章 33: Leaf

The winds blissed through the open area, some touched the fiber clothes between the two while others flow throughout. The place was quiet and only the wind can be heard. This utter silence was caused by the tension between the trainer, and the former babysitter. Both know that they're on a major gamble, one being forced to lose their passion while the other will lose the only family they have.

Leaf knows the danger if Yoake kept on walking to this fiery ravaged path, a path where ashes fall to the ground as flames of fate being burned alive. She doesn't want to risk losing someone she cherished the most, the kid that brought her to humanity for the past years, the only light she has in this dark world.

Yoake, on the other hand, wants to be independent, he knows that fate is already chosen for him, he just needs to improve himself. However, that fate is being tucked by the past. He wants a bright future and the only way for him to achieve it is to ignore the past. This was a foolish mindset. He thinks that Battle Bond is the key to success and having type advantages is a major aspect, but this isn't the virtual Pokemon game, this is reality, and reality shifts gears to the point you couldn't tell if your input would lead to useful output.

The two were having an intense stare, thinking and processing on how will they act to counteract the other. And the worst, to resolve any of the outcomes.

"Yoake…" Gardevoir whispered at the distance. She was worried as most of his team, besides her and Fearow are fainted or too weak to battle, and she can tell that Leaf has more than one Pokemon in her team, ready to reveal the true power of the legendary trainer.

"I don't want to do this, but I don't want to battle either. But you gave me no choice." Leaf warned as she threw in a Pokeball and started the battle. Yoake threw his Pokeball as well.

A pink Pokemon appeared from the beaming Pokeball. It has a pair of pink pointy ears or horns, 3 pairs of teeny wings, and a round body, it was a Clefable. Yoake on the other hand threw in the only Pokemon that is energetic enough to battle besides Gardevoir, Fearow.

"Fearow, drill peck!"

Leaf didn't say a word as soon as Clefable entered the battle, the Pokemon quickly knows what to do, it was forged and trained to know what to do in these situations, and certainly knows how to use its moves properly. Fearow charged as soon as Yoake muttered the moves it should use, its pointed beak looked firmly at Clefable's body to ensure a dire hit.

Clefable jumped from the ground and formed an electric ball on its hand. Fearow tries to hit Clefable but the Pokemon threw a shocking Thunderbolt towards it. Fearow tries to dodge it but the thing was following him. This caught both Yoake and Fearow by surprise as Leaf didn't tell anything to Cledfable yet it exactly knows what to do.

"What the… How?" Yoake was stunned as Fearow fell from the sky, he has already fainted from one shot.

"If you trained your Pokemon to their full strength, they exactly know what to do, even if you didn't talk at all." Leaf stated.

Yoake concentrates after hearing the words from his babysitter. He knows that the only Pokemon he has left is Gardevoir, if he loses, this might be the end of his adventure, he was halfway through, he doesn't want to give up the weeks he spent on to become stronger and better, he has to think of a plan to defeat Leaf.

"Fearow, return. Gardevoir, let's go." Yoake sighed as he withdraws Fearow and brings in his last Pokemon. Gardevoir flew towards the center between Leaf and her trainer. She can sense the panic and rushing anxiety that her trainer is feeling, she was worried about him, and she knows that he doesn't want to lose this battle.

'I have to do my very best.' Gardevoir thought to herself. She turned her head to the left and looked at her trainer, giving a small nod that they can win.

"Gardevoir, Psychic!"

Gardevoir quickly gathered all of the psychokinetic energy in the area and slowly combined them in a ball with pure energy. Clefable formed a shadowy and eerie ball in the palm of its hand, it was a shadow ball, an effective and powerful move that can easily one-shot Gardevoir if the wielder is a ghost type but Clefable isn't a ghost type.

The threw were on a game of catch, but instead of catching the ball, they have to dodge it. Gardevoir swiftly dodges the shadow ball by teleporting to a nearby space while Clefable tries to dodge her attacks, the ball hits her with immense strength. Clefable fell to the ground, exhausted but not tired from battle. While it was laying down on the floor, a small purple orb begins to shine on her back.

'A Life orb!?' Yoake realized that this Clefable was not only smart enough to deal with a battle on its own, this thing has Life Orb. An orb that boosts the user's attack in exchange for its health.

'Then this Clefable has Magic Guard!'

Clefable slowly stood up from its sitting and faces Gardevoir once more on the battlefield. Yoake's blood pressure begins to rise as anxiety and the realization that not only this Clefable is strong enough on its own but having only one Pokemon, who doesn't have enough strength to battle further, to beat an entire time, it was inevitable for him to lose.

'No, I can't think of that. I have to win.' He repeats to himself. His composure was worrying, both Gardevoir and Leaf were getting pity for that boy but Leaf has to hide her feelings if she wants this battle to tip in her favor.

A spark of bond slowly formed between the two as Gardevoir's blood pressure slowly rises and follows the trainer's heartbeat. Yoake took a deep breath and continued.

"Gardevoir, Psychic now!"

Gardevoir nodded as it formed another psychokinetic ball on its hand, Clefable retaliated with another Shadow ball, seeing as Gardevoir was weaker than before. Clefable threw the Shadow ball towards Gardevoir, like earlier, she dodges it. Gardevoir hurls the ball to Clefable, but she dodges it by backflipping twice.

"Again, use Psychic!"

The third time's a charm. Gardevoir creates another one, Clefable forms another Shadow ball, and both dodges their attacks. Both Pokemon were getting exhausted at this point, but neither of them wants to lose. Both Ren and Janine barges out from the gym and saw Leaf and Yoake battling at the grand stairs of the gym.

Curious, Ren decided to ask Brock the reason for their battle.

"What's going on?"

"Oh. You see, Leaf wants Yoake to go back home since she's kinda worried about Battle Bond. You know, malicious people want that power so she wants him to be safe."

"I see."

"Wait, why isn't battle bond being activated? Both of their heart rates are linked." Janine said as Rotom phone appears beside her with the heart rate of the two being conjoined yet no anomaly has been shown, it was weird.

"What!?"

"Gardevoir, finish this with Psychic!" Yoake told the Pokemon. Leaf had enough and notice how weak Yoake was getting, she has to make a move.

"Clefable, finish Gardevoir, now!" Leaf muttered. Clefable nodded and begins to form a ball, it wasn't a shadow or a thunderbolt, it was none other than Moonblast. Clefable lunges the Moonblast towards Gardevoir, she tries to dodge it but she was getting weak. The moon blasts hit her and made her fall to the floor, sighed in failure.

As soon as Gardevoir fell to the ground, Yoake fainted as well. Leaf quickly ran towards Yoake as she catches him before hitting his head on the stairs.

"Yoake!? Yoake!?" Leaf cried as she tries to wake up the boy in her arms. Clefable walks towards Gardevoir and notices that she was having a fever.

"Brock! Help me carry Yoake."

The Rock-type specialist quickly aided the trainer and carried him to the bed that he lay on earlier. Everyone was confused about what happened as this was unexpected.

"I have to call his parents. Brock, keep an eye on him." Leaf said as soon as they placed Yoake on top of the bed alongside Gardevoir. Brock nodded as Leaf took out her phone and walks outside to talk to Miss Katsuragi.

"Hello Miss Katsuragi, we need to talk, it's something very urgent."

"Oh Hello Leaf, what's seems the matter? Make it snappy, We're on a meeting right now"

"It's your son, it's complicated but you have to listen."

"Sorry Leaf but I have to go, just message it to me, I'll read it later." Miss Katsuragi said. Leaf knows damn well that she never read her texts even if it was something very important as this. She ended the call and Leaf was furious about it.

'I had enough with them. They have no time for their children at all, they just ignored them completely.' Leaf groaned. She was aware of how busy the two are but she was surprised that they sometimes ignore their children.

She puts her phone back in her purse and headed to the room to see if Yoake was alright.

"It seems that Mister Yoake Katsuragi is having a mild fever." The rotom notified Leaf. She touched Yoake's forehead to check his body temperature and Rotom was right.

"Brock, when was the last time he ate?"

"Around 7 in the morning, I think."

Leaf looked at the nearby clock and saw that it was already 4 pm.

"Okay. Brock, you know how to take care of someone with a mild fever. Right?"

"Yup."

"Good. Take care of him while I'm gone. I'll be back around 5 or 6 pm." Leaf told the specialist. She walked to the dojo and saw Ren and Janine having a conversation.

"Janine, you wouldn't mind if I sleep here for tonight?" Leaf asks the specialist.

"Sure."

"Thanks." Leaf thanked the specialist as she walks out of the gym and headed to a nearby Market.

Later that night, Yoake slowly opens his eyes from a familiar smell. It was a blissful aroma that brings him back to a time when everything was fine. He smells the heavenly delight. Yoake looks around and saw Leaf standing in the doorway with one of those bed trays. On top of the table were two bowls with hot savoring smoke rising through the air. The smell was none other than his favorite meal, Chicken soup.

"Good evening." Leaf greeted the trainer.

"Good evening Leaf…" Yoake greeted her as well.

"How was your sleep?"

"Good," Yoake answered her question. He heard his tummy rumble despite hunger, it's been hours from his last meal. Leaf smiled as she offers the food to him.

"Here, you should eat. Brock told me that you only ate breakfast for the entire day. I know you'll love it." Leaf said. Yoake fixes his posture as Leaf places the bed trays on the bed so that Yoake can firmly eat his favorite meal.

"Chicken soup! You know my favorites huh." Yoake was filled with joy as he smells the savoring smell of Leaf's chicken soup. Whenever he gets sick, Leaf usually prepares him Chicken soup, this also goes for Yugure. Nothing can compare to her cooking, not even his mother knows how to properly make one.

"Kid. I'm your babysitter, of course, I know all of your favorites." Leaf smiled as she takes the second bowl and handed out a spoon for Yoake to use.

"Shall we?"

"Ja."

The two ate their respective meal, Yoake was reminiscent of the once and caring Leaf, she was always there when needed. She makes sure that he's happy and be reminded that he's not alone in this world. This side of Leaf was slowly growing back as the two decided to set aside the event that ruined their relationship two years ago.

"Leaf, I don't think I'm ready." Yoake opened himself to her.

"What do you mean, you did great in your battle against me and Janine, I think you're ready to compete." Leaf told him with optimism.

"You sure? Didn't you tell me that I'm a disappointment earlier?"

"I just want you to be safe, okay? I'm sorry if I was hard on you but that was the only way for you to know how this world works. Not everything you know from playing games would effectively be used in the real world, some might work but here in Pokemon battles, even in the most unorthodox ways might bring you to success."

"I see."

"Well how about this, from now on, I'll always be with you and help you train and give you tips as well, what do you think?" Leaf offered. Both Gardevoir and her agreed that the only way to make them safe was for Leaf to join them.

"I like that."

Those words were enough to give a smile to the trainer's face.

They had a decent conversation that night, they remember some memorable moments two years ago like the time when Yoake shat his pants because of stage fright or the time when Yoake cried because his ice cream was stolen by some random Pidgey. They laughed throughout the night as they finished their meal, it was a miracle that Yoake quickly recovered from that mild fever.

"Well, we're gonna have a busy day tomorrow, so sleep well." Leaf said as she places the two bowl on top of one another on the bed tray. Yoake drank the glass of water and gives it to Leaf.

"Okay."

"Good night Leaf."

"Good night kid."