"Goodnight, Metang." She says finally, and then she's turning away and making her way back towards the house.
Obviously she's hoping that Metang will take her up on her offer, but she honestly can't be certain either way.
She'll just have to wait and see.
Pastoria City - Sinnoh
Casey sighs as yet another minute passes. She hasn't got a watch on, but she's been counting in her head. It's a bit tedious, but its given her the chance to keep track of how long she's been waiting outside the front of the house for.
2700 seconds and counting.
It's really not that long, but when you're alone and there's a slight morning chill passing through the area, the wait seems to only get longer. She knows who she's waiting for, and she knows that they know that she's waiting for them, because she saw them last night when she and her friends got back from the Pastoria Gym, and she knows that they saw Ash brandishing his newly won badge proudly before they left.
She hopes that seeing that will be enough of an incentive for them to turn up.
"Are you ready to go, my girl?" Her Grandpa asks as he approaches, hobbling cautiously with the assistance of his walking stick before coming to a rest at her side.
Yeah, of course." She replies, mustering up as much sincerity as she possibly can, as she keeps her sights set on the vast fields of the ranch ahead of her.
Because, the truth is, of course she's not ready to go. She's not gonna be ready to go until Metang is, because that's who she's waiting for and wants to continue waiting for.
"I get the feeling that you're lying." He responds, and she knows that it's less of an assumption and more of a statement.
"What makes you say that, Grandpa?"
"You could never bring yourself to look at me when you lied as a child."
She remembers that. She didn't lie often, but when she did she'd feel awful. If she looked at him even for a while after she did it, she'd become overwhelmed with guilt and end up telling the truth.
"You're making it sound like I was a chronic liar." She jokes, looking to him with a playful smile.
"That was not my intention." He replies honestly, a wistful smile coming to his face as he reminisces, "You were always such a good girl, Casey. Always trying to see the best in people."
"Yeah, well, I still haven't kicked that trait." She muses, because she clearly hasn't otherwise she would've given up on Metang the moment she sent it back here.
"I would've hoped not." He rushes out, almost sounding frightened of the contrary.
A moment passes, one of silence and simplicity, before he speaks again.
"Many forget just how complex the balance between trainer and Pokemon can be. It's like a powder keg: one volatile match and it all blows up."
Her smile fades slightly, but that's only because the realisation is dawning on her face to replace it.
"How did you know?" She asks, clear and simple, because she didn't tell anyone about what happened the other day, not even him or her Pokemon.
She doesn't know why she chose to do that, but for some unexplained reason she felt that she should keep it to herself.
"The events weren't too difficult to piece together." He replies, shrugging, "I'd be surprised if your friends haven't figured it out yet."
She figures that they mustn't have, because they surely would've at least spoken about it in casual conversation at some point. Well, Ash and Dawn would've if they had figured it out. If Brock's realised, she doubts that he'd mention it. Brock understands, more so than Ash and Dawn, when to talk about things and when to leave them be.
"I went out the other night to find it. Told it I wanted it to battle alongside me against Crasher Wake." She explains, because since he knows there's no need to withhold anything from him.
Besides, maybe he can help. He probably can in some capacity.
"That's interesting." He says simply, which surprises Casey cause she was expecting a piece of advice or some philosophical, wise lecture of some kind.
"Why's that, Grandpa?" She asks.
"Well, you have Electabuzz on hand, but you also have Jolteon and Exeggutor and Lanturn."
"You think I should battle alongside them?"
She had considered doing just that. Her battle with Crasher Wake, just like Ash's, is a three on three battle, and she already knew for sure that Electabuzz would be one of the Pokemon battling alongside her, but she could just as easily choose another Pokemon with a type advantage to join her. It makes sense, from a logical and strategic standpoint.
"I think you should tailor the battle to suit your needs. You can either give yourself a far easier time, or you can grant yourself with a challenge. It all comes down to your choices."
Ah, so there's the logical piece of advice.
"I just...I was kinda hoping that it would show up, you know? After watching Ash's battle, I just really wanted Metang to get that experience." She responds, trying to hide the apparent disappointment in her voice.
Of course Metang's strong, and having it on her team could be great for her heading forward, but it's not just about that. It's about Metang, and it's about it getting to do more than just hide away from the world. It's about it getting the chance to show just how amazing it really is.
"I'm sure it will one day." He tells her, nodding towards the ranch exit, "Come along. Your friends are waiting for you."
She nods, and then she's matching his slow pace as they make their way to the ranch exit, where she figures her friends are waiting for her. They're walking in a comfortable silence for a while, something that they used to do often when they went on walks around the ranch years ago, but then she remembers something.
"I took Metang's Pokeball, if that's okay." She admits, "You know? Just in case."
She feels guilty about it, because she should've asked because her Grandpa's looked after Metang so well for so long, but he doesn't seemed bothered by it.
"That's alright, my girl. I was actually coming to give it to you anyway. When I couldn't find it, I figured you must've taken it."
She nods, mumbling out another quick apology, and then the silence comes back again.
And then it goes away when she asks a question.
"You once told me that Dad trained a Salamence, right?"
She doesn't expect an answer from him, but when he gives her one she's grateful. She never really asks about her Dad, his son, ever. She was too young to remember him going, but she can remember her Grandpa's grief after.
She was only two when he went, so she never really knew him.
"Most challenging Pokemon that I've never met, that Salamence. Your father trained with it right up until..." He begins to explain, and all of the enthusiasm drains from his face as his voice trails off.
Casey reaches out, briefly placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder before continuing sensitively, "Did he ever get through to it?"
He sighs, considering his words for a moment, and she knows from the look on his face that he's okay. He looks more wistful than upset.
"Your father had a big heart, but sometimes that's not enough. Salamence was crushed when your father passed. It left right after, so maybe he got half way with it."
She doesn't remember that, and you'd think she'd be more likely to remember a ginormous dragon vanishing over a single person vanishing. She can't help but wonder if Salamence is still out there.
"Why do you ask?" He asks, tone curious.
She shrugs, "I was hoping that I could've tried what he did."
Another moment passes, and now she can actually see her friends in the distance, the bright color of Pikachu's fur standing out in particular from such a distance.
"Did she love him?" She asks, but she can't bring herself to look at him, "Mom?"
She can't really remember her Mom. She's found some pictures in hidden places around the house when she was younger, and she was quick to hide those from her Grandpa because she knows that he's not exactly her biggest fan.
She doesn't blame him - she walked out on them not long after her Dad passed and didn't even leave a note.
"You can never know what's going on inside someone else's head." He replies, and it's clear that he's choosing his words carefully, "You can try, but you can never fully know."
She nods again, choosing to leave it at that as they reach the exit to the ranch, where she finds her friends waiting patiently for her.
"Morning, Casey." Brock says, smiling, "You excited for your Gym Battle?"
"What kind of Pokemon Trainer would I be if I wasn't?" She replies, smiling back and nodding to the gate, "Do you guys wanna get going?"
"Met!"
Metang's at her side before she can even turn around, his face stoic and showing no emotion. She looks at it in disbelief, and then she's turning to her Grandpa, who just nods almost expectantly.
"Is Metang coming with us then?" Ash asks, surprised.
"Yeah, I guess so." She says looking to him, and then she's turning to Metang with a soft smile, "Glad to have you here, Metang."
It doesn't acknowledge her, but at this point she'll take anything. At least she's got it on her side for her Gym Battle, which is a start.
"I must say, I sure am looking forward to our battle, Casey. I want you to show me just how powerful and skilled you and your Pokemon are! So give it your best shot!" Crasher Wake calls out to her from the opposite end of the aquatic pose, flexing his muscles in a strong and sturdy pose.
She's been waiting years for this battle and that's not an understatement. Living in a city with a Gym Leader means you see them at public events and get the opportunity to witness them participate in battles from a young age. She's seen Crasher Wake battle multiple times over the years, which makes you think that this battle would be easy and predictable for her, but she's not letting her guard down.
"Oh, we will!" She replies, confident smirk plastered on her face from where's she stood at her end of the battlefield.
Metang's by her side, but that's because she didn't want to risk trying to force it inside its Pokeball when it first turned up. It's never in it when it's on the ranch, so she doesn't want to scare it off or anger it by making it go inside the capsule just yet.
Besides, it hasn't made a sound, just opting to hover at her side as they wait for the battle to start.
She knows which three Pokemon she's going to battle with, one of which has a direct advantage against Crasher Wake's Water-Types.
Does that mean the battle will be easy? Probably not, but at least it gives her an extra boost in confidence.
"You will each have the use of three Pokemon, and the battle will be over when one of you loses all three of them. In addition, only the challenger may substitute Pokemon." The referee explains from where he's stood at the side of the battlefield.
It's the same rules as most other Gym Battles, so it's not like it's anything new to be getting used to.
Casey turns towards the stands, where her friends and Grandpa are waiting for the battle to begin. By her Grandpa's side sits Monferno and Dragonair, the two Pokemon she chose not to use in this particular battle. She decided against battling with Monferno because of his clear disadvantage, and Dragonair's battled in all of her Gym Battles in Sinnoh so far, so she figured that the Dragon Pokemon deserves the chance to rest.
"Hey! Monferno, Dragonair! I want you two to watch closely, okay?" She calls to the two spectating Pokemon, who respond with enthusiastic cries.
She smiles, turning back to Crasher Wake and giving him a nod to signal that she's ready. He nods back, launching his first Pokeball onto the battlefield with a yell, "Quagsire, on the water!"
Quagsire bursts out of the capsule and materialises on one of the many disc-shaped platforms floating on the waters surface, the platform bobbing against the water slightly at the sudden addition of weight.
Starting with Quagsire, huh? That rules out starting with Electabuzz since it's part Ground-Type.
She knows that Crasher Wake's Quagsire is versatile, knowing not only Water-Type attacks but also Poison and Ice attacks too. Thankfully, one of the Pokemon she's chosen for this battle is affected by neither of those types, making it the ideal Pokemon to start with.
"Metang, you're up." She says, turning to the Pokemon in question with a slight smile.
It doesn't look at her, instead hovering right past her to take its place on the battlefield. It sets its sights on Quagsire, eyes narrowing as it scans its opponent carefully. Quagsire seems to shrink back slightly under Metang's gaze, but it quickly readjusts itself as the referee raises his hands.
"The challenger will have the first move! Battle begin!" He declares, swinging his arms down in one fluid motion to signal the beginning of the battle.
"Alright, Metang! Let's start this up with Agility!"
Her aim is to up Metang's speed right from the get-go. She knows that because they have the water to their advantage, Crasher Wake's Pokemon are naturally agile in the battle environment, so she figures that she might as well try to give herself and Metang a bit of a head start.
Sure, Metang's fast, but perhaps not fast enough to contend with Crasher Wake's Pokemon.
Metang, however, seems to disagree with her approach, instead opting to use a completely different move.
It charges right for Quagsire, its claws glowing a bright white color as it charges on forward. Casey recognises the attack: it's Metal Claw.
"Counter it with Water Pulse!"
A large sphere of water rushes towards Metang before it can even get close to Quagsire, and because it's so focused on its attack, it doesn't get the chance to dodge it before it collides with its metallic body.
Metang staggers back, managing to hold itself up but struggling slightly due to the hit, as Casey looks at it in disbelief.
"Metang, what are you doing? I told you to use Agility!" She cries exasperatedly, more confused than angry with the Iron Claw Pokemon, but then it just ignores her and focuses its sights back on Quagsire again, brushing off its attack as if it were nothing.
"Now, into the water, Quagsire!" Quagsire dives down into the water, disappearing from sight and sending Casey into a slight panic.
Sure, she had expected Quagsire to jump into the water at some point, but now that its done it, she can't help but feel on edge.
Metang, on the other hand, doesn't seem remotely bothered by this sudden change in pace, as it responds quickly and without command. Its eyes glow a light blue color, and then Quagsire is bursting up out of the water, a blue aura surrounding its soaked body.
Metang launches it spiralling high into the air, and then its arm is glowing a bright white.
Hammer Arm.
Metang viciously bashes Quagsire with a great level, and even though the attack is less effective due to its type, it packs enough of a punch that it sends Quagsire rushing into the wall behind Crasher Wake. Its limp body sags to the ground, spirals covering its eyes as it lays there behind its stunned trainer.
She feels everyone's eyes on her...well, everyone except Metang. It's not even acknowledging her, instead keeping its sights set on Crasher Wake as he returns Quagsire to its Pokeball.
"Quagsire is unable to battle." The referee declares after a few moments of hesitation, clearly surprised by what he's just witnessed just as everyone else is.
"Metang, what's going on with you?" She asks, tone coming off slightly harsher than she intended, but she can't really help it because she's angry and confused, "You've got to work with me here!"
Metang doesn't seem remotely bothered by her stress, simply keeping its eyes forward and seemingly blocking out her frustrated words. The referee, however, does acknowledge her stress.
"Is the challenger okay to continue?" He asks.
Her head turns to her Grandpa, Pokemon and friends, perhaps because she's subconsciously hoping that they'll be able to give her some kind of advice that makes this all pan out in her favor.
But, of course, they can't do that, because when it comes down to it, only her and the Pokemon she's battling alongside can influence the outcome of the battle.
But still, when Monferno gives her a nod and a small smile that fills her with a sudden sense of confidence, she knows exactly what she's going to say.
"Yeah. Bring it on!" She says, sights set back on her opponent despite the doubts still present in the back of her mind.
"Now that's what I like to hear!" Crasher Wake cheers, flexing his muscles and striking yet another battle ready pose. He reaches for his next Pokeball, launching it onto the battlefield, "Floatzel, into the water!"
The Sea Weasel Pokemon appears onto one of the platforms just as Quagsire did before it, and its appearance gives Casey a much needed sense of confidence.
Perfect, now it's Electabuzz's time to shine.
Floatzel's just a Water-Type Pokemon. No additional typings, which means that Electabuzz has a direct advantage against it.
Casey reaches into her pocket, pulling out Metang's Pokeball and aiming it at the Pokemon with a simple command, "Metang, return."
The red bolt of light that normally emerges from the capsule races towards Metang, but before it can hit the stubborn Pokemon, it jolts to the side to avoid it, much to everyone's surprise and Casey's chagrin.
"Metang, what are you doing?" She asks, and she's gritting her teeth because she knows that if she doesn't she'll completely snap.
Not listening to her once? Annoying, but manageable. Twice? Increasingly frustrating, but still manageable. But a third time? In her eyes, Metang's being disrespectful.
Ignoring her again - because, of course, that's all Metang seemingly wants to do at this point - it rushes towards its opponent, arm glowing once again as it goes in for yet another unrequested Meteor Mash.
"Dodge it!" Floatzel dives under the water briefly, barely managing to dodge Metang's powerful attack. It resurfaces when Metang retreats back to its end of the battlefield, and Casey's surprised to see that Crasher Wake seems more impressed by Metang's display than confused or frustrated.
"You really like to roll with the punches, don't you?" He asks, though he doesn't wait around for Metang to provide him with an answer (not like it would) before ordering Floatzel's next move, "Now, Floatzel, use Bulk Up!"
Floatzel stands tall and flexes its arms, similar to how its trainer does, as a red tint surrounds its body, similar in appearance to the aura that surrounds a Pokemon when its being hit by Psychic. The tint soon vanishes and Floatzel's arms come to a rest at its side, and from Crasher Wake's choice of move Casey knows that they have to act fast.
Bulk Up's made Floatzel a whole lot stronger. We need to finish this quickly.
"Alright, Metang! Use Psychic!"
"Counter it with Razor Wind!"
Metang quickly bails out on using Psychic when sharp blades of wind are fired at it, instead opting to use Agility instead.
Right, so now you use Agility?
In hindsight, Agility is probably the best move that Metang can use considering Floatzel's counter. The move allows Metang to dodge Floatzel's Razor Wind with ease and then retreat back to its corner to regroup.
Well, 'regroup' isn't exactly the word that Casey would use, because she doubts Metang's going to listen to her at all for the rest of the battle.
"Floatzel, let's hit them with Whirlpool!"
Floatzel raises its arms once again, though this time instead of flexing them, it begins to generate a water source above its head. This water source inflates in size, and soon Floatzel's suspending a large and ferocious Whirlpool above it. It directs the Whirlpool towards Metang, catching the Iron Claw Pokemon in the spiralling water cyclone before it has the opportunity to dodge it.
"Metang, no!" Casey cries, watching in horror as Metang spins around within the Whirlpool against its will.
Think, Casey, think! If Metang can't fly out, then it's gonna have to break its way out...that's it!
"Metang, smash it using Meteor Mash!" She calls, and Metang surprises her when it actually listens.
It brings its glowing arm down on the watery spiral, just barely managing to break through it (much to the surprise of Floatzel). Metang plays on that surprise, striking it with the remainder of its Meteor Mash whilst the Sea Weasel Pokemon stands on the platform stunned.
Floatzel cries in pain as the attack collides, and it only barely manages to scramble onto one of the platforms, grimacing as it pulls itself up out of the water.
"Great job, Metang!" Casey praises, though Metang doesn't respond to her. She brushes past it, knowing that if they act now, they can finish up this particular part of the battle, "Let's finish this with Metal Claw!"
Metang ignores her, instead going with Meteor Mash yet again, which she's honestly not too surprised by. She figured that Metang wouldn't listen to her for very long.
"Dodge it and use Ice Beam!" Floatzel jumps up into the air, dodging Metang's attack with ease, and then it begins to generate a light blue ball of energy in front of its mouth.
It launches multiple freezing rays of bright blue light directly at Metang, which it manages to dodge, and before Casey can give Metang a command, it targets a decisive Psychic at Floatzel, launching it into the back wall of the Gym just as it did to Quagsire before.
It's an effective strategy, even if it's not what Casey intended to happen.
"Floatzel is unable to battle! The winner is Metang!"
Casey watches as Crasher Wake returns Floatzel to its Pokeball, thanking it for its performance in battle, as Metang hovers back over to the space in front of her, remaining stoic despite its victory. She's trying to understand where Metang's head is at, because right now it's not giving anything away.
Still, what she does know is that she should probably pull Metang out of the battle now. Though its not sustained that much damage, it still has been hit a couple of times, and she also feels as if she should give Electabuzz and Gastrodon the chance to battle. They deserve the chance just as much as Metang does.
"Metang, you've got to return now. Give someone else the chance to battle, you know?" She calls, hand going back into her pocket so she's ready to withdraw its Pokeball on a moments notice.
Metang surprises her by responding, crying out indignantly at her suggestion.
"Metang, come on!" She groans.
"If it wants to battle, I'd let it battle!" Crasher Wake interjects, prompting Casey to turn away from Metang and look to him, "I'm enjoying seeing Metang's strength! Such pure power deserves to be shown off!"
She still think that Metang should return to its Pokeball, but she knows that if she insists upon that, the Sinnoh League will end up starting before she pulls it off. Besides, if Crasher Wake's enjoying their battle, then she has to be doing something right.
"I'll stick with Metang."
"Excellent!" Crasher Wake cheers enthusiastically. He reaches for his third and final Pokeball, launching it out onto the battlefield for the last time, "Now, Gyarados, into the water!"
Gyarados spawns onto the water, being the only one of his three Pokemon to actually situate itself within the water instead of upon a platform.
Crasher Wake's Gyarados has a strong tolerance to Electric-Type attacks anyway, so going with Electabuzz probably wouldn't even be that advantageous.
She's trying to rationalise the situation, because honestly she's not entirely sure if she's comfortable with continuing the battle given the situation. Still, she commands Metang despite her doubts, "Use Meteor Mash!"
Metang surprises her when it actually listens to her, its arm glowing once again as it rushes towards the ginormous Atrocious Pokemon.
"Counter by using Dragon Rage!" Gyarados lurches its head backwards before lunging forward again, releasing a large ball of energy directly towards Metang. The Iron Claw Pokemon dodges the attack without even being prompted to do so, and then it rushes back in to deal a calculated and decisive blow.
Gyarados roars in pain from the attack, and Metang retreats back to its corner as Gyarados struggles to recover from the blow.
"Yes! Great job, Metang!" Casey praises.
Crasher Wake grimaces, taking a moment to consider his next command before dictating it with conviction, "Use Brine!"
"Dodge it by using Agility!"
She half expects Metang to actually listen to her, especially considering that it just did, but it doesn't. Instead, it stands its ground, smashing the Brine attack by using Metal Claw when it approaches. It powers on through the powerful attack, rushing towards Gyarados at top speed and striking it with a strong Metal Claw that sends the Atrocious Pokemon crashing down onto the waters surface.
"No! Gyarados!"
Tons of water rises out of the pool as Gyarados falls down, showering the ginormous Pokemon's body in a thick veil of water. Its fate is revealed as the water falls back into the pool.
"Gyarados is unable to battle! The winner is Metang, and the victory goes to Casey, the challenger!" The referee declares, swinging his arms down to declare the battle as over.
Casey stands there for a moment, the sounds of Ash, Dawn and her Pokemon cheering being drowned out by her spiralling thoughts. She's unsure on how she should be reacting. Sure, they won the battle, but she doesn't feel as if she should take credit for any of it. In her eyes, it wasn't exactly a team effort.
She looks to Crasher Wake, feeling uncharacteristically jealous when she sees him kneel down by Gyarados' head, the two laughing at what she presumes is a joke that he cracks. She has a relationship like that with most of her Pokemon, but not Metang.
Her throat tightens painfully at the sight.
"Met." Metang turns around, face as stoic as ever, and waits in front of her expectantly. She takes the hint, reaching back into her pocket and pulling out its Pokeball for the umpteenth time, and Metang gives a nod at the sight of the capsule.
"Metang, return."
Metang's there, and then it's gone without another word, now concealed back inside the device she tried so hard to get it inside multiple times before. She stares down at the device in her hand, one single thought lingering in her mind above all others.
What am I gonna do with you, Metang?
She twists her newly acquired Fen Badge around in her hand, admiring the blue and silver detailing on the hunk of metal. She usually feels a sense of pride when she looks at her Gym Badges - they're symbols of how hard she and her Pokemon have worked, a sign of their constant teamwork.
This badge...well, this badge is the anomaly.
She's happy to have it because now she and her Pokemon are one step closer to the Sinnoh League, but she's not happy about how she got it.
Reclining back against the soft couch in the middle of the living room, she places the bottoms of her hands into her eyes with a groan.
"What am I gonna do?"
"Casey?"
She opens her eyes, turning to face Ash as he takes a seat next to her on the couch, Pikachu perched on his shoulder as per usual, "Oh, hey, Ash. What's up?"
"Brock's just finishing up with all the packing and then we're heading out to Hearthome City." He replies, and she gives him a nod back, because her thoughts are far too preoccupied to think up any other response. But Ash, all of his obliviousness aside, notices her lack of communication and presses her for an answer.
"Are you okay?" He asks, voice concerned.
"Yeah, of course." She replies absentmindedly, "I'm just thinking about my Gym Battle, that's all."
"Metang was super strong! It was awesome to watch it battle!" Ash says, and she knows that he's trying to be encouraging, but it's not what she needs to hear right now.
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu chimes in agreement.
"It kinda reminded me of Charizard. What do you think, buddy?" He asks, looking to his Electric Mouse friend.
"Pi-kachu."
"Charizard?" She asks, ears perking up in interest, "You have a Charizard?"
"I caught it as a Charmander when I was travelling through Kanto. It was always super strong and a great battling partner, but once it evolved into a Charmeleon, it stopped listening to me." Ash explains, a familiar fond looking crossing his face as he talks.
She gets it too.
"Really?"
He nods, "Charizard would attack me and use the wrong attacks in battle, and in some cases it'd just fall asleep during a battle. It even did it at the Pokemon League."
"Did you ever manage to get through to it?" She asks, because that's honestly what she needs to know. Ash has trained a greater number of Pokemon than she has, so if anyone's gonna know what to do with Metang - if not her Grandpa - it'll be him.
Well, that's the hope, anyway.
"When we were travelling through the Orange Islands, we came up against this guy called Tad and his super strong Poliwrath. Not even Pikachu stood a chance against it, so I decided to use Charizard against it."
"But wouldn't Charizard have the type disadvantage?" She asks, Ash's choice in Pokemon baffling her.
"Yeah, but you see, Charizard was super strong, so I figured it was like a secret weapon." He explains, and of course that makes sense because it's Ash and that's how he chooses to battle, "But then Poliwrath hit Charizard with an Ice Beam that froze its entire body and weakened the flame on its tail."
"But that's really dangerous! If the flame on a Charizard's tail goes out then-." Casey gasps, panic setting in when she realises the severity of the situation.
"Mhm." Ash interjects, a grim expression crossing his face. The expression fades and he continues on, "So I stayed up all night with Charizard to help warm it up."
"And it was okay?"
He nods, smiling, "Charizard felt great the next day, and from that point onwards it started to listen to me again."
"So you understand what I'm going through with Metang." She says, relieved that someone close to her gets it. Sure, her Grandpa saw it with her Dad, but he's not here so it's not the same.
"I just...I don't know what I should do." She sighs, one of her hands coming up to the side of her head to massage her aching temple.
"Bring Metang along with us." Ash says, and she turns to look at him incredulously for his suggestion, to which he seems unfazed, "You want to battle with it, don't you?"
"Well, yeah, I guess." She replies, shrugging, "It's strong, and not just physically. It doesn't like to back down from a challenge, which makes it similar to my other Pokemon in a sense."
"I agree with young Ash, my girl." Her Grandpa says, walking into the room with the assistance of his stick and settling down on the armchair at the side of the room, "I think you should take Metang with you. You could learn a lot from each other."
"You think?" Casey asks.
"Your father learnt a lot from that little Bagon he caught in Hoenn." He replies, smiling.
She feels Ash's eyes on her. She's never really talked about her parents with her friends, and she silently promises herself that one day she will, but it's enough of a challenge to talk about them with her Grandpa as it is.
She'll tell them eventually, but now she's focused on something else.
"Alright. I'll take Metang with us."
