TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Badges: 3
Account: 38,427 credits
Location: Dewford Town

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

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

When Owen had texted me with vague instructions on where I could find him along Dewford's beaches, I'd had a hunch I was about to stumble upon a rather interesting scene.

That ended up being very true, but for different reasons than I'd suspected.

I already knew first-hand that Omar had an insatiable appetite ever since evolving, and I could only assume that Bronson was similar since there was no way that a Hariyama didn't require a lot of food. I'd fully expected to find Owen with a sack of berries, tossing them in a futile attempt to fill the bottomless pits that were his teammates' stomachs.

But in reality, what I'd imagined was only one small part of the scene I came upon. While he did indeed have a sack of berries that appeared to be already more than halfway empty, keeping his team's ravenous appetites in check was secondary to the main event happening.

I felt Orion peek his head out of the pouch of my hoodie to investigate the growing sounds of combat as we approached, and felt Apollo's curiosity growing through our link as he teleported into a tree that would serve as a good vantage point to watch the unfolding scene that we had come upon. Owen didn't notice me approach, far too fixated on what was happening before him, and I decided that I not only didn't want to disturb him but wouldn't feel comfortable standing near him, so I quietly stood on the outskirts of a small group of beachgoers who had gathered to watch the spectacle that Owen was currently putting on display.

While watching in fascination as Bronson threw his weight around in a desperate attempt to land a hit on the much faster Omar, I realized that Owen and I had vastly different ideas of how we were approaching the first day of our Pokémon getting released from quarantine. Though I understood the urge to have his two newly-evolved Pokémon battle each other to get a feel for their capabilities, I couldn't help but feel that it was a little premature, both because Bronson had been sedentary for a week and because Omar was still something of a loose cannon.

The 'session' I'd just held with my team was much more of a light demonstration of their newfound capabilities than anything serious or physically demanding, but Owen had clearly given no such instructions to his team that they should take it easy. It looked less like a friendly spar and more like a grudge match, wanting to prove which of them was now the more capable fighter. Omar in particular seemed to be giving his all, constantly on the move and relying on his speed and agility to evade Bronson as he threw out punches and kicks to little avail. It was abundantly clear to me that Bronson was having issues with his balance and coordination, because he would occasionally stumble when over-extending himself and seemed to be somewhat sluggish in maneuvering his now much-larger body.

And oh boy, was he large.

I was still in the process of getting used to the growth my own team had exhibited, but they paled in comparison to Bronson. As a Makuhita, Bronson had been roughly half my height, but even from a distance I could tell that he was now quite a bit taller than me, though much of his newfound size was allocated to the weight he'd put on. This was a Pokémon that many opponents would have trouble bringing down based on size alone, and he still had room to grow if you took into consideration that Brawly's Hariyama was even bigger.

It reminded me of being face-to-face with Warren's Steelix and what he'd told me about the need to have a tank on my team that could tango with an opponent of that size. Perhaps I'd just never given it proper thought, but I was suddenly struck by the fact that most of Owen's current team could be considered rather tanky, at least after they reached their final evolution.

Hariyama and Slaking would surely be able to dish out damage against an opponent like a Steelix, and I could easily see them getting back up after taking a few hits. If you also considered the potential Golem and Machamp that Owen would have if he somehow managed to get his team back, Owen's team was stacked full of beefy Pokémon that were more than capable of holding their own, even against the most imposing of opponents.

Though Roxy would have been the one best suited to fulfill the role on his team, Owen still had answers to an opponent like a Steelix, despite her absence. Meanwhile, even after seeing my team's newfound capabilities, I still couldn't imagine them being able to topple such an opponent, at least not in a faceoff.

But size was only part of the equation, as Omar was currently demonstrating. He was quick and scrappy, making use of his long limbs to bob and weave around Bronson, who struggled to keep a bead on his opponent. Omar was pressing the attack, applying constant pressure and dealing glancing blows whenever Bronson's limited mobility and reach provided him with an opening.

Though I'd shown up to the battle late, it seemed as though the battle was shockingly one-sided. Omar was simply too nimble for Bronson to land a hit, and I could see the growing frustration that he felt as every one of the attacks he threw out failed to land, only to be met with a strike against him as punishment for his efforts. The flow of the battle was being entirely dictated by Omar, and it seemed to me that as long as he didn't run out of energy to keep up his current pace, he was likely to be the victor.

Given what I knew about Omar, I seriously doubted that he would tire out before Bronson did. I'd only ever seen him display two different 'modes' – dizzyingly hyperactive, and unsettlingly energetic. If he were to push himself to the brink of collapse, I somehow doubted that it would be a slow decline that would allow Bronson to finally catch his opponent, but a sudden loss of consciousness mid-frenzy.

As I watched the scene unfold, I became increasingly convinced that I was about to watch a lifetime of lazing about pay dividends simply thanks to evolution. I secretly found myself rooting for Bronson – he was always a hard worker who trained his hardest every day, and I could only see it as a cosmic injustice if he were to be outdone only because his newly-evolved form made it difficult to keep up with such an agile opponent.

It also had me questioning if Warren had been slightly overexaggerating the necessity of having a beefy Pokémon on the team. After all, what good was size if you couldn't even connect a hit with your opponent?

As if to prove me wrong, Bronson finally managed to connect a palm to Omar's side during another glancing Fire Punch, and I joined the small gathering of onlookers in wincing at the heavy thud as he was sent careening into the ground, spraying a cloud of sand.

That hit was enough to knock the wind right out of him, and he struggled to catch his breath and get to his feet. Thankfully, Owen had the good sense to end the battle by congratulating them for a good fight and giving them berries, and although there were a few moments where I was sure Omar would ignore Owen and try to retaliate against Bronson, he didn't. It surprised me, since I was sure that Omar's temper would get the best of him, but either food was the ultimate distraction for him or he didn't take it personally because it was Bronson who had done it, I couldn't be sure which.

A few claps and whistles rang out as the crowd began to disperse, and I watched in amusement as Owen quickly recalled Omar out of an abundance of caution while he got rushed by a few starry-eyed kids who started gushing over how strong his Pokémon were, excitedly asking him rapid-fire questions about Bronson. It made me wish that I'd been able to watch battles first-hand when I was a kid – my mom had always been too busy with work to take me to one of Norman's gym battles, and Petalburg wasn't quite a big enough city to justify having dedicated battle courts like Rustboro and Mauville when you could easily walk to the nearby forest or beach. The only battling I ever got to witness while growing up was on television, and I could only imagine how captivated I would have been to see a good one in person.

Not to mention, the display that Owen's team had just put on wasn't exactly what you'd normally find at a battle court anyway. Those tended to be hobbyists and low-level trainers using unevolved, inexperienced Pokémon. Something like a Hariyama, Vigoroth, or Crawdaunt would probably get some dirty looks due to the likelihood they cause a disturbance or tear up the arena, and even something more Kirlia or Espeon would be considered unusual.

There's a reason that Owen was the running king of the court when I'd first met him – he had three badges and was an experienced fighter. For higher-level battles between evolved Pokémon, you'd want to take that kind of thing outside of city limits where the risk of causing collateral damage or a public commotion were much lower.

And well… I never really had the chance to leave Petalburg when I was younger, so I simply never got to see any battles. I would have been overjoyed if I could witness even a low-level battle like the one I'd had with the curly-headed boy and his Zigzagoon outside Petalburg's gates the first day Apollo and I set off on our journey.

Ziggy and Derek, I remembered fondly. Not the best battlers, but a great duo nonetheless.

"Danny!" Owen's voice broke me from my musings as he noticed me and beckoned to come over. "Wanna put on a show for the kids? How about a rematch between Bronson and Duran now that they've evolved? Or we could keep it more casual with Misha and Orion?"

I took a few steps closer and hesitated as I felt Orion peer up at me from my hoodie's pouch, but he quickly withdrew and hid when a few kids took notice and ran over to me, begging to see and hold the Eevee. I reached in and scratched behind his ear soothingly, as I shook my head, giving an apologetic look.

"Nah. Sorry kids, but he's been sick for over a week and just started feeling good enough to return from Nurse Joy's care this morning. We're taking it easy today, so no battling."

Truthfully, I hadn't put much thought into my wording. It was mostly a convenient and simplified excuse that I hoped would get the kids not to badger us into battling when I didn't want to push my team too hard after just getting them back, but apparently the kids were smart enough to piece together that I wasn't just talking about any sickness.

And their reactions weren't a mixture of mild disappointment and sympathy like I had expected, but that of wariness, fear, and distrust.

The brother and sister that had previously been within arm's reach backed away cautiously, as if Orion was mere moments from jumping out of my pouch to bite their faces, and a couple other kids murmured among each other as one spoke up.

"So your Eevee is still sick then, right? Aren't you afraid he'll… bite you? My dad said infected Pokémon are dangerous, and I've heard there's no cure..."

I frowned as Orion further retreated and curled up into himself, feeling myself getting annoyed at the situation. As I tried to come up with a response that wouldn't be too harsh or complicated for a bunch of kids, Owen thankfully came in to save me.

"That's only when they are really sick," Owen explained as he approached. "Bronson here was sick too, but he's back to his usual self now and wouldn't hurt a soul outside of a Pokémon battle, isn't that right big guy?"

Bronson lumbered towards the kids with an arm outstretched, clearly trying to give the kids a high-five, but they backed away, suddenly wary of the Pokémon they'd just been gawking over.

"Uh, we've gotta go! Thanks for showing us your cool Pokémon, Owen!" One of the girls said politely before the kids scurried off in a hurry, a sign for the few spectators who had stuck around hoping for another battle that there was no further entertainment coming.

"Don't sweat it Bronson – this is new stuff that lots of people don't really understand yet, and they're just kids," Owen said in consolation as he slapped a hand on Bronson's back, who was slightly slumping and clearly crestfallen.

"That was… annoying," I remarked as Owen gave Bronson one last berry before tucking the pouch into his backpack.

"You're the one who brought it up, and you can't blame them for playing it safe," Owen shrugged, seemingly the only one among us that was completely unbothered. "Now that we don't have a crowd, wanna take a walk further away from town to find somewhere that's more private for our battle?"

I gave him an unimpressed look. "I was serious, I'm not battling today. Orion and Duran haven't trained or battled in over a week, and Duran is about as familiar with his new body as Bronson. Good to see you again by the way, Bronson – you're looking great. Congratulations on evolving."

Perhaps I just felt bad for Bronson because he seemed to be a little down, but I held out a fist to offer a fist-bump in greeting, something I'd seen Owen do with him countless times, just to cheer him up and prove not everyone was afraid to touch him. There was a small part of me that felt a little bit of trepidation doing it, but I trusted Bronson not to hurt me despite still not being used to his new size and strength.

He perked up at the friendly gesture, and was slow and purposeful as he did his best to delicately bump his massive fist against mine. But even that was enough to make me stumble backward a step, only further emphasizing just how foreign his new proportions really were to him.

"I'm sure Duran wouldn't be too happy if he knew I was turning down a battle for him, but I think it's best you both get accustomed to your new bodies first," I said with a chuckle, trying to hide and brush off how intimidated I suddenly felt.

Apollo chose that time to emerge from his perch in the trees and appear at my side, giving a wave as he stood beside me. Orion finally poked his head back out of my hoodie, taking in Bronson with wide eyes.

"Apollo! Look at you, you've grown so much! Good to see you again, dude!" Owen said with a huge grin as Bronson tilted his head and observed Apollo.

"Kirl," he said with a nod, much to my surprise.

Owen's eyebrows shot up, and even Bronson looked taken aback by hearing Apollo speak verbally, yet he quickly responded with an acknowledgment of sorts.

"His telepathy hasn't been working with Duran ever since he evolved, so he's trying to get more used to talking," I explained.

"Oh, cuz he's a dark type, right? I never even thought of that. That sucks…" Owen said sympathetically.

I felt a little vindicated at hearing that, because I'd been silently kicking myself for not having thought of that sooner. On our walk to meet up with Owen, Apollo had even picked up on my thoughts and told me not to dwell on past mistakes, which I had definitely been doing. If Samantha hadn't told me that it was something that could be overcome I probably would have been at the Pokécenter frantically researching it right now. Duran didn't seem to think of it as a big deal, but I knew that it mattered to Apollo even if he tried to downplay it, so it mattered a lot to me.

"It's apparently possible to get around, it'll just take some practice and training. If nothing else, it's an opportunity for Apollo to give his real voice some use. He's not exactly used to using it, so it'll probably do him some good."

"Makes sense... But dude, we haven't been able to battle for over a week, don't you have that itch? Duran and Apollo both haven't gotten to battle since evolving, I'm sure they're eager to see what they can do. They've been cooped up for over a week, why not let them burn off some energy and have some fun? We'll keep it casual, I promise."

"Seriously, not today," I said firmly. "I don't want them pushing themselves when they're out of practice and unfamiliar with their new strength.

Owen groaned in disappointment, but seemingly accepted that I wasn't going to budge. "Fine… But we're having a proper battle here soon." He looked me straight in the eyes, suddenly taking on an unusual seriousness and intensity. "Swear on it."

I hesitated and frowned, unable to shake the feeling that he wasn't looking for a friendly spar.

Resolve. Nervousness. Determination.

Apollo's helpful contributions confirmed to me that for whatever reason, this meant a lot to Owen, leaving me little choice but to nod my agreement that we'd battle soon. He grinned, seemingly satisfied, and clapped his hands together as he instantly regained his usual cheerful, light-hearted demeanor.

"Great! I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Seeing Omar and Bronson scarfing berries like they were candy really got my appetite going, and I'm sure they'd appreciate more than just a snack."

"That's perfect, I actually wanted to treat my team to a good meal," I said, doing my best to push away the lingering unease I felt about Owen's strong desire to battle me for reasons still not fully clear.

"Great idea. I'm sure my mom will whip up a ton of Pokéblocks for dinner, but that's still hours away. Let's go grab a bunch of Paulo's to go."

I gave him an unimpressed look, but he held firm with dead seriousness, and to my surprise Bronson had fully perked up and was nodding in vehement agreement. "It's Bronson's favorite, plus Misha and Omar haven't gotten a chance to try it. He can whip up a special blend specifically for Pokémon that he doesn't advertise, but I've never known a Pokémon who didn't like it. We'll just order like… fifteen of them, and we can even grab some poffins from the bakery."

Despite secretly feeling somewhat burnt out on Paulo's Pokes, I decided to oblige Owen. He had the good sense to recall Bronson before going into town, which Bronson seemed to completely understand. It's not that he couldn't take Bronson with him through Dewford's streets if he wanted to, but with Bronson being as big as he was and still rather clumsy in his new body, the risk of him bumping or breaking something seemed to be a bit too high, and that wasn't even factoring in the attention he would draw.

Orion had begun dozing off in my hoodie's pocket, so I recalled him and planned on taking Apollo into town with me. I initially thought it was a great idea – it would give Apollo a chance to see where I'd spent the last week, and would also let him stretch his new legs and practice walking with his altered proportions. He had never walked much as a Ralts, because he hadn't needed to. He had always been able to leisurely ride on my shoulder while in town, but now that he was roughly twice as big and about three times as heavy, I couldn't simply let him hitch a ride on me all the time anymore.

Teleporting through town wasn't exactly an option, and he now had legs suitable for walking, even if it was likely that Owen and I would have to walk slower for him to keep up.

And that's exactly what happened… at first.

Even the walk towards town was awkward. Apollo struggled to even keep a steady pace, let alone keep up despite us walking uncomfortably slow. But we were patient, and to Apollo's credit he did become more coordinated as he began to get used to it, but we soon ran into two additional problems.

The first, simply put, was that Apollo was out of shape. He had great stamina in battle when it came to using his powers, but physically not so much. Between the extra effort it was taking him to get his new legs to cooperate how he wanted and the long, quick strides he was doing attempting to keep up, it quickly became apparent that he was wearing himself out.

But he was determined, and definitely improving. No, it wasn't until we finally made it to Dewford's main strip that an even bigger issue than his quickly tiring body presented itself.

Sensory overload.

Perhaps it was because there were only a small handful of people and Pokémon that had been present at the beach where Owen had been battling, or perhaps Apollo had already been facing the issue and was trying to overcome it on his own, but no sooner did we start to draw curious gazes from people on the street did he suddenly freeze.

"Are you alright? Too tired to continue?" I queried over our link as I bent down to check on him while Owen watched with a slight frown.

No response from Apollo. His eyes were tightly squeezed closed as he softly panted, and I couldn't help but note that he looked to be uncomfortable, or maybe even in pain.

I put a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him as I repeated my question verbally, finally getting his attention before he looked up at me pleadingly.

"Many minds and emotions. Sense much… Too much. Hard to focus. Hurts…"

I frowned, glancing around the street. There were probably twenty or so people within eyesight, a couple of which were watching us with interest, and considering we were now officially in Dewford I supposed that there were a decent number of people in nearby buildings he could be picking up. But I doubted that Dewford's total population exceeded more than a couple hundred, and many of those surely lived on the outskirts like Owen's parents. Apollo had been around much larger and denser crowds of people in the past and never really had an issue, so it struck me as extremely curious that he was suddenly having issues with overstimulation.

"Maybe it's best if you take a rest in your ball – we won't be shopping in town for long, so I'll release you when we're ready to have our feast somewhere secluded. It's your first day back, and you've already been pushing yourself. You'll get used to your evolution in no time at all, and there will be other chances to show you around Dewford if you want."

He hesitated for a moment and appeared as though he was about to protest, but he reluctantly nodded. I wouldn't quite say that he looked defeated when I recalled him, perhaps more disappointed and slightly pained, but it wasn't until I was recalling him and really took note of that expression that I truly realized something.

Despite all expectations and best efforts, Apollo really wasn't having the best day.

Unable to communicate effectively with Duran, forced to use a voice that didn't sound like him and wasn't used to talking with.

No longer able to ride on my shoulders for more than a couple of minutes without causing me discomfort.

Having to adapt to a body that not only felt foreign to him, but wasn't even used to physical activities like walking.

Feeling overwhelmed around groups of people due to the heightened sensitivity that his suddenly improved psychic powers afforded him.

I felt bad for him, and really hoped that whatever Paulo whipped up would be something that he would enjoy. Apollo was hands-down getting the short end of the stick today, but there wasn't a single issue facing us that time wouldn't overcome.

Things were already looking up after the worst week me and my team had ever known, and although it would take some time and hard-work, I felt confident that things were only going to get even better.

I was alone.

That was the conclusion I came to as we finished stuffing our face with what was essentially a to-go buffet.

Objectively, Paulo's food was great, and it was hard to debate it when every single member of my team thoroughly enjoyed the food. The 'special blend' he made for Pokémon consisted of a slew of berries, nuts, fruits and veggies, greens, and grains that more closely resembled a salad than anything, but it had enough variety that there was a little something for everyone no matter their preferences.

Well, mostly everyone. Due to the lack of meat from fishing still not having yet fully resumed, Trapinch was completely uninterested, but she also didn't eat all that often so I wasn't terribly surprised. Thankfully, Duran, Orion, and even Apollo all seemed to thoroughly enjoy it, though Duran was the only one not picking through it for what he wanted.

It wasn't exactly cheap to buy as much food as we did, and I ended up somewhat regretting that I mindlessly agreed to split the bill with Owen after seeing how much my team ate compared to his. Between the copious amount of poffins and Paulo's special Pokémon blend that we bought, my share ended up being over five-hundred credits, and although my account still had almost forty-thousand credits, it was a reminder of how fast it could drain.

Between potentially buying another batch of vitamins and an evolution stone for Orion, I could be completely broke once again in no time flat. Winning my fourth badge would be a decent windfall, but I definitely needed to start doing jobs with Apollo again to ensure that I didn't go completely bankrupt.

Regardless, it was money well spent. Between the literal buffet of food and pastries, the positive atmosphere from everyone being reunited and free, and the lingering excitement of so many evolutions among our group, our impromptu beachside picnic could only be considered a resounding success and things were going even better than I could have expected.

Well, for the most part anyway. Omar's hyperactivity was a little much at times, particularly for Orion's tastes, and Trapinch seemed to be downright scared of Bronson now that he was a behemoth of a Pokémon compared to her. Duran and Bronson were not-so-subtly sizing each other up, and I could tell that a rematch between them was becoming an inevitability, although thankfully they seemed to understand that now was not the time to do so. Misha and Orion seemed to be bonding over some shared envy over so many of their peers having evolved, Trapinch had decided to separate herself from the group in favor of hanging out in one of her sand pits.

None of this was particularly negative per se, but it did show that there was quite a bit of room for improvement in our group's dynamics. Bronson and Apollo got along just fine, and Orion seemed to be becoming good friends with Misha, but Omar, Trapinch, and Duran mostly did their own thing due to their personalities. It wasn't anything I felt needed to be addressed, but it did make me miss my earlier days of traveling with Samantha where our group was a little more unified.

"Duran has been gone for quite a while..." I thought out loud as Owen and I sat in the shade, watching in amusement Omar tore into the leftover that Apollo and Orion had left behind after picking through what they wanted.

"He's fine dude, you worry too much. He literally can't get sick, and we both know that if he gets attacked he's more than capable of defending himself."

I nodded silently, my eyes combing the horizon for any sign of him. I'd let Duran go into the ocean, since the only restriction was against humans doing so, and it was true that even if Duran came in contact with an infected Pokémon he wasn't exactly vulnerable to contracting it again.

Still, I couldn't help but think about the possibility of him encountering something like a Wailord, Tentacruel, or Gyarados that was on the throes of the virus. I knew that it was a somewhat ridiculous fear to have, and didn't have the heart to forbid him from going for a swim when we were literally surrounded from water and he had been looking at the ocean so longingly, but I had still requested that he not go very far or deep just to be safe.

Even worse was that I couldn't use Apollo to keep tabs on him, since he was completely unable to sense Duran. I trusted Duran and knew that he could hold his own, but I still couldn't help but find myself feeling anxious.

I felt Owen gently punch my shoulder, drawing my gaze from the horizon to find him giving me a disapproving look. "Seriously dude, relax. Everyone else is having a good time, you should too."

He was right. Omar appeared to be uniquely content as he shoveled leftovers into the bottomless pit that was his mouth, Orion and Misha were having a great time doing some sort of a game or dance in the sand, and both Apollo and Bronson had decided to sit near Trapinch's hole and appeared to be attempting to include her in a conversation, although it was hard to tell from where I sat if Trapinch was participating or not.

Reassurance. "Trapinch talking some, feel little more comfortable. Owen right, should worry less."

"You're right…" I said to Owen with a sigh. "I'll try to loosen up. I guess I'm just being overly cautious, since I just got them back."

"I get it, but they've been cooped up for over a week. I can kind of understand not wanting to battle quiet yet, even if I disagree, but they need to be able to enjoy themselves a little."

I nodded silently, feeling a little awkward about being reminded of his seemingly strong desire to battle me. I wasn't really sure what to say and didn't particularly want to continue down either of those topics of conversation, so we sat in silence for a moment before he changed topics and spoke up again.

"You know, Anna has been trying to get ahold of you, dude."

I raised a brow as I glanced over at Owen, and he elaborated. "We've exchanged a few emails. I guess she saw the video of the Lavaridge attack and that interview I did. Apparently you've been ignoring her emails? I told her you were just taking it easy after being hospitalized and would probably get back to her when you felt up to it, but she still hasn't heard from you. I get that Preston is a major tool, but she's pretty chill. You should message her back, she's been worried. She hasn't brought up the sponsorship even once with me, so if that's what you're avoiding…"

I shook my head and sighed as I realized she'd surely fallen victim to my strict email filter. "Nothing like that, I didn't even know she messaged me. I'll try to remember to get back to her, but it's not very high on my list of priorities right now."

He nodded, apparently satisfied with my admittedly non-commital response. After another moment of us simply sitting and enjoying the day as we watched our Pokémon, his aversion to prolonged periods of silence got the better of him, and I noticed him briefly hesitate out of the corner of my eye before he spoke up again.

"Hey Danny, this is kind of a weird question… but have you checked your League profile recently? Mine has been kind of crazy since Lavaridge, but I thought that was just because I went on Hoenn Today. This morning when we were waiting in the Pokécenter lobby, I took a look at yours, and even though it's not quite as flooded as mine, you have a lot more removed comments than I do…"

I retrieved my phone and pulled up my profile, too curious not to look.

TRAINER PROFILE

Name: Daniel Ingram
Username: Daniel_Ingram
Hometown: Petalburg City, Hoenn
Last Seen: Lavaridge Town, Hoenn
License Issued: April 12th, 2030
Age: 16
Badges: 3
Gym Stats: 3/0/0
Trainer Stats: 9/1/2
Affiliations: None
Privileges: Commercial
Notes: Journeying. Generalist. Low wagers. Creative and decisive. Two confirmed encounters with Team Rocket, including the Lavaridge Pokécenter attack.

KNOWN POKÉMON (4)

Ralts (M) AKA Apollo
Ability: Synchronize
Known Moves: Confusion, Growl, Disarming Voice, Double Team, Calm Mind, Protect, Psybeam, Confuse Ray, Hypnosis
Notes: Starter. Very skilled with Teleport.

Corphish (M) AKA Duran
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Known Moves: Harden, Leer, Bubble, Vice Grip, Bubblebeam, Water Gun, Protect, Razor Shell, Aqua Jet, Double Hit, Mud Shot, Taunt
Notes: Likely caught on south Route 104. Uses Bubble to obscure vision. Seems to prefer close combat.

Eevee (M) AKA Orion
Ability: ?
Known Moves: Growl, Tail Whip, Tackle, Sand Attack, Baby-Doll Eyes, Quick Attack, Swift, Protect, Mud Slap
Notes: Caught on Route 116.

Trapinch (?)
Ability: ?
Known Moves: ?
Notes: Caught on Route 111.

MODERATOR COMMENTS (1)

[Tido7] This profile is being closely monitored due to recent events and repeated rule violations. Behave yourselves.

USER COMMENTS (197) View Older

[HotLikeSauce] The world needs more people like you!
[JacksonJams] All my homies hate team rocket.
[TwinkleToez] Anyone know if lil bro is good? Profile still says last seen in Lavaridge, but my cousin living there hasn't seen him all week?
[Removed]
[Hoopsiedaisy] Can confirm he's alive and well, saw him yesterday.
[MadLadMoe] Hoopsiedaisy Then update the last seen location…
[Concordian] Hoopsiedaisy Thanks! Glad to hear!
[Removed]
[Hoopsiedaisy] I'm not doxing someone rockets are looking for, geniuses. He's not in Lavaridge though, I'll confirm that.
[Seaside22] Craigiscool Respectfully, touch grass. MadLadMoe Their account is unverified, so they can't update a trainer profile, even if they wanted to.

VIDEOS (5)

- Daniel Ingram VS. Leader Georgia (Victory)
- KotH Owen Adler's Makuhita beats Daniel Ingram's Corphish
- Daniel Ingram VS. Leader Wattson (Victory)
- Daniel Ingram VS. Leader Flannery (Victory)
- Lavaridge Pokécenter attacked by Team Rocket! RAW FOOTAGE!

LAST EDITED: Today by Tido7

"Almost two hundred comments…" I said in disbelief as I shook my head and clicked my phone closed. "I'm surprised it still lists me as being in Lavaridge, plenty of people around town have seen me."

"Well duh, nobody in Dewford is going to do anything like that. We protect our own, and you're with me. It's why we don't get hassled." He beamed before his face slowly fell and he sighed. "But online is little bit of a different story…"

"Wouldn't know, I've been avoiding all of that," I admitted. "I even turned off private messages and filtered my emails because I was getting bombarded. I bet that's why I haven't seen Anna's email, I made the filter pretty strict."

Owen grimaced. "Honestly, I should have done that… I really regret doing that interview. I guess our talk with Ana was still fresh in my mind, and I thought that for someone in my position, a little publicity couldn't hurt. If I want to become a gym leader someday, I need to draw in a sponsor and get my name out there. I thought Hoenn Today was just going to do a puff piece, I never expected it to turn political."

"I definitely should have said this sooner instead of assuming you knew the offer was always on the table, but if you ever need someone to talk to about that or… well, anything, I'm all ears. I know we haven't really talked about that stuff much, but I should have known that if my inbox was a mess, yours would be even worse. After all, you were kind of the star of that video that ended up online."

He seemed to consider the offer for a moment, then shrugged. "I'll keep it in mind, thanks dude. The same goes for you too, obviously. You're a good friend, and I'm glad we got to spend lockdown together. I don't think I'd be handling things well at all if I'd had to do all of this alone. Not to mention, you're the only reason I have any of my team, and you kind of got Omar to evolve in a weird sort of way, so I definitely owe you. If you ever need anything, I'm your guy."

He held out a fist invitingly, and I could only grin and nod as I bumped mine against his, not sure there was anything worth saying. The feeling was definitely mutual – I'd have almost surely lost my team if Owen hadn't been with me during the Lavaridge attack, and I could only imagine how miserable I'd have been completely alone in Lavaridge without any of my team for the duration of the lockdown.

Apparently, that was the sort of moment that was enough to appease Owen's seemingly endless appetite for conversation, because we sat and contentedly enjoyed the day for probably the longest period of silence I'd ever had around Owen. I think we were both a little lost in our thoughts, but mostly we were enjoying watching our Pokémon as they revelled in their newfound freedom and did some much needed socializing of their own.

Though we had chosen a reasonably secluded place along the beach a fair distance from Dewford, we weren't entirely alone either. There were beachgoers who would occasionally walk by and give us an extremely wide berth, but none of them approached or bothered us. It wasn't hard to understand why, especially with the likes of Omar and Bronson in our group.

While we weren't the only ones who had Pokémon out, we definitely stood out due to how many we had and how imposing our group looked. Evolved Pokémon were fairly rare among non-trainers, so most of the Pokémon that you saw accompanying people were something like a Wingull, Zigzagoon, or Seedot.

That's why I didn't pay much mind to people openly gawking at us as they walked by. By this point we'd been there for about an hour, and I had long gotten used to people giving us curious glances as they continued their leisurely stroll along the beach.

But Owen had apparently been paying attention, because at one point he offered an observation.

"It looks like tourists are starting to trickle in now that restrictions are lifting."

That was all that was said on the matter, and I didn't think much of it. As we wrapped up our group outting and began to wind down what would be the last leisurely day I'd have for quite some time, I did indeed notice a couple more tourists, but I only took it as yet another good sign that things were returning back to normal in the region.

That was largely true of course, but I soon found that it was also one of the biggest reasons that I would be leaving Dewford alone.

A/N: Better late than never, right? Grammarly is down so I couldn't give it a final spelling and grammar pass after some fairly heavy last-minute editing, so hopefully there's nothing too sloppy. In an ideal world I could spend a little more time putting a bow on this chapter, but I'm tired but wanted to get this out for you all.

Sorry I missed last week, but it couldn't be helped and probably won't be the last time it happens. On the bright side, I made some great progress on restoring the backlog and am really happy with the next couple of chapters, so that's something.

Shoutout to The Muffin Rat King and Faefox for beta-reading this chapter, thanks to Royalrain20xx for the extremely kind review, and special thanks to CaptainMoonshine for teaching me how to work around FFN always losing my chapter formatting! If you haven't, go check out Welcome to the (insane) world of Pokémon, it's a great fic and also features a Ralts starter!

Discord. gg/ ge6a8XcNcB