Timothy, Coovers, and Sonia's minds were on the Pokemon battle team tryouts for their last three classes. Coovers was glancing at other students' Pokemon as he wrote down notes, strategizing for if Oshawott was going to face any of them. Timothy thought of his friends wowing people with their victories in battle, while Sonia imagined people asking her how they could help the Pokemon at her grandmother's paddock. All the while, Yamper napped beside Sonia's desk to build his strength, Electchu grew excited to see its fellow Pokemon battle, and Oshawott dreamed of taking down a powerful Pokemon and evolving into a Dewott.

When the final bell rang, Timothy, Coovers, Sonia, Electchu, Oshawott, and Yamper met at the main hall before heading to the Pokemon battlefield on the other side of campus. On the way, Timothy changed back into his regular clothes, cleaned and freshened up. 40 students were at the battlefield with their Pokemon, either in line to sign up for the tryout or sitting at the stands, waiting for the tryouts to start.

The number of people trying out made Sonia uneasy, but Coovers merely smirked, already having a couple of ideas of what to expect with some of the Pokemon the other kids had. Timothy and Electchu were excited to see so many Pokemon battles until they saw Guzma and Ariados at the center of the field. Guzma was doing push-ups while Ariados stretched, eager for a battle. Coovers and Sonia noticed Timothy looking uneasy and turned to where he was looking.

"That Guzma?" Coovers asked.

"Yep. That's him," Timothy said.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing. He's changed so much that the only thing recognizable from when we were little is his hair," Sonia said. "Kind of makes it more believable that this guy bullied you because he's so different from the guy we knew."

"Yeah, well, I don't care if you guys used to know him. I aim to get accepted into this team, and I especially want to teach this guy a lesson if Oshawott and I get to battle him," Coovers said.

"Oshawott," Oshawott said.

"After so much time having my back with Luke, I'd expect nothing less, Coovers," Timothy said.

"Nor should you, Timbo," Coovers said with his hand on Timothy's shoulder.

Timothy smiled and put his hand on Coovers' hand that was on his shoulder. Coovers grinned before looking past Timothy, and his face lit up. Timothy looked at him confused, and turned around to spot Erin and Piplup walking by. Erin was holding a clipboard with her left hand and a pen with her other hand. Timothy and Sonia looked at each other, smirking as Erin and Piplup stopped before them.

"Hey, you three are from Pokemon Biology first period, right?" Erin asked.

"Yup. I'm Timothy, and this is my partner, Electchu," Timothy said.

"Pikachu," Electchu said.

"Sonia's my name, and this furry cutie is Yamper," Sonia said.

"Arf, arf," Yamper barked.

Erin smiled and turned to ask Coovers his name. Before she could open her mouth, Coovers took her hand that was holding her pen and stepped toward her until they were inches apart with a flirtatious look.

"Coovertimus Thom Woodward, my lady," Coovers said softly. "My Oshawott and I are yours to command."

Timothy rolled his eyes, and Sonia groaned while shaking her head. However, when they looked at Coovers and Erin, they found Erin's cheeks had turned cherry red. She stared at Coovers, taken aback as though the boy her height was tall, muscular, and wearing a nice suit while offering her a rose that matched her blue eyes. Piplup looked at its partner in concern, wondering if Erin remembered the guy she met in class staring at her, while Oshawott watched Coovers and Erin with glee. Eventually, Erin realized she was staring too long and backed away, not looking at Coovers.

"Well, um, nice to formally meet you all," she said, hugging her clipboard. "I guess you're here for tryouts?"

"Yes, we are. Sonia and Coovers are going to compete," Timothy said. "Are you competing too?"

"Actually, no. I'm Coach Surge's assistant," Erin said. "I'm judging the contestants with him."

"Wow. You're assisting Mr. Jacq and the coach of the Pokemon battle team? You're pretty busy," Sonia said.

"What can I say? I love to help out," Erin said. "Anyway, have you signed up yet?"

"No, we just got here," Timothy said.

"Okay, then. Coach Surge will be here soon, so you better sign up before he takes the sign up sheets and starts the tryouts. He's not a patient man," Erin said.

"Got it. Thanks, Erin," Sonia said.

"No problem. Best of luck to you," Erin said. "Come on, Piplup."

"Piplup," Piplup chirped.

Erin and Piplup walked to the table where students were signing up to supervise the process. Erin looked back as she walked and immediately looked away, blushing the moment Coovers was in her sight. Coovers' heart skipped a beat, and his flirtatious smile turned into a determined grin as he turned to Oshawott.

"That settles it, Oshawott. We're gonna crush anyone we battle, join the team, and grow stronger while I spend quality time with the maiden of my dreams," Coovers declared.

"Oshawott!" Oshawott shouted.

They marched to the back of the line with their chests held up. Timothy, Sonia, Electchu, and Yamper watched their friends for a few seconds before Timothy and Sonia looked at each other and snickered.

"Someone's morale has skyrocketed," Sonia said.

"Like when he tried to impress Ashley Smith at a soccer game in gym back in the 6th grade. It was not a rewarding effort, as I recall," Timothy said. However, I have to admit the way she was looking at him was unexpected."

"No kidding. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it," Sonia said. "Either Erin is wooed easily, or today is opposite day."

"Or perhaps there's a genuine spark between them," Timothy said.

"I don't know, Timothy. It's not like Erin was looking at Coovers that way before," Sonia said.

"Granted, but Erin just gave more attention to Coovers in that way than we've ever seen him get in our lifetimes," Timothy said. "Plus, the fact that she's part of the Pokemon battle team means she and Coovers have something in common. If Coovers gets in, that could be something he could use to connect with her. That's an excellent reason for us to root for him today, as he has a chance for something he's been waiting forever for. Right, Electchu?"

"Pikachu," Electchu said.

Sonia smiled, admiring Timothy and Electchu's optimism. Yamper wagged its tiny tail while sticking its tongue out, excited for Coovers. Then, just as Sonia was going to suggest that they get in line, something clicked in her mind. Her face fell with her cheeks turning pink, taken aback that she thought of the idea. Sonia looked at Timothy, who was watching Coovers be so uplifted as he waited in line, and her cheeks went from pink to red. After a moment of debating, Sonia looked away from Timothy and played with her hair with a bashful smile.

"You know, Timothy, while we're on the subject of waiting a long time, there's something that I've been -"

"Hey, Tulip!" Timothy shouted.

Sonia looked at Timothy, confused to see him looking past her and waving his arm with a smile. She turned around and saw Tulip walking in their direction. Beside her was Kirlia, a Medicham, and a girl with long black hair with side locks wearing a black track jacket and pants and yellow, fingerless gloves. Sonia's eyes widened as she analyzed how Tulip walked as though she were a movie star. The purple-haired girl's makeup and dress made Sonia self-conscious about wearing ordinary jeans and her trench coat covering her crop top. Tulip smiled as she and her companions stopped before Timothy, Sonia, Eletchu, and Yamper.

"Hello there. Nice to see you again," Tulip said. "Your name is Tommy, right?"

"Timothy, actually, but that's okay. Easy mistake to make," Timothy said before turning to Sonia. "And this is my best friend, Sonia."

"Hi," Sonia said flatly.

"Nice to meet you," Tulip said, disregarding Sonia's demeanor before turning to the black-haired girl. "This is my bestie, Dendra. She's been with me since the good old days back in the Paldea region."

"What's up?" Dendra greeted. "You're that guy who caused a scene in the auditorium, right?"

Timothy's smile evaporated, and he glanced toward Guzma and Ariados with a bitter glare.

"Yeah, unfortunately, that was me," Timothy said.

"I thought so. Man, that Guzma gets more creative every time. He's just full of surprises," Dendra said.

"Well, in any case, it's nice to see that your humiliation didn't keep you from coming here," Tulip said. "I hope I get to see how you and your Pikachu work together in a Pokemon battle."

"Oh...you are?" Timothy asked, looking at Tulip with his cheeks turning pink.

"Of course. Pokemon battle tryouts are a great way to show the beauty people share with their Pokemon," Tulip said. "So, are you and your friend partaking in single or double battles?"

Timothy grew uncomfortable and said while rubbing his arm, "Well, actually...you see...I was thinking about partaking in the single battle tryouts, but then -"

"But then we decided to try out for the double battle team," Sonia interrupted.

All eyes turned to Sonia. Dendra, Kirlia, and Medicham looked at Sonia curiously, finding it odd that she would suddenly finish Timothy's sentence. Electchu and Yamper looked at each other befuddled, with Electchu asking in its language why Sonia said that, and Yamper whimpered in a tone that said, "I don't know." Timothy looked at Sonia with his mouth hanging a gape and turned to Tulip, who was looking at both of them with a raised eyebrow.

"Is that so? What made you change your mind?" she asked.

"Uh, well, Sonia and I haven't tried it before and thought it might be fun," Timothy fibbed.

"Oh, really? Seems a little risky to try out for the double battle team when you haven't done that before," Dendra said.

"Well, don't knock it till you try it," Timothy said with a nervous grin.

Timothy mentally prepared for Tulip to back up Dendra. It seemed clear that there was no way Tulip would believe anything he said on the spot. To Timothy's surprise, however, Tulip looked at Electchu and Yamper, then gave him and Sonia a look of approval with her hand on her hip.

"Well, if that's your decision, then by all means seize your moment," she said. "I shall be watching with great interest how beautifully you work together with your Pokemon. Best of luck, you two."

Tulip, Dendra, Kirlia, and Medicham walked past Timothy, Sonia, Electchu, and Yamper to sit in the stands. Timothy waved to Tulip with a bashful smile, feeling hopeful with her saying she would watch him battle intently. Sonia furrowed her brow and snapped her fingers before Timothy's face, snapping him out of his gaze. Timothy smiled sheepishly while scratching the back of his head until he remembered what had happened and looked at Sonia in disbelief.

"Sonia, what was that all about?" Timothy said. "I thought we agreed you're trying out for single battles."

"I changed my mind. You should partake in the tryouts with me," Sonia said.

"But we haven't done double battles before," Timothy protested.

"That didn't stop you from suggesting we be here even though Coovers and I didn't prepare for this," Sonia said.

"Yeah, but you know I'm the least skilled of the three of us," Timothy said.

"Then, Yamper and I will have to back you and Electchu up like a team is supposed to in a double battle," Sonia said. "Besides, even if we've never double battled before, we know each other and our Pokemon better than anybody. Even Coovers and Oshawott. If I go out there battling, I want you by my side. If we all get in the team, then all the better, but we should all give it a shot. We're facing high school together. Remember?"

Timothy winced, wishing Sonia didn't use their promise with Coovers against him. Then, Electchu tugged at his jeans to catch his attention and said, "Pika" and "Pikachu" repeatedly. Even though Timothy couldn't understand Electchu, he could feel his faithful partner was behind Sonia's idea. He looked at Yamper and it barked with its tail wagging vigorously. Timothy turned to the battlefield and grew nervous, imagining himself, Sonia, and their Pokemon looking like fools in front of everyone, including Tulip.

Sonia's frown deepened, then she grabbed Timothy's hands and held them while stepping closer to him until they were inches away. Timothy turned to Sonia and saw the determination in her aqua eyes. He wished he could think of something to convince Sonia to stick to the original plan, but there was no denying she was not backing down. With a sigh, Timothy reminded himself that he wanted Sonia to be out there out of hope to catch the attention of the Magnolia Paddock. If Sonia wouldn't take a chance without him, he had to give it his all for her.

"Okay, fair enough. Don't blame me if I mess things up for you, though," Timothy said.

"You won't. I trust you," Sonia said with a smile. "After all, I, of all people, should know that letting me down is the very last thing he wanted to do."

Timothy smiled and said, "And I never will."

Timothy, Sonia, and their Pokemon got in line, waiting a few minutes to sign in. Sonia signed her name first and held out the pen to Timothy to make going to commit. Timothy smiled and took the pen to write his name next to Sonia's, pleasing her.

They looked for Coovers and Oshawott until they found them alone at the stands on the west side of the battlefield. Coovers watched Erin talking to a student who had just signed up, resting his head with his hands and elbows against his legs. He sighed blissfully before Sonia snapped her fingers in front of his face, snapping him out of his happy state. Timothy chuckled as he and Sonia sat next to Coovers, who pouted at Sonia like a child told he couldn't eat cookies before dinner.

"Sonia, that's mean," Coovers whined.

"Tough. You should get your head in the tryouts instead of checking out girls," Sonia said matter-of-factly. "The three of us don't get anywhere by daydreaming about kisses and cuddles."

"Wait, the three of us? Did you decide to try out too, Timbo?" Coovers asked.

"Sonia made me," Timothy said. "We saw Tulip, and I was about to tell her that I'm not going to compete until Sonia declared that we will try out for the double battle team.

Coovers looked at his friends, confused, until he noticed Timothy looking out at the front of the stands. He looked in that direction to see Tulip sitting at the front of the stands with Dendra and their Pokemon, talking strategy. Coovers then looked at Sonia, who was watching Tulip with a cold look and her arms crossed, and he put the pieces together.

"Sly," Coovers said.

"What was that?" Sonia asked with her and Timothy looking at him.

"Nothing," Coovers said.

Just then, a tall, muscular, blonde man walked into the field dressed like a drill sergeant. He stopped at the center of the field and scanned the students and Pokemon waiting in the stands. Some he recognized from the Pokemon battle club in previous years. Others were freshmen he had met in his classes that day. The rest were students who didn't make the cut and wanted another shot for this year. It irritated him that he had to give these students the time of day, but his duties as a teacher dictated that they try their luck.

The man blew his whistle, hanging around his neck, and all eyes were on him. Guzma stopped doing pushups and took a seat at the stands with Ariados. Everyone in the stands moved away from where Guzma sat for fear of getting on his bad side. Erin walked over to stand next to the man with the sign-up sheet as the man cleared his throat.

"For the freshmen who haven't met me yet, I'm Coach Surge," Coach Surge began. "And in case you can't figure it out, I need me Pokemon battlers. 8 of the best in single battle and 8 of the best pairs in double battle. That makes 24 of you lot who can show you can adequately represent this school with your Pokemon. Some of you have done your duty in previous years, but that doesn't guarantee you a spot this year. So, you better not have slacked off on your Pokemon battling skills over the summer. Winning a battle doesn't guarantee you a spot, either. I want to see strength. I want to see passion. I want to see wits. I want to see more than showing you can win a battle simply because your Pokemon has the type advantage or your opponent is so incompetent they don't know the difference between Agility and Quick Attack. If you get into this team, I want you to show that you will be devoted to giving it your all throughout the entire year. Understood?'"

"Yes, sir," the students said.

"That's what I like to hear," Coach Surge said. "Now, starting with tryouts for single battles, I'm going to randomly pick names from the signup sheet for each battle. There's a Pokemon Center across the street from campus for after your battle. When you step into this battlefield, you're going to prove you have what it takes for me to give you a hint of recognition, or you will go home with your tails between your legs trying."

Erin handed Coach Surge the sign-up sheet, and he said the first names he spotted at random. Thus, the tryouts began with a girl's Caterpie and another girl's Seedot. Seedot had more moves, but Caterpie used String Shot repeatedly, allowing it to hit Seedot with Tackle until it was down. Watching Caterpie use String Shot made Timothy and Electchu uneasy, thinking about when Ariados trapped them with the move.

The single-battle tryouts continued with little significance. The students on the team the previous year won their battles with little effort. Most of the ones who weren't failed to impress Couch Surge, even if they won. After each match, Coach Surge commented on the winner, and Erin wrote it on her clipboard. Coovers and Oshawott grew anxious with every battle, ready to show their potential to Coach Surge.

"For our final participants, Guzma Estevez and Coovers Woodward!" Coach Surge announced.

"Booyah! About time!" Coovers shouted. "And I get a crack at Guzma, too. Score!"

"Be careful, Coovers. There's no telling what kind of dirty tricks Guzma might have up his sleeve," Timothy said.

"Have faith in me, Timbo. I'm too good to be beaten by dirty tricks," Coovers boasted. "Besides, thanks to what you've told me, I can take this white-haired punk down a notch. Let's go, Oshawott!"

"Oshawott," Oshawott said.

Coovers and Oshawott went down the steps and stood on the north side of the battlefield while Guzma and Ariados stepped opposite them. Guzma looked at Coovers and Oshawott with a sinister smirk, his hands in his jacket pockets, while Ariados looked at Oshawott like a predator ready to pounce on its helpless prey. However, Their opponents showed no fear as Coovers merely smirked back with his arms crossed, and Oshawot cracked his neck.

"Battle begin!" Coach Surge shouted.

"Ariados, String Shot!" Guzma shouted.

"Oshawott, dodge it!" Coovers shouted.

White strings shot out of Ariados' mouth, and Oshawott avoided the strings with a backflip. Guzma's cocky grin weakened, having expected his partner to catch its opponent right away. He looked at Coovers, who made no command to retaliate; neither did Oshawott expect him to. It was odd that his opponent wasn't making a move, yet, as far as Guzma was concerned, that made it an easy opportunity to try again.

"Use String Shot again!" Guzma shouted.

"Dodge!" Coovers said.

Oshawott jumped away from Ariados' line of fire before the long legs Pokemon fired white strings again. Guzma expected Coovers to make a move this time, but Coovers didn't say a word. Students whispered amongst themselves, wondering what Coovers was doing. Timothy and Sonia looked at each other, finding it unusual for their best friend not to make a move again.

"String Shot one more time!" Guzma shouted.

"Dodge again, Oshawott!" Coovers shouted.

Ariados used String Shot again, feeling confident that it would trap its opponent this time, but the smaller Pokemon was out of its line of fire before it knew it. Guzma clenched his teeth, and his hands turned into balls of fists. He began stomping his foot like a child throwing a temper tantrum,

"Will you knock it off?!" he shouted.

"I agree. If you're going to battle, I expect you to show more than your Oshawott's ability to evade," Coach Surge said.

"Yeah, well, if my opponent can think of something better than trying to catch my Pokemon with String Shot, I might take him seriously. As it stands, I'm shocked that a guy with a fully evolved Pokemon is so incompetent," Coovers said.

"Oh, that's it! You asked for it!" Guzma yelled. "Ariados, use String Shot until you catch that sea rat!"

"Heh, you're too easy," Coovers said. "Oshawott, you know what to do!"

Ariados fired String Shots repeatedly, not knowing that it and Guzma fell into Coovers' trap. Oshawott jumped, flipped, and twirled like an acrobat as its opponent shot strings at it. The more Oshawott avoided the strings, the more frustrated Ariados got until its aim grew sloppy. Coovers waited until Guzma's partner began firing in random directions in desperation to finally strike.

"Now, Oshawott, use Tackle!" Coovers shouted.

Oshawott avoided one more set of strings and raced toward Ariados while it was firing strings that went above Oshawott's head. The sea otter Pokemon rammed Ariados' face with its head just as Ariados was about to fire in Oshawott's direction. Guzma's frustration grew as Ariados began to wobble, disoriented.

"Now, use Razor Shell multiple times!" Coovers shouted.

"Ariados, use Poison Sting!" Guzma shouted.

Ariados shook its head and prepared to use its attack, but it was too late, for Oshawott was already armed with a light blue aura forming into an energy blade coming from its scalchop. Oshawott slashed Ariados' face relentlessly, with Ariados trying to block with its front legs. Timothy, Sonia, Electchu, and Yamper's faces lit up, and the other students began to hope that the school's biggest bully would lose effortlessly. Erin hugged her clipboard as he watched Coovers' Pokemon go at it, fighting the urge to show bias by rooting for Oshawott.

"Alright, buddy, let's finish this with Water Gun!" Coovers shouted.

Oshawott took a deep breath and unleashed a stream of water from its mouth. The water hit Ariados like a brick, and it struggled to stay standing with the force Oshawott used. Finally, Ariados lost its footing, and the water sent it flying to the wall, narrowly missing Guzma. Oshawott stopped firing water, and Ariados fell to the ground with swirly eyes.

"Ariados is unable to battle! Oshawott is the winner!" Coach Surge declared.

Timothy and Sonia jumped out of their seats, cheering. Eletchu jumped up and down as it cheered, and Yamper barked with its tail wagging. Students who feared Guzma muttered their cheers while others, like Tulip and Dendra, applauded without concern. Coach Surge smirked while Erin squealed and dropped her clipboard to join the applause.

Guzma stared at his fallen Pokemon with his mouth hanging agape. If he had ever seen his partner faint in battle before, it was so long ago that he had forgotten the experience. His shock turned into anger, and he turned to Coovers, who knelt down to high-five Oshawott. Coovers looked up to see Guzma glaring at him and smirked.

"You...you cheated! You must have!" Guzma screamed, pointing at Coovers and Oshawott. "How else could your Oshawott defeat Ariados?!"

"Oh, it was quite simple, really. When I found out how fond you are of using String Shot, I figured that was the first move you would make," Coovers said. "You were also so cocky that you were disturbed that things didn't go as you expected, so I just had to wait for the right moment for you to be careless. That said, I'm slightly disappointed by how easy you made it for me to humiliate you. Oshawott and I expected battling someone with a fully evolved Pokemon to have more tact."

"How dare you! Nobody makes a fool out of Guzma de la Calavera!" Guzma screamed.

"Then it pleases me to be the first," Coovers said. "Consider it payback for embarrassing my buddy in front of the entire school."

Guzma stared at Coovers, wondering what he was talking about, until he turned to the stands and noticed Timothy still cheering with Sonia and their Pokemon. His anger grew as he realized someone stood up to him. Guzma returned Ariados to its Pokeball with a bitter growl and turned back to Coovers, pointing at him.

"You'll pay for this, Woodward," Guzma snarled.

"Yeah, I've heard that before," Coovers said mockingly. "It wasn't very intimidating the first time. It's even less scary hearing it from someone who is 'of the skull.'"

Guzma clenched his teeth again, with his face turning red. Then he took a deep breath to control himself and walked toward the Pokemon Center with his hands in his jacket pockets as though nothing had happened. Coach Surge nodded in approval and whispered his thoughts about Coovers to Erin. Erin nodded and picked up her clipboard to write down the coach's comments, and then, with her cheeks turning pink, added as a side note, "brilliant and dreamy." Coovers and Oshawott went up the stands to their friends, and Timothy and Sonia high-fived Coovers while Pikachu and Yamper congratulated Oshawott.

"That was incredible, Coovers. You totally destroyed him," Sonia said.

"Yeah, no kidding. I don't think you've ever humiliated Luke half as badly," Timothy said.

"Yup, I'd say that was my finest work in humiliating someone in a Pokemon battle yet," Coovers boasted. "Plus, I betcha I secured a spot on the team."

"Oh, no doubt about it. The way you stood out, Coach Surge would be silly not to let you in," Timothy said.

Coovers smirked, his ego well-fed. Coach Surge, Erin, and Piplup walked back to the center of the battlefield, catching everyone's attention. Erin handed Coach Surge a sheet of paper from her clipboard, and the coach furrowed his brow before he spoke up.

"It seems there are fewer students interested in double battles than there were last year," he said. In that case, those of you who signed up better have plenty of potential to show whether you win or not; otherwise, some of you who have won in single battles may have to be put into double battle pairs. Let's start with A.J. Cruise and Roark Sinclair against Sonia Magnolia and Timothy Durbin."

Timothy's smile faded, and he grew uneasy. Sonia took his hand and squeezed it with a smile before they stood up and went down the steps, hand in hand, with Sonia leading and their Pokemon following them. Timothy, Sonia, Eletchu, and Yamper walked to the north end of the battlefield, and Timothy grew more nervous as he saw who they were up against.

Their first opponent had red hair and wore glasses and a mining outfit consisting of a gray, short-sleeved jacket and baggy pants with yellow and black outlines tucked into his boots. Floating in front of him was a Geodude cracking its knuckles. Standing next to the red-haired boy was a boy with green hair wearing a black and orange polo shirt. His Sandshrew squinted its eyes menacingly while holding its claws up, ready to fight. Eletchu and Yamper grew uneasy, knowing Thundershock and Nuzzle would not affect the ground/rock-type Pokemon. Timothy furrowed his brow, equally concerned, and turned to Sonia.

"See? I told you this was a bad idea," he said. "If you paired with Coovers you would have the advantage of water attacks with Oshawott."

"Timothy, enough. We're gonna face this together whether you like it or not," Sonia said. "Now, show me your knack for planning. The only attacks we can use are Tackle and Quick Attack, and, if I recall correctly, rock-types are resistant to normal-type attacks. So, how are we going to handle this?"

Timothy looked at Sonia, amazed that she showed no fear of their situation. He looked down and bit his lip while Sonia, Electchu, and Yamper waited for him. After half a minute, Timothy looked at his and Sonia's partners and then at Geodude and Sandshrew, who were still looking at their opponents confidently.

"Well, Eletchu and Yamper could use Tail Whip on Geodude. That way, Geodude's defense will be lowered to the point that its resistance to normal attacks won't mean much," Timothy said hesitantly.

"There you go," Sonia said, smiling. "Electchu can also dodge attacks and damage Geodude and Sandshrew with Quick Attack."

"Oh, yeah. There is that," Timothy said. "So, I guess we just dodge, weaken defenses, attack, and repeat and hope for the best. I imagine Roark and A.J. will eventually catch on to our strategy."

"If they do, we'll figure something out," Sonia said. "But if we keep our wits about us, we can accomplish anything. Trust in me and our Pokemon, and we'll be fine."

"I trust you," Timothy said.

Sonia smiled sweetly, and Timothy's cheeks tinted. Subconsciously, he found his best friend's reaction cute. From the stands, Coovers watched his best friend stare at each other with a look of hope for them. Coach Surge walked to the sidelines again and raised his arm as he spoke loudly.

"This is a double battle between Roark and A.J., and Timothy and Sonia!" he declared. "The battle will be over when both Pokemon from either side are unable to continue! Are the combatants ready?"

"Ready," Roark and A.J. said simultaneously.

"We're ready," Sonia said confidently.

"Ready," Timothy said.

"Then, battle begin!" Coach Surge shouted.

A.J. grinned, then shouted while pointing at Yamper, "Sandshrew, use Scratch!"

"Geodude, use Tackle!" Roark shouted.

"Electchu, dodge and use Quick Attack followed by Tail Whip!" Timothy shouted.

"Yamper, dodge, and use Tail Whip too!" Sonia shouted.

Geodude and Sandshrew charged at Electchu and Yamper, and their opponents jumped away before they could land a hit. A white outline surrounded Electchu's body and it rammed into Geodude with inhuman speed. The attack was only half effective but distracted Geodude enough to allow Electchu to slap it repeatedly with its tail. Yamper jumped to avoid Sandshrew's claws and swatted it repeatedly with its tiny tail.

"Sandshrew, use Scratch again!" A.J. shouted.

Yamper only had a second to react before Sandshrew slashed it with its right claws. It howled as it backed away with an extended cut on its side.

"Use Scratch again!" A.J. shouted.

"Electchu, use Quick Attack on Sandshrew, followed by Tail Whip again!" Timothy shouted.

Sandshrew raised its left arm to attack again only for Electchu to ram it behind. Electchu then swatted Sandshrew repeatedly on the back of its head, and Sonia smiled, seeing her chance.

"Yapper, use Tackle!" she shouted.

Electchu moved away just in time for Yamper to ram Sandshrew in the stomach with its head. Sandshrew massaged its gut, taking more damage than before with its defenses lowered twice. A.J. clinched his teeth in irritation, and Roark furrowed his brow.

"Geodude, use Tackle again!" Roark shouted.

"Sandshrew, use Sand Attack!" A.J. shouted.

"Electchu, dodge and attack again using Quick Attack!" Timothy shouted.

"Yamper, shut your eyes, quick!" Sonia shouted.

With a white outline surrounding its body again, Electchu avoided Geodude again and rammed it by its side. The rock Pokemon grunted in pain as it took more damage. Sandshrew threw sand at Yamper, and Yamper shut its eyes, barely avoiding getting any sand on it.

"All right! Electchu, use Quick Attack again! Timothy shouted.

"Yamper, use Tackle again!" Sonia shouted. "Oh, no, you don't!" Roark shouted. "Geodude, use Defense Curl followed by Tackle!"

"Sandshrew, use Sand Attack again, followed by Scratch!" A.J. shouted.

Geodude curled itself into a ball and Electchu hit it a third time with barely any effect. Electchu's eyes widened as it realized what happened before Geodude tackled it. Sandshrew threw sand at Yamper again, and the sand landed in Yamper's eyes, giving Sandshrew an opening to scratch its face. Yamper howled with a long slash covering half of its face diagonally, and Electchu stepped back, glaring at its opponent as it waited for its partner's next call.

"Now, use Rock Polish!" Roark shouted.

"Electchu, use Tail Whip again!" Timothy shouted.

"Sandshrew, use Scratch again!" A.J. shouted.

"Yamper, dodge it!" Sonia shouted.

Geodude stood still as blue energy sparked around its body, giving Electchu its chance to slap it repeatedly with its tail again. Yamper tried to move away, but with sand still in its eyes, it couldn't react before Sandshrew scratched again.

"Now, use Tackle again!" Roark shouted.

"Dodge it and use Quick Attack again!" Timothy shouted.

Electchu moved back and prepared to use Quick Attack again, but with Geodude's speed raised, Electchu only had a moment to react before its opponent slammed it right in its face.

"Now, use Tackle again!" Roark shouted.

Geodude rammed Electchu again while Electchu tried to fight off the pain from the previous attack. The move sent Electchu flying back and landed a few feet in front of Timothy with bruises on its face. Timothy and Sonia grew worried as their Pokemon weakened while Roark and A.J. grinned, expecting the battle to end soon.

"Now, let's finish this!" Roark shouted. "Geodude, use Tackle one more time!"

"Sandshrew, take Yamper out with Scratch!" A.J. shouted.

"Halt!"

Geodude and Sandshrew stopped in their tracks, and everyone turned to the left side of the stands, save for Yamper, who was still trying to get sand out of its eyes. Cross got on the battlefield with Incineroar and the other members of the Pokemon Baccer team, walking as though they owned the area. Coach Surge looked at the students, baffled, as though they had personally offended him as the team walked over to him.

"Halt? Who says you can tell the competitors to halt their battle? We're having tryouts here, you punk," Coach Surge said.

"Easy there, pal. I have permission from Vice Principal Shielbert to have Pokémon Baccer practice right now," Cross said, holding a note. "He signed this five minutes ago."

Coach Surge stared at Cross as though he had called him a crude name. He snatched the note from Cross' hand and read the note. Surge's face fell as he read and saw Shielbert's signature at the bottom. Everyone watched Coach Surge's face turned red as he crumbled the note and clenched his teeth.

"It appears I'm going to have a conversation with the vice principal that he isn't going to like," Coach Surge growled. "Students, tryouts are postponed to a later date. Dismissed."

Students yelled and booed while their Pokemon called in frustration and disappointment. Cross scoffed and waved his hand as he, his Incineroar, and their teammates stood by the stands, waiting for everyone else to leave. Timothy and Sonia took a moment to run into the field and scoop up their Pokemon, who were struggling to stay conscious. Geodude furrowed its brow, and Sandshrew looked daggers at their opponents, wanting to finish the job, but Roark merely shrugged, and A.J. scoffed with a condescending smirk.

"You two are lucky. Your Pokemon were in for a beating of their lives," A.J. said.

"Yeah, freshmen expect too much of themselves and their Pokemon. Better luck next year," Roark said.

The boys chuckled as they left the stadium, with Geodude and Sandshrew following them. Timothy glared at Roark and A.J. with half a mind to call out to them, saying he and Sonia would get them next time. Then his face softened as he looked down and petted Electchu, who rested on his chest. Timothy felt a hand on his shoulder, and he turned to see Coovers giving him a small smile with Oshawott, and Sonia standing next to him. Timothy smiled back before he looked away and chuckled lightly.

"Well, that could've gone better, huh?" he said.

"Aw, don't be like that, Timbo," Coovers said. "It's not like you expected everybody to be kicked out in the middle of your battle."

"Yeah, well, maybe it's good that it ended for no other reason than to avoid Electchu and Yamper being beaten out of consciousness," Timothy said. "In any case, our chance of notoriety for the Magnolia Paddock is shot, and I honestly thought we had a good start with you beating Guzma."

Sonia walked over to Timothy and put her hand on his other shoulder while holding Yamper with the other arm.

"Don't worry about it, Timothy. We all knew it was a long shot, and we did our best. Gran can't ask for more than that," she said. "Besides, I am proud of you for how you handled yourself. Electchu landed some decent hits on Geodude, even if Roark doesn't want to admit it. Plus, you had Electchu come to Yamper's aid without thinking. You two are improving when it comes to battling."

Timothy looked at Sonia and then at Electchu. His partner lifted its head from his chest to give Timothy a smile with its eyes half open. Though it was too weak to speak, Timothy could see in its eyes that it agreed with Sonia. Timothy gently pet Electchu's head, and the mouse Pokemon squeaked happily as it rested its head on Timothy's chest again.

"I guess you're right," Timothy said before turning back to Sonia. "But if we are improving, it's only because you were here to encourage me, Sonia. I don't know how I would've handled myself without you as my battle partner."

Sonia's cheeks tinted, and she looked away, playing with her hair with her finger. Coovers smirked and broke the moment, wrapping his arms around his friend's necks with a grin.

"Hey, why are we talking as though we completely failed? You guys didn't win the match, but you didn't lose either, and Coach Surge will have the tryouts again. That means we have plenty of time to train for next time," Coovers said. "When you two face those guys again, you'll take them completely by surprise."

"Oshawott," Oshawott said, waving its arms in the air.

"Yeah, Coovers is right. The plan isn't shot yet. We're just suffering a false start, is all," Sonia said. "Now, let's check our Pokemon at the Pokemon Center. The sooner we head home, the sooner we can train."

"Arf, arf," Yamper barked weakly.

Timothy chuckled at his best friend's enthusiasm. It was nothing if not comforting that even when Timothy wasn't the one overly optimistic, Coovers, Sonia, Electchu, Oshawott, and Yamper would be there to give words of encouragement. It's one of the reasons he was grateful to have grown up with them. Timothy nodded in agreement, and he and Sonia went back up the stands to grab their backpacks.

Timothy, Coovers, Sonia, Electchu, Oshawott, and Yamper left the battlefield just as the Pokemon Baccer team began practicing. They crossed the street to the Pokemon Center, where several students were heading home with their Pokemon fully healed. When they were halfway across the street, Guzma and Ariados were exiting the Pokemon Center, with the former grumbling. Guzma and Ariados noticed the group coming from the corner of their eyes, and they looked daggers at Coovers and Oshawott. Guzma pointed at Coovers as if to silently say, "You're dead," before putting his hands in his jacket pockets as he walked home with his partner. Coovers chuckled as Guzma left, looking at him like he was just another Luke to put in place. When the group entered the Pokemon Center, Timothy and Sonia walked over to the counter, where Nurse Joy was stationed.

"Nurse Joy, could you heal our Pokemon, please?" Sonia asked as she and Timothy lifted Yamper and Electchu to the nurse.

"Certainly. Just place them on the cart," Nurse Joy said, pointing at the bussing cart on her right.

Timothy and Sonia put Electchu and Yamper on the bussing cart, and Nurse Joy's Chansey pushed the cart to the back room. Timothy, Coovers, and Sonia sat in chairs in the waiting room, with Oshawott sitting on Coovers' lap. They played a game together on their Rotom Phones to pass the time until Timothy snapped his fingers.

"I better call my mom and let her know I will be heading home as soon as our Pokemon are healed," he said.

Coovers and Sonia nodded as Timothy stood up and exited the Pokemon Center. He walked a few steps from the Pokemon Center and asked Rotom to call Helga, who answered her phone the second it rang. Helga sighed dramatically in relief after Timothy updated her as though he and his friends were in a hostage situation and had just been freed. She ordered Timothy to let her know when he and his friends made it to Wedgehurst. Timothy complied, trying to hide the irritation of how carried away Helga was in his voice. After saying their, I love yous, Timothy hung up and took a step to go back into the Pokemon Center when he heard a voice that gave him goosebumps.

"Hey, there."

Timothy froze in place momentarily before turning to see Tulip and Kirlia standing a few feet away. His cheeks heated up at the sight of the purple-haired girl so close to him with her hand on her hip and a smile that made his heart race.

"T-T-Tulip," Timothy stuttered. "What are you doing here? You didn't battle."

"Sad but true. Not that Kirlia would've needed a trip to the Pokemon Center even if we did," Tulip said. "Still, I was hoping to speak with you."

"M-m-me?" Timothy stuttered.

"Yes. Nice work out there," Tulip said. "I'm impressed with your battle and I don't get impressed easily."

"You're impressed? But we didn't win the match," Timothy asked.

"True, but you didn't let the fact that you were at a disadvantage keep you from doing your best," Tulip said. "Back in my school in Paldea, going out to explore and battle Pokemon throughout the region was highly encouraged. That's why Kirlia and I are as strong as we are. Not many schools give that kind of privilege to grow stronger with their Pokemon, least of all Motostoke High, so very few know the advantages and disadvantages of certain moves."

"Kirlia," Kirlia said.

"Yeah, well, I owe a lot to Sonia. She's the one who pointed out our disadvantages and encouraged me not to fret about it. She should get your compliments more than me," Timothy said.

"Not true. I was sitting in the stands behind you and overheard you coming up with a plan, and it worked alright, all things considered. It's hard for people to hold their ground when they have a serious disadvantage, like a pair of electric-type Pokemon against a ground-type Pokemon," Tulip said. "Honestly, you should learn to give yourself more credit."

Timothy's blush grew, and he chuckled bashfully while scratching under his nose.

"Well, thanks. That's very nice of you to say," he said.

"It's my pleasure," Tulip said. "Though I admit you and your friend work very well together. I get the impression that you're very close."

"Well, yeah. Sonia's my best friend. We've known each other since preschool," Timothy said.

"Best friend?" Tulip asked with a raised eyebrow. "Do forgive me, but I wonder if you two could be more than that."

Timothy flinched as though Tulip had slapped him in the face. Tulip's smile faded as she watched Timothy look away from her, crestfallen. Kirlia tilted its head as it looked at Timothy and then at Sonia through the Pokemon Center's glass walls. After a few seconds, Timothy realized how he was acting in front of Tulip and shook off the pain in his heart.

"Sorry," he said. "I, uh, I had some feelings for Sonia once."

"Oh? And she wasn't interested?" Tulip asked.

"No. She was more into wanting us to stay friends," Timothy said.

"Stay friends? How could you two stay friends after she shot you down? Doesn't that bother you?" Tulip asked.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm fine," Timothy said. "Yeah, it hurt, but we moved past it and are better for it."

"You sure?" Tulip said.

"Positive. If you ask Sonia right now, she'll say the same thing. I guarantee it," Timothy said.

Tulip grew suspicious again because Timothy looked like he was hiding something. She glanced through the window wall and saw Sonia pouting at Coovers as he beat her in a game again, and Oshawott pointed at her, laughing. Timothy grew uneasy by Tulip's demeanor until she smiled and looked back at him.

"Well, if you believe she would, I'll trust you," Tulip said. "But I hope you'll be open to finding somebody if it's not going to be your friend."

"Thanks," Timothy said at ease. "Actually, I'm counting on finding somebody special during my time in Motostoke High."

"Oh? Do you have anyone in mind?" Tulip asked.

Timothy's cheeks heated up again, and he looked away, hoping Tulip didn't notice. Tulip smirked, however, for she already knew the answer. After seeing scores of boys look at Tulip in awe, it was evident that she had Timothy in her hook before she first saw him. Her beauty was as powerful as her skill in Pokemon battling, and she knew it. The only advantage Timothy had was that he was amusing Tulip. Standing out in a manner where she might get something better than another shallow, gazing schmuck.

"Well, the school year is still very young, so we'll see what happens," Tulip said. "Regardless, keep moving forward, Timothy. Perseverance looks good on you."

Before Timothy could ask what Tulip meant, Tulip patted his head as she and Kirlia walked past him. Timothy froze in shock, and by the time he snapped out of it, Tulip and her partner had left. Timothy wished he could speak with Tulip more, yet he couldn't deny that his face was red and his legs were shaking. He had no idea what he would do if Tulip stayed longer after petting his head, and a part of him was thankful that he didn't find out for fear of embarrassing himself. After a minute, Timothy began to calm down, then leaned against a lamp post while looking up at the sky with a dopey grin.

"She likes perseverance," Timothy said to himself. "Maybe Sonia was right. I should go back to being as optimistic as I was this morning. Anything could happen if my friends and I put our minds to it. We will train for the next tryouts, and Sonia and I will triumph this time."

Timothy's goofy smile turned into a confident smirk as he confidently shook his fist. Then his smile faded and he bit his lip while rubbing his chin in thought.

"Although, we don't know when the next tryouts will happen, and there's no telling when Professor Magnolia will be given an official date for when they will take the Magnolia Paddock away. There has to be something else we can do to give the paddock more attention."

Timothy began pacing while still rubbing his chin. Then, he noticed a flier taped against the Pokemon Center's glass wall from the corner of his eye. It was a picture of a boy dressed like a scrub and a girl dressed like Nurse Joy. Standing beside them was a Spoink with bandages on its forehead, a Rockruff wearing a cone on its neck, and a Radicate with a chipped tooth. Above the guy, the girl, and the Pokemon was a text that said, "Join the Pokemon Center Assistance Club. We're here to help Pokemon in need." Timothy hummed as he analyzed the flier, then his eyes widened, and he snapped his fingers with a wide grin.

"That's it!"