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Chapter 2 - Starting Line
Now Playing: Forest – Silent Hill 2 OST
A sudden jolt of pain ran through the Scorbunny's head, forcing her eyes open with a grimace.
"O-Ow...my head..."
Very slowly, she lifted herself off the ground. She rubbed at her head, trying to dispel the headache that had woken her. She tried to look around, but all she could see were the blurry images of the forest trees around her and the dark night sky up above.
She groaned. Right, they were in the Slumbering Weald, as the boy named Hop had called it, trying to find a Wooloo before they were attacked by...
Her daze immediately vanished as she remembered the two creatures that had attacked them. Whirling around, she tried to find them within the fog, but it was as if the creatures had never even existed. Her body stayed tensed, ready for any sneak attack but all she could hear were the sounds of wild Pokémon. Her eyes scanned the tree line before stopping on the outline of a person's body lying just ahead of her.
She gasped, completely forgetting about the wolves, and ran towards the unconscious body.
"Terry? Terry! Are you okay?!" she stammered as she shook the body.
A groan coming from behind her made her jump and stand protectively in front of the boy's body. Further away, another lump of shadow started to grow taller until it towered above her. She was ready to charge at it, but the sudden appearance of light revealed the shadow to be Hop. He looked around with the light before his eyes landed on Scorbunny and the unconscious boy behind her.
"Oh, crap...Terry!" he cried out, racing over beside Scorbunny and shaking Terry's body.
It took a few seconds of shaking before the boy began to stir with a groan. His eyes cracked open only to slam shut.
"Hop...can you not...shine the light right in my face?" he rasped, shielding himself from the blinding light.
Hop flinched and moved the light away, "Oh, right. Sorry, mate."
Terry began to sit up but was knocked back by the Scorbunny slamming into his chest with a cry. He stiffened and reached down to pry the Pokémon off.
"Relax, I'm fine...I think." He set her down to her dismay and looked around in confusion. "Where'd those two wolves go?"
Hop shrugged, "No idea, but it's a good thing they're gone-"
"HOP! TERRY!"
Leon's voice broke through the tense, foggy air followed by the stomping of his Charizard. The champion appeared from down the path, rushing up to the two of them and wrapping Hop in a tight hug.
"Oh thank Arceus, you two are safe..." Leon leaned back and flicked Hop in the forehead. "Do you know how worried Mum and I have been?! We thought something had happened to the both of you!"
"S-Sorry, Lee..." Hop mumbled. "We just wanted to find that Wooloo that broke through the gate before something happened to it."
"You mean this Wooloo?" Leon pointed over his shoulder. The two boys looked over to see a Wooloo sitting next to Charizard with said Pokémon giving the sheep a harsh glare.
"I found the little guy just a bit after coming in here."
"Oh," Hop deflated. "Great."
Leon sighed and smiled at him, "Look, I understand why you did it and I'm proud of you for wanting to make sure it's safe, but you know the Slumbering Weald is off-limits..."
"Yeah, I thought we were done for once those mad Pokémon attacked us..."
Leon's body tensed, "...Mad Pokémon? What happened?"
As Scorbunny listened to Hop's recounting of events, she kept glancing over at Terry. So far, he had been silent, looking around the forest with a hand on his bandana. He seemed so unnaturally calm after what they had just been through.
Something had happened after he tossed her away from that Pokémon. She could feel it.
"The fearsome Pokémon that live in the Slumbering Weald..." Leon muttered once Hop had finished his spiel, "Sounds like what Sonia ran into..." He quickly shook out of his thoughts. "Never mind. Let's just get out of here first. It should be fine now that I'm here."
Leon turned and began escorting the boys and Scorbunny out of the forest. She watched Hop lean over to Terry.
"Hey, even though we got an earful from Lee, this whole experience was crazy!" he whispered. "It'd make for a great first page in the tale of my legend, huh?"
"...Whatever you say, Hop."
"Just know that your second page is when Mum chews you out," Leon chimed in with a cheeky grin.
Hop's face paled, "Oh...great..."
Scorbunny giggled slightly at Hop's soon-to-be misfortune but continued watching Terry. The Pokémon from before were gone, the Wooloo was found, and they all were okay.
So why? Why did Terry look...disappointed?
"Is something bothering you, Scorbunny?"
She glanced behind her to see Charizard looking down at her.
"A little bit..." she replied. "But it's probably nothing."
Stop Playing
The next few minutes for Terry were a blur. Mostly because he wasn't paying attention and didn't bother to. He just wanted this day to end. His battery was running empty due to everything that had happened.
Finally, like coming to the end of a long road trip, he threw himself into bed, content to be back in his own den away from the world. For the first time in who-knows-how-long, Terry felt calm despite the craziness he had survived.
It didn't last as his thoughts went back to that mad Pokémon that had cornered him. Questions about it ran through his mind. What exactly was it? Where had it come from? Was it really the same Pokémon that people in Postwick and Wedgehurst told stories about?
Why was he still alive after being cornered by it?
He groaned, rubbing at his head to quell the rising headache. The last thing he wanted to do was keep thinking about all this. He just wanted to go back to stewing in his own grief. He reached up and untied the bandana, gazing up at it while the light from the moon shined off it. He sighed and set it on the bedside table next to him. The bed under him creaked as he rolled over and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the incoming nightmares.
They didn't take long to come.
Now Playing: Don't Cry – Silent Hill OST
Before he knew it, he found himself back in the Slumbering Weald. The fog had already begun to thicken and howls coming from deeper within the forest echoed off the forest wall.
"Hop?" he called out, spinning around to see if he could find the boy. "...Scorbunny?"
The howling became louder. Terry's heart began pounding in his ears as the stomps of the two Pokémon drew closer and closer. With no idea where he was going, he started running in a random direction. Jumping over tall grass, weaving between the trees, it was all he could do to try and lose his pursuers. No matter what he did though, the beasts always sounded closer and closer.
Terry's foot got caught on a tree root, sending him tumbling to the ground. He scrambled to get back up when a deep, guttural growl came from behind him. Slowly, he turned, coming face to face with the creature that he had encountered in the forest. He pushed himself backward in an attempt to get himself as far away from the beast as possible. It drew closer, each painfully slow and methodical. Its yellow eyes stared straight into Terry's soul.
Closer...and closer...
"H-Hop?!" Terry cried out. "Leon?! Anyone?!"
The Pokemon drew closer.
"MOM! DAD! SOMEONE!"
Just as the creature filled Terry's entire vision, a different voice rang out, along with the forest beginning to rumble and shake.
"Bunny! Scorbunny!"
Stop Playing
"Ah...!"
Terry's eyes shot open to be greeted with his body being violently rocked back and forth.
He shot out a hand, "Stop, stop! I'm awake! I'm-"
His words died in his throat when he saw the Scorbunny standing in front of him with a look of worry.
"Oh..." Terry breathed out, "It's just you."
"Ny-bun scor, bunny?"
"Uh, yeah...still don't understand what you're saying."
Scorbunny huffed and pointed at him and then at the bed.
Terry followed her paw, "You...were worried about me having a nightmare?"
"Bun!"
He placed a hand over his heart, still feeling it beat at a million miles an hour. He looked over at his clock, which read 3:34 in the morning. He sighed, "Um...thanks, but I'm probably just gonna have another one as soon as I go back to sleep."
"Scorbun...bunny scor-ny."
Now Playing: Vigil – Mass Effect OST
Terry gazed at the Rabbit Pokémon in front of him in silence. This Scorbunny...she's been following him around the entire day. Even in the Slumbering Weald, she had been so worried about him. His brow furrowed.
"...Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with Leon?"
Her ears drooped forward as she folded her hands behind her and, with a soft smile, lightly kicked at the blanket.
"S-Scorbun...bunny scorbun."
Terry sighed, "Look, I'm sorry, but I've already told you. I don't want a-"
"Bunny, scor!" She hopped closer to him with a pleading look. "Ny-bun bunny scorbun!"
"Still can't understand you," Terry deadpanned.
She huffed and pointed at him, "Scor..." She pointed at herself. "...Ny-bun. Scorbun bunny."
Terry frowned. When will this Scorbunny understand that he didn't want a Pokémon? Becoming a Trainer was just BEGGING for so many things to go wrong. He barely had enough energy to take care of himself. How would he be able to handle this? Even battles would be difficult. The only thing he knew about them was what Hop raved about when watching one on TV and what his mother had taught him so many years ago and THAT was foggy at best.
His gaze hovered over to his bandana. What would she think about all of this? Would she be upset that he was so reluctant to have one? She always said that having a Pokémon by your side was one of the greatest things in the world, something that would be with you through thick and thin, through pain and joy.
...She always did love Pokémon. Dad did too.
He turned back to the Scorbunny, who was sitting patiently in front of him.
"If I keep saying 'no', you're not gonna stop trying until I say otherwise, are you?"
She scratched her head sheepishly, "Bun..."
"Are you...really sure that you want me as your Trainer?"
"Bun!" she nodded.
Terry could feel his heart pound against his chest. Arceus, he couldn't believe he was really doing this.
"...F-Fine," he sighed. "I guess if I have no choice..."
"Scorbunny!" she cheered and started to lunge at him before a hand clamped over her mouth.
"Sshhhh! Keep it down!" Terry hissed at her. "I'm not the only one sleeping in this house, you know!"
He let go of her and she smiled sheepishly, "Scorbun, bunny."
He sighed, "Okay...before we go any further, I just want to set a couple things straight. I know I can't understand you, but I don't want you calling me 'master' or anything close to that. It's just 'Terry', got it?"
She nodded.
"Good. Now, the other thing is..." he grimaced. What he was about to do was something his mom and dad had always done for their Pokémon. If he went through with this, there was no going back. "Now...we just need to give you a name."
Her head tilted, "Scor? Ny-bun Scorbunny?"
"It...would just be easier to give you a name instead of calling you 'Scorbunny' all the time. No offense."
"Scorbun."
Terry fell silent as he studied the Scorbunny. His parents had named all of their Pokémon. To them, it helped strengthen the bond between them and their team. Was that really why he was doing this? No, he figured. Circumstances were different. This was just a formality, nothing more. Although, part of him didn't want to throw out some random name.
At last, it came to him.
"Zorah," he said, causing the Scorbunny to perk up. "How's that sound?"
She grinned, "Bun! Bun!"
"Good," Terry sighed. "Now that that's all taken care of, can I sleep now?"
She tittered as Terry laid back down on the bed. He began to close his eyes when he suddenly felt a weight on his stomach. They opened only to see Zorah staring back at him with a wide smile and her arms wrapped around him.
He reached up and lifted her off his chest, "Please don't make me repeat myself. I'm not a touchy-feely person."
That didn't deter her as she immediately curled up next to his side once her feet hit the bed.
"You..." Terry groaned. "Fine. You win, but this is only for tonight."
Zorah secretly pumped her fist in victory while Terry closed his eyes again. She waited a couple of minutes until his breathing slowed and took that chance to peek up at the face of her new trainer.
There were many things she didn't know about him, but there was one thing she was certain of; she wouldn't stop trying to make him smile.
"Ny-scor, bunny," she whispered as she too fell asleep.
Stop Playing
The Next Morning...
As Terry's eyes opened, two things ran through his mind. The first was his surprise from not waking up in a cold sweat from a nightmare. Odd...he couldn't remember the last time that had happened.
The second was wondering what the weight curled around his head was. It took him a moment to realize that Zorah had moved from her place by his side and decided that next to his head was a better spot. It didn't help that her arms were tightly wrapped around him.
He blinked and tried to shimmy his head out of her grasp, only to be met with growing pressure on his skull.
"Zorah..." he grumbled and tried once again to free himself. This time, instead of his head being squeezed like an Oran Berry, Zorah reflexively kicked her feet out. Unfortunately, her target only ended up being Terry's neck.
"Zorah!" he cried, rousing the Scorbunny from her slumber.
"S-Scor...?" she mumbled sleepily. She looked down at Terry, coming face to face with his piercing glare.
"Let. Go. Of. My. Head."
She flinched back and smiled sheepishly, "S-Scorbun, b-bunny..."
Terry sat up, rubbing and stretching out his neck, "Sheesh, nearly tore my head off with that grip of yours..." He looked over to see Zorah staring glumly down at the bedsheets. He sighed, "Don't look so down. I'm not that mad at you. If it makes you feel any better, I didn't have a nightmare, so there's that."
Zorah's mood improved upon hearing that, a smile already starting to grow on her face. Terry glanced behind her at his clock.
10:00 AM.
His eyes widened. This was the earliest he had ever woken up. Not only that, but he felt...more awake than any other mornings before. The prospect of retreating back under the covers and ignoring the world for another day still whispered in the back of his mind like a shadow, yet it was overtaken by this unfamiliar, newfound energy he had.
Still confused, he got out of bed and began getting dressed with the nagging feeling that something was going to happen today. He wasn't sure if he should be curious...or scared.
Leon and Hop sat at the table with the former assuaging the latter with his day-to-day life as Champion. The conversation came to an abrupt halt when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs, to which Hop nearly fell out of his chair when Terry came into view.
Leon beamed, "Terry! I don't think I've ever seen you up this early!"
"No kidding!" Hop exclaimed.
Terry sweatdropped as he came closer to the table, "Uh, yeah...it feels...new."
"Well, it's nice to see you up," Leon said. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to know where that Scorbunny went, do you? She disappeared somewhere after we got back home last night."
Hearing her name called, Zorah hopped onto the table in front of Terry and placed her hands on her hips with a smile.
"Oh, there ya are! I was wondering where you had run off to. We should probably get you back in your ball now-"
"Scor! Scor! Ny-bun scor!"
Leon froze with the Pokéball in his hand as he watched Zorah frantically point at Terry. The two brothers looked between the Pokémon and Terry while he looked away with his hand on his bandana.
"Terry? Did you...?" Hop muttered.
He sighed, "She, uh...didn't really give me a choice, so..."
Now Playing: The Unyielding Medium Princess – Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice OST
Zorah hopped up and wrapped herself around Terry's arm. With a defeated sigh, he detached the affectionate rabbit off his arm and placed her back on the table.
"Terry...that's amazing!" Hop grinned, reaching over to pet Zorah, "Isn't she just the cutest thing though?"
"It...this isn't something to go crazy over, Hop." Terry flushed. "Besides, she was just gonna keep trying until I said 'yes', so I might as well let her stay with me."
Leon smiled at him, "Still, I'm glad you two were able to choose one another. This is a very important moment, Terry."
"I...I guess."
"Now, what's with all the ruckus down here?"
Catherine appeared at the bottom of the steps and gasped at the sight of Terry and the Rabbit Pokémon under Hop's hand. She smiled, "Good morning, Terry."
"...Morning."
Her eyes trailed over to the Scorbunny, "And who might this little one be?"
"That's, uh...Zorah. She kinda came to my room last night."
"Zorah?" Hop raised an eyebrow. "You already named her too?"
"Bun scor! Bunny bun scorbun!"
"It was easier than just calling her 'Scorbunny' all the time."
Hop smirked, "If you say so." He suddenly hopped out of his seat with a wide grin. "Oh, you know what we need to do now, right?"
Terry silently grimaced. He didn't like where this was headed.
"We gotta have a battle, mate! You and me!"
"Bun! Bun!" Zorah exclaimed with sparkling eyes.
Stop Playing
Terry groaned, "Can't we just be happy with the fact I have a Pokémon now?"
"What's the point of having one if you aren't going to battle?"
"Because that's not for me. I barely know anything about-"
Hop grabbed Terry's arm and started dragging him towards the door, "Don't worry so much! It's easy!"
"Woah! Hop! W-Wait!"
Leon stood up as Zorah followed after the two boys.
"I should probably go with them. Make sure they don't get themselves into trouble again."
A quiet sniffle from Catherine stopped him in his tracks.
"...Laura would be so proud of him."
Leon smiled softly, "...Yeah, I think she would."
"I swear to Arceus, you're going to be the death of me, Hop..." Terry deflated as Hop stood across from him on the arena with his arms proudly folded over his chest.
"Oh c'mon! You spent the whole night with that Scorbunny of yours! Battling is just the next step!"
"Ny-bun bun!"
Leon sauntered up to the field, "Oh? And what about you, Hop? I hope some of that energy went into bonding with your own partner."
Hop huffed, "Well, of course it did! If I want to become Champion, having that bond is important!"
"Too right," Leon nodded. "The bond Charizard and I share is one of the biggest reasons why I've gone so undefeated, to the point where-"
"You can understand each other perfectly..." Terry's hold on his bandana tightened ever so slightly. His mother and father had both reached that point with their Pokémon.
Leon's face softened, but he nodded, "Exactly. As long as you trust in one another and keep battling side by side long enough, then perhaps you'll even rival the likes of me!"
Terry sighed, "I've already said that's not what I-"
"You should at least give it a try, mate! You might end up liking it!" Hop grinned as he reached for a Pokéball.
Terry didn't want to take that chance. He didn't want to battle. All he wanted was to go back inside and shut out the rest of the world. That was where he felt safe. Nothing could hurt him under the sheets. So then...why?
Why was he still standing here?
He looked down at Zorah. The Scorbunny stared back up at him with sparkling eyes, waiting for his decision.
"What do you say?" Leon asked.
Terry glanced between Zorah and the brothers before sighing in defeat, "...Fine."
Hop pumped his fist, "Yes!"
"Scor ny-bun, bunny!"
"Didn't really feel like I had a choice..." He whispered to himself.
Leon smiled and thumped a fist against his chest, "Well, if everyone's on board, then let's do this!"
"I've watched every match that Lee's ever had plus read every book and magazine he's left behind!" Hop boasted. "There's no way I'll lose!"
"Really...I would never have guessed..." Terry droned, earning a small snort from Zorah. The Scorbunny hopped forward in front of Terry, bouncing back and forth on her feet as she eagerly awaited the signal to begin.
"Alright, rules are simple. The winner is the one that defeats all their opponent's Pokémon!" Leon announced. "You two ready?"
"Ready!" Hop beamed, smacking a Pokéball into his hand.
Terry simply gripped his bandana as his stomach churned with uncertainty and fear. What was he doing? Why was he still going through with this?
Just run back to the house.
Hide in your bed and wait for the day to end.
You're not a Trainer. Just stop this before-
"Begin!"
Now Playing: Battle! Hop – Pokémon Sword and Shield OST
"Come on out, Wooloo!"
Hop launched the Pokéball forward, having it open to reveal his own starter.
"Beeehh!"
Hop pointed forward, "Start off with Tackle!"
Terry jolted back to reality as Wooloo tucked in its legs and sped towards Zorah with unnaturally high speed. Before Terry or Zorah could react, the spinning ball of white wool slammed into Zorah, knocking her backward onto the ground.
"Shit!" Terry cursed under his breath. "S-Sorry, Zorah..."
"Scor-ny..." She hopped to her feet and flashed him a smile, "Scor, bunny!"
"Another Tackle!"
Terry snapped his head up to see the Wooloo once again beginning to roll towards them.
"G-Get out of the way, Zorah!"
The Scorbunny hopped over the blurry figure of the Wooloo and landed just behind it.
"Try again, Wooloo!"
"Meh!"
Terry gripped his bandana tightly, "D-Dodge it again!"
Zorah sidestepped the Wooloo before taking off after it once it slowed down and without waiting for Terry's command.
"Scor!" She yelled as she slammed her body into the Wooloo, sending the Sheep Pokemon tumbling back to its Trainer.
"Wooloo! You okay?"
Wooloo shook itself out of its daze and turned back towards Zorah, "Beh beh!"
"Bun scor!"
Terry glanced down at her, "U-Um...good...job, I guess?"
She grinned back at him, but it vanished as she was hit yet again by another Tackle. Terry choked on his breath. What else was he supposed to do? He didn't even know what moves Zorah had besides Tackle. How was he supposed to do this with no experience?
Oh, this was a mistake. Why did he get himself talked into this? He should've just gone back to bed.
Even as Zorah shakily got back to her feet and the Wooloo began yet another Tackle, Terry's thoughts fizzled into ash. Everything blurred and it took all he had to take a step onto the field.
"Stop. Just...stop!"
Stop Playing
Zorah sidestepped the rolling Wooloo while Hop and Leon both froze and looked over at Terry.
Leon took a step toward him, "...Terry?"
"I just...I-I can't do this," Terry's voice shook. "I don't know anything about battles. There's no reason for me to keep trying."
Leon moved closer to him and placed a hand on Terry's shoulder, "It's alright, Terry. First-time battles are always a little daunting."
"Doesn't help that I was forced into this," Terry mumbled as he shook off Leon's hold on him.
Leon winced. He had seen new Trainers beat themselves up over their first battles. Heck, he was just as guilty when he started his journey, but even he couldn't help but feel the air around the yard get colder after that comment.
"S-Sorry, mate..." Hop said from across the arena. "I just thought that you'd be up for a battle since you had a Pokémon now."
"Beh beh..."
Terry's mouth opened, but he closed it as his grip on his bandana tightened.
"Bunny..."
He looked down at his feet. Zorah gazed back up at him with worry.
"Do you...still want to keep her?" Hop tentatively asked.
Zorah spun around in shock and hastily shook her head, "Scorbunny! Bunny scor ny-bun scor!"
Terry snapped out of his dour mood for a split second, confused and in awe that despite his pitiful performance, she still wanted to stay with him. However, the cloud over his head returned and he sighed.
"Well, there's your answer."
Leon looked between Terry and Zorah before an idea popped into his head. His smile returned, "Well, if she is still planning on staying with you, then you should probably make sure you get a Pokédex."
Terry raised an eyebrow, "Why?"
"To help you take care of your partner, of course! It's more than just a collection of data, you know."
Terry wanted to decline. He was already sick of today. He just wanted to go back to bed, but that same energy from this morning surged back into him. The sting of the battle already felt dull and insignificant, much to Terry's surprise and confusion.
It was just a Pokédex. It was just gonna be a simple pickup, right?
"You should get one too, Hop," Leon said, turning towards his brother.
Hop immediately perked up, "Oh, yeah! Definitely! I'm gonna need one if I want to take on the Gym Challenge after all!"
Leon chuckled. Hop's passion for going on the Gym Challenge was not new to the champion, given how every time he visited, Hop would always beg for an endorsement letter from him.
"Glad to see you're not putting the cart before the Rapidash, little brother."
For once...Terry thought to himself.
"But...the Gym Challenge is a serious deal," Leon suddenly said, his face losing its cheerful glee and replaced with the seriousness belonging to a champion. "The League has people around the Wild Area to help keep an eye on Challengers, but it's still a dangerous place. You never know what you might run into out there."
"I know, Lee, but I'm old enough to do it! Plus, I'll be sure to have a strong enough team to stay safe and be able to beat you!"
Leon relaxed, "Glad to hear it, but Pokédex first."
"Then there's no time to waste! You ready, Wooloo?" Hop boomed.
"Beh! Beh!"
He recalled Wooloo back to its Pokéball and raced past Leon and Terry. "I'll see ya at the Research Lab!"
As Hop sprinted down Route 1 towards Wedgehurst, Leon turned back to Terry.
"Ready to get going?"
Terry sighed as Zorah hopped at his feet, "I guess."
"Bun bun, bunny!"
Leon nodded and headed out in the same direction Hop had gone. Terry began to follow but slowed down his pace until he was even with Zorah.
"Hey, um...Zorah?"
"Ny?"
"I'm, um..." Terry grabbed his bandana, "...sorry about...what happened. I know you were excited to battle and I screwed it up for you..."
She smiled and waved her hand dismissively, "Bunny, ny-bun scorbunny."
"Oh! Before I forget..." Leon's voice cut through their conversation. He reached into the inside of his cape and pulled out a Pokéball, holding it out to Terry. "Since she's staying with you, it'd probably be a good idea for you to have this."
Terry grabbed the orb and gazed down at it. A flurry of emotions stirred within him: confusion, fear, awe, grief.
Was he really still going through with this? Was he really going to keep a Pokémon with him? The whispers in his head kept telling him this was a mistake; another heartbreak just waiting to happen.
His hand tightened around his bandana. As he continued following after Leon, he couldn't stop thinking about whether or not this was the right thing to do, if this was truly what his parents would've wanted for him.
The trek through Route 1 had run into a snag before it even began. A herd of Wooloo had blocked the main path to Wedgehurst, forcing the three to take a detour. The next couple minutes were spent with Leon trying to remember the way to the Lab, Terry reminding him which way to go, and Zorah getting more practice battling the wild Pokémon that ambushed them. Terry didn't try to order her when she did as he remembered that the only successful hit she earned during his battle with Hop was when she acted of her own accord.
He wasn't sure if that was a testament to her tenacity for battle or his lousy Trainer skills.
Eventually, the trio arrived at the Research Lab with Hop tapping his foot just outside the entrance.
Now Playing: A Town Called Hometown – Osiris Music
"There you are!" he said when he saw Terry and Leon approach. "Was beginning to think you two ended up in Johto or something!"
"Haha, very funny, Hop," Leon teased.
As Terry stood by, waiting for the brothers to finish talking, he felt his leg being poked. He looked down at Zorah, "Need something?"
"Scor scor ny-bun scorbunny," she said as she pantomimed sleeping with her head on her hands.
"Uh...I'm guessing you're tired?"
"Bun."
Terry blinked, "You wanna rest in your ball?"
"Bun."
"...Alright."
He pulled the Pokeball out of his pocket. Pointing it at her, he pressed the button on the front of it, sending out a beam of red light that enveloped her. The beam retracted back into the ball with Zorah along with it.
Terry returned the ball back to his pocket as Leon and Hop began heading inside the Lab.
Books of all kinds lined the wall, reaching all the way up to the ceiling from the floor. If there was ever a picture to go with the definition of "Research Lab", this place was it.
"Yamp! Yamper yamp!"
The barks of a Yamper filled the room as the Puppy Pokémon rounded a corner and barreled towards Leon.
He laughed as the Yamper happily pawed at his leg, "Hey, Yamper! Good to see you too!"
"Leon? Is that you?" A woman's voice called out. "Let me guess: looking for info on another never-before-seen, super-powerful Pokémon?"
The three boys looked over a set of stairs to see a young woman with peach hair and a tan peacoat. Terry blinked in recognition as the woman walked over to them.
"Not exactly," Leon said, sheepishly scratching his beard. "Hop, Terry, I'd like you to meet Sonia. She's an amazing cook."
Sonia clicked her tongue, "What kind of introduction is that? At least tell them I'm the professor's assistant and that I was your rival during-" She stopped as her eyes found Terry's. "Oh, hey! You're that guy I bumped into at the store a couple of days ago!"
"...Y-Yeah," he mumbled as he held onto his bandana. "That was me."
She smiled, "Wouldn't have thought you were friends with Leon of all people."
Leon stepped forward to correct her but stopped in his tracks by Terry's glare. She glanced between the two of them but said nothing about it.
"Anyways, what brings the three of you here if you're not here asking about strong Pokémon?"
"Lee said you could help us get some Pokédexes!" Hop spoke up. "We'll need them when we take on the Gym Challenge."
"You mean when you go on it," Terry corrected.
"Ah, I see. That's much simpler than scouring through dozens of books off of a vague description." She smirked at Leon.
"Hey, you always manage to find it."
She rolled her eyes, "Getting those Pokedexes ready shouldn't take too long. How about you help me with them, Leon?"
He blinked, "Oh, sure."
She nodded and retreated to the back of the lab with Leon on her heels. Sonia pulled out two inactive Rotom Phones from a nearby desk and got to work powering them up.
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Leon scratched his head, "So...do you really need my help or...?"
"Hmm?" Sonia hummed. "Oh, not really, but I did want to ask you something."
"Oh, okay."
Sonia nodded back towards the two boys, "Terry was his name, right? Why does he seem so...gloomy?"
Leon's face darkened, "I...don't think it's my place to say."
"Why not? It's normal for everyone to have bad days, but he seems really out of-"
"Sonia."
She balked at the seriousness laced within his voice. Glancing over at him, she froze as the cheery champion that she grew up with and went on the Gym Challenge with was replaced by someone much more somber.
"He's been through a lot. Give him some slack."
Her brow furrowed. Been through a lot? What could he mean by that? As she configured the Rotom Phones to have the Pokedex, her mind stayed focused on that question.
Been through a lot...
…
…
...Oh.
Just as the Pokedexes were ready, she looked over at Leon, wide-eyed, "You mean...?"
He nodded. Words were not needed for something so personal.
"Like I said, take it easy with him," Leon whispered. "And...don't let him know that I mentioned it to you, okay?"
"Don't worry."
He nodded and his normal champion persona returned as she picked up the phones and carried them back to the two boys.
"Here." She held out the phones to them.
Hop snatched one out of her hand and held it up triumphantly, "Alright!"
Sonia giggled at his enthusiasm, "It'll have everything you need: Pokémon information, navigation, and a map of the region in the event you get REALLY lost like a certain champion I know."
"You know, you're just as bad as Hop when it comes to that," Leon pouted.
"Not our fault you're pants with directions, Lee."
Sonia turned her attention to Terry, "How about you?"
He glanced up from the phone, "...What about me?"
"Well, it doesn't seem like you're all that interested in the Gym Challenge."
"Oh...well..." He reached up to his bandana, "The Scorbunny that Leon brought got attached to me so it only made sense for me to have a Pokédex to help take care of her." He shrugged. "I wasn't planning on anything else."
"Actually..." Leon spoke up. "I need to go see the professor about something and I was wondering if you wanted to tag along."
Terry's grip tightened, "What? Why?"
"Well, this is the most I've seen you out of your room. It wouldn't hurt to go a little further out of town, right?"
"I..."
"Yeah, mate!" Hop chimed in. "It's been awesome having you around more!"
No...no, he already had his fill for today. All he wanted was to just go back home...right? Why was he so indecisive about this now? What changed?
Sonia listened in intently. She had a basic idea of why Terry was so dour and wanted to see where this would go.
"I...Alright," Terry sighed, "But after this, that's it."
Leon grinned, "Works for me. In the meantime, I'm going to leave you two on your own to make your way there. It's pretty important that I go see her, so I better get going."
"See ya soon, Lee! I'll be sure to have caught another Pokémon by the time I get there!" Hop said as Leon began to leave.
"I know you will," Leon replied. "It was good seeing you, Sonia."
She waved, "See ya later, Leon."
With a nod, the door shut. Hop turned to Terry with a grin.
"I should get going too! If I want to get that endorsement letter from Lee, I better train more so I can show him I'm ready! I'll see ya at the professor's house, Terry!"
Before Terry could respond, Hop was out the door, leaving him and Sonia alone.
"Those two..." she sighed, "When it comes to battling or the Gym Challenge, their heads just go into the clouds..."
"You're telling me..."
Sonia gazed at the boy. She could tell he was forcing himself to do this. Whether it was from the peer pressure from Hop and Leon or for some other unknown reason, it was obvious to her. Leaving him alone to traverse Route 2 was a really dumb move on the brothers' part.
Now Playing: Navigate – OneShot OST
"How about I go with you, huh?" Sonia suddenly said, catching Terry off-guard. "Wouldn't want you to have to trek all the way to Gran's house by yourself."
"N-No...it's okay. I'll be fine on my-" Terry stopped. "Wait, the professor's your grandmother?"
"That she is. Don't worry. I'm more than capable of making sure any wild Pokémon don't get the best of us." She twirled her hair around her finger. "Perks of growing up alongside everyone's favorite champion."
Terry blinked, "...Huh."
"Anyways, we better go before it gets too late. It's quite a trip from here all the way to the end of Route 2."
"Oh, r-right."
Terry started to follow after her, but stopped. "Actually, there's something I want to do first."
"Sure, go ahead."
He fished out the Pokeball from his pocket and let out its inhabitant. Zorah appeared and immediately smiled upon seeing her Trainer.
"Bunny! Ny-bun scor."
"Oh, what a cutie!"
Her eyes darted over to Sonia who, without hesitation, began fawning over her.
"Aren't you just so adorable?"
"Yamp! Yamp!"
Yamper began running circles around Zorah. The Scorbunny giggled under all the attention and embraced it fully. Terry watched the display with a wistful gaze before pulling out his new Pokedex and scanning Zorah with it.
"Scorbunny:
Rabbit Pokémon
Type: Fire
Variant: Female
Weight: 10 lbs
Height: 1'0"
It has special pads on the backs of its feet, and one on its nose. Once it's warmed itself up by running around, these pads radiate tremendous heat.
Known Moves:
Tackle, Growl, Ember"
"Well, that takes care of that," Terry said to himself, noting the addition of the new fire-type move. He figured she picked it up on the way here.
Sonia snapped out of squealing over Zorah and faced Terry, "Ready to go?"
Terry hesitated one last time. The odd energy he felt from this morning was still ever-present. In fact, it seemed to have gotten stronger as the day dragged on. It only left Terry more and more confused.
"R-Ready as I'll ever be, I guess..." he finally said.
Sonia nodded and opened the door. Yamper rushed out ahead, eager to lead the way. Zorah stayed by Terry's side as he walked back out into the sunlight, his mind still racing.
What was still pushing him forward?