Chapter no.56 Training at Night

It’s the 90s.

Austin never thought he’d have to actually say that to himself, but today proved otherwise.

As someone from the 2010s, he had been so used to security cameras being everywhere—street corners, convenience stores, even random intersections.

But it was 1998.

Unless you were in a bank, a high-end retail store, a casino, or a government building, the concept of security cameras wasn’t commonplace which is why the Cerulean Gym didn’t have a security system.

So when the wallet theft incident happened, Officer Jenny was called, and a formal police report was filed.

Unfortunately there was little to go on and with no other reports of pickpocketing had come in, Officer Jenny had logged the case and would continue investigating, but nothing immediate could be done.

Austin had assured the guy that they’d look into installing security measures and that if they found the thief, they’d do their best to recover his stolen belongings.

With that, the matter was “resolved.”

For the rest of the day, the incident sat in the back of his mind.

Whoever pulled it off wasn’t some clumsy amateur.

No other pickpocketing incidents.

No clear eyewitness accounts.

No scent trails for Growlithe to track.

No signs of it happening.

At some point, this stopped being a coincidence and started looking like the work of a professional.

And Austin had a pretty good idea of who that professional was.

Leaf Green.

A master pickpocket, con artist, and survivalist. With her Ditto’s ability to disguise her, tracking her down would be near impossible unless she wanted to be found.

And Austin wanted to find her.

Because if he was right—if this was Leaf—then that meant opportunity.

I need to find her… Austin thought, mind already running through possible strategies.

And once I do… How do I convince her to help me?

A series of sharp finger snaps suddenly broke the boy from his thoughts.

“Oh, he’s finally back with us,” Misty said, raising an eyebrow.

Austin blinked, realizing he had been zoning out.

The entire table was looking at him.

They were all seated for dinner, and his plate was still mostly untouched.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Delia’s voice was concerned as she leaned slightly toward him. “You haven’t eaten anything, and you have this deep, serious look on your face.” She hesitated. “When did this start? Is it contagious? Should I be worried?”

Austin sweatdropped.

Only Ash Ketchum could make deep thinking sound like a medical condition.

“I was just thinking about the pickpocket incident from this morning,” Austin admitted, finally taking a bite of the food in front of him.

The gnocchi Misty had made was soft yet firm, perfectly coated in a brown butter sauce with hints of rosemary. The nutty richness melted onto his tongue, a stark contrast to the heavy thoughts in his mind.

“You think it could affect the tournament?” Misty asked, her tone serious now.

Austin nodded. “If more thefts happen, it’ll cause a disruption. Trainers will start getting paranoid, the media attention will shift from the battles to security issues, and the whole thing could turn into a mess.”

Misty’s expression hardened. “Then we should install a security system.”

“I know a guy who can get us a good deal on tech,” Lily chimed in, stirring her drink lazily.

Austin smirked. “Don’t worry about spending money on that.”

Violet frowned. “Why not?”

“Because I know three guys who’ll do it for free.”

That got everyone’s attention.

Daisy tilted her head. “Who?”

Austin set his fork down.

“The vendor trio.”

Blank looks.

“You mean the three guys who look like they’re barely surviving paycheck to paycheck?”

Austin nodded.

“I don’t know about this,” Misty admitted. “They don’t seem like the type to—“

“Trust me,” Austin said, a small smirk playing on his lips. “Those three? They’re comically good with tech.”

And being Comically bad at being criminals was left unsaid.

Misty hesitated, but after a moment, sighed.

“Alright, fine. If you think they can handle it, we’ll give them a shot.”

Austin nodded.

Meanwhile, Delia watched quietly, taking everything in.

Her son—the youngest at the table—was the one leading the charge.

Not just with his own battles, but with planning, strategizing, organizing.

He spoke with confidence, made calculated decisions, and had an ability to predict problems before they arose.

And more than that… Everyone was listening to him.

They didn’t dismiss him as just a kid. They didn’t brush off his words as irrelevant.

They trusted his judgment.

Delia didn’t know whether to be impressed, proud, or just outright shocked.

Maybe all three.

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The moon hung high over Cerulean Gym, casting its silvery glow over the city.

Inside the gym, however, the air buzzed with energy.

While everyone else had settled in for the night, Austin was wide awake, standing in the center of the gym with his Pokémon gathered before him.

Thanks to the sound barriers he had installed, they could go all out without disturbing a soul.

Austin surveyed his team.

Pikachu stood tall, tail flicking in anticipation. Rattata was fidgeting, her energy barely contained. Vee sat still, watching with quiet amusement. Spearow looked half-bored, half-annoyed at being awake at this hour. And finally Horsea, blinking her big, round eyes, looking slightly confused but determined.

She was the newest member. This was her first team training session. And it was eleven at night.

Yet, despite that, she was pushing through.

The boy couldn’t help but respect that.

“Alright, team,” Austin said, crossing his arms as he addressed them. “Listen up.”

Everyone’s attention snapped to him.

“As you know, Misty is hosting a tournament. And the grand prize? Provided by yours truly.”

A few of his Pokémon tilted their heads, already sensing the but that was coming.

“But I’m not just gonna let that money go without a fight.”

Pikachu’s cheeks sparked. Rattata’s tail flicked in excitement. Even Spearow, who had been pretending not to care, let out a quiet, “Spear.”

“So, here’s the deal. We’re gonna train harder than ever. We’re gonna beat Misty. And then? We’re winning the entire damn tournament.”

A wave of cheers erupted from his team.

Austin turned toward Pikachu and Rattata.

“You two will be the first to start.”

Pikachu’s ears perked up, and Rattata stood up a little taller, tails swishing.

“We’ll start slow, gradually ramping up.”

Before either could argue that they could handle it right away, Austin reached into his bag.

A small, rectangular disc gleamed under the gym lights.

A TM for thunderbolt.

“With this… we’re officially broke.”

The entire team stiffened, the weight of the situation sinking in—losing wasn’t an option. They had to win it all.

“Good. I’m glad everyone understands what’s at stake.”

He tossed Pikachu’s Poké Ball into the TM box. A soft hum filled the air as the machine whirred to life, transferring the move’s data directly into Pikachu.

A second later, he did the same for Rattata.

Austin pressed the button, and the two reappeared.

Pikachu blinked rapidly, electricity crackling faintly around his cheeks.

Rattata shook her head, then twitched as tiny sparks danced along her whiskers.

They had the move.

Now they had to master it.

Austin crouched slightly. “Pikachu, you’ve had more experience dealing with Electric-type energy. Help Rattata get used to it.”

Pikachu gave a determined nod, turning to Rattata.

The little lady squared her tiny shoulders, meeting his gaze head-on.

The two of them trotted off to the other side of the training grounds, already sparking small bursts of electricity between them.

Austin let out a satisfied breath.

Step one? Done.

The boy turned to the remaining three.

Vee sat watching with quiet amusement.

Spearow looked about three seconds away from dozing off.

And Horsea… was staring at the TM box.

“Don’t worry, you’re getting something too.”

He reached into his bag once again, pulling out another TM.

Hidden Power.

He popped Horsea’s Poké Ball into the TM machine.

The device hummed to life again, and when Austin released her, Horsea blinked, looking slightly dazed but otherwise fine.

Austin turned to Vee. “Help Horsea figure out what her Hidden Power type is.”

Vee smirked then, his body shimmered.

In a smooth, effortless motion, he shifted from Umbreon into Vaporeon, his sleek, aquatic form practically glistening under the gym lights.

Horsea gawked.

Her little eyes went wide as she let out a startled, “Seaa!?”

Vee merely grinned, his expression playfully smug as they ran.

Austin smirked as he watched them go.

Now, he turned to the last remaining Pokémon.

Spearow.

The bird stared at him, feathers ruffled, looking supremely uninterested.

“Guess that just leaves you, buddy.”

Spearow’s glare deepened.

Austin’s smirk returned. Time to put his best soldier through hell.

Spearow stood before Austin, his sharp eyes locked onto his trainer, waiting.

“You can’t fight like a normal Spearow.”

Spearow gave a short nod, completely unfazed.

He trusted Austin.

His trainer had never steered him wrong before.

“But who cares?” Austin continued, a small smirk playing on his lips. “You’re already on your way to becoming an Alpha. So why even bother fighting like a regular Spearow?”

Spearow’s feathers fluffed up proudly, and he puffed out his chest, letting out a sharp cry of agreement.

That was right.

He wasn’t regular.

He wasn’t like the others.

He was stronger. Meaner. More determined.

“So, here’s my proposal.”

Spearow listened intently.

“You’re gonna learn to fight on the ground.”

That made the bird blink in surprise.

“Start running, jumping—“ Austin gestured to the side. “—using your weight to your advantage. Your wings are strong, but your legs?”

Spearow glanced down at his own talons, claws scraping lightly against the gym floor.

Austin picked up a notebook and flipped through it, revealing a sketch of an obstacle course.

“This is the course I planned for you.” Austin explained, kneeling beside him. “You’re going to run it. Over and over. The goal? To make you comfortable on your legs. To turn you into a fighter, even without flight.”

Spearow narrowed his eyes, studying the course.

It was about control. Precision. Footwork.

Austin placed a small silver whistle around his neck. “And while you’re training,” he continued, “I’m gonna be your eyes on the field. You were my eyes in the sky before. Now? Let me be your eyes on the ground.”

Austin extended his fist.

Spearow stared at it for a moment then with deliberate confidence, he leaned forward and softly headbutted it.

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[ Author Note: What do you think is Austin’s goal is with Leaf Green? ]