So, I know I said I wouldn't do this often. But this is something to bring up.
I have been caught in a downward spiral recently in my mental health, and I will not be risking the progress I've made. I will try to get chapters out as I can, but I will not push myself. I apologize to anyone who this may hurt, or who will click off. IRL comes first though. And I will not go back into that dark, dark place again. Any who, into the story.

The next few days came and went quickly.

I had checked in on Skyla twice to make sure she wasn't injured, or struggling with anything, while learning the ropes of the soul bond from Juniper. I had resynced once and critically wounded a Lillipup.
Time kept rolling, as the final day before we all had decided together to set off.
It was March 23rd, dawn.
I sat up in my bed, with that familiar feeling rising in my chest. A flash of fear crossed my mind.
I thought to myself, as panic overtook me. 'When I throw my legs out from under this cover and head downstairs, will I find the professor, or a corpse?'
I slapped myself, waking Trace, and forcing myself to calm down.
"Morning buddy. Are you ready to light our path forward?"
Trace nodded quickly as a thought coursed through my mind in an unfamiliar voice 'I'm ready to burn away yesterday for a brighter tomorrow.'
"W-was that you, Trace?"
'Yes, Shawn.'
This was the first time he had spoken to me. Was it my soul bond?
I looked down at the watch. 78|78. Full Sync.
"So… no, we're burning daylight, no time to think. Let's go."
I swung my legs out from my bedding as that thought coursed through my brain again.
'No. No time to doubt myself.' I thought to myself, pushing off, and quickly dressing, slinging my jacket on.
"Let's do this. Put my all into this journey, and let the world know who I am. Who we are."
I burst out my door and sprinted to the stairs, sliding down the banister, promptly stumbling and crashing into a wall, Trace following in suit.
"Well that must be a good wake up, huh Shawn?" John was standing in the entry hall of the lab, watching as I ate the wall.
"Yeah, I guess." I said while in a half daze. "Where is everyone?"
"Ella was running just a bit late, and the Gym leader's kids are outside talking."
"SORRY I'M LATE! I'M HERE NOW!" Ella flew in the front door as John finished his sentence.
Mumbling, John chuckled "Speak of the devil and she will appear, I guess."
"Well, let's get this started!" Juniper clapped from behind the bookshelf dividing the room in two.
John, Ella, and I rounded the corner, gazing at a table with three Pokeballs.
"Listen, I am inviting you three to go out into this region to help our research with Pokemon development in the wild, and evolutionary processes." Juniper almost immediately jumped off course from her normal spiel, "But let's be honest, you three might not do that exactly, as you catch new pokemon, the Pokedex will update. When you hit pokecenters, please give your dex to joy, she will send a copy of the data to my lab. Have fun out there. You'll do great." She smiled at the three of us. "Now, Feel free to take a pokemon from the table to join you on your journey."
"Ella, I think you should go first." John spoke quickly.
"Only if you go next, John." I chimed in.
"Well I'll take first. That's fine!" Ella glared at John. "I choose… Snivy."
John sprinted forwards "I choose Tepig!"
"Then I'll take Oshawott. And I'm gonna call you… Hikari."
"Aww that's cute." Elesa popped her head into the lab.
"Are you ready, you three?" Chili popped his head in above Elesa's.
"Yeah, about." John smiled back towards them, then towards Ella and Myself.
"Hey, two more things." Juniper quickly tossed in. "First," she swiftly tossed each of us a cellular device that looked almost like a PDF reader. "Your pokedexes, After all that IS why I gave you three those pokemon. Second, and this is mainly for Shawn. Burn a path towards tomorrow. Make this region remember your name."
With that, we set off with the rest.
And for the first time in a while, things were looking up for me.