I groaned a little as I walked back to the Nacrene Pokemon Center, holding Blue's Pokeball in my hand after a bit of a more aggressive training session. "Okay, okay… If my math is right, which it definitely is not, Blue is good for the battle, Silky is good for backup in, and Jazz is most likely going to completely wipe that nerd. You guys think I got this?" I glanced back to the PiT and Vince, both of which seemed to be more caught up in whatever their own conversation was. I just let them keep on with themselves before looking over my other shoulder to Candice. "You?"

The Ranger just gave a shrug in return. "I mean, you went pretty damn hard on that little training run. What was it, a couple hours? Felt more like a whole ass year about. I'd say you're stacked up enough." She reached over and gave me a pat on the shoulder again.

I sighed and nodded, pulling up my PokeNav and checking the time. The state of the sun in the sky should have been enough to tell me, but a good handle on the time itself was needed to know we should probably find some place to rest. I doubt anybody wanted to walk back to Striaton to use the Ranger Station. "Hey, when we get to the Center, y'all good with us staying there for tonight?" I asked back, making myself a little bit louder so the guys could hear me.

Dallas looked over with a small jump, just quickly nodding in response. "Yeah, I'm fine with that. Vince, you cool?"

The ex-Grunt nodded with a light chuckle. "Hey, last night I slept in the forest and the past two weeks I've been in an almost rock solid cot. I will take literally anything semi-comfortable."

"Geez man, what have you been up to?" Dallas asked, shaking his head a little bit. "Dude, you made a good choice just dipping from that place." He gave Vince a pat on the back, actually getting a smile from the guy.

He just smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah, nah, it wasn't that much. Giving up on stuff ain't really that hard if you know it's wrong." He stopped for a moment before just going a little blank. "And, uh… even if it's good. Let's just say I'm good at dropping things I'm into out of stagnation."

Things went quiet for a moment before I finally spoke up, deciding to try and lighten the mood a bit. "Well, at least you dropped it for something good. And when this is done, maybe you can go on to do more good after seeing everything play out!"

This steals another quick smile from him as he just raised a hand to me. "Alright, alright, everyone stop trying to make me feel good, I'm digging you guys already." He let out a laugh just as the street lights of Nacrene started to shine on for the evening. "But I think I'll stick this one out. They messed up my head back at Vision, so I am going to get my payback like I deserve."

Candice gave a singular wooing cheer at this. "Hell yeah, revenge arc! Let's do this shit."

I just shake my at that with a smile, thinking about it for a moment before remembering something. A promise I made. "Maybe try and get the actual police or League into it first before anything major revenge like, y'know? Kinda… made a promise to my mom that I wouldn't get into anything with criminals or terrorists or that stuff. If I can keep myself from it." I do not break a promise that easily, that is one of the few things I'm actually good at!

"Alright, Walter's promise to his mother stays intact, but we still get some revenge as needed!" Candice stepped to the front of our small group as we walked to the Center.

The front doors slid open as we all entered, the other three going to the seating areas on the side as I went to the front desk and Nurse Joy. "Hi," I said, taking out my Pokeballs, "Just need a heal with these guys please. And, uh… we can just sleep over in the seating areas, yeah? I know this is an open public place, but there are still some rules and stuff and I just want to make sure."

The nurse simply giggled at the question, taking the Pokeballs and setting them into the six-slotted machine. "Of course you may! It would be wrong and immoral to let people not sleep in a shelter!" That was true, but the fact she followed that with another laugh was mildly unnerving somehow. She retrieved the Pokeballs and gave them back to me, giving a tiny bow. "Thank you, and you all have a good evening."

With my Pokemon back I return the bow. "Thank you, ma'am." I turn and walk towards the group, seeing all of them settling themselves into their seats. Vincent and Dallas were right next to each other watching something on the former's PokeNav, and Candice was flipping through the magazines provided on the stand to her side. I come over and set myself down a spot away from Candice with the other guys, taking out Blue's Pokeball and letting the guy out. "Hey, Blue. You did some great work out there, you deserve a rest out with everyone else."

'Zaaaang!' He let out in a stretching yawn, walking down to my feet and laying down. Still weird that we haven't given him the collar back, but it was nice hearing how the other 'mons were feeling. Blue looked up to me for a moment before yawning again, laying his head down on the floor.

Taking a moment to look at this little group I can't help but smile at how much just three days in this region has grown me. Thinking back to Johto, I wasn't really all that popular, definitely not to the point of being able to hang out with friends like this. With how Mom and Dad dealt with that attempted reawakening Rocket situation, I felt some powerful weight on my shoulders. But just being with… anybody I could just casually talk to about anything, it felt like those thoughts were cleared from my mind. Mom was right. I needed this. I stretched out a little bit before trying to get comfortable, leaning back and closing my eyes with these lighter thoughts in my mind.

The morning hit a little unexpectedly, with me getting a blast of water to my face from a now laughing Buizel. I jumped in my seat and wiped my face clean, looking around only to see the others standing around me with Jet right in front. "Ha! You were right, Can!" The Pokemon spoke through his collar. "That was funny, who even cares it was goony!"

Candice was completely laughing her ass off at this, having to steady her tall build on the much shorter Dallas. "Oh my Arceus, that was perfect! You reacted exactly how I hoped you would!" She straightened herself up again before controlling her laughing into a contained chuckle. "I'm sorry dude, you were just the last one asleep and I thought it would have been hilarious."

Vincent leaned into the conversation. "I voted against it, but it did end up being funny. Sorry man."

I looked down at my shirt for a moment before cracking at what just happened, going into a small laughing fit myself. This was just good fun, something not a lot of folks think about anymore. "Well, at least I got my shower in for the day!" I joked, standing up with a stretch. "And I'm well awake now, so that's not too bad either. What time is it?" I pulled up my PokeNav to check the time, seeing it was only around 7:00. Along with that I see I had missed a text from Mom.

'Hi Walter! Just wanting to say good morning and I hope your trip is going well so far! Love you!'

I smiled seeing this before closing my messages, standing up. "Welp, guess I better get dried off. Gonna be a big day if I can get that Wally battle in." I reach for my bag before catching myself, looking over to everyone. "Y'know, this may sound weird, but I realized something last night. You guys are honestly pretty damn cool."

That got a smile from the group, Dallas chuckling and rubbing the back of his neck. "Dang, thanks man. You're pretty cool too! One of the coolest I know actually! You're all great!"

Candice just gave a nod after Dallas stopped speaking. "For a nerd, you're pretty cool. Could cut a lot of the sarcasm, but overall neat dude."

I wasn't exactly expecting anything from Vincent seeing how we almost literally just met, but when he shot me a pair of thumbs up. "You don't threaten me for asking questions, so you're already high up on my list!" He is a… mildly depressing individual on occasion. We're going to have to work on that!

I smiled hearing this and just nodded once again, clapping my hands and making Blue jump a little bit. "Alright, enough of all the friendly assertiveness stuff. Y'all are awesome, Vincent needs help, and I am going to either wipe Wally or get told we can't do it and then, uh…" I stopped to think a bit. "What is there actually else to do in Nacrene? Besides, I dunno, go to the museum which is also the Gym?"

"Could just vibe," Vincent suggested. "Always need to vibe with the homies whenever you can."

"Oh shit, wasn't expecting to bump up to homies so fast!" I laughed as I walked over, giving the… Ex-Grunt seems too rude now. I give him a pat on the shoulder as I try to find another term for him. "So, what's good for vibing?"

Dallas excitedly raised his hand to speak. "We could actually visit the museum before the fight! I'd like that."