We were making good progress through the woods, and my team was passively training every step of the way with much more vigor after our encounter with the Rocket last night. I couldn't in good conscience tell them to tone it down and reserve their strength; if they wanted to focus on self-improvement, who was I to get in their way? We weren't really having any major issues with handling the wild Pokemon who decided to pick a fight anyways, so I figured there was no harm in loosening my restriction on light training.

Apollo was Teleporting from branch to branch at an impressive rate, and I could tell he was taking the role of scout much more seriously. Corphish was riding on my backpack, once again squeezing objects with his pincers while blasting out Bubbles every so often. Occasionally I would hear a crack or crunch sound, which would signal to me that he had finally broken whatever it was he was squeezing, and I would then quickly find something new to replace it with.

Things were progressing smoothly until we came across our first split in the road. I'd known that we would run into a few of these and had read that they always looped around to connect to one-another, but it was still a bit disheartening to have to pick a path and not know if we were extending the time we would be trapped in these woods. Some were longer than others, but there was no indication at all of which path would be the shortest, or even what the difference was. I could only assume that they had been made out of necessity over the years due to there being some sort of temporary roadblock or rogue Pokémon in a specified area, but there were currently no signs indicating such and the Pokédex still didn't have any area alerts. I decided to stick to the left paths; my thinking was that it would keep us closer to the ocean where the forest was thinnest.

Something that stood out to me was that the Pokémon in Petalburg Woods were more bold than any I'd ever seen around Petalburg. They weren't openly hostile, but we did get challenged by some of the braver residents, and some simply got too close for comfort.

The battles never ended up being that close; by far the strongest Pokémon in these woods were Taillow as far as battle prowess, however we did end up dealing with status effects a few times. Thankfully it was mostly paralysis which didn't use up any of my supplies, but a Shroomish did poison Corphish and I didn't hesitate to use an antidote to cure him.

We did eventually come across one boy who seemed creepily obsessed with collecting bugs, and we decided to put his four Pokémon against my two teammates for a wager of 3,000 credits on the condition that he would heal any poisoning my team received, since he was much more well stocked with antidotes and had the number advantage.

Corphish went first and was an absolute beast. He took out a Shroomish with extreme prejudice but got poisoned yet again in the process, however he was too stubborn to quit and still seemed fit to fight, so I let him continue. He was able to quickly dispatch a Nincada, however he eventually succumbed to the poison while fighting a Cascoon who was being extremely defensive and stalling until Corphish could no longer stand and I pulled him from the fight.

After a quick intermission where the boy sprayed Corphish with an antidote and I laid him to the side to recover, we resumed the fight and Apollo finished off the Cascoon without much difficulty. The final opponent was a Silcoon, who managed to catch Apollo with a String Shot and quickly followed up with Poison Sting, poisoning my starter. I got to see the Synchronize ability for the first time as the Silcoon was quickly afflicted with the same status effect, and the look on the bug-boy's face was priceless as we managed to win, although admittedly it had been a close fight.

The trainer and I had a quick chat afterward while we tended to our Pokémon, and I applied one of his antidotes to Apollo before checking to make sure Corphish was doing alright, which he thankfully was.

The boy informed me that he was looking for both a Paras as well as a 'shiny' member of the Wurmple line. I pointed out that Shroomish wasn't quite a bug type and learned that it was his starter given to him by his father, who apparently had thought it was a type of bug. He was friendly and we parted on good terms, but I couldn't help but secretly feel a bit bitter that he relied on poisoning so much.

I could tell that Corphish had developed a distaste for Shroomish, since he was very adamant about fighting any that we came across. I didn't mind obliging him; we needed all the practice we could get since there were almost no trainers in these woods from what I could tell.

I sympathized with Corphish for his dislike of the species and was beginning to feel the same way about status effects in general. The only move we had on our team that could inflict one was Confusion, but didn't actually confuse the foe all that often and wasn't nearly as reliable at hindering an opponent as poison or paralysis.

As we continued through the woods, I realized that I had been correct in my earlier assessment that I didn't need three Pokéballs until reaching Rustboro. The only Pokémon I could find that even remotely piqued my interest in catching was a Slakoth napping as it hung from a branch, but truthfully I wasn't convinced that such a lazy Pokémon would mesh well with our current team dynamic. I still had plenty to work on with the two Pokémon I already had anyways.

After yet another poisoning incident with a Paras, I realized that we needed to stop fighting so many wild Pokémon since I only had one antidote left, which was a bit of a dangerous situation to be in.

I decided to use the repel I had bought, spraying it liberally all over myself and my backpack until the tiny canister was empty. It was a foul and unpleasant smell; the closest thing I could compare it to was a mixture of urine and bad body odor. Apollo and Corphish really weren't a fan of the smell, but I ensured them that it was for a good cause and that it would go away over time. The canister claimed that it would start to lose its effect after a couple of hours, so I decided to make the most of the time by picking up the pace to a steady jog. Sure enough, I was no longer able to see any Pokémon while we traveled; they presumably fled the moment they smelled us coming, which I was sure they could do quite some distance away.

I had planned on taking my time through the woods, but with the canopy blocking out the sun and a constant threat of getting poisoned or paralyzed, there wasn't much to enjoy. I also frequently found myself reminded of both the Taillow and the Rocket, and I was eager to get a change of scenery. I was somewhat regretful that I hadn't taken up the Rangers' offer for a lift to Rustboro, but it was too late now and I still wanted to complete the route properly.

With our new pace, Apollo wasn't able to play the role of scout nearly as well, so he stayed on my shoulder and we practiced his telepathy. He was clearly much better at reading my mind than he was at sending me information, so I had him focus on his communication skills. One of the first things he informed me of was that Corphish wanted shelter from the smell in his Pokéball, which I obliged. Apollo chose to stick it out and keep me company while we practiced communicating, which I was grateful for.

After a few hours of practicing, I noticed he was not only getting better at using words, but also starting to relay more general concepts I was pretty sure didn't count as emotions, such as 'agreement' and 'strength'. His English still needed work, and he kept his messages to one or two words, but it felt good to see our communications improving steadily.

The sky peaking through the leaves began to lose its contrast, and we found a place to set up camp for the night. I went further away from the path than normal; one of many lessons from last night's encounter that I would be keeping with me for a long time to come, similar to storing my backpack in the tent and keeping the pepper spray and utility knife on my person.

Since the smell of the Repel had long since dissipated, I released Corphish and allowed him to scavenge as I set up camp. After making some rice for dinner, I decided to try something unique for training; a friendly spar between my teammates. I marked an area that I didn't want them going outside, and I told them that they would be fighting on their own with no instructions until told to stop.

Apollo would Teleport the moment Corphish got near him and kept hammering him with ranged attacks. Corphish even used the obscure technique I'd taught him, but Apollo was able to burst the Bubbles with a clever use of Disarming Voice. It never ceased to amaze me how much utility the sound-based move had.

In a moment of frustration when he realized his Bubble wasn't able to reach Apollo, he pulled off what I was sure was the start of a Bubblebeam. Rather than the bubbles flying in a straight line before losing their momentum, this move had them swirling around each other in a vortex that helped them carry momentum and go quite a bit further, allowing him to actually hit Apollo for once and knock him down. It didn't buy him enough time to close the distance and get ahold of Apollo, and I had to call the match before Corphish was unable to battle. I declared it a draw and congratulated them both, although it was clear that Apollo was set to win if things continued. Corphish still seemed rather pleased with himself for managing to knock down Apollo, and I could tell he was determined to keep progressing until he could win.

After a short rest, I had Apollo practice his Double Team and Corphish work on his new attack. Apollo was finally getting pretty good at the move, summoning a realistic clone that would move as he did for just over three seconds. He still wasn't able to create multiple clones or take the place of his clone, but it was great progress.

Corphish's Bubblebeam was a noticeable improvement over the basic Bubble he had been doing. It went nearly twice as far and had much more force behind it, however he couldn't hold it for more than a second and it seemed to take a lot more of his stamina to perform than Bubble.

When it was too dark for us to do any more serious training, I managed to convince Corphish to allow Apollo to practice Hypnosis on him as we sat by the fire, something I had been neglecting in order to ensure he had Teleport and his basic attacks down. I could see Apollo's horn glow, and there were a few times where Corphish seemed to get a bit sluggish and drowsy, but he never managed to put him to sleep. I wasn't sure if this was a reflection of Apollo's ability with the move or Corphish's willpower, as he seemed determined not to fall asleep and apparently viewed it as a sort of competition.

I was sensing a bit of a one-sided rivalry, where Corphish seemed determined to prove that he was stronger than Apollo. I didn't get the sense that it was anything malicious or unhealthy though, so I let it be. I could tell that Apollo felt no such rivalry between them, and he seemed to have completely forgiven Corphish for the Taillow incident and accepted him as part of the family, which made me extremely happy.

This was proven by the fact that while Corphish was scavenging for his food, Apollo chose to keep him company and they seemed to be having a friendly talk with each other. Once they both came back to the campfire and I set down Survive & Thrive, I decided that it was well past time for us to find a name for Corphish. We had been together long enough to get a feel for his personality, and it was clear that he was now just as much a part of the family as Apollo and I.

"Glad to see you two getting along so well; that makes me very happy. Speaking of which, I think it's time we thought of a name for you, Corphish. What do you think?"

"Corphish Cor!" He declared proudly, puffing up his chest and snipping his pincers in excitement.

I grinned, "Seems I don't need to convince you of it like I did Apollo. Do you have any ideas for something you want your name to be inspired by? Apollo was named after the moon, his favorite thing; maybe you have something like that? Or perhaps a goal or aspiration? Any direction at all is fine, just let Apollo know if you have anything in mind. Apollo, can you serve as the translator?"

There was a minute or so of back and forth between the two, and I waited patiently to see what he would come up with.

I saw Apollo nod, then turn his attention towards me as the tether between our minds became noticeable once again.

Resilience. Steadfast. Defensive.

I grinned, I could work with that. "Very fitting. Let's see… Something that isn't too on the nose… How about… Duran? It is a name that quite literally means enduring, firm and sturdy; it's quite unique and I think it fits you well, not only your personality but because of your shell. People might mistake it for a Durin Berry but who cares; we'll just teach them a lesson they won't soon forget. Do you like it?"

Corphish's shell shone as he used Harden, and he pounded his claws together while repeating his name in a chant.

"Cor-phish! Cor-phish! Cor-phish!"

It seemed to me to be a positive reaction, but I cast my eyes towards Apollo for confirmation, who offered a slight nod.

Approval.

I smiled happily, reaching down and rubbing Corphish's shell to calm him down. "Duran it is. Welcome to the family, Duran Ingram."

That seemed to confuse him, and I chuckled before briefly explaining what a last name was, and explaining that both Apollo and I had the last name Ingram. He seemed to understand quickly though, and seemed more than happy to take the name.

We ended the night relaxing by the fire, with me continuing to read through various sections of Survive & Thrive while Duran and Apollo sat by the campfire and conversed. Duran was the only one actually 'talking', as Apollo carried his side of the discussion using telepathy. I had still never heard him actually speak in the same way other Pokémon did; the only time I heard his voice was when he was using Disarming Voice or the occasional Growl, but I had no issues at all with him getting in more telepathy practice.

I was endlessly curious to know what they were talking about, but I also wanted to respect their privacy and give them the chance to bond without my interference. Based on what I could see it looked like Duran was recounting tales of his many battles at his pond. He was extremely animated, occasionally snipping his claws together or blowing Bubbles to simulate his actions in the battles, with Apollo offering a nod or holding his hands to his mouth in shock. I was struck by just how different their personalities were; Apollo was much more thoughtful and reserved whereas Duran seemed to be extremely outgoing.

Since I knew Apollo was currently occupied maintaining his telepathic link with Duran, I took the opportunity to think about him a bit more critically. As I thought about where he was now versus where I wanted him to be, I realized that the main thing I desired was for him to take more of a leadership role. I had always dreamed of having my starter being something akin to the head of the family; a figure of authority that the others would both respect and lean on for help, as well as glue to keep everybody together and coordinated in times of struggle. I still hoped that this could someday be the case, but I was beginning to realize that both his age and his personality were working against him.

I didn't want to force him to act differently or make him feel fully responsible for the family I was trying to build, but I decided that it couldn't hurt to have a talk with him at some point about what it means to be a starter. It was a well-documented phenomenon that newer and younger members of a team would look to the most experienced among them for guidance, and although he was still young now he was still the strongest and best suited to be my second in command. He generally knew how I thought about things and what I prioritized, and that would only become more true as he spent more time in my head. Even if he didn't want to take a leadership role, he would still be extremely valuable as a mediator and peacekeeper among the group.

He needed to be comfortable enough to stand his ground and speak his mind, and as I watched him participate in what seemed to be a largely one-sided conversation with Duran, I was beginning to worry that he was growing too accustomed to just going along with whatever anybody else wanted, myself included.

Perhaps I was overthinking it, or trying to change him more than I should, but I wanted to see him be more selfish and assertive. The closest thing to this that I could remember was when he called me out on lying about the Taillow to its trainer, and even then he had quickly retracted his protests when I pushed back.

I wanted him to be his own individual; to speak his mind and take a stand when it mattered most to him. Although I was grateful that he had dropped the topic and trusted me, I also wanted to have a relationship where he felt valued and confident enough to hold to his own opinions and beliefs, even if he was the only one that held that position.

As I noticed their conversation slowly losing momentum I pushed the thoughts from my mind, but they were replaced by something worse; how could I possibly keep policing my thoughts? It had started just to ensure I provided positivity for him, but as his telepathy advanced I was increasingly worried about what thoughts he might pick up on that I wanted kept private. I had once naively thought I could just share my every thought with Apollo and that we'd be close enough that we shared everything, but that wasn't realistic. To fully consider topics sometimes you need to think about things that might be seen as rude or offensive, and especially for social matters you needed the opportunity to figure out how to deliver them in a more compassionate and easily receptive way.

I was also realizing how one-sided telepathy was. Apollo was gaining ever-increasing access to my raw thoughts, and soon that would include memories. But I only got what he chose to share with me, and it didn't even have to be what he was currently feeling. He had the ability to filter what I got, but I didn't get that luxury.

It wasn't fair, and I knew we'd need to figure something out before I started to feel bitter. I'd need to talk with him about this at some point, and I desperately needed to visit the Rustboro Trainers' School to get more information. Not only for the specific mechanics and development of telepathy but also for the ethics surrounding it.

I felt the familiar presence of Apollo in my mind, but only because I was paying close attention to it and waiting for it. I was obviously happy that his telepathy was improving at such a rapid rate, but there was a little bit of doubt and worry that had now taken root deep within me, and I had no choice but to keep pushing it away.

He stayed in my mind for the rest of the night, and I did my best to keep my mind occupied with other things. Once we had retired to bed for the night, I laid there thinking about what all I wanted to do in Rustboro when Apollo suddenly started to communicate with me.

Worry. Hesitation. Distracted.

I sighed, not surprised that he had been able to pick up that I'd been trying to hide something. Rather than letting him pick up on my jumbled thoughts, I tried my best to send a specific message; something I hadn't really tried before. But my attempt to be upfront and concise only made matters worse.

'Telepathy unfair. Boundaries needed.'

Apollo flinched at the foot of my sleeping bag; from the clearness or the meaning I didn't know.

Remorse. Understanding. "Sorry."

I could feel sorrow in the voice although it hadn't been specifically sent, but before I could respond I felt Apollo sever the connection. I looked down at the foot of my sleeping bag at him, and he curled up and faced the tent wall. I didn't need to be an empath to know that I had hurt his feelings.

I felt horrible and was hoping to have a more in-depth conversation. I tried to open up my mind and desperately tried to invite him back in, but he didn't return. I considered nudging him with my foot or saying something, but Duran was already asleep and I didn't want to wake him, and I got the sense that Apollo wanted to be left alone. I knew that Apollo could sense my emotions even without being connected to my mind, but he was being stubborn and likely felt hurt that I was having doubts about sharing so much with him.

I felt a little bit of anger boiling up in me that he hadn't given me the chance to explain, but I quickly noticed it and pushed it down, instead focusing on my fondness for him and how much I missed the comfort of his presence. He didn't return, and soon enough I could hear the slow, rhythmic breaths that told me he was sleeping, or at the very least pretending to.

I sighed, staring up at the top of the tent lost in thought. I didn't really feel like I had done anything wrong; he wanted to know what was troubling me and I told him truthfully, although perhaps my delivery left something to be desired, but I was still new to this as well. My only regret was that we couldn't have conversed about it more and come to some sort of understanding.

His reaction was understandable to some extent, but I couldn't help but see it as a bit childish. It was a reminder that Apollo was still young and extremely sensitive, particularly when it came to telepathy related matters.

I was confident we could work through this, but tonight wasn't the time. A bit of space to work through our thoughts before we had a more productive conversation about this was probably for the best.

I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, not wanting to stay up all night stewing in my negative thoughts. Tomorrow would be a new day, and we'd be able to revisit the topic with our thoughts and emotions more in order.

It had been years since my last argument with my mom, and some nights we would fall asleep upset at each other similar to this. But we would always work through it and come to an understanding, and I was sure that would be the case with my new family as well.

Morning was an awkward affair. Apollo refused to look at me or connect to my mind, but I didn't get the feeling he was angry or sad. I couldn't quite put my finger on what his mood was based on his behavior and body language, but it wasn't anything positive, so I decided that I would talk to him after I got Duran started on some morning training.

I had him focus on his Bubblebeam; this time asking him to focus on sending it out in one quick pulse as strong and far as he could, rather than having him try maintaining it like our last session. He took to the challenge with gusto, and as he started to blast nearby trees I turned my attention to Apollo, who was standing off to the side watching the sky.

"Hey partner…" I said softly as I sat beside him. He pretended to ignore me, and I took a deep breath as I pushed away the slight feelings of annoyance and focused on my desire to grow closer to him.

"Apollo, please talk to me. I think you misunderstood what I was saying last night; I'm not scared or mad or anything like that, I promise. I just have been thinking about how… one-sided telepathy is. You get raw, unfiltered, constant access to my thoughts and soon my memories, but I only get interpretations of what you decide to share with me. I know it's not your fault that I'm not telepathic, and I'm sorry if I made you feel bad for something you can't control. I didn't do a good job bringing it up, I just wanted to be honest. I should have kept it to myself until I had more time to think about it, but that's kind of the problem Apollo… I can't think about things like that while you're skimming my thoughts. So I was hoping maybe we could come up with some sort of signal for respecting my privacy, or something…" I trailed off, realizing that I was getting ahead of myself.

Apollo finally looked at me, but he didn't connect to my mind. I gave him a warm smile and slowly reached out to rub his helmet, and he looked down and away but didn't otherwise try to move.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, I didn't mean to. I miss having you in my head; it's comforting and I like sharing things with you. Please, can you forgive me?" I asked pleadingly, gently rubbing my thumb across his helmet affectionately.

He looked back up at me, and I finally felt his presence return to my mind, although it felt… faint. Distant.

"Can you tell me what you are feeling? Are you mad? Sad? Disappointed? Be honest buddy, I can take it." I said softly, ready to get an emotional beating.

Shame. Regret.

I gave a sigh, palming my face. "You didn't do anything wrong Apollo. I promise."

Embarrassment. "Babyish."

I chuckled, "It was a bit childish, but you are still young. I remember plenty of times when I was younger that I would get a bit hurt or angry at something my mom did, and I'd lock myself in my room the whole night and not talk to her. So there's no reason to feel bad about it, everyone does it. Wanna know what my mom did when I hid away and ignored her?"

Curiosity. "Tell."

"Same thing I did with you; she gave me space. Everybody needs time to think and deal with their own emotions, it doesn't matter if they are 'right' or 'wrong' in the situation. A few months before she passed away, I said some pretty horrible things… I told her it wasn't fair that we didn't have a Pokémon around the house, and that it wasn't fair that some kids at school already had their starter. I accused her of being a bad mother, blamed her for having a bad job, and for me not having a father in my life. Really terrible things, but at the time I felt like I was in the right. I remember locking myself in my room and crying myself to sleep, wondering how I was supposed to keep up with kids who had such a better head start in life."

I looked up at the canopy above, remembering the night vividly. "It was a stupid and selfish thing for me to do. She worked really hard to make sure I had food, clothes and a roof over my head, and she truly did take good care of me all things considered. But I was young and felt wronged, so I took it out on her. She didn't even argue with me, she just sat at the kitchen table and let me unload on her. I could tell my words hurt her, but I kept going until I eventually ran into my room and locked the door. I remembered being angry, I kept thinking 'she knows I'm right', 'she has no excuses', 'nothing she could say would make this fair for me', things like that. I'm sure we both went to bed crying and miserable; I know I did."

I closed my eyes, pushing down the feelings of pain and regret at the memory. "The next morning, I felt awful. My mom was loving and kind, and she didn't deserve that at all. I didn't want to leave my room… I just laid in bed and thought about what I had said, and if she would even still love me. Know what I realized? That sometimes, life is unfair and all we can do is our best, which I knew deep down she did. I don't know exactly what happened to my father, and I don't know what events lead to her being a cleaning lady, but it didn't matter. All I knew was, she had always been there by my side doing her best, and we both loved each other dearly. I eventually came out of my room and gave her a big hug, apologizing profusely. She told me that I was allowed to feel that way, and that she was sorry things couldn't have been better for me. She didn't give me any excuses, she didn't say I was being unfair, nothing like that. She told me that she loved me and would always do her best for me, because we were family, and I believed it."

I looked at Apollo seriously, getting to the point of my story. "When you got upset last night, I really wanted to explain myself and to make you see how unfair telepathy felt for me. But I gave you space and let you deal with your own emotions and thoughts. Just like my mom did for me. Sure it sucked that we both went to bed with negative thoughts, but when we woke up we had a new outlook on the situation and wanted to make things right. Because we are family. We care about each other, only want what's best for one other, right?"

Compassion. Understanding. Love.

I nodded, looking back up at the leaves above. "I'm sure there's plenty that doesn't feel fair to you. Why are Pokémon able to be captured in Pokéballs? Why do humans run things when we are so weak? Why couldn't you have been born human? Why didn't you have a family to raise you? Why are you hunted by predators? I'm sure you've had these thoughts before, and they are all perfectly valid. Sometimes, that's just the way the world is; it isn't always fair, we don't pick the rules, and we get stuck with the cards we are dealt. I don't have the power to help with a lot of those problems, but I'll do anything in my power I can for you Apollo. Because you're family. If you ever need anything, just let me know and I'll do my best, and I hope I can count on you to do the same for me or Duran."

Trust. Support. Family.

"Some things are meant to be private, kind of like how I don't push you for information on what you and Duran discuss without me. It's between you two, and I only deserve to know what you want me to know. It's private, and I trust you two because you are family. All I ask is that sometimes, you do for me what I did for you last night, and what my mom did for me. Give me a bit of space; time to think and be alone. Sometimes people need time to themselves, to work through complicated emotions, and to address the negative or dark thoughts that everyone has from time to time. I still want you in my mind as much as possible; I like sharing things with you and feeling you so close to me. But if I ever need a little space, I just ask that you respect it and don't hold it against me."

Apollo Teleported onto his favorite spot on my right shoulder and hugged me tightly, surprising me.

"Thanks for letting me be your family, it means the world to me." I muttered as I leaned my head to the side, rubbing against him.

Affection. Love. Family.

"I love you too, Apollo Ingram." I said, putting all my emotions into the words so he knew I meant it.

We sat there for a while, simply enjoying each other's company until I decided it was time to check on Duran. He was completely exhausted but seemed exceedingly pleased with all the damage he had caused to the surrounding area. Leaves and bark were scattered all around and everything was drenched in a layer of water, and I could only assume he must have made some serious improvements to his Bubblebeam.

I gave them both drinks of water, making sure Duran had his fill before packing up and continuing our journey through Petalburg Woods, each of us feeling a strong sense of fulfillment from a productive morning.

Although a part of me really wanted to reach Rustboro as soon as possible, my legs were sore from jogging so much yesterday and the bruise on my side ached with renewed vigor. I walked at a slow and steady pace, basking in the moment and marveling at how amazing my life was, even though I hadn't even been a trainer for a week yet. Everything felt right in the world, and I was in no rush to change anything.

TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Age: 16
Badges: 0
Account: 44,156 credits

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

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