The next day, just as the morning sun climbed onto the Naranja Hotel's windowsill, Poppy was already banging energetically on Jason's door.
She was small, dressed in an adorable gothic lolita dress; the oversized pink beret on her head was nearly as wide as her shoulders. Yet that tiny frame housed Elite-level power.
"Jason, Jason! Up you get—training starts today!" her clear, lively voice rang from the hall.
Jason yawned his way to the door. One look at the bright-eyed Poppy made him feel they lived in two different worlds.
"Morning, Poppy."
"Not 'morning'—the sun's already on your backside!" Hands behind her back, she skipped ahead. "Hurry, hurry, my Tinkaton can't wait to teach you how to play with a hammer!"
Jason's face went flat. Teach me to 'play' with a hammer? You mean teach me to use it.
Their venue was again the rooftop arena. When Jason arrived upstairs, Cynthia had already gotten up; she'd simply tied her gold hair back and come along. Unlike yesterday she didn't stand at the sideline—she reclined under a parasol with a thick history tome in her hands, posture graceful, aura cool. Sunlight filtering off the umbrella traced soft shadows on her fine profile; her long lashes trembled faintly—completely absorbed in the page. Behind her chair, Garchomp and Lucario stood to either side like faithful sentries.
Training began quickly. Today's focus was instruction. Poppy sent out Tinkaton—the pink, hammer-wielding Pokémon—and it opened by giving Jason a proper scare. Payback for yesterday's stunt: tricking it into thinking he had Toxic Debris, then landing Toxic, then knocking the hammer free. Embarrassing just to recall.
Tinkaton casually raised that enormous hammer one-handed and swiped at open air; the wind pressure alone made the parasols hiss.
"Watch closely, Jason," Poppy pointed at Tinkaton. "With a hammer, the key is momentum, not strength. Learn to borrow the hammer's own weight instead of fighting it. Go on—your turn."
And with that, the irresponsible little Elite dumped her partner on Jason and scampered back to the lounge chair, peering curiously at Cynthia. "Cynthia, big sis—what are you reading?"
"Records of Paldea's history," Cynthia replied without looking up.
"Wow, sounds amazing! Will you tell me?"
Cynthia shut the book, shot the overly familiar little thing a helpless look, and nodded.
An odd tableau formed on the rooftop: Jason, under Tinkaton's eye, drilling hammer technique—while across the lawn, a golden-haired lady told Paldean stories to a little goth.
As for Gast—who knew where she'd run off to. Jason was used to it.
He drew a long breath, shifted into Tinkatuff, and focused completely on the hammer. Following Poppy's tip, he tried to loosen his body, feel the balance, and swing with it. At first he was always off-timing—awkward, even comical. Tinkaton folded her arms, shaking her head from time to time, sighing as if to say, "This kid's hopeless."
Jason didn't get rattled. He tried again. And again. His arms began to burn, but the light in his eyes only brightened. He could feel himself grasping the knack, bit by bit.
Time slid by in that monotonous practice. By late afternoon, as the sun slanted west, Jason finished a final swing. This time it flowed—wind whistled; the head struck true on Tinkaton—
Thump!
Tinkaton answered with her own hammer—one blow catching and stopping his strike. And in that instant, the familiar prompt chimed in his mind:
[Hammer Pokémon Tinkaton — Dex Entry Complete!]
Jason let out a long breath and flopped onto the turf. His body was beat, but his heart felt clean. He pestered Poppy's Tinkaton for a few higher-level pointers until the pink Pokémon, impatient, pointed its hammer at the sinking sun. Only then did Jason call it a day.
He stowed the hammer, wiped his brow, and walked to Cynthia's chair. Poppy was asleep there, curled under Cynthia's coat. Cynthia set her book down and smiled faintly. "Looks like you learned a lot."
Her voice was gentle—afraid to wake the sleeper.
Jason scratched his head—then remembered something; his face turned serious. "Right—sis Cynthia, I want to hop over to Cortondo to pick up a friend later."
"A friend?" Cynthia's brows lifted; doubt glinted in her gray eyes. Since when does he have other friends?
Seeing the look, he knew she'd forgotten. "Liko—the girl I rescued."
"Oh…" Cynthia blinked in recognition, then her puzzlement deepened. "Her. But now? We enter Area Zero tomorrow, don't we?"
Her tone said not ideal. Area Zero—Paldea's most dangerous zone, crawling with Paradox Pokémon—demanded a Champion's full focus. Bringing a civilian? Asking for trouble.
Jason nodded, perfectly matter-of-fact. "Yeah—school's about to start. I figured I'd let her see Area Zero before that—as a 'back-to-school' gift."
At that, the corner of Cynthia's mouth twitched. Other people give notebooks; you give a Great Crater tour? Hardcore gift giving.
Her brows knit tighter; her eyes turned stern. "If I recall, she isn't even a Trainer yet—no starter. Taking her somewhere that dangerous isn't appropriate."
Jason, of course, couldn't mention the divine Terapagos pendant. He rolled his eyes once—and found the perfect excuse, smile turning dazzling. "Oh, what danger? With you, the Sinnoh Champion, along, there's nothing to worry about anywhere!"
The well-placed flattery smoothed her expression a notch. But this was Cynthia—sharp to the bone. She swept her gaze over him; her gray eyes narrowed, a half-smile tugging at her lips, tone turning tart.
"Pretty words," she chuckled softly. "So you want me to be your bodyguard—while you go court a girl?"
"Pfft—!"
Jason nearly choked, freezing like he'd been struck by lightning. He waved his hands wildly, face going red. "It's not—it's not like that! Don't say that! We're pure friends!"
His "there's no silver here" flailing only deepened Cynthia's smile. She spared him further teasing, stood, stretched—silhouette lit by sunset. "Alright, I'm not quibbling. Have Garchomp take you. I'm going to rest—we're up early tomorrow."
Jason's eyes lit. He'd expected more arguing. Without Cynthia's blessing, he'd have had to tell Liko "next time for sure."
Joy bubbled up. "Sis Cynthia, you're so ni—"
The temperature dropped several degrees. Cynthia's step halted. She turned slowly. The laziness and humor drained from her face; suddenly strict.
She strode back in long steps and looked down at him. Her eyes were very serious, pressure heavy. "Jason," she said quietly, every word crisp, "if you ever hand me another 'nice person' card—I'll hit you."
Jason's soul almost flew out; he bobbed his head like a pecking chick. Only then did she withdraw her aura, turn, and leave without a backward glance—a clean, handsome exit.
Jason wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. A woman's heart—bottomless sea.
Poppy rubbed her eyes, waking up. Seeing training done, she waved. "Jason—good luck in Area Zero tomorrow! Safe travels!" She bounced off with Tinkaton.
Gast popped up from some corner, face blank as ever. Jason told her he'd be late—going with Garchomp to fetch Liko. Gast murmured an "oh" and drifted back to the room.
Soon, only Jason and a Garchomp conscripted for overtime remained. Garchomp stomped over and glared, snorting to show her displeasure. "Let's go. You dawdle, it'll be dark."
Jason grinned sheepishly; he'd cut into her rest. He hopped expertly onto her broad back.
"Hold tight!"
Garchomp rumbled, pushed off—her body became a blue streak and shot skyward. The inertia threw Jason backward; he clamped on in a hurry.
He suspected she was taking revenge.
Wind howled; the world below blurred into streaks. Garchomp flew like a supersonic fighter, carving a straight pressure line across Paldea's orange twilight toward Cortondo.
Night had fallen.
A bright moon hung in a washed-clean sky, pouring silver over the sleeping land. In the city, lights pooled like rivers of stars; beyond, the wilds were cloaked in stillness.
A blue silhouette cut that stillness—the Garchomp skimming the night toward Cortondo. She banked far from populated areas, masking her aura so as not to startle anyone.
Jason lay relaxed on her back, feeling the cool high air, while guiding his new phone by Liko's pinned location.
"One kilometer ahead—arriving at Cortondo," Rotom's voice chimed.
Soon the town appeared below. Most houses were dark—only scattered street lamps glowed. The coordinates led them over a warm, cozy detached home. Unlike sleeping neighbors, this one's porch lamp still burned.
Within its circle of light stood three figures.
Liko had changed into an adventure outfit. A stuffed travel pack rested by her feet. Excitement and anticipation lit her face; her black eyes shone in the night.
Beside her stood a man and a woman—her parents. The gentleman, scholarly in glasses, arms folded, brows faintly knit. The lady, with a cascade of black hair and gentle manner, fussed over Liko's collar and pack straps, murmuring instructions.
Worry lined their faces—understandably. Their daughter wasn't even a Trainer yet—shy by nature—and now she was to go adventuring in the middle of the night with a Ditto? However you spun it, it felt wrong—like an elopement.
Liko heard the faint slice of air from above, and she beamed up into the dark, waving hard. "Jason! Over here! I'm here!"
A rush of wind swept in as Garchomp descended, landing smoothly on the lawn. Jason hopped down lightly and bounced up to Liko.
"Heehee—Jason, long time no see~" she chirped.
Her parents' expressions only grew stranger—shock, confusion, a dash of absurdity. A pressure-heavy Garchomp dropping into the yard; a small jelly blob alighting from its back; and their daughter prepared to leave with it into the night?
After greeting Liko, Jason turned to her parents. He needed no special sense to know their worry. He bowed his head politely and introduced himself.
"Good evening, sir, ma'am. My name is Jason—I'm Liko's friend. I'm very sorry to disturb you this late."
Start with courtesy; ease their guard.
"About this trip—please don't worry. We're leaving early tomorrow; Levincia is a bit of a flight, and this way Liko can get more rest."
"As for Area Zero, our party includes Miss Cynthia—the Champion of Sinnoh—Miss Iono—Paldea's Electric Gym Leader—and a future Champion-class Trainer."
He named the heavy hitters one by one.
"We're bringing Liko partly to give her experiences she can't get in school before term starts—and partly to help an introverted girl make new friends."
"We promise—we'll bring her back to you safe and sound."
Jason spoke with genuine sincerity. Even so, the worry didn't melt from their faces. No matter how smooth the Ditto's manner—he still looked like a harmless blob. And at night, anxiety deepened.
Jason seemed to anticipate this. As he spoke, his body rippled—deep violet armor closed over him; hands became flaming blades.
In a blink, a formidable Ceruledge stood there. Purple fire licked the blades, stark in the dark—lighting his form and their stunned faces. Feeling the powerful aura, Liko's parents at last exhaled. So… this Ditto really is that strong—and with Cynthia along, it should be fine.
"Then, we'll entrust Liko to you," her father Alex said, pushing his glasses, still reluctant.
"Take care of yourself out there—call us every day," her mother Lucia added, gently straightening Liko's collar.
After a few more everyday reminders, they agreed to let Liko go.
Jason dropped the form and jumped with Liko onto Garchomp's back. To her parents' "safe travels," Garchomp rumbled, spread her wings, and leapt into the deep night.
High above, the wind was cool. Liko sat astride Garchomp, looking back at the shrinking patch of home lights, then at the utterly reliable Ditto beside her—thrilled to the core.
She chattered, sharing every joy. "Wow, Jason—flying at night feels totally different from daytime! So exciting!"
"Look, look—the stars feel so close!"
Jason answered patiently, sharing her happiness. Then Liko leaned in, a sly sparkle in her moonlit eyes. Half joking, half serious, she teased, "Say, Jason—earlier, you introduced yourself to my parents, promised to take care of me, and even showed your strength…"
"Does that count as… meeting the parents?"
Jason, focused on the view ahead, nearly slid off Garchomp's smooth back.
"Wah!"
Thankfully Liko was quick—she grabbed him mid-fall and hugged the jelly tight. "Honestly—be careful," she scolded, but laughter ran under her tone.
Jason, nestled against soft warmth, wore the face of one resigned to fate.
Meanwhile, the "transport" sighed inwardly. On her usually fierce face, Garchomp wore the most deadpan of looks. Tough gig. Her Trainer doted on this Ditto to the sky and back. One flight later, she was tired and hungry—no food, and now forced to play third wheel, listening to the two flirt on her back. Unlivable.
Please, let Area Zero have something to make this worth it tomorrow.
~~~
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