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Evan ran to the treatment room.
He looked puzzled at Gardevoir, who was placing Charizard and their Poké Balls on the machine.
"Gardevoir," he asked, "what happened? It seems like you guys ran several times in one afternoon, right?"
When discussing this, Evan appeared a little confused.
Hearing Evan's inquiry, Gardevoir began explaining while helping treat the Pokémon.
"They want to get stronger and compete in national competitions," Gardevoir replied. "So we practiced extra. Master, in a few days, you'll go to the next gym with us. If you don't attend personally, they might be able to defeat Charizard."
Taking advantage of the moment, Gardevoir revealed the previous discussion it had with the others.
Evan was stunned for a moment, hearing this, but immediately agreed.
"Then let me go with you. That's not a problem," he said with a laugh. The fourth Badge would indeed be difficult without including Gardevoir and Gallade. Thinking this over, he chuckled. "Otherwise, you should give up. It doesn't matter whether we participate or not, right?"
Despite Evan's suggestion, Gardevoir decisively refused.
"I don't want to!" it said firmly. "At worst, I'll push forward with my brother."
When Gardevoir said this, it was very serious. Evan found himself unable to argue further.
"Okay, just be happy," he said helplessly.
It was clear Gardevoir was determined to participate in the competition.
"Notify me when you're ready to head out," Evan added. "I don't have time these days. I need to help that guy make energy cubes."
After saying this, Evan glanced at the Poké Balls being treated.
"Be careful during training," he cautioned. "Although the treatment machine is good, it can't be used excessively. Using it dozens of times a day—no matter how strong the Pokémon's body is—they can't handle that kind of strain."
Gardevoir nodded hurriedly.
"I understand. This is the last time. After treating them, they will rest today."
After saying this, Gardevoir picked up the healed Pikachu and the Poké Balls before teleporting away.
Watching this, Evan sighed. These Pokémon were truly a handful. Shaking his head, he set the matter aside and returned to his work.
Later that evening, Evan logged into his chat software and was immediately greeted by some selfies from Sophia.
Sophia:
[Image] [Image]
[Do they look good? Which one do you think works as a background?]
Evan stared at the carefully posed selfies and replied:
Evan:
[The angle is a bit off. Try taking them from your perspective.]
After sending the message, he closed the chat box and began checking messages sent by other friends and guests.
Claire was immediately confused when she saw Evan's message. However, after rereading it and reflecting, she understood instantly. Her face turned red as frustration bubbled up, and she began frantically texting Evan back, her anger spilling into her words.
But Evan no longer read her messages.
No matter how upset she got, he thought to himself, As long as I don't look, you can't argue with me.
After two days of effort, Evan finally finished the energy cubes Claire had requested.
Once he was done, Gardevoir approached him.
"Master, let's set out to challenge the gym tomorrow. Are you free?" Gardevoir asked, carefully considering Evan's availability.
With this batch of orders completed, Evan was sure he'd be free the next day. Hearing Gardevoir's request, he nodded.
"No problem," Evan agreed. "I'll set off with you early tomorrow morning. Isla, when Claire comes tomorrow, just have her handle the energy cubes. I'll be out for a while."
Evan explained this to everyone, and Isla nodded.
"I understand," she replied. "I'll take care of it."
Seeing Evan agree, a bright smile appeared on Gardevoir's face. It disappeared quickly as it excitedly teleported to share the news with the other Pokémon.
The next gym challenge was set for the following day.
The next morning came quickly. Evan was pulled from his sleep by Gardevoir.
"Master, it's time to set off," it announced enthusiastically. "We're going to challenge the gym."
Still groggy, Evan blinked in confusion.
What time is it? he thought.
Looking around, he noticed the Pokémon were already prepared and waiting. He sighed, realizing resistance was futile.
"So early?" he muttered. "Have you decided which gym we're challenging this time?"
Evan's grogginess turned into curiosity as he questioned their plan.
Gardevoir nodded. "The Ghost Gym in Everland City," it replied. "There's a friend of my brother's there. We're going to bring them back, too."
"So there's a lot going on," Gardevoir began. "Master, it's best to bring some Top-tier energy cubes." It laid out the day's plan, ensuring everything was arranged for Evan.
Hearing this, Evan suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed.
Gallade's friend? Champion level?
The thought of such a powerful Pokémon immediately invigorated him. He quickly stood up, brushing away his earlier fatigue.
"Okay, I get it," Evan said hurriedly. "Then let's get ready to go. Pikachu, help me grab those certificates. I'll go brush my teeth."
With that, Evan started preparing for the day. Pikachu nodded and quickly retrieved Evan's certificates with practiced ease. Meanwhile, Gardevoir picked up Evan's space backpack and began packing it efficiently.
After packing the essentials, Gardevoir went downstairs, grabbed a variety of energy cubes, and stashed them in the backpack. It paid special attention to include cubes tailored for Ghost- and Fighting-type Pokémon.
Once it finished, Gardevoir and the other Pokémon shared a meal of energy cubes.
By the time Evan finished brushing his teeth, he found his Pokémon already eating. He glanced at them and said, "I'll grab a few buns, then we'll set off. Wait here for a moment."
Evan dashed off to the orphanage, where he picked up a few buns for himself. After chatting briefly with Aunt Jenn and the others, he returned to the breeding house.
Since he had explained everything to Isla and the others the day before, there were no further delays. When he returned, most of his Pokémon had already entered their Poké Balls, leaving only Gardevoir and Dragonite outside.
Seeing them waiting, Evan said while munching on his buns, "Alright, let's go. Dragonite, sorry to trouble you."
He made his way toward the backyard, with Dragonite close behind.
Outside, Evan quickly finished his breakfast and climbed onto Dragonite's back, while Gardevoir nestled comfortably in his arms. Once Evan was securely seated, Dragonite flapped its powerful wings and took off into the sky.
As they soared above the clouds, Dragonite turned its head to glance back at Evan, an inquisitive expression on its face.
Where are we going?
Evan sighed, recognizing the silent question.
"You don't know the way?" he asked, exasperated.