Lilith plopped onto the ground in exhaustion once the last threat disappeared. Absol joined her as they both breathed in and out quite heavily.

“That sure was something…” She eked out.

Despite their rest, the duo was still on guard. They looked out to better understand where they had ended up. The trees disappeared and were replaced by muddy water. The marsh around them had small pockets of brown goo. The trip wasn’t a planned one, so they were unprepared for the local Pokemon.

Lilith pulled out her Pokedex, hoping to find out about her new location. Shirley's voice echoed in her mind.

‘There’s a time and place for everything, but not now.’ Lilith shook her head.

“That’s not right…” she mumbled.

“Always be prepared.”

Any Pokemon could jump out at them. Despite knowing which Pokemon were best suited for water, it was still a toss up. Unovan species were a solid guess, as she tried remembering anything relevant.

Her Pokedex clicked open. She smashed the screen in a hurry, trying to open the Town Map.

“Damn it all!” She screamed, throwing the rectangular object away from her.

Anger threatened to boil over. They were too far out of range. Hands met her face as she tried calming down, noticing how erratic her behavior had recently become. It scared her, considering how powerless she felt. A total lack of control.

“Ahhh, what is wrong with me…” She questioned aloud, already knowing the answer.

Acting out wouldn’t help her situation any.

‘I’ve got to set an example for Absol, she’s still just a kid.’

It was easy to forget sometimes how little her partner really was. If she wasn’t careful, then her bad habits would rub off onto her.

The open air was filled with deep breathes in, followed by one gust out. It took a while, but she was finally back in control. Absol sat in the open, still collecting herself. Lilith took the opportunity to retrieve her discarded scrap.

Despite not being in range of any Pokemon Centers, there was still something she could control. Maps were still maps, even if they didn’t show the user's location. She pinched and pulled, looking for any distinct features. Their general direction could be divined, as a collection of marshlands sat close to the ocean.

“Have we really gone that far.” Lilith lifted her head.

There were just too many pockets of wetland around. They all looked the same from a birds eye view. The map would only give them a general direction to travel.

“Let’s look around.” Lilith whispered to her partner.

***

“Beep… Beep… Click.” The line connected once more.

“Let's not make a habit of this AP1.” The voice on the other side said, slightly annoyed.

“Apologies, Eye. The target has become much more erratic since losing her first Gym battle. I think it’s an imbalance in her energy causing her sudden mood swings.” A face covered in black gauze dipped slightly.

“The Tree has already stated that this was a possibility. Get to the point.” The voice said quite harshly, having other things to do.

“Permission to intervene.” She asked, worried about her charge.

“Your mission is to watch and wait. Under no uncertain terms are you to make contact. Her safety isn’t a priority, do I make myself clear!”

The line cleared for a few seconds, both recollecting themselves.

“Yes, Eye. I understand.” She said

***

The duo familiarized themselves with their immediate location. The more they looked, the more Pokemon that presented themselves. Wooper rolled around in the mud as Tympole fought each other for space. Their tiny bodies and whiskers were stained brown, camouflaging them perfectly in the surrounding mud ponds.

The initial battle sent everything scurrying, but now they were back in full force. None seemed bothered by her presence, something she was glad to see.

‘Maybe we can salvage this…’

Lilith looked at the strength of the Pokemon surrounding them. By and large, they were all at the first star. Some were stronger than others, but it felt like a bundle of experience had just dropped in their laps. None of the Pokemon Lilith saw were a threat to their safety, it was the perfect time for a boost.

The Whooper were ambush predators, hiding in the mud until something came along for them to feed on. Not once when watching their competition did she see them win in direct combat. A smile formed as they got ready to ambush their prey.

“Go!” She cheered.

Lilith cackled with glee, the Wooper were incredibly weak. A single Bite, and it was all over. They were sitting ducks, crippled from the get go. A pursuit to make sure none got away, and they were down for the count. They could feel her power rise as each Pokemon fell. It was an intoxicating feeling.

The more Pokemon that fell, however, the more their presence became known. The Wooper smartened up and started huddling together in groups of two and three. They watched out for her approach, and then signaled for a barrage

In a moment of weakness, they decided to shift their target

The Tympole were obviously much weaker, but held a greater quantity. It would take the same amount of effort to bring down a lower amount of foes, but with their initial target smartening up, they had no choice.

“Nice and slow…” She whispered as Absol stalked up to the unassuming tadpoles.

She was too far away for anything to hear, a rock covered her body perfectly. The words just slipped out, not even being noticed.

Absol clung to the ground, her body covered in mud. Lilith disliked her partner’s camo at first, but the results spoke for themselves. Blending into her surroundings let her approach without being seen. Her usual coat was just too flashy. Absol didn’t seem to mind, having fun toying with her opponents.

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Her body slid down the small incline, inching closer to the water. Gravity did all the work, her body lay still. Absol’s aquamarine eyes glimmered like gems, it was a wonder they didn’t stand out more.

Water and mud splashed everywhere as the Tympole moves about. Neither could tell if they were fighting or playing. Some were knocked out by their fellow neighbors, while others got right back up and joined the free for all.

A minute went by before Absol made her move. Two Tympole smashed into each other in their roughhousing; one just happened to land right next to their stalking predator. One quick snap, and the tadpole was down. With her cover blown, she took the chance to lunge forward, right into the party.

Two more Tympole went down before the rest realized what was happening. They all scrambled away in freight, sounding out the appearance of a predator. Their bodies didn’t allow much movement, and multiple more became Absol’s snack.

Lilith watched the chaos ensue from a distance. She celebrated their victory, overlooking something quite obvious.

“Crash”

The central mud pond opened up as a Pokemon jumped to the surface. Every living creature had parents, and with so many of the species around, they too must be close. Palpitoad’s body shook as she came to defend her children. Two star energy radiated off her body, forcing everything in the surrounding area to pay attention.

It was especially motivating for the offending party.

Lilith didn’t even have to say it. Both turned tail and booked it. She was much further than the initial commotion and had a much easier time escaping. Absol on the other hand, had large water projectiles hurtling towards her.

Beams of Bubbles shot out from her mouth as the large lumps covering her body oozed with ammo.

Neither had to communicate with the other, as Absol zigged and zagged. Despite their power difference, she could still take one or two attacks without having to worry. Her quadruped body helped with her movement. Few other Pokemon she had ever encountered moved like she could. Her four legs pushed forward, leaving the agitated Pokemon in the dust. It helped that the large frog-like Pokemon did not give chase, only stopping at the water’s edge before gathering around her offspring.

Lilith and Absol ran at an angle, they looked over their shoulders before meeting back up. It was time to call it quits, there were other Pokemon like that in the area, they would be toast. Their training was becoming a little too much for them to handle. They had been hovering around the middle one star Rank with little progress to show for.

“Guess it’s time to head back.” She pat Absol on the head.

Levy and Axew had the power to beat the Gym single-handedly around the same level, so she should be able to also. Lilith ultimately blamed her bad luck more than anything else. It had just been a poor matchup.

The duo back tracked their way into the forest, making sure that they made a large detour around the Sewaddle infested lands. They wouldn’t be making that mistake twice. Despite their relatively short training session, the night was still young.

Purrloin and Patrat started to appear once more as the foliage changed back to what they were once used to.

“Above!” Lilith shouted.

Something swooped down from above. The Pokemon had flown right though where she once stood. Absol turned and tried to follow as Lilith hit the dirt. Sand was scattered everywhere as a small Gust shot towards her. Everything was happening too fast. The tiny tornado skated across the ground, threatening her position. She tried scrambling out of the way, but her hand met air. Her body tripped itself up, moving too fast. Lilith watched in horror as a red and white figure appeared before her.

Her heart wrenched as she watched her partner’s resolve. The bird seemed unsatisfied as it perched on a nearby tree. Absol had to be ready for another attack soon.

‘Come on body!’ She screamed.

Lilith couldn’t quite find her footing, becoming a sitting duck. Normally she would be off to the side when fights went down, but this time was different. The movement training Shirley had drilled into her kicked in.

The duo turned just in time to see the bird jump off and sent one more attack towards them. Air Cutter sliced through the leaves that got in the way. Absol took the attack once more, flinching from pain. Lilith took the chance to dive for cover.

“Cover!” Lilith shouted

Once any Pokemon was riled up for any reason, rule number one was to get clear. If a Pokemon was stuck protecting their Trainer, then their full battle potential couldn't be reached.

She ran from one tree to another as Absol used Double Team to help mask her movements. They had gone through the drill multiple times, leapfrogging cover to guard their trainer. This was all in preparation for Protection moves. If they had access to nullification, then their momentum would have been much faster. Instead, Absol had to take the damage head on.

The extra time bought was proven to be invaluable. It allowed her to size up their opponent.

“Pidove, High first Star… Aerial combat… Lands before it attacks. That’s the opening.” Her mind moved at a fast pace, trying to figure out their counter play.

The power behind the attack as well as the actual move led her to believe that Pidove was close to evolving. They were in for their hardest battle yet.

Lilith pulled on her prior experience, finding not much to go on. The only other flyers she had witnessed to a usable degree was the battle that Levy had demonstrated during her first Gym challenge. The Pokemon she faced now was much stronger across the board, however. If it kept using special attacks, then they would be in trouble, as Absol had no moves to touch a Pokemon in the air. They would have to either run away or get a little creative.

The bird jumped from branch to branch, following the two. It was considerably slower with foliage to block them from view. Pidove had only ever landed while attacking, so they would have to work around that. They danced through the trees, hiding when their enemy became a threat. One quick Potion and Absol was already in much better shape.

Despite their initial encounter, the duo was feeling much more optimistic. The opponent was strong and played a little dirty, but so could they. With their increased mobility, they could slip away at any time. With a path of retreat paved if necessary, their confidence increased once more. Absol was ready for the counter attack.

“One!” Lilith called out.

She ducked behind a tree out of view, as the Double Team clone disappeared as well. With nothing else to target, the Pidove squawked in annoyance. the bird took to the sky once more, looking for any sign of them.

Their positioning was just right, as the bird was forced from the branches. If it wanted to find them, it would have to backtrack to their last location. Pidove sailed through the air, gently rounding the tree Lilith had last been seen.

Much to its surprise, a human stood out in the open. With nothing else between them, all other focus was lost. In the bird's arrogance, it didn’t bother with a ranged attack, instead forming into a dive to pick up some speed.

Lilith watched the bird glide across the ground. She didn’t flinch or run away. Instead, she simply stood there and stared their opponent down.

A smile formed on her lips slightly, as a shadow appeared under the bird. With the proximity to the ground, its fate was sealed. Absol jumped up as her black fangs extended and bit down onto Pidove’s left wing.

Its side was securely under her control.

Gravity carried the two to the ground. They both crashed, but with Absol on top. She shook her head vigorously, not bothering for diplomacy. Her size helped to pin down the much smaller Pokemon until it moved no more. Anyone who threatened her Partner would receive no mercy from her. All would be treated the same.

Lilith’s heart beat continued as the adrenaline started to wear off. Cold sweat formed, noticing how close she had come to injury. She wasn’t sure if it would have been enough to finish her, but it wasn’t something she wanted to analyze. It reminded her that they had to be careful how they usually acted.

‘This was all my fault…’ She reckoned.

Being chased twice while also being thrown way off her intended path had blinded her in annoyance and anger. Neither had been on guard after their obvious plights, thinking the danger had passed. It had almost cost them greatly.

The two took a breather after the arduous battle.

“Sorry about that girl, I needed to be more on guard.” She pat her partner’s head.

It had been their first real challenge so far, and they had almost dropped the ball.

It wasn’t the outcome she had expected or even wanted for herself. She needed to control herself in the future, the outbursts were doing more harm than good. Pidove had been a wake up call, the forest was filled with relatively weak Pokemon, but there could always be exceptions.

Their pace slowed down considerably. Instead of rushing, they were forced to take their time. The duo inched through the night, heading westward to try and pick up a connection once more.