September 19, Sunday. Weather: slightly cool.
A thin mist drifted through Veilstone City in the early morning. True to its name as a mountain city, the temperatures were already quite cool in the mornings and evenings.
"One, two... three, four... two, two, three, four..." Dressed in sportswear, Maylene led Lucario and Paul's Pokémon through their morning exercises after their run.
Yes... a body-conditioning secret technique passed down personally by Young Master Mao: Eaglet Takes Flight...
Eevee-chan was full of energy as she patrolled the hill first thing in the morning, even though Gary had already told her they were only staying here temporarily.
But Eevee-chan did not care. As long as I'm here, I'm still the queen of this place!
Golduck stood right at the front, performing Young Eagle Spreads Its Wings with exceptionally precise form.
Maylene looked at Golduck in admiration. "Just what I'd expect from Master's duck. Such good flexibility!"
Maylene's Lucario sat beneath a tree, quietly sensing Aura, when his brow suddenly twitched.
Slash! A small mountain nearby was suddenly sliced cleanly in two, after which a barely perceptible scrap of paper drifted back on the wind.
What kind of ferocious Pokémon were these?!
After washing up, Young Master Mao came downstairs feeling refreshed and casually accepted the coffee cup Maylene handed him. "Ah... this is nice. Thanks for the effort, Maylene."
"Not at all. It's an honor to do morning exercises with your Pokémon, sir." Maylene wiped the sweat from her forehead and responded with a bright smile.
As a girl who would have to take over both the Fighting Dojo and the city's Gym at such a young age, Maylene actually had no confidence at all.
But now that Young Master Mao was here, Maylene felt there was hope in life.
*If anyone dares bully