“Teeeddi…”

  Teddy let out a long yawn and sprawled across the floor. He’d been perfectly obedient during his analysis with Aline. Now? Full gremlin mode again.

  Our turn had taken maybe ten minutes. After twenty more, both Vulpix and Hawlucha were done too. We thanked Aline for the advice and left the Pokémon Center together.

  That’s when I spotted him—leaning against a wall, arms crossed like he was waiting for applause.

  He smirked the moment our eyes met.

  “Santos. Battle me.”

  Melody frowned. “Who is this guy?”

  “Jeremy Fox,” Flavio answered. “Classmate. Rich kid. Ego the size of Kanto.”

  I eyed him. “Why should I?”

  Jeremy stepped forward, his voice full of fake confidence. “What? Scared? You must be. Look at you—teachers fawning over you just ‘cause you're a legacy. But that teddy bear of yours?” He pointed at Teddy. “Can it even battle?”

  Teddy licked his paw. Didn’t even look up.

  I stayed calm—barely. “I don’t even know who you are.”

  Jeremy flinched. Then scowled. “How dare you. I’m Jeremy Fox, future CEO of Fox Industries and future Pokémon Master.”

  “So?”

  He blinked. “So, you think you’re better than me because your dad was someone here? Well, guess what—your dad’s gone. Probably dead. Maybe that’s why he never came back.”

  My fists clenched. That was it.

  “You want a battle?” I said coldly. “You’ve got it.”

  *

  We walked in silence to the Battle Center. Melody and Flavio trailed behind me; Jeremy matched my pace, grinning like he'd already won.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  The lobby was run by older students and recent grads. After checking in, they assigned us to Field 17.

  It was a standard setup. Basic terrain. Nothing fancy.

  “How many points do you want to lose?” Jeremy smirked as we took our places on the field.

  I met his eyes. “How many are you willing to bet?”

  Flavio and Melody both froze. Jeremy blinked.

  “You serious?” he asked, his voice losing some of its swagger.

  I didn’t flinch. “Let’s make it twenty-five.”

  A beat of silence. Even Jeremy looked thrown.

  “That’s… a lot,” he muttered. “No one's risking that much this early.”

  “You scared?” I asked.

  His pride flared. “Fine. Twenty-five.”

  We confirmed the wager on our Pokédexes. A graduate student overseeing the room looked up from the desk, startled.

  “Twenty-five?” he repeated. “You sure you want to go that high?”

  We both nodded.

  He sighed and tapped the system to lock it in.

  “This is a 1v1 point battle between Jeremy Fox and Gabriel Santos,” the student called out. “High-stakes match. Trainers, release your Pokémon.”

  Teddy stepped forward, tail swaying.

  His posture was relaxed, even lazy—but I knew better. He could feel my anger. And under all that fluff, he was just as fired up.

  “Go, Champ!”

  A blue, reptilian Pokémon hit the field—short, stocky, and immediately puffing out smoke.

  Bagon. A Dragon-type.

  I scanned it.

  Bagon dreams of flight, hurling itself off cliffs in pursuit of the sky. Repeated crashes have hardened its skull to steel-like density. Despite its size, its body is densely muscled, capable of devastating headbutts.

  Level 8.

  A Dragon-type with a chip on its shoulder. I could see why Jeremy was cocky.

  Teddy’s eyes narrowed. He gave a little shiver—playing scared. I knew that look. He was baiting.

  “First Pokémon to faint or surrender wins,” the referee said. “Begin!”

  “Champ, Bite!”

  The Bagon charged fast—impressive acceleration for his size.

  “Baby-Doll Eyes.”

  Teddy’s eyes shimmered pink, softening Bagon’s momentum mid-strike. It hesitated. The Bite landed, but it was hesitant, weak.

  “Now—Play Rough!”

  Teddy flared with pinkish-white light and slammed into Bagon. The energy burst engulfed them both. I heard the thud, the growl—and then a yelp.

  Jeremy’s eyes widened.

  “Back up! Ember!”

  Bagon stumbled away, bruised and limping, and spat a weak flame. It flickered harmlessly against Teddy’s fur.

  “Fury Swipes!”

  Teddy lunged. Claws flashed. Three swipes, fast and brutal. Bagon hit the ground.

  Unconscious.

  The referee raised a hand. “Winner: Gabriel Santos and Teddiursa.”

  *

  Jeremy didn’t say a word. He sprayed a potion on Bagon, then recalled it.

  When he looked up, his expression was pure fury.

  “I’ll remember this.”

  He turned and stormed out.

  I looked down.

  Teddy held up his arms. Victory pose.

  I picked him up, and he immediately nestled into my shoulder, warm and content.

  “You were amazing,” I whispered.

  But it wasn’t just about the win. Not this time.

  Jeremy had mocked us—our bond, our family, our strength.

  And we’d answered with everything we had.