The following morning, Nate and I find Dawn extracting Poké Balls from a PC near the reception. She explains that the Pokémon inside those are her reserves, who were sent over to that PC by Professor Rowan last night and she's only now picking them up.

And she specifically calls him 'her sponsor' this time. Not 'her old sponsor'.

After that, Nate asks if he can see them, but Dawn says there's no time, as she has to take a bus for Striaton.

We accompany her to the station after that and sit at the nearest bench, while we wait for the bus to arrive.

"So, are you sure you have everything?" I ask Dawn while we wait.

"I am," she replies, adjusting her bag as she does so. "I had brought just the essentials beforehand, so it's not too heavy."

I nod to that. "How do you plan to go to Nuvema once you arrive, by the way? Another bus?"

"I was actually thinking of going by foot," she replies, taking me by surprise. "I'll need to buy a new tent - or at least a sleeping bag - in Striaton, but I should be able to afford it."

"I take it there wasn't a bus you could have taken instead?"

The bluenette shakes her head.

We stay quiet after that exchange, just waiting for the bus to arrive. Nate, however, decides to break that silence.

"If we manage to identify Miss Rosa, what then?" he asks, drawing our attention to him. "What are we going to do?"

"We are going to inform Aspertia's authorities, of course," I tell him. "We don't have the means to protect her, but they do."

"That's actually one thing we are better off not doing." I have to widen my eyes at Dawn after she says that. "Think about it, what evidence can we present? I believed you because you recognized me even though you were from a different world. But that's not true for everyone."

That's...uhm…

"If we're lucky, they'll take it as a prank and dismiss us. If we're unlucky, they'll think we're involved and arrest us."

I let out a groan. "Then what do we do?"

"The best thing I can think of is making sure she sets off on her journey safely." What? "She'll be harder to find for Team Plasma if she keeps moving from place to place instead of staying in the same one."

I stare at her blankly, waiting for the moment where she bursts out laughing and tells me she just wanted to lighten the mood.

It doesn't come.

"What?"

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!"

Dawn winces at my outburst. "Uhm...no? Why?"

I have to massage the bridge of my nose to calm myself before I speak again. "Yes she'll be harder to find for Team Plasma. As well as anyone else who could intervene and protect her if they do find her."

Dawn frowns. "It would be safer than having her stay in one location, which would only serve to make an easier target to find."

"Easier to find and easier to protect," I protest. "Besides, what kind of Gym challenge do you expect her to have with a target on her back? She'd have to keep moving from route to route, never stopping in cities for more than the bare minimum."

"Her Gym challenge would not have been a regular one, regardless of her current circumstances," the bluenette retorts. "Current developments have merely cemented that. Might as well take the option that lets her actually travel."

"What kind of thinking is that? Her Gym challenge can wait until Team Plasma is dealt with and she's safe!"

"And when will that be? A day? A month? A decade? We are in uncharted territory here."

"Mister Beccaria? Miss Hikari?"

"Do you even hear yourself?! 'We don't know how long this is gonna take so let's leave a teenager - who are known to make the best decisions - to fend for herself against terrorists'. What kind of skewed logic is that?"

"And how well do you expect her to take being told she can't go anywhere for Arceus-knows how long?! Can you trust her not to do something reckless?!"

"I don't! Which is exactly why I think letting her do whatever would be a terrible idea!"

"Uhm...guys? Hello?"

"Well, I," she taps on her chest, "come from a similar situation, so I know what I'm saying. Pokémon trainers of any age are a lot more resourceful than you give them credit for. And the kind of surveillance you would have her under would only backfire."

Oh, we're going there now?

"Your experience is exactly why I would have her under protection." I think I see one of the blood vessels in Dawn's head pop at that. "Time and again, you pictured a horror show. And Team Galactic wasn't after you specifically. What do you think it would be for Rosa?"

"Eugenio, Dawn, please…!"

Dawn raises an accusatory finger. "Listen, and listen carefully," she hisses. "You may know about my journey and have a better understanding with what I shared. But do not think for one second that means you know more-!"

Her argument is cut off when a wave of cold wind hits us both. I shiver so much from it that I have to rub my hands around my shoulders to warm myself up. Dawn does much the same.

"What the-?"

"Mime!"

The two of us turn to a...white and blue shrimp of a mime with some kind of azure gem in its chest. It seems to be tap dancing on its feet. Its shoe-like feet with soles made out of ice.

"Is...is this a M-Mr. Mime?" Dawn asks.

"A G-Galarian Mr. Mime," I reply.

The following chuckle draws us to a person behind the Ice Pokémon. A girl, slightly older than Nate and a good ten centimeters shorter than me, with blonde wavy hair and wearing a blue sweatshirt and maroon pants.

"Sorry, lovebirds," she chuckles. "You two were just getting so heated, I thought you could use something to cool off."

Oh you cheeky little-!

"Wouldn't have gotten involved if it weren't for Mister Black Junior here trying so desperately to warn you about the bus you were so clearly waiting for."

Uh?

I look past her and see the bus has indeed arrived. And also that it's starting the engine again.

"Dang it!" Dawn curses as she shoots up to her feet. "I'll call you once I'm at Striaton, bye!"

She manages to get on board just in time before the doors close and the bus departs. I keep an eye on it until it gets out of sight.

After that, my attention goes back to the blonde as she whistles. "Way to make your girlfriend run away, really."

"First of all, she's not my girlfriend," I hiss as I stand up. "And second of all, who are you and who do you think you are ordering your Pokémon to attack people at random?"

"Mime!" the little clown protests while its trainer smirks at me. My glare, however, is broken off by Nate's next words.

"I think she's Miss Samantha Taylor."

I turn to him. "Wait, what? The other trainer sponsored by your father?"

"The very same," 'Samantha' replies as she crosses her arms. "And you must be the 'Eugenio Beccaria' I've heard of from Professor Kouki. At least, if the green bag and Junior over there are anything to go by."

…"Junior"?

"You two already know each other?" I ask.

Nate shakes his head. "This is the first time I've seen her. I only guessed because of her bag and the fact you said that Pokémon was from Galar."

It is only now that I notice the green bag with 'Nature Today' printed on it strapped around this girl's shoulders.

"Doesn't take much to figure out who he is either," Samantha chimes in. "Even without the resemblance, I remember when Mister Black asked me to babysit his son. First you accept to work with only non-evolving Pokémon and then this?" She barks out a laugh. "Man, you Fallers are really chumps."

How does she…no, that actually makes sense. If May told me she's from Galar, it only makes sense Lucas would tell her my origins.

Doesn't mean I like her tone, though. Or how dismissive she is of Nate.

"I'm not a chump and no one is babysitting anyone," I protest.

"Oh, listen here: 'I'm not a chump' said the guy who fell out of a hole and thought he could take up Pokémon training when his first move was deciding to train non-evolving losers."

I glare as she keeps laughing. And I glare at her Mr. Mime too when it mimics her.

"Have you at least caught one of the decent ones? Or did you just pick the first suckers you came across?"

A couple of slaps to the face would be the way to go with this brat. But I know that would only land me in jail.

"This conversation is over." I turn away from her and look at Nate, who is looking downcast. "Let's go, boy. We have nothing left to do here."

Thankfully, Nate recovers at hearing my words and instantly stands up. He then follows me as I lead the way out of the station.

"H-hey, wait! Come back here!" I hear Samantha cry out from behind us. "I wasn't finished!"

"Mime!" her Pokémon echoes.

I ignore them both.

After that...debate with Dawn and the unpleasant encounter with Samantha, Nate and I head to the usual park. The original idea was to have our Pokémon train for the challenge against Burgh, just like Dawn suggested.

However, with how downcast Nate looks, that may not be an option.

I place a hand on his shoulder, stirring him from his thoughts. "What's wrong, boy?"

"N-nothing," he replies. "I was just...thinking."

I arch an eyebrow. "Thinking about what 'Miss Taylor' said?"

He gulps down. "The way she called me 'Junior' and how she said accompanying me was 'babysitting'…"

"Ignore her," I tell him. "I know her kind. Self-absorbed little shits who need to make others feel bad so they can feel good."

"But she has a point, doesn't she? I am a burden to others. Daddy's little kid who knows nothing. Even you think th-"

My hands instantly shoot up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up! When did I ever say you were a burden?"

"You didn't," Nate replies in a broken voice, head lowered. "But I know you think so. I know I'm annoying with all my ramblings. And with how you always call me 'boy'..."

Oh, fuck me sideways…

I place both of my hands on his shoulders this time. "Nate," I say, making him blink at me in surprise. "I believe it's past time we had a talk." I gesture at the nearest bench I can see. "Let's sit down."

Nate gives confused glances at the bench and me, but ultimately he follows my lead and sits next to me.

"Now, we're gonna do a thing called 'being adults'. We are going to say what we don't like about each other. We are going to pay attention to what is said. And we are both going to say our piece about the issues one has with the other, which we are also going to pay attention to."

"Uh…" Nate replies. "Are you sure about this?"

"We're going to be around each other for a while. Better we sort out our differences now, before it escalates into petty infighting."

He stays quiet to that response at first.

"Could you go first?" he then asks. "So I know what to do."

I nod to him. "Very well, then."

I cross my arms and make sure to be looking him right in the eye. "I'm going to be blunt about it. You're a nerd and a teenager." Nate's head slightly leans forward at that. "But those are not my problems with you. Not directly."

Nate looks up at me again after that addition.

"Before I came to this world, I was a nerd too. So my problem with that is merely annoyance at the fact you seem to have a need to spew every fact about a topic you can think of. Regardless of whether they relate to what is being talked about."

I wait to see how Nate reacts to my observation. Surprisingly, he doesn't.

"As for being a teenager, my issues stems from the fact that's the age where everyone is reckless and does stupid shit because of it."

"Like I did at Relic Castle."

I nod. "And I believe that taught you the risks of recklessness. So that leaves only my other point."

"I…" he hesitates. "I don't say what I know to annoy people. I just find the various facts interesting and want to share them with others."

"As sentiments go, that's commendable," I tell him. "Unfortunately, there is a time and place for everything. Even pieces of trivia that are - as you put it - interesting become a distraction if the time they are brought up is inappropriate."

Nate purses his lips. "I...don't know what to do about that."

"The next time you're talking about something, try asking yourself this: 'is this fact relevant to the overall conversation?'. Besides the initial connection that made you think of them, of course."

"I...I see. I'll try."

I nod to that reply.

"Now, it's your turn. What do you hate about me?"

Nate fidgets at my question. "Uhm...I'm not sure 'hate' is the right word."

I let out a huff. "Hate, dislike, are annoyed by, use whatever term you prefer. I'll listen."

Nate looks at the side as he composes his thoughts. When he's done that, he looks me straight in the eyes as he says, "Firstly, the fact that you keep calling me 'boy' feels…kind of derogatory. Like you think less of me because I'm younger."

It does?

"If that's the case, my apologies. It wasn't meant to be derogatory. It's just a habit I picked up when talking to people below the age of twenty." Although it seems it's a habit I had better get rid of.

Nate nods to that. "And then there's also the fact that you...I don't know how to put it."

I give a quick roll of my eyes. "Well, you're going to have to. Otherwise this conversation won't go anywhere."

Nate's eyes widen at my jab. "There, that's that!"

I furrow my brow. "What?"

"The fact that you constantly seem annoyed by…everything."

…

Nate looks at me apprehensively. "S-sorry if that was out of line."

"No, that's…not it," I reply. "Is that really how I come across?"

Nate nods.

"I…don't know what to tell you," I admit. "It's not that I'm annoyed by everything. And I don't do it because I want to be a pain in everyone's ass. I just…"

Nate furrows his brow. I end up having to let out a huff before I can continue.

"I'm a misanthrope. There, I said it."

"What?" Nate asks, looking at me dumbfounded. "What do you mean?"

"A misanthrope is a person that-"

"Yes, I know what a misanthrope is. But...you?"

I quirk an eyebrow. "Is it really that hard to believe? The anti-social behavior, the weary attitude toward others. I believe I couldn't possibly be more obvious."

"But...why?"

"My old world is not as sunshine and rainbow as yours, b- Nate. There were plenty of reasons why one would grow to not like people on principle. And once the habit is taken, it's difficult to drop."

His mouth falls agape. "But then," he mutters. "What you told Miss Hikari and me the other night...did you actually mean it?"

"Of course I meant it," I retort. "If you think I can't ever care about other people, you mistake me for the obnoxious ones that don't know when to get over themselves."

Nate's brow furrows. "Excuse me, what?"

"I may not be good at forming relations with others," I explain. "Or even be actively trying to, but it has happened before. Sometimes it just...happens for me."

"Happens? Happens how?"

"It's not...that simple to explain," I sigh. "Sometimes I come across a person that I don't find annoying. I manage to keep my bad attitude in check, I talk with that other person again and...well, you can imagine the rest."

Nate doesn't immediately reply. His initial reaction is just looking at me.

"Are you sure it's actual misanthropy?" he then asks. "It doesn't sound to me like you hate everyone."

"'Hating everyone' is not necessarily what misanthropy is," I retort. "And everyone has something or someone they care about. Those who claim they don't are lying. Either to others or to themselves."

This time, Nate stays quiet as he just keeps looking at me, his face stuck on an expression I can't quite place.

Since he's stuck in his head, I opt to be the one to break the silence. "Any other grievances with me you want to voice?"

Nate briefly purses his lips before he answers. "I just...can't figure you out. I can't tell if you really only take a liking to a select few or if it's something else."

"People are complicated," I reply. "I doubt you'll ever be able to figure out everything about someone in just a few days."

"With that said," I stand up from the bench, still looking at him, "it's time we get to training. Are you ready?"

"Of course!" Nate eagerly replies. "What do we begin wi-?"

"There you are!"

I grit my teeth at the sound of that feminine voice. I turn in its direction and, sure enough, I am met by the sight of Samantha. Her Mr. Mime is nowhere in sight and she's panting, but it's definitely her. I have no idea how she came across us again, and I'm not sure I want to know.

"What kind of manners are those, just walking away when I'm not finished talking with you?"

"People have better things to do than indulge your ego," I retort.

"Oh, really?" she responds. "Like what, ogling around while you could be trying to make something out of your team?"

Keep calm, keep calm.

"What do you want?" I hiss at her.

"Now we're talking," she says as she pulls out a Poké Ball. "We're having a Pokémon battle."

"No."

Samantha blinks at my reply. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"Have you challenged any Gym before now?"

"Of course!" she proclaims proudly. "I've already got the Basic Badge from Lenora."

As I suspected. Short of looking for Galarian mons that may have somehow ended up in Unova, she had no other reason to be arriving with that bus.

"Well, the two of us are still preparing for our first Gym, so a fight like that would be one-sided in your favor. And I'd rather not waste time like that."

My hope is that she'll take that as an excuse to brag about how ahead of us she is and leave us alone. I'm not having Annette and Seteth get beaten up for her entertainment.

Unfortunately, she's not that smart. "Oh, yeah? Well, I wanna have that battle anyway. What do you say to that?"

Alright, you asked for it.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

I raise my C-Gear to my face. "Hello, nine one one? I would like to report this trainer girl from Galar for harassing me and a friend."

At that, Samantha's eyes widen as she winces in place. "You...you wouldn't!"

"I would," I retort, glaring at her. "I should have when you had your Mr. Mime attack me at the bus station, but I wanted to be nice. Now, you are testing my patience."

The girl returns my glare with one of her own. We just keep glaring at each other for a while.

Eventually, though, Samantha takes the hint and turns around, with all the grace of a bouncer. I watch as she goes away, without ever sparing us another glance.

A pathetic bully like any other, that one. Talking big when they think they are in control, running away the moment things don't go their way.

"That's that," I comment as I turn to Nate, who is looking in the direction Samantha went with...concern?

"Are you sure you weren't too harsh with her?"

"I've had my own experiences with bullies," I reply. "If you're not harsh, they never back off until they get what they want. It's better this way."

Nate makes an uncomfortable face at that response.

"Either way, come Nate. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

"S-sure," he gulps.

And here we go. Eugenio and Nate have a heart-to-heart and we're introduced to Samantha Taylor, the rival for this fic. Don't worry, she's purposefully unlikeable right now, but she'll get better. Eventually. Sort of. Maybe. :)

Thank you Geolight164 for betareading. You can find us at the Fanfiction Treehouse discord server at: 9XG3U7a

Also, if anyone's interested, I've put a poll on my profile page. It's purely informative, so the results won't be hard-set, but I'd like to hear your opinion all the same.

See you next time!