I kept on trying everything I could to help Adam recover his memories. I used Aromatherapy for the first hour or so, but the room quickly started to smell too fragrant. And then there's other forms of therapy we tried afterwards. I tried getting Adam into doing art by painting a picture, which…he wasn't too good at. I tried getting him to read some of Nolan's notes to see if any images pop back up, but nothing actually did. I then tried having him handstand while forcing him to recite the alphabet. I don't know! I did whatever I thought was going to work!
But it was there when Josh walked in unexpectedly, and asked "What are you doing?"
The sudden alarm of seeing Josh entering the room caused me and Adam to jump, and Adam fell to the floor. Josh saw how surprised we were, but quickly picked up that we were rather flustered. I then tried to speak up to him. "Josh! I… I mean we… We were just…"
"Rose was trying to help me with therapy!" Adam shouted, righting himself up.
Josh glanced at the both of us with bewilderment, before he sighed. "Be real with me here. I told you both not to do anything weird, but I wasn't expecting you all to try therapy. But I can tell you now, whatever you're doing, you're not exactly doing it well."
"We're sorry, Josh," I said. "But believe me, this is for Adam's sake. I promise!"
"Is it?" Josh questioned. "Because you seem particularly stressed, Rose. If anyone is in need of therapy, it's you."
"Josh, I appreciate the sentiment, but I just wanted to deal with this myself," I insisted.
"Here we go…" Josh muttered, rolling his eyes.
"If anyone was going to solve this problem that's been bugging me, it's fine! I'll deal with it!"
"Really? Because from the looks of it, this is not just concerning you. Care to explain what it is you're up to?"
"I…! Well…"
Adam waved his hand, before he soon started to lay down in bed. "You know what? I think I'll just take a nap. You guys can talk by yourselves."
I was not sure what to do at this moment, so Josh ended up walking to the balcony. He tapped my shoulder, insisting I follow him, and we both walked out to get some air. Josh closed the balcony door, before he then turned to me. "Rose, I know you're up to something here. What is it?"
I couldn't keep secrets from Josh anymore. I sighed in defeat, before sitting down near the railing. "I know how much you and Chris are dangerously close to falling apart, and I wanted to do something to help. I heard about Chris's story from Nolan. He said that Chris had a drunken father who would hurt him and his brother. Then…his brother disappeared, and died the next morning." I looked over at Josh, concerned. He seemed positively stunned upon hearing this confession. "I just wanted to help," I said. "I couldn't just sit there and be worthless while you guys are fighting my battles. For once I wanted to contribute to the team in a meaningful way."
Josh sat down by my side, trying to comfort me. "I had no idea that was Chris's life… I'm sorry to hear that."
"Yeah… So, I wanted to give therapy to Adam in the hopes that he could recover some of his lost memories of the event," I admitted. "Jog his memory a little so that we could put this stupid grudge to a close. I just wanted to help you guys…"
Josh could sense my distress, and gently wrapped his arm around me. He gave me a smile, and told me "You are helping, Rose. But you must understand this is a deeply rooted trauma. Something like this doesn't go away that easily."
"I know! But I wanted to do this so that you and Chris could potentially make it up to each other! You guys are so close to that breaking point, and it scares me. And I…" I soon began to cry, tears streaming down my face. "I don't want to lose you…"
Josh was surprised by my confession. He was quiet, but he sat by my side, and he soon stared up at the sky. He looked melancholic upon hearing me cry, and sat there in silence for a few seconds. The moment he spoke again, he mentioned "You remind me of someone I know, Rose. Someone I didn't know I would have to think about again."
I was not sure what he was saying, and just looked at the Lucario. "Huh?"
Josh glanced at me briefly, before he then stared at the floor as he sat there. "Three years ago, when Adam and I became trapped here, I almost acted the same as you did. Wanting to solve every problem by myself. To make up for my mistakes. To prove that I was strong, because I didn't want to lose Adam." He mumbled "I hated it. I hated it so much… Even now, whenever I look back on those early days, I just want to look at the Riolu I used to be and just smack him across the face for thinking things were that simple. But they're not… Because, even now, we're still here."
I was a little bit confused by his wording, but soon, I began to understand him a bit better. Is he confessing?
"However, we both soon reached a compromise. The morning after I shared how I felt to Adam, and after he realized that I'm struggling in keeping him in good spirits, he told me something that I will never forget."
"What did he say?"
Josh looked at me with a smile, before he took a look at Adam on the other side of the door. "He said 'I want you to help me help you, so we can both live.' Ever since, we worked together as a proper team. I help him, and he helps me. And no matter what, we do what we can for each other."
Those words that Josh said ended up touching me, and I couldn't help but find them insightful. I sniffed as I saw that smile on his face, and he reassured me as he patted my back. "Listen, Rose. Doing things alone won't resolve anything. I trust you. Do you trust me?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I'll trust you, Josh."
Josh smiled, and patted my shoulder. "Come on. We're wasting daylight."
We both got up and walked back into the hotel room, where Josh sat down on the floor. He sat there, cross-legged, and without asking for permission, I sat down there in front of him. He gave a smile, and told me "The main thing about working as a part of a team is that you are never truly alone. The reason we have other members of the team is to help pull the weight that you yourself can't do alone. For example, there's Cross's team."
"Cross's team?" I asked.
"Cross mentioned this long ago," Josh continued. "How he, Chris and Nolan act as a solid unit. Cross serves as the brains who strategizes with his team, while Nolan acted as the shield, and Chris acted as the sword. I recall our battle with them, back in Talis. Chris and Nolan are mostly the ones who do heavy lifting. Chris uses Agility and Double Team to boost their chances as a unit. Nolan knows King's Shield to weaken the attacks of his opponents, all the while protecting his friends. And on top of that, he's also constantly using Power Trick to swap his attack and defense stats, so it becomes nearly unpredictable on whether or not he's actually going all out or holding back, given how often he does it in battle. And as for Cross, he not only plans attacks with them like a leader should, but he also trusts their judgements, and allows them moments to breathe and consider their options carefully. But that doesn't mean he's without defense, either. Calm Mind is great to boost his special defense stat, while also strengthening his Aura Sphere attack. In conjunction to his sword and shield in Chris and Nolan respectively, if you don't take him out quickly, he could potentially defeat you by playing the waiting game."
This was so much information to process, that I needed a moment to think about what he said. But I just nodded, pretending like I understood his overly verbose explanation.
Josh continued after my nod. "And then there's us. Adam is a tank, prioritizing both attack and defense, especially when it comes to using Bulk Up. This works well for his physical attack stat, and when combined with Superpower, he's got a move that could potentially shatter boulders."
Imagine that. Adam punching a boulder. I couldn't help but smile over how comical that sounded as I pictured that very scenario in my head.
"As for you, Rose, you're more of a support role," Josh added.
"Support?" I questioned.
Josh blushed, before saying "Well, you have a great special attack stat, for starters. However, you're more of a technical party member. Your strengths aren't about fighting, but rather, they're for supporting your allies in a pinch. Toxic is great, and using Venoshock afterwards does decent damage, but…what if you came across a Poison or Steel-type Pokémon? Your options are limited when it comes to offense. This is why I think you're more designated in a support role."
"Oh… I see." I lowered my head, thinking that maybe that was a bad thing, and that I was letting Josh down with that notion.
"There's nothing to be upset about, Rose," he reassured, patting my shoulder. "You're still a strong person. You just haven't fully realized your strengths yet. Don't be selling yourself short. Without you, who knows what would've happened to me or Adam, right?"
"But…I haven't really done anything helpful yet," I said.
"Don't be absurd. You have helped us. I mean, after all… You saved my life."
Huh? I did? When did that happen? I looked at the Lucario in front of me with a surprised look on my face. All he could do was smile at me. He felt so calm, like nothing could sway him. I didn't know what he was talking about when he mentioned I helped him before, but for what it's worth, it brightened my spirits. I smiled back at him, laughing a little as I felt much better. "You really see value in me?"
"More than that, Rose," Josh affirmed with a nod. "You're my friend. I want you to decide what the best course of action should be at points. You have what it takes to make a difference. And you don't need to be strong physically to show how much you want to help. All that matters to me is– To us, I mean…!" Josh took a deep breath to calm himself, and looked me in the eye, and said "I trust you, Rose. We trust you. You don't need to try so hard by yourself anymore. You can trust us to pick up the slack at points. Don't shoulder the burdens over yourself. A team is a two-way street. We're here for each other, not for ourselves."
I was stunned silent by his kind words and gentle demeanor. He sheepishly smiled as he rubbed at the back of his head, embarrassed to look me in the eye as he tried to hide his feelings. "Wh-what I mean to say is…"
I hugged him to stop him from continuing on, a smile present on my face. Josh calmed down, and he gently pet the back of my head. As he comforted me, I just couldn't hide how I felt here. Ever since we first met, I was fascinated by how he and Adam kept on pushing forward, despite how bleak their situation was. He went out of his way to help me. He and Adam accepted me as a part of the team. I began to think about how Josh had kept on thinking for my well-being, and how he wished for nothing more than to make others around him feel better. He's selfless. Kindhearted. Always considering others above himself. He…reminded me of me, when I really think about it.
It was there that I began to think about my role as mediator in Team Radiance before leaving them. I only left them because I wanted to be with Gabe. I selfishly chose the most brutal training regimen to be worthy of being with him. And yet…that never happened. Gabe was lost, and instead of going back to my team for help, I just went out on my own… Why, though? I knew that going alone was not the best move, and yet I went and did it anyway. Was I just trying to prove myself? Or did I just want Gabe to be happy that I went out of my way to save him?
Then, the Osiris Incident happened. I fell for a trick, and I was eventually bailed out because of Josh and Adam. I got three passes. I wasn't sure why. Maybe I chose to do that because I was subconsciously thinking about Chloe and Serena. Maybe I wanted those passes for Gabe and Norman? What the hell…? What was I even thinking that day? Why did I…?
Then, my mind raced to when Gabe died, and the reactions I saw between both Josh and Norman.
"We never give up on ourselves, even when things are bleak, Rose," Josh told me.
"We weren't strong enough, and it cost Gabe his life," Norman said a day later to me.
"Rose… I'm so sorry…" Josh said once with tears in his eyes.
"After everything that happened, after that Lucario failed to exact revenge for us, do you really expect to stay by his side after he let Zeraora escape?!" Norman yelled after attacking Josh at Hotel Soprano.
"I still think about Gabe from time to time," Josh mentioned as we visited Gabe's grave. "That's why…it's important that we don't forget him for as long as we live."
"That Lucario doesn't care about Gabe," Norman brought up when I logged off during training one day. "He's only focused on himself."
Unknown to Josh one evening, I overheard him talking about me. He said "When we first met Rose, her eyes were filled with desperation. I understood them perfectly, and I took pity on her."
"If you ask me, you deserve better than them," Norman brought up in that message he sent me earlier today.
I shuddered in Josh's arms, and he took notice of it. "Rose?" he asked gently. "Are you alright?"
I began to cry, shedding tears as I hugged Josh tightly. He is nothing like what Norman was like. It was there that I realized that I was not going to accept Norman's proposal, no matter what he said. This Lucario… This person I haven't known about before… Why do I feel this way around him? Why was I so worried about his life?
I couldn't deny the truth any longer. I silently resolved myself to protecting Josh. As Josh gently hugged me back, I realized… Damn it… Chloe's right. I love him.
Chapter 55: Town of Water
Josh went downstairs to the lobby of the hotel where he came across Cross. The Gallade could tell that Josh was a little bit concerned about something. Curiously, he asked "Is something wrong?"
Josh passed off what Cross asked with a smile, remaining calm and collected on the surface. "Oh, it's nothing to worry about. Rose and Adam were just doing some private training, that's all."
"Training, huh?" Cross looked up the stairs, and couldn't help but feel doubtful about that claim. "In those rooms? What do you suppose the training is?"
Josh gave a grin, gently bopping Cross's arm with his fist. "It's nothing like what you think it is. It's more like…mental training."
"Ah. Like Adam's training under Lucian." Cross couldn't help but feel a little bit concerned for Josh, especially regarding what happened this morning. "You know, I'm worried for you, Josh."
"Hm?"
Cross sighed, before he decided to speak his mind. "I'm just saying, this whole mess is not something to take lightly. I understand you're trying to be the voice of reason, but I know you're putting up a front."
"Look, Rose and Adam looked a little bit stressed, so I wanted to try and calm them down," Josh stated. "It's been a rough day already. So much happened in such a short time."
Cross sighed, crossing his arms as he felt skeptical on Josh's claims, but chose to say nothing about it. "If you say so…"
Josh soon looked at the clock on the wall, his smile fading, as he remembered what it was that Hatori mumbled under his breath earlier. Curiously, he asked Cross "What do you suppose Hatori meant? About my aura being repressed?"
"I don't know." Cross inspected Josh carefully, curious about Hatori's claims as well. And soon, he began to think carefully about what happened earlier that day. He recalled his sparring match with Josh that morning, remembering how Josh went berserk in his Mega form. He gasped, as he finally realized exactly what might be the issue.
Josh noticed Cross's reaction, and asked "What is it?"
"I think I understand it now," Cross answered. "About why you suddenly lost it during our battle."
"You did?" This perked up Josh's attention.
"Yeah. It's your aura, Josh!"
"My…my aura?"
Cross nodded. "Whenever you seem to battle, you're intentionally holding yourself back. Lucario are known to be able to manipulate the flow of their aura for combat. What I think happened is that those instances of your aura spiking are because you can't properly control it."
Josh was so surprised by what Cross said, he looked at his own paw. For the first time since he was trapped here, he felt as if maybe there was some sort of strange issue going on with him. He couldn't figure out what it was, but he looked positively curious. What he wanted to know was how to properly control his aura, especially since he believed for so long that he was in control. Only now his aura flow is being described as erratic?
Josh clenched his paw into a fist, before looking back at Cross. "You wouldn't happen to know how to teach me about aura, right?"
"I'm afraid I can't, ironically enough," Cross said bluntly. "I'm more of a physical combatant. I only learned Aura Sphere because I needed a ranged attack."
Josh sighed. "Well, it was worth a try." Josh soon began to leave the area, heading for the exit.
Cross looked on, asking "Where do you think you're going?"
Josh smiled as he looked back at Cross. "I'm going shopping. I need to get some items before I go and train with Hatori later. Wanna come?"
Cross politely declined the offer. "I think I'll just wait here until you are ready. Though…I suppose it's probably better for you to have an escort." He looked into the corner, noticing that Nolan was sitting quietly by himself, writing some notes down. He called out "Hey, Nolan! How would you like to be Josh's shield for a change?"
Nolan overheard Cross calling to him, and saw that he was giving him an offer to give Josh and Nolan some time to connect with each other. Nolan put aside his notes, and left the table, making his way to Cross. "You want me to escort Herr Josh? Why?"
"He'll need the extra protection in case something happens," Cross assured. "Think you'll be up to the task?"
The Aeigislash soon gave a salute to show his eagerness and willingness to help. "Jawohl! I will do my best!"
"Good. Because…Josh has just left out the door."
As if to point it out, Cross drew Nolan's attention to the door of the hotel entrance. The door had swung shut. Josh was nowhere to be seen. And immediately, as Cross smiled, Nolan simply felt surprised as he soon rushed over to the door in a panic. "Herr Josh! Bitte! Wait for me!"
As Nolan rushed out the door, Cross simply just waved at his companion, wishing him the best of luck. Once he was by himself, he made his way over to the table that Nolan was at and sat down. It was there that he met up with Chris, who was bringing drinks to the table, only to be surprised in seeing that Nolan was gone. "Where's Nolan?" Chris asked.
"I sent him off to get some supplies for later," Cross answered.
"Is that so?" Chris set the drinks on the table, before sitting opposite of the Gallade. "So, how was the Moon Guild?"
"Eh, it's fine, I guess," Cross answered with a shrug. "I can't really complain."
The pair sat there in awkward silence, as Chris took a sip of the beverage he bought. Cross just stared at Chris, thinking about what might be going on in his head. He then picked up the other drink, taking a sip, before Chris stated "Hey! That's Nolan's drink!"
"I'll buy one for him later," Cross offered.
Chris couldn't help but find Cross a little bit tense, and curiously, he asked "Are you alright? You look nervous."
Cross sighed deeply. "You have no idea…"
Josh and Nolan ultimately made their way to the market, as Josh inspected the Fire Tera Shards that Nolan had received from his brother. Josh couldn't help but smile, saying "I'm glad your brother gave you something neat."
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Nolan said, averting his gaze out of embarrassment. "Barrett always wanted me to fight for my dreams. So, he wanted to symbolize my passion with something like this, you know?"
Josh smiled back, handing the Tera Shards over to the Aegislash. "If you ask me, I bet that these are able to benefit you if you had another move to compliment it."
"And…you're hoping to find something like that at the market?" Nolan asked.
"You never know sometimes," Josh mentioned. "I lucked out with finding a Bulk Up TM for Adam to compliment his fighting style." With a smile, he then added "I wanted to give it to him personally, but Lucian insisted on doing it instead. He figured it could teach him a few things."
"Ah, die Katze trained the Tiger," Nolan said in amazement. "I had no idea that you and Lucian went back that far."
"Oh, I've known him since we were trapped here," Josh said. "Though, I don't think I want to bore you with the details."
"Ja. Verstanden." Nolan then made his way over to one of the stalls, tended to by a Kecleon. He switched up to a jovial mood, and asked "Hallo! Do you have anything good worth selling?"
"Ah, you travelers must be looking for something valuable, am I right?" the Kecleon speculated.
"Close. We're actually planning a raid up the mountain, and we needed to be prepared," Josh said.
As if that mountain's mention was considered cursed, the Kecleon tensed up. "You mean…up Mount Sanda?" He then leaned forward, before whispering "Look, just between you and me, I don't think that's a wise idea. Rumor has it that the player killer is up in that mountain, biding his time until his next victim is claimed."
"Oh, the 'player killer.' Is that right?" Josh repeated with a smile. "I had no idea that Zeraora had a nickname, let alone among the merchants."
"Regardless, it's dangerous to go up there if you're not careful," the Kecleon added. "The Elites ended up going against him, and they still lost."
"If they lost, then Infernick would've been dead by now," Josh retorted. "They didn't lose. He just ran away. Which is why we're going out of our way to find him."
The Kecleon recognized Josh's confidence in this claim, and instantly backed away with a nervous laugh. "Ah, yes. I guess you have a point there." He soon cleared his throat, before offering Josh and Nolan a look at his wares. "What would you like then, gentlemen?"
Josh and Nolan perused the wares of the store for a bit, before Josh ended up noticing something that caught his eye. A TM. He pointed to it, and asked "Is that TM anything valuable?"
"Oh, so you've noticed!" The Kecleon presented it, and he decided to go into detail. "This is known as Tera Blast. If you end up Terastallizing, the move takes on the effect of whichever your Tera Type is. Like, say, your Tera Type is Grass, the move becomes a Grass-type move. You know what I'm saying?"
Josh nodded earnestly, all the while Nolan couldn't help but feel intrigued. "Well, my Tera Type is Steel. But my brother gave me a bunch of Fire Tera Shards. So, if my Tera Type becomes Fire, the move will be Fire?"
"That's right, sir," the Kecleon said with a smile. "Of course, it's up to you if you want it. I'm offering it on sale for around 2,000 Poké."
Nolan turned to Josh to see if this is something he wants to purchase, and all the Lucario could do is shrug and offer a smile. "It's entirely up to you, Nolan."
"But Herr Cross and I have worked diligently with the strategy we've currently got as a team," Nolan uttered.
"And Steel Beam is more of a detriment if used too much," Josh said. "Not to mention, Power Trick is fine if you don't want to hurt us, but you need to think carefully about what you should do when facing a tough opponent."
Nolan couldn't help but look at Josh with a stern glare. "You're just critical of our fighting style, aren't you?"
"I'm not criticizing anything," Josh pleaded. "I just want you to make the choice. All I'm doing is opening the door for you."
Nolan thought about it carefully. As he was thinking to himself, Josh soon brought up to the Kecleon "While he's busy deciding if he wants to buy it, I guess I'll see what else you have here."
"But of course! Take as much time as you like!" The Kecleon soon presented everything he had to offer in terms of his supplies. Josh went and picked up usual essentials like Oran Berries, Sleep Seeds, Apples, and so forth. And then, that's when he noticed one other item in the corner of the shop. The Kecleon saw he took notice, and added "Ah, now this…" He brought up the item to the counter, and showed it to Josh and Nolan, who both looked at it with surprise.
The Kecleon went into detail about the item with a smirk. "I netted this with a little bit of luck. You see, my team and I work as competitors and explorers mainly. I only take up duties in the shop on the side to help learn the ropes on how commerce works. We call ourselves Team Stardust."
"Team Stardust?" Josh asked curiously.
The Kecleon nodded. "And my name is ZagTrick. And I've been exploring in this game for two years now."
Username: ZagTrick Species: Kecleon Team: Stardust
Josh smiled, noticing the emblem of a moon by the Kecleon's bag in the corner. "And judging from the moon emblem, you're a part of the Moon Guild, correct?" he assumed.
The Kecleon was surprised that Josh took notice of the emblem, but he couldn't help but smile. "Why yes. You're quite the perceptive Lucario, aren't you?"
"You tend to notice things if you keep an eye peeled," Josh added. "I can tell a few things from your status here." He then proceeded to go into full detail of his analysis, taking Nolan and Zag off guard. "Looking at your reactions to the news regarding Zeraora in the mountain, that means your status is of a local player to Esther. The team scarf which you keep with you around that red stripe on your body must be rather special, since it happens to reflect the night sky, and the red stripe could be a dead giveaway when you're trying to either sneak around or hide from enemies, since Kecleon cannot naturally camouflage it. And the reason for this is because you tend to go out every once in a while on adventures. You mentioned this is a part-time gig, meaning that you only take on this role in the game for practice in the real world. Based on that assumption, you must be either in your late teens or early twenties. And on top of that, Metal Coats are only rewarded in battle competitions. Either you won that in a competition, or you won it through…other methods."
Nolan stared at Josh with befuddlement, unsure on how Josh came up to those very conclusions so quickly. However, the real shocker in this instance comes from Zag's reaction, as he ended up giving a hearty laugh. The Kecleon was ecstatic about Josh's deduction, and simply gave a smile back to them.
"You're pretty good, Lucario," Zag acknowledged. "I'll admit, I didn't think you were that perceptive." He then held up the Metal Coat in his hands. "Yes, my team won this Metal Coat through other means outside of battles. We won it through a card game, in fact."
"Super Explorers?" Nolan asked curiously.
The Kecleon nodded. "We won this baby long ago. However, my teammate, GoldyGil, didn't want to explain why. Though, he maybe had his reasons for this. Whatever the case may be…"
Josh nodded, while Nolan couldn't help but stare at it. "So, this Metal Coat… Is it for sale?"
"Huh? No no! Don't be absurd!" Zag said, placing the Metal Coat away. "This Metal Coat is not for sale, unfortunately. GoldyGil has the final say on what to do with it."
"Is that so?" Josh soon pondered this for a bit. Curious, he asked "Does your team have a Scyther or Onix?"
"A Scyther," Zag mentioned. "We were intending to present the Metal Coat to him for his birthday."
"I see." Josh nodded, giving a smile to the Kecleon's description. "In that case, I think you're quite the capable friend."
"Oh, well thank you." Zag laughed as he accepted Josh's generosity, before he then looked to his left, seeing another player approaching. "Oh, Gil! Hey there!"
Josh and Nolan soon turned to look at the same direction that the Kecleon was looking, as they both saw a Gholdengo approaching the shop, surfing on a board of gold coins before coming to a stop next to them. As he looked at the Kecleon, he waved with a smile, and greeted "Yo, Zag! What's up?"
"A Gholdengo…" Nolan looked at the player that had just approached, before he started to speak in pure awe. "I've never seen one up close before!"
The Gholdengo chuckled at Nolan's reaction, before mentioning "And believe me, it was insane of me to reach this form." He then held out his hand, and shook Nolan's hand in return. "GoldyGil's the name. Don't wear it out."
Username: GoldyGil Species: Gholdengo Team: Stardust
Nolan was at a loss for words, almost giddy to see a Gholdengo up close. Meanwhile, Josh was just standing there with a smile, stoic to a fault. However, as GoldyGil went to shake Josh's paw, Josh couldn't help but give an awkward laugh as he tries to avert his gaze out of embarrassment.
Josh should know. Gholdengo is the evolved form of Gimmighoul. However, its evolved form could only be achieved if a Gimmighoul could acquire 999 Gimmighoul Coins. A feat that is considered difficult, considering the long grind that is needed to get the coins in the first place. The real challenge in PMDO is that finding Gimmighoul lairs are rather difficult, since the chances of running into one in a dungeon is exceedingly rare. And each Gimmighoul defeated are able to drop around 40 to 60 coins. This means that any player who wishes to play as a Gholdengo are playing the long waiting game. There are very few players who were willing to go through with the grind.
Gil saw Josh's reaction with his eyes looking away out of embarrassment, before asking "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing," Josh stuttered. "It's just that I've never got the chance to see a Gholdengo for myself. It must've been crazy, going through dungeons on repeat to get the necessary amount of coins to evolve."
"Oh, believe me, it was utter hell," Gil said as he looked at Josh curiously. "But that doesn't explain your reaction, man."
"Well… I just don't know if my situation is relatable in that sense…" Josh rubbed at the back of his head, giving an awkward smile to Gil as he spoke. "I may be evolved, but I guess your time must've been so much more aggravating."
Quickly, Gil realized who he was talking to, and he soon felt like he was walking into a celebrity. "Hold on… You're LucarioTrainerJ, aren't you?"
Josh nodded.
Suddenly, Zag and Gil ended up realizing that being in Josh's presence is like a huge honor for them. Zag ended up standing there mouth agape, before he stumbled a little, catching himself on his counter as he tried to steady himself. Gil, meanwhile, couldn't help but laugh as he was quite giddy to be in his presence. "Bro, you're like a hero to me!" he exclaimed. "Well…to us actually. Tell me, is it true that you survived three months on the Zero Isles?"
Josh sighed before muttering "Another person asking about the hell I've gone through…" However, he soon spoke up, and said "Yes. That's true."
"Woah! That's incredible! I couldn't even last five days!" Gil soon looked around Josh, then around the area. "Is BlazeTiger with you? He survived as long as you have, right?"
"He's not with me at the moment," Josh said, looking a little embarrassed. "But yes. He survived with me."
"Dude, this is such an honor!" Gil mentioned, shaking Josh's paw more insistently this time. "You're like an inspiration to us! You're the reason I became an explorer in this game!"
"Seriously?" Nolan asked with amazement. "Wow, Herr Josh. You're quite the celebrity."
Josh awkwardly laughed before he soon moved his paw out of Gil's grip. Curious, he asked "So you're fans of ours, eh?"
"Are you kidding?" Zag mentioned with glee. "You guys are inspirations to us!"
"We actually saw your match in Talis," Gil brought up. "Though in all honesty, you easily could've taken that Electabuzz."
"You think so?" Josh blushed a little, clearly not used to this kind of attention. "Well, thank you. Sorry for losing to him…"
"Hey, don't sweat it! You're the dog, dawg!" Gil mentioned innocently.
However, the mention of the "dog" nickname caused Josh's nerves to get tense, and his smile quickly turned to gritting his teeth in anger. As if to emphasize it further, his own aura SPIKED, sending a small shockwave that caused everyone to stop talking briefly. Josh's eyes were red with anger.
Nolan quickly patted Josh's shoulders, trying to calm him down. "Herr Josh! Don't get too intense! It was merely a jest!"
The sudden spike in Josh's aura soon subsided and he sighed. "Sorry about that," he said. "I didn't mean to get so intense."
Gil and Zag were just stunned silent briefly by how Josh reacted at that jab. But soon enough, they relaxed, and both started to calm themselves down. Almost out of embarrassment, Josh soon pulled out a bag of money, before he then placed it on the counter of the market stall. "We'll take the Tera Blast TM. Thanks."
It didn't take long until the Tera Blast TM is brought up and Josh hands it over to Nolan. Zag chuckled, before asking "By the way, how skilled are you at sleight of hand?"
Josh shrugged before mentioning "I'm decent enough. Why do you ask?"
Zag then held up some Lucarionite, taking Josh and Nolan by surprise. "Bet you didn't see this coming, did you?"
Josh soon took off his scarf and looked at it, noticing that the Lucarionite that he attached to it was taken off. He gave a glance to Zag, before he then gave a compliment. "Not bad. However…" Josh soon put back on his scarf, before mentioning "Sleight of hand is better when you don't clue in to what you're doing." He then pulled up a separate scarf, which caught up the attention of both Gil and Zag.
Gil noticed that his scarf that he kept on his arm is gone, and as Josh handed it back, Gil chuckled. "When did you pull my scarf?" he asked.
"When you shook my paw a second time," Josh added.
"Well, you're something else!" Zag mentioned, tossing back the Lucarionite to Josh. "Have you guessed when I took the Lucarionite?"
Josh smirked, before saying "I'm a Lucario. Take a guess." He winked at the Kecleon, before he then walked off.
Nolan followed close behind him, though he did turn around to give a salute to both Gil and Zag. "Thanks for everything!" As he caught up to Josh, he then asked "You're not going for the Metal Coat?"
"Why would I?" Josh asked. "You heard them. It's not for sale. I might be decent at sleight of hand, but I'm no thief."
Nolan couldn't help but smile at Josh's words. "You're a good man, Herr Josh."
As they both left, Zag and Gil simply just stood there at the market stall, and just stared at them. Zag curiously asked "So…what did he mean when he told me to take a guess?"
"Maybe you shouldn't be judging how a Lucario can sense things," Gil mentioned. He then gave a smile as he stared at Josh. "I'll say… That Lucario is something else."
By the time it reached 6:00 PM, I realized I still had to consider who I could take with me to meet with Norman. I was sitting there staring at the window of the hotel lobby, lost in thought. What am I going to do? I have two hours, and I don't know what to do.
Soon, that was when I noticed that Josh was walking over to me, seeing how lost in thought I was. He had with him a tea set as he approached. I perked up, and asked "Hi, Josh. What's going on?"
"Oh, I couldn't help but notice you're a little bit stressed," Josh answered, taking a seat. "So, I thought I'd bring you some tea."
"Oh. Thanks," I answered.
Josh couldn't help but smile, before he then offered a cup to me. I held it up as he poured the warm tea in it, and the aromatic scent of the liquid managed to put me at ease. Josh soon poured himself a cup and set the kettle back down. "Yeah, I decided to make some chamomile tea. I read that it's helpful for relaxation."
I took a sip of the tea, and almost immediately, I smiled as the taste of it was rather nice. "Thank you," I said.
We just sat there in silence for a while, staring out the window. As we did, I noticed that the setting sun was looking rather beautiful as the orange light reflected off of the surface of the water. I didn't know what to say at the time, so I just kept quiet, drinking the tea with Josh in silence. However, Josh couldn't help but look a little concerned for me. He finished his cup of tea first, before setting it back on the tray of the tea set.
"Rose. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry…if I ended up upsetting you," he said with sincerity.
This caught my attention, and I simply asked him "Upsetting me? What do you mean?"
"It's just that every time we seem to be talking to each other in private, it's accompanied by this melancholic atmosphere," Josh said. "I don't know if it's you, or me, or whatever. I just…"
"What do you mean if it's me?" I questioned.
This ultimately made Josh tense up, as he saw that I was rather confused by his own wordings. Nervously, he tried a rebound. "Uh, what I mean is that… I know you're under a lot of stress, and I can easily relate. I've been under a ton of stress for some time now."
I smiled at him. "Josh, you don't have to say that to offer me tea. Just being able to relax because of you is fine enough."
Josh blushed a little, smiling back at me as he appreciated my little compliment. Soon, he decided to get back to business. "Any luck with Adam?"
"No. Unfortunately, the trauma that he's hiding inside is deeply rooted. I won't get any answers off of him unless there's some form of therapy that works."
"Have you tried talking to him and taking notes?"
As soon as he said this, I realized that perhaps he was on to something. I set my cup down after taking a sip of it, and asked "What do you mean?"
"I think counseling through talk therapy is a good method of getting some answers," Josh answered. "The process is painless, and it's something that I think could work."
All at once, I realized I was being an idiot. I froze up, feeling like the answer was right there in front of me this whole time, and I was just doing the most obtuse methods. I felt like the biggest fool.
Josh could tell that I was a little locked up, and waved his paw in front of my face out of concern. "Uh, Rose? Are you okay?"
This soon snapped me out of it, and I gave an awkward laugh. "Hahaha, yeah! That makes a lot of sense! Why didn't I think of that sooner?"
Josh gave a glare at my sudden realization. "You're joking… You didn't think that would work?"
"I've just been struggling with trying to reach a good outcome, I never realized how simple this little problem might actually be!" I got up from my seat, before smiling at Josh and giving a nod. "Let's do it then! We just need to be able to talk it out with him!"
"Alright, but do you have any expertise with talk therapy?" Josh asked.
"I uh…" I soon began to realize that he had a point. I felt a little bit bummed, but I chose to keep thinking up options. "You're right. Maybe we're going about this the wrong way."
Josh got up from his seat, pondering on this as much as I was. "What we need is someone who is an expert with therapy."
"Someone who is not only good at talking, but is mostly easygoing and understands the psychology of Adam perfectly."
As if the timing was perfect, that was when Nolan soon approached us, holding a letter in his hand. "Herr Josh? If I was able to write a letter of formal challenge, would I be able to win the Metal Coat from…" He paused as he saw that Josh and I were staring at him, having come to the same conclusion. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
I spoke up first. "Nolan, how are you with therapy?"
"What? What are you saying?" He looked puzzled by my question. He then turned to Josh, asking "What is she saying?"
"We figure that perhaps talk therapy might be good enough to help Adam unpack his trauma," Josh stated bluntly. "You think you're up to it?"
"Hä?" Nolan soon began to get a flustered. "Herr Josh, I told you I'm training to be a freelance journalist! I don't know therapy!"
"But you understand what Adam went through, right?" Josh asked with a sly grin.
"W-well, I… I only did so because I was curious! I'm no good with therapy!"
"Then explain why Chris is no longer on a revenge quest."
"It's because Herr Cross is the one who told him not to do so! That's not therapy!"
"But Cross is a naturally calming presence with an optimistic outlook on life." Josh smiled, mentioning to him "Perhaps the both of you could go and help him out together."
"But I…" Nolan was rather surprised by the request, noticing the both of us wanting to do what we could to help Adam. However, he soon turned a little bit grumpy, demanding "He's your teammate! Why don't you talk to him?"
"I've got places to be," Josh and I said at the same time, which took us both by surprise. "What?"
Nolan slapped his face, groaning before muttering to himself. "Warum passiert mir das?"
Cross and Chris happened to notice us talking with Nolan, and the Gallade soon greeted us. "Hey, everyone! What's up?"
"We're going to need to give some therapy sessions," Josh just blurted out.
Cross and Chris were caught off guard by Josh's request, causing the pair to be rather uneasy with how to respond. Before long, however, Chris was the first to speak. "Aaaand why are you requesting therapy?"
"It's for Adam," I answered. "We think that we could help him overcome some lingering trauma through talk therapy."
"Yes. And we figured that you and Nolan would be helpful in that front, Cross," Josh replied.
Chris felt a little bit confused for why Nolan and Cross were requested, but he just sighed and shrugged it off. "You can do what you want. I'm not much for sitting around for too long."
Cross nodded in Chris's direction. "In that case, it'll just be Nolan and me. You can take a breather for this one."
Chris couldn't help but find things a little bit odd though. He looked towards me and Josh, giving a confused look. "Didn't you try therapy already, though?"
"I wouldn't really call what Rose tried earlier therapy. It looked more like Rose wanted to take the more difficult road before taking the simple solution." Josh gave a glance in my direction as he said this, like he was judging my approach from earlier. I couldn't help but blush from embarrassment because of it.
Cross nodded in understanding. "In that case, we'll get it done. Adam's still in his room, right?"
Josh smiled. "Still up there. He hasn't moved from there since lunch."
"Perfect!" Cross smiled as he patted Nolan on the back. "What do you say, Golden Blade? Ready to help a friend in need?"
Nolan hesitated on the prospect, but after looking around the room, seeing all of our faces, he relented. "Very well. I will help."
"Great. Then let's go." Cross soon started to make his way up the stairs to the room, but stopped in his tracks as he patted Chris on the shoulder. "Might as well take some time off. You might want to stay with Josh and Rose for now."
"Very well. Good luck, Cross. Nolan." Chris nodded to his teammates, and saw them both head up the stairs.
With the three of us left in the lobby, Chris looked over at Josh, asking "What's the therapy for?"
Josh and I looked at each other briefly, not quite sure how to answer. Chris didn't seem like he was going to take silence for an answer, though. So, he ended up gazing our direction, before Josh cleared his throat. "He's just incredibly high-strung. We figured that perhaps this could help him."
"Really? Because from the way I see it, you both seem rather stressed yourselves."
You don't even know the half of it. I looked over at Josh nervously, before thinking over what I knew at this point. Josh doesn't want to give away that he potentially killed Chris's brother. I don't blame him for being a little stressed. But on top of that, I don't think he has the capacity for killing anyone. Chris, however…
I glanced back at Chris, feeling him beginning to feel a little suspicious on what we're doing. Josh and I were bathed in the light of the setting sun, while Chris was standing in the shade, almost like he was some sort of trained killer about to reach his next target. Aaaah! Don't be thinking about that!
"I have my own problems, and Adam has his own," Josh added. "It's no big deal."
"Only you've chosen now of all times to seek therapy?" Chris was really getting a little curious. "And why Adam first?"
"Because he's the one who needs it the most," Josh argued as he crossed his arms. "He's been through so much already."
"Yes. The Zero Isles story. I've already heard it from Nolan."
"How much?"
"Everything from Adam's perspective."
Josh started to get a little bit nervous. He doesn't know how much Nolan let loose to Chris. Neither did I for that matter. And if I was being honest here, this made me just as nervous as he was. What if Adam confessed to the incident? What if he accidentally gave us a bad outcome with Chris here?
Chris, however, looked a little melancholic. He sighed, before saying "I had no idea he wanted to off himself like that because of what happened. I feel sorry for him. For both of you guys."
Josh and I were able to relax a little, though Josh remained relatively tense. Chris gave a pitying look to Josh, before admitting "You guys have gone through so much, and I just want to tell you that…I get it. It must not have been easy. Trapped in here for so long. Stuck with constant dead ends. I'm sorry to hear that."
Josh lowered his guard, letting himself relax a little, as he too started to look a little bit melancholic. Awkwardly, I decided to step forward, letting Chris know "Look, it's all in the past, right? We all have regrets. We all have problems. But…that's what makes us human, right? We all have no idea what life will give us. Which is why I think it's right for us to try and work together and figure out our problems. That way, we can overcome them. Right?"
Josh and Chris both looked at me, seeing how I was trying to keep everyone in a positive state. The pair soon looked at each other, before averting their gazes, awkwardly standing there in silence. But soon, Chris started to laugh awkwardly, followed by Josh, and followed by me. We were all just a trio of awkward people with our own problems, trying to figure out our ways in life. But in the end, we actually started to feel a little better.
Josh and Chris soon smiled as they looked at each other. Josh nodded, before saying "I guess we're still trying to figure out who we should be. Right, Chris?"
"I guess so," Chris answered with a nod. He soon stepped forward, before he then saw how Josh tensed up again, stopping in his tracks when he saw that Josh went back to being nervous. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to make it awkward."
"No, it's not that!" Josh stated, averting his gaze, sweating anxiously. "I just…don't know if I want to be near you for now."
"Heh. Yeah. Your brother told me you were awkward with Bug-types." Chris took a deep breath, before he then gently raised one of his arms, presenting it to Josh. Josh and I thought he might've tried to attack, but this was rather gentle as he kept his blade pointed away from Josh. "Here."
Josh looked at the blade arm, before awkwardly looking at Chris. "What are you…?"
"You need to get used to this at some point, right?" Chris suggested. "Bug chitin freaks you out, right? Why not just feel it?"
Josh didn't know what to say. He glanced my way nervously, but I was just as lost as he was. I looked at Chris, about to asked what he was doing, but the Scyther simply gave a smile my direction, almost like he wanted to reassure me that everything was alright. Josh ultimately ended up slowly raising his paw, almost like he was finally being given an opportunity to see how much Chris trusts him. Soon enough, however, he glanced towards the window, before he openly then lowered his paw, and started to head off.
"Sorry, but I've gotta go," Josh said, moving past Chris. He smiled at the Scyther, giving a bow of apology. "I promised to meet with Ryutori later tonight, and I don't want to make him wait."
"Oh. Right…" Chris lowered his arm, before giving a nod Josh's direction. "Good luck then."
Josh nodded back, before he gave a smile to me. "I'll be back sometime later tonight, Rose. Look after Adam while I'm gone, alright?"
Nervously, I showed a determined look to be there for him. "I'll do my best."
Josh thanked us for spending time together, and soon, he started to head off into the city again. I sighed with relief once Josh was gone, and Chris couldn't help but take notice. "You alright, Rose?"
"I'm alright, Chris," I answered, looking away for a brief moment. "I'm just…nervous."
"If you're worried about Josh, don't worry. He's tough. He'll be alright." Chris tried to be reassuring, giving me a smile to brighten my spirits. "Now, I'm a little concerned about you. What's up?"
Realizing that perhaps I have no other option, and because Cross and Nolan were busy looking after Adam, I just had to face the music. Looking at Chris, I saw his concerned expression, seeing he genuinely wants to be there for me. I'm just glad he wants to help, but… He doesn't know. What if something happens? What if…?
"Rose?" Chris asked curiously, snapping me out of my stupor.
I shook my head to return to focus, before I then realized that perhaps Josh leaving now was a good thing. After all, Chris was only one of my current problems. I still had the other problem to contend with. Steeling my resolve, I ended up looking at Chris, before requesting "How would you feel waiting outside of Hotel Cascade with me?"
"Huh? What for?"
I tried to remain steadfast. I did what I could to try and hide my fear as I continued. "Look, there's someone I'm not comfortable with talking to by myself, and I need you to accompany me. Think you're up for it?"
Chris started to grow a little concerned. "Is this person someone you know?"
Without saying a word, I nervously looked away briefly. Chris understood what was going on, and admitted "I guess they did something uncalled for, right?"
I nodded. "He hurt Josh. And Cross. I'm not sure what he wants, but I want you to come with me for this…because I think you might help in this case." I don't know if that's true, but I definitely can't go through this alone. Chris hasn't met Norman before. He's my best option. Or rather…he's my only option.
Chris understood what I said, accepting the request I made for him. "Alright. Lead the way, Green Flame."
Chris and I waited outside of the hotel, but by the time that it reached 7:00 and night was finally emerging, Norman hadn't even approached the hotel. I couldn't see where he was. Maybe he forgot the time?
Chris huffed as he got up on his feet. "Where is he? He should be here by now, right?"
I started to worry. Maybe Norman missed the time? Maybe he snuck past us and went somewhere else? I didn't know. I was just standing there, waiting for him to appear. However, before long, that was when I noticed a loud splash by the bridge a short distance from the hotel. As Chris and I looked at the direction of the noise, we saw a figure rise up, camouflaged with the environment, before finally revealing himself amidst the moonlight.
Chris leaned towards me, before whispering "Is this the guy?"
I nodded as I stared at the Inteleon by the bridge. "Yup."
Chris and I soon walked towards the bridge. As we did, the Inteleon ended up looking at us approach. He stood there, waiting for the both of us to approach the bridge. Smiling, he casually greeted "It's good to see you again, Rose."
Chris and I stopped in place at the end of the bridge, as I glared at the Inteleon who was smiling at me. Somewhat coldly, I greeted back "Nice to see you too, Norman."
