TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Age: 16
Badges: 2
Account: 19,112 credits

POKÉMON
Ralts (Apollo) - Male
Corphish (Duran) - Male
Eevee (Orion) - Male

After our battle and collecting my winnings, Wattson was kind enough to offer to have my Pokéballs taken to the Pokécenter while we had a private talk in his office, since he already had a runner who was going with his own. I'll admit that I was reluctant to accept, as I wasn't keen on entrusting my family members' Pokéballs to a complete stranger and being separated from them. But it felt rude to decline and I didn't want my team to remain battered and bruised longer than necessary. I was also convinced that Wattson was trustworthy, and highly doubted that anything nefarious could happen in a huge city like Mauville.

As I took a seat in Wattson's office across the desk from him, I couldn't help but wonder if I should ask Wattson if Samantha could join. Presumably, she was waiting for me outside of the gym, and I didn't imagine that Wattson would talk to me outside of offering congratulations and some pointers. But I decided against it, since it would probably be more hassle than it was worth for what was likely to be a short conversation.

"That was quite the battle, young man! I can't remember the last time I was so impressed with a one-badge trainer. You should be proud of how far you've come."

"I made some mistakes, but I plan on learning from them. My team pulled through for me and we all gave our best, so I couldn't ask for more," I replied with a slight bow in thanks.

"Indeed! I can see why you were on the fence about letting your Eevee fight. That one has spunk, no doubt about that, but his biggest strength is his agility and speed, and it wasn't quite up to the task of keeping up with Electrike, particularly when paralyzed."

"Yeah, I think he would have had a good shot against Mareep. But I thought I should use my Corphish first to get some mud on the field, and to secure a victory for him as fast as possible. He didn't have a great showing at his last gym battle, so I wanted to make sure he got some sort of redemption, as silly as that sounds," I admitted.

Wattson nodded in understanding, "The mud surely helped, and it was an excellent idea. But rarely do battles go just as we anticipate. It's important to remain flexible; a good trainer knows how to adapt and adjust their strategy on the fly to respond to their opponent."

"You're right, I'll keep working on that. I went into my last gym battle woefully underprepared in terms of planning around my opponent, and I think I overcompensated this time by planning too much. I just need to find a good middle ground."

"Wahaha, I'm sure you'll do just fine! I dearly hope that this gym was a better experience than your first. I'll admit that I watched the recording of your gym battle after catching wind of what happened, and I think it's a damn shame that was your introduction into the league. I'm glad you didn't let that deter you from pushing on; you've got the potential to go far."

I raised a brow curiously, "Wait, did you already know about me before we first met? How did you hear about what happened? Was it that big of a deal?"

He gave a hearty laugh before responding, "If I may make a confession, quite a few of us gym leaders enjoy watching and gossiping about promising trainers. Your battle was very unique, was it not? When a trainer with no badges and an impressively advanced Ralts wipes the floor with a gym leader who is battling above the trainer's badge level, that's bound to attract attention. Particularly when the League has to step in and work to replace them soon afterward. Hard not to notice something like that."

I blinked as I processed the new information. There had to be hundreds of trainers in the region performing in the gym circuit, and even more who were talented and promising yet simply challenged a gym as a hobby. I had a hard time believing that gym leaders had the time to follow many trainers, and I highly doubted I would be on the list of those they did.

"Are you telling me the other gym leaders already know me as the guy who got Leader Georgia fired?" I asked nervously.

"Wahaha, nothing like that! I'm afraid I've given you the wrong impression, my apologies. I can assure you that you're viewed rather favorably, Norman spoke quite highly of you and he's very well respected among our circle. Nobody blames you for Georgia's own mistakes; she was still rather new to the position, but it seems she let it get to her head. Unfortunately, these things happen on occasion, you just happened to be on the receiving end of it."

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal. I definitely didn't want to cause a ruckus or draw attention to myself," I sighed.

"Attention is often a good thing, and I imagine you'll be getting more of it after that show you put on! Your Corphish and Ralts are truly impressive, and your Eevee is quite well-trained despite you having caught it recently. Those aren't exactly common Pokémon either, and with your humble beginnings I'm sure you're accruing plenty of fans."

"I'd much rather not have any attention on me," I said honestly.

Wattson leaned back in his chair and gave me a more serious look than he had before, something that struck me as strange for the normally light-hearted and jolly man.

"Considering you are a traveling trainer and taking on the gym circuit, am I correct in assuming you intend on participating in the Ever Grande Conference?"

"Uh… Yeah, I'd like to. But I won't be heartbroken if I can't make it this year."

"If you continue to challenge and beat gyms, attention is inevitable. Just today you caught the eyes of an entire stadium full of people, and many more watching from home. At this very moment, there are undoubtedly people who were impressed with your performance who are waiting outside the gym for a chance to meet and talk to you. I daresay that if you wanted no attention, you've chosen the wrong career."

"I wouldn't really call this a career," I awkwardly chuckled. "It's not like I'm trying to be a gym leader or the champion."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. If you plan on attending the Ever Grande Conference, that means you'll be earning all the badges and be among the top percentile of trainers in the region, and I believe you have what it takes to do it. Did you know that most trainers never earn more than three badges?"

"I've heard something like that, but I don't see how that's possible. I haven't even been a trainer for a full month and I've already earned two badges. I'd bet with enough time, even somebody who only trained on weekends could earn quite a few badges. No offense, but it's not like you gym leaders make it a very high hurdle; you fight us with kiddie gloves just to make sure we aren't completely incompetent. I just can't imagine anyone who loses repeatedly to these earlier gyms put in much effort."

Wattson burst out laughing harder than I'd ever seen him, and I couldn't help but flush in some embarrassment as I realized how what I'd just said might have come across. I didn't want to seem arrogant; I knew that I was still a complete novice who was likely to get thrashed by any remotely experienced or talented trainer. But a large part of me truly believed what I had just said; the gyms didn't seem that hard, particularly the first few. It seemed strange to me that somebody could get stalled at a gym for prolonged periods, particularly the first few, when Pokémon were so quick to learn and grow in strength as rapidly as they did.

"Wahahaha, no need to be embarrassed Daniel! You spoke from the heart and gave your honest opinion, and there's truth in what you said. But I wouldn't say it's incompetence that causes people to lose gym battles, as you put it. Let me ask you this; if you had lost today, what would you have done?"

"Done more training and try again in a week or two?" I asked confusedly.

"Already, that puts you in the minority. If I had to put a figure on it, I'd say I win roughly two in three battles I have. Of those who lose, maybe one in three will come back for a rematch, and the number rapidly declines for each attempt. You may not recognize it, but you're rather unique Daniel. Most orphans wouldn't even attempt to be a trainer, it can be daunting when so many are privileged with a proper education and handed everything they need to get started. Even then, most aspiring trainers don't have the courage to leave home and journey the region with the threat of Rockets and dangerous wild Pokémon ever-present. Most would have quit after facing a Self-Destruct their first gym challenge, let alone challenge an electric-type gym with a water-type. Few would teach Protect, or whistle commands, or be able to convince a species as vain as an Eevee to willingly roll in mud just for a slight advantage in battle. I could go on and on, but I think you get my point."

He once again leveled me with a serious look, "The simple fact of the matter is, of all the young men and women who aspire to be a truly successful trainer, few possess the traits to make it a reality. The determination to chase your dreams and train regularly, the perseverance to continue when faced with hardship, the emotional intelligence to identify weaknesses and work to improve. And most of all, the ability to truly bond with one's team, which is crucial for growth and motivation. Even with what little I've seen of you, I can tell you possess many of these traits and have close bonds with your team. I have no doubt you have the ability to go far, if you so choose."

I felt a bit embarrassed and taken aback, not sure what to say to what seemed to be high praise from a gym leader.

"I… appreciate that, but I think you're giving me too much credit. I'll gladly take some for our win today, but I'd be nothing if not for my team. They're the ones who put in the hard work and I just help guide them, even if I make mistakes along the way."

"The only real mistakes are the ones we don't learn from. You're still a new trainer, mistakes are natural. I have a feeling you'll grow to be an outstanding trainer," Wattson said with a warm smile as he stood up. "I expect you have some people waiting for you outside so I don't want to hold you up for too long, just wanted to congratulate you for your electrifying performance and get a better feel for you as a person. I'll let Norman know you're progressing nicely, although I suspect he'll be watching your battle as soon as it's uploaded to your profile. Don't hesitate to get in touch if there's anything you ever need, Daniel."

I nodded in thanks and stood up, accepting Wattson's extended hand for a handshake before following him to the door.

"Oh, one last thing. See to it that you don't become complacent just because you've hit the ground running. There's a reason most trainers hit a wall around their third or fourth badge, after all. Each badge will only get harder, and you must keep training hard if you are to keep your current pace. I'd also like to caution you about attracting the wrong kind of attention. Although that opening you did with your Corphish was rather impressive and effective, there are some spectators who might feel robbed of a good show, some opponents who might feel slighted at having such a tactic employed against them, and bad actors who might want to recruit that kind of aggression into their ranks."

I frowned, "Are you saying I battle… wrong? I just want my team to succeed and to earn my badge, why would I care what others think?"

He clasped my shoulder, "Not wrong, dear boy. Simply distasteful to some, and very attractive to others. Whether you like it or not, as an up-and-coming trainer you are subjected to the court of public opinion. Your tactic played well today not only because of your badge level, but also your type disadvantage. You might have seen high-level trainers employ such tactics on television, but rarely are those trainers adored by the masses or left alone by those wishing to harness such explosive violence for their own uses. And those kinds of people don't tend to take 'no' for an answer when they really want something, so ensure you're prepared to deal with that."

"So I should dial it back a little," I concluded.

"Your destiny is your own, Daniel. Nothing you did was wrong, only eye-catching. If you wish to make waves, you are well within your right to do so, just understand what is likely to come with that and make sure you're prepared to handle it. I've seen my fair share of young trainers retire early due to how they came across to the public, and I've known some who allow themselves to be strong-armed into joining illegal organizations after catching their attention. Just see to it that you're cautious and cognizant of how others might perceive how you present yourself, that's all. You're a rising star and a talented trainer, I have no doubt about that, so just be vigilant and steadfast, and I'm sure you'll do great."

I nodded in thanks and left his office, my mind swirling with thoughts as I tried to process his warning. I was convinced I didn't do anything wrong, but I could understand why he might see a need to warn me about how I present myself. But truthfully, I didn't care about being beloved by the masses, and with Team Rocket currently missing in action I didn't see any need to dial things back.

All that mattered to me was that we had been successful, and that the next leg of my journey was finally upon me.

As expected, Samantha and Owen were both waiting out front of the gym.

Unfortunately, so were strangers who wanted to congratulate me, talk, get my autograph, or take a picture with me.

I tried my best to smile and be friendly, but I found myself becoming increasingly distressed with the amount of people crowding around me, which thankfully Samantha seemed to notice and saved me from.

Needless to say, Samantha could be very convincing when she wanted to. All it took was her stepping in front of me, announcing that we had dinner plans we needed to leave for, and her staring down anybody who even thought about arguing with her.

Not that anybody did. When Samantha used her commanding voice and glared daggers, it was hard to argue. I was extremely grateful to her for getting me out of that situation, and made sure to thank her before finding a quiet place to have a celebratory dinner while my team was being treated at the Pokécenter.

"That was a great battle, especially for a two-badge challenge. I still can't believe your Corphish took on two electric-types, from a gym leader no less! And don't even get me started on your Ralts, that 'harass' thing was so cool!" Owen complimented with a beaming smile as he clasped my shoulder.

"He did great, no doubt about that. I just hope Orion doesn't take his loss too hard," I sighed as I grabbed another breadstick.

"Losing builds character, and he did well all things considered. I'm sure he'll be just fine after a good grooming, which you better be planning to do. It hurt my soul watching an Eevee rolling around in the mud like that," Samantha said with a warning glare.

"I'll get him groomed, he deserves it," I agreed with a nod. "The winnings really helped my finances. I need to do a bit of shopping, I'll probably do that tonight. Speaking of which, what's the plan? Wanna head out tomorrow?"

"I don't see any reason not to," Samantha shrugged before turning to Owen. "What about you Owen, what are your plans? You're headed to Lavaridge next, right? Why not stick with Daniel, at least as long as it's convenient? You'd be doing me a favor; my brother has a tendency to get into trouble, so he could use somebody with some common sense around to keep him in check."

Owen tilted his head with a confused expression, "I mean yeah, I'd love to travel with fellow trainers for a change if you two will have me. But why does it sound like you aren't coming?"

"I'm a coordinator, remember? I'm going to Fallarbor for my next contest and Daniel obviously wants to hit Lavaridge for the gym, so we're going to be splitting up."

"Why not just stick together though, is there some sort of rush? There's safety in numbers, and I wouldn't mind making a detour to Fallarbor. Wouldn't want siblings to split up on my account," Owen tried to reason.

"We were planning on splitting up anyways," I supplied. "It doesn't have anything to do with you. Before I met up with Sammy in Rustboro, I got to travel alone with nothing but my team and it was a great bonding and learning experience. She wants to experience that as well, and we plan on meeting up again later anyway."

"If you say so… Wouldn't have expected that you two would split up, you almost seem inseparable from what I've seen. Just be careful, Sammy. I don't doubt you're a capable trainer, but there are some pretty tough Pokémon up north, not to mention Team Rocket still has their grubby hands all over the region."

Samantha shook her head and corrected Owen, "Team Rocket has gone quiet recently, so if they're busy with something I doubt they'll be picking on random traveling trainers. Plus, I've got Stella with me, not to mention the rest of my team. We're more than capable of keeping a grumpy Pokémon away."

"You know what's up in that area, right? There's Skarmory, Seviper, Zangoose, Skorupi, and all sorts of nasty little buggers that can be seriously dangerous," Owen warned with concern clear on his face.

That made me feel uneasy, yet Samantha didn't seem phased, which only served to worry me even more. She waved it off, "I'll be fine. Let's be honest, wild Pokémon can rarely keep up with those that are trained, I have two that are evolved. Speaking of which, I finally came up with names for my two newest members!"

"Human name I'm assuming?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Hey, what's wrong with human names?" Owen said half-jokingly. "I see my team as people, so I use them myself."

"Nothing really, Orion has one. I just think sometimes it can be a bit tasteless and bland, but I wouldn't say either of you are guilty of that. You both have pretty interesting names, even Misha is a clever play off the name of Shroomish's species. So Sammy, what did you choose?"

"I named Oddish 'Joy' because of her endlessly cheerful personality, and Masquerain liked 'Buzz' out of the options I gave him, which I think suits him well."

I snorted involuntarily; not because they were bad names, but from how on-the-nose Masquerain's name was. Samantha shot me a warning glare and I raised my hands placatingly, not daring to say anything.

"Those are good names, although I'll admit that when I hear 'Joy', a certain family of nurses comes to mind," Owen thought out loud.

"It's not like they have a monopoly on the name or anything. Besides, I don't mind if people think of Nurse Joys when they see my adorable girl. There isn't a person on earth who has a bad opinion of Nurse Joys, so it might even help her in future contests. Just imagine a cute little Bellossom named Joy, dancing and singing on stage or in a flowery field. I can't wait to see how beautiful she is!"

Samantha's eyes sparkled with delight as she stared off for a moment, clearly daydreaming about life with a Bellossom by her side. I was content to let her fantasize and resumed eating, but Owen spoke up a moment later and I couldn't help but notice he seemed bothered and a little tense.

"Say, Sammy… Mind if I ask how you know what your Oddish will be?" Owen asked cautiously.

"I asked her of course," she shrugged. "It's one of the main reasons we teamed up. She wanted to be a Bellossom, and I've always wanted one. It's a win-win."

"It's actually a pretty funny story," I chimed in. "Sammy was going around asking Pokémon if they wanted to leave home and travel with her, and that wasn't going well since they basically lived in a paradise. Then I suggested showing them a routine, and she ended up with both her Masquerain and Oddish shortly after putting on a little show, with a little help from Stella playing translator."

"But it kind of sounds like you already had your mind made up before even capturing Joy. How did Bellossom get brought up?" Owen persisted to my surprise.

Understanding dawned on me as I realized he was trying to work out if Samantha had decided the evolution for Oddish or pressured Joy into agreeing. I didn't know the specifics of how that conversation went and decided to let Samantha answer, but I had no doubt she had gone about it properly considering the grilling she'd given me over Apollo's evolution.

"I get what you're worried about, you've got nothing to worry about Owen. Oddish already wanted to be a Bellossom before we even met; I had Stella ask what her dreams were and she said she wanted to dance as beautifully as her older sisters, and to make others as happy as they did for her. She was referring to the Bellossom that were there. Trust me when I say I didn't push anything on her, and never would. Funny enough, I once worried Danny was pressuring or lying to Apollo and confronted him about it, so I get how you feel."

Owen visibly relaxed, clearly relieved and satisfied with the answer, which only further confirmed to me that he was a good trainer with his heart in the right place. Samantha seemed to feel the same way too, as I couldn't help but notice the hint of a smile as she resumed eating.

Just as I was about to follow her lead and really begin to dig into the meal I'd been largely neglecting, Owen suddenly pivoted topics and got the conversation back on track.

"Speaking of new team members, do you two have any ideas for your next team members? I told you both I wanted a Machop and a Meditite, but I never got to hear what you two had planned. Spill the beans, fair is fair!"

"I don't have anything specific," I confessed. "I'd like to try my hand at a ghost and a dragon someday but wouldn't be heartbroken if I never got the chance. Honestly I just kind of go with what feels right in the moment. Apollo was my ideal starter, so you could say he was planned, but honestly I expected to fail since Ralts are so rare. Duran was… half planned? I wanted something that would be good against the Rustboro gym and decided I'd rather have a water-type over a grass-type, so I combed the beach and happened upon him. Orion was completely by chance though, largely thanks to Stella, and I still don't know which evolution he'll choose. I'm trying not to double-up on types if I can help it, so I'm somewhat stuck in limbo until Apollo and Orion fully decide on their evolutions."

"Stella told me Apollo is heavily leaning toward Gardevoir, but you can give him room to change his mind by just avoiding capturing a fighting or fairy type for now," Samantha contributed. "Your biggest variable is Orion since there are so many eeveelutions, but I don't think you should wait around until he's figured it out. It'll probably be a while until he's ready to evolve, and he could still evolve spontaneously regardless of what you two try to plan, it happens all the time."

"A dragon and a ghost are pretty ambitious; there are no eeveelutions for those though so we'll be on the lookout. Are you trying to be a generalist, Danny?" Owen curiously asked, his interest piqued. It wasn't lost upon me that he'd called me 'Danny', but I decided I didn't care enough to correct him. I was starting to get used to it thanks to Samantha, and it wasn't nearly as out of place as when Preston had used it mockingly.

"I guess? I think it's too late to specialize, and I wouldn't really want to anyway. I mostly think it would be best if the little family I'm building had a wide variety of strengths to cover each other's weaknesses."

"Family, huh? That's a great way to look at things," Owen said with an approving nod. "So you don't have a specific dragon or ghost you want?"

"Can't say I do, haven't given it much thought. Even if I do manage to pull that off, I still have an open slot that will probably be filled before I get around to getting those, so I'll just take things as they come."

He hummed before turning to Samantha, "What about you Sammy? Based on your team so far, I'm guessing you're a generalist too? Any plans for future additions to the team?"

"I guess you could call me a generalist, although it doesn't carry the same weight for a coordinator since team composition doesn't matter much. There are species I'm very interested in, but nothing is set in stone. Out of my entire team, my Skitty was the one I specifically planned and went out of my way for, and that was a unique situation. Stella just sort of happened, same with my two newer members, although they were all on my wishlist."

"Well don't leave me hanging! Is there anything that has your interests up north? There are all sorts of interesting Pokémon between here and Fallarbor, and if you take a little detour to Meteor Falls you can get some seriously rare Pokémon."

Samantha snorted in amusement, "Meteor Falls is way too dangerous for trainers of our skill level, I wouldn't even go in with a group. I'm actually glad Danny isn't going with me, because that's exactly the kind of thing he'd do. I will admit though, there is one dragon-type Pokémon that I might try to catch if the opportunity arises that just so happens to be up north, but it's not in Meteor Falls."

I raised a brow and gave her a critical look, "Weren't you poking fun at me for wanting to train a dragon? Seems a bit hypocritical, Sammy. What Pokémon is it?"

She waved her hand dismissively, "It's not the same as a real dragon. Swablu doesn't get in touch with their draconic side until they evolve into Altaria, which takes a long time to happen, and even when they do it's much more manageable. I wouldn't have to deal with the normal struggles that come with training a young, untamed dragon; they struggle to control their emotions, and you have to be powerful enough to earn their respect. If I caught a Swablu, I'd have plenty of time to get ahead of all that before it evolved. Besides, Altaria are cute, fluffy clouds; not scary, scaly dragons like most are. It might have some dragon genetics in its blood, but it's not really accurate to call it a true dragon."

"An Altaria would do very well in contests," Owen noted. "They are pretty rare, and you're right that they are one of the few dragon-types that probably won't try to bite your finger off."

"They're just so majestic and beautiful, even as a Swablu," Samantha swooned before sighing, "but they aren't very easy to find, and I'm not sure I even want to step foot on Route 114 quite yet. Maybe I'll book a Teleport back when I've got some free time and my team is more up to the task of taking on something like a Seviper or Zangoose. Those two species are very dangerous and extremely aggressive due to their longstanding territory dispute. I have faith in my team, but that just seems too risky. My heart isn't set on a Swablu that much, there's plenty of other safer options I'd be perfectly happy with."

"But nothing else between here and Fallarbor?" I asked Samantha.

"Not really, but you never know what you'll find. Spinda are cute but they don't have much contest potential. I still have my hands plenty full with my two newer additions, so I doubt I'll have a new Pokémon next time we meet up. You, on the other hand, should probably think about expanding your team. It's been a while since you caught Orion, and even though he still has a way to go with training I think it's safe to say he's fully integrated into the team and over that initial hump. You lack options in battles, and a new Pokémon would help wonders. If you catch another one, you'll finally have four and be caught up with Owen and me."

"I'm not adding team members just for the sake of it, but I'll be on the lookout. I don't think I'm ready for a dragon, but at least I know where I can look for them. I don't have the faintest idea how to find a ghost."

Owen hummed in thought, "They aren't easy to find, and catching them is even trickier. You can randomly stumble upon one just about anywhere, even in a big city like this, but actively searching for one is really hard unless you're at a paranormal hotspot. I think the only thing like that we have in the region would be Mount Pyre, it has an old graveyard that hosts quite a few ghosts. Mount Pyre is also where I'll be searching for a Meditite eventually, although that's on the mountain itself rather than the graveyard."

"If you're planning to find a Machop on our way to Lavaridge, then you can't add any more members to your team. Think you'll ever catch more if you got a sponsor someday?" I asked.

"Maybe... But six Pokémon is a lot to train, and none of mine have even evolved yet. I don't think I'll even consider my core team until most of my team is fully evolved. A sponsorship with Devon is definitely the dream though; I'm not necessarily strapped for cash thanks to my parents floating me some money every week, but I'm a long way from being able to get a decent space-tech backpack. Having Devon as a sponsor would also drastically improve my chances of someday becoming the Dewford gym leader, the league really likes trainers with that sort of backing."

"Space-tech backpacks are definitely worth it, but almost required for traveling coordinators," Samantha said with a nod, choosing to completely ignore the Devon remark.

Somehow, we eventually managed to find time to conclude dinner in between conversations, which seemed to never go stale. My pasta alfredo was rather cold by the time I finished it, but it only served to further cement the realization that our group dinner had been especially enjoyable.

As we finally paid our bill and made our way out of the restaurant, I felt extremely lucky and grateful. I not only had two people that I felt would be good, long-time friends, but they also got along very well despite a few moments of very slight tension.

We made our way back to the Pokécenter so I could finally retrieve my team, where we decided to part ways. It was late in the afternoon, and both Owen and Samantha wanted to break off so they could have some time to train with their teams, whereas I just wanted to spend some time with mine to talk and celebrate. After a quick conversation about our plans to continue on our journey, we decided we would meet up at the entrance of the Pokémart at noon, where we would do one final resupply before leaving Mauville. That would also allow for Samantha and I to have one last coffee at Crooner's Café, and give me time to get Orion the grooming he desperately needed.

After grabbing my backpack I decided to venture back to the beach on the eastern side of town, wanting to give Duran access to the ocean as a reward for the hard work he put in during the earlier gym battle. I wandered the beach until I found a vacant spot, which didn't take too long since daylight was in limited supply as the sun was setting, and released my team.

Duran looked up at me expectantly while Orion tucked his ears and tail at the sight of me, seemingly embarrassed at his loss. Apollo, picking up on Orion's emotions, Teleported beside him and began to pet him soothingly in what might have been the cutest thing I've ever seen. I was surprised to see that my team wasn't nearly as dirty as I'd been expecting to see, and guessed that they had gotten a quick rinse from Nurse Joy after she saw how dirty they were. But judging by the state of Orion's fur, I knew that a proper grooming was still much needed.

"Glad to see everyone's rested and healed up," I said as I crouched down to address my team. I reached into my backpack and pulled out my badge case, flipping it open and showing my team the new Dynamo badge that occupied it.

"Check it out, we won the battle and got our second badge. You should all be proud of yourselves; I know I am."

Duran clicked his claws happily, and although Orion slightly loosened his stance and briefly made eye contact I could tell he was still beating himself up.

Disappointment. Shame. Inferiority.

I nodded silently, appreciative of Apollo's information as tucked the badge case away before petting Orion's head soothingly.

"Orion, there's no reason for you to feel down. You did everything you asked and more, and you put up a great fight. It's my fault you lost; I sent you into a losing battle. You would have done great against the Mareep, and probably even a Voltorb. But sent you into a battle where your biggest advantages were taken from you. I'm sorry you lost, but don't blame yourself. Blame me."

I caught Orion as he lept up into my chest and nuzzled me, and I held him close as I scratched behind his ear soothingly.

"We're all still pretty new to this. We're growing and learning, so mistakes and failures are going to happen. Duran and Apollo can tell you that it isn't the first time I've made a bad call, and I'm sure it won't be the last. All I can do is promise to do my best to put you into winning situations, but sometimes losses will happen. All we can do is our best, let's use this as motivation to do better in the future."

Thankfully, Orion didn't get hung up on it for too long. Not even a few minutes later, he was happily chasing the ball across the beach while Duran enjoyed scavenging in the ocean. For his part, Apollo seemed perfectly content to sit on my shoulder and watch Orion as he gleefully ran to and fro until eventually tiring himself out and laying on my lap while mindlessly chewing on the ball.

"We leave tomorrow?" Apollo eventually sent as we relaxed and stared off into the distance while I scratched behind Orion's ears.

"Yup, Sammy and Owen are ready to go. I'm not sure how long we'll be traveling with Owen, but I think it should be fun. Did you get along well with his team yesterday?"

"Bronson and Roxy friendly, nice. Not talk much rest. Omar similar Chase, like be alone. Misha fun, lots of energy, but little scary."

I chuckled and rubbed his helmet, "Scary, huh? Guess that paralysis training was a bit traumatizing, and she really wasn't a fan when you accidentally Synchronized how the paralysis made you feel with her. Mistakes happen though, I'm sure things will be fine. I'm surprised nobody seemed afraid of Roxy, after what happened with that Geodude back in Rusturf Tunnel."

"Should not blame actions of one on others. Most know this, but think not Duran. Hold grudges for past, remember wrongs of kin. No like Misha or Roxy, could feel."

I sighed, remembering that Duran did indeed have a list of species he wasn't a fan of that seemed to only be growing. But Duran tended to be grumpy and cold to strangers in general, and up until when he had joined our team he'd lived a solitary life and had the mentality that it was him against the world. I didn't think it was really my place to tell him to be nicer and more social when he wasn't actively doing anything wrong. The only memory I had of anything like that was when Samantha had asked him to fill up a pot with water and he refused, which wasn't that big of a deal. I also suspected that he had grown to respect her more since then, and probably wouldn't do the same if it happened today. I was sure that with time, he would warm up to Owen and his team as well.

"Keep an eye on him for me, but I think it's fine for now. He's allowed to be a bit antisocial, especially around strangers. He still doesn't socialize much with anyone other than our family, and he's not the only one. Just look at Omar and Chase. Sometimes, people are just like that. I don't think it's our place to tell him to be social and friendly. He might grow out of it on his own."

"Duran nice to Orion now, has respect. Slow progress."

"As long as our family gets along, that's the most important thing. You're the family mediator buddy, so keep an eye on things for me. Anything else you've noticed?"

"Duran happier after gym, pride and confidence. Was worried, but seem good now. Just need growth and challenges, will be happy. Orion been better, but setback after losing. Feel inferior, but determined to improve. Still think of brother, but less lonely. Like new family."

"And you? How are you feeling? We haven't had as much time together lately, things have been busy. I'm glad you and Stella became good friends, do you think you'll be alright after she leaves?"

Melancholy. "Is temporary, see again, always friends. Promised. Will miss, but be fine. Have family, make more friends."

"That's very mature of you. You're right, we'll see them again. It's a promise I intend on keeping, both to you and Sammy."

Thankfulness. Appreciation. "Trust you, as always."

As we sat on the beach and enjoyed the peaceful serenity of the sunset sky and the ebbing waves of the ocean, I couldn't help but feel immense gratefulness for how much my life had changed in such a short time.

I was free from what had once felt like a prison, I had friends and a new family, and the future was looking bright. Sure, there were proverbial clouds on the horizon; Team Rocket was surely up to something that I dearly hoped wouldn't somehow affect me or those that I cared about, there was lingering uncertainty around Samantha going off on her own, I had nagging worries about Marelle and her intentions, and we were about to travel through what would hands down be the most dangerous terrain we'd come across yet. I still didn't know exactly what route we were going or what the plan was, but everything north of Mauville was much more dangerous than anything I'd encountered on my journey so far.

Then of course, there was still the question of what I would do with the Dawn Stone I'd gotten for Apollo, since it seemed like he likely wouldn't end up using it, and I still had no inkling as to what evolution Orion might be leaning toward. But both those were problems for another day; Apollo hadn't even evolved into a Kirlia yet, and Orion was still a far cry from being ready to evolve.

Despite all the uncertainty, I did know one thing for sure; tomorrow was going to be an adventure, and I was excited to embark on the next leg of my journey with my new friends and family.

A/N: Mauville arc finally wrapped up! Wanted it to be a period of peace and calm before the impending storm, but I probably dragged it on a little too long. I've got some absolute BANGER chapters queued up, at least in my personal opinion, so I'm very excited for where things are going.

In other news, I've decided to start occasionally writing one-shots as writing practice, to get me out of my comfort zone and explore some ideas I have that won't fit into this story. I've published my first one on AO3 titled "Galactic Delusions of Grandeur", so if you're inclined feel free to check that out. It's overly edgy with a very unlikeable MC, so you aren't missing out on much if you skip it, but I figured I'd throw that out there for anyone curious. Not sure how many I'll end up publishing since I don't want to spend much time on them, but it's good practice and if nothing else I'll put them in my discord, although I hope to get a nice little collection published eventually. Just doesn't quite feel right to post on FFN, but maybe someday.

Shoutout to Trix for beta-reading this chapter.

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