"Ranger, sir! No time to waste—let's battle now!"
Hop was drenched in sweat, but his eyes burned with excitement. After facing that terrifying Milotic, he knew its Trainer had to be incredibly strong.
Summer glanced at him, amused. "Didn't expect you back so soon. Sure you don't want to rest first?"
"No way! If anything, I'm more fired up than ever—this is the perfect time for a battle!" Hop pumped his fists, already pulling out a Poké Ball.
"Alright then. Rillaboom, you're up."
From atop the wooden platform, Summer's Rillaboom leaped down, slamming its drum onto the ground. Two drumsticks slid into its grasp, and in an instant, the battlefield was covered in lush green grass.
"A Grassy Surge user, huh?" Hop grinned. "Alright, let's go, Rillaboom!"
With an exaggerated wind-up, he tossed his Poké Ball into the air, making sure his Pokémon's entrance was as flashy as possible. He had always aimed to be like his brother—always striving to make battles more exciting, more dramatic.
The second Hop's Rillaboom appeared, it locked eyes with Summer's Rillaboom. For a moment, it froze.
This… This wasn't just any Rillaboom.
This one was a master of the drums. Its aura alone made that painfully clear.
Instinctively, Hop's Rillaboom tensed.
Back in the wild, if multiple Rillaboom existed within a single tribe, they wouldn't settle things through fighting—
They'd settle it through a drum battle.
And Summer's Rillaboom?
It was the kind of Rillaboom that could lead an entire forest.
Hop clenched his fists. "I knew it—you're amazing, Ranger! Alright, Rillaboom—use Drum Beating!"
Summer's voice was calm. "Drum Beating?" He emphasized the word one. "Then we'll use Drum Beating as well."
This wasn't just an attack—this was a duel.
Hop's Rillaboom struck first, hammering its drum wildly. The rhythm was powerful and fast, trained through sheer experience. Hop had always let his Pokémon grow freely, allowing them to develop their natural talents without restraint.
But Summer's Rillaboom? It remained completely unfazed.
Its rhythm was deeper, more refined—
The Song of the Forest.
A melody as old as the trees, as steady as the earth beneath them. Each beat resonated through the battlefield, a sound that felt like the heartbeat of nature itself.
Hop's Rillaboom felt its grip weaken.
A drumstick slipped from its grasp.
This…
This was real music.
Compared to this, what had it even been playing before?!
"Oi! Don't space out in the middle of battle!" Hop called out, alarmed.
But it was too late.
Vines surged from the ground, ensnaring Hop's Rillaboom.
Yet, what truly shocked it—
Was that some of the vines had sprouted from its own drum.
Its eyes widened.
What?! It controlled my drum too?!
Hop's jaw dropped. "Wait, wait, what?! Since when does Drum Beating bind the opponent?! I thought it was just an attack that slowed them down!"
His mind raced.
Then, suddenly, he remembered—
His brother's Charizard.
Leon's signature move—Overheat.
Most Trainers treated it as a one-time attack, but Leon's Overheat?
It detonated five extra times after impact.
Hop gasped.
"Wait—this Rillaboom's Drum Beating is like that?!"
He barely had time to process before Summer gave his next command.
"Grassy Glide."
In a flash of green light, Summer's Rillaboom launched forward, slamming its fist into its opponent's chest.
Hop's Rillaboom struggled against its bindings, but—
"Acrobatics."
Before it could react, Summer's Rillaboom let go of its drumsticks.
No longer bound by weight, its movements turned swift, unpredictable.
It abandoned lower-body strikes—
And instead, focused everything into its fists.
Its punches blurred through the air, each one infused with a sharp, slicing wind.
Every hit struck precisely where it hurt most.
Hop's Rillaboom barely made a sound before its head tilted backward—
And then, it collapsed.
The vines unraveled.
A large, calloused hand caught its falling body, then gently laid it down.
A silent show of respect—
From one Rillaboom to another.
Hop blinked.
Then—
"THAT. WAS. AWESOME!!"
He exploded with excitement.
"So that was Grassy Glide?! You used the terrain to increase your speed! And Acrobatics—since it gets stronger when not holding an item, you turned it into a pure power move?! That was genius!"
Summer smirked.
At least he wasn't taking the loss too hard.
Hop let out a deep breath, then knelt beside his fallen partner.
"Sorry, Rillaboom. Compared to Summer, I've still got a long way to go…"
Rillaboom groggily cracked an eye open. It wasn't upset. The battle had been eye-opening.
The music it had heard…
The rhythm of its own drum being manipulated…
It had lost.
But it had no regrets.
Hop nodded. "Yeah. A loss won't stop us—we'll just get stronger!" Then, his eyes lit up again as he turned toward Summer.
"Summer! No—Professor Summer! Teach me how to train Rillaboom to be as strong as yours!"
Summer chuckled. "Training methods differ from person to person. Find what works best for you. That said… I can share some battle experience."
"That's more than enough!" Hop beamed.
"Alright, first lesson. Your teacher isn't me—it's Rillaboom."
Rillaboom nodded and stepped forward, drumsticks in hand.
Hop's Rillaboom sat up in awe.
A true masterclass was about to begin.
As Hop watched, his curiosity got the better of him.
"Professor Summer—were you some famous Trainer before becoming a Ranger? I mean, I've never heard of you before. Are you from another region?"
Summer shook his head.
"No. I've always been a Ranger. But Trainers aren't the only ones who can raise strong Pokémon. Find your goal. Work toward it. And most importantly—remember that you are you. Everyone has their own unique value."
Hop blinked. Slowly, he clenched his fists.
"...Yeah. I—"
He hesitated.
But in the end, he just grinned.
"Nothing! Forget it! But hey—just so you know, I'm competing in this year's League!"
Summer raised a brow. "Oh? Going after Leon?"
"Yep! No matter what—I will challenge him!"
"Then you'd better train harder."
Hop grinned. "Of course! My brother's never lost a single battle!"
Summer smirked. "I know Leon's strong. But just so we're clear—I'm rooting for someone else."
"Professor—that hurts."
Summer laughed. "Better toughen up, Hop. Your next opponent's ruthless."
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