trainer's shoulder, mortified.
Oak waved a hand, still smiling. "All right, all right. I'll stop teasing you."
Then, his tone shifted slightly—gentle, but serious. "Actually, I called you here for another reason."
Leyn and Leaf straightened.
"My grandkids are back in Pallet Town," Oak continued, pride in his voice. "I'd like you two to meet them—and perhaps, teach them a bit of that ingenuity of yours, Leyn. They're… talented, but rascals."
"P-Professor…" Leyn rubbed the back of his neck, shy at the praise.
Leaf smiled softly beside him. "We'll do our best."
---
Later that afternoon, after helping feed the Pokémon and cleaning some of the enclosures, Professor Oak called for them.
"Leyn, Leaf—come here, please."
Standing beside him were three new faces.
The first was a young woman, maybe a few years older than them, with soft blonde hair held back by a pale green headband. Her gentle smile radiated warmth.
The other two were unmistakably twins—same sharp eyes, same face—but their demeanors couldn't have been more different.
One had lighter brown hair, wearing a confident grin that screamed mischief. The other had a darker shade of brown hair and an air of calm calculation, posture straight and composed.
"Leyn, Leaf," Oak said with a smile. "Meet my grandchildren. Daisy, Gary, and Blue."
The young woman stepped forward first, clasping her hands behind her back.
"Hello there," she greeted kindly. "You must be Leyn and Leaf. Grandpa's been talking about you non-stop."
"Ah—r-really?" Leyn stammered.
Daisy chuckled and, without warning, reached out to pinch both their cheeks. "You two are adorable."
"W-wait—ouch!" Leyn yelped.
Leaf blushed, laughing despite herself.
"I'm Daisy," she said, releasing them. "I study at the Pokémon Academy."
"The… academy?" Leyn asked curiously.
Daisy blinked. "Oh—you don't know about it?" She turned to her grandfather. "Grandpa! You didn't tell them?"
Oak coughed into his hand. "I was planning to explain once Ash and Red arrive."
Daisy rolled her eyes but smiled. "Fine. I'll leave that lecture to you, then."
Behind her, the twins had already started whispering.
"So this is the kid who beat a Fearow?" Gary muttered, arms crossed. "Doesn't look like much."
Leyn blinked. "Huh?"
Gary smirked. "You probably just got lucky. That Fearow was probably weak."
"Gary," Blue interrupted sharply. "You talk too much when you don't use your brain."
"What was that?!" Gary barked, spinning toward him.
"You heard me." Blue sighed, expression flat. "You're loud and impulsive. A bad combo."
Gary's face turned red. "You should be helping me here!"
"Helping you embarrass yourself? Pass."
Leyn and Leaf could only stare in bewilderment as the twins bickered in front of them.
Blue finally sighed, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve. "Ignore him. My name's Blue Oak—and that loudmouth is my twin brother, Gary. Even though he's kinda dumb, he means well sometimes."
Gary gawked at him, utterly betrayed.
Leyn blinked, then smiled, stretching out a hand. "I'm Leyn Caelum. Nice to meet you."
Blue took it firmly, giving a small nod of approval.
"This is Leaf Maple," Leyn added, gesturing beside him.
"Nice to meet you," Leaf said politely, smiling.
"Same here," Blue replied smoothly.
Gary finally recovered enough to stomp over, puffing his chest. "And I'm Gary Oak! Remember that name—it'll be famous someday!"
Pikachu tilted his head, unimpressed. "Pika…"
Gary flinched slightly. "W-what's that supposed to mean, huh?!"
Leaf stifled a giggle, and even Leyn had to hide a smile.
After a tense moment, Gary smirked again. "So, Leyn, since you're the hero who defeated a fearow, how about a little challenge?"
Leyn blinked. "A… challenge?"
"Yeah! A battle, of course! Let's see if you're really as good as they say."
Blue crossed his arms. "Make that two of us. I'm curious to see what kind of skills you have."
Leaf's eyes widened. "Both of you? Isn't that unfair?"
Gary grinned. "Hey, life's unfair sometimes!"
Leyn sighed softly, though a faint smile tugged at his lips. "You two really are competitive, huh?"
"Of course," Gary said proudly.
Blue simply nodded.
"Fine," Leyn said at last, meeting their gazes with quiet determination. "I'll accept your challenge."
Leaf blinked in surprise. Pikachu leapt from his shoulder to the ground, cheeks sparking faintly, matching his trainer's spirit.
"Pika!"
Gary grinned wide, excitement glinting in his eyes. "Now this is what I'm talking about!"
Blue smiled slightly. "This might be interesting after all."
Professor Oak, watching from the side, couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, this should be entertaining."
Leaf sighed beside him, muttering, "Boys and their battles…"
Leyn took a deep breath, heart pounding—but this time, it wasn't fear or nerves.
It was the familiar thrill of challenge, of excitement.
And as the late-afternoon light spilled through the open lab doors, glinting off Pikachu's determined eyes, Leyn knew:
This was only the beginning of their many rival battles.