Sometime later a door was opened, and an annoyed voice emerged in that doorway. He appeared like a big bear, with more muscles than any bodybuilder Jared had seen. Peaking under the man's legs at three feet tall was a lithe jolteon.

Holding up his outer gym member card, Jared spoke "Hello, Davos, I'm Jared, I-"

But he was interrupted by the same loud voice, angering Pidgey, "I don't care who you are, what do you want?"

'He certainly is hard to deal with...' Jared frowned internally. He was now holding pidgey in his arms to prevent the bird from lunging, "I have heard you have come to challenge the gym?"

"What of it?"

Jared felt stifled, he had poor social skills, and he felt like his words were running into a brick wall.

"Pidgey please just... Er, do you... I want to become your student?"

"Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm j-" -- Knocking the card out of Jared's hand, Davos snorted, "You think I care about that flimsy piece of paper in your hands, boy? If you knew who I am, then you should know I don't take in disciples."

Jared's face dropped as he saw the man about to slam the door in his face, so decided to simply come clean, "Actually, I don't know who you are."

The man raised an eyebrow while his hands began slowly closing the door, "Enough, you already know my name, so I know you are full of shit, why the fuck are you wasting my time then?"

Jared then blurted out, "I'm at the end of my rope, and I received a letter that told me to come here."

Taken aback, the man pushed the Jolteon between his legs back inside, before closing the door behind him.

Crossing his arms, Davos spat.

"Show me that letter."

.

After a minute, Davos laughed.

"I've had kids like you try to worm their way into my life, usually at their clan's behest, but I'll hand it to you, you are at least the most original. "

The large burly man then began ripping up the paper, and let the scraps fall over Jared's head, "But, you fucked up in the letter when you called yourself talented. "

Towering over Jared the man seemed to grow angrier as he spoke, "Talent? Do you know what talent is? Talent is not just something you are born with, talent is a mindset, you aren't anything but a liar."

Jared expected the man to immediately get back inside and slam the door, but he was pleasantly surprised when that didn't happen.

Opening the door, the man pointed inside, "Here's the deal I give to all the clan idiots, I'll run a little test, but if I don't like what I see, then I'm going to break both your arms and both your legs and then send you on your way. If you are the worm I think you are, then I want you crawling around like one. If you really don't know me, then know this, I. will. absolutely. Do. What. I. Said."

Jared believed him, but he was undeterred, "Thank you for giving me this chance."

Hrmph, the man carelessly swung the door wide open and gestured for Jared to head in.

As Jared walked past, he saw five different pokemon lounging around. The Jolteon from before had a couch to himself, a big clawed Kingler was lying in a kiddie pool, a long-necked Fearow waved its head around, a cruel-eyed chameleon growled, the tip of its tail flaring, and sitting alone, a fiery Flareon narrowed his eyes.

When the door slammed, the pokemon all looked over at once. Jolteon suddenly got up, sauntered over, and began rubbing his head over Davos' legs like a cat.

Davos paid the pokemon no mind as his attention was on Jared, "You really are sticking to the script aren't you, but I wonder how well you'll stick to it when you are crawling out of here." With a sarcastic tone, Davos pointed to the pokemon struggling in Jared's arms with unconcealed mockery, " Is that your pokemon, oh so talented trainer?"

"Yeah, so what is this test?"

Cracking his neck, Davos seemed humored.

"Good, straight to the point, so here's the test, attack me with everything you got, and I'll have the right to break your arms and legs in self-defense. Does it sound simple?"

Shaking his head, Jared replied, "The last time pidgey released his attack, a pokemon, and his trainer died. I don't want you to die, so what about something else?"

Hearing that, all cheer seemed to vanish from Davos.

"This isn't funny anymore, kid. You have three seconds to attack me or I'm going to do what I promised."

"1"

'What if he dies? won't I be in even deeper shit?

"2"

'But the letter said the man was a very powerful trainer...'

"3..."

Throwing all caution to the wind, Jared didn't care anymore.

"Pidgey, use a weak gust."

Crossing his arms to protect his eyes, the musclebound man was displeased by the use of 'weak' but said nothing.

After a moment, Pidgey flapped his wings hard, and two tiny blades of wind shot forth from each wing.

Three of the small projectiles then impacted the man's arms, while one cut into his ribs.

"Eh???"

Touching one of the bleeding wounds with a disbelieving expression, Davos was taken aback.

"Well, I'll be damned! Your pokemon has clearly not stepped a foot into 'change,' yet he was able to wound me. This truly was a surprise!" He laughed heartily.

Besides the fact that the man was not dead, Jared keenly noticed something else, so when the laughter waned, he asked.

"What did you mean when you said 'change?'"

Devos clicked his tongue, "I'm not your teacher, and I told you, I don't take students. Did you think I was going to be so moved by your little display that I would suddenly change my mind and start answering all your questions?"

He then pointed his thumb to the floor, "You have some talent, but if you want to learn anything from me, then kiss my feet and call me daddy."

As Jared got down onto his knees, he laughed internally. If this was a few days ago, he would never lower his head to anyone. However, that was then, and this was now.

With his head touching the cold stone floor below the large man's feet, Jared spoke seriously.

"Daddy"

Then he waited.

After a minute, Devos took on a placid tone, "Do you not have any self-respect? Did you really just humiliate yourself because I told you to?"

"No, it's pointless."

Devos's eyebrow raised, but Jared couldn't see that.

"What's pointless?"

The young man chuckled from the floor, "What would it achieve? Why should I hold my head up high when there is no foundation holding it up? I'm so weak that even a child could rip me apart, if I can't enforce 'self-respect', then it's meaningless to pretend to have any."

Devos mulled the words for a second

"Foundation?" Then he blurted out, "Wait, are saying... just because I could physically force your head to the floor, you think it's pointless to refuse?"

"Yes."

"hahahaha, You are right, you are weak."

Wiping a tear from his eye, Davos helped Jared up, and patted the young man's shoulder, as if shooing away dust.

"This was an enjoyable experience, but I still don't accept students."

Upon seeing Jared's look of helplessness, Davos sighed, "Was the letter actually real?"

"Yes, I -"

Jared then went on to explain the events up until now.

"So you have amnesia, then you killed a kid and his pokemon by accident, and now a bunch of people might be using you as an excuse to start a civil war?" After taking it all in with a deep breath, Davos began tapping his foot as if in thought. He broke the silence a minute later, "Even if I took in students, which I don't, why should I let myself get mixed up in your shitstorm?"

"Because I will do anything if you save me."

As if giving moral support, Pidgey chirped in agreement as if he understood what was going on.

Still tapping his foot, Davos stated.

"Whoever wrote that letter was a bit off. I might find your situation a little interesting, but this is not my domain... Hmmmmm. I could maybe toss you a bone for the entertainment, but only if... Yes, it could work actually... but not right now."

Jared was confused by the nonsensical words.

"Not right now?"

But Davos seemed to be in his own world, as he kept muttering to himself, "... that old geezer has been stalling my challenge until Brinock returns. Brinock is a hard opponent, but that old man barely qualifies as a paper tiger! This is a golden opportunity! If I do... that, then he will have no choice but to accept my challenge in his son's place! It will be an easy win!"

"What?"

Davos eyes and mouth lit up with a smile, but Jared had seen similar smiles in mental patients, "Boy, how about we put on a little play together?"