Synchronization

Chapter Three: Endurance Run

"That was exhausting!" Kimono exclaimed as she accepted the potion from her coach.

"You really worked hard out there," James agreed, wiping a sheen of sweat from his forehead. Though it was true that the temperature had gone up a bit, his sweat was primarily due to concern for his partner's well-being. "Are you holding up okay out there? If you want to qui-I mean stop, I won't hold it against you; you've already done a lot."

"No way!" her voice cried out in his head. "I've come this far; I won't be able to face the others if I quit now! Besides...I want to make you proud."

"I'm already proud of you," James said, sure that he'd said something similar earlier in the day. "I just don't want you to...hurt yourself from overwork."

She dropped the empty bottle to the ground and gently took him by the shoulders. "I can do this, James. I will do this."

"All right," he conceded with a defeated smile. "You win."

She smiled and touched her forehead to his. They wouldn't normally show affection in public, but it was a special occasion and she seemed to need the contact, so he gave in.

"Oh, how nice!" a familiar yet unfamiliar friendly voice exclaimed, and Kimono and James quickly parted with heated faces to greet the newcomer.

"P-Professor Oak?" James stammered as the retired trainer walked up to them. "This...This is really an honor, sir! W-would you like a drink, sir?" he asked as he fumbled with the catch to his bag. "I'm afraid I didn't think to bring much...other than supplies for Kimono, of course-"

"I'm fine, young man, calm down," the professor said, lifting a hand to stop the torrent of words. "I just came to say 'hi' and congratulate you on your work."

"M-My work, sir?" James managed.

"What you're doing here with your Gardevoir, and your Pokémon in general, is...shall I say, revolutionary? Training them while still respecting – no, encouraging – their autonomy?" He briefly slow-clapped, ending with a hand-clasp. "I should like to compare notes with you sometime, sir."

"I...I..."

"As I'm sure you're aware, my field of study is in regards to human-Pokémon relations, and I would be very interested in hearing about how you do what you do."

"It's...really not that impressive, sir. I just work with them, teaching them as much as they're able and willing to learn, and then turn 'em loose on their opponents."

"James is a very competent man," Kimono interjected, surprising the older man. "If he hadn't spent as much time and energy on me as he has...I wouldn't be able to do this," she finished, gazing at her trainer with a smile.

"Indeed..." the professor murmured as he studied her expression. "You seem very fond of Mr. Gottum. In fact, I caught your interview on TV yesterday...hm."

"Sir?" James' face was a mask of confusion.

"Trainer Gottum; may I speak with your Gardevoir after the tournament? I've been hearing...things...about her, and would like to confirm a hypothesis or two."

"'Things'?" James repeated. "What kind of things?"

"Oh, nothing bad, I can assure you," the older man said, waving his hands. "It's...hard to explain, truly. So, with your permission...?"

"With her permission actually, sir," James replied. "I can't say this about all of my other guests, but I consider Kimono here more of an equal. I guess whatever relationship they want with me, I try to give it to them."