The Battle Club official shook his head and finally remembered what his actual job was.
“All right, then.
Battle—begin!”
The instant the referee gave the signal, Lee, who had clearly been waiting for this moment, thrust one hand forward.
“Oshawott, use Water Gun!”
Oshawott drew in a deep breath, its already round belly puffing out even farther before a powerful stream of water burst from its mouth.
Faced with such a straightforward attack, Aiden didn’t hesitate.
“Keep moving!
Use Leafage!”
Sprigatito darted aside with light, nimble steps, easily avoiding the Water Gun as the collar-like fur around her neck began to glow green.
Oshawott tried to track her movements and sweep the attack after her, but the stream simply couldn’t keep up with Sprigatito’s speed.
Then, once Sprigatito had judged the distance between herself and the Water Gun, she abruptly planted her paws and arched her back.
“Spriga!”
A storm of glowing leaves shot forward and struck Oshawott head-on.
The Grass-type attack landed at full force, sending Oshawott tumbling backward before it crashed to the ground.
“Oshawott!”
Lee’s worried shout rang across the battlefield.
“O-Osha…”
Hearing its Trainer’s voice, Oshawott gritted its teeth and struggled back onto its feet.
Aiden had no intention of giving it time to recover.
Sprigatito was already close enough to capitalize on the opening.
“Scratch!”
“Spriga!”
Sprigatito sprang forward, both front paws glowing white.
Two flashes cut through the air.
By the time anyone could properly follow the movement, Sprigatito had already landed behind Oshawott.
“O-Osha…”
Oshawott let out one last unwilling groan before collapsing.
“O-Oshawott…”
Lee stared blankly at his fallen Pokémon.
For several seconds, he didn’t move at all.
Then his legs seemed to give out beneath him, and he dropped to his knees.
Aiden: “…”
Sometimes Aiden genuinely wondered whether everyone in this world behaved so dramatically because he had somehow ended up in the anime continuity.
Lee, however, paid no attention to Aiden’s complicated expression.
He lowered his head.
“I’m sorry…
This is all because I’m too weak.”
He remembered all the confident things he had said before the match.
He remembered how completely Oshawott had trusted him, and then how thoroughly they had been defeated.
Suddenly, he couldn’t even bring himself to look at his partner lying on the battlefield.
Aiden took one look at him and decided he had better intervene before the kid walked away from his first serious loss with his confidence completely shattered.
He approached Lee and held out his hand.
“That was a pretty good battle.”
Lee slowly looked up at him in confusion.
Then he looked at the offered hand.
“Are you making fun of me?”
Aiden shook his head, his expression unusually serious.
“No.
Sure, you’re about as good at battling as a Magikarp right now, but I could tell how much you and Oshawott care about each other.
Watching the two of you made me appreciate Oshawott a little more.”
Lee stared at him.
Aiden continued, “So fine, I’ll admit it.
Your Oshawott is pretty cute too.”
He paused.
“Obviously, Sprigatito is still cuter.
And Snivy too.”
From the corner of his eye, Aiden noticed Snivy slowly lowering the vine she had just raised and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Sprigatito, meanwhile, had spent the entire battle being praised by Aiden at every opportunity.
At last, she could no longer contain herself.
“Spriga!”
She launched herself straight at his face.
“Mmph—wait, not so tight!
Your claws are digging in!”
Aiden toppled backward and began desperately trying to peel the affectionate facehugger off.
Lee stared at the same guy who had been acting cool and composed in front of him only seconds earlier, now rolling around on the floor while fighting for his life against his own cuddly cat.
His gloomy mood disappeared almost instantly.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Then he suddenly remembered something and spun toward Oshawott.
The referee had already given it some basic treatment, and Oshawott had regained consciousness.
“O-Osha…”
The little Pokémon looked embarrassed, perhaps even ashamed of losing.
Lee immediately hurried over and pulled it tightly into his arms.
“I’m sorry, Oshawott!
You worked so hard, but I…”
Oshawott shook its head and wrapped its little arms around him.
“Osha!”
Lee’s eyes brightened.
“Yeah.
We’ll keep working hard together!”
Still holding Oshawott, he stood and turned toward Aiden, who was now covered in dust while Snivy used Vine Whip to suspend Sprigatito in midair and finally pry her off his face.
“Big bro, you say some really annoying things, but…
thanks for cheering me up.”
Lee hugged Oshawott a little tighter.
“Still, in my heart, Oshawott is definitely the cutest Pokémon!”
Aiden waved one hand tiredly.
“Fine, fine.
They’re all cute.
Happy?”
Lee nodded seriously.
“Sprigatito and Snivy are cute too.”
Aiden relaxed.
“But Oshawott will always be the best!”
Aiden sucked in a sharp breath and stared at him in disbelief.
“You little—seriously?
Nothing gets through that skull of yours.”
Lee broke into a huge grin.
“Next time we meet, Oshawott and I are going to surprise you!”
Before Aiden could answer, Lee turned and hurried out of the battlefield with Oshawott in his arms.
Aiden watched him disappear into the distance, then slowly shook his head before letting out a quiet laugh.
“That kid might actually become one hell of a Trainer someday.”
“Agreed.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that kind of genuine bond between a Trainer and his Pokémon.”
Don George joined the conversation as though he had been standing there the entire time.
Aiden nearly jumped.
“Wait—when the hell did you get here?!”
“I’ve been here for a while.
There was a girl watching the battle over there too, actually…”
Don George turned and pointed.
Then paused.
“Huh?
Where’d she go?”