"... 'nd I just wanted to say that I'm sorry," Gloria concluded. "So there."

When the following morning came, Cassius hadn't even needed to prompt Gloria to make good on her promise to reconcile with Hop. By the time he'd come out for breakfast, Gloria looked to be wrapping up what she had wanted to say to him. While he had little doubt that Gloria would follow through on her word, he was a bit surprised by how determined she seemed after all the uncertainty and stubbornness she'd expressed last night.

Maybe she was really eager to patch things up with her crush after the talking to Cassius gave her. Or maybe she was eager for Cassius to prod Hop for what he liked in a girl. Either way, Cassius was glad it was finally done and over with.

"Gloria..." Hop responded, before tuning them both out. Better to leave them to hash things out between each other, as he took a seat and helped himself to some of Gloria's scrambled eggs.

Not long after he'd sat down, the two came around to the center of camp together. Cassius pretended to have only just noticed. "Oh, hey you two. Morning."

"Mornin'," Hop greeted, Gloria choosing to grunt rather than use words. Hop seemed much more chipper than he had been in recent days, so Cassius took that to mean that the talk between them went well. Which they were all the better for, in his view.

The two didn't mention their chat as they ate, and Cassius didn't pry, leaving the two of them to converse as they did before Hop's fight. Their Pokémon even seemed to notice the lack of tension in the air, as Gloria's Scorbunny and Hop's Grookey were back to playfully ribbing and chasing each other. Elsewhere, Hyla and Sizzlipede had congregated by Yamper and Wooloo to enjoy a more peaceful eating experience, bleating and barking and hissing among each other in conversation.

'All is as it should be,' Cassius thought. "Wonders never cease," Cassius quietly said beside Korvis, who to this point was the only one who hadn't yet found a place for herself within their group's inter-team Pokémon dynamic. She seemed content to scarf down her food and glare angrily.

Cassius sighed. "You're still at this?" Korvis huffed, prompting Cassius to roll his eyes. "Look, I'm not gonna tell you to be best buddies with everyone, but you can't keep acting like this forever. If we go as far as I hope we do in this challenge, we're gonna be at this for months. I'd hope you'd at least be on speaking terms with everyone when we're not training."

"Koo..." Korvis ruffled her feathers and shuddered, as if the thought of going out of her way to be friendly physically disgusted her.

"Arceus, you're stubborn," Cassius grumbled. "What could you possibly have against anyone here?"

Korvis turned her gaze to Scorbunny and Grookey, who were in the middle of wrestling each other in the dirt, rolling around and shrieking as they tried their best to pin each other. She turned back to him with a wholly unimpressed expression. "Okay," Cassius conceded. "But those aren't my Pokémon. I don't know what their damage is." He jerked a thumb to the other group. "Those are four nice, normal, well-adjusted Pokémon. What's your deal with them?"

Korvis scoffed at the mention of the word nice, giving Cassius a pretty good idea of what she thought of that particular trait. "Oh, I forgot. Anyone who isn't trying to get actively stronger 24/7 is just wasting their time, and going out of your way to be friendly with others is stupid. Did I get that right?"

While she seemed to agree with the sentiment, she was smart enough to pick up on his mocking tone, glaring at him with a low warble. Cassius threw his hands up. "What, you're mad at me? Is that not how you feel?"

Korvis returned to her food with a defiant trill, now refusing to make eye contact with him. Cassius wasn't having it. "Huff and puff all you want, you know I'm right. You can't play the angry loner card forever. Hyla and Sizzlipede actually like you and enjoy your company, and even though you might not think so, I do too when you're not going out of your way to be a giant pain in my ass."

She still made a show of pretending to ignore him. Cassius sighed again, recollecting his breath. "Look, I can't control how you act. You're your own Pokémon, and it falls on me as your trainer to make you comfortable and play to your strengths." He'd heard that somewhere from someone else, but he could try to impress Korvis with some sage knowledge if it made her more receptive. "But, and I have to stress this again—if we keep winning in the challenge, which I know you want to, then we're gonna be keeping at this for months. I'd greatly prefer if you got along with the people and Pokémon you're gonna be fighting and growing with during that time. Especially if they all go out of their way to be nice and include you in stuff."

Cassius thought he phrased that rather well, but Korvis didn't evidently think so, as she still made a show of eating her food and pretending not to hear him. Cassius made the decision to let it go for now, knowing that talking to this Pokémon-sized brick wall when she was feeling particularly stubborn would do nothing but waste his breath.

It was an underrated aspect of training that he never really considered when he'd first started, but managing the many egos on his team would have to be something he got better at. Hyla and Sizzlipede were easy enough—Hyla was housebroken, and Sizzlipede was a breeze so long as she was fed and had an outlet for her energy—but Korvis was living proof that not every Pokémon would be as simple to care for. And that wasn't even considering the many personalities and demands that he contended with already, even among his two captures—Korvis always wanted the strongest foe in a fight, but so did Sizzlipede. The problem would only grow once their team grew, especially if future additions were more battling-inclined.

Thoughts for later, as he had no intentions of taking on any more Pokémon at the moment if he could help it, but he'd have to confront it eventually. In that sense, he was less like a trainer, and more like a coach he'd see in a traditional team sport, having to make sure everybody had a role to play while making sure they were happy in that role.

Mercifully, he was forced to table the thoughts when Hop called out to him. "So, nursery today?"

That surprised him a little. "Today?"

"Why not? We're already close by, and I can't think of a better time than now. Better to knock it out while we have the time, lest something pops up and we're forced to leave it behind."

Fair point. "If we're all down, sure."

"S'fine with me," Gloria spoke up for the first time that morning. She was doing a good job of acting like they hadn't spent a good chunk of their evening last night talking about her background and feelings. He was sure she appreciated the discretion, as did he.

"Sounds like we're in agreement then. Oh," Hop seemed to remember something. "Should probably inform Caroline, huh?" Cassius and Gloria both concurred. Hop quickly found his phone and rang their agent, the woman picking up quickly and listening as Hop explained their plan for the day.

"Yeah, that's totally fine," Caroline allowed without any fuss. "Go for it."

"Sounds good," Hop smiled. "Honestly, I was a little worried you'd give us a reason or two not to."

"Nah. The only thing I could maybe nitpick is that if you'd let me know sooner, we could have gotten some of our photographers out there to snap some shots of you there for the socials, but it's not a big deal. Heck, folks potentially spotting you there naturally and taking pictures that make the rounds without our involvement might do well to make you seem more authentic, so it's a win-win either way."

"Guess so. We'll try and let you know of any stops we plan on making in the future."

"That would be appreciated. I trust you kids to make good calls, and I'd like to interfere as little as possible in your first trip around the circuit, but I'd also like to help you from unknowingly giving any business to some of the more problematic spots in Galar."

Hop laughed. "Trust me, we weren't planning on it."

Gloria leaned in closer to Hop's phone. "Would there even be anythin' problematic about a nursery?"

"You'd be surprised," Caroline replied. "Some longtime nurseries, daycares and orphanages have been popped for shady treatment and malpractice in how they go about caring for and acquiring their 'rescued' Pokémon. Real deplorable stuff. Thankfully, the nursery on Route 5's little more than a mom-and-pop with minimal outside help to manage everything, and it's got a squeaky clean record. Small enough for it to not to matter, well-maintained enough for the league to let it be."

"Could the league really step in and get it removed if it wanted?" Cassius asked, a little concerned about what that implied.

"Oh, absolutely. On a road like Route 5, where plenty of challengers are gonna be walking by and observing everything? That's a lotta high visibility, and it wouldn't do in the league's eyes to have some shady nursery stationed there as one of the only buildings around. With the pull they and Macro Cosmos have, they could get 'em shuttered and demolished within the week if they really wanted."

All three of them were silent after that, which Caroline picked up on. "Yeah, the business side of this whole thing can be brutal. But that's only a no-other-options solution for the league, and that absolutely does not apply here, so don't worry about it. Let me know if you come up with any detours in the future, but for now, go and enjoy the nursery. Anything else you have for me?"

Three negatives followed, and Caroline bade them all farewell before hanging up. With that foreboding note to end on, the three of them shook it off before making ready for the nursery. Cassius let his Pokémon in on their agenda for the day, receiving two enthusiastic responses and one not-so-pleased one. "We'll be back to training tomorrow," Cassius assured Korvis. "I think we could all use a break today."

His resident Flying-type made sure to let him know how she felt about that idea, hopping over to her Poké Ball and clicking herself inside. Cassius couldn't even find it within himself to be surprised. "Whatever. Let's go."

"My, I could scarcely believe my own eyes when I saw you three," the elderly woman smiled as she led them around. "We get the occasional few visitors every now and again during the circuit, but never on the scale of celebrities like yourselves."

"Please, ma'am, this is your home and business," Hop quickly assuaged her. "We're only guests here."

"Diane is just fine. And I'll do my best to try and remember that, dear."

The nursery didn't look like much from outside, which Cassius had expected upon hearing is described as a mom-and-pop, but he was surprised by how spacious it was inside. Large indoor playpens, massive sleeping spaces, and an entire upstairs section he hadn't even seen yet. Every inch of the place was designed for max efficiency, as expected for a business, but he was surprised by how homey the place felt in spite of that. Behind a closed door, he could see a group of Pokémon napping away in a dark room, while outside he heard the playful shouts of Pokémon he assumed were currently engaged in recreation.

The woman, Diane, stopped them in the reception area. "Well, here we are. We aren't much of a massive operation, but we're more than enough to handle all of the Pokémon here. My husband, George, mans the front desk."

"Greetings," George, an older gentleman with a surprisingly solid build, waved cordially. "I believe I've seen you three once or twice on the telly, if I haven't gone completely senile," he joked.

"I wonder sometimes," Diane ribbed gently. "And here is one of our lovely helpers, Debra, along with one of our Pokémon assistants, Marcelle."

"Hello," Debra, an older twenty-something year old woman waved, looking a great deal more nervous than her employers. Cassius hoped they could work to mitigate that the longer they were there. Marcelle, meanwhile, was a cordial-looking Mr. Mime who bowed to the three of them politely, looking a fair bit more subdued than most others of his kind did.

"So then, what is it we can help you with?" Diane asked. "Are you just here to visit, or looking to potentially adopt?"

"Just visiting," Cassius took point on this one. "My Sizzlipede actually got a little dinged up in my last fight, and we've been keeping her from training while she heals up. In the meantime, though, she's been dealing with a lot of pent-up energy, so I wanted to see if she and the rest of my team would be allowed to maybe play with some of the Pokémon here?

"Of course!" Diane seemed greatly pleased by the request. "Our Pokémon love meeting new faces! So long as they're all properly trained, you're more than welcome to have them mingle and play."

Diane and Debra led them to a massive backyard area, filled with a surprising amount of different mini-biomes that hosted a wide variation of different Pokémon. A grassy area hosted a Lillipup and a small, fluffy bear-looking Pokémon, though it was a full quadruped and colored pink with brown legs and white stripes. Elsewhere, a few Water-types frolicked in a pond, while a small frozen-over area contained Ice-types. There were plenty of other spots in the large clearing that Cassius couldn't even readily describe.

"We pride ourselves on having a habitat for as many Pokémon as possible, regardless of typing," Diane seemed immensely proud. Cassius figured she had plenty of right to be. "We certainly may not have the largest amount of Pokémon compared to the other bigger nurseries, especially in the city, but we care for the ones we get as best we can, orphaned or babysitting."

"You let the orphaned and babysat Pokémon mingle together?" Hop asked, releasing Wooloo as he did so.

"Within reason. Some Pokémon are a little shy, or perhaps temperamental, so we try to establish different groups for intermingling and outside enrichment based on which Pokémon get along best with others, regardless of whether or not they have trainers. Some Pokémon prefer keeping to themselves, others like meeting as many different Pokémon as possible, and many more fall somewhere in between—our job entails ensuring all their social needs are met." Her gaze washed over the clearing. "Some trained Pokémon become such close friends with our orphans, their trainers will adopt them and add them to their families. It's not a quick and easy thing, but it's lovely all the same."

Cassius would admit that he was a little nervous about coming to the nursery after Caroline's mention of some of the shadier businesses, but he was relieved to see that wasn't the case here. None of the Pokémon looked malnourished or otherwise mistreated—rather, the more playful ones immediately swarmed to Hyla, Sizzlipede, Wooloo and Gloria's freshly-released Yamper, who all made to sniff and chase each other. Diane laughed. "Lucky for you, our more sociable Pokémon were just let out for enrichment. I imagine your Pokémon will have plenty of energy to expend here."

He hoped so, as he watched Hyla, Yamper and the Lillipup trot over beside a curious canine-looking Pokémon Cassius did recognize, due to its similar biology to Hyla—a Rockruff. The four similar Pokémon immediately started rolling around and barking at one another playfully. Hyla looked to be having a great time, and so did Sizzlipede, who was chasing a Pansage around a nearby tree.

Gloria and Hop had taken to chatting with Debra, who seemed to be easing into the reality that she was talking with celebrities. Cassius was left to hang around Diane, which did prompt an idea in his mind. "Miss Diane, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, dear," the woman welcomed. "I couldn't fathom what I could help an aspiring champion with, but I'll try my best."

"Thank you." She had no idea how much she probably could help him with, but he'd limit it to this one thing. "I've been having some trouble with a Pokémon lately, and I wanted to know if you had any tips you could share with me."

"Well, it's what I specialize in, dear. What kind of problems?"

"... Friendliness, I guess," Cassius phrased carefully. Was it a risk to reveal this kind of information? Maybe, but it wasn't really incriminating, especially if he framed it right. "I've got a Rookidee in my party. She's a great battler, and she tolerates everyone well enough, but she doesn't really make an effort to mingle with the rest of my team outside of training. Really, she doesn't care about anything that isn't training or eating."

"Mm," Diane nodded along. "And I assume you'd like for her to be more involved with her teammates and you?"

"Yeah. I mean, if I'm gonna keep going in this challenge, I want her to get along with the Pokémon she's gonna be training and hanging out with for the next half-year or so."

"I see." Surprisingly, she smiled at him. "I will say, young man, it is very commendable that you would admit as much to me, given your status."

Huh. Cassius thought it might have maybe been a little risky, given his specific situation, but not commendable. "Why is that?"

"So many trainers like to pretend they have Pokémon all figured out, especially the younger ones. Many are unwilling to admit just how much more they need to learn about Pokémon to truly understand the depths of their history, behavior, and yes, strength in battle. That you would confide in me and ask for help tells me a lot about how much you care about your Pokémon, Mr. Hargreaves." She gave him a knowing look. "Asking for help is, after all, one of the most difficult things any person can do."

Wasn't that the truth. "I don't have nearly enough pride to be that full of myself, ma'am."

"Ah, not to say some pride isn't necessary when warranted, but I digress. I saw your Rookidee during your match—quite the fierce competitor, if memory serves." She thought for a moment. "The Corviknight evolutionary line are renowned among Flying-types for their intelligence and aggression. Rookidee especially showcase a heightened inclination toward combat, and beyond even that, female Rookidee are much fussier than their male counterparts."

Boy, didn't he know it. "Rookidee are eager to prove themselves in combat and grow, from what I read."

"Precisely right. So much so that early Galarian Pokéologists wanted to classify Rookidee as a dual Flying-Fighting type due to their aggressive nature, before later shifts in their evolutionary biology leaned substantially more toward properties evident in Steel-types. Even so, Corviknight are capable of learning Fighting-type moves, not unlike their distant evolutionary cousins from the Staraptor line."

Cassius blinked. "Oh. Uh, I see."

"Apologies," Diane begged pardon, the tiniest bit sheepish. "I was a researcher in my younger days before taking up my current career. I can get a little wordy. Do feel free to shut me up if I ramble again."

Well, if nothing else, that helped to reassure him that she definitely knew what she was talking about. "All good. So, Rookidee are naturally aggressive, then."

"Not necessarily. I'm sure you know better than anyone that not all behavior is consistent across every member of a certain species." She was obviously alluding to Hyla, a member of both the "problematic" Dark and Dragon-type categories. "But, from what you've told me, it sounds like your particular Rookidee falls in line with the more prevalent behavioural patterns present within her species and gender."

"Alright," Cassius digested. "I figure you know this, but I'm obviously not looking to change how she acts at large. I'm just wondering how I could get her more involved with the rest of my team."

"Of course." She seemed to debate something briefly. "Might I see her for a moment?"

Cassius briefly debated the risks, before choosing to trust in Korvis to not completely lose her mind in a new setting. Clicking the button on her capsule, Korvis manifested with a glare, eyeing her new surroundings with a scrutinizing gaze. "Krr..."

"Why, hello there," Diane leaned down closer to eye level with the Flying-type. "May I get a better look at you, little one?"

Korvis backed up instinctually, chirping as she did so. Cassius sighed, growing increasingly embarrassed. "Korvis, please."

"It's alright. Hardly my first experience with a rowdier Pokémon." Reaching into a tiny sack lining her belt, she revealed what looked like a treat of some sort. "Perhaps this will make you more amenable?"

Whatever the treat was, it immediately grabbed Korvis' attention. Her stubborn facade slowly melted as she hopped closer to Diane, sniffing the treat curiously. She eventually gave in, nibbling on the gummy-looking snack, paying neither of them any mind as she did so.

"Flying-type supplements," Diane explained. "Not the most visually striking snack, but they contain a lot of vitamins and nutrients vital for pre-evolved Flying-types, and almost all of them love them. You're more than welcome to help yourself to some packs in the shop, if you're interested in taking some with you on your way out."

Cassius would definitely take her up on that as he watched Diane inspect Korvis with care, touching her only when she had to, and even then limiting it to gentle pulls or pats along her plumage. Korvis shot Diane her best stink eye as she did so, but it fell a little flat when she was stuffing her face with a gummy the size of her head.

"A more experienced Rookidee, no doubt," Diane noted. "Plenty of battle scars to prove her age. She seems to have fully matured for a Rookidee as well. I anticipate it won't be very long before she evolves."

Oh, yeah. Cassius supposed she would before long. He was equal parts looking forward to and dreading that event. Maybe he'd get lucky and find out that Corvisquire was substantially less temperamental than Rookidee.

"I have something you may like," Diane whispered conspiratorially to Korvis, instantly grabbing her attention. "I've hidden a rare item somewhere within this clearing. If you can find it, it's yours. And I'll even give you a hint—it's in a place only a Flying-type can find."

That was all the incentive Korvis needed, as she shot off like a rocket in search of her prize. Cassius watched her bound away, thoroughly impressed. "You made that look easy."

"Well, I have the benefit of some fifty-odd years of life and Pokémon experience over you," Diane reminded him. "When it comes to more combat-inclined Pokémon, I've found providing physical incentives proves to be a strong motivator. Create something of a reward, or a goal to work toward, and you can present activities that she normally wouldn't be interested in as a pseudo-exercise that she'd be more interested in participating in, if you can effectively frame it as something that can make her stronger."

"A reward or goal..." Cassius repeated. "I was able to get her to stay on my team by promising her strong fights against gym leaders in the circuit, so I guess I would just need to do the same thing on a smaller, day-to-day scale."

"Indeed. You can try having her train alongside a partner, or have her participate in a few double battles to get her more used to her teammates and their tendencies. If she's as battle-hungry as she seems, then Pokémon like her tend to respect strength in others. Show to her that her companions and trainer are strong, and she'll be much more willing to listen to you when it comes to non-battle related affairs."

Double battles and joint training sessions. Essentially getting Korvis more used to spending time with her teammates, to the point where it would begin to feel natural to her. It almost felt obvious to the point of him feeling silly for not having thought of it sooner, but beating himself up over it now wouldn't do anything.

"Thank you," Cassius nodded to Diane. Coming here had evidently done more for him than earn him some positive press with the locals. "I'll try and think of something along those lines in the future."

"Of course," Diane smiled. "It's the job of the older generation to mentor the youth, is it not? Especially trainers as talented as yourselves."

Korvis returned not long after, touting what looked to be a well-worn karate belt in her beak, looking very pleased with herself. That was apparently the item Diane had mentioned, as she gave Korvis a proud pat. "Very good, Korvis. It's all yours."

"I can pay you for it," Cassius quickly offered.

Diane shook her head. "Please, there's no need. That belonged to one of our recently adopted orphans, before he outgrew it. It's just been sitting around as a toy for the younger ones in recent months. I'd rather it go to someone who would make use of it than have it sit here unappreciated."

"Can I ask what it is?" Cassius asked, risking a bit of his facade for the sake of knowing what it was Korvis was receiving.

"Of course. It's an Expert Belt. It helps to focus the wearer's mind and boost the power of super-effective attacks." She chuckled. "Its previous owner was a Fighting-type, so I suppose it's fitting that it went to someone with an equal amount of drive and aggression." For all her bluster, Korvis had never been one to shun flattery, puffing her chest out at the praise she received.

Korvis allowed him to tie the belt atop her head (which was a bit of an awkward fit given the length of the belt compared to her tiny body), and before long Korvis had transformed from a mere Flying-type into a Flying-type that looked like she knew of a few solid ways to split a plank of wood in two. Cassius would admit she looked a little silly by trying to take her new look so seriously, but he chose to keep that to himself rather than risk her wrath.

"Thank you again for the advice," Cassius said. "I really do appreciate it."

"Not a problem at all, dear. I'm happy to help anyone willing to learn more about their Pokémon. It brings me great joy to see the next generation of elite trainers so willing to help their Pokémon grow and mature."

Before Cassius could say anything further, Debra had snuck up beside them, startling Cassius slightly. "Is there something wrong, Debra?"

"Not necessarily..." Debra looked a little nervous, but for a different reason this time. She had looked fairly comfortable the few times Cassius had snuck a peak at her with Hop and Gloria, so he wasn't quite sure where this had come from. Unless he came off as more intimidating than his two travel companions, for whatever reason.

Debra whispered something under her breath to Diane, prompting the latter to frown for the first time Cassius had seen. "No, we can't."

"Why not? They're nice, capable trainers. Who better to leave it with?"

"That's not a burden we can suddenly force on anyone, Debra."

"With all due respect, we won't have an option as fitting as this once they leave, ma'am. How much longer can the Pokémon keep on like this? Days? Weeks? Months?"

Diane pondered for a long moment, before heaving a great, aged sigh. She turned to him with a sudden weariness. "Mr. Hargreaves... I hate to impose on you so, but might you be willing to do a... favor, for us?"

After everything she'd done for him today? "Of course, ma'am, I'm happy to help if I can. What kind of favor?"

"Not one I can propose lightly," she grimaced. "It involves... a Pokémon, of sorts. I understand you said you weren't looking to adopt, but that is the crux of this issue, unfortunately."

Oh. That was an issue. "A problem Pokémon?"

"Not necessarily. It's an egg that we received recently, not more than a few days ago."

An egg? "I didn't realize eggs could be such a problem."

"They normally aren't," Debra cut in. "Only, this egg isn't a... normal egg, per se. Physically, it's normal enough, and from what we've seen and tested, it's completely healthy."

"Beyond that, however, it has been showing properties that would make it a challenge to hand off to any trainer or civilian unprepared for the traits it has so far exhibited," Diane continued.

The wording of that seemed strange. "Traits? Like, beyond how it looks?"

Diane and Debra eyed each other cautiously. "We understand how strange this will sound," Diane spoke. "Believe me, I was just as surprised when I learned of this. But the egg we received... well... as ridiculous as it sounds, the only way I feel I can accurately describe it is supernatural."

Cassius blinked. Had he heard that right? "Supernatural?"

"That is to say," Debra murmured. "... it's talking to the other Pokémon."