Pokemon Adventures: SMEAR

by KoopalingKrew98

This story takes place in Pokemon Adventures continuity. It follows the story of Will, who's lifelong goal is to stop the villainous Team Celeste. But how can he stop a worldwide group that nobody believes exist? It'll be an uphill battle to expose them as more than conspiracy, but he will be joined by his team of Pokemon and characters new and old in his quest to catch them all!

20. The Five Assemble!

Author's Note: This chapter is the longest I've ever written. If you prefer to read it in chucks, the following six chapters will break it up in more digestible bites. Otherwise, feel free to read in one go. Hope you enjoy this story so far, and feel free to leave a comment on what you think! Thanks!

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{Approx. 8 years ago}

Sensei wasn't kidding when he said he'd take my training up a notch. In addition to the previous training exercises, he made me go through more nimble tasks. Due to being an easy target for the flying Pokémon, Sensei had me get used to dodging oncoming threats. Sometimes it would be a mock-up simulation, with Sensei as my opponent. He described it as something akin to self-defense classes. But other times it would be much more demanding…like having my friends attack me! Nightraider, Astra, Crest, and anyone else Sensei could throw at me at the time.

At first, Sensei had the attacks be pre-commanded. This way I could get used to how each attack basically worked. He also had them attack one at a time. Gradually, the attacks became more sporadic, and even multiple at once. Those tougher regiments ended quickly so often due to being too slow to dodge. But, as Sensei assured me, I got the hang of it. Sensei drilled in me ways to telegraph my opponents, stay aware of my surroundings, and to position myself in a way that I could always have an out. In a few months, I became almost as nimble as Sensei when caught in a battle for my life.

The self-defense drills also included ways for me to counter attack. I questioned why Sensei would teach me that, as I wasn't exactly fit to 'battle' any Pokémon. But he figured, if I ever got off this island, I could be prepared to defend myself from any shady characters who tried to harm me directly. Through this part of training, Sensei and I found that my physical strength was…underwhelming. My best way to hurt someone back was if I either did some sort of arm drag to flip my opponent hard on the ground, or I happened to strike an opponent's sensitive spot. I got to do the former once successfully on Sensei, which made me feel overjoyed for myself and concerned for him at the same time. The latter…didn't need a demonstration.

The newcomers, as expected, took time to get used to the island. Oshawott was the de-facto leader of the five. Though it didn't appear that way, given how often she kept to herself. She, Chimchar, Treecko, Fennekin, and Squirtle lived mainly independent at first. They stayed confined to the forest, ate the berries they found, and slept apart from Sensei's group or my camp. But they gradually warmed up to us. After a few months, I was able to telecommunicate with each of them.

The first, to the surprise of no one, was Fennekin. Ever since I rescued her from the Pelliper, she followed me almost everywhere. She seemed very interested in whatever activities I did on the island. Whenever I ate with my core teammates, gathered craft-able materials, or had training sessions, she was there. The only time I consistently didn't see her was when I occasionally bathed in the pool…as far as I knew.

She was very observant the first few days she hung around, very mindful of what I and my friends wanted to do. Then she warmed up enough to join in. At some points she looked at me like she wanted to 'talk', like I did with Sensei. Admirable attempts, ones that I tried myself with her, but it wasn't working for a while. In battle, she actually proved quite capable. Sensei noted she had a moveset consisting of Scratch, Tail Whip, Ember, and Magic Coat. That last move was very useful to defend against what Sensei called 'status moves'.

Although she seemed very friendly and perky, there were a few odd quirks I picked up from her. During training, she refused to attack me. Only when I assured her that I could take it did she hesitantly practice with me as a target. She was, however, way more enthusiastic and focused whenever I led her in a trained battle against opponents.

When it came to interacting with others, she got along pretty well. She became fast friends with Astra and Bounsweet, took pointers from Knave, and sparred with Crest whenever he asked. But Nightraider was another story. Fennekin would often give him a hostile glance when in close proximity, while Nightraider tried to glance away, more annoyed than anything. Granted, they didn't do so when they both were in front of me. But I caught them a few times when they thought I wasn't looking.

As the days rolled on, their bitterness grew worse. The two actively competed to see who could hitch a ride on my shoulder. Their fights, confined to training, grew as heated as anyone else. Even Oshawott and Blindswipe grew weary when the two fought close by. Usually when I slept at my campsite, Nightraider would sleep next to me, while Astra, Crest, Knave, and Blindswipe found a spot of grass to sleep on. Fennekin joined our camp the night after her group first made landfall, and I didn't mind. What I did mind was how after I woke up, I suddenly found her replacing Nightraider at his usual spot, having done the deed while we were sleeping, without his consent.

Finally, I had it. One day, while I just finished picking berries with Fennekin, Nightraider flew to us from his recent training. Although he maintained his stealth that I couldn't hear him approaching, Fennekin spotted him first. In an instant, I found Nightraider perched on my right shoulder, while Fennekin simultaneously jumped onto my left shoulder. The two had their eyes meet, and their bickering commenced. I tried to ignore them and walk back to camp, but they practically shouted right into my ears. I could only understand Nightraider's side of their argument, but that didn't help me at all.

I stopped abruptly in such a manner that the two lost their balance and fell in front of me. Then I yelled, "Enough!" I drop the basket of berries down carefully. Then I gave a stern look and snapped at each of them. "I like company; the more the merrier on this island. But if you two can't make amends with whatever's going on between you two, I don't want you anywhere near me!"

Nightraider put his head down in shame. [Sorry…]

Fennekin took my outburst worse. She began to cry and ran off with her head and tail lowered.

I sighed and looked to Nightraider. [I thought you were 'above' fighting with Fennekin.]

[I thought so, too. But she just…got under my skin after so long…]

I crossed my arms. [You mind telling me now what the deal with you two, and me, is?]

He paused for a second. [Well, I can't really explain all of it. But the gist of it is that she still thinks of you as a Pokémon trainer. And she likes it when you give her some…a lot of attention. Sort of like the attention you give me. And she feels kind of left out sometimes…]

[Okay, I think I get it. I'll got talk to her then. You mind taking the berries I gathered back?]

[You know the berry basket weighs more than I do, right?]

[Then do it one at a time.]

[That's so slow,] Rowlet half-whined, half-grumbled.

[It'll get the job done nonetheless. Besides, not like we need to be anywhere in a hurry.]

It took me a little while, but I found Fennekin. She laid down near the beach, curled up and sniffling. I slowly approached her. "Mind if I join you?"

The Fox Pokémon turned her head to me. She gave me an ashamed look before lying her head back down.

With no indication of disapproval, I carefully sat next to her. I didn't say anything for a minute or two. Then I conceded, "I know you enjoy my company more than most on this island. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't as well."

She glanced toward me for a second, but barely moved.

"I got mad at you and Nightraider back there because of how disruptive you two were becoming. As much as I'd like to give you all the attention you want…Nightraider means as much as anyone else. If not, more. He was the first friend I made here, and we've been through a lot. Granted, we're not really in a Pokémon to trainer relationship, at least I don't think so. And neither is anyone else. I…hope you understand that."

She delayed her response, but said something in a sort of sighing, disheartening way.

"Hey, if you're feeling left out, or under my radar, you're not. Besides all the times you hang around by my side, I've noticed you. You are very attentive, you care about us as much as your group of five, and you are more than capable of holding your own…despite our initial meeting."

She was now facing me, though still laying on her stomach.

"Anyone would have it tough facing a horde of Pokémon at a type disadvantage. Lasting as long as you did with your peers, that was impressive. And it shows during your training. You're attacks are quite strong as far as I can tell, and your Mirror Coat deflects thinks like Astra's Growl or Bellsprout's Sleep Powder. With our training, you'll just get stronger still."

Her expression made her seem pleased with my complements. I added with a smirk, "And don't think I haven't noticed how you get a little 'showy' with your moves. Adding those stylish flares to them."

She giggled a bit. She was sitting upright, with a smile creeping onto her face.

I smiled back. "There, see? I do care about you." I reached out and petted her head. She looked sheepishly embarrassed for some reason, but tried to keep our eye contact. "And I am trying to understand you. As well as some of the others, perhaps. Telepathy is kind of a quirky thing for me. Still don't know what really triggers its ease. But maybe someday…"

I began scratching behind her ears as I spoke. Her tail wagged as she radiantly approved. But when I scratched a particular spot behind her lower left ear, she let out a pleasurable moan. [Oooh, yes! You found the spot!]

I stopped scratching as I looked surprised. […or maybe now. Fennekin?]

She jumped, even more surprised than I was. Then her face turned from slack-jawed to ecstatic. [Will! We can talk through our minds! Just like with Rowlet! Yay!] She leapt onto me, almost knocking me over again as she licked my face. [Maybe now you can be my…Pokémon trainer, sort of?]

I gently held her by her waist as I sat her on my crisscrossed lap. [Not a trainer. Something different. I like to think of it as a partnership, like the others.]

[Partners? I like the sound of that!]

I snapped my fingers. [Oh, right! And as a partner whom I can telepathically communicate with, I should give you a nickname.]

Her tail wagged furiously as she beamed. [Eeee! A nickname!]

[Hm…how about…Primrose?]

She immediately jumped up to my face, rubbing her cheek against mine. She let out a series of happy yips. [I love it! Thank you soooo much, Will!]

[I'm glad you like the first name that came in my head.]

Primrose stood on my lap, still giddy. [I've dreamed of this kind of moment with a Pokemon trainer. Now it's sort of come true. This is the happiest moment of my life!]

I tapped a finger on my chin. [Is that what you always wanted? A Pokemon trainer?]

She sat down as she calmed down a bit. [Yeah. Ever since I hatched in a daycare center in Kalos, I always wanted to be someone's Pokemon trainer.]

[A Kalos daycare center?]

[Yeah. Sort of a nursery place where lots of Pokemon are hatched, if not in the wild. But I liked that place. It was cozy, I was well-fed, and it had lots of fun spaces to run around. Best of all, there were young humans who visited the place who could pick up Pokémon there! And keep them as their own!] She started to get starry-eyed. [I sooo wanted to be picked to be cared for by someone! The other Fennekin thought I was weird to be so obsessed with being someone's trainer. But I've heard how much love and attention a trainer brings to their Pokemon, and I wanted it so…] She dreamily stared into space.

[Heh…that…is a nice dream to have,] I replied, sweatdropping.

[Yeah…] She slowly turned crestfallen. [But so many others got picked. One by one, the nursery emptied out, and I was still there. I was never picked…]

[Oh, I'm sorry that happened…]

[And then…a poacher attacked the daycare. He snatched me and as many others as he could before the police got there. I thought…I'd never be with a Pokémon trainer…]

I placed a hand on her droopy head. [That's terrible. How did you escape?]

[It was Oshawott. If it wasn't for her, I'd still be stuck with that poacher…] Primrose looked up to me, beaming. [And I never would have met you!]

[Well, you are safe…r now.]

[I know. I have my shining knight beside me.] She adjusted her body so my hand rested on her stomach as she lay on her back. Then she looked up at me with big, doe-y eyes. [Will, could you pretty please rub my tummy? You did so well with my ears before.]

I sighed and shrugged. [Well, I guess I got nothing else to do at the moment. But…you must make amends with Nightraider right after. Promise?]

She smiled cheerily. [Promise.]

I obliged to scratch her as she requested. She involuntarily squirmed as she pleasurably cooed. But, less than a minute after I started, Chimchar suddenly popped out of nowhere. The moment he spoke cheekily, Primrose jumped in utter shock, like she was caught in the act of something. She madly blushed as she barked angrily back at Chimchar. [Chimchar! I was having a moment! Get out of here, you nosy…!] And she chased after him as he laughed.

The next one I communicated with was Squirtle. He was a gentle soul, who got along with anyone he was around. However, he was the most averse to battle training. He grew timid around the stronger Pokémon like Sensei or Blindswipe. Sensei and I did help Squirtle settle into the island by giving him non-violent tasks, like washing berries or keeping us cool on particularly hot days. Those kinds of chores he seemed to enjoy the most.

Although he disliked battling, that did not translate to his battle skills. He was actually quite strong, with a moveset of Bubble, Brine, Withdraw, and Rapid Spin. Sensei sent Zemblance to sneak attack him as a test. The Tiny Turtle Pokemon panicked, as predicted. But he could take quite a lot of hits, thanks to his high defenses. Sensei thought something was off about his power, but didn't elaborate with me.

His defensive abilities especially rang true when we were attacked again by the flying Pokémon. I was patrolling the border of the rocky area. Nightraider, Crest, Primrose, and Squirtle were with me. I was expecting a Geodude to deliver a message from that Rhydon, Behemoth. But a group of Skiploom, Tailow, and Fletchinder got to us first when Nightraider went out for a peek.

"We still need to wait for that Geodude. Sensei said this was important. Quick, form up!" I said to the others. [Nightraider, use the tree branches for cover. Crest, toe the line of the forest border, but not too far out.]

[Okay,] said Nightraider.

[Will do!] said Crest as he eagerly charged ahead.

"Primrose, Squirtle, stick by me. We'll stay behind Crest as support. And watch the sides; who knows how desperate for an attack they'll be."

Squirtle nodded uneasily. Primrose gave me a wink and replied, [Gotcha covered!]

As the enemy Pokémon came down toward us, I called for Crest to use his Protect. The enemies divided between breaking his barrier, and coming straight for me.

"Squirtle, use Bubble!" I shouted.

The Tiny Turtle Pokémon sprayed a spread of bubbles at them.

[Primrose, Ember!]

She shot small fireballs from her mouth. The water and fire attacks halted the flying Pokemon in their tracks. Some even made direct hits. But this was only a temporary solution. That's when Nightraider snuck in above from the canopy. He used Astonish to further flinch them, and then peppered Peck attacks.

Meanwhile, some persistent Tailow broke through the Protect and attacked with Wing Attack and Peck. In response, Crest used Bide. [This all you got? I heard you Tailow were gutsy and defiant. *Ngh!* Let me show you what that really means!] He unleashed the damage he was dealt back at the Tailow in one blast. Standing as the victor, he gave out a triumphant cry. [Yeah, that's what I thought!]

Nightraider, Primrose, and Squirtle were almost finished with our opponents, too. Though a stray Fletchinder was about to strike Primrose from the side, Squirtle caught him coming first. He slid on his spinning shell, came between Fletchinder and Primrose, and stood with his outstretched limbs to block it. It helped he used Withdraw as he moved, but he effectively took the damage, and let Primrose scratch Fletchinder until he fled with the others.

"Nice save," I gave Squirtle a thumbs up. Then I heard commotion out on the rocky terrain. At last, the Geodude had come, but a trio of Ducklett were pestering him. "I think I see our messenger. Come on, let's give that Geodude a path to safety."

I ran with Primrose, Squirtle, and Nightraider at my side. But Crest ran ahead of us. He clanged his clubbed tail against his scaly back, alerting the Ducklett. [Come at me!] he shouted.

One Ducklett oblidged, diving at him with Wing Attack. Crest blocked it with Protect, then countered with Dragon Tail, sending that Ducklett flying away. The other two Ducklett stopped attacking the Geodude with their water attacks, changing their target to Crest. The Scaly Pokémon used Protect once again. Then he dropped the barrier to use Bide. One of the two Ducklett hit him with a pulse of water. [Ha! You dumb ducks learn nothing!] The other Ducklett hit Crest with the same water attack. This time, he seemed to be struggling to maintain his balance after that attack. [Woooo boy…ten of you now! I can still…take you all…] His eyes were spiraling. The two Ducklett switched to attacking with Wing Attack.

[Crest, what's wrong with you?] I called out to him. I was still too far away from the scuffle. [Snap out of it!]

But the Wing Attacks hit their mark. Crest was now lying on his side, while the two Ducklett turned around for another attack.

I grit my teeth. "Dang it, the others are too slow. They can't make it in time to…]

Suddenly, Squirtle sprang into action. He withdrew into his shell, then span across the rocky terrain. As oppose to stepping along the uneven ground, his spinning shell ricocheted in the general direction he was aiming at a much faster speed than I could sprint. This allowed him to hit one of the Ducklett before he could hit Crest. Then he popped out of his shell and stepped before the last Ducklett in a defensive stance. He stood unwavering when the attack landed on him, then used his Bubble attack to create a makeshift wall. The Ducklett seemed confused at first, then proceeded to blow away the bubbles with his wings. But that stalling allowed the Geodude to come from behind with a Rock Throw. With that, the battle was over.

I motioned to everyone present. "Come on! Back to the forest." I carried Crest and led the others to the borderline in a couple of minutes. While we caught our breath, Nightraider stepped aside to relay the message from the Geodude. I walked up to Squirtle, who sat against a tree trunk. I smiled, "Nice job, back there! You're a lifesaver, in many ways than one."

Squirtle put up his own, lethargic thumbs up. [Thanks.]

I beamed, [Hey, we can communicate telepathically now!]

He retreated into his shell as I spoke that way. [Oh my Arceus! How are you in my head? Is that what Fennekin was describing?]

[Yep! Welcome to the club,] she said as she jumped onto my shoulder.

I reached a hand out to Squirtle. [It's alright. I don't know how it exactly works, but I can teach you how you can turn it 'on and off' from your end.]

No response for a moment, and he still kept his head in his shell.

[Hm, you know, my telepathy is sort of an indicator of a bond we share. And like with Primrose here, I'd like to give you a nickname in that honor. Does that sound okay?]

Still no response, but his head peeked out a little.

[Let's see. You're quite a defender among us. I can call you…Gardna. That name alright?]

Squirtle poked his head out fully. He thought it over for a second. [It's a nice name. Sure.]

I showed my hand. [Then welcome to the team, Gardna. And…thanks for saving my life back when we first met.]

Gardna took my hand with his own and shook it. [Your welcome. No big deal, really.]

[No big deal?] Primrose interjected. [You offered to take the brunt of abuses from our poacher! And battled off hostile Pokémon when we escaped. All even though you didn't want to!]

He put a hand behind his head and shrugged sheepishly. [Well, I had to. You guys needed help. So I helped protect your back like I had from you guys.]

[Were you kidnapped from Kalos, too?] I asked.

[No, I was from Kanto,] he frowned. [Just relaxing by Cerulean Cape. He nabbed me while I was asleep.]

[Huh. So you all came from different regions? Darn poacher got around.]

[Unfortunately, yeah. I was the first of us five.]

Nightraider flew up to me. [I memorized the message.] He sighed, [Sensei will love to hear this one.]

I shrugged. [Well, let's head back. Crest is gonna need some food right away.]

That night, we ate in groups around Sensei's new camp site. He wasn't present, likely thinking of new ways to negotiate with Behemoth. Blindswipe ate with Bellsprout, Wooper, Alolan Rattata, and Treecko. Bounsweet tended to stay away from meal times like this. Didn't help her feel comfortable when we ate spoiled food in front of what looked like a large ripe fruit. Oshawott ate alone in a corner, nibbling as ferociously as her typical demeanor. Zemblance and Warwulf were listening to something Chimchar was talking about. That left Nightraider, Astra, Crest, Knave, Primrose, and Gardna eating with me.

Crest was feeling better, but like the rest of us he made faces as he stomached each bite. Although our numbers still dwindled since Machop and the others were snatched, our berry supply was nearly wiped by giving most to Behemoth's side. Leaving us the more foul-tasting leftovers. And the berries we could find safely were no better anyway.

Primrose requested another scratch on her back, so I put my berry down beside me to do so. She lay on my lap, sighing heavenly. [Oh, Will! What would I do without you?]

[Probably scratch yourself with your foot?] I smirked.

[But you give just the right touch,] she cooed.

When I finished, I reached for my berry without looking and took another bite. The texture felt different. And it was much spicier. "Hot!" I jumped to my feet. Primrose yelped as she fell to the ground. I ran over to our water containers I built over the months. I gulped down much more water than I expected. Relieved, I turned back to our group. Chimchar was howling with laughter around where I sat. Also nearby was the berry I ate. A red coloring different from the green one I was eating earlier.

Primrose was on her feet and held back by Astra and Gardna before she could attack the Chimp Pokémon. But that didn't stop her from berating him. [You maniac! Non-Fire-type Pokemon can't eat those! Much less humans! You hurt poor Will!]

Chimchar said something back between his laughs.

Whatever he said got Primrose's face as red as the berry I just bit. [I-I hope to Arceus you never say or said that to Will! He's n-not my boyf…]

"Say what?" I said as I stood by my seat.

[Eep!] She froze in place, though Astra and Gardna still kept a hold on her. [N-nothing! Nothing serious, I swear! Just…don't eat Tamato Berries.]

I picked up the Tamato Berry. It had other bites into it besides my own. I looked to Chimchar, who gave me a cheeky grin as he held the berry I was originally eating. I held the red berry to him, saying seriously, "Trade back. Now."

Chimchar kept his sheepish grin, but held the green berry up to me. We exchanged out berries and sat back down. Chimchar was joining us, apparently, sitting next to me. In response, Primrose sat opposite of us. She turned her nose up with a huff when Chimchar looked back to her.

I took another bite from my green berry. The spicy taste was still in my mouth, and mixed with the bitter taste of the green berry really put my tongue in knots. I threw the berry to the ground in frustration. "Yugh! I can't stand this! I want to eat something good!"

Chimchar snickered, [Hehe, the look in your face!]

I turned to the Chimp Pokémon. [Well, nice to hear your thoughts.]

Primrose, among the others who could hear my thoughts, grew tense when she heard me think that to Chimchar.

[Sweet! So, I can hear everyone's thoughts now?] said Chimchar, darting his eyes to everyone around us.

[No, just mine,] I said. [I can hear your thoughts, and some of the others, all at once. But you can't hear each other's thoughts but my own. Just kind of how it works from what I know.]

Chimchar thought for a few moments. Then a wide grin stretched across his face. [Well! Then I got some things I can tell you exclusively!]

I raised an eyebrow. [Like what?]

He leaned toward me. [Did you know Zemblance misses your shoes?]

[I figured. He'll need to swim for that around Dhelmise.]

[And that Primrose actually doesn't tidy herself that often? She mainly does it around y…]

A fireball shot at his face. It also burned the Tamato Berry he was holding. Primrose glared at him. [I'm right here!]

[Well, I can definitely see how you don't get along so easily with the others,] I acknowledged to Chimchar.

He inspected his berry, which looked mostly charred and shriveled. [I thought you said my thoughts to you weren't heard by anyone else?]

[I think she just knew you were talking about her.]

She turned her head away again. [You make that face when it's about me, even when you're lips aren't moving,] she thought, leaving that bit open to just me.

[I am so glad Primrose and I are over it,] sighed Nightraider.

Chimchar bit into his berry, but his expression was one of dissatisfaction. [Hey, this tastes different now.] He handed it to me. [I don't want it anymore.]

I grimaced, [But you've bitten it a few times already. And it's fricken spicy!]

[I'm not sick. And it doesn't feel that way anymore. You'll live. And what have you told us about 'wasting'?]

[Alright, alright…] I begrudging took the berry and took another bite. To my surprise, it wasn't so spicy. In fact, it was nearly flavorless. Still relatively horrible to taste, but the berry must had been so charred that the flavor was burned out of it. [Hm, your're right. I wonder…could I alter the flavors of these berries so they're better?] Then I gasped, [Oh! Chimchar, I haven't given you a nickname yet. Want one?]

[Yeah! Give me a cool one, like…like…]

[Call him Heartbreaker,] Crest interrupted.

[Jackass,] muttered Primrose.

[Rockhead,] said Astra.

[Conversation-Raider,] said Nightraider.

[Foolhardy,] Knave smirked.

[Monkeybone?] said Gardna, slightly confused.

Chimchar looked unenthused. [Bravo. Look how clever you all are.]

[How about Bravado?] I added.

Chimchar smiled again. [Yes! See? I have no idea what that means, but it sounds cool to me anyway!]

Bravado lived up to the demeanor his name implied. I always saw how he barged into others' conversations but act like he knew more than he let on without a hitch. Sometimes that worked, while some gave zero tolerance. He knew well enough to tread his words carefully around the likes of Sensei. But he reveled in poking fun at others' misfortune. Primrose was his favorite target. He knew just how to tick her off in a way that flustered her or got her chasing him in comedic fashion. He tried many times to spill her insecurities to me, but I purposely cut off our telepathic connection out of respect to Primrose.

However, he was very useful at picking up tidbits of info. He, Treecko, Knave, and Nightraider were among the best at scouting out the patterns of the flying Pokémon. Maybe not the most disciplined scout, but at least his snooping was directed at something useful. I also found out he was from the Sinnoh region. Tricked by the same poacher as the others. He admitted it wasn't one of his proudest moments, but at least he had company during and after their captivity.

Sensei gave Bravado the most discipline of the five. He had a fair moveset of Ember, Leer, Taunt, and Fury Swipes, but poorly used them. A few weeks of rigorous training made him as formidable a fighter as almost anyone else in the group. Primrose was visibly smug when she watched Bravado get roasted by Sensei and his regiments. She even learned Flame Charge and Psybeam during her own training to have alongside Scratch and Magic Coat. Not to be outdone, Bravado learned Flame Wheel to replace his Leer. If there was anyone that made him take things just a little more seriously, it was Primrose.

Thanks to the Tamato Berry incident, I thought more about 'cooking' the berries in some fashion. I remembered how good my mom made food for me, so I went off of that. I needed a fire, so I made a safe space for it under Sensei's instructions. As I was constructing the campfire, Bounsweet passed through. She looked lost.

"You looking for someone?" I asked.

She nodded.

"Treecko?"

She nodded intently.

"Don't know. He's either training or scouting."

She sighed sadly. Before she went off, she looked curiously at my shoddy pile of sticks.

"It's supposed to be a fireplace. For cook…making better food out of the berries I collect. Not of you, of course."

She smiled at me with a hint of relief. [Thank Arceus. I knew you wouldn't eat me.]

[Hey, took a while.]

[Oh yes! You are one of the only two I feel comfortable being around here. Now I can directly talk with you!]

[Is Treecko the other?]

[Ah, yes…] she replied dreamily. [He's the only other one who first saw me as more than just a Pokémon that looks like food. And the way he looked when he saved me…]

Suddenly, Treecko jumped down from the canopy, followed by Knave. [Man, how you move through the trees is nothing like how the Mankey did.] Knave said to Treecko.

[Oh my gosh, you're here!] Bounsweet swooned in her thoughts. [What an entrance!]

[Uh, Bounsweet?] I asked. [You know how I can still hear your thoughts right now, right?]

[Huh?] Bounsweet snapped to reality.

Knave elbows Treecko, smirking. [Hey, Treecko. Looks like your 'shadow' got lost for a minute.]

Treecko only gave a confused expression to him, like he missed something in the conversation.

Knave just shrugged and turned to me. [So Will, has Bounsweet finally joined the telepathic club?]

[Yeah, she did. Just need to come up with a nickname for her.]

[How about Cherry?] He said with a mischievous grin.

[Cherry?] I responded.

Bounsweet, gazing at Treecko all this time, suddenly chimed in. [My name what now?]

[Uh…Sherry. Yeah, Sherry. That can be your name. How's it sound?]

[Sherry?] She thought for a second, then turned to Treecko. He was mostly paying attention to me, but he looked to Sherry when she hopped slowly toward him. [Do…you…like the name?]

His response sounded simple, but with his usual appealing voice. I didn't understand him yet, but whenever he talked, it sounded casually suave without any effort or intention of sounding so on his part. Bounsweet was clearly drinking up all of what he was saying. When he capped it off with a thumbs up, she cooed, [Thank you…] and fainted.

I turned to Knave. [I take it she likes the name?]

[More than that,] Knave crossed his arms with a smile.

Treecko looked back to me, staring intently. It felt like he was staring into my soul.

"Um, did you need something?" I said apprehensively.

He didn't respond. But Knave replied, [I think he's trying to telepathically connect with you. He's mentioned interest in it once in a while.]

"Huh. Well, I can't really make it happen on command. I mean, I've tried, but…"

The Wood Gecko Pokémon still stared me down.

I sighed, "Alright. We'll do it your way. For however long you want."

For hours, we just locked eyes. Neither of us backed down. Nightraider swooped by. Kept Knave company while they watched. Sherry woke up, but didn't interrupt us. Primrose and Gardna joined the other onlookers now finished with their training with Sensei. Now it sort of unnerved me with the crowd of five watching us just stare. But if Treecko was all in, so was I. Even with the thoughts of the onlookers crossing my mind. I could hear bets being place, with heightened fervor between Primrose and Sherry over me or Treecko to back down respectively.

I eventually cut them out of my mind entirely. "Can't let their thoughts bog me down. I have to focus. Treecko seems to really want to connect with me telepathically. More so than anyone. I can't give up yet."

Treecko remained unblinking. He was much better at holding his nerves than I was. Then, just as I felt too antsy, a breakthrough. […t…test…testing…testing, testing, testing, test-]

[Got it! I hear you, I hear you!] There was a moment of excitement. Then a migraine pierced my head. I collapsed into a sitting position, half-blanking out. [Was I…trying that hard?] As the pain passed, Primrose and Nightraider ran up to me.

[Take…easy, Will,] said the latter, but his telepathic link felt frayed.

[Yeah…] said the former. Her link sounded just as wonky. [Did…work…?]

"It did," I replied tiredly. "Though I might need to lay off the mental talking for a bit. Seems I overblew it somewhat."

Treecko nodded at me with a smile. Sherry bounced next to him, seemingly happy for the both of us. Primrose walked back to Sherry and said something to her that made her look embarrassed about.

It wasn't until sunset when I opened my telepathy again. Even though the supper berries were foul tasting, they seemed to somewhat restore my stamina. I would have liked to try the fireplace I made, but it wasn't ready yet. As we ate, Sherry apprehensively inched to Treecko. When he looked to her, she struggled to give eye contact. Although my telepathy was off at the time, her voice was stuttering a lot. But Treecko gave a plain, agreeing response when she finished her question. If she was a fire-type, she'd be giving off steam. She nodded, hopped two paces away, and fainted with an enamored smile. Primrose sat on my lap, and she looked rather pleased when watching that whole stint. I guessed it had something to do with their betting, but I'll never know.

After we ate, I walked up to Treecko. [So, now that I feel better, I'd like to ask: why?]

Treecko stood up as well, standing proudly while looking up. [I'm pleased our connection works. Back from my time in Hoenn, I lived alongside a ninja clan. While I wasn't caught by any ninja trainers there, the master of the clan brought me in. He taught me humility, respect, and 'the way' to a moral life. Now that I'm here, I wish to serve the leader of this team in the same way I served my former master. While the Oranguru known as Sensei is the leader of this team, I was told of your telepathy and personal trials. Therefore, I wanted to properly and personally ask, in your native language, that you may be my next master.]

I almost lost my breath, moved by his serious yet eloquent words. [Oh…uh, are you sure? I mean…I don't know what to say, er, think.]

He gave a slow nod. [I understand your stance in relation to Pokémon. You may treat me in whatever comfortable and good manner you so choose. I simply wish to treat you in 'the way' I know best. But the choice is ultimately yours. I will not judge, and I will respect your choice.]

[Uh, now? Um…] Still thrown off, I kept my thoughts private for a few seconds. "I'm not a trainer, though being a sort of 'Pokemon Master' does have a nice ring to it. Regardless, he says he'll make peace to work within my comfortable bounds. And he seems like a good and strong Pokemon. Wait, I haven't given him a name yet!" A few more seconds later, I re-opened my thoughts. [I made my decision. I accept to work alongside you. I hope I can somewhat fulfill the role that you held to your former 'master'.]

Although his expression hardly changed, he was beaming. He genuflected before me, bowing his head. [My greatest thanks to you. Will, I hereby extend my duty and loyalty to serve you as my next master.]

[Oh, uh, at ease?] I felt incredibly awkward, under the spotlight of our peers still standing around us. [And you may rise under a new name. One that fits your typing. You are now…Sherwood.]

Sherwood stood up and put a fist to his chest. [I am humbled. I accept that name.]

Nightraider tilted his head in slight confusion. [Why does that name bother me?]

Sherry jumped up to me with slight urgency. [Uh, I wish to join you, too!] she said quickly while glancing to Sherwood.

[Sure,] I said. As Sherry squealed a bit to herself, I thought I heard leaves rustling. When I turned, a flash of blue color stormed off. "Was that Oshawott?"

The next day, I did my usual training with Sensei. Near the end, I mentioned how my head felt woozy after using my telepathy to make a connection to Treecko.

[Hm, so there does seem to be other limits,] he said. [Distance is a factor. Did the resulting connection feel any different when it worked?]

[Not that I recall,] I shrugged.

[I see. You did mention that you could hear the other's thoughts during your attempts. How many were watching you?]

[Five.]

[I see…] He looked behind him. Astra, Crest, Gardna, and Primrose were present. They were part of my training today. [You four; I'd like to test one more thing with Will.] He waited for them to come closer. Primrose eagerly claimed her perch on my shoulder. [Will, do you feel your telepathic connection to all five of us? Without even trying to communicate?]

[I do.] It still felt like a slight hum of sorts. But no particular pain came from it.

[Alright. Then…Blindswipe, Nightraider, Knave, come here.] He projected that last part of his thoughts. In a few minutes, the three joined us. Sensei cleared his throat. [Alright, Will. I'd like you to extend your telepathy to them, in addition to the four with you.]

[What about you?]

[My Telepathy works differently from yours, and would not count against your limitations. If you feel any different, please verbally let me know.] With that, he cut his thoughts off from me.

I focused my mind on these seven. Nightraider and Knave talked about their scouting. Blindswipe wondered how Oshawott felt about having her training cut off with him. Gardna, Crest, and Astra wondered what to do after this. Primrose seemed nervous about what I might hear in her thoughts the longer we held our connection, and in that time I felt our connection getting iffy. At first, I thought it was because of her. But then I felt it was on me. Like there was extra pressure just to keep the connection. Not just with her, but all of them in general. I strained myself to keep the connection to all of them, but my mind and body felt fatigued the longer I did so. "I never noticed this before," I finally said to Sensei. "I don't feel as comfortable telecommunicating with all seven of them at once."

[I see,] Sensei replied. [You have usually kept to using telepathy with just one or two Pokemon at a time. How about we cut off one of them?]

[I'll stay out for now,] Primrose said quickly. I felt her connection cut off, and she looked slightly relieved.

To my slight surprise, I could noticeable tell the difference in the strain once Primrose and I let go. The pressure was still there, but it didn't feel taxing. "Huh. That feels better, though I still feel some pressure on my part."

Sensei nodded. [Then that must be your limit.] He gave an amusing expression. [Fitting. Just like the official limit for Pokémon trainers.]

With training over, Sensei waited for his session with Zemblance, Warwulf, and Bravado. Blindswipe, Astra, and Crest went their own ways. I decided to get a drink from the pool, and was joined by Nightraider, Knave, Gardna, and Primrose. To my surprise, Sherwood arrived seconds after we did. He carried Sherry over his head, then placed her next to the pool. The Fruit Pokémon looked knocked out, with an enamored smile on her face.

"What happened?" I asked Sherwood.

He shrugged, [I don't know. I went with her to the beach like she asked, we sat and chat in a safe shady spot, and when I commented on her life story she told me, she fainted.]

"Was it a nice comment?"

[I said she was very brave to have endured her fears, and that she could do it.] He proceeded to gently slip her into the pool, while pouring water over her to wake her up.

[Awww! How sweet!] thought Primrose. [Let me help.] She came over to Sherry and took Sherwood's place of tending her.

In that time, I filled my water containers before taking a drink myself. Knave talked about berry-collecting strategies with Gardna and Nightraider. Sherwood sat next to me while we waiting for Sherry to wake up. When she did, Primrose was there to help calm her bewilderment.

[Hey, relax. See, you got through it,] Primrose said to Sherry.

Sherry looked toward Sherwood, blushing again. [Oh my gosh, that was nerve-wracking!] She steadied herself. [But…he said I can push passed my nervousness.]

[That's the spirit!]

[So…when do you think you will ask Will for…?]

[Uh, I don't know…] She responded quickly. She crossed her legs as it seemed her turn to be bashful. [I'll ask when it feels right.] Then she thought to herself, [Does Will know?]

Hearing their conversation through their minds from where I was sitting, I raised an eyebrow at the last remark. [Know what?] I said through my mind to Primrose's.

She jumped. [Ack! Nothing!] She immediately cut off her thoughts to me, then yipped at Sherry to follow her to a further spot from us that was still close enough in view.

Sherwood looked just as confused as me. [What were they talking about?]

"Don't know," I replied.

[Oh well.] He stood up and stretched a bit. [Hey, Master…]

I shuddered a bit at the name. "Will is preferable."

[Master Will? I have an observation.]

"What is it?"

[I have watched your training with Sensei from time to time. You seem to be making great progress in dodging moves, demonstrating great horizontal mobility to make up for your lackluster physical endurance.]

"Yeah, I think everyone on this island knows what weaknesses I'm hiding," I mumbled.

[But I wonder. You have great horizontal mobility. How is your vertical mobility?]

"Huh?"

[Can you climb trees?]

"I think so? Never actually thought to try that. How hard could it be?"

[Then I'd like to show you.] I followed him to the base of the nearest tree. In seconds he climbed the side of the trunk and onto the lower branches. [The clan I used to be a part of mimicked quite a few of my climbing techniques. I'd be my honor to share what I've learned with you.]

"Sure!" I gripped the trunk with both arms, though my arms only wrap halfway around the tree. "I've dealt with way more than this. Can't be that hard…" I pushed my legs off the ground onto the trunk. As soon as that happened, I fell to the ground. "Ow…okay, so maybe one arm and leg at a time?" I gripped my left hand on the trunk, followed by my right foot. The bark of the trees were fortunately smooth on this island, but my toes were more sensitive to the surfaces having lost my shoes and socks. My next move was to reach a higher point of the trunk with my right hand and pull myself off the ground. I slipped and fell again instead. I excpected Sherwood to laugh or scoff at me. But he respectfully gave no such demeaning expression.

[I am well aware we are not the same. But...] He used his flashy leaves to cut down a vine to me. […that doesn't mean there aren't other ways to take on the challenge.]

I smiled, [Sensei has been trying to teach me to see alternatives. You've been talking this stuff over with him?]

[Not this time. There's a reason certain lessons are commonly shared.]

Although I was slow, I managed to climb the vine to meet on Sherwood's branch. The branch was strong enough for me to sit on it. But I felt constricted by how closely interwoven the canopy of braches were. "Okay, I'm up. Now what?"

There was a flash in his eyes. [Follow me.]

For the next hour, Sherwood jumped a few branches at a time across the canopy. Slowly and carefully, I followed suit. At first, I was stepping along each branch until I could comfortably step to a different branch. I used my hands to grip branches around my eye level, assisting my branch crossing. Sherwood was very patient with me and waited until I caught up before swinging ahead. His movements were like some sort of free-form dance: graceful, precise, loose, and confident. Inspired, I grew confident enough to jump gaps. In an hour, I didn't need to look where I reached out my hands and feet half the time.

Below us, I mentally instructed for the others to stay nearby if they wished to stick with me. Knave led Primrose, Gardna, and Sherry to some obstacle exercises he learned from the Mankey. Nightraider decided to keep pace with Sherwood and I.

[Hey, you've reached 'my level' now!] Nightraider cheered.

I laughed. [Yeah. This actually was as easy as I thought. I bet I can…]

Suddenly, Bravado swung upside-down, inches from my face. [Surprise!] he chortled. [Miss me?]

He certainly surprised me. Unfortunately, I lost my footing and was too slow to grab any branches to stop my fall. Time felt like it slowed during my fall.

[Will!] Nightraider shouted first, trying to fly after me before I hit the ground.

[Will!] Primrose cried, who had the most fear and worry in her voice.

The ground was coming up fast, and for a split second I was certain I'd break a few bones today. But lucky me, Knave was ready. He commanded Gardna to use Brine to create a wave of water. At the same time, Knave used Icy Wind to solidify it. They made a ramp of ice in seconds, which allowed me to slide safely to the ground. Roughed up and bruised, but in one piece.

[You alright?] Nightraider asked, flying next to me.

Before I could answer or sit up, Primrose leaped onto my chest. [Will! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Do you need your wounds licked?]

"I think I'm fine," I grunted. The right side of my body ached from hitting the ice first. I rubbed my right arm as I sat up. "Rough way to end an otherwise fun first tree travel."

Primrose inspected my arm, which didn't appear that scratched up, but had bruised spots. Knave, Gardna, Sherry, and Sherwood caught up to me, also showing concern for my wellbeing.

Bravado was last to approach me. He clutched his arm and had a guilty look on his face. [S-sorry. I, uh, didn't mean for that to happen…] he said hesitantly.

Primrose growled and barked at him. [You! You idiot! You imbecile! Do you ever consider how your actions could hurt others?] She ran up to him and really got in his face. She looked like she was a second away from mauling him.

In a panic, he waved his hands in front of him. [Hey, easy! I said I was sorry!] His voice sounded genuinely apologetic, unlike his usual jokey demeanor.

She kept her snarling up for a couple of seconds. Perhaps debating whether to still maul him. Instead, she spat a bit of flame from her mouth at his face. Then she turned her nose up as she strutted back to me. [Idiot!]

With that tension out of the way, I turned to Knave and Gardna. "Good thinking there. Your training with Sensei and I is paying off."

Gardna sheepishly smiled as he rubbed the back of his head. [Thanks. Well, part of my credit does go to Knave. It was his idea after all.]

Knave put an arm over Gardna's shoulder and grinned. [Well, you have been a great teammate to work with. You, Primrose, Sherwood, and even Bravado are like the teammates I used to have. Now, if that sour-puss could join…]

The sound of a sword unsheathing is heard. Before anyone could even react, Oshawott jumped from the bushes onto Knave. She pinned him down and held her scalchop blade pointed near his neck. I could see the whites in her eyes as she growled through her teeth and spat hateful words toward Knave.

[Uh…] Gardna took a step toward her, but ultimately trembled in place. [Geez, she's scary!]

Primrose approached her first. [Hey, Oshawott. Don't take his comments too hard…]

But Oshawott pointed her scalchop blade at Primrose, keeping her from coming any closer.

In this moment, Knave sprayed Icy Wind in her face to slip away. While she furiously rubbed the ice crystals off her face, Knave squared off against her. He said to her in an afflicted tone, [Sorry, Oshawott. I've heard how you led these guys from captivity to now. But I think they deserve a leader with a different touch.]

Oshawott bellowed something, then charged at him with her scalchop blade. Knave sidestepped to his right, but the Sea Otter Pokémon seemed to catch on to his movements and swung her scalchop after him. By the angle and speed of the swing, Knave only had time to parry the scalchop blade with both his claws. He even used his new move Metal Claw to push back. He smirked, [Heh, I've been getting stronger; just like you. I keep this up, and my attack power will go up…]

Oshawott intensified her eye contact with Knave. She extended her free left hand.

[Uh, oh, I'm exposed,] Knave thought to himself, glancing at his two hands holding the scalchop blade away from his body. [But she doesn't know any punching or scratching moves, so…]

With a flash of her eyes, three metal blades extended from her hand. As Knave gasped, Oshawott used a Metal Claw attack on Knave. The Sharp Claw Pokémon howled in pain as he stumbled back.

I gasped as well. "How did she?! Oshawott can't know moves like Metal Claw or Ember…can they?"

[No,] Bravado replied. He was hugging one of my legs as he watched Oshawott's rage unfold. [But she's got a special ace up her sleeve: Copycat. With that move, she can mimic any move she just saw used.]

[Really?]

[Yeah. Just one of many things about her that make her so scary.]

[I take it you've received a fair share of anger from her?]

He gulped, gripping my leg harder. [Yep. She ain't no Primrose.]

Oshawott retracted her scalchop and used both hands to attack with Metal Claw once again.

Knave grimaced and used his Agility this time to dodge. [I'll prove to you how good I am!] He proceeded to dash around her with Agility, getting faster and faster. Every so often, he came in with a Feint Attack. Oshawott did her best parry the speedy attacks, but each move at least grazed her. Before she could strike back or pin him, Knave would dash out of the way and run circles around her. [What's the matter? I've seen you spar with Blindswipe. Am I not a worthy challenge?]

Nightraider swooped above the battle, but didn't dare get too near. [I think she gets the point, Knave. Can we stop this before this gets worse?]

I thought about calling out to either of them, but I stayed frozen in place. "Oshawott has not been a team player of Sensei's group. But she usually isn't this antagonistic toward us. What more is going on with her?"

After a few failed attempts at striking after Knave, Oshawott stopped moving. Knave ran around and around her. She closed her eyes. The scalchop was back in her hand, unsheathed. She remained absolutely still.

Knave made another go-around and used Feint Attack from her left side. Her eyes flew open. She yelled as she swung her scalchop to her left. The attacks connected. The scalchop blade hit Knave squarely on his head.

Knave grunted as he hit the ground hard. [Am I not…worthy?] He remained motionless and beaten, his stamina and will to fight clearly depleted.

But, to our horror, Oshawott wasn't done. She kicked Knave in the ribs and yelled some things to him. Then she raised her scalchop, ready to strike again.

This time, I stepped forward. "No, stop!" My voice wavered, and I failed to input my 'persuasion'.

She whipped her head around. Her eyes were crazed, like she was stuck in a 'fighting mode'. She yelled again and ran at me with the scalchop blade.

Bravado and Gardna yelped. Sherry hid behind Sherwood. He had his arms crossed and kept watching everything unfold intently. Primrose gave a pained expression, itching between jumping to my defense and staying back. But Nightraider flew between me and Oshawott this time. [You heard the man! Stop this,] he demanded.

She stopped her charge, but still held the scalchop blade toward us threateningly. She fiercely growled some more things to me. Her other hand sort of hovered over the chipped scalchop hanging from her necklace.

I hesitantly held my ground. "Could she use that scalchop, too?"

At this moment, Sherwood stepped in. He calmly walked between Oshawott and Rowlet and I. [Stand down,] he said with a stern but sympathetic voice.

She gritted her teeth and spat a couple of things to Sherwood.

[No, it wasn't by force. The choice to join Will was mine and mine alone. As were the others. And Knave is an ally we trust as much as anyone else. Being among Sensei's team is like being brothers and sisters in arms in our quest for survival.] What he said next was in a more somber tone. [I'm sure you know that feeling…]

She clenched up. Her free hand now gently clasped the broken scalchop. Everyone was still for a few, agonizingly slow, seconds.

Finally, Oshawott lowered her scalchop blade. Her tensed demeanor vanished with a scowl. She placed her pristine scalchop back on her stomach and stormed off. For good measure, she made quick, piercing glares at me and Knave before she disappeared into the bushes.

We all breathed a sigh of relief. I nodded to Sherwood as he turned to me. [Thank you for breaking the tension.]

Sherwood sighed, [Anything to ensure the safety of you and our friends. Although…I might have strained my own good graces with Oshawott. Another encounter with her won't likely be quelled by my words of caution.]

I frowned. [I see. With our luck, that fight will likely break out sooner rather than later. What is her deal?]

He paused, likely thinking carefully of what he wanted to say. [She was the reason we broke free from our captive. When the poacher caught her last, she was placed in our capsule cage. But she refused to be held. She led us through a plan that allowed just us five to escape the poacher in our capsule. Without her, we likely would have remained with the poacher today. And would have perished on our journey through the Unova deserts, to the coast, to where we are now.] Primrose, Gardna, and Bravado stood next to him and nodded in agreement. [We owe her our lives for her leadership.]

[Eeesh,] I grimaced. [So, if she's that good…why come to me?]

[You're not much of a head-on battler,] said Gardna.

[You won't bite my head off if I have a little 'fun',] Bravado said cheekily.

Primrose blushed a bit. ['Cause I li…] she thought to herself before shutting her mind to me. Then she reopened and said, ['Cause you're nice.]

Treecko nodded, [All in all, you possess many social and analytical potentials of a tactician. Which, I can speak for the four of us, is what we need more in this setting. You think before you act, while she acts before she thinks. Not exclusively, but that's where you two feel most comfortable with. And, even though she doesn't want to admit it, I think she needs someone like you, too.]

I looked down. [Maybe. I doubt my words alone would get thought to her…with or without my 'persuasion'. And she can't hear my thoughts. So she'd only answer to combat.]

[That's her way,] Sherwood nodded.

I nodded back with confidence, more so to the four together. [Then that's what we'll do. She is clearly stronger than all four of you individually. But together…we stand a chance. We'll convince her that our combined talents and strategies are what it takes to survive on this island.]

[Then, I'm in,] said Knave weakly. Nightraider helped prop him up by letting him lean on his head.

I raised an eyebrow. [You? Sorry, but this feels more of a personal matter. Thus, requires a helping hand by those closest to her.]

[I got personal beef with her,] he grunted. He motioned to the four. [I work best in a team. These guys have been the next best thing after my former team. I won't lose another. I want to fight for that right…for her approval. So I. Want. In.]

I thought it over for a second. Then replied, [If it's alright with these four, then it's fine with me.]

The four looked at each other, then looked approvingly to Knave. Sherwood gave a thumbs up. [Pleasure to see what you got.]

I smiled, [Okay. Let's get busy.]

The six of us trained in private the next few days. Our plan was to train until Oshawott caught on and ambushed us like before. We told nobody else of what we were doing, with the exception of Sensei. He went along with my plan and adjusted our regular training during this period. But he cautioned us not to go overboard with the impending fight. Sherry was very concerned for us, Sherwood most of all. She wanted to watch us train and be there when the fight happened. But Sherwood kindly convinced her otherwise.

Knave, Sherwood, Bravado, Primrose, and Gardna shared what moves and fighting styles they knew with each other, so we could all be on the same page. It was then that I knew Sherwood's moveset to consist of Pound, Quick Attack, Synthesis, and Magical Leaf. He was learning new moves as he grew stronger, but he didn't find the draining moves that useful when he had access to Synthesis. Gardna could also learn Protect, but he felt more at ease with Withdraw, which was fine with me. Bravado wanted to learn Nasty Plot, much to Primrose's chagrin. I figured Taunt would be important, and Ember and Flame Charge complemented his type. So he insisted on forgetting Fury Swipes. Primrose learned Fire Spin in replacement of Flame Charge. Don't know how Pokémon 'forget' things so quickly, but none of us were really in a position to question that.

Given how strong they were, I questioned why they didn't evolve yet. All four of them gave me uneasy looks. Sherwood shrugged. [Who knows? Someday, perhaps….] I scratched my head, but didn't probe any further.

Instead, I focused on anticipating Oshawott's battle style. Although she hadn't shared much with the others these days, they did know a lot. Last they knew, Oshawott knew Razor Shell, Copycat, Air Slash, and Focus Energy. She tended to relentlessly, but also methodically. She preferred to strike first, but be on guard for counterattacks. Razor Shell capitalized on her close-quarters swordswoman-ship, while Air Slash kept opponents at bay from afar. If she felt overwhelmed, she'd sometimes focus her energy and wait for an opportune moment for the critical blow. But her apparent weakness was her insistence on showing her strength. It usually didn't take a lot of goading to get through her short-temper. Though her combat experience throughout her life backed her fierce exterior. Even if the opponent knew moves that would overwhelm her, that was when she would bust out her Copycat, and give her opponent a taste of their own medicine.

I asked about her second scalchop. That was another dodgy question for her friends to answer, but they assured me that she'd only use it as a last resort. They only ever saw her use both scalchop during their escape from the poacher. Her Copycat and dual scalchop were my main worry when facing her. Fortunately, Knave had an idea for the former.

While on patrol, Nightraider discretely kept an eye out for Oshawott. If he spotted her or the usual flying Pokémon, too close to where we were training, he'd mentally let me know and we'd relocate. This continued for a week seemingly without a hitch.

Then, during our seventh day of secret training, the hour arrived. Nightraider's panic screeched through my mind. [Ack! She ambushed me! Hey, Will. Seems like she's OW catching on! If you're ready come…OW!]

[Nightraider?] Our mind link was straining from his end. Likely occupied entirely with battling Oshawott himself. I faced the five in the middle of their training. [Time's up,] I interrupted through their minds. [Our crucial battle is at hand.]

They immediately stopped what they were doing a came to my side. There was an uneasy feeling over all of us. But our expressions exuded the contrary. Ready or not, we had to be.

Thanks to my training with Sensei, I got better at sensing out those I had a mental connection with. This allowed us to run straight to Nightraider. Just as we caught up, Oshawott made a direct hit on Nightraider with Air Slash. He slammed against a tree and groaned on the ground.

I growled, "Oshawott!" I rushed out of the bushes with my five companions.

She turned to me, her scalchop blade at the ready. There was nothing in her expression to express any surprise at our sudden appearance.

I looked to Nightraider, frowned, and looked back to her. "You were expecting us. I take it you wanted to set the time and place for the battle you preferred?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"This is getting out of hand. I challenge you to…a Horde Battle!" I lowered to Primrose. "That's what this would be called, right?" I whispered.

[You got it, Will,] she beamed.

Knave stepped forward to Oshawott and bared his claws. [I may have lost our last fight alone. But with your friends, I will show you how I really shine.]

Chimchar grinned, [We're ready to do this. We'll show you the REAL SUPER POWER of TEAM WORK!] He finished his statement with an exaggerated idle pose.

Primrose rolled her eyes. [Idiot,] she thought to herself.

Gardna was the most off to the side. [I'd rather it didn't come to this. But I'll protect you all the best I can.]

Sherwood crossed his arms. [This is going to be close, but we have a shot. You're ready, Master Will?]

Everybody took a battle stance. Oshawott gripped her scalchop tighter, holding it out in front of her.

"We have to weaken Oshawott enough for her to listen to reason," I thought to myself. "And I will not use my 'persuasion' for this!" I patted my pocket, satisfied the Proteanium-Z was still there. Then I nodded, [Ready…] I extended my right hand, pointing at Oshawott. "The battle will be over when all on a side surrender. Begin!"

Oshawott shouted something back to me that sounded something like an agreement. She held her ground with the scalchop blade diagonally held in front of her.

For our battle plan, I maintained telepathic communication exclusively, to reduce Oshawott's reaction time. [Everyone surround her, but not too close. Bravado, use your Flame Charge. Gardna, follow him with Rapid Spin. Primrose, cover them with Psybeam.] With those first commands out of the way, I rushed to Nightraider's side.

The five scattered. The area Oshawott cornered Nightraider in was more spacious. Which meant we wouldn't be able to use the trees to safely sneak in close to her. But we didn't mind. Knave and Sherwood rushed passed the Sea Otter Pokemon, while Primrose positioned herself to her opponent's right. Bravado surrounded himself in flames as he charged head-on to the opponent.

Oshawott scoffed and ran at Bravado likewise. She kept the pointy end of her sword straight at Bravado, intending to pierce his flaming attack like a balloon.

[Now, block and split!] I thought to Bravado and Gardna.

Gardna used Rapid Spin to keep pace behind Bravado. When he and Oshawott were close to connecting, Bravado changed course and dashed diagonally to his right. Oshawott eyed Bravado's feet, picking up the cue on his direction change. So she swung to her left. However, Gardna stayed straight and made his shell jump between her and Bravado. At the last moment, he used Withdraw to increase his defenses and further soften the not very effective Razor Shell. While Bravado got out of Oshawott's swing range, Gardna was whacked into the canopy layer. Oshawott looked to Bravado, but then saw a column of psychic energy off the corner of her eye. It was Primrose with her Psybeam. Oshawott rolled out of the way of the attack, grumbling to herself.

I crouched down to Nightraider. He seemed pretty battered, but relatively okay considering worse fights we've gone through. [Knave, join in with Icy Wind. Sherwood, you too with Magical Leaf. You two and Primrose need to keep up the pressure. Bravado and Gardna, have another go-around a few more times.] Then I briefly turned my attention to Nightraider. "You okay?"

He coughed. [Probably. She hits like a truck for her size. Just feed me a crummy berry, and I'll be fine.]

Meanwhile, the five were going to town against Oshawott. They were not landing a hit yet on Oshawott, but would I hate to be in her position. She had to contend with three special attacks at once. To my surprise, she was able to take them on well. She consistently dodged Psybeam, which was the easiest to do of the onslaught. Icy Wind was a wide-spread move, so she used Air Slash to counter. Magical Leaf was like Razor Leaf, but homed in on its target. And Sherwood shot eight leaves at a time. With those, Oshawott had to cut each and every one of them down with Razor Shell. In the middle of this chaos, Bravado dashed around the battlefield with Flame Charge. If he got too close to Oshawott, Gardna would use Rapid Spin and Withdraw to protect him.

I scooped Nightaider into my arms. He watched the battle while I held him. [Huh. This is similar to your evasion training with Sensei.]

I nodded. [Took some cues from it. Quite a different perspective when you are not the one experiencing the onslaught. I know Oshawott is really good, but I can't even last a minute under this level of pressure. I wonder when she'll break…]

Three minutes into the battle, Oshawott was getting really irritated. She was ranting between oncoming attacks, particularly at Knave, Sherwood, Primrose, and I.

[She's wondering when you'll actually come at her,] Nightraider translated.

[I'm waiting for her to lower her guard. Right now these guys are keeping her on her toes, preventing her from having time to use Focus Energy. And their attacks some so quick between each other, she has almost no way to Copycat one move, without risking it turn into the following move by mistake.] I grinned. [Sherwood and the others knew a lot about her. Which should give us enough edge to defeat her!]

[You're enjoying yourself a little prematurely.]

[Well, everything is playing out as we planned. And we still got three moves waiting in the wings to throw her off-guard.]

Then, a Magical Leaf finally hit her. As she flinched, Knave grazed her with Icy Wind. Her right foot and tail were covered in tiny ice crystals.

I started to get excited. [Bravado, this is your chance! Get in close with Flame Charge, and be prepared. Gardna, follow him again. Everyone else, hold back.]

Knave, Sherwood, and Primrose stopped attacking at once, while Bravado surrounded himself in flames. His speed was at least triply faster than his standard running speed, thanks to all the Flame Charge use. Gardna had a hard time keeping up using Rapid Spin this time. But with less pressure, Oshawott was given free reign.

Bravado came in fast, so she had to act accordingly. She used Air Slash first. The attack missed Bravado on purpose, and hit Gardna. The Tiny Turtle Pokémon tanked the hit, but was kept back. Now Bravado had no wingman to defend him. But that was okay, because he was going to hit her in a second. So she flashed her eyes, indicating her attempt to Copycat Bravado's Flame Charge.

My mind processed faster than either of their movements, and thankfully my thoughts could, too. "She thinks she can't make the parry with a Razor Shell with her speed reduced by Icy Wind. So she's going to use Copycat to dodge and increase her speed. But that's not going to happen!" [Bravado, Taunt her!]

Just before impact, Bravado halted his Flame Charge attack. Flames started to flicker around Oshawott as she prepared to dodge an attack she anticipated. But when she glanced back at him, he gave her a mischievous grin and wagged his finger. [Ha! Gotcha!]

The embers around her vanished instantly. There was utter shock plastered on her face for a second. Fortunately for her, those flames were enough to melt the ice on her body. But now she couldn't use Copycat or Focus Energy. And that pissed. Her. Off!

She bellowed and swung her scalchop blade out. Bravado used his extra speed to dodge the swings. [Not so tough now without your secret weapon!]

[Careful, Bravado,] I said. [It's fine to taunt, but she's still got two moves at her disposal. Knave, join in and help him out with your Metal Claw. Sherwood, use your Quick Attack and Pound combo.]

[Finally!] Knave smiled.

[As you command,] said Sherwood.

The two rushed behind Oshawott with Agility and Quick Attack respectively. This forced her to stop chasing Bravado and turn around. Knave dashed to the side, while Sherwood came at her head-on. Using his momentum, he whacked her with a Pound attack of his tail. Although she successfully guarded herself with her scalchop sword, the impact pushed her a few inches across the ground. As she regained her balance, she just barely had time to defend against Knave's Metal Claw.

My heart started racing. [Gardna, get in there with Rapid Spin, and keep in tandem with Knave and Sherwood. Primrose, keep holding back and wait for my cue. Bravado, hang back a bit and use Nasty Plot while her Copycat is cancelled.]

[Will do!] Primrose replied.

Gardna hesitantly rushed in as Knave fenced his Metal Claws against Oshawott's Razor Shell. Knave saw him coming, and backed off as Gardna used Rapid Spin. She angrily whacked him away like before. But this strike was more wild than precise, allowing Gardna to quickly return for another close hit.

But Sherwood held his hand out. [Take a turn. Keep a rhythm. The point isn't to strike her hard.] He used his tail to Pound at Oshawott, with his attack connecting with her scalchop sword.

Then Knave came in with Metal Claw as Sherwood jumped back timely. [We're showing you our potential strength. We instead strike fast and wear you down.] He continued, directing his words more to Oshawott.

[Oh. Well, I can get behind that…] With more gusto, Gardna directed another Rapid Spin at Oshawott when Knave indicated he had his turn.

The three traded sides to strike at Oshawott. To keep up with them and prevent getting hit, she had to spin around at almost dizzying speed. She kept shouting fits of rage I could not understand.

Meanwhile, Bravado had a devilish grin on his face as his Special Attack power sharply rose. [Yes. Yes! I can see it now! Oh, how she'll see the power!] In relation to our battlefield, he stood facing opposite to where I stood.

I kept encouraging the three to keep up their attacks. All but Oshawott seemed to be enjoying themselves. Then, he eyes flashed. She had a moment of renewed focus.

[Quick, back off!] I telepathically shouted to the three. [Bravado, use Ember!]

Knave and Sherwood easily backed a few steps away. Gardna was slower, thus an easier target for Oshawott when in retreat. She used what looked like a Pound attack on Gardna. Although he took a little more damage than her Razor Shells prior, his Withdraw cushioned some of the hit, and he was pushed back on impact anyway.

She was about to continue her assault on Gardna, but Bravado yelled, [I have the power!] She turned to his war cry. He had gotten closer to her before shooting a huge ball of fire from his mouth. For a moment, she had a look of panic. Then, she swung her scalchop sword, releasing an Air Slash. Her move halted the powered Ember, preventing it from directly hitting her. But the resulting explosion blasted mainly toward her. This sent her flying into the air.

I pointed at Oshawott. [Now's your chance, Primrose! Use Fire Spin!]

She twirled happily before stylishly shooting a spiral column of flame. It hit her opponent before she hit the ground. The Sea Otter Pokémon screamed in pain as the effects of the Fire Spin took hold.

Bravado had a huge smile on his face, mesmerized by the flaming destruction. [Magnificent!]

I held a hand up high. [Everyone, hold your fire!] I sweatdropped at the unintended pun, noticing Bravado's smirk from the opposite side of the field. [Gardna, douse the scattered flames with Brine before it lights up the forest.]

[Yes, of course!] Gardna sprayed a wave of salt water from his mouth. He had any uncontrolled flames around us smothered in seconds.

I watched as Oshawott got to her feet. She looked at me first. Her eyes irately stared through me, like she was trying to grasp something elusive about me in her thoughts. Then she turned to the others. [Is this it? You rely on each other to make you stronger now? You sicken me!]

My eyes widened. [So it finally happened,] I reached out telepathically to her. I could feel a slight headache coming on, but I shook it off. [We hear our thoughts like your friends.]

Her head whipped back to my attention. Her eyes grew wide with shock and anger. [You! How DARE you!] She started walking toward me and raised her hand with the scalchop blade. [I didn't ask for this!]

Gardna rushed back to stand between me and Oshawott. His arms and legs were outstretched. [I don't wish to harm you any further. But my friends and I will protect our new friends.] Knave, Bravado, Primrose, and Sherwood joined him, standing in a circle formation around Oshawott.

She stood bewildered at them. [You…you…you traitors! You just get 'wowed' by his and Sensei's telepathy, and you just roll over? You think he's made you stronger? Who broke you guys out of the poacher's truck? Who trudged you through the expansive Unova desert? Who had your back against dangerous thugs and wild Pokémon in the Castelia sewers?]

There were guilty looks all around the four Pokémon that knew her as their friend.

She slightly gripped the chipped scalchop necklace. [I thought I could inspire you to rise up and defend yourselves like me. But some human trainer and his Ice-type patsy whisper sweet nothings to you about ways to cover your weaknesses. But guess what? That will help you squat about how to better yourselves!] A fire erupted momentarily around her, but she shrugged off the burns. She braced her scalchop sword harder. [So come on! Show me your true power!]

Knave took a step forward. [Very well,] he said sternly, cracking his neck. [Let me show you what a real fighting team looks like!] He glanced to me and telepathically asked, [Shall I?]

I quickly looked to Oshawott, who was still eager to fight. Then I affirmed with my eyes. [Yes. Use your new move.]

He gave a mischievous grin. A dark aura surrounded him.

Oshawott scoffed, [Bring it! Any move you dish out I can hit backer harder.]

[Oh really?] said Knave. Just then, the same dark aura surrounded Bravado, Primrose, Gardna, and Sherwood.

Oshawott flinched. [Wha…what is the meaning of this?]

I grinned. [Use Beat Up!]

All at once, the five jumped at their opponent. Oshawott tried to strike them down with just her Razor Shell, doing a sort of spin attack. But it did nothing to prevent them from swarming her. The five practically dogpiled her. Arms and legs flew everywhere as they pummeled Oshawott with their hands, claws, and feet.

[You…cheaters!] Oshawott seethed, wincing through the pain. [You still…don't…get it…]

[Wow. Now she's on the ropes!] Nightraider amused.

[Yep. And even if she tried to Copycat the move, Beat Up's power relies on the number of allies. Making it totally worthless to copy,] I replied.

[So…this will have us win the battle?]

I shook my head. [No. We'll looking for a different outcome…]

The five continued to jab and swat her in quick succession. Only when the side-effects of Fire Spin singed the Sea Otter Pokemon did they relent. Oshawott was so overwhelmed, her good scalchop slipped out of her hands. She desperately tried to reach down for it, but Knave stopped her by decking her jaw. [Not gonna happen! How's it feel to be on the receiving end of an awesome force?]

She dodged Primrose's tail, but got punched in the gut by Gardna. Then she spat at Knave's feet. [One's power is not determined by who they're with. It's by the number of abilities one is capable of, and how well one can achieve each of them.] I couldn't tell if she was exclusively thinking this, or also saying it out loud. She took a couple more jabs from Sherwood and Bravado before almost losing her balance. Her hand brushed against the chipped scalchop hanging from her neck. [A team can easily fall when just one of their members isn't up for the task.] She eyed the good scalchop on the ground. Knave stood over it. [But a one-Pokémon army will have no such burden. No distractions from giving it their all!]

She whipped the necklace over her head and had the chipped scalchop at her side. She dodged Sherwood's fist and lunged at Knave. The Sharp Claw Pokemon made an overhead swipe with his right claws. Oshawott raised her chip scalchop to parry the attack. When the water blade unsheathed, it wasn't a single straight line. The chipped portion was incapable of ejecting water, so the water coming out on either end of the crack made the blade look more like a two-pronged dagger. The shape was perfect for halting Knave's arm swing at his wrist. In his moment of shock, she bent down to pick up her good scalchop. Bravado snuck a hit in from behind as she got back up. In response, she swung wildly with the pronged scalchop, then extended the water blade from the good scalchop.

The five froze. They stood close around her, but kept their distance. Now she wielded two scalchop weapons at once. Her breath was slightly staggered, and she sustained a lot of damage that was visible all over her body. But her eyes still lit with vitality. For a couple of seconds, she seemed poised to strike back, analyzing which of the five to strike first. Even the Fire Spin effect that sprang up didn't faze her. But then she looked down at her two scalchop. [Oshy…] she said to herself. With a look of surprise, shock, and embarrassment, she retracted her pronged blade. [No! I won't use his power!] She said to herself again.

I raised my hand again. [Stand down,] I said to the five. [I think I can reach her now.] I stepped a little closer to them. "Oshawott. I understand the importance of one's own strength from your own merits. I strive to get stronger so I don't become a weak link…"

Oshawott snapped, [Through them!] She pointed at me and Nightraider. [You get overwhelmed by the enemies of this island on too many occasions! You rely too much on Pokémon like us to keep you safe. You may be a human with minimal combat prowess compared to Pokémon, but that doesn't change the fact that you'll always be the liability! And look at this wimpy bird! I took him down myself, even with the type disadvantage. You've been with him for two years and he hasn't evolved yet for some dumbfounded reason.]

[Hey! My level isn't as high as yours,] Nightraider protested. [This would be a whole different story if we're the same level.]

The Sea Otter Pokémon slung the necklace of the broken scalchop back around her neck. She grumbled and faced the others. [And you guys! You put your lot with a frail human? You think he'll make you stronger?]

[He's…got a Z-Crystal,] Primrose squeaked. [That can give us a power boost.]

[Only when he is around you! That's no substitute for our handicap. And no amount of training with him will ever give you your evolutionary potential back.]

[But we had to drink from that oasis,] Gardna retorted. [We would have died of thirst in that desert otherwise! How were we supposed to know that it was laced with Everstone dust?]

[Argh! Don't you get it?] she exasperated. [We. Can't. Evolve! We can never rely on gaining stronger stages of evolution to obtain our strength. The onus is on ourselves to train extra hard if we're to ever stand a chance against any opponent.] She pointed back at me. [His "work together" mantra is only going to hold you back from reaching your true potential. He is not reliable enough to be a part of our team. What will happen if he is gone? You think he will protect you? You think he will be there for you anymore?] Tears started to well up in her eyes.

[This…isn't about me anymore…is it?] I interjected.

Her nostrils flared. [I can come to a mutual understanding with Sensei for what he's gone through to his leadership status. But he seems to have grown quite a liking to you. Like he's pegged you for succession.]

[What? What's that supposed to mean?]

[I don't know what he sees in you that's so revolutionary. All I see is a scrawny kid who lost his former life and leisurely waits for things to be handed to him to replace what he lost. I'll tell you from experience; you'll never…get it…back! And you'll never have me!]

As she finished her words, the Fire Spin damage sprang up for the final time. But through the flames her eyes gave off a fiery glow. She sprang into the air and toward Bravado. Her scalchop blade raised over her head with one hand.

[I don't think she's finished fighting,] Nightraider said nervously.

[Bravado, use Ember before she hits the ground. Gardna, follow that up with Brine while she'll be off-balance.]

Bravado shot another large fireball, still strengthened by his Nasty Plot. Given how well the last attack went, I expected her to be overwhelmed and at best be knocked away in her attempts to deflect it. But instead, she maneuvered her body in a manner than exposed her left side to the flames. She screamed as that side of her body passed through the flames on her way down. With the burned arm, she wound back, like she was going to go for a punch.

"Is she crazy?" I gasped. "What's she trying to do."

With the same crazed eyes she bared as she came out of the flames, she punched Bravado in the head. The blow struck so hard that it knocked Bravado out cold.

The rest of us gasped. [What move was that?] I thought out loud.

Sherwood had a grim expression. [Revenge.]

She yelled again and ran toward the remaining four.

[Sherwood. S-stop her with Magical Leaf!] I panicked. Big mistake.

Sherwood shot out a Magical Leaf attack. He meant for most of them to miss on purpose, just to contain her in one spot. But Oshawott cut through the few leaves that went for her with her Razor Shell and pivoted to Gardna. Her eyes flashed, and her Copycat turned into Magical Leaf. In a panic, the Tiny Turtle Pokemon used Brine to wall off as much of the leaves as possible. But his aim was off, allowing some of the attack to pass straight to him. He, too, was knocked out.

I stood baffled like an idiot as she continued her assault at Primrose next.

[I'll contain her, Will!] the Fox Pokémon said. She shot out a Fire Spin attack. But Oshawott overpowered her with a Copycat Brine. Primrose almost chocked on the water attack, and got slammed into a tree. [I…I'm so sorry…] she gasped as she fell to the ground.

I shook my head and ran into the battlefield. [To me! To me!] I stepped next to Bravado and Gardna, who were closer. I gentle threw Nightraider into the air. [You got some strength left? I need you to get Primrose to me.]

His flapping was a little weak, but he mustered a determined expression. [I can manage.]

Knave ran toward me, but Oshawott cut him off. [Where's your team now?] she hollered. She used Copycat again and bared her teeth.

[Oh shit!] Knave braced for the Fire Spin. But Sherwood dashed next to him, pushed him out of the way, and took the attack instead. Knave fell on his side and got up, but he froze in anguish at the hit that was taken for him. [No!]

[Weak. Weak. Weak!] Oshawott shrieked. She turned to Knave and I, but stopped running. All but her eyes seemed to be screaming in pain, and she was almost out of breath.

I gritted my teeth. [Oshawott, I get it! You are afraid I won't be able to protect your friends, or help them be as strong as any other Pokémon. You are afraid that they'll be 'gone'…and it will be my fault.]

[Damn straight!] She growled in between haggard breaths. [You…are not…our equal.]

Nightraider flew Primrose over to me, then lay flat on his stomach out of exhaustion. He, Primrose, Gardna, and Bravado lay injured at my feet. I sighed, "Okay, you may have a point right now. But I'm learning new things. Every day. Every week. Every year. Someday, I will become a well-rounded guy with experiences gained from each of you. That's why I want to open up to all of you. Including you."

[But…you don't even want to be a Pokemon trainer!]

[From what I understand, a Pokemon trainer trains their Pokemon to get stronger so they can be the very best. That is not my aim. Strength will come naturally through training. But my goal through training with you guys is to understand.]

She scoffed, [That's ridiculous! Strength is the goal of your training! Or you'll never protect the ones you care about.]

I narrowed my eyes. "Then let me show you what I mean." [Knave, want to use a Z-Move?]

He half-grinned, half-sweatdropped. [You sure? I'd hate to make her faint in her current state.]

[We'll use the Steel-type move. It's not very effective against her Water-type, and I'm sure she'll find a way to out-maneuver enough of the attack.]

[Then it'll be my pleasure!]

I took a deep breath, then extended both my arms straight in front of me. "Oshawott, let me demonstrate what strength you can obtain from a bond." I slowly made each pose like Sensei suggested. I punched my fists together twice, then spread them back out. My headache felt worse, but I continued to ignore it. I focused on Knave's thoughts of leading this team of four newcomers, possibly five if this day goes well.

Knave mimicked my movements. [I will show you our worth as a leader!] We both thought simultaneously.

The Proteanium-Z in my pocket glowed gray. The same colored aura spread through my body, then transferred to Knave.

Oshawott raised her scalchop sword. [Nothing you do will dissuade me from my goal. I will be the strongest Pokemon in the world! Even if it takes going it alone!]

The gray aura successfully surrounded Knave. "Go! Corkscrew Crash!" I shouted.

Knave ran at Oshawott with a blistering speed. Then he jumped and turned his body just as quickly. A cone-shaped trail of energy surrounded him.

Oshawott flinched for a split second. Then, to my utter shock, she ran straight at Knave. [You forget! Anything you can do…] Her eyes flashed, using Copycat. […I will do BETTER!] Her speed increased. She leapt and turned her body, making the same spinning move as Knave.

"She can do that?!" I gasped.

The two moves connected head on. The impact sent shockwaves that knocked me to the ground. Trees swayed. The two looked perfectly matched. But while similar in strength, Oshawott had tipped her move just above Knave. This sent her spiraling upward, while Knave dug into the ground. He made a small hole before his energy dissipated. But Oshawott wasn't finished. She flew straight up, turned around, and came straight down on Knave. He screamed just before the move smashed him further into his hole.

I got back to my feet. "Knave! Oshawott!"

After the dust settled, Oshawott lugged Knave out of the hole and threw him aside. He looked just as beat-up as her, and appeared unconscious. She made one more step toward me. Had she not used her scalchop blade as a crutch, she would have fallen on her front. She squinted at me with one eye and said weakly, [Are…you…happy now? Do you see…and feel…what happens when you have others fight for you?]

I felt drained. Oshawott terrified me…and impressed me. "Amazing. You are filled with so much…energy. Your will to fight on knows no bounds." I reached a hand out to her. "Please. Teach me. I want to understand how you do so…"

[Never!] She hobbled toward me. Suddenly, Sherwood stood between us. He looked fully healed, thanks to his Synthesis.

[Apologies for the delay,] Sherwood said to me. [Not enough direct sunlight under this canopy forest.] Then he narrowed his eyes on Oshawott, who stood less than a meter away from both of us. He had a hand stretched out in a 'halt' gesture. [Please, Oshawott. You must know that this battle cannot continue.]

[I'm…still…standing!] Oshawott strained.

[And I've got a recovery move. You'll only make this worse. Must you continue to prove your reliance on only yourself?]

[It's…the only way…to force out…the strength within,] she growled.

[I know you see us as a burden, given our grueling traveling together. But we came here for you to show you how we've improved. We can hold our own enough to have each other's backs when the odds are against us.]

[With this kid? What's he done for you? What makes him so special?]

He paused. [He fills a hole in my life. He fills a hole in our lives. Primrose has a human to…care for and be cared back. Gardna has a friend who has similar values of self-preservation. Bravado has someone to humor him. I have a new master I can follow like I had before the poacher caught me.] He lowered his hands. [And I'll bet you see something in him. Someone he reminds you of that you lost.]

Tears started to well up in her eyes. [That…that's not true!] She stammered. [I'm whole! I know exactly what I want in my life. And I don't need friends who will just get in my way. You…you guys will just slow me down.] Her body slumped a bit as she talked. Then she shook herself awake and forced a serious face. [I'm fine!]

Sherwood slowly stepped closer to her. He was now inches away. [In our travels, you have turned to me as an equal. You recognized my experience and let me fight alongside you, on way more occasions than the others. And you shared more personal things with me than the others. Now I kept your secrets with me, even to this day. And you know that by my code of 'the way' that I care about anyone who I've got to know. So…please tell me, straight to my face, that you hold no personal grievance. That you are not like the rest of us and have no personal scars.]

I and the others near my feet looked intently at Oshawott with worry. Not just for her, but also for Sherwood. The Sea Otter Pokemon looked like she was about to explode on him. But instead, she reached up to touch her cracked scalchop. [Will is not like him. He can never replace him. Oshy is fucking gone!] She gasped at the mentioning of that name. Then, she collapsed to her knees. Sherwood let her rest her head against his chest as she broke to tears. [He's gone! He's gone! He's gone!] she wailed over and over.

Tears also reached our eyes. [I understand now,] I thought out loud.

For the next two days, we could only rest. Sensei scolded all of us for having our battle go to the lengths it did, and vowed to make the following exercises a living hell. But for now, he managed to recover our health just enough with the bland berries at hand.

Nightraider, Primrose, Gardna, Bravado, and Sherwood got back to optimal health within a day. I took a day and a half to feel significantly better. Sensei and I came to the conclusion that my stamina was linked to both my telepathic and Z-Move capacity. Assuming my 'persuasion' worked the same way, I had to balance each of these abilities carefully from now on.

Knave and Oshawott needed the most care. We couldn't afford to pay up the services of Clawitzer's Heal Pulse, so it took a really long time to treat the two. While resistant at first, Oshawott allowed Sensei to treat her wounds and feed her for her. Knave regained consciousness the first day, got similar treatment to her when he was awake enough, then rested for most of the second day.

I sat with Knave resting on my lap. All my friends, whom I could telepathically communicate with, briefly visited us at some point. Nightraider was first so he could go on patrol later. Primrose stuck around the longest, but respectfully let the two of us have some time alone.

The last was Oshawott. She slowly walked up to me while I was sitting on my rock bed with Knave. She sat on the same side as me, but with some space between us. She didn't look at me or utter a word. We remained in silence for at least a few minutes. I didn't really know what to say, and was afraid to ask telepathically.

Then, she muttered something under her breath I couldn't hear. But her thoughts said, [You gave me a good battle.]

[What was that?] I perked up.

She looked away embarrassed. [Shit. I forgot about the mind link. Now I got to work on how to control my telepathic crap with you.]

[You'll get used to it. You're the best of us at everything, after all, so I'm sure you can master it in no time.]

[Don't try to patronize me,] she grumbled. Another minute of silence. Knave still slept on my lap, unaware of your conversation. [But…yeah, the battle you gave me. It was okay.]

"Okay?!" I exclaimed. "A five-on-one battle. All those moves we threw at you and you still remained standing!"

She looked straight ahead. [I know. Pathetic, right? You guys were under my level and made amateur mistakes,] she said flatly. [I've seen many fights in my life. A fight means nothing to me if doesn't have any challenges or surprises. Fortunately for you, you guys had a couple of moves I didn't see coming. And your plans of attack were solid. Pretty telegraph-able, but solid.] Then she added quickly, [Just out the numbskulls I've faced.]

I smiled, "Fair. Though I'd love to see you and Sensei go at it."

[I could beat his hairy ass any day,] she said haughtily.

"So…what now?" I asked nervously.

[What what now?]

"Are we…on good terms now?"

She thought for a moment. [No.]

I sighed. "Geez, I'm still on your bad side? And the others, too?"

[You and the others are not on my bad side. Well, most of you were.]

"So I am on your good side?"

[No.]

"Wait. So, are you open to working together?"

[You and I?] She took another second to think. [Depends on what you're looking for.]

[Like, my goal? Well, I want to understand you, and vice versa. Granted, I know you…have a lot of things on your mind.]

She looked down at her scalchop necklace solemnly.

[And it's fine if you don't want to share your past with me. My past is…still difficult for me to understand, let alone share. So maybe just take it step by step?]

[Step by step. Just like he said…] she said distantly.

Realizing I was intruding on her private thoughts, I cut off my mental link and desperately tried to think of anything to say. Fortunately, I remembered one more thing to ask of her. "Oh! I haven't given you a nickname yet, like the others."

She gave me a scowling look. [Must you stick to tradition?]

"It'd be weird otherwise. Let's see…" Now more than ever I felt pressure to think of a fitting nickname. Didn't help she gave me a death glare as she waited 'patiently'. At least two minutes later, I replied, "How about I name you…Joules."

She gritted her teeth. [You liken me to an accessory?!]

I waved my hands in front of me. "No, no! Not 'jewels'. I mean 'joules', as in the unit of energy. You practically embody somebody with seemingly limitless energy, able to force their will upon anyone who gets in your way. You…inspire me in that way."

Her angry expression slackened. I couldn't tell what she was thinking or feeling in response to her name; she cut me off. Maybe a mix of everything was on her mind. Then she cleared her throat and said matter-of-factly, [It's a start.]

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. I'm glad you are on our side."

[Me, too,] she thought to herself. I could have sworn I saw a smile on her face. But Joules jumped off the rock and walked away. She added without turning around, [I expect a leader to give a challenge to their subordinates. Get better, you and Knave. And I don't just mean in health.]

"Promise," I shouted back. Knave adjusted himself on my lap. He seemed more relaxed and content. I smiled to myself. "The team has been assembled."