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Evan was startled awake by the feeling of Smelling Salts—though it was only in his dream. As the morning sun bathed the house in light, Evan descended the stairs and noticed Dragonite entering from outside, stretching and letting out a big yawn.
"Wooh~!"
Seeing Evan coming downstairs, Dragonite waved happily, its joyful demeanor lighting up the room.
"Good morning, Dragonite," Evan greeted with a slight smile.
Dragonite beamed at the greeting, letting out a cheerful, "Wooo~!"
It then began gesturing, clearly asking if there was anything it could help with. Evan shook his head.
"Not right now," he replied. "Just go and play for a while. I'll call you if there's something to do, but let's eat together later."
Evan never hesitated to rely on Dragonite when needed, knowing its strength and dependability. If there was work to do or errands to run, Dragonite was always his first choice for assistance. With its presence, tasks became much more manageable.
Reflecting on last night's conversation with Gardevoir, Evan found himself at a loss for words. Some of Gardevoir's plans were beyond his comprehension, yet others were surprisingly well thought out. His team of Pokémon was truly one of a kind—uniquely powerful and deeply loyal.
Including Dragonite, Evan now had three Pokémon that could rival champions. If Gardevoir succeeded in recruiting a few more capable team members, the thought of entering this year's national competition seemed increasingly realistic. Glancing at Dragonite, Evan's heart surged with anticipation.
The Dragonite noticed Evan's contemplative look but didn't pry. Instead, it nonchalantly strolled back into the house, grabbed a box of energy cubes, and headed back outside.
"Well," Dragonite thought as it left, "what Evan said earlier about needing help was probably just polite. I'm here for retirement, after all."
Dragonite had embraced its role as part of Evan's team, though it had also taken to mentoring the other Pokémon around. It enjoyed sparring with them, sharing its battle experience, and ensuring none of them slacked off too much during training.
"Better to keep these Pokémon sharp," Dragonite mused with a grin, energy cubes in hand. Despite its easygoing demeanor, deep down, it was a battle enthusiast who loved the thrill of training others and perfecting their skills.
Moreover, Dragonite couldn't help but agree with Gallade's observations—Evan's other Pokémon were a bit underwhelming in comparison.
Gallade had already spoken to Dragonite about the importance of the national competition. Although Dragonite wasn't entirely clear on the specifics, it knew one thing for certain: many strong Pokémon would be there. With the current strength of Evan's team, Pokémon like Charizard would be little more than fodder for the opposition.
In light of this, Dragonite had promised Gallade that it would assist in training the team when the time came. But for now, its focus was clear: eating.
As a self-proclaimed "food dragon," Dragonite firmly believed that only on a full stomach could it muster the energy to assist with training. Watching Dragonite happily devour its meal, Evan couldn't help but feel exasperated yet amused. Shaking his head, he decided it wasn't worth commenting on.
Evan turned his attention to his morning routine, brushing his teeth and preparing to start the day. He then began gathering the ingredients needed to make energy cubes. By the time he was done, Isla and the others had arrived, ready to help. They moved efficiently, cleaning up the workshop and preparing for the day's tasks.
Some of their Pokémon helped out too, particularly with disposing of the pomace left over from the tree fruit production. The team worked together to take the residue outside, where Machamp collected it and carried it to the incinerator. Once burned, the ash was repurposed as Mulch for the orchard's fruit trees—a sustainable system Evan had long relied on. The fruit-based pomace gave off a pleasant, light scent as it burned, rather than any unpleasant odor.
Recently, however, the workshop had been producing a larger volume of pomace than usual. In addition to Evan's operation, the orphanage's workshop was also generating a lot of residue. Evan had plans to scatter the resulting ash in the nearby mountains, where he could enrich the soil for new fruit seedlings. However, he was mindful of the wild Pokémon living there. The transformation would have to happen gradually, to avoid disrupting the local habitats of the various species living in the area.
If the mountain project proved too challenging, Evan considered using the ash in the Forest to improve its fertility. Either way, there were plenty of options for utilizing the ash efficiently.
Not long after Evan finished brushing his teeth, the sound of a truck pulling up outside caught his attention. Fresh fruit deliveries had arrived. Acting quickly, Evan called Machamp and Lucario to assist with unloading.
The guest's Machamp had settled into Evan's home, working alongside Evan's own Machamp. The two had become an inseparable team, handling tasks together seamlessly. Meanwhile, Violet's Lucario had adopted the role of a butler, managing household tasks like cooking and cleaning when it wasn't training. Its dedication often gave the impression it was there to work full-time.
Despite its domestic responsibilities, Lucario's training regime remained highly effective, proving that even routine chores couldn't slow its progress.
During the recent training period, Pokémon such as the Ice-type Alolan Vulpix and Shinx had grown considerably stronger, reaching intermediate levels of power. This was hardly surprising, considering their rigorous training environment. At Evan's, no Pokémon ever had a day off.
Each day, they faced battles against various opponents, honing their skills through constant challenges. Sometimes, Evan would even send them into the back mountains, where the wild Pokémon would push them to their limits. Though initially overwhelming, this experience allowed the Pokémon to quickly adapt and grow stronger, exposing them to the harsh realities of living in the wild.
Even Evan couldn't help but marvel at the results. If any other trainers needed help toughening up their Pokémon, Evan thought his method of "mountain survival training" might just be the perfect solution. No energy cubes would be required—the wilderness would do all the work. Of course, if Violet discovered this unorthodox training style, Evan was sure she'd have plenty to say about it.
After finishing the task of unloading the fruit delivery, Evan got straight to work preparing energy cubes. Today's batches were specifically tailored for Dragonite, as well as a mix of Fairy-type cubes for Gardevoir. Evan spent the entire day focused on crafting large quantities of these specialized cubes. His reasoning was simple: if he was going to make them, he might as well prepare extras. Even if no one needed them immediately, they could always come in handy later. Besides, Gardevoir's Fairy typing ensured the cubes wouldn't go to waste.
With the preparations complete, Evan set everything aside to be used the next day. It was Saturday, a day Evan often spent at the orphanage, playing and teaching the children about becoming Pokémon trainers.
As Evan demonstrated some training techniques, Violet finally arrived.