Ed and Sunny had discussed her Seedot over breakfast, with Ed scanning the little nut with his Pokédex. Sunny was reluctant to share information, no doubt hoping to keep a competitive edge by withholding Seedot's moves from him, but he'd convinced her to show him his moves with a quick battle after breakfast while Marie packed up her cooking gear. Ed had no misconceptions about winning, so Aster had volunteered to be the punching bag again.

The battle was quick, even with Aster's Recover, as Seedot had access to both Mega Drain and Growth, which was at least somewhere to start.

"Growth is even better than Absorb, or Mega Drain in this case. It's already drawing upon the solar energy Seedot stores through photosynthesis, so he already has access to what we're trying to recreate. I'd recommend you start there, Seedot. Use Growth, start getting a feel for the energy within you. I know the sun is hidden behind the clouds right now, but there's still some sunlight around, so you can get some from without as well."

Unsurprisingly, speed wasn't exactly Seedot's strong suit, so Sunny found herself carrying him so he didn't fall behind. Ed didn't mind too much, and found himself walking beside Sunny to observe Seedot's progress. His own team specializes in status effects and debilitating the opponent, so to see a Pokémon focusing on boosting themself is fascinating to watch. Seedot actually increased in size upon using Growth, almost imperceptibly at first, though the change was noticeable upon comparing his base size to after fully maxing out the technique.

Along with the increase in size came an increase in power, and while it didn't affect his speed, Seedot burned through his energy faster.

"You'll have to keep an eye on that in combat." Ed cautions Sunny. "I don't expect he'll be very mobile to begin with, but he'll tire out quickly. Don't push him too hard, and maybe use Mega Drain to restore his energy."

He calls out Aster, telling them to allow Seedot to drain their energy. Aster regards him coldly, although Ed has spent enough time around his Staryu to get a better read on their body language. He lightly pats their top limb as they Recover from the attack. "I know it's not exactly glamorous, but thanks for putting up with all this. I shouldn't keep making you the target during these training exercises, but… your healing abilities are unmatched. You're a great research assistant, Aster. Thank you."

Aster doesn't say anything, but a faint pink glow forms at the edges of their core, almost looking like a blush.

For her part, Sunny looks rather bored of Ed's methods, and keeps looking around impatiently. "This is all very enlightened, and I'm sure it makes sense on paper, but I think we need some real action. Every other move I've taught has been in battle, against an opponent that fights back. We need to let him stretch his legs a little, you know?"

Ed looks at Seedot, who doesn't even have legs. Just feet attached directly to his body. "In case you forgot, this rain is only getting worse." He spreads his arms, the rain drumming against his poncho to emphasize his point. "I doubt we'll find any Pokémon out here to battle against. If they're smart they'd be taking cover until this all blows over."

"We could be smart and do the same, if your guy hasn't figured out how to clear it yet," Marie grumbles from some steps behind. She's gotten quieter as the day has worn on, clearly put out by the dreary weather.

Sunny shakes her head, while Seedot in her arms looks at the ground sadly. Seeing his friends in such a dour mood somehow makes the rain feel even heavier, the droplets hitting harder and the chill growing worse.

"That's probably for the best." Ed starts walking again, making for one of the northern paths. "Let's head this way, we should be able to find some shelter on the rocky path."

His hope was that Seedot would learn the move on the way, but no such luck. Fortune does smile on them in a smaller way, however, as they manage to find a suitable place to rest. Not a true cave, but some standing stones nestled against the side of a hill form a wind break, and stretching Ed's tent over top of the stones allows the three to huddle together in relative dryness.

"This sucks." Sunny complains, pulling her hood down and shivering. Even with the poncho, her clothes and hair are still somewhat wet. She holds Seedot's Poké Ball, giving the little acorn a rest. "Why hasn't he learned the move yet? We're doing exactly what you said, Eddie!"

Ed sighs, lowering his own hood. "You can't just learn something instantly, no matter how much you want it. It's going to take time. Or maybe it's like you said, he needs the adrenaline of combat to unlock it. Every Pokémon learns differently, after all."

"Fine. Then battle me. Fight me for real, and we'll get that adrenaline. I'm tired of this rain!"

Ed frowns slightly, glancing at Marie. Her relative quiet is out of character, and despite his focus being on Seedot and his training, he kept thinking about her. She looks tired, more distant. Is it because of the rain? Something's different about her… she's not wearing her bandana? Maybe he's just not used to seeing her with her hair down. Curious…

He looks back to Sunny, who is staring at him impatiently. "Fine. If it'll make you feel better, I'll battle you. At least one of us will be happy."

Ed leaves the lean-to, grabbing a Ball from his belt. He realizes immediately that he forgot to put his hood back up, the rain plastering his hair to his head. A minor irritation. What's one more?

Sunny follows him out, delayed by not forgetting her hood. Marie keeps to the relative shelter, but a flash of light introduces Pokie to the scene.

Sunny sends out Seedot, looking sternly at Ed. "Now, don't hold back this time. No giving up, no tricks, this has to be real or it doesn't mean anything."

Ed just stares, not sure how to respond. I'm going to assume that's the frustration talking. Clear head, Edison, focus on strategy... He throws the ball, sending out Aster again. "Then we'll do this for real."

Sunny actually rolls her eyes at him. The nerve! "You wouldn't send him out against a Fire type, but you'll send him out against a Grass type? At least this proves Tsu right, he'll cover my weaknesses."

"Your Seedot isn't the only one training, Sunny. I've been working on a new trick. Aster, jump under the tent and use Camouflage!"

Before Sunny can even issue a command, Aster leaps toward the rocks, spinning in the air like a shuriken (unintentionally spraying water on Pokie) and landing on the dry land. Their core flashes white, then they leap back to Ed's side.

"What was that?" Sunny tilts her head in confusion, then shakes it off. "Never mind, just use Bullet Seed!" Seedot waddles forward, tilting forward to aim his cap toward Aster. A rapid stream of tiny seeds launch from the tip of his cap, three short bursts striking Aster as they spin to deflect.

"Step one was neutralizing your advantage. Camouflage changes Aster's type depending on their environment. Out of the rain, devoid of any other features, they became a Normal type. So your Grass attacks aren't so threatening any more. Now, use Swift!"

Aster leaps forward, their core flashing as five white darts of energy form, one on each limb. Imbued with Normal-type energy, the darts are stronger than ever, and fly unerringly into Seedot as Aster spins in mid-air.

Seedot stumbles back, but Sunny catches him. "Easy, little guy. You still got this. Restore some energy with Mega Drain!" Seedot steps forward, acorn cap glowing green as they point threateningly at Aster. Small motes of energy are pulled from their body, drifting toward Seedot.

"Just like before, use Recover." Aster doesn't need to be told twice, having gone through this exact scenario several times today already. "This isn't getting you anywhere, Sunny. Are you just lashing out because you're frustrated?"

"Shut up, Eddie! This was your idea, remember? We wasted all morning trying to learn your way, and when that didn't work-"

"Aster, use Psywave!" A wave of invisible force pushes Seedot back, interrupting Sunny.

"Hey!"

"Are we fighting, or are you going to complain some more? Because if it's the latter, then this is the waste of time!" A crack of thunder rings across the sky, accompanied by a gust of wind that makes their ponchos flutter wildly for a moment. Ed takes a slow breath, clenching and unclenching his hands. "...well? I'm waiting. Make your move."

Sunny bites her lip, looking concerned for a second. Doubt? From Sunny? That's new… But it doesn't last, and she orders Seedot to use Growth. Seedot hesitates, slumping like a petulant child, but does so, swelling slightly with latent energy.

"Use Bubble Beam, try to trip him up. His strength won't matter if he can't keep up with you." Aster lowers their top limb, projecting a stream of thick bubbles at Seedot. Rain is absorbed into the bubbles, making them swell with additional moisture and thus, additional power. Many pop on impact, but some stick to Seedot, slowing his movements.

Sunny doesn't seem too bothered, though. "Speed's overrated when you have as many ranged options as we do. Hit him with a Leech Seed!" Seedot again aims at Aster, but rather than several small seeds, he launches one larger seed. Aster is fast enough to dodge it, but Sunny isn't easily deterred. "Keep it up, he can't dodge forever!"

"Knock it back with Psywave!" Aster's core flashes, but after moving so quickly, they don't have the energy to push back the seed. The seed bursts on impact, wrapping Aster in vines. They jump up, spinning in place in an attempt to dislodge the vines, but they grow too quickly, fed by Aster's own energy. Extra energy flows off the vines and into Seedot, healing him a little.

"Heal from that, Eddie!" Sunny taunts, but Ed isn't having it.

"You know that they can. Their healing powers are stronger than Seedot's, especially without the type advantage. You've turned this into a battle of attrition."

"And it's not a battle I intend to lose! Use Growth again!" Seedot draws on more energy, and the seed saps more from Aster to restore what was lost.

Ed puts his hand to his chin. While Aster can heal more with Recover, they have to stop fighting to do so. Seedot can still inflict damage, and between Mega Drain and Leech Seed the damage output almost matches what Aster can heal. Aster could allow themselves to be drained beyond what can be healed all at once, but would the extra attack make that much of a difference? And Seedot isn't even at his limit. If Sunny allows him to use Growth again, her victory is all but certain.

He could try Confuse Ray, that would buy him some time… but it also defeats the purpose of this exercise. Seedot won't learn anything if he's too addled by Aster's eerie light to even see straight. Much as it pains him to admit it, Ed knows he's lost. And it must show on his face, because Sunny yells at him.

"Eddie, what are you doing? I said you're not allowed to quit! Come on, show me what you got!"

Ed shakes his head, suddenly feeling exhausted. His neck feels sore, why would that happen? "Sorry, Sunny. I just don't see a way out of this. Not unless I… well. I just don't."

"Unless what? You have an idea?" Sunny stomps her foot, making a splash in the puddle forming around her. "You're holding back again? You're going easy on me? Why, Ed? Do you know how belittling that is?"

"Because the whole point of this was to make you stronger!" Ed snaps back, his temper finally getting the better of him. "And the only way I can beat you is to make you weaker! And that is just counterproductive, inefficient, and a waste of time! And I know how much you hate that."

"Fine! Then do it! I'd rather you make me weaker and actually fight on equal terms for once, instead of you making yourself weaker because you think you need to… what? Protect me? You think you're helping me? Why can't you just make sense? You say I'm better but you act like I don't know what I'm doing!"

Aster tries to get Ed's attention, their core flashing red in distress, but Ed swipes a hand at them. "Not now!" His gaze never leaves Sunny's, an intense staring contest with emotions high and nerves frayed. "Half the time I don't think you do! You're always going off half-cocked, you never bother to plan or prepare, and you expect me to do all the heavy lifting, mentally speaking, without giving me adequate time to process or recover! I'm not like you, I don't just do things! And to expect otherwise, especially after all this time, is just ludicrous!"

"So now it's my fault! Again! Well you know what, Edison?"

"What, Son-"

"AAH!" Aster cries out, the last of their energy sapped by Leech Seed. They collapse, the light of their core reduced to a barely visible glow. The vines crumble to dust, unable to sustain themselves any further.

Both trainers look at their Pokémon, having been too caught up in their argument to realize the battle of attrition was partially autonomous. Ed recalls Aster to their ball, looking at it in shock. Sunny bends down to pick up Seedot, looking burned out.

"You… you did good, Jalapeño. Good fight." Seedot chirps happily, nestling up to Sunny.

Ed just turns away, tucking Aster's ball back into his pocket. He puts up his hood, accidentally pouring more water on his head in the process, shaking out his hair to clear the droplets. "Hope that helped. You won't have Aster to train with for a while, they need to rest."

Sunny scans Seedot- Jalapeño, apparently- with her Pokédex. "Hey! He did! I told you it'd work if we just trained my way!"

Ed sighs. Mission accomplished, but now Sunny's going to be even more obnoxious about it. "He won't be able to keep it up for long, though. Give it a try, and we'll move on." He lowers his goggles over his eyes, not wanting to make eye contact right now. Not after his outburst at Sunny. He's just too tired.

"Sure. Okay, ready? Use Sunny Day!" Jalapeño squints as energy gathers in his core, a glowing bead forming atop his cap. He launches it up, it rapidly expands, and a miniature sun hovers over the group. The rain vanishes in a 20-foot radius around Sunny, though it's falling just as hard outside the circle. "Hey, Eddie? How long does this last?"

Ed walks past her, starting to untie his tent. He pauses, noticing Marie and Pokie still underneath it, quietly but intensely surveying him. "Oh. Um… we can wait if you're not ready…"

Marie shakes her head. "We can go." She's still quiet.

Ed looks at Sunny, who frowns at being ignored. "I'm not sure. This will be a good way to find out, though. In battle, it usually lasts less than a minute, though I've seen some last longer. I once saw a Sandstorm last for… nevermind."

Sunny scoffs. "Thanks, Eddie. You're real helpful."

That's rude. But he ignores it for now. At least she's not complaining anymore. "In any case, the worst should be behind us soon. It'll start getting lighter again soon if the weather report is accurate. Should be clear by nightfall, if not dry."

"Then I'll just Sunny the area before we set up camp later! You can count on me!" Sunny grins.

Once everyone is ready and everything is packed up, the trio set out once more, with Sunny in the lead and Ed walking behind. Marie hovers in the middle for a while, but eventually falls back and into step with Ed.

"...Are you okay?" she asks, hesitantly, as if she's not sure it's the right thing to say.

"I… I'll be fine." He doesn't look at her, just keeps his head down. He doesn't want to talk about it, but he also doesn't want her to worry. "I shouldn't have yelled at her. Normally I'm better about keeping everything in check."

Marie hums. "Are you going to keep everything 'in check' forever? She has to know how you feel at some point."

Ed wants to deny that, say that it wouldn't help. But Marie has been very insightful before, and seems more knowledgeable than he is on this subject. "Maybe, but things have gotten complicated lately, and I need to figure out why. I'm no good to anyone if I'm going to blow up at them, or can't even think straight."

"So what can be done to help you figure it out? Or at least think straight, I suppose."

"Okay, well… you know I've been feeling frustrated lately, and I suppose that it was advantageous that Sunny and I came this way together. Specifically, meeting up with you. But now… I think I need some time apart from her. She insisted we take this route together, but after? I hear Mauport has two distinct roads leading to Mauville. Whatever road she wants to take, I'll go the other one."

"Oh." Marie lets a beat pass, and then: "And what will you do with time apart from her?"

What will he do? "I think I'll get back to why I started this journey in the first place. Not for the Gyms, or for getting to the next town, I think I'll explore a little. Maybe go looking for Pokémon. Not to battle or to train, but just to see what I can find. I don't know. I'm just… feeling drained lately, I need something to help me recharge, something stimulating."

"I suppose you're the type that recharges better alone, hm?" There's a hint of disappointment in Marie's voice. "There's not much that can be done about that right now, unfortunately. Or is there? What would you do here if you were on your own?"

"Here? I'd find shelter from this rain. I wouldn't be walking in a straight line along this road. There are dozens of little hiding spots, in the trees down there, in those rocks farther away, and I feel like we're missing all of them. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate a plan of action, but Sunny's plans leave little room to improvise. And I could probably do that better alone, you are correct." It's an odd feeling, but saying that out loud almost makes him sad. How bizarre.

"Why do you have to stick to Sunny's plan right now?"

"Um… well, I can't just leave, can I?"

"Why not?" Marie shrugs, though it's hard to tell under her poncho. "What happens if you say 'I'm going to go check out those rocks over there'?"

"I, I don't know. I don't want to hold her up, I can ask if she wants to…" He trails off, feeling oddly flustered and a bit nervous suddenly. Why does Marie have to ask such hard questions?

"But you want to, right? Why does Sunny get what she wants but you don't?"

"Well… that's just… I mean, I've always… do you want to?" He can't find the words, and looks to Marie hopefully.

"Why does it matter?" Her lips quirk up to flash him a challenging smile.

"I don't want to slow you down, either. I mean, if you want I'll go with you, but we don't need to go there if you don't."

"Edison. Two things. One: why do you think I'm in a hurry? Two: if someone really wants to travel with you, why do you think they will leave because of a detour or several?"

"You're not in a hurry, I didn't mean to say that you are, I just… we're already going one way, I didn't think you'd… I don't know?"

Marie shakes her head, water rolling down the hood of her poncho. "Hey, Sunny!" she calls up to their leader. "Edison wants to go see if there's anything in that pile of rocks."

"No, what are you- it was an example I don't actually-!" Ed protests, but cuts himself short when Sunny actually comes over.

"Did you see something? Because honestly, it's been pretty dull so far. What did you see?" She looks over toward the rocks, squinting against the rain.

"Oh, no, it was just… I thought it looked more dry over there, maybe there was something taking shelter? I was just making small talk, I didn't actually see anything…"

"Oh." Sunny looks disappointed. "We can go look if you want, maybe we'll find something."

"If I…?" Why is this his decision now? He looks between the two, Sunny slowly starting to frown and Marie watching him expectantly. "If… you two don't mind? Just a quick peek. Change of scenery, right?"

"Sunny just said she didn't mind, didn't she?" Marie gently rebukes. "Let's give it a try, shall we?"

"Right! Let's go have a look." When neither girl steps forward, instead just watching him, he starts walking over, feeling stiff and incredibly self-conscious the whole way. He vaguely regrets pointing out these particular rocks, and can't help but dread how foolish he'll look if there's nothing there.

But, to his surprise, he does find something. A hole in the ground, about two feet wide, which looks to have been recently reinforced around the edges to keep the rain out. But with the clouds, there isn't enough light to see inside. He could fit his arm in there, but that would be reckless and potentially hazardous if something is living in there. "Looks like something is or was living here! Can I get a light, please?"

Almost immediately, two devices with flashlights switched on are shoved into his personal space- Marie's vibrant green PokéGear and Sunny's familiar Holotch. He recoils slightly in surprise, lifting his goggles off of his face. "Thank you. Just need to shine the light into the hole…"

He hesitates, then grabs the PokéGear from Marie. With the added light, he can see the hole goes down at a slight angle, curving slightly out of sight. "It curves, I can't quite see…" He hears shuffling, as something moves around inside the burrow. He pauses to turn the light off before handing Marie back her device. "There's something in there. We don't want to disturb it, do we?"

As though answering his question, Sunny grabs a stick from the ground, grinning as she brandishes it towards the hole. "Let's get its attention! I wonder what kind of Pokémon it is…"

"Sunny, no…" Ed moves to stop her, just as more shuffling is heard and a curious nose sticks out from the burrow, sniffing the air cautiously. It slowly advances, revealing more of its face as it shows itself to be a Furret.

"Aww, it's so cute!" Sunny gasps, tossing Jalapeño toward the burrow. "Let's battle it!"

"At least let it leave its house, first!" Ed protests, but stays where he is so he doesn't spook Furret. "And isn't he still tired from training?"

"He's fine! Besides, I don't want to send anyone else against a Ground type. Covering my weaknesses!" She pumps her fist in the air with confidence.

"Ground type?" Marie murmurs. "That's just a regular Furret."

Sunny freezes, slowly lowering her arm. "Yes… but it lives underground, so… it might know Dig. Or other Ground moves. So… shut up."

Marie shrugs. "Sure. Whatever you try- Sunny Day it up, Sunny Dey, it's still raining."

"Don't tell me how to fight, Marie. I know what to do. Start with Sunny Day!" Jalapeño does as instructed, clearing an area around the burrow of rain. Furret seems a little tense, but slowly emerges from its burrow, smiling at the warmth of the artificial sun.

Furret is much larger up close than Ed had thought. He glances away from the… not fight, as Furret hasn't yet shown any signs of hostility, but towards the burrow. Furret is almost the exact width of the entrance, slightly narrower, but it would have mostly filled the hole. So why does he still hear movement inside?

"Sunny, might I suggest using Growth? Sunny Day doubles its effects."

"It does? I mean, yeah, of course it does! It's like getting an extra turn for free! Growth it up, Jalapeño!"

Furret actually seems concerned now, even looking at Ed. When it sees him move closer to the burrow, it hisses at him, revealing tiny fangs and canine teeth. That makes sense, they're carnivores primarily. Supplemented by fruits and such, but still… those look sharp.

"Easy, little one. We don't want to fight you. Well, I don't. You don't have to be scared." He slowly reaches forward, putting a hand on Furret's head.

*CHOMP*

Yep. Those teeth are sharp.

Ed stumbles back, Furret still latched onto his hand. He winces in pain, resisting the urge to flail his arm around. He can hear his heartbeat in his ears, drowning out his friends' voices. Furret suddenly lets go as a stream of Bullet Seeds slam into it, pushing it away from Ed. He looks at his hand, which is bleeding from several needle-sized bite marks on the area between his thumb and index finger. Suddenly a pair of brown hands are covering most of his, gently angling the bite toward the owner's eyes for inspection.

"And what exactly did you hope to achieve there, Edison?" Marie's words are casual, but there's a slight waver to her voice and her eyes warily flick from his hand to the Furret now occupied with Jalapeño and Sunny.

Ed chuckles at the question. He can already feel the pain receding and his hand numbing. What a rush! "I thought it would be friendly! They're always so cute and happy looking. I've never seen their teeth before, but now I can see the bite marks!"

His laugh fades to just giggles as he looks over to the fight. Sunny isn't doing very well. Furret is much faster than Jalapeño, and keeps dodging his attacks, striking whenever Sunny stops to think of a strategy. It seems to just want them to leave.

"We should step back. I think it has family in the burrow. It's only fighting to keep us away from the entrance."

Marie pulls him back, to the edge of where the artificial sun staves off the rain, but seems unwilling to get wet again.

"You too, Sunny!" Ed calls out to her, but she shakes her head.

"I think I got him figured out now. I can win this!"

"Sunny, its not trying to fight you, it just wants you to leave!" Ed sighs, but a rumble of distant thunder gives him an idea. "If it knocks out Jalapeño, the sun goes away and we get rained on again!"

Sunny pauses at that, looking at the Sunny Day orb. Furret stops attacking, but watches warily. "Fine! But we're calling it a draw."

She grabs Jalapeño, coming over to Ed and Marie. The circle of sunlight travels with her, and Furret dives back into its burrow before the rain can hit it.

Marie tugs at Ed's injured hand. "Do you have a first aid kit? Hand sanitizer? A bottle of vodka?"

"I don't- Well, yes, do you not? Wait, what?" Ed answers all of Marie's questions, though slightly confused.

"We have to disinfect this, yes? And probably bandage. You don't know how filthy that thing's mouth is."

"Probably extremely, it is a wild animal after all." Ed rummages through his pockets with his free hand, since Marie won't let go of the other. "Here we are, sanitizer. I'll see about a proper first aid kit when I get to town."

Marie takes the hand sanitizer and hesitates. "No bandages on any of us?"

"I used to have a handkerchief, but I left it back in Kinyo. Unfortunately, I never restocked." Ed smiles ruefully, while Sunny just shakes her head. "I could tear a scrap off my shirt?"

"Oh, no, that would be silly. Here." Marie flips back the hood of her poncho and pulls out the ends of her hair, which falls fully loose around her shoulders when she undoes the tightly folded bandana she had been using as a scrunchie. She unfolds it quickly and turns it to the clean side, applying the sanitizer and gently wiping away the blood on Ed's hand. "And I think we can- yes, this will wrap up decently, won't it?"

Ed winces at the touch of sanitizer, instinctively pulling away, but Marie keeps a firm grip. "Ahh… the burning means it's working…" He resists pulling away again, letting Marie tend to his wound, Sunny grabbing his shoulders gently to offer moral support.

He's cleaned up in no time, Sunny even reusing Sunny Day to keep the rain off them for a little bit longer. With the soft yellow bandana tied tightly around his hand, Ed slowly flexes his fingers, making sure there isn't any permanent damage. "Thank you. That was a bad plan."

"But we did find something." Marie smiles as she tucks her hair back into the hood of her poncho.

"Yeah! And it was really strong, and really exciting! Not you getting bit, though. Don't scare me like that!" Sunny swats his arm, but smiles at him.

"I suppose we did. And it was fun, even with this… setback." An idea hits him, and he's suddenly excited. "But you know, I wasn't aware that Furret lived around here! We should keep an eye out for any more, I could write a report to Professor Brendan about them!"

"That's far too much enthusiasm for our homework, thank you," Marie sniffs. "But as long as you don't try to pet any more, we can have a look around."

"Oh, there's no need for that. I have more than enough evidence already! Come on, let's see what we can find!" Out of his funk and back in his element, Ed leads the way forward, alert for any indicators of his quarry.

AGE: 17 ⟡ HOME REGION: Johto
DATE: Thursday, October 1 ⟡ TIME: Night
LOCATION: Route 103

"It's really very stuffy in here, don't you think?"

Marie's rented tent is designed for two people, not three. Edison's presence atop the girls' sleeping bags is not unwelcome, especially since he is doing a good portion of the legwork for their shared-data-but-separate-summation reports on Furret, but the fact remains that they are one medium and two tall teenagers in a very un-breathable tent on a damp night.

Sunny pouts as she sits by the door, arms around her legs with her knees up in her chest. "It's still damp and cold out there. You expect me to just wait outside all night?"

Edison sighs, lowering Sunny's Holotch. With his still not working, he'd commandeered hers for the report. "If you'd like, you could go sit in my tent. I'm not exactly using it at the moment, and it might make this all go a little faster if we could more efficiently use the space."

"I have a book you can read, if you like," Marie offers. She has no idea if Sunny is into cheap romance novels, but she still has one on her. And the tiny little clip-on light she'd bought at that same bookstand in Slateport.

Sunny doesn't move, she just stares them both down. But either she gets bored or just outnumbered, because she soon relents. "Ugh, fine. I'll give it a try. Just come get me when you're done." She reaches out for the book, one more limb in a space already too crowded, sparing one last glance before leaving. The soft sound of a zipper marks her arrival at the single-size tent.

"...she'll be fine." Edison shakes his head, focusing again on the screen. "She'll have to be."

Marie nods. That's what she'd been getting at earlier, after all. Seems like Edison might be getting used to the idea. "Now what were you saying about the one's tail markings?"


Compiling data takes forever, and it's past even Marie's usual bedtime when they both add the finishing touches to their reports- Marie's absorbing the overabundance of words Edison needed to cut down. Some of them, anyway. He's quite excited about it all and while it's very cute, it's far more than what Brendan wants.

Marie flops back onto her sleeping bag, loose hair splayed across a good portion of the tent. She always forgets that when it grows past a certain length, the weight of it kills her curls and makes it look so much longer. The bandanas don't look right anymore, which is why she had no problem giving one to Edison, but she still doesn't know what to do with them or her hair now.

It occurs to her that she's spacing out, and Edison is saying something. "...tell her she can come back. Good night, Marie." He steps outside, zipping the tent shut behind him.

"Hm? Oh, yes, goodnight." Bedtime. Yes. Switching clothes. That has to be done.

Her nightshirt is easy to find, and right after she kicks off her pants, the tent rustles again as someone fumbles with the zip. "Welcome back," she hums, but…

"Sorry, she's already asleep. Do you mind if…" Edison stops suddenly, looking away from Marie's legs. "Ah. Um… I'll just wait out here, then."

"Huh? No, I'm done changing. Do come in. She's asleep?"

He pauses for a moment, but hurries in after a cold breeze flutters through the flap. "Yes, and she's a heavy sleeper. I didn't want to wake her, so I just left her phone and came back here. I… hope that's okay?"

"Yes, of course. You have to sleep somewhere; may as well be in the most comfortable place." Marie unzips her own sleeping bag and slowly slides her legs in one after the other. It's fun to fluster people. Edison is, of course, no exception.

Edison distracts himself with his own clothes. He'd already changed into lighter pants, but he quickly undoes the buttons on his shirt, removing it and putting it by his shoes. Climbing into Sunny's bag, he finds it slightly too short, his bare shoulders still sticking out. "Yes, this is better than outside. Thank you."

"Any time, Edison." Marie finally switches the flashlight off on her phone and plunges them into darkness. "Sleep well!"

"You as well, Marie. Pleasant dreams."

Marie smiles to herself, and rather hopes she doesn't dream of Sunny kicking down their tent in a possessive rage.


Exploring the northern path of Route 103, I located a burrow hidden among some rocks, which ended up being home to at least one Furret. It seemed curious at the light and voices of my friends and I, and came out to investigate. Initially it wasn't aggressive, and seemed curious about our Pokémon and the light of Sunny Day, but defended its home when we got too close. Its teeth were very sharp, and it held on quite firmly, despite its battle style favoring speed and mobility. By sound, we determined there to be more than one Pokémon inside the burrow, despite not seeing any others. Perhaps the Sentret scouts were taking shelter from the rain?

After leaving the first den, we continued forward, even finding other burrows, made easier by the presence of Sentret. There were more Sentret than Furret, but a notable lack of pairs. Even with multiple Furret, there was occasionally an uneven number of males and females, all living in a sort of communal den. They showed no hostility unless the young were approached, we sent out our own Pokémon, or most bizarrely, they were offered food. Unfortunately, we were unable to continue observing them for long, as they retreated back into their burrows as the day went on, suggesting they are less active at night.

This did give us an opportunity to approach their dens, however. We observed Sentret keeping watch in shifts, and using Supersonic we detected multiple Sentret, roughly three per Furret, lying down with their parents wrapped around them, presumably for warmth. Unfortunately, Supersonic angered the Furret and we had to leave shortly after gaining this information. It will be difficult to observe them inside their homes, but physical interaction is likely possible as long as they aren't provoked, though I am told that I am not allowed to attempt this.


The first Furret we found on Route 103 was hiding from the rain in a den sheltered by some rocks, some ways off the northern path. It had very sharp teeth and I was told it was defending its burrow because it had family inside. I didn't see any of them, but we assume they were young Sentret. After that, we decided to see how many more we could find. It was easier after the rain let up part way through the afternoon.

There were a lot of Sentret, but not as many Furret. Sometimes there were multiple per den, but it didn't seem like a male-and-female parental situation. We weren't able to gather much information about how many were underground, because they got very angry when we attempted analysis using Supersonic. They also were offended at the food we offered to them. As it got less rainy, we did see quite a few Sentret keeping watch, though we are not sure which family units they belonged to. There must be several units near each other, as they would scatter different directions if startled. They also thumped their tails on the ground, which I read is a way of warning others of their group that there is danger nearby- they only did this when we had our own Pokémon out. We chose to keep a healthy distance and retreat quickly when they were upset, as not to suffer any more bites, though the Furret's speed made a few encounters rather close for us.

We had trouble seeking them out as it got later. It may be that they are less active at night, or that we moved out of their territory as we progressed. I officially counted at least twenty Sentret and seven Furret, but I lost count and gave up before we were done seeking them out. My apologies. Perhaps an appropriate estimate would be forty and fifteen, though I am unsure how many Sentret may have been accounted for multiple times.


Hey Edison!
Be careful when interacting with wild Pokémon! I'm sure you know this, but sometimes reminders do a body good. It's likely that the Furret were defending their homes and young from perceived threats- food included. Some Pokémon are more mistrusting than others about being given food, especially ones that have been traditionally considered "pests". Unfortunately, there is a history of humans using food to either gain trust and trap or simply poison certain species, and those species remember.

Using sonar was a great idea to "see" inside their dens, but a full Supersonic may have been a little over the top. You could potentially fine-tune that move in order to give the desired result- keep trying! But just in case it goes poorly- I'll send along some Persim berries. I only have five on hand, but they'll have to do. Keep up the good work!

Cheers,
Brendan Birch


Hey Marie!
Please be careful when interacting with wild Pokémon. Some Pokémon are particularly wary of humans and human-offered food, due to an unfortunate history of human-led culling of certain species. Try to be aware of which species may be hostile, and protect yourself and your friends- ideally by removing yourself from the situation. There are often far more Pokémon around than you may notice.

I have a pair of items that may help in situations like that- two toys known as "Fluffy Tails". They are designed to distract Pokémon, particularly carnivores, by making them think easy prey is nearby. Just throw it into a group and run away, if you're ever in trouble. Stay safe!

Cheers,
Brendan Birch

"Up with the sun" is a ridiculous phrase. The sun rises just fine, it doesn't need encouragement. And anyone who'd be up that early is clearly crazy, and the sun should get a better cheering squad than those lunatics.

That's what Sunny would be thinking, but it's expressed much less eloquently, as a garbled utterance of "mmmmm… I don' wanna…"

Her pillow isn't very comfortable, either. Too big and lumpy, who made this thing? She finally opens her eyes to glare at the pillow, only to see she's cradling a backpack. Eddie's backpack.

This is Eddie's tent. Which means he's still…

She bolts upright, eyes wide and hair all messy, and dives for the tent flap. She struggles with it for a moment before she finds the zipper, stumbling out into the light of the morning. Ed and Marie are already up and about, so she scowls at them both. "What the hell, guys? I waited for you, why didn't you tell me when you were done?"

"Edison did try," Marie says.

"Good morning to you, too." Eddie rises from his spot, heading toward his tent. "I didn't want to wake you, so I let you sleep and I took your spot. I'm going to get dressed, you should too."

Sunny notices he's still wearing his clothes from last night, though his shirt is unbuttoned. She's never seen him so casually dressed, or rather undressed, around other people. She looks between him and Marie as he disappears into his tent. "Am I missing something here? Is there… something between you two?"

"A few feet, usually. Aside from last night, I suppose." Marie's light laugh grates on her nerves.

"That's not funny." Sunny stomps her foot, refusing to look at Marie. "It's not fair. Why is he so different around you, and why is he pushing me away? He's supposed to be my…" She stops, not entirely sure what she's about to say. My what? What are we, anyway?

Marie tilts her head. "If he's different with me, I wouldn't be able to tell. Would I? What's he supposed to be doing that he's not? Or not doing that he's supposed to?"

Sunny pouts as she looks away from Marie, then sighs. "He's… so casual lately. He's usually so formal, so uptight. It's… adorable, really. I always had to drag him out of his shell, but now… he's out there on his own, and he doesn't want me around anymore." She sits down, hugging her knees to her chest again.

Marie alternates between watching Sunny and watching whatever is on her camp stove. "I suppose he's changing. That's not a bad thing. Why do you think he doesn't want you around anymore?"

"Because of you." She glares at Marie, but there's no energy behind it. "He just gets mad at me, and he's either off by himself or he's with you."

"So it's because of me that he gets mad at you?" Marie quirks an eyebrow at her. "I don't see your reasoning."

"No, that's not… I don't know anymore. I thought things would be different, and they are, and now I don't like it. That crazy Professor lady in the woods got my head all twisted, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do, and I'm losing the one person who can help me figure this stuff out! And… I guess I'm blaming you because you're close by."

"Well, I'm glad you recognize that much. Talking it out helps, doesn't it?"

"...I guess." She smiles at Marie. "Thanks for listening."

"I'm not mad at you, Sunny." Eddie's voice startles her, and she looks back to see him standing by his tent.

"Huh wha-? Eddie? How much did you hear?"

He shakes his head, gesturing to the distance between them. "You're sitting five feet from my tent. I heard everything."

"Oh…" Sunny looks away, slightly embarrassed now. Damn it, what did I say? I didn't say anything embarrassing, did I? She frantically goes over the conversation again in her head, but is distracted when Ed puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, I got mad yesterday. And before that, too. But only because I don't like who you're becoming, Sunny. You're still my best friend, but I don't know why you're pushing yourself so hard, or why you're trying to drag me with you. And if you don't know, either? Maybe it's time to stop."

Her heart sinks into her stomach at his words, and his disappointed tone. "What do you mean? Stop what?"

"Stop… well. Stop traveling together, for starters. I think we should spend some time apart."

"Wait, you're leaving me?" Sunny jumps up, throwing herself at Ed and almost knocking him over. "That's not fair, you can't just do this, what about all the times we've had together?"

"Sunny, stop being dramatic!" Ed pushes on her shoulders, making her stand on her own. "I just think some time apart would be good for us. You said it yourself, your head is all twisted. Take some time to figure out what you're doing, what you want and all that, and maybe just take a break. I know I need one. You're running yourself into the ground over… what? Some badges?"

"Well… I mean, isn't that why we're here?"

"It's not why I'm here. And look where it's got you." He ducks into his tent, pulling out Sunny's jacket. Did I leave that in there? Did he go through my stuff?!

"You worked yourself into a frenzy getting ready to fight Merry. You almost stole Tsu's Pokémon. And you didn't even win. You beat Benji because you knew what you wanted. You haven't won a single badge since." He tosses her jacket to her, her one badge pinned to the inside.

"Eddie… you shouldn't have gone through my stuff." She glares at him, dropping her jacket to the ground.

"Sunny, I don't like seeing you like this. Please, just think about what we've said? Just…figure it out. You don't need me to do that for you."

Sunny looks away from him, then quickly steps up and hugs him. Eddie tenses, but only for a moment. "We're still friends?"

"Of course we are. Even if you're a pain in my neck, I'll have your back."

Sunny smiles. "Thanks, Eddie." Then she punches him in the arm and walks over to her jacket.

"Ow! Why?" Ed rubs his arm gingerly, more shocked than angry.

"That's for getting into my stuff!" She sticks out her tongue at him, throwing her coat over her shoulders.

"Go change! You can't wear the same clothes you wore yesterday!" He starts taking down his tent while Sunny goes over to Marie's.

"I knew you were listening," she hears Marie say smugly.

"It wasn't difficult." Eddie replies. "And she was being refreshingly honest for a change. I'm glad she was able to figure all that out. It'll be good for her."

Sunny hmph's as she digs through her bag. They have to know she can hear them, right? Kind of rude for them to talk about her like that. But it's whatever. They said it would only be a couple days out here, she'll be in Mauville before nightfall…

🎒 🎒 Later...🎒 🎒

"Wait, Mauport?!"

After packing everything up, the teenage trio again resumed walking, eventually making their way to the intersection of Routes 103 and 110. Ahead, Ranger check-in stations lead the way to the natural land bridge, while the man-made Mauport Bridge crosses overhead.

"Well, a town's a town, I guess. At least we'll have a place to stay the night." Sunny starts moving toward the bridge.

"Um...actually?" Eddie speaks up, not following her. "I want to check out the lower path. So I'm not going to town."

"What?" Sunny looks back at him in surprise. "Eddie, we just spent two nights camping out! You want to keep going? You hate the wilderness!"

"No, I don't. I may prefer being inside, but this is my chance to explore. It's a regulated route with limited Trainer activity, and a large population of wild Pokémon to observe. It's just what I've been wanting."

"But… Marie?" Sunny turns to her. "That doesn't sound fun to you, does it?"

"Unfortunately, I'm rather tired of camping at the moment. I suppose I'd rather take the high road here."

"There, see?" Sunny nods, glad that's settled.

"That's fine. It's been fun, and I'll see you both ahead, right?" Eddie smiles at them, leaving Sunny flustered again.

"Wha… you're really doing this? You're actually going down there? ...fine. I don't like it, but I'll come-"

"No." With one word, Ed stops Sunny in her tracks. "You wanted to go to the town, right? Then go. We talked about this, Sunny. About each doing what we want, even if we split up. I want to go this way, you want to go the other. You can tell me all about it later."

"But…" She tries to complain, but knows he's right. "Fine. I'll go this way and have an awesome adventure in town. You go have your little field trip. Try not to get bored!"

"That's the spirit." Ed pats her on the head, and she swings at him, but he dodges her fist.

"Just don't get lost, okay? If I have to come find you, I'm kicking your ass."

"Looking forward to it." Eddie steps back with a slight bow, then turns to Marie. "It's been fun traveling with you, Marie. Thanks again for last night."

"Oh, you're welcome anytime," she replies with a coy smile. "Sooner rather than later, I hope. Call me up when you get your new Holotch, will you?"

"Right. I'll do that. I still have your number." He turns away, heading off toward the Ranger station.

"Bye Eddie!" Sunny waves after him, then looks to Marie. "'Thanks for last night'? What's that all about?"

"I don't kiss and tell." Marie's wink is accompanied by a finger to her lips, and she uses those long legs to stride away before Sunny can properly retaliate.

"Kiss?!" She looks over toward Eddie, but he's already out of sight. She instead chases after Marie, heading towards Mauport. "Hey! Get back here!"

Rain always made Tsu feel lonely. Her parents didn't like her going out if it was raining, said it was too dangerous. But they never let that stop them from going to work, which left Tsu by herself. Having Pokémon would have helped, but Shiny doesn't like the rain any more than she likes being inside. No word from Cyrano how he feels about rain, but he doesn't like walking, and Rip doesn't mind, but Tsu is concerned he'll run off and she's concerned she might slip if she has to chase him. Stacy always liked the rain, but with her size...

But Tsu had decided she wasn't going to let that stop her anymore. She was initially concerned that Stacy would have trouble on land, not sure if she'd have to slither like a snake or flop like a fish to move around. But apparently, Stacy's history of resting on the ground was simply a lack of motivation, because she's actually flying right now. It's a little surreal, seeing the massive serpent floating a few feet off the ground, twisting and swimming through the air with a massive grin on her massive face.

"You're really loving this, aren't you?" Tsu happily calls out. She's sure that Edison or Sir Bill would smugly remind her that Gyarados are part Flying type, but to actually see it is a whole other experience. Speaking of which, she pulls out her camera, getting some pictures.

Stacy comes in for a close-up, swirling around Tsu and splashing her with water. "Hey!" Tsu protests, laughing. Hoenn rain is different from Kanto rain. It's light, and warm, and not at all dreary like the rain she'd see in Celadon. "Go for distance, I want more of you in the shot!"

Stacy races off toward the trees, diving towards the ground to skim the surface, causing ripples in various puddles she passes over. She Splashes down into a particularly wide one, roaring loudly with pleasure. It makes for a great shot, although it sends several smaller Pokémon scurrying out of the trees in panic.

A stream of ropey silk bursts from the trees, striking Stacy in the face. Her happy grin is immediately replaced by an angry glare as she looks for the culprit. Her eyes focus on something, Leering furiously at whatever hapless Bug dared to String Shot her. Coupled with her Intimidate Ability, the poor creature probably regrets its actions.

"Uh-oh..." Tsu hurries toward the trees, taking care not to slip on the wet and uneven terrain. Wasn't she concerned about Riptide doing exactly this? "Stacy, wait! You can't just charge in after it!"

Stacy charges in after it. Tsu hears a frightened squeak, followed by a terrible crunching sound as Stacy tears through the little copse, ripping branches off and making whole trees shudder as she slams into them.

"Duchess, you get back here this instant!" Tsu chases after Stacy, who lands on the ground with a soft *whump*. Tsu catches up to her, frowning like a stern mother. "What do you think you're doing? I told you to stay put, and you... Stacy, look at me."

Stacy reluctantly looks over at Tsu, her mouth closed tightly.

Tsu's eyes widen in realization. "Stacy, drop it! I don't know what it is, but spit it out right now!"

Stacy whines in protest, but Tsu's stern expression doesn't waver, so she lowers her head and spits out a small leaf-covered Bug that Tsu's Pokédex identifies as Burmy. It gasps for air, scooching away as fast as it can.

Tsu puts her hands on her hips, fixing Stacy with her most disappointed frown. She's seen her mother with the same look many times. "Seriously? You need to stop trying to eat everything that makes you angry. I would expect this kind of behavior from your brother, but not you! You're supposed to be a good example for him!"

Stacy whines sadly, leaning down to lick Tsu's face, slightly lifting her off the ground in the process. "Eww, Stacy! Don't kiss me when I'm scolding you!" She lightly smacks Stacy's cheek, earning a surprised snort that almost knocks her hat off.

Before Tsu can say anything else, she catches a blur of movement out of the corner of her eye, and something fast slams into Stacy, knocking her away from Tsu.

"Stacy!" Tsu cries out, but something blocks her path. A large Bug Pokémon, holding out an arm to stop her. It faces away from her, toward where Stacy landed.

"Hey! What's your problem..." She consults her Pokédex, "Heracross? That's my friend you just tackled!"

Heracross finally turns to her, puffing up his chest and striking a pose, hands on his hips triumphantly. If he had a cape, it would no doubt be fluttering in the wind after he just "rescued" the "damsel". Tsu just stares, bemused.

A low, angry growl echoes through the trees, distracting Heracross and giving Tsu a chance to step away. As soon as she's clear, Stacy flies toward Heracross, Tackling him to the ground and pinning him underneath her.

"I think you owe the Grand Duchess an apology." Tsu taunts from the sidelines, but Heracross gets his arms under him, throwing his head back to strike Stacy with his horn, pushing her just enough to wriggle free and turn to face her. Stacy snarls in anger as Heracross holds his hands up, waving one hand in a "bring it" motion.

Wait, I've seen that stance before... Tsu tries to remember, and Brawly's voice echoes in her mind. "She only knows how to fight head on, not much room for strategy. It works pretty well, until you meet someone who knows how to turn that power against you."

"Stacy, wait!" But Stacy charges forward, water swirling around her, the rain boosting her Waterfall attack. In desperation, Tsu cries out, "Splash into Tackle!"

Stacy slaps her tail into the ground, soaring up and over Heracross' head. She does a flip, now diving straight down toward the Bug. Tsu reaches down, grabbing a handful of mud and throwing it at Heracross. It hits him in the face, and he stumbles, staring at Tsu in surprise.

Until Stacy flips again and lands fully on top of him, her weight driving him into the dirt. She hops off, leaving Heracross dazed and half buried in the soft earth.

"Yes! Just like the Contest!" Tsu cheers, and Stacy looks over, still frowning slightly. She roars softly, inquisitively. Tsu shakes her head, smiling. "Of course I'm not mad at you! We were just having a moment before he arrived." She hooks her thumb toward Heracross.

Or rather, the now empty dent in the ground where they'd left him. Tsu and Stacy both look around, wondering where the Bug had scurried off to.

"I guess he ran away." Tsu shrugs, but Stacy roars as Heracross leaps from the leaves of a tree, smacking her with his horn. His wings buzz loudly as he slows his fall, jabbing his horn under Tsu's chin and glaring at her.

She freezes, not used to a Pokémon attacking her directly. "H-hold on... let's talk about this."

Stacy roars, but Heracross steps closer, forcing Tsu's head up slightly as his horn digs into her chin. "Stacy, stop!" Stacy cries out, sounding... scared?

In truth, Tsu isn't sure what Stacy can do. Brawly was right, she only knows how to hit things, she's not built for precision or finesse. Stacy is probably worried more about hurting Tsu herself than Heracross doing anything.

Which means it's up to her to fix this.

"We got off on the wrong foot. My name's Tsu. What's yours?"

Heracross just glares, gesturing slightly with his arms.

"Right. You can't speak. I'll just call you Heracross. Even though it was super rude of you to interrupt our conversation earlier-" Heracross lowers his head slightly, resting his horn on her throat. "What I mean to say is... you still looked really cool doing it?"

Heracross sighs, gesturing to the trees behind him. The ones Stacy had recklessly ripped through chasing that Burmy. He points to her, lifting one hand as though waiting for an explanation.

"Okay, I can't excuse that. But we're working on it! She's been having a tough time since she evolved, you know? Everyone always says 'you can't do this' or 'you have to stop' or 'that monster is too big!'" Tsu stops, realizing that she's said those exact things herself. "And it's hard. She's a Pokémon, just like you. She's just bigger, and people are afraid of her because of it. But she still has feelings, you know?"

Heracross scoffs, gesturing to the trees again. He holds his hands close together, indicating something small, then presses them together like he's crushing something. He glares at Tsu again.

"Oh, what? Small Pokémon have it bad, too? Like it's somehow worse for them? Stacy deals with fear and prejudice and hate from people she's never even met, all because she's big! It's hard all over! She didn't start the fight, she just wanted to play in the puddles! Burmy spat in her face, and somehow she's the bad guy? Why do you care? You his dad or something?"

Heracross steps back, gesturing to the trees all around him. He picks up a fallen branch, holding it like a child, then drops it. He pats his chest as he looks at Tsu, then points to her pockets, where she keeps her-

Her Poké Balls.

She doesn't care what else Heracross is saying, waiting for him to look away and going for an empty ball. She throws it at him, but he effortlessly bats it away, looking at her in annoyance.

Then Stacy dives onto him, grabbing him in her mouth and cracking his shell with a sickening Crunch. He flexes, jabbing his horn into the roof of her mouth and jumping free as she roars in pain. She lunges at him, but he manages to grab her crest and redirect her momentum, flipping her like Brawly's Machoke had. She lands next to Tsu, groaning softly.

"Stacy!" Tsu runs forward, stopping by her face and checking on her. Stacy slowly lifts her head, staring down Heracross as Tsu rests her hand on her side.

Heracross holds his chest, at the crack Stacy left in his shell, and lifts his hands, daring her to try that again.

"Wait, Stacy... when did you learn Crunch?" She checks the Pokédex, and sees that Stacy upgraded her Bite to Crunch while trying to protect Tsu. She also forgot Leer, learning...

"Oh, that's cool. Use Twister!"

Stacy roars loudly, her breath sparking with Dragon type energy. The swirling winds push Heracross into a tree, and he can't Counter what he can't touch.

"Like that, keep it up!" Stacy roars again, making Heracross flinch from the rushing winds. The tree behind him cracks, and one last shout from Stacy pushes Heracross through the broken wood and out of the thicket entirely.

Stacy coughs, panting for breath but smiling victoriously. Tsu is much less restrained, hugging Stacy as much as she can.

"That was so cool! That'll teach him to pick on someone his own size!" Stacy snorts, somewhat offended. "Yeah, I guess that sounds kinda rude, considering. Maybe we should just go before he gets back."

Stacy snorts in agreement, and the pair make their way back to the road and press on.

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $44 000

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabébé) ♀
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Grassy Terrain, Aromatherapy, Wish, Magical Leaf

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) ♀
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

🌼 Wisteria (Inkay) ♂
Infiltrator
Night Slash, Hypnosis, Topsy-Turvy, Pluck, Reflect, Psybeam

🌼 Thistle (Wooloo) ♀
Bulletproof
Tackle, Growl, Defense Curl, Copycat, Guard Split, Double Kick

Away:
🌼 Venus (Mawile) ♀ - at Littleroot Research Lab

AVRIL'S INVENTORY:
🌼 1 Empty Pokéball
🌼 2 Potions
🌼 Eviolite
🌼 Silk Scarf
🌼 TM for Ally Switch
🌼 5 Rare berries
🌼 Sea Incense

🌼 Holotch (phone version)
🌼 Fanclub Membership card - valid until October 17^th
🌼 Various clothes and commodities
🌼 Pink Woolen Hat

AVRIL'S CONTACTS:
Jordie, Shuna, Natsuko, June, Marcella, Hikaru

AVRIL'S BADGES AND RIBBONS:
🥊 ➕

🎀• 1

🌼 Character art made with [SPAN="color:rgb(40,180,40);"]https://picrew.me/image_maker/338886[/SPAN]

Some things didn't change from the ordinary. Angie still ate a bit more than she should have, Poppy enjoyed her berries, and Avril still checked on Thistle's wounded leg, noticing that she was indeed healing well but was still not very keen on walking on her hooves. She was in fact barely rolling at all, prompting Avril to not stress her any longer! Oh, and of course, dinner went swiftly - much better than the rain-ruined lunch, where Avril and June had to eat some canned food right under the shelter provided by their umbrellas.

But when it was almost time to sleep, a realization hit drowsy Avril. All of her usual routine didn't change, yes, and in fact it was probably pointless to mention it at all. But this time June was there all the way through and saw everything.

Is that really a good thing? It's not something she should take for granted, because staying for so long with someone is an amazing way to discover their flaws. And the way Avril handles Angie, for example- or the way she deals with the terrible rainy weather, the lunch, all of that- can be seen as a flaw in the eyes of June.

Then again, June never seemed to act any different, even… now. It's safe to say she doesn't mind, then, or maybe finds all of those things even cute. She's a good person to open up to, just like that… or maybe she's the best one so far, on par, if not better, than Tsu.

As she's lost in thoughts, a word escapes her mouth and spills over, that being the name of the other girl. Spoken in some sort of dreamy, blissful tone, of course.

"Avril? Do you need something?"

"I just, well…" Avril replies, slightly startled. "I think I… appreciate you a lot, yes! Traveling with you has been great today as well…" She replies, still in that state of mind.

June, who was previously doing something on her Pokegear, glows a more stable shade of red. She might finally be getting used to this. "Thank you! And, um… I also appreciate you a significant amount!"

"Oh, you… really do?" Avril blushes herself.

"Definitely, yes… " June starts sinking into her sleeping bag, pupils pointing to the ground. "Just having you around I, um… um, well, y'know…"

The blonde girl is not that lucid anymore, and what she says isn't fully a product of her reasoning. She's in no condition to tell lies or dodge bad topics.

"Oh, that's all? I'm glad to know…" She continues. "I'm just glad to know that, even if I didn't do anything special…"

June opens her mouth to say something, but freezes. Clearly she's struggling to think of a response. "Well, you don't need to do anything special to earn my appreciation!"

Avril blushes more. But is that really anything new? Of course June would be like that, the only problem is that this might be missing the mark.

"But… is there anything that could take that away?"

"I don't think so..." June taps her lip. "Why do you ask?"

"You… know a lot of the things I struggle with by now, and I'm not so proud of that, you know."

"I'm sorry to hear that." June sets her phone down and takes a deep breath. "Not too long ago I had that same issue- remember the contest in Petalburg?"

"Oh? Yeah, sure do. Not my finest moment either." Avril shrugs. Maybe it's a good idea if she gets to the bottom of this, especially now that June seems to be on the same page.

"In retrospect, it was just a little embarrassing that I reacted the way I did." June gives a stifled giggle. "I suppose there's no undoing the past… but um, what I wanted to get as is that… I also once struggled with being a Pokémon trainer. But with the help of my uncle and setting a reachable goal, I was able to persevere. Because of that I earned two badges since that day! So what I'm saying is, um… it might help to find a reasonable goal to work towards! Mine is to display the beauty of bug Pokémon to many, for example."

"Well… I'm happy to hear that of course!" Avril sighs. "I've already decided I should take things slow but what you said is still true. A goal…" She shakes her head. "I think my goal was just to make my Pokémon and my family happy. And proud of me… and I've already been told that's not a great idea. But what else is, then?"

"Well…" June bites her lip. pupils shifting to the right. "Maybe, um, maybe that means you might need to find something else to work towards? Obviously this isn't to say pleasing your Pokémon and family isn't important, but it could help to have another objective! Besides, you could always still do the former while aiming towards something else!"

"June… that's what I'm lost with…" the blonde girl comments, definitely feeling resigned. "What objective can I follow, that doesn't just, like… go against what my Pokémon want?"

"...That is a good point. I think the best course of action there might be to try forming a deeper connection with your Pokémon… no wait, that just falls under making your Pokemon happy, doesn't it? Um…" June gives it as much thought as she can before she ends up looking defeated. "I… I'm not sure, honestly. It's a little difficult to give advice when I've had a stable relationship with my Pokemon, whereas you and your Pokemon have been a lot more- umm, how do I say this…?"

"You did see that, right? With Venus and Angie and the others?" Avril hastily speaks out. It sounds like she's scared about the answer, and that's somewhat true, but it's actually the affirmative answer that she's hoping to hear. "The contest, the gym battle, even our last lunch…"

June gives an indecisive nod. "Honestly my memory of your performance during the encounter with the Mightyena isn't the clearest, but as far as the contest and your battle against Wally… Well, that's what I had in mind."

"Right… I think I'm understanding." Avril changes position inside her sleeping bag to face June. "Maybe..."

"Maybe what?" June tilts her head.

"Yeah, it's like…" Avril pauses. She's only now realizing what kind of conversation she's got herself in, but she tries to calm down by repeating herself that she's talking with June. "In battle my Pokémon don't really obey me, do they? And probably not even outside of battle. They, they don't really need me to be their trainer… so that's already something."

"I can relate to some extent. Occasionally I question if Sting and Heracross really need me as their trainer, albeit it to a lesser extent. But clearly they both appreciate having my presence! I feed them, hone their skills in ways they wouldn't be able to on their own, and groom them when necessary. That's what my uncle told me, and so far I haven't found much issue with it."

"You… hone their skills, uh?" Avril interjects.

"By that I mean I allow them to manifest their natural abilities in unique and interesting ways. A good example of that would be, hm… ah, Kit! Surskit are naturally able to move along the surface of any body of water by secreting an oil from its tarsi, and it can do so at a speed faster than on land, hence its ability, Swift Swim, although well, it's not so much swimming as it is skating… b-but I digress! The point I'm trying to get at is that through the combination of my knowledge and Kit's natural abilities, I was able to train her to take advantage of them so she could move as gracefully as you saw this morning! That's something she couldn't do without my help."

The blonde girl is… slightly confused by the answer June's given. She definitely expected something about battles, but what she got was more broad, so to speak. Her tiredness definitely made her skip some words- she can't say she's understood everything the other girl has just said- but she gets the feeling that it's something interesting, at least for June, to talk about and think about. But, might as well clear some doubts…

"Natural abilities, moves… so it also applies to battles, doesn't it? How can I train my Pokémon to make them hurt their opponent more… effectively?"

"W-well, that can apply to more than battles!" Any confidence June had left continues to shrink. "Like… When I helped at my aunt's farm, Giorgia did just that. She used those same abilities for tasks completely unrelated to battling, such as using Kit's Water Sport to water crops and Einstein's telekinesis to help harvest those same crops! I, um, hope this is suitable advice..."

"Oof, you're right June…" Avril is the one sounding apologetic now, and for good reason. "I've been so concerned about battles that I overlooked everything else I can do with my Pokémon! Today hasn't helped, with the Mightyena group forcing our hands… of course. But you're right, Pokémon can do more than that…"

June sighs with relief. "Not every move a Pokémon can use inflicts harm, afterall. There's plenty of non-offensive moves, such as Einstein's Light Screen and Reflect, and well, most of his moves really."

"Yes, sure thing! My Pokémon already knew a few…" Avril smiles."If they feel like using them, though!"

"It's important to be in sync with your Pokémon, yes." June nods. "It sounds difficult, but perhaps so much as spending more time with them could go a long way?"

"Not the easiest thing but… I figured that's the best approach, yes!" Avril speaks up nervously, a hand on her hair. The other girl is stating the obvious after all, isn't she? "You've already seen how it is, I'm not the best at handling all those Pokémon together, but… I will get better!"

"That's a great attitude to have about it!" June grins. "I'm certain if you keep that up you'll accomplish that in no time at all!"

"Eh… not without your help, June…" Avril trembles inside the sleeping bag, but smiles as she releases tension. "I sort of owe it to my Pokémon, anyway..."

"I-I think you might be overestimating me there, but either way I'm glad to see you improve your outlook!"

Avril chuckles, knowing that's probably true. But that's not something she's ashamed of, as her blushing can attest…

"Thanks… thanks for everything. I'm feeling quite better now."

"I-it's nothing really, but it's good to know I helped you out… um, it is getting late right now though so I think it'd be a good time to rest. Goodnight Avril!" Once she stops talking, June hastily slides into her sleeping bag to hide her excitement.

"Alright, goodnight…" The blonde girl replies, turning the other way as her cheeks grow even more red.

It's good to finally sit down and rest. The rain had stopped partway through the afternoon, so Shiny was able to help Tsu start a small fire and put a kettle on. After feeding her friends, Tsu used the hot water to make herself some tea and a cup of noodles. Not the most glamorous meal, but it carried well in her backpack.

Altogether, she's proud of herself. She'd practiced with Stacy a bit more, especially on aiming her Twisters, and the big serpent had fallen asleep right after eating. Rip wasn't too happy with that, wanting to play, but Tsu had convinced him to let Stacy sleep by playing keep-away with his Wave Incense. She got tired of it before he did, but Shiny helped out so Tsu could eat. Cyrano stood by, as aloof as ever, but kept an eye on them.

After returning everyone to their respective Balls, she gets herself ready for bed, finding a dry patch to set up her sleeping bag, hanging her poncho over her backpack. She sighs in content as she looks up at the sky. Still partly cloudy, there are no stars to see, especially since it's not that late. But Tsu didn't want to walk in the dark, so it'll be early to bed and early to rise.

💤 💤 Later... 💤 💤

Tsu jolts awake with a yelp as a sharp pain shoots through her leg. It's still dark, and without her glasses she can barely see, but she notices a lump in her sleeping bag, near the zipper. It's right by her leg, and in a panic she smacks it, earning a hiss for her trouble. Another smack causes the lump to retreat, a small Pokémon emerging to chitter and hiss at her some more. From the sounds, it's a Bug type, and it doesn't take long to figure out that she woke up from it biting her.

"What are you doing? Get out of here!" She swats at the Bug again, and it lunges at her hand. She yelps as she pushes herself back, almost getting tangled in her sleeping bag. She uses that to her advantage, turning and kicking at the Bug with her feet still inside the bag. It can't bite through the fabric, so she gets a few good hits in before it simply jumps onto the bag.

It occurs to Tsu that she should set a Pokémon to fight a Pokémon, as she is hopelessly outmatched here. She scrambles free of her bag, rushing for her backpack. A blast of sand stings against her bare legs, but she doesn't let it stop her. She fumbles with the pouch containing her Pokémon, but the zipper gets caught. The Bug lunges for her again, so she swings her backpack wildly, knocking it aside.

"Stay back! I don't want to fight you!" Tsu yells as the Bug rises again, chittering ominously. She looks around for her glasses, but can't find them. They were right next to me, where are they? How can I fight if I can't see?!

Suddenly, a beam of light cuts through the darkness, illuminating the Bug. It's small and pale colored, but she can't make out many other details.

"Watch out, it's mean!" She warns the light, or rather whoever is carrying it.

"Geodude, get out here!" The new arrival calls out, and a Poké Ball pops open with a burst of light. "Hit it with Rock Throw!" There's a sound of impact and a screech of pain, and the pale Bug skitters away from Tsu.

"Are you okay?" The light is turned on Tsu, and she has to shield her eyes from it.

"I'm fine, it just snuck up on me. Hang on, I can't see. Lower the light, will you?" The light tracks down, and Tsu blinks several times to clear her vision. "I dropped my glasses, help me find them."

The light scans around the area, eventually finding Tsu's glasses near a small flat rock, where she'd placed them. "You're lucky I found you. What are you doing out here without your Pokémon?" Her rescuer hands over her glasses, keeping the light low.

Tsu puts her glasses back on, squinting to see the other person in the dim light. "Wait, Sam?! What are you doing here?"



Samara holds the light over her head, shining it down so she and Tsu can see each other better. "Looking for you, actually. You never left a review like you said you would."

Tsu just stares slack-jawed at Sam, earning a grin from the village girl.

"I'm kidding! Come on, get your Ponyta out, I need more light."

Still dazed, Tsu works the zipper free on her pack, pulling out Shiny's Ball. Much like back in Granite Cave, her flames serve as a light in the dark. "Okay, but why are you really here? Doesn't your mom need your help?"

Sam is quiet for a moment, then shakes her head. "Mom's fine. You aren't. I heard you yell from the road, are you sure you're okay?"

"Um... I got bit, but I'll be fine."

"Where? Show me."

"On my leg, here." Tsu lifts the hem of her shirt, showing a small red mark on her outer thigh. Sam crouches down to get a closer look, and Tsu can't help but blush.

"You caught a Sand Attack, too, looks like. That's not a problem, though. Any other bites? Take off your shirt, let me check."

"What? No! Why?"

Sam looks up at Tsu, reddening herself a little. "That's not... Nincada aren't Poison types, but their bites aren't to be taken lightly. They're predators, that thing was trying to eat you."

Tsu shudders at the thought, turning around and removing her shirt. "Didn't even buy me a drink first."

Sam laughs, lightly touching Tsu's shoulder. It makes her shiver. "You can make jokes, you're probably okay. I promise not to stare. Much." She checks out Tsu's back, taking her time. "Okay, show me your-"

"No need to worry!" Tsu steps away from Sam, blushing furiously as she puts her shirt back on. "No bites up here, I guarantee it!"

Sam pouts for a moment, then smiles in relief. "You're fine, then. The first one didn't break skin, you just got pinched, luckily."

Tsu sighs in relief, hugging Shiny as the pony pushes against her side. "It's a good thing you showed up when you did, then. But, seriously, why are you here?"

Sam puffs out a breath, setting down the large gym bag Tsu just now notices she's had on her back. "I'm going on a Pokémon journey. Just like you."

"Me? But... your mom? Your... job? I guess?"

"That's her thing. She wants to be a great host, renting out rooms, and serving guests, and... but that's not me." She looks at the ground, letting her hair fall in front of her face. "I don't want that. I don't want to just... sit at home and take care of people, listen to their stories. I want to have an adventure of my own, travel around and see the world, like my dad. Like you."

"Oh. Okay, that's..." That's kind of a lot, Tsu wants to say, but she can't exactly argue against it. "And she's okay with that?"

Sam looks up, a small grin on her face. "Actually... she is! She said she'd call me every day, make sure I'm taking care of myself, but she was happy that I made the decision. It's not for her, but she doesn't want me to be her. I'm me, and I want to be a Pokémon Trainer. And you showed me that."

Tsu sits back down on her bag, suddenly very tired as the adrenaline fades. "No I didn't. All I did was catch you in the act. You wanted this for yourself."

"Okay, yeah, but it's just like the stories!" Sam pulls out a sleeping bag of her own, unrolling it across the remains of the fire from Tsu. "Every hero has a call to action, something or someone who inspires them to start their journey! That's you. A pretty girl who shows up and sets off a chain of events that sends me on my way. My angel in a black bikini."

Pretty? Angel? Bikini?! Tsu had started to nod off, but sputters out a laugh at that last part. "Okay, I think that's enough of that! I'm flattered, and glad for the save, but I'm not all that. I'm a friend, that's all. I have no idea what I'm doing. I almost got eaten by a Bug!"

"Hey, it's a Pokémon, not just a Bug. And where are your Pokémon, anyway?"

"They're in their Poké Balls, resting. That's where I always keep them."

Sam frowns, rolling her eyes. "You don't have a tent, yet you bed down in the middle of the woods without a Pokémon by your side? No wonder you almost got bug-eaten. Look." She gestures to Geodude, quietly sitting by her side. "Geodude will stay by my side all night. If something tries to sneak up on me, he'll keep me safe. You have a Rock type of your own who can do the same."

Tsu opens her mouth to argue, but can't actually think of anything to say. Cyrano won't run off like Rip, or keep her awake with light like Shiny, or be a large disruptive serpent like Stacy. He'd be a perfect night guard. "Oh. I guess I've just never had this issue before. I've always stayed indoors, or in a tent."

Sam just smiles smugly as Tsu calls out Cyrano, who slowly turns to face North. "See? You're a better trainer already. I'll be a great rival."

"Wait, we're rivals now?!" Tsu can't help but think of her other friends, of how Sunny and Marie clashed in the brief time they'd known each other. "When did this happen?!"

"Shh..." Sam smiles as she lays back. "I decided it just now. I'm gonna be a Trainer, and you're gonna be my rival, and it's gonna be awesome. Now turn out the light, let's get some sleep."

Tsu stares at Sam, but doesn't get any further explanation, so she gives Shiny one more pat on the cheek before returning her to her Ball. She lays back down, her mind racing. How am I supposed to sleep now? This is too confusing!

She's asleep less than a minute later.

AGE: 17 ⟡ HOME REGION: Johto
DATE: Friday, October 2 ⟡ TIME: Afternoon
LOCATION: Mauport

Sunny is sulking.

That's boring.

But Marie has been baiting her for the better part of an hour, letting her relax and think nothing happened between herself and Edison and then riling her up with an "well, I suppose if you define…" or "then again…"

It's been fun.

But now, Sunny's no longer rising to it, and the topic must be changed as they take their first steps onto the bridge town, sea air slamming into their lungs. It reminds Marie of leaning over the rails of Olivine's lighthouse, trying to see Cianwood in the distance.

"Now, there's no gym here, of course. We'll have to wait until Mauville to one-up each other." In that way, anyway. "You know, it was surprising to see you only had Benji's badge. Didn't you tell me you had at least two?"

"I…" Sunny takes a moment to break from her sulk, clearly trying to remember her own words. "I don't think I actually said a number. So I technically didn't lie. Not my fault if you assumed I had more than one. I am pretty good at battling."

"Then you should have more badges, shouldn't you? Brawly gives them out for learning a lesson; why don't you have his?"

"Brawly was a hack, okay?" Sunny flares up again. "He had every advantage and he just quit right before the final blow, and he tried to act like I learned some powerful lesson or something, and I refuse to accept his pity badge!"

Marie herself is certainly not going to fuss about not beating Brawly outright. She's skimmed the rankings. "So are you going to go fight him again? He is ranked as more powerful than Benji. However… I believe Merry was far lower, and you didn't defeat them, did you?"

"Yeah, but… Merry cheated too! I didn't even have a full team yet, I had to get a fourth just to challenge him! And those uneven win conditions? That's called a stacked deck, which I'm pretty sure isn't legal!"

"Them," Marie corrects. "It's a tough challenge, I'll give them that. But you could have used a Pokémon that went already, if you had less than four. They allow that. It's just a disadvantage to you, if your Pokémon is low on energy and they've seen it before.

"And," she adds, smirking, "it's clearly possible to win, if so many people have decided that Merry is a beginning-level leader."

Sunny falters a step, clearly taken aback by all this. "Hang on. What? Then he wa- uh, they- what? I thought they were a big challenge, and Eddie only won because he's skilled. They're a beginner Leader? ...do you have the badge?"

Marie fishes her charm necklace out of her shirt, pushing the PokéBalls out of the way to show two badges. "The Dell Badge, right there."

Sunny stops at the sight, looking back the way they'd come. She grabs at the lapel of her jacket, where her Badge is stored. "I need to go back. This can't stand! No way you're beating me!"

"Have some sense, Sunny Dey. It's three day's walk and a canoe trip back."

Sunny glares at her, looking like she's going to do it anyway just to spite Marie, until she crosses her arms with a pout and walks beside Marie again. "Yeah, that would take too long, I suppose. And you don't have to call me by my whole name all the time. You sound so… patriarchal when you do."

Marie takes a moment to parse that sentence. "Patronizing?"

"Yes, that. Whatever."

"I don't mean to be patronizing in that regard. I just prefer full names. Yours is fun to say, and I know I don't know your real name. Sunny's just a nickname, right?"

"Yeah, but no one calls me by my real name. Except my Ana back in Kinyo. Why?"

"Not even Edison, hm?" Marie shrugs. "I don't know. I think I just like the way full names sound better. The only people I call nicknames are my brothers."

"Brothers? I didn't know you had any siblings. Are they Trainers, or are they like you?"

"Excuse-? I am a trainer, thank you very much. One with more badges than you, even." Marie huffs. "They're all younger than me. Only Alty knows what he's going to do with his life, and that's not Pokémon training. He's set to actually take over Dad's job, even though Mom still thinks I'm going to. Benny and Bitty said they're going to see how it goes for me, first, but I don't think they're paying much attention."

Marie hasn't talked about her family in a long time. Why is she starting now?

"You behave like an only child. Are you?"

"As far as I know, yes." Sunny says flippantly, but gets serious again. "I moved in with Ana when I started at the Academy. My parents lived in a different town, and didn't really support my decision to be a Trainer. After the Kinyo League shut down… well, they didn't expect me to come to Hoenn. They thought I'd give up. So I have to get those Badges. To prove to them I have what it takes!" Sunny looks at the sky with determination, until a look of realization crosses her face as she looks at Marie. "Uh… I mean… forget I said anything?"

"I won't." Marie assures wholeheartedly, and keeps her mouth firmly shut about all the comparisons she could make to her own mother, to her own goals, to her own methods. "Let's see how many tries it takes for us to get Mauville's, hm? Apparently it's very luck-based. I read that people often have to rematch several times."

"I'm not leaving without it…" Sunny mutters. "What is with all these weird challenges? A luck-based badge? What's that supposed to prove? I already know I have good luck!"

"Good luck, you say?" Marie jumps as a new voice laden with salesmanship enters the conversation- a woman with purple hair pulled into a short, spiky ponytail at the back of her head shoves her way between them and claps a hand on each of their shoulders. "Luck enough to win a grand prize, I hope! Right this way, entry number 510 and 511!"

"What, what, what are we doing?" Marie's questions are left hanging and Sunny's protests ignored until they are firmly deposited under a canopy next to a building.

"Welcome to Rydel's Cycles!" The woman announces, with a sweeping gesture encompassing the many models of bicycles before them. "Mauport is Hoenn's home of cycling, and we want to make sure visitors experience every aspect of our city the way we do! Just ₽1000 to rent a green visitor's bike, and when you drop it off at our other location on the north end, you'll be entered to win a custom-painted foldable bicycle for the rest of your travels!"

"A bike?!" Sunny's demeanor shifts from angry confusion to childish excitement. "I've always wanted my own bike! Where do I sign?"

A tablet is procured and the woman walks them through the rental agreements- don't break it, don't be mean to it, call a Rydel's location if it does break, don't get it stolen- and Marie thinks about biking through Goldenrod, and how she'd given it up as soon as she convinced her father she needed a scooter.

She had been twelve.

This may be difficult.

As soon as their signatures are saved, the Rydel's attendant fits their bikes to their heights and offers a choice of helmets, which Marie declines. Her hair always feels itchy underneath them. Sunny, of course, chooses a red one, which has Rydel's name stamped on the side.

And now they have bicycles.

"So. Awesome!" Sunny grins at Marie. "I bet Eddie regrets going the 'scenic route' right about now."

"Does he like cycling?" Marie asks. The bikes were cheap, and they had them for the flat rate as long as they were in Mauport, but that's still another ₽1000 out if her already-light wallet. She really will have to find a job, won't she?

"Well, no. But these things are expensive! If we win, we get a bike for only ₽1000! They cost, like, a million back where we're from! It's kind of a steal."

"It is pretty cool, but if Edison doesn't like cycling much, what would he even do with the prize?" It's interesting, to see Edison's problems with Sunny quite clearly laid out even when the guy himself isn't around. She doesn't think about what he wants at all, does she? At least Marie considers how others will feel about what she does. She just doesn't care very much.

"Ugh, whatever! I'm just trying to gloat a little, jeez." Sunny hops on her bike, adjusting the seat to be more comfortable. "Let's go."

It doesn't take long for them to get into the groove of leisurely cycling, though it's a little more difficult to carry on a true conversation. It mostly becomes pointing things out to each other, keeping an eye on other cyclists and pedestrians, and occasionally stopping for a break. The art covering the bridge and the performances at every turn keep them fascinated even when they've stopped to lean against the high rails of the side of the bridge.

"I could spend a while here, I think," Marie says, even though what she's really staring wistfully at is a boba stand.

Sunny hums in agreement, looking at her wallet. "Hey, Marie? We're friends, right?"

Marie pauses, perhaps a fraction of a second too long. Are they? She tends to spend most of their time together mildly tormenting Sunny. But, she supposes she does that with her brothers, too. "Yes, I suppose we are," she decides. "Why?"

"Well, I just thought we should find a place to stay the night, if we wanted to stay here a bit. And if we're friends, we could pool our resources and get something nice, you know, treat ourselves? It's what Eddie and I do."

Marie grimaces. Sunny beat her to the punch, and apparently she wouldn't have even been helpful if she hadn't. "I'd love to, honestly, it's simply… well. I don't exactly have much to pool."

Sunny groans as she puts her wallet away. "I don't either. And there's no Gym here or anything. How are we supposed to get money? Eddie just has it, where's he when I need him?"

"Down there, I suppose." The girls peer over the edge, as if they could possibly see their friend in the late afternoon shadow cast by the bridge. "I've been working on and off, like trainers normally do. We'll have to do that."

"You mean we have to actually find a job?" Sunny whines. "I was hoping to avoid this part, but fine. Let's see what there is in this town."

Friday, October 2nd
Afternoon
Slateport City

🐞 June's Party 🐞

42,992
🌼ft. Avril Reese (Eleanor)🌼

Pokémon / Inventory:

HIKARU'S TEAM:
⚡ Rei (Tynamo), ♂
Levitate
Spark, Charge Beam, Tackle, Thunder Wave
⚡ Hoshi (Staryu)
Illuminate
Psywave, Rapid Spin, Water Gun, Camouflage, Confuse Ray, Harden
⚡ Aruku (Clobbopus), ♀
Technician
Rock Smash, Leer, Feint, Detect, Bind, Brick Break
⚡ Tsuga (Treecko), ♀
Overgrow
Mega Drain, Pursuit, Pound, Quick Attack, Quick Guard, Detect

HIKARU'S BADGES:
🥊 - 🧱

The more I stay in this hospital, the more I regress into Nathan.

The blog is not going well, if that's not obvious. I'm running out of topics to talk about, I'm running out of pictures to show, I'm running out of comments to read. Knowing that the mighty algorithm prefers consistency over quality, I went ahead and published some content about my health, or about the few things I still got to do in Slateport this last week, but as expected… only a small number of people cared. Most of my followers just dismissed me with a half-hearted "get well soon" message and didn't even see the post I made about my victory over Benji - which honestly felt like the last arrow in my quiver.

That feeling spilled over, from my XT into myself, and I became lazier, indifferent- no actually, I went back a few years, to that moment in life where I had plans for some kind of future but a hazy present that wouldn't connect with it regardless. To sum it up, I wanted out of the hospital, and I still do. All I can think about is the things I can do once I get out, not the ones I can do now.

My sulking has been made just a bit better by the messages of one girl I've met over the internet. During my time in bed, I was able to not only read her messages but also have some proper conversations- they never lasted that long, but I was able to learn a bit more about Pokémon training that way… because yes, it turns out she's a trainer too, and a fairly accomplished one at that. I admire trainers a lot, I have to say, and I love how exciting their life always seems to be. Then again… purple hair, great fashion style, lovely smile, sporty… what's not to like?

Of course, most of the advice I got was about being creative with my Pokémon and their moves (honestly, I couldn't expect anything different from that girl). Thinking about it, that sounds like… something my Pokémon can't always figure out on their own, something they need me for. Which is interesting because, by looking at them while battling Benji, the feeling I got was that they could take care of him by themselves.

But another piece of advice was to enjoy my journey together with other trainers. Look at how they do things. Help each other out and work as a team if needed. Looking at how that went the last time I tried to do that, I'm fairly torn: if it wasn't for Avril I would still be in that Dewford Cave, and that's an easy point for staying together. But there's some special kind of freedom you can enjoy when you're by yourself, or at least when all of your friends are behind a screen.

Oh right. As I was saying, I hate it here. But it turns out, I'm leaving soon, because on Friday morning, the doctors have scheduled to remove the stitching. They say it would be better for me to stay until Saturday, so that they can check on me and make sure I have recovered, but I'm already considering the option of leaving before then. For my sanity.

The question would be, where do I go after that? Dewford sounds nice but I've already been there, and the only thing that makes it interesting is the possibility of reaching Petalburg via boat. But I could also go north, towards Mauville… I am, obviously, not very keen on reaching Oldale or Littleroot since they don't seem to be easy to reach unless you spend some days camping.

Who am I kidding, of course it's Mauville. M A U V I L L E. The city itself is stunning and unique, there is literally so much to do, there's a gym, and there's even a tournament, or so I heard. Not only is it the easiest place to reach- I could literally take a bus and I'd be there- but it's also the most interesting to blog about. I am totally sold.

‼️‼️‼️

Avril is amusing. I'm interested to see where this goes.

"So you're saying that Mawile is no longer with you? What if I want to give her the stone personally?"

"I… don't know, but can't you just get this over with, Hikaru?"

"I mean, are you even sure you'd be able to put the stone to good use?" I try to sound serious. "It can net us so much money if we find a good seller. And money is definitely easier to use."

"Look, I just made this promise to Mawile and she seems to have taken…"

"Oh, so you don't need the stone then?"

"I was saying she's taken it quite seriously!"

"But if she isn't here…"

I'm not really good at this. On the outside, I'm trying to keep calm and in control, but on the inside, I'm a sweating mess. Avril doesn't seem to be doing any better though, or rather, she seems to not care about how she appears anymore. Poor girl is getting more red and more anxious by the minute.

"...and just so you know, selling that stone is not the best way to make money anyways!"

What is that answer? I raise an eyebrow towards the blonde girl. "Have you like, ever worked in your life?"

"You bet, I probably got more money last week than the stone is worth!"

"Wow… and what have you done to earn that money?"

"Well, just be useful? I helped out with a farm and then worked as a waitress…"

"Oh really? How did you find the time to be a trainer then?"

She flinches. Looks like I asked a difficult question. "Well, Hikaru… don't you know I'm not that good anyways? I'm not that invested in being a trainer anyways, I'm taking things slow."

I am starting to believe it actually. Not traveling alongside her Mawile, who is likely much stronger than the little slip of a thing on her head. Spending so much time working (which is kind of what I escaped from by coming here). Downplaying herself too for good measure.

"So you don't need the stone."

"Dammit Hikaru, why are you like this…" She hisses. Then all I hear is Poppy's confused chirping mixing in with the background noise of the Pokémon Center lobby.. Then she speaks up again. "Ok, that's it, if you're not giving me the stone, I'm keeping my part of the reward. And, I'll go find a new one eventually."

"Avril… please."

"Don't talk to me!"

"You would never."

Just in time. She was about to walk away as I say that and lock her into place. My chance to keep talking.

"I'll be more than happy to give it back, no need to make such a scene. I'd just love to see your Mega Mawile in action when she's back, and see what you're capable of!" I say excitedly, hoping this will make her stay a bit longer. Slowly, I grab the stone from my backpack and hold it in my hand. "Will that happen anytime soon, Avril?"

"Uhh… actually, like I said, I'm taking things more slowly, and…"

"Time's up Avril!"

"No, you can't…" She reaches for my hand, scratching it as she tries to pry it open. I wince in pain, but I manage not to give her the Mawilite. "Listen up, I have a better idea."

"Oh goodness, what is it?"

"I just got out of the hospital and I want to resume my journey. Of course I'm not in top shape and a fellow trainer to travel with would be great. I don't really know many people other than you, so will you travel with me to Mauville?"

"What!? Please, I haven't even settled here or decided where to go next-"

"I. Have. Your. Stone."

"I know and I hate it…"

"I'll give it to you if you prove to me you're a good trainer, easy as that. And this time I promise you that, Avril. In the meantime, you'd better follow the stone wherever it goes…"

I think it's working because Avril is actually thinking about it. She's not given up on being a trainer yet, and maybe the fact I gave her a clear condition has also made her reconsider her plan to go back in the caves by herself to find a second Mawilite. Furthermore, if she ends up saying yes, all of the things I wanted to happen will, in fact, happen: I'll finally get to reach Mauville and have a partner trainer to help me with stuff.

"You're not giving me much choice again…" She hisses. To that, I shrug - but also smile at the same time, and it's a genuine one.

"You did say something about taking things slow, right Avril?" I say as I take some deep breaths and try to calm down. "In my experience, that never works. Might as well think of this as my way of helping you back."

She nods, then reaches for the Pokémon Center counter. I'm guessing she needs to pick up her Pokémon, or cancel a room reservation. Whatever it is, I wait for her in my usual seat in the lobby, occasionally reading messages on my phone, hoping she's going to walk back to where I am once she's done.

That's just what happens.

"If you're all ready…" I look towards her. She's wearing outdoorsy clothes, a tee and shorts to be precise. She has her fruit print bandana on her head, and looks a fair bit tired as she drags her rolling bag. A sigh escapes her mouth as she stops in front of me, but I don't let that distract me.

"If you're all ready, then let's hit the road! Pedal to the metal, we're going to Mauville!"

Friday, October 2nd
Afternoon
Slateport City

🐞 June's Party 🐞

2,992

Leaving behind his traveling companions, Ed heads to the Ranger check-in station before he can be drawn into further conversation or antics. He is greeted by the Ranger on duty, a no-nonsense woman with short blonde hair and piercing blue eyes.

"Greetings, citizen. I am Ranger Lake, and I will be in charge of your Poké Balls today."

Ed pauses, confused at her abruptness. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Apology accepted." Ranger Lake nods. "If you are unfamiliar with the rules of this road, allow me to inform you. Due to the protected nature of this route, you will only be allowed two of your Pokémon to accompany you, and they are to remain outside of their Poké Balls. Those Balls, along with all of your others, empty or not, will remain with me, and will be returned to you when you leave, or transferred to the northern gate when you arrive there. Catching Pokémon is strictly prohibited, and the use of Poké Balls has been shown to upset some of the Pokémon here. For your safety and theirs, we also prohibit use of the SCAN function here."

"That won't be an issue..." Ed mutters bitterly to himself, but apparently the Ranger still heard him.

"Excellent. I'm glad we could reach an understanding. Please choose which Pokémon will accompany you. Take your time, I understand it can be a difficult choice."

Ed steps back from the counter, triggering all four Poké Balls with a practiced flourish. His team emerges, Addie immediately rushing up and hugging his leg, Gremlin looking around the area curiously, and Aster and Neo both waiting patiently.

Instantly, Ed knows he'll be taking Addie with him. The only question is who to take as well. Gremlin is rather fond of the child, but she's also an incorrigible prankster and he'd be leaving behind his only way to restrain her, her ball. Aster already helped train Sunny on the previous route, so perhaps Neo would enjoy some time with Ed?

He returns Gremlin and Aster, handing them and his empty Balls to Ranger Lake as she inputs his information. She inspects his choices carefully, a slight raise of the eyebrow her only sign of concern.

"Munchlax are notoriously big eaters. Are you confident you'll be able to keep him happy and nourished while you're here?"

"Quite confident. I've researched his dietary needs extensively, consulted with my Professor, and experimented with various food sources and snacks. I dare say he'll be better fed than I am." Ed doesn't mention that he forgot to bring adequate food for himself, but he did actually pack enough for Addie.

Lake smiles at that, which makes her look much more friendly. "Then I approve your choices. Enjoy your visit, and don't hesitate to call for aid if the need arises."

Ed simply nods. "Right. Thank you, Ranger." He turns to his team, Neo hovering nearby and Addie... playing with a discarded drinking straw? "Addie, where did you find that?"

"Oh!" Ranger Lake averts her eyes, mortified. "I'm afraid that's mine. You see, I was drinking a boxed juice before you arrived, and in my haste to dispose of it I missed the trash bin. I regret to say that this lovely route, of which I am caretaker, is littered with such lost or carelessly discarded detritus."

"Hmm." Ed takes the straw from Addie, taking it to the bin and properly disposing it and the nearby box, which Addie had already drained of any missed juice. "Addie is adept at finding such items. If we find any others, we'll make sure they reach the bins."

Lake shakes her head. "Unfortunately, there are no such bins on the road itself. But, if you are willing, we offer canvas bags for the collection of said debris to be returned at either gate. If you're willing, we would be appreciative of your efforts to clean up." She places one such bag on the counter, along with a modified walking stick with a retractable grabbing implement.

Addie coos at the stick, impressed by it. Ed smiles at him, certain that he'll just blindly pick things up anyway. "Thank you, I appreciate it. Always happy to help."

"And I appreciate it, Mr. Kintobor. Enjoy your visit, and stay safe."

Ed settles the bag across his shoulder, evening it out with his own satchel bag. He waves once to the Ranger as he departs, Addie waddling happily beside him and Neo buzzing in thought, as the three of them enter a new area together just as they had when they first departed Kinyo and arrived in Slateport.

It's been a while since he's walked with his Pokémon like this. The land bridge is peaceful at this time of day, with the bridge overhead casting long shadows as the sun creeps toward dusk, the wind blowing through the long grass, and the faint lapping of waves against the shore providing consistent white noise.

As he walks along the path, he keeps an eye on Addie, who frequently rushes toward some interesting thing, even if it usually just turns out to be a rock or stick. Sometimes it's trash, and Ed uses his new tool to grab it and put it in the designated bag. As Addie hands him one such item, a paper cup, Ed stops as he hears something. A sourceless noise, like someone whispering in his head.

Ed slowly looks around, Addie and Neo both looking at him with confusion. "Do you hear that?" The sound seems louder as he looks east, so he starts moving that way. Addie shakes his head, his perpetual smile faltering. Ed pats his head to reassure him. "N.D., use a low-frequency pulse, see if you can detect anything."

Neo does so, buzzing a negatory. Ed strokes his chin in thought, taking a moment to retrieve his Holotch from his bag. He'd barely looked at it since arriving in Oldale, but maybe he could make use of it here. The SCAN might not be allowed, but by combining it with Neo's Supersonic, he might be able to use it as a dowsing machine.

After hooking Neo up to it, he follows the whispers toward the water, detecting faint radio waves coming from that direction, growing stronger as he gets closer. When he reaches the water's edge, even Neo seems to notice the sound, though Addie is distracted by a nearby bush, most likely looking for berries. Ed cautiously prods the water with his tool, taking off his bags and leaving them on the shore as he wades in. When the water reaches his waist, he stops, as the signal is starting to grow weaker.

Backtracking a bit, he searches around the water for the source, thinking it must be a discarded electronic device of some sort. Instead, the only thing he finds is a piece of dark purple fabric, which looks to be torn from a scarf or shroud of some kind. His Holotch confirms that the cloth gives off very faint radio waves, and it almost sounds like whispers.

"How bizarre..." He mutters, wading back to shore. Rather than put it in the trash bag, he tucks one corner into his satchel, letting it hang loose to dry. "I'll have to look into this later."

Addie waddles up to him, proudly holding up a small case. Ed smiles as he takes it from Addie. "What's this then? A disk of some kind?" Inside, he finds a data disk for a TM reader. It's an older model, commonly referred to as a TR, which erases itself after use. It contains the data for Waterfall, a powerful Water technique. "Where did you find this?"

Addie points to the bushes, and Ed glances up at the bridge overhead. Someone must have been quite careless to drop this over the edge.

He shivers slightly as a light breeze blows. The bridge blocks out a good deal of light, and after wading into the water, it's colder than he's comfortable with. They haven't been walking very far, but now might be a good time to find a place to camp.

They move away from the water, back under the shadow of the bridge. Ed keeps walking until he finds an area free of the long grass, and flat enough that he can set up the tent without needing to clear the area. He sets up his tent first, changing out of his wet clothes as the sun starts to set. He leaves them and the strange scarf to dry as he gives Addie some food.

Unfortunately for him, he hadn't thought to get food for himself. Sunny and Marie had both had food back on 103, but all Ed has is Pokémon food and some water, and a small amount of leftover trail mix.

"We'll have to look for food tomorrow." Addie grins at the thought, snuggling up beside him. Neo lowers themself to the ground, resting by the door of the tent. Ed makes a quick meal of trail mix and water, ushering Addie into the tent when he's done. "For now, we should get some sleep. We'll get up early tomorrow and go explore."

Something catches his eye before he enters the tent himself. Catching the last rays of the setting sun, a faint glint stands out amongst some rocks. He glances at Addie and Neo, then decides not to bother them. He heads toward the object, finding a small gemstone tucked between the rocks. Even without direct sunlight, it glows slightly, like a star in the night sky, although it slowly fades as he holds it. It reminds him of an old glow-in-the-dark toy he had as a child: shine light on it, and it glows. It's oddly nostalgic, and oddly comforting. He takes it back to his tent with him, where Addie has already sprawled himself across the sleeping bag.

Ed chuckles, zipping the tent shut behind him. Moving Addie takes a bit of effort, due to his weight, and once Ed has made enough room for himself, he finds it easy to fall asleep between his companions at his side, the faint glow of the gem, and the subtle sounds occasionally coming from the cloth outside.

---

Item get!
Ed found one (1) Reaper Cloth!
Ed found one (1) Waterfall TR!
Ed found one (1) Star Piece!​

Friday, October 2nd
Night
Slateport City

🐞 June's Party 🐞

7,892

After last night's incident, Tsu was fully prepared to sleep in, but she finds herself being shaken awake at first light. She groans at the interruption, blearily sitting up and squinting at the figure crouched beside her.

"Hey. Sorry to wake you, but I need your Ponyta again if I'm going to make breakfast." Sam hands Tsu her glasses so she doesn't have to search for them.

"Wha- breakfast?" Tsu sleepily rubs her eyes before putting her glasses on. "Yeah, hang on..." She pulls her bag closer, rummaging through the Poké Ball pocket until she finds Shiny's. She notices that Sam has already rebuilt the little campfire Tsu had put together last night, wondering how long the village girl has been awake. "Don't you ever sleep?"

"Only when I have to. I'm used to getting up early and cooking, remember? I don't have a coffee pot or anything, though."

Tsu lazily pushes her bag toward Sam, refusing to leave her sleeping bag. "There's a kettle in there. I have tea. You can use it."

"Oh! Smart thinking! I'll have something whipped up right away! Do you like pancakes?"

"Yes, I like pancakes..." Tsu mumbles, already dozing off again. She jumps when Sam shakes her again, noticing there's more light now.

"Oi! Wake up, sleepyhead! Breakfast is ready!" Sam hands her a paper plate with several small pancakes and some eggs on it, along with a fork and one of her own steel cups with tea in it.

"Wait, how did you..." Tsu accepts the food, realizing she must have fallen asleep again. Shiny steps away from Sam's Geodude to come nuzzle Tsu. "Thanks... sorry, guess I was still tired."

"No problem. I figured I'd handle breakfast for us, because I don't know what your Pokémon eat. Geodude usually just eats rocks and whatever people food I can sneak to him, but I don't know what all you have. I've only seen Ponyta and Nosepass."

"Oh, besides them I also have Rip and Stacy." Tsu takes a sip of her tea while Sam just stares at her politely, waiting for an explanation. "Right. They're a Totodile and a Gyarados."

"No way, really?!" Sam leans forward excitedly. "I've never seen a Gyarados up close before! Is she big? Is she scary? Do you keep her in her ball to contain her destructive temper?"

"Ummm... yes, but smaller than average; yes, at first; and no, she's actually pretty relaxed most of the time." Tsu answers each question in turn. "She's actually pretty sensitive about the whole temper thing, I think she doesn't like people judging her before they get to know her."

"Oh. Yeah. That makes sense..." Sam stays quiet for a moment, watching Tsu eat her food. It's actually a little weird, and kind of annoying.

"So, are you going to eat, or did you only make enough for me?"

Sam shakes her head, still smiling. "I already ate! Figured I'd let you sleep. What do you feed a Gyarados, anyway?"

"I buy special food for her. The Rangers get on my case if I let her hunt for herself, something about disturbing the local ecosystem, so I buy her fish cakes at Poké Marts. It's what I feed Rip, too. They're dehydrated for easy transport and storage, but she can eat a whole one by herself. Rip only eats about a third of one. He'll try to eat more if I let him, but it's probably not good for him to stuff himself at every meal, and they're not that cheap, to be honest."

Sam listens intently during all this, and Tsu can practically see her taking notes. It dawns on her that Sam knows even less about Pokémon than she does, and despite her talk of being rivals, what Sam really needs is a mentor. The thought that Sam sees Tsu as that mentor is a little scary.

"In all honesty, I don't really know what I'm doing half the time. It's been mostly trial and error, and some help from my friends. I know you said your mom doesn't really train Pokémon, but do you know anyone else who does? Besides me?"

Sam looks away at that question, letting her hair fall in front of her face again. Tsu's noticed that she does that a lot when she's uncomfortable. It's kind of sad, but also kind of cute.

"I... guess my dad? I don't talk to him often, but he probably knows a lot. If I called him... but I think that should be a last resort."

"You sound pretty sure about that!" Tsu laughs nervously. She knows a touchy subject when she sees one. "I can try to teach you some things, but we're heading into uncharted territory for me!"

"Oh, I'm not going with you." Sam says bluntly.

"...what? But what about us being rivals?"

"I don't even have a license, remember?" Sam sighs, looking wistfully at the sky. "I'll travel with you for now, but I can't follow you to Mauport. You're going north, and I'm taking the bus south to Slateport. I'm going to start my journey there, and do my best to catch up to you. If I traveled with you, we wouldn't be rivals, we'd just be partners or companions or something."

Tsu has to think about that. Admittedly, her only experience with rivals in the past has been the odd triangle of Ed, Sunny, and Marie. And that's definitely not the kind of relationship she wants with Sam.

Wait, not relationship, I meant...!

"Hey!" Tsu exclaims slightly too loudly. "I know people in Slateport! My aunts live there, they used to be trainers! Or my friends Lucy and Sir Bill at the Fan Club! I bet they could be helpful! They taught me a lot when I was first starting out."

"Wow, you do know people. It's that natural charisma of yours, I bet." Sam teases Tsu lightly. "Finish up, though. We can talk while we walk."

Somehow Tsu had forgotten about breakfast, and quickly finishes eating. Sam volunteers to pack up camp while Tsu feeds her Pokémon. There isn't that much, but Tsu can't help but feel indebted to Sam, at least a little.

Feeding her Pokémon doesn't take long, but Tsu notices Stacy looking at the sky forlornly. She's sitting on the ground again, not flying like she was yesterday.

"You really enjoyed the rain, didn't you?" Tsu gently pats Stacy's side, but the Duchess just snorts out a breath. She leans down, gently nuzzling Tsu like she's seen Shiny do.

"Don't be sad. It'll rain again sooner or later. Hey, how about we go for a swim later? Would that cheer you up?"

Stacy licks Tsu, making her sputter and step back. "Yuck! My lips touched sea monster drool! I need mouth wash! I need antiseptic!"

Stacy snorts out a laugh, looking very proud of herself. Tsu laughs as well, returning the Duchess to her ball. She turns around to see Sam staring at her, her mouth pressed into a firm line as she valiantly tries not to laugh.

"What?" Tsu looks away, blushing slightly. "It's just a joke, a little game, you know?"

Sam nods, covering her mouth with her hand. It doesn't stop the sound of her choked laughter, nor hide the shaking of her shoulders. Her attempts to hide her laughter are appreciated, but it just makes Tsu laugh, too, which just makes Sam laugh even harder.

It takes a moment for their giggles to subside, but the girls eventually regain their composure. "Alright!" Sam wipes a tear from her eye. "Ready to go?"

"Ready whenever you are." Tsu nods, and Geodude hops once in acknowledgement. Tsu is surprised to see him still out, while Sam seems confused that Tsu put all of hers away.

"Aren't you going to walk with your Pokémon?"

"Well, normally I would, but I figured that since you're with me, I would just walk with you."

Sam shakes her head at that logic. "That's sweet, but I don't mind you having your Pokémon out. I'm sure they'd like it too! I've had to hide Geodude from my mom for so long, I'm taking every chance I can get to spend time with him. This is his journey as much as mine."

Tsu hadn't thought of it like that before. And Sam was looking to her for advice? She calls Shiny back out, the little pony happy to be out in the sunshine again. "You have a good point. Like I said, I'm still new at this."

"It's fine. I'm sure there are times when you don't want them out. Like when you arrived at my house, you wouldn't want to leave Gyarados out, right?"

Tsu grins at the image. She'd had Shiny out at the time, she's sure Stacy would have caused considerably more fuss.

As they walk, Sam brings up plenty of questions, which Tsu tries to answer as best she can. She wishes Sir Bill or Ed were here, they'd probably have much more information to share. She almost doesn't notice when Sam changes the subject.

"You said your aunts used to be trainers? Why aren't they now?"

"You'll have to ask them that, I guess." Tsu shrugs. "They just found other jobs. Aunt Nyamo teaches at the school, and Aunt Carrie sells fruits and Berries at the market. They probably still have their licenses and stuff, they just don't travel or use them much. I bet Nyamo still does a Contest now and then, or Carrie probably fights trainers sometimes. I gave them my Sandygast, because I knew they could take care of it."

"You have a Sandygast? Why didn't you keep it?"

"I didn't really want it." Tsu sighs, remembering how scared she'd been on that day. Sandygast really did a number on Shiny, and with Poppy's help and a lucky Poké Ball... "Aunt Nyamo said she'd take it to school with her, let the kids play with it. Can you imagine? Playing in the sandbox and the sand could play back? It's probably really happy there."

"Yeah, especially snacking on children's souls..." Sam mutters.

"That's not a real thing!" Tsu protests, lightly pushing Sam. "Nyamo wouldn't risk her kids like that! She told me the worst it would do was Absorb some energy while they played. Not enough to hurt them, just enough to make them sleepy. But even that was a joke!"

"If you say so..." Sam keeps walking, and doesn't bring it back up again. Tsu frowns in thought. Does Sam not like Ghosts or something? Maybe she should change the subject...

"You know, if you're going to Slateport, there's a Pokémon Gym you can get a badge at. But your Geodude isn't going to be enough."

Sam looks at Geodude. The Rock type had been keeping pace by putting his hands on the ground and throwing himself forward. He's gotten pretty good at matching their speed, but he'd shown he could move faster if he wanted. It's probably a good arm workout, though. "You don't think he can handle it? Is the Gym Leader really tough?"

"No, nothing like that!" Tsu realizes too late just how insulting that sounded. "I just meant that it's a Double Battle Gym. Geodude literally won't be enough, you need two Pokémon. It's why I skipped that Gym."

"You can just skip Gyms if you want?" Sam is surprised by this.

"Yeah, there's no rule that says you have to challenge them. You can challenge as often or as little as you like. Like if a Leader is too strong for you, you can just not fight them."

"Interesting... so, are you going to come to Slateport with me, challenge the Gym again? You have enough Pokémon."

"Yeah... no. I don't really see the need. I don't really like fighting the Gym Leaders, it's too stressful."

"Darn." Sam snaps her fingers in faux disappointment. "And here I was hoping I could get a free room if you introduced me to your aunts."

"They only have one guest bedroom." Tsu mutters, but Sam just raises an eyebrow at that, so she hurries to continue. "Besides, the Pokémon Center offers free rooms and meals to traveling trainers! Or you could join the Fan Club! It's not free, but rooms are included with membership, so you can always stay somewhere fancy if you're a member."

"You sure know a lot about this Fan Club. You said you have friends there?"

"Yeah, I'm a member. My friend Lucy is a receptionist at the Slateport office, she actually helped me sign up. And my other friend Sir Bill stays at the Beachside Resort."

Sam laughs again. "You keep saying Sir Bill, is he some kind of knight?"

"I think so?" Tsu shrugs. "His full name is... oh, what is it... Sir William Bertrand Reginald Chandler the Third. He's from Galar, but he doesn't bring it up much."

"Galar, huh? Never met someone from Galar." Sam shrugs, but Tsu cam see her filing that information away. Maybe she shouldn't be so open with her friends' details.

"So... why'd you catch a Geodude? And how did you do it without a license?"

"Convenience, mostly. But I like his spunk. The other Geodude in the area all stay away from the water, but not this guy. He liked to eat rocks from the river there, and didn't let any Wishiwashi or Basculin stop him. Just zap, pow! And he'd get what he wanted. I admire that about him. But one day, I was fishing out there and some trainer came by and started picking fights with the Geodude. My boy here stepped up, but he got smacked down hard. That trainer didn't notice that he'd... dropped a Poké Ball, so after he left I scooped Geodude up and nursed him back to health. We've been friends ever since, and he helps me fish."

Tsu doesn't know when she started smiling, but it's a nice story. "You thought about what others you'll catch on your journey?"

Sam shrugs. "Not really. Figured I'd just coast, let the currents take me where they will. If I see a Pokémon I like, and that Pokémon likes me, maybe we can work something out, see if we vibe."

"I can dig that." Tsu nods sagely, thinking about how similar that is to her own methods. She and Sam spend the next few hours discussing Tsu's journey so far, and Tsu rather enjoys reliving it. She offers some of her cup noodles to Sam when they stop for lunch, which Sam is hesitant to accept, saying she's never had them before. Tsu finds that hard to believe, and explains the portability and versatility of soup cups, and how they are a staple of a traveling trainer's diet.

Sam likes them, especially how simple they are to make.

But the day goes on, and afternoon shifts into evening, and dusk rapidly approaches as they come to a T in the road.

Sam stops, looking up at the bridge to the north. "This is it. This is officially the farthest I've ever been from home. And it's where we part ways."

Tsu sighs, looking to the south. "No need to worry, Sam! We'll meet up again, I know it. This is how the journey starts, right? In Slateport. It's a new town full of new beginnings! It only took me a couple weeks to get here, but they've been fun! Imagine what kind of stories you'll have for your mom when you get back to Cottage Grove!"

"'Remember where you started, and imagine where you'll end up', right Eyes?" Sam smiles sadly.

Tsu just grabs Sam in a hug, then quickly turns to grab a picture with the sunset behind them. The pinks and oranges in the sky make for a pretty backdrop, even with Sam's surprised expression.

"You really gotta warn a girl next time!" Sam complains, but she's smiling again. "I'm gonna miss you, Natsuko."

"I'll miss you too, Samara." Tsu steps back, lowering her hat to hide her eyes. "But we'll see each other again! Give me a call if you need any advice! Or send me a picture if you find anything cool!"

They go their separate ways, eyes hidden from each other and the world, but they each lift their heads to face whatever comes next head-on.

Saturday, October 3rd
Morning
Slateport City

Saturday, October 3rd
Noon
Route 103

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $38 500 ↓
- $ 4 000 to Hikaru (Dewford Berry Search shared reward)
- $ 1 500 (Rydel Rental Bike + Use outside of bridge daily fee)

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabébé) ♀
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Grassy Terrain, Aromatherapy, Wish, Magical Leaf

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) ♀
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

🌼 Wisteria (Inkay) ♂
Infiltrator
Night Slash, Hypnosis, Topsy-Turvy, Pluck, Reflect, Psybeam

🌼 Thistle (Wooloo) ♀
Bulletproof
Tackle, Growl, Defense Curl, Copycat, Guard Split, Double Kick

Away:
🌼 Venus (Mawile) ♀ - at Littleroot Research Lab

AVRIL'S INVENTORY:
🌼 1 Empty Pokéball
🌼 2 Potions
🌼 Eviolite
🌼 Silk Scarf
🌼 TM for Ally Switch
🌼 5 Rare berries
🌼 Sea Incense

🌼 Holotch (phone version)
🌼 Fanclub Membership card - valid until October 17^th
🌼 Various clothes and commodities
🌼 Pink Woolen Hat

AVRIL'S CONTACTS:
Jordie, Shuna, Natsuko, June, Marcella, Hikaru

AVRIL'S BADGES AND RIBBONS:
🥊 ➕

🎀• 1

🌼 Character art made with [SPAN="color:rgb(40,180,40);"]https://picrew.me/image_maker/338886[/SPAN]

They did it again. They didn't change a single bit. They dragged me through hell once again.

Hell in this case is some kind of huge circular room with dull grey walls, inside of which are standing a sleeping behemoth that might go crazy if you get too close, and a blue haired buffoon that seems interested in doing just that. They wanted to come here because they heard about a very special reward, and gave me no chance to split up from them.

We were in the middle of the process of renting bikes for our Mauport Bridge journey when they eavesdropped on another trainer, who was talking about this "Trick House" thing down towards Route 103. They immediately asked if they could go there with the bikes we just got and guess what, that cost us a fee. We added that to the original price of rental anyways, we biked through the path I walked on with June by my side, and we got to our destination when the Sun was already well into the setting phase.

I have to weigh my choices very carefully by now. When to complain, when to shut up. I said, let's give them a chance. That's what has led me here.

I angrily shake my Holotch in my hand, but to no avail, because the magnetic field inside the room blocks out all of its features. No calls, no internet, right when I could've used some comforting words from, I don't know… June. In the meantime, Hikaru is growing more impatient, pushing some random buttons on the ground more and more often.

At first, I was interested to see how this would work. The notes that were left by whoever invented this place were at least engaging and provided some information. I could see the button sending some kind of electric impulse to a little Pokémon above it, a Klink, who would in turn spin faster than usual and disperse some of that energy around the room.

So what?

The more time passed, the more bored I became. I didn't care about that task or those rewards, I just wanted to get out of there, enjoy some dinner, and sleep. The fact that prima donna over there didn't rent any tent only made things worse: you can't tell me we're going to sleep on Mauport Bridge and have an easy journey, and then change your plans on a whim! And where do you think you're going anyways, you said it yourself you weren't fully healed.

It's past 8 pm now. Why am I still afraid of going up to them and saying, "surrender"?

Hikaru thought this was going to be easy and didn't give me any instructions on what Pokémon to get. In fact, I think we both chose somewhat randomly, with me going for Angie and them picking their Treecko. Both of them are staring at either me or the blue haired trainer without understanding what's happening.

When Hikaru presses a button for too long, a jolt of electricity seems to reach one of "Klinklang"'s spikes. Klinklang being the large, gear-like Pokémon in the middle, who much like Hikaru's Staryu, doesn't even have a face we can look at to tell how angry it is.

It doesn't react. Apparently, we need it to, in order to have it move the Klinks on the wall, but we can't use too much energy or attack it with other moves, or it will get mad. And actually… the same will happen to Klink! We can't let any of them get energized for too long, or they will also get mad.

Well, needless to say but… I don't want those Pokémon to get mad. I'm not in the mood for fights. Hikaru doesn't want that either, but that's mostly because they were told that if no Pokémon gets mad, rewards are way, way better than otherwise.

I skim through the notes again and again, hoping there's a way out, but the sad truth may as well be, we chose the wrong Pokémon to take. The reason why? From what I'm understanding, we need to activate multiple buttons at once to have a chance. "Electricity should be delivered to all six of Klinklang spikes for it to wake up." is what the notes say, and we can notice said electricity dissipating after a short period of time - once it hits the spike that is.

I take a sip of water from my bottle, which I brought in and put somewhere near the exit door. Some of the water runs down my chin. I'm hungry, I need a shower, not a single annoying water drop.

8:20 pm and by now Hikaru has clearly grown tired of trying to keep me interested. They haven't looked my way for a very long time, let alone called my name or walked closer to where I'm standing. They're probably waiting for a light bulb to appear over their head magically.

Technically, we have time. Nothing's out to get us yet. But I'm sure of it, Hikaru is not considering how long it will take us to reach the closest sleeping accommodation, be it Slateport's Pokémon Center (again) or a place along Mauport Bridge. And we can't be in two different places at the same time, can we?

Can we?

"Hikaru! What moves does Treecko know?"

"Uh?"

"What moves?"

Hikaru looks a bit puzzled. I probably disturbed them while they were burying their head into their X-Transceiver, oh well.

"Uh, last time I checked there was Giga Drain, Quick Attack, Agility… and something else I don't remember."

Treecko is rolling her eyes at that, but nods shortly after.

I might have an idea, finally. Not Hikaru, me. But I need to find enough courage to test it. Funnily enough, that's the easy part when you're feeling so stressed out and only care about getting out of here.

I press a button. Klink spins faster. Electricity leaves its body and quickly reaches Klinklang. It lingers for a few seconds before the sparkles disappear entirely.

In that amount of time, I've barely made it one third of the way towards the next button, obviously. The room is big, it's meant to be like that. But not everyone in this room is as slow as me.

"You… uh… realize we need to hit all the buttons at the same time or so?"

Hikaru looks at me, slightly confused. "Oh, yeah, I guess so." I raise an eyebrow.

"Try letting Treecko use Agility. See how fast she can get!"

The Grass-type does just that, running around the room erratically and becoming progressively faster. After a few minutes, and by throwing in a Quick Attack too, she can go from one button to another in the blink of an eye. Ok, maybe that's too quick, but I'm surprised at the difference myself.

Two buttons remain. Angie is up. The buttons happen to be raised from the floor and too tall for her to reach but I have to think of a solution. The fact I've been able to get Treecko, a single Pokémon, to take care of two buttons (at least that's what I hope) is already galvanizing me.

Eventually the solution I get to is Mud Sport. Over the course of a couple minutes, Angie creates a small ramp made out of mud that lets her reach one button, press her body against it, and then slide down. I help her with the shape of it, so that the ramp allows her to launch herself and fly towards the next button. She doesn't seem to mind, mostly because I'm still convincing her to do what I say by promising berries after we're done. I know I shouldn't do that, but this is a dire situation and it calls for desperate measures.

Admittedly, Angie seems to have a lot of fun sliding down her own Mud Sport. She smiles at me as she gets back up the little mountain that acts as the starting point and tries again, helping me shape the mud so that she can reach the next button more easily.

It's almost 9 pm when we're ready. Hikaru, who has been looking at me from afar and has sort of stayed in a state of slumber this whole time, is ready to do the honors and count to three. After that…

I press one button. They press one button too. Treecko presses one button before running as fast as she can towards the next, activating it and totaling two buttons. Angie also presses one button before sliding down the mud ramp we built and latching herself onto another button, pressing it and also covering two buttons.

1+1+2+2=6.

First attempt is kind of a disaster, with me letting go of the button too soon and Angie sliding right past her second target. It must be hard to stop, for sure, that's a weak point in the plan. But we may as well try again.

Third time's the charm.

We made it.

Actually, I should say "I made it", because that's how things really went. But I already know they'll take all the credit, since they were the one to drag me here in the first place.

Pokémon / Inventory:

AVRIL'S MONEY: $38 500

AVRIL'S TEAM:
🌼 Poppy (Flabébé) ♀
Flower Veil
Synthesis, Fairy Wind, Grassy Terrain, Aromatherapy, Wish, Magical Leaf

🌼 Hydrangea (Shellos) ♀
Storm Drain
Water Pulse, Mud Bomb, Recover, Rain Dance, Mud Sport, Hidden Power (?)

🌼 Wisteria (Inkay) ♂
Infiltrator
Night Slash, Hypnosis, Topsy-Turvy, Pluck, Reflect, Psybeam

🌼 Thistle (Wooloo) ♀
Bulletproof
Tackle, Growl, Defense Curl, Copycat, Guard Split, Double Kick

Away:
🌼 Venus (Mawile) ♀ - at Littleroot Research Lab

AVRIL'S INVENTORY:
🌼 1 Empty Pokéball
🌼 2 Potions
🌼 Eviolite
🌼 Silk Scarf
🌼 TM for Ally Switch
🌼 5 Rare berries
🌼 Sea Incense

🌼 Holotch (phone version)
🌼 Fanclub Membership card - valid until October 17^th
🌼 Various clothes and commodities
🌼 Pink Woolen Hat

AVRIL'S CONTACTS:
Jordie, Shuna, Natsuko, June, Marcella, Hikaru

AVRIL'S BADGES AND RIBBONS:
🥊 ➕

🎀• 1

🌼 Character art made with [SPAN="color:rgb(40,180,40);"]https://picrew.me/image_maker/338886[/SPAN]

Hikaru's half baked plan did somewhat work when we tried looking for a room on Mauport Bridge at… 10 pm or so. Probably even later than that, I don't remember.

It turns out that, despite the name, this is more than a bridge. There's buildings right on top of the bridge (Hikaru says they copied a bridge in Unova, of all things), all rising on the two sides of a rather large and pleasant walkway. It also turns out that there's a Bed & Breakfast that owns several of them and can rent out rooms to trainers just like a Pokémon Center usually does.

…it also turns out that the bed & breakfast was about to close down when we got there. Hikaru had to ask directions to a resident (yes, people live here) and then sprint on their bike like a maniac to make it in time and pray to the receptionist for a room. But by the time I got there, they made it, and had the keys dangling in front of my face.

Oh sorry, the single key. We share a double room.

🚲🚲🚲

For once, I can't complain. There wasn't much else we could've done - or rather, it was their fault for not bringing a tent or at least telling me to do that, but they somehow saved themselves from living through the consequences. I still felt bad for the poor receptionist though, who had to endure this person barging into the building just seconds before he would be free to leave his job.

I will however complain about how Hikaru was still awake when I crashed into my bed. They were still talking to themselves and messing with their X-Transceiver when I was already trying to sleep, and guess what, that's kind of a big nuisance. It's kind of hard for me to sleep if the room isn't dark and quiet.

Oh, and then, then my own little curse comes into play. I tried to close all the curtains as best as I could, but when the Sun started getting high enough on the horizon and the wind started to blow stronger, I felt that. The fact we were assigned a room on the top floor made this worse too. And so, I woke up.

I was still tired from the day before, from all the bike trips, from the somersaults my mind had to make in order to adapt to everything that happened (from camping with June, to reaching Slateport with her, to leaving the city in the blink of an eye because of this idiot). But when the Sun is up, I just can't go back to sleep, I can only stare at the ceiling.

I look to the side and notice Hikaru in their bed, still laying down. They're really sleeping like a rock…

I wasn't interested in meeting them again after what happened in Dewford, if not for that little thing we'd left undone. But now they're using said thing to force themselves inside my journey, inside my mind, and that's getting too much. I have my own Pokémon and my own friends to care about. So if I can use this curse of mine as an advantage, and end this joke, I'll at least give it a try.

Hikaru's red backpack is lying right beside their bed. It's surely smaller than my own rolling bag, but it still looks sturdy and able to carry lots of things… and it does have some external pockets and straps too, perhaps to tie even more objects to it. Nothing of note is exposed though, and that really doesn't help. I wonder where the Mawilite could be, where I should look in order to find it quickly…

I take a few steps, trying to get closer. Poppy helps me as well, floating towards the backpack way quicker than me, but then shakes her head, signaling she needs help unzipping the main compartment. That, I can take care of myself… slowly.

I can fit my hand inside! It just feels… weird though. I have no idea what I'm touching and I don't even want to know. Not until I hear some cries.

"ty-?"

Rei is in there!?

Looks like the rather odd, almost squishy thing I was feeling is just that… Hikaru's starter Pokémon! He winces in pain before giving me a small electric shock that makes me squeal as well. I immediately retract the hand but the damage is done, and Rei peeks out of the backpack with a pout on his face.

I surrender.