The next morning, Xinhai was already awake when sunlight slipped through the gaps in the curtains, laying a slender golden band across the wooden floor.
He opened his eyes and habitually turned to look beside his pillow—Eevee was curled into a little Fuzzball, its fluffy tail covering its nose. Only one half-closed brown eye was visible, and its breathing was steady and deep.
Xinhai got out of bed quietly without waking it. He went to the living room and completed a set of morning exercises in the open space.
The Dewford Twelve Forms had become exceptionally smooth, every rise, fall, turn, and transition carrying a rounded rhythm. Even the Closing Form of Tai Chi was steadier than before, with the flow of Qi forming a distinct, circulating current around his body.
After finishing his practice, he went into the bathroom for a shower, changed into a clean blue-and-white tracksuit, and began preparing breakfast.
"Eevee..." Eevee poked its head out of its little nest. Its large brown eyes were still hazy with sleep, but its nose had already begun twitching at the scent of Pokémon food.
It yawned, stretched lazily, then padded over to the kitchen doorway. It sat down, lifted its head toward Xinhai, and swept its tail back and forth across the floor.
"It'll be ready soon." As he spoke, Xinhai mixed the Pokéblocks and Pokémon food in the proper proportions, then set the dishes one by one on the carpet.
Just as he placed Pokéblocks into Blaziken's bowl, his hand paused slightly.
Looking down at the empty bowl, Xinhai finally remembered—Blaziken and Charizard were not with him.
They were staying at the underground breeding base beneath the back mountain of Lavaridge Gym, undergoing special training with Flame Feather and Old Fire.
This was probably the first time since