Arthur awoke around mid-day. It wasn't a lot of sleep, but it would be enough to get through the day. Next to him lay a simple meal covered with a fly net, and three Pokeballs. Two slightly scratched up, and one sparkling new. The young trainer instantly knew which one held what Pokemon just by the scratches on their surface. Each one told a tale and sparked a memory. Most were simply from daily use. Failed catches, drops, scraping on branches or other surfaces. But a few were important. The long gash on Nuzleaf's ball from when he first caught his starter. The Pokemon had initially knocked the ball away, causing the mark, before Arthur proved his worth to his starter.

Both balls opened with a flash, and the two Pokemon held within appeared. Zangoose let out a cry, while Nuzleaf merely looked around. Something seemed slightly different with the Wily Pokemon. A fire was lit in its eyes that Arthur hadn't seen since it evolved from a Seedot. Zangoose was also on edge, but that was very standard for her. Always on guard for attacks.

"Hey guys," Arthur said, his voice softer than normal. Both Pokemon looked at him, worry clear in their eyes. "That was a, uhh, tough fight. We barely made it."

Nuzleaf nodded, looking away from his trainer in what was clearly shame. Zangoose stepped forward, nuzzling up to the young man. The Cat Pokemon had become more and more affectionate towards Arthur since being caught, and now it seemed that she had completely gotten used to him.

Said trainer ran his hands through her fur, occasionally getting caught in a small knot in her undercoat. He knew he would have to brush her out again soon, lest she start to knot up as badly as when he first caught her. That had been a nightmare to deal with.

"Yeah. Not our finest moment. But we won. Even made a profit. But we need to talk. This has really opened my eyes that our journey is a lot more dangerous than I thought. We can be attacked at any moment, both by wild Pokemon and trainers." Arthur kept running his hand through Zangoose's fur, finding comfort in her soft coat as he spoke. "So we need to step up our game or quit. I'm... I'm not sure what one I want." His voice trailed off at the end, barely above a whisper.

Both Pokemon froze, looking at their trainer in disbelief. "I know I promised you both that I would make you strong. But... But I'm not strong." Arthur felt the tears pricking at his eyes. "I stood there, frozen in fear while you both fought to protect me. You could have died before I even came to my senses, you both almost died." The young trainer's voice caught, he felt the tears falling down his face now. He had finally realised how close to death all three of them had been.

Arthur felt a wooden hand on his, and a furry face nuzzling up to his neck. Nuzleaf locked eyes with him, a fire behind them that spoke of rage and fury that would never be quenched again. "Nuzleaf." The Pokemon said, and the trainer understood. Fight, he said. He wanted to fight. To never be beaten down to such a state again. Nuzleaf had evolved from a tiny, weak Seedot. A Pokemon that often got overlooked and had to form great swarms just to thrive and not get picked off by bird Pokemon. He never wanted to be weak again.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"Zangoose." The Cat Pokemon agreed. wrapping the trainer up in its surprisingly soft arms, a light purr coming from her chest. Arthur couldn't speak Pokemon, but he understood what they meant. They would be his strength. They would be both his sword and shield. He only needed to stand with them.

For a while, they just stayed like that. Comforting each other and letting their emotions fill the room. But eventually, they had to break apart. "Thank you. Both of you. I'll keep going, keep fighting for now. I can't let one bad experience ruin our journey before it even really began."

Both Pokemon called their names, Nuzleaf striking a pose with a closed fist. Arthur felt the smallest blossom of hope be rekindled in his heart. He still wasn't sure of all this, but he would try, for his Pokemon. The group left the room, the food untouched. Arthur couldn't bring himself to eat at the moment. Both Pokemon marched on either side of their trainer, unwilling to let even so much of a speck of dust hurt him.

Soon, the group came upon Snow, who seemed to be waiting for him. "You are looking better. Still a bit pale, and your eyes are red. Oh well, it's to be expected with what you went through. Are you ready to be escorted back to civilisation, or do you need some more time to rest? The Freshies don't come for another two days, so you can rest a bit longer if you want." Snow asked, concern clear in his words.

"Yeah, we are ready," Arthur said, returning his Pokemon. They deserved to rest too, and he doubted he would need them with such an experienced Ranger with him.

"Good. Let's step outside then, and I'll fly you back." Snow said as the pair walked out the front door. There, Snow pulled a Pokeball off his belt and threw it into the sky. "Sandy! You're up!"

The Pokemon that appeared in a flash of white light was an absolutely massive Yanmega. A bug-flying Pokemon that looked like a giant dragonfly. This one was large, even for its species, measuring in at three meters long. Half again as long as a normal member of its race.

"Climb on. Sandy here is as fast as any bird. We will get you back home in no time at all." Snow said, patting Arthur on the back, gently pushing him towards the giant bug. He climbed on it's back, only to be shuffled forward by Snow, who mounted behind him. "Petalburg city, here we come!"

The Yanmega, Sandy, took off with an ear-piercing buzz of its wings. The Pokemon moved directly upwards, before moving directly southwards, no upwards or downwards movement at all. While the ride was very smooth, it felt unnatural. They also just kept gaining speed. Normally a Pokemon would hit max speed after a minute or so, but Sandy just kept getting faster and faster as she flew. Soon, the woods were buzzing past them at a rate Arthur never thought he would go. After twenty minutes, a far cry from how long it would have taken on foot, they landed in Petalburg City.

A few people crowded around, looking at the giant bug with a Ranger and a kid on its back with both worry and confusion. But when Arthur was just dropped off and Snow took back to the air, the commotion died down just as fast as it had started. Just another kid getting lost in the woods, saved by the Rangers.

Both Pokemon, Nuzleaf and Zangoose, popped out of their balls the moment they could, taking up their positions on the sides of their trainer. "Alright, guys. We should head home for a bit. I'm sure my Mum and Dad would like to meet Zangoose and check up on me. Plus, I think Mum might bite my head off if I didn't spend a few nights at home." Arthur laughed softly to himself, slowly cutting himself off as he wasn't entirely sure if he was joking. His Mother was a hard woman, after all.