"And he did it again! One versus three, Dante Zulueta swept Norman's entire Pokemon team with just Ursaring!"
LapazTauros: Great game
Mimosaur: Damn! That kid's Pokemon are monsters!
Cunthia: that last match was close! But to go 1v1 against Slaking like that and win…smh, looks like Dante got another ace-level Pokemon
Humandex: Pikachu, Azumarill, and Ursaring? How does such a weird mishmash even work?
WifeofDante: because they were raised by my husband, obviously. He's the strongedt trainer in the world!
"Haha! Dante's goal had always been to become the strongest Pokemon Trainer. Most people laughed when he first said that. But now? Are we witnessing the start of a legendary journey? Of someone who will define a future era?"
Viewers all over the country fell silent after Mike's impassioned commentary. Watching the latest match, even the most skeptical began to believe the possibility of Dante becoming the strongest Trainer.
…
At the Haborym residence
"Mouu, this Mike is too biased. Obviously, sister will become the next Champion."
Hine complained as she switched off her phone. The match is already over, there's nothing more to see. Especially not that Mike glazing her rival.
"Haha, as long as you support me, then that's all that matters."
Mavuika ruffled her sister's hair, a doting smile on her face.
"…sis, how strong is Dante now? Do you think I can catch up to him?"
Mavuika met Hine's hopeful yet anxious gaze. She opened her mouth, not knowing what to say.
As the Fire-type Elite Four, she was able to glean more things from this match than the average Trainer. For one, Ursaring's last blow was just a lucky strike.
Even though that was the case, the Pokemon must have enough strength to take down a Pokemon like Slaking even with the help of luck. After all, no luck in the world can help if the raw power is insufficient.
And Ursaring is strong. Mavuika would not have found it strange if someone told her it's part of a Champion-level Trainer's main team. And Dante trained a Pokemon of that level…in a month.
"Hine, I'm going to be honest with you."
Hine tensed at the seriousness in her older sister's voice.
"Dante…is an anomaly. As far as I know, even the United States Champion, Iris, took two years to grow into a Champion-level Trainer- and that is with the support of the Opelucid Family."
"But Dante isn't like that. All background checks showed he came from a commoner background. And yet, he achieved what most Trainers from Elite families can't do their whole lives in less than a year."
Except for his ambiguous involvement with the Fontaine and Kuki Family, otherwise, Dante's background is spotless. Mavuika thought.
"So…are you saying I should give up?"
Hine's voice cracked. Mavuika's eyes softened and she pulled her younger sister into a warm hug.
"No. What I am saying is that, you shouldn't rush. Maybe he has superpowers that can accelerate the growth of his Pokemon. However, you have to remember; it's not how you start, it's how you finish that matters."
"Train your Pokemon well. Formulate different strategies. And most importantly, have fun together. Like what I always say, a strong bond between Trainer and Pokemon can break through anything."
—
"You've proven yourself. This is the Balance Badge, a proof of the Gym's recognition."
"Thank you, Mr. Norman."
Dante took the Badge. It looked like two large circles connected by a metal rod, similar to a mini-barbell. Just like his previous two badges, it was made of cold, hard, metal. He placed it inside the case box together with the Grass and Earth Badge.
"You earned it. You're gonna participate in the next Champion's Tournament, right? I'm looking forward to seeing you there."
"Heh, I want to see you at your full strength, too."
Dante and Norman chuckled as they discussed the recent battle. The two of them were waiting for their Pokemon to recover. It didn't take long, and the staff came back with their Pokeballs.
"Ursaring!"
After getting his Pokeball back, Dante released Ursaring. Pikachu, who came out of his Pokeball when the battle was over, crossed his arms and spoke in a sagely tone.
"Pika pika!" (Good job, little Ursa. You're almost catching up to us.)
"Ursa." (Ehehe, thanks brother Pikachu.)
Dante nodded in satisfaction when he saw Ursaring's state. Although his energy only recovered minimally, the injuries he suffered had been fully healed.
"Thank you, Mr. Norman. I'll go ahead first. My friends are still wait-"
"Dad!"
The two turned to glance at the direction of the voice.
On one of the passageways, a group of girls walked out, led by a brown-haired girl wearing a red and white bandana.
"May!"
Norman awkwardly scratched the back of his head. He felt fine knowing most of the country watched how he got demolished. But it was different with his daughter. Instead of facing her, Norman preferred a Garbodor swallow him right now.
"Dad, I-"
"By the way! Dante, this is May, my daughter! I promised her I would introduce the both of you. Can't say your old man doesn't keep his word now, can you? Hahaha!"
Norman interrupted May. Under Dante's puzzled gaze, the older man patted his shoulder and gestured to this familiar-looking girl in front.
"Ah, I'm May Maple. A Pokemon Coordinator. Nice to meet you.
"Dante Zulueta, a Trainer. And likewise."
Shaking the soft hands of the girl in front of him, Dante recalled the information he knew about her.
May is either the protagonist, or the daughter of Professor Birch in the Pokemon games- depending on which gender the player chose. Canonically though, Brendan, the male protagonist, is Norman's son.
He remembered that in the manga, Norman is against his son becoming a Pokemon Coordinator. But maybe because he had a daughter, judging by their interaction, it seems that isn't the case.
"Congratulations for winning, Dan. But can I talk to my Dad for a second?"
"Heh, don't let me stop you."
Dante chuckled when he stared at the middle-aged man who had a forced smile as May took him to the side. However, his attention quickly shifted to Shinobu and the others who came over.
"Dan, Ursaring, congratulations. You two were great."
Shinobu walked beside Dante, a gentle smile on her face as she stared at him and Ursaring.
The rest of the girls also chimed in with their praise, with Mualani even giving Dante a brief hug. Due to her outgoing nature, none of the girls found her action unusual.
Meanwhile, Riolu came to Ursaring's side with a look of awe. Seeing what the girl's were doing, he awkwardly patted the bear Pokemon and congratulated him. As for his sister…
"Mawile!"
Dante felt a tug on his pants. Looking down, Mawile was staring at him, an eager expression on her face.
"Hahaha, alright. A promise is a promise."
Dante took out a Pokeball with a pink top half and a heart motif. This is a Love Ball, a Pokeball designed to increase intimacy with the Trainer.
It's often used for Pokemon that require friendship to evolve such as Riolu and Togepi. However, when Mawile saw its appearance and learned its name, she instantly decided it would be her Pokeball.
Mawile, who needs a deep bond with its Trainer for Mega Evolution, is also suitable to be captured with a Love Ball. However, Dante knew that was not the real reason why she chose it.
Looking at her eager expression, Dante smiled wryly and gently tapped her head with the Pokeball.
Mawile turned into red light and entered the Pokeball. Then, there was no more. The Pokeball didn't even wiggle.
"Hmmm, Mawile seems to really like you."
Shinobu mused. Normally, a Pokemon that enters the Pokeball for the first time would cause it to shake due to being unaccustomed. Only when they fully trust their Trainer would a phenomenon like this occur.
"Haha, she does. Maybe a bit too much, if I'm being honest."
Dante sighed as he released Mawile, who instantly clung to his shirt and giggled.
"Is Mawile your Pokemon?"
At this time, Norman and May returned to the group and saw the whole scene. May assumed Mawile was Shinobu's Pokemon, but she didn't expect it to be Dante's.
"Yup. And Riolu, here, too."
Dante patted said blue Pokemon's head.
"That's nice…so, Dante. I was wondering…"
May squirmed. Her face was a little red as her mouth opened and closed several times.
"If you want to ask if I have a girlfriend, then yes. And she's right here."
Dante wrapped an arm around Shinobu's waist, making the green-haired girl slightly blush.
"It's not that! Um, how do you train Pikachu and Ursaring to grow so strong so fast?"
"Ah."
Dante sighed. For the past week, he has been asked this same question at least a dozen times.
He looked at May and explained his non-special training regime.
"I see…"
May was understandingly disappointed. However, she quickly bounced back to normal.
In hindsight, it's reasonable there was no such thing as a special training method. After all, if there was really something like that, someone else would have discovered it by now.
"Anyway~ Come on! Let's take a picture to commemorate!"
Candice urged. Even Norman, who had nothing more to do today, was pulled into the group with the help of his daughter.
Clorinde silently walked out from behind Furina and Focalors, a camera in her hand. During their whole trip today, she was responsible for taking pictures of the group and had gotten used to it by now.
"Say cheese."
"Cheese!"
With the Normal-type Gym's insignia as their background, the whole group stood together with their Pokemon around them.