It was seven in the evening, and Timothy, Gwen, and Coovers decided to make camp for the night. Timothy spent the ride from Turffield thinking about his meeting with Ezria and how strong she was during their double battle. It was clear to him that the raspberry-haired woman wasn't someone to take lightly in battle, unlike Venarge. Ezria would want him to battle her aggressively again the next time they faced each other in battle. There was no question about it. Even though stopping Chairman Rose was the most important thing, Timothy saw Ezria as the main threat to winning the Championship Cup, and he felt he was at a disadvantage by only now learning things like Farfetch'd having a Galarian form along with an evolved form, and the powerful move, Solar Blade. With all that in mind, Timothy wanted to use the Gym Challenge and the World Coronation Series to battle as many trainers as possible to grow stronger and see as many new Pokémon as possible to be better prepared for Ezria.

After the group set up their tents, Gwen began making stew under the campfire while Timothy and Coovers set up the table and placed Pokemon bowls on the ground with Electchu's help. While filling up the bowls with Pokemon food, Timothy filled Coovers in on what happened during his encounter with Ezria.

"So, I said, 'Begging your pardon, ma'am, but I've put a lot of arrogant trainers in their place. I'm afraid telling me one of them is your brother doesn't narrow it down much.'"

"Ha! I love it," Coovers said. "It gives her the impression that you're very powerful, and it's a little true. We're getting incredibly lucky with Ezria admiring you so much."

"No kidding," Timothy said. "She is very passionate about expressing how much she appreciates freeing all Psychic type Pokémon. Especially considering she would give me one of her Pokémon to show her appreciation."

"No argument there," Coovers said. "Come to think of it, does she have any Psychic type Pokémon?"

Timothy frowned and thought about it for a second before he answered, "You know, I don't think she mentioned having one."

"So, she doesn't have any Pokémon you freed from Team Rocket's control, and yet she's your biggest fan?" Coovers asked.

"Looks that way," Timothy said.

"Huh. Interesting," Coovers said before he shrugged. "Well, if you've gained her attention without recusing any of her Pokémon, that's fine with me. After all, getting to Eternatus is the most important thing."

"Agreed," Timothy said before he looked away with a concerned look. "Although, I can't help but worry how Ezria will react if she discovers we're using her. I can live with Chairman Rose finding out when we stop him, but Ezria is so friendly that that I worry about how she will feel."

"Well, maybe we can get her to understand that what the chairman is doing is wrong," Coovers said.

"I certainly hope so," Timothy said. "If we can convince Ezria to help us and maybe even talk the chairman out of carrying out his plan, it would make our job easier."

"We can only hope," Coovers said.

"Raichu," Electchu agreed.

"Hey, quit standing around talking, you too. Dinner is ready," Gwen called out.

"Yes, ma'am," Timothy replied before he and Coovers took out their Pokéballs. "Everyone, come on out!"

They tossed their Pokéballs into the air, and they opened to review Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, Knightblade, Samurott, Krookodile, Chandelure, Klinklang, Braviary, and Zoroark. Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, and Blitzwing looked at the Pokémon food happily with empty stomachs until they noticed Knightblade floating next to them. The Royal Sword Pokémon grew uneasy with how Timothy's other Pokemon stared at it in confusion until Timothy stood next to it.

"Oh, yes, introductions are in order," he said. "Knightblade, these are my other Pokémon, Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, and Blitzwing. Guys, this is Knightblade. It will be traveling with us while Gengar stays in Professor Oak's Laboratory."

Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, and Blitzwing stared at Timothy, unsure if they heard him say Gengar wasn't in the party anymore. Then suddenly, the four Pokémon burst out cheering with Poliwrath shaking its fist into the air, Odyssey and Shockwave swing dancing, and Blitzwing was spinning around with its wings in the air, dancing like a Baile Style Oricorio. They went to Knightblade to give it warm welcomes, which made the Royal Sword Pokémon comfortable. Timothy smiled at the sight of his Pokémon instantly becoming friends with the new member of their team.

"All right, everyone, now that introductions are out of the way, let's start dinner, " he said.

Timothy's and Coovers's Pokémon cheered in agreement and sat down in front of their respective Pokémon bowls. Gwen walked over and took Noctowl, Cufant, Drifloon, Mudbray, and Spoink out of their Pokéballs. The three humans then filled their bowls and sat at the table.

"Okay, everyone, dig in," Gwen said with a smile.

"Thank you," Timothy and Coovers said.

The Pokémon all said calls of thanks before everyone began eating. Timothy and Coovers each took a scoop of Gwen's soup and froze in place when they put it in their mouths. They stood still for several seconds, relishing the taste before they swallowed. Gwen snickered as she watched the two grown men struggle to eat at a regular pace instead of wolfing it down.

"Oh, I forgot to say. Congratulations on winning your first Gym Badge, Timothy," Gwen said.

"Thank you," Timothy said, smiling. "Though, I hope my other Gym Battles will be a little more difficult."

Coovers looked at Timothy in disbelief and said, "Why? I thought we're trying to get through the Gym Challenge and earn the chairman's trust as soon as possible."

"I know, but the trainer in me would like to be challenged a little bit, especially since growing stronger with my Pokémon team is why I came to Galar in the first place," Timothy said. "Besides, Chairman Rose and Ezria might be more impressed if any of the other Gym Leaders pose a more legit obstacle that I can overcome as opposed to all of them going down in a flash just because I have Pokémon with the right advantage against theirs."

"Hmmm. That makes sense," Coovers said. "That reminds me, though. Why are there ten Gym Leaders when you only need eight Gym Badges?"

"Because Stow-on-Side and Circhester give you two Gym Leaders to choose from," Gwen answered. "Bea runs the official Stow-on-Side Stadium, while Allister runs a smaller one closer to the forest. Few Gym Challengers battle Allister considering how he's pretty shy, and his Gym gives a...unsettling impression in the spirit of being a Ghost type gym. I've also heard you can't Dynamax Pokemon at Allister's gym because it's not in a power spot. On the other hand, Gordie and his mother, Melony, share Circhester Stadium and let the Gym Challengers decide which one they want to face. Whichever one you choose, the Gym Badge you earn at each place will be the same shape for when you connect them to your ring."

"How unusual," Timothy said. "Then I guess I'll just pick the ones I have the best advantage against."

"Do you think you have the type advantage against all of the other Gym Leaders?" Gwen asked.

"Er, I wouldn't say all of them for sure, but on paper, I seem to have the advantage against most of them," Timothy said. "I mean, the next gym leader, Nessa, is a Water type Gym Leader, so Electchu and its Electric attacks are the obvious choice for beating her. Then, there's the Fire type Gym that Poliwrath can take care of with its Water type attacks, Odyssey can deal with Steel and Ice type Pokémon. Shockwave appears to be the key to two Gym Badges by using its Psychic attacks against the Fighting type Gym Leader's Pokémon and its Fairy type attacks against the Dragon type Gym Leader's Pokemon. Since Ghost is weak against Ghost, it makes more sense to take on Bea instead of facing Allister with Knightblade. Electchu's Iron Tail and Blitzwing's Steel Wing are powerful against Fairy type attacks, but I don't think relying on one move each is wise. With all that said, some of these Gym Leaders are likely stronger than Milo and will have dual-type Pokemon, making it harder to land critical hits."

"Not to mention there is one Gym Leader that wasn't at the opening ceremony, and we don't know what type of Pokémon he or she has," Coovers said.

"That's true," Timothy said. "Do you know where that Gym is and what type of Pokémon they use, Gwen?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what Pokémon they use, but the Gym Leader lives in a town called Spikemuth, and it's the second-to-last place you need to go to for the Gym Challenge," Gwen answered.

"Well, at least we know that much," Timothy said. "I'll just have to keep training my Pokémon until we get there and hopefully we'll be ready for what's in store with this mysterious Gym."

"Speaking of which, have you checked what moves Knightblade has?" Coovers asked. "I was wondering if it has any Steel type moves that might also come in handy for the Fairy type Gym."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks for reminding me," Timothy said.

He took out his Rotom Phone and scanned Knightblade while it was having a conversation with Odyssey and Shockwave as they ate. Timothy waited until a list of Pokémon moves appeared on the screen with a "ding."

"Oooo, Knightblade has a nice set of Pokémon moves," Timothy said. "It knows Night Slash, Sacred Sword, Shadow Claw, and Flash Cannon."

"A Dark type, a Fighting type, a Ghost type, and a Steel type move, all very powerful. That is a nice set," Coovers said.

"Sure is. I've never seen Sacred Sword before Ezria and I battled, but it did some serious damage, so I wonder how powerful it is against a Pokémon that's not weak to Fighting type moves. Plus, Knightblade has one ranged move, so I don't always have to rely on melee attacks," Timothy said. "I gotta say, as a trainer who prefers using only attacks, I like how Ezria trains her Pokémon."

Gwen furrowed her brow and said, "I hope you don't admire a lot apart from that, Timothy."

"Why's that?" Timothy asked.

Gwen paused and looked past Timothy's shoulder to stare suspiciously at Knightblade.

"I have an uncomfortable feeling about Ezria. There's something that's just not right about her," she said.

"You mean the way she was so enthusiastic to meet Timothy?" Coovers asked.

"That and something else, but I can't figure out what," Gwen said. "I'm not even sure I'm comfortable with one of her Pokémon traveling with us."

Timothy turned his head to look at Knightblade, who happily talked with his other Pokémon as they ate their dinner. He turned back to Gwen and said with a shrug, "I don't know. Ezria is eccentric, I grant you, but Knightblade doesn't seem strange to me."

"It was willing to leave its trainer and be separated from its brother because Ezria wanted it too," Gwen pointed out.

"Fair point, but it's my Pokémon now," Timothy said. "And if we train hard, we could over time create a close bond as I have with all of my Pokémon."

Gwen stared at Timothy, taken by surprise. Her shock turned into a smile of admiration as she saw in Timothy's eyes that he sincerely cared more about the Pokémon itself than where it came from.

"Alright, if you really feel that way, then I'll trust you. Just be careful with what happens if Ezria finds out who she gave her Pokémon to, or how Knightblade will react for that matter."

"Fair enough," Timothy said.

With that, they went back to their meal. As they ate, Gwen looked up at Timothy and smiled again. She stared at him for a few seconds until she realized what she was doing and quickly went back to her stew, paying no mind to her cheeks turning pink. Timothy looked up at her just a moment after she looked away and noticed the slight blush on her cheeks. He tilted his head, wondering what was on her mind. He began to wonder if she was thinking about him, but then his eyes widened in shock, and he resisted the urge to slap himself in front of Gwen, Coovers, and the Pokemon.

"What's with you, Timothy? Why are you hoping for something like that?" He thought to himself. "She could be embarrassed about something or thinking about another guy. Yeah, there's another researcher she admires and wouldn't mind putting up with her tight schedules and stuff like that. They probably have tons in common with the mystery of the Darkest Day or something. What do we have in common apart from hating how Venarge treated Ned? She didn't even watch my Gym Battle."

At that last thought, Timothy's eyes widened again, and he stared at his reflection from the water in his soup, astounded at himself.

"Good grief, I'm getting so worked up that I'm trying to come up with all sorts of reasons why a woman I've only known for a few days doesn't like me." He squirmed and scratched the back of his head. "Maybe Electchu is right. I am acting weird around Gwen. Maybe it's not as serious as I'm making out to be. After all, it's not like I act like Coovers when he's around Sonia, acting all googly-eyed around her. What could be dorkier then -?"

"Timothy?"

Timothy jumped in alarm and looked up to find everyone finished with their food and looking at him. Timothy looked down to find his stew still half-eaten.

"Are you alright?" Gwen asked.

Timothy's cheeks turned beet red, and he said, "Y-yes, I'm fine. I'm just thinking about... training my Pokémon. That's all."

Gwen tilted her head, and Coovers gave Timothy a puzzled look, unsure of whether or not he was telling the truth.

"Okay, why don't you stop thinking about training and finish your supper so you can start training?" Gwen suggested.

"Y-yeah. Totally. Good idea," Timothy replied.

With that, Timothy wolfed down the rest of his stew. Coovers and Gwen stared at him for a moment before they got up from their seats and put their Pokemon back in their Pokéballs, save for Winnie. Timothy took it upon himself to grab everybody's bowls and utensils and wash them at the nearby river to distance himself from the others. Gwen put out the campfire and Coovers took apart the table. Timothy glared at his reflection in the river as he washed the Pokemon bowls.

"You better watch yourself, Timothy. Who knows what will happen if you drift off like that again?" he thought. "Don't think about Gwen like that anymore. Just focus on training. That's right. Training. Knightblade is new to your team. It knows Sacred Sword, Night Slash, Shadow Claw, and Flash Cannon. Think about how you will use those moves to train it with other Pokémon. You can do that. Just take a deep breath, finish washing the dishes, put them away, and start training."

Timothy closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and held it for several seconds before slowly letting it out. He washed the rest of the bowls and spoons and dried them with a towel before returning the dishes to the campsite. When Timothy was done, he took another deep breath before turning to face Electchu, Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, and Knightblade with a serious look.

"Alright, fellas, let's get down to business," Timothy said. "Tonight, we are focusing on the skills and powers of our new friend, Knightblade, and then we're going to show it the ropes." Timothy then walked over to Knightblade and said, "I don't know how Ezria trained you, but in my team, we work together to help everyone get stronger. I have my Pokémon face each other constantly, using specific moves to attack or defend and strengthen their moves, agility, focus, and so forth. Follow along, and you'll fit in with our family just fine. Sound good?"

"Aegislash," Knightblade answered, holding its shield up to show it was ready.

"Is Timothy normally like this when he trains?" Gwen asked.

"More or less. Timothy hasn't had a new Pokémon and his team for years, so teaching Knightblade how to work with Timothy's other Pokémon should be very interesting," Coovers said.

"You mean he doesn't use any of his other Pokémon?" Gwen asked.

"Sure, he'll do that sometimes. He does have other Pokémon at home like Titus, Fenrir, and a Snorlax that he'll sometimes use in Pokemon League tournaments if necessary. When all is said and done, though, his official team is Electchu, Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, and Gengar," Coovers said.

"I see," Gwen said.

"Teddiursa," Winnie said.

"Alright, Knightblade, show us what you're made of," Timothy said, turning his eyes to a nearby tree. "Attack that tree using Night Slash followed by Sacred Sword!"

Knightblade's blade glowed light-purple, and it charged toward the tree, screaming "Aegislash," like a battle cry. The Royal Sword Pokemon's blade pierced through the tree with the tip sticking out. Its blade then turned blue, and it spun around, cutting the tree in half. Knightblade turned to Timothy as the top half of the tree fell behind it.

"Not bad. A clean, linear cut," Timothy said. He scratched his chin in thought for a moment before he pointed at another tree closest to Knightblade. "Cut the branches of that tree using Shadow Claw. Get as close to the trunk as possible."

Knightblade's sword changed from blue to black with a purple outline. It charged at the second tree and rapidly cut off its branches. Within seconds, the tree was nothing but a trunk with yellow spots surrounded by a pile of branches. Coovers, Gwen, and Winnie stared at the remains of the tree in astonishment.

"Knightblade cut those branches off so cleanly it's as if they weren't connected to the tree at all," Coovers said.

"And it did it so quickly," Gwen added.

"Teddi," Winnie said.

Electchu, Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, and Blitzwing walked over to the remains of the tree, intrigued. They then complimented Knightblade or gave nods of approval, which made the Aegislash proud. Timothy walked over to analyze his new Pokémon's work and turned to it with a smirk.

"Impressive. I honestly didn't expect you to get so close to the truck at the speed you were attacking," Timothy said. He looked around until he saw a boulder close to the river. "Alright, let's see what you can do with your final move. Use Flash Cannon on that boulder!"

Knightblade created a white ball of energy in front of its sword and fired a white and light blue beam. The beam hit the boulder, and it exploded on impact, sending pieces of it flying into the air. When the dust cleared, only the bottom of the boulder remained.

"Very nice. Ezria trained you well," Timothy said.

"Aegislash," Knightblade said, holding up its shield proudly.

"Well, it looks like Timothy won't have to worry about Knightblade's power at all," Gwen said.

"No kidding. Now, let's see how it fits it into training with his other Pokémon," Coovers said.

"Teddiursa," Winnie said.

Electchu, Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, and Blitzwing walked/flew over to look over the remains of the boulder, impressed with Knightblade's work once again. Timothy walked to the center of the field with Knightblade following him and clapped his hands to gain his Pokémon's attention. They ran over to their trainer and new member of the team before Timothy turned to Knightblade.

"Alright, Knightblade, you've proven to be very powerful, and I have no doubt that will be very handy in battle," he said. "But now, we work on training together with the rest of my team. As I said, we work together to strengthen everyone's abilities. To give you a better idea, I will show you how we do it."

He turned to Electchu, Poliwrath, Odyssey, and Shockwave.

"Poliwrath, use Dynamic Punch! Electchu, block with Iron Tail! Odyssey, attack Shockwave with Bone Rush multiple times! Shockwave, dodge Odyssey's attacks!"

The Pokémon nodded and ran over to open spots on the field. Poliwrath and Electchu began dueling with their respective attacks while Shockwave gracefully avoided Odysseys bone Rush. Knightblade observed the four Pokémon, noticing how while the pairs of Pokémon were attacking each other, they were not entirely trying to hit the other. Whether it was because they were holding back or because their reactions were super quick, it could not tell. The Royal Sword Pokémon found this training method strange, but chose to trust its new trainer and that this was the best way for it to work with its new team.

"Alright, guys, that's enough for right now," Timothy said before he turned to his new Pokémon. "Do you have a general idea of how we do things?"

Knightblade hesitated and said, "Aegis, Aegislash." Timothy frowned, unsure of what its answer was. Then Electchu stepped in.

"Rai, Rai, Raichu," it said.

"Oh, I see. Thanks for clarifying," Timothy said. "Well then, let's see how well you understand. Since Gengar was Blitzwing's training partner, I'm gonna have you train with it. Initially, Gengar would try to hit Blitzwing while Blitzwing attacks whenever it has an opening. I thought, since you can levitate, I will have you duel in the air so that you and Blitzwing have trained against opponents in the air.

"Aegislash," Knightblade said.

"Braviary," Blitzwing said.

"All right, you two, get it to positions," Timothy commanded.

Blitzwing and Knightblade nodded and floated high into the air. They stared at each other as Timothy called out to them.

"Now, Knightblade, give it everything you've got, but remember this isn't a battle or a competition of supremacy," he said. "There are no winners. Only steps for the two of you to grow stronger. Understand?"

"Aegislash," Knightblade answered, leaning its sword forward and back slightly as a way of nodding.

"Alright then," Timothy said. "Braviary, use Steel Wing! Knightblade, use Sacred Sword!"

Immediately, the two Pokémon zoomed toward each other with Blitzwing's wings glowing white and Knightblade's sword glowing blue. When they were within reach, Knightblade swung its sword down toward Blitzwing's head, and the Braviary stopped charging to shield itself with one of its glowing wings. Knightblade pushed its sword down, and Blitzwing kept its wing up while flapping its other wing rapidly to stay airborne.

The Valiant Pokémon let out a loud caw and pushed the sword back, leaving Knightblade open. Blitzwing charged again with one wing aimed at Knightblade, and Knightblade moved to the side just in time with the tip of Blitzwing's wing barely missing its sword. Blitzwing turned around and went for the attack, but Knightblade protected itself with its shield. With the blade still glowing blue, the Royal Sword Pokémon forced Blitzwing back and lunged its sword at it, but Blitzwing blocked it with both wings still glowing white.

Knightblade moved a few feet back from Blitzwing, and its blade and Blitzwing's wings stopped glowing. They stared at each other in midair with Timothy, Coovers, Gwen, Electchu, Winnie, Poliwrath, Odyssey, and Shockwave, curious about what was happening. Blitzwing looked carefully at its opponent, and the edges of its beak curled up. The Steel and Ghost type Pokemon was not like Gengar, a giant, stout shadow that it could easily hit during training. Knightblade was more intelligent and better equipped, making it more of a challenge.

At the same time, Knightblade squinted its eye as though it was focusing on Blitzwing. It underestimated the bird-like Pokemon's capabilities, especially considering how its sword was taller than Blitzwing. The Royal Sword Pokémon expected to land a hit whether Timothy wanted it to or not, but its training partner was quicker and smarter than most opponents it faced when Knightblade was Ezria's Pokémon. It seemed to Knightblade that it found a new sparring partner with Blitzwing using both of its wings to fight like how Knightblade's brother used two swords.

Everyone on the ground looked at the two Pokémon confused, wondering if they would continue training. Then Blitzwing's wings glowed white, and Knightblade's sword glowed blue again, and with loud calls, they charged at each other. Knightblade swung, thrust, and lunged at Blitzwing rapidly, and its opponent continued to dodge or parry with its wings. Then, when Blitzwing saw an opening, it would try to hit Knightblade, only for Knightblade to react by protecting itself with its shield. Blitzwing attacked the shield with both wings as though hitting it enough times would force it away from Knightblade, but when Knightblade found the right moment, it pushed Blitzwing back with its shield, giving it the chance to go for the offense again.

Again and again, the two Pokémon switched between offense and defense, clashing with Knightblade's sword and shield and Blitzwing's wings. Timothy didn't understand why, but it was clear that Blitzwing and Knightblade had become rivals amid training. He smirked as he watched them spar, seeing it as another step toward Knightblade becoming part of his Pokémon family. He continued to watch until he saw Blitzwing and Knightblade begin to tire and he sighed, hating to spoil the fun.

"Alright, you two, that's enough!" He called out.

But instead of stopping, the Pokémon continued to fight.

"Blitzwing, Knightblade, stop!" Timothy shouted.

Again, they didn't hear him.

"Guys, knock it off! You're done!" Timothy yelled.

But no matter how hard he shouted, Blitzwing and Knightblade were lost in their own world. Timothy, Coovers, Electchu, Poliwrath, Odyssey, and Shockwave looked at each other, and Timothy huffed in annoyance. He took out two of his Pokéballs to force the Pokémon back, but before he lifted his arms to return them, Gwen stepped up in front of him.

"Hey, knock it off!" She barked.

Finally, Blitzwing and Knightblade stopped and looked at Gwen with shameful looks as though their mother was disciplining them. They floated down until they were at the same level as the rest of the group, and Timothy gave Gwen a thankful look before he stepped forward to his Pokémon.

"Okay, so it looks like we found a good method of training for you two,'' he said. "That said, I'd appreciate it if you listen to me. When I say to stop because you two are beginning to tire out, you stop your little match. Is that clear?"

"Braviary." Blitzwing answered.

"Aegislash.'' Knightblade replied.

"Good," Timothy said as he took out his Rotom Phone. "It's getting a little late, so I think we should stop training for the night."

Gwen took out her phone, and her eyes widened as she said, "Goodness, you're right. I have a long ride planned for us tomorrow, and I would like it if we could have a few extra hours of sleep.

"With how early you make us wake up, that almost sounds like a mercy," Coovers muttered.

"What was that?" Gwen asked with a glare.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Coovers said, waving his hands defensively.

Gwen raised her eyebrow as she continued to stare at Coovers. Coovers began to sweat until Gwen walked away, deciding to drop it. He sighed in relief before he walked over to his bag to grab his sleeping bag.

"Alright," Timothy said as he took out his Pokeballs. "Poliwrath, Odyssey, Shockwave, Blitzwing, Knightblade, return."

All five Pokémon obediently returned to their containers, and Timothy put the Pokéballs in his pocket before he walked over to his bag. He took out his sleeping bag and pajamas, and he and Coovers walked to different spots in the woods to change while Gwen went in the opposite direction to change into her pajamas. When all three adults returned to the camping site in their night clothes, Gwen stretched and yawned as she laid her sleeping bag on the ground.

"All right, night, boys," she said as she got into her bag.

"Teddiursa," Winnie yawned cutely as it got into Gwen's sleeping bag, and she began spooning her partner.

"Night, Gwen," Timothy and Coovers said simultaneously.

"Raichu," Electchu said.

Timothy and Coovers got in their sleeping bags while Electchu cuddled up in a ball next to Timothy. Within several minutes, Coovers snored, and Gwen and Winnie silently dozed off. Within several minutes, Coovers snored, and Gwen and Winnie silently dozed off. Electchu kept its eyes closed, trying to drift off to sleep until it felt something poke its side.

"Electchu," Timothy whispered.

Electchu winced and ignored the poke for a second before it felt another one.

"Hey, Electchu."

The mouse Pokemon groaned, accepting that its partner wouldn't stop. It opened its eyes to give Timothy an annoyed look.

"Rai?" Electchu asked.

"I was thinking about our next Gym Battle," Timothy said. He hesitated, not looking Electchu in the eye. "I think I'm going to use Knightblade before you."

Electchu sprung up from its laying position, staring at Timothy in disbelief. It hissed a series of "Rai", "Chu" and "Raichu" to not wake up Coovers, Gwen, and Winnie.

"I know you want to tackle the entire battle on your own, but I think it's a good idea," Timothy said, sitting up. "It would be good to use it in an official battle the sooner, the better, and chances are I would be gaining more of Ezria's attention if I use the Pokémon she gave me right away."

"Rai Raichu Rai Rai Rai Raichu," Electchu said.

"I know it makes more sense since you have Electric attacks. I just want to do this first," Timothy said. "It'll be just for the first Pokémon we go against. After that, I'm sending you out in the field even if the next Pokémon is part Ground type."

"Raichu?"

"My word is my bond," Timothy answered.

Electchu continued to frown, disappointed with Timothy's decision. It said another series of "Rai,'' "Chu," and "Raichu" that made Timothy smirk.

"I think I can manage using only you in my first match in the World Coordination Series," Timothy said as he offered his hand. "I agree to your terms."

Electchu smirked and shook Timothy's hand with its paw. With that, Electchu yawned and went back to cuddling up in a ball. Timothy smiled and gently petted his partner's head as he whispered, "Good night, pal." He laid back down and stared at the stars in the sky, thinking of earning his second badge.

A minute later, Timothy was snoring.