Pokemon - From the Brink

Chapter 22 - Strike Back

When we returned to the dorms, Caleb was still unconscious, so he was left to rest inside. Kudou and Kiria were simultaneously relieved and impressed that everyone had made it back in one piece.

"Thank you for bringing him back." Kudou said. "If he had gotten away..."

"What was that thing?" Skyra asked. "It looked a lot like that monster we fought back at the Rocket hideout – that dark aura, I mean."

"I don't know." Kiria shook her head. "That's a possibility, but either way, you drove it away for now."

"Right – You should focus on training. The others are already on the pitch." Kudou pointed, quickly changing subject.

"But-" I began.

"Coach Kudou is right." Midorima said, turning towards the pitch. "Caleb is safe. For now, we have the Final to focus on. We don't have time to waste."

"Yeah... We face Europe in three days." Nelly agreed.

"It's that close already?" I didn't realise that time had crept up on us. Tomorrow was the third-place play-off between Australia and South America, then, after a day's break, we would participate in the finale of the Continental Cup.

The end was so close, yet I still hadn't managed to make much progress with my own training.

"Victor and Shu-ling are waiting for you by the goal." Kudou said. "I told him not to overexert himself and stop when he gets tired." He added, seeing Midorima move to object.

I thought about how I hadn't yet been able to stop a single shot that Victor had kicked at me, despite that being Kudou's orders. I still hadn't figured out the purpose of the method either, but we were too close to the deadline for me to give up now.

I went to our room and grabbed my gloves before joining the others back outside.

*

"Agh!" I hit the ground as yet another ball blasted past into the net. "Dammit..." I got back to my feet, brushing dirt from my knees. I didn't understand. Every single time I put my whole body behind the shot and held onto it as securely as I could, but Shu and his Delphox always overpowered me in the end. I was beginning to think that there was no way to physically stop the shots at all. I had tried catching them, punching them, kicking them – their forward momentum was always boosted way up and sent flying right past me every time.

I wondered if this was in fact a pain tolerance test, wherein Kudou was aiming to have me get used to pain so that it wouldn't shake me out of my bonded state with Grovyle. But if that was the case, why go to such lengths? Kudou's vague instructions with no clear motive had to be on purpose - there was a solution here that I was supposed to find on my own.

Victor lashed another shot my way and Shu pushed it forward even faster. I snapped back to reality and desperately stepped aside, the ball tearing past my face.

"You ok?" Victor called.

"Yeah!" I replied, my heart racing. "Sorry, I zoned out! I'm ready now!"

I took up my stance, planting my feet firmly on the ground. "This isn't a test of physicality, is it? No. This is a puzzle. A riddle with a solution somewhere... I have to find it."

"Sir, is this really beneficial for him?" Jordan asked Kudou as I was struck by yet another ball in the distance. "His readings aren't really changing – if anything, he's just getting worn out." He looked at his laptop. "Grovyle seems to be getting gradually stronger at a steady pace, but if Toby doesn't catch up..."

My Pokemon were off training amongst themselves in the corner of the pitch, seeing as how I had no time to instruct them.

"He's getting tired because he hasn't figured it out yet." Kudou replied, arms folded.