Wednesday, July 10...
The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, waking Young Master Mao from his sleep.
After a quick wash, Young Master Mao came into the living room in a sleeveless shirt and baggy shorts, then nestled into the sofa to drink coffee.
There were fifteen days left until the Hoenn League's Ever Grande Conference.
Young Master Mao had also switched out quite a few of the Pokémon on hand. Most of his cleaver squad had gone back to raise havoc in the research lab's backyard.
Replacing them on the front line were Blastoise, Gengar, Arcanine, and Galar Rapidash.
Young Master Mao had originally intended to let Blastoise keep training in the backyard, but Tracey said Blastoise had been distracted a lot lately and had started doubting whether he was about to be abandoned.
With no other choice, Gary had brought this fellow along too.
Good grief, a Turtle weighing hundreds of pounds had clung to Young Master Mao's leg and wept buckets. That had certainly been an experience.
As expected of Turtle, who spent his entire life walking on thin ice...
On the living room carpet, Arcanine basked in the sun with a goofy look and his tongue hanging out.
The moment he noticed Young Master Mao looking at him, his tail started spinning like a propeller.
Caught between laughter and tears, Young Master Mao looked behind Arcanine's rump, where his tail was repeatedly smacking Metagross in the face.
When it came to dependence on their Trainer, Eevee-chan took first place, while Arcanine and Blastoise could both compete for second.
Metagross lay quietly to one side, unable to understand why Arcanine had to wag his tail. It did not hurt anyway, so he could do as he pleased.
Gengar quietly passed by with Dusknoir, carrying a broom and