TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Badges: 2
Account: 12,537 credits
Location: Route 111

DANIEL'S TEAM
Ralts (Apollo) - Male
Corphish (Duran) - Male
Eevee (Orion) - Male
Trapinch - Female

SAMANTHA'S TEAM
Espeon (Stella) - Female
Skitty (Chase) - Male
Masquerain (Buzz) - Male
Oddish (Joy) - Female

OWEN'S TEAM
Makuhita (Bronson) - Male
Geodude (Roxy) - Female
Shroomish (Misha) - Female
Slakoth (Omar) - Male

I awoke with a pained groan, grabbing my phone and groggily turning off the alarm I'd set as my team began to rouse around me.

My legs were sore, I hadn't gotten nearly as much sleep as I would have liked, my best friend was going to be leaving in just a matter of hours, and I had to figure out how I was going to deal with a Pokémon that seemed incapable of being reasoned with.

"Today is going to suck," I muttered as I sat up and scratched behind Orion's ear while he stood with a stretch and yawn.

Reassurance. "Will do best, make day good."

I nodded silently, feeling slightly thanks to Apollo's encouragement. If he could remain optimistic knowing that today was the last time he'd see Stella in a while, then I could do my best to do the same.

I clapped my hands together, jolting my team awake and drawing their attention.

"We've got a big day ahead of us. Apollo and I need to do a quick meditation session, you two wake up and get ready for training."

Apollo Teleported onto my shoulder, and we exited the tent to go find somewhere quiet nearby to meditate. We'd been frequently neglecting doing so lately, and it felt like the perfect way to gather my thoughts on how to handle the Trapinch.

I had until we packed up camp to figure out what I was going to do with it, as I still had a chance to release it back into the desert that was only a short walk away. I could always try my hand at training it for the next week or so, and if things didn't go well I'd have the opportunity to release it again when traveling from Lavaridge back to Mauville. We'd surely be taking the Cable Car back down which would spit us out at the southern fork of Route 111, but it wouldn't be too far out of the way to make a slight detour and revisit the desert's entrance.

Sure, I wanted to try training it, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it could be a major detriment to my team. I didn't want to neglect their training, and I certainly didn't want them anywhere near a Pokémon with a one-track mind for biting and eating anything that got near it. The Trapinch was uniquely dangerous in the sense that one bite with its powerful jaws and razor-sharp teeth could easily kill either Apollo or Orion in the blink of an eye. I doubted that Apollo would fall victim to it considering his danger sense and mastery of Teleport, but there was still a chance and Orion was much more vulnerable.

This train of thought led me to realize that Duran was the only one on my team who could likely risk getting bitten without serious injury. The Pokédex had said Trapinch could crush small boulders, but Duran's shell was sturdy and had taken the brunt of a Self-Destruct, and that was when his shell was more vulnerable after having begun molting.

He was also the best on the team at using Protect, the most ruthless, had a type advantage over the Trapinch, and had literally earned his namesake for being tough and durable. There was still a risk that he could be seriously injured, but if I wanted to try training the Trapinch risks were inevitable.

"Yeah… This could work…" I muttered as I broke myself from my meditation, a plan formulating in my mind.

If the Trapinch refused to listen to reason, then I'd just have to try getting through to it at a more primal level. Owen was right; a Pokémon like that needed to be treated with a firm hand, at least initially, and considering how I'd captured it I figured it was time to show it why working alongside us rather than trying to eat us was in its best interest.

"Come on Apollo, I'll need your help buddy," I said as he finished meditating and Teleported onto my shoulder, my mind made up as I fed him my plan.

Hesitance. Uncertainty. "Is dangerous. But Duran will like."

I chuckled, knowing he was right on both accounts. There was a slight chance this went horribly wrong, but it was the best option I had and something Duran would be absolutely thrilled to do. I simply couldn't let the opportunity to train a dragon go to waste, even if it had come sooner than I'd anticipated. But I knew I'd regret it if I backed down from the challenge, and likely wouldn't get another anytime soon.

Duran had only been open to complying when realizing that we were not only stronger than him, but could give him what he wanted. I was going to try the same general approach with the Trapinch, but with a few adjustments to help account for the reduced communication and lack of a proper battle before capture.

My game plan was set; I needed to try winning the Trapinch over with food and a show of strength to hopefully get it to comply long enough to see the benefits of joining our team.

But first, a quick team meeting was in order.

"Alright team, I have an important announcement. Well, two actually."

My team looked up at me expectantly, with Apollo giving a knowing nod. I couldn't help but yawn again, hoping it would be the last and that Samantha would wake up soon so I could get some coffee, though I doubted it.

"First, today will be our last day traveling with Sammy and her team, at least for a little while. Depending on how things go for both of us, we hope to meet back up in Mauville after we're done in Lavaridge. But as you all know, life doesn't always work out the way we plan, so if it doesn't make sense it might be a while until we see her. If you wanted to say goodbye to her or any of her team, this morning is the time to do so."

As expected, Duran appeared largely uninterested in this particular announcement, but I could tell that both Apollo and Orion had taken my words to heart. Though this wasn't exactly new information to anybody on the team, I still thought it was a good idea to inform them officially and make them think about if they wanted to say or do anything before it was too late. I suspected that Apollo had said his goodbyes to Stella last night, and Orion's unusual act of laying in Samantha's lap instead of mine seemed to be a parting gesture of fondness. But still, it seemed worth reiterating to ensure they had one final chance to say their goodbyes, especially since you never know when a casual 'see you later' could turn into the last goodbye you ever give.

"Now that the gloomy stuff is out of the way, it's time for the exciting news…" I hesitated, wondering how I should present the topic of the Trapinch. I quickly realized that it would be best to leave out how I'd captured it, as I didn't want to risk any of my team needlessly holding a grudge at the Trapinch for trying to eat me.

"We might have a new team member," I blurted out. Orion's eyes went wide as his ears perked up and his tail began to wag, and Duran suddenly looked much more interested in the conversation than he had moments ago.

"We met in the desert, but not on what I would call the best terms," I continued, turning to Duran. "Remember when we met Duran, how you took some convincing to realize that we could help each other? It's a similar situation, only this Pokémon isn't quite as reasonable as you were. I think you might be the only one who can help me get through to her, if you wouldn't mind skipping morning training to help out. You'll get to be the first to see what they are capable of, since I'm pretty sure we will need to battle her to get the point across. You wouldn't have humored me without that battle against Apollo, and I think she's much the same.

I grinned as Duran gurgled and clicked his claws, seemingly overjoyed by the proposition. Orion put his front paws on my leg to get my attention and gave me a hopeful look before he began barking at Apollo, clearly wanting something relayed to me.

"No longer youngest? Weaker or stronger?"

I chuckled, reaching down to pet his head. "Don't get too excited, little buddy. If we can't find common ground and figure out how to work together, they might not be sticking around. Consider this a trial run. If it doesn't feel like a good fit when we head back to Mauville, I'll probably release them back into the desert. I don't know how young they are, or even how strong. You might end up being the baby of the family for a little longer, but that doesn't mean you're aren't strong."

He looked a little crestfallen as he sat back down, but I had to continue knowing that he wasn't going to like the next part either.

"Speaking of, there's a rule I need to put in place regarding our new visitor. For the time being, leave her alone and don't get anywhere near her. I don't know how strong she is, but I know for a fact she can kill any of us here with a well-placed Bite, except probably Duran. Do not give her the chance to lash out or sneak attack you; treat her as a constant threat that will eat you the first chance she gets. Until Duran and I can make some progress and get her to be friendly, you two are strictly forbidden from interacting with her," I said as I glanced between Apollo and Orion.

Reactions to my declaration were mixed. Duran subtly puffed out his chest and clearly took it as a compliment that he was considered the only one tough enough to handle such a dangerous Pokémon. Orion looked utterly heartbroken, likely both from being unable to satisfy his curiosity with the new Pokémon but also from learning that it was powerful enough to present such a danger. I got the distinct impression that he was eager for the day he was no longer the newest, weakest member of the team, but he would just have to deal with it for the time being and use it as motivation to get stronger.

Apollo, for his part, looked confused more than anything, and I could sense the same from our link.

"I'll still need your help translating and relaying her thoughts. You can talk telepathically from a safe distance to help us try to get through to her, but stay away. I'll be staying away too, I don't want anyone getting hurt. Don't tell Orion you're allowed to talk to her though, I don't want him to feel singled out."

Understanding. Relief.

"Orion and Apollo, you'll have to do morning training on your own while Duran and I try to win her over. I want you to train extra hard to show off your skills and strength so she can see the benefits of joining our family. We'll be within eyesight, so try to ignore us and put on a good show. It might sound silly, but if she sees how strong you two are and what regular training can do, it might make her inclined to give us a chance and try it out for herself. Seeing you two working hard to improve might just be the deciding factor, so I'm counting on you to do your best and show her what you're made of."

Apollo nodded confidently, and I noticed Orion brighten up as he realized he could help and show off his strength despite being unable to directly interact with the Trapinch.

"Alright, I think it's time we get things started. Try to focus on your training, I know it'll be tempting to look over at us to see what's going on or get a good look at our guest, but do your best to ignore us unless I call for you. We don't want to make her feel uncomfortable or anything, right?"

Both nodded in understanding, and we found an open area a short distance away from camp to train for the morning. As Orion and Apollo broke off to begin doing their routines, I knelt down and addressed Duran.

"Alright buddy, here's the plan. The moment I release her, stay beside me and give her the best Leer you can. Show her you aren't afraid, and that you are someone strong she should respect. Hopefully, that's enough to make it so I can actually talk to her, but if not we will probably have to battle her to prove our strength. Just in case that happens, keep using Harden right after your Leer to prepare for it. If you do battle her, you need to be very cautious not to get bitten. Her jaws are extremely powerful and can crush boulders, so I'm not sure how well you'd fare. If you can avoid that we'll win, guaranteed. If possible, try to get her flipped onto her back, because it makes her completely helpless. Worst case, we can Water Gun and Bubblebeam her down, but I get the feeling beating her up close and personal would send the message better."

He nodded confidently, looking eager to prove his strength to the newcomer. I grabbed the meat-based kibble and poured a helping on the ground, hoping that it would be an adequate offering of peace, then took a few steps back and unclipped the Ultra Ball containing Trapinch.

"Get ready, here we go."

I released the Trapinch, who quickly looked around to gain its bearings before its beady eyes locked onto Duran and me with a look of annoyance and defiance. As planned, Duran stood firm and unleashed a Leer, which caused the Trapinch to involuntarily shiver and loosen its posture slightly. I noticed Duran's shell begin to shine as he used Harden, and proceeded to take the momentary standoff to try communicating with it.

"Trapinch, we don't want to hurt you. Look, I've got a whole pile of food here that you can have if you promise not to attack us. I just want to talk, I think we got off on the wrong foot. Like I said before, I'm Daniel, and my partner here is Duran. We–"

*DANGER*

Completely ignoring me and my offering, the Trapinch snapped its powerful jaws as it began to run as fast as it could toward us, which admittedly wasn't very fast. Its legs were extremely short and stubby, and not at all suited for running quickly on flat land.

"Water Gun," I said flatly, disappointed in the Trapinch's choice.

Duran leveled both claws and let loose a torrent of water, slamming into the Trapinch's open maw with enough force to jerk its head back and cause it to flip onto its back. I blinked in surprise as it began to kick its legs and squirm in a futile attempt to flip over, not having expected Duran to go quite so hard right out of the gate. I suppose my warning had been rather ominous, but I'd only intended it to be more of a warning shot than anything.

I sighed, cautiously approaching the flailing Trapinch. The Pokédex had been right; it seemed completely incapable of getting back on its feet when in this position, although I decided to maintain some buffer between us just on the off-chance it somehow managed to surprise me.

I knelt, leveling the Trapinch with an unimpressed look as I addressed it with Duran by my side, who gave off the impression what he'd done was, in fact, just a warning and that there could be more in store if that's what it decided.

"Like I was trying to say until you rudely interrupted, my partner here is named Duran. He isn't quite as friendly as me, but he's a lot stronger than both of us. We just got our second badge the other day, and Duran here took down two of the three gym Pokémon despite a type disadvantage. Needless to say, he's more than capable of showing you who's boss."

The Trapinch continued to squirm while flailing its legs in the air and snapping its jaws, making me wonder if it was even listening or had understood. I found it likely that the entire part about gyms and badges went completely over its head, but I had read multiple times that while Pokémon may not always grasp the exact specifics of what humans said, the overall intent and general meaning often got through.

I'd like to think that our message was crystal clear – we were stronger, and we weren't afraid to prove it if the Trapinch kept threatening us.

I glanced over to the rest of my team to see Apollo doing an extremely impressive mixture of Double Team and Teleport, where he and two clones repeatedly appeared and disappeared in new positions as they shuffled around randomly. I found myself deeply impressed by the creative combination and vowed to make a proper technique out of it later, so I could only imagine how startling it might look for something like Trapinch.

Orion wasn't slouching by any means either, both seemingly determined to put on an impressive display for our guest to make a good first impression. He was holding a very admirable Quick Attack while encircling a stump, hammering it with Swifts repeatedly from all sides. Yet another creative idea I would have to turn into a technique used for battle, I decided. But both would have to wait.

"You see those two over there? That's Apollo and Orion; I think you briefly got to meet Apollo, but you interrupted that introduction as well. That's pretty rude, you know? We could be friends if you gave it a chance, and if you're hungry I'll make sure you get fed to your heart's content."

With no visible change in the Trapinch's demeanor as it continued to squirm, flail, and snap aggressively, I decided to try a different kind of appeal.

"You know, my partners and I didn't always used to be friends. We all started as complete strangers, just like you and I are now, but we all share a common goal to get stronger and have found that it's much easier to do so when working together. We train every day while traveling the region to conquer the strongest opponents we can find, and so far we've been pretty successful in doing so. Duran here has always dreamed of being powerful and evolving; I'd say he's already accomplished the first part, and I'm pretty sure it won't be too long until he's a Crawdaunt. We haven't even been together a full month, but he's already made more progress than he would have in years on his own. See if you can help her understand, Duran."

Duran clicked and gurgled as it began talking animatedly to the Trapinch. I didn't want to interrupt Apollo's training for a translation, but I was endlessly curious about what was being said. Luckily, Apollo was a very accomplished multi-tasker and satiated my desire to eavesdrop.

"Human speak truth. Knows much, find strong foes, help grow strong. Keep healthy, never go hungry."

Surprisingly, the Trapinch began to settle down. That isn't to say it completely quit trying to right itself, but it quit snapping and seemed to actually be listening to Duran, at least somewhat. It made me extremely hopeful that there was a chance we could get through to it, as I'd been beginning to think that it was simply unable or unwilling to listen.

"What do you say, Trapinch? Want to try working together? I'll help flip you over, you can help yourself to that pile of food, then we can try to get to know one another."

It began snapping its jaws again, this time accompanied by a long string of clicks and chirping. I glanced down to Duran, noticing a look of amusement at whatever was being said, and understood once Apollo relayed a translation for me.

"Already strong. Eat many foes, no need help. Cheated. No sand, water attack from far. Never happen in paradise domain."

I gave a hearty laugh, finally sharing in Duran's amusement. "You call us cheaters, but it sounds like you have been cheating your whole life. Do you think lying in wait in your cozy sand trap to capture passing prey makes you strong? You've probably never been in a real fight your entire life. Look how vulnerable you are right now; you can't even flip yourself over. It doesn't take a ranged attack to knock you off your feet, so it's only a matter of time until you're the helpless prey if you never learn to fight."

I could tell that my comments aggravated her, as she snapped furiously and tried harder than ever to right herself to no avail. Although not my preferred method by any means, frustration and anger could be powerful motivators when applied properly, so I decided to try leaning into it since no other strategy seemed to be working.

"Did you know that you can evolve? You have the potential to be a powerful dragon, but you're squandering it every day you hide away in your hole waiting for a snack to come along. I'm not sure how much you know about dragons, but they are renowned all over the world for their strength and strong sense of pride, which they earn of course. I don't imagine you'll ever live to experience that if you continue to prey on the weak, since it only takes one truly powerful foe to stumble into your trap and teach you a lesson you won't live to remember. If you got incredibly lucky and did somehow survive long enough to evolve, you'd just be a mockery to dragons everywhere. Dragons are noble and courageous, fighting tooth and nail for what they want with an unmatched viciousness. No self-respecting dragon would ever be content having gained their power by hiding in a hole all day to ambush unsuspecting victims."

The Trapinch completely quit its struggling, which I took as a good sign that it was coming to terms with the reality of the situation, so I continued.

"You're welcome to return to your 'paradise domain'; that baron patch of sand in the middle of nowhere. Duran here was similar; he was king of a small pond that he considered his domain. The difference is, he had the courage to come out and give intruders a fair fight, and when he lost to us he realized he'd never become truly powerful by staying in one place and battling his neighbors for the rest of his life. He wants to be a Crawdaunt; to grow strong enough to become an apex among his species, and that can only happen by fighting lots of different opponents with actual strength and battle prowess. I'm giving you the opportunity of a lifetime, something you'll likely never have another chance at. Leave your home behind, work with us to become the powerful dragon you are meant to be, and never worry about going hungry ever again. But if you don't have the courage or drive to put in the effort, I'll just return you to the desert so you can live out a boring life of lonely mediocrity, always wondering what sights you might have seen and how strong you could have truly become."

I gave the Trapinch a moment to respond, and eventually it did. I'd been hoping to light a fire under it to drive it toward greatness, yet the response I got was surprisingly calm. But it got Duran to click his claws in excitement, and I soon found out why.

"Prove strength. Fair fight," Apollo translated for me.

I nodded, recalling and sending Trapinch back out to rectify them without risk. She didn't seem pleased about the jarring experience, but squared up against Duran and signaled that they were ready to fight, clearly intent on proving what I'd said wrong.

"Alright Duran, remember what we talked about. Keep it a brawl though; she thinks your ranged attacks aren't fair. Oh, and Trapinch? In a fair fight for sport, you don't try to eat, kill, or maim the opponent. You stop when they can't continue, and we all live another day to get stronger from the experience. We'll show you the same courtesy when we win. But be warned, if you do permanent damage to Duran…"

I reached out to Apollo through our link, needing his help to make a point to keep this battle as safe as possible. I was quite certain that Duran wouldn't have any difficulty, but on the off-chance the Trapinch did manage to get his jaws around him, I wanted to give a clear warning not to crush with all its force.

Picking up on my request, he Teleported a few paces in front of the Trapinch, then began to do his new, unnamed technique of rapidly Teleporting around the creating clones with Double Team, surrounding the Trapinch with multiple constantly disappearing Apollos and making it momentarily panic.

"...Then you'll have to deal with a very angry Apollo and Orion, and I promise it won't be a fair fight."

Apollo Teleported away, our point made as I thanked him silently. I could tell he wasn't the biggest fan of my request, but was incredibly grateful that he did it without hesitation. If there was even the slightest chance that a little intimidation might make the Trapinch think twice about hurting Duran if it somehow got his jaw around him, I was going to do whatever it took to ensure his safety.

"Whenever you're ready, Trapinch. You get the first move. Make it count."

I sighed as I sat with my team around the morning campfire, petting Orion as he chewed on his ball while rubbing Apollo's helmet as both laid in my lap, exhausted from putting in so much effort during the morning training to put on a show for the Trapinch. My focus was fixed on Duran as he scavenged the surrounding area, having a small snack before breakfast and looking somewhere between smug and grumpy.

Naturally, he'd won. He'd actually done so multiple times, technically. Twice he knocked the Trapinch onto its back, once with an Aqua Jet and another by landing a Double Hit to the Trapinch's side. Both times, the Trapinch had some sort of complaint and wanted to go again, so we'd reset and go again with some new limitation placed on us to try to make it feel 'fair' to the Trapinch, which had a surprisingly warped view of the term.

I quickly came to the conclusion that the Trapinch was doing everything possible to justify its shortcomings. It had seemingly tricked itself into believing it was some sort of feared predator that was powerful and could take down a foe with minimal effort, and struggled to accept that simply wasn't the reality of the situation. In reality, it had no experience fighting without extreme advantages; fighting in sand, having its opponent off-balance after falling into its hole, and of course getting the first strike, which was likely the only it needed most of the time.

But Duran shattered that worldview, time and time again. At first he seemed to have fun beating on the Trapinch, but by the end he just seemed bored whenever it would struggle to get to its feet and try again. It was almost completely reliant on its Bite, but didn't have the mobility or flexibility to do anything other than an overly predictable frontal attack.

This isn't to say it never used any other moves; it tried using either a Mud-Slap or Sand Attack, which didn't do much to help it, and we allowed it time to Dig underground, which was slow and ineffective as it wasn't used to dirt and solid ground. That particular move had me a bit nervous, as it was underground for so long I was beginning to think it was tunneling away to run, but its pride was on the line and it seemed to want to prove to itself that what I'd said wasn't true. Duran was easily able to sidestep and counterattack when it began to surface beneath him, and the one time it managed to twist and snap its jaws in time to catch Duran, a quick Protect was all it took to foil the attack.

In the end, Duran didn't even get hit, at least not in any meaningful way aside from having some dirt sprayed on him. Even being the slowest member of my team, he was more than agile enough to outpace the extremely slow Trapinch at nearly every opportunity. But I had to give it to the Trapinch; it was nothing if not persistent and aggressive. It kept throwing itself at Duran time and time again hoping for a different outcome, and showed surprising toughness from the beating it ended up taking. But its stubbornness forced us to end things with a knockout, as it refused to give up or accept defeat despite being battered and barely able to stand by the end.

"That was rough to watch. That Trapinch is exceedingly stubborn," Owen's voice came from behind as I flinched in surprise. I turned my head to find him accompanied by his entire team, with the Slakoth on his back and all the rest standing beside him with varying amounts of labored breathing.

"You saw that? I thought you were still asleep in your tent."

"Nope! We rise with the sun. I don't think you noticed yesterday, but we always get up early to work out and train. We tend to get a little rowdy, so we've been holding it away from camp to not wake anyone up."

"Huh, and I thought I was an early riser. I always do morning training with my team, but not at sunrise. What kind of workouts do you do?"

"A little bit of everything," he shrugged. "Stretching followed by pushups, lunges, jogging, really anything to get the blood pumping before training. I've always started my mornings like that, and my team joins wherever they can. When we jog for example, I carry Omar on my back for added weight but even Roxy and Misha join in, I just have to jog in place periodically for them to catch up."

"I might try joining you sometime soon. I've been meaning to focus more on physical conditioning for me and my team, but it seems like there's always more practice to be done with their moves so I've never gotten around to it."

"You're welcome to join anytime, dude! No offense, but you could stand to put on some muscle. It helps motivate your team if they see you putting in a similar effort as them, too."

I nodded in agreement as Samantha emerged from her tent with her team, clinging to her cup of coffee like a lifeline and looking as though she hadn't gotten more than a few hours of sleep despite being the last one awake.

"Good morning sleepyhead. I don't suppose I could grab one last cup of coffee from you? I've been craving one all morning," I asked hopefully.

"Yeah, yeah... Stella, be a dear if you don't mind," Samantha grumbled as she took a seat and Stella retreated back into her tent.

"I probably should have gotten some instant coffee or something while I had the chance. Didn't realize how used I'd gotten to having coffee to wrap up my morning routine," I admitted.

"You two really shouldn't be drinking that stuff," Owen chimed in with mild disapproval. "It's not healthy, and my mom gets insanely cranky if she can't have her morning coffee since she's become so reliant on it. It's an addiction, and an artificial boost of energy you can get just from starting the day with a proper meal and workout."

Samantha shrugged, "It's not that unhealthy. I limit myself to a cup or two in the morning, but you're right that some people drink way too much throughout the day. Some of us just aren't morning people. Speaking of, how long have you two been up? You both look wide awake."

"A while," I answered while nodding in thanks to Stella levitating me a cup of coffee. "Had to do some meditation, training, and try to make some progress with Trapinch."

"It didn't go too well," Owen remarked.

"I wouldn't exactly say that," I said carefully, not wanting to go too into detail about what I'd said or done, suspecting Samantha wouldn't approve. "Things may not have ended ideally, but at least I finally got to have a conversation with it. It doesn't seem like a hopeless situation, at least."

"Sounds like progress," Samantha nodded. "So are you thinking of trying to train it?"

"Yeah, I think I will. Absolute worst case, I release it back into the desert on my way back to Mauville. That should give us about a week or so to find some common ground. She's stubborn, but I think I piqued her interest in evolving and showed that I can help her do it."

"Her? And here I thought you were building a boys club," Samantha ribbed.

"It just worked out that way," I shrugged. "It's not like I had a huge selection of Eevee, Corphish, and Ralts and picked out the males. Besides, it might make the pains that come with training a dragon slightly more bearable. Aren't males generally more aggressive and stubborn? Dragons are already infamously both of those things, so maybe it won't be quite as rough as it would be if she were male."

Samantha snorted in amusement before leveling me a serious look, "Don't get your hopes up. Seriously though, if it ends up being too much for you to handle, there's no shame in releasing it. Better to be safe than sorry. I better not find you missing a hand or something next time I see you."

"I'm being careful. I didn't get anywhere near it today, and I don't intend to until I'm convinced it's safe. It's not even a dragon yet, and it's already quite a handful."

She hummed in approval, "Well if it all works out, you'll have 'dragon' checked off your wishlist. If you can manage to pull that off, I don't imagine a ghost would be too much of a hassle. They're malicious little tricksters, but if you can earn a dragon's loyalty a ghost should be a cakewalk."

I nodded, taking a long swig of the sweet nectar in my hand as Samantha began to prepare breakfast. For being our last day together, the morning was surprisingly standard. We chatted, ate, and packed up just like any other day. The only notable difference was my team interacting almost exclusively with Samantha's; and not just the usual suspects either. I saw Apollo and Orion interact with each member of her team at one point or another, and even caught Duran exchanging a few words with Stella briefly. My guess was that he simply didn't have the same respect for the rest of her team, but I was proud of him nonetheless.

Of course, Trapinch remained in her ball. I felt a little bad about it since that made the second meal they'd missed, but I had literally offered her a pile of food that she'd stubbornly refused. Besides, the Pokédex said the species could go over a week without food, so she must not have eaten long ago if she'd rather fight to unconsciousness than accept defeat and eat the offered meal. She needed time to recover and we both had some thinking to do, so I didn't see the harm in waiting until evening to try again.

It didn't take us long after resuming our journey to find the crossroads where we would be splitting up. It felt a little surreal when the moment was finally upon us; I'd gotten so used to Samantha's company that it was hard to imagine traveling without her. She'd been with me for the majority of my journey, but it helped that I'd likely be seeing her soon and that Owen would be accompanying me. I was still a little anxious about her going off on her own, but her mind was made up and the region was currently safer than ever for her with Team Rocket missing. Even if her team wasn't exactly the most experienced battlers, I had full faith in Stella to keep her safe and be the voice of reason in tense situations, and Chase was no pushover either.

"Well, I guess this is where we part ways," Samantha said solemnly as we stood in front of the sign pointing to routes 112 and 113.

"Seems so," I agreed with a nod as I turned to face her. We'd done our best not to address it all morning as much as possible, but it had become unavoidable. We'd returned all but our starters upon packing up camp, seemingly of the same mind that everyone but them had been given adequate time and privacy to say whatever they wanted, and not wanting to make any bigger of a deal out of what would hopefully be a short split up. Though I would say there were some friendships between our teams, such as Orion with Chase and Joy, it didn't come close to the bond that Apollo and Stella had formed. It only made sense that they be given their own private, final farewell.

Picking up on the cue, Apollo Teleported off my shoulder to stand beside Stella and began engaging in a telepathic conversation with her, sorrow and sadness visible in his posture.

As I began to wonder what I should say, Samantha suddenly threw herself at me with a hug. "Let's not make this too sappy. This isn't 'goodbye', it's just a 'see you later', right?"

"That's the plan…" I tensed, returning her embrace tightly. "But life has a funny way of ruining those. If there's one thing I've learned, it's never to take a simple goodbye lightly. You never know when it could be your last."

Samantha sighed as she released me, holding my shoulders at arm's length as she leveled me with a look containing a mixture of fondness and exasperation. "Always looking to the future and assuming the worst. You have a lot of qualities I hope never change, but I wouldn't miss that particular one."

"I'm personally excited to see how you continue to change. Ever since we started traveling together, I think you've really been coming into your own. Just remember what we talked about, alright? And don't forget our pinky promise, you said they are sacred. Be careful and stay safe, especially around a certain someone."

Owen gave a confused look, but Samantha nodded seriously, picking up that I was referring to Marelle. "I'll be careful, but she's a friend. She's also doing the same circuit, so I'll surely be seeing her again. I can't just give her the cold shoulder, but I'll keep on my toes."

I grinned, "She probably won't be too happy when you beat her a second time, which I fully expect you to do. But she's not exactly what I'm most worried about… We've been pretty fortunate on our travels, except for one slight hiccup in that tunnel. Don't let your guard down; if that desert was any indicator, things are only going to get more dangerous the further north you go."

She rolled her eyes, "I'll be fine, I've got Stella and the rest of my team with me. I'd like to think I've learned a thing or two from you, at least some of the good things like camping out of sight. Besides, I'm not the one who goes running toward danger."

She released me and turned to Owen, "My brother has a tendency to get himself into trouble, so do me a favor and try to be the voice of reason when he starts being dense. Don't be afraid to slug him if he's being a jerk to people or tries charging head-first into a pack of Mightyena, you have my permission."

Owen chuckled, clasping her hand and shaking it with enthusiasm. "I'll do my best to keep your brother safe, you have my word. Good luck on your contest, I'm sure you'll do great. Hopefully we meet again soon, it's been a pleasure getting to know you. Stay safe so we get that chance, I hear the north isn't usually as kind and peaceful as the west. Find a travel buddy if you get the chance, there's safety in numbers."

"I will if I can, but I'm actually looking forward to some alone time with my team. You and Danny both had it, and I've heard it's something every journeying trainer needs to experience at some point. With Team Rocket laying low and our destinations being different, now's as good a time as any."

Owen and I both nodded as I glanced down to find Stella nuzzling her head against the top of Apollo's helmet as he hugged her tightly, a sight that broke my heart. I had no doubt that this was most difficult for them, but Apollo in particular was still rather young and had never experienced anything like this. Being forced to leave someone he cared about due to circumstances outside his control was going to be hard on him, but it was something unavoidable that would undoubtedly contribute to his developing maturity.

"Well, we've got a lot of distance to cover before I'll feel good about calling it an early night to catch up on sleep, and I think we've already made this sappy enough. Ready, Stella?"

Stella took her head off of Apollo and stepped back with a nod, her gem shining as she presumably gave him some final parting words. Apollo Teleported back onto my shoulder and held me tightly, and I couldn't help but notice his slight trembling as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

"Thanks for everything, Stella. You've been a great mentor and friend to us, especially Apollo. You're an amazing partner to Sammy, see to it you both stay safe. I'm counting on you," I said with a slight bow of the head.

I felt her familiar presence touch my mind, politely asking for permission which I allowed without a second thought.

"Your defenses are still up, you've learned well. While I was skeptical at first, it's truly been a pleasure having you and young Apollo around. Fret not for our safety; Mistress may not show it much, but you've been a positive influence on her and I have no doubt she'll keep your teachings and warnings in mind. I cannot thank you enough for not babying her simply due to her family and status. Take good care of young Apollo, and stay safe until we meet again."

I nodded silently as I felt her presence leave, and Samantha gestured for Stella to follow as she turned to face the northern path, taking her first few step away.

"By the way, that expectation you have of me to win… That goes both ways, Danny. Don't you dare go losing your gym battle or we'll be very disappointed, won't we Stella?"

Stella looked back at us and nodded, and both began walking down the path that would eventually lead them to Fallarbor. I felt Apollo's grip tighten, and glanced to my shoulder as I rubbed him soothingly and checked in on him.

"You alright?"

Sadness. Anxiety. Fear. Worry.

"I know, buddy. But worrying about them won't help anything. We'll see them again, just have faith. I trust Stella to keep them safe, don't you?"

He nodded, and turned to Owen to gesture for him to lead the way down the path leading west. I'd be lying if I didn't share some of Apollo's feelings, but we'd done all we could to help prepare Samantha for the solo leg of her journey. I still wasn't fully convinced she wouldn't freeze up in the face of danger, but she was at least cognizant of it and seemed to be taking her safety much more seriously than when we had first set off together.

The simple truth of the matter was, it was officially out of our hands from that point forward. All we could do was hope for the best and hold up our part of the promise, doing our best to stay safe and secure a victory in our upcoming gym battle so we could stick to our general plan to meet back up in Mauville.

Besides, Owen and I weren't exactly traveling through the safest terrain either. We still had both Fiery Path and Jagged Pass coming up soon, and with Trapinch to contend with I had no doubt that our next few days were bound to be quite interesting indeed.

A/N: A rare early morning chapter and the end of an era; Samantha finally splits from Daniel and takes on a journey of her own. We'll have to see if she's capable of handling herself and can avoid getting into any trouble. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and hope Daniel didn't come across as too big of an asshole, since he was putting on a bit of a show to try to sway Trapinch into giving him a chance. I tried to strike a delicate balance of him being fair, cautious, and firm, so hopefully I portrayed it well without going overboard.

Shoutout to Trix for beta-reading this chapter, and to Feanix, Iyawolfwhite, FateVoid, and everyone else who commented over on AO3. I originally only started posting to AO3 because FFN was extremely shaky and seemed to be on the verge of death, but the support and kindness has been wonderful so thank you.

Speaking of AO3, I've posted my second one-shot. The prompt given was 'Smeargle' and I was challenged to write a feel-good story with minimal angst, so this one has a G rating and pushed me outside my comfort zone. I'm trying to become a more flexible writer and plan on periodically doing other short stories for practice, so feel free to give prompt suggestions in the discord or on one of those stories if you'd like to see my take on something, and if it sparks some inspiration I'll give it a go.

Come chat about DotD or hang out on Discord. gg/ ge6a8XcNcB