“I can't believe I missed it!” Chloe exclaimed, squeezing Mochi with frustration. The puffball squeaked, but didn't protest, she was a living stress ball after all.

  Chloe was sitting up in bed, her Mochi in her lap, Mimi and Reinette snuggled up to her sides. The newly evolved grass type was busy pretending that she was too sophisticated for snuggles, but she had been subtly shifting to be closer to Chloe ever since she had woken up.

  “It was pretty awesome,” Eleanor admitted from her place in the corner. She was sitting on a chair, Lumen on her lap. Echo was still in the Center, his wing requiring a little more work than normal, though Joy had promised Eleanor that he would be perfectly fine.

  “Yeah!” Troy agreed enthusiastically, looking up from the floor, where he was currently doing pushups, Salad and Junior on his back to provide weight. Chloe wasn't sure she had ever seen him not working out, or eating. Sometimes both.

  “She like, did five flips then kicked a Mothim in the face so hard it devolved back into a Burmy!” He continued, switching to sit ups instead, some arbitrary number of push ups having apparently been reached.

  Chloe shook her head, smiling. The big guy’s antic almost, but not quite distracting her from the fact that she had just missed her very first evolution.

  Chloe flopped against her pillows with a groan. Reinette scooted imperceptibly closer to her side, while Mimi outright climbed into her lap.

  “And Cynthia! She was right there! And I was asleep!” Chloe wailed.

  “Technically, you were unconscious,” Eleanor corrected. “Also, Cynthia didn’t do much. Just… appeared. Looked scary. Left.”

  “Cynthia is amazing.” Fiona said, from her perch on the windowsill. None of her Pokemon were currently released, Thistle and Star were both recuperating at the Center, Star having pushed himself to his limit in the forest, while Heracross had yet to be properly domesticated.

  “You’re pretty amazing too.” Eleanor said, “I can't believe how calm you were. I was panicking.”

  Fiona didn't respond, and the silence dragged on for a few minutes, growing awkward before Troy, ever faithful, chimed in.

  “So, what's for lunch?” He asked, finishing his set of situps.

  Eleanor rolled her eyes.

  “You just ate lunch Troy,” she replied.

  “More importantly,” she continued, “Chloe, are you okay? The doctor said you were but still.”

  Chloe stretched, then flexed in her best imitation of Troy. Of course, it lacked the impact of his massive frame, but the point was clear.

  “Yep! The Doctor said that the Healpulse kept me from getting any permanent damage, she explained.

  “They just said to take it easy for a few days, and to not get hit on the head anymore.”

  She chuckled ruefully at that, “I seem to struggle with that lately,” she confessed, rubbing her head through the bandage wrapped around it. The bandage was completely unnecessary, of course, but Troy had insisted that she have one. Something about it being “Part of the hospital experience”, whatever that meant.

  “So what now?” Chloe asked, rubbing Mimi’s head. The little Mawile had been extremely needy all morning.

  “I guess we prepare for the gym,” Fiona responded.

  “Mmm, I have a plan in mind for that,” Eleanor mused, only to pause as everyone in the room looked at her.

  “What?” She asked defensively.

  “Nothing, just impressed,” Fiona said, “I haven't really thought about it yet.”

  She sighed, and turned back to staring out the window.

  “Guess I should do that then,” she muttered.

  Chloe frowned, but didn't press. Something was bothering Fiona, but she wouldn't press. Not now, at least.

  “Well I also have a plan” she announced. “Mimi and I have a new move to work on.”

  Troy nodded from where he was now doing lunges.

  “Sounds like it's time for a training montage,” he said, and Eleanor smacked him over the head.

  “Don’t be an idiot,” she said. “Chloe has to rest first.”

  “Nah,” Chloe replied, “I think he's right. A little bit of training sounds good. Mimi has a move to learn, Reinette and I need to get acquainted, and Mochi’s gotta… Mochi.”

  Said Mochi looked up and gave Chloe a glare, but was mollified by having her hair ruffled. Chloe smiled back, then beamed at her friends. Really, it was nice to have people worried about her for a change.

  “Lumen and I have to work on a few things,” Eleanor admitted, “What about you two?” She asked, looking at Fiona.

  Fiona shrugged. “Heracross and I have to get to know each other, and I have some things I need to improve as well.”

  “How about you Troy?” Chloe asked. Troy’s every waking moment seemed to be spent working out, but she was curious to know if he actually had a training plan.

  “Got a lot of work to do,” he replied. “Salad’s got heart, but she needs to work on her core.”

  The little Oddish nodded, determined. She had been the weakest link during the forest and was committed to changing that.

  “Well, let's get to it then,” Chloe said. “I heard Gardenia’s out of town anyway.”

  Eleanor nodded. “Yeah, she's helping with the cleanup. Apparently Aaron calmed down whatever was going on, but there's still work to do. I think the notice said she would be accepting challenges next week though.”

  Chloe did the quick maths. That gave them four days before they could register. She nodded. She still felt a bit rough around the edges, some time with her Pokemon sounded good.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Well, let’s get montaging then,” she said.

  Chloe rose with the sun the next morning, bright eyed and ready to go. She got dressed, slipping into her trainer gear, had breakfast, then grabbed her gear to head out. On her way out of the cafeteria she passed Eleanor, who was still in her pajamas, shuffling past, hair messed, eyes seeing nothing.

  “Morning!” Chloe chirped, and Eleanor just sort of groaned in response.

  Chloe giggled, and left the Eleanor-Zombie to do her thing. She didn't understand how people could be so… sluggish in the morning. The sun was up, and there was training to be done!

  She made her way to the edge of town, admiring the old buildings as she went. Seeing new places really wouldn't ever get old.

  She found herself a small clearing and decided that it was a good place to set up.

  “Alright girls, show time!” she said, releasing all three of her Pokemon.

  Mimi yawned and grumbled, not appreciating her nap being interrupted, Mochi posed, and Reinette huffed, and moved away from the other two.

  “Alright!” Chloe clapped her hands, and looked at her team.

  “We’re getting ready for our first gym battle today,” she announced. “I have a plan, but we're going to need to practice some new moves.”

  She pointed at Mimi and Mochi. “You two, you’re going to work together. I want you to learn Baton Pass.”

  Chloe expected them to respond with enthusiasm, but both Pokemon seemed unimpressed by this, and immediately started complaining.

  It took her a moment, but she worked out the problem.

  “No Mochi, I know you think you can handle it yourself, but this is a three on three. We need teamwork,” she mollified, deciding to start on the battle hungry Jigglypuff.

  “Puff!” Mochi protested, puffing herself up to her full size.

  “No.” Chloe admonished. “You’ll get your moment, but the team comes first.”

  She hated doing it, but her more rambunctious Fairy Type sometimes needed some tough love.

  “Puff…” Mochi pouted.

  “I know, I know,” Chloe said. “But don't worry, you’ll shine. I promise.”

  Mochi grumbled, but didn't protest anymore. That sorted, Chloe turned to Mimi.

  “Now, I know you feel like you’re being sidelined,” she explained, kneeling down to look Mimi in the eye. “But you’re not. You’re my anchor. If the plan doesn't work, I need my best princess there ready to save the day, okay?”

  Mimi pouted, but cheered up. Of course, Mochi overheard, and protested, but Chloe shot her down.

  “No, you're not my princess, you’re my idol,” she said. “Mimi is the set up and the big finish, but you'll be the main show.”

  That worked, and Chloe managed to get her two working on Baton Pass. She really hoped that her next Pokemon wouldn't be as much of a handful. That sorted, she turned to Reinette.

  “Okay. You evolved,” she began. “That means we have options.”

  Reinette nodded, looking up at Chloe expectantly. Chloe still wasn't entirely sure how to approach the grass type. They hadn't known each other for too long, but she thought she had a good read on her.

  “I’m thinking Triple Axel.” Chloe said. “It'll be great against everything Gardenia has to offer.”

  Reinette considered, then raised the question that Chloe didn't entirely have the answer to. She tilted her head in a clear response. “How?”

  Chloe reached into her pocket, and pulled out her phone. Thumbing through it, she pulled up a video, and handed it to Reinette. She took it curiously, not being familiar with the device, but Chloe saw understanding dawn. On the screen was a demonstration video, a Lilligant was using the move while the Trainer explained what was going on. Chloe had been thrilled when she discovered the teaching videos. Gone were the days you needed to pay through the nose for TMs, now Trainers were uploading videos to the internet.

  Chloe showed Reinette how to navigate the phone and restart and pause the video, then left her to it.

  She went back to check on the other two. Surprisingly, it was going well. She had expected them to be bickering, neither happy to switch with the rival.

  Instead though, they had managed to turn it into a competition, each competing to perform the more dramatic entrance. She smiled to see it, as adorable as a fairy argument was, she preferred to see her girls getting along.

  It was a fantastic day, and Chloe sat down under a tree, pulling out her notebook, checking her notes on Gardenia. She didn't see any real point in trying to guess what Pokemon she might face, there were simply so many options at her power level. When she got closer to her eighth badge, the pool would decrease, but for now she felt she would be better off focusing on the overall tactics.

  Gardenia would go harder against her, that was a given. Being an Ace came with benefits, yes, but there were also expectations. It meant that the gym leaders, especially so early, would push her harder than they would others.

  Her musings were interrupted by a yell of frustration from Reinette. Looking up Chloe saw the Steenee lose her balance and slip, landing heavily. Chloe watched as she stood up, and tried again.

  Reinette leapt and twirled, only to slip on the third spin. She tried again, failed, and growled in frustration. She replayed the video, adjusted her stance, and slipped once more.

  Chloe watched, considering. Reinette was persistent, and it was rather adorable to watch, but she wasn't sure what she could do other than encourage her. Reinette kept at it for another ten minutes before she finally broke, hurling the phone away, and stalking off to sulk under a tree.

  Chloe sighed.

  “Guess it’s break time,” she muttered, rising to collect her phone.

  “Break time?” A voice called from behind her, and Chloe whirled. Only to hear a crash and a thud, as a large body fell out of a tree.

  “Ow,” Troy said, rubbing his butt where had landed heavily.

  Chloe stood, staring.

  “Troy? Did you? Why were you in a tree?” She asked. She hadn't realised he was there.

  “Looking for a waterfall!” He replied happily.

  “In a tree?”

  “Yep, getting a better view, you know?” Troy stood, brushing off his pants.

  Chloe stared at him, before she shrugged.

  “Troys will be Troys,” she muttered. Then she paused. She had to ask.

  “Why are you looking for a Waterfall?” She asked.

  Troy grinned. “So Salad can punch it!” He declared, throwing a few jabs to demonstrate. Salad, who Chloe hadn't realised was also in the tree, dropped down to land on his head to cheer him on. Chloe couldn't help but notice that the Oddish didn't have arms to punch with.

  Right. Well, she wouldn't question that. Troy’s methods were mysterious, but he did seem to have some kind of method to his madness.

  “So what's got the Queen of Kicks all grumped up?” Troy asked, gesturing towards Reinette, who was pretending not to pout.

  Chloe sighed.

  “She's having trouble with Triple Axel,” Chloe explained. “Her balance is off.”

  Troy nodded.

  “I feel ya. Balance is hard. That's why TJ and I do handstands.”

  Chloe giggled. “Does that help?”

  Troy shrugged, “Maybe? Mostly it's just fun.”

  Chloe looked over at Reinette. “I don't think she's having fun,” she admitted, “And I don't know what to do about it.”

  “We make it fun!” Troy said, reaching into his pocket to grab his phone. He tapped away for a few seconds, before looking up and grinning.

  “What are you planning?” Chloe asked warily.

  “A soundtrack!” He replied. “Every good training montage needs a soundtrack.”

  With that, he hit play, and some upbeat, trumpet filled music started blaring from his speaker.

  “Come on, let's see if we can lift Princess Kickass’ mood,” he said, heading off to Reinette, who was now staring at the two of them.

  Chloe shook her head, but decided to let him try.

  Troy bounded into the middle of the clearing, dancing along to the music. He was… surprisingly good Chloe realised.

  “You can't force balance,” Troy declared, in the middle of a furious crumping session, “You have to feel it.”

  Chloe rolled her eyes, especially when the Pokemon, with the exception of Reinette all joined in.

  Reinette watched with an expression of curious disdain as Troy and the others all bounced about. The mood was infectious though, and Chloe noticed her calyx twitching in time. Then the music changed, into something considerably more danceable, and something seemed to click in Reinette's eyes. She rose to her feet.

  Step. Spin. Kick. Spin. Step, spin kick spin again. Soon Reinette was whirling around the clearing, spinning and kicking.

  Chloe just shook her head. Troy was a mad genius sometimes.

  Chloe lay back in the grass, arms spread wide, hair full of leaves. Mochi was sprawled across her stomach like a fuzzy paperweight, Mimi snored softly beside her, and Reinette sat primly nearby, pretending she hadn’t just been breakdancing on Troy’s command.

  “You know Troy,” Chloe panted, “You make one hell of a dance coach.”

  “It's all about energy!” He agreed from where he was sprawled, raising one fist.

  “It sure is,” Chloe agreed. She had been swept up in the energy, and now her everything ached. Still, Troy had managed to turn what was looking like a day of frustration into some chaotic fun.

  “You all look like you’ve been busy.” Eleanor remarked, and Chloe sat up to see the other girl standing at the edge of their clearing, eyes glittering with amusement.

  “We're learning balance!” Troy declared, and Chloe nodded.

  “It's all about energy,” she said seriously, and Eleanor rolled her eyes, but grinned.

  “How's your plan coming along?” Chloe asked, grabbing her phone and bag. She pulled out her brush, and used her camera to begin fixing her hair.

  “It's coming along,” Eleanor replied. “Not quite there yet.”

  “Well my plan is going great!” Troy called.

  “What is your plan?” Chloe asked, curious.

  “I dunno!” he replied cheerily, “But it's going great!”

  Chloe and Eleanor met each other's eyes, then broke into giggles.

  Chloe lay back and looked up at the sky.

  “Thanks Troy,” she said. “This was fun.”

  “Anytime!” he replied.

  Chloe relaxed, enjoying the afternoon sun, tension she hadn't even realised she felt leaving her. Lying here, surrounded by friends was a new, wonderful experience. Her life had been full of them lately. Sure, some had been... less good. Exploding hadn't been fun at all, but the rest? It was everything she had ever dreamed of. She couldn't wait to see what would come next.