TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Badges: 2
Account: 12,537 credits
Location: Route 112 (Fiery Path)

DANIEL'S TEAM
Ralts (Apollo) - Male
Corphish (Duran) - Male
Eevee (Orion) - Male
Trapinch - Female

OWEN'S TEAM
Makuhita (Bronson) - Male
Geodude (Roxy) - Female
Shroomish (Misha) - Female
Slakoth (Omar) - Male

The next morning was quite possibly the most hectic I'd ever had.

Even though I woke up early, I felt like I was on a very limited timer. I needed to feed my team and eat breakfast, meditate, run a training session, ensure all my team was fully hydrated, hunt for a meal for Trapinch, attempt to progress our relationship, and pack up camp in time for us to make it through Fiery Path in one go, as camping inside was absolutely not acceptable or safe.

As I fed my team minus Trapinch and quickly scarfed down a dehydrated meal I made for breakfast, I came to the conclusion that concessions would need to be made yet again, even if I really didn't want to. I had already been neglecting my team's training recently due to my focus on Trapinch, but I had made them a promise that I fully intended to keep.

Meditation and a proper training session were out the window, at least for the time being. I could always fit them in after the more pressing matters were addressed, if time allowed.

"I hate to do this to you guys, but I need you to hurry with your breakfast," I spoke up between mouthfuls, shoveling the food into my mouth and swallowing so fast I didn't even know what flavor meal I was eating.

"Trapinch needs food, and we don't have anything suitable," I continued after another bite, noticing that my whole team had indeed sped up their eating pace. "I promised Trapinch we'd get her some food this morning, and she hasn't had a proper meal in days. She may not officially be part of the family, and I don't fully trust her yet, but she is our guest and we made her a promise. I'm going to need each and every one of you to help us hunt, especially you Orion."

Orion and Duran both perked up and seemed eager, but Apollo paused and stared at me.

Disapproval. "I not want kill or be near dying. Strong negative emotions. Also should not ask Duran kill again. Relive past mistakes, needless shame and burden."

I groaned, rubbing my temples and desperately wishing I had a cup of coffee to think more clearly.

"I just need help leading prey to Trapinch's pit, nobody else needs to kill. Duran has had time to get over his past, and he seems willing and eager. We can't shelter him forever, and I need help. Everyone other than you eats meat, myself included. Orion and Duran are omnivores, but Trapinch only seems to want fresh meat. We need to keep everyone fed and healthy; we can't thrive on ramen and pellets. I know the emotions of something dying must be hard for you, but couldn't you just block it out if you know it's coming?"

"Too strong to ignore. Panic, terror, agony, despair, helplessness, hatred… Many overwhelming, strong emotions."

"Are you sure? The only death you experienced first-hand was… instant and unexpected," I cautiously challenged as I did my best to refer to the Taillow incident without mentioning it by name, fully aware that I was dangerously close to pushing Apollo past his comfort zone.

What I had said was true though; Duran couldn't forever be weighed down by his past, and as our team continued to grow, so too did our necessity for meat. With Samantha now gone, Trapinch accompanying us, Orion quickly developing to a point where he can easily start to hunt for us, and Duran's looming evolution where scavenging and pellets would likely no longer be adequate nutrition, I needed to start taking hunting and fishing more seriously if I wanted to keep my team healthy. It would be nice if I could somehow elicit Apollo's help, or at a minimum not have to recall him while we did it, but I would if absolutely necessary. It was easy to forget that Apollo was so sensitive to emotions, because he did a good job of not letting it show in most situations where I would expect it to. I could easily see how experiencing death second-hand could be extremely traumatizing for an empath, but at the same time if there was any way to work around it, I wanted to find it.

Resolute. "Brief, but not instant. Felt much, too much. Never want to feel again."

"Your skills and mental control are exponentially better," I reminded Apollo. "When you use Calm Mind, your focus and control is extremely elevated. We hadn't done any meditation at the time either. I would bet a good chunk of credits you could completely block it out if you knew it was coming."

Hesitance. Uncertainty. Worry. "Perhaps… But even if possible, cannot block own emotions. Will know what I caused."

I forced a smile, bending down to pick up Apollo with both hands and holding him in front of my face, my thumbs cradling his arms.

"That 'perhaps' made you sound an awful lot like Stella, I see you've picked up some of her mannerisms. Not that I'm complaining. Your English is great, getting close to perfect. I'm proud of you buddy."

Confusion. Embarrassment. "No change topic."

I shook my head and affectionately rubbed his helmet with my thumb, "Not changing the topic at all. The point is that I love you, more and more each day, and always will no matter what. If you don't feel comfortable doing it, I won't make you. But do you understand that hunting and death will be unavoidable for a team with multiple meat-eaters? Not everyone can be as lucky as you; most living beings need food, and some just so happen to require meat. As our team grows and evolves, we'll need more than pre-made pouches and pellets to keep everyone healthy. And I can't live on ramen and rice for the rest of my life either. Maybe if I had a lot more money and a space-tech backpack we'd be able to get by without hunting, but that's not the reality we live in. I need to do this, for our growing family. If you can help, I'd appreciate it. But if not, we can handle it ourselves, I promise."

Determination. Inspiration. Conflict. Anxiousness. "Try test? I meditate, Calm Mind, try block out, not help but nearby."

I nodded happily, giving him a quick peck of a kiss on the top of his head before setting him down. "Amazing idea. We'll take baby steps and go from there, the rest of us should be more than capablearef handling it today. Join us for a quick group meeting in case I need your help translating, if you don't mind."

Affection. "Never mind. Always happy helping."

I grinned happily as I turned to the rest of my team, who had been waiting patiently despite being completely out of the loop on what was going on. But they were familiar enough with Apollo's telepathy to know that we were having a conversation, and I was glad that they didn't seem to take offense to us having occasional private conversations.

"Alright team, we're going to have a quick meeting before we do this, and Trapinch is going to join. Orion, I know you're curious but remember to keep your distance for now. Stay a few body lengths away from her and her pit, but do your best to be friendly and welcoming from a distance. That goes for all of you."

He folded his ears back, but nodded in understanding. I knew that he was endlessly curious to get a good sniff and closer look at the Trapinch, and that's exactly what I wanted to get ahead of. He was the one I was most worried about; I felt relatively comfortable having Duran and Apollo be slightly riskier with the Trapinch, so long as they both kept their guards up as well.

Unclipping Trapinch's Luxury Ball, I released her closest to Duran. She let loose a big yawn before looking around in confusion, with me and my team each giving her various greetings ranging from nods, waves, and barks.

"Sorry if I woke you up, Trapinch. But it's time for us to make good on my promise to get you a proper meal. We're going to work together to get you some prey. Ready to hear my plan?"

Visibly confused, uncertain, and a little uncomfortable, Trapinch hesitantly nodded and I began explaining to the team the details of my plan.

It wasn't anything overly extravagant, but if we pulled it off then it would be a great team-building exercise while also making good on my promise to Trapinch and hopefully furthering our relationship.

Although success was far from guaranteed, I had a promise to keep, and I fully intended to keep my word.

I ended up immensely glad that I had decided to call off training to make sure we had ample time to pull off my plan, because it took a while for us to get it working.

The plan was relatively simple on paper, but execution proved to be more challenging. First of all, getting Trapinch to make a passable pit on solid ground wasn't quite as straightforward as I had hoped. Getting a cone-shape in sand was extremely simple and nothing more than a matter of letting gravity do its work while digging down, pulling surrounding sand into a neat cone. But that wasn't the case with solid ground, and Trapinch had to take special care to properly make a cone.

I suggested just making a hole, but Trapinch was dead set in their ways and insisted that a cone was optimal for ensuring prey properly fell into the correct position for a decisive blow. Since this was a joint effort, I chose not to argue the point even if I secretly disagreed that it was necessary.

Shape aside, I also noticed that Trapinch wasn't fond of contending with the roots, rocks, and densely packed earth they had to dig through. They were more than capable of dealing with it, but I definitely picked up on some annoyance and knew it was likely much easier to dig in the desert sand.

The final problem I realized was that, unlike a subtle sandtrap in the desert, the pit we had created stood out quite a bit in the forest. The surrounding area was covered in grass, leaves, and weeds, and a brown pit of dirt was quite noticeable. So, deciding to treat it as an exercise in trust with the Trapinch, I carefully layered a small net of thin sticks across the top and covered it with leaves, making it mostly inconspicuous at a quick glance.

The final prep work we had to do was strategically having Duran hide in a nearby bush, keeping a watchful eye and ready to assist in directing any potential foe toward the hole however possible. Ideally, Orion would give chase and get the target as close to the hole as possible, where Duran could hopefully give one final redirect if needed.

It dawned on me that we were probably going a bit overboard with the plan. Trapinch could likely stay in their hole and, given enough time, eventually catch something that just happened to stray by. We could even attempt to lure prey with a berry or something. Yet we didn't have that kind of time, and with this method I could ensure that whatever Trapinch was about to eat was a legal species that it could handle and not something like a Numel.

With all of our prep-work set, everyone on the same page, and Apollo meditating in a nearby tree to see if he could truly block out the events that were about to unfold, we set our plan into motion.

Since Orion wasn't particularly large or intimidating, we had to do everything possible to make him as threatening as possible so the foe would run. We ended up starting things off with the meanest Growl he could muster, followed by a Quick Attack to show off his superior speed while launching volleys of Swift projectiles toward the opponent, both at their feet to get them moving but also occasionally hitting them to solidify the threat.

By far, the hardest part was locating a suitable target; it couldn't be anything that would fly, and it had to be small enough to fall victim to the pit. That left us pretty limited, especially considering we needed something that was legal to hunt, and I suspected that our only hope was going to be finding a Zigzagoon.

But surprisingly, when Orion finally heard some rustling in a bush as we explored the nearby area, it turned out to be a Rattata. It was absolutely an invasive pest that we were well within our right to hunt; Kanto and Johto were completely overrun with the species, even more so than Zigzagoon and Taillow were here, and thanks to a handful of traveling trainers deciding that it would be a good idea to ignore the law by releasing their Rattata to make room on their team for a new Pokémon, they were quickly becoming widespread throughout Hoenn as well.

In any case, it was the perfect target, and something Orion was easily able to intimidate and overpower into fleeing. The Rattata was remarkably fast in their own right, but Orion had been practicing his Quick Attack quite a bit, had more endurance, could help steer with well-placed Swifts, and had a longer leg span. It took a couple tries to direct it towards Trapinch's hole, but once it dashed by Duran gave an impressive Water Gun and sent it tumbling onto the trap, falling into the hole. A firm chomp, a sharp squeal, and a series of snapping and crunching sounds that sent a shiver down my spine informed me that our plan had been successful, and that I was best served giving Trapinch some space while she enjoyed the fruits of our labor.

I whistled for Duran and Orion to come over, and although Orion happily complied, Duran couldn't help but take a slight detour to peer down in the hole, his curiosity getting the better of him. I couldn't exactly place the expression on his face, and with Apollo not currently overseeing the proceedings I didn't have him to fall back on like usual, but my gut told me he was reminded of his time living in the wild. He seemed to be more contemplative though, and didn't seem shaken in the slightest.

Orion, on the other hand, was vibrating when he leaped into my arms, likely a mixture of the thrill of the hunt as well as being deeply unsettled by how easily Trapinch had ended the life of something half his size. I hadn't intended on traumatizing him or anything, thinking that as long as we didn't look into the hole things would be fine, but I hadn't even accounted for the sounds that we might hear.

"You did amazing, Orion. I can't thank you enough for your help," I said reassuringly as I scratched behind his ear, walking toward the tree I knew Apollo was meditating behind. I glanced back to see that Duran was indeed coming over, and sighed in relief as I realized the disturbing sounds had stopped coming from the pit.

I reached out and gently shook Apollo to break him from his deep meditation, "Hey buddy, we did it. You alright?"

He looked up at me with wide eyes, and I could feel his presence return to my mind.

Confusion. Optimism. "Over? Not feel anything. Focus deep."

I tucked Orion into my hoodie pouch, thankful that his tremors were starting to subside, and rubbed Apollo's helmet before setting him on my shoulder.

"You must have been deep in your mind if you didn't even hear my whistling. That's good, so we know it's possible if you're ready for it. Maybe next time, we try having you help us out and see if you can block it out at the last moment."

I turned to Duran, who stood nearby with a look of contemplation and reflection. "You did great Duran, thanks a ton for your help. Feeling alright? You shouldn't have looked in that pit, you know."

He gave a quick snip of acknowledgment, but seemed to only be half-listening. I reached out to Apollo through our link, hoping to glean some insight into what he was feeling.

Resolute. Determined.

I nodded silently, not entirely sure what was going through Duran's mind but deciding it seemed to be nothing I needed to be too concerned with. He was allowed his privacy of thoughts, and as long as he was in a good state of mind I wasn't going to pry.

"That was pretty savage, dude," Owen's voice suddenly rang out, causing me to turn and see that he had just returned to camp, panting and sweating with his team.

"You saw that?" I asked hesitantly, walking over to him as I reached into my pouch to pet Orion.

"Didn't see anything, but I was sure close enough to hear. Guess I chose a pretty bad time to wrap up training and head back to camp, huh?" he said as he rubbed the back of his head, looking more awkward than I'd ever seen him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to subject you or your team to that. I thought we were far enough away from camp," I apologized.

"No need to be sorry, it sounded like it was as quick as it could be. You won't get any judgments from me. Just because none of my team are carnivores doesn't mean I don't get that it's necessary. As long as you're responsible with it, I've got no issues."

I sighed in relief and nodded in thanks, not wanting to dwell on the topic. "I think it's about time for us to pack up camp. We've got a lot of traveling to do today if we want to try getting through Fiery Path in one go. Speaking of which, are you sure you even want to go? We could hang around for another day or two if you need. Aren't you pretty set on finding a Machop?"

"Yeah, we looked around a bit this morning but still no luck. I don't think it'll do us any good to keep looking around the same area, so we might as well go. Supposedly, Machop can be found scattered all around Mount Chimney; in Fiery Path, on the other side of Route 112, and even higher up along Jagged Pass. I'll just keep my eyes peeled, I'm sure I'll find one eventually."

"That's the spirit. Let's pack up and get going. If you don't mind though, would it be alright if I introduced Trapinch to your team before we head out? I think we're about at a point where she can start hanging around camp, although I'm not sure how much socializing she'll end up doing. I get the feeling she's a bit of a loner like Duran, but we'll see."

"Fine by me, if you think it's safe I trust you. Not that the rest of our teams can't be dangerous, but a Trapinch has the hidden temperament of a dragon, and causing it to snap can easily be deadly. When Duran got upset, he had the restraint to retaliate with only a Water Gun. Totally fair by the way, no hard feelings at all, Misha deserved a lesson in personal space. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little worried about how that would turn out with Trapinch."

"You're right. I'm still in that situation myself; I don't let anyone get too close, and I still haven't even brought myself to touch Trapinch, although I've been slowly closing the distance. Just have your team stay vigilant and keep a respectful distance, but not so much it's like we're outcasting Trapinch. She isn't the type to want to be too close to others anyway. I think the only way to keep making progress is to start integrating her more though, so we just need to take it slow and safe."

"Works for me. I'll talk with my team while we have a quick breakfast, then we can do introductions and pack up."

I nodded, turning to head toward Trapinch's hole when I noticed that she had actually left and was slowly making her way towards us, a look of satisfaction on her face. I approached, meeting her halfway with Duran following.

"Hey Trapinch, feeling full? I told you that we'd get you a proper meal, didn't I?" I asked with a grin.

Trapinch chirped, which Apollo translated as 'satisfied'. I smiled happily, crouching down while still maintaining a bit of distance between us.

"See what working as a team can accomplish? You don't have to wait for days to catch prey if you've got help. You don't have to spend your days focused on survival anymore, you can dedicate your time to getting stronger to reach your potential. If you stick with us and train hard, you'll evolve and be able to hunt down your own prey, too. You might even beat Duran someday if you try hard enough."

Trapinch's eyes seemed to have a newfound fierceness as she gave Duran a challenging look, clearly intent on rising to the occasion. Duran huffed in dismissal, though I could tell he was rather amused.

"I think we could do great things together, Trapinch. You want to get stronger, just like we do. Every one of us here used to be all alone in the world, just like you. But we've banded together into our own little family, and we plan on showing the world just how strong we can be. We're going to travel the region taking on the toughest trainers and win. Everyone here is going to reach their final evolution, and you can too if you stick with us. You don't have to decide now, we'll be back at your desert in a week or so like I said before."

I leveled Trapinch with a serious look and took a firm tone, "What you do need to decide now is how you want to behave until then. We all want to get to know you, Owen and his team included. To do that, I have to be able to trust that you won't ever attack any of us, even if you feel provoked, annoyed, or disrespected. You don't have to socialize or make friends if you don't want to, but can I at least trust that you won't threaten or attack anyone? If you can't guarantee that, you'll have to spend a lot more time in your ball this week. As cozy as I'm sure it is in there, there's nothing as good as fresh air, sunlight, and being able to stretch your legs."

Trapinch hesitated slightly but nodded, and I decided that it was time to push my luck and test the waters. My entire team was present, Trapinch had just eaten, and we seemed to be getting along better than ever. Watching closely as I slowly extended my hand with my palm up, I gently scratched under her chin, a move that caused Trapinch to freeze in place and flinch slightly upon contact. Her eyes widened and she didn't seem to be sure how to react, but the presence of both Duran and Apollo didn't leave her much choice but to let it happen despite being uncomfortable.

I smiled warmly as I pulled away, deciding it best to take a quick victory while she was stunned rather than risk prolonging it and giving her a chance to get annoyed or angry.

"After introductions to Owen and his team, you can start hanging out with us at camp. If anyone ever rubs you the wrong way, all I ask is that you tolerate it without lashing out, like you just did with me. You can tell Apollo if anything is bothering you, and I promise we'll take care of it. Here they come now, remember to be nice."

Although it was rather awkward and forced, Trapinch made it through meeting Owen and his team without a hitch. Trapinch seemed largely indifferent but put in the effort to acknowledge each, even if it was minimal and unenthusiastic. It probably didn't help that Trapinch had never seen Owen and his team demonstrate their skills as she had mine, though I couldn't help but notice she seemed to keep casting wary glances at Roxy. Despite a technical type advantage, she likely knew her jaws wouldn't do much against a Geodude's dense layers of rock.

While not exactly the most friendly and ideal set of introductions, I considered it an overall success. Considering Omar was barely awake enough to lift a claw and grunt in greeting, I wasn't about to nitpick Trapinch's part in how it played out. After all, progress was continuing to be made, no matter how small.

Eager to begin our trek through Fiery Path as soon as possible in the hopes we would be out by nightfall, we changed into the lightweight outfits we'd prepared for this leg of the journey, made sure everyone properly hydrated and packed up camp before finally recalling most of our Pokémon and making our way towards the tunnel's entrance where we encountered an old, poorly maintained sign.

"Beware: Extreme heat, toxic fumes, dangerous Pokémon."

"This sign is a lot more blunt than the one at Rusturf," I commented.

"Considering this one has no commercial value, that's not surprising," Owen shrugged. "Rusturf Tunnel is almost entirely man-made, and it serves as the connector for two of Hoenn's biggest cities. It's not nearly as vital these days, but before shipping routes were established it was the only thing connecting the west to the rest of Hoenn."

"I get that this isn't exactly a path any normal person would ever take, but it is a regional attraction in its own right. It's the only suitable habitat in all of Hoenn for fire-types, right? You'd think the sign at the entrance of a dormant volcano might have a bit more to say."

"Allow me," Owen said before clearing his throat and straightening his posture, adopting a professional persona. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Fiery Path! Located in the heart of Hoenn at the base of Mount Chimney, this geological wonder is an intricate network of chambers of tunnels that naturally occurred over centuries of volcanic activity. Lava tubes and stalactites aren't the only things we'll soon encounter; many exotic Pokémon you can't find anywhere else in the region reside here thanks to ongoing geothermal activity. To help ensure safe passage, we ask that all visitors refrain from straying from the tour group and keep a respectful distance from the volcano's residents. At the conclusion of our expedition, we ask that you please consider tipping your guide and leaving a review online. We hope that you enjoy your visit, and thank you for choosing Alder Adventures," Owen concluded with a formal bow, causing Apollo and I to both clap.

"That was surprisingly good. If you don't make it as a gym leader, you'd make an excellent guide," I complimented.

He snorted in amusement and brushed the comment off as we began making final preparations; most notably taking out our lanterns, making sure we had our medical supplies and water easily accessible, and figuring out which of our team members we should have with us.

I decided to try keeping Apollo out on the promise that he would tell me if the heat became too much, since Duran and Orion would undoubtedly suffer from prolonged exposure to the heat. I briefly considered keeping Trapinch out since she would probably be able to handle the environment just fine, but I didn't want to worry about her potentially slowing us down and couldn't afford to prioritize bonding when we were in dangerous terrain.

For Owen's part, he kept both Roxy and Bronson out. Roxy was perfectly suited to handle the heat, and although Bronson was sweating profusely he was determined to tough it out, seeing it as a form of training.

Though we immediately felt a wave of warm air upon stepping into the tunnel, everything else seemed fairly standard for the first thirty minutes or so. We spotted Zubat, Diglett, and Roggenrola as we continued deeper, though they kept their distance from us and didn't cause any trouble. The presence of Diglett was annoying because it meant that we had to watch our steps closely to ensure we didn't accidentally step into a hole, of which there were plenty. I found Roggenrola particularly interesting since the prospect of potentially adding rock-type to the team was very appealing, but I already had my hands full with the Trapinch and couldn't afford to divide my attention even further.

As we progressed deeper into the tunnel, the heat gradually increased and the air went dry. I was immensely glad that we'd had the foresight to get suitable clothes, because I couldn't imagine how much more I would have been sweating if I was wearing my cargo pants. I frequently checked in with Apollo, who reassured me repeatedly that he was alright despite sweating just as much as me. But we made sure to frequently take a drink of water to help compensate, and I didn't see any signs that indicated Apollo was pushing himself too hard.

Aside from the heat, there were other noticeable differences as we continued deeper. One was a distinct pungent odor that kept getting more foul that I knew had to be sulfur, and Owen pointed out the increasing presence of stalagmites and stalactites. Soon, the tunnel began to grow wider, and we started to encounter lines spray painted on the ground that initially had me scratching my head.

But when the tunnel opened up into a large chamber, the first of many we would encounter, and I noticed that there were multiple tunnels that we could take, it became apparent that they were meant to lead the way through the tunnel so as to not get lost. I had no idea who was responsible for it, but I found myself incredibly grateful that someone had taken the effort to do so, as I could easily see us accidentally getting turned around or wandering aimlessly without their guidance. I wasn't the biggest fan of defacing nature in such a way, but if it helped keep travelers safe it seemed to be a small price to pay.

Another thing we noticed was the eventual absence of Zubat and Diglett, who began to be replaced by Numel, Torkoal, Slugma, Grimer, and Koffing, most of whom were thankfully quite docile and didn't pay us much mind. The fire-types were nice because they tended to provide some level of light, however I found the poison-types particularly alarming. We didn't have too much trouble keeping our distance thanks to the tunnels being so wide, but without a flashlight we sometimes got closer than I'd have liked. A few tried to approach us out of curiosity or a desire to test their strength. But Apollo was on high alert and could easily compel them to back off by rattling them with a Confusion, which was particularly effective against them.

"I hadn't been expecting to see so many poison-types," I muttered quietly to Owen at one point as I spotted another Grimer some distance away. We'd been refraining from talking much, keeping our voices down and our steps as light as possible so we could listen for any potential threats and try not to draw too much attention.

"It's the sulfur, they love it. All things considered, we haven't actually seen too many since we're sticking to ground level. I know that some of these tunnels lead down into lower chambers where it's so concentrated you need a mask," he said as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brows.

"I don't know how we didn't think to buy some. This can't be healthy for us, being in an enclosed space with poison types and volcanic gases."

"We're fine. Hot air rises, and between the vents and convection currents there is some airflow circulating, even if it may not seem like it. Unless we get doused directly with a Poison Gas by a Koffing or something, at most we risk getting a headache."

I groaned, "I forgot to get painkillers, how could I not think of that after Stella's lessons. I thought we were well-prepared, yet we don't even have masks despite being in the home of poison-types. I also have to point out that neither of us has a flashlight, Sammy had the only one."

Owen bumped his shoulder against mine with a grin, "Our lanterns are fine, you worry too much dude. We know we're on the right path, we're making good pace, and Apollo is the ultimate repel. We haven't even had to fight anything, and I guarantee there isn't anything in these tunnels we can't handle. Lighten up, no use stressing over things we can't change."

"Still, I'm investing in a flashlight next chance I get," I vowed, "maybe even one of those headlamps. I get goosebumps every time the face of a Koffing or Grimer suddenly catches the light and I see them just staring at us. Feels like we're in a horror movie or something."

"It is pretty creepy, I'll give you that. I have a good handful of antidotes and burn heals though. Speaking of, we should start getting into some battles. There's no better place for us to get in some practice for the next gym."

"It's just so damn hot. I'm not even sure if Duran or Apollo would benefit much from training here. I do want Orion to get some experience against fire-types, but he'll overheat in minutes with his fur. I'd also rather not have his fur get singed off in a battle."

"Hate to break it to you Danny, but you probably can't avoid that. When you participate in a lot of battles, you have to expect some lingering evidence of a hard-fought battle. Chipped teeth and claws, scars, missing scales, feathers, and fur, the list goes on and on. Best to come to terms with that as soon as possible. If you ever give battle-hardened Pokémon a close look, you'll see a lot of examples of this. Didn't you notice the scars on Vito's Alakazam, or the chip in his Swellow's beak?"

"Sure, accidents and injuries are bound to happen, but I'd like to avoid it when possible."

"Unless you plan on using Trapinch for the gym, it seems pretty unavoidable to me," Owen remarked.

"Even with a type advantage, she's remarkably unprepared for a real battle. Besides, Orion needs a chance to shine after our last gym. Speaking of the next gym, I've gotta ask… I can't imagine you'll be using Omar, so are you planning on having Misha battle? Isn't having a Shroomish go up against trained fire-types pretty dangerous?"

Owen grimaced, "Yeah, I'd rather not use either of them if I can help it. Yet another reason I really want to partner up with a Machop and get some training in before the gym. But if Misha were to evolve, I'd feel better about her chances."

"Even then, she'd still be a grass-type. Isn't one heavy dose of fire potentially life-threatening?"

"I think you severely underestimate how resilient Pokémon can be. It would hurt like hell and probably be enough pain to render her unconscious pretty quickly, but she'd recover. We're talking about a gym battle, after all. I don't feel comfortable having Misha battle one of these wild fire-types since we're nowhere near a Pokécenter, but a gym leader knows how to pull punches."

I nodded silently, deciding against diving into my hangups on grass and bug-types. I knew that there was some truth to what Owen had said; I just remembered reading that grass-types needed to exercise particular caution for their weakness against fire-types compared to most bad matchups, but that didn't necessarily mean they were so frail it was a guaranteed death sentence.

Noticing that Apollo had been unusually quiet, I glanced to my shoulder to find him meditating, trying his best to block out the oppressive environment. Realizing that he was pushing himself and likely no longer an effective repel, I nudged him to get his attention.

"Hey, I think you need a break. You're pushing yourself, I can tell you're miserable."

Reluctance. "Will manage. Not want to leave you alone."

I rubbed his helmet fondly, "I'm not alone, Roxy and Bronson are here. Besides, I think we're going to do some battling, so I don't want you to needlessly suffer while we do. If we do run into any trouble, I can't have you on the verge of collapse."

Although he wasn't keen on it, I managed to convince him to accept the reprieve on the condition I bring him out again soon. I gave him another drink of water and poured some over him to help cool him down before recalling him, putting my faith in Owen and his team to keep us safe in the meantime.

"Apollo is going to take a break, so if you wanted to do some battling now would be a good time," I informed Owen before taking another long drink of water and pouring some on my head. My shirt was already drenched with sweat, so I wasn't too concerned about making a mess or being wasteful. If ever there was a time to make liberal use of the multiple bottles of water I always carried with me, it was in Fiery Path.

"Sounds good to me! Let's see what we can get into," Owen replied with a feral grin as Bronson and Roxy both simultaneously pounded a fist against their chest.

Truthfully, I wasn't too crazy about prolonging our grueling expedition. But we'd only been traveling for a couple of hours and it felt like we were already quite deep into the mountain, so I wasn't overly concerned about us making it out by the end of the day. Besides, it was one of the best places for us to train for our upcoming gym battle, and one of the more unique travel destinations in the region.

While earning badges was fairly high on my priority list, it was undeniably secondary to enjoying my journey and fully immersing myself in what the region had to offer. Few places would offer the same ambiance and opportunities that this portion of the journey would, so I was determined to make the most of it. The heat and seemingly endless void of darkness that surrounded us was off-putting, but we had a clearly marked path to the exit to follow that helped keep me grounded and reassured that everything would be alright. We hadn't given the desert nearly as much attention as it probably deserved since Samantha was pressed for time, so now was as good a time as any to slow things down a little to stop and smell the proverbial roses.

Or sulfur, in this case.

A/N: Things are heating up, quite literally.

Shoutout to Trix and Feanix for beta-reading this chapter, and to MarvelMakesMeFeelThings for the lovely comments.

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