A challenge

5th of March

At dawn, a pokemusu appears on a tree near Pallet after using a teleportation spell.

“So this… is the place…” the sleepy musu murmurs as she looks around… though it’s hard to tell, since her eyes are hidden.

---

The morning light wakes you up once again, and today feels a little special—you’re lying next to two beautiful girls.

Charlie is still asleep, while Midori is already awake, quietly looking at you.

“Good morning,” she whispers.

“Good morning to you too,” you whisper back, leaning in to kiss her.

“So… did you have fun last night?” Midori asks.

“Yeah… it was a good night,” you reply.

“Well… I’m happy for you then. Do you feel anything… new?” she asks.

“I think so. We’ll have to test it later” you say.

At that moment, Charlie yawns and turns toward you.

“Mmh… oh, good morning, friends” she says with a bright smile.

“Good morning to you too,” you both reply.

“Well, I guess we should get up and have some breakfast,” you say.

Both girls nod.

---

You all get dressed and head downstairs.

You and Midori start preparing breakfast while Charlie watches closely, trying to learn how you do it.

Soon, you serve scrambled eggs with bacon, and the three of you sit down to eat. While eating, you explain your power to Charlie, and she gets excited at the idea of seeing what kind of weapon your bond will create.

Before long, breakfast is over.

“Well girls, let’s clean up and go trai—”

You’re interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Who could that be?” you mutter, walking over to open it.

“Sup man, how are ya doing?”

It’s Marcy. The Machop girl is wearing more casual clothes today, without her uniform, though she has some of her equipment with her, mainly her hammer.

“Oh hey Marcy, what brings you here?” you ask

“I came to challenge you, Erik. I heard you’re the strongest guy around here, and I always wanna test my strength against strong opponents,” she says.

“Didn’t you have to go back to Pewter with those criminals?” you ask.

“Technically, yeah. But I left them with my coworkers and asked to stay a bit longer. I was too curious to see what you can do,” she replies.

“Mmh… well, I guess that works. We were planning to train anyway after breakfast” you say.

“Cool! Then I’ll join you,” she says, stepping inside and giving you a firm pat on the back—stronger than expected.

“Heyo!” Marcy greets the others.

“Oh, hello Miss Marceline,” Midori says politely.

“Just call me Marcy girl, I’m off duty right now” she replies, sitting down on an armchair.

“Girls, looks like we have a guest for our training,” you say.

“Yup, I wanna fight the big man right there,” Marcy grins.

“Oh cool! It must be amazing to see you fight!” Charlie says.

“Probably… though training with four people in the backyard might be a bit cramped,” Midori notes.

You think for a moment.

“We could go to the beach. There’s plenty of space if we move away from the harbour” you suggest.

“Damn, already inviting us to a beach date? Bold move,” Marcy laughs.

“I think it’s a good idea too. We can cool off after training,” Midori adds.

“Then let’s get ready,” you say.

---

After preparing a packed lunch and bringing spare clothes, you all head to the beach.

The area isn’t popular outside summer, but that makes it perfect: wide, flat, and completely empty.

“Yeah, this place works,” Marcy says, resting her warhammer on her shoulder.

“It definitely does. But first, I need to try something,” you say.

“Go ahead,” she replies.

You focus on your bond with Charlie, just like you did with Midori before. This time, you feel energy gathering in your hands.

You clap them together—and your new weapon forms.

Twin blades appear: two short swords with scarlet edges shaped like flames on the back of the blade.

“Ooooh! Is that my weapon?!” Charlie exclaims.

“Your weapon?” Marcy raises an eyebrow.

“N-nothing, it’s just something I can create thanks to her,” you quickly cover.

“Cool. Here, take this,” Marcy says, tossing you a small amulet with a blue gem.

“What is it?” you ask.

“A bubble amulet. It cushions damage—helps us train without serious injuries. I’ve got one too, so don’t hold back too much,” she explains.

“Got it. Let’s begin,” you say.

You both take your positions. The amulets activate, surrounding you in a faint blue aura.

“3… 2… 1… Go!” Midori calls out.

You both dash forward.

Marcy swings first. You raise your blades just in time to block her hammer strike—but the sheer **** pushes you back. Her strength is overwhelming.

You recover quickly and rush in, launching a flurry of slashes. She blocks with her hammer at first, but your speed creates openings—you land a few hits on her arms, forcing her back.

Before you can press further, she counters with a sudden kick.

You block it, but the impact still hurts and sends you sliding back.

You clash again—steel against steel.

As the fight continues, you feel your blades heating up.

Then, your mana surges.

Instinct kicks in—you jump back just as your swords ignite.

Without thinking, you slash forward in a cross motion.

Two flaming arcs shoot through the air—compressed fire mana—and explode on impact with Marcy.

She’s blasted backward.

“Woah…” Midori and Charlie gasp.

Worried, you rush toward her—but as you approach, she’s already smiling.

“Damn man, that was sick,” she says.

“I guess you’re okay,” you reply.

“Yeah, but that was strong enough to drain my amulet. We should stop here,” she says, raising a hand.

You grab it and help her up.

“Good call staying here. You’re seriously interesting, Erik,” she says, offering a fist.

“Same goes for you, Marcy,” you reply, fist-bumping her.

---

After that, training becomes more relaxed.

You focus on helping Charlie understand her fire magic—how to attack, but also how to protect herself by coating her body in flames.

After a couple of hours, you all sit down to eat.

But suddenly—

Someone bursts out of the water nearby.

“You stupid craaaabbbsss!!” a girl screams.