Reunited (1/3)

"Tepig, use Ember!"

A ball of combustion puffs from the little Tepig's mouth and spews it at a bunch of tin cans with quick succession. Each of these cans fell to the ground, though the embers shine bright, they were weaker than a pebble.

"Great job, let's try it again, shall we?" He cheered for the Pokemon.

"Claudine, can you- oh."

Usually, it was Claudine's task to reverse the displacement of the cans but with her and the many times he tried to get her out of her Pokeball, it was useless. He didn't feel regret but was apathetic to the discourse they had yesterday. If anything, he would blame her instead of himself, which is a ridicule to the code of Pokemon training.

'It is not the Pokemon's fault, but the trainer's.' A proverb that was a plaque to the Indigo League, the duty of a trainer is to push the blame to themselves and use it to improve upon. He chose not to, a heresy for being the 'Pokemon Champion', if only Leaf was ever present, she will not hesitate to spank the kid, but sadly, her absence gave the worse descent.

He sighed, getting annoyed that it became a chore of his to walk back and forth, from his overseeing position to fixing the small things. He has already expected Ground Zero but without the luxury of Battle Bond nor the mentor he always had in Kanto, it dilapidated him to this solemnity.

"Alright, let's try it again."

Unlike yesterday, he decided to wore the new clothes that Erika bought him before his farewells to Kanto. He threw away the clothes that he used to wear and the one that Ren gifted to him when he was competing in the championship.

'Fit for a prince.' were the lines that the kimono princess of Celadon City described to such a wardrobe. And when he wore it earlier, he felt the sense of pride, and motivation was flowing through his veins.

He wore a chore coat, it was as black as charcoal - and it was oddly specifically Unovan, created by the finest cotton and silk to ensure that it was comfortable to wear. It has a black and white checkered cuffs, ribs, and button placket, which was stylized to be on-par with the color scheme of the scarf he loved so much. On his upper left chest lies a logo, it was a white silhouette of Zapdos with its wings spread evenly, Claudine's blade piercing to the side, King's stomp ever present in the belly of the legendary thunderbird, and a scarf - which he assumed to be Urshifu's - circling around it. And on its back has the Kanji of 'The undefeated Prince', such a burden that will forever linger in his thoughts. Underneath it was a raglan shirt and its sleeves were ash black, a starking fit for him whenever he removes his jacket under the blazing heat of the Johto climate.

A black leathered belt emerged from his pants and running along its sides were sewed red firmaments. It was Erika, herself, measured his waist line and making sure that this belt would serve him for his teen and pre-adult years. This fastens his dark-blue denim pants, it was a shade that resembles the essence of black but Erika ensures that he would not get strayed from other colors as well.

And to top it all of, he wore a black hiking shoes, fit for the rugged nature of the rural areas of Johto. The grass-type specialist bought him two shoes, one is the already mentioned hiking shoes, and the other is a special sneaker that was crafted for him and him only.

Though it was bizarre that Erika went out of her way to ensure that the boy would wear something comfortable and new, for Yoake, it was a natural fit. He enjoyed such gift.

Upon his return to his position, he felt an aura emerging from the shadows, a familiar yet antagonistic aura. And this radiance pesonified itself into a being he despises the most, the person that he deemed the reason for calamity in his life, the Pikachu in his Meowth life, his twin-sister, Ren.

"You haven't changed for a bit." Her voice echoed through the canopies of the open grove. The winds blew north, opposite to his direction.

Though dettered, he kept his composure.

From the shadows, there she emerged. She wore a different outfit this time, something that felt like Karen gifted her yesterday. She kept her short hair but there were black hairclips with a letter B on her sides but everything from below her head were completely different. She wore a white sleevless turtleneck sweater, columns of line bestowed upon from her shoulders all the way to her hips and a cyan blue was painted on its rib. Underneath it was a white off-shoulder sleeve which ran from the sweater to her arms - and its cuffs, like the turtleneck, has a cyan line emerging from it.

She wore a jean short and a pantyhose. She wore a navy blue leather boots, a starking contrast from her brightful scheme on her upper torso, and its lace and soles were white.

"Why are you here?" He grunted.

"I was thinking of resparking the bond, we onced had." She fondled with the idea but Yoake didn't play with her notion.

"I know that's not the reason."

"It is but I assume you know the bigger reason." She crossed her arms and gazed upon her brother with bitter resentment. Yoake raised his eyebrow and was confused by her statement.

"It's Team Rocket, they're here, smaller in numbers but way more significant that what we initially thought." She sighed. Anger began to swarm his head but like earlier, he was keeping his composure.

"I thought you took care of it."

"I didn't. We couldn't find where they are and whenever there was a lead, it disappears immideatly. Like a footprint in a snowy track." She explained.

"You should've tried better."

"I am, and I need your assistance. You also share a responsibility on taking care of the organization, like what Grandfather left us so."

"I know you haven't forgotten that I lied to you, but I can assure you, I was just keeping an eye on you, and Team Rocket was using it as an allegory. You despised me on everything I've done and you played along and pretended that we were siblings - something Leaf always wanted to see. We are, yet you don't see me as one. Now with your new found freedom, you can finally let the anger brew through you, and I understand that. You can call me whatever you want but I wanted you to know, I'm fighting for a noble cause, I want the safety and the betterment for man and monster, and in these desperate times, I need your help."

Ren had to monologue herself just to make things clear for both him and herself. Yoake kept a poker face and slowly walked towards her, keeping himself distant but she can feel there was sympathy.

"I will join you but afterwards, I want you to disband Team Bio, then, don't you ever let me see your face ever again." He marked. Ren knows that this was a burdening cost but who else does she needs? The two Katsuragis are the only ones that have acess to Battle Bond, and with their dual-work, they can crush anyone who dared to stop their way.

"You had yourself a deal." She muttered as she raised her hand and tried to invite her brother to a handshake but there was no such acceptane.

"The deal begins after we battle." Yoake turn his sight to Tepig and gave her a nod, a sign that a battle will begin.

"Don't force yourself, I know you're compensating, let's just settle the matter once we're done." She offered an alternative solution but Yoake wasn't keen to her idea.

"No. I want to prove you and Karen that I am better than you." Yoake remarked as he pointed Tepig's Pokeball at Ren.

The white girl sighed, she couldn't believe how the mighty prince had fallen and dived deep into ego. If their parents were still alive, they would grief that they're children were fighting for the nonsensical things.

The winds began to howl as if a storm was approaching but there was no sign of such. Ren took out a Pokeball and threws it to the ground, revealing Totadile into the fields.

"Don't make me do this." Ren warned her twin.

"You better be." Yoake smirked.

Fierce conquered the atmosphere as the twins were on opposing side, one for the flames and one for the waters. The field became their battleground and any one or thing will be a victim to a pointless dual, and Ren knows that this battle has no meaning but only to boost her brother's ego. There was no passion, that thing was forgotten in Kanto. There brotherhood and family that she desired the most, and when it finally came, it was just an act - she was hurt but she knows that she engraved the outcomes.

As the two were about to battle, they heard a clap from the background, the two were interrupted and they heard that the claps were getting louder and louder - until its source finally appeared, it was Lyra.

"Two Katsuragis, insteading of teaming up and fight for the greater good, they were fighting for the meaningless. Name a more iconic duo…"

"Such a wasted potential."