Afternoon sunlight painted the hotel room in shades of gold and amber. Micah had tried to nap, to follow Maxie's advice about rest, but his mind wouldn't stop racing. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw that blonde kid's smirk, heard the command for Zigzagoon to attack, felt the helpless fury of watching Donny get hurt.

  He gave up on sleep around 2 PM and instead focused on research. If Donny potentially had other egg moves, he needed to understand what they might be. What Fighting-type techniques could Rhyhorn inherit? What coverage moves made sense for the species?

  Search: Rhyhorn egg moves Fighting-type.

  The list was longer than expected. Rock Smash,a Fighting-type attack that could lower the opponent's defense. Low Kick,damage scaled based on the target's weight. Reversal,a move that became more powerful as the user's health decreased. And of course, Counter, which they already knew about.

  Each move had different strategic implications. Rock Smash provided utility and offensive pressure. Low Kick offered an advantage against heavier opponents, which would become increasingly relevant as Donny evolved into the much bulkier Rhydon. Reversal shared Counter's characteristic of turning disadvantage into strength, though it required the user to be genuinely hurt rather than just hit.

  If Donny had inherited multiple egg moves,still a big if,they'd need to discover them through systematic testing. That meant controlled environments, proper supervision, and patience.

  So much patience.

  Donny woke around 3 PM with a yawn that displayed an impressive array of developing teeth. The Rhyhorn blinked sleepily, oriented toward Micah with the unerring instinct of imprinted young, and immediately attempted to climb into his lap.

  "Hey, buddy," Micah said softly, helping his partner up. "How are you feeling?"

  Donny rumbled,a sound that had become familiar already, the Rhyhorn equivalent of contentment. He seemed fine, no obvious signs of pain or distress. But when Micah's hand brushed the inflamed area around the horn-nub, Donny flinched.

  "Sorry. I know it hurts." Micah pulled out the medical supplies the nurse had provided,anti-inflammatory gel specifically formulated for Rock-types. "This might sting a little, but it'll help."

  Applying medication to a squirming Rhyhorn proved challenging. Donny didn't like the sensation, kept trying to twist away, made unhappy grumbling sounds. But he tolerated it, seemingly understanding on some instinctive level that Micah was trying to help.

  "Good job," Micah praised when he'd finished. "You're being very brave."

  They sat together on the bed, Micah absently petting Donny's rocky hide while scrolling through more research on his PokeNav. The Rhyhorn's weight was comforting, solid and real, grounding him after the morning's chaos.

  His device buzzed. Message from an unknown number.

  This is Nurse Elise from Mauville Pokémon Center. Wanted to update you on the situation with the trainer who attacked your Rhyhorn. He's been identified,Marcus Brennan, age 12, son of Gerard Brennan (Ace Trainer, 7 badges). Marcus has been issued a formal warning and suspended from trainer activities for 3 months. His father has been fined for inadequate supervision. If you wish to press additional charges, contact Mauville Police, case #MB-2847.

  Micah stared at the message. Three months suspension. A fine for the father. It seemed simultaneously too much and not enough. Three months would pass quickly, and then Marcus would be back out there, possibly attacking other newborn Pokémon, bullying other inexperienced trainers.

  But pressing additional charges felt vindictive. Donny was fine. The situation had been handled. Escalating further would just drag things out, keep them stuck in Mauville dealing with legal proceedings instead of continuing their journey.

  He typed back: Thank you for the update. I don't wish to press additional charges.

  The response came quickly: Understood. For what it's worth, Marcus's father was extremely apologetic. Said his son would be undergoing mandatory training on proper trainer conduct. Sometimes these incidents serve as necessary wake-up calls.

  Micah hoped that was true. Hoped Marcus learned something from this beyond just "don't get caught." But he also recognized that wasn't his responsibility. He'd protected his Pokémon, reported the incident, and now it was time to move forward.

  "Come on, Donny," he said, setting the Rhyhorn on the floor. "Let's go get dinner. You must be starving."

  The Pokémon Center cafeteria at 6 PM was significantly more crowded than the morning service. Trainers packed the tables, their Pokémon creating a cacophony of sounds,chirps, growls, electrical crackling, and various species-specific vocalizations that blended into white noise.

  Micah loaded a tray with dinner for himself and Rock-type nutrition for Donny, then found a relatively quiet corner table. His Rhyhorn attacked the meal with characteristic enthusiasm, apparently completely recovered from the morning's trauma, at least physically.

  While Donny ate, Micah observed the other trainers. Most were young,teenagers, probably on their first major journey. Their Pokémon showed varying levels of experience. Some were clearly new, fumbling with basic commands, uncertain in their movements. Others displayed the confidence of weeks or months of training, responding to subtle cues, comfortable with their partners.

  A girl at a nearby table had a Shroomish that kept trying to steal food from her plate. She'd gently push it away, the Shroomish would wait approximately three seconds, then try again. The cycle repeated with amusing consistency until she finally gave in and let the Grass-type have a bite of her sandwich.

  At another table, two trainers were engaged in animated discussion about the upcoming Mauville Gym challenge. Apparently, Gym Leader Wattson specialized in Electric-types and favored a battle style that emphasized speed and paralysis strategies. The trainers were debating team composition, type advantages, whether it was better to use Ground-types for immunity or simply try to overpower his Pokémon through raw strength.

  Micah filed that information away. Donny would eventually evolve into Rhydon, gaining Ground-type along with Rock. Electric immunity would be a significant advantage. But that was years away. For now, Donny could barely execute a single move reliably.

  "Excuse me?"

  Micah looked up to find a girl about his age standing beside the table. She had dark hair pulled back in a practical ponytail, clothes that showed signs of extensive travel, and a Poochyena at her heels that looked significantly more confident than Finn's Vandal.

  "Yeah?"

  "I heard about what happened this morning. With Marcus Brennan." She gestured toward Donny. "Mind if I sit?"

  Micah hesitated, then nodded. The girl took the opposite seat, her Poochyena settling beside the table with disciplined patience.

  "I'm Cassidy," she introduced herself. "Been traveling for about four months now. Got three badges so far." She paused. "Marcus tried the same thing with me two weeks ago. Challenged me to a battle, and when I refused because I was trying to heal my team after a gym challenge, he had his Zigzagoon attack anyway."

  "What did you do?"

  "Swept him. My Poochyena knew Bite by then, and Dark-type moves shut down Normal-types pretty effectively." Cassidy's expression was grim. "But the point is, he's done this before. Probably multiple times. You just happened to be the one where he finally got caught and reported."

  Micah felt anger rekindling. "Why hasn't anyone stopped him before?"

  "Because most trainers don't report. Either they win and figure it doesn't matter, or they lose and feel too embarrassed to admit they got beaten by some rich kid's tactics." She leaned forward. "You did the right thing reporting him. Maybe now he'll actually learn something."

  Donny had finished eating and was attempting to climb into Micah's lap again,a process that involved a lot of scrambling and some creative use of his horn-nub as a climbing pick. Cassidy watched with obvious amusement.

  "How old?"

  "Two days. Well, technically less. Hatched yesterday afternoon."

  "And you already got forced into a battle?" Cassidy's expression shifted to something between sympathy and anger. "That's messed up. Newborns should get at least a week before any serious combat."

  "Tell that to Marcus."

  "I would, but I think his dad's already doing that for me." She pulled out her PokeNav, showing Micah a social media post. It was from someone claiming to be Marcus's friend, detailing how Gerard Brennan had apparently lost his mind when he learned what his son had done. "Rumor is Marcus got grounded for the entire three-month suspension. No trainer activities, no social media, just home and mandatory behavior counseling."

  Micah felt a complicated mix of satisfaction and discomfort. He didn't enjoy the idea of Marcus being punished so severely, but maybe it was necessary. Maybe this would actually teach him to respect other trainers and their Pokémon.

  "How's your Rhyhorn doing?" Cassidy asked, watching as Donny finally achieved lap-occupancy. "Any injuries?"

  "Minor bruising, some inflammation around the horn. The nurse said he'd be fine." Micah hesitated, then added, "He used Counter."

  Cassidy's eyes widened. "Counter? Like, the Fighting-type move Counter?"

  "Egg move, apparently. Inherited from one of his parents."

  "That's incredible! Do you have any idea how rare that is?" She leaned forward excitedly.

  "The nurse said something similar." Micah adjusted Donny's position slightly,forty pounds of rock Pokémon in your lap required constant micro-adjustments to avoid circulation loss. "But it also requires taking hits, which seems dangerous for a newborn."

  "Smart thinking. A lot of trainers would just spam Counter every battle and wonder why their Pokémon developed chronic injuries." Cassidy's expression turned more serious. "My advice? Train Donny's other moves first. Horn Attack, maybe Rock Throw once he's strong enough. Save Counter for emergencies or situations where you genuinely need that defensive response. Treat it like a trump card, not a primary strategy."

  That aligned with what Maxie had said. Multiple sources giving the same advice suggested it was probably correct.

  They talked for another twenty minutes,Cassidy sharing stories from her journey, Micah asking questions about gym battles and what to expect as a traveling trainer. Her Poochyena, whose name was apparently Shadow despite being completely standard coloring, occasionally contributed opinions through various barks and growls that Cassidy seemed to understand perfectly.

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  "Where are you headed next?" Cassidy asked eventually.

  "I'm apprenticing with a researcher. We're based near Rustboro, I think." Micah realized he didn't actually know the exact location of Maxie's lab. "Studying geological formations and Pokémon behavior."

  "That sounds way cooler than just collecting gym badges." There was genuine interest in Cassidy's voice. "What kind of research?"

  "I don't know yet. I literally just started." Micah laughed slightly. "Four days ago, I was just a farm kid. Now I've got a Pokémon, an apprenticeship, and apparently an egg move I don't know how to use properly."

  "You'll figure it out. You seem smart enough." Cassidy stood, Shadow rising immediately to her side. "Look, I'm heading toward Verdanturf tomorrow. Gonna challenge the gym there before moving on to Lavaridge. If you end up in that area and want to train together sometime, here's my contact info."

  She transferred her details to Micah's PokeNav, then offered a fist-bump which he returned awkwardly with his non-Donny-occupied hand.

  "Thanks. For the advice and the stories."

  "No problem. And hey," she paused at the edge of the table, ",what you did today, protecting your Pokémon and reporting that asshole? That's what good trainers do. Don't let anyone tell you different."

  She walked away, Shadow trotting confidently at her heels, leaving Micah feeling slightly better about the day despite everything.

  Maxie returned to the hotel around 8 PM looking exhausted but satisfied. He dropped his pack by the door, Claydol taking up its usual hovering position, and collapsed into the desk chair with a sigh.

  "Bureaucracy is the single most inefficient system humanity has ever devised," he announced. "And yet we're stuck with it because the alternatives are worse."

  "Rough day?"

  "Extremely. But productive." Maxie pulled out his notebook, flipping to a page covered in dense handwriting. "I secured the permits we need for research activities near Mt. Pyre, negotiated access to several restricted geological sites, and established a working relationship with the Mauville power plant administration. We can now conduct electromagnetic field studies without being arrested for trespassing."

  "That's... good?"

  "That's three months of work compressed into one very long day of meetings." Maxie removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes. "How was your afternoon?"

  Micah summarized the research into egg moves, Donny's recovery, the update from Nurse Elise, and his conversation with Cassidy. Maxie listened while making occasional notes, asking clarifying questions about Donny's behavior and physical condition.

  "The inflammation around the horn-nub is expected," Maxie said when Micah finished. "Apply the anti-inflammatory gel twice daily until it subsides. Avoid any activities that might stress the developing bone structure,no battle training, no head-first collisions with solid objects."

  "So basically, no training at all?"

  "No combat training. You can continue basic obedience work,commands, recall exercises, socialization with other Pokémon. Just nothing that involves impact to the horn." Maxie consulted his notebook. "We'll be staying in Mauville for one more day while I finalize some additional arrangements, and have my Skarmory delivered. Use that time to establish your foundation with Donny. By the time we leave, I want him to respond reliably to his name and commands."

  “Additionaly this incident has opened my eyes to the fact that you currently lack a partner that can reliably protect you in dangerous and strenuous circumstances. Thus I had my researchers send over one of the loaner pokemon we keep on hand. The pokemon will arrive tomorrow morning at 8am and you will be able to pick it up at the Pokecenter.”

  “Understood.” he said not even registering what the researcher had said.

  one day. Micah could work with that. The morning's incident had rattled him, made him doubt his readiness, but Cassidy's words had helped. What he'd done,protecting Donny, reporting Marcus, getting his Pokémon proper medical attention,those were the actions of a responsible trainer.

  He just needed to keep making those choices. Keep prioritizing Donny's wellbeing over everything else.

  "Maxie?" Micah hesitated. "That thing you said this morning, about trust being the foundation of Counter training. How do you build that? Like, specifically?"

  Maxie was quiet for a moment, considering his response.

  "Consistency," he said finally. "Donny needs to know that your commands are reliable, that following your guidance leads to positive outcomes. If you say 'stay' and nothing bad happens, he learns that staying is safe. If you call him back from danger, he learns that your judgment is trustworthy."

  "What about when I make mistakes?"

  "Acknowledge them. Don't punish Donny for your errors. If you give a bad command and he gets hurt, that's on you, not him." Maxie's expression was serious. "Trust works both ways. Donny needs to trust you, but you also need to trust him. Trust that he's trying his best, that he wants to succeed, that he's not being difficult out of malice but because he genuinely doesn't understand yet."

  Micah looked down at Donny, who had fallen asleep in his lap again,apparently the Rhyhorn's preferred state of existence. "I do trust him. I just don't trust myself yet."

  "That's normal. Confidence comes with experience." Maxie stood, moving toward his bed. "Get some rest. Tomorrow we start building that foundation properly."

  The next morning brought clearer skies and renewed purpose. Micah woke before dawn, driven by some internal urgency he couldn't quite name. Donny was still asleep, curled on the rug, breathing steady and deep.

  He checked his PokeNav and found a message from his mother, time-stamped late the previous night:

  Sweetheart, your father and I are thinking of you. How is the journey going? How is your Rhyhorn? We miss you terribly but are so proud. Write when you can. Love, Mom

  Micah felt his throat tighten. He'd been gone less than a week, but it felt like months. The farm seemed impossibly distant now, like a memory from someone else's life.

  He typed back: Journey is good. Challenging but good. Rhyhorn hatched two days ago. Named him Donny. He's perfect. Miss you both. Will write more when we reach the lab. Love you.

  He almost mentioned the incident with Marcus, then decided against it. His parents had enough to worry about without adding concern for his safety. Besides, the situation had been handled. No point in causing unnecessary stress.

  Donny woke around 6:30 AM with his usual progression of yawning, stretching, and immediate search for Micah. The Rhyhorn's morning routine had already become predictable,wake up, verify trainer's presence, demand breakfast, attempt to participate in human bathroom activities despite clear biological impossibility.

  After breakfast at the Pokémon Center,where Donny received admiring attention from several other trainers who wanted to pet the "adorable baby Rhyhorn",they headed to a different park. This one was larger, more open, with designated training areas marked by painted lines and strategic placement of practice dummies.

  A few other trainers were already working with their Pokémon. Micah watched a girl putting her Taillow through aerial maneuvers, calling out commands in a firm but encouraging voice. The bird executed each instruction with increasing precision, clearly well-trained despite its relatively early evolutionary stage.

  At another area, a boy was working with a Makuhita, practicing the Fighting-type's punching combinations. The Makuhita's movements were still clumsy, not yet refined, but showed promise. The trainer corrected form gently, demonstrating proper technique himself before asking his Pokémon to try again.

  Micah found an empty training area and set Donny down. The Rhyhorn immediately began investigating the grass, apparently fascinated by a bug that was crawling near his feet.

  "Donny," Micah called. "Look at me."

  The Rhyhorn's head came up immediately, attention focusing on his trainer. Progress,yesterday that response had been significantly slower.

  "Good! Come."

  Donny trotted over, movements more confident than even a day ago. The Rhyhorn's coordination was improving rapidly, natural development combining with deliberate practice.

  They drilled basic commands for thirty minutes. Come, stay, release. Over and over, with praise and treats reinforcing successful execution. Donny's attention span remained limited,after about ten minutes, he started getting distracted by literally everything,but the progress was real.

  "Stay," Micah commanded, stepping backward. "Stay."

  Donny trembled with the effort of remaining still, every instinct screaming to follow. But he stayed. Three seconds. Five. Ten.

  "Release! Good job!"

  The Rhyhorn charged forward, nearly bowling Micah over in his enthusiasm. But the command had been followed successfully. That was what mattered.

  They took a break, sitting in the grass while Donny dozed against Micah's side. The other trainers continued their work, creating a comfortable background ambiance of commands, Pokémon sounds, and the occasional celebration when a particularly difficult technique was executed successfully.

  "Micah?"

  He looked up to find Maxie approaching, Claydol gliding along beside him. His mentor looked more rested than last night, back to his usual composed state.

  "Progress report?" Maxie asked, settling onto the grass with surprising casualness.

  "He's responding to his name consistently now. Come is about seventy percent reliable. Stay is... improving. Maybe thirty percent success rate." Micah hesitated. "Is that good enough?"

  "For day three of training? That's excellent." Maxie watched Donny sleep for a moment. "Most newborn Pokémon take a full week to achieve name recognition. You're ahead of schedule."

  The praise felt good. Earned.

  "I've been thinking about Counter," Micah said. "About how to train it properly once Donny's horn heals."

  "And?"

  "I think... I think we need to establish the baseline first. Make sure Donny can execute basic commands reliably, can handle low-stakes battles with other newborn Pokémon, understands that fighting doesn't always mean life-or-death situations." Micah organized his thoughts. "Counter requires him to take hits deliberately. He can't do that unless he trusts that I won't put him in situations where those hits might be genuinely dangerous."

  Maxie smiled,a real smile, not his usual slight quirk of lips. "That's exactly right. You're learning faster than I expected."

  They sat in comfortable silence, watching the other trainers work. Claydol rotated slowly, its ancient eyes scanning the surroundings with that eternal patience that suggested it had witnessed this same scene play out countless times across millennia.

  "The lab," Micah said eventually. "What's it like?"

  "Organized chaos," Maxie replied. "We have approximately eight full-time researchers plus various support staff. The main facility is in Rustboro though we are currently working moving operations to Lavaridge, it provides natural temperature regulation and access to volcanic geological features. Equipment ranges from basic field tools to advanced analytical instruments that cost more than most houses."

  "And the other researchers? You mentioned Tabitha, Courtney, Phoebe..."

  "Tabitha is brilliant but abrasive. Specializes in mineralogy and tectonic analysis. He'll likely assign you grunt work initially,sample collection, data entry, equipment cleaning. Don't take it personally. He treats everyone that way until they prove themselves." Maxie paused. "Courtney is... intense. She has exacting standards and no patience for imprecision. But she's the best behavioral analyst I've ever worked with. If you want to understand how Pokémon think, how they process information and make decisions, she's your resource."

  "And Phoebe?"

  "Newest member of the team. Marine biologist by training, currently focusing on how aquatic Pokémon adapt to changing water compositions. She's more approachable than Tabitha or Courtney, probably your best bet for initial questions and guidance."

  Micah tried to imagine it, working alongside actual scientists, conducting real research, contributing to discoveries that might change understanding of how Pokémon and ecosystems interacted. It seemed simultaneously thrilling and terrifying.

  "Will they resent me?" he asked quietly. "Taking up resources, requiring training, possibly slowing down their work?"

  "Some might. Initially." Maxie's tone was matter-of-fact. "But you'll also bring value. Fresh perspectives, enthusiasm, willingness to handle tasks that others consider beneath them. Research teams need that diversity,the combination of experienced specialists and new minds asking questions the veterans stopped asking years ago."

  Donny stirred, waking from his nap with a yawn that displayed his developing teeth. The Rhyhorn blinked sleepily at Maxie, apparently trying to figure out if this human was friend or potential threat.

  "Hello, Donny," Maxie said formally, extending one hand palm-up.

  The Rhyhorn sniffed carefully, processing scents and making whatever calculations occurred in a three-day-old brain. Then, apparently satisfied, he bumped his horn-nub gently against Maxie's palm.

  "He's learning social recognition," Maxie observed. "Can distinguish between familiar humans and strangers. That's advanced development for his age."

  "Is that because of the egg moves? Like, does genetic inheritance affect intelligence?"

  "Potentially. Though it's more likely that he's simply responding to your training approach." Maxie withdrew his hand, allowing Donny to return to Micah's side. "You treat him like a thinking creature capable of learning, not just a tool to be commanded. That kind of respect encourages cognitive development."

  They resumed training, this time with Maxie observing and offering real-time corrections. His suggestions were specific, tactical,adjust your tone here, use a hand signal there, reward immediately rather than waiting three seconds. Each change was small, but combined they made noticeable differences in Donny's responsiveness.

  After a short break Maxie looked down at his watch and said ”I have to leave for another set of appointments, the loaner pokemon should have arrived at the Pokemon center.”

  Micah remembering the new albeit temporary member of his team shot up from his seated position “You still haven't told me which pokemon it is.”

  “You will find out soon enough.” With that Maxie turned his back to the young trainer and headed off.