TRAINER PROFILE

Name: Samantha Morgan
Username: SammySweets
Hometown: Rustboro City, Hoenn
Last Seen: Rustboro City, Hoenn
License Issued: January 22nd, 2030
Age: 16
Badges: 1
Gym Stats: 1/0/1
Trainer Stats: 0/0/7
Affiliations: N/A
Notes: N/A

KNOWN POKÉMON (1)

Espeon (F) AKA Stella
Ability: ?
Known Moves: ?
Notes: Starter.

MODERATOR COMMENTS (0)

USER COMMENTS (0)

VIDEOS (2)

- Samantha Morgan vs. Leader Georgia (Loss)
- Samantha Morgan vs. Leader Georgia (Victory)

LAST EDITED: Today by SYSTEM

"This profile is… really something," I comment, nearly at a loss for words as I looked at the terminal Samantha was currently sitting at in the Pokécenter.

"It's perfect! I'm a complete nobody!"

"Couldn't get them to just use the name 'Sammy'?"

"Nurse Joy said it would look weird if I had a nickname instead of the full thing, since they always list your legal name. But Samantha is such a common name she thinks it's fine, especially if I have a different last name, look different, and usually go by my nickname. What do you think about the rest of the profile though?"

"It's obviously fake. How do you have seven losses, a gym badge, and no notes or comments? And what about those videos, won't they show you before you changed your appearance? Plus the audio…"

"What part of Porygon don't you understand, Daniel? Daddy took a couple of pictures of me in different outfits after I changed my hair, and he sent them off for Porygon to do their magic. They changed how I look and all references to my name in the videos. They even removed my parents from the stands."

"It's fucked up that something like that is even possible," I remarked. "What about the rest? Why use Stella's name?"

"Most new trainers have a profile like this. You clearly make quite the impression wherever you go, considering how much activity was on yours. Stella is a common enough name, plus hardly anybody even knows about her."

"How does a trainer without any trainer victories beat a gym? And why is Stella's section almost completely blank?"

"Because nobody has bothered to fill it in, because I'm a nobody. And it's not that strange for trainers to do unofficial battles or stick to solitary training. Nurse Joy thought my profile looked great, and so do I," she huffed.

"If you say so…" I relented, deciding it wasn't worth arguing about.

"I do need you to do something though; update my profile. Nurse Joy said she couldn't do anything to remove the 'system' tag, and it would look a bit better if you added in some really basic stuff, maybe even a comment."

"Why don't you just add it yourself?"

"Because that's lame and boring."

I adopted a feral grin, my mind racing with jabs I could add to her 'notes' section as I logged into the terminal next to Samantha and pulled up her profile.

"No peeking," I growled, pushing her away as she hovered over my shoulder.

"You better not put anything dumb! And don't add Skitty; I want to keep him a surprise."

"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered as I typed in a few additions. I didn't have anything to add to Stella's section since I hadn't yet seen her in action, but I could definitely give my two cents about Sammy Morgan.

I clicked publish and leaned back, letting Samantha see my handiwork.

"Last seen in Verdanturf. Notes; Goes by Sammy. Journeying, traveling with her quasi-brother Daniel Ingram. Aspiring coordinator, coffee and phone addict… Endearingly aggravating?! You can't put that Daniel!"

"Which part?"

"Most of it! You can't just post whatever crap you want on a person's profile; it needs to be pertinent information about the trainer, and you need to at least try to be unbiased and truthful!"

"I don't see how anything that I added goes against those guidelines."

"Just cut out everything after aspiring coordinator. I'm not even sure I want that on my profile."

"It's too late, it's already posted. Edit it yourself."

"A trainer can't edit that section on their own profile, idiot! Fix it before someone reports you, you'll get banned!"

"I stand by what I wrote, and challenge anyone to prove that anything is inaccurate. Some guy literally called me a cheapskate, how is this not fair game?"

"He pointed out you made low wagers, which is a fair and relevant observation to make about a trainer others might want to know. My supposed 'addictions' and me being annoying are completely biased and unnecessary."

"I disagree on both accounts; I think it's objectively true and completely relevant. I'm not changing it."

"Fine, enjoy your ban, idiot." she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Why, are you gonna report me?" I asked with a raised brow.

"No, but someone will, it's only a matter of time."

"Or maybe they just get a laugh out of it and update it with something else. Not everybody takes the internet as seriously as you."

"At least remove the coordinator part."

"I don't see a problem with it. You're using a disguise when you perform, right?"

"Yeah, and anyone with a bit of interest and free time will be able to figure out my stage identity is Sammy Morgan if we have the same team and are always last seen in the same town."

"I hate to break it to you Sammy, but that's always going to be the case. All coordinators are licensed trainers and have a profile, so unless you never battle or challenge gyms you're bound to eventually have somebody tie your profile to your stage identity. Who cares if they do; they'll think they solved a great mystery and feel accomplished, and most likely keep it to themselves since it's rude to out a stage persona publicly. They won't even realize they've only cracked the first layer, and that there's a bigger secret right in front of them."

"Fine, you're right. But I don't think I'll be battling or doing gyms much anyways, so that should help."

"Suit yourself. Now can we please get some food and go train? You took forever to take a shower, we're going to run out of daylight."

"There's two whole hours until sunset, Daniel. You are not convincing me to grab a meal to go, I'm exhausted and absolutely famished."

Suddenly remembering that what remained of Samantha's breakfast was back in Rusturf Tunnel, I nodded in agreement as we made our way back to the front desk to retrieve our teams.

"Ah, you two have perfect timing. Ms. S… Morgan, here are your Pokéballs," Nurse Joy extended a tray with an apologetic look, having nearly slipped up. I couldn't really blame her; I doubted she dealt with this kind of double identity thing very often, especially in a town like Verdanturf.

"Your Pokémon are perfectly healthy, although your Espeon's gem is a bit on the dark side. Considering you two came from Rusturf Tunnel it's not too surprising that her psychic reserves would be running low, just make sure she gets plenty of sunlight and she'll be right as rain."

Samantha nodded in thanks as I took a moment to consider what I'd just heard. I was pretty sure Stella hadn't used her powers at all while we were in the tunnel, other than a liberal use of telepathy. Was it really that draining on her, or did she just lack stamina?

I also couldn't help but find it peculiar that Nurse Joy was implying Espeon got its powers from the sun. I suddenly had a slew of questions, such as if Apollo got some of his psychic powers from the sun or moon, but I'd done a lot of research on the species and never remembered seeing anything like that.

"As for you Mr. Ingram…" Nurse Joy turned to me, breaking me of my wandering thoughts.

"Your Ralts and Corphish are in good health. Regarding your question of whether Corphish's shell is hardened enough for battle, I can safely say he's fighting fit. As for your Eevee, he's a bit underweight and malnourished. It's nothing to be overly concerned with though, it's common for wild Pokémon to be on the thinner side. I would recommend buying some wet food that's high in protein and fat. Don't go too overboard with it though; if you can't feel the ribs when you rub his sides, that means he's put on too much weight."

I grimaced but nodded, feeling a subtle ache in my already thin wallet.

"Eevee is a pretty picky eater, he wouldn't eat any of the kibble I have, both meat and plant-based types. I could only get him to eat berries, any recommendations for food?"

She gave a warm smile and nodded, "Eevee have very keen senses. Their hearing, sight, and smell are magnitudes better than any human, which I'm sure you might have guessed. What you might not know is that smell accounts for between 80 to 90 percent of taste. If you have no sense of smell, you hardly taste anything. In the same vein, if you have an extremely heightened sense of smell, flavors are amplified considerably."

My eyes widened in understanding; I'd known there was some correlation between the two but I had no idea it was so dramatic. Given that, it would make sense for Eevee to be on the picky side. I couldn't help but wonder if that meant that Duran had little to no sense of smell, but decided against asking.

"I see you get the point I'm making. Things like artificial flavors and preservatives can be off-putting, but there are brands that design their food with Pokémon like Eevee in mind. You could also try to stick to fresh, natural food if budget is an issue since they tend to be on the more expensive side. Berries can be a good source of vitamins, but they don't tend to have much in the way of fat or protein. Eevee are omnivores, so berries and meat are both on the menu."

"I don't think my Eevee hunts… I had him show me his moves, and he didn't use his teeth at all. No even Bite."

"Some Eevee simply choose not to hunt, although considering your Eevee's age it might just have not learned how to yet. If it's a matter of inexperience, you can surely work through that. Just remember to check the list of species you're allowed to hunt for the areas you are in, or you'll end up in big trouble when the Rangers inevitably track you down. You could also do some fishing on Eevee's behalf, the species tend to love fish. What the food is and how you get it is irrelevant though, what's important is ensuring you add some protein and fat to Eevee's diet until he's in the range of what's considered a 'healthy' weight. He's just barely below it, so it shouldn't be terribly difficult to put on a couple of pounds."

I nodded in thanks, taking the three balls on the tray and noticing a distinct absence.

"As for the Geodude?"

She sighed, a sad look etched on her face, "Based on the story you gave, as well as the aggression it showed Chansey and I, I fear it is a matter that will need to be forwarded to the Rangers. We attempted to give it an exam and get its side of the story, but it became a safety concern. You did the right thing capturing it, but I'm afraid I won't be able to return your Ultraball or Geodude, my deepest apologies. I can put in a request to compensate your account for the cost of it if that's acceptable, considering what you did would be considered a public service."

I heard a deep sigh of relief from Samantha as I nodded and thanked Nurse Joy. I was just glad that I wasn't stuck having to deal with the Geodude; I didn't know what I would do if Nurse Joy had cleared it and given it back to me claiming he was my responsibility.

I considered asking Nurse Joy what would happen to Geodude, but decided against it. I likely didn't want to know the answer, and I knew Samantha didn't.

"Thanks for all your help Nurse Joy," I said with a slight bow before remembering that this was Eevee's first exam and I could get a printout of the results. I quickly recalled what I'd seen on Duran and Apollo's, and there was only one thing I could really think of that I had found particularly useful, something she had even mentioned previously that I had forgotten to ask about.

"Say, can you tell me how old Eevee is? You said he was younger, right?" I asked curiously.

"Estimates put him at around three months old, give or take. That could explain why he doesn't hunt; unless he was older and more experienced he would probably find it difficult to do, particularly if he was alone. But he's old enough to learn, if that's what you choose to do. Just remember not to force the issue if he doesn't want to."

I nodded, mildly surprised to find that Eevee was a bit older than Apollo when there wasn't a doubt in my mind that Apollo would win in a battle.

I was stricken by just how much of a difference not even two weeks of training had made. Now that I thought about it, Eevee would likely have beaten Apollo when I'd first met him in that clearing.

We thanked her one last time and excused ourselves, leaving the Pokécenter to find something to eat before our first joint training session.

"I need food or I'm going to die," Samantha whined dramatically.

"Well we also need to feed our teams, and I don't exactly see any restaurants around," I commented, glancing around.

Verdanturf was a small town tucked neatly between the southern forest and the northwestern mountain. Although there were plenty of trees, it wasn't nearly as dense as Rustboro or Petalburg since we seemed to be just on the outskirts of the Petalburg Woods. To the east, the trees thinned even further and morphed into planes, making Verdanturf an interesting location since it was surrounded by three separate biomes.

Despite its geographic significance and being between two major cities like Rustboro and Mauville, the town was small and condensed. I was used to civilizations that were fairly sprawling, but apart from a select few houses that sat on small plots of land on the outskirts everything was tightly bundled around one central plaza. There were roughly twenty buildings that I could see, all of which were only connected by a well-maintained and smooth dirt path, surrounded by a white picket fence that was much more for aesthetics than function.

I saw a Pokémart and Pokécenter, a family-run hotel which was one of the larger buildings, a few random shops, a couple of small apartment buildings, and some modest houses.

But the centerpiece of the town was the Contest Hall, a large bright-orange building in the shape of an octagon that sat on the north-western edge of town directly across from the hotel. It stood in stark contrast to most of the other wooden buildings in the town, although the Pokécenter and Pokémart were similarly modern.

Although Verdanturf had all the necessities, there was a distinct lack of any restaurants or street vendors. My guess was that most residents simply made their own meals, and that visitors ate at the hotel. The Contest Hall was also likely to serve food during events, but it was plain to see that nothing was going on currently.

"How about a group picnic before we train? I can go get some supplies while you hit the Pokémart, and it'll be the perfect chance for our teams to get better acquainted. Sound good?"

I raised a brow and considered the offer. I did indeed need to do some shopping; not only for some earplugs but also grooming supplies and hopefully food for Eevee, but I wasn't the biggest fan of splitting up. It felt like I was abandoning my promise to her parents to keep her safe, and although I doubted she was at risk in a quiet place like this I couldn't help but notice she hadn't released Stella.

"Sure, as long as you have Stella with you."

She stopped and glared at me as her eyes narrowed, and I realized that if I had Apollo on my shoulder he'd either be scolding me or blaring his danger sense.

"I do not need to be protected around the clock like some sort of helpless child," she growled.

If I could, I would have banged my head against a wall; not only for my poor wording but for her stubbornness.

"I just meant that I'd feel better if you had Stella with you. And besides, you heard Nurse Joy, she needs some sunlight," I said as diplomatically as I could.

She had a dangerous look in her eyes, but even Samantha Stone didn't dare go against the word of Nurse Joy. She silently released Stella and huffed as she began walking away.

"East side of town, fifteen minutes," she called behind her, a distinct sharpness and finality in her voice.

Stella glanced between us confused for a moment before trotting along to catch up with Samantha, her gem beginning to glow as she looked up with concern at her annoyed trainer.

I sighed and rubbed my temple, deciding to release Eevee. Not only did I want to spend more time with him and slowly introduce him to human civilization, but the thought of having a fluffy Eevee in my pocket to pet for comfort sounded immensely appealing to help calm the stress I was currently feeling build up.

I released Eevee and bent down, scratching behind his ear and eliciting a purr.

"Hey buddy, how'd your checkup go? Told you Nurse Joy and Chansey would be kind to you."

He trilled happily, seemingly having no complaints about his first trip to the Pokécenter. I also noted that he didn't seem to mind having been in his Luxury Ball, which I took as a good sign he was overcoming that particular fear.

One down, countless more to go.

I picked him up and ushered him into his new favorite place in my hoodie's pouch and set off toward the Pokémart, hoping that I wasn't about to go bankrupt buying the supplies needed to care for my new high-maintenance companion.

Four thousand credits.

That's roughly how much I ended up spending on my trip to the Pokémart.

I got a grooming kit which included a fine-toothed brush, a comb, nail clippers, grooming gloves, and a small pair of scissors for trimming fur around the paws and face. The store clerk also directed me to specialized shampoo and conditioner, some ear-cleaning solution, a toothbrush and all-natural toothpaste, and a small canister of detangling spray for when Eevee's fur developed stubborn knots.

I was really starting to sweat when I began looking at the food. I was recommended some high-quality food specifically designed for mammalian omnivores that came in pouches and contained chunks of tender meat, diced vegetables and berries, and a savory sauce that boasted itself as being both flavorful and high in nutrients.

The clerk was kind enough to let Eevee try a sample, and to my utter relief he seemed to really enjoy it.

Although it was much more expensive than the kibble I had bought previously it wasn't as absurd as I had thought. Some quick math told me that my new companion would cost me nearly a hundred credits a day to feed, assuming we ate twice a day.

Not as bad as I had thought, but still pretty rough. I decided to get a week's worth of it, and briefly considered buying double the amount for Duran, but he was perfectly content with the kibble, had his vitamins, and could scavenge.

Hopefully someday soon I could improve his diet, but today wasn't that day. I took some solace in knowing he probably wouldn't have really noticed or cared if I upped the quality of his food, it would be much more for the nutritional value, but he was perfectly healthy as-is.

I wished I could have gotten Eevee some vitamins of his own, but that was out of the question. I'd have just a little over two and a half thousand credits left, and I needed some wiggle room for battles and general expenses.

I did make sure to grab a couple of pairs of earplugs, but they were the cheap disposable kind and I didn't think I'd be encountering another noisy area like that anytime soon. But I had vowed to be prepared the next time it happened, and I wasn't about to turn back on my word.

I groaned in pain as I exited the store and began making my way back to the Pokécenter to store my bought items. Not that it was anything new, but I was once again poor.

"We really need to start winning some battles, or figure out some other way of making money," I muttered under my breath.

Eevee looked up at me from his spot in my pouch, and I was reminded of just how good his hearing was.

I gave a forced smile as I pet his head, "Don't know if you know this or even understand what it means, but I'm poor. I'm sorry I can't get you food as good as what Sammy gave you, but I'll always do my best to make sure you're taken care of. You're part of the family now, and family takes care of one another."

Eevee tilted his head and gave me a blank stare, clearly having no idea what most of what I had said meant, but he seemed to understand the general message that I would take care of him and soon went back to relaxing with a low, satisfied purr as I continued petting him.

After stowing the items in my room and making my way to the area Samantha had wanted to meet up at, I found her sitting against a tree petting Stella and having a hushed conversation. She had a basket filled with food and Pokéblocks, and as I got closer I could see she no longer appeared to be mad.

"Let's get a little ways out of town then have this picnic, I'm famished," Samantha pouted, seemingly content to pretend like nothing had happened.

I nodded in agreement and followed her, counting myself lucky and chalking Samantha's change in demeanor to both giving her time to cool down as well as probably a bit of help from Stella.

I needed to do a better job of remembering that one of her hot buttons was being made to feel like she needed others to protect her, to avoid more potential awkwardness in the future.

The picnic was a resounding success, and I could tell that we were able to get a bit closer to each other's teams.

Well, for the most part.

As to be expected, Apollo and Eevee got along swimmingly with Samantha. They took the food she offered them, accepted her displays of affection, and were happy to converse with both Stella and Skitty.

Skitty was a bit cautious and reserved, but I managed to pet him and was beginning to see him relax around my team, briefly holding conversations with both Eevee and Apollo. I even saw him hanging out with Stella for a short while, breaking me from the misconception that there might be some sort of tension there.

Stella let me pet her, and we even had a brief telepathic conversation where she thanked me for being a good friend to Samantha and for taking charge in the cave, mentioning that she wasn't sure how Samantha would have handled that without my presence. I made sure I thanked her for not only helping with Eevee, but for keeping Apollo company and always watching out for Samantha.

The odd one out was Duran. He had no problems talking to Apollo, and I even saw him briefly talking with Eevee although it seemed a bit strained. But Duran refused to give the time of day to Stella, Samantha, or Skitty. It wasn't from lack of trying on their part either; Skitty tried to get Duran to play but he was having none of it, and I noticed Stella sit near him at one point and seemingly try to strike up a couple of conversations, but they seemed to quickly and awkwardly die out.

A surprising duo ended up being Skitty and Eevee. It took some time and a few tense interactions, but Eevee eventually felt comfortable enough to run around and play a game that seemed to be a mixture of tag and hide-and-seek with Skitty, which both seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

Samantha had brought a spread of Pokéblocks, some sort of berry salad, a loaf of bread, and an array of fillers and condiments for us to make sandwiches. There were even slices of Tauros meat and a mixture of Magikarp meat with boiled Pidgey eggs and mayonnaise for fish sandwiches. At first I wasn't sure if it was some sort of trap or peace offering, but after I saw Samantha make herself a fish sandwich I began making liberal use of the meats.

"A picnic was a really good idea, great work," I complimented with a smile as I watched Eevee chase Skitty.

"Yeah, they all seem to be getting along. Everyone except for one, that is…" she said, casting a look at Duran as he helped himself to another Pokéblock.

"Duran is kind of like a grumpy old man. Not the most social, not really into games. Unless it's training, battling, or family-related he is pretty indifferent," I observed.

"He could at least try," she huffed.

"I think Duran respects strength. It's why him and Apollo get along, even if Apollo is much more social than him. Maybe a spar against Stella would bring him around," I suggested hopefully.

"I agreed to train, not battle. Don't push your luck, Daniel Ingram."

I shrugged, a bit disappointed yet content with my attempt.

"Speaking of, it's about that time. Looks like everyone is full," I commented, noticing nobody was still eating.

"You shouldn't train right after a big meal. We need to wait at least fifteen minutes."

I cast her a suspicious look, wondering if she was just stalling or procrastinating. We had never had any issues with training after eating, but since she put a time on it I decided not to push the issue and just wait. We were running out of daylight, but I was content to make today a bit shorter than usual considering what happened in the tunnel and that it would be Samantha's first time joining us.

After a bit of time relaxing and some light conversation, when I was sure that it had been over fifteen minutes I stood up and gathered my team, eager to do some training.

"Today is going to be a little different, we're going to be training with Samantha's team," I informed them as she gathered her Pokémon for a talk of their own.

Apollo and Eevee nodded eagerly, however I couldn't help but notice that Duran seemed annoyed.

I considered pulling him aside for a private talk, but didn't want to postpone training any longer. Besides, he would probably come around once he saw Stella and Skitty putting in the effort to train.

"Ready when you are," I called over to Samantha, who nodded and brought her team over.

I couldn't help but feel really excited for this session. Samantha surely had some training techniques she'd picked up from her parents, both of whom were world-class trainers.

Considering that and the fact that Stella had soloed the first gym, I was optimistic that we had plenty to offer one another. She probably just lacked the motivation or proper mindset to put it to use, something that our encounter in the tunnel seemed to have fixed.

Hopefully, this would prove to be a fruitful session for both of us.

It quickly became clear that Samantha and I had different ideas of what the purpose of training was. Whereas I focused more on move familiarity and stamina, Samantha seemed to be more concerned with control and showmanship.

We decided to start our teams off separately. I had my team practice Protect and watched on curiously as Samantha had her team practice Swift, a move that instantly interested me as Eevee lacked any ranged options.

The peculiar thing about Samantha's training was that she was having her team shoot Swift upward.

I initially scoffed at the idea when I saw Skitty start things off; he clearly lacked any sort of real familiarity with the move and it looked more like a spluttering fountain firework. Some shot up high, some barely had enough momentum to go more than a few feet, and there was no consistency with what angle or power was being put into the move.

I'll admit that I initially thought Skitty was simply horrible at the move, but the true answer quickly revealed to be that he simply lacked enough familiarity and control to do what Samantha intended.

Once Stella began her own practice, I fully understood what Samantha was going for and had a newfound respect for how difficult Skitty's task truly was.

The difference between the two was night and day. Skitty had shot maybe fifteen of the vaguely star-shaped energy projectiles into the air one by one, and they had fallen around him haphazardly. By contrast, Stella had done roughly that many at once, and they were perfectly uniform in both speed and angle as they fell all around her, reminiscent of a fountain.

My team momentarily paused their practice and looked at Stella with awe; even Duran seemed to be impressed, although to a lesser degree.

While not practical for use in a battle, I had to admit that it was beautiful to watch, and after seeing Skitty's attempt I knew that it must have taken a lot of practice and control to get that effect.

Something I'd noticed was that the two had created the projectiles completely differently. Skitty had bellowed into the air and seemed to be producing them from his mouth, whereas Stella had remained completely silent and conjured them all around her body.

I asked Samantha about that as both of our teams resumed their respective practice, and she informed me that many energy-based projectiles are simply easier to create when focusing on a single point for them to manifest. She explained that Stella had initially used the move much like Skitty did now, but that with enough practice it wasn't difficult to change or distribute the point of creation.

Samantha and I began to discuss how we might be able to better train as a cohesive group, but we quickly realized that with so many different types of Pokémon, as well as our differing goals for them, we would need to pair up. The only move all Pokémon present could learn that we could think of was Protect, but Samantha wait it was 'boring' and didn't want to practice it.

Still, I wanted Eevee to learn Swift, and I remembered reading that learning a move naturally was always preferable to simply using a TM. Stella's guidance would surely help Eevee learn the move much quicker and with more mastery than having to figure it out from scratch, and it removed the risks that came with using too many TMs on a Pokémon in quick succession. He had just learned Protect, and I didn't want to risk using another one on him so soon.

So, we began to haggle over what Duran or Apollo could teach Skitty in exchange for Eevee having a private session with Stella. It didn't take us long to settle on Disarming Voice, and although I was secretly doubtful that it was something Samantha would ever find useful for contests she was adamant that it was a fair trade and that she had no doubts she could figure out a way to incorporate it someday.

After giving our teams a short break, we split them off into their new groups. Eevee was overjoyed while Apollo seemed a bit skeptical about his partner, but I asked him to try his best and he took to the task without any fuss.

Although Duran didn't have a partner, I could tell that he truly didn't mind. I would even go so far as to say I sensed a bit of relief that he wasn't being paired up, and he seemed perfectly content continuing to practice Protect. He was already the best at using the move among my team, and after informing him that it would be vital during our upcoming gym battle he seemed determined to master it.

"So what do your training sessions normally look like?" I asked as we monitored everyone's progress.

She shrugged, "I don't like calling it training, we call it practice. Mostly it's working on improving control of their moves, and if I get an idea we'll try to choreograph something. Doesn't usually go anywhere, but sometimes you strike gold."

"Was that Swift thing part of one of your performances?"

"In a way. Something like that might get you through the preliminary round, but I wouldn't count on it. We've worked on something that builds on it that's much more impressive."

"Don't suppose you'll show me?"

"Not a chance, find out at the contest. You're coming, right?" she asked pointedly as a dangerous look entered her eyes.

"No, I was planning on ditching you the moment you were preoccupied," I answered sarcastically.

She simply nodded, a slight look of relief visible on her face as we looked over our teams. After a few awkward moments, I decided to change subjects.

"Say, have you given any thought to Skitty or Eevee's names?" I asked curiously. I wasn't going to let Samantha have the final say on what Eevee's name was, but it only felt right to include her in the decision considering I wouldn't even have him if not for her.

"It's a bit too soon to say for Eevee, but I was thinking of naming Skitty 'Chase'. He's usually running around or hunting random things, his own tail included."

I raised a brow, "No 'S' name? That's surprising, I thought that was some sort of requirement for being a Stone."

She slugged my arm, "Don't say that, idiot. What if somebody heard you?"

"There's nobody anywhere near us," I commented, gesturing around.

"You still need to stop saying stuff like that. You have no idea who could be listening, especially when you factor in tech or Pokémon. There doesn't need to be anybody in earshot for the wrong ears to hear you say something dumb."

"Fine, you're right. Sorry. Still though, you kind of have a theme going on right now, sure you want to ruin it?"

"Contrary to what you may believe, Stella's name wasn't picked because it starts with an 'S'. It just sort of… happened."

"So then your theme is forcing human names on Pokémon?"

She hit my arm again in the exact same spot, and I couldn't help but rub it since it was starting to hurt.

"I'm not forcing any name on anyone, idiot. And what's wrong with naming Pokémon like humans? It's better than something like Fluffy, or Duran."

"Don't let him hear you say that or he'll never like you," I remarked.

"He already doesn't like me, idiot."

"I wouldn't say that, and can you lay off the 'idiot'? Not a very nice thing to constantly call your friend and pretend brother."

"Quit saying dumb things and I'll quit calling you that, not to mention that's exactly the kind of thing people would expect to hear out of siblings. And if you wouldn't say Duran dislikes me, what would you say?"

"I'd say he doesn't know you," I shrugged, "You have to remember he hasn't been around for most of our time together."

"Stella wasn't either, yet she's perfectly nice to you."

"True. But Stella isn't Duran, and based on what she said to me when we first met you'd clearly told her about our time together."

"So what you're saying is, you never told Duran about me."

"A bit. But from his point of view, you're a random stranger who refereed his battle against Preston's Growlithe, then suddenly you were traveling with us. He's never seen you battle or train. I know for a fact Stella earned some brownie points with him from that display of Swift. I get the feeling Duran respects strength above all else, so if you really wanted to win him over I'd say you could just have Stella battle him. He'd probably respect you both a lot more, no matter who won."

"Yeah, maybe…" Samantha trailed off, seemingly unconvinced.

I smiled fondly and gave a congratulatory clap as Eevee pranced around, celebrating his first successful usage of Swift. He'd only managed to create a singular projectile that fizzled out almost immediately after it shot forward, but it was still amazing progress for such a short time practicing.

Stella seemed to agree; her tail swayed back and forth happily as she bent down and gently nuzzled her head against Eevee's once he settled down.

"Seems like Eevee is getting the hang of it," Samantha commented, "I wonder how Skitty is doing…"

We both glanced over to where Apollo had been demonstrating Disarming Voice for Skitty, and I noticed that the two seemed to be having a conversation with Apollo gesturing animatedly. I still felt Apollo's presence in my mind, a credit to his growing ability to hold two links at once, and asked how things were going over the link.

Frustration. "Say voice bad, hurts. Think his better."

"Skitty apparently thinks his voice is better than Apollo's," I commented to Samantha, a bit amused to see Apollo getting frustrated but mentally asking him to be patient and keep trying his best.

"Prove it Skitty! Show us what you can do!" Samantha called to Skitty encouragingly, eager to see him perform his first Disarming Voice.

Skitty gained a smug expression before sitting down, leaning his head back and opening his mouth. I found it a bit curious that Skitty would be using Disarming Voice into the air, but after seeing him use Swift perhaps it was just what he was most comfortable with.

What came out of Skitty's mouth wasn't a sharp screech like I was accustomed to hearing from Apollo. It wasn't a bellow, a cry, or anything even remotely what I had been expecting.

Instead, what came out was a soft melody, gentle to the ears and oddly soothing. It was almost the complete opposite of what I had expected; a stark contrast from the Disarming Voices that Apollo had been using to demonstrate the move.

The sound wasn't constant, but a slowly ebbing melody slightly reminiscent of the lullabies my mother used to sing for me when I was younger. It wasn't any song I could recognize, but there was no question that it was indeed a song of sorts. It was slow and rhythmic, predictable yet subtly varied, and I felt a tranquil serenity wash over me. I couldn't help but closed my eyes and imagine myself floating on the open sea, completely safe as the waves gently ebbed and flowed, rocking me back and forth soothingly.

Skitty was right… His voice… Amazing…

I jolted upright as I felt a sharp pain on my arm, yelping with a startle as I grabbed at it.

As I looked around confusedly and tried to piece together what was going on, I realized two things.

The first and most obvious was that Duran had just pinched me, albeit lightly, and judging by the annoyed scowl on his face I got the feeling he had no remorse for hurting me.

The second thing I realized was that Skitty had performed a very successful Sing, and only Duran had been spared from its effects due to his usage of Protect. Apollo, Samantha, Eevee, and Stella were all slumped over in a deep sleep where I had last seen them, and Skitty was off to the side with a look of amusement despite licking its soaking-wet fur, presumably due to a rebuke from Duran.

Getting to my feet and stretching, I noticed that the sun was nearly set. I had no idea how long I had been asleep, but that nap had brought to life the lack of sleep and exhaustion I'd been pushing down all day.

I was ready to get a good night's sleep in my cozy Pokécenter bed. Everything I'd wanted to do today was done, and all that was left was to give Duran and Apollo their vitamins before I could sleep to my heart's content.

That, and I needed to figure out how I could wake up Samantha in a way that wouldn't end up badly for me. My arm was still a bit sore from earlier, and I wasn't trying to turn it into a full-blown bruise.

TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Age: 16
Badges: 1
Account: 2,682 credits

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

AN: These are my favorite kinds of chapters to write, so hopefully you enjoyed. Might have to skip the early week chapter again unfortunately; don't want to unload my personal problems but let's just say I've been VERY busy lately. Things should clear up soon, and I'm done writing the contest chapter which was WAY harder than most others, so hopefully things pick back up and I can start doing two a week again soon, but no promises. I'm pretty sure somebody somewhere rec'ed this fic, because you all popped off and I got about 4x the follows/favorites I usually get a week, and that was just one chapter. So if you got sent here from someone, pass them my thanks.

Shoutout to TysonG for beta-reading this chapter, and to Simp-Chan for hopping in the discord to provide some constructive feedback and pointers. I know my writing needs some work, but hopefully I can keep on improving. I already feel far more comfortable than I did in the early chapters, but there's a long way to go and a lot to learn. Thanks for bearing with me and being kind, everyone =]

Come chat on Discord. gg/ ge6a8XcNcB