Chapter 13 — Measure
My father doesn't answer immediately when I ask.
He stands by the back fence with a mug in one hand, watching Axew move through the yard with the quiet focus he's had more often lately. Axew notices the attention and stills, posture settling, eyes lifting without a word from me.
That small shift earns a smile.
"You've been thinking about this for a while," my father says.
"Yes," I reply. "I want to battle. Me and Axew. Against you."
He turns to look at me fully now, not surprised, not amused. Just present. "To win?"
"No," I say. "To check."
That makes him chuckle under his breath. "Alright. One round. We stop when I say so."
Outside, the yard feels different once we take our places, quieter somehow. My father reaches for a Poké Ball I recognize but haven't seen in months, and when the light fades, Dusclops stands between us, steady and unreadable.
Axew shifts beside me, tension coiling, waiting.
"Whenever you're ready," my father says.
I breathe once."Axew, forward," Arin says, and Axew is already moving, closing the space as his father lifts his hand. "Dragon Breath." The flame cuts across the yard, forcing Dusclops to shift sideways instead of back, heat rolling past as the line breaks. "Will-O-Wisp," his father answers calmly, and pale fire flares between them, forcing Axew to veer off before it can cling.
"Out now." Axew pulls back just as Dusclops steps through the space he leaves, Shadow Punch snapping out clean and heavy, the impact grazing close enough to shake the ground. "Bite," Arin calls without pause, and Axew drives back in, the hit landing solid but stalling as Dusclops turns with it, redirecting the force instead of meeting it.
"Circle," Arin adds, keeping him moving, and Axew shifts sideways, pressure following him as Dusclops advances one step at a time. "Confuse Ray." Light fractures across Axew's vision for a split second enough to break timing. He hesitates, just once.
That's all it takes.
Dusclops moves. Shadow Sneak closes the gap and sends Axew sliding back before he can reset. Arin opens his mouth, then stops himself as his father raises a hand.
"Enough."
The pressure lifts immediately.
Axew holds his stance for a breath longer, then looks to me. I shake my head once, and he exhales, tension draining as he lowers himself without protest.
My father recalls Dusclops and walks over, crouching beside Axew first. He checks him quickly, practiced and gentle, then nods. "Tired," he says. "Nothing else."
Axew snorts, clearly dissatisfied with that verdict.
"I know," my father adds, smiling. "That's a good sign."
Then he turns to me.
"That was solid," he says. "You didn't panic, and you didn't overcall. You kept him moving.You lost control of the pace," he continues, tone calm, not critical. "Not because you were wrong, but because I've been doing this longer."
That lands easier than I expect.
"You're ahead of where you should be," he says. "Just not where you want to be yet."
I nod. "That's fair."
Axew steps closer to me, pressing his side against my leg, frustration still there but steadied by contact.
My father watches us for a moment, expression warm. "You're doing well," he says. "Both of you. Just don't rush what's already moving."
We stand there in the quiet yard for another moment before he heads back inside.
Axew looks up at me, eyes bright despite the exhaustion.
"Yeah," I murmur. "I felt it too."
He huffs once, annoyed but steady, and follows me inside.