After Garchomp nodded its assent, Jason drew a long breath.
His light-purple body rippled; light flowed—and in an instant he was a Tinkatuff hefting a massive hammer.
"Master, I'm coming in!"
With the shout as his greeting, he charged Garchomp full tilt.
The dragon didn't even bother to move. It stood there, calm as still water.
Just as the Tinkatuff-turned Jason closed the gap, Garchomp's thick, powerful tail flicked lazily to the side. The motion wasn't even fast—almost bored.
Whoosh.
Air split under the swing; wind-pressure rolled.
Jason blinked—then a tidal force hit him sideways.
Thud!
Like a car hitting a traffic cone, the Tinkatuff went flying, arced high, and crashed at the boundary—popping back to Ditto form.
"Nggh…"
He felt like he'd come apart at the seams.
So this was Cynthia's ace.
That wasn't even ten percent power. It wasn't a move—just a casual tail swipe.
So strong—absurdly strong.
He wriggled, barely. Staring at the towering silhouette at center field, he croaked, "Um… Master Garchomp, could you… go a bit lighter next time? I think I'm dying."
Garchomp glanced down and snorted—a yes. Cynthia had told it to hold back. And in its mind, that tail flick had been as gentle as it got.
For the next hour, the Naranja Hotel battle court ran a looping play:
[Gible line Dex +2%]
Ditto → Tinkatuff → charge → Garchomp taps him with a claw → he sails out.
[Gible line Dex +2%]
Ditto → Lechonk → tries to close → Garchomp shoulder checks—he rolls into a ball.
[Gible line Dex +3%]
Ditto → Fletchling → tries to flank—no matter how fast, those knife eyes lock on early and body-block him with minimal motion.
Every round ended the same: swift defeat, bright pain—and Jason loved it. This wasn't life-or-death; it was one-sided feeding. From point-blank range he could watch a Champion's ace, frame by frame—how the muscles fired, energy flowed, decisions formed.
[Gible line Dex +3%]
Progress was fast—costly, but fast. He was covered in bruises. On the sideline, Gast's cheers had faded to worry; her Pikachu balloon was squashed a little from her grip.
Just as he hauled himself up for another round, Cynthia's phone rang. She stepped aside, answered, and her face hardened.
"Chairwoman Geeta… Understood… I'll be right there."
She returned, taking in his wrecked-yet-euphoric state. "I have to attend an academic panel. Chairwoman Geeta invited you as well. Coming?"
"No." Reflex rejection. A panel? Or Dex gains? Easy choice.
One look at his eyes and she knew he was unmovable. "Very well."
"Then—could you leave Garchomp to help sharpen me a bit more?"
She glanced at her ace, whose look clearly said "promising student," then nodded. "Alright. But no big commotion."
…
By dusk, Cynthia came back yawning. The court was a wreck. Jason lay happily in the center—battered head to toe, but glowing. In his head, the longed-for chime had rung:
[Mach Pokémon "Gible" Dex entry complete!]
The earlier observation plus a full day of "lessons" had finished the line.
Cynthia could only shake her head. She hauled him to the Pokémon Center for emergency treatment and, once sure he was fine, took Jason, Gast, and Garchomp back to her hotel suite.
In the big room—floor-to-ceiling windows, polished luxury—her first words were, "I'm taking a bath."
Water sounds came from the bathroom. Jason couldn't hold the thrill any longer. In front of Gast and Garchomp, he flashed and transformed: sturdy limbs, big head, deep blue hide, round tummy, a jet-intake fin on top—
Gible.
"Woah!" Gast squealed, flopping onto his oversized head and nuzzling. "You're so cute like this!"
Garchomp, however, stared at a tiny self and fell into bafflement. Something felt… off. But what?
The bathroom clicked open. Warm steam billowed; Cynthia stepped out, towel in her wet hair. She'd changed into a cream silk pajama set, the fabric floating over perfect lines. In the mist-softened glow, the Champion's aura had vanished; she looked like the prettiest girl-next-door.
Her eyes drifted—then locked on the Gible wobbling around with a Gastly perched on its head. In that instant, her gaze melted. Warmth and nostalgia welled in the gray.
As if time folded, she saw a little girl meeting her own clumsy, adorable Gible for the first time.
She didn't ask permission. She crossed the room; before Jason could react, soft warm arms scooped him up.
"So nostalgic…" she breathed, pressing her cheek to his head.
A heartbeat later he felt softness under him; she'd carried him to the big bed like a plush, curled around him, pulled up the blanket, closed her eyes.
Fluid as a single action.
Silence settled.
At the bedside, Garchomp stared at its Trainer cuddling a Gible—and a question mark slowly rose above its head.
Something's off.
Very off.
Have… I been replaced?
Floating nearby, Gast was equally stunned.
Hey? Jason is obviously mine.
~~~
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