When I made it back I also learned that Puff's wings would act as a good pillow if I could ever convince her to be one. They usually rested to her sides and made me look like I was wearing a fluffy hat. She put her wings to good work over my ears during a conversation about quality 'handwork' and blocked out the droning noise he was starting to shift towards. It was nice of her to do that and, since we won the challenge, I would let her and Ian have the day off to do whatever they wanted.

  I was interested what Ian would do and had an idea about Puff.

  We returned to outside the city and I saw Stew waiting at our campsite and talking with Zac. When he saw me he waved but didn't approach, it was still about 20 minutes before the designated time. With that time, I remembered my family and Henry. With their help, particurly my family and what they had taught me over the years they deserved to know how I did on my first badge. I recalled the directions Henry gave me and first texted him. I wanted to keep in touch since one day I would want to contact his organization. He even quickly responded with ‘Congrats!’ and a confetti effect that looked cool.

  "Max and team finally returned. Congratutions on winning your challenge, I already won mine two days ago of course" Stew bragged, interrupting me.

  How? This guy won a contest battle? Are you kidding me? Also there is no way I spent 20 minutes to send one message. Is there? Sigh. Sadly yes there is.

  I ate a quick breakfast with Puff and then we got to our positions to battle again.

  "Same as st time?" I asked.

  "Unless you have a third Pokémon too, I got Bard right after my win at the gym from my parents."

  This guy. Getting everything handed to him ''I don't but I will be trading for one ter today at 10."

  "Then same as st time although double the prize money, we're first badgers now so we should bet like it" he says.

  I make a show of looking into my wallet "I can bet 300 pokedolrs, take it or leave it."

  "Fine I guess. I'll still do 800 since your so poor" he gave me a strange look that I couldn't pce, pity maybe? Let's not think about that, a guy with the nickname stupid does not get to pity me.

  "Ian, you're up."

  "Bard, take him out." This Bard was a Toxel, a poison and baby Pokemon. Against Ian, a steel type who is out of his youth period.

  "Autonomize end it quickly" this was sad. Or so I thought until the baby used protect against the first strike. It put up a decent effort, eating a berry to restore health and nuzzle once on Ian but it was a foregone conclusion. While Stew was walking it through the battle I only ever told Ian to use scratch.

  It's protect broke against an attack and the follow-up knocked it out.

  "It's alright Bard, you will grow strong through adversity" he said to the pokeball after returning Bard. "It will make the rest of the battle that much more even" he smirks.

  "Is Monster a Charmeleon already? If so I would rather forfeit here" I keep remembering how that Floette kicked Ian and I's butts. A recent evolution won't be as bad but it's a severe power increase.

  "No, nothing like that, he's taking off the training wheels this time" he replied making a show of releasing Monster.

  He roared as he was let out and a scary face was immediately, terrifying me into wanting to run. Ian was once again unaffected, saying he's seen worse referring to his st moments alive. Focusing on Ian I called out to set up "Swords dance the normal way."

  "Sunny day and belly drum" crap. The fire type and his TE condensed into atmosphere, rays of sun were magnified and brought out of nowhere as things went from a nice day out to 90 degrees. Since st time he didn't have bze he must have sor power, along with spping his belly set him on a timer. A timer where he was super powerful though.

  Even before I could order something else "Metal cw, and this time sneak in fmethrower when you can."

  "Wear him out Ian, you're a ghost and he can't st forever" I settle for pying it defensively. This was what Honedge were best at in the first pce, and why I nicknamed him Ian. A reminder of my past and a token to the reason I was still alive. My keychain was another memento, one that made me look forwards to what was to come.

  I smiled thinking about it, almost bringing tears to my eyes from my sheer amount of respect and joy I felt at finally receiving my own Honedge. Monster rushed in and started abusing Ian. The damage each time was visible as his steel got cwed up with failed parries. I tried thinking of something better to do or say but Ian cked variety. We couldn't run since we were slower and fmethrower, couldn't hide with wide guard with how bad Ian was at rock TE, and this was fighting.

  I had him use autonomize once but I didn't want him to break entirely by getting too thin so it was what it was. I have to say it looked like what Ian did to Bard but in reverse and he went down just as fast.

  I returned him and took my time releasing Puff. Nothing wrong with it, just a strategy, but Stew was growing more anxious.

  When she was released I called out immediately "Mist and fly around to spread it quicker, one hit and your down."

  "Shoot it out of the sky!"

  Monster was looking absolutely juiced but steam was coming off him with each second. Too hot for his blood to handle at this point. When the long fmes started coming, I had Puff dodge and focus on mist. With the fme on his tail, he would be easier to see than a partly white bird and that was what I was betting on.

  Fmethrower evaporated some of the mist but most of it stuck around, there being too much and too little focus pced on hitting it instead of the one producing it. I could only see Monster at this point but I waited until the mist encompassed a good area "Start using hyper voice."

  Loud shrieks and yelling could be heard causing explosions where the move nded outside the mist. As a flying type and with practice Puff had started getting more accurate with her attacks and focused in on Monster every time he tried changing positions. Fmes and explosions went into the cloud but didn't seem to hit Puff, only evaporating the cloud.

  Soon the cloud evaporated and a panting Puff was seen carrying herself with moves alone, switching to dodging without me saying anything. The hyper voices that had nded did good work and Monster was sputtering out smoke with its fmes, switching to ember instead to conserve energy.

  "It's right there, dragon rush into it and we win!" Stew called out. He was right but Monster took three steps before passing out, the combination of his sunny day and all the fire had screwed him as much as it had made him powerful. If I was being honest it was weird that he didn't have bze. It would a better ability for how Stew liked to battle with him and sor power didn't help as much when he was so physically focused.

  I picked up Puff from the air and held her in my arms like a Litleo cub. "Tricks! This time all you did was run and hide!"

  "Yeah and I beat you so fork it over Stew" Puff was really enjoying the hold and was adjusting to her most comfortable spot.

  "Next time Max! Which route are you going, north or south?" he asked.

  "South to the Colosseum first and then to Darkuf" I answered. The gym cities were roughly in a circle around Verk and I could either go north or south so I chose south to get my st chosen teammate. I underestimated how quickly I could set up a trade and would soon get what was supposed to be my fourth instead.

  "Then I'll head that way too after finding a group of side characters to travel with for an epic trip" big talk for a guy that lost not two seconds ago.

  "I'll see you in Darkuf then" he smirked when I waved at him while bancing Puff in one hand for a second.

  "We'll see, now I have to get going and prepare to head out. Don't get killed or lost before I see you again" he ran off in a Naruto run to a Chancey this time.

  I also took Ian to get checked out but a simple heal pulse was all he needed. After that I went to make the trade, I was excited to see what they would be like. From their pokedex entries they were supposed to be like dogs but unusually energetic.

  I may have had Puff help me get to the right page again and I typed in a message to ask if the person I was trading with was there. I had to wait a couple minutes but eventually they confirmed. I then asked for her trading machine number and gave her mine, we made the switch and I picked up the pokeball with my new teammate. I sent a quick thank you back to her before I released an Electrike. She was sitting down, wagging her short tail. Her big head looked up at me and she wagged her tail faster. She hopped up on my leg and stretched as far as she could.

  I started petting her, receiving a couple small shocks from her electrical buildup moving along her fur. It was very enjoyable, electrifying you could even say, and I crouched down so I could py a bit more. She jumped up and tried to lick my face but that wasn't happening and I kept it out of her reach. She still looked happy and tried sniffing Puff who was on my head again. Puff looked interested in the Electrike but not enough to hop down.

  "Welcome to the team Fly, want to go watch two contest battles with us?" Seemingly excited about anything and everything Fly agreed and started leading us out of the center as if she knew where to go. Confidence is key, but I helped her out a little to get there.