Chương 11: Chapter 11: Morning Plans and Training
I stretched out on the bed, feeling the warmth of Alice beside me.
The Pokémon Center room was small, sterile, but cozy in its own way.
My hand slipped instinctively to her waist, pulling her closer.
For a moment, it felt perfect—just the two of us before the day's madness set in.
But then she shifted, her hand brushing mine aside with a firm, practiced motion.
I didn't open my eyes, but I heard her yawn softly.
"I'm getting ready," Alice said, her voice low and unbothered. "You should wake up."
I grunted, ignoring her.
She always woke up earlier than I did.
I knew she'd take care of everything.
I buried my face in the pillow, trying to hold onto whatever fragments of sleep I had left.
After a while, I heard her moving around again.
Her footsteps were light, almost soundless, as she came back to the bed.
"I'm going downstairs to meet Nurse Joy and have breakfast," she said, her voice calm, measured.
I grunted again. Still didn't move.
When she came back, I could smell the food before I opened my eyes.
The scent of eggs, toast, something sweet… pancakes maybe. She placed it on the small table beside the bed.
"Ash and Misty are gone," she said casually. "Breakfast is here."
I didn't move until I felt her lips on my forehead. "Get up," she whispered. "We're getting late."
I opened my eyes just enough to catch her face close to mine, the faintest hint of a blush coloring her pale skin as she kissed me again—this time on the lips.
I kissed her back, smirking when her cheeks reddened.
"Good morning," I said, voice still raspy with sleep.
She rolled her eyes, but she didn't hide her smile.
"I'm heading out for supplies," she said, stepping back and grabbing her bag. "I took some money from your bag. I'll leave Bulbasaur here with you. Train him today, but not too much. We've got to leave later."
I sat up, running a hand through my mess of hair. "What move should I teach him?"
"Swords Dance," she said without missing a beat.
"It'll take about 15 hours to master, but just give him a couple hours for now."
I nodded, getting up. "Sure, but… did you make a list or something?"
She shot me a look. "Yes. And I'm sure you didn't."
I laughed, pulling a hoodie over my head. "How is it that you always know?"
She shrugged, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "It always works in your favor somehow."
I grinned. "My honey, anything else you want me to do?"
She paused for a moment, her black eyes catching mine, serious now. "I read from the guide that when our Pokémon evolve, their training time decreases."
I raised an eyebrow. "Like?"
"Charmander takes a hundred days to learn a new move. Charmeleon will only take fifty days for the same one."
"Charizard'll take what, twenty-five?" I guessed.
"You catch on quick." She smirked. "I'll be back by the afternoon. Don't slack off."
"I won't," I said, watching her leave.
The door clicked shut behind her, and the room was quiet again.
I walked over to the table, sat down, and started on the breakfast she'd brought.
It tasted good—simple, but it gave me what I needed.
I finished quickly, grabbing Bulbasaur and Charmander's Pokéballs from table.
I released them both into the room. Charmander immediately ran over, hugging my leg, his tail flame flickering brighter than usual.
Bulbasaur looked around, searching for Alice.
"She's gone for now, but I'll be training you today," I said, leaning down to pat Bulbasaur on the head.
He nodded, but there was an unmistakable glint of disappointment in his eyes.
I knelt down to Charmander, his tail fire still burning strong.
"What if I left you with someone else for a bit?" I teased.
The fire on his tail flared higher in an instant, and he let out a low growl.
"Alright, alright. I won't." I laughed, standing back up.
His flame settled down to its usual size. "Let's get started."
I threw some food down for both of them and headed for the shower.
As the water beat down on my skin, I let my thoughts drift.
When I got out and dressed, I found Charmander and Bulbasaur playing, chasing each other around the room like kids.
I shook my head, grabbed my bag, and called them over.
"Let's go," I said.
Downstairs, Nurse Joy was waiting behind the counter.
Her pink hair was perfectly in place, and she flashed me a tired but warm smile as I approached.
"Heading out?" she asked.
"Yeah, thanks for everything last night," I said, scratching the back of my neck.
"Thank you for protecting the center," she replied. "You didn't have to do that."
I shrugged. "Wasn't anything special."
Her eyes softened. "Take care out there, Ethan."
"Always do." I smirked, and with that, I walked out of the center, Charmander trotting at my heels, Bulbasaur following closely behind.
---
The grass was wet beneath my feet, soaking into my shoes, but I barely noticed.
The sun hadn't fully risen, just a faint glow behind the horizon.
I could hear the hum of Viridian City waking up in the distance, but out here behind the Pokémon Center, it felt like another world.
I flipped through the guidebook again.
"Charmander, you're going to perfect that Mega Punch today. No exceptions." I didn't even look up as I spoke.
My voice was calm, steady.
Charmander growled, his claws flexing as he stepped forward, flames dancing on his tail.
I turned my gaze to Bulbasaur.
His bulb pulsed faintly, almost like it had a heartbeat of its own.
"And you, buddy," I said, my voice softening just a fraction, "Swords Dance. It's gonna be rough, but we've got five days to nail it. You master this, and no one's gonna stop you."
Bulbasaur nodded, a low rumble in his throat.
His determination was almost tangible.
"Alright," I said, snapping the book shut with a sharp thwack. "Three hours. No distractions."
The battleground was silent for a beat, then the tension broke as Charmander lunged forward.
His fist shot through the air, glowing with fiery energy before slamming into the ground with a loud crack.
Each punch was a little sharper, a little more precise than the last.
"Faster, Charmander!" I barked, pacing along the edge of the field. "Put your whole body into it!"
I shifted my focus to Bulbasaur, who was moving, but not fast enough.
His legs trembled under the weight of the Swords Dance.
"You're too stiff! Flow with it! Let it come to you, don't fight it!" My voice cut through the stillness, sharp and clear.
For the next hour, the only sounds were the rhythmic thuds of Charmander's fists hitting the dirt, and the soft whisper of Bulbasaur's movements.
Each time they faltered, I was there.
Each mistake was corrected, each hesitation pushed through.
The sun had climbed a little higher by the time I blew the whistle.
"Time for a break," I said, tossing two bowls of berries and water onto the ground. "You've earned it."
Charmander slumped to the ground, chest heaving, but his eyes were still burning with that fire.
Bulbasaur was breathing hard too, his legs shaking, but they dug into their food without complaint.
I leaned against the fence, flipping the book open again.
Charmander was so close to perfecting the Mega Punch, I could feel it.
One more solid push, and he'd be unstoppable.
Bulbasaur had a longer road ahead.
Thirty minutes passed.
"Alright, that's enough," I said, snapping the book shut again.
The sound startled a few Pidgey in the distance.
Charmander leaped to his feet, flames brighter now, while Bulbasaur stood slowly, ready but cautious.
The next two hours blurred together.
Charmander's fists flew faster, the ground beneath his feet cracking with each blow.
Bulbasaur's Swords Dance was coming along, his body starting to move with the rhythm, but it wasn't there yet.
"Charmander!" I called as the third hour closed in. "One last shot! Everything you've got!"
He roared, flames exploding from his tail, and then his fist was a blur.
When it slammed into the ground, the shockwave rippled through the dirt, knocking small rocks loose.
For a moment, the field was still.
I allowed myself a smile.
"Mega Punch mastered," I muttered under my breath.
I glanced at Bulbasaur, who was still catching his breath. "You're getting there, Bulbasaur. We've got four more days. You'll be ready."
I knelt, offering them water and more berries.
Their work wasn't over, but they'd earned this break.
The sun was fully up now, casting long shadows across the field.
Then I heard footsteps.
"Time to go," Alice said, her voice calm but firm.
She stood just a few feet away, arms crossed.
I nodded, returning Charmander and Bulbasaur to their Pokéballs.
I tossed Bulbasaur's ball to her.
She caught it without looking, her eyes fixed on me.
We started walking.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
Vivid_Horizons
Vivid_Horizons "If you enjoyed this story, please add it to your library and vote.
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực