After the world blinked once again, I found myself back in the teleportation-chamber of the League. My first impulse was to check on the small Ralts, still hiding behind my leg, just to make sure it was alright.

“We should visit Joyce.” I told Cynthia, getting a raised eyebrow and an approving nod in response. Not wanting to put more stress on the Ralts, I called it back into the Pokéball, before following Cynthia out of the chamber.

“How often do Pokémon actually attack humans?” I asked as we walked.

“That depends what you mean by attack. Most Pokémon will menace and threaten first, at which point you can call out your Pokémon and fight back, they won’t attack the trainer, luckily. If your partners are defeated, the attacker will need a bit of time to incorporate the energy, just like your Charmander is doing at the moment, giving you valuable time to run away as fast as you can. Running is often a valuable strategy, though some Pokémon will happily chase you, until you either fight back with your partners or drop, at which point they more often than not try to take in the energy you expended by fleeing and lose interest.” she explained, letting me lead the way back to the Infirmary.

“But make no mistake, the world out there can be dangerous and Trainers die out there. Some from accidents, the routes between towns are far from safe simply due to the environment, but deaths due to wild Pokémon are just as common.” her tone was sombre as she explained and once again, I could only nod. The violence between the Ralts and the Poochyena was still vivid in my mind, as was the fight between it and my Prince Charming. They might look like cute creatures, but their strength was something else.

“Why do people go out there, then?” I found myself asking, though I had a feeling I knew the answer.

“Because someone has to. Someone has to connect the various towns in a region and the regions themselves. Otherwise, humans will become insular and weaker, until we are all gone. Trainers like us, will be the ones who defend the towns and cities, defend the people. Certainly, some of the Gym-Rats might step up, but the vast majority of them are just useless.” Images of Pokémon rampaging through a town, destroying buildings and people alike, flashed through my mind, as if they were something I had seen before. Massive tentacles, crushing buildings and sending people screaming in fear as the ocean rose up. Shaking my head, to clear it of the images, I focused on the unfamiliar term, my mind latching on to anything to push down the terror I was feeling.

“Gym-Rats?” I asked, actively not thinking about the rest of her statement.

“Each town has a Gym, a gathering spot for Trainers to meet and, well, train their partners. Most trainers who attend regularly are retired, or at least taking a break from their travels, maybe to start a family or because they need a break from the rigours of the life of a travelling Trainer. But some, the Gym-rats, fancy themselves trainers, simply because they have a partner and dip their toes into training them, scooting around their home-towns so they can be home for dinner or going to the gym, so they can have their partners battle in safety. They never amount to much.” Cynthia sneered, disdain for those Gym-rats clear in her voice and on her face. We arrived at the Infirmary and I pushed open the door, while Cynthia was continuing her explanation.

“They might battle in a year, as much as a travelling trainer does in a week, and their battles are cosy games, with no danger or challenge involved. Playing around, that is what they do.” she ranted, shaking her head in disgust.

“And then there are those who don’t seek to battle. Am I playing around, too?” Joyce asked, her voice colder than I had heard it thus far.

“Do you call yourself a trainer and seek to challenge newcomers to put them into their place, as some like to put it?” Cynthia replied, not giving an inch.

“I don’t. But just remember, not everyone is cut out to be a battler, I certainly am not.” Joyce held her ground and for a moment, the air seemed to chill a little.

“True, you are one of the worst battlers I’ve ever seen. But that’s why Lady Bee is such a great partner for you, she doesn’t seek to battle.” Cynthia raised her arms in mock-surrender, though not without getting a bit of a dig in herself.

“Joyce, could you please check these two out?” I asked, holding the two Pokéballs towards her. Just because I was reasonably certain that Prince Charming hadn’t been hurt, I wasn’t about to risk that I had missed something.

Joyce’s eyes flickered between the two balls and my face, before focusing on Cynthia.

“Certainly. Why don’t you sit down for a moment, while I do so and have a talk with our dear Champion here?” She phrased it as a question, but before I could even think of a reply, my behind had found a chair, as there was something in her voice that made me obey, without question.

While there was a smile on Cynthia’s face, it looked a little more strained than before and she followed Joyce into the room next door, leaving me with Lady Bee who trundled over.

Through the closed door, I could hear snippets of the exchange between the two women, mostly the parts of an agitated Joyce who interrogated Cynthia about the origins of the second Pokéball.

I couldn’t make out all the words, but from the few I could hear, I was certain that Joyce was far from happy. Of the words I could hear clearly, irresponsible, risk, idiot and Tara stood out, though I couldn’t hear the context. For most of them, it was easy to guess but not all. Especially that last one, which prompted a sudden silence and the return of the two, both wearing faces that did their best to impersonate storm-clouds.

“Dani, I hope what the blockhead did has not put you off your path.” Joyce told me, her voice similar to the one she had used in her apology earlier. “It seems that her idea of teaching a chick to fly is throwing it out of the nest and hoping for the best.” she explained, giving Cynthia another glare.

“What is done, is done.” I replied, waving off her concern. I simply wasn’t sure how to feel about the events, there was just too much to unpack in my mind.

“How is the little one?” I asked, changing the topic. Joyce studied me for a moment, before accepting the switch with a nod.

“She’s alright, though exhausted and very young. She can’t have hatched more than a week ago.” Joyce explained and the thought that the Ralts was little more than a baby gave me pause. Just a baby and yet, it had to already fight for its life. Or rather, for her life.

A part of me wondered how that was determined in Pokémon, when I realised that there had been a part about it in my earlier reading, that the energy of different Pokémon-species had different frequency-bands, the higher one designated female, the lower one male. Some also had a difference in morphology, but for most, it was purely a difference in frequency.

“Your Charmander is fine, too, he even gained a level.” she added, referring to the maximum amplitude of his internal energy. That energy increased his strength and would, ultimately, allow him to become something else, to evolve into a Charmeleon and later a Charizard.

Nodding, I took back the ball containing the Ralts, letting her out to confirm with my own eyes that she was fine.

The moment she appeared, she looked around for a moment, before hiding behind my legs again. Her behaviour brought a grin to my face, though I realised it would be on me to find this little one’s path and guide it forward. And I had no idea how to do that.

“Joyce, I’m afraid I’ll have to take the plunge from the nest.” I told her, using her earlier metaphor.

“This little one needs me to be able to fly and the quickest way is to just jump, right?” I asked, noticing a frown on Joyce’s face and a thoughtful look on Cynthia’s. Joyce studied me for a moment, before turning to Cynthia and I was certain that they exchanged a whole conversation in a few moments of eye-contact, one that ended with a shared nod.

“If that is your determination, we’ll be happy to help. As it happens, my niece is starting her own journey this year, she’s already looking forward to it. Given that you are roughly the same age, I’d suggest that you wait until spring fully arrives, that’s roughly a month from now, and set out then. And until that time, Cynthia and I will make sure that you know what you are doing and getting into.” she offered and there was a glean in Joyce’s eyes that made me want to hide behind Cynthia’s legs, only to realise that the glean was present in her eyes, too.

But regardless, they were offering me what I needed and I would be an idiot not to accept.

“I accept.” I nodded, their grins becoming just a little wider than before. Hopefully, I’d survive the next month.