With all five TM discs now spent and the skills mastered, Sieg released all his Pokémon from their luxury balls.
"Eevee-ee~~"
The moment Eevee emerged, she acted completely different from the others. She didn't even hesitate, leaping straight into Sieg's arms with a pitiful whimper, her big, tearful eyes locking onto her trainer with a heart-wrenching expression.
Those dewy eyes, shimmering with sadness, almost made Sieg cave on the spot.
"Alright, alright, Eevee, don't be sad anymore," Sieg soothed gently, wiping the tear-streaked fur on her cheeks, "Next time, I won't leave you locked in the ball, okay? I just couldn't help it during the skill learning process."
"Caw..."
As soon as Murkrow appeared, his pitch-black wings flared wide, and he took to the air in one fluid motion.
He began circling above Sieg's head, showing off the flight skills he had recently picked up from Fearow during training.
Though it had only been a few days since Murkrow had left the breeding center, he had already shed the shackles of infancy. While some complex aerial maneuvers were still beyond his current capabilities, his improvement had been nothing short of dramatic.
Flying seemed to be in the very blood of avian Pokémon, and Murkrow was no exception.
Like Eevee, he disliked staying in a Pokéball, preferring the vast, open skies.
After a few circles in the air, Murkrow slowly descended. Sieg naturally extended his arm to act as a landing perch.
"So, how's it going? Did you all master your new moves?" Sieg asked, one hand cradling Eevee and the other gently brushing through Murkrow's feathers.
"Caw caw!!"
Murkrow, ever the impulsive one, responded immediately.
Fresh out of the League's breeding facility, everything was new and exciting to him, making him eager and enthusiastic.
Eevee had just opened her mouth to answer when Murkrow beat her to it, which made her feel even more wronged.
In the past, the trainer's attention had always been hers alone. As the youngest in the team, she had enjoyed the doting affection of all her "big brothers," especially Crawdaunt.
But ever since Murkrow arrived, Eevee could feel that the warmth had started to shift.
Her gaze drifted toward Sieg's hand as he petted Murkrow, and a sour feeling brewed in her heart.
"Eeeee...vee..."
Eevee whimpered softly, tugging at Sieg's shirt with her tiny paws, her teardrops once again welling up in her eyes.
Sieg sighed. Of course, he had noticed the subtle rivalry blooming between the two little ones. Pokémon as young as these had no way to hide their emotions.
Still, all he could do was try his best to mediate.
After all, this was part of a trainer's duties, learning to foster harmony among his team.
Compared to the emotional turmoil of the younger ones, Crawdaunt and Sharpedo were steady and composed. They had spent over a year alongside Sieg through thick and thin.
Especially during that year drifting across the seas, they had eaten, trained, and lived together. Their loyalty and bond were already deeply rooted, needing no extra reassurance.
Even Sharpedo, who had once been lazy in training, had grown more diligent after evolving. It seemed Crawdaunt's discipline had rubbed off on him.
"Alright, alright, Eevee," Sieg chuckled as he finally calmed her down, "Later, I'll make your favorite cheese sticks."
Once the emotional storm had passed, Sieg began checking the moves his team had learned.
"Crawdaunt, use Substitute."
Crawdaunt narrowed his fierce eyes, and a creamy white aura flared around his body. Within moments, another Crawdaunt appeared right beside him.
Identical in appearance.
But a closer look would reveal that the substitute's expression and gaze were dull and lifeless.
Even so, in the heat of battle, it would be more than enough to fool the untrained eye.
"Murkrow, use Peck on the substitute over there!"
Murkrow flapped his wings and dove sharply from the sky. His beak gleamed cold and sharp like a dagger.
A black blur flashed past. The substitute, indistinguishable from the real Crawdaunt, was pierced in an instant. With a resounding bang, it exploded into scattered light particles.
"Not bad, not bad," Sieg praised, eyes gleaming. "You've just learned Substitute, yet you're already able to deploy it within a few seconds. Next, you'll need to work on the realism of the illusion. Ideally, no one should be able to tell it apart from your real body."
When it came to Crawdaunt, Sieg had always been at ease. He only needed to give a few pointers, and Crawdaunt would train on his own initiative.
All he had to do was pull up a video tutorial on Substitute from Petalburg Gym's online training library, and Crawdaunt would immediately absorb and improve upon the technique.
Eevee, not one to be ignored, let out a soft cry to reclaim Sieg's attention.
"Eevee-eee~"
She puffed her cheeks, hopped down from Sieg's arms, and landed lightly on the ground like a falling leaf.
Her movements were graceful and silent, and her face suddenly grew serious, as if determined to prove herself.
Channeling her energy with all her might, a faint green barrier shimmered into existence around her.
Unfortunately, the shield only lasted two seconds before flickering and dissolving completely.
"That's Protect!" Sieg exclaimed, instantly recognizing the technique.
In high-level matches, this move was often used at critical moments to block devastating attacks. It was practically a staple among seasoned trainers.
Yet for ordinary trainers, having a Pokémon master Protect on its own was a rare and precious occurrence.
Eevee tensed her little body again, trying to summon the move once more, her face flushed with effort. But this time, only green energy gathered before her, unable to coalesce into a barrier.
"That's enough, Eevee," Sieg said gently, crouching down with a warm smile as he patted her head. "Protect can only be used once in a short period. You already did great!"
As the sun gradually rose, time passed softly around them.
More and more trainers began waking up at the Pokémon Center, filling the nearby training grounds with the sounds of activity and battle cries. Seeing the growing crowd, Sieg decided it was time to head back to his hotel room.
But just as he stepped into the lobby, Nurse Joy suddenly called out to him.
"Sieg, hold on a second! Someone's here to see you!"
Her voice held a strange tone, and her expression was oddly complex. There was even a hint of subtle scrutiny in her gaze.
Sieg followed her line of sight, and froze.
A young woman in a flowing black dress stood by the reception desk, her arms wrapped around two thick books. There was a refined, scholarly air about her, elegant and calm, yet quietly dazzling. Every gesture and movement drew the attention of those around her.
Around her stood a cluster of trainers, their faces brimming with admiration and awe, clearly enchanted by her presence.
"Roxanne?"
Sieg stopped dead in his tracks, completely stunned.
He never would have imagined he'd run into her here of all places.
What he didn't notice, however, was the way Nurse Joy's face darkened ever so slightly when she heard the name "Roxanne" and caught Sieg's startled reaction. Even the look in her eyes carried a trace of quiet resentment.
"So everyone else calls her Leader Roxanne, and he calls her Roxanne? So they really do know each other..."
Joy couldn't help recalling the scene when Roxanne first asked about Sieg. The woman, famed as the esteemed Gym Leader, had spoken of him with a gleam of admiration in her eyes.
For the first time, even the goddess in the hearts of countless trainers, the pride of the Joy family, and one of the most beautiful women in all of Rustboro, Nurse Joy Chloé herself... felt a hint of jealousy.
She bit her lip, thinking bitterly, Does Sieg really think I'm too old for him?
After all, Roxanne was only four years younger than her. Twenty-one and twenty-five... that wasn't that big a difference, was it?
What Joy failed to realize was that these thoughts had long crossed the line of ordinary concern for a friend.
Feelings with no clear reason often begin from the moment your heart is stirred.