TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Badges: 2
Account: 12,615 credits
Location: Lavaridge Town

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

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

Though I had some doubts and reservations about Flannery after what had happened under her watch, I ended up discarding those after getting the chance to talk with her more.

Vito had described Flannery as hot-headed, and warned us not to get on her bad side. I could only assume that we hadn't managed to do that, because she was nothing but friendly and personable with Owen and I in private. I'd been concerned that her and Ana were in on some sort of massive ploy by Preston to get back at me, yet she seemed equally in the dark as to the true nature of what had just transpired.

It also became abundantly clear that she wasn't close to Ana on a personal level. That turned out to be her first time meeting the girl, and Flannery admitted that she was being particularly nice due to the influence of the Stern family in the region. 'Even gym leaders have to kiss ass on occasion', as she put it.

Still, she reaffirmed what Sammy had said that as far as social elites were concerned, Ana was well-known as being one of the better ones you could cross paths with. She had nothing but praises for the entire Stern family in fact, but noted that Ana was known to be exceptionally kind-hearted and down to earth.

I had thought that Wattson was a rather laid-back and casual gym leader, but he paled in comparison to Flannery. She had her shoes kicked up on her desk and the messiest office I'd ever seen, with papers and clothes scattered everywhere. She also turned out to be refreshingly blunt and honest, and didn't bother to mince words as she said exactly what was on her mind.

She wore her heart on her sleeve, and struck me as being the kind of person I'd get along with. Orion ended up a fan as well; after Flannery noticed that I was petting him and learned that it was an Eevee, she all but pleaded to be able to hold him. Orion initially wasn't a big fan of being woken up, but after bribing him with treats she had stashed away in her desk and showering him with affection, he acquiesced and settled into her lap. He ended up spending most of our visit in Flannery's lap as she gave him a massage that caused his purr to fill the room, which admittedly made me a little jealous of her technique.

As it turns out, she had a Flareon of her own. She regretted not being able to introduce them, but apparently they were in the recreation room and Flannery didn't want to move from her perfect position of being able to enjoy the Eevee currently in her possession.

Eventually, our lighthearted meet and greet took a slight turn after a slight break in the conversation caused Flannery to shift focus to what had just occurred in her lobby.

"Don't mean to pry, but I've gotta ask – why on earth would you two turn down a sponsorship like that? Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with aiming for the stars and hoping to catch Devon's eyes, but most trainers in your position would jump at the opportunity to have a heavyweight like the Stern family backing them. I can't remember the last time a reputable backer offered a sponsorship to trainers so early in the circuit, that offer is almost like hitting the lottery."

I examined Flannery closely as I tried to figure out if I wanted to be honest with her. She seemed genuinely curious, and the way she talked about Ana and the Stern family didn't at all give me the impression that she was invested in the outcome one way or another.

"Promise to keep it between us?" I requested, deciding I could toss her a bone.

"On my honor," she said with a nod, leaning forward in interest.

"It's her fiance. We have a bit of a sour history, and I wouldn't be caught dead willingly doing anything that involved him."

"The Livingston boy? Never met him myself, but I have heard he can be a bit of an ass. Was surprised to hear Ana was engaged, she's still so young. I guess love works in mysterious ways though, and you know what they say – that opposites attract," she said with a shrug. She turned to Owen, "What about you? Same reason?"

"Pretty much," Owen said with a nod before crossing his arms in thought. "I don't have the same first-hand experience that Danny has, but from what he's told me I have zero interest in associating with that guy. If he were just marrying Ana I would seriously consider it, but she even said he was in charge of their logistics and had a role. Anyone corrupt enough to fix a gym battle for a personal grudge is on my shit list for life, no matter how much money they wave in front of me."

My eyes widened and I cast Owen a side glance, wishing he hadn't included that last part but realizing I'd probably led him to believe I was about to spill the beans. He pursed his lips and gave an apologetic look, "Sorry, you know how I get sometimes with stuff like that, I got a little carried away and it just slipped out. I think Flannery can be trusted though; Brawly always spoke highly of her, and she is a gym leader who gave her word after all. That means something."

I glanced at Flannery, whose brows were furrowed as she was in deep thought. "Fixed gym battle… You must mean Georgia. Based on how things went down with her I knew there must have been something going on, but I wouldn't have pegged her for the type to be that corrupt. I thought she might have taken something personal and gotten a little heated, and it made me especially nervous since I can get a little riled up myself on occasion."

"We were warned about that actually," Owen joked, mortifying me.

"Who? Give me a name," Flannery all but demanded as her voice took a stern tone, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Owen's expression fell as he got a glimpse of Flannery's hot-headed side, but he decided to answer truthfully.

"Vito Winstrate. We ran into him and his family on the way here. He had nothing but good things to say about you, just mentioned not to get on your bad side," Owen said diplomatically as I cast him a quick look of betrayal, dearly hoping we hadn't just gotten him into a world of trouble.

Flannery instantly relaxed, leaning back with a reminiscent look and a slight smirk much to my relief. "Vito is an absolute sweetheart, he doesn't know the first thing about being on my bad side. He must have heard something from somebody else, wonder who… Anyway, back to the topic at hand. You say the Livingston boy was the one behind Georgia going so hard on you?"

"Please keep that to yourself," I pleaded. "I really don't want to stir up any trouble, and I already hate that I'm being even loosely associated to it by some people."

She leaned back, looking more serious than I'd ever seen her. "You have my word, I won't tell a soul. Still though, hearing that makes me feel way better about the League booting her. Things have gotten lax over the years since it's so hard to find a qualified replacement, but I'm glad they still have their teeth when it counts. Makes me wonder why she'd do that though, I can't imagine it was only because of a bribe. I can't help but think this Preston kid might have had some dirt on her somehow. Mind telling me the whole story? I can't wrap my head around why he would even bother doing that, or how you know he was behind it."

I begrudgingly recounted the story from start to finish, leaving Samantha out but feeling no reason to omit Roxanne's part – both her intervention in front of the trainer school as well as her follow-up after the battle. Owen was particularly interested during the parts where Roxanne came up, but sat quietly and let me tell the story despite clearly wanting to jump in with questions about her. It never ceased to amuse me just how much of a fanboy Owen could be for certain big names, particularly when it concerned gym leaders.

"If he'd had the self-restraint to not show up to your battle, you'd have probably never tied it to him" Roxanne noted with a sigh after I finished my retelling. "The fact that he stormed off after your battle is pretty telling, but I could see how he would be able to get off cleanly, unlike Georgia. Using Self-Destruct for a first-badge challenge is extremely excessive no matter how you slice it, it's hard to claim you 'accidentally' went overboard when you do something like that. That's like me using Eruption or Fire Blast, and I wouldn't even do that against trainers at your level. It's also very convenient that you had Roxanne present during your battle – no way in hell the League would ever brush off an accusation made by her. She's easily the most influential and respected trainer in Rustboro, and that's without factoring in who she ended up marrying."

"Roxanne has done a lot for me," I nodded in agreement. "Not many people in her position would take time to personally tutor some random traveling trainer with no badges."

"Word on the street is that she's been temporarily filling the role of Rustboro gym leader until they find a suitable replacement," Flannery commented.

"So cool! I wish I had the chance to battle her," Owen said longingly.

"Guess I've caused her even more trouble," I sighed, which Flannery waved off dismissively.

"Don't blame yourself, kid. Roxanne and I are old friends, and I can tell you firsthand that she's a great person with a strong sense of duty and morals. She'd have reported that even if she had never met you, and I'm sure she's more than happy to help, she probably even offered herself up to do it. She's a classic overachiever and helps wherever she's needed, so I'm sure she's more than capable of taking a few challengers while still maintaining her role at the academy. Knowing her and Steven, they won't let the League drag their feet and keep her there long."

"You know Steven Stone?!" Owen burst out excitedly, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and smile.

Flannery examined Owen with a raised brow. "Naturally, I was gym leader when he was still Champion. Wallace and Steven always made it a point to check in with us gym leaders regularly, I had a great relationship with both. That's more than I can say for Tucker, the guy is basically a stranger and he's held the position for years now."

She had a sour expression for a brief moment before her eyes widened and she pursed her lips, making it obvious that she instantly regretted being so candid.

"Don't worry, you're in good company. Owen's not a fan either," I said half-jokingly, which caused her to relax and sigh.

"Forget I said anything, please. The last thing I need is word getting out that I'm badmouthing our Champion around kids."

"We aren't kids," I blurted out without even thinking, starting to get slightly annoyed at her continued usage of the term. I instantly regretted it, not wanting to risk drawing her ire and possibly make things harder for myself in my upcoming battle.

She cast me a look of amusement and raised a brow, "I mean this as politely as possible, but you are. Adulthood has nothing to do with age and everything to do with life experiences."

"I've experienced quite a lot. I'd almost say I was forced into adulthood," I remarked, only slightly challengingly.

Flannery gave a slight nod, but sort of stared off beyond my shoulders as she mindlessly pet Orion and seemed to reminisce. "...Have you ever shouldered the heavy burden of responsibilities you never asked for? Worked on something for months on end only to find out it was all for nothing? Enjoyed the sweet, sweet relief of a bottle of wine after working from sunrise to sunset? Experienced true love, and absolute heartbreak… or lost yourself in a tangled mess of sweaty passion, wishing desperately the moment would last forever but knowing full well that time and fate were conspiring against you?"

I stared at Flannery for a moment, watching as she took a deep breath and recomposed herself before I responded, careful yet firm. "I don't think sex and alcohol has much to do with adulthood. Have you ever been truly alone in the world, stared into the empty eyes of the only person in the world who cared about you as they lay dead on the floor? Ever shouldered a secret that could get people killed, or had an entire clip of a gun unloaded at you?"

She gave me a long, considering look as Owen sat unusually still, and after a moment she gave a short nod in acceptance.

"Not all of those, but I get your point... Sorry. I'll try to be mindful of my language, just try not to take it personally if I accidentally slip. I tend to speak without a filter more than I ought to, I'm trying to work on it."

Orion chose that moment to hop up from Flannery's lap and return to mine, eliciting a sigh from the gym leader.

"Guess I deserve that. All well, it was fun while it lasted," she sighed. "Speaking of, have you two decided on an Eeveelution yet?"

"Not yet. I think it's still a little early to be thinking about that. I'm going to try to start saving up money for a stone so I'm ready for whatever he chooses."

Flannery lit up with excitement. "I highly recommend Flareon! No other Eeveelution even comes close, and that's a fact!"

"Is it now? Sure you aren't a little biased?" I said, grinning in amusement.

Her eyes narrowed on me seriously. "It is. Look at what you're doing right now; holding your adorable Eevee and enjoying the benefits the fluffy fur you get to pet. Now, consider the fact that Flareon is hands down the fluffiest and cutest Eeveelution there is. Most don't even have fur, and those that do are either short or bristly, at least compared to a Flareon. That's not even mentioning the fact that fire-type Pokémon are extremely versatile and powerful."

"I'll keep that in mind… Speaking of, is my Eevee going to come out of our battle with his fur in tact?" I asked a bit worriedly.

"No promises. When you send a Pokémon into battle, you accept the risks. That goes for all battles, but especially for gyms. Don't blame me if the little cutie needs to be shaved after our battle. It would be a shame, but if nothing else it'll build character."

I grimaced but nodded, petting Orion as I felt him shiver at Flannery's comment. Though I would hate to resort to shaving Orion if his fur got too badly singed to blend, it was a risk we had to take. Flannery was right that she couldn't be blamed if it were to happen, and there was no way I was going to swap Orion out for Trapinch.

"We actually came here to challenge you…" Owen reminded her delicately, seizing the opportunity to get back on track.

"I'm well aware," she said with a smirk. "I'm wrapping up my break, and I've got a battle scheduled in…" she glanced up at a clock on the wall quickly before sighing. "Ten minutes, damn. Guess my break is over, but at least it was entertaining. I've been bored to tears for most of the week – I've never had so few challenges in all my years as gym leader, and the ones I have been getting haven't been all that memorable or exciting. I have high hopes for you two though, especially after hearing Wattson commandeer the gym leader weekly conference call to gush about his battle with you two."

I suppressed a groan at the confirmation that there wasn't going to be a single gym leader that wasn't already well aware of who I was before I ever met them, wondering just how bad this year's circuit must be that gym leaders are discussing trainers with as few badges as Owen and myself.

"The only battle I have on the books today is a rematch with a local, but I already know that one won't scratch the itch I have. On that note, and considering the fact that you seem to be as eager for a good battle as I am…" she paused momentarily, glancing at Owen before continuing. "I'd be happy to accept both of your challenges today. I schedule matches at the top of each hour, then take the rest of the hour to decompress and give my Pokémon a chance to recuperate. You will have to schedule at least an hour apart, but I've got two open slots with your names on them."

I hesitated, suddenly second-guessing my preparedness as I began thinking of ways to postpone it, but Owen jumped at the offer.

"We're ready, sign us up!" Owen proclaimed enthusiastically.

"Not so fast," Flannery said as she held up a hand to calm Owen down. "Judging by how recently you two battled Wattson and how eager you are to challenge me, I'm guessing you haven't been here for long. I have a sort of prerequisite for visitors before I let them challenge me, and that's to visit the hot springs. If you promise you'll go do that right now, I'll put you on the books and we can have our battle today."

"Not that I'm opposed, but can you really do that?" I asked with skepticism.

She shrugged, "It's true that I can't outright deny a challenge. The only way I could do that is if I set a badge minimum before the season began, but I've never been a fan of that sort of thing and it's obviously far too late to do that this year. But you know…" Flannery stretched, letting loose an exaggerated yawn. "I'm feeling pretty worn down, maybe I'm starting to get sick… Might need to take a day or two off, just to get ahead of it."

"Is that so?" I asked sarcastically, unimpressed.

She covered her mouth and gave the daintiest, fakest cough I'd ever witnessed, yet her hand didn't completely cover the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth or the amused look in her eyes.

Owen grabbed my leg under the table and shook it urgently as I rolled my eyes, "I think a trip to the hot springs sounds great, don't you Danny?"

"I already wanted to visit, but now that I think about it there's no better way to get in the right headspace before a big battle," I nodded, casting Flannery a light glare.

She brightened up. "I know, right? You'll love it, I just know it! It's our pride and joy, and many swear by its benefits. Nobody would deny it helps to soothe the body and soul, but some even claim it can bring love and fortune."

I feigned interest and nodded in false appreciation, doing everything I could to hide just how ridiculous I found the latter part of that claim to be. I didn't yet know Owen well enough to determine if he was genuinely intrigued or putting on a similar front, but if nothing else he looked far more enthusiastic at her statement than I could muster.

"Then it's settled. You and your team go enjoy an hour of steamy bliss, and we'll get you on the books. Question is, which of you wants to go first?" she asked challengingly.

I'd been fully expecting for Owen to immediately call dibs, just as he'd done with the Camerupt. Not that I would have taken offense, it was just a personality trait of Owen's to be boundlessly enthusiastic in anything he saw as a stepping stone on his quest to become the Dewford gym leader. Yet much to my astonishment, he offered me up instead.

"Danny should go first. It gives Preston less of an opportunity to attend and possibly cause issues."

"You really shouldn't be worried about that," Flannery commented. "Absolute worst case he boos or heckles you. Anyone being too disruptive or attempting to interfere gets promptly dealt with, and if they are a registered trainer they'll have to deal with the nightmare that is the League disciplinary committee."

"I don't think he'd do anything so openly brazen. He might be a scheming scumbag, but he isn't dumb. I'm not too worried about him being present, especially now that Flannery is aware of him. I think you should go first, Owen. You're more eager for your gym battle than I am, and it's technically your turn for dibs since you let me battle the man with the Growlithe."

"Come on dude, you have to go first," Owen urged, nudging my arm. "It makes the most sense. Think about it, we'll have the same amount of badges for a short while if you do. It's also easier for gym leaders to increase the intensity of matches than it is to lower it. I don't want her going easy on me, and you don't want her accidentally going too hard on you, right?"

Flannery huffed, "I'm perfectly capable of adjusting to different badge levels, thank you very much. You are right that it's generally easier to escalate than it is to have a heated battle and dial it back, though that's usually only a growing pain for newer gym leaders. I'm surprised you would know that."

Owen grinned, "I do want to be a gym leader someday, after all. That's the sort of thing that's good to know."

There was a gentle knock on the office door, followed by it cracking open and the head of the receptionist leaning in.

"Miss Flannery, your challenger has arrived," she informs the gym leader, who stood with a stretch.

"Guess I should get ready then," she sighed as she stood. "Donna, these two boys are going to be next, so get them scheduled if you wouldn't mind."

"But Miss Flannery, the rules say–"

"I know, but I'm telling you it's fine," Flannery said firmly, leaving no room for argument. "That 'rule' is for my sake, and it's more a guideline than anything."

"What rule are we talking about?" Owen asked confusedly as the receptionist bowed her head in acceptance of Flannery's instructions.

"Matches aren't supposed to be scheduled on the same day. It's just something the League added a couple of years ago to ensure trainers didn't spontaneously decide to throw their team into a grinder they weren't prepared for, and it gives us gym leaders time to plan our day and prepare. It's really nothing we need to be concerned about, that sort of thing is left to my discretion. The League won't care, I can promise you that."

With that, Flannery escorted us to the front desk where we scheduled our match and parted ways, and we made our way to the hot springs as I tried to mentally prepare myself for the gym battle I apparently had coming up in only an hour.

The hot springs were very different from what I'd been expecting. While there was indeed one communal pool that had cheap general admission, we were surprised to find that they also had private areas you could rent out for an hour at a time, which we ended up doing since that was the only way that Pokémon were permitted to join. It didn't take much discussion for us to agree that it was worth the money to allow our team to be able to experience it with us and to give us privacy so we could talk freely about all that had transpired during what was supposed to be a quick visit to the gym to schedule our matches..

We were given towels, taken to a locker room where we could change and store our belongings for safe keeping, and that was when I asked what I was expected to wear, as my swimming trunks were still in my backpack at my Pokécenter room.

Owen then launched into a whole spiel about how the only proper way to enjoy a hot spring was in your 'birthday suit', and though I initially questioned this perspective the old woman nodded in agreement, noting that even in the public pool many visitors chose to enjoy the springs 'as nature intended', and that between the towel and the unspoken rule not to stare, it wasn't anything I should be concerned about.

In the end, I reluctantly went along with it, deciding that it wasn't worth fussing over if it was just Owen and our teams that would be present. I would have had much deeper reservations around a bunch of strangers, especially since I could only assume that the communal area was unisex. That's not to say I was comfortable with the idea, but the two had me questioning if whatever hangup I had about it was perhaps a product of my own upbringing rather than the wider view of Hoenn's residents at large. In any case, I decided to simply go along with it. After all, what use was journeying if you never went outside your comfort zone?

While not massive, our area was adequately sized that we decided to release our entire teams, although not all would be able to join us in the spring itself. Roxy, Misha, and Trapinch were content to sit alongside the water's edge, their species hardly suited for a leisurely soak in steaming hot water. Thankfully the room itself was rather open, with no roof and one side of it completely exposed to a spectacular view down the mountainside as we overlooked the forest below, so it wasn't so hot that it would cause Misha to wilt.

I nearly kept Trapinch in her ball, but decided that this was exactly the type of group activities I needed to include her in as much as possible if things were ever going to work between us. I'd been slightly skeptical that Apollo and Orion would end up spending much time in the water, but they seemed to thoroughly enjoyed soaking in the sloped shallow end with the rest of Owen's team where they could comfortably sit with all but their heads submerged.

"Flannery was right – this is the perfect thing to do before gym battle," Owen mused as he leaned back and took in the view.

"It's great, but I still don't know if I agree with her manner of 'convincing' visitors to visit," I noted. "What do you think of her? Flannery, I mean?"

Owen hummed in thought, "She's pretty casual and laid-back for a gym leader, but I actually prefer that style. It reminds me a lot of Brawly. Don't get me wrong, there's a time and place to behave like a representative of the League and your community, but I'm happy to see them drop the formalities and talk so openly."

"I don't get the sense she's the type to take professionalism too seriously, and I could see that getting her in trouble. It's one thing to schedule a match the same day or to reveal your true feelings about the Champion, but that stuff in the lobby was pretty messed up the more that I think about it," I commented.

"It's not like they were setup in the lobby waiting to pounce on trainers," Owen pointed out. "We just so happened to bump into them, and one thing led to another. I don't really see the harm in it, although I totally get why she apologized for it after. That's honestly the sort of dumb mistake I could see myself making if I ever got the job."

"You know, you didn't have to decline Ana's sponsorship offer," I remarked. "I have my reasons, but I highly doubt they would have approached you with ulterior motives. Besides, if I had to guess Preston is probably just an investor and advisor."

Owen sighed, looking up at the sky. "It's an amazing opportunity, the kind of thing I've always dreamed of. It just doesn't feel right, ya know? Even ignoring the whole Preston thing, part of me feels like I haven't earned it yet."

"You have three badges, and after you win today you'll be halfway done with the circuit," I reminded him. "I think you're not giving yourself enough credit."

"Maybe, but it still didn't feel right to accept. That entire conversation with Ana was weird, right?"

"Without a doubt," I nodded in agreement, glancing over to check on our teams to find Apollo floating leisurely on his back, Orion quietly soaking near Omar, and Trapinch having a strained, awkward conversation with an unimpressed-looking Duran near the spring's edge. Though the water was undeniably on the hot side, it didn't seem to be too much for Duran, and he appeared to be enjoying his soak despite Trapinch's seeming annoyance. He didn't look too bent out of shape about it though, and I noticed that he was indeed participating in the attempt at conversation in short bursts, though not investing much effort into it.

"I mean, how could she not piece together that Preston was the issue? Sure, the guy seemed decent enough around us, but it's not hard to see that it's an act," Owen said.

"I can see how she would be in the dark about what Preston did with Georgia, and how he might not want to bring me up in conversation, but you know what the most unsettling part about all of this is? My League profile was purged of every comment and video related to my battle with Preston. That's what I was checking during the conversation, because I thought she might just be playing dumb. But I'm inclined to think that she's actually as clueless as she seemed."

"That's strange. Usually moderators only remove stuff if it breaks a rule," Owen said with a frown.

"To be fair, there was some dogpiling going on and people calling for his license to be revoked, so it's possible he didn't have anything to do with it. I can understand some of the comments being removed, but the video is strange to me. It was a pretty normal battle, he just didn't take the loss all that gracefully," I thought out loud.

"He could have thought it was bad for his image and sicced his lawyers on it. The League probably just didn't want to deal with the headache," Owen reasoned.

"Perks of being rich I suppose…" I trailed off.

We sat in silence for a moment, reflecting on the day and enjoying our relaxing soak in the hot springs as we observed our teams as they enjoyed themselves.

"You're a great guy Owen. I'm glad we met, and I'm happy to call you a friend," I suddenly said out of the blue, unable to restrain myself the more I thought about things.

"That came out of nowhere," Owen said with an amused chuckle.

"I'm serious. Not many people would side with somebody they recently met over a potentially life-changing sponsorship opportunity."

"You're exaggerating, dude. I went with my gut, that's all. Rarely do my instincts steer me wrong, and that just didn't feel like the right time or setting for me to take on a sponsor."

"If you'd never met me or Preston, you don't think that you would have accepted? That conversation wouldn't have been nearly as weird otherwise."

He hummed in thought, "Dunno, I likely would have entertained the thought more… Ana seemed genuine, and her family is a well-respected powerhouse in the region. If I didn't know about Preston or her engagement I probably would have taken a meeting with her, if for no other reason than the fact that she's exceptionally cute," Owen said with a chuckle. "I still don't feel like I've earned it, but I might have been able to be persuaded, especially if she kept showering me with praise like that. Doesn't matter though, I don't bother with what-ifs, especially for things that are in the past and can't be helped."

"Guess we are different in that way, but I'm trying to do it less. Sammy has gotten on me for that sort of thinking on more than one occasion," I remarked with a grimace.

"I wouldn't say there is anything necessarily wrong with it, there is something to be said about reflecting on the past, trying to learn from it and do better in the future. I'm just much more of a forward thinker myself, and even then I don't usually think about it too much, I just go off what feels right in the moment," Owen shrugged.

"I'm still trying to figure you out," I observed. "Based on what I know about you, I would have expected you to call dibs on challenging Flannery first. I also didn't expect you to be so willing to play along with Preston's nice-guy act, considering your strong feelings about the stuff I told you about."

"I might let my emotions and instincts guide me most of the time, but I know it's my biggest weakness so I try to keep it in check. It made sense for you to challenge Flannery first, simple as that. As far as Preston, I was just reading the room and following your lead. Believe me, I really wanted to say some choice words to the guy. Knowing I was conversing with someone that tried to strong-arm a new trainer into selling their starter was tough, and don't even get me started on the blackmail or bribery he did with Georgia. But I was by far the most uninformed person in that group, so I wasn't about to cause problems needlessly, especially not in the middle of nowhere. No promises that I'll be able to keep my mouth shut if we see him again around town, though."

"That makes two of us. As much as I'm trying to avoid unnecessary trouble, I'll admit that I'm not sure if I can take much more of his nice-guy act."

We soaked and enjoyed eachother's company for a short while, and as relaxing as the hot springs were I wasnt fully able to push my upcoming gym battle from my mind. Owen must have felt the same way, because about half-way through our hour he spoke up.

"I think I'm going to have a quick team-meeting before our battle, just so everyone knows what we're getting into," Owen said before glancing over to where Bruno and Bronson were enjoying each other's company while soaking in the spring. "Bruno especially needs it, since he's never actually been in a formal battle before."

"Yeah, it might be a good idea to make sure Flannery doesn't pick up on that fact," I remarked.

"He'll do great, he already knows how to have a fair and honorable battle. I have no doubt that we'll win, especially with Roxy up my sleeve," he said with a grin.

Owen gathered his team and moved to the far side of the pool as he began discussing the upcoming battle with his team, and I decided I should probably do the same. I waded over, scooping up Orion as he practiced his swimming in the shallow end and waking up Apollo who seemed to have become so relaxed while floating on his back that he'd taken a nap. I carried them over to Duran and Trapinch, who seemed to have worked through some of the underlying tension and were having a more friendly and engaging chat about something.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we need to have a quick meeting before our gym battle," I said with a grin as I set Apollo and Orion down on the spring's edge, my mention of the gym instantly grabbing my core team's full attention.

"That's right, we're having our battle today. Sammy is off earning her next ribbon, so it's only fitting we would earn our badge today as well. Let's discuss strategy and what to expect, and I want to hear if any of you have thoughts or ideas since you now have some experience battling fire-types."

And so, Owen and I each performed final preparations and strategizing for our upcoming gym battle. While Owen seemed to be full of confidence that he and his team had their victory all but assured, I couldn't help but feel a creeping dread that Orion was woefully underprepared and about to suffer another major disappointment during a gym battle. Not only would another high-stakes loss be difficult for him to stomach, but if it came with the added shame of his fur being completely singed beyond salvage, I wasn't sure I'd be able to look him in the eyes if I had to shave him bald.

The most reassuring thought that I could cling to was that we'd seemed to have made a good impression on Flannery, and she was genuinely looking forward to our battle. I couldn't see her actually burning Orion's fur coat to a crisp, especially after having cuddled with him and enjoyed it herself. She'd warned me that it was a very real risk of sending Orion into battle, but that struck me more as a friendly reminder and playful taunting than a serious warning of a likely outcome. Although his victory was another matter entirely, Orion had won Flannery over and let her shower him with affection, so I felt reasonably sure that he was likely to escape with most of his fur intact so long as I didn't do anything to anger or annoy Flannery.

One can dream, right?

A/N: Gym battle next, and things get even more interesting. Excited for the upcoming chapters to go out, would be tempted to release them sooner if my backlog wasn't in such a dire state. Lots of moving parts, hardest chapters of my life, but such is life. Happy Thursday, see you next week!

Shoutout to Trix and Feanix for beta-reading this chapter, and to RagingBerserker, Lux_Klara, A58, Annoyer, and GoMagikarp for the comments!

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