"Thank you, Nurse Joy." Janine bowed her head. "I'll be in the waiting room, then."

  Though she kept a straight face, the girl was fighting the disappointment in her stomach as she left the main lobby and found a seat.

  Spirits were high when she had left the Center with Jazzy, Mitch and Sarah. Jazzy was wonderful and possessed enough energy for the entire group - a bit overwhelming to speak to one on one, but not so much when two other trainers were with them to receive their share of the splash. Mitch was more laid back in comparison, although perhaps he just seemed like he was when compared to her. Sarah seemed a bit whiny, but not maliciously so; she mainly seemed upset about having to walk through the forest which Janine could not entirely blame her for.

  Janine had felt tenser than ever leaving the Center with them, as though plagued by a lingering paranoia that one of them would recognize her last minute. It evaporated soon, however, and without fully noticing it, she had melted into the dynamic forming within the group. There were no walls between them, and no caution either. She was simply a girl traveling with three peers.

  She should have known better than to expect that to last - except when it ended, it had been her fault.

  Shortly after entering the forest, the group had encountered a Weedle. Without thinking the way she normally did, Janine sent Bulbasaur and Zubat after to secure a catch. That had likely been the mistake; after all, just one of them would have done perfectly fine. The battle had quickly grown rough, at Weedle's expense, and although Janine was initially happy to have made her second catch, she quickly realized how badly hurt Weedle had been in the battle. The larval insect was in need of immediate treatment, and thankfully they had not gotten too far from the Center.

  Of course, taking Weedle back to be treated meant leaving the group that she had just joined.

  The others had offered to go with her: It wasn't a big deal, they said. They could always set out fresh tomorrow. She had regretted not agreeing with them soon after leaving, but by then she had already left. Her mind was a mixture of cursing and sighing when she got back to the Center. If only she hadn't been so hasty - with both the catch and the reaction to it. The selfishness of that line of thinking had been lost on her until she had sunk into her chair in the waiting room. In the moment, she was so focused on how she had screwed things up for herself, but wasn't Weedle the one who paid for it the most? She had sent two Pokemon after her at once and had not done the best job at reining them in during the fight. Weedle had been beaten to a pulp in what should have been a simple catch, and yet all she had thought about was herself.

  The girl found a camping magazine and tried to take her mind off of the turn of events. Weedle was her responsibility now, and it was likely to be a challenge acclimating her after what had happened, but she couldn't do anything about it until she was healed. That would be a matter for tomorrow, and if Weedle decided that she didn't want to go with them, releasing her would be easy enough - they'd be right in the same area they caught her in, after all.

  For the first several minutes, Janine found it hard to focus on what she was trying to read. Her mind kept drifting elsewhere - the slow start back home, and the turn things took the moment it started to look up. She wondered how Jazzy and the others were doing.

  She found her focus eventually. She always did - perhaps looking up at the glass ceiling was what helped. On a clear night, looking up at the ceiling was likely to provide you with the sight of a beautiful, starry night sky. Tonight, however, it was a soothing image of rain clouds and the drops that fell from them staining the glass. Rain was so relaxing when it wasn't falling too hard, and you were viewing it indoors. The sight and sound stimulated her, as though reminding her of her training. Today had not been great, but it hadn't been terrible either. She had won her first battle, had a pleasant social experience here at the Center, and made two successful captures in addition to her starter. Objectively speaking, she had little to complain about, and she knew what her father would say if she did.

  She had made decent progress on her reading when a new figure entered the room: A boy wearing a cap. For a moment, she was silently surprised to see another trainer at this time of day - they would all be in the forest by now, but it didn't take long for her to remind herself that she was also an exception. With his back to her, she lowered the magazine for a moment to curiously watch him making his way to a video phone, before returning to her reading. He was talking to somebody on the other end, and perhaps she could have made out what was being said if she tried, but she did not eavesdrop.

  She continued to read, skipping over to a section of the magazine that had caught her eye earlier. A trainer from Fuchsia had gotten himself an article in this new issue, detailing his escapades in Fuchsia's mountain range, and the innovative techniques that he and his team had implemented to survive out there for an entire month. Jey Cam, a name that she thought she recognized from the last Conference - he ranked in the Top 16, she was certain.

  When she was about halfway through, Nurse Joy entered the waiting room, and for a moment Janine was fully alert, wondering if there were any updates on Weedle's condition. It quickly became clear that Joy was here for the boy, however, and with mild disappointment she returned to her reading. After speaking to Joy, the boy sat down a bit of a distance from her. With light curiosity, she glanced over at him, and for the first time realized that he seemed upset. He wasn't reading anything - he wasn't doing anything at all. He was simply sitting there. She frowned at the sight. She had not exactly been in the best mood either earlier, but she doubted she looked outright depressed, and she had shaken it off as always. It was just a speed bump, after all. She wondered what had happened to him. Opening Day wasn't supposed to be a bad experience.

  As more time passed, she stayed immersed in the magazine, but continued sparing the occasional look at the boy. His behavior still had not changed. He was sitting there doing nothing, paying attention to nothing except for occasionally the clock. The more she discreetly observed him, the worse he looked. He wasn't depressed, he was miserable. She had to confess the sight disturbed her; what could have happened to make him like this on this day of all times?

  She wondered if she should ask him. It obviously wasn't any of her business, but it did not feel entirely right just leaving him as is. She stopped herself, though. Just going up to talk to him wasn't so simple…

  …

  … Jazzy and Mitch had made it look so easy, though. Much easier than anyone back home, because they didn't know who she was.

  'And neither does he…' she reminded herself. She wasn't in Fuchsia anymore. Here in Viridian, she wasn't Leader Koga's prodigious daughter. She was Janine, a fresh young rookie ready to set out and hit the road like everybody else. No labels or expectations attached. It had been so easy to talk to Jazzy and the others after all of that had sunk in. So refreshingly easy…

  …

  She placed the magazine down, and her eyes lingered on the boy for a little bit longer. He didn't notice she was staring. After a moment or two, she got up and started walking. At first she was slow, but her pace became more regular about halfway through, before she stopped in front of him.

  "Hey."

  /

  Domino looked on silently through the windows to the training room, eyes narrowing at Damian.

  The blue haired boy's posture was rigid, and although his fists clenched, the look in his eyes was hollow. Ever since the news, he had been tireless, clearly blowing off steam, but now it looked like he was ready to drop, even as he willingly volunteered to stand across from Marauder.

  The boy's expression didn't change as he looked up at Charizard, who stood in front of him with a raised chin and smoke blowing out of his nostrils like a pair of cigars. "Get ready to attack." his voice was distant, as though the words leaving his throat were only a formality, and not an acknowledgment of his partner. He then directed his attention to Marauder, who was quietly chuckling.

  The Sableye in front of the masked man was completely dwarfed by Charizard in every capacity, but such a fact did not seem to even register to the smaller Pokemon. The Sableye's gemstone-like eyes were blazingly glowing, a deep blood red instead of their usual pale-blue, and he was snarling without halt, rabid and feral even as he stood in place.

  "Go on now," Marauder encouraged with mock-gentleness. "Your target is right there."

  Sableye's snarling grew sharper in pitch as he sank into Shadow Sneak, moving rapidly across the floor and towards Charizard. At Damian's order, the fire lizard propelled himself just a few feet off the floor with his wings, in time for Sableye to emerge and lunge at him with Shadow Claw. Sableye's movements were even more rabid than his behavior, slashing at Charizard with wild rage before being knocked away, only to immediately lunge back at his target with another series of strikes, with the same result.

  Sableye braced himself as Charizard reared his head back, covering him in an atrocious, but Damian's eyes widened as Sableye quickly retaliated with a third charge, his body charred and burnt, but his pace barely slowed. Charizard struck him again, once more batting him away, only to be targeted with a Power Gem.

  The fight continued the same. Sableye continued to come back from each big hit, charging, whaling, slashing, and firing. Even as Charizard battered and burned him, his injuries seemed to do little to slow his pace, until a final blow to the head dropped him for good, and his eyes returned to their normal color.

  Marauder grinned in satisfaction as he saw Charizard take a breath, chuckling through his lips as he returned Sableye to the ominous dark orb he had released him from. "Nice of you to volunteer so willingly, kid." For multiple weeks, the hunter had been setting the rabid ghost against the weaker fodder Pokemon used by the Rockets, cleaving through them with a frenzy of Shadow Claws and pushing his stamina to the fullest. It had become a training routine, but this boy had abruptly demanded a match - the perfect chance to show off the other side of the Sableye's stamina. The kid had been working himself to the bone even more, but had clearly gotten tired of senseless target practice.

  Damian's eyes were fixed on the dark orb until the masked hunter returned it to his belt. "What exactly did you do to him?"

  "The Dark Ball is quite the device," the hunter replied. "It needs to be used selectively, of course - limited supply, and known to take its toll both physically and mentally. But any Pokemon that finds itself inside becomes unrestrained, to put it lightly." he lightly rapped his fingers against the dark capsule on his belt. "It fills them with unfiltered aggression; adrenaline and anger hormones overriding everything else. You've seen the result, this little thing just wants to attack. No matter how bad you hurt him - or how big the enemy is," he nodded at Charizard, unfazed by the lizard's gaze. "He'll just keep on coming. I have to be careful on who I use it on and when, since it's not wise to frequently use it on non-disposables, but this one showed a lot of stubbornness and proactivity before I caught him. Translating that tenacity with this Dark Ball is a promising combination. He'll need to recharge, of course so it doesn't wear off."

  Damian suppressed a shudder. The less he knew about the process, the better, he decided, not asking anymore questions before the hunter turned to leave. Looking back to Charizard, he found the large lizard's eyes on him. With a sigh, he raised his Poke Ball and returned his fiery partner without a word. He considered leaving the training room after that, but ultimately stayed with a huff, sitting against the wall with his arms wrapped around his knees.

  "Can I sit next to you?" Looking up, he saw Domino standing over him, and his nose wrinkled. He didn't want anyone sitting next to him right now, but she was his superior in rank, so he simply shrugged in response, rather than having to say "yes" or "no" out loud.

  The older girl looked him over for a moment before taking a seat beside him. She frowned at him, but he refused to look in her direction, simply staring ahead past his knees.

  "Damian, you've been going nonstop like this for the past few weeks." Ever since Executive Proton had gotten back from Hoenn and relayed the news of his parents' deaths. Apparently, the Indigo League themselves had sent a force after Proton's group at the Hoenn League's request, and they had been killed in that battle.

  "Need to break in Charizard's evolution," the boy replied blankly. "And the Grampa Canyon mission's in a few weeks at most."

  "You know that isn't what I'm talking about." she sighed. "What use do you think you're going to be if you work your skin off before the operation even starts? You realize Silver's gonna tell you to take a break the second he gets back, right?"

  "He ain't here right now."

  A brief surge of frustration welled in her chest, but Domino managed to suppress it, reminding herself not to get mad. Looking away with a huffed sigh, she was quiet for a moment before continuing. "Listen, Damian… I know how you feel."

  "You sound like him."

  "Just…" she started sharply, before softening her tone. "Hear me out, for a moment…" her brow furrowed at the unwanted memory, but she pressed on regardless. "The League killed my parents, too." That got him to look at her, at least, although his expression did not change. "It was about three years ago. They were doing an operation near Pewter and that scumbag Flint came down on them. Executive Petrel broke the news to me personally." she paused for a moment, biting back her lip. "It… I can't really word it as well as I want. If Petrel hadn't been there for me, it might have been like the world had ended."

  She could see Damian rubbing his eyes. "... How did you handle it?" he finally said.

  She frowned sympathetically at him before looking ahead. "I'll admit, I needed some help to do it, but I reminded myself what they died for. Petrel kept me focused on what mattered: Destroying the League, that's what they had committed themselves to doing. I knew firsthand how low they'll sink to keep us from bringing them down, and… now you do too." she looked back at the boy. "You can make them pay, but only if you're smart about it. Promise me you'll get some rest? Silver might not even let you take part if you're bent out of shape."

  His face scrunched for a moment, and he rubbed his eyes again before standing up. "I'm going to bed. Nice chat."

  'Best I could have hoped for…' the older girl told herself as he walked off. She waited a few moments before leaving the training room herself, just to make sure he had his space. When she exited, she stopped in her tracks, finding Marauder waiting for her with crossed arms.

  "So," the masked hunter spoke knowingly. "I hear you got yourself another operation to plan for once Silver gets back."

  "Grampa Canyon," she kept walking, and without prompting he followed. "Pelsberry Inc.'s expedition is scheduled for the new future. Our informant within the company has shared their findings. A jackpot's worth of fossils, and also… the belief that some ancient Pokemon, which should be extinct, are living and thriving deep underground."

  Marauder whistled. "Color me jealous, or at least I would be if it weren't for…" he failed to suppress his chuckle. "My previous mission, let's just say."

  She knew the reminder was coming, and bottled her unease. "You put the Master Ball prototype to good use…"

  "Heh, that I did, but the final product will be even better." he nodded. "Speaking of which, I'm surprised that Silver is leading another big mission, given the S.S. Anne isn't too long afterwards. And you're supposed to be a part of that one as well."

  "I can't speak for Silver," she admitted. "But I volunteered." Given what was about to happen at the S.S. Anne, the Grampa Canyon mission would be a break from operation Origin… or perhaps more accurately the only real pause she would have. The memories of Lavender Tower were still fresh in her, but they would prove miniscule sooner than later.

  "Bold of you," Marauder replied. "I suppose Silver knows what he's doing. I'm content to simply sit back and prepare for my role. Ariana's pulling double duty preparing for more than one thing… of course the S.S. Anne is in the matter of a month, while we the Crested Slumber is still months away."

  "Yes…" Domino trailed off for a moment, thinking over the plans that would unfold in the coming months. Up until now, Team Rocket had survived by virtue of scurrying. Outnumbered and outgunned, it was the best they could manage, striking from their hiding place and doing as much damage as they could before retreating two times deeper within.

  But they only settled for that because it was all they were currently capable of. It wasn't what any of the adults wanted - they wanted war. Real, true open warfare that would end in the Indigo League's annihilation. She echoed that desire. It was nothing but an unreachable fantasy to chase until now - now such a goal was no longer fantasy, but something they could touch. It excited her, and shook the blonde girl with anticipation of everything finally bearing fruit. But whenever she thought of what was required to pull it off; it was a mess of anxiety.

  "You can feel the excitement, can't you?" as if reading her mind, Marauder spoke up, teeth bared in his signature grin. "Assassinating Charles Goodshow will just be the beginning. Humanity has spent so long straying from the secrets of the world, declaring them "beyond human reach". It's time we redefined that, and stop holding ourselves back with labels and unwritten laws." his grin grew wider, wilder. "Uncovering the secrets of the world is just one step, but taking it for oneself, and exercising it in all its glory… oh yes, I am very glad I signed on for this."

  His expression made Domino's blood go cold. He of all people knew what they would be unleashing, and yet he spoke of it so…

  "You know…" with a mild sigh, her eyes half narrowed as she turned slightly away, but kept her eyes on him. "I don't like you."

  She listened to his unfazed chuckle. "I certainly don't request your approval, girl. It is too bad, though - you're hardly poor to work with."

  /

  Ash found himself seated next to Ruunia at the table that night at dinner. He and Len had gone to the dining room soon after returning from the Safari Zone, making a stop at the Pokemon Center along the way, and most of the others were already getting ready when they arrived. He hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Janine yet, and tell her about his and Tempest's success, but shortly before the cooks came to bring in the food, she had had given him an expectant look from across the table (once more sitting at the end with Koga and Aya). His smile and silent nod were all she had needed to know, and she mouthed something with a returning smile before turning back.

  "You seem quite satisfied with yourself, Mr. Ketchum." Ash's attention broke away from Janine, turning to see the set of pink eyes looking at him as Ruunia made her presence known. "I take it your trip to the Safari Zone was a success?"

  "It was," Ash's smile stayed on his face as he nodded at the old woman. Right now, Hippopotas was resting overnight at the Pokemon Center, but she would be introduced to the rest of the team tomorrow morning. Most of them, anyway - he would need to send one back to Oak's lab beforehand. "Oh, and you can just call me Ash, by the way."

  "I will do my best to remember," she replied considerately. "I hope you will understand should I slip up every now and then."

  He did understand that.

  Dinner with the Kyo Clan was a very different experience from any other scenario where Ash had enjoyed a meal. He wasn't sitting in an echoey cafeteria with the indecipherable sound of multiple conversations coming from every direction, but he also wasn't sitting at a small table with his mom, having a one on one conversation. The large dining table hardly contained every member of the clan - for the most part, it was just those who lived in the mansion itself - but it was an almost overwhelming step up nonetheless. He only knew under half the people sitting in the room with them, and was friends with exactly two, neither of whom were sitting with him. Giving Janine or Aya so much as a glance also required glancing at the Gym Leader sitting between them at the head of the table.

  Koga's presence was not diminished by the sight of him in a sitting position, getting ready to eat his food as the dishes were brought in. On some levels, it might have been the opposite: Looking down the table and seeing him at the end almost felt like getting a glimpse of royalty. And that was before the poison master began talking.

  "Before we break bread," his voice, without being raised, immediately silenced the room. "I have fortunate news to share, courtesy of Leader Morty and Ecruteak Gym." Although the man was having dinner in his own house, he spoke like he was in a board meeting, or speaking in public. Even during meal time, Ash couldn't overlook the aura of the Gym Leader's speech. It was the voice of one of the most powerful individuals across Indigo's multi-Region spanning empire. The previous night, Koga had also addressed everyone at the table, asking that they welcome Janine home and Ash himself as her guest. Tonight he spoke in the same manner, and received the same response.

  "As everyone here knows," Koga continued. "The other night, Akira and his team arrested roughly half of Scarfist Company, including their leader Caesar Faylist, thanks to the efforts of my daughter and of course, our guest Ash Ketchum. Ash managed not to shrink at the acknowledgement, but Janine's posture was as straight and effortless as ever. Even as he remained steady himself, the name "Caesar" flashed memories through his mind - the ghost Pokemon suffering in the abhorrent mechanical cage, Nebula's abduction, Connie, and the Zangoose.

  He couldn't help but wonder what was going through Janine's head as her father continued to talk. "They were a brutish batch of scum gleefully swimming in the sewage of Indigo's underworld, and have committed many heinous acts at the expense of this land's people and Pokemon, most despicably at the expense of several children who were kidnapped by these bloodstained thugs and, against their will, sold to Team Rocket to be groomed and brainwashed to commit crimes and take bullets for the sake of a delusionally repulsive cause." Under the table, Ash's fists were tightening, yet Koga continued to speak unfazed. "Thankfully, I am pleased to announce that "were" will forever be the keyword used to refer to these vile souls from here on out. Thanks to our successful interrogation, which was only possible due to Janine and Ketchum's actions, we were able to locate their hideout and contact Ecruteak Gym to take immediate action. This morning they raided the hideout and brought all remaining members of the gang to justice - as well as wiped the place clean from top to bottom. It was also reported that the Scarfists had two more children being held captive at their hideout, a set of twins who have now been returned to their family."

  "Whichever proves to be necessary." Ash remembered Koga's simple response when he had asked the Gym Leader what "purging" the Scarfist hideout would entail. No doubt Koga new the details of the operation, but he did not share the specifics with everybody else at the table, leaving the boy with a forever unanswered mystery of the gang's fate.

  Koga lifted a glass of wine that was probably more expensive than Ash and his mom's house. "Scarfist Company represented the evils that our clan swore to protect Indigo's people from, and a portion of the criminal underworld vanished with them. I would like to give a toast to our land no longer being tainted by their wicked souls."

  Everybody else at the table raised their drinks, and although Ash was not familiar with the word they spoke in unison, he pronounced it to the best of his ability as Ruunia gently tapped his glass. Looking over at Janine for a moment or two, he almost thought she looked mildly content as she took a sip.

  Dinner proceeded from there, and the long day finally set in for Ash. When he began digging into his food, a sense of comfort gradually washed over him - a feeling that he knew he should not have in this alien environment. The heart pounding confrontation with Hippowdon and the confusing news that Hippopotas' attacker had been her father gradually went away, at least for now. Like all bad memories, they would be back when the moment had passed, but after getting his general reaction off of his chest with Tempest in the shuttle, it was no longer as heavy as it would have been.

  "So, Ash," said Ruunia next to him. "If you don't mind me asking, what did you catch at the Safari Zone?" Not everybody heard or paid attention to her question, already engaged in light conversations of their own, but the ones closest to him and Ruunia were somewhat as she asked - Ash could tell the attention that he felt was not only coming from her.

  "A young Hippopotas," he answered. He wondered if he should mention Hippowdon as well, but decided to keep things simple. "She's at the Center now, most of my team hasn't met her yet."

  "Is that so?" she raised a brow. "That's certainly not a bad catch. So, how did you get a hold of her?"

  Ash's legs shuffled with unease. "Well, about that…"

  /

  Ash did not go to his room immediately after dinner, deciding to visit his team first. Pikachu and Valiant were both staying in his room with him, but the rest were enjoying their own section of the village's residential area, along with most of Janine's team. With Tempest there, the others likely already knew some version of what had happened at the Safari Zone, but Ash knew he should give them the story as well, telling them about both Hippopotas and Hippowdon.

  The next step was the difficult one, and one that he had already started discussing with the team beforehand: They had more than six Pokemon now. In order for Hippopotas to officially join the team, somebody would have to go to Professor Oak, if only temporarily. He would have to get used to rotating the team and managing everything properly, but the other concern was how they would take it. According to Valiant, Glaceon and Tempest had called it a "super dumb rule". Thankfully nonetheless, most of the team had taken it well, having been aware for a while. Phenom seemed to be the most visibly upset about the situation.

  Before leaving for the Safari Zone, Ash had given the rest of the team a chance to volunteer who would be going to the lab first, deciding that choosing for himself should be a last resort. Tonight, he got an answer from Nebula, who had offered to take one for the team. He was very grateful for that, although he could tell Pikachu was upset - he reassured his starter that she would not be gone for long.

  The next morning, after breakfast came and went, he transferred the Staravia and prepared to introduce the newest member of their family.

  He stood outside with the ball in his hand, and most of his remaining team lined up. Janine and her team were present as well, but not as close - everyone knew the situation surrounding Hippopotas, and Ash knew they needed to be careful not to overwhelm her. Speaking of which…

  He turned to the only member of the team who was not lined up, and instead stood next to him. Tempest perked up at the attention.

  "I'll need your help with this, big guy." Ash reminded him. "You and I are going to be the only familiar faces. Everyone else needs to be eased into." he could tell Tempest was not entirely thrilled by it, but was grateful when the Kingler nodded, and ensured that the smile he gave the water type conveyed that.

  He looked back to the rest of the group. Pikachu, Valiant, Glaceon and Phenom. Something about Pikachu's posture felt awkward as the mouse's eyes briefly shifted to Valiant, and for a moment Ash felt concerned that something was wrong, but decided it was normal. He was a little bit nervous himself, knowing how Hippopotas was, and given the others had not met her once it was only natural for that to be more visible.

  Janine and her team waited patiently a little bit further back. Everybody was here except for Nebula, and it was remarkable how only one absence made the setup feel empty. It was a void they would have to be used to from now on: Until they acquired eight badges and brought the Pokemonc carrying limit up to nine, they would not be able to travel as a full complete group again. Seeing them now as he prepared to introduce the newest member was when that fact finally sunk in for Ash, and it left a dejected hole in his chest, remembering all the times he and his friends had camped out or shared a room together.

  Of course, they would be seeing Nebula again soon enough. As long as they were here, they would be rotating the team periodically so that everybody would have a chance to train. Once they hit the road, however, that would no longer be an option. Ash decided to consider this practice, getting used to not seeing the whole gang together all at once.

  "Okay," While enlarging the ball, he spoke up, making sure everybody's attention was on him. "As I've said before, our new teammate is very anxious and will probably be scared when I send her out. Take it easy and slow with her." Everybody nodded, and he pressed the button.

  Hippopotas appeared in a burst of light. Her eyes slowly opened, and then quickly widened upon taking in the set of unfamiliar faces in front of her. Immediately, the brown hippo backed away, head turning to take in her surroundings. Seeing Ash and Tempest caused her to stop, but her expression remained the same, and her body almost appeared frozen like a breathing statue.

  Ash tried to hide his frown, but some of it slipped out. He knew this wouldn't be easy, but it suddenly felt a lot more difficult now that they had passed the point of no return.

  "Hey, Hippopotas." her eyes moved to him as he slowly crouched down. He could hear a low, quiet growl from her throat, but it stopped almost as soon as it started. "Do you remember us? From yesterday?" She looked between him and Tempest, which seemed to slightly settle her. "It's okay, we're your friends. We won't hurt you."

  Her gaze shifted to the rest of the group, and her body tensed once more. Pikachu took a step forward, but stopped on all fours when Hippopotas growled again, mouth barely opening to partially show her teeth. Ash quickly raised a hand to his starter, signaling him and the others to stay put for a moment.

  From her position, Janine frowned at the exchange while her team watched. "Poor thing." she spoke quietly enough for only them to pay attention to.

  "They won't hurt you either," Ash continued. "I promise. They just want to say hello. Don't worry, Tempest and I are here." Hippopotas' eyes turned to the Kingler at the mention of his name. The large crab looked her over for a moment before suppressing a sigh and shuffling a little bit closer to her, glancing at Ash as he did. The boy gave him a nod of encouragement, and Hippopotas responded by closing the remaining distance, standing right next to him. Sand began to travel down her body as she looked back at the rest of the group.

  'Her species expels sand in place of sweat.' Ash reminded himself. He had read up on that detail the previous night.

  It would be easy to overwhelm her, intentionally or not, so they needed to do this one at a time. "You first, Pikachu. Slowly."

  Pikachu nodded, having not left his position up to this point. Moving carefully, he crept his way to Hippopotas and Tempest. The brown hippo remained tense and almost took a step back. Her head slightly turned to Tempest, just enough to see him while still paying attention to Pikachu. The Kingler nodded, and although her expression did not change, she didn't retaliate as the newcomer approached.

  "That's good, Pikachu." Ash spoke up after deciding his starter had come close enough, hoping Hippopotas would not get anymore scared if Pikachu came too close. And although he knew Pikachu could easily protect himself if she was accidentally provoked (and Tempest could certainly stop her as well), the last thing any of them needed was for it to come to that. It certainly wouldn't make any progress.

  Pikachu stopped a few feet in front of the hippo and the crab, rising to his bipedal stance. Ash knelt down next to him, placing his hands on the yellow mouse's shoulders while putting on a smile for the nervous ground type. "This is Pikachu, Hippopotas. He is my first Pokemon, and we've been friends for months."

  Pikachu managed an easy grin while raising a paw in greeting. Thinking the hippo's behavior now made the mouse realize how long it had been since he had met Ash - and how skittish he was during his first encounter with his trainer. As a Pichu, he had been surrounded by loud and hyperactive Pokemon that loved picking fights, and although it had not taken long for it all to wash away after their journey started, it was suddenly coming back to him with the wave of sympathy he felt looking at their newest member.

  The sand that had come out of Hippopotas earlier now decorated the ground, as if somebody had gotten back from the beach. She looked at Pikachu with a slightly tense but mostly unreadable expression, not leaving Tempest's side.

  "That's fine for now," Ash said, patting his starter's back. "You did good, Pikachu. Valiant, you're up next."

  The Kirlia nodded. Feeling Glaceon patting his back with a cold paw, he looked back at her, and the ice type offered him a small smile and a nod which he returned. Leaving Ash's side, Pikachu hid his frown as the psychic switched places with him.

  The rest of the team took turns introducing themselves to Hippopotas. Although she wasn't growling at him, Valiant could still detect the defensive hostility in the ground type's tension, telepathically letting Ash know that she likely would try to bite one of them if she was startled. Ash silently thanked him with a nod. Glaceon and Phenom were both on their best behavior, the former managing to stay patient as her trainer made introductions with the nervous hippo, and the latter thankfully holding back a returning growl after the hippo briefly let one slip. Janine and her team were next, and Ash prepared a bowl of food for Hippopotas in hopes of making things easier. It was increasingly clear to him that they now had another big eater in the group.

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  She finished her food shortly after it was over. Under Janine's watch, the rest of their teams were doing warm ups a bit further away to get ready for training, but Ash asked Tempest to stay put. No doubt he wanted to join in, but the water type still obeyed without much fuss. Now that it was just the three of them, she seemed a little bit more at ease, but would still nervously glance at the rest of the group.

  "They're all great," Ash tried to reassure Hippopotas as he knelt down in front of her. With some hesitation, he slowly reached his hand out. For a split second, she flinched, causing him to retract his arm a bit. When she did nothing else, he reached out again, even more slowly this time. Her eyes stared at his fingers, but she did nothing else, and finally taking the leap, he rested his palm on her back. She tensed upon the contact, and he could feel a little bit of sand while gently rubbing her. "You'll see. Everyone here wants you to be happy with us." She didn't respond verbally, instead readjusting herself into a sitting position.

  'At least she's letting herself relax.' Ash kept his eyes on her before looking at Tempest. Still at her side, the awkwardness on the crab's face could have been spelled out in red crayon, but Ash quietly pleaded with him to hang in there.

  "Hey, Hippopotas." sitting down, he scooted a little bit closer to the brown hippo. "Would you like a nickname? You know, like Tempest has? It's up to you." She considered his question for a moment before slowly nodding, and Ash began thinking through a couple of ideas that had come to his mind earlier. His first instinct was to name something that had to do with sand.

  "Dune" and "Silt" were both turned down, although Hippopotas had done her best to be polite about it. The third time had ended up being the charm, however.

  "Okay," Ash nodded in understanding. "How about Silica?" The name sounded feminine, and also kept with the attempted theme. It seemed to pique her interest more than the previous two, and although she considered it for a decently lengthed pause, Hippopotas nodded in the end.

  "Alright!" He gave Silica his best smile. "We're all happy to have you with us, Silica." Nonetheless, he reminded himself not to overwhelm her, and took out her ball, offering her the capsule. "Would you like to go back in for now? I can let you out again for lunch if you want." The brown hippo nodded a bit more quickly, so he pressed the Poke Ball's button against her snout, and she was sucked in.

  Rising to his feet, Ash returned Silica's ball to his belt, and turned to Tempest, who was still paying attention to the capsule, and the hippo inside of it. "Thank you for hanging in there Tempest, it… wasn't easy for me either." The Kingler simply gurgled in response, but Ash was pretty sure he saw a light nod from his water type teammate as well. "Listen… I'm going to need to keep her with us throughout the week. Sending her to the lab will just prolong acclimating her. Pikachu, Nebula and the others will take turns in the rotation, but I'm going to need you here with us at all times, as long as she is. Are you okay with that?"

  Tempest sighed, offering another nod. The things he did for his trainer. Ash was lucky that he knew that Ash appreciated him for it - Tempest would have told any less grateful trainer "no" in a heartbeat.

  Ash knelt down next to him just enough to be at eye level. "It really does mean a lot, Tempest, so again, thanks. And think of it this way - since you're not in rotation, you can just keep training with the rest of us. On that note, we shouldn't keep the others waiting."

  The duo moved to join the rest of the group, ignorant to the figure poking out from behind the nearby cabin.

  Aya's back was to the wall as her eyes followed the boy and his Kingler, both of whom quickly caught the attention of Janine and the others as they approached. The green haired woman smiled lightly. "Not half bad for a rookie."

  /

  One week until the battle with Koga. That was the thought going through everybody's mind as Janine led the group to the dojo and the training grounds beyond it. Ash had been looking forward to making use of the facilities since yesterday, and the rest of his team were quick to share that sentiment. It was a bit overwhelming trying to figure out what to focus on first, but he did his best to put a plan together.

  Pikachu and Glaceon stood at the start of the obstacle course. With no other company, the electric mouse fidgeted in place, doing his best not to look at his icy opponent (whose focus was thankfully on the course itself) and trying to pay attention to the booth where Len was showing Ash the settings for the course. Much like adjustable battlefields, the course had different gimmicks that could be altered between sessions, the default being a standard layout straight out of a platforming video game. A couple of alternatives were themed after elements like ice and rocks, the latter apparently being the setting that Ash wanted to start with.

  Len's gray eyes watched from the window as the course transformed to the commands on the console. Soon, it resembled a lengthy landscape of rocks, sand and uneven terrain. Ash found it nostalgic to look at, and he was sure Pikachu did too.

  "It requires a cooldown after changing forms," the older boy turned back to Ash and explained. "The terminal is set to not allow another alteration until an hour passes."

  "Makes sense," Ash nodded back. It was hard to picture the specific details, but he didn't need to be a science expert to imagine the variety of mechanisms in play to make everything work. "Are you two ready?" he and Len called as he left the booth.

  Having sunk onto all fours, Pikachu tensed, tail stiff and erect. The view of the rocky obstacle course brought back memories of Pewter - such terrain had essentially been engraved into his mind after all of the time he had spent preparing for the match with Brock. He knew this would likely be much more advanced, but it was a sentimental sight. He stole a quick glance at Glaceon, who's alluring frost gaze was locked onto the course they were about to race through. This was his strong point, and hopefully a chance to show her he could still keep up.

  Seeing both of his teammates prepared, Ash gave a signaling thumbs up. "Alright, five laps starting now!"

  For the first split second, Glaceon was ahead, but Pikachu slipped into Quick Attack almost immediately, and his smaller, yellow form pushed past her. He wouldn't activate Agility, at least not yet. He couldn't beat Glaceon in a race without it (and even with it, it had become a struggle, to his dismay), but they weren't running on a flat track or open field. He would need to use these first two or three laps to try and memorize the course. Going full speed right away would both tire him out and leave him more vulnerable to surprises.

  He turned the first corner at a sharp, quickening curve, and his eyes rapidly took in the site ahead: The first section of the course had a much narrower, stone path surrounded by sand on either side. Staying in the middle would be crucial for maintaining speed. Beyond the sandy path was an ascending set of terrain and ledges. Just before he reached what was ahead, he felt a rush of cold air as Glaceon's larger form came from behind him and pushed ahead. The ice type galloped down the middle with as much grace as speed before effortlessly jumping the ledges. Pikachu followed her, resisting the urge to speed up.

  The race was on, and both Pokemon fluidly progressed through the course, leaping from rock to rock, avoiding jagged, spike-like stones and navigating sands. Certain sections of the course had multiple pathways - there was even a tunnel. Certainly some paths might be quicker than others, but it was impossible for either to tell the first way through.

  Pikachu's experience came in leaps and bounds during the hopping sections of the course. Glaceon was doing well, but his consistency and speed outmatched hers, and was almost to take the lead… until their paws returned to the ground, and her superior running speed restored the distance. By the end of the second lap, the yellow mouse could swear that she was further ahead of him than the end of the first. In the back of his mind, he had been debating non stop how much longer he should wait before using Agility. Just as he had settled on waiting until the third lap was over, he was having second thoughts. At the rate they were going now, Glaceon would continue increasing her lead unless she made a mistake, and he doubted she would. How would he look if he lost this handily in an element he had trained for in the second week of their journey?

  He hesitated for a bit longer before his body shone with the blue light, and his speed amplified, propelling him across the course like a blur. The obstacles and drops were coming at him far faster than he most likely would have been able to react on the first lap, but by now he was starting to get used to it. More prepared, he progressed through most of the first lap to near-perfection.

  "They're doing better than I thought," Len admitted as Valiant and Phenom watched next to Ash (Tempest lightly practicing a little bit away from the course). "Nobody's crashed yet."

  "Pikachu did this a lot back in Pewter," Ash commented as Phenom briefly cheered his two teammates on. "I knew Brock's battlefield was going to be rough to run around on so I wanted to make sure he was ready for it."

  "I see, good foresight." Len commented. "Although I do have to question them going this fast on their first attempt. It takes more than just a couple of laps to have all of the traps figured out, especially with the branching pathways."

  "Yeah…" Ash admitted uneasily. At least Glaceon wasn't using Trailblaze yet, but his heart had skipped a beat when Pikachu had activated Agility, and he realized he had forgotten to set boundaries for the race. Should he tell him to slow down, or would that just distract him?

  Reaching one of the safer parts of the course, Glaceon utilized her split second to glance back at Pikachu, who, to her alarm, seemed to have activated Agility. Her eyes narrowed, and her instincts told her to activate Trailblaze. It had been her key to becoming the fastest member of the team since learning it, although she wasn't sure if it was a good idea to use it in this environment. She only had experience running with it in open fields.

  Pikachu was gutsy to use his top speed on an obstacle course. He must really be confident - she supposed he did have more practice in something like this than she did. She'd need to do this perfectly if she was going to beat him without going all out herself. It felt good being faster than him, but she wouldn't forget how talented he was himself, and she'd never take her evolution for granted: Not after he had passed his own over to let her have the ice stone. That was the whole reason she had surpassed him (and the others) so definitively, after all. He was the reason she was able to push through the limits she was breaking right now. It would be nice to return the favor after he evolved, but for now she wouldn't underestimate him - she'd simply remember how good she has gotten herself.

  They finished the third lap, and blazed through the fourth. Pikachu was sure he was closing some distance, but it wasn't enough, and he inwardly hissed. Even without using Trailblaze, Glaceon's speed was amazing. He was clearly faster for the moment, but only because she wasn't using Trailblaze, and she had already put so much distance between them that he would be cutting it close trying to close it in time. He needed to figure something out…

  He tried not to let his frustrations distract him as the fourth lap progressed. There would only be one to go after this. He might make it, but would playing it safe be enough-

  "Slow down, Pikachu!" his eyes widened at his trainer's voice. Slow down? What good would that do him? He was already behind as it is! He needed to find a quicker path…

  Coming up on the end of the fourth lap, he took a gamble. There was a pathway he had not tried yet, and he didn't have time to slow down and memorize it. Hopefully this would be a quicker route that would help him take the lead. He was working on a time limit here-

  His paw slipped. In a panic, he knew what was about to happen to him before the world of physics took control, and with a sharp cry his momentum sent him flying.

  "Shit!" At any other time, Ash would have cursed himself for swearing in front of Len or any of the other clan members, but that wasn't on his mind right now.

  /

  As he rarely failed to do, Pikachu had managed to protect himself with Iron Tail, but it hadn't saved him entirely. It had protected him from the impact of the large rock his slip had flung him into, but he wasn't being sent towards a wall or a barrier, just a boulder, and his metallic tail had simply bounced off of the rocky surface (in addition punching a hole in it). It had been a painless collision that had thankfully slowed him down a bit, but he was still flying through the air, and his next collision, while far from fatal, had not shared in the fortune, sending him tumbling to the ground. Although not knocked out, he was certainly injured.

  And needless to say, he had lost the race.

  Ash bent down and patted his starter's head, trying to keep a smile to hopefully ease Pikachu's glum expression as the electric type faced away from him, gripping his bruised shoulder.

  "Well, it wasn't dislocated, buddy. Just take it a bit easier next time, okay? It's my fault for not laying ground rules sooner."

  Pikachu sighed. Ash was trying to keep his mood up, but the damage had been done - figuratively and literally. He just had to screw up against Glaceon of all Pokemon. He didn't see any true judgment on her face (although he tried not to look at her too much, given she was watching) but the sympathetic amusement in her expression said it all. She thought he was a doofus for the stunt he pulled, and he probably was. She had offered him a quick, reassuring comment, but it wasn't long before she turned around to chat with Phenom. She could only spend so much time pitying his screwup, after all. No doubt Valiant would have a high five ready…

  Glaceon watched Ash and Pikachu's exchange before Phenom got her attention, congratulating her. She had been worried when her sparring partner had been sent flying into that rock, but even though he didn't have her durability, he thankfully wasn't fragile or unable to take a hit. It was a blunder they could look back and laugh on later down the road, but for now she made sure not to express her pride in her victory until she had turned away from him, and before she did, she made sure to tell him that he had done well up until he had slipped on the rock. She remembered how she had felt constantly coming up short against him in her early days on the team, or when Nebula had been so much stronger than her for the longest time. She wouldn't rub his embarrassment in his face, but sadly, she knew there was probably only so much she could do to cheer him up. That was better off left to Ash; if only Nebula were here…

  With Glaceon and Phenom occupied (the former telling the latter about her favorite part of the course), Valiant made his way to Ash and Pikachu, and gave a look to his trainer, who nodded in thanks and quickly moved aside to give him room.

  The Kirlia stared at the mouse's back. Pikachu wasn't looking at him, sitting still as a rock, facing the course while gripping his injured shoulder. Sympathy washed over the young psychic as he felt the disappointment his friend was feeling, although he didn't need the ability to read emotions to pick up on something that obvious.

  He tried to talk to him: Don't worry, he said. You did fine, just sit still so I can heal your shoulder. To his surprise, it almost felt like Pikachu's embarrassment… worsened. And why was he shaking his head? As he talked to his rodent friend, he was starting to feel something unfamiliar coming from Pikachu. There was embarrassment, and disappointment, of course. He felt ashamed for his slip up, and was in pain, but there was something else the Kirlia didn't immediately recognize.

  He knew he wouldn't take long to figure it out if he took a moment or two, but that wasn't why he was here: He needed to make the wound in Pikachu's shoulder better.

  "What's wrong, Pikachu?" Ash frowned. "Just let Valiant heal you, we can take a quick break." With a sigh, Pikachu knew he couldn't cause a scene, so he nodded and let his psychic friend apply Life Dew to his shoulder. As the glowing water sprinkled onto the wound, the pain was overtaken by a wonderful sensation: Like a massage, and a sense of refreshment. The wound began to heal.

  /

  The first few hours flew by like the hands on a clock were being sped up. The rock climbing wall seemed to cheer Pikachu up, although something still seemed off, or uneasy, about how he was behaving. Ash had tried asking him while getting ready for lunch at a picnic table close to the trainer grounds, but the mouse did his best to brush it off while going off to eat with Ivysaur and Golbat.

  "He's still embarrassed, I'd say." Janine assured Ash while blowing on her bowl, watching the electric type settle up with her first two teammates. "He probably felt the need to push himself harder now that Glaceon's evolved."

  "I figured that too," Ash said after swallowing some of his food. "I just can't help but feel like there's something else. He was acting weird when Valiant healed him - that's definitely a first." his eyes shifted to the Kirlia, who was joined by Glaceon, Phenom, and Beedrill.

  Then there was the pair closest to their table: Silica had been fairly quiet and nervous as expected after being let out to eat, and had responded to Janine's attempt at greeting her with bared teeth and a growl. One of the first things she did was look for Tempest, and promptly sit close enough next to him to be a part of his outer shell. The mildly surprised Kingler had scooted away to give himself some space, but the worried look in her eyes had prompted him not to give himself too much space. Although awkward, he knew Ash was counting on him to take one for the team.

  "I like the name you gave her," Janine commented. "Silica rolls off the tongue nicely."

  "I thought it was a pretty name," Ash smiled while watching the hippo eat. "Like Nebula." He suddenly had a thought that had not fully occurred to him before. "You know… none of your Pokemon have nicknames, are you just not interested in doing that?" naming a Pokemon was hardly a universal expectation. For every trainer who did, there was another who didn't.

  "I'm not against it," she shook her head. "Actually, none of my Pokemon were interested in being named. I asked all of them, luck of the draw."

  "Makes sense, I suppose." he nodded back, before eying Tempest. "Speaking of Glaceon evolving… I still need to see if there's any way to get stones around here, since you said the shop was… forcibly closed."

  Her nose wrinkled, remembering the story she had told him about the owner of Fuchsia's stone shop being exposed as a Team Rocket sympathizer. "Yeah, that's definitely something worth looking into before the deadline."

  "No need to bother," the duo turned to see Len and Toxicroak approaching them, each carrying a sizable bowl of fruit. "Unfortunately, the shop has not been replaced yet." stopping at the table, the two set the bowls down while he turned to Ash. "If you were hoping to evolve one of your teammates to face Leader Koga, I am afraid you are out of luck."

  Ash hid his disappointment. That was yet another reminder of the deck stacked against him this week. Nebula and Phenom were the only remaining members of the team (not counting Silica) who would evolve without a special item, and Phenom definitely wouldn't be evolving any time soon. More likely than not, he and his team would be facing Koga as is, but they would just have to pull through.

  "Thanks for telling us," he looked at the fruit bowls. "These for us?"

  "They are freshly picked and washed," Len nodded, taking a green apple. "A little of everything if you're interested."

  "Thank you," Janine grinned at the older boy before taking a pear. "It has been a while since I had one of these, actually." Behind her, Pikachu and Valiant approached, clearly interested in bringing some to their eating spots.

  Ash saw a couple of bananas in Len's bowl, and took them out. They were riper than the ones from the Safari Zone. "I told you about the big banana tree Tempest and I found, right? It was something else seeing one of those in person."

  "We grow them here," Janine nodded, watching Ash unpeel one of the bananas when something caught her eye. "Hm?"

  "What is it?" Ash looked where her head turned and saw Silica staring at him - or moreso, what was in his hand. "Oh…" he looked at the half peeled banana he was holding before slowly approaching her and Tempest. "Silica, do you want these?" he bent down and held the fruit out, and smiled when she nodded. "Sure, here you go."

  He finished peeling the first banana, and set it in her bowl before doing the same with the second one. The brown hippo made an unfamiliar noise before nudging the bowl with her nose and taking one of the bananas in her mouth, chewing it up all at once. She made another noise, which to Ash sounded somewhat pleased, before gobbling up the second one.

  "A Hippopotas that likes bananas…" Len commented as he and Janine watched. "No one said Pokemon were short of variety."

  Ash stood up, backing away slowly to observe Silica and Tempest a little longer before turning back to Janine and Len. "We gave her a few yesterday, and she ate those right up too."

  "Right after you saved her from Hippowdon," Len reminded. "Association is a crucial part of psychology in Pokemon just as much as humans like us. That's why she feels safer next to your Kingler but threatens anyone else except for you."

  "So the bananas relax her," Janine surmised.

  "I know it's not an easy thought to have…" Len looked at Ash carefully. "But we don't know the full details of her history with Hippowdon. She is young, and he was her father. Her whole life until yesterday may have been like that. She is going to latch onto anything that she associates with comfort, and makes her less scared."

  "..." Ash breathed through his nose. Pikachu and Valiant paid attention to his closing hands before following his gaze back to Silica. "I definitely need to keep Tempest on the team at all times. I know he's out of his element right now, but it doesn't feel like we have any other options, and I don't know how long it will take for her to find the others trustworthy."

  "Right now," Len said. "The important part is to keep the environment around her safe and secure. She's used to being scared and defensive, those are her default instincts. Reversing those expectations will require-" he was cut off by a noise from his communicator, which looked like a Pokegear. Turning off the speaker, he brought the device to his ear. "Yes?" After a moment of listening to whatever was being said on the other end, he pressed a button. "Sensei wants me to help cover a patrol. I'll see you both at dinner."

  It was like the conversation up to that point had not happened, and Ash realized at the last second that Len had been (mildly) more open than the previous day - until the call came in, and his behavior turned instantly familiar. "Come on, Toxicroak." After bowing for a moment, he turned around and jogged away with his partner following him.

  "Good luck!" Janine waved for a moment before turning back to Ash. "He seems to respect you; he was facing both of us when he bowed, not just me."

  Ash's talk with Len last night flashed in his mind, where the older boy had bowed to him then, as well. "He didn't seem to think much of me before." he admitted. "I kept trying to talk to him on the way to the Safari Zone. He wasn't shooting me down, but, well, he clearly wasn't interested." Each time he had asked Len a question, the ninja boy would give him an answer before going quiet.

  Janine shook her head. "He was merely focused on his mission, I assure you. Had he been off duty, like just now, he would have been more responsive. Yesterday he was there to do his job, not make friends."

  'Especially since I was his job.' Ash thought, but he kept that part to himself. He wasn't sure if Janine knew the details of the gray-eyed boy's mission from yesterday.

  The two returned to their seats at the table, where Pikachu and Valiant had already come and gone with their own helpings of fruit.

  "Remember, Ash." Janine spoke while stirring her bowl. "You're not a stranger here, you're my guest. And everyone here knows what you've done - with the Scarfist gang, I mean. I can help introduce you more properly to some of the others, if you're more comfortable with me being there."

  He nodded gratefully. "I would like that, but for now I'd like to focus on training, and Silica…" he looked at the Hippopotas, eating at a bit of a better pace than before next to Tempest, who silently kept to himself, but didn't try to leave her.

  'Environment and association, huh…' he looked back at Janine, who had returned to her food, and it suddenly dawned on him how close they were to splitting up - after he was done in Fuchsia, that was it. There would be no more late night or early morning talks, confiding about what was on their mind, exchanging ideas for training, or even something as simple as this.

  "I do want to get to know your family," he said, almost blurting it out as she looked up from her food. "Before I leave, I promise."

  His friend quietly smiled.

  /

  "And that should be about everything…" Janine finished. She was standing in front of the console that controlled the pool's mechanisms, explaining all of the functions to Ash. "This should be a great way for them to practice Surf together."

  Ash nodded along with a grin. He had been excited about the pool since Janine had shown it to him yesterday, and as he looked back at Tempest, he could tell the crab was itching for it even more.

  Skrelp and Tentacruel were naturally present as well, but kept a somewhat decent distance from Tempest, due to Silica standing next to him. The Hippopotas had glanced nervously at the pool when they arrived, but Ash had promised her that she would not be in any danger of getting wet - he knew her species hated that. Nonetheless, she was still leaking sand.

  "Alright," he spoke up. "Whenever you guys are ready, jump in. Silica, you can come in the booth with us."

  The three water types raced to the pool, although Tempest briefly nudged Silica in Ash and Janine's direction before joining. The brown hippo was quick to scurry in her new trainer's direction as the crab left her side, but slowed down halfway as her eyes fell on Janine. The poison specialist tried to give Silica a reassuring look, raising her hands and backing away from Ash.

  "It's okay, Silica." Ash promised. "Janine's great, she won't hurt you." Silica hesitated a bit longer, but nonetheless shuffled next to him and looked out the glass towards the pool.

  The pool was very large, more than enough for three water types to have their way with. Tempest joined Tentacruel and Skrelp with a splash before activating Surf. The difference from using the move on the ground was immediate, and he zipped across the pull past his two training partners with more fluidity and agility than Ash and Janine had ever seen from him before. He still could not maintain the move for two long, but managed to keep himself afloat afterwards. Turning to Skrelp, a smirk formed on his face, and he brought his large pincer down onto the water, creating a splash that flipped her upside down.

  Ash rolled his eyes at Tempest's gurgling laugh, and did not bat either of them when Skrelp was quick to retaliate with a Shadow Ball that the Kingler blocked. "Hopefully they don't get too distracted."

  Thankfully, the roughhousing was over about as quickly as it started, and the trio were propelling themselves across the pool, lifting the water underneath them up to the ride as fast as they could manage and attempting sharp turns to varying degrees of success. The exercise needed to be done in bursts, as none of them were yet able to keep a continuous Surf going beyond several seconds, but would do their best to get a new one going right after the previous one collapsed from underneath them. It would be tiring for sure, like endless running across a track, but that was the point of the exercise, and it was a drill that could only really be done in a large body of water rather than on the ground.

  A few minutes in, Ash looked to Silica, who was watching the practice while occasionally stealing glances at him and Janine. "Tempest has been practicing Surf for a long time," he explained to her. "He used to barely hold it for a few seconds while being completely still, but now he's having a blast. You think he's doing well?"

  Silica's eyes did their best to follow the crab as he zipped across the water. The pillar of water he was riding collapsed, causing him to tumble into the pool and lose his momentum. With a shake of the head, he summoned a new one and resumed, trying to catch up to Tentacruel, who lost her pillar soon after, but managed to retain her balance as she summoned a new one. The brown hippo had flinched earlier when Skrelp had shot the Shadow Ball at him, but confusingly, nobody had seemed to care, not even Tempest himself. And now it almost seemed like they were having fun. Were they always "training" like this?

  A few minutes later, all three Pokemon felt their pillars collapsing at the same time. Tentacruel and Skrelp tumbled over and were left floating in the water, catching their breath while Tempest successfully maintained his balance, briefly activating a new Surf before turning back and gloating to them, waving a pincer in provocation.

  "There he goes again…" Janine sighed.

  "Yeah…" Ash said, before looking at Silica. "Hey, just so you know," he started, getting her attention. "Tempest isn't exactly known for his modesty, he gets a big head a lot." his eyes wandered to the console as a lightbulb formed in his head. "Which is why we should try and shrink it every now and then… would Tentacruel and Skrelp mind if we didn't warn them?"

  "I think they are more focused on the way he is acting right now." Janine admitted before nodding in approval. "Go on, do you remember how to do it?"

  "I think so…" stopping in front of the console, Ash messed with the controls a bit before stopping. "Should be good to go now."

  Tentacruel rolled her eyes at Tempest's antics. Her fondness for the crab could only give him so much leeway, although the stark difference in how his behavior and theatrics presented themselves compared to the past were not lost on her. That didn't stop her from chuckling softly at what happened next, however.

  Tempest's grandstanding was cut off midway through when the water beneath him began to move. Picking up speed steadily, the pool began to emulate far less calm waters in the wild, rippling with waves that flipped the Kingler headfirst into the rapids. Although Tentacruel and Skrelp were caught off guard by the sudden shift, they manage to right themselves at the last second, saving themselves from being swept up by the current.

  The waters slowed as quickly as they had begun to speed up, although they only slowed halfway, with the waves and current continuing to splash as a field of rocks and pillars rose to the surface, turning the large pool into an obstacle course. Recovering from the surprise, Tempest pulled himself up and sent a dirty look Ash and Janine's way, but soon redirected his attention to the new challenge.

  "Stay focused, everybody!" Janine's voice rose with a powerful authority that may have caught Ash off guard in the past. "Line up!" The aquatic trio moved to the end of the pool and faced ahead. Tempest and Tentacruel held onto the edge to keep themselves in place, while Skrelp hopped out of the water and stood up straight at the edge in between them.

  Silica blinked before looking up at Ash. Seeing that she was hoping for an explanation, he turned to her and said. "Our team is training for something called the Indigo League. A massive tournament called the Indigo Conference is held at the end of every year, where all the best trainers gather and compete; there's usually over five hundred of them." he looked back out towards the pool. "But in order to qualify, trainers have to prove that they are the best by winning eight badges from prestigious Gyms - and that's not easy, we have to train our butts off just to stand a chance. Fuchsia's Gym is run by Janine's family, and her father is one of the best there is. We practice new moves and hone the ones we already know to get as strong as possible."

  Silica stared at Ash for a moment before slowly looking back to the pool. Tempest was there, holding onto the edge as the waves splashed around him, Tentacruel and Skrelp. The Kingler had his game face on; a smirk paired with an uncompromised, focused expression in his eyes as he waited for their trainers to give the signal. Ash was used to that look, but to Silica, it was foreign.

  "Remember, you guys," Ash called out. "The purpose of this is strictly to practice Surf; honing your control over the move and improving your stamina while using it. The pool's current will either fight against you or give you an unexpected speed boost. You guys are going to race to the end of the pool and back five times in a row."

  Janine continued. "And you are only permitted to use Surf, no other moves are allowed. There will not be any dirty play, either. That means no deliberately bumping into either of your opponents, or trying to hit them with an attack - I'm talking to you Tempest." Unfazed, the Kingler simply rolled his eyes.

  Ash sent an amused glance Janine's way before turning back to Silica. "They've all gotten a lot better at using Surf, but this is the first time they've had a chance to practice like this. The obstacle course will force them to try and steer around the rocks and pillars, and the current will make it more difficult to do that. Make it a race, and their speed, endurance, and control are all being put to the test at the same time. Winning isn't really the point here, but making it a competition instead of having them take turns will motivate them to really push themselves."

  Silica took in Ash's words, but the unease in her expression didn't evaporate when she looked back at the pool. Ash frowned. If only he could understand what Pokemon were thinking or saying. He could let Valiant out to try and talk to her and translate, but she needed to be eased into that.

  Moving slowly to hopefully not alarm her, he knelt down and gently placed his hand on the Hippopotas' back. She flinched for a moment, but paused, as if remembering that it was just him, and it seemed like she might have been relaxing a little bit as he pet her. The surface of her skin was sandy like before.

  "It's fun for them, I promise. We wouldn't force them to push themselves like this if they didn't want to train. For them, something like this is rewarding, kind of like a game. You'll see."

  Silica's jaw stiffened. Why would Tempest and the others want to do something like this for fun? They could get hurt, or be so tired they could barely move. What was rewarding about that?

  …She believed Ash. He had promised they'd enjoy it. But she didn't understand why.

  Ash stood back up and turned his head to make eye contact at Janine, who had been watching the exchange. She mouthed an approving whisper that he vaguely caught: "Good going." His cheeks were slightly redder than normal when he returned his gaze to the pool.

  "Okay, everyone!" he called out, making sure he had their attention. "Three… two… one… START!"

  All three took off at once, rushing at full speed through the pool. Skrelp started off in the lead, being the fastest of the trio in a straight shot contest - but this was not a straight shot, and almost as quickly as they had begun, they were swerving and turning, trying to navigate through the field of obstacles while the current fought to steal away control over their movements.

  Tempest felt the spark of adrenaline that he always anticipated as he ripped through the waters. Practicing Surf had long since become a regular routine for him - but finally having the chance to traverse water on it? It was a different feeling altogether. He could only imagine how good it would feel to fight Tentacruel or Skrelp in this environment, but he was hardly dissatisfied with the current setup on its own. He found himself taking the lead as Skrelp's pillar of water collapsed and the smaller racer was flung aside by the current, but his advantage was lost as soon as he had acquired it: His and Tentacruel's pillars gave out at the same time, but she formed a new one faster, to his frustration.

  Tentacruel got to the end of the pool first, but that was only the first half of the first "lap". She still had to turn around, and when she did Skrelp had already reached the end herself, managing a much smoother turn than Tentacruel had. Tempest was trailing behind, hissing as he latched onto the end of the pool and propelled himself in hot pursuit. He did everything he could to pick up speed, straining himself to fight against the current and slowly beginning to close the distance between himself and Tentacruel - Skrelp was passing her and retaking the lead. Suddenly, the current was carrying him instead of pushing back against him, and he found himself unprepared for the "unexpected speed boost" that Ash had warned them of. Less than two seconds after passing Tentacruel, he had flung himself face first into a pillar, bouncing off the surface with a hard impact as the jellyfish passed by him again, as though he had never overtaken her in the first place.

  On instinct, Ash's eyes had quickly darted to Silica when Tempest took the hit, and sure enough, the hippo was definitely worried. Janine must have had the same idea, however, because she beat him to the punch.

  "Do not worry, Silica," the ninja girl reassured. "They have all taken much worse than that, they are strong enough to handle it."

  "Especially Tempest," Ash emphasized. "That outer shell of his is even stronger than it looks. See? He's picking himself up right now."

  Sure enough, Tempest was already trying to push himself forward again, and although Silica could not tell from where she was, he was barely bruised. It did not take long for the Hippopotas to realize that he was not moving any slower than he had before the impact, however, and a surge of admiration rushed through her chest.

  Skrelp made it back to the start point first, concluding the first of five "laps" with a solid lead over her two opponents. Tempest fought to hold his pillar of water together, and managed for longer than usual before he and Tentactruel both lost theirs at the same time, and were sent flipping over as a result. Determined, the Kingler kept his balance, successfully landing upright as he summoned a new pillar to keep carrying him forward. Ahead of him, Tentacruel was not able to do the same, taking longer to get Surf going again, and giving him a chance to close a lot of valuable distance. The jellyfish still made it to the end ahead of him, and started the second lap as fast as she could, but he had to be less than three seconds behind her.

  Ahead of them, Skrelp screeched as she accidentally flung herself into a rock, her back bouncing painfully off of the stone surface before she was sent skidding through the water. She recovered and continued just as Tentacruel's side clipped a pillar, causing her to stagger as Tempest seized the chance to overtake her.

  "You guys are doing great!" Ash called out. Although he was silently rooting for Tempest, he was hardly rooting against the other two, and all three needed to be encouraged.

  The next two and a half laps came and went, with each of the three trading the lead. Halfway through the fourth lap, they were all neck and neck, and although Skrelp's superior speed allowed her to briefly get ahead, fatigue was setting in for all of them. They were all banged up to varying degrees (Ash realized with some guilt that Tempest's excellent durability gave him an advantage in a race like this), and the constant, repeated usage of Surf had forced each of them to try and catch their breath at different points. Nonetheless, neither of the three quit, regardless of the accumulating bruises and exhaustion.

  Silica was increasingly amazed that the trio was doing this willingly.

  Tempest was the first to finish the penultimate lap, but spent a little bit too much time hanging on the edge of the pool to recover, and Tentacruel passed him. Just before Skrelp caught up, he launched himself forward, overtaking the jellyfish just before their pillars gave out, and Skrelp shot by. The crab did everything he could to maintain as much balance as possible as he fought to summon another pillar. This was the last lap, he could take a breather after the race was over. Hardily, he tore through the pool, closing distance between himself and the smaller water type. Skrelp was tired, he could sense it. Behind him, Tentacruel was feeling the same, but had no shortage of incentive to keep pushing forward.

  He and Skrelp made it to the end of the pool at the same time, and this time he did not wait to recover. They shot forward at once, and Tentacruel was turning around behind them not a moment or two later. In the second half of the race, it had become increasingly difficult to maintain Surf for as long, and the Kingler strained himself to hold his together, overtaking Skrelp as her pillar collapsed from underneath her - and Tentacruel's collapsed behind him just afterwards. He could taste victory when, to his chagrin, his gave out next, and although he he got moving again as quickly as she could, Tentacruel had pulled ahead of him with a final burst of adrenaline. Behind them, Skrelp was struggling to do the same.

  Eyes widening in determination, Tempest pushed himself through the water as hard as he could manage. He was forced to perform a swift turn to avoid a rock that threatened to halt his momentum yet again, successfully maneuvering around it. Tentacruel, meanwhile, clipped a pillar. She managed to keep moving - to Tempest's great amazement, but she was slowing from the collision. He pushed himself to speed up one final time, fighting through all of the agony and fatigue begging his body to stop.

  And he grabbed the edge first.

  The Kingler wanted to roar. To announce his victory to the world in the wake of his latest bout with adversity. His lungs would not allow him, the only thing on their mind was sucking in air, so instead he settled for raising his free pincer skyward, while hanging off of the edge of the pool with the other one.

  Back in the booth, Janine allowed herself to sigh. "Congratulations, Ash." she did not sound too disappointed, but Ash got the feeling she was hiding it.

  Ash gave her a nod before looking down to Silica. "You see? Having Tentacruel and Skrelp in the pool with him really pushed him to test himself. I'm not sure he would have done half as well without the pressure they were giving him. That's how we train together, we push each other as much as we possibly can."

  Silica settled into a sitting position, watching Tempest climb out of the pool. He looked pretty happy.