Teddy tried to play it cool, but he was excited to visit the National Park. Sure, it was home to a ton of Bug-types, but unless one really surprised him, he wasn’t planning to add one to his team.

  Seeing a Pinsir in person would be cool, though.

  What really had him excited was the Park itself. Growing up, he’d seen pictures of it in magazines—heck, everyone had. The place was legendary for its sprawling fields, manicured gardens, and sparkling fountains, all nestled amid every kind of tree imaginable.

  The autumn photos were so beautiful, he’d saved a few over the years to hang on his wall. As a reminder of the places he wanted to see.

  Maybe, by the time that season rolled around again, he’d have a Flying-type of his own. If so, he already knew his first destination.

  “I can’t believe I’m actually on my own journey,” Teddy laughed, pedaling faster.

  Shadow floated closer and nudged him with a swirl of gas.

  “I can’t believe I’m going to see the Park in person!” he said, grinning. “It almost doesn’t feel real, Shadow! Can you believe it?”

  Shadow cackled and spun dizzy circles around him while MunchMunch flapped happily in the basket.

  He took a deep breath. That was for another day.

  Today was the Path—Goldenrod’s own Victory Road.

  The route from Goldenrod to the Park was famous across Johto as a gathering place for aspiring Trainers—a beginner’s gauntlet of sorts. A place for friendly competition, and for Pokémon to meet and grow alongside one another without fear of serious injury.

  He had no doubt his team would perform admirably. Sure, Whitney had flattened them, but there was no way he was letting that loss stop them. That would be unfair—to both him and his team. They had already had a run in with Team Rocket. They had beaten two Gyms.

  They had met Celebi.

  No, his Team had too many dreams to chase.

  And the Upper Path would be where they began. Their place to rebuild confidence. To learn new things.

  And… hopefully pad my wallet, Teddy thought wryly.

  He almost felt like a villain, knowing what his team was about to unleash. But he really needed the money.

  Then, if all went well, he’d surprise Shadow with a new TM—and a giant chocolate cake for his little MunchMunch.

  MunchMunch.

  The nickname fit so perfectly that Teddy wondered why he hadn’t thought of it sooner. The joy his baby gremlin had shown the first time he used it reminded him exactly why he was a Trainer in the first place.

  Whitney brought them down. His team brought him right back up. He would do the same for them.

  He wouldn’t forget Whitney or the bruises she’d left on his Team. But for now? He had other things to focus on.

  Teddy smiled into the mid-morning breeze. He hadn’t forgotten they were supposed to rest—and they would.

  After the battles.

  He couldn’t feel too bad about it. Beneath all the happy bobbing and silly zooming of his team, there was an energy. An urgency. They needed to battle — just as much as he did.

  And after? Frankly, that would depend on their winnings. There were supposed to be some nice hotels near the Park, but they weren’t free to Trainers—unlike the Poké Center.

  Thankfully, he had his bike to make the trip less tedious if it came down to it.

  Up ahead the path curved towards a sunlit field exploding with wildflowers. Teddy slowed down to appreciate it with his team —

  “Hey! Hey! Hey — HEY!” an energetic voice exploded out of the field.

  “Hey! I’m Ivan! I’m out here camping with my Pokémon. Well, I’m not really camping because I’m so close to home. But I’m practicing! See my camping clothes?”

  Teddy stopped and watched the kid in bemusement. If Munchlax was a person —

  “So listen! I’m finally strong enough to be on Golden Road! I challenge you to a battle!”

  The kid struck a pose and everything.

  Shadow floated next to him, eyes wide in surprise. Then she slowly turned to him and cackled softly.

  Poor kid, Teddy sighed, gesturing his Shadow onto the field.

  MunchMunch flopped himself out of the basket and promptly reached up for the Egg. Teddy laughed and took it out of its incubator on his back.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  The instant MunchMunch had the Egg he plopped down with it in his lap, immediately stirring up a cooing babble that Teddy imagined would be a play-by-play description of the battle for the Pokémon who still refused to hatch.

  ____

  Shadow stretched her gasses and smiled. She would do her best to be nice to the kid, but now? She had one goal on her mind.

  Strength. And each step they took brought them closer to Morty.

  The trainer sent out a tiny Pokémon.

  “DIIIIIIIIIGLEEEETTT!!” It screeched.

  Tiny, but with a big heart, Shadow amended.

  She could respect that.

  It wouldn’t make what she was about to do any less brutal.

  ____

  “You have a Gastly?! A real, live, GASTLY?! That’s so cool! How did you even find one! Ghosts are super rare! Oh, and they almost never accept trainers! Did you know, I heard Ghosts are super hard to train!” Ivan enthused. “Diglett, Dig!” He shouted without taking a breath.

  Teddy blinked, doing his best to keep up with the kid’s energy.

  “Diglett is really fast! You won’t get a chance — “

  “Sucker Punch,” Teddy said flatly.

  Shadow shaped a claw of gas and wailed on the Diglett before it could even begin its move.

  Ivan froze. “Oh. That’s not supposed to happen. Diglett, Magnitude!”

  “Sucker Punch.”

  “Hey!” Ivan shouted in annoyance.

  “Sucker Punch.”

  ____

  Shadow loved this new side of Teddy. It was positively delicious.

  She cackled happily as she proceeded to pulverize the other trainer’s Diglett. Well, his second Diglett, as the first had already fainted.

  And her Teddy? Ruthless.

  If she had been even slightly worried before, she was now no longer.

  Teddy was ready to walk the same path to power with her.

  MunchMunch babbled joyously to the side, kicking up little puffs of dust as he flopped around describing a battle to Happy that was far different than what was actually happening. If she was Happy, she would think the Diglett’s had a chance, and there was a huge battle going down.

  Which was not the case at all.

  Having fainted the second Diglett, the trainer sent out another.

  What is with trainers and having so many of the same Pokémon? She wondered.

  “I’m the strongest of my brothers,” the Diglett called. “You won’t find defeating me so easy.”

  Shadow raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  The Diglett promptly used Dig. Shadow snorted, as she “let” him “dig”. Dig-let.

  Ah, she cracked herself up.

  “Shadow, Sucker Punch,” Teddy stated.

  But she shook her head no. She wanted to have some fun with this one.

  It was feisty.

  She liked that.

  Teddy chuckled and nodded, stepping back.

  “GOT YOU!” The Diglett exploded out of the ground.

  Gastly raised an eyebrow and Levitated above the tiny Pokémon.

  Ivan and Diglett both blinked at her.

  “Diglett, Magnitude!”

  The earth shook.

  The flowers quaked.

  The ground broke.

  A couple of the watching trainers had to steady themselves.

  Not her Trainer, she noted with pride.

  Shadow calmly Levitated and stared at the Diglett, doing her best unimpressed look.

  Inside she was cackling, but she couldn’t let it show. This was too much fun!

  Behind her, Teddy snorted while MunchMunch screamed at Happy at the top of his lungs.

  Something about how amazing Shadow was. How she was untouchable.

  Yes, Shadow thought to herself. I will become untouchable for you, little MunchMunch.

  Then she flashed her eyes and the Diglett fell asleep.

  ____

  “That was painful,” Ivan said, scratching his head in embarrassment.

  “You did well. Truthfully? I didn’t even know Shadow was just flat immune to Ground-Type moves either,” Teddy responded, trying not to feel like a villain as he collected his earnings from a kid.

  It wasn’t much, but it would pay for a meal and a room. Probably the kid’s whole month’s battle-allowance.

  “Hey, you guys are really strong!” Ivan shouted, despite the fact he was standing right in front of him.

  Teddy was going to need to let his eardrums heal after this one.

  “Hey! Hey! Can I get a picture with you and your team! That way, I can show my friends when you become the Champion!”

  Teddy froze. Then grinned, warmth bubbling in his chest.

  “Sure thing, Ivan.”

  Teddy motioned to Shadow and MunchMunch to join him.

  Munchlax cackled as he waddled over with the Egg.

  “I’m super jealous of you! Munchlax don’t even live in Johto! How did you get two super rare Pokémon!” Ivan screeched.

  He and MunchMunch really are just alike, Teddy thought to himself.

  A few of the other trainers watched on in interest.

  “But uhm, are Munchlax supposed to sound like that?” he asked in concern, as MunchMunch continued to cackle, doing his best to out cackle Shadow as the two of them laughed louder and louder.

  “Oh, don’t worry — he’s just happy,” Teddy laughed. “You should hear him when he’s angry.”

  Ivan paled a bit as he pulled out his phone. “Uhm, I’m glad you had me fight your Gastly then,” he said, snapping a picture of all of them.

  When he showed the picture to Teddy, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Both MunchMunch and Shadow were facing each other in a cackle-off that had them both trying so hard their eyes were squeezed shut, MunchMunch’s belly lifted in mid-jiggle.

  Teddy glanced at the other trainers. “Who wants to battle next?”