章 34: A Name

"Nidoking use Earth Power!"

"Gardevoir use Psychic!"

Nidoking roared with full confidence as it raises its right leg and stomps it to the ground. Cracks begin to form from the ground as it headed towards Gardevoir. The cracks slowly manages to reach her as she felt small tremors echoing through the ground. In a blitz, the earth releases its power as it gives rise a huge stone from the ground, Gardevoir saw this coming, she quickly jumped from her standing as she dodges the rising pillar.

She retaliated with her gathered psychokinetic energy. Her eyes begin to glow in velvet purple, the tip of her fingertips glowed as well at its presence and aura of gathered psychic powers. She was trying to reach her full strength. She stored the power and formed it into a ball, throwing it to Nidoking.

Of course, if Gardevoir can dodge his attack, he as well might do it on hers. He stomped his foot one more time as a boulder once more rose to the ground. Grabs it at the base and uses it as a shield to protect himself from the immense force that Gardevoir has stored upon. He realized that his shield from the ground wasn't enough to defend him, he decided to throw it towards the ball. The two bodies of Psychokinetic energy and the power of the earth smash into the center of the field, causing a small explosion between the two Pokemon. Gardevoir protects herself as she forms an invincible wall while Nidoking forms his with the newly risen boulder.

"Alright, time out. You three have been training for hours now." Leaf interrupted the battle.

"Wait, what time is it?" Yoake asked her in curiosity.

"It's already 12:00 pm. Come on, time for lunch. Brock just finished cooking his Goldeen fillet."

"Okay. Lunch break, I guess."

The two Pokemon nodded as a reply to their trainer. Gardevoir and Nidoking shook hands as they were impressed with one another's strengths. There was a huge change between the two, mainly their abilities.

"Hey Leaf, thanks for loaning me two ability capsules." Yoake thanked her as they enter Erika's house. Earlier on, he insisted to pay Leaf's ability capsules but she refuses to as she stated that these are a gift.

"As I said earlier, it's a gift, not a loan. Plus, I know you wanted that for Nidoking." Leaf stated.

"Yeah, Own Tempo is just weird. Good thing I taught it Sheer Force, which is 10x better."

"Yup. Ice Beam, Thunderbolt, Earth Power, and Sludge Wave. Give him a Life Orb and he's already a beast." Leaf knows how powerful Nidoking is since she used to have one, but she decided to releases it since she has Nidoqueen, who is defensively better.

"It's a good thing you and Erika managed to get all of the TMs in the arcade basement. Who knows how expensive these things are in the department store."

As they continued to walk inside of Erika's home, on the other hand, Gardevoir and Nidoking were chatting behind them. Both can understand each other but in terms of a human being able to understand their conversation, Gardevoir is the only one that can be understood.

"So you're telling me that you think that the nurse is the suspect?" Gardevoir asked Nidoking. He nodded in answer. They were talking about a book that these two gained interest in. They recently finished the first volume last night and they were planning to read the second one later on after their training.

"How? She's kind of nice and helpful in solving the case. It's kinda weird for a suspect to help solve the crime they committed." Gardevoir argued. Nidoking argued by saying that just like a Zoruark, it can make an illusion and a reason for not being called out. Helping solve the crime is just an illusion for the nurse to be innocent.

"I guess you can say that. Let's just wait for the second volume. Yoake, can we go to the bookstore later? We're buying the second volume of our favorite series." Gardevoir asked their trainer. Yoake sighed as Leaf giggled.

"You'll one day understand that Pokemon is sort of your children." Leaf told the trainer.

"Fine. Let's go there after training." Yoake sighed.

"You should give them a break, you've been training for hours earlier. Pokemon do get tired you know, unlike Kubfu."

"Kubfu?"

"You don't know what a Kubfu is?" Leaf asked the trainer, he shook his head as an answer.

"Weirdly enough, it kinda fits you, to be honest. Likes to train all day and wants to become the very best. You two could become great partners." Leaf calls out Yoake's actions as she tries to compliment him.

"Oh really? And where's Kubfu native in?"

"Galar. But I think I have a spare Kubfu in my PC, I can give you one."

"N-No. You're too kind Leaf. You might use it somewhere else." Yoake hesitated.

"I already have an Urshifu on my team, I got the other one as an egg. I haven't used that one for months now, must've been lonely." Leaf argued.

"Besides, if it's the means of making you a better trainer, I'm willing to hand it to you, I promised you that, remember?"

"Yeah but I'm kinda worried that I might be overly reliant on you," Yoake argued.

"I can see that a reason but I just want you to help you fulfill your dreams, and the girl you've promised many years ago." Leaf winked to the trainer as a sort of tease to make him remember the promise he had from the girl who gave him the scarf a long time ago.

"How's the training?" Erika greeted the two as they entered the dining room. Brock recently prepared the table while Misty was drinking a cup of warm milk.

"Great, I think both Nidoking and Gardevoir can handle on their own now. But I'm kinda worried about Fearow and Victreebell if I'm being honest." Yoake told the Grass-type specialist.

"Isn't like Victreebell your starter? It should be strong as Gardevoir right now." Misty told the trainer as the two sat on their respective seats.

"Yeah, I might train him later, after… heading to the bookstore." Yoake cuts himself in the middle of his sentence as he looks at Gardevoir and Nidoking, who were sitting beside Brock.

"Oh, did you find a book that fills your interest?" Erika asked the trainer.

"No, it's for Gardevoir and Nidoking."

"Oh Really? Gardevoir, what's the book you two reading?"

"It's about a mysterious case. A Hospital was attacked by someone nearly poisoning every patient and the head doctor was mysteriously killed. It's a goo Nidoking and I have been debating on who the suspect might be."

"I think I've read that before.."

"Shh, no spoilers."

"Okay, time to eat then." Leaf stated as she interrupts Gardevoir and Erika's conversation.

Everyone dug into the delicious food that Brock cooked for them. From the fried Goldeen fillet to the delicious Chop Suey. Throughout their meal, they were talking about visiting an event in Porta Vista, it was a concert for Yoake's little sister, Yugure. It's a concert to begin the winter festival throughout Kanto, and she was chosen to be part of the main cast.

"Do you watch your sister's concert?" Erika curiously asked the trainer.

"No, usually my parents watch it. I just send her the food early on and leave."

"Let's see, a sister that is a famous idol, and a recently virtual world champion, now trying to become an actual world champion, I might say, your family is famous."

"And two mysterious parents." Leaf interrupted Erika as she blabbered about Yoake and Yugure's parents.

"Busy, mysterious, and very strict parents." Yoake sighed.

"It's kinda crucial for me that Leaf became my babysitter. Back then, my parents hates the idea of me becoming a Pokemon trainer but Leaf defended my side and allowed me to. Ever since then, Leaf was more like an actual parent to both me and Yugure. Even though we part ways 2 years ago, the morals and memory are still there." Yoake said. Leaf was flustered by this but she knows that his parents would abandon them without any issues, and she has no choice but to take them into her arms.

"Aww Leaf, you're a mother now." Misty teased Leaf after the heartwarming story.

"Shut it, Ginger."

After eating their meal, they cleaned up the table and headed to their ways. Brock going back to his gym after having lunch with them, Misty heading to the Cerulean City Pool Center to do her duty as a coach, Erika orienting her shop, and Leaf, Yoake, and Gardevoir heading to the Celadon Bookstore, which is in the core parts of the city.

The streets were scattered with people and Pokemon, cars rustle through the roads, and fresh windy air blew through. The City is heavily populated but it manages to keep its clean and environmentally friendly basis. Gardevoir is excited to see the number of boutiques, bookstores, and puffins. She entered each bookstore to find the book she was looking for, while Yoake Leaf was waiting outside of each bookstore to wait for her.

"Sometimes, you need a break. I get that you want to become the Indigo League Champion but you don't have to rush it, to be honest." Leaf suggested to the trainer.

"I know but I'm kinda worried about school next year, I have to become the champion before school starts," Yoake argued.

"I see," Leaf stated.

"There you are." Gardevoir said as she saw the book. It was lying on top of a basket. She was about to grab it but someone grabbed it instead and in her eyes, she was shocked to see the Psychic-type specialist, Sabrina of Saffron City.

"Hmm, The Bill comes due." Sabrina read the title of the book.

"I'm surprised that a Pokemon like you can read this. Human-like but doesn't have the same complexion of a human-like brain." Sabrina said in a tone of mockery.

"Unless the thing that happened yesterday gave you one.... "

"Battle Bond, fascinating. The idea where the mindset and the soul of the trainer and Pokemon are united to form a perfect being and only those in the Blood type K is allowed to use that type of power."

"Wa-ait, how did you know all about that?" Gardevoir asked her.

"Hmph. Girl, I know a lot, I'm the Psychic-type specialist of Kanto after all." Sabrina stated. One of the clerks of the bookstore noticed the two seemed fighting about the book, they decided to interrupt them before things get fuzzy.

"Uhh we have more copies of that in the storage, we can get each for you two." The clerk stated.

"No need. Tell your trainer that I'm waiting for our battle in my gym. Keep your dirty book to yourself." Sabrina told the Pokemon as she gives the book to her. She walked passed by her with her shoulder touching hers.

"I just work here to pay my college debt." The clerk groaned as they continue to do their work.

Sabrina walked out of the bookstore and the first thing she saw was Leaf and Yoake, talking to one another while eating Ice Cream from a nearby ice cream stand. Leaf noticed Sabrina and quickly grabbed Yoake's arm and places him behind her.

"You…" Leaf growled to the specialist.

"Tsk. I'm not here to chat. I'm just here to tell your precious kid that we have a battle in my gym. He wants my badge, right? Also, you should keep an eye out on your Pokemon sometimes, never leave them wondering on their own." Sabrina said in a deeper and more malicious voice. She walked away from the scenery and continued to her day.

"Gardevoir!" Yoake quickly realized that Sabrina might have done something insulting to his Pokemon.

The two ran inside of the bookstore and saw Gardevoir, standing there in total fear and shock. It felt like she saw a ghost or something, but it all comes down to one word to describe Gardevoir's feelings right now, Insulted.

"Gardevoir, are you alright?" Yoake worriedly asked his Pokemon.

She didn't bother to answer as her face was enough to tell that she was not fine. Yoake paid for the book and left the bookstore alongside Gardevoir and Leaf. They couldn't figure out where to go, the Pokemon center or Erika's home, they decided to choose the latter.

"Good thing Erika gave us her spare keys." Leaf said as she opens the door of the specialist's house, the trainer and Gardevoir enters to talk about what happened earlier.

"I'm not human, nor a Pokemon, I don't know who I am." Gardevoir whispered as her mind was flustered with the words she got from Sabrina. The realization of understanding, human literature, culture, emotion, and science made her feel uncomfortable. As if Battle Bond was a curse to her monstrous existence.

"Yoake, what am I?" She asked her trainer.

"You're Gardevoir, you're my Pokemon and I'm your trainer. Listen, forget what Sabrina told you okay? You're special, don't let that bother you." Yoake assured her but his assurance wasn't enough to calm her.

"If you just call me Gardevoir, what's so unique about me? There are millions of Gardevoir out there with their unique traits, what's something I'm significant of?" She argued.

"You have me, Leaf, and battle bond. That's something makes you different from those plain Gardevoirs out there…"

"Well, I should've given you a nickname then." Yoake sighed as he realized that a simple name was enough to give a reason for existence. Humans can look the same, think the same, act the same and feel the same, there's nothing unique or significant but a name can give a reason to be unique, to stand out, to get rid of the illusion of being insignificant, this also applies to Pokemon.

"Well, what name do you want?"

Gardevoir opens the newly bought book in her hand and read the few words in the first chapter and she saw a name that fits her rightfully so.

"Claudine."