The scene shifted to the backyard of the Cerulean Gym.
The sun was setting, casting a golden glow across the water.
The pond reflected the evening light like liquid gold.
Rainbow stood by the water’s edge while Wartortle floated in front of her.
“Wartortle, Rapid Spin!”
Wartortle withdrew into its shell and spun rapidly across the surface, sending sprays of water into the air.
“Good!
Now Water Gun again!”
Wartortle poked its head out and fired a jet of water skyward.
“Not high enough!” Rainbow frowned.
“A little higher!”
Wartortle tried again.
The water column rose farther than before, but it still fell short of the height Rainbow wanted.
“Wartortle…”
Rainbow crouched down and looked at it carefully.
“Are you tired?”
“Wartortle.”
The Pokémon shook its head.
“Then why can’t you reach that spot?”
Wartortle was silent for a moment before slowly swimming to the shore and nudging her hand with its head.
Rainbow blinked.
“You mean…
I should think of another solution too?”
“Wartortle.”
It nodded.
Rainbow sat beside the pond, hugging her knees as she stared blankly at the water.
After a while, a familiar voice came from behind her.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Dad.”
Rainbow didn’t turn around.
“I’m wondering if Wartortle’s training isn’t going well because of me.”
“Why would it be your fault?”
“Because I’m its Trainer.”
She finally looked back.
“If it’s not performing well, then my commands must be the problem.”
Asher Winter studied his daughter for a few moments before smiling.
“In that case, how about we have a battle?
Then we’ll see exactly where the problem is.”
Rainbow froze.
“Huh?
A battle against Dad?”
Asher walked toward the opposite side of the training field.
“Don’t you want to get stronger?
Come on.”
Rainbow exchanged a glance with Wartortle before nodding.
“Okay.
I understand.”
Once Rainbow and Wartortle took their positions, Asher casually removed a Poké Ball from his belt and tossed it forward.
A flash of red light appeared.
A Dragonite materialized in the center of the field.
It looked like an ordinary Dragonite at first glance.
Round.
Friendly-looking.
Almost adorable.
But its eyes weren’t gentle.
They were sharp.
Calm.
Like a perfectly honed blade hidden beneath a harmless exterior.
When it landed, it barely made a sound.
A slight bend of its knees absorbed all the impact effortlessly.
Then it raised its head and looked at Wartortle.
Just one glance.
Wartortle’s body stiffened immediately.
It instinctively took half a step backward.
“Wartortle!”
Rainbow shouted at once.
“Don’t be afraid!”
Wartortle stopped and looked back at her.
After taking a deep breath, it straightened its posture once more.
Watching the scene, Asher’s smile widened slightly.
“Ready?”
“Ready!”
Rainbow clenched her fists, determination blazing in her eyes.
“Wartortle, Ice Beam!”
Wartortle opened its mouth and fired a beam of icy blue energy.
Dragonite didn’t move.
Neither did Asher issue any command.
Just before Ice Beam could connect, Dragonite casually tilted its head.
The attack brushed past its cheek and slammed into the wall behind it.
Dragonite’s expression never changed.
Rainbow stared in disbelief.
“Too slow.”
Asher’s voice remained calm.
“Wartortle’s attack power isn’t bad.
The problem is that its tells are too obvious.
Every time it prepares Ice Beam, its shoulders tense when it inhales.”
“That single movement is enough for an experienced opponent to predict the attack.”
Rainbow bit her lip and looked toward Wartortle.
“Wartortle, again!
Water Gun!”
This time Wartortle attacked without hesitation.
A powerful stream of water shot forward.
Dragonite tilted its head again and dodged effortlessly.
But this time there was a difference.
The moment the first Water Gun missed, a second shot followed immediately after. This story is hosted at g.com.
The attacks came almost back-to-back.
Dragonite leaned slightly backward.
Both streams passed harmlessly in front of it.
“Not bad.”
Asher nodded.
“The idea of chaining attacks is correct.
But the interval between them is still too large.”
“Wartortle, Rapid Spin!”
Wartortle withdrew into its shell and launched itself forward like a spinning missile.
“Dragonite.
Block it with your wing.”
Dragonite extended one wing.
Just one.
A light movement.
Bang!
Wartortle’s spinning attack slammed into the wing and was instantly bounced away.
The Pokémon tumbled several times through the air before barely managing to land.
It staggered twice before regaining its footing.
Rainbow’s pupils contracted.
Not because Wartortle had been repelled.
But because Dragonite’s wing hadn’t moved even slightly.
It was as if it had casually stopped a pebble.
“Rapid Spin lacks power too.”
Asher continued.
“Wartortle’s center of gravity becomes unstable while spinning inside its shell.
Against a sturdier opponent, it’ll lose direction.”
Rainbow clenched her fists but remained silent.
“What is it?”
Asher chuckled.
“Giving up already?”
“No!”
Rainbow immediately looked up.
“I’ll never give up!
Wartortle, again!”
Asher looked into his daughter’s eyes and nodded approvingly.
“Good.”
“Then from now on, I won’t just defend.”
“Dragonite, Extreme Speed.”
The instant the command left his mouth, Dragonite vanished.
Not fast movement.
Not a blur.
It simply disappeared from sight.
The next moment, Dragonite appeared behind Wartortle.
Before Wartortle could even turn around, Dragonite’s tail lightly swept across its body.
Just a gentle tap.
Yet Wartortle rolled twice across the grass and collapsed.
It didn’t move.
Rainbow froze completely.
“Wartortle…”
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Gary: HOLY CRAP!
Ash: Gary!
Don’t swear!
Gary: No, seriously!
Did you all see that Dragonite?!
Brock: He’s right.
That pressure alone is terrifying.
Lance: It’s more than that.
That Dragonite’s level of training would place it among Champion-level Pokémon in our world.
Lorelei: Lance, are you serious?
Lance: Completely.
Pay attention to its movements.
Every tail sweep uses the exact same force and angle.
Its control is precise down to the smallest detail.
There are fewer than twenty Trainers in the world capable of training a Pokémon to that degree.
Bruno: And he’s clearly holding back because he’s battling his daughter.
Cynthia: Which brings us back to the original question.
Who exactly is Asher Winter?
Steven: I’m getting more curious by the minute.
A Trainer with Champion-level strength should have records somewhere.
Yet he seems to have appeared out of nowhere.
Wallace: Appeared out of nowhere?
Cynthia: Wallace, did something occur to you?
Wallace: Nothing specific.
I just think that’s an interesting choice of words.
Alder: Come on now, don’t make it sound creepy.
Maybe he’s simply a low-profile expert.
Cynthia: Mr.
Alder, a Champion-level Trainer can’t stay hidden forever.
The battle continued.
Wartortle twitched.
Slowly, it pushed itself back onto its feet.
“Wartortle.”
It shook its head and faced Dragonite again.
Rainbow looked at her partner and took a deep breath.
“…I understand now.”
She raised her head.
“Dad, let’s continue.”
Asher smiled.
“Good.”
This time, Rainbow didn’t rush to attack.
She crouched down and whispered a few words to Wartortle.
Wartortle nodded.
Then it turned toward Dragonite once more.
“Wartortle, Water Gun!”
Not at Dragonite.
At the ground beneath its feet.
Asher raised an eyebrow.
Dragonite dodged instinctively, but the water exploded upon impact, creating a curtain of spray that obscured its vision.
“Rapid Spin!”
Wartortle curled into its shell and charged.
This time, however, it didn’t move in a straight line.
It curved around from Dragonite’s flank.
Dragonite reacted immediately and raised a wing to block.
“Now use Bite!”
The moment Rapid Spin struck the wing, Wartortle suddenly emerged from its shell.
Crunch!
Its jaws locked onto the edge of Dragonite’s wing.
For a fraction of a second, Dragonite’s movement paused.
Wartortle didn’t let go.
Instead, it wrapped all four limbs around the wing and clung to it.
Rainbow’s eyes lit up.
“Ice Beam!”
At point-blank range, Wartortle fired a freezing beam directly at Dragonite’s neck.
Frost rapidly spread across Dragonite’s scales.
Yet Dragonite remained calm.
With a casual flick of its wing, it sent Wartortle flying.
Wartortle spun through the air before splashing into the pond.
Splash!
Water erupted everywhere.
Rainbow rushed forward.
“Wartortle!”
Wartortle resurfaced, panting heavily as it clung to the edge of the pond.
Rainbow knelt beside it and gently patted its head.
“You worked hard.”
Then she looked toward Asher.
He stood calmly on the opposite side of the field while Dragonite waited silently behind him.
“Dad?”
Rainbow called.
Asher smiled.
“You did well.”
“But I still lost…”
“Who said you lost?”
Asher walked over and crouched down so they were eye level.
“In a battle with such a massive power gap, your Wartortle found the only possible way to land a hit.”
“It may not work every time.”
“But that way of thinking is far more important than winning a single battle.”
Rainbow blinked.
“Really?”
“Really.”
Asher gently ruffled her hair.
“You can lose a battle.”
“But you must never lose trust in your partner.”
“In that fight, you believed in Wartortle from beginning to end.”
“That’s why you were able to create the opportunity to hit Dragonite.”
Rainbow turned toward Wartortle.
In its eyes, she saw more than trust.
She saw determination.
Perseverance.
And the desire to become stronger.
Looking at the partner who believed in her completely, Rainbow smiled once again.
“Yeah!
Thanks, Dad!”
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Iris: Wow…
That kid is amazing.
Ash: I get it!
I totally get it!
That feeling of wanting to grow stronger together with your Pokémon!
That’s exactly how I felt when I first started my journey!
Brock: True.
Though Asher’s way of teaching as a father is pretty unique.
Professor Oak: “You can lose a battle, but you must never lose trust in your partner.”
That’s a wonderful lesson.
Cynthia: Did any of you notice his expression?
That look of pride mixed with concern.
It’s like he knows how difficult the road ahead will be, yet he’s still willing to support her.
Lance: That’s normal.
What father wouldn’t want his daughter to achieve her dreams?
Cynthia: No.
What I mean is…
He seems to know more than we do.
Lorelei: Cynthia, are you suggesting Asher can see the future?
Cynthia: Not exactly.
It’s more like…
The look of someone who has already experienced far more than most people ever will.
Steven: Now that you mention it, I noticed it too.
When he looks at Rainbow, it feels like he’s seeing more than the little girl standing in front of him.
Wallace: It’s as though he’s seeing the person she’ll become in the future.
Cynthia: …
Diantha: Cynthia?
Why did you suddenly go quiet?
Cynthia: I was just thinking.
If I were in his position…
Would I still support my child, knowing how difficult the road ahead would be?
Diantha: And?
Cynthia: …I probably would.
When it’s a path your child truly wants to walk, what can a parent do besides support them?