As Paul spoke, he sent out his ace, Elekid.
The corner of Asher's mouth twitched. He almost laughed out loud.
This punk was dragging around a first-stage Pokémon too, and he still had the nerve to act superior in front of him?
[Rotom... scanning information.]
[Target: Paul's Elekid]
[Level: 32]
[Element Affinity: Electric 34]
[Relationship: red-hatted scrub]
[Advice: If it lands one punch, you might die...]
The smile on Asher's face froze.
Damn it. Was this guy cultivating for immortality or something?
Level thirty-two? What kind of joke was that?
Clearly, Paul had given Elekid an Everstone and was using it to suppress its evolution while forcing it to build more power.
A Pokémon that had been trained for six years was no joke.
The instant she saw that, Kagari jumped in front of Numel.
"Stop! Dopey is my friend, not some dangerous wild Pokémon!"
Paul raised a hand, signaling Elekid to hold still for a moment, then asked calmly, "If it's your Pokémon, then catch it in your own Poké Ball."
By Pokémon League rules, the standard for deciding whether a Pokémon was wild was very simple: whether or not it was under the control of a Poké Ball.
A Pokémon without a Poké Ball controlling it was, without question, a wild Pokémon. That meant a League-certified trainer had every right to carry out a mission and drive it off.
The manufacturing process for Poké Balls was a monopoly protected by League secrecy.
According to rumor, the spatial power inside Poké Balls was somehow connected to Sinnoh.
Even the most basic red-and-white Poké Ball sold to ordinary civilians for 20,000 Poké Dollars apiece.
Very affordable.
A Devon factory worker earned twenty Poké Dollars a day.
So obviously, there was no way Kagari could own something that expensive.
Paul said flatly, "It seems you have no way to prove it isn't a wild Pokémon. In that case, sorry, but please don't interfere with my mission."
Kagari stood her ground in front of Dopey, absolutely resolute.
But Paul wasn't moved by that kind of thing. He signaled Elekid forward, and in a blur it flashed past Kagari, about to strike Numel.
At that critical moment, a white flash shot through the air.
Right in front of Paul, Asher caught Dopey in a Poké Ball, then handed the ball to Kagari.
"Here. It's not a wild Pokémon anymore."
Paul.
"..."
Kagari clutched the Poké Ball, so moved she looked ready to cry.
"Th-thank you, mister!"
[Rotom! Your actions moved Kagari! Admiration +66! Your relationship has risen to: "so amazing"!]
After standing there for a moment, Paul finally came back to himself.
He hadn't expected Asher to pull something like that.
But it didn't take long for Paul to recover his usual icy expression.
"Just cheap tricks... but I'd advise you not to do that. Every Poké Ball has its own serial number. A Poké Ball bought under a trainer's identity showing up in a civilian's hands..." He let out a cold little laugh. "Are you trying to get her thrown in jail for theft?"
The Poké Balls Asher had were all cheap ones Professor Oak had given him.
When you bought Poké Balls with a trainer's status, you could get them at a ninety-percent discount up to a certain quantity.
But every Poké Ball had a registered number attached to it, and letting someone else use one was illegal.
Asher smiled, stubborn as ever.
"Hah. I just caught a Numel, and I'm having this kid hold onto it for me. Got a problem with that?"
At that moment, every inch of Asher radiated freedom.
Faced with a trainer that free, Paul could only shake his head.
"Red-hat, you still don't get it. I'm doing this to make this kid face reality. Your useless kindness is just leading people down the wrong path."
Then he turned to Kagari.
"Something as unrealistic as becoming a trainer is way too far out of reach for you. Just live honestly and steadily like your parents do. Effort only means something when it's built on capital. Otherwise, it all ends in nothing."
"Trainers are the noblest people in this world. Not everyone gets to become one. Someone from a background like yours won't even get close to a trainer license, let alone complete the Great Pilgrimage and become a professional trainer."
Paul's lesson in reality hit Kagari hard.
So... she really couldn't become a trainer...
Smack.
At that moment, Asher put a hand on Kagari's shoulder, his expression turning serious in a way that was rare for him.
"You don't need some qualification to be a trainer. If you don't have a license, that means you're not a trainer?"
Paul stayed perfectly calm and threw Asher's own tone right back at him.
"Oh? And what wisdom does Mr. Useless from Kanto have for us now?"
Asher tipped his red cap to one side and declared firmly, "A trainer is the freest person in the world! As long as you can convey your feelings to a Pokémon, anyone can become a trainer!"
[Rotom...]
Paul's expression flickered.
He clenched his fist, as if something had just surfaced in his mind...
But then he answered in his usual cold voice.
"Hmph. Pretty words don't mean anything. A free trainer at your level can't even clear a single Gym. When you have no strength, nothing you say matters."
Asher and Flare looked at each other.
Suddenly, Flare felt a blazing heat it had never felt before.
Fighting spirit.
Asher's eyes were burning with it.
"Gah!"
Flare nodded sharply and leaped forward without hesitation.
Asher pointed straight at Paul.
"Then let me show you what I've accomplished in just three months as a trainer!"
Paul's eyes widened a fraction, clearly surprised.
Three months?
For a trainer, three months was barely anything. It might not even be enough to count as getting started.
He'd only been a trainer for three months and he'd still come to the Great Pilgrimage to risk his life?
Kagari was even more shocked.
Mister had only been training for three months...
Without another word, Paul met Asher's challenge with the same blazing battle intent.
"Fine. Then show me what Mr. Useless from Kanto can do."
In Petalburg Woods, Asher and Paul began their first clash.
Charmander versus Elekid!!
They were only two first-stage Pokémon, yet the battle intent in the air felt as terrifying as if fully evolved monsters had taken the field.
The instant that killing pressure burst out, Kagari shrank back behind a distant tree and watched from cover.
The sheer force in the air made her want to hide, yet her yearning to become a trainer kept her rooted in place.
This was a real battle between real trainers.
No more words were needed. Flare and Elekid had already begun.
Flare attacked first.
It frantically stoked the fire in its belly, drawing the fire element of heaven and earth into its mouth before blasting it forward as a long serpent of flame.
Secret Art: Ember Jet!
The dozen-plus meters between them vanished in an instant.
The rushing stream of embers slammed right into Elekid's face.
It clearly hadn't expected the attack to reach that far.
Paul's eyes shifted slightly.
That definitely wasn't Flamethrower. A move like that wasn't something a Pokémon of this level could awaken naturally, and the power wasn't nearly high enough anyway.
This was a Secret Art derived from Ember.
With a single glance, Paul saw right through it.
He was a little surprised, but his voice stayed calm.
"Hmph. What can a flame that weak possibly do? It's meaningless. Elekid, finish it."
Elekid's body moved with shocking agility. Golden arcs of electricity crackled around it, forming a swirling electric current in the air nearby.
It was unbelievably fast as it sprang wildly toward Flare.
This was...
Secret Art: Electric Propulsion!
Electric Propulsion was a Secret Art evolved from the talent move Electro Ball.
The original Electro Ball wrapped the user in lightning element, forming an electric orb that crashed directly into the target.
But Paul had refined it further, using electrical force to propel Elekid's body and push its already incredible speed to an even more terrifying level.
It was a highly advanced technique, more than enough to prove Elekid was no ordinary opponent.
In the blink of an eye, Elekid was right on top of Flare.
Asher focused with everything he had and shouted inwardly:
BondUp, help me!!
Rotom immediately sent a current surging through his skull, activating Asher's mental potential.
[Rotom! Battle Mode activated!]
In an instant, Asher's reactions sharpened, and he transmitted Elekid's attack path to Flare through pure thought.
It was like Flare had auto-dodge turned on. Every step it took slipped perfectly around Elekid's attacks.
Paul noticed even more than that.
This Charmander was building up firepower while dodging.
This was Asher and Flare's signature technique: Split Focus!
"Flare, can you feel my power? Let's turn up the heat!"
Driven by the burning force of Asher's thoughts, Flare felt a searing emotion slam into its heart.
This was... anger!
Asher was building up fury inside himself.
Flare immediately poured that blazing realization into its Ember and blasted it straight at Elekid's face.
Secret Art: Ember Bloom!
That fury made the fire element erupt violently, sending Ember's destructive power surging upward in a savage burst.
[Rotom! Flare felt your emotions and comprehended Secret Art: Ember Bloom!]
Whoosh—
The raging flames of anger splashed across Elekid's body, leaving behind a scorched mark.
Ember Bloom had worked!
But in the very next moment, Elekid's speed exploded upward again, and it launched an attack so fast even Asher could barely follow it.
Talent Move: Thunder Punch!
In an instant, Flare's body crackled with a violent barrage of electricity. Its eyes rolled white on the spot, and its body started convulsing uncontrollably.
Asher suddenly woke up to a brutal truth.
This Elekid's real level was high enough to wipe him out in seconds.
Without the slightest mercy, Elekid swung an arm again, now that it was fighting seriously.
At that lightning-fast instant, a beam of white light flashed past, and Flare vanished from under Elekid's claws.
Calling Flare back into its Poké Ball, Asher still refused to lose in spirit even if he'd lost the battle.
"You win this round! But don't get too smug! Give me three more months, and I'll beat you for sure!"
Having finished talking big, Asher took off at full speed toward the Rustboro Pokémon Center with Flare's Poké Ball in hand.
Paul glanced at his Elekid.
That flame attack really had left a mark, and Elekid had undeniably been hurt.
He stared at the burn for a moment, then slowly closed his eyes.
[Rotom! Your battle left an impression on Paul. Your relationship has changed to: "that useless idiot in the red hat"!]
From behind the tree, Kagari watched with sparkling eyes, her confidence in becoming a trainer restored.
After seeing that battle, she believed every word that red-hatted mister had said.