PokeSync (Pokemon Fanfiction)

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12:09 P.M. June 27, Saturday, 106 PH (Post Hoopa Event)

Events:  The Preliminaries for the Joint Kanto and Johto Indigo Summer League have concluded; 105 Trainers and their Pokemon have advanced from Bronze to Silver.  The day has come for the Summer Round Robin Cup, where the top of Kanto and Johto’s advancing Trainers will compete to be named Seasonal Best.  Rhea started her journey on the 9th of June—she’s been a Trainer for 19 Days (18 Officially; 19 since getting Maya and Nova).

 

Hannah groaned, working around her shoulders upon finally making it to Apple City with Jade, Jayline, and Sam beside her, all still beat from the challenges they’d received that morning.  

Geez, she grumbled to Limru and Star while getting in line to enter the alien famous city, what’s up with running up on our tents and challenging us at the crack of dawn—we freaking rolled them, too—like, what was their goal?!

Star was wide awake, laughing at the awesome Seismic Toss Metronome that sent the Rattata flying into the nearby river to be followed up by a Metronome Thunder Shock—the Spike Ball Pokemon had constantly shown insane luck with his moves, but it still took it out of Hannah.

“Is it always like this for you guys?”  Jay grumbled, twisting her hips and stretching her likely sore calves.  “Arceus—one morning battle, okay, sure—but it’s like they planned to jump us every mile!  Poppy and I are beat.”

“For real!”  Jade huffed, hugging her sleeping Pichu in her arms; Orin was fast asleep in his pokeball after the last battle.  “Are they trying to kill us?!  Four battles for each of us in less than four hours—stop and go, stop and go—and it’s not like it’s the smoothest route.  My poor heels…”

Sam stretched and yawned, making Hannah glare at the brown-haired girl.  Hector and Tera hadn’t been reserved on using their Trainer’s energy; they straight thrashed their opponents, yet despite the stress, they didn’t seem all that worn out like the rest of them.

“What’s your secret?”

“Hmm?”  Sam stretched left and right, showing her thin belly.  “Eh, I don’t know—battling became so much easier after we all got our Boulder Badges.  I’m thinking about maybe having Hector join Tera,” she hummed, looking down at the shiny Phanpy by her side.

“You’re joking?”  Jade moaned, running a hand through her blue bangs to better situate them behind her ear.  “I feel like throwing up … Maybe I should.”

Jay forced a chuckle.  “Mmh, I mean, you might feel better—I did thirty minutes ago.”

“Egh,” Hannah winced, “that’s where you went when we sat down?  I guess it was rough on you since you only have Poppy to battle with—you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah!”  Jay laughed, Alolan accent becoming a bit thicker.  “Like I said, when I threw up, it got better.”

Sam’s eyebrows knitted together as she stepped forward a bit.  “Eh—excuse me…”

Hannah, Jay, and Jade turned to frown at their teammate as she interrupted a conversation between the two Unova tourists by their voice’s cadence.

“Huh—what’d ya want?”  the man in his early thirties asked, shifting with his friend to look at her.

“Umm,” Sam forced a laugh, “what did you just say just now—Cynthia’s niece is what?”

His buddy nodded, “Ah, check it,” he grunted, holding up his phone; a paused video was on the display, showing Cynthia, Rhea, and most of her family, excluding her brother.  “The Sinnoh Champion came out and revealed the unknown Oak Starter Award person—is that what it’s called?”  he asked his friend.

“I don’t know—I think?”

The man shook his head.  “Yeah, whatever—uh, anyway, yeah, seems Active Champion Cynthia just came out and basically told the world to Muk themselves—just try to do somethin’ to her niece and she’ll turn ya to paste.”

“She’s so cool, huh?”  his buddy grinned.  “Totally my type!”

“Not in a million years, bud; she’d chew you up and spit you out!”  the Unova man smirked.  “Glad the Johto and Kanto Legends are taking Plasma seriously, though—Muk,” he spat, nose twisting, ”wish they’d just wipe the lot off the face of the planet.”

“Eh, heh—yeah…”  Sam muttered, ashen faced while drawing away from the pair.  “Hey, umm—so, that just happened?”

Jay chuckled.  “And I thought I was a bit special having a secret, but I suppose it’s out of the bag—crazy, though, right?”

“Insane,” Jade hummed, looking down at her phone and Pikabook.  “Rhea hasn’t posted for a bit—you notice that?”

“Yeah,” Hannah sighed, checking her ponytail as the wind picked up.  “You’d think there’d be a lot of activity or something after that—I don’t know, should we text or call her?”

“Mmh,” Sam slowly shook her head, looking up at Apple City’s skyscrapers.  “Probably best not to butt in so fast—wait until she posts again so we know we’re not interrupting something—I just feel like it’s such a big deal that she doesn’t need us pressuring her.”

“Pressuring how?”  Jay asked.  “Wouldn’t we just be seeing if she’s okay?”

Hannah thought about it for a second, thinking how this might change the dynamic of Amira’s team; her idol would probably take a backseat for a while in any of the articles—although, it could also force her to the front and could spin in an unfavorable light—Cynthia’s niece watching to make sure the Rocket girl doesn’t do anything fishy.

Her teeth ground together at just the thought, but she couldn’t help it.  “No—let’s give them some space.”

“What about Bianca?”  Jade offered.  “Can we see if it’s good to message or call by sending her a DM?”

“Is that too far, though?”  Sam groaned.  “No, it just seems unusual for Rhea to not be posting—added with her aunt coming out and exposing her—we should be respectful.”

Hannah wanted to be on Jade’s side and message Bianca, but her teammate soon caved; however, when they shuffled back to the line, Hannah pulled up Pikabook and hesitantly sent the message.  I hope I’m not crossing the line … Bianca’s the only person that feels right to ask, though, and it’s all just so weird … Please, be okay.

 

* * *

 

Mallory walked a little behind her arguing parents as they traveled as a group toward Rifure Town; Lyra could have teleported them to their destination, but Rhea didn’t want to rush things.

Roxie’s pink irises held concern from between her arms, and Lori could feel her newborn Rockruff’s questions pass between Miky and Gables, asking about her well-being.  Mallory’s arms tightened around the Rock Pokemon’s fluffy body; she adored her black and white coat, and she’d been a source of comfort to cuddle up to recently.

I’ll be fine, guys … I know I’m not totally fine, but no one is, she sighed, smiling at her parents, busy leering at one another.  I’m just happy to have both my parents in one place—heh, I know they’re strange, Miky, but they’re my parents, and I know they love me … They just have a different way of expressing love to each other.

Her mother couldn’t accept a loss without upping the stakes to win; it was always the law of escalation when it came to the pair, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.  It kept things spicy between them until it became too much, and they needed to separate to their own regions, yet there was love there others might not see.

Gables patted the back of her head from her shoulder, making Mallory chuckle a little.  Yeah, the dress is holding up for now, but if you keep cracking jokes, the seams just might snap—hmm…

She glanced ahead, watching Amira be smothered by attention from her mother and the two Legends with them; Silver calmly walked beside them.  They werelaughing at the past memories the three were bringing up, making him the butt of several jokes that had Amira in a brighter mood.

Rhea was in a similar situation with Katelin, Sabin, and her parents, asking how her first three weeks of Training had been.

Lori wasn’t really jealous; her parents had been all over her for the first forty minutes, and now they were in their banter stage.  A few of her parents’ Pokemon were walking with them, talking to one another and catching up with each other, and she was left to ponder her life; honestly, she needed the time.

It was always the same for her—a storm raged inside her heart, yet she tried her hardest to show the world she was strong and wouldn’t break.  Still, she struggled to contend with the two sides of herself every day.

She’d had several boyfriends leave because she couldn’t let them in; having her Pokemon helped break some of those walls, but it was still hard to put her real emotions on display.  Many times, she let it out in sarcasm, compliments, or jokes to disguise her insecurities.

Casey was the opposite—a hot mess that put her heart on her sleeve—and she envied how brave her sister was for it, even if it made her a tornado at times.

Lori’s fingers tightened against her phone and adjusted Roxie in her arms to play some music to the wireless earbuds she’d borrowed from Katelin; the rhythm and tone helped to keep her thumping heart and stressed mind in check.  There was something magical about music that allowed her to channel emotion in ways she had trouble expressing—in a way, it was her method of releasing stress and telling people her struggle; not that many people ever noticed.

She hummed to the tune, letting her parents know she was listening to something; her genius mother and father were actually pretty dumb when it came to emotions, but Lori couldn’t blame them when they had trouble expressing it themselves—her loving, dysfunctional family, doing their best to get through life in their own unique way.

Her small, fake smile tilted to the heavens to blank out the world and recede into the pent-up emotions; being able to think and have her Pokemon listen without her saying a word was therapeutic.

I’ve never felt so vulnerable … Muk, yesterday was the worst, guys … As bad as the burn relapses when I was a little girl … Unable to tell friends why I disappeared for weeks … The loneliness of lying there with the pain when no one could be there with me…

Holding back the sting in her nose, Lori let the fictitious simper she wore lift a tad as Gables leaned to the side to stare at her back; her braided purple hair swayed—she could feel every thump it made against her skin, causing a wave of apprehension—the place where a dormant fire waited to spark back to life and consume her.

She stroked Roxie’s head as she sent comforting words between their spirits.  I know … We have a long way to go, and look at Rhea—she hasn’t even been taking this stuff seriously, and she’s so strong—of course, there’s her mother’s help, she giggled, mirroring the Froakie’s interjection.

Yeah … I never thought I’d be the weak link, though, and—you know, they’re the first two friends I’ve had that haven’t pushed to learn how I got the scar on my back—although, those big-eyed friends of Rhea’s didn’t bring it up, either.  Heh, Rhea’s adorable beyond words—Amira’s smart and collected … but I guess we’re all going through our own things … I’m not the only one holding back.

Her focus drifted to the pretty redhead, giggling at Green’s teasing remarks as Lyra pressed against her husband’s side while they walked.  C’mon, Lori, get yourself together…

It was hard, though.  Ever since she was a little girl, the burn on her back made her bitter, and the constant annoyance of people telling her how beautiful she was by her height or curves was on repeat without understanding the challenge it was to find things in her size or being unable to sleep on her stomach like when she was young—always on her burnt back, wondering if any stimulation through the night would bring the searing embers to light.

Lips pulling in as the song changed, she took a long breath.  I know I have my doubts, guys—I can’t hide it from you, and I’m so far away from home … Yesterday was terrifying enough, letting them know I couldn’t swim … then all of that Muk happened…

Roxie licked her arm, cuddling up to her breast and spirit, Miky expressing his own insecurities about not having the most diverse move pool like the others.  Gables tried to comfort them both, but Lori knew everyone struggled with their weakness.

Lori’s gaze was pulled to the shimmering golden locks of Rhea and her mother as they laughed at something Keith said.  You’re right, Gabs—Rhea’s so pure and honest—believing in me … Heh, I know that’s not what you meant, but c’mon … I’m such a fake … so lame.  I was frozen in that cave, but she just charged in to save Amira, and Amira tried to pull his attention away from us…

It hurt, knowing she’d been the only one to just sit in the back as her team protected her—she would have drowned, died of hypothermia, or been shot—left to rot in that icy tomb if it hadn’t been for Rhea and Amira.

Muk … Stop thinking about it!  I’m not trying to, Roxie … It’s just … I was supposed to be stronger than this … How could they think I was brave after all of that … trust me to have their back?  I didn’t think … this was me…

“Lori!”

She blinked, not realizing the golden-haired girl she was looking at had turned to return the stare.  “Mmh?  Sorry, what’s up?”  Lori asked, turning down the volume a bit on her music; her parents’ frowns were now on her.

Rhea grinned and beckoned for her.  “Come here!  We decided to get a quick change of clothes before lunch—heh, I know I’d feel super uncomfortable, too, if my dress didn’t fit me—and I doubt you’re into my style.”

“True,” Amira chuckled.  “Lori needs something she can dance in.”

“Hmm…”  Silver’s critical eye was on her.  “Do we need to slow down?”

Mallory added a fake smile as Lyra’s eyes widened.  “Oh?!  I didn’t know she was a dancer.”

“A super good dancer!”  Rhea jumped in, making Karen and Grimsley grin with pride.  “She taught us a few steps—eh, are we going too fast?”

Looking into the girl’s concerned gaze, Lori sighed, vision shifting to her Rockruff while swiftly thinking up an excuse to swap the conversation.  “Eh-heh—hmm … Rhea, you said those Alolan boys were trying to beat us here—to challenge us.  Right?”

Amira swiftly latched onto the topic like she knew the redhead would, eyes widening.  “Right … It’s about a three-day journey on a kayak—ugh, I need to report those,” she mumbled, holding out her hand to get her phone from her mother, “but we skipped straight here.”

Sabin cleared his throat.  “Don’t worry about that; they’re destroyed, and I already smoothed it over with the company—I found the licensing on what was left,” he added after seeing her questioning look.

“Right…”  Rhea mumbled, forehead furrowing while looking at the dirt road they walked down; Nova and Mya were out at the moment, talking to Keith’s Butterfree.  “I didn’t think about that.”

Katelin flipped around to walk backward, hands gripped behind her back.  “Some boys challenge you in Apple City or something?”

“The opposite,” Amira snickered, causing the blonde to blush.  “Rhea was kind of ambushed by this guy’s older sister, and she wanted Rhea’s help pulling him away from trying to catch the Mt. Moon Articuno.”

“At Bronze-tier?”  Kate hissed.  “Is he a Slowpoke?”

“Probably,” Lori smirked, happy to not be the center of attention.  “He’s been kicked out by the Rangers a few times, and Rhea said if they’re looking for recognition, they could try to beat us—if they got here before us.”

Keith hummed, smiling at the sky.  “If the boys are that determined, it’s not impossible for them to get here by the end of the day—maybe they’ll surprise you.”

Rhea’s eyebrows pulled together as a fire lit in her bright blue irises.  “I hope they do; Alice is ready for her first real battle!”

Lori’s gut tightened at seeing the blonde’s eagerness, and she didn’t exactly know why, but in the changing song, the emotions of their eighteen-day journey rushed through her veins; the highs and lows sparked a flame to push the words from her mouth.  “Rhea … I want to be the first to battle them if they do show up—Roxie and I are ready, too.”

Her little Rockruff’s tail wagged, dauntless pink eyes reassuring her, and Gables cheered, throwing a thumbs up at Rhea’s happy smile; Miky drew courage from Roxie, but there was still hesitation in his spirit.

Sabin grinned, nudging Kate.  “You see the rise of new warriors?”

The blue-haired woman pulled her bangs behind her ears, her soft, sober voice drawing Mallory in.  “Girls need to be tough to survive, and I told you these girls had what it takes—yeah, they got beaten down, but they aren’t weak.”

“Got that right,” Karen returned, slowing to put her delicate fingers around her daughter’s shoulder and pull her in.  “Lori has never been one to sit down and take a punch—the number of times I’ve seen her stand up for Casey when she thought no one was looking … I couldn’t ask for a better daughter.”

No … I’m not all that, though…

Stifling her throbbing nose, Mallory did her best to hold back the water gathering in her eyes as her father chuckled.  “I’ve never known a stronger woman.”

Arms folded inside his kimono’s sleeves, her father’s proud smirk lingered on Lori.  “We all have our struggles, and through the years, I’ve seen her overcome every mountain placed before her—things that would break most, she stands victorious.”

Fighting the tears, Lori smiled, but she couldn’t help one escaping as Rhea’s brilliant smile and radiant glow broke through her high walls.  “Honestly, I don’t think Amira and I could make it without her—we need you, Lori!”

You … need me?  Lori thought, throat constricting as she sniffed back the filling dam in her eyes; if there was anyone she could trust, it was this pure and honest girl—there wasn’t a hint of deception or ulterior motive in her bones—Rhea was everything she wished to be.  “Thank you…”

“Mhm!”  Rhea chimed.  “Yeah, if they come to challenge us—no holding punches.  Right, Amira?  We’re gonna do our best every day; oh, Mom, Nova wants to know how she can get better at transforming—she’s having trouble with it.”

Christie glanced down at the big-eyed Eevee, but Lori’s attention was still on Rhea.  Roxie, Gables, Miky … Let’s get stronger together … I don’t want to let Rhea and Amira down, and …. I don’t want to be scared anymore … I want to find a way to get rid of this stupid burn on my back and to do that, I need to be stronger.

Roxie and Gables threw their full support behind her, and Miky trembled next to her spirit, saying he’d do his best.

Mallory couldn’t explain it, but just looking at Rhea gave her strength; now, she had to find it in herself.  I’ll get there, guys—as a team … just be patient with me.

Making it to the small town, Lori was a little surprised to see how few establishments there were, mainly near the large blue lake that Kayak Gorge fed into; at some point, the river entered the base of the mountainous range, filled with large trees.

The clothing stores didn’t have a large selection, and it was hard finding things in the right size for her waist, hips, bust, and long legs; some brown shorts and a matching tank top would have to do for now.  Swimwear was the real challenge, but luckily, some tie models allowed for some adjustment; the support wasn’t the best, though.

Silver paid for everything using a Rocket company card, to Lori’s parents’ annoyance, but Lyra smoothed things over.  He promised to have replacement dresses from the custom Trainer gear branch company Rocket owned; their sizes were still recorded in the database, and they would be shipped to the Cerulean City primary Pokemon Center.

Amira selected a basic beige skirt, black oval top that showed her matching bikini straps, and brown jogging shoes; she came back with a silver Trainer belt to hand her, and Lori was shocked the girl found something that didn’t require much adjusting for her hips on the first go.  

Rhea kept her clothes, choosing to help Lori search for something in her size, and Lori had to pull her away from the search once finding something she could work with—the blonde wanted to go on an entire fashion show, just like Elesa—and in Rhea fashion, she was painfully immune to hunger when everyone else’s stomachs growled for sustenance.

Putting their old outfits in the shopping bags the teller gave them, their group exited the store, leaving the customers, staff, and tourists speechless.

Whispers were everywhere as everyone recognized the famous faces in their group, yet the crowd of powerful—and quite large—Pokemon surrounding them kept the majority at bay; still, several brave passing Master Trainers pushed through the repelling vibes they put off to ask for autographs.

Green, Kris, and Lyra were always accommodating, and naturally, the three stole the stage, even when among a few Grandmasters and Active E4 members.

At 1:44 P.M., her father selected a rather shabby-looking outback establishment she knew would make her mother glare at him—it made her giggle how different the two were—yet Karen had to admit once finished with her meal that the food was delicious.

Mallory had to apologize to the poor boy who served them; he’d been white-faced as the throng argued about favorite dishes or what others should order.  Green and Kris got into a debate on various fish that had Lori wondering if the two would take it to the battlefield, dampening even her parents' zeal toward one another.

Silver, Keith, and Lyra were there to keep things calm; Lori was surprised the peaceful and happy blue-haired Legend could get so passionate, though, but had to remind herself that everyone beyond High Master was strange in their own right.  It made her wonder if it was a product of gaining that strength or something that caused it in the first place—perhaps both.

In the end, her father won a self-imposed eating contest—made up entirely out of the blue—making it four to six in Grimsley’s favor—it wasn’t her mother’s day—and he paid for the meal, but she’d be back on the offensive soon.

After lunch, Silver guided them around town, showing them the facility where every Encrusted Gym Badge, excluding the Earth Badge, was specially crafted; the League commissioned a family of expert craftsmen to handle the production since the government’s founding.

Currently, the grandson of the legendary metal and gem worker, Masa Hiraoka, was overseeing the production.  Every Encrusted Badge was unique since they were crafted by hand.  Lori found it a bit amusing that in the past, the Gym Leaders were required to take three days out of their schedules to visit the small village at the time to labor with the artisan.

She could almost visualize a young Iris enthusiastically running around the mountain, gathering materials for the work, even if the dragon girl was technically the Champion, and Drayden took back control over the Opelucid City Gym.  Then again, she wondered how Len’s mother would handle the requirement—she wasn’t the physical labor type—not that she couldn’t, but it just didn’t sit with her interests.

Lori’s inner angst was fading by the hour, and the terror she felt from the previous day was replaced by the memories she was creating today.  Miky came out to take Gables’ place at 3 P.M. when Amira, Rhea, and her families decided to split up, going their own way; all of them could locate each other by their aura when dinner came.

Of course, at 5:30, Green, Lyra, and Kris had to go to some meeting between Red, Blue, Leaf, and Yellow, so Lori didn’t expect to see the Legends when they got back together for the group meal.

Mallory hadn’t been so happy in a long while, having both her parents to herself, and even in a small town like this, it didn’t matter if they were only seeing the local shops; it was heaven to watch them tease one another.

When dinner came, it was her mother’s choice, and ironically, to counter her father’s urge for new things, they met the others back at the previous restaurant, practically making the small business owner and his staff faint.

The young Pokemon were busy questioning the much stronger Pokemon throughout the day about ways to get stronger; the advice was helping Miky since they helped him understand not having that many moves wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—it mattered how they were used.

Lori got into the conversation from time to time, but her parents were now fighting over her attention, forcing her to play mediator—which she loved.  However, when dinner was coming to a close, their phones went off.

Gut tightening, Mallory grinned, holding her holographic device up for her parents to see, and her teammates did the same; the Battle App popped up with the details.  “We got our challenge—looks like they’ll be waiting for us by the docks.”

“Exciting!”  Christie and Katelin said in unison.

Sabin nudged his sister’s shoulder.  “I know what you’re feeling, Rhea—we’ll be watching you.  Show us what you’ve got.”

Lori’s heart fluttered as her parents leaned forward to smile at her.

“Rookie of the year, huh?”  Karen asked, pushing in to kiss her forehead; of course, her mother would reference one of the many songs she liked.  “I’ve seen you trending on the socials—it seems Gables is turning into an internet trolling legend.”

“Well, heh,” her expression became forced, “I might have gone overboard on one battle, but the girls pissed me off a bit, and you know how MemeStar can be…”

Grimsley put down his glass of beer, left knuckles resting against his cheek.  “You always did have a temper and a mind for the theatrical; I saw the recording of your match in Pewter for the Encrusted Badge … Excellent work, Lori, Gables—you’re working hard, and it shows.”

 “Thanks, Mom, Dad,” Lori whispered, hugging her mother back.  It didn’t matter if she was adopted; these were her parents.  “Heh, my aim’s not to Self-Destruct.”

Karen winked.  “That can always be a strategy, Honey!”

“Heh, Mom, you know what I mean—I want to be better—to be a real star,” she whispered, glancing at Rhea; her parents didn’t miss the look, smiling at one another.

“Well,” her dad mused, sitting back before his deep blue irises drifted between them, “I believe you’ve chosen a good person to measure your progress … I look forward to seeing how you overcome the next battle.”

“Right?”  Karen hummed, pulling her arm down a little to study the data of the Alolan boys.  “Interesting … They lost an Encrusted Challenge, but their win/loss ratio is quite good.”

Grimsley closed in, an eyebrow lifting.  “I’d be careful … These three have more experience than you, and I suspect their Pokemon should be more skilled than those you’ve faced up to this point.”

“Not a single contest under their belt, though!”  Rhea added with a big grin.  “We’re not going back; let’s push ourselves to the limit and show them how much we believe in our Pokemon!”

Lori giggled, watching Sabin and Kate pull the pumped blonde’s attention away to offer their own advice; on the other hand, Amira was explaining aloud to her attentive father the impressive stats of the trio.

“I’ll be careful … Thanks for being here, Mom, Dad,” she whispered.

“Heh—contests, huh?  I’m glad we could,” Karen snickered, silvery-blue irises drifting to the TV.  “It’s thanks to those unruly Legends we can be so carefree right now—they certainly know how to make a big splash.”

“Indeed,” her dad muttered, following her gaze to a repeat of Cynthia’s short broadcast as commentators picked the Legend’s words apart, speaking to guests.  “Iris had me flying over after the first sentence—pfft, brat asked me why I wasn’t already halfway here; it’s not every day the Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh Legends take such a direct interest in Unova’s affairs.”

He smirked, his focus returning to her.  “Your sister would have been here, as well, had I not needed her unique skills in handling an investigation back home—there have been some unusual movements among the Plasma Cells we’ve been watching.  In any case, I’m sure she will call you when she is able.”

Conviction doubling at the news, Mallory brought her phone down for Roxie to select their opponent.  “I can’t wait.  Shaunty’s always so busy!  Ugh, is it those two challengers again that’s making her isolate herself?”

“Two challengers?”  her mother asked, glancing between them.  “I haven’t heard anything about two annoying challengers.”

Grimsley hissed out a long puff of air.  “Rosa and Nate—Hugh is making some waves, as well—annoying kids have been Unova’s most recent rising stars.  Apparently, they’re friends with the other annoying trio—Hilda, Hilbert, and N.”

“Rosa and Nate … Who?”  Rhea jumped.  “I didn’t know they were friends with Hilbert and Hilda.  I’ll have to ask my cousin about them—oh, umm, you’re going to pick first.  Right, Lori?”

“Yeah, Roxie’s just looking between them…”  Mallory muttered, looking at the Rockruff as she studied the three pictures; ironically, she tried to determine who was stronger by how tough they appeared, which made Lori snicker.

Finally, her paw came down on the one that was a bit chubby—the one she saw that was most intimidating—and Mallory hummed, examining his record.  “Two losses to thirty-two wins … Well, alright; let’s make it three loses!”  she grinned, reaching down to let Roxie slap her palm and cheer.  Rhea was her anchor for now, but she’d give it her best to stay motivated and focused on growing into her own; she’d end this curse … somehow.

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