[Samantha]
"There you are!" I shout out when I find those two again, Junior sitting on a bench, Eugenio standing in front of him. Both turn to me, a grimace on the latter's face.
I let out a few pants before I can resume speaking. "What kind of manners are those, just walking away when I'm not finished talking with you?"
The Faller is the first to reply, as he growls. "People have better things to do than indulge your ego."
Sounds like he's angry. Good. Let's make him angrier.
"Oh, really? Like what, ogling around while you could be trying to make something out of your team?"
The corners of his mouth twitch. As do the fingers of one of his hands. Perfect.
"What do you want?" he hisses.
"Now we're talking," I reply as I take out Crasher's Poké Ball. "We're having a Pokémon battle."
Time to show for these two to show me what-
"No."
I blink at the reply. "What do you mean 'no'?"
"Have you challenged any Gyms before now?" he asks, with no small amount of contempt in his voice.
"Of course!" I reply. "I've already got the Basic Badge from Lenora." Wasn't even that much work.
"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."
Sounds like their problem, not mine. "Oh, yeah? Well, I wanna have that battle anyway. What do you say to that?"
No matter what, I'm gonna see just what they're capable of compared to me. Especially when they're motivated to pull out their best.
However, the Faller surprises me yet again when he lifts his watch in front of his face. "Hey, what are you doing?"
He ignores me. "Hello, nine one one? I would like to report this trainer girl from Galar for harassing me and a friend."
…
No… no, no, no, this can't be happening to me again!
"You...you wouldn't!"
"I would," he sternly retorts, glaring down at me as he does so. "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."
On the outside, I glare back at him. On the inside… I'm at a loss.
Bloody hell, I can't let myself be intimidated by the first difficulty I face with what is essentially my rival for the spotlight with Nature Today. But still, this sponsorship is my last chance to keep my trainer license after what happened back home. I can't throw it away like this!
All throughout my musings, Eugenio doesn't break off his glare. He's really serious about his threats, isn't he?
...fine, have it your way, you coward. Being swindled over by the likes of you once was enough, I'm not going to give you the chance to do the same.
I turn away from the two rookies and leave them to themselves.
[Dawn]
Well, Striaton City is certainly an interesting place. When the bus arrived at a large park, I thought it would be something akin to Fortree in Hoenn, but no. The park was only the northern entrance apparently. The prefabs to the east are the real city.
Thankfully finding the one Pokémon Center this city has is easy, as its crystal glass and steel structure stand out quite easily among the prefabs. I book a room for myself and, after dropping my bag, pick my phone. Unfortunately, it's at that moment I realize I don't have Nate's number. Only...Eugenio's.
That...jerk! How does he dare?! I share with him things I haven't with others, and he rubs them in my face?!
Yes, thank you very much, I know my own Gym challenge left me with scars I've been carrying to this day! I know the same thing is going to happen to Rosa and I know it'll be worse because Team Plasma is actively coming after her! I know…I…
…
I'm a hypocrite, aren't I?
I dial Eugenio's C-Gear's number and place the phone next to my ear, as I wait for him to respond. Hope that he responds.
"Hello?" his voice thankfully responds from the other end.
"Hi there," I tell him. "How are things over there?"
"Oh, Dawn! It's..." he hesitates. "It's alright. I'm at the park and Nate went to the Center to give Mister Jaw a check-up."
"Good, good," I reply, although the tension in his voice doesn't escape me.
"Look, Eugenio," I sigh. "About earlier today, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"
I let out a huff as I massage the bridge of my nose. "I know what you were trying to say. And I understand it. But...I was trying to think how Rosa would react based on how I was back then. Had I been told I had to go into hiding because some random person claimed Team Galactic was after me, I know I wouldn't have been happy about it. And I know I would have tried to find a way to run away and do what I wanted."
"Now, I know Team Plasma is already a known menace. And I know Rosa is older than I was back then. And I know we are not the same person. But like you said, teenagers don't make the best decisions."
All I'm answered with is silence. A silence that makes me wish I'd also bought a C-Gear, so I would at least know what face Eugenio is making.
"I'm sorry too," he finally responds. "I didn't mean to get so aggressive. Or to dismiss your points. I just…"
He pauses and I wait until he can continue.
"Even though I agreed Rosa needed protection, I have absolutely no idea what to do," he sighs. "The three of us on our own can't protect her. The police won't believe us. Letting her go on her own is a bad idea. And she won't agree to staying home just because we told her to."
I know he can't see it, but I nod to his words all the same.
"I don't know either," I admit. "And honestly, I'm starting to think our plan was all poorly thought out."
"If we can even call what we decided on the spot a plan," he huffs.
"That too."
Another silence follows that exchange of ours.
Eugenio is the first of the two to try and break it. "Back in Sinnoh, after Eterna, how did you handle...you know?"
"...to be honest, back then, even after Eterna City, I didn't know what I was doing," I admit. "Before my challenge against Byron, most of my run-ins with them happened by accident. After that, they bombed the lakes and all I did afterward was chase after them and improvise on the spot."
An approach that ended up working poorly then and would no doubt work poorly now.
"As much as I hate to say this, I think we'll have to do the same here," Eugenio sighs, taking me by surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that trying to figure everything out now is making us run in circles," he clarifies. "First, we need to find her. Then we'll think of something when we've reached Aspertia - or at least Virbank. Can we agree to that?"
"...fine." As much as I hate it, he's right. We were running circles there and we're doing it now as well.
"Good," is all he has to say. "Now, sorry, but Nate and I are going to try and get some training done. We'll call you again tonight."
That reminds me of the conversation I had with Nate last night. "Try not to be too hard with Nate, please. He's going through a lot, even if he's trying not to show it too much."
"Believe me," Eugenio replies. "We've just had a talk about that."
Oh? Nate's already brought up his issues with him?
"In any case, I'll call you again tonight. Have a good afternoon."
"You too."
We end the call after that.
[Samantha]
"Dwe...ble…" the tiny bug manages to utter before Sharpclaw's Metal Claw knocks him out of the fight. The brown feline giggles at the sight of his victory. A sentiment I share.
Meanwhile, the Gym leader claps his hands from the other side of the field.
"Impressive," Burgh says. "Most impressive. Your Meowth has clearly been trained well to defeat both of my Pokémon this easily."
"You're not too bad yourself," I retort while recalling Sharpclaw. "Normally, I wouldn't think too much of bugs, but these weren't as bad as others I've seen."
He merely chuckles at my jab. "I will take that praise."
He really is hard to irritate, isn't he?
"Now, though, before I grant you the Insect badge, one question." Oh? "Am I the second Gym Leader you face?"
His serene question takes me aback. How could he tell?
"Let's just say I no longer have the badges to prove it, but I've faced plenty of others before you and Lenora. I only have one member of my original team, though."
"How very interesting," he intones, even though he doesn't sound particularly perturbed by my admission. "I could see in your eyes a fire seeking to be ignited. Tell me, are you interested in an extra challenge for the badge?"
"Name it!" I eagerly reply.
Burgh chuckles again as he grabs another Poké Ball. "That member of your original team against my Leavanny."
"You're on!" I instantly reply as I grab the Poké Ball in question and call out Crasher.
"Obs!" the Obstagoon barks out as soon as he appears.
"Splendid," Burgh comments as he calls out a...bipedal bug with grassy parts I've never seen before.
"Vany."
"Ready when you are," Burgh then says.
"How about now?" I respond. "Crasher, use Fire Punch!"
Flames ignite around my Pokémon's fist as soon as I say it.
"Use X-Scissor!" Burgh orders his.
The two then charge at each other.
[Dawn]
The fact that we don't actually have any idea on what we're doing becomes all that much more evident now that I'm on Route 1.
I stayed in Striaton just long enough to buy some camping equipment. Yesterday, I managed to go through Route 2 and reach Accumula Town. And today, I'm finally on the outskirts of Nuvema.
And I have absolutely no idea how to approach Professor Juniper about the matter with Rosa.
I come out and say how things are, she won't believe it. I come to her as a stranger and ask about Rosa, she'll call the police.
Maybe if I do say the truth but stay vague about the details I'll have a better shot? But how can I explain knowing only her name, the city she lives in and that her mother was friends with Juniper?
"Hey, you there!"
That exclamation interrupts my musings and draws my attention to the one who made it. It's a girl, slightly older than Nate. Her brown hair is kept into a long ponytail with a pair of loose bangs by her temples. Her lean physique is covered by blue pants, a sleeveless white shirt and a black jacket. What catches my eye is the travel boots she wears and how worn they look. And her belt with six Poké Balls in plain sight gives me a pretty good idea why.
"Can I help you?" I ask her
"Help me? Can I help you! You've been there staring at nothing for who knows how long!"
Oh!
"My apologies," I chuckle embarrassedly. "I was just...thinking."
"Yeah, I noticed," she retorts. "So, whatcha thinking about?"
"Uhm…"
This route only leads to Nuvema, a town so small it doesn't even have its own Pokémon Center. I can think of only a few reasons a trainer with a full team would visit: they live here, they are visiting someone who does or they are lost and are willing to take any direction they can take.
Or, in this particular case, they are an undercover Team Plasma member also after information on Rosa. Although, would they really send someone so young after such an important task?
Ok, let's give her the benefit of the doubt.
"I have to meet with someone in Nuvema," I tell her. "But I'm trying to figure out what to do in terms of lodgings."
The girl widens her eyes at me. "Lodgings?"
I nod to her. "I know it doesn't have a Pokémon Center, and I don't know anyone here. So I was thinking about whether I should camp tonight."
Something about what I said must have sounded weird, if the way she narrows her eyes is any indication.
"If you don't know anyone, who are you supposed to be meeting?"
Oh, that.
"Professor Aurea Juniper," I reply, causing her to widen her eyes. "I've got business to talk about with her and-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up," she interrupts. "What kind of business do you have with the Professor?"
Uhm…
I look left and right, making sure there's no one around who might be eavesdropping. When I'm sure we're in the clear, I step closer to this girl. She tenses up when I do so, and one hand goes to her now shaking Poké Balls.
"Let's start this over," I say in the most solemn voice I can muster. "Dawn Hikari, International Police."
It's a lie, of course, but at least it should make this easier for both of us.
"What?" she asks. "The International Police?"
I nod. "And what's your name, Miss?"
The girl needs a moment to recover from the surprise before she can answer me. "Hilda. Hilda Hymerlay."
...Hymerlay?
I must have made a face that gave my thoughts away, as her next words are. "Yes, yes, I'm Hilbert Hymerlay's sister."
Huh…Eugenio never talked about a sister. Then again, Eugenio didn't know a lot of other things.
Still, this means that - like Hilbert - her mother and Rosa's are friends. Depending on what she knows, this could be better than having to talk with Professor Juniper. If I play my cards right, that is.
"Is this about the return of Team Plasma?" Hilda asks. "If you're looking for my brother, he's not here. He's left Unova over a year ago."
"We know," I tell her. She furrows her brow in response.
"Then what else could you want from Professor- wait!"
Huh?
"Oh hell no! She doesn't have anything to do with-"
"That's not what I'm here for," I cut her off, thankfully making her relax somewhat. "We have intel on a series of trainers they are targeting. We don't have their names, only their sponsors and their hometowns. One of these is a girl from Aspertia City, allegedly sponsored by Professor Juniper herself."
Hilda furrows her brow again.
"Do you know anything?" I press her. "This is very important. The sooner we can get the jump on members of Team Plasma, the sooner we'll be able to dismantle them and the fewer trainers they'll assault."
Hilda purses her lips as she rummages on my words. Her blue eyes then focus on my face as they look it over for a bit.
"You're really her, aren't you?" she then asks. "That Dawn Hikari?"
"The former Sinnoh Champion? I was. A long time ago." I am not sure what this has to do with anything, but I see no reason to lie about it.
And judging by the nod Hilda gives me afterward, it would appear that was the right call.
"I'm not sure what that intel of yours says, but the only trainers the Professor is sponsoring right now are me and my brother."
Damn it. Should have worded that differently.
"However," Hilda continues, to my relief. "I've heard she's about to sponsor another one. A girl from Aspertia, like you said. An assistant of hers is on her way to deliver her first Pokémon to her."
Uh-oh. That assistant must be Bianca. And if she's already on her way to Aspertia, we are running out of time.
"Could that be her?"
"She must be," I reply. "Do you know her name?"
Hilda nods. "Rosa Whitley."
Well, that came out sooner than I'd planned. Hope you like it nonetheless :)
Thanks to Softandhappy and 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 all next time!