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9:00 P.M. June 14, Monday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event)

Events:  The start of the 2nd week in the Joint Kanto and Johto Indigo Summer League Preliminaries.  1st of the 2 Days of Rest after the previous week’s battles.

 

Hector prepared himself for the coming blow, pulling in Sam’s offered energy at a slow rate; he could compensate any extra with his own once the Phanpy charged.  Aggravatingly, she was still busy posturing, walking left and right as the other meadow Pokemon reacted with cheers and taunts.

It was a common tactic Hector was accustomed to since he was born in the wild.  Unbound Pokemon required more time to gather their power without the added support of their Trainer, and it allowed them to scope out their opponent to size up a promising attack or to judge when a decent point to retreat might be.  A typical Wild Pokemon’s approach to battles.

The method was somewhat exasperating to Hector after experiencing just a fraction of what Sam called the Training Industrial Complex.  He was in the kiddy zone of that human structure, and the speed at which those matches were carried out had his mind spinning, at first.

A low sigh puffed out of his skin while slowly turning to follow the Phanpy’s prance, back and forth she went, which allowed him to see Rhea, Sam, and Nova retreat several meters to not get caught in the crossfire.

Nova joining them was a relief, just in case any Wild Pokemon took the opportunity to attack their Trainers while he was engaged, but he doubted the young Pokemon had thought about that possibility.  Then again, he hadn’t been the one scouting out the area when they were teleported in, but to be fair, it’s not like he’d ever been teleported before.

He all but ignored the Phanpy and her followers’ comments; the nice breeze rolling through the trees and field was far more appealing to snatch his attention, and the longer she stalled the more he regretted not being in a double battle with his friends.

“Hmm … Rhea’s pulling up his data right now, give me a second.  I’m surprised he hasn’t attacked yet.”

She’s a girl … yeah, I guess it’s okay, but I’ve gotten used to battles just starting off with a bang.  Sometimes it sucks being a defensive type…

“Oh, sweet.  Lori just bought the team subscription package to Pokedex.mon … holy Miltank, there’s so much information.  Umm … sweet, he’s neutral to Fighting-Type Moves; we’re good!  Just the normal strat.”

Whenever she attacks…  Hector complained.

“We’ll look out for what Moves … oh, it’s a girl since she’s got a slightly longer trunk … I’ll keep you updated!”

If Nova was actually serious about fighting instead of freaking out about the mud, he had no doubt she would have already jumped in to attack the Phanpy.  Battle pace and momentum was something he’d learned from human competitions, but he had to remind himself it was a different format.  Wild Pokemon relied on humiliation and the threat of further damage after fainting to keep nearby competitors in-line; it was usually very effective inside Pallet Forest.

Sam constantly feeding him supporting information and Rhea’s back-up presence also helped to keep him calm.  It was all on you in the wild, but he had a team now; these field Pokemon would scatter the moment their champion fell.

Hector’s focus sharpened as the Phanpy appeared to finish sizing him up.

“A stone wall, huh; too dum to speak, or are ya too scared?”

Meh, it just wasn’t worth responding in Hector’s eyes; reflecting on how boring the Wild Pokemon battle scene had gotten was far more interesting.

“Oh, were you saying something?”  Hector asked, causing Nova to snicker from beside Rhea’s legs.

The Phanpy flicked her trunk with an agitated huff, lowering her body to the ground and tucking into a ball to release a soft white light; the Long-Nosed Pokemon’s skin showed a light layer of energy.

Hector prepared himself for the attack, but Sam was quick on the explanation, easing his tension.

“Defense Curl.  She’s cautious, trying to set-up … we’ll be able to do that later.  Maybe we should get the Defense Curl TM if Wild Pokemon take this long to attack.”

That’d be nice.

The Phanpy started to rotate side-to-side while chuckling to herself.  “I’ll blow you right back into your precious Trainer’s face!”

Hector’s eyes narrowed, more than ready for a counter strike.  “Just try it.”

A whirlwind kicked up as her glowing white rotations increased, and she zig-zagged toward him, kicking up grass and dirt.  Hector smiled on this inside; he’d met many Pokemon that were confident in their physical strength, but that didn’t matter much to him.

She launched toward the Pineco, leaving a small dirt path along her trajectory, fueled by her fans’ encouraging shouts.

Hector simply ignored the debris she threw meters around herself.  Red steam rose off his body, Sam in his mind, identifying the Phanpy’s Move.

Nova squeaked in panic from behind him as the Pokemon threw grass and mud in that direction, spinning like a top toward him, but he held his ground as the twirling Pokemon struck.

He was a wall, instantly stopping her advance; the attack surprisingly cut his defensive energy by a little more than a quarter, but the greater damage she did, the more he returned.

Here comes the boom!

Hector absorbed the physical damage, funneling it into his counter; a frontal cone of crimson force shot out of his frame, sending the stunned Phanpy tumbling four meters across the grass and upturned top-soil.

He lifted an eye at the cute cry she made upon getting struck, but it wasn’t uncommon for Wild Pokemon to adopt a more frightening tone when facing a foe.

Nova shouted for blood.  “Yeah, get her, Hector; smear mud in her face!”

Oh, geez…  Hector chuckled.  That’s not that big of a deal to these Pokemon, Nova.

A few of the Phanpy’s followers cried out to the repelled field champion.

“Boss!”

“W-What happened?”

“Get up and fight, Boss!”

“Great Shiny One!”

“Repel the invaders!”

Hector pushed forward on Sam’s instruction to do a quick follow up, accepting her given energy while everyone shouted.  He charged a cone of white power in front of him, punting the startled Phanpy back four more feet.

She found purchase against the grass and flip upright before he could continue, so he bunkered down again, preparing another Counter.  She wasn’t smiling anymore, glaring hot enough to burn.

“W-What was that,” she growled; her voice was much cuter after dropping the pretense.  “I … how did you hit me so hard when … when you’re so weak?”  Her trunk flicked to the left and right.  “No, no, no, I can’t be thrown back … I can’t!  I’m strong!”

Obviously, this Phanpy had little opposition in her part of the forest as her anger grew, and Hector’s eyes shifted into a half-smile.  “I mean, it wasn’t terrible, but I’ve felt worse.”

She glanced around with aggravation as a few of the Phanpy backed up further in fear.

“S-She’s losing?”

“How’s the Great Shiny One losing?”

“No, no, but … but she’s not supposed to lose.”

“She said she doesn’t lose…”

The lost faith in her abilities caused her glare to double.  “No, I’m not a loser!  I’m strong; you’ll see!  I’ll show you my second strongest attack; just try to take it!”

“... I’ve been waiting for a while,” Hector grumbled, casually turning to see what the others were doing in hopes it would further provoke her into speeding things up.

Upon turning to check on Sam, Hector released a depressed sigh, which only proved to further annoy the Phanpy, thinking he was aiming the action at her, but that wasn’t the case.

Nova was hiding behind Rhea’s legs; there were a few small clumps of grass and dirt around the two.  A few seemed to have struck Sam and Rhea, but they didn’t give any indication it upset them.

C’mon, Nova … she really is such a child.  You really don’t like getting dirty THAT much?  

“Grrrgh!!  Keep making fun of me after this!”

His focus snapped back to his opponent; she’d been charging up her famed attack for over forty seconds.

A light pink glow gathered around the Phanpy, and she dashed forward, using her entire body in the attack.  She smacked him with her trunk, slapping him with her ears, and finally head-butted his face.

“No way, Play Rough?  This one’s super strong, Hector!”

He held his ground, but he hadn’t felt consecutive heavy blows like this from even the Trainer-linked Pokemon he’d faced.  Hector held on, though, converting each strike to the retaliatory blast he’d deliver.

The pink light surrounding the Phanpy faded, chest heaving from the strain of channeling much of her offensive energy, but she only got two ragged pants, utterly shocked he was still standing.  He’d been pushed back a meter and was close to passing out, but this had to be it.

A soft chuckle shook his frame as Sam cheered.  “Checkmate!”

The Phanpy didn’t even try to retreat, wide eyes giving him a mixture of emotion, and the hurt in her gaze wasn’t from the attack she knew was coming; she was never supposed to lose.

Hector’s gathered force exploded through her, shattering the Phanpy’s defensive barrier and chunking the secondary shell all Pokemon had to mitigate extra damage, protecting their physical bodies.

Her limp frame was thrown two meters into the air and six back, bouncing across the grass to stop in an unmoving heap.  All of the meadow Pokemon fled with panicked screams into the underbrush.

A relieved sigh passed through Hector’s skin; it was actually a really tough fight, one more attack, and he would have been knocked out.  He felt the strength inside him increase, putting a smile on his eyes as a new Move opened up to him, Self-Destruct.

Dad would be so proud!

 

* * *

 

A muffled groan passed through Phanpy’s frame as she twitched, mind rousing.  The small aches that burned her body were swiftly fading.

Cracking open an eye, she saw the looming figure of a human kneeling close by, spraying some kind of liquid over her.  It absorbed into her skin, and the damage she’d taken in the fight started fading, her defensive shell returning.

Why … how are they healing me?  Is it … what if it’s poison?!

Struggling to her feet, she shook her head, trunk flopping left and right before seeing the two humans and Pokemon standing around her.  She didn’t know what kind of expression the humans made, but it wasn’t hard to figure out from the Pokemon.

The fluffy one was glaring at her suspiciously, vision shifting between the pool of mud at the edge of the field and her.  The hard one gave her a bright smile.

“Welcome back,” he chimed.  “I’m Hector, and I believe Nova introduced herself already.”

Nova released a low growl.  “You don’t … live in the mud … do you?”

Phanpy’s nose stiffened before raising threateningly, hopping back while returning Nova’s throaty rumbles.  “W-What do you want … why did you … why’d that human spray that stuff on me?!”

The human gave her a short wave, speaking its general gibberish; in her entire seven months of life, she’d never seen a human but had heard the stories from around the forest; these could be their females, but she wasn’t sure.  Many Pokemon said you could get powerful and live a comfortable life with them, but others were suspicious about those rumors, including her.  There were terrible stories about humans that would hurt Pokemon, too.

“Why’s it pointing at me; it’s laughing at me, isn’t it?!”

“No, no, no, she’s really not,” Hector soothed, moving forward a little.

It is a female human; they’re supposed to be the worst!

Phanpy jumped back again, glancing around.  “Where did … what did you do to all the others?!”  Her body stiffened upon remembering one particular rumor a passing Beedrill told her once.  “Did … did they eat them?”  Phanpy asked in horror.

Hector looked at her in utter confusion, and Nova giggled.

“Hector, Hector!  Is she stupid?  Maybe all the mud got in her ears.  Did she even hear what Sam said?”

Phanpy’s body heated with the insult.  “I’m not stupid; you’re stupid!”

“Huh?  No, I’m not; I’m smart!  I’m not the one that doesn’t understand human, stupid!”

“Nova…” Hector gave a depressed sigh, poky edges falling a little.  “I have a hard time understanding humans that aren’t Sam … it’s easier for Pokemon that are bonded from birth, and as far as I know, humans don’t eat Pokemon.”

“No way?”  Nova looked genuinely stunned.  “You don’t even know what Rhea says?”

Hector’s body turned left and right.  “Nope, not most of it.  A lot of what she says gets translated to me by Sam … well, sometimes,” he mumbled.

The shift in tension baffled Phanpy, but the stinging in her chest increased as reality set in.

Does it even matter?  The humans can heal Pokemon so fast … they even healed me.  So … I just … no, it had to be a fluke.

Her features set, scowling at the ridiculously attractive Pokemon he called Nova.  “You cheated!  I … you must have helped him when it was supposed to be just the two of us!”

“Huh?”  Nova’s ears flew into the air, head darting to Hector.  “What’s she talking about?  I didn’t help you.”

Hector released another low sigh, offering her an encouraging smile.  “Okay, so, let me break it down for you.  Sam needs a new Pokemon; she’s a super cool and good Trainer!  I think you’d be a good partner to join us; you are really strong.  There’s a lot of fun we could have, and there’s…”

“I’m not stupid!”  Phanpy snarled.

Nova’s head tilted to the side with a small smirk.  “Mmh…”

“I’m not!  Okay?  I’ve heard about the whole human bonding thing … every Pokemon hears about it around the forest when they hatch, but … but…”  She trailed off, vision dropping to the ground.

The previous fight flashed through her mind, recalling the sounds of all the Pokemon that gathered around her over the last few months, cheering her strength.  There was only one Pokemon she couldn’t beat in her life, the only one that mattered, and she couldn’t leave the field without overcoming that terror; just remembering the fight two months ago made a shiver run down her spine.

Her focus moved to the meadow, stopping momentarily on each ripped up piece of grass, marked tree, and eventually settled on the collapsed trunk near the edge of the clearing.  There were dozens of indentations along its entire length, each one showing the progress of her training.

Anger and humiliation coursed through her chest upon remembering that bright sunny day, when a looming shadow stood on top of her drained and beaten body and forced her to say she was weak.  He ruled the larger area now; everyone followed his rules, gathering weekly piles of berries for him and bringing heaps of small insects they’d found in the dirt.

A week, that was how long it took her to recover after the savage beating he’d given her; she’d passed out a few times, but he’d kept attacking until she finally broke.  A week of limping through the forest, scavenging for berries that would help treat her wounds, and worse, word had gotten around; everyone knew.

It took almost two months to restore her image within the territories surrounding the meadow, but she still heard the occasional snicker from the Kakuna gang and the traveling Nidoran groups, but she couldn’t do anything about them.

Phanpy knew if she could just hit her nemesis once with her strongest attack, she’d win, but it took too long, and he could somehow stop her quicker attacks.

It had to be a fluke!

The heat in Phanpy’s gaze returned to Hector.  “... Take my biggest attack,” she growled.  “Everything I have, and … and I’ll think about it, but I can’t lose!  I’m not a loser!”  Her voice cracked, struggling to keep in the tears threatening to leave her eyes.

Hector hummed, floating a bit away to look up at his Trainer; Sam folded her arms, lips bunching to the side while staring at her.

Accept the challenge!  I’ll show you both what I can really do!  I’m strong!  I am!  I have to be!  My parents were strong; I have to be strong!  I have to be…

He faced her again with a welcoming smile.  “Stronger than Play Rough, huh?  Sam’s impressed.  Okay, uh … we’ll give it a go, though.  Just be prepared to be thrown back again.”

She had no clue what Play Rough was but didn’t care; they’d taken the bait.

“We’ll see about that,” Phanpy grinned as confidence filled her breast again.

Phanpy kicked back more clumps of grass and dirt, gathering every ounce of energy she could muster.  Hector lowered himself to the ground again, features set to tank her blow, but she knew this would be his doom.  More than a minute passed as a dark brown field began rippling around her entire frame, strength surging through her whole body.

It’s impossible!  No one can stop me when I’m stampeding!

She screamed, galloping at an accelerated rate as her speed increased, generating a wave of unstoppable force that would smash anything standing in her path.  “I’ll blow you away!”

Clumps of grass were kicked up as she rammed into the sturdy Pokemon, and she cheered as he was forced into the ground.

Push!  Harder!  Harder!

A red glow was filming off his body, and she glared into his serious red eyes; soil flew past her as she continued to drive him into the earth.  One foot, three, and then she started losing momentum; his focused gaze was still centered on her.

No … no, he’s supposed to faint … why’s he not fainting?  He’s not flying away!?

Doubt flooded Phanpy’s stunned brain as the colossal amount of offensive energy she’d gathered started to dissipate, and she came to a stop.  She lost.  His defense was better than her attack.  A flood of emotions cut their way to her very core while watching the crimson aura release from Hector’s body.

Her feet left the earth’s firm embrace, stomach swirling while spinning through the air, but her mind was already frozen.  She watched the ground come closer before bouncing across the dirt and grass to land on her side.

Hector’s confused tone pierced her heart like a Weedle’s horn.  “Are you sure that’s your strongest attack?  Uh … Play Rough did way more damage.”

Body quivering, throbbing heart burning a hole in her chest, the forest started to blur as she laid on the grass, unable to find the strength to stand.

Is this a nightmare?  A second time?  It can’t be real … I can’t be vulnerable.  No, no … am I weak?

The pain gripping her chest was unbearable; tears clouded her vision, her world falling into pieces around her.

 

* * *

 

Hector frowned after receiving the proud Phanpy’s most powerful Move; she wasn’t getting up after his question, but she couldn’t have passed out.  The answer came from Sam as she went over the Move with Rhea.

“Wait … that was High Horsepower?  Wow, that’s … a REALLY strong attack, but you’re resistant to Ground-Type Moves.  So … really, she’s just unlucky you went against her.  Play Rough and High Horsepower?  Wait, that was even STAB … holy Miltank … yeah, I don’t know, Hector … she’s just too powerful for me.”

No!  That’s good that she’s powerful.  Hector encouraged, giving Sam a supportive nudge after dislodging himself from the dirt.  I’m sure we just need to be careful like Rhea; remember what she said about her own stuff?  You told me she had to take it easy and build back up.  We can do that!

Nova caught his attention as Rhea and Sam talked to each other; it sounded like the blonde-haired Trainer was trying to talk her into giving it a shot.  The Eevee’s ears were pulled back with apprehension while staring at the Phanpy; the Lone-Nosed Pokemon hadn’t gotten up yet after being sent six meters away.

“Umm, hey, Hector?”  Nova whispered.

“Hmm?”

Nova cautiously crept forward, tail low while circling the Phanpy.  “... She’s crying.  Are you okay?  Hey, why are you crying?”

Hector’s eyes pulled together.  “Huh?”

He hopped over with short hovering bursts; their Trainers seemed to have noticed something was happening because they soon followed.

The Phanpy didn’t respond; it was like she couldn’t even hear them.

“Hey…”  Nova mumbled, jumping forward to nuzzle her cheeks.  “Does something in your heart hurt?  I’ve only seen Rhea cry when she was really sad, but only a little.  Why are you sad?  I don’t like how it feels when Rhea’s sad.”

The Phanpy sniffed, pushing Nova away with her trunk.  “... Stop … how could this happen to me?  I practiced every day … I wasn’t supposed to lose ever again.  Why am I lying on the ground again … it hurts … it hurts so much…”

“... Losing isn’t that bad,” Hector mumbled, confused by how dramatic the Phanpy was being.

Her body tensed as if he’d struck her.  “What do you know?!”  She shouted, tears doubling as she jumped to her feet and smacked him with her trunk, but there wasn’t any energy behind it, so it didn’t cause damage; he backed up a bit anyway to give her space.

“I’m just trying to help,” Nova mumbled, ears lying back while glancing between Rhea and the teary Phanpy.  “Why does it hurt?  Rhea’s worried, too.”

“I don’t need your help…”  She took a step forward but tripped, falling on her trunk.  Her lips pulled together as her frame quaked again, and after a moment, she screamed.  “I’m not weak … I can’t be weak?  She’ll never come back if I’m not strong…”

Hector slowly approached her again, voice softening.  “Who won’t come back?”

She tried to stifle her tears again, but her mouth quivered; it took a minute for the Phanpy to calm down, and Sam sat down next to her with Rhea, stroking her side comfortingly.

“... I just needed to beat him…”

“Who?”  Nova asked, lying on her belly in front of the Phanpy.  “I’ll beat him up for you.  I don’t like tears … it makes me wanna cry,” she sniffed, trying to hold back her own from leaking out.  “Did he jump on you in the mud?”

Hector settled in beside her as she slowly opened up to Nova’s own tears, and he started feeling attacked himself while listening to the savage beating the Phanpy took.

A Nidorino recently evolved and took over the area shortly after her birth six months ago.  He’d beat Phanpy’s mother, which used to run the territory; her mother had a reasonably good family line, considering her daughter’s own strength.  Her mother had initially lived on a big island but decided to explore a different area by hitching a ride on human boats, eventually arriving in Kanto.

It was a fierce battle, but ultimately, the Nidorino forced her to pass out and didn’t stop there.  After continuing to beat her, much like the Phanpy’s daughter months later, he’d forced her to leave.  However, he refused to let her daughter join the exiled mother, using her as a shiny trophy that he could remember the victory.

Phanpy had been trying to get strong enough to beat him ever since, but she didn’t even know if her mother was alive after the extensive damage she’d taken.  Sam grew concerned when she showed them the direction the Nidorino drove her toward, Mt. Silver.

It was a bit difficult to relay the whole story to their Trainers, but Nova was shockingly better at articulating her words through her bond to Rhea.  The entire story was told within an hour.

“If she went there … that’s so sad.”

We need to avenge her!  Hector fumed.  In Pallet Forest, something like this wouldn’t have happened; everyone lived by a pretty moral code.  This Nidorino was scum.

Nova nuzzled the crying Phanpy to comfort her.  “... Mya woke up, and she wants to beat him up for you, too; oh, Rhea has an idea!”

“... What?”  Phanpy mumbled, now allowing Sam to hold her; Sam’s gentle hands seemed to calm the heartbroken Pokemon.

“Okay,” Nova’s brow set with a confident smile.  “You bond with Sam, and she’ll help you fight this Nidorino guy.  Mya will draw him here and help you beat him up!  She says she’s gonna chew him up into little bites!”

“Why would you help me?”  She whispered, trying to restrain the emotion in her voice.

Nova smiled at her, tail wagging.  “Because you were crying, and I started to cry,” her voice cracked a bit, “when I listened to … to what he did to you.  He’s mean … really mean, and I want to scream at him and beat him up too, humph, but … but it’ll probably be Mya’s turn when we’re ready,” she mumbled with disappointment.

Phanpy took a deep breath and got up, giving them a thankful smile.  “Okay … what do I need to do?  I’ve heard stories, but … I don’t know…”

Hector couldn’t bring himself to tell her about what might have happened to her mother; they should probably handle the first hurdle.  “Why don’t you join Sam and me?  She’ll give you a fun name, and we’ll be friends!”

She seemed reluctant but eventually nodded.  “If … if we beat up that Nidorino … I’ll do anything.”

Sam appeared just as hesitant as the Phanpy while taking out the Great Ball Lyra gave her.  “Well, Hector … I’m scared.  I have to help her, though … there’s just no way I can’t.  Umm … well, you’ll have to be in your pokeball a lot more while I get used to it.  There’s just no way I can have you both out, sorry … Rhea was the one that told me that.”

That’s fine; let’s do this!  She’s a great fit for our team.

 

* * *

 

Sam took a deep breath while activating the pokeball; Hector returned on his own, the item expanding and dropping off her belt.  She plucked at the hem of her tight brown shorts with a nervous chuckle.  “Well, what are we going to name you?”

She set the ball down, and Phanpy cautiously pressed her head against it; her body transformed into red energy before vanishing into the capsule, bonding with Sam’s soul.

The tightness that gripped Sam’s chest hurt for a moment as the Phanpy curiously explored the new link they now shared; it felt like something invisible inside her core was being stretched out.

Rhea leaned forward as Sam pressed her fingers against her chest.  “Hey, are you okay?”

“Hehe, yeah, yeah, uh … it’s just kind of…”

“Tight?”  Rhea asked with a forced smile.

“That’s the word … eh … wow, it kind of feels like … I don’t know, heartburn or something?  It’s different from what it was like with Hector … worse in some areas and better in others.  Umm,” saliva gathered in her mouth, and she forced it down, “should I … let her out?  Oh … she’s worried about me … that’s so cute,” she smiled.

Rhea’s lips tightened.  “Uh … why don’t we wait a bit.  Let yourself get used to it.  You might feel a little sore; I did.  I had to take a bunch of antibiotics after Mya’s fight … eh, but things are doing a lot better now, and that was kind of different … gah, I’m rambling,” she chuckled, scratching her temple.  “Just give it a bit of time for you both to settle in.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

The pressure was easing at a prolonged rate, but at least the tightness squeezing her heart was noticeably fading.

“Oh,” Rhea folded her arms while staring at her black and white Eevee, “Nova’s excited to know what her name is.”

“Umm, how’s … Tera; do you like it?”  A smile brightened Sam’s cheeks as Tera accepted the new name.  “She likes it.”

Nova gave a happy chirp, and Tera responded; Hector began to talk to her, explaining the ropes.

Rhea and Sam spent the next little bit setting up camp and preparing Tera; they went over all the possible Moves Phanpy could learn with the help of Mallory’s account at Pokedex.mon, building a list of all the Moves she knew.

Sam was stunned at the gains she’d just made; Hector learned Self-Destruct, and everything Tera knew put her on a whole new level than she ever expected to be.  Tears started gathering in her eyes as she looked down at all the Moves her small team could use.

“I’m … not getting sick … not like I did before.”

Rhea reached over, voice softening as she hugged her.  “Yeah.  You’ll be beating Gym Leaders in no time.”

“Thanks, Rhea,” Sam rubbed her eyes, coughing as she chuckled a little.  “Muk, I’m so emotional, gah … Hector and Tera…”  Her own Pokemon teared up in response to the feelings burning her heart, and Rhea’s grip tightened around her shoulders.

I’m not weak … we can really do this.

Clearing the mass in her throat, she coughed again, hugging her friend back.  “Thanks, Rhea … thank you so much for believing in me.”

“Of course…”

Fifteen minutes passed with Sam’s emotions rising and falling with her two Pokemon, but eventually, she managed to calm down.  The Pokemon around the area started to gather around the treeline to silently observe, but they mostly ignored them.

Sam’s red and puffy eyes stared down at the list of Moves she had now.

 

Hector:  IVs around 10 to 15.

 

Ability: Sturdy - Naturally increases base defensive stats while also granting the ability to withstand a single Move that would knock him out, but even the slightest graze of energy could cause him to faint.

 

Protect

Tackle

Counter

Self-Destruct

 

Tera:  Shiny; IVs around 21 (similar to all the Starter Award Pokemon)

 

Ability:  Opportunist (Pokemon Shuffle Ability) - Rarely increases damage.

 

Defense Curl

Growl

Odor Sleuth

Tackle

Flail

Rapid Spin

High Horsepower

Play Rough

 

I love you two … I’m gonna do my best.  Okay, Hector, Tera?  We’re going to take him down … for your Mom, Tera…

Emotions bubbled up inside her again while thinking about the fate of her Pokemon’s poor mother.  We’ll get him…

They set up camp, and after a few hours, Sam had Tera come out.  She played around with Nova in mock battles, the Eevee literally running circles around the Phanpy, but that swiftly became cries as the Long-Nosed Pokemon began throwing mud at the retreating diva.

All in good fun, Rhea roped Tera in to help Nova get over her fear of mud, and her precious little Eevee finally managed to gingerly dip her paw in the stuff before crying.  After two more hours, they finally got her to at least dodge the globs of mud Tera threw and advance instead of running away.

It was 8 PM when they were finally ready to draw the Nidorino in, and Mya came out with a yawn.  Tera was a bit intimidated by the Mawile, even without her aura affecting the Phanpy since Mya could control who it was used against; anyone she saw as friendly was exempt from the ability.  On the other hand, every other Pokemon in the area shrank back as her massive jaws opened and closed.

They greeted each other, Nova becoming a bit miffed as Mya teased her about the mud.  Nova challenged her to a game of tag at Sam’s suggestion.  Mya was first, easily casing down and tackling the shrieking Phanpy.  In this game, if you were tagged, both of you were it.

However, even with the two vs. one advantage, the Eevee ran circles around the two frustrated Pokemon, taunting them with laughter.  Rhea was a bit shocked when they finally caught her by a strategy Tera came up with, trapping her between them and the mud pit; there was whining about cheating, and Nova’s tail getting wet when she tried to jump over them, Mya’s second mouth clamping around the fluffy appendage.

Rhea and Sam just laughed at the whole event, and at 9 PM, when the sun was sinking below the horizon, their opponent finally showed up at the back of their camp.

The 3”4 Nidorino walked out of the forest beside Sam’s tent, making her tense as Mya pointed him out, jaws snapping with anticipation.  Hector tensed inside his pokeball, and they got into position near the opposite side; Nova stood beside Rhea and her to provide defense in case anyone else showed up.

A low curse slid through Sam’s locked jaw as the Nidorino took its slightly discolored horn and slowly tore a wide cut across her tent side.  “You little Mukin’ loser!”  Sam grumbled.  “Do you know what that costs?  You suck…”

Tera yelled something at him, but he seemed to be smirking at the two Pokemon facing him; he didn’t appear all that concerned with Tera, but Mya was catching his notice while sallying up to the pair.

Okay … it’s on!  Sam cheered for her new Pokemon.  “Alright, looks like he’s got Poison Point … not as good as Rivalry would have been.  We’ve still got enough healing items if you get poisoned or hurt, but let Mya handle most the attacks, Tera, and take him down!”

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