"I'm back."
When Aron got home, it was already 2:30 in the afternoon. After arriving in the urban area of North Riverland City in the morning, he went straight to the train station. After waiting a bit, he finally boarded the train back.
Since it was work hours, no one was home. Aron let his three Pokémon roam freely, while he went to take a hot shower.
"Ahh, that feels good."
After the shower, Aron, now in his pajamas, collapsed onto the sofa. He'd only cleaned up briefly last night since he was staying at someone else's place, so it hadn't been convenient.
"I hope those energy cubes help her," he thought, recalling the can he'd left behind.
He'd left the energy cubes on impulse last night. He knew a little about Claire's situation—she had been raised by her grandmother, and the two of them depended on each other. College was her chance to change her life.
There were countless people struggling in the world, and Aron could only help in small ways. It was a comfort to his own conscience. But that's all; he didn't see himself as a particularly good person.
"Let's have a good rest today."
Aron stretched his waist and said to the three Pokémon playing on the balcony.
"Combusken !"
Combusken shook his head slightly, indicating that he still needs training.
he's not strong enough yet and needs more rigorous training!
"Beldum!"
Beldum agreed enthusiastically, hovering in mid-air.
"Ralts~"
Ralts cheerfully followed Beldum, running around in excitement.
Watching them, Aron chuckled and decided to turn on the TV for a bit of entertainment.
The news channel came up first.
"Yesterday at 2:00 p.m., Easton's Dragon Master, Elite Lewis, failed in his fourth attempt at the Victory Road challenge."
"In a live interview, Elite Lewis stated that he wasn't in top condition this time and plans to attempt Victory Road again next year. Let's look forward to his performance."
Hearing this news, Aron chuckled. Lewis was indeed a legend—a prodigy born into an elite family, accompanied by rare and powerful pseudo-Legendery Pokémon since childhood.
People believed he would shatter records and create a new legacy for Easton.
But no one had expected him to fail Victory Road multiple times in a row.
In reality, it was normal to fail Victory Road. But he is the Elite Lewis—the strongest Elite in everyone's mind. People couldn't accept his repeated defeats.
"What kind of challenge does this Victory Road have? Even Lewis Elite has failed four times..." Aron muttered in a low voice
Leaving Elite Lewis aside, there are even cases where people have failed in dozens of attempts to challenge Victory Road failed.
"There can be multiple Elites, but only one Champion." Aron sighed.
The Champion is the one who stands above all others.
As he pondered, the news anchor introduced the next segment.
"Yesterday at 7:00 a.m., the public security departments of South Riverland City and North Riverland City conducted a successful joint operation, dismantling poaching syndicates across several regions and recovering hundreds of rare Pokémon from their bases."
"This operation has dealt a heavy blow to the poachers' illegal activities and greatly reinforced the Pokémon Protection Act."
The anchor's voice echoed in Aron's ears as he rested his chin on his hand, eyes flickering with thought.
Finally, he glanced at Ralts, who was happily playing nearby, and sighed, "Their leader probably never expected that their downfall would come from a rookie-level Ralts."
Just then, Aron's phone vibrated. His classmates were enthusiastically discussing the details of the upcoming party.
He set the phone aside, waiting for the discussion to settle down. Eventually, the chat calmed, and the class monitor posted a notice.
"Everyone, our party is set for August 7th, a week before school starts."
"We'll meet at a resort on the outskirts, with lots of activities and a dedicated battlefield."
"We'll meet at 7 a.m., go directly, and return the same evening."
A resort on the outskirts... sounds good, Aron thought. The timing works too.
"Take a day off today, rest again on the day of the party, and train in between," he decided.
After watching TV for a while, Aron went to his room to catch up on sleep.
---
"This is... a shiny Ralts!"
In the evening, Aron was startled awake by Mary's voice of surprise.
He walked out of his room, still half-asleep, and saw Mary crouching in front of Ralts, who was watching her with a timid expression.
Noticing Aron, Mary eagerly asked, "Is this the little one you found in Peace River Forest?"
"Yes, it's a little shy," Aron replied with a nod.
"Such a beautiful little one," Mary smiled.
"Ralts~" Ralts blushed, pleased by her compliment.
Mary stood up, turned to Aron, and gave him a scrutinizing look. "Your father told me all about what happened in Peace River Forest."
"You did a great job, Aron."
"When you encounter something you can't handle, remember that we're here for you, always."
"I understand," Aron nodded.
Mary continued, "Do you know how to train a Ralts?"
"Not yet," Aron admitted, scratching his head.
Mary gave a soft hum and explained, "Our family is familiar with psychic Pokémon, and we have some insight into their training."
"Many trainers believe that Psychic-type power is about brain development, like with Alakazam and Metagross."
Aron listened thoughtfully. Both Pokémon she mentioned had incredibly high IQs.
"But Ralts is different."
"For Ralts, its psychic abilities stem directly from its 'mind.'"
"When I say 'mind,' I don't mean soul or spirit. Rather, it's an energy field, a life force, an emotional sphere."
"The antennae on Ralts' head can detect emotions, which aids in nurturing its psychic abilities."
"You might know about Gardevoir. It can use telekinesis, and the two red gems on its chest are manifestations of its mind."
"The stronger its psychic power, the greater its abilities."
"So, in training Ralts, you should focus on developing its psychic power."