Allen mumbled unknowingly, "I just want to travel the world…"
Then, with a shrug, he added, "Catch new Pokémon, and maybe… you know, earn some reward money or something."
Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "What, like becoming a hero who catches criminals or something?"
There was an unofficial profession in certain regions—Sinnoh, for example—recognized by the Pokémon League and even InterPol, where individuals could earn rewards for helping capture criminals.
It was similar to what Allen had done a few years back, when he'd been handsomely rewarded for assisting in a case... including how he got his Mudkip.
After all, he had debts—especially the hefty cost of the incubation fluid for his two Pokémon eggs. How else was he supposed to make money quickly?
"..." Allen looked at Cynthia with a weird expression.
Since when did he say he wanted to catch criminals or something like that?
Isn't it better to get money from discovering something, commercializing research, or probably writing for popular science outlets?
After all, all he has is his brain in his head. But earning money from Pokémon battles is also good, though.
There were rules and regulations about earning money through Pokémon battles, which mainly applied to official competitions, especially League-sanctioned matches. You could probably earn more than a thousand Pokédollars per round, not to mention the prize for winning the competition.
For non-official battles, you'd probably earn less than a hundred Pokédollars, depending on the stakes and the participants. But the real money came from sanctioned events—the kind that really put your skills to the test.
Cynthia snorted. "It's better to understand the origins of Pokémon and the world—to uncover the truth behind legendary Pokémon like Dialga, Palkia, and Gira—" Thankfully, she stopped herself before finishing.
Then she continued, "Catching criminals is also a good option. Isn't that right, Caitlin?"
"Hmm-hmm," Caitlin nodded like a little follower.
Catching criminals, however, was something the Pokémon League decided should be rewarded. It helps deter Trainers from breaking the law, knowing that they might be put on a wanted list, and encourages people not to tolerate criminals.
'I didn't know how to feel about that, but I guess it made some sense. Didn't the FBI offer reward money for information about their most-wanted list?' Allen thought to himself then he nodded with Cynthia aspiration.
After all, just like Professor Carolina, Cynthia—both in the anime and the games—is known for studying ancient ruins and historical texts. She has a deep desire to uncover the origins and legends of the Pokémon world. Naturally, she often appears when something mysterious or historically significant is happening—like the events involving Team Galactic and the creation trio.
So, Allen wasn't surprised by that. Soon, it was time to hit the roller skates.
Since it was Cynthia's first time trying them, she clung to Allen for support every few steps. Near the end, she nearly lost her balance, but managed to steady herself by grabbing onto his shoulder—refusing to let go.
"You didn't even buy skates, and it's your first time, right? How are you skating so easily?" she grumbled, glancing over at Allen with a hint of frustration.
Then her eyes drifted to Caitlin, who was effortlessly gliding around with perfect grace, and Cynthia let out a sigh of envy. "Hey, Caitlin… don't tell me you've been secretly practicing?"
Allen's mouth twitched at her complaint. Didn't she notice the Gothita on her shoulder helping her balance the whole time?
"Thita~!" Gothita chirped cheerfully, greeting both Allen and Cynthia before waddling over to Gabite, clearly asking for a ride.
"Ga~" Gabite snorted, looking away like it was far too cool for such childish games.
Cynthia let out a dramatic sigh—until her eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. She quickly slipped off her roller skates, scooped up Gothita, and set it right back on her shoulder.
"Caitlin, I'm borrowing your Gothita for a bit!" she said, already halfway across the rink.
"Ah, wait for me!" Caitlin hurriedly called out before chasing after Cynthia.
Cynthia suddenly made a sharp turn, gliding a few meters across the plaza—only for a speeding figure to come barreling toward her from a distance, nearly crashing into her.
From his angle, Allen noticed the incoming skater just in time. Instinctively, he reached out and pulled Cynthia to his side. Since he wasn't wearing roller skates, Cynthia had no choice but to cling to him for balance.
The boy who nearly collided tried to swerve out of the way, but his braking skills clearly needed work.
He skidded to a messy stop, stumbling sideways and landing in a half-kneel before standing up again. Without missing a beat, he snapped, "Watch where you're going! You're blocking the way!"
He wore a mask and carried himself with an arrogant air, barking at Allen and Cynthia as if it were their fault.
Cynthia, never one to take things lying down, immediately snapped back: "You were the one who almost crashed into us, and you're blaming us?"
"If you weren't skating so slowly, I wouldn't have had to dodge in the first place," the boy grumbled, arms crossed over his chest. "Rookies like you shouldn't even be skating here. So annoying."
Allen frowned, giving the boy a once-over, then squinted. "Hey… why do you look kind of familiar?"
The boy was clearly caught off guard—but before he could speak, Caitlin scoffed from behind.
"That's Wake. He also goes to Jubilife Trainer School with us!"
"Ahem! I've told you already—I'm Crash! Crash! Crasher Wake! I'm the tidal wave of power here to wash you away!" he declared, striking a dramatic pose.
"Yeah, yeah…" Caitlin waved her hand dismissively, unimpressed.
"Hmmph!" Wake snorted before turning to Allen. "You love hanging out with girls. No masculinity at all. I won't argue with a sissy like you."
Then he swept his gaze dramatically across Cynthia and Caitlin. "And you all—losers like you shouldn't even be skating in the square. Can't you, like, go practice in a parking lot or something?"
Allen narrowed his eyes, clearly done with this clown. He dug in his ear lazily and flicked nothing in Wake's direction. "Hey, Wake. Since you think you're hot stuff, how about a little competition? If I win, you have to admit you're a loser and apologize to Cynthia."
Wake grinned like he just won a lottery. "I'd love to! And if I win, you have to call me Dad from now on! How about that?"
"What should I call you? I didn't hear clearly. Mom or—?"
"Dad!!"
Allen gave him a thumbs-up. "Okay, good boy!"
"Bwahahahaha!" Cynthia burst out laughing, nearly doubling over. Caitlin cracked up too, wiping a tear from her eye.
Wake's face turned the color of a ripe tomato. His blood pressure was having a personal crisis. "ALLEN! YOU'RE DEAD TODAY!"
Truth be told, Wake only agreed to the challenge because, well… ever since the skatepark was built, he'd been here nearly every single day with his Buizel, pulling off stunts and flexing like it was his part-time job. This was the first time he'd ever seen Allen at the park. In his mind, the battle was already won.
"The rules are simple!" Wake shouted, hopping onto his skates like he was entering a wrestling match. "We skate from one end of the square to the other, then back. That's one round. We do two rounds. First to finish wins."
Allen stretched his arms, then glanced at his regular sneakers. "Any restrictions?"
Wake smirked. "Nope! Do whatever tricks you want. Just don't cry when you lose."
After all, it's not every day you see a kid declare a skate duel here.
"No problem," Allen said confidently.
He then called Cynthia over and pointed to her roller skates. "Let me borrow yours."
Upon hearing this, Cynthia blushed and said, "Allen, mine are inline skates, not as stable as quad skates. If you haven't used them before, it might be easy to lose balance…"
"I know, it's okay… but I'm more used to inline skates."
"Oh, okay…"
After hesitating for a moment, she added, "I can lend them to you, but you have to turn around and wait for me to change shoes."
"…Huh?"
"Don't look!" Cynthia quickly spun him around, making sure Caitlin was watching and that no one was peeking. Then, she swiftly kicked off her shoes, revealing pink Clefairy socks with a cute moon theme, before sliding into white sneakers.
"Allen, I know you want to stand up for me, but do you really need to compete with Wake and get angry?"
Caitlin squatted down and advised Allen, who was putting on his shoes, "This is so childish."
"Are you saying this because you're afraid I'll lose?"
"I didn't mean that… But even if you win against Wake, won't you still lose face?"
Allen thought for a moment, then nodded, "That makes sense."
"Hey, are you guys going to compete or not?" Wake, who was impatient, said angrily, "Stop wasting time. If you're afraid of losing, just admit it!"
"I'm here, I'm here!"
With the support of Cynthia and Caitlin, Allen stood up and said, "I've changed my shoes."
Wake looked disdainfully at Allen's pink inline skates. "You really are a sissy, wearing girls' shoes, and inline skates at that. There's hardly any difference in speed between inline skates and quad skates, and inline skates are easier to fall with. Can you handle it?"
"Well, let's see then?"
Allen smiled slightly, his casual gaze making Wake even more annoyed.
'This guy… he's been like this forever… acting all grown-up! Let's see how I can crush his arrogance this time!'
The two took their positions at the starting line, crouching low like they were about to race for their lives. Wake, naturally, crouched even lower, as though this were some kind of high-stakes Olympic event.
Nearby, a crowd of kids started gathering, like it was the most important thing happening that day. Some even stopped playing to watch.
A few Pokémon joined the audience, with a Sentret popping out of a bush holding popcorn. A Machop put down its dumbbells and leaned against a railing, flexing in solidarity. A Chatot even started beatboxing, making Allen do a double take.
"Get ready… Three, two, one!"
At the signal, Wake rocketed ahead, leaving a trail of dust behind him. Meanwhile, Allen's reaction seemed a little slow, causing him to lose some precious ground.
"Haha! I knew it! I'm the strongest! The unstoppable force of nature!" Wake yelled, flexing and pumping his arms dramatically as if he were a superhero on a mission.
He skated forward with all the might he could muster, swinging his arms like windmills, eyes shut tight, savoring the moment. He felt the breeze in his hair, the cheers of the crowd, and in his mind, he was the coolest guy at the skatepark. Everyone was watching in awe, cheering him on, as if they were witnessing greatness in motion.
Until… Allen waved at him.
…
???
Wake saw Allen waving at him in the opposite direction—
'H-h-h-h-he's actually skating backwards!'
Skating backwards was one thing, he could barely do it himself, but Allen wasn't just twisting and turning. He was smoothly skating in a straight line, weaving in a serpentine pattern, constantly changing directions. He directly surpassed Wake!
Faced with such a blow to his skills, even Wake, who was stubborn, had no reason to continue.
"Hmph," Wake grumbled, clearly fuming. "Skating is for kids... Let's stick to Pokémon skills instead." He took a deep breath to calm himself before tossing a Pokéball into the air.
With a flash of light, a Buizel appeared, crossing its arms and striking an arrogant pose, matching its trainer's attitude perfectly.
"Whoa!" Allen clapped his hands happily.
He had been looking for a challenge for his Marshtomp, and now Wake had just presented himself.
Allen was more than ready to accept the invitation.