Rustboro City was known for many things: being one of the largest cities in Hoenn, possessing one of the strongest Gyms in the region, being the headquarters of Devon Corporation and housing a large number of big name regional broadcasters. But there was one thing for which it was even more well-known: hosting one of the most prestigious and highly-regarded Trainer Schools of the Hoenn region.

As the first region to pass Pokémon abuse laws, Hoenn prided itself on being home to many skilled trainers, and the Rustboro Trainer School was one of the many ways they ensured the next generations were ready for their coming journeys.

Under the Rustboro Gym Leader Roxanne the students learned the basics of training, including up-to-date type chart compatibilities, how to cover weaknesses, the exact treatment against any altered status, battle simulations with approved Pokémon, and even advanced classes on Individual and Effort Values and the benefits of specific Held Items, for the trainers willing to postpone their journey for a few years. Every student of the school had never ranked lower than Top 16 at any League Conference they participated in, something the school advertisement made sure to point out rather often.

Many aspiring trainers sought to study there, and that day was the first of the new school year, with many young children taking their first steps in the world of Pokémon training.

As the bus stopped right in front of the building, many eager students rushed out of it and into the school, pushing and running inside without a care for their surroundings. Not all of them however were showing the same energy.

A young boy with green hair and dressed in a grey shirt hopped off the vehicle, giving a look at his surroundings. It was the first time he had left Petalburg City, and the far more sprawling Rustboro was almost disorienting to see.

He covered his mouth as he coughed a bit, before focusing on the school. He had to insist a lot, but in the end his family allowed him to enroll there.

The boy smiled as he walked onward. By studying there, he could've become a good trainer, and make friends with several Pokémon. And he couldn't wait to learn more.

It didn't take long for the first bell of the day to ring, and for the young students to meet the first teacher, a young woman in her early twenties dressed in a grey and white outfit with a pink cravat, with her brown hair tied in two long sidetails.

"Welcome to you all. I'm glad to all of you for having chosen our school to learn the basics of Pokémon training," she said, placing a book on the desk and putting a hand over her heart. "My name is Roxanne, and I'm the school principal and one of your teachers."

She stared across the room, memorizing every face. "If you enrolled in our school, you must definitely know our reputation to bring the best out of our students. I will make this clear: this is going to be a long and difficult road. At the end of our didactic course, all of you will have a wealth of knowledge rivaled only by Pokédex Holders, but this will require your full attention and dedication. The path to becoming a good Pokémon Trainer is not easy, but I have faith for all of you to be able to make it."

The students started talking with each other, while others just nodded and stood on the ready for the lesson. The green haired boy was among the latter, fists clenched and serious expression on his face.

As the class quieted down and Roxanne saw many determined looks, she smiled and clasped her hands.

"That is the kind of reaction I wanted." She grabbed her book and started searching through the pages. "Now, let's not waste any more time. Open your textbooks at page 3, at the paragraph 'What is a Pokémon?'."

Everyone did as asked, opening their books and notebooks as Roxanne started her lecture. The green haired boy was among them, never letting his concentration waver.

The students were so into the lesson that they were almost surprised when the bell rang, raising their heads in unison.

Roxanne smiled, closing her book. "Well, that's all for today. I trust you will do well with your next hour's teacher."

The green haired boy smiled as he saw all he wrote down, rubbing the sweat away. The first lesson went well, now it was just a matter of-

"Wally?"

Wally flinched, gulping as he saw Roxanne approaching him.

She gestured at the door. "Can you come out with me one moment?"

"S-sure."

He rose from his seat and walked out with Roxanne, heart racing as he felt the other students's eyes on him, all speculating and muttering at his back.

Once in the corridor, Roxanne closed the door behind them before facing Wally again.

He went stiff as he looked back at the Gym Leader. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Quite the contrary, I've seen you take notes for the whole hour." Roxanne smiled. "I just thought I needed to talk to you privately. Your parents told me of your special needs."

Wally clenched his fists. He couldn't say he didn't expect this.

"If you ever need some fresh air, just ask the teacher and they will let you out. In case something bad happens, I also instructed every teacher to call the hospital." She placed a hand on Wally's shoulder. "Just know that if you need anything in particular, the school is at your disposal."

Wally met Roxanne's glance. He forced a smile and nodded.

"Thank you," he said.

Roxanne patted his shoulder, then walked the other way. "I hope you will have a good day."

Wally kept the smile until Roxanne was far enough. He couldn't really be angry about it, she was polite and respectful. But he still wished she didn't say that.

He returned in the classroom, and his classmates’ eyes were on him again. He didn't say a word as he sat to his place, sighing and passing a hand in his hair. He was never going to be treated normally now.

The break between lessons came faster than expected, and most kids had started chatting up and forming their own little groups. Everyone but Wally, sitting alone in a corner with a Bento in front of him.

He gave a look at his surroundings before sighing. Even if he tried approaching anyone, he probably would've never managed to say anything. He knew himself all too well.

Wally's eyes went back to the Bento, and he started to eat.

"Hey, your name is Wally, right?"

He stopped before to put anything in his mouth, looking up: in front of him was one of his classmates, wearing rather formal green and yellow clothes, with blue half-closed eyes and dark green hair. He was holding a notebook and scribbling something on it.

"Huh." Wally gulped, sweat coming down his face. He nodded shakily. "Yeah, that's me."

"I'm Sawyer, nice to meet you!" The boy smiled, eyes on the notebook. "You come from Petalburg City, right?"

Wally tilted his head. "Yes, why?"

"That's the city of the Gym Leader Norman Maple, right?" He inched closer, pen at the ready. "Do you know him? Have you ever got to meet him in person? What kind of strategies does he use? Have you ever seen how he lives?"

He was now one inch from Wally's face, staring at him with a knowledge-starved look.

Wally gulped, raising his arms and forcing a smile. "W-well, he actually lives pretty far from my house, I'm not his next door neighbour or anything." He rubbed his neck, looking down. "I don't know much about him, sorry."

"Aw." Sawyer retroceded, sighing and setting his pen aside. "I should've expected it. Sorry."

"It's okay," Wally said with a smile. His eyes then fell on the notebook's page. "Huh, what's written there?"

"Oh, it's a set of notes I'm keeping up. It's all my Pokémon knowledge!" Sawyer showed off the pages proudly. "There's not much written yet, but I hope to fill it with everything I will learn."

Wally glanced at the notes. They were filled of stuff the teachers told them about, alongside some personal knowledge. Wally was baffled by the 'never try petting a Slugma' advice, though.

He turned back to Sawyer. "You seem really dedicated."

Sawyer smirked, nodding. "I want to become a great trainer one day. But to do that, I will need a lot of experience points." He held up his notebook, before looking back at Wally. "You want to do the same, right?"

Wally gave a sad smile, looking to the wall. "I wish."

He widened his eyes and started coughing, holding his mouth.

Sawyer flinched, getting closer. "Hey, you okay?"

"Don't w-worry." Wally produced an inhaler and used it. His breath steadied, and he placed it away. "It's just asthma. I've had it since I was little."

Sawyer glanced at him, scratching his neck. "I see. Must be rough."

"Just a bit." Wally smiled. "It's not gonna stop me from trying to be a good trainer, however."

"That's the spirit!" Sawyer grinned, giving him a thumbs up.

He then gave a look outside the window before facing Wally again. "Say, do you want to eat together after school? I know a place that does the best cake in Rustboro!"

Wally blinked, unsure of what to say. He then beamed at Sawyer, nodding firmly.

"Sure!"

Once the last bell rang, Sawyer dragged Wally to the cake shop. It wasn't a particularly large locale, but it looked comfy enough to spend time in, and had a nice view of a nearby park and of the Devon Corporation's main building.

One cake order later, Wally looked on as Sawyer buried his head on the plate, cleaning his mouth with a huge smile.

"Mhhhm, simply delicious!" He grinned, before giving a confused glance to Wally and his still whole cake slice. "Huh, are you not hungry?"

Wally snapped out of his trance, shaking his head and grabbing a piece. "Oh no, it's fine."

Sawyer seemed relieved as he returned to eat his slice.

"So, you want to become a trainer in spite of your asthma?" Sawyer asked between bites, waving his fork at Wally.

Wally nodded, eyes on the table. "I want to be the best trainer ever, to be unbeatable."

"It's good to be so determined." Sawyer smiled.

"I have to." Wally clenched his fists. "I need to show people that I'm not made of glass. That I can take care of myself."

"I think you can do it."

Wally flinched, looking at Sawyer with eyes widened. "Do you really think so?"

Sawyer nodded. "A good drive is what distinguishes a normal trainer from a Champion. Most of the current League Champions come from humble backgrounds: Cynthia came from a poor town before becoming the strongest trainer in Sinnoh."

"I can't really say I come from one." Wally gave an uneasy chuckle as he rubbed his neck. "Petalburg is a nice city, and my family is just a bit pushy."

"It's not an absolute requirement." He turned to the Devon building. "The current Hoenn Champion is Steven Stone, the heir of the Devon Corporation. He comes from a rich family and could've lived well without ever doing anything."

He grinned. "But he wanted to become someone on his own merits. He worked hard without his family's fortune to become the strongest, and now he stands as the best trainer of the Hoenn region."

Wally listened calmly to Sawyer's words, eyes on the building. His glare turned stern.

Sawyer pointed the fork at Wally again. "You know what? Let's do a challenge."

Wally turned to Sawyer, tilting his head. "What kind of challenge?"

"Let's see who will become the best trainer between us." Sawyer put down the fork, staring at Wally. "We will study hard, learn everything we can, and do our best to become the most famous trainers around."

He extended his hand to Wally. "Are you up to it?"

Wally looked first at Sawyer, then at the hand. He gave him a grin, and shook it with decision.

"Sure, let's see how this will go." Wally sharpened his glare. "I'm not going to let you win, though!"

"That's good, because I won't either." Sawyer grinned even more.

The two boys stared at each other, before laughing and smiling together.

Wally and Sawyer honored their promise in the following weeks, always trying to study and research all they could about Pokémon, both for school and for themselves. Every week or so they met up at the cake shop again, sharing a slice as they compared notes. They wondered what starter Pokémon they would eventually choose, what Roxanne could be planning to teach next, who the best Champion was (Steven was usually the answer, sometimes beaten by Cynthia), and in general enjoying their time together.

Wally started becoming more outgoing too, in spite of his asthma. This worried his parents, but they still allowed him to run around, glad to see their son so happy.

But Wally wasn't doing it just for wanderlust. He had actually a plan in mind: he would've found his own Pokémon, before he could be fifteen. Knowledge was the key of success, and knowing his own starter for years before to start training it would've been a huge advantage against his opponents.

There were only two problems with Wally's plan: first, he had no idea which Pokémon he actually wanted; second, he could afford no Poké Ball, and he studied enough to know he couldn't mark them with his ID without a trainer license.

For the first, he just wanted a good friend, but the second was a big hurdle to. He was thinking to befriend a wild Pokémon and keep it hidden from others, until the day he could actually become a trainer. Potentially risky, but not impossible. He would've thought of the logistics involved later.

Leaving the urban locales of Petalburg City behind and diving back into Route 102, Wally started searching through the tall grass. He kept eyeing around, and then a smile lit up his face.

"Zigzagoon!" the brown and white Normal-type yelped, jumping left and right. He was giving the shoulders to Wally, and hadn't noticed him yet.

Wally grinned, but put a hand in front of his face. He couldn't afford to make a noise if he wanted to approach it. He knew a startled Pokémon could escape or, worse, be dangerous.

He stepped on slowly, covering the distance between them. He was ready to grab him.

Then he started coughing harshly, and Zigzagoon jumped and shoot away. Wally grabbed his inhaler and sighed, observing the Pokémon leave. He rose back up and dusted off his clothes, searching for another patch of grass.

"Hey, looking for Pokémon?"

Wally flinched and turned around: in front of him was a boy, older than him of a few years, dressed in black and red clothes, with a white knit cap over his head. At his side a Marshtomp stood proudly, in spite of the snot coming out of his nose.

Wally took a deep breath, and nodded. "Y-yeah."

"You look a bit too young for that, though," the boy said while observing him.

"I know." Wally rubbed his shoulders, eyeing the ground. "I just wanted to find a good friend for now. I don't plan to travel until I'm fifteen."

"Planning ahead, heh? That's a good thing for a trainer." The boy grinned, pointing a thumb towards himself. "My name is Brendan, from Littleroot Town. What's yours?"

"Wally, from Petalburg City." Wally turned to Marshtomp, smiling. "You are a trainer, right?"

Brendan nodded, rubbing Marshtomp's head. "Yeah, I just visited home and was about to fight Norman. This is my starter, Marshtomp."

Marshtomp beamed and waved his arm at Wally. He giggled, reaching the Pokémon and slowly rubbing his head.

"He seems nice," Wally said. Marshtomp let out some pleased noises in response.

"He can be a bit of an handful at times, but I can manage." Brendan shrugged. He received an elbow on the side for his troubles.

He huffed, rubbing his side and scowling at Marshtomp. "Hey, come on, it's true!"

Marshtomp gave him a look, only to turn the other way and mutter something under his breath. Brendan frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean? You eat those words back, now!" Brendan said.

Trainer and starter met face to face, staring into each other. They seemed ready to get angy at each other, before they both started laughing at once, making peace quickly.

Wally observed the two 'quarrelling' trainers with a jealous smile. That was it, the kind of bond he wanted with his first Pokémon.

Brendan noticed Wally's expression, and approached him.

"Say, you want to find your own Pokémon, right? Then, I think I have an idea."

Wally tilted his head. "Huh?"

"You can use Marshtomp to search for your Pokémon. He's a good enough battler, and fighting a Pokémon is always the best way to catch them." Brendan folded his arms, observing his starter. Marshtomp nodded, and walked in front of Wally.

Wally checked Marshtomp nervously, turning towards Brendan. "Can I really do that?"

"Yes. And then, you can use this." Brendan threw something at Wally, which barely caught it. As the boy saw the Poké Ball in his hands, he flinched.

He looked at it some more, before giving it back. "N-no, I can't accept it."

"I insist. If you want to get your own Pokémon, you might as well catch it properly too." Brendan put it back in Wally's hands.

"Wouldn't catching it in this Ball mean it'd be registered as yours, though?"

"Only nominally. I can set it up as a non-travelling Pokémon and you would be able to use it. The moment you obtain your license, you can simply release it and catch it again."

"I see." A sheepish smile lit up Wally's face. "Thanks a lot."

"You are welcome."

Brendan heard some rustling grass, and grinned as he saw something approaching. "Oh, looks like your enthusiasm has attracted a Pokémon here."

Wally and Marshtomp turned around, seeing a Pokémon leaving the grass. It had a short, humanoid white body, with a green bowl cut covering its eyes and a red horn on its forehead. Wally gave a puzzled look to it.

"Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon. It rarely tends to show itself to humans, unless said humans happen to be very joyful and happy. This one is male, and also happens to look astonishingly appropriate for the kid over there," a voice said from nowhere.

Confused, Wally looked around in search of who spoke.

"Sorry, my Pokédex." Brendan took out a red device, rubbing his neck. He then looked at the Ralts again. "That Pokémon seems interested in you, though."

Wally looked at Ralts, kneeling at his height. The Ralts raised his head, letting his big violet eyes come into view.

"Are you... a trainer?" a child-like voice asked.

"Huh?" Wally turned to the Pokédex again, only to see it being silent. Brendan shook his head, and Wally faced the Ralts again. Could it be...?

The Pokémon nodded. "It's me, the Ralts. I am able to use telepathy to speak to humans."

"I see." Wally smiled. He then looked up. "I'm not a trainer. I wish to be one in the future, however."

"I understand. Ever since I hatched, I always wanted to go on a journey with another trainer, but everyone going through this route is always filled with bad thoughts and stress. You don't." Ralts pointed at him. "I want to join you."

Wally flinched, confused. Then he beamed. This was too good to be true.

"However, since you want to be a trainer..." Ralts took a battle stance. "I think it's custom among trainers to fight wild Pokémon before catching them. Correct?"

Wally grinned. "Correct."

"Tackle, Water Gun, Mud Shot. Have fun." Brendan folded his arms, glancing at Wally and Marshtomp.

Wally pointed onward, firmly. "Marshtomp, Water Gun!"

As the spray of water was fired, Ralts disappeared from view. The water missed the target.

"What?" Wally looked around, until they saw Ralts coming out of the tall grass.

Brendan's Pokédex activated again. "That Ralts can use Teleport. Usually, Teleport users try to get as far away from the opponent as possible. For reasons that will obviously be relevant at some point, this Ralts is not doing that."

"Hm." Wally stared at Ralts, considering his options. "Marshtomp, Tackle!"

Marshtomp rushed towards Ralts, only for a blue outline to surround him, bringing him off the ground and blocking him.

"Confusion, at once one of the weakest Psychic moves and one of the most annoying. It grabs you and keeps inflicting damage while you can do nothing. Unless by some miracle Ralts decides not to spam it over and over, Marshtomp is done for."

Brendan observed the battle silently while Wally rubbed his chin, Marshtomp trying to break free. He was trying to think of something, but he had no idea how to get out of that situation.

The problem solved itself however when Ralts dragged Marshtomp closer to him, dispelling the Confusion. He went at him and slapped him continuously, strong enough to blow Marshtomp on the ground. Ralts grinned, crooking his hand at Wally.

Everyone stared in confusion. Even the Pokédex seemed stunned. "That Ralts... wasn't actually using moves now. An approximation of Close Combat? This is a weird character quirk. Must investigate further."

Wally shook his head, pointing his palm onward. "Uhm, Water Gun!"

Marshtomp fired another sprout of water. Ralts teleported behind him, held him with Confusion, and threw him away again.

"Tackle!"

Marshtomp tried to rush at Ralts. The same outcome repeated once more.

Wally bit his lip. Then, an idea struck him.

"Marshtomp, use Mud Shot!"

Marshtomp fired the mud. Ralts teleported to the side, and the mud fell on the ground.

Wally frowned. "Marshtomp, keep trying to hit Ralts! Don't stop!"

Ralts kept teleporting away, as Marshtomp fired the mud all around him. Wally just observed the battlers and the battlefield, waiting for the right moment.

And when it arrived, he grinned. "Marshtomp, now! Water Gun!"

Ralts replied to the water sprout by teleporting once more to Marshtomp's back; as Ralts appeared, though, he slipped face-first on the mud. He tries rising up, only to slip again.

Brendan observed the muddy terrain all around Marshtomp, chuckling. With so much mud, Ralts had way less room to teleport now.

Wally pointed onward once more. "Again, Water Gun!"

Ralts tried teleporting again, but the mud slowed him down. The water sprout sent him crashing on a tree, strong enough to make him yell.

The Pokémon rubbed his head, only to raise it enough to show off his eyes again. He sent Wally a grin. "Impressive. Really impressive."

Wally smiled back. "Thanks."

He looked at the empty Poké Ball in his hand with a determined look, gripped it tightly, and threw it towards Ralts.

Ralts entered the Ball. Falling on the ground, it moved once, twice, thrice. Wally tensed up. Then, the capture noise went off.

Wally beamed as he grabbed the Poké Ball, holding it skyward. "Yes! I caught Ralts!"

Marshtomp raised his arms joyfully, a big smile on his face as well.

Brendan closed his eyes, smirking as he approached Wally. "You really are good at Pokémon fighting. I'd not mind battling you, actually."

"Really?" Wally stared at Brendan.

"Yeah, though you'd need to train a bit your Pokémon first." As Marshtomp went back to Brendan, he folded his arms and looked straight at Wally. "Let's have a battle once you are a trainer, my starter against yours. What do you think?"

Wally nodded firmly. "Alright!"

"Great." Brendan smiled again. "I will look forward to it."

Brendan and Marshtomp left, waving at Wally. Once the two left, Wally turned back to the Poké Ball, glancing at it happily. He trotted back to Petalburg, ready to bring the news.

While confused at the beginning, Wally's parents accepted Ralts' presence rather easily. His ability to help with chores with psychic moves and the fact Wally seemed rather happy to be with him might've probably contributed to that.

Wally brought Ralts everywhere he could, spending all his time with him: the only exception was when he had to follow lessons at school, and even then he made sure to always keep his Poké Ball close. He even kept him around when he and Sawyer studied together, at the cake shop that was now their local hangout.

Sawyer stopped his work on the Casey Snagem essay, eyeing Ralts at Wally's side. "I still can't believe that you got a Ralts, of all Pokémon."

"I was just as surprised." Wally rubbed Ralts' head. "But it's nice to have one already."

Sawyer sighed, smiling at his friend. "Guess that puts you over me in a way." He then smirked, pointing the pen at them. "But don't worry, once I have my starter, I will recover your advantage!"

Ralts folded his arms and looked up, grinned as he stared into Sawyer. "Heh, we will see. I'm ready to kick the ass of any Mudkip, Torchic or Treecko in my way!"

"Uhm, speaking of." Wally blinked, giving Ralts a quizzical look. "Why do you use so many physical moves? I thought your evolutionary line was first and foremost a Psychic-type one."

"I know, I know." Ralts groaned; he put his forearms on the table, holding his cheeks. "All the other Ralts around me told me to stop, that I will eventually become a Gardevoir as I grow older and all that jazz. But I don't want that."

"Why, though?"

"Because Psychic-type moves are boring!" Ralts slammed his hands on the table, glaring to the ceiling. "Just Confusion is terribly annoying. It blocks you and you can't do anything! Where's the challenge, the thrill of battle?"

He raised a fist to the sky. "I want to fight all of my opponents hand-on-hand, and win! I don't care if that's not what Gardevoir do!"

Wally kept looking at his Ralts, and a smile formed on his face. In a way, Ralts was also fighting against his own limits.

He put a hand on Ralts' shoulder, and looked straight at him. "I will help you with that, then."

Ralts glanced back at his trainer, his scarlet eyes showing his confusion. Then, he smiled as well. "Thanks."

Sawyer observed them, focusing on Ralts. Then, he remembered something.

"Uhm." He opened his school bag, looking for the right book. "Ralts, you are a boy, right?"

"Yes. Not all the Gardevoir line is made of girls, you know." Ralts rolled his eyes at Sawyer.

"No, that's not what I wanted to say." Sawyer found the book and opened it, turning it in Wally and Ralts' direction. "Your line actually has a split evolution. Didn't you know?"

Trainer and Pokémon observed the page. It showed a Pokémon looking rather similar to a Gardevoir, yet also different: while Gardevoir looked slender and graceful, this Pokémon seemed far more battle-ready, with its arms almost resembling blades.

Ralts faced Sawyer, confused. "Wait, I can evolve into this?"

"Yeah. It's called Gallade, and it's a Psychic/Fighting-type."

At the mention of Fighting, Ralts' jaw dropped. He stared at the image more intently. Wally did the same.

Sawyer pointed to some lines of the book. "The only thing you need is to come in contact with a Dawn Stone after evolving into Kirlia, and it's male-exclusive."

"This sounds too great to be true. Where's the catch?" Ralts sent a skeptical look.

Sawyer rubbed his neck, looking at Ralts uneasily. "Well, Dawn Stones are pretty rare, and they tend to sell for rather lofty prices on specialized markets."

Ralts narrowed his eyes and Sawyer, sighing and slumping on his chair. "Figures. Guess I'm stuck as a stupid Gardevoir."

Wally shook his head, giving Ralts a serious look.

"No. I will make sure you can evolve into a Gallade," he said.

Ralts turned to Wally, eyes widened. "Really?"

"I think I said I would help you, didn't I?" Wally smiled, arms akimbo.

Ralts kept looking at Wally, his eyes becoming watery for a second. He rubbed them, and beamed at his trainer.

"Oh, Wally!" Ralts said as he tackled Wally into a hug; Wally giggled, and hugged him back. Sawyer chuckled happily before they all returned to work on the essay.

With a Pokémon of his own, a friend and rival to improve with, and studies going well, things couldn't have gone better for Wally.

Thus, they soon took a turn for the worst.

Wally's asthma had always been a problem to an extent, but it usually never turned into something he couldn't live with. That is, until the day it worsened.

He was spending more and more time on Rustboro to study, and the city was proving rather harmful to his health. He coughed more often, and constantly needed his inhaler. And since Petalburg and Rustboro weren't helping his condition, his parents decided to send him to live at his uncle's house, in Verdanturf Town.

Wally would've protested, but he understood that he needed to do that to live. He had to leave the Trainer School, begging farewell to Sawyer and his other classmates, and moved away from everything he knew with only his Ralts.

Verdanturf Town was a lovely place, at least. A bit in the middle of nowhere, but the air was clean, the people around him friendly, and also a Contest Hall in case he was in need of excitement. Mauville City was also just a short distance away, and once the Rusturf Tunnel would've been finished, so would've Rustboro. Every day, Wally mentally counted the days to the tunnel's prospective end work date, so he could've tried to resume his studies.

Wally spent his time mostly on the nearby Route, training alongside Ralts a short distance from Verdanturf. If anything, they could've at least managed to win a Non-Travelling Trainer Battle at either Rustboro or Mauville Gyms once he got his license.

The rest of his time was spent listening to the BuzzNav, specifically the latest news on trainers. Brendan ended up there often, and that made Wally smile: he was doing rather great, having just won the Fallarbor Town's Gym badge. The crew of the program, the famous reporters Gabby and Ty, even managed to get an interview arranged with him.

"You are taking Hoenn by storm! This is your fourth badge in two months!" Gabby said, pointing her microphone to Brendan. He was surrounded by a Swampert, a Mightyena, a Kirlia, a Delcatty, a Milotic and a Castform.

Brendan smiled as the Swampert rubbed his head on his shoulder. "I just try my best with all my Pokémon."

"We can definitely tell they trust you. With halfway to go for you to have enough badges to qualify for the Ever Grande Conference, do you already have plans for what you will do later?"

Brendan rubbed his neck. "Actually, not yet. I've got a side-job in Littleroot I'd like to keep up with, but I was also thinking of travelling to Unova or Kalos. I've heard their Leagues can be particularly competitive."

"Quite the challenge-seeker, heh? Well, we hope you good luck on your future endeavors!"

As the interview ended, Wally stared at the screen, going pale as his mind blanked. Ralts received Wally's emotions, and got closer to him.

"Hey, don't be afraid. It's just a possibility, it doesn't mean he will actually leave Hoenn," Ralts said, forcing a smile and rubbing his arm.

Wally didn't seem to hear Ralts, still staring at his PokéNav. He still needed time to be eligible for his license, and by then Brendan would've definitely took part in the Ever Grande Conference. With his health, long-distance travel was out of the question, and if Brendan was really planning to go so far for his next League challenge, he would've probably forgot about their promised battle. The same battle Wally was training hard to live up to.

He clenched his fists and glared at the wall. He couldn't allow it to happen. He was tired of life giving him the short end of the stick.

At his side, Ralts gulped while observing Wally.

It took a lot of prodding to his uncle and parents, but in the end Wally managed to get permission to go to Rustboro for a day, through the now-finished Rusturf Tunnel. His health had improved considerably and he was a responsible kid, so they figured there would've been no problem. He managed to arrange a meeting with Sawyer, and the two friends reunited shortly after.

"It's nice to see you again, Wally. You look pretty healthy!" Sawyer said, walking alongside Wally and Ralts through Rustboro City's main street.

"Thanks, you also seem to be doing great." Wally rubbed his neck, looking at his friend.

"Yeah, we've been studying the benefits of the Ability Mega Launcher recently. Lots of experience points!" Sawyer grinned, only to turn his eyes downward. "Though I won't lie, without you school has gotten pretty boring. I miss when we tried to one-up each other constantly."

"Same here." Wally sighed. Then, he smiled. "I'm still going to make good on our bet, though!"

"That's what I wanted to hear!" Sawyer smiled back.

Wally took a deep breath, staring at Sawyer. "Though, there was something I wanted to ask you."

"Sure, what is it?"

Wally gulped. "Can you give me your notebook?"

"Huh?" Sawyer glanced at his pocket, then back at Wally. "What for?"

"Well, I don't have much to study in Verdanturf, and I'd like to see what you learned of new in class." Wally rubbed his neck.

"Uhm." Sawyer grabbed his notebook, observing it intently. Then, he smiled and offered it to Wally. "Sure, you can keep it as much as you need it."

Wally took the notebook, gripping it tightly. "Thanks, I will take good care of it."

"I'm sure you will." Sawyer smiled.

His eyes then caught a clock behind Wally, and Sawyer jumped on his feet. "Gah! I'm late! My parents wanted me home ten minutes ago!"

He quickly turned around, saluting his friend. "I can't make them wait, sorry! Have a good return trip!"

Wally silently saluted Sawyer until he left his view. He sighed, looking back at his friend's notebook.

Ralts sent him a worried glance as he received Wally's emotions. "If you wanted to tell him the truth so badly, then why you didn't?"

Wally clenched his fists. "He can't know, nobody can. Nobody needs to worry over me."

He observed the notebook again. "Sawyer was always smarter than me. I'm sure he has written more here than I studied so far. We will need all the knowledge we need for our journey."

"We are going to do it, then?"

"We are." Wally stared at Route 105 on the distance.

Ralts crossed his arms. "You could've at least told Sawyer he will never see his notebook again."

"He will. I will make sure to return it, no matter what happens." Wally clutched the notebook, pocketing it.

He then started coughing harshly, forcing him to grab the inhaler and use it.

Ralts would've said something, but Wally's emotions made him decide otherwise. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Why did his trainer have to lie to himself like that?

Meteor Falls would've probably been a nice place to visit, if it weren't for the endless colonies of Zubat trying to suck Ralts and Wally's blood off their veins. Thanks to Ralts deciding to ease up on Confusion however they managed to find the exit in just a few minutes. They would've probably enjoyed the sight of the cave more if Ralts hadn't felt some rather hostile presence keeping an eye on them.

Once the duo finally left the cave, they both fell down one of the craters of Route 114, heart racing and sweat on their faces.

Wally coughed and used his inhaler, taking a deep breath afterwards. "Whew. That was something."

"I think I'm gonna have a headache for days. Now I get why they called it Confusion..." Ralts rubbed his forehead, frowning.

Wally chuckled, and his eyes drifted to the darkness around them. He had never been out so late, especially not away from any city. He tensed up, another cough escaping him.

Ralts received the emotions, and stared at his trainer. "Hey, if you are having second thoughts, that's fine. We can still go back, and the worst you'd get would be a nice scolding."

Wally sighed as he steadied his breath. He lost himself in thoughts, until he looked up at the sky. He smiled, and Ralts gave him a puzzled glance.

Wally turned to Ralts. "I've never seen so many stars before. Petalburg and Rustboro usually have too many lights on for that."

Ralts blinked, glancing upward as well. The sky was littered with stars, all shining brightly over them. He stared at them, mouth agape.

He faced Wally again. "You humans divide them in 'constellations', right? How does that work?"

"Well, we mostly group together for how they look like." Wally pointed at some stars. "See? That one is the Milotic constellation."

Ralts squinted his eyes, then raised an eyebrow. "What? That barely looks like one!"

"It must have for someone." Wally chuckled.

Ralts and Wally spent the rest of the night stargazing, talking of the stars and themselves, drifting into sleep before realizing it.

Fallarbor Town was a quiet, unassuming place: large enough to be a well-known travelling spot yet small enough to be welcoming, and not particularly crowded.

Wally adjusted his clothes as he paced through the streets, Ralts at his side. His eyes were darting in every direction, paying attention to anything. He couldn't allow himself to stand out: by that point they were likely already starting to search for him, and any indication of where he was would've meant less chances to reach Brendan before he ended his journey through Hoenn. He coughed a couple times and used the inhaler once more, trying to keep calm.

"Hey!"

Wally flinched, almost losing hold of the inhaler. He turned around, seeing a young boy just a few years older than him. He waved, approaching Wally.

Wally gulped. "Y-yes?"

"Is that Ralts yours?" the boy asked, looking at the Pokémon. He hid closer to Wally's leg.

Wally nodded. "M-mhm."

The boy smiled, grabbing a Poké Ball. "Want to fight, then? I was looking for someone to test my Sandshrew with."

Wally blinked twice. He then nodded again, and the match began.

The battle itself was quite short, with Ralts avoiding all of Sandshrew's attacks and defeating it with Confusion and a couple of kicks. The other boy sighed, recalling his Sandshrew.

"Looks like we still have some training to do. Thanks for the help." He offered his hand to Wally.

Wally smiled, shaking it. "You're welcome."

"I didn't expect you to be so strong. You don't even look fifteen." The boy smiled, hands behind his head.

Wally looked at him, then understood. He rubbed his neck, glancing the other way.

"I am k-kinda short for my age," he said.

"Makes sense." He turned away. "Do you need directions for the Pokémon Center?"

"Yes, please."

The boy accompanied Wally to the Pokémon Center, and then they parted ways. Once in the building, Wally realized a few things.

As long as he didn't state his age, people were likely to assume he was a young-looking fifteen years old. He didn't like to lie, but he had to. And as long as people assume he could be a trainer, he could access Pokémon Centers and other services, maybe even take part in small time tournaments. Wally quickly discarded that idea, though: just because he would be able to fool a few people didn't mean he could try his luck too much. He had to be careful.

He opened the BuzzNav and listened to the news: as he expected, Brendan was the daily topic again. This time, he was heading towards Fortree City for his sixth badge. Once Ralts was healed, Wally closed the PokéNav Plus and left Fallarbor right away, directed to Fortree City.

Route 113 was Wally's worst nightmare. Volcanic ash fell from Mt. Chimney like snowflakes, coating everything in a gray hue. Any breath taken had a healthy dose of cinder in it.

Wally tried to cover his mouth, but midway through the path he fell on his knees, coughing harshly. Ralts rushed at his side, startled.

"Wally! Breath slowly!" Ralts said, hands on Wally's shoulders.

Wally tried to stay calm, searching for his inhaler. And when his pocket turned to be empty, he paled.

Ralts flinched as well, eyeing the ground. The ash covered everything uniformly, and if the inhaler was there, it definitely was well-hidden. Ralts tensed up, looking back to Wally. The coughing worsened as the boy held his throat.

Feeling his distress, Ralts gulped. He had to do something quickly. And since he didn't have time to search the inhaler, he had to heal Wally himself.

Ralts concentrated his psychic powers on Wally, the blue aura of Confusion outlining him. He had to try to remove the ash from his lungs. His psychic powers weren't the best, but it was the best idea he had.

He focused and pulled slowly, concentrating on the ash. In spite of his attempts he couldn't remove it, and all the while Wally coughed even more.

Ralts frowned, focusing even harder. He had to help Wally. He had to heal Wally. He had to-

Instantly, Ralts turned his hands to Wally, and a multicolored ray shot from Ralts to Wally. It stopped two seconds later, and so did Wally's coughing. They both stared at each other, blinking.

"Huh." Ralts approached Wally, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you feeling better, Wally?"

"Y-yeah." Wally nodded. "What was that?"

Ralts shrugged. "I dunno. I just wanted to help you, and then it happened."

Wally gave Ralts a quizzical look, before a thought crossed his mind. He opened his bag and grabbed Sawyer's notebook, going through the attack pages.

He smiled and turned the notebook to Ralts. "That's it! It's Heal Pulse!"

"Heal Pulse?" Ralts tilted his head.

"It's a move that heals the target. It's not normally used in battle aside from doubles and triples, but it's used often by medical Pokémon-"

Wally started coughing again. Ralts flinched, only to eye the ash falling over them.

Ralts frowned, grabbing Wally's arm. "Let's leave the explanations for later."

Wally agreed, and the duo shot as far away from the ash as possible.

Once they reached an ash-less area, Wally and Ralts found a quiet patch of land and started training some more. With the inhaler lost, Ralts started quickly using Heal Pulse whenever Wally started coughing too harshly, and that gave them even more time to focus on honing Ralts' skills, with moves and without. They kept going for hours, until the sun set and the stars shone above them once more.

Wally smiled proudly as Ralts' Disarming Voice destroyed a nearby tree, giving him a thumbs up.

"Good job, Ralts! I'm sure we will be ready for... the battle with Brendan..." Wally yawned, stretching his arms.

Ralts turned to him. "You should sleep. It's getting late."

"But-"

Ralts put his arms akimbo, scowling. "But nothing. If you don't rest, tomorrow you won't be able to do anything."

Wally tried to reply, only to sigh and nod. "Alright." He laid on the ground and closed his eyes, under a tree's shadow. "Wake me up in a few hours so I can keep guard."

"Sure. Rest well."

Ralts observed Wally as he started snoring loudly not even five minutes later. Ralts took enough distance from Wally to not disturb him, and started hitting the air with various punches and kicks. Wally needed to sleep, and he needed to become even stronger, mentally and physically. Wally depended on him for his health and his dream, and he couldn't allow himself to slack off. He absolutely couldn't.

His training was short-lived however, as a voice called him.

"You!"

"Huh?" Ralts turned around, seeing a large gathering of Geodude staring at him.

The one in the front, slightly bigger than usual, pointed at him. "You and that human aren't welcome in our territory. Go away now, if you want to live."

Ralts stared at them. He grinned and cracked his fists.

"Good. I needed some punching balls!"

Wally slowly opened his eyes as the sun rose. He rubbed his face and held his head, only to jolt awake as he realized it was morning. He glanced down and sighed, searching for Ralts to apologize. Then he noticed Ralts was nowhere to be found.

He got on his feet, searching around. "Ralts? Where are you?"

"Oh, good morning Wally!"

Wally widened his eyes as he was welcomed by the sight of his Ralts with large bags under his eyes and dragging two unconscious Geodude behind him, throwing them in a large pile of their kind.

"What happened?" He asked, eyeing the pile.

Ralts folded his arms, smirking. "Nothing much, I just kicked Geodude's asses all night. I got lots of training done!"

"I see, but I think you should rest now. You look terrible." Wally said, gulping.

Ralts frowned, walking onward. "Sleep is for the weak! Now come on, we have a lot of Route 111 to go through-"

The Pokémon fell face-first on the floor one second later. Wally blinked, then fetched him in his arms and sat under a tree, letting him rest. They could afford some hours before proceeding.

Wally squinted his eyes and rubbed them, the sand making it hard to see. They were halfway through the desert that made out most of Route 111, and the hard trek was only made worse by the frequent sandstorms blowing Wally and Ralts' way.

He took a sip out of his canteen, a gift from a kind family living in the desert, and kept going on. According to the PokéNav Plus, the desert's border was going to come in view soon.

Wally then fell on the ground, feeling sand in his lungs as he coughed harsher than usual. Ralts frowned, sending a Heal Pulse Wally's way.

The boy rose up again, smiling at Ralts. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Ralts said, nodding.

The two walked on again. Ralts felt Wally's emotions, and frowned in his direction. Wally was too frail to make it alone: his trainer needed his help, and he was ready to give it.

It was then that Ralts sensed an incoming Psybeam, throwing Wally on the ground right before it hit him. He frowned and turned around, seeing many Baltoy approaching them.

Ralts moved on, pointing at Wally. "Stay behind, I'm dealing with them."

"Wait-"

Ralts didn't listen, and threw himself at the Baltoy. He focused his powers and Confusion outlined them, not seeing their bodies glow slightly beforehand. He tried harming the Baltoy, only for them to appear unharmed.

The Confusion dispelled, and Ralts frowned. All the Baltoy raised their arms, forming a large amount of rocks above them and throwing them all at Ralts.

Ralts flinched and teleported away, sighing in relief. Then, a series of silver energy balls hit him and he crashed on a nearby rock.

"Ralts!" Wally yelled.

Ralts slowly got up, holding his head. He turned up to see the Baltoy preparing other moves, each one looking stronger than before. He frowned.

"Heh, silly me." Ralts sighed, shaking his head. "Should've known I wasn't strong enough."

He closed his eyes as the horde of Baltoy readied their next attacks.

'Sorry, Wally.'

The attacks never came, though, instead feeling a splash of water and endless determination. He opened his eyes, seeing other water being thrown towards the Baltoy. The Pokémon horde flinched at once, then backtracked away quickly.

Ralts blinked, until he felt two arms grabbing him. He turned to see Wally frowning at him.

"Are you alright?" Wally asked, checking Ralts' body.

"Y-yeah." Ralts nodded. His glance turned to the water as the sand absorbed it. "What did you do?"

Wally rubbed his neck, holding his canteen. "Well, Baltoy is a Ground-type Pokémon, so I thought throwing water at them would've scared them into leaving."

"That was a stupid idea." Ralts stared.

"But it worked." Wally smiled, hugging Ralts. "Plus, I couldn't let you be hurt by them. You are my friend."

Ralts stood still, thinking up about Wally's words. Then, he felt the incredible urge to punch himself, grinning. Wally was ill, sure, but he was far from weak. He chuckled at himself, and hugged Wally back.

The moment was ruined by a patch of sand moving, revealing a large amount of Cacnea right in front of them. Trainer and Pokémon stood, gulped, and looked at each other.

"For the record, I'm Tracing Water Absorb from these guys."

"Strategic retreat?"

"Yep."

Wally and Ralts ran away as far as their legs could take them as the army of Cacnea chased them off the desert.

Wally was relieved that Mauville City was one of the busiest and biggest cities in all of Hoenn, with lots of people walking the streets no matter the time of day. As long as he looked inconspicous enough nobody would've remembered him, and he was way too close to Verdanturf Town to take any risks.

He adjusted his jacket and walked closer to walls, with Ralts at his side. He eyed around and behind him, seeing no one.

"Wally, calm down. The more you act jumpy, the more you will stand out."

Wally sighed. "I know. Sorry."

"No worries." Ralts glanced his surroundings. "Why are we still here, anyway? Route 118 is right behind the corner."

Wally did the same. "There's something I must check. I've heard some trainers talk of a place that gave out elemental stones."

"Did I just hear, 'Elemental Stones'? Because you are in the right place, kid!"

Wally turned around, finding himself in front of a man dressed in a white robe with blue hair, flashing a grin and waving at him from the entrance of a shop.

"Please, come inside!" the man said, crooking his hand.

Wally tensed up for a second, only to relax and move inside. The shop itself wasn't particularly remarkable: it was a modest room with a counter, a battlefield in the middle, and a curtain right next to it.

The man raised his arms, his grin widening. "Welcome to the Inverse Battle Shop! I, the Proprietor Inver, welcome you here, the place that proves anything you know of battling is wrong, and challenges the very basics of Pokémon battle! Where scissor cuts rock, and where rock crumbles paper!"

"Inverse Battles?" Wally blinked.

"Exactly! One of Mauville City's most unique challenges!" Inver folded his arms. "You can't truly deem yourself a master of Pokémon battles until you try one! And depending on your performance, you get to win one of these!"

Inver pointed at a nearby display, with neatly rowed Berries, Rare Candies, and Elemental Stones. And when their eyes laid down on a round, shiny blue one, Wally and Ralts flinched.

"So, do you want to try your hand at Inverse battling?" Inver asked, still smiling.

Wally turned to him and pumped his fists. "Yes!"

"Great choice! You won't regret it!" Inver said, pointing to the battlefield. "Get ready, I will prepare the settings!"

Wally nodded, and Inver walked behind the curtain. Wally moved towards the battlefield, taking place on one of the halves.

Ralts turned to a nearby sign. "Uhm, shouldn't we look up the rules first?"

"We don't have time. We need to be quick." Wally gave a determined glance. "And I know we will do it."

"If you say so."

Less than ten seconds later, Inver returned with a Poké Ball in hand.

"The settings are ready! You will be sure to be amazed!" Inver threw the Ball and caught it in mid-air, pointing it at Wally. "I expect a fun match!"

"So do I." Wally smiled, only to cough. Ralts sent a sneaky Heal Pulse his way.

The two trainers observed each other. Then, they both sent their Pokémon.

"Your time to shine, Kecleon!"

"Go, Ralts!"

Ralts fretted to the battleground as the chameleon Pokémon appeared, sharing a matching grin.

Inver pointed onward. "Kecleon, Slash!"

"Ralts, Teleport!"

Ralts disappeared as Kecleon slashed at him, reappearing at its back.

"Feint Attack!"

Kecleon's body took a dark tint as it disappeared, reappearing behind Ralts himself as it punched him to the ground.

"Huh?" Wally frowned.

Ralts stood up again, glaring at Kecleon. "It has Protean, its type will change according to the move it will use right after."

"Hm, so it's a Dark-type now." Wally ran type compatibilities, then pointed his palm. "Ralts, Disarming Voice!"

Ralts let out a shrill melody at the now Dark-type. It didn't even flinch, and both Ralts and Wally widened their eyes.

"What?" Wally asked. Did that Kecleon have Weakness Policy or another advanced item? Maybe a damage-reducing Berry?

Inver chuckled. "Now Kecleon, Brick Break!"

Kecleon glowed orange as he dashed at Ralts, punching him in the stomach. Ralts crashed on the wall, cracking it heavily.

"Ralts!" Wally yelled. Ralts slowly rose, rubbing his belly and groaning.

Wally faced Inver. "I don't get it, that's a Fighting-type move, it can't be this powerful."

"This, my friend, is the absolute power of Inverse Battles." Inver spread his arms at the side, and his Kecleon did the same. "Supereffective becomes not very effective! Immunities turn into weak points! This is the challenge that goes against everything trainers take for granted!"

Kecleon flaunted itself, mimicking Inver's movements. Wally stared at both, biting his lip. Maybe he should've really read the rules.

He turned to Ralts as he walked back to the arena. "Can you still go on?"

"We have to win, right?" Ralts grinned, taking a battle stance. "No way I'm giving up."

Wally smiled, turning back to Kecleon. With the moves he used, he could've become Normal-type, Dark-type or Fighting-type, and he still had at least one move to show. He and Ralts stood on the ready, waiting for Inver's move.

After a few seconds, Inver punched on. "Kecleon, Feint Attack!"

Ralts teleported away as Kecleon disappeared, the chameleon's punch meeting the air.

Wally ran compatibilities again, this time in reverse. "Ralts, Confusion! Use it properly!"

Ralts muttered something under his breath as he outlined and dragged upwards Kecleon, keeping it there as he slowly damaged him.

"Psybeam!" Inver said.

Kecleon flashed neon pink and shoot a beam from his arms, shattering the Confusion and blasting Ralts away for supereffective damage.

"Darn." Wally balled his fists. With Kecleon being able to turn Psychic, he had only two types he could hit for good damage, and the window of opportunity was way too small. He had to force Inver to use the attacks, but he needed to gain an advantage first.

"Kecleon, Feint Attack!"

"Teleport away!"

Ralts avoided Kecleon's attack once more, teleporting to safety. Wally raised a fist. This was their chance!

"Ralts, Confusion!"

Ralts outlined and dragged Kecleon upwards again, hitting it constantly.

Inver shrugged. "Didn't you learn from earlier? Kecleon, Psybeam!"

"Ralts, Teleport! Keep Confusion up!"

Ralts moved away as he narrowly avoided the beam, keeping Kecleon suspended as the damage piled up. Wally smirked.

Inver smiled. "Brick Break!"

Kecleon shattered the outline with a punch, reaching for Ralts and reading his fist again. Wally winced, expecting the worst.

Then Ralts caught the punch, and Kecleon and the trainers stared wide-eyed.

Ralts looked at Kecleon with his scarlet eyes, flashing a grin. "You think this was going to be the end? We didn't even get started."

He then glowed, as his body grew taller. Wally widened his eyes, and they only widened further as his 'Ralts' now looked like a ballerina, his eyes in full view now.

"Ralts! You evolved!" Wally beamed.

"It's Kirlia now." Kirlia grinned, facing Kecleon. "Let's get back to business."

Kirlia used Disarming Voice again: instead of a shrill sound, however, Kirlia glowed light grey before letting out a powerful cry, blowing Kecleon to the wall.

Kirlia looked at his hands in confusion, while Wally quickly checked through Sawyer's notebook, on the Moves section.

Wally found the page, and he beamed again. "That was Hyper Voice! You learned it!"

Kirlia grinned as well, staring down Kecleon as he got back up.

"Psybeam!" Inver said; Kecleon fired the beam instantly.

Kirlia didn't manage to teleport away and shielded himself, only for the attack to just slightly knock him back. Inver and Wally both tilted their heads.

"Huh? It wasn't supereffective?" Wally asked, looking at Kirlia. Then, he understood. "That's right, Kirlia's ability is Trace! He has Protean too now!"

Wally smiled, only to turn serious right away. Protean was an useful tool, but it wouldn't win the match for him. He needed to be careful, and plan out well.

"Confusion!"

Kecleon was outlined and dragged upwards again.

"Brick Break!"

It shattered the Confusion with a punch, dashing towards Kirlia again.

"Hyper Voice!"

The punch only hurt half as much, and Kecleon was blown away once more.

"Not bad, you are learning fast." Inver smiled, extending his arms at the sides. "But the fun's just getting started! Kecleon, Slash!"

"Teleport!"

Kirlia disappeared, and the slash hit nothing.

"Feint Attack!"

Kecleon disappeared too, and Kirlia dodged the punch.

"Confusion!"

Kecleon was outlined, and couldn't move once more. Inver pointed on ready to order a Psybeam, only to hesitate. That was exactly what Wally wanted. He sweated.

Wally grinned, and Kirlia threw Kecleon on the ground, cracking the battlefield. He then grabbed it again and crashed it down again. And again. And again.

Inver frowned. "Brick Break!"

Kecleon shattered the outline, going for Kirlia yet again.

"Hyper Voice!"

Kirlia cried at Kecleon's face, and Kecleon met the wall.

Wally pointed one last time. "And now, Confusion! Your style!"

Kirlia outlined Kecleon and dragged him through the floor and close to him. Once there, Kirlia broke the Confusion and kicked Kecleon in the face, sending him a couple feet away, knocked out.

Wally and Kirlia ran towards the other with matching grins, sharing an high-five.

Inver stood there puzzled, then smiled and pointed his Poké Ball to Kecleon, returning him. He rubbed the Poké Ball. "You did well."

He then turned to Wally, pointing at him. "And you, instead, are absolutely incredible! You truly understood the concept of Inverse Battles!" He put a hand inside the display, grabbing something. "You are more than deserving of this prize!"

He threw Wally's reward at him: the kid caught it, and Wally and Kirlia beamed at once as they saw the Dawn Stone in their hands.

"Thank you!" Wally said as he pocketed it.

Inver extended his arms again. "You are welcome! If you ever pass through Mauville again, feel free to come here again!"

Wally nodded. "Will do."

Inver and Wally saluted each other, and Wally and Kirlia left the shop, walking back through Mauville's main street.

Kirlia held his head, groaning. "Let's not do that ever again. Fighting-type moves shouldn't hurt that much."

"What about the thrill of battle and everything else?" Wally gave him a sassy look.

"Well, excuse me if I like to keep an advantage if possible."

Wally giggled, then turned back to the street. He then paled, seeing a nearby sign with 'To Verdanturf Town' written on it. His body tensed up, and several coughs escaped him.

Kirlia grabbed his hand, looking back to the road to their second home. "Do you want to return? We already did a lot. We got enough of a taste of the journey. I'm sure Brendan will remember the promise."

Wally seemed to consider the option, until his glare sharpened and he shook his head.

"No." He held a fist close to his heart. "We can do it. We can overcome anything together."

He turned around, walking the other way. "Let's go, Route 118 is just ahead."

As he went on and coughed several times, Kirlia shook his head and followed his trainer.

Kirlia glared at Wally. "We aren't going that way."

"It's the fastest way to reach the other side." Wally stared at the other end of the bay.

Route 118 was well-known for its large inlet: travelling from Mauville City and Fortree City often forced trainers to take a long detour through the patch of land around it, unless they were lucky or prepared enough to have a Pokémon able to carry them to the other side by water. Wally fit neither category, but he did find a part of the inlet where the other patch of land wasn't as distant as the rest.

"What if there are Tentacool in the water? Do you realize the risks of swimming without a Pokémon?"

"I have you, and that's all I need." Wally smiled, taking off his clothes and putting them on his bag.

Kirlia grumbled but kept following Wally, as he observed the opposite patch of land. He took a deep breath: it wasn't too distant, and swim helped with asthma anyway.

He focused on the water, then dove right in, Kirlia doing the same. After suppressing a yell for the freezing water, he swam towards the other side, focusing on it.

Nothing wrong was happening, and the two quickened their pace. As Kirlia swam a bit further and kept his guard up, Wally thought things were going to be fine.

Then, his body stiffened, and felt his energies leave him. He tried to move further, only to not be able to do anything. He tried calling for help, but only coughs escaped him. Soon after, he fell towards the seafloor.

As Kirlia received Wally's distress, his trainer was already underwater. He quickly dove in, searching for Wally: after finding him, he swam in his direction and tried pulling him to the surface, only to have no strength to do so. He kept trying, swimming as much as he could. Then, he saw some Tentacool surrounding them.

He tried gripping Wally closer as he swam upward, only for the Tentacool to try grabbing him with their tentacles. He barely avoided them and blasted them behind with short Confusion bursts, but the Tentacool kept coming at them. All while Wally kept feeling heavier.

Kirlia grinded his teeth. He had to do something, and quick, but he wasn't strong enough to fend off all the Tentacool.

Then, noticed Wally's bag. He grinned and put a hand inside it, and his body started glowing.

Ten seconds later a tall, humanoid figure jumped out of the water, cradling Wally in his arms. After placing the trainer on the ground, he gently shook him.

"Wally, please, tell me you are okay!"

Wally slowly opened his eyes, holding his head and coughing some water. A quick Heal Pulse later, Wally took a deep breath.

"I-I'm alright Kirlia, don't worry." He sighed and looked up. Then, he widened his eyes.

"Not Kirlia. Gallade." The newly-evolved Pokémon smirked.

Wally blinked, checking his starter. "H-how?"

"You were too heavy to pull up and some Tentacool were surrounding us. The Dawn Stone solved both problems." Gallade folded his arms, smiling proudly.

Wally rubbed his arm, looking down. "Thanks."

Gallade sighed, sternly looking at his trainer. "Now, do you see why I was concerned?"

"You are right. Sorry." Wally sighed as well. "I will be more careful from now on."

He grabbed his clothes and put them back on. Once he was done, he looked onward to the rest of Route 118.

"Let's continue towards Fortree, though. We still have some time before sunset," Wally said, starting to walk.

Gallade eyed him, frowning. He then followed after Wally, keeping his guard up.

As raindrops splashed over Route 120, Wally and Gallade were training hidden in the larger than usual grass of their location.

"Now, Close Combat!" Wally indicated forward.

A barrage of fists and kicks reached the Linoone, blowing him out of the tall grass unconscious. Gallade gave a cocky grin, looking at his arms.

"Finally, physical moves!" He rubbed his arms on his face, chirping happily.

Wally approached him, moving his hair out of his eyes. "That's our one hundredth opponent for the day." He tilted his head, arms folded. "We still need to work on Leaf Blade, but I think the training went well today."

He grabbed his PokéNav Plus. "According to Gabby and Ty's show Brendan is taking some time to train near Fortree before his Gym battle, so we might have a few days still to stay here."

"Only if you rest well. No all-nighters planning new strategies." Gallade gave Wally a stern glance.

Wally puffed his cheeks, blushing. "It only happened once!"

"Suuure." Gallade rolled his eyes.

Wally faced the other way, muttering something. Then, he started coughing. Gallade sent the usual Heal Pulse.

Then Wally coughed more, and Gallade grimaced. He rushed at his side, sending another Heal Pulse. Wally coughs only worsened.

"Wally? Wally!" Gallade yelled, shaking his trainer.

Wally didn't reply as he drifted into unconsciousness.

Wally felt the warmth of a fireplace as he slowly opened his eyes. It took a few seconds to see that he was in a small, wooden house, tucked inside a bed. He blinked, sitting on the bed.

"Hey there. Are you feeling better?"

Wally turned at his left, seeing an old woman preparing something on the nearby kitchen. Wally tilted his head, only to be tackled back on the bed as someone hugged him.

"You are alright!" Gallade said, holding Wally tighter than ever.

Wally looked at his starter, then at the woman. He raised an eyebrow, as a couple coughs escaped him again. "W-what's going on?"

"Your Gallade was running around with you in his arms until he found my home. I gave you my bed until now." The woman turned around, bringing a plate with some teacups on it. "Going by those coughs, I assume you have respiratory problems?"

Wally nodded. "Asthma."

"I see. You should probably try to stay more ventilated, then." She placed a tea cup in Wally's arms. He chugged it out in five seconds.

"Why were you training outside in the rain? It's dangerous for a normal trainer already." The woman fixated on Wally.

He turned down as he placed the tea cup aside, balling his fists. "I don't have time to waste. I need to be ready at any moment for a battle."

"Well, you shouldn't destroy your body for it." She put her arms akimbo. Her stern glance shifted to Gallade. "And you, Gallade, should also remind him of that. I thought your species was all about protecting the weak."

Gallade twirled his thumbs, gulping. Wally did the same, almost in sync.

The woman shook her head. "You can stay as long as you want here, but make sure to be more careful in the future."

"I will be." Wally nodded.

Wally and Gallade remained in the woman's house until the next day. After parting ways, the two resumed their training as they travelled towards Fortree. Gallade, however, spent most of his time observing Wally, more specifically his coughs.

They'd become way more frequent, and his Heal Pulses less effective. He had noticed it already, but they never dropped this much.

He sighed, eyes still on Wally. Maybe he really needed to take that woman's words to heart.

Fortree City: alongside part of Pacifidlog Town, one of the most unique locations in Hoenn. All of its houses were built ontop of trees, and living there allowed them to leave healthy lifestyles and grow closer to wild Pokémon.

Wally, however, wasn't interested in sight-seeing. He frantically climbed ontop of the ropes: after various weeks of travelling, they finally reached the same city Brendan was in. He had to find him before he challenged Winona and left.

Gallade stood in front of him, catching and helping him climb. As he saw Wally catching his breath, though, Gallade shook his head.

"Calm down, Wally. You are gonna pass out at this rate."

"I don't care. We don't have time to waste." Wally walked onward. Gallade grabbed him by the arm, and Wally turned to see Gallade's frown.

"You are ruining your health. Nobody knows you here, you have all the time you want to reach Brendan."

Wally stopped, considering Gallade's words. Then, the sound of a nearby television interrupted them.

"In other news, search is still underway throughout all of Hoenn for Wally, the young boy from Petalburg City that ran away some weeks ago. Eyewitnesses confirm to have seen a boy with a Ralts matching his description around Mauville City, and search is focusing on the nearby Routes. If anyone has any information on how to find him, please call this number to give your account and-"

The program went on, but Wally had heard enough. He glared at the house, at Gallade, and then back down, towards the Gym inside a clearing.

"Let's go." Wally ran to the next rope, without skipping a beat. Gallade sighed, and went after him.

Wally couldn't help but marvel at Fortree Gym's appearence: unlike every other Gym in Hoenn it was completely carved in wood, and divided in two areas: an indoor one and an external one, lined up by two statues of a Charizard and an Altaria, with a long row of stairs leading to an uplifted battlefield. Each part of the Gym had their own battlefield, and Wally and Gallade were walking through the internal one, seeing no one around.

The two then heard some steps, and turned to see a purple-haired woman dressed in a light-blue aviator suit approaching them from the stairs.

Wally weakly rose a hand, waving and gulping. "H-hi."

"Hello, and welcome in the Fortree Gym: I'm Winona, the Gym Leader. Are you here to challenge me?" The woman asked, taking off her helmet.

Wally flinched, then shook his head. "O-oh, not really. I don't think I have the right skills for that yet."

That, and challenging a Gym Leader would've likely made him easier to track. He couldn't risk that.

He cleared his throat. "I was searching for someone. Did a trainer named Brendan come here yet?"

"Oh, him." Winona nodded. "Yes, he just had a battle for his sixth badge. It was extremely close, but he managed to defeat me."

Wally turned down, sighing.

"I should've known," he said, only to start coughing: Gallade instantly sent several Heal Pulses his way.

Winona rushed at his side, alarmed. "Are you okay?"

"Just slightly ill, it will pass." Wally breathed slowly, facing Winona again. "Do you know where did he plan to go next?"

"Uhm, I think I heard him wanting to go to Mossdeep City for his next badge." Winona folded her arms. "Why all this interest on him, though?"

"We made a promise some time ago." Wally shared a glance with Gallade. "To fight together, starter against starter, once I became a trainer."

"I see." Winona eyed Gallade as well. "When did you start training with your Gallade?"

"A couple months ago."

"Hm." She checked him out, then smiled. "He's fit and looks strong, he might even be able to break through the move limit soon. You definitely raised him well."

"Thanks." Wally rubbed his arm. "I still think we can do better, though. Me and Gallade have to be the best we can be."

"A drive like that is always very important." Winona nodded. "However-"

"Hey! You are the Gym Leader Winona, right?"

Wally, Gallade and Winona turned to the entrance, saying a fifteen-years old boy, a bit short for his age, dressed completely in yellow: pants, sleeveless shirt, even the pair of headphones around his neck. He had a lightning-bolt shaped pendant on his neck, and wore a huge grin.

"Yes, I am. And you are?" Winona asked.

The boy pointed at her, the grin only widening. "My name is Tesla, ready to shock you! To bring a jolt of excitement around! The electricity is already in the air, and it's coming for you!"

Wally and Gallade raised eyebrows at once. Winona barely suppressed a chuckle, managing to maintain her composure as she glanced at Wally.

"Say, would you like to see how a Gym Leader fights?"

Wally blinked, then shook his head affirmatively. "Sure."

"Alright." Winona gave her attention to Tesla again. "How many badges do you have?"

Tesla rose a fist to the sky. "Five! I'm plugging here for the sixth!"

"Badge six then. I know who to use." Winona said, grabbing a Poké Ball from her belt.

Tesla, Winona, Wally and Gallade walked up to the battlefield: Wally and Gallade remained on the sidelines, while Winona and Tesla took their respective places. A referee arrived on the other side, rising his arm.

"The match will be a three on three battle. If anyone switches out, the round will be counted as lost. Begin!"

Tesla grabbed a Poké Ball, rotating his arm a couple times before throwing. "You go, Manectric! Charge up for battle!"

The Manectric landed on the ground, letting out a mighty roar in Winona's direction.

Winona raised her Poké Ball skyward. "Go, Swellow!"

The Poké Ball opened, and a Swellow soared above the Gym. An aquamarine-colored Swellow. Both Wally and Tesla admired at the shiny Pokémon. Then, Tesla shook his head vigorously.

"Shimmering a sparkling hue won't save you!" Tesla pointed upward. "Manectric, Charge Beam!"

The electric beam was fired, with Swellow flying upward to avoid it and subsequent ones.

"Swellow, Double Team."

Many copies of Swellow surrounded Manectric, diving down at once towards it. Tesla gulped, then forced a grin.

"What a joke! Manectric, shock it with Discharge!" He said, palm onward.

Sparks protruded from Manectric in every direction, destroying every copy and causing an explosion. Tesla grinned and waited to see Swellow fall, only to be surprised when it appeared completely unharmed, one wing shining and piercing the ground.

Tesla stepped back, mouth agape. "W-what?"

"Steel Wing absorbed all the electricity and nullified damage like a lightning rod," Winona said. "It's a pretty common tactic nowadays. Did you never encounter it?"

"N-no," Tesla said. He passed a hand through his hair, and grinned yet again. "But this surprise won't be enough to send me in a blackout! Manectric, use Crunch!"

Manectric sprinted and jumped upward, teeth ready. Swellow simply rose above him, and Manectric crashed back on the ground.

Winona shook her head. "Your Pokémon can't teleport to execute the move. If a Pokémon is too far away, almost every move will miss its mark."

"Gh!" Tesla stomped his feet. "Manectric, don't be so static! Run on the side of the wall and use Fire Fang!"

Manectric did exactly that, running upward towards the wall and jumping from there towards Swellow, his mouth catching fire.

Winona calmly pointed onward. "Swellow, Aerial Ace."

Swellow struck quickly and elegantly, and Tesla paled as his Manectric fell to the ground, energyless.

"Manectric!" Tesla yelled, rushing at its side.

"Manectric is unable to fight any longer. Swellow is the winner!"

Tesla stared at Manectric for several seconds. He passed an arm over his eyes and recalled his friend, smiling at the Poké Ball.

"You shined brightly. Thanks. Manectric." He placed the Poké Ball back on his belt, then pointed back at Winona. "But this isn't over yet! My team will prove superior in the end!"

Winona grinned. "Do your best, then. I will be sure to match it."

The rest of the match went by pretty fast: Tesla sent out a Pikachu and a Magneton, but neither of them could even so much as land a scratch on Swellow, which avoided every attack gracefully while defeating them in a couple of attacks. Wally and Gallade watched the matches with their mouth agape: this was the level Brendan was able to surprass?

Soon after, Swellow struck Magneton with a Steel Wing, and it fell on the floor unconscious.

"Magneton is unable to fight any longer. The winner of the match is Winona, the Gym Leader!"

Tesla recalled Magneton without a word. He gripped the Poké Ball tightly, fixating on it as he tried not to sob.

Winona approached him after recalling Swellow. "Tell me the truth. This isn't your actual sixth Gym battle, was it?"

Tesla flinched. "H-how do you know?"

"I saw how you fight. You had some good ideas but still on a mostly basic skill level." Winona gave a severe stare. "Plus, a Manectric ready for its sixth badge wouldn't be defeated by a single Aerial Ace. Type advantage can be circumvented, but a single-stroke battle implies a vast difference in power."

Tesla broke eye contact, remaining wordless. After some seconds, he nodded.

"Y-yeah. It wasn't our sixth badge. It was our first." He clenched a hand over his headphones. "The next Ever Grande Conference is going to start soon, and since I just became a trainer I had little time to prepare. We didn't want to risk it all on a Non-Travelling Trainer challenge right away, so we thought trying for a sixth badge would be ideal practice."

Winona shook her head. "Pokémon Training doesn't work that way. The reason the Gym Leaders use different teams depending on the challenger's badge number is to fairly test their skills without going overboard. You can't expect a fresh beginner to beat a seasoned Pokémon unless they are extremely lucky, skilled, or both."

"We don't want to be fairly tested! We need to know we can win!"

Tesla glared at Winona, his hands trembling. He passed his hand over his pendant, playing with it. Winona just put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a warm smile.

"Rushing through things won't lead to anything good. I can tell that you care for your Pokémon, and they seem pretty good battlers too. You just need to slowly improve now, and one day you will be as strong as you want to be," she said. "The Ever Grande Conference will always be held, take all the time you need before to undertake it."

Tesla was about to reply, until he gave another sullen look at the floor, passing his arm over his eyes.

Winona put her arms akimbo. "Train some more, and if you want, we can have a battle for your first Gym badge when you are ready. What do you say?"

"A-alright, then." Tesla snuffed, then grinned once more while pointing straight at Winona. "Prepare yourself for a shock to your system in a few days! We will bolt here and gain the Feather Badge next time!"

Winona nodded and waved her hand, as Tesla left the Gym. Wally kept looking at him, then moved back to Winona, coughing. That was the level Brendan could match?

He heard steps coming his way again, seeing Winona next to him. "What did you think of this battle?"

"He seemed prepared to fight you, and probably tailor-made his team to fight off Flying-types. But you still managed to beat him," Wally said.

"Yeah. He rushed things over, but he wasn't bad. There are many beginners like him." Winona glanced skyward. "It's fine to want to be the best trainers around, and admirable to work hard on bettering yourself with Pokémon. However, I think that people should always take a time and appreciate how far they have come, rather than consume themselves in becoming the best. That's not what a good trainer should do."

She closed her eyes, facing Wally again. "Remember to treasure your journey. No matter the outcome."

Wally nodded in response, and Winona looked outside the Gym's window.

"If you plan on looking for Brendan, he's most likely going to Lilycove first. If you hurry, you should be able to reach him before he takes a boat."

"Alright then." Wally adjusted his bag, smiling. "Thanks for allowing me to watch."

"You are welcome. And if you ever want to collect Gym badges, I will be more than willing to accept you as an opponent." Winona smiled back.

"Thank you."

Wally turned around and left with Gallade, looking up to Fortree's sky. They still had a lot to learn to become better trainers, but that wasn't going to stop them.

Winona meanwhile walked back to the top of her Gym, enjoying the wind going through her body. It felt good to help new trainers get better and push them in the right direction, even if she could have sworn to have already seen that green haired kid somewhere.

And then when realized where, she rushed outside the Gym and went right to the authorities.

"Leaf Blade! Fast!"

Gallade quickly sliced at some trees with his forearms, letting them fall neatly on top of each other and blocking the road behind them.

Wally smiled, turning to Gallade. "Great, you are improving a lot." He eyed the trees again. "This way the search teams will take a while to reach us. Let's go on."

Gallade nodded, and ran alongside Wally. Ever since they had left Fortree, searches had become much more pressing, with Winona lending some Flying-type Pokémon to help out as well. Until then they had managed to avoid being tracked, but Wally preferred to stay safe and block their roads in any case. At the same time, the two had started training even more intensively than before, wanting to surpass Winona's level to be at least on par with Brendan's.

As the two ran, Gallade felt some raindrops fall on his skin. He looked at the thunderous clouds above, and frowned.

"We should try finding shelter, it's dangerous to go on with this weather." He folded his arms and stared at Wally.

Wally shook his head, scampering on. "We can't stop. Lilycove is right behind the corner."

He then felt someone grab and block him by his arm, turning around to meet Gallade's stern face. "Wally, that's enough."

"What?" Wally blinked, trying to pull himself away.

"You are just senselessly endangering yourself now. We are returning to Verdanturf."

Wally broke free, and scowled. "No, we aren't."

He started coughing right after. Gallade put a hand on his forehead while giving out the Heal Pulses.

"You spend more time coughing than breathing now. Is this battle really worth all the pain you are going through?" He asked.

"It's not the battle." Wally stared at his hands, balling them into fists. "I have always been the sickly kid. The one who always needed support and help. I have never been able to do anything on my own."

He faced Gallade again. "This is something only I can do. No one else. It's the only thing I can do to know I'm not weak."

Gallade walked towards him. "Wally-"

"If you want to go away, do it! I will find some other Pokémon and train again!" Wally glared at Gallade, frantically moving his arms at the sides. "I need to know that I'm strong!"

He gave Gallade his back right after. "Do whatever you want now. I'm going to Lilycove."

He ran away from him without further word. Gallade sprinted after him.

"Wally, wait!"

Wally kept running, not even watching where he was going, only to fall on his knees and keel over. Gallade grimaced, rushing at Wally's side and finding him coughing harshly.

Gallade extended his hands and used as much Heal Pulse as he could, over and over, while shielding Wally's body from the rain. After several minutes, Wally stopped coughing, shivering as he returned to breath normally.

"How are you feeling?" Gallade asked, giving him more space.

Wally gave him a smile. "B-better, thank you."

Gallade stared right into his eyes, and saw right through his words. Wally was only thinking to be feeling better. Gallade looked at the ground, balling his fists: if only he had decided to become a Gardevoir, his psychic powers would've been strong enough to keep up the Heal Pulse. He should've never been so selfish.

"H-hey."

Gallade's eyes met Wally's again: he had a sad smile on his face, and he placed his hand on Gallade's shoulder.

"I-I apologize for before. I didn't mean to say that." The sad smile turned upside down. "I'd never want to fight Brendan without you. You are my first Pokémon, and one of my best friends."

Gallade smiled as well. "I know."

Wally tried standing, wobbling on his feet; Gallade caught him, helping him lean against a tree.

"What do you want to do?" He passed a hand through his hair, sliding towards the ground.

Gallade observed the still strong rainfall, then the surrounding area. "For now, let's go find someplace safe. After that, we can go on. Lilycove is right behind the corner, right?"

The two shared a glance, then chuckled at once, ending it with a smile.

"Thank you," Wally said.

"You are welcome."

Throughout the last few months, Gallade had learned a lot. He learned that he didn't have to evolve into a Gardevoir, that humans could be great friends, and that trainers and Pokémon working together usually brought up the best of both. However, Gallade found himself questioning the last one rather often.

He had become attached to Wally, and he was his best friend. Which is why seeing him coughing even more frequently and having trouble standing most of the time pained him. Should he have told him straight away that this idea was suicide? Not humoring or enabling him? Gallade wished to know.

He almost couldn't look at Wally anymore. He was so clearly ill that it was a miracle no trainer seemed to want to send him to the nearest hospital right away. And yet, he still persevered as if there was nothing wrong, even as his body was growing weaker by the second. Gallade was torn between calling it admirable or stupid.

"Come on, don't be so slow Gallade! We're almost in Lilycove City!"

Gallade stopped thinking as he turned his head up, seeing Wally waving a few feet away with a big smile on his face. Gallade nodded, speeding up.

Between all his doubts, only one thing managed to convince him to go forward: Wally's smile. A sincere, happy, grateful smile. A smile Gallade swore to protect.

He sighed and walked on, glancing at the mountain at their side. Mt. Pyre, the final resting place for many Pokémon and human souls.

A shiver ran down Gallade's spine. He really hoped that wouldn't be Wally's next destination.

Lilycove City was a lovely place, filled with anything a trainer would be interested in: a sprawling department store with everything a trainer would need, one of the biggest Contest Halls of Hoenn, and a port which served as a gateway for many other regions.

Brendan took a deep breath of air and stretched his arms as he left the Pokémon Center, eyeing the sea.

"What a great day." He smiled, turning to Swampert and the rest of his team. "Beyond that ocean lie Mossdeep and Sootopolis, and our last Gym Battles. Are you ready, guys?"

All six Pokémon grunted in agreement. Brendan smirked and adjusted his backpack, then walked towards the Harbor alongside his Pokémon.

Midway through, however, he noticed a large gathering at the entrance of the city. Curious, he and his team walked that way and he saw, widening his eyes.

"H-hey, B-Brendan," a weak voice told him.

It was a young, green-haired boy, not even fifteen years old. His skin was dehydrated, almost corpse-like, and his clothes cut and torn in various places. His body was filled with bruises, and his legs were shaky. At his side a Gallade was helping him stand, looking at him in concern and sending Heal Pulses his way.

Brendan froze, staring at him and then at the Gallade. They couldn't possibly be those two, right...?

"Gallade, the Blade Pokémon. Male-exclusive split evolution of Kirlia. A master swordsman, he is said to fight savagely to protect those he cares about. For some kind of long, complex and most likely related to you backstory, this one seems to have been rather terrible at the 'protect' part," Brendan's Pokédex said from his pocket.

Brendan gulped. There was no doubt now.

He stared back at the two. "Wally?"

"Yes." Wally smiled, standing again. "I came for our battle."

Brendan observed his body again, at a loss for words.

"I couldn't wait anymore, so, here I am." Wally giggled, rubbing his neck. He turned put a hand on Gallade's shoulder. "Me and Gallade prepared for months for our match."

He smiled, going back to Brendan. "So, would you prefer to fight here, or-"

"No way. We can't have a fight now." Brendan grabbed Wally's arm, turning away. "We need to bring you to an hospital and-"

Wally pulled back, and Brendan met Wally's pleading eyes. "P-please. I won't have any other chance, I know it. Just... just one battle. Our starters against each other."

Brendan remained silent, shifting his gaze between Wally and his team. Wally required to be in a hospital as soon as possible, but his determination was palpable from his eyes alone. His team sent him conflicting expressions, some agreeing to battle, some not.

He grabbed his forehead and groaned, then grabbed five Pokémon and recalled his team aside from his starter.

"If that's what you want, then we will do it." Brendan pointed onward. "Swampert, you go."

"Thanks." Wally beamed, facing his own starter. "Gallade, please."

Swampert and Wally took their respective places in front of each other, stretching their limbs and locking onto each other. Then, the fated match began.

The battle going on at the entrance of Lilycove City started attracting a curious crowd all around the two trainers and their Pokémon, between inhabitants and simple tourists and travelers, observing in astonishment the evolving match in front of them.

"Swampert, Ice Punch!" Gallade threw a fist onward.

Wally fended the air with his arm. "Gallade, Teleport!"

Gallade disappeared, and Swampert's punch froze the ground around him. He unstuck it, and searched all around.

"Psycho Cut!"

Swampert eyed skyward, seeing Gallade falling towards him, a psychic blade coming from his arm.

Brendan pointed skyward. "Waterfall!"

Swampert and Gallade were enveloped in a giant water column; Gallade tried steadying himself, only to see Swampert swimming towards him, hands ready to strike.

"Leaf Blade!"

Gallade's forearm glowed green, and a quick slice later Swampert shoot outside the Waterfall, crashing on the ground.

"Swampert, Ice Punch!"

Swampert stood up with a thrust of the back and rushed to the water pillar, hitting it with a frozen fist. The ice quickly spread all around the column; Gallade frantically swam upward, jumping out of it; one second later, it froze completely.

"Gallade, Close Combat!"

Gallade looked at the ice monument, teleporting at the right angle and unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks at it, destroying the ice and throwing every shard at Swampert like meteors.

Brendan frowned. "Swampert, Protect!"

The energy shield formed around Swampert, with all the ice shattering upon contact. Once the hail ended, Swampert dispelled the shield and readied himself to fight, only for Gallade to teleport in front of him.

"Leaf Blade!"

The green slice connected, and Swampert cracked a nearby wall on impact. He slowly got back up, rubbing his back while wincing.

Brendan observed his starter, then Wally. "You are really clever."

"Me and Gallade did our best to be prepared for this battle." Wally smiled, pumping his fists. "And we will win!"

"I appreciate it, really, but please." Brendan clasped his hands together. "You are strong, but you are about to collapse. Please, let's go to the hospital and then we can have our match another time."

Wally turned to the ground, sighing. He shook his head before staring at Brendan with renewed determination.

"If they find me, I won't be able to do Pokémon battles forever." He held a fist over his heart. "This is my only chance to have this battle. Please, let's finish it."

Brendan stood there, eyes still on Wally. In spite of his physical conditions, he could feel what he was thinking, with every hit and every dodge. He was a much more serious kid than the shy young boy he met on Route 102.

Brendan sighed, and turned serious as well.

"Well then. If this is gonna be your last battle, I will give you the best battle you can ask for." He punched onward again. "Swampert, Power-Up Punch!"

"Close Combat!"

Swampert and Gallade clashed once more, every Power-Up Punch being countered by a kick or punch of Gallade. The flurry of hits kept going, with neither of the two outmatching the other.

Brendan grinned. "Swampert, Earthquake!"

Swampert jumped back and punched the floor: the ground shook all over the battlefield, with Gallade teleporting away from the ground and back on the air.

"Waterfall!"

Gallade was engulfed into another water pillar, and Swampert swam his way, tackling and sending him back on the ground.

"Earthquake, now!"

Swampert shoot outside the pillar as well, fist ready to hit the ground.

Wally gulped, then glanced at the floor. "Use Leaf Blade to propel yourself!"

Gallade nodded and pierced the ground with Leaf Blade, putting his energy in it to jump away from the ground, just as the Earthquake started.

"Psycho Cut!"

"Power-Up Punch!"

The psychic blade clashed with the punch, and both fighters were blown away; they paused and glared into each other, both short of breath and with bruises everywhere.

At that point, Wally fell on his knees, harshly coughing. Gallade paled, sending several Heal Pulses his way. When they didn't seem to work Gallade tried to run towards him, until Wally raised his palm.

"No, p-please." He smiled. "L-let's win this."

Gallade sweated, only to meet Wally's eyes. They nodded in agreement, and Gallade faced Swampert again.

Brendan observed Wally, frowning. They had wasted far too much time.

He folded his arms, furrowing his brow. "This ends now. Swampert, Power-Up Punch!"

"Leaf Blade!"

Swampert and Gallade clashed once more, punch meeting blade. As the battle went on, Wally observed with a wide smile on his face. That was it, the battle he had been waiting for all that time. The battle that would prove once and for all that he was a good trainer.

As the battle went on, his smile kept widening, until he finally understood. All he wanted was to be on the level of the best trainers, and he finally reached it. It didn't matter if this was really his last battle, he felt absolutely great exactly where he and Gallade were now.

Brendan clenched his fist. "Swampert, Ice Punch!"

"Close Combat!" Wally grinned.

Swampert was blown away before reaching Gallade, destroying a nearby fountain. Gallade rushed to reach him, and Brendan bit his lip. Then he glanced at the wet floor, and grinned.

"Swampert, hit the ground!"

Swampert punched the floor with the still frozen fist, coating it in ice; Gallade teleported right behind Swampert, only to slip face-first on the ground.

"Gallade!" Wally yelled, as Gallade tried and failed to stand again.

He frowned, until something came to his mind: memories of a battle fought not long ago, with a Marshtomp against a Ralts. He laughed softly, realizing the irony.

"Swampert, Waterfall!"

Before Gallade could rise, Swampert caught him in a pillar of water once more, hitting at full strength. Gallade impacted on the floor right next to Wally, unconscious.

Wally reached Gallade, grabbing his head. Seeing him breathing still, he sighed. All their training wasn't enough in the end, and yet he smiled on, rubbing Gallade's cheek.

"Good job, Gallade... and you too, Brendan..."

Wally's sight blurred, and he felt his body pressing on the hard floor. He felt the cries of the crowd, of Gallade, of Brendan.

And then he stopped feeling.

White.

As Wally opened his eyes, that was all that filled his vision. He squinted, only to focus more. He made out the ceiling and the walls, alongside the beeping of nearby medical equipment. Moving his head to the right, he could see the IV attached to his arm. He groaned, feeling his head aching.

"Wally! You are awake!"

Wally flinched as he turned around, seeing the relieved expression on Sawyer's face. Wally paled.

"S-Sawyer? Why a-are you-"

Sawyer put a finger over his lips. "Shhh, don't overwork yourself. You need to relax now, you've been asleep for five days straight."

Wally observed his friend with a puzzled glance, before studying the room he was in.

"Where are we?" He asked.

"Rustboro City's General Hospital. They transferred you here from Lilycove after you needed better treatment."

"Oh, right. I passed out." Wally glanced at the sheets. Then, he froze.

"Wait, Gallade. Where is he?" Wally asked, ready to jump out of the bed.

"Right here!"

Wally turned at the door, seeing Gallade, his body covered in bandages and walking with a pair of crutches. Wally raised an eyebrow, and Gallade chuckled, rising one of the bandaged arms.

"Sorry, I didn't want to leave you. So they decided to treat me the human way," he said, moving one of the arms. He then faced his trainer again. "I'm glad to see you awake. We were all starting to fear the worst."

Wally grabbed the sheets, breaking eye contact. Then, he glanced at Sawyer.

"What happened, exactly?"

"After your battle in Lilycove City that trainer, Brendan, brought you in Lilycove's Hospital. After a while they transferred you here to treat you better. Brendan, your parents and me have been watching over you taking turns," Sawyer said. He then searched into his pockets, and took out a letter. "Brendan had to leave yesterday, but he asked me to give you this once you woke up."

Wally grabbed the letter and opened it, finding a short text written in neat calligraphy.

Hey, I hope you will feel better when you read this. You were a great opponent in Lilycove: me and Swampert never had to face an opponent that put us on the ropes as much as you. You have a bright future ahead of you as a trainer, but please, don't disregard your health like this ever again. There are way more important things in life than just Pokémon battling.

In hopes of a fast recovery, Brendan.

As Wally kept reading the letter over and over, Sawyer glared at him. "You did something really reckless, you know. You made everyone worried."

"I know. I'm sorry for everything." Wally scratched his neck. "Especially about your notebook, I-"

Wally paused, then looked at himself and around, unable to see the notebook anywhere. He probably dropped it in Lilycove, or maybe right before reaching it. Too far away in any case.

"Darn, I lost it." He frowned, shaking his head and giving Sawyer a guilty look. "I apologize. I wanted to bring it back to you."

"Heh, it happens." Sawyer shrugged with a sigh. "I would've liked to have it back, but I got a new notebook anyway. I will just have to gather all the Experience Points back!"

Wally passed a hand over his face. "Sorry."

"Don't be. The important thing is that you are alright." Sawyer smiled, patting Wally's back.

Wally turned to his hands. "For how much will I have to stay here?"

"By what I heard from the doctors, they say that you will need at least a month to recover fully. Your asthma was treated, but you have a lot of health problems to recover."

"Makes sense. And my mother will probably ground me forever now." Wally swallowed. "Seems like we won't get to see who will become the most famous trainer between us anymore."

Sawyer laughed. "You really think so?"

Wally shot a puzzled glance at him, and Sawyer produced a magazine. "Just read the main article."

Wally opened it, and couldn't believe it: it was an article all about him and his battle, titled 'The Case of Wally: What does this mean for Pokémon training?'.

Skimming through it, Wally saw that the article was all about his journey, with testimonies from people he met and coverage of his battle in Lilycove City. Some interviews with well-known scholars and professors were also included, some saying this was proof trainers could adventure before the age of fifteen and some rather adamant that this should lead to harsher controls of trainer's IDs. There were also some absurd proposals like someone suggesting to lower the legal age to become a trainer to ten years old.

"You've been the talk of Hoenn since your battle in Lilycove, everyone knows your name now." Sawyer gave Wally a proud glance. "You became the most famous trainer first. You almost got yourself killed, but you still did it. Congratulations!"

Wally didn't know what to say, looking back to Sawyer and Gallade both. He then turned outside the window, seeing Rustboro City's skyline, and smiled.

It was true. People should always take a time and appreciate how far they have come.