Part 26: Way of the Ninja

Sniff... sniff...

Pancakes... fresh pancakes right off the pan. My eyes shot open, and I immediately propped myself up on the bed, allured by the enchanting smell. The room was still dark. With a yawing stretch I slowly rose from my bed. The dorm I had shared with Salvadore and the other boys in the ninja school was now empty. I could hear muffled chatter and cheers, probably from somewhere else in the building. Anxious of being late for my first training session at the Pokémon ninja school, I peered down at my poke gear to check the time.

7.15

I sighed in relief at the fact that I hadn’t slept in. Still intrigued by the waft of pancakes and all the commotion I decided to get dressed. It was then I noticed a neatly pressed uniform at the bottom of my bed, nestled beside a resting Kiro. It was the same blue uniform that Evian and the other male students were wearing. It was accompanied with a grey checker vest and a white head band. I quickly slipped into my new outfit, a perfect fit. I then tickled Kiro softly behind the ear.

‘Rise n’ shine, sleepy head’ I said jokingly.

The silver Eevee blinked in a daze before smiling wearily up at me.

‘It’s almost time for training’ I said and gestured towards the door.

Shaking his head, Kiro sprung off the bed and followed me over to the door, stretching out his legs as he strutted. We strolled curiously down the deserted hallway, consumed by the lingering smell of pancakes and an increasing level of laughs and cheers. Where did everyone go?

We followed the commotion to the large kitchen doors. Our eyes opened wider in surprise at what we saw. Salvadore was dressed in his own blue ninja uniform with an apron and a chef’s hat. He had four pans on the go at once, his hands moving furiously to pour in the pancake mix and flip the pancakes at the same time. Most of the other students in the school were crowding around him, watching in awe and spurring him on as he continued to dish out breakfast. Some students were also tossing plates across the room to each other like Frisbees. The atmosphere was eccentric!

In the corner of the room I noticed that Aly was talking to Trixa. She seemed a bit nervous in her new red top and skirt. Even I found it kind of weird. I knew she preferred to wear tight jeans and more tomboyish clothes, but it would have been rude not to dress properly, especially after all the things that Evian was doing for us.

‘Hey, watch out!’ a person screamed.

I spun my head sideways to see a flash of white whizz towards my face. I gasped in shock, unable to move or blink. My heart seemed to stop completely. I didn’t even have time to brace myself for the impact.

The flying plate came to a sudden stop, right before my eyes. I exhaled in disbelief as the plate brushed against the bridge of my nose. I edged my head sideways to see Evian smiling confidently, the threatening dish held firmly between his two fingers. He spun the plate on his hand before tossing it over to a student.

He then gave me a friendly nod, ‘Good morning, Robin. I hope you slept well’

I stared at him speechless for a moment, before I finally got a chance to gather myself. I smiled back at him nervously, ‘Umm...yeah. Thanks!’

‘No problem at all. Man, your friend here sure knows how to cook. Make sure to get some pancakes for yourself before they’re all gone. You’ll need all the energy you can get for today’s training’

I gave him a determined stare, ‘We’re ready to take on anything!’

‘That’s good to hear! I think it would be best if you and I did some one on one training. Aly and Salvadore can go with Trixa and the others... if that’s ok, of course?’ Evian suggested.

‘Sure! That would be great!’ I said enthusiastically. I then looked down at the silver Eevee, gazing attentively at Salvadore and all the excited faces of the other ninja students. I knew the path that lay ahead of us would be tough, but it didn’t mean we couldn’t have some fun along the way.

* * *

‘Alright everybody! Come on out!’ I yelled and flung all my pokeballs into the air.

-Vee!-

-Croc!-

-Pika!-

-Grrrowl!-

-Haunt!-Haunt!-Haunt!-

-Tangela!-

Kiro, Toto, Peeks and Growly were all focused and ready for action. Looper ran around in a circle, flailing a pair of vines behind her. But of course, as per usual, all eyes were focused on the “ever so subtle” Sir Duke. The Haunter wore a sweat band and sun glasses, and carried a giant stereo in his deathly grip. Loud dance music blared out through the speakers as he laughed manically.

‘You too, Dratini and Charizard!’ Aly screamed as she tossed two pokeballs into the sky.

-CHAAARR!!!-

-Tini!-

-Prrrriiiii!!!-

Charizard soared fearsomely into the air before circling back around to Aly’s side. It was great to see both Pokémon and trainer getting on so well. Dratini slithered up Aly’s back and coiled around the back of her neck, nuzzling her face affectionately. Togepi squealed for joy at the sight of her fellow team mates.

               ‘Hey, don’t forget about us!’ said Salvadore as he summoned his Pokémon.

-Cubone!-

-Geodude!-

-Fairy!-

-Ex!-Exeggcute!-

-Sudowoodo!-

Aly and I gasped in surprised at the sight of Sudowoodo, happily saluting his trainer. The last time I had seen Sudowoodo was back when I first began my journey. Salvadore had used it against me in our gym battle, but Hope managed to defeat it with stun spore and won me my first badge.

‘Hey Sudowoodo! Long time no see’ I greeted the boisterous Pokémon.

‘Yeah, you’re looking great!’ added Aly.

Sudowoodo waved at us with a blushing smile.

Salvadore walked over to his Pokémon with a smug smile on his face and patted its back. ‘I guess I forgot to mention that Sudowoodo will be travelling with us for a while. You see, it was my brother who first caught Sudowoodo back when he was just a baby Bonsly. And it was this Pokémon ninja school where he was captured. I thought it would be nice for Sudowoodo to come back here again, so I phoned my father in Vermilion City and he agreed’

‘Wow, that’s neat, but what about Pewter Gym? How’s your father supposed to battle without Sudowoodo?’ I asked curiously.

‘Oh, don’t worry about that. We have plenty of rock Pokémon in the gym and when I received Sudowoodo, I also sent back Aerodactyl. They’ll be just fine’ Salvadore reassured.

‘Aha! I knew you looked familiar. You must be Brock’s little brother. And hey Sudowoodo, it’s great to see you again’ Evian greeted the imitation Pokémon ‘I hope you’re ready for some ninja style training’

-Sudowoodo!-

Sudowoodo cried out happily and saluted his old friend as Salvadore scratched his head and blushed.

‘Great! Ok Robin, which Pokémon would you like to train with?’ asked Evian as he turned to face me and fastened the shoulder straps on his small rucksack.

I thought hard for a moment, trying to decide which of my Pokémon I needed to bond with. Sir Duke was always unpredictable, but we battled along side each other very well. Although Growly was one of the more recent additions to the team I had known him long before I had even begun my Pokémon quest. Ever since Kiro had joined my team, he always walked by my side, so it would do us good to be apart from each other for a short while.

After careful consideration I looked at Evian confidently. ‘I’d like to train closely with Toto, Peeks and Looper, if that’s ok?’

‘Perfect! You guys can come with me. Trixa, would you be ok to take the rest of the group and show ‘em how real ninjas train?’

‘It would be an honour’ Trixa replied and bowed respectfully at Evian.

Before we separated, I called out to my Haunter ‘Sire Duke, make sure to train hard and most importantly, behave yourself’ I warned.

Sir Duke gave me a gentle smile and a halo floated over his head. His smile suddenly turned into a devious grin and the halo sizzled out in flames as he floated eerily over to the rest of the group.

They’d be just fine.

With that, we finally went our separate ways. Aly, Salvadore and our Pokémon accompanied Trixa and the other students, while Evian lead me, Toto, Peeks and Looper to another clearing in the vast, surrounding woods. A chill breeze ruffled my hair as we entered a quiet glade, surrounded by an array of colourful trees. The grass was thick and knee height. The tips of the blades were lightly covered in frosty morning dew.

Suddenly, Evian turned to me and gave me a stern look. ‘Alright, Robin, it’s time to battle with your Pokémon as one. It isn’t going to be easy, but I think you knew that before agreeing to this. I’m going to teach you as much as I know and help you bond more with your Pokémon. To do this, you must be their ears, eyes and inner strength. You must accept their weaknesses and play to your strengths. But most importantly, no matter how hard you fight or how far you go, you must learn when to admit defeat. Only after these conditions are met, will you have learned the way of the ninja and the power you hold within. Are you ready?’

I didn’t even have to think twice about what he had said. I nodded back at him with a determined look.

‘Great! Before we begin, you mentioned over supper that your Pikachu was having difficulty perfecting his iron tail technique, right?’

I thought back to the conversation I had had with Evian the night before. We had discussed many things, but the only thing I could remember was the delicious taste of that sea food chowder. Not wanting to seem rude, I simply nodded, ‘Yeah, I guess...’

‘Haha, quick to forget I see’ Evian chuckled and took a small rock tied to a piece of string out of his rucksack. He knelt down beside Peeks and gently fastened the rock to his tail. The Pikachu gave him a confused look, but didn’t show any signs of resistance. ‘There, this should help strengthen your tail. Now how about you and Toto go for a run to keep yourselves warm?’ the ninja suggested.

Peeks stared at the rock which dangled from his tale. He then smiled up at Evian and nodded. The Pikachu started to run, sluggish at first, but eventually built up some momentum as he adapted to the weight of his tail. Toto cried out and began to chase after him.

‘I guess you’re up first’ I said as I turned to face Looper.

The Tangela hopped up and down in excitement before leaping out in front of me, ready to train.

‘Haha, that’s the spirit’ Evian laughed before cupping his hands around his mouth and yelling, ‘Ok, Kecleon, come on out!’

Kecleon? What was that?

I suddenly froze as I heard something shaking in the forest behind me. I anxiously cocked my head backwards, but there was nothing there.

-Kecleon!-

I almost fell over in surprise as a small lizard-like Pokémon materialised before me. Its beady eyes glared up at me. Its rigid body displayed an odd shape and colouring. I hurriedly checked my Dex:

Kecleon, the colour swap Pokémon. Kecleon has the ability to change its body colour at any time. However, the zigzag strip on its chest will always remain the same.

The Kecleon continued to stare at me momentarily before scurrying over to Evian’s side. It turned to face Looper, poised and ready for battle.

‘Thanks for coming, Kecleon. Today we need to help Robin and his Pokémon understand each other better in battle. Think you’re up for the challenge?’ asked Evian.

Kecleon nodded back at the ninja.

‘Great! Then let’s kick things off with what ninjas do best: concealment. Kecleon, use colour change!’ Evian ordered.

Suddenly, Kecleon disappeared from sight. My mouth hung open in astonishment and Looper frantically spun around, looking for the hidden Kecleon.

‘Kecleon could be anywhere. Get ready to use a stun spore attack when it reappears’ I said edgily.

‘That’s not gonna do you any favours. Kecleon use lick attack!’ Evian commanded.

Without warning, a long, stringy tongue surged out of the grass and swiped the Tangela off her feet. She cried out as she hit the ground.

‘Looper’ I cried, ‘Are you ok?’

The Tangela moaned as she struggled to her feet. She then let out a defiant scream and whipped the thick grass with her vines.

‘It’s great to see that your Pokémon has spirit, but you’re going to have to start working as a team if you want to win. Look at Looper. She is the vine Pokémon after all. Try making the best use of her attributes’ urged Evian.

I thought hard for a moment, trying to figure out our next move. How could I use her vines to our advantage if we couldn’t even see Kecleon? It was then my trail of thought fell back on what the Pokedex had said. Kecleon cannot change the colour of their zigzag strip. My eyes quickly scanned the field, looking for anything odd or out of place. The red and orange leaves on the trees around us made it difficult for us to even identify the red pattern on Kecleon’s stomach.

‘Kecleon, use fury swipes!’ Evian yelled.

A sudden flash of red caught the corner of my eye.

‘Looper, use your vines to jump backwards and avoid Kecleon!’ I ordered.

The Tangela did as I said and propelled herself backwards into the air using two of her vines as a pair of springs. Kecleon appeared beneath her, but only managed to swipe thin air. Shocked to see Looper soaring above it, Kecleon quickly used colour change and retreated into the surrounding thicket, leaving only its red strip visible.

‘Well done’ Evian congratulated, ‘You and Looper are starting to look like a proper team now. But this isn’t over yet! Kecleon, move around in the thick grass and wait for my command’ he commanded.

Kecleon’s red zigzag shaped submerged into the deep grass as ordered and vanished from view. I could see panic in Looper’s eyes once more. Just as we had finally stopped one of Kecleon’s strategies, it began to use a new one. Looper was cocking her head around her with every swift movement the Kecleon made. I was becoming somewhat anxious myself.

‘You must be their ears, eyes and inner strength...’

My body immediately relaxed at the thought of those words. I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing. I slowly cleared my throat ‘Looper, calm down. Focus yourself and wait for my command’ I said reassuringly.

The Tangela ceased her cries and tremors, waiting for my orders.

I concentrated as best as I could. I tried to block everything out, everything except for the Kecleon. I slowly excluded everything else from my mind. I no longer heard the wind whistling among the trees, the Spearow cawing from their nest. I didn’t even hear my own breath. My ears were now completely focused on the rustling noise, made by the prowling Kecleon, circling Looper like a stealth predator. Suddenly, it came to a stop, somewhere to the left.

‘Kecleon, use lick attack!’ Evian yelled.

My eyes shot open.

‘Looper vine whip at nine o’clock!’ I screamed.

-Tangela!!!-

Looper cried out and shot a vine out to her left. Evian gasped as the vine struck the approaching tongue. Kecleon reappeared, surprised by the countering vine whip which now had a firm hold of its stretched tongue.

‘Alright, now finish this off by slamming it to the ground!’ I surged.

With a raging battle cry, the Tangela slung the helpless Kecleon up into the air and spun it around and around before hurling it across the field. The colour swap Pokémon landed on its back with a heavy thud. It continued to lie on its back, completely dazed.

‘Excellent job you two’ said Evian and gave us a short applause. ‘You both worked extremely well as a team and Looper was able to counter Kecleon’s ability due to your guidance. Great work!’ The ninja then knelt over beside Kecleon and took a yellow berry from his pocket. The Kecleon ate the berry and immediately came round to its senses. ‘Thanks for your help, Kecleon. Go on and take a long deserved rest’ Evian smiled at the Pokémon.

Kecleon nodded respectfully at the ninja before disappearing into the forest.

‘I can already see your bond with Looper getting stronger. With a little more practice, you two will make a great team! So, who’s up next?’ asked Evian, still smiling confidently.

I gave Looper the nod to go and relax for a little while. She deserved it. Then, after a bit of consideration, I decided that it was time for Toto and I to get a little battle practice in together.

‘Toto, come on! You’re up!’ I called out. My voice echoed around the clearing and into the close surrounding area. Within moments, the Croconaw burst through the colourful trees and danced over to my said. ‘You ready for some tough training?’

-Croc!-

The Croconaw growled excitedly and took up his position on the grassy field.

Evian unhinged a pokeball from his belt which expanded in his hand. He held it up with confidence. ‘Grovyle, you’re up!’

A green reptilian Pokémon was summoned to the field. Long, sharp leaves protruded from its head and limbs as it posed in a threatening manner. I eagerly checked my Dex:

Grovyle, the wood gecko Pokémon and the evolved form of Treeko. Grovyle have astounding agility which allows them to perform leaps of great length.

‘Ok, Grovyle use bullet seed!’ Evian commanded.

The Grovyle inhaled deeply and shot out a line of yellow seeds.

I frowned in concentration, knowing this move could be risky. ‘Toto, try countering it with a hydro pump attack!’

The Croconaw glanced at me, unsure of himself. He then shook his head and gave me a confident nod. He took a deep breath and focused on the oncoming bullet seed. With all his might he cried defiantly and unleashed a torrent of water. However, to my dismay, Toto had no control over his own attack and the intensity of the hydro pump knocked him back off his feet. The last of the hydro pump strayed aimlessly away from the Grovyle who didn’t even flinch.

‘Requesting your Pokémon to try new moves they have never used before is very risky, as you can see. Then again, I guess it’s better off done here rather than in the middle of a gym or league battle. Now back to business. Grovyle, try another bullet seed attack’ Evian ordered.

‘Toto, try another hydro pump, but this time distribute your balance so you wont fall over’ I yelled.

The Croconaw shook off the damage he had sustained from the last attempt and spread his stance. With another deep breath and battle cry, Toto let loose another jet of water, noticeably stronger than his water gun attack. Unfortunately, his aiming was off once more and the surge of water soared harmlessly passed the bullet seed attack and Grovyle.

To my dismay, the yellow seeds continued towards Toto and struck him painfully in the jaw. The Croconaw bundled backwards in pain from the super effective hit, but was just about to stand up for one more fight. I knew he couldn’t take any more hits like that so our next decision was vital.

My mind raced furiously, trying to think of some way we could battle this Grovyle. The outlook didn’t look too promising. Toto was at a type disadvantage as it was and none of his long distant attacks were going to do much good. Also, it was too risky to attempt a close range attack, given the weakened state he was in.

‘You must accept their weaknesses and play to your strengths...’

I stared at Grovyle who hadn’t moved since it was summoned, but if what Dex said was true, Grovyle could easily outpace Toto. Then again, Toto still knew a powerful water attack, even though it was off target. I looked at the coarse grass between Grovyle and Croconaw.

Got it!

I smiled. ‘Toto, lean back on to your tail and wait until I say when’ I said, sounding sure of myself.

‘Sitting around all day isn’t going to get you very far. Use leaf blade!’ Evian commanded.

Grovyle raised a threatening arm. Three leaves on its forearm merged into one and glowed a bright white colour. It then began to move swiftly towards the waiting Croconaw.

My smile widened. A close range attack, exactly what I wanted.

‘Toto, jump and use hydro pump on the grass!’ I screamed.

The Croconaw sprung into the air, propelled by his tail. With a deep breath, he sent a forceful gush of water towards the ground. Evian looked up at the Croconaw somewhat amused. Toto had little control over his attack and the hydro pump pounded the soft grass below, forming a small swamp. Grovyle continued to surge towards Toto with vast speed, but just as it was about to leap, its clawed foot sunk into the watery marsh. Evian’s face was overcome with shock as Grovyle was stuck, desperately trying to free itself from the muddy grass.

‘Nice job, Toto. Now finish this with aqua tail!’

-NAW!-

Toto spun in mid air as water spiralled around his tail. With one final battle cry, the Croconaw swung his tail at the helpless Grovyle. The wood gecko Pokémon was uprooted from the marsh and flung into the air. It fell to the ground in a flop where it remained motionless- fainted.

‘Thank you. Grovyle, you did great’ said Evian as he returned the fainted Pokémon to its pokeball. He then glanced over at Toto and I celebrating our victory and gave us a satisfactory smile. ‘Congratulations, you two. You worked magnificently well together and overcame Toto’s weakness by using his own, making the best out of an inaccurate hydro pump. There’s only one more trail to go, but how about we take a quick break and have a small snack?’

‘Sounds great!’ I beamed, delighted with all the progress my Pokémon and I were making.

Evian led us to a different clearing as the last one was practically now a swamp. This field had now thawed out, and despite the sharp breeze, the midday sun now gave us some warming comfort as we ate pre made sandwiches. My Pokémon ate their specialised Pokémon food, which Salvadore made for all our Pokémon. He said it was a skill he had learned from his brother over the last few years.

Evian had taken the rock off Peeks’ tail, which now looked stronger than ever. Peeks seemed a little tired from his training so far, but I knew he would need every last bit of his strength for our last training session.

After lunch we took a few minutes to regain our strength and let our food digest. Then, Evian swiftly stood up and stretched out his arms. ‘Ready for your final lesson?’

I quickly leaped up from the log which I had sat on and balled my fist in determination. ‘You bet!’ I then gave the nod to Peeks, who sprinted lively over to my side.

Toto and Looper sat behind us, ready to observe the last of our training.

‘Robin, you and your Pokémon have worked and fought hard today’ Evian yelled over to us from the far side of the clearing. ‘You have listened to my advice and battled with your Pokémon as one, admitting your weaknesses and maximising your strengths. But here is where your true test lies. Let’s see how your Pikachu now fairs against Golem!’ He emphasised his last sentence as he withdrew another pokeball from his belt and summoned a new Pokémon.

I gasped at the sheer audacity of the Pokémon that was summoned. It had a large boulder like body and a frowning focused glare. I hesitantly checked my Dex:

Golem, the megaton Pokémon and the evolved form of Graveler. Golem shed their hard shell once a year, forming an even sturdier defence than the last.

‘Don’t be discourage, Peeks. We can win this one!’ I urged, trying to sound confident.

Peeks glanced back at me and nodded, determined. He then crouched down on all fours and waited for my command.

‘Yeah, that’s the spirit! Now let’s try out that iron tail attack!’ I yelled.

‘Golem, block it’ Evian said calmly, folding his arms.

The peak-eared Pikachu dashed across the clearing and leaped into the air. His tail shined a bright metallic colour. Golem simply widened its stance and crossed its arms, ready to take the hit. The iron tail swiped cleanly through the air and struck Golem on the arm. The megaton Pokémon skid backwards from the force of the attack, but otherwise seemed unscathed.

‘Good job, Peeks!’ I encouraged my Pikachu ‘Try it again!’

Once again, the Pikachu sprinted across the clearing and leaped into the air.

‘Golem, block it again’ said Evian, his face still calm and focused.

Peeks’ tail shined a metallic glow once more as he bore it down upon a waiting Golem. The giant boulder-like Pokémon had its arms crossed and ready to receive the brunt of the attack. The iron tail smashed down even more powerful than the last time and caused the Golem to stumble backwards, barely managing to keep its balance.

‘This is awesome! Keep it up, buddy’ I egged my Pokémon on.

Peeks looked stronger than ever as he poised himself, ready to attack on my next command.

‘One more iron tail! Let’s go!’ I screamed excitedly.

Once again, Peeks dashed across the clearing and leaped into the air. Evian said nothing. The Pikachu flipped in the air and his strengthened a metallic colour. He cried out fearsomely as he descended. Suddenly, Peeks’ tail lost its metallic glow and Golem caught the helpless Pikachu in its firm grip.

‘Rock throw’ Evian said coldly.

Without hesitation, Golem flung Peeks into the air and lunged its entire body at him. The impact sent the Pikachu flying through the air and crashing into the ground. I stood there in shock as Peeks struggled to his feet. He panted heavily, bruised and weary.

‘Well, Robin, what’s your next move?’ asked Evian, staring at me with stern eyes.

I glanced at Evian and then back at Peeks. He had suffered a massive blow from Golem’s last attack, as well as all the effort he had put into training today. We had come so far, yet it still seemed like a dim outlook. I hung my head as Evian’s words echoed through my mind.

‘No matter how hard you fight or how far you go, you must learn when to admit defeat...’

-Pika...-

I glanced back up at Peeks who gave me a tired, yet determined wink.

‘Evian, you’ve taught me so much today. You’ve helped me bond closer with my Pokémon and understand them better when battling. You’ve taught me how to fight as one and shown me how to overcome my weaknesses. And now, you’ve taught me to know at what time to quit...’

Evian smiled and nodded back at me, taking a pokeball from his belt, about to withdraw Golem.

‘But our time isn’t up yet. Peeks, quick attack!’ I screamed with all my might.

Evian’s eyes widened in shock as the peak-eared Pikachu darted towards the surprised Golem. ‘Use rock blast!’ he yelled promptly.

Three disjointed blue rings encircled Golem and spun around his body. The rings transformed into ominous white rocks which continued to circle its body. With a loud grunt, Golem flung a series of rock at the oncoming Peeks. To everyone’s amazement, the Pikachu weaved side to side, skilfully avoiding the onslaught of rocks and picking up momentum with every stride. I waited until the last second before commanding the killer blow.

‘Peeks, use iron tail...NOW!’

-Pika!-Pika!-Pika!-CHUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!-

A blur of yellow.

A flash of silver.

-lem?-

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

Evian and I both shielded our eyes as the impact of the boosted iron tail attack caused a deafening explosion. We peered out from behind our arms, anxious to see what had happened once the dust cleared. After a while, the cloud of dust began to settle, revealing both Golem and Peeks conscious, panting heavily and glaring at each other.

-Pika...-

-Gol...-

-Pika...-

-Gol...-

-Pika!-

-Gol... lem-

With a defeated gasp, the Golem keeled over on its back- fainted!

After a moment of stunned silence I ran over to Peeks and squeezed him tightly. ‘We did it! You were so awesome!’ I cried tears of joy as my peak-eared Pikachu nuzzled my face.

A smile swept across Evian’s face as he returned Golem to its pokeball. ‘Thank you, Golem, you did great’. The ninja then approached me and held out his hand. ‘Well done, Robin. You and your Pokémon look set to take on anything now, and your Pikachu really caught me off guard. I think I learned more from you today than you did from me’ he laughed heartily.

‘Thanks, but I couldn’t have done this without you. I feel closer to my Pokémon already’ I said and we shook hands.

Later that day, we all met up outside the Pokémon ninja school. Aly, Salvadore and our Pokémon seemed exhausted from all the exercise. My eyes almost bulged from their sockets as Trixa staggered out of the forest, covered in twigs, leaves and scrapings. Her face was drained and tired.

‘Whoa, what happened to you?’ I asked, astonished by the state of the ninja.

‘Just... DON’T!’ she growled and trudged into the building, shooting a quick glare at Sir Duke as she walked by.

I looked over at the Haunter, who snickered menacingly as he wrapped what seemed to be a trip wire around his ghoulish claw. He then noticed my curious stare and hid his claws behind his back. He rolled his eyes and gave me a sly smile.

I just smirked and followed the rest of the crowd inside, reflecting on what I had learned today. I now felt ready to take on anything. Together with my Pokémon working as a team, AJ, the Pokémon League and the rest of the world seemed like mere stepping stones on my path to becoming a Pokémon Master!