"Rosa, Rosa! Wait up, I forgot I wanted to show you something!"

Rosa groaned, feeling her pace slow just a fraction. She hadn't even made it back to her mother's house yet, but that didn't deter Bianca. She risked a glance behind her. Bianca was barreling through the streets, her thin arms flailing wildly as she waved and called to her, drawing the attention of everyone within earshot.

For a brief moment, she considered ignoring her. It would be rude, sure, but something about the young woman reminded her of nails clawing chalkboards. Bianca had traveled all the way from Nuvema to deliver the pokedex and her starter, and her advice had been well intended.

Reluctantly, she slowed her pace. Bianca was puffing as she neared, but then her signature grin flashed across her flushed features.

"I'm so glad I caught you before you left! I forgot to show you how to catch a Pokémon. Oh, but first you'll need these!"

Bianca retrieved a handful of contracted Poké Balls from her bag and thrust them into Rosa's arms. One of them slipped from Rosa's grasp with a soft clunk before it rolled across the cobblestone. Bianca lunged to snatch it up.

"You're not getting away that easily!" she declared, grinning as she shoved the ball back into Rosa's hands. "Here you go."

Bianca's expression was so earnest, so genuinely excited, that it almost made Rosa want to cave. Almost.

"Thank you. I'll definitely use them." She had to drop to her knees and set all the pokeballs on the concrete so she could swing her bag over her shoulder. "But there's no need to worry about teaching me. I wouldn't want to keep you, and I've already learned how to-"

Bianca flapped her hand dismissively. "Don't be silly, it's no problem at all! Catching a Pokémon is a lot different than studying about it, so I'm happy to pass down whatever wisdom I have. Besides, after a battle like that, I'm guessing you probably need the help."

The pressure building in her skull was more than justified. Her hands clenched, and the pokeball she'd been placing in her bag went in with unnecessary force.

"Really, I appreciate the offer, but I'll be fine. Please excuse me, I need to go say goodbye to my mother."

She threw her bag back over her shoulder and nodded respectfully in Bianca's direction before starting back down the street. Rosa was surprised at the temper that had flared inside her, but the assistant's assumption had shaken her to her core. She hadn't even left town yet, and already, she'd been marked as a failure.

Surely most others starting out were at least given a chance.

"I'll meet you on Route 19, then," Bianca called from behind her. "Take your time saying goodbye—I'll stay for a little while before I have to leave."

Rosa glanced back in disbelief at Bianca's persistence. The woman was waving once more, but her enthusiasm caused her glasses to slip off her nose, forcing Bianca to pause and adjust them. Rosa shook her head, but decided there was no point in correcting her. Slipping through the town and out the gates unnoticed wouldn't be difficult, not with the busy market and its crowds.

The southern side of Aspertia was far quieter than the main square. Her weather-worn house was quiet, accompanied only by chirping birds and the occasional car passing down the road. She brushed her fingers to its wood paneling, observing the sharpness of roughened lumber and flaking paint. The glow of happiness to be leaving momentarily dimmed under her fondness for the little building she'd always called home.

She swept through the front door, and for the last time took in the easy atmosphere. Her mother, who was sitting at the two-person dining table sipping coffee and absently skimming a romance novel, looked up at the creak of the door and immediately threw the book down.

"How did it go?" Mom asked, fidgeting with one of the curls that had escaped the twist atop her head. "Were you nervous? Did you get your Oshawott? Sorry, silly question—of course you did. Professor Juniper is always so eager to help new trainers. She's always been that way, even when we were kids."

Sensing what her mom needed, Rosa walked into the kitchen and threw her arms around her neck. Her skin was warm, but trembled as her mother returned her embrace.

"I'm going to miss you," Mom's voice was muffled, her forehead pressed against Rosa's hair. "If I didn't know this was the right thing, I'd just keep you here."

"I'll miss you, too." If she was proud, she didn't say so, but Rosa was proud of her mother for letting her go. Mom had worked endlessly to fill the role of two parents throughout the years, and Rosa was immensely grateful for her unwavering love and support. After she'd become champion, she'd find a place where her mother could live happily.

Mom pulled away, taking the warmth with her. "I have something for you. A parting gift that I'm sure will come in handy. Over here." She disappeared into the bedroom they both shared, then after a moment returned holding a white box tied with pink ribbon.

The gift made Rosa's eyebrows knit with concern even as she accepted the box into her arms. "You didn't need to get me anything."

"Oh, none of that. Smile and tell me you love them."

Still worried, she gently set the box on the table and untied the bright ribbon with trembling fingers. It came apart easily, and she set the tie aside before lifting the lid. Inside the box were a pair of high-performance athletic shoes.

"You got me running shoes?" she choked, panic and disbelief swelling within her as she pulled them out to examine them.

Mom laughed. "Of course I did. You're going to be traveling, and you'll need a decent pair of shoes. Your old ones wouldn't last long. What kind of mother would I be if I let my daughter run around barefoot?"

Sure her mud-stained tennis shoes were wearing down, but she could hardly believe the trainer shoes in her lap were hers. Off brand shoes usually cost more than fifty dollars, but the elegantly stitched "Trainer's Wear" brand across the side of each shoe told her these were not knock-offs.

"How did you—how could—?" The shoes tumbled onto the table as she threw her arms around her mom for the second time. "I can't even tell you how much I love them. Thank you."

She slipped the silver running shoes on. They were well-padded, offering the arch support her old pair had long since lost, and her steps were soft and silent as she picked up her bag.

"Okay," Mom said, "You'd better get on your way. It's going to get dark in a few hours, and I want you settled by then. Make sure you get plenty of rest, and don't push yourself too hard. Oh, and eat at every meal. If word gets back to me you're starving, I will drag you home."

***

The lush vegetation and soundless atmosphere of route 19 was a welcome sight. Sunlight streamed lazily through the trees, lighting the well-worn dirt trails left from past travelers. Rocky mountains loomed in the distance, forming a wall of foliage and stone between the woodlands and the rest of Unova. A murky pond wrapped around the base of the mountain.

Aspertian Woods was known to house a variety of Pokémon and served as the passage between Aspertia and Floccesy Town, but for being such a popular traveling route, it was unnervingly still. Rosa touched the base of an enormous tree, observing the roughness of the bark under her fingertips.

"Alright, let's get started."

Her Oshawott tilted its head, giving her an exasperated look that implied he'd been waiting for her to start a while ago. Although the air between them was still charged with distrust, Zaveid seemed willing to honor his promise to give their partnership a chance.

"According to my pokedex, you only know tailwhip and tackle at the moment. That's not going to get us very far. So on top of learning water gun, I want you to be at least level ten before we leave these woods."

Every Patrat and Purrloin in the route was going down. "Tackle is a weak move, but it's the only offensive attack we have right now." They'd wander the grass until the ground was littered with unconscious Pokémon if that's what it took.

For hours, she and Zaveid combed their way through the undergrowth, bringing the population of Patrat and Purrloin to its knees. In between battles, she'd fill him with potions and toss snacks into his always open mouth.

Bianca hadn't been kidding when she said the pokedex would be useful. It carefully monitored Zaveid's progress, gauging the amount of experience he earned from each battle and vibrating when he elevated a level. It was a long and tedious process as most of the Pokémon within the route were below level four, but even the weakest gym leader would be out of reach unless Zaveid reached a suitable level of strength.

Her Oshawott didn't complain about the length of their training session. On the contrary, he seemed to be enjoying it. The Patrat he battled now growled, but Zaveid's eyes flashed like a vengeful god and he crushed the rodent into a shrub with unnecessary force. Its eyes clouded over, and Zaveid snorted.

Rosa absentmindedly reached down to pat his head in approval, but Zaveid swatted her hand away. "Oh, sorry. You just leveled up again, and I got distracted."

Zaveid shook out his fur and turned his attention to polishing the shell on his stomach. Whether that was acceptance of her apology or not, she didn't know.

Silencing the vibrating pokedex, she pocketed the device. The sun was beginning to set behind the mountains now, casting pink and orange hues across the sky. "Well, you reached the goal level. Water gun needs work, but I think you've earned some dinner and a night of rest. We can get back to training tomorrow."

An open patch of sky visible through the pine trees made up their campsite. The chill of the setting sun formed gooseflesh across her arms as she got to work building a fire. It had been years since she'd last been camping with her family, but survival skills were one of the building blocks that formed the trainer school's curriculum. It would reflect poorly on the school if their students froze or starved to death.

Having sent Zaveid out to gather wood (although he was small and she expected mostly sticks) she hummed as she gathered rocks into a ring for a makeshift fire pit. The pine needles that crunched under her feet wouldn't make good kindling, but she was sure the dead leaves under aspen trees would work fine.

Zaveid returned every few minutes to dump his sticks into a pile, and each time she thanked him. Soon wisps of smoke danced into the sky, and finally her fire caught and sparked life into the leaves and wood she had carefully arranged.

"That's enough wood. If we need more, I'll gather it myself." Her Oshawott let out an enormous yawn before plopping down across from the fire, his small frame silhouetted by the dancing flames. She handed him a bowl of Pokéblocks—a homemade recipe she'd spent years perfecting. He'd better like it, the little punk.

Zaveid tore into his meal with enthusiasm, and she did her best to pretend she wasn't watching, giving him the space to enjoy it. Still, it was hard not to notice—did he even chew before swallowing? It certainly didn't look like it.

A quiet fell over the camp as she unpacked her own dinner and made preparations to warm it over the fire.

"Hello? Is someone over there?"

A voice called out from the darkness, snapping her back to awareness. She looked up from her dinner, her gaze sweeping the shadows. The faint moonlight filtering through the canopy offered little help in the dense forest. Moving carefully, she set her dinner aside and rose to her feet.

"Who's there?" Too weak. She cleared her throat and tried again.

"Rosa?"

A figure with a mushroom-shaped head appeared in the distance. Rosa rubbed her forehead in exasperation as her heart flipped from her stomach back into place. "Yes, it's me. Get over here, you look cold."

Bianca made a joyful noise and picked through the foliage to pull her into another unwelcome hug. Zaveid had been watching cautiously before, but now his full attention was on his second helping of food.

"What are you doing out here? It's too dark to be by yourself, and there are lots of wild Pokémon running around. Something could have happened."

Bianca settled down next to the fire and reached her hands out to warm them. "It's okay, I wasn't worried. I knew you were out here somewhere. I've actually been searching for you."

Another exasperated noise escaped her. "Why?"

"I promised I'd help you catch a Pokémon, remember? I knew you were just being modest back in Aspertia. You've been out here for hours and haven't caught anything!" She threw her arm out towards Zaveid to justify her point. He ignored her.

"We've been training. There aren't any Pokémon in this route I'm interested in adding to my team, so Zaveid and I have been working on leveling up."

Bianca choked on a spoonful of vegetable soup she'd been sampling from the small dish resting over the fire. "You don't have to keep them in your party. Just catch them and box them like everyone else does. That's how you fill up the pokedex."

She watched as Bianca took another tentative spoonful of soup. "Do you want a bowl?" she asked, her tone softening. "You're probably hungry after wandering the woods all afternoon."

"No, no. I'm fine!" Bianca looked embarrassed as she shoved the silver spoon back onto the dish and got to her feet. "Just trying it is all. But I'd really like to show you now, if you don't mind. I need to be heading back to the research lab. Professor Juniper gets worried when I'm gone for a long time."

I can only imagine why. "Alright. Zaveid, finish your food. We're going out again."

A breeze whirled the grass around in swirling patterns as the three wandered through it. In many areas, nighttime brought out different Pokémon for trainers to catch, but such was not the case for route nineteen.

Bianca gasped beside her as a Purrloin came into view. Its purple fur blended into the shadows, but its eyes shimmered like gems.

"Okay, there's your target. You'll have to hurt it first." A tug on her arm and she moved in front of Bianca to go in front. Zaveid followed, passing his trainer to take his place in battle.

She tilted her head, assessing the Purrloin. It was watching them with feline suspicion, and a growl of warning rumpled in its chest as Zaveid approached.

"Okay Zaveid, water gun."

A gush of water burst from Zaveid's open mouth, drenching the cat. It hissed and spit, darting forward to retaliate with scratch. He dodged easily, then at his trainer's command, moved to use tackle.

"Don't!" Bianca called from behind her, throwing out her arm as if to stop the attack. "It's hurt enough. Throw one of the pokeballs I gave you. If it breaks free, just try again."

That girl would never understand. Why couldn't she take no for an answer? Good intentions didn't give Bianca the right to demand whatever she wanted. "Finish it with Tackle," she ordered, her voice sharp with focus.

"But you'll knock it out!"

"I know."

Zaveid didn't hesitate. He shoved against Purrloin, and it fell into a patch of grass and disappeared.

Bianca stomped her foot. "What was that? I told you to throw the Pokéball! You could have had it!" She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing as she fixed Rosa with a pointed glare, clearly expecting an apology. Rosa's gaze held steady.

"I told you before, there aren't any pokemon in this route I want on my team." She signaled for Zavied to follow, then turned and started back towards camp.

Bianca wasn't prepared to give up.

"But it's for research! You can't collect the data of all the pokemon in the Unova region if you're too stubborn to catch any of them! They don't need to be on your team. You catch them, they go in the box, and you move on. That's what good trainers do!"

For the second time that day, Rosa's temper flared. She jerked her head to face Bianca, her voice rising. "No, you're not listening to me. It may be all about the Pokédex for you, but for me, it's about the Pokémon. They aren't emotionless creatures waiting to be studied. Pokémon are living, breathing beings, and they don't deserve to be boxed up for their entire lives. The only ones I'm catching are those I can dedicate my time to. They'll be valued for their companionship, not their research potential. Zaveid is my partner, and I love him. If anyone ever tried to box him, I'd sock them."

Rosa didn't wait for Bianca's response and instead started through the grass again. She couldn't bring herself to feel bad, though she doubted she'd feel the same the next morning. Thankfully, Bianca didn't argue anymore. Perhaps she'd been stunned into silence. Rosa could hear her breathing behind her, but she was quiet the rest of the walk back to camp.

Zaveid was quiet, too. He walked in front of Rosa, but as she watched him, she noticed his eyes were on the ground, thoughts far away.

When they reached the fire, Rosa pulled her sleeping bag out and rolled it out onto a smoother patch of earth. The guilt for scolding Bianca was seeping up more quickly than shed anticipated, and she was careful to avoid eye contact as she asked, "Are you staying with us tonight, Bianca?"

"No, I don't think so," Bianca said softly, "Professor Juniper sent one of the other researchers to Floccesy Town to pick me up."

They said their goodbyes. Rosa couldn't shake the worry that Bianca might get lost on her way to town, so she handed her the flashlight she had packed and added her number to the Xtransceiver on her wrist. "In case you get lost," she murmured.

Once again, the night was still. Rosa extinguished the fire, then burrowed into her sleeping bag and closed her eyes. She hadn't realized how exhausted she was. Her entire body seemed to relax, sinking into the warmth of the sleeping bag.

Suddenly, something tugged at her side, stirring her. She opened her eyes to find Zaveid had left his spot on the grass. At first, he was hesitant as he stepped onto her stomach, wobbling slightly, but his confidence grew when she supported his weight. The Oshawott curled into a ball, refusing to meet her gaze, his head resting against her ribcage.

She closed her eyes again, a small smile spreading across her face.