"I completely misjudged you two," Gemma said after the match.
They had gone to the Pokémon Center to give Lileep a proper checkup, and were now sitting in the canteen enjoying their food. Teddiursa sat right next to Harold, happily licking its honey.
"That Iron Ball was our secret weapon. I didn't actually expect to use it today either," Harold replied between mouthfuls of egg fried rice. "I really thought Lileep was a physical attacker because of those tentacles."
"Fair enough. That makes my first loss sting a little less, and I'll definitely look out for it next time." Gemma popped a spoonful of orange pudding into her mouth, staring across the table at Harold. "Still, it was incredibly unexpected for a little bear to have the capacity to use one of the most powerful Fighting-type moves out there: Close Combat."
Recalling the first time Teddiursa had shown him its moveset, Harold remembered how shocked he was to discover it already knew five different moves: Scratch, Fling, Baby-Doll Eyes, Close Combat, and Metal Claw.
"I was completely blown away the first time I realized it, too," Harold said, laughing. "Though, it took me a lot of time watching video clips and checking books just to recognize what they were. I mean, the first time it tried Close Combat, Ted didn't have enough Fighting-type energy to unleash its full potential. All I saw was this tiny bear throwing random punches at the air, looking like it was just joking around!"
"But seriously, it's incredibly rare for a Teddiursa or Ursaring to know Close Combat. There has to be a reason behind it..." Gemma bit her spoon, deep in thought.
"Well, it might just be a high-level move that not all of them can master," Harold replied. "At least I know that not all Ursaring are capable of using a proper Thrash. Most just fly into a rage and smash everything around them without actually channeling Normal-type energy."
Gemma twirled her spoon. "You've got a point, but I still feel like we're missing something."
After a bit of a wait, Nurse Joy finally returned Lileep to Gemma in perfect health.
Afterward, Harold brought Gemma to the training fields at the back of the Pokémon Center. The area was packed with groups of people talking, and there was even an active battle happening on the main court.
"Harold, I don't think this is a good place to let Lileep out," Gemma said, looking at the crowd. She was worried it might try to hurt someone again.
Harold rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah. I was pretty confident in Lileep, but just in case, maybe we should find somewhere else."
"How about one of the private training rooms inside the Pokémon Center?" Gemma suggested, hitting on a good idea.
"Those are kind of expensive..." Harold muttered.
However, watching Gemma walk up and pay the cashier without even blinking, it instantly clicked in his mind again: Gemma was incredibly, ridiculously rich.
Oh yeah, Harold thought to himself. I'm worrying about the wrong things. It's like a Snorlax worrying that it's too fat. Completely pointless.
"What are you just standing there for? Follow me!" Gemma called out, waving her hand.
Following Gemma, Harold stepped into a place he had never been before: a private training room inside the Pokémon Center.
The training field was large, clean, and professional. The painted lines on the floor looked fresh, the lighting was bright, the ceiling sprinklers looked fully functional, and the air conditioning worked so well that Harold felt a slight chill.
"Be honest with me, because I'm dying to know," Harold said, looking around in awe. "How much does a room like this cost?"
"Not that much," Gemma replied, holding up three fingers.
"A guessing game, huh? ₽3,000?"
"Uh-uh. Almost."
"It can't be ₽30,000, right?" Harold asked, wide-eyed.
Gemma shook her head. "Of course not! It's ₽3,000 per 30 minutes. It's definitely worth it; you'd spend way more if you went to a private battle club."
Harold was terrified by the price. "That is way too expensive for me. I wouldn't dream of booking a place like this unless I hit the jackpot at the Mauville Game Corner."
"Speaking of which..." Gemma murmured under her breath.
"What was that?" Harold asked. Her voice had been too soft for him to catch, even though they were standing close together.
"Never mind, we can talk about it later. Let's focus on Lileep first," Gemma said, putting a finger to her lips to drop the subject.
With that, Gemma released her partner. "Come on out, Lileep!"
"Lileep~" The Pokémon appeared, looking completely re-energized. The advanced healing equipment at the Pokémon Center had definitely done its job.
"Ted, go say hi to Lileep," Harold instructed. The little bear understood its mission instantly and stepped forward.
"Teddi-ursa!" Teddiursa waved its paws cheerfully at close range.
This time, Lileep's tentacles didn't snap out to attack. Instead, it gently reached over and wrapped a tentacle around Teddiursa's paw, shaking it as a friendly greeting.
"See? It's not overreacting anymore," Harold explained confidently, taking a step closer to prove his point. "My theory was right—it was just acting out because it was terrified of others. After being revived from a fossil, it was probably scared of being eaten or destroyed if it lost a fight. That's why it attacked anything it saw as a threat. But now that it knows it'll be perfectly safe even if it loses, it's finally willing to take a chance and trust us."
Clap, clap, clap.
Gemma applauded warmly. "You're amazing at this, Harold! Did you learn how to read Pokémon like that just from working at the daycare?"
"Something like that," Harold admitted softly. He looked down at the floor, suddenly feeling a bit shy under her gaze. "When you work with them every day, you realize how important it is to understand their feelings. Once you know what they're feeling, you understand the reasons behind their actions."
"Thank you, Harold. I wouldn't have figured this out so early without you," Gemma said, looking directly into his eyes with genuine gratitude.
Snap!
"So, I'm going to share a little secret with you, since you don't seem to know about it yet," Gemma smiled, snapping her fingers.
Harold looked completely clueless. "Eh? What kind of information?"
Gemma pulled a flyer from her sling bag and held it out to him. "Mr. Jib gave this to me this morning. It's about a local tournament hosted by the Mauville Game Corner for ten-year-old trainers. The winner gets to choose one Evolution Stone from a selection of Fire, Thunder, Water, Leaf, Moon, or Sun Stones!"
This instantly caught Harold's interest. "When does registration open? What's the battle format? And when does it start?" he asked rapidly.
"Erm..." Gemma paused, handing the poster over to him. "Here, you can just keep it. I can always ask Mr. Jib to get me another one."
"Thanks!" Harold looked closely at the flyer.
Registration started today, and the tournament would take place next month. The format was a 2v2 Single Battle, which meant he would need to catch or train a second Pokémon if he wanted any chance of winning. I still have time to prepare, Harold thought to himself. Why would I pass up a chance to win an Evolution Stone worth over ₽100,000? That much money could change everything for us.
"I'm definitely entering," Harold said aloud. "Thanks for letting me know, Gemma."
Gemma smiled warmly. "I'm glad you're interested. Let me know if you need any help preparing!"