TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Badges: 2
Account: 12,537 credits
Location: Route 112
DANIEL'S TEAM
Ralts (Apollo) - Male
Corphish (Duran) - Male
Eevee (Orion) - Male
Trapinch - Female
OWEN'S TEAM
Makuhita (Bronson) - Male
Geodude (Roxy) - Female
Shroomish (Misha) - Female
Slakoth (Omar) - Male
Traveling with Owen wasn't terribly different from what I'd grown accustomed to with Samantha, at least not on the surface. He was similarly talkative and always wanted to fill any brief periods of silence by talking about whatever came to mind, and for the most part I had no issue with that because I found holding a conversation with him to be easy and natural.
Of course, there were some notable differences. Whereas Samantha tended to avoid anything that might be considered 'sensitive' and tended to keep things light, Owen had no such reservations. He was extremely blunt, inquisitive, and seemed to have barely any filter between his thoughts and what came out of his mouth.
Topics that Samantha would consider taboo, Owen considered vital to building a friendship. He asked about my childhood, my mother and father, my time at the orphanage, details on how I'd met and befriended Apollo, and a litany of other topics that I had never really discussed in depth with anybody before.
I bent the truth a little, such as occasional mentions of Samantha being with me before being adopted and glossing over the specifics of how I'd managed to attract a Ralts. I found myself tempted to be completely truthful, but realized that those two secrets weren't mine to give away so freely even if I wanted to. I'd given Norman my word that I wouldn't share my strategy for befriending a Ralts, and Samantha's true identity was obviously best kept between us.
Even with those slight adjustments Owen ended up getting a pretty holistic story of my life, and it felt good to share so much with somebody, albeit slightly emotionally draining.
It helped that it wasn't one-sided either. Owen was more than willing to reciprocate with his life story, which by most metrics could be considered to be a fairly average childhood. He was a single child born to two loving parents who had grown up in Dewford, only having left a couple of times for short vacations in Slateport and Lilycove. Though I would have expected somebody with a nurse for a mother and a fairly high-ranking Ranger as their father to have been well off, that wasn't the case. His mother worked for a local clinic that only handled things like routine checkups and standard ailments, and it was apparently not uncommon for those suffering more serious afflictions to be sent to the mainland where there were larger hospitals with specialized doctors and machines. There simply weren't enough people on Dewford to justify a large budget for their facility, and what money they did get went to the two physicians and slowly replacing their antiquated medical equipment.
That isn't to say that they were struggling by any means considering they fully owned their house and were able to afford the occasional vacation. His father's work supposedly gave their family excellent benefits from his tenure as a Ranger, and he was set for a cozy retirement in just a few years if he so chose, although Owen was confident he would continue working until he was unable to do so. His parents were on the older side, currently in their forties, and by Owen's description had nearly polar opposite personalities. Owen joked that the saying 'opposites attract' especially applied to his parents, and that he was always surprised just how well they worked together and got along despite their completely different approaches to life.
Owen described his mother Olivia as a gentle, kind-hearted woman with the patience of a saint and a seemingly endless love for the world and all those who inhabit it. Owen joked that she must have been a hippie when she was younger if old photographs he'd seen of her were any indicator, and that to this day she was still quite spiritual, care-free, and a strong believer in the benefits of organic foods and natural remedies, hence why he avoided processed foods for his team and himself when possible. I wouldn't have thought that would go over well as a nurse, however he informed me that she was good at separating her personal beliefs from her work, fully acknowledged the benefits of modern medicine, and was non-judgemental about how others chose to live their life. Owen himself didn't exclusively eat organic foods, as our meals together in Mauville had shown, and he claimed his mother didn't take it to the extreme or force it on anyone.
By contrast, his father was described as a rather stoic, stern man who would fit right in with any group of career military men. While his mother lived life on a whim, his father was a man of structure and diligence who took things like following established rules and sticking to his daily routine very seriously. Owen joked that he was the kind of man who wouldn't dare stand anywhere near a no loitering sign or so much as whisper or laugh during a movie, and believed with all of his heart that without people properly observing rules and norms society would spiral into chaotic lawlessness.
That description of him raised some serious red flags for me and made me seriously hesitant to ever meet him, but Owen assured me that it wasn't nearly as bad as it sounded. He credited his father for much of his success, such as instilling in him the need to start each day with physical conditioning and setting a training regimen for his team, and even claimed that he'd been the one who kickstarted his interest in fighting-type Pokémon after teaching him to defend himself out of necessity.
To my surprise, Owen admitted that he had once been bullied when he was younger, something I never would have guessed. Apparently, a handful of his classmates found his boundless enthusiasm, optimism, and over-the-top friendliness to be annoying, and he wound up on the receiving end of some pretty serious physical harassment from a group of three kids. Owen also stated that when he was younger, he was on the larger side and that it surely hadn't helped matters. After multiple instances of his father trying to resolve things administratively with the school, which did little to help, he took it upon himself to teach Owen the basics of self-defense and to help him shed some of his excess weight. He took special care to ensure he instilled in Owen that just because he could fight, didn't mean he should. He taught him about avoiding escalation, using restraint, that force was an absolute last resort, and to defend not aggress.
Incidentally, he also taught Owen that he had an obligation to stand up for those who couldn't stand up for themselves and to take decisive action against those who would forcibly inflict their will on the innocent. In fact, Owen stated that it was one of the very few things where his father firmly believed that a person's moral obligations far outweighed strictly adhering to rules and laws. Owen described that when he finally did defend himself, nearly got suspended when one of the boys went home with a black eye and his parents reported it to the school, and since it was the story of three against one he barely got away thanks to the paper trail his dad had left with repeated reports of bullying. His father was exceedingly proud of him until the trio then decided to turn their attention to another kid, and when Owen caught them dunking the weaker boy's head into the toilet he accidentally got a little carried away, breaking one's nose and leaving another with a fractured rib.
He got suspended for that one, and he claimed he'd never seen his father angrier. He didn't go into the specifics of his punishment, but I got the distinct impression that his father was old-school and subscribed to the benefits of corporal punishment. Yet Owen didn't show the faintest semblance of resentment, and had nothing but high praise for his father for correcting what he called a 'brief lapse of self-restraint due to his newfound capabilities'.
Though I was uncertain how much I'd like his father, I couldn't help but be envious. Having never had a father figure of my own, I couldn't help but wonder how differently I might have turned out if I'd not been raised solely by my mother, as good of a job as she did. The influence Owen's parents had on him was plain to see after his explanations; he blended aspects of both into his personality and in my opinion it seemed that Owen had turned out to be a very well-rounded individual thanks to them.
Differences in conversation aside, there were other things Owen did that were a stark contrast to my experience traveling with Samantha. I soon realized that he was far more observant of his surroundings, even more than I was, as he frequently voiced his observations of things I never would have picked up on. He pointed out that even though we were on the backside of Mount Chimney, we were now close enough that if you watched closely you could occasionally see a Cable Car traveling up or down the side, which I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed.
He also spotted a few hidden nests among the trees, pointed out natural landmarks and speculated as to their formation, and noticed tracks and scat left by Pokémon, even going so far as to guess the species, which direction they went and how long ago it had been. He was completely transparent that most of it was largely educated guesses, since he was much more familiar with the species of Dewford thanks to doing lots of camping and hiking with his family growing up.
Despite his impressive tracking skills, I was shocked to learn that he had never done any hunting or fishing. He informed me that although hunting wasn't exactly uncommon on Dewford Island, fishing by far more popular among the island's residents, yet his mother never approved of taking a life for sustenance when it was completely unnecessary to survival, so his family didn't partake in it. Owen did mention that he had always been interested in the two activities though, and that his father had occasionally bought him snacks containing meat when they were in town alone. They didn't even hide it from his mom, she simply didn't feel the need to incorporate meat into the family's diet as she could make countless healthy, tasty meals using only what she grew in their sizable, year-round garden thanks to Dewford's temperate climate. She would occasionally get more exotic ingredients from town and even occasionally bought eggs as she didn't consider that the same as killing a living being, but Owen claimed she prided herself on growing her own food and largely stuck to cooking what she grew herself.
Yet another difference in traveling with Owen that soon began to show itself was his proclivity toward battling wild Pokémon that he thought might be a good challenge for one of his team members as I had earlier on in my journey. I'd stopped doing so due to not wanting to hold Samantha up, but also because Duran and Apollo had gotten too strong for many of the wild species we were encountering. But with Orion needing more battle experience, Route 112 having much more interesting species the further in we got, and Owen partaking in the activity, I soon resumed doing so myself, especially since we were beginning to run into fire-types.
Though Owen hadn't yet found a Machop to challenge, he did have Bronson take on a Numel, Misha a Linoone, and Roxy a Houndour, all of which were good battles. The only one that lost was Misha, not quite up to the task of dealing with a Linoone's incredible speed and mobility. Roxy had little issue dealing with her opponent thanks to being a rock-type and easily shrugging off attacks, but I found myself worried about Bronson's safety when the Numel started spitting sizzling-hot Embers. Though the Makuhita did get hit a few times, its thick layer of fat seemed to do wonders to insulate him from taking too much damage, and once Bronson was finally able to close the distance it marked the beginning of the end.
What I found especially noteworthy was the method he used to initiate the battles, and to ensure that his would-be opponent was a willing participant. It was very reminiscent of a certain Taillow that had planted itself squarely in front of us before issuing a challenge. It was an extremely unpleasant reminder, but the parallels were unmistakable. He would see a Pokémon eyeing us with interest that he thought might make for a fun battle against one of his team members, proceeded to release them, then take a wide stance and point to the potential opponent with a confident grin to let it be known who he was challenging. He'd then do a beckoning motion with his fingers as his fighter would face the opponent and pound a fist against their chest while bellowing out a challenge, although only the latter was true in Misha's case. The intent was unmistakable, and he was only turned down by the first Numel he encountered, yet succeeded in all other attempts.
For my part, I soon began following his lead after his second battle. I considered having Duran or Apollo battle, but never stumbled upon an opponent that I thought would give them a suitable battle, so I focused on Orion. He was able to beat a Zigzagoon with much less difficulty than when I had taken him hunting, however he was bested by a scrappy Taillow that was surprisingly good at narrowly evading his Swifts and baiting out mistimed Mud Slaps. He took his loss as well as could be expected, being down for a short while but quickly rebounding after some reassurance and affection while resting in my hoodie pouch. It only highlighted to me the need to expand his move-pool, particularly his ranged attacks, although I suspected that would continue to be an issue until he evolved as a quick search online using my phone revealed that Eevee didn't naturally learn any more long-distance. I regretted not perusing Samantha's collection of Technical Machines for potential candidates before she left, but it was far too late for that.
Even with moderately frequent stops to marvel at landmarks, tracks, and issue the occasional battle, we still made good time and quickly closed the distance between us and the towering Mount Chimney, eventually finding ourselves at its base and the northern entrance of Fiery Path with a couple hours of daylight left to spare. We both agreed that it would be best to find a safe place to camp and planned to go to bed early, making up for staying up so late the previous night and hopefully giving us time to make it through Fiery Path in one go, since camping inside was not something either of us wanted to attempt.
That was easier said than done though, as the presence of so many fire-types made us particularly cautious about where to make camp that didn't have a high risk of being burned down by some curious wild Pokémon who stumbled upon us while we slept. We ended up walking around the base of the volcano for about twenty minutes until we found a secluded ravine with one side accessible that was largely obscured by trees. Soon enough, we had our fairly cramped campsite fully functional and our teams out eating their dinner, all except Trapinch who I still couldn't trust to join the group and would have to attempt to feed individually afterward.
"Damn dude, is that how you eat when Sammy isn't around to cook?" Owen asked jokingly when he noticed that I was adding a pack of ramen into the water I had boiling over the campfire.
"I'm no chef, and it gets the job done," I shrugged before glancing at what Owen was munching on, which appeared to be various shriveled fruits. "I'm not sure you're qualified to judge my cooking though; what on earth are you eating?"
"Just some stuff I had dehydrated while we were back in Mauville. Cherries, apricots, carrots, peaches, raisins, a few different berries, stuff like that. Way healthier than that ramen of yours, but it makes for a better snack than a meal if I'm being honest. If I'm not careful and eat it too often, I get insanely constipated. But it keeps for a long time and is easy to carry around, not to mention nutritious. I'd prefer if they were freeze-dried though, my mom has a machine that makes it easy-peasy, but it's not so easy to do while traveling. Dehydrating is no problem though, as long as you can get access to an oven."
I blinked absently, not having expected my simple question to cascade into an impassioned, long-winded explanation. Seeing that he had lost me at some point, he came over and held the bag out, "Want to try some? You can take a handful if you want."
I nodded, reaching in to grab a small handful only to gasp in surprise as I kept going further until half my forearm was gone from sight before finally feeling the pile of dried food. The smaller brown sack should have ended just past my wrist or so, and as I began prodding and patting around to find where the pile stopped and the bag's edges began, I quickly came to a realization.
The bag was space-tech, no doubt about it. The massive pile of food and excess space did not match up with the size of the bag I was looking at whatsoever, not even close. It was a truly surreal experience since I'd never actually felt what it was like to reach in one before, and although it took my brain a moment to finally catch up and piece together what I was experiencing, it was unmistakable.
"This is space-tech," I stated matter-of-factly as I finally grabbed a fistful of and withdrew my hand, peering inside to see that it looked more akin to a burlap sack filled with food.
"Sure is! My dad got it as a thanks for finding and saving a Devon scientist a few years ago. The dude was visiting on vacation and got lost in the woodlands on the far side of Dewford, but it was no trouble for my dad's Pokémon to find him once he was reported missing. At the time it was a prototype and not even on the market, but it still holds up today."
"That thing has got to be at least a tier four," I commented as I popped one of the dehydrated fruit into my mouth. It was tough, chewy, and remarkably dry, but still tasted good and easily identifiable as a cherry.
"It's a tier five actually," He said with a beaming smile. "It's hands down the most valuable thing my family owns, other than maybe our house and land. Dewford has come a long way in the last two decades, I wouldn't be surprised if our home could net a few million if they sold it, it's in a great spot. No idea how much they spent on the land and having the house built, but there's no doubt it was a tiny fraction of what it's worth now."
"So what, they gave it to you when you started your journey?" I asked curiously as I popped another fruit into my mouth, which was some sort of berry I couldn't quite identify yet still approved of.
"Nah, more like borrow. It's something of a family heirloom at this point, but the fact they trusted me with it at all is crazy, right? My parents really are the best," He answered with a proud grin.
I nodded silently, deciding against possibly ruining the mood by cracking a joke about being grateful to have not inherited my mom's debt, or mentioning that I'd gotten just enough credits to buy a handful of the basic supplies I had been missing after Miss Augustine's generous donation.
After eating my ramen and chatting with Owen for a while as our teams finished eating, he decided to take advantage of the remaining daylight to go scout the surrounding area for a Machop, which he was very eager to find. Curiously, he only took Bronson with him and tasked the rest of his team with self-guided training just outside the ravine entrance to keep our campsite safe. He told me that he should be back before sunset, hopefully with a new team member, and that if I needed to leave camp to train or do anything else I could count on Roxy and Misha to keep our things safe.
I fully believed it, too. Even with Misha's disadvantage to all the fire-types in the area, she was a fierce battler with status effects that would drive most would-be scavengers away, and I had yet to see anything that would have a chance at besting Roxy. Between the two of them, I had complete confidence that our campsite was in good hands.
I watched in interest for a few minutes as Roxy practiced levitating small pebbles and launching them at Misha, who danced around and dodged them with admirable success, though it occasionally took a hit. Both participants seemed to be enjoying it by making it into a game, and I could see how it was decent training for both. I was almost certain that Samantha wouldn't have approved, but I'd done very similar exercises in the past with my team and knew that they were quite effective.
Unsurprisingly, Omar was lounging around and napping. Rarely did I see the Pokémon awake, let alone moving, except during dinner when it slowly munched on a couple of leaves and a berry. Owen had said that the Slakoth was making progress, but I personally hadn't seen any indicators of it. I could only assume that he somehow got it put in some effort during his morning sessions, then granted it the rest of the day to rest as a reward.
Realizing that daylight was dwindling, I took my team a little ways away to find a good space for us to train, along with some food that I dearly hoped I could get Trapinch to eat.
I decided it might be a fun challenge to have Orion practice his Swift on Apollo, giving him the difficult task of evading it however he saw fit. I wanted Orion to become exceptionally skilled at the move, since it was his only reliable ranged attack and likely the only he would have until he evolved, which I didn't expect to happen anytime soon. Bite was still something I needed to figure out, and Apollo was nearly overdue for a new move to learn after getting Psybeam to a good place. But I really needed to get things sorted out with Trapinch, and unfortunately couldn't spare the time to get too creative.
I had Duran assist me once again, since he was my dedicated Trapinch handler and probably the one who needed the least amount of practice for the upcoming gym. Surprisingly, he wasn't nearly as annoyed at having to skip training yet again as I'd have thought, leading me to suspect that he actually enjoyed showing off his strength and keeping Trapinch in line.
After pouring out a small pile of food and stepping away, I palmed the Ultra Ball and looked down at Duran. "If she tries to attack, stop her with a Water Gun. I'm hoping we don't need to battle her, our point should have been made already. We need her to eat something before we can make any more progress, so let's be nice while firmly standing our ground. Are you ready buddy?"
He looked slightly crestfallen that I didn't anticipate another battle, but nodded dutifully and took a confident stance. I took a deep breath and hoped that things would go better this time as I released the Trapinch near the food.
As the light settled and it took form, Trapinch looked around in momentary confusion before its gaze settled on us, and I saw a spark of defiance that immediately caused me to sigh. I held my hands out placatingly, "We don't need to fight, I don't think either of us want a repeat of last time. Look, I have some food for you, and I can get you water too. You haven't eaten since we've met, you must be getting hungry, right?"
Trapinch eyed us suspiciously, and for a moment I thought we were going to have a repeat of our last encounter. There was a quick staredown with Duran, but soon she seemed to think better of attacking us again and took an interest in the food, approaching it cautiously. I watched with bated breath as she took a small bite and immediately swallowed without chewing, though when I noticed her bristle I knew she hadn't enjoyed it.
"You don't like it? It's meat-based and nutritious, so I thought it'd be to your tastes," I said with a disappointed frown.
Trapinch began snapping and chirping in agitation, although I didn't take it as aggression. Thankfully, Apollo immediately provided me with a much-needed translation as he was close enough to overhear the proceedings.
Disgust. "Lies, not meat of prey."
I hummed in thought, contemplating the issue. I was certain that those particular pellets contained meat, although how much or what kind of meat I couldn't be sure. I couldn't really fault Trapinch for their critique though, considering it wasn't anywhere near the meat they were used to.
My mind instantly went to Orion's food, but I doubted that would pass Trapinch's litmus test either. Though it contained some chunks of meat, it was also a mixture of berries, vegetables, and a sauce that I all doubted would appeal to its preferences. Not to mention, I wasn't too keen on having to buy such expensive food for yet another team member, if things ended up that way.
The only obvious answer was to give Trapinch what it was accustomed to eating; live prey. Or, if nothing else, something that hadn't been long dead and processed. But that presented issues in itself that I wasn't sure how to handle. Firstly, I doubted that Trapinch would be a very effective hunter now that we were no longer in the desert, but it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that they could still dig a pit of sorts and capture prey. The main issue there was if Trapinch decided to just keep digging to flee, there was little I could do to stop it.
Then again, it could have already tried to do that but hadn't. I also wasn't in the business of keeping it against its will, at least once I felt like we'd given working out our differences a fair shot. I was more than willing to release it on my way back to Mauville if we hadn't figured things out by then, but if it burrowed away then it would be stuck in an ecosystem it was likely to starve in. Trapinch wasn't able to hunt without creating a sand pit, or so I assumed.
The only solution I could think of was to do some hunting with Orion and bring back something for Trapinch to eat. As long as it was fresh meat, I highly doubted that Trapinch would have anything to complain about.
"Can you do me a favor and eat a little more?" I requested hopefully. "I promise I'll get you more suitable food soon, but I don't want you to starve in the meantime. I know you aren't used to the taste, but it's healthy and filling."
With a look of annoyance, the Trapinch chirped a few times in response.
"Not feeble, won't starve. Don't need food, but strength."
I grinned, kneeling down to be more at the Trapinch's level despite the distance that still separated us. "You want strength like Duran and the others? I can help you with that, but for that to happen you need to eat so you have plenty of energy, and we need to at least get along so we can do some training."
The Trapinch seemed reluctant, but not downright dismissive. It was clear to me that I was making progress, and that the battles against Duran as well as time to think had swayed them into being more open to having a reasonable discussion. I decided to capitalize on the opportunity, wanting to strike the right balance between being convincing, inspirational, and firm.
"Here's the deal Trapinch; in case you haven't noticed, we aren't in the desert anymore. I was just passing through when you decided to try snacking on me, which didn't work even with your cheap surprise attack, and I bested you. I could have released you this morning, but you insisted on being stubborn and fighting to unconsciousness, no matter how hard I tried to reason with you. I couldn't just release you and leave you unconscious, or you'd be dead by now. And if I release you here, surrounded by wild Pokémon far stronger than you in a terrain you aren't accustomed to… well, the same thing will happen."
I leveled Trapinch with a serious look, "I'll be returning to your desert in a week or so, and if we aren't getting along by then, you're free to go. But until then, you're going to have to hang out with us, and I think it's better if we all get along and get stronger together. Worst case, you return to the desert stronger than ever. Like I said before, I can help you become a powerful dragon if you give me the chance. You won't have to hide and surprise your prey, you'll be flying around and chasing them down. Surely there's a part of you that wants to unlock the hidden strength buried deep within you. Let's try training together; I'd bet anything that after a couple of sessions, you'll see the benefits that joining us can have."
Trapinch glared at me with a hint of defiance for a few moments, and just when I thought she was about to leap at us to attempt another attack, her head lowered in acceptance before giving a series of soft chirps.
"Want become mighty dragon, fight and hunt with pride. But don't like false food or nothingness."
I was initially overjoyed, but by the end of Apollo's translation I found myself scratching my head, trying to decipher what Trapinch meant by 'nothingness'. Thankfully, Apollo sensed my confusion and informed me that Trapinch was referring to the inside of the Ultra Ball, which I couldn't believe I hadn't pieced together.
"I can fix both of those things, no problem. I'll get you better food regardless of how we get along, that's a promise. I also have a much cozier ball you could have, I'm pretty sure it should be just like your desert 'paradise', maybe even better. If we can get along, you won't have to spend as much time in a ball anyway, but I'll gladly give you an upgrade if it means you'll be in a better mood."
It took a little negotiation and convincing, not to mention Duran acting like a bodyguard by keeping a watchful eye over the proceedings to ensure things remained copacetic, but I was eventually able to coax the Trapinch into letting me release it and not attempt to break out as I transferred it to my spare Luxury Ball. It would leave the Ultra Ball unusable, and if I did end up releasing the Trapinch I would also be out a Luxury Ball, but I considered it a worthwhile investment in trying to smooth things over in what could potentially be a powerful ally if things worked out.
"How was it? Better than the last ball, I assume?" I asked when I released it from its new Luxury Ball after giving it a minute or so inside to get a feel for it.
Trapinch gave a short, stiff nod and snap of the jaw, seemingly not wanting to give me too much credit as Apollo informed me that the new ball was 'suitable'. I took it as a great sign of progress, and although I still didn't trust the Trapinch enough to get anywhere near her I felt like I was witnessing the beginning of what could become a long and fruitful partnership.
"Since you don't want to eat anymore, how about you show me what all you can do so you can start joining us for training? I know for sure you can Bite, and having you practice your Dig on solid ground is something we can for sure work on, but do you happen to know anything else? I'd love to see what else you can do. No matter how useless you think it might be, every move has its time and place. Think you're up for it?"
I expected to receive some pushback, but the Trapinch was surprisingly compliant. My guess was that she was more compliant due to multiple reasons, with the first being that quick visit to the familiar sandy desert while in her new Luxury Ball seemed to have put her at ease quite a bit. She also seemed to have realized that I wasn't out to harm or eat her, but rather wanted to help her become a powerful dragon, which clearly appealed to some primal desire. I also couldn't discount the fact that Duran's presence kept her in check, who didn't seem to mind skipping out on training to play bodyguard.
In fact, between demonstrations I caught quite Trapinch glancing at Duran a few times, but not with any noticeable negativity like disdain or fear. It was more like Trapinch was making sure Duran had seen the demonstration, and trying to gain approval. Unfortunately, Duran wasn't so easily impressed by Trapinch's moves, although I was.
Bite, Dig, Sand Attack, and Mud Slap were all moves that I wasn't surprised to see, but there were a couple that I was unsure of as well. One I determined must be Crunch, as it was a much heftier and more forceful chomp that left a noticeable yet faint trail of miasma. When asked to alternate between Crunch and Bite so I could get a better idea of the difference, I noted that Bite was a much faster snap that could be done in quick succession, and upon further inspection I saw that Bite had a tiny hint of miasma as well, it was just so subtle it was hardly there unless you looked for it. My guess was that Trapinch wasn't particularly skilled at channeling dark-type energy, though they certainly had the biting portion down
There were two more moves that were difficult to determine, at least initially. For one of them, Trapinch would keep her jaws open and do a slicing motion to rake its teeth across the target, and not just once. Every time they carved into the tree, the gouges got deeper and I noticed a slight increase in speed, as though it took time for Trapinch to get into the groove of doing the motion. The other was similar to tackle, but at the moment of impact they would drive their head into the ground before whipping it upward for a strike, hitting their opponent both with their nose and a healthy dose of earth.
After a bit of research into Trapinch's naturally learned moves with the help of my new phone, I determined that the two moves must be Fury Cutter and Bulldoze. I found it interesting that the Trapinch had a bug-type move, considering I'd initially been under the impression that it was a bug when I first saw it, yet the official league page on Trapinch was quite clear that it was purely a ground-type that would inherit a secondary dragon-typing upon evolution.
While I was browsing information about Trapinch on my phone, I decided that it would be a good idea to show her a photo of a Flygon, as I was certain she'd never seen one and that it would give some additional inspiration and motivation. It was my first time allowing myself to get within striking range of Trapinch, but considering their newfound willingness to cooperate, it only felt right to make efforts on my part as well.
I didn't push my luck by trying to touch her and kept a slight distance between us with Duran keeping a watchful eye over the proceedings, but it went without a hitch. Trapinch was enthralled by the photos, and I could see a deep longing and fierce determination in her eyes as she gazed fixated at my screen, her imagination running wild.
Although it wouldn't turn out to be quite so easy, in that moment I felt like our partnership had been cemented and that things between us could only continue to improve.
As much as Trapinch wanted to immediately begin training, I had to talk her out of it by saying we'd start tomorrow after I could get them a proper meal. The sun was in extremely limited supply, and the recent demonstration of her capabilities had left her noticeably tired and sluggish, although I didn't point that out. Instead, I took the opportunity to formally introduce Trapinch to the entire team, which was a bit awkward and strained as I still didn't fully trust Trapinch enough to let Orion get up close for a good sniff like he wanted. I covered it up smoothly enough, holding Orion in my arms as I introduced him to keep him from approaching, though I let Apollo get closer since I was confident his danger sense would keep him safe.
I could tell that Trapinch was similar to Duran in that they weren't particularly social, but they did put in an effort and quickly acknowledged each member as I introduced them. My attempts at talking my team up while they put on a show to look strong might have been a little too effective though, as Trapinch seemed a bit timid and intimidated when all eyes were on her. But all things considered, introductions went well and I considered it a successful first step toward integration into the team.
Not yet feeling comfortable enough to have Trapinch out around camp knowing that most of Owen's team was there, I declared it bedtime and promised her a good meal and training session in the morning before returning her for the evening. As much as I would have liked to keep making progress with Trapinch, I wasn't about to risk giving Trapinch a chance at seriously harming one of Owen's team members, especially when they hadn't been given the same warning as mine.
Unsurprisingly, Omar was sound asleep as Roxy and Misha socialized, which Apollo and Orion joined in on while Duran wandered off to scavenge. I decided to stealthily retrieve one of my Pokéblocks and go over to thank him for helping, and although he pretended to be annoyed at being stuck with babysitting duties I could tell he appreciated being acknowledged for his efforts. I reassured him that this was only temporary while we ensured that Trapinch wouldn't suddenly lash out and harm somebody, and that he was already plenty strong to handle the next gym. Considering he always slept by the door, my guess was that he secretly took pride in being assigned as our group's protector from the potential threat.
As the sun finished setting and I was beginning to get genuinely concerned at the fact that Owen and Bronson still hadn't returned, they finally showed up.
"Dude…" I started, at a loss for words as I took in the sight of them. Both of them were limping with a similar shit-eating grin, Bronson looked generally battered and the right side of his face appeared to be swollen.
"Hey guys! Sorry we're a little late, didn't mean to make you worry," Owen said surprisingly cheerfully as he entered camp, shakily kneeling down to greet Misha and Roxy as both rushed over to check on the pair.
"So… I take it you found a Machop and lost?" I asked half-jokingly, trying my best to hide the unease and worry I felt while also wanting to get to the bottom of what happened.
"Nah, no luck finding a Machop," Owen sighed before sitting down with a groan as all the Pokémon present gathered around Bronson as he began telling his version of events very animatedly. "But we did run into a Sawk, and he was kind enough to accept our challenge. Bronson put up one hell of a fight, let me tell ya, but Sawk had a major advantage with their much longer reach. Some things can't be helped, and it'll sort itself out once he evolves. As far as technique, strength, and determination, Bronson came out the champ."
"Maku-hita!" Bronson proudly chimed in as he raised a fist and pounded it against his chest, his fighting spirit clearly still intact. He quickly resumed his story for the captivated Pokémon, complete with emulated dodging and jabs to fully relay the events despite being obviously sore.
"So you lost," I said more bluntly, wanting to confirm my suspicions.
"There are no losers when two fighters have an honorable bout," Owen proclaimed with a disapproving wag of his finger and a cheeky smile.
"Fair enough, but how did you end up limping? And why does it look like you haven't applied a potion to Bronson?"
"This is nothing, we'll be right as rain in the morning. Sawk was honorable and made sure not to do any serious damage, as most fighting-types tend to be, at least if you challenge and fight them the correct way. Potions are great and all, but sometimes it's better to wear your lumps with pride; it builds character and helps the lessons stick. If Bronson really needed a potion he'd say so, trust me. As for why I'm limping, I was carrying Bronson while he recovered and tripped a couple of times, no big deal. He may not look like it but he's a heavy dude, and it was hard to see where I was stepping with the sun setting."
I stared blankly at how nonchalant Owen had just explained things, and realized that Samantha might have made a mistake in choosing him as the one who was supposed to keep me out of trouble. I might be brash, but I would never go out into the woods with only one of my team members, willingly pick a fight with a much larger opponent, then decline to heal them as we walked back to camp vulnerable and barely able to see.
I sighed, deciding that Owen was fine as I was suddenly reminded of Samantha. I flipped open my phone and decided to text her, just to make sure everything was alright. Unsurprisingly, but reassuringly, she responded almost immediately.
You: Hey, doing alright?
#1 Sister: Just finished dinner, hbu?
You: What?
#1 Sister: How about you?
You: Settling in for the night near the entrance of Fiery Path. Made good progress with Trapinch today, think things might work out. We'll see.
#1 Sister: Glad to hear! Just be careful. Stella says hi, and that she misses you and Apollo. Apparently they tried to hold a link for as long as they could after we split, isn't that adorable?
I cast a sideways glance at Apollo as he pretended like he wasn't paying attention to my thoughts, though I could notice the tell-tale signs of subtle embarrassment from his body language. I rolled my eyes and smiled fondly, returning my attention to my phone.
You: Don't do that, they're just friends. But yes, it is.
#1 Sister: For now, sure. But you know what they say - distance makes the heart grow fonder.
You: STOP. I'm beginning to regret texting you.
#1 Sister: Fineeee, I'm just bored and playing around. Traveling without another human is surprisingly lonely. My team is good company, but it's just not quite the same, you know?
You: Never bothered me, Apollo and Duran were great at keeping me company. But I get what you mean.
#1 Sister: How's traveling with Owen? Enjoying your boy time?
I hummed, wondering how she might react if I were honest with what had just happened. I decided to just keep things vague and not give her any reason to worry.
You: It's not too different honestly. He's talkative and we get along. Has some interesting quirks though, and I definitely miss your cooking.
#1 Sister: Bet you had ramen for dinner, didn't you?
You: Possibly.
#1 Sister: Typical. Learn to cook, idiot. It's a useful skill. Grab a book or something, you love those right?
You: Not a terrible idea, I'll think about it. I'll let you go, just wanted to check in and make sure you were still alive.
#1 Sister: Still very much alive. Chase beat a Scraggy today, other than that it was calm. Thanks for checking in, talk tomorrow evening?
You: Sounds good, goodnight.
#1 Sister: Ninight brother dearest! Be careful in Fiery Path, text me when you're out!
I flipped my phone closed with a yawn, feeling satisfied with the day and deciding that it was probably time to round up my team for some sleep.
"Think we're going to go to bed. I need to get up extra early to sort out something with Trapinch before we tackle Fiery Path," I announced with a stretch as I stood, drawing the attention of Owen and my team.
"Yeah, I'm pretty close to turning in too. What do you have to wake up extra early for?" Owen asked curiously.
I considered being evasive, but from what I knew of Owen I didn't suspect he would mind hearing the truth, so that's what I decided to go with.
"Orion and I need to go hunting. Trapinch doesn't like the food I have; she wants 'prey'."
Orion's ears instantly perked up in interest and his tail began to wag as he barked, unable to contain his excitement.
Owen nodded in understanding, just as I had hoped. "I see, that makes sense. One thing though; won't Trapinch want to catch its own prey? That is what it's used to, I'm not sure it would be content with you just handing it a meal it didn't earn. I've heard carnivores can be a bit picky about that kind of thing."
I hummed in thought for a moment as an idea formulated in my head. Although Trapinch wasn't well-suited for hunting this environment or most of its inhabitants, it didn't mean that it would be impossible for his traps to work. In fact, the idea I had in mind would not only be a good team-building exercise, but would also ensure that Trapinch didn't accidentally ensnare a non-huntable species like one of the many fire or fighting-types in the area.
"That is an excellent point, and you just gave me a great idea. Thanks Owen, I owe you one," I said appreciatively as I opened up the entrance to my tent and ushered my team in.
"No problem dude, any time! See you bright and early, we've got a big day ahead of us!" I heard him proclaim from behind us as we retired to bed.
I knew without a shadow off a doubt that he was right about that. I had to wake up early to make good on my promise of feeding Trapinch a fitting meal, and still had a lot of work I needed to do with her. I also couldn't keep slacking on training my team for the upcoming gym battle, which I highly doubted would be anywhere near as eas as our last. Fiery Path was likely to be even harder to traverse than the desert, and I was beginning to believe that Own was more of a wildcard than my initial impressions of him had picked up on.
Thinking of all the ways that tomorrow might unfold filled me with both uncertainty and excitement, and even if it was a little overwhelming I was ready to tackle it head on. All I could do was my best, and I intended on doing just that.
A/N: Don't even get me started on this chapter. I hope you enjoyed, see you next week.
Shoutout to Trix for beta-reading this chapter, and to Monkey D. Conan, the guests, and all you cute lurkers.
Come chat about DotD or hang out on Discord. gg/ ge6a8XcNcB