"Haa... haa…"
Anon ran at full speed all the way to the nearby park, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. Breathless, sweat trickled down her forehead as she gasped for air.
"I keep saying 'I'm not running away,' but I'm literally running away with all my strength… I really am…" She bent forward, placing her hands on her knees, desperately trying to calm herself.
"Hm? Isn't that Chihaya?"
The unexpected voice nearby made Anon look up sharply.
"Oh, it really is."
"It's definitely Chihaya! It's been so long!"
"How's Galar?"
"Are they on break already?"
Two girls approached her, chatting animatedly.
They were her former classmates from middle school. Instinctively, Anon shrank back, panic rising inside her.
Admitting I failed my studies abroad would be complete social suicide…
"Huh? Wait a second… isn't this Rainbow Wing Academy's uniform?"
"What about Galar?"
"Weren't you studying abroad?"
The two classmates quickly noticed and started peppering her with questions.
"I, uh… I…"
Anon's gray eyes widened in panic. Unable to respond, she took one step back, then another.
"Chihaya?" "Hey, are you okay?"
This is it—I'm done for…
Her legs gave out beneath her, and Anon fell to her knees in resignation.
Meanwhile, Satoshi rushed through the park, frantically searching. Thankfully, Anon was just a girl, and he was the legendary Super Rookie, so she couldn't have gotten very far.
But when he finally spotted her, Anon was kneeling awkwardly, almost like she was performing the move [False Surrender]. Except rather than fully kneeling, she was just slumped to the ground, with two confused-looking girls standing over her.
[Is she practicing False Surrender?]
[False Surrender]:A deceptive attack in which the user pretends to surrender by kneeling, then strikes while the opponent lowers their guard. This move never misses.
It was famously the signature move of a certain warlord Pokémon, using a fake surrender tactic from ancient warfare to catch enemies off-guard.
"I really don't think so…" Satoshi muttered nervously. Sensing something was seriously wrong with Anon, he quickly called out, hoping to snap her out of it.
"Anon!"
Hearing his voice, Anon winced and slowly turned, looking defeated. When she spotted Satoshi behind her, she couldn't find the words to explain herself.
"I… Um…"
She was frozen in embarrassment.
Always losing battles, always running away, too cowardly even to compete in the High School League… She was utterly hopeless.
Truthfully, Satoshi didn't care about any of that. He just wanted Anon to find her courage.
Even if their team ended up disqualified from the High School League, he could always compete individually—it wouldn't really affect him.
But if he could rescue Anon, he'd gain a friend who'd battle Pokémon with him for life. Plus, he'd get to squish Eevee's fluffy cheeks anytime he wanted!
Who could resist a cute little fluffball like Eevee? He wanted to be friends with Pokémon all over the world!
And he really hated seeing Anon looking so miserable.
I'll save her! Pokémon or human, he'd save them all!
I want them all!
"It's fine. Come with me."
Satoshi bent down slightly and grabbed Anon's hand, pulling her firmly back to her feet.
His lips curled into a bright, sunny smile. The sight of it sent warmth flooding into Anon's cheeks, causing her heart to race even faster.
"H-huh? Satoshi…?"
Before she knew it, Anon had been whisked away by Satoshi, not stopping until they reached a battle field in the park.
It was now late afternoon. The setting sun cast a gentle glow on their faces. Surprisingly, the park was mostly empty, leaving plenty of space for a Pokémon battle.
"…"
Anon had no idea what to say. Taki's earlier words still echoed harshly in her mind, leaving her shaken.
The fact that she couldn't even deny it was the worst part. She'd run away from her studies abroad, and now she was running away from her new team.
In Galar, it wasn't just her lack of strength—her English had also been embarrassingly bad.
To waste such a precious chance to study abroad because I couldn't speak well and was weak…
She'd be laughed at for the rest of her life if anyone found out!
"Don't worry. You shouldn't feel ashamed. Being weak at Pokémon battles is nothing strange. I've been there too," Satoshi said reassuringly, blatantly lying through his teeth as he handed her a drink from the nearby vending machine.
Originally, he'd intended to say: "You don't have to feel ashamed of your weakness, Anon—you should feel proud instead!"
Because it meant she had plenty of room for growth!
But he'd wisely decided against it, fearing Anon might just run away again on the spot.
Anon quietly took the drink, looking downward, becoming increasingly gloomy.
"Thank you… but… what Taki said was completely true. Didn't I enter Rainbow Wing at a weird time? That's because I fled back here from Galar…"
Wait, you were a transfer student? I didn't even notice!
And she was a returning student from Galar—a so-called "returnee." But wait… why was she so weak compared to Hikari?
Satoshi blinked, momentarily stunned. His mind was filled with questions he desperately kept to himself.
[My dear Satoshi, you should comfort her properly here. Let me teach you! First, gently hold her hand…]
"Let's have a Pokémon battle."
[Hey!]
Ignoring Furiko's romantic instructions, Satoshi sipped his drink casually. Across from him, Anon's face clouded over again. She pulled out a Poké Ball from her pocket, her eyes full of despair.
"I'm hopeless… Both Eevee and I are far too weak. We can't keep up with any of you… just like in Galar. All I ever do is run away."
"You're wrong," Satoshi replied firmly, placing his drink down on a nearby bench. "How far you can go depends entirely on how much you trust Eevee."
Eevee's evolutions—Espeon, Umbreon, and Sylveon—all depended heavily on friendship. Eevee's strength never came purely from power. It either evolved from external factors or from the trainer's bond.
If Anon didn't invest emotionally in Eevee, how could Eevee ever respond?
Their bond wasn't strong enough!
Satoshi, currently struggling with his own Froakie's blank-slate Ability, fully understood this feeling.
If he trusted Froakie, someday it would surely respond by becoming Greninja.
The strongest Greninja!
"It's fine to run away or feel lost. As long as you keep trying alongside your Pokémon, you'll find your way."
Of course, trust needed conditions; blindly trusting wouldn't magically solve things. But trust was an essential first step.
"It's okay to run away… Trust Eevee…" Anon's expression gradually changed. She couldn't sense a shred of dishonesty from Satoshi's words. Taking a deep breath, she stepped onto the battlefield.
"Then, Satoshi, will you battle with me? I want to trust Eevee."
That's exactly what I was waiting for!
"You bet!" Satoshi wasn't a fan of talking things out anyway, immediately pulling out his Poké Ball.
After all that talking, not having a Pokémon battle was practically unbearable!
A lifelong Pokémon battle partner like Anon—there was no way he'd give that up.
Across from him, Anon's anxiety slowly faded, though deep down, she was still afraid. She hadn't even begun battling, yet she was already expecting to lose.
But Satoshi's earlier words had cracked open her heart.
And now…
I'm not afraid anymore…
"Eevee, I choose you!"
Finding newfound courage within herself, Anon decisively tossed the Poké Ball onto the battlefield. In that moment, a surge of energy filled the air. Eevee emerged, instantly sensing Anon's resolve, and cried out energetically.
"Vee!"
"In that case, I'll use my newest partner. Grookey, let's battle!"
Satoshi flashed a cheerful grin, brimming with confidence as he tossed his Poké Ball. Grookey leaped out, eager for battle.
"Pachi!"
Satoshi looks so cool when he's confident…
Wait, no, no, what am I thinking…?!
Anon's face flushed pink. Quickly shaking her head clear, she turned her attention fully to the battle at hand.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to calm her racing heart.