Vedanturf Town, Hoenn Region.
"Okay. So say you're in a double battle," Wally murmured, squatting on the sunny slope outside the Pokémon Center. "If you can teleport just behind the opponent's support Pokémon, even for a split second, that could mess with their timing."
Ralts sat in front of him, legs tucked neatly beneath her. Her eyes blinked slow in the light, listening—always listening.
Wally traced invisible arcs on the ground with his finger. "Or we could use it like a feint. Pretend to fall back, teleport, then strike from the side before they can reposition." He paused. "It's not just escape anymore. It can be… pressure."
Ralts dipped her head ever so slightly—a gesture Wally had come to recognize as her version of a nod.
"We'll need a cue," Wally added. "Something subtle. Like if I tug my glove. Or clear my throat twice."
A warm breeze blew past them, carrying the smell of moss and sunbaked rock. Wally was already adjusting his sleeves again, brain still ticking. "And maybe—if you can teleport with just enough precision—"
"AHH! ARCEUS!"
A crack of light burst between them—Ralts' eyes narrowed ever so slightly—as a soft blue aura enveloped a wobbling egg in midair. It hovered for a heartbeat, then gently lowered into Wally's arms, who lay motionless.
"OhmygoshI'mso—" the girl who'd bumped him cried out. She skidded to a halt, catching her breath. Her ponytail had burst loose in the sprint and frizzed into something half-alive.
Her hands still outstretched from where she'd fumbled the egg, she gave a sheepish grin. "That was way too close. Thanks, Ralts."
Ralts just stared, expressionless as ever.
Wally, who still hadn't quite stood up, took a better look at her now. She was breathing hard from the run. Her sneakers were mismatched—one yellow, one green—and scuffed like they'd seen three years of use in a week. Her denim shorts were patched with hand-stitched hearts, and her oversized tank top hung off one shoulder.
The girl clutched her knees, panting. "Sorry! My bad! I tripped on a stupid twig and nearly scrambled the baby."
Wally blinked. "It's… fine." He looked down at the egg now safely tucked in his arms. "You okay?"
"Oh yeah," she said brightly. "Nothing like a little shock to jumpstart your morning."
A yellow blur zipped in behind her—a Pikachu, eyes narrowed, cheeks sparking as it gestured furiously at her.
"I KNOW, buddy! I was supposed to walk! I was excited!"
The Pikachu folded its arms, thoroughly unimpressed.
"Anyway!" she grinned, brushing grass off her shirt. "Sparky's the name. Like lightning, but with more personality."
Wally raised an eyebrow, then managed, "Wally. Like a wall, but easier to talk to."
There was a beat of silence—then Sparky lit up.
"Wait—WAIT—did you just hit me back with a pun?"
Wally raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Guess you could say... it was a shocking comeback."
She gasped. "Oh no. He did."
She clapped her hands together. "Oh, this is the start of something beautiful. Do you like puns? Strategy? Electric-types? Non-lethal chaos?"
He chuckled, the sound catching him off guard. "Two out of four."
"That's fair," she said, shrugging. "I used to collect rubber bands that looked like Unown. So, you know. Standards are flexible."
Pikachu tugged on her leg and pointed up at the egg still in Wally's arms.
"Right!" she said. "Thanks again. That was a save worthy of a badge. Is that your Ralts?"
"She caught the egg before I could even react," Wally said, handing it over gently. "Her reflexes are getting faster."
"I can see that," Sparky murmured, eyes bright as she cradled the egg against her chest. "Good psychic bond. That takes trust."
Wally gave a modest shrug, but a quiet pride crept into his posture. "We've been working on it."
The Pikachu trotted up to him, curious, sniffing at his shoe before hopping onto his knee.
Wally smiled and reached out slowly. "Hey there."
He stroked the soft fur on Pikachu's head, careful not to touch the ears. "You're adorable," he murmured. "Like, actually dangerously cute."
Behind him, Ralts edged closer. Her face was blank as ever, but her eyes tracked Wally's hand carefully, almost suspiciously.
He gave Pikachu another stroke. "I've always wanted to see a real Pikachu. It matches the cuteness from my imagination… maybe even exceeds it."
Pikachu gave a cheerful "Pika!" in agreement, puffing out its chest like a fuzzy little champion.
Wally chuckled. "And so modest, too."
Ralts, meanwhile, had inched closer—still blank-faced, but now directly in Wally's line of sight. It tilted its head ever so slightly.
Wally glanced down. "Oh, don't worry, you're adorable too."
Ralts didn't smile. But its eyes sparkled—just for a heartbeat, so much so that Wally even wondered if he had imagined it.
"She's jealous. So cute," Sparky whispered with fascination.
"She's not jealous," Wally said automatically.
Ralts poked his arm.
"…She might be slightly territorial," he corrected.
He ducked his head to adjust his bag strap. Ralts seized the moment to climb into his lap, arms crossed with solemn finality, her expression unchanging.
"I think that's her version of claiming you like a beanbag chair," Sparky observed.
Wally smiled softly and ran his fingers over her head-crest, earning a very subtle lean into his palm.
Sparky tucked the egg more securely under her arm. "I was heading to the Day Care, actually. Got it from some weird blonde-haired lady wearing black overalls. Figured the Day Care folks would know best how to incubate it. You wanna tag along? I mean, you already saved its shell."
Wally looked at Ralts, then Pikachu—who was still proudly puffed up—then at Sparky, then back again.
"Yeah," he said, a quiet smile creeping onto his face. "Why not? I'm already scrambled into this now."
Sparky blinked, then snorted. "Did… did you just make an egg pun?"
Wally shrugged, "I crack under pressure sometimes."
She clutched the egg tighter, laughing. "Okay, you're officially dangerous."
...
The Day Care smelled like warm straw and apricorn oil, the kind of place where time slowed down and Pokémon naps were sacred. The woman who ran it—bent-backed, with hair the color of milkweed fluff—was normally the type to greet strangers with a plate of bean buns and unsolicited stories about Torchic hatchlings.
But when Sparky and Wally pushed through the creaky wooden doors, they heard a voice that had risen into a warble of panic.
"Thieves!" she cried, waving a ladle with surprising aggression. "Thieves in broad daylight!"
Wally blinked. "Uh, ma'am—?"
"THEY'RE TRYING TO STEAL MAGNEMITE!"
Sure enough, two figures in dark-blue uniforms were cornering a panicked Magnemite near a wall lined with incubators. The male grunt was holding a net that sparked uselessly whenever the floating Pokémon jolted away.
"Quit moving, ya tin can!" he snarled, flailing the net.
The female grunt rolled her eyes, arms crossed. "Ugh, you had one job. How hard is it to catch a floating magnet?"
Sparky stepped forward, eyes flashing. "Okay, this is definitely not part of the Day Care tour."
The male grunt turned, squinting. "Huh? Who're you supposed to be?"
"Electric enthusiast. Defender of eggs. All-around good Samaritan," Sparky quipped, placing her hands on her hips. "You two seriously trying to steal a Magnemite? Isn't that like robbing a power socket?"
"Quiet!" the female grunt barked. "We're with Team Aqua, and this Magnemite belongs to Gym Leader Wattson. Once we take it back, we'll drain its energy and use it to power our underwater base!"
Wally frowned. "That doesn't even make scientific sense."
"And soon," the male added, dramatically pointing to the ceiling, "we'll submerge the whole world in water!"
There was a pause.
Wally tilted his head. "Okay, but then where are you going to live?"
"…What?"
"I mean, you're not a Tentacool. You breathe air, right? You'd just end up soggy and sad."
The grunt blinked. For a moment, it looked like he might actually be considering that.
"He's got a point," the grunt muttered.
"Don't listen to him!" the female snapped—and kicked him in the shin.
"Ack—what was that for?!"
"Focus! We've got a job to do!"
Wally and Sparky exchanged glances.
"Ralts," Wally said quietly.
"Pikachu," Sparky added.
The Pokémon stepped forward together, eyes narrowing. Ralts's little feet barely made a sound on the wooden floor. Pikachu's cheeks sparked in anticipation.
"Go! Zubat, Poochyena!" the grunts shouted.
The battle was short but flashy.
Zubat swooped down, shrieking—only to be yanked midair by a precise Psychic pulse.
Poochyena lunged—only to be met with a jolt of electricity so bright it momentarily stunned even Sparky.
The grunts gawked as their Pokémon collapsed in a dazed heap.
"This… this ain't over!" the female grunt growled, recalling Zubat.
"We'll report this to Archie himself!" the male added, limping.
Wally adjusted his scarf. "Tell him he'll need a better plan. Maybe one that doesn't end with him drowning."
With a final glare, the grunts dashed out the back, slipping on a stray puddle as they went.
Sparky exhaled, wiping her forehead. "Well, that escalated fast."
The old woman peeked from behind the counter, her apron slightly askew and a Magnemite cradled gently in her arms. The little Pokémon hummed softly, its magnets flickering with faint electric pulses.
"Oh, you brave little darlings!" she gasped, her voice trembling with relief. "You saved him—this Magnemite's one of Wattson's! We were just minding him for the weekend!"
Wally offered a modest smile, brushing a leaf off his sleeve. "All in a day's work."
Ralts stood at his side, solemn and silent, as if brushing off invisible danger. Pikachu struck a tiny victory pose beside them, cheeks crackling with pride.
"We actually came for this," Sparky said, gently shifting the egg tucked under her arm. She passed it to the caretaker with a grin. "Picked it up from a very... eccentric blonde. Figured you'd know how to give it the best start."
The old woman took the egg with practiced care, eyes already softening. "Ohh, what a healthy weight—bless her heart, whoever she was."
Sparky reached into her pocket. "How much for the usual incubation service—?"
The woman waved her off with a tut and a flurry of hand motions. "After what you two did today? Not a single Pokédollar. I should be paying you. You're heroes!"
Sparky blinked. "Wait, really?"
"You saved Wattson's Magnemite!" the woman beamed. "That's the least we could do."
Just then, a rolling chuckle echoed from the gate.
"Well now, I knew something zappy must've happened," said a booming voice.
Wally turned, and Sparky actually gasped.
Watson, Gym Leader of Mauville, marched up in his yellow-striped coat like a walking lightning storm.
"Watson!" Sparky breathed. "Like—Watson Watson?!"
The gym leader grinned. "In the slightly-wrinkled flesh."
"Heard a bit of a commotion!" he boomed. "Did my Magnemite throw a tantrum again?"
"Team Aqua tried to nab him," Sparky said, thumb over her shoulder. "But we handled it."
Watson's eyebrows lifted like overcharged Voltorb. "Well I'll be! That calls for a jolt of gratitude!" He pulled something from his coat with a dramatic flourish—two magnets, each shaped like twin bolts.
"A Magnet," he said. "Boosts Electric-type moves. A little shock and awe for your teams."
Sparky's eyes sparkled as she turned it over in her hand. "This is—wow. I mean, Pikachu's gonna fry berries with this."
Watson chuckled. "Speaking of battles... are you two planning on entering the Verdanturf Tournament next week?"
Wally looked up. "I am," he said.
Sparky's head snapped toward him. "Wait. You're entering?"
He nodded. "I've been training for it."
There was a beat. Then Sparky's lips curled into a grin that was half-thunder, half-delight.
"Well," she said, stepping closer with a spark in her eye. "Guess that makes us rivals now, huh?"
Wally blinked, caught somewhere between confusion and amusement. "…Rivals?"
"Yep!" she chirped, clapping him on the shoulder. "You saved a Magnemite, gave a speech that stunned a sea fanatic, and you've got a Ralts who looks like it wants to evolve just to one-up Pikachu. You're officially on my radar."
Wally glanced down. Ralts had inched closer, staring very pointedly at Pikachu with a blank expression.
"…Great," he said, exhaling. "My first rival, and she's… sparky."
Sparky lit up like a Light Ball. "Was that a pun? Did you really just hit me back with a pun?"
Wally smiled. "Maybe. Consider it a shock to your system."
Pikachu facepawed. Ralts blinked. Watson sneezed.
...
Thanks for reading~
Review and leave a Powerstone~