Twenty chapters left, baby! …Give or take a few.

Enjoy.

Chapter 83
Affirmation

Marina woke to the fine yellow mesh of Jackson's backpack. Trying to keep naturally limp so that she still appeared asleep, she slipped a hand over her turtleneck. The choker hidden underneath rested comfortably in place. She breathed deeply, quietly, and stole a quick glance at the boy sitting on the opposite side of her.

Kenta was looking out the window, deep contemplation evident in his distant eyes.

The swaying inside the vehicle steadied and stopped. Its engines cut, and she could see her friends moving to undo their seatbelts.

Oh, we're already back? She wondered, hoping to have had more time to rest and collect her thoughts. The nap barely felt longer than a blink to her.

Marina sat up, surprising Jackson who was about to shake her awake. She flashed him a grateful grin as she handed him his bag. The four Pokémon Trainers then stepped outside, where they were greeted by a cool breeze and an abundance of pleasant greenery. They passed by other vehicles parked in a line along the side of the road, headed for the standalone Pokémon Center with the afternoon sun slowly rolling above them.

In the main lobby, they met back up with Kudou, who relaxed immensely upon seeing them—and his car—return safe. Nurse Joy patched up whatever nicks and scratches the children had accrued before tending to their Pokémon. To pass the time, they recounted the battles they fought against Bashou and Buson. Eusine and Jackson played it up with colorful descriptions and dramatic timing, an energy which Marina picked up on. Though Kenta mimicked them to an extent, he eventually quieted down. He grew content listening to their and Marina's take on the events, watching with a thoughtful grin on his face.

Nurse Joy rejoined them carrying four sets of Poké Balls and a new Poké Gear; the latter a gift for Marina's troubles. Jackson immediately gave her his contact information, and Marina was sure to do the exact same with Kenta. The two finally traded phone numbers, something that had been long overdue since last September. He helped remind her how to input a phone number manually, and she added Professor Elm and her mother to her new contact list.

Marina had no way of getting back the numbers she lost, however—she had little need to write them down or memorize them before. But Kenta told her that her number hadn't actually changed, so any friends she had would still be able to call her. For future reference, he taught her how to trade numbers with someone mid-call.

Not long after that, Officer Jenny arrived to reveal whatever information she had. Bashou and Buson had fled outside the prefecture and the police department's jurisdiction. Their busted machines were salvaged; so far, they unveiled no evidence leading to their origin of creation. Jenny's team would continue to patrol the area and guard the Pokémon Center until the damage it sustained was fixed. But with the Crystal System destroyed and Raikou safe and free, it was unlikely that they would return.

"Officer, what's a bounty?" Marina asked the policewoman when she was done with her report.

The woman blinked, raising a thin eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

"Those Team Rocket guys were talking about it. They said Raikou was a 'bounty' for something called…um… Cedar? No, that wasn't it," she searched her mind but turned up nothing, "I can't remember who. But I didn't know what that meant, and they didn't reply to me when I asked."

"A bounty…? They didn't mean the typical kind given by the government, I'll say that."

"But what is it?"

"It's a request," Jenny answered, crossing her arms, "Usually asking for something—or someone—and when it's fulfilled, the person that brought it to them are given a reward. Think of it like those wanted posters from old Western films.

"It seems those two have been doing all sorts of jobs for an organization, no doubt Team Rocket."

Marina doubted, however. She looked down at the polished floor and fiddled with the fringe of her jacket.

But didn't they say that I was a bounty, too? That doesn't make any sense. What would someone want with me?

Buson had asked a similar question. Neither he nor his accomplice seemed to have any idea why—just that there was a price tag attached to her name. Bashou's cold, focused stare he had last given her made her tremble. It had left a haunting, unsettling impression.

"What's the matter?" Jenny asked, reading the girl with ease.

"Oh, n-nothing!" Marina shook her head quickly. She twirled her bangs around her fingers, curling them out of her eyes.

It must have been a mistake. It had to have been. Maybe the white-haired guy was just bluffing, like he did before. He was just trying to scare me.

"Are you sure?" Kenta asked. "You look worried."

"I am, I am! I was just thinking about…what they would've done with Raikou, that's all." She was met with his unconvinced stare, and she held her crooked smile in place. "Honest!"

"Don't worry, Marina," Jackson interjected, "Raikou destroyed their system thing, right? It should be able to take care of itself now."

"Yeah, exactly! I mean it is a Legendary Pokémon. Haha…"

Kenta looked disheartened. "Okay then."

An uncomfortable silence passed between them, and she covered up her regret to the best of her ability. She let her arms fall at her sides, keeping unnaturally still as though holding herself back.

"Are you three planning to leave today?" Kudou spoke up.

"We should be once everyone's ready," Jackson responded. He turned back to Kenta and Marina with a cheerful tilt of his head, "Right, guys?"

"Um, I guess so..."

"Th-that's fine, yeah."

"Alright," said Kudou. "Let us know so we can send you off."

The adults left, having felt the stagnated awkwardness exclude them from the conversation. Marina, Kenta, and Jackson watched them go. The lobby had been cleared out, inhabited by only a small amount of curious travelers. Jackson remained energetic in an effort to shake off the dampened temperament that clouded over his friends.

"So you guys ready to go soon?"

"Already?" Kenta asked.

"You just ate, didn't you? Our Pokémon are all fine now and there's nothing more we can do here, so we can leave together before parting ways."

"It feels weird to do that, though," Marina laughed a bit. "I thought we could rest a bit more and talk, but I don't mind. We've just got to get our things, right?"

"Yeah! So let's put some pep in our step!"

The calmer two trailed behind him as they began moving toward the dorms. Taking in a deep breath, Marina held her nose and turned to brown-haired boy.

"Sorry, Jackson, but can you get me some tissues? My nose is running."

"Oh? Of course!"

"Sorry." She smiled behind her hand.

"Naw, no problem." Jackson complied with her favor with haste, dashing across the lobby. "I'll be right back!"

He disappeared around a corner. Marina and Kenta stared in the direction he went, gazing at no one in particular. A stream of cool air breathed down from the vents in the ceiling, but a still atmosphere remained lodged between them. The silence was so over encompassing that it'd be easy to overhear a conversation from anywhere across the vast room. Kenta slipped his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, turning to the girl next to him with delicate care.

"...Marina," he said. "We need to talk."

An insistent grip snatched his arm, and he stumbled as Marina dragged him away. He followed without much resistance, but he broke his composed stance and gave her a confused look. She didn't catch this. The girl was fixated only on the direction she was headed in.

"Hey, where are we going?"

Her jaw remained shut, locked tightly by pursed lips. They approached the medical bay, which was now blocked off by a strip of police tape. She let go of him and ducked under the meager blockade. With a nervous glance over her shoulder to make sure he was going to follow, she slipped into the dusk of the partially destroyed hall.

Their arrival tripped the building's automatic sensors, lighting the area with a flickering start. Kenta flinched at the sudden brightness. He made eye contact with Marina, who finally stopped and faced him.

She stood uncomfortably, stiff yet fidgeting ever so slightly. Her nose wasn't running, contrary to what she had claimed earlier. She could tell that the longer he looked at her, the more he pieced together her actions—that she had created a diversion to keep their friend distracted. With Jackson's tendency to stick near them, there was no other opportune time for Marina and Kenta to chat privately.

Her nails dug into her palms. Bothered by the light stinging it caused, she moved to hold her elbows instead.

Am I really going to do this? Marina questioned her intentions.

She took an unsteady breath.

I've got to.

"I-I know we need to talk," she began. Her voice jittered as she spoke. "We should've talked about it last time we met—no, before that I guess. But I really didn't know that you were there. I wasn't trying to avoid you in Cianwood City; I had no idea."

"Don't worry about that," he replied. "You told me earlier, remember?"

"Yeah I—I did, huh? That was just yesterday, haha…um…"

Come on, she pushed herself, Out with it!

"I want to ask my question first. S-Since, you know, we might be thinking of entirely different things. You see, something pretty crazy happened to me a few months back. It might be difficult to believe, but…"

"I'll hear you out, Marina." He was patient with her, sensitive to the anxiety she was failing fantastically at hiding. He soothed her nerves a bit, but she couldn't stop herself from tapping at the floor and grasping the sleeves of her jacket. She persisted to keep her words clear and spread out, however aimless they were.

"Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit; it depends on what your answer is. If you don't know, then it's okay. Might be better, actually—wait, I'm just gonna ask. D-Do you know my Lapras?"

A dash of recognition flickered in his navy eyes. Words fell out of her mouth before he could respond.

"I mean, like—I know you know I have a Lapras. I used her when we fought against Steelix. I really should have used her the first time we faced those guys yesterday, but I didn't know how you'd react to her. Not about how she acts—because the Mahogany Gym Leader told me she was abused by her past owner and that's why she gets kind of violent at times—.

"B-but I'm getting really off-track. What I really want to ask is: do you know how I got my Lapras?"

He was quiet in the face of her rambling, taking his time to think over her words, which only made her ramble more.

"That sounds like a weird question, right? But I just need to know because something really strange happened when I got my Lapras, a-and I thought I saw you there. I was at the Ruins of Alph and the Unown create a lot of weird illusions—and I've also heard it's haunted, but that's not the point. I, um…"

Oh, this is a mess! She tore her gaze away from him, losing her cool at a rapid pace. I'm just acting even weirder, and I don't know if I can tell him why if he doesn't know what I'm talking about.

"L-Look, the thing is—."

Kenta silenced her with a single motion. He held her arm gently. She flinched and met eyes with him. Though he appeared deep in thought, he tilted his head and regarded her with a very tender sort of look. She relaxed her shoulders a bit, striving to keep her mouth shut this time. Every little second was straining to her, but his supportive touch somehow kept her still.

"Yeah. I was there," he said. Marina's green eyes widened with rising panic. She stepped closer, grabbing both his shoulders and taking him by surprise.

"You were?!" she nervously responded. "Oh god, you were there…! Kenta, I-I didn't know what was going on. There was a rumor about the Lapras at the lake, and it attacked me and before I knew it I was in the water and it was foggy and dark so I couldn't see and I blacked out and when I came to I saw you and—oh no, you weren't hurt badly, were you?" He watched her, at a loss as she continued on in one breath. "Aura did that, not me, that's what Cilice said I think b-but she also said the Unown could've reacted to me being freaked out but I don't know did you ever talk to Latios—I mean, Bugsy—because he…I...Oh, Kenta—."

Marina fell forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her face into his shoulder, feeling lightheaded and terrified of going on any further. Biting her lip, she kept her eyes shut to prevent them from welling up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of it, I swear. I'm really sorry. I'm so sorry…!"

He was stunned at first, but she felt him embrace her firmly. His voice lingered close to her ear as he spoke.

"Hey, it's okay," he said. She turned her head away from him, holding him tighter. "I know it wasn't you. It's alright, Marina. It's okay…Come on, it's alright…"

Marina softly repeated apologies, which he responded to with comforting utterances. The trembling wouldn't stop, and she held her tears in with all her might. She just focused on the brim of his hat for the next few minutes. Slowly, her shallow breath deepened as she calmed down.

"It really happened, didn't it," he asked in a soft whisper. "It wasn't just an illusion after all."

The girl managed only a nod. He ran his hand along her back to console her.

"Don't worry; it's alright," he told her again. "We'll figure this out."

"I…" She released a sigh. "It's that legend…the one about a lady named Aura, who had a connection to Suicune. She was said to control the Unown too."

"You mean what you, Eusine, and Kudou were talking about last night?"

"Yeah…"

"I know a bit about it too. Azalea Town's Gym Leader told me while I was at the Ruins of Alph, after that night."

Marina hesitated. "Have you heard the rumor that someone impersonated as Bugsy a couple months back? I'm absolutely certain that's who we met."

"Probably. I wouldn't know since I haven't seen the 'actual' Bugsy, I guess…but he definitely seemed out of place. …I'm curious, though. Is it true that you battled with Suicune?"

"Mm-hm... Last week. It wanted to test my ability as a Trainer. It told me that I still had a long way to go, but it seemed really happy with me for some reason."

Kenta took in the information with a quiet, musing hum.

"Wow. Is that why they think you're the next Aura, like Eusine said?" he asked.

Marina loosened her grip on him and slipped away somewhat. Though she was fine with holding him and carrying on the conversation, she was beginning to get a little too comfy resting on his shoulder. She wore a small smile on her face. "Just how long were you listening to us last night?"

"Sorry, I was curious," he returned with a sheepish grin when he saw her face again. He let go of her. "A-Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah," she answered, lowering her gaze somewhat. "I feel like I just ran a marathon... When we met yesterday, I had no idea just how much you knew or didn't know. I tried to avoid it until there was a good time, but…I just didn't know how you were going to take all of that. A part of me was nervous that you wouldn't believe me—if you even wanted anything to do with me after that, haha…"

"You know I'm on your side, Marina. Don't worry; I'm just glad you're fine."

"So am I. Well—I'm glad you're okay too, I mean."

Her smile softened further, but was burdened by sorrow upon seeing his kindly expression. Before he could ask her about it, a soft sliding of metal nearby gave way to a much louder voice.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah, WOAH! What's going on here?!"

The two froze and turned to the one that barged into the medical bay. Jackson stood at the entrance, appearing completely flabbergasted. He waved a packet of tissues in hand as he marched over to them. Kenta glanced at Marina and quickly backed away from her, his face flushing red.

"He's never going to let me live down this one…"

"Huh?" She blinked, her face turning blank even as Jackson reached them.

"I was looking for you two! What are you doing back here? So close to each other? By yourselves? Kenta, did you do this?" He darted his suspicious eyes at Kenta, who shook his head.

"N-No, she was—."

"I should've known you'd pull something sneaky while my back was turned."

"That isn't—!"

Marina pushed her way between them, frowning.

"We were talking about something important, Jackson!" She defended, willingly taking the blame. "I was the one that took him here. I just didn't want anyone else to hear because..."

She looked away, twisting her mouth shut. Jackson gasped, noticing the light pink hue dyeing the whites of her eyes. His heated scolding faded into helpless surprise.

"You were crying! What happened?!"

"It's okay now." The girl hurriedly wiped her eyes using her sleeve. Tired from her passing emotional episode, she turned back to her other friend with a muted frown. "Just—I'm sorry I didn't help you, Kenta. I was so confused, I wasn't thinking."

"Marina…" Kenta's expression softened.

"I mean it. Besides everything else that was going on, I think that scared me the most. What could have happened to you…the fact that I didn't help…" She evaded eye contact and bit her lip. "What friend was I to leave you like that?"

The boys were quiet. Jackson, however, yanked open the pack of tissues and held some out to her.

"Don't be sad, Marina; it wasn't your fault! You were being attacked by that nasty Skarmory at the time, and I'm sorry I couldn't help you too. But you handled yourself well and it all turned out fine in the end. So don't blame yourself!"

Marina was surprised by his words, but took a tissue to dab the corners of her eyes. "Thanks, Jackson."

"Skarmory?" Kenta asked. Jackson gave him a frustrated look.

"I'm talking about that stunt you pulled with the Steelix. You could've fallen off the cliff and gotten yourself killed, you know. Like, really, you freaked me out too. Try not to be so reckless next time, alright? You don't want to give us heart attacks."

"But…we weren't talking about—."

Kenta paused. Marina had grabbed a bit of his red jacket, making an effort to smile at him through her nervousness. He looked back at Jackson with a nod.

"Yeah. I'll be more careful next time."

Marina, Kenta and Jackson collected their belongings and went to meet with Kudou, Nurse Joy, and Officer Jenny. Together, they walked outside the facility. It was a sunny yet somewhat chilly spring afternoon. Not a single dark cloud tarnished the fair weather—a fine day for the young Trainers to depart.

"Thanks," Kenta said to them, "You really helped us out."

"Yeah, thank you for everything!" Marina added.

"You were a lot of help, too," Jenny said with a hand on her hip. Beside her, Nurse Joy made a well-mannered nod.

"You were even able to help Raikou."

"Don't overdo it from now on, okay?" Kudou sent a lighthearted smirk in Kenta's direction. "Especially you, Kenta."

"I'll try," Kenta rubbed the small bandage on his cheek, "My friends already gave me a hard time about it."

Marina giggled. Looking up slightly to smile at the three adults before her, she opened her mouth in a delayed realization. "Oh! Where'd Eusine go?"

"He left," Kudou responded.

"Really?" Jackson looked completely perplexed, but the girl just shrugged with a smile.

"Oh, okay. He probably went off to look for Suicune again."

"He told me to give you his regards," Kudou said. "You know, Professor Elm has a good eye; you've all got impressive talent so don't put it to waste. Good luck out there."

"Thanks!"

"Yeah!"

"We'll do our best. Well then, later!" Kenta said. Marina and Jackson followed his lead as the boy turned away, waving in farewell. Kudou, Joy, and Jenny returned the gesture fondly, and the children went on their way.

They traveled down the road with a refreshed, positive energy that seemed to resonate with one another. Soon enough, they exited the cove that the Pokémon Center was nestled in and encountered a fork in the road. The path split on top of a small hill with a sign off to the side, representing each path as it pointed in different directions. Marina skipped ahead and up the incline. Though her cheeks were dry, the breeze still pinched at whatever slight dampness that was left. She didn't mind it, however, and she turned to her friends with a bright grin as they caught up with her.

"I'll be taking the left road to Ice Path," she announced.

"I've got to take the one on the right," Jackson said with a bit of disappointment. "There's no way I can compete with Blackthorn City yet."

"I guess I'll just take the middle one," Kenta said, perusing the sign. "So this is where we say goodbye, huh…"

"I guess so. That didn't last long, but we've all got different places to go now."

"It's just like the day we first left New Bark Town, isn't it?" Marina asked. She twirled, looking down each of the three roads. "We split up just like this."

Kenta turned to her, grinning softly. "Yeah."

"Ah, I remember that day," Jackson crossed his arms and closed his eyes to relish the memory, "Our starter Pokémon walking by our side… All that excitement and anticipation! I remember it like it was just yesterday."

"It wasn't even a year ago," Marina pointed out. "But so much has happened..."

"That's true. And this is just the beginning; there's the whole world out there waiting!"

"Definitely," Kenta said. He adjusted the yellow and black cap on his head, brushing aside the locks of hair on his forehead. He began walking toward the trail in front of them. He looked back with a wave of his hand. "See you later, you two! It was great meeting up again."

"You said it! Hopefully next time it won't be so hectic," Jackson responded. "Later!"

"Bye, Kenta! Good luck!" Marina chirped her farewell. She glanced back at her brown-haired friend, who clapped his hands together and faced her with an accommodating smile.

"See ya, Marina. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Right!"

The final two split up, taking their chosen routes. As she traversed the slope, Marina snuck a glance at Kenta before his figure would disappear behind the forest separating them. He stopped, as though thinking the same thing, and caught her stare. She formed a trembling smile as he grinned, nodded, and mouthed some supportive words.

It's okay, she repeated in her mind.

Marina watched him continue down his path until he was out of sight. It brought a bittersweet chill having to separate from her friends again—it was the first time they were all together since their first week of being Trainers. More than anything, she wanted to cut through the path and follow after Kenta to continue talking to him. But she didn't want to bother him if he wasn't fond of the idea of traveling together.

Further ahead, she could see a fellow Pokémon Trainer loitering by the lake. There were battles to fight and new Pokémon to catch on her agenda. Her eyes dropped to her PokéGear, its reflective white and blue surface shimmering in the sunlight.

She perked back up at once and released her Donphan, who playfully grabbed her arm in his trunk. Unable to help herself, she giggled and patted his head.

"Let's go, Phany."

"Donfan!"

The two resumed traveling Route 45. There were plenty of Trainers to compete with, all who fought using increasingly uncommon and even rare species of Pokémon. Peace had returned to the area, and wild Pokémon seemed to flourish in the absence of Team Rocket. Marina spent some time searching for the more elusive species—some which resided in the small island in the middle of the lake. Amongst the Pokémon she tried to catch was a large beetle known as Heracross, which she found by accident when Phany bumped into a thick pine tree. Unfortunately, it escaped deep into the forest and she had no luck finding another. After a day or two, she finally decided to move onto Ice Path already.

And finally, she decided it was time to give Kenta a call.

The conversation was bound by polite normalcy to begin with, especially because there wasn't anything new to speak of. She didn't want to rush into the strange and mysterious—she would much rather talk about that in person. It brought her great relief to speak so easily with her friend for the first time in ages, enjoying the simple exchange of experiences. From stories of thrilling battles to interesting people they had met to what they liked most about certain towns they've visited, they discussed a variety of things.

Of course, when they started talking about interesting people, Marina couldn't help but gush about her encounter with the Champion of the Elite Four and the underground hideout where they fought Team Rocket together.

"That makes a lot of sense now," Kenta said once she was done recounting the tale. He seemed more receptive to her fondness of Lance now that he knew there was a legitimate experience behind it. "That's pretty incredible, Marina. I can see why you'd want to take on the Elite Four. It's not every day that you see a powerful Trainer like him."

"I know, right?" she responded. "And being able to reach Lance's level at my age would really surprise everyone!"

"That again?"

"It's not about fame, Kenta; that's just a bonus. I want to do my best for my Pokémon and inspire people, just like Lance did for me! And have fun, of course."

"Don!" chirped Phany. Marina sent him a quiet smile.

"You don't have much time to do it, if you want to be compared to Red."

"Well, I'm turning eleven at the end of next month, so I've got plenty of time before I turn twelve!"

"I guess that's true. It'd be pretty amazing if you can pull it off."

"See? I told you you'd think it's great."

"I, well—." Kenta laughed.

Marina did too. Her location on the map closed in on the entrance to Ice Path, and she petted Phany and recalled him. If the name had any merit to what it was like, Ice Path would most likely have Ice-type Pokémon, which the elephant would be vulnerable to. She pondered over which partner to walk with next, turning to meet the short billboard informing her of her next destination.

Beyond the sign was a dark, gaping hole that dug deep into a wall of rock. Looking down at her PokéGear and back at the entrance covered in a thick layer of frost, the girl's jaw dropped.

"Oh no," she said to it. "You're kidding me!"

"What is it?" Kenta asked. She looked down at the phone, placed her free hand on her hip for a second, and then reached into her bag.

"Nothing—hold on a sec."

"Alright."

This is a cave! This can't be! The map says that it's a path! Ice 'Path'! Not Ice Cave! She thought in disdain. Her Pokédex clicked open in her palm, and she tried to navigate it with both her hands full. She made a face. Yup, Zubat are in here. And…wait, Golbat too?! Oh gosh no!

Seeing Silver's Golbat was bad enough, but imagining a hundred of them flying around in the dark was horrifying. Marina let herself fall on her rump as she crossed her legs. She searched around her. There was no other way to Blackthorn City, and she wondered if Kenya could manage to fly there without getting lost in the mountain range.

"…Hey, are you okay over there?"

"Kenta," she rested her chin on her hand, "Maybe I'm not cut out to battle Lance."

"Wait—what? Where did that come from? You were just raving that you were going to defeat the Elite Four."

"Well, what kind of Champion fights the likes of Team Rocket but cowers at the very idea of bats?

Red probably deals with them every day on Mt. Silver, now that I think about it, she wondered with a shiver. How does he even deal with that?

"Not everyone's perfect, Marina. Lance could have a fear of Hoppip or something and no one would even know."

"What? That's silly!"

Kenta's confusion turned into a quiet laugh.

Marina tried to pout, but still couldn't wipe the smile off her face. "Geez!"

"I can…uh," his tone turned modest, "We can go through the cave together, if it makes you feel any better."

"What? Oh, you're still on Route 45, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I'm headed for Ice Path right now. That's where you are, right? I think I can see you from here…maybe. I can't tell."

"Really?!" Marina jumped to her feet.

"Oh. Yeah, that's you."

She giggled and faced west, looking down the two roads leading to Ice Path. The northern one was where she had come from, so she eyed the other with keen observation. As expected, she could see the distant figures of Kenta and his Typhlosion walking in her direction. She swung her arm in the air above her, and he waved back.

"That's perfect! See you soon, then," she said.

"Right. You too," he replied with clear amusement in his voice.

They ended the call, and Marina waited for him to approach. When he was within walking distance, she skipped over and locked him into a hug. He stepped back, bewildered.

"M-Marina?! What—?" he stuttered and patted at her shoulders lightly, a reaction far removed from just a few days prior. His face twisted in embarrassment as his Typhlosion burst out laughing. He looked away and broke the embrace. "O-Okay, that's enough."

"Alright!" She whirled back to the cave. "You've got a flashlight too, right? I got one after the last incident I had in Union Cave."

"Uh, yeah."

"Then let's go! It'll still be scary, but I feel a lot better having someone else besides my Pokémon with me."

"Just try not to be loud, okay?" he asked. "You'll scare the wild Pokémon that way." He and his starter Pokémon followed her, and the three felt the sharp twinge of below-freezing temperatures the closer they got to the cavern.

"I'll try not to, but I can't make any promises. Oh and, um…Kenta?"

"Hm?" The boy had fished out a flashlight from his bag, flicking the switch to test its energy. He looked up.

Marina regarded him with an honest smile. "Thanks."

He smiled back. "No problem."

Kenta took the lead with Marina and his Typhlosion following at his side. Fitting through the cave entrance one at a time, they stuck close and traveled together into the frosty Ice Path.

A/N: I kind of miss making little comments at the end of the chapter. There's a lot more I can say here without worrying about spoiling anything. So maybe I'll start doing it again, hey?

This is the first time I've written Marina being so incredibly nervous when talking to someone. Usually she just spouts questions until someone stops her, but here it's amped up even more. It even gave me the jitters while writing it, whew.

Until next time, my dear readers!