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Chapter 3 - A Faint Glimmer
Now Playing: Lazy Afternoon – Kingdom Hearts 2
The afternoon sun shined down on Terry and Sonia as they made their way through Wedgehurst to the start of Route 2. Zorah and Yamper were chasing after each other just ahead of their trainers, bobbing and weaving past one another accompanied by giggles and yips. Terry kept his eyes glued forward, not bothering to take in his surroundings while Sonia continued shooting glances at him. Neither of them had said anything to each other ever since they left the Research Lab and the silence was starting to feel awkward to her.
Just as the beginning of the route came into view, Terry sighed and looked over at her.
"Okay, what is it?"
Sonia jumped, completely blindsided out of her stupor. "W-What?"
Terry's eyebrow raised. "Look, I know I'm the textbook example of 'giving the cold shoulder', but you're not exactly being subtle about glancing at me every five seconds."
"...Sheesh, you don't have to be so rude about it," Sonia huffed.
"You're the one constantly staring at me."
Sonia sighed, "I figured you were gloomy, but I didn't think it was this bad-"
"Because of what Leon told you, right?"
Both of them stopped on the bridge that was just short of the route.
"How do you-"
"I'm not stupid," Terry said, turning to face her, "Leon may be champion, but he's not a tech wizard. Why else would you ask for his 'help' if not to ask about me?"
Sonia began to respond but stopped when Zorah and Yamper tumbled onto the bridge with a fit of laughter. Zorah smiled up at Terry and waved. Sonia could feel the hostile air around him dissipate as he gazed back down at the Rabbit Pokémon.
"Hey, why don't you get some rest?" he said, pulling out her Pokéball from his pocket, "I'll let you out when we get to the Professor's house."
Zorah tilted her head slightly, but nodded, allowing herself to be pulled back into her ball.
Terry sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Look, I'm sorry. Today has been weird for me, to say the least, and Leon telling you about me doesn't help my mood."
"He...didn't really tell me anything," Sonia said, "Just that you had been through a lot and I put some of the pieces together." Her face softened. "I figured you wouldn't like me asking you about it..."
"And you'd be right," Terry replied, his hand reaching up to his bandana. "So can we just drop this conversation? Please?"
Sonia nodded, "Sure. Besides, it wouldn't be fun for either of us if we were late getting to Gran's house because we were so busy trying to pry into each other's business or catch Pokémon."
"I'm not going to catch anything."
Sonia blinked, "Why not?"
"Because I don't want to. Do I really need another reason than that?" Terry said with his hand still clutching the bandana.
She frowned, "I...guess not. Usually most people want to have more..."
"Well, I'm not most people."
He began to turn away from her, already feeling his mind and body aching for anywhere but here, only to be stopped in his tracks when a bright blue face suddenly filled his vision.
"WOAH!" Terry cried out as he tumbled backward into Sonia.
Sonia held him steady but kept her eyes glued to the Pokémon in front of them. A grey shell sat on the back of its azure skin with dark blue spots dotted along its body.
"Oh, I didn't expect to see a Lapras all the way up here!"
Terry nudged out of her grasp and mumbled to himself, "...What is it about every Pokémon I meet trying to give me a heart attack?"
"Maybe you just need to pay more attention," Sonia replied as she reached up to pet the Pokémon that had interrupted them, earning a coo from it.
He frowned and was about to snap back at her, but stopped when he noticed the Lapras's dark brown eyes staring back at him, almost as if it was searching for something inside of him. It didn't help that a dull pressure kept buzzing inside of its head, like a Caterpie trying to burrow its way into the ground. He finally pulled himself away from its gaze after a few seconds and cleared his throat, garnering Sonia's attention.
Stop Playing
"We should go. Leon and the Professor are waiting for us."
"Oh! Right!" Sonia pet the Lapras one last time, but its eyes stayed focused on him. Terry wasn't sure whether to feel on edge or not and the constant buzzing in his skull wasn't helping matters, despite it starting to lessen with each step they took away from it.
Sonia smiled, "Well, that was a nice surprise. I didn't know there was still a Lapras living at the lake."
Terry raised an eyebrow, "I thought you lived next to the lake with the Professor?"
"Well, yeah. There used to be a couple more Lapras there when I was younger but less and less of them started to show up as time went by, so that's why I was surprised."
"Hmm…" Terry glanced over his shoulder. "Hey, did you feel like...a buzzing in your head when you were petting it?"
Sonia tilted her head. "A buzzing? I don't think so. Did you?"
"Kind of."
Her face turned thoughtful while she twirled a finger around her hair, "Hmm...I think I might know what you're talking about. Give me a second."
Sonia pulled her own Rotom Phone out of her pocket and proceeded to tap it several times before stopping.
"Here we go. Lapras, the Transport Pokémon. A smart and kindhearted Pokémon, they often enjoy ferrying people on its back. They're even able to understand human speech and there have even been reports of-"
Sonia was quickly cut off by a blur sailing past her and her phone now absent from her hand.
"...Huh?"
Terry watched as the blur landed further away from them, letting him get a better look at the thief. A Nickit glanced back at them with the phone in its mouth before taking off further down the route.
"Hey! Get back here! That's not yours!" Sonia called out and raced off after it.
"Ugh, great. Why couldn't this just have been a normal day?" Terry groaned before chasing after her.
Terry eventually caught up with Sonia after several minutes of trying to find her. She had cornered the Nickit on a side path that led to a dead-end, but Terry stopped at the sight of her holding an unconscious Yamper in her arms.
Sonia smiled sheepishly at him, "...Guess I bit off more than I could chew."
"You alright?"
"I'm fine. Yamper, not so much. Serves me right for cornering the bugger."
A growl from the Nickit broke through their conversation. Without thinking, Terry stepped in front of Sonia, keeping between the wild Pokémon and the unconscious one.
"Terry, you gotta get my phone back! Gran'll kill me if she found out I lost it!"
Panic laced through Terry's body. Another battle? Already? The sting of the first battle was still fresh. If he couldn't take on another Trainer, how could he deal with a simple wild Pokémon?
"Terry, breathe."
He glanced back at Sonia with wide eyes. A soft smile graced her lips.
"You're overthinking this. Just take a deep breath, okay?"
"O-Okay…"
Terry did as she said. Almost instantly, his chaotic thoughts quieted down, replaced by another voice. One he hadn't heard in so long.
"No matter what situation you're in, always remember to breathe. Even in battle, if I know I'm outmatched, I simply take a moment to breathe. It's how I was able to become the champion after all."
Now Playing: Forum Fight – Serious Sam 4 OST
His mother's voice echoed within his mind as his body began to relax. Keeping his eyes on the Nickit in front of him, he slowly reached into his pocket and tossed out the Pokeball. Zorah stood in front of him, surprised to be out of her ball so soon, but immediately went on guard at the sight of the Nickit in front of her.
"Okay...breathe…" Terry whispered to himself, "This isn't a Trainer battle...Breathe…"
The Nickit surged forward, quickly closing the distance between it and Zorah and knocking her backward.
"Zorah! Hit back with a Tackle!" Terry called out.
Zorah shook out of her daze and rushed the Nickit down. Her foot collided with nothing but air as the Nickit sidestepped the attack and launched another Quick Attack at her. Terry's breath quickened as his hand found his bandana. The battle had just started and this wasn't going well.
"Breathe..." he whispered, forcing himself to stay calm. There had to be an opening somewhere.
The Nickit readied itself again, a glowing white aura surrounding its body as it dug its paws into the dirt.
"Use Growl before it attacks, quick!"
Zorah unleashed it, causing the Nickit to hesitate for a moment but still deciding to barrel forward into her. She fell back with a cry but recovered much faster than normal.
As the Nickit hopped back to its spot, it smirked. These two didn't seem to know what they were doing. Easy. Its body glowed and it rushed Zorah down once more, eager to finish this.
All of a sudden, just before contact, Zorah sidestepped the attacking Nickit just before its attack connected. Even Terry was surprised by her initiative, but it gave them the opening they needed.
"Tackle it!"
Zorah nodded with a smile and smashed her body into the Nickit, sending it sprawling into the dirt.
"Scor ny-bun bunny, scor?" Zorah snarked towards the Nickit.
It scowled back at her as it rose to its feet and a white aura covered its body again. Zorah braced herself as the Nickit vanished. She scanned the area around, keeping her eyes open for wherever the Nickit would attack from.
Her ears twitched at the sound of footsteps behind her and jumped up into the air with a flip, dodging the Nickit's claws as they swiped past her. She wasted no time sending another Tackle into the Nickit.
Terry's eyes widened, "Oh. That...works, I guess."
She flashed him a grin and looked back to see the Nickit shaking as it rose to its feet. It wasted no time rushing her down, but without a white aura surrounding it.
"We almost got it. Zorah, finish it with Ember!"
"Bun!"
Zorah dug into the dirt and channeled the natural fire she felt within her thanks to her typing. In quick breath, she spat out a flame straight at the oncoming Nickit. Thanks to the damage it had already taken, the Nickit could only watch helplessly as the attack crashed straight into it, launching it away from Zorah until it finally crashed into the ground where it stayed put.
Stop Playing
Terry breathed out a sigh of relief, "Holy crap, we actually won…"
"Bun! Bunny scorbun scor!" Zorah cheered as she quickly latched onto Terry's leg.
He stiffened from the contact and kneeled down to pry her off.
"Uh, yeah. Good...job out there…"
Sonia stepped past them and the unconscious Nickit to find her phone laying on the ground just before a bush.
"Phew…it's not broken." Sonia smiled back at Terry. "Thanks for stepping in. You put up a pretty good fight."
Terry scratched his head, "It was more Zorah than me."
"Don't sell yourself short. You did just as much as she did."
Terry glanced down at Zorah who was vigorously nodding her head.
"...I guess." He took out Zorah's Pokeball from his pocket and pointed it at her. "Get some rest."
Zorah smiled and let herself be pulled back into the ball.
"You aren't thinking of catching that Nickit?" Sonia asked.
"I already told you that I'm not doing that."
Sonia frowned for a moment but replaced it with a soft smile, "I understand. Just wanted to be sure."
"...Plus it's not like I could since I don't have any spare Pokeballs on me."
She giggled, "Ah, that's Leon for you."
The two of them made their way back onto the main path and continued their walk to the Professor's house. It was silent between the two of them before Terry spoke again.
"...Hey, Sonia?"
"Yeah?"
"...T-Thanks...for the advice."
Sonia blinked in surprise before grinning.
"It was no problem, Terry."
The sun had already set past the horizon with the lake reflecting the pink sky when Terry and Sonia finally arrived at the Professor's House. Hop was waiting out front next to the battle arena in the front yard when he spotted the two.
"Hey! You two made it!" Hop said with a wave. "Thought you guys got lost for a moment."
"If anyone got lost, it'd be that champion brother of yours," Sonia retorted. "Is he here or do we have to go back and look for him?"
Hop pointed over his shoulder, "He's inside talking with the Professor. Something about her research with Dynamaxing and all that."
"Good. We should probably get inside before it gets dark."
Hop hung back for Terry while Sonia moved past him. He nudged Terry's shoulder as the boy got closer.
"So?" Hop asked excitedly, "How was your first trip outside of town?"
"I didn't catch any Pokémon if that's what you're really wondering, Hop."
Hop flinched at Terry's bluntness and frowned, "Oh...not even one?"
"No."
Sonia glanced over his shoulder, "Well, he DID fight a Nickit that stole my phone, so it wasn't an entirely peaceful trip here."
Hop's somber mood vanished in an instant upon hearing those words, his eyes now sparkling with excitement.
"You won a battle?! Like a real one?!"
Terry sighed, "...Yeah, but I just got lucky."
"A win is still a win, Terry! You should be proud of that!"
Terry merely grunted, wondering how Hop could still have this much energy at the end of the day. If he hadn't immediately told Hop that he hadn't caught another Pokémon, Terry was sure Hop would've asked for another battle, despite what happened earlier today.
Thankfully, he didn't have to think too much about it when Sonia opened the door and Leon and the Professor's voice rang out.
"So, you haven't entirely figured out the Dynamax phenomenon yet?"
"Oh goodness, no, Leon. The whole thing is still full of questions. I was hoping my granddaughter would take up my research, but-"
"Hey, Gran! I'm home and I brought some guests!" Sonia called out.
Hop grinned as he waltzed through the door, "Hey, Lee! Hey, Professor! Hope we're not late for anything!"
"You're fine, Hop dear. Leon and I were in the middle of discussing some of my research. Please, come in," Professor Magnolia said.
Hop moved to the table, leaving Terry standing awkwardly in front of the door. Magnolia wavered for a second, shocked to see those familiar emerald eyes again. She stood up from the table and smiled softly at him.
"Ah, Terry...I wasn't expecting to see you here."
Terry's eyes widened, "You...know me?"
"Your mother spoke much about you when you two flew in from Unova." Her eyes glistened slightly. "You...have her eyes, too."
At the mention of his mother, Terry's now trembling hand clenched his bandana. Sonia glanced between the two of them, shocked at the connection between them.
Magnolia's smile fell, "I'm sorry. I did not mean to bring up such painful memories. Please, make yourself at home." She turned to her granddaughter, "Sonia, could you make us some tea, please?"
"Oh, sure."
Terry cautiously sat down at the table next to Hop, his hand not moving from his neck. Magnolia cleared her throat, "Moving away from that, Leon tells me Wooloo's made a new friend, Hop."
"Oh, y-yeah!" Hop stuttered, still put off by the recent revelation, "I knew Lee was going to bring a present for us, but it was still a nice surprise!"
"Ah, yes. Still thinking about going on the Gym Challenge, are you?"
Hop grinned, "Of course. After getting the Pokedex, I was hoping you might actually do me a favor and convince him to endorse us for the Gym Challenge."
"Endorse you," Terry quietly corrected.
As Sonia set the tea on the table, Magnolia's brow furrowed and gave Leon a sideways glance, "Odd. I remembered being told there were two you wanted to endorse, Leon. Not one."
"...What?"
Leon's body stiffened as he slowly locked eyes with Terry. The disbelief and silent fury behind his emerald eyes pierced into Leon's and everyone felt the air around the table become colder. The two of them stared at each other until Terry stood up from the table.
"So that's why you wanted me to come all the way out here?!" Terry barked, "Just so you could force me to go on the Gym Challenge?"
Leon held his hands up, "Terry, wait-"
"I've already told you I don't want to do that! You've already seen today how terrible I am at battling and now you want to throw me in front of the entire region?!"
"That's not-"
"Arceus, Leon, is this because of my mom? Is this 'cause she was champion and you think I'm just as strong as her? That I can do what she did? Well, newsflash! I'm not and I can't!"
Terry's entire body trembled as he glared at Leon. Leon stared down at the table, Hop looked away from him, Magnolia stared up at Terry with sympathetic eyes, and Sonia's eyes darted between everyone. With a start, Terry finally looked away.
"I-I'm sorry…" he said.
Magnolia stood up from the table and went to his side.
"There's a guest room upstairs on the left. Go get some rest. You've had a long day."
Terry nodded and, without another word, trudged up the stairs, leaving the rest of them in a tense silence.
Magnolia sighed once she heard the guest room door close and frowned back at Leon.
"You should have told him what you were trying to do, Leon."
"...I know," Leon said glumly, "But if I did, he would've declined immediately, especially after he forfeited his first battle against Hop." He rubbed his eyes. "I just don't want him to be trapped in his room every day for the rest of his life."
"...You know what he's been through, even if it has been a year."
"Um…what's going on?" Sonia interrupted, "I knew something was really bothering him, but I didn't think he would-"
Magnolia pulled the chair Terry had sat in back towards the table and motioned for Sonia to sit. Once she had, Magnolia took a deep breath.
Now Playing: His Theme – Laura Platt
"Laura was one of the Trainers I had mentored, from giving her her starter to endorsing her for the Gym Challenge." Magnolia smiled wistfully. "She had such tenacity for battle and love for Pokémon. If she wasn't so passionate about battling, I would've expected her to become a Professor like me," she said with a chuckle. "Laura didn't quite beat the champion at the time, but that didn't stop her. She ended up leaving Galar for Unova to test herself there, which is where she met her husband, Garrett, and where Terry was born."
Sonia listened intently while casting glances over at Leon. The champion's eyes were still locked on the table, but even he seemed to deflate at the mention of Terry's mother. Hop did, too.
"She eventually became champion of Unova and stayed that way for the next two years, but…" Magnolia's smile fell. "Garrett fell ill."
"Oh no…" Sonia breathed out.
Magnolia nodded sadly, "His death caused her to quit battling entirely, forfeiting the title, and she came back home. At that time, I only knew about Terry through what Laura told me, but from what I could tell, it hurt the boy immensely...and then…"
Magnolia stopped to compose herself, the wound just as fresh for her.
"Then, she became sick too. The same illness that took Garrett away."
Sonia gasped softly as small tears started to fall down her face.
"From what Catherine told me, Terry was by her side every day, but there was nothing anyone could do to help her. Not even with help from our Pokémon." Magnolia took off her glasses to rub at her eyes.
"T-That's…" Sonia trailed off.
"Terry loved the both of them so much. I can't imagine the pain that boy goes through every day, especially seeing as he still holds onto Laura's bandana even now," Magnolia said as she put her glasses back on and looked over at Leon. "I understand your intentions, Leon. Believe me, I do, but the boy is still grieving, even after so much time has passed. If he doesn't want to do this, you should respect his wishes."
Leon was silent before he eventually nodded.
Sonia sniffled and she wiped away the tears that fell. She figured something had happened to make him so cold, but she never thought it was anything like this. It was horrible. She wanted to run upstairs and hug him and tell him everything was going to be alright, but the rational side of her knew that would only make things worse.
The rest of the table was silent, though none of them heard the sound of the guest room door softly closing again.
Stop Playing
Later that Night...
Terry stared up at the ceiling. There was nothing else for him to do. Sleep was impossible for him right now and any thoughts of crying into his pillow were dashed by the presence of Hop on the other bed. All that was left was to stare up at the ceiling as his thoughts went wild inside his head.
He had listened in after going upstairs. He heard Magnolia tell Sonia about him and his parents. It certainly didn't make the pain any better, especially after finding out what Leon had planned. He was right about one thing: he would've declined immediately.
What right did he have to go on the Gym Challenge? What did Leon see in him that made him think endorsing him was a good idea? Maybe if the region just needed a good laugh, but hardly because of his skills as a Trainer.
He rubbed his arm as he looked over onto the bedside table next to him where his bandana and Zorah's ball lay side-by-side. What would Mom and Dad think of all this? What would they want him to do?
...Ugh, he needed some air.
With a huff, he quietly rolled out of bed and grabbed his bandana. He kept shooting glances at Hop, but was able to slip out of the room, sneak through the foyer past Leon, who was sleeping on the couch, and out the door without too much noise.
The chilly wind of the night blew over Terry as he looked out into the trees that paralleled the house. He could see a few Pokémon still roaming the area, but most of them stayed out of sight.
Terry wandered over to the bench that overlooked the river and sat down. He wasn't looking at the lake though. He didn't even realize he was staring at the ground. It was his thoughts that consumed him, filled with doubts, fears, and questions that he knew there wouldn't be any answer for.
He rubbed his arm again and let out a shaky breath as his eyes began to burn. Why did any of this have to happen to him?
Terry wasn't sure how long he sat there for until a buzzing began pressing in on his head again. Faint at first, but as it became stronger, it was enough to knock him out of his reverie and force him to look around. The splashing of water nearby stole his attention and he nearly cried out in surprise when a blue-faced Pokémon suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Arceus...what is with every Pokémon I come across trying to give me a damn heart attack?" Terry wheezed as he stared up at the Lapras.
It only tilted its head while the buzzing in his head momentarily became stronger. Terry rubbed his head with a groan and looked up at it.
"Are you trying to give me a headache too?" Terry groused, only for the buzzing to recede but still remain present. The two of them stared at each other, emerald eyes against brown, before Terry blinked.
"Wait, aren't you…?"
He pulled his phone out of his pocket, opened the Pokedex, and scanned the Pokémon in front of him.
"Lapras:
Transport Pokémon
Type: Water
Variant: Female
Weight: 480 lbs.
Height: 8'0"
A smart and kindhearted Pokémon, they often enjoy ferrying people on its back. They're even able to understand human speech and there have even been reports of some Lapras showing signs of telepathy in order to communicate with humans."
Terry's brow furrowed and he looked up from the Pokedex, "Wait, telepathy? Is that what that buzzing is?"
She nodded.
"Are you...trying to talk to me?"
She nodded again.
Terry relaxed. At least she wasn't actively trying to attack him…
"Is there...some reason why you want to talk to me?"
There is, actually.
Terry flinched, making his phone fall out of his hands, at the sound of a soft voice echoing throughout his mind. He whirled around trying to find where that voice came from as the phone floated back into his pocket.
Do not panic. It is only me speaking to you.
Terry turned back towards the Lapras, who now smiled down at him.
"Woah…"
She giggled. Well, it seems you are able to hear me now that you've relaxed.
"Clearly." Terry sat back down on the bench with a hand over his chest, trying to calm himself down after the scare. So much for being alone.
Why are you out here by yourself? Lapras asked, Most humans are usually sleeping at this time.
"Obviously, I couldn't."
Is something bothering you?
"Why do you care?"
I heard a little bit of your conversation with the other human you were with earlier today. It seemed like something was bothering you then as well.
"Didn't your parents tell you it's rude to eavesdrop?" Terry said.
Lapras fell silent and looked away from him, causing Terry's brow to furrow.
They used to.
A shiver racked Terry's body and his hand shot up to his bandana. He stood up to move closer to her. "I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said-"
It is alright. Lapras looked back at him with a smile. You did not know.
Terry's gaze fell to the ground. "That doesn't make me feel better..."
Lapras's eyes darted between his face and his bandana. Her eyes softened.
...You've lost someone too, haven't you?
Terry's head shot up, petrified of being found out so easily before his whole body deflated.
"It's that obvious, huh…"
Is that what's bothering you?
"Kinda…" Terry's body wavered before he sunk back onto the bench and let his head droop. "I'm just...confused. Today has been crappy for me and I...I just don't know what to do."
Lapras tilted her head.
Like what?
Terry sighed, "...You wouldn't understand. Besides, I wanted to be alone tonight."
The area around him fell silent, save for the sound of waves crashing against the lake wall. For a moment, Terry thought the Lapras had gone, but looking up only revealed that she hadn't moved an inch and was still watching him.
"...I wasn't joking about wanting to be alone."
I know, but that doesn't mean you should be, she said, Plus, you never know if I'll understand what's bothering you or not unless you say something.
Indecision festered inside Terry's stomach. Today had just been one surprise after the other, for better or worse, and yet they still kept coming, even after the day was over. He sat there on the bench, stewing in his own decisiveness before Lapras spoke again.
I am not trying to pressure you. If you do not want to talk, I will be happy with simply providing you company.
He didn't want to talk. Arceus, he didn't want to talk at all. Yet, his thoughts continued to clash with each other. With every whisper telling him to stay silent and stew in his own doubt, another took its place, pleading for him to do something. Anything.
His gaze hovered over to the house and then back to Lapras, occasionally shooting glances towards the lake.
"Can...can we…?"
She smiled softly and maneuvered herself to give Terry access to her back shell. Hesitantly, Terry set one foot on her back before pushing himself onto the shell. Lapras swam away from the house, gliding over the water until it was only the two of them out on the lake. The wind lightly blew over them with Terry's hair waving along with it.
Is this better?
Terry nodded, "Y-Yeah…"
Silence fell over them again, only for it to be broken by Terry taking a deep breath.
Now Playing: Wandering Heart – Noriyuki Iwadare
"...If you were given the chance to go somewhere after staying in one place for so long, what would you do?"
Hmm...I think it depends, Lapras replied. What would I be doing?
"You'd be going across the region, mostly battling in front of other people."
...I have never been much for battling. My lack of experience for it would certainly put me at a disadvantage, but…
Terry glanced over at her. "But…?"
But...I wouldn't want to pass up the opportunity to see more. I've seen every inch of this lake and, after a while, it gets monotonous to constantly be stuck in one place.
"But what if something bad happened?" Terry said, clenching his bandana. "What if you had all these expectations placed on you and you just didn't know if you could live up to them, let alone want to? Would you still do it, even if it scared the hell out of you?"
Lapras looked back at him and smiled comfortingly, My mother told me it's natural to be scared when it comes to change, but it's whether a person or Pokémon embraces it or not that shows who they really are. So, yes, I would still go.
Terry cast his gaze down into the water, staring into the muddled form of his reflection in the water.
"I'm not a Trainer though...how could I possibly go through something like the Gym Challenge? I'm not my mom..."
Lapras watched Terry's face become despondent. The mere mention of his mom had made his mood even worse.
If I may ask, was your mother a Trainer?
Terry squeezed his bandana briefly as his eyes started to burn.
"...Yeah."
Would she want you to stay stuck in one place?
"No, but I…" Tears began to roll down his face. "...I don't know. I just don't know."
Lapras let him cry, already feeling her own heart ache from the sadness she could feel from him, like a dark cloud that constantly hovered over him with no way to get rid of it.
I'm sorry. I did not mean to upset you so much.
"No…" Terry said, wiping away the tears. "It's not your fault."
Lapras nodded and slowly began to swim back to the shore, all the while constantly glancing back at him.
I'm sorry. I wish I could offer more than just words, Lapras said as Terry's feet landed on solid ground.
"It's okay." His tears had already dried as he turned to her. "Th-Thank you, though...for...listening."
She smiled, You're welcome, Trainer.
"Terry," he corrected. "It's just Terry."
Then...it was a pleasure to meet you...Terry.
He nodded and watched her swim back out into the lake, leaving him alone once again. Her words repeated in his head, but it still left his mind shrouded in doubt. Was staying in his room all day really what Mom and Dad would've wanted for him? It was the only place he felt safe though. The only place where he didn't have to fear losing anything else.
A yawn forced Terry out of his own head. Now finally feeling physically and emotionally drained, he began walking back to the house, but not before taking one last look out at the lake.
Hopefully, tomorrow would be better.
Stop Playing
The Next Morning…
Hop's blaring alarm jarred Terry from his sleep. With a groan, he wrapped his pillow around his ears to muffle the noise until Hop finally turned it off.
"Mornin' Terry. Sorry 'bout the alarm."
"Mmm…" Terry unwrapped the pillow from his head. "Forgot that you like waking up early."
Hop sheepishly scratched his head, "Heh heh, yeah. Sorry 'bout that."
Terry stayed buried under his blanket as Hop got dressed. His conversation with the Lapras last night played over and over again in his head like a broken record. It was so easy to ignore what she said to him, but at the same time, a part of him understood. The dissonance enveloped him so much that it took Hop tapping his shoulder to jerk him back to reality.
"I'm gonna head down and get breakfast. Since you'll probably want to sleep a little longer, is it alright if I take Zorah down with me?"
"Oh, um...sure."
Hop flashed him a thumbs-up and grabbed Zorah's ball from the nightstand. He opened the door but stopped just before walking out.
"Hey, um...I'm sorry about what Lee did, Terry. One of us should've told you."
Terry only grunted and Hop left the room with a small sigh, shutting the door behind him.
Terry stared up at the ceiling. It felt like years had passed since he'd been able to be alone without anything to ruin it. It was comforting, but it hardly lasted as he reminded himself that this wasn't his home. He'd be forced to leave sooner or later. Plus, last night still continued to repeat amongst his thoughts. Knowing that shutting out the world wasn't likely to happen today, he sat up with a groan and forced himself out of bed.
The world finally came back into view for Zorah. She rubbed away the tiredness that still lingered in her eyes before looking up at her Trainer.
At least, that's who she expected to see.
Hop smiled down at her, "Hey, Zorah! Sorry if you were expecting Terry but he wanted to stay in bed and I figured you'd want something to eat for breakfast."
Her stomach growled in response to which she quickly nodded.
"Oh, I heard that from here." Sonia glanced over her shoulder. "Sit tight. I'm almost done with Leon's so I'll get to you next."
"I should probably let Grookey out too," Hop said, reaching into his pocket and letting him out.
Grookey yawned and waved to Zorah, receiving a much more excitable wave from her.
"Hey Grookey! How's everything going with what's-his-name?"
Grookey rolled his eyes, "His name's Hop...and it's been pretty good." He crossed his arms. "Though to be honest, I feel like I should be asking you that, Scorbunny."
"It's Zorah now," she said, planting her paws on her hips. "Terry gave it to me the night we got out of that forest."
"Did he now? Last I remember he said he wasn't interested in choosing you."
Zorah's ears dropped forward and she smiled sheepishly, "I may have been a bit...persistent."
"I'm not surprised," Grookey said with a smirk.
Hop came over with two bowls filled with food. "Here you go, you two. Enjoy!"
Zorah dug into her bowl while Grookey only watched her with a look of concern.
"...Are you sure about staying with him?"
"Of course! He doesn't seem that bad."
Grookey sweatdropped, "He looked like he saw a ghost when we first met him…"
"It'll be alright. Don't worry so much," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"I'm your friend. I'm kinda supposed to."
Footsteps coming down the stairs broke into their conversation where Terry appeared at the bottom of the steps.
"Terry!" Zorah immediately hopped to her feet and shot over to him, quickly wrapping her arms around his leg. Terry flinched, his eyes turning wistful for a split second before he reached down and pried her off.
"Yeah…mornin' to you too."
"I thought you were gonna sleep a little longer, Terry," Hop said.
"The earlier I wake up, the earlier we can head back home."
"O-Oh, right…"
Terry looked towards the table and locked eyes with Leon. Already, the room started to become tense before Leon sighed.
"I'm sorry about what happened last night, Terry. I should've thought about what you wanted instead of trying to force it on you."
Terry looked away guiltily, "...I'm sorry too...for yelling at you."
Leon flashed a small smile and the tension around the table vanished. Grookey watched Terry suspiciously as he sat down at the table and Zorah returned to her bowl.
"See? Nothing to be worried about," Zorah smiled as she continued eating.
"Sure...nothing at all..."
"Anyway, I wanted to ask this last night, but I didn't get the chance," Hop spoke up. "Are you still against endorsing me for the Gym Challenge, Lee?"
"I'm also interested to know why, Leon dear." Professor Magnolia appeared at the bottom of the stairs, offering a quick smile towards Terry. "Wasn't it your dream for everyone in the region to become strong Trainers?"
Leon scratched his beard, "Well, yeah. That's why I...gave them both Pokémon."
Terry paused in his eating but kept his eyes glued to his bowl.
"Well, what if-" Hop stopped after a quick glance towards Terry. "Ah...n-nevermind. That wouldn't work."
Terry zoned out of the conversation. All he could hear were Lapras's words from last night.
Would she want you to stay stuck in one place?
...No, she wouldn't. Neither would Dad. Both of them always took risks. Maybe...maybe just this once? The fear still gnawed away at him, but it was like something within him wanted something to change. With one quick glance at Zorah, he drew a shaky breath.
"O-one battle."
Now Playing: Ori, Lost in the Storm - Gareth Coker
The table fell silent. Terry looked up to see everyone's shocked stares as if Arceus itself had appeared right in front of them.
"You...what?" Hop muttered.
"One battle," Terry repeated, his body trembling. "That should be enough to c-convince you one way or another, right Leon?"
Leon blinked, "Yeah, it would."
"Are you sure, dear?" Magnolia asked. "No one is forcing you to do this."
Terry grabbed his bandana. "I know…" he said before standing up, "...so let's just do it now before I change my mind."
Hop and Leon shared a look before Hop stood up with a wide grin. "You're on, mate!"
Terry had little time to respond before Hop sprinted towards the door with Grookey just barely catching hold of his arm. Terry stopped over by Zorah and motioned for her to follow. Echoing Hop's own grin, she raced out the door ahead of him.
"I'm rather interested in this change of heart," Magnolia said to Leon. "You wouldn't mind if I come and watch, do you?"
"I'm watching too and I'm not asking!" Sonia chimed in as she was already putting on her coat and racing out the door.
Leon chuckled and motioned to the Professor. "The more the merrier."
Stop Playing
Hop was already waiting on his side of the arena when Terry caught up to him.
"I gotta say, Terry. I didn't think you were up for another battle after yesterday."
"Please don't remind me."
Hop flinched and rubbed his neck. "S-Sorry. Just slipped out."
Terry shook his head as he took his place opposite of Hop with Zorah bouncing around him in excitement. His hand remained locked around his bandana as he forced himself to focus on the advice Sonia had told him yesterday.
"Breathe...just breathe…"
Leon, Professor Magnolia, and Sonia took their places off to the side. Leon stepped forward towards Terry.
"Are you really sure about doing this? None of us will hold anything against you if you don't want to."
After a moment of hesitation, Terry nodded.
Leon wavered, not wanting to upset him anymore than last night, but relented and moved to the middle of the arena.
"Alright, you two. Same rules as before; the winner is the one that defeats all their opponent's Pokémon." Leon flashed a champion smile at the both of them. "Show me something good in this battle!"
Hop slapped his hand against his readied Pokeball. "Alright! Time for my legend to begin!"
Terry's grip tightened. "Breathe...in and out…"
Magnolia's eyes stayed glued to the nervous boy on the arena and Sonia was nervously twirling her hair around her finger.
"Begin!"
Now Playing: Battle! Hop – Pokémon Sword and Shield OST
Hop reared his arm back, the motion obviously practiced many times, and he cried out, "Wooloo, you're up!"
The ball flew out in front of him, releasing the Sheep Pokémon with a bright flash of light.
"Beh beh!"
Terry looked down at his feet. "Zorah?"
"Scor!" she replied and began to bounce on the balls of her feet, flames already starting to scorch the asphalt beneath her.
"Tackle!" Hop called out.
Wooloo tucked in his legs and rolled towards Zorah like a bowling ball.
"Get out the way!"
Zorah sidestepped and let loose her own Tackle as Wooloo passed by her, just like she had done back in Postwick.
"F-Follow up with another Tackle!" Terry ordered.
Hop shot his hand forward, "Growl, quickly!"
Wooloo spun around towards Zorah and let out a cry, causing Zorah to hesitate slightly but still continue her rushdown, sending her foot crashing into his face.
Hop gasped sharply, "W-Wooloo! Use Tackle to get some distance!"
Wooloo curled into a ball once again, forcing Zorah to dodge again by jumping over the speeding ball of wool. Wooloo slowed once he neared Hop, but the damage taken from Zorah's counterattack had almost brought him to his knees. Wooloo panted heavily, not ready to give up just yet.
Terry drew another deep breath during the pause. "Okay...okay...we're okay...we're doing okay…"
"Tackle as hard as you can!"
Hop's voice cut through Terry's respite and he cursed himself for losing focus. Wooloo had already begun his roll towards Zorah, but his injuries made the attack slower than before. Terry clenched his bandana and weakly through his hand forward.
"F-Finish it with Ember, Zorah!"
Zorah grinned and began to breathe in before swiftly spitting out a flame towards the approaching Wooloo. The flame hit dead-on, causing Wooloo to tumble out of his ball and slow to an unconscious stop in front of Zorah.
Terry let out the breath he was holding as surprise and confusion shot through his body. He...actually knocked out Hop's Wooloo?
Leon's eyes widened as Hop returned Wooloo to his ball and his lips twitched up into a smile.
"Well, this is certainly turning out interesting," Magnolia whispered next to him. "It seems Terry isn't as inexperienced as he thinks he is."
Hop returned Wooloo's ball to his pocket and smiled at Terry. "Well, you've definitely gotten a lot stronger! But I'm not gonna give up that easy, mate!" Hop twirled another Pokeball in his palm and hurled it out, releasing Grookey onto the field. He took a moment to pull a stick of his leaf-shaped hair and strike the ground in front of him with a smirk.
Terry's unease vanished as he raised an eyebrow. "Uh...you know I have type advantage now, right?"
"That'll just make victory taste even better!"
"S-Sure…"
Terry eyed Grookey on the field. Fire-Type did beat Grass-Type. This should be easy.
"Zorah, Ember!"
Zorah breathed in and spat out a flame that shot straight towards Grookey.
Hop grinned. "Grookey, hit it back to her!"
"What...?" Terry could only say before Grookey swung his stick like a bat, reflecting the flame right back to Zorah. Not even she expected the counter and ended up taking the full brunt of the flame. Luckily, her typing mitigated any serious damage. Even Leon grinned at the surprising tactic.
"Like I said, beating you when at a disadvantage will just make victory taste even better!" Hop boasted as Grookey smacked his stick against the ground to put out the lingering fire on it.
Stop Playing
Terry stood frozen in place as the fear and uncertainty he tried to keep under control began to rage inside his head. He should've known better than to let his guard down against the person who had studied every one of Leon's matches.
Who was he kidding? He had no chance at this. This was a mistake. He should probably save himself the trouble and give up like last-
It's not the end, Terry.
He flinched as a voice cut through the rest of the whispers.
You've made it this far, haven't you? Don't give up on yourself now.
Who was that? That voice sounded...familiar...
Breathe, Terry. Stay focused. I know you can win.
"...Mom…?" Terry whispered.
You can do this, Terry. You're stronger than you know.
Like the flip of a switch, the doubt vanished and something else inside started to ignite, like a match finally finding the spark it needed. Without even realizing it himself, his hand started to loosen its death grip around his bandana and he began to stand taller. Everything around him blurred and all he could see was the arena in front of him where Zorah was shaking away her daze and returning to bouncing on her feet, a look of determination etched onto her face.
Leon, Magnolia, and Sonia all watched in wide-eyed wonder as the boy who looked to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown suddenly transform into something more. Terry let go of his bandana, taking a deep breath to calm the last of his agitated nerves. His gaze hardened. His body stopped trembling. He wanted to keep going. He wanted to keep fighting.
He wanted to win.
Now Playing: Dunes (Medium) - Serious Sam: The First Encounter OST (By Dobriy_Den2000)
"Zorah, use your speed to get in close. Wait for my signal to use Ember."
Zorah nodded and dug her feet into the asphalt before shooting off toward Grookey.
Hop, still stunned by Terry's unexpected confidence, was barely able to respond. "Grookey, meet her head-on with Scratch!"
Grookey ran forward and the two collided, knocking each other back to their Trainers.
"Scor!" Zorah cursed before getting ready to charge again.
"Easy, Zorah," Terry said. "Don't focus on brute force. Dance around him, keep him on his toes."
She looked back at him with awe laced on her face. Terry didn't look worried at all. He nodded at her. "We can do this."
Her lips twitched into a smile. This was the Trainer she wanted to see. He was trusting her, so she needed to be better. She needed to be faster!
She turned back to her opponent and began taking another step towards him. Just as her foot touched the ground, a white aura began to surround her body. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared, leaving behind a cloud of dust and air. Grookey and Hop looked around the arena for any sign of her, only for Zorah to reappear right in front of Grookey.
"Crap! Use Branch Poke!" Hop called out.
Grookey thrust his stick forward and hit nothing but air as Zorah disappeared again. Grookey whirled around again, holding the stick in front of him as if his life depended on it. Zorah appeared next to him and again he swiped at her, missing again. Before Grookey could recover, Zorah materialized in front of him and once more he swung, hitting only the dust clouds she left behind and throwing him off balance.
"Now! Ember in his face!"
Stopping in front of Grookey, Zorah released a flame point-blank. Grookey could only brace himself as the super-effective attack tore into him, scorching parts of his green fur and sending him tumbling back towards Hop.
"C'mon Grookey, get up! Don't give up now!"
Grookey planted his stick on the ground as support and pushed himself onto his feet.
"Ember again! Don't let him get back up!"
The last thing Grookey saw before falling unconscious was Zorah sending another point-blank fireball into his face.
Hop let out a shaky breath as he returned Grookey. "Hoo boy, I may be in trouble now," he said as he readied his last Pokeball. "It'll be a close one, but that's exactly my kind of match!"
He launched the ball forward, releasing a Rookidee onto the field. Without a second to pause, Hop thrust his fist forward.
"Use Peck!"
"Meet it with Quick Attack!"
They crashed into each other and were both flung back to their Trainers. Zorah got back to her feet, but going up against a three versus one was finally starting to take a toll on her with her pants becoming heavier.
Terry noticed Hop's Rookidee was also panting heavily. If it was already tired after one attack, Hop must not have trained it up just yet. One more clean hit ought to do it.
"Fly up and use Leer! Stay out of her range!" Hop said, pointing a finger to the sky.
Rookidee flapped its wings and did so, soaring up over the arena and sending a glare towards Zorah. She shivered, but turned that anxiety into anger.
"Bunny scor ny-bun scor!" she yelled at the Rookidee, who only chuckled in response.
"Stay calm," Terry said to her, "He's trying to rile you up."
Zorah looked back at him in confusion.
"Let 'em come to us. I've got a plan."
She smiled and nodded, continuing to bounce on her feet. Terry watched the Rookidee carefully, looking for any sign of what it would do.
"Divebomb 'em, now!"
On Hop's command, Rookidee flipped through the air and set itself on a collision course with Zorah.
"This is it," Terry whispered so that only Zorah could hear. "Get ready."
Zorah stopped her bouncing and waited, even as her body yearned to charge forward. Just before Rookidee reached the ground, it leveled off, shooting towards Zorah like a rocket.
"Go, now!"
Zorah rushed towards the oncoming attacker. Both didn't hesitate in their attack, like two trains about to collide. Contact was imminent before Terry thrust his hand forward.
"Slide under and Ember upwards!"
Everyone's eyes widened as Zorah didn't falter, tucking into a slide causing Rookidee to fly right over her. With no room to miss, Zorah spat out an Ember right into Rookidee's stomach, launching it up into the air where it floated for a second before crashing back down onto the asphalt, unconscious.
Stop Playing
"Terry is the winner!" Leon announced.
Terry blinked and the aura of confidence that had enveloped him subsided with his hand going back up to his bandana. Zorah fell back onto the asphalt, panting heavily but still conscious.
"Terry...that was incredible!" Leon grinned as he rushed up to Terry. "That was a right champion time right there! I almost wanted to let Charizard out to get in on the fun!"
"I can't believe you actually beat my whole team with just Zorah." Hop sighed as he returned Rookidee. "You and that Scorbunny are too much."
"I...actually won?" Terry couldn't believe it himself. It was like a fog had lifted midway through the battle after that voice…
Congratulations, Terry.
Terry whirled around at the sound of splashing water. The Lapras from last night was back and smiling at him.
"Woah, is that an actual Lapras?!" Hop rushed forward, the sting of loss already faded from his mind.
Sonia joined him. "Oh, isn't that the one we saw on the way here, Terry?"
You are correct.
All of them, save for Terry and Magnolia, flinched at the sound of Lapras's voice in their heads causing her to giggle.
"So, you two know each other?" Hop asked Terry.
Terry nodded, not breaking his stare from the Lapras. He frowned sadly at her. "So...that voice I heard was…?"
Lapras nodded, It was.
"...Oh, I thought..." Terry's gaze fell. He could've sworn...
"You alright?" Leon said.
"...Yeah. I'm fine."
Hop turned to the champion. "So, how about it, Lee? Surely you're convinced now that I have what it takes...even if I lost the battle," he added with a scratch of his head.
Leon studied him before a smile appeared on his face. "Well, after seeing a match like that, I don't think I have any other choice." He reached into his cape and pulled out an envelope, complete with the champion's seal. "You may be a little rough around the edges when battling, and honestly you tend to get caught up in things like throwing your Pokeball, but I could feel the passion from you!" He handed the envelope to Hop. "I'd say you've earned it."
Hop's eyes sparkled as he grabbed the envelope and let out a tiny squeal of excitement.
A sharp whistling in the air stole everyone's attention as a sudden flash of red light fell out of the sky and landed just in front of Lapras, glowing with ethereal crimson energy. Hop gasped, pocketed his endorsement, and rushed over to them to pick them up.
"Woah, Wishing Stars! And two of them!" Hop turned to Terry. "You want one?"
Terry faltered. "I'm not gonna use it for Dynamaxing."
"Wishing Stars are said to make your dreams come true, mate. It wouldn't hurt to keep one even if you don't want to do the Gym Challenge. Plus, it can't be a coincidence that I'm holding two of them."
"I guess I better step forward too," Leon said and he pulled out a second envelope. "Terry, what I saw today from you was nothing short of amazing. I know you said you didn't want to go on the Gym Challenge, but...I think it might be a great thing for you."
Terry grabbed his bandana. This wasn't what he wanted to accomplish. He just wanted to make sure Hop got his endorsement and then everything would be fine. This wasn't…
Lapras swam around to the shore and pushed herself onto the sand, gliding across the ground until she joined the rest of them on the asphalt.
Whatever you decide, I would like to join you, Terry.
"What?" Terry's grip tightened. "Why?"
She smiled. Because I believe there is more to you than what you yourself believe and I wish to help you see it.
Ever tighter, his grip became.
Leon smiled softly and held out the endorsement letter to him. "What do you say?"
He looked around at everyone, waiting for his decision with bated breath. On cue, the whispers grew in volume. He wasn't meant for this. He didn't have the knowledge like Hop or the passion like Leon. He was a fish out of water with no reason to be here. His victory had to have been a fluke.
...Was it? That question echoed against every cell in his body as his eyes drifted down to Zorah. She was staring patiently back up at him with joy and suspense. What he felt during that battle...he had no idea how to comprehend it. He could feel that spark within him still, pulsing against his body as if it wanted to ignite again. It terrified him, but...at the same time, it spurred him on.
His hand started to raise like invisible hands were guiding it along.
Was this really the best thing for him? The thought of putting himself at the mercy of the entire region chilled him to his core, but his hand still kept moving towards the envelope.
Was this what Mom and Dad would want for him? Both had always taken risks. Their victories despite the odds were what made him love them so much.
Closer and closer his hand got to the letter.
...Could he really do this after being alone for so long? That one thought finally made him hesitate. Even with Lapras's words and Zorah's presence, could he really do this? Did he want to take that chance?
He still didn't know, but... as Lapras said, it was natural to be afraid of change.
He grabbed the endorsement.
"...O-Okay."