That year, the Pokémon Ability Theory that would make Professor Birch famous worldwide was still only at the proposal stage.
That year, the discovery of Mega Evolution was still far in the future, and Professor Sycamore was merely a young man thrilled to have just acquired his own independent laboratory.
That year, the Fairy-type existed only as a hidden gene slumbering within a handful of Pokémon.
...
And that year, Kael arrived at the first dojo of his life—his dojo.
Withered vines, ancient trees, crows at dusk;
a small bridge, flowing water, humble homes.
Passing through a grove of bamboo, the faint outline of an old dojo built in a traditional style gradually came into view.
A narrow stream wound its way past the grounds, spanned by an arched bridge of blue stone.
Standing atop the stone bridge and gazing at the ancient dojo in the near distance, a gentle breeze brushing his face, Kael felt an unprecedented calm settle over him. It was as if, in that moment, heaven and earth had fallen utterly still.
Before coming here, he had imagined the place would be in utter ruin. He hadn't expected that even its surroundings would be so serene and beautiful—like a hidden paradise untouched by the world.
"That one million was absolutely worth it."
After lingering on the bridge for a while, Kael strode toward the dojo ahead.
The main gates were tightly shut. The plaque above them had long gone untended; wind and sun had stripped away much of its paint. One nail had already come loose, and when the wind blew, the sign creaked with an unpleasant, grating whine.
Taking out the key the mayor had given him, Kael unlocked the heavy iron padlock. With a slight push of his arms, the faded wooden doors groaned as they slowly swung open to either side.
He was just about to step inside when something occurred to him. A faint smile tugged at his lips. He stepped back out beneath the doorway and looked up at the precariously hanging plaque.
"Now that I'm the new owner of this dojo, it's time to change the sign."
He bent his knees slightly, then sprang upward in one smooth motion. Grabbing the top of the plaque with his right hand, he twisted hard. With a sharp crack, the old black signboard came loose in his grip.
Setting it temporarily in the corner by the gate, Kael clasped his hands behind his back and walked into the dojo at a measured pace.
The first thing that greeted him was a vast training ground of over five hundred square meters. The square courtyard was paved with blue bricks, and along its edges stood various old-fashioned training implements—stone locks, stone stools, and stone dumbbells.
"This must have been where the disciples trained together."
As he crossed the courtyard, he could easily imagine its peak days—disciples in training uniforms and Fighting-type Pokémon alike sweating and striving upon these very stones.
Beyond the front courtyard lay the central yard, once the disciples' living quarters and the dojo kitchen. After 10 years of abandonment, weeds had overtaken the grounds. The berry trees that once grew in neat rows had withered away without care.
The rear courtyard was the largest, covering about 1,330 square meters. According to the deed, the front yard measured 800 square meters, the central yard 1,200—together totaling just over 3,000 square meters.
As the mayor had mentioned, the dojo's history stretched back more than a hundred years. In those days, when the aristocratic class still existed, this place had originally been the residence of a minor noble.
Kael found the rear courtyard especially pleasing.
There stood a grand main hall built in the style of an ancient palace. To its right lay a garden; to its left, a wooden corridor leading directly to a pavilion.
There was also an artificial rock pond spanning over three hundred square meters. Though long dried up and choked with weeds, its design remained impressive.
The entire compound, reminiscent of classical japanese garden architecture, satisfied Kael immensely.
"This will be my second home."
He could barely contain his excitement. He wanted to share it with his Pokémon. This would not only be his home—it would be theirs as well.
"Come take a look at our new home—Lulu, Weavile, Rhydon, and Chansey."
He tossed all four Poké Balls from his belt.
Since the pond was still dry, he did not release Feebas for now. Once the rock pond was cleaned and refilled, he would let Feebas swim freely there. Water-type Pokémon were not meant to remain confined in Poké Balls for too long—fish belonged in water.
"Kael, is this really our new home?" Lulu's ethereal, sweet voice echoed once more in his mind.
"Yes. Our new home."
Kael nodded with a smile, then introduced the place to Weavile, Rhydon, and the newly joined Chansey. "We'll be living here for a while. As you can see, the house has just been bought and hasn't been inhabited for ten years—it's a complete mess. So our top priority is a thorough cleaning."
"Weavile—"
"Rooaar—"
"Lucky~"
...
The sun blazed high overhead, yet within the dojo, Kael and his four Pokémon felt little of the heat. The entire compound was encircled by a sea of bamboo. A breeze crossed plains and hills, filtered through the bamboo forest, and entered the dojo carrying the faint, refreshing scent unique to bamboo.
Lulu floated lightly in midair using her psychic power. Stretching out her small white hands, she began forming shimmering purple leaves of energy in the air.
"Hyaa!"
With a soft cry, she flung her hands outward.
Whoosh—!
Accompanied by sharp slicing sounds, twelve purple Magical Leaves shot out like flying blades.
They danced through the weed-choked courtyard, and in an instant, the air filled with the buzzing sound of cutting. Weeds as tall as half a person fell in swaths.
What seemed like tough roots and stems were as fragile as paper before the razor-sharp Magical Leaf.
Under Lulu's exquisite psychic control, each leaf became a nimble, living lawnmower. In less than fifteen minutes, every weed in the rear courtyard—including those within the rock pond—had been cleared away.
Even the deeply buried roots and seeds were torn from the earth by Lulu's telekinesis.