How's it going, everyone? I hope y'all are doing well, because why wouldn't I? Anyhow, last chapter was quite a bit shorter than usual and focused on the aftermath of Thomas and Ashley's battle. While Fletchling sustained major burns to his wing that could affect his flying permanently, depending on how his rehab goes, Grovyle wasn't as fortunate and had her arm amputated. Additionally, Thomas accepted Myles' offer of learning how to use Burst Evolution.
This chapter will focus on decisions Thomas and Louise make as they look ahead to their respective futures, plus a few interesting developments between the members of Tom's team.
Now let's get going!

The Phantom Starfish: Thanks! I thought last chapter was going to be 3k/4k words longer, but I like how it turned out. Although Fletchling's and Grovyle's injuries are sure to affect them in battle, there will be more attention given to the psychological effects. Unfortunately (or not), Ashley should remain your least favorite character for the time being. And expect to see a few battles for Mimikyu during Fortree.

ShadowDragon9000: You're right; those lyrics are relevant to the chapter. Going off what you said, not only does the loss in manpower affect the Pokemon, but it also affects Thomas as both a trainer and person. You're right (again) about Mimikyu carrying the load in battles and Thomas rarely show any emotions, both of which support Fortree's main sub-plots. Random: Gallade would be a fantastic salesman. I think your distaste (for lack of a better word) for Azul and Slowpoke is coming to an end, though I could be wrong. Thanks for the review & feedback!

dragonplayer18: Nice to hear from you again. Grovyle's steady growth in confidence may come to a halt due to losing her arm; Fletchling will be in the spotlight for a portion of Fortree, so look forward to that; Slowpoke... lol; and Mimikyu will eventually get into some shenanigans that reveal more about him and why he thinks/acts the way he does. Ashley's disdain for Thomas is irrational, and you'll learn why in the future.

Warrior of Hope: Myles and Tom will have an odd relationship, though I won't say how as it'll ruin the "surprise." As for Mimikyu's and Combusken's popularity, it's funny to see them trending in opposite directions and from where they first started. I understand the issue with battles being predictable - the Gyms were spoiled, the first battle is always a loss, and Ashley was the favorite for a reason. Oddly enough, I focused so much on character and plot development that I forgot about making the results unpredictable. It's certainly something I'll pay attention to from now on. What's great to see is that each character on your least favorite list will receive a lot more attention during the Burst Arc (Aiden won't for a while, though), so that should change dramatically. There'll be A LOT of focus on Ashley later in the arc, as wellThanks for the review & feedback!

Thomas' Team

Grovyle, (F), Level 24: Leaf Blade, Bullet Seed, Quick Attack, Mega Drain, *Double Team, *Double Kick
Fletchling, (M), Level 22: Roost, Flail, Quick Attack, Peck, *Steel Wing, *Agility
Slowpoke, (F), Level 21: Curse, Yawn, Tackle, Growl, *Water Gun, *Confusion
Mimikyu, (M), Level 23: Mimic, Scratch, Double Team, Baby-Doll Eyes, *Shadow Sneak, *Shadow Claw


"Hey! Fle... hang in... be okay!"

Boss, is dat you? Da hell's ya tryin' ta say?

"Get thi... in critical cond... Hurry!"

Dat ain't Boss, dat's da noyse wit da pink hayah. Da fuck's goin' on?

"We will win for you."

All of a sudden, Fletchling felt his eyes open. He shot up and looked at his surroundings as the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor rang in his ears. Although Fletchling didn't see anyone in the room, it was clear someone saw him when they screamed his name.

"Fletchling?"

The robin turned to his left. Slowpoke was lying in her own bed covered in bandages to the point where she looked like a mummy, but some of her pink skin was still exposed. Still, that didn't clear things up for Fletchling as he looked over the room a second time, unable to shake the memory of Thomas' proclamation.

"Ay, was Boss loykin' 'round heah?"

"What?"

"Boss. Was he hangin' 'round talkin' ta me?"

"Why would he do that?" a befuddled Slowpoke asked. "You were unconscious for hours, and it's the middle of the night."

"So?"

She stared at him in silence for a moment. "So he's probably asleep. Jesus, you might be even dumber than before."

"Wheah da hell ah we, anyway?" asked Fletchling, brushing the insult aside.

"We're in the hospital wing."

The room fell silent for a moment, and then Slowpoke laughed.

"That damn Gyarados kicked the shit out of us. Well, more you than me... but hey, you're up sooner than expected!"

As she continued to ramble on, Slowpoke never realized she was being ignored. Even if she had, it wasn't like she could do anything to make Fletchling listen - not in her current condition.

Fletchling glanced down at each of his wings. The right one was covered in bandages in its entirety, whereas the left looked just like it always did. He raised an eyebrow - or, he would've if he had one - and lifted the bandaged wing closer to his face for further inspection, only to discover it felt heavier than usual. He then lifted his other wing without trouble, prompting him to try raising the bandaged one a second time.

Again, he struggled to hold it up. Slowpoke watched his face contort, and once his wing fell to his side Fletchling exhaled.

"What's da big idea? Why ain't it as light as da utta one?" he asked aloud, drawing Slowpoke's gaze as he raised and lowered his left wing repeatedly.

Unlike before, she refrained from speaking. That - combined with the look in her eyes - would've clued Fletchling in on her knowledge of the issue had he not been so engrossed in his own actions, though he soon shifted his attention back to Slowpoke.

"Ay, what happened ta Grovyle and Puppet?" he asked, drawing a snicker from Slowpoke before she shrugged.

"Beats me. I haven't seen either of them since the battle."

Just as Fletchling was about to ask a follow-up question, he heard Thomas' voice in his head for a second time.

"We will win for you."

He returned to reality when Slowpoke waved her tail in front of his face saying, "Hey, you okay? Talk to me, Birdbrain."

He blinked slowly. Very, very slowly, as if he'd been awoken from a deep slumber. "Did uh... did dey beat dat broad?"

Again, Slowpoke shrugged.

"Eeda way, I gotta get strawnga fuh da next batle. Ain't no chance I'se gonna be deadweight," Fletchling said to no one in particular while placing his left wing over his chest, almost as if he was saluting.

"Screw that. There's no way I'm putting myself through this kind of pain for someone like Thomas."

Slowpoke proceeded to scoff, thus drawing an intense glare from her teammate. She ignored it, however, and instead watched the heart monitor by her bed.

"Someone like Boss? What's dat s'posed ta mean?"

"I too, am quite intrigued by the meaning of your assertion."

Fletchling and Slowpoke screamed in unison after Mimikyu rose out of his own shadow, which had appeared out of nowhere.

"How long have you been here?!"

Two arms made of shadows shot out from underneath Mimikyu's disguise and he shrugged with them.

"I cannot say, for I am cursed with dyschronometria," he said, only to sigh inaudibly when both of his injured teammates responded with confused expressions. "My perception of time is distorted, therefore I am unable to provide an accurate answer."

While Slowpoke continued to look befuddled, Fletchling leaned back and laughed at her.

"I too, am quite intrigued by the meaning of your assertion regarding the human. Care to elaborate?" Mimikyu asked again.

His tone was more assertive than before - it almost sounded as if he was telling Slowpoke to respond, rather than asking her to.

The aforementioned Pokemon didn't notice though, and Mimikyu could tell by her immediate compliance.

"He's always isolating himself, and even when he isn't he barely talks to us. Like, he ignores me every time I ask a question."

Mimikyu kept his head still, giving the appearance that he was looking at both of his teammates. They couldn't tell that his eyes were glued to Slowpoke, analyzing her every word, movement, and facial expression. Nothing she did went unnoticed.

"So what? He does dat ta us too, but dat don't mean he ain't a good guy."

"I'm not saying he's a bad guy, I'm saying I won't take a beating for him until he stops acting like that. Why would you?"

Fletchling rolled onto his left side and stood up in his bed to glare at Slowpoke. He placed his left wing over his chest and said, "Cuz I owe 'em my life."

The room fell silent.

Mimikyu's ears twitched, and he immediately focused his sights on Fletchling. Slowpoke did so as well while trying to ask a follow-up question, but Fletchling was already talking before she could open her mouth.

"I was boutta be whacked, but him and Grovyle tried helpin' me. Dey even took me ta da Centuh aftuh I got mopped." Fletchling kept glaring at Slowpoke. "Dat's why I joined Boss; dat's why Imma take a beatin' fuh him."

He glanced at the floor and to the side, generating a wicked smirk from Mimikyu.

Ah, but that isn't the only reason, Bird.

"The difference between us is that I didn't join - he captured me, and that was the end of that."

"Perhaps you should accept your inferiority," Mimikyu retorted. "The human bested you in combat, therefore he earned control over your life."

Slowpoke snarled. "That's bullshit!"

Mimikyu's ears twitched a second time, and he scowled.

Such rotten fruit.

000

Grovyle rolled out of her bed, walked across the room, and pressed her face against the glass window. There wasn't much to see other than the battlefield, though instead of finding something better to do, Grovyle didn't look away as she tried to scratch an itch on her right hand. It wasn't the itch that drew her attention, however, it was her left hand scratching at air even though that was exactly where her other hand was.

But it wasn't.

The Grass type looked down to find nearly half of her forearm was gone, as well as the itch, and then a sigh followed.

"How did I forget about that?" Grovyle muttered.

She had no trouble remembering how it felt when every bone in her arm shattered like glass or when her skin was charred, and even though she knew either injury alone could lead to amputation, she didn't remember being told of her own operation until just then.

Grovyle woke up about an hour after the operation and immediately relived her battle against Combusken, so she wasn't at all shocked to see part of her arm had been removed. Oddly enough, the lack of a reaction - not the stump arm - unnerved the doctor who came by to check on her.

The memory ended in a flash, and it couldn't have been timed better as she heard a knock on the door. Thomas proceeded to walk in despite Grovyle never responding, not that it bothered her, and he tucked his hands into the front pocket of his hoodie. She didn't turn around to face him, but she did peek over her shoulder and acknowledge his presence with a quick nod.

Thomas gave the room a sweeping look over before noticing Grovyle had returned her attention to the outdoor battlefield.

"Sorry."

Grovyle looked at her trainer's reflection in the window. He was bowing.

"I didn't call off the battle when your arm was burnt."

"So?"

She watched Thomas flinch as she opened and closed her only hand, her expression remaining stoic.

"So... it's my fault-"

"I didn't call off the battle when my arm was burnt. I couldn't."

Thomas stood upright, catching a glimpse of Grovyle closing her hand as tight as she could. Her arm began to shake as a result, yet neither the expression on her face nor the tone with which she spoke changed.

"Seeing how hard everyone fought... I wanted to win for them. I wanted to prove I wasn't weak anymore."

Grovyle turned to the side so that her right arm pointed directly at Thomas, their eyes remaining locked the whole time.

"Now look at me."

Like a vacuum, Grovyle's words sucked the air right out of the room. She saw him recoil and take a step back, though he didn't dare look away from her.

"You're not-"

Before Thomas could get another word in the door behind him swung open and Fletchling, Slowpoke, and Mimikyu walked inside. His and Grovyle's exchange ended right then and there as he turned around to face everyone else, his back now facing Grovyle.

"Yo! Is youse two tawkin' 'bou-"

Slowpoke shook her head at Fletchling and stepped in front of him, much to his frustration. "Why'd you call us up here?"

Brash as always, Mimikyu thought, scowling at the pink Pokemon.

"It's about the battle earlier... and everything, really," Thomas said as he buried both of his hands in the pocket of his hoodie. He refused to meet Slowpoke's gaze, or anyone else's for that matter, and all four Pokemon took note of that.

After they each sat on the bed nearest the door, Slowpoke and Fletchling looked around until their eyes fell on Grovyle. It took a few seconds of staring at her amputated arm for it to register in their minds, and their jaws dropped in unison. They didn't scream, though; they couldn't.

"Is that what you meant?" whispered Slowpoke.

Grovyle tried to keep her stump out of sight by turning, but it didn't matter at that point - it was burned in everyone's minds. Even though she could feel her claws and hand as if they were still there, she'd poke at the phantom limb with her left hand and return to reality after touching nothing but air.

Slowpoke continued to point at her teammate while staring at Thomas, oblivious to the menacing glare Mimikyu sent her.

"No, but it's why I wanted to talk to all of you."

Although he hadn't lifted his eyes from the floor, Thomas sensed everyone turning their attention towards him just as they usually did. This time was different, however, but he didn't know how or why. He felt his chest tighten up and his heart progressively beat faster, and the longer he waited to speak the more difficult it became.

It was at that moment Thomas remembered part of what Myles told him.

"...Accept it, learn from it, and make sure it never happens again."

Once he finished inhaling and exhaling slowly, Thomas stood upright and looked at his companions for a few seconds each without saying a word. He bowed suddenly, and the Pokemon - save for Mimikyu - felt their eyes open a bit wider.

"Sorry."

Everyone flinched, even Mimikyu.

"Sorry for getting you all injured. Sorry for ignoring you. Sorry for not treating you as equals. Sorry for not being a better person."

All Grovyle, Fletchling, Slowpoke, and Mimikyu could do was stare as the Alolan gradually raised himself from his bow with each apology. Finally, he stopped to catch his breath until he was standing upright again.

And then he apologized one final time.

"I'm sorry for everything," Thomas said, "and that's why I called you all here."

The room was so quiet they could've heard a pin drop. Thomas glanced from one Pokemon to the next, taking their slack-jawed expressions as a sign to continue talking.

He stated, "I haven't treated you equally, but that changes right now."

"What does such a shift in power entail?" Mimikyu inquired, snapping the others out of their shock.

"Trainers capture Pokemon for their own interests. Why don't the Pokemon's interests matter?" Thomas asked rhetorically. "That never crossed my mind before tonight."

Fletchling suddenly chimed in and said, "Ya nevuh captchud me, Boss. I joyned ya."

"I, too, swore my allegiance to you under my own volition," stated Mimikyu.

"Same," Grovyle muttered after nodding along with the pair of responses preceding her own.

All that remained was Slowpoke's answer, so everyone looked at her and waited for her to say what they already knew.

"I get it! I'm the only one who was captured!" she hissed. "Get to the point already."

Slowpoke glared at Thomas, and even though he remained unfazed she didn't attempt to dial back her rage.

Fletchling scooted off the bed to get away and Grovyle went back to hanging her head, but Mimikyu kept the pink Pokemon locked in his sights. In fact, it took every fiber of his being to refrain from spitting at her.

Thomas failed to register Slowpoke's glare because he'd already drifted out to the sea of thoughts deep within his mind, albeit for ten seconds or so.

It may cost me a spot in the Hoenn League, and it may hurt, but it's the right thing to do.

He was forced to put his internal dialogue on hold when Myles' words returned for a second time.

I can't change the past; I have to accept it, learn from it, and make sure it never happens again. This is my new starting line.

Keeping that thought in mind, the tightness Thomas felt in his chest faded and his heart rate gradually returned to normal. Then he looked Slowpoke dead in the eye.

"You're all free to leave at any time, for whatever reason. Just tell me to release you and I will, no questions asked."

With just one glance at everyone's faces, Thomas could tell none of them knew what to say. He wouldn't have either had someone told him about such a radical Trainer-Pokemon dynamic, but being the one to think of, and implement, it took away the shock.

"What da fuck did ya smoke, Boss?"

Thomas couldn't help but laugh at the remark, which made Fletchling even more suspicious than before.

"I'm serious. If I was to capture a Pokemon that wanted to be free, I would respect it's wishes."

Mimikyu studied Thomas' body language and the way he spoke before asking, "But for what reason would you give away your power?"

"Pokemon are as intelligent as humans, but I treated you like you weren't. Humans and Pokemon are equals, and that's how we'll treat each other."

"I don't like it," Grovyle mumbled inaudibly while looking at her stump of an arm, making it impossible to tell what she was talking about.

Whether it was a coincidence or not, Slowpoke was the last to respond and became the center of attention. The others waited anxiously to hear what she had to say, Mimikyu and Fletchling in particular. She told them her opinion of Thomas around an hour earlier and were introduced to countless other unrated version-like thoughts she had of him since being captured.

The two's eyes bounced back and forth between Thomas and Slowpoke at light speed. Ultimately, they locked onto Slowpoke because she broke the silence.

"Would you release me for tonight so I can think about it?"

"Sure."

Grovyle snapped her head back after she heard the answer, a distraught look appearing on her face. She then stared at her stump of an arm instead of crying and watching Slowpoke leave. Without Slowpoke, she'd become the team's third wheel. In fact, Grovyle was already on her way there as the distraught look on her face seemed to be over the top compared to Mimikyu's, Thomas', and Fletchling's indifferent expressions.

"If I'm in front of the Pokemon Center tomorrow, I want to be back. If I'm not there, forget about me," she added, generating a quick nod from Tomas.

Although the stipulation gave Grovyle some hope, it was all erased by a flash of blue light she saw in the corner of her eye. She knew it came from Slowpoke's Poke Ball, but the sound of footsteps coupled with the opening and closing of a door made Grovyle forget all about the Poke Ball. What felt like a minute to her passed before she thought it was safe to look over the room without crying. When Grovyle took in her surroundings she didn't see any signs of Slowpoke, thereby confirming her departure from the team - in Grovyle's eyes, that is.

The team really dropped back to three members before it hit five... this can't be happening.

"If Slowpoke does leave and it's tough on any of you, we can... uh... talk, and I'll try to help," Thomas said with a sheepish half-smile.

How aren't they upset? We might never see Slowpoke again.

Grovyle went to place her arms over her chest but froze when the right one covered roughly half the area as the left. She raised the stub closer to her face and blankly stared at it without a word, her lips quivering.

"Anyway, we should get some sleep if we want to start off on the right foot tomorrow."

A pair of grunts from Mimikyu and Fletchling followed as they strolled out of the room with Thomas. He closed the door without looking back at Grovyle.

000

Combusken's yellow feathers were stained red, his left arm looked almost like rubber, and there were cuts scattered across his entire body.

Grovyle's mouth was stained red, her right arm looked almost like rubber while the skin on it was charred black and swollen, and her right ribcage was covered in contusions.

When they turned back around and locked eyes, the two Pokemon unleashed one final burst of energy and sprinted towards each other. In the brief window of time between their first and last steps forward, Grovyle and Combusken charged up Leaf Blade and Aerial Ace, respectively.

Grovyle hurled her right arm forward while Combusken countered with his left. The attacks blocked each other and an explosion followed in an instant. A massive cloud of thick, black smoke swept over the battlefield, consuming even the trainers.

Surprisingly, it didn't take long for the smoke to clear out, and both trainers were revealed to be staring slack-jawed when it did. As for their Pokemon, the Combusken was barely standing and the Grovyle had fallen on her side. The young man who was Grovyle's trainer bolted onto the battlefield, picked her up, and disappeared inside the Pokemon Center.

Louise stared at the screen of her Pokedex. She was watching Thomas' battle against Ashley from earlier in the night, a battle the latter won handily - so handily, in fact, that three of Thomas' Pokemon were sent to the emergency room. The camera that recorded the battle turned away from the automatic doors closing behind Thomas and homed in on Combusken. A mortified look was plastered on his face even after Ashley placed her hand on his shoulder.

Then the screen went black, and just like that the video ended. Louise, however, continued to stare at the Pokedex until a purple cloth was waved in front of her eyes.

"Apologies, Milady, but thy presence is needed to quell a squabble."

"What? Between who?"

"My brain and my heart."

Louise turned towards Aegislash with an expressionless look on her face, though that didn't seem to resonate with the sentient sword as it simply stared right back at her. After sighing, Louise hung her head and motioned with her hand for Aegislash to speak.

The floating Pokemon nodded.

"It would appear our progress has come to a rather startling halt. My heart doth tell me to keep a still tongue, but alas, my brain says otherwise."

Aegislash slouched over for a moment and caught its breath before speaking again, its translator flashing wildly.

"Sir Tomothy-"

"Thomas."

"Ah, pardon the mistake, Milady."

Aegislash bowed, eliciting muffled laughter from Louise.

"It pains me to speak in such a manner, but I believe Sir Thomas is the cause and should be treated as such."

The sentient sword waited for Louise's response before it dared to stop bowing, eliciting another round of muffled laughter from her. However, the longer she took to think about the statement, the angrier she became.

Why ditch him now? He's not slowing us down!

As her eyes narrowed, Louise asked, "Is that so?"

"Indeed it is, Milady. Myself and the others share Lady Gengar's view," Aegislash said after its posture returned to an upright position.

Louise stood up, walked past the chivalrous Pokemon, and approached the four other members of her team. They were sitting together and had been looking at her from afar up to that point, but their eyes began to wander as she drew closer. They'd heard what little she and Aegislash said to each other, which was made painfully obvious by their sudden refusal to so much as look her way.

The only member of the quartet that didn't apply to was Gengar, who didn't take her eyes off of Louise for even a second. She then rose to her feet and walked towards the young woman until they were less than an inch away from each other.

Golurk, Chandelure, and Froslass stopped feigning obliviousness as Aegislash joined them in watching their teammate and trainer stare each other down.

"What are you trying to pull here?" Louise hissed through clenched teeth.

Gengar's face scrunched up in disgust. "I'm keeping focused on why we came here in the first place."

"And I'm not?"

There was no response, or reaction, from Gengar.

Louise threw her arms in the air and laughed sarcastically, or perhaps out of frustration. "Wow! That's the dumbest thing I've heard!"

"Dumber than stalking a random guy who doesn't like you?" Gengar retorted, causing Louise's jaw to drop. "Didn't think so."

Suddenly, the bipedal ghost swung her right leg open so that her left side was facing Louise while the right faced her teammates. She went on the attack again instead of giving Louise a chance to respond.

"Stop acting on impulse, and start thinking about what we came here to do!" she snapped while throwing her arm towards the other Pokemon and pointing at them.

Gengar went on for another ten minutes or so before she finally ran out of air and things to say, and when she did Louise faked clearing her throat to get each Pokemon's attention.

"Are you done?"

Despite the question being rhetorical, Gengar proceeded to nod and give Louise her undivided attention just as the others had already done.

"I wasn't stalking Thomas, I was scouting him to get a sense of his future value."

All five Pokemon recoiled, each of their faces displaying immense embarrassment in one way or another.

Nevertheless, Froslass asked, "Wait, if that's what you were doing-"

"Is there sufficient enough evidence to support your porjection?" Chandelure inquired, cutting his teammate's question short.

Louise nodded.

"What were your findings on Subject: Thomas?" asked Golurk.

In response, Louise shrugged and focused solely on Gengar, whose arms were crossed her arms while she pouted.

The young woman said, "Well, since I'm not 'keeping focused on why we came here,' the answer's pointless."

Gengar's blood began to boil as Louise jabbed, and jabbed, and jabbed at her. She was relentless, so much so that even the other Pokemon grew tired of her antics and simply disengaged.

When they did, Louise immediately stopped gloating.

"He'd be average in the Pro Circuit, at best. We wouldn't make much of a profit unless we helped him," she announced. "That'd maybe get him to the upper-class of the Pro Circuit, but that's it."

"So what you're saying is he's a low-risk, high-floor prospect?" Gengar asked, prompting a nod from Louise.

Froslass and Chandelure cheered at the news while Golurk and Aegislash started talking about what kind of impact the finding would have. All of that ended just as quickly as it started, however, thanks to another question from Gengar.

"What about Aiden and Ashley?"

Not only did she silence all of her teammates, but she also captured their attention without intending to. Additionally, it brought the forgotten assessments back to Louise's memory - Gengar could tell as much from the way Louise's eyes lit up, a tick she was all too familiar with.

Louise looked at the Pokemon and said, "Aiden wouldn't make it through the Rookie Circuit, his rhythm strategy's too limited right now."

All of the excitement from before was sucked away and replaced with a collective sense of discouragement.

"But if he hones it and expands its utility, I could see him being at the top of the Pro Circuit."

And just like that, everyone's spirits were lifted.

"Ashley has Master Circuit written all over her. She's a goldmine!"

"So only one of them would make us a lot of money. Shocker," Gengar muttered, her tone oozing with sarcasm.

Froslass titled her head in confusion. "Why? From what I could tell, she's a strong trainer," she replied, the sarcastic tone having flown over her head.

"She is. Thomas just lost to her, actually, and it wasn't close," Louise said, flashing her Pokedex.

"The only problem is that her ego's out of control. It almost got her, us, and Aiden killed," Gengar said with a scowl, referring to their clash with Xurkitree.

Louise nodded emphatically.

"Anyways, back to what started this... We can do one of three things."

The young woman rested one of her hands on her hip while she held up three fingers on her other hand.

"One: train and travel with Thomas to raise potential earnings. Two: look for more useful people on the way to Lavaridge. Three: we can make some money of our own. I'll go along with whatever you guys choose."

It took no time for the Pokemon to come to a unanimous decision.

Gengar assumed the role of team spokeswoman as she stated, "We should look for people and make money on the way to Lavaridge. Once we get the badge, we should try finding a certain someone who'd make us even more money than Ashley could."

"Who do you have in mind?"

Gengar cracked a half-smile as she pictured Louise's reaction, yet she couldn't shake the feeling of dread attached to her answer. Ultimately, she forced herself to say the person's name.

"Green Granite."


Whew. It took a while, but I finally wrote something I liked. In short, the conversation between Fletchling, Slowpoke, and Mimikyu revealed their opinions on serving a trainer; Thomas' new stance on Trainer-Pokemon dynamics left Slowpoke unsure of whether or not she wanted to be released, so she left the team for the night; and Louise decided to forego traveling with Thomas in favor of making money and getting her seventh badge, but more importantly she wants to find more trainers with higher "revenue potential," which will come up after Fortree.
Next chapter will shed some light on relationships between members of the Color Crew that haven't been shown, and they may get a new mission too.
Till then, peace out.


Next Chapter: "Price to Pay"

After learning of Xurkitree's capture, everyone in the Color Crew is terrified of how their father will react. Verde overhears their conversation and, wanting to protect his siblings, informs their father he's responsible for the mission's failure. What will become of the Color Crew following their second blunder?


Burst Arc: Fortree City

Chapter 31: The Worthless Circus Act
Chapter 32:
Burst Training Blues
Chapter 33: Eye on the Sky
Chapter 34: Brothers in Arms
Chapter 35: Rain or Shine
Chapter 36: Flock and Roll
Chapter 37: Birds of a Feather
Chapter 38: Cloudy with a Chance
Chapter 39: Root Problem