A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you are enjoying these chapters thus far. As we venture forth, I would love to know your thoughts so I can continue providing excellent content. Please feel free to leave a review (on any current or past chapters) with a part you liked, something you thought was funny, and/or some constructive criticism (or any other comment, question, concern, or flying accusation). Also, please note that throughout the story, the symbol ~later~ insinuates a brief time skip. Thanks again, dear readers :) Now, ONWARD (to this v long chapter). - missusk

Team Roster: Jackson (Raboot), Sap (Charjabug), Hudson (Mudsdale)

Chapter 7 - A Monster Who Could Talk to Pokémon

After a significant spot of training, Hudson's evolution into a Mudsdale, and a quick ride on his back to test out his new form, the moon was now high in the sky. Dolly's Pokémon were snoozing safely in their Poké Balls, and she was going to make her way back to Motostoke, to Budew Drop Inn for a nap, then face Kabu in the morning... definitely a shower in there as well. Jackson told her she was gross, she told him he was gross, he said she was worse, and then proved it when he pushed her greasy bangs up and they stuck in place.

Her eyes drooped as she trudged through the Wild Area. She was excited to see that her Pokémon had gained quite a few levels after training so hard, and by the end they were all ready for a good night's sleep. It was up to her as their dutiful leader to make it back to Motostoke. She had no energy to set up her tent (nor did she want to sleep on the ground) but finding the stairs to Motostoke was proving harder than she thought. Even as she followed the brick wall, it seemed to go on forever - why was there only one bloody entrance? She reached the end of the bricks and let out a huff of frustration...was she even going in the right direction?!

Dolly turned and moved forward again, following the glow of the moon. She rubbed at her shoulder - although their ride on Hudson was fun at the beginning, with the wind whipping through her hair and Jackson clinging onto his mane, Sap tumbled off and so did Dolly in an attempt to catch her. She was never the most graceful or elegant girl, and that much was obvious as Hudson helped her pop her shoulder back into its socket. A cornucopia of bruises and sores littered her skin and she wished she could catch a nice healing Pokémon to help... Or even an Ice-type Pokémon as she rubbed at her sore shoulder.

A large stone pillar loomed over patches of tall grass, and it was as if the small windows and cracks were all peering down at her as she passed. Had she been here before? Her head throbbed as she squinted her eyes, peering around the pillar for any recognizable features. A yawn escaped her mouth, but she froze when red flashed in her periphery. Her head jerked to it as the red glow moved back and forth slowly, and her eyes followed it. It wavered up and down. Up, down, diagonal, circle. It floated to the left, then slowly to the right. Quickly up, quickly down, then it jerked to the side and rushed off.

"Hey, wait!" she called. It whisked toward the pillar, sliding nimbly through one of the cracks in the stone. Had she caught any Pokémon in this section yet? Her goal of Motostoke faded as she scurried through the tall grass, laser focused on the glowing light in front of her.

The grass tickled her ankles as she stepped through it, a strange wind wisping through her hair. The breeze seemed to only touch her as she followed the red glow into the stone den, bracing herself along the cold stones. The light of the moon was casting a bluish glow over the grass outside, but not a trace of it touched the space within the den.

"Where'd you go," she muttered, feeling along the wall. "Gotta fill up my team again…"

The red glow was the only semblance of light within the den. Not even the moon touched it, and as the red light shuddered the grass and dirt beneath it were bathed in a hellish glow. Her skin started to prickle when the light froze. Then, the hair on her neck stood on end.

Red eyes and toothy grins began to appear in the darkness. A flash of eyes there, shimmering fangs there. More eyes opened throughout the den as a beam of moonlight broke in through the rocks of the stone tower and she could faintly make out a shadow looming before her. Her eyebrows pulled together as she felt strands of her hair floating towards it. Her heart stopped when the glow of the moon framed the gaping maw of a Dusknoir that was floating towards her.

Dolly screamed and stumbled back, fumbling her way through the darkness as the Dusknoir roared, then started speeding towards her. Her fingers felt along the stones, trying to remember how it felt when she first entered. Nothing was familiar, nothing was safe, as she scrambled through the den with the single beam of moonlight as her only guide.

She finally stumbled into the glow of the outside and back into the tall grass beside the pillar. The Dusknoir was quickly gaining ground, not tripped up by the rocks and the tangled grass that caught her shoes so easily. Her hair and her clothes were being sucked back, forced towards the black hole of the Dusknoir's stomach. It was as if the grass was slithering around her ankles, catching her and catapulting her into the ground. Dolly turned, only able to watch in frozen horror as the Dusknoir floated over her, closing in on her soul.

Then, a puff of pink smoke exploded around them.

"HI-YAAAAA!"

A battle cry tore through the air as Dolly watched an Oddish roundhouse kick the Dusknoir in the face. The two Pokémon tumbled to the ground, the Dusknoir roaring and the Oddish screaming in... what was that? Was that… was that Spanish?

"¡Tu diablo! ¡Aléjate de esa hermosa niña!" the Oddish cried, upper cutting the Dusknoir with her knee.

Dolly looked on in shocked confusion as the Oddish pummeled the Dusknoir into the ground. The pink smoke was wafting in the area and only the silhouette of the two Pokémon was visible. Suddenly the Oddish turned, blazing eyes boring into Dolly's through the smoke.

The Oddish sprung up, the smoke surging around her like a slow-motion, rose-colored mushroom cloud. She glinted in the moonlight, then Dolly coughed out a 'phffhloph' as the Oddish landed on her stomach.

"You, catch me! Now is your chance!"

"Wha-?"

"Catch me, señorita, it is fate!"

Dolly could only stare incredulously as this Oddish, in all her blazing confidence, climbed over her shoulder, rustled through her bag, snagged a Poké Ball, and shoved it at Dolly. Her leaves rustled as she tottered inches away. Dolly sat up, watching as little bits of glitter flung off the Oddish's leaves when she flared them.

"I am ready."

Dolly, still as confused as ever, tossed the Poké Ball at the Oddish. She disappeared in a flash, the Poké Ball rolled, and finally clicked. The wind and moonlight weren't moving either, watching just as incredulously as Dolly was. She paused, and when nothing else exploded, she finally bent over and picked the Poké Ball up off the ground while still processing the last thirty seconds.

The ball erupted in light and Dolly surged forward to catch her new Oddish from smacking the ground.

"Beautiful woman," the Oddish started from her arms, holding Dolly's face with her leaves so passionately that Dolly's cheeks squished. "What is your name?"

"Uh, Dwawhlly,"

"Uhdwawlly," the Oddish sighed, resting a leaf on her forehead. "A beautiful name for a girl who's eyes glimmer like comets,"

"Oh, uh, thanks, I guess. My name is actually Dolly, though,"

"Dolly," the Oddish breathed out. "Even better. I am Rosa. You have caught me. Now that we are bosom companions, I must tell you: You must must must help me become a Bellossom. It is my destiny. I can feel it in the moon as I look upon it at night,"

Rosa swooned again, gazing into the sky. Dolly could almost see the reflection of stars.

"I cannot even fathom the idea of becoming a Vileplume...You hear it in the name, yes? Vile," she spat the word out. "Euch. You must not let this come to be,"

Twinkling glitter wafted around the Oddish and onto Dolly's arms. Dolly didn't realize her mouth was hanging open until she breathed one in and coughed.

"I, uh, sure. I'll have to find a Sun Stone somewhere, but I guess that'll work," Dolly said, setting her on the ground.

The wind seemed to billow only around Rosa as she sighed again, fire in her eyes. Her leaves swayed, and Dolly was sure she would have clenched her fists, if she had any.

"I can see it now, power and beauty swaying as I dance, destroying our opponents with grace and charm! I shall endure becoming a Gloom, as it is a test of my vitality. And, once I overcome this trial, then I will be worthy - no, the world will be worthy - of my inevitable evolution," Rosa said as she shook her leaves. "I cannot wait."

The starlight seemed to shimmer around only the Oddish and Dolly turned around, wondering if she was still hallucinating.

"Now, I saw other Poké Balls in your bag. I must meet my companions," Rosa said, her voice muffled as she sifted through Dolly's bag that was still lying on the ground. In a flash her other three Pokémon were out, looking as dazed as Dolly felt.

They stood in a neat line as Rosa looked each up and down. She approached Jackson first with a satisfied hum.

"You, Raboot-"

"It's Jackson," he yawned.

"You, Jackson. You are courageous and loyal! You are adamant and trustworthy; I can sense it in your gaze!"

Jackson's sleepy smile turned into a grin at the Oddish's compliment. He nodded and puffed his chest out a bit. Rosa toddled to Sap next, nodding again in approval.

"You, small bug, are reserved, melodic, yet powerful! The air around you is electrifying!"

Sap shot out little sparks of fireworks at Rosa's words. The Oddish continued down the line, opened her mouth as she looked at Hudson, then froze.

"Qué hombre…" she whispered. The sparkles reappeared around her leaves as the clouds parted and a path of moonlight rose between the two. Hudson cleared his throat.

"Uh, hello,"

Rosa stepped up to him until they were only an inch apart, paused, then spun around on her heel.

"What raw power and ripe masculinity…" she muttered. Then, she spun back to him. "You, señor, are captivating. What is your name?"

Hudson peered around him to see if this Oddish was actually talking to someone behind him. When he only saw the Dusknoir still on the ground, he looked at Dolly. She shrugged.

"It's Hudson…"

"Hudson…" Rosa repeated as she shivered. "Virile. Dominating. Muy fuerte."

"Hey, what about me? I'm muy fertile too!" Jackson pouted, bouncing up between the two and waving away the glimmering moonlight.

"It's 'muy fuerte,' Jackson, not 'fertile,'" Dolly corrected, holding back a snicker. He stuck out his bottom lip as she plucked him off the ground and whispered to him. "Let Hudson have some attention, alright?"

"N-no, that's okay," Hudson stammered, backing up as Rosa took a few steps towards him, her eyes still blazing. He tumbled onto his hindquarters as she approached him closer. Dolly struggled to hold back a chuckle at the bizarre scene before her: an eight-foot Mudsdale and a one-foot Oddish, both glowing in the only beam of moonlight in the area.

"Alright, Rosa, that's enough," Dolly said, scooping Rosa up in her other arm. "I think that's good enough for a first impression,"

Hudson heaved out the breath he was holding.

"You are all wonderful," Rosa beamed. "I will help bring this team to victory. Where are you venturing?"

"Trying to get to Motostoke," Dolly yawned.

"You are going the wrong way. Come, follow me, I will be your guide."

Dolly yawned again in response, following the trail of glitter from the swaying leaves of her new partner.

~later~

Dolly laid her head against the tiling in the shower, the hot water running over her body. She sighed as the dirt and grime gurgled into the drain, days of filth and dirty tears finally being rinsed off her frame. She used the entire bottle of shampoo the Inn provided, tugging it through the knots tangled throughout her long hair.

What her Pokémon said...was it true? That they wanted to stay with her? Rosa said she wanted to accompany Dolly, even when she told her about the risk when they arrived at the Inn. The Oddish said it was 'only natural that her journey to becoming a Bellossom would be riddled with peril.' Dolly sighed again as she scratched at her scalp, fingering out the sticks and sand embedded into her skin. She supposed they all had a few opportunities to leave - really, they could run away at any time they were out of their Poké Ball. Were they too scared to leave? Were they lying to her because they were scared she would hurt them?

She heard a bang from the wall and an eruption of laughter. She rolled her eyes, wondering when they would get past that stupid game of headbutting Jackson into things. It's not like she could afford to replace a hotel telly. Hudson probably had an unfair advantage now anyway.

She turned the knob of the shower, the steam still billowing around her. No, she had to believe what they said. She had to believe that her Pokémon were staying with her because they wanted to - they had autonomy, and they chose to follow her. She sighed again, rubbing the steam off the mirror.

Her eyes seemed sunken in, the bags still prominent from the days without sleep. She reached toward her reflection, almost unaccustomed to the girl before her. Her fingers grazed along her hollow cheekbones in the mirror. Perhaps she should start eating more, though her appetite hadn't fully come back yet anyway. If she was going to lead her Pokémon through this Gym Challenge, she needed to be healthy to protect them.

She dried off and pulled her freshly laundered leggings back on. They didn't sit as tight as they once did - when was the last time she ate, anyway? She tucked her shirt into them, then her skirt over the two. Perhaps that would help keep them up. The brush tugged through her hair, pulling out knots and platinum strands.

Hudson made a good point, though. Perhaps by battling through the Gym Challenge, she could learn more about this Curse, and more about Pokémon in general. Although she knew of no others with the Nuzlocke Curse, if it was an affliction with a title, someone else had to know of it.

She pondered through questions to ask Sonia as she packed up her belongings and her team. Dolly didn't know much about Pokémon physiology - just that she could feel their power in her blood when they battled with her. Hop was pretty good at stuff like that, too, maybe he would know some things to help her out. He had a way with Pokémon, and that coupled with his knowledge of their physiology could certainly aid in her quest for figuring out how to break this Curse.

She ran into him as she plodded along to Motostoke Stadium, his radiant grin lifting her spirits a bit more.

"Slow moving, aren't you, Dolls? That man of fire Kabu is just what you'd expect - nearly got burned in my battle with him!" he grinned, showing her his League ring and the new Badge lodged in it.

Dolly nodded to her mate, whose grin turned to one of worry as his eyes flitted about her face.

"Hey Dolls, I've been meaning to ask...are you okay? I was looking at a picture from before we started the Challenge and it made me wonder," he said as he lifted his hand as if to trace along her cheekbones as she did that morning in the mirror. After a moment he tucked his hands back into his jacket pocket. "Have you been sleeping enough? Eating enough? Your face seems thinner, and you were always pretty small to begin with..."

She looked to the ground, guilt rising in her throat. She never told Hop, had she? As far as he knew, she just never wanted to catch Pokémon back in Postwick. Even Sonia knew about the Curse, but as she looked into the worried eyes of her best friend, she let out a sigh. Now was as good a time as ever to tell him everything.

She pulled him aside, the two sitting on a bench beside the Stadium. She picked at the ends of her hair as she gazed at the ground.

"Hop, if I tell you something, will you promise not to hate me?"

"What, did you snog with chairman Rose after all?" Hop scoffed.

"I'm serious," she said, holding back a smile. Hop's eyes softened.

"Dolls, I could never hate you, trust me. You can tell me anything."

Her eyes flitted around his face. Never in her life had she known Hop to lie to her - he was pretty terrible at it anyway - and his raw authenticity was one of the qualities she really admired in him.

She heaved in a sigh, then spilled everything. She started with her being able to talk to Pokémon, about meeting her first Pokémon behind her old house, about not wanting to do the Gym Challenge because of her fear of repeating an age-old mistake. He listened intently as she poured out her soul to him - why she never wanted to catch Pokémon, why she was always so afraid to do anything hard. Then she told him about the fire that always blazed within her when she battled with her old friend, then about her ferocious aversion to battling when she died in her arms. She told him about the kids that used to make fun of her at her old school, calling her a freak, a weirdo, a monster who could talk to Pokémon, and that ultimately being the reason why she and her mum moved to Galar.

Then, she told him about the life that burned in her every time she watched a Pokémon match, the life that bubbled in her skin when she watched Leon decimate each and every Challenger. The fear that quelled it, then the fire that roared in her soul when she battled Hop for the first time in a long time in his front yard. She told him about traveling, bonding with her team, then about Posey, Fay, and Lacey. About their deaths, their gravestones, her self loathing and the encouragement from her remaining teammates. She told him about their encouragement to help her break the Curse, and as Jackson said, battle by her side forever. Hop listened patiently, nodding along as she spilled out her soul.

"So. That's everything," she ended, heaving out a final sigh.

The two sat in silence for a while, Hop only gazing at the ground, taking in everything she said. Perhaps he was going to leave, too. Call her a freak, throw her into the dirt and spit in her face like the kids in school had. Or maybe he would call her selfish, that she shouldn't risk the lives of Pokémon to fuel her own desire.

"I don't blame you if you don't want to be around me anymore," she whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "There's plenty of other Challengers that can be a better rival than me, anyway. Perhaps you could find another best ma-pffllph!"

Dolly's sentence was cut short by the fur of his jacket in her mouth.

He squeezed her body against his as he wrapped his arms around her, fully enveloping her into a hug.

"Shut up. I'm not leaving you," he whispered into her hair. "I'm a rubbish friend, I never knew you were going through all of that."

"You're not a rubbish friend, you're my best friend," she said as she pulled away and looked into his eyes. "I just never told you everything. And either way, I'm getting better, and your encouragement has really helped me,"

He nodded. His brows furrowed as he stared intently back at her, still holding her arms.

"You are my best mate. You always have been, and you always will be. I will do anything I can to help you," he said, sliding his hands down and gripping her hands in his. "I've never seen you so alive, and all of this makes so much sense. You have to keep going through the Gym Challenge, okay? You have to break the Curse."

She only nodded, her mouth dry as she felt the intensity coursing from his body to hers. He pulled her into another hug.

"Thank you for trusting me, I can't imagine how hard it's been. You're so brave, and I'm so proud of you," he mumbled into her hair again. She smiled as he held her head against his shoulder. Her skin tingled as his fingers cautiously wove into her hair.

They sat there a while and Dolly sighed, slowly melding further into the arms of her friend. She couldn't help but smile at the thought that of course, of course he would still accept her. He was her best friend, and she his, and that's how they would always, always, be. After a minute, her eyes fluttered open, and Dolly was suddenly acutely aware of the passersby glancing their way.

"Um, Hop?"

Immediately he shot back, sliding to the other end of the bench.

"Right, right," he spat out, averting his gaze. "I, uh, right."

She watched curiously as his cheeks tinged pink.

"Well anyway," he coughed, standing and stretching. "Think you should get a shift on, next step in the Challenge is Kabu, and I bet you could beat the man of fire too!"

She stood as well, a renewed love for her best mate swelling in her heart. They walked into the atrium of the stadium and waved goodbye as he made his way to the stands, she to the locker room.

She heaved in a breath as she stood, staring at her Challenger's uniform in her hands. The sound from the crowd was pushing through the locker room walls, and Dolly clutched the shirt in her fingers. Her team had trained, and since his evolution, Hudson was stronger now. But, were they ready for this? The last Trainer she battled was Marnie, the last Pokémon she used against a Trainer was Lacey. She didn't know what she would do if she lost another one. She may fall apart completely, turn to dust in front of the world.

She shook the thought out of her head. No, they trained, and it was too late to back out now. She changed into her uniform, headed out to the pitch, and stood across from Kabu. His eyes bore into hers, he gave a brief introduction, a brief nod, before jogging to the other half of the pitch.

Dolly heaved in a breath, the humidity in the air sticking to her lungs. She had blazed through his Gym mission, through the Trainers, and she hoped she could blaze through Kabu, just as she did with Milo and Nessa.

She had to shake out the image of Posey, of Fay, of Lacey, falling to the ground. Focus. Focus. Focus.

The battle began, and Kabu threw out a Ninetails as she threw out her Mudsdale. This Ninetails was quick, and first it was a burn from a Will-o-Wisp, then it was Fire Spin, then it was Fire Spin, then it was a critical hit Fire Spin. Hudson could barely land a hit as the Ninteails nimbly dodged each attack, slithered under and between Hudson's legs, landing hit after hit. His robust defense stat protected him little against Ninetail's special attacks.

Her heart was beating harder, her eyes growing wider, the sweat pricking on her brow from the heat and from the flashes of memories that tore behind her eyelids. She watched again and again as Posey hit the ground, as Fay hit the ground, as Lacey hit the ground.

She couldn't breathe when Hudson hit the ground.

No.

Please.

Not again. Not so soon. She couldn't handle it to happen again, for a fourth time, in front of all of these spectators. She couldn't bear to etch his name into permanence like the others.

Dolly tore across the pitch, ducking as another Fire Spin tore through the air. Yells from the crowd whirled around her as she fell to her knees in front of him, trying to cover as much of her Mudsdale as she could. He was still breathing, heaving in air, his great torso trembling from the burns and scorch marks that littered his body.

"Stop!" Kabu commanded and the fire died within Ninetails' throat. Kabu ran to Dolly, who lay shaking and clutching her Mudsdale, a feeble attempt to block any attacks. Her small frame cowered as she clutched at him, trying in vain to protect every bit of his body.

"I can't lose another one, I can't lose another one," she whimpered as the tears stained Hudson's coat.

Kabu approached slowly, but her vision was going white. She whipped around in a panic, the cries of the crowd shooting into her skull. They were demanding she get up, continue the battle, to step aside and let them be entertained. She clutched Hudson to her as she took in shallow breaths.

"Get away from him!" she screamed, swiping at anything that dared get close. "I won't let this bloody Curse take another one from me!"

Kabu stood motionless in front of her.

"Curse?" he repeated. "Your Mudsdale is weakened from a Fire Spin, Challenger, not Curse."

"The Nuzlocke Curse!" she yelled, still gripping at Hudson. "The bloody Nuzlocke Curse,"

Then, she sobbed, her arms shaking as she tried to hold her Mudsdale. Through her tears she could barely make out Kabu's eyes as they widened, as something flashed within them, then as he gazed at her solemnly.

"Get up, Challenger Dolly. I will not fight you like this."

There was more murmuring from the crowd, some frustrated shouts. Their demands for entertainment wavered because plenty of Rotom phones were up, watching, recording.

"The battle is over, and I will not harm you or your Mudsdale. You and your Pokémon are in no condition to fight," Kabu said, reaching out a hand. Her vision focused and she comprehended the man before her. Still erratically reaching for Hudson with one arm, she lifted the other to Kabu. He was surprisingly strong and hoisted her to her feet. Ninetails still watched, still paced back and forth.

"You could have killed yourself running in front of a Ninetails preparing an attack. You were foolish, reckless. There is no way you could protect your Mudsdale when you yourself are so feeble," Kabu said.

His gaze was stern, but there was something else within it. Dolly hung her head as the tears continued to stream down her face. Kabu delicately reached forward and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Yet, you were courageous. You saw your Pokémon suffering beyond capacity, and you ran in to relieve him, throwing your own life in danger to protect another. In my years, I have seen very few Trainers with that type of courage. It is obvious you love your Pokémon."

It was something warm, something fatherly, that glimmered in Kabu's eyes.

"Now, you will leave here and go to the Inn to rest. You and your Pokémon are tired. Then, I expect you to come back to battle me when you are of a healthy body and mind."

Dolly nodded and pushed the tears off her cheek with her palm. She rummaged on her belt, found his Poké Ball, and returned Hudson to it.

"Thank you, Mr. Kabu,"

He only nodded. She walked off the pitch, feeling like a speck of dust with every eye on her.

After changing, she slung her bag over her shoulders and took a breath. She wasn't sure what was going to face her outside in the atrium, but she knew her first stop was the Pokémon Center. After that, head back to the Budew Drop Inn, and take it from there. The straps on her bags shook as she gripped onto them with trembling hands. As soon as she stepped into the hallway she was almost smacked to the ground.

Something, or rather, someone was squeezing the breath out of her.

"Oi Dolls, I was worried sick, I almost jumped into the pitch myself when I saw you fall to the ground like that," came Hop's muffled voice from by her ear. He stopped hugging her and looked at her from arm's length, hands still on her shoulders. "Are you alright, mate?"

Dolly nodded shakily, maintaining eye contact with Hop. His brows were furrowed, and the look of worry in his golden eyes was enough to set her off shaking again. His gentle and supportive touch made her realize how lonely she felt throughout all of this - sure she had her Pokémon, but to be held by another human was something different. He immediately held her close as the sobs began pouring out. They racked her body as she limply clutched the back of Hop's jacket.

Her body shook with each forceful sob as she tucked her face into his shirt. Everything kept flooding back. Posey, Fay, Lacey. The very thought of going back to the spot where she lost Lacey made her body even heavier. Their lifeless eyes staring at her, telling her it was all her fault. Their silhouettes lying like a heap of mangled wet laundry on the ground of a cave, on the bricks of Motostoke. Their graves and the crude scrawl on their gravestones. It was all her fault, and she almost lost Hudson too. The sobs racked her body until she felt like she was nothing but bones clattering against one another. Weak, brittle bones.

She didn't know how long they stood like that. Time didn't exist, space didn't exist, the only thing that she knew was how her eyes hurt, how her head hurt, how her heart hurt. The shoulder of Hop's denim jacket was soaked thoroughly, as was his collar, and her face felt raw from tears.

"Mate, it's okay," Hop whispered reassuringly. He pat her back as she sniffled into his shirt. "You can't let this eat at you forever - accidents happen. You would never hurt one of your Pokémon on purpose, right?"

She shook her head into his sleeve with a hiccup.

Never on purpose, never, never, never. He held her as she stood whimpering into his shirt. It was like his entire being was enveloped around her, protecting her from the glances and whispers of the people in the atrium, protecting her from everything in the outside world.

After a while he stepped back and held her shoulders again. She didn't even want to know what kind of mess she looked like. She smeared the tears off of her face and her hair hung like a curtain.

Hop smiled at her, brushing the hair aside and tucking it behind her ear.

"Hey, look mate, you care enough about your Pokémon to jump in front of Kabu's Ninetails while it was shooting off Fire Spins. Now I may not know a ton of people, but I do know you're the only one crazy enough to do something like that," he smiled, shaking her shoulders lightly. "No one can say you don't care about your Pokémon because you just showed the whole world that you'd do anything to protect them."

She nodded again as the corner of her mouth twitched up.

"Ah, there's a smile! Now where's the Dolly I know? Level-headed and brave, clever, determined? The one who out-ate everyone in Wedgehurst in a spicy curry eating contest?"

Dolly let out a laugh, wiping her cheeks again.

"That was a good day," she said. "Not too great that night, though."

"You're telling me," Hop laughed. He pinched his nose. "I don't know how your mum survived, I could smell it all the way from my house."

"Oh, pack it in, you twit," Dolly laughed, punching his arm.

"There she is," Hop said softly, rubbing his arm. "You head off to your room and get some sleep, yeah? Sounds like Kabu's done for the night anyway. Do you want me to go with you there?"

"I need some time to think," she sighed, shaking her head. "Thanks though, Hop."

Something changed within her as she looked at him. It dawned on her how kind he just was, how caring, and how just a twitch of his eyebrow could affect her so much. He knew absolutely everything about her, and he knew exactly what she needed at that moment. Never before had she felt so safe and protected like she did when his arms were around her like that... It was like nothing else in the world could touch her. It was like she could cry there forever, and he would still hold her close, still keep her together. Her mouth opened and closed, then she breathed out a laugh.

"Really, Hop, thank you."

He grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck. Through her smudged and teary glasses, she wasn't sure, but she thought she caught a bit of red tingeing his cheeks again.

"Alright alright, no need to get all mushy like that," he said. He turned her around by her shoulders and started pushing her out the door. "Now get out of here, tears don't count as a Water-type attack. Gotta beat Kabu tomorrow with your actual Pokémon,"

She laughed, gave him a final wave, and stepped out into the dark city street.

The cool night air was refreshing on her face, if not a bit chilly. Her eyes were sore from crying, and the cold pounded into them and against the tear tracks on her cheeks. She shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket and headed towards the Budew Drop Inn. Little raindrops were speckling the ground, dotting the dark bricks of the path. Dolly glanced to the sky.

Dark clouds billowed overhead, the threat of thunder rumbling in the distance. She never minded storms, especially when she could sit and watch them from her window. They were poetic, in a way, like how the entire sky couldn't hold back such a surge of power, such a pulse of emotion. She always wanted to be like a storm; dark and powerful, bold and unabashedly passionate. Perhaps a little ferocious, like a Tyranitar, though she was more like a tiny mewing Cubchoo.

When she looked back down, she noticed how a few onlookers followed her with their eyes. She gave them an awkward wave and tucked her jacket collar up over her mouth.

There were a surprising number of people on the streets that night, and she thought that perhaps they all left the stadium after her battle with Kabu was cut short. As she tried to weave through the pedestrians and onlookers, it became harder and harder to squeeze past. Murmurs flicked through the air just as the raindrops did, but she could only make out bits and pieces of sentences.

"Curse…"

"She always was suspicious…"

"Didn't that interview with Challenger Bede…"

"...say something about her and an Eevee...?"

She clutched her jacket closer to her face and kept looking forward. She could feel the eyes of the crowd boring through her. Unlike the rain, they latched to her skin.

"Hey, Dolly," she heard from somewhere in front of her. She had never heard her name said with such venom before.

She couldn't make out the person who said it. They spoke again.

"Do you get some sort of sick satisfaction by killing your Pokémon?"

Her brow furrowed, her head turning and eyes shifting from person to person.

"N-no," she said, more meekly than she anticipated. "It's not like that,"

"She's one of those freaks! With the Nuzlocke Curse!" someone else shouted.

She heard a few people in the group gasp. Mutters, surrounding her like snakes in the air, encircled her closer and closer until they bound her like ropes. It was like they were tightening around her lungs. Bodies pressed together in front of her, arms and legs and limbs all brushing against her as she tried to manage her way through the crowded street.

"I've never heard of that before," she heard someone say.

Her head whipped around, each face starting to blur into darkness.

"I hear they kill Pokémon for fun to feel some sort of control,"

More gasps.

Dolly tried to defend herself, but her voice was lost in the harsh whispers that were slowly growing louder. The rain bore no defense for her, as it pricked her skin and blurred the reprieve of the Budew Drop Inn.

"Yeah, that Bede kid said she killed an Eevee!"

"Didn't you used to have a Wooloo?"

Disgruntled shouts, now. The rain was splattering against the bricks.

"What a monster," someone yelled from the back.

Harassment kept stabbing her from the crowd. The words and water cut her in the face, in the back, behind the knees. Someone stood in front of her path.

"Monster," they spat in her face.

"Freak," from somewhere else in the crowd.

"Murderer,"

The crowd started to close in, angry shouting filled every speck of space outside and inside her head. She shouldn't be with Pokémon if she only abused them.

Dolly's eyes flicked around wildly. People were closing in all around her. Her head whipped around. They were right, Dolly thought, eyes growing wide. Her knees began to buckle.

They're right. They're right they're right they're right I'm a killer I can't be with Pokémon, who am I kidding?

"She needs to be disqualified!"

It's true, she thought.

As the rain sloshed beneath her loafers, her thoughts started whipping through her head. Splattered, sputtered, tore through her mind as the wind howled.

I should have quit. I should have never started I was right I should have given Leon his Pokémon back I should have never met Jackson or the rest of my Pokémon they probably don't even like me they are only fighting with me because they're scared to leave I knew it they're too scared to leave they're scared of me they can't love me everything they said was a lie it has to be they can't love me I'm not worth loving I'm a freak I can't stay here I need to leave I'm not good enough to leave I deserve this I'm a monster useless useless useless murderer murderer MURDERER

Someone shoved her to the ground, the cold bricks scratching the side of her face, her head smacking against the concrete.

People swarmed around her. She folded her arms over her head and squeezed herself tightly into a ball. The shouts magnified above her, echoing in her ears and in her head. Her body shook and her thoughts swarmed, clambering in and out with the shouts around her like the rain did.

I should have stayed home I should have stayed home then I wouldn't be here I wouldn't have killed Posey I wouldn't have killed Fay I wouldn't have killed Lacey and even Faline they're all dead because of me because I'm a monster because I'm a pathetic loser I'm useless useless useless

Someone grabbed a fistful of her hair. She dropped to the ground as screams echoed and a flash of hot light tore through the air.

She closed her eyes, tucking her knees closer to her chest and her arms tighter around her head. Maybe if she made herself small enough, she would disappear completely. Something in her mind snapped and it felt like she was floating - as if her body was vibrating so quickly she was floating through the air.

Her cheek was wet. Or was it the pavement? Her body tingled like she was a single dot on the screen of a disconnected television. Always moving, never moving.

The voices swam around above her head like fish above the sea floor. Murky, muddled, underwater. Something shot through the water like a spear. It was a voice, someone was shouting. It faded along with the rest.

She slowly opened her eyes and traced the ridges in the pavement. She was surprised to see she wasn't completely underwater, though she flinched whenever the raindrops would hit her face. Her arms were out in front of her now, though she couldn't remember moving them. Her eyes followed the hem of her sleeve until she reached her fingers, flung out in front of her. She traced the outline of her nails with her eyes. They were ridged, her gaze glazing over the callouses and the hangnails. That was still a bad habit, she needed to stop picking at her fingers. She did it a lot, especially when she was anxious.

Her chest heaved at the thought of the word. It was like the world was moving quickly and slowly at the same time. Like she was simultaneously moving backwards and staying still.

Another word shot through the space around her head.

Another word, this time pricking her arm. It hurt. It was pulling her off the ground. The water was moving fast now, she felt her legs dangling.

Ugh no don't touch me don't touch me don't touch me, she thought. She needed to fit perfectly between the ridges in the brick road. She needed to etch herself into the ground, so no one could touch her static skin.

The water was quieting, smoother.

She heard another voice. She squeezed her eyes closed, then opened again a few times. The barrage and waterfalls surrounding her stopped when she heard the voice again.

"Challenger Dolly,"

She blinked again.

"Dolly, can you hear me?"

She jerked her head to the sound of the voice.

"Dolly, if you can hear me, can you nod?"

She nodded. She heard a sigh of relief.

The fuzziness began to fade, and the static of the television of her mind began to focus. She saw the furrowed brow and grayed hair of a man above her. Where had she seen him before? The rain was still falling, the dark clouds still billowed.

"Who are you?" She didn't sound like herself. The sound that came out was hoarse and tough.

"I'm taking you to the Inn."