12:06 P.M. June 14, Monday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event)

Events: The start of the 2nd week in the Joint Kanto and Johto Indigo Summer League Preliminaries. 1st of the 2 Days of Rest after the previous week’s battles.

Rhea called Sam while Lyra had the driver take Casey and her group back to their hotel to pick up their gear. They disappeared inside as the Former Champion answered a phone call from Hilbert; the conversation turned into a strange strategy discussion about Haxorus and Move combinations that Rhea had a hard time following. Lyra seemed to be going over some of Hilbert’s concerns about the Pokemon.

On the way back to Amira’s house, the girls chatted amongst themselves while Lyra spoke to Hilbert over the phone. The teens’ discussions revolved around their Pokemon for the most part but turned to which Type they might find around the Viridian Forest hills that would best fit their team, and which region might have the most representation.

Casey and Inoa thought Alola might come out on top after the war since Kanto had received quite a few Trainers from those areas over the last several years, causing the occasional non-regional Pokemon to breed in the wild. On the other hand, Ellie noted that to an extent the same could be said about Galar and Unova.

Rhea noticed a small smile on Lyra’s cheeks as she absently watched them, keeping track of the conversations while going over complex strategies, environmental differences, and Pokemon choice against Iris’s Dragon Pokemon with Hilbert.

The exchange with Sam was a bit shorter than Rhea expected; when the brown-haired girl answered, the group was already on the road to Viridian.

“Hey, Rhea!” Sam’s tone was a lot more relaxed and confident compared to the struggling undertone she had during their first day of hiking. “We should be in Viridian by tonight. I think we’re making pretty good time!”

Rhea watched a group of Skull members mingling with the Viridian crowds while talking; she could tell the atmosphere of the city was a lot less casual workday and tenser by the expressions on the citizens’ faces. “Oh, nice! Umm, so … what would you say if we came and picked you guys up … you know, for a bit of a training day?”

“A training day? Uh … let me put you on speaker with everyone.” Sam mumbled.

Hannah’s voice was a little distant. “What’s up?”

Gathering her words, Rhea sat back. “Umm, yeah, so … have you heard about the Skull stuff?” She asked, fiddling with the hem of her dress’s bottom-tier and adjusting the phone against her ear. Her gaze shifted to the bag holding her previous clothes by her side, wondering if she should change for the event.

“No?” Sam questioned, probably staring at her friends. “I mean, we saw two groups of people wearing their merch coming into Xanadu when we were heading out, but other than that, we haven’t checked out the News. Right?”

Rhea barely caught Hannah’s low hum with how far away she was from the mouthpiece. “Yeah … uh, I haven’t heard anything. Something bad happening?”

“Skull … that’s the Alolan gang. Right?” Jade asked.

“They’re primarily in Alola, yeah,” Hannah answered. “I mean, I’ve seen a few gang members in Pallet, though.”

“Wait, really?” Sam commented. “I didn’t know about that.”

Hannah’s voice died down a bit. “Well, they may just be teens that like the brand.”

“Huh,” Jade paused. “Uh … so, what’s up with them Rhea?”

“Okay, well … there’s some stuff going on in Viridian with Skull, and Lyra wanted to know if you … umm, well, we … including you, gah,” she giggled. “Umm, yeah, she just wants to know if we are interested in this good Wild Pokemon spot she found. Not that I’ll be catching any Pokemon since, you know, my mom has her thing, but the others are thinking about it.”

Why am I so awkward?!

Taking a deep breath, she tried to speed through the rest. “She said you can catch pretty strong exotic Pokemon at our level there … so, yeah.”

“Hmm … wait. Lyra, as in, Champion Lyra?” Jade asked, tone spiking a bit.

“Mhm.”

“Oh, uh … mmh,” Jade trailed off, causing an uncomfortable silence as the three girls likely gave each other looks. “Uh, you say at our level, but … are you sure we can handle it?” Jade finally asked with a forced laugh. “I mean, you know we’re not … ya know.”

“Umm, well, we’re all splitting off into groups,” Rhea encouraged. “I was thinking, uh…” She swiftly listed off random pairings. “Let’s see, me and Sam could go together, Hannah and Amira, Casey and Lori are kind of doing a sister thing, and Casey’s teammates wanted to hang out with Jade!”

Jade chuckled. “The third wheel in the trio, huh?”

“No, well … I mean…”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Jade laughed. “Uh, I mean, yeah, it sounds like a good opportunity … what do you two think?”

“Me, with Amira?” Hannah asked, and if Rhea didn’t know better, she’d say the girl’s tone rose a bit with a nervous pitch; she’d noticed the girl seemed to admire the redhead, which might be because they had similar features, but she quickly dismissed the thought.

Rhea glanced over at Amira; she appeared fairly distracted by the Skull members invading her city, glaring out of the tinted window at each one she spotted. “Yeah. Is that okay?”

“Oh, no, no, of course, yeah!” Hannah quickly replied. “Umm, I’m game. You two?”

“Sure…” Sam reluctantly replied before releasing a short sigh. “I’m just a little worried about bonding to a second Pokemon. I mean, not that I don’t want to … we’ve only been bonded for a few days to our first, though, and we got pretty sick…”

Rhea mentally kicked herself.

Why didn’t I think of that!

“I … did I put you three on the spot?” She asked with a sad whisper, feeling like a social failure. “I’m sorry … I didn’t want to make you feel pushed. I just…”

Her mind blanked; she didn’t know if she should say she was worried about their safety or not, and after a quick reflection, didn’t the danger more correspond to their family connections, or at least, that’s what Lyra had indicated.

Sam swiftly dispelled the awkward silence. “It’s not that, Rhea! Heh, no, we, umm … we’re just a little surprised. I mean, so basically, we don’t have to catch anything, but there’s that option. Right?”

“Yeah!” Jade returned with a happy tone. “We have been talking about trying to push ourselves more, and our Pokemon want to, too. Who knows, we might even find our second Pokemon. We won’t know unless we go.”

Hannah agreed, and Sam jumped back in. “Oh, so, when are you going to pick us up; should we keep walking or head to the road?”

Rhea’s gaze shifted to Lyra as she repeated the question, knowing her friends were trying to cover for her awful social skills.

The brown-haired woman gave her a thoughtful look, dropping the phone to her collar bone for a moment to whisper. “Hmm … within the hour; it’s fine if they stay put.”

She didn’t know exactly how the Legend would accomplish that but didn’t doubt the response. Relaying the message, the girls accepted the invitation and hung up to prepare.

Lyra continued the strategy workshop with Hilbert on their journey; judging by the discussion Rhea could understand, they were talking about Hilbert’s Pokemon positioning and Move countering.

It took them forty minutes after her call with the girls for Casey’s group to get their packs and make it back to Lyra’s house; the Former Champions ended their call shortly before they arriving.

Rhea, Amira, and Lori gathered their own items together, their Pokemon helping to make their beds, and met everyone inside the front room.

Lyra gestured to a bunch of random goods on the table she’d set out for them. “Okay, these are some random stuff I’ve kept around for a while that’s just gathering dust, so don’t worry about taking them. Eh, heh, Super Potions are just not helpful for my Pokemon,” she giggled.

“And I know some of it is old,” she hummed while studying a small bottle with a bit of dust on it, “but it all should still work! We got Potions, Full Heals, and Great Balls. I’ve divided them up between you all, so everyone should get an equal amount.”

“What about Hilbert?” Rhea asked, setting her pack in front of her as she settled on the couch; Nova jumped up to join her.

“Ah, he’s preparing himself,” Lyra said, checking her purse for something. “He wants me to give him a bit of advice to have a better chance at beating that Iris girl. Apparently, Ethan’s preoccupied, so I’m the next best option nearby,” she mused, seemingly satisfied with whatever was inside her small white bag before turning back to the supplies on the table.

“One Pidgey for two Geodude … you know, that’s such a strange saying,” she hummed to herself, pigtails bobbing a little with a rueful shake of her head. “How does that even work … Steel Wing, if its parent was a Skarmory or Fletchling? No, nevermind!” She smiled, taking out one of her Pokemon from her handbag.

Rhea had to agree. She’d heard people say it before, but had no clue where it came from; the meaning was fairly universally known, though.

Amira sighed upon seeing it. “Are we really doing that, Mom?”

Everyone’s focus bounced between the two as Lyra released her large Porygon-Z; the oddly shaped Pokemon released a cheery noise, breaking into parts to spin like a top, and all of their Pokemon stood straighter upon seeing it.

Rhea centered on its ovoid head, sensing the aura of control inside the Champion-tier Pokemon; to her, it seemed the woman’s Porygon was between Franky, at his strongest, and Lila, her aunt’s Spiritomb, in terms of raw power, but it was far superior in control than both ghosts.

“Yup!” Lyra brightly replied, motioning for them to stand. “Aww, if only I could travel like this all the time like in the old days,” she lamented. “Sadly, there’s so many new rules … I’ve gotten in trouble a few times inside the city,” she commented with a frown, “and it’s not hard to trace back to me…”

Still utterly confused about the exchange, everyone held their silence.

Lyra gave a short start. “Oh, but no worries; it’s perfectly acceptable inside Mintale Town!”

Before any of them could inquire further, an odd sensation filled Rhea’s stomach as a bright rainbow light gathered around everybody present. Rhea blinked, and they were suddenly on a dirt road.

Did … we just teleport?

A few nearby hikers paused to ogle their magical appearance. However, moments later, a light pink glow surrounded the entire party, and their packs lifted with them into the air.

“Woah!” Casey mumbled, instinctively trying to adjust her balance by waving her hands a little with everyone else with the fear of falling. Only Lyra and Amira didn’t seem affected by the sudden shift in gravity or change in scenery.

“Okay,” Lyra chimed as they flew into the sky at an accelerated pace; Rhea was shocked how audible her voice was as her Pokemon’s psychic powers gave them a perfectly temperate environment while propelling them at a rocketing speed. “They should probably be near the beginning of the trail. Right, Rhea?”

“Umm, yeah…” Rhea’s throat was a bit hoarse; all of their dresses were being kept in a modest position, which was welcome.

She’d flown with Vilora before, although her father’s Butterfree wasn’t nearly as controlled or swift with its Moves. It felt like the Porygon-Z could fire Moves off without building energy at all, and entirely negated gravity, which was astonishing for even her.

“Alright, keep an eye out for your girlfriends,” Lyra prompted, casually studying the beautiful hilly landscape.

A few of the girls whispered to one another about certain sights as Rhea scanned the road; they were zipping along the trail so fast that it was difficult to make out the stunned faces they passed, but she found them after a minute of travel.

Rhea opened her mouth to stop them, but they’d far outstripped the position, arriving back at the Nursery before she could fully explain; they were like bullets, zig-zagging along the path. However, upon mentioning roughly how far back it was, they were simply teleported to the location. Rhea had no clue how the Pokemon was so precise with its teleportation, but she could say the same about her father and aunt.

Lori was the first to speak as they appeared beside a slack-jawed Sam, Hannah, and Jade. “That … was awesome; yo, Cass, we need to get a psychic Pokemon!”

“It would make things easier,” Casey mused. “Hmm … we’ll have to look into it. You think there will be one we can catch?”

“Who knows, maybe,” Lori returned, rushing up with Lyra to greet Rhea’s friends. “Yo, what’s up?”

Lyra was right beside Lori, hugging the three confused girls without a care in the world while Rhea brought up the rear, still collecting herself. The others drew together to talk about the rare experience.

“Hey! I’m Lyra, Amira’s mom. So, you girls are friends of Rhea? Oh, you’re all so pretty!”

“Uh … y-yeah,” Hannah stammered, catching sight of Amira’s embarrassed smile and wave. “Oh, umm, really? Hey, Amira … I, uh, I’m looking forward to, ya know…”

Amira put on her glasses and returned the gesture with a forced grin. “Yeah, we’ll have to see what Pokemon are around … sorry about my mom.”

Lyra seemed selectively deaf to her daughter’s comment, continuing to talk to Jade about how beautiful her blue hair was.

“No, it’s fine! I was just … surprised,” Hannah mumbled, glancing back at the Former Champion.

Rhea met up with Sam after Lyra released her, moving on to Jade; the brown-haired girl seemed to have entered a whirlwind. “Heh … hey, Sam.”

She caught Nova still glancing around, an exhilarated rush passing through their shared link; the event had really gotten her excited. It wasn’t just her, all of the Pokemon surrounded the Porygon-Z.

Sam’s gaze moved from her Pokemon to Rhea. “Hey, uh … Nova’s out now? She’s … just as pretty as I remember. Heh, umm, yeah, you just kind of took me by surprise. Eh,” she scratched her temple while turning back to Lyra. “Uh, this isn’t like … a normal day thing for you?”

Rhea quickly shook her head, ponytail bobbing left and right. “Absolutely not! Psychic flying was actually pretty rare back home … it’s really difficult, actually, and takes a Pokemon a lot of control,” she mumbled.

She trailed off as Lyra finished with Jade and ushered them to the side of the trail, but after seeing the small crowd they were gathering, the Porygon took them over the forest and into the sky again.

Once no one could interrupt or listen in, Lyra chimed, “Okay! Now that we’re together, let’s get some things straight.”

They were kind of at the mercy of the woman’s Pokemon, so everyone was all ears while floating over a hundred meters above the forest. Things had somewhat changed from the first experience, they now had a degree of movement, standing on an invisible psychic platform within a bubble the Porygon made, and Lyra motioned them to sit down on thin air. None of them dared try until Lyra demonstrated.

Rhea’s focus moved from their hovering packs to the brightening hilly environment around them as the group settled in for whatever the woman had planned.

The sun was rising into the heavens at a steady pace and several dozen flying Pokemon could be seen from their vantage point; a few had Trainers on them. Only a certain degree of heat was allowed past the psychic barrier encompassing their party, and the very soft breeze that was permitted to filter through was pleasant on her skin.

She’d been surrounded by Master-tier and Grandmaster Trainers all of her life, but rarely seen anything close to the casual levels of control and power Lyra demonstrated within the past few minutes. Her aunt was an exception, but the Active Champion rarely managed to make it south a couple of times a year to see her.

The Porygon was carrying several heavy packs, allowing ten people and their Pokemon the freedom of movement in mid-air, tempering the elements, and suppressing its strength to not harm Sam’s group, all at the same time while making it look easy.

Lyra gave them a sweet smile, adjusting her own dress front. “I just wanted to have a little chat with you all while I had you! Oh … watching you just reminds me of my own Bronze Journey with Ethan, Silver, and Kris,” she cooed.

Her gaze fell on Rhea with a wink. “Why don’t I give a little pep talk before you all dive headfirst into this training? I’d like to set some things straight.”

Amira folded her arms with a soft sigh, eyeing her mother behind rosy sunglasses, and everyone else soon put on their own. “What’s on your mind, Mom?”

Rhea was enjoying this side of her teammate; Amira had really shown more of her personality since arriving at Viridian. She loved her family, but as she said in the past, felt they were a bit smothering.

“I’m glad you asked!” Lyra gestured at each girl. “Silver and I stayed up for a bit after you all went to bed last night, reflecting … you know, old people stuff,” she giggled. “And do you know what I discovered?”

Rhea silently shook her head with a few others.

“Well … we always had each other,” her smile softened as she looked down at the valley. “Every Champion and Legendary Trainer … every Master, for that matter, has always had their rival to keep them on their toes … pushing for something greater. We all had our goals, sure, but it was that bond that really kept us up when things were looking down … and they will.”

Her brown eyes casually moved between targets. “I came from a country-side ranch, south of Goldenrod City on Route 34 … oh, around … that general direction,” she pointed with a saddening smile.

Rhea caught Amira rolling her eyes, but the girls grew more focused as her mother continued on.

“I was a country bumpkin-girl … a Greenfield’s girl, and the daughter of some local Breeders, working on a ranch. I was the girl everyone thought was too hyper and annoying to be around. Can you believe it?”

She paused, eyeing her Porygon-Z. “My parents never made it past Bronze-tier … I’m sure some of you know what that can be like, but that didn’t make them any less great to me. Heh, this awesome little girl was a nobody,” she mumbled.

A bitter look crossed her gaze. “No … I was lonely,” she whispered, smile falling while staring down at the hills. “... I’m sure some of you feel that way sometimes. You know … there was one thing Silver told me that really helped build me up to who I am today. Hehe, he didn’t even think it was that big of a deal, but … to me it was.”

Rhea’s chest burned a little as she reflected on her own lonely life; she hadn’t expected the insanely powerful Trainer to open up to them like this.

Sometimes her family would be away for weeks on missions or important business. She had Jason, and her brother was a big help during her younger years. However, when she was fourteen, he went off on his own journey, leaving her alone many days. It was a big blow to her, and her father’s Pokemon would be around most of the time, but it wasn’t the same.

Lyra took a deep breath, fanning her face. “Wow, umm … yeah, but I just want you all to know that it doesn’t matter how strong you are … it really doesn’t. Being a powerful Trainer won’t make you happy in the end … not if you don’t have someone to share it with, which is why rivals and friends are so important!”

Her gaze shifted between them as she spoke. “You have sisters, friends, and some of you might not have even known each other existed an hour ago, but I know each of you can do whatever you set your minds to.

“Don’t worry if your family isn’t famous and don’t ever think you can’t do something! Okay? It’s not like everything will be easy, and everyone is on their own journey, but it’s the bonds along the way that will make your brightest days, and keep you grounded through your darkest hour.”

She let the statement hang with a fond expression, and after a deep breath, she pointed toward the towering figure of a mountain, far in the distance; the snowy peaks surrounding the region’s crown jewel rose like a knife into the dark clouds that usually hung above it.

“We’re going to the northeastern edge of one of the most difficult places in Johto and Kanto. There’s a hidden pocket on the border of Mt. Silver’s Sierra and Southeastern Viridian Forest, where Pokemon from many regions have been pushed over the years, squeezed together by the Kanto Wild Pokemon.

“There are a few low Silver-tier around the outer edges, but I’m sure you can handle it together! As I said,” her gaze lingered on Rhea, “it doesn’t matter how strong you are by yourself, nor your family genetics; if you find a good person to connect to as a rival, then you can become a Master Trainer, no matter your lineage, I guarantee it as living proof. Now … are you girls ready?”

Rhea was a little surprised to see Sam, Hannah, and Jade give a determined nod. The other girls offered confident responses, and Lyra’s eyes beamed with pride.

“Oh, I’m so looking forward to watching you!” Lyra squealed, digging around in her purse to hand Sam, Hannah, and Jade their Great Balls and healing items. “Hilbert and I will keep an eye out, but don’t let that make you feel safe,” she warned with a small smirk. “This is meant to be tough! We won’t swoop in unless we absolutely have to. Now, good luck!”

Rhea blinked and her stomach tightened with the rapid teleportation; her environment changed. She was now in the middle of the woods with Sam, Hector, and Nova by her side. No one else was with them.

“Woah … she’s so cool,” Sam mumbled with a grin, spinning around in a circle, and released a soft curse after letting her Great Ball slip through her fingers. “So … Muk. Uh … are we at the spot?”

* * *

Hector, Sam’s Pineco, spun in a slow circle with his Trainer, examining the space they’d been transported to; he was more than a little overwhelmed by the whole encounter. He’d never imagined Pokemon could be so powerful.

He felt a bit nervous upon seeing the gorgeous white and black Eevee beside Rhea; she was smaller the last time he’d seen her through Sam’s eyes, but now the fluffy Pokemon was fully grown, and even more dazzling. Amber was just intimidating, and Mya looked ten times scarier; their attractive appearances only heightened the sensation that bubbled up within him.

Why do these Trainers all have such attractive and strong Pokemon?! How can I make Sam look good … no, I can’t embarrass her.

He almost wanted to return to his pokeball to hide, but steeled his nerves, and tried to put on a cheery face. “Uh … hi, I’m Hector,” he offered, trying not to sound weird.

Nova’s light pink irises scanned the forest, sniffing the air for danger, and Hector chastised himself for not doing the same, quickly turning his focus away from the spotlight before him to mirror the Eevee.

“Hello,” Nova chirped, still eyeing all the Pokemon hiding in the brush or in the trees. “I’m Nova. I saw what you guys did; it was pretty brave, taking on all those Pokemon by yourselves. Mya was impressed.”

Hector almost backed into his Trainer’s leg when the girl smiled at him. “T-Thanks, umm … so, I’m kind of slow…”

Nova darted to the right with a shining smile as Rhea pointed toward a clearing, barely visible to him through the woods at his height. “C’mon! Let’s see what’s…”

“Aye!”

Hector glanced left, toward the loud shout; a few gray Bird-Type Pokemon were squaring off against hovering yellow bugs.

“You got three trees over here; this is ours!” The birds squawked.

The insects didn’t seem to be having it, threateningly moving around the upper branches. “We need more room, and this tree’s bigger!”

“Nice neighborhood,” Hector mumbled, following after the Eevee.

Nova slowly came to a stop to give the posturing Pokemon a hard look. “Hmm … what’s a neighborhood, and how is this nice?” She gazed around the clearly hostile forest, pausing on several different types of Pokemon that were glaring at them from branches or bushes. “What’s nice about it?”

He gave an internal sigh while following after Rhea and Sam, striving to think of an answer to give her; it was easy to forget that Nova was still a newborn. She had a pretty good grasp of human interactions, but that was easier since she was probably bonded since birth. Still, the power he sensed within her a moment ago was something else, and it was so sporadic; she radiated it and then suppressed it, seemingly without even being aware.

“Eh … it just means we’re…”

“Hey, Hector, why are they so mad about where they put their nuts and berries?”

Hector trailed off as Nova asked another question, utterly baffled by the horde of black Rattata and absurdly poofy Meowth that looked engaged in a territorial scuffle. In fact, the variety of Pokemon around them appeared so preoccupied with each other that they weren’t even paying their Trainers any attention.

Rhea and Sam were mumbling about how many diverse regional Pokemon were within the area while ducking under some low hanging branches.

“Umm, Wild Pokemon are pretty territorial.”

“... But why?” Nova mumbled, watching the fluffy Meowths with jagged teeth pounce on the Rattata gang. “It’s just a hole in a tree,” she mumbled as they hissed, clawed, and bit each other, dark and white energy flying around in a whirlwind.

Sam ushered them away from the scuffle, and they made their way toward the meadow.

“It’s about protecting their food supply and resting place.”

“Hmm … just bond with a human; Rhea feeds me,” Nova huffed.

Hector didn’t know how to response; she certainly had the mindstate of a Pokemon born in human society. He had to forage for food and defend his own piece of land for the last several months until Sam and her parents found him.

He glanced up at his Trainer as she had an awkward conversation with Rhea about what kind of Pokemon would best pair up with him; she really admired Rhea, which was only natural to Hector. Rhea had to have incredible energy reserves to allow Mya to use so many Moves, and he wanted to do better, too.

At the same time, he felt like there was something he was missing; Sam was inspired by Rhea and haunted by her at the same time. It was probably a humans thing he wasn’t accustomed to yet.

After they traveled to the edge of the meadow, the Wild Pokemon started to thin out, and the forest grew more peaceful. Nova appeared to be absolutely enthralled by the plethora of new scents, sights, and sensations that tickled her senses, rubbing up against wood, nuzzling flowers, and watching the various Pokemon gather to whisper about them.

Nova could probably hear what they were saying with her big fluffy ears, but Hector’s range was limited to a short distance. The alluring Eevee looked to be rather pleased with the conversations, continuing to experiment with her surroundings.

He hovered a bit into the sky to get a better view; he could only hold himself up a small degree with his energy before falling back down to the earth to bounce into the air again, and it didn’t function all if he met resistance, but it helped with movement.

Hector noticed Sam staring at Rhea’s strange phone device to study some kind of map. He felt kind of bad for leaving the perimeter defense to Nova since she was so young, but without a doubt, she could punt him out of the sky in terms of strength, and her sensory abilities were far superior.

So, with little to do but ponder the Eevee’s innocent questions and Sam’s buried internal feelings, he watched his brown-eyed and haired Trainer.

Since meeting her a few days ago, he’d learned a few things about the girl; of course, he wanted to test the humans to see if it would be worth leaving his little piece of paradise in Pallet Forest. He’d worked hard to staked out a small little area to himself, and Sam’s parents quickly showed him that she came from good stock. Much like many of the Pokemon he’d met, breeding really was important to keeping a territory through generations.

From what he understood, Sam’s parents came from a decent background, something humans called Silver-tier, but she hadn’t let her friends know about their accomplishments. He’d kept his mouth shut about it, but it didn’t sit right with him. Her grandparents had even made it to the Silver Indigo League, and the few battles he’d seen from Sam’s phone were intense compared to what he was used to in the wild.

However, her grandparents failed to qualify for Gold-tier three times, being booted out of the preliminaries, and eventually gave up on their last attempt. It wasn’t something to be embarrassed about, considering the clips he’d seen blew any match he’d seen out of the water, including Mya’s performance. Although, the pure domination the stunning Mawile showed made his heart pound.

The thing he didn’t understand was Sam’s buried feelings; she wouldn’t show them to her friends. His Trainer felt like there was something wrong with her after becoming sick from bonding with him. Hector heard about this human science stuff, but didn’t quite understand why it made Sam depressed.

Sure, the only battle they’d won so far had been against Wild Pokemon, but the battles against Trainers were close; he was experiencing a much bigger world than the little plot of land he’d been born to. The competition was far more fierce than he dreamed; it really was exciting.

Zelri, Lyra’s Porygon-Z, was the most godly Pokemon he’d ever seen. Not only the power, but the control was something he never even considered possible. Nova was a Pokemon that could reach those heights, he was sure, and he wanted to try, but the emotions hiding inside Sam’s heart kept troubling him when he thought about reaching higher.

He didn’t think she was a disappointment, not at all, and Sam had enough internal power to draw out his own strength. To him, they were a good match, but she doubted herself.

Hannah was a bit shy about opening up, yet she had pushed forward with Jade to try and keep up with Rhea’s group; Sam put on a face to not look vulnerable. The happy mask she used for others was like his Protect Move; he just didn’t understand why she had to use it against people that were supposed to be her support, like his family.

Hector moved his gaze to scan the large field the two girls were gazing over, pointing at several groups of various Pokemon; they appeared to be speaking more naturally to one another after the excitement settled down. Of course, he couldn’t talk; he’d always had trouble chatting to pretty Pokemon. Sam called him Bashful sometimes, but in an endearing way.

Nova seemed too absorbed with cleaning her immaculate white and black fur to even notice him at this point, focus darting between several Bird-Type Pokemon from various regions to follow their conversation, high in the trees.

He released a short internal sigh. This wasn’t how he’d hoped to spend his time with the powerful group his Trainer looked up to; he was all but invisible to the curious Eevee in a place teeming with new discoveries, yet Sam’s heavy heart kept pulling him back to stare at her.

How can I help you?

“Hmm? No, no, we’re doing fine, Hector!” Sam encouraged, probably not really understanding his concern, and sure enough… “All the Pokemon around here are too busy with each other to pay passing Trainers any mind.”

No … why do you feel like you’re weak … I don’t think you’re weak.

“Oh! Is Nova kind of intimidating?” She asked, vision swiftly shifting to the Eevee with a short frown. “She’s being nice, right?”

Sam … no, not Nova … I mean, yeah, she’s great, I mean, intimidating, and beautiful, sure, but I’m worried about you!

“Hehe, a bit conflicted? Yeah, I get that. She’s really something.”

Nevermind…

He hovered away a little, and Sam completely misunderstood his frustration, giggling about how the two of them just needed some time together.

Hector’s mind returned to the day he’d met Sam; she should have returned home, but instead, she chose to hide out in the Pokemon Center. She explained why; Veronica, the next-door neighbor, was looking for teammates, and Sam’s sister wanted them to pair up.

Jade offering Sam the chance to join a team before Veronica could ask was like morning dew on his Trainer’s tongue; they wouldn’t judge her for being sick, unlike her haughty next-door neighbor. Sam’s sister didn’t even believe Sam was sick since their family had never experienced it before, which only made Sam bottle up her emotions more.

There were so many new things he was learning about humans; they were far more complicated than he first thought. The biggest emotional shock Hector ever felt in his life was when Rhea offered to be her friend, and the pulse came from Sam, not his own emotions. The second was when Sam discovered Rhea’s family tree. A close third was watching Rhea’s battle on TV, but that was shared; Sam’s muscles were as hard as steel while playing the match over several times. She kept asking him why Rhea wanted to be friends with them. It’s not like he had answers, though.

Apparently, Trainers with Master family members were very rare, and even knowing someone that had a distant relative that was a Master Trainer meant a lot to humans. He was beginning to understand the sentiment with Rhea’s Pokemon, but Lyra’s Porygon-Z was all but ethereal to him, untouchable, and evidently, that wasn’t even the power cap.

However, Lyra’s words had sparked a bit of hope inside Sam, yet seeing so many different types of Pokemon was starting to allow the dread to return. His Trainer was terrified of getting sick again if she bonded to another Pokemon.

Sam… He turned around again as the pair started to drink water. I think you’re strong enough. I believe in you! I just need to find another Pokemon that will believe in you, too!

Sam blinked, and gave him a smile, showing her slightly crooked teeth. “Oh, here, Hector!” She dumped a little of her water over his head.

Not my point … but thank you. He mumbled, absorbing the liquid.

Nova cheered as Rhea got down to pour a bit of her own water out for the Eevee to drink.

Pokemon could go days without food, but whenever they did eat or drink it redoubled their healthy status. Although, it didn’t have an effect on their internal energy unless they were at unhealthy levels, which required a week without any nourishment, and many Pokemon gained their nutriments from different methods.

Hector ate by absorbing liquid since he didn’t have a mouth; some of his family members would even explode their energy in the faces of Pokemon that disturbed them. It drained their whole defensive and offensive energy but was fairly effective when you had eight Pineco on the tree to defend the spot. Most Pokemon learned quickly not to disturb them, especially after a rainstorm when disrupting a Pineco’s mealtime.

He was happily waiting to gain the ability to explode; it should be available soon.

Rhea put away her water bottle and put her backpack on, pointing at the field again. “Think we should set up camp in the field? I think this is a good area to settle down and look for your Pokemon, and if any want to challenge us, then it’s a decent open area.”

Sam threw on her own pack with a grunt, hopping a little to the side while balancing herself. “Sure! Umm … do you really think I can handle another one?” She asked with a forced smile, but her insides were squirming.

“Yeah!” Rhea replied.

Hector roared his approval as loudly as possible through his private bond with Sam.

You can do it; Rhea thinks so, too!

Sam gave him a short chuckle. “Thanks, Rhea, Hector … I’m just a little nervous. I mean, there are so many competitive Pokemon here, and Lyra said they were above average.”

Nova sat down beside him with a short huff, making Hector very slowly hover away. “Meh, they don’t seem all that tough compared to Alaric.”

“Alaric?” Hector asked.

“Mmh…” Nova lifted up her front paw to frown at the bits of dirt that collected on it and began cleaning herself. “Just this Glameow I beat the other day.”

Hector had no idea what a Glameow was, but apparently, Nova had been through her own battles since they’d last met. “He was pretty strong?”

“I mean … I guess,” Nova mumbled, pink eyes wandering to the left; it was the first time he’d seen the gorgeous Eevee sound a bit embarrassed. “I was a bit surprised … at first. He did this Fake Out Move that I need to look out for; Rhea said she’ll try to warn me sooner next time.

“... Oh, there was this really long fire Pokemon,” she pivoted to another topic, focus returning to him with a charming smile. “He had this funny way of talking, and he rolled up into a ball!”

“Oh, wow. You’ve been in a lot of battles?”

“Umm … like three … two more than Mya, and I’ve won all of them. Everyone claps, but I don’t like it when Pokemon spray mud at me.”

Her face suddenly twisted with horror as she caught sight of the Pokemon across the field. “What are they doing?! Hector, do you remember when you were traveling with us?” She asked, getting on all fours; her vision darted to a wet patch of mud that the field Pokemon dug up and were playing in.

“Uh … I think?” Hector’s gaze moved between the two, noticing Rhea and Sam discussing the different Pokemon in sight, but he was too distracted by the energetic Eevee that appeared to be in shock at the Wild Pokemon’s actions. “What part of the day?”

“Look at them!” Nova gasped, the hair along her back rising in agitation; her demeanor seemed to draw Rhea’s confused gaze. “Remember when Amber was forced to go through that mud pit … I’d return to my pokeball and wait for Rhea to go over it, but they’re just jumping in it?! Are they crazy? You saw how hard it was for Amber to get her fur clean!”

“Fur clean … oh…” Hector had no clue why the pretty Eevee was so aghast at young Pokemon playing in the mud; there were a lot of Pokemon that enjoyed the mud. It was a good chance Nova was not one of those Pokemon. “Uh … yeah, some Pokemon actually live in the mud.”

Nova gave him a glance that said he was insane. “Why … would anyone want to live in … in such horrible stuff?”

Right … she’s still a kid, even if she looks fully grown.

“Oh, no,” Nova’s ears fell back while gazing up at Rhea, “we’re planning on sleeping in a field where Pokemon live in mud…”

“No, no,” Hector chuckled, feeling a bit of his bashfulness lift from the strange conversation. “I don’t know if they live in mud, but they clearly enjoy it.”

“How … why?” Nova mumbled, reality crumbling before her eyes. “Wait … was Kreemi a Pokemon that lived in mud … do Shellos live in mud? No wonder she was spraying the stuff everywhere!”

Hector had lost all track of her babbling. “I … can handle the Pokemon that are playing in the mud … if you want,” he mumbled.

He shot back a few feet as Nova’s expression brightened like the morning sun and she closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. “You’d really do that for me?!” She asked, tears starting to gather in her big pink eyes.

“Y-Yeah … I can do that.”

“Thank you!” She squealed, head darting forward to nuzzle his cheek in her excitement.

His body instantly transformed into red energy, causing Nova and Sam to jump in surprise; his pokeball activated with his reactionary retreat, energy beam meeting with the closed capsule. It opened upon connection and he hid inside his sanctuary, buried within Sam’s spirit as his body burned with embarrassment.

No, no, no, no, no…

“Hector? Hector … oh, hehe … what did she do to you?”

I can’t … make it stop!

“Oh, Hector; you’re so bashful! Did she tease you?”

No … it’s even worse; she has no idea!

Nova slowly approached his pokeball with a confused look, glancing up at Sam’s light giggles. “Hector? Umm … did I do something wrong?”

Ugh … I can’t just let her be confused, but what do I tell her?

It took everything within him to exit his protective capsule and face the concerned Eevee; her bewildered expression was the worst. “Uh … no, no, you didn’t umm, didn’t do anything wrong…”

“Then … why did you run away?” Nova asked, ears falling back again as she stared at the ground, mind turning to find an answer.

Hector closed his eyes, breathing in through his skin and slowly releasing it in a long stream while steeling himself for something he felt he’d regret. “You’re … just too pretty to be rubbing up against male Pokemon like that … it’s … it’s just confusing.”

Nova’s expression went from confusion to a brilliant smile to a mystified tilt of her head. “You … think I’m pretty, but … that’s a problem … why is being pretty a problem? I like being pretty…”

“No, no, it’s not a problem,” Hector stammered, feeling a little frustrated as Sam whispered to Rhea and they both started giggling. “It’s just … kind of … what’s the word … uh … awkward, no … umm … ticklish?” He blurted out in his desperation.

“Ticklish … oh,” her features brightened again, ears rising. “I get that feeling, too! Yeah, when I rub up against something, sometimes it tickles. Okay, so you don’t like that feeling?”

“I mean … sometimes,” he mumbled, trying to find a way out of the hole he’d dug, and he noticed their interaction drawing a small crowd of amused Wild Pokemon, making his body burn hotter. “Anyways, uh … yeah, if any Pokemon, you know, spray mud, then … yeah, I’ll handle it.”

“Okay,” she grinned, tail starting to wag again. “I’ll leave them to you!”

Sam bent down to pick him up, chest quaking with laughter as she hugged him to her breasts. “You’re adorable!”

Thanks for the help…

“It was just so cute; oh, I wish I recorded it!”

Record … hmm … I have a feeling I wouldn’t like whatever that is.

In the end, at least one good thing came out of embarrassing himself; Sam was in a happy mood again. They made their way into the field, catching the notice of all the Wild Pokemon that played in it. He quickly discerned their presence wasn’t accepted as Nova and his Trainer put down their packs to start setting up their tents.

“Hey, what are you doing in our field?” A Pokemon playing in the mud asked, and he jogged over with a few others as the rest hid behind them.

There were only three kinds of Pokemon that were in the field, and it appeared to be for a reason. Sam’s tone became troubled upon seeing the advancing Pokemon. Hector breathed a short sigh as Nova squeaked while staring at their muddy figures and hid behind him.

“A swarm of Phanpy with a few Burmy and Dwebble. They don’t seem all that weak, either.”

The Phanpy appeared to be the dominant Pokemon in the field as one stepped forward, swinging his small trunk. “I hope you’re aware that this area is claimed by the great bright one!”

“We don’t care about that,” Nova huffed from behind Hector. “Rhea just wants to camp here, and Sam’s looking for a strong Pokemon to join her team.”

The Phanpy had a twinkle in his eyes as the throng began to mumble with small smirks.

“So, you wish to challenge the boss?!”

Chants of a new victim passed through the dirty bunch, and Hector lowered his body to the ground a bit; it was difficult to hover above a foot, and climbing took some skill, but once lowered, he was stalwart. “I issue the challenge. Where is your champion?”

“Oh, you’re so cool,” Nova whispered, causing his nerves to shake a bit. “Yeah, take out their leader!”

Rhea leaned over to Sam, pitch rising. “Hey, hey, look! A Shiny Phanpy … I think it’s actually pretty strong compared to the rest, judging by its aura. Mmh … it looks like Hector wants to fight. I mean, we can, but … wait, Nova says Hector wants to do it alone?” The blonde-haired girl asked, ponytail bobbing to the side as she faced his Trainer.

“I … guess so,” Sam mumbled.

“Are you sure, Hector? If Rhea’s saying it’s strong … I mean, we’ll probably have to play it super defensive.”

Hector’s eyes narrowed as the confident and chuckling Pokemon parted to allow a shimmering Phanpy to walk between them. She was beautiful, but in a different way than Nova; the long nose Pokemon had a much brighter skin-tone than the others surrounding it, trunk lifted proudly in the air as they cheered her arrival.

The female Phanpy’s voice was a bit deeper than Nova’s, and her long black eyes shifted between them. “Isn’t this cute … is that your girl behind you; trying to protect her?”

“N-No … I mean, yes … I mean … she doesn’t … ugh, are you this field’s champion?” He asked.

How much worse can this get…

“Yeah,” Nova cheered, probably shooting a glare at the Wild Pokemon from behind Hector, “he’s going to toss you back into the mud!”

“Uh … I wasn’t in the mud, Sparkles.”

“My name’s not Sparkles, it’s Nova!”

“Heh, it’ll be Mud when I’m done with you.” The blue-skinned Pokemon mused, puffing up her chest as the others snickered.

“Nu-uh … you won’t get me muddy; Hector said he’d beat-up anyone who tried to get me dirty!”

“I’ma run ya both over in one Move, then toss ya inta the mud. Oh, and then I’ll jump on ya!” She released a hot puff of air from her nose, kicking up grass and dirt to expose the dirt underneath. “And I won’t even use my biggest attack; you’re both weak!”

“Hector,” Nova cried, quivering behind him. “I don’t want to have muddy fur…”

Seeing the posturing Phanpy in front of him with Nova pleading for protection behind, Hector’s turbulent emotions cooled, and he recalled all the battles he’d gone through with his new friends; it was his time to show Sam she wasn’t weak, that they were strong, and to make her confident in front of Rhea.

Lowering himself even further to tank the agitated Phanpy’s charge, his voice was resolute. “Come. My body is ready.”