The Pokémon journey begins in Galar

Yuri may have been a rookie Trainer, often relying on Marie for advice and guidance, but that didn't mean she was clueless.

"Cottonee, Poison Powder! Then follow up with Razor Leaf!"

"Heh, use Sleep Talk again!"

In its sleep, Timburr wasn't nearly as agile as when awake. Only after the poison began taking effect did it sluggishly charge toward Cottonee with its wooden beam in tow.

"Nya! (Hey!)"

Blades of green leaves shimmered to life around Cottonee and flew in sharp arcs toward the oncoming Timburr. But perhaps because it was still half-asleep, Timburr seemed oddly reckless.

Without dodging, it took the full brunt of the Razor Leaf attack and managed to close the distance. It crouched, gripping its beam, and then hopped forward with a single-legged kick aimed at Cottonee's body.

"Nya-!"

Struck off balance, Cottonee let out a startled cry and toppled over. But as it fell, tufts of cotton suddenly burst from its body, sticking to Timburr and hampering its movements.

"Rapid Spin, Cottonee!"

Still shaky from the blow, Cottonee perked up at Yuri's voice. Pushing off the ground with its tiny hands, it spun its body forcefully and launched itself straight at Timburr, who was still trying to shake the sticky cotton from its limbs.

Boom!

Timburr, already weakening from the poison and further slowed by the cotton, staggered. Agitated, it reacted without thinking, swinging its beam and landing a solid hit that sent Cottonee flying. Even more cotton clung to its body in the process.

"Nya... (That really hurt...)"

Timburr packed a serious punch. Cottonee, not built for defense, was clearly struggling. And worse, Timburr seemed to be waking up.

"Cha... (What...?)"

Now fully conscious, Timburr blinked in confusion at the mess of cotton stuck to it, unable to make sense of what had just happened.

"Cottonee, use Round!"

Yuri wasn't about to miss this chance. To avoid knocking off the cotton that was hindering Timburr, she opted for a sound-based move instead of a physical one.

Cottonee looked delicate, but it was surprisingly tough. Back when it lived in the wild, it would have taken advantage of its opponent's sluggishness to flee. But that wasn't who it was anymore.

It wasn't alone now. Standing behind it was a Trainer who believed in it and would support it no matter what.

This first battle had been its own choice a chance to prove it could fight, too. Cottonee didn't want to leave a bad impression by ignoring commands.

So it gritted through the pain and began to sing.

"Nya~ nyanya~!"

"Not good! Timburr, use Rock Throw!"

"Dodge it, Cottonee!"

Cottonee's melody, though wordless, rang out sweetly through the tunnel. But the energy it carried surged directly toward the immobilized Timburr.

Realizing it wouldn't be able to chase its opponent in time, Timburr instead grabbed a stone from the ground. It quickly aimed and hurled it toward the singing Cottonee just as the sound wave reached its body.

"Cha-!"

"Nya-!"

Luck was on Cottonee's side. The rock only grazed the petals on its head before ricocheting off and hitting the cave wall, knocking loose a few small stones.

Although the battle hadn't lasted long, both Pokémon were already nearing their limits.

And in truth, Timburr was worse off. Poison coursed through its system, draining its strength, and the cotton stuck to its limbs restricted its movement.

Even the miner looked uneasy. If this dragged on any longer, his Timburr might faint before it could land another hit even without another Razor Leaf.

"One more time! Rock Throw!"

"Cottonee, Razor Leaf!"

Clack! Clack! Clack!

The spinning leaves collided with the flying rocks midair, filling the space with the sharp sound of impact. Some rocks were knocked off course, but several gleaming green leaves cut through the chaos.

Timburr tried to roll aside after throwing its stone, but it was too slow. The leaves slashed across its side.

Swish! Swish!

"Cha..."

The slicing pain was too much. Already on its last legs, Timburr toppled over, rolled twice, and then lay still, unable to rise again.

"Nya...? (We... won?)"

Cottonee stared in disbelief, frozen in place. It wasn't until Yuri scooped it into her arms and sprayed healing medicine on its wounds that it finally accepted what had happened.

They'd won.

Marie glanced over at them, then rummaged through her backpack and pulled out an Antidote. She walked over to the miner's side, crouched, and sprayed half the bottle on Timburr's body. Then she gently helped it drink the rest.

"Thanks."

Once the signs of poisoning faded from Timburr, Marie let out a quiet breath of relief. She pointed back the way they had come.

"There's a Pokémon doctor at the entrance. You can take him there for proper treatment."

"Haha! Thanks, miss. But we've got a company-run clinic just ahead. I'll take him there. Actually, would you girls like to come with us?"

The miner's friendly smile was hard to refuse, but Marie shook her head. She figured the clinic he mentioned was probably a benefit reserved for employees. Maybe they could've gotten free treatment by tagging along, but Marie didn't like imposing on others. The entrance wasn't far anyway it would be easier to just walk back.

"Thanks, but it's no trouble. We'll head back to the entrance instead."

"I see. Alright then! Goodbye, girls. Come battle again sometime!"

"Yeah! Let's have another match next time, Mister!"

"M-Mister?!"

The miner froze at the word, his smile faltering. As if suffering a personal blow, he turned away silently and walked off with his Coalossal.

Marie watched his retreating figure with a trace of sympathy, then turned to Yuri, who was still blinking in confusion.

Sighing lightly, she reached out and ruffled the little trainer's hair before turning back toward the tunnel entrance.

"Don't just stand there. Let's get Cottonee treated outside."

"Oh-oh yeah! Hehehe~"

"What are you giggling about?"

"Nothing. I'm just... really happy, right, Cottonee?"

"Nya~ (Yeah!)"

Cottonee, nestled in her arms, waved its tiny hands and chirped in agreement.

It seemed like the battle had done them a world of good. Marie looked at the two of them Trainer and Pokémon now noticeably closer than before, and found herself smiling.