Ascendant

by Dragonridr21

To climb to the summit of Mt. Coronet, you have to start at the foothills. Follow the journey of the Platinum Hero as Dawn of Twinleaf Town sets out for the peak of the Pokémon battling world. Along the way she'll encounter amazing Pokémon, sinister plans and the mysteries hidden behind the legends of the Sinnoh region.

19. Cinnamon

Chapter 19: Cinnamon

"So," Maylene asked, mouth still half-full of noodles, "What comes next for you? You said you were leaving Veilstone soon, right?"

Dawn took a moment to gulp down her own mouthful before answering, "Yeah, I'm headed to Pastoria City next. I want to get a badge from Crasher Wake then head west to Sunyshore and take the ferry to Snowpoint City before it stops running for the winter. I figure once I'm done in Snowpoint, I can take the ferry back to Sunyshore and spend the winter training there. That way I challenge Byron and Volkner once the snows have thawed, and we've gotten a lot stronger."

Maylene whistled, mouth now cleared of food. "Wow, you're really looking for a beating, aren't you? Wake, Byron and even Candice I can get behind, but Volkner? You're mad. I respect that honestly, but I still think you're absolutely mad."

Dawn just grinned. Maybe she was a little mad, but how would she get stronger if she didn't challenge herself? She could probably win at a minor gym, but that wouldn't force her and her team to train and better themselves, force them to gain the power and skill they'd need for the Conference. "No one's earned all eight major gym badges in a while. I figure it's time someone did it- why not me? But I'm definitely saving Volkner for last, we're going to need a LOT of training before we're ready to challenge him."

"No kidding. But I think you're ready for Wake. I haven't seen him in a while, he's been out sailing, wrestling, and dealing with the shipping industry a lot in the past few years, but while he's strong I don't think he's out of your wheelhouse. Just be careful of his Floatzel- it ran rings around Lucario last time we battled." Lucario huffed where he sat next to his trainer and Maylene winked at Dawn.

A moment later her gaze turned thoughtful. "So, Pastoria next. Would you be willing to do me a favor? It wouldn't be hard, just a delivery."

"Sure, what do you need?"

Maylene set down her fork, bowl of noodles now empty, and met Dawn's eyes with a serious expression. "A few weeks ago, the police brought in this kid who'd been abusing his Pokémon. He'd caught way too many, didn't like it when they lost, you can imagine. His Pokémon were sent to a rehabilitation center here in the city and most of them are healing well. All but one. She's physically fine, but she's not responding to any treatment; she's too scared of the staff and won't get close to any of the other Pokémon they have there. She needs individual care and attention, so the staff decided to send her on to one of Wake's Gym Trainers who's a specialist in abuse cases, but she hasn't been moved yet."

"Would you be willing to add her to your team and take her with you to Pastoria? They could send her via a Pokéball transport machine, but… well, the staff thought it might be good for her to do the journey with a trainer, show her that all trainers aren't abusive and give her the chance to relax in nature and bond with other Pokémon. The rehabilitation center staff asked me to recommend a trainer who was going to Pastoria, but I haven't found anyone yet."

"All you'd have to do is feed her and maybe let her walk with you and your team as you make your way to Pastoria. She wouldn't be registered as your Pokémon, so you can still have your whole team along as normal. All we want is to give her some time to relax and recover at her own pace." Maylene's hands were clasped before her in a supplicating gesture, but Dawn didn't answer right away.

Traveling with an abused Pokémon? She didn't know anything about helping abused Pokémon. What if she did something wrong and hurt her somehow? What if there was an emergency and Dawn didn't know how to help? Then again, it sounded like this poor Pokémon couldn't get much worse, especially if she was getting sent to a specialist. So long as Dawn was kind and did her best, wouldn't that be far better than what her old trainer did to her?

A thought struck her. "What kind of Pokémon is it?"

Maylene looked relieved. "A Mudbray. They're ground types from the Alola region."

A Mudbray? She'd never heard of them before. Something ugly burned in her at the thought of an abusive trainer with such a rare Pokémon. He didn't deserve such luxury. She comforted herself with the thought that he'd been caught, his Pokémon taken from him, before turning her mind back to the matter at hand.

It sounded like this Pokémon needed help, and for whatever reason Maylene thought Dawn could help. How could she say no?

"Alright, I'll do it. Where should I pick her up? And who should I deliver her to? Are there any special instructions I need to know, or anything I should look out for?"

"Whoa there!" Maylene said, waving her hands in front of her. "Give me a sec to answer! Come by the Gym before you leave tomorrow and I'll give you her Pokéball. I'll ask the rehab center's staff if there's anything you should watch out for and get you their number and the number of the person you're leaving her with. That way you can call them directly with any questions. Sound good?"

"Sounds good to me," Dawn said, sticking another forkful of noodles in her mouth.

An eager smile appeared on Maylene's face and she leaned forward, Lucario copying her. "Plus, if you stop by the gym tomorrow maybe we can do some training together before you leave, get another battle in? I've got to get you back for our gym battle!"

Dawn laughed and held out her fist. Maylene bumped it with her own, grin growing even wider. "You're on!"

#

The early morning sun made the skyscrapers of Veilstone City glimmer and shine with reflected light, but Dawn had eyes only for the Pokéball in her hand. She'd only torn her eyes away for a second to bid Maylene goodbye as she ran off to her meeting with Officer Jenny and the Veilstone police department. They'd only managed to get an hour or two of training in before Maylene had to leave, but their time was well spent. Dawn smiled at the fresh memory of Ion wrestling with Lucario without taking her eyes off the Pokéball in her hand.

She hadn't released her newest traveling companion yet; Maylene had suggested she wait until they reached a good stopping point on Route 214, so she didn't feel trapped in a new, strange place. Plus, if she waited until they were on the road Mudbray could be introduced to the whole team at once. But would that overstimulate her? What if all the space and the new Pokémon staring at her made her more afraid? Ack, there were just too many things to think about. Dawn didn't know anything about helping an abused Pokémon!

Dawn shook her head once, hard, then clipped the Pokéball to one of the slots on her belt meant to house an empty Pokéball for catching. She'd just have to do her best and read the care packet Maylene gave her thoroughly before releasing Mudbray. On the bright side, Maylene's number was included in the list of contacts in the packet and Maylene said she was free to call anytime, not just if she needed help with Mudbray. It felt strange to be friends with a Gym Leader, even one as new as Maylene, but somehow it had happened. Maybe she'd come back here during the long winter months, see if they could train together a little longer-

"Dawn! Dawn is that you? Oh, thank Jirachi!" Dawn's head whipped around and her jaw dropped as she recognized the person running towards her.

"Lucas? What are you doing here?" He skidded to a stop in front of her and bent over, gasping.

"I- need- your help," he gasped, trying to get his breath back and mostly failing.

"With what?" Dawn bent down and grabbed his shoulder, meeting his frantic eyes. "Lucas, what's wrong?"

"Team- Team Galactic. Some of their goons. A few minutes ago, they- they appeared out of nowhere, by the warehouses, grabbed my Pokédex right out of my hand and ran off with it! I- I tried to chase them, get it back, but I lost them." Dawn's spine snapped ramrod straight and her eyes widened at hearing that name. Galactic? Again?! Will I never be rid of them?

Do I want to be?

"Where did you lose them? If it wasn't too long ago Morgana might be able to get a scent, we can track them down!" Dawn grabbed his arm, hauling him all the way upright now that he'd stopped gasping for air.

"You'll help? Oh thank you, thank you Dawn! I was going to go to the police but my Pokédex- they'd just treat it like a random pickpocket taking something mildly valuable. But it isn't! It's indispensable for helping Professor Rowan with his research, I keep all our research notes and official documents on there!"

"Then let's not waste any time!" Grunts she could handle, but only if they got there fast enough. Lucas nodded and took off down the street, Dawn shoving her way through the crowds behind him.

"Why are you here in Veilstone anyway?" Dawn gasped as they ran, heading for the docks at the lowest part of the city, where the warehouses sat packed together along the waterline like an ancient defensive wall.

"Work," Lucas said, forcing his way past a particularly thick group of tourists clogging the middle of the road. "Professor Rowan wanted me to check in with a group of researchers working on some sort of cosmic energy project. They cancelled our meeting though, so I was going to go to the waterline to watch the boats and maybe see if I could catch a water type."

Something about the phrase cosmic energy niggled at the back of Dawn's brain, but she pushed it away to focus on running. They both stopped talking to conserve their breath and before Dawn knew it they were surrounded by warehouses along a narrow street that stretched the entire length of the northern docks.

Lucas pointed to a set of smaller warehouses near the northwestern end of the city. "There- I was over there."

Dawn plucked a particular Pokéball off her belt, tapped it once, and Morgana appeared in a flash of red light. She stumbled for a moment on release before finding her balance, hands out to either side like a tightrope walker. The change from walking on two legs to four legs was a big one; it would take time for her to acclimate.

Too bad they didn't have time to waste now. "Morgana, do you remember Lucas? We met him back in Sandgem Town, just after you joined the team, remember?" The Braixen looked over at Lucas, studying him for a second before barking once, her voice a little deeper than Dawn remembered. "Some Team Galactic goons grabbed his Pokédex around here and we need to find them- do you think you can sniff them out? If you can follow his scent on his Pokédex it might lead us right to them. His scent would be a lot fainter on the Pokédex, so if you can follow the scent trail that's the weakest that's probably it."

Morgana nodded, then closed her eyes. She took an unsteady step forward, sniffing Lucas and oddly laying her paws on his hands. Lucas stiffened, but held perfectly still as she sniffed at him, then turned and began sniffing at the air and the street.

Dawn tried to be patient as Morgana worked but the warm sea breeze playing with her hair made her even more aware they probably didn't have much time until the scent faded so much as to be unusable. They were already working with a pretty thin trail as it was. Lucas was even more impatient, fidgeting with the straps of his backpack and interlacing his fingers at short intervals.

After what felt like an eternity Morgana opened her eyes and barked once, eyes fixed on one of the warehouses. She took one unsteady step forward, then another, then another. With each step she steadied a little more, her gait becoming more fluid until she broke into a trot. Dawn and Lucas scrambled to catch up with her, jogging alongside as she followed the scent trail to an innocuous warehouse five or so spots down from where Lucas said he'd gotten jumped. Morgana led them around to a worn back door then barked again.

Dawn examined the lock. It was the traditional kind that locked with a key- could they pick it somehow? Or maybe just break it off?

Lucas looked scandalized when she raised the question. "This is someone's warehouse! We can't just break in!"

"It's the only way to get your Pokédex back!" Lucas now looked torn, glancing at the door and back to her in rapid succession. "Besides," Dawn added, "No doubt it's a front for Team Galactic if they came this way. I don't feel bad at all about breaking their stuff. Morgana?"

Morgana's claws glowed with the white light of Scratch, and she swiped at the door. The old lock fell off with hardly a tap and the door swung inwards. Dawn crept inside followed closely by Morgana, Lucas sighing and sidling up beside them, nervousness on display in the way he wrung his hands constantly and kept glancing about.

The inside of the warehouse looked pretty standard. Rows and rows of shelves, some stuffed with boxes of many different sizes, some completely empty. Most were empty now that she looked around; this place didn't appear to see much use. The dust on the shelves and floor told her most of those boxes hadn't been moved in a long time.

There was however a clear trail through the dust leading toward the back of the warehouse, out of sight behind the shelves. Dawn waved for Morgana and Lucas to follow her but before she could continue, a voice interrupted them.

"Well, well, well. I didn't expect the brat to be stupid enough to follow us. And look, he brought a friend."

"Like it matters. All we needed was the Pokédex, but I don't mind teaching these kids not to mess with Team Galactic."

Dawn looked up to find a shadowed walkway above them, wrapping around the entire warehouse around fifteen feet up. A pair of men were leaning over the guardrails and looking down at them. Even in the meager light streaming in from the open door, Dawn could see their bowl haircuts and spacemen outfits. Team Galactic.

"Now, wait just a moment. Is it just me or does the new brat look familiar?" one of them asked, leaning further over the guardrail until he looked close to falling over it.

"Hm. You might be right, but I can't place her. I guess we'll have to grab her and see if anyone at Headquarters recognizes her. Plus, that Pokémon looks pretty rare. Probably worth the grab."

"Let's show them why they shouldn't mess with Team Galactic then!" A flash of red light heralded the appearance of a larger than average Golbat; the grunts each grabbed a leg and it lifted them into the air with a grunt of effort, wings flapping madly. It hauled them over the walkway's guardrail and set them on the ground with a grateful sigh, moving to hover over the grunt on the left. The other grunt released a Houndour, also larger than normal.

Dawn stared at the Dark Pokémon and felt something ugly stir in her chest. She remembered the panic, the icy terror the gripped her as she lay under a pile of pine needles in the pouring rain, hearing the yips of a Houndour as it did its best to track her down.

"Lucas, take the Golbat. Houndour's mine." Without a word she recalled Morgana, ignoring the put-out look her fire type shot her as she was recalled. Without a focus she wouldn't be able to control her fire well enough to fight. She could take on Team Galactic another day.

Dawn released Crest instead. The close confines wouldn't bother him, and he deserved some revenge on Team Galactic. Beside her Lucas released Cryptic; the Kadabra hovered in midair, outlined in pinkish light, spoon held at the ready.

"Oh look, the brats want to fight back. Your funeral! Golbat, Poison Fang!"

"Houndour, Smog!"

"Bubblebeam Crest!"

"Cryptic use Reflect!"

Purplish mist appeared around the battlefield as Houndour spat out gaseous poison. Crest managed to capture a lot of it with Bubblebeam and Cryptic prevented any of it from coming near the trainers with Reflect, but Dawn didn't like this as a start to the battle. Golbat had vanished, using the Smog as cover to hide somewhere in the darkened warehouse.

"Metal Claw and Brine Crest! Take out Houndour! Lucas, can you have Cryptic search for Golbat?" Dawn didn't wait for his nod, plucking another Pokéball off her belt and releasing Aries. Aries was in battle mode the moment he came out, vines extended. "Watch our backs, we're fighting Team Galactic," Dawn informed him, the memory of her encounter with Team Galactic right after catching him running through her mind. Aries clearly remembered the attempted sneak attack as well, as he took up position at her and Lucas' backs without so much as a blink.

She turned around to see Crest and Houndour locked in combat, wings and teeth flashing as they sliced, snapped, spat and danced around each other. This Houndour was a cut above the Pokémon she'd seen from grunts in the past; at one point Houndour left a patch of burnt feathers on Crest's chest when he didn't get out of the way of a Flamethrower fast enough.

Cryptic sat in front of Lucas, unmoving, eyes closed, deep in focus as it sought out its hidden foe. Quick as thought, he lifted his spoon and fired a beam of pink light straight into the air. A screech echoed around the warehouse, causing all four trainers to cover their ears. Golbat swooped down from the darkness above, eyes wide and fangs bared in fury, one wing visibly singed.

Cryptic teleported in a flash of light just before the furious poison type bit him, appearing behind it and nailing it with another Psybeam. Golbat and Cryptic began an aerial, teleporting dance of their own, chasing each other all through the warehouse. Cryptic landed far more hits than Golbat did, nailing the flying type with Psybeam after Psybeam, but Golbat proved sturdy enough to all but shrug them off, spitting poison, slashing with its wings, and occasionally catching Cryptic when he wasn't fast enough to teleport.

Crest's screech brought her attention back to his battle. He'd taken another Flamethrower, to the back this time. Houndour was very agile, able to slip between Crest's strikes and take him by surprise. Time to change tactics.

"Lucas, at my signal have Cryptic teleport right above Crest and use spherical Reflect around himself."

"Okay but what- oh you can't be serious."

"You know me so well."

"Right now I wish I didn't!"

"Spoilsport. C'mon, just this once-"

"Fine! Tell me when!"

Dawn watched Golbat's movements, trusting Crest to handle Houdour for a few moments longer. Almost, almost- there! He was in the perfect position- "Now!"

"Cryptic, above Crest! Reflect barrier!"

"Crest, bounce off it!"

Cryptic appeared right above Crest, Reflect enclosing his spindly body. Crest ducked under Houndour's leap and spat a huge Brine straight up, right into Cryptic's Reflect. The barrier made the water bounce off and spray in all directions like the top of a fountain. A wave of redirected water struck Golbat where it swooped in low to the ground, throwing it into one of the shelves with a shriek of surprise. Houndour was doused as the water went everywhere, the fire type barking and trying to shake the water off as the sparks around its mouth went out. Its internal flame wouldn't appreciate the chilly water and its wounds wouldn't appreciate the sting of salt.

Cryptic was pushed higher into the air by Crest's saltwater blast but took advantage of his new height to pepper Golbat with a final round of Psybeams. Golbat slid off the fallen shelf with limp wings, finally unconscious. Crest likewise leapt on Houdour's momentary disorientation to blast it with a full Brine; it collapsed after a moment, lying in a heap in a puddle of salty water.

The grunts gaped at the fall of their Pokémon, wearing expressions of shock as identical as their outfits and hairstyles. "What in the Shadow's lost name? Headquarters promised that they gave us good Pokémon!"

"Damn headquarters! C'mon, let's get out of-" the second grunt was cut off by a pair of vines grabbing him and binding his arms tightly to his sides, winding down to catch his legs in the embrace until he was held bodily off the ground. The first grunt tried to run but a seed landed beside him and sprouted vines and well, snaring him in a similar green embrace.

"Good job Aries," Dawn said as she walked over to Crest and gave him a congratulatory scratch between his gleaming metal crests, staring down their new captives with hard eyes. "Now, where did you to put Lucas' Pokédex?"

Neither grunt could move, they were too tightly wrapped in Aries' vines, but they exchanged glances. "You know, not telling me just means it'll take a little longer to find." She bent down next to the first grunt and grabbed a Pokéball off his belt, using it to recall Golbat, then found the second Pokéball on the second grunt's belt, aiming it at Houndour. "It just means we'll have to search the warehouse and it'll take us slightly longer. Which means you'll be wrapped up in those vines longer. And you know, I'm not so sure Aries won't indulge in a little squeeze." He wouldn't of course, but they didn't know that.

"Hmph! Who cares about some Pokédex anyway? Team Galactic's going to own all the Pokémon in the world… No, in the universe! Don't know why we were sent to get it…" the first grunt muttered.

"What do you mean?" Lucas asked, stepping up beside Dawn. Cryptic floated alongside him, eyes closed and face so relaxed she'd have thought he was asleep. Maybe he was.

The grunts exchanged glances once again, then the second looked up at a certain section of the walkway above. "It's up there. Take it! Take your Pokédex! You'll get what's coming to you eventually brats!"

Dawn snorted but didn't say a word. She knew all too well these two weren't the best Team Galactic had to offer.

Cryptic teleported up to the walkway and returned in a flash of light a moment later, a familiar Pokédex hovering above his outstretched hand. Lucas took it with a grateful look, quickly opening it and scrolling through the information display. His sigh of relief echoed through the warehouse. "Everything's here, it doesn't look like they messed with anything."

"Wonderful news," said a familiar voice, causing Dawn to spin around to where the door they'd come through stood open. A tall man with a long trench coat stood there, a wry look upon his familiar features. "Though I am wondering if I'll see you involved every time I get a lead on Team Galactic, Dawn."

"Looker!" Dawn said, surprised and not surprised to see him here. She blushed as his words set in. "I promise, I didn't-"

"Mean to get involved? Somehow I doubt that, but at this point I also doubt I can stop you. Will you introduce me to your new friends here?" He gestured to Lucas and the two restrained grunts.

"Oh!" Dawn mentally switched gears. "Right. This is Looker, he's an investigator for the International Police. He's been looking into Team Galactic. Looker, this is Lucas, an old friend of mine. He works for Professor Rowan. And these two," she shot a glare at their captives, "are the two Galactic Grunts that tried to snatch his Pokédex."

Looker shook his head. "I've been hearing persistent rumors of Team Galactic down here by the docks, so I came running when I heard about children wandering around down here. It turns out, of course, to be you. Well, you've done me a favor, capturing these two." He glanced at the bound grunts and gestured towards the door. "Come, we'll talk outside. We don't want them overhearing, and it looks like they won't be going anywhere anytime soon." Dawn nodded and recalled Crest and Aries, Lucas recalling Cryptic as well. Looker pulled out his own Pokéball and his Croagunk appeared. It nodded once to Dawn then wandered over to squat next to the captives.

Looker led Dawn and Lucas outside, walking to stand by the docks and look out over the waves. "I've been hearing persistent rumors about Team Galactic in this area, more than in other cities. Those grunts might be able to give us more information on what they're planning here. Plus, their warehouse warrants further investigation." He looked at Dawn, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I'll keep your names out of it. After Eterna, the less involved you are with Team Galactic the better." He sighed and looked back at the waves again. "Even if it seems impossible to keep you away."

"Since I can't stop you, maybe it's best to ask for your help. I've overheard concerning rumors in the Game Corner recently; that Team Galactic has transported something to Pastoria City. What they're up to, I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about it. You're heading that direction, right?"

"Yes sir," Dawn said, not asking how he knew.

"Then let me know if you hear anything relating to these rumors or see any sign of Team Galactic there. I must stay here for now to investigate why Team Galactic can be out in the street like they own Veilstone, but any information about what they're doing in Pastoria would be helpful. Do not try to fight them, you hear me?"

"Yessir." She wouldn't fight them. Not unless they forced her to.

Looker turned to her and extended his hand. Dawn shook it, and he turned to shake hands with Lucas also. "I should be going now. Be wary of Team Galactic. I hope I'll see you again Dawn, Lucas, once this whole mess with Team Galactic is over with. Good luck on your journeys." He strode away with his hands in his pockets, vanishing into the depths of the warehouse.

Lucas sat down hard on the dock. The suddenness of the movement made Dawn start, then look down. Lucas sat right where he'd been standing, hands on his knees, whole body shuddering. Dawn bent down, concerned, reaching out with her right hand but hesitating before she got too close.

"I- I can't-" Lucas gasped, stopping in the middle of his sentence, unable to go on.

"It's okay Lucas," Dawn whispered, pulling her hand back and moving to sit beside him, close by but not touching to give him the space he needed. "It's okay. It's over."

"Is it?" Lucas whispered, shaking and looking out over the sea.

Dawn didn't have an answer to that. So she sat beside him, doing her best to be there as he came to terms with the day's events.

They sat in silence for a while, as Lucas slowly stopped shaking and the waves pounded at the shore. Boats came and went, dockworkers called to one another further up the coast, and the cries of Wingull were carried by the wind as they soared above.

"How- how do you do it Dawn?" Lucas said after a while, a slight stutter still present in his voice.

Dawn looked over at him. "Do what?"

"Just- charge in like that. I… when those grunts first snatched my Pokédex, I had a moment where I could have chased them. I could have run after them, gotten it back myself. That- that first time, in Jubilife City, there weren't that strong, you remember! But I- I froze. I just sat there, I didn't even think about trying to go after them, I just ran for help. For someone else to solve my problems for me." His voice was bitter as he spoke the last sentence.

Dawn tried to interject. "You-"

He cut her off. "You know, I envy you. You made a decision."

"What decision?"

"To devote yourself to battling." He looked up at the sky, hands clasped in his lap, gripping hard and still shaking a little. "I- I couldn't decide. Still can't really. All I want, all I ever wanted, was to study with Professor Rowan, learn everything about Pokémon, and become strong. I thought- I thought I could do that. Study with the Professor and learn, train up my own Pokémon at the same time, battle when I got breaks from studying. Sometimes I thought maybe I'd have to choose one or the other, but I kept telling myself, no, you can do it, it doesn't have to be a choice. My parents told me that, Professor Rowan told me that, but… it feels like the world is telling me something different, pushing me to battle. It feels like if I don't get stronger, faster, it'll happen again and again…"

"I've been training as much as I can, but it's not enough- you and Barry are racing past me, getting stronger so fast. My Pokémon do their best, but they can't keep up when I spend half my time on research. I- I thought that was fine, that I could take my time, but… Team Galactic just… I couldn't stop them. I was just… too scared. If I'd dedicated myself to battling maybe I could have taken care of them myself. Maybe I wouldn't be such a coward." He almost spat the last word.

"You're not a coward Lucas." Dawn said, grabbing his hand and forcing him to look at her. "You know that. Going to the police is the smart call in a situation like this. They were strong, remember? Those weren't ordinary grunts. And… they took your Pokédex, specifically. I think they were sent after you directly, maybe to get research notes like they tried back in Jubilife all those months ago. In a situation like that, it's far better to go and get backup instead of rushing right in." He nodded, but his miserable expression didn't change. She wasn't getting through to him.

Dawn looked out at the waves again. "And I'm not brave Lucas. I was reckless. I've been… too reckless, in the past, and I almost…"

Professor Rowan told her that talking might help. Talking had helped with Maylene. Maybe… maybe now was the time to talk. Maybe Lucas would understand better now, at least a little.

"…I almost got killed, me and my team. Because I didn't think, or I thought it was for the best without thinking through the consequences…"

She could feel Lucas' eyes on her, and the way his shaking hand had stilled. "What do you mean? That man, Looker, he said he'd keep your name out of his report. Because he didn't want you mixed up with them again. Dawn… what happened?"

She took a deep breath and took the plunge, still staring out to sea so she didn't have to see his face. She told him about the Valley Windworks, facing down Mars and her Purugly, so sure that it's Hyper Beam would hit. She told him about how she'd stupidly walked right into Galactic's Eterna base, and the hours she'd spent trapped, waiting for them to come for her.

The more she spoke, the faster it came, pouring out of her like water from a broken faucet, things she hadn't even intended to tell him. She spoke of her crushing losses, to Fantina, to Paul. To her reckless chase in Solaceon Town that led them to face down a Spiritomb. And, her voice little more than a whisper, she told him about J. About the hunt in the darkness and the rain, the crackling flame, and the thunder of a dragon's wings.

Eventually, she ran out of words, sitting in silence, still unable to look at him. She didn't want to see the expression he'd wear. Pity, or disappointment maybe, that she wasn't the person he'd thought she was. Not anymore, if she ever had been.

Arms seized her around the middle and before she knew it, Lucas was hugging her, squeezing so tight it was almost painful. Without thinking, she hugged him back, squeezing just as tightly. She couldn't have said afterward how long they sat there hugging one another, the physical support just as necessary as the emotional. Eventually though, they had to let go, and they did so. Dawn tried to be surreptitious about wiping the wetness from her eyes, but she was sure Lucas saw.

"Oh Dawn," he sighed, meeting her eyes. "I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell me? Back in Twinleaf, before the Festival?"

"I… didn't want to think about it. I was just trying to forget, like ignoring it would make it go away. Plus… I didn't really know how."

He took her hand again. "Well, how about this? Let's institute a policy of telling each other when we're struggling with stuff. We can't help each other if we don't know what's going on, right?"

She smiled at him. Lucas always focused on the practical. "Yeah."

He looked encouraged at her reaction. "We'll call every week! No more forgetting. And I'm going to rededicate myself to training. I want to get stronger, as strong as you and Barry, so next time you get in over your head I can come help!"

Dawn shook her head. "Lucas, you don't have to give up your research just to help me. I know you love it, so why not rededicate yourself to both? You can help me and Barry a ton by learning more about Pokémon and telling us about it, and it'll help in your battles too. I can't tell you how many battles I've won because I knew a lot about the Pokémon I was facing."

Lucas nodded thoughtfully. "I'll let the Professor know that Team Galactic's interested in his research. If we can dig deeper, find out why, maybe that will help?"

Dawn nodded back. "You can be the brains and I'll be the brawn."

Lucas snorted. "You've got plenty of brains yourself Dawn. No, I'll teach you about caution, and you can teach me about action. Sounds good?"

Dawn smiled and hugged him again. "Sounds good."

#

Route 214 was gloriously sunny. Long grass waved in the wind, trees swayed, and their leaves danced on the breeze. Wild Bidoof ran among the wavering grasses, avoiding the galloping Ponyta herds the frequented the area while Starly and Staravia soared in flocks above. Dawn passed trainer after trainer as she made her way down the route and she made it a point to battle every single one she came across. Her wallet was feeling very light after her spending spree at the Department Store, and she wanted to build it back up. Plus, Zephyr was getting larger and larger with every passing day. If she was lucky he'd evolve soon so she could use her new savings to buy him a saddle and her some flying clothes so they could take to the sky together.

The sun was a few hours from setting when Dawn located a nice open patch of land in a rockier area of the route. She settled her bag against a nearby rock and plucked her Pokéballs from her belt, releasing her team one at a time. They greeted her with myriad cries, looking around the area with interest. Finally, Dawn held only one Pokéball in her hand.

She whistled to get the team's attention and they gathered around. She held up the Pokéball in her hand. "Okay everyone, we've got a new traveling companion. She won't be with the team permanently; we're taking her to Pastoria as a favor to Maylene, but I need everyone to be extra welcoming. She's a Mudbray, a ground type, and she was abused by her former trainer." The team hissed as one and Dawn waited until they quieted down to continue.

"Maylene and the people taking care of her wanted her to spend some time with a good trainer and other Pokémon so she can learn that not everyone is going to hurt her, so we need to be extra nice and careful around her, okay? She's likely to be scared and might act a little strangely. If she wants space, we're going to give her space, and if she wants friends, we'll do our best. Everyone got that?" A chorus of various Pokémon sounds accompanied the team's nods, all of them looking quite interested to meet a new companion.

Dawn fixed Zephyr in particular with a hard stare. "One last rule: No. Battling. Her. She's been hurt enough, and this trip is supposed to help her relax, not make her more nervous." Zephyr squawked and looked disappointed, but nodded after Dawn subjected him to another stare.

"Okay, I'm going to let her out. Can everyone back up a little? She's never met any of us and I want to make sure she doesn't feel crowded."

They all obediently backed up a step, eyes remaining focused on the spot in front of Dawn, then Dawn hit the release button. She hadn't had time to look up Mudbray in her Pokédex since leaving the Gym that morning, so she was just as interested as everyone else when their new companion formed from red light.

What emerged from the Pokéball was a four-legged Pokémon about the same size as Aries, maybe a little smaller than the Skiddo after all the growing he'd done in the past few months. She had a dark brown coat with a cream-colored underbelly and muzzle, and circular cream markings on her long face. Two long ears poked up from her head and she had a thick black mane and tail. Mud coated her legs up to her knees, so thick that Dawn could barely see her hooves poking out. Though interesting, none of that was what caught Dawn's attention as Mudbray emerged.

No, what caught her eye and the eyes of everyone on the team were the scars. They were mostly on the upper parts of her legs and her ears; one ear had a notch that looked like something had torn a tiny chunk of it out. A particularly long scar crossed her left flank, and Dawn could see the hint of another near her belly on her right side. Looking at the scars on her legs, Dawn feared there might be more underneath the mud on her lower legs. They were long healed over, leaving only lighter-colored patches of hair, but they stood out against her dark coloration.

She didn't move upon release. Mudbray stood stock still, black eyes rolling wildly as she tried to take in everything at once. Dawn could see the tension in the way she stood, in the taut muscle lines and the way she held her ears held perfectly still, and felt fury burn in her anew, an ember of rage lodging in her heart. She hoped Mudbray's previous trainer was suffering for what he'd done to this poor Pokémon.

She couldn't do anything to her former Trainer, but she could help Mudbray. "Hello Mudbray," Dawn said in a soft voice. Despite her gentle tone Mudbray whirled to face her, eyes wide, standing stock still and looking at her straight on. "It's okay, we won't hurt you, I promise. Remember the people helping you, at the rehabilitation center? They might have mentioned they wanted you to go visit Pastoria City, right? Well, they asked me and my team to take you there. My name is Dawn; the Pokémon behind you are my team. We wanted to introduce ourselves, since we'll be traveling together for the next two weeks, alright?"

Mudbray still didn't move- she was almost vibrating with tension and panic but didn't move a muscle. Her eyes were fixed on Dawn, opened wide that her pupils were mere pinpricks.

Dawn tried introducing her team one by one, pointing them out as she named them. Mudbray didn't turn away from Dawn, but she saw her eyes flicker to each of the team in turn as she named them. "We're going to do some light training right now, alright? Don't worry, you don't have to join in, though you're welcome to if you want." If possible, the mention of training made Mudbray tense up even more. She was visibly shaking right now, her nostrils flared wide. This wasn't working, she was just getting more nervous-

Where would she feel safe? Dawn brushed her hand against her belt, then had a flash of insight. She picked up Mudbray's Pokéball from her belt and proffered it. "Would you like to go back in your ball for a little while, until dinnertime? I know it's a lot to take in right now." Mudbray barely moved, but Dawn thought she saw a minuscule nod.

"All right, that's perfectly fine Mudbray. Whatever makes you most comfortable. I'll call you out again when it's time for dinner, okay?" No movement, but Dawn didn't need it this time. Mudbray's pupils widened just a tad at the prospect of going in her ball, so Dawn recalled her and set the ball on her belt again.

She turned to face her Pokémon, who all looked as confused and sad as she felt on the inside. "Well. That was…" She couldn't finish.

So she tried changing gears. "Okay guys, we'll see Mudbray again at dinner. For now, let's get some training done!" That worked. Her Pokémon once again focused on her, eagerly shifting about as they waited for their assignments.

"Okay, we're going to start with a conditioning run, some practice sparring, then we'll move on to move training. Crest, you'll be working on Ice Beam today- come get me when we start move training and I'll give you the TM. Ion, you'll be working on Eerie Impulse; I'll give you the TM at the same time as Crest. Once you've both got the basic idea down you can start sparring with each other to practice your new moves. Aries, you'll be getting the Energy Ball TM, but I don't think it'll take you long to master so we're also going to start working on Seed Bomb. I'll come give you the TM and show you the example videos for Seed Bomb once I'm done with Crest and Ion- can you play Togepi in the meantime?"

"Morgana, I know you'll need to find a branch to use as your focus before we can work on any move training, so that's what you'll be doing when the others are working on move training. Everyone got it?" Everyone made noises of assent except Zephyr, who squawked and flared his wings. He was the only one she hadn't given instructions.

"Okay, everyone but Zephyr can get started with the conditioning run. We'll do twenty laps of this area, around the treeline. Go ahead and get started- Zephyr, you hang back. I want to talk to you for a minute." The others gave Zephyr a look that screamed ooooh, you're in troubleeeee as they formed a line and started their run. Zephyr clearly sensed it too- his hop over to Dawn was a little less boisterous than normal.

Dawn dug in her bag for a moment and withdrew a small disk that gleamed silver in the afternoon light. She held it up so Zephyr could see. "Do you know what this is?" Zephyr shook his head.

"This is the TM for Steel Wing. I got it for you from the Veilstone Department Store. I thought I'd teach it to you before we got to Pastoria, so we could start working on some new combinations and you could have a new weapon against Rock types." Zephyr screeched with joy, flapping his wings hard enough to send a few loose feathers flying.

"That plan has changed."

Zephyr stopped in his tracks, head leaning to the side to express his confusion. Dawn fixed him in her gaze, not letting him look away. "In our gym battle, I warned you to stay away from physical moves. I told you that your wings were still healing and unless expressly ordered you were to use long-range moves only. Remember?"

She could see his shoulders slumping as he figured out what this was about, but nodded. "You decided that your desire to fight Machoke up close was a higher priority than your own health. That decision cost you the match, but it could have cost you a lot more Zephyr. You could have broken your wings again, and Nurse Joy might not have been able to put you back together. And this isn't the first time this has happened."

Zephyr was looking miserable, head bowed and talons scratching at the earth. Dawn didn't like it, but she had to ram the point home. So it wouldn't happen again. "You can't always fight an opponent up close Zephyr, and you can't ignore your own pain and your own well-being like that ever again. So, I'm not going to give you Steel Wing. Not yet. First, you're going to show me that you've mastered long-range battle tactics and wind manipulation before we even think about you learning Steel Wing. Understood?"

Zephyr looked sullen but nodded again. Dawn held his gaze for a moment longer, then relented. She knelt so that she could meet his eyes directly. "I know you're best at physical battle bud, but you can't fight at close range and expect to win every battle. Flying types like you are renowned for their mastery of wind and sky. If all you want to do is batter your opponents with your wings, you'll never grow as strong as I know you can be."

Dawn looked up and pointed at the blue sky above. "A true Flying type works with the wind and sky, is a part of it, rather than just bullying it into doing what you want like you do with Whirlwind right now. If we spend the next month learning how to manipulate the air, one day you'll be so good you can call down storms and fly right through them, dance on the wind and around enemy attacks, move so fast no one can catch you, and truly own the skies. What do you say bud? Ready to give it a try?"

Zephyr looked at her for a long moment, then raised his head and nodded. He spread his wings and squawked once, a determined noise. Dawn smiled and stood. "That's the spirit buddy! I'll show you how you can do just as much damage with the wind as you can with your wings and talons! We'll train until you can do just as much damage with your Air Slash as you could with your Take Down!" Zephyr's screech filled the cleaning this time and he took off, racing up into the air to circle above Dawn, eager to begin.

"Right, let's do it!"

#

"Fine, fine, I forfeit! Sheesh, what's that Luxio been eating, Rare Candies?" The other trainer recalled his Rhyhorn with a scowl, its rocky armor badly cracked and dented along one side. Dawn knew it would heal in a day or two, but she simultaneously winced and beamed seeing the damage Ion's Iron Tail could inflict.

"Nope, he's just been working hard," Dawn told her erstwhile opponent, bending down to give Ion a good scratch behind his large ears as he wandered away from the cracked and scorched earth that had been their impromptu battlefield.

"Whatever," the other trainer grumbled, walking off after transferring her winnings.

Dawn watched him go with a sigh. "What do we have to do to get a good challenge around here? They've all been pretty weak so far." Ion nudged her pocket and flicked his tail back and forth. "Yes, it's been good for my wallet, but I was hoping you guys could get some experience fighting water types and the like. But no, all we've seen recently is rock and ground types." She looked up at the terrain around them, which was a series of rocky hills rising into low mountains on the western side of the route. "Then again, it might just be the locale." She shrugged and pushed on ahead, but not before looking back to check everyone was following.

Aries and Togepi were right behind her, as they had been before. Dawn swept Togepi into her arms and ruffled the fur on Aries' head but looked back at their last companion with an inner sigh. Mudbray stood well back from their little group, nearly hidden by the trees. She wouldn't come within ten feet of them if she could help it, and every time Dawn looked back, she froze. She didn't hide like Dawn expected, but she wouldn't move until Dawn looked away. When Dawn managed to catch a glimpse of her without Mudbray noticing, she walked with her head down, whole body slumped, eyes darting back and forth and ears twitching constantly. Her tail swished back and forth far faster than her plodding footsteps carried her forward.

Her care packet suggested that she let Mudbray out to walk with them during the day, but Dawn thought the little ground type would have preferred to be stuck in her Pokéball the whole time. She was so on edge Dawn felt tense just looking at her. She did her best to give Mudbray space, let her set the pace, but it was so hard when she could see how much she was hurting. Last night when she'd let her out to eat she'd given Mudbray a bowl, but Mudbray hadn't eaten more than a bite or two, and not until long after Dawn and her team had gone to sleep. Dawn didn't even know if she'd slept at all; she'd been awake when Dawn woke up, hiding out near the treeline until it was time to start moving again.

Dawn sighed again and set her eyes on the road ahead again. Up ahead, there was a small fork in the road. The main route continued straight, but there was a side path leading further into the rocky hills. Dawn stopped and down it, trying to determine where it went. There weren't any signs to help direct her, and her curiosity started to get the better of her the longer she looked. She glanced around at the team. "What do you say guys? Willing to entertain a slight detour?"

She was met with shrugs all around, and a trill from Togepi in her arms. That was good enough for her, so Dawn led them down the worn dirt path leading into the hills. They walked for less than mile, going up almost the entire time, when Dawn started to hear a regular pounding noise, like rocks breaking. A few minutes later they finally reached a cave entrance, set directly in the side of one of the rocky hills. It was too round to be a Pokémon's cave or natural formation; a human had dug this. The sound she'd heard was coming from there, louder than ever. Intrigued, Dawn poked her head inside.

The cavern ceiling was barely higher than her head, lit by an electric lantern sitting on a rocky shelf around head height. It dimly illuminated the far end of the cave, where a heavyset man raised a pickaxe over his head and struck, splitting stone, rhythmically pounding away at the wall. The noise was shockingly loud in the enclosed space, and Dawn had to put her hands over her ears despite standing at the entrance. The digger wasn't wearing any ear protection himself, which had to be bad for his health. Unless he was already deaf.

Ion and Aries stuck their heads in as well, Ion's tail lighting up with Flash the moment he saw how dark it was in the cave. The sudden influx of light made the digger turn around, pickaxe still half-raised. She could see wild eyes and a scraggly beard underneath his hard hat, dirt smeared all over his clothes and hands.

"YOU!" he yelled, making Dawn jump as he strode over, so close he could have reached out and touched her. Dawn took a nervous step back out into the sunlight again. Ion growled, a low, dangerous sound that made the man hesitate as the Luxio placed himself between the digger and his trainer. For a moment Dawn thought she might have to call him off, but thankfully he contented himself growling and standing guard in front of Dawn.

"You-" the digger said again, breathing hard, eyes wide. "You've seen them!"

"Um." This was getting weirder by the minute. Aries stood to her side, ready to make a quick escape, and Togepi was in her arms, but Dawn was worried about Mudbray. This weird man might scare her off for good. She tried diplomacy first: "I don't know what you mean, sir. We just wanted to figure out where this path led. I'm sorry we disturbed you, we'll leave now-"

"NO! You've seen them. The letters that move, the eyes in the dark! Where. You must tell me WHERE!" Ion growled again, hints of pearly fangs making the man stay where he was despite his fervor.

"Do you mean the Unown, sir?" Dawn hazarded a guess. It was the only thing she could think of that fit his words, though she had no idea how he knew she'd seen them before. Unless he did this to everyone who came by?

"The letters, the eyes! UNOWN! Yes! WHERE?" The man was all but shaking with excitement, pickaxe held up high.

"The Solaceon Ruins, to the west? You can find some there-"

"YES! I dig, in the right direction! I will dig, until I find them! YES! I go!" He turned around and ran back into the tunnel without another word. A moment later the sounds of his pickaxe started up again, the pounding rhythm faster than before. Dawn took a step back, then another, and another, then fully turned and began walking down the path back to the main route, rather faster than she'd intended. Aries and Ion caught up in seconds, looking just as eager as she to escape the strange man. A rustle in the bushes behind let her know that Mudbray was following. Good.

As they walked back to the route, Dawn glanced at Ion, the lines of tension still present in his body, and the way he kept glancing back, not at Mudbray but at where the cave lay in the hills behind them. She sighed internally. Apparently, it was time to have their talk.

She turned to Aries, quietly addressing him and Togepi. "Do you two mind if I send you back to your Pokéballs for a little bit? I want to talk to Ion about something." Togepi frowned and waved her hands, but Aries baaed and nodded, a glint of understanding in his eyes. He knew what this was about. She recalled them both, and for a moment her hands drifted over Mudbray's Pokéball. A quick glance told her the ground-type wasn't close enough to them to overhear, so Dawn turned to Ion, slowing her walk so they strode side by side.

"You did well, dealing with that… maniac," Dawn said abruptly. Ion looked at her, ears twitching, tail held unnaturally still. "You got him to back off when he was threatening, without hurting him. That's exactly what we needed in that moment. But… well…" She… didn't really know how to bring it up. That evening in the fading light, Ion's fangs glinting in the twilight as he lunged for the man's face-

Dawn had to shake herself to ward off the memory. In her nightmares, those fangs mixed with images of Salamence, and she saw that man's body bleeding out on the mud and stone of the route despite it never happening. She had to have this talk with Ion, so it wouldn't become a prophecy.

"I know… you remember what happened. When we were running from the Hunter. When we tried to get help, tried to find a phone. When you-" she broke off, unable to say it aloud. Ion turned away from her, refusing to meet her eyes. His gaze roamed over the trees and rocky hills that surrounded them, studiously looking everywhere but at Dawn.

"You know it was wrong. I know you do." He still wouldn't look at her. "So I won't tell you that you can't, shouldn't, react that way. He was down- he wasn't a danger anymore. You know you went overboard. But I know why you did. You were scared, and afraid, and angry." He glanced at her, but just as quickly looked away again. "So, so angry that he was hurting us, that he'd tried to trick us…" That he tried to tear away the family that took you in when your old one abandoned you, kicked you out. You couldn't bear the thought of being alone again, could you?

"You love us Ion, love the family we've become, and that's why you did it. You were just trying to protect us. I know. And I love you for it, more than I could ever express." Dawn stopped walking and knelt in the dirt, putting herself on eye level with Ion. Slowly, her electric type turned to face her, and she held his golden gaze. "You're our protector, and I love you for it. But part of protecting us means knowing where the boundaries are. Unless it's in the last extreme defense of our lives, you can't resort to killing. That time, he'd already been stopped, and killing him wouldn't have stopped J or her goons. That wasn't protecting. That was vengeance. We have to be better than that, okay? I know you can do better than that." She held her arms out. Ion took one step forward, then another, then she was wrapping her arms around him.

"I know it's hard buddy," she whispered into his soft coat as she clung to him, feeling the static in his coat making all the hair on her arms stand straight up and her unbound hair cling to him. "We'll have to work on it and learn when to back off when you can't control yourself. But we'll work on it. You're our protector, remember? We'll always be here for you, and you'll be here for us. But we'll get better, until we can handle a situation like that better. I promise." He nuzzled in closer, and they sat in silence for a while, clinging to one another, forcing away the shadows that had hung over them since J's appearance on that rainy day what felt like yesterday and years ago.

Eventually, they broke apart and Dawn stood up, Ion taking his place at her side. They walked in comfortable silence until they hit the original spot where the route had split, returning to the wide dirt road that was the main Route 214. They walked for about an hour when Dawn felt something in her backpack vibrate and stopped in surprise. She checked her Pokétch, but it was in its normal spot on her wrist and hadn't made the vibration.

What the heck? If it had been a month earlier Dawn would have thought it was coming from the egg, but Togepi had hatched now and nothing else in her pack should be vibrating. She pulled it off her back and moved it around so she could rummage in the pockets, shoving aside clothes, food and other camping and traveling oddments as she searched, but couldn't find anything.

She felt Ion's paw on her leg and looked down, one arm still stuck in the depths of her bag. He was nosing at one of the side pockets, where she carried the-

Dawn hastily withdrew her arm from the bag and pulled out the golden stone she'd picked up after the encounter with Spiritomb. The strange rock hadn't done anything interesting since she'd gotten it, so she'd just stuck it in the outer pocket of her bag and all but forgotten about it. Now though, now it was vibrating like a struck gong, making Dawn's whole arm vibrate if she held on too tightly. She gazed down at the stone in bewilderment, Ion pressing up next to her to get a look himself. Out of the corner of her eye, she could even see the mud-encased lower legs of Mudbray as she risked getting a few steps closer to take a look.

She glanced around to see if there was anything in the environment that might be triggering the strange reaction, and noticed a gap in the trees to her left that she could have sworn wasn't there a minute ago. The faintest of dirt paths, barely more than a gap in the bushes and trees, wound its way deeper into the forest, vanishing into the underbrush after a few feet so she couldn't see where it led.

Dawn and Ion exchanged glances, and as one turned and continued down the route, bypassing the gap in the trees and the faint trail leading deeper into the forest. They'd had enough of unexpected detours today.

#

Dawn glanced to the side, looking into the darkened depths of the forest beyond their brightly lit clearing, and sighed again. Morgana still wasn't back. It was almost dinnertime! She'd gone off searching for the perfect focus branch hours ago when they stopped to train, as she had every night since they'd left Veilstone. Every night she came back empty-handed, looking despondent at her failure. Dawn had tried to follow her more than once, to help or check on her, but each time she'd been stopped either by Morgana herself or, oddly, by Crest. Apparently this was something Morgana had to do for herself.

That didn't mean Dawn couldn't worry when she didn't come back though. Morgana always came back well before dinner. What if she needed help-

The crunching of fallen leaves and pine needles made Dawn turn. Morgana's tall form (she was still getting used to that!) walked out of the trees directly ahead of where she'd been standing, gold fur gleaming in the fading light. One hand was empty, but the other held-

Well, to Dawn it looked like a regular tree branch. It was thin but strong; Dawn could see where Morgana had plucked away the leaves and thinner branches at the end, leaving behind only the sturdy main branch. A stray leaf clinging to Morgana's fur and the slight red stain on her paws made it click for Dawn; that was a rowan branch. Maybe the type of wood was why it had taken Morgana so long to find a proper branch to use as a focus?

Whatever the case, it was clear she'd found what she was looking for. Morgana wore a wide smile as she stepped up to Dawn with easy grace. All the walking they'd done on Route 214 was helping her adapt to two legs instead of four, though Dawn still hadn't used her in a battle since the Gym battle. Maybe now she had her branch, that would change.

"It looks great Morgana! I'm glad you found something that works for you. Ready to give it a test run?" To her surprise, Morgana shook her head, holding up a single finger in a move so human Dawn started. The Braixen moved to the center of their clearing, finding a spot slightly apart from where the rest of the team was training. She accidentally scared Mudbray away from where she'd been watching on the sidelines; the ground type left behind a series of muddy hoof prints as she cantered away, moving back to where Dawn had set up her tent away from the training area.

Dawn watched with curiosity as Morgana sat down in the cross-legged pattern Dawn preferred for meditation, setting the precious branch down in front of her. From the thick fur of her tail she withdrew another branch, shorter and stouter, holding in her left paw. With her right she extended a single finger, tipped with a wickedly sharp claw, gently setting the point on the wood and beginning to carve a slow spiral around the branch.

Dawn walked over, stepping softly to avoid breaking Morgana's concentration, and watched as she carved spirals and swirls, lines and figures, strange patterns Dawn didn't know the meaning of, into the short branch she held. More than once Morgana hissed as she made a mistake, scratching out an intricate pattern or burning it away with an Ember. She was practicing, Dawn realized as she watched. She wanted to carve on her main branch, her soon-to-be focus, and wanted to make sure she got it right.

Dawn pulled out her Pokédex and searched the Braixen and Delphox entries for anything on their focuses. The information was somewhat scant- her Pokédex had plenty of information about the Delphox line due to Lucas insisting she get the National Pokédex upgrade, but there wasn't much information about their focuses except for a few articles about what happened when they broke. After searching for articles on similar species she eventually found an article about Kadabra and Alakazam focuses- in their case, spoons. Apparently they made their own spoons, and they often took weeks to months to make in the wild as the Pokémon gathered the materials from their surroundings, shaped it, and, somehow linked the finished product to themselves. The article described it as the process of tuning the item to work with the owner specifically, pouring a part of themselves into their creation to enable faster and greater focus when using it as a conduit.

Dawn looked up at the practice branch and the true branch waiting in front of Morgana, ready to be used. No wonder she wanted it to be perfect, if she had to pour that much effort and care into making it work with her.

Morgana was totally absorbed in her work, gently scratching away at the practice branch, so she didn't notice Dawn get up and head into the woods after doing a quick walk about the clearing to check on her other Pokémon and set out some dinner. When she returned fifteen minutes later, she had a sleepy Togepi nestled in the crook of one arm, a long, sturdy branch nestled in the crook of her other arm, and her survival knife held in her free hand.

Dawn set Togepi down between herself and Morgana, where she almost immediately drifted off to sleep due to the gentle warmth Morgana emanated now that she'd developed a true internal flame. Dawn picked up the branch with her left hand, squinting at it, knife held in her right hand. She'd seen someone whittling before but couldn't quite remember how they started. She picked up the knife and set it on the wood, then started to push. Whoof, this was harder than she'd thought. She tried pushing harder on the knife-

A paw settled on her wrist at the same time Dawn heard an alarmed-sounding bark from Morgana. She looked up to find her friend shaking her head urgently, paw preventing Dawn's hand from moving. She gently set down her own branch and plucked the knife from Dawn's hand, reversing it so the blade pointed away from where Dawn held the branch in her left hand. With an extended claw, she mimed the movement Dawn needed to make. Dawn tried it out, and found the knife moved much more easily, carving off a small chunk of the branch end.

Morgana's paw reached out again and adjusted Dawn's grip, moving her thumb so that it could push against the blunt edge of the knife. Once again, Dawn found that moving the knife came easier with Morgana's adjustments. "Thanks girl," Dawn praised. "You've really got a knack for this."

Morgana smiled, barked once, then picked up her own branch and returned to her work. Even though they weren't technically practicing meditation, Dawn soon fell into a calming rhythm as they practiced whittling together, occasionally glancing over at Morgana's work to praise her or ask for some help with what she wanted to try. Dawn wasn't very good, leagues behind Morgana's natural prowess and control, but by the time the rest of the team wandered over to where she'd set out their food bowls, she had a rough but respectable spiral pattern going at the end of her branch. There was a little bit of blood on her thumb and the wood from when she'd gotten a little overzealous, but the pain taught her to take it slow. Maybe next time she'd try wearing gloves.

A noise behind her made Dawn glance back, and inadvertently gasp. Behind her, nearly hidden in the shadows cast by the trees, Mudbray was watching them. She was still a good ten feet away, but that was closer than she'd gotten to any of them since the first time Dawn released her. She skittered back again as Dawn noticed her, but crucially didn't run away.

Dawn looked away quickly, focusing back on her branch. Moving with deliberate slowness, she stood and stretched, wandering away towards where the others chowed down on dinner. When she returned, she held three bowls of Pokémon food and a sandwich for herself. She placed a bowl beside Morgana, who didn't give it more than a glance, beside Togepi, who kept sleeping, and the last one off to the side, around five feet away from where she sat. She started eating her own sandwich as she watched Morgana carve, glancing out of the corner of her eye at where Mudbray stood watching them.

She didn't move. She wasn't willing to get closer. She did seem interested in what they were doing though. Maybe if Dawn explained…? So she started talking. It wasn't anything of substance really; she asked Morgana about what she was carving, suggesting new patterns she could try out and theorizing about why she'd chosen rowan wood. She talked about what she'd tried in her own practice, about what had worked and what didn't, what she'd like to try next. Morgana nodded or shook her head at times, occasionally barking or otherwise acknowledging a point but mostly focusing on carving every inch of available space on her practice branch.

Dawn was halfway through figuring out what carvings she'd like to try to add to a potential walking stick, when she heard the faint sounds of leaves crushing. Her spiel stuttered for a second and it stopped, but she started talking again and the footsteps resumed. Dawn tried to stay calm as Mudbray came closer and closer, one halting footstep at a time.

Dawn fully finished her sandwich by the time Mudbray reached the place where Dawn had set out her food bowl, and it took a further half hour for the ground type to eat anything from the bowl. Her other Pokémon appeared to understand the situation, as they didn't try to come join their little circle when they finished their own meals, staying in their own group near her tent.

Dawn eventually ran out of things to say. Her throat felt raw and hoarse after so much talking, most of it meaningless. But Mudbray didn't move away when she finished talking. There was still food in her bowl, but she'd folded her legs underneath herself and laid down on the ground, black eyes still fixed on their group. So Dawn picked up her branch again and joined Morgana in whittling. They stayed like that, whittling and crafting in companionable silence, Mudbray feet away but closer than she'd ever been, until the light finally faded.

Mudbray didn't move as Dawn got up and the team prepared themselves for bed. She didn't move even when Dawn had to grab the food bowl, still half-full, only a foot away from her. She didn't join the team as they arranged themselves for sleep, as Dawn tucked herself into her sleeping bag, Togepi snoozing away right next to her head, but that was fine. She was so much closer than she'd ever been before.

#

Light.

Infinite light, soft light, extending endlessly in every direction. Soft pinks and blues, yellows and golds, flowing and mixing in an eternal dance. There was nothing but the light. There would never be anything else.

A point of darkness, directly above her, slowly expanding, leaving behind pinpricks like diamond chips in a cave wall. Stars?

Yes! A thick blanket of stars gleaming in the sky, lighting up the deep blue-black of space beyond where the gentle light of the crescent moon did not reach. A thousand constellations, so many she knew and so many she did not. The soft crackle and gentle warmth of a fire in front of her, the cool night breeze playing with her hair, the easy companionship of her team around her. A perfect night for stories…

Light, growing at the horizon, the sky awash with blue, orange, pink, and yellow, colors melting into one another. The gentle sizzle of something cooking echoing in her ears as she bit into the bun in her hands, savoring the twin tastes of cinnamon and sugar wrapped together in a doughy bundle. As the next one finished cooking, she drizzled it with the last of the frosting and offered it to her companion, who took it with gentle teeth…

Crashing waves that spilled over the sides of the pool, washing over Dawn's boots in a flood of chilly water, but she paid it no mind. Her eyes were fixed on the Pokémon clashing at the heart of the surging waves, water flying everywhere as they fought for dominance. The larger Pokémon so quick, fluid as the water, it could dodge every blow, but the smaller Pokémon refused to give up. So close, they were so close, only a little more… A final lunge, power swelling as they landed the final blow, yes! Victory at last…

A blue sky above, stretching into infinity, peppered with fluffy white clouds and the golden rays of a mighty sun. The strong wings of her companion pushing them up, up, up! Laughter bubbled from her chest, and she threw her hands into the air as they climbed into the sky, higher, ever higher, the wind curling around them as they forgot the ground far below and embraced the heavens, reveling in their first flight together…

A golden, crescent crown, wings of soft, curving light, gliding beside them as they ascended…

Mist swirling, flowing between tall pines, wafting higher to hide the mountain peaks from view, though they speared through the misty shroud to stand tall and proud, snowcapped and beautiful. The fog moving chaotically as Pokémon trained, her team battling against shadowed opponents with all their might, learning and growing with each moment that passed. A warm hand resting on her shoulder from the tall figure standing beside her. Pride growing in Dawn's heart as she watched one of her Pokémon burst into brilliant, rippling white light…

Behind her, a golden, crescent crown, wings of soft, curving light, moving forward to embrace her in downy softness…

Light.

#

Dawn's eyes fluttered open, mind still muddled with sleep. For a moment she couldn't see anything, but then her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She was in her tent, her Pokémon asleep around her. There was Morgana nestled beside her, still getting used to sleeping flat rather than curled up in a tiny ball. There was Crest sound asleep in his pile of blankets only a foot away from her head. There was Togepi, head spikes hidden behind her shell as she snuggled right up next to Dawn, making tiny trilling noises like snores as she dreamed.

The tent flap was open this night, letting in the night breeze to offset some of the summer heat, allowing the light of the stars and the full moon above to enter as well. Just beyond the entrance Dawn could see the familiar sight of Aries' horns atop his sleeping form on the right side of the flap, and Ion's tail draped over the entrance from where he slept on the left side. She couldn't see him, but she knew she'd find Zephyr sound asleep on a branch, probably in the tree directly above them all. But what was that last dark form, asleep only a foot or two from the entrance?

Dawn pushed herself up on her elbows, careful not to disturb the multiple sleeping Pokémon around her. She peered out at the dark form, trying to see who or what could come so close without her Pokémon warning her…

A moment more of examination in the moonlight showed her hooves, a stocky body, and a thick mane. Realization finally pierced the cloud of sleep and Dawn smiled. She'd never seen the ground type sleep so soundly and deeply as she did now, only feet from the Pokémon that scared her so much the first time they met.

Dawn laid back down and closed her eyes again, slowly drifting back to sleep, content in the knowledge that her friends were beside her.

#

"Again." Zephyr squawked, wings trembling for a moment before he flapped hard, taking off and circling above Dawn's head. Light-blue power built up around his wings like he was preparing for Wing Attack, but he darted forward and flung both wings in front of him, releasing a blade of air at the downed tree below. It struck with a tremendous crack, sending fragments of wood flying. Dawn ducked behind her arm to avoid splinters then cautiously peeked at the fallen log. The Air Slash had carved a deep gash into the tree trunk, cutting though perhaps half of it.

"Better!" She called up to Zephyr, who landed on a nearby branch, breathing hard, but still puffed up his chest and lifted his head proudly. "That one got about halfway through. If we keep this up, you might be able to cut all the way through by the time we reach Pastoria." She'd set him the challenge to throw three Air Slashes every time they came across a sufficiently thick tree trunk, with the hopes of improving his control and strength with the technique. At the beginning, his Air Slashes only left gashes an inch or two deep, though she had to remind herself that that was still a lot more force than she could take and stand well back.

She waved for him to take to the air again and hiked her bag up on her back, picking up Togepi where she toddled around by her feet and setting off down the route again. A quick glance back didn't show any sign of Mudbray and Dawn sighed in disappointment. After the carving session two nights ago, then finding her asleep near the team that night, she'd really thought she was making progress with Mudbray. But today it seemed like all that progress had been erased. Mudbray was reluctant to come close enough to be seen at all, though she never strayed far enough that Dawn couldn't find her when she searched hard.

No matter how hard Dawn tried to be welcoming, to encourage the team to be gentle and friendly, Mudbray still locked up in fear if they so much as looked at her, let alone came close. Dawn didn't know what more she could do, what more she could try. Hopefully her caretaker in Pastoria would be able to help.

She started passing more trainers as the sun rose and fell overhead. First a trickle, then a deluge. There weren't quite crowds, routes were too wide and traveling trainers too spread out around the region to clog the paths, but there were at least ten other trainers in view at any given time after lunch and more on the path ahead as she continued towards Pastoria. Only when she heard the far-off sounds of water did it click for Dawn, adding a new spring to her step. Lake Valor!

The trees and rocky hills rising into mountains in the distance gave way to low hills and grassy plains surrounding a huge lake, a town that was nearly a city nestled in the steep hills on the southern side of the lake. Even from this vantage point miles from the shore, Dawn could make out boats trailing long wakes behind them as they traversed the lake, flying Pokémon dancing in the air above, even what she thought must be water-type Pokémon jumping in and out of the glistening water.

Such a sight would be a shock to people expecting sacred Lake Valor to match the serenity and peace of the other two sacred lakes of Sinnoh, but Dawn grinned when she saw the riot of activity that consumed the area. Azelf the Hero-Maker, Guardian of Willpower, respected and represented the desire to do better, to challenge yourself, to become something more. As such his lake was always a hotbed of activity, no matter the season. There were shrines in the area yes, but there were also countless battlefields, contest halls, sports fields, arenas, and general recreation areas all around his lake. The famous Lakeside Resort catered to these challengers, encouraging trainers and civilians alike to visit, either to watch their famous double battles or participate in them. Shops and businesses had grown up around the Resort until the area could almost be called a city in its own right.

Dawn started moving again, picking up the pace until she was almost jogging, eager to explore the area. Only when she saw the crowds filling the streets ahead did she stop, turning to face the forest before she truly left it behind. "Mudbray?" Dawn said in a quiet voice, sure the ground type could hear her. "Do you want to go back in your ball? There are a lot of people up ahead, and I know you might not be comfortable with that yet. That's totally fine. I can put you back in your Pokéball until we find somewhere quieter if you want, just let me know."

A moment passed, then two, then a full minute. Zephyr landed on a branch above her, eyes fixed on the trees as well. Three minutes passed, and Dawn was just about to give up, when Mudbray appeared from between the trees. She took a slow, hesitant step forward, then another, then another, until she was only five feet from Dawn, then looked up. She froze again, pupils contracting to tiny dots as she met Dawn's gaze, whole body trembling, but she met it.

"Do you want to go back in your ball?" Dawn asked again, voice soft and gentle as she could make it.

A tiny, hesitant nod. Dawn smiled and recalled Mudbray in a flash of red light. She smiled at the Pokéball for a moment more before putting it back on her belt. That was the first time Mudbray had willingly looked at her. Progress was slow, but it was happening.

She looked up at Zephyr where he perched above her. "You too buddy. Ball or no ball? Remember, no battling in a place like this until we find a battlefield and a trainer willing to battle us." Zephyr considered a moment, but the prospect of no battles for a while made him gesture to his Pokéball with an outstretched wing. Dawn recalled him as well, but a moment's thought led her to release Morgana. The Braixen didn't mind crowds and could use some more practice walking on two legs.

Morgana made a soft sound of greeting as she was released, quickly taking her place at Dawn's side and marveling at the elegant buildings as they pushed their way through crowds of people to make their way into town. They passed a long line outside the famous Seven Stars Restaurant, where eager diners could watch elite trainers participate in double battles in hopes of winning a free fine dining experience. They passed the palatial Hotel Grand Lake, towering over the rest of the town from its place on the hill. They passed battlefields, tournament grounds, equipment stores, shops of all kinds, all stuffed full of people and Pokémon. Only a block from the Pokémon Center they passed by the Contest Hall, much larger than any she'd seen before except the one in Hearthome City. Here, Dawn discovered the reason there were so many people in town.

"The Wallace Cup?" she said aloud, reading the prominent posters splashed on billboards outside the Hall. "No wonder it's hopping around here. Too bad we won't be around to watch." The dates on the poster said the famous traveling Contest was a week away, but Coordinators and spectators from far and wide would already be arriving. Wallace of Hoenn brought his famous Contest to a different region every year, and every year it drew enormous crowds yearning to see the incredible performances it boasted. No Contest but the Grand Festival could boast such crowds, or such prestige. Dawn's mom often said that winning the Wallace Cup's Aqua Ribbon in her third year of training was what had really kickstarted her rise to Top Coordinator.

Wait. The Wallace Cup is here. Maybe that means… Well, she'd just have to be on the lookout. Dawn waved Morgana on, and they checked in at the overstuffed Pokémon Center before heading down to the lakefront to find a good training spot.

Dawn found a suitable place in a clearing below a few small vacation bungalows and had just set down her bag when she heard a familiar tune wafting on the breeze. Morgana's ears perked up as well, and she turned to the west, further along the waterfront. Dawn grinned and hiked her bag back up on her back, but there was no need. A familiar figure stepped out of the trees only a moment later, hands flying over his handheld harp, smile fixed firmly on his face.

"Dawn! How wonderful that we meet again here in this sacred place. How have your travels treated you?"

"Nando! It's good to see you too. I thought you might be in town when I saw the Wallace Cup was coming here."

He laughed, a sound as melodious as the notes still spilling from his harp. He never seemed to stop playing. "Of course! No self-respecting Coordinator would miss the chance to participate in such a storied event. But come, you must tell me all about your travels. I am always looking for new stories to sing of! Have you acquired all the Gym Badges you wished? Have you met new companions? I see that the lovely Fennekin has evolved, how wonderful!"

Dawn flinched a little internally, imagining the song that would come from her escape from J. "Some good, some bad. You know how it is. I did win a few more Gym badges though- I finally won Fantina's badge, and Maylene's. What about you? How many badges do you have now?"

"I have six!" he said with a bow, opening his cloak with a theatrical flair to show the six Gym badges clipped to the inside, a few of which Dawn recognized while the rest were new to her. "I have been most fortunate, for many of the places we must travel to attend our Contests are also home to Gyms, both minor and major. I must confess, I will likely seek to acquire more than eight if I am so able!"

Dawn was impressed. "Wow, really? I don't think anyone's done that in years. What's the record for most badges earned in a season, twelve?"

Nando nodded. "I believe so. But as you said to me when first we met, we must challenge ourselves if we hope to accomplish our goals! Speaking of challenges, would you be up to a quick battle? I came here to work on new combination moves for our appeals round, but our battles have historically given me much inspiration for wonderful combinations!"

Dawn grinned. "That's what I was hoping you'd say! What do you say we battle, then practice together for a little while? We haven't had a chance to train together before."

"Splendid! How about a one-on-one then?" He tucked his harp in the crook of his elbow and plucked a Pokéball from one of the six sitting on his belt.

Dawn nodded her agreement, then looked to Morgana. "What do you say, ready to give your new wand a shot?" Morgana's ears perked up again and she nodded fiercely, eyes already fixed on Nando's Pokéball as Dawn stepped back and she took up position in front of her. From the thick folds of fur in her fluffy tail, she withdrew her rowan wand, freshly carved as of last night. The pale yellow-brown branch was now decorated with images of leaves and flowers, etched with flickering flames, and even strategically burnt in places to make textures and patterns in the soft wood. A spark flickered at the end, then burst into flame. It hovered at the tip of the wand, but it did not burn the wood.

"A formidable foe indeed! I believe you are familiar with my choice- Swablu!" From his Pokéball a small blue flying-type with downy white wings appeared in a shower of sparkles, grown rather larger than the last time Dawn had seen it back in Floaroma Town. She eyed its new growth with a speculative gaze, noticing its strong wings and the graceful loops it carved in the air below soaring back down to hover in front of Nando.

"Looks like Swablu's grown a lot as well. Ready?"

"Let us begin! Swablu, Mist!" Swablu gave a musical, warbling cry and Mist poured from its open beak, a beat of fluffy wings pushing it forward to cover the clearing in a matter of seconds. Dawn was impressed; it would have taken Crest at least ten seconds to cover this entire clearing, but Swablu managed it in half that time. She'd have to kick up his training.

"Burn it away! Fire Spin!" The flame at the tip of Morgana's wand flared a split second before a fiery streamer burst to life in the middle of the misty cloud, rising and swirling to become a great tornado. The Mist burnt away, but only at the center of the clearing; the edges were still full of the stuff, and Swablu was nowhere to be seen. She must be hiding somewhere at the edges, waiting for a chance to strike.

"Into the mist!" Morgana waved her wand and streamers broke from the side of the tornado, unwrapping like a spool of ribbon, each streamer diving into the mist in a different part of the clearing. Dawn frowned as the mist thinned, but not as much or as fast as she'd hoped. The damp environment and the watery nature of the mist was working against Morgana- for all the power evolution granted, this battlefield was better suited to Swablu than she.

"Sing for us Swablu! Show them the power of your voice!" Nando called, beginning to pluck a sharp, fast tune on his harp. Swablu's cry echoed through the clearing again, then the mist rippled at the same time a horrible, warbling shriek hit Dawn's ears. She cringed back, hands rising to her ears, but the sound came again, a subtly different tune this time, though no less painful. This time the mist in the southwest corner of the clearing rippled and glowed with pinkish light as Fairy-type energy struck Morgana, not just sound.

Morgana, unable to drop her wand and her attack to cover her ears, grimaced and kept directing her fire streamers, though Dawn could see the toll it was taking as Swablu continued to dart around in the mist, alternating between Disarming Voice and Round as she dodged streamers of fire and replenished the mist.

They needed a new tactic, some way to pin Swablu down- "Howl, then Lucky Chant! Find her, then pin with Fire Spin and Psybeam!" Morgana's scream joined with Swablu's screeches, the Howl making her fires flare hotter and brighter as the adrenaline rushed through her anew. The scream transformed into the low wow wow wow of Morgana's Lucky Chant as she focused.

Eyes closed, wand held out in front of her to direct the thick streamers of fire still searching in the mist, Morgana concentrated as best she could with Swablu hitting her with another screech every few seconds. Maybe we could implement some sort of distraction training for her in the future? I could have the rest of the team battle around her or try to distract her as she was meditating, to get her used to this sort of- Focus! Dawn snarled internally, carefully searching the mist for even the slightest hint of Swablu's location.

The streamers grew faster and hotter still, searching with renewed vigor. The mist was starting to burn away faster than Swablu could make it, but Nando wasn't sitting idle. "Cloud Strike Swablu! Only one more hit and she will fall!" Swablu didn't appear from the mist, but the vocal cacophony died, leaving only Morgana's low chanting echoing in the clearing. Free of distractions, it didn't take long for the streamers of fire to locate their prey.

Morgana's eyes snapped open, and the Fire Spin converged on a point in the north of the clearing. The Mist burnt away as the streamers rushed in to reveal… a cloud?

The cloud dove and Dawn realized with a start what she was seeing. It was Swablu, but Swablu's wings were now so thick with white fluff that it looked like two large clouds had attached themselves to a tiny blue body. Swablu twirled in midair and thrust those cloud-like wings to the side, using them to block Morgana's fire streamers as they struck. The fluff burnt away quickly, but there was so much of it that the flames could only burn away half of the added mass before Swablu dove, barreling straight for Morgana with incredible speed.

"Psybeam!" Dawn cried, recognizing the white aura growing around Swablu as Take Down. Swablu wasn't big but her Take Down would still put Morgana out of commission. "Stop it!"

The streamers of fire faded and fiery pink-red light grew in Morgana's eyes, pinkish light collecting at the tip of her wand. She fired-

Swablu trilled and thrust its wings before it again, the white fluff vanishing in a cloud of spores as Psybeam hit. Cotton Guard, it must be Cotton Guard-

Psybeam had destroyed Cotton Guard, but it wasn't enough to take down Swablu. Swablu hit Morgana with the force of a falling meteor, sending them both to the ground with a low boom. When the dust settled, Swablu rose and took to the air on unsteady wings, bearing burnt feathers and a long, burnt patch on her blue body where Psybeam had left its mark. Morgana was unconscious on the ground, fluffy tail cushioning her, wand still clutched in one paw.

Dawn sighed and recalled her fire type, whispering congratulations and encouragement to the Pokéball before she replaced it on her hip. Not bad for her first time using a focus, but they had a lot of training to do. First on the list would be to give Morgana more defensive options now that so many of her attacking options required intense focus and control. They'd still work on speed and maneuverability, but she had to learn to fight like a psychic, not just a fire type.

"A splendid battle!" Nando said, walking over to join her, Swablu perched on his shoulder. "She has become a true master of fire, to control so much with such grace! I am almost glad I do not have to face you on the Contest stage, for I am certain she would make a splash."

"She might even enjoy it," Dawn agreed. "But for now we'll have to work on regaining some mobility or find some good defensive options. You were amazing Swablu- we couldn't keep up with you, and that last combo was great!"

Nando smiled and scratched his flying type under her beak, making her trill with pleasure. "Yes, that combination has won us more than one battle round! We are quite pleased with the results, though of course there is always room to improve. Shall we begin training then?"

"Yes, let's." Dawn pulled out her Pokéballs and set everyone but Morgana and Mudbray loose, Nando greeting each Pokémon as they were released and spread themselves out in a semicircle around the two trainers. He was particularly delighted to see Togepi, bending down to entertain the baby Spike Ball Pokémon with a variety of cheerful melodies from his harp.

Her fingers hesitated as they touched Mudbray's Pokéball, the last on her belt. Mudbray probably wouldn't appreciate all the strangers around, but she didn't want to leave her cooped up in her ball for hours, especially when they'd likely eat dinner out here. Plus, it could be good for her to be around another trainer, continue to show her that not all trainers were bad.

Best ask first. Dawn turned to Nando, showing him Mudbray's Pokéball. "Hey, Nando? I've got a Pokémon here, a Mudbray, that I'm taking to Pastoria City for Maylene. She was abused in the past, so she's extremely shy and not great around people. I'd like to release her, let her relax and wander around while we train, but are you okay with that? She'll probably be scared of you and your Pokémon, just letting you know up front. There's a good chance she'll just vanish into the trees the entire time we're training, that's what she usually does."

Nando looked bemused at first, but his face softened into sympathy when Dawn mentioned Mudbray's past. He plucked a melancholy melody on his harp as he replied, "Yes, of course she may join us! Have no fear, I would never blame a Pokémon for caution after such pain as she has endured. We would be delighted to meet her." On his shoulder, Swablu nodded along, adding her musical trill to Nando's melody.

Dawn turned and released Mudbray, making sure to situate herself in front of Nando so Mudbray would see her first. Mudbray lifted her head as she materialized and as usual froze when she saw Dawn's eyes on her, ears swiveling forward to catch her every word. "Hello Mudbray," Dawn said, keeping her voice light and calm. "We'll be training here for a little bit, so feel free to wander around and do whatever you like. But first, I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine." She stepped aside to reveal Nando behind her. He too smiled at Mudbray, now plucking a hopeful melody from his harp. "This is my friend Nando; he's a trainer and Coordinator. We'll be training with him today, so don't be scared if you see a few more Pokémon around than normal, alright?"

If possible, Mudbray grew stiller as Nando and Swablu appeared. The shivers that came when she was scared stopped, and Dawn could see every tension line and scar stand out. Then she dropped her head, and took two steps forward, closer to Nando. She stomped her front left hoof twice, but without any real vigor, as though performative.

Dawn and Nando exchanged confused looks. What was going on? That was a reaction Dawn hadn't seen before. She looked at Mudbray again, trying to discern what she wanted. It was hard to see with her lowered head and the mane falling into her eyes, but she thought Mudbray's eyes were fixed on Dawn, not Nando. Was she waiting for something?

Mudbray glanced at Swablu, then at Dawn again, and she got it. Sadness clawed at her throat as she realized what was happening, and she took an unintentional step forward, kneeling so she could be eye to eye with Mudbray. "No Mudbray, we aren't battling. I will never force you to battle someone when you don't want to. If you want to, that's your decision, but I will never force you to battle or hurt you if you lose or refuse to fight. This is your life. You can choose what you want to do, I promise."

Mudbray's eyes widened. She looked at Nando, then Dawn, then Swablu, then back to Dawn, confusion softening the tension lines of her body, head rising a fraction. She looked so lost, so confused at the idea Dawn wouldn't force her to battle or hurt her if she didn't win. Dawn could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes and had to blink rapidly to hold them back. Mudbray took a step back, then another, then turned and fled for the woods. She was off hiding among the trees before Dawn could react to her sudden flight.

She swallowed hard and stood, schooling her face into something… else, before turning to face Nando. "So, let's get to training. Is there anything specific you're working on you'd like my help with since the Wallace Cup is so close?"

Nando was still looking at where Mudbray had vanished into the trees in shock, fingers still on the strings of his harp. He visibly took a second to compose himself then turned to Dawn with a forced smile. "Yes actually! You see, Swablu is great lover of her mists, but while we have used this tactic to great effect in our battles, her mists do their jobs too well during Contests, hiding her beautiful form from view. I have long searched for a way to adapt the technique for Contest use, but we have been woefully unsuccessful so far. Have you any thoughts on ways we might potentially use her Mists?"

Dawn held a hand to her chin, thinking through their battle. He was right, hiding Swablu from view wouldn't help in a Contest. "Maybe use it as an offensive technique instead of a defensive one? Spray opponents with Mist when they do a combination so they can't be seen by the judges?"

"Hmm… that may work, but only in the battle rounds. Thank you for the suggestion anyway my friend!"

Dawn nodded, hand still on her chin. "How about we start training, have our teams do some warm-up sparring, then pair them up for move training and see what they can teach each other? I'll keep thinking about it as we train and let you know if I think of anything."

Nando nodded agreeably, releasing his team in a shower of red light, and they set to work. Nando's Kricketune, Roselia, Bayleef, and newly evolved Lopunny were all quite happy to start sparring with Dawn's team. As Togepi wasn't ready to battle yet they had uneven numbers, so Dawn had Swablu demonstrate her mist-hiding technique for her and Nando again to see if they could figure out a Contest use for the technique while the others sparred.

Dawn tried to think of what her mother would do as she watched Swablu dance in the mists, occasionally using Round or Disarming Voice at severely reduced intensity to mimic what she did in battle. Maybe she could gather the mists around her wings, make them appear larger or trail the mist behind her like a cloak? Nando liked that suggestion, but they soon found Swablu didn't have nearly enough control of either the wind or the mist themselves to attempt such a feat. Maybe something to work on in the future, but for now it was out.

Dawn was trying to think of another suggestion when she noticed Mudbray standing nearby, or at least as nearby as the timid ground-type got. She was ten feet away by the edge of the clearing, and for once she wasn't watching Dawn, Nando, or any of their Pokémon with a nervous gaze. She was looking down at a flat rock next to her that Dawn didn't remember seeing there before, watching something on the surface.

Dawn started to frown, then hastily wiped the expression off her face. If Nando, Swablu, or especially Mudbray, looked over and saw that, they'd think something was wrong. She returned her attention to where Nando was directing Swablu through a pattern of Round and Disarming Voice, trying to see if she could sing the notes for each move in a harmonious pattern. But every few seconds, she threw a glance over at Mudbray to check on her.

Mudbray too seemed to be splitting her attention. She'd glance over at their group, then back to her rock, their group, then the rock again. Each time she returned her attention to the rock, she made a little stomp with her right front hoof. What was that about? Dawn started edging closer, making sure to move slowly so that Mudbray wouldn't notice. It took a minute or two, but she maneuvered herself to the edge of the misty section where Swablu was working, just close enough to see Mudbray's rock.

Now she could see that there was a thin coating of sand on top of the rock. Every time Mudbray stomped her hoof, the rock vibrated slightly, making the sand spread out and bunch up. Dawn leaned in closer, squinting to get a closer look. The sand wasn't just bunching up randomly- it was pulled into distinct lines and circles, forming a rough pattern. Why would Mudbray-?

Dawn glanced at Swablu, who was using Disarming Voice from within the Mist again. The shifting mist rippled as Swablu's shriek disturbed it. Dawn looked back at Mudbray, to find her stomping again, the sand changing patterns slightly as she did so. A vague memory of science class when she was little hit her, of her teacher making similar patterns using a vibrating steel plate and sand…

"That's it!" Dawn yelled, making Mudbray jump and everyone else in the clearing look over at her. "That's how we'll do it!"

"Do what?" Nando asked, walking over to join her.

Dawn pointed to Mudbray's rock, making the ground type cringe back. Dawn winced and dropped her finger but started explaining her idea: "Look at what Mudbray's been doing- I think she saw how the vibrations of Swablu's Round and Disarming Voice made the Mist ripple and roll and tried to match the vibrations. See the sand on that rock over there? She's making the rock vibrate at a specific frequency, and I think she's trying to match the frequency Swablu's using. She's making the sound visible- what if we could get Swablu to do the same? Hold Disarming Voice or Round continuously and make the Mist ripple and display that vibration pattern to the world? If you can get it to merge with the Fairy energy of Disarming Voice as well, it would look even better!"

A grin grew on Nando's face, and he plucked a triumphant melody from his harp. "A splendid idea! To turn the beauty of song into something visible to the crowd would be a wondrous performance!" He bowed in Mudbray's direction. "My thanks for this marvelous idea. You truly have an eye for beauty!"

He straightened up and turned to Swablu, already directing the flying type to give their new idea a try, so only Dawn saw Mudbray straighten up, eyes wide and ears perked as she watched Nando and Swablu. Only she saw her take a step forward as Swablu made the Mist glow with pink light, rippling in a complex pattern of waves like a drop landing in still water. Only she saw the tiniest hint of what she thought might be happiness enter Mudbray's black eyes.

#

The roar of the waves as they crashed down on the soft sands of the beach was a familiar sound, one Dawn hadn't heard since leaving Sandgem Town two months ago. The cries of Pelipper and Wingull on the wind, the sound of waves breaking against the great rocks scattered about, the feeling of sand between her toes and the soft sea breeze, it all called up feelings of homesickness Dawn thought she'd left far behind.

But as familiar as this scene was to Dawn, many of her Pokémon hadn't ever seen the might of the ocean before. Her whole team stood arrayed around her, gazing out at the water, their eyes wide as they witnessed the power, the beauty, the way it stretched all the way to the horizon. They stood there, staring, just taking it all in.

That was, until Dawn turned and grinned at them, waving them on with one arm. "Come on, enough gawking, let's dive in!" Whooping, she took off towards the waves, already-shed shoes tied to the outside of her pack, kicking up sand as she ran. It only took a moment for Aries and Ion to outpace her, for Zephyr to shoot by overhead, and for Crest and Morgana to run up next to Dawn, Togepi held securely in Morgana's arms. Dawn even thought she could hear Mudbray's hoofbeats a little way behind them.

Crest was of course the first to dive into the sea. He ran right in, passing Dawn as she dumped her pack by a piece of driftwood, far away from the water so it wouldn't get washed away by the waves. Aries and Ion dashed into the shallows but didn't yet follow Crest past where the waves crashed and the water darkened to a deeper blue color. Zephyr swooped down low to skim over the waves, barely needing to flap to stay aloft. Morgana stopped right at the water's edge, letting the foaming edges of waves wash over her feet, but not going any further. Togepi wriggled and trilled in her arms, begging to be set down.

Morgana obliged when the latest wave receded and Togepi ran right in, almost getting bowled over by a wave in the first three seconds. Dawn had to dash over and scoop her up to save her as another wave rushed in. Togepi's trills sounded a little waterlogged now, but no less enthusiastic. Dawn set her down again at the very edges of the waves, restraining her with an extended foot and a smile as she tried to run in again.

Morgana walked over to take over Togepi-watch, leaving Dawn to look around for Mudbray. There she was, a few hundred feet away down the beach, sniffing at the line of seashells and other debris deposited at the high-tide line. Dawn waded into the ocean up to shin-height, enjoying the way the shocking cold of the water balanced the heat from the hot August sun, and the way the continuous waves made the sand around her feet swirl and melt away. It really had been too long since she'd been to a beach.

Her Pokémon were certainly enjoying themselves. Aries seemed satisfied to go no further once his belly brushed the water, but Ion was trying to goad him into a splash fight, using his long tail to kick up mini waves of his own. Crest and Zephyr appeared to be in a mock-battle- Zephyr kept gaining height, then diving toward the ocean surface, only for Crest to burst out and try to headbutt him. The Prinplup hadn't succeeded yet, but from the hasty swerve Zephyr performed when Crest made his latest jump, he was getting better with every attempt. Morgana had Togepi running along the edge of the surf, out of the way of the bigger waves that would knock her over. Dawn saw her wave her arms about, a slight glow staining the tips, the chime of a bell sounding over the waves, and hastened back to her bag, wanting to be out of the way when Metronome finished.

She dug around in her bag for a minute then pulled out her swimsuit, walking back towards the trees to find a private spot to change. She returned ready to swim, though it took a while for her to build up the courage to fully jump into the cold ocean. The sight of Aries busting out his vines to make bigger splashes finally got her to run right in, aiming a splash at Ion and Aries simultaneously. They both looked betrayed for a moment, then the battle began. Dawn didn't really know who won in the end, but when she finally emerged from the waves she was soaked and thoroughly grateful for the warm summer sun.

She was wiping her face with a towel when she caught sight of Mudbray, standing a little way away as usual. She was standing still, watching Dawn's team play in the water, looking… lost. She didn't seem to know what to do next.

Dawn paused and set down the towel. "Hey, Mudbray," Dawn called, catching Mudbray's attention. As usual this made her freeze, eyes locked on Dawn, but she thought that the tension lines were lesser than they had been at the beginning of their journey, over a week and a half ago. "Would you like to build a sandcastle with me?"

Mudbray didn't seem to know what to make of that. Dawn thought she caught her ears twitching, but they were quickly stilled. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, the first movement Dawn had seen when she froze like this, then abruptly realized what she was doing and stilled again.

Dawn smiled and waved her over. "Come on, I'll show you. It's fun, I promise!" Not waiting to see what Mudbray decided, she walked up to the water's edge and plopped herself down, beginning to dig a hole to get the necessary sand and constant water source. She didn't have a bucket, which would make this harder- wait. A quick walk back to her bag and some rummaging around produced the food bowls she used to feed the team, all made of stainless steel and plenty big for her purposes. Whistling cheerfully, Dawn took three and walked back to her hole, using the bowls as makeshift buckets.

She was halfway through creating a thick mound for the base when she heard soft hoofbeats in the sand behind her. She didn't look up, continuing to stack sand on the growing mound, but started speaking: "So I'm making a base for the sandcastle here. If we don't make a study base, the whole thing will just collapse on itself, and we won't be able to build as tall or build at all. Plus, it'll be harder for the waves to wash it away, at least until the tide comes in. Now I'm going to grab some of the sand from this bucket and start making the walls…"

Dawn talked and talked and talked as she constructed walls and towers, trees and even an arch or two. She didn't know how much time passed as she worked, but after a while Morgana and Togepi wandered over and settled down to help. While she was enthusiastic, Togepi's round body proved more hindrance than help to the budding sandcastle, knocking over a wall as she tried to put sand atop the growing central tower. After a glance over Dawn's shoulder, Morgana threw Dawn a knowing look and ushered Togepi to a spot a little further away, supplying her with a small mountain of sand and shells to play with while Morgana experimented with melting patches of sand into glassy shards via focused streams of fire. Dawn tucked that sight away in the part of her brain reserved for training and strategizing then returned to constructing her masterpiece, narrating her progress all the while.

When a wave came dangerously close to knocking over one of her towers Dawn started digging a moat, the necessary repositioning allowing her to see Mudbray where she'd settled a few feet to Dawn's right, only just out of arm's reach, lying down in the dry sand with her legs nestled underneath her. Her ears were perked in Dawn's direction, but when she noticed Dawn's gaze she ducked her head and looked to the side, pretending she wasn't looking. Even that was better than freezing, so Dawn continued talking as she built her tiny defensive masterpiece. She didn't want to stop, not when it felt like she was making progress, so she just kept adding things, more towers and arches, and even a tiny town and forest outside the large walls.

Eventually though, she had to stop as the sun started to descend and Aries and Ion got tired of the water and returned to shore. Dawn made to stand but noticed something in front of Mudbray. A small mound of wet sand, steadily growing. Mudbray's eyes were half-lidded in concentration, and she was staring at the mound as it grew and grew. Dawn smiled and crouched down to watch. After a minute or two the mound of wet sand was as large as Dawn's castle's base. "Great job," Dawn said in a low voice, trying not to disturb Mudbray. "Think you can make some towers? Every castle needs towers."

Mudbray's eyes narrowed further, the only acknowledgement of Dawn's words, but at the four corners of her mound little bumps started to appear, then grow. It wasn't the patty-cake method of sand stacking Johanna had taught Dawn in her youth, but it certainly worked- within a few minutes there were four rough towers, just as high as the ones Dawn made. Thin walls started to rise between the towers, and a central tower started to climb towards the sky in the center of the mound. In the end, Mudbray made a castle that, while rougher than Dawn's and without the seashells and other decorations she'd added, was just as large and tall as her own. Plus, Mudbray only needed half an hour and ferocious concentration for her masterwork. Dawn's had taken over two hours, if she was judging the angle of the sun right. Her control of her natural element was impressive, especially for such a young Pokémon.

"It looks great Mudbray! You're a natural," Dawn praised. Mudbray once again ducked her head from view, but Dawn could only view this as a sign of great progress.

"Now it's time for the best part- washing all the sand off! Come on!" Dawn raced into the surf again, going all the way up to her waist and refusing to shiver at the cold water. She wiped the sand off her lower body and dunked her hands to let the swirling water carry away their sandy veil. When she looked back, Mudbray was standing at the water's edge, looking uncertain.

"Come on! I promise it's safe!" Dawn yelled. Mudbray nudged at the water with her snout, then took a hesitant step in. The tiny wave washed away a little of the dry mud around her hooves, making her step back. But then she took another step in, and another, until the water swirled around all four of her hooves.

Dawn waded back towards her, making her tense, but she didn't leave the water. When Dawn stood only five feet away, she bent down and, with a silly grin, flicked a little water at Mudbray. It wasn't much, only a handful. Mudbray shied back anyway, eyes wide, and for a moment Dawn thought she'd undone all the progress she'd made. Then Mudbray, slowly and hesitantly, kicked a little water in Dawn's direction. It wasn't strong enough to actually reach her, but even the action made Mudbray freeze up like she expected Dawn to scream at her.

Dawn just grinned wider and splashed Mudbray again. Their water fight wasn't nearly as large as the one she'd gotten into with Aries and Ion, or the water fight that Crest and Zephyr's battle had devolved into long ago. In truth, both parties barely got wet, and Mudbray still wouldn't let Dawn in touching range. But when they finally stumbled out of the waves, they did so together.

#

Light had barely touched the eastern horizon when Dawn emerged from her tent, enjoying the tang of salt in the air and the soft breeze, though the ocean wasn't in view at the moment. While they'd enjoyed their beach afternoon, Dawn thought sleeping directly on the beach just meant she'd be shaking sand out of her tent and grooming it out of her teammate's fur and feathers for ages. Well, she'd be doing that anyway, but at least this way there was less.

A quick glance around showed that everyone else was still asleep, though Zephyr lifted his head from under his wing for a moment to check on the noise she made before returning to his dreams. Not surprising; it was far earlier than she normally woke. Dawn had to be careful to make as little sound as possible as she rooted around in her bag for some lesser-used supplies.

She eventually located her box of matches, a cook pan, the metal grating she'd use to support it, and the can she'd picked up back in Veilstone City before they left. She moved over to where the firepit lay banked, coaxing it to life using the leftover firewood from last night and her matches. It felt so strange to use them after all the weeks of living with Morgana, but she didn't want to face the wrath of the sleepy Braixen if she woke her for so small a task.

The snap of a twig nearby made Dawn look around and she saw she needed to correct her earlier assessment: Mudbray was awake. She'd emerged from behind a thick cluster of trees over by the creekbed that burbled nearby, something crusting the edges of her mouth. Dawn couldn't make out what it was at this range.

She'd expected the scent of cooking food to wake her team, but the quiet before they woke might be just what Dawn and Mudbray needed. "Hungry girl?" Dawn whispered, gesturing to the pan she was in the process of preparing. Mudbray's sharp ears would pick up her words, no matter how quiet. "I'm making a special treat this morning. Want to come help?"

Mudbray hesitated, ears flicking back and forth and eyes darting back at whatever lay behind those trees, then began walking slowly towards Dawn. Her movement made Aries shift in his sleep slightly, and Ion's tail lashed as he chased prey in his dreams, but neither woke as Mudbray made her way over to the fire and lay down on the opposite side from Dawn, tucking her legs underneath her, gaze unwavering as ever.

Dawn got to work, prepping the pan with vegetable oil and checking that the small fire was dying down, leaving behind the hot coals she'd use to cook. The only thing left was to get out the actual food.

Here she hit a snag. She couldn't get the can open. It said on the casing it didn't need a can opener, but Dawn was finding that hard to believe as she tried every trick in the book to get it open. Five minutes of struggling later she thought she'd have to go rooting through her bag again to find her can opener, when a soft sound she hadn't heard before hit her ears. Dawn looked up to find Mudbray watching her. Mudbray looked nervous, tension lines reappearing in her body, but she made the soft bray again. "Do you want to give it a try?" Dawn asked, just as softly. There was a pause, then a small but undeniable nod.

Dawn stood up, can still in her hands, and walked around to the other side of the fire, taking a seat in the dirt only two feet away from Mudbray. The ground type was tense, legs twitching like she'd prefer to run, but when Dawn extended the hand that held the can Mudbray leaned forward and took it in gentle teeth. She pulled it back and nibbled for a moment at the top, then offered it to Dawn again. The top was partially open now, enough that Dawn could rip the rest of the top right off.

"Thank you Mudbray!" Dawn said with delight, almost loud enough to wake the others. Mudbray didn't visibly change expression or leave off her unwavering gaze, but her tense muscles relaxed and her ears twitched in unison.

Dawn tore off the top of the can and pulled out what lay within: the doughy forms of uncooked cinnamon rolls, just waiting to be baked. She arranged them in the pan so no roll touched another, then set the pan on top of their bed of coals. Setting the icing aside to use later, Dawn sat back, hands behind her for support, not moving away from her spot by Mudbray. There was nothing left to do now but wait.

She glanced over at Mudbray, lacking better things to do. Mudbray had finally given up watching Dawn and was watching the cinnamon rolls cook with something approaching interest. Dawn peered closer, trying to see what those flecks of something around Mudbray's mouth was. Mud?

Yeah, it was drying mud. Was she eating mud? That didn't sound very appetizing to Dawn, but to each their own. "Looks like you've been sampling the local dirt Mudbray. Did it taste good?"

Once again, Dawn was thrown for a loop when the innocent question backfired. Mudbray whipped her head around, wiping her mouth on the ground hurriedly before locking eyes with Dawn. Her ears were held flat against her head and her head was low to the ground, her whole body shaking uncontrollably. Her tail thrashed in agitation once, then went still.

"Whoa, whoa, I didn't mean to scare you girl," Dawn soothed, trying to backpedal. "I don't mind that you've been eating mud, you don't need to hide it. Do you like it better than your Pokémon food?" Mudbray didn't move her head from its lowered position, didn't move her gaze from Dawn, but bit by bit her shaking slowed. With each silent moment that passed, her ears picked themselves up from their flattened position and the terror drained out of her, though it didn't fully flee. She'd seemed… expectant, somehow.

It was and wasn't like her reaction when she'd met Nando. This reaction showed she thought she had to hide the behavior, not like the broken way she'd stepped up to battle. But both reactions showed a fear of punishment for some perceived slight. Dawn put the pieces together and ground her teeth together at what it implied.

"Mudbray," Dawn began, "would you like me to skip setting out normal Pokémon food for you at mealtimes? I can find or make some good mud for you instead if you want. I don't want to force you to eat the food I set out if you don't like it."

Mudbray looked flabbergasted at the very thought. She watched Dawn with an astonished gaze for a full minute, before apparently realizing Dawn wasn't joking. With a slow, hesitant head, she nodded, tail and ears twitching like she couldn't believe she'd heard Dawn correctly.

"Okay, that's what I'll do! We can find out what mud you like best and I'll see if I can pass that along to your caretaker when we arrive in Pastoria," Dawn declared, turning to check on the cinnamon rolls. She missed Mudbray's reaction, as she turned a few of the rolls, but couldn't miss her huge eyes when she sat up again.

They sat in silence a while longer, Dawn silently imagining gruesome punishments to inflict on Mudbray's former trainer for refusing to let the equine eat her favorite food and punishing her when she did, Mudbray coming to terms with the fact that Dawn would let her eat what she wanted.

Finally, the cinnamon rolls reached the golden-brown color Dawn was waiting for and she whipped the pan off the fire, setting it on a nearby rock to cool while she opened the icing. The sweet scent make Mudbray's ears perk up and she lifted her head to stare at Dawn. Dawn smiled at her then started scooping out the icing with a knife and slathering it on top of the cinnamon rolls, so it could melt and spread as they cooled.

Five more minutes of incredible self-restraint later, Dawn plucked two of the rolls from the pan with careful fingers. She kept the one in her left hand for herself but held the one in her right out to Mudbray. Mudbray looked at it, then back to her.

"Today's my sixteenth birthday," Dawn told her. "Since we're out here in the wilderness it's a little hard to celebrate the way my mom and I normally do, but I thought we could celebrate with cinnamon rolls, since they're one of my favorites. You're part of the team now Mudbray, even though it's only temporary. I'd love it if you celebrated with us. With me."

Another moment of hesitation, then Mudbray stood up, walking over until she was less than a foot away from Dawn. Slowly, ever so slowly, she reached out and took the sweet treat with a delicate bite, getting icing all over her muzzle. Her eyes widened comically at the taste and before Dawn knew it she was munching happily, tongue reaching out to get the last bits of icing off her muzzle and Dawn's fingers. Dawn laughed and stuck her own cinnamon roll in her mouth, reveling in the sweetness. Without thinking about it, she reached out and stroked Mudbray's neck just below her mane.

They both realized what had happened at the same moment. Dawn's fingers froze, as did Mudbray. They stood, frozen, unable to move, waiting for the reaction. Then Mudbray turned her head and licked at Dawn's fingers again. Dawn smiled, and started stroking Mudbray again, moving down her neck to scratch at her withers, the point where her mane met her back. They each stole another cinnamon roll from the pan, Mudbray choosing the largest one left. Mudbray elected to stay where she was instead of moving back to her original spot on the opposite side of the fire, lying down right next to Dawn and allowing her to continue scratching and stroking her, though Dawn was careful to avoid her scars.

The sun was well above the horizon now, and the combination of the light and the sweet smells was slowly rousing the rest of the team. Dawn could see it in the way they moved more often, the little flutters of their eyelids or the twitching of tails. Soon they'd wake and their moment of silent companionship would end.

Dawn had a question to ask before that happened. "Mudbray," she began. "I know we're almost to Pastoria, and you'll be leaving us there. But you've become part of the team while traveling with us. Everyone else on the team has a nickname. Would you like one? To mark a new chapter in your life."

Mudbray glanced at her, then looked into the fire. She thought about it for a good five minutes before making a tiny nod. Dawn held up the late bite of her cinnamon roll, bits of its icing staining her fingers. "What do you think of the name Cinnamon?"

This time, the nod was anything but small.

#

I finally beat back my grad school workload to push this one out, hope you enjoyed! Next time we'll visit Pastoria City, see old friends, and get tangled up in some long-hidden plots. I make no promises about my update schedule, but the next chapter will be coming sooner or later.

See you next time!