Chapter 54: The Atoll

It was mid November when they left Four Island.

Rey had hopped on a ship to the Orange Islands two days before, and from there, he’d make his way to Slateport City in Hoenn to search for the Ralts he insisted he needed. To Celeste, what that meant was that he wasn’t there, waving goodbye on the pier like Topaz and Olga.

Well… like Topaz. Olga gave them all a firm handshake and then nodded goodbye.

Celeste, resting her arms on the boat’s railing, glanced back at the dwindling shapes of the island. “Can’t believe we’re really leaving,” she murmured. Aria, perched on her head, echoed the sentiment with a bark, though she sounded happier about it.

Beside her, Luan exhaled deeply, his shoulders slumped against the same railing. “Yeah… can’t believe it…” His gaze, however, didn’t follow the island’s fade into the distance. Instead, it drifted over the deck. To where Delia was.

With a nudge, Celeste prodded, “You should talk to her.”

Luan’s eyes shot wide. “But… no meddling, remember? You promised.”

Both of them settled on Delia, who was preoccupied with a lone crate, sloppily tied with a rope to the side of the ship. According to her, they should double or even triple check if they had everything, “just in case they got lost at sea or dragged into some other nonsense”. Valid concerns, given their track record, even if Mia dismissed them. “Why worry if we’ll be at Two Island soon enough?” was what the captain kept saying. If they really wanted, they could restock on the market there before moving on to Cinnabar.

“I’m not meddling,” Celeste shared a conspiratorial glance with her Eevee. Both suppressed giggles. “Buuut… you have only five days. If you’re thinking of saying something—”

“Celeste!” Luan’s outburst drew Delia’s attention, but only momentarily.

He froze when she stared. He always froze when it came to Delia. As she returned to her task, innocently unaware, his Munna floated down. Annoyed, he blew a puff of air at Luan’s face.

“Come on, it’s not like I won’t see you guys again… We’re all gonna be at Viridian in February,” Luan murmured, more to himself than anyone else. His words faltered as they hung unanswered in the air. “…Won’t we?”

Celeste arched an eyebrow playfully, prompting another indignant trunk blowing from Rev, this time aimed at her. Over the past weeks, it became very clear that there was no love between the Munna and her. Pat was the one who suffered for that.

“Delia will be there,” Luan continued, his gaze flickering back to her. “She has to be there. It’s Olga’s store big opening in Kanto. She… she wouldn’t miss it.”

Wouldn’t she, though? Celeste pondered silently, choosing instead to focus on the rhythmic sway of the boat and the gust of wind as a flock of Wingull soared overhead. Four Island was now a speck in the open sea.

“I don’t know what the hell Delia wants to do, Luan,” she admitted, eventually. “She gets weird whenever I talk about us travelling together.”

Luan looked at her. Quietly. Probably worried. “But aren’t you both… you know, best friends? You’re heading to Cinnabar together. What about plans beyond that?”

Best friends, huh? Aria was her best friend. Delia was… her best human friend. Was that pushing it? They’d only met a little over two months ago, after all.

With a forced smile, Celeste deflected, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

The truth was, she half-expected Delia to skip Cinnabar altogether, continuing on to Viridian with Mia and Luan straight away. She was surprised when that didn’t happen.

After the hearing, things were up in the air for a while, with Delia never committing to anything. That is, until one day she burst into their room, her face bright with glee. She had spoken to Professor Oak and had decided on going to Cinnabar. She’d seemed excited to tell Celeste the news, but she had been ecstatic when telling Olga. “I just need to help Cee and the Island first,” Delia had told the interim mayor, her words reaching Celeste’s ears before a closed door silenced any further eavesdropping. Later that day, Delia gave her some half-baked explanation about needing to complete the original task assigned by Professor Oak. She had to gather volcanic ash samples in Cinnabar for his research. That felt like so long ago… but Celeste remembered her friend talking about it when they first met.

And after Cinnabar? Celeste suspected Delia would return to Pallet Town with the samples. She planned to go with her, but hoped for a quick pit-stop. Then they’d both continue together after.

Yet, Delia remained noncommittal…

“Make the best of these five days or wait for three months?” Celeste asked Luan, her hands dramatising the dilemma. Her voice took on a mocking note. “Big choice, very difficult. Do you know how much time three months feels like in our age?”

Luan blinked, but didn’t ask.

“Forever,” Celeste emphasised, her Galarian accent lending weight to the word. “That’s how much it feels like.”

Luan remained silent, prompting both to turn their attention back to the sea. Goldeen leaped gracefully behind their boat and a lone Horsea peeked above the surface.

“You know, the rest of us actually have this neat ability called patience.” Luan leaned forward, smiling—he didn’t really know how to smirk. “Might be worth trying sometime.”

Celeste rolled her eyes. Took a minute for that come back, huh, buddy? She thought, almost giggling again. Aria nuzzled her hair, tempting her to go for the fun.

“Don’t come crying to me when Delia falls for some tall dark stranger at a luau,” she teased, allowing that suppressed laugh to become a smirk playing on her lips. “It’s the ‘Island of Burning Desire,’ remember?”

“It’s nearly winter, Cee. Not what I’d call beach season,” Luan pointed out.

“So what? Our luau could have a bonfire,” Celeste countered, her eyes narrowing. “Picture it: A chilly night in Cinnabar. Delia and this stranger, huddled by the fire, then, after a romantic swim in the freezing waters, his coat around her shoulders, a passionate kiss. All because you never told her about your feelings…” She shook her head, feigning disappointment. “And I can’t even do anything about it, since you asked me not to.”

“Dude… how many rom-coms did you mash up for that?” Luan laughed, earning a playful punch on his arm. Before Celeste could tease him further, the boat’s intercom crackled to life.

“Hey, kids,” Mia’s voice rang playfully. “Anyone up for a swim?”

—*——*—

“They are so… colourful.”

Celeste squatted and tilted her head, with her Pokémon mimicking her movements in quick succession. Aria, much like her trainer, seemed to be curious and eager to jump into the water to check that strange creature up closely. Powder, who never seen most Pokémon anyway, tilted her head at her trainer instead—these days, she seemed very attentive to all Celeste did. Pat was… well, Pat. He stared by default.

“You could try reaching out to them. They’re known to be quite friendly,” Lori suggested as she approached.

Turning around, Celeste noted with surprise her friend had changed her usual looks. Gone were the pencil skirt and glasses, replaced by shorts, a tank-top, and swimming goggles casually dangling around her neck. Without her usual heels, and barefoot, Lori was a lot shorter than Celeste.

“Won’t they curse me or something?” Celeste asked, eyes going back to the Pokémon before her.

Lori’s laughter was light. “Why would a Corsola do that?”

“It’s in the name: Cursola…” Celeste paused. “Or was that their evolution?”

“These are friendly and they don’t curse… or evolve,” Lori reassured, settling down beside her.

With a tentative hum, Celeste extended her hand towards the reef. She stopped just short, allowing the Corsola the choice to approach.

On Lori’s recommendation, they had anchored at a small atoll nestled between Two and Four Island. Unlike the barren islets Celeste and Delia had once found themselves on, this atoll boasted a lush crescent of sand and thriving vegetation. Its most striking feature, however, was the vibrant coral reef that encircled it like a protective barrier. Spongy corals rose from the depths like skyscrapers, where the surrounding waves crashed with force before calming into gentle ripples beyond the reef’s boundary.

Celeste could have spent hours identifying each Pokémon in the water, but it was the Corsola colony that captured her attention. Contrary to her expectations, none bore the ghostly white hue she associated with Corsola. Instead, their bodies were vivid shades of pinks and whites, and each individual adorned with unique patterns of branches—some densely packed and slender, others sparse and stubby. Their horns varied too, some long, others short or pointed. All used to play, hunt, or fight.

Well… mostly play. It was their friendliness that attracted Celeste the most. She didn’t know Corsola could be friendly.

“Hesitant?” Lori asked, amused. “What happened?”

Celeste made a face, her attention still fixed on the Pokémon. “Lately, things haven’t been working too well when go for it…” As she spoke, a Corsola brushed against her outstretched fingers.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

“They’re rough, like stone,” she noted, fascinated by that Corsola’s turquoise hue rather than the pink of the others.

Peering closely, Lori struggled slightly without her glasses. Rather than reaching for them or her goggles, she began stretching her legs out casually. “I’ve never seen one in this colour,” she observed.

A giggle escaped Celeste as the Corsola purred at her touch near its horn. “You’re not exactly a Corsola expert, are you?”

Lori simply raised her eyebrows in response, then bent forward in a stretch, her forehead nearing her knees. She counted softly to sixty, eyes shut, immersed in her routine.

There was a moment of silence only broken only by Delia’s laughter in the distance and Luan’s audibly nervous refusal to enter the water. The Corsola’s purring continued, and soon, a splash and Shellder’s cry signalled Luan’s eventual plunge. He resurfaced, splashing with the grace of a Magikarp back to the shore, the chattering teeth loud enough to carry over the water.

“I’ll give it to you. I‘m no Corsola specialist, but this one is clearly something,” Lori conceded after her minute-long stretch was over. Next on her routine, she flexed her arms behind her back and said absolutely nothing else, decisively ending the topic.

Absentmindedly, Celeste let her eyes wonder some more.

Aria had leaped onto a nearby rock, coaxing Powder to join her and some other Corsola. The Vulpix, eyeing the water with a blend of hesitation and disdain, finally jumped over after Eevee’s latest taunting bark.

Tails swayed with the wind as her paws touched the centre of the rock. Graceful was the one word Celeste could think of as she watched her Pokémon. When did that happen? Powder was a baby just the other day. Approaching a Corsola, she sniffed cautiously. Behind, Aria sneered and quietly dropped a paw into the water.

One swift motion and—splash.

Powder’s damp hair puffs fell over her eyes. An angry “Pi-ix” was all Celeste heard before Aria’s laughter took over. She really ought to interfere one of these days… but the two Pokémon were like sisters. Aria would pester and tease, but that was her language of love. She’d throw herself into literal fire the Vulpix any day. As for Powder, Celeste wanted her to have more fun. Ever since Articuno and the tournament, she’d grown more vigilant, constantly checking on her surroundings, especially Celeste’s. Life was meant to be lived and enjoyed. Happiness mattered just as much as everything else. As a trainer, that was a lesson she wanted to impart on her Pokémon.

As Celeste shifted her position, her hand brushed against Pat’s back. The Water-Type seemed content observing from the boat’s edge, his tail swaying lazily, attracting the attention of a few Pokémon below. Meanwhile, Lori had transitioned through various poses, now arching her back with arms firmly planted.

“What’s all this about?” Celeste finally asked, rubbing her arm against the chilly autumn breeze. The movement resulted in a jolt of pain from her wound. She swallowed it, allowing her eyes to fall on Lori’s goggles. “Seems a bit cold for a swim, doesn’t it?”

“I’m used to colder.” Lori relaxed from her pose. With her voiced filled with frustration, she explained, “I need to keep up with my training routine. Blaine will be even harder if it ends up being five on six.”

Nearby, Lori’s Pokéballs lay in an orderly fashion atop her bag. She moved towards them, prompting Celeste to notice something she hadn’t before. Each of her six Pokéballs was adorned with cute snowflake stickers. None of the stickers were alike, and Celeste thought it was a clever way to distinguish the balls when you had many Pokémon.

Celeste’s eyes narrowed in confusion; Lori now had seven Pokémon, including her new Frigibax, yet only six Pokéballs were there. It made sense, in a way. A trainer could only have six Pokémon… but… something had to be off.

She mentally listed Lori’s team: Fractal the Lapras, Crystal the Smoochum from the Snowflake Cup, Silver the Glalie who fought Ryder, followed by Sorbet the Dewgong, Aurora the Mamoswine, and Diamond the Cryogonal. That was six.

Then there was Perl, the Frigibax. Seven in total.

Puzzled, Celeste voiced yet another question she had in her mind. “Why would you go into battle with five against six?”

Lori’s shoulders dropped off as she inhaled deeply. With a flick of her wrists, she released her Dewgong and Lapras into the water and the Glalie and Cryogonal into the air.

“Carry limit,” she explained, tiredly. She picked up another Pokéball, this one sporting a newer-looking sticker. Perl, the young Frigibax, emerged from it, and began crying immediately. The Dewgong and Lapras shared concerned glances, but it was the strange blue Corsola Celeste had been petting that approached to comfort the dragon.

Lori tensed, ready to intervene, but paused as the Corsola gestured for her to wait. It gently rubbed itself on Perl. In response, the dragon bit the Corsola’s stub, its sharp teeth unable to penetrate the rock-like body. The Corsola then emitted a crackling sound, maybe laughter, and gestured for Lori to keep waiting. With another crackle, it let its stub break so the Frigibax could keep on nibbling on it more comfortably. A light, bright and yet gentle, coated the broken appendage and, right away, a new one started to grow in its place.

“She calmed down,” Lori murmured to Celeste, who nodded.

“Is Perl teething?” she asked.

Lori let out a sigh. “I never trained a dragon before. Maybe she is?”

Approaching Perl, Lori gently touched her forehead, softly reprimanding her while also moving on to explain to her the importance of training—which was what Lori was going to do now. The trainer tried to be reassuring, telling her Pokémon that there was no rush to take part, but she needed to keep behaving if she wanted to be out playing.

Throughout all that, the Frigibax barely moved and just continued her chewing, seemingly indifferent to Lori’s words. The Corsola, unfazed, stuck around, almost like it was offering to babysit. Lori gave the Water-Type a grateful, apologetic glance, instructing Perl to be good a few more times before she left.

“If anything,” Lori mused, more to herself than to anyone else, “Mia’s keeping watch around her boat. She can call us on the intercom if anything happens.” Reassured, she stood up and made her way towards the rim of the boat.

Celeste followed.

“Six Pokémon as a limit feels arbitrary, doesn’t it?” she spoke up, voicing the first thought that sprung to her mind. If Lori was going to train, maybe she could go along with her and watch? Would it be awkward to ask directly? Or was it awkwarder to skittle around other topics until she got invited?

Lori, nonchalant, hoisted herself over the ship’s railing. She didn’t turn to Celeste right away, but glanced at her Lapras instead. The Pokémon drifted nearby, gauging whether her trainer was going for a dive or if she wanted a ride to shore.

Too aware of her movements, Celeste approached on the rails too. “I mean, what stops someone from carrying more? Technically, I could have seven Pokéballs and no one would know.”

Lori’s demeanour shifted, her expression tightening. “Please tell me you’re not considering breaking another law.”

Celeste grinned and feigned indignation with an exaggerated expression. I don’t plan my crimes, Lori. I act on the spur of the moment, she wanted to quip, but her friend didn’t look very amused by the turn the conversation had taken. How could she? Last time things turned to the worse Celeste made them both end up in jail. “Just curious, that’s all. I mean, you have seven,” she said instead.

Lori sighed. “You can have over six, but to carry them outside your home, you need special permission. It’s all tightly regulated by the Pokémon League. You can’t even use facilities like Poké Centers if they catch you with more.”

“What about your seventh?” Celeste asked.

“Crystal’s at my dad’s in Celadon,” Lori said, her gaze drifting back to the ocean. Her body tensed as if ready to plunge.

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“But what if you’ve got no one to leave a Pokémon with?” Celeste leaned in closer, her expression earnest, perhaps overly so. Was she making puppy eyes? Probably, since her friend seemed to catch on to what she actually wanted.

“Do you… want to come train with me?” Lori asked, uncharacteristically awkward, but direct.

Celeste paused, her hand instinctively covering the bandaged wound underneath her sweater. “I… the water…”

“Fractal can take us to the shore.”

The urge to train was there. That was what this had been all about. Yet she hesitated…

“I thought perhaps you wanted to…” Lori continued, softening. “It’s okay if you don’t—”

“I do!” The words tumbled out of Celeste’s mouth. It was all about not letting the anxiety catch up, right?

She searched for Powder first. Her Vulpix was still on that rock, but now surrounded by ice spikes (when did she learn to do that?) and drenched. Her tails up and wagging out of sync as she barked to Aria and the two Corsola play-fighting her. Powder was having fun in her own way.

Celeste chuckled, scanning around for someone else.

“Pat,” she called out instead. When he got up, a Magikarp hung from his tail. Of course it did. “Wanna train?”

—*——*—

Lori told Celeste that the Pokéball left behind on the boat housed her Mamoswine, explaining Aurora was too large for the atoll and not very good in the water. That, in turn, led Celeste to blurt out a thousand other questions.

But they went unanswered.

“We’re here to train, not chat,” Lori reminded her, wading into the ocean. She paused, knee-deep in the water, glancing back at Celeste, who, caught off guard, blinked slowly, mirroring her Slowpoke. “... Celeste?”

“I… I thought we’d be training on the sand…” Her voice came out shy.

Lori didn’t move. The water lapped gently at her knees. “We…?” A slight quiver touched her lips. “You wanted to train together… together?”

Celeste averted her eyes. “I… Maybe? Weren’t we?” You called! She left the end unspoken.

The Lapras and the Glalie glanced at one another and Lorelei herself fixed her ponytail uncomfortably. “Cee… I don’t…” she began, pausing again to shake her head. Lorelei didn’t use nicknames very often. Damn. “How do you usually go about training?”

I fumble in the dark, hoping to do something right. Celeste smiled and said instead, “I read a few books. One about Pokémon moves and one about Ice-Types. But Olga and Opal had also been helping me out…”

Lori’s body tensed, aware of what Celeste was implying. Not that she was being subtle about it. “I told you before… I’m not much of a teacher…”

Awkward. Celeste rubbed her injured arm. Pain flared up on cue, like it waited for moments like this to show up. “Maybe I could just watch?” she suggested, her smile hopeful. What was she even doing?

Lori’s Lapras nudged her trainer gently, pushing her forward. She stumbled, murmuring a barely audible “fine, I’ll help her,” to herself. Then, louder, “Just a minute, and we can start.”

Celeste fell back to a fallen log, sitting down as Pat shuffled alongside her. Did it work? She wondered, watching Lori prepare.

She clapped at first. The sound resonated across the atoll, drawing attention from all corners. Delia and Luan, who were on the opposite side, paused to watch and even Mia emerged from wherever she had been hurled up in with her curiosity piqued. On her signal, Lori’s Pokémon, excluding the Frigibax left on the boat, gathered around her, swelling with readiness and even excitement.

Adjusting her swimming goggles to her face, she scanned her team. “Today’s focus is defence and mobility,” she announced, capturing not only her Pokémon’s but also Celeste’s attention. “Diamond and Silver,” she addressed the Cryogonal and Glalie, “switch your usual roles. Diamond, use your chains for defence. No dodging. Take in Silver’s attacks. And Silver, you focus on speed and agility today. I don’t want you relying on your armour. Help one another, okay?”

The Ice-Types responded with crackles and cliques. Diamond, in particular, rattled its chains provocatively at Silver. Lori’s lips twitched into a faint smile as she watched them take off into the air.

Turning to her Lapras and Dewgong, her expression became stern. “You’re going to race,” she declared.

The Dewgong’s tail perked up, as he clapped enthusiastically, until a sharp look from Lori halted him.

“On land,” she added, pointing towards the shore.

Sorbet’s excitement deflated, his tail dropping. The Lapras merely craned her neck, with an air of indifference. Yet, Celeste noticed a calculating glint in the Pokémon’s eye.

Lori paused, considering her words. “In both battles we had against Blaine, I relied on you two the most. But what use is a type advantage if you can’t manoeuvre well on the field? We can not be sitting Duckletts while his Rapidash runs laps around you. This training is important.”

With a hint of reluctance, the Water-Types lumbered onto the shore, their fins and tails carving trenches in the sand. Celeste watched them. Dewgong was the most annoyed, while Lapras slyly made a speck of ice from her snout, which was aimed at the ground. She can build a platform! Celeste thought it was clever, she’d be way faster sliding. Lori, however, clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

“No ice,” she instructed. “Blaine’s team will melt it just by standing close. This is about overcoming challenges, not finding shortcuts.”

Lori then looked at duo up in the sky. They were both more focused and more cheerful than her Water Pokémon. She puckered her lips and once more turned to Lapras and Dewgong. “Winner chooses our next group activity. Ready?”

She got mixed responses from the Pokémon, but they readied themselves nonetheless. The promise of choosing the group activity was apparently enough. Lori then signalled the start of the race and they reeled forward.

The sight was funny.

Sorbet started ahead, his tail used as propulsion for clumsy small jumps. Lagging behind, Lapras was bravely fighting the drag from the sand by somehow using her fins to slither away.

Celeste leaned in, eyes following the Pokémon as they rounded a bend and vanished behind some trees. She was invested, rooting for Fractal, maybe as gratitude for having coerced Lori into helping her.

Lori’s fingers clicked in front of Celeste, drawing her attention back. Still damp from having dipped into the ocean, her skin had a bluish tinge, yet she seemed indifferent.

“Were you really going to swim?” Celeste asked.

“Cold water swims are excellent for health and endurance,” Lori replied. Celeste knew she was trying to sound gentle, but perhaps for lack of practice, her voice was stern. “Let’s talk. We have about half an hour before Fractal and Sorbet start arguing and cheating on one another.”

Talking, huh?

Celeste’s gaze settled on her Slowpoke, sprawled in the sand, yawning without a care. Words, for once, failed her, the weight of Lori’s expectant stare only making her discomfort worse. Weren’t they going to train? She averted her eyes, noticing a nearby tree rustling—no doubt the Pokémon were passing through there.

“You’re training to counter your weaknesses,” she said eventually, stating the obvious.

A nod came from Lori. “It’s an important part of training, yes.”

And then a sigh from Celeste. “So, when training Pokémon’s weaknesses… could the trainer… be that weakness?”

Lori’s ensuing laughter was unexpected and sharp. “We train creatures that could freeze us solid or slice us in two,” she said as she gestured to her battling Pokémon in the sky. “Why would any human think they were the strong ones in that equation?”

A dry lump filled Celeste’s throat, maybe because of the unexpected morbidity or simply out of shame. Shame about her brashness and naivety when her journey had only started, when she thought she could be the one protecting her Pokémon from harm. Even before Four Island, she could’ve died a thousand times over. It was a miracle she didn’t.

“But Pokémon still need their trainers, right?” Celeste’s voice wavered. “My mum has this Z-Ring, and…”

Lori cut her off, her tone firmer this time. “You’re jumping ahead. In the Snowflake Cup you did great. You even beat me,” she emphasised with a touch of what could be resentment. “Why not build from there? What’s changed?”

A god bird told me I was wrong and thus invited danger… Yeah… she wasn’t saying that. “Mum happened.” She settled on more mundane worries.

Lori’s eyes narrowed. “Her ultimatum about setting your goals?”

Celeste nodded, taking a deep breath before she let a torrent flow from her mouth. “At first, I was sure I wanted the Gym Badges. If Cinnabar’s Gym was fire, then I figured training should focus on Aria’s Dig and Pat’s Water Gun. But I never came up with a good reason for the Gyms, and everyone—Rey—told me they were super hard, and there was no way I could win with Dig. If I don’t earn a badge by summer, mum will call me back and I really don’t want that. Then, I thought about going for something easier, like becoming a Ranger to help Pokémon and people for real. Not like Ryder. Never like Ryder… but Rangers help people first and Pokémon dead last, right? Their main thing is to fight wild Pokémon who are being troublesome. I looked it up. Doing that is even part of their admission test. I tried to annoy and battle some Pidgey for training, but that felt so wrong. Next, I figured I could become Ace to fight against bad guys. Like Team Rocket, all that. You know, like in the movies? But to be Ace, you needed to gather all Gym Badges, anyway. Plus, they’re also like… military. I’d need to follow orders without asking questions, which isn’t me at all. And I doubt it’s actually like in the movies, ‘cause that’d be silly. Then I-”

Lori’s hand found Celeste’s shoulder, a gesture meant to be calming. “Take a breath. I’m overwhelmed just by listening. All that was last week?”

Celeste exhaled, nodding again.

“You’re struggling with training because you lack direction,” Lorelei observed. “That’s the problem, right?”

That was a problem. Celeste shifted uncomfortably, her thoughts circling back to what both Articuno and Luan’s Munna had told her. There was so much she wanted to say, it felt like a weight in her chest. Maybe she should tell her friend about what happened in the dreamscape.

“Lori…” She faltered. “I just… I don’t want to feel vulnerable or helpless if something bad happens again.” It wasn’t the whole truth, but it was a start.

Quiet. For a moment, no one said anything. Then, the Lapras and Dewgong re-emerged, Fractal surprisingly ahead in the race. The Dewgong’s tail leaps had lost their power, leaving him trailing. Lori observed silently until her Pokémon, panting and grunting, arrived at the finish line.

With a raised hand, she signalled for them to relax. “Sorbet, you burned through your energy too fast,” she pointed out. “Take a break in the water, then try again. Balance is key.”

Celeste observed the scene, feeling very small herself. Her friend really seemed to know what she was doing.

Breaking the silence, Lori went back to the topic at hand. “You know, trainers often get in trouble. So much so that Poké Centers also treat human injuries. Usually, however, it’s the ‘stepped on a Beedrill’s nest’ kind of trouble, not the ‘crossed paths with a criminal syndicate and a legendary creature’. What happened on Four Island, that was a once in a lifetime experience. It won’t happen again.”

She didn’t get it. How could she? Lorelei never talked to Articuno like she had.

“I just don’t want to feel like that again,” Celeste murmured.

“Then you train,” Lori offered, her advice looping back to the beginning.

They both sighed.

Sorbet and Fractal were racing again. In the sky above them, the Glalie and Cryogonal seemed to be having some sort of argument. Icy spikes jutted from the growling Glalie’s armour—a sign his dodging needed work. Meanwhile, Cryogonal clattered its chains, either gloating or simply pumped. Celeste couldn’t quite read it.

“Don’t mind Silver and Diamond,” Lori said, following Celeste’s gaze. “Silver has a temper, and Diamond knows how to push him.”

Celeste smiled. That vaguely reminded her of how Aria and Powder had been behaving. “You mentioned something about a group activity for the other two. Is it for team bonding?”

“Partly. I mostly use it as a reward. A little positive reinforcement and a bit of healthy competition can really help training, but let’s refocus.” Lori paused, then circled back to the dilemma at hand. “Why not simplify your problem? From all you tell me, you’ve always been interested in the badges. Your problem is you are afraid of your mother’s expectations.”

“That. But also everything else.”

“Forget everything else,” Lori insisted. “Simplify the problem means not overthinking it. Tell me, why do you want the badges?”

Celeste brightened a bit. “I liked the thrill of the Snowflake Cup. And Powder, she loved it. Exploring the world and searching for that thrill, that adventure, with my Pokémon… that would be the dream.” She paused, blushing. “There was something both you and Olga told me. A goal is like a North Star. The place to aim for so you have a direction to move. I never forgot that.”

Lori smiled softly. “That was good advice.”

“It was, but if I’m just chasing the brightest star for its brightness, what’s stopping me from changing direction when something shinier shows up? Or worse, giving up because the star got boring.”

Lori considered this, then asked, “Without your mother’s deadline, would you feel this pressured?”

“No,” Celeste admitted. “But I might not take it as seriously. It’d just be for fun.”

Lori crossed her arms. Her eyes were distant, as if she remembered something. “Fun and personal growth are valid reasons. They’re your reasons.”

“But they are fickle reasons,” Celeste countered. Her mother would never understand doing stuff just because it was fun.

Another race had ended. This time Sorbet edged out Fractal and won, earning him a nod of approval from his trainer. With a wave of her hand, Lori signalled for a last race. A tie braker. As she turned away, Celeste noticed the Dewgong sticking his tongue out at the Lapras, who looked both furious and determined.

“What if you had a rival?” Lori suggested, breaking the momentary silence.

“A rival?” The concept felt foreign to Celeste. She liked friends, not rivals.

“I had one… once,” Lori said. “He pushed me, and I pushed back. We both grew stronger for it. Then we drifted apart. Anyway, I think Rey could be that for you.”

Celeste’s smile was apologetic. The idea didn’t resonate with her. Yes, Rey was going after a Ralts to very specifically shove it in her face, but no, she didn’t want to see him simply as competition. Not when they were finally becoming friends. “There’s Lyra, too,” she grimaced.

“Lyra?”

“Someone I used to know, she has a Cinderace. Doesn’t matter, really.” If she never got to see her frenemy from schooldays again, then all the better for it. “This rival thing. I don’t think it’s me.”

Lori leaned back, contemplative. “Think about it. It’s a powerful motivator.”

“I thought yours was helping the Lapras,” Celeste noted.

“Some days, that’s not enough,” Lori hummed from under her breath, standing up as if signalling the end of their talk.

As the Lapras and Dewgong raced into view again, neck and neck and jostling each other, Lorelei sighed and crossed her arms. “Ah, there they go. They were too well-behaved. I was almost thinking there was something wrong.”

Celeste offered a tentative smile. “So, we’ve just gone in circles all this time, huh?”

Lori shook her head. “Laps, not circles.” She gestures to her Pokémon. “I’d say there’s progress each time. You’ve got plenty to think about.” She paused,showing just a hint of smugness in her eyes. “And about training for the badges… I might have something to help.”

Celeste raised an eyebrow.

Just then, Lori raised her voice towards the racing due, “The loser is on Water Gun duty!” Pat, woken from his nap, blinked up at them. “Celeste’s Slowpoke needs the practice for Blaine.”

—*——*—

Celeste had been pretty proud of Pat’s Water Gun, thinking it was close to being great. That is, until she witnessed Fractal’s. She couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. Nervously. “Are you sure that’s not a Hydro Pump?”

It wasn’t, of course. And now, Celeste was painfully aware of her inability to tell the difference.

“All right, Pat, let’s show them how we do it,” she declared with a fist pump meant to inspire both her and her Slowpoke. They faced the unfortunate coconut tree that had become their target practise zone, its base now littered with coconut corpses, courtesy of the Lapras’ earlier demonstrations. “Do it just like Fractal. You’ve got this. Go!”

Pat offered her a glance that suggested he had all the urgency of a Slowpoke contemplating the mysteries of the universe—which was… fair enough.

“Water Gun,” she enunciated slowly this time, as if the pace of her words would somehow enhance comprehension. “Like Fractal.”

Pat lumbered forward and—magic—he didn’t destroy any coconut as Fractal had, but a singular, focused stream of water blasted one into orbit. Luan’s distant cry of “Hey, watch it!” was the cherry on top.

“Brilliant!” Celeste beamed, crouching to reward Pat with affection. “How about we crank the pressure it up a bit?”

Surveying the area for a new target, Celeste pondered the logistics of the coconut’s trajectory. A direct hit on Luan would be hilarious, but probably not her safest idea. Her gaze wandered to the ocean. At one side, Lori and Sorbet were enjoying a swim, with Glalie and Cryogonal training above them. At the other, there was Mia’s boat.

Celeste squinted at the boat.

Mia had some Pokémon out. That was a first. In the air, inspecting the sails, was the Delibird Celeste had met before, but she could also see a Joltik scurrying over Mia’s back and a Bronzong hovered close by.

She had a Bronzong!? Mia’s team was very uneven. Didn’t Luan once say his cousin also had an Arbok?

Fractal cried, prompting Celeste to refocus. “Sorry,” she smiled, stealing a last glance at the boat, where she also caught a glimpse of the blue Corsola soothing the Frigibax as she napped. Finally, she picked a direction and reached out an arm. “Pat, Water Gun!”

This was fun!

She watched as another coconut met its demise, this time splitting mid-air and showering the vicinity with sweet, sweet water. Pat’s enthusiasm waned slightly with each attempt, but he kept going, possibly also enjoying their training.

Was having fun really enough?

The weight of her earlier conversation with Lori, together with her mother’s expectations, lingered in Celeste’s mind. “We’re doing badges,” she declared, hoping to sound more convinced than she felt. “Because it’s fun. And isn’t life supposed to be fun?”

She cringed at herself. Rey would laugh at that. Her mother, too. “Fun isn’t a career path, Celly,” she could almost hear it.

“Once more?” she asked Pat, trying to push aside her doubts for a moment. Her actions, however, became mechanical and her focus eluding. Her mind wasn’t shaking away from her worries.

A few weeks ago, doing something because it was fun would’ve been enough. Not to her mother, of course. But it would’ve been enough to her. A few weeks ago, she was also under the impression that just doing stuff and being spontaneous made her endearing. Too much had gone wrong for her to keep insisting on that. Spontaneity and impulsivity were not the same thing. The question was, what was what?

Attacking Ryder was impulsivity.

Jumping into danger without consideration, impulsivity too.

Becoming best friends with some stranger on a boat was spontaneity.

Teasing Luan about his love life, spontaneity too?

What about choosing a career because it seems fun? Or leaving your parents because they were suffocating you? And where the hell would confronting Articuno fall into?

As Pat’s latest Water Gun attempt barely shoved a coconut, Celeste sighed. Fractal offered some pointers to him, but it was clear training was over.

“You’ve earned all the belly rubs in the world today,” she told her Slowpoke. In response, he shot her the biggest smile, showing up those big teeth of his.

That warmed Celeste’s heart, so she hugged her Pokémon. Spontaneously.

And in that moment, that was enough.

“Hey everyone,” Mia’s voice echoed from the boat. “Sails are up. Time to go back, or we won’t make it to Two Island in time.”

—*——*—

Celeste picked Aria and Powder from their playdate with the Corsola, before making her way back to the boat. Both were drenched, but only one of them seemed to really mind it.

“You know you’re adorable, even soaked, right?” Celeste teased, arms wide for a soggy embrace, only to receive a sceptical look from Powder. Her gaze lingered on the bandaged portion of her trainer’s arm.

Right. The wound.

“I’ll grab a towel,” she declared, leaping from the Lapras onto the deck.

She caught Mia huddled by her Delibird, whispering some sort of instructions. As Celeste approached, the Joltik from earlier scurried across her back, static charging its steps and leaving its trainer’s hair a mess. That alerted the captain of Celeste’s presence.

Mia straightened up, while her Delibird, clutching his tail-bag a little too tightly, scampered off with a very unfriendly squeak.

“Hey, Celly,” she greeted with a playful inflexion in her voice.

“What was that about?” Celeste got curious, nodding toward the now-absent Delibird.

Mia’s shrug was as casual as her laugh. “He’s sulking about running an errand on Two Island for me. We’re running late. Who’d have thought, eh?”

Celeste couldn’t quite gauge if Mia was being sarcastic or serious

“Sorry we took too long here.” She rubbed her head. “Uh… do you have an extra towel? Powder is in a bit of a mood because she got wet.”

The purple-head captain, far to excitedly, dragged her inside the boat, where a cabinet by the bathroom revealed an array of grooming tools and a fluffy towel. “Let me pamper her,” Mia offered, pulling out more items than Celeste had bargained for.

“I… just wanted the towel,” Celeste said, juggling everything in her arms.

Mia, with a chuckle and a wink, said, “We beauties got to maintain our appearance.”

Again, Celeste had no idea if she was joking or not. Careful not to drop anything, she began to put some of the items back into the cupboard. “Thanks so… so much for everything, but I wouldn’t…” she trailed off, distracted when Joltik crawled from a creek inside the walls of the cupboard.

“Curious?” Celeste almost dropped a Razzo branded shampoo when Mia spoke in her ears. Was this revenge for her pestering Luan? Karma?

She let out a nervous chuckle. “You have a cool team. I saw your Bronzong earlier, too. Do… you have any others?”

Mia began walking back, wrapping her hands around her back. She shot Celeste a quick, mischievous glance and said, “Se-cret.”

A little more at ease, Celeste decided she could play ball. Grabbing just the towel, she sprung to the captain’s side and faked a pout.

“Can’t reveal all my secrets, kid. I’ve got a score to settle from that tournament,” Mia teased.

“Like I’d ever let you win,” Celeste retorted. They both knew too well she’d a hundred per cent lose against a Bronzong. Still, she grinned, while extending a hand and letting Mia go through the door outside first. “A little Fletchling told me you have an Arbok,” she finished innocently.

Mia narrowed her eyes. “Wanna see her?”

“See… an Arbok.” Blood drained from her face. Playing with the grownups, now that was impulsivity. “I’m good,” she sidestepped.

Mia burst into laughter. “Figured. Our little Fletchling also told me you had a crippling fear of poison.”

It wasn’t that crippling. “Our Fletchling is a tattletale.”

“I know, right?”

Celeste joined in the laughter.

Just then, Lori approached, clutching the broken piece of the of turquoise Corsola. She looked a little worried, and her Frigibax tugged at her, demanding her chewing toy back.

“Have you seen that Corsola?” she asked. “I wanted to thank her for looking after Perl.”

Mia tilted her head and gestured to the reef. There were dozens of Corsola hanging around. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

Celeste couldn’t spot any that were turquoise. “Maybe she got tired and left?”

Lori seemed disappointed, her fingers tightening around the broken stub. “Maybe… Mia, didn’t you see anything around the boat?”

“Sorry, I was worried about the sails. Didn’t pay much attention to anything else,” she answered with a shrug. Then, like a switch flipped, her face flooded with worry and her voice became soft, “Did something happen?”

Lorelei sighed. “I’m…” she paused, weighing words. “I’m just worried Perl attacked it…”

With a very warm smile, Mia placed a hand around Lori’s shoulders. “Don’t worry, if something bad happened, I’d have heard from where I was. Like Celly said, it probably just left.”

Celeste nodded. Not too far, Powder barked. Aria was talking to Pat, pointing to his mouth, and then back to Powder.

Shit. “Aria…” she yelled. And then louder. “Pat, I’m the trainer. Don’t listen to Aria like that.”

Powder barked again. Soon there was water all around, but also laughs.

What a day.