[PKMN OPEN] Pokémon Spear [M] [IC]

Foxrally · Mar 25, 2021

Simon Pearburgh

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Memories

Hulbury Stadium

"Pelipper, use Fly, no hesitation this time!" Nessa called out. Pelipper took the skies and flew up, gaining more and more height before falling back down at an immense speed.

Simon gulped, he knew this would spell trouble. "Try and hit it with Electroweb as it's landing!" Princess readied her attack, shaking at the incoming bird-missile. Just as it got close she opened her mouth to shoot the web-

"Supersonic!" Nessa called out.

The sound wave from the Pelipper's beak hit the Joltik at just the right time, causing her to flinch and her attack to fly wildly in the wrong direction. This left her completely open to the flying move, which slammed into her and sent her (flying herself) backwards and into the pool. Simon looked anxiously at the water, and as the bug floated back to the surface, she was completely knocked out.

Nessa evens out the odds with her fearsome Pelipper!" the announcer called out as Simon recalled his Pokemon. "Will 412 be able to recover from this blow?"

The bug catcher looked at his team. Nessa was right, now that Princess was down, none of his Pokemon had any type advantage against Pelipper- and all had the opposite, a disadvantage. All except...

Simon sighed and reached for a Pokeball in his pocket. This was his only chance… yet again. "Go, Anorith!"

The shrimp Pokemon materialized upside-down on the platform, flailing its fins wildly in confusion as it was brought out.

"Is he dumb?" Ainsley grumbled from the booth, glaring down at the new bug's ridiculous entrance.

"I got a lot of time for the kid, but even I gotta agree he's lost me this time." Ruben admitted with a sigh.

"Well that's a Pokemon you don't see every day." Nessa raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Shame it won't be earning you any victories today! Pelipper, use Water Pulse!"

Simon watched the attack nervously. "Anorith, dodge and aqua jet into the water!" He just hoped the darn thing would understand his words.

A little too late. The water orb that pelipper had spit out burst into a powerful wave that slammed into the bug-type. While the hit had dealt powerful damage, it had also thrown it into the pool, which Simon had hoped for.

Not giving him any time to recover, Nessa followed up with another command, "Now, use Whirlpool and trap it inside!" her Pokemon cawed as it flapped its wings once more, creating a twister-like vortex in the water where Anorith had landed.

Simon tightened his fists anxiously, this was not going to last for much longer unless he did something. "Anorith, can you hear me?" he called out, looking into the center of the whirlpool… but the Pokemon wasn't there. Even Nessa herself was confused as she noticed her attack had missed.

Simon looked around the pool, "Anorith? Where did-"

Suddenly, the Pokemon burst from the other side of the pool, majestically flying straight upwards to where the Pelipper was, encased in a veil of water like a torpedo. The Pelipper cawed in shock as it managed to fly up, just barely avoiding getting hit by the aqua jet attack.

Simon's eyes grew wide and he cheered out for the little shrimp. "ALRIGHT, GOOD STUFF, LAD!"

Even Nessa had an impressed smile on her face. "So it has Swift Swim as well. Pelipper, be ready for the next attack." she said.

Simon watched the bird closely as his Pokemon fell back into the pool. Clearly his Anorith was a little… slow, but he knew how to get the job done. He just had to figure out a way to catch Nessa off-guard. Then suddenly, an idea hit him.

"Anorith, come back here! Uh, wishoo!" he called out. As he'd hoped, the signature catchphrase immediately caught the Pokemon's attention, and it zoomed across the water to meet him at the edge of the pool. Simon leaned down and whispered a few commands into its ear before getting back up and pointing at Nessa.

"Now, GO!" he yelled out. The erratic Anorith dove back underwater and charged in Pelipper's direction, preparing to dash upwards again.

Nessa narrowed her eyes. "Be ready with a water pulse!"

Anorith burst up from the water again, charging upwards towards the bird. Just as it got close… the water veil faded and it stopped. Instead, a large rock formed between Anorith's claws.

"SMACK DOWN!" Simon yelled out, posing triumphantly.

The rock was thrown at Pelipper's head, stunning it momentarily and sending the bird plummeting down as its water pulse missed completely. Anorith let out a confused but pleased squeak as it fell down as well and both fighters landed in the water.

Nessa quickly reacted, "Water pulse again before it's too late!"

Simon retaliated, "Smack down again!"

Suddenly the water where the two Pokemon had landed burst upwards like a geyser as if an explosion had just occurred, knocking both trainers down as the wave that followed splashed against the poolside. There was a moment of silence as the water settled back down… and both Pokemon floated back to the surface.

"Amazing! It looks like both Pelipper and Anorith have been knocked out simultaneously!" the announcer exclaimed.

Both the crowd and Simon himself looked anxiously at Nessa.

"If it wasn't for that corny ass Wishoo thing, I'd say give him the badge." Ainsley explained with furrowed brows. Ruben, like many of the others in the stands below them, was on the edge of his seat anticipating the leader's decision. It was known that in the event of a draw… the awarding of the badge was entirely at the leader's discretion.

The blue-haired girl got back up and recalled her Pokemon, motioning for Simon to meet her at the side of the pool. Simon gulped and recalled Anorith before going to her.

"So, I hope that satisfied your itch to battle me." the young woman said as he approached.

"That… definitely did! My heart's still racing, to be honest." Simon replied, still winded from the intensity of the fight.

"You know, I would've never expected you to make it this far two years ago." Nessa said. "You've come quite a long way."

Simon laughed and rubbed the back of his head, trying to hide his anxiety. "Heh, well I gotta keep the champion dream alive somehow."

Nessa smiled, "Let's make sure it doesn't stay a dream then."

Simon's eyes lit up. "Does that mean…?!"

"Yes. As gym leader of Hulbury, I bestow this water badge to you." Nessa reached into the case on her belt and handed him the small, blue metal pin.

"CHALLENGER 412 HAS BEEN DECLARED THE WINNER BY GYM LEADER NESSA!"

Simon took the badge excitedly and jumped into the air. "YES!" he cheered as the crowd erupted into applause.

"A word of advice, though… let's keep the breaking and entering to a minimum from now on, okay?" Nessa added off-mic. "Stay away from bad influences like those people."

Simon nodded eagerly as she shook her hand. "O-of course, Miss Nessa!"

The boy took his wire microphone and tapped it to make sure it was still on. He noticed a league official frantically gesturing at the control tower to cut it off, and realized he had only a few moments of it left. He just hoped that his target was listening like Raph said.

"CHAMPION JACKSON!" he screamed into the mic as he threw his fist into the air. "IF YOU'RE WATCHING, THIS WIN'S DEDICATED TO Y-"

-------

After a bit of a stern talking to by the league officials about mic-hijacking, Simon was practically skipping down the hallway to the viewing booths, whistling excitedly to himself and flipping his gym badge in the air. Two down, six more to go. Even though he knew the journey ahead was just beginning, the victory filled him with pride and confidence; it was actually possible, he was actually winning- he really did have a chance.

He turned the corner to the hallway where Ruben and Ainsley's viewing booths were. He'd hoped Raphael would be there as well to celebrate the victory… but at least Ruben was there to support him. Hopefully the next match hadn't started already, he thought, as he approached the door.

"Ooooh, he's that yout fam!" Ainsley exclaimed as Simon's entrance from the opening ceremony played on the screen, announcing that he'd advanced to take on Motostoke gym leader Kabu. "After meeting the kid, I kind of get it." Ruben had been quietly gathering up the disposables from his mid match nachos and slush Yampie, but curiously glanced over his shoulder at the exclamation. "I remember you telling me, people saw you as one of the favourites, but felt sorry for him, so being with him gives you the sympathy rub."

Still in the hallway, Simon stopped as he heard the conversation. Were they… talking about him? Furrowing his brow, the boy took a few quieter steps towards the door, careful not to make his presence known as he continued to listen in.

"You said you wanted to chum up with some loser to make you look charitable." Ainsley sneered over a snort of laughter. "Saint Ruben y'know?"

Ruben paused, looking over the pile of trash in his hand before, he scoffed and shook his head.

"Tania said I had to pick a loser to buddy up with for some easy PR," he shrugged. "Simon just happened to make the perfect loser."

Simon tensed up, almost in disbelief at what he was hearing. The perfect loser?

Ruben tossed the trash away and he finally looked up at Ainsley. "It worked. Even got his family cheering me on at the football match." The footballer added with a satisfied smirk.

"Damn...man got the whole family tree bearing fruit." Ainsley snickered.

Simon was shaking now, trying his best not to give himself away as his breaths got shorter and angrier at the mention of his family. Was that all he was to Ruben, all he'd ever been? A tool? Just another pawn to get ahead? Just some… loser to exploit? This was someone he thought actually believed, actually cared-

Catherine's words rang in his head, almost like a devil cackling in its vindication: "If someone like Sancho over there is doing that, it's not because they believe in your abilities, it's because they think they can get something out of you."

Simon hands curled into tight fists. Even after two badges, that's still all people saw in him. Some loser with bugs. A reject. A lost cause. Someone to feel sorry for. If that. All of the encouragement, the shoutouts...it was all bullshit.

Simon took a step towards the doorframe, ready to give the footballer a piece of his own mind… then stopped. To think he'd been foolish - no, arrogant - enough to believe he'd changed the mind of one person. Pathetic. How could he ever dream of someone like Ruben Sancho to believe in him, someone of such an insanely different level? Would anything he could say even matter?

Simon stopped again. No, there was nothing he could say. Without a word, the boy turned around and silently left, tears streaming down his eyes.

Sonata · Mar 26, 2021

Poké:

5020 ♦ Pokemon: 6

CHAPTER 8.3 - VS NESSA PT.2
"Dreadnaw, we're not going to take any chances!" Nessa called out, pointing towards the Roselia in front of them both. "Use Jaw Lock!"

"Dreeead!" The Pokemon replied, waddling in closer with its mouth already agape.

Rosa smirked, feeling much more confident now. Even though she'd lost Cutiefly, she'd made Nessa use Jaw Lock - a move which she'd only used once or twice in the battles before this. Whether or not Dahlia was still able to battle was by no means debatable, but she'd still put that fear into Nessa's mind that she might switch her back out. Then Rosa would be the one with the untouchable air support.

Regardless of her prior loss, things were still going according to her plan. Dreadnaw was slowly moving in on Zorro, and they had all the time in the world to think of their next move. That is, if they didn't already have it all planned out. Zorro should know what he was supposed to do… but that being said, the Grass-type had only got about two hours of sleep before she had to wake him up for the gym challenge. As much as she wanted to believe that he could handle it himself… the longer that he just stood there, watching the Pokemon come at him, the more that she started to worry.

"Zorro!" Rosa called out, ready to make an immediate decision based on how the Pokemon responded.

"R-Roooose?" The Pokemon replied, turning slowly as it yawned.

'Of course.' Rosa thought, shaking her head. He'd been standing guard every single night, and hadn't been skipping out on training at all since they got to Hulbury. Even if he should know what needed to be done, it very well could be that he was simply too sleep deprived to properly recall it in the heat of battle. The girl shook her head, running through the battle so far once more, now factoring in Zorro's sleepless state. The plan was still the same, but she couldn't just play the well-disciplined backseat trainer anymore. She had to get active.

"Zorro, use Mega Drain!"

"Rose!" The Pokemon replied, focusing his attention on the Dreadnaw which was starting to pick up speed now that the distance between them was waning. A green aura surrounded the Water-type, causing it to wince as the energy flowed back to Zorro.

"Dread!" The Pokemon cried out, pushing through the pain. The Dreadnaw's maw was massive enough that it nearly fully covered the Grass-type it was targeting. Zorro took a step back following a yawn, but by the time he'd opened his eyes it was already too late to dodge. The Pokemon's Jaw snapped shut around the Roselia, Locking him into place as the turtle vigorously began to shake its head back and forth.

"Zorro!" Rosa cried out. The move shouldn't have hurt him that much, and he could always heal it off, but it should have been something that he could dodge. Maybe bringing him here wasn't such a-

"Rose!" The Pokemon cried back, his voice distorted as he was whipped back and forth. "Roooooooselia!" Zorro triumphantly pulled one of his arms free from the Dreadnaw's maw, forming a Poison point at the end of his rose bush before repeatedly Stinging at the inside of the Dreadnaw's mouth.

"Get in the water, Dreadnaw!" Nessa called out.

"Dread!" The turtle replied, tossing the Roselia off to the side before turning in the opposite direction.

"Rooose!" Zorro cried out, quickly pushing himself up off the ground as he landed. The Pokemon was clearly still tired, indicated by his constant yawning, but he didn't seem like he was about to let that stop him. The Roselia rushed after the Dreadnaw, throwing out clouds of Stun Spores at the Water-type as it flipped over the edge of the platform.

"Damn," Rosa whispered, watching the Pokemon gaining speed as it circled around them in the water below. The spores had failed to take effect, but from what she knew, there was nothing super effective that Dreadnaw could use against Zorro. This was setting up to be a long battle now that they'd missed their opportunity to slow the turtle.

"Rose!" Zorro carried on with what he remembered of the plan, leaving a puddle of Life Dew in the center of the platform before rushing off to the next one.

The Roselia hopped between the platforms, narrowly dodging the leaping strikes from the Dreadnaw as it tried to swipe at Zorro with the sharpened edges of its Razor Shell. With each miss, the Grass-type released a few clouds of Stun Spores over the water where the Pokemon had leapt out of.

The stage had been set. Zorro hopped between the platforms, moving from puddle to puddle as the Dreadnaw scraped by too fast for him to react. The Pokemon's Razor Shell nicked the Roselia a few times, but never did enough to knock him out.

Rosa started to get worried - though she knew the damage the Dreadnaw was doing wasn't enough to knock Zorro out, the fear that he wouldn't be able to retaliate at all was still there. The Turtle kept flying through the air, hitting the Grass Type and disappearing before he had a chance to turn in to the attacker. The girl moved her nail to her lips, chewing on the tip of her index finger as she ran through the other plans she'd prepared.

The Stun Spores were the biggest part of her plan, but if they didn't take effect soon, it would be her biggest disadvantage. Rosa watched as the Dreadnaw leapt out of the water again and again, just barely scraping the Roselia before disappearing back into the depths of the stadium.

'There's a pattern.'

It had taken her longer than she'd expected, but she'd finally figured it out. There was a pattern that the Pokemon followed each time that it leapt out of the water for an attack. It was most likely more noticeable now that he was going at full speed than it would have been if the Water-type were slower, but she'd picked up on it nonetheless. The place where the Pokemon came up out of the water changed in a steady increment based on how long it stayed under the water. The girl tried to focus, thinking about where the Pokemon would come up next… if she was right, they could still have a chance to wrap this up quickly.

"Dreadnaw, use Headbutt!"

Rosa looked up at Nessa, noticing the gym leader for the first time in the last few minutes. The woman was staring her down. Was it that obvious that Rosa was lost in thought, trying to figure out what to do next? It must have been, otherwise why would she be looking at her like she was? Why would she have changed her attack pattern, if she wasn't afraid that Rosa might have been figuring it out?

"Zorro," Rosa called out, catching the attention of her Pokemon. "I know where he'll come up next. Just close your eyes and listen to my voice, okay?"

"Rose!" Zorro replied, immediately closing his eyes with a yawn.

Several seconds went by as the Dreadnaw circled under the water, considering its potential route for attack. Rosa's eyes remained focused on Zorro, her ears focused on the sloshing of the water as she drowned out the cries of the crowd. The turtle had a tell, something she couldn't totally explain but could see every time it had decided on an attack. Especially with how fast it was going now, it was even easier to pick up on. The stealthy hit and run tactics only worked well if the Pokemon was… well, stealthy.

The Water type burst out of the water, flying towards Zorro with its head lowered. Rosa's eyes had already been on it before it surfaced, and she was ready to issue her command. However, if they wanted to finish the battle, she had to let this happen. The Dreadnaw struck the Roselia, pinning the Grass-type against its face as it flew over the platform. Rosa smirked and then quickly opened her mouth.

"Zorro, use Mega Drain!"

The Roselia grunted as the weight of the Pokemon was thrown into it, but heeded his trainer's call nonetheless. "Rose!" The green energy formed around the Water-type before being absorbed into the Roselia at the same time that the two crashed into the water.

Rosa pursed her lips, knowing that the battle from here on was entirely up to Zorro. The Grass type was simultaneously in the best and worst situations possible. Without being on top of the Pokemon, he had no way of attacking it. But at the same time, the Dreadnaw was actively dragging the Roselia to the bottom of the pool.

Rosa watched as Zorro repeatedly switched between utilizing Poison Sting and Mega Drain attacks on the Dreadnaw, all the while managing to stay stuck to the Pokemon's face. The girl glanced up at Nessa, who was clearly stuck on what to do. The best thing to do would be to create distance between the two Pokemon and then force Zorro to stay at the bottom of the pool, but the problem was that Zorro had managed to stay stuck in the same spot on the Dreadnaw. If the two resurfaced, there was always the possibility that Zorro would manage to find a better spot to hold on to as well.

"Shake him off, Dreadnaw!"

The Dreadnaw quickly began to do laps around the pool, smashing into the walls in an attempt to buck the Grass type off. Unfortunately, every time that they grew nearer to a wall, Zorro instinctively dug the points of his roses into the Dreadnaw, clinging on for dear life. Finally, the Water-type had decided that enough was enough. The Turtle rocketed towards the surface, breaking through the water and using the distance that was created between them by the explosive force of that breakthrough as a means to separate them.

Zorro fell freely towards one of the nearby platforms, catching his breath as the Water-type spun around in the air, inching ever closer to the Roselia.

"Zorro!" Rosa called out, watching as the two Pokemon slammed against and bounced off of the platform.

Zorro winced, slowly looking over at Rosa before smiling weakly. The Dreadnaw's shell had given it enough protection from the fall, but Zorro was relatively defenseless. There was nothing the grass type could do in the air or in the water, and now even the ground was trying to become his enemy. "R-Rose." Zorro cried out, pushing himself up off the platform as he stared down the Dreadnaw.

The Water-type quickly rushed the Roselia, slamming its head into him again, and again, and again as he pushed the Grass-type across the platform without letting it fall back into the water and without giving it any chance to retaliate. The Dreadnaw wasn't nearly as fast out of the water as it was within it, but it had very clearly gained quite a bit of speed since it had first come out.

"Rorrororo." The Roselia laughed weakly, pushing itself up off the ground before raising its vines at the Pokemon again. "Rose."

The Dreadnaw watched the Pokemon irritatedly, turning to look at its trainer one last time before delivering the finishing blow.

"Use Dragon Tail, Dreadnaw!"

The turtle rushed towards Zorro, spinning towards him at just the last second before running into the Pokemon. Zorro smiled as he started to fall over before the attack even hit, unable to stand on his own any longer due to the damage he'd taken. The Dreadnaw's tail swept around, nicking the Roselia just enough to kick it up into the air rather than sending it flying towards the water. Zorro spun around as he tumbled over himself, unsure of where exactly he was.

"Zorro, use Mega Drain!" Rosa called out, seizing the opportunity.

The Dreadnaw gave a triumphant look, blocking out the calls of its trainer to head back into the water. The Pokemon was sure of himself - sure that the attack had landed, and certain that the Grass-type wouldn't be able to get back up after it. The Water-type's legs started to shake as the fatigue from the battle began to set in. It wasn't until he felt his energy being drained once more that he thought to look up, watching as the Roselia he thought he'd sent flying instead hovered over him, looking more and more rejuvenated by the second.

"D-Dread." The Pokemon whispered, its legs buckling beneath it as it watched the Roselia's arm pull back for the final blow as the point it had been using as a stinger protruded from the bush on its vines once more.

"Roooooose!" Zorro cried out, landing a critical hit that caused the Dreadnaw to slump over the rest of the way.

Rosa watched the Dreadnaw for a few seconds following the attack, and then smiled triumphantly. The Water-type wasn't moving anymore. The chances of him getting up for another attack were about the same as her being able to send Dahlia back out in this match.

"We did it," Rosa whispered to herself quietly before shaking her head. "No, Zorro," she started, hopping across the platforms as the crowd erupted into cheers and applause. "You did it!"

Nessa looked down at her defeated Pokemon and smiled, rubbing the Pokemon's head before recalling it. "You did great, Dreadnaw." The gym leader stared at the platform where her Pokemon had just lain and then looked up at the challenging trainer. "You were great too, Rosa."

The girl smiled, taking the plumage from her sleeve and wrapping it around the Grass-type before cradling him in the nook of her arm. "Thanks," she started, taking a few steps towards the approaching gym leader. "I hope it was all that it had been talked up to be."

"No, you went above and beyond." Nessa laughed lightly, holding out her hand towards the girl. "The growth you've shown since Milo alone has been a joy for me to watch - I can't imagine how Sonia must feel, having all these wonderful students."

Rosa smiled, holding out her free hand towards the gym leader, wrapping her fingers around the woman's hand as she nodded her head. "We've been training… a lot. I'm glad that our progress was easy to see." She laughed uncomfortably, not really sure what she was supposed to say in these types of situations. She hoped that the microphones weren't able to pick her up right now.

"I can't wait to see how you deal with Kabu when you get back to Motostoke."

Rosa turned slightly pale, but kept her smile nonetheless. "I'm sure it'll be an… interesting battle."

Rosa slammed the locker shut, having changed out of her battle attire. She patted her pockets, making sure she had all six of the pokeballs. She still wanted to keep Zorro out so he could run around, but with what she was going to get into next… it was probably for the best that he stayed cooped up. The girl sat down, rubbing the letter she'd received between her thumb and index finger. The raised print of the singular 'P' on the page was enough to send a chill down her spine.

"What would a model citizen do after winning a gym battle?" She whispered, trying to think of where to go next. "I hope that.. they were watching. Otherwise… I don't really know what I'll do." She winced, opening her other hand to look at the badge she'd just obtained. "Simon," she whispered, wondering if her childhood friend had managed to beat Nessa himself or not.

The last time she'd really gotten to see him battle, the only thing she knew he had was Barry, his Lairon. Even then he'd told her he already had another Pokemon… and even now she herself had a full party. She wondered if he might struggle with Nessa, but quickly disregarded the thought. He'd been the second person to earn a badge in Turffield… besides, she didn't have time to worry about him right now. What she needed to do, was find someplace inconspicuous to wait until they came for her.

Rosa's Party

Memories

CHAPTER 1 - WEDGEHURST & ROUTE 2
GOODBYES, AND HELLO TO A NEW JOURNEY
TROUBLE'S ON THE TRACKS
NAMES AND NIGHTMARES!

CHAPTER 2 - THE SOUTHERN WILD AREA
ENTER THE WILD AREA!
NEW BIKING BIKERS!
THE MYSTERIOUS SHINY POKEMON!
RANGER DANGER! PT.1
RANGER DANGER! PT.2
RANGER DANGER! FINALE!
RED-EYES BLACK-HAT!

CHAPTER 3 - MOTOSTOKE
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND
INN FOR A PENNY, INN FOR A POUND PT.2
SHADY SHOPPING
THE OPENING CEREMONY
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.2
THE OPENING CEREMONY PT.3
INN WITH THE FAMILY
ALL BETS ON BLACK
LATE NIGHT LULLABIES
SNACK ATTACK!

CHAPTER 4 - ROUTE 3
VS SIMON
VS SIMON PT.2
MYSTERY OF MEW
MYSTERY OF MEW PT.2
WINTER FESTIVAL
A TWO HEADED REFLECTION

CHAPTER 5 - GALAR MINE AND ROUTE 4
DAYDREAM OF MINE
DEVELOPMENT AND MISSED CONNECTIONS
BUGGIN' THE COSMOS

CHAPTER 6 - TURFFIELD
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.2
GAMBLE FOR A RUSE PT.3
IS IT TOO LATE TO APOLOGIZE?
TURRFIELD CONTEST PERFORMANCE
PLANNING AND CHALLENGE
VS MILO
GIRL'S NIGHT OUT
FEAR THE BEGINNING

CHAPTER 7 - ROUTE 5
WORK FOR A PROMISE
WORK FOR A PROMISE PT.2
BUDDING YOUTH
BUDDING YOUTH PT.2
FEAR THE BEGINNING PT.2

CHAPTER 8 - HULBURY
FEAR THE BEGINNING PT.3
VS NESSA

Rosa's Journal

Simon Dansen

My childhood friend. Absolute idiot. Can't ever get a read on him anymore. Buttface. Always there when I need him. Always there when I least expect him. JERK. Showed me up in battle and evolved his Pokemon before me.

He came to "rescue" me after I coerced Ruben into protecting me in the underground casino. I told him off... and then didn't apologize until much later. He came to wish me a late merry christmas after Ruben gave me his spare room. He reminded me of our promise from before our journey started, and gave me my christmas gift which was a traditional Johtoan kimono and fan - all to prepare me for the upcoming contests. He also told me I should call his mom and dad since they're so worried about us both now that we're gone, but... I'll figure it out later.

Jasper

An ex-classmate. He took my bait and threw me for a loop when we were fighting a group of Munchlax together. Not as bad a guy as I thought. Because of him, I have to re-evaluate my notes on everyone else just in case. I'm interested in trying a different approach with him when next we meet.

Helped out a wrongfully arrested girl. Really smart. Observant. Kind, but doesn't like to show it. Isn't a terrible cook.

Charles the Biker

An eccentric, but strong man. Indulges in bad puns. Love for bikes. We left on good terms.

Nat the Ranger

A doting older brother to several sisters. A strong trainer who follows their duty. Only spent a day with them. Not sure if I want to meet again or not since I stole a broken styler from his scene of investigation. We left on good terms, I think? Unless he notices that something's missing.

Budew Girl

Never got her name. Apparently she's a challenger like the rest of my classmates. Comes from a family of Budew fanatics. They breed Budew in their hometown and journey around with all three forms of it. She seems endearing. It might be interesting to meet her again in the future. As long as she's not being accused of theft, that is.

Achille Béringer

Rich kid. Pays his debts. Is keen on rich kid things. Doesn't seem much different from how he was in school, but still need to reevaluate.

Melody Argent

Cute and kind. She keeps to herself kind of like I do. Loves music. Feels similar to Simon. Still need to reevaluate because of interactions with Jasper. Kind of maybe, possibly, a small amount of a badass. Finger guns - super corny. Don't harp on the idea of being in contests. If that culty stuff doesn't get figured out by the time we come back to Motostoke, I'll have to remember to find her around town. She's much more attuned to pop culture than I am.

AAAAAHHH! We did so much in Turffield, and even more just after! I still can't believe that she wont that contest and made it look so... so easy! She's just, like, wow. I still don't know what to do with all of my thoughts, but after that delivery we did together especially I just. Wowee. Jeez.

The Family // Damien(?)

Not the family himself, I don't think. I still haven't got his name or what role he really plays in all this. He's a shady motherfucker - pardon my Kalos. I still don't know how much of the stuff I've gone through in Motostoke has been orchestrated by him, but for the moment I'm not planning to try anything. I still don't know enough about him to make any real guesses. The longer that I stay around this town, the further behind the veil that I see. I'm scared even to go to sleep at night so long as I'm here. They have eyes... everywhere.

Buggy Simon

Some kind of freak of nature. I guess he understands Pokemon in some way that I can't; like, he understands what they're actually trying to say when they speak? Kind of cool, but also weird. Him and Simon used to hang out every once in a while at school. He knows about my "secret styler".

Valerie

An absolute ray of sunshine and happiness. She's also a streamer, and earns enough money from it to show it off. Not put off by literal ghosts. Has some kind of dream of meeting Mew.

Aeliana Kekoa

Alolan dance girl. She's supposed to teach me sometime. Pretty much just how I remembered her in school. I didn't get to spend much time with her when we all hung out. Didn't seem too bothered by the ghosts.

Pia McGuire

Pia... definitely is afraid of literal ghosts. I had a few choice words for her, but... after we saw Jirachi, it just felt like the time had passed, so I gave up. She's seen me without my mask, so next time we meet up is probably going to be awkward.

Haleigh Windsor

A friend of Melody's. I intentionally ran into her after failing to catch up with Melody, due to the addition of Haleigh. We had a short battle, and then made a promise for drinks with Melody after I urged her to drag the girl along with her to the contest in Turffield. She seems quite naive, so I may be able to get some more use out of her as long as I stay true to her persona. She's battle hungry, the same as Simon, but her Pokemon are still a little lacking - that coming from someone who still has no idea what she's doing here herself. She might end up being a good sparring partner in the future since she knows a little of what I've got and we're on relatively equal footing.

Mother Priscilla

The leader of the Turffield Sisterhood. I thought at first she was just an escort, but once we got to their hideout, I slowly started to realize what she really was. She's an incredibly dangerous woman who has no trouble pulling a gun on important people or those that she may need. There's still too much I don't know about what's going on to get a good grasp on what her and Damien's goals are, but given what I've already seen I really could do without finding out.

Ruben Sancho

Truth be told, I hadn't cared for Ruben when we went to school together. I thought he was your average rich celebrity who was forced into something he didn't really want to be a part of. After getting involved with the family and finding myself in that gambling hall, and then finding Ruben there as well, I felt that my suspicions were true. I had no second thoughts about what I was going to drag him in to. But as time went on, I found myself feeling more and more regretful with each time that he said Pia's name. And then because of me, news about him and Pia got out before either of them were likely ready to go public. And after all that, Simon attacked him out of the blue... but even after all that, he still offered me a free room at the local hotel. I already apologized to him about Simon, and about lying to get him to go with me. But, I should apologize again. He's not as bad of a guy as I thought he was.

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Sapphire Rose · Mar 26, 2021

Pia McGuire & Ruben Sancho & Rosa Valdés
Poké:

5550 ♦ Pokémon: 4

The Hypocrites' Waltz

Rosa walked out of the gym, her hair still dripping wet from the shower she'd just taken. Her gym challenge had been rough, but she felt like she was at least better prepared for the gravity of it after having fought and won against Milo. Besides… they had given her an extra week to prepare. She was considering going immediately to the gym after she got into town, finding herself wondering if she was still under the thumb of the Sisterhood now even though she was in Hulburry. But as she'd neared the end of Route 5, she'd come across an envoy for the Camarilla.

He'd offered her room and board in a nearby hotel, and said they'd be in touch with her. The gym challenge was meant to signal their meeting, and it seemed that they'd been in no rush despite her schedule with everyone else thus far. Whoever the head of the Camarilla was had passed along a note, hastily scrawled over a letter from the leader of The Sisterhood.

Who do they think they are, amiright? Fuck em. Take your challenge when you feel like it, we'll be able to find you after. Who are they to say how you should take your journey, yah? Not like there's any rush to armageddon.

And that was it. Priscilla had written something on the card beforehand, but it had been completely scratched out with red ink. She had no idea what she was supposed to have done, or when, but… it was her journey after all, no matter how many other questionable people she entangled herself with. For now, she just had to find someplace out of the way to… be found, she supposed. It was easier working with Priscilla at least, since she'd actually instructed her on what to do. But these people…

Rosa shook her head, turned it from side-to-side as she made sure nobody was watching her. From what she could tell, there wasn't. But there again, she wasn't sure exactly as to whether or not that was a good thing. She still had no idea what kind of business the Camarilla was into or how they operated, but she could only imagine what Damien and Priscilla would do to her if she missed whoever it was she was supposed to be meeting. For now, she just had to wait and hope for something to happen.

"This'll have to do," she whispered to herself, making her way over to a small bakery. The girl looked up at the sign, reading off the prices as she rubbed her fingers against her ATC, trying to remember just how much she had on it. "I should have followed Simon's example," she sighed, letting the card drop back into her pocket.

Rosa sighed, slowly and defeatedly taking a seat outside of the bakery. The sign said the chairs were for paying customers only, but were they really going to police it? It's not like there was a ton of business anyways. She pulled a plastic baggie from her pocket, revealing a pile of fudge, which at one point had been about three squares of a brownie before inevitably being pressed together from her forgetfulness.

"Guess this'll have to do for now." She whispered, tearing the bag open from the side to give herself more space to work with the clump on.

Walking through the alleys of Hulburry, Pia got distracted by her own image in the windows of a shop. More specifically the image of herself holding the egg she had received on route 5. How had it come to this.... She didn't even know what was inside this egg. A sigh left Pia's pink coloured lips. It has been very exhausting lately. Gym challenges, talk shows, people that needed help from trainers, more talk shows, more gym challenges… It was Ruben for whom she was willing to overcome these for. Besides… it's not like it totally wasn't according to plan. Just… not like this.

While Pia's face turned eerier by the minute and her thoughts were running amok, she noticed the quick glance of someone familiar in the mirror image that she was looking at. It was Rosa, entering the shop not too far away from her. She hadn't seen Rosa in a while, not since their last encounter on Route 3. No that was a lie… they saw each other at the Turrfield contest but they didn't really talk to each other. Rather, it had been as if this girl was trying to avoid Pia. The girl was contemplating if she should walk up to her and see if anything had changed since then…

The girl looked out at the stadium, running through her challenge in her mind again as she tore off a piece of the brownie and started to nibble on it. She was glad that Zorro had managed to evolve on Route 5, but now she was worried - worried that if he kept getting stronger, she might end up relying too much on the Pokemon. He was still young, relative to the others. He didn't have the same amount of experience, so even if he was able to use his power to win it didn't mean he was using it skillfully yet. And if Ozzy had anything to offer, then maybe he would have… she shook her head, rubbing her thumb against her teeth to get the last bits of the sticky brownie off of it.

"I won, that's all that should matter… just have to get ready for the next one." She shuddered, trying not to think about the return to Motostoke as much as she could. It was basically the beginning of her journey as a gym challenger, and if she failed to keep her promise with Simon, it very well could be the end of it as well. But still. From what she'd seen, she shouldn't have any issue making it through the challenge before the battle, but the problem was the battle itself. She had nothing that could hold an advantage over Kabu's Pokemon… and his moves weren't anything to scoff at either.

She winced, remembering the nightmare she'd been forced to relive just over a week ago. "Stop it." She whispered, trying to look as natural as possible as she tapped her knuckles against her temple. She placed her palm against her cheek and then slid down her arm, resting her chin against the table. She breathed deeply as she started to poke at the brownie with her free hand. "Not the same when it's not fresh." She muttered, flipping the torn plastic back over it.

She didn't know why the nightmares kept happening, only that they were, and weren't just affecting her. She'd not heard any talk amongst other trainers, but her Pokemon certainly seemed jarred when they woke up each time. Then again, if someone else didn't bring up that they were having these types of nightmares first, she'd probably never tell anyone about what she was experiencing anyways… not that - she'd tell someone even if it was to comfort them through their own trauma. If anyone knew about her past, that would invalidate her whole reason for moving. Letting someone else know what she'd been through would feel like spitting in the face of Simon's parents and all that they'd sacrificed to make her comfortable these past years.

Rosa sighed, pushing herself up from the edge of the table. "No use being mopey about it," she muttered, her lips barely peeling apart as she spoke.

Pia watched from a distance as she saw the younger girl struggle a little. What she was struggling with was unknown to Pia but it certainly did seem like she was uncomfortable. Pia hesitated as she put a foot forward to start moving towards her, however, the thought that Rosa had avoided her stopped her. She knew why, she understood why. If someone called her out on her acting then she would be mad as well. Still… They couldn't avoid each other forever.

Just as Pia had made up her mind, an unexpected man seemed to approach Rosa, causing Pia to jump inside the nearest alleyway that she could. She glanced at the table, watching something that could only be described as "an awkward encounter". Who was he?

"What's there to be mopey about, Miss?" A man came from behind and leaned in over her table. "I saw you out there on the battlefield today, and let me just tell you," the man swung himself around into the chair directly across from her, not taking his hands off the table as he did so. His eyes were locked onto hers, and the smile on his face was infectious. "Let me tell you, it was just - chef's kiss, mwah!"

"Oh, well… thanks." She said politely, a small smile forming from the compliment. She didn't know this man, but she'd overheard some of the other trainers talking in the changing room about getting notifications on their Chatter about small fanbases forming around them. Maybe… this was her first fan? She looked him over, taking in the casual looking outfit of denim jacket, black t-shirt, and stylishly torn acid wash jeans. His eyes were a brilliant shade of green, and his blond hair fell lazily in tufts all around his head.

At the very least, she was thankful he wasn't unattractive. "So, is there something you wanted to ask me, or-"

"Oh no, no. Sorry about that, I should introduce myself first. The name's Bryce Moore - I'm just a low ranking salaryman in a certain organization that may interest you."

"Oh, well I'm sorry Bryce, but I'm already employed with-"

"Yes, of course. But we can't make the trade off here, you know?" Bryce looked lazily around him, his sights lingering off towards an alley on the other side of the road for a second before returning to Rosa. "It's no good if you get found out, right? Mr. Sancho already had to pay the price of discovery for the both of you."

Rosa felt her heart drop, finally realizing who this man was. She couldn't tell if he was lying or not about just being a low level salaryman, but at the very least she was certain that he was who she'd been waiting for. Moreso than anything else, at that moment she felt stupid. Of course she wouldn't have any kind of fanbase… why would anyone want to follow her around? Besides, if word did get out on the internet that she was making actual progress here then someone from back home would likely hear about it… maybe she should have made it look like she was struggling more in her battle with Nessa. If she just kept getting by on the skin of her teeth, maybe nobody would pay her any mind and she could just-

"Miss Valdes?" Bryce raised his eyebrow at her, his hand already positioned on the back of the chair as if he were ready to spring up at a moment's notice. "Are you ready to leave, or should we meet back another day?"

Rosa quickly shook her head. No, she wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible; before anyone else could see her. She really wanted to run, but she already knew that it wouldn't do any good. These people had all been watching her, waiting for her to come to them since before she even started her journey. If she was going to run, they would have probably already seen it. She needed to finish it - to deliver these last packages on her own, just like how she started this errand… and all of this, to find out just a little bit more about how her father had died.

"No, we can go now. I just got lost in thought, my bad."

"Ah, see I think we've probably got something for that. But we'll have to wait until we get back home." He smiled at her, causing her to force a smile back. "Well then, shall we?" He questioned, rising smoothly from his seat before extending his hand towards her. "I'll take you to where you're meant to be."

Rosa felt a chill run up her spine. She didn't like the implications of that last remark, but she took his hand anyway. She still didn't really know what this branch was in charge of for the southern Galar groups. But… she also didn't really care. If everything went smoothly, this shouldn't have the chance to devolve into a similar situation to the one she found herself in with Ruben and Priscilla.

"What the heck?" Pia whispered to herself and Milla beside her as she watched the situation unfold just a bit in front of her where Rosa was sitting. She felt creepy watching her from afar like this but this situation had certainly caught her attention the moment this man seemed to be familiar with Rosa. What was worse was that… Rosa seemed highly uncomfortable with him. She could tell from her body language. This was the same as… as… Pia's thoughts drifted off to her mother briefly until she noticed that they were coming her way. Shoot!

Pia ran further inside the alleyways, she heard the unlikely couple speak behind her before hiding next to a trash bin. It seems they hadn't noticed her yet. Milla took the liberty to stay watch and notified her that they were coming closer. Pia did her best to stay hidden between some trash bags. It was disgusting but she didn't want to get found out now. At least they didn't smell.

Rosa and the unfamiliar man walked past her, not noticing a thing as they kept on speaking. A man taking a young girl on a trip through dark alleyways… this certainly smelled like trouble. And it was not coming from the trash bags.

Pia held a finger against her lips to Milla as a sign to stay quiet. Milla nodded. Together they stealthily followed the man leading Rosa away.

Bryce held Rosa's hand as the two of them made their way down some sketchy alleyways. He'd told her before they left the table to stay close to him, just in case. After all, she was running around with a member of the mafia - which was both a blessing and a curse at the same time. He glanced behind him every so often, but never said anything when he did.

Rosa struggled to keep up as she tried her best to match the brisk pace of the man ahead of her. He seemed to be a pretty average height, definitely not in the range of either Ruben or Simon, but his pace was completely different to either of them. His every step had purpose, and the daggers that flew from his eyes every time he looked behind them were a stark contrast to the enticing smile that remained plastered against his face.

"I- I can't keep up!" Rosa finally conceded, having fallen far enough behind that she was now stumbling forward each time she took a step.

Bryce quickly stopped, his smile fading before being replaced with a look of genuine worry. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!" He whispered loudly, placing both of his hands on her shoulders. "I didn't realize… I was so focused on just making sure you were safe, I didn't even consider how hard it must be for you to keep up."

Rosa shook her head, doing her best to calm herself down and catch her breath. They'd been walking nonstop at such a fast pace without ever really breaking into a jog or a run, that it had just been so completely uncomfortable for her given her stature. "No, I'm sorry. I should have tried harder to keep up, but you were just walking and I didn't want to start jogging just to-"

Bryce shook his head. "No, it's my fault. I should have been more considerate. There's plenty of time left in the day anyways. The Big House isn't too far off now… I think we're fine to take it easy now. We've got most of this area under our influence, so even if we were followed it won't do them any good now. I just get so fixated on things sometimes… sorry."

Rosa shook her head apologetically. She didn't know why she felt bad for the guy… he was part of the mafia, after all. And yet… it felt just like she was talking to Simon, Melody, Simon, or Haleigh. It felt natural, and so she just naturally… "As long as you're not mad at me." She smiled softly, rubbing the top of his head. She winced slightly, only just realizing what she was doing. But it was too late to take it back now.

"Aw, thanks." Bryce smiled, rising back up from his pseudo-squatting position as he rubbed his hair where Rosa's hand had been. "So… now that we've decided to slow down a bit, why don't we walk and talk?"

Rosa shrugged, taking the man's hand again. He felt safe, but she'd been wrong before. You can only feel regret once the moment has passed, so it's better to live in the moment - at least that's what Simon's dad would always say. "Sure, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well… let's start with something easy, yeah? Tell me about your Pokemon."

Rosa nodded. Simple enough, she supposed. If he was digging for info, there wasn't anything really damning he could get out of her with these tidbits. Any leverage for bet making he could have gained was already down the drain too since she was supposedly being watched by a Pokemon at all times… though she'd yet to catch a glimpse of it. "I've finally got a full party of six. Loudred, Munchlax, Snorunt, Roselia, Cutiefly, and I just recently caught a Toxel."

"Ooh, very cool. From the first time I saw you in Motostoke I'd wondered, but what made you choose a Whismur for your starter? I think Ice and Grass types really fit your aesthetic, going off of your contest performance in Turffield, but… you've got two Normal types?" He shrugged. "What's up with that?"

Rosa returned the shrug, not really sure what a satisfying answer sounded like. "I don't know, to be honest. I don't think I have a favorite type, it just happened that there were some Munchlax that needed moving, and Jasper and me couldn't get them all out of the way quick enough so we caught a couple for ourselves. I don't really know why the professor gave me Wyatt, but I'm sure she had her reasons. She picked out such great starters for everyone else, so I'm sure he must have some kind of like… hidden potential, or something." She nodded her head, trying to reassure herself.

It wasn't like Wyatt was a bad Pokemon by any means, and he definitely helped her through a lot of tough situations. But at the same time, she couldn't help but feel like maybe she'd gotten the short end of the stick? Why was Whismur the Pokemon that was chosen for her? She couldn't say it wasn't something she'd considered before, but thinking about it right this moment with someone trying to pick her brain probably wasn't the best idea.

"Yeah, for sure!" Bryce replied enthusiastically. "Exploud are super cool and loud, so I don't think it was a bad choice. It's interesting to hear that you didn't get to make that decision yourself though." he shrugged, clearly thinking about something else as he wetted his lips. "If I can ask something else real quick," he started, turning his head quickly behind them. His gaze lingered on the path they'd just come from for a few seconds as they continued to walk before he returned his attention to Rosa.

Pia had followed the two for a while when she noticed the uneasy Rosa getting more comfortable with the man after she had dropped. He somehow didn't seem like a bad person but Pia's intuition told her this was bad news anyway. Why else would he lead her through these alleys?

Pia suddenly heard rustling of iron beside her, Milla had stepped on a lingering can. She noticed the pair in front of her stop and quickly picked up her Pikachu companion and hid behind a wall leading to a dead ending alleyway. If they turned around now, she was screwed.

When she heard footsteps walking away from her rather than coming closer, she peeked carefully towards their direction. It seemed she had successfully hidden… She shot a glare at Milla who gave her an apologetic smile.

"Like I was about to say, If I could be so bold as to ask another question, what are some of your other contest ideas? I really liked what you did in Turffield, but it definitely felt like Johto."

"Is that… a bad thing?" Rosa questioned back. She knew it was a gamble to do something so traditional straight out the gate - almost like it was just playing into exactly what everyone had expected to see from her.

Bryce shook his head. "No, not at all. I enjoyed it myself, but it just felt… like Johto. Y'know what I'm trying to get at?"

Rosa furrowed her brow, thinking hard about the meaning behind his words. "Not really." She'd tried pushing that last performance out of her head as much as she could. In the time she wasn't practicing with the Styler or taking care of her Pokemon, all that they did was practice their next set. She didn't know when or if she'd get to perform again, but she could at least put some more thought into now that she was confident of herself on the stage again.

"It's like… just so Johtoan or someone from Johto to do a Johto dance, right? Like… that was all that there was, was Johto! It was super cool to watch, but at the same time it kind of felt just like something I could find on (?)Mewtube(?), you feel me?"

Rosa nodded her head. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"Yeah…" he replied, his voice growing quieter as they carried on. The silence sat thick like a fog between them for a few minutes as they walked before Bryce finally figured out what he wanted to dig up about her next. "So… I'm just a low level guy, right? But like, even I know you're delivering something important if you've got to take it straight to the boss. But like… with all that you've got going for you, why even take the delivery job to begin with? Are they really paying you that much back in Motostoke, or do they have some kind of dirt on you that you can't let get out? Gimme the deets, I neeeed that sweet tea… If you're willing to serve it up, I guess."

As Pia started to come a little closer, she finally came into hearing distance. She had done well to sneak up to them until now. Them holding a conversation definitely helped her footsteps being muted by the sounds coming from their mouths. What was this about a boss they were speaking of and package delivery? She did not know if Rosa required help but she knew she was going to regret it if she didn't at least try. They could always figure things out later. Better safe than sorry.

While Pia was in the midst of her thought process, she accidentally stumbled upon a can herself. The loud noise echoed through the alleys and Pia jumped away behind another trash can as fast she could, pulling the panicking Milla away from sight as well.

"I just… needed to know." She started, not really sure if that was revealing anything or not. He was mafia… and she still didn't know what the leader of the Camarilla looked like. It very well could be that he was who she was supposed to meet, just like Priscilla had been. Maybe this was just a test to see if she could be truthful with him. Or maybe he was just some low level grunt. She couldn't be certain, and that made her choice of options difficult to settle on. "I wanted-" she started, before being cut off by Bryce.

"Wait," he whispered, holding out his hand as he looked behind them. A smallish shadow stuck out against an opposing wall a short distance away, which Bryce pointed towards after tapping Rosa's hand and coming down to her level. "See, what'd I tell you?" he whispered, not wanting to give away the fact that they'd caught on to whoever was laying in wait. "We need to go… now."

Rosa's face went white as she considered the worst possible scenario. The mafias were all supposed to be on good terms in the South, but what did she matter to that dichotomy? She was just a messenger… a delivery girl. Priscilla had reminded her of that much, as well as a few other things. Maybe they were coming after her now that her job was almost done… maybe they were irritated that she'd blown off whatever the note to her had said? The Sisterhood currently struck her as the least likely to be understanding of her situation, regardless of what choice she had in avoiding the matter.

"Do you trust me?" Bryce questioned, a smile once again on his face as he turned towards her.

Was he… being serious? How could she trust him? They literally just met, and he was in the process of leading her into the den of the last arm of the mafia for this part of Galar. She quickly looked him over, and ran through her options a final time. Maybe he was just a low level goon… maybe this was his 'hero' moment that he'd been waiting his whole life for - or maybe it was all a setup to make him earn her trust. She wouldn't know for certain until they got away, and for that… he was her best chance. "I do."

Bryce smiled, scooping Rosa up in his arms before bounding down the alleyway.

Bryce was far more athletic than his attire gave him credit for. The wind whipped past the two of them as he took sharp turns and went down each connecting alleyway that he could find. Even when they'd rushed out into an actual street, it only took him a couple of seconds to get across to their next cover.

He'd stopped turning his head every few seconds to check behind them, now focusing solely on putting distance between them and whoever it was that had been trailing behind. Rosa had wrapped her arms around the man's neck and pressed her face into his chest, doing her best to shield herself from the wind as they ran. Her eyes had grown unintentionally watery, but it was something that could be used to sell the authenticity of her fright once they finally stopped. She smiled slightly, squeezing on the back of his shirt as she pulled herself up to look over his shoulder.

"I think we lost them," she whispered next to his cheek.

He nodded, slowing down slightly but still continuing on at a light jog. Every so often he would turn around completely, pivoting on his heel as he checked out the path behind them before moving the rest of the way around to keep jogging - all the while never losing any noticeable speed during the maneuver.

"You can never be too careful with these types of things," he said quietly, finally slowing down to an awkward trot. "Can't let anyone know where the Big House is, y'know? The Boss is pretty chill with most things, but he gets real picky about people knowing where he calls home."

Rosa nodded her head, not really caring much about the lore behind their whole operation. This was already taking longer than she'd hoped, especially seeing as how they ran in the completely opposite direction of where he'd initially said they were supposed to be going. "I'm just glad you were able to keep away from them," she laughed lightly, forming a soft smile as she let herself down to the ground. "Thank you for protecting me."

"Aw, wasn't nothin' to it. Just part of the job, y'know. Escort the escort and all." Bryce blushed slightly, but kept his same infectious smile. "But yeah, I think we're safe now. Whoever was following us is long gone, so we should be safe to head back towards the Big House. Which is…" he trailed off, opening his phone before putting in an earphone. "Oh… woops." He chuckled lightly, shrugging his shoulders with a sigh. "Guess I really did take us out of the way. Sorry…"

"How long do we have to go to get back?"

"Uhh… like, thirty minutes. Again, sorry. If I'd known they weren't going to be any good at tailing us, I probably could have stopped sooner. I just wanted to be sure you weren't hurt, otherwise the Boss probably woulda had my head." He laughed again, though this time a little more uncomfortably.

"Well… I guess we should start heading back then?" Rosa questioned, tilting her head up towards him.

"Y-yeah. Let's get back to it."

Pia huffed as she ran. He was smarter than she gave him credit for. He certainly didn't look like the clever type. Her plan had failed… how bothersome. She at least knew now that whatever he was up to, it couldn't be any good if he was that desperate to not get caught.

"Chu!" Milla ran back towards her trainer. She had been running over the rooftop of some flats to keep track of them and thankfully had seen where they had headed. Upon arriving at the place, Pia quickly hid again. Where the hell were they? Pia made it a thing to stealthily follow them once again.

It took them thirty minutes to get to wherever they were headed. Yet it felt like only a few mere minutes. Probably because the adrenaline in Pia's body had been raging through her non stop ever since she saw Rosa in this situation.

However… her eyes widened upon seeing where they had stopped. It was… a prostitute house. Thoughts and bad memories flooded in Pia's mind but once she regained herself one question remained. What the heck was Rosa doing here?!

"You remember the way, right?" Pia whispered to Milla.

"Chu." Milla responded quietly as well, she was super excited to be playing this game of tag. Was it her turn now?

"Go get Ruben and lead him here. This is trouble. You understand, right?"

"Chu!" Milla saluted Pia and ran off, leaving the girl on her own. Ruben had said that he was only going to be in Hulburry for a few days but ever since that first lie, she was not so keen in believing that. Especially if Ainsley was involved. She was still upset but… She would have to put that aside for now.

Pia took a deep breath before she stood up and left her hiding place. It was now or never. She had to help Rosa. It was time to put those acting skills to good use.

"Well, this is it!" Bryce smiled wide and threw out his arms towards the cul de sac that he'd led her to. "Home sweet home!"

Rosa nodded her head, looking between each of the four buildings that lined the circle. None of them exactly screamed 'mafia house of operations', but that was probably the point. "So… which one is it?"

"Which one?" Bryce glanced down at her, a look of confusion replacing his normal smile. "Ohhh! Yeah, I should have made that more clear. These are all our home."

Oh. So was there like, some supervillain invisible barrier making it look like a bunch of normal houses? Or was it like the Sisterhood's gambling den where an elevator led them down hundreds of feet before showing its true size?

"It's nothing fancy like what they have in Motostoke or Turffield, but it's ours." Bryce nodded his head, starting towards the center of the clearing. The man looked down at his phone and then shrugged. "Yeah… we still got some time to kill. If you want, you could come meet some of the girls over in their rooms?" He questioned, immediately taking a couple of sharp steps towards the building nearest to their right.

"The girls?" Rosa furrowed her brow. She still didn't know what kind of operation was going on here, but the way he'd emphasized 'girls' didn't sit right with her. "Sure… I'd love to go meet the girls." It was still in her best interest to just go along with things. She had faith in her Pokemon, and Bryce hadn't asked for their balls yet so she wasn't too worried yet.

"What a coincidence! Rosa! I hadn't expected to meet you here!" Pia yelled across the street, earning herself the attention from both the shorter girl and her companion who had rudely led her here of all places. "It's been a while! What have you been up to!" Pia acted like a girl who hadn't seen her friend in a while and was desperate to spend some quality time together. She had to make it obvious that she wouldn't leave the girl to her devices to the man beside her and she felt like this was the best way to immediately make that clear. From what Pia had seen and heard, he wouldn't be rude enough to intervene into their conversation to drag Rosa away.

"Oh, is this a friend of yours?" Bryce asked as he turned towards Rosa, trying to read her reaction.

Rosa tried her best to hide the disdain and anxiety that was creeping up with the pit in her stomach. What luck? She used her boyfriend in Turffield, and now she was stuck getting trailed by Pia, of all people. "Heyyy, you." she said awkwardly, copying Melody's finger guns. "Didn't think I'd see you here either. What're you uh… up to lately?"

"What are you talking about, silly? We were supposed to meet up, remember?" Pia answered with all the ease in the world, completely into her bubbly persona act. "When I couldn't find you, I decided to go look for you!~" Rosa was definitely not happy to see her. Was she overstepping her boundaries? Probably. It just didn't feel right to have her be dragged off by a strange man into the den of prostitutes. Speaking of strange men. "Oh I'm sorry, how rude of me. Hi, I'm a friend of Rosa's. Who might you be?"

Bryce smiled, stepping slightly forward as he extended his hand. "My name's Bryce, I'm Miss Valdes' escort. I'm afraid that she's busy at the moment, but it shouldn't take her too long if you want to just-"

"Bryce, it's fine." Rosa cut him off. She'd run through the possibilities in her mind while Pia and Bryce were talking, and felt that this was the best route to take. What did she have to lose? She probably already wanted to kill her for what she did to Ruben, how much worse could her view of her really get? "I trust her not to tell anyone about today." She looked over at the man, smiling as genuinely as she could.

Bryce looked between Rosa and Pia, before letting his gaze linger in between them. Rosa could see the gears turning in his head as he tried to figure out what to do from here, but he really had no option. "Well… I don't know if the boss'll be happy about it, but I don't see anything really wrong with it. It is a little too late to turn her away now, anyways."

Exactly what Rosa was thinking. Even if they sat out here and argued about whether or not they had created plans to meet up, Pia didn't seem like she'd let this go too easily. And although Bryce seemed a lot chiller than anyone she'd met in Turffield, she had no idea what the rest of the Camarilla would be like. "I'm glad you came, Pia." She said sweetly, not letting her facade drop for a second. She was actually hoping now that the Camarilla had some kind of confusing layout to their base that she could lose Pia in… just chalk it up to not knowing the setup of the floor. It seemed easy enough in her head, at least. She held her hand out towards Pia and made a quick 'come along' motion before turning to the side so that she could join her.

Pia, who had been doing her best to look as humanly dumb as she could, reached out to Rosa's stretched out hand and grabbed it. "Nice to meet you Bryce!" She quickly called out and waved very obnoxiously. By making herself look like the Isla or Valerie sort of character, she hoped they'd be less wary of her. Now she had to think of a way to find out what was going on here and possibly get Rosa out of this situation. She only hoped Ruben would arrive soon...

Pia's Party

Memories

STAGE 1: Wedgehurst -> Wild Area -> Motostoke

Wedgehurst
I choose you part 1
I choose you part 2
I choose you Final

Wild Area
Train to Wild Area ft. Raphael & Aeliana
Two birds with one stone
Two birds with one stone part 2 + Bird Brain
Wild Area with Arrietty

Motostoke
Double Trouble part 1
Double Trouble part 2

STAGE 2: Route 3 -> Galar Mine 1 -> Route 4 -> Turffield

Route 3
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 1
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 2
A Festive Fight to the Finish
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 1
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 2
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 3
A Two headed reflection

Galar Mine 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 2
Galar Mine #1 | Part 3

Route 4
Route 4
Coach McGuire
A failed attempt.

Turffield
Bad Company.
It gets worse.
Shopping shenanigans
A challenger approaches!
Gym battle: Turffield
Here and Now
Performance Post: Dreaming Fairy
New Friendships

Route 5
Homecoming | Part 1
Homecoming | Part 2
An eggcelent situation.

Hulburry
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 1
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 2
Hulburry Part 1
Hulburry Part 2

Pia's journal

Arrietty Maverick
Pia and Arrietty met in the Wild Area although the two have shared classes before. It struck Pia as odd that the girl seemed to have no ambitions or goals at all. Although disappointed upon finding out this girl had no fire burning that would light her path, Pia made it her mission to help this girl get a goal and become a bit more social. Arrietty is the closest Pia can consider a "friend".

As according to their promise, Pia helped Arrietty get ready for her very first contest in Turffield. However, the girl ran off from stage when she was up. Pia has been feeling guilty for "forcing her into contesting" ever since.

Ruben Sancho
Pia met Ruben during Motostoke while on a double date with him, Arrietty and Ainsley. The date went disastrous with both Arrietty and Ainsley running off but Ruben and Pia were able to grow just a tiny bit closer during their search for Arrietty. They have been texting since and are on good terms with each other. They both seem to be interested in just a little bit more...

Ruben and Pia are officially dating since the end of the year festival on Route 3 following their "official second date" that went well. Pia knows about Ruben's ankle and that it's still hurting. They're in close contact with each other through calling and texting. They went on another date on Route 4 where Ruben had a gig for a coaching session with kids with the promise to spend time together after that. Both confirmed their feelings for the other by sharing a kiss. Pia likes him a lot.

Their relationship became public knowledge when a picture of Ruben staring down Pia's shirt was shared on social media and all gossip magazines. Ruben has been hiding it from Pia but as they went shopping, Pia got vocally attacked by a group of girls calling her out for being a whore and having no dignity. Ruben stood up for her and made their relationship public knowledge, no longer wanting to submit Pia to such harassment. Ruben publicly announced he likes Pia a lot and that they have been dating as opposed to what he has been saying before. Pia still doesn't know about the picture that's going around.

Despite the situation that had happened in the mall, Ruben insisted towards Raphael that they're just "friends" while Raphael announced to know more about their relationship due to being uncomfortable with the fact of calling Pia his "girlfriend". He has been slowly getting into the idea of being in a relationship with her throughout Turffield. The two of them visited his home in Wedgehurst during the events of Route 5 where Pia ended up meeting his sister Daija and his little brothers. He told Daija to stop calling her the "G" word but he ended up admitting to her he indeed considered Pia his girlfriend. During all of this Pia has been thinking about their time together and has grown quite fond of Ruben, more than she probably realizes herself as she has to constantly remind herself that she shouldn't be feeling the things that she is feeling. She believes that it will all come to an end but has recently started clinging on to a little spark of hope...

The two of them exchanged Applin's during their Valentine's day date where they also decided to release them, promising each other that they would stay together.

They've proven to be currently in love with both of them starting to show effort in their relationship. However, Pia's big secret that she's trying to keep hidden from Ruben is becoming a ticking time bomb...

In Hulburry things have started to get rocky for the two when Pia found out Ruben lied about not being in Hulburry when he broke into the gym Pia was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. He brought along Ainsley, two new friends Pia didn't know and Simon. The lie upsetted Pia greatly as lying is something she absolutely hated and the reason for it was so that Ruben could hang out with his friends. She hasn't messaged him since Nessa booted him out of the gym.

Raphael Allard
Pia met Raphael during her train ride to the wild Area together with Aeliana. Thinking that he had a lot of potential in becoming a chamption which would benefit her, Pia approached him thinking they could become friends. Their interactions didn't go as smoothly as Pia had hoped. After their argument at the end of her battle with Aeliana, the girl ran off thinking she had blown her chances. Raphael doesn't harbour any ill intend towards the girl and only hoped to give her some advice.

They have resolved their issues in Galar mine 1 and worked together to battle Oleana in which they were victorious. Raphael brought the issues with Pia's overprotectiveness of Milla back up on Route 4 when Pia was refusing Milla from battling. Raphael spoke some sense into her, prompting her to finally trust Milla. Raphael understands Pia better now and Pia has a better opinion of Raphael now too.

They met again during the events of the Turffield contest and spend some time talking to each other while Pia tried to get Ruben to apologize to Arrietty. Raphael said something similar to what he said on Route 4 and confused Pia in her actions. He seems to know more than he lets on.

Aeliana Kekoa
Pia met Aeliana during the train ride to the wild Area together with Raphael. Although her interactions with Aeliana went a little bit more smoothly than with Raphael, Pia still ran off at the end of their battle in an attempt to distract her since Pia owed her money for losing. Although Pia has declared Aeliana her rival, they haven't spoken since and Pia attempts to keep it that way.

Pia met Aeliana again on Route 3 when she was on her way to the end of the year market. Together with Rosa and Valerie they went into an haunted mansion. Although they didn't converse much, Aeliana made some comments that Pia saw as snarky that were meant well by Aeliana. This indicates that Pia still thinks that Aeliana is out to get her.

Their friendship was given a second chance in Hulburry during a photoshoot with Nessa that Aeliana had invited Pia for. Pia saw this as a really good chance to start her own "career" rather on relying on Ruben and his fame. They shared a moment together and seem to be on good terms again.

Ainsley
Ainsley was Pia's date partner during the double date in Motostoke and is Ruben's best friend. Ainsley pretended to be rich and paid for the date with Ruben's money. Pia saw through the charade and called him out on it after Ainsley suggested they'd book a hotel together and make love. He ran off afterwards, angry that the feelings of lust he harboured towards Pia were not returned. Pia doesn't think highly of Ainsley and told Ruben that he needs "better friends".

Pia and Ainsley met again in the Hulburry gym after he and Ruben broke in so that they could ask Nessa's hand in marriage. He called Pia a "gold digging sket" because of her relationship with Ruben and the pettiness he holds towards her for the date that didn't end in the hotel room. They both dislike each other greatly.

Melody Argent
Although Pia and Melody attended the same Trainer school and were in the same class, they never once teamed up for an assignment. Both didn't have a very good impression of the other and avoided them like the plague. It's not until the Festival Fun-time Flurry that they have tried teaming up to win a competition as both of them were interested in the prize. They chased down a cheater together and have a better opinion of each other since their teamwork. They figured out that they're a pretty good team actually. Both of them thinks "the other is not so bad after all".

Valerie Amity
Pia met Valerie on route 3 where they went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Rosa. They didn't get to converse much but it was enough for them to establish some sort of familiarity. Valerie calls Pia "Lady P" as a nickname. Pia thinks of Valerie as someone with too much energy but not a bad person overall, maybe a little too naïve.

Pia was able to form a friendshop with Valerie in Turffield where she finally managed to catch the girl alone. Pia decided that Valerie's stream and followers could help her towards her goal of becoming rich, one she is trying to head towards to against ever since the events with Catherine. She feels guilty about this though.

Rosa Valdés
Pia met Rosa on Route 3 and went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Valerie. They were stuck inside a room together where Rosa found golden nuggets and shared one with Pia. Rosa's small moments of kindness seemed insincere in Pia's eyes, someone who is well versed with duality. When Rosa left the end of the year market after they had gotten out of the haunted mansion, Pia followed her and saw her crying. Pia comforted the crying Rosa but as soon as Rosa had gotten herself together again, Pia fell the need to call her out on her duality, telling her that how she was acting now was quite different from before. Rosa denied at first but as soon as Pia had driven her into a corner, she stopped trying. After Jirachi appeared for a brief second, Rosa walked off. They're neither on bad or good terms but both have things they probably need to speak off.

Simon Pearburgh
Pia met Simon in Galar Mine 1. Pia thought nothing more of him than a bug nerd. They partnered up to battle against Oleana and his clever strategies impressed Pia, prompting her to compliment him after their shared life/death situation on Route 4.

Pia considers Simon to be a positive influence and appreciates him cheering her on during the contest in Turffield where he appeared to be the loudest in the room.

Pia met Simon again in Hulburry after he broke into the gym that she was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. She was disappointed in his behaviour but guessed this was probably Ruben and Ainsley's idea as he just stumbled up behind them.

Catherine Carlisle
Yeah.... Pia really doesn't like Catherine but she enjoys getting under her skin.

Kit
Pia met Kit in the Wild Area. Kit had been trying to catch a Pokémon for days but had yet to catch one. He begged the girl to help him in exchange for money and a strange rock that he found. Pia taught him how to catch a Pokémon but after hearing that Kit is in search for his father, she decided to only take the strange rock as her reward and left the pouch with Poké behind for the boy to keep. Kit seems to have developed a crush for her because of that.

Daija Sancho
Daija is Ruben's little sister by 2 years. Pia met Daija during her trip to Wedgehurst with Ruben on Route 5. Daija was wary of the girl at first as she is well aware of her brother's "type". She has given Pia her nod of approval when she found the two being silly in the living room after she had left the house for a little bit to cool off. She thinks Pia is a positive influence in Ruben's life.

Jovian and Livia McMiller and Daniel
Pia met the McMiller couple and their foster son on Route 5 when she took a nap outside in the cold covered in her own Pokémon. Livia McMiller invited her at her home with happened to be the Nursery on Route 5. Pia investigated the Chimecho mystery of how she had suddenly laid two eggs. She appeared to be fostering them as trainer's had left those eggs behind. Chimecho have her a mint-green coloured egg with darker green swirls as a thank you for getting her wishes across to the McMiller couple.

Trainer ID

Pia McGuire:

Pia was born in the town of Hammerlocke in the Galar region and is part of the first graduating class of the Wedgehurt trainer's academy. Despite having lived in poverty, her mother has been able to pay for her tuition in alternative ways. She's quick witted and rather clever but is sometimes a bit "too" honest. Pia dreams of becoming an actress and does almost anything to get more money. When it comes down to it, what she really wants is to no longer live in poverty and live a bit more happily.

Inventory:

4x Pokéball

Galarian Pokédex

Xtransceiver

Broken Flashlight

King's Rock

Sun Stone

Thunderstone

Mint green Pokémon egg with darker green swirls

Outfits:

Daily Outfit:

Spoiler:

Contest outfit:

Spoiler:

Ribbons:

Turffield Ribbon 2nd place:

Badges:

Turffield Grass badge

Hulburry Water badge

Sapphire Rose · Mar 26, 2021

Pia McGuire & Ruben Sancho & Rosa Valdés
Poké:

5550 ♦ Pokémon: 4

The Hypocrites' Waltz part 2

"I can't wait for you to meet the girls; honestly, they're the best part of working here if you ask me." Bryce had walked the girls through the first house, showing off the fancy interior of the building as they headed into the changing rooms. "Over here we have the star of our afternoon shows, the ever lovely Ebony!" He followed, quickly coming up next to a dark-skinned and somewhat muscular woman.

She looked young to Rosa, but there were a few things that seemed kind of… off, about her. There was also a fresh and glistening bronze layer atop her skin which made the girl second-guess her initial opinion. She herself was quite good at covering up certain things she didn't want others to see, and that was even as a child. That also wasn't even considering that she'd been using hand-me-downs for cosmetics - if the cases that each of the girls around the room were holding in front of them were genuine, she could only imagine what the quality of the goods therein were like.

"She's kind of like the mother for the afternoon crew, but she's still got it." Bryce winked at Rosa, shielding his face against the watchful eyes of Pia. "She's been with the club for what… like, ten y-"

"Hey girls." Ebony said jovially, quickly slapping the back of her hand against the front of the man's waist before he could finish. Her smile hadn't faded since she'd turned to face them with Bryce's initial introduction, despite how he was left at the end of it. "I hope you'll excuse the boy, he's only been here a few months and still don't know how to treat a lady." She cocked her head back and forth, emphasising a few choice words with the movement.

Rosa nodded, watching as Bryce crumpled to the ground, grabbing at his upper thigh and moaning as he rocked back and forth. Her second-guessing may have been a little closer to home, going off of her reaction. "N-no worries," Rosa stuttered, looking around the room. There were nearly a dozen other women here of different colors and sizes all prettied up and in the process of putting on their faces. But, she didn't understand what this had to do with a 'Camarilla'. She'd looked up the definition before in some of her free time and had some ideas of what they could be, but didn't have anything concrete to go off of. "Are you uh," she started, not really sure how she wanted to pose the question, seeing how scantily clad the majority of them were.

Ebony smiled and nodded, laughing heartily as she pulled a tube from the counter next to her. "Exotic dancers, escorts, models - we go by a lot of names in the service industry."

"We're sluts, honey!" Another girl called out from a few seats down, "And we wear it well. There's no use pretending we're something we're not."

Ebony shrugged. "Mmmhm. Like Kandy says." She pursed her lips, running the velvety purple stick across her lips before tossing it back on the counter. "It's not always like that, but it is what pays the best. We're all here for different reasons," she began, slowly looking over from Rosa over to Pia. "Most of us are just in it til we find that "one" we can really bank on... Some just like the feeling of importance they get from being around rich pretty-boys all day long."

A den of prostitutes. It really was one. The confirmation hit Pia like a truck and the thought of getting the other girl here out as fast as possible was stronger than ever. The disdain she felt… the disgust. She couldn't let those feelings show. It would bring both her and Rosa in danger if they were to offend them. She felt her chest tightening up. People that sold their bodies… she just couldn't understand it. Maybe she just didn't want to. It was just… hitting a little close to home. How could they explain it so proudly while not at all mentioning the downsides of this "career"?

Pia glanced beside her at Rosa who seemed to be distracted with the conversation going on. She wondered what Rosa was even doing here. She then turned back to the girls. "I mean no offense but… doesn't it feel empty? People want to just use your body after all… are you not afraid they will forget you as soon as they walk out of this building?" The girl asked with genuine interest.

Ebony shrugged. "Shuga, that's just the name of the game." She laughed lightly, shaking her head as she put on her diamond stud earrings. "For some of the girls here, that's a plus. Some girls like that they can stack up on one-n-dones and not have to worry about anyone coming after 'em. Other girls got families to worry about that'd make it harder on 'em if someone caught feelin's on the job."

Kandy shook her head just behind Ebony, leaning in over the woman's shoulder to chime in with her two cents on the question. "See Misty over there? The redhead with the dreads and big belly… she didn't start working here until after her man got it wet and skipped town. Now look at her… eight months in, and completely independent. She got more money saved up to take care of her daughter than some of the six-inch salarymen that come in here five nights a week."

Ebony nodded, crossing her legs as she looked back at Pia. "There ain't no shame in doin' what's best for your kid. Trust me, I got several of 'em. If there were any other job I could do that let me be with my kids all day and only work when they sleepin' all while makin' the money that I do-" she shook her head as she trailed off. "It's hard bein' a single mother. This… makes it easier."

Pia listened with not much showing on her face except for the smile. Being a single mother was difficult…? She felt a flood of guilt opening up but also an anger she had hidden away starting to surface again. Still… Here she was, people who were trying to survive and she came barging in here, raining on their parade. There was truly no saving her, huh? Protecting Rosa. Protecting a person... as a villainess. What the hell was she even doing here. The conflict she felt inside her brain caused Pia's smile to slightly falter but she quickly took back up her bubbly act. She had to be strong, this was nothing new to her after all.

"It is what it is." Ebony followed up with a sigh. "Just gotta learn to separate work life from home life and you'll do fine. That being said, I don't think you'll necessarily have to worry about gettin' in this business any time soon." She smiled, tracing her eyes up Pia's figure as she bit her lip. "With the bag you got hanging around your arm, you ain't gonna have to worry about money for a while."

For the first time during this entire conversation, Pia looked a bit shocked. So they knew who she was. "I wasn't thinking of getting into this business." She said firmly, trying her best to stay as friendly as possible in her current state of mind. She was reminded of how Ruben doesn't know a thing about her and right now that really stung. What was worse, she had asked Milla to bring Ruben in here… She only now started realising how stupid of a decision that was. She was putting her reputation on the line for someone else. Her future.

Rosa glanced over at Pia and then back at Ebony. Whatever slang they were using to communicate more or less went over her head. She didn't see any kind of fancy purse on Pia's arm, and she definitely didn't have anything great herself since she'd come here straight from her gym challenge. Personally, she was still stuck on how casually 'Krystal' had used the word 'slut'. It wasn't a term that brought her any good memories, but for some reason, Krystal was smiling as she said it.

"So…" she started, looking over at Pia once more before she continued. They hadn't had time yet to talk about why she'd wanted so desperately to tag along, but Rosa had a few ideas - most of them involving what she'd done to Pia's boyfriend back in Turffield… but for now, she was actually somewhat interested in the women in front of her. They were all young, some of them very close in age to herself - but none of them had… "Why would you call yourself that?"

Ebony furrowed her brow, moving her attention back to Rosa. "Call ourselves what, sweety?"

"S-sluts," she said softly, pulling her sweater up over her face to hide her embarrassment. She didn't think it gave anything away about her past to Pia, but the word itself felt gross coming out of her own mouth.

"It's what we are, honey." Ebony shrugged once more, pushing herself up out of her seat. "It's not pretty, but you get used to it. It's better to own the things they'll try to call you than to hide from them. Words don't have any power unless you let 'em. Didn't your momma ever teach you that?"

Rosa winced and fell deeper into the extra fabric of her sweater, not particularly wanting to answer her question. Ebony stared at the girl for several seconds, tilting her head in different ways as she tried to make eye-contact with the girl before eventually giving up.

"It's just about time for the shift changes." She clapped her hands together, garnering the attention of all the other women in the room. "Showtime ladies! Put on your best perfumes and make sure to hydrate! We got a looooong night ahead of ourselves, and some very special guests on the V.I.P. list already."

The women all quickly began to close up the cases in front of them, hurriedly throwing on the last bits of makeup and jewelry that they could manage in the last few minutes before they made their way out of the room. Two of the women fell behind the rest, finding themselves on either side of the pregnant Misty before putting her arms over their shoulders to act as support.

Rosa found a gap in between the rest of the group and the stragglers, and silently fell into it with Pia just behind her. There was just enough room between them and everyone else that they could probably have a private conversation without being listened in on, but she wasn't sure exactly where to start her own questioning. Thankfully she didn't have to. Pia, who hadn't seemed at all shocked or bothered by the situation, opened her mouth instead.

"Rosa, why did that man bring you here?"

Rosa winced again. Straight to the point - Pia didn't play around. "It's for my job."

Pia raised an eyebrow and glanced at the girl. "Your job?" She repeated a bit surprised. She wasn't sure if she should reveal what she saw but at the same time it also felt like this conversation would come at a standstill if she didn't. Rosa looked so uncomfortable back then. Was this really merely for a job? Then why the alleys? Why the running? It didn't make sense. Why did Pia even care? She didn't even know herself but here she was wondering all of these things. "Rosa, what is this job of yours?" She suddenly blurted out.

"It's a…" she paused, quickly processing the meaning behind the way that she'd phrased the question.

Didn't she… already know what her job was? Ruben had been there when she was given the second package by Priscilla, surely he would have told her about Rosa making deliveries to the mafia if he… that was it. For whatever reason, he hadn't told her. Pia had no idea what was going on, but Rosa had already messed up. If she'd known beforehand that Pia had no idea what she was caught up in, then she could have played it off from the get go as something entirely innocent.

"Delivery job," she finished, fixing her gaze on the woman's back in front of her. "A new prototype and some mockups of lingerie for the dancers is what I was told. I was already on my way here from Turffield, so I figured why not, right? It puts a little extra money in my pocket, and the designer doesn't have to travel or pay delivery fees themselves." Maybe if she played her cards right, she'd be able to get Pia to just leave and not have to end up lying to yet another classmate about the severity of her situation. Pia had already seen through her facade once, but that was when she was at her most vulnerable. This time, she was ready to take the girl head-on.

Pia just sighed at the explanation. It still didn't add up. It explained why she was here and she was relieved to find out that the girl wasn't intending on following this line of career but it didn't explain the running away and the dark alleys. It actually raised more questions. This whole time, Rosa had also just acted along with their sudden "friendship" despite how much she had avoided her. "Rosa, why do you think I'm here?"

Rosa shrugged slightly. 'Because you're too nosy for your own good.' That's what she wanted to say, at least. She couldn't risk Pia causing a scene here though - not yet. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I thought you were avoiding me before after what happened that night. But… I was really surprised to see you here. I guess… maybe even happy? The thought of losing a potential friendship over a bunch of tears just seems so," she paused, holding her hands out as she spoke, fixing her gaze on her palms before letting them fall back to her sides. "So sad."

Pia sighed again. The girl had no clue then. Pia started wondering if she should have come here at all. No, she knew she probably shouldn't have come here. She glanced around to see if anyone was listening and started talking more quietly "I saw you at the bakery. I was actually about to walk up to you when that Bryce man showed up." Pia started explaining, once in a while throwing another glance at her surroundings. "You looked uncomfortable. It felt like something was off. When he led you off, I followed. Then he started running and I got even more suspicious of him. I thought he was kidnapping you somewhere. When he led you here… I thought he was trying to force you into…" Pia stopped speaking and shuddered. The last bit she didn't even want to say. It sounded so stupid now that she thought about it but she still couldn't shake the feeling of something being incredibly off.

Rosa shuddered a little herself as Pia trailed off. If Bryce hadn't introduced himself as part of the Camarilla, she probably would have felt a little sketched out by him too. But… this all meant Pia was at least somewhat worried about her. She could feel a smile creeping up on her face, though the intentions behind it were dubious at best.

"Oh, Bryce… yeah," she laughed lightly, covering her mouth a little. "I didn't really know who I was supposed to be meeting at first, so I was kind of caught off guard just because of how he looked, y'know? I mean… you look at me, and then you look at someone who's not quite so unnatractive like him and it just kind of-'' she stopped, rubbing her hands together and entangling her fingers to show what she was trying to say. "These prototypes are somewhat important, so they were worried about the possibility of them getting stolen by a competing club. When Bryce thought he heard someone following us, we got a little scared about getting attacked so we started running. And well, these little legs aren't going to get me far - so I had him carry me." She turned to Pia, smiling gently as she studied the girl's face as much as she could without moving her eyes across it.

Pia stayed silent at the explanation. It sounded plausible. It didn't seem like Bryce was a really bad guy at least. Still… the moment Rosa turned to her, Pia instantly knew she was putting up another mask. That smile, her eyes. She knew those and gritted her teeth. Did that mean she was straight out lying now? Pia just felt the irritation boil inside her. This was probably the last time she was going to get herself in trouble for a classmate. She looked straight in Rosa's eyes with her own green ones. "Rosa, are you in danger?" She whispered.

Rosa laughed lightly, smiled, and then shook her head. "No, I'm-"

"Ah, Miss Valdes!" Bryce called out, limping towards them as he tapped his fingertips against the crotch of his pants every so often. "I uh," he started, glancing back at Pia for less than a second before continuing. "There's no firearms allowed in the club, I'm afraid. I know it's a delivery, but if you're going down there then I'll have to take it from you."

Rosa's face went white as a sheet. What had she lied for, if this was how it was going to be revealed? That story she'd weaved so perfectly to explain away their behavior… for what? To get outed by the actual escort? She turned her head away from Pia not wanting to see her reaction as she reached into her bag before pulling out one of the two boxes and the note from Priscilla. "These are both for him, from the Sisterhood." Her voice was completely monotone, having lost any reason to keep up the charade in front of Pia now that Bryce had slipped up.

Rosa clenched her fists after Bryce took the first package from her, nodding as he started down the hallway. "I'll make sure he gets to work on it right away." He called back, causing the girl to wince. She wanted to, and should have followed Ebony's earlier example - just for a bit of payback.

"Lingerie, huh." Pia crossed her arms and tapped her feet, trying her best not to get furious. She knew she had no right to but… Weapons? Actual fucking weapons?! "So, not dangerous at all?" She continued. Rosa had been carrying weapons around. Since Turrfield if that was the only believable part of her story. She was in a prostitute house, with Rosa and they had weapons. "I almost regretted sending Milla out to get Ruben…" She whispered to herself, her calmness being an indication that it wasn't quite sinking in yet. Were they even going to let them go like this? "Rosa, what is this? Why are you delivering weapons of all things…?"

"It's… just something I have to do." She said calmly, looking behind her as the three stragglers had nearly caught up on them. There was no use in trying to lose Pia now - she needed to find a way to explain this all in a manner that didn't completely ruin her standing with the girl, since apparently it wasn't already at the end of its rope. She needed a distraction… anything to get them off of this topic while she thought of something else to sell her. "Do you hear that?" Rosa questioned as she took a few steps forward, following the girls that had gone down the stairs in front of them not long before. "It's… vibrating?" She questioned softly, looking at the railing to the steps.

A bit annoyed by the sudden topic change, Pia took a deep breath. She was definitely not finished with this conversation but… Calm. She had to stay calm. Just because they had weapons here did not mean that they were bad people. Maybe it's just to keep the prostitutes, escorts and strippers safe. That sounds plausible, right? At any rate, she followed Rosa downstairs, refusing to say another word right now.

Rosa glanced behind her briefly, turning back around to hide the snicker that followed. Being small and "protectable" had its benefits… she didn't know just how much time Pia would give her to think, but regardless she was already running through the scenarios in her head. It didn't seem that coming up with something believable enough would be the issue, but rather how she managed to present herself while giving it. She'd already been proven a liar once, so she'd have to get her expressions to be as genuine as she could. All those hours in front of the mirror needed to pay off at some point.

"Kill 'em with the sick flow, drill 'em with the info bid a silly billy bye bye
Skippin' from the intro illy wanna split flow, pity your committee why try
Kids and his kin folk busy with the single, really livin' in zeitgeist
Ready with the impulse, hit him with the plimsoll sin if you criticise I
Sick as I was, switchin' 'em off
Skip like criss cross, hit to the rock
Slip to the lot, kid to the rock
Flipped like a pissed off wizard of oz
Does radio play me though, maybe bro
Flames we throw, need more C4 to make me blow
I'm back with the G.O.A.T flow"

Rosa held her chest as they got to the bottom of the stairs. The doors in front of them were literally shaking from the sheer quantity of the bass permeating through them. The girl felt for her heart, losing its constant beat to the vibrations that were filling the waiting room they'd found themselves in. The lyrics of whatever was playing was muffled, but every so often when the doors would bulge out, she could make out some of what was being sung. The girl looked over at the man sitting at the booth just to the side of the door, watching him as he scrolled through something on his phone before putting it away.

"You girls got your V.I.P. badges?" He shouted, trying to make himself heard over the blaring music. He paused for a second, looking between the two girls as he watched for a reaction. "Ah, what the hell. Here," he started, pulling a couple of lanyards from the table next to him before giving them to the girls. "V.I.P. badges. It's a bit of a slow night, so there's no use hoarding them. Three free drinks, and a song request each. Just pass the bartender or DJ your lanyard and they'll stamp it for you."

"Oh, we're not-" Rosa started, feeling entirely uncomfortable already as she struggled to even hear her own voice.

"Alright, have fun then!" The man shouted, pushing the door open before motioning the girls through. His mouth kept moving, but Rosa couldn't hear anything else over the sound of the music.

It was even worse than just moments before. Now that the barrier between them was gone, Rosa was immediately hit with the full force of the sounds. But despite not even being able to hear herself think, something about the scene just drew her in. The girl quickly looked back at Pia, taking a few steps in as she did.

Pia only stared at the crowd in front of her, keeping a close eye on Rosa as she did. The jumping lights, the sweaty scents, people dancing like there was no tomorrow… This wasn't for her. This was something the people with a celebrity status would be doing, this was definitely not for… oh. In a weird kind of way, she was one. Famous people were supposed to like this stuff. People with a lot of money hosted these kinds of parties. For the first time in a while, Pia wondered what it meant to be "famous". Is this what was going to be expected of her? This wasn't her. She wasn't one of those "beautiful people".

Drawn in by her own thoughts, Pia followed Rosa wherever she was going without a thought of "wherever" could be. She was just determined to keep the girl close. Despite her dubious personality, she was still a classmate. For the sake of their professor, she couldn't let anything happen to her.

Rosa beelined it to the bar. Her birthday had just recently passed, so this was fine. She didn't have to worry about taking sips behind Pia's back or worry about what she might think of her if she ordered something stronger. Besides, it wasn't like they'd be able to hear each other over the music anyways. The girl looked around on her way, shielding her eyes against the overhead lights as she looked at the girls dancing a short ways above them. This much at least was similarly set up to the Sisterhood's building back in Turffield.

She recognized a couple of the dancers from the makeup room a short while ago, but didn't do anything to make herself known to them. She did however wonder how that pregnant girl did anything. They weren't exactly packed in down here, but some of the guests that were dancing seemed to be getting a little too into it, which she figured could cause some problems. She watched as one of the girls up above singled out some suit nearby and immediately started walking across the cage towards them.

Having locked into some weird nonverbal agreement by noticing each other, the man immediately pulled out a stack of pokedollars and licked his fingers before rubbing them across a bill. The girl leaned down to the floor of the cage, and the man leaned in, clearly "whispering" something into her ear as he spread out the wad of cash for her to see. The dancer tapped on her wrist and motioned towards the other side of the room, prompting the man to immediately start walking in the direction she'd pointed with a joyful look on his face. The dancer glanced over at Rosa and winked before walking off in that same direction herself.

"That was a lot of money…" Rosa whispered to herself, feeling confident in knowing that there was zero chance anyone else would hear her comment.

She continued on towards the bar, having only really slowed down for a few seconds to watch the interaction. She assumed Pia was still behind her, but hadn't taken the time to actually check. She was a V.I.P.. A real V.I.P., someone who was dating a celebrity… Rosa was basically just a plus one, even if she was the reason they were down here to begin with. If someone was going to stop one of the two of them for a talk, it would have been Pia.

"Doubleshot vodka cranberry," Rosa shouted as loud as she could, pulling off the lanyard before passing it to the bartender.

"And for you?" The bartender looked over at the other girl, waiting for her order as he pulled out a shaker and started grabbing the ingredients from behind him.

"None for me." Pia declined the man, giving Rosa a squint. He eyed her shortly before shrugging and continued with the shorter girl's drink.

Rosa glanced over at Pia before looking back at the bartender. "Suit yourself," she muttered, knowing the girl wouldn't be able to hear her. She watched as the man poured a little more than a double for her and tossed in some ice before topping it with the juice and shaking. This was her first time properly sitting at a bar, and to be honest, it didn't feel like anything had changed since the last time she did it.

"Thanks," she whispered as the bartender finished pouring her drink before pushing it towards her. She sighed deeply, lifting up the glass towards Pia before nodding her head. "Cheers." She mouthed, not even bothering to utter the words before tilting her head back, downing the shot. She slammed the glass back down on the counter, quickly sliding her pass back across the counter before tapping her now empty glass. "Another." What else was she supposed to do? The best thing to do was forget this ever happened, and these doubles were going to help her right along that path - though she was afraid to see what the bill looked like for the first shot after her pass ran out.

"I need six Topsy Swirlixs, three double Garbos, two Leafylutions, two blowjobs, and an Eeveelution sampler tray." The pregnant woman from before waddled behind the bar, passing the guy manning the station a list of drinks as she shouted. "All for V.I.P. room 22." Misty waddled back out of the bar and sat down directly next to Pia with a sigh, pulling a bottle of water from her apron before downing a few massive gulps from it. The woman was absolutely drenched in sweat, despite having only been down here for a short while. "You girls enjoying yourselves?" She shouted, leaning over just slightly towards Pia.

Pia raised an eyebrow at the names of the drinks. One name stuck out like an eyesore but the other were quite cute ones. If she didn't have the self-control she has now, she'd probably have fallen for it and tried a few. She glanced at the woman at her side. The fact she did this while pregnant was kind of impressive… all Pia could was nod at her question though. Unsure if she was actually enjoying herself and trying to hide the disdain she felt. That baby growing inside of her… was that from a client or…?

"That's great! This place is a lot of fun if you can let yourself go a little bit." she laughed, taking another drink from her bottle as she watched the bartender making up the massive order. "Ricky here's a great bartender too. He makes some of the best smoothies I've had since I started blowing up like a Wailmer."

Smoothies? Like… Fruit smoothies without alcohol? Pia perked up like some Eevee as her gaze immediately shifted to the bartender that was fixing some drinks for the pregnant woman. He snickered as he saw her face. "A moment, please." He said with a smirk, proud in his abilities as a mixer as the glasses and bottles flew around the bar. Pia gave a content smile in return. While alcohol was not her thing, smoothies totally were.

Rosa glanced up at what she assumed was the DJ's booth as she waited for her second shot. She couldn't hear the conversation going on behind her, so she instead chose to focus on the music that was being played. It… didn't sound like any one song, but rather a mix that was being put together on the fly. Was that what a DJ was? Every time Simon had a party back in Johto, his mom would hire one, but all they ever really seemed to do was play some songs off of a CD and pass time by playing with whatever other device they'd brought with them.

Every now and then she heard something that sounded familiar, but couldn't exactly place what it was. It was… definitely odd, since this definitely wasn't the type of scene that she would associate the songs she did know about with. She never was able to keep up with current trends of pop, and outside of metal bands all she really knew was the instrumentals that went along with her performances as a shrine maiden.

"Did you… get pregnant while working here?" The girl couldn't help asking.

Misty shook her head slightly, "Nah, didn't start working here until after I already found out." She shrugged. "You might think I'm a bad mom for gettin' int' this type of business when I'm already expecting, but believe me, I wouldn't have done it if I felt there was a better option." She slowly took another drink from her bottle, finishing off what was left of it before looking back over at Pia. "Most of the guys here are respectful enough - and the girls are really the best family I could have asked for. They stick up for me more than my real sisters ever have. A lot of 'em know what it's like to be in this situation, so they're all super understanding about my needs and limitations."

"It's just… hard to see this place as respectful. No offense." Pia responded, looking at her own hands rather than the pregnant woman beside her. "But I guess I could believe you from the things I've seen up till now. I just… I don't think a mother should get into this sort of job." Pia sighed, sat up and closed her eyes. It was a few moments before she opened one eye to glance at Misty. "Is this place full of people who were in similar situations?" She asked curiously. Misty could only chuckle.

"Most of 'm even. Like I said, I wouldn't have done it if I felt there were better options. It's hard for a single mum to get any sort of job. Bosses don't want to have to deal with those ladies needin' to leave work early for their kids or stayin' at home when they sick. The amount of job interviews I have had cannot be counted on two hands. Probably not even four." Misty explained as her attention was focussed on the first few drinks coming her way. The moment she turned back to Pia, all she saw was a girl that had shrunk a little. The biting on her lip… the guilt in her eyes. Misty had seen those before.

"Your eyes don't lie. You seem to have some sort of disdain for specifically mum's working in the industry. If you don't mind me askin'...why?" Misty's friendly smile had turned a little more serious while she bent towards Pia and held herself up with one arm on the bar.

"Ah… no, I'm just curious." Pia lied and tried to look away from the woman. Misty's burning eyes scorched through Pia's soul, however, and she only leaned in closer. Pia glanced beside her to see if Rosa was listening in but the music was so loud, there was probably no way. She eventually sighed and relented.

"My mother…" She started.

"Put your middle fingers up!" A voice screeched out over the speakers, followed promptly by a silence that rang out through the room for a few seconds.

'Okay, no, that definitely didn't fit in with the rest of the song.' She thought, listening to the words. For the DJ, that sample may have been the most damning, but for the conversation going on behind her… it was the silence. The music continued with a hefty bass drop a few seconds later, but she'd managed to tune into the conversation, and for a few moments at least, she was able to follow what was going on.

"My mother was an escort." Pia's voice reached Misty's ears who looked up in surprise. The disdain she had sensed from the young woman now making sense.

"Ahhh and lemme guess. You found out through the worst ways possible." Misty filled in. Pia only nodded. She was desperate to find a change of topic and soon she found one.

"Are you not afraid your kids are going to get bullied when their friends find out?" the girl asked, earning another chuckle from Misty.

"They'll learn to defend themselves against those judgemental brats." Misty winked.

"I-I see…"

Rosa glanced over at the bartender, seeing him finishing up the large order that the pregnant woman had brought over. She didn't exactly mind that he was prioritizing paying customers over her own second round, but she was starting to get even more curious about the conversation behind her now that she'd managed to catch some of what was going on. She got a nice and juicy little tidbit that she definitely wasn't supposed to hear, but other than that... She tried listening in through the music now that it had picked back up, but it was too far drowned out to hear anything else of interest - and besides, these weird lyrical splits kept drawing her back in.

"Just who is up there?" She whispered to herself, trying to look through the flashing lights that covered the dance floor. "Ugh… all I can see is… I think, pink hair? Is that-" Just as she was starting to get into the music, someone seemed to have stopped it - judging by the record scratching sound which she thought was something that only really happened in cartoons. She shrugged her shoulders as she watched the lights focus more on the floor than on shooting around the room. She could finally see through the display, and saw that the DJ she was trying to catch a glimpse of was actually a girl. Actually… wait, that girl was… familiar? But from where?

She shook her head, turning back towards the bartender. The lights were still too much to get a good look through, and it's not like who the DJ was really affected her anyways. The bartender had finally finished Misty's order, and had set it out on a tray for her. Finally he was - no, he wasn't. Now he was making something else… The girl sighed, watching as the man started tossing a number of pre-chopped fruits into a blender. That definitely wasn't for her.

Misty slowly rose to her feet, looking over at Pia as she fixed the tray to her forearm. "Sorry, love. I've got to deliver these drinks and take my next order - but if you're around in a bit, I'd love to talk with you a bit more. Most of the other girls around here'd be just as happy to answer your questions as well, if you're curious. We all know what it's like, whether we experienced it ourself or just helped someone else through it."

Pia only awkwardly smiled at Misty's kindness as she walked away. She had already said too much, even if she was a stranger.

"Oh! Honey, by the way," Misty said sweetly, turning to face Pia while the DJ booth was still empty. "Being an escort doesn't make your mum a bad mum. Don't ever forget that, and don't let no one tell you different."

Rosa's eyes widened as she shifted in her seat. 'So much for hanging onto that bit of blackmail.' she thought, glancing over at the shot that had finally but put in front of her. "Th-thanks." she stuttered, even less sure now of how she was supposed to act. Should she pretend to be surprised - like she hadn't just been eavesdropping and already heard that bit? Or should she just pretend that she didn't hear it at all? Or better yet, maybe she should just… The girl tapped the glass against the table and then tilted her head back, downing the drink before pushing it back across the counter. "I'll have what she's having… with some rum."

Pia's Party

Memories

STAGE 1: Wedgehurst -> Wild Area -> Motostoke

Wedgehurst
I choose you part 1
I choose you part 2
I choose you Final

Wild Area
Train to Wild Area ft. Raphael & Aeliana
Two birds with one stone
Two birds with one stone part 2 + Bird Brain
Wild Area with Arrietty

Motostoke
Double Trouble part 1
Double Trouble part 2

STAGE 2: Route 3 -> Galar Mine 1 -> Route 4 -> Turffield

Route 3
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 1
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 2
A Festive Fight to the Finish
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 1
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 2
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 3
A Two headed reflection

Galar Mine 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 2
Galar Mine #1 | Part 3

Route 4
Route 4
Coach McGuire
A failed attempt.

Turffield
Bad Company.
It gets worse.
Shopping shenanigans
A challenger approaches!
Gym battle: Turffield
Here and Now
Performance Post: Dreaming Fairy
New Friendships

Route 5
Homecoming | Part 1
Homecoming | Part 2
An eggcelent situation.

Hulburry
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 1
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 2
Hulburry Part 1
Hulburry Part 2
Hulburry Part 2
The Hypocrites' Waltz

Pia's journal

Arrietty Maverick
Pia and Arrietty met in the Wild Area although the two have shared classes before. It struck Pia as odd that the girl seemed to have no ambitions or goals at all. Although disappointed upon finding out this girl had no fire burning that would light her path, Pia made it her mission to help this girl get a goal and become a bit more social. Arrietty is the closest Pia can consider a "friend".

As according to their promise, Pia helped Arrietty get ready for her very first contest in Turffield. However, the girl ran off from stage when she was up. Pia has been feeling guilty for "forcing her into contesting" ever since.

Ruben Sancho
Pia met Ruben during Motostoke while on a double date with him, Arrietty and Ainsley. The date went disastrous with both Arrietty and Ainsley running off but Ruben and Pia were able to grow just a tiny bit closer during their search for Arrietty. They have been texting since and are on good terms with each other. They both seem to be interested in just a little bit more...

Ruben and Pia are officially dating since the end of the year festival on Route 3 following their "official second date" that went well. Pia knows about Ruben's ankle and that it's still hurting. They're in close contact with each other through calling and texting. They went on another date on Route 4 where Ruben had a gig for a coaching session with kids with the promise to spend time together after that. Both confirmed their feelings for the other by sharing a kiss. Pia likes him a lot.

Their relationship became public knowledge when a picture of Ruben staring down Pia's shirt was shared on social media and all gossip magazines. Ruben has been hiding it from Pia but as they went shopping, Pia got vocally attacked by a group of girls calling her out for being a whore and having no dignity. Ruben stood up for her and made their relationship public knowledge, no longer wanting to submit Pia to such harassment. Ruben publicly announced he likes Pia a lot and that they have been dating as opposed to what he has been saying before. Pia still doesn't know about the picture that's going around.

Despite the situation that had happened in the mall, Ruben insisted towards Raphael that they're just "friends" while Raphael announced to know more about their relationship due to being uncomfortable with the fact of calling Pia his "girlfriend". He has been slowly getting into the idea of being in a relationship with her throughout Turffield. The two of them visited his home in Wedgehurst during the events of Route 5 where Pia ended up meeting his sister Daija and his little brothers. He told Daija to stop calling her the "G" word but he ended up admitting to her he indeed considered Pia his girlfriend. During all of this Pia has been thinking about their time together and has grown quite fond of Ruben, more than she probably realizes herself as she has to constantly remind herself that she shouldn't be feeling the things that she is feeling. She believes that it will all come to an end but has recently started clinging on to a little spark of hope...

The two of them exchanged Applin's during their Valentine's day date where they also decided to release them, promising each other that they would stay together.

They've proven to be currently in love with both of them starting to show effort in their relationship. However, Pia's big secret that she's trying to keep hidden from Ruben is becoming a ticking time bomb...

In Hulburry things have started to get rocky for the two when Pia found out Ruben lied about not being in Hulburry when he broke into the gym Pia was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. He brought along Ainsley, two new friends Pia didn't know and Simon. The lie upsetted Pia greatly as lying is something she absolutely hated and the reason for it was so that Ruben could hang out with his friends. She hasn't messaged him since Nessa booted him out of the gym.

Raphael Allard
Pia met Raphael during her train ride to the wild Area together with Aeliana. Thinking that he had a lot of potential in becoming a chamption which would benefit her, Pia approached him thinking they could become friends. Their interactions didn't go as smoothly as Pia had hoped. After their argument at the end of her battle with Aeliana, the girl ran off thinking she had blown her chances. Raphael doesn't harbour any ill intend towards the girl and only hoped to give her some advice.

They have resolved their issues in Galar mine 1 and worked together to battle Oleana in which they were victorious. Raphael brought the issues with Pia's overprotectiveness of Milla back up on Route 4 when Pia was refusing Milla from battling. Raphael spoke some sense into her, prompting her to finally trust Milla. Raphael understands Pia better now and Pia has a better opinion of Raphael now too.

They met again during the events of the Turffield contest and spend some time talking to each other while Pia tried to get Ruben to apologize to Arrietty. Raphael said something similar to what he said on Route 4 and confused Pia in her actions. He seems to know more than he lets on.

Aeliana Kekoa
Pia met Aeliana during the train ride to the wild Area together with Raphael. Although her interactions with Aeliana went a little bit more smoothly than with Raphael, Pia still ran off at the end of their battle in an attempt to distract her since Pia owed her money for losing. Although Pia has declared Aeliana her rival, they haven't spoken since and Pia attempts to keep it that way.

Pia met Aeliana again on Route 3 when she was on her way to the end of the year market. Together with Rosa and Valerie they went into an haunted mansion. Although they didn't converse much, Aeliana made some comments that Pia saw as snarky that were meant well by Aeliana. This indicates that Pia still thinks that Aeliana is out to get her.

Their friendship was given a second chance in Hulburry during a photoshoot with Nessa that Aeliana had invited Pia for. Pia saw this as a really good chance to start her own "career" rather on relying on Ruben and his fame. They shared a moment together and seem to be on good terms again.

Ainsley
Ainsley was Pia's date partner during the double date in Motostoke and is Ruben's best friend. Ainsley pretended to be rich and paid for the date with Ruben's money. Pia saw through the charade and called him out on it after Ainsley suggested they'd book a hotel together and make love. He ran off afterwards, angry that the feelings of lust he harboured towards Pia were not returned. Pia doesn't think highly of Ainsley and told Ruben that he needs "better friends".

Pia and Ainsley met again in the Hulburry gym after he and Ruben broke in so that they could ask Nessa's hand in marriage. He called Pia a "gold digging sket" because of her relationship with Ruben and the pettiness he holds towards her for the date that didn't end in the hotel room. They both dislike each other greatly.

Melody Argent
Although Pia and Melody attended the same Trainer school and were in the same class, they never once teamed up for an assignment. Both didn't have a very good impression of the other and avoided them like the plague. It's not until the Festival Fun-time Flurry that they have tried teaming up to win a competition as both of them were interested in the prize. They chased down a cheater together and have a better opinion of each other since their teamwork. They figured out that they're a pretty good team actually. Both of them thinks "the other is not so bad after all".

Valerie Amity
Pia met Valerie on route 3 where they went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Rosa. They didn't get to converse much but it was enough for them to establish some sort of familiarity. Valerie calls Pia "Lady P" as a nickname. Pia thinks of Valerie as someone with too much energy but not a bad person overall, maybe a little too naïve.

Pia was able to form a friendshop with Valerie in Turffield where she finally managed to catch the girl alone. Pia decided that Valerie's stream and followers could help her towards her goal of becoming rich, one she is trying to head towards to against ever since the events with Catherine. She feels guilty about this though.

Rosa Valdés
Pia met Rosa on Route 3 and went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Valerie. They were stuck inside a room together where Rosa found golden nuggets and shared one with Pia. Rosa's small moments of kindness seemed insincere in Pia's eyes, someone who is well versed with duality. When Rosa left the end of the year market after they had gotten out of the haunted mansion, Pia followed her and saw her crying. Pia comforted the crying Rosa but as soon as Rosa had gotten herself together again, Pia fell the need to call her out on her duality, telling her that how she was acting now was quite different from before. Rosa denied at first but as soon as Pia had driven her into a corner, she stopped trying. After Jirachi appeared for a brief second, Rosa walked off. They're neither on bad or good terms but both have things they probably need to speak off.

Simon Pearburgh
Pia met Simon in Galar Mine 1. Pia thought nothing more of him than a bug nerd. They partnered up to battle against Oleana and his clever strategies impressed Pia, prompting her to compliment him after their shared life/death situation on Route 4.

Pia considers Simon to be a positive influence and appreciates him cheering her on during the contest in Turffield where he appeared to be the loudest in the room.

Pia met Simon again in Hulburry after he broke into the gym that she was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. She was disappointed in his behaviour but guessed this was probably Ruben and Ainsley's idea as he just stumbled up behind them.

Catherine Carlisle
Yeah.... Pia really doesn't like Catherine but she enjoys getting under her skin.

Kit
Pia met Kit in the Wild Area. Kit had been trying to catch a Pokémon for days but had yet to catch one. He begged the girl to help him in exchange for money and a strange rock that he found. Pia taught him how to catch a Pokémon but after hearing that Kit is in search for his father, she decided to only take the strange rock as her reward and left the pouch with Poké behind for the boy to keep. Kit seems to have developed a crush for her because of that.

Daija Sancho
Daija is Ruben's little sister by 2 years. Pia met Daija during her trip to Wedgehurst with Ruben on Route 5. Daija was wary of the girl at first as she is well aware of her brother's "type". She has given Pia her nod of approval when she found the two being silly in the living room after she had left the house for a little bit to cool off. She thinks Pia is a positive influence in Ruben's life.

Jovian and Livia McMiller and Daniel
Pia met the McMiller couple and their foster son on Route 5 when she took a nap outside in the cold covered in her own Pokémon. Livia McMiller invited her at her home with happened to be the Nursery on Route 5. Pia investigated the Chimecho mystery of how she had suddenly laid two eggs. She appeared to be fostering them as trainer's had left those eggs behind. Chimecho have her a mint-green coloured egg with darker green swirls as a thank you for getting her wishes across to the McMiller couple.

Trainer ID

Pia McGuire:

Pia was born in the town of Hammerlocke in the Galar region and is part of the first graduating class of the Wedgehurt trainer's academy. Despite having lived in poverty, her mother has been able to pay for her tuition in alternative ways. She's quick witted and rather clever but is sometimes a bit "too" honest. Pia dreams of becoming an actress and does almost anything to get more money. When it comes down to it, what she really wants is to no longer live in poverty and live a bit more happily.

Inventory:

4x Pokéball
Galarian Pokédex
Xtransceiver
Broken Flashlight
King's Rock
Sun Stone
Thunderstone
Mint green Pokémon egg with darker green swirls

Outfits:

Daily Outfit:

Spoiler:

Contest outfit:

Spoiler:

Ribbons:

Turffield Ribbon 2nd place:

Badges:

Turffield Grass badge

Hulburry Water badge

Shak · Mar 26, 2021

-Ruben Sancho

​

Remix to Admission

"...and for Tracey's fish tank?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I'll cover that too." Ruben responded with a sigh. Despite the classy blazer and shirt, the styled hair and expensive shoes, the boy wore the face of a homeless man. He'd had his beard trimmed and even bought new shoes for the occasion, yet still the boy looked like he hadn't slept in days. "Does the TV still work?" He asked as he passed the money to the annoyed girl through the doorway. On his side of the door, the room was filled with alcohol bottles, a cloud of cigarette smoke, a sock hanging from the smoke alarm on the ceiling; most worryingly the quartet of boys all dressed for a night on the town.

"I'm locking Tracey and Kate's rooms. So you've got two rooms between you. Divide that however you want." The girl huffed, pocketing the money.

Ainsley and Shadz sat on the other side of the lightly furnished room, the latter of the two fiddling with his ukelele, while the former was dragged out of yet another frustration filled micro transaction on whatever mobile game was testing his patience today by the girl's comment.

"Nah, nah, we get all for rooms, that was the deal. The mandem have got to bring back girls, we can't be sh-" He stopped as Ruben raised a hand to him. Seeing that flared up Vinnie. That pitiful acceptance of circumstance from Ruben just pissed him right off.

"Yo, you been stressin since we got here." Vinnie started, looking past the footballer to make eye contact with the homeowner. " Come out with the mandem, you keep them stress lines on your forehead, you gonna end up lookin like Shadz." He scoffed, pointing to the stricken boy who was learning the notes to a song while looking at a picture of his girlfriend in his wallet. The girl looked at the mess that was supposed to be her living room. Her gaze fell back on Ruben. She could understand Shadz's homesickness. The guy was practically been held hostage from seeing his girlfriend. Ainsley was always a mess. Ruben though...that one was a mystery to her. She looked down at the money he'd just handed over to her without breaking a sweat. What did a guy like him have to lose that he couldn't buy back in a heartbeat. Worse yet, he seemed to have his **** together. He was somebody. Right?

"Aren't you supposed to be a famous footballer or something? What are you doing wasting away with these idiots?" She asked, the question earning a glance from Ruben. Each of the boys looked up, curious to see what Ruben's reason really was. The celebrity stood silent for a moment. He scanned the room. His eyes finally fell on his phone. His family? Pia? His job? His reputation? He had plenty to lose getting caught up in the antics of his friends. Yet still...

"Roll with the mandem and find out ennit." Ruben said with a smirk. With that the girl rolled her eyes and headed out the front door. The comment earned him cheers and adulation from the others in the room...well, from Vinnie and Ainsley at least.

"Yooo, I was scared man had gone soft on us then." Vinnie laughed, finishing off with a relieved sigh. "Yo," Vinnie began again as he raised a glass, "to being the realest man out there." The rest raised their glass with him, to a cheers.

The blare and thump of club music shook the doorway behind the bouncer who overlooked the long line of people waiting in the cold. The four young men, carrying with them an aroma of liquor and over-applied aftershave, bounded down Hulbury's nightlife strip. They stumbled to the doorway, three out of the four inebriated and elated, none of them had a care in the world. Why would they? VIP. Bottle service all night. Hundreds of people would walk through those doors and never learn their names, but they'd see them every time they looked up. Tonight was their party.

The group approached the door full of confidence. Even Ruben carried that tipsy swagger of man stepping into a club, looking over the girls in the line like a hunter picking out prey. They were the realest man in Hulbury, and the club were going to make sure they felt that way: the girls would make sure they felt that way; other guys would make sure they felt that way. Ainsley and Vinnie sneered over at the common rabble as the duo walked straight to the door. The near seven foot giant manning the door looked them up and down and shook his head.

"Queues over there lads." He snorted, his voice so deep they could feel the vibration as he spoke. It was the kind of thing that would measure on a Richter scale. Ruben felt an air similar to his meeting with Big Mike in Motostoke. Vinnie shook his head and took charge of his group.

"VIP blud! We ain't gotta wait in no queue!" He exclaimed, throwing gun fingers up in the air to emphasise his point. The bouncer just scoffed.

"You lot? VIP?" The bouncer snorted, resisting the urge to laugh in their faces. "You know how much regular entry costs in this place? And I'm supposed to believe you lot are getting VIP booths? **** off." The man even went so far as to snort up a glob of saliva and spit it at their feet. Vinnie readied a fist to swing at the bouncer, but Ruben quickly stepped in. He could see the frustration and confusion on the face of each of his friends.

"Should be under the name Sancho. It's already booked." The footballer said, his voice heavy. The bouncer paused, a pang of recognition hitting him as he heard Ruben's own Motostoke accent and name said aloud. He hid his face behind the door as he checked. Sure enough, a girl with the club's logo on her blouse soon rounded the corner and escorted them through the club. Ainsley and Vinnie seemed to forget the incident the moment they stepped through the doors, but Ruben couldn't help but notice Shadz's resignation.

"What kinda racist ****?" Shadz grumbled, his voice barely audible over the thumping hip hop music, as he looked back at the bouncer.

"Leave it bro. Not worth it." Ruben sighed, trying to rest a hand on his friend's shoulder but being shrugged off.

"It isn't? Or we aren't? Bro you're famous, and you're still getting treated like us bro? You can't keep living like this bro." Shadz shook his head and brushed past Ruben as he followed behind the others.

Ruben stared into the depth of the dance floor as the purple neon light illuminated his face.. He was surrounded by bars, tables and booths. The DJ's decks were central in the room. Even the DJ had a couple of girls and some drinks in his to keep him busy whenever he took a break from manning his station. A little bidoof sat on the decks next to him, adjusting his mini headphones in unison with his trainer.

The place even had two screens playing music videos to whatever song was playing. Ruben groaned as he saw the face of 'Yung Peach Emoji' on the screen. The guy was taking over the club scene internationally and Ruben hadn't heard a single song of his he even half liked. This guy sold sex, drugs, gross overexpenditure and all sorts of goofy **** that came with it.

The boys found themselves escorted through to a staircase that led them to the VIP booths. Machokes and obstagoons manned the VIP area, led by a small team of human security. No one who wasn't supposed to was getting in. Ruben and Co certainly weren't part of that group tonight. They arrived at the leather booths, kitted with soundproof material that shut out the excess noise. Their booth already had a bucket filled with ice and bottles waiting for them; Rum, Whiskey, Vodka, Cognac, it didn't really matter what the boys might have wanted, their booth had it. Best of all, the barricade just outside their booth overlooked the main dance floor. They really were kings tonight. They were looking down on a court of dancers. The club was a performance to them. Ainsley spotted the bouncer from earlier and stuck his middle finger up at him, earning a laugh from the other boys. Vinnie and even Shadz joined in, sticking it to the ignorant doorman.

Ruben smiled, seeing the group finally forgetting about everything they'd been carrying up until this point. Vinnie had made him turn his phone off to stop him waiting for the message from Pia and honestly, it had worked. Ruben found himself sulking for days over the girl after the incident at Hulbury stadium. Now though, he was just feeling the moment.

There was a similar air here to that of Wedgehurst station. That feeling of being different. Of standing out. He looked around the place. It was hard not to notice.

"Mandem!" Ainsley called as he set down glasses and filled them with each of his friend's liquor of choice. "I know you're thinkin, 'why did Ains suggest this club?'. Firstly, love Nessa, but she's a sidechick to me now." He said, raising his glass, earning cheers from the rest of the boys. "Man's gonna win over the Alolan girl too, don't worry. It's a rough patch. She was fed lies by…" He gave a quick glance at Ruben before dismissing his next sentence. Best not to go there. "Misha Marsha is doing a public appearance here tonight. VIP meet and greet. Sexiest woman in the world." He glanced around again to see if any of the boys disagreed, but the statement was pretty unanimous. "I'm gonna wife her." The boys exchanged glances, even knowing glances with Ainsley himself this time. They laughed. On Ainsley's mention of her, the RnB singer appeared on the screen in a provocative pose. Her hypnotic voice played through the speakers. "That's a sign." Ainsley smirked. The laughing stopped, glances exchanged again but these ones were full of...worry and...belief. Could he? Ruben smirked and raised his glass. The rest followed suit.

"To marrying Misha Marsha."

The night continued onwards. Trips to the dance floor, champagne bottles and sparklers, girls invited to the booth, song requests. The night continued like any good night in VIP should. Even Ruben and Shadz were indulging in the attention, much to the pride of Vinnie. As the night went on though, despite all the attention they were getting, only Vinnie seemed to be bringing any girls back to the booth. That annoyed him.

"Mandem, what the **** are you doing?" He berated the boys as they returned to the booth together. Meanwhile, he sat with a group of girls drinking and laughing. "Oi, girls, I'll come look for you later. Gotta talk with the team and that." His statement earned a few disappointed groans and complaints from the girls, but they soon complied and left the VIP section. "You man are tekkin the piss. Where's your game at?" Ruben and Shadz exchanged glances, almost of disbelief. "Your girls ain't here fam, don't play that ****. Aight, on a real, when's the last time you man beat? Especially you man, I dunno how you turned so soft." It was Shadz who shrugged and concocted an answer first.

"Me and my girl are actually practici-"

"Fam, if I have to hear about your stupid hippie girlfriend one more time, I'm cutting off your dreads." Vinnie hissed. "Ruben, when's the last time you beat?" He added the last part with a squint toward Shadz. Again the question earned a glance up from the celebrity, but no words. The footballer furrowed his brows and searched for an answer in his mind. Long as they waited, Ruben truly couldn't come up with a satisfying answer. He thought through the times he'd tried to make a move on Pia and been rebuffed. They'd practically lived together for the best part of a month in Turffield. "Fam don't tell me you're on some enforced celibacy bull**** too."

"Watch out bro." Ruben scoffed.

"Well…"

Ruben cleared his throat. He really had nothing. He'd been caught out so often for lying recently, he was starting to believe he couldn't do it. Vinnie had a moment of realisation. The silence of Ruben was telling. "Fam you haven't beat? That's some soft **** to me bro. Cut that off now." All of the boys had a timeframe. They knew how long Ruben had been seeing Pia. Each of them looked at Ruben in disbelief and the celebrity could feel his heart sink.

"Fam, you been with her for what? Four months? You haven't beat at all?" Ainsley interjected, looking at Ruben in horror. "Man's supposed to be The Boltund Blitz, out here looking like 'Ruben no-****ing Sancho'?" Ainsley and Vinnie howled together in laughter.

Ruben grumbled quietly. He hadn't even considered how long it had been until now. He thought back to how easily dismissed he was at the listening party. Back to how Catherine and the kid that took his Tranquil were able to toss him aside as though he wasn't even there. His mind raced to when the kids he trained were treating him as if he was a joke, how Pia was able to make his questions about her family go away with a single kiss. He really had gone soft.

Raph always seemed to dismiss him as though he wasn't there. His family made an example of him at every opportunity. He thought back to the the women in the gym who used him to further her scheme, how Rosa and the mafia women were able to manipulate him like he was a tool for whoever needed a scapegoat, how Tania turned his budding relationship into a showponyta she could parade around however she needed to benefit Wedgehurst FC. Even the Wedgehurst fans had counted him out. Coach Mills had berated him after the game and Ruben was almost certain he'd never play for the club again after how that last game went.

He remembered, back before all this started, when he was The Boltund Blitz, girls used to offer themselves up to him in droves. He could have his ego boosted at a moment's notice. Now, he only ever seemed to see one and he couldn't even convince her that he was still supposed to be somebody. Not since Motostoke, did he even remember someone so much as showing interest. He really had gone soft and the world was seeing it. "Yo, you know what?" Ainsley continued.

"Nah it's dead though." Ruben butted in. "Ains, you're doing all this talking. I known you for way more than four months, I've never seen you with a girl once." Ruben spat, his words like venom. Vinnie and Shadz looked horrified, but couldn't look away. If there was one button you don't press with Ainsley, it was that one.

"**** off, you man know what I'm about." Ainsley sneered.

"Nah, bro, we don't. Tell us." Vinne urged, the stuttering moment, grating Ainsley more and more. "We been with you all week, you ain't draw no girls." The accusation only annoyed Ainsley more. He turned to Shadz for some back up. Shadz just shrugged. He was on his own now, back against the wall.

"You man hold me back bro...I'm a killer when I'm on my ones" Ainsley pleaded. All three of the boys exchanged glances, none of them able to back Ainsley's story. "**** off, you man are hating!" Again, the boys exchanged glances. Ruben cleared his throat and dared to ask the uncomfortable question.

"Ains...have you…ever…"

"**** off bro! Asking big man stupid questions! Of course I have! You man are moving mad!" Ainsley stamped in defiance, but none of his interrogators seemed the least bit phased. With Ruben breaking the Ice, Vinnie was more than happy to grind what was left of it to slush.

"Man's a virgin blud? Ainsley the savage? You're mad!" He howled in another fit of excitement. "Prove it wrong. Who've you beat? Call a girl and prove it."

"**** off bro, if I'm a virgin, how've I got a kid on the way?" Ruben. Shadz. Vinnie. Ainsley. Each of the four men stewed in the broth of that statement. Ruben in particular stared at Ainsley for a second longer than the others. He truly had no idea how to address his friend. Ruben watched as Ainsley put his head in his hands, letting out a deep sigh.

The attention was stole from the moment as the music shifted, the lights changed and the club welcomed its newest entrant. The woman's face appeared on the screen to roars, cheers, screams and whistles from the crowd below. She truly was beautiful, just like Ainsley had said. Long dark hair, almost glistening brown skin, piercing hazel eyes. Misha Marsha. Even Ruben watched onto the love she was getting with jealousy.

They watched the woman as she was taken through a back entrance that led her to the very same VIP booths that they occupied. Her booth alone was fortified with twice the pokesecurity that the whole VIP section was. Ainsley watched, rubbing away the tears that had started filling his eyes.

"Boys, I'm going in." He huffed, wasting no time in approaching the woman. An Obstagoon jumped in and toppled the intruder to the floor without so much as a sound. Ruben ran over to lend Ainsley a hand, which caught the attention of the famous singer.

"Ruben Sancho?" She asked, her Unovan accent as striking as the fact she recognised the footballer. Ruben raised a brow at her. "Sorry, I'm touring with Lil' Boober and he's been raving about your whole girlfriend situation. Even had us watching highlights of old games at one point." She explained, expecting that would settle the confusion of how she knew his name. "Have a drink with us, I'd love to see what Ruben Sancho really thinks of this whole ordeal." She smiled, before continuing to her booth without so much as waiting to see if the boy would follow.

Ruben almost had to be ushered forward, Vinnie and Shadz nodding for him to go, while Ainsley snatched his hand away and stood up on his own. Ruben sighed as his friend brushed past him and returned to the booth with the others. He wasn't about to say no to that though. If Misha Marsha and Lil Boober were talking about him, he really was somebody.

"So why didn't you just announce you were seeing each other from the beginning?" Misha laughed as Ruben finished explaining the story of how he and Pia came to be. "What, big bad Ruben Sancho was scared she wasn't ready for that sort of commitment? Meanwhile you were about to share a room together for a month."

"It was more complicated than that." Ruben explained through his own embarrassed chuckles. He was starting to realise how much older this woman was than him. The aura of confidence she had through years of fame was stunning. He recalled Pia's blip on the talk show. Misha wouldn't dream of even stuttering in a situation like that. She'd been there for years.

Yet, with all that, she took interest in him. "Once you start putting that kind of pressure on things, you gotta act different. Be someone else. More acting." He explained. The dutch courage the liquor gave him, pushing him through the honesty.

"Hmmm…" Misa hummed through a smirk. She opted to shift her full attention onto her drink, rather than humour that response from Ruben, which unsettled the boy.

"What?" He asked, dropping his faux amusement completely

"I just think you're acting now," she said with a shrug and a lazy smile. She swilled the cocktail stick in her drink before she continued. "You're sitting here pretending to be some insecure show off in the club because that's what your friends are. Ruben, you're a professional footballer." Her words stung Ruben, but he did well not to show it. Instead, he looked over at his boys, where an annoyed Ainsley was sitting watching. He watched as Ainsley stood up and peered over the balcony. "I'll tell you what I really think," Misha began again, regaining Ruben's attention. "I think you really like that girl. I think you want your friends to do better, but you're scared you're going to outgrow them. You don't want to lose them, so you keep holding yourself back." As she finished, she allowed herself a sip of her drink. Ruben furrowed his brows, glancing at her then back to where Ainsley was standing. He watched as his friend spread his arms over and stared down into the crowd.

"I got the biggest dick in this whole club! What?!?!" Ainsley bellowed over the music, his chest raised with pride. A few of the very same guys he was looking down on, now looked up at him, looking around the room to find where they needed to go to make an example of him. Even the bouncer looked to start making his way up before being rebuffed by his supervisor. A few uncertain machokes and obstagoons stepped in to take action, but even they were recalled. No one was amused. No one egged him on or laughed.

Vinnie and Shadz stepped in to calm Ainsley, but he shoved them off and stormed out into the smoking area. Ruben watched with pain in his eyes. Ainsley...

"I keep the people I have around me because they keep me grounded..." Ruben grumbled in response to Misha. He looked down at his glass and shoving it to the side. "If I'm gonna be the man I wanna be, I gotta be in charge of my own destiny. I'm taking whoever I want with me."

"So what do you do for them?" She asked.

"The same…" Again, his eyes lingered on the door Ainsley had left through. "...maybe that's not what they need." He sighed. "Excuse me." With that, he pushed out of his seat and walked after Ainsley.

Ruben stepped out into the open smoking area, where Ainsley leaned over the railing, cigarette in hand. He sighed and shook off his fear before approaching his friend. "Yo, Ains, me and Misha are just talking bro. I bigged you up to her, I swear. Told her how much you can bench."

"Forget Misha bro…" Ainsley sighed, staring off into the city of Hulbury. Ruben lost a step of his stride at that comment, but regained his momentum to mirror Ainsley and lean over the railing. "I ain't trynna be a dad bro." Ruben could hear the croak in Ainsley's voice. "Man might have to go off the grid for a while. Say goodbye before I gotta say hello." He sighed, before taking a long drag. Ruben stood silent for a moment and the duo just...let it be.

"Alola or Hoenn?" Ruben snorted, earning a chuckle from Ainsley who continued to blow puffs of smoke between him and the night's stars.

"Girl I been dealin with told me the other day. She wants to keep it."

"Mmmm…"

"Man can't even afford to get back to Motostoke without running from the train conductor, how the **** I'm gonna raise a kid? All I wanted was a night out with the mandem to forget about it all man."

"I hear you fam." Ruben responded, an emptiness in his tone. He just stared over the city. His head was clouded.

*sniffle*

Ruben glanced over at Ainsley, who was wiping the running bogey from his nose with his shirt sleeve. "You good bro?"

"I thought you was gonna tell me I was being stupid bro. I thought you was gonna be the one to say, 'nah bro, you can't leave the kid. You can't turn into your dad or some ****" He sniffled again. "I'm a bum bro. I was praying you would tell me you thought I could do it fam." Ainsley's voice was strained. Ruben stood and watched him wipe the tears from his eyes. "****! I can't even look after myself. How the **** am I gonna look after a whole ass other person?" Ruben's gaze fell over Hulbury again. He listened to Ainsley struggle against his breath and tears.

"You gotta love the kid," Ruben said, his words drifting into the depth of the city. "You can't love anyone...or anything, until you learn to love yourself." He looked around, as though his own words sounded as though they were coming from someone else.

"Since when did you become a love expert?" Ainsley scoffed, drying another tear in his sleeve. "Hammerlocke girl really got you whipped like that?" The humour of it was lost on Ruben, who bit his lip instead of saying anything. He returned his gaze over the city one more time before he spoke.

"Thought you'd be mad to be honest."

"What cause you stole her and Misha Marsha from me?" Ainsley scoffed again, making both of them laugh this time. "You caught feelings, so I think I'll let you off."

"Watch out bro." Ruben scoffed in response. His smile dimmed the more he thought about it. "I guess I really did, huh?" He sighed. Ainsley simply rolled his eyes in response. He was startled by the sudden movement Ruben made next. He...ducked behind the barricade. Ainsley peered over the barricade, the only thing that stood out to him being a ribbon wearing Pikachu sniffing around the city. The Pikachu glanced up at him, then continued sniffing. He looked down at Ruben with a raised brow.

"You good bro?"

As he spoke, the Pikachu came scurrying up the drainage pipes, still sniffing away until she caught sight of Ruben.

"Pika!" The electric mouse called, the desperation apparent in her voice. She gestured for Ruben to follow, but the boy just sat there.

"This is Pia's Pikachu! I told Pia I wasn't gonna be in Hulbury, remember?" Ruben sighed. He could see the pokemon had some urgency about her, but he just admitted to Ainsley that he'd fallen for the girl. Proving that he lied again was only going to ruin that. The Pikachu ran up to him and grabbed the phone from his pocket. "Milla chill." The boy grumbled in an attempt to grab her but the pokemon was relentless. She dropped the phone on the floor in front of him and growled again.

"Pi Pika!" With such strong resolve from Milla, Ruben picked up the phone. He looked to Ainsley, then back to the phone. Once the phone had turned on, a flood of texts, missed calls and notifications rushed in. Most notable was a text from Pia that read: 'Doing something dangerous. classmates in trouble? Idk. help'.

"The ****?" He mumbled. "Pia's in trouble?" Ruben asked, earning a nod of triumph from the frantic Pikachu. Ruben glanced around. He'd left the boys inside, he'd left Misha Marsha inside. This was still mandem night. He looked at Ainsley. Then finally looked back to Milla. "Milla, I can't help right now, I'm not supposed to be in-"

"Fam…" Ainsley grunted, cutting him off. "What happened to all that love stuff? You love the girl bro, go get her. She won't give a **** about that." Ainsley sighed. He walked over to Ruben and patted his chest with the backs of his hands. "Don't be your dad fam." Ruben grunted in response to that but said nothing. Ainsley held out a fist. The two pulled each other in for a quick fistbump and embrace. Ruben gave him a nod and began to follow Milla.

"I guess I really did fall…huh?" He repeated under his breath.

Hulbury​

Sapphire Rose · Mar 26, 2021

Pia McGuire & Ruben Sancho & Rosa Valdés
Poké:

5550 ♦ Pokémon: 4

Duplicity

Rosa stared at the steadily emptying cup in front of her. The bartender hadn't made it too strong, but that was actually the problem. It really was a good smoothie, but because it was so weak, she just kept sucking it down to the point that she'd have to stop and nurse the brainfreeze she won from it. She glanced over at Pia a few times, watching the girl and waiting to see what she'd do now. It had been about fifteen minutes since Misty had made her exit, and the silence that had taken her place sat between the two girls like a cartoonish wall of fog; the weight in the air was palpable.

Pia only sighed. She had done it now. She shouldn't have opened up. Not now. Not ever. She knew it would be a bad idea to tell anyone about it, even if it was a stranger. No doubt Rosa heard that particular sentence building. Did she even care about her own reputation at this point if she was so reckless about that secret?

"Don't tell Ruben." Pia could only bring up to say well she lifelessly stared in front of her and took a sip of her alcohol-free smoothie. "Please…"

Rosa's eyes widened the smallest bit as she listened to Pia's voice. 'Don't tell Ruben, huh? Guess that means he's not the only one keeping secrets.' She considered the girl's words for a few seconds, taking another sip from her drink. As far as she knew, she didn't have anything to gain from telling the football star - yet. If Ruben hadn't told Pia about their little rendezvous in Turffield, she supposed that she could hold on to this bit for Pia too. "It's not my place to tell him," she stated quietly.

"Thank you…" Pia sighed. These words took every bit of her pride to spit out but she was in no place to throw in demands. She sat in the back of her seat and stared at the roof. If only she hadn't gone out today.

Rosa followed suit, sighing herself as she took another sip from her drink. She wondered if maybe it would have been better to play up not having heard Misty, or maybe pretend to be a little more tipsy than she really was. But either way, she didn't see much to gain from the extra effort it required to give the girl beside her the runaround.

'What's taking them so long?' Rosa turned her head slightly, looking towards the corners of the room as she searched for an exit. She knew that they'd come in from more or less directly behind where they were now, but she also knew that there had to be other ways to get into the club. She didn't want to get caught off guard whenever they did come to tell her that the boss was ready for her. That being said, she also wondered if maybe she should still try and lose Pia before going back upstairs, just to spare the girl from getting too much more involved than she already was. After all, it wasn't like she needed a bodyguard this time around.

"Hey boo," a waitress walked behind the bar, tearing a page from her notebook before passing it over to the bartender. "Special order for VIP room 5. It's a *real* star, this time. I know you're good for it, but make sure I can get a tip, yeah?"

The waitress had her back towards the two girls sitting at the counter, but even from where Rosa was seated, she could tell that the woman looked as obnoxious as she sounded. She was loudly chewing on some gum, and her mouth was moving like a Mudsdale. She glanced behind her, looking Rosa over first before turning her head further to see Pia. When her sights set on the second girl, her smile widened and her chewing intensified as she turned her back on them once again.

"I didn't know just how much footballers make. Even with him being out of the game for months, Mr. Sancho's still got some pretty deep pockets to be able to afford drinks for all those girls."

Pia immediately shot up and her face turned to the woman faster than the speed of light upon hearing her boyfriend's name coming from the woman's mouth. Drinks for Ruben? Ruben was here? Of course he was here, she asked him to. Why was he enjoying… drinks though? Pia visibly looked confused for a moment there. The clock wheels in her brain spinning as she tried to make sense of the situation. There was probably a plausible explanation for this, right? Right?!

The bartender looked up in the direction of Pia, already knowing what the waitress was trying to do. He glanced down at the list of drinks and then pursed his lips as he pulled out a dozen shot glasses. "Is that really…" he started, glancing back up at Pia for another second before shaking his head. The man sighed, and then started making the drinks without question.

Rosa's ears also perked up at the mention of Ruben's name. What were the odds that he would be here too? She glanced over at Pia, wondering how she would be feeling now that she knew her boyfriend was here in yet another shady place. Though, he never told her about what happened between them with the Sisterhood, she wasn't entirely sure what would happen if they confronted him now with Pia's current mindset towards their surroundings. However… she liked where this new waitress was coming from, even if she was grossly annoying.

The waitress smiled at the bartender, making sure to point out each of the drinks on the list as he made them. "This Fuzzy Burmy's for this really tall broad with platinum blonde hair. Her lips are sooo big and pink, and her skin is this really pretty bronze color. Like… I bet that girl just spends all her time on the beach." The waitress moved her finger down the line, taking in a deep breath as she pointed at the next drink. "And this blowjob, is for the man himself. Make sure it's *extra* frothy."

Pia slammed both of her hands on the table and stood up from her seat, trying to keep her calm the best she could but the anger just came over her. He lied not once but twice, and this situation better not be what she thought it was. She grabbed Rosa's wrist, not allowing the girl to get out of her sight and stormed off in the directions where they had come across the VIP rooms earlier. Being dangerously quiet as she was.

Rosa reached for her drink as she was pulled away, not wanting to waste the last bit of her final free drink from her VIP card. "P-Pia?" She questioned, bouncing along behind the girl as she was dragged through the club floor. "What's wrong?" She asked, trying to be as innocent as possible. She knew that the waitress was going to be getting under her skin with her comments, but she didn't think that it was going to be this bad.

Pia couldn't find the words to describe "what was wrong". Of course she had asked Ruben to come… She even sent Milla. It was the thought of Ruben enjoying the company of another girl a little too much that brought unusual tears in her eyes. She rubbed them away and as soon as she heard a laughter that she was awfully familiar with, she bursted open the door where the sounds were coming from.

Rosa sighed quietly, looking at the scene in front of her as Pia vigorously pushed the door to the VIP room open. "Ruben fucking Sancho," she mumbled, shaking her head.

This may have been the only time Ruben's curiosity ever rivalled that of the Pikachu on his shoulder. Both he and Milla peered into a rogue doorway in the high decor but otherwise inconspicuous building, to the sight of a euphoric old man with lipstick prints all over his face. A gobsmacked Ruben raised his hand to cover the Milla's eyes. His own gaze returned to the guide that had greeted him at the door. The blonde pretty boy seemed way to jovial, stupid even, to be working in a place like this. Though Ruben assumed that was the point. He'd earned some fraction of Ruben's trust, at least. The man had assured him that Pia was safe but offered no explanation of how the two had met or what Pia was even doing in a place like this to begin with. Instead, he opted to showcase the establishment, showing the football star just what a place like this had to offer for 'someone like him'. Selling a brothel to a man who came looking for his girlfriend seemed like a bad business model, but Ruben was just over a week removed from flipping the bird to the people who regularly buy tickets to his own performances, so maybe he could learn a thing or two from Bryce. Ruben quietly scoffed at the thought.

His amusement seemed to wane a little as he glanced at Milla. The Pokemon was in such a panic when she found him, yet here she was under the roof of a whorehouse, happy as a Blissey. Well...she did still seem worried. She was still Pia's starter pokemon after all and despite how many times she'd worked against him, he was relieved they were in this together. He took a better look at the clearly concerned expression on the Pikachu's face. Had he missed that entirely. Part of him felt guilty for just assuming the electric mouse was so dopey she'd just be thrilled she'd done her part in finding him. With a sigh, he reached onto his shoulder and scratched Milla's chin. It only then occurred to him that Milla most likely heard what he said about Pia before leaving the club.

"Let's hope she feels the same way, huh?" Ruben muttered to her with a smile. He was so focused on Pia's partner, he hadn't even noticed Bryce had stopped walking completely. They had stopped at a door far nicer than the one he peered into earlier. Red velvet padding made up the face of it, the signifiers just reminding the boy of the place he'd walked into. If he was here with Ainsley and the boys, coming to a place like this would make for a night to remember. As it was, he was here looking for Pia and he was dreading finding out what brought her here. Part of him hoped he'd find out she discovered she was into girls and was enjoying it like any of his other friends would. He'd be heartbroken sure, but he could live with that. It was an easier thought to stomach than the alternatives. With another deep sigh, he pushed on and followed Bryce through the doors.

The silhouette of a crowd began to slowly take colour as the reflection of the room's only light, from the metal frame of the door, flashed past Ruben's face. Ruben peered in, many of the faces were focused on him. They watched him; they spoke about him, lusted after him. The thumping feeling in his head only worsened. He could practically feel the liquor sloshing around inside him as he felt himself get dragged deeper and deeper into the room.

"Where's Pia?" He tried to ask Bryce, the noise of the occasion swallowing up any response the shoddy guide may have given him.

"Did I hear shots? Coming right up Mr Sancho!" One of the...less clothed women announced between chomps of her chewing gum.

The footballer found himself pushed into a large sofa as he finally began to make sense of the room. The rug beneath their feet was fur, somehow kept in pristine condition despite the amount of shoes trampling about the place. It became apparent to Ruben very quickly, these people didn't do much walking at all. The disparity between fourty, fifty and sixty plus year old men and the twenty something year old women they were lusting after was clear as day. Despite that, there was a strange sense of comfort on both sides. Many of both were shoeless and even shirtless, yet mingling as if this was normal. Where the hell had Pia brought him?

A hand planted itself on Ruben's shoulder as he felt a weight plough into and shift sofa beneath him. Within minutes, at least three women had gathered around Ruben to tend to every little need. Not that he had any, even the drinks that were being collected for him was something he had not asked for.

Just when he started to feel comfortable with the thought that Pia was safe, still unsure whether this was the truth or not, a door slammed open. The room was immediately silent while a familiar figure with platinum blonde hair stood in the door opening. A smile immediately appeared on the footballer's face, glad to see his girlfriend all well and thriving. He just soon realised that Pia wasn't having the same relieved expression, in fact… she looked rather disappointed. No, actually, she looked super disappointed. Ruben only now realized in what kind of situation she had found him in. Surrounded by women that were not wearing a lot…

"Pia!" Ruben immediately jumped up, shrugging off any hands that were on his shoulder and startling Milla to rush over to the girl he had come to save. Milla ran past him and jumped in Pia's arms, occupying the very spot he had been aiming for if the girl would let him. "Pia, are you okay?"

"I wonder." Pia spoke quietly and scratched Milla's ears. "I know I asked you to come but… seriously, Ruben?" Her cold, disappointed gaze turned to him.

"Pia, I got brought here and told to wait for you." Ruben explained through a gulp. The girls was clearly annoyed. He'd given her too many reasons to be. Spotting Rosa in the corner of his eye only added insult to his severe injury right now. Of course she had something to do with this. At least if he saved Pia he'd have some sort of moral leverage. As it was, he stood in front of her as the bad guy, with nothing to show for it.

"But why do I have to find you here covered in women who are wearing almost nothing?" Pia almost scowled at him but tried to keep her cool, though it was obvious that she was everything but amused. "No offense." She shot at the girls who only shrugged as a response.

Rosa looked around the room, taking in the various scantily clad women and the men that they were still hanging on to. There were a couple of girls that she'd recognized from the makeup room earlier on, but for the most part, they seemed to be just regular people. The girl glanced at Ruben from the corner of her own eye, wondering how the guy kept managing to get himself caught up in these things. At least this time, it wasn't entirely her fault.

The girl took a seat nearby, finding herself next to a table with a tray of shots which had apparently been snuck in behind them, given they were cool to the touch but hadn't started to sweat. The girl glanced around, making sure everyone was too busy with the drama unfolding in front of them, and then snuck one of the drinks from the tray. She didn't have a horse in this race, so there was no reason for her to not just go about her business as she had been before.

She knew that from Ruben's perspective, she probably looked even worse than before, given that now instead of just 'pretending' that Pia was in danger, she'd actually managed to find herself next to the man's girlfriend. Although, it wasn't her fault that the girl had followed her all the way here and thought herself to be playing the part of a hero. She took a sip from the shot glass, not really knowing what to expect as she wiped away the cinnamon from her lips. She'd had… some issues with both of these people before, and wasn't exactly sure how this conversation was about to evolve - though she was fully prepared for it to eventually turn back towards her once they got done doing whatever between themselves.

Ruben scanned Pia with his eyes. She didn't seem that mad, and if him being surrounded by women was all she was upset about he was in the green. Easily explained away. Despite the crowd, Ruben eased into the situation, breathing a sigh of relief and even chuckling. He took a leisurely step back, strolling out of the tension.

"Bad timing." The boy shrugged, giving himself and a few of the old men in the room a good chuckle. He shook his head before he continued. "Pia, you don't have to worry about any of that stuff. I have girls around me all the time. Even in the club today, the boys were trying to get me to take back the girls we had in the booth. I even told Ainsley th-"

"You what?!" Pia shot a dangerous glare in Ruben's direction. Girl's all around him all the time?! Take girls back? Pia's face turned as pale as a ghost from the anger welling up inside her. "So first, you lied about being in Hulburry at all. Then you lied again about only being here for a few days because it's been a week and now you openly declare you're messing with other girls?!" Pia sneered, at this point even the girls stopped right in their tracks of what they were doing.

Rosa quickly moved her hand over her mouth, trying hard to keep in the shot that she'd just taken. She figured something was up between them. Since Pia didn't seem to know about what happened in Turffield, it was obvious that Ruben was hiding something from her… but she didn't expect anything this bad to come out of it. She quickly started weighing her options, given that this could be a good opportunity to slip away from Pia and get on with her business with the Camarilla. But at the same time… she felt slightly indebted to Ruben for not telling anyone about her involvement with the Sisterhood - even if he did kind of deserve what was currently being thrown his way. She was at a crossroads in her own mind, but as long as the star didn't dig himself an even deeper hole, then maybe she'd be able to -

"Messing with other-" Ruben repeated, at a loss for words that his attempts to comfort the girl had gone so horribly wrong. "No. No no. I was saying that I wasn't messing." He glanced at Milla, the oblivious Pikachu had so quickly left his side, he had only just now realised he was facing the firing squad alone. She was the closest thing he had to an alibi. That didn't bode well. "Pia...you're the one that told me to come here. I thought you were in danger." His gaze fell upon Rosa again.

"Mr. Sancho!" The voice of a man called out, preceded by the sound of the door behind them swinging open once more. "Mr. Tavi would be happy to-"

Rosa turned to look at the source of the voice, broken from her concentration. "Bryce?" She whispered, wondering what he was doing here. She had been waiting for him to come for them, but he shouldn't have known where they were. Then again, he had called out Ruben's name instead…

"Ah! Miss Valdes, and Miss McGuire, what perfect timing! Actually, if you're all ready, we can all head up together." Bryce walked into the center of the room, acting as cordial as could be with the group as he rubbed vigorously at his nose. Bryce smiled as he motioned for the three of them to come with him. "The Boss likes to greet his VIPs personally, so once he's done with that bit of business I'm sure he'll have no qualms discussing the rest of it with Miss Valdes, given your history together."

History together? Ruben raised a brow at that. History with Pia? If this guy knew about any history he and Rosa had, then Ruben was well within his right to see the girl and assume trouble. It made sense. In a place like this, an association with those women in Turffield made complete sense. Even for a guy like that. The boy glanced at his girlfriend, or rather the girl he hoped was still his girlfriend, and mouthed the words 'history together?'.

Rosa could feel the tension building in the air; although this time, it seemed to be directed towards herself. Bryce's words were just vague enough to cause trouble for her, and despite wanting to stick around and see how this late night drama turned out, she would feel much better in knowing that neither of her cohorts would understand exactly what she'd been in a place like this for. She also still felt quite bad about Ruben getting dragged into yet another mafia situation, so it seemed best to send him on his way before he could drag himself any further down this rabbit hole.

"I can…" Rosa started, setting down her glass. Her mind was racing, trying to push through the fog that was starting to cloud her thoughts. "I can go later - I'm not in any real rush. I don't have anything else to do today, so Mr… Tavi - was it? He can meet with Ruben and Pia first, and then I can go up alone after."

Pia was almost ready to shoot at Ruben when she heard the specific words of "having a history together" but instead she crossed her arms and huffed while she turned away from the boy, her anger still visible. Why did it make her angry so much? She wasn't supposed to care this much but she does. It hurt. It hurt so much that she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"We can all go together. I want to leave soon." Pia let out as emotionless as possible. "I won't make trouble..."

Ruben only nodded and followed along, reluctant to say another word.

"Perfect!" Bryce clapped his hands together, smiling as he headed back towards the door, pulling it open for the group. He looked back at them all, completely ignorant to what had just gone down - despite stepping right into the middle of the battlefield and planting a landmine of his own. "Unfortunately, Mr. Tavi is quite busy today, so it would be best if we could hurry along."

The trio had been led upstairs, passing through a building that looked more like a manufacturing facility than anything else. Every so often they'd find themselves walking down a glass hallway, looking out over roughly a hundred people dressed completely in white, working in what seemed to be a lab of some sort.

Finally, they found themselves brought before a door which seemed completely out of place given the rest of the building they'd just walked through. It was a large door, seemingly made of metal and quite heavy given the two Machamp which were dressed in black suits. The Pokemon flexed, their muscles bulging behind their suit sleeves as they seemingly struggled to pull open the doors for the guided trio.

Bryce stepped into the doorway, waving the three trainers in as he looked around outside. The guide nodded his head, prompting the Pokemon to close the door behind them all.

"Welcome, to the Big Room." Bryce spun around the guests, smiling as he motioned towards the four seats in front of the desk. "Go ahead and make yourselves at home. I'll go and let Mr. Tavi know you've arrived."

Rosa nodded, watching as the man hopped off towards a door on the other side of the room. She looked down at the chairs in front of the desk, quickly taking the seat closest to the middle of the desk. She still had no idea what Mr. Tavi was like, but what she assumed was his office seemed to be even more extravagant than Priscilla's had been, despite the massive aquarium which had served as one of the walls to her room. She stared at the empty chair straight across from her, wondering what she should be expecting as she waited for the couple to decide whether they were going to sit together or use her to divide themselves.

Ruben was hesitant, as he looked around the room. An uncomfortable familiarity hit him. Instinctively, he glanced over to Pia. She certainly hadn't warmed to him any, but she wasn't too offset by all that was going on either. He stepped aside, offering the seat to Pia before he did anything himself. Pia, however, only walked past Ruben and took a different seat entirely. She was still trying to hold back her tears but the anger she felt was radiating. Still she was quiet… dangerously quiet.

She took a glance around the room, not letting go of her anger but trying to distract herself a little all the same. It was extravagant and expensive. She was somehow reminded of the mansion that her and Rosa had been in with Valerie and Aeliana, although this looked less old. It was a luxury she could only hope to afford someday.

Rosa let out a small and mostly inaudible sigh as she stared at the doors directly across from her. Bryce was still standing in front of it, waiting for something. She turned her head slightly, noticing Pia had taken the only seat left open to the side of her. 'So that's how it's going to be, huh?' She thought, knowing that to her other side had been enough space for them to be together. Things seemed to be quite bad for Ruben, if Pia wouldn't even take the seat for appearances sake. She felt responsible for him, even if none of this had really been her fault.

"I've never seen anything so nice," she lied, knowing that both her and Ruben had been in a place very much like this only a couple months prior. "I think that mansion was the closest thing… it's almost overwhelming, don't you think?"

"Yeah… I suppose so…" Pia replied quietly. She wasn't angry at Rosa. She knew that what happened down there wasn't Rosa's fault. Neither was Ruben's lying throughout Hulburry. She sighed. She had to at least play pretend in front of Bryce and that Tavi person that was supposed to come. She turned her frown into a smile instead and just tried to ignore Ruben being there. "I would love to visit a place like that Mansion again. Eh… but I could do without the whole ghost stuff."

Ruben glanced between the two girls. Part of him wanted to use this conversation to add some clarity on Bryce's 'history' comments. The two girls had history. He knew full well that wasn't what Bryce meant, but it gave him an alibi at least. Still, he'd been caught out on just about every lie he'd told in Hulbury so far. Even the fires he was successfully putting out were still burning him. With a sigh, he gave in to his curiosity, looking at Rosa to ease his nerves, but hoping Pia would respond.

"How do you two know each other exactly?" Of course it was a question that would backfire, but one he just had to get the answer to.

Rosa's ears perked up at Ruben's question which had cut in just as she was considering what to follow up with to Pia. She quickly wondered whether or not she should respond to him, since it could help her in her relationship with Pia if she played the petty game with her and continued to ignore him. But at the same time…

"We have… history together." She replied just loud enough for him to hear, wondering what exactly she should say. It should help to calm both of their nerves about the situation if she tried to make Bryce's 'history' comment seem as innocent as possible, but either way that she went with it only really made herself look bad. She turned her attention back to Pia, smiling gently as she nodded her head. "I could honestly do without everything else. If we just got more nuggets and could spend some more time with Aeliana and Val, I think that'd be pretty fun."

"Yeah it would be." Pia smiled back at her. Though most of her acting was fake, there seemed to be some sincerity in her words.

It was a punch in the gut for sure, but the message was well received. Rosa had chosen a side. Milla had sure as hell chosen a side, though the Pikachu seemed somewhat sorrowful as she watched him from Pia's lap. Ruben rolled his tongue in his cheek before letting himself fall into a seat away from the girls.

Rosa's gaze turned towards Ruben as he fell into the furthest seat from her. She felt like she'd made the wrong decision, but there was nothing she could do at the moment that didn't make things worse for herself... and that was what mattered the most. She needed to worry about herself first, as hard as it was to watch the two of them, she couldn't let herself…

"Ah," Bryce pranced over to the only open seat, flopping down into it before laying a hand gently on the knees of both Rosa and Ruben. "Perfect, isn't it? Sitting nice and comfy between today's two VIPs, getting to listen to the boss talk big business - i couldn't ask for more! Except, maybe a little pick-me-up. Being the errand boy gets tiring y'know."

Pia's Party

Memories

STAGE 1: Wedgehurst -> Wild Area -> Motostoke

Wedgehurst
I choose you part 1
I choose you part 2
I choose you Final

Wild Area
Train to Wild Area ft. Raphael & Aeliana
Two birds with one stone
Two birds with one stone part 2 + Bird Brain
Wild Area with Arrietty

Motostoke
Double Trouble part 1
Double Trouble part 2

STAGE 2: Route 3 -> Galar Mine 1 -> Route 4 -> Turffield

Route 3
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 1
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 2
A Festive Fight to the Finish
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 1
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 2
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 3
A Two headed reflection

Galar Mine 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 2
Galar Mine #1 | Part 3

Route 4
Route 4
Coach McGuire
A failed attempt.

Turffield
Bad Company.
It gets worse.
Shopping shenanigans
A challenger approaches!
Gym battle: Turffield
Here and Now
Performance Post: Dreaming Fairy
New Friendships

Route 5
Homecoming | Part 1
Homecoming | Part 2
An eggcelent situation.

Hulburry
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 1
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 2
Hulburry Part 1
Hulburry Part 2
Hulburry Part 2
The Hypocrites' Waltz
The Hypocrites' Waltz Part 2

Pia's journal

Arrietty Maverick
Pia and Arrietty met in the Wild Area although the two have shared classes before. It struck Pia as odd that the girl seemed to have no ambitions or goals at all. Although disappointed upon finding out this girl had no fire burning that would light her path, Pia made it her mission to help this girl get a goal and become a bit more social. Arrietty is the closest Pia can consider a "friend".

As according to their promise, Pia helped Arrietty get ready for her very first contest in Turffield. However, the girl ran off from stage when she was up. Pia has been feeling guilty for "forcing her into contesting" ever since.

Ruben Sancho
Pia met Ruben during Motostoke while on a double date with him, Arrietty and Ainsley. The date went disastrous with both Arrietty and Ainsley running off but Ruben and Pia were able to grow just a tiny bit closer during their search for Arrietty. They have been texting since and are on good terms with each other. They both seem to be interested in just a little bit more...

Ruben and Pia are officially dating since the end of the year festival on Route 3 following their "official second date" that went well. Pia knows about Ruben's ankle and that it's still hurting. They're in close contact with each other through calling and texting. They went on another date on Route 4 where Ruben had a gig for a coaching session with kids with the promise to spend time together after that. Both confirmed their feelings for the other by sharing a kiss. Pia likes him a lot.

Their relationship became public knowledge when a picture of Ruben staring down Pia's shirt was shared on social media and all gossip magazines. Ruben has been hiding it from Pia but as they went shopping, Pia got vocally attacked by a group of girls calling her out for being a whore and having no dignity. Ruben stood up for her and made their relationship public knowledge, no longer wanting to submit Pia to such harassment. Ruben publicly announced he likes Pia a lot and that they have been dating as opposed to what he has been saying before. Pia still doesn't know about the picture that's going around.

Despite the situation that had happened in the mall, Ruben insisted towards Raphael that they're just "friends" while Raphael announced to know more about their relationship due to being uncomfortable with the fact of calling Pia his "girlfriend". He has been slowly getting into the idea of being in a relationship with her throughout Turffield. The two of them visited his home in Wedgehurst during the events of Route 5 where Pia ended up meeting his sister Daija and his little brothers. He told Daija to stop calling her the "G" word but he ended up admitting to her he indeed considered Pia his girlfriend. During all of this Pia has been thinking about their time together and has grown quite fond of Ruben, more than she probably realizes herself as she has to constantly remind herself that she shouldn't be feeling the things that she is feeling. She believes that it will all come to an end but has recently started clinging on to a little spark of hope...

The two of them exchanged Applin's during their Valentine's day date where they also decided to release them, promising each other that they would stay together.

They've proven to be currently in love with both of them starting to show effort in their relationship. However, Pia's big secret that she's trying to keep hidden from Ruben is becoming a ticking time bomb...

In Hulburry things have started to get rocky for the two when Pia found out Ruben lied about not being in Hulburry when he broke into the gym Pia was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. He brought along Ainsley, two new friends Pia didn't know and Simon. The lie upsetted Pia greatly as lying is something she absolutely hated and the reason for it was so that Ruben could hang out with his friends. She hasn't messaged him since Nessa booted him out of the gym.

Raphael Allard
Pia met Raphael during her train ride to the wild Area together with Aeliana. Thinking that he had a lot of potential in becoming a chamption which would benefit her, Pia approached him thinking they could become friends. Their interactions didn't go as smoothly as Pia had hoped. After their argument at the end of her battle with Aeliana, the girl ran off thinking she had blown her chances. Raphael doesn't harbour any ill intend towards the girl and only hoped to give her some advice.

They have resolved their issues in Galar mine 1 and worked together to battle Oleana in which they were victorious. Raphael brought the issues with Pia's overprotectiveness of Milla back up on Route 4 when Pia was refusing Milla from battling. Raphael spoke some sense into her, prompting her to finally trust Milla. Raphael understands Pia better now and Pia has a better opinion of Raphael now too.

They met again during the events of the Turffield contest and spend some time talking to each other while Pia tried to get Ruben to apologize to Arrietty. Raphael said something similar to what he said on Route 4 and confused Pia in her actions. He seems to know more than he lets on.

Aeliana Kekoa
Pia met Aeliana during the train ride to the wild Area together with Raphael. Although her interactions with Aeliana went a little bit more smoothly than with Raphael, Pia still ran off at the end of their battle in an attempt to distract her since Pia owed her money for losing. Although Pia has declared Aeliana her rival, they haven't spoken since and Pia attempts to keep it that way.

Pia met Aeliana again on Route 3 when she was on her way to the end of the year market. Together with Rosa and Valerie they went into an haunted mansion. Although they didn't converse much, Aeliana made some comments that Pia saw as snarky that were meant well by Aeliana. This indicates that Pia still thinks that Aeliana is out to get her.

Their friendship was given a second chance in Hulburry during a photoshoot with Nessa that Aeliana had invited Pia for. Pia saw this as a really good chance to start her own "career" rather on relying on Ruben and his fame. They shared a moment together and seem to be on good terms again.

Ainsley
Ainsley was Pia's date partner during the double date in Motostoke and is Ruben's best friend. Ainsley pretended to be rich and paid for the date with Ruben's money. Pia saw through the charade and called him out on it after Ainsley suggested they'd book a hotel together and make love. He ran off afterwards, angry that the feelings of lust he harboured towards Pia were not returned. Pia doesn't think highly of Ainsley and told Ruben that he needs "better friends".

Pia and Ainsley met again in the Hulburry gym after he and Ruben broke in so that they could ask Nessa's hand in marriage. He called Pia a "gold digging sket" because of her relationship with Ruben and the pettiness he holds towards her for the date that didn't end in the hotel room. They both dislike each other greatly.

Melody Argent
Although Pia and Melody attended the same Trainer school and were in the same class, they never once teamed up for an assignment. Both didn't have a very good impression of the other and avoided them like the plague. It's not until the Festival Fun-time Flurry that they have tried teaming up to win a competition as both of them were interested in the prize. They chased down a cheater together and have a better opinion of each other since their teamwork. They figured out that they're a pretty good team actually. Both of them thinks "the other is not so bad after all".

Valerie Amity
Pia met Valerie on route 3 where they went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Rosa. They didn't get to converse much but it was enough for them to establish some sort of familiarity. Valerie calls Pia "Lady P" as a nickname. Pia thinks of Valerie as someone with too much energy but not a bad person overall, maybe a little too naïve.

Pia was able to form a friendshop with Valerie in Turffield where she finally managed to catch the girl alone. Pia decided that Valerie's stream and followers could help her towards her goal of becoming rich, one she is trying to head towards to against ever since the events with Catherine. She feels guilty about this though.

Rosa Valdés
Pia met Rosa on Route 3 and went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Valerie. They were stuck inside a room together where Rosa found golden nuggets and shared one with Pia. Rosa's small moments of kindness seemed insincere in Pia's eyes, someone who is well versed with duality. When Rosa left the end of the year market after they had gotten out of the haunted mansion, Pia followed her and saw her crying. Pia comforted the crying Rosa but as soon as Rosa had gotten herself together again, Pia fell the need to call her out on her duality, telling her that how she was acting now was quite different from before. Rosa denied at first but as soon as Pia had driven her into a corner, she stopped trying. After Jirachi appeared for a brief second, Rosa walked off. They're neither on bad or good terms but both have things they probably need to speak off.

Simon Pearburgh
Pia met Simon in Galar Mine 1. Pia thought nothing more of him than a bug nerd. They partnered up to battle against Oleana and his clever strategies impressed Pia, prompting her to compliment him after their shared life/death situation on Route 4.

Pia considers Simon to be a positive influence and appreciates him cheering her on during the contest in Turffield where he appeared to be the loudest in the room.

Pia met Simon again in Hulburry after he broke into the gym that she was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. She was disappointed in his behaviour but guessed this was probably Ruben and Ainsley's idea as he just stumbled up behind them.

Catherine Carlisle
Yeah.... Pia really doesn't like Catherine but she enjoys getting under her skin.

Kit
Pia met Kit in the Wild Area. Kit had been trying to catch a Pokémon for days but had yet to catch one. He begged the girl to help him in exchange for money and a strange rock that he found. Pia taught him how to catch a Pokémon but after hearing that Kit is in search for his father, she decided to only take the strange rock as her reward and left the pouch with Poké behind for the boy to keep. Kit seems to have developed a crush for her because of that.

Daija Sancho
Daija is Ruben's little sister by 2 years. Pia met Daija during her trip to Wedgehurst with Ruben on Route 5. Daija was wary of the girl at first as she is well aware of her brother's "type". She has given Pia her nod of approval when she found the two being silly in the living room after she had left the house for a little bit to cool off. She thinks Pia is a positive influence in Ruben's life.

Jovian and Livia McMiller and Daniel
Pia met the McMiller couple and their foster son on Route 5 when she took a nap outside in the cold covered in her own Pokémon. Livia McMiller invited her at her home with happened to be the Nursery on Route 5. Pia investigated the Chimecho mystery of how she had suddenly laid two eggs. She appeared to be fostering them as trainer's had left those eggs behind. Chimecho have her a mint-green coloured egg with darker green swirls as a thank you for getting her wishes across to the McMiller couple.

Trainer ID

Pia McGuire:

Pia was born in the town of Hammerlocke in the Galar region and is part of the first graduating class of the Wedgehurt trainer's academy. Despite having lived in poverty, her mother has been able to pay for her tuition in alternative ways. She's quick witted and rather clever but is sometimes a bit "too" honest. Pia dreams of becoming an actress and does almost anything to get more money. When it comes down to it, what she really wants is to no longer live in poverty and live a bit more happily.

Inventory:

4x Pokéball
Galarian Pokédex
Xtransceiver
Broken Flashlight
King's Rock
Sun Stone
Thunderstone
Mint green Pokémon egg with darker green swirls

Outfits:

Daily Outfit:

Spoiler:

Contest outfit:

Spoiler:

Ribbons:

Turffield Ribbon 2nd place:

Badges:

Turffield Grass badge

Hulburry Water badge

Sapphire Rose · Mar 26, 2021

Pia McGuire & Ruben Sancho & Rosa Valdés
Poké:

5550 ♦ Pokémon: 4

Duplicity Part 2

Rosa looked over at the door that Bryce had been posted up against. She slowly moved her leg away from the man's hand, watching as the door slowly crept open. A fog of sorts seemed to spill out from behind the doors, filling the room with the stench of a skuntank. The girl curled her nose at the odor, having no idea what could have been making it as a dark-skinned man in a velvet shirt stepped out, pinching together the buttons only so much that the top didn't fall off his shoulders.

The man pushed the door open further as he walked out of the room, letting the girls get a good look at the massive bed which seemed to take up the majority of the floor space, which just happened to be covered with a mixture of both men and women in various states of undress. The view, however, was just barely out of sight of the two other boys in the room, having been blocked by the figure of the man which had just made his exit.

Spoiler:

"Sorry about the wait," the man spoke, and his voice immediately sent chills up the girls' spines. His voice was deep and gravelly, yet unexpectedly melodious. "My name's Tauvionne Burgandeiss, but you can refer to me as Mr. Tavi." He slowly walked over to the open seat across from the group, slouching down into the cushion as he pulled an expensive looking decanter from below the desk. "I see we have a couple of celebrities here. I do hope you'll excuse my absence from your visit thus far. I tend to show preferential treatment to the real VIPs such as you two, Miss McGuire and Mr. Sancho. Alas - I've had my hands full all morning."

"Real VIPs?" Ruben spoke up, the imposter syndrome the boy was battling with evident in his expression. Pia had a similar reaction. He sighed, sliding deeper into his seat. "Mr Tovion, what could someone like you…" he looked around at the opulence of the room, "...possibly gain from meeting someone like me?"

Tavi nodded, pouring some amber liquid from the bottle into a glass which was already on the table. "Of course. You're a VIP Mr. Sancho - a legend, in the making." The man smiled, leaning back in his seat with his new drink. "You're a footballer, and a Pokemon trainer. You're a star, whether you get the chance to be on the field or not. There's beauty in you, in the person you are, and where you've come from; as well as where I can still see you going." The man took a sip from the glass. He watched Ruben carefully as the boy looked down at his own hands. Tavi chuckled before pressing a button on his seat, which opened up a wall off to the side of the room. "Just look over there… those are my most prized possessions. Everything else in this room is expendable - either inherited from my father, or given to me as bribes or payments for services rendered. Now, as for those... autographed photos of all my favorites - all of the greats, from back before they really made it."

Rosa glanced over at the wall which had just opened up. She hadn't noticed what had lined it before, but whatever had been there was replaced with nearly thirty large pictures, each of which seemed to depict people who were either around her age or even younger. There were football stars, Pokemon trainers, and cinema legends. "Who… are these people?" Rosa questioned, not recognizing a single one.

"Stars. Legends. Champions. All of these people started out with nothing, but found themselves ranking not only among one another, but among history's greatest." The man took another drink, breaking the flow of his speech as he pointed towards Ruben and then at the wall. "See, there? That empty spot? That's for you. All I can gain from you, is the renown I know your name to be capable of." The man took another drink, leaving the wall open for the four of them to take in as he turned back towards the group. "I know what it's like to come up from nothing, and so I look for that in others. I search for those who may not have talent, but instead the drive to take them where their goals may be. They're all… so, beautiful. Whether that drive burns them to cinders, or propels them to the top of their craft - they're beautiful, nonetheless."

Ruben glanced down at his ankle, then over to Pia as the man mentioned the drive that burned them to cinders. If he were Rosa, he'd have his face covered by a sweater right now. As it was, the boy settled for tucking what he could fit of his chin into the collar of the muscle shirt he was wearing. It wasn't much. He, on the other hand, recognised plenty of the faces on the wall. Unlike Rosa, he understood perfectly what it meant for some of those faces to have burned to cinders; drugs, partying, underperformance, mental health...injury. Many of the faces on that wall had succumbed to the vices of the world around them one way or another, especially if they ended up in a place like this.

"You'll have to forgive me Mr.Tovi…" Ruben said with a sigh, hesitantly rising to his feet and examining the wall of faces more closely. "Please don't take offense but I've never really agreed with the sort of thing that guys do here. Attaching my name to that is a little…" He squirmed at the thought, recognising a few of the players on the wall as Hulbury Port FC stars of today.

Tavi slowly rose from his seat, swaying as he walked over to join Ruben. The man put his hand on the footballer's shoulder and leaned in, looking at the faces on the wall with him. The man parted his lips, making sure his voice was only so loud that the two of them could hear each other. "It's not an endorsement of any kind, don't worry. This is… my private collection. Outside of VIPs such as yourself, I'm the only one who gets to see this. It's not a bad thing to be up on this wall, nor does it mean you care about the business practices I've inherited. This is all just… a hobby. A hobby which I've travelled the world to build up my collection in. See there? Do you really think the champions of Hoenn, Kalos, and Sinnoh would be up on here if they stood in the same place you do now? They're all people I saw potential in, the same as you. All I am, is a fan. All I desire… is to look up at a signed photo of you as I listen in to the jabbering wannabes go on and on about The Boltund Blitz."

"You'll have to forgive me Mr Tovi…" Ruben said, straining the words out. "The last time I en...." the words seemed to flow out so naturally all of a sudden until his mind caught up to his mouth. He realised where he was again, or more importantly, who he was with. He glanced back at Pia before leaning in closer and bringing his voice to a whisper. "...the last time I was in a place like this, pictures I didn't even know they had were used against me. Hopefully you can understand why I'd be reluctant to willingly give a photo away after that." He sighed, his breath becoming audibly bated as he moved closer to the dangerous man.

Tavi sighed and shook his head, carrying on in the same quiet manner he had before. "Yes, of course - terrible bit of business, that. If it had been up to me, your romance would have been allowed the necessary time to flourish and bloom. Unfortunately, that side of the business belongs to our sisters, and not to me. It is… regrettable, to hear about your disinterest. I do hope you'll reconsider in the future though, at least before you get too big to sign a lowly fan's portrait. But for now, I suppose I should start looking at a way to get back at that devil for ruining this crowning bit of my collection." The man patted Ruben's shoulder, letting his hand linger there a second longer than was necessary before turning and walking away.

Pia side eyed the both of them, not knowing what was being talked off but her suspicions ever rising higher as she saw her boyfriend talk to the mafioso. She glanced up shortly at Rosa too but the girl seemed way too distracted with anything that was on the wall. Pia didn't recognize most of the faces on that wall except for a few actors. There were not a lot of women on the wall, that was for sure.

"And to you, Miss McGuire," Tavi spoke cordially, throwing himself back into his seat quickly after leaving Ruben to his thoughts. "I congratulate you on your recent victory at our gym here in Hulbury. I truly see why they call you The Sorceress. A very interesting match indeed - though I have to say, and I hope you don't take offense to this, but I'm much more interested in how you fare in contests at the moment, given your placing at the event in Turffield."

There it was again. The nickname "The Sorceress" that Nessa also had briefly mentioned before. Pia wondered where it came from and how it came to exist. She had the burning urge to ask but given their position here, she tried to withhold it. Still, it surprised her that he was interested in her for different reasons than just Ruben.

"Ah, yes. I was truly lucky to have placed second in that contest. I had practiced that skit for quite a while. I've actually been working on a new one too." Pia replied with a gentle smile spreading across her lips.

Tavi nodded, taking another drink from his glass before setting it down on the desk. "Well I certainly look forward to what you can do. Maybe I'll have the opportunity to ask you to be up on that wall someday too." The man smiled, looking over at Ruben before fixing his gaze onto Rosa. "Now, moving on to business."

Ruben perked up at that comment. He grumbled quietly, but held his tongue. His pleading eyes settled on Pia. The thought of the returning to a place like this after she'd 'made it' irritated him more than he thought it would. What was worse, the fact the mafia boss had the audacity to extend the offer to her, after he'd refused it, rubbed him the wrong way.

Rosa met the man's gaze, swallowing hard as she thought of what to say. He didn't seem to be nearly as scary as Priscilla, but he was still mafia. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner… I've been in town for almost two weeks and I-"

Tavi quickly raised his hand, cutting the girl off as soon as she'd started. "Don't worry about it. I'm in no rush. Our plans are still in the process of working themselves down, so it didn't really matter when you came to us." The man opened a drawer on his desk and pulled out a stack of letters, each of which had been addressed to Rosa. "Priscilla's got a stick so far up her ass about these things… its hard not to fuck with my sister when she gets anal about these things. She can't reach me here, given she has to go through me for keeping her own business afloat. So don't worry - if she tries to bitch or complain, I'll take the fall for you."

Rosa laughed uneasily, unsure of whether he was referring to Priscilla as his literal sister or just as the leader of the Sisterhood. She didn't care to ask, however. Instead she turned to look at Ruben who had yet to move from the wall of pictures. She didn't think she'd have to worry about him trying to play hero again here, given just how different Tavi seemed to be.

"So," Rosa leaned in, feeling her palms growing sweaty as she fought against the fog in her head. "What… what's next?"

Tavi smiled at the girl and nodded. "Of course, I'm sure you have other things you'd like to get to. It is, after all, your birthday - is it not?"
Rosa winced, and shrank into her seat.

"Y-yeah… I'm eighteen now."

"Yes, I thought so." Tauvionne smiled and turned his chair away from the girl. "In that case, I'll hurry things along, just for you." The man said sweetly as he pressed another button on his chair, opening up the wall directly across from Rosa, Pia, and Bryce - revealing a large collection of what was easily counted to be one hundred guns.

Pia swallowed whatever moisture she still had in her mouth after being exposed to so many guns. All kinds of them, automatic ones, handguns, shotguns and many more different kinds of guns. Each for their own specific kind of jobs she was sure. These would definitely get whatever job done. Her face turned as pale as sheet once again, not from anger but utter fear. She was face to face with someone who could put a bullet in her head and just as easily make her disappear from the face of the earth.

Ruben's brow raised ever so slightly at the sight. Though his expression barely changed, his body was stiff. More guns. It put him at some ease that Tavi didn't seem the type to wave the things arounds like Priscilla, but still, he hated that Pia had to be anywhere near these things. Even Rosa. That said, the boy thanked his lucky jirachis that he'd held his tongue with Tavi's earlier invitation to Pia.

"It was a bit of a rush job, seeing as how I was already busy. I never expected you'd do all this today, but it isn't a big deal regardless." Tavi slipped a glove over his hand as he reached up towards the wall, pulling down a seemingly regular handgun. The man then grabbed the box which Rosa had brought with her, placing a layer of plastic around the firearm before laying it back down in its home.

"Thanks?" Rosa quietly rose from her seat and held out her hands as Tavi finished wrapping the box before putting it in her possession. "But.. what am I supposed to do with it now?"

"Of course." Tavi pulled the glove off and tossed it in a bin beneath the desk before retaking his seat. "All you have to do is take it to Motostoke. Someone will be waiting to take it off your hands at that point."

"Oh," Rosa exclaimed. It did seem pretty obvious, after all. She didn't know how to get in touch with Damien anyways, so it made sense there'd already be someone there waiting for her. "So it is for Damien."

"No, not exactly. Damien doesn't need to know about this part of the delivery."

The girl furrowed her brow slightly, wondering exactly why Damien shouldn't know about this? She couldn't help but feel that it was kind of suspicious, but the fog clouding her mind was getting thicker by the minute. It's not like it mattered anyways - this was just a means to an end for her. Especially after the dreams that she'd been having, she was growing increasingly curious about whether that man with the different colored eyes was the person she was going to learn about or not.

Rosa pulled her bag off her back, opening it up and putting the package back into it before pulling out the other that was still left. "I think this is also for you then…" she quietly passed the second box across the table to the amusement of Tavi.

Pia sighed. Tavi didn't seem to particularly want to put a bullet in their heads but the sight was still enough to make her tremble even just slightly. The thought of Rosa running around with a gun again also wasn't a tranquil thought… What was this weird business Rosa was in being their delivery girl for guns...

"Ah… from Damien, huh?" Tavi grinned, opening the box quickly in front of them. Rosa was curious about what she'd been carrying around these past few months, given Priscilla hadn't opened her package in front of her or Ruben. The girl leaned in slightly to see what was contained within, but quickly leaned back at Tavi pulled out what seemed to be a pokeball which had a dark grey and black design rather than the regular red and white she was used to. "They have really outdone themselves this time."

The man lifted up a scrap of paper, reading the note that had been contained within to himself as an off-putting smile crept across his face. Tavi turned his attention back towards the people in front of him, putting the ball and the note back into the box before dropping it beneath the desk. The mafia boss pressed a button on his seat, closing the wall behind him as he cleared his throat.

"Nothing kids like you need to worry yourself with, though." Tavi's gaze shifted from Ruben, to Pia, and then finally landed on Rosa once more. "I have a gift for you - as a celebration for your birthday, as well as finishing up this little job for us, and of course… for winning your second gym badge."

Rosa stared at the desk, wondering what was so special about the ball she'd been carrying around. Though, as interested as she was, she was more excited about finally being at the end of this series of deliveries. Her gaze rose to meet Tavi's; her eyes were innocent, and without caution. She was still ignorant to her own destiny, despite having met many of the pieces already which were to be integral to her rehabilitation. The gears of fate had long since began turning, and the board upon which she sat was a bloody battlefield which had yet to escape the confines of its own namesake. Although, all that mattered to her now, was that as far as she knew, once she got back to Motostoke her journey would be able to turn back towards normalcy for a while.

"A gift?" She questioned, furrowing her brow slightly as she cocked her head. "What… why?"

Tavi smiled, pulling an ornate box roughly a foot in length from within it. "Just a little thank you, from me to you. Consider it a gift, with no other strings attached. I promise you this." The man pushed the box across the table towards the girl, nodding his head as she put her hands on it, looking up at him in confusion. "Go ahead. Open it."

Ruben glanced over at Pia. Neither of them were quite sure what to make of this whole birthday situation. From what Ruben knew, mostly from old films, people like him didn't offer birthday gifts to their couriers. Ruben daren't get closer, but walked closer to the chairs in the middle of the room to get a better angle and see what the girl was getting.

Rosa looked between Tavi and the box… and then over at Ruben and Pia, gauging each of their reactions to everything thus far - including the box that was now sitting in front of her. She took a deep breath and then held it in, pulling individually at the numerous ribbons which encompassed the box. After a few seconds of unwinding, the girl pulled the top of the box off, revealing a card which simply read 'Happy Birthday' in thick, playful block-style lettering sitting atop a mountain of tissue paper.

"I wasn't sure when exactly you were going to be coming my way, or what you'd end up doing before then for that matter. If I'd known you were going to bring friends, I'd have brought gifts for them as well as added a bit more to your card. Alas, I fixed up this gift for you back during your stay in Turffield in hopes of giving it to you as an early gift…" Tavi smiled, leaning back in his chair. "I do hope you don't find it too garish. It may seem sort of tacky, given that you are a Pokemon trainer and likely won't have a use for such a thing… but I believe there's a certain sense of security in knowing there's always a backup plan within arms reach if ever your Pokemon fail you."

The girl listened to Tauvionne speak as she dug through the tissue paper, gingerly setting the card off to the side as she searched for what was supposed to be her 'backup plan'. That was when she found it, and shakily began to wrap her fingers around the handle before pulling it free for all to see.

"I'm a strong believer in protecting the women that come under my roof - whether they're under my employ or not. I know it might be… weird, to get something like this from me - what can undoubtedly be considered a stranger. But, I would be able to rest easier at night knowing that someone of your stature had a second form of protection - just in case." The man looked over towards something in the corner of the room as he continued to speak, putting his feet up on the desk as he leaned back further in his seat. "It's nothing overly fancy - no golden hilt or jewel encrusted blade - so I hope you'll forgive me in that regard. However, it is practical and is a tested design."

"Th-thank you." Rosa stated, taking in the sight of the knife. Her hands were shaking, but she wrapped her fingers tightly around the sheathed blade nonetheless. Her gaze shifted towards Pia who was just beside her, wondering what the girl was thinking given everything that had happened up til now had ended with her receiving a knife of all things.

Ruben quietly found himself back among the chairs in the centre of the room, eying Pia carefully before stealing Rosa's old seat next to his girlfriend. The day had winded him, and the thought of little Rosa walking around with such an unambiguously brutal...thing. It was unsettling. He couldn't imagine Pia was used to seeing such a thing, but he knew how that sort of scenario turned out. He'd seen so many kids taken off the streets by one of those, one way or another. He certainly didn't remember her from the academy, but just going off the look of her, he never thought of Rosa as someone likely to become nothing more than a statistic.

Ruben wasn't the only one with such thoughts. The colour on Pia's face had never returned and she still looked at everything wondering if this was even real. First guns, now knives… What more was to come. What the heck are these Mafia practices and what was she supposed to think of this? The questions raised in her head but eventually she settled on just one answer as she sighed. 'I shouldn't have gotten involved'.

"And with that, I believe all of our business for today is finished." Tavi smiled, quickly taking his feet off the desk before leaning forward in his seat. "I apologize for taking up so much of your time, but it's not often that I can have such a cordial gathering in my office." The man dug around in another of the drawers on his desk, pulling out a large white brick wrapped in plastic.

Tavi noticed Ruben wince at the sight of the brick, but didn't let the boy's reaction diminish his smile any. "And of course, Mr. Sancho, if we ever do happen to meet again outside, I hope you'll be more open to giving a fan an autograph." The man's gaze lingered on the footballer for a second longer than necessary before he rose from his seat. "I wish you all the best of luck in your journeys going forward. But as for me," the man looked back at the door he'd come out from earlier and then started twisting the brick in his hand before looking back at them playfully. "I think I'll need a bit of a pick-me-up before returning to my prior business."

Bryce escorted the group to the exit of the main building, waving the trio off as he went back inside. Rosa tapped her hand against her bag, feeling the point of the knife's sheathe poking out from the side of it. The day was nearly over, and she'd almost gotten through the whole of it without having to think about the fact that it was her birthday at all. But now…

Ruben was happy to be free of the place. The tension hadn't lost a step, but the fresh air at least was refreshing. He walked a few paces behind the girls, who themselves were a step or two behind Bryce. His gaze lingered on Pia, who refused to so much as look at him.

"So, it was your birthday today." Pia's words cut through the tension between the trio. Her sharp, clearly upset voice probably even sharper than the knife Rosa had gotten as a present as she put her hands in her waist. Her thought process was abnormal compared to usual. Pia doesn't drink but right now… after witnessing all that? That was all she was craving for. "Sounds like there is something to celebrate." She flipped her short wavy hair to the back. "And I'm desperate for a drink." She winked with a small smirk. Ruben doesn't drink so that also meant Ruben was not coming.

Ruben raised a brow at that. Sure there was the incident at the festive market, but since then, he hadn't seen the girl so much as sip wine. Since when did she...? He opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself. What use was it at this point? Still, he was beside himself. This game of cat and mouse Pia was playing couldn't last forever. Could it? Though...he glanced back at the building they'd just left. He got why the girl would want to forget it all.

"Pia...I know all that was a lot. You ok-?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Pia cut him short. She sighed. What did she feel? A lot of things. Angry, scared, in love, jealous, furious, betrayed, hurt, upset, glad? Glad. Glad that they made it out alive. Wait. In love?

Pia smacked both her hands against her cheeks softly. Her cheeks were warm. The colour of her face had finally returned after they got outside. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. She couldn't think of those things. She merely liked him. She was ready to be disposed of at all times. Such was her fate to begin with. That's what she told herself. She just liked him a little bit and she hates lies. That's why she was so upset. That's what she kept telling herself.

"I'm fine. I'm just…" Pia thought for a little. "Hurt." She then confirmed. Ruben watched her and his expression softened. That rugged determination, the feeling that he 'at least' wanted a response out of the girl was gone. Seeing her like that hurt him, especially knowing it was his fault.

"Look, I uh...what I meant earlier, is that you're the only girl I see anymore. You stayed at my house and it felt normal. I was in a strip club and the only thing I could think was 'where's Pia?'.Then in the blink of an eye, we're here. Rosa of all people knows. We bumped into each other in Turffield," he began before giving the tiny girl a look as if to say 'no more details than that'. "I was a mess just at the idea that you were in trouble. You're family." He hung his head, stopping himself before he ended up being the one that said more than what was necessary.

Pia rubbed her arm while listening. "Family"... huh. The words were nice but also terrifying. It meant just enough but at the same time also too much. It was uncomfortable. She looked away from the boy. She had seen him covered in girls. It was hard to get that image out of her head but at the same time it was exhausting to stay this angry. If his words really had any truth in them… then perhaps she could blow the steam off… for now.

"I see…" She merely answered. "I'm glad you came. Just… Don't ever let me see anything like that again." She sighed tiredly but immediately turned her expression back into a glare. "That doesn't mean you can do that as long as I don't see it. And don't ever lie to me again." She warned him sternly, something she didn't think she would ever have to do. She felt unexpectedly possessive of him.

Ruben reeled back in response to that. There wasn't much he could say to that other than…

"Sorry," he sighed.

Rosa had been listening quietly to the couple's conversation, just hoping that they'd be able to reconcile and make up plans of their own. She didn't want to celebrate her birthday, she didn't want any gifts - she just wanted to pretend that the day never even existed. That was the whole reason for filling her schedule with everything she'd gotten into today.

The girl had been biting her lip; not quite so hard that it drew blood, but definitely enough that it felt uncomfortable. There were so many things she could have said… but nothing she really wanted to. "I'm … sorry too... for not telling you the truth…" Rosa added, shoving her hands into her pockets as she continued down the road. There was a lot that she wanted to tack onto the end of that, but given her mind was already foggy, she didn't feel comfortable enough in how the scenarios played out in her head to actually say it. 'I just didn't want to get you involved again.' The thought played itself over and over in her head, as if the idea itself were shouting at her to just let it out.

Pia walked up to Rosa and laid a hand upon her head, not ruffling it as Pia hated it when someone did that to her.

"You can make it up by having a drink with me." She said with a stoic face but the warmth of her hand was enough to make it seem genuine.

Rosa winced as the girl put her hand on her head, wondering what she should do now. She felt like she was almost there but just hadn't quite reached it yet. She tried to remember how much money she had on her, fondling around in her pocket for her ATC. "I don't know if I can…" she mumbled, wondering how she should break the news that even with the nugget they'd both gotten a while back, she was still more or less broke. "I still have to buy food for my Pokemon this week, and for myself, and then-"

"I can cover it." Ruben announced, raising his hand like a bad student trying to win favour with a teacher. "You guys can get whatever you want, open a tab and I'll...pay it tomorrow or something."

Rosa glanced back at the man and suddenly remembered that he loaded. She thought back to the bag of chips that she'd left when she got him involved in Turffield, realizing that a few drinks to finish taking her there would be nothing compared to everything else he spent so casually. But… she couldn't just pop up and instantly accept his offer.

"Oh… n-no, I couldn't ask you to do that." Rosa stammered, losing her footing as she tried to think through where this conversation could go. She had to make sure Pia was fine with him coming to begin with, given how they were just now trying to make up for everything from earlier. Regardless of whether it was easier or not for her to accept the footballer's money, it wasn't her decision on whether or not he came.

Pia raised an eyebrow at Ruben as well. Him paying? Usually she'd fight back and ask if she could at least pay for her own stuff but… she was tired… drinks were expensive… her guilty conscience lost against her unwillingness to deal with this now.

"Suit yourself…" she said as she walked off. After she took a few steps she stopped again. "... you coming?"

Rosa sighed, playing at sounding defeated as she walked a little quicker to catch up to Pia. She didn't think there'd be any issue getting her to accept, but she would have been happy either way. It didn't exactly matter to her whether she was able to go out for drinks or not. She exchanged glances with Ruben as he caught up, noting that he looked very uncertain. 'But for him it probably did,' she thought.

"I wouldn't feel right using your money to drink if you're not there with us," Rosa stated as she looked up at the man. She knew that most of her acts wouldn't work on him, given their history together. So what was best, was to just be truthful with him.

Ruben, who had been thinking up a way to excuse himself from the 'after party' that didn't rise more suspicion from his girlfriend, was dragged from his thoughts by Rosa's statement. This was one he wasn't going to win. With a forced chuckle, he tagged behind the two girls. Pia didn't want him there, he didn't drink, he really didn't trust Rosa as far as he could throw her...yet somehow the three of them were going to go to a bar. Great.

Pia's Party

Memories

STAGE 1: Wedgehurst -> Wild Area -> Motostoke

Wedgehurst
I choose you part 1
I choose you part 2
I choose you Final

Wild Area
Train to Wild Area ft. Raphael & Aeliana
Two birds with one stone
Two birds with one stone part 2 + Bird Brain
Wild Area with Arrietty

Motostoke
Double Trouble part 1
Double Trouble part 2

STAGE 2: Route 3 -> Galar Mine 1 -> Route 4 -> Turffield

Route 3
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 1
It's the most wine-derful time of the year | Part 2
A Festive Fight to the Finish
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 1
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 2
The Mystery of Mew! | Part 3
A Two headed reflection

Galar Mine 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 1
Galar Mine #1 | Part 2
Galar Mine #1 | Part 3

Route 4
Route 4
Coach McGuire
A failed attempt.

Turffield
Bad Company.
It gets worse.
Shopping shenanigans
A challenger approaches!
Gym battle: Turffield
Here and Now
Performance Post: Dreaming Fairy
New Friendships

Route 5
Homecoming | Part 1
Homecoming | Part 2
An eggcelent situation.

Hulburry
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 1
Gym battle: On treacherous waters Part 2
Hulburry Part 1
Hulburry Part 2
Hulburry Part 2
The Hypocrites' Waltz
The Hypocrites' Waltz Part 2
Duplicity

Pia's journal

Arrietty Maverick
Pia and Arrietty met in the Wild Area although the two have shared classes before. It struck Pia as odd that the girl seemed to have no ambitions or goals at all. Although disappointed upon finding out this girl had no fire burning that would light her path, Pia made it her mission to help this girl get a goal and become a bit more social. Arrietty is the closest Pia can consider a "friend".

As according to their promise, Pia helped Arrietty get ready for her very first contest in Turffield. However, the girl ran off from stage when she was up. Pia has been feeling guilty for "forcing her into contesting" ever since.

Ruben Sancho
Pia met Ruben during Motostoke while on a double date with him, Arrietty and Ainsley. The date went disastrous with both Arrietty and Ainsley running off but Ruben and Pia were able to grow just a tiny bit closer during their search for Arrietty. They have been texting since and are on good terms with each other. They both seem to be interested in just a little bit more...

Ruben and Pia are officially dating since the end of the year festival on Route 3 following their "official second date" that went well. Pia knows about Ruben's ankle and that it's still hurting. They're in close contact with each other through calling and texting. They went on another date on Route 4 where Ruben had a gig for a coaching session with kids with the promise to spend time together after that. Both confirmed their feelings for the other by sharing a kiss. Pia likes him a lot.

Their relationship became public knowledge when a picture of Ruben staring down Pia's shirt was shared on social media and all gossip magazines. Ruben has been hiding it from Pia but as they went shopping, Pia got vocally attacked by a group of girls calling her out for being a whore and having no dignity. Ruben stood up for her and made their relationship public knowledge, no longer wanting to submit Pia to such harassment. Ruben publicly announced he likes Pia a lot and that they have been dating as opposed to what he has been saying before. Pia still doesn't know about the picture that's going around.

Despite the situation that had happened in the mall, Ruben insisted towards Raphael that they're just "friends" while Raphael announced to know more about their relationship due to being uncomfortable with the fact of calling Pia his "girlfriend". He has been slowly getting into the idea of being in a relationship with her throughout Turffield. The two of them visited his home in Wedgehurst during the events of Route 5 where Pia ended up meeting his sister Daija and his little brothers. He told Daija to stop calling her the "G" word but he ended up admitting to her he indeed considered Pia his girlfriend. During all of this Pia has been thinking about their time together and has grown quite fond of Ruben, more than she probably realizes herself as she has to constantly remind herself that she shouldn't be feeling the things that she is feeling. She believes that it will all come to an end but has recently started clinging on to a little spark of hope...

The two of them exchanged Applin's during their Valentine's day date where they also decided to release them, promising each other that they would stay together.

They've proven to be currently in love with both of them starting to show effort in their relationship. However, Pia's big secret that she's trying to keep hidden from Ruben is becoming a ticking time bomb...

In Hulburry things have started to get rocky for the two when Pia found out Ruben lied about not being in Hulburry when he broke into the gym Pia was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. He brought along Ainsley, two new friends Pia didn't know and Simon. The lie upsetted Pia greatly as lying is something she absolutely hated and the reason for it was so that Ruben could hang out with his friends. She hasn't messaged him since Nessa booted him out of the gym.

Raphael Allard
Pia met Raphael during her train ride to the wild Area together with Aeliana. Thinking that he had a lot of potential in becoming a chamption which would benefit her, Pia approached him thinking they could become friends. Their interactions didn't go as smoothly as Pia had hoped. After their argument at the end of her battle with Aeliana, the girl ran off thinking she had blown her chances. Raphael doesn't harbour any ill intend towards the girl and only hoped to give her some advice.

They have resolved their issues in Galar mine 1 and worked together to battle Oleana in which they were victorious. Raphael brought the issues with Pia's overprotectiveness of Milla back up on Route 4 when Pia was refusing Milla from battling. Raphael spoke some sense into her, prompting her to finally trust Milla. Raphael understands Pia better now and Pia has a better opinion of Raphael now too.

They met again during the events of the Turffield contest and spend some time talking to each other while Pia tried to get Ruben to apologize to Arrietty. Raphael said something similar to what he said on Route 4 and confused Pia in her actions. He seems to know more than he lets on.

Aeliana Kekoa
Pia met Aeliana during the train ride to the wild Area together with Raphael. Although her interactions with Aeliana went a little bit more smoothly than with Raphael, Pia still ran off at the end of their battle in an attempt to distract her since Pia owed her money for losing. Although Pia has declared Aeliana her rival, they haven't spoken since and Pia attempts to keep it that way.

Pia met Aeliana again on Route 3 when she was on her way to the end of the year market. Together with Rosa and Valerie they went into an haunted mansion. Although they didn't converse much, Aeliana made some comments that Pia saw as snarky that were meant well by Aeliana. This indicates that Pia still thinks that Aeliana is out to get her.

Their friendship was given a second chance in Hulburry during a photoshoot with Nessa that Aeliana had invited Pia for. Pia saw this as a really good chance to start her own "career" rather on relying on Ruben and his fame. They shared a moment together and seem to be on good terms again.

Ainsley
Ainsley was Pia's date partner during the double date in Motostoke and is Ruben's best friend. Ainsley pretended to be rich and paid for the date with Ruben's money. Pia saw through the charade and called him out on it after Ainsley suggested they'd book a hotel together and make love. He ran off afterwards, angry that the feelings of lust he harboured towards Pia were not returned. Pia doesn't think highly of Ainsley and told Ruben that he needs "better friends".

Pia and Ainsley met again in the Hulburry gym after he and Ruben broke in so that they could ask Nessa's hand in marriage. He called Pia a "gold digging sket" because of her relationship with Ruben and the pettiness he holds towards her for the date that didn't end in the hotel room. They both dislike each other greatly.

Melody Argent
Although Pia and Melody attended the same Trainer school and were in the same class, they never once teamed up for an assignment. Both didn't have a very good impression of the other and avoided them like the plague. It's not until the Festival Fun-time Flurry that they have tried teaming up to win a competition as both of them were interested in the prize. They chased down a cheater together and have a better opinion of each other since their teamwork. They figured out that they're a pretty good team actually. Both of them thinks "the other is not so bad after all".

Valerie Amity
Pia met Valerie on route 3 where they went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Rosa. They didn't get to converse much but it was enough for them to establish some sort of familiarity. Valerie calls Pia "Lady P" as a nickname. Pia thinks of Valerie as someone with too much energy but not a bad person overall, maybe a little too naïve.

Pia was able to form a friendshop with Valerie in Turffield where she finally managed to catch the girl alone. Pia decided that Valerie's stream and followers could help her towards her goal of becoming rich, one she is trying to head towards to against ever since the events with Catherine. She feels guilty about this though.

Rosa Valdés
Pia met Rosa on Route 3 and went inside a haunted mansion together with Aeliana and Valerie. They were stuck inside a room together where Rosa found golden nuggets and shared one with Pia. Rosa's small moments of kindness seemed insincere in Pia's eyes, someone who is well versed with duality. When Rosa left the end of the year market after they had gotten out of the haunted mansion, Pia followed her and saw her crying. Pia comforted the crying Rosa but as soon as Rosa had gotten herself together again, Pia fell the need to call her out on her duality, telling her that how she was acting now was quite different from before. Rosa denied at first but as soon as Pia had driven her into a corner, she stopped trying. After Jirachi appeared for a brief second, Rosa walked off. They're neither on bad or good terms but both have things they probably need to speak off.

Simon Pearburgh
Pia met Simon in Galar Mine 1. Pia thought nothing more of him than a bug nerd. They partnered up to battle against Oleana and his clever strategies impressed Pia, prompting her to compliment him after their shared life/death situation on Route 4.

Pia considers Simon to be a positive influence and appreciates him cheering her on during the contest in Turffield where he appeared to be the loudest in the room.

Pia met Simon again in Hulburry after he broke into the gym that she was having a photoshoot at with Aeliana and Nessa. She was disappointed in his behaviour but guessed this was probably Ruben and Ainsley's idea as he just stumbled up behind them.

Catherine Carlisle
Yeah.... Pia really doesn't like Catherine but she enjoys getting under her skin.

Kit
Pia met Kit in the Wild Area. Kit had been trying to catch a Pokémon for days but had yet to catch one. He begged the girl to help him in exchange for money and a strange rock that he found. Pia taught him how to catch a Pokémon but after hearing that Kit is in search for his father, she decided to only take the strange rock as her reward and left the pouch with Poké behind for the boy to keep. Kit seems to have developed a crush for her because of that.

Daija Sancho
Daija is Ruben's little sister by 2 years. Pia met Daija during her trip to Wedgehurst with Ruben on Route 5. Daija was wary of the girl at first as she is well aware of her brother's "type". She has given Pia her nod of approval when she found the two being silly in the living room after she had left the house for a little bit to cool off. She thinks Pia is a positive influence in Ruben's life.

Jovian and Livia McMiller and Daniel
Pia met the McMiller couple and their foster son on Route 5 when she took a nap outside in the cold covered in her own Pokémon. Livia McMiller invited her at her home with happened to be the Nursery on Route 5. Pia investigated the Chimecho mystery of how she had suddenly laid two eggs. She appeared to be fostering them as trainer's had left those eggs behind. Chimecho have her a mint-green coloured egg with darker green swirls as a thank you for getting her wishes across to the McMiller couple.

Trainer ID

Pia McGuire:

Pia was born in the town of Hammerlocke in the Galar region and is part of the first graduating class of the Wedgehurt trainer's academy. Despite having lived in poverty, her mother has been able to pay for her tuition in alternative ways. She's quick witted and rather clever but is sometimes a bit "too" honest. Pia dreams of becoming an actress and does almost anything to get more money. When it comes down to it, what she really wants is to no longer live in poverty and live a bit more happily.

Inventory:

4x Pokéball
Galarian Pokédex
Xtransceiver
Broken Flashlight
King's Rock
Sun Stone
Thunderstone
Mint green Pokémon egg with darker green swirls

Outfits:

Daily Outfit:

Spoiler:

Contest outfit:

Spoiler:

Ribbons:

Turffield Ribbon 2nd place:

Badges:

Turffield Grass badge

Hulburry Water badge

Fen-Fen · Mar 26, 2021

Haleigh Windsor and Achille Beringer

Spoiler: Memories

Picking Up (Some) of the Pieces

Though the clock was steadily ticking into the afternoon, Haleigh was lying on her bed at the Pokemon Center still in her pajamas with Corey at her side, using her phone to watch some of the highlights from the Wedgehurst game versus Ballonlea that she wanted to watch, but had too spotty of a signal to catch it properly on her travels. Though the game was over a week old at that point and she was not a fan of either of the two teams, Ruben being in it was reason enough to check it out as a way to idly pass time and get her mind off of her woes for a little bit.

As it turned out, however, it was a game that was newsworthy for all the wrong reasons - and Ruben was at the forefront of it. One nil loss for Wedgehurst, Ruben's return to the pitch a disastrous affair with poor form, lack of cohesive plays and a foul attitude from the fans and Ruben alike; it was quite a sorry performance all around that Haleigh couldn't help but wince at. She had caught a few games of his every now and again back at the academy - and the difference couldn't be starker. He was confident, triumphant, poised, on the up and up.

Much like Haleigh had been before she faced Nessa.

While the commentator animatedly explained his bewilderment at the infamous refused pass by number seven over a clip replaying said moment, Haleigh sighed and turned to Corey, remarking, "Guess I'm not the only one having a shit time of things, eh Corey?"

Corey nodded, only half paying attention himself.

On her phone screen, the highlights were interrupted with a little banner notification of a message from Achille.

Hey, what are you doing right now.

nothing, just chilling i guess :/

Sounds like you're laying in bed. Can I drag you out of the room long enough to take you to the café?

idk...i look like shit, u sure u wanna see me rn? >.>

Haleigh had almost forgotten that she had set up another date with Achille. At the time she had made those plans, she was feeling pretty good about herself. First badge, first date, she was on top of the world as far as she was concerned.

And now, it was all different. She felt as if the winds had been knocked out of her sails in her day to day life, like just getting up out of bed was a monumental task to overcome. Haleigh only really got up to shower, use the toilet and feed her Pokemon and herself (mostly her Pokemon as her appetite was a bit scarce). It would certainly be better for her if she could get out of her funk long enough to do something fun, especially with Achille.

However, even that made her feel guilty. Have fun with Achille after the disaster of a performance she delivered? She didn't deserve it.

Please, I'm not that shallow. We're going to a café, not some black-tie club. I've gone out for coffee looking like the wrong end of a Garbodor.

Haleigh snorted at his line despite herself. With a small smile on her face, she replied:

okay fiiiiiiiiine. just give me a little bit to get ready. I'm at the hulbury pokemon center, i'll meet you outside

Corey raised an eyebrow at the small improvement in Haleigh's demeanor. He asked, "Rab?"

Haleigh replied, "Yeah, c'mon, we're gonna go get something to eat with Achille. I'm gonna go change into some proper clothes." She yawned, stretching and slowly lifting herself out of bed for the first time in several hours.

After getting ready, Haleigh was standing outside of the Pokemon Center, leaning up against the wall and idly checking her phone with Corey standing by her side in his own "going out attire" (which was just his normal self plus his trusty little satchel), fidgeting with anticipation for Achille's arrival. in anticipation for Achille's arrival.

The Kalosian arrived a few minutes later, Joiuse floating behind his shoulder in her normal watchful state. He'd surprisingly ditched the jacket and sunglasses, though likely in no small part due to the encroaching spring. "Morning." He smiled as he approached, but it wasn't quite as earnestly as before. He couldn't help but let some small amount of worry seep in.

Joiuse broke from her position and gave the two a bit of room. She hovered about two feet away, her back turned on the pair like a bodyguard at a client meeting. Ever since Achille happened to watch a movie with a bodyguard the Honedge had decided emulating the character was fun. She seemed happier instead of nervous, so Achille guessed it was fine.

"So, I'm a little tired of the Pokemon center coffee already, you know?" Achille tried to start up some kind of conversation that wouldn't lead to gym battles. "Thankfully it's not like we're in Turffield or Stow-on-Side, so I think there's a decent place around. Should be no surprise holidays either."

"Mornin'," Haleigh replied. It was apparent that she had not slept all that well despite spending most of her time in bed by the dark bags under her eyes. She tried to inject some enthusiasm in her reply and smile, but it was clearly plastered on. She wanted to be happy that he was there, but it was just hard to be enthused about many things in general these days.

Corey gave both Jouise and Achille a halfhearted wave, also seeming to share in his trainer's mood.

After a little bit of silence, Haleigh said, "I reckon some strong coffee would be good for me, it's been a bit hard to get going these past few days. Little bit peckish too, Corey got something but I wasn't all that hungry this morning so I skipped breakfast."

"Not a problem." Achille crossed his arms and tried to recall any of the places he passed, but must have been too lost in thought, as none sprang to mind. "If you don't mind a walk, there's probably something in that seaside overlook area. Seems the type of area." He could at least recall an area with shops and something like a café or two.

Haleigh perked up a little bit at that, remembering that they had discussed some seaside plans back on Route 5. It'd sure as hell be a better way to experience the seaside charm of Hulbury than she had previously. "Sure, that'd be pretty great. Wanna lead the way?"

Achille called Joiuse and started down the road towards the sea. There was a moment of awkward silence as he reached inside for some topic to talk about that didn't involve the massive Copperajah looming in the room. He soon decided it was rather pointless to avoid anything tangentially related at all. It'd be uncomfortably fake. "How's the team holding up?" Corey seemed in the gutter somewhat, but Achille admittedly feared worse when he hadn't heard from Haleigh the night after the match.

The girl sighed. She supposed it was inevitable it'd come up. If she had been afraid all of Galar had watched her match, then it certainly stood to reason Achille would have seen it. "They're...doing the best they can. I just…"

She paused, her emotions seeming to resurface on her face. Haleigh was tempted to keep them in, but what was the point, really? What good did she end up doing pretending she was okay up until that point? She already had broken down on live television, she had seen what good pushing others away did when she snapped at Corey.

"It's a lot, y'know? Having your weakness so nakedly shown in front of everyone, having to say 'no, I'm not fine', having to admit that your entire journey feels like a fuckin' farce." The first tears started to roll down her cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't want to get emotional like this for our date." She sniffled as her walking started to slow down.

Achille put his hand on her shoulder, though he did have to fight off an urge to hug her. "Hey, it's okay. Look, no need to put pressure on this to be a date. If you want to talk, it's fine."

He slowly inhaled and held his breath for a moment. No need to get worked up himself. He caught Joiuse trying to distance herself again, but she returned behind him after a single glare. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with a sword trying to wander off for the sake of privacy.

There was an errant thought to say that some of the others, himself included, are bound to screw up at some point here. Himself included. It didn't sound particularly comforting though, and this hardly seemed the mood for self-depreciation. "Yeah, it is pretty fucking awful. It's not a farce though. Maybe it feels like it, but it's not, okay. It's a stumble, but you're a good trainer. It's a Gym Leader. A tested professional. You've beat one already, her rival. You can beat her too."

Haleigh took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down. "But that was different. I had the type advantage, I had all the confidence in the world and I still barely pulled it off."

She started wiping away a few tears. "I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, but I ain't that strong girl you met in Route 3. Hell, even then I cried my eyes out and blubbered like a baby, kinda like now."

Achille chuckled a little bit. "Sorry if you think I'm actually cool and… I guess you'd say suave? Because honestly, I'm probably neither." A soft ghostly chuckle came from behind him. "We're trying though."

He let that sit for a moment. "Not even going to call me out on the 'cool and suave' bit, huh?"

Despite her mood, a shadow of a smile makes its way on her face. "Nah, you're pretty cool and all. It's me that's got it all mixed up. After all that's happened, how could I say I'm all that I've talked myself up to be?"

She paused, casting her expression downwards. "It feels like, I just gotta be strong and hold it together cause if I don't, people are gonna think less of me, they're gonna reject me, cast me out, say that I'm worthless…" She clenched her fist, another intense wave of emotions coming through.

Achille sighed. He wanted to tell her that image and rejection meant nothing, but he'd be the world's biggest hypocrite. Going off to another region entirely just to avoid bad press.

"But you're not," Achille said a little sternly. "And there are always people who won't." He took another slow, deep breath. "You hit a stumbling block. You had difficulty in an unfavorable matchup. And you'll overcome it. A journey isn't a farce because you struggled, what kind of journey do you breeze through?"

Haleigh sighed, letting herself calm down a little bit, answering the question in her head. He was right. The journey wasn't easy. It wasn't supposed to be, it's part of what made it so interesting, so compelling to her as a path.

She remembered her conversation that she had with Rosa back on Route 4. They had both come to agree that the journey was quite difficult, being out there alone. In a sense, Haleigh had to start her own even earlier than just graduating from the academy. Those lonely early nights, grabbing as much money and resources as her fourteen year old brain could comprehend as being necessary, only for it to bring her as far Spikemuth. It was funny that it had brought her there, being the center for all those punk bands that Haleigh had admired from up in her room. All so them living freely and enjoying their passions, not needing to be weighed down by someone else's crushing expectations.

Crushing expectations, wasn't that just what she had just admitted to still being a slave to? 'What does this anonymous face think of me, does x person think I'm weak?' Wasn't that what she was trying to get away from?

Finally rousing herself from her thoughts, Haleigh said, "You're right, Achille. You're right."

With a warm smile on her face, she got closer to Achille and gave him a big hug, embracing him tightly. There were still some tears in her eyes, but her expression was notably different. It was more content and hopeful. It was probably no coincidence it was with Achille that she felt that way.

Achille was taken aback for a moment, but returned the hug wholeheartedly. "Happy to see you feeling better." After the hug broke off he grabbed her hand and continued towards their destination. The sound of the sea soon became audible; faint splashing of wave upon rock and the much louder chatter of Wingull and Cramorant.

"I don't think we've ever had an actual battle," Achille said, thinking aloud. "I still haven't challenged her myself. We can sneak some practice in, if you feel up to it." He sighed a bit remembering the next part. "I kind of promised Proudhon he'd get to participate in the Nessa fight. And… well… Magikarp."

Haleigh could use the practice if she stood any chance versus Nessa a second time around. She remarked, "Yeah, I'd be up for it. Proudhon's quite lucky I'm in sore need of some battling practice myself. Guess there's no wine or Kalosian food this time, but some coffee and a battle certainly work in a pinch."

She was now smiling in earnest again, seeming to have regained some of the cheeriness and spunk that she was known for.

It wasn't long before the pair found themselves in a scenic part of the town. The hills created a wide view of the sea below. Ships sailed to and from the port, both for business and recreation, in a wide pattern of colors. Various water-types and seabird pokemon hung around the shoreline, completely unphased by the city behind them.

The smell of bread and coffee soon graced the salt-scented air as they approached a small street lined with stores and restaurants. One building in particular stood out to him, a small café that looked unchanged for the last couple decades. Normally it wouldn't catch his eye, but a view like this had to drive up rent a ton.

"Well, they must be doing something right if they make enough to stay open here." Achille pointed out the café, which seemed to be the source of the coffee fragrance.

Haleigh allowed herself to enjoy the pleasant scent of coffee, nodding at Achille's comment. "Yeah, bet it helps that it's a prime spot too. Gets everyone looking for that great seaside view. Locals, tourists, the young, the old. Couples." She emphasized the last word, looking at Achille.

The two of them, walking hand in hand, went into the cafe, a small bell jingling as they entered the place. The scenery was quite quaint as would be expected for a place like this, with blue tiled flooring, wood trimmings on the wall and a seating area consisting of counters, booths and tables. It wasn't quite a Lumiose City cafe, but still held enough charm to be appreciated - by Haleigh at least.

A few people sat inside, lone occupants at a table and a few occupied booths. A few people waited at the counter, and it looked like you ordered from there. The bread smell from earlier was coming from a small room behind the counter, some kind of small kitchen it seemed. The goal may have been getting Haliegh out of the room, but he was suddenly feeling a lot hungrier. The queue moved quickly though, and soon Achille was struck with indecisiveness at the selection in front of him.

"I'm torn between the Mago berry muffin and pain au chocolat personally." He said, feeling a sudden urge for something sweet.

"Ooooh, pain au chocolat!" Haleigh's eyes gleamed as her hunger had returned to her with a vengeance. "Now I know what I'm getting! Arceus, chocolate is just sooooo good! I'm gonna get two of those, a panini and an espresso."

The cashier nodded, Haleigh turning back to Achille and saying, "I'd recommend the Mago berry muffin, just cause I'm getting some pain au chocolat already. You can have some of mine if you're really hankering for chocolate."

"I'll go ahead and take the muffin and a macchiato then." Achille paid for the pair's food and grabbed a booth nearby. The coffee was still too hot for him to drink, but he didn't feel much like waiting to dig into his food. Definitely a kitchen back there. The first bite of the tropical-berry laden pastry was proof enough of how they stayed in business. "You know, Hulbury is no Cyllage, but I think it has its perks."

Scarfing down a pain au chocolat she dipped in her coffee, Haleigh replied with a smirk growing on her face, "And what sort of perks you reckon come with being here? Would any of them happen to involve meeting a certain girl?"

"We've got a nice seaside breeze. There's plenty of water for our more finicky Pokémon, like Proudhon. Good food." He grabbed his cup and took his first drink of coffee. "The company isn't bad either." He added with a smirk.

"Come now, surely I'm better than just 'not bad'." She gave a bit of a nervous chuckle. "I uh, know I spent the better part of an hour beating myself up, so it's a bit hypocritical of me to say." She took the first sip of her own coffee, this time complimenting it with the panini she had ordered.

Achille let his smile slip a bit. "No, you're right. You're better than 'not bad'. That includes the part that beats yourself up."

Haleigh looked away, scratching her head. "Yeah, it's something I gotta work on. Not just for me though, for Corey, for Cornelius, for Coraline, for Orion, for Cerise, for Reyna. They all deserve the best version of me."

She paused, mulling over her next set of words while looking into her cup of coffee. "For you even."

"Hey, that's all we can ask for." Achille took another drink of his coffee, feeling more at ease finally. A voice in the back of his head questioned how he would deal with his entire life being revealed on stage. The idea of Haleigh flinching and making some excuse to leave if she knew quite who she was getting involved with shamefully crossed his mind. Getting past Turffield without any issue did diminish that concern though. Surely if someone were to try and use it against him, they'd have played their hand by now?

Joiuse eventually nudged him, bringing him back to the present moment. He was here to help his girlfriend through a rough patch and here he was getting wrapped up in nothing again. "Sorry, got a little lost in thought. Did Melody reach out to you yet?"

Haleigh replied, "No, she hasn't yet."

Her thoughts wandered to her best friend. They hadn't properly seen each other since Turffield, though keeping in touch between then and now. When the loss happened, that had stopped abruptly. Haleigh was afraid of reaching out, of admitting she had fucked up.

"You happened to be the first one to reach out to me. I guess she's been busy herself, I was kind of afraid to reach out to her after it all went tits up. I was afraid of reaching out to anyone, really."

She gave a snort, adding, "You didn't think I was that vain, did you? When I said 'I look like shit, you sure you wanna see me right now?' I was trying to brush you off, but you and your Kalosian charm just got a way of gettin' through that funk I was in."

"Nah, nothing vain really about it. Just curious." Achille looked down at his drink, absentmindedly swirling it and watching the liquid form a small vortex. "Wanted to make sure you had support is all." In case I'm not around. "Arceus knows I was being a bit of a distant salaud in the academy, so looking back I'm glad I didn't have any major issues."

She giggled a little. "No need to be sorry about it now, you got more than enough time to make up for it."

Haleigh leaned in to be a bit closer to Achille.

Achille put his arm around her shoulder. "Well, I guess I can start making it up by helping you knock Nessa out of the water, huh?"

She rested her head on his shoulder, nodding. This was...really nice. Being held like this, being reassured things were gonna work out, being told that you were wanted. The only other person who she could say could make her feel good like this would be Melody. Expectedly though, she felt a bit differently with Achille. It was something Haleigh was not willing to let go of easily.

Haleigh lowered her voice and said gently into his ear, "Thanks, for everything. I...I think you're starting to mean a lot to me. Someone to think of out there in the big scary world, someone to cherish."

She started to blush at the things she was saying. "I u-um, I can't even blame alcohol on this one. I'm sorry, I'm rambling."

Achille had to turn his head to hide his own crimson face. He opened his mouth to try and say something, but no words actually came out. Guess I'm going to have the opposite problem. "It's… fine. Trust me."

And in that moment, Haleigh believed it. For the first time since she entered Hulbury, she believed things were gonna be fine. Not because of the incessant need to press onwards full speed ahead, not because she repeated it in her head like a mantra. She believed it because there were going to be people for her there to support her.

After leaving the café, the pair found their way towards a largely empty patch of shoreline that would be perfect for training. It wasn't a particularly large beach, but the pebbly stretch of land would give them a comfortable amount of room to move as well as access to the water.

Achille let go of Haleigh's hand and checked the surroundings. The port was somewhat nearby, but they weren't too visible from there, and there was no real danger of them interrupting someone there. "I think this will actually work," he said in conclusion. "Proudhon should at least be able to fight without being on land for once."

"Yeah, I know Nessa talks smack about the pool being her element but I know you and him ain't gonna let her coast on that."

Haleigh mulled over Achille's choice for a Pokemon. It was fitting that she got practice against a water type given her opponent. Even she had to be skeptical at Proudhon being a Magikarp, but given his performance versus Milo, Haleigh was confident that with his skills, he had trained him up into a proper battler...at least as much as a Magikarp could be.

She turned her attention to Corey for a second, asking him, "You still got that TR Catherine gave ya, right?"

Corey pulled out the yellow disk he had been safekeeping in the very satchel that Achille had gifted him way back on Route 3, holding it out for Haleigh to pick up.

Upon snatching up the yellow disk, she showed it to Achille, remarking, "I got myself a secret weapon to help me out. Electro Ball. Fitting that the Scorbunny line can learn it, innit?"

"Absolutely. You wanted to say you only won against Milo due to type advantage and you're hiding that card?" Achille grabbed Proudhon's pokeball from his bag, tossing the actual bag aside. "I almost feel bad for Proudhon. Knowing him, though, he'd be more pissed if I benched him just because of one bad move matchup."

He tossed the poké ball onto the beach, releasing the Magikarp into the water outside. Proudhon turned to look at the Kalosian, but noticed Haleigh next to him and his mood visibly dropped. As it always did when Achille called him for anything more than a fight.

"Don't worry," He shouted to the fish, "you'll get to have a brawl. Might want to warm up, though. Corey is probably going to be taking potshots at you with electric attacks." The Magikarp scoffed at the thought, but dove down to stretch his muscles anyways. "Well, that'll take a few minutes."

"Well, I didn't get this TR until after the gym battle. You'll never believe it, but Catherine of all people gave it to me, free of charge! Not only that, but helped me out of a jam after I made an arse of myself and chased off Corey while I was having a fit after the battle. She wasn't nice about it, but still, the fact she did it all…" Haleigh shook her head incredulously.

"You're right, I don't believe that." Achille said. Shaking his head and chuckling. "Not being nice about it is believable though."

She mumbled to herself, "Anyways, let me get this thing to work. I believe you just insert it in the Pokedex…"

Haleigh took the disk and inserted it in the Pokedex. She called out to Corey. "Get in the ball real quick."

He obliged, standing still while she got out his Pokeball. After getting sucked up into it, Haleigh held up his ball to the Pokedex, going through the prompts on the screen and waiting as the disk spun ever faster to access the data. After a few minutes of that, the process was complete.

Haleigh released Corey back out of his ball, his face alight with excitement about his new technique. She called out to Achille, "Now we're ready to go!"

Corey got into position, waiting for Haleigh's commands. "ALRIGHT MATE, ELECTRO BALL, GO!"

The Raboot conjured up an electric sphere that was not unlike a ball. He grinned with delight as he let it build power, kicking it around with dexterity showing off some fancy footwork before finally sending it off towards the waiting Magikarp.

Proudhon showcased his own speed, taking off in the water like a rocket away from the attack without needing an order. The Magikarp stopped, but instead of launching a counter attack he just let loose a snicker.

Achille started to call out an attack, since Proudhon sure wasn't going to do one on his own right now, but paused. The pokemon on Nessa's team were very fast in the water, and Proudhon was already at a disadvantage in the move department. Not to mention the Pelipper had the ability to fly, and every attack from Proudhon would need to jump to even reach it. Maybe letting him work on dodging for a bit wasn't a bad idea.

"Hey, Haleigh," Achille said, loud enough for Proudhon to hear too. "Let's have Corey keep sending them for now. As fast as Drednaw, if possible."

"Can do!" Haleigh motioned to Corey, prompting him to take up different positions to lob as many as he could muster, ending up with three balls heading off in the direction of the Magikarp.

Proudhon took off in a large circle, gaining speed in preparation of the coming volley. As the first ball reached him he dipped into the water, letting it pass just over him and saving momentum. The second one quickly approached, and the water-type suddenly shot upwards, jumping over the second one. As he was falling it appeared he would fall into the third electro-ball, but the fish Pokémon shot a weak jet of water from his mouth, pushing him just away from the collision.

As she looked over the scene, she realized something about how Corey was lobbing them off. He was fast, no doubt, but this was hardly as fast as he could go.

"I got an idea. Get one last ball in, but do an Agility buff first!"

Corey complied, crouching low to the ground and building up even more speed before getting out that last Electro Ball. It seemed that not only was it barreling down at an extremely high speed, but its power seemed magnified as well.

Proudhon hit the water just as Corey kicked the ultra-fast attack out. The Magikarp had just enough time to correct himself from the earlier flight, but not enough to actually build enough speed to avoid the attack. The final attack clipped his tail, sending him spinning through the water.

"Nom de dieu!" Achille shouted excitedly. "That was a hell of a move. You okay Proudhon?"

His response came a second later, as the Magikarp burst from the water like a bullet, headbutting Corey.

The sudden headbutt caught Corey off guard, attacking him and sending him flying backwards. Haleigh watched with awe, remarking, "Bloody hell! Your little 'Karp is strong!"

Corey got up and dusted himself off, glaring at the fish Pokemon. His trainer said to him, "Alright, looks like we got something here. Let's get even more speed, get him with a Flame Charge!"

Corey nodded, eager to repay the kindness Proudhon had shown him. He covered his body in flames, coming in barreling straight towards the flopping Magikarp.

"Can you dodge it?" Achille shouted, prompting the Magikarp to attempt a hop away from the charging rabbit Pokémon.

The jump ended up just being a Splash, and Proudhon was unable to move very far from his own spot. He took the full brunt of the body strike and was sent flying back, protected from the worst of the flames by the water on his body. He bounced on the shore, but managed to redirect his flight towards the water. He landed back into the ocean with a loud splash, sending water splashing on the beach.

"Okay, now that we can move again," Achille shouted, "I think it's time for Thrash!" The Magikarp shot out of the water again, flying towards the Raboot for a barrage of desperate blows.

"En garde, Corey!" Haleigh put herself in the shoes of Achille's Magikarp being Nessa's fearsome Dreadnaw. It was time to put her thinking cap and - as Catherine might so eloquently put it - get her shit together and use her head.

As the Magikarp moved in for another attack, Haleigh said to Corey, "Get him to strike ya from there and then..."

Corey held his ground, waiting until Haleigh shouted out her next command, "Sideswipe him with another Electro Ball, up close and personal!"

The Raboot quickly ducked to the side, getting out another Electro Ball with a curved trajectory aiming squarely for him. Already airborne, Proudhon had to take this attack as well. The Magikarp got knocked to the side, flying back towards a rock.

"Try to recover from it and keep the Thrash going," Achille shouted. "We can't keep going back to the water if Corey is throwing absolute bullets like that."

Proudhon hit one of the large rocks on the beach, but managed to flick himself back off it. The impact looked like it still hurt, but the water-type was able to redirect momentum back towards his fire-type foe. With one more Splash for air, he came down in a reckless bodyslam.

Despite the Magikarp's apparent exhaustion, the attack's speed was enough to just barely graze the Raboot, knocking him off balance from his attack position. This, during the real thing, would be when Nessa would be looking for the opening for a counterattack. It had been what Milo tried to do during his battle, only getting knocked off balance could mean a spill in the drink. Once Nessa caught wind of her new strategy, she'd be doing everything in her power to keep him down.

"Roll to the left, fire off some Embers! Don't let up until you're back on your feet."

Corey did just that, blowing off some Embers in the direction of the Magikarp and sprung back up to his feet, waiting for how he'd respond in kind.

With the mobility from his earlier acrobatics, Proudhon was able to Splash off the ground into a hard right turn, leaving the tiny embers to break limply on the damp rocks. Not even attempting to conserve his energy, Proudhon fired off another Thrash. The fish lunged at the Raboot in an attempt to spam his strongest move until one of them collapsed.

Achille smiled watching the Magikarp bounce around like a pinball. "The best thing about Proudhon is that he only really needs to be told to rein it in. Connard has good fighting skills on his own."

This reckless charge, however, was not rewarded with a favorable result for the spirited Magikarp. Corey dodged the attack with ease and sending the opening, Haleigh shouted, "Now, Electro Ball and punt him back in the drink!"

Corey charged up his attack with a series of flourishes not unlike an actual footballer would make, dribbling it between his feet and finally sending it off with a well aimed kick. Would Corey make his goal?

The ball collided with the fish, sending him flying back with a bright flash of light and no rocks around to catch him this time. He flew out past the beach, landing in the ocean with a large splash. There was no motion from the sea for a few tense seconds. Finally the surface of the water broke, and a sluggish Magikarp emerged. He spit a rock in Corey's direction, which fell well short of the goal, then signaled for Achille to recall him.

"Well, I guess that's a win for Corey," Achille said while the Magikarp transferred back into the pokeball.

Haleigh dashed over to Corey, exclaiming, "We did it! Nice job mate!"

Corey shared in his trainer's enthusiasm, jumping up to give her a high five with a wide smile matching Haleigh's. It felt really good to have a victory to cling on to again. Haleigh and him have both been taught just how fleeting it can all be, that it can't all be wins and highs to ride on.

Looking down at Corey, Haleigh seemed to realize a similar thing. She wasn't going to win them all. Not even the best could claim that much, but that didn't mean she can't pick herself off of the ground after it happens.

Haleigh looked over to Achille, remarking, "That felt great! I remember why I love doing this." She let out some mirthful laughter, releasing some of the tension she had been feeling up to that point. "Not just 'cause of the victory, though it is nice to get a win over you. Boyfriend or not, I ain't about to take it easy on you!"

"Let's see you try the same thing when he's evolved. I don't think he's going to be a very grateful loser." Achille said teasingly, putting the Magikarp's pokeball back into his bag. "But anyways, good job. Nessa shouldn't be able to dodge those after you do that Agility thing again."

The purple haired girl gave Achille a subtle yet warm smile. She really was an idiot. This time, the thought came not as a metaphorical bat to beat herself up with, but as a lighthearted jab at her own expense. For the time being, she put that voice in her head that'd demean herself at bay. If this was being weak, then it was one that Haleigh could let slide. Just this once.

Orx of Twinleaf · Mar 27, 2021

Team:

Rij

Henj

Tim T
Tim sat up. He couldn't sleep. After today, he was tired and burnt out, but he still couldn't sleep. He had taken on the Hulbury Gym and had even gone out of his way to leave town before settling down, but he still couldn't sleep. There was too much on his mind.

The obstacle course had been a nonissue. It had probably been boring to watch him and Henj literally walk through the various water cannons, the Stonjourner's heavy legs and half-ton body ignoring the jets while Tim came on behind. The only mildly interesting thing about it would have been when Tim had Henj kick one of the spinning poles off its track. Hopefully Tim wouldn't have to be the one that paid for that. No one had said anything at the time or even as he'd gone to leave though.

Tim looked over at Henj now. The Stonjourner slept standing up, and in the darkness looked like a piece of Stonehenge, solitary against the stars. Henj had performed well today and far better than Tim had any right to expect. Tim looked at the breathing boulder nearer to him. Rij's performance today had been even more of a surprise.

Tim laid back down in the grass. The ground was beginning to grow wet. It must have been the wee hours of the morning already. Tim closed his eyes to try and get some sleep, but the events of the day just played out anew.

"You weren't one of the ones that went up against Milo," Nessa said when a soaked but straight-backed Tim came into the arena. "That name's quite a mouthful too, you mind if I call you Nigel?"

Tim didn't mind, but no one had ever referred to him as that before. Well, until the announcer had started calling him that during the obstacle course, evidently not wanting to say Tim's full name every time. "Call me whatever suits you, Ms. Leader," Tim had said through the rag he'd had around his mouth.

"You went through my course with a Stonjourner," Nessa said, grinning as the announcer rattled off the rules and hyped up the crowd. "Don't you know what they say about bringing Rocks to a Water fight? It's a good way to sink."

Tim wasn't to be cowed by this woman. It was only good-natured banter after all. "You'll have to forgive me, I'm not too practiced with battle banter," Tim said. "But I will say this much, Ms. Leader: however quick I may sink, I mean to make a splash." Thinking back on it, Tim writhed at how silly that had sounded.

Nessa scoffed, evidently too professional to tell Tim how stupid that line was outright. "It'll take a big splash to break my waves, Nigel!" She threw out her ball and Tim did the same with his.

Tim's Stonjourner, Henj, appeared on one of the central platforms while Nessa's Lanturn appeared in the air and splashed down quickly. Tim had been expecting that: he wouldn't have thought Nessa would opt for Pelipper knowing Tim had at least one Rock on him.

"Rock Polish, Stonjourner," Tim said without using Henj's name. In hindsight Tim wasn't sure why he'd done that but at least it might help to keep people from recognizing him. He looked like a different person now that he had changed back to his regular attire, but it wouldn't hurt to be extra careful after his performance today.

Henj flashed with white glimmers, free to do so as Nessa ordered a Rain Dance from Lanturn, as Tim had supposed she would. As Lanturn swam in a tight circle on the water's surface, storm clouds rising from its turns, Tim ordered another Rock Polish, managing to double up on the fish.

"Hope you don't think you can just stand there and gear up on me," Nessa said. "Lanturn, Bubble Beam!"

"To the side, Stonjourner, keep your footing!" Henj neatly slid to one side, out of the way of the bubbling blue stream that tore out from Lanturn's mouth, sparkling with increased power in the rainfall. The platforms in the pool were free-floating but heavy duty, capable of standing up to waves and impacts without capsizing. Even so, Henj's stony mass shifting to the side made the platform he was on lean noticeably. Henj kept his balance though. "Rock Polish once more," Tim added, and Henj complied, now gleaming and reflective in the rain.

"Nice moves," Nessa said, "but how long can you keep it up? Lanturn, again! Bubble Beam, in a sweep!"

"Jump it, land in the center! Stealth Rock!"

Lanturn's head came up again and sprayed another blue stream, this time sweeping it from one side to the other to cover Henj's platform. With a grunt, the Stonjourner hopped it, a motion like a stone skipping along the water, and came down closer to the center of the platform to keep it from flipping. Henj clapped his blocky hands and threw a spray of pointed stones that floated about the air above Lanturn's position, rotating lazily in the rain.

Nessa frowned thoughtfully. Tim was sure that by showing Stealth Rock like this had stopped any chance of Pelipper showing up, if for some reason Nessa might have considered forgoing her ace, as she occasionally would. Tim didn't want to deal with a Flyer.

"Lanturn, you'll have to leap, try Bubble Beam again!"

Lanturn of course didn't leap up into the Stealth Rocks. It went under first instead, without needing to be instructed. It was obvious to Tim what happened next. "Stonjourner, it'll be to the side or behind, get ready!" Tim didn't say what to get ready for but hardly needed to. Henj waited a moment, still. Tim was able to see movement below the water, even at this distance and through the rain. He was surprised just how capable his eyes were when they weren't stuck behind his shades. "Behind and to your left, Stomp high!" Tim called out at the same time Lanturn broke the water.

Lanturn leapt some feet into the air, mouth open, and then the fish was cracked in the side as Henj spun in a blur of movement, leg up high. Lanturn yelped audibly, Bubble Beam going wide and ribboning through the rain as the fish was sent soaring through the air. Tim heard the audience hoot in response as Nessa's mon flew through the Stealth Rock zone, stones bursting in dusty flashes.

Lanturn managed to land in the water, a little worse for wear. Nessa cast a critical eye over at Henj. "Well aren't you fond of that platform? Lanturn, hit from afar this time, don't get close." With a humming affirmation, Lanturn swam about behind one of the other platforms before leaping out over it for enough air time to send a blue stream. The range from there was more than double what Lanturn had tried earlier, but the stream came on strong through the rain all the same.

"Dodge again," Tim said. Henj sidestepped, more easily thanks to the increased range.

"Make it dance, Lanturn!"

Lanturn jumped again, and again, popping up in various places in the pool, sending more streams Henj's way. Henj was dodging as well as he could, but Lanturn was managing to angle itself confoundingly as it came up. Henj twisted and hopped and skittered, but his platform was bobbing angrily, slick in the rain. Tim was watching Lanturn though, following its path as it looped and jumped and—

"Stonjourner, use Gravity now!"

Henj clapped his arms and sounded a deep bass note at right the same time Lanturn broke over a nearby platform. Henj took a direct Bubble Beam to the leg for it, but Lanturn was suddenly and abruptly pulled down onto the platform with a wet smack, buzzing in surprise. The rain fell harder under the heavy sensation, drowning out the sound of the crowd and the announcer. There was a chorus of splashes as the remaining Stealth Rocks plummeted to ruin into the pool water, crumbling uselessly. Tim could see Nessa stumble a little, almost going to her knee. For his part, Tim could keep his back straight even when the raindrops felt like iron beads.

"Lanturn quick, get back in the water!" Nessa's voice was only barely audible to Tim at this distance now with the noise of the rainfall. She had to have known what was coming. Lanturn did its best to belly-flop for the edge of its platform, but its increased weight was awkward for its little fins and vertical tail.

"Block it, Stonjourner!" Tim's deep bellow cut through the noise like a foghorn. With three Rock Polishes in effect, Henj could have crossed the distance in time regardless, but with the additional gap-closing capabilities of Block he was able to cross to the next platform smoothly despite the Gravity. The platforms see-sawed dangerously as Henj approached in but five long strides, clearing the gap over the water with barely a hop. Henj was in front of Lanturn, arms wide, eyes intense. The rain roared. Lanturn lowered its brow, its light flashing a moment in defiance.

"Stomp it!"

"Bubble Beam!"

Lanturn's spray burst noisily across Henj's body as the fish was knocked sideways by the Stonjourner's huge foot. Lanturn tumbled clumsily to the far side of the center of the platform. When it tried to make for the water, Henj circled in front of it again in a blur of movement, still Blocking.

"Again Lanturn, don't let up!"

"Slide behind and turn off Gravity!"

Lanturn's attack missed when Henj slid to the fish's rear. The noise of the rainfall was suddenly less intense. Nessa seemed to sway a little under the sudden change, and Lanturn was befuddled by the shift in pressure. Tim pressed the advantage.

"Stomp it in a sweep!"

Henj spun with one huge leg out low, sweeping the platform in a circle like a giant stone compass, punting Lanturn's base out of under it, leaving it hanging for the briefest moments in the air.

Nessa's eye seemed to twitch a little. "Confuse Ray!"

"Finish it off!"

Lanturn's light flashed with bright, rapid colors, strobing through the rain, and then stopped abruptly with a crack as Henj launched Lanturn away with another kick. The announcer was calling out that Lanturn was down, and indeed the fish didn't come back up after splashing down some distance away. "Beginner's luck, Nigel," Nessa said evenly, recalling her Lanturn from under the water, "but now I'm getting serious."

Tim noticed Henj hadn't put his leg back down, and seemed to be wobbling. He was muttering unevenly and when he turned to face Tim he did so shakily, eyes wide. Confused. Nessa was still talking, giving some lead-in banter for Drednaw, but Tim was weighing his options. Thinking back on it, Tim still wasn't sure if he'd made the right call.

He had to clear the Confuse, Henj was the ace in the hole. Rij ran around during training sessions now but didn't actually listen any better. It seemed more like Rij just wanted the exercise. Rij couldn't be relied upon in a battle, but Henj wouldn't consistently perform under Confuse.

"Alright Drednaw, let's bring in the tide!" Nessa wound up and sent her ball sailing out.

"That's it for now, Stonjourner," Tim said, recalling Henj and taking out his other ball. "Give it a go, Rhyhorn!" Tim sent forward his own ball.

The mons landed opposite one another on the central platform, rain pouring from their shells. Rij had always been on the bigger end of the spectrum for Rhyhorns, and he made a daunting figure in the rain. But Drednaw's smaller size did nothing to dispel its own intense visage, jagged jaws gaping in a growl. Rij took in his surroundings, and didn't seem to grasp the gravity of the event. He snorted unconcernedly at the snapping turtle.

"What was that about bringing Rocks to a Water fight?" Tim called to give Rij a little more time to maybe wake up to the situation.

"Drednaw's both," Nessa said easily. "Drednaw can make a splash and ride the resulting wave: can your Rhyhorn keep up?" Drednaw bounced in place, the rain hitting off its shell giving off wan lights. Swift Swim. That was bad, but Tim didn't figure the rain would be sticking around for too much longer. "Let's Rock Polish up!" Nessa ordered.

"You too, Rhyhorn!" Rij wasn't so dim as to need to be called by name to understand an order in this context, although he did look quizzically at Tim's outfit before obliging.

Both mons shivered with white flashes, limbering up. "You'll be falling behind if you try that this time, Nigel," Nessa said before ordering another Rock Polish.

And Tim agreed. "Scary Face!" When Drednaw shivered this time, Rij grimaced, eyes flashing red as he exhaled a black light. It made Drednaw balk a little, and the extra glimmers of light from its second Rock Polish promptly disappeared.

Nessa put a hand on her hip. "That's cheeky, but swimming upstream will just get you swept away. Jaw Lock!"

"Scary Face again!"

The remainder of Drednaw's Rock Polish glimmers disappeared, but it still came forward in a rush with its Swift Swim in effect. Its gaping jaws closed on Rij's snout with an audible metallic snap, like the sound of a bear trap springing. Rij snorted noisily and recoiled.

Without orders and before Tim or Nessa could say anything, Rij put his head down and charged, Drednaw's legs stiff, trying to push back. Rij roared, his little legs pushing Drednaw slowly but steadily to the far end of the platform, the snapping turtle's own feet slipping as they tried to find leverage against the larger mon. Tim was rather certain Drednaws were a good deal heavier than might be assumed of their size, although he wasn't sure how heavy that was in comparison to a Rhyhorn. Either because Rij's little legs were so stout or because Drednaw was smaller in stature, Rij was winning the pushing contest.

"Jaw Lock again, Drednaw," Nessa called, grinning.

"Scary Face!"

Drednaw opened its jaws wide, releasing Rij for a brief moment, and then clamped down with another loud snap. Rij ignored Tim's order, roaring in agitation, pushing harder.

"And now Water Gun!"

"Scary Face, come on!"

Blue water gushed noisily, spraying out to the sides as it washed off Rij's forehead to either side of Drednaw's mouth. Rij ignored Tim again and bucked his head up and down with a sudden jerk, his own Rock Polish permitting the sudden movement. Rij slammed Drednaw belly-down into the platform with enough force to send the platform rocking, a loud crack ringing through the rain as the crowd gave a collective recoiling groan. Drednaw released its grip involuntarily, stumbling from the ferocity of the movement, blinking. Rij reared up on his short hind legs a moment, roaring, and slammed down with his horn lined up for the snapping turtle.

Nessa had flinched from the sound of the impact herself. "Drednaw, Jaw Lock, keep on it!"

Tim knew it was no use asking for such nuanced Moves as Scary Face. "Drill Run, run it down!"

Rij's horn hummed as dusty wisps of energy whirred down its length and off his shoulders. Drednaw regained its senses and gaped its jaws, bracing to catch the Rhyhorn. Tim didn't want to do it, he would have preferred more Scary Face for Henj to finish the job, but Rij wouldn't listen.

Rij launched forward, sparkling clouds of dust flying out from his little feet in the rain. He ran his horn right into Drednaw's mouth, another loud metal snap audible over the rain and the crowd and the announcer and the crash of Rij's impact. But Rij didn't stop, Drednaw was too low to the ground to brake the charge. The Rhyhorn drove Drednaw backwards off the platform, the turtle gripping to his snout, and splashed into the pool after it.

Nessa and Tim leaned forward in shock, sparkling dust hanging in the water tracing the mons' plummet to the bottom of the pool. Tim leapt into the water and swam for a platform nearer the spreading cloud in the bottom of the pool. It was frowned upon but not entirely illegal to move into the field during a battle, but these were extenuating circumstances certainly. Tim noticed Nessa also moving nearer the center of the pool for a better look. The announcer was saying something, the crowd had gone silent, even the rainfall was quieting as the clouds finally began to dissipate.

Tim and Nessa reached the center platform at the same time and went to stand at its edge to look into the water. The sparkling dust of Drill Run hadn't cleared out yet, they couldn't see anything. "Your Rhyhorn's gonna drown, get your—"

Nessa was cut off by a loud, wet exhale as a stony snout broke the water nearby, splashing both her and Tim with water. The dust cleared as Rij sank to the bottom of the pool. Drednaw was on its back, slowly rolling to its feet, dazed but not out.

Tim looked at Nessa. It was daunting to look a Gym Leader in the eyes, mere feet away. He didn't have his glasses to hide behind, so he tried to make his eyes seem confident. He wondered if he succeeded in doing so. "How's that for a splash?" he said, hoping his voice didn't shake.

Nessa grinned at him, stepping back from the edge of the platform a little. "You're in my element, now, Nigel. Drednaw!" Drednaw looked up at her from the bottom of the pool. "Let's finish it!" Drednaw kicked off the bottom, tail swishing as it climbed in the water, swimming above Rij.

Tim gathered Rij would listen to attack orders. As much as he sorely wanted to stack Rock Polish, he had to make sure Rij listened for now. "We don't take kindly to mons having the altitude on us, right Rhyhorn? Smack Down!"

Rij's jaws clapped and then he bucked his head, sending a golden stone up at Drednaw. With the rain gone and no Rock Polish in effect, Drednaw's movements were slower than Rij's thanks to the latter's own Rock Polish. Drednaw couldn't dodge it. The stone burst in a flash of light at Drednaw's leg and the turtle sank quickly in the water, landing some ways from Rij. It tried to lift off but just came down again. Drednaw had been firmly grounded. It snapped its jaws unhappily as it watched Rij leap up for a fresh breath of air.

Drednaw was a Water mon, so either it could breathe water or could hold its breath for a very long time, so Tim had no issues with grounding it in the water. It wasn't as if Drednaw would drown. If that were the case Tim wouldn't have wanted to try such a tactic. As valid as it would be to force an opponent to yield by threatening drowning, it was a rather unkind thing to do.

"Rock Polish, Drednaw," Nessa called. If she were unmanned by Rij's technique—or, well, his lack thereof—she didn't show it. Tim wondered what she thought of his mons and their abilities. He returned his attention to the battle though, so as not to stare.

If left to boost up, Drednaw would become as fast as Henj had been and run clean circles around Rij. Rij wouldn't boost up himself, and wouldn't undo the boosts with Scary Face. When he went down, Henj would be too vulnerable to be able to boost up before being run over, after taking Lanturn's Bubble Beams.

Tim watched Drednaw shine with its Rock Polish. Rij grabbed another breath and landed again. If Drednaw got another Rock Polish off, it would be too fast for Rij to catch. It was now or never.

Nessa opened her mouth to send another order but Tim shouted over her, his thrumming holler drowning her out. "Drill Run!"

Nessa gave Tim an unhappy glance before calling her own order. "Catch it with Jaw Lock and unload Water Gun!"

Rij shot forward, a sparkling cloud kicking up in the water behind him. He caught Drednaw, Jaw-Lock's snap on his snout muffled through the water but still loud, and then the two mons became a barreling dust cloud shooting for the end of the pool, pale bluish tendrils shooting off sporadically as Drednaw's Water Gun went off.

Tim and Nessa both dove into the pool and swam for the edge. Nessa of course got there first, but Tim wasn't too far behind her. The cloud had stopped with a muffled boom against the pool wall. The crowd was quiet in anticipation again.

The cloud cleared.

Drednaw was on its back again, but didn't get up this time. Rij kept his feet long enough to try a jump for breath. He stumbled and belched his exhale in a cough of bubbles, sinking down with eyes pinched shut.

Tim quickly recalled Rij before the Rhyhorn got a lung full of pool water as the announcer said the unimaginable.

"That's a critical hit if I've ever seen one! Double knockout! The challenger still has Stonjourner in fighting condition, but Nessa's lost both her mons! I don't believe it folks! Nigel's done it!"

Now Tim sat up again in the dark. His heart was still racing even now. That had been the umpteenth time he'd played it back in his head and he still wasn't totally sure it had happened.

Nessa had congratulated him and said some platitudes but Tim had only been able to nod politely. Nessa had probably felt cheated. The audience had probably felt cheated. They had come to see a young hopeful take a step on the journey to greatness, and had instead watched as Tim ordered one mon to kick a fish around and then had the other mon throttle a Drednaw half its size against the floor and wall.

It had been a good thing Tim had made sure not to be introduced as Tim. People would be whispering unpleasant things about Nigel, not Tim. They would be looking for a rag-wearing young man with brown eyes, not for a mustachioed tramp with shades. At least Tim didn't have to worry about being recognized as the man who'd so thoroughly insulted the Hulbury Gym.

Nessa had given him the badge because of course she had to, but Tim couldn't stand to look at it. It was tucked away with his Gym Uniform now, in with the signature from Clovis, in with the rag Tim had used to hide his face in shame. When Tim had come back to the prep room to change, he had seen his old clothes with his shades perched atop and could almost hear them speaking to him.

What a fiasco, they had whispered at his back when Tim had tried and failed to look his reflection in its miserable eyes. It's a good thing she's already dead or she would have died of second-hand embarrassment seeing that. Now get out of that uniform, you look ridiculous.

Tim laid back down. He needed to sleep. But he felt too guilty to sleep. Henj had performed so well. But he was stuck with Tim as a Trainer. Rij had shown just how capable he could be if only he weren't stuck with Tim as a Trainer. Tim wished his friend had thought to take the Gym Challenge. With Rij by her side she would have been amazing.

Tim rubbed the side of his glasses sadly. She wouldn't have made such a mockery of the battle. She wouldn't have had to hide her face out of shame. She wouldn't have had to carry a badge knowing it wasn't earned.

Tim's glasses seemed to hiss at him as he rubbed them. And she wouldn't have missed you, if you had been the one to die.

Kitty · Mar 27, 2021

Simon Pearburgh

Spoiler: Inventory

Spoiler: Memories

Tristan Trevall

Magnemite

Growlithe ♀

Wishiwashi ♂

Spoiler: Inventory

Hulbury
Simon marched out of the stadium doors, nearly kicking them open in his frustration and getting several looks from the passersby inside the lobby. He'd changed out of his challenge uniform and quickly dried his tears, not wanting to be seen in public like this so soon after his victory. Notably, however none of his Pokemon were out of their Pokeballs.

Catherine's words continued to ring in his head incessantly as he went down the stairs. She'd been right about Ruben all along, and he'd been stupid enough to trust him. 'The perfect loser'? Who was he to talk about losing; with his own track record? Simon bet the prick hadn't battled once since they'd graduated.

His mind shifted to Raphael's words; was this why Raph had left as well? He was just using him as some 'loser bargaining chip' against the public too, and he was clearly all done with him now. 'Leave me alone.' Fine then, Simon thought, he would. He didn't need any of this. He continued to walk away from the stadium, ignoring all passersby as he made his way to the Pokemon center. A young man was walking at a brisk pace in front of him, clearly headed in the same direction.

Suddenly, he recognized the boy walking in front of him. The designer clothes, the neatly trimmed blonde hair… it was Tristan Trevall, the biggest wallet in Wedgehurst, with an equally big target on his back. In the early days of the academy Simon had proclaimed Tristan as his rival, eager to get a challenge going- though the relationship had usually been more one-sided, with Tristan largely ignoring his challenges. They'd met often in the catch-up classes at the academy as he would typically be working for most of the regular ones. Simon scoffed slightly to himself as he saw him in the distance; any other day he would be rushing to challenge the young trainer on sight; raring to go and test his mettle… but what even was the point? He would just lose again, just like he had in every other battle against his classmates. And for what? Only to reinforce the point? That he was just that, someone who loses to people?

Simon clenched his fists tightly, shaking in anger and frustration. No, he was NOT a loser. He had gotten his goddamn gym badge, fair and square. Nobody could take that away from him. He wasn't weak, he wasn't lucky, he fucking deserved it, and he did NOT need anyone to prove it to- not Raphael, not Nessa, and certainly not Ruben fucking Sancho. All Simon needed was for himself to believe it.

And he was going to prove it to himself.

Pulling up his sleeves, he marched up to Tristan and called out to him. "Oi, Tristan!"

Said Tristan raised a brow at the vaguely familiar face. If there was any hint of recognition, it did not come quick, and once it did, it only filled him with annoyance. Couldn't he see that he was busy thinking about the potential meeting, the next gym leader, the next Pokemon on his team... A lot was on his mind, really.

And this fucker dared to just walk up to him like that? How dare he.

"Simon."

"It's been a while since the academy, and I'm gonna show you how much I've grown- so I'm challenging you to a battle!" Simon proclaimed, pointing at his rival dramatically. "Three on three, right now."

"...Fine." Tristan sneered, tossing a Pokeball to reveal a rather playful Growlithe, its nose huffing out ready for battle. "Loser moves first."

Simon tensed up at the insult but kept his cool. "You asked for it! Caterpie, let's go!" he called out, and the little green bug flew out of the Pokeball and landed onto the battlefield. "Start off strong with bug bite!"

"You'd think after all that time with bugs, they'd evolve faster around you. Guess not. Dodge it, Growlithe." Tristan shrugged as he waved a hand, and the orange dog followed suit, easily dodging the attempt from the bug type. "Our turn. Here, we'll go easy. Let's turn the heat up with ember!"

"Charge through it, Caterpie!" Simon commanded. His Pokemon quickly glanced at him; was Simon asking it to charge into harm's way? Nonetheless, the bug followed through and ran through the fire, feeling the burn take its toll. "Now bug bite again!"

Tristan scowled, "Dodge again, Growlithe!" In sync with his trainer, the Pokemon again easily dodged through the bites from the caterpillar, barking to the enemy as a taunt of sorts. "Rinse and repeat, ember!"

Simon his fists in frustration again, "Charge through again, then tackle before it can recover!" he ordered, to which the Caterpie nervously looked back at him and nodded. Tanking the hit, the bug threw its weight forward through the flame and slammed into Growlithe.

"Tch," He started, only staring as Growlithe stumbled to the ground and jumped back upright in battle position, "Fine then, if you want it that way, Growlithe, ready yourself to counter with bite just as the caterpie strikes!" The dog barked in affirmation as it steadied itself, now growling at the Caterpie in front of him.

Simon wasn't going to have any of it. He was going to overwhelm him with raw power. "Caterpie, keep up the assault with another bug bite!" he ordered.

Tristan smirked as the Caterpie lunged forward to face its doom. As expected, Growlithe countered with a stronger bite, overwhelming the bug's body with relative ease. The Caterpie struggled, but Growlithe held strong as it waited for it's owner's next course of action. "Good job, Growlithe. Now, throw it up and hit it with ember!"

The bug exploded into flame as it was flung upwards and hit with the attack, sending it flying back towards Simon. It landed on the ground and rolled towards him, scorched and fainted.

Simon grit his teeth and held Caterpie's Pokéball tightly as he returned it. This wasn't going to be the end of it. He was going to show Tristan how strong he could be. He was going to show himself. "Burmy, go!" he commanded as the Pokemon jumped out of his coat. The little gray bug landed in front of Growlithe with a squeak, narrowing its eyes defiantly at the Pokemon.

"Hidden Power!" Simon exclaimed, hoping to strike before Tristan could retaliate. Several blue, watery orbs appeared around Burmy and were launched at Growlithe.

Tristan couldn't even get an attack back as the orbs surrounded the Growlithe, landing critical blows at the poor fire pup and sending him to the ground. He knew the fire-type could still take on a few more hits before it went, though, but he had to send it fast.

"Fine, we'll play that game... Dash on through with Flame Charge, Growlithe!" The dog looked uneasily at its owner before following through, running through the water orbs with a coat of flame, the chemical reaction enough to fill the environment with steam. However, the blatant brute force tactic wasn't strong enough; as the water eventually managed to overwhelm the dog and collapse from exhaustion, just a few steps away from hitting the naked bug in front of it.

Rather than celebrating or taunting as he normally would, Simon simply maintained his stance as he waited for Tristan's next move, more focused than ever.

Tristan sighed. "I'll have to train his SP-DEF stat a bit more than I thought. His ATK however is getting better... Sigh. Anyway, return." He said as he brought back the Pokeball safe in his bag, taking another one with a clear thunderbolt symbol. "Congratulations. It took two of your Pokemon to kill off mine. Time for me to end this. Magnemite, let's go."

It took a bit for the steel-type Pokemon to appear, still shiny and zapping from side to side as it readied for battle, only to be dumbfounded at the naked Burmy in front of it. That was not what the Magnemite expected, but it could only zap in confusion.

"Don't worry. I'll make this quick." The trainer smirked, pointing towards the bug as he spoke, "Thunder Wave."

"Protect!" Simon commanded. "Then hidden power before it can move!"

The white barrier blocked the thunder wave as the electricity rushed past it. The Pokemon then spawned several more orbs of water before throwing them at the steel-type.

"You're not going to take us down that easy!" Simon yelled at Tristan, watching out for his next move.

"Dodge it, Magnemite!" Tristan barked at the steel type, who weaved through the orbs easily. "Spark at the orbs and aim another one straight to the bug."

The Magnemite buzzed, its two Magnets shining yellow before directing it towards the various orbs, exploding each orb with each bounce. One more spark was then charged up and thrown towards the bug type while it was distracted by the makeshift smokescreen.

"Dammit! Burmy, Protect!" Simon ordered, shielding his face from the spray of water and steam. The Pokemon squeaked as he tried to put up his barrier again, but as soon as it appeared before him, the Protect dissipated and broke. Burmy let out a pained squeal as the electric beam hit him, sending him backwards and nearly knocked out by the single attack.

"Fight lightning with lightning! Electroweb!" Simon commanded, paying no attention to the state of his Pokemon.

"Again, Magnemite, Dodge!" Tristan retaliated, in which the Magnemite encored, barely getting hit by the electric web. It wasn't effective at all. "Really? Haven't you gone through the trainer school so many times about type strengths and weaknesses? Well, whatever. It barely scratched my Magnemite." He smirked, gesturing at the Pokemon who was zapping everywhere around the area like a speedster.

"Here's true lightning for you. Magnemite, Electro Ball!"

Simon's eyes grew wide as he saw the attack; "Use Protect!" he ordered panickedly.

Burmy turned around and scowled at him, raising his arms and squeaking in protest- right before getting slammed into by the electric projectile. Simon raised his arms again as the bug was violently thrown back at him, hitting him in the chest and staggering him backwards. He caught the Pokemon in its fall and quickly returned it to its Pokeball.

"Alright, it's all on you now, Spewpa!" he said, releasing his starter from her Pokeball onto the field. "If you think I'm going to give up that easily, you're dead wrong!" he called out to his rival.

He couldn't help but chuckle, "Seriously? Two Pokemon is all it takes to beat you? Hah!" It was so expected. Simon always was a loser in their matches, but this... This is some next level losing. "Okay Magnemite, let's go. Thunder Wave directly on the Spewpa!"

Simon raised his fists angrily and pointed at Tristan, "I'm gonna make you eat those words! Spewpa, show him what we're made of- start off with stun spore!"

The little bug threw herself forward at the magnemite before bursting in a cloud of yellow spores, spraying her opponent with the yellow squares on her body.

"...seriously?"

Unfortunately for the catcher, the electric type was completely immune to the paralysis. However, the attack made sure that the Magnemite managed to clearly hit the bug type with its Thunder Wave attack, paralyzing the bug type himself.

"What, I- Spewpa, follow up with poison powder instead, then!" Simon retaliated, crossing his arms. His partner Pokemon looked back at him with uncertainty, but dutifully followed her orders.

The Spewpa, again, landed a hit.

But...

"..."

The Magnemite zapped as the purple powder just flowed past it, some even landing on top of the magnets, doing absolutely nothing to the Pokemon.

"Wow, out of all the mistakes you've made so far... that took the cake."

"Shit!" Simon realized he'd made one of the most brain-dead mistakes a trainer could make- and that had left Spewpa completely open to attack.

"Sigh, Magnemite, Electro Ball. Point blank." Tristan ordered, and Magnemite complied, creating quite the largest ball of electricity it has seen so far, and launching it straight towards the Spewpa, who was still waiting for its owner's own commands.

"Quickly, dodge it!" Simon said frantically, but a jolt of electricity from Spewpa suddenly stopped her movement and locked her in place. The Electro Ball crashed into her body, throwing her backwards as it dealt critical damage.

Simon gripped his hair in frustration; why was he playing so terribly this entire battle? He'd barely landed a scratch on Tristan's Pokemon, and his very own was about to get taken out by a single attack - was this really the 'growth' he thought he'd had? He had to win, there was no other way to prove himself.

Blinded by anger and frustration, Simon yelled out, "Come on, Spewpa! You're stronger than this! We're stronger! Tackle!"

The little bug gingerly put herself upright and shot a glance at Simon. She knew he wasn't okay. It didn't matter how strong either of them was right now, he was blinded by a desire to win rather than his usual enjoyment of the battle, and it wouldn't go well. The bug looked at the Magnemite and the two exchanged a silent moment, before the bug nodded and threw her body forward, fully expecting what came next.

The Magnemite faltered, almost not wanting to completely destroy the poor bug type. One glance at its own trainer, however, and it knew what it had to do. As soon as the Spewpa hit the Magnet Pokemon, it launched a softer version of its Spark attack as an attempt at a softer apology. The attack hit its mark, sending the Pokemon back and she attempted to get back up, she collapsed on the ground, exhausted.

"Give up, Simon. I don't even need to show my third Pokemon."

Simon grabbed his hat and threw it to the ground. "How many fucking times do I have to tell you- I DON'T give up!" he screamed. His breathing was labored and his hands were curled into fists. Without even looking at Spewpa, he snarled, "Get up, lass! This isn't over!"

"She can't fight anymore, loser. Just give up and call this battle over." He said, not even waiting for Simon as he returned the Magnemite back to its pokeball.

Tristan sighed, looking at his sorry excuse for a self-proclaimed rival. "Look," He started, "You've got to stop challenging me to battle if you don't want your tiny little bug brain to be squished. You know that everytime we fight, I always win. Case in point," he pointed at the area where they just battled.

"How many battles have you ever even won fair and square?" Tristan looked at his phone, scrolling to the gym leader match replays.

Simon gripped Spewpa's Pokéball as he retrieved her, still staring daggers into him. "I've got two badges already, which is more than you can say." he spat.

"Two to my one." He hummed, still looking at some particular replays. "The Milo one, you won with.... A wild crew of Joltiks that your own Joltik called." He scrubbed slightly to a particular point in the replay. "Where's the effort there? You got others to do it for you."

Tristan scrolled again to another battle, this time towards the next badge that Simon mentioned. "...You know, Milo should have been the easiest for you considering your type advantages. Bug beats grass any day. You could have easily overwhelmed him with numbers considering the amount of bug types you have. How you managed to fuck that up is beyond me." He coughed, "Anyway."

"Your recent win against Nessa, hmm.. Are you sure you even won or was it Nessa taking pity on you?" He chuckled, "Battle rules would say you lost, bug boy. Both of your Pokemon fainted. I wouldn't take the win. That's disgusting."

"Again. How many battles have you ever won fair and square?"

Simon opened his mouth to say something, anything. He'd been telling himself that he had won those battles, he had earned them - but deep down, he'd knew he'd won nothing. He had no rebuttals to Tristan, no self-assured speech this time. Instead, he stayed quiet, looking down at the ground as he held back his tears.

"Just admit to yourself you'll never be a real trainer and move on."

Simon had nothing. He stayed silent, the words hitting him like a bullet to the heart.

Tristan looked at his phone, only to be met with missed calls and messages. "Ugh, now you made me late." He scowled, already formulating an apology text to the missed clients as he walked away from the eerily silent trainer.

"Later, bug boy."

Joint post of Kitty and Foxrally

Jay · Mar 28, 2021

Raphael Allard
> Hulbury
> A Small Change

..

....

After his unfortunate encounter with Simon, Raph trudged away through the streets of Hulbury under the evening sun, pulling his hood up to avoid anyone recognizing him as he marched onwards. He didn't feel like challenging the gym anymore, not after that. He felt ashamed. For multiple reasons, most prominently, that he had let things get so far. If he had just shrugged Simon off entirely after their experience in the Wild Area then this never would have happened. He wouldn't have had to see that look of admiration sink into one of hurt. Hurt he caused, hurt that could have been avoided if he'd just stayed away from people.

Thinking of the others he'd met along the way, his mind immediately drifted to Arrietty. She had… enough to deal with as was after all. He was getting too close to her as well, even if it wasn't as obvious, it was hard to lie to himself and say there was nothing there giving him doubts. No feelings he was letting get out of control.

He stepped into a side alley and stood away from prying eyes and ears, then took out his phone. He looked at the list of contacts there, painful flashes of his birthday popping into his mind, lying alone and sobbing over a life he wouldn't get to lead. It hurt, it all hurt, it would hurt them too. If he cared about them he'd protect them, he'd leave them behind. Even if it wasn't certain he'd disappear, he wouldn't risk their feelings in the case that he was gone.

He moved his finger to highlight Arrietty in the list, first alphabetically, then, with a painful amount of sluggishness, moved his thumb to the button that would delete the contact.

But, before he could, the screen changed and his strained, furrowed brow relaxed, his eyes widening in surprise. An incoming call.

'Mom is calling you.'

His mother, the one person he could never spare the pain of loss. They had barely spoken at all, since he had left, since the day he received Vito. He thought, maybe she had decided to forget about him. That was seriously unlikely but, maybe she had. The thought hurt him and brought him comfort in equal measure.

The ringing echoed with reverb through the alleyway as Raphael stared at the two buttons. Green to answer. Red to push away. He wondered, what would happen if he rejected the call? If he pressed the red button right now, just put a stop to it, forget about it, move on. Would she do the same? No. She wouldn't.

Maybe… Maybe he had to be the one to put a stop to this.

Raphael pressed the green button and moved the phone to his ear. Though as he opened his voice to speak, the words he was preparing disappeared, he froze in place, terrified.

"...Raph? Sweetie, is that you?"

Silence. His mothers voice rang through the other end and he could barely bring himself to listen. Wasn't he going to tell her to leave? To stop calling him? Why couldn't he do it now? Why had he pushed this far for nothing? He stood there, struggling to find the words… but they weren't there. A small sigh broke his lips and he considered hanging up, but the woman on the other end kept speaking.

"It's alright son… It's okay." She told him and his hand froze a moment before he could pull it away from his ear. "I just needed to know you were safe… I won't get in the way anymore, but I needed to be sure." Her voice was full of sadness, she was pulling herself away, no input from him.

That was what he wanted, right?

"I saw your battle in Turfield. You and that Spheal of yours, I'm very excited to meet him, though I'm a little sad I didn't get to when I could still lift him up, haha… oh but don't worry, you tell him he's still very cute." She kept talking even though he said nothing, there were sparks of something other than upset in her words now. "...I'm so proud of you, Raphael." Emotion is dripping off her every word, so many conflicted feelings. "I need to tell you something, I wanted to on your birthday but, I was… I didn't know how to. I'm sorry. You don't need to say anything, but listen just a little longer."

He did so.

"When you were a little boy, when we found out what your future was looking like, I was so scared of losing you. When you talked about your dreams, about being a trainer, about seeing the world. I felt guilty and wrong when I thought about encouraging you. I thought I could protect you from the pain of disappointment, if those dreams were impossible." A moment of pause, filled with silence. "...I was wrong." She's starting to sound hoarse now, it's as hard for her to say as it is for him to hear.

"When I saw you battling Milo, the way he encouraged you, the way you- how you were shining so brightly… I realized I had always been wrong. To assume what you were capable of, to assume how you would feel… that was never my place."

Raphael stared, like an empty husk, at the white stone wall in front of him.

To assume how he would feel, to assume what he wanted, to try to protect him. It hadn't been her place, but if that were true... then didn't that mean..?

"...I just wanted you to know I'm proud. You've taken control of your own destiny, you're fighting for the person you want to be, no matter what happens I'll be here. I'll support you every step of the way." She pauses, he can tell as she holds the phone away to collect herself, just a little. "I love you Raphael, thank you for listening to your old mother ramble, if you need me I-"

"Wait." He finally says something, cutting her off mid sentence and dragging a small gasp from her. She was surprised to hear his voice, she genuinely believed he wouldn't respond. "...wait." He repeats the word again, unsure of where to follow, there's a gentle silence over the phone as Raph feels a ball of emotions unravelling in his gut. Sadness, relief, happiness… guilt.

"...I love you too, Mom."

Raphael sat in a small room at the local inn. It was easy to find accommodation in gym bearing towns as a challenger for cheap prices, sometimes for free. He had put his mother on hold before he retreated to that safe space, only for them to talk for hours. It was a happy conversation, laced with sad memories, but to finally air the grievances they both felt after their last encounter lifted a weight off his chest.

He had told her he didn't blame her for the way she acted, that she had just been trying to protect him. She expressed her pride for defying her expectations, with a healthy dose of motherly skepticism to balance it out, to make sure he was taking his meds and watching his condition closely.

He left out the encounters with the black suits, Spiritomb and Ferrothorn, not to mention Corviknight or the burning building… in short, he just told her about the gym battles and his encounters with his classmates.

She had been happy to hear he had made friends.

As the call ended he found himself staring at the mirror in his bedroom, he looked tired, but healthier than he had in years. He ran a hand over his chin, lightly stubbled and needing a shave, his bright blue eyes and pitch black hair. His mother always told him he looked like his father, though he didn't know what to imagine for a comparison. He always imagined the man looking like an older, wiser version of himself… probably without this long and floppy hair, loosely tied in a tail.

Raphael had been wrong too, wrong about a lot of things.

His mother had spent so long trying to protect him from his own feelings, but the pain had come anyway. With that in mind, was it really his place to hold people like Simon back? To push them away, to delete them from his life? Was that his choice to make? He supposed it was, of course, but was it the right one? Was it justified?

Just an hour or two ago the answer to that question was an easy one. That wasn't the case anymore.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the pin Simon had given him. A present for his birthday, something well meaning that had scared him half to death. That had made him act cold and callous to someone that looked up to him. In what world could he really justify that as a good thing?

Holding the pin a little tighter he looked back at his face in the mirror once again. Even someone with so little time left should be ready to make a change. Was it time for him to do the same? Maybe it was.

He frowned at the reflection looking back at him. Maybe he could do something to this image, to reflect that idea.

Removing the cover from the pin, he took the sharp, unprotected point and moved it to the side of his head. Then, quickly, he pierced into the lobe of his ear, straight through, without hesitation.

"..."

"...ACK!"

As he pulled the sharpened point away quickly, Raphael fell onto his side on the bed with a grimace, a small drop of blood leaked out from the point of contact. What the shit?! Why had that hurt so much, was it supposed to hurt so much?! He winced and pulled himself back up, turning his head to look. There was a little bit of bleeding, but a clean hole, straight through. He… probably should have gotten that done professionally rather than on a whim.

Straightening his back a little he sighed, with a small awkward smile to himself in the mirror. Just a little change, but one that meant something he hoped, that's what he was aiming for.

His gaze turned to the closed window of his room, beyond which he could see the gently pulsing lights of the Hulbury gym, noise echoed across the port even now. He had to wonder who was battling Nessa at that moment, someone he knew? Someone he cared for?

Regardless, tomorrow it would be him. So for now, it was time to rest.

Jay · Mar 28, 2021

Raphael Allard
> Hulbury Gym
> Raphael Vs. Nessa - Part 1

..

....

Another similar scene, for the third time.

Raphael stood outside of the Hulbury gym with a furrowed brow, gently rubbing his chin as he gazed up at the imposing structure looming over him. It felt less imposing this time. Every time he stood before the entrance to a new challenge, it became less intimidating than the last. It wasn't the impossible dream he had as a kid anymore, it was his life. It was his whole life, depending on how things went long term… and he meant that in more ways than one. He wasn't worried about the mission, he knew how to pace himself correctly, he wasn't going to finish in an astounding time but he could pass the challenge despite his own personal drawbacks.

His hands instinctively sunk into his pockets, where he felt something cold and metal. With a small frown he pulled the object from his pocket. A blue, heart shaped pin… from Simon. His one and only birthday present. His mind flashed with memories of that encounter and he had to swallow the bitter pang of regret he felt for it all. Thoughts of it were buzzing about in his head, it felt like in the space of twenty four hours he had a whole new level of perspective.

If he… died, no use beating around the bush… then people like Simon would lose him forever. Was it not better to take himself away from them now? Then come back if he could? At least then if he did pass away they wouldn't care anymore. That's the way he had been thinking up until now.

But… if the goal was to avoid causing them pain, but they already cared for him, then were his actions preventing pain? Or were they causing it? Only for more to come later.

His hand clamped down gently around the pin and he lifted it free from his pocket, for a brief moment he considered just throwing it away. He held it there for a solid minute, alone, in silence a few feet from the doors of the gym before sighing and lowering his arm to look at it again.

Was it okay… for him to have friends?

His mind clung to memories of Simon, Arrietty, Ruben, Pia, Melody... Looking at this pin, it was like it represented them, all of them. If he threw it away, if he threw their part in his life now, away, was that… the right thing to do?

If they hadn't been there would he have come this far at all?

Some time later, Raph, soaking wet, with his hair clinging to his face, walked away from the Hulbury Gym Mission. With the help of Selene, who was agile enough to take on the challenge easily, he had succeeded and now stood once more before an open gate to the pool beyond. Where Nessa and the battle for his second badge was waiting.

When he had stood in this same position in Turfield. He had thought of the people who had gotten him this far. This time he did the same. The pin Simon gave him weighed heavily in his pocket even now.

"I know you!"

A chipper voice with a Galarian twang coasted across the open pool and cut through the noise of the crowd around Raphael as he stepped onto the platform opposite his opponent. Nessa was grinning at him with her arms crossed. She was as beautiful as the tabloids said, but seeing her in person was something else. Working in the water as often as she did, she didn't wear much makeup when on the field, just went to show that she was blessed with natural good looks on top of a natural skill for battle. He shook his head gently and focused, this was no time to be getting distracted. Nessa continued to speak to him at any rate, despite his lack of reaction.

"Number 810! If Milo hadn't gotten through that thick skull of yours, odds are you wouldn't be here yeah?" Nessa taunted him from across the pool, but he knew he was stronger than he had been back then. This time he quickly retorted. "He pushed me to see my own potential. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice." He proceeded to pull a pokéball from his pocket. His eyes were steeled with resolve against the playful prodding and Nessa's own eyes widened with mild surprise.

"I see." She replied calmly, standing up straight and stretching her back nonchalantly, before settling back and looking at Raphael differently. Her grin was gone, her gaze was intense. Was she was taking him seriously, just like that?

Unbeknownst to Raph, Nessa was hiding a smile. Even if it was said in jest, maybe Sonia had been right in what she said. That Milo had been getting these kids in the right mindset for a proper test against her. 810, one of the hopefuls who challenged Kabu and, arguably, the one who had the most devastating loss. He had almost broken entirely against Milo, but her rival had seen fit to save him. To salvage the trainer before he fell to pieces. The result of that decision was standing across from her now, she was certain of it, this was a battle she could give her all to without fear of swallowing Raphael in the waves. Indeed, that blue spark in his eye, it wasn't too dissimilar to her own.

"You like water types too, right? That's what I've heard." She asks, that same calm expression on her face, honestly that was throwing him off, more than her jeering had. The sudden juxtaposition of her demeanor was jarring. "That wasn't the plan, but I guess it kinda turned out that way yeah." Her calm expression finally broke a little and she smiled, it was a confident smile born of excitement and her desire to fight. "That's what I was hoping you'd say." She paused and closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself, before opening them and pulling a pokéball from a holster at her side.

"Raphael. I want you to give it everything you've got, start to finish, hold nothing back! I'm going to rush at you like a tidal wave… it's your job to stay afloat!" Her smile grew wider and she pulled back ready to begin, but not before giving Raph a moment to respond.

Instead of immediately speaking, Raph seemed to pause for a moment in consideration, before reaching into his pocket. As he pulled back out, he was clutching something other than a pokéball in his hand. It was a small, blue, heart shaped pin… which he attached to his jersey, before turning to look at Nessa with a familiar fire raging in his eyes. "I won't drown, I won't even sink, Nessa."

The crowd went wild seeing the two trainers square off in words before any pokémon were on the field. Nessa smiled even wider, almost wildly at the response and quickly pulled back, leg high to toss out her first pokémon. Raph quickly tossed the ball up in his hand, before catching it and pulling back to do the same.

Music started blaring through the speakers and the crowd went ballistic, waving their arms frantically in the air as text flashed across the screens around the arena, the camera focusing on the Gym's leader and Raph in turn.

"Lanturn!"

"Vito!"

Jay · Mar 28, 2021

Raphael Allard
> Hulbury Gym
> Raphael Vs. Nessa - Part 2

..

....

"Leading with a water type of your own, that's what I like to see!" Nessa called out as the battle began. Nessa's Lanturn crashed into the water, followed quickly by Vito the Sealeo and both quickly adjusted themselves.

Lanturn was a natural in the pool, knowing it like the back of its hand, but Vito took a moment to get accustomed. The Sealeo quickly spun around until he could see his opponent, before furrowing his brow into a serious expression. This was it! Time for another serious fight against an uber tough opponent! Memories of Milo's gym flashed through the pokémon's mind, he had won that fight by using his type advantage but this situation was different. Vito wasn't at an advantage here, but the opposite. Even if the water was his home, it was Lanturn's too… and the little sparky yellow ball on his opponents head showed Vito that water wasn't the only power under their control.

But that didn't matter..! Raph was there, supporting him, guiding him. Vito would do his best and win! Just like before!

"Lanturn, start off with Rain Dance!" Nessa took the lead and Lanturn immediately leaped out of the pool, spinning rapidly in the air and generating localized clouds above the arena, its control was enough that it covered the entirety of the pool. People sitting in the front rows of the gym, a designated "splash zone", cheered with glee as they immediately started to get soaked… and the water pelted down on Raph and Nessa as well, drenching them entirely.

The cheers were hard to hear over, but there was something familiar nagging at the edge of Raphael's hearing. Taking a brief moment, he turned his head to the left, only for his eyes to widen in surprise. Sitting amidst the dedicated fans of Nessa, in the splash zone, holding a small blue banner above her head (which was getting ruined by the rain) was someone now familiar to him.

"HEARTOOOO-SAAAAAN!!!" Himari screamed at the top of her lungs as rain ran through her make-up and ruined her hair, her skinny arms shaking the banner around excitedly as she noticed him looking. "K- Blegh!" She spat out a sputter of water. "Kick her ASS!"

Despite the initial mixture of fear and disgust, Raphael couldn't help the incredulous smile spreading across his face.

"Let's go, Vito!"

"Now Lanturn, Electro Ball again!"

The battle between Raphael Allard and Gym Leader Nessa was raging, Vito the Sealeo and the Leader's Lanturn were clashing in the massive pool devoted to the gym battle. Nessa had a pretty locked down battle strategy when it came to fighting other trainers water types. With the rain falling down across the arena boosting the water type affinity of both pokémon there was no notable advantage, but Lanturn had additional power over electricity.

"Vito, shoot upwards!"

Responding to his trainers commands, Vito turned on a dime and ricocheted upwards, using a combination of swimming and Rollout, he was able to become an underwater cannonball and burst out of the top of the pool, spinning through the air before crashing down. For the majority of the battle so far Vito had been using this hit and run tactic, striking Lanturn before bursting out of the water quickly to avoid the wide spread electricity from his opponents counter attack. It's electro ball was extremely dangerous and Vito had been hit by one already as was.

Lanturn wasn't a fast pokémon and Electro Ball's power was based on the speed of the pokémon using it. However, the ball of pure electricity sparked outwards as it moved through the water, spreading its current through the saltwater pool easily and creating a devastatingly wide area of effect.

In essence, electro ball didn't need power, because it generated a slow moving, but massive radius under the water, a huge danger zone where getting struck was guaranteed. Considering his team, Raph was hard-pressed for pokémon to use in this battle besides Vito. Selene would struggle in the water, Lumi was an obvious no-go, he hadn't battled with Roe yet at all… and he had to save Carmen for when he really needed her.

Raphael was pushed against a wall and Nessa knew that, she knew his team for the most part too, she was pushing him into a corner on purpose. He had to defeat Lanturn with Vito if he was to stand any chance of victory… and to do that, he'd have to think outside the box. Vito was a water type, that was a benefit to him, but it was something he was expected to rely on in this gym. Nessa wanted him to use Vito's water type, because that gave her the advantage with Lanturn. He had to shift gears and start using Vito's other strengths, the ones she wasn't expecting here.

Right now, Vito was using Rollout, to dodge, shooting into the air to dodge an Electro Ball below. Nessa would be waiting with Lanturn at the ready as he fell, so Raph had to act now if he wanted to turn the tide!

"Vito, shift into Ice Ball!"

Spinning in the air, Vito gained as much speed as he could, surrounding himself in a prism of ice and shimmering gently in the light as he plunged back towards the water at high speed.

"Lanturn, catch him with an Electro Ball!" The orb of lightning bounced off of Lanturn's esca and formed an orb of charged, blistering energy below the area where Vito was set to plummet to. With a crash, the Sealeo pierced through the water and Nessa smirked, confident her attack would strike hard, but what happened defied her expectations.

With the additional weight from the ice, Vito plunged through the water and sunk quickly, the velocity from his movement pushed him through the electric field and hw was sinking so fast, while protected by his shell of ice, that the damage taken was minimal. "Now Vito, ride the water upwards!"

Spinning rapidly under the surface, Vito burst upwards. Using his carried momentum he shot up from beneath Lanturn this time. Bouncing up, plunging down, then rising up again. Vito had shot a perfect arc through the water, with great force and speed. Using gravity to plunge a floating object deep into the water… then letting the water itself handle the rest, he was moving at unprecedented speeds.

Crashing hard into Lanturn's underbelly, the light pokémon was sent flying upwards, bursting out of the water and flopping uselessly onto one of the floating platforms on the water, where Vito also landed, bursting out of the ice with a determined expression.

The rain was still boosting Vito's power, even if the next attack wasn't that effective now, it should still do enough!

"Vito use Water Gun!"

"Lanturn, Eerie Impulse!"

As Vito charged a burst of water to shoot from his mouth, Lanturn quickly shot a wave of strange, undulating static that sent a shiver down the Sealeo's spine. Raphael hadn't heard of that move before… what the hell had it done? "Vito, push through!" Shaking off the effect, Vito shot a burst of water from his mouth, with less force than originally intended? The attack still struck home however, Lanturn was sent flopping in pain, back into the water… and with the boost of the rain...

The announcer's voice blared over the speakers.

"Lanturn is unable to battle!"

"Nice! Vito!" Raph beamed and called out to his pokémon, who turned over its shoulder to give him a jovial smile. The crowd went wild, a sub-set (including one very devoted fan) even began to chant a now familiar word that echoed in the young trainer's ears.

"Heart-o! Heart-o! Vit-o! Vit-o! Go go go!"

They were chanting… for him? His eyes widened slightly. This was a far cry from the reaction they had given him at Motostoke stadium. He had gone from reviled in the moment to treated like a god damn hero, was this the fickle nature of the spotlight in full effect?

"Not bad… but don't get cocky yet." Raph's attention was grabbed back by Nessa, who still held a confident smirk as she held a dive ball up in her hand. She kissed the surface gently, before turning to Raph with steely determination. "Time for you to face our full force frontal power. Dreadnaw, go!"

WIth a cry of approval from the audience, the pokéball burst open, allowing a fully grown Dreadnaw to plunge into the water. She was a massive, overpowering presence. Her expression was rock solid, her body built like a tank, her eyes scanned the water before locking onto Vito on the platform above like a hungry predator. Raph couldn't relax yet, the real challenge was just beginning.

Something that large was built for a slow, frontal assault, so Vito would just have to use his speed to get the advantage here! "Vito don't stop! Quickly Ice Ball into the water again!"

Without missing a beat, Raph's partner pokémon obeyed. Plunging into the cold water, he zipped down towards Dreadnaw at a rapid pace, the larger, bulky water type still staring at Vito with a serious expression, but making no effort to move. If Raph could lead with a serious strike right out the gate then the advantage would be firmly in his favor!

"Dreadnaw use Headbutt!"

"?!"

Before Raph could react, Dreadnaw swiftly spun in the water, its movements were almost graceful… and definitely fast! It was moving with way more maneuverability than Raphael had ever expected. Using its own motion to swing its head like a club, it caught Vito at the moment of impact. A sudden and uproarious smashing sound thudded dully through the water. The attack had hit Dreadnaw, dealt damage sure, but the bite pokémon barely flinched with its superior defense… and Vito was struck with a devastating critical strike, sent plummeting down deeper in the water in pain.

Raph was stunned, how had he miscalculated that? He knew Dreadnaw, it was a common enough Galarian pokémon… it should not have been this fast, how was this possible?

"Head in the game, 810." Nessa sneered and Raph shot her a glare in response. "Your Sealeo is the same, train a pokémon to be fast… and they'll be fast. Not to mention the other factors at play."

Other factors..?

Raph's eyes widened as he was suddenly very aware of the rain falling on his face. Carmen's ability, swift swim, it made a pokémon's speed grow immensely when it was raining. Could Dreadnaw have had that ability too?! Raph couldn't let the encounter continue under the water like this!

"Vito, move to the surface quickly!"

"Stop him with Jaw Lock Dreadnaw!"

Vito rapidly moved upwards, quickly trying to rise to the surface but Dreadnaw burst outwards like a missile, racing through the water at incredible speeds and intercepting the fleeing Vito. Catching him harshly between her jaws and dragging him deeper into the water once again. "Vito!" Raph cried out, but it was too late. "Nothing can escape Dreadnaw's Jaw Lock! You're going to regret being so confident! Take him for a spin girl!"

Dreadnaw quickly darted through the water, damaging Vito and flailing the Sealeo around while he was held tightly in her jaws. Vito couldn't escape. "We can't let this beat us! Vito! Keep striking Dreadnaw with water gun!" And so Vito did, shooting burst of water after burst of water at Dreadnaw. With the rock typing and a presumably lower special defense, Dreadnaw should have taken decent damage from those attacks, enough to shake it loose, but to Raph's dismay the bursts of water seemed to be doing way less than expected. "What..?!"

"Forgotten already?" Nessa teased once more. "Lanturn's parting gift wasn't so useless after all, huh?"

That attack, Eerie Impulse. Raph remembered now, the strange static effect, the weakened water gun on the platform. Damn it, that must have lowered Vito's special attack! Even though Vito kept striking with water guns they didn't have enough force to knock Dreadnaw back… and without that to fall back on!

Before the thought could even finish Dreadnaw burst out of the water, tossing Vito onto a nearby platform… where the Sealeo lay unconscious. The announcer's voice blared again.

"Sealeo is unable to battle!"

Jay · Mar 28, 2021

Raphael Allard
> Hulbury Gym
> Carmen Vs. Nessa - Part 3

..

....

The crowd cheered Nessa's name this time and Raph winced. Dreadnaw didn't look unaffected at all, at least, she could even be described as weakened, the Ice Ball and the constant Water Guns had left it worse for wear, maybe about 50% depleted… but still. With a quiet 'thank you', Raphael returned Vito to his pokéball and reached for a second

Nessa smiled confidently. She knew Raphael's team and now she was certain the battle was as good as won. Realistically he had two options, an Eevee who would suffer in the water and a Litwick… who for obvious reasons wasn't about to defeat a water and rock type pokémon. At this point her victory was as good as assured. She'd give Raphael a chance to prove himself, then finish him off. Milo might go easy on kids like this, but if he wasn't able to beat her when she was trying then he didn't deserve to be here at all.

"Carmen!"

Wait… what?

The crowd fell momentarily silent as Raph cried what was to them an unfamiliar name. From a burst of light a small pokémon flopped down into the pool and turned to face her massive opponent. Carmen the Magikarp had entered the fight.

...and the crowd thought it was hilarious.

Immediately people started laughing, nudging each other and jeering. Carmen sat in the water and heard it all, the slight pause, the quiet of everything else bar what they were saying. She had never been used in a gym battle before… even though she knew what to expect, it still stung. She furrowed her brow and tried to push the jeering away.

All her life… this was what it had been like all her life.

Being underestimated, being counted out because of what she was, before she even got a chance.

"...810, what's this all about?"

Despite the jeering, Nessa's voice was the clearest. Her Dreadnaw sat silently across the pool, staring intently, while the gym leader spoke not a command, but something else. "I know things are looking bad, but there are better ways to forfeit a fight you know?"

Those words were like daggers to Carmen's heart. Even this expert of water type pokémon looked at her… and saw her as a joke, A mistake, a laughing stock. Doubt crept into Carmen's mind faster now, was that what Raph was planning? She slowly turned to look at him, a blank expression on his face as he stared back at Nessa. Was this his way of forfeiting the match…? To send her into a battle she couldn't win. Nessa continued to speak.

"What…? Are you banking on your pokémon to evolve in the middle of the battle? Just because that happened last time doesn't mean that-"

"Wait."

Even though his voice was quiet, Raphael's tone cut across the laughter and people drew silent to hear what he had to say. Bated breath, waiting for some kind of punchline.

"...Magikarp evolves?"

A few awkward chuckles, but nobody laughed.

The whole stadium stared at Raphael. Nessa's face contorted with genuine confusion and even Carmen looked at her trainer, utterly baffled. Eventually the leader spoke up.

"Stop having me on Raph." She sounded irritated now, annoyed at the waste of time in the middle of their battle despite her being the one to cause it. "Of course it does, do you have any idea how weak Magikarp are? Why do you think nobody catches them? You really thought you'd win a gym battle against a water type specialist like that?" She pouted, as if this whole thing were a ploy to insult her, but unbeknownst to her she had angered Raphael in the process.

"You're wrong!"

This time the crowd, which had started to murmur again, fell silent. Carmen looked at her trainer, still incredulous and confused… and worried as she heard the anger in his voice. "Magikarp aren't strong? To hell with that! Who are you to say that a whole species is weak?!" More silence, Nessa stared at the young man shouting in her face with mild shock. This out of character outburst, what was he getting at?

"That's not what strength is." A calm recitation, the message he'd learned every day on the journey he had taken from the start. "Strength is something you earn, not something you take. Not something you're born with either."

Raph turned to look at Carmen and she continued looked back as every moment they'd had came flooding back to her.

Meeting on Route 2.

Working together and protecting each other in the Wild Area.

Watching him recover from his loss.

Getting to know the new additions to their family.

Watching him make friends in that cave.

Sleeping with everyone else on a hill in Turfield.

Being overjoyed at seeing him win.

Saving his life from a raging waterfall.

"Carmen is a Magikarp." Raphael states, his voice serious and oozing a determination she so rarely saw in him. "If a Magikarp is something weak… then Carmen has fought every day against that idea! She's fought constantly and tirelessly to get to where she is." As he spoke the words, Raph saw in his mind someone he knew well. A little boy in a hospital bed, born with a disadvantage, struggling every day to get to where he was now. "That strength is earned, that's what defines her. Not what she is, what she was born as, but how hard she's fought to prove herself in life!"

The pin on Raph's jersey gleamed in the rain as he grit his teeth and met Nessa's gaze without falter.

"That's why, without a doubt… Carmen is the strongest pokemon I have!"

Carmen stared at him incredulously as silence hung over the stadium. Nobody was saying a word. Were she not already beneath the surface of the water, she'd have lost control of her emotions for all to see. He had never known she could evolve. He had never wanted her to. He had only wanted her, for who she was. They were so much more alike than she had even realized.

"...Raphael." Nessa spoke again and as the trainer and pokémon looked to her, rain plastering her hair to her face and neck, she was smiling brightly. "You're absolutely right. Thank you, I think I understand now, why Milo acted as he did to you."

Raphael's eyes widened in surprise, but before he could ask what she meant, the leader extended a hand outwards. "Then I'll give you the respect that's owed… to the strongest pokémon you have! Dreadnaw, use headbutt now!"

Dreadnaw charged forward, moving even faster than before. Its eyes were shining with determination and respect… and Carmen realized that Dreadnaw had been looking at her like that since she'd been sent onto the field.

"Carmen! It's time!" Raph's voice shook her to attention and she readied herself in the water, her gaze focused and her resolve stronger than it had ever been. Raphael believed in her. Not in the idea of Gyarados, the idea of that majestic dragon, in HER, in Carmen the Magikarp. She wouldn't let him down.

She was the strongest pokémon of Raphael Allard… and she would prove that title hers beyond a shadow of a doubt.

With incredible speed, Carmen shifted, with her smaller size she darted passed Dreadnaw's incoming head and looped around the attacking juggernaut, staying close to Dreadnaw's body and circling around rapidly. Nessa's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly adjusted.

Swift Swim, of course… it was easy to forget that the speed boost of the rain could apply to more than just her own pokémon.

"Carmen, tackle and tackle again, strike where Vito struck and push out Dreadnaw's weakness!"

Her eyes like lasers, Carmen examined every inch of Dreadnaw's body as she moved, watching for every little sign of weakness as the bite pokémon spun and thrashed beside her, dodging claws and headbutts meant to stop her as she danced in close range with her opponent.

Just below the neck, she saw high pressure water damage. Vito's water gun, she'd recognize the mark anywhere, that was where she had to strike. Dodging a quick bite from Dreadnaw's massive jaws. Carmen whipped her body around fiercely crashing her scar covered tail hard onto the damaged point of Dreadnaw and sending her staggering backwards in the water. Wincing in pain.

"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH?!?!?!" The crowd cried out in surprise and awe in a singular moment.

With just one strike, Carmen has won back their favor. The Juggernaut of Hulbury Port, Nessa's Dreadnaw… had winced from the attack of a Magikarp.

Raphael knew that Carmen couldn't succeed in a fight of raw damage, but there were some strengths granted even to Magikarp. With both pokémon granted the effects of Swift Swim, there was no way Dreadnaw could keep up. Carmen had trained tirelessly in the rivers flowing towards the ocean in the route just before this very city. Embracing the rain and the speed it gave her. In this situation, with her strength boosted by the weather, Carmen was in top form.

While she couldn't hit hard, she was precise, she knew exactly where to hit to make Dreadnaw feel the hurt, to wear her opponent down physically and mentally. Her eyes were crosshairs, locking onto a target, before pulling the trigger to fire. If every hit was a critical one, then what did a difference in statistics matter? Especially since Vito had already gotten the ball rolling.

Nessa was as stunned as the crowd was. This Magikarp… it really was skilled. Still, that wouldn't be enough. If both pokémon were as well trained as the other then statistics would still determine the victor… and Nessa knew Dreadnaw was up to the task. "Rock Polish Dreadnaw!" As she called her command, Dreadnaw began to spin rapidly in place, shining her shell and improving her maneuverability in the process. If the speed gap was closed, then Carmen's advantage would be lost.

Now faster than before, Dreadnaw swiftly turned and caught her Magikarp opponent off guard, smashing her skull hard into the little fish and sending her sprawling through the water, recoiling from the severe damage she had been dealt. With just that, Carmen's HP was already critical, just one attack and she was sent into recovery.

"Carmen! Snap out of it!"

No, that was right, she wasn't out yet. If one hit had almost done her in, then she just wouldn't get hit again. It was as simple as that.

Carmen righted herself quickly, pulling herself upwards and watching Dreadnaw move. The difference in speed was closed, but both pokémon were on their last legs now. Struggling to keep themselves steady as they watched the other, it was clear that Carmen's tackle wouldn't be enough to finish off her opponent… whereas any move from Dreadnaw was sure to be the closing line of this short lived story.

But there was still one last trick she could fall back on.

"I'm impressed… even when you lose you can walk out of here with your head held high." Nessa smirks, before her expression turns dead serious. "But in the end, we are what we are… there's only so much we can do to change that! Dreadnaw, Jaw Lock!"

"Carmen, leap out of the water! Use Splash!" Raphael called a response quickly and Carmen moved swiftly in turn, she propelled herself high off the water's surface but Nessa wasn't far behind. "That won't work this time! Dreadnaw, follow!" Using its incredible speed, Dreadnaw launched itself upwards, like a mortar smashing passed the surface of the water and following, jaw outstretched, attempting to snatch Carmen out of the sky.

Silence, time seemed to slow down for a moment as Carmen slowly turned in the air to face her rapidly approaching pursuer. One moment, two, three. Everything was moving in fractions, it was all was lined up, the pieces had fallen into place. Raphael thought back to the events of the day before.

"It's a gift." Before Raphael could really react Jackson took a step towards him and took his arm, placing the object in his hand and closing it in tight.

"If what I know about you and your team is accurate, that'll be your ace in the hole! Life's too short to question the good things, Mr. Allard!"

How right he had been, it seemed.

"CARMEN!" Raphael's voice cut across the arena and his pokémons eyes met with his own.

"Now… use Hydro Pump!"

"What?!" Nessa cried out, but it was too late. The falling rain gathered around Carmen, whose eyes were glowing a bright blue. It coalesced into an orb of pure energy between her and Dreadnaw, light glowing out and reflecting the pure essence of water.

Carmen was the one who controlled the waves now. It didn't matter what she was, it didn't matter what anyone else thought. She was Raphael's strongest pokémon. For him, she would become the strongest pokémon there ever had been.

Carmen glared down at Dreadnaw who stared in shock as she couldn't stop her approach. Carmen's eyes were as focused as ever and they spoke, no, roared a word at the rock type below her with their glare.

"Fall."

The orb in front of Carmen burst outwards as she cried out, a concentrated beam of raw power that hammered against Dreadnaw. The boost of the rain, Dreadnaw's already weakened state, the rock type that ironically, removed its resistance to water. All of these factors came together for this one, perfect strike. The concentrated hydro pump smashed into Dreadnaw at full force, shooting them down roughly with the force of a tidal wave. The massive pokémon plummeted into the pool and erupted in a massive splash, only to be carried by the beam even further, rushing through the water down, down and down… until with a sickening crack Dreadnaw smashed against the bottom of the pool, letting out a quiet cry of gasping pain as a crater formed around her, before she went completely still.

Dreadnaw… was unconscious.

Silence fell across the arena as Carmen splashed into the pool at last. The small Magikarp was huffing incredulously, staring down at her opponent slowly floating to the surface. As if they weren't real, as if it were all some crazy dream. While her trainer and Nessa, both simply smiled, giving each other a nod of affirmation as the announcer's voice blared over the arena.

"Dreadnaw is unable to battle! The winner is Challenger 810, Raphael Allard!"

The noise didn't sound real either, Carmen looked around to see the crowds… cheering for her. They jumped out of their seats and chanted, congratulating her and her trainer. They had won. She had won. Even though she was a Magikarp she had won.

"Carmen!" She heard his voice reaching her again and turned to see Raphael had moved from his platform to the side of the pool, he stood beside Nessa, who now returned Dreadnaw to her pokéball with a look of love and appreciation. Excitement and emotion overwhelming her, Carmen rushed to the side of the pool, splashing and fumbling as she went. "...k-karp, karp!" She leaped out of the water with a mighty splash and Raphael struggled to catch her, holding her close as he could despite her size and laughing with joy as she wrapped around him and rubbed her head into his shoulder affectionately.

This had been the first time she had spoken out loud since she was captured… and the first time she had shown such love and affection to anyone. Her dear trainer, who pushed her to be all she was destined to be.

"I was wrong." Nessa stated plainly, causing both trainer and pokémon to turn to look at her quizzically. "I suppose my rival is a step ahead of me again, that Milo… he was right about you Raphael." Her smile was radiant, even though they were both soaking wet… Raph was almost a little embarrassed. A rare sight for him when standing by a smiling woman. "Oh well, um, that's…" The victory was also hitting him right in the gut, a rollercoaster of emotions. Carmen understood, but she still rolled her eyes and flopped back into the pool to allow her trainer a better chance to speak.

"The way your Carmen fought… it was like nothing I've ever seen. It was incredible. I was wrong to judge her for what she was. Even if in the end I was trying to push you as much as I could." She paused, looking a little bashful. "...not that it matters to me, that is, but you're all Sonia's students yeah? So… I didn't want to go easy on you! I wanted to make you give it your best without holding back."

Raph smiled a little awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, but he nodded all the same. "Well… you certainly did that." He winced, the battle had been rough on him in more ways than one, but Nessa took no note of that and took his hand. She pressed into it a golden pin with a blue water motif, a fragment of a larger circle, the second of a grander destiny.

"But you rose to the challenge." She cuts him off before he can say anymore and he's almost grateful for it. "As gym leader of Hulbury Port, I bestow upon you this, Raphael Allard, Challenger 810… the water badge is yours!"

With a wide eyed smile and a firm resolve in his heart, Raph grasped the badge tightly and shared a glance with his Magikarp, before holding the badge up to the audience to show. The crowd went wild with approval… though one voice was louder than all the rest.

Raph, Nessa and Carmen too, all couldn't help sharing a small smirk and chuckle over the desperate, tear filled screams of "HEARTO-SAAAAN!" that Himari let loose from the audience stands.

Jay · Mar 28, 2021

Raphael Allard
> Hulbury Gym
> Struggling Together

..

....

Raphael sat at the back of a rented both, in the midst of Hulbury Bay, under the bright mid-day sun. His pokémon all out and about, enjoying themselves in the gorgeous early spring weather. The sun was actually shining brightly and Lumi eagerly bathed in the heat on the bow of the boat, while Selene slept soundly under the seat in the shade. Raph assumed her skin was as pale as her fur, so maybe she wasn't fond of the suns rays? In the water, Raph could see the shape of Roe, lazily floating and rolling in circles, mimicking the vague motion of Vito's rollout. The Sealeo, with a bright and jovial smile nudged and nuzzled him as he went excitedly, clapping his fins together and expressing his uncontrollable joy at the sight before him.

Carmen slowly floated around the boat, watching them from above and occasionally moving up to listen to her trainer, whose feet were submerged in the water, as he spoke to her. All this time Carmen and Raphael had been closer to accomplices in the Magikarp's eyes, he was a means to her ends, yet now she knew, she needed him. Not to mention, he needed her, as she was, without asking her to change. To think, this whole time, the fool hadn't even known that she could become a Gyarados. How utterly foolish, he really was something else. Still, despite that lack of knowledge, he had called her his strongest pokémon. A title she decided she would live up to, no matter what it took.

"Oi, Carmen." His voice rang out and she slowly floated upwards, letting her face rise out of the water to acknowledge him. "I've been thinking about a lot of things, doing some research too, since our battle at the gym. First off, sorry for not really knowing much about what you are, but..."

There was something conflicting him and she tapped his leg with her tail to prod him further.

"Carmen do you... want to evolve?"

It wasn't an unexpected question, but it was still one she dwelled on. She stared into the open ocean, imagining what fantastic creatures might lie beyond. A vast and endless sea of potential. All her life she had struggled and fought to become something greater, something bigger, something far more powerful than she was. Yet now, after proving herself despite that, she felt lost. She wanted to evolve to become strong, but she had proven she could be strong without that, so where did that leave her? She looked up to Raph for answer, only to find he was already smiling at her.

"Struggling?" He asked, happiness in his tone, she returned it with a look of affirmation and a small nod. His gaze returned to the horizon. "...I know the feeling." He laughed a little at that.

"All this time I've been trying to become something new as well. Yet even as I am, I'm doing better than I thought. So I wonder, should I change? Should I evolve?" He paused and reached for his ear, where he felt a small silver loop embedded now. "The idea started to scare me, when it mattered most, you know?" Carmen turned to watch the horizon alongside him. She did, in fact, know. She knew exactly what he was feeling, she felt it too.

"Every day can be a struggle, when we feel we were born wrong. When we feel like we're in a place we shouldn't be, one where we're falling behind. So we ask ourselves, do we change to fit the norm? Do we seek solutions desperately until we find them? Then even if we do find them, what then?" He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, but kept on smiling. "I'm starting to think maybe we're over-complicating it all, you know?"

Carmen pondered that for a moment, unsure of what he meant, then waited for him to continue. "Maybe it's okay to change, to evolve, when the time is right. We can be strong as we are, grow stronger every day, the big changes can come as they come, maybe we don't need to force them. Maybe we just need to fight through them one step at a time... then when we're ready, if we're ready, we can evolve, then fight some more, until we're satisfied, one day, in the distant future."

Carmen looked at Raph. Despite his attempts to hide it, she knew about his heart, they all did, all of his pokémon. They stood by his side knowing that one day he could be gone. Still, what he was saying now, it gave her some hope. She smiled back at him as he turned to look at her again, a peace in his eyes reflected in hers. She sidles up close to him and rested against his leg affectionately and he gentle placed a hand to her head. "So that's your answer too?"

Raphael looked to her, to the two in the boat, to the two playing in the water. A dysfunctional little family claiming every day they could, aiming for goals they weren't supposed to reach. Aye, he could live with that, for as long as the world allowed him to, he'd live for it as well.

"Then we'll keep struggling together, all of us, day by day."

Nothing more needed to be said, the pair had a silent agreement, so they sat watching the sun together with that in their hearts, until the blue mid-day sky settled to the purple and orange hues of the evening.

Foxrally · Mar 28, 2021

Spoiler: Memories

Hulbury

The sun was just beginning to set over the water and the ocean was calm and still, as Simon sat alone at a bench near the lighthouse. He was grateful the bench was facing away from the sidewalk, as the look of tears welling in his eyes would be evident to any passerby.

Yet another blow. Another loss. Tristan's scathing remarks were still fresh in the boy's mind, no matter how hard he tried to push them out. He had lost to everyone, and even the few 'victories' he thought he'd claimed were shams, technicalities. Part of him wondered why he was still even holding onto the badges. Jasper was right, he was weak.

After the battle, Simon had gone to the one person, the only person he knew still believed in him. One who had actually given him a chance… in more ways than one. The rest of the world may have seen him as a failure, a loser, a disaster waiting to happen… but she didn't. The girl who made him feel butterfrees in his stomach - and not in a way he was used to - and pushed him to improve himself in ways he'd never expected. Sachiko.

Simon sighed as he watched the sunset over the water, Spewpa at his side. All of his other Pokemon had been returned to their balls- he didn't want them to see him like this, not right now. They were his team, and they needed a strong leader. He couldn't show weakness… even if he knew he was just that, weak. He had to keep his chin up, as long as there was someone who believed in him.

"I'm sorry for acting so recklessly… during that battle." the boy said to his partner.

The little fuzzy bug was snuggled into his lap, trying her best to silently comfort her trainer as she shook her head. Spewpa knew Simon better than anyone else, and that even in his greatest moments of weakness, the boy had a strength in him that no other trainer could ever muster. A strength, a fire that made her trust him. One that not only drove him forward, but inspired those around him as well. All she could hope… was that the fire wouldn't die out.

Simon was petting the Pokemon absentmindedly as a voice from behind broke his train of thought.

"Simon? Is everything okay?" Sachi asked, standing beside the bench. She had come as quickly as she could upon Simon's call, but when she got here, she noticed how the boy looked sad.

At her feet was Tora; the feline wanted to glare at the boy's Pokemon, but sensing the mood, simply exchanged a silent look with her.

"Oh, hey Sachi." Simon forced a smile as he scooted over to let her sit. "S-sorry you gotta see me like this… today's, uh, not been the best."

Sachi quickly sat down beside the boy, placing her egg incubator by her feet, knowing that Tora would be watching over it. "It's okay! Everyone has their sad moments, it's nothing to be ashamed about!" She wanted to comfort him more, but she could only think about using words since hugging him or even just holding his hand might be too much. Sachi blushed at the thought, lifting a hand with the palm facing up, towards Simon, "Can I borrow your hand real quick?"

"Uh, yeah, sure…" Simon placed his hand on hers.

Hesitantly, she lifted their hands in the air, so their palms were facing each other and intertwined their fingers, then caressed his hand with her thumb. She made sure that she was facing away from Simon while doing this to hide her blush, "S-Seto and T-Tori would do this whenever I was feeling down, s-so I thought it might work here…" She quickly took a glance at Simon out of the corner of her eye, "Is it uncomfortable?"

Simon managed to crack a real smile at the gesture. Even he was blushing a little, but he had to admit it was comforting to have someone hold his hand. He sniffled a little and held her a hand a little tighter, "No, no, it's helping. Thank you."

"Now," Sachi lifted her head towards Simon, "What's wrong? You looked like you were about to cry."

Simon tensed up a little; was it that obvious? The last thing he wanted was to appear even weaker in front of her, but…

The boy's shoulders slumped and he looked away. "Sachi, do you... think I'm a loser?"

Sachi blinked a few times, registering Simon's words before her eyes widened, "W-Wha-No! You're far from that! Why would you think that way?"

"It started in the morning, I… upset my friend Raph pretty bad before my Nessa battle. I didn't even mean to, it was for his birthday, but he said some pretty harsh things before he left. Then after that, I went to challenge Nessa, and I won…" Simon realized the victory barely meant anything to him anymore. "...and after that, I was supposed to go 'celebrate' with Ruben. I thought it was gonna go great, but then... I overheard a conversation between him and one of his friends that was about me." he looked away as he tried not to get too angry again. "About how he doesn't actually care, how he's just friends with me to get the 'sympathy vote'... because I'm a loser."

He felt a ball build up in his throat. "And then I got reminded of every loss I've ever had, every pathetic attempt I made at changing people's minds. It's just that… there's some people who I thought believed in me, who thought the same as you. I even thought we were good friends too. But I guess they showed today I'm not that important to them, I'm just… some dead weight loser they can toss out when they don't need, or some tool they can just use to get ahead."

"And maybe they're right." he muttered under his breath, remembering Tristan's words.

Sachi frowned, she had briefly met Raphael and Ruben before and the three looked to be good friends. From Simon's stories, they sounded like good people, but after this, she didn't know, it gave her mixed feelings. On one hand, she wanted to be angry at the two for hurting Simon... but at the same time, she had a feeling there was something more to this.

"I can't say much about them since I barely know them, but..." Sachi began, "I'm sure they didn't mean it. For Raph, maybe he was having a bad day and you happen to come in at the wrong time, and for Ruben... maybe he was talking about someone else!" Sachi lifted her other hand to Simon's cheek, pulling him to face her, "But if there's one thing they are wrong about, is that you're a loser. I've seen you battle and you're amazing! You adapt when things start to go downhill and manage to find ways to surprise everyone! And how you handle your team and become friends with almost any pokemon is amazing itself! Don't discredit yourself, Simon."

"Y-you really think so?" Simon looked up at her. "Even though you've beaten me twice already?"

"Why does winning matter?" Sachi glared at him, "I've never been able to defeat Seto or Tori before and I've lost to them countless times. What matters is that you're still learning, we all lose at times! That doesn't make you a loser. It just means that you're strong because you aren't giving up because of that."

Simon paused for a moment. "...thank you. I really needed to hear that." he said, holding her hand tighter as they watched the sunset. "I know I said earlier that I only need me to believe in myself but… it feels nice knowing you also do."

"Always have and always will." Sachi said with a smile. Then, hesitantly, she leaned her head onto Simon's shoulder, blushing with her eyes close to closing. Why did she feel sleepy right now, was it from staying up late to train last night? Or that she woke up too early? She didn't know, but she was so tempted to just close her eyes and sleep right then and there. "How can I not… you're an amazing person, Simon…"

Simon heart raced as he felt the butterfrees in his stomach flare up again, but leaned into Sachi as well. This… this was nice.

The pair continued to watch the sunset together, simply enjoying each others' company in silence.

Everything was okay, Simon thought. It was all going to be alright.

--------

About half an hour had passed. The streetlight beside the bench had turned on and the sun was almost completely below the horizon now, with the darkness of night approaching soon. Simon was playing absentmindedly with Spewpa, Sachi still dozing on his shoulder. He'd thought of waking her up or moving her, but the thought of ruining the moment was too great for him. It was getting late though, so he had to do it eventually.

A female voice behind them spoke up. "So this is where she was…"

Simon looked behind him, recognizing the Platinum-coloured hair. "Oh." he mouthed quietly. "Hey."

Lola spared a glance at Simon before her eyes moved over to Sachi, who had by now moved her body to be closer to the boy, causing Lola's eyebrow to twitch. "I see that you two are… comfortable. It's…" Lola trailed off, not wanting to say the word 'romantic'.

Simon narrowed his eyes. This was the same girl who barged in on his date in Turffield, then again flustered Sachi at the contest. Sachi's 'childhood friend' she'd told him so much about. The tension between the two was evident, but he tried to stay quiet to not wake Sachi. "You looking for something?"

"Yes, the girl beside you." Lola replied with a frown, narrowing her eyes at the boy to scrutinize him. "I don't get it."

"What?" Simon asked, trying his best to stay calm.

"How can she like someone like... you?" Lola hissed, low enough to not wake up Sachi, but loud enough for Simon to hear.

Simon frowned, he wasn't going to take this sitting down. He gently placed his hand under Sachi's head and moved out of the way as he lowered it onto his backpack, then got up to face Lola. Spewpa remained on the bench, eyeing the two humans nervously beside Tora.

"You got a problem with Sachi spending time with me?" Simon asked, now meeting the girl eye-to-eye.

"Of course I do." Lola lifted a hand, poking Simon hard in the chest, "I don't like you, there's something about you that radiates 'weak' and I don't want Sachi around… that!"

Simon blinked as he tried not to raise his voice. This was the last thing he needed today. "Who the hell do you think you are to talk to me like that?" he snapped. He was going to cut to the chase. "I can tell you're trying to split me and Sachi apart. I saw those texts you sent in Turffield."

"Oh? So alluring her with your 'charms' wasn't enough, now you invade her privacy." Lola hissed, "What's next, you confess that you like her then dump her for a better girl?"

"No, her phone was open and-" Simon growled back in frustration. "And no, I would never do that to Sachi."

"Oh reeeaaally?" Lola dragged out the last word, giving Simon a hateful look, "You're a boy, aren't you? I know what you're looking for, you're just using her." Lola remembered what Sachi's aunt told her, her anger rising at the thought of Sachi going through the same experience. "I have no doubt that the moment you find someone 'better', you'll dump her. And I'm here to stop that from happening."

Simon glared at her, "Listen, I don't know what kind of fucked up idea you have of what me and Sachi have going on, but this is none of your business. Sachi can spend time with whoever she wants!"

He narrowed his eyes at the girl as a realization hit him. "I know what this is about. You just want her for yourself, don't you?"

"I do!" Lola stomped her foot. "I want her to come back to Alola and leave this place! But she always refuses and you know why?! It's because of you!"

"And have you thought for a second," Simon began, "that maybe she's here because she likes to be? That she's with me because she likes to be?"

"Exactly!" Lola thrusted her hands upward, "And that's the problem, she's not supposed to have feelings for someone, especially now of all times!"

"It's not your place to decide who or where Sachi spends her time." Simon spat back and turned back towards the bench. "I'm done with this."

Lola stopped and her expression shifted. She had to find some way to separate them, physically and emotionally... and she knew how. This would hurt Sachiko as well, but this was for her own good.

"Oh wow, you can't even handle a small argument?" Lola sneered at him, "What I've heard is true then. How pathetic."

"What you've… heard?" Simon mouthed, looking at the girl.

"Let me ask you something. Why do you think she spends so much time with you?" Lola asked.

Simon furrowed his brow, waiting for the answer.

"Sachi's too nice to say it, so I will." the girl lifted her hand and pointed at Simon, "You're a loser, and Sachi knows it. She knows your victories are just luck. She knows you're embarrassing to be around, and…" Lola smirks, "...just like bug pokemon, you're weak."

Simon glared at Lola, his eyes full of rage. "Sachi. Doesn't. Believe that."

"How do you know?" Lola raised an eyebrow, "I know Sachi much better than you, and I've known her for far longer. She tells me things that you would never know about. She doesn't want to hurt your feelings, so she would never say it…. She feels sorry for you, bug boy. She pities you."

"She…" Simon stammered, his expression wavering, "You- you don't know that!"

"Hasn't she beaten you in every battle so far?" Lola inquired, "I've heard everyone talk about how the challenger who relies on bug pokemon is weak, how he is the desperate underdog. Why would anyone want to associate with you? I even heard... Ruben Sancho played you for a fool."

"What…?!" Simon stepped back in shock. How had she found out about that? He hadn't told anyone except... was she eavesdropping on Sachiko's phone?! This meant Lola knew so much more about Sachi… much more than he could ever find out. Was she telling the truth? "She's… no…."

"I know more than you can imagine, bug boy." Lola took a step closer, getting in Simon's face, "She told me everything. Do you want to hear more? More about how sorry she feels or how you will never be good enough for her?"

Simon looked back at the peacefully sleeping girl behind him. Was she just like the others? How could he ever trust her, after Lola had said? He wanted to believe the girl was lying, was just trying to push his buttons… but it made sense, didn't it? He was weak, nobody really wanted to be with him. Raphael and Ruben had all been bullshit. All of his other classmates knew it too. Aeliana, Rosa, Pia, Haleigh, Valerie… Everyone had been constantly repeating it to him - Catherine, Jasper, Tristan…

"Nobody is obligated to indulge you or your fantasies."
"You're weak, Pearburgh. You're not kind and you're no sort of hero."
"Just admit to yourself you'll never be a real trainer and move on."
"You're not worth my time. Stay far away from me, Simon."
"Being with him gives you the sympathy rub."
"The perfect loser."

The boy was shaking, unable to hold back his tears anymore as he stared at the ground. They were right. And the one person who he thought he'd convinced… was just like the others.

"Sorry you had to find out this way." Lola said sarcastically, sneering as she walk past him. She picked Sachi up, lifting the girl with surprising ease and being careful to not wake her. Tora glowered at her, and gave one more look at Spewpa and her trainer before picking the incubator up with his mouth and following the girl.

Lola walked away with Sachi, leaving Simon all alone.

In his backpack, the Blackspear tablet began to ring.

Joint post of Evily and Foxrally

Turnip · Mar 29, 2021

The Psychic Is Gonna Do That Gym Challenge Thing You Know The One That Is Kinda Like Wipe Out Or Whatever
Featuring Xan and Kass (Jerry is in his ball he's fine)

By now, most of the challengers were gearing up to leave Hulbury. This meant that Xan had squeezed just about all the information they could out of watching the other participants. And that meant that now, it was their turn. Now, there was no turning back. Xan had wormed their way out of a lot of public appearances that may have otherwise appeared compulsory as part of this League Challenge, but it really wasn't likely they were going to be able to back-pedal from literally in the middle of walking out to take the challenge. Their last chance to drop out relatively painlessly had just passed, but so be it. They'd known they'd hate the thought of publicity since the very beginning, but all the same they'd known they had the drive to push past it. Xan's mind had long since numbed to the pressures of judgemental eyes - all that remained was a cold assessment of cost versus benefit. The cost was unfortunate. The benefit was worth it.

They paused to make sure they were ready for the challenge. Pulled up their socks to make sure they weren't going to bunch up awkwardly. Honestly, if anything was going to mess up their challenge, it was the shoes. Basically unworn, they were probably well-made enough but came with all the little discomforts of new footwear. They were the only things Xan had actually changed into from the gym uniform besides the jacket - and even that they were wearing over their hoodie. Boots seemed a little heavy-duty and they needed to display their challenger number. That was apparently all that was completely necessary, and so naturally it was all Xan had done. For all the spite they held for everything the League did make Xan do, they had to admit that the rules were quite lenient by most comparisons. Xan could even keep their headgear on, which was a relief - though they doubted there would be many of those to come in the days and months ahead. They stretched, then stepped out into Hulbury stadium.

"Next up is Challenger 775!" Came the voice of the commentator over the speakers, instilling in Xan a sense of dread the likes of which they hadn't felt in years. "If you've been keeping up with the League Challenges so far, you might be thinking 'I haven't heard that number before'! You'd be right - there was no sign of this mysterious character in Milo's gym, nor Kabu's, nor even at the opening ceremony! And yet they have appeared from the shadows to take part in Nessa's gym challenge first! What's their game?"

"Shut the fuck up, what the...?" Xan muttered. The benefit was still worth it. The benefit was still worth it, the cost was just really unfortunate. All the exasperated muttering in the world did nothing to stop the commentator.

"Who are they really? Why are they taking the League Challenge? What's the story behind the unusual attire? So many questions! Let's see what answers will come out in their performance today, folks!"

"I'm going to fucking die- hi, hello," the psychic had to cut themselves off as they were approached by a member of the gym staff, a thirty-something bearded man who gave them a wonky smile.

"Afternoon, challenger. You've had your briefing; you get to pick one of your Pokémon to help out with the obstacle course. Here you are..."

Xan thanked the staff member as they retrieved Kass' Pokéball, giving a quick 'see you soon' to Jerry afterwards. It could be worse, they supposed. Blatantly drawing attention to the supposed 'mystery' was a little on-the-nose, on top of being generally irritating in that it could get people asking questions. Mysteries were supposed to be comprised of interesting questions with interesting answers, was the thing - the commentator's questions were uninspired, and the answers, Xan knew, were not just mostly private but also simple to the point of boring. Even if the psychic wasn't personally the subject of all this blabbering, they'd probably still be annoyed just hearing it. But in spite of all that, to be fair... of all potential stupid narratives the commentary could be pushing, absurd mystery was a relatively innocuous one. Who knows what wild speculation the commentary could have put in people's heads? Such a wonderful mercy; they were stabbing Xan with an un-poisoned knife! Ah, well. Time to get this over with. Time to show the crowd something that wasn't just mystery or speculation. Something that was actually important.

"Hey Kass," Xan greeted their research partner. The Abra clapped and stretched. "You ready, you see the end point over there?"

"Challenger 775, are you ready?" Came the big voice over the speakers. Kass nodded to Xan, and Xan nodded to... wherever. And so the countdown began... three... two... one... go.

At once, it all happened. The klaxon sounded. Kass grabbed Xan's hand and the two immediately teleported directly to the end of the obstacle course. The whistle of the gym staff member rang out shrilly before the klaxon had even finished. Kass and Xan teleported down to the gym staff member before the whistling even stopped. Xan had suspected that teleportation would be considered cheating, but the rules they'd been given didn't explicitly forbid it - they figured it'd be remiss to not try it. The psychic didn't bother to say anything before the gym staff started talking.

"Hey, c'mon, you read the rules, right?" He questioned, not particularly irritated. Apparently the speedy nature of this offence made it a lot less abrasive.

"Sure did," Xan answered. "Saw nothing specifically against psychopor- uh, teleportation, but I'll gladly run the course some different way."

"Nothing against-? No leaving the boundaries of the course," The staff member said with a squint. He began pointing. "There's a yellow line on the walls, there and there, and on the ceiling and floor, there and there. That bans unconstrained flight, climbing and levitation, and yeah, teleportation."

"This Abra's psychoportation is strictly instant matter transference, it's a swap. There does not exist a point in time when we aren't present on the course."

"Look, I don't care about the specifics of the Abra's thing-"

"I- fair enough, I get it," Xan held up their palms. "I'll run it a different way."

"It ain't difficult. Just don't trivialise the course, okay?"

The psychic almost snorted, "I'll be honest. Unless you want to ban psychic power outright - which will effectively cripple my companion here, by the way - the course is going to be trivialised."

"Just-" The staff member sighed. "Don't teleport or psycho-port or whatever it is, don't leave the course, don't telekinesicise anything outside the course or otherwise tamper with it. You just need to run the course properly, okay?"

"... Yeah," Xan agreed, the lack of confidence their long pause brought evident on the staff's face.

"A bit of a hiccup there," came the voice of the announcer, ever a burden on Xan's ears. "But it looks like challenger 775 is ready to run the course properly, now!"

Both psychic and Psychic Pokémon were indeed ready, sharing a glance at the starting line. Xan was honestly glad that teleportation was being counted as against the rules. Psychoportation wasn't anything flashy, anyway. If the price for putting psychic powers in the spotlight was getting partially illuminated themselves, then they may as well make the most of the opportunity and make damn sure that psychic powers were getting the spotlight they deserved. After the countdown repeated the klaxon sounded once more and the two began the Gym Challenge in earnest. Kass bolted off towards the first obstacle, Xan following behind at a more leisurely pace. Ahead of them was a pit; a drop straight down a few metres into water. Above, three bars stretched across the width of the gap, equally spaced. In the middle of each a rope trailed almost to the surface of the water - a rope climbing segment. Great.

Xan wasn't the athletic type. They never had been. This journey was probably the most exercise they'd got in their entire life, if they were honest, and they'd be lying if they said they weren't disappointed that they had yet to see even a fucking iota of improvement in their physical health from it. Could they lift their own body weight on a rope? Definitely not unassisted. With telekinetic assistance? From themselves? Probably, but only if they could actually grip the rope properly. From Kass? Definitely. But doing it the proper way would be boring anyhow.

"I'm going to untie this first one, Kass," Xan informed the Abra, who skipped across the ropes to the other side like a Mankey. The Psychic Pokémon understood that Xan had a plan in mind, and began following the human's lead. Together they reached out with psychokinetic grip to the ropes, untying the knots that held them to the bars. The commentator was definitely reacting to it, but Xan had tuned it out by this point. If it wasn't a whistle, they didn't care. They were focused. The rope in the middle was forcibly shifted to one side, and as Xan got to work Kass began laughing as they followed along. Ropes were tied to each other and re-tied to the bars, and what began as three single ropes had turned into one single length, stretching down almost to the water and then coming back up to the bar again in a loop. Like a swing, Xan pushed it to Kass, and Kash pushed it back. The rope gained momentum, and the psychic caught it as it reached their side. In the motion of walking they planted one foot on the bend in the rope and leant in, swinging across the gap in one fell swoop to place their opposite foot on the other side.

"Right, that should do it," Xan exhaled. They shared a look with their giggly companion. "Should probably clean up after ourselves."

The reconstruction was even faster than the deconstruction, which led the duo quickly to the second obstacle that stood in their way. Another trio over a pit. This time they were the, uh... bouncy ball things. Xan wasn't sure what to call them. They were bouncy slippery orbs on metal rods that poked out from the water - Xan remembered seeing them before on those gauntlet-style parkour television shows they'd been exposed to at some time or another. The problem most people had was momentum: having either too much, or not enough. Psychokinetic adjustments should make that a little easier for them than most people. That and... hmm...

"They put water on those things, huh, Kass? Slippery."

The Abra was already speeding over before Xan had finished speaking. This was a playground to the Pokémon, not a gauntlet. They bounced steadily on the surface of the ball - rubber? - and sure enough their feet were stuck in a cartoonish scramble for purchase even as psychokinetic force kept them from losing balance. They flipped up into what looked like a one-handed handstand for a moment, a blast from their mind pressing down into the surface of the ball and pushing the liquid on its surface away. They flipped again and jumped twice, cheering and free from slipping, then launched themselves along the other two to the other side with hardly a care in the world.

"Right. Simple enough," murmured Xan, gauging the distance contemplatively. So long as they faced the ball and applied enough downward force, they shouldn't risk slipping. They dived forward and slammed themselves into the rubber - it was quite comfortable, actually, they almost wanted to fall asleep there - and looked up only to see Kass already playing around on the final portion of the challenge. As Xan willed psychic force to clear the water from the surface of the spheres in front of them, they watched as the Abra dipped and ducked and swung under and over and between three rows of foamy, rotating rods. What was it with threes? They were attached to a central swinging disk, and Xan and Kass as challengers were expected to evade them and - as Xan saw when they reached the third and final ball - make a jump to the final platform and hit the button to signal their completion of the course. Time their jump with the pressure of swinging tubes coming at them, huh...? Something told Xan that Kass wouldn't be feeling that pressure all too much. The Psychic Pokémon was now in the middle of another one-handed handstand on top of the spinning disk, the other hand waving at the crowd when the human at last approached with a plan in mind.

"You see where the rods attach to the central portion, Kass?" Xan called out. The Abra, still upside down, gave a confident nod and flopped over on top of the topmost cylinder. They poked a finger towards a small gap, within which was the exposed metal portion of the rod. Xan ran, and with a telekinetic push to their backside as they hauled themselves up they joined Kass atop the obstacle. "You can feel it out better than me. Screws, nails, some other kind of locking mechanism? One, two or three?"

Kass' shoulders shook with mirth. They held up one finger, at the same time flinging some telepathic concepts Xan's way. Celebration, elegance... poetry. Xan exhaled through their nostrils.

"Wow, it rhymed, I can't believe it," They droned, much to Kass' joy. "Oh yeah, wait, I can just-"

They reached an arm out and pressed the 'finish' button from where they were sat, a psychokinetic impulse doing the job that their hand was far too far away to complete. A buzzer sounded, but a whistle immediately followed. Xan's gaze followed the sound to the staff member from before, who was shaking his head. They couldn't tell from this far if he was upset or not. The psychic could only shrug.

"Okay, so I can't just," they corrected themselves. "Well, I'd prefer to not have these spinning here. So I'm going to, er..."

The psychic leaned over the side of the central portion, psychokinetically rotating the screws that held the rods in place. A tool might struggle to fit in the gap or fail to grip properly, but the disembodied fundamental forces of the universe? They just did. And the screws obeyed. It took a bit, but eventually the top-most rod popped free. Kass mimed shock, even as they had jumped down again to dismantle the bottom-most rod. They finished unscrewing their own tube, then raised a finger - idea! With ethereal force the cylinder moved, sliding across the - what was this floor, plastic? - to the gap between the platform they were on and the platform with the button. Nice, a bridge!

"Oh, I was just going to disable this for the hell of it," Xan chuckled. "Er- right, that's a much better idea, actually. I'll pop this one back, even. Er- oh, Arceus- Kass, where did you leave the screws? Eup, never mind, I found them..."

The topmost rod was resituated and rescrewed easily enough, popping in with a satisfying metal clang, and as Xan hopped down Kass was polite enough to psychically hold the bridge steady for them. The human almost cracked up at the unadulterated essence of high society service the Abra telepathically bombarded them with - and really that was almost very annoying because if they had started laughing they might have lost their balance and fallen - but they kept their composure and made it to the other side. Xan held the makeshift bridge for Kass once there. They didn't need to telepathically send them jokes. They didn't need to do anything. The Abra crawled across, giggling. They knew.

Xan waited until the makeshift bridge had been returned to its rightful place on the spinning platform before hitting the button to confirm that they were finished. It wasn't the fastest time, that was for sure, but it had served its purpose. It was Xan's first League appearance and they hadn't yet been banned! That was a good start, they supposed.

On the other hand, they were starting to think the uniform trainers were chafing the backs of their heels.

PastelPhoenix · Mar 29, 2021

Achille Béringer and Clovis Solanine
Location: Hulbury
A JP with MurkMire

The sight of a Corviknight Taxi landing was something that would probably take a long time for Achille to get accustomed to. There were at least stations to keep any unfortunate passersby from getting squished beneath the carriage, but having a sizable metallic bird suddenly appear carrying a large iron carriage caused him to jump each time. Not to mention how there was always a very solid THUD that made him think some accident happened. Who'd have guessed giant birds might have trouble setting incredibly heavy stuff down from an airborne position in a way that didn't cause you to think there was a car accident nearby.

It was such a taxi that nearly caused Achille to spill his coffee on the Hulbury streets. The sound of metal-on-metal impact apparently also surprised Alizé, judging by how quickly the little Noibat shot down his jacket collar. He turned to glare at the cart, finding himself already beaten to the punch by Joiuse. Ignace, the last of his companions for this outing, just seemed disappointed he didn't actually drop the coffee.

His annoyance was halted at a familiar sight of red curls under a cap. Achille stopped, it couldn't really be the same detective from the mines, was it? He had an answer to his question soon enough, as a Sentret hopped out of the carriage and onto the lady's back. He didn't know how many other newsboy cap wearing, Sentret partnering, curly redheads there were in Galar, but he'd take his chances at this point.

Besides, he needed to ask her something.

"Hey, Clari!" He called out, hoping he wasn't about to make a fool of himself.

To his great relief, the girl turned around. A look of surprise spread across her face, replaced soon with cheer. "Oi," she shouted from the taxi platform, "didn't think I'd see you here, kid!" Her partner, Doyle, squeaked a hello and raised a paw. She sent off the taxi, creating a great gust of wind that sent her hair (and several discarded receipts) blowing every which direction. The detective stepped off the platform, meeting Achille at the curbside. "I guess gym two is coming up soon."

"Yeah, I'll be going after Nessa soon." Achille started walking with her towards her unknown destination. Alizé finally crawled out from his collar, taking to the air behind him. Joiuse moved her way between the two, forcing them to keep some distance. "What brings you out here? Unless you're following me."

"Psh, you wish." She laughed. Doyle suddenly jumped off her shoulder, running ahead of them. Ignace followed the Sentret, and the pair stopped at a small garden plot, grabbing something from the dirt. "There's actually something in need of detective work here. Someone is runnin' 'round knicking stuff from stores." She continued without even stopping to question what the Pokemon were doing. "Finally did a runner on a bank, and practically no leads. Community is getting real nervous, and whatever case the bobbies have sounds to be in absolute shambles."

The two humans crossed by the pair of curious Pokemon, who looked up and fell back in line with the trainers. Ignace was carrying a small rubber ball, apparently lost by some kid. He tossed it ahead a bit, then raced Doyle to find it first.

"Well, that's the long and short of it." Clari finished, watching the playing Pokemon with a smile. "It's actually an open reward, not a contract. Don't suppose you'd be interested in lending a pair of eyes, do you?"

Achille mulled it over, he was playing detective a lot lately. He needed a favor from her anyways, and it was only right to help her out first. "Sure, not sure what I can help with though."

"Trust me." She slapped him lightly on the back and adjusted her cap. "It's a perspective I might otherwise miss. Besides, I might be an expert, but if our little bandit is packing some Pokemon then I could use the help of Mr. Pro Trainer."

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*THUD*

"Aiyee!" A nervous Clovis jumped, from the loud sound some ways away as he walked out of the Hulbury PokeMart, a bag in hand with various supplies. Five Super Potions, three Pokeballs and two more Burn Heals. Considering the challenges ahead, and finally being able to use the money that he accrued for supplies, Clovis wasted no time in reaching the PokeMart. Though it was nice to have a fat stack of cash, Clovis was more invested in being prepared.

Looking down at the bag sullenly, Clovis thought to himself, I wish Repels could repel shenanigans, otherwise I'd buy more. Slowly, he walked on in the direction of the coast. He wasn't sure why, but the smell of the salty air, the smell of questionable substances. and the cool wind reminded him of simpler times. Painful times, but also simpler times. In this moment, Clovis walked alone, bag drooping in the grip of his fingers. Eyes, glued to the waves as they seemed to dance in his eyes. The sound of the local Pokemon, and city mixed with the sounds of the peaceful ocean put Clovis in a trance.

"We are bringing you special footage from the scene of the crime, right here in Hulbury," a voice came, surprising Clovis once more, resulting in a quieter jump. Now what? Looking over in a store window, a television was playing local news, something about a robbery? Local burglar known as, "The Hulbury Specter," has once again evaded police capture, and has absconded with money from the Bank of Hulbury(?). Sources claim that this individual uses Ghost-type Pokemon to perpetrate their crimes, hence the name. Even moreso, this individual manages to leave no evidence that would lead to their arrest. Only a description of a vague appearance is currently available. A long, blue coat with vibrant purple eyes. Will our law enforcement bust this ghost, or will he remain an elusive phantom? More coverage, later this evening…."

Clovis simply stood there. Puzzling. Puzzling, and puzzling, and puzzling. Okay. I have… three Psychic-types, one of which may have a better chance of dealing with Ghost-types, being Id. Then, there's Pariet, my Shellder. Archimedes, my Tranquill. And… Aneurysm. I think Id would be the best approach to this, but… do I really want to get myself involved in more madness?

He sighed, eyed the nearest bench, and sat himself down as he put away his supplies into his bag. But still, he thought. However… if I do manage to stop this criminal, my reputation would advance even farther. From knocking down the Rube, to this. That… is a tantalizing opportunity. Plus… I really love a good mystery. It was decided. Clovis would try to apprehend this "Hulbury Spectre." While, at the same time, grow his reputation.

Right. So, the nearest crime took place at the local bank… in that case, let's get reacquainted, looking down at the Pokeballs at his waist. "Id, I-"

*pop*

"SHELL-DER! DERDERDERDER!" *chomp*

"OW, PARIET, STOP, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO GET OUT OF YOUR POKEBALL WITHOUT PERMISSION! ALSO, THAT'S MY SKULL YOUR BITING ON!" Wildly, Clovis flailed and spun as he stood up in a panic, Pariet chomping on his head and licking his hair with no pause, nor respite. Despite Clovis feeding and grooming his Pokemon individually, Pariet was… a bit left out from the action.

"Pariet, STOP! I'll give you a special treat, AND the next TRAINER BATTLE if you stop!" And just like that, Pariet let go, and plopped to the ground. His eyes, shining like the waves of Hulbury in the warm sunlight. "Shell… Shell-derr?" "Ugh… yes. Maybe I should've named YOU Aneurysm… either way. Back in the ball." His head, hung low, he returned a happy, pleased Pariet. "I need to buy an extra towel. Damnit."

A short while after cleaning himself, and making a mental note on training Pariet personally, Clovis made his way to the Hulbury Bank. He had let out Id of his Pokeball beforehand, allowing him to enjoy the scenery. Every so often, Id would poke and prod Clovis' chomp marks on his head, teasing (or torturing) him.

Eventually, Clovis was met with the appearance of crime scene tape, and a few officers in the area. At the entrance to the bank one confused-looking officer spoke with a black-suitted man, presumably an employee of the bank.

Achille's small group arrived at the same time, held up by the Sentret and Darumaka's antics. Achille whistled upon seeing the scene. It appeared ripped straight out of some cheap crime show. Except no one was actually working, just standing around looking annoyed and confused.

"You're sure they'll let us in?" Achille asked. Security looked a little tighter than he'd expect from an investigation welcoming volunteers.

"I reckon it's just for show." Clari adjusted her hat and allowed Doyle back on her shoulder. "Save some face after basically admitting they have no clue. At least they better, else they owe me some taxi fare." She muttered the last part, barely audible to Achille.

"Works for me." Achille shrugged and began to approach the bank. Worse comes to worse he could front Clari's taxi fare and make up the favor another time. He passed a somewhat familiar face on the way to the door, some other trainer he swore he saw before. He shook the feeling off though, there was work to do.

Hearing the loose conversation, Clovis looked over to a familiar face. Uhh… oh yes, Achille. Asking for his 'help' would make this much easier. "Well… hello there," Clovis awkwardly called out, a look of cringe ever so slightly on his face.

"Oh… Hey," Achille stopped and faced the familiar looking person. It was probably time to deep dive through the memories for a name.

"Friend of yours?" Clari (unfortunately) asked, putting even more pressure on the trainer not to make an ass of himself.

"I think we went to trainer school together." It was noncommittal, but it hopefully saved Achille some face.

Stepping up… awkwardly, Clovis and Id approached the duo and their Pokemon. "Well, what a coincidence. I suppose we both decided to investigate, and possibly bring this no-good criminal to justice, eh? Why not… work together?" He held out an open hand, still uneasy about having to ask for assistance. "Ahem, but, with my intelligence and your… numbers, we would be able to take this Hulbury Spectre down."

"I'm not sure how to take being called the 'numbers'," Clari grumbled. "I did say more unique perspectives are needed, what do you think?"

"If this guy is robbing banks with Pokémon, I'd be happy having some backup." Achille couldn't recall anything Clovis really did in the academy, but if he graduated then he must be no slouch. "It gets hard to command more than two Pokémon and I'm not sure how good Doyle will be in a fight. No offense, Doyle."

The Sentret didn't seem offended, giving a small reply. "Don't worry, he's an investigator, not a fighter. Well. Want to head in?"

"Sure. Id, let's go." "Inn-kay!" Clovis stepped forward first, walking into the bank with the Inkay floating at his side. Inside the bank, a couple of officers were also inside, as well as employees of the bank. The officers seemed to be grilling the bank workers, not paying any attention to the trainers that have walked in.

"Jeeze, at least pay attention to the scene around you." Clari grumbled as she lead the way towards the small group further in. She straightened out her coat and cleared her throat before calling attention towards them. "Evenin', officers. Hear you've had some ghost problems."

The lead officer turned towards them, causing visible relief for the employees. "Yeah." He replied in a gruff tone, which Achille pegged as completely fake. The tall, broad shouldered man folded his arms and eyed up the group. "What can I do for you?"

The detective reached into her jacket pocket and produced a business card, passing it to the officer, who took it reluctantly. "Clari Whitlocke, junior investigator with the Locksure Detective Agency. These two are my assistants today, both skilled trainers in their own right."

"Right, the reward for information." The officer sighed and side-eyed the employees, who desperately tried to avoid his gaze. Something told Achille that they weren't the first ones trying to cash in on this. "I can take you to the camera footage. No police notes from the case-"

"Not that there are any," one of the other officers said a bit too loudly. The younger man looked sheepish when his older companion turned his murderous glare towards him.

"Any questions?" The senior officer finished.

"Yes, were there any accounts of any identified Ghost-type Pokemon that they were using? I ask, because depending on what Pokemon he was using, we could better deal with them." Id simply waved at the officer, before floating around Clovis, eyeballing everything around them.

"Come on, you'll see." The officer guided them to a room further in the bank, a small office with three desks with multiple monitors on each. It looked to be a small IT room, with a heavy steel door marked "Server Room". A large whiteboard tracked some security project that Achille couldn't make heads-or-tails of.

The officer strode up to one of the computers and pulled open a minimized window, revealing an array of camera feeds. He opened some saved file, and the dozens of cameras were replaced with a single screen playing a previous video. The group crowded in to watch the scene, and the officer hit play.

The screen showed the inside of the safety deposit box room, not the main vault surprisingly. It was only a few seconds before the screen became heavily distorted with static, making individual details a pain to see. Two figures soon emerged from the door, not passing through it, but physically passing through the door. One was too bright to even make out any details, appearing as just a ball of light before disappearing on the other side of the room, near a computer. The second figure crawled on the ground, much smaller than a normal human. This second figure sniffed the air as it went, approaching specific areas of the room and raising it's head to track whatever scent it could.

Soon there was an audible "click" and the heavy door into the room swung open. In walked a man with a flowing blue cloak, not a hint of nervousness to his stride. He gave a quick glance around the room, making eye contact with the camera and revealing bright purple eyes behind his cloth mask. The ball of light appeared again, and the man pointed towards the security camera without saying a word. The light disappeared towards the camera, and the audio suddenly became too garbled to hear.

The crawling figure now approached certain boxes, reaching a hand in and pulling out pieces of what looked like jewelry. The man took said pieces and added them to a small bag. This cycle continued for several minutes: the crawling figure pulling jewelry out of a safe deposit box, the man bagging it, and the crawling figure sniffing around for a new box. Finally the man and the figure left, closing the door behind them as if they never left.

Observing the video feed with great curiosity, Clovis began going through all the Ghost-type Pokemon he had come to study with great depth. His eyes, glued to the screen, observing both figures. A ball of seemingly pure light, and a small, humanoid figure that crawled on the ground that appeared to sniff the air. "I see… very interesting."

In Clovis' mind palace, various images, trying to compare them and studies behind each and everyone one. Each one, Clovis tried to connect to the two unidentified Pokemon. First, the ball of light… seeming to float in the air. Soon after appearing, it disappeared… INTO a computer? And the other, seeming like a small humanoid… sniffing the air? What would a Ghost-type Pokemon sniff for? Not a lot of them use their sense of smell. However… I think I may know what both Pokemon are. "Inn-kay? Kay…." Smooshing his face into Clovis, Id seemingly asked Clovis what he was thinking. But met with a disgruntled push away, Clovis cleared his throat. "Well. Considering the behaviors of both Pokemon, I may have come to a conclusion about the both of them. However… I'd like your opinion first," Clovis mused, turning to look at Achille. Being a genius, he knew he could solve this caper with little to no difficulties.

However, he thought he'd be gracious and open the floor to any suggestions. But once the room imminently turns to silence, Clovis will reveal the truth.

"I'll admit that I don't know too many ghost types offhand," Achille said while scratching his head. The ball of light probably meant it wasn't solely a ghost type, and there was only one pokemon he knew that could possess machines. "How he got in has to be a Rotom though."

"Door is an electromagnetic lock I'm guessing," Clari asked the officer, "while the vault still uses manual locks?" The officer just nodded his head and continued his lean against the wall. It didn't seem he was going to pitch in too many ideas himself. "In that case, yeah. If you taught a Rotom how to disable those I imagine he can."

"I'd say that solves that," Achille continued. "Rotoms are used everywhere now, after all. I don't think we have many ghosts who can smell jewelry in Kalos though, so that's stumped me."

Well. Maybe that first one was a bit too easy. I'll just file that away as a moment of generosity. But now, it's time to show my genius at work. A small, smug grin crept across Clovis' face. "Well, it was clear that the ball of light was a Rotom. However, there is one Pokemon that sniffs for jewels. Sableye, the Darkness Pokemon. Seeing as how their diet subsists of jewels found in the depths of dark caverns, the perpetrator must be using a Rotom and a Sableye." Arms crossed, Clovis patted himself on the back, ready to receive the praise for his keen intellect.

"Huh, that makes a lot sense." Achille has heard of Sableye, but the tricky little goblins weren't exactly popular with the type of people to own a lot of jewels. Joiuse beside him made a sound of disgust at the name of the Ghost-type. "Good catch, Clovis."

"I guess that solves the 'how' and the 'why' seems pretty obvious." Clari pulled out a small pocketbook from inside her jacket, jotting a few notes. She eyed the whiteboard in the room, obviously wanting to clear whatever project was already on it, but refrained from it. "Guess we've got to find out who this guy is now. I doubt he's been walking around in broad daylight with them, but places like the Pokemon Center might have records of these species and their owners."

"Good thinking. However… I'm not sure such a criminal with such a flamboyant appearance would walk into a Pokemon Center. Still, he may be wearing contacts, so… it's worth the investigation," Clovis replied. Unsure how such an elusive person can manage to avoid capture thus far. But still, Clovis has to admit to himself, he doesn't have any better ideas. Id, meanwhile… can see that in Clovis' face. "Innnn? Kaaayyy?" He pinched Clovis' cheek, before getting lightly slapped away, causing Id to giggle in the air. "Anyway… we should do that," trying to ignore the little mischief.

"Contacts are my first thought," Clari said in agreement, "either way, a Pokemon like Sableye sticks out. Either the center will have a record of it, or someone is likely buying a lot of potions from the shop." She finished jotting her notes and shut the book. "Alright, let's not waste daylight and get out there."

With thanks to the officer for his cooperation, the sleuth and two trainers leave. First, as Clari posited, they were going to the local Pokemon Center for any records of a Rotom or a Sableye. At this point, Id chose to merely sit on Clovis' head, starting to get bored of waiting for something to happen. However, it didn't stop him from at least observing everything that was going on around them. And, occasionally pestering his trainer with a flick of a tentacle.

"So… Clovis," the investigator started up some small talk along the way. "Same trainer school as Achille, huh? I'm guessing you're on the gym challenge as well?"

"Yes, actually… I was the top student of the academy, actually," Clovis boasted, as they walked onward. "Why, I was unchallenged by any other students, as well as the Turffield Gym," Clovis smugglishly continued.

"You give off a… by the books vibe." She said absentmindedly, the Pokemon center itself slowly coming into view. "Unfortunately I don't think I saw your match. Don't catch too many myself."

"Well, I do base my battles based off of my extensive knowledge gained through my time not only with the academy, but also with my grandfather. As a detective, I'm sure you have your hands full, however," he replied on.

"Yeah… hands are pretty full all the time. That's right." Clari avoided eye contact, a chuckling sound coming from the Sentret beside her. "Anyways, your grandfather huh. Anyone I'd be familiar with."

The group finally came to the entrance of the center, Achille grabbing the door for the others. He'd rather avoid any conversations about grandfathers, or family in general. There was a small queue of people waiting to drop off their Pokémon for treatment, and he grabbed a spot for the group.

"Well, my grandfather is a senior member of the lab department of Macro Cosmos. That, and… quite a fan of psychic Pokemon," he slowly ended, before Clovis' eyes darted around the center, eyeballing all persons present. "I suppose my Pokemon could use a check-up… I'll just… wait in line, too. Id, keep an eye on anything interesting, yes?" Clovis looked up to his lazing Inkay, getting a short, "Kay," as an okay.

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It took some time for the line to fully clear and a nurse to free up, but the trio eventually got the center's records on both the Rotom and the Sableye patients from the last month. The version of the records available to them without a release of information didn't paint a particularly clear suspect. Descriptions of the trainer bringing in the Pokémon were short and lacking in fine details. Only first names were recorded as well, and the potential of the perpetrator using an alias was highly likely. There was probably something there to tie it together though.

The Rotom list was particularly large, as expected. Rotoms in use for phones and bikes occasionally fell ill just like any other Pokémon. They'd be at it all month trying to track down everyone on this list, and that didn't include finding people just passing through Hulbury and needing a stop at the center.

The Rotom records would only be useful in comparison to the Sableye records. As suspected, the little gemstone grubbing ghost wasn't a particularly popular choice for companions here. This month only produced a paltry five visits from said Pokémon, and two of those visits seemed to be from the same person.

Looking at the list, Clovis was… disappointed, but at that moment, realized using Pokemon Center records may not be the most reliable method of investigation. "Well. As far as Sableye trainers go, we do have a likely suspect. Here, with the two visits from the same person. What do the timestamps tell us of their visit, and do they have any connection to previous incidents involving the Hulbury Specter's crimes?" Clovis mused, thinking over the situation, but not having enough information alone to come to a conclusion.

Clari piped up, reading from her notebook. "It's hard to tell, because he's been a busy boy this month. Only one of them even matches." she frowned and circled the date. "The earlier of the two events took place after a robbery at a Pokémart, but that was the third event. Second victim caught the tail end of the robbery and swore his Zubat hit him with a Leech Life."

Achille stood up, feeling the need to get blood moving to his legs again. "Okay, Pokémart." He mused aloud, pacing a small area, awkwardly at first with slightly numb legs. "Did he nab potions from there? Maybe he doesn't take the Sableye to the center and uses potions?"

"Officer just said miscellaneous goods." The investigator added with a sigh.

And with that, the investigation seemed to hit a brick wall. At least, to Clovis. "Ugh… this isn't getting us anywhere. With how easily this person is able to cover their tracks, it seems we're grasping straws at this point. However… he has to be hiding somewhere with his own supply. And, I may have an idea as to how we can catch him. Cortex, I need your assistance!"

Out of the ball, the Dottler appeared before Clovis. Large, shining blue eyes on Clovis. The lights that shone from his shell seemed a bit brighter as usual. "My partner, Cortex, has the interesting ability, Telepathy, which gives him more detailed scanning capabilities, as the Blipbug line is capable of. If we give him time to scan the minds of Hulbury, he should be able to show us where he is through a telepathic relay. As Clovis spoke of his partner, he couldn't help but be utterly proud of being partnered with such a gifted Pokemon that his smug tone rose to the surface once again.

"I think I have some concerns about reading minds of what could be everyone in Hulbury," Achille protested. He felt Joiuse press up against his back, seemingly ready to try and negate the little bug's psychic probe. "I mean, he has ghost types, right? Will it even work?"

"Think of it more like a psychic radar," Clari clarified. "If it could really read minds perfectly, then every police department would use Dottler. The Blipbug line can basically skims minds to form an image of their surroundings. Since the criminal likely has a physical stash somewhere, and likely a large one at that, we should be able to find it."

"Well, Dottler ARE used for similar purposes… not to the same extent that I'm proposing, but we don't seem to have any better options," Clovis retorted. Id, still sitting on Clovis' head, sees the Honedge at the ready. Warily, Id keeps an eye open if Jouise does try to stop them. Id was honestly getting more bored by the moment, and wasn't ready for slowing down any more than they are now.

"So, what do we need to get this done?" Achille placed his hands inside his pockets, pressing his shoulder against Joiuse and urging the Ghost-type to back off. "Anywhere in the city we need to be, and any chance they just hide from us?"

"Perhaps we should find a bench… this may take a bit of time… we just need a spot that would roughly be the center of Hulbury. Otherwise, we may be out of reach where the Hulbury Spectre may be hiding." However… upon closer inspection, it would seem the Pokemon Center itself is a good location. Without waiting for Achille and Clari, Clovis found the nearest bench. "..." "..." You know, on second thought, we can just wait here. No use picking him up and placing him down again. His shell is too heavy… and recalling him for a moment is unnecessary.

"Uh… well, this spot should be just fine. Cortex," Clovis cooed, running his hand across the large shelled Pokemon. "..." "We need your help with your Telepathy ability again. We're looking for a trainer that uses-" "...." Before Clovis could finish, he felt a sort of telepathic pulse. Looking at Cortex… well, Clovis was met with a blank stare. "Of course… you read my mind, partner." A small nod could be seen from Cortex. "Alright then… once you have found who we're looking for, you know what to do." As soon as Clovis finished, Cortex's rhythmic lights of blue that flowed across the lining of his shell began to glow purple, as did his eyes.

Achille felt the flash of psychic energy for a moment, but then it was pushed away like a stream being diverted around a rock. The sensation was odd, to say the least, and didn't exactly encourage him to seek out a psychic type of his own. From behind him the Honedge huffed. Although she was going to allow the psychic search, Joiuse must have used some form if Ghost power to nudge it away.

"Well, that feels pretty weird once you're aware it's there." Clari beat him to the punch. Doyle scratched his head, himself obviously not a fan of the sensation.

"But something weird happened with me I think," Achille added. "I think Joiuse was able to cancel the pulse around me. Does Cortex see any 'blind-spots' with the scan? Like, room or building sized blind spots?"

Clovis, stopping himself to reflect on what was just asked of him. He knew that unless a very specific type of move was used, Dark-types were unaffected by any Psychic phenomenon. However, how would it apply to Ghost-type Pokemon? It's possible that Ghost-types have a method to "cloak" themselves? "Hmm… what an interesting idea. One that may prove to make our investigation even more difficult. Either way, I trust Cortex to find the Hulbury Spectre." Id, unaffected by the borderline probe, continued to sit, awaiting any interesting developments.

Cortex sat silently, his shell still giving off a rhythmic pulse of violet light from his shell. His eyes, seeming to stare into space itself. Countless minds could be read as the Dottler began his city wide scan. Thankfully, Hulbury was so small, otherwise this would prove difficult. So many minds, he read. Pokemon, people, so many of them packed into such a small place. It was as if Cortex felt himself swimming, without actually moving. Waves of thoughts washed over him, but something didn't seem quite right. Something seemed missing. Something off… in the residential area. A small area seemed weirdly "vacant" from Cortex's senses. Moments passed, Cortex pressed his telepathic sweep once more, once again coming across a strange "missing" sensation in the residential area.

"....!" "Cortex?" Clovis, feeling a sort of mental poke, noticed Cortex reverted to his normal blue lighting. "Have you-" "...." Among Clovis, Achille and Clari, Cortex was telepathically relaying his finding that something in the residential area was off. A townhouse that was closed off, signs that read, "DANGER."

The image came through rather… unclear… for Achille at first. The only way he could describe it was like trying to remember something in the distant past mixed with television static. He nudged Joiuse with his elbow, and the image in his head cleared up. "What the hell was that?" Achille asked, holding onto the image in his head before it faded too much.

"An abandoned building, huh?" Clari jotted down some notes quickly. "That narrows our search down quite a bit. I trust Cortex can guide us to that spot?"

Sadly, Clovis sighed, and replied, "Well… Cortex in his current state is… immovable. As a Dottler, he has an incredibly heavy shell. We'll have to go off of what we know. But, with his telepathic 'stamp,' we should be able to recognize it once we spot it."

"Well, guess we're walking the town then." Achille sighed, hoping the pulse wouldn't potentially give them away. "I think I saw some areas where an abandoned house is likely."

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Hulbury's relatively small size also meant that searching for the specific building didn't take too long. The townhouse itself was tucked away in a residential district close to the docks. It didn't seem to be the only empty house in the area; time did not appear to be so kind to this district, with many of the buildings appearing in some form of disrepair. Only one of them was actually condemned though, given the large warning and "Do Not Enter" signs out front.

"I think this is it." Achille announced in a quiet tone of voice. The windows themselves were boarded up, and he couldn't even find a crack large enough to get a good view inside.

"Yeah… this is clearly the building in question. Just looking at it gives me unwarranted deja vu, which means this is where the Hulbury Spectre is hiding," Clovis muttered. Something about the air around here made the scene unsettling. But Clovis, with his head held high, stepped forward. "We need to catch this criminal, here and now! But, uh… I don't suppose any of us have a Pokemon that can help with a stealthy entrance, per se?"

Achille pondered it for a moment. Most of his Pokemon would just be able to break down the door, which was the opposite of stealthy. He could try to have Joiuse cut something, but wasn't sure how loud that may end up being. He'd also never seen her phase through stuff like other ghost types, nor would she have much mobility on the other side.

"Doyle, maybe." Clari added. "Not sure if there is a crack large enough for him though.

Then an idea hit Achille. "Noibats are pretty small. We can probably have her sneak in and at least try to find an entrance for us."

"Id, I'd like you to follow. We can't be too careful, and you'd be a great advantage against Ghost-types." "Innnnn-kay!" Flopping off of Clovis' hair, Id floated before the group. "Inkay are fairly small as well, and I think we could combine our forces." Normally, he wouldn't want to join anyone, but he also didn't want to run the risk of their Noibat messing up. Plus, with Id's… disposition, I'm sure it would be able to take out at least one Ghost-type on it's own. Safety in numbers!

Achille just nodded and grabbed the Pokeball for Alizé. The little Noibat perched on his shoulder after being released, looking towards the trainer expectantly. "Hey, Alizé," he said to the Dragon-Type, "we need to get into this building. Can you find a way in and see if there's a place big enough for us to get in? Id here is going too."

The Noibat let out an affirmative chirp and took to the air. She took off towards the roof of the townhouse, scanning for any way in. The windows upstairs were boarded up as well, but Alizé landed on the roof and began to crawl around, poking at the tiles. Id slithered through the air close by, observing both the Noibat and anything that would allow him to peek inside. But, Id mostly kept close to the Noibat.

One tile in particular seemed loose and damaged. She could feel air coming from around the cracks; there was some kind of hole under it. With a strained squeak she tried to lift the tile, causing it to budge before she lost her grip and dropped it. A second attempt produced an even worse result. She'd wear herself out before too long this way. Seeing this, Id slapped a tentacle to his forehead and sighed.

She checked her surroundings again for anything to help her lift the tile. A few sticks and leaves lined the roof in various states of rot from exposure. They were all too unwieldy for her to use properly too. She did spot the suction cups on the Inkay though, and an idea formed in the tiny bat's head. Pointed and squeaked, trying to get Id to stick to the tile and lift it for them. Taking the hint, Id carefully lined his tentacles across the tiling, creating a secure grip to lift with less trouble. "Innn… HNNGH-" The Inkay struggled a tiny bit, trying to keep the noise to a minimum. But with enough patience and lift, Id managed to lift the tile, and place it to the side.

Quietly, Inkay pointed down, seeing a way into the building was open. It wasn't quite sure if anything was waiting for them down there, so in his own form of chirping, Id asked Alizé if she could sense anything.

The Noibat poked her head inside the newly exposed hole, seeing that the attic at least seemed clear. She'd have to crawl in to check the entire attic, but she felt confident enough to crawl in and try and echolocate.

Alizé crawled through the hole, finding a dusty attic utterly bare of furnishing or any real sign of habitation. She gave a short, high pitched squeal into the dark hole that led to the rest of the house, her ears primed for any echoes. Her ears rotated and twitched with each new sound, but after a few moments she reported nothing found. At all. The angles of the house didn't make the echolocation clear, but the rooms she did get a good view of seemed utterly bare.

Floating into the darkness, Id met up with Alizé, and took the lead. With it's large oculars, Id peeked in the darkness to the rest of the home, still as derelict and abandoned as it appeared from the outside. However, something shiny caught Id's eye, on the door specifically. A small chirp, Id led Alizé to the living room. The door, locked with quite a few seemingly new locks in place. Some of which didn't even seem to unlatch from the inside, either.

Getting restless, Id tried to think of a quick solution. Neither they, nor their trainers on the other side could get through without great force. Even then, the locks would prove a greater challenge… unless.

Looking over to Alizé, Id gestured through charades that they should blow the locks (and door) apart with their strongest moves.

With a nod the Noibat flapped her wings in preparation. A gale of wind gathered in front of her with enough force to cut it. After checking that Id was ready she let loose a flurry of crescent shaped Air Cutters. In that moment, Id floated back and fired a brilliant beam with his eyes. Both attacks in unison certainly blowing down the door, nevermind the locks.

"A-a-agh!" Clovis yelped, the sudden small explosion causing him to jump. With a hushed, angry tone of whisper, "Id! What are you doing?!" But, he was met with an "oops" expression on Id's face, before Id took back his moss colored seat.

"Well, the door's open I guess." Achille said, sighing and rubbing his eyes.

"But I think the entire street heard us enter," Clari added, Doyle shaking his head and sighing himself. "Well, I guess we better hurry in case there is anyone here." The redhead clutched her bag and strode in quickly, leaving the two trainers she claimed to have brought on as protection behind.

"Well, good job Alizé." The Kalosian ran a hand through his hair and invited the Noibat back onto his shoulder. Once the little dragon-type was in place he hurried in after the detective. Joiuse followed closely behind. Clovis, following as the third wheel detective.

Inside the townhouse, it was… decrepit looking. Ratty rugs, some debris on the floor and wallpaper torn, some of the interior was even wet. "Yikes… what a dump. Let's find this guy and quickly, there could be mold growing here," Clovis gagged, the idea making him more ill than he already was.

"If you two are good, we can split into two groups to cover the house quicker." Clari made a suggestion as she grabbed a flashlight from her bag, illuminating the various piles of dilapidated building materials and garbage bags with unknown contents.

"I can grab the upstairs area if you're fine down here." Achille pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight himself. As much as he didn't want to face both ghost types on his own, he also didn't want to lose the Specter.

"S-Sure," Clovis muttered. Id, once again proving his usefulness, provided his own light while atop his trainer's head. Clovis walked on, approaching the doorway to what seemed to be the kitchen, with empty spaces for where the typical oven would be, and a damaged sink could be seen. "I-Id, be sure to keep your eyes p-peeled, okay?" The moss haired trainer inspected the kitchen, looking for any sort of entry point, or a hidden door.

The two who went upstairs scanned the area for similar hints. Doyle crawled along the ground, checking for any loose tiles while Alizé kept an ear out for any strange noises in the area. Both trainers swept their lights along the walls, floor, and ceiling; on the lookout for anything out of place.

Their search was proving fruitless though, and both reunited to perform the second and third sweep together, in case either one missed something earlier.

"You think we were good leaving Clovis there alone?" Clari wondered aloud after an investigation into an oddly colored ceiling tile lead nowhere.

"He should be good," Achille responded. "Top performer at the academy, you heard it from him himself." He still didn't know what to make of his fellow graduate. Neither of them seemed to give the other any real thought, just seemingly accepting the other's presence. Two ships passing in the night. That sort of thing, he wasn't a poet. If he had to say anything about the guy it would be about the ego, but the guy seemed to be able to back it up. "Also you saw what that Psybeam did to those locks too? Air Cutter alone wasn't going to break it."

Clari folded her arms, causing the beam from the flashlight to move rather unhelpfully to a random. "I can tell he's not a cock-up. I mean that he seemed nervous about splitting up, the more I think about it." Achille pointed his flashlight on a spot of the wallpaper that was slightly peeling away from the walls in the center, but not torn open in a way to see the wall behind it. He motioned for Clari to give him more light, earning a muttered 'oh shite' from her a second before her beam of light overlapped his. "Sorry. But what do you think?"

Achille poked at the wallpaper, grabbing a bit of it and tearing it away. Behind it was just a stained wall though. No secret compartments. No hidden passageways. The Kalosian felt now was probably a good time to give up on the upstairs.

"Either way, I think we can call upstairs a bust." Achille brushed some of the accumulated dust off himself. "Merde, I hope we didn't just break into an abandoned house." Maybe Cortex was wrong. Or the ghost-types were able to fool them somehow. "One last quick sweep then we find Clovis?"

On the bottom floor, where Clovis investigated alone, shakily poked through various surfaces, debris and clutter. The air was stale, the atmosphere was… dead-ish. "I-Id, do you sense anything nearby?" "In-Innn," Id shook as he replied. Slowly, he walked. Tiptoed, Clovis continued, into the kitchen more fully.

"Eugh… I don't like this. The sooner we get this done, the better." Clovis nausea began to make him shiver, and churn… until a realization made him stop. His hair felt vacant. "I-Id? Where are you? This is absolutely not the-" "KAAAA" A squished, lit up face appeared inches from Clovis, causing him to back up into the wall, seeming to give way like a wall of paper.

The other two members of the investigation crew barged down the stairs, heavy footsteps reverbing around the empty house. Achille was first down the stairs, pulling out Joiuse's pokeball while Alizé hung onto his jacket. Clari followed, Doyle hanging off her back. The investigator had lost her hat in the rush down the stairs, but her Sentret partner had managed to catch it, cradling it close to his body with his free arm.

Achille tossed the pokeball, releasing Joiuse, and left the pokeball behind to continue his sprint towards the source of the scream. The Honedge emerged from the pokeball, taking a quick look around before taking off to follow the sprinting humans. The trainer heard the confusion in her distant, ghostly tones and slowed enough to fill her in without running out of breath. "We split up, Clovis screamed. Be ready."

The slowdown gave Alizé a chance to take to the air, giving Achille some confidence in charging in blind. He'd at least have two Pokémon of his own ready. The Honedge gave a sound of affirmation and Achille picked up his pace. He crossed the room in a few strides and turned the corner to where the scream originated.

Lying in what seemed to be debris, wallpaper and years of dust, Clovis shook, glaring at Id before he immediately stood up and patted himself down. "There was a spook of sorts, and it seemed to originate from this wall," he lied as he patted the wall. "Well, let's go. The perpetrator must be waiting for us," was the excuse he made before he trodded down the staircase leading down, down into what seemed to be a man-made basement.

"Uh, good job Clovis?" Without any trace of an actual fight, Achille found it hard to believe it was an actual Ghost Pokémon. The other trainer did find something weird though, so he wasn't going to complain. "I'll go ahead and take the lead then."

Joiuse was first through the newfound hole, followed by the Kalosian. The group found themselves in a makeshift tunnel, one that seemed to actually escape the boundaries of the house. The entire tunnel shifted downwards, leading an unknown depth into the earth. The smell of stale air and damp earth increased as he walked further down. "Everyone ready?" He whispered. "I don't think this can go much further."

"Yes… Id, I'll need you to be at the ready," Clovis said with a hush. With a wink and a grin, Id complied, and remained at the ready while resting in mossy hair.

The tunnel soon leveled off, the exit right in front of then now. There was a sheet covering the hole that presumably led to the den of criminality they were chasing. Achille stopped outside of the sheet, listening for any noise from the other side. Something was being shuffled on the other side. He pointed forward, having Joiuse go through the curtain.

The Honedge pushed aside the sheet with her hand-like cloth, and was immediately shoved back by a dark blur.

Achille jumped back, turning to see a Sableye atop his companion. The Sableye seemed in the middle of a Fury Swipes attack, but the creature's razor sharp claws couldn't even scratch Joiuse.

A spear of shadow jumped from Joiuse's shadow, a Shadow Sneak. The solidified darkness struck the gem hungering Pokémon in the chest, shoving it off the Honedge and through the sheet, tearing it down. Behind Achille could see the Specter, unmasked and in the flesh. His eyes were brown without the contacts, but it was unmistakably him. The thief was trying to move as much stuff into bags as he could, Achille assumed to try and escape.

"Get in there too, Rotom!" The specter shouted after a moment of confusion. He continued shoving jewels into a duffel bag as his electric partner in crime popped out of an old radio in the corner, charging up some kind of electric attack.

"Id, stop that Rotom! Use Hypnosis!" "Inn-Kay! InnNNnnnNN" Floating forward, Id immediately stared down the Rotom, and a hypnotic pattern began to glow forth from the Inkay's eyes. Rotom, being the speedy Ghost-type, zipped out of the way and appeared before Id. "Rotom, Thunder Shock!" Crackling sparks and a more intense appearing Rotom blipped, shocking the Rotom in turn. "Id! Payback!" Glowing in a red light, Id trilled angrily before spearing it's head through the Rotom, knocking it away from the group.
"I can handle the Rotom, if you'll deal with Sableye!" Clovis called, before giving his undivided attention to Id and his opponent.

"Got it!" The Sableye had been knocked into the center of the room, and Joiuse moved to engage the other ghost type further. "Watch the door Alizé!" The Noibat squeaked, and hovered in place around the hole in the wall. Clari and Doyle, not much use in a straight fight with ghost types, stayed back. Trying to charge the Specter would interrupt the fights in the center. Not to mention the danger the Sableye's claws and Joiuse's blade presented.

"Whatever it did, stop it from doing that!" The Specter shouted at the Sableye. The creature scrambled to its feet before looking in their direction. Its gem-like eyes flashed with an eerie glow as it made eye contact with Joiuse. It was only after the steel-type shuddered that he realized the move. Merde, I should have expected disable.

"Hit it back with an Aerial Ace then!" The Honedge unsheathed herself and took a high speed dive at the Sableye. The gremlin-like creature was knocked backwards again, sent flying towards the wall of the cave. It managed to right itself before colliding with the wall, landing on all fours and clinging to the wall with its claws. The creature looked back towards Achille and smiled mockingly.

Looking over, the Spectre grew agitated with the annoyance of numbers. "Rotom! Use Electro Ball!" Rotom, charging up an orb of even more crackling electricity, fired. It hit Id square in the face, but Id clung on. "Id! Payback, again!" Id, grinning wider, rippled with the same crimson energy from before. It flew, flipped up and above the Rotom, before diving headfirst and knocking down Rotom to the ground. Id struggled, but still floated above. "Double Team! We need to get the loot out of here, and get rid of these pests!" An instant surge, Rotom rose to the air, alongside illusory copies. All of them cackled mischievously, all of them crackling with electricity.

"Id, it's now or never! Hypnosis!" Once again, Id's eyes opened wide, another pattern of spiraling colors flew through the air, hitting all of the Rotom. All of which began to lose their luster, the Spectre's eyes growing worried. "Hah! Only so many times your tricks will work!" Clovis gloated, as Id continued the hypnotic patterns. Rotom fell again to the ground, sleeping soundly as the copies vanished.

As the Rotom fell, the Sableye on the wall began to crouch down for another leap at Joiuse. Before Achille could tell her to dodge, though, a crescent shaped burst of wind hit the Sableye on the back. Achille swiveled his head to see Alizé looking quite proud of herself for acting on her own for once. The ghostly pokemon was knocked to the ground, making a wild leap with trailing tails of darkness leaking from its fingertips. Night Slash.

"Hit it with another Aerial Ace!" The Honedge shot forward like a rocket again towards her foe. The two met at the center of the room, colliding violently. The Sableye's claws raked the blade of Joiuse, leaving gashes filled with traces of the darkness that emanated from the claws. Joiuse made solid contact with the body of her foe, her attack perfectly on center of mass.

The Sableye flew across the room again, crashing against one of the now empty tables. This time it did not get back up. Joiuse remained floating, but winced at the wound on her blade while resheathing.

"Shit, shit, shit." The Specter grabbed the bags he actually had filled and made a sudden break for the tunnel. Both trainers had moved from the entryway during the battle, and the Specter now had a clear run for it.

"No you don't," Clari shouted, the closest person to the door. "Doyle, hit him with Thief!" The Sentret lept from her shoulder, getting a running start towards the perp. The rotund mammal made a flying leap at the bags, both knocking the Specter off balance and snagging the main sack of loot. Unsteady on his feet, the Specter took two shaky steps and fell. The contents of his remaining bags spilled across his lair, a collection of gems, gold, potions, and an odd yellow box with a plug in it. Joiuse planted herself in front of the exitway, sealing the thief's fate.

"Wow… that was a bit… intense. Good job, Id, very well… done?" Looking around the room, Id was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, the sound of choking could be heard across the basement. "Are you two oka-" Clovis spun, seeing the Spectre being strangled by a small form, tentacles wrapped around his neck. Id had his face pressed against the Spectre, giggling as he watched his face turn, before inducing the same hypnotic pattern from before. "ID, STOP!"

Shakily, Clovis tried to grab Id's Pokeball, but dropped another instead. pop "BeeEE!" Aneurysm popped out of his ball. Without hesitation, he darted towards Id, and tackled him with a Quick Attack, knocking it free from the Spectre, hitting the dirt hard. Aneurysm glared at Id, and gave it a middle claw. "I-Id, return. We'll talk about this later." Clovis sternly said to Id, before returning the Inkay. "Beee… Bee?" Aneurysm looked down, and saw what looked like a battery with a plug on the front of it. "Beeee… Bee." "Well... is that an Electirizer?"

"Is it?" Achille had never actually seen one himself, only the Electivire that results from it. "Aren't those pretty valuable?" He walked over towards the device, taking a look for himself. Something like this wouldn't have been sold at the stores he hit, right? It may have been at the bank, but as a backup system or in one of the safety deposit boxes he couldn't tell.

"I think the bank had one for their backup power." Clari added, flipping through her notes to the page with the stolen items. "They replaced it after it got nicked. Is it even still functional as a backup after that Rotom got into it? If it's fried it's no use to anyone but an Electabuzz."

"I think we should worry about that later." Achille stood next to the Specter, keeping a close eye on him. "Make sure this guy doesn't run again."

"I've got that." Clari pulled out a pair of flex-cuffs, restraining the man before grabbing her own phone. "I'll call the bobbies and deal with them if you guys want to get out of here. Avoid any questions about what two gym challengers are doing here. I'll meet up with you two once this is dealt with to talk rewards. I'll ask about the Electirizer too."

Achille decided that sounded best. Last thing he wanted was to end up in a lot of papers running around doing vigilante work.Clovis, in agreement, scooped up Aneurysm and returned him to his Pokeball, and continued to leave.

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It was several hours before Achille heard from Clari, but she directed the two to meet at a small café. The same café he had visited with Haleigh earlier, Achille realized. The detective eventually made her way to their table with a small bag.

"Sorry about that. They had a lot of questions, but I think they're off our backs. Just want this to be over, you know." She placed the bag on the table, making a loud thump. "Good news is, the Electirizer is worthless as a backup now. Rotom fried the charging equipment, so it has this battery charge and nothing more. It will still work as an evolutionary item though, so I managed to finagle it into our reward."

"Well… if that's the case, might I take that off your hands? I have an Elekid of my own, and… well, I would appreciate the device. I'd be willing to offer my assistance for future reference, as a deal." Clovis eyed the device, looking sheepish, but earnest, at the detective.

"Why do you think I grabbed it, kid?" She pushed the bag towards him. "Looks like Achille here wouldn't use it anyways. You did find the actual tunnel, so you more than deserve it." She looked over towards the other trainer with a frown. "Now, there's not really anything here for you besides splitting the money. And, spoiler, it's not a whole lot. That Electirizer is nearly half the reward itself."

Achille shrugged. "I don't really need the money. I actually had a favor to ask of you. Alone preferably."

The detective nodded. "I'll hear it out. If I can't do it, or it doesn't make up for the money I'm going to give you at least some of it."

"Thanks, that settles the reward for me then."

Graciously taking the Electirizer, Clovis bids them his goodbyes, and leaves them to discuss matters not relevant to him.

"So, what is this elusive favor?" Clari started the conversation as soon as the mossy-haired trainer left earshot. Achille meant somewhere a little more private than a café, but the place was dead enough that he felt okay here.

He cleared his throat and began, explaining the situation he experienced in the wild area that led to Ignace joining his team. About the strange pokeballs and the suited man. Most importantly, how the pokemon caught in these pokeballs turned completely passive and emotionless, even in the deep of battle. It sounded ridiculous when he said it aloud, but thankfully the investigator's expression never changed. She seemed to be treating it as seriously as the bank robbery.

"So, that's the situation." He finished his story. He'd tried to start looking for anything on this, but quickly realized he had no idea where to even look. "I promised Ignace that I would look for the Darmanitan that was stolen, but finding a person in Galar without anything to go off of is… beyond me."

Clari took in the information silently. She closed her eyes for a few seconds once he had finished, opening them again after a deep inhale. "Okay," she said, slowly and thoughtfully. "There's not a lot to go off of, if I'm being honest. The appearance is my best shot, as we don't have a name or a region to even begin. He sounds a bit distinct… but Galar is a big place."

She jotted down a few notes, asking Achille for clarification. She even blindsided him with a few details he never even thought to remember, like if his hands looked calloused or otherwise excessively rough. By the end of the recollection he saw several adjectives littering the page in no particular order. Graying. Tall/Full build. Nose shows signs of breakage? Suit for business or status?

"The pokeballs baffle me though." Clari added, finishing off her last note with an aggressive underline. "I'm not an expert on trainer supplies, and it sounds like something even professional trainers don't have access to."

"So, you think you can handle it?" Was he asking too much for this favor? He didn't like his chances if the first supposed professional he reached out to ran right away from this request.

"You sure don't like giving easy requests, huh?" The detective stood up, closing her notepad and tucking it away in her jacket. "I'll see what I can dig up. I am going to request all of the request money to fulfill this one though."

"Not a problem. Thank you, Clari."

Stinging Bea · Mar 30, 2021

Warning: the following posts contains mentions of and displays moments of child abuse!

Aeliana Kekoa

Hulbury

Chapter 8-3 | Restless Memories

Aeliana's Current Party:

Aeliana stares up at the ceiling of the room in the hotel room. Lavender eyes look at the painted, plastered swirls, the blue-haired girl mentally counting the small, bubble-like bumps on it to pass the time. The room is deathly quiet, save for the faint snoring coming from the slumbering form of Tampa at the foot of the bed. By her side, a curled up Mahina sighs contently, shifting slightly in her sleep before snuggling deeper into the blankets. The room is shrouded in darkness, save for the pale glow of the moon peeking in from the nearby window.

Aeliana's mind kept drifting back to the events of the photoshoot that she had taken part in with Pia. When the shorter of the two girls had seen… and touched her tattoo, it caused the Alolan to have a panic attack. To make matters worse, she had outright told the girl that she was a part of Team Skull too. Now, her mind is drifting back to those times, vivid memories playing throughout her mind as if they had just happened yesterday. Silently, the blue-haired trainer sits up in her bed and swings her legs over the side of the bed. Her bare feet runs against the fuzzy, plush, red carpeting that made up the floor. Her eyes shift in the direction of an alarm clock that sat on the nearby nightstand.

"2:30 AM… I haven't slept a single wink…" the bluenette whispers. She closed her eyes, head leaning back as a small sigh escaped her lips. "I need to get some air."

Sliding off the bed, Aeliana makes her way her way over towards the door of her hotel room. She quietly slips her sneakers on, casting a glance down at a chair that was sitting beside it. The egg she had found in that abandoned house on Route 5 is wrapped snugly in her flannel overshirt. She hesitates for a moment, before slipping the shirt on and then carefully taking hold of her egg. As one final precaution, the trainer reaches for her bag that is hanging on a hook on a coat rack by the door. Aeliana hesitates for a moment, debating if she wants to risk disturbing the rest of Pokémon that are resting inside of their poké balls inside of said bag. Eventually, the trainer relents. She knows that the chance of her actually needing them is slim to none, but she's merely bringing them for protection at this point. It was a lesson that Sonia had drilled into their heads quite thoroughly during their academy days (especially for the girls).

Once she has deemed herself ready for her brief outing, Aeliana slips the key to her room into the pocket of her sleep shorts and slowly slips out. The walk is in complete silence as she exits the hotel. The trainer doesn't bat an eye, not even giving a glimpse or a nod to those who happen to be working the graveyard shift. She isn't really even sure where she's walking. Her legs seem to be moving on auto-pilot with the rest of her riding in the passenger seat, too engrossed in her thoughts to even care. The blue-haired trainer only seems to snap out of her thoughts as she steps out into the cool night air, with the sound of the automatic door shutting behind her to help bring her back to reality.

A cool breeze blows through the air, sending a chill down the trainer's back as she begins to walk down the street and away from the hotel. The city is a stark contrast to how it was earlier. There are no crowds shopping or strolling the streets. There are no cheers echoing out through the stadium or news reporters and sportscasters talking up who they think is gonna be the trainer to keep an eye out on during this week of gym challenges. The only sound to reach Aeliana's ears are the gentle chirping of the occasional Kricketot and the gentle, soothing crashing of the waves mixing in with the rocking of the docked fishing boats. Before too much longer, Aeliana finds herself moving towards the docks themselves. She reaches the end of the piers, eyes staring out at the water that stretch out ahead. A sigh slips past her lips as she gently sits down on the edge of the pier, feet dangling over the edge and just above the water. She places the egg she had been carrying into her lap before placing the poké ball she had brought with her off to the side.

"It all happened so long ago," Aeliana muses to herself. "I thought I was over it. I got help about this sort of thing, right…? So why… Why since I've started this journey are all these thoughts and memories just grabbing me by the throat and refusing to let go now…?"

A gentle rocking catchest the trainer's attention. She looks down, seeing the poké ball she had brought from her hotel room began to rock back and forth. The ball suddenly snaps open without warning, a bright flash of light exploding forth, before the familiar shape of Clara comes to form. The Ralts looks around, taking in the sights and sounds of the area around her before coming to focus on her trainer.

Ever gently, the Ralts crawls forward before placing her hand gently on Aeliana's arm. A curious look graces the psychic Pokémon's eyes. She feels a wave of emotions coming from her trainer. Fear, anger, sadness… They all mix together, forming a great weight on the trainer's heart. The blue-haired trainer looks down at her Ralts, smiling weakly at her.

"That obvious…?" Aeliana asks. She chuckles a bit at her question. Of course it was. This is Clara's specialty after all. "That Photoshoot with Pia and Nessa… got me thinking. Heck, even before then… ever since I found this egg. I've been having these thoughts and thinking back to those times… back when I was in Alola." Aeliana hesitates. She isn't sure why she's suddenly saying all this. She isn't sure why she's telling it all to a Pokémon. Then again, maybe getting it off her chest would be a good thing. Maybe the problem was she had kept it pent up for so long, that it had finally made her reach a breaking point. "I guess… I'll just start at the beginning."

"Hey, Uncle Nanu!"

A grizzled, older man sighed at the familiar voice reaching his ears. Slowly, the man shifted out of his seat at his desk as he shuffled his way towards the doorway of the police station that doubled as his home. Dark circles were under his eyes, giving the man a look as if he hadn't slept in days. He was dressed in a police uniform, all black in color, with the shirt unbuttoned to reveal a red undershirt beneath.

"Aeliana, what are you doin' out here again…? Didn't I tell you that you need to quit hangin' around this place?" Nanu questioned. The man leaned against the doorframe as he spoke, rubbing the back of his neck with a sigh. "I swear, you've got a thicker skull than those numbskulls behind the walls."

Aeliana giggled in response, offering the island Kahuna a broad grin. "I was invited by my cousin, you know? She said she had something pretty cool to give me for my birthday! I bet she's finally gonna let me into the gang!"

Nanu merely rolled his eyes in response. He couldn't understand what this kid's fascination with Team Skull was. They weren't exactly a stand-up group to want to be a member of. Of course, they were a lot more rowdy and rambunctious during the days when Guzma was still running around as their boss. They still did have a knack for causing trouble, minor acts of vandalism that usually reached the levels of graffiti and an occasional case of loitering or the like in town. All in all however, they were just a bunch of misunderstood kids.

Tired eyes glanced down at the fourteen year old before him. Aeliana looked like she belonged on the island challenge more than she did going to pay a visit to the Skulls. She was short, barely reaching 5'0", with long black hair that she kept pulled back into a ponytail. Her skin was a deep tan, with the girl being dressed in a pair of baggy, black, denim jeans and a blue tank top that had a Pikachu surfing on the chest. His eyes moved down to her arms, quickly taking in the sight of several bandaids that graced her left one in particular. She seemed to be having more of them lately, but she was a kid and always outside. He could probably just chalk it up to her being clumsy.

"Look, I know you're just gonna go in regardless of what I tell ya," Nanu sighed. "If Faye wasn't your cousin, there's no way I'd let you just go waltzing in there. Just… make sure you let me know when you're leaving. The last thing I need is trouble from overhead because you're hanging out there too long."

Aeliana nodded and pedaled along the route that led towards Po Town. Even after the original Team Skull disbanded, no one ever came back to live in the formerly overrun community. Most people had still avoided it to this day, with rumors still flying about that Guzma was back in charge and the group was still a bunch of worthless punks going out of their way to look for trouble. Aeliana never really understood it herself. She thought they were all kind of cool and their uniforms were totally awesome too. Plus, they were led by her cousin! Another plus, as the girl was like an older sister in Aeliana's eyes.

Her excitement only grew as she reached the gate. Squatting outside of it, cigarette in his hand, was none other than Marco. It was his job to try and keep unwanted visitors out of Po Town. That said, he never managed to keep Aeliana out.

"Yo, Liana! What up?" the boy greeted with a wave.

Aeliana hopped her bicycle and leaned it up against a nearby lamp post. "Not too much! Faye gave me a call and told me to come by. I think she's finally gonna let me into the gang!"

Marco gave the young teen a curious glance. "...huh? That's no-" Before he could finish, another boy dressed in a similar manner to him gave him a sharp elbow to the side. Marco winced, before glaring at the boy by his side. "Yo! You wanna toss it down, Joe?"

"You almost gave it away! Just shut up and let the runt in already!" Joe hissed back at his partner.

Aeliana fought back a giggle at the sight, but said nothing about their antics. She only smiled as she walked past the duo, stepping through the gates and into Po Town properly. No sooner had the teenager stepped inside the gates did she spot the sight of a very familiar girl that instantly brought light to her eyes.

"Hey there, kiddo! How's the birthday girl?" the girl asked.

It was none other than Faye Iolana, Aeliana's older cousin. At 23 years old, she served as the de facto leader of Team Skull, reforming the group after they had disbanded several years ago. She stood at a height of 5'8", with emerald green eyes and bright, neon pink hair that she kept on the short side, just down to her shoulders. She was dressed in a pair of white shorts and black tank top, with a dark purple skull-symbol that looked as if it was spray painted on the front of it. A pair of white sneakers graced her feet, with matching, cut-off denim shorts on her legs. A big, black skull symbol was also tattooed on her right forearm. She's carrying a worn, green backpack off of her right shoulder.

"Awesome now that I ran into you!" Aeliana exclaimed. "I came as soon as you gave me a ring! I knew that you weren't gonna want me to be late for this one!"

"Well, you're right about that," Faye replied with a smirk. "I figured with it being your birthday and all, today would be the day to give you a special present!"

Aeliana could hardly contain her excitement. The black-haired youth was practically bouncing in place as she instantly shot forward and wrapped her cousin in a tight hug. "Yes! I accept! I'm soooo excited!"

Faye is taken by surprise from the sudden hug. It took a few moments before the younger girl's joyful cries registered in her brain, a lump forming in her throat shortly after. She returned the hug, before looking down at Aeliana with a weak smile.

"Listen, Liana… we've been through this before, sweetie. Team Skull… This isn't the kind of place for you, yeah? You've got a home and friends… and… You just really wouldn't fit in, yeah? Besides, everyone here is so much older than you. You don't wanna hang out with a bunch of people that much older, right?"

Aeliana felt her excitement deflate like a leaking balloon. "Oh… W-Well, I guess…"

Faye cursed under her breath. This was so much of a repeating cycle. Almost any time the duo saw each other, Aeliana would always ask if she could join Team Skull. And everytime she did, Faye would have to tell her no and deal with the rather moody response she would get in response from the teenager. Truth be told, Faye did want to tell her yes. The older girl was fully aware of the hell that Aeliana lived at home. The problem was that she was only fourteen years old. This meant that as much as she hated the thought, Aeliana was still under the custody of her mother. All the woman would have to do is make the right calls, and they would more than likely be getting into a sticky situation once old man Nanu came knocking on their gates. Thankfully, the young woman was prepared to deal with it in this instance.

"Hey, buck up kid!" Faye exclaimed. "It's your birthday anyways, right? We're gonna live it up why you're here! Mina spent the whole day making a cake! Elliot made the absolute sickest mix-tape for us to jam out to! And I still have your gift! And I have to admit, it's pretty damn sweet."

Aeliana looked up at the teen. She had to admit, Faye's excitement about this gift was contagious and making her quite curious. "Yeah? What makes you think that?"

A proud grin comes to Faye's lips. Aeliana watches as the young woman kneels down, sliding the backpack off of her shoulder before opening it up slowly. Aeliana's eyes went wide in amazement as she watched the pink-haired Skull member pull out a large egg. It was gray in color, with one black spot in the corner of the shell. Aeliana's face was priceless to the young woman as she placed it in the teenager's arms.

"Happy Birthday, Liana!" Faye exclaimed.

"My mom… She never let me have a Pokémon before." Aeliana explains to Clara, hands wrapping tightly around her egg as she stares out at the water. "Other kids my age, they do things like the Island Challenge. It's basically what we're doing now but… Well, anyway… I was never really sure why my mom was so against me doing it? I guess it was because my dad worked as a Pokémon researcher for the Aether Foundation. I knew this, but… Finally having a Pokémon of my own just… I guess it blocked out my common sense."

Aeliana had taken the long way home that day. Her bike thankfully had a basket on the handles, one that she often used whenever her mother would send her to do grocery runs. She felt a knot form in her stomach as she looked up, the view of the apartment complex that the duo called home quickly coming into view. It wasn't an exactly ideal location to call home. That said, it was all that the teenager knew at this point. It was just after dark when the girl arrived home. With any luck, this meant that her mother would be out for the evening and as a result getting the egg holding her new Pokémon inside would be all the easier.

Aeliana parked her bike in the rusty bike rack located in the parking lot, before carefully scooping her egg up into her arms and making her way up to her apartment on the third floor. The rusty, metal stairs squeaked and creaked with every step she made, her sneakers seemingly coming down upon them with the intensity of thunder rolling overhead. Each step caused Aeliana to stop dead in her tracks, looking around as if trying to see if anyone noticed her coming. After what felt like hours, the young teenager finally came to the door that led into the apartment she shared with her mother. She reached into her pocket, fishing out the key to the door, however she paused before she slipped the key into the lock and turned it. Instead, Aeliana quietly crept to the nearby window, kneeling down and peeking inside as if to see if there was any light coming from inside. From her perspective, everything seemed to be dark.

"Is she not home…?"

A small feeling of hope formed in the pit of the fourteen year old's stomach. Sneaking the egg in was going to be a lot easier if her mother was out. Aeliana made her way back to the door, turning the key and then finally letting herself inside the apartment she called home. Aeliana stepped inside the door and gently shut the door behind her, making sure to lock it just in case before stepping into the foyer proper.

A foul odor reached the young girl's nostrils as she slipped her shoes off. It was a strong scent of tobacco, mixing in with the stale smell of the apartment as well as the trash which littered various pieces of furniture and the floor itself. If one were to be stepping inside of the apartment for the first time, the stench would most likely be enough to churn the stomach of those with the strongest of constitutions. At this point, Aeliana had gotten used to the scent. She was fairly certain that that detail wasn't exactly something she should be proud of. At the same time though, she figured that her being used to it was the only reason she was likely able to stomach going up to her room.

With a small sigh, the girl began to make her way down the hallway towards the door that led to her bedroom. Aeliana froze, her heart skipping a beat, as she passed the living room. The sound of static from the nearby television was quick to reach her ears. She stared at the door leading into the room. Maybe her mother simply left it on before stepping out for the night. It wouldn't be the first time that the girl had woken up in the morning to find it merely running with no one in the room. Deciding that risking a check on the television room was not in her best interest, Aeliana quickly wrapped her arms around her birthday gift tightly and then shuffled her way down the rest of the hallway and into her bedroom. She quickly pushed the door shut behind her, a sigh of relief escaping her lips as she slumped down in the floor with her new egg carefully cradled in her arms.

"Finally made it," Aeliana whispered.

"Yeah… You did," another voice replied.

Aeliana froze. A lump formed in her throat. It was as if time froze as she slowly peeled her eyes away from the egg in her arms before slowly looking up to see the familiar form of her mother sitting on the edge of her bed.

At 39 years old, the woman known as Leilani Kekoa was starting to look like she was going on 50. While still looking somewhat tan, her skin complexion was noticeably paler than Aeliana's own. Her green eyes were faded, having an almost glassy look, bloodshot and dilated as usual. Thick, dark circles lined underneath them, with formerly pearly white teeth now looking quite yellow and stained. Her once long, flowing black hair was starting to quickly turn gray. It was once full and thick, but as time passed by it was quickly starting to look very thin and very frail. She was taller than Aeliana, reaching a height of about 5'8. That said, the woman looked as though she was starting to starve. Her body was rail thin, and there were often times that Aeliana wondered just how in the world her legs actually managed to support what body weight she had. Despite being against the door, Aeliana could smell the cigarette smoke hanging on her clothes, which consisted of a pair of worn out, blue denim jeans and a very large, baggy t-shirt that looked as though her mother had managed to fish it out of a dumpster. There was a large stain around the collar. Aeliana wasn't sure what the stain actually was, and she was fairly certain she didn't wanna know either.

"Where the fuck have you been?" her mother asked. She slowly stood up, staggering her way over towards the girl who was already cowering against her door. The closer she got, the more Aeliana could pick up the slur in her voice. It was quite obvious that the woman was completely tanked. "You were shupposed to be here hoursh ago! Where the fuck is my dinner?!"

Aeliana felt her body begin to tremble. "I… I'm sorry… I just… I forgot when Faye invited me over to her place for my birthday!"

"Ooooh, I'm shorry! I'm shorry! Worthless bitch!" Leilani spat. She pinned the fourteen year old up against the wall and delivered a sharp backhand to the girl's face, all before giving the teenager a look that could kill. Aeliana felt her stomach begin to do flips. She could smell the whiskey hanging off her breath. Her gaze slowly drifted down to the egg in her laps, eyes widening at the very sight of the object in her arms. "...what the fuck ish that?"

"A-An egg…" Aeliana stuttered, her voice only a whisper.

Her mother backhanded the child again, this time knocking her in her teeth. "Shpeak the hell up, you little bitch! I ashked you what the hell was in your handsh!"

"I s-said it's an egg!" Aeliana shouted in response. "Faye… It was a gift from Faye… for my birthday…"

"How many timesh do I have to tell you not to bring that fucking trash into my house?!" Leilani snapped. Aeliana's eyes were as wide as saucers as she felt the drunken woman's hands grab and start to try and pull the egg out of her grasp. As if her very life depended on it, Aeliana wrapped her own arms tighter around the egg, doing everything in her power to try and keep it from being pulled from her grasp. Leilani quickly began to grow more frustrated with the teenager. Without warning, her mouth shot forward and she bit down on the black-haired girl's hand. Aeliana recoiled in response, falling back against her door as the egg was finally freed from her grasp and now in her mother's. "Fucking garbage belonghs outshide, you little shit!"

Aeliana watched in horror as the woman stumbled over towards her bedroom window. Tears streamed down the black-haired girl's cheeks as she scrambled back up to her mother, pleading with her to please give her the egg back. Without an ounce of hesitation, the woman replied by delivering a sharp elbow into Aeliana's nose, causing her to fall back yet again as well as giving her a rather nasty looking nosebleed. Not another word was spoken as the woman lifted the window to the bedroom, before tossing the egg out of it in a huff.

Her work done, the inebriated woman shuffled out the door. An impassive expression was worn on her face as she stumbled out of the room. Aeliana sobbed hysterically as the door was slammed shut. She remained in that spot, curled up in a ball on the carpet until she finally passed out.

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Stinging Bea · Mar 30, 2021

Warning: the following posts contains mentions of and displays moments of child abuse!

Aeliana Kekoa

Hulbury

Chapter 8-4| Fractured

Aeliana's Current Party:

A restless night and a cold shower later, Aeliana found herself at the kitchen table the next morning. She had taken the time to place a freshen up a bit, making sure to place a new bandaid on the bridge of her nose from where her mother had elbowed her the previous night. As had become usual at that point, the teenager carefully examined herself for any other bruises or bumps that might look too unsightly to leave uncovered. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any that would raise suspicion. Aeliana made sure to thank Tapu Lele for that much.

The morning had been rather quiet thus far. That said, the silence did little to put Aeliana at ease. The atmosphere was very heavy, so much so that the black-haired teenager could still feel her stomach twisting knots. Everything just felt completely hollow, with every motion she made was more out of habit rather than desire. Even the act of eating her breakfast was more out of force. Aeliana stuffed a spoonful of her Popplio's, eyes staring blankly ahead at the cereal box that she had probably read at least twenty three times at this point. Her trance-like state was broken only when the familiar sound of feet shuffling across the carpeted hallways reached her ears. The teen slowly peeled her eyes away from the box, coming to rest on the form of her mother shuffling through the kitchen. Her left hand rested on her head, the older woman's eyes barely opened as she slowly made her way towards the kitchen counter where the coffee machine was stationed. Aeliana slowly stuffed another spoonful of cereal in her mouth, crunching down on it with apprehension as she watched all the while.

"Could you… stop chewing so loud?" Leilani snapped, sending a sharp glare at the teen's direction. As if it had been rehearsed, Aeliana's chewing came to an abrupt end. The black-haired girl quickly swallowed the bits of cereal in her mouth, her eyes slowly drifting back down to the bowl of cereal sitting before her. Once the infernal crunching had come to an end, the woman turned her attention back to the coffee machine. She quickly noticed that it was bone dry. "Did you forget to start the damn coffee again?!"

"W-We're out…" Aeliana replied quietly, her grip on her spoon tightening as she spoke. "I made the last bit of it for you yesterday morning…"

A look of realization came to the woman's face. "Right… It's Friday..." A sigh escaped the woman's lip's as she moved across the kitchen and to the refrigerator. She reached up on top and then pulled down a coffee can. Reaching inside, Leilani pulled out some cash. She counted it quickly and then shoved it into Aeliana's direction. "Get the usual things. Coffee, eggs, and all that sort. I need some smokes too, I'm starting to run low. And for the love of Tapu Bulu, make sure they're the right brand this time."

Aeliana nodded in response. She debated about asking her mother if the cigarettes were really important, but the reminder of the slap she got from the last time was enough to push that thought into the background and out of her head. Rather, the black-haired girl quickly finished her bowl of cereal, grabbed her backpack, and was then on her way. Aeliana made her way down the same, creaky steps. Just like the previous night before, the squeaked and sounded like they were ready to collapse should someone step on them in just the wrong manner. She quickly made her way towards the bike rack, taking a moment to unlock the chain that kept it fastened in place. As she knelt down to stow it away inside of her backpack, her lavender eyes narrowed. There was something in the bushes nearby, something that definitely wasn't there the previous night. She knew her mother was expecting her to get to the market and back quickly, but… curiosity was getting the better of her. She slowly rose back up to her feet and made her way towards the bushes.

"It's probably just some wild Yungoos or something," the black-haired teenager thought. She slowly reached forward, placing her hands into the bushes. Pushing the branches aside, Aeliana looked around to try and locate what she had seen just a few moments ago. An audible gasp quickly slipped past her lips. Her legs trembled, Aeliana taking step back in shock as she almost dropped to her knees. "No… no way…"

It was an egg. It was the egg she had gotten from Faye, to be exact. How… How had it managed to survive being tossed out the window like it was last night?

Aeliana's brain suddenly kicked back into functionality. The girl scrambled back to the bush, scooping the egg out and wrapping it tightly into her arms once more. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as a broad grin managed to work its way across her lips.

"I'm so sorry… I'm sorry…" the teenager whispered. "I promise… I'll do whatever it takes. I'm gonna make sure you hatch and grow into a healthy Pokémon. We'll make it through this world together."

A weak smile comes to Aeliana's lips as she remembers finding that egg. Clara looks up at her with hopeful eyes, feeling a warmth coming from the trainer as she pauses her story.

"I was so happy that that egg was okay," Aeliana says. Her eyes shift down to the egg currently nestled in her lap. She wonders if it's warm enough and after a moment of contemplation, the blue-haired trainer decides to take off her overshirt and wrap it snugly around the egg. "I kept it hidden from mom after that. I kept it in my backpack whenever I'd leave or go back into the apartment." A sad chuckle slips past her lips at the memory. "I even built the thing a nest in my closet. It wasn't like mom ever did laundry, so she was never really wise to what I was doing. It was a few weeks later, although it felt like months to me, the egg finally hatched. It wasn't anything rare. She had given me an Alolan Meowth. Even knowing this… I loved the little guy with all my heart. That said, taking care of him was...a challenge in and of itself."

"Looks like you're out of food again, Felix…" Aeliana mumbled quietly. Standing by her side inside of her room, the tiny Alolan Meowth kitten looked up at her with hungry eyes. His tail swished back and forth, a hungry look in his eyes as he let out a tiny mewl. The black-haired teen offered the baby Pokémon a weak smile. "Don't worry, your dinner is just gonna be delayed a bit, that's all. I'm gonna be heading to the store to pick up this week's groceries, anyway? All you have to do is just wait an hour or so, okay?"

Aeliana bent down, scooping the tiny Pokémon into her arms. The Alolan Meowth affectionately nuzzled against her cheek, earning a gentle stroke behind his ear. This in turn earned the trainer a pleased pur.

"Now, I need you to wait inside your room while I go get the groceries, okay? I'll be back as soon as I can, Felix," Aeliana told him, taking a pair of sunglasses from her bedside table and putting them over her eyes. Another soft mewl slipped past the Alolan Meowth mouth. The girl gave him another quick pet before setting him down and gently sliding the door to her closet to. "Alright, best get a move on."

Aeliana grabbed her backpack as per usual and quietly walked down the hallway. The sound of static reached her ears, causing the girl to pause and peek into the television room. Laying on the couch was in fact her mother. The woman was sleeping, but whether or not that was from passing out from some early morning binge drinking or from fatigue, Aeliana wasn't sure. What she did notice however, was something particular in her mother's arms. It was a photo of both her and her father. Leilani was wearing a beautiful, flowing, white dress. Aeliana's father was wearing a black tuxedo and white shirt with a dark green necktie. It was a picture of her parents on their wedding day. Sighing to herself, Aeliana turned the television off before grabbing a blanket and covering her mother. Once that was taken care of, the teenager resumed on her path of heading outside and off to the store.

Outside, leaning with his back against a palm tree, is a spiky-black haired teen. Brown eyes light up at the sight of Aeliana, though that light instantly fades when he sees the sunglasses. His attempt to put on a smile is forced at best. "There she is," he says, his tone fond if not harboring some distress.

Faye turned to look in the direction her colleague had pointed in, her mouth not able to hold the smile up anywhere near as well as his own. It was overcast today. Hell, it had even been raining just a few hours ago. This means there were only two possible reasons Aeliana would be wearing sunglasses today. She was either trying her hardest to look cool or… Well, Faye didn't like the second reason all that much.

"Tapu Bulu, you've gotta be shitting me," Faye cursed.

Aeliana glanced up at that exact moment. A bright smile quickly came to her lips as she ran over to the two Skull members. "Hey, guys! What's up?"

"Ya know, we were passin' through and thought we'd come steal you for awhile." The spiky haired teen replied with a grin. If Aeliana can put on a smile despite all the shit she's going through, he could smile for her. He unfortunately couldn't do much else… but he can do this for her. "Where ya headed?"

"I'm heading to the market, gotta get this week's groceries and stuff you know?" Aeliana replied, motioning to her backpack. "I promised mom I'd go get it done super early today since she's got a really bad headache this morning. Plus, Felix is super hungry this morning! I can't let him go for too much longer without his breakfast or he gets super whiny!"

"A headache, huh?" Faye inquired. There was a hint of disbelief in her voice. Aeliana's eyes dimmed just a bit at the tone in the older girl's voice, but she didn't call her out on it. "That must be rough, getting those so often. Maybe she should switch medication or something?"

"I've thought about that, but… You know how my mom is. She's very particular about her brands," Aeliana answered, laughing nervously in the process. It wasn't exactly a lie. The sunglasses were a testament to that.

"Let's go together. We're out of bread." A lie. He just wanted to spend time with Aeliana… and maybe convince Faye to have her to tell her mom where she can go and leave home. They're totally old enough. They could have taken the island challenge three years ago. "I'll help you carry those diet sodas she has to have."

Aeliana looked between the two Skull members. "O-Okay, if you're sure."

The black-haired girl quickly made her way to the bike rack to get her bike. Faye shot the boy a look, frowning and nudging him with an elbow. "What are you tryin' to do?" the older girl whispered.

The teen grasped the black pendant around his neck as he grimaced. Was it that obvious that he has motives aside from carrying some soda? "If we get her away from the wicked bitch of the west long enough to really talk to her, she'll come with us."

"And what? Have Nanu come knockin' on our doors with a warrant for kidnappin'?" Faye responded. "Look, I wanna get her out of there just as much as the next guy, but… it's not that easy…"

"Why not? It's not like we don't have proof that she can't take care of a plant." The teen discretely tapped underneath his eye. "Things won't magically get better if we play pretend and act like we don't see it. Things are only gonna get worse if we don't do somethin'!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Faye all but snaped. "You know how much I hate having to constantly send her back there? How many times have I had to hold her? Sing that song for her when she comes walking into Po Town with some new bandage she put on her or that one time she came wearing a jacket during Summer?!"

The boy proceeded to open his mouth again, but he's silenced when the sight of Aeliana pushing her bike towards them catches his eyes. The teenager looked between the duo, curiously raising an eyebrow. "Is… everything okay?"

"Yeah… Everything's cool, Aeliana," Faye responded. "Let's go get those groceries, okay?"

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