Ask to Join Geminos: ~Threads of Uncertainty~ (Role Play Thread)

[Hecotoro]

As the Corsola joyfully continued her attack she didn't notice the rocks raining down towards her. Until finally one landed on her head, not much of an impact though.
Jacky nodded. "Good try, but those rocks lose momentum once they go underwater and with Cora's defenses, you're just gonna annoy her. But, I am abusing my field too much. Cora! Scald!"
The Corsola swam quickly upwards, jumping out of the water and landing on the opponent's platform. Now that she was closer, she let out a high pitched cry as she shot a Scald attack at the enemy.

 

[Godjacob]

Devin frowned a bit as indeed his hopes sunk much like the rocks he fired into the water, though Jacky showed an admirable amount of sportsmanship though he was pained that she effectively threw him a bone here, but he lacked time to dwell on that now as a Scalad fired right at Terra and Devin had to respond quickly.

"Rock Blast now!"

Terra fired several rocks that met that boiling water mid air as the rocks broke apart and dust picked up but Devin managed to hold off her attack. Though the dust of the destroyed rocks gave Devin inspiration as he acted quickly while it hung in the air. "Terra use Tackle through the smoke!"

His partner understood right away, as she paused a moment to make the Gym Leader guess where she'd come from before she charged through the ride bit of the smoke trail towards Corsola and tried to ram her full body weight into it.

 

[DarkHydraT]

Sandra furrowed her brow as she watched the match, there was no way that Devin could win this match. "He's gonna lose, he doesn't have the field advantage like the gym leader does and no real good Pokémon or moves against Water types. Normally brute force can do a number on them, but they are typically pretty fast and Corsola is really defensive for a Water type due to being part rock. Devin put up a good fight, but this was a fight he couldn't win with him being as he is now. He needs to either work on the teamwork or have a counter against Water types. Grass and Electric types are a good bet, maybe a Water type to abuse the arena? A Dragon type could also work, but there's no way that he could obtain one already. They're incredibly rare and powerful, back in Johto you could only get Dratini by gambling or by going to Blackthorn City. I know Clair has a Kingdra, but I am unsure how she got one."

 

[Hecotoro]

Jacky smirked. "Take the attack Cora!"
The Corsola took the tackle head on, being pushed back. But, just as her trainer, she had a smirk on her face also.
"Distance was your only advantage boy!" Jacky called out. "Dodge this, Scald!"
Cora, looking directly at her opponent, shot a Scald attack at the Rockruff, this time shooting it a little wider then the usual, trying to cover as much space as possible.

 

[Godjacob]

"TERRA MOVE!" Devin cried out in horror as he realized his mistake, but it came too late and Terra too close as the Rockruff tried to jump back only for the Scald to hit point break as Terra cried out in agony as she was knocked back and slammed hard against the platform from the blow of the Super Effective shot.

"Terra are you okay!?" Devin asked in concern, as Terra tried to stand up as her spirit was strong in spite of the pain of the blow. But between the precious Scald that scraped her paw and the pin missile fatigue it was academic and Terra flopped forward and spirals were seen in her eyes. She had fainted.

 

[Hecotoro]

"Great job Cora." Jacky called out as she returned her Pokemon back to her Pokeball. She looked at her challenger. "I have to admit, part of me is glad my losing streak is over, but another part is sad you didn't win. It would've really made you stick out from the rest of the trainers coming in today. I do hope you come back and challenge me again one day, I want to see you improve."

 

[sSoul]

Unfortunately, the obvious outcome had come to pass: Devin lost his gym battle. Rowan could only imagine how crushed his friend might've felt, considering that despite the compliments the gym challenger rightfully earned from the gym leader, he still wasn't able to pull out a win.

I wish I could say something to encourage him, but I got nothing...

 

[Godjacob]

Devin needless to say had been devastated, though his top concern was making sure his partner was okay as he dashed on the platform and picked up the knocked out Rockruff as Terra groaned in his arms as a wave of guilt rushed through him. Taking on a Water Gym Leader with two Pokemon weak to water was a mistake, one made because he lacked the skill to get Terra and Growlithe to work as one to catch a Pokemon more ideal for this challenge. Yet he rushed in anyway after his traveling mate had gone. He rushed in out of peer pressure and now paid the price for his mistakes. And now so did his Pokemon.

"Y-you were strong, thank you for this and future opportunities. I will try not to disappoint again..." Devin said, though in spite of himself his somber tone creeped up as he walked with Terra in his arms as his guild and shame was evident to all as he made his way to the Pokemon center....muttering something really only his partner Pokemon would be able to hear.

"I'm sorry buddy...I'm...I'm so sorry..."

 

[Mystic Zander]

Levi and Newt found themselves leaving Aquamarine City almost as soon as they arrived, ready to make headway towards the next landmark.

“Not much exposition or plot building that time around.”

Levi mused in reference to the lack of eventfulness Aquamarine had brought to the table.
Yeah, sure, the duo had won two badges respectively, it was cause for celebration, but...it had just been a little underwhelming.

“Next landmark on the map seems to be a smaller town called...Perichor? That’s a strange name.”

The chestnut-haired boy stared at his map for a moment, before perking due to a sudden realization.

“Ahh, okay. Smudge of ink on the map. It’s call Petrichor, not Perichor. Good, that would’ve been stupid.”

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Newt was silent, perhaps because there was some kind of joke he didn’t understand, or because he was trying to shake the feeling of nervousness as they approached the next destination.

If he was really going to be doing this gym thing...he was going to have to face another string opponent, and it would be stronger than the last one he fought too. If this is how they hurt Dunsparce this time...he could only imagine the next place, or the next, or-

“Spaaaaarce.”

“Huh?”

His serptine companion curled up tighter on the back of his neck, noticing his partner’s tense demanor. Newt offered a tender touch on it’s back and a small smile, looking to Levi.

“What’s in this new place...?”

 

[Mystic Zander]

Levi’s eyes steadily scanned the description Petrichor, pursing his lips as he did so.

“Well, to be quite honest, not much.”

He responded flatly, tapping on a specific paragraph in the index of his map.

“Primarily wet grasslands and lush forests, so a tropical environment I’d assume- consisting of numerous small homes and shops built by hand.
In other words, it’s a tiny, damp village full of dirt huts. Interesting.”

 

[Godjacob]

"Alright, your Pokemon are all healed! Thank you for stopping by and we wish you the best."

"Thank you."

Devin checked out of the local Pokemon Center, his Growlithe in Pokeball and his now fully healed partner Terra by his side as Devin's team were treated of their injuries from the Gym Battle and now had been 100%. But while physically all parities had been okay it seemed that his Pokemon took the loss as hard as Devin did; not helped is the fact that their bickering had likely caused them to be put in that starting hole that they failed to climb out of.

Devin himself wondered what he should do. Forget a rematch, until he sorted out this team issue and found any Pokemon that would not fall to two hits to the Gym Leader they'd be going nowhere fast. Devin needed to do something, but it seemed no matter what he tried Growlithe & Terra could not get over their beef with each other and he lacked the experience or natural talent in training to get around it.

With a sigh, Devin sat in front of a local market as he pondered what to do, a downcast expression picked up by Terra as the Rockruff tried to rub against his side for encouragement. Even the Growlithe wiggled in the Pokeball as it sensed the sadness from its trainer.

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

“Dirt huts...yaaaaaaay...”

Newt was less than ethused by the description of the village. Did all the income of the region get poured into the first two cities before they ran out? Reminded him too much about home and that made him sick.

“Maybe we can just...take the long way around?”

 

[kyuukestu]

After following the trio of Pokemon outside the city and into the outskirts, far enough so as to be bordering on route 1, Ellen came upon what she could only describe as a crime scene. A trainer and his Blastoise rather triumphantly celebrated over the fallen figures of their victims: a Metang, a Houndoom, and their presumed trainer.

Now, Eléonor wasn't particularly savvy with the law code of the Geminos region, but she was pretty sure that aggravated assault with Pokemon was illegal in any region. Breathing deeply, and masking her apprehension behind a stoic mask, Ellen approached. She stopped a few meters away from the trainer and —not wanting to be attacked—orated from a distance while flashing her badge.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to follow me down to the station...sir."

 

[Mango137]

Acacia had just finished loading both kids onto the back of Poe, his Corviknight, when a rustling in the bushes nearby caused his head to swivel in that direction, anticipating more danger.

Fortunately, it was quite the opposite as three very familiar Pokémon emerged from the shrubbery.

“Hey guys, you’re back!” Acacia cheered with glee at the sight of his Pokémon’s return. “Looks like you got everything, that’s great!”

He grabbed the bags from his Pokémon and promptly returned them to their pokeballs in preparation for his flight. However, a nosy girl who was presumably a cop felt the need to put a dampener on the reunion.

“You’re a cop? Maybe you should try doing your job!” Acacia scoffed, not allowing the nuisance to break his stride. “I hear screaming and come to find this Pokémon abusing thug had broken this boy’s arm and was attacking this girl. And now you want to arrest me? Goodluck!”

He hopped onto Poe’s back and returned Zeni to his Pokéball. “I’ll tell you what, you can even take credit and turn the bastard in. I’m taking these guys to a hospital.”

With a powerful flap of metallic black wings, the Corviknight lifted the group into the sky, leaving the girl in a wake of upturned dust.

 

[kyuukestu]

Ellen was rather unsurprised by the trainer's standoffish attitude and complete dismissal of her person. She was expecting a troublemaker since his pokemon had done just that in the Department store. As such, as he was departing Ellen simply snapped a picture of his face. She jotted down his statements on her Poketch's notepad and decided to deal with the aftermath of the situation at hand.

She made a quick call to the Seafare station and asked for assistance in handling the scene. She relayed the story to the higher-ups, who would presumably investigate the validity of Acacia's statements. Regardless, it was no longer her business. Determining the truth of the scene and then dealing with the relevant parties would be the responsibility of senior officers in the force. Eléonor was more than content to hand over her reports as truthfully as she knew them and move on—which is just what she did.

With matters handled, Ellen decided to head back to Aquamarine City and from there...well, she'd decide when she got there. So it was, that after another long walk, all too long for her uncomfortable heels, Eléonor re-arrived in Aquamarine City.

 

[Godjacob]

As Devin had sulked and Terra tried to comfort him, his Growlithe released itself and likewise tried to show support to its trainer. This got a passing look from Terra, and one in kind from Growlithe, but both realized that if nothing else they had to put aside differences for this. Though as they rubbed on Devin Growlithe's nose picked up a familiar scent as with a tongue out it raced to the city entrance much to Terra and Devin's shock.

"G-growlithe wait!" Devin called out as he and Terra gave chase as Growlithe ran right up to the familiar feminine figure as he landed by Ellen's feet and barked happily at her as if it said hi. Devin and Terra caught up soon after.

"Geeze you are gonna make me sweat buckets here..." Devin said before he and Terra noticed Ellen and instantly he had felt a bit sheepish. "O-oh uh, s-sorry..."

 

[kyuukestu]

"Ugh, my feet are killing me."

Not even a week into her journey and Eléonor was already fed up with her footwear. Her heels had been repeatedly proving their wearer's extreme lack of forbearance and foresight, and their toe-pinching, ankle-biting, heel-slaying, strides had been her bane ever since she'd stepped off the boat. Eléonor had been looking for a place to stop and rest when she heard a familiar barking and a bundle of orange fluff came running over.

"Oh! It's you! Aren't you a little cutie~" The moment Ellen recognized Devin's Growlithe, it was like all her fatigue had been blown away. She immediately crouched down to its level and began running her fingers through its fur, giving it a thorough petting. It was only after she'd fawned over the Growlithe that she noticed Devin himself.

"Oh, Hello again."

 

[Godjacob]

"H-hey, I see you and Growlithe are getting along well again." Devin said, really it had been amazing to see how well Growlithe had taken to Ellen and vice versa; as the fire type nuzzled against her touch as it enjoyed the petting it was given as Terra also smiled at Ellen and Devin decided to speak up as he figured it would be awkward to hang just on that.

"So I see you are back here, did you go out of town for something?" Devin asked curious why it appeared Ellen had returned to this town given he had seen her earlier here already.

 

[kyuukestu]

"Well...yea. I wanted to get some grooming tools for my Pokemon, so I went back to Seafare to check the Department Store."

Speaking about her Pokemon, Eléonor grew more excited, and she quickly went rummaging through her bag and began to pull out items.

"I've got an Iron File for Cordelia—Steel-types can be a nightmare to take care of without the right equipment—and a pair of clippers to keep Aveta's poisonous quills trimmed and a pair of gloves—I saw Ken get poisoned by her and...well, I don't want to repeat that mistake—and lastly a spray gun, to keep Nynyve moist. I'm not sure if Clamperl can dry up if they stay out of the water too long...but I don't want to find out."

After she'd finished showing off her items, she began to put them back into her bag.

"I don't have that much money left though; I'll need to try and make some more..."

She heaved a reluctant sight but turned back to Devin.

"So...what've you been up to?"

 

[Godjacob]

Terra and Growlithe seemed to be drawn to the various items Ellen gave this showcase to, with Growlithe giving a curious sniff to them though Devin managed to keep either from touching them as he listened to Ellen's story as he nodded. Really he could use a bit of a supply run himself, so given what he saw here he may mirror her action or see what the next town had to offer but when the question came about what he had been up to the mood shifted and Devin sighed as he frowned in thought.

"Well, not nearly as well as I hoped. I just challenged the Gym Leader here, and well it went poorly." Devin admitted, and given the two Pokemon he had how he anticipated Ellen's question as he would follow it up with further detail.

"And no, I don't have another Pokemon. Just these two, and yes I know challenging a Water Gym with a Rock and Fire Type is a dumb move. I tried to catch another Pokemon earlier to help add some depth to the team, but...these two keep getting in each other's way and my efforts to have them focus on a common goal failed. I...I've tried everything but just seem to lack that "it" factor to make them overcome their natural rivalry. I don't know what to do..." Devin admitted, with almost a defeat in his tone as both Terra and Growlithe felt a touch of guilt given their personal beef was cause for this even if it had been largely subconscious reactions.

 

[kyuukestu]

"Hmmm."

Eléonor hummed as she lapsed into silence. She didn't really know how to comfort the evidently disheartened boy, but she racked her brains for something comforting or reassuring to say. Eventually, she managed to squeeze out a few lines that even she herself sounded uncertain of.

"It factor...huh." She began, "Is that the measure of a trainer? How well they can bend their partners and groom them into who they need to be in order to accomplish the trainer's goals?"

In a sense, Eléonor thought that perhaps that was exactly the measure of a trainer, however in another sense...

"When it comes down to it...I think you've got to listen to your partners and your own feelings and after that, take the dive that will satisfy you both. I haven't really decided what I want to do on this journey yet, but I'm going to give everything a try. If I find something I like and my Pokemon love, then that's what I'll do."

Her gaze lowered when the topic had eventually turned to her own uncertainty, and she drew slow languished strokes through Growlithe's fur.

"I think their rivalry could be good for them...I don't think everyone needs to get along, but what do you think these two would enjoy most?"

 

[Godjacob]

This made Devin think, really a good trainer should have been able to get a read of their Pokemon's desires as well as he glanced down at both Terra and Growlithe and watched them while he thought over what they'd want.

Growlithe seemed to melt at the touch of Ellen, letting out a relaxed sighs as it seemed to embrace Ellen's company. Something Devin had taken note of, as Terra kept close to him while he scratched his chin.

There likely had been a way he could make the two work together, trainers had managed to make teams of Seviper's and Zangoose' for Arceus' sake. But that required great time, effort and an ability to naturally mend explosive personalities which at this stage Devin had been unsure if he had the capacity to do. But seeing how well Growlithe seemed to jell with Ellen gave Devin an idea that may help both Pokemon and himself. Even if there had been a touch of regret to the idea...

"Maybe, maybe a change of scenery would help." Devin said, which got both Growlithe and Terra's attention as he crouched and began to pet his Growlithe on the head who nuzzled in kind. "I want them to be the best they can be, and frankly they may get in each other's way. Maybe they'd work better as competitive rivals of sorts rather than partners. Maybe if Growlithe was with an owner who cared and didn't have a Pokemon yapping at its heels it could thrive..." Devin said, though he hesitated to mention the word "trade" even if it seemed he introduced the idea there...hard as it seemed to be for him.

 

[kyuukestu]

"You mean a trade?"

Devin wouldn't have to force himself to say the T-word as Eléonor had already caught on, and having done a Trade once already, she held no such reservations. Instead, she appeared almost thrilled as the chance to acquire a Growlithe elicited almost delirious joy. However, almost as soon as she'd said it she found a problem. She didn't really have any Pokemon she wanted to part with. Cordelia was irreplaceable, the thought of trading her would never cross Ellen's mind, and she'd since grown rather attached to Nynyve and Aveta.

"Errr...um...Oh!" She fumbled for words, before finally remembering the Pokemon she'd caught earlier this morning. Now, rather than her words, she fumbled over her Pokeballs, clumsily spilling them across the floor and inadvertently releasing all her pokemon. Rakes of red lightning transformed into the figures of Mawile, Nidoran, Clamperl, and last, but not least, Dratini.

"Well, I've only just caught this little one..." She sighed over her clumsiness and opted to focus on her Pokemon. She reached out to touch the slithery dragon, but the shy Pokemon shrunk back almost immediately.

"It hasn't quite warmed up to me yet..."

 

[Mystic Zander]

“Unfortunately, we can’t. Says here that there’s a gym in Petrichor. We both need the training. Hope you brought your rain boots and straw hat.”

Levi remarked drearily, giving Newt a sympathetic pat on the back.

A few hours later...

It was eerily quiet, allowing the sounds of nature to encapsulate the trainers. How long had it been since they had last spoken? An hour? Two hours? Why the silence? Was it Newt? He was the quiet one.

No. This time it was Levi’s doing. This was the first time the pair has had a chance to really take things slow, and it was all catching up with him.

“Hey Newt...what do you think was up with that insane Venomoth trainer? His outfit was definitely a uniform. That means they’re probably more like him.”

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

*Splish* *Splosh* *Sploosh*

Newt’s shoes walked on the small puddles everywhere along the path to their destination. It was damp, clamy, and humid. He hated it. He constantly avoided stepping in mud and some organic grassy fluid along the side of the path lining the trees. His lips were constantly raised about while he cringed, showing distain with every step. If I knew it was gonna be like this I would have stayed at home...

That’s when Levi broke the silence, bringing up the venomoth Trainer they saw before. Newt hung his head low at the though there could be more like him...

“Why did you have to say that...?” Newt sighed. “I don’t know, maybe he could be part of a biker gang for all I know? We haven’t been here for long, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions so fast.”

While they traveled, a pair of eyes watched them, following their movements, very similar to the pair of eyes that watched them in the town before.

 

[Godjacob]

"Y-yes..."

Devin was thankful she said the words and not himself, as he had no practice with this and still had some guilt to work over. Terra & Growlithe in kind had no idea what was being discussed, though the new flashes caught everyone's attention as Ellen seemed to drop a few Pokeballs and out came an entire party of Pokemon which made Devin's eyes widen.

I-is she giving me multiple choice or...

Terra and Growlithe naturally wandered by the four Pokemon on display and gave some cautious though curious inspections of the Mawile, Nidoran, Clamperl, and Dratini respectively. Though quickly Ellen's true intent was revealed as she singled out the Dratini for consideration who seemed a bit on the shy side as she reflexively moved away from her hand. An added explanation of the Dratini being just caught and not quite used to Ellen helped explain it as Devin honestly felt a kinship with the personality type given his own shy demeanor.

"I-I see. Looks nice, I always thought the Dratini line were rather beautiful..." Devin admitted, as he thought it over. If she was willing to make it official it seemed fair on all accounts. Ellen would get a Pokemon she admired and Growlithe a chance to flourish with a team without a member butting into him. Terra would get the chance to jell with a more compatible teammate with a fresh start to their journey. It seemed perfect, but Devin was not gonna let this be a decision he made without one key consideration as he moved beside Growlithe as he looked at the Fire Type in the eye.

"H-hey uh, I see you take a liking to Ellen and find her team interesting. H-how would you like to travel with her? I think it would be good for you and help you grow more than I can offer. Course if you want to stay with me and try to make it work with Terra I'll respect it. Just know it is your decision and no matter what happens I enjoyed our time together and wish the best for you." Devin said as he tried to avoid tearing up as he wanted to avoid looking pathetic before his would be trade partner but he could not help himself even as he tried to wipe them away.

"Growl!"

A sudden rub from Growlithe caught his attention as the fire pup lolled its tongue before it glanced to Ellen then back at Devin as it gave a nod; a approval that it understood enough of what he meant and seemed okay with it. Devin took a moment to compose himself before he gave a good petting to its head as he glanced at Ellen.

"I-I think he'd like that. So, you'd be okay trading Dratini for Growlithe?"

 

[sSoul]

Due to having little reason to stay at the gym, Rowan decided to make his way to the Pokémon Center. Besides fulfilling the need to heal, this allowed him the ability to look for Devin. Although the ambitious trainer was unsure how to muster words of encouragement for his companion, he still wanted to be there in case there was anything he could do to help Devin. Thanks to help from Nurse Joy, Rowan suspected that he was headed to the aquarium.

"Wow..." Rowan found himself marvelling at the collection of water type Pokémon that the aquarium had to display. Forgetting his goal for a second, he took some time to admire the Milotic swimming in a facsimile of their natural habitat.

Right, I can look at the aquatic Pokémon later, I came here to find Devin first and foremost.

 

[kyuukestu]

"If Dratini and Growlithe are okay with it then I am too."

Eléonor managed to conceal her absolutely bliss with a soft smile that seemed accepting and mature rather than gleeful and maddening. She didn't want Dratini to feel bad and so she didn't want to look too happy to be trading it away. Eléonor aimed to complete the trade with grace and poise befitting her nineteen winters.

She carefully packed away her things, leaving her Pokemon out of the Pokeballs and then stood up.

"We can find trading machines at the Pokemon Center, would you like to go now?"

 

[Godjacob]

Devin nodded, as he kept Growlithe and Terra out as he stood up and once he contained his emotions as he wipped his nose and nodded to Ellen as in spite of parting with Growlithe he did seemed eager to accept the Dratini and hopefully it'd work out for all parities. He had to believe that much.

"Yeah, let's go." Devin said as he'd lead the way to the Pokemon Center with his pup Pokemon in toe as they entered the Pokemon Center which caught the Nurse Joy present off guard.

"Oh, back so soon. I hope nothing of concern happened." Nurse Joy said as Devin sheepishly rubbed his head.

"A-actually it isn't about healing, me and a uh associate of mine are here to trade." Devin clarified, he had been hesitant to use friend since he had not wanted to give any presumed labels if Ellen took offense to it. The Nurse seemed to be relieved at this as she turned to him and Ellen who Devin figured was in toe.

"I see. And what will you be trading?" She asked as Devin gestured to his Growlithe while all eyes moved to Ellen.

 

[kyuukestu]

"I'll be trading this little one," Eléonor responded, gesturing to Dratini. She already knew the basics of how trades went and so she was one step ahead and had already moved to recall Dratini to its Pokeball. Next she handed over the Pokeball to Nurse Joy and awaited Devin to do the same. Once Nurse Joy had both Pokemon the trade machine could be utilized and in a handful of seconds, the Pokemon would've traded owners. Simple but effective!

 

[Godjacob]

Devin nodded, as he gave one last patting part to Growlithe before he returned it and then passed his Pokeball towards Nurse Joy who in a hurry moved to the machine as she placed each of the trainer's Pokeballs on opposite ends and soon the machine went to work as a gentle hum sounded through the air.

Ding!

A gentle hum that, soon enough, ended with an emphatic ding as the two Pokeballs swapped sides and the trade had been official. Nurse Joy was quick to pull them out as she passed Devin's newfound Dratini and Ellen's newfound Growlithe respectively towards them.

"Here you go, I hope you take care of your new companions." Nurse Joy said with a smile as Devin held the Pokeball that housed Dratini as he soaked it in for a moment before he turned to Ellen.

"T-thank you, take care of her. And I hope you two get along well." Devin said to Ellen with a small smile; both sad that his first capture was no longer his, but happy that now he had a new opportunity with a Pokemon he always admired.

 

[kyuukestu]

"I will, and I'm sure we'll get along well...just like I'm sure you'll get along with Dratini! Oh! By the way, do you mind if I nickname this Growlithe?"

Ellen retrieved her Pokeball, containing her new pokemon, from Nurse Joy. She'd been looking forward to a Growlithe for some time now and so had already come up with a name that would be fitting her one when she caught it. However, it was only courteous to ask Growlithe's previous trainer before she went and changed its name.

 

[sSoul]

Rowan left the aquarium a (slightly) changed man. Although his friend was nowhere to be found, he did discover a newfound appreciation for water type Pokèmon. With little options left, Rowan made his way to the Pokémon Center yet again to see if he could glean any other locations that Devin might have gone to. Of course, the first person that he noticed when he stepped in the medical center was none other than the very person he was looking for.

At least that trip wasn't a complete waste of time...

Of course, the next person who caught his eye was Ellen, much to Rowan's pleasant surprise.

"Oh, you're back," Nurse Joy addressed Rowan with a somewhat confused smile, "Did you find who you were looking for?"

"Well not at the aquarium, but yeah I did. He's right here actually," The Alolan trainer pointed at Devin as he said his last sentence.

Not exactly how I wanted to greet my friend but I'll roll with it...

 

[Godjacob]

"N-no uh actually I never got around to giving it a nickname. So you are free to do so. Does this Dratini have a nickname or am I free to give it one myself?" Devin asked as he explained his now former Growlithe's situation and also asked what Dratini's standing had been just to be safe.

Though as he conversed with Ellen, he noticed his traveling mate Rowan arrive as it seemed he had been searching for Devin which caused the trainer to feel just a touch of guilt as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oh uh hey Rowan. Sorry I made finding me a bit of a hassle, should have said where I was going to go but uh had a lot going on..." Devin said in apology to Rowan as his seen at the gym probably had left him concerned which likely did little to help ease his personal guilt.

 

[kyuukestu]

"No, feel free. It was a new catch and all...so I hadn't gotten around to nicknaming it."

Likewise, Eléonor would have no problems should Devin want to bestow Dratini a nickname. She also decided not to bother Devin temporarily as it seemed one of his friends had caught up to him and perhaps they needed some time to talk. Eléonor released Growlithe from her Pokeball, squatting down to its level as the excitable pup, no—her excitable pup—regained its bearings.

Cordelia was a unique name that mixed Kalosian (French) and Galarian (British) nomenclature and mythos while Dea Aveta and Nynyve were both names with strong connections to Kalosian mythos. To regain some balance with her team, Growlithe's nickname would need to come from Galarian mythos.

"So your name will be...Mor-Rioghain!"

 

[Mystic Zander]

“I said it because it’s true. Like it or not, we were witnesses. And...I just can’t the image of those dying Pokémon out of my head...”

Levi let his head hang low, hiding his face. This had been one hell of a start to journey, and it wasn’t only the beginning.

“If we ever see something like that again, I’m not gonna run away. I’ll get stronger, strong enough to stop it.”

 

[Shen: King of Digimon]

Newt couldn’t say the same as Levi, as he didn’t personally witness as much as Levi did. Everything was a blur as he ran away nearly as soon as it started. He was just glad that his partner wasn’t going to do anything rash-

Wait.

What did he say?

“Stop it?!” Newt exclaimed. “Wha- what, are you crazy? The cops couldn’t stop that guy! You’d just be another crime scene!”

 

[DarkHydraT]

"That's that then. Come on Beepbeep, let's go find Devin. He probably needs some support after that loss." Sandra left the gym, her Magnemite right behind her with a wish to beat the everloving electrolytes out of those Water types. "Devin needs some new Pokémon or better strategies, he got destroyed in that battle against the Corsola. A Grass or Electric type would surely help, I have no issue with him borrowing you and I don't think Rowan would be against giving away Mantí for a single fight. Why doesn't he ask for help when he needs it? He saw the Pokémon he was going up against, maybe he just wanted to try and see how far he could come on his own?" The girl asked her Magnemite, who just moved its horseshoe magnets up and down to simulate a shrug.

Entering the Pokécenter after making an educated guess on Devin's location, she found both him and Rowan along with another girl. "Hey guys, how's everyone holding up?" As soon as she stepped inside, Sandra realised where she was and recalled Beepbeep. "Sorry buddy, but I can't have you screwing up the machines here. I'll let you out soon." After apologizing to her Pokémon, she turned to the small group again. "Did you just make a trade or do you just like standing next to the trade machine?"

 

[sSoul]

"Don't lose your head over it man, I get it..." Rowan's tone mostly delivered encouragement, but there was an air of understanding beneath his words, "I'll help you train your Pokémon for the rematch if you want,"

Well he's got a Dratini now, so that's something of a step in the right direction...

Before Rowan to make a comment about Ellen's new friend, Sandra finally decided to meet up with the rest of her friends.

"Oh, they just made a trade. I'm just hanging out as usual," The Alolan trainer let out a light chuckle at Sandra's comment before finally turning to Ellen.

"As for you, I see you got the Growlithe you wanted. Congratulations!" A genuine grin painted Rowan's face as he spoke to the woman.