| Rio POV |
After enduring a three-hour info dump about Ultra Space, Z-energy, Beastites, wormholes, and other science-fiction mumbo jumbo, I've come to a groundbreaking conclusion:
I. Hate. Studying.
Not dislike. Not "prefer not to." I loathe it with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. My brain is leaking out my ears. My soul has withered. I am a husk of a mon.
Ralts, sitting beside me with the serenity of someone who didn't just go through interdimensional quantum nonsense, glances up. "Maybe you're going too far? It wasn't that bad..."
Sweet summer child. You precious, unburdened spoonful of empathy. You don't know the horrors of higher education. Please. Stay pure. Stay free.
I gently pat her head like a battle-worn soldier passing wisdom to a new recruit. "Never pick up a textbook. Promise me."
She blinks, unsure whether I'm joking. (I'm not.)
Across the room, Torchic is attempting to leap onto the windowsill and failing. Loudly. For the third time. Her wings flap like she's trying to ascend to chicken heaven through sheer stubbornness alone.
Bonk.
Make that four times.
May doesn't even glance up from her notes. "If she breaks another lamp, I'm billing you."
I raise an eyebrow. "The hell did I do? She's your responsibility! I don't even have money!"
May slowly looks up at me with that same hollow-eyed stare that's started haunting my nightmares. No words. Just pure, ancestral disappointment radiating from her soul.
...She really is his niece.
I crack under the silence. "Alright, alright! I'll take her outside, let her burn off some energy. Geez…"
Torchic chirps triumphantly like she just won a battle. Smug ass chicken tender....
[New Quest Unlocked: MC Training Arc]
Objective:
Train Torchic to solo The Rock gym
Optional:
Don't get burned
Rewards:
+20 EXP
+1 IV_Point
I stare at the pop up for a couple seconds, then back towards Torchic, a smile on my face "Torchic... How about some training?"
"Chii?
And that's how we got to this point.
Outside.
In the yard.
With a chicken.
Torchic immediately bolts into the grass and starts pecking at a leaf like it insulted her ancestors. I stare in silence, unsure if I should be proud or deeply concerned.
"Alright, Featherbrain," I say, cracking my knuckles. "Time for your shōnen anime training arc. If I'm gonna pretend to be your sensei, then you're gonna pretend to learn, remember, you are extremely weak to our next opponents, so you need to get stronger!"
She chirps. Then tries to Headbutt a tree. She misses.
"...This is going to take a while."
Training Arc: Part 1 - Target Practice
I draw a crudely drawn face on a rock with a stick and some mud, styling a couple leaves into hair. "This is Roxanne," I announce solemnly. "She's going to destroy you unless we fix whatever disaster your aim is."
Torchic scratches at the dirt.
"Use Ember!"
She shoots... and hits me in the foot.
"AAAAA MY TOES—okay. Okay. Breathe. We can work with this."
Part 2 - Dodging Practice
I toss berries at her. She doesn't dodge. She eats them mid-air like a trained circus hen.
"Not the goal—but... honestly kind of impressive."
Part 3 - Motivation
"She thinks you're weak," I whisper in her ear. "Roxanne called you a glorified omelette."
Torchic's eyes narrow.
She screams.
A fireball incinerates the rock from earlier.
[New Move Acquired: Flamethrower?]
I blink slowly. "Okay. That's terrifying. Let's channel that."
| Later |
May peeks outside from the porch. "She still trying to fly?"
"Nope. She's vaporizing things now."
May nods like that's normal. "Cool. Just... don't let her barbecue the neighbor's Lotad again."
I look over at the Lotad still hiding behind a flowerpot. I salute him. He nods solemnly.
I think we got this...
Training Arc: Part 4 – The Spar
I crack my neck, shaking out my limbs. "Alright, Featherbrain. Time to see what you've got. Don't hold back."
Torchic puffs up, chirping like she's about to throw hands with gravity itself.
"Good. Let's begin."
She rushes forward with the world's slowest Headbutt. I casually sidestep and flick her on the forehead.
"Don't just lower your head and charge. Try again."
She flaps once, lets loose an Ember—I duck under it, dash in, and tap her beak just as she lands sending her toppling over.
"Even though you're a bird, you're not a Flying-type. Stay on the damn ground. Again."
A tackle this time. I leap, flip clean over her, and land behind her in the grass without even looking.
"Seriously? Even a Snorlax could move faster if it gave a damn. Again."
And on it goes—for five whole minutes.
I'm not even winded. Dodging. Weaving. Redirecting. The only time she gets close is when I let her, just to keep morale from fully imploding. Even that ends with her tumbling head-first into a bush.
Eventually, I step back, arms crossed, smirking as I watch her pant, feathers ruffled, staring at the ground.
"I have to say…" I turn my back to her, flaring my aura just a little—enough to make the scene dramatic from her angle. "This is almost sad. You're not bad, Torchic. But you're reckless. You act before you think. You—"
My ears twitch.
My heart drops.
Anticipation flares.
"…Oh shit."
FWOOSH.
A wall of fire explodes behind me. I pivot too late, arms barely coming up as Flamethrower slams into my back and sends me flying face-first into the dirt.
Smoke. Silence.
Then coughing.
I lift my head, blackened but alive. "…Fair. That's fair."
Torchic waddles up, pecking at the singed end of my tail.
"Chi~!"
"Oh, now you're proud?" My eye twitches as she flaps her wings in triumph. "You only hit me because I let you. Don't let this get to your head!"
"You sure it wasn't because you were trying to show off?" May, like the ruthless trainer she is, walks up just to spit on my ego's grave. Ralts sits on her shoulders, watching with concern like she's about to jump down and cradle my poor roasted soul.
"No."
I cough again, glaring at the still-dancing chicken. With a groan, I rise to my feet and shake the soot from my fur.
"Should I get the burn ointment or the Poké Puff treat?" May asks, entirely too entertained.
"…Both," I mutter.
Torchic chirps like she just won the League.
| In Front of Rustboro Gym |
I kneel down in front of Torchic, placing both paws on the sides of her round, slightly-scorched head. Her eyes blink up at me, confused but focused.
"Listen to me, Featherbrain."
"Chii?"
"You're going to win."
"Chii."
"You're the best."
"Chii!!"
"GO IN THERE AND COME OUT A MICHELIN-GRADE COOK! ROAST THOSE DUMB ROCKS UNTIL THEY'RE NOTHING BUT SEASONED GRAVEL!"
"TORCHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!"
She screeches to the sky like she's about to challenge Arceus to a spicy duel, wings flapping with unearned confidence.
I let go dramatically, turning away like a proud anime mentor. "She's ready."
May claps politely from behind us.
Ralts is already covering her eyes.
The gym doors creak open.
It's showtime.
Word count: 1178
Man, I don't think poor Torchic's gonna stand a chance...
MC: Hey! Have some faith! I trained her, after all!
And that's what worries me...
MC: ????