The night following Hazel's first gym battle was full of troubled thoughts. Between her parents' odd behaviour lately, her partner's new form (and whether or not it was genuinely Benji) and Dover's anticipated 3 weeks to fully recover, she didn't sleep well. She woke up to the sun shining in her eyes, as Sacha had taken the liberty of lifting the blinds. Breakfast had already been fetched and for the nth time, Hazel was forced to wonder what kind of trainer Sacha must have been. She checked her Pokédex, Camerupt was an evolved Pokémon - so was Golurk... so it stood to reason that they must have trained and fought, though the trainer and her team had given her little reason to believe as much. Too tired still to make much progress with it, she got started on her own meal and remembered to call her parents. Taking a seat at the computer across the room, she started it up, waiting for 5 minutes while the pending connection lingered, before oddly timing out…
"I guess they've already gone to work…" Hazel mumbled to herself with a pout. Sacha noticed how disappointed her new friend looked, and decided now was as good a time as any for the exciting news she had.
"I have a surprise, friend. Would you like to hear?" She asked, smiling.
"Sure, what's up?" Hazel answered, broken out of her daze.
"I know how we'll be getting to next big city!"
"Next big city?" Hazel repeated, puzzled.
"You know, Fort Worth, next big destination for Gym Battle." Sacha explained, nodding with that eager smile intact.
"Oh… gym battle… right." Hazel tried not to sound too worried.
"It's okay, you take time, train, and next gym battle, you blow away competition!" Sacha reassured, and Hazel smiled resignedly, reminded sharply of a cheerleader. "And we don't take bus this time- waitforit- we take train!" she shouted triumphantly. "Well, you are excited, yes?"
"Well, it's not everyday I get to ride a train in the southwest." Hazel replied, unable to stay unhappy in the face of such enthusiasm.

To Hazel's mild surprise, she was in fact impressed by the train - in the advent of creating an entire industry based on Pokémon, formerly forgotten places and systems were given new life: the Fort Worth & Denver Railway, which for over 50 years had been used only for freight was once again carrying passengers. Hazel kept looking out the window, somewhat convinced by Sacha that if she took her eyes off the never-ending expanse of desert for one second, she ran the risk of missing something marvelous.
Hazel didn't realize it, but she'd already been profoundly influenced by the older girl. The day she set out on this journey, she was lukewarm toward the whole idea, but now, she could actually see herself having fun. Before she knew it, they'd crossed the state line from Colorado to New Mexico, through two-and-a-half state parks, then from New Mexico into Texas. Finally, they stopped in Dalhart for a late lunch and much needed bathroom break, before they boarded the train and continued down the tracks. It was then that something occurred to Hazel.
"When are we going to train?" Hazel muttered, feeling a bit anxious.
"Why so serious about the training? This is supposed to be a fun trip to help you unwind." Sacha said, trying to cheer up her companion.
"Because I set a goal to be ready for the next gym by the time we got to Fort Worth. We're halfway there, and I'm no closer than when we left Boulder." Hazel muttered.
"Give it a chance, Hazel, we have made one stop. There will be others, especially since we will start running by more towns from here on." The teenager added, jabbing playfully at a map.

Only two hours after they departed from Dalhart, they rolled into Amarillo, where the train stopped for the night. Hazel watched the sun as it sank below the horizon. Chances were they should set out to find a hotel - surely there wasn't one far. But before she could even spot a directory, a voice boomed out, clearly aided by a microphone, and caught the girls' attention. Sacha's first thought, naturally was to tug Hazel along to a good-sized crowd that had formed.
"Gather 'round ladies, gentlemen and trainers of all ages, the battle is about to begin! We have a real treat for you tonight folks, opening with a one-on-one match between seasoned trainers: please give a round of applause for Alora and David! Alright, contestants, it's one Pokémon each, no time limit, no items used, and when one is defeated or pushed out of bounds, the match is over. Are you ready?" There was a curt nod from both participants, teenagers, by the look of it. "Alright then, select your Pokémon!" Without hesitation or words, the two trainers tossed their Pokéballs deeper into the arena painted on the pavement.
"Oh, Hazel, this should be interesting – such intensity, I wonder if they are rivals." Sacha whispered eagerly. All Hazel could think was: if that's what rivalry looks like, I don't think I want one. As each creature took shape and stepped forward, they looked every bit as serious as their trainers: from Alora's side, a pink-tinged sheep-like creature with wool gathered mainly on the head and around the neck and a curious blue orb on the tip of its long, black-striped tail – as for its ears - Hazel was still trying to figure out if those were ears or horns; on David's side was a very animated assortment of gears, one with a face and a spiked rim serving as its horizontal base. Hazel found herself pawing at her Pokédex to try and identify the two, since introductions also seemed unnecessary. As she scanned over each one, an image and article link with the Pokémon's name appeared on her screen. Alora it seemed was fighting with Flaffy and David with Klinklang.
"Let the match begin!" the announcer called out and a hush fell on the crowd as the trainers barked out their first orders.
"Use Thundershock, now!" Alora shouted, and the little sheep charged forward, its mane now sparking ominously.
"Quick! Mirror Shot!" the opponent called out, and Hazel, along with many other spectators, had to shield her eyes as there was a bright flash. When she could look again, the Flaffy did seem disoriented, having dashed right past its target and lingered at the edge, shaking its head quizzically. It turned about at the voice of its trainer, who called out for a Thunder Wave - and a wave of electricity splashed out for a good 10 feet in all directions from where the little Flaffy stood, causing their hairs on Hazel's neck starting to stand up. Just as Klinklang was struggling to recover, though - the announcer interrupted, thoroughly confusing the trainers and audience.
"Attention, folks - I have a special announcement:" he called out all-too-serenely until the crowd was fully quieted, "we want to take this moment to remind everyone who made this possible." David tried to question the man, but the announcer paid him no mind, carrying on in a satisfied tone, as if he'd been waiting for this: "This exhibition match is brought to you by Yuudai Kawashima - the hard-working team of Project: Pokémon wants to ensure that everyone enjoys the FULL EXPERIENCE; so it is with great pleasure that we introduce a few new elements to the scene - you know, for authenticity." With that, he dropped the microphone and only now did the crowd start to question if this was part of the show... just in time for the mic to hit the ground, timed perfectly with the lights going out through the whole plaza. Hazel started to panic as screams erupted from the crowd along with scattered struggles; with a chill, she could hear Klinklang clamoring and the bleating of the Flaafy in particular as it sparked frantically, illuminating the people surrounding it, who were restraining it and hauling it off violently. The chaos intensified when red lights flashed all about from the ground to the rooftops and she could briefly make out shapes of Pokémon that obscured the silhouetted people behind them. In the back of her mind, she vaguely recognized a few of them - a Tyranitar, a Kommo-o and a Metagross - powerhouse dragons and steely behemoths she'd never seen in person, but recognized from the Pokédex - one however remained a mystery... it was dark with what looked like a red collar and a shock of white hair and things became even harder to see when it enshrouded itself in darkness that came off of it in pulses.
Hazel's blood ran cold and she felt a hand grip her wrist firmly. She fought the person pulling her until she recognized Sacha's voice: "It's me, Hazel. We have to move... we have to do something!" That very moment, however, Hazel's other wrist was pulled in the opposite direction and an oddly familiar voice reached her ears.
"HAZEL?" The grip on her wrist tightened. "Seriously, is that you Hazel? What are you doing here?!"
"Wait... Jonah?" She asked, disbelieving. Another voice chipped in oddly familiar, yet lighter.
"Jonah, chill - we'll handle this, everything's going to be fine!"
"BAILEY?!" Hazel shouted in alarm.
"She's not gonna be fine! Hazel, you need to get out of here! Hold on a sec!" There was a brilliant red light that for a moment lit up the flurry of panic in the background, but more pointedly, her brothers' faces and the Stoutland that had been summoned. She barely had time to process this information before Jonah had plucked her off the ground (soundly breaking Sacha's grip in the process) and perched her on the back of the Pokémon. "Reggie, get yourself and Hazel somewhere safe!" He shouted, and was about to send the huge canine on its way, but was immediately thereafter confronted with a furious-looking Sacha.
"What- taking my FRIEND? WHO ARE YOU?!" The teenage trainer shouted at the young man, not in the least intimidated by the fact that he stood a good foot taller than her.
"Her big brother! Who are you?!" Jonah shouted right back, more shocked than anything. Suddenly, Sacha's already pale face lost what color it had as she looked at Hazel, then turned back to him.
"S-Sacha... her friend." The conviction had yet to return, but her frown and furrowed brows spoke volumes. "We were going to do something about this mess!" She gestured to the bedlam around them.
"Hey, I like this kid!" Bailey laughed, a hand on Jonah's shoulder, "Hazel - you and the wet blanket can run, your buddy and I'll stay and fight!" Said-Wet-Blanket was thankful for the dark that kept anyone from seeing his embarrassment and the daggers he was glaring. But in hindsight, he would feel better about not leaving Hazel alone, and so in a huff, hopped onto Reggie's back in front of his sister.
"You two better not get hurt - and call me as soon as you can, Bailey!" He shouted before the Stoutland finally took off on his call, the dog Roaring at anyone that tried to stop them, leaving the two mavericks smiling daringly at one another.

It would be a while before Sacha and Hazel saw each other again, spontaneously parting ways at least for the time being. From there, Stoutland ran until it reached the train, which was evacuating any trainers lucky enough to have missed the explosive scene. After hearing about Hazel's progress, Jonah decided to lend a helping hand (after confirming that Bailey and Sacha were safe and the chaos had been squelched). Sacha would train as well, it turned out, after making new friends forged in fire and meeting a certain friend of the younger-blooded brother...

Click here to read Hazel's Diary Entry!

Click here to read Sacha's Diary Entry!

Hazel quietly looked out the window of the train as it rattled down the tracks, Jonah having other arrangements beside the locomotive. She was glad to have her brother's help, but she was worried about Bailey and Sacha too - the last time she talked to Bailey, he said Sacha had gone off to train on her own. Something didn't add up. Sacha started traveling with her because she wanted a change of pace and not to be alone anymore. So why go off alone to train? She hoped everything was okay...
She was pulled from her musings by a commotion toward the back of the train car. People were mumbling, the volume increasing to where she couldn't understand - however, a look back through the window told her all she needed to know. She wasn't sure if she should be thrilled or terrified: there was Sacha riding on a... Rapidash? The older trainer was grinning almost madly as she caught sight of Hazel, apparently having raced the train car by car, searching for her. She waved excitedly, one hand and both legs still holding on tight. There was no tack or gear and Hazel could only imagine how hard she must have been working to stay on its back, even as she chuckled, and the horse seemed likewise satisfied.
"Hazel, friend! Sorry for taking so long, but how have you been?" She called, and sensing that it was time to let the horse rest, she jumped and gripped the window's edge, recalling the horse that Hazel now realized was...
"That was... Raisa?" The charcoal hide and teal flames were probably a dead giveaway, but she had to ask. Her answer was another toothy smile as Sacha climbed in. "That's... amazing... I guess you guys made a lot of progress." Hazel mumbled in awe.
"She worked very hard, I think she wanted to impress you." Sacha answered as the adrenaline slowly wore off.
"Well, I'm definitely impressed." The younger girl answered numbly, looking around to see a few of the other car passengers still staring. "I wish I'd made that much progress, but I think we did pretty well. Also..." she continued in a hushed voice, "do you still have your ticket?" Sacha responded with a short, half-surprised laugh as she rummaged through her pockets and retrieved the very necessary paper, though Hazel couldn't help but realize it looked worse for wear, with wrinkles and burn marks.

As they continued to the next stop, a town named Decatur, they talked about their training and how far her Pokémon had come, even if it didn't look like it. Basque had made especially surprising progress, training alongside Benji, and though it worried a bit about Dover, even they'd gotten to know each other better. They'd all become stronger for the experience, that much Hazel knew, but she was still somewhat haunted by how close things had been in her last gym battle.

"Perhaps, Hazel, thinking of strategies may help?" While Hazel initially looked at Sacha with some confusion, understanding began to dawn behind her eyes as her companion continued, digging through her large backpack until finally, she extracted a brochure. It looked worn and weathered, even for its age which Hazel spied to be a year old. "In Fort Worth is the Fire-Type Gym, which is currently led by Colton Gaines…" she read, and continued to explain. "Consider some general facts about the type." Battling would wait until their Pokémon recovered from their recent, furious pace, but the teenager hoped she could help in a fashion that wouldn't weigh so heavily on the other trainer's mind. "Basque's vulnerability is obvious; but how do you think Dover or Benji would fare?"
"Well, Dover's about as easy to burn as the next Pokémon, but Benji… he's made of clay, so… he's already baked… he can't really be baked any more, right?"
"That's right." Sacha said, her smile growing wider. "In fact, the ground-type is quite effective against the fire-type."
"So I should probably go with Benji…"
"It might be safest, but you should also remember that as a Gym Leader, experienced Mr. Colton may be expecting types that are strong against his, and may already have plans in position to compensate." Hazel, nodded, her eyebrows knitting together; if she had learned one thing from Jilian, it was that Gym Leaders didn't take challengers lightly. She was already deep in thought, staring at her own lap. THINK. What did I learn from battling that guy… Guillermo? She remembered that Rock Tomb was useful for buying time, but eventually a strong Pokémon would break out, and the flying fragments of stone could be dangerous. Dover thought he was ready to fight, but Hazel wasn't blind to the occasional limp or buckling of his front legs. He was still hurting, and Hazel didn't want an injured Pokémon battling if she could help it.

Despite the warm, dry wind, she shivered slightly, looking up at the rather official and slightly imposing gym building. It looked identical to the one in Boulder. Great… she thought to herself, her stomach lurching. She stepped inside and approached the desk where a middle-aged man looked up from his computer expectantly.
"Hello, young lady, are you here for a gym battle or reservation?" He asked, his voice slightly more animated than the most-certainly scripted dialogue. Hazel paused a moment on these thoughts, and noted his name tag before speaking up:
"Actually, Mr. Jerry, I was wondering if there's a spectator room in this Gym. I'd like to study Mr. Gaines' battle style... if I can." She added nervously, and the clerk just smiled reassuringly, nodding.
"Yes, there is - and in fact, he's scheduled to answer a challenge in about a half-hour. Follow me..."
As the time drew near, Hazel sat in the spectator room looking at the arena through a window. If Jerry was any indication, this Colton person was an entirely different gym leader from Jilian. For better or for worse, only time would tell, and she watched with new interest as a person – the challenger – entered the room alongside the Gym Leader.
The young man smiled with practiced neutrality and shook hands briefly with Mr. Gaines before taking his position in the arena. There were little formalities beyond that, and soon enough, both had summoned Pokémon to the field. She took notice of the Gym Leader's first choice: a bipedal reptilian Pokémon with a pale underbelly and a primarily reddish coloration. A prominent crest sloped back along the top of its head, and a few sharp fangs were visible under the upper lip. Its trademark feature however, was the flame-tipped tail, which burned various shades of red and yellow. From these features, Hazel quickly identified it as a Charmeleon.
The opponents Pokémon was monkey-like with a few distinctions such as its mouse-like ears and its looser, less defined skin with odd placement of bluish-silver fur placement along the legs and head (which formed a mane) - Hazel realized this was a Simipour. She looked to Colton to see his reaction to a clearly advantageous water type – oddly, he didn't seem at all concerned.
"Priscilla, use Water Gun!" the challenger shouted, and Hazel looked on intently as she had never actually seen this move used before. The 'impossible' science aside, she watched in fascination as the simian seemed to take in a great breath, and after a moment's hesitation, it let loose a fine needle-like stream of water, which Colton stepped sideways to avoid while his Charmeleon dashed out of the channel's path with a small stumble. Hazel and Sacha both winced as the attack bore a neat hole in the wall before petering out.
"Okay, Sandy, your turn; Dragon Rage." Hazel didn't know what to think, but based on Sacha's expression and the way the challenger's face paled, it must have been impressive. She looked back at the lizard to see a gleam in its eyes, and it snarled as it crouched and broke into a run, its tail flaring with larger and larger flames; finally with a harsh hiss, it leapt forward – nearly closing the distance between itself and the stunned opponent – threw its head back and unleashed a ball of fire bigger than its own head. If the close proximity didn't make the attack overwhelming, the way the Charmeleon immediately pounced its opponent certainly did. Somehow, while the reptile appeared ready to tear into its foe, it held back, merely baring its teeth inches from the Simipour's face – the latter too rattled from the charring and impact to respond.
With a nod from both the challenger and the Gym Leader, the referee made the call: "The round goes to Colton and Sandy."
"Actually, the match goes to them… I think I'll forfeit." The young man said, and Hazel watched curiously; so he has others, but he's giving up?"Priscilla's my strongest… if she was… yeah…"
"It's just part of the experience. You know your limits and those of your Pokémon – that's nothing to sniff at. Keep it up." He crossed the arena, and extended a hand, which the challenger took a bit reluctantly, but finally nodded and looked the older man in the eye.