Early the next morning, Auron arrived at the Pokémon Battle Center with Zubat and Munchlax by his side. Even from a distance, he could see Jace Rowan waiting at the entrance, fidgeting restlessly and looking like he was trying to scratch an itch he couldn't reach.
"What's up with you? Got fleas or something?" Auron teased as he walked over.
Jace shot him a glare. "Can't you ever show up on time? Every time, I'm the one waiting for you."
Auron shrugged. "Hey, not my fault you like showing up at the crack of dawn."
"That's because of what you told me yesterday, about building a real Sunny Day team. I couldn't sleep last night, just kept running through the possibilities. It really makes sense!" Jace said, excitement lighting up his face.
Auron grinned. "Of course it does. I mean, come on, who do you think you're talking to?"
Jace just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."
The two headed inside and reserved a private training room at the front desk. It wasn't cheap—most people trained in the main hall to save money—but the privacy and high-end equipment were worth it. The room was spacious, with enough training stations for all four of their Pokémon to train at the same time.
"Alright, come on out, Munchlax, Zubat!"
Jace followed suit. "Let's go, Growlithe, Torkoal!"
Their Pokémon materialized in flashes of light, all looking around curiously. Auron turned to Jace and asked, "So, you got any training plan in mind?"
Jace blinked, then looked sheepish. "Uh, isn't that your job? You've always been the planner."
Auron laughed. "Fair. But you're buying lunch today, deal?"
"Deal!" Jace agreed without hesitation.
Shaking his head in amusement, Auron got down to business. He addressed the Pokémon, his tone turning serious.
"Zubat, head to the skill target area and practice your Air Slash. Take breaks if you get tired—you're still a newborn, so don't push yourself. The rest of you, same thing—train hard, but don't overdo it."
Munchlax got his instructions next. "You, big guy—go over to the dumbbells and work on your upper body strength. I'll keep you stocked with energy cubes. Remember, take it easy if you feel wiped out."
Turning to Jace's Pokémon, Auron continued. "Growlithe, what you need most is speed and impact. Start by running laps around the arena. Remember, rest if you get tired—no need to be a hero."
Growlithe let out a bark and sprinted off immediately, full of energy. Zubat and Munchlax also headed to their designated areas, eager to begin.
"And Torkoal, practice your Ember attack at the skill targets. Take your time, accuracy is what matters."
Torkoal nodded solemnly and shuffled over next to Zubat, getting into position.
Jace watched the organization with admiration. "You know, you're pretty good at this. Makes sense—it's always been your thing."
Auron waved him off. "Don't just compliment me—pay attention. Someday I won't be around, and you'll have to figure this stuff out yourself."
Jace grinned. "Hey, don't talk like we're never gonna see each other. Remember when I first moved to the city? I bawled until my dad agreed to transfer jobs so I could stay with you. Imagine your life if you'd grown up without me. Would you really ditch your incredibly handsome best friend?"
"Bro, chill out. I just mean sometimes I'll be busy." Auron groaned.
"Just making sure." Jace laughed, no shame at all. Auron could only sigh—what could you do? That's just how Jace was.
"Alright, now listen up. Let's talk about your Pokémon's training focus. Growlithe's main thing is stamina, speed, and bite strength. Stamina's obvious. Speed gives him more impact, and improving his bite will help with moves like Fire Fang or Crunch. Focus on those areas."
"Torkoal's simpler—defense and special attack. He needs to broaden his move pool with as many skill discs as you can get your hands on. That'll make him a lot more flexible in battle."
Jace nodded, taking mental notes. "Got it. Thanks, sensei."
"Good. Now get going. I'd suggest you join Growlithe for a few laps. You could use the exercise too." Auron teased.
"Alright, but after lunch, let's battle. I want you to teach me how to actually command in a fight."
"You're on," Auron agreed, pretending to look smug. "Just remember who you're learning from."
"Don't forget, I'm still the top student!" Jace called out, running to join Growlithe on their jog.
Auron laughed and turned his attention to Zubat's training. Zubat was steadily getting faster with his Air Slash, moving from slow, focused charges to nearly instant releases of the attack. Auron was pleased—it wouldn't be long before Zubat could use Air Slash without needing to build up energy first.
He checked in on Munchlax next. The little Pokémon was enthusiastically lifting dumbbells, stopping every so often to munch on an energy cube. After each set, he'd stuff another cube in his mouth before picking up the weights again.
Auron grinned. "Hey, Munchlax, don't just eat the regular cubes—try this." He pulled a special energy cube from his bag, the kind that enhanced physical energy and recovery. Munchlax tasted it, eyes lighting up, and ate it even more enthusiastically.
"These are all yours, buddy. Train hard."
Auron grabbed a pair of dumbbells and joined in, setting a good example.
Time passed quickly when you were focused.
By noon, Jace had ordered food through the Pokémon Center's delivery app. The two boys and their four Pokémon ate lunch right there in the training room, sprawled out and chatting about their progress.
After a short break, Jace stretched and said, "Ready for that battle?"
"Yeah, let's go. I'll show you what real command looks like."
Jace grinned. "Don't forget, I'm not going easy on you!"
They returned to the battle arena, but this time, the referee was someone different.
"Please release your Pokémon for battle," the referee announced.
Munchlax and Torkoal stepped onto the field, both looking a bit nervous but determined.
"As soon as the flag falls, the battle begins."
The red flag dropped.
"Torkoal—use Smog!"
A thick cloud of purple mist poured from Torkoal's shell, drifting slowly toward Munchlax. Auron pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.
"Munchlax, just blow it away!"
Munchlax took a deep breath and puffed out his cheeks, blowing the Smog harmlessly off course before it could even reach him. The cloud dissipated before it ever got close.
"Really, Jace? Smog from that far away?" Auron called out, a little too loudly. The referee let out a snort of laughter, making Jace blush.
"Alright, Torkoal, try Ember!" Jace called, trying to recover.
"Munchlax, close the distance—use Lick!"
Munchlax barreled forward, ignoring the flickers of fire that singed his belly, and landed a big, slobbery lick right on Torkoal's head.
A crackling noise sounded—somehow, Munchlax's Lick had triggered paralysis on the first try. Torkoal froze up, stiff as a rock.
Auron walked over to Jace, who slumped to the ground in defeat. "Wanna keep going?"
Jace sighed, defeated. "I guess I just don't have the talent for battling."
"One fight doesn't mean anything."
"But I lost yesterday, too."
"So what? I lost to my dad's Umbreon when he was commanding, and I was using Kommo-o. You're not a bad battler—you just need more practice with the flow of the fight."
"Wait, you beat your dad in a battle?"
"Not really. He let me win. Or maybe he just went easy on me," Auron said with a wink.
Jace got up, brushing off his pants. "Alright, so what do I do? How do I get better?"
"You're already improving. Yesterday you didn't even know your Pokémon's full move sets or differences in their stats. Today you actually checked."
Jace nodded, a little sheepish. "I made sure to figure out their moves last night. No more sending Growlithe after a Flying-type without a way to hit them!"
"Good. But you still need to work on timing, spacing, and understanding your Pokémon's Abilities. You knew Munchlax had Thick Fat, right?"
"I did. But Torkoal doesn't have a lot of moves. I was worried if I tried too much, he'd hurt himself."
"That's fair. But you also missed an opening—if you used Smog when Munchlax was already close, you could've poisoned him. Torkoal's defense is strong enough to outlast him. Even if it didn't work the first time, just keep trying. The moment Munchlax is poisoned, you'd probably win."
"Yeah, guess I gave up on Smog too early."
Auron clapped Jace on the shoulder. "Don't sweat it. Every loss is a lesson. Let's go get Torkoal healed, and I'll give you some more tips. You can't learn to battle by reading alone."
"Yeah, alright. Lead the way."
Jace returned Torkoal to his Pokéball. Munchlax followed Auron, happily munching another energy cube as they headed to the healing station—shoulder to shoulder, just like always.
From behind, the referee called out: "Hey, aren't you two forgetting something?"
But the boys were already too busy talking about their next strategy to notice.
(End of Chapter)
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