Route 30, Johto, 88 days before Ecruteak

It was both interesting and frustrating. To Virgil, none of Jaret's actions made sense. He actually wondered how long it took Jaret to find out about him in depth like her did, and better yet, travel to Cherrygrove. The thought made Virgil a little uncomfortable, and suspicious at that, taking a bit of a pain to stride ahead of Jaret a little ways.

"You look pensive," came a remark.

"It's fine," Virgil retorted. Jaret sped his walk up next to Virgil.

"I would be more convinced if you weren't pouting so much." Then Jaret sighed. "At least we're re-acquainted right? We can actually get a little move on for training for next years conference!" Jaret was beaming. "Who knows, there could even be smaller conferences in the region we could battle in." Virgil' step slowed to a stop.

"And what makes you think I'll go? What makes you think that I want to go?" Jaret shrugged.

"Call it a hunch. You wouldn't have come so far in the Silver Conference if you didn't, right?" Virgil made a dismissive face

"All of that was just for kicks. I don't really have real motivation to put up that kind of effort again. I'm surprised I even got all the badges I needed." Virgil saw the almost instant shift in Jaret's tone.

"'Just for kicks?'" Virgil assented with a single terse nod and that earned him a venomous glare that he didn't even care to turn to or acknowledged really; Virgil went back to walking, moving at an even faster pace. Anything was better than being talked to death by some self-righteous zealot. Jaret held pace with him. "If none of this mattered, then why did you decided to leave home again?" Virgil ignored him. "If none of this mattered, you would still be at home, right? You would've given up all of your Pokemon. At least, I think you would." Again, Virgil ignored Jaret. There was a huff of annoyance from Jaret. Maybe the guy was finally starting to get it. Virgil heard Jaret stop behind him. "Hey," Virgil stopped, throwing a half glance over his shoulder.

"What?" The two glared at the other for a quick moment before Jaret spoke again.

"If it didn't matter, or if you didn't have the motivation, you wouldn't have been so bummed or embarrassed about last year." Virgil tensed slightly. "You know, the whole thing with your Dewott being wiped out by Arcanine."

"Dewott barely scratched him," Virgil muttered, trying unsuccessfully to remain unfazed.

"That kind of reaction sounds like passion to me." Virgil gave a muffled "huh" and kept about his way.

"It doesn't matter anyway. It's not like you really beat me. For all you know, I couldn't really even been trying." That was a blatant lie, and Virgil figured that Jaret knew it too, but the grunt that followed after that statement seemed nothing less than demeaning.

"Everyone loses Virgil," Jaret started. "Dewott fought really hard, and really good too. But most of your others didn't really stand a chance."

Ouch.

Virgil grumbled annoyed.

"A little arrogant, don't you think?"

"It's closer to being true when none of your Pokemon made it past my first."

That one stung. Virgil grumbled again, this time notably more agitated than he was at first.

"If you're so good, then why didn't you win the cup?"

"Some people are just really good," Jaret stated plainly, almost pointedly. "Others are just really clever." Jaret paused. "I just slipped wasn't really anyone I couldn't handle at the conference. But you were one of the better ones." And then Jaret shrugged. " You just had the bad luck of running into me so early on."

That one struck a chord especially.

"What makes you think I'll respect your offer when you pretty much just spat on me?" Virgil's words were barbed, and his face was twisted into some offense, but he didn't care.

"Spat on you? You're the one who asked," Jaret replied. Virgil growled, irritated.

"Get lost."

"What?"

"I don't even know why I said I'd travel with you. You're annoying." Virgil felt Jaret's hard stare at his back immediately.

"You're such a crybaby about nothing. Just take the damn loss and learn from it."

"You're one to talk," Virgil snapped. "Why don't you practice what you preach and figure out why you didn't when that stupid cup!?" Virgil felt a sharp pain in his lip, through his entire jaw, and realized a second later that Jaret had hit him, and hit him hard.

"That's exactly what I've been doing. I didn't get good enough to sweep trainers or battle champions by complaining." Jaret caught the shift in Virgil's face then, and seconds later realized what he had just told him.

"You…battled a regional champion? And you came back to battle at my level? That's bullshit!"

Jaret pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Look, if you're really going to whine that much about losing, then you don't have to come. At least show a little bit of respect." Virgil made a face at that, and Jaret added: "And dignity".

"I don't owe you anything," Virgil snarled.

"I'm not asking you for anything," Jaret shot back. " At least, not anymore. I've traveled with you for literally one day and I'm already tired of your moody attitude. Virgil offered him nothing other than a simple shrug.

"So?" Jaret looked at him incredulous.

"So? So!?" Jaret quickly grabbed a hold of himself. He had never met such sore loser in his life. "My point is," Jaret continued with a sigh. "is that of you really don't want to be here, then you can turn around at anytime. We're only in the outskirts of Cherrygrove if you're going home." Jaret turned his back, opting to cover more of the trail, and more than a little disgusted at Virgil's attitudes. "It's your call." Virgil grunted, but with no response from Jaret. Virgil stood up and turned his back as well, heading in the direction toward Cherrygrove City.

Jaret was stupid, Virgil thought. Absolutely dumb even. Who was Jaret to think that he would travel with him? After he had beaten him so easily? After Jaret made him look so pathetic? Why would anyone traveling with a trainer that made a fool of them on international television? Jaret was an idiot for sure.

But even so, the situation was strange for Virgil. Most people would have found Virgil's attitudes not just annoying, but insufferable. Most people would have left far earlier than Jaret did. Virgil was surprised that Jaret had hit him square in the face like he did, and kept on as if nothing happened. What was more, was that Jaret was hardly even mad. Annoyed and irritated, sure, but the trainer was nowhere near angry, and that led Virgil to his next thought: How did that trainer put up with him?

In a way, Virgil had even made a game out of it and there had been times where he had deliberately tried to push Jaret to his breaking point, but found that the trainer was resilient and persistent. It was even stranger when Virgil had a slight thought to keep him around if only to piss him off. Or at least, he'd try; Virgil found that she actually missed it.

When Virgil first arrived in Cherrygrove, he had immediately set out for home and nearly came through the door. At least, he felt like he did.

"Virgil, is that you?"

"Yeah mom," Virgil replied, half-grunted really. "It's me." His mother came into sight, hands in her hips with a knowing look; Virgil frowned.

"You know, it's painful to see you like this." Virgil bit his lip.

"Mom, everyone saw me…And not only that, it was the entire world. My reputation got destroyed before it even started really…" His mother sighed.

"Yeah, probably." She folded her arms, and Virgil prepared himself for the very valid point she was preparing to make. She always did something like that when she was. "Everyone saw you," she paused. "And you got wrecked." Virgil shot his mom a peculiar, confused look. Something between disbelief at her attempt at slang and grinning.

"Mom, don't." Her voice tightened.

"But seriously, everyone may have seen you, but everyone also knew who Jaret King was." Virgil blinked at her. His mother did say something about "who Jaret was" before he set out with the guy yesterday.

"I've never heard of him."

"Yes you have. Or you've at least seen him. More than likely, everyone was paying attention to him and his style." Virgil sighed. Even coming from his own mother, the words were still harsh.

"So you're saying I never stood a chance?"

"Of course you had a chance," she countered. "It was just very slim. And a lot of people already figured you would lose."

"Not helping mom." She chuckled at that, but Virgil kept from facing her.

"Virgil, look at me." Virgil did as told, and looked away immediately.

"Mom, I'm 19. I'm a little bit old to be babied."

"Then maybe you should stop pouting like one." Virgil grumbled. "Virgil, look at me." Her voice was stone, and again, Virgil did as told. "You were swept. Beaten very quickly and under 10 minutes no doubt." She paused. "But, you have you have your own style and skill. You've placed in the top 16, and what's more, is that you've swept other trainers just like Jaret's done to you."

"But on worldwide television?" His mother shook her head.

"Maybe not, but you've wiped out trainers before, haven't you?" Virgil tried his best to keep from smiling.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…"

"But still," his mother began, as stern as ever. "You need to stay humble." Virgil's smile faded. "What goes up usually gets knocked down, right?" Virgil nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I'll try to remember that…" Virgil sighed and went to walk past her, back to his room.

"Virgil, I'm serious." He kept his back to her, actually afraid at what her expression could be. "Every trainer has been beaten badly at some point in their career."

"Even you?" She nodded.

"Even me." And if I've been beaten badly, then so has Jaret. You're not the only one who's been through this." Virgil kept his back turned, but tossed her a look over his shoulder. Her face was normal, but he could see the traces of a smirk at the edges of her lips; she knew.

"You've lost that badly? You, Alice Tonelico, lost that badly?" His mother nodded again.

"Yeah, I have."

"Who could actually beat you that bad?"

"They were actually a good old friend of mine."

"Do you remember their name?" That prompted a grin out of Alice.

"Her name was Maria, and she was a damn good trainer." She laughed. " The point I'm trying to make, is that she beat me. Really bad. But I learned from that, and I know you can too." Virgil was quiet before asking timidly:

"You think so?" Alice nodded.

"You've seem the trophy from the Lily of the Valley Conference." Virgil nodded.

"Yeah. I even remember finding those old tapes of that conference and watching your battles…"

"And all of that came after Maria crushed me, and that was because I figured I would learn from losing." Alice paused yet again, this time with a certain caution; she weighed her next words carefully before speaking. "I even was offered a position with the Elite Four now that I think about it…" Virgil felt his jaw drop.

"At 14!?"

"Yeah, yeah," Alice gave a wave of her hand. " But that was so long ago. 23 years ago to be exact." She smiled fondly at the memory. "Virgil, you don't have to be like me, you know." Virgil's eyes widened.

"Who said I was trying?"

"I know you are," came Alice's matter-of-fact tone. "And if anything, I would prefer that my son does something that makes him happy than trying to live up to his parents."

"But…mom…"

"Is that clear?" Virgil didn't answer. Alice repeated. "Is that clear?" Virgil managed a mutter.

"Yeah…" Alice sighed then, catching Virgil's attention. She was grinning at him, with that same smirk. She probably knew everything he was thinking. She was probably where he got the talent from anyway.

"Go ahead, Virgil. You're going do something better than me. I know it." The smile on Virgil's face was instant.

"Okay mom, you win." Virgil took a deep breath and for a quick second thought on his mother. She seemed to always know what to say. She had to, he supposed. His father was far too busy dealing with Unova policies.

"Virgil," he came back to attention. "Is that clear," Alice repeated, Virgil nodded.

"Yeah mom. I'll make you proud." And Virgil was back out the door again, a fire renewed in his chest.