Pushing open the door to his room, a clean, minimalist space greeted him. The room was decorated very simply, with no unnecessary ornaments. On the desk against the wall sat a silver computer, and beside it were several neatly stacked books about Pokémon training.
Paul casually tossed his backpack onto the foot of the bed and walked straight to the desk, sitting down as he lightly tapped the computer's power button.
The cold glow of the screen reflected across his sharp features, a faint glint flashing in his dark-purple eyes. His fingers moved skillfully across the keyboard as he quickly opened the official Pokémon League website and searched for information about the Ever Grande Conference in the Hoenn region.
The page quickly loaded with the conference's entry list, battle recordings, and contestant profiles—dense text and dynamic images arranged neatly across the screen.
As the page scrolled, Paul's gaze swept rapidly over the information.
Soon, an avatar caught his attention: a young boy wearing a familiar League-style cap.
The name beneath the avatar read—Ash.
"As expected… it's him."
A trace of understanding flashed in Paul's eyes. Ash had indeed participated in the same Ever Grande Conference he had attended.
He didn't linger long. Instead, he searched for the latest news about the Battle Frontier.
After the page refreshed, a headline caught his eye:
A Trainer from the Kanto region, Ash, is preparing to challenge the Battle Frontier's Battle Pyramid facility and face Frontier Brain Brandon.
Seeing this line, Paul's gaze sharpened.
"It seems the Sinnoh storyline will begin very soon."
Paul closed the webpage and leaned back in his chair, raising a hand to rub his brow as he organized his next plans.
First, Chimchar needed to overcome its psychological trauma regarding Zangoose, and then attempt to fully master its Blaze Ability.
After that, he would head to Sandgem Town to meet Professor Rowan, update his Pokédex, and officially begin his journey through the Sinnoh region.
As for the recently captured Zangoose, it had only been a temporary sparring opponent. Once Chimchar overcame its fear, there would be no reason to keep it.
Having finalized his plans, Paul shut down the computer without hesitation. He stood up and walked toward the door, intending to check on the partners he had previously sent home. After all, becoming a Pokémon Master couldn't be achieved alone.
Just as he stepped out of the room, Reggie's gentle voice drifted up from downstairs.
"Paul, come help me distribute the Pokémon food."
Paul paused briefly. A faint flash of surprise appeared in his dark-purple eyes, though it vanished quickly. He composed himself and walked toward the voice.
In the open space of the Nursery, Reggie stood beside several large buckets filled with Pokémon food.
When he saw Paul approaching, a warm smile immediately appeared on his face. He handed Paul one of the buckets filled with pre-mixed food.
"Please distribute this to the little ones over there. They're Pokémon that Trainers are boarding here."
Paul accepted the bucket. It was heavier than he expected.
He looked down at the carefully prepared food inside, then glanced toward the group of Pokémon gathered nearby—round Geodude, fluffy Shinx, and several adorable Skitty.
He naturally knew that besides caring for their own Pokémon, the family Nursery also offered boarding services for other Trainers and bred Pokémon Eggs for sale. These were important sources of income that kept the Nursery running.
Without hesitation, Paul carried the bucket over to the Pokémon.
His movements weren't particularly practiced, but they were extremely meticulous. Each time he scooped food, he carefully controlled the portions, pouring them precisely into each Pokémon's bowl.
Reggie followed behind him, watching quietly.
The smile on his face grew softer, his eyes filled with satisfaction.
Paul really has changed, he thought.
In the past, his eyes were only on his own Pokémon and training. For these "unrelated" Pokémon, even a single glance would have been too much effort.
Feeling both pleased and slightly uncertain, Reggie decided to probe a little further.
He stepped forward, grabbed a handful of food from Paul's bucket, and placed it in the bowl of a nearby Shinx.
Speaking casually—but with a hint of concern—he said,
"Paul… about what happened at the Ever Grande Conference… what's done is done. You should remember that while power is important, the trust and bonds between a Trainer and their Pokémon are the most solid foundation of the journey. Back then… you were just too impatient."
Hearing his brother bring up the past again, Paul's movements paused slightly.
He clearly remembered that right after the conference ended, Reggie had said almost the exact same words over the phone—and his response back then had been to hang up impatiently.
After a brief silence, Paul resumed feeding the Pokémon.
"I know."
The calmness in those two simple words surprised Reggie greatly.
He had expected Paul to react with impatience again—maybe argue, or simply walk away.
He never expected such a composed response.
After the surprise came genuine happiness.
Now he was certain: Paul had truly begun to let go of his past obsessions and had started reflecting on his own shortcomings.
A sincere smile appeared on Reggie's face.
He took the now-empty bucket from Paul's hands and happily patted his younger brother on the shoulder.
"Good! Then I'll be looking forward to your performance in the Sinnoh region. Go on—spend some time with your old partners. They must miss you too."
Paul watched as Reggie took the bucket, feeling the warm weight of his hand on his shoulder.
An indescribable feeling stirred within him.
He didn't say anything more. Instead, he nodded slightly and headed toward the deeper part of the Nursery—the special area where his previously captured Pokémon were staying.
Walking through the familiar corridor, Paul quietly reflected that Reggie must have noticed the changes in him.
Those words about bonds had already been said once over the phone. Bringing them up again now meant his brother still wasn't completely sure whether Paul had truly changed.
But that didn't matter.
The most important thing now was to see his long-unseen partners and prepare for the upcoming training.
When Paul reached the Nursery's backyard, he saw his Pokémon quietly eating—except for Elekid and Chimchar.
The two little troublemakers were constantly bumping and pushing each other, seemingly full of endless energy.
Looking at the Pokémon that belonged to him, a spark of anticipation flashed through Paul's heart.
He then opened the system panel to check the information for each Pokémon.
---
Torterra ♦
Level: 49 (Gym Leader Level)
Type: Grass / Ground
Ability: Shell Armor
Potential: Excellent
Base Stats: 525
Moves: Earthquake, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Synthesis, Hyper Beam, Solar Beam, Leaf Storm, Frenzy Plant, Giga Drain, Sunny Day, Stone Edge, Crunch, Protect, Grass Knot, Sand Tomb, Seed Bomb
---
Nidoking ♦
Level: 39 (Superior)
Type: Poison / Ground
Ability: Poison Point
Potential: Good
Moves: Earth Power, Double Kick, Thunderbolt, Poison Sting, Horn Attack, Hyper Voice, Poison Jab, Take Down
---
Lairon ♦
Level: 38 (Superior)
Type: Steel / Rock
Ability: Rock Head
Potential: Good
Moves: Iron Defense, Metal Claw, Headbutt, Iron Head, Protect, Rock Tomb, Earthquake, Double-Edge
---
Froslass ♦
Level: 32 (Superior)
Type: Ice / Ghost
Ability: Snow Cloak
Potential: Good
Moves: Hail, Psybeam, Ice Shard, Shadow Sneak, Destiny Bond, Night Shade
---
Drapion ♦
Level: 41 (Gym Leader Level)
Type: Poison / Dark
Ability: Battle Armor
Potential: Excellent
Moves: Poison Sting, Pin Missile, Cross Poison, Toxic Spikes, Poison Fang, Dig, X-Scissor, Hyper Beam
---
Weavile ♦
Level: 38 (Superior)
Type: Dark / Ice
Ability: Pressure
Potential: Good
Moves: Blizzard, Psybeam, Metal Claw, Swords Dance, Ice Shard, Quick Attack, Slash, Feint, Assurance, Shadow Claw
---
Murkrow ♦
Level: 23 (Advanced)
Type: Dark / Flying
Ability: Super Luck
Potential: Good
Moves: Haze, Aerial Ace, Hurricane, Wing Attack, Night Shade, Shadow Sneak
---
Gastrodon ♦
Level: 35 (Superior)
Type: Water / Ground
Ability: Storm Drain
Potential: Good
Base Stats: 475
Moves: Muddy Water, Body Slam, Water Pulse, Psybeam, Hydro Pump, Stockpile, Spit Up, Mud Shot
---
Slaking ♦
Level: 37 (Superior)
Type: Normal
Ability: Truant
Potential: Good
Base Stats: 474
Moves: Arm Thrust, Force Palm, Focus Energy, Drain Punch, Focus Punch, Brick Break, Earthquake
---
Aside from Elekid, Murkrow, and Chimchar, the rest were already in their thirties or forties. It was clear that during the past two years of traveling, Paul had put considerable effort into training his Pokémon.
Moreover, all of the Pokémon he had captured possessed Good or Excellent potential, meaning their upper limits were high and they were well worth training.
This was especially true for Torterra, Drapion, and Elekid, all of which had Excellent potential.
Torterra, in particular, lived up to its status as Paul's first partner. It had been trained exceptionally well and had already reached Level 49. With proper training, reaching the Elite level would be well within reach.
Paul closed the panel and looked back at his partners eating by the bowls.
Overall, these Pokémon were far from weak.
They were the most reliable companions on his path toward his dream.
With them by his side, his goal of becoming the strongest Trainer was absolutely within reach.