B1 — 25. Emotion Pt. 1

I loosely follow this map as a visual guide; the creator made it in paint?!?!  It’s insane!  Some errors here and there, but I follow its design for the most part.  Areas can be further apart, some cities are in the wrong places or not listed, and the regions aren’t nearly so close.  The best map I’ve found, though!

The girls are all on their little training exercise!  We’ve gone through Rhea, Sam, Hannah, and Amira’s adventures—now, we go to Jade, our odd-girl out.

Last week, Hannah became a super fan of Amira’s; our Rocket girl has a growing fanbase with Hannah working in the shadows.  Hannah got a rather quirky Togepi she named Star while Amira bonded with Holly, a Comfey!

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12:06 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.

Jade spent the morning hanging out with Hannah and Sam; these last few days were becoming some of the happiest in her life.  She was on a team that cared about her for just being her.

They’d gone over a few strategies during breakfast, mostly touching on the 3s Battles  they’d lost the day before.  The three didn’t spend long reflecting since a lot of people were moving around since they set up in one of the Route 1 trail campsites.  Sam surprised them with some cut fruit she’d bought yesterday when they were getting ready to leave Xanadu, popping it out when they were cleaning up camp.  It wasn’t something she expected and was a nice treat.

Jade had hopped from group to group in school, looking for people that would treat her like Sam and Hannah did.  The three of them just clicked, and it made her feel so warm and fuzzy inside.

She smiled while watching the groups of trainers pass by her and her two friends; they’d moved to the side of Route 1’s road when Rhea called Sam’s phone.  There were a lot of various styles of clothing from the tourists passing through that interested her.  She wondered if a few could be purchased online and shipped to Kanto.

However, her lax thoughts came to a screeching halt when Rhea explained who would be going with who.  She was excited for the prospect of spending time with one of her new idols … until that didn’t happen.

She gave a weak chuckle, masking the depressed sigh close to her lips once her name was put in the hat; Rhea just threw her in with Ellie and Inoa, Casey Brook’s teammates.  “The third wheel in the trio, huh?”

Jade instantly regretted the comment as the vivid vision of Rhea’s coral blue eyes creasing with concern flashed across her mind with the blonde supermodel’s shift in tone.  “No, well … I mean…”

“I’m kidding,” Jade laughed it off with a wave of her hand as Sam and Hannah turned troubled looks on her.  “I’m kidding!  Uh, I mean, yeah, it sounds like a good opportunity,” she deflected, trying to shift the focus.  “What do you two think?”

Luckily, Hannah swiftly took the spotlight with the revelation that she’d be spending one-on-one time with Amira.

Jade hadn’t missed the comments her redheaded teammate had made about the Rocket girl.  Without a doubt, Hannah admired Amira’s cool and tough-girl personality, the way she didn’t seem to care how people saw her, and how effortlessly she fit into a conversation or knew exactly what to say at the right time.

While Jade agreed, she didn’t really gravitate to those types of girls.  She wanted to spend time with Mallory.

At the spa, Lori was always the one pulling everyone back in and keeping everything going.  Rhea was a little like that, but in a more socially awkward way that was cute and beautiful at the same time; on the other hand, Mallory had a naturally cool and clever vibe that Jade wanted to emulate.  She was vocal, fun, and had so much depth to her personality that drew people in.

Although, after Rhea explained the groups, it wasn’t like she could blame the decision.  Lori was going to spend time with her sister.

The news about Casey Brooks and Mallory Medina being step-sisters threw Jade for a loop, but it made sense with their parents.  It just never occurred to her since they came from entirely different regions.  Still, she couldn’t help feeling like a third wheel … yet again.

A loud sigh puffed out of Jade’s lips as she swung her backpack off with the others, dropping to the grass to stare up at the sky; Orin, her Pidgey, fluttered down to land on her chest, trying to tell her that he was here for her as Jade managed her unbound blue hair.  It was a sweet sentiment but didn’t help.

Her mind wandered until Rhea and Lyra showed up; she was doing her best not to look lonely or depressed … but it was hard.  Her teammates seemed far more nervous about their own pairs to notice her internal struggle, so at least she could attempt to stitch another cut in her battered heart.

Jade turned her head away to wipe away a tear.  This journey was supposed to be different from middle school … high school … it was her Bronze-tier Journey; it took so much out of her to even get everything set up for that day she met Rhea, Sam, and Hannah.  Everything just meshed together so perfectly, which was why this hurt so much, and it shouldn’t, and she was stupid, but still a tear fell from her eye.

Why is it always like this?

Having Rhea call them and literally talk to a celebrity like Champion Lyra was a dream come true … something her parents wouldn’t have approved of, yet now it was a bit difficult to feel the excitement she desperately wanted with the same old cycle returning.

She loved her parents, and they loved her, but that didn’t mean they accepted her or her sister’s choices in life … which was hard.

Her parents were nobodies; in fact, there wasn’t much she could even say about them to friends … well, there was one thing, but she preferred to keep that to herself.

What she told friends was pretty simple and to the point.  They worked at one of the local fish farms that provided a safe place for the fish outside of the wild, and that was it … that’s all she needed to say.

Her parents actually met during the early days when the wildlife business and preservation effort started to emerge, attempting to rescue many of the swiftly diminishing wildlife from Pokemon savagery … they were Flare supporters.  Not the vocal, annoying, activist Flare supporters, but the silent glare type.

Both failed their Bronze-tier Journey when they were younger and grew bitter soon after; once everyone in their graduating class managed to get a Boulder Badge, they returned home, and one of Kalos’s Flare evangelists came to Kanto soon after.

Jade wasn’t sure about the finer details, as it happened before she was born and when her parents were still teens, but they jumped on the message.  They donated to the organization monthly, subscribed to its merchandise catalogs to support the cause, and weren’t even phased by Lysandre’s real goal that had been thwarted last year.  It was all manipulated and fabricated, they said; it’s well known, Kalos News is under the Nobles’ thumb.

In the end, her parents weren’t too keen on Pokemon battles, Training, or Pokemon in general; they’d released their two bonded Pokemon when they were teenagers.  Flare’s belief was that Pokemon were a blight on the world and wildlife were the victims of a cruel invasive species that had to be set right, and humans had the power to do it … and her parents bought into that ideology.

Therefore, Jade didn’t get much support from them; at least they wouldn’t disown her, but most of the heat of being a Trainer had fallen on her older sister, Cami.  She’d started her journey three years ago and didn’t get far, but she still kept in touch with her old teammates from that time.

Cami showed her the ropes on how to apply for the Pallet Trainer Support Fund, helped her find Orin, and even saved up a bit each month for the past two years to help give her enough money to have a better journey than she did.

Her older sister only made it to Misty’s Gym in her Bronze-tier journey, but part of the reason had been from lack of funds, and with a Battle Record of 48.6% win to loss ratio, she barely missed the mark of applying for further aid.

That didn’t stop her from Training and getting stronger, though.  Cami and her Oddish, June, tried battling locals on weekends to push on and try the journey one more time.  Sam wanted to make that dream come true, which meant she had to succeed and start saving up money, just like her sister had done for her.

It was personal, and she kept it close to her chest, avoiding the topic altogether.  What was she supposed to do?  Hey, glad you want to be my friend; by the way, my parents hate all Pokemon!  So, wanna talk about the latest League Battle at my place … where my parents will give us the stink-eye the whole time?  Yeah, a great way to keep friends.

Obviously, with anti-Pokemon merchandise filling her hallways and the face of an international terrorist hung up, she was a bit skittish about letting friends come over or talk about her parents.  It wasn’t the most popular ideology with the colossal Trainer community, which dominated Kanto’s population.

That was all fine and good; she could live skating around her family life or rocking the latest technology or fashion, and she wasn’t shy.  Her sister supported her, and Cami was her biggest idol.  The current issue was different, though.

Jade put herself out there and did her best to stay positive.  She loved Pokemon, and Orin was a treasure close to her heart, literally.

Friends … Jade had problems with friends, and subconsciously, she wondered if it was because she wouldn’t talk about her family.  Was that detail in her life such a big deal?  True, most girls and boys loved to brag about their family’s accomplishments, but there was more than just that, and she got along with a lot of people.

In fact, Jade bounced between several groups of friends she’d hang around in school … the perplexing problem was that each of them seemed to only call her when their other friends were busy.  She had friends, a lot of them … none of them really texted or called over the last few days, but that’s fine because they were too busy to reply to her messages.  It was the first week of the International Bronze League, after all.

Taking out her phone, Jade shielded her eyes from the overhead sun, checking to see if any of the boys or girls she used to hang around had replied.  Nope … none of them had, but they seemed to be posting a lot on their PikaBook pages and responding to others.  They could have forgotten, though.  She’d only sent one or two messages, asking how things were for them.

Swapping to the Battle App, she looked up a few of their Match Histories; many had won at least one match over the past few days, but some of them came from Silver-tier families or high Bronze-tier.

Could … no, they wouldn’t ghost me because I haven’t won a match yet … right?

Orin hopped forward, sharp talons curved in a way to not dig into her chest as he transferred to a spot just below her collar bone.  He was trying to cheer her up; she was just feeling really off after Rhea’s call.

It was hard knowing you were the 3rd wheel in all your friend’s circles, and usually, she’d just shrug it off and put herself out there to find more friends.  If she just kept building her network, eventually, she’d find a good core group.  She’d find a good bunch of girls and boys she clicked with that actually wanted her around.

She had some insecurities she was aware of, and so did everyone else; she worked on them.  It didn’t prevent her from finding some form of joy in a day or something to be thankful for.  This time … being 3rd wheel hit something different in her breast … she’d finally found a solid group of friends, yet the cycle continued.

Jade’s lips pulled in as she inhaled, letting it out in a slow stream through her slightly stuffy nose before reaching up to scratch Orin’s neck.  She wiped away another tear; sometimes, spring pollen got to her.

Orin enjoyed the attention but knew through their link that she was just distracting him; the comforting waves he projected told her they didn’t mean to hurt her.  Mallory just wanted to spend time with her sister, which Jade totally got.  It’s just … that was the point.  Being sad or hurt was stupid, immature, and dumb.  Still, she had to tuck her lip under to stop it from trembling.

It wasn’t like she’d really connected with Lori … did Amira and Hannah click that well, or maybe Sam and Rhea somehow get closer to one another when she wasn’t looking?  Dropping her phone by her head, she rubbed her eyes with a silent groan, trying to suppress the heat in her nose and face.

No, no, it’s fine, Orin!  I’m fine!  We’ll get to hang out with two really big Starter Award Winners!  Right?  We get to see what they’re like and learn more about them…

… That was all she did, though … get into a new group, learn more about them, and then they’d go off together and leave her behind.  It was a never-ending cloud over her head; she always tried so hard to be friendly and a part of the group … to be accepted.

There was always the next group, though!  It’s just … this was supposed to be her group, and Rhea was so nice and friendly … she came to her.  Being side-lined with an entirely new group while everyone else had their top-pick hit her chest particularly hard this time.

When Lyra finally showed up, Jade managed to get her emotions under control.  Orin was still throwing those gut-churning, well-intentioned waves that made it harder, which he didn’t understand.  She couldn’t blame him, though; he hadn’t been bonded with her for that long.

Lyra was an instant save, though, and spectacularly swept her internal struggles under the rug while taking them high into the air at an impossible speed.  It temporarily silenced the swirling doubts in her chest.

Next, the Champion’s encouragement and the story was a massive hit for Jade, as it appeared to be for Sam and Hannah, but with the news came a troubling question.

Do people find me annoying?  Lyra had trouble with groups, too … everyone thought she was too hyperactive and aggravating.   Is that why they forget to call me?  If I get stronger, then will people want to be friends with me?  I want to have friends … I really want close friends, but I can’t make any stick around.

Jade jumped a little when Lyra suddenly teleported them to Viridian Forest, Orin on her shoulder.

Okay, shut up, brain!  Calm down … deep breaths.  Just be happy!

Trying to distract herself, Jade added a smile to look around with her new companions, noticing they already had their Pokemon out.  Ellie, Kabu’s granddaughter, had a non-shiny Charmander, while Inoa, Olivia’s daughter, had a shiny Cyndaquil.

She’d noticed both Casey and Rhea’s group were now wearing high-quality Trainer dresses that resembled Amira’s in some fashion, showing they’d all probably gone shopping together.

Could Rhea have found a new group to hang around?  Are we taking 2nd place?  No!  Stop being stupid!  I’m so stupid!  What, can Rhea not go shopping with anyone but us?  Gah, get over yourself…

Ellie reached her arms high into the air, petite chest pushing out with her low groan before stretching out a little.  “Forest be wii-bit ah chiller than the low-lands, aye?”  She giggled while hugging herself.

It was challenging to understand the jumpy nature of the Galar girl’s language, but she appeared to be pretty friendly.

Inoa’s Alolan accent was easier to follow with its slower pace and less vocal range.  “Heh, you’re telling me.  If a youngin’ went out in Spring and it’s like this, they’re going back in for a jacket!”  She mused, rubbing her hands together before hugging herself.

 “Southern Galar, mi da’s Gym be at, and ya know the weather be warmer ‘round da time,” Ellie stated, pulling up a new Silph Phone from a magnetic clip at her side.  “Blast’et … how’da’ya work the Mookin’ non-Rodom phones?”  She hummed, swiping her hand across the slim screen to swap between layers.  “Mook!  Mi apps keep jumpin’ on me!”

Inoa scratched her forehead with her middle finger before getting her own out.  “Yeah … the Rotom recall took the wind out of my sails … I used it so often, and this new operating system is hard to get used to.”

Jade had no clue what they were really talking about.  “Umm … yeah … wait, Rotom the Pokemon?”

The two girls paused, tearing their critical gaze away from their new-generation Silph device to lift an eyebrow at her.

“Aye, say what have ya?”  Ellie questioned.  “Ain’t ya er’ had ah Rotom Phone, eh?”

“Can’t say that I have,” Jade replied with a forced chuckle, deciphering her question as Orin puffed his feathers a bit on her shoulder.  “In Kanto, we mainly work with the Rocket or Silph brands.”

“Hmm,” Jade glanced around for something to steer the conversation away from what she didn’t know.  “So … what do you think about this place?”

They were teleported to a relatively sunny and loosely dense part of the Viridian Forest, which was out of character for the ancient woods.  That didn’t mean the trees were small; the giants stood several meters away from one another, spread out with many flowers and tall grass between.  It almost seemed by design with how clusters of groomed brushes and various colors of floral patches dotted the scenery.

Dozens upon dozens of various Pokemon Jade had never seen before were watching them as Ellie and Inoa’s Pokemon tried to find a Pokemon to talk to.  Orin was scouting the chirps each Pokemon made, soaking in information while the other two initiated.

He wasn’t particularly concerned with the area, which told her there weren’t nearby threats, but from the emotions he sent through their link, it was obvious that they’d entered a place far outside their level.

Inoa and Ellie’s lips shut, doing a quick 360 to gain their bearings.

“Eh…”  Ellie put her hands behind her head.  “Not too frightenin’, if ya know what ah mean?  ‘Lotta cuties spaced about, but uh … Luka’s not seein’ a good group o’ fellas that be interested in joinin’ da team.  ‘Bout you, Inoa?”

The black-haired Trainer took one more look at her phone before putting it away with a sad sigh.  “Yeah, not getting much, I’m afraid, and I have no clue how to work this Map App.”

Tight stomach urging Jade to push on and find something to aim everyone’s focus, she held her fingers behind her back and eyed a few Pokemon.  “Umm … yeah!  So … what do you think about finding a good place to camp?  Once we get settled in, we can look around for Pokemon that might be interested in bonding?”

“It’s a good idea,” Inoa returned the smile.

“Orin?”  Jade asked, trying to keep her little friend busy.

Her Pidgey lifted off her shoulders with a dissatisfied chirp before asking a few nearby Pokemon with a lilypad on their heads to guide them to a suitable spot.  He also made clear their intentions.  Although, a few apricorn-like Pokemon were the first to respond.  After a few words passed between them, their growing group of Wild Pokemon was in motion.  At least they were friendly in this area; she wasn’t looking forward to finding unfriendly Pokemon.

The sound of running water soon filled their ears, and the Pokemon guiding them brought their group further downriver to cross the 10-meter brook.  The forest only became more magical, open, and large as they went, showing just how attached the Pokemon were to this area.

Orin was concerned for her, which pulled his attention away from the chattering Pokemon, but Luka seemed to be picking up the slack.  Jade just urged him that she was fine; this was all normal … naturally, he didn’t believe she was okay.

They were picking up a few more Pokemon along the way.  She caught sight of Pineco, Wooper, Hoppip, Tangela, and Oddish, among others.  Somehow they were all pretty strong and could probably give Orin and her a run for their money … with the two of them working together.

She couldn’t help but ask herself why they were even here, despite Lyra’s trust?  Jade didn’t want to put Orin down; they were just so outclassed it was painful.  Who would want to join them?  It’s like … you had Ellie, Inoa, and then … her.  Orin was great … she, on the other hand…

Stop being negative!  This isn’t like me … why can’t I get this tension out of my chest?

Ellie had fallen silent to study her surroundings and examined the Pokemon in sight; so, Jade turned her focus to Inoa, doing her best to be friendly while masking her internal bare-knuckles brawl with her depression.

“Hey!  So, you’re from Alola, right?”  She asked, focusing on the neatly trimmed three-foot-tall grass mixed with flower patches.  “I heard it’s really pretty there.”

“Hot is what you’re trying to say,” Inoa giggled, following her gaze.  “I think Kanto is pretty, though; it’s a lot bigger than the islands, that’s for sure.  Uh … so, how’s your journey been so far?”  She asked, pulling back her hair while stepping over a small rise.  “You seem to have the flying Pokemon covered.”

Jade followed the girl’s finger to Orin, flapping gently above their guides.  “Yeah, Orin’s a really good partner,” she whispered, giving him a wave.  “Eh?!”

She almost tripped as Inoa darted in front of her with a soft frown.

“What?”

Ellie came to a halt with the majority of the pack of Pokemon they’d gathered, but Inoa just gave her a silent but studious glare; it was starting to feel uncomfortable.  She was feeling off as it is, but this sudden 180 was unnerving.

“… Mmh … something’s up that’s bugging you … a lot.”

Jade barred a forced grin.  “W-What do you mean?”  The Alolan girl wasn’t too close, but she still stepped back to brush out her blue hair and avoid the girl’s searching dark-gray eyes.  “I guess … umm, I’m just a little … you know,” she mumbled, sucking in her lips, folding her arms, and shying a bit further away.  “What could I offer these Pokemon?”

Inoa hopped forward and gave her a hug, completely catching Jade off-guard.  “No!  Bonding with a Pokemon is more than just give and take … that’s why it’s called a bond.  You’re super sad,” she whispered in her ear, “and I can’t stand it!”

“Uh … yeah, yeah, I know, but … I mean, a lot of … umm…”  She trailed off, not knowing where to go in the current situation with the girl’s arms closed around her body; Jade’s arms were still folded tightly under her pounding chest.

She tried to pull away, but Inoa stepped with her, throwing Jade’s mind into a confused spiral with what to do.

Ellie sighed, putting her hands on her hips while audibly clearing her throat.  “Aye … ya be doin’ the thing again, Inoa.  Gotta chill the vibes.”

The girl gently pulled away with embarrassment, and Jade gave Ellie a thankful smile.  The Pokemon watched as if this was a drama, and Inoa’s concerned look hadn’t faltered with her red cheeks, hands held behind her back.

“Oh?”  Inoa’s lips fell with her eyes.  “Sorry, Jade … sometimes I can get a little too … friendly.”

Jade lifted her hands defensively, shaking her head.  “No, no, it’s fine … umm, I was just a bit caught off-guard.  That kind of came out of nowhere, ya know what I mean?”

Ellie motioned for them to continue.  “Yo, let’s be goin’.  By the way, if ya ‘av anythin’ be beatin’ at yer chest, then let yer girls know.  Just sayin’, Inoa’s got ah pretty good nose for how people are.”

“I’m not a Rockruff, Ellie,” Inoa huffed, giving her a glare.  “My dad can feel people’s emotions, too.”  Her gaze softened a little when turning to Jade, but soon after began glowing a soft purple.  “But, yeah … just know that we’re here to help if you need it.  Umm … are you really sure you’re okay with your team?  Are they bullying you?”

Jade’s eyes widened with horror, thinking back to one girl that turned half their school against another for false allegations.  “W-What?  No!  No, no, no, Sam and Hannah are wonderful!  They’re super great,” she swallowed nervously, eyes searching while pulling her bangs behind her ears.

Wait, I’m being super suspicious!  What’s with that gesture and her eyes?

“Yeah, we’re getting along great,” she chuckled, and the other two girls gave each other doubtful looks.  “No … gah, I’m just … I’m flustered, okay?”  She pleaded, starting to stammer and lose all coherent thought.  “I’m just … I umm … just … wanted to hang out with Mallory, and … no, no, not that you two are bad!”

How did it turn out like this?

Her nose started to burn as tears leaked from her eyes.  “I … I don’t know what I’m saying…”  She cried, taking a step back while hugging herself.

“Woah, woah!”  Ellie lifted her hands in panic as Inoa suddenly started to tear up with her.

“W-What is it, Jade?”  Inoa cried.  “Why … Why are you so confused and hurt?  I feel it, too!”

It took a moment for Jade to get her emotions under control as Inoa hugged her again; it kind of felt like she was partially trying to comfort herself.  Orin flapped over to do his best to help, panicking himself, but it just felt like a dam had burst within her with Inoa latching onto her.

Once she calmed down, the two separated with the throng of Pokemon surrounding them in confusion, but Jade was too focused on Inoa to really worry about it.  “W-Why did it happen like this?”  She took several deep puffs of air, feeling a little breathless after the hurricane inside her subsided.

“Ugh,” Ellie popped her tongue a few times.  “Eh, Inoa be a tad uncontrolled in her … uh, thing…”

Inoa sighed, cleaning her puffy and red face as Jade did the same.  “I … uh, I’m so sorry!  I’m so embarrassed…”  She cried, head falling a little shame.  “I … I didn’t mean to, but … sometimes when it starts it just … it won’t stop.”

“What do you mean?”  Jade sniffed, finding snot running across her arm.  Trying to clean off with the nearby stream while dealing with her burning body by splashing some cold water on her face, she shuddered.  Her chest was still pounding.

“Ya gonna explain?”  Ellie asked with a deep frown while fussing with her shoulder-cut hair.  “‘Cause I ain’t gotta clue how ya do your voodoo.”

“It’s not voodoo!”  Inoa huffed, rubbing between her eyes after cleaning off her hands.  “Gah … no, I’m really sorry, Jade.  Umm … my dad’s a psychic, and well, not a really powerful one.”

“Psychic?”  Jade gulped, standing while holding her left arm; Orin had flown to her shoulder to nudge her ear in comfort.  “You mean … like High Master Sabrina or Grandmaster Will?”

“Uh … I don’t know really who those people are,” Inoa mumbled, scooting back against a large tree root while tucking her legs up to her chest and straightening out her dress.  “Probably not, though … you see, my dad’s not that strong.  He’s just an Empath Psychic … he can’t move things with his mind or read minds or anything like that, but … since my mom’s a Grandmaster…”

Jade was beginning to feel more in control now but noticed Ellie kept her distance from the Alolan girl.  Clearing her throat, she scratched Orin’s neck before sitting down by the stream to face Inoa.  “Your mom’s Grandmaster Olivia, right?  She’s a powerful Trainer, I heard.”

Inoa played with her black bangs with a depressed look on her pretty face; Jade hadn’t seen many dark-skinned people in Pallet.  Most of the Kanto population had a yellow-undertone, but occasionally there would be someone from the southern Orange Islands that would visit her city.

“Well … you see, because my mom’s a High Grandmaster, it kind of enhanced the Empathy part on my dad’s side of the family … so, I can actually affect other people’s emotions, too … sometimes it just gets a bit too much for me when people are bottling up a lot.  Still … I’m sorry.”

Jade was a little stunned by the news.  “You mean … you can feel exactly what I feel?  For real?”

Inoa slowly nodded.  “I know it’s invasive and personal and weird…”

Ellie and her Charmander leaned against a tree a few meters away, and she crossed her legs, tapping the grass with the heel of her foot.  “The day before, Inoa got me gettin’ outta the shower … had me on the ground like a babe.  Cass ‘bout jumped me a bit back with the boost, too … be like, calm the Mook down…”

Inoa’s brown eyes shifted to the water, lips tightening.  “… I’m sorry … I’m trying to get better control.  I was just worried … well, she was getting aggravated about you popping your tongue … I know I made it worse.”

Jade felt a little bad now; she had no clue their team was going through a hard time together.  Of course, she didn’t really know anything about the girls.

Inoa’s Shiny Cyndaquil was rubbing up against her leg, trying to comfort her depressed Trainer.  “I’ll try to stay further away…”

“No,” Jade shook her head with a comforting smile; it was a bit gut-wrenching knowing the Alolan girl could tell what she felt whenever she wanted, but it wasn’t in Jade to shun someone.  “It sounds like you’ve gone through a rough time, too … I mean, you feel everything they’re going through, too … that must be exhausting.”

Building up her courage, Jade got up and walked over to sit beside Inoa; her Cyndaquil swapped to the opposite side.  “Umm,” nibbling at her lips, Jade took a deep breath before continuing, “so … I’ve kind of been the third-wheel like … all my life, and well … I just kind of felt like that again when everyone paired off.  I shouldn’t feel that way, but … I couldn’t help it.”

Inoa scooted closer to the water’s edge with a concerned look.  “W-Wait, no, no, you don’t need to explain anything to me!  I’m just … I…”

Jade shook her head.  “It’s fine!  I’m … actually kind of glad someone’s able to understand, ya know?”  It was true, but she was also nervous, which was why her gut tightened.

“Mmh…”  She looked up at Ellie apprehensively.  “Uh … I mean, yeah … if you want to talk, then … then I’ll listen, but … do we really want to do it here?”

Glancing around at the dozens and dozens of various Pokemon in the water, in trees, hovering in the air, and on the grass, Jade shrugged; it actually felt pretty liberating to have finally cried it all out.  “This is fine.  If that’s okay with you?”

“Uh … sure.”

Ellie sank down to the ground to rub her Charmander’s head.  “Aye, if ya two wanna talk, then whatever … I’ll just try’ta figure out this Mookin’ phone…”  She grumbled, pulling out the device.

Taking another deep breath, Jade allowed her head to sink back against the exposed root; the canopy overhead allowed sheens of light to spread across the path and shade other areas.  It really was a beautiful place.

“So … yeah, I’m usually pretty happy, but it just sucks when all your friends just go off without you, ya know?  I try to make friends, and we seem to get along, and then they just kind of only see you when you’re around.  Text or call … they only ever see what you’re up to when you initiate … sometimes not even then.

“At some point, I just wonder if I’m too annoying to have friends, or maybe I’m too dull … or maybe I’m just needy?  There’s just questions … never answers, and I can’t really talk to my friends about it because … well, it would be like accusing them of something, and I’m not trying to do that…”

“… That’s rough,” Inoa mumbled, playing with her toes.  “Umm,” she whipped a tear away from her already puffy eyes, blinking a few times, “what about your current team?”

Jade slowly nodded, pulling her legs up to wrap her arms around them.  “They’re great … really, they are … and there’s no reason why I should feel like the third wheel.  We’ve clicked and everything.  Like I said … I was just being stupid.  Mallory and Casey wanted to have their sister-thing.  There’s nothing wrong with that.”

A low hum rumbled in Inoa’s throat.  “… I feel it’s kind of my fault, then…”

“What do you mean?”  Jade asked, giving her a confused look.

“Well … Casey probably wanted to go with her step-sister to get away from me.  I’ve … kind of had a few more … episodes than I normally do over the last few days.  I can be a bit of a downer when sharing so many people’s emotions … especially with all the crowds and it just drains me.”

Feeling a lot better about where she was, Jade scooted over and leaned in to hug Inoa.  “Hey, if you need someone to talk to, then you can talk to me, too!  Want to share numbers?  If you want to … you know, be friends?”

Inoa’s lips started to tremble as she hugged her back.  “Y-Yeah … I’d like that … umm,” her chest fluttered a bit against Jade’s arms, taking a shuddering breath, “thanks … for not … you know, calling me weird or running away.”

“Yeah, not gonna get rid of me that easily,” Jade giggled, pulling out her phone.  “Let’s get a picture with Ellie!  We can post it, and get a ton of likes from everyone.”

Ellie popped her tongue, lifting an eyebrow at them, huddled next to each other.  “Eh, ya gonna be snappin’ a pic lookin’ like an Alcremie sobbed al’oer yer face?”

Jade had no idea what an Alcremie was, but chuckled at the context.  “You have a point.  Let’s get cleaned up, find a nice spot and take a group picture!”

Inoa rubbed her small nose and gave her a thankful smile.  “Thanks, again.”

Ellie groaned while getting up and stretching out.  “Aye, the touchy-feely rubbish ain’t mi strong suit, but ya got mi heart burnin’ a tad.”  It didn’t look like the rather unimpressed and cold girl was feeling much emotion, but from what pictures Jade had seen of her grandfather, it didn’t shock her much.

Jade giggled while hoisting herself up to retrieve her backpack.  “Is that what you look like when emotional?”

“Mmh?”  Ellie lifted an eyebrow.  “Somethin’ be off with mi face?”

Inoa smiled softly, whipping away any extra tears before splashing her face with water.  “Ellie only has two expressions; I’m bored and,” she giggled, “I’m about to end this boy’s whole career.”

“False,” Ellie huffed, putting her hands on her hips, “Mi face be havin’ a good ‘ol smile … it just not be worth the effort most the time, ya know?”

They got back on the path, following their guides to a meadow they could set up their campsite, and Jade tried to learn a bit more about her temporary companions.

Ellie’s grandfather had actually come from Hoenn and been pushing to be the best in Galar ever since he arrived; the Galar League had invited him to the region when one of their Gyms was closed with few capable Trainers to fill the spot.  The region’s League was a lot different than Kanto’s.

Ellie had been born in Galar, and her mother was a native Galarian, grandfather being on her father’s side of the family.  She helped with anything she could in Kabu’s Gym, which really meant she picked up on his teachings and tried to offer advice to the students that paid for her grandfather and father’s professional guidance.

Kabu was a High Master and her father sat in Master-tier.  The League knew what they were doing because the Gym had sparked a heat in many Trainers over the past three decades they’d been in Galar.  Leon’s rise to fame had been so legendary that even Jade knew a bit about the Champion.  He’d apparently helped Ellie’s grandfather at a low point, too.

Inoa’s mother was Akala Island’s Kahuna and the Alolan League’s Elite 4 3rd-Rank.

The Alolan League had an appointed Champion at the moment, named the Masked Royal, which was a strange name in Jade’s book; his images online were even more bizarre.

Apparently, he was also a part of some strange sport in Alola called Pro Wrestling.  No one knew his identity, but there were speculations on a few high-profile individuals.  It was hard being that powerful and remaining hidden, yet he’d managed to keep his identity hidden, which was impressive.

From the exchange, she learned that Ellie wasn’t nearly as cold and dismissive as her appearance led on, and Inoa was a lot more sensitive than she first took the confident-looking Trainer.

Arriving at the beautiful flower field, Jade noticed a few Pokemon grouped together across the field, and one in-particular caught her eye.  “Hey, hey,” she hissed, pointing with star-struck eyes, “it’s a Lilligant!  Wow … she’s so cute!”

The Flowering Pokemon turned around to see almost an army of curious, Wild Pokemon flooding the meadow; they were all very careful about where they moved to not damage the beauty of the area.

“Aye … that be a banger…”  Ellie mumbled, shifting closer to her.  “We best be treadin’ lightly, if ya know what I mean?”

Inoa nodded with pursed lips.  “Yeah, that Lilligant is definitely a Silver-tier.”

“What … how can you tell?”  Jade asked, watching the Pokemon turn back to speak to a Pichu that seemed fairly frustrated; its body was sparking every so often.

“Eh … it’s kind of just a feeling … in your gut,” Inoa replied, stopping at the edge of the field.  “Hmm … I’m pretty sure it would probably be the leader over this area.  We should probably introduce ourselves.”

Jade felt a little nervous about the prospect; she’d been taught in school about Pokemon that ruled areas, but all of those lessons had been to stay away from them.  Wild Pokemon were very territorial, and the Bosses of different areas were extremely so.  If you did something to displease them, they could kill you without blinking an eye.

Orin was quick to volunteer, and the emotions swirling inside her Pidgey made Jade a bit guilty.