6:01 a.m. August 8th, Saturday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event). Day 59.

Events: Rhea won her Silver-tier Encrusted Badge after a tough battle! Now, our girls are on a solid track to jump into the Silver League. Onward! Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June, and the end of registration for the Winter Indigo Cup is December 5th (119 days away).

A fluffy cloud nestled against Rhea’s cheek as her mind drifted in and out of sleep, hearing the gentle tapping of rain. Emotions of a happier time lifted her into a sea of memories, memories not her own.

She drifted in a swirl of light colors, seeing the smiling face of a maroon-haired child in a swimsuit and her family. Rays of sunlight broke through the partially veiled, dark clouded sky with spotted showers sprinkling over a much less developed cityscape.

From her taller position, she saw the girl playing with a Pidove. The bird was playing tag with the green-eyed child, occasionally dropping water on her in the backyard. Rhea could see her glasses-wearing father at a grill under a patio, cooking lunch.

A sense of longing to return to those simpler times pained Rhea’s chest when she’d been so close to her daughter. When she hadn’t struggled to find her place and deal with conflicting emotions, yet Rhea knew her daughter had to stumble through on her own. There would be heartache, but that was a part of life.

Rhea tensed as a jolt shot through her body, making her groan and shiver. Something warm and soft nuzzled closer to her face, making a gentle chirp that made her eyes crack open.

“Nee…”

Mind breaking away from the conflicting dream, Rhea was careful not to shake the bed too much. She shifted to her back and brought Lulu up to her chest; her little nebula yawned and settled against her sternum.

Lying in bed, she felt Nova between her legs, Mya on her left, and Alice on her right; it was always like this as of late, her Pokemon trapping her on all sides in the morning.

As Rhea had come to expect, there was light under the door of the room’s guest bathroom. She felt a lot more rested, but, at this point, she knew better than to push things for a few days. It wasn’t like they needed to be all that active anyway, and she’d already made soft plans with Dawn through their jokes the previous night.

Giving herself the chance to relax in bed, Rhea stifled a yawn and reflected on her fading dream. Now that she was awake, she suspected the memories had been the product of her unstable Aura and an intrusion into one of the Cerise family’s dreams, probably Talia.

A lot of the feelings she’d experienced slipped away from her the more she thought about it, but she knew it had been about Chloe. Rhea didn’t want to pry into things that she shouldn’t; gossip and poking fun to get details were one thing, but invading someone else’s spirit was another.

Rubbing Lulu’s head, Rhea let go of a long sigh. She figured it had something to do with her awakening Shamanistic side that Dawn and Ash had talked about. Aura dealt with life force, in general, but her new powers dealt with the spirit.

After a few minutes, Amira exited the bathroom, shutting off the light before opening the door so as not to wake Lori or her. Dull light was already peeking through the curtains, giving Rhea a silhouette of the redhead and her Braixen; the Fox Pokemon’s flaming ears had solidified into tufts not to illuminate the space.

“Hey,” she whispered, causing Amira to pause beside her bed.

Amira turned to squint through the darkness at her, Amber’s ears glowing with faint orange hues to brighten the area.

“Morning. How are you feeling?”

“Brai-xen-xen?”

“Better. Lori take the futon?”

“No, I did.” Amira sat at the edge of her bed, being cautious not to cause too much nose. Nova’s ears were poking up the sheet soon enough, though; the Eevee making a chirp that the Fox Pokemon answered. “I was worried about Lori’s back acting up. Hmm-hmm. It may be stupid since she’s slept in sleeping bags for over a month already, but it felt right anyway.”

“That was sweet,” Rhea mumbled, shifting Lulu’s hands to scratch the side of her neck. “What time does the boat leave?”

“We still have four hours until we need to board. No need to rush.”

“Thanks… Hehe. What should I do to get these sleepy heads up? Nova…”

Her Eevee poked out from under the sheets and hopped onto a startled Alice and Mya before tackling Lulu into a hug and rolling off the bed.

“Pwe-pwe-pwe!”

“L-Lop-lop?!”

“Mawile?!”

“Neeeeee!”

Amira chuckled while watching the fluffy Eevee disappear over the edge with the squealing Legendary held protectively against her chest.

Lori sat straight up in bed, mouth half-open with drool down her chin and displacing her Frogadier. Terri did a front flip, ready for action as she landed on the edge of the bed, the Kubfu’s mouth drawn in and in a stance to engage any threat. Roxie and Zyra simply flopped onto the bed beside their startled Trainer, having dealt with her many restless movements at this point.

“Eh?! What’s up… there’s a bomb threat at the club… Mukin’ Plasma…”

Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed at the foot of her bed again, a groan close to her lips. Lori’s Pokemon mostly didn’t even blink an eye, settling against her belly or back.

Amira walked over to her phone and opened it, carefully turning the holographic display to her grumbling teammate; it unlocked via facial ID.

“Let’s let her sleep in a bit more; she hasn’t been sleeping well.”

“Why not?” Rhea asked, greeting her Pokemon with head pats or pets.

“Nightmares. She doesn’t want to bother you. At least she’s talking about it, though.”

Rhea frowned, but Amira was right. She didn’t want to get Lori wrapped up in every struggle she was having with her family, and if she could talk to Amira about it, then it worked out. “She’s okay?”

“Yeah,” Amira assured, moving to help Amber and Holly put away the futon; Mariah and Serenity came walking out of the bathroom to join their teammates. “She says it’s something that occasionally comes back—a lot of fire and pain.”

Rhea scooted off the bed to look at Lori’s peaceful expression, her rocky and feathery Pokemon nestled against her. Terri couldn’t go back to sleep like her teammates, and Gables got up to be with the baby Legendary, releasing a wide yawn. Apparently, the Mythical and Legendary Pokemon took longer to mature than your average Pokemon.

“That’s sad,” she sighed, moving her bound hair around to her front and pulling off a night headband that kept her bangs out of the way; Dawn had probably put it on. “I wish there was something I could do for her…”

Amira returned from the closet and gave a sad shake of her head. “You always need to help people… I suppose it came from supporting all those Masters that would return hurt from the battlefield.”

“Huh… I hadn’t thought about that,” Rhea admitted, motioning for her Pokemon to the shower. “I guess it does make sense. It was hard seeing so many people I grew up with injured. Rainbow Rocket…”

“Let’s keep a positive vibe for the morning,” Amira said, gesturing to her Braixen as the fox waved and smiled at Gables, wishing him good morning. Rhea’s Eevee was already acting as Lulu’s mount to bring her into the shower. “Amber will stay behind with Terri and Gables to dry you guys off when you’re done.”

Rhea knew better as she watched the frog make a gesture and say something that had the fox giggling and smoothing out her fur. Terri was rolling her eyes and pestering Mya to train as her slow-moving Mawile trudged to the bathroom. Alice got the light, forcing Rhea to duck inside before it could disturb Lori.

“Thanks, Amber. Be out in a bit.”

Once again, Rhea had to slip out just before making the mistake of getting into the shower. Amira was gone, but Amber was already pulling her bag over so Rhea could extract her clothes, showing an amused smile.

“Hehe. It has become a habit,” she sheepishly whispered. “Thanks.”

“Xen-xen.”

She returned to the bathroom just as Braixen proudly presented her wand and started showing it off to Gables; Terri joined them in the shower since the Legendary wanted to play with the others. Rhea figured the Fighting Pokemon would be out like a sleepy Litwick once Lori got up.

Giving special treatment to all of the Pokemon, her heart swelled upon seeing Lulu try to mirror her seniors in helping Terri clean her fur; it ended in a large pile of suds that hid them both, but that was a part of the fun as they played hide and seek in the bubbly.

Amber took care in drying them off, motioning for them to stay very still. Rhea hadn’t had the flashfire drying experience yet and was happily surprised when the flames warmed her skin and evaporated a perfect amount of the water from her hair. Amira had trained her well.

She took her slept-in garments to the quick washer/drier the Cerise family had in the laundry room near the guest room; Amira’s had finished in the time it took her to get ready, and she gave it to Amber to put away, adding her own to the swift-cycle.

Walking into the front room, she heard Professor Cerise and Talia in the kitchen, speaking softly to Amira. She understood the low tones when spotting Dawn in her blue-striped pajamas on the couch, and Ash passed out in an armchair across from her.

Rhea smiled and took a picture of Pikachu and Dawn’s absurdly powerful Piplup, back-to-back, sleeping near her feet. It seemed the four had talked well into the night, catching up. Nova gave a soft chirp, pointing up the stairs as the rustling that came down the hall; it seemed Chloe might be getting up. No one else would be up there.

Reflecting on what little she recalled from her dream, Rhea sighed while turning away from the stairs. Poor Chloe. I guess she was fairly late to the party to travel with Ash.

Bypassing the sleeping pair, Rhea slipped into the kitchen to see Talia and her husband at the stove, just about to start cooking bacon, potato, and cheddar hash with spinach-mushroom strata on the side. Excitement bubbled up within her belly at the hefty meal, and she wondered if Ash or Dawn let the two know she needed something filling.

“Morning,” Professor Cerise said, cutting up the last potato for his wife to throw in the pan as she added oil and other ingredients. “We have a large table today. All the side dishes are cold in the fridge.”

“Hehe. You’re spoiling us,” Rhea laughed, sitting next to Amira at the bar. “We won’t want to leave if you keep cooking like this.”

Amira nudged her with a small smirk. “I remember when you chewed us out for wanting you to eat more, and look at you now, drooling over a big meal.”

“Yeah, heh, times really have changed.” She rubbed her growling belly; it really was crazy how many things could change. “I can’t wait.”

She only made small talk for a short bit before an Impidimp idea came to mind and she snuck into the front room to snap photos of Dawn and Ash to tease with later. Chloe’s loud noises upstairs were probably deliberate, but the bumps and creaks made the two rustle around 7:20 a.m.

Lori got up shortly after, holding a sheet around her body as she trudged into the front room, hair a mess and looking like the walking dead.

“You okay?” Rhea hissed, moving closer.

“Mmgm. I had a nightmare y-you two left me behind,” Lori yawned, smacking her lips and then dully heading back to the room; she almost tripped on the sheet. “I thought it was stupid… You’re too much of a lemon drop to do that.”

Lemon drop? Rhea thought in utter bewilderment as she vanished inside, her Pokemon calling her to join them in the bathroom. Aren’t they like… bitter or something? She’s totally zoned.

She hurried out of the front room as the upstairs bathroom door swung open, and Chloe got ready to come downstairs. Dawn was stretching out on the couch, her nightshirt creasing to show her lightly muscular abs and making the Pokemon at her feet nearly roll off the cushions.

The others seemed to notice Chloe’s descent and waited in silence; the young woman lingered by the stairs.

“Morning, Dawn,” she said in a bright tone.

“Ugh. Morning, Chloe. What time is it?” She fumbled for something on the floor, Pikachu and her Piplup greeting Chloe’s Eevee and the family Yamper. “7:27? Esh. Ash had us up ‘till like—four,” she yawned. “Hey, Psyduck…”

“Oof. Huh—what’s up, Dawn? Oh, Chloe. Morning already?”

Rhea smiled, imagining Dawn throwing a blanket at the man.

Chloe had a dubious hum in her throat as she leaned against the back of the couch. “What did you and Dawn do until four in the morning? Suspicious.”

That’s what I’m saying! Wait… Okay, this is kind of sus…

Dawn yawned again, voice becoming strained while stretching out. “Next time you want to test Aura stuff on me, can we not do it after I fly across nearly three regions straight? I’m so dead right now… Pikachu, can you zap him for me?”

“Woah, woah! I’m awa—”

“Chuuuu!”

Rhea gave Amira a look that she returned; they’d gotten used to the Legend’s Pokemon attacking their Trainer from time to time by this point. Although, the Aura comment and Dawn, of all people, being sore as a borderline Legendary Trainer herself made her want to pursue the topic.

Chloe was quiet for a bit, but her mood had definitely soured a tad as she entered the kitchen with a fake smile. “Oh, looks good, Mom. Quite the send-off feast.”

“Got everything packed for Paldea?” Her mother gave an encouraging smile that Chloe looked away from, dropping into a stool beside Rhea and her.

“Mhm. Hey, Dawn, what are your plans? Got time to hang with me, or has the Garchomp got you on a short leash?”

Rhea almost choked at the comment; she wasn’t sure if it was biting or not, but having her aunt referred to as a Garchomp made her want to laugh.

“Haha. I’d love to, Chloe. Ash has asked for my help, though, and Rhea’s aunt wanted me to check on her, too. I can see if I can join you after, though; I’ve been interested in Paldea. Oh, let me take a shower real fast. Hot water?”

“Probably gone,” Rhea shot back. “Lori’s in it right now, and she turns that up to the max.”

“Meh. That’s alright. I just need something to help with these sore muscles. Not cool, by the way, Ash! I get it’s for Rhea, but no need to be so rough. Gah… It’s like you punched me all over the place. What even was that?”

Chloe’s face became more sullen by the word, but the experience certainly didn’t sound all that enjoyable to Rhea. Amira acted like it was none of her business, browsing sites on her phone, and Professor Cerise didn’t seem to want to jump in.

Talia entered the ring, though. “Are you okay, dear? We have a Fire Pokemon heating unit if someone wants to accelerate the process. What’s this about an Aura experiment?”

Amber happily hopped off her seat beside Amira, and the Yamper joined her to show the fox where the heater was. Ash stepped around them upon entering the room, hair sparking with static and without his hat. The two Buddy Pokemon appeared to have gone with Dawn to wait for Lori to be done with the shower.

“Yeah, Ash,” Chloe pressed, scowling at Ash’s strained expression as he lingered in the hallway. “What did you do to poor Dawn after I went to bed, hmm?”

“Haaa. Well, it’s complicated.” His gaze shifted to Rhea. “All of our Allocations do have a correlation to our Aura, and there are quite a few branches of it. I’m not too versed in the Shamanistic side since it’s more of a specialized area. I know you had an experience last night.”

Everyone’s focus shot to her, and Rhea folded her arms on the counter to hide her face; Amira changed positions to braid her straightened hair as they talked.

“I guess. I don’t remember much, but I think I connected to Mrs. Cerise’s dreams or memories. It was sprinkling—kind of like it is right now,” she mumbled, tilting her head to stare at the brightening kitchen window. “There was a barbecue, and Chloe was a child.”

“Incredible,” Talia whispered, serving the dishes onto the plates as her husband got the other items out of the fridge. “I did have a dream about the past last night.”

Ash ran his fingers through his hair and folded his arms, hands tucked under. “Rhea’s bracelet is helping to stabilize things after the Ghost of Maiden’s Peak enchanted it with her spiritual force.

“We need to find someone who can suppress it, and I think I have someone near Fuchsia that can do it. I was trying to understand the Shamanistic portion of Aura better. I can do it, I’m just not the greatest at it, and Dawn paid the price, which is why I wanted someone else strong in it to test some more advanced stuff out.”

Chloe played with her food when her mother placed the plate and fork in front of her. “Strong enough, huh? Dawn’s always been pretty strong.”

All of their attention went to Ash as he laughed and walked over to join them. “Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Cerise; it looks fantastic. I know you’re struggling, Chloe, but Dawn had to grow a lot, too. Her mother is always worrying about her… Man, it takes me back,” he reflected, gazing into the past.

“What was Dawn like?” Amira spontaneously questioned, finishing Rhea’s bandless braid. “I’ve only heard stories from my mom; she said you two were really close.”

Ash’s face went red, pounding his chest as he choked and his voice going hoarse. “Eh—ack-ack! D-Don’t believe anything your mother tells you,” he rasped. “That woman is a menace!”

Amira giggled at his reaction, making everyone, including Chloe, smile and look at the Legend for more context. “Yes, I’m well aware of my mother’s antics and proclivities. You three traveled together, correct?”

“Yeah… you could say that,” Ash muttered, accepting a glass of Aguav Berry and lemon mix from Chloe’s mother. “Thank you. Ahem. Yeah, Brock, Lyra, Dawn, and me… Heh. Kind of like Goh, you, and me, Chloe.”

The maroon-haired girl’s cheer dampened a tad. “Yeah, but I wasn’t with you the whole time… You and Goh went off on adventures—no, that’s in the past. Umm, yeah, so why did you laugh when I said that about Dawn?”

Ash hummed, dismissing the previous atmosphere at the drop of a hat. Lori came strolling in not long after, interest flaring as he sat to eat and listen to the man.

“You know Dee Dee’s motto, Rhea?”

“Pfft! Haha. I know Dee Dee is her nickname—Diamond Dandruff, right?”

“That’s the one!”

“Aye!” They instinctively ducked as Dawn’s voice carried down the hall. “I know you’re not talking about me while I’m not there, Ash!”

“Wouldn’t dream of it!”

“I swear, if you say—hey, Piplup, where are you taking those? C’mon! Not you, too, Pikachu… Come out from under there! Bleh—now I’ve got hair in my mouth…”

“Pfew,” Ash rubbed his forehead. “They’re running interference. Heh. Anyway, could you imagine going on your journey with a full-sized suitcase?”

Lori snorted. “No way.”

“Yup! That was Dawn. Her mother packed her bag and flatly told her to leave the suitcase behind. She’s honestly such a Tepig.”

“Oooh.” Lori gave him a look. “Them be fightin’ words, boy. Careful!”

“Haha. You have no idea,” he said with a fond look in his eyes. “A Grandmaster Coordinator and High Champion Trainer, Dawn worked hard to get where she is, and she started out a lot like me—a total mess! But she puts her heart into everything she does, and has the brightest smile… but she struggles inside—a lot. It’s inspiring, really.”

Chloe became melancholy, playing with her fork and starting at her half-empty plate. “Dawn was the only one that came to watch your final battle with me when you did your first World Cup. She really is amazing and always smiling…”

“She’s also headstrong and overconfident, which can land her in hot water,” Ash sighed. “Kind of like someone else I know,” he said with a self-reflective laugh. “She takes good care of her health, Pokemon, and is responsible… Dawn helps keep me grounded. Haha. I love it whenever she says, ‘No need to worry!’ I think it’s why Lyra and her get along so well.”

“I see…” Chloe sighed, shoulders drooping. “You’ve known Dawn for a long time.”

“I have,” Ash nodded, the fond look on his face making Rhea want to cry for the maroon-haired girl, yet just as Chloe was about to put her plate in the sink and probably leave, Ash said something insane. “I think Dawn’s the little sister I never had.”

“Huh?” Chloe’s wide eyes showed the confusion everyone else reflected. “Sister?”

“Yeah! Dawn always knows what to say to cheer me up and get me going again. She can just talk to me without all the clutter—punch me in the arm—trash talk me, and tell me to flip my hat around and buck up. Haha! She’s like the tougher side of Brock—girl’s got brawn. Man, those were great times.”

“Brawn, huh, Big Bro? I remember it a lot differently,” Dawn chimed, her damp, dark blue hair wrapped in a towel and wearing a pink blouse and white skirt. “Looking back, I was so embarrassing. You were the best mentor I could have asked for, which is probably why my mother nudged me to join you in the first place since she was worried I’d get kidnapped or something.”

Ash threw up his arms. “Hey, you did get kidnapped—even when you were with us! How many times?”

“I know! Haha. We always got out, though. And you showed me the real world as the ‘famed’ Orange Island Champion and all!”

“Okay, go on, mock me,” Ash chuckled. “Thanks for making the flight when I asked, Sis.”

Dawn walked by Chloe and nudged her with a wink. “Ash will be Ash. You learn how to handle him after a while. Don’t get too discouraged.”

“Eh-heh… Yeah.”

Ash went for seconds with Rhea. “I remember someone who would make these quite threatening comments…”

“Oh, shut up, Hatless. Did Pikachu hide it again?”

“Pika?! Pika-pi!”

The electric rat came to a screeching halt as he entered the kitchen with Piplup, turning to question the blue Pokemon.

“Pika?”

“Pip-pip-pip!”

The Piplup laughed as Pikachu gasped, chasing him around the house with a few of the other Pokemon joining in; it seemed they were now on to a treasure hunt.

Standing at the bar to eat rather than sitting, Dawn shot a glare at the two as they led their party out, laughing together. “He can get so rambunctious around Pikachu. So, Rhea, you mentioned a volleyball game?”

“Yes! Oh, but what about your muscles?”

“Bah! Fun over pain! Let’s go, girls. Actually… what about a girls versus boys match, hmm? We gotta have some fun before Chloe leaves, and I’ll get back to you on joining the adventure, girl. Sound good?”

Amira was at the sink, taking dishes to wash from people. “We already did it yesterday to Sabin, but I’m fine with another round. Most of Ash’s Pokemon are male, right?”

“Mmh. Half and half,” she said with a grin. “I’m down, though. You sure you can handle it with those weak ankles, Dee Dee?”

“Oh, you did not!” Dawn snarled, eyebrow twitching. “Okay, it’s on now!”

“I get Piplup and Pikachu!” he laughed.

“It’s on!”

Energy sparking from the two, Rhea now saw a lot of similarities between Sabin and her with the pair. That didn’t mean Dawn didn’t potentially have feelings for him, but Rhea was left to wonder how naturally she could joke and play around with the man. She could see why Chloe would get flustered around Ash’s old female companions.

Getting ready, they went to the beach to play a few games; it was only due to Dawn’s relentless and ruthless coaching that they managed to beat the Legend and his Pokemon. Ash’s Dragonite and Gengar were a nightmare to face.

Chloe was laughing and showing off a new bikini that had Lori snickering and whispering to them about the outfit. The young woman really was trying; however, the results of it were inconclusive. She did get a compliment from Ash for it, yet he also gave it to Dawn, so Rhea wasn’t sure what to make of the man’s actual feelings.

The Vermilion girl’s parents and doppelganger met them at the airport after they got cleaned up. They hugged their teary-eyed daughter as Soleil gave her a pained smile that said they’d tried.

Rhea still wasn’t sure if Chloe had been able to confess to Ash or not as they waved her goodbye; the mystery persisted. Perhaps they’d get better info from Dawn in the coming days?

Dawn and Ash really did play off each other like brother and sister, knowing what buttons to press and how to make the other one laugh. On their way to the boat, the two got their lunch, surprisingly, on the Sinnoh League card, which turned out to be pretty fancy.

Rhea did recall her aunt complaining one time that Dawn could get a little spendy if she were left unsupervised, not that she or her Pokemon were complaining. She did expect a call from her aunt when she saw the bill, though, which she was looking forward to.

The sea breeze pulled on her braid as she shifted her backpack to a better angle and looked at the big ship they would be taking to their next big city. She breathed in the salted air, thinking about all the fun she’d had thus far. Sabin was right to find joy in her journey instead of dwelling on all the hardship and darkness. There were so many new experiences to enjoy.

They boarded the five-day boat ride to Fuchsia, spotting a message from Jason that his team would be there. Hopefully, when they met up, it wouldn’t be as confrontational as their last meeting. Plus, now they had Dawn with them to bring a bright new personality to their group!

Exciting times were ahead.