Allen gently peeled Bea off him like a sleepy teddiursa and turned toward Nessa, scratching his head. "Lunch?"
Bea was still giddy from victory, practically glowing with pride. But the sparkle in her eyes contrasted sharply with Nessa's stunned expression. Allen understood that look well. It reminded him of a certain moment from his past life—the kind of soul-crushing disappointment akin to a national team losing not just to a lesser team, but to their reserves.
Still, what truly moved him to reach out just a moment ago was simple. Nessa was beautiful.
If it had been Leon or Lance in her stead, he wouldn't have bothered.
At least he was honest with himself.
---
Thirty minutes later.
In Bea's room behind the gym, the contrast was surreal.
Bea's meal stacked up like a proud little tower—about a meter high in plates. Allen, on the other hand, had built a mountainous monument to hunger, easily over five meters tall.
Nessa, with a modest plate of salad before her, glanced across the table and sighed. "She's eating even more now that she's training with you..."
Allen didn't look up. "Good. She needs it."
Nessa shot a side glance at Bea's toned abs, still visible even with a full belly, then at Allen's own lean frame. It made no sense. Where did the food go?
"Aah!"
The little Kubfu, jumped up on the bench, waving his tiny fists, then pointed a paw toward Bea and Nessa.
Allen interpreted without missing a beat. "You want to battle too?"
"Ah!" Kubfu nodded vigorously, his eyes sparkling with excitement and determination.
Allen tapped his chin. "You've been grinding basics for two months. I guess it's time for your first real fight."
He turned to Nessa. "Feel like a rematch?"
"With this cub?" Nessa blinked.
Kubfu puffed his chest.
"Scared?" Allen raised a brow.
"Ha! Hardly!" Nessa snapped back. "But seriously, are you sure this little guy can handle it?"
Allen reached out and casually ruffled Bea's silver hair. She melted like a kitten, eyes fluttering shut.
"She's too strong for him. You, though... you're just right."
Nessa's eye twitched. That was definitely a backhanded insult.
---
The gym battlefield was quiet but full of tension.
Bea sat cross-legged at the edge, muttering to herself in excitement. "This is Master's first Pokémon battle. I can't wait."
Allen stood with his arms crossed, eyes on the field. It felt different from just training. This was a real match. Real stakes, no matter how small. And it was Kubfu's debut.
"Go, Barraskewda!"
Nessa released her second-strongest Pokémon—a sleek, armored predator with blades for limbs and eyes that burned with sharp focus.
Allen watched it closely. "Another one I don't recognize. Must've come out after the XY arc."
"Let's go, Kubfu." Allen looked down.
"Oh!" The little cub mimicked Bruce Lee's pose, tossing a playful whip-kick and then standing firm.
"Liquidation!"
Nessa gave no mercy. Her Pokémon surged forward, its limbs forming a blade of rushing water as it slashed through the air.
"Fight back."
Allen's voice was calm, not even loud enough for most to hear.
The instant Barraskewda's blade came down, Kubfu vanished.
Or rather, he dove, feet first, sliding beneath his towering opponent like a soccer tackle.
He popped up behind it, spinning low and sweeping its legs out from under it.
"Nice!" Bea jumped up. "That was Low Sweep!"
Barraskewda staggered but recovered, springing back to its feet.
Nessa frowned. "Let's see how you handle this. X-Scissor!"
Blades of green energy crackled across Barraskewda's limbs. It lunged forward in a scissoring slash.
Kubfu didn't flinch.
Twist. Pivot. Hop. Each move evaded the strikes by hairsbreadths.
Bea's eyes sparkled. "He's using pure instinct, just like I was when I started mastering Observation!"
"Nope." Allen said calmly. "He's not using Haki yet."
"What?" Nessa blinked.
"It's just physical. He's fast."
Barraskewda, frustrated now, slashed again with full power.
The blade barely missed the cub's snout. Kubfu shifted, then leapt up with a blur of motion, his little paw crackling with faint energy.
Boom!
He struck Barraskewda's temple with a clean Brick Break, sending it staggering.
Nessa gasped. "It actually connected!"
Barraskewda growled, eyes burning. "Retaliate with Drill Run!"
The fish whirled, its body spinning like a missile.
But as the drill attack tore forward, Kubfu jumped. Higher than anyone expected.
Time slowed for a moment.
The little cub spun midair, raised both paws, and came down with a resounding blow.
His palms slammed into Barraskewda's head. The armored Pokémon collapsed.
But just as he prepared to strike again, the armored warrior shimmered and vanished into red light.