Leaving Rustboro City behind for now, Lapis began his travels to Dewford Town for his next Gym challenge. As a thank you for helping him at Rusturf Tunnel, Mr. Briney offered to give Lapis a ride to both Dewford Town and Slateport City. Along the way, they encountered a terrible storm. Thanks to a strange Charizard, they were able to save Weldon, who was separated from his friend during that incident. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and the teen finally made it to Dewford Island. What adventures await him here, and what Pokémon will join him on his journey?

Lapis' Pokémon:

Zuli (Lvl. 14 Mudkip, male): Impish Nature, Torrent Ability, moves: Tackle, Growl, Mud Slap, Water Gun

Onyx (Lvl. 11 Poochyena, female): Mild Nature, Run Away Ability, moves: Tackle, Howl, Sand Attack

Tiger Eyes (Lvl. 12 Zigzagoon, male): Quiet Nature, Pickup Ability, moves: Tackle, Tail Whip, Headbutt

Agate (Lvl. 13 Beautifly, female): Quirky Nature, Swarm Ability, moves: Tackle, String Shot, Harden, Absorb

Moonstone (Lvl. 13 Taillow, female): Naive Nature, Guts Ability, moves: Peck, Growl, Focus Energy, Quick Attack

Apatite (Lvl. 11 Whismur, male): Naughty Nature, Soundproof Ability, moves: Pound, Growl, Uproar

Chapter 10- A Chunk of Granite

Lapis circled Dewford Town for an hour, only to find the place he was searching for to be nowhere in sight.

"Damn it! Is there no PokéMart around here?!" he shouted, causing some of the nearby locals to avoid him. "Ugh! Guess I gotta rely on the Pokémon Center. Hope this nurse won't be prissy about me using the healing machine so often."

He stormed into the red roofed building and was bombarded by a blast of cold air. He stood still for a few minutes, unamused by the drastic temperature change. Then, he walked over to the reception desk.

The fit nurse, who had a streak of light blue in her dark hair, greeted him with the all-too familiar sweet smile. "Welcome to the Dewford Town Pokémon Center, Lapis. I'm Nurse Mura."

"Yeah, yeah. Just heal my Pokémon already."

Nurse Mura gave a soft sigh before taking his Poké Balls and healing them. After giving the six balls back, she asked, "I assume you'll need a room here?"

"Yeah. Got any room?"

"Unfortunately, someone took the last available room, and it will be a while until one frees up."

Damn it, Leland! "Well, are there any other places I can stay at?"

The nurse mused. "There is one place, but it is a little...well...unusual."

Lapis shrugged. "I've been to plenty of strange places since I got to this region. Nothin' phases me anymore."

"If you say so." She pulled out a map of the island and pointed to a building north of the Pokémon Center. "The only hotel on the island is the Trendy Town Hostel. Just let Ryder know you're doing the Nuzlocke challenge, and he'll contact the Pokémon League Association for billing. To get there, just follow the main street. It'll be very obvious when you see it."

The Nuzlocke Trainer snatched the map and walked out of the building without uttering a thanks.

After about ten minutes of travel time, he understood what Nurse Mura was talking about. It was a two-story, rectangular building consisting of bricks, steel, and glass. A large neon sign, which read "Trendy Town Hostel", was placed on top of the entrance.

How...quaint… That sign better not blind anybody when it's on.

Suddenly, Tiger Eyes popped out of his ball.

Lapis sighed. "On the hunt for another item, Tiger Eyes?"

The Zigzagoon sniffed the air. "Yes, but it smells a little different."

"Well, it better be more useful than all those Berries you keep findin'."

"I-It's not my fault they're so common, Lapis…"

"Whatever, just do your hunt."

The Normal type nodded before running in a zigzag pattern towards the pier. Lapis walked through the doors and flinched.

The lobby was filled with knickknacks and outdated electronics while the brick walls were covered with tacky artwork and showy graffiti.

What the hell's this? This ain't trendy at all!

A man leaned on a cabinet wall, muttering to himself. His flashy T-shirt and ripped jeans made him more of a rocker than a hipster. When the doors closed, he looked up and grinned. "Welcome to the Trendy Town Hostel," he said in a slightly deep tone. "The name's Ryder, owner and proprietor."

The teen rolled his eyes, sensing a hint of haughtiness in the man's voice, before approaching the reception desk. "Uh. The nurse at the Pokémon Center said I can get a room here?"

"Wow, never expected Mura to run out of room. ID?"

Ryder scanned Lapis' Trainer ID, then him. "So you're the one doing the Nuzlocke challenge. No offense, but you don't strike me as the stressed Trainer type."

"What's there to be stressed about? I haven't lost anyone yet, and the Pokémon don't die."

"Uh huh." The owner filled out some paperwork and had Lapis sign it. Then, he tossed the newcomer a key. "Your room's 203; it's a single, so you don't have to worry about anyone else sleeping with you. Keep in mind, quiet hours are from 10 pm to 7 am. We got free breakfast from 7am to 10am, but you gotta cook or buy your own lunch and dinner. Other hostel rules are posted throughout the building. Oh, and one other thing."

He pointed to a whiteboard on the wall behind him. The words, "Entertaining Phone" were written in curly blue handwriting.

"'Entertaining Phone'?" Lapis read aloud. "What the hell does that mean?!"

Ryder shrugged. "Eh, that was what the last new guest wanted. It's our current trendy phrase."

"Wait…'trendy phrase'?!"

"That how it works 'round here. This place's the hub of all hip and trendy words heard 'round the region. And since you're the newest guest, you can choose our newest trendy phase."

"How about 'No'?"

The owner smirked. "Hah! You got quite a sense of humor."

Suddenly, there was a scratching at the door. Lapis opened it, and Tiger Eyes ran inside. An unusual crown made of ocean rock sat on the Zigzagoon's head.

"That's what you got?" his Trainer asked, disappointed. "Thought you'd find a Nugget or somethin'."

"S-Sorry, Lapis. It was the only item around the docks"

Ryder peered over and gasped. "Wait, that's what you found there?!"

The teen was confused. "What's so special about that crown?"

"Are you kidding me?! That's a King's Rock! It's one of the rarest items you can find with the Pickup Ability!"

Lapis was still not convinced. "So…"

"So?! A King's Rock gives the holder a chance to cause flinching when using an attack move!"

The teen's eyes widened. "R-Really?"

Ryder shook his head. "Seriously, you need to study more."

"Whatever." He looked at Tiger Eyes, whose disappointment turned to pride. Lapis bent down and sighed. "Fine. Since you found it, you can use it first, Tiger Eyes."

The Tiny Raccoon Pokémon beamed. "Oh, thank you, Lapis!"

His Trainer groaned as he returned his Pokémon.

Ryder mused. "What luck you found a King's Rock. A rocky crown that can be used to evolve certain Water type Pokémon. Wait… Rocky crown, Water type…" He wiped the trendy phrase from the board and wrote, "Rock Head Water Veil". The man stepped back and grinned. "Perfect! Our new trendy phrase! Man, everyone's gonna love it!"

"Uh...sure, man."

Lapis walked towards his room at the back of the hostel. It was small, but it had the basic essentials: a bed, tableside drawer, a chair, and a small desk. The teen flopped onto the clean sheets and stared at the blank ceiling. With the trek through Petalburg Woods and sailing through stormy weather, Lapis was too exhausted to do anything else for the day. After all, he unfortunately had to figure out how to get everyone up to par.

One week later…

Lapis and Zuli left the dock, the former confused at his new item. "Why'd I get this beaten-up stick?"

"Well, that fisherman said that Old Rod's still good to use to fish up Water type Pokémon," the Mudkip reminded him.

"Like what? Doubt this pole's gonna get any good Pokémon. Anyway, let's head over to Granite Cave."

His Pokémon excitedly asked, "Are we gonna get a new teammate, Loud Lapis?"

"If it's good. Plus, that Steven guy's supposed to be there, so we can finally dump that letter onto him. Come on, let's head over there before it gets too hot."

The two walked outside of Dewford Town to the Route 107 shoreline. The Nuzlocker noticed some people on the beach, but one of them stood out in particular.

He tilted his head at the boy watching two people from behind an array of rocks. The pair, a girl and an older body, had a Blaziken, Raichu, and Hariyama around them.

"Hey, isn't that Leland by those rocks?"

Zuli squinted. "Yeah, it looks like him from behind. Then that girl must be Summer. But who's she talking to?"

"Don't know. But he does look really fit for a teen."

"Bet he can beat you up, Loud Lapis."

The boy shot a dirty look at his snickering Mudkip. "Don't start with me, you blabbermouth."

But then a thought hit him. Wait a minute…is Scorcher gonna train with that guy? That weird man mentioned this to Leland. This can't be a coincidence...

He was about to walk past them when Weldon stood up and noticed them. The Kantonian panicked and briskly approached the two.

"W-What are you doing here, Lapis?!" he hissed.

Lapis shrugged. "Goin' to Granite Cave. What's it to you, Leland?"

The younger boy sighed. "N-Nothing… Just, if you see her, don't tell Summer you saw me, okay?"

The Nuzlocker shook his head, but answered, "Fine… Get outta here then."

Weldon nodded and ran back to town. Lapis thought he saw tears stream down the boy's face, but that was no concern to him now.

Zuli was worried. "Will Weldon be okay?"

His Trainer looked at the pair training. "Who knows? Hope it ain't gonna destroy him. Come on, let's keep goin'."

The Water type sighed but followed Lapis. Summer and her instructor were so engrossed in their training that they didn't notice the pair walk by. After about five minutes, they approached a dark cave with a wide opening.

Lapis then let out Onyx. "Onyx, don't knock out the Pokémon in here, 'kay?"

She whined, "O-Okay, Lapis."

Zuli nudged her. "You'll be fine, Onyx. I have faith you'll get our next teammate!"

This cheered her up a little. "Thanks, Zuli."

Lapis rolled his eyes as he returned his starter. "Let's get this over with…"

The two entered the musty cave and saw it was a bare tunnel. A Hiker, who was looking at a CD case, noticed them.

"Oh, you're that Nuzlocke Trainer, right?"

The teen sighed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, and?"

"I was told to give this to you." He gave the Trainer the case, which had "HM05" written on it.

Oh great, another one… "What's this HM do?"

"It's the HM for Flash, which will be very useful for extremely dark caves like this one."

Lapis peered around, noticing the lamps on the walls. "Looks bright enough to me."

"Well, of course it is pretty well lit here. It's a whole other story with the floors below."

"Pfft...that's probably an exaggeration."

He ignored the Hiker's pleas as the pair descended below by means of the ladder. Though the light streamed from above, the rest of the path was pitch black. Lapis tried to walk forward, but only a small circle of light surrounded him. Despite the confusing physics, he knew he couldn't go too far. Otherwise, he might never find his way back.

"Damn this challenge!" he yelled. He climbed back up and asked the Hiker, "Can I use Flash now?"

The man sheepishly replied, "Well...you need the Knuckle Badge to be able to use it outside of battle."

The teen let out a heavy sigh. "Fine… Thanks for nothing!"

He slid down the ladder, where his Poochyena grew concerned.

"A-Are we not getting the Pokémon here, Lapis?"

"No, we are!" he raged. "And it better be a good one!"

He heard scurrying of the wild Pokémon but saw no one. Furious, he walked against the wall and scanned their surroundings. After a minute of searching, he saw something yellow cowering behind some rocks.

"Finally! Onyx, Tackle!"

She hesitated. "Shouldn't we wait until that Pokémon comes out?"

"I don't care, Onyx! Just Tackle it!"

She sighed but obeyed her Trainer's command. She spun around the rock and knocked the Pokémon out of its hiding place. A female Makuhita tumbled out, trembling in fear.

"G-Get away from me!" she screamed, throwing dirt at the Dark type.

Onyx winced, causing her accuracy to decrease.

"Tackle again!"

Both Pokémon collided with each other, but the Fighting type received more damage. With the Guts Pokémon panting hard, Lapis took out a Poké Ball and threw it at her. With a few shakes, their newest Pokémon was captured.

Lapis scanned the Poké Ball before it was sent to his PC. Level 9, Guts Ability, Timid Nature. No wonder she tried to run away. "All right, let's get outta here."

Onyx looked at him, half-expecting praise, but he only returned her and exited the cave. As he walked back to town, he pondered his options.

Though that Makuhita's a wimp, she'll be pretty useful. But who do I switch out in return? He looked at the "Pokémon" option on his tablet. The weakest ones are Onyx and Apatite. Onyx's good with catching Pokémon, but Apatite has better attack. Plus, he's got the type attack bonus…

Once he entered the Pokémon Center, he logged on to the PC by the reception desk and accessed his Pokémon boxes. As he scanned for Citrine's Poké Ball, he heard someone leave theirs.

"Wh-What are you doing, Lapis?" asked a nervous Onyx.

"Switchin' you for that Makuhita."

"B-But I thought I was helpful."

Her Trainer groaned. "Listen, Onyx. I like your determination, but your moveset and power suck. I need a better Pokémon. Plus, you ain't gonna be useful for the Gym anyways."

"Please, Lapis! I-I can train harder for the other battles! I'll do everything to get stronger! I'll-"

"That's enough, Onyx! You're gonna get in the box, and I'll take ya out when I say so!"

His outburst made the Poochyena and the entire lobby quiet. Resigned to her new fate, Onyx whimpered as she returned to her ball. Lapis placed her Poké Ball on the ball holder to the right of the PC, and he exchanged the orbs electronically. After he got his newest Pokémon, he felt everyone else's eyes pierce into his heart.

He roared, "Don't you all got better things to do?!"

The visiting Trainers muttered to themselves, and Nurse Mura busied herself at her computer. For some reason, it brought back the same sensations as his time as a school delinquent.

"Forget this," Lapis muttered, and he headed back to his room at the hostel. Once he did, he let out the Fighting type.

Though she was confused by her new surroundings, she asked, "A-Are you my Trainer now?"

"Yeah," he bluntly replied as he printed out her card.

As he rummaged through his gemstone box, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt leaving Onyx in the PC. But he gritted his teeth. After finding a deep golden yellow gem, he strung it on a sterling steel necklace chain.

The Makuhita handed the card back to him. "I-I guess it's okay with me… Um…"

"Lapis." He showed the accessory to her. "Like this citrine necklace?"

Her eyes sparkled. "So pretty… It looks like the rocks I sometimes find in the cave…"

Guess she's not as scared when there's something she likes. "Then you're Citrine now."

After accepting her official team token, Lapis plopped onto his bed and pondered the next steps before his second Gym challenge in just one week. Training sucks…

Questions for the Chapter:

What did you think of the Trendy Town Hostel?

What do you think of Citrine?

Did Lapis do the right thing by putting Onyx in the PC?

How will Lapis' challenge at the Dewford Town Gym go?