Chapter 150 - 16 - Rico Titus vs. Jonathan Sayor

Inside the gym, Kolen was busy teaching some students gardening when Rico, Jonathan and Isaiah came in with their teams, with Rico greeting them with a wave of a hand.

"Rico?" Kolen responded back upon turning around to see who's calling him. Then with a positive smile, "Hi, Rico, how are you?" But then, he saw Jonathan, whom he thought he was gone a long time ago.

"Hi there, Kolen," Jonathan greeted him positively. His Greninja then responded with serious greeting. Kolen was surprised and shocked to see him, responding back with, "What the...? Jonathan, you're...?" Smiling back Jonathan replied before Kolen would complete his sentence, "Yes, I am okay and well. How are you, Kolen?" At first, Kolen stared at him, but then, he snapped out and answered back with, "Woah, Jonathan, you're... alive!" He then excused himself to his students, ran towards Jonathan, and hugged him, feeling how he had missed him for a long time.

"Jonathan, I missed you so much!" Comforting him in response by stroking his left shoulder, Jonathan replied, "Yes, I know. I missed you as well." It is revealed that he and Kolen are close friends a long time ago, despite the age gap, and are good Pokémon Trainers.

Later on, while walking through the garden yards, both Jonathan and Kolen talked about their times together, including the time Kolen help Jonathan carrying the books about Pokémon, as Rico and Isaiah listening to them attentively, along with their teams.

"Oh, yeah, I do remember that," Jonathan commented to that memory. "You're that guy in gardener's clothes."

"Yes, that's me," replied Kolen happily. After that response, Rico raised a question, "Um, big brother, you knew Kolen a lot?"

"Oh, yes, Rico," answered Jonathan back, "me and Kolen were best friends since childhood, well, before my disappearance." Listening to him very attentively, Rico get what his brother had said.

"Wow, best friends, right?" Isaiah commented to that. Jonathan then happily nodded to say yes. Later that day, they went back to the gym so Kolen would finish teaching by 3:25 p.m. Once Kolen's class was over, as his students exited the gym, Kolen was thinking about something: Rico and jonathan never have a Pokémon battle with each other, despite being Pokémon Trainers themselves. He then asked the two brothers about this, and both Rico and Jonathan agreed that the fact that they never had a Pokémon battle. For that reason, they both decided to have a battle. Their Pokémon are: Lucario and Greninja. In the battlefield inside the gym, both are ready for a battle. Kolen, Isaiah, and their teams are near the plants watching them battle.

"Let's see how strong you are," Jonathan said to him with coolness. His Greninja then responded with seriousness.

"I had been training almost every day," Rico reply back with cool determination, "so me and Lucario are stronger day by day."

"Wow, both of their Pokémon looks so strong and tough," Kolen commented as he watch. His Lilligant then responded normally.

"Yeah, they are," responded Isaiah positively.

Back at the field, the battle between the brothers had began.

"Alright, Lucario, use Force Palm!" Rico commanded Lucario in cool seriousness. Lucario then used Force Palm, running up to Greninja and puts its palm on it. It then fires a huge light green blast from its paw at it.

"Greninja, dodge it!" Jonathan quickly commanded Greninja. Greninja then dodged Lucario's attack, and then Jonathan commanded it, "Then use Water Shuriken!" While in the air, Greninja used Water Shuriken, forming a shuriken of water in its hand. It then tosses it towards Lucario, striking it with power. But, Lucario managed to withstand the attack without losing its place, surprising Jonathan a lot as his Greninja landed back on the ground with action.

"What? It didn't lose its place?"

"Oh, yeah, Lucario, you managed to withstand that!" Rico commented to Lucario in cool commentary. Near the plants, both Kolen and Isaiah are amazed at Lucario's power to withstand, with Kolen commenting, "Wow, the Water Shuriken can be powerful with training, but Lucario managed to withstand that powerful." Back at the battle, Jonathan commented in style, "Heh, you think withstanding can make you win? Well, watch out for my attacks! Greninja, use Ice Beam!" Greninja then jumped high once more and used Ice Beam, striking Lucario with an icy-cold beam of energy. But Lucario dodged it very quickly with alert, surprising Jonathan once more.

"Lucario, use Focus Blast!" Rico seriously commanded Lucario. Lucario then used Focus Blast, heightening its mental focus and unleashes its power, striking Greninja with power. Greninja was weakened by it, but it wasn't strong enough to knock it out.

"Wow, Focus Blast..." Jonathan thought in commenting.

"Lucario's Focus Blast was stronger than in the past," Kolen commented in surprise. His Lilligant then responded with amazement.

Back at the battle, Jonathan commanded Greninja seriously, "Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" Greninja then used Water Shuriken, forming a shuriken of water in its hand. It then tosses it towards Lucario, striking it with power. But, as the dust clears, Lucario managed to block it with its paws without the Water Shuriken breaking through. This really stuns both sides greatly. Lucario then pushed it forward, and tosses it back to Greninja, who then dodged it quickly with alert. Isaiah was very shocked to see this sequence of attacks. And then, Jonathan commanded Greninja, "Greninja, again, use Water Shuriken!" Once again, Greninja used Water Shuriken, forming a shuriken of water in its hand. It then tosses it towards Lucario. But Rico quickly and seriously commanded Lucario, "Quickly, use Focus Blast, again!" Lucario then used Focus Blast heightening its mental focus and unleashes its power towards Greninja. Both attack moves collide and clash against each other. It stood midair with power for a while, with struggles against each other as their Trainers watch seriously with alert. But then, suddenly, both moves slide one another and attacks Lucario and Greninja with great power, defeating them both simultaneously. The battle had ended with a tie, shocking both sides. Then, the gym referee announced, "Both Pokémon are unable to battle. It's...a tie!" Kolen and Isaiah saw and heard the announcement, and they both commented, "Wow, it ended with a tie." But that didn't affected the brotherly relationship of Rico and Jonathan, and they both considered the battle as a test of their strength with their Pokémon; so, they called their defeated Pokémon back, responding with comforting words. After putting their Poké Balls in their Pokébelts, Jonathan said to Rico, "Well, brother, that was an intense one. You are growing stronger day by day." Looking at him with positive coolness, Rico replied back, "Yes, but slower and with patience." His Starly then flew to his right shoulder and perch on it with positivity. Jonathan then smiled back, embracing his younger brother's words.

Later at evening, at their Kawayan City home, Rico and his group just finished buying food from a supermarket in a mall for dinner, with Isaiah commenting how great and nice the supermarket is. Not long after, they decided to clean the living room, kitchen and, dining room to prevent any dust from causing allergies. It took them until 8 in the evening, but at least, the food was good and hot if served shortly after cooking. After feeding their Pokémon with their special food, the three of them settled down and eat up with the delight, as if it was a celebration of their time in Philas as the cool winds blowing across the neighborhood in low speeds. By 9:55 p.m., after brushing his teeth, journaling, and talking to his parents on phone, Rico finally laid down on his bed, exhausted from all that adventure in one day. His team and Isaiah are on the mattress Rico prepare for them, complete with a bedsheet and some pillows and blankets, while Jonathan and his team slept at the master bedroom. After 10 o'clock, the lights were turned off and they slept peacefully, as indicated by the silence in the entire house, hoping to be ready for the next day.