TRAINER ID
Name: Daniel Ingram
Age: 16
Badges: 1
Account: 9,173 credits

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

The next morning, I stepped out of the shower feeling much more optimistic and excited for the day.

Our training session the evening before had gone exceedingly well, in large part due to Samantha's help. Even though we'd gone right after lunch, we'd ended up staying out until the sun went down, which made it hands-down the longest training session I'd ever done.

We'd taken things slow and ensured there were plenty of breaks to rest and brainstorm in between practice, but by the end, we were all completely drained. Even Samantha seemed inspired to take training much more seriously than usual, and she worked diligently with her team during the periods when I would be overseeing my own team's progress.

Speaking of progress, there was a lot of it. While initially having our teams warm up with some of their regular drills, Samantha and I discussed the biggest hurdles my team would face in the upcoming gym battle and came up with quite a few solutions I felt confident would increase our odds of winning significantly.

The first and most obvious problem was paralysis. The two big ways I saw of preventing that were to keep distance to avoid Static, and to use Protect just before the moment of impact. Both Duran and Orion would need to make direct contact to make use of some of their best attacks, so to some extent it seemed inevitable that we'd have to deal with it. Samantha informed me that electric-types with Static didn't always have an electrical current surrounding them, and that they tended to do it either as they attacked or just before impact. She suggested that I might be able to hit the opponent when they didn't expect it and weren't currently holding a charge. This seemed unlikely, but it was something I filed away as potentially useful.

I'd remembered that Owen's Shroomish had inflicted paralysis and asked Samantha about it. She informed me that, despite sharing a name, electricity-based paralysis worked fundamentally different than Stun Spore, although the results were nearly identical. Whereas an electric-type Pokémon's body had developed a resistance to the effect a strong electrical current would have on their muscles, Stun Spore worked by causing the nervous system to go haywire. Both ended up with the Pokémon's muscles spasming and reduced motor control, however they were distinctly different and that's why it had worked in Owen's case.

I was reminded of Apollo's Synchronize ability and brought it up, pointing out that Apollo's ability worked through the use of empathy and that he wouldn't be sharing the actual electrical current to the opponent but rather the effects it had on his body, which in my mind would bypass their body's resistance to it. Samantha conceded that the logic was reasonable, but admitted that she couldn't say for certain if it would work or not. What she did know was that, similar to paralysis, Synchronize came in different 'flavors'. While the Ralts line utilized empathy to share the results of their afflictions with an opponent, most other psychic-type Pokémon with the ability would manifest the same environmental conditions they were being subjected to, which often didn't work for opponents who were using a same-type status such as paralysis or burn.

It was a topic that I found quite interesting, however we didn't spend too long on it as I didn't want to plan a strategy around Apollo getting paralyzed and sharing it with an opponent, particularly if we weren't sure it would even work. This was especially true since I planned on having Apollo fight Wattson's ace, which wouldn't even share the same biological traits that Apollo had. If Apollo felt his muscles spasming and shared that sensation with a Magnemite or Magneton, would they even be affected considering they don't have muscles? Or do they? The whole topic was headache-inducing and filled with uncertainty, so I decided it wasn't worth dwelling over.

We'd also brainstormed ways to give Duran a better chance of winning, which ultimately led to a discussion about the gym's terrain and Samantha suggesting that I use a Technical Machine from her collection that would surely come in handy; Mud Shot. Something peculiar that I'd noted was that the gym took place on a dirt field littered with rocks and boulders, which I suspected was designed to give challengers more options against the gym. In Owen's case, it had allowed for his Geodude to use Rock Throw, and I planned on using the field to my advantage as well.

It didn't take long for Duran to get a good grasp on the move. He simply needed to scoop up a claw full of earth, quickly compact it in his claw, then propel it with water. It was easier to do if the ground was already mud, but a little testing proved that he could even do it with dirt as long as he infused it with water while scooping. Mostly it came down to practicing the motion, the amount and flow of water needed, and practicing accuracy of the shot. By the end of our training session, he had it down to one fluid motion and I felt that it was more than adequate for us to use in battle.

The topic of mud also inspired another idea that Duran picked up with minimal practice; Mud Sport. Samantha brought up that it was a known and valid tactic battlers often used where they would coat the field, their opponent, and their Pokémon in mud, which served to reduce the conductivity of electricity. An added benefit of this was that it allowed Orion's Sand Attack to effortlessly become a Mud Slap, but it meant that I would need to use Duran first to liberally coat the field in water and turn the terrain to mud.

In the end, that's the strategy I decided to go with. Duran would go first against what would surely be the easiest opponent, coat the field in mud and ideally make quick work of the first battle. If he was still fighting fit, he'd hopefully be able to at least wear down and weaken the second opponent, which should make sure that Orion was successful in finishing them off. That would leave Apollo to wrap up the last fight against what Samantha and I both were almost certain would be a Magnemite, and ensure us the victory.

Samantha really didn't approve of me having Duran and Orion train in the mud since it completely ruined what remained of Orion's recent grooming, however I needed them to familiarize themselves with using moves in the mud. While they did that, Apollo paired up with Stella who allowed him to practice Confuse Ray, which he started to get the hang of by the end of our prolonged session.

By the end of our multi-hour training session, each of my team members had a new move in their arsenal; two in Duran's case due to them being so similar and easy for him to pick up. On top of that, I had a general idea for some strategies that we could employ, as well as which order I would have my team battle in. I felt much more confident in our chances to win, and that was without the training session I'd planned with Owen for later in the day.

Needless to say, we deserved some relaxation and downtime to offset all the training. We'd gotten some the night before; Orion received a much-needed bath and some grooming, and I rinsed off both Duran and Apollo before letting Duran soak in the tub for a while, but today I planned on giving my team a chance to relax and socialize. They'd been training hard and spending more time than usual in their balls, and I didn't want us to become so hyper-focused on our goals that we forgot to stop and smell the roses along the way.

And so, after our morning training, another round of baths, and coffee with Samantha at the café, we met up with Owen at the eastern gates of Mauville. When I had mentioned to Owen my goals for the day while texting, he suggested the beach on Route 118 not far from Mauville where he had been training. It was a smaller patch of beach where the Great Tropics River met the south Hoenn sea, Considering I hadn't explored any of the area outside Mauville besides the western side, which I was now quite familiar with, we decided to take Owen's suggestion and try out some new scenery.

Samantha, in typical fashion, decided to make an event out of it. She excitedly declared it a 'beach day', got supplies for a picnic, and forced me to buy swimming trunks. She of course already had a swimming suit, yet tried her very best to persuade me to help her shop for a new one.

I outright refused and was able to convince her that we didn't have time to spend hours shopping for a new swimsuit for half a day at the beach when Owen was expecting us and she already admitted to having a perfectly suitable swimsuit. She took some offense and was clearly disappointed, but reluctantly agreed after realizing no amount of guilt-tripping or smooth-talking would get me to step foot into the women's swimwear section.

After a quick trip to grab some picnic and beach supplies and change into our beachwear, we made our way to the eastern gate and found Owen waiting patiently with his Slakoth on his shoulder.

He raised a brow as we approached, clearly interested in our attire. Despite wearing swimming shorts, I still donned my usual sweatshirt and had Orion nestled in my pocket, which I knew was probably a strange sight but was comfortable. Samantha on the other hand was looking much more fashionable, wearing ripped denim shorts and a white t-shirt tied-off to show some slight midriff, which I knew she must be wearing over swimwear of some sort, as well as her usual thick sunglasses. Both of us had brought our backpacks to ensure we could carry everything we'd need for the day, and I had Orion in my pocket while Samantha had Masquerain fluttering around her.

"Woah, didn't know we were making today a full-on beach day! Good thing I'm always dressed for the occasion!"

He wasn't wrong; Owen was wearing his usual attire of brown cargo shorts and a tank top, which was maroon today, that casually showed off his broader and reasonably toned figure. Considering he grew up on an island and got plenty of sun, it mostly explained why he was hands-down the most tan individual I'd ever known. I suspected that he might just have naturally darker skin even if he didn't have the tan, but it was impossible to tell and I didn't care enough to ask.

"Yeah, I mentioned a beach and Sammy ran with it," I shrugged.

"There's no way we're spending the day right next to the beach and not fully taking advantage of it," Samantha said firmly, eliciting a chuckle and nod of approval from Owen.

"Fair enough! Let's get going then, before the beach gets too crowded."

Mauville isn't known for its beach. If somebody was looking to spend a leisurely day on a sprawling ocean shoreline, they were much better served visiting Lilycove, Slateport, or even Dewford. They had much larger swaths of beach, were just a few minutes from civilization, and were known for their scenic beauty.

Not too dissimilar to the first beach I'd visited to the west of Petalburg just after starting my journey, Mauville's beach took a little while to walk to, wasn't really considered part of the city, and surely wasn't meant to be a tourism destination. There were no lifeguards, food vendors, bathrooms, or anything else one might expect to see at a more popular beach.

Despite being similar to the beach near Petalburg in many ways, there was one key difference; there were a lot more people at this one due to Mauville being a considerably larger city and having many more tourists starving to take in everything the area had to offer. The walk from Mauville to the beach was very well-developed and safe, so I was unsurprised to find that the majority of beachgoers didn't have any Pokémon with them whatsoever.

In fact, there were so few people with multiple Pokémon out that once we found a place to settle down and release our teams we attracted a fair bit of attention, although a benefit was that people gave us a much wider berth.

Instantly after being released, Apollo Teleported onto my shoulder and took in his surroundings, clearly a bit confused. I took a moment to think about the morning and what all had transpired to lead us to this moment, feeding him the information telepathically.

Understanding. Curiosity. "That is Owen? New friend?"

I nodded silently, watching as Owen crouched down and addressed his team in a huddle of sorts. Samantha was busy unpacking the supplies we'd brought, laying down a blanket and setting aside a few towels. Orion was socializing with Stella, Masquerain and Oddish, and I could tell that both Chase and Duran were slowly attempting to slip away from the group for some solitude. I quickly decided that Owen had the right idea and that I should explain to the others what was going on as well as set a few ground rules to make sure things didn't get out of hand.

"Duran, Chase, come here really quick before you two wander off," I called out as I approached the main group of socializing Pokémon, drawing both of our teams' attention.

Samantha glanced up to give me a curious look, but kept the majority of her attention on working to set things for the day. Seeing that I had everyone's eyes and ears, I began addressing the group.

"We're going to be spending most of the day here. We're here with our new friend Owen and his team," I announced as I gestured toward his group.

"Try your best to get along and be nice. He's a good guy, and I'm sure his team would love to get to know you all. As you can see, we're at a public beach with wild Pokémon and strangers around us. No picking fights, no battling unless you absolutely have to defend yourself against a wild Pokémon, and be mindful not to bother anyone not in our group. Don't stray too far away, watch out for each other, and if you have any problems or concerns, let either Apollo or Stella know so they can tell us what's going on."

As I received various acknowledgments from the Pokémon, I saw a nod of approval from Samantha and noticed Owen approaching with his team.

"Great speech, dude! I think some introductions are in order if we're going to be spending the day together."

We spent a few minutes introducing our Pokémon one by one, and I did my best to commit the name of Owen's Pokémon to memory.

I already knew Bronson the Makuhita, who Owen described as energetic, driven, and hard-working. The Shroomish was a female named Misha, who he claimed might come off as a bit grouchy but was quick to warm up to those she liked. The Slakoth was named Omar, who was described as friendly and chill so long as you respected his personal space and weren't too loud. And finally, Roxy the Geodude, whom Owen specifically mentioned should not be mistaken as male and should be called by her name and not her species. I found the warning a little alarming, however Roxy seemed friendly enough and I imagined there was some past taunting or teasing that had contributed to her being sensitive about that.

After Samantha and I finished introducing ourselves and our teams, we finally gave the group permission to break off and do what they wanted, once again requesting that they not wander too far or get into any trouble. Predictably, Duran immediately scuttled into the ocean and vanished, and Chase began investigating the shoreline while trying to create some distance between him and the main group of Pokémon.

Though there was a little bit of awkwardness and tension in the air between the Pokémon for the first few minutes as everyone got a feel for one another, soon enough they felt much relaxed and were beginning to interact more comfortably. This was largely thanks to Oddish, much to my surprise, whose carefree nature and joyous dancing in the bright sun seemed to help kick things off.

Orion cautiously approached Slakoth with his tail down and ears folded back as they began having a conversation, seemingly apologizing for defeating him so handily in their battle. Orion quickly relaxed, and they seemed to get into a conversation of sorts which I took as a good sign. Stella, Roxy, Bronson, and Apollo all had their own group conversation going on, seemingly getting to know each other as they watched Oddish and Misha joyously dancing together. It was an amusing sight to see a Pokémon as stubby and grumpy-looking as a Shroomish twirling around happily, but I supposed that being carefree and happy in bright sun was something most grass-types shared in common.

"Pretty cool, right? Doesn't matter if they are complete strangers or how different they are, Pokémon always seem to be able to find common ground and get along. I've said it before and I'll say it again; humans could learn a lot from Pokémon."

I nodded in agreement, turning my attention to Owen to find that he'd taken his shirt and shoes off. I followed suit and took off everything but my swimming shorts, instantly feeling the sun baring down on my pale skin and immensely glad that Samantha had the foresight to bring sunscreen.

"Damn dude! You don't get much sun, do you?" Owen chuckled as he took me in.

"Just on my face, and only recently. My usual outfit covers my arms and legs, and I didn't get much time outdoors before starting my journey."

"Being outside is one thing, but spending a sunny day next to the water as pale as you are is a recipe for a sunburn. You might want to borrow some sunscreen from your sister, she's just as pale as you but at least she came prepared."

I glanced over to find that Samantha had also taken off her shoes and outer layer of clothes to reveal a frilly two-piece turquoise bikini and a surprisingly fit figure, and was now sitting on a towel applying sunscreen. I hadn't been expecting to see that, and quickly looked away before my eyes inadvertently lingered.

"I'll be fine for a bit, I could use the sun. Maybe in a little while," I said as I checked up on the Pokémon to find that Orion had joined in on the dancing while Slakoth lazed in the sun.

"Don't say I didn't warn ya! Man, if only I had my surfboard with me. Being by the ocean on a day like this always makes me wanna hit some waves. I even taught Bronson how to surf, and he ain't half bad. Ever tried?"

"Nah, can't say I have. You don't get many day trips to the beach when you're an orphan," I joked, although I regretted saying that when I saw Owen's face drop.

"Right… Sorry, that was dumb of me," he said apologetically.

"It was just a bad joke. Don't worry, it's not a sore subject with me," I reassured him. "Sammy isn't quite as comfortable talking about her childhood though, so do me a favor and try not to bring up the past around her."

I was almost certain we didn't have anything to worry about with Owen if he were to somehow discover who Samantha was, but I decided to add that as an afterthought just to be safe. It seemed like the perfect way to subtly make him averse to digging into things, and the serious nod he gave me informed me that it was the right move.

"Not a problem. Seems things worked out well for her though, judging by that space-tech backpack she's rocking. Her adoptive parents must be loaded."

My eyes widened slightly at the comment, but I quickly recovered. I wasn't sure how he'd noticed her backpack was space-tech, but it wasn't really a big deal.

"Yeah, I'm glad things worked out for her. Maybe if we were biological siblings and I wasn't so antisocial, I would have gotten adopted too," I brushed off the comment with a joke.

"Never thought I'd see you without a sweatshirt on, Danny. You're pretty pale, you know that?" Samantha jabbed as she joined our conversation, temporarily lifting her sunglasses to get a closer look at me.

"We're both pale, especially compared to Owen," I commented. Upon seeing that I was avoiding looking too closely at her, Samantha gained a mischievous smirk.

"What do you two think of my swimsuit? Pretty cute, right?" She said as she put her sunglasses back on and put a hand on her hip, giving us a scrutinizing look.

"No comment. That's all you, Owen," I waved her off, taking a look at our Pokémon to see that everything seemed to be going well as they socialized and got to know eachother.

"I also decline to comment on the swimsuit, but I will say that Daniel is right. You don't really have room to be commenting on anyone being pale, Sammy."

She huffed, "I didn't expect much from Danny, but I'm disappointed in you Owen. You struck me as a gentleman who knew when to compliment a girl."

He chuckled and waved his hands placatingly, "Sorry, but few things are as sacred to me as the bro code. Tempting as it may be, I'm not about to ogle or flirt with a bro's sister, biological or not."

She sighed, the hint of a smile playing at the corner of her lips. "Guess I can't fault you for that. I'm actually relieved I don't have to worry about you flirting with me; you pass with flying colors."

I rolled my eyes, refraining from commenting on the obvious fact that Samantha was pretending that had been some sort of test in order to gracefully rebound from her failed bait for compliments had fallen flat. But in truth, I agreed with her sentiment. It was good to know that I wouldn't have to worry about that sort of tension among our group, not that I would have expected it from Owen anyway.

"So, what were you two talking about, anything interesting?" Samantha asked, changing the subject much to my relief.

"Owen was just commenting on your space-tech backpack," I said with a slightly accusatory glare.

Samantha was completely unphased however, "They're insanely useful. You should get one if you ever get the chance. Do you have one Owen?"

He snorted, "I wish, hopefully someday. My parents are decently well off, but they're also pretty frugal and want me to make my own way. I'd never ask them to buy me one even if I thought they could afford it, though. They've already done a ton for me, and I'm nothing but grateful."

Samantha and I both nodded, "That's a great attitude to have. I'd never ask for one either, but my parents wanted to make sure I was well-equipped for my journey so they surprised me with it," she explained.

"It's great that your parents are so supportive. For many aspiring trainers and coordinators, their parents are less than enthusiastic when their children choose that career path. It makes sense though; very few ever make it big enough to turn it into a sustainable career. The majority try for a year or two before giving up, then regret the time they spent chasing something that didn't work out. I don't see how anyone could regret chasing their dreams, though. I think as long as you give it your all and enjoy the ride, there's no reason to ever regret taking that leap of faith."

"I couldn't agree more," Samantha said with a bright smile, "But enough about all that, today is about relaxing and having fun. Speaking of, you should put on some sunscreen Danny. You're more pale than I am, and you've got an important match tomorrow. You don't want a nasty sunburn distracting you during your battle, do you?"

I conceded, deciding it best not to be stubborn. While I sprayed myself with sunscreen, Owen went to check on the Pokémon before going for a swim as Samantha stayed behind with me and laid on a beach towel soaking up some sun.

"I've got to admit, he's unique and interesting. I sort of pride myself on being able to get a read on people, and I think you've made a good friend with Owen," Samantha randomly says

"Yeah, he's more outgoing and energetic than the type of person I'd usually get along with, but he's a good person."

"You should journey with him, at least for a while. He made it pretty clear he was interested. Not that you can't handle yourself, but I think you're better off having someone around to help keep you out of trouble. He seems to be a bit more sensible than you, no offense."

"Maybe… But what about you? I'm not in any hurry to finish the circuit. If you wanted to stick together for a while longer–"

She held up a hand, giving me a sad smile. "Believe me, I've considered it. But think about it Danny; I need to go all the way north to Fallarbor, then back south for Slateport. You don't need to go to either of those places, and I don't want to hold you up if I lose a contest. Besides, you already got to experience journeying alone, and I haven't. It's something I feel like I need to do, at least for a little while. Like I said before, it's something I really want to do."

"Your parents won't be happy about that, will they?"

"I love my parents, but I'm not going to let them dictate how I live my life. Their main concern with having me travel alone was that I'd be more vulnerable to being scooped up by Team Rocket if they somehow discovered who I was. Considering that I still have my cover, and that Team Rocket hasn't been seen since their big score at Devon, now is the perfect time for me to do the solo leg of my journey. The only reason they'd even want me is to get something from Devon, which they seem to have already done. I think I'm as safe now as I've ever been."

"Well, I'll miss you… I hate to admit it, but I've gotten pretty attached to having you around, despite your flaws."

Samantha snorted in amusement, "My flaws, huh? Says you. I feel the same way though. Things were a little rough at the beginning, but I've really enjoyed traveling with you and getting to know you. I'm proud to call you my brother."

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help but smile. "Thanks sis, I feel the same way. Just remember our promise to meet up in Mauville. I've always wanted to visit Slateport, I'd be more than happy to go with you for your contest."

Samantha sat up, lifting her sunglasses and raising a brow as she gave me a curious look. "Promise? I don't remember promising we'd meet, just that we would if it worked out."

"I sort of promised Apollo that we'd make plans to meet up again," I admitted. "I think he's going to miss Stella more than he'd like to admit."

She grinned, "I don't mind promising to meet up again, even if it's not Mauville. You might want to temper Apollo's expectations though; seems like he might have a crush on my dear Stella, and I'd hate for him to have his heart broken. I'm certain she doesn't see him that way, although I know she is quite fond of him as friends."

"I don't think it's like that, I've prodded him a little on the subject. It's also possible he just doesn't realize it yet though, because he didn't seem to understand what I was even getting at. Either way, I think promising to meet up is a good idea. Like I said before, you're my best friend. I'd hate for us to drift apart needlessly."

"We'll stay in touch, no doubt. Now that you have a phone, it'll be easy," Samantha said as she lowered her glasses and extended a hand with her pinky out.

"Pinky promise, the most sacred of promises. The promise is that we'll keep in touch and meet up the moment it makes sense."

I nodded, reaching out and wrapping my pinky around hers. "Fine, but we're adding on that we'll stay safe. Don't go ruining your cover, and promise you'll be careful around Marelle."

"Hey, no fair! You can't change the promise after it's already been made, don't you know anything? I'll be careful though, I'm not trying to get myself into any trouble. You're the one more likely to do something dumb and risky, anyway."

"Fair enough. I think I'm going to go check on my team and go for a quick swim, care to join?" I asked as I stood with a stretch.

"Nah, I'd rather enjoy the sun and relax. You have fun though. We should probably have lunch soon though, I imagine everyone's getting hungry," she said as she laid back down to bask in the sun.

I nodded, turning to the group of Pokémon and attempting to contact Apollo telepathically, but realizing he wasn't currently in my mind. Given that he was conversing with lots of different Pokémon and likely sensed that I was having a heart-to-heart conversation with Samantha, he probably saw fit to give me some privacy, which I was thankful for given that we'd been talking about him.

I checked in with the core group of Pokémon, who all seemed to be getting along better than expected. They'd split into two core groups; Masquerain, Oddish, and Misha seemed to be having fun playing some version of tag while Roxy, Apollo, Stella, and Bronson were enthralled in deep conversation. Owen had stopped swimming and was currently talking to a very lazy and nearly asleep-looking Omar, and Chase was talking with Orion to my surprise. I grabbed Orion's ball and tossed it to him, and couldn't help but smile as Chase began tossing it for Orion to fetch with his tail, occasionally offering some showmanship by juggling it much to Orion's delight.

As I waded into the water I called for Duran, hoping he hadn't wandered too far off. He showed up quickly enough, and escorted me as I took a swim in the refreshingly cool ocean seawater. He seemed to be playing the role of bodyguard, swimming a perimeter around me to keep wild Pokémon at bay, which I found incredibly endearing and hadn't asked for. At one point he became alert and immediately dove beneath me, and I could feel something going on underneath me that I took to be a battle. Just as I began making my way back to shore though, an unconscious Tentacool floated to the surface and an incredibly smug-looking Duran quickly followed.

"Thanks buddy, you're a lifesaver. Tentacool are probably the most dangerous thing a person could bump into out here; getting poisoned while swimming is a recipe for drowning. Guess I probably shouldn't be out this far," I thanked as I began swimming back with Duran once again escorting me.

As I reached the shore, I beckoned for Duran to leave the water, which he did with mild reluctance. As I rubbed his shell, I decided to check up on him.

"We've got a big battle tomorrow, but I think we're more than ready. You've gotten really strong, you've got a ton of moves we can use for a variety of situations, and we've been training hard. I mean, you took out that Tentacool without even breaking a sweat. Think you're ready for tomorrow?"

"Corphish!" he nodded confidently, leaving no room for doubt in my mind that he was eager to prove himself.

"Just do your best, I know you'll be great. It's not going to be easy for you since it's an electric-type gym, but I think we've got it in the bag. And if we do somehow lose, it's not a big deal. All that matters is that we keep getting stronger, and I don't think there's any denying that we've been doing that. This gym is probably the hardest one you'll face, but wanna know something cool?"

He gave me a curious look, clearly interested. I couldn't help but give a feral grin, "The gym after this one is a fire-type gym. I suspect you'll do great for our battle tomorrow, but there isn't a doubt in my mind that you'll be carrying us to victory at the Lavaridge gym. I bet you can't wait to put some fire-types in their place, huh?"

He snipped his pincers excitedly, clearly riled up and ready for a fight. "I've been meaning to ask, do you feel a molt coming soon? Nurse Joy said you probably only needed a couple more before you evolved, so you aren't too far off from being a Crawdaunt."

He hesitated, which indicated to me that he didn't feel like he was about to molt. It hadn't been too long since he last molted, however I knew that it wasn't so much based on time as growth. As he grew in strength and size, he'd need to molt a shell to accommodate his growing body. Considering that we had been training a lot, that he was getting plenty of food, and had been taking vitamins, I didn't suspect that it would take too long until his next molt.

"Don't worry, it's good you don't feel it coming on just before our gym battle. Just let me or Apollo know when you feel it starting, alright? I know you hate not being able to battle for a few days, but you molting is a good thing. It proves you're growing, and means you're that much closer to becoming a Crawdaunt."

He nodded in acceptance, a hopeful glint in his eye, and I had him follow me back to the group where Samantha and Owen were having a friendly conversation while watching their teams interact. Roxy had taken over the role of throwing the ball, and both Orion and Chase were making a game of who could retrieve it first. Despite Chase being largely antisocial, I found it amusing that Orion seemed to be able to befriend him and the only one who could get him to socialize.

Surprisingly, but also thankfully, the rest of our day at the beach was relaxing and fulfilling. I would have thought that with eleven very different Pokémon intermingling there would have been some sort of mishap, but nothing of the sort came to pass. We had lunch, where Samantha served Owen and me an amazing picnic spread after laying out a literal buffet of Pokéblocks for our teams, which greatly impressed Owen. Similar to me, he wasn't the most familiar with them, although Owen seemed much less skeptical than I had been about the whole thing and was genuinely interested. I was pleased to see Owen and Samantha bond over it as she gave him the same spiel about how a Pokémon's taste preferences could reveal a lot about their personality traits as well as their strengths and weaknesses. I watched in amusement as she guided Owen's team through a taste test and explained her interpretation of the results, I brushed a rather worn-out Orion as Duran enjoyed his time in the sea and Apollo socialized, never leaving Stella's side.

It made me sad that this would be one of the last times they got to spend the day together for a while, but with us having different destinations and Samantha's mind clearly made up, I knew it couldn't be helped. I just hoped that he wouldn't get too down in the dumps after we split up, and decided all I could do was keep a closer eye on him and do my best to keep him in high spirits.

We relaxed and enjoyed each other's company, getting to know one another and telling stories of our travels so far until the sun began to creep closer to the horizon. Eventually it was time for us to pack up and go, but not before Samantha had us get together for a group photo she was very insistent on taking with her phone. It took a little bit of convincing to get all the Pokémon to cooperate and stay still long enough to get it, and Samantha had to sweet-talk a rather reluctant and nervous beachgoer to take it for us, despite them clearly being intimidated by the large group of Pokémon we had.

After a few attempts, she got a photo she was happy with and we began to pack up for the day.

"Hey, your offer still stands to help with training tonight? I have to admit, I think some practice working through paralysis will really help us out." I asked Owen as I put my hoodie back on and shouldered my backpack.

"Of course, I'm a man of my word," he said with a grin as he returned all but Omar, who he let hang onto his back.

"What about you Sammy, want to join us?" I asked as I returned a sleeping Orion and a very satisfied Duran, who seemed very fulfilled after a day in the ocean and a big meal.

"I think I'll go do some practice as well, but I'm going to break off. It's easier to focus when it's just me and my team, and I'm not keen on watching your team get paralyzed over and over," she replied while returning all but Stella. "Speaking of which, I picked these up for you since I knew there was no use trying to talk you out of it."

She tossed me a satchel, and inside were a bunch of small, red berries that I recognized as Cheri Berries.

"Thanks a lot," I said as I tucked them into my pocket while Owen gave a nod of approval.

"Yeah, yeah. It was great getting to know you today Owen. Take care of Danny, he can be a bit of an idiot sometimes."

He gave a mock salute and straightened his posture as I rolled my eyes, "Yes ma'am. I'll watch after your brother, you have my word."

"I believe you. You two have fun, but not too much fun. Come on Stella, let's stop at the hotel and freshen up real quick."

Stella's gem shone and Apollo waved goodbye as they wrapped up their conversation and gave their farewells, and as Samantha and her starter began to walk away I felt a familiar pressure in my head as Stella suddenly tested my defenses, something she hadn't done recently. But with Apollo back in my mind and my defenses more attentive than ever, we easily kept her from breaking in. A moment later I felt Stella's presence brush against my mind much more gently, asking for permission to enter which I granted.

"You have come far since we first met, Daniel Ingram. It seems you no longer require my assistance, just be mindful not to become complacent with the absence of our little tests. Our time together seems to be in short supply, so if we don't get a chance to speak again before we part ways, please know I've enjoyed our time together and look forward to seeing how you and young Apollo will continue to grow."

"Seems a bit early to be saying goodbyes, but I appreciate the sentiment," I sent back. "I'll miss your impromptu visits. Thanks for all your help, and please keep Samantha stays safe."

"It's never too early to say goodbye, I suspect you know this better than most. I will of course do my utmost to see to Mistress' safety, however I am not overly concerned. She has matured much since leaving home, and you are largely to thank for that. See to it that you stay safe so that we may meet again, I know you have a tendency to make rash decisions without fully considering the consequences, although I like to think you too have grown in this regard. Please look after young Apollo, he has much promise and deserves the chance to reach his true potential. Until we speak again, Daniel Ingram."

Upon feeling Stella's presence leave, I pushed the conversation from my mind as I turned to Owen. "You need to go back to the Pokécenter? I'm good to just head out if you are," I said as Apollo Teleported to my shoulder.

Owen stared at Apollo for a moment before snapping himself out of his thoughts and responding. "I'm good to go. I'd say we could practice here, but since we're going to be dealing with spores and paralysis it's probably a good idea we go somewhere more private. Lead the way, buddy!"

I nodded, turning and walking back toward Mauville so we could cross through and go to my usual training spot. Although the day had been an excellent change of pace and I was feeling unusually relaxed, it was time to get back to work.

Despite being reassured repeatedly that we would win tomorrow, I wasn't going to take any chances. I couldn't afford to lose and be stuck here for another week; it would mean that both Owen and Samantha would need to continue on without me, and it would deprive Duran of the redemption he rightfully deserved.

The simple truth was, with all the context surrounding this specific gym battle, defeat was not an option.

A/N: Surprise beach chapter! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so hopefully you enjoyed it as much as I did. Up next we have Daniel's gym challenge, which is a LONG chapter even by my standards, but I just can't justify breaking fights into multiple chapters. Maybe I will if I ever have to write a full team battle or something, but not yet.

Shoutout to Trix for beta-reading this chapter, and to Vioskies on reddit for recommending this fic. I see you and appreciate you, kind stranger.

Come discuss DotD or just hang out and chat on Discord. gg/ ge6a8XcNcB