The morning sun peeks through the blinds as Shane jolts awake, feeling something repeatedly bouncing on his chest. He opens his bleary eyes to see Ozzy hopping eagerly up and down, his soft feathers tickling Shane''s chin.


    "Ozzy, what are you doing?" Shane mumbles, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The Natu chirps brightly, gazing at Shane with expectant eyes. After a big yawn, Shane glances at the clock on the bedside table which reads 6:30 AM. "It''s so early," Shane groans. "You want to train already?"


    Ozzy nods, fluttering over to the desk where the deck of cards still sits from yesterday''s exercises. Clearly, the little pokemon is raring to go and continue strengthening their psychic bond.


    Shane hauls himself out of bed, splashes some water on his face, and gets dressed while Ozzy watches impatiently.


    Shane smiles as Ozzy flutters impatiently around the room, chirping and pecking at Shane''s pillow in his eagerness to start training. "Alright, let''s see if we can beat our high score from yesterday," Shane says as he sits down across from Ozzy.


    The pokemon trills, its eyes glowing in anticipation.


    They start with their telepathy training, and Ozzy''s concentration has clearly improved overnight. The Natu soon consistently manages both to read and transmit which cards are being pulled from the deck. Shane wonders if this fast progression is mostly thanks to Ozzy’s innate capacity, or if he himself has any significant part in the bond.


    After an hour, Shane''s grumbling stomach reminds him it''s time for breakfast. But Ozzy gently tugs his sleeve with his beak, signaling he wants to keep training.


    "Don''t worry, we''ve got the whole day ahead of us," Shane says, patting Ozzy’s green feathered head. "And we''ve got a big goal, remember? To get strong enough to challenge Brawly for real! Of course, there’s the Regi trio too, but I think we have to start with more reasonable milestones. How about we focus a bit more on your battle skills today?”


    Ozzy chirps happily in affirmation.


    Shane retrieves breakfast for himself from the service point and serves some generic Pokémon food for Ozzy. They consume their meals in silence as Shane flips through another book, ''Precognitive Battle Strategy: Harnessing Psychic Insights.''


    The techniques commonly explored involve harnessing telekinetic forces and precognition, yet understanding of psychic phenomena remains somewhat nebulous. The public''s knowledge about it is not extensive, the author of the book concedes. She asserts her reluctance to set strict boundaries on what can and cannot be done within the realm of psychic abilities.


    The author does however mention that some psychic pokemon have extensive abilities for healing themselves and others, which Shane finds great interest in. It may come very well in handy he realizes, after doing some mental theorizing on balancing resources in the field such as stamina versus health. It just depends on how taxing the healing moves would be on Ozzy.


    Shane’s interest is piqued, and he decides to go to a computer in the lobby to do some more specific research on the Natu species.


    “Hey Ozzy, do you want to tag along for some more research on you?”


    Ozzy happily nods.


    Once they finish their meal, they head to the computer area. Shane is still not exactly used to the technology at hand, but he eventually navigates to the official League page on Natu.


    “It says here that you eventually may evolve into a Xatu. But you already knew that, did you?”


    Ozzy solemnly nods at the fact.


    Shane skims through the page for moves that may be relevant to healing. “Ah, here it is. You can naturally learn Wish, which heals you for a significant amount of health. You could also learn other similar moves using technical machines, such as Roost. And here’s a record of a Xatu having learnt Pain Split, it’s a… Oh! That’s quite the move! It splits your health evenly with an opponent. That would be very good to know in case you get badly hurt and meet a healthy enemy. Hitting two birds with one rock, you know?”


    Ozzy gives a slight glare at Shane, then looks at the screen. Shane is unsure if Ozzy can read.


    “Sorry for that notion, it’s just a saying… Can you read, by the way?”


    Ozzy shakes his head. Maybe he’s just watching the images from battles where the moves are used.


    Shane notices there’s a slot for a pokeball at the computer.


    He asks another person sitting at another one of the machines what it may be used for.


    “Oh, that’s for checking known moves and generic data on your pokemon.”


    Shane thanks him, and asks Ozzy if he’d like to check.


    Ozzy happily complies, and is turned into a white light with a slight red hue when he pecks at the button on the pokeball.


    Shane sets the ball into the slot, and the computer churns for a few seconds. A list of data appears, and Shane lets Ozzy out of the ball again, this time with a bright white light appearing out of the ball, manifesting the small, green bird on the table again.


    “Let’s see… Peck we knew of, but Leer and Night Shade… Have you used those before?”


    {1}


    “So Leer?”


    Ozzy nod.


    How does that work when lowering defenses really, isn’t that some form of harassment? Shane silently thinks to himself.


    “Ah… but you haven’t used Night Shade?”


    Ozzy shakes his head.


    After looking over Ozzy''s moves on the Pokemon Center computer, Shane feels motivated to help Ozzy gain more battle experience. He knows there''s a wooded area just outside town that would be perfect for some training.


    "Hey Ozzy, how about we head to the woods and practice using some of your moves on natural targets?" Shane suggests.


    Ozzy flutters his wings eagerly. He seems excited by the prospect of training up his abilities.


    They make their way through the cozy streets of Dewford towards the town''s outskirts. The houses become sparser and soon the paved road turns to a dirt path leading into the forest.


    Trees stretch high above and Spearow can be heard calling in the canopy. Sunlight filters through the leaves, dappling the path. Shane takes a deep breath of the fresh, earthy air.


    Before long, the path opens up into a small clearing surrounded by huge moss-covered boulders.


    "This looks like the perfect spot!" Shane declares. Ozzy lands on a rock and chirps in agreement, ruffling his feathers. He seems eager to start honing his skills.


    Not many minutes pass before they hear a rustling in the bushes. A bird pokemon bursts out, ruffling its feathers as it squares off against them. The back of the bird is bluish black, with a white stomach and red face.


    "Alright Ozzy, let''s start with Leer!" Shane calls. Ozzy focuses his hypnotic stare on the Taillow, making it shudder as its defenses weaken.


    The Taillow shoots a Gust attack at Ozzy, who braces himself against the blast of wind.


    "Hang in there! Use Peck!" Ozzy darts forward and jabs his glowing beak into Taillow''s side.


    Taillow chirps angrily and whips up another Gust. Ozzy manages to dodge most of it, but still gets battered by the edge of the blast.


    "You''ve got this Ozzy! Let''s try out your Night Shade!" Shane shouts encouragingly.


    Ozzy launches the Night Shade attack, but the dark spectral beams pass right through the Taillow, seemingly having no effect.


    Shane is puzzled. "That''s weird, why didn''t it do any damage?"Stolen story; please report.


    The Taillow takes advantage of the distraction to whip up another Gust attack. Ozzy braces against the blast.


    Shane wracks his brain trying to figure out what''s going on. Night Shade is a ghost-type move, it should have worked.


    The Taillow presses its advantage with a Peck attack. Ozzy manages to dodge most of the strikes.


    Finally, Shane realizes his mistake. "Of course! Taillow is a normal-type, so ghost-type moves don''t affect it!"


    The Taillow goes in for another Peck. "Dodge it Ozzy and use Leer!" Shane adjusts their strategy now that he understands the type matchup. Ozzy diminishes Taillow''s defense again with his glowing stare.


    "Peck, let''s go!" With the type advantage in mind, Ozzy is able to land several hard pecks while Taillow is reeling from the Leer.


    The wild pokemon cries out angrily before conceding defeat and flapping away deeper into the forest.


    Shane kneels down to praise Ozzy for adjusting so well, despite Shane''s own mistake. He mentally kicks himself for not researching type advantages better. He''d leapt into training too hastily. A trainer was supposed to guide and teach their Pokémon, not hinder them. Next time he would be more prepared and considered - he owed Ozzy that much.


    After their encounter with the wild Taillow, Shane and Ozzy take a break before heading back to town. Shane wants to find another trainer for a practice battle to keep testing their skills.


    The walk back is peaceful, with other bird pokemon cooing softly and the occasional rustle in the underbrush. Before long, the woods open up to reveal Dewford''s cozy buildings.


    As they re-enter town, Shane scans the streets for potential training partners. He soon spots a girl about his age sitting on a bench with a pokemon at her feet - a small canine with brown and beige fur.


    "Hello!" Shane calls as he approaches. "I''m Shane, and this is Ozzy. We were hoping to get some battle practice in. Would you be interested?"


    The girl smiles and introduces them as Emma and her pokemon Zigzagoon. "We''d love to battle! I was just looking for some practice too."


    They clear a space in a nearby plaza to serve as their battlefield. A few passersby stop to watch the impromptu match.


    "Let''s start out Ozzy with Leer!" Shane calls. Ozzy diminishes Zigzagoon''s defense with his menacing stare.


    "Zigzagoon, use Tail Whip!" Emma commands. Zigzagoon wags its tail cutely, distracting Ozzy and lowering his defenses.


    "Peck, let''s go!" Ozzy darts in for a quick jab with his glowing beak.


    "Dodge and use Headbutt!" Zigzagoon jumps back from the Peck then slams its head into Ozzy.


    The match continues back and forth, both Pokemon landing hits while narrowly avoiding others. Shane calls for Ozzy to use telekinesis to slow Zigzagoon, but the effects seem minor and brief.


    After several more rapid exchanges, both Pokemon are looking worn out. But Zigzagoons repeated headbutts finally take their toll, as Ozzy slumps over in exhaustion.


    Shane''s heart seized as he saw Ozzy collapse, the usually energetic bird lying limp and silent. He sprinted across the makeshift battlefield, a cloud of dust kicking up behind him.


    "Ozzy, no!" Shane cried as he slid onto his knees and gently cradled the Pokemon. Ozzy''s breathing came in faint, shuddering gasps. His eyes remained closed, beak parted slightly.


    Shane blinked back tears, emotions swirling violently within him. This was all his fault. He had pushed Ozzy too far, gotten too caught up in the thrill of battling. Some trainer He was.


    Stroking Ozzy''s feathers, Shane pleaded under his breath.


    "Please be okay, buddy. I''m so sorry." Guilt wrapped its cold tendrils around his chest. He should have noticed Ozzy tiring sooner, should have called for a break.


    How could he call himself Ozzy''s partner when he couldn''t even protect the Pokemon?


    The Natu''s eyes finally cracked open, meeting Shane''s distraught gaze. Relief flooded through Shane as Ozzy let out a barely audible chirp. Though clearly worn out, the little bird was going to be alright.


    Shane stood, Ozzy cradled protectively against his chest. "Let''s get you to the Pokemon Center," he murmured. As Shane hurried down the street, his mind was already racing ahead to how he could be better prepared next time. He would not make the same mistakes again. Ozzy deserved that commitment from him.


    He briskly walks through the streets with the worn-out Natu cradled gently in his arms. Pushing through the doors, Shane approaches the front counter.


    "Nurse Joy, could you please take a look at Ozzy? He got pretty tired out from our battle," Shane explains.


    "Of course, let me see him," she responds. After a quick evaluation, she determines that the Natu just needs some rest and fluids.


    Chansey brings Ozzy over to a cozy nest bed and a bowl of water for him, who happily chirps his thanks after taking a long drink.


    Shane sighs in relief. "Thank you Nurse Joy. I''ll be more careful about not overdoing it next time." He gently strokes Ozzy''s velvety feathers, grateful the injuries weren''t serious.


    Seeing the injuries weren’t very severe, he takes a moment while Ozzy rests, to boot up a computer and read up on type advantages and the tell-tale signs of the typings of the most common pokemon. Most of the advantages make sense, but why are ghost moves ineffective against normal types? Is it because they don’t believe in ghosts…?


    After a short rest, Ozzy is back to his normal energetic self, the two partners having learned an important lesson about battle limits that will make them stronger for the next fight.


    “You scared me a bit there,” Shane says to Ozzy. “Was it too much?”


    {Carefree}


    “That’s great to hear, I''m glad you enjoyed it anyway. Say, buddy, How about we practice that telekinesis of yours? Seems like it had very little effect on that Zigzagoon.”


    Natu chirps happily, jumping up and down.


    They head back to their room at the pokemon center, again doing some practicing with the playing cards.


    Ozzy proves to be able to lift a single card, but not for very long.


    “Hmm, I thought you would be able to lift at least small rocks considering your own weight of… somewhere around 2 kilograms? Does it feel simpler to levitate yourself?”


    Ozzy’s eyes shine slightly as he is encased by a purple aura, starting to hover a hand width above the floor.


    “Ah, I think I have the idea to increase your psychic stamina and control then. Keep hovering,” Shane says, as he takes out a very small pebble from his shoe. “Now, while hovering yourself, focus on this one too, just keep it still in the air”.


    The pebble is encased in the same purple shine, wobbling for a bit, then hovering at the same height as Ozzy, though still wobbling for a bit.


    “Great, now, black or red?” Shane asks, as he pulls a card from the deck.


    Ozzy chirps once.


    “Black, correct.”


    They keep up that exercise for a few minutes, until Shane notices the small pebble has stabilized in the air.


    “Take some rest now, you’ll need it”.


    Ozzy lands on the floor, panting for a bit, but quickly recovers.


    “Now, try out hovering a card again.”


    Ozzy focuses on one of the cards, which quickly hovers into the air. Just a few seconds pass before it stabilizes.


    “Here, catch!” Shane quickly exclaims as he throws another card at Ozzy.


    The playing card stops mid air and is as well encased in purple. The first card wobbles for a bit, but in due time, they both hover perfectly well.


    With determination in his eyes, Ozzy trilled as Shane grabbed another handful of cards from the deck. The Natu''s purple gaze glowed brighter in anticipation. Shane gently tosses another card which stops midair and shakily rises to join the others. One by one, more cards get added to the cluster hovering several feet off the ground.


    Once they reach ten cards, the set starts wobbling dangerously. Ozzy chirps in concentration, trying to keep them aloft. A few fall weakly to the floor before the remaining seven stabilize again.


    "Wow, seven cards at once! That''s really impressive Ozzy," Shane praises. Ozzy twitters proudly in response.


    They continue the exercise, finding Ozzy''s limit to be around eight to ten average playing cards at once. If Shane throws them too quickly though, the Natu has trouble catching and lifting so many.


    After a short break of snacking on berries, they move on to stacking the levitated cards. Ozzy has to focus on balancing the floating cards as Shane carefully places one atop the others. Their highest stack reaches five cards high before toppling over, splaying across the floor.


    Seeing Ozzy start to tire, Shane decides to wrap up the levitation practice. "You''re getting so skilled at this! Soon you''ll be lifting boulders just like in those books." Ozzy''s eyes shine at the prospect as he settles on Shane''s shoulder.


    The two aspiring adventurers wrap the training up with lunch, and the rest of the day is spent with Shane doing more research, and Ozzy switching between resting and occasional looking over Shane’s shoulder.