Connection

"Luca learned the move [Reversal]!" Folker shouted with his eyebrows raised as he looked at Riolu's figure. His expression quickly turned from shock to a smile.

"Good job, Luca!" Folker praised Riolu and gave it a thumbs up with a smile. Riolu just responded with a sharp cry as it smiled.

"Riolu!"

"You weren't kidding when you said you're strong" Misty said with a sigh as she looked at her fainted Starmie. She then recalled it back to its pokeball and whispered "You did well, Starmie".

"I was just lucky. It was all thanks to Luca for unexpectedly learning a new move mid battle" Folker didn't let his victory get it to his head and recognized Riolu's efforts.

"I still have to train harder, it seems" Misty replied with a smile. She wasn't particularly dejected for losing the battle. It just meant that she still had to train harder.

It was a narrow loss with a lot of luck involved. After all, it's not always that a pokemon would learn a new move mid battle and it just happened to be something that can turn around the battle.

Although she didn't hold back, she wasn't going all out either. She's just using this battle as training. Otherwise, she'd use entirely different tactics against Folker.

Folker, on the other hand, was going all out as he racked his brains for tactics that can turn things around. In the end, he wasn't able to come up with something unpredictable like Narute did.

However, his pokemon, Riolu, sure did and learned a new move.

'I still have a lot to learn as a trainer' Folker thought to himself as he steeled his resolve. He learned a lot from this battle alone.

This time, he was somewhat unprepared for the type disadvantage. But next time, he would have countermeasures against those who would target his weaknesses.

He would come up with tactics to cover up his weaknesses and wouldn't just let anyone take advantage of his weaknesses too. He would only let them if he has some plans to catch them off guard.

As for his pokemon, Riolu, the fact that it learned the move [Reversal] can be said to be a growth.

'What's worrying is that Luca didn't listen to my command. I hope this doesn't become a precedent' Folker thought to himself as he looked at Riolu's figure.

'I also have to observe the state of mind of my pokemon' Folker said to himself inwardly. He then looked at the sky and noticed that it's almost dark.

"I guess it's time for me to go. What about you?" Folker said as he recalled Riolu back to its pokeball and called out another one, Scizor, to travel with him. It's better to travel with a pokemon that's not exhausted from battle. Besides, Folker had some means to detect danger, at least to a certain extent.

"I'm staying here and setting up a camp" Misty replied with a smile. However, it seemed that she had something on her mind as he looked at Folker's figure weirdly.

'Should I tell him?' Misty thought to herself for a while before she shook her head and just leave it all to fate.

"In that case, see you next time, Misty!" Folker said as he bid his farewells with Misty and walked away.

...

Some time later, Folker arrived at Pewter City and found an inn to rent for the night to sleep in. He then went to the Pokemon Center for a quick check up and went back to the inn, inside his room.

He then called Riolu out of its pokeball and sat on the bed with it. Riolu just looked at him with a confused reaction. Folker then closed his eyes and did a meditative posture as he cleared his mind.

Riolu noticed what Folker was doing and imitated him as it meditated. After some time, he then focused his senses on Riolu's figure without opening his eyes. It was at this moment that he felt something connect with him. He then immersed himself with this mysterious feeling of connection.

'It must be Luca' Folker thought to himself. Suddenly, he heard a voice respond to him.

'Of course, it's me. Took you long enough'

He was forced out of his meditative state and opened his eyes and quickly scanned the entire room.

'There's no one else here' Folker thought to himself as he frowned. He then opened the door and looked outside the hallway but it seemed to be empty. He then closed the door and looked at Riolu's figure who was still meditating.

'Could it be?' Folker thought to himself as his eyes suddenly lit up. He quickly sat in front of Riolu and went to a meditative state, trying to recall that mysterious feeling of connection.

He then once again felt something connect with him.

'Hello?' Folker said inwardly without letting a single voice come out of his mouth. As expected, he once again heard a response.

'Oh, you're back. Hello' the mysterious voice replied.

'Is that you, Luca?' Folker replied in his mind.

'Exactly' Riolu responded and confirmed Folker's thoughts.

'So we can do this too! Amazing!' Folker said in his mind in amazement.

'I've been able to do this for quite some time. I was even able to connect with Kirlia, Corin's pokemon and talk with her for quite some time' Riolu replied.

'And you didn't even tell me' Folker replied with a pout.

'It wasn't my fault. It was only now that you were able to connect with me' Riolu calmly replied.

'Hmmmm it sounds kinda weird, being able to talk with you now when back then you were always just Rio, Riolu' Folker replied.

'Really? It's the same for me. It's weird having you ACTUALLY understand my thoughts' Riolu retorted.

'Well, there's always a first for everything. So, how are you?' Folker said.

'I'm fine. Thank you' Riolu replied swiftly.

'Now, that's an awkward response' Folker replied awkwardly.

'How so?' Riolu replied in confusion.

'That's the kind of response that's hard to reply' Folker replied.

'Really? It wasn't this awkward with Kirlia though' Riolu said.

'Speaking of Kirlia, you have hots for her, don't you?' Folker teased.

'I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm still young, you know' Riolu calmly replied.

'Now that I think about it, you're still considered as a baby pokemon' Folker inwardly said in realization.

'Oh, you realize that just now?' Riolu replied.

'Can't help it. When you were born, you were already so fierce. Picking a fight with just about every pokemon you see. It kinda messed up my common sense about baby pokemon' Folker inwardly replied with a smile.

'Really? I'm doing good then' Riolu proudly replied, to which Folker just responded with a sigh in his mind.

'Anyway, if you focus a bit more, then you should be able to visualize my figure and my expression, as if you're talking to me normally with your mouth' Riolu said.