As the three of us were traveling, we came across two trainers. Each of them was ready for a battle, and I was initially worried. Jonah then placed his hand on my shoulder and gave me a confident look that did calm my nerves.

  Jonah: would you like me to battle with you, Rose?

  I then shook my head. I had to do this on my own. I then said,

  Rose: Thank you for the vote of confidence. Jonah, but I think I can handle this on my own.

  I then looked down at Romeo, who was more than ready for this battle. I soon stepped forward and soon called out Alexei, and Romeo stood beside him.

  Romeo would then look over at Alexei, and the two shared a conversation for a brief moment, and for the first time since I saw him, Alexei tensed up and got serious.

  I then pulled out my Pokedex and scanned Alexei, and I discovered that he had the moves Howl and Ice Fang.

  I then took a breath and watched as the two rival trainers threw out one Poké Ball each and released a Zigzagoon and an Abra.

  The Abra is new. It’s a powerful Psychic-type Pokémon, but I won’t let that stop us! I take a breath and take the first turn.

  Rose: Alexei, use Howl, and Romeo, use Growth.

  Alexei would then let out a mighty howl, boosting his attack stat, and Romeo would be bathed in a silver glow, boosting his special attack.

  The two would be more than ready for what was ahead. The Zigzagoon would soon be given the command to use Quick Attack, while the Abra was given the command to use Return.

  Alexei and Romeo were quick on their feet and quickly moved out of the way of the Zigzagoon, and when the Abra was about to hit Alexei with Return, Romeo blocked it, taking the damage himself.

  Alexei then gave Romeo a satisfied wink, and now it was my turn.

  Rose: Alexei, use Ice Fang on Abra, and Romeo, capitalize with Poison Sting.

  Alexei would then charge towards the Abra, his fangs glowing a bluish white as icy mist came from his mouth, and he soon jumped up and bit down hard on the Abra, who blocked the attack with his arm, causing the Abra extreme pain. Alexei would soon let go, jumping away, leaving him wide open for Romeo, who shot out a glowing purple dart that raced towards the Abra, who yelped in pain, greatly damaged by the combo attack.

  I was feeling confident the Zigzagoon would soon try the move tackle on Romeo.

  Romeo would brace himself for the attack, but this time Alexei took the hit for Romeo, who looked on incredibly shocked.

  Alexei, being the youngest of the two, was in a bad way, while Abra was too injured and needed to take a moment to rest, so he skipped his turn.

  I was worried for Alexei, but then I remembered Romeo’s Egg move. I then gave the command.

  Rose: Romeo, use Life Dew on Alexei! And Alexei, once you’ve recovered, use Howl once again.

  Romeo would then do a spin, creating a melon-sized ball of healing energy and sending it to Alexei, who was bathed in a mystical aura, and then let out an empowered howl.

  We were going to be ready next time the two trainers began to get nervous. The Abra was given another order to use Return on Alexei, and the Zigzagoon was told to use Quick Attack as well, hoping to finish off Alexei.

  Romeo was not having any of this; he would guard Alexei, taking on both attacks, and would ultimately fall to the ground, having fainted and causing me to panic.

  I was worried, but then Alexei would bark at me and give me a reassuring look, and that shared look told me that everything would be ok.

  I then gave Alexei the command to use Ice Fang on Abra while I cradled Romeo in my arms, and Alexei, enraged by the loss of his friend, would bite down on Abra with his frost-coated fangs and finish him off.

  I cheered, and I heard Jonah behind me shout,

  Jonah: Hell yeah!!

  The Zigzagoon was now visibly worried and was soon given the command to use Quick Attack again. Alexei was not having any of this, and I then said,

  Rose: Alexei, dodge the attack and use Ice Fang one final time.

  Alexei then jumped to the side of the oncoming Zigzagoon and would pounce on his back using Ice Fang and the rage and his heightened attack to bite down on the Zigzagoon, ending the battle.

  I soon came over to Alexei and then gave him a few welcomed pats, and he went back to full-on excited puppy mode once again. Jonah would then come over, and with his help, we were able to patch up Romeo, who would get better but would pass out. I was worried for him, and soon the two rival trainers would come over and then thank me for the exciting battle and then pay me for it.

  Jonah and I were happy, and we would then check on Alexei. He was none the worse for wear, but Jonah agreed to carry him the rest of the way.

  We would soon run into several more trainers, but Jonah agreed to take on most of the fights to give my Pokemon a break.

  And I was impressed. Jonah had two Pokemon, a Seaking named Sebastian and an Azumarill named Ponpon.

  Watching Jonah command his Pokemon was like watching a tactician command soldiers. Ponpon was able to set up a rain dance that empowered Sebastian, who was able to decimate all trainers with his Aqua Tail and Waterfall.

  I was in awe.

  Jonah was a really nice guy, and seeing him in a battle was amazing. When the path was clear, Jonah would call back Sebastian and Ponpon to their dive balls.

  Jonah was so nice that he gave me the reward money when I really didn’t need it. We soon saw Petalburg come into view, and we were excited, but we were soon alerted to the sound of a scream leading off the trail, and we found an old woman passed out on the ground.

  Jonah would check her pulse, and she was still alive. I would call Alexei to his Heal Ball, and at this point Romeo had woken up and was just as concerned as we were.

  Jonah and I then helped the old woman into Petalburg, and she was rushed to the hospital.

  Jonah and I would wait outside the old women’s room. We began talking, but Jonah seemed antsy.

  I then looked to him and asked,

  Rose: Are you ok?

  Jonah: Yeah, I just remembered I had to meet with someone.

  Rose: Ah, if that’s so, you can go, Jonah. Thank you for everything you did; you were a great help.

  Jonah: Hehe, you're welcome. Do you have a PokéNav? We could meet up later.

  Rose: Ah, I actually don’t; it was the one thing I forgot to buy.

  Jonah: Well, how about I get you one? I’ll even program my number into it.

  Rose: Sure thing. How about we meet up in the Pokémon Center, and then we can go our separate ways?

  Jonah: Sure thing.

  Jonah would then rush off, giving one final smirk, showing off his Sharkpedo teeth, and leaving. Romeo and I would then wait for some time. Romeo soon fell asleep in my arms, and soon we were approached by a very flustered girl.

  She seemed panicked, and she soon rushed inside the room with the old woman. I then stood in the doorway with Romeo in my arms.

  And the old woman was doing her best to calm the girl down.

  Old Women: Erica Erica, calm down. I’m fine.

  Erica: But Aunty, what am I supposed to expect when I get a call that you were hospitalized? I was worried for you.

  Old Woman: I know, but I was told that kind girl and her friend saved me.

  Erica would soon turn towards me and smile affectionately. I would then walk into the room, and I would smile softly.

  Rose: I’m so glad you’re OK, Miss. I have to admit I was worried about you.

  Mirium: You're too kind, young lady. I am Mirium Jinzo. This is my niece. Erica, we are technicians.

  Erica: Yes, my family had a hand in creating Technical Machine disks, and we eventually branched off into other things.

  I would then begin to notice that Erica was incredibly tense and dripping with sweat.

  Rose: Erica, Are you ok?

  Erica: I’m fine. It’s just that I’m uncomfortable around Pokémon.

  Rose: Ah, I’m sorry. I should probably take my leave then. I might have overstayed my welcome anyway.

  I would then take Romeo and make my way out of the room, but as I reached the door

  Mirium: Rose, wait!

  I then froze in my place and began to turn around, and I saw Mirium sitting up in her bed. I then came back over, and Mirium then looked towards Erica.

  Mirium: Erica It’s time you got out into the world and made something of yourself.

  Erica: Aunty, what are you talking about?

  Mirium: Erica You are a wonderfully talented technician, and I’ve been paying attention to your test scores when you go for your aptitude exams.

  Erica would then begin to blush, turning her head away.

  Mirium: Erica, you have a brilliant mind, and I believe you could be a wunderkind, but staying with me is only going to hold you back, and you need to see the world.

  Erica: But Aunty, I’m not strong enough.

  Mirium: That is why I want you to go with this trainer. She can help you. I’ll be ok on my own.

  Erica would have tears in her eyes as she looked at me. I think Erica knew this was the right thing to do, and she would then walk over to me and shyly whisper.

  Erica: Can we go to my home so I can get changed?

  Rose: Sure thing, but could we make one stop first?

  Erica would nod her head, and we would soon leave the hospital, and we first stopped at the Pokemon center, setting up a room for us and meeting Jonah.

  Jonah: Hey there, Rose. Oh, and who’s your friend?

  Rose: This is Erica Jinzo. We’re going to be traveling together.

  Jonah: Oh, Erica Jinzo. I’m a huge fan. My family utilizes your water filters.

  Erica: Oh, thank you for your patronage. I think that was Great-Grandfather’s work.

  Jonah: Still, I thank you for it anyway, Rose. This is for you.

  Jonah would then hand me a new PokéNav, and I quickly used it. I found Jonah’s trainer ID as well as his number and little bio. It read

  Jonah Ena ale: a proud fisherman looking to see all the Water-type Pokemon he can see. Ever a stickler for tradition, he will eventually start his own fish farm and then settle down and have five kids.

  Rose: You want five kids?

  Jonah would then blush, rubbing the back of his head, and say

  Jonah: Yeah, mainly because growing up I was one of twelve.

  I was quickly blown away. 12 kids! I hope Jonah’s mom was ok. Jonah’s blush would eventually go away as he said,

  Jonah: Well, then I think I shall be taking my leave. I am on my way to Slateport.

  Erica: Will you be going to the shore on Route 104?

  Jonah: Yes, from what I hear, the ferry is out of service for now. Until then, I’ll be using my board to get to Slateport.

  Rose: Ok, then we’ll see you off then.

  Erica: Yeah, my home is on Route 104 anyway.

  So the four of us were off. Romeo jumped from my arms and started happily frolicking about, spinning and twirling happily. I found it to be adorable. Erica was staring at Romeo, fascinated, and Jonah simply had his arms crossed behind his head. Surprisingly, there weren’t any trainers on this route. We would soon reach the beach, and Jonah yelled out,

  Jonah: Man, look at that ocean. I absolutely love it. But sadly, this is where we part ways, girls.

  Erica: It was nice meeting you, Jonah.

  I would soon rush over and hug Jonah, and he would then lose his balance, and we would both fall into the water. We were both laughing loudly, but soon I heard Romeo angrily screeching.

  As I got up out of the water, Romeo began to examine me for any sort of scratch or damage. Jonah would then stand up and would pull out a small disk from his bag, and he would then press a switch, and that disk would then expand into a usable round surfboard.

  Jonah would then pull out some reins from his bag and would loudly exclaim while throwing out two Dive Balls.

  Jonah: Ok, team, it’s go time.

  Soon Ponpon and Sebastian would fly out in blue beams, soon landing in the water.

  Jonah would then kneel down to Romeo’s level, and he would happily boop Romeo’s head, causing him to fuss, and he said

  Jonah: You take care of your trainer, Squirt.

  Jonah would then hop on the surfboard and give the reins to both Sebastian and Ponpon, who quickly took hold of them with their mouths, and Jonah would then give the word, and he was speeding through the water, waving goodbye to us.

  I am going to miss Jonah, but we’ll see each other again. Erica would then lead me and Romeo to her house. It was a two-story cabana, and Erica told me and Romeo to wait outside while she got ready. Romeo would then choose to wait.

  Romeo seemed happy to have Jonah gone; he was gleefully doing a celebration dance the whole time. I thought it was absolutely adorable.

  We would end up waiting for a whole hour, but then I saw something race past me. It had purple hair. I was greatly shocked. I chose to go after that purple-haired blur, and Romeo came along, and he was actively cheering for me.

  We would end up heading to the south of Route 104, and so far nothing was out of the ordinary, but I did find two Pecha berry trees. I remembered I had a berry pouch, so I decided to pick a few.

  I picked a total of five berries and left some for the Pokemon that lived nearby, but then, out of nowhere, a Pokemon flew at me, and Romeo freaked out. i would soon lying on the ground, and getting back up, I saw a Pokemon flying over me, and Romeo was already in a battle stance.

  I soon pulled out my Pokedex, and it revealed that this Pokemon was Illumise.

  She fluttered in the air happily with a mischievous look in her eyes. Romeo would soon turn back at me; he was eager to get me to do this fight, but I had other ideas. This Illumise, though she looked threatening, I chose to reach into the berry pouch and pull out a Pecha berry. I held it out towards her, and she began to question what I was doing.

  But in time the Illumise would happily flutter over and take the berry and flutter off. The poor Pokémon was just hungry. Romeo would smile proudly at me, and he soon nodded his head, and as we were about to walk back to Erica’s home, we heard a loud cry, and at that moment Romeo and I shared the same thought: we rushed towards the source of the scream.

  We soon saw that same Illumise trapped in a cage with a Bug Catcher standing over it in a victory pose.

  Rose: What do you plan on doing with that Illumise?

  Bug Catcher: I’m going to add her to my collection of divergent Bug Pokemon. Duh, this place is far from an Illumise’s natural habitat, which makes this one incredibly unique, so it shall be mine.

  Without me saying so, Romeo soon shot a poison dart at the Bug Catcher. Thank goodness it only caused a little scratch without poisoning him.

  Rose: I refuse to let that sweet Pokémon fall into your clutches. I challenge you to a Pokémon battle. The winner gets the Illumise.

  The Bug Catcher laughed; he thought since I had a Roselia, this was going to be easy, but Romeo and I were not going to go easy on him.

  The Bug Catcher soon threw out a Nincada.

  Romeo was ready, and I soon told him to use Growth. This would make his special attacks more powerful, but Romeo’s only offensive attack was poison sting, so this could be difficult, and Nincadas are resistant to poison attacks.

  But Nincada are Ground-Bug types, and they don’t really have type effectiveness, so this should be a mutual fight.

  Nincada would then use Fury Swipes, and Romeo took very little damage.

  Romeo soon came back from that attack and hit harder, soon firing my purple poison darts that did very little damage. I considered switching out, but then it hit me.

  Alexei has Ice Fang, and that could put the nail in this trainer’s coffin, I then said.

  Rose: Romeo, we’re switching out. Take a breather.

  Romeo would soon return to my side, and I then threw out Alexei’s Heal Ball, and the happy little Poochyena came out happy and excited, but Alexei took one look around the area and soon realized he was in a battle and soon went into serious mode.

  Rose: Ok, Alexei, use Ice Fang and end this mockery.

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  Alexei’s fangs would then glow an icy blue as a chilling mist came from his mouth, and Alexei needed very little encouragement, and soon he ran towards the Nincada and bit down hard, instantly knocking out the Nincada and ending the fight.

  Alexei then jumped back. He glared at the Bug Catcher and growled.

  The Bug Catcher would glare at us; he called back his fainted Nincada and soon threw out another Poké Ball, sending out a Ninjask.

  This could be a problem. Ninjasks are incredibly fast Pokémon, and they’re the evolved form of Nincada. If my guidance is even off by just a moment, I could lose everything.

  I took a deep breath and told Alexei to use Howl.

  Alexei would then plant his paws in the ground and take a sitting position and then begin to howl, and for a brief moment I saw a red aura circle around him.

  And I could tell Alexei was getting pumped. The Ninjask then started darting around at such a speed that it almost looked like he was teleporting. The Ninjask soon came in close and used Fury Cutter.

  This caused Alexei to yelp in great pain. Alexei is a dark type, so he takes extra damage from bug types; this could be disastrous for us.

  I then told Alexei to focus and wait for the moment and then use Ice Fang. Alexei was panting but soon closed his eyes, and when the Ninjask was about to get in another attack, Alexei lunged at him and bit down on the Ninjask, doing critical damage, but the Ninjask soon held on and used Fury Cutter again. This knocked out Alexei, and I soon called him back to his heal ball. I apologized greatly.

  I honestly felt terrible. I had gotten my sweet little Alexei hurt so badly, and I was starting to wonder if I should give up and go home. I know you can have Pokémon faint; it happens, but at the same time, I am the one who hasn't fully prepared my Pokémon for fighting.

  I prepared for the journey itself, and I was never prepared for what my Pokémon would go through. I was selfish; I wanted to do this to live out a selfish dream, and I didn't take into consideration how my Pokémon would feel.

  I was silently beating myself up. I felt like I didn't want to do this anymore. I'm a selfish, blind little girl who knows nothing of the world, and I should never be around Pokemon, and I should just stay at home and be silent like a good girl.

  At that moment I felt like my grandmother was looming over me, repeating that same line: "Good girls are silent, obedient, and never deal with Pokémon."

  I then looked down to Romeo, who gave me a confident smile, saying he could handle this. Romeo then took charge, and I could tell he wanted this ended more than I did.

  Seeing Romeo's conviction was enough to banish my cloud of doubt, and I was determined to win this battle and gain a new friend.

  Before I could give Romeo a command on his own, he began to spin like he normally did, but then I noticed that rose petals began to manifest around him. They were like a full-on tornado, and soon Romeo sent the tornado of rose petals at Ninjask, who was quickly buffeted and soon defeated.

  I would breathe a sigh of relief, and I prayed this kid didn’t have a Shadinja.

  The Bug Catcher soon fell to his knees, and I smiled, thankful that the fight was over. Romeo and I soon walked over to the cage, and we freed the Illumise.

  The Illumise was incredibly grateful, and I soon offered her another Pecha berry, which she greatly accepted. I was about to leave with Romeo, going back to Erica’s Cabana, but I felt my hair being pulled. Turning around, I saw the Illumise was gently tugging on my hair, and she looked at me shyly.

  Rose: Do you want to come with us?

  Illumise: Vee Vee!

  I would then let out a soft smile, and I soon pulled out one of my Heal Balls, and I soon pressed the switch, and soon the Heal Ball would open and shoot a pastel pink beam at the Illumise.

  The Heal Ball shook once, twice, and the last shake was jaw-dropping, but soon it shook for the third time.

  I then smiled. I was happy to have a new ally.

  We would then return to Erica’s cabana. She was waiting outside on the patio, and she was wearing a stunning outfit.

  (visual of Erica Jinzo)

  Erica: Ah, there you are. I was wondering when you would finish that battle.

  Rose: Oh, you knew about that?

  Erica: Yeah, my aunt set up cameras around her property for better surveillance.

  Rose: I see. So, if I may ask, why do Pokémon make you uncomfortable?

  Erica would turn her head away and say

  Erica: Without getting too much into it, I was attacked by a Pokémon when I was really young, and that moment greatly traumatized me.

  Rose: Ah, I see. In that case, I’ll try to keep my Pokémon under control around you.

  Erica: Thank you, but I think this is my aunt’s way of exposure therapy, but what should we do now?

  Rose: Well, I want to be a Pokémon Coordinator and eventually be a star.

  Erica: Ah, ok, then I think I can help with that.

  Rose: How so?

  Erica: This pendant around my neck is made from multi-layered glass, and it can make seals that can be placed on Poké Balls to add some flashy effects.

  Rose: Oh wow, that would help out a lot actually.

  Erica: Yes, which is why I want to give you this.

  Erica would then hand me a black seal case; it was absolutely adorable.

  Erica: Please understand that I am still a junior technician. I do have some other tools that could be of service to you.

  Erica then explained that she had a collection of TM Disks on her person and she could make TM Disks. As it turns out, her goggles had a wireless connection to her pendant and TM computer. With her goggles, she could analyze moves and collect data on them and use that data to make Seals and TM Disks.

  Erica could even edit the seals with a stylus on her TM computer.

  I was incredibly impressed by everything Erica could do, and then she mentioned she could visit her family members in Hoenn and gain more skills, and I think all the praise I was showering onto her made her feel so incredibly grateful.

  With this in mind, things were getting dark, and we soon left for Petalburg and went to the Pokemon center and got a room.

  I would then notice that Romeo was really interested in Erica, and she herself was weirded out by it, but I could sense a growing adoration beginning to show on her face. I soon went into the shower and started to wash up.

  POV shift

  I have to say this is a bit much, and I don’t think I have it in me.

  I mean, traveling with a Pokémon Coordinator and being around the creatures that caused the incident honestly scares me, but deep down I want to be a trainer. I mean, I created my Seal Pendant myself, and I was inspired to make it because of Pokémon contests; they seemed so stylish and cool, and I wanted to contribute to it somehow, and I also upgraded my goggles to work with Seal, making

  So maybe this was for the best. I look up from my handheld computer to look at Romeo. He’s so tiny but has a lot of personality, and it makes me feel a sort of warmth. I remember before the incident that I loved Pokemon, but I never could get them to listen to me. At times it was like they were playing with me more than I was playing with them.

  I then decided I would show my appreciation to Rose by making her a beautiful seal that would help her in future contests.

  I soon pulled out my handheld computer and looked up some moves. Keep in mind my database of TMs is lacking due to the hard drive being damaged, so I probably had 23 total TMs to use.

  I decided to use the Poison Sting? and I would combine the data with the Sing TM Data. I then set to work making a seal with these moves. I would then feel a nudging on my leg. Looking up from my computer, I looked down and saw Romeo. He was staring up at me with hopeful eyes, and I soon reached down. I wanted to give him a few head pats, but I was hesitant. I couldn’t fully reach down to touch him.

  But Romeo soon put his blue rose up to me, and we did a handshake. He was really sweet, and his rose felt so soft and lively.

  Maybe Pokemon aren’t so bad after all.

  As the night went on, Rose would spend time with her three Pokémon. Alexei, her Poochyena, was incredibly lively when he wasn’t in a battle; it was heartwarming.

  The Illumise was like a little imp; she had a lot of personality, and she certainly made things interesting.

  Rose gave Illumise the nickname Titania, and it was a name that the Illumise greatly adored. The four would then go to sleep; I, however, kept working, trying to perfect this seal.

  I would end up falling asleep and only waking up when I smelled some delicious cooking. Looking up, I saw Rose cooking breakfast with Fatty Magikarp Fillets, and I was salivating.

  Shifting to Poke Vision

  I would soon wake up and stretch. Compared to sleeping in the wild, this bed was the far superior option. I soon got up and took flight. I then smelled something. Looking over, I saw Rose doing something that was leaving a trail of steam. I soon flew over and saw Rose was doing something to a piece of meat.

  Rose soon looked at me and said,

  Rose: Hi, Titania. You must be hungry. Don’t worry, the food is coming.

  I was curious what Rose meant. That didn’t look like any sort of food I’ve ever seen. I soon heard Romeo wake up, and so I flew over to him, landing on the bed. I asked,

  Titania: Excuse me, but what is Rose doing?

  Romeo: Oh, she’s cooking.

  Titania: What is cooking?

  Romeo thought for a moment and said,

  Romeo: I don’t really know; I just know humans have the ability to make really tasty things when they need to.

  I was incredibly curious. I soon decided to see what Erica was doing. I soon flew over to her as she was working on some weird things. I saw her working on something with a strange stick.

  Erica soon took notice of me, and she flinched for a brief moment and froze, but she soon calmed down and would go back to doing what she was doing.

  I soon sat on the bed with Romeo, and he was calm and relaxing while I was getting hungrier and hungrier as the moment went on, but then I felt myself being pushed over. Looking up, I saw it was Alexei; he was happily yipping, his tail wagging happily.

  Alexei: I’m happy to be with you, Titania. You're really pretty, and you smell like berries.

  I was a bit flustered by the compliments I was receiving from the Poochyena, but I took it all on the chin.

  Rose: Breakfast is ready.

  The three of us would then look to Rose, who had prepared three bowls of food for us. Romeo, Alexei, and I would come over to Rose, who placed our food bowls in front of us, and we quickly dug into the food, and it all tasted so good; I’ve never had food like this before.

  By the time I’m finished, I’m so happily stuffed I soon fly over and lay on the bed and pat my extended belly. I am so content right now.

  Romeo soon comes over to me and snickers, saying

  Romeo: So do you have any regrets about leaving your old life?

  Titania: Not at all. This is a good life.

  Rose then comes over to us and begins to smile and say

  Rose: Ok, everyone, we have a big day planned for us, and we’re going to need to put in all our energy today. Are you three ready?

  Alexei Romeo and I then looked to our trainer and gave a satisfied nod. I didn’t know what this was going to be about, but I was ready for it.

  End of PokeVision

  I called Titania and Alexei back to their Poké Balls. Then Erica Romeo and I would then leave the Pokemon center. We made our way to the contest hall so I could be registered.

  As we entered the building, Romeo got incredibly defensive over me and Erica; he was shooing away anyone who got close to us, and I eventually had to hold Romeo in my arms so he wouldn’t cause any trouble.

  We would make our way up to the register, and I would sign up the women at the front desk and then ask what my relation to Erica was.

  I was a bit flustered; I didn’t know how to reply, but the receptionist woman then explained that nowadays Pokemon Coordinators have options: they can either work alone and manage the aspects of the coordinator lifestyle on their own, or they can work with a team of people that each provide something new and will eventually create a brand, which can be used later in life.

  I then looked to Erica and asked

  Rose: Erica, would you mind starting a brand with me?

  Erica: Sure thing, I’ve already made my decision to join you anyway.

  With that done, Erica was listed as my technician, and we needed to come up with a name for our brand. I decided to name our brand the Kalos Rainbow Bouquet.

  Erica thought the name was a bit tacky, but soon we were registered, and the receptionist told us that the auditions would be in two days.

  I was excited. Romeo looked up at me with curiosity in his eyes. He also had a great amount of excitement. I think he knew what was going on.

  The three of us would then make our way to Petalburg Park, and I had to decide on who to use for the contest auditions. I called out three of my Pokemon, and as I did so, I dropped the two TM Disks from my bag. Erica saw them and picked them up and said,

  Erica: Well, then you’ve been holding out on me, huh?

  Rose: Sorry, I sort of forgot I had them. These were given to me by a trainer named Sprout.

  Erica: Hehe, well, I can just hold onto them now.

  Erica would then slide the two TM Disks into her computer, and she soon pressed a series of buttons and then said

  Erica: Ok, then, as it turns out, these two TM Disks are Fire Fang and Power Whip.

  Rose: Interesting. Sprout said these TMs would help me.

  Erica: I see. Well, if you like, I can try to teach these moves to your Pokémon. Alexei is the only one who can learn Fire Fang, and at the moment you only have one grass-type Pokémon.

  Rose: I see. Do you think these moves could help me out in some way for the auditions?

  Erica: I honestly don’t see how.

  I then thought to myself and soon came to an idea: I told Erica to teach Alexei Fire Fang, and I decided that I would take Alexei with me into the auditions.

  Romeo seemed heartbroken about this and began to pout. I then came over to him and explained to him that this was only the auditions, not the main event.

  Romeo would think for a moment but then give an understanding nod.

  Erica would then proceed to teach Alexei Fire Fang, and in less than a few seconds he had mastered it.

  And I soon began to think of a possible routine, but it would soon come to me. I knelt down next to Alexei and began to explain the routine, and when I told him, he was incredibly worried, but I assured him that it would be ok.

  And soon we began practicing. I called this routine The Overexcited Puppy Hot & Cold.

  Soon the day of the auditions would come, and I was holding Alexei in my arms. Erica and Romeo were with me as well, but they would be waiting offstage. Alexei and I would soon get in line, and we would begin to wait our turn. I then noticed another Pokémon Coordinator in front of me; she was incredibly pretty with an appearance that gave off abundant confidence.

  By her side was a Slowbro. Soon she would look at me and say,

  ????: It’s rude to stare, you know.

  Rose: Ah, sorry, it’s just that you seem so familiar.

  Dianna: Well, I should be. I’m Dianna Technoblaze. I’ve participated in Hoenn’s Pokemon Contests for 4 years now, and I’ve always come in second place, but this year that’s going to change.

  (visual of Dianna Technoblaze below)

  Rose: Oh wow, you're the Dianna! I knew I remembered you from somewhere, but that means that—

  Dianna: Yep, the current reigning champion is here too, and she should be finishing up now.

  I began to get worried because the current reigning champion of Hoenn’s Pokemon Contests was Violet Odealia, a Coordinator who came from an incredibly wealthy family, and with her wealthy means, she has risen to the fame of Superstar Coordinator.

  Soon Violet walks past us dressed in a beautiful purple outfit with an Espeon walking beside her. Violet has an annoyed smirk on her face as she leaves, and soon it’s time for Dianna and her Slowbro to take their turn.

  (Violet Odealia visual)

  I peek out a bit and see the judges; one of them is the president of the Pokemon Fan Club. Beside him is a woman dressed in fancy clothing, and beside her is an elite red-haired critic.

  Those were the judges! The red-haired critic was named Jason Artoga. He is a respected critic of the Pokemon Contest World; he could make and break careers in an instant.

  I soon looked to Dianna; she soon took a bow and said

  Dianna: Hello everyone, you all know who I am! The Hoenn Region's undefeated second Banana compared to Violet, but this time I can sense a change is coming.

  The woman in the beautiful dress would smile. She was Alexandria Carmen, a retired Pokémon coordinator who won several contests worldwide. She was the unrivaled diva. She’s since retired and now spends her retirement traveling while occasionally doing some work as a judge, so this time she decided to judge the Hoenn Contest Circuit. Incredible!

  Alexandria: Well, darling, I cannot confirm anything, but I can say this: there is indeed a change coming, so it might be your year, Dianna.

  Jason would soon roll his eyes, leaning in his seat with an annoyed groan.

  Jason: Just get on with your performance. I see you brought a Slowbro today—an interesting choice. Not really a looker, but there were more ludicrous options.

  Dianna would have an expression of irritation look on her face upon hearing Jason's comment but then went on to say

  Dianna: Thank you. Now then, let’s rock their world. Thoth, let’s show them our new routine. Whirlpool splish splash

  Then the Slowbro would begin to smirk, letting out a triumphant cry, and I saw that Thoth created two whirlpools beside him and then used his psychic powers to control them both. They moved about the room with organized patterns, dancing around the stage, but soon they came charging towards Dianna.

  I was getting worried, but Thoth came to his trainer's defense and protected her with Drain Punch, but upon being punched, the whirlpools would split into smaller and smaller whirlpools that kept moving around easily. Then Thoth would use the move psychic and cause the mini whirlpools to explode into an organized splash of water that came down like a gentle drizzle.

  Dianna and Slowbro then took a bow and then struck a pose.

  President of the Pokemon fan club: That was incredible. You utilized the abilities of your Slowbro perfectly, and your timing with how he came to your defense moments before you were attacked was remarkable.

  Alexandria: Well, I have to agree with my fellow judge. Most coordinators usually don’t put that level of planning into their auditions; they are usually hastily thrown together, so I can respect your attention to detail.

  Jason: That was indeed refreshing to a certain degree, but I have seen better, and knowing you, Dianna, there is more to come, so if we’re all in agreement,

  The three judges then looked at each other, and they gave Dianna a passing grade, and Dianna soon began to cheer. She and Thoth were incredibly happy.

  They soon left the stage, passing me. Dianna gave me a thumbs-up after a group of janitors cleaned the stage; it was my turn. Alexei looked to me expectantly, and I soon placed him on his feet and paws, and we began walking on stage.

  Alexandria: Oh, you certainly look adorable and familiar. What is your name, dear girl?

  Rose: My name is Rosalina Lucinda Valentine, miss.

  Alexandria would then begin to gasp. Jason would then give me a strange look, examining my appearance as if trying to validate my claim by looking at my features. The president of the Pokemon Fan Club gave a confused look to Alexandria.

  Alexandria then stood up and asked

  Alexandria: Darling, your father was Apollo Valentine, right? The Ruby Rose of Kalos?

  Rose: Yes, the very same, along with my mother, Eileithyia.

  Jason: Well, then we all believed you were lost to time, dear girl. Now I am interested. Go on, show us what you can do.

  Alexandria: Exactly. Your parents set the bar pretty high for you, darling. Let's see your shine!

  Talk about feeling the pressure. I then took a breath and made my way to the center of the stage, Alexei walking beside me.

  I then pulled out a blindfold from my bag and looked to the judges and said

  Rose: I present to you the Excited Puppy Hot & Cold Edition.

  I soon wrapped the blindfold around my eyes, and soon the routine had started. Alexei would use Ice Fang and would try to bite me, and I dodged out of the way. Alexei would then use Fire Fang and go in for another bite. I dodged again. This routine went on for 6 minutes; each time Alexei would get ever so close to biting me with either a Fire Fang or Ice Fang.

  But each dodge got more and more dynamic, and it would end with me scooping up Alexei and giving him a warm hug and a cuddle and him licking my face like the happy puppy he was.

  When I removed the blindfold, I looked to the judges, and their expressions were mixed. The president of the Pokemon Fan Club had a look of adoration on his face. Alexandria had a soft smile on her face. while Jason just looked bored

  I was starting to get worried.

  Alexandria: Oh my, I may have gotten my hopes up a bit. Darling, that was still a cute and simple display.

  President of the Pokemon Fan Club: I did enjoy how you had full trust in your Poochyena to not bite you; that ending was incredibly sincere and cute, however.

  Jason: Still, that had to be the weakest display I have seen all day. I swear your parents would have done something more dramatic and flashy worthy of the standing ovation, but that was just mind-numbing, almost bordering on painful, God.

  That was a heavy hit to my confidence. I could have sworn that I wasn't going to be able to proceed.

  I closed my eyes, but looking up, my heart almost stopped.

  Alexandria and the president of the Pokémon fan club gave me a passing grade, and Jason then stood up and said

  Jason: Rose, though I disagree with my fellow judges, I will admit I am willing to entertain your presence at the next contest hall, but I want to see the level of stardom your parents had shown. Now go backstage with the other future contestants.

  I soon held Alexei in my arms, and he happily howled with our passing grade, and we would soon make our way to the waiting room, catching up with Erica and Romeo, who were already there.

  Romeo was happily dancing around me excitedly; it was obvious he was happy I passed.

  Erica: That was so incredibly lucky, Rose, but still, that means we get to move forward.

  Rose: Yeah, I wasn't expecting to blow them away, but thankfully I was able to impress them enough to move forward. That was almost scary.

  Soon we would be approached by Dianna and Thoth. Dianna happily gave me a thumbs up and said,

  Dianna: That was certainly an unorthodox performance. Rose, but I can tell you're going to do great things.

  Rose: Thank you, Dianna. it means a lot receiving high praise from you.

  Dianna: Still, if you wanna compete with the rest of us, you're going to need to improve your skills a bit. Jason will be your biggest obstacle next to little Miss Superstar in the back.

  Looking in the back of the room, I saw Violet. She was sitting down with her Espeon in her lap, and she was staring daggers at me. If looks could kill, I would be dead by now.

  After a few more Coordinators came in, and Alexandria walked into the room. She smiled and said,

  Alexandria: Welcome, everyone. Now, for those of you who are new here, the Hoenn Region Contest Circuit, I am happy to welcome you here, but remember that everyone in this room is a potential rival, and friendships, if any are made, will be tested. Now, those of you who are returning for another chance, please vacate and make your way to Rustboro.

  Dianna would then call Thoth back to his Poké Ball and then leave along with the other more experienced Pokémon Coordinators.

  There were only a few of us left. I then called Alexei back to his Poké Ball, and soon Alexandria would then speak up and say

  Alexandria: Now then, all of you are budding Pokemon Coordinators; you are in for a long journey that will take you all over the Hoenn Region. It will be hard and grueling but also a rewarding and memory-filled adventure, but know this: there are two types of contests here in Hoenn, the public contests and the official contests. The public contests are public events that are more for fun and will offer monetary rewards instead of ribbons. These are optional; however, your main goal is the Official Contests. These will award you with a ribbon; however, if you don't get third place or higher, you will not be able to proceed in the Contest Circuit. There are multiple multiplecontests being held throughout Hoenn, so you will have many competitors to deal with. Now, all of you darlings, please step forward to receive a set of tools that will help you on your journey.

  Alexandria would soon hand each of us a portable PC drive. This item would allow us to transfer Pokemon in and out of our PC servers. She also gave us assist Pokemon pagers with one assist Pokemon already registered.

  My first Pokemon was a Tangrowth named Nana. She was classified as a utility Pokemon; she could hold things for us and easily bind wild Pokemon with infestation or attract Pokemon with sweet sweetcent

  Alexandria would then smile, take a bow, and give us all a map app on our PokéNavs that would guide us to all the Pokémon Contests.

  We were then given the chance to leave. When we came outside the contest hall, we saw a trainer waiting for us. She was dressed in a beautiful pink outfit with a pair of unique glasses.

  ????: Ah, there you guys are. Looks like I just made it in time.

  Rose: Um, who are you?

  Psyche: Ah, you probably don’t recognize me in my more casual attire, but you can call me Psyche Yew, or when I’m on stage, I go by Dianna Technoblaze.

  (Psyche Yew Visual)

  Erica and I dropped our jaws. Dianna was more tomboyish and sleek, but Psyche looked more frilly and girly to a large degree.

  Psyche: Hehe, that’s the shock I’ve grown so accustomed to. Yeah, anyway, can I take you two out to eat at all? It’s been a long day.

  Rose: Sure, what about you, Erica?

  Erica: I’m down, but I’m still shocked how you can be one way and look like someone else.

  We would then go to a restaurant on the western edge of Petalburg.

  Psyche: My friends, you can order whatever you like; I’ll pay for it.

  Erica and I were happy to hear that, and as we were eating, Psyche told us her story.

  Psyche was born into a wealthy family and was put into beauty pageants at a young age, mainly at the demand of her father, and eventually, when Psyche grew up, she wanted to go out on a Pokémon journey, but her father forbade it. Eventually, Psyche would rebel against her father and would get her own modeling agent, who encouraged Psyche’s hobbies, and eventually Psyche would become a Pokémon Coordinator, moving from Unova to Hoenn for a fresh start.

  Psyche: Now then, are you two a team?

  Erica: Yes, we are a team; we’re called the Kalos Rainbow Bouquet.

  Psyche: interesting name

  Rose: I wanted to pay homage to my home before I moved here.

  Psyche: So, about that, I had heard of your parents accident, but why did you move here?

  Rose: My grandmother, but the less said about her, the better.

  Psyche: I see. Sorry for stepping in. i should probably pay that bill and get on my way to Rustboro. It’s going to be fun seeing you in the circuit. Rose

  With that done, Erica and I would walk back to the Pokémon Center, grab our stuff, and then walk out to Route 104.

  As we were walking, I decided to do some training, so Erica and I would enter the tall grass. Erica stood behind me, and I decided to give our new Assist Pokemon a try.

  I soon pressed the call button, and from a beam of light she appeared. Nana was a tall Tangrowth.

  But her vines were white and covered in pastel pink flowers. She had a sash around her body with four glass holders. Erica told me that those containers were for eggs. Nana looked at us and then let out an excited cry before wrapping both me and Erica into a massive bear hug, and Romeo, of course, was not having any of it, actively trying to fight Nana to gain our freedom.

  Nana would soon let us go and then turned her attention to Romeo and then proceeded to pet his head. This really did tick off Romeo, who quickly began to flail and tried to hit Nana with his roses in defiance.

  Nana still found this cute, and I would stop Romeo before things got any worse.

  I then told Nana to use Sweet Scent, and in a second the entire area was filled with a sickly sweet scent.

  And then some wild Pokémon appeared, and Romeo rushed to defend us. We ended up training for hours, and each of my Pokémon became stronger, and it was almost sunset, but then we ran into a new Pokémon.

  It looked like some sort of slimeball.

  And then we heard a masculine but shrill voice call out, saying

  ????: Gooey comeback

  Soon a young trainer would come into the tall grass and would pick up the small Pokémon, and honestly, he looked really cute.

  ????: I’m so sorry for the disturbance my Goomy has caused you; he normally doesn’t run off like that.

  Rose: That’s fine, but why did he even show up here?

  ????: Oh, Gooey has a good sense of smell. I assume you were using Sweet Scent to attract Pokemon, right? Well, Gooey can’t help himself. This has happened several times, and it’s a headache.

  Erica: Well, no harm done, but who are you?

  Lolly: Oh, me. I’m Lolly Fluff. I’m an aspiring patisserie traveling the world to expand my baking prowess, but sadly I lost all my maps and my wallet running around chasing Gooey. I still have my PokeNav phone, and I’m a bit hesitant to call my dad.

  (Visual of Lolly Fluff)

  Rose: Oh, is your dad harsh?

  Lolly would shake his head violently and say

  Lolly: No, not at all. My dad is really kind, but he can get scary when he’s cooking at his restaurant. Le Yeah.

  My ears would perk up upon hearing the name of the restaurant. I would then go on to say

  Rose: You're from Kalos?

  Lolly: Yeah, and my dad is Siebold. He’s the water-type specialist of the Elite Four.

  Erica: Wow, your dad’s in the Elite Four; that’s an incredible accomplishment.

  Lolly: Yeah, it is, but real quick, I have nowhere to go at the moment, so would it be ok if I traveled with the two of you just for the moment until I get my bearings?

  Erica and I would share a look as we both agreed, but like always, Romeo was not having any of it and quickly tried to attack Lolly, but I stopped him before that could happen.

  Lolly would then call Gooey, his Goomy, back to his Poké Ball, and we would rest up at Erica’s home for the night.

  As we were, Lolly was making us some delicious cookies that he made in no time at all; they were incredibly good.

  We would soon fall asleep, ready for what was to come tomorrow.

  As I slept, I had a nightmare of pure dread. I couldn't shake the image of pure darkness that wanted to do me harm. I would then wake up in the middle of the night with visions of the battle for Titania. I began to question myself. I mean, I nearly got disqualified, and my team is incredibly weak. If I get confronted by an experienced trainer, I... I don't want to think about that.

  End of Episode

  ============

  Psyche's team

  ======

  1. Esther = Delphox

  2. Luna = Alolan Ninetails

  3. Pacha = Pachirisu

  4. Dexter = elgyem

  5.

  6.

  ==============

  Psyche's unique Items

  ========

  1. Pokenav

  2. Pokemon Assist & Ride Pager

  3. Game Drive

  4. Vs seeker

  ===============

  Psyche's Preferred Poke balls

  ===========

  1. Ultra Balls

  2. Nest balls

  3. ????

  ===================

  ===================

  ======================

  ======================

  ====================

  Lolly Fluff :Patisserie:

  ============

  Lolly's team

  ======

  1. Gooey = Goomy

  2. Belle = Buneary

  3. Tarte = Applin

  4.

  5.

  6.

  ==============

  Lolly's unique Items

  ========

  1. Portable Poffin Maker

  2. 2 portable Berry planters

  3. Mead Making kit

  4. Honey Flasks

  ===============

  Lolly Fluff's Preferred Poke balls

  ===========

  1. Nest Balls

  2. ????

  3. ????