TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Badges: 3
Account: 36,543 credits
Location: Dewford Town

DANIEL'S TEAM
Kirlia (Apollo) - Male
Crawdaunt (Duran) - Male
Eevee (Orion) - Male
Trapinch - Female

OWEN'S TEAM
Hariyama (Bronson) - Male
Shroomish (Misha) - Female
Vigoroth (Omar) - Male

Although our encounter with the pair of Aipom had seriously cut into my berry supply, there was little denying that our mission had been a resounding success when all was said and done.

On top of Trapinch's great showing and near win, Orion did fantastically in both of his battles. On paper, one would expect a spar between an Aipom and an Eevee to be fairly evenly matched since both are unevolved normal types and there wasn't too much of a size discrepancy. The Aipom was undeniably larger, but it wasn't nearly drastic enough that it would present an issue for Orion in battle, and as far as I was aware both shared Swift as the sole ranged move at their disposal.

That ended up not being true, as the Aipom took to using its tail to Fling nearby objects at Orion. I found that to be an interesting tactic, but not nearly as odd as when the Aipom tried to Tickle Orion into submission – a move I didn't even know existed until I looked it up later.

Despite what might seem like a few points in Aipom's favor as far as the matchup went, Orion emerged victorious. I wouldn't exactly call it a close battle, since Orion was still in good enough shape after his victory to try his luck against the Ambipom after a couple of minutes to catch his breath, but it was a solid battle nonetheless. Orion was much faster, significantly more skilled with Swift, and far more accustomed to battling, and those things quickly added up to make a world of difference on the battlefield.

He even began implementing Bite into his battles much to my surprise, indicating that he felt confident enough with the move for it to be officially considered battle-ready. It still paled in comparison to Trapinch's in terms of bite force and visible miasma, but I doubted that any amount of training would make up for the innate advantage Trapinch's species gave her with the move.

Orion's battle against the Ambipom was more difficult, but not nearly as bad as I would have thought. Ambipom's evolution had proved utterly detrimental in Trapinch's battle, but that was mostly due to the majority of the damage she'd worked so hard to inflict being healed during the evolution process. Evolution also tended to grant a temporary adrenaline rush, and when combined with the Ambipom's already troublesome tail doubling and elongating, Trapinch simply couldn't hope to win.

By the time Orion battled the Ambipom, that rush of adrenaline had long subsided. Orion's speed also meant that Ambipom's superior reach wasn't nearly as much of an issue, and the much faster-paced battle made it more apparent that Ambipom suffered from the typical issue of newly evolved Pokémon not having very good coordination due to their changed body proportions. It wasn't anything nearly as serious as some of the evolutions I'd seen, but Orion applying so much pressure while staying constantly on the move made the shortcomings of his foe stand out far more than they had against Trapinch.

So after dropping off Trapinch's Luxury Ball with Nurse Joy with a warning that she may possibly be temperamental, Orion and I went shopping to stock up on supplies – namely berries. The street market was becoming revitalized with the lockdown restrictions lifting and a steady influx of tourists trickling in, so I was able to find a vendor who offered me a solid deal to top off the berry bag I'd received from the Rustboro flower lady with an assortment of common berries.

It was amusing to think that not even two months ago, Duran and Apollo had both been completely floored by her Linoone despite teaming up against the old battle veteran. I still wanted to go back for a rematch someday, and I suspected that my team was now strong enough that they would be able to put up a serious fight, even in a proper one-on-one. We'd come a long way in a relatively short amount of time, but still had plenty of work to do in order to get to where I wanted us to someday be.

Understandably tired after emerging victorious against the entirety of the Aipom line, Orion lazed about in my hoodie pocket as usual while I wandered through town. Left alone to my thoughts, I eventually decided that I was going to start having him walk alongside me more when he accompanied me in town so he could get more used to people gawking at him. He was rather timid by nature when it came to being the center of attention, but he was going to have to get used to strangers swooning over him sooner or later, especially when he attracted the attention of kids who didn't always have the best grasp of respecting boundaries and personal space. Eevee were universally known as being among the most adorable species of Pokémon and their evolutions tended to attract even more attention, so it was about time we started using the tried and true method of exposure therapy to get him comfortable with receiving attention out in public.

But today wasn't that day – he had earned a relaxing ride after his hard-fought battles.

"You've gotten a lot stronger buddy," I commented idly while aimlessly browsing the small strip of street vendors, knowing that Orion could hear me despite basically muttering to myself, likely looking like a crazy person to any who saw me. I had both hands stuffed in my pocket with my left hand massaging his rump just above the tail and my right lavishing his head with attention, so I knew he was still awake from the nuzzling and purring I could feel from him.

The only response I got was a few sandpapery licks against my hand, which I took to be him thanking me for my part in how far he'd come.

Though I knew it was going to be a largely one-sided conversation, it seemed like as good of a time as any to broach a topic that I had been meaning to for quite some time. It was something best discussed without the rest of the team present, and something that was at the forefront of my mind after our encounter with the Aipom – evolution.

"You know… It's probably about time we started seriously considering what evolution you might want to choose," I commented, feeling Orion stiffen slightly. "Duran can't evolve again, Apollo hasn't even fully acclimated to being a Kirlia yet, and Trapinch probably has a long way to go, if she even sticks around. Dragon-type evolutions need to store up a lot of energy, and she only recently started training and battling. I'm not trying to rush you or anything, but if I had to guess you're next in line. "

I felt Orion's ears fold back and his purring subside, which caused me to frown.

"It's fine if you still haven't decided," I continued. "We can do some more research into your options if it would help. Last time we talked about this, I kind of just gave you brief summaries and showed you their photos in the Pokédex. We could spend some time properly going through each, if you wanted…"

Though I couldn't see Orion and he couldn't exactly respond from my hoodie, I was getting the distinct impression that this wasn't a conversation he was particularly eager to have. I couldn't figure out why and wanted to understand, but it wasn't the time to send out Apollo for translating services and I didn't want to press the issue too hard. Still, I wanted to drive home the fact that he should not only be thinking about it, but also shouldn't be worried about whatever decision he eventually came to. I was sure I'd never expressed any preferences to him directly, but I couldn't say with absolute certainty that he'd never heard me mention off-hand to someone that I was hoping to avoid doubling up on types if possible.

That thought had me concerned he might have already made up his mind, but was afraid I wouldn't be happy with his decision. I wanted to get ahead of that, as well as make it clear that he didn't have to evolve at all, just to make sure he knew that I would fully support him no matter what.

"I'm sure whatever you choose will be great," I reassured him. "I know evolution can be a scary thing, but none of the Eeveelutions are that drastic, so I doubt you'll struggle to adjust as much as most others do after evolving. And just so you know… You don't have to evolve, especially not anytime soon. When we met you said you dreamed of reuniting with your brother and someday evolving, but if that's changed I can just buy you an Everstone. It's not like you have to evolve to be strong – when I was growing up, there was a trainer from Kanto who toured different regions to take on their circuits and tournaments, and his ace was a Pikachu that became quite famous for toppling some of the strongest Pokémon in the world at the time. It even beat a Dragonite, if you can believe it."

I felt Orion's ears perk up in interest, but decided to wrap up the conversation on a high note since we were nearly back at the Pokécenter.

"Just give it some thought, we can talk more about it later. No matter what you choose, you'll always have a place with us. You're family now, and you always will be."

Orion nuzzled into my hand and curled up, either to take a nap or contemplate things. Though it wasn't exactly the proper conversation about evolution that I'd been wanting to do, I felt content that I'd gotten across what I wanted to. While it was true that I wanted to conquer the circuit and someday participate in the Ever Grande Conference, that was more of a means to an end than anything. Doing so would serve as proof that we were strong enough to tackle anything that came our way, and it came with the added bonus of being able to explore the world while satisfying my strong desire for freedom and independence.

But the main goal was to live a fulfilling life with my newfound family. So as long as Orion was happy, I would be too.

Upon returning to the Pokécenter to retrieve Trapinch, who was unsurprisingly given a clean bill of health, I decided to prod Nurse Joy a little on something that had been on my mind since my talk with Owen back in the Lavaridge hospital – adoption. Warren's suggestion to get a proper tank on the team was still fresh in my mind and recruiting a team member from Granite Cave was pretty much out of the question, so with a little downtime on my hands it seemed like as good a time as any to look into it.

Remembering the disapproving look on her face when handing me the crude map of Granite Cave I had printed out, I'd been worried she might not be too friendly with me. I'd already gotten over my mild annoyance that she'd told the rangers about that since I couldn't exactly expect her to lie on my behalf. Still, I wouldn't have been too surprised if she wasn't the biggest fan of me for making her an accomplice in getting a map that led me to the dangerous parts of Granite Cave.

That didn't end up being the case, and she was more than happy to talk me through the adoption process. But much to my dismay, what she described sounded terribly tedious, and somewhat catered more toward adopting household companions than a member of a journeying trainer's team.

You had to start by submitting an application explaining your interest in adoption and describing any relevant experience caring for Pokémon, which sounded easy enough. Then there would be a background check and financial screening, and although having no steady income didn't necessarily disqualify you from adoption it would limit the species made available to you, since some required a level of food and care not all could easily provide. A League representative would also contact you to schedule a time to appraise your dwelling, documenting what kind of space and accommodations you had available to further understand what sorts of Pokémon you were capable of caring for.

That of course wouldn't apply to me. Nurse Joy informed me that for someone in my position, constantly being on the move and having access to ample space would serve me well for most species, although it could be frowned upon for a few select species like certain ice-types that needed regular access to cold environments.

Assuming you passed that initial stage, you would then be able to browse Hoenn's database of Pokémon currently in the foster system. It included a photo of the Pokémon, a summary of their history, as well as some notes on their personality and unique quirks. You'd ideally select at least one that you were interested in learning more about and meeting, although multiple was highly recommended, and then there would be scheduled 'meet and greets' where the Pokémon would be transferred to Pokécenter closest to you and you'd be able to interact with them in the recreation room under Chansey's supervision.

If all went well and both you and your potential adoptee felt comfortable with each other, you filled out some paperwork, signed some forms, and patiently waited while praying that a review board approved your request. Nurse Joy told me that the entire process often took months, and even if I managed to successfully navigate the process, I would still be subjected to periodic check-ins by a League social worker for the first year to ensure things were going smoothly.

That would obviously be difficult to coordinate while journeying the region and having my plans almost constantly in flux. It all sounded like a long and painful process that didn't favor traveling trainers, and as much as I wanted to give a Pokémon the second chance I'd never received after spending years at the Petalburg orphanage, I just couldn't see myself committing that kind of time and energy into jumping through the hoops required to adopt.

I left the Pokécenter feeling a little disheartened. On one hand, I understood why the adoption process wasn't a trivial matter, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd just learned that I would likely never be able to offer a Pokémon with a similar background to me the chance to start anew. Life as a journeying trainer moved fast, and it hadn't even been two months since I'd started my journey, yet my team was already two-thirds of the way full and I was nearly halfway done with the circuit. I could easily see my team being completely filled and much stronger in a month, so I found it incredibly difficult to justify spending so long in a state of limbo where I'd have to stick close to settlements and jump through hoops for a Pokémon that may not even end up working out.

Maybe someday when I wasn't journeying and competing in the circuit, it would be something that I could more reasonably commit to. But as things were, I just didn't see any scenario where it wouldn't essentially put our journey on indefinite pause and be immensely burdensome.

I tried to push it from my mind and cheer up, but things didn't exactly improve as the evening progressed. Unsurprisingly, Trapinch was fairly dejected about losing her battle against the Aipom, but thankfully seemed to believe me when I told her she should be proud of putting up such a great fight and had come a long way. Though perhaps not the best way to approach the situation, I convinced her that she would have had that fight in the bag if her opponent hadn't evolved, and that she'd simply gotten unlucky. She seemed to accept this to some degree and was extra motivated when it came time for our evening training, though I largely left her alone as I could tell she wasn't exactly in the best mood, though it surely could have been far worse.

Orion and Duran were similarly a little off-kilter. For Orion, I could tell our earlier conversation about evolution was preoccupying his thoughts. He wasn't exactly acting any different, but I knew his mannerisms and body language well enough to tell that he was no longer riding the elation he'd had after emerging victorious over the Aipom line, which made me feel a little bad about bringing up evolution even though I felt the message I'd delivered was a necessary one.

Picking up on my thoughts, Apollo helpfully informed me that Orion's emotions were conflicted and uncertain, so I chalked it up to him feeling uneasy about having no idea which evolution he might want.

Honestly, I couldn't blame him. He had a very unique problem on his hands with how many options he had to choose from, and he would have to live with his choice for the rest of his life. I didn't envy him and knew that I would surely feel conflicted if I were in his position, so I decided to give him time to think before I broached the topic again.

Duran was once again sparring with Bronson, and was frankly getting knocked around by the sheer size difference. Though I suspected things would be quite different in a full-on battle, he was at a severe disadvantage in what was essentially a boxing match since we'd agreed not to use any moves in order to keep it casual. I felt bad that I hadn't been able to find him a battle like I had Trapinch and Orion, but I was convinced that he wouldn't have felt challenged battling against the Ambipom or any other Pokémon I'd seen.

Plus, I was still doing everything I could to postpone my inevitable battle with Owen until after I had the same number of badges as him, hoping it would help soften the blow of what I felt reasonably certain would be another gut-wrenching defeat.

Though he appeared outmatched, I assumed that Duran would enjoy the challenge of trying to beat Bronson in a brawl. While not a perfect solution, it was as close to a tough opponent as I could give him, and my hope was that it would help hold him over until he could get a proper fight against both Brawly and Owen.

I was wrong.

Roughly five minutes into the sparring portion of our evening session, a feeling of unease began to leak over the link I held with Apollo, causing me to take a jab to my cheek from Owen as punishment for letting my guard down to quickly cast a glance towards Apollo.

"Gotta pay attention, dude! Keep your hands up and your eyes on me," he said with a smirk as he wagged his finger disapprovingly.

"Everything alright?" I sent Apollo as I held a hand up to pause our match, not immediately seeing anything too alarming from my starter's game of keep-away with Omar.

Concern. "Look, Duran."

I looked over to see that Duran and Bronson's spar had escalated from what I was used to seeing. Bronson was planted firmly in place, holding his ground while impressively throwing up palms to block and deflect Duran's claws as he relentlessly pressed the attack with repeated Double Hits.

Though I wasn't exactly pleased to see that moves were now being employed despite what we'd agreed on, I wasn't going to interfere since Bronson seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself. It was basically just a slight upgrade from punching and clubbing with his claws as he normally did, and since Bronson was well over twice as big as Duran and many times heavier, it helped make things a little more fair.

If it took Duran using Double Hit to even have a chance at breaking through Bronson's impressive defenses, I didn't mind too much that they'd taken it upon themselves to alter the rules of engagement so long as both were in agreement.

But I felt growing unease coming from Apollo, and as I watched I started to understand why. Bronson may have been having a perfectly enjoyable time, but I knew Duran well enough to tell that he was getting a little too invested in what was supposed to be a friendly brawl.

"Wow, Duran is really going at it," Owen commented in amusement as we watched, clearly not picking up on what Apollo and I were.

"Frustrated," Apollo supplied through our link even as he continued teleporting to evade Omar trying to catch him, causing me to silently nod in agreement. Now that Bronson had gotten more used to his body, he was surprisingly quick to bat away any blow that Duran attempted to land with impressive reflexes and coordination. When we'd first allowed our teams to partner up the previous day, Duran had at least been able to land some solid hits, but he wasn't having much success today. It looked a lot like the pad work that Owen had put me through early in our combat training, where he wore heavy gloves to catch my punches in order to help familiarize me with what it felt like.

But Duran wasn't the novice I was. His attacks were all well-aimed and thrown with practiced ease, trying his best to find an opening yet unable to do so.

Taking advantage of a brief opening that Duran left when hopping to the side to try attacking from another angle, Bronson thrust a palm forward and caught Duran with enough force to send him skidding and falling backward – not quite tumbling but rocking him off his feet.

I started to get a bad feeling as he got back up, which was supported by Apollo feeding me the feeling of vindictiveness that emanated from Duran.

I rushed over to the nearby items I'd taken off me before sparring with Owen, wanting to have Duran's Net Ball ready in case things snowballed as I strongly suspected they were about to. As I did, I heard a familiar rush of water from what I knew had to be Duran's Aqua Jet, quickly followed by a heavy thud as he slammed into Bronson.

I unclipped his ball and turned around to see him in a deadlock with Bronson, who was clasping both of his claws in his massive hands. As I raised his ball to recall him, Owen surprised me by grabbing my wrist and shaking his head.

"It's fine, Bronson can handle himself. Dudes will be dudes, you know how it is. Best to just let them duke it out a little to get it out of their system."

I gave him a skeptical look before my attention snapped back to the scuffle when Duran was lifted into the air and swung over Bronson's head only to be slammed into the ground just behind him. Though it was a pretty hard hit, I still got the distinct sense that Bronson was pulling his punches and taking it easy on Duran, relatively speaking at least. He wasn't being gentle by any means, but I felt pretty confident that if Bronson were to get serious, Duran would have been buried rather than left in a small crater of scattered sand.

Bronson took a few steps back and readied himself with a wide stance and his hands set for combat as Duran once again got to his feet. He seemed to be more than willing to give Duran the fight he craved, yet appeared perfectly calm and collected unlike his opponent.

I really didn't like the look in Duran's eyes, and not just because of the Taunt he used to force Bronson to go on the offensive. I wouldn't say that Duran had lost all mental faculties and was in a blind rage, but I didn't like seeing him taking his frustrations out the way he was, especially since Bronson was supposed to be his friend, or at the very least a familiar acquaintance. I could understand and sympathize with Duran wanting to prove that he wasn't one to be so easily thrown around and dismissed, but I didn't agree with how he was going about it. Owen and Bronson were both fine with letting things play out though, so I reluctantly decided to follow Owen's advice and let him blow off some steam.

We watched intently as Bronson performed a lumbering charge towards Duran, and not just us trainers. The commotion had caused all of our nearby Pokémon to pause what they were doing and watch as the two resident 'heavyweights' went at it – even Omar was raptly attentive, nearly at a standstill for the first time save for some minimal shuffling and scratching.

I felt Apollo's conflicted emotions over our link and knew he was considering intervening. But I told him to stand down, not wanting him to interject himself and possibly risk being injured or earning Duran's ire. If anybody was going to break up the battle it was going to be me or Owen, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that Owen was probably right. If Duran had pent-up aggravation that he needed to get out, it was likely best he do so now against the opponent best suited to handle him and in a relatively controlled environment.

As Bronson got within striking range and drew back an open palm to prepare for a strike, Duran performed a quick strafe to the side with Aqua Jet in another attempt to create an opening for an attack. Though Bronson had gotten a lot better at maneuvering his newly evolved form, the fact remained that he was now a very big boy that couldn't exactly turn on a dime, even if he wasn't mid-charge from being taunted as he was.

Duran's claw slashed at Bronson's side, slicing through the skin with ease and opening up a deep gash that caused nearly all of us watching to recoil at the sight. As Bronson roared in pain and Duran raised his other claw to follow up with another slash, I reflexively jerked my hand out of Owen's grasp and recalled Duran upon seeing the first drops of blood hitting the sand, not willing to let things escalate any further.

It was just in time too, because Bronson's fist went careening right through the residual light of Duran's dematerializing body with enough force that I couldn't say with absolute confidence that Duran's shell wouldn't have cracked. In truth, I didn't have a great idea of how strong Duran's shell was ever since he'd evolved since the only frame of reference I had was that taking a point-blank Self-Destruct from ex-leader Georgia's Geodude had been enough to fracture his shell when he'd been a Corphish. Nurse Joy had noted that it was partially because his shell's integrity had been compromised from the outward pressure it was receiving from him being so overdue for molting, which had been a poor judgment call we'd made to allow him to participate in the gym battle.

I could easily see a hard hit from an enraged Hariyama potentially being enough to fracture his shell, especially since Bronson had gone from using open palms to a closed fist. Despite somewhat agreeing with Owen's sentiment that letting them fight it out might be for the best, competitive roughhousing turning into a nasty grudge match wasn't something that I was willing to entertain. While it might have possibly been the best way to fulfill Duran's strong desire for a tough battle, I didn't want there to be any bad blood between my team and Owen's, which seemed all but inevitable if things kept progressing how they were.

Relief. "Did right thing. Turning bad."

Not everyone felt this way though – Bronson in particular cast a glare my way that was enough to make me shrink in on myself, but thankful he wasn't so riled up by the entire ordeal that he was about to do anything about it.

Owen similarly shot me a disapproving look as he ran over to check on Bronson's open wound, and I quickly grabbed my backpack for the healing supplies before approaching cautiously, wanting to ensure that the wound wasn't too bad and help any way that I could.

"He got you pretty good dude," I heard Owen say to his starter as he examined the gash, which was steadily dripping blood into the sand.

My first instinct was to apologize profusely, but I briefly hesitated. Not that I would ever blame Owen, yet the fact remained that if he hadn't stopped me from recalling Duran things wouldn't have gotten nearly as out of hand. It felt a little weird to apologize when I was specifically told to let it play out, especially when I got the sense that neither Bronson nor Owen was exactly pleased with the fact that I'd recalled Duran just as he was about to be rebuked, which he almost certainly deserved.

Still, Duran had lashed out and caused Bronson to get hurt, so I felt like I had to at least apologize on our behalf, even if it was a somewhat obvious outcome of allowing things to get to that point.

"Sorry about that…" I muttered regretfully as I got close enough to hand Owen a potion and got my first decent look at the injury, which wasn't nearly as bad as I would have expected given how deep and wide the gash was. Don't get me wrong, it was a nasty cut – the kind that would have very likely severed arteries or muscle tissue if it had been inflicted on me, yet although it had managed to slice clean through Bronson's tough skin it hadn't broken through what I could only assume were incredibly dense layers of fat.

Owen nodded in thanks as he accepted the potion and spritzed it on the open wound, which quickly helped to stop the minor bleeding but did very little to close the gash.

"That's gonna need stitches for sure," Owen muttered as he leaned in for a closer look. "Wait… What move was that, dude?"

"Razor Shell?" I answered confusedly, not sure why he was asking that when he'd definitely seen Duran use it many times by now.

"I don't think so… Look at this," he said as he moved to the side a little and beckoned me closer.

He was right – when Duran used Razor Shell, his claws became imbued with water that permeated anything he sliced, which typically left whatever he cut literally dripping wet. But with the blood now coagulated and no longer leaking from the edges of sliced skin, it revealed faint traces of residue that I instantly recognized.

Miasma. That hadn't been Razor Shell, but a dark-type move. Thanks to all the time I'd had while cooped up in the Lavaridge hospital, I'd been able to look up information on most of the moves that the team was expected to learn naturally, and I felt reasonably certain that this was likely the result of a Night Slash.

It appeared that Duran adopting a partial dark typing after his evolution was beginning to truly rear its head, and I couldn't help but wonder if it would also partially explain why the incident happened in the first place. Though Duran had always been rather prideful and battle-hungry he never lost his temper like that, so it didn't seem completely out of the question that there was more at play than him simply giving in to frustration at not being able to battle to his full abilities.

Whatever the case, I would get to the bottom of it. Duran and I were going to have a serious talk real soon, that was for sure.

"We should get you to Nurse Joy," Owen said with a sigh as he stood up, jogging back over to where we had been sparring to retrieve his gear and Pokéballs. "Omar, Misha, let's go."

Things were undeniably awkward and tense as Owen recalled his team and I hesitated, wanting to offer to come with him to ensure that Bronson would be alright but feeling that this was one of those moments Owen would prefer to go alone. Owen seemed to sense my trepidation and answered my unspoken question as he slung his backpack on and turned toward the direction of town.

"No need to look so concerned, dude. It wasn't that bad of a cut and Bronson is tough. He'll be just fine."

"I know, but I still feel bad that it even happened… Duran shouldn't have escalated things like that. Mind if I tag along to make sure Bronson is alright?"

Predictably, he shook his head. "I've got this, you worry about your own team. It seems like you might need to have a chat with Duran and sort some things out."

"You're right, I think I'll do that… See you at dinner?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then," Owen nodded with a strained smile as he began to make his way to Dewford. Just as he reached where the beach's sand meets land, he paused for a moment before turning around.

"You shouldn't have recalled Duran, dude. You still owe me that battle you promised me, and it looks like I'm not the only one getting restless waiting for it to happen. You can't put it off forever, Danny."

With that he walked away, leaving me with nothing but my thoughts and an even greater certainty that when we battled, it wouldn't be lighthearted and inconsequential, as much as I desperately wanted it to be.

I followed my gut and took Owen's advice to have a sit down with Duran, recalling the rest of my team save for Apollo, who I wanted available to help translate. Though I had a pretty strong suspicion on what his explanation might be, I still figured it best to get it in his own words.

As much as I hate to admit it, there was another reason I felt that I needed to have Apollo with me. Apollo vehemently disagreed with me, but it occurred to me that there was a non-zero chance of Duran lashing out at me.

I felt quite confident that wasn't likely to happen – he saw me as family and had grown to be extremely protective of me. Yet I was still getting a feel for what personality changes his evolution might have brought about, something that was known to happen both subtly and drastically. Add onto that the fact that he was now swelling with enough dark-type energy to instinctively use Night Slash out of nowhere, it made having Apollo around to chaperone what could very well be a tense discussion with Duran all the more logical.

Disapproval. "Should trust family."

I gave a faint smile and rubbed Apollo's head affectionately as we stared out at the ocean, admiring the beginnings of another beautiful Dewford sunset. Owen had taken his leave nearly half an hour ago, but I'd wanted some time to mull things over in my head before confronting Duran about what had happened, and for him to hopefully cool off.

"You know that I do, just like you know that I always try to consider everything, sometimes to a fault. Try not to give me too hard of a time buddy, that's not exactly fair. I'm sure if I had unfiltered access to your thoughts, I'd come across a few worth criticizing."

Guilt. "Sorry. You right. But Duran would never harm family."

"I'm inclined to agree with you, but even you can't say that with absolute certainty," I reminded him with a grimace. "You haven't had access to his thoughts ever since he evolved due to his dark typing, and evolution doesn't only cause physical changes – just look at how much smarter you've gotten recently. You have to remember that Duran's species are notorious for their aggression, and I'm sure becoming part dark type has only brought that out even more. He might be having some trouble coping with it after evolving and going so long without a good battle as an outlet."

"Gym battle soon. Owen too."

"I know, but every day we wait the situation is only going to get worse, both with Duran and Owen," I said with a sigh as I rolled Duran's Net Ball in my hand, knowing I shouldn't keep putting off talking about what had happened for much longer.

Suddenly, I felt the faintest brush of a presence against my mind – so minor that if I wasn't exceedingly familiar with the sensation there's no way I ever would have noticed. Apollo definitely felt something too, since I felt him instantly fortify my mind and saw him snap his head in the direction of town.

Wariness. "Probe. Looking for someone, but won't respond."

Just as I got to my feet, the familiar pop of a Teleport signaled the arrival of a Pokémon and its trainer. Although I felt at ease upon recognizing the familiar and very distinct silhouette, I felt a wave of nervousness and inferiority from Apollo over our link, who seemed to sense that he was extremely outmatched if it were to come to a fight against the newcomers.

That wasn't going to happen though, because it was Brawly who had come to pay us a visit.

"Sup little dude! It's been a while, so figured I'd drop by to say 'hey'. How ya been?" he asked with a wide smile as he recalled his Medicham, which instantly put Apollo at ease.

"Alright, can't complain too much… Well, apart from Granite Cave being in a sorry state and your gym still being closed, but given all that's happened things could definitely be worse."

He gave a cheeky grin. "That's the spirit! No matter how choppy the waters are, it could always be worse."

I hummed and nodded in agreement, watching with interest as he walked over with his eyes transfixed on Apollo, a curious and slightly appraising look in his eyes.

"You're Apollo, right? I'm Brawly, the gym leader around here. It's nice to meet you, little dude," Brawly said with a friendly smile as he knelt to offer a hand for Apollo to shake, which my starter accepted somewhat awkwardly. "I've heard nothing but good things – apparently you are one tough contender, so I'm looking forward to our battle. Sorry if Medicham startled you, she's not too practiced with psychic etiquette, so I've been told. She's much more in touch with her fighting side, as you might imagine."

"I guess I could see how that would happen, given your specialty and all the fighting types she must spend so much time around," I remarked as Brawly stood, his eyes still glued to Apollo.

"Ya know, for a Kirlia you've got some decent muscle definition. It's obvious that you work out more than just your mind, which is pretty rad to see," he complimented with genuine appreciation. "You'll make a great Gallade, I can tell."

I raised an eyebrow, momentarily questioning whether I'd misheard him or he was being extremely presumptuous. Flannery had gently recommended Flareon as a great evolution choice for Orion and Brawly had made a somewhat similar comments regarding Gallade the first time I'd met him, but I'd never felt slighted or pressured by either gym leader for simply voicing their opinions, however biased they might be.

I'd talked with Brawly a few times and considered him a good guy, so I could only assume I had either misheard him or he'd fumbled his words a little. Still, I felt it necessary to set the record straight, just in case I'd heard correctly.

"Apollo is probably going to be a Gardevoir," I informed him, eliciting a strange look that compelled me to explain. "At least, that's the direction he was leaning the last time we talked about it, but he was still a Ralts. He hasn't been a Kirlia for very long though, so he's still got plenty of time to make a final decision."

Brawly stared at me for a long moment, and for the first time since I'd met him he seemed to consider his next words carefully rather than wearing his heart on his sleeve as usual. Yet despite taking a moment to contemplate his response, he still chose to keep true to himself by being direct.

"Not to pry, but why have a Dawn Stone if ya aren't plannin' on using it?"

I stared at Brawly with wide eyes, my mind racing to piece together how he would know that. Of course, it didn't take me long to figure out since there were only four people in the entire world who knew that I possessed that stone.

Two of them were Steven and Roxanne Stone, who of course gave it to me. As a gym leader, it wasn't impossible that Brawly kept in touch with the Stones, especially since Brawly had been around during the days of Steven being Champion and Roxanne being the Rustboro gym leader. But I seriously doubted that they were gossiping about a random trainer during these tense times in the region, especially since it was a deal performed under the table. They wouldn't be spreading that information, because on the off-chance that Samantha caught wind of it she'd likely be even more mad at them than me.

That was really saying something too, because I could imagine her being very upset to learn that the only reason I initially chose to journey with her was because her parents paid me off as a sort of amateur bodyguard. Apart from the run-in with the murderous Geodude in Verdanturf Tunnel and warning Steven about Marelle, I really hadn't even done much other than keep her company.

Still, the facts remained, and they pointed to only one answer as to how Brawly would know I had a Dawn Stone.

"The rangers told you about the stone," I stated more than asked, trying and probably failing to hide the immense annoyance I felt.

Brawly rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I mean, I am the gym leader. When somethin' happens on this island I'm kept in the loop, especially when it involves Pokémon. I had a meeting with Jason earlier and he filled me in on what went down. Smart move bailing by the way – even I wouldn't choose to tango with pissed-off Onix in a cave."

"Is that why you're here, to talk about what happened in Granite Cave? Seems like your Medicham was looking for me in particular," I pointed out, not wanting to answer his question about the stone and still unsure why Brawly was visiting me. I'd had a few casual chats with Brawly he'd visit Paulo's during lunchtime and join our table to catch up with Owen, but I would hardly say that we were 'friends'. It felt weird to have him seemingly seek me out, so I could only assume he had something specific to discuss with me.

Of course, I was right.

"Not exactly. I happened to see Owen waiting in the lobby of the Pokécenter when I came to sign some paperwork for Lillian, and he looked a little down. He perked right up when I came to chat and brushed it off as Bronson getting a little nick during a spar with you, saying that it was no big deal. But I know the little dude pretty well after all these years and could tell there was something bothering him, so I figured I'd come see if you might be able to tell me what's up with Owen."

I sighed in resignation, taking a seat next to Brawly as he sat facing the ocean and gestured for me to follow suit. Apollo teleported into my lap, and I mindlessly lavished him with attention as I momentarily contemplated how much I wanted to reveal to Brawly.

"It really wasn't that bad of an injury, at least I don't think. My Crawdaunt got a little carried away and cut Bronson pretty good, but if I had to guess that isn't what was on Owen's mind. He wants to battle me, like a proper battle, and I've sort of been avoiding it until I can get your badge."

"What's the big deal though?" Brawly asked confusedly. "You and Owen must've battled plenty of times, right? You are both trainers takin' on the circuit together, and there's no better practice than to battle others at a similar level as you."

"Surprisingly we haven't," I admitted. "When we met he was the king of the court in Mauville, and that was our only semi-serious battle. We've never had a 'proper' battle using our whole teams, we usually just train and work out."

Brawly hummed in thought. "Let me guess, that one battle you two had was Bronson and your Crawdaunt?"

I gave him a surprised look, then nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, before either were evolved. Owen and Bronson won, but it was a great battle. That's actually how we became friends."

"No better way to get to know someone than battling," Brawly said with a grin. "Kinda weird you two have never faced off, though. You two have been together for a while now, right?"

"Not that long, it hasn't even been a month. I guess it is a little strange we haven't battled, but it just never really came up until recently. He battled a tourist from Kanto a couple of days ago and lost, and he took it pretty hard. I think losing two team members is kind of eating at him, but he won't really talk to me about it."

"Losing a companion is one of the toughest things a trainer can go through, if not the hardest," Brawly said seriously. "Owen lost two, and the way he lost them is arguably worse than death. It's no surprise he's strugglin' to keep his head above water, but he seems to be managing. I bumped into him the other day and tried talkin' about it a little, but didn't have much luck. Was hopin' he was confiding in you, so it kinda worries me to hear he's not."

"I'm worried he's on the verge of calling his journey quits," I sighed. "Looking at it logically, his next gym is the flying gym in Fortree, and Roxy was his best answer to that. That's the main reason I don't want to battle him, or to at least wait until I have your badge. I feel like I'll win against Owen as his team currently is, and if I have fewer badges than him it'll be harder to take, I think. He seems to be really serious about our battle, so I don't think it's going to be just some casual battle between friends."

To my mild annoyance, Brawly palmed my head and ruffled my hair. "You sure are a confident little dude, aren't ya? Bold of you to assume you'll win both those battles. But that's alright, I think that kind of spirit is a big part of what makes a good trainer, and it's not like I wasn't the same when I was your age. Still, you shouldn't underestimate Owen, or me for that matter."

"You are much less of a certainty, but I feel pretty confident that none of Owen's team can take on Apollo here. I've actually considered trying to subtly throw the match to help boost his spirits, but I've been advised that's a terrible idea. What do you think?"

Brawly surprised me by leveling me with an uncharacteristically serious look. "Your 'advisor' is right, don't do that. There are very few cases where throwin' a match is acceptable, and this isn't one of those. Us gym leaders do it on rare occasions for a challenger who got dealt a bad hand yet deserves a badge, but that's just part of the job and we know how to do it gracefully. You should never do it to spare someone's feelings, at least if you respect them. Being a trainer is a constant test of perseverance, and even the most dedicated and optimistic among us hit low points. I get you're trying to be considerate of a friend who is having a hard time, but you have to remember that everyone chooses their own destiny. If Owen wants to battle you, any outcome is his own making. Same with if he chooses to stop journeying to do some soul-searching. Who knows, it might end up being for the best."

"I suppose… As long as he doesn't quit for good, which is what I'm worried about. He's a great guy and trainer, I'd hate to see him give up his dreams due to something bad that happened to him that was totally outside his control."

"We can't control when a storm rolls in, but we do get to choose if we are up to the challenge of surfing the swells," Brawly said sagely. "Sometimes you get in over your head and get battered around, and sometimes you return to shore a better man. Owen knew the path he walked wasn't always going to be a stroll on the beach, and nobody can carry him where he wants to go."

"You're right… If he's determined to battle, I'll give him what he wants. Hopefully he takes it well if he loses, but since two people are telling me not to pull my punches, I guess I won't."

"Good. And don't worry – if Owen falls down, we'll be there to pick him right back up. He's not givin' up on his dream on my watch," he said with a self-assured grin.

"I'll do my best, but it might have to be over the phone because I'm kind of anxious to get back to journeying," I admitted. "I've felt stagnant since Lavaridge, so as soon as I get my badge I'm headed back to the mainland, even if it has to be without Owen. It's like you said – we all have our own path, and I need to follow mine."

"Speakin' of, that's the other reason I came lookin' for ya. I wanted you to be the first to know that we've been given the clear to re-open, so as of tomorrow the Dewford gym is officially accepting challengers once again. Want me to put you on the books?"

I looked at him with wide eyes, my mind racing at the revelation. On one hand, it was very sudden and there was still plenty to work on in order for me to feel fully prepared.

But eventually, I nodded. This was what I'd been waiting literal weeks for, and I pretty much always felt underprepared for gyms, yet history showed that wasn't ever truly the case.

Besides, I wasn't kidding when I said I was starting to get restless from being in one place for so long. More important though was that Duran needed this, and being able to tell him that we had a gym challenge tomorrow was all but guaranteed to help ensure our now overdue talk ended on a good note.

"Sign me up," I said with a smirk. "Can we do it later in the morning though? Owen and I train, and I need some time with my team."

"Sure thing, little dude! I'll put you down for eleven. Bring your A-game, I won't roll over as easily as you seem to think," he said with a challenging grin before standing with a stretch.

"By the way… Thanks for lookin' out for Owen. He'd be a lot worse off if you weren't his friend, and I don't just mean losin' more of his team. You're a good kid and a great trainer, don't ever doubt that. Later Daniel, Apollo."

With that, Brawly gave a wave over his shoulder as he marched back towards town, not bothering to wait for a response.

Not that I had one.

"I like him," Apollo commented, causing me to rub his head one last time before focusing my attention on Duran's Net Ball.

"You and me both, buddy. Now, let's have that chat with Duran and share the good news, shall we?"

A/N: I swore I'd never acknowledge Ash's existence in this fic because I really don't want to go down that rabbit hole, but it was too good to pass up. Sometimes writing leads you to unexpected places, just don't expect him to come up again.

Another thing I swore I'd never do… Hiatus. No, this isn't an announcement of one, but I'll keep it real with you guys – I have no queue and the next chapter isn't even fully done. We also have at least two big battles coming up, and those always take longer to write than a normal chapter.

Point being, it's not looking good. On top of working multiple jobs, my mom has been in and out of the hospital over the last few months so I've been helping to take care of her and get her to appointments, meaning I haven't been able to write much recently. So while this isn't an announcement of a hiatus since I really don't want to do that, the fact is that I probably won't be able to maintain bi-weekly chapters if things continue. I'll keep trying my best, but if I end up not posting for a few weeks just know I'm trying my best and have no plans on disappearing or quitting. I'm still holding out hope that I can get back to weekly releases at some point, but no promises.

Thanks for your patience and understanding, stay cute.

Shoutout to The Muffin Rat King for beta-reading this chapter.

Discord. gg/ ge6a8XcNcB