Chapter 20

Emmet reenters the clearing where he'd left Leaf, Firefly, and Cleffa. He looks relatively unscathed, just some dirt streaks from dodging Mankey's relentless attacks. His hair might be tousled, but he didn't have a mirror to confirm—nor did he particularly care at the moment.

He finds what initially appears to be a tranquil scene. However, it's anything but peaceful. Leaf is facepalming so hard you'd think she's trying to slap sense into herself through violence. Her Oddish is weeping like it just watched a tragedy. Pidgeotto, feathers slightly charred, is doing its best to comfort Oddish. Ivysaur is in the middle of a heated monologue, directed at Firefly, who stands with her arms crossed, puffing out flames in indignation. And Cleffa—wait, where's Cleffa?

"Cleffa! Clef-Clef!" comes a cheerful call from above. Emmet glances up to find his baby Pokemon perched on a branch, watching the drama unfold while munching on a bowl of Pinap Berries like it's a premium seat at a comedy show.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Emmet blurts out, his eyebrows shooting up like they're trying to escape his face.

Leaf spots Emmet and her eyes fill with tears, but not the sad kind—more like the 'I'm-so-happy-you're-here-because-I-can't-even' kind. "Oh thank Mew, Emmet! You won't believe what happened! So, we were fine, right? Ivysaur was teaching Oddish to use Stun Spore—major teaching moment, super cute. BUT then the spores accidentally drifted toward Firefly, and she lost it. Lit up like a cheap firework and scared the seeds out of Oddish. So Oddish starts crying, naturally, and Pidgeotto tries playing referee but gets singed in the process. Firefly didn't like being scolded, so round two of Embers happened, causing MORE tears. Ivysaur's had enough by now and starts lecturing Firefly like a disappointed parent. And while all this is happening, Cleffa here sneaks off, grabs her stash of Pinap Berries, and has the audacity to climb a tree! I can't even reach her because everyone else is in this state of emotional Armageddon!"

Emmet slaps his forehead, clearly exasperated and angry. He glances up at Cleffa who gives a cheeky nod, confirming that Leaf's chaotic account was, in fact, accurate. Taking a deep breath, he channels his Aura and projects it full force around the clearing.

"Okay, everyone, enough! Gather around now!" Emmet calls out. Even Leaf's Pokemon slink over. Emmet stores this moment in his memory bank, the first time he ordered Leaf's pokemon and they obeyed without her prompt, perfect for future teasing opportunities.

"I don't want to hear any excuses. What I do want is for all of you to realize that we're a team. Look around, we're in the wilderness. Our only allies are right here!" Emmet's eyes dart specifically to Firefly and Ivysaur. "So, I ask both of you, was it wise to escalate things like you did? What's the point of adding fuel to the fire, huh?"

"As starters and unofficial 'team leaders,' you should be setting examples, not causing chaos. Firefly, you overreacted to an accident. And Ivysaur, you just stood there letting everything go to rack and ruin before chiming in. That's not how we do things around here!" Emmet's voice hardens, every syllable a brick in a wall of disappointment.

"Next time someone screws up during training, back to the Pokeball for the rest of the day. Understood?" He turns to Firefly, "I'm disappointed. You of all Pokemon should know the importance of focused training. You're on thin ice." Shifting his gaze to the collective, he snaps, "Now, everyone back to training. We've lost enough time as it is."

Leaf's eyes go wide as each Pokemon drops their head in shame. They scatter back to their training spots, Cleffa reluctantly giving back her remaining Pinap Berries. As they resume their drills, Leaf pulls Emmet aside. "What was all that? Why were you so intense? And why are you dirty? Oh, and did you catch that Pidgey you were after?"

"Before I answer your questions, what did you try to do to calm this chaos?" Emmet crosses his arms, looking at Leaf expectantly.

"I tried, okay? I yelled for them to stop, and I even tried to soothe Oddish, but it's like I was invisible! They ignored me," Leaf retorts defensively, her arms mimicking Emmet's crossed position.

"You have to make them listen, Leaf! If you can't control your Pokemon, it's not just a training mess; it's dangerous! Pokemon get hurt when trainers fail!" Emmet's voice crescendos, his eyes flashing with heated urgency.

"Well, that's not how I want to train my Pokemon. We're equals, partners. I don't 'command' them; we work together," Leaf fires back, planting her feet firmly.

"That's incredibly naive! When a trainer fails, Pokemon can die. Your utopian view isn't just wrong; it's dangerous! You risk the well-being of your team with that attitude," Emmet shouts, spitting out words like they're toxic. "You need to wake up and see the reality of what we're facing out here!"

"Why should I listen to your idea of 'reality,' Emmet? I won't let my Pokemon get hurt. So how about you focus on your own team, and let me worry about mine? If my Pokemon trust me, it's because we understand each other, not because I browbeat them into submission!" Leaf's voice escalates, matching Emmet's in intensity.

"You're being incredibly stubborn, Leaf. This isn't some kind of philosophical debate. We're out here in the wild, and your lack of control is a liability, not just to your Pokemon but to all of us! I've seen the consequences, and you should listen!" Emmet's voice fills with exasperation and indignation, clearly losing his patience.

"Why should I listen to you? Enlighten me, O Wise One," Leaf says, her voice dripping with derision.

"Listen to me because I've learned the hard way! My Pokemon had to evolve just to survive, and Cleffa watched her whole family die! Is that the lesson you want?" As he speaks, his aura flares dangerously, raw psychic energy leaking from him, causing rocks and debris to levitate around the clearing.

"Sylveon!" The sound cuts through the tension like a knife.

Glancing at Sylveon's pained expression, and then to the circle of Pokemon who'd paused their training to watch, Emmet recognizes his failure. "I'm... sorry," he stutters to a wide-eyed Leaf. "You all better be back to training when I return," he shouts over his shoulder as he storms out of the clearing.

Sylveon trots behind him, her eyes filled with a mix of concern and understanding.

Emmet walks away, his shoulders tense. Plopping down on the grass, he looks out at the horizon. Sylveon joins him, sitting silently by his side, her gentle aura offering a comforting presence. Emmet focuses, channeling Fairy-type energy. Close to Sylveon, the process is smoother, and his mind starts to relax.

Minutes pass like this until he hears footsteps. Emmet doesn't need to look to know it's Leaf. He turns towards her with a sad expression, his eyes echoing the regret he feels over their heated exchange.

Leaf breaks the silence first, her eyes misty. "I'm sorry, Emmet. I didn't mean to make things worse. I get your point, I really do. It's just... I want my Pokemon to be friends first, not just tools for battling. I don't want to push them away by being too harsh," she says, her voice shaky with emotion.

Emmet hesitates, collecting his thoughts before speaking. "Leaf, if there's anyone I'd never want to experience what I've gone through, it's you. I could've approached our differences in training philosophy with more understanding. I was a hypocrite. I just lectured Firefly about keeping her cool, and then lost mine."

Leaf wipes her eyes and looks up. "I share the blame, too. I pushed you when I knew you were already stressed," Leaf admits. "Look, I care about you. We've only been traveling together a day, but I already hate the thought of going back to being alone, besides, we have been friends our whole lives. I'll try your training methods, but if they start to feel too extreme, I'm pulling the plug."

Emmet nods quickly, remembering how flexibility had paid off earlier with Pidgey. "Deal."

"So, are we still... friends?" Leaf asks, her voice tinged with insecurity.

Emmet's cheeks turn a shade pinker. "Still friends," he confirms. Leaf's face lights up, and she leaps forward, wrapping him in a hug.

Out of the corner of his eye, Emmet catches Sylveon's shit-eating grin. He rolls his eyes but lets it slide, knowing he's got more important things to focus on right now.

Returning to camp, they find their Pokemon training with renewed vigor. Emmet notices they keep stealing glances at him, but they're also giving their all. Sylveon has even joined in, practicing her recently learned Draining Kiss on trees. Emmet decides not to dwell on how the trees appear to wither after her practice.

Leaf watches as well, sensing an intensity in the training she hadn't seen before. It unsettles her a bit, but she concedes that maybe—just maybe—Emmet's methods could bring out the best in her and her Pokemon.

—PKM EM—

One week has passed since Emmet and Leaf joined forces on their journey. Time has flown by, much like Emmet's recently acquired Pidgey. They were currently close to reaching Vermilion coming from Route 6.

Emmet's introduction of Pidgey and Mankey to the team has been relatively smooth, especially considering Sylveon's initial chilliness toward Mankey. Sylveon watched the newcomer with wary eyes, but Mankey showed a surprising amount of regret for his past berserk behavior. Emmet had to admit, this interspecies tension added a layer of drama to their daily life that could be sliced with a knife.

Leaf, on the other hand, had been true to her word and took to Emmet's hard-hitting training style like a Magikarp to water. Her Pokemon were showing significant improvement. Oddish, in particular, was becoming more robust, his leaves extra glossy and his roots thickening. He looked like he might evolve any day now, and it was remarkable how much he'd grown in just a week's time. Speaking of Magikarp, the lack of bodies of water made it pretty hard to even entertain the idea of training her Magikarp.

Emmet's newest additions, Mankey and Pidgey, were certainly getting their share of tough love. From grueling physical workouts to meditation sessions, their regimen mimicked what Firefly and Sylveon had gone through as Charmander and Eevee. The difference, however, was their rapid rate of improvement. If Firefly and Sylveon were marathon runners, then Pidgey and Mankey were sprinters on the fast track to victory.

In an a-ha moment, Emmet began to suspect that his Efficiency Mastery was influencing his ability to train his Pokemon. The more he focused on optimizing EM, the more "nudges" he got from the mysterious ability. His instructions became crystal clear to his Pokemon, who seemed to absorb his teachings like sponges. Not only were they growing stronger, but they were also becoming smarter, far quicker than any traditional training method would allow. Emmet was counting the days it would take before Leaf's growing suspicion of something being afoot would turn into questions he was not quite ready to answer.

Mankey, specifically, has been channeling his innate rage in a more constructive manner, making him a terrifying force in battle. His fury is now razor-focused instead of a destructive storm, allowing him to execute his moves with strategic precision. It's almost unsettling how this new controlled aggression has added a sadistic twist to Mankey's fighting style. Instead of going berserk, he calculates the exact moment to strike, maximizing the pain inflicted on his opponents.

Pidgey's stats were shooting up at such an alarming rate that he was nearly overtaking Leaf's Pidgeotto, who had also been through rigorous training. Leaf looked baffled by Pidgey's rapid progress. Her Pidgeotto took it as a personal challenge, flapping his wings harder and soaring higher, refusing to be outdone by a lesser-evolved form.

Firefly and Sylveon spent the week mastering a technique that allowed them to momentarily change their primary typing. Firefly could become a Dragon-type just long enough to withstand a strong Water or Ground move, while Sylveon could do the same but shift into a Normal-type. They made it look so easy, but Emmet knew the level of focus and energy required was monumental.

While the allure of mastering multiple type changes was tempting, Emmet knew they had to prioritize. They didn't have endless time to experiment. After some consideration, the decision was easy. Both Firefly and Sylveon would pivot their training to focus on mastering moves that improved their stats. They needed to be battle-ready, able to sustain their enhancements throughout a fight.

In this real-world Pokemon journey, boosting stats wasn't as simple as it was in video games. Moves that increased stats had to be actively channeled and their benefits quickly dissipated unless skillfully maintained. Some Pokemon could carry a smidgen of the boost even when substituted out, but no one had ever managed to keep it all—nope, not even the Pokemon trained by the famed Professor Oak.

Cleffa took the cake amongst the group, her transformation over the last week nothing short of astounding. Under the guidance of Sylveon and occasional advice from Firefly, she had managed to control Normal energy at a level Eevee had just before evolving into Sylveon. The rapidity of her progress shocked even Emmet, prompting him to have a discreet side chat with her about starting Fairy-type energy training. He left detailed instructions for Sylveon to monitor her progress. Emmet knew Cleffa's accelerated development wasn't just because of Efficiency Mastery; she had a team of mentors and a well-paved path to follow, unlike Eevee, who had to figure things out from scratch.

Well, maybe EM being a multiplicative factor had some influence, but who was counting? Cleffa worked her small pink behind off the week and deserved all the good things coming her way.

The team was on the move, with Vermilion City just a glimmer on the horizon. As Emmet squinted, however, he noticed something—or someone—he wasn't eager to see. He touched Leaf's shoulder.

"I think it's better if we camp out tonight," Emmet muttered, clearly avoiding eye contact.

"Camp out? It's not even noon," Leaf countered, squinting at the sun. "We could reach Vermilion by sundown and crash at a Pokemon Center."

"Nah, I think one more night under the stars won't hurt. Gives us time to… uh, work on some night moves," Emmet mumbled, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. He failed to notice how Sylveon stifled a laugh at his unintended innuendo.

Leaf's eyes narrowed, she too missing his faux pas. She knew something was up. She scanned the surroundings and spotted the reason for Emmet's hesitation.

Her eyes sparkled as she grinned wickedly at Emmet. Then, she turned and bellowed, "Hey, Ash! Over here! It's Leaf and Emmet! You remember Emmet, right?"

"Fuck me," Emmet muttered.