Route 3 Pokémon Center, Ren pov:
We made it to the Pokémon Center at the base of Mt.Moon around midday.
After talking to the nurse and having the Pokémon healed, we headed to the back, where a training ground was located. It was more of a flatland with large rocks scattered around, but it was perfect for our purposes.
The training field stretched before us, its uneven terrain dotted with weather-worn boulders. I knelt in the dirt, eye-level with my team. "Alright, before we head out tomorrow, I want to see what you can do naturally. No instructions—just show me."
Skitty needed no encouragement. She crouched low, then sprang forward in a textbook Tackle. A bright white glow enveloped her body as she connected with a watermelon-sized rock—
Thud!
The stone wobbled but stayed put. Skitty shook herself off, looking pleased despite the modest impact.
"Good form," I noted. The glow had been consistent, not flickering or leaking. "Now try with less energy—just enough to enhance your natural strength."
Her next attempt came without the luminous aura. She hit the rock with a solid thump—the force of a strong punch—but left no visible damage.
Mew—still in her "Miu" disguise—nodded from her seat on a nearby fence. "Those were some solid tackles."
I nodded in agreement, Skitty's tackle was stronger than when she used it on Wurmple, maybe Mew's aura lecture helped.
Skitty chirped, then turned to Vulpix with a flick of her tail. The fox huffed but stepped forward, volunteering.
What followed was a demonstration of debuff moves. Skitty's tail swayed in slow, hypnotic arcs—Tail Whip. Vulpix's tense posture melted away, her guard visibly dropping as if she'd just heard a lullaby. By the time Skitty finished with a soft, rumbling Growl, Vulpix looked downright apologetic, as if the idea of fighting her teammate was unthinkable.
She quickly snapped out of that and gave Skitty a glare in annoyance. Skitty laughed at that.
Not to be outdone, Vulpix returned the favor. Her Tail Whip was sharper, more precise—less lullaby, more calculated distraction. Skitty's confident stance slackened, she became relaxed, almost distracted.
Mew whistled. "Now that's useful. Lowered defenses mean your next hit lands harder."
I nodded, filing the observation away. The anime had never shown much use of stat-altering moves, but seeing them in action made their value obvious. Tail Whip was slow, but maybe we could work out Leer - could Skitty even learn that? This wasn't the games, so move limitations might be different. The Fallers Adaptation Group in Cerulean probably had training manuals...
Vulpix took center stage next. Her Ember burst forth in a wide spray, scorching the ground in a fan-shaped pattern. Impressive, but unfocused.
"Try narrowing it," Mew suggested. "Like you're blowing air through your lips."
Her next attempt was tighter—a concentrated jet that lasted barely a second before sputtering out. Progress, but inconsistent.
By sundown, both Pokémon were flagging. Skitty's attempts to balance power and control left her panting, while Vulpix's flames guttered like a dying match.
"Enough for today," I said, scooping them up. Skitty slumped against my chest, while Vulpix's tails drooped, their usual fiery vigor dimmed.
Mew hopped off the fence, stretching. "They'll feel that tomorrow. Move training tires the mind as much as the body."
As we trudged back to the Center, I glanced at the darkening silhouette of Mt. Moon. Tomorrow's challenges loomed—but for tonight, food then rest.
■■■SAVING■■■
Ren pov:
The cafeteria hummed with the low chatter of trainers and the clatter of cutlery against cheap ceramic. I poked at my mystery stew - something brown with floating orange chunks that tasted vaguely of tamato berries, it was surprisingly really good - while Mew played tug-of-war with Skitty using a napkin. The mythical Pokémon had long since devoured her own meal with alarming speed, though I suspected half of it had vanished into some pocket dimension rather than her stomach.
Vulpix's cold nose pressed against my elbow. I looked down to find her standing on the table, her six tails casting flickering shadows in the fluorescent light.
"...sad. You okay?" The words brushed against my awareness like half-heard radio static - my fledgling aura senses translating her concern.
I forced a smile and lifted her onto my lap. Her body radiated warmth like a living furnace as I stroked the downy fur between her ears. "Just thinking," I murmured, feeling her purr vibrate through my ribs. I still felt a little sad, about my past life, though I couldn't remember much about the people.
Across the table, Mew's laughter rang a little too bright as she let Skitty win their game. The napkin tore with a dramatic ripping sound that sent both of them into giggles. But for a fraction of a second before she turned back to me, I caught the edges of something sad and ancient in her eyes- like a star that had burned too long without company.
The expression vanished behind her usual grin. "Earth to Ren! You're doing that broody protagonist thing again." She flicked a pea at my forehead. "Eat your... whatever that is before it evolves."
Vulpix growled at the flying vegetable, incinerating it mid-air with a precise ember. The resulting ash drifted onto my stew like morbid seasoning.
"Thanks," I deadpanned, watching the fox Pokémon preen.
Mew's answering laugh sounded more genuine this time, though her gaze lingered on Vulpix's protective stance. Something unreadable passed behind her eyes before she abruptly changed the subject. "So! Who's betting the first Zubat swarm hits before noon tomorrow?" Apparently, Zubats still bothered people on the roads around the mountain, not as much as the caves though.
As Skitty launched into an animated story about her supposed bat-fighting prowess, though I missed most of what she said, I studied Mew over Vulpix's warm body. Two days together, and I still couldn't tell if she was a guardian spirit or a cosmic prankster. Maybe both.
The overhead lights flickered as a group of hikers burst in from outside, their voices loud with excitement about moonstone deposits. Vulpix tensed in my arms, her flames sparking defensively until I ran a soothing hand down her spine.
When I looked back, Mew was watching me again with that same sad smile - like someone remembering a dream they couldn't return to.
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AN: I believe that most people won't see my notes if I put it in the authors thoughts section. Anyway, I've decided to modify the move pool of various Pokémon, mostly to make sense to me and the few who read this. Now I have some ideas on how Skitty and Vulpix are going to train and battle but feel free to give me your ideas in the comments.
One more thing, I mentioned at the beginning that most legendaries are normal Pokémon that ascended due to something they did that impressed the gods, Mew's behavior around Ren is partially related to her ascension.