The Palm Pastures Gym was a very daunting building. Though in fairness, it was made to be. The entire building was solid, firm, and unyielding. However, there was a softness to it if you knew where to look. Something most people associated with the type. Though beyond the cool symbolism, that didn't matter much. No, what mattered was that the gym itself was a display of the sheer might of its leader. The gym itself was a single structure held together through nothing but control of the ground. Everything from the walls, the roof, and even the floor inside were all held together by one of the Gym Leader's Pokémon.

It was without a doubt one of the most brilliant and subtle pieces of showing of that I'd ever seen. Moreover, it was also a very good defensive position. It couldn't be breached because a Pokémon was constantly holding it all together and anybody that managed to would find themselves in a death trap. Floors that can swallow one whole, walls that can smash, the air becoming so thick you suffocate. And even if everything else fails, whatever Pokémon holding it all together could just let it go and crush everyone and everything inside.

The Gym Leader, who only went by Boulder, was a very dangerous man and had earned such distinction through years of hard work and effort. While his name and boisterous attitude may seem laughable, the strength he commands is anything but. Moreover, Professor Cherry told me that while he is genuinely "like that", he also has a hidden intellect most wouldn't suspect until far too late. Personally, I thought anybody who thought a Gym Leader an idiot needed to get a reality check. One doesn't make it to the top by being stupid.

And so we came to the reason why I was here in the first place: to see how if I could challenge the gym now or if I needed to train and how much. The Swinub…it was already going to be a challenge given Rose's weakness to ice. Her only real answer to that was Fire Fang and even then she'd need to get in close while Swinub could snipe from a distance. The ice wouldn't make things any easier for us. Especially with all the cracking sounds confusing her senses. For this, I didn't really see an option besides pure overwhelming power.

But to measure if Rose is at the level of power to overwhelm the Swinub, I first need to witness a match. Thankfully, the gym has open seating for anybody wishing to see the gym battles first hand. It seemed nice on the surface, but it was just another method to attract others t the profession since seeing the battles live is a lot different than merely hearing about it or watching them on TV.

‘Okay Tobias, let’s see how fudged I am.’ And with that cheerful note, I stepped into the gym and was assaulted by the marvel that was the Palm Pastures Gym. For one, the main room was square, with dirt stands erected in a circle around the field, at which I took my seat. The field, however, was of a rather strange design. Instead of the square fields, I was used to, it was circular and of a completely different color than the rest of the Gym. The colors were red, regular, and black with regular sand filling a small circle in the middle and a semi-circle to my left. The red sand was another semi-circle mirroring the regular sand, with black sand diving them. The field itself was a literal Pokéball.

On the field, there were two people. The Gym Leader Boulder on red and the challenger on regular. Boulder was a dark and heavyset monster of a man. He was also one of the few people I thought actually pulled off being bald. Though despite his looming figure, and boisterous aura, he was supposedly a gentle giant. AT least, according to Professor Cherry he was. However, as mentioned earlier, that didn’t mean there wasn’t a keen intellect hiding behind his black eyes.

The challenger in contrast had an arrogance to him. Well, to be fair, whether it was arrogance or confidence has yet to be seen. But by the dark look in his blue gaze, I was willing to bet it was the former. Especially since this was only the first gym. Really, what could he possibly have up his sleeve to be this confident?

Then he sent out his Pokémon and it all started to come together. It was a small smirking quadruped in the image of a fox. As the colors started to fill in, I saw it was mostly black. However, there are some exceptions. The fur at its paws was red and so were its eyelids and two spots in between. Finally, there was a tuft of hair almost resembling a flame that started black and transitioned to a red right between the ears. A Zorua.

A Pokémon famed for its power over nightmarish illusions and one that fascinated you. Though this fascination paled in comparison to the Hisuian Zorua. It was a far more driven and miserable creature. One often held to be more powerful as well given it had already lived and died. Though many would argue the opposite since if it had been strong, it wouldn’t have died in the first place. Regardless, I hoped that he understood the dangers of having a Zorua in Gurin.

Still, a Zorua combined with his own “edgy” outfit and that confident sneer? He was a dark-type specialist. One that needed a severe reality check as well given how hard he was leaning into the stereotype. Although, I still held in any more judgments. Boulder did mostly the same, after all, and it was that same dismissal that brought their end. But then he started to talk and my reservations started to give.

“It was quite foolish to accept my challenge Boulder! For I am The Great and Powerful Nightmare! Long after this fight, you will stay awake at night. Cursed to relive the day you lost to me!” Boulder, to his credit, merely raised one eyebrow and responded in a cheerful tone.

“If The Nightmare truly grows to be such a thing, The Boulder will be glad to have lost. For it means that Gurin and Gurin's Glorious Poeple have but one more Great Protector. Still, regardless of The Nightmare's strength, The Nightmare will not find The Boulder to be an easy opponent!” Boulder was ham as fudge as well. The difference was that Boulder had managed to harness that ham and make it work through years of practice. This challenger was just starting out and was leaning way too far onto one side without anything to counterbalance.

Take Boulder's speech for example. He talked a big game sure, but there was also a sincerity to his words that made them come across better. It felt as if he really cared for Gurin and the people inside it. Because if he did truly lose, that meant there’d be another protector was something to celebrate. The challenger’s own introduction was lacking all that. As while it talked up a big game, it was more about ruin and downfall purely for his own sake rather than any real purpose. The words felt shallow and hollow. As if spoken by a child playing dress-up. Which to be fair, he just might be.

Though given the scoff the challenger had in the face of these words, it was easy to see what he thought of them. Or at least, what he wanted us to think. Regardless of how hopeless it may seem, I refuse to try and prematurely judge him for this. Mostly because at this point, I desperately wanted him to be something other than a walking stereotype. For my own sanity, there needed to be something of substance to him. Sadly, there was not.

His Zorua got completely destroyed by Boulder’s Barboach. I think he was trying to use Zorua’s illusionary abilities to try and mesh with the Barboach’s aim or suffocate it by making it think there was water when there wasn’t. Sadly, any progress on that was shattered when Boulder’s clear voice not only gave the order but the precise location of where to fire. The challenger, who the referee elected to refer to as “The Nightmare”, was not prepared for it at all and Zorua was similar. They took it cleanly and it knocked the Zorua out.

The next Pokémon was a freaking Absol of all things. Though in my opinion, he definitely should have had the Absol go first. Their nigh supernatural ability to detect dangers would have allowed it to be able to dodge Boulder’s usual playstyle. That being the watering the field down to mud and making geysers pop out unexpectedly. Which, as I predicted, did do pretty well in that department. Though the lack of direction from the trainer side was frustrating to watch as I could see missed opportunities. Eventually, though, the Absol went down to Barboach and Nightmare left having lost 2-0. A worrying prospect considering his still living Zorua.

However, the worst of it, I felt, was that I never got to see the Swinub. I understood that the battles were hard, but he had two Pokémon against one. I felt that I should have been able to see even a little bit of the Swinub. Moreover, this was the only gym battle scheduled for today so I’d have to wait until tomorrow to hopefully get to see the Swinub in action. And so I rose from the earthen bench, my clothes pristine with even a speck of dirt on them another flex of his control, I Iet out a disappointed sigh with the resolution to come back for the gym battle tomorrow. At least, that was the plan before Boulder suddenly called me over to him.

And as I stood before The Boulder, I could see his analytic gaze piercing through me. For once, he lacked his signature smiled, and just stared as if trying to decipher a particularly hard puzzle. Before long though, his expression eased out and his bright dispassion returned. Some might, at this moment say, “I could have imagined it” or “it was a trick of the light”. Me? No, I know what I see and I saw confusion, uncertainly, and unrest in his gaze. All which directed towards me for some reason. Though if I had to guess-

“So this is The Tobias Blackwell that Professor Cherry decided to gift The Radiant Deino to?” There was an excitement in his tone. As if he had the utmost faith in my abilities. Again though, I didn’t buy it. It ran in stark contrast to what he was like moments ago. Something that showed on my face and he recognized. For a moment, I thought he might continue the charade, but with a sigh that sounded of deep regret, his cold gaze returned.

“The Boulder was hoping The Boulder and Tobias first meet in Awesome Battle so The Boulder could gauge Tobias Blackwell's character then. But then Tobias Blackwell showed up to watch The Boulder's Awesome Battle against The Nightmare and The Boulder finds The Boulder beside The Boulder with the words of others in The Boulder's head. So it has become something of a Wasted Effort. So tell The Boulder, what brings Tobias Blackwell to The Palm Pastures Gym?”

There were several things I could say here. The actual answer most obvious. There's also my curiosity of the impact his persona has had on the people of this town and other trainers was another. Though that was squashed when I realized I’d probably just get buried with facts since I couldn’t have been the first to ask him this. However, instead of either of those, my mind settled on a different thing.

“I can guess what they’re saying, but are they actually saying?” In response to my question, Boulder didn’t say anything. Not that I really expected him to. After all, I am just a kid with no badges at the moment and he’s a gym leader. The people he probably talks to would be similarly important and any discussion would probably be classified. Despite that though, I felt entitled to know. This was concerning me after all.

“Does Tobias Blackwell know why Elite Four Desmond hunted the Hydreigon?” The question came out of nowhere, and I wasn’t expecting it. Both the question itself and that we’d be having an actual discussion about it. Still, the question itself confused me. After all, the purpose of Hydreigon hunting was to find and kill them before they could become issues. At best, maybe Desmond wanted one for himself. But as a dark type specialist, he should know that’s basically impossible and you’d need to raise one from an egg. Again, I didn’t do that good a job hiding my confusion omg the matter as Boulder answered the question for me.

“The Bolder can assure you, it wasn’t for any altruistic or the standard revenge reason for Elite Four Desmond. Elite Four Desmond has been looking to raise a Hydreigon for a while, but never really got the chance. Then Elite Four Desmond hears word of a Hydreigon living out in the wild that had yet to attack anybody and Elite Four Desmond sees Elite Four Desmond's chance.” And with that bit of knowledge, the pieces start to fall into place. I knew what that kind of behavior meant: a mother Hydreigon, which usually meant eggs. And if I knew that, then Desmond certainly did too.

“Given how hard Professor Cherry vouched for Tobias Blackwell's knowledge, The Boulder assumes Tobias Blackwell knows the difficulty of taming a wild Hydreigon makes it all but required to raise Deino from the egg. Moreover, for a Hydreigon to act like this all but assured it was a mother. Imagine Elite Four Desmond's surprise though, when Elite Four Desmond sees what’s currently being called a “Radiant” Pokemon. Imagine Elite Four Desmond's greed at the prospect of having the only recorded Radiant Pokemon to have existed?” Again, the knowledge of just how valuable Rose was came to mind. While there’ve been rumors of such a Pokemon existed, Rose was the first and only confirmed case. Moreover, it was one that the League was in a position to actually study instead of if she had grown into a Hydreigon. And with that opportunity, came prestige and fame that would get your name engraved in history forever.

“Elite Four Desmond had worked hard to get The Radiant Deino, but the League had already made up its mind. The Radiant Deino was to go to Professor Cherry for research purposes. Imagine again, Elite Four Desmond's elation when Professor Cherry gave Professor Cherry's opinion that the best way to research The Radiant Deino, was to give The Radiant Deino to a trainer. Finally, imagine Elite Four Desmond's sheer shock, disbelief, and rage at the idea that instead of Elite Four Desmond, a capable individual with decades of experience, or even perhaps Friend Graves, The Radiant Deino went to a complete unknown as a Starter. Almost immediately, there was an uproar within the League.” At that, there were the usual emotions I got when thinking about her decision. Disbelief, elation, deeply touched, and more than a little guilt. I knew that I shouldn’t have gotten Rose. That she should have gone to Desmond. Despite that though, I felt my heart ache at the thought. Rose was…mine. The thought of her with someone else….it hurt.

“Despite this though, Professor Cherry got Professor Cherry's way when one of them bluffed her with a “and Professor Cherry's willing to stake everything on this child?” Because nobody actually thought Professor Cherry would be. Professor Cherry knows how Hydreigon tend to get and that giving The Radiant Deino as a starter would lead to disaster. A gambler Professor Cherry may be, but this was thought to have been a level beyond even Professor Cherry's tendencies. Until Professor Cherry said “yes” and then walked out having received permission.” The way it happened didn’t surprise me. And while the situation itself was somewhat amusing, all I felt was that same concoction as before. That she trusted me that much, that she risked it all…I had already planned to be the very best. Looking back before Rose though, the reason felt shallow and childish in comparison to the drive I have now.

“Does Tobias Blackwell understand the magnitude of the people waiting for Tobias Blackwell to fail? Those that support Elite Four Desmond are many. As are the amount of people that believe Professor Cherry unsuited for Professor Cherry's position. The amount of people that just, in general, think Tobias Blackwell unsuited, however, is vastly more than both of those combined. Even Friend Wayne, the guy who’s always on board with whatever crazy idea Professor Cherry comes up with thinks it was a bad idea. The only reason Tobias Blackwell hasn't been actively sabotaged is that same level of spotlight would make any moves obvious.” At the mention of sabotage, I flinch. It wasn’t something I considered, but probably should have. Professor Cherry already had her detractors that would like to see me fail. That such a failure also means Rose likely goes to Desmond like he wanted, only makes things worse as I felt that stab of possessive wrongness come over me.

Most worrying, however, was the idea that some people won’t care if it’s obvious. That some will try to make moves regardless. Especially when they can justify it with both ethics and morals in that “this was proactive measures to prevent the kid from dying.” To know that the only thing keeping me even somewhat safe is the attention their ire granted…it wasn’t fun. It would probably be another thing keeping me awake at night.

For a moment, all I could do was stand there in silent introspection. Because honestly, what could I really say here? I already knew expectations were high. I already knew what was on the line for Professor Cherry. That there were going to be people that wanted me to fail. Perhaps not all the details and not to that magnitude, but still. This was something that Boulder himself sensed as he nodded to himself and started walking away. Before he could get very far though, I felt myself erupt with a heartfelt declaration.

“I’ll prove to everything that her faith was justified!” It was childish and stupid, but I felt my heart ring with the passion and sincerity behind it. I meant these words from the bottom of my heart and would go to great lengths to make them real. Something Boulder also sensed given the way he stopped in his tracks instead of just continuing to walk away.

“Is that so? Well then, The Boulder guesses The Boulder and Tobias Blackwell shall see that in Awesome Battle?” As he briefly turned back to me, I saw his face one of amusement. As if speaking to a child who didn’t really know what it was they were saying. There was a challenge in his tone though. One to rise above his own expectations and achieve my dream. It was in stark contrast with the cold analytic I had been facing moments before. And yet, I couldn’t help but think this face genuine. The memories of my own amusement when Hinata made such declarations probably didn't help my judgment.

I wanted so badly to accept his challenge. To throw down with the man right here and now. However, I knew I wasn’t ready. I knew that Rose wasn’t ready for this. Before I could do anything, I needed to train her up until we could crush this gym together.

And so despite the laughter that erupted when I walked away, I kept walking until I left. I felt the urge to run, but that's what a kid would do. I wasn’t a child. Not anymore.

A month. I had given myself a month to train up Rose into a beast capable of taking on his Barboach and Swinub. Of claiming victory and taking my first steps in proving Professor Cherry was right to trust me. And so I thought about what it was I needed to do to achieve that goal.

The Barboach was hard because one usually wouldn’t know where the water would shoot out from so you had to be good at dodging it as it came. I saw that in the way the Absol, despite being able to predict the danger, just couldn’t keep up in the long run. I wasn’t even going to mention the Zorua who got basically one shot after doing nothing.

The Swinub was a different matter. It liked to freeze the water present on the field to increase its maneuverability and ruin its opponents’. Something that allowed it to get in close without getting ht itself or snipping from across the field. The only option there is going to be hit hard and hit fast before it can do any real damage. Either with a Dark Pulse, but a Fire Fang as well as a close-range option. So that meant speed and move training.

As I looked and saw Rose cuddled into my side, peacefully sleeping the night away, I smiled. That smile only grew as she leaned into my touch as I slowly scratched her neck. I had finally got a report on where all her bruises were and what level of pain she could take. Like I had predicted, the right side of her neck was clear. Her head was not, but I was told she had a much higher pain tolerance there so rubbing there should still be fine.

It would be difficult, but I would do it. I had faith in her. And so, with that thought, you went to bed. Tomorrow would be the start of your training and you’d need your rest. It was going to be a long month.

I wasn’t quite sure how I’d have Rose practice dodging when I made the plan, but I thought my solution worked. Palm Pastures had a baseball team called the Hippowndon. Personally, I didn’t see the appeal of the sport compared to the obviously superior sport of Pokémon Battling. However, I found that it did have uses. Like a pitching that could throw small balls at Rose at high speed.

Rose, of course, would be forced to dodge or take the hit. Considering her status as a blind Pokémon though, I realized we’d have some issues to work through. Mostly, I’d need to get in the position of either telling her where to dodge or get her senses up to bar enough to know where the attack is coming from. Possibly even develop some kind of battlefield sonar later down the line?

I wasn’t sure, and the idea was pretty out there. It’d also be a lot of work for something I wasn’t sure was possible and may become irrelevant in the future. After all, her blindness was only temporary would go away after she evolved into Hydreigon. Granted, good senses would serve anybody well, but was it a good enough advantage I could justify the work I’d need to put in to get it running?

As much as I felt inconvenienced by the deadline, I already knew what the answer would be. As much of a pain as it would be to get it set up, better senses would serve her well in the long run. It just sucked that the gym battle was only a month away. Still, I had faith in her. I always would.

“Rose, this machine is going to be launching small balls towards you. You’ll need to dodge them.” Rose nodded of course. Though I doubt she got what I was going for given how we’ve been doing things so far. Which is why I decided to clarify before actually starting.

“Rose, you’re going to be dodging them on your own. I won’t tell you where to dodge or when they’re coming.” At this, she tillered her head in confusion, clearly not understanding just how she would dodge.

“Rose, I want you to get to the point where you can sense everything n the battlefield. Make yourself a mental map. That way, I won’t have to act as your eyes so much in battle. Sometimes yes, but not always. It’ll also be good for when you’re a Hydreigon and you have that to compliment your eyesight.” The pause Rose gave before her rushed response was telling. She was nervous about this, but fulling willing to commit. Or at least, live up to the expectation that this was something she was capable of.

“Alright. Now then, I’ll run the machine a few times and I want you to listen to the sound it makes. It’s important to identify them and place their location relative to yourself. Got it?” Rose nodded, this time much quicker now that she’d set her mind towards mastering this. Though I knew she probably wouldn’t be all that good to start out. This was something completely new to her after all. Still, as I activated the machine, let it throw a few balls and then told Rose that it was time. Again, I doubted she’d do as well as she thought she would, but I hoped she did. It would be a painful first week otherwise.

To my shock, and her casual smugness, Rose turned out to be some kind of genius when it came to her senses. Seriously, she didn’t get hit once with the ball. Always managing to dodge in a direction that would see her avoid the hit. Honestly, there wasn’t much to say. The only time she had any hint of trouble was when I did something to make the sound, but even then, she adapted fast enough that it barely grazed her. It was pretty insane.

“Deino.” Rose, who had been preening and basking in her own greatness, suddenly called out to me. Her tone was expectant, as it should be all things considered. I had promised her Tamato-dipped Slowpoke Tail if she did well enough after all. “Well enough” being defined as dodging more than 50% percent of the balls I had thrown at her. Of course, at the time, I didn’t know she would be some kind of savant or I probably would have raised the bar a little higher. Still, she did it and so she would get her treat.

“I know, I know. I’m getting the food now.” I was already at my backpack, the zipper to the FSD in hand. Another moment saw it unzipped and the FSD unveiled. A few more moments, I had Rose’s section opened up. By the time I had a handful of the stuff ready to out at the ground, Rose was next to me looking like she was about to snap my hand off.

Thankfully, she hadn’t been quiet in her mad dash to my side and I had enough time to drop the treats and get away before she could pounce. Something she did moments later as she started to zone out while eating her favorite snack. Again, the way she looked and acted sometimes, like right now as she mumbled her name was savoring her snack with such happiness and content, made me forget just what kind of monster she’d be in the future. Or rather, that despite being a monster, she’d be my monster. My precious Rose.

‘I’m glad I decided to go for sensory navigation. This would have been a completely wasted talent otherwise.’ Honestly, it made me wonder if Rose had any other hidden talents I wasn’t aware of. If she did, I just hoped I found them soon enough to nurture them into something great.

When we came back the rest of the week, I didn’t make the same mistake. She had shown herself capable of achieving perfection in these dodging practices, and so I wanted perfection. Rose grumbled a bit, but I got through that by playing to her pride. “After all, anything less than perfection is below someone of your skill.” The moment that line came out, was the moment she stopped complaining. After all, trying to argue past that point would almost be a confession that she didn’t think she could do it. And we both know that was something she’d never do.

Once more though, I was humbled as this time, she didn’t even get grazed when I tried to distract her or masked the noise as something else. It was clear to me, that she didn’t need any more training to dodge since projectiles. And so when we came the third day, I changed it up again. I reset the bar at 50, but this time I introduced multiple pitching machines. All of which were set to go off at different times. I was whipping this would give me an insight into how developed her senses truly were. Could she only do one? Could she do quick mental reorientation based on her own movement in the face of other variables?

This was the first test that Rose failed to pass. Specifically, she was having trouble with dealing with keeping track of several targets while she moved. In fact, I’d argue it was the one area she was truly bad at. Well, relative for other Pokémon. Though that was to be expected for a creature that’s been blind all her life. She’s never had to keep track of multiple things at once. Instead, she’s been focusing on a single thing. If it wasn’t for her abnormal skill in that, I’d even argue that it was just practice lending itself nicely to a different skill. As things were though, I was hopeful she’d improve given the competence she’d displayed so far.

Which she did. She seemed to take her earlier failure as a personal challenge. And while she wasn’t hitting the 50% and 5 pitching machines, she was hitting 20% with 2 timed pithing machines. A remarkable accomplishment considered it was a skill she’d never had to do before. It spoke of how far she’d go once she’d finally catch up to other Pokémon. Though I was just grateful she was able to do one projectile so well. As it was just the first gym, I doubt there were going to be timed projectiles launched from different places soon after the other.

In other words, once again, my faith was right. It was something I made sure to tell Rose about after she came off her adorable treat high. Her response, of course, was merely more casual smugness. Though, as we went to bed, Rose again cuddled into my side, I hoped that the rest of the training would go as well as dodging had. I knew it probably wouldn’t, but still. It was a nice hope to fall asleep to.

Dark Pulse training was next on the docket. I needed an answer to long-range foes in the event Rose wasn't able to get to them fast enough and Dark Pulse was the only long-range move she had. She had shown herself capable of making multiple Dark Pulses, so that wasn’t in question. The problem was her stamina. A couple of Dark Pulses had left her exhausted to the point where she couldn’t even stand.

Granted, part of that was that she overdid it because of her anger, but still. Her stamina was a problem I needed to address since she’d have to solo two Pokémon. That would be intensive for her at this stage, but again, I had faith she could do it.

“Okay Rose, I want you to gather a Dark Pulse. Don’t fire it though!” The latter was quickly said as I saw her mouth open and a ball of pitch-black crisscrossed circled. Rose complied, but it soon became clear that was another problem: she didn’t know when to stop. I watched as the circles grew more numerous until they looked like a single mass. It was when I saw the dark purple aura start to crackle about in a fur of instability, I zoned back in and ordered her to release it before it exploded.

Thankfully, I had taken us to the outskirts of town and we were facing away from it. Thus Rose didn’t hit a building and destroy a building. Instead, it hit the sand with a large explosion of dark-type energy. Something that caused the sand to erupted in a similarly sized explosion.

Though as a cry erupted from the newly made pit, both you and Rose tensed, ready for conflict. What crawled out was a grey quadruped Pokémon with a black body. Its hands and feet-not quadruped, merely resting on them-were a rich black color. Its head, a rounded semicircle with a low snout exposing teeth, was much the same. Its two ears stuck out from around its neck and combined with the little neck curl, made good on its “bandit” look.

A Salandit. Though one that looked weakens from the blast. On the other hand, a quick look at Rose showed she wasn’t doing too hot either. Worse still, this one didn’t look like it would let us flee in peace. And now that Rose had caught on to its presence, neither would she.

‘Fudge this is bad timing.’ Any other month, and this would have been my chance. Sadly, I had resolved myself not to catch anything. In large part because I didn’t want to risk having to send a newly caught Pokémon back to Professor Cherry. The Larvesta, as a baby Pokémon, would take priority. Something that l would likely hurt our relationship in a way that could have lasting implications.

Still, despite the sting of disappointment, I posited those thoughts aside and began to plan. Something I was glad for as it meant when it started spewing Smog I was ready.

“Dodge!” Thanks to the training Rose had undergone, or perhaps more accurately, her inborn talent, the Smog never came close to reaching her. I, on the other hand, had to avoid the poisonous gas and was still nearly caught. Unfortunately, Rose and I had run in two separate directions. Something that, given its shrewd focus on myself, it was absolutely going to take advantage of.

Before it could though, I have the order for Earth Power. While Dark Pulse might have been more appropriate given her training, it was still early and I wasn’t sure how well her sensory skills took to aiming. Or I was, but the Salandit was getting ready to attack me and it was a skinny target. Dark Pulse, being a beam, required pinpoint accuracy, especially from a distance. “General area” wouldn’t suffice for this. And so I had Rose use an attack where that would suffice.

Something that paid off as the Salandit’s Ember died in its throat after it lost its balance as the ground started to shift around it. The fall it took after getting punched upward by the crack in the earth was not at all gentle. Rather it fell with a hard thud.

For a moment, I thought that was it. Until a Dark Pulse erupted from Rose’s general direction beyond the purple gas and blasted into the Salandit. The Salandit cried out, its weakened body starting to break under the power. For a moment, my mind overlayed the image of the Maractus to the Salandit.

I knew it didn’t make much sense. One was a Pokémon that tried to flee as it got erased. This one had outright tried to either kill or take me hostage. It wasn’t a nice Pokémon by any means and its cruel gaze did nothing to help its cause. And yet, you still cared for the creature. Probably because you had dreamed of finding one to try and realize the legend.

Before I really knew what was happening, you screamed for Rose to stop. Thankfully, Rose did. Or at least, that was the assumption as the black beam ceased. Either way, the Salandit, which had been getting blasted further into the sand, came to a stop. Though, I noticed, it didn’t get back up or give any indication it was even alive.

With a grim heart, I journeyed over to the broken and damaged Salandit. It was on its side, with several semi-circles gouged into its body. The sand around it was a bloody red, though it seemed it wasn’t bleeding too badly. Ironically, this seemed because of the sand acting as a cover to its wounds.

As I moved closer, my guard not very high because of how visibly it was down, I saw it twitch. Though it wasn’t in any sort of attack, rather a reflexive motion at the pain. Moreover, its breathing, while labored and weak, was still there. The more I looked at it, I felt my heart grow both hopeful and dreadful at the sight. Mostly because of the decision I would soon be faced with.

“Deino!” A glance saw that Rose had broken through the smoke. She looked tired, but was still on her feet and happy over her victory. I’d probably need to check if she was poisoned after this. Which meant today’s training was pretty much over. Well, more over. I probably wouldn’t have felt like doing a lot after this. Still, no reason to punish her with my own anguish. Though I did note to add some control training. This didn’t matter all that much in the wild, despite how many trainers would view it. But it absolutely would in a trainer battle.

“Deino!” It was clear what she wanted by the way she tittered her neck as he came within touching distance. The spoiled thing probably didn’t even consider I would decline to do that. Not that I ever would, but still. Though even as I went to scarce her favorite spot, with a murmur of “Good Girl”, my mind couldn’t be farther away.

I had a broken and battered Pokémon before me. One close to the die of death, but not quite there. Perhaps it could be fixed if I brought it to Nurse Joy. Certainly, I’d heard tales of worse injuries being cured. Or…I could finish the job. After all, it was all but dead in this state. Leaving it would be nothing but cruelty as it either died a slow and painful death or was made easy picking by any nearby Cacturne when night came.

Certainly, I could have Rose do it, but that felt far too impersonal. Rose was my responsibility and her lack of training is the reason we’re in this mess. It should be my burden to bear how it ends. The only question now is what choice to make. Try for a Hail Arceus and save it or end its pain right here and now.

In the end, I knew what my decision would be. This was an accident. One that was the result of my failure as a trainer and I won't skirt the consequences. And so, after another moment of praise for Rose, I took off my bag and reached into one of the pockets. My hand grasped something small and metal, warm to the touch from having been in my bag all day. With a single motion, I was now holding an enlarged and primed Pokéball in my hand. With another, I gently tapped it against the Salandit’s broken body and it dinged without even a single shake. Rose, for her part, merely tilted her head in confusion. The reason why was something that took me a moment to puzzle out.

‘Right. Blind.’ She’s never been around a Pokémon getting caught so she wouldn’t recognize the ding. But she would recognize the sound of my bag rustling. For her, it probably felt like I was about to give her some treats for doing well, and then she hears an unknown noise. Very confusing on her part.

“Sorry Rose, no treats right now. You’ll get some later though, I promise.” Was it the best idea to give her treats after all this? Probably not considering the message it sends. Still, Rose did a good job in battle and that should be rewarded. Or at least, the very accurate Dark Pulse she gave out should since that way the point of the exercise. That it also answered my concerns about her long-distance accuracy was just another benefit.

“Your Salandit will make it through Mr.Blackwell. Though I have to wonder how it got in such a rough condition.” I could hear the disapproval in her tone. Though to be fair, most would. I had been here for a week, so it was obvious that Salandit was a new Pokémon. And that meant it was either a wild Pokémon I went too hard on when trying to catch, or I nearly murder a random wild Pokémon and caught it to heal it. Neither options were very well received in the world of battling.

Mostly because it showed either a callous disregard for the lives of other Pokémon or it showed a lack of capacity in controlling your Pokémon. Neither of which was very good considering the sport of battling relied on the agreement that you could a: control your Pokémon and b: cared enough not to murder your opponent’s. Moreover, by the continued stare from Nurse Joy, I could tell this wasn’t a matter she was willing to let lie. She wanted her answer and likely wouldn’t let us leave until we gave it.

For a moment, considered lying to her. Certainly, I didn’t want to admit that Rose had gone to far. The conversation with Boulder about how many people were watching was still fresh in my mind after all. Still, lying here would be really stupid. She was a Nurse Joy after all. A person trained in identifying various injuries. She would know whether the story would add up or not.

“I’m raising a Deino, the same one you’ve seen me with. Right now, she’s doing what she knows best. I haven’t gotten to training her in restraint. That’s next week. Though, I can say that the only reason it’s still alive is because she listened to me when I said to stop.” At my words, she sighed and nodded, a relieved smile appearing on her face moments after.

“It’s good that you told me the truth instead of trying to lie. League law mandates that I report anybody that lies about a Pokémon’s injuries in the event that the trainer is the root cause of them.” You nearly flinched at her words. A reminder that you nearly did lie and the realization of how much worse that would have been for you than this small admittance. If she saw my flinch though, she chose not to comment. Instead, she continued with her speech.

“Moreover, that your Deino stopped when you said is also good. I had figured it was a training accident given you’ve been preparing for The Boulder, but wasn’t sure if it required you returning her or her actually listening to you.” Contrary to the lashing I was sure I was going to get, this was actually going rather well. Though, this probably had to do with the fact that I didn’t lie, and things aren’t as bad they may appear. Rather, it was just my pride and fear that made things look a lot worse than they did for me in my head.

“My only real criticism is that control training wasn’t the first thing you did. But considering the species and your newbie status, that’s actually rather smart. Control training only works when the Pokémon has a reason to follow your own restraint after all.” That’s one of the reasons I was putting it off. I was sure I’d probably have to teach Rose control at some point. But the prospect of telling a dragon “no” when it doesn’t yet respect you is, in general, a very bad idea. This though…this vastly accelerated my timetable for her control training.

“Still, this leaves the question of what to do with the Salandit. It’ll heal, but what then? It’s technically your Pokémon after all. Release it, trade it, keep it?” While I was curious about her interest in the matter, the fact was that I had already made up my mind about what to do with the Salandit.

“I’ll be trading it.” I was interested in having a Salandit to be sure, but I wanted one that was fresh. An egg. Something that I could keep fed all throughout its life in the event “malnourishment” had some sort of timer. Did I feel bad for its condition? Yes, but I wasn’t going to catch and keep it because I felt pity. No, I wanted Pokémon that would be champions. And this Salandit, which I still don’t even know if it’s male, just doesn’t fit my high standards. Which left release or trade. The latter of which was the obvious solution since that meant I had the chance to get something I actually wanted.

Though, I could feel the judgment from Nurse Joy as I saw her eyes dim at the news. Despite that though, she didn’t voice her disagreement. She’d likely seen this exact scene several times now that I thought about it. Any righteous anger about using a Pokémon like that likely long gone. In its place sat a heavy disappointment, but one she was not willing to act on anymore, if she ever had. Still, she nodded all the same and handed over Rose’s Pokéball. Not Salandit’s though. Salandit would take a while longer considering the care required. With Rose in hand, I left to my room to give Rose the treat I promised earlier.

Fire Fang was a move Rose needed some practice in. Regardless of how little that practice time was. Dark Pulse, while exhausting, was now less so. And that meant that Fire Fang was next. Though I wasn’t that hopeful. While it was an egg move, it wasn’t as connected to her in the same way Dark Pulse was due to being the same type she was. It was well documented that Pokémon perform better with moves of their type than not after all.

Still, Rose needed an option in the event that the Swinub, or ice types in general, got too close. Sadly, gym equipment just couldn’t stand up to actual Pokémon attacks. Well, not the public use stuff anyway. No, one needed to have a fudge-ton of cash to even look at that kind of stuff. Cash I simply didn’t have. Hence why I was out in the fields like last time. I was hoping for something easy. Something couldn’t really protect itself all that well so I could measure how well Rose was doing.

And well, I certainly found it. Or at least, I hope I did. A Maractus simply dancing along to its one name, the telltale sound of maracas ringing out. It was a sound Rose certainly remembered. And given the way her muscles tensed, not very fondly. Though she’d never admit it because that would mean she had a grudge against it. Something she considered beneath her given how beneath her notice a Maractus should be.

Before the Maractus could see us, I gave the order. Before the Maractus realized something was wrong, Rose was already on it, her mouth filled with flame. I watched as the Maractus screamed, doing its best to escape but failing utterly.

The point of this, as I had explained to Rose, was to test two things. The first was how strong her Fire Fang was at its base and how long she could keep it going. Something I needed a baseline for if I wanted to help Rose improve.

Sadly though, the Maractus didn’t seem all that up for the task of helping. By the time its screams started to die down, Rose was still going strong. The Maractus was simply too weak to endure. I’d say that spoke well of its power, but it was a wild Maractus. It was never going to be all that strong. Seeing there was little point in continuing forward with Maractus as targets I called for Rose to stop.

Rose, however, found that she liked the feel of Maractus helpless between her teeth and so ignored the order. Something I didn’t much like but had prepared for all the same. Mostly because of the grudge Rose seemed to have towards the species. Still, this would not be pleasant for me later on. Though I had faith it would be too bad. Especially if I prepared some snacks available for Rose to think about instead beforehand.

With a click of a button, Rose was made into red light and absorbed back into her Pokéball. The Maractus was injured and unconscious, but nowhere near the state of near-death state, the Salandit was in. And with that being the case, I left to try and find a relatively safe spot to release Rose for some treats before I continued my training.

Which, sadly, did not bear much fruit. It seemed the Salandit was a fluke of some sort. Either that or I was just unlucky since all I found were Maractus. Weak, fragile Maractus. Needless to say, all I learned was that Fire Fang was good against Maractus, and not much more. Though I suppose Rose’s ability to keep using it to the point they fell unconscious without passing out herself from the continued use was something. I was hopeful it spoke well of her endurance with the move. Though again, without a proper test subject, I couldn’t really be sure.

As the issue with Salandit, and later Maractus, had proven, Rose needed to learn restraint. For now, simply returning her worked, but it would net a defeat in the gym battle since returning Rose would count as a forfeit. At least, I thought it did? Usually, there be free substitutions, but I didn’t think you could substitute a Pokémon with itself. Or at the very least, I’ve never heard of it happening. Of course, Boulder himself could return his Pokémon if Rose went too far, but that wouldn’t look good. Something I desperately wanted to do given the revelation I felt at his hands.

Though, it would also be the hardest part yet. For one, I didn’t really think there’d be a good way to even train this. Sure, I could bribe Rose, but that set a rather bleak tone for our relationship going forward. Mostly because she’d either connect “bad behavior” with “appeasement” which I did not want to do. But also because having to bribe her with treats to do anything would drain me dry. At least, at this point in my career. I could probably do that later when I had enough money. But still, it just seemed like a bad idea in general.

Which left me…I don’t actually know where it left me. I could try the stick, but I wasn’t too sure on that. I knew that I’d need to have Rose acknowledge me as the leader, something she was already doing, even if unconsciously. I also knew that I’d need some way to prevent Rose from attacking me after I use said stick. Something that wasn’t so easy when the main thing people used there, were either other Pokémon, or the trust that Pokémon had with a person. And Rose being my starter for less than a month meant I had neither. And even if I wanted to disregard that and do it myself, the knowledge that she could annihilate other Pokémon held me back. I’d only get snapped like a twig before getting eaten alive.

‘Maybe praise?’ All the advice I’d read said to use the favorite thing when training, but when that thing was treats, the aforementioned problems were raised. Praise though, despite not being her favorite, was something she liked since it appealed to her pride. As for the downside of her expecting it, she already did so that point was moot. Though even if it wasn’t, I also doubt I’d really have problems giving it unless she did something really bad.

“Rose?” Rose shifted on the bed to face me. I hadn't figured out how I wanted to train control yet, so we were still in our temporary room in the PokéCenter. Specifically, I was laying on the comfy bed and Rose had been cuddled to my side as she usually was while we were on the bed. Her relaxed demeanor tended, however, when she registered my tone.

It was thick and heavy with emotion and purpose and a need for her to understand. Quite different from the causal or joyful tone I usually tried to speak to her with. Still, it was needed. This was going to be a heavy conversation and she needed to understand the severity of the situation. She needed to understand that we couldn’t afford to make a mistake like savaging a trainer Pokémon. “You were inside your Pokéball when it happened, but I had a talk with the gym leader. He…made it pretty clear that we’re on thin ice. If I can’t prove to everyone that you’re the strongest, you’re going to be taken away from me.” Before I could get much further, Rose interrupted with an angry growl.

“Deino!” The protest brought a smile to my face. It meant that although we weren’t so close she was willing to throw away her pride for me, we had developed enough of a bond that she found the idea of separating distasteful. Likely because she had grown iced to the small and simply joys I gave her. Like her treats or neck scratches. Of course, it could also just be the implication that someone else could force her to do something. That probably stepped her pride badly enough to be distasteful to her. Still, I preferred to think it was the former.

“I know, I’m not the biggest fan of it either. Still, a lot of people want to see us fail. They hate the fact that you were given to me instead of someone else. Someone a lot more important and powerful, at least, for now.” Rose, of course, was still bluster and pride. Actively scoffing at the idea that she could ever fail at something. Though it was more forceful than the causal pride she usually displayed. One of the few indications I had that she was actually worried since I could see her eyes.

“Part of that Rose, is being able to battle other Pokémon and then letting them go afterward. Or at least, letting trainer Pokémon go. Wild…I’m willing to compromise if it means you listen, but you can’t eat trainer Pokémon Rose. You just can’t.” Rose looked away at that, clearly torn about the issue. Which was to be expected. Disappointing, but expected all the same.

Rose, at the end of the day, was a dragon. Not one of those “gentle” and “peaceful” dragons either, but full-on monsters that slaughtered entire villages and feasted on the corpses when they were fully evolved. Her species was brutal and hard to control on the level that they had to be raised from eggs as trying to tame one that had grown in the wild was almost always more difficult than it was worth. It was in her nature to be brutal and trying to simply let a fallen enemy live was a hard and foreign concept to her. One I desperately needed her to understand and abide by, but I had little illusions of what she thought of it.

“Do you understand Rose? Do you understand my problem? What I need you to do for me?” At my prompting, Rose remained silent and avoidant of my gaze. I was hoping this was her thinking it over instead of trying to avoid the issue. Because this was an issue that couldn’t be avoided. If we were going to work, I needed her to at least meet me here.

“Deino.” It was a small and begrudging sound. It was ugly and harsh and spoken with a bitter undertone. To me, however, it sounded like one of Primarina’s siren songs dressed in the guise of Milotic. Beautiful on a level I couldn’t really describe for the happiness it gave me. I knew we’d still have issues with control. Habits and instincts die hard after all. But for now, at least, she was willing to try and reign herself in. If only for trainer Pokémon.

The rest of the week was far less eventful than the heart-to-heart discussion we had at the start of it. For one, Rose was pretty antsy afterward and roaring for a battle to relieve some tension. We found, what we’ve been finding all of last week. Maractus. And when Rose when to savage, mouth ablaze with Fire Fang, instead of holding her back, I stood and watched. It was a grim moment for me. But just like with trading away the Salandit, one I was willing to endure if it meant another step in the path to greatness.

I hoped that with time I could curb even this, but that was later. For now, Rose was ready to try, but only for trainer Pokémon. And if wild Pokémon like these Maractus were the price for that…so be it.

It might have been exhaustion coming in from nearly a month of doing nothing but grind, but speed training wasn’t going that well. Not bad, certainly, but not great. Moreover, I wasn’t really sure what to do about it. I couldn’t really do much more than have Rose run laps, could I? It was definitely something to think about later. But for now, as I stared at the numbers I’d been writing down, I also had to face another unfortunate fact.

Speed might have been something of a mistake to try and train. Again, I wasn’t really an expert in how to help with this besides “run laps”. Equipment existed that could allow training like a treadmill, but that was too expensive and the public gym one was too slow for Rose. There was also the fact that, realistically, Rose wouldn’t see much progress in only a week. Training her to get faster was an effort that took time. Something her other training lacked as she could see immediate progress pretty quickly as they were skills she hadn’t been using constantly.

Still, I had said we would be training speed and so we’d train speed. It might take more time and a continuous effort, but that didn’t mean I should simply stop. That was the path to stagnation and complacency. And for the rest of the day, I sat and watched as Rose ran herself ragged. Occasionally, she’d take breaks where I’d give her the neck scratches she wanted and some treats if she did well enough, but in general, it was mostly a lap day.

In other words, it was boring and monotonous and I wished I wanted it to end. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if I could get in on the action. That was a bad idea for several reasons though. First, I needed to keep an accurate count of how many laps she did and the timing of those laps. Something I was liable to miss if I was running with her. Second, I needed to conserve energy in the event we stumbled into a Pokémon we couldn’t handle and run the heck out of there. Rose might have been faster, but she wasn’t yet big or wide enough to carry me so I’d be on my own.

And so, when it was finally over, I was in just as high spirits as Rose was, if for different reasons. Though that high immediately froze upon returning to our room. I had memorized the look of our room pretty well given how long we’ve been staying here. And yet, as I stood in the doorway, Rose stopped halfway through after sensing me stop, I couldn’t help but think something was off. It took a few moments, but as I scanned the room, frantically looking for the one thing wrong, it clicked. The egg was cracked.

For a moment, my mind conjured images of an escaped Larvesta or some kind of break-in. At least, before logic kicked in. The broken pieces of the egg were resting against the side of the glass in a roughly circular pattern. There were no melted holes to indicate that the Larvesta burned its way through. Clearly, the Incubator did its job and caught the Pokémon the moment it hatched and bonked its had against the Pokéball that had been resting on the topic of the egg. Almost immediately, I pulled out my Pokédex and looked through my list of Pokémon. Instead of the normal list of one, consisting of Rose, there was another Pokémon: Larvesta. Almost immediately, I felt a smile start to break across my face and an excitement started to fill me. With an almost manic energy, I took a look at what kind of Larvesta I was working with.

Larvesta

Bug/Fire

1.11m

Female

36.28kg

Flame Body

Ember

String Shot

Foresight

Morning Sun

Rose, who was still confused over why I stopped, let out a surprised noise as I started doing a little victory jig. Though as she wasn’t about to admit she didn’t know why, she also started to do her own little Deino dance. Though, after a few moments, I stopped, suddenly embarrassed as I realized the door to the room was still open. Face red, I quickly closed it. Rose meanwhile, had stopped her own dance after noticing me stop my own and proceeding settle into her usual spot on the bed.

Taking a breath to calm myself, I walked over to the Incubator and stared at the Pokéball resting at the top of it. The Pokéball that contained my Larvesta. A Larvesta that needed a name.

Naturally, while I had been busy training Rose, I had also been thinking on what to name Larvesta. As they were often regarded as sun deities, I had chosen to stick to the theme of “sun”. Things that would fit while keeping the feel of “god” to it. I also didn’t know whether she would be a boy or a girl and so settled on two names. Solaris for a boy and Solana for a girl.

Solaris was a simple combination: “Solar” for sun and “is” for the absolute. Sun is. Because that’s what my Volcarona would be. A Sun. As for Solana, that was another combination: “Sol” for Sun and “Ana” for Merciful after the mercy they showed in their greatest legend. Merciful Sun. Naturally, as the Pokédex had informed me that Larvesta was a girl, Solana was the name.

As for whether she’d accept the name, that was another benefit to raising a Pokémon from an egg: they tended to take the name at face value because it was also they knew at the time. And so it was, after a little under a month of waiting, I said hello to Solana.

Solana materialized as a red blob before the energy began to take shape. First, her round thorax thinned out behind her, along with an upward protrusion that was clearly her head. Next, were the five horns that sprouted from that. Next was color, which started to a brown body covered in white fur from the head to the upper chest. Her horns gained depth and a red flame-like gradient, signifying her status as a non-shiny Larvesta. Finally, her black prolegs and face, which contained her piercing blue eyes stare open and stare at me with more than a little curiosity. Eventually, though, something seemed to click.

“Larvesta!” She cried with a happy tune, a small bit of flame pumping out of them for a moment before she suddenly jumped straight at me.

It was at that moment that Rose, who’d growing ever more confused, went ramrod and made a similar jump. Not for me though, but straight for Solana with a mouth filled with flame. Thankfully, despite my awe at Solana’s unveiling, I had enough prescience of mind to realize that Rose would not react well to a surprise attack. Especially considering I hadn’t explained anything about the situation to her even remotely.

Which is why when Rose made the jump, instead of Solana being hit by a raging Deino, she got bombarded by a formless energy red that didn’t really do anything. A moment later, I felt Solana hit and staggered back from the sudden 80-pound tackle. Thankfully, it wasn’t a true Tackle, as her only attacking move was Ember, but still. Next, in clear defiance of the laws of gravity, instead of falling, she stuck to my front. Although that didn’t last for long as she soon made her way across my side to my back, with me having to bend and lean so I didn’t fall from the sudden t imbalance.

Eventually, though, she settled across my upper back and on top of my head. Though that wasn’t any better as my back and neck weren’t at all prepared for a sudden 80 pounds of added force. Before my neck and spine could snap from it all, I threw myself to the ground, hoping that the floor's support would save me where why muscles wouldn’t.

I landed on the ground with a thump, my life once again flashed before my eyes. I had…several thoughts. The first was a bitter irony that this would be how I die. Not to the deadly monster I call Rose, but to an over-enthusiastic hugger. Another irony I thought of was the fact of the baby finishing what her mother started almost a month ago. One final revenge for stealing her egg in a grim and morbid twist revealing I didn’t actually get away with it. Next was the name I gave her. "Merciful" Sun indeed. FInally, I also thought of Hinata, Professor Cherry, and Rose.

Poor Hinata who’d have to find out her brother died in the place she dreamed of working. Professor Cherry, who’d have to face the consequences of my mistakes while grieving my death. And finally Rose, who’d wake up confused and scared and angry all at once and at the mercy of whoever got thei hands on her. I didn’t know what hurt more. The sad, crying face of my precious sister. The harsh and bitter downfall of my-Professor Cherry-or the unknown fate of what would befall my precious Rose. Still, as I hit the floor, I closed my eyes and prayed to Arceus for mercy.

As the shock hit my body, I felt the pressure start to build. However, as the weight started to settle, it didn't snap. Instead, my neck and back were merely aching in pain from the weight of the suddenly very deadly Solana. I would be bruised after this, but I was live. Moreover, it wouldn’t be in a cast or in a wheelchair, but as I was earlier today. All in all…I survived.

“Larvesta.” Completely unaware of the events that nearly transpired, Solana started cuddling against my head as she muttered her name in joyful contentment. Thankfully, it wasn’t that strong yet so I didn’t have to worry about it popping my head like a balloon. Still, one day she would be and I’d have to worry about it then. I’d…have to spend a lot of time getting used to the enthusiastic Solana.

‘Well, there goes the rest of this week.’ Because as much as I wanted to focus on Deino’s training for our upcoming gym battle against Boulder, I now had more important things to do. Like getting Rose properly acquainted with Solana and making sure she knows Solana is firmly on the “do not murder list”. I also need to figure out a way to deal with Solana’s hugging. I had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last and it very nearly killed me. I couldn’t risk a second actually doing so.

The introductions went about as well as I could have hoped. Solana didn’t really know anything about Rose and hadn’t gotten her first introduction as me having to pull Rose off of her. Rose was…insecure? I wasn’t quite sure, but there was a definite forcefulness in her self-introduction that I usually only saw when she was trying to bluster or make excuses for failing. She'd also been asking for more neck scratches and cuddling deeper into my side whenever she got the chance.

Though given Rose has been my only Pokémon for a while, perhaps this was expected. Especially with the way Larvesta clung to me. I think it instilled some minor dealings of jealousy and perhaps even a small but of fear that her place had somehow been usurped. Something the rest of the week did little to help.

After all, Larvesta was a baby. An 80-pound enthusiast baby that liked to cling to me. Something that required a not so little amount of attention to problem solve. The first was getting Larvesta to cling to a specific place on my body. Specifically, my entire back instead of just the upper back and neck. From there, I simply carried my backpack from my front and things were…sort of counterbalanced. It wasn’t a perfect solution, and I’d likely have to think of something better soon, but it worked for now.

The second was less complicated but more involved. She required a bit more attention and care than she otherwise would. She’s still learning about the world and what she can and cannot do. At least, from a trainer standpoint. Though thankfully, her timid nature kept most of that curiosity limited to when we were in private instead of jumping other people. Something I forced myself not to think about because that was just a rabbit hole of sadness and misery.

Still, all things considered, I thought it went well. Rose knows and accepts that Solana isn’t on the menu and Solana no longer shyly hinds behind me when Rose is around. Moreover, because of the earlier incident and my uncertainty in her self-control, I returned her at nights. Something that seemed to help smooth over Rose’s small fit of jealousy rather well since I didn’t do the same for her. All in all, by the end of the week, my month was over and it was finally time to challenge the gym. It was finally time to Break The Boulder.

As I approached the gym doors, I was again struck with the sense of awe at the power required. I still wasn’t quite sure what to think of the man. On the one hand, he had a hype that seemed positively infectious. On the other, I couldn’t stop hearing that mocking laughter he gave me as I left. It left me very conflicted on how I felt about the man and I was hoping this battle would decide it once and for all. And if not, well, at least I wouldn’t have to think about him anytime soon.

With a calming breath, I steeled my nerves and pushed open the gym doors. The Boulder was there waiting, a seemingly ever-present and energetic smile on his face. The stands, in stark contrast to how they were when he faced Nightmare, were positively packed. It was clear that this match had been long anticipated and was meant to be highly public. My success, or failure, would not go unnoticed.

I stepped onto the circular field, the yellow sand not even crunching due to whatever Pokémon was making it act as a solid. The lights, the people, the gym leader. It all seemed so much different when I was the challenger. Rose’s Pokéball was also different, but in a way I recognized. It had that same weight when I first grabbed it from Professor Cherry. Just like I did then, I stared at my reflection in the ball.

There was a fire in my eyes. One that burned so brightly it felt as if they were actually blazing. My mouth was a grim line. It felt so different from the Beautifly I felt coursing through me or the large brilliant smile I had when I was dreaming of this day. Perhaps because this didn’t feel like a game or contest, but a test. One that was either win or fail and couldn’t afford to lose. I looked determined.

As I tore my gaze away, I focused on the match before me. Something the referee took as a sign to start the battle.

“This will be a two-on-two battle between the Gym Leader, The Boulder of Palm Pastures, and the Challenger, Tobias Blackwell. As per standard Lesser League rules, the Challenger is allowed three substitutions. Do both sides understand?” I called out an affirmative with Boulder giving a booming laugh as his own. The referee nodded and spoke once more.

“Then let the battle commence!” And with that, we threw out our Pokémon. The Boulder, his Barboach, which settled into the friend with a flip before it made itself a little pond. I, of course, threw out Rose, who I had prepped beforehand. In response to the awe at her beauty, she gave out a monstrous roar. The battle had officially begun.