The trip to the tundra went as well as expected. Morice, Breccia and Riker were all on edge for the entirety of the mission. Each had their own concerns: Riker worried about another attack, wondering if their adversaries were dumb enough to charge a large group. Breccia struggled to keep her thoughts on the task at hand and was skittish most of the day. And Morice, who was the most unnerved of the three, rarely detached himself from Breccia's side, staying within twenty feet of her at all times.

As for the acquisition, the group netted a decent catch without much resistance.

Breccia was on stand by, checking every Pokemon caught to ensure none were injured or sickly.

Nibs stayed to himself, keeping to Breccia's shoulder and hissing whenever a human that wasn't Morice or Riker strayed too close.

Breccia figured more human contact would do him some good and by the end of the day, he warmed to most of the team.

With the job running later than planned, the group stayed in town one more night before departing. As they left on the third day, they walked to the outskirts where their van lay in wait.

Passing by the gym on their way, Breccia took notice of the sign hung outside the building.

"See something you like?" Morice said this in jest when he saw her staring off.

Breccia swallowed, looking away. From there, she muttered something incomprehensible.

"Hmmm?"

"The sign."

Morcie followed in suit and read it. "Must be the new gym leader." When he glanced over to continue speaking, he noticed his friend was gone.

Breccia strode past, putting a good deal of distance between them. From then on, she dodged all questions. It was obvious to everyone she was in a foul mood. After a long, awkward van ride to the shore, she boarded the ship with her head down and her eyes showing an anger few had the courage to speak against.

Boarding behind his enraged friend, Morice was greeted by Tess.

"What did you do?"

He answered with a scowl. "I didn't do dick, get off my ass."

If any were curious about Breccia's change in temper, they'd be left wondering because she stayed to herself during the final hours of their trip.

Nibs must've sensed his trainers down turned spirits as well, because he too stayed quiet.

They neared land with plenty of daylight left. As they reached the island, Riker did what everyone else had been avoiding and approached Breccia.

"Yes?" Her inquiry was quick and bitten at the end. She knew better than to lose her composure in front of Riker.

"You've sufficiently scared everyone on board."

Breccia grumbled at this, turning her back to him and staring out at the sea. The island was a thin line on the horizon, and as they approached, all she could think about was going home and staying in bed for the rest of her life.

"I suppose the stress from the last couple of days has finally gotten to you?" Riker was given a shifting glance, and then a sigh.

"No..." Breccia scratched her nail between Nibs' ears when he butted her chin with his head. She wondered if Riker was questioning her mental fortitude. If so, then maybe it was best to assuage any suspicions. "When we were leaving town and I saw that gym sign...My brother use to be the gym leader in Pewter. It's all he ever wanted when we were kids. When he was finally old enough to take over for Dad, Shale never bothered to come around after that." She looked down at her hands as they gripped the rail. "Even when Dad got sick, he didn't care." Breccia rubbed her temples to try and calm down. When Riker didn't respond, she figured he was only there to be a shoulder for her to vent to. She took the opportunity, as once the words started flowing, she couldn't cut them off. "You can bet Shale closed down Dad's gym to come here. With all the grief he made, for him to just move on like it was nothing." The island was drawing nearer, the outline of buildings and the damp, snowy shore now visible. "He only came around when I was in jail. Dad died and he ran off with the will and refused to tell me where they buried him...He took any closure I could have had and now he's left the gym like it means nothing."

Riker let the story sink in, watching as a line of mist set in her vision. She must've noticed this too, because she wiped her tears away and took a step to the side to distance herself. Unsure of how to respond to the tension created, both stayed confined to themselves as the ship docked.

Upon doing so, everyone started gathering their equipment. Tess grabbed the bags with the newly obtained Pokemon. She was behind Breccia as they filed off, stopping when they were interrupted by two grunts rushing to greet them.

"Sir." They addressed Riker. "There's been an incident."

Riker heard this and felt a cold sliver of fear work it's way along his spine. "What do you mean?"

"The building was attacked. We didn't see them approach the island but there were a handful of them. Ms. Morre-"

Hearing his nanny's name spoken was all it took for Riker to shove the men aside and bolt for the Organization building in a full sprint.

"We're going to check the lab." Tess said, motioning to Neil.

"We'll meet you there later." Breccia confirmed before taking off. Morice didn't need any bidding and went in tow.