The next morning.
On a patch of grass at the Oak Laboratory, Vance was training with Zoroark and the other two little ones.
Blaziken and Zweilous, meanwhile, were waiting off to one side; the rest of the Pokémon had no wish to come out, and stayed resting in their Poké Balls.
"Train properly. A hundred rounds of this and today's training is done."
Vance said it to Kirlia and Gastly. It was the same drill as before, the one that needed the two of them to work together.
"Kirl—"
"Hss-kek—"
Having set the two little ones to their training, Vance went over to Zoroark and put it through some of its routine work, while he himself started on a weighted run.
"And what about us two?? Boss, you've forgotten us. Blaziken—"
Watching Vance's figure as he ran, Blaziken was rather at a loss, and shouted after him.
"Roar, roar. The boss means we're to do as we like, I should think."
Black One spoke up.
"Yes, yes, that's what I think too."
Black Two followed after him.
"Is that it. I'm not used to that."
Blaziken scratched his head. It did not sit right with him.
"What is there to get used to? The pair of you are the seniors here. You can manage ordinary training without a word from me — you're not Gastly and the others."
Vance's voice sounded by his ear.
"All right, then."
Blaziken said it helplessly, and had to see to himself.
He looked up, and saw a Charizard fly past.
"Rraah, rraah—"
The Charizard in the sky had seen the Blaziken on the ground as well. Both being Fire types, each could feel the other's presence, and it let out a roar.
"Blaziken—"
Blaziken answered it, not the least bit cowed.
"Rraah, rraah—"
The Charizard wheeled overhead and raised a claw to challenge Blaziken to a fight. Fire-type Pokémon are all fond of a battle.
"Blaziken—"
At that provocation Blaziken's fighting spirit came up thick, and he stirred.
"Off you go. Find somewhere suitable, and mix with the other Pokémon while you're about it."
Vance's voice came again.
"Right you are."
Blaziken set his feet going and ran off into the distance, away to spar with that Charizard.
"Zweilous, if you want a walk that's all right too."
Vance said it to Zweilous. Here there was no fear at all of Zweilous getting lost, or of Pokémon Hunters coming to hunt.
Some Pokémon might be soft, but Professor Oak was no soft touch: a Dragonite as high as level 90 lived here.
Even the current Champion, coming here, might well be unable to beat that Dragonite, terrifying as its strength was.
To say nothing of the rest.
As for beings above the Champions, there was no need to say anything at all......
"Roar, roar. No need."
Zweilous found himself a spot and lay down. There was remembering in Black One's eyes: no telling how things stood back at the Valley of Dragons, and it seemed a long time since he had been back.
And Beauty — no telling how she was, either.
He would have to work harder, evolve quicker. Once his strength came up and he had evolved, he would find a chance to say so to his Trainer, and go back to the Valley of Dragons for a visit.
Though life here was comfortable enough.
"Good morning, Vance. So this Zweilous is yours? You've raised him very well — from the look of him he's close to evolving, isn't he?"
Daisy Oak had come out of the house too, and on reaching them caught sight of Zweilous and was mildly surprised.
Then again, it was hardly a surprise that he should have a pseudo-legendary.
"He is about to evolve."
Vance stopped his running and came over to stand in front of Zweilous.
Over this last stretch of time Zweilous had gone up another level and reached level 57.
Gyarados was still hovering at level 58; Slaking and the others had each broken through a level, Slaking reaching 56, Aerodactyl 53, Blaziken 52.
Zoroark was at level 33, Kirlia and Gastly at 23.
Those eight Pokémon were Vance's fighting strength at present.
Those were the surface energy levels, of course.
To which had to be added Vance himself, an Advanced Psychic and holder of the Viridian Power.
At level 57, Zweilous had met the conditions for evolving as well.
For the Zweilous line, evolving into Hydreigon happened broadly within this band of energy levels.
"Hahaha, running, running, I'm going to get myself in shape."
Out of the house came Ash at a rush, with Gary behind him.
"Honestly. Every day it's as if he's had a shot of something."
Gary shook his head, and set off after him all the same.
The Pokémon of the Oak Laboratory were getting up one after another too — some walking, some running, some flying.
All at once the Oak Laboratory was full of life.
Daisy Oak, after a few words, went off about her own business.
"Bang, bang, bang—"
From the direction Blaziken had gone came a run of noise.
Before long Blaziken came back, a smile on his face and his spirits very good indeed.
There were scorch marks here and there on him, but he did not care in the least.
He had come out the winner of this bout; after beating that Charizard he had beaten the rest of the Fire types into the bargain.
A rich haul of battle for one day.
The time went quickly. The sun climbed high, breakfast was eaten, and Vance made his farewells to Professor Oak and the rest.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Professor. I won't trouble you any longer — I'll be setting off shortly and going on with my journey."
"Won't you stay a few more days? Must you rush off? You could stay a few days more."
Professor Oak pressed him to stay.
Beside him, Daisy Oak pressed him as well.
"Quite so, quite so, Vance. I haven't even taken you round the rest of Pallet Town yet. Let me tell you, there are lots of fun places in Pallet Town."
Ash joined in the pressing, naming the places he thought were fun.
Vance laughed in spite of himself, patted him on the shoulder and said:
"You go and enjoy yourself, Ash. Not for me — I've business to see to."
That said, he looked at Professor Oak and the others.
"The Conference is drawing near as well, so I won't linger. Until we meet again, Professor, Miss Daisy — and Ash and Gary."
At that, Professor Oak pressed him no further, but told him to have a smooth journey and to take care.
And then saw him off.
"Until we meet again."
Vance sprang onto Aerodactyl's back, rose into the air and flew away into the distance.
"That's so cool." Ash watched Aerodactyl carry Vance off into the sky, full of longing.
When he grew up he would catch a Pokémon that could fly too, and swing himself up like that, handsome as anything, and take off into the sky.
Like that. It really was too cool.
The Pokémon he caught in future absolutely had to fly — and look good, that as well, like this Aerodactyl, fierce and handsome at once.
Who should he catch?
Dragonite? No, Dragonite wouldn't do, not fierce enough.
Pidgeot? That was rather handsome, actually. That would do.
Charizard seemed good as well — it flew, it looked handsome, and it was fierce too.
"Hahaha."
"Oi, oi, oi, what are you daydreaming about? Wipe your mouth and stop it."
Gary could not bear to watch, and gave Ash a shove.
Seeing him grinning away like an idiot, he knew perfectly well what he was thinking about.