4:02 p.m. August 7th, Friday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event). Day 58.

Events: Rhea won her Silver-tier Encrusted Badge after a tough battle! Now, our girls are on a solid track to jump into the Silver League. Onward! Our girl started her journey on the 9th of June, and the end of registration for the Winter Indigo Cup is December 5th (120 days away).

Rhea couldn’t stop laughing as Kate dragged her brother by the arm to the beach bar. It had been a long time since she’d seen her brother smile like this; it touched her heart, to see his sapphire-haired girlfriend poking fun and setting all sorts of unreasonable rules for the upcoming volleyball game.

If Kate wasn’t enough, Lori was a bundle of energy, as well. The two extroverts bounced off each other in ways Rhea had only seen the Unovan girl do with her little sister.

Amira basked in the background, rosy sunglasses on, with Amber by her side. Rhea marveled at the matching pair since the Rocket girl had somewhere in the last few hours obtained a set of rounded shades for the fox to enjoy with her.

The cool, salted breeze, the lively ambiance of Vermilion’s beach partiers, and the heated sun overhead radiated a strong sense of freedom. It made Rhea fall into a reflective state, hands held behind her back and watching the Wingull and Pidgey going about their flocks.

Their Pokemon ran around them, playing tag and causing laughter from the casual throng on the wide sidewalk adjacent to the sandy shore. It wasn’t all that populated, but several friendly battles or games were being played that occasionally caught her attention.

Everything about this moment felt liberating. She’d beaten Saria and obtained a Silver Encrusted Badge—the first one period. It was hard, but they did it, and they did it as a team.

Rhea’s gaze drifted between her two friends, Pokemon, brother, and, at this point, she considered Kate as practically her sister-in-law. Life had been so chaotic over the last two months, but they’d gotten through it. What more could she ask for?

Grabbing a swift snack before the fun, Kate got them the ball for the game, and her brother bought them all frozen lemonade cups to enjoy; large, of course.

Rhea didn’t recognize the name Felicity in her brother’s Pokemon archive, but the moment she came out, she couldn’t help but snicker as Kate tossed her the ball; the woman knew what she was doing.

Just over two meters tall, the female Superpower Pokemon flexed her four arms with a roar at the upcoming game, making her brother force a laugh.

“Eh-hehe. Don’t be too rough on me.”

“Machamp!”

Lori cackled next to them, holding her stomach as if it hurt. “It’s over, ref! Call it! Call it! Haha!”

Pulling off their clothes to reveal their bathing suits and placing their outer apparel off to the side to not get caked in sand, Kate marked out positions for them in the sand. Rhea got into place with the others, grinning at her brother’s side of the field as he chuckled, resigned to his fate.

Felicity was passing the ball between her arms by flexing, making Sabin’s male Pokemon look at him in a way that asked what the Muk he did for them to be roped into this. Luna had her sleeve up to her mouth, floating beside Kate as the girl held up a hand for the Ghost to bump; it seemed the two had found some common ground.

Rovane, her brother’s male Aerodactyl took up the rear, Snee-Kee, his Klefki, doing his best from the middle as Atreyu, his faithful Starter Houndoom, took the opposite side. That was all her brother had, while their side had taken from him Luna, Felicity, and, to his chagrin, Bethanie, his Kangaskhan. It was a slaughter.

After her brother got done cleaning the sand off his bright red face, having taken several direct hits, they laughed about the first few rounds. They continued a short while after, waiting for their Pokemon to return with their order of slushies, only this time with more of an even team.

Kate and Luna were now on Sabin’s side, presumably keeping close to the man to sabotage him for Rhea. Of course, it could be just to make more skin contact, Rhea concluded by the woman’s ‘suddenly clumsy’ antics. Her brother appeared to be enjoying the distractions, though; men being men, as Lori put it.

As 5 p.m. came about, they packed up and made their way to the showers to get ready to leave, washing off the sand. Amber showed off her wand skills by drying their clothes in a flash, and to Lori’s alarm, Amira made an impressed comment about the Braixen not turning their swimwear to ash; Rhea couldn’t help but follow that up with a joke about the man.

Dressed and ready to impress with the redhead’s skill in crafting braids, Kate led the way back to Vermilion Gym for her fated battle. Rhea felt sore after all the exercise, combined with her tough battle earlier, but her spirits couldn’t be higher.

Gables made her giggle as he jumped off the side of the nearby walls, spraying bubbles for Amber to expertly shoot out of the air with Embers. They toned it down whenever others came near, but the pair were getting awfully close as of recent, and Rhea wasn’t the only one to see the two Shiny Pokemon try to impress each other.

Naturally, they couldn’t say anything without a glare from the fox and a smirk from the frog. Amber was shockingly shy about it, it seemed, which made the girls snicker.

Mya and Alice clapped, oblivious to the two flirting in their own way. They were taking it easy on their own Moves since Rhea was stressed as it was. Nova opted to rest in her Poke Ball after taking turns during the games with her teammates.

Luna was doing surprisingly well with Lulu, and her little cosmic cloud had taken a shine to the mischievous Ghost, who had tempered shockingly fast since their visit to Lavender. Then again, maybe it was the city itself that brought that out of the girl.

Enjoying the heat with her second helping of frozen lemonade, Rhea was a little surprised to see the world suddenly tilt, spots flashing across her eyes. The next thing she knew, her brother was holding her near the ground.

“Rhea?!”

“Yo, girl, what’s up?” Lori asked, concern on her face.

The back of Amira’s hand was already on her forehead. “…She feels a bit hot, but we have been in the sun for a—is that?”

Her brother’s phone went off, and slipping it out of his back pocket with his free hand, Rhea had to blink as she saw double; everything was moving a tad slow.

“Ash,” her brother said. “He must have sensed something—hey, my sister just collapsed. Rhea?”

“I’m, uh… No need for alarm, heh, just seeing double… triple? Spots are a good sign. Right?”

“Maw-maw?!”

“Lopunny!”

“Ne-nee!”

“I can call an ambulance,” Kate hesitantly offered, taking out her phone. “Should I?”

Her little cloud teleported onto her front, hugging her as if she’d soon disappear. Nova was calming her teammates down, telling Mya to do the same for the teary-eyed Cosmog.

Ash’s voice came on over the speaker as Rhea’s head started to clear. “Her Aura is erratic. No need for real concern at this stage—if she rests, that is. She shouldn’t force herself to do anything else today after that battle. It has to do with her enhancing abilities being overloaded with a few compounding factors; I’ll talk about it with her later tonight.”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Rhea protested, pushing her brother away while blinking rapidly and forcing herself up to encourage her scared Pokemon. “No more double vision. See? I’m total—wait, okay, maybe not,” she mumbled as her muscles suddenly started to lose strength, and she tilted to the side. “Help!”

Vision washing out, the last thing Rhea’s fuzzing brain heard were other people on the street rushing over to see if she was okay.

Groaning, she smacked her dry lips, feeling drool gurgle out of her mouth as she shifted on top of something soft and squishy. Rhea cracked open an eye, haze clearing up to find her team and brother standing over her in a dimly lit room. Her vision soon cleared up, recognizing it as the guest room of the Cerise household.

“Ugh. What’s, umm, huh? Hey, guys, I really gotta stop doing this.” Strained laughter came from her friends and brother as they leaned a bit closer to check on her condition.

Her Pokemon were all in their Poke Balls, hugging her spirit tight and crying that they were happy she was okay. Lulu had cried herself asleep inside her shirt front, likely to hear her heartbeat. Guilt started to settle in with what she put her team through.

“Headache?” Lori questioned. “I always get headaches after I pass out from partying too hard.”

“Isn’t that just the alcohol?” Amira chuckled, making Rhea smile.

“Probably the alcohol.”

Lori huffed, arms crossing. “I’m not like my sister! I generally don’t drink underage, and Cass only does it to get attention; she hates the taste and barfs every time—always off-screen. I’m the one that usually has to take care of her sick butt. You good, Lemonade?”

“Pfft—ack!” Rhea choked up a laugh, making her brother close in to rub her back with concern. “A-Another nickname?! You’re funny, Lori—heh, I mean, ack, Velvet!”

“Haha. Glad I can make you laugh. Good?”

“Yeah, just stupid sore… I feel like—like everything was squeezed and twisted by Felicity. I, umm… Really?”

She groaned as her stomach roared like a Tyranitar.

Lori laughed and pushed herself off the bed to give her a wink. “Girl, you are so high maintenance!”

“Tell me about it,” her brother laughed, ruffling her hair and making Rhea shoot a glare at him, but it soon turned into a more affectionate touch. “I’m guessing if you can joke, you’re on the up.”

“Yeah. I probably should have taken it slow back there rather than force myself up too quickly. My bad.”

Amira finished sending a text as they spoke, nudging her head to the side at Lori. “I texted your mom, Rhea, and have been keeping her updated. Lori and I will go down and get your dinner. Mrs. Cerise was quite worried about you when we brought you back; she’ll be glad to know you’re recovering.”

“Thanks, Amira,” Rhea whispered, settling back onto her pillow as her brother brushed back her bangs that he’d messed up in the first place. “Can you thank her for me, too? Sorry to be a burden.”

“Girl,” Lori grunted, lightly slapping the side of her blanket-covered leg, “if you don’t get outta here with that attitude!”

“It’s really no trouble, Rhea,” Amira said, walking around the bed with the Unovan girl on her tail. “Also, what do you mean by ‘high-maintenance,’ Lori? Rhea hasn’t asked me for money once, and this is what, your fourth time borrowing funds?”

“You know I’m good for it! When haven’t I paid you back?” she shot back, exiting through the doorway and making Rhea’s belly hurt from silent laughter.

“You’re an addict, Plum. Stop it. Get help.”

“I—wait a minute, what imagery are you giving me with that nickname, Amira? Spill!”

Rhea’s gaze drifted to the other door, her clearing mind catching the sound of running water. “Is… Kate in the shower; what time is it? Oh, no! Did I make you miss Kate’s big match?”

Her brother streamed out a long sigh, showing a sad smile as he shook his head and leaned against the bed with his folded arms. “Sis, you’re the definition of hopeless. Is it impossible for you to think about yourself even once?”

“Yes,” Rhea defensively returned. “Look at Kate as an example, or Mom!”

He tilted his head to the side, as if saying ‘debatable.’ “Kate, I can see, if we’re talking pre-Trainer Rhea, but Mom? Naa. You’ve always been more concerned about her health than it being selfish.”

“Nu-uh,” Rhea grunted, snuggling closer to her Pokemon against her spirit, and stroked her sleeping Cosmog’s head, poking out of her shirt front. “Shows how much you know your little sister. I’m very selfish. You don’t even know.”

“I’m sure… Heh.”

“Seriously!”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Okay, Dr. Serious,” he chided, resting his chin on his arms. “Let’s not pass out again. It’s 9 p.m., and yeah, I missed Kate’s match, but don’t think for a second Kate is bitter about that. Don’t put that evil intent on her; she’s worried about you.”

“She didn’t have her head in the battle then?” Rhea asked, biting her lower lip and knowing how focused a person had to be after going through an Encrusted Match herself. “She lost?”

The door next to them opened, releasing steam and showing the blue-haired young woman. “Okay, Ms. Martyr. Hehe. Yeah, we lost, but it was close, and I’m not hung up about it. Our downer doing well, Bae?”

Rhea swapped her glare to the woman. “You know, Lori calls me a bag full of sunshine.”

“For everything but yourself, Sis,” Sabin tiredly mused, gently tapping her forehead. “Don’t blame yourself, alright?”

A strange hue wrapped around her brother’s form, making Rhea’s stomach twist as her vision bugged out for a second. Frustration, self-rage, and disgust burned inside her core, making her gag for a second. Blinking rapidly to reorient herself, she saw Sabin and Kate standing over her.

“Rhea?”

“Sis, what’s wrong?”

“No. Ack! No. I’m, eh—I’m fine, umm, Sabin, why did I just get this sudden, uh, Aura flash? It felt l-like you hated yourself or something—what is this weird color around you?” she mumbled, seeing the warp happen.

Kate’s lips drew in, eyes tightening as they lifted to her brother.

Sabin hissed, rubbing the back of his neck and looking away. “Ash… said your Aura would be acting up a bit, so—”

“Don’t bury that, Sabin,” Kate demanded. “I’ve sensed it for weeks now. Something is going on that you’re not telling me. If Rhea’s seeing it in your Aura, it’s getting serious. Don’t shut us out. You’ve been acting really reckless lately, and I don’t know why.”

“Yeah!” Rhea growled, shifting on her bed and following the woman’s lead in her semi-haze since it felt right. “What’s going on, Sabin? Don’t, eh-umm… cap. Yeah, don’t cap!” she barked, imitating the word Lori often used.

Her brother got up to half-sit on the side of the bed, sliding to the backboard to lean his head against it. As if on clockwork, Lori and Amira opened the door, both holding items for her, but the moment they saw their expressions, the redhead turned around and shut the door.

“I got your—call us when you’re ready.”

“Huh? What’s going on, Rosy?”

When the door closed, Sabin streamed out a long breath, working around his jaw and seemingly looking for the right words.

“It’s… hard to really… define in words,” he eventually mumbled.

“Try,” Rhea pushed. “I’m just as worried about you as you are with me. What’s eating you?”

Sabin rubbed his elbow, tongue pressing against his left cheek. “Mmh. It’s a lot of things. Thinking about Dad and Mom’s past, the Plasma attack on you… feeling like I should be stronger by now. I don’t know.”

He looked down at his lap, swallowing as his voice went hoarse. Rhea sunk deeper in her bed, gaze shifting to her brother’s legs.

“I’ve had this… nightmare, I guess you could say.”

“About me—when the Plasma guy attacked us?”

“Not always you,” he eventually said, and Rhea noticed the goosebumps on his forearm. “When I showed up to rescue you, there were so many factors that could have prevented that—so many things that could have made me dismiss the feeling that something was wrong. What if that Plasma grunt had his full team? Why didn’t I sense something was wrong sooner? Atrayu was a split-second on time to stop that bullet from killing one of you—killing your friend, possibly you… Sometimes Kate’s in your place. It’s stupid. Hah. Kate can take care of herself.”

Kate’s fingers tightened against the bed, closing around the edge of the blanket. “Obviously, subconsciously, you feel otherwise… I get it. I haven’t been as focused on training lately, and when that grunt attacked Rhea, my team wasn’t ready for it—you did have to save me with that Tailwind. I know it’s true.”

“Kate,” Sabin lightly hit his head against the headboard, eyes closed. “I know you’re strong. I don’t know why I’m experiencing this fear—it’s not even that… I’ve had these kinds of nightmares since my Mt. Silver trip—that Steelix that almost killed me. Everything else has just kind of… exacerbated since then.”

Reaching over to pull Kate and her brother’s hands closer to embrace on the top of her stomach, she forced a laugh.

“Sis?”

“Hehe. You know what I think, Sabin?”

“What?”

“You need a real vacation to relax and unwind. You keep twisting yourself over and over—you’d do it all the time when we were growing up. What did Dad use to do when he got back from the front lines?”

“Heh. Camping trip. Just us and nature for days, teaching us all sorts of things.”

“He distracted us from everything at home—everything we saw with the injured people coming back and hearing their cries. Kate keeps telling me she’s worried about you pushing yourself too hard; we’re both afraid of losing you, too. So don’t be stupid! Seriously, take a real vacation together. I’m fine! Haha. I have Ash Mukin’ Ketchum traveling with me. Who else besides Red or Auntie is a better bodyguard?”

“Haaa. That’s kind of the point,” her brother growled, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. “I should be here for you… for Kate when she needs me.”

Rhea forced their hands tighter together with a huff, making her brother look up into his girlfriend’s sad smile that said he was missing the whole point.

“She needs you now, stupid!”

“Your sister has a point, Bae.”

“Hah! I win. And I need to know my brother isn’t losing his edge by worrying about stupid stuff. Take a vacation; sister’s orders!”

“Fine… Haha. I have been eyeing a certain little mountain hot spring paradise in Johto that happens to be a magical place to heal and revitalize the spirit. And I happen to know someone that could get us in last-minute…”

Kate’s face sparkled like the stars. “No! Mount Quena? You know that place takes over a year to get into! It only accepts limited guest numbers. Who?”

“A certain girl named Tessa that’s a part of your fan club.”

“Tessa! Oh, I could kiss that little Vulpix! Lucky these lips are only made for you,” she winked, making Rhea want to die.

“Okay, Luvdiscs, get outta here and let me rest!”

Sabin chuckled with his blushing girlfriend, likely imagining all the trouble she’d get him into on this vacation. He bent down to kiss her on the forehead.

“I love you, Rhea. Thanks for punching your stupid big brother in the gut.”

“Someone’s gotta do it, and Kate can follow up with a few good jabs.”

“You know it, Sunshine! Let’s get to flying, Bae; we can take the Saffron Bullet Train tomorrow. Ahh! I can’t wait to slip into those private spas, and the best part…”

“Okay!” Rhea interrupted, knowing exactly where she was going with the ‘exclusivity’ of the spas and having heard all about the ‘couple package’ from Gossip articles. “Enjoy your break, bro, but leave my mind out of it. I don’t need nightmares, too.”

Grinning, they both laughed, cutting the previous tension to shreds.

They exited shortly after a few more teasing jokes Rhea did not appreciate; still, she felt a more healthy Aura from her brother now, which helped to ease her troubled heart. Kate really was good for him.

Sinking back into her bed, now somehow feeling more exhausted than ever, she glanced over at her team as they entered with her tray, Pokemon following behind them. Lori wore an interested grin, while Amira was as amicable, passive, and poised, as was usual.

“Is it just me, or did Kate look like she just had her first kiss again?”

“Not our business.”

“Oh, c’mon, Red! You have to be a little interested. Rhea?”

Even through the fatigue, Rhea forced her arms up into an x sign. “That’s an N.O. I’m all about gossip but not when it involves my brother. Ick.”

“Mmh. Maybe my family is just different,” Lori mused. “Did I tell you about Shanty’s first fling? He was dead!”

“Cap,” Amira smoothly interjected, setting Rhea’s food down beside the bend while helping her get ready to eat by offering her a towel to not spill on her clothes or the mattress.

“No cap! I heard everything across the room. She was fifteen. I still remember all that cringy poetry. Gag!”

“Something tells me you were too young even properly to remember that. What were you, five?” Amira commented. “Is this fine, Rhea?”

“Yeah. Thanks, Amira. I’m on her team, too. Shanty is like ten years older than you.”

“Mmm. Maybe you’re right. Hehe. It still makes for a good story! Want to hear about the ghost my sister dated?”

“Meh.” Rhea shrugged, stomach growling, and accepted the bread Amira offered her as the redhead followed up. “I don’t have much else going on, and Nova’s interested.”

“As a side note,” Amira interjected. “I’m good with us leaving tomorrow for Fuchsia.”

Confused, Rhea glanced her way. “Can you get us a ticket?”

“Wait, what about your health?” Lori questioned, settling down a bit with a frown.

“Ash told Sabin that they would be good to travel tomorrow and also to congratulate Rhea on her victory.” Amira absently answered with a neutral tone, pulling up her phone to browse services and prices to compare.

“I’m sure he’ll want to say more when we’re heading out. I just wanted to hear it from Rhea. Hmm. Boat should be the best option, do you think? At least you’re better with the waves now, right, Plum?”

“Plum!? Again? You gotta let me in, Cherry! What’s the scoop?! Ack, yeah, I don’t love the idea of a boat, but I can hack it, though.”

“Sounds good,” Rhea sighed with a short yawn. “Okay, what’s your very tinted version of these ‘very real’ events, Lori?”

“You haven’t even heard it, and you’re doubting me? Ouch! Haha. Okay, let me dim the lights—eh-heh, it started on a chilly October night!”

Letting Lori pull her attention into the very weird world that was her mind and vision of her Ghost-loving sister. Of course, after meeting the Elite 4 member, she had to admit, she could see some of it, even with Lori’s embellishments.

At 10:25 p.m., Dawn made it to the house, greeting the family before making her way to them. Ash and Chloe had yet to return since this was the last night before the young woman would leave for Paldea.

“Come in!” Rhea called as she walked down the hall, waving Chloe’s parents off in the front room.

Dawn poked her head past the door with a bright smile; her blue hair was slightly darker than Kate’s, and she looked to be around their own age, maybe a bit younger, even if she was only a few years below Ash.

“Hello, Rhea, girls—I heard you had a bit of trouble.”

She wore a sleeveless, high-neck pink blouse with high-waist riding pants that matched her hair color. Rhea’s eyes quickly took in her hair clips, wrist accessories, diamond amulet, and pink heels to match her top; she was just as fashionable as Rhea remembered.

“Dawn, it’s been a while! How’s my Auntie?”

“Haha. You know her,” Dawn giggled, moving in to take a chair Amira had unfolded by the bed in preparation for her arrival. “She’s got the energy of ten new Trainers on an adventure, the class of a Roserade, and the ferocious aura of a Garchomp and Lucario combined!”

“That’s her! So, delivering some stuff?”

“Mhm! I saw your brother on the way out. Caught them in the air on their way to Saffron, and Kate seemed to be on Cloud Nine; nothing could overcast her night.”

“Eh-heh. Yeah. They both needed a vacation.”

Dawn crossed her legs and turned her attention to Amira and Lori, showing an apologetic smile. “Sorry to ask for some privacy after only just arriving, girls, but I had a chat with Ash, and he wanted me to convey a few things to Rhea since he’ll be busy for much of the night.”

Lori’s eyes widened, face saying there were some juicy questions to bite into regarding that topic, but Amira pulled her out with a forced laugh.

“Don’t mind us.”

“Aww. I really want to know what they’re doing! It’s killing me! Why are they out so late, hmm? Are they going to be out all night?”

“Not our business.”

“Amira…”

Dawn laughed as they exited, turning to give her a gentle smile.

“Is it that bad?”

“Mmh. Not necessarily. You just need to be careful when around a large group of people and feeling competitive.”

“Hah, is this about me, or Ash and Chloe?”

“Oh, shush, you. You’re on Gossip way too much! We’re focusing on you here!”

“Ugh. Way to dodge the question like a ‘Champ.’ The volleyball game with a bunch of Platinum-tier Pokemon and Trainers count?”

“That sounds fun! Eh—”

“Maybe we can make time for one more game with Ash and Chloe to join us tomorrow, hmm?”

“You will not let up!” Dawn sighed with a forced laugh. “Hmm. Honestly, it sounds magical. But not for the direction your Gossip-corrupted mind is going! It’s mainly a product of compounding issues, according to Ash.”

“Ooh. Double-speak?” Rhea mused, figuring she was using the ‘compounding’ part to refer to her relationship with Ash.

“Haha. Ugh. Teenagers.”

“Ah! I’m offended,” she joked with a grin. “Besides, you look pretty teenagery yourself, Dawn.”

A twitch came to Dawn’s eye that said she’d hit a nerve. “Ah-ha. Ha. Ha. Ha. It’s good you can joke, Rhea. Aaanyway, Nova’s new form, you participating in Silver-tier, supporting your teammate and others in better tuning their Fortitude… It has a lasting effect.”

“What do you mean?” Rhea asked, her brow furrowing and getting a bit more serious at the topic of her friends. “You mean Sam, Jade, Hannah, and Jay are still being affected by me?”

Dawn shook her head. “No, it’s a refinement and tuning that you’re doing for their Fortitude. It is stronger when in your presence, but you are gradually fundamentally restructuring how their Fortitude and Aura function. Ash is torn on it, honestly, but I see no problem with it. Heh. Of course, I’m not an Aura Grandmaster, but I’m proficient enough, I think. I don’t think I’d do anything differently in your place, subconsciously or otherwise.”

Rhea’s gut-twisting feeling eased at her comforting words; Dawn always knew what to say and was always so positive and straightforward. In a way, it was similar to her aunt, but the woman had been mentored by her, after all.

“Thanks, Dawn. So, what should I do—Lulu?”

“Ne-ne? Neee!”

Her Neblua Pokemon poked her head up, chirping and tearing up again while swapping directions to hug her neck.

“Aww. She’s adorable,” Dawn whispered, leaning forward to gently take the Legendary after she confirmed Rhea was okay. “Opening yourself up to the Shamanistic side of Aura has caused some stress and friction. Ash is consulting some people he knows on the topic. For now, just rest and relax. Should I tell you some stories about how things are going in Sinnoh?”

“Yes!” Rhea chimed, settling in again for some stories she was really interested in. “How’s Granny, and can Amira and Lori join us?”

“Absolutely! As for Professor Carolina… Haaa. She’s always having computer trouble. I’m half convinced she plays it up to get more time with your aunt.”

“Haha! It does sound like something she’d do, and she’d never admit it. She loves emojis and stickers, too. It’s like she finds a new one for every post.”

“You noticed that, too?” Dawn mused. “Yeah. She’s a fun lady. I’ll call Amira and Lori back in. Just to clarify, there are some minor concerns regarding the Shamanistic aspect of this awakening in your Aura, but it isn’t alarming at this very moment. Ash is working on a solution.”

“Got it.”

Dawn fetched her team and broke into some of the most insane tales regarding these new Pokemon variants and details they were uncovering from Sinnoh’s past history. It didn’t take long for Rhea’s eyes to betray her, though, and by 11 p.m., she slipped into her dreams.

Tomorrow, they’d be on another adventure, and the last thought she had was of calling her brother to confirm he was on his way to his couple’s retreat. It would do good to drill it into his thick skull; even he needed a break.