Reborn As Barry

Chapter Thirty-One

Gabe sat in the daycare with a warm cup of cocoa in his hand and a worn out feline in his lap. The battle had been fierce, however, it was very rewarding as evidenced by the newly inhabited Ultra Ball he had on his belt. It had been a while since he had fought a battle that hard before. This was just another reminder to Gabe that the games and his new reality were completely different.

This Hakamo-o is fast... Gabe mused as he stroked Jamie behind the ears as she snoozed.

Jamie was having a hard time keeping up with him... I almost forgot how strong pseudo-legendaries were, even in their second stage.

"Something on your mind Barry?" Anna asked the youth, observing his contemplative expression.

"Huh? oh, no. Sorry, I was just spacing out a bit. That battle took a lot out of me," Gabe replied.

"So Barry, are you taking the league challenge? you seem to be a well-rounded trainer, at least from what I saw of your battle with Hakamo-o. Your Luxio is well trained," Cindy chirped, sipping her cup of cocoa as well.

Gabe smiled broadly and nodded.

"You bet I am!" Gabe said proudly. "Jamie and I intend to go all the way to the very top."

"A lofty goal young man. You're very sure of yourself aren't you?" Anna inputted, studying Gabe's expression closely.

"The way I see it, setting goals that are readily obtainable isn't enough. If I wanna be ambitious... if I wanna really wanna move mountains and become the best that I, no... that my team and I can be, we need to shoot for the moon, no... higher than the moon. It's not enough to settle for anything less than our best," Gabe answered in a confident tone.

"I see... you seem to believe in yourself and your partners a great deal. I believe I have something that may help you in that endeavor. It's something that came with Hakamo-o when he was just a hatching," Anna added as she stood up to make her way into her bedroom.

After a few moments, Anna returned with a small decorative, wooden chest. She sat down and opened it for Gabe to see. What he beheld nearly blew his mind.

No way... these are--

"From the look on your face, I'll venture to guess that you are familiar with what these are," Anna smirked.

"Well... I mean, I know a little about them. I just never expected to actually see them," Gabe replied as he looked the items over.

A Z-Ring and a Z-Crystal! Not only that, it's a Kommonium Z! That's awesome! Gabe exclaimed inwardly as he analyzed the items presented to him.

"They are yours to take with you on your journey. They are a gift from the man who delivered Hakamo-o to us," Anna beamed, holding out the bracelet and the crystal that went with it for Gabe to take.

Gabe took the bracelet and placed it on his wrist. Looking down at the Z-Crystal in his hand, he smiled.

I may not be able to use this yet, but I'm okay with that. It'll give me time to create a bond with Hakamo-o in the meantime...

Placing it in his pocket, he polished off his cocoa before getting up to leave.

"Thanks for letting me rest for a bit. I think I'm ready to get going," Gabe said while stretching.

"It was no trouble at all Barry. You may come back anytime you wish," Anna added sincerely.

"Thanks! I definitely will. Oh, and thanks for the gifts too," Gabe beamed. "I'll take good care of them."