Walking through Jubilife, he continued to find himself surrounded by people going on about their lives. Kids going to school or playing, teenagers kissing each other or wasting their time, old men and women feeding the Starly on a park bench and an obscene amount of salarymen coming and going out of the several office buildings surrounding them. The city was chaotic and bursting with life, the clear signs of a thriving place and one of the largest cities of the Sinnoh region.

But the blond-haired boy wasn't there for any of that. As he and Absol made their way through the sea of people, all they could qualify them as was useless information. They had a mission to fulfill, and they weren't going to lose sight of it. And so, they continued to scan every single person around them, his trusty partner always ready to sense any incoming danger.

Thankfully for them, Joy Plaza wasn't particularly vast, and in a short while they finally found their target, sitting on a bench and appearing dejected as he ate a sandwich, while at his side a Gible did the same. They were probably still reeling from a defeat, he guessed, or maybe it was just what happened a few hours before. Either way, he wasn't in his top mood, but that was hardly what interested him.

The boy adjusted his gloves and strode closer without much fanfare. There was no time to waste.

"Mr. Park, right? I've been looking for you," he said.

Park snapped his head up right away, gulping down the sandwich. He stared at the boy in confusion, narrowing his eyes. "Who are you?"

The boy simply grabbed his badge and showed it off. Trainer and Gible both froze in place.

"Agent Koya, International Police." He placed the badge aside, stepping closer alongside Absol. "I've got a few questions for you."

Park had blanched out, nervous, fidgeting and looking around. Koya simply remained in wait: was he going to escape? Did he have something to hide? There were many possibilities. He hovered a hand on one of his Poké Balls in case it was needed.

And then Park stared at his Gible, and threw his hands up at Koya. "L-look, I found this Gible abandoned as an Egg! If it had a previous owner, I didn't mean to steal him!"

At that, Koya quirked an eyebrow, shifting between trainer and Pokémon. Even the little Dragon-type seemed tense now, fidgeting and leaning closer on his trainer. The agent traded a quick glance with Absol at that, and then sighed. He faced Park again, clearing his throat.

"None of my questions concern you. I'm just looking for someone."

Park's worries seemed to melt away as he heard that, sighing in relief alongside his Gible. Koya didn't focus much on that, and instead produced a picture, an old archive photo of a youthful man and a wild-looking boy in the middle of nature, surrounded by many Pokémon.

Koya jabbed at the boy, eyes narrowed. "Have you seen this kid?"

Park grabbed the picture and gave it a good look. He groaned immediately.

"Oh, sure. He tossed a Ball at my nuts." He scratched his head, facing the city limits. "I think he helped with some operation by accident and is now going to Oreburgh? I'm not sure. Try to look there."

As Koya observed the path to Oreburgh himself, he ran the known information in his head. He did hear that the local Jenny was organizing an operation against a Pokémon smuggling ring surrounding Jubilife, with some assistance from Oreburgh City's Gym Leader Roark. He didn't expect that to end up relevant, but considering how Roark's father was a well-known acquaintance of his target, him and the boy being together would serve his investigation well.

He turned his attention back to Park as he pocketed the photo.

"Makes sense. Trainers usually don't stay still." He gave a polite bow to Park and a brief smile. "Thanks a lot for your help. And, don't worry."

"Uhm?" Park quirked an eyebrow.

Koya's smile widened ever-so-slightly, stepping closer to the Gible and giving it an affectionate pat to the head.

"Abandoned Eggs are considered res nullius as far as the law is concerned, they don't belong to anyone. And I can tell that Gible likes you, so you have nothing to worry about." He stared back at Park, his glare once again serious. "Keep good care of it, alright?"

Park appeared relieved at that, just as expected. He pumped his fists and nodded at Koya. "I will, thanks!"

Koya nodded and turned around, without any further gestures as Park and Gible went back to eating their sandwiches. He spared the duo only a second before he focused on the path ahead, Absol already striding at his side. He was glad that unlike certain people, Park seemed to genuinely care for his Pokémon, not like that stupid lab assistant he interviewed, or like-

The boy froze, trying to keep the memories from surfacing back. He shook his head, and he could feel Absol bearing his stare on him. Koya steadied himself and adjusted his shirt, taking a deep breath.

"It's nothing, don't worry." His gaze shifted back to the path. "We don't have time to lose now. Hareta Yamamoto is the best way to reach our goal."

Absol nodded, and agent and Pokémon continued through the road. They joined the International Police to do good and help others, and after insisting to be the only agents assigned to that case, neither Koya nor Absol had any intention to let their organization down.

They would find Kaisei, and Newton Graceland with him. By any means necessary.

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"Wow, this cave is awesome!"

As Hareta, Bidoof and Onix rushed to the side to pluck a Geodude from the ground and start chatting up with him, Mitsumi sighed and shook her head. Even after spending the best part of the last twenty minutes inside the cave known as 'Oreburgh Gate', the boy still managed to find something new to catch his interest and to rush towards. He bounded around like an Aipom with agility, grabbing Pokémon, picking up pretend fights, and then shaking hands as friends with every single denizen of the cave, all while Piplup tried to keep pace with his new trainer. All without a second of rest.

She was more glad than ever that the Jennies offered to accompany them up to the Oreburgh Gate's entrance, because at that rate, she would've spent more time making sure Hareta didn't get involved in weird adventures than they did looking for his father. At the very least, the cave's measly light and linear structure meant that they couldn't lose track of him as easily as in Jubilife.

As Mitsumi continued to give her traveling companion a look just in case, she heard the other human of their little entourage chuckle lightly, adjusting his glasses as he looked after Hareta and his Pokémon family, his Cranidos following after them.

"He's truly a bundle of energy, isn't he? Reminds me of my father," Roark said while Hareta fell smack dab in the middle of a colony of Zubat and Golbat.

Mitsumi continued to look as Hareta held a hand towards the leader Golbat, saying something about being friends. She could've sworn Hareta's eyes glowed for a second, and after that Golbat's smile widened, as if he had known Hareta for years, him and the rest of the colony welcoming him and the others as friends while Hareta talked of how they shouldn't disturb the local Geodude or something like that. She had no idea how he knew that, especially when he quickly jumped away to befriend some other cave dweller and waved the colony goodbye.

Mitsumi rubbed her green hair, sighing. "I've not known him for much, but at times I wish he had less energy."

"There's nothing wrong with being so active, especially when you're so young." Roark continued to follow Hareta, just as he grabbed Piplup and lead him over Onix's head to look over the cave. "He's definitely his father's son."

At the mention of Hareta's father, Mitsumi tensed up. They had spent a good hour or so together, but she forgot to ask anything yet. She cursed mentally, and looked back to him with narrow eyes. "What do you know of Kaisei, exactly?"

Roark turned back to her, and shrugged in response.

"Admittedly not much, my father's the one that knows him directly and could likely give you more information, but he's currently out of Canalave to work with a friend on Iron Island. That said, there's also something I want to make sure of with Hareta, here."

Mitsumi knitted her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say I like to polish diamonds in the rough so they can shine brighter than ever."

Mitsumi's brow furrowed further. And at that, Roark laughed again, a hand raised. "Oh, you'll see what you mean. It's nothing worrysome."

"And when will we see this thing, exactly?" Mitsumi asked, eyes still narrowed on the Gym Leader.

"Hey, there's an exit there! Let's go!"

Mitsumi snapped back to attention, facing Hareta again as the boy pointed towards the light at the end of the current tunnel. Roark took his cue to lead the way, a bright smile on his face.

"Right now, it seems," was all the Gym Leader said, walking ahead of Hareta and gesturing for them to follow. Mitsumi let the argument rest, and she and the rest of their team continued to walk towards the path out of Oreburgh Gate.

It took less than a minute to traverse the rest of the tunnel and reach their destination, and as Hareta, Mitsumi and their Pokémon finally stepped in the light, Roark turned towards them and extended his arms to the side.

"Welcome to Oreburgh City, my friends!"

Coming from the mountainside, Mitsumi and Hareta could enjoy a bird's-eye view of the whole city: it was extremely advanced and modernized, and yet clearly a city stepped in working the rocks. They could see what appeared to be a large museum and laboratory in the distance, a large building that looked to have been carved from a giant boulder, a large red steel bridge leading to an alternate entrance to the city, and a very active mine leading underground, with several conveyor belts going in and out with all kinds of materials, and tower cranes moving them all over the place. It all gave the impression of a burstling, lively city with thriving workplaces, just accurate for one of the most important locales for Sinnoh's economy.

Hareta in particular was staring around wide-eyed from the head of his Onix, him and Piplup taking in everything the city had to offer them. "Wow! There are rocks everywhere!"

"This has been a famous mining town for quite a while, and even today we report new findings for minerals and fossils all over the place." Roark folded his arms, his smile growing even brighter as he stared at the mines in the distance. "As the leader of the mining operations and Gym Leader, I'm proud to call this city my home."

Hearing that, Hareta's attention shifted back to the bespectacled man. He hopped off Onix with Piplup in his arms, landing right next to Roark.

"Again that word. What's a Gym Leader?" the boy asked, head tilted towards the man.

"Oh, your father didn't tell you about them? We're the trainers you need to face to qualify for the Pokémon League. Strong trainers meant to test your skills, basically."

"A strong trainer?" Hareta's eyes lit up at that, and he quickly stared into Piplup's own. Trainer and Pokémon grinned at once.

Roark pushed his glasses up, his smile appearing more smug than before. "You're intrigued, right?"

"Of course! Let's battle!" Hareta said, him and Piplup pumping their fists and flippers at once.

Roark's lips curled up into a smirk. "Sure, why not."

Hareta and Piplup beamed together. Mitsumi, however, put her foot down and stared through Roark.

"Wait, what about your pressing matters? And Kaisei?" She asked, fist clenched around her bag.

"Oh, those two can wait." Roark stretched his fingers with a grin. "This won't take long at all."

As he and Cranidos looked back at the feisty and excited Hareta, Mitsumi froze in place, staring after the Gym Leader. He appeared relaxed, weak even, but the way he was approaching the coming battle exuded much more confidence than it seemed. Even for a Gym Leader, Roark was likely an opponent not to underestimate.

And yet Hareta didn't seem concerned at all. If anything, he only grinned harder and held a punch up in determination. "Alright then! Piplup, let's win this!"

Piplup puffed his chest and prepared himself, and with yet another chuckle Roark started to make way for a better place to fight. All the while, Mitsumi couldn't help but wonder what exactly did the Gym Leader want from Hareta now. They weren't trying to enter the League, so why was he so interested in him?

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After a little while Roark led them to a plaza off the side, one that didn't appear to be too trafficked yet large enough to house all of Hareta's family on the sidelines. The boy wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings however, his eyes glued on the Gym Leader ahead of him.

There were many things that Hareta didn't know about the world: most of his life was spent traveling through nature, surrounded by Pokémon and sometimes his father. Even the few times he visited a city tended to be quick trips, few and far in between. As such, he had no idea what a 'Gym Leader' actually did, but if Roark was as strong as he sounded, then he wanted to face him.

He gave a glance to Piplup, and found his starter as fired up as he was, ready to test himself against a new challenge. The two flashed matching grins, their friendship feeling stronger than before.

"Is a one on one match good for you?" Roark asked, Cranidos already taking his place on the improvised, plain battlefield.

Hareta nodded. "Sure! Piplup is my only Pokémon, anyway."

"What about the rest?"

"That's just my family, they don't fight much."

"I see. Interesting." Roark adjusted his glasses, a smirk drawn over his face. "I look forward to see what you'll do."

"We're gonna win, that's what!" Hareta said, holding a fist up.

Mitsumi shook her head. "Don't underestimate him, Gym Leaders are tough."

"I'm not! I wanna fight him even more if he's strong!" Hareta grinned, his passion overflowing as he could barely stay still while Piplup hopped on the battlefield, puffed his chest and tried and failed to look bigger than Cranidos.

"That's good to hear." Roark folded his arms. "Why don't you make the first move, then?"

Hareta punched ahead in response. "Sure! Piplup, show off your amazing Peck!"

Piplup chirped an affirmative and rushed onward, beak shining. Cranidos took a stance, and Roark studied the field.

"Use Sandstorm."

Cranidos let out a roar, and the entire battlefield was covered by a veritable tornado of sand, obscuring him and everything else from sight.

Hareta put a hand above his eyes and tried to look through the sand with a big smile. "Wow! I can't see anything!"

"That's not something to be excited for!"

Hareta didn't mind Mitsumi's complaint and instead focused on Piplup, as the Pokémon tried to squint his eyes through the sand. "If we can't see anything, we'll just get rid of this! Piplup, Bubblebeam!"

Piplup puffed his chest and released the move, a stream of bubbles cutting through the storm where Cranidos was.

Hareta and Piplup winced as the bubbles hit the ground, Cranidos nowhere in sight. They tried to look around them, only for Piplup to let out a squeak as the sand whipped over him.

And Roark smirked. "Now, Assurance!"

Cranidos emerged from the thick sand veil, claw shining and swiping down at Piplup. The Water-type slammed on the ground, crying in pain and cracking the floor.

"Piplup!" Hareta yelled, while his partner rose back on his feet, taking deep breaths and with a huge bruise where Cranidos landed the hit.

"Assurance is a move that doubles in power if the target has received damage of any kind right before it." Roark adjusted his glasses as the sandstorm grew even stronger, with Cranidos hiding back in it. "Between that and Cranidos' unrivaled attack power, you can't afford any mistake."

Hareta remained thoughtful, folding his arms and observing the sand, his Pokémon and Roark wordlessly.

"So, we can't get hit." Hareta nodded to himself, and then pulled off a grin again. "Piplup, use Bubblebeam on yourself! Keep the sand away!"

Piplup chirped an affirmative, leaping upward and firing the bubbles skyward. The Water-type move showered him completely, the sand unable to touch him and clearing away ever-so-slightly.

"Smart, but not enough." Roark extended an arm ahead. "Swagger."

Cranidos reappeared again, gesturing at Piplup to bring it before he disappeared back behind the sand curtain. Piplup pouted and clenched his flippers, only for his footing to suddenly grow unsteady, leaving him wobbling in place.

Hareta paused, concern drawn on his face. "What? Piplup, what's wrong?"

Piplup didn't respond at that, still standing on shaky feet. Roark dusted off his work jacket as his eyes went back to Hareta.

"Swagger raises the opponent's attack power at the cost of confusing them."

Hareta continued to look over his Pokémon in concern, especially as the sandstorm grew even thicker, but he quickly recovered his smile as he pointed ahead. "Well then! If our attack is stronger, we'll make use of that! Piplup, blow him away with Peck!"

Piplup rushed ahead, beak shining and aiming ahead. And then he wobbled again, and the Water-type tripped and rolled over the ground, crying as the sand whipped over his body again.

Hareta widened his eyes. "No, Piplup!"

"Assurance!"

Cranidos emerged again, claw ready to strike once more.

"Bubblebeam!" Hareta tried to call. Piplup tried to charge, only to squint his eyes and grow dizzy again. The Assurance struck, and Piplup was tossed back on the ground, where the sand stream hurt him again. With another call of Assurance, Cranidos reappeared and hit Piplup again, tossing the Water-type right at Hareta's feet, trainer and Pokémon completely powerless as Roark continued to study his opponents.

"You can't continue to attack like that, not when your Pokémon is confused. And even if it doesn't hit itself, the Sandstorm will still guarantee that Assurance can hit at full power."

Hareta knew that Roark wasn't bragging; he was stating a fact. He and Piplup had a huge obstacle to overcome, and as the sandstorm brewed again and spotted Cranidos on the other side, he knew they had to overcome it somehow, and fast.

His eyes went back on Piplup, the prideful, somewhat bossy Piplup he'd just met not long ago. They still didn't know each other too well, but Hareta knew one thing: neither wanted to lose, and they both would've done everything to win.

And so, Hareta pumped his fists and observed his friend as he got back on his feet.

"Come on, Piplup! I know you can hear me!" Hareta punched ahead. "You can't remain confused! We need to show Roark what we're made of! You can do it!"

Piplup seemed to listen, but right then the sandstorm hit, and the Water-type winced in pain. Hareta's attention turned back to the battlefield, knowing what to expect.

"Once more, Assurance!" Roark ordered.

Cranidos left the sandy cloak once more, shining claw on the ready. Piplup continued to wobble. Hareta clenched his fists, and then aimed ahead.

"Bubblebeam!"

Piplup's eyes snapped wide open, and he ducked right under the hit. Cranidos froze in place, just enough for a storm of bubbles to strike and knock him back in a daze. Piplup stood proudly at that, the confusion gone out of sheer willpower.

"Yes! I knew it!" Hareta beamed, rising a fist skyward. Piplup simply held a battle stance, his injuries doing little to damper the confident grin he wore now, even moreso when the Sandstorm cleared completely, letting the two see Cranidos rising back up, hurt but not down.

Roark folded his arms at that. "Not bad at all."

"Alright Piplup! Let's get back at him now!" Hareta punched forward. "Ultra-strong Peck!"

Piplup let out a war cry as his beak shone brightly and he charged right at Cranidos. The Rock-type squinted his eyes, but Roark quickly issued another order.

"Sandstorm!"

Cranidos glowed, and the sand veil coated the battlefield and Roark's Pokémon once more. Hareta just grinned at it, an open palm to the sky. "Twirl around yourself and use Bubblebeam, Piplup!"

Piplup jumped without missing a bit, twirling like a penguin-sized tornado as a whirlpool of bubbles formed all around him. The sandstorm swiftly cleared, and Cranidos leapt away from Piplup at his side, his position now known. Hareta continued to grin, and even Roark gave a brief, slow clap at that.

"Not bad, you adapt fast." He smirked once more, trading a glance with his Rock-type. "Cranidos, Head Smash!"

Hareta and Piplup did likewise. "Go for the Peck, now!"

Cranidos and Piplup traded defiant glances, prepared themselves, and then charged at each other, Cranidos almost glowing monochrome and Piplup's beak shining brighter than ever. Forehead and beak met halfway and clashed, both Pokémon glaring at their opponent and pressing against each other, power exuding in droves from the clash of power.

Hareta, Roark and even Mitsumi continued to observe the stalemate, waiting as the ground surrounding the Pokémon cracked out of intensity, both Pokémon standing firm and powerful.

And then Piplup winced. Cranidos seized the chance and powered through, nailing Piplup in the stomach.

Piplup screamed in pain as he flew through the air, cratering on the ground and cracking it on impact. Hareta went pale, eyes on his friend as he writhed and whined weakly, barely trying to stand up before he fell again, defeated.

"Piplup!" Hareta yelled. He rushed at his side and grabbed him, holding the Water-type close. "Piplup, are you okay?"

Piplup opened his eyes slowly. The Pokémon weakly stretched a flipper to Hareta, disappointment on his face. Hareta just smiled at him and hugged him tighter.

The boy then heard some steps, and turned up to see Roark with an Oran Berry in his hand, Cranidos joining him at the side.

"Here, for his injuries," Roark said as he put it in Hareta's hand.

It took Hareta a little to realize what happened. He and Piplup were driven to win, they were doing their best, and they lost completely without much fanfare. His eyes fell back to the Oran Berry, thoughtful.

"Huh." He nodded at that, and then he rubbed his neck, giving the Gym Leader a sheepish smile. "Man, you were really strong."

"I do my best to improve myself every single day, as part of my duties." Roark adjusted his glasses, and then stared through the boy. "It looks like you aren't ready yet, however."

Mitsumi stepped in, an eyebrow quirked. "Ready for what?"

"To search for Kaisei." Roark kept his arms folded, eyes never leaving Hareta. "Even if you spent a lot of time travelling Sinnoh, you never fought many battles as a trainer, right?"

The boy shook his head. "Not really."

"It shows. You're strong, creative, and believe in your Pokémon, all admirable qualities." Roark gave an approving smile, one that was swiftly replaced by a serious frown. "But you're still inexperienced. For example, even boosted, Peck is not the best move to use against Cranidos, and you could've done better with Bubblebeam while keeping the distance. You're good enough to deal with small time criminals, sure, but what if during your travels you'll meet someone clever and ruthless enough to try everything to harm you?"

Hareta replied with a frown of his own, albeit one brightened up with one of his grins. "We'll grow stronger and defeat them, of course."

"A good answer, but you'll still need to be strong enough to fight back." Roark's stare grew even harsher. "And unless you're able to defeat me, I doubt you can continue your quest."

Hareta didn't know what to say. Inside, he wanted to tell Roark that of course he could, but then his eyes went back to the barely conscious Piplup in his hands, and whatever retort he wanted to say rang hollow.

Fortunately, Mitsumi held her bag and glared back at the Gym Leader. "You can't force us to stop, you know."

"I can't, but I can give you a fair warning." Roark sighed, concern drawn on his face as he went for Hareta and Piplup again. "I think he needs to improve, before he finds himself facing an opponent he's utterly unprepared for."

Silence fell between them all, with none of the humans nor Hareta's Pokémon family making any sound, all thinking of Roark's words. Then, the Gym Leader patted Hareta's shoulder with a smile.

"If you want a rematch, just come at the Gym and look for me. Take all the time you need to prepare, but know that I won't go easy on you."

Mitsumi tilted her head. "Wait a minute, what about the information on Kaisei?"

"There's no need to give it to you if you aren't strong enough to pursue him, don't you think?" Roark said with a shrug, then turned around and walked away, a hand raised in salute. "I'll wait for your rematch later. For now, I've got some minerals to inspect."

Mitsumi tried to object, but by the time she tried to speak, the Gym Leader and his Cranidos had already left her and Hareta alone with nary another word. She stood there, and then frowned almost comically. "That little...!"

She breathed in and out, her eyes going back to Hareta and the still injured Piplup. Now calmer, she stepped closer to her traveling companion.

"Do you want to go to the Pokémon Center?" Mitsumi asked.

Hareta remained thoughtful, eyes still on Piplup. He then nodded and rose back up, turning to Mitsumi. "Yeah."

"Let's go, then."

And thus, without a further word Hareta, Mitsumi and their Pokémon entourage moved towards the main street for the Pokémon Center. And throughout the trip, Hareta remained far quieter than he had ever been as he observed the injured Piplup.

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After Piplup went through a quick check up and got his wounds patched by the local Nurse Joy, Hareta and his starter left without a word, his Pokémon family remaining outside the Pokémon Center all the while. Mitsumi was tempted to follow him, but before she could do that, she had a duty as an assistant to uphold, and thus went for the nearby videophones. Professor Rowan took up her call right away.

"Oh, Mitsumi, I didn't expect to hear back from you already. How are things going?"

"Well, there were some problems on the way, but we met Oreburgh's Gym Leader in Jubilife, and he claims to know something about Hareta's father." Mitsumi adjusted her bag, quickly frowning and rolling her eyes. "And then he suddenly went all grouchy cryptic mentor on us, defeated Hareta in a battle, and decided that he won't tell us anything until Hareta defeats him, for some reason."

Rowan placed a hand over his chin. "Hm, bizarre. I know Roark well enough, and he's never been the kind of guy to act that way."

"Well, that's still what he did, and now we're stuck." Mitsumi exhaled, trying to let her stress leave her body. Her gaze quickly turned to the door of the Pokémon Center. "I can't imagine how Hareta is feeling now."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that." The Professor grabbed a book and started reading over it absentmindedly.

"A loss can make or break a person." Mitsumi clenched her fists, her gaze sharp and narrow on the older man. "I know it better than anyone."

Neither said anything more as they looked at each other across the screens, the unspoken history only they knew about clearly hovering over the entire conversation. And yet, Rowan still didn't change his demeanor, only allowing himself an extremely brief smile before he focused on his research papers once more, flipping pages with nonchalance.

"Seems like you don't know Hareta enough yet." He closed the book and took another one, giving Mitsumi another glance along the way. "I think traveling with him will do you good, actually."

"What do you mean with that?" Mitsumi asked, an eyebrow quirked.

"You'll understand in due time. I feel you can both learn from each other." Rowan closed his newest book after reading over one page, quickly putting the material aside over his desk. "Now, I'd love to talk more, but I have some interesting data to discuss with Sycamore. I hope you'll clear your hurdle soon."

"Wait, Professor-"

Rowan closed the call before Mitsumi could say anything else. The assistant grumbled to herself as she left the videophone, quickly striding to the center of the atrium. After the months she spent with the professor, she had learned to deal with the fact that he could be quite cryptic and work-minded when he wanted, with the only guarantee that he usually knew what he was doing. She really hoped it was the case for her and Hareta's enforced partnership.

She quickly shook her head and put these thoughts at bay, her attention going back to Hareta. She had a few ideas of what was likely going through the wild boy's head at that moment, and none seemed pleasant. She gripped at her bag, old memories trying to grasp at her mind as she tried to stay focused on the current matters.

Mitsumi quickly turned around and ran for her exit without a further word. Whatever he might've been thinking, finding Hareta took priority above anything else now.

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Pacing through the rocky paths of Oreburgh City, Mitsumi sighed and kept going, her eyes scanning out the area around her in search of her traveling companion. Beyond the fact she never had any opportunity to visit the city before, it was still incredibly hard to get a read of where a curious and hyperactive Aipom-like boy would decide to prance next, even with his fixation with bringing an entire horde of Pokémon alongside him- something she should have a talk with him about eventually.

Normally, she would've tried to look for him eating some fruit while hanging upside down from a large tree, but none of the scattered greenery of the mining town really fit the bill, and no other Pokémon thing he could get to do now came to mind. Mitsumi grumbled to herself, her search for Hareta continuing until she found herself away from the center and almost at the outskirts of the town, the rocky surroundings making way for a very shallow forest with some Burmy, Budew and other Pokémon popping through the trees and bushes. Mitsumi would've turned back, if not for a faint voice in the distance.

"Piplup, go for Peck!"

The familiar call was enough for Mitsumi to perk her head up, finally spotting Hareta in the distance with Piplup at his side, surrounded by his several family members. She slowly stepped closer, just as Piplup rushed ahead with a shining beak to clash with a black and blue furred Pokémon that Mitsumi identified as a Shinx.

The Electric-type Pokémon ducked and jumped away from Piplup's beak thrusts, while Hareta's Water-type continued to keep the pressure up on the other Pokémon. As his starter continued to swing his beak like a master swordsman, Hareta stared at the battle in complete silence. Mitsumi frowned in worry, but her attention quickly went back to the two battling Pokémon as Piplup fell on the ground, with Shinx leaping away and then lunging over him, trapping the Water-type. The Shinx grinned, his body sparking with charge.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

"Come on, Piplup! Use Bubblebeam!" Hareta sweeped his hand through the air.

Mitsumi perked an eyebrow up in interest, only for Piplup to blast the barrage of bubbles straight on Shinx's face, sending the Electric-type flying as his half-ready Spark attack coursed through his now wet fur. The wild Pokémon twitched in pain and meteored towards the ground, and Piplup leapt towards him, closing the distance until he was above Shinx.

Hareta then beamed, punching the sky. "Now, for your best Peck!"

Beak shining bright, Piplup slammed it right into Shinx, both Pokémon falling groundward together. Shinx impacted on the ground first, rolling over into a pained heap as Piplup disengaged him, arms on his hips as he puffed his chest with pride. The Shinx tried to stand up, staring at Piplup and Hareta, but he ultimately fell back down, unable to fight.

The battle done, Hareta beamed and came closer to Piplup, rubbing his first Pokémon's head happily. "Good job, Piplup! You were great!"

Piplup chirped happily in response, still showing himself off for his victory. Hareta indulged him for just a bit before his attention shifted back to Shinx, still staring at them in challenge even while panting heavily. The wild boy walked closer to him.

"You are strong, too! This battle was so much fun!" Hareta kneeled at Shinx's height, a cheerful smile on his face as he offered the Electric-type a hand. "Would you like to become friends?"

Much like in the Oreburgh Gate, Mitsumi saw Hareta's eyes shimmering briefly, Shinx's gaze still locked into his own. The small Pokémon narrowed his eyes, almost as if considering what to do next, but his frown quickly made way for a happy smile. The Electric-type placed a paw over the boy's hand and let out a happy cry.

Hareta beamed, and sealed the new friendship with a big hug. "Heheh, welcome to the family, Shinx!"

Piplup and the various members of Hareta's Pokémon family all joined in to make the new Pokémon feel at home, with the Shinx happily fitting in with no problem as Hareta brushed over his fur. As she observed her companion having so much fun, Mitsumi's worries all seemed to melt away, and she decided to stride forward to him with a smile. Shinx and Hareta both prickled their ears at once as she stepped closer, turning around to see her along with the others.

"Hey, Mitsumi! Did you finish your things?" Hareta waved his arm at her, still as cheerful as he was.

Mitsumi gave him a nod, arms folded as she observed the upset grass and dirt around them. "What are you doing here? Training?"

"Sorta." Hareta held the Shinx high as he looked at him, his smile only widening. "We were wondering what to do when this little guy came in to fight us. We're friends now."

"I saw." Mitsumi rubbed the head of Hareta's new Pokémon, but her attention quickly went to the trainer himself. "How did you get him to listen to you so readily?"

"Oh, I just used my Empathic Exchange."

Mitsumi knitted her brow. "Your what?"

"That's how Gramps calls it." Hareta set Shinx down, kneeling over both it and Piplup before giving both Pokémon a hug as he turned back to the girl. "I can pretty much make other people and Pokémon feel my emotions, that I want to be their friend, and let them know that. It doesn't work if the other person or Pokémon just doesn't want to be friends or something else is in the way, but it makes creating bonds easy. It works the other way around too, if they want."

As if to confirm things, Shinx started to playfully rush all around Hareta and Piplup, with the trainer quickly obliging in playing with his newest Pokémon. And all the while, Mitsumi thought about Hareta's explanation. She would've probably dismissed it as him being weird, if it wasn't for the fact that she knew exactly how many weird things went on in the world.

Was he a Bloodliner? He definitely fit the bill to be one, potentially one of those with two abilities. Maybe that was why Professor Rowan was so interested in him?

Mitsumi put the questions aside as quick as they came, instead focusing back on Hareta and on the reason she came to find him to begin with.

"Is everything alright? I didn't expect you to be so happy after that loss." Mitsumi scritinized Hareta thoroughly as she flitted her eyes, trying to find any clue of body language to reveal how he really felt.

Hareta just tilted his head and blinked. "Should I be?"

"Well, you lost, and-" Mitsumi bit her lip, trying not to project her own experiences on him. She shook her head and stared at the ground. "I don't know, it looked like you got sad."

The boy blinked a few more times, almost looking like he was processing Mitsumi's words, before his ever-present smile brightened up his face once more.

"Oh, I was just thinking!" He rubbed his neck, letting out a happy laugh. "Sure, defeat stings, but that just means me and Piplup have more work to do."

The boy crossed his arms at the waist, sharing a glance with all of his gathered Pokémon as his smile grew fonder, as if he was sharing into some memories only they knew about, before his attention went back to Mitsumi, all of Hareta's family coming closer to him.

"When I was little, all the other Pokémon around me were better. I was never the fastest, the strongest, or the best at jumping, or anything, really." Hareta hopped off right on Onix's head, standing ontop of it as he pumped his fists. "So I just tried harder and harder, until I became as good as them or better. It was hard, but if there's a limit ahead of me, then I want to smash past it and become better than I am!"

Piplup and Shinx both cried an affirmative in response, which was followed on by Hareta jumping off his Rock-type friend and right between his two Pokémon, tackling both into a tight hug and holding them close as he faced Mitsumi once more. "Me and Piplup can improve for sure, and with Shinx now we're going to be unstoppable! We just need to put effort in it!"

All of Hareta's Pokémon shouted in tandem with him, seemingly in agreement with his words and drive before they all tackled him into a collective hug, with Hareta happily returning the favor to each and every one of them. Mitsumi continued to stare back at him with nothing to say.

Even after spending time with him, she still had no idea how he could be so immature and idealistic. Did he really think that kind of mindset worked in the real world? Maybe growing up in the wild didn't do a number on just his social skills...

But even as she thought that, she couldn't deny to be glad to see him still being his cheerful self in spite of the loss. That was the only thing that actually mattered right then and there. And so, Mitsumi sighed and walked closer, a smile on her face.

"It's nice to see you so motivated." Her attention shifted back to Piplup and Shinx, scrutinizing both Pokémon. "Do you have any strategy in mind to defeat Roark yet?"

Hareta placed his hands behind his neck, grin widening. "Oh, we'll think of something when we get there!"

Mitsumi fell silent once again, frowning for all of a second. Then, she shook her head. "Sorry, but that's just a recipe for disaster. You can't just barge in without a plan."

"Really? It worked so far."

"Well, this time your opponent has a brain, don't forget." Mitsumi sighed, only to quickly grin back at him while palming Infernape's Poké Ball, tossing it up and down. "But if you want, I think I can teach you a few tricks that could come in handy for the future."

Hareta's expression only grew brighter as he, Piplup and Shinx leaned forward with interest. "For real? Like what?"

"You'll see." Mitsumi gave a quick glance at the semi-ruined area surrounding them before she turned the other way. "Let's move to a more appropriate place first, alright?"

Hareta nodded along, and Mitsumi started leading the boy and the Pokémon back inside Oreburgh City's limits, heading back for the same plaza the boy had fought Roark in. The girl allowed herself a pleased grin as she started to think about what tips on Pokémon battling she could pass on to him. By the end of the day, Hareta would've definitely become a far better trainer.

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Once Mitsumi and Hareta reached their new training ground, they both sent over their Pokémon to train together, with Hareta's family observing and cheering from the sidelines. The initial training plan was simple: a battle between Mitsumi's Infernape and Hareta's Pokémon, with his new Shinx taking the lead after some sprayed Potions. As such, the two trainers started battling post-haste, Hareta and his Pokémon brimming with energy as they started trading blows.

Shinx was fast and reliable, but unfortunately for him and his trainer, Mitsumi and Infernape had been tempered by far harsher opponents over the years. Not that the difficulty deterred Hareta in any way, of course.

"Alright Shinx, show off a great Spark!" Hareta yelled, punching onward with all his enthusiasm.

Shinx lunged for the Fire/Fighting-type, his whole body engulfed with electricity. Mitsumi just frowned. "Infernape, dodge."

Her partner Pokémon shoot for the side, letting Shinx hit the air. The Electric-type tried to turn around and spark his charge again, only for a Mach Punch to force him to duck and steer away. Infernape and Mitsumi stood on guard as Shinx caught his breath.

As their Pokémon circled around each other in wait, Mitsumi spied Hareta. He was just as excited as ever, perhaps even moreso as he flashed another grin.

"You're fast! Then, we'll just be faster!" Hareta thrusted his arm forward. "Shinx, use-"

"Don't let him!" Mitsumi snapped.

Infernape didn't even let Shinx charge himself up again before he grabbed and tossed him away powerfully, the Electric-type flying through the air and towards a nearby wall. Piplup tried to leap to the rescue, only for Shinx to slam right into him and sending both to meet the wall, cracking it on impact as they yelled in pain.

Hareta was quick to rush at his Pokémon's side, grabbing them both. "Shinx, Piplup, are you okay?"

A quick headshake later, both of Hareta's Pokémon nodded back to him, with Shinx in particular dropping down and preparing himself to fight. The boy beamed at it.

"Good!" He turned back to Infernape, pointing at him. "Your Infernape is really as strong as he looks! But we'll manage to defeat him!"

"Not if you keep fighting as you are." Mitsumi folded her arms, analyzing Hareta. "You're way too direct. You need to be able to circumvent your opponent as well, without blowing your whole hand right away."

Hareta nodded in return. "I'll keep it in mind! Come on, Shinx! Let's fight together!"

Shinx cried an affirmative, fur sparking with electricity as he smirked towards Infernape.

"That's the spirit!" Hareta stood back up, pumping both fists. "Do your best, Mitsumi! We're ready for anything!"

Mitsumi just stared at him and his two Pokémon without giving any order, with even Infernape relaxing his posture. She shook her head, her stare cold. "No, not like this. You are taking this too easy."

"Really?" Hareta tilted his head, blinking. "Aren't we supposed to have fun?"

"Not every battle is fun. Some you're gonna fight because you have to, and when those will happen, you can't afford to put your 'fun' first." Mitsumi clenched her fists, gaze still trained on her traveling companion. "You are clever and react fast, but you need to get serious before it's too late."

She traded a quick look with Infernape, the Fire/Fighting-type recovering his fighting stance. "So, drop all the joking attitude and focus on defeating us. Don't think of anything else but winning."

Her voice was stern and collected, just as it had to be. That was the only way Hareta would understand how to take battle seriously, after all. It worked for her.

But she didn't expect Hareta to keep looking at her in confusion, before he shared just as confused glances with Piplup and Shinx. He ultimately stepped forward, puzzled yet curious. "Is this really a good training method? We want to learn and battle with you and Infernape. I love to go all out, but this seems a bit weird."

Mitsumi rolled her eyes, wondering why she didn't expect that question earlier. She sharpened her glare. "I'm preparing you for the worst. Do you think every single opponent you'll meet wants to have a good time?"

"Yeah, but I want to enjoy battling with a friend." Hareta folded his arms, still looking as naive as ever. "If we start to always thinks of the bad things coming, we'd not enjoy the good ones, right?"

Hareta's question was simple, maybe even warranted, but it still caused Mitsumi to dig her nails into her palms. She shook her head, her stare growing even more hostile. "You can't always be this optimistic. I'm just preparing you before it's too late. Just listen to me!"

She stomped her foot down, almost baring her teeth and hoping that he would finally understand.

The boy seemed surprised at that reaction, his glance turning quizzical again. He walked closer, Piplup and Shinx by his side.

"Is something wrong? Did I make you angry?" he asked in genuine concern.

Mitsumi would've snapped another retort, but Hareta's question gave her pause. She quickly sighed and rubbed her temple, trying to calm down a bit. It only halfway worked.

"No, it's just..." She sighed again, trying to put all her thoughts in order. She turned away from him to do so, drifting into her own memories. "I'm worried for you. Roark was right, this world is dangerous and you can't just treat everything like some big happy adventure, without expecting anything bad to happen. You need to be ready, and not just for the rematch."

She almost felt bad saying all that, but he needed to be aware of it. They already had one close encounter with Team Galactic, and she knew exactly what to expect. They weren't opponents to take lightly.

Hareta seemed to consider her words, and Mitsumi almost believed he understood. At least, until he pulled off another of his unfuriatingly cheerful smiles.

"I understand. When that will happen I'll be ready, but I don't think that time is now," he said, still yearning for his stupid, happy challenge.

She exhaled, holding her temple again. "Why do you keep saying that?"

"It's our first battle, and our adventure is just starting." Hareta's smile only widened, eyes going skyward before falling back on her. "I know I won't always be the strongest and maybe things won't always go well, but at least for a bit, I'd like to make this a good time for both of us. You always seem so serious and worried, so I'd like to help you out."

On the moment, Mitsumi didn't know what to tell him. It was kind of him to worry for others, but that really wasn't the time or place to act like that.

"Damn it, why do you have to be like this?" She let out a sigh, shaking her head. "Are you really stupid? This attitude and naivety will get you killed."

Hareta didn't even wait a second for yet another grin. "If that's stupidity, then I'm fine with being stupid!"

Mitsumi stared at him again, once more at a loss for words. For his part, Hareta came closer as he continued to radiate cheerfulness.

"I'm not the smartest person in the world, and I don't understand everything." He came close enough to put a hand on Mitsumi's shoulder. "But I think I understand my friends and family at least, and I'll always do what I think is best for them. And if I ever do something so stupid to deserve to be scolded, then I know I can count on you and the others to do that!"

He ended his little speech with a laugh, like it was the most natural thing to think and say. Mitsumi wanted to yell back at him how wrong he was, how that kind of mindset would've only brought him into danger, but any other retort died in her throat. He was just way too earnest to really tell him otherwise.

She took a deep breath, and pulled off a smile of her own. Maybe it was wrong, but just for once, maybe it would've been nice to be wrong together.

"You sure are stubborn." She chuckled, her stare turning challenging. "We'll do this your way, then. But if anything bad happens in the future, I warned you."

"Don't worry, I know I can count on you to help me if that ever happens!" Hareta and his Pokémon laughed along, as Shinx took to the battlefield again.

Mitsumi and Hareta continued to battle like that for a while, and even with all his efforts the boy didn't even come close to defeating Infernape. But he tried as hard as he could, with Shinx and Piplup both, while trying to come up with as many strategies and subterfuges as he could, learning as he fought. And in spite of how long they battled together, Hareta never gave up, enjoying the matches as if he was having the time of his life. And little by little, Mitsumi felt the same. A weird, almost foreign feeling, but one she was glad for.

The training went on until the sun was ready to set, after which Mitsumi and Hareta decided to head for the Pokémon Center to rest up. They had a quite long day ahead of them when they would wake up.

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As the morning sun shone overhead, Mitsumi, Hareta and the rest of their entourage didn't waste any time in getting prepared to head out of the Center, both Piplup and Shinx pacing right next to the shorter trainer, their thirst for battle evident. They tried to head for the Oreburgh Gym, only to find it closed for the morning due to Roark's absence. That was no deterrent for Hareta, however, and so the little group headed immediately for the location of the Oreburgh Mines, the economical heart of the city.

Mitsumi continued to observe their surroundings with interests as the several buildings made way for large upset fields of rocks and minerals. Huge piles of material she couldn't identify were scattered all over, while a conveyor belt, electromagnetic tower cranes and more than a few metal boxes surrounded the area while providing quick trasportation of all the material in the appropriate parts of the mines. Several workers were coming to and fro, barely paying them any mind, giving the impression of a busy work day in a very productive workplace.

The twosome and their Pokémon made sure not to cause any problem for anyone, simply asking for directions on where to find Roark and then putting their distance from the work area as they headed for the mines proper. After a brief walk, they finally reached the entrance to the underground, where Roark was reportedly working. All the while, Hareta never lost his challenging grin.

"Alright, here we go! Are you ready?" The boy shifted to his two Pokémon. Shinx sparked his cheeks and nodded, while Piplup puffed his chest with nonchalance, a flipper raised.

"Great!" Hareta gave them a thumbs up. He then looked back to his entire family, all standing next to the entrance. "You just wait up here, okay? We'll be back victorious!"

All the family cried in agreement, the many Aipom waving at him ontop of Onix while the others did the same on the ground. Hareta replied in kind with an energetic wave, before he and Mitsumi finally stepped towards the depths. Several lamps lined up the path on the sides and ceiling, making the path easy to see even as they descended further down the earth.

"How are you feeling?" Mitsumi asked to Hareta, their steps echoing around them.

"Excited!" Hareta pumped his fists at once, his beaming and bright face sunnier than ever. "We need to show Roark that we're better than he thinks, after all."

Hareta's expression turned a bit less sunny at that, his passion still there but tempered just enough. Mitsumi really hoped that was a sign of him taking things more seriously and not just an impression.

Her attention was quick to move away from there, however, noticing all the miners picking on the walls and removing rocks at work on the nearby walls, until both trainers found a familiar red-helmeted and purple haired head polishing up what looked to be a fossil, giving them his back.

Hareta quickly rushed towards him. "Hey, Roark! We're here for our-"

"Shhh, not so loud!" Mitsumi grabbed him by the scarf, a finger over her mouth as she stared at him. Hareta gave her a sheepish grin, but thankfully the workers surrounding them seemed just mildly bothered as they looked back at them and then went back to their business, all while Roark finally turned.

"Oh, look who's here." The man pushed his helmet up, smiling and placing his fossil aside. "Though I didn't expect you to come back so quickly."

"I really wanted to battle with you again." Hareta rubbed his neck with a chuckle, walking closer to the Gym Leader alongside his Pokémon.

Roark studied him and his team, and Hareta's newest Shinx in particular, before giving a chuckle of his own. "You're certainly not lacking in enthusiasm."

The man quickly put that aside, however, as his gaze turned serious again. He stretched his arms to the side, and only then Mitsumi and Hareta were able to see the huge variety of fossils peeking through the rocks.

"Do you see all these? These are the remnants of many ancient, extinct Pokémon." He gave a look of his own at all of them, then pushed his glasses up by the bridge, observing Hareta. "They all fell because they weren't strong enough to survive, for one reason or another. Are you going to end up like them, or are you ready to face me once more?"

Hareta gave a cursory glance to all the fossils himself, but it didn't take long for him to turn back to Roark. "There's only one way to tell, right?"

"The right answer." Roark smiled once more, dusting off his grey work clothes and heading on the road to the entrance. "Let's go to a safer part of the mine."

Neither party had any objections, and Roark led them out of the mines through an alternate path to the surface. They continued to walk until they reached a seemingly unused area of the mine, the same one Mitsumi had spotted on arrival, with the crane, boxes and piles of some kind of material all scattered around, but with enough room to allow for a proper battle.

Mitsumi's attention, however, was completely on Roark, trying to get into the Gym Leader's head. He could've easily led them to the Gym and have the battle there, but for as much as he seemed to follow official protocol, he still decided to remain around the mines he worked in. Was he trying to make use of homefield advantage? Was this another sort of test for Hareta to pass?

Hareta didn't say anything, simply taking a garner of his surroundings as well, alongside his teammates, possibly studying it as well. It didn't take long before the group reached a clearing large enough for a battle to take place in, surrounded by the piles of waste on all sides. Roark strode away from Hareta for his position, while Mitsumi walked to the sidelines.

"Let's make this a two on two battle, alright?" Roark asked, palming one of his Poké Balls.

Hareta nodded. "Good for me."

"Very well." With a toss, Roark's Ball was on the air. "Geodude, it's time to fight!"

The device opened, and the Gym Leader's rock-shaped Pokémon materialized out of it, levitating above the ground and punching its knuckles together. Hareta seemed to consider the Pokémon for a brief while, then turned to his newest Pokémon.

"Let's go, Shinx, you're on!" His Electric-type leapt onward, taking a battle stance and staring right through Geodude.

Both the opposing Pokémon and the Gym Leader blinked at the choice. Roark frowned, scrutinizing Hareta's new friend. "Starting with an Electric-type? Don't you know that Geodude is also a Ground-type?"

"Type advantage is not a problem for us!" Hareta grinned giddily, almost sounding fearless. Mitsumi really hoped it would be a good thing.

For his part, Roark continued to observe the trainer and his choice. He seemed to understand something from it, as he returned Hareta's grin and stretched his fingers in preparation.

"Well, this is bound to be interesting." He sweeped his hand forward. "Geodude, let's start things properly. Magnitude!"

Geodude slammed both hands on the ground, and the whole battlefield shook around the fighters. Shinx tried his best to stay still as the shockwaves came, but everyone's attention soon went to the piles of waste surrounding them, all wobbling in unison and looming ever-so-precariously above them with each quake.

Mitsumi clenched her fists. Of course he was planning on that.

"Shinx, move to safety!" Hareta's order was quick, and Shinx rushed forward just as one of the piles was about to collapse, narrowly avoiding it. The small Pokémon kept running to and fro, avoiding the sea of waste now precipitating from all over.

And as he continued to dodge, Roark smiled. "Seismic Toss!"

Just as Shinx continued to bounce around the falling debris, Geodude flew right at him, the Rock/Ground-type grabbing him by his paws. The Electric-type thrashed around, but Geodude's grasp remained firm as he shoot skyward, ready to turn back.

"Shift into Rollout and aim for the ground!"

Geodude tightened his grip and sharply turned downward, rolling alongside the fall even before they landed.

"Shinx!" Hareta yelled, frowning. The little Electric-type kept resisting, but there was little he could do as Geodude continued to revolve in mid-air.

Roark's Pokémon cratered groundward, the battlefield cracking on impact. Without wasting a second, the Rock/Ground-type rolled onward, slamming right into the heaped piles of scattered waste as its speed increased, Shinx screaming as he was tossed along for the ride.

Geodude grew faster and faster as it circled around the battlefield, with Roark keeping a steady look over their movements. And then, he snapped his finger. "Now, go forward!"

His Pokémon was quick to make a sharp turn, now heading towards the largest pile still standing. Mitsumi gulped; he definitely planned to smash Shinx on it with all the accumulated kinetic energy.

Knowing that would be the end of it, she turned back towards Hareta. The boy, however, didn't seem too concerned: he was frowning still, sure, but she could see a hint of a smile on his face, as if he was waiting for something as Geodude and Shinx rolled along towards the pile.

And mere seconds from impact, Hareta punched ahead. "It's time, Shinx! Double Kick!"

Even between all the rolling and pain, Shinx managed to slam his forelimb right on Geodude's face. The Rock/Ground-type screamed, the impact sending Shinx in the air and Geodude right into the pile, embedding it on the waste.

The rock Pokémon tried to levitate out of it, only to find Shinx still lunging towards it, the second half of his attack ready to be unleashed. The Electric-type kicked Roark's Pokémon right on its jaw, only embedding it further inside the collected waste. Shinx allowed himself to grin.

Hareta beamed, both hands tossed up. "Great job! You're amazing!"

"Sandstorm!" Roark's order was sharp, his gaze focused.

Geodude frowned as well, the sandy winds immediately called to whip over the battlefield. The sand cloaked everything, including Geodude's own position, just like the one from Roark's Cranidos did.

Hareta jumped on his feet, while Mitsumi grumbled to herself. "Not again..."

"Magnitude!"

As the sandstorm prevented anyone from following the battle, the earth shook again, and the piles of waste drowned the battlefield like a tidal wave. Mitsumi squinted her eyes through the sand, barely making out Shinx as he fought against the quakes and the waste.

Hareta pumped his fist. "Spark!"

Shinx obeyed, lighting up his fur and sparking his electricity skyward. The sandstorm wasn't affected, but Shinx became ever so visible and the sand moved just enough to peek at the battlefield. Some of the remaining electricity flew for the crane above as Shinx continued to leap away from a wave of debris, with Hareta studying what he could see of the battlefield. Both he and Mitsumi noticed that Geodude had left the pile.

Roark was quick to intervene. "Rollout!"

As Shinx winced at the sand, Geodude came into view again, rolling along on track to collision. The sandstorm grew thicker, and their vision was obscured once more.

All the while, Hareta stepped forward. "Stay still!"

Even as the winds continued to hit him over, Shinx nodded and held his ground. Mitsumi tried to follow, but she couldn't hear anything but the faint sounds of Geodude whirling closer. It was then that she turned back to Hareta, only to find the boy with his eyes closed, as if he was trying to concentrate on the sound. The seconds passed slowly. The whirling grew nearer. Shinx still remained in place.

And then, Hareta snapped his eyes open and jabbed forward. "Bite, now!"

Shinx sprung forward and lunged towards Geodude fangs-first, raising the sand and clearing their view mere instants before the impact. Geodude narrowly turned away, too fast to stop as he hit over a metal box on the way, denting it powerfully. The rock Pokémon rolled the other way from there, uncurling and staring back at Shinx once again. For his part, Hareta's Pokémon wheezed and panted, the fatigue of the fight catching up to him as he stood on shaky paws.

He wouldn't be able to fight for much longer, and Hareta seemed aware of that, looking over the battlefield in thought. Piplup, in the meantime, just cheered his partner on.

"It's time to end this match." Roark frowned, pushing his palm forward. "Geodude, go for one last Rollout!"

Geodude obeyed, rolling out at full speed against Shinx, parting the whipping sand along the way as it only grew faster.

Hareta seemed to still think of what to do, until his face turned bright mere seconds later, his gaze aimed to the metal box Geodude hit before. "Shinx, climb over that!"

Shinx quickly rushed over to the side, running at full speed while Geodude pursued it even quicker, their distance closing further with each second. The Electric-type bounded over the box, landing ontop of it with a loud thud.

"It's not gonna help you." Roark's gaze turned stern. "Go up!"

Geodude whirred even more, shooting forward towards the box and speeding right along its surface, propelling itself skyward and above the box. Shinx went wide-eyed, frozen in place, just as Geodude unfurled and meteored down, slamming on Shinx and denting the box further. Shinx yelled in pain, the rock pressing his body on the cold metal.

Roark adjusted his glasses. "Now, finish with Seismic Toss!"

Geodude acted immediately, catching Shinx into a death grip. And that was when Hareta grinned. "It's time, Shinx! Use Spark!"

The Electric-type charged up immediately, sparking his electricity enough to cover the entire box with its charge. Geodude only appeared confused and mildly bothered as he remained unharmed.

"This is not going to stop Geodude, you know." Roark sighed, shaking his head.

Hareta's grin only grew wider. "I know. That's not what we're doing!"

Roark blinked, and so did Mitsumi. They both would've pressed Hareta if it wasn't for the clanking sounds of metal. Both the girl and the Gym Leader quickly turned towards the metal box, and could only stare as it started to fly in the air, right towards the crane's magnet. Geodude was slammed ontop of Shinx by gravity, unable to move away. All as the box drew closer to the crane.

And as the distance decreased, Roark grimaced. "Stop him, Geodude!"

Geodude tried to lift itself and punch at Shinx, only for the Electric-type to roll and leap out of the way. He stopped sparking, and the iron box fell away from the crane and back down the ground, Geodude still ontop as Shinx leapt over it.

Hareta became even more giddy as he punched the sky. "Now, Gravity-Powered Double Kick!"

Shinx thrust his forelimb upward, slamming down on Geodude and the box with all of his might. He kept his kick pressed down, continuing to press over his opponent as the metal box cratered down.

The iron slammed down and shattered on impact with a loud and booming crash, raising the last of the sand just as the Sandstorm ended.

Hareta, Mitsumi and Roark all stared in wait, wondering what the result would be. It took several seconds until the sand cleared up, revealing Shinx standing shakily over a downed and unconscious Geodude.

The Electric-type offered a prideful smirk, and then fell to the ground too tired to continue.

Roark could only stare speechless at the two downed Pokémon, but he quickly pulled off a smile and recalled his Geodude, a prideful look in his eyes. Hareta, for his part, rushed on the battlefield and grabbed Shinx with a smile.

"You were amazing. Thanks for the victory." He hugged his Pokémon happily, with Shinx weakly returning it with a lick.

Hareta enjoyed the display of affection before he finally put Shinx down, Piplup coming in to give his own congratulations. Mitsumi couldn't hide a smile of her own at that.

Roark looked back at them, and Hareta in particular. He smiled again. "I gotta say, that was pretty impressive. I didn't expect you to make use of the environment as well."

"I saw a couple of Magneton do something like that once and noticed the sparks going up earlier, so..." Hareta rubbed his neck, looking sheepish.

"You seem to have improved now."

Hareta turned back to him, still smiling but with far more confidence than before. "We're just doing our best."

"And so far, you've done well." Roark palmed his second Poké Ball, gripping at it. "But there's still another Pokémon you need to surpass. Cranidos, it's your turn."

He tossed the Poké Ball up, and soon Roark's Rock-type partner materialized next to him. Both Hareta and Piplup stared right at the newcomer, all while never losing their shared smile.

The boy turned back to his starter. "Alright, Piplup. Are you ready for round two?"

Piplup gave a sharp nod and took his place on the battlefield, staring down his previous foe. Hareta beamed yet again, turning back to Roark. "Perfect! Prepare yourself, because we're gonna win!"

Roark smiled back, folding his arms. "Your enthusiasm is infectious. Let's see if things will go differently this time."

Neither of the two trainers needed any further word, as Cranidos and Piplup continued to stand on guard and wait for the other's move.

It was Hareta that took the first one. "Let's stop them before they start! Piplup, Bubblebeam all around you!"

The Water-type jumped up, twirling around himself as he fired a barrage of bubbles like a spinning top all around himself. Mitsumi immediately guessed that it was a way to make the air damp enough to prevent further Sandstorms from clouding the battlefield. Even Roark appeared to make a note of that.

"Not bad at all. Cranidos, use Swagger-"

"Keep your eyes closed, Piplup!"

Piplup shut his eyes off again, twirling even faster as the bubbles continued to be spread all around the battlefield. Cranidos' attempt to get him confused went completely unheeded as he was forced to dodge the bubbles instead.

"Your attack won't have any effect this way!" Hareta grinned with confidence.

Roark pushed up his glasses with just as much confidence. "I know, I was counting on you to do that."

Hareta blinked a couple times, until Piplup's cry grabbed his and everyone else's attention. His eyes closed, Piplup had now started to spin erratically, shooting Bubblebeams everywhere at a haphazard pace, completely missing Cranidos or anything else.

"Piplup, no!" Hareta yelled, grimacing.

Piplup's Bubblebeams quickly petered out as he descended, twirling on himself and wobbling in place out of sheer confusion. He only snapped out of it after a few seconds, going wide-eyed as he saw Cranidos heading towards him.

"Head Smash!" Roark's partner Pokémon nailed Piplup in the chest, sending the Water-type flying over the battlefield.

Roark gave a quick glance over the battlefield, then pushed his glasses up. "Now, use Sandstorm again!"

The sandy winds returned, popping all the bubbles Piplup attempted to create. A lot of the damp sand fell down, whittling enough of the storm to leave the battle visible, but far from enough to stop being dangerous. Piplup could attest that, as he squeaked in pain as the sand whipped at his body.

Roark's follow-up was obvious. "Assurance!"

Cranidos bade his time as Piplup fell groundward, swiftly charging at him before he fell, slamming against Piplup. Hareta's Pokémon flew forward, right in the middle of one of the piles of waste, trapping him there. Piplup tried to wiggle his way out to no avail, all while the Sandstorm continued to hit.

Hareta frowned. "Piplup, use-"

"Assurance!"

Cranidos went on the offensive again, hitting back at Piplup before any retaliation. The Water-type attempted to hit back again and again, no matter how much the Sandstorm continued to hurt or how much the fossil Pokémon made it worse with his constant Assurance, but none of his attempts made any difference. There seemed to be nothing that worked.

All the while Hareta tugged at his scarf, staring intently at the proceedings. And then, as Piplup continued to take hits without pause, Mitsumi saw the spark of creativity litting into Hareta's eyes.

"Head Smash!" Roark ordered, his Cranidos readying the attack.

Hareta stepped his foot down, pointing forward. "Piplup, you know what to do! Just stand your guard!"

Piplup did that, almost shining with power as he grabbed Cranidos' head with his flippers, staring down at him. Unfortunately, the sandstorm continued to rage, and a whip of sand made Piplup wince and lose his hold on Cranidos.

"Assurance, once more!"

Piplup barely channeled a Pound to divert Cranidos' strike, panting heavily as he stood his ground and tried to stand, without any hint of going to the offensive. Roark frowned at that, and even Mitsumi had no idea what Hareta's plan was. At least, until Roark squinted his eyes and glanced at the sandy wind.

"I see. You're waiting out for Sandstorm to be over before your attack. Smart tactic, but it's not going to help you out." He pointed ahead, stern once again. "Cranidos, don't give Piplup a chance of resting. Use your strongest Head Smashes!"

Cranidos continued to hammer its head on Piplup's chest, with the Water-type slapping his flippers back on him in a futile attempt to keep him away. Cranidos only grew more powerful, more relentless, slamming and slamming and slamming, until he finally took charge and hit Piplup with all the power of his Head Smash.

Piplup flew over the battlefield, his cry piercing the air until he fell on a pile of heaped debris. Hareta's Pokémon grimaced, barely pulling himself up just as the Sandstorm started petering out, gritting his teeth.

Hareta, however, wasn't concerned. In fact, he was smiling. "Actually, we weren't trying to wait for the Sandstorm to be over."

Mitsumi blinked at that declaration, but it only took one glance to Piplup to understand what he meant from the powerful glow of stored energy that enveloped Piplup completely. Even Roark went wide-eyed at it.

"No way." He gritted his teeth, pointing ahead. "Cranidos, Head Smash! Knock him out before that Bide hits!"

Cranidos swiftly did so, rushing at Piplup and heabutting him, just as the light grew warmer. Piplup was unable to defend, and thus was buried deeper inside the pile, disappearing from view.

Roark sighed in relief, the danger now over as Cranidos took his distance again. He turned towards Hareta, probably ready to declare victory. His relief was gone as soon as he saw that Hareta was still smiling.

Even more so when the pile of debris started to quake, first slowly, then more powerfully with each passing second. Cranidos stepped back, staring at the upset pile of waste.

Hareta sealed it with a punch. "It's time! Piplup, go for it! Mega Volcanic Bide!"

The pile of debris erupted and exploded in a thousand little pieces as Piplup smashed through it, the stored power shining more than ever. The Water-type rocketed towards Cranidos, shooting right into him.

The Rock-type was too shocked to move, and so Piplup slammed against him. Both Pokémon cratered along the ground, upsetting the ground all around them.

And once they stopped moving, everyone could see Piplup standing, weakly but steadily, above the unconscious form of Roark's Cranidos.

For a little while, neither of the three humans said anything. At least until Hareta grinned victoriously.

"Yes! We did it!" Hareta screamed, jumping on his feet and punching the sky repeatedly. Roark just stared on, mouth agape as he glanced over his downed Cranidos.

"How...? Piplup took way more hits than he should have... huh?"

The Gym Leader's eyes went to Piplup, and more specifically to the very familiar Oran Berry he was munching over. As he laughed it out, Mitsumi assumed he caught the irony of where that berry came from.

"I thought you would've used it on the spot. I didn't expect you to save it." Roark placed his helmet straight, moving closer to the boy.

Hareta continued to grin, rubbing the back of his neck. "I forgot to do that, so we decided to keep it as our secret weapon."

"That was pretty sneaky. I pegged you as more of an offensive guy."

"Oh, I love to go all out with my Pokémon, but I tried to take a friend's suggestions to heart. It was fun to try and think of new ways to win!"

Hareta still held his smile plastered over his face, but hearing that managed to make Mitsumi smile alongside him. Even Roark seemed proud of that, even moreso when Piplup walked up to Cranidos and offered half of the Oran Berry to his fossil Pokémon. The Gym Leader walked closer to his challenger.

"You've done pretty well. Here, take this." Roark rummaged through his pocket, placing a brown, Poké Ball-like medal right into Hareta's hand. "For your efforts, you deserve this Coal Badge."

The boy blinked as he stared at the little piece of metal. Then, his eyes lit up with happiness, holding the badge high.

"Nice!" Hareta said, quickly plopping it into his mouth and munching on it. He grimaced. "Hmmm, it doesn't taste that good..."

Roark quirked an eyebrow at that. Mitsumi instead slapped a hand on her forehead, glaring at him. "That's not to eat! It's a symbol of your skill as a trainer!"

"Really?" The boy spat out the badge, wiping it off as he observed it again.

Roark nodded, ignoring Hareta's quirks. "Yeah. Gym Leaders like me give Badges to the trainers that defeat us. If you collect at least eight, you'd be able to take part in the Pokémon League Conference, the tournament most trainers aim to reach."

Hareta continued to listen, his attention going to both the badge and the Oreburgh Gym Leader. Mitsumi could see the passion litting up in his eyes, especially as the 'most trainers' was dropped. It was more than easy to understand what he was thinking.

"Wow, sounds cool!" He clenched his fist around the badge, holding the punch high as he turned back to his two Pokémon. "We'll definitely win every badge there is in Sinnoh! Right, guys?"

Shinx and Piplup raised a paw and a flipper, both grinning along with him in spite of the bruises and fatigue. That was when Mitsumi barged in, shaking her head.

"Hold up, we've still got your father to find before you can think of Leagues and anything else." She turned to Roark, her eyes squinting. "And speaking of, I think it's time to spill the beans."

"Right, I did hold back the information." The Gym Leader gave a sheepish smile, before he adjusted his glasses. "I don't really know too much, but my colleague Gardenia in Eterna City told me that a weird guy that resembles Kaisei visited the museum some time ago. Given he's an expert of Legendary Pokémon, that should be your best bet to find out more about him."

"Eterna City..." Mitsumi swallowed, but quickly brought her attention back on Roark. "Thanks, this is going to help us."

"You're welcome." The man looked over both Mitsumi and Hareta, his expression softer. "I wish you good luck on your journey, then, and to see you again in the future."

Hareta beamed back at him. "You bet! Thanks for the great battles!"

Challenger and Gym Leader shook hands firmly, and the man left for the mines once more. Hareta and Mitsumi took it as their cue to go back to the former's Pokémon family, leaving behind the makeshift battlefield as the boy held his two battling Pokémon close to him, happily stroking their fur as they celebrated their victory together.

Mitsumi continued to look after him, trying not to think of the implication of the next leg of their journey. Eterna City was pretty big and expansive, so maybe even with how conspicous they were, they wouldn't be able to get them. She knew that simply being in Sinnoh was already a huge risk to run into Team Galactic, but walking straight into trouble was not going to help in that regard. She really wanted to gloss it over as her worrying too much, but she knew more than anyone else how dangerous and savvy their enemies were. They really couldn't take things lightly.

She only managed to snap out of her worries when she noticed Hareta perking his head back at her, her eyes meeting his as they reached the entrance of the mine, mere steps away from leaving.

"So, our next destination is this Eterna City place, right?" The boy beamed at her. "Let's have fun along the way."

For some reason, those words pierced through her doubts, making her feel just a bit lighter and like her worries didn't matter.

Realizing that, Mitsumi smiled back at Hareta. "Of course."

Hareta laughed out with glee, setting down Piplup and Shinx as he proudly showed his Coal Badge to all his Pokémon family, never losing all the enthusiasm and liveliness that he always brought with him. Mitsumi laughed herself, feeling more at ease than she had been for longer than she remembered.

And so, together, the group took the next step towards their own adventure.

----------------------------------------

His work now complete, Roark took a long breath as the Oreburgh Gym's door closed behind him, Cranidos at his side. As much as he loved both of his jobs, that didn't mean they couldn't take their toll on him, and knowing that the day was still far from over didn't do much to lift his mood.

Exhaling and deciding to get things done with, the Gym Leader and his fossil Pokémon strode towards the Gym's videophones and punched up a known number. Not even a few seconds later, an older man with purple hair much like his own and an unshaved beard beamed at him from the other side of the screen.

"Hey, Roark! How is your work in Oreburgh going?" his father Byron asked, shovel across his shoulder as usual.

"It's alright, for the most part." Roark smiled back, pushing up his glasses. "Kaisei's kid managed to defeat me in the end. I'm not really into the harsh mentor act, but it worked."

"Sometimes you just need to be tough on things! That's just how the men of our family love to do things! You truly are my son now!" Byron yelled, pressing his mug on the screen as he stared back at Roark with pride.

Even after years of knowing the kind of person his father was, Roark still blinked in confusion at that. "Uhm, sure, dad..."

Fortunately for him, his father decided to recompose himself and get away from the screen, placing his shovel on the ground like a cane and edging just enough towards it, an intrigued smirk on his face. "If the boy is even half as talented as his old man, then he's gonna be alright."

"I hope so." Roark frowned, arms crossed. "I have a bad feeling here."

"Pokémon trainers are tough by nature, you know that."

"I'm not talking about Hareta, specifically." The Oreburgh Gym Leader tapped his chin in thought. "Those people wearing Team Galactic's uniforms have been popping around more and more recently, I've heard some rumors that another old Team resurfaced in Hoenn some time ago, and now an expert on Legendary Pokémon disappeared, without counting all the other weird incidents that have been happening since that freak tempest in Kanto and Shamouti. There are just too many things happening at once right now."

His attention went back to Byron, his gaze stern. "Dad, do you know anything about what Kaisei is up to?"

The Canalave Gym Leader continued to stare back at him, no words spoken. And then, he scoffed and slung his shovel back on his shoulder, his usual bravado back in place.

"You've nothing to worry about here. Things will be okay in the end," he said.

Roark groaned at that, but decided against pressing the matter further. "I hope you're right."

The young Gym Leader's attention turned back to his Cranidos, a hand over its reinforced skull as he continued to think of the recent events. Something wrong was afoot, he could feel it, and sooner than later they and the whole Sinnoh region would definitely be dragged into far bigger predicaments. He hoped to be wrong, but his gut told him otherwise.

It was time to prepare for the worst.