Well, that didn't take too long… But everything went by so fast it felt like ages! With the mess and the chaos still lingering just behind, our hero wanted nothing but to catch a break… And fortunately he found one! Feeling invited, his sluggish steps led him to the trunk of a nearby tree, the tender solace brought by its canopy further soothed through the silence that subtly creeped in.

A breath flew out, and then another… He opened his eyes, eager to fully bask in the peace offered by the nature around. Gazing up at the branches that veiled upon him, something caught his attention; two Bidoof making quite the buzz over a nut each of them wanted for themselves!

Chuckling, Lucas allowed himself the guilt of enjoying the spectacle. The branch dangled up and down, their clumsy motions playing into the ensuing stalemate. But just when it looked like they'd never be able to gain the upperhand over the other, one sudden move made the nut slip off their grip as it tumbled down to the ground!

And that's when they found out they were being watched the whole time by some pesky kid… Well, if that wasn't upsetting! Lucas initially raised his hands up, sheepish as he could possibly be in hopes of mending the situation! But that's when he noticed the Bidoof started looking at him with concern… He raised his eyebrow, confused; and then— BOO!

"Waaagh!" The boy knew who could've done such a thing, but at the same time… Could he? "Barry?! What, you can be sneaky when you want to as well?!"

"Heh, I can be sneaky when I wanna, but just for good measure—" THUD! "THERE! And I'll fine ya a quadrillion for doubting me!"

"... Heheh, with friends like these… Owwww…"

"Hmph. So, whatchu doing here? Tired already or something? C'mon, you gotta be a lot more pumped up if you wanna make it far!"

"Tch… Y'know, speaking of that, why were you behind me then? Thought you'd be at Jubilife by this point!"

"I would've, but I kinda wanted to give ya a chance, ya see…" He giggled nervously, brushing his hair to clean off the slivers of wood and leaves… "I— I totally didn't get lost or anything!"

"... How can you even get lost? It's just a straight path!"

"I know, I know! But the joy of discovering a rare Pokémon or just the thrill of wandering about and enjoying the outskirts…" Barry waddled and babbled around, almost bumping right into the tree. "I— Uh, I can't help it aight?!"

"Of course… Well, if that's the case then why not rest up a bit with me?" He tried to resist the smirk threatening to shine from his pal's antics. "I mean, if you got lost then I guess you are—"

"Resting?! No freaking way! I can't wait to get to Jubilife!"

"Aaaalright, fine… Then how 'bout walking all the way with me?! Hopefully you won't get lost like that!"

"Oh… Sure thing!" Barry led his buddy back on the road. "After all, you look like you need a boost, pal!"

"Nuh-uh! No dragging me around!" Lucas then firmly grasped his friend's wrist! "In fact, I'll drag YOU there so you don't run off!"

"Huh?! Wow, OK mom…" He rolled his eyes, grumbling. "Just don't be too much of a Slowpoke and I'll be good!"

"I'll make ya see the joy of having a sore wrist, bud. Now let's go!"

"Wait, is that… Oh, there! Jubilife City!" Barry shot his finger up as he jumped in glee. "Hehehe, you can already tell from here!"

"You really can, huh? Sheesh, I remember seeing this place all the time on TV. But the fact I'm abouta see it in person…"

"Very awesome, alright?! Now could you PLEASE lemme go?!" He squealed, frantically tugging away! "C'mon, I promise I won't run off!"

"You promise for real? I don't feel like having to keep up withcha!"

"No worries, I'll be as slow and boring as you want me to be… All for ya, pal." Barry tilted his head, stepping up.

"Oh, please… Wait, hey! You—" He groaned. To be fair, he was absolutely expecting it… But still! "Just gimme a break!"

"What?! I said I wasn't gonna run! If you think this is running then I'm sorry, hahah!"

"I swear, you really get on my nerves sometimes! Wait uuuup!"

And so our two youngsters raced to see who would be the first one to make another one of their dreams a reality; the chance of sightseeing no other than the City of Joy itself! So far Barry seemed to win, but was that really worth over stumbling into everyone? To him maybe, yeah!

"Dang, it's really it…" He looked around, yanking his friend like a child. "It's really it, buddy!"

Lucas remained silent. The imposing buildings, the colorful yet ever-changing lights, the vegetation that solemnly maintained its beauty and the light-hearted but buzzing chit chat the people had with each other or their Pokémon… The way this city managed to orchestrate such a mess into one elegant, serene piece was rather overwhelming at first. But the feeling of adventure in exploring and forging fond memories weighed way more in his mind!

"So? Are you just as excited as I am?!" Barry added to the scene, giggling as his pal just goggled like an idiot. "C'mon, you can talk now."

"I— I guess so!" His eyes sparkled. For once, it seemed like they were just as enthusiastic as the other…

"Alrighty then! Then go follow me!" He laughed, his own excitement throwing him over loops and unfortunate passerbys… "This time if you lag behind then it's free of charge! There's just so much here, woooooah!"

"... I'm just gonna pretend he's not my friend." Lucas chuckled, whistling away. "Eitherway Jubilife, here I go! Ooooh…"

His attention drifted here and there, his feet always on the verge of tangling together. He couldn't decide whether to ogle at the lustrous stores, to sneak an ear to the latest big gossip of the day or to simply immerse himself in the daunting sights around… Or perhaps just watch where he was going! Nah, he wouldn't be like a certain friend of his, right? Right. Anyways, THUD!

"Woah! Are you alright there, kid?"

"Owwwww…" Lucas tucked his hat before jumping right back on his feet! "S— Sorry for that! This is my first time here so I'm just kinda dazzled!"

"Gee, I can tell! You looked awfully shaky there." The man grinned. His classy yet amicable display made an impression on Lucas, who felt intrigued about his identity. "But there's a first time for everything, isn't there? So how's this lovely place treating you so far?"

"Uhhh, pretty nicely I'd say! There's just so much going on… Definitely nothing like my hometown, Twinleaf." He returned a smile, tightly gripping the strap of his bag.

"Twinleaf, hm? Someone from that place used to shine my father's Golem every day…" The man then went silent on the spot; the boy's Glare certainly paralyzed him… "Sorry, not to be dismissive or anything!"

"I hope so…" With a huff, he returned to his normal self. "Anyways, who even are ya? You look like you'd be too busy to be chatting with someone like me, y'know?"

"You say so? Pfffft, bahahaha! I may be the President of the Pokétch Company but that doesn't mean I have to be sulky around everyone else! I'm still a person, just like you."

"Huh… Or maybe it just ain't good for business, eh?" Hold on Lucas, no time for cynicism now! SNAP! "I— I mean, the President of the Pokétch Company himself?! I can't believe it! I always wanted one of these for myself!"

"Errr… Oh really? Well, you're right in time then!" He flashed a coupon, smiling. Huh, so it was just business after all… "You see, I'm running a promotion right now. We've hidden three jesters around the entire city, each of them holding one of these coupons… If you find them, they'll ask a question. If you answer correctly, they'll give it to you! Once you get all three coupons, come back to me and I'll give you a free Pokétch! Doesn't that sound exciting?!"

"Heck yeah! It really… Doesn't." Lucas threw his arms out. "C'mon, this city is HUGE! No way I'm gonna find 'em just like that!"

"But isn't that what makes it all the more exhilarating?" The gentleman winked.

"Huh?"

"The chance of marvelling at the wonders around, leaving a dumb smirk at the warmth of folks here…"

"Uh-huh." He just nodded along as the man went on and on…

"... And all these beautiful experiences coming with a reward! So, are you up for it or not?"

"Sure. Geez, it all works out for him in the end…" Lucas mumbled, rolling his eyes. "By the way, I've got time to get all these coupons right?"

"You've got until tomorrow to wrap it up! Once you're done, come see me at the Pokétch Co. Headquarters!" And with that, he just took his leave! "Best of luck, kid!"

"Wait what?! Hey!" The boy reached his hand in vain, almost losing his balance. "I… Really? Well shoot, I better rush then! Argh! Ow! Sorry!"

"Hohoho! So this is your last coupon, kid?"

"yes" Lucas wasn't even sure if he was still awake at this point…

"Aaaaalrighty! Time for the last question then, shall we?!" The clown cleared his throat. "Ahem, 108-130-95-80-85-102… These stats belong to what Pokémon?"

"garchomp" He then snapped back to reality. "I— I mean, what?!"

"Ring ding ding! You got it just right, kid! Honestly that was probably the easiest question of the bunch; I expected you to get it in a breeze! Anyways, here's your coupon. Buh-bye!"

Our hero was left staring dumbfounded at his coupon; so much so that the clown seemed to have vanished from his sight! And no matter how lost and heavy his steps were, he just couldn't get his mind straight. It was only when he plunged onto a nearby bench that he could at last relax and just pretend nothing happened… All he could focus on is how TIRED he was from all that looking around!

"Sigh! That was certainly the journey, owww…"

"... Huh? Did you say something?" A familiar voice called…

"What?! How are you— Oh, phew! You're not her; you just coincidentally happen to have the same voice…"

"Hmm? Dang, did you go through a break-up or somethin'?" It was just an ordinary Lass.

"It's a bit too early for that y'know…" Hearing himself, he jolted right where he was! "I— I mean— What are you doing there?! Writing in your diary? Wow, that's so cool!"

"Errrr, thanks I guess…" She anxiously giggled, writing down something totally unrelated to what was happening. "Nothing exciting happened so far tho. Just had to pick up my little brother from the Trainer's School, sought a really cute Shinx on the way and my boyfriend's just absolutely LOST trying to find all these stupid coupons instead of hanging out with me!"

"Oh? You mean one of these?" The exhausted Lucas didn't hesitate to show off. "I just got all three!"

"Wow, you did? No wonder you're so warmed up huh?"

"Yeah, I guess…" And suddenly, a Shinx began to crawl all the way to the top of his beret… "Oh?"

"Ooooh, it's that cutie again!" The gal leaned closer, threatening to poke the 'Mon with her nose. "Awwww, look atcha! You're such a Spark to the eye!"

"I'd appreciate if it didn't get THAT excited while sitting on top of my head, heheh…" But then the Shinx lunged for his hand, thundering off with his coupon! "What?! HEY! C'MERE!"

"That's what you get for being a buzzkill!" And then the Lass began following them… "Heehee, I better gotta write this down!"

OK guys, hear me out!

When Shinx snatched his coupon, this dude just began running faster than a ticked off Purugly! It was so funny! Poor kid tip-toed and dipped-dove around while Shinx skipped n' drove him like a roundabout, oooh yeah! Oh uhhhh, and when he crashed into a table desperately trying to catch it for good… Well, I felt a bit terrified for him there, not gonna lie. But eventually Shinx ran him into an alleyway, and this is where things got really interesting!

"Aight aight, you can stop being silly now…" Lucas tried to reassure with a smile, shuffling and stumbling from sheer exhaustion. "Gimme the coupon, OK?! It's that easy!"

But the Shinx kept shrinking away with fright in its eyes, as if something terrible was about to unveil…

"C'mon! I'm not angry or anything, I won't hurtcha! Just gimme the— Ahhh!"

"Hahah! You've done it now, kid!" Suddenly, a shady looking fella gripped him from behind! "Give me all of your Pokémon before I make ya run crying to mommy!"

"Is there anything else that needs to go wrong today?! Arghhh!" The two thrashed about until Lucas got to stomp him on the foot. "Get off meeee!"

"Owwww!" They then slammed hard against the wall, forcing the boy's Pokéball off his belt as concern soon dawned upon the ruffian. "What the—"

"Chimchar! I'm in a pinch here!" Nonetheless Lucas continued to wail about and cry, and at least for the goon it seemed like his calls would be for naught… But subtle dangles slowly became full motions as the Pokéball thus shone like a beacon for his hopes! "Chimchar! Yes!"

"Lucky runt!" The thug rolled away as Lucas snatched a clear glimpse of his identity! "You should know better than trying to resist Team Galactic!"

"Team what?" He wasn't one to laugh at others' looks, but this time… "Heheh, you look a lot less intimidating than I thought!"

"How about I beat you to it again, then?!" The bitter Grunt sent forth with his Pokéball! "You won't slip off from this one, kid! Go Stunky!"

His Pokémon landed with a drum, impressing and leaving Lucas both curious and nervous…

"Stunky?!" Despite the situation, he blitzed for his Pokédex… Well, it was what everyone did on TV. "Uhhh, it sprays a foul fluid from its rear? It's Poison/Dark type, its Ability is either Stench or Aftermath…"

"You don't even know what a Stunky is? Ah, fresh from momma's aren'tcha?!" Both the Grunt and his Pokémon burst into laughter! Ouch, if that wasn't super-effective to his pride. "No worries, I'll teach ya better than anyone! Stunky, use Poison Gas!"

"Cough, cough! Chimchar, don't breathe in… Cough!" But his words lost themselves in the gas that engulfed them, providing a fine opening for the rowdy Grunt.

"Alright Stunky, follow up with Scratch!" His Pokémon blasted in for a quick wrap-up, but Chimchar was nowhere near done…

"Chimchar, counter with Ember!" As the gas cleared, the Stunky was surprised by a ray of fire crashing upon him! But it wasn't strong enough to stop his momentum; a wave of dust sweeping from the devastating strike as the two Pokémon struggled on their way back up their feet. "Chimchar? Chimchar, are you OK?! Shoot, I think he's poisoned!"

"Might've brought an Antidote, eh? Thought they teached that at the School here!" His snarky remarks, his showy eyebrows and smug voice… Argh, if only Lucas knew Throat Chop!

"Shut uuuuuup!" He thrusted his finger forward in his rage, his Chimchar mustering the remaining strength it had. "Chimchar, Scratch that sonnuva—"

"Wooooah! Cussing, are we? You know you can't do that! Stunky, dodge and use Smokescreen!"

The Stunky sprung away, a curtain of smoke looming where he once was. Chimchar failed at stopping itself short as it clumsily tried to dig its feet into the ground in an attempt to gain a proper balance. His Pokémon couldn't go on much longer like this!

"Heh! Looks like only one of you's still got the guts to put up a fight! That poor Chimchar's begging for mercy!"

"Grrrrrr! I, wait…" Lucas settled his feelings. Whether it was that pesky Grunt or just the whiplash of his senses, he thought deeply of the situation… "He's trying to get on the defensive, waiting for my Chimchar to eventually faint… How do I deal with this?! Hmmm… I think I know."

"Chimchar, use Taunt!"

A roaring stomp shuddered the cloud away as Chimchar's eyes raged through. The shaken Stunky and its Trainer were only further beset by its fiery growl, stunned by its persistence despite the pitiful state it found itself in… But while the Grunt remained confused, his Pokémon soon submerged in a profound rage as it lashed out without his orders, hoping to defend its valour in one final gambit!

"Stuuuunky! What are you doing?!"

"Alright Chimchar! Dodge and counter with Scratch!"

Stunky took its opponent for granted, utterly swung in full force by its dare. It lapped and skidded on its race, thrown off by the sheer momentum of its Scratch… But the trail of debris then cleared as it expectantly scouted below; wishing nothing more than to see Chimchar laying flat next to its paws! But unfortunately its wishes were betrayed. And then, it looked above… BAAAAAAAAAM!

"Stuuuuunky!" The Grunt squealed, his Pokémon rocketing against the wall and shattering it with its impact!

"Yaaaaay!" Lucas jumped and punched the air with joy, but soon the health of his Chimchar set in… "Oh, Chimchar!"

His Pokémon slumped against the floor, grunting as it desperately clung to its resilience. Our hero had no other option than to save it inside his Pokéball, finding himself at a stalemate yet again!

"Lucky yet not so lucky, eh?" The Grunt unsheathed a wide grin, the boy bracing himself for whatever tricks hid behind it… "Your Chimchar really put up withcha, I'm impressed! It'd be amazing under my grasp, hahaha!"

"Shut it! You don't have any other Pokémon! You can leave now, you jerk!"

"Oooooh, but your precious coupon…" Lucas gulped, turning to be faced by the same Shinx again. "I'm gonna give you a choice. You give me your Chimchar and you can get your sweet 'lil Pokétch or I can get Shinx to give ya the shockers! Choose wisely, you runt."

"I…"

The Shinx felt its own uncertainty and fear being reflected right back from the boy's eyes… It couldn't quite understand at first; how it was able to read any meaning within those same enigmas from the ones alike its 'Trainer' as the kid yet still managed to reach and guide its turmoil onwards with a defiant step!

"I— I won't give up my Chimchar! Not even in your dreams!"

"Woooow, bravo! Very heroic, kid!" He scoffed, clapping. "You did what you had to do, and tell you what, I'm gonna fondly remember ya for that! But for now, I'm just gonna get that Chimchar one way or another. Shinx, use Spark!"

The boy gritted his teeth and shut his eyes with strength, readying himself for his bravery to whip back at him… But strangely, nothing happened.

"Huh? Shinx, I said use Spark!"

He opened his eyes and raised his gaze. The Shinx shook its head and squirmed in terror, firmly refusing to hurt the very same Trainer that continued to budge despite getting knocked back; perhaps the only one that felt like it could understand it…

"Of course you start being disobedient right now! You're truly a rowdy one huh? But unfortunately I can only take so many headaches today, you—"

"Hey, just what are you gonna do?!" Lucas stepped in between. Somehow, he just felt the Shinx was too scared to retaliate. "If it ain't obeying ya then that seems like a problem with YOU!"

"Bah! Just who are you to talk? You Trainers are no better; you smack 'em hard to capture 'em and then yap a bunch of sweet nothings as if it was all OK." He looked away, glancing from the side with contempt. "I may have kicked it a few times… So what? Better than throwing it to battle!"

"No better, huh…" Lucas took one heavy breath before lunging in with a deeply felt punch! "YOU BASTARD! I care more about my Pokémon than you'll ever do, you monster!".

"Hrrrrrgh! Busted a nerve there, didn't I?!" The Grunt retaliated by grappling his scarf. "This ain't nothing like how 'em old folks tell ya, I'm sorry! Hahah!"

The two flailed around, with equal violence from both sides but with a burning passion from only one of them! For the Shinx, to see the kid that truly inspired a spark in its spirit embroiled in such a struggle was haunting, but at the same time… Liberating.

Revitalizing air funneled through its breath, as the prospect of breaking the shackles of its fears was gleaming before its eyes… The fight went by, uncaring of its presence, but for the Pokémon fury and courage pumped heart to heart! And a deep ache prompted it to take a step forward for itself as the boy found himself pinned against the floor, the Grunt huffing with confidence before a powerful Spark made them thunder their way out!

"Gaaaaaah!" Lucas rolled back into a ball as lights rampaged and flickered before him from the ensuing explosion. For a second he thought he was done for! But then he opened his eyes, finding himself alone in the silence… Except for the exhausted Shinx. "Huh?! Hey, are you OK?!"

He quickly brought himself forward, kneeling beside the Pokémon. It was panting for air and seemingly crying in vain… At first it hesitated to open its eyes, believing his reassuring voice to just be part of its imagination. But then it committed to its beliefs, and soon enough they became reality!

"C'mon. I'll takecha to a Pokémon Center, aight?" The kid nodded, reaching out with a Pokéball. "You'll be fine, mark my words!"

With Shinx now safe, he could at last relax from— Nah, who am I kidding, he won't.

"Oh my gosh! That was amazing!" A familiar voice squeaked… ANOTHER familiar voice.

"What?! You were taking notes the whole time?!"

"Heh, you're gonna tell me that wasn't dramatic and breathtaking?! C'mon, I just had to!" She bounced, almost scattering off her notebook while doing so…

"But… You ruined the vibe!" He whined, taking a deep breath. "... And it'd be nice if I could take a break for once too!"

"I guess you're right about that. I'm just gonna make up stuff along the way, no worries!" She giggled.

"Sigh… Well, since you're here— Did you at least see where that Grunt went?"

"Oh, he skipped right past me. He mumbled something under his breath before bolting off!"

"And you didn't stop him?! Y— You know what he said and did to me!"

"Heheh! Just imagine all the thrill and heroic fighting that could boil down between you two… It'd be so awesome!"

"I— Really?! You're treating this like it's a novel or somethi—"

"Shhhhhh!" She placed a finger on his lips. "That's enough fourth wall breaks for today! Anyways, I'm off!"

"Hey! What the—" Lucas watched her go, bamboozled… "What the heck is wrong with her?! Sheesh, I just hope she doesn't write weird stories about me or somethin'..."

"Oh woah! You're back with all three coupons! It ended up taking a while, huh?"

"yea—"

"A while?! Whatchu talkin' about?!" Barry thudded his pal into the ground, stomping him as he hopped in excitement! "I caught all three in a breeze! Now gimme the Pokétch!"

"Oh sure, but uhhh… The kid below you…"

"Him?" He looked down at Lucas before flashing a thumbs-up. "He's my friend, he doesn't mind it! Hahah!"

"Heheh, I don't have a choice…"

"Kids these days, amirite…" The gentleman mumbled. "I— I mean, here you go, the two of you!"

"Yaaaaay!" He was about to burst in yet another wave of excitement before hesitating to do so at the request of his buddy… "Oooooh, sorry. I'm absolutely not doing it on purpose, y'know me!"

"One of these days I'll be the one fining ya…" Lucas rolled his eyes. "Anyways, gimme that!"

Quickly wrapping and fixing the device around his wrist, the boy marvelled as the Pokétch seemed to flash before his eyes! Barry couldn't help but to shrug sheepishly at his friend going off with his incessant button-smashing…

"Good thing you knew how to handle that! These don't come with guarantees, you know!"

"Hey, I'm sorry! Just got a 'lil bit excited, that's all!" His shoulders slumped. He was put off for sure, but at least that made him take a more subtle look at his Pokétch… "Wait a second… There's only four apps here! I thought there were way more!"

"Ah-ah! Seems like you didn't know that much after all!" He playfully ridiculed, wagging his finger. "You see, first you need to COLLECT the rest of the apps. You gotta get someone to install them in the Pokétch. Think of it like, uhhh… Catching Pokémon, obviously!"

"Hehehe! Another thing to blast, it looks like!" Barry furrowed his eyebrows in determination!

"Hehehe, even more stuff to collect…"

"Grouchy or not, I'm sure the two of you will give it your best shot eitherway!" The man turned around, waving good-bye in a rush. "Anyways, I've got to get my news team sorted up! Something about an explosion nearby and everybody going bonkers over it... Hope I get to see you both again!"

An explosion?! His words sank in even as he awkwardly scurried away from them…

"Woah… Did you hear that? Even I missed some fun, it seems!" Barry ruffled the back of his head, giggling.

"Huuuuh… Yeah, I can't believe it either…" Rubbing his arm, he quickly tried to think of a way to shake off the topic! "Well, how 'bout we leave this place and do s'more sight-seeing?"

"Wanna go with me this time?! Sheesh, thought you'd be yearning to be with Dawn by now!"

"SHUT IT!" Lucas flared back, his Rage mingling just fine with the embarrassment! "What'd you even know?!"

"Ooooooh, ya see, a little Starly told me some really interesting things about you guys! Something about her teaching ya how to capture a Pokémon and such…"

"And?! What does that have to do with whatever you're imagining, huh?!"

"Heh, I'm not imagining anything! I can just take a good look atcha and that's gonna tell me everything I wanna know! I'm like a Psychic type!"

"Oh yeah? So be it!"

Thus Barry rattled with his gaze, Lucas feeling himself encroached by the insidious glint in his eyes as he soon had no option but to surrender a blush through his grimace. It was just like he used, uhhhh… Mind Reader? Geez, didn't even know that move existed.

"Hahah! Thought you could be a slippery Wooper around me, eh?!"

"Grrrr! Shut up! That was not fair and ya know it!"

"Maybe not! But lying to me ain't fair either, y'know!" Barry cackled as Lucas tried to throw hands with him like a little kid! "Heeeey, calm down! There are people around here!"

"Of course! That's precisely why I'm so upseeeeet!" He squirmed and protested in vain, eventually having no option but to catch up with reality. "Fuuuuu… Sorry for that…"

"No worries! I mean, after me thudding ya so much it's about time you broke the dynamics a little bit! Hahaha!"

"I guess…" Lucas glanced around him, the golden embrace of the afternoon setting in as they found themselves outside by the time they finished their skittish quarreling… "We should probably get moving now, huh?"

"Yup. I kinda grew bored of Jubilife already! How about we make our way to, uhhh…" He clumsily reached for his Town Map. "To Oreburgh City! Yeah!"

"What, are you sure? It's been a long day, y'know! Don'tcha think we should take a rest or somethin'?"

"A rest? Oh c'mon, you can't be feeling all snoozy already…" And then he yawned, quickly pulling a bashful grin. "... What? You're just so boring you're gonna make me doze off at any moment!"

"Heh, it'd be about time if you did!"

"Speaking of time, the Pokétch! … Oh geez, it's actually getting late!"

"Of course, Barry! We should just stop messing around and—"

"We REALLY gotta rush now! If we keep going at your speed we might be there by New Year's!" Barry hushed to grab his friend's wrist…

"What?! No no no, Barry! I ain't gonna letcha do that!" But he just slapped his hand away!

"C'mon, it's MY turn nooooow!"

"Your turn?! This was never about turns, you dork!" You guys should probably stop getting physical like this before people start thinking about something else… "WHAAAAAT?!"

"Oh, Barry and Lucas!" No worries, Rowan appeared just in time! "There you are!"

"Oooooh Rowan, heh… Hello there!" Our hero timidly waved before mumbling: "Please pretend nothing's happening!"

"Why are you two blushing?" Dawn didn't buy it, unfortunately… "You did it again Barry, didn't you?!"

"I, ummm… Yes, but actually—"

"Yes!" Lucas cut off, stepping in. "Anyways, can we move on?!"

"I merely wanted to know if you two were safe…" Rowan whimpered… I mean, couldn't they be normal for once?!

"We are! Of course we are!" Barry nodded reassuringly. "Why do you ask?!"

"Well, we were just surrounded by a group of crooks who called themselves part of 'Team Galactic'..."

"They tried to scare us off but Rowan was having none of it!" Dawn laughed. "He told 'em off so badly that they broke and quit the whole thing altogether!"

"I guess he's too seasoned for stuff like that."

"Huh, Team Galactic? Really?" Barry tilted his head in amusement. "People still come up with dumb evil teams? What's next, Team Sky or somethin'?!"

Everyone glared at him with judgement… "OK, OK guys, I'm sorry!"

"To answer your question though, unfortunately it seems to be the case…" Rowan thoughtfully meandered. "I haven't heard any important reports yet, but this could very well be another reason to be wary of them."

"You mean they're purposefully planning all of this? Appearing like they aren't a big deal at first and such?" Dawn joined in his mindful inquiry.

"Quite possibly! At least it'd be worth considering such a ploy. It may seem absurd at first, but none of our first impressions would matter if we allow them to play their cards skillfully…"

"You're just being a little bit too paranoid, Prof!" Of course, Barry didn't really stick in. "I feel like you might be cutting 'em some slack!"

"Perhaps. But let's not forget about the likes of Team Magma or Team Aqua… They struck when the moment came and they almost plunged the Hoenn region into chaos!" Rowan turned at them with a resounding step. "For that, I advise the two of you to be cautious should you encounter them again!"

"You say so?!" Lucas valiantly retorted. "We can't just let 'em do as they please, y'know! Even if they might be tougher than their looks we still gotta stop 'em!"

"Oh Lucas, don't get me wrong! I admire your values, but you have to understand that as my protégés I'm responsible for your well-being during your travels! I can't afford to have you put yourselves in unnecessary danger. If you find it opportune or urgent then you might challenge them, I'm simply suggesting to not take it for granted."

"Alright… I guess I get it now." Given his intense and still concealed encounter with that one Grunt earlier, even he had to resign with a sigh… "Still tho, if they try to do their misdeeds in front of me then I'll give my best to stop 'em!"

"Consider me your Helping Hand!" Barry fisted, almost knocking off his pal as he hopped to his side! "Heheh!"

"If it ever comes to it then you can count on me too!"

"Hahaha! I appreciate that you three are still determined to face the challenges on your journey no matter what." At last mayhem didn't break out between them! … But it was back to work eitherway, heh. "Alright Dawn, we ought to keep moving. Stay safe, you two!"

Bye-byes were exchanged, but Lucas couldn't quite shake it off. The passionate rage from his climactic showdown and the wavering emotions that ensued in his pursuit of justice for Shinx continued to weigh in his heart… As he tightened his Pokéball in his fist, dreams of launching a bolting strike on this mysterious foe with his newly gained Pokémon powered him up to set sail and continue his adventure!

"I— I'm going to heal my Pokémon, Barry!" He huffed, kicking off into a dash. "Byeee!"

"Heeey! You're not allowed to run ahead of me! Wait uuuuup!"