[Candidate #17, Cerulean City General Hospital — GO Challenge Day 25]

"Are you certain it was Candela's name?"

"Yeah, I saw it on the list when I was logging my win. Kinda stood out 'cause it was the only one on the page." Spark's tone was casual, but his face was far from relaxed. He spooned the last of his scrambled eggs into his mouth with a grimace. "Everyone else who's still in the city has lost or isn't ready for the gym yet."

"In that case, I think it's time we moved on." Blanche bit the inside of her cheek, her decision made. She stood from the stainless steel table and walked away, dropping her empty meal replacement shake into the recycling as she passed the bin.

The white-haired trainer exited the cafeteria slowly, taking great care to keep her footing solid. She'd been bedridden for long enough that her legs had gotten unused to the idea of walking, and that didn't sit well with her at all.

"Uh, Blanche? Thanks for brunch." Spark fell into step beside her, an expression of pure distress on his face. He was carrying her backpack along with a rambunctious pair of baby eevees. "Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but aren't you getting released too soon? Y'know, all recent stab wounds considered?"

Although Spark had kept her company and tried his best to distract her, Blanche had spent the days since Candela's arrest thinking of nothing but the incident at Mount Moon. Something about the entire thing, from the archeologists to the appearance of that Interpol agent, just didn't seem to add up.

The most obvious inconsistency was the accusation that only minutes after giving her all to save Blanche's life, Candela would kill two men in cold blood.

It simply wasn't true. Surely the investigators would see that.

"You're quite welcome," Blanche said finally, speaking as carefully as she walked. Even talking was still a bit more taxing than she'd expected, but everything would get easier once she got used to being active again.

The fresh bandages on her chest and upper back were wrapped uncomfortably tight beneath her midnight blue bodysuit, and although her stitches were already healing her wounds still throbbed constantly. She'd had to choose between effective pain medication and useful consciousness.

Taking enough to get rid of the pain made her extremely dizzy, but she still brought a few bottles of the stuff along with her just in case it became unbearable.

"I was cleared for discharge this morning. As long as I avoid sudden motions and strenuous activity I'll be fine."

"Strenuous like 'walking ten steps,' or strenuous like 'breathing?' It looks like you're having trouble staying upright, and to be fair, you couldn't yesterday." Spark used his free hand to scratch his head. "It took two nurses to help you get your coat on like twenty minutes ago. Are you sure you're going for Mystic, because I don't think you're being very wise right now."

"If you're going to insult my intelligence you may as well be more direct about it."

"You know what I mean! I'm surprised you haven't fainted yet." Spark watched as Blanche grit her teeth and slowly reached out to push open a sturdy set of double doors. She winced as soon as she raised her left arm above her hip. Instead of watching her struggle he quickly stepped in front of her and pressed his back to one of the doors. "Lemme get that. Shouldn't you at least grab some free stuff from the Poke Stop while we're here?"

"Some lingering discomfort won't deter me, and I can purchase any supplies I need from the PokeMart without spending a lifetime in line." Blanche awkwardly maneuvered past the blonde and stepped into a large, extremely crowded room. The hospital's main lobby doubled as the city's Pokemon Center, and it was nearly filled to capacity. "Spark, I really do appreciate your concern but I need to go right now. If Candela is still being detained she'll be completely disqualified unless she battles the gym leader at the time she registered for."

I won't allow her to fail because of me.

"Dude, I wanna help Candela too, but that's not what I'm worried about right now." Spark stopped walking and stared at her. "You're going to try to challenge the gym tonight."

"If you won, I don't see why I couldn't."

"Well, for starters, I picked Bulbasaur. I also have a ridiculously strong Jolteon, and it was still really close."

"Type advantage isn't everything."

"Yeah, but it sure does help. It's been nearly a month since the Challenge started and barely anyone's gotten past that gym. No wonder it's so packed in here." Spark gestured towards a pair of nurses who scurried past them and vanished into the crowd. "They probably only let you out because the hospital staff's been so swamped lately. Almost every defeated trainer got seriously hurt in the attempt."

"I cannot afford to waste more time here. Anyone who has made it beyond this city will have an insurmountable lead if we don't catch up soon." Blanche glanced around at the horde of agitated trainers as she spoke. She saw mostly red and blue jackets among them, and many were indeed wrapped in bandages. "You know, I'm a little offended. You should be the last person I have to beg to have a little confidence in me."

"Just heal up and train some more and I'll stop nagging you. If you're supposed to avoid 'strenuous activity' then believe me, that gym will chew you up and swallow you whole. I got out unscathed, but only just." Spark shrugged, and hesitated for only an instant before continuing. "Besides, there's a chance that Candela really did commit a crime. When I found you guys, you looked pretty dead, and she was pissed."

"That's absurd. I understand that you haven't spent much time with her yourself, but that's borderline slander." Blanche shot him a disgusted look and began walking straight for the registration table. Thankfully there was no line. Violent images flashed through her mind, some vivid memories, some imaginary, and she clutched her one of her coat sleeves. "In any case, regardless of any other fact, she was acting in defense of herself and her pokemon."

"Yeah, well, I'm just saying it's possible that she went overboard. I told her to stay put and she went back for a fight. They humiliated and tortured her." Spark sighed deeply and followed her to the table, his shoulders slumped. "It could have been an accident. Either way, what the police decide to do is totally beyond your control."

"We'll see about that."

The Cerulean city police had failed to contact Blanche again regarding the Mt. Moon investigation. Despite having been a partial witness himself, Spark had been turned away when he attempted to get detailed information from them about why exactly Candela had been detained and what her current status was due to privacy laws. The whole thing seemed like a ridiculous misunderstanding, and Blanche was determined to do whatever she could to clear it up before Candela was scheduled to challenge the gym.

Blanche approached the table, nodded once at the registrar himself, and then signed her name and candidate number right below Candela's—indeed, they were the only challengers on the list.

"You really should wait a few days. Seriously. Even if Candela fights tonight that doesn't mean you have to." Spark's tone became uncharacteristically grave as they approached the main entrance, and she reflexively tensed up at his words. "I don't know how to say this without breaking the 'non disclosure' rule, but it isn't a regular gym right now. You might die trying if you aren't at your absolute best."

"I'll do my very best to survive if that makes you feel better. Listen, Spark..." Blanche stopped walking just beneath the glowing red exit sign. A slight crease had appeared between her eyebrows. "You've been very kind to me these past few days, and I'm grateful for everything you've done. I'm in your debt. With that being said—"

"Don't mention it. Anyone can overdo it, you know?" Spark always closed his eyes when he really grinned. "Besides, this is your first time in Kanto, I gotta make sure you still leave with a decent impression of us!"

"Please let me finish." Blanche paused, trying to choose her words carefully. She wanted to be clear, but not overly harsh. "I think it's time we went separate ways."

"Oh. Did you not want to be friends?" Spark didn't seem upset, only curious. "I'm a big boy, you can be honest."

"That isn't the issue. I know you mean well, but I hate being treated like I'm made of glass. It's infuriating, actually." Blanche took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. She'd been planning to have a similar talk with Candela after they'd left Mt. Moon. "I understand how serious my injuries are, but I need you to trust me when I say I can handle it. I know what I'm doing."

"Blanche, a nurse was spoon feeding you cream of wheat yesterday morning."

"So what? That was yesterday."

"You could barely pick up a fork not even ten minutes ago."

"That's for me to be concerned about."

"Okay, it's great that you wanna do your best and everything. I respect that. But it'll really suck if you end up with permanent muscle damage or worse just because you chose to be stubborn." Spark turned towards the door and stepped forward, making Blanche unable to see his face. "It's easy to push yourself too hard, but not many people are strong enough to admit when they're weak. Candela struggles with that too, but she knows her limits."

"I am not weak."

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm just worried about you."

"I am not a child, and you aren't my parent, either."

"No, but I care about you, and you aren't invincible."

Blanche didn't respond, and felt something in her chest tighten painfully. He was right that she wasn't infallible, but that didn't matter. She wouldn't back down, because some things needed to be done, regardless of how hard the doing was.

This shouldn't be difficult. I don't need someone I barely know telling me what's best for me.

"I'm going to help Candela rejoin the competition, and I am getting that badge tonight. I can guarantee that whatever obstacles await me at the gym are nothing compared to what Candela and I went through at Mt. Moon." Blanche spoke slowly, and found herself meeting Spark's stare when she looked up. She held his gaze. "Thank you for everything. I'm sure you have things you need to do as well."

"... Yeah. I should head back to the daycare. There's one more egg I have to hatch for a client." Spark nodded, his vibrant smile matching the partly-sunny weather outside. Apparently it was never sunny for long in Cerulean these days. "Here, take Pockets and Candela's lil' brat before I run off with them. Just head south after you leave the hospital, you can't miss the station."

"Pockets?" Blanche raised both eyebrows as the blonde handed her the smaller of the twins along with her backpack. Meanwhile, Candela's eevee hopped out of Spark's arms and immediately wrapped his fluffy tail around Blanche's leg.

"Seemed like you were having trouble coming up with a name for her, and if it fits, it sticks. Well, good luck tonight. Gimme a call if you need anything." Without another word, Spark pushed the door open and walked out.

"Good luck to you as well," Blanche said, speaking to his back as it disappeared. A gust of warm air hit Blanche's face as the door closed behind him, and she blinked slowly as the cold air conditioning settled around her once again. "'If it fits, it sticks,' huh..."

She'd expected to feel satisfied once she was alone again. Instead, she felt hollow.

Blanche let 'Pockets' snuggle comfortably in the crook of her right arm, then slung the backpack over her bad shoulder just to prove to herself that the mild discomfort really was bearable. Candela's eevee was on his best behavior for Blanche, and stayed close to her lest he get trampled by the crowd as they milled about.

She did her best to ignore how the added weight seemed to tug at her injuries, but pain was pain, and the white haired girl grimaced as she adjusted the strap. Pockets looked up at her and whined softly, as if she'd been hurt too.

"Oh, not you too. I'm fine, Eevee, just a bit sore."

While the other eevee had grown considerably larger in the past few weeks, this one was still the size of a freshly hatched newborn—almost small enough to fit comfortably inside of her jacket pocket, she thought with a small smile.

With her free hand, Blanche pulled out her Pokedex and read eevee's data entry for what was possibly the twentieth time. She'd only intended to check the species' average height and weight, but her eyes lingered on its summary.

"'Eevee: an extremely rare Pokémon that may evolve in a number of different ways depending on stimuli.' You're a special little one, aren't you?" She patted the tiny pokemon's head and lost herself in a sudden swirl of thoughts. "We're very fortunate to have you two."

Once the three teams were established and members had been officially chosen, Team Mystic would be the research based science division of the Pokemon Global Organization. Successful applicants like Blanche had to proceed through the challenge as usual—winning battles, collecting all eight badges, hatching eggs, logging as much data into the regional pokedex as possible, and much more—while also collecting useful data related to their team's primary area of study: pokemon evolution.

A rare pokemon like Eevee that had uniquely variable evolutionary potential was invaluable as a research tool, in theory. Its potential versatility could make it an outstanding fighter for the battle-oriented Team Valor as well.

Blanche stared at the creature in her arms. 'Pockets' seemed like anything but an ideal lab specimen. Looking further down at the soft ball of fluff wrapped around her leg didn't seem to reveal a magnificent warrior, either.

They were still perfect, though. Blanche sighed, thinking back to the day she'd met both Candela and Spark. Not even three minutes had passed before he'd introduced himself to a pair of complete strangers and given them both an Eevee egg. He was a good person to have as an… ally, to be sure.

Perhaps I didn't thank him enough.

A trainer in a brick red blazer bumped hard into Blanche's shoulder as she entered the building, abruptly breaking her train of thought. Blanche winced but didn't stumble, and returned the girl's stony glare. Candela's eevee crouched defensively between them and prepared to pounce.

"Watch where you're standing, Mystic."

Blanche looked her up and down. She had straw blonde hair and brown eyes, seemed a little older, and was clearly waiting for a reponse. Based on her haggard appearance, she'd recently been on the wrong end of an intense battle.

"If you're looking for someone to bully so you can feel better about losing to the gym, I suggest you look elsewhere." Both baby eevees voiced their agreement, and she smiled despite her annoyance. "There are plenty of Valor pushovers inside, so please bother one of them."

"Tch. Whatever." The trainer stormed off, but not before casting an angry backwards glance. "See you around, bitch."

"Doubtful."

Thoroughly convinced that she was finished stalling for no good reason, Blanche raised her right hand and shoved the door open. It took considerable effort to get it just wide enough for her slender body to fit through, but she managed on the first try without tearing any stitches. Candela's eevee came along without prompting.

Actually making it to the station was another struggle entirely. Her legs felt like lead at first, and Pockets' weight quickly went from mildly cumbersome to extremely uncomfortable. She was determined to carry her without help from her other pokemon, but after passing a group of suspicious figures loitering around a bicycle shop, she called out her poliwhirl to walk alongside them just to be safe.

A bicycle might be just what I need. I'll take a look after I defeat the gym.

A new cloud formation overhead kept her from feeling the worst of the raw heat, but the humidity alone was awful enough on its own. Blanche breathed a sigh of pure relief when she saw that the door to the small police station was propped open.

As she stepped inside, taking note of the various strategically-placed fans located all around the foyer, she was approached by an officer Jenny with a worn-out clipboard.

"If you're making a report, take a number and have a seat." The older woman waved to two rows of folding metal chairs on the wall adjacent to the front desk, all of which were occupied. "If you have an emergency, please see the front desk."

"Actually, I wanted to inquire about an individual who was detained two days ago." Blanche recalled both eevees as well as Poliwhirl, anticipating a long wait and a mountain of paperwork.

"Plenty of those recently. You'll have to be more specific."

"A female Valor candidate. Age 17, from Unova. She was heavily injured during an incident involving Team Rocket, and was subsequently arrested for double homicide."

"Is your name 'Blanche?'"

"Yes."

"Come with me. We weren't expecting you for a while yet." The officer hummed quietly, and tapped her pen against the clipboard. Blanche tensed as they made their way to the front desk, unsure of what to expect herself. "Normally I'd take you to one of our soundproof rooms to have you fill out a load of paperwork, but we just don't have the time right now. Please fill this out and sign at the bottom. Your friend was released this morning on a conditional basis, and you've been cleared for now."

"Oh, thank goodness," Blanche said, suddenly feeling a hundred pounds lighter as she hastily scribbled down her basic identification and contact information. Name, Blanche, gender, F, age 17, region...Then her brain processed the rest of the officer's statement and she looked up, startled. "Hold on. What was I suspected of? That incident put me in the hospital for days, and I don't even know what happened."

"Do you see that line?" The officer tilted her pen in the direction of the chairs along the wall. "I can give you the short version now, or you can take a number and get the long version from someone who knows the case better."

"The short version, please," Blanche said, answering as soon as the woman stopped speaking. She could get the specifics from Candela herself. "Where can I find her?"

[Route 24, Nugget Bridge]

The rain had returned, sudden and relentless. Somewhere behind the clouds the sun dipped below the horizon, and a starless darkness settled over the city like a cold, wet blanket. Blanche saw a plume of bright flames and crossed the bridge as quickly as she could.

Blanche slowed down to a light jog as she approached, and the scene became much clearer. A young trainer scrambled backwards, flat on his behind and blubbering in fear. His clothes were singed. Candela was busy reattaching what could only have been Delta's pokeball to her belt, but her unusually stiff body language implied thinly-veiled rage.

"C-Congratulations, you've conquered Nugget Bridge!" He tossed a small golden rock along with a thick stack of paper bills at Candela's feet. Blanche could only see the other girl's back, but she could tell that Candela hadn't even glanced at the money as it splashed into a shallow puddle. The trainer's eyes widened as she advanced, and he began stammering out a string of what seemed like poorly-scripted lines. "Um, wow, you're really strong! Say, how would you like to join Team Rocket?"

So he's a Rocket Grunt in plain clothes. I shouldn't interfere.

Blanche chose to stand a respectable distance away so that she could listen and observe without getting involved. As she stopped moving a fresh wave of dizziness overtook her, and she grabbed the railing to steady herself. The pain medication she'd guzzled on the way had finally kicked in, allowing her to move without absolute agony, but it was badly affecting her sense of balance as well.

She was sure Candela noticed her approach, but the other girl didn't acknowledge her.

"Team Rocket? What's that?" Candela strode forward and crouched directly in front of him. He looked to be their age, perhaps a few years younger. Blanche couldn't see her expression, but her tone was anything but friendly. "I'm from out of town, you see."

"They, uh, I mean, we..." The boy trailed off, pushing wet black hair out of his eyes. He obviously wanted to run away but was pinned in place by Candela's glare. "We're a powerful organization that uses Pokemon and technology to help meet our financial and political goals. Sounds great, doesn't it?"

"Sounds like bullshit. What do I get for joining?"

"You'll receive two well-trained pokemon and a Rare Candy! The entry fee is only—"

"Alright, just stop. I've heard enough." She grabbed him by the collar and hauled him off the ground, dragging him to the edge of the wooden bridge without any further pretense. Blanche flinched, but stood her ground, trusting that Candela wouldn't take it too far. From her angle, the rain made the grunt look like he was crying uncontrollably. "I'm looking for an agent that goes by 'operator,' with red hair and a nasty attitude. She was working outside of Mt. Moon a few nights ago."

"That's gotta be Amelie. She's the field operator for Route 4." Candela didn't respond, but she lifted the teen a little higher and dangled him over the side. The water probably wasn't very deep, but even a strong swimmer like Blanche would struggle in the midst of a raging storm. He was definitely crying now. "She transferred cities! I don't know where..."

"Are you sure that's everything?"

"It might have been Saffron! I swear I don't know anything else, I only joined last week!"

"Sort your life the fuck out, kid. If I catch you punks hanging around here again you'll regret it." Candela seemed to stiffen right before she let him fall back onto the bridge. He collapsed into a heap when he hit the ground but quickly recovered, scrambling to his feet and running right past them—heading for the Pokemon Center, undoubtedly.

Candela turned to watch him leave and met Blanche's eyes, then turned away again.

Blanche stared hard at Candela's back, just waiting. Waiting for her to move again, to acknowledge her presence, anything. The driving rain and the occasional crackle of distant lightning somehow made the silence between them unbearable.

"Can we talk?"

Blanche was shocked at how small her voice sounded to her own ears, and wondered if she hadn't spoken loud enough to be heard over the rain. The gash in her chest throbbed when the other girl finally turned towards her.

"I'm happy to see you out and about, but shouldn't you still be in intensive care?" Candela's face seemed healed for the most part, but the places where she'd been burned by corrosive acid were covered up by the black nylon turtleneck she was wearing. Much like her own, those injuries probably hadn't finished healing. "You look like you just snuck out of your hospital bed."

"I had an urgent matter to attend to." Blanche closed her eyes when they began to water. Somehow, she kept her voice steady. "You're challenging the gym tonight."

"On my way there right now, darling." Candela's tone indicated a smile. When Blanche looked up again she had placed a hand on her hip and was leaning back against the railing. Her grin was lopsided, as usual. "Don't tell me I'm your 'urgent matter?'"

"I wanted to tell you that I'm going as well. I won't fall behind."

"Good, because I wouldn't wait up. Anything else?"

Blanche paused before responding as she tried to decide whether or not to fully speak her mind. Instead of letting herself hesitate further, she took one deep, shaky breath, and closed the distance between them. It felt like crossing an ocean, and she stopped an arm's length away from the other trainer.

"I spoke to the police about that night at the cave. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you to choose between saving my life and allowing a group of monsters like Team Rocket to steal your Pokemon, and—"

"And I can't believe I actually have to clarify this, but letting you bleed to death in my arms wasn't an option, period. I didn't have a choice, because I can still save Buzz from Team Rocket. I can't rescue you once you're dead." Candela waved her off, then crossed her arms over her chest. Although her expression hadn't changed, with her eyes averted, her smirk suddenly seemed painfully strained. "Anyway, don't worry about that stuff. I'm hunting down the bitch who took my Beedrill. We have a date in Saffron City in a month."

"You always have a choice." If she'd hesitated or tried to fight, I would be dead. I can be that brave, too.

With her left hand, Blanche pulled two Pokeballs off of her belt. She extended her arm and held them out. Even with the pain medication in full effect it took considerable effort just to hold them at shoulder level without trembling. She blinked rapidly to keep the rainwater out of her eyes.

It was difficult for her to verbally express complicated feelings sometimes, but right now, Candela deserved nothing less than all of the honesty and determination she could muster.

"Take them."

"Are you trying to repay me or something, because I'm really not into that."

"Do you trust me?"

"Are you being serious? Please don't ask dumb questions when I'm already in a bad mood." Candela scoffed, and practically snatched the pokeballs from her. Recognition flashed in her eyes as she looked them over, and she attached both of them to her own belt. She always preferred having her hands free. "What's going on?"

"I heard that you released your mankey today." Blanche watched the other girl carefully as she continued. "You two were so close. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Peaches deserved a lot better than me," Candela said, speaking softly. She sighed deeply, and shook her head. "I couldn't force her to be stuck with a trainer that wasn't strong enough to protect her. Hell, even Delta doesn't trust me anymore. Not like she used to, at least."

"I understand. I'm sure she'll be the strongest wild mankey her habitat has ever seen." When Candela chuckled in response, Blanche offered a strained smile of her own that she hoped came across as reassuring. "In any case, you need at least four pokemon to challenge a gym. I'm just returning your eevee since he's level 1 now."

"What about your Poliwhirl?" Candela raised an eyebrow. "I was planning to catch something in the patch of grass that's up ahead to qualify. I've still got two hours to get to the battle site, and I can probably sweep the gym with just Delta and Spike."

"You won't even be able to get there without a Water type of your own, and she admires you."

"Okay, look. I don't want to argue with you, but what's this really about? You know me well enough to realize that no matter what you say, I don't want your help."

"I know, but... It's my fault that… I'm so sorry." The words tumbled out of her alongside a sudden flood of tears, and Blanche covered her mouth.

"You have nothing to apologize for." Candela took a small step forward and placed a hand on her uninjured shoulder. "If it weren't for you I might not have walked out of there to begin with."

"That isn't true. If I hadn't acted recklessly you wouldn't have had to carry me out of Mount Moon!" Blanche could feel her face turning red, and took another deep, shuddering breath to gather her courage. After hearing what she had from the police, some things just couldn't be left unsaid. "I don't know if the two of us could have beaten that entire group, but at the very least you could have defended yourself, and I could have helped."

"The only people who are to blame for any of that are the scum who tried to kill us and Team Rocket."

"I know that, but even so..." Blanche looked down, unable to meet the other girl's heavy gaze, and bit her bottom lip until she tasted blood. She'd planned on saying so many things, but now that she was finally standing in front of her she was losing her nerve.

When she raised her head, Candela's amber eyes were like beacons in the storm, and Blanche looked away again to keep herself from wavering.

"Even so, I promise that I will not rest until we rescue Beedrill. I swear on the very life that you saved to do whatever it takes."

"Blanche... It's okay." Candela stepped forward again and cupped her face with a firm, surprisingly warm hand. She wasn't wearing her usual white gloves, and her bare thumb reached up to brush against the fresh wound on her lip. It stung just enough to make Blanche meet her eyes again. "You don't owe me anything. I'm just glad you're alright."

"It isn't okay! I know how much your pokemon mean to you and I know what you're thinking." Blanche knocked her hand away and stood a little straighter. She couldn't keep herself from shouting despite their immediate proximity, and her voice finally broke. "I won't be a hinderance or a burden! After we crush this city's gym I will help you hunt down the thugs that robbed you. And, and furthermore—"

Candela silenced her by pulling her into a loose hug. She wrapped her arms around her lower back, careful not to agitate any of her wounds. Blanche stiffened, but slowly found herself leaning in. Her chin came to rest on the shelf of the taller girl's collarbone, and she swayed slightly as Candela murmured into the mess of her soaking wet hair.

"Thank you."

You have nothing to thank me for, Blanche tried to say, but found herself incapable of speaking. She felt like her outburst had been needlessly draining and overly emotional, but got the impression that Candela didn't particularly care.

Expressions of intimacy like this are typically indicative of acceptance and understanding. The thought absently crossed her mind, and before she could think better of it, she reached up to hold onto Candela's arms.

In that moment all she could hear over the thunder was the sound of her own pounding heart. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to cry into Candela's turtleneck, hoping that the other girl wouldn't notice because of the rain.

"I know your outfit is waterproof, but mine isn't, and neither is your head, so let's get out of this storm before we both get sick." Candela let her arms fall away from Blanche's waist and took a small step back. Blanche mirrored her actions, until Candela held out her right hand. "If you want to help me take on Team Rocket then you'd better keep getting stronger. I won't let anything hold me back, especially not a weak partner."

"I am not weak."

"I know. Partners, then?"

Composing herself, Blanche nodded and held out her own hand in the other girl's general direction. She couldn't even see her clearly between the stinging tears in her eyes and the rain. Candela laughed, and took Blanche's hand in her own, bridging the gap herself. They shook hands and crossed the rest rest of the bridge side by side in a comfortable silence.

They turned left right after getting off of the bridge. As Candela fearlessly stepped into the small patch of tall grass and immediately encountered a wild pidgey, Blanche stopped walking.

"Go on ahead. My Eevee isn't level 1 yet, so I need to catch a pokemon before I reach the battle site."

"I can always give you Poliwhirl back." Candela ran a hand through her soaking wet hair, slicking it back to keep her bangs out of her face. "Hell, I could probably catch a random pokemon here faster than you anyway."

"That may be true, but unless you're an excellent swimmer you'll need Poliwhirl to help you cross that river in this weather. Just point her in the right direction and don't let go of her hands. Her skin is slippery." Blanche pulled out a pokeball and stepped into the grass. "Go. This won't take long."

"I'll see you inside, then." Candela stood beside the river's steep embankment. Maybe it was deep after all. "Oh, and by the way, Blanche?"

"Yes?"

"Hurry up and heal so I can hug you properly."

"... Indeed."

Blanche felt blood rushing to her face again, and didn't watch as Candela summoned Poliwhirl and dove headfirst into the rapids, focusing on the task at hand instead. Any wild pokemon would do, she just hoped that the bad weather hadn't driven most of them into hiding for the night.

She only had to take a single step further into the grass before a sleepy, half-alert pokemon came into view. Blanche blinked in surprise, recognizing the species immediately.

There were a modest number of pokemon native to Kanto that were also commonly found in Blanche's home region, and the timid, unassuming Abra happened to be one of them.

Before it could fully register her presence, Blanche threw her only Ultra Ball and crossed her fingers.

After hitting the wet grass, the Ultra Ball shook only once.