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Chapter 6 - Unwanted Attention

Terry rubbed his hands over his face in the lobby of Motostoke Stadium. The Opening Ceremony came and went and Terry was relieved that it was finally over. However, that didn't stop the twisting of his gut from reminding him of what it all meant now.

"Oh, this was a mistake…" he whispered to himself.

"Oh man, that was exhilarating!"

Terry peeked through his fingers to see Hop standing in front of him in his normal attire and with a wide grin on his face. His eyes sparkled and, even though he was looking in Terry's direction, he seemed to be staring straight through him.

"Standing there on that pitch...in the stadium...in front of everyone!" Hop bounced up and down on his feet, not noticing Terry shiver. "I can barely contain myself!"

Terry could feel the excitement radiate off Hop, wincing like they were hot pokers being pressed into his skin. Footsteps drew closer to the two of them, causing Terry to remove his hands from his face. Leon and another gentleman stood in front of them.

Leon smiled. "Nice job out there, you two! I bet it was quite a rush being out on the pitch, huh?"

"You bet, Lee!"

Terry grunted quietly.

The gentleman stepped forward, smiling at the two of them. "So, it seems you're the two Trainers our Champion endorsed!"

Just the word "Trainer" sent another shudder down Terry's spine. The reality was still hard to accept and he wished that he would wake up back home again. None of the others noticed as the gentleman continued.

"It's a delight to meet you both! I'm Rose, of course."

Terry raised an eyebrow as he observed the man. Garbed in grey business attire, his silver eyes stared at the two boys with one cluster of black hair hanging over the side of his head. One of his hands reached up and began stroking his beard as his eyes looked over at Hop.

"You must be Leon's younger brother, correct?" Rose asked, receiving a nod from Hop. Rose smiled, "He's told me much about you."

Hop crossed his arms over his chest and smiled confidently. "I hope one of those was about how I'll be the next champion!"

Rose laughed. "Just from seeing you on the pitch this morning, I have very high hopes that you can, especially since I see both of you possess Dynamax Bands!"

Hop's chest swelled with pride while Rose turned to Terry. Instantly, Terry's hand shot up to his bandana. Rose's eyes filled with what looked like sympathy as the two of them stared at each other.

"Ah…" Rose muttered, "...I would recognize that bandana anywhere. You must be...Terry Mercer, yes?"

Terry's body tensed. "What of it?"

"I would like to start by saying you have my condolences," Rose said, with all the charisma a chairman wielded, "I imagine it wasn't easy for you to join the Gym Challenge initially."

Terry stayed silent, his hand unmoving from his bandana.

"Your mother was an incredible Trainer and I hope you find some respite on your journey, but I also am eager to see how you fare during the Challenge."

Terry scowled at Rose. "Save your pity. I'm not her, so stop thinking I am."

Rose's smile didn't falter even as Leon and Hop flashed worried looks at each other. Didn't he realize that this was the chairman? The most powerful man in the region? They both internally braced themselves for Rose's response.

"Of course, I meant no ill will from it," Rose replied, holding his hands up in front of him. Both Leon and Hop quietly released their breaths as Rose continued. "In any case, I wish you both the best of luck!"

Rose nodded towards Hop and turned away, exiting the stadium. Hop scratched the back of his head. "Did you have to be so crass with him, Terry? You know who Chairman Rose is, right?"

"Reminder that I just stood in front of the entire region a few minutes ago, so don't act like that stress just doesn't exist for me," Terry retorted, rolling his eyes, "Were you expecting me to just grovel at his feet and ask for his blessing with a big smile?"

Hop frowned. "You never smile anyway..."

Terry sighed and rubbed his forehead. The headache that had formed just after he finished crossing the field still pounded against his head like a drum and he definitely didn't need Hop's disappointment right now.

"Never mind all that!" Leon announced, bringing back Terry and Hop's attention to him. "I'm proud that you've both taken this first step, but this is where it really begins. You both know where you're supposed to be going for your first gym badge, right?"

Hop nodded, switching his focus away from Terry's attitude. "Turffield! With Route 3 being the best way to get there!"

Leon smiled. "You should both make sure you have enough supplies to make the trip. Not quite as long as traversing the Wild Area, but with the training you'll need to do before you get there, you'd better be prepared."

"Don't worry, Lee. I don't plan on losing this whole thing to being forgetful."

Terry grunted, half-heartedly raising a fist into the air in mock cheer. It wasn't even the afternoon and his energy already felt sapped. They had plenty of time to get to the gyms. One day of sleeping through the day should be fine.

"We better make sure we leave as soon as possible, Terry. The earlier the better, after all!" Hop said.

...Well, so much for that.

"I'll leave you both to it then," Leon told them. Hop wasted no time, zipping past them and heading towards the exit of the stadium, throwing a wave back towards Leon. "And hey, Terry?"

Terry looked back from the direction Hop had gone to see a soft smile on Leon's face.

"Good job out there. I'm sure it wasn't easy being under the spotlight." Leon patted him on the shoulder. "Take care of yourself when you're out on the road, okay? You know you can always call if you need me."

Terry raised an eyebrow. Was that really true? Leon was the champion. He only visited Postwick once every couple of months, and even then he never stayed long. What made him think he'd be able to be on-call at any given moment? He had more important things to do than actually worry about him during this whole thing.

Terry closed his eyes and turned away from Leon, releasing a quiet sigh while brushing his hand off his shoulder. "...Sure thing, Leon."

Leon's smile fell as Terry headed towards the exit. He rubbed a hand over his face. Leon was worried. Part of him even thought Terry wouldn't actually be able to walk onto the pitch for the ceremony. Leon had to convince himself that everything was okay. Terry was the son of a champion, after all. He'd be able to handle this.

...Right?

Terry stood frozen in place. Spectators and reporters with cameras swarmed around him, almost choking him with their presence. His eyes darted from one person to the next as he desperately tried to find a way out. He thought he saw Hop further away surrounded by his own crowd, but Terry kept being blinded by the flashes of cameras that took his picture to see anything else.

"How did you get endorsed by Champion Leon?"

"What are your hopes for the Gym Challenge?"

"Are you looking to be the next Champion?"

The noise, the lights, it was becoming too much and there was no way through the crowd.

"Are you related to Laura Mercer by any chance?"

"Are you taking on the Gym Challenge in her name?"

Those questions from the crowd made his grip tighten on his bandana until his knuckles turned white. He should've expected this. He should've bailed out on the Gym Challenge when he had the chance. Now he had to be constantly reminded of her. He had to be constantly reminded of everyone's expectations of him.

Just because he was the son of a champion.

*BA-DUMP*

Terry flinched at the sound of his heart pounding in his ears, sending cold chills scattering throughout his entire body.

*BA-DUMP*

The clicks of the cameras were starting to grow louder. The questions were starting to echo in his ears.

*BA-DUMP*

He was starting to feel everyone's gazes bore into his skin. He could feel his breathing start to grow labored.

*BA-DUMP*

His arms were starting to itch.

Oh no...no no no, not now...not here…

"'Scuse me. Need to get by."

A voice cut through all the others as a hand grabbed hold of Terry's wrist and started to pull him through the crowd. Past the cameras, the microphones, and the stares until he emerged on the other side. He forced himself to focus on the hand wrapped around his wrist as he continued to be pulled down the street towards Route 3.

Finally, upon reaching the Pokémon Center, the pair stopped and the grip around his wrist vanished. Terry hunched over with his hands on his knees, taking deep, slow breaths in order to calm his quickening heart.

Count to four...exhale...count to four...inhale…

Slowly, his heartbeat began to settle. The sounds around him quieted down; his arms stopped itching; his breathing started to relax. He looked up from the ground to see a familiar girl standing in front of him with a Morpeko by her side.

"Sorry, but you looked like ya needed a hand gettin' out of there." Her brows pulled together. "You alright?"

Terry drew in one last deep breath and straightened up. "Y-Yeah...I'm okay..." Marnie continued to watch him as he rubbed his hands over his face. "I'm not a fan of crowds."

Marnie hummed as a small smile flickered across her lips. "You an' me both. They should know better than to crowd around the entrance and make it harder for us to get out."

His hands fell to his side and Terry looked at her in confusion. "I'm surprised you thought of helping me considering what happened last night."

"You know they told me?"

"I kinda figured they would."

Marnie held a closed fist to her chest and looked away. "Ah...yeah, about that. I wanted to apologize again for what they did. I didn't think they would go as far as puttin' a hand on ya."

A shiver ran down Terry's spine as he recalled the anger and fear that burned within him at that moment. The nausea from last night reared its head, only for Terry to push it down. He sighed. "Am I gonna have to keep dealing with them?"

"...Probably."

"Great…"

"I'll try and do what I can, but they're a rowdy lot." She reached down and picked up Morpeko. "Well, I'd better get goin'. Hopefully, we'll run into each other again," she said before starting to turn away.

"Hey, u-um…Marnie, right?"

Marnie stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. Terry rubbed the back of his neck, unable to meet her gaze. "T-Thanks...for...y'know."

Her eyes watched him for a moment before she nodded and walked off, heading in the direction of Route 3.

Terry rubbed his eyes once Marnie was out of sight. Well, sleep was out of the question after all that happened. Even with his nerves calmed down, the sound of clicking cameras still echoed in his mind. If that's what he had to deal with now, he really wasn't looking forward to any of this.

At least Zorah wasn't out of her ball to see any of that…

Terry flinched as that thought came to the forefront of his mind. Why was he worried about Zorah's reaction? What made him think about that so suddenly? He shook his head. Not even a day after the ceremony and he was already losing it.

He turned towards the Pokémon Center. Guess he better stock up before heading off. So much was about to happen soon anyway.

Thankfully, his quick visit to the Center wasn't as eventful as what happened back at the stadium. After stocking up on some Potions, extra Pokeballs, and reluctantly accepting a belt to hold his Pokeballs—"on the house for being a Gym Challenger" as the shopkeeper proudly proclaimed to him—Terry exited the Center, only to find Hop standing in front of him with his arms crossed over his chest and a confident grin on his face.

"There you are, Terry! I've been waiting!"

Terry raised a brow. "Had enough of the cameras?"

Hop laughed. "I should've expected all that attention given that Lee endorsed the two of us, but that just means they'll be expecting a lot from us when we make it to the Gym Battles!"

A chill traveled up Terry's spine.

"And if that's what they want, then we better make sure we're strong enough! So let's have a battle! You and me! We'll get in a bit of training!"

"...Really? Right now?"

Hop's enthusiasm vanished and his face fell. "Aw, don't be like that. This is the moment where you pump a fist in the air and go…" Hop pumped a fist into the air, "All right! Let's do this thing!"

Terry blinked at him with an unimpressed expression before sighing. "Fine, but I'm not doing all that."

Hop shrugged and moved backward on the bridge, making enough space to create a makeshift arena between them. He readied a Pokeball and grinned at Terry. "Ready?"

Terry nodded, resigning himself to the battle.

"Alright, Wooloo! You're up!"

With an enthusiastic toss of his Pokeball, Wooloo appeared on the bridge in a flash of light.

"Beh! Beh beh!"

"Bring it on, Terry! Time to see if we're up to the Gym Challenge!"

Terry tugged on his gloves. He was starting to become accustomed to battles, as much as he hated to admit it. Having so many battles in such a short period of time made the once foreign environment now familiar to him.

He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Taking one of the Pokeballs from his belt, he underhanded it forward, sending a beam of light onto the bridge, leaving Lilo in its afterglow. A smile sat on her face as she took in the city around her.

Ah, I see we're finished with the ceremony, she said, her voice echoing gently within Terry and Hop's mind.

"Thankfully, but focus up." Terry pointed towards the other end of the bridge. "Hop wanted a battle."

Lilo's smile faltered as Terry pulled out his Rotom, skimming through his entry on Lilo until he found what he was looking for.

Known Moves:

Growl, Water Gun, Sing

Terry hummed. Not many moves to use even with the experience Lilo gained in the Wild Area. He'd have to see how this goes. The opening of the other Pokeball from his belt pulled his attention away from the screen to see Zorah standing by his side. She waved up at Lilo with an excited smile.

It seems we have an audience, Lilo chuckled.

"Scor! Scor!"

Terry returned his Rotom to his pocket, casting a brief glance down at Zorah, before brushing aside the hair that fell in front of his eye, only for it to fall back into place.

"Alright, let's get this over with."

Lilo focused on the Wooloo ahead of her. I will do my best.

Now Playing: Battle! Hop - Pokémon Sword and Shield OST

"Tackle! Start off strong!" Hop called out. Wooloo sprinted forward before tucking in his legs and rolling towards Lilo.

"Water Gun."

Lilo sucked in a breath before a jetstream of water shot out of her mouth, crashing into Wooloo. The force of the Water Gun stopped Wooloo's momentum, bringing him to a stop as Lilo's attack slammed into him. Wooloo lifted his head and pushed himself back onto his feet as his wool was now completely soaked.

Hop's eyes widened. "Sheesh, how strong is that move?"

Due to my kind's affinity for water, our attacks are a bit stronger than if a different Pokémon used it, as my parents told me, Lilo explained with a smile.

"Good to know! Now I know to watch out for it next time!"

"Another Water Gun."

Both Hop and Lilo flinched at Terry's voice from the other side of the bridge. Lilo recovered from her brief moment of hesitation before sending another jetstream down the arena.

"Wooloo! Defense Curl! Quickly!"

Wooloo tucked his legs in again and spun into the ground. Only this time, instead of racing forward, a translucent blue shield surrounded him before disappearing just as Lilo's Water Gun smashed into Wooloo. The force from it made him skid backward closer to Hop, but he still kept himself standing despite his panting becoming more noticeable.

"Again."

Wooloo only had time to look up towards Lilo as one last blast of water knocked him out.

Hop returned him to his ball and rubbed the back of his head as he smiled sheepishly at Terry. "You know, you're pretty tough when you're serious."

Terry blinked in surprise and cursed internally. Crap. He really was getting used to this faster than he thought.

Hop tightened his grip on his next Pokeball. "Guess I better start getting serious too! Let's go, Rookidee!"

The ball flew forward, releasing Rookidee out onto the bridge. The bird shook his feathers before rising into the air with a flap of his wings, staring down at Lilo with defiance. Lilo tilted her head, confused at the animosity, and offered Rookidee a smile. His gaze narrowed, causing Lilo's smile to fade.

...I don't think he likes me.

"Oh, don't worry. He's like that all the time," Hop explained, "The Dex said most Rookidee see Pokémon bigger than them as a challenge, so it's nothing personal." Hop then pointed a finger forward and lifted it up to the sky. Rookidee flapping picked up speed, casting small, faint tendrils of wind to race across the bricks underneath him as he ascended higher and higher.

Lilo fired another Water Gun towards Rookidee, but he swerved out of its way and began to fly around the arena. With no other method of attack, Lilo continued to send Water Guns toward him in hopes of one landing. However, the air was the only thing the attacks were able to hit.

Hop thrust a fist forward. "Send down a Leer and follow up with Peck, Rookidee!"

Avoiding another Water Gun, Rookidee glared down at Lilo, a shiver coursing over her shell, before spinning in the air and soaring down towards her. Lilo's eyes widened and she attempted to move out of the way, but thanks to her size and not quite used to being on solid ground instead of water, there was little she could do as Rookiedee slammed his beak into her forehead. She recoiled back with a grunt and tried shooting another Water Gun, but Rookidee had already flown back into the sky and was able to dance around the stream of water sent his way. Rookidee sent down another Leer, making Lilo shiver once again, and flew back down to ram another Peck into her.

Terry narrowed his eyes at the bird flying back into the sky. He had to give Hop credit. Seeing as how the only attack Lilo's been using is Water Gun and nothing else, Hop must have figured having a smaller and much more agile Pokémon would make it almost impossible for Lilo to hit anything. Judging from Lilo's pants, she wouldn't last under this assault for much longer. As Rookidee flew back into the sky, Terry pulled out his Dex once again and looked over Lilo's moves again. The only one that caught his eye was the one that hadn't been used yet and judging from its description...

...Screw it. It's the only plan he can think of.

I do not think I can...last much longer like this, Terry, Lilo said, her voice, even over telepathy, becoming strained.

"Don't worry. I've got an idea," he replied, "Know any good songs?"

Lilo looked back at him with a surprised look before a glint of nostalgia flashed within her eyes and a small, wistful smile graced her lips.

...Just one.

Terry nodded. "Wait for my signal then...and pray this works."

"Scor! Ny-bunny!" Zorah pointed towards the field, motioning Lilo to focus back on the arena. Rookidee was circling back around, his glare still firmly glued to Lilo.

"Time to get one victory under our belt!" Hop declared. "Rookidee, surge forward with Power Trip!"

A dark cloud enveloped Rookidee as it hovered in the air. His gaze hardened even more before he began barreling through the air with a screech as he set himself on a collision course with Lilo.

"Alright, Lilo," Terry said, "Now's the time."

Pause Playing

Lilo nodded and let her eyes fall shut. Calling on the memories of when she was younger, a calming lullaby filled her mind. A simple melody, yet one she has heard many times, and as she opened her mouth, that melody spread throughout her body until it began echoing across the bridge. Several people on the sidewalk stopped and listened to Lilo's voice as she continued the lullaby.

Terry wasn't sure what he was expecting, but he found himself enchanted by the song. It was soft, calming, even a bit haunting. He felt his body relax, almost nearly falling asleep himself, yet he caught the feeling of an underlying sadness that weaved its way into his mind. He couldn't stop himself from thinking of his parents. His grip on his bandana tightened momentarily.

Rookidee's descent hadn't slowed, but his eyes began to droop as well. Despite his best efforts to remain awake, there was nothing he could do as his trajectory was thrown off course. Instead of attacking Lilo, his body crashed onto the bricked road and rolled forward before coming to a stop in front of Lilo.

Lilo's singing ended and she opened her eyes to find Rookidee face down, lost to the realm of rest. Hop was stunned at the sight, opening his mouth to speak only for a yawn to interrupt him, garnering a quiet giggle from Lilo.

"...Wow, that was beautiful and...brilliant actually." Hop let out a laugh. "Using Sing like that to get Rookidee to stop moving...I'm actually a little jealous you have that move."

Terry let out a sigh of relief. His Dex said Sing only had about a 50% chance of working, so he was thankful it actually worked.

"Alright, well go ahead and use Water Gun while it's still asleep."

Lilo's smile dropped as she glanced between Terry and the slumbering Rookidee in front of her.

...Must I?

Terry was taken aback. As he looked up at Lilo, he could see the conflict within her eyes, a silent plea. He sighed. "We are still in a battle, Lilo."

Lilo looked discouraged, but she turned back to the still unconscious Rookidee.

...Very well.

Continue Playing

Lilo released her attack, though this time with a faint red glow surrounding it. It slammed into Rookidee, sending him flying back all the way to Hop. Coupled with the damage it took from crashing into the bridge after falling asleep, the powered-up Water Gun was-

"A critical hit?!" Hop slumped over as he recalled the now heavily unconscious Rookidee into his Pokeball. "Talk about insult to injury…"

I...I apologize. I did not mean-

"It's okay. They happen at random anyways so it's nothing to get mad about." He grabbed his last Pokeball and grinned. "But don't think you've got me backed into a corner!" The ball flew forward and Grookey materialized onto the bridge, already pulling his stick out of his hair and smacking the ground in front of him.

Terry looked between the two Pokémon on the field. Grass-type versus Water-type. Not a good matchup for him. Lilo had taken enough damage for today too...plus she didn't look like she was into the battle anymore.

"Lilo, come on back," Terry said. Lilo nodded and glided back over to him, but her mood stayed the same. Terry glanced over at her. Her eyes still held a despondent sheen over them. He opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss on what to say. He shook his head. He needed to focus on getting this battle over with.

"Zorah, go ahead and take her-" He stopped when he looked down at his side. "Uh…Lilo?"

Hmm?

"I think your singing worked really well."

Lilo blinked and followed Terry's finger to see Zorah fast asleep by his shoe with small slivers of drool running down her cheek and onto the brick pavement. Lilo stared at the display before she began to giggle. Terry kneeled down and poked Zorah's cheek.

"Wake up, Zorah. We still have a battle to finish."

Zorah merely reached up to try and push away his finger with a murmur. Lilo's giggles intensified as Terry poked her cheek again.

"Mmm, scor…ny-scorbun?" Zorah mumbled as she finally sat up with a yawn and rubbed her eyes. Her ears twitched at the sound of Lilo's laugh and she fully opened her eyes to see Terry looking down at her with Lilo tittering behind him.

"Nice to see you finally awake," Terry said with a raised brow.

Zorah's face turned red as she suddenly shot to her feet and jumped forward in front of Terry, quickly readying herself for battle. Grookey at the other end also couldn't help but giggle at her.

"Scorbunny bun scor bunny bun, Scor-ny." Zorah pointed a threatening paw towards the grass-type.

Grookey smiled smugly and beckoned her forward with his hand. "Key grookey."

Zorah scowled and, before Terry opened his mouth, she shot off down the bridge while bathed in a white aura. Grookey barely had time to react before a foot found his face, knocking him backward.

"Probably wasn't smart to use Taunt there," Terry mused. He watched as Zorah spat out an Ember towards Grookey, its flames licking the pavement beneath it. Grookey's eyes lit up and, taking a page from their battle at the Professor's house, raised his stick behind his head. Just as the attack was about to make contact, Grookey swung the stick and hit it back towards her.

Terry's body tensed. "Crap, Zorah, get out of its way!"

Zorah's ear twitched, but she didn't budge. She waited for the Ember to fly back to her before she smirked. She swiftly kicked her foot up, catching the Ember and deflecting it up into the air before hopping off her other foot into the air. With a quick spin, she kicked out at the small fireball, ricocheting it back to Grookey with blistering speed.

There was nothing Grookey could do as the Ember smashed into him. Shockwaves spread out across the bridge as smoke obscured him from view. Zorah landed on the ground and began to hop from one foot to the other as the smoke began to clear. The silhouette of Grookey could be seen standing within the smoke and Zorah wasted no time racing towards it.

Only for the silhouette to fall forward and Grookey's unconscious body to hit the ground, scattering the smoke and forcing Zorah to skid to a stop.

Stop Playing

Hop and Terry stared at Zorah in stunned silence until the former let out an uncertain chuckle.

"Heh...guess Grookey using Taunt was a mistake there…" Hop said causing Zorah to rub her paws in embarrassment.

I guess it's also a good idea to not get on her bad side, Lilo chimed in.

Terry watched Zorah walk back to him. "You, uh...you alright?" he asked once Zorah returned to his side.

She scratched the side of her head and smiled sheepishly. "S-Scor bun, Bunny."

"Well, that battle was what I'd expect from my rival!" Hop grinned as he moved closer to Terry. "Even with that last skirmish, I think we're both more than ready!"

Terry sighed. "I guess. I still can't see this going well for me…"

"Aw, don't worry, mate! You were able to beat the next Champion after all!" Hop's eyes lit up and he reached into one of his pockets. "Here, I'll even give you my League Card to mark the occasion."

Hop thrust his card into Terry's hands before Terry could blink. He stared down at the card in his hand, observing the grinning face of Hop on it. He furrowed his brow. "I...don't really need this."

"Well, keep it anyway! Then when I win a battle against you, you can show me yours!"

"...Am I supposed to have one?"

Hop blinked, his smile faltering slightly. "W-Well, no, but-"

"Then I'm not gonna waste my time on making one."

"But, Terry-"

"It's just a card, Hop," Terry said. His eyes darkened as he crossed his arms. "Everyone already knows my face now. I don't need some card to remind them of my name too."

Zorah watched in confusion as Hop's smile disappeared. What was wrong with his name? Wasn't that all it was? She shot a glance over at Lilo, but her face was unreadable, which only served to confuse her even more.

"S-sorry, I didn't-"

"Forget it," Terry interrupted Hop with a raise of his hand, "Just...forget it. Let's just get going before it gets too late."

Hop nodded, forcing a smile back to his face. "Right, Turffield's a way off from here and, considering it's the first Gym Leader we face, it shouldn't be too hard for us to beat. You better believe I'll carry that momentum all the way to the Championship Match!"

Terry nodded absentmindedly. The trip would probably take as long as it did to get to Motostoke. Maybe even longer with training that he'd have to do. Without Sonia around, it'd be a long walk by himself, unless...

Terry took in a deep breath and swallowed his pride as he turned to fit Hop's card in one of the pockets on his backpack. "Could...we at least go together? It'd be better than going-" He turned back to Hop, but he was already gone, racing off towards Turffield and leaving Terry standing on the bridge.

"...alone."

Terry sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. He didn't know why he was expecting anything different.

Terry?

He held up a hand towards Lilo. "I'm fine." He turned to her. His eyes landed on the bruises and scratches that were scattered across her face and head. His eyes softened and he quickly started reaching his hand out towards her but froze just over one of her wounds. As quickly as he started, he sharply pulled his hand back and stuffed it in his pocket.

"L-Let's get you healed up before we go," Terry said, avoiding both Lilo and Zorah's questioning gazes. He returned them both to their balls and took a moment to calm himself down. He hadn't meant to do that, but he had gotten so caught up in her injuries…

"No…" he whispered to himself as he gripped his bandana and headed towards the Center. "...I can't go through that...not again…"

Zorah let out a yawn as the sun passed beyond the horizon, tinting the sky with red and yellow rays. The rest of the day after the battle with what's-his-name had been spent traversing Route 3 towards Turffield. It was what Zorah expected: exploring the world around her and fighting against wild Pokémon and she embraced it all cheerfully.

But there was one thing that seemed to dampen it all. Terry had not said a word to either her or Lilo. When Trainers along the route jumped in front of them asking for a battle, Terry would simply ignore them and continue walking. Only when one Trainer jumped in front of him asking about his name did he just glare at them until they hastily moved aside. Even when there was nothing going on around them, the air always felt just a little bit colder next to him.

She chanced a glance up at him. His eyes were still facing forward, but there were moments where his gaze wandered, staring up at the distant mountains that they neared or out across the plains that hugged the road they walked on. That same wistful look that she had become familiar with always returned and it was always accompanied by Terry reaching up and brushing his thumb against his white bandana before his gaze hardened once again and he returned to looking forward.

It had only been a week since Zorah joined Terry, yet she had so many questions.

The three of them finally stopped in a small area off the path. Terry began setting up the tent while Zorah busied herself with starting the fire. A few minutes later, Terry stood over the cooking pot, rattling off the cooking steps that Sonia taught him in the Wild Area. Before long, two plates were served and Terry sat down on the ground, wiping sweat off his brow.

"Well, another day down…" he breathed out as he reached into one of the pockets of his pack.

Zorah looked up from her plate before swallowing and pointing at him. "Bun ny-scor scorbunny, Bunny?"

Terry stopped his rummaging and blinked at her before looking over at Lilo.

She asked where your plate was.

"Oh." He returned to looking through his pack. "I didn't give myself one."

Lilo tilted her head. Why not? Aren't you hungry?

Terry pulled out a small bag of berries and proceeded to grab one to start eating it. "I wasn't hungry enough for curry."

"S-Scorbun scor ny bunny?"

When was the last time you ate something?

Terry raised a brow and held up a berry.

I think she meant besides now.

Terry sighed as his free hand traveled up to his bandana. "...You don't need to worry about me so much. I can take care of myself just fine."

Being your Pokémon means we have to, Lilo said with a look of concern.

Zorah hopped to her feet and moved closer to him. "Ny-scor scorbunny bun?" She reached up and pointed at his bandana. "Scor bunny ny-bun scorbunny scor? Bunny bun scorbunny scor?" Her questions started becoming faster even as Terry shrunk back. Zorah hopped into his lap, making him flinch.

"Slow dow-stop. Seriously, slow down-" Terry raised a hand in front of her, but Zorah's questions continued to flow out of her. Slowly, the sounds of his heart drumming against his head melded in between her voice. It wasn't hard for the panic to quickly set in.

"Scorbun ny-scor ny-bun bunny scor-"

"Shut up!"

Zorah and Lilo jolted back from him as the campsite fell silent with the crackling of the fire and the sounds of wild Pokémon that still roamed the night filling in the quiet. Terry ran a hand over his face.

"Just...one question and that's it."

His grim expression gave Zorah pause as she looked over at Lilo. She hadn't meant to make him this upset, but it still didn't make sense. None of it did. Yet, despite all the questions that whirled around in her head, of the worries that plagued her, only one came to the forefront of her mind at that moment.

"Ny-scor...scorbunny bun, Bunny?"

Lilo's gaze softened as she looked back over at Terry and translated for Zorah.

She...asked why you never smile.

Now Playing: Ghosts and Glass (Piano) - Martin O'Donnell

Terry lowered his hand, but his gaze stayed glued to the ground, unable to look either of them in the eye. He sighed. Of all the questions to ask, why did it have to be that one? He brushed aside a lock of his hair, only to have it fall back into place.

"...Because bad things happen to people like me, regardless of whether I want them to happen or not. So it's hard to find reasons to smile when those reasons end up being taken away."

Zorah's brow furrowed. She wasn't expecting that kind of answer and she definitely didn't understand where it was coming from, but that didn't stop her from noticing the sadness in Terry's eyes as his gaze flickered up towards the fire.

Lilo glided closer to him. I don't think that's being fair to yourself, Terry...

"Yeah? Well, life isn't fair. It never is. Even if you've done nothing wrong, it'll happily stab you in the chest and stomp you into the dirt without a second thought and it'll keep doing it until you have nothing left." He stood up, still not looking at either of them. "...I've just learned not to get my hopes up anymore."

Without another word, he grabbed his pack and entered his tent, leaving the two of them alone within the light of the campfire.

Zorah continued to stare at the tent as she attempted to process his words. She didn't believe it. She couldn't. There were so many reasons to be happy: going on an adventure, fighting battles, meeting both Terry and Lilo, the anticipation of being under the spotlight and showing everyone just how strong she was, seeing the world...it just didn't make sense.

Yet...it was the way he said it that worried her. The look in his eyes...that feeling of resignation and sadness that she saw, even the hint of anger in his voice…

It was too genuine to be a lie...and that's what bothered her the most.

Zorah cast a quick glance over at Lilo, the latter of which was putting out the fire with a stream of water, before she slowly entered the tent. The darkened lump of Terry's body in his sleeping bag lay before her. Her ears picked up the faint sound of his breathing, but his body remained still. Figuring he was asleep, she moved closer to him. Her mind flashed back to that moment in the Budew Inn. A shiver laced through her as she recalled the look on his face, how angry he seemed…

But then she remembered how he was on Route 2, how confident he became, and it only confused her more.

She sighed softly and curled up next to his sleeping bag. If he wasn't letting her sleep with him, she could at least stay nearby. Even as she fell asleep, his words continued to echo in her mind as she constantly tried to push back against them.

She'd show him. She'd show him that there was so much to smile about.

Her breathing slowed until she finally succumbed to sleep, but, oblivious to her, Terry still lay awake. He hadn't expected Zorah to come into the tent after all that, let alone still stay close to him, but all it did was make him feel guilty about what he said to the point where he almost felt sick. He could feel his eyes begin to sting but shut them tightly to stave off the tears that began to build up.

Once upon a time, he was happy...but that time was gone. He didn't want to go through having that being taken away again.

Not when it was so painfully close to him once again.

Stop Playing

A/N: If you're at all curious about the lullaby Lilo sang, it's this: Main Theme (Definitive Edition) - Gareth Coker

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See you in the next chapter!