7:30 p.m. August 13th, Thursday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event). Day 65.

Events: Rhea won her Silver-tier Encrusted Badge after a tough battle! Now, our girls are on their way to getting their four Encrusted Badges for the 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 (113 days away).

Nova rested her chin on her paws, lying atop Rhea’s chest as Melody played her flute; her Trainer’s spirit pulled inward, leaving Nova restless. Rhea went limp, making Nova’s fur bristle as she shot up, looking at Pikachu.

“She’s slipping away!”

“It’s okay,” he urged, showing an encouraging smile. “As we explained, only a Buddy Bonded Pokemon could follow her to where she’s going.”

Nova’s ears pulled back at the comment. “We’re not close enough… I hoped I would at least be able to follow a little by now.”

“Hey,” Dawn whispered, sitting on the bed to stroke her back as Melody continued to play her lovely song. “Rhea will be just fine. I know it’s probably hard for you.”

Piplup nodded from his Trainer’s lap. “Mhm-mhm! It takes a long time to Buddy Bond with your Trainer; Dawn and I have been together for decades. You’re doing great! What are you feeling right now?”

“Just sad,” Nova sighed, settling down on Rhea’s chest again while studying her resting face. “Rhea’s struggling so much with this Aura stuff, and we can’t help her… She’s kept us alive with her own energy, and all we do is take from her.”

Pikachu reached up to pat her side. “C’mon, we all know that’s not true. It’s a partnership. What did Rhea say you could do to help her?”

Nova inched forward to nuzzle Rhea’s nose, worried as Rhea’s spirit practically disappeared, leaving a hole inside her; she knew Mya and Alice would be freaking out right now.

“She wants me to help the others understand and to have a fun time with my mom… I’ve never felt her slip so far away, though. It… doesn’t feel right.”

Piplup jumped off Dawn’s lap to walk around and stand beside Rhea’s head to manage her ponytail. “I know it’s scary. Being so close with a Master Ball for as long as you can remember… This must be terribly uncomfortable. This will help her, though.”

Taking a deep breath, Nova tried to rebuild her courage; she had to be strong for the others. Mya would instantly think it was her fault. “Okay. Can you guys take us back to the spa place?”

Mimey gave her a soft smile and thumbs up. “Ash needs to talk to Melody once the song is done, but it will be quick.”

“Alright…”

Nova laid down to listen to Rhea’s heartbeat, figuring Lulu would soon steal the spot. Watching Piplup and Totadile play around today had shown her how amazing every Pokemon could be with the right, caring Trainer. She wanted that kind of closeness with Rhea, and it had only been a few months since she’d hatched, but it felt like such a long time; Nova didn’t know what else to do, though.

The song continued for a few minutes before it came to a gentle end, and Rhea sank into the depths of an ocean that rejected Nova. She’d thought they were so close now since they could do her mother’s Friendship Move, but her mother had said there were many different levels to it.

Please, be careful, Rhea, Nova internally pleaded. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you…

Releasing the tension in her lungs, Nova glanced at Ash as he returned with Melody. The redhead knelt down beside her to scratch her pulled-back ears.

“Rhea is having a wonderful chat with her mysterious guest. My song is called ‘The Power of One,’ which helps Auras unify. Rhea will be just fine. I promise.”

Feeling a little better now that it was in progress, Nova tried to let her nerves go as the other Pokemon surrounded her. “I just… don’t want to mess it up; I want to share the weight on Rhea’s heart.” She looked at her Trainer’s peaceful expression. “I really want to help… To make her life easier, not harder, but… No. I just need to keep trying.”

“One step every day will take you where you want to go,” Ash whispered, scratching behind her ear as everyone gave her kind looks. “We’ve all seen how hard you try to support Rhea.”

Pikachu nodded. “Who is the first one to take care of Lulu when Rhea’s busy?”

“Me…”

“Who’s the first to help Mya when she’s feeling down?”

“Me.”

“And who is there to calm Alice down when she gets too rambunctious and provide cuddles when Rhea is feeling down?”

“Me…”

“See?” Piplup chuckled. “You’re doing great.”

Taking strength from their reassurances, Nova licked Rhea’s cheek. “Thanks. I’m okay now… I’m ready to go.”

Lights surrounded them as Mimey returned them to Rhea’s spa room in Fuchsia, waving Melody goodbye; the redhead told them to visit again. Appearing inside the cool room, Dawn tucked Rhea into bed as Ash left to talk with Amira and Lori.

Alice and Mya rushed through the halls to reach them upon feeling them return; they couldn’t feel Rhea so much as Nova, causing them to burst into the room in a panic. As expected, Alice was the first one to reach Rhea’s side, Mya trailing behind with the confused cosmic ball hanging onto her neck.

“W-What happened?!” Mya cried.

Lulu teleported onto their Trainer’s chest, tears in her eyes. “Rhea?! Rhea?! Don’t die, Rhea!”

“D-Die?! Rhea can’t die!” Alice sniffled, beginning to hyperventilate.

Nova nuzzled Lulu before doing the same to the shaking Lopunny. “Rhea’s not dying.”

Alice’s ears and hands were fidgeting while pressed against Rhea’s arm. “I can’t feel her, though!”

“It’s okay,” she reassured. “Let me explain…”

Lulu quickly swapped from Mya to their Trainer’s neck, crying and a little frustrated, thinking everyone was upset because of her; it took a little time to convince all three that it wasn’t any of their faults, but they managed it after several minutes.

None of them wanted to leave Rhea’s side when all was said and done. Lulu quickly fell asleep, exhausted due to the emotional stress. She took their Trainer’s chest to be close to her heart, as usual; they all allowed it since the Cosmog didn’t have the same spiritual connection to snuggle her spirit, so her heartbeat was the next best thing.

Mya listened closely as Alice continued to ask Pikachu, Piplup, and her questions, not that the electric rat or penguin had much more to tell other than offering their assurances that she’d be fine.

Ash, Lori, and Amira came in shortly after, the redhead suggesting that Dawn help her to get Rhea ready for bed if she was going to be out for the night. Ash took that as a sign to leave, and Lori went with him to get more details about what would happen after the synchronization.

Once Rhea was changed into some Eevee-themed pajamas Dawn had secretly purchased, the two human girls left them to cuddle their Trainer. Nova nuzzled under the covers, as was usual, to hug Rhea’s leg, but it wasn’t the same with how distant her spirit felt.

Nova tossed and turned throughout the night. She felt cold and empty without Rhea’s spirit in easy reach to snuggle or squeeze; it felt wrong. There was a hole in her, yet they all took comfort in the trickle of energy she continued to provide them with to stabilize their lives.

Eventually, she slipped into sleep, but dreams didn’t meet her; Nova’s ears poked up as Mya’s grumbles pricked her mind. Blinking, she glanced around the warm, dim space under the covers. She felt somewhat rested as she crawled over Rhea’s leg to peek out of the blanket. The gentle light from the window showed the sun rising.

A little stunned by the sudden transition from falling asleep to waking up, Nova saw everyone deep in slumber; Alice’s eyes were red, showing she’d cried a little bit during the night.

I didn’t dream… Why didn’t I dream?

Nova’s ears twitched with agitation; she still didn’t like the distance Rhea was from her, but during the night, she’d pulled a little closer. A lump formed in her throat when bright rainbow lights brought her pretty mother and Torry, her tough-looking Venomoth buddy, into her room.

“Morning!” she chirped, eyes and ears lowering upon seeing her. “Everything okay, Sweetie; is Rhea okay?”

Perking up, Nova shook her head and hopped off to join her, trying to remain quiet not to wake up her teammates. “She’s doing something with her Aura right now. Umm… Yeah, it will be alright. Thanks for worrying, Mom,” she whispered, her mother returning a nuzzle as they came together.

“Of course. Are you sure you don’t need to reschedule?” she asked, moving to hop up on the bed to study Rhea, Torry silently hovering nearby. “How… can she reach such a deep meditative state at her age? It’s really impressive. Is there another spirit inside of her?! Should I get Elaine?”

Nova jumped up to rub against her mother’s fine, caramel coat for comfort. “No, Ash and Dawn are helping her. We’re fine. I can explain a little later. Umm, so we’re going to do some hard training today? I’ve been excited.”

Ambrosia hummed, head tilting to the side as she observed the resting human. “Hmm. Okay. It will take two teleports, but I think I’ve thought of a way to help you with your transformations. Is it… okay to evolve?”

The question made Nova freeze before jumping off the bed and jogging to the door. “Uh, I’ll go ask. Umm, can you… Thank you.”

Torry floated over and opened the door for her. The two followed her down the hall as she followed Ash’s scent to his room. It was locked, so Torry teleported them inside.

Ash was sprawled out on his bed, snoring, while Pikachu sat in a chair on the outside deck, the door ajar. He watched a shishi-odoshi fill with water outside, creating a tap as it emptied and hit a rock. Pikachu sipped a cup of coffee, speaking softly as they entered.

“Morning. It’s been a while, Ambrosia, Torry.”

Her mother nudged her forward with a chuckle as Nova reoriented herself after the teleport. “Good morning. Still haven’t kicked the habit?”

He smiled and looked over at them as they approached. “Third failed attempt. Oh, I see someone’s been powdering their wings.”

“Thanks for noticing,” Torry whispered with a smile and fluttered her wings. “I’ve been trying a new diet.”

“It shows,” Pikachu complimented, taking another sip of his coffee. “Now, what can I do for you before your big adventure, Nova?”

“Umm… Can I evolve, or will that mess up Rhea’s thing?”

“Hmm. Honestly, you might want to evolve a bunch to release some stress for Rhea; the Victini will flood her with energy, so that could help to balance things.”

Nova’s tail began to wag; there was something she could do to help. “Thanks, Pikachu!”

“Shhh,” her mother scolded with a short giggle as Ash groaned and flopped to his stomach.

“Sorry,” she hissed.

Pikachu snickered, cheeks sparking as he gave his Trainer an appraising look. “She’s fine. I’ll zap him up soon; he needs a good kickstart to the day once a week to keep on his toes.”

Nova giggled with Torry and her mom. “Sounds good. Thank you again.”

The Venomoth shimmered with colorful light, and gravity shifted; suddenly, they were on the Pokemon’s back, a strong ocean breeze hitting her fur. Nova blinked as an endless expanse of blue stretched out around her.

“Huh?!” Her mother pressed closer, licking her ear. “M-Mom! Heh. It tickles!”

“Aww. I don’t get to see you often, so I gotta get my licks in where I can! Ready for the final jump, Torry?”

The large Venomoth shivered. “I swear, you use me like an all-terrain-vehicle…”

“Haha. It’s just like you to negotiate when we’re halfway; I know you’re a wreck right now,” her mother mused, bumping Nova’s tail with a wink that made her giggle. “Two puff packs and a trip to Alola to see a certain Slowbro to ease the nerves?”

“How? Even you can’t make Elaine drop everything to make an Alola trip,” Torry huffed, antenna quivering. “We’re too busy with League stuff.”

“Four words,” Ambrosia whispered, bending down to whisper into the moth’s ear. “Chase, ring, pre-paid hotel.”

Torry gasped. “He didn’t?! How can you be sure? He isn’t!”

“I’ve got a certain little rat in my ear,” Ambrosia laughed, looking to the side with a smirk. “He was so cute, asking for permission.”

“Ahhh! Finally! Done! So done!” Torry sang, space sparkling around them to drop them off at the top of some giant mountain surrounded by water. “I’ve got to get a new coat, and—wait, how long have you been sitting on this news, you wing-biter?!”

“Not important,” her mother dismissively replied, hopping off the dancing Venomoth with Nova. “Best keep it a secret. We need to get Elaine throwing up or fainting; my bet is throwing up.”

“Hehe. Yeah, she really can’t hold her stomach when stress hits her,” Torry mused. “What about—”

Ambrosia smirked and walked to the edge of the steep cliff to observe the small range of mountains on the island. “To be precise, a single slap to the face, panic gasp, run a few meters, puke on the side of the road, stumble, and race for the nearest bathroom.”

“You know Elaine too well,” Torry snickered. “Poor Chase is going to be so confused.”

“And we’ll get it all on camera,” she sang, nudging Nova with a giggle. “For posterity!”

“For posterity!” the Venomoth returned. “Tell me you saw the ring! Ahh. That look he gave when we left!”

“Ring?” Nova asked, glancing between the excited older women as they jumped around as if they’d just won a Gym Battle. “Are Chase and Elaine entering a Contest together in Alola? Rhea was really nervous when we did our Contest.”

“Aww, you’re such a goodie!” her mother said with a rosy smile as she nuzzled her again. “Growing up is kind of spooky; I remember when I was such a cute, wide-eyed Eevee.”

“Mom, I’m growing up really fast!” she huffed, pulling away to puff up her chest. “I’ve been helping Rhea a lot.”

“Aww. We really should have brought Rotom with us,” Torry whispered with a grin.

Her mother’s face softened as she closed in to cuddle next to her while looking at the sunrise. “Elaine has been waiting to lose this battle for a long time…”

“Huh? Why would she want to lose? I don’t get it. She can’t win?”

“Not a chance,” Torry said, looking far into the past. “It’s funny because Elaine keeps teasing Chase about how off-and-on they’ve been.”

“What kind of Contest is this?” Nova mumbled, unable to see a fight her awesome mother couldn’t win. “You’ll lose?”

“Me?!” Her mother’s body shook with laughter as she danced. “No, no. This is Elaine’s battle alone; I get a certain little rat! But this is a battle we’ve all been having for so, so long—one she’s been, heh, ‘Chasing’ and running away from for… ever. Elaine can’t help but run; I get to nibble her ear and tease her until she breaks down and goes back to end the Chase, giving him his well-earned victory. It’s going to be so sweet to see her fidget and stammer. It’s the last battle called ‘A Proposal.’ ”

“Ooh. Proposal…” Nova whispered, ears falling back. “Scary. The last battle… Umm, will Rhea have to do a Contest like that… And we have to battle our own Trainer until she throws up or faints? That sounds terrifying!”

“Haha. It’s amazing, actually,” her mother returned. “Anyway… Pick us up at 8 p.m., Torry?”

“Got it! Wait, when is this supposed to happen?”

“Tuesday. It’s the earliest Chase was able to set everything up.”

“Yes! I got time for molting. See you at eight!”

She vanished, leaving Nova’s mind a nightmare involving a ring, humans slapping each other, puking, and tormenting her Trainer by biting her ears; it truly must have been a Champion-tier Contest.

Her thoughts were shattered as her mother tackled her. “Eh?! M-Mom?!”

Rolling to a stop with her mom on top, hugging her tight, she cuddled closer. “Mmm! You’re growing up so fast. I’ll tell you more in two weeks. Okay! Ready to test out my theory and talk?”

“Mhm!” Now alone with her energetic, teasing mother, Nova got up to follow her to a small trail to a small waterfall, emptying into a small forest below. “What are we doing here?”

“I’ve been watching your battles. You’re getting so good at retaining your evolution! I’m so proud. You used my Move!”

Nova paused at the word. “Really?”

“Of course, silly tail! Oh, look at this…”

Fire crawled up Nova’s chest as she stopped by the falls, noticing clear blue crystals lodged inside the rocks with bubbles inside them; a strong energy radiated from the area, making Nova’s mouth open in wonder as she felt a gentle tug from it.

“Water Stones?”

“It is! We’re at a place called Stone Town. We’re going to try to see if all these stones will help you get closer to evolving into any other form. Want to explore, meet new Eevee friends, and have some fun?”

“Let’s do it!” Nova grinned as her mother did a backflip down the side of the steep cliff.

“Follow the leader; we’re moving fast!”

“Right behind you, Mom!”

Nova did a front flip, feeling light as air as her mother cheered at her landing. They went from cliff to tree branches, her mother encouraging her to take risky jumps and overcome her fears. When they came to a big waterfall, a big Poliwrath challenged her mother.

Her mouth dropped open when her mother held up a coin for the Area Boss to see, tossed it in the air, and spun in a circle to swat it with her tail; it bounced off the strong Tadpole Pokemon’s head, making his eyes roll back as he fell into the water.

The stunned Poliwag jumped in to see if their boss was okay as all the river Pokemon gathered in awe at the superpowered Eevee. Her mother used the attention to pull in some Vaporeon, though made sure to tell her that she made a much cuter Bubble Jet Pokemon. A swimming contest ensued, with Nova transforming to jump in the water to have fun with them.

She couldn’t believe how fast her small mother was in the water as she kept up with them. The moment the Poliwrath woke up, he was begging his mother to take him under her wing and take over the area. Her mother politely declined and asked him to help her meet some of the other Area Bosses.

Nova giggled at the look Ambrosia gave some of the Pokemon that approached her, asking if she was new to the island, especially the many male Vaporeon. However, no one wanted to challenge her mother after her Iron Tail parted the entire river without disturbing the bottom.

The Poliwrath took them to an elegant male Ninetales that guided them to a deep cavern with a pack of excited Growlithe, Arcanine, Flareon, and Vulpix. Her mom spent the journey teaching them how to utilize her Quick Attack better to run up the cave walls, jump off opponents without triggering the Move, and reposition.

She grew more excited as they reached a bright cavern of molten lava, filled with glittering stone that pressed in all around her. All the Flareon surrounded her, flames rising off their fluffy fur and dancing around her, expecting her to join them.

“No pressure,” her mother chimed, tail wagging as swirling fire kept the other Pokemon that followed them at the entrance. “You can feel it?”

Nova held a paw against her chest, closing her eyes and feeling the heat resonating within her core; it helped mitigate the hole she felt from Rhea’s absence as the memory of cuddling up to her Trainer’s leg at night filled Nova’s chest with happy memories.

“It’s like… Rhea’s hugs. How I feel when she rubs my belly and nuzzles me…”

She smiled as her mother’s cool nose rubbed against her cheek, sparking something hot inside her, and Rhea’s spirit came back in a rush that made the air seize inside her lungs.

The energy spinning around her rushed through Nova’s body as the flames flooded in and flared out; her tight fur became dark as night, snow-white fluff flowing out as she grew in size, and embers sparked from her mouth—and then, she was small again, blinking up at her mother’s grinning face.

“You did it!”

“Huh? D-Did I?”

“You were so pretty!” one of the Flareon said, crowding in with the others.

“I haven’t seen Umbreon with that dark of a coat!”

“Such soft-looking fur!”

“Why did you turn back?!”

Her mother chuckled while dispersing the anxious Flareon, hopeful she’d evolve again.

“Give her some space! It’s okay. You did amazing! You remember the feeling you had? Nova?” her mother whispered as her eyes started to water. “No, it’s not bad you turned back!”

She shook her head and moved to hug her mom, taking her to the ground. “Rhea… I feel, Rhea! I-I think she’s coming back… I was so scared…”

“Hey,” her mother whispered, licking her pulled-back ear. “It’s okay. Go ahead and cry… I’m here with you.”

“Ahem… No, I’m a big girl!” she said, puffing out hot air that sparkled with lingering embers. “I want to try again… I want to surprise Rhea!”

“Hmm.” Her mother squeezed her before rolling upright. “You won’t be able to keep it stable outside of this Fire Energy-rich environment for long… but if we wait just until we leave, then you should be good to do it for a short burst. Would that be fun to surprise her with?”

“Mhm! I want to make her faint like Chase will make Elaine faint in the Battle of Proposal!”

“Hehehe! You really are such a goodie!”

“M-Mom!” Nova cried as she tackled her again and started licking her face. “It’s embarrassing…”

The other Flareon giggled as her mother refused to let go, no matter how hard she struggled; she was trapped in her mother’s Iron Paw Grip attack, followed by her infamous Endless Lick attack. Nova couldn’t stop laughing from her nibbles and tickles.

“Say you love your mom!”

“N-Never!”

“Say it!”

“Okay! Hehe! Okay! I love you!”

“I love you, Mom!” she squeaked.

“I, heh—I love you—stop! I love you, Mom!”

“Hehehe. Never!”

“Mom!”