At the battle arena behind the Pokémon Center, Sieg was currently engaged in a fierce match against another Trainer.
The intense showdown had reached its climax. The surrounding spectators held their breath, waiting to see who would erge victorious.
"Murkrow, use Wing Attack!"
At Sieg's command, Murkrow, empowered by the effects of Tailwind, burst forward with breathtaking speed.
Its dark wings flared out as it dove sharply from the sky like a falling shadow.
"Combusken, don't be afraid, use Sky Uppercut!" shouted the opposing Trainer, who wore an elegant outfit and radiated passion.
Combusken's talons pushed hard off the ground, launching its body several ters into the air, a glowing uppercut aid directly at the descending Murkrow.
The wind trailing around Murkrow's form was sucked inward once again as it dove even faster under Tailwind's influence, a black streak carving down through the air.
Wing Attack and Sky Uppercut collided head-on.
Boom!
A dull but heavy sound echoed across the battlefield.
Dust and debris filled the air. The spectators strained their eyes through the haze, searching for the outco.
They saw Murkrow barely flapping its injured wings, struggling to stay airborne.
Combusken, on the other hand, had been completely overwheld by the super-effective Wing Attack. It lay unconscious on the ground, unable to battle.
"Hissss..."
The crowd collectively drew in a sharp breath.
All eyes turned toward Murkrow, and behind it, the commanding Trainer, Sieg.
"That's already the seventh battle, isn't it? Seven consecutive wins for that Murkrow!"
"It's already exhausted from fighting six opponents in a row, yet it just defeated a Trainer with a starter Pokémon!"
"You all think it's Murkrow's hard work? I think it's that Trainer's strategy that's truly incredible! The way he controlled the timing of the battle was simply masterful!"
All around, voices buzzed with excited discussion. None of them had ever seen such a powerful Murkrow before.
Especially after it activated Tailwind, its speed was almost absurd. And the key issue? You couldn't stop it from using its moves at all.
Because Tailwind ca out way too fast.
Even if you managed to close in for close-quarters combat, that instant barrier-like shield it projected made any hope of victory vanish on the spot.
The Trainer who owned Combusken, face full of unwillingness, recalled his fainted Pokémon into its Poké Ball. Just as he was about to ask Sieg for guidance…
…he realized that the other side of the battlefield was already empty.
Sieg had already returned to the main lobby of the Pokémon Center, handing Murkrow's Poké Ball to Joy Chloé.
"Chloé, sorry to trouble you."
He looked at her familiar face and spoke earnestly.
At the sound of his voice, she imdiately put down her work, disregarding the other Trainers in line, and hurried to receive the Poké Ball.
"Don't worry, Sieg. Leave it to ."
With a casual gesture, she signaled a fellow nurse to take over her desk and quickly headed into the dical ward to treat Sieg's Murkrow.
The surrounding Trainers in line could only look on with envy.
Soone whispered under their breath, "Damn, which elite family's heir is he from?"
Naturally, Sieg's special treatnt stirred so dissatisfaction, but no one dared to speak out.
Under the rigid and ironclad system set by the League, no one would risk rebellion.
"Beep-beep-beep..."
As the treatnt was completed and the notification chid, Sieg reached out and took the Poké Ball from Chloé's soft, fair hands.
"Chloé, please cancel my room booking."
He dropped this sudden sentence without warning.
The smile on Chloé's face froze instantly. Even her hands trembled slightly.
Looking up, she asked with disbelief, "You're leaving Rustboro?"
Sieg didn't intend to hide anything. He simply nodded and said, "I've gained a lot here, but it's ti to move on to the next destination. There's no reason to stay."
Chloé bit her lip softly, her voice tinged with unwillingness. "Is there really nothing here you'll miss?"
Her words were layered with aning as she looked up at Sieg. Over the past few days, they had discussed breeding techniques in depth, and their bond had grown quickly.
But Sieg had never cared for such emotional matters.
And Chloé seed to understand that now. So she didn't press any further, though as the mont of parting arrived, sorrow still welled up in her heart.
Sieg stared at her in silence, his gaze lingering for a long mont.
Eventually, she processed his check-out and handed him back his Trainer ID. But her hands clutched the card tightly, unwilling to let go.
"Promise you'll co back to see ... we'll continue discussing breeding techniques together," she murmured, head bowed.
Sieg walked straight out of the Pokémon Center, raising his right hand in a silent wave as he disappeared into the crowd.
In the days that followed, Trainers in Rustboro were surprised to learn that Nurse Joy Chloé had taken several days off.
For soone so diligent and professional, it was almost unimaginable.
And when she returned to work, her once radiant smile had faded. She often stared at a book with a signature on its cover.
A strange, unreadable look lingered in her eyes.
Whenever anyone tried to sneak a peek at that signature, she would scold them harshly and chase them off.
What exactly was written in that signature beca a hot topic among the Trainers of Rustboro.
That night, in a pink room full of girlish charm, Chloé lay face down at her desk, quietly staring at that signed page.
Under the warm light, colorful ink shimred across the paper, and four simple letters were recognizable.
Sieg...
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At the Trainer Academy, inside a quiet office steeped in the scent of books.
Roxanne sat silently at her desk, her eyes locked onto the Pokédex in her hands. Her gaze lingered on a ssage on the screen, unable to snap out of her daze.
It wasn't until Gradnpa Muto gave a light cough beside her that she finally jolted awake.
"Roxanne, what's going on today? You seem distracted," the old man asked gently.
He was her teacher and the forr Gym Leader of Rustboro, deeply familiar with her character and habits.
Struggling to straighten up with the help of an antique chair, Muto shuffled over to the bookshelf.
Roxanne quietly closed her Pokédex and stood up. She walked over and gave Grandpa Muto a deep, respectful bow, an old tradition between teacher and student.
"Grandpa Muto, I want to beco soone who acts decisively too. Please teach !" Her voice was firm and sincere, her resolution clear.
The gentleness and grace that once filled her eyes were gone. In their place burned determination and courage.
As if a switch deep inside her had been flipped.
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