Pokémon: Trainer Paul

"Gutsy move."

Watching Lucas leave, Paul had no intention of following. Instead, he offered this curt remark.

It wasn't that Lucas' pursuit of Team Galactic was commendable—it was that braving the heavy rain to chase them to who-knows-where was truly gutsy.

Paul slowly made his way toward the ruins' exit with his Pokémon in tow. However, before he reached the exit, he spotted a familiar figure standing at the entrance, Lucas, slightly drenched from the rain.

"Team Galactic timed their move perfectly. Coming here during a downpour meant there was no one around to stop them—they got away."

Lucas' confidence from earlier now turned to embarrassment as Paul approached.

"Hmm."

Paul nodded slightly, saying no more.

When it came to an organization like Team Galactic—obsessive, terrifying, yet seemingly "harmless"—it was impossible to stop them by conventional means unless you physically eliminated their key members.

Cyrus, the leader, was a truly heartless individual who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Compared to other villainous bosses, Cyrus might not seem particularly powerful, but that was only at first glance. In terms of persistence and tactics, he was undoubtedly among the best.

Although Cyrus appeared older, in the games, he was only 27. Considering the anime's timeline, this would hold true. Achieving so much at such a young age—even if he didn't fully succeed—spoke volumes about his capabilities.

Unlike other human-like bosses, Cyrus' "heartless" and "harmless" nature made him the hardest to deal with.

At least, Paul couldn't handle him.

"Oh, by the way Paul, there's going to be a tournament in Casual Town in a few days. It's called the Casual Tournament. Are you interested in joining?"

Lucas brushed the water off his clothes as he smiled.

"The Casual Tournament? What's that?"

Paul, who had been observing the weather outside, turned to Lucas, curious.

"Well, it's basically the Connection Tournament that Hearthome City used to host—just in a new location with a new name."

"It's a doubles competition where trainers are paired randomly. The team that wins all its matches takes home the prize. For some reason, Hearthome isn't hosting it this year, so Casual Town stepped in. Maybe it's because Hearthome City's Fantina just returned, causing some ripple effects. Casual Town probably took the opportunity since they're already hosting a Pokémon Contest."

"I'll join." Paul replied after briefly considering his schedule.

"Great! I look forward to either battling you or teaming up with you!"

Lucas smiled, clearly excited about the possibility.

"Hmm."

Paul nodded and walked toward the ruins' exit.

"Wait, Paul! Where are you going?"

Lucas was startled.

Leaving the ruins for the Pokémon Center? Without an umbrella? Walking into the rain like it was nothing?

"Training." Paul replied, motioning for Lucas to follow.

Paul released a Poké Ball, and a Vulpix appeared.

"Vul!"

The Vulpix used its psychic abilities to float above the wet ground, creating a shield from the rain for Paul. Not a single drop touched him.

"Dewott! Turtwig!"

Paul's Dewott and Turtwig, being Water and Grass types had no problem stepping into the rain to start their training.

"Amazing! I need to catch a Psychic-type someday!" Lucas exclaimed, clearly impressed.

Paul led his team to a training spot just outside the ruins, where he released his Ursaring.

"Ursaa!"

Despite the heavy rain, Ursaring stood firm, unmoved by the downpour.

Paul began assigning tasks to his Pokémon:

Dewott:

Use various moves to slice raindrops in half. The goal is precision—cutting more raindrops with each swing. Practice creating wind blades by converting Sword Dance's water-based energy into Flying-type energy, eventually learning Air Slash.

Turtwig:

Train its growth ability while learning to manipulate leaves for Magical Leaf. Start by targeting raindrops, then work on controlled homing attacks.

Ursaring:

Focus on endurance by practicing its Guts ability. Create a burn despite the rain and withstand attacks from another Pokémon while defending itself.

Vulpix:

Perform multiple tasks: apply Gravity to assist others' training, shield Paul from the rain, practice creating a small-scale Sunny Day, and absorb solar energy to train for Solar Beam.

Paul's precise instructions motivated his team to work diligently.

Even in the storm, the group's determination shone brightly.

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