The drive to Eggseter became a bit solemn. All four of them had rode in silence for a couple of hours, with Samuel going back to sleep and Claire dozing off. Both Hill and Ferris were shifting and trying to get comfortable. The weather had started to have a slight chill and the remnants of summer were wavering. Brief glimmers of autumn flashed through, so Claire shivered slightly and eventually she released Toto to cradle him for warmth despite the weather not being that cold.

The Team Rocket uniforms were not suited for warmth.

The light in the back of the vehicle was very slight. Some slivers slithered through the door to the back, and that was all they had. It was enough to see the outlines of the others once Claire's eyes adjusted, but that was about all.

Stupid Samuel was cuddling with Garnish, and she was distinctly jealous. That was until they hit a bump in the road, and they were all awake in their stiff seats.

"Shit," Ferris hissed, rubbing his forehead. "They couldn't put cushions on these or anything? I feel like the metal is digging into my ass right now."

Claire could feel Hill rolling her eyes across from her without even seeing it.

"They couldn't even give us a light out here. Why are these people such cheapskates," Ferris complained further. Apparently, Samuel had enough because he asked Garnish to create a flame.

Samuel muttered something about Ferris watching his language. Then, Claire saw a flash of red, and a flame flickered weakly above Garnish's head.

"Won't that tire out your pokémon?" Hill admonished.

"Garnish is better at controlling her type energy than making a powerful flame," Samuel explained. "Making a flame like this is fine, right, Garnish?" His pokémon rolled her eyes from where she was casting a small flame, but she nodded slightly.

Her face looked silly being illuminated by the flame in such a way, like she was part of a bad horror movie. She was still such a cute pokémon, even though she had dragged Claire out of bed the day before.

"Do you guys know what Eggseter is?" Claire asked in a quiet voice. She made a face though at how childish she sounded.

"It's a small city that has a prominent daycare center," Hill said, and in the flashing of the flame her hair was tinted and her face looked orange.

"And how the hell do you know that?" Ferris said accusingly.

"Because I know basic geography, Agent Talon," Hill said in a demeaning tone, and Ferris clicked his tongue. Were they always going to fight?

"Why do you guys think we are getting assigned there?" Samuel interjected before an argument could ring out.

"Someone might have requested a protection unit, but they didn't want to assign one with significant manpower," Hill suggested.

Claire kicked the bottom of the truck. It took her sitting at the edge of her seat because she was so short. She really did hope that their reassignment had nothing to do with her and that it was a coincidence.

They talked meagerly after that, eventually falling quiet under Ferris' rude remarks and Hill's avoidant logic. Claire was bored, so bored. At one point, she was sure she wouldn't be able to stand it. She had been watching Toto stumble in circles for at least an hour.

Eventually Claire needed to pee. Which, in this scenario, was the worst thing that could happen, honestly. Claire had no idea how to ask them to stop so she could squat by the road, or if they would even listen to her. So she just squirmed in her seat and committed to thugging it out.

This was the end. She was going to die from the pure embarrassment of pissing her pants. Her funeral was going to be attended by no one because they were going to dump her body in the middle of the woods, and-

Then, the truck finally stopped.

Thank God! Claire thought.

Garnish's flame popped up again. They watched each other as they heard the door to the front of the truck slam shut. A light flashed them as someone opened the back and walked away before their eyes could’ve adjusted. Claire rubbed her eyes and she peered outside the vehicle.

She quickly recalled Toto as he cheered excitedly. The last thing she needed was for him to run around in the middle of bumfuck nowhere.

"Well, I guess we have stopped now," Samuel said. No shit, Claire thought. She rushed to jump off the back of the truck. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

The man stepped out, and her heart dropped.

It was the Dull Guy, the agent who walked her around the base and always followed Arianna's orders directly.

Why... why was he here? Claire couldn't deal with this right now, she had to piss! He wasn't dressed in the uniform, which was weird to see. He was dressed in overalls instead with a bright pink shirt underneath. Somehow, he still looked washed out and like he didn't want to be there. His hair was in a short ponytail covered by his subtly themed Rocket hat.

Normal as usual then, but his presence unnerved her. Why the hell was he the driver? Was Arianna watching her?

"Well, it is not good to see you again." Dull Guy said to her and stuck his hand out to the building nestled in the grove of trees around them.

“Gotta fill up the tank.” Dull Guy said as an explanation and waved his hand a few times with the blandest look on his face.

Claire looked out. where they were at with hesitancy. There was a sign right beside where they had parked. 'Rest Stop Route 36!!!' The three exclamation points really sold the place. It was a dark brown building with the odd circumstance of looking both maintained and worn down. The building was old, but it had modern technology added to it. It was basically a gas station, from Claire's first observation, but it was big enough to be considered a small store. Two stories with plants hanging down, and little signs for instructions everywhere.

"Go inside, use the restroom, or whatever while I get gas. I got food for y'all in the truck already." Dull Guy said, and then turned away from them to grab the gas can on the ground.

Well, Claire didn't need to be told twice. As soon as he was done she hightailed it. She asked the homely man at the counter where the bathroom was and then took off toward it with urgency.

The bathroom itself was hilarious, with signs to not let your pokémon use the bathroom, and when Claire was in the stall there was an angry shroomish on the wall watching her. It was a small bathroom that only allowed one person, and it locked from the inside and outside.

It was only when she had left the bathroom to see an irritated Hill that she realized she had gone into the women's restroom. Yeah, the less she thought about that the better. At least they had budew scented soap.

Samuel was looking at some canine-pokémon treats, and Claire stood by him, for some solidarity or whatever, while she looked around the store.

The gas or stop-station, Claire wasn't sure of the name, had a diverse setup. When Claire had imagined what would be here, she had thought of a normal gas station, or what was normal to her Before. Ethan had never been to one of these either, from her recollection. It was a stacked store built around the need to sell a lot with less space. When Claire walked through it, she felt like she was walking through a maze because the aisles were so small.

It was a nice clutter though, Claire liked it, and it looked welcoming.

There were many assorted snacks for pokémon and humans. A variety of fresh produce from the locals and packaged food for traveling trainers. There was also a section with supplies with little signs of guidance or advice for wild pokémon and camp rules.

Was this near a beginner area for new trainers?

"Gold, come here." Samuel said in an excited voice. Claire walked over and looked at the pokémon chow aisle he was on. The money symbol was lost on her because she couldn't remember the currency rate all that well. Ethan hadn't cared enough, and the only impression she was left with was his childish notion of what a lot was.

"Did you know that all these pokémon chows are made for different types of pokémon?" Samuel said, and Claire blinked at how cheerful he sounded. Had she ever heard any of them act excited?

"Different pokémon need different nutrients, and after the war, there was a surge for different kinds of pokémon chow for specific species and pokémon to arise in Johto. Like look,” Samuel pointed at a bag with a cartoonish collection of carnivorous water pokemon on the front. “This is for species like your totodile."

Oh, that was cute. This whole situation was cute. Claire loved it when people got excited and explained things to her.

"Is it expensive?" Claire asked and squatted down to look closer at the different drawings on the other pokémon chow bags.

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"It can stack up, but there are varying brands that sell them at different prices." Samuel pointed at the bags they were looking at. "Pokéchow is the general brand, and what is provided to trainers for free at events and pokémon centers. Stuff like premium grade is more expensive."

"My mom told me about it..." Samuel trailed off. "She owns a bakery for pokémon and humans." The boy didn't look at her when he said the words, but Claire could see the smile on his face.

Man, what was a guy like Samuel, all nice and shit, doing in Team Rocket?

Eventually, they headed out again when Dull Guy coerced them into the back of the truck with sandwiches and chow for their pokémon, each a different kind. Then Claire was back to boredom and silence for hours.

...

Claire had finally managed to fall back asleep when the truck jerked to a stop. The sharp movement had caused the belt she wore to dig into her skin.

She heard a yell, and then silence. There was talking, but Claire couldn't determine what it was. The bright flashes of pokémon being released from their eyes seared her eyes due to her eyes adjusting to the darkness beforehand. However, she didn't dare let Toto out. Suddenly shouts and yells rang from outside, and screeches of pokémon rang out.

"What the fuck is that?" Ferris gritted out. "Get your Garnish to light this place up, we-"

Then, he was silenced. An ice-cold winter settled around them. It started with the temperature dropping, and when Claire touched the side of the truck to feel a burning coldness. Then the pressure started.

Garnish let a flame out of her mouth and held it above her, but as the pressure grew harsh, it flickered out, and they were stuck in the darkness again. A long shriek filled the air, and it took Claire a second to realize it was Ferrris' pidgey attacking the side of the truck.

Screeching, searing, searching-

Claire had never felt hunted in such a way before. Before, when she had gone into the woods by her lonesome as a dumbass preteen, she had felt the paranoid sensation and fear of what you thought was a predator stalking you.

Even if it wasn't here, every crunch of grass and noise alerts you to some beast coming to get you. That feeling was similar to what she felt now, but only twofold. The chill surrounded her, and even with the others freaking out around her she was frozen still.

Silence, the sounds faded away. It was as if Claire was suddenly facing a great blizzard.

Claire knew she was in a world with great beasts, especially since Professor Milkwood had forced them to look at battle aftermath photos from the war. However, the feeling of pure energy caressed her, which was so foreign to her that she had no idea how to describe it, begging her to give in to the cold. Unforgiving, absolute, and like it was inevitable. This was not a sensation she could fight, not one she could stand-

Then it was gone. Still, Claire couldn't shake the sensation off. They were no longer in darkness, but her vision was too blurry to see where she was.

Claire felt hands unbuckling her seatbelt and pressing against her face, and someone picked her up. Her numb hands dropped Toto's pokéball, but she felt too weak to pick it up.

"Garnish, pick up his pokéball," Claire heard Hill say, but it was like it was through water.

"Why the fuck would that bastard just throw his aura around like that?" A harsh voice growled right next to her ear, and Claire associated it quickly with Ferris. He was so warm. She pressed her face into his neck to chase that feeling. It brought up her memories of Ethan's mother carrying him around all those months ago, an instinctual comfort.

"Damn, didn't mean to knock the kid out." Oh, that was Dull Guy.

"He's awake. He's just still out of it." Claire heard Ferris say again, feeling him speak and also hearing him speak. "Why the fuck were you throwing your aura around like a pokéball? That's illegal."

"Fuck off," Dull Guy said. Claire tried to lift her head but it felt heavy. "I'll let you deal with the poachers next time."

"Poachers?" Hill questioned, and then her voice drifted away.

God, why was she so cold?

"What is wrong with him?" Samuel said somewhere to her left. Where was Toto? Was he okay?

"Some people are more sensitive to aura than others." Dull Guy said and Claire felt herself drifting off, she was so sleepy.

She might not particularly like Ferris that much, but some part of her didn't want to let go. Not even her shame and embarrassment of being carried like a baby could hide that childish feeling away. Besides, she felt too fuzzy to really make any decisions anyway. Maybe it was residual emotions that were pouring through here from Ethan's mind.

They kept talking, but Claire stopped paying attention. She started to think about Ethan's mother, and eventually, she fell asleep to the sensation of Ferris' heartbeat and the sound of the others talking around her.

...

Claire woke up in her seat with a headache the size of a wailord. It was dark again, but Garnish had a flame cast above them so she could at least see a little.

"What happened?" Her mouth felt like sandpaper.

Someone snorted, and Claire looked to see that it was Ferris who was leaning up against the wall and out of his seat. All three of them were on the floor. The lighting in the back of this truck was terrible. Couldn't they have put a window in or something?

"You felt some aura and then passed out," Ferris said.

Claire was sweating like a pig, and she shakily unbuckled and slid to the floor to prevent falling. With a lurch of the truck she still fell onto her hands and knees. She scrambled to use her seatbelt as a grip to keep her still.

"You've been asleep for a couple of hours." Hill started. The older girl grabbed her and positioned her to place her feet against one of the seats and her back to the wall so she could stay in place.

"Oh..." Claire trailed off. "What was that... feeling?" Claire said over the drum of the truck driving.

"It's aura," Ferris said dryly. "For humans, it has to be trained and developed. It's like a type energy for humans or some shit. Most trainers never reach the level of forming their aura in a way to physically form."

What the fuck? Aura was a thing? Claire stared at Ferris' barely illuminated face. People could have superpowers here?

Wait, Dull Guy had superpowers? That was insane. It makes sense though because Arianna seemed to trust him.

She had heard of stories and read the legends in Professor Elm's legend book about specialist trainers whose bodies changed to mirror their specialty. However, Claire thought that those stories were full of shit.

"So that was Ice Aura?"

"Yeah," Samuel said. "A couple of poachers were trying to pull us over so our driver uh... went crazy, I guess."

"That guy does not seem like an ice trainer," Claire said to herself without thinking about it. "He seems like a normal type trainer."

"I know, right? He's just so... dull." Samuel laughed softly.

Claire snapped her head to his. Even Samuel got it!

"Yeah, I call him Dull Guy in my head," Claire admitted, and Samuel smiled at her. "He was at the base with us during training."

"Yeah, I remember him," Ferris said dryly. "He is always walking around with Leader Arianna."

Yeah... that reminder did not do wonders for Claire's headache. She could almost feel it double in intensity.

"Ugh," Claire groaned. "What did the aura feel like to you guys?"

"Cold, extremely cold-like flashes or waves," Hill stated. "And then being trapped in ice."

"Just really cold," Samuel said. Ferris, however, didn't answer.

Yeah, that was similar to what Claire felt, but on steroids. She was really glad that Toto wasn't out to feel that. Was Claire more vulnerable to aura or something? She barely could remember Dull Guy saying something like that, but the memories were mixed and mashed in her head.

The conversation died out again after that, which was pretty normal for the four of them.

Claire let out Toto out of pure boredom after a couple minutes of silence. He immediately cheered at the sky, which was the roof of a fucking moving truck, and then fell right on his face and rolled with a jerk of the truck.

Right into Garnish. Who started barking, and her lack of focus made the light disappear. Claire's heart jumped into her throat when she heard Toto yip and then Garnish growl, and then another flame blossomed into the air above Garnish's snout. Toto was pressing himself against the canine pokémon to avoid rolling again.

Samuel quickly grabbed Toto and the alligator pokémon before disaster struck, the pokémon cheered happily at the attention. Fucking traitor, she swore.

"Uh, is he normally this happy or does he just like me?"

"He likes everybody," she grumbled. She watched in mild betrayal as Samuel started to tickle Toto and the pokémon wiggled with joy.

Garnish looked off-put, and she gave her partner the stink eye until he gave in and put Toto on the metal in front of him.

"Go back to Ethan." Samuel prompted, pushing the pokémon towards her. Toto waddled to her on uneasy legs as the vehicle moved under them.

Claire opened up her arms for her pokémon as he tumbled into her. She hugged him to her chest and brushed her hands over his smooth scales. God, she loved her happy pokémon so much.

Then the happy moment was ruined by the truck lurching to a stop and all of them losing their careful positions. They all tumbled around, which led to them and their pokémon shouting. Honestly, Claire thought as she crashed into one of the seats with Toto, this is what they get for not staying in their seats.

“You have to be fucking kidding me.” Ferris said while he rubbed his cheek from where it had slammed into the bottom of his seat.

The truck’s engine turned off and they all just sat there nursing their wounds.

The back opened up and the Dull Guy looked at them despondently like he had when Toto had destroyed Claire’s bed in the training base.

“Were you guys not in your seats? Sheesh, that is kinda embarrassing.”

He stretched his arms above his head and it made him look a little bit like he was slenderman. Why were his arms so long?

“Anyway, we are at a motel along the route, or whatever. I’ll check you guys out a room.” The man didn’t look back at them and paced away without saying anything else.

“Are you going to lock the door?” Ferris yelled out the back door, almost stumbling out of the vehicle in asking the man.

The man looked back at them and sighed so deeply his shoulders dipped.

“Guess I do have to do that…”

Man, Claire thought. This guy sure is a piece of work.

HIll and Ferris shared a look, and they all got out of the vehicle one by one. Garnish was the only one who hopped out with any bit of grace. Claire’s knees shook from not standing for so long, but she quickly got used to it.

She looked around them to see the equivalent of what looked like a small town. WIth buildings surrounding the road passing through it. Then, she noticed the rundown building in front of them. The windows were filthy and there were many weedles waddling around the front lawn. Holy shit, weedles looked absolutely insane in real life.

Well… she has slept in worse places.