It started like most terrible ideas: with a voice and way too much confidence.
Orion was sitting on a cracked bench outside the Pokémon Center, nose in his notebook, sketching out theoretical terrain layouts for the Gym match. Shinx lay curled beneath his feet, tail occasionally sparking against the concrete like he was trying to short-circuit the sidewalk on principle.
Then came the interruption.
"You're the guy with the shiny cat and one badge, right?"
Orion didn't look up. "If this ends in a sales pitch, I bite harder than he does."
A chuckle. Footsteps.
Then the shadow of someone who clearly bought their training gear from a catalog that started with elite and ended with excessive.
"Just saying," the guy continued. "Most trainers with a shiny don't let them nap on park benches."
Orion finally looked up.
Guy was tall, athletic, wearing League-sponsored gear. Badge lanyard around his neck with three stamps, all displayed like medals. His expression hovered somewhere between friendly and smug—heavy on the smug.
"Wow," Orion said dryly. "Three badges and you still have time to do drive-by judgments. I'm honored."
"I'm Kieran," he said. "Headed for my fourth badge tomorrow. Figured I'd warm up on someone local."
"Local," Orion repeated, closing his notebook. "That's a fun way of saying 'broke trainer with a good-looking cat.'"
"Well." Kieran grinned. "You're not wrong."
Orion raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. You want to battle me to 'test yourself.' And if I say no, you'll call me scared. If I say yes, you'll pretend I'm not worth your time while secretly praying I don't wreck your ego."
Kieran's smirk didn't move. "So… yes?"
Orion rolled his eyes. "What's the wager?"
Now that got the guy's attention. "You're serious?"
"You're already annoying. Might as well make it profitable."
"Alright," Kieran said, stepping forward. "My offer: 6,000₽. Enough for a month of top-grade rations, or two move tutor sessions per Pokémon. If you lose, I take the Shinx."
Orion's face didn't change.
Shinx, however, looked up at him—almost offended. Not scared. Just... excuse me?
Orion stared back at Kieran, then down at Shinx. Then up again.
"Fine," he said. "But when I win, I'm taking your ego as a bonus prize."
They met on one of the Center's sanctioned sparring fields—open layout, no frills, gravel underfoot, worn battle lines. A few other trainers wandered over to watch.
Kieran opened with Floatzel—sleek, fast, cocky-looking like its trainer.
Orion sent out Tyrunt, who hit the ground with a stomp and a snarl that sent dust scattering.
The battle started fast.
Floatzel tried a classic speed-flank—Quick Attack into Water Pulse. Tyrunt wasn't impressed.
He bit Floatzel's leg mid-dash and slammed it into the ground so hard it cracked the battlefield surface.
The crowd actually winced.
Floatzel never really recovered. Tyrunt stalked him down like a slow, smiling nightmare and ended it with a feint-bite combo that left Kieran blinking.
He recalled the Floatzel, now visibly annoyed.
"Okay. That was lucky."
"Sure," Orion muttered. "I'm just here flipping coins."
Next up: Luxio.
Bigger, buffer, angry little lightning machine.
Tyrunt didn't wait for orders. He lunged.
Luxio tried to hold him off with electric field bursts, but Tyrunt ate the shocks and bit down harder.
It was brutal.
But Tyrunt had already fought. Already spent energy. He was pushing too hard.
Still, he dropped Luxio after a jaw-lock and ground-slam combo that left even Orion wincing.
When Luxio fainted, Tyrunt barely stood up.
Orion returned him with a short, "Good job."
And a quieter, "You don't need to prove anything."
Kieran gritted his teeth. "Time for the real fight."
Final Pokémon: Monferno.
Fast, mean, Fire-type.
Orion exhaled.
He knew how this went.
He sent out Grotle.
The shift in tone was immediate. The crowd stopped murmuring. Even Kieran hesitated when he saw just how big Grotle was—bigger than average, heavier, already cracking the field just by walking.
"Flamethrower!" Kieran barked, panicked.
Monferno blasted fire.
Grotle grunted.
Took it.
And kept walking.
"Absorb," Orion said, bored.
Green energy pulsed from Grotle's shell.
Monferno twitched.
Grotle advanced.
"Brick Break!"
Monferno charged. Hit the shell. Didn't even make Grotle flinch.
Then Grotle tackled him—full-body slam. Monferno hit the dirt.
Another Absorb.
And another.
And another.
Monferno started screaming.
"Stop!" Kieran shouted. "I yield!"
Grotle finally stepped back—calm. Almost disappointed.
Orion scratched his jaw.
"Could've kept going."
"You're insane," Kieran muttered.
"No," Orion said. "I'm broke. You're the idiot who bet on losing."
The money was transferred immediately. Kieran didn't say a word as he handed over the voucher.
Orion didn't gloat.
Didn't need to.
He was already doing the math in his head—food for a month. Recovery items. And tutor access. He could get Shinx his control back. Push Tyrunt toward Stealth Rock. Reinforce Grotle's terrain pressure.
The team was moving.
And they weren't just ready.
They were already stronger than most trainers two badges ahead.
That night, Shinx climbed into his lap and purred like a broken fridge.
Orion looked down at him.
"You know I bet you, right?"
Shinx licked his hand.
"I was going to let someone else have you."
Shinx headbutted his ribs.
Orion sighed.
"…You're the worst collateral I've ever had."
He scratched behind Shinx's ear.
"I guess that makes you mine."
He opened his notebook, flipped to a new page, and wrote:
"Grotle: Absorb sustained under fire. Took multiple direct hits. Shell integrity intact. Will push him into trap-breaker strategy.
Tyrunt: Took out two opponents solo. Bite mastered. Holding power extreme.
Team synergy confirmed.
They didn't just fight to win.
They fought because someone tried to take Shinx.
I don't think we're a team anymore.
I think we're a pack."
Author here :
I need everyone opinion about this chapter i almost did not send it because i was not sure if it make sense kind of like he did not know if he was stronger then a almost 4 badge but like at the same time he needed the money ( ngl i need some real feedback about this chapter ) thanx everyone for your feedback !