The Ghost Specialist

Sam followed the wild Gastly over rocky hills and through crag-like canyons. The foliage in these parts was sparse, but there were plenty of shadows from overhangs that let it float forward without being disrupted by light. Sam had to frequently run to catch up. Since the Gastly could float, it merely moved past any obstacles without any issues.

It almost left him at several points, but once it was too far away, either Misdreavus or Quilava would call out, and then it would stop and wait for everyone to catch up.

“Are you sure it’s leading us to Haunter?” Redi asked as the Pokémon dipped into a crack in the wall half-hidden by a boulder.

“I’m sure. Look at Quilava and Misdreavus. You think they’d be acting like this if it was lying to us?”

Quilava leaped from stone to stone, putting her trained agility to use. Sometimes, she wouldn’t account for a jump properly, leaving her back legs hanging off as she scrambled for a foothold, but a slight push from Misdreavus helped her when Sam couldn’t reach. Misdreavus herself simply floated after the Gastly and even phased through obstacles instead of floating around them. Neither of them seemed to doubt this Gastly’s guidance.

As for Sam, he had a feeling this Pokémon was actually leading them Haunter’s way. It never once sent a subtle glance back to check their reactions, and it never looked around in either curiosity or boredom. It simply floated forward to lead them to their destination. With a purpose so obvious, Sam was confident that it had a specific location in mind. He doubted it was tricking them. If it was, it was an exceptionally good liar for an unevolved Ghost Type.

They continued after it, following it into a thin tunnel where the tops of the cliff sides pressed together to form a sort of cave. It sloped down, worn away into a bent path by a small trickle of water. Sam had to use the wall to brace himself, and Quilava had to walk at an angle to not slide down. Ursaring couldn’t have fit in here, but Redi had returned her team members when they first left to follow the Gastly. As for the wild Stantler with them, it followed, but it had to move slowly to keep its hooves stable, and, due to its wide antlers, it had to turn its head to the side.

But they arrived soon enough.

Right away, Sam could tell they had been led through the back entrance, as a far portion of the roof of this cavern had collapsed to form a pile of stones agile enough Pokémon could hop down. Light peeked through cracks from above to provide just enough illumination to see. That trickle of water between their feet joined several others to form a pond, and between this entrance and that fallen rubble was a long-branched tree that had somehow grown within this underground cave.

And the Stantler were here. They stood positioned in the center, standing in the shape of a spiral, horns glowing with a light that caused Sam’s head to hurt when he stared.

“They’re... protecting them?”

At the center of the herd, in the very middle of the spiral, were what seemed to be a few other Stantler ever so slightly smaller than the rest. Those Pokémon matched the size of the Stantler with Sam and Redi, and Sam realized that those were the herd’s young.

His eyes were immediately drawn to a patch of shadow set to the side. The moment he saw it, he wanted to groan, annoyed.

That pale-faced Stantler stood separate from the rest, staring at the darkness with its horns alight. Within the darkness itself, an indistinguishable blur with a pair of bright, curved eyes peeking through.

Though Haunter’s mouth was hidden by his disguise, his eyes betrayed his smile. He allowed himself to drift to the side, a motionless breeze chilling Sam as he did. That elder Stantler watched Haunter warily. Sam knew the moment he made any wrong move, the Pokémon would attack.

Except, Haunter wasn’t attacking. His presence was terrifying enough, and he was taking great pleasure in taking in the reaction of the Stantler.

“Really, Haunter?” Sam grumbled.

In the end, Redi was the one to shout.

“Hey! Stop that!”

Alongside her, the young Stantler let out a bellow that finally alerted the rest of the herd to their presence.

The combined noise echoed through the cavern, and the elder Stantler turned around in surprise. The glow surrounding the herd seemed to deepen, and the Stantler under the tree began to become indistinguishable within a blur.

Haunter’s eyes momentarily widened, and recognizing Sam was here, he lunged.

“Wait!” Sam yelled.

It didn’t matter. Haunter unleashed his attack, and a deep purple wind blew out from inside his shadows.

Except, while the Stantler’s fur stood on its ends, nothing happened. Ominous Wind was a Ghost Type move and had no effect on the Normal Types here.

Sam slapped a palm to his face.

“Haun, Haunter!”

The only reason the elder Stantler didn’t attack was due to how Haunter left his shadow. He was cackling madly, so absorbed by his own laughter that he no longer had any defenses up. He clutched his stomach with one hand, pointing at the Stantler facing him with the other.

It stared at him, the glow lowering alongside the appearance of a flat look. The Gastly that had led Sam here burst into laughter as well, and the snicker of two other Gastly came from the shadows above everyone’s heads.

“Really?” Redi sighed.

Sam dragged his hand down his face.

“You gotta admit that it’s a little funny,” he said with a sigh.

The wild Stantler glared at Haunter as he floated over to Sam’s side and slipped into his shadow.

Note to self: don’t send Ghost Types out on a search unless there’s someone more responsible with them. Like Misdreavus.

With Haunter gone, the glowing of the elder Stantler’s horns ceased. Haunter had been lingering nearby, acting as a threatening presence for a while, but the wild Pokémon seemed to at least recognize that Haunter and the rest of Sam’s group meant no harm.

They were just dumb.

No, it instead brought its gaze over, not paying attention to either Sam or Redi in the slightest. It locked eyes with a certain Pokémon, and that young Stantler from before took a cautious step forward.

It said its name and was met with silence from the other one. However, the elder Stantler seemed to visibly relax as its eyes sparkled with relief and now-fading worry.

A single word came from its mouth. The Pokémon said its name to beckon the younger one to approach him. It reluctantly walked forward.

The Stantler didn’t speak, but they pressed their sides into one another in a sign of familial affection.

“Hey!” Redi called out.

The young Stantler turned her way. The older one looked at her with both subdued gratitude and caution.

“I want you to know I still stand by what I said earlier. I’m going to catch one of you.”

The older Stantler grunted, trotting in place. Reacting to the simple command, the young one reluctantly joined the rest of the Stantler. The mass under the tree opened up to allow it to move in.

Redi watched the proceedings with a careful eye. Sam gauged her reaction as well as the reaction of the older Stantler before her.

Weirdly, he felt as though Haunter’s scare had actually helped. That period of fright followed by dumbstruck relief helped the Stantler understand there was no hostile intent behind Sam and Redi’s presence.

Again, they were just stupid.

“Back in that valley grove, you were going to test me,” Redi said, loud enough for the entire herd to hear. “I could tell. It was pretty obvious. You were going to fight me as if to see if I’m worthy of catching one of you.”

That older Stantler bowed its head in acknowledgement, and when it brought itself back up, its eyes were shimmering.

For some reason, Sam could only call that reaction excitement.

Redi took a step forward, and the old, pale-faced Stantler began to move to circle around her. She walked to the center of the room while the rest of the herd watched in silence. Once it found a good place, the old Stantler dug a hoof into the ground.

Redi’s hand moved to her belt, and she turned to glance around at all the wild Stantler here.

“I want you to know that I don’t just want any Pokémon,” she announced. “I want you to know that I’m searching for a partner. I want a team member I can trust and rely on as we take on the toughest challenges of the Pokémon League. I want us to get stronger together and not just mindlessly pursue strength.”

She shook her head.

“You’ll see what I mean when my Pokémon and I win this battle,” Redi continued, a grin growing onto her face. “My team and I won’t be fighting like any wild Pokémon you’ve encountered before.”

Her grin exposed her teeth, and she brought a certain Pokéball up in her hand. She sent the smallest of glances to the rest of the Stantler before drawing her arm back.

“Don’t get scared. He’s pretty big.”

With a flash, Ursaring came out and roared. Sam could hear the many, nervous hoofsteps coming from the herd, but three larger Stantler that stood at the front sent confident stares to the rest that managed to calm them down.

That elder Stantler seemed not to care. Its head moved up and down as it casually looked over Ursaring, unimpressed. Ursaring’s species wasn’t too uncommon in the mountains, and Teddiursa were frequently found in the route south of Blackthorn itself. Given the nearby location, Sam was pretty sure this Stantler had encountered several Ursaring before.

Heck, given both its age and confidence, he was pretty sure it had defeated several Ursaring before.

The old, wild Pokémon dug its hoof into the ground to prepare itself, moving in a way that didn’t betray its age. It might have looked old, but it was still a Pokémon. Age didn’t have the same impact on a Pokémon as on a human. Yes, a younger individual might have been more physically fit, but this was a wild Pokémon that managed to become elderly. There was no saying how much experience it actually had.

But there was at least a clue to the outcome of this battle. The Stantler’s species was usually pretty unemotive, but there was a small smile on its face.

“...Be careful, Redi,” Sam said. He was starting to think this Stantler would be a more difficult fight than either of them would have thought.

If anything, its next action confirmed its experience to Sam; instead of attacking, it confidently bowed its head to give Ursaring the first move. That made Redi’s grin deepen, and she nodded to Ursaring as he began to sharpen his claws. His rhythmic Swords Dance started up, the only sound in this cavern now being the faint trickle of water and the regular clash of his claws.

The smile on the Stantler’s face grew as well. With how obvious it was, Sam had a feeling it wasn’t casually smiling. No, when it saw Ursaring use Swords Dance, the wild Stantler had grown elated.

“Thought Pokémon like you were supposed to be wise,” Redi mumbled. “But you’re still a Pokémon. You like to fight.”

Finally, Ursaring’s Swords Dance concluded, and the Stantler lowered its head. It bent its knees to prepare to run, and Ursaring brought his claws up to defend himself.

The deer Pokémon exploded forward into a dash.

“Here we go! Grab it, Ursaring!” Redi yelled.

The smirk on her face told Sam she planned to end this battle quickly.

However, the elder Stantler never reached Ursaring. At the very last moment of its charge, it veered to the side, and the bear Pokémon’s lunge saw its Slash do nothing but swipe through the air.

Stantler ran past him and curved around to come at him from another angle. Rather than having Ursaring try the same move again, Redi shouted for a different attack.

“Rock Slide!”

Claws were swiped through the air, and mimicking the motions of throwing a boulder, Ursaring sent many, sharpened stones tumbling after the Stantler. The old Pokémon showed off its experience by nimbly moving out of the way. Despite the weight of its species, its hooves brought it forward as if it weighed nothing at all.

Something glinted in the Stantler’s eyes as it maneuvered for another Take Down. Ursaring braced himself for a hit, but for the second time, the Stantler changed directions at the last second to not get close to the bear Pokémon at all.

“Fool me once...” Redi grumbled. “Focus Energy! Time your attack. Watch it carefully before you strike and don’t let it tire you out.”

Once more, the Stantler’s run curved to allow it to turn its charge around. Its movements were identical to its charge from before. While watching the Stantler, Sam also saw Redi unconsciously hunker down not unlike Ursaring, putting her entire focus into the battle.

However, he also noticed that she was paying far too close attention to Stantler’s charge. She was missing something, but it was subtle. The air in front of the Stantler’s horns tinted to become a light grey.

“Watch out!” Sam yelled.

Redi snapped her gaze up, but she wasn’t able to order Ursaring back fast enough. Focus Energy required a certain amount of commitment, and he was already preparing himself to strike.

A claw swipe went wide.

As the Stantler ran past Ursaring for the third time in a row, it didn’t just run past without doing anything else. Taking advantage of the expectation, it was able to send the beam of a Confuse Ray to strike right between Ursaring’s eyes.

“That was a little different than Haunter’s, but it definitely worked,” Sam mumbled.

The Stantler kept running until it slowed to a halt several yards away. Redi stood up straight, met the Pokémon in the eye, and looked annoyed at herself for falling for that simple trick.

“Man. You fooled us. Made it seem like you were all about physical strength then used a status move like this.” She rubbed her head and brought a hand over her face.

When she brought it down, she had a wide smile on her face.

“That’s fine. It doesn't matter. We can use that.”

Sam could imagine the illusions Stantler had subjected Ursaring to. A dark forest. A spinning grove. Shadows around him that hid its exact movements. Something that had placed a dazed look in Ursaring’s eyes.

A shout from Redi could have saved him, as Sam knew that practice with Haunter had seen Ursaring become confused many times before. However, she didn’t bother.

“How about I change things up?” she called out. “Want a more interesting fight, Stantler?”

Its horns were outright glowing, and the space around them waved. The elder Stantler looked to Redi and tilted its head. It continued to smile.

A flash of light saw Ursaring disappear. A second flash of light saw a Pokémon replace him.

“Porygon. Let’s make this quick.”

The elder Stantler cocked its head to the side as Redi released Porygon. The artificial Pokémon crackled with static, and pixel-like squares overturned themselves in a wave to tint it yellow.

“Charge and Conversion,” Sam identified.

Charge was a new move—at least to Sam. He knew that Redi hadn’t been slacking on developing her team. She just didn’t always share newly learned moves with him.

“Try charging again, Stantler! You won’t like the outcome,” she yelled.

Redi hunkered down once again. This time, she didn’t allow herself to get too focused, and she clenched a fist as if ready to strike.

The Stantler took that challenge for what it was and lowered its head and began to charge. Genuinely, Sam was unsure if it was actually planning to strike or if it was going to swerve at the last minute.

“Charge Beam!” Redi yelled.

Porygon crackled, and pure electricity gathered up into a ball before shooting out.

Stantler’s charge was never finished. It was forced to pull away before it could even think of getting close.

More Charge Beams came out, and the Stantler was forced to keep running. However, this movement revealed a second trick of this battle—the Stantler hadn’t been moving at full speed until now.

Porygon continued to track it. The Charge Beams were aimed at its feet, and each one sent scorch marks into the ground. Redi watched and waited silently until Porygon exhausted itself of energy.

The Stantler turned and charged right at Porygon.

This time, it didn’t change directions. A single rush forward saw the Pokémon slamming its horns right into Porygon. Porygon closed its eyes and suffered the head-on blow.

Yet, Redi had her own trick up her sleeves. Before Porygon could be bashed away, she had her Pokémon unleash its strongest move.

“Discharge!”

Charge built up electricity, Conversion gave Porygon the Electric Type to better handle it, and then Charge Beam helped build even more energy past that, too.

With Discharge, Redi threw her fist forward, and everything Porygon had gathered was released.

This was a simple trick, but it was one that was extremely effective against a wild Pokémon like Stantler. For as much power and experience as it had, it never once had the benefit of a trainer or that human mindset that sought new ways for it to apply its power.

“Yes!” Redi shouted. “Now, back up, Porygon. That wasn’t too bad of a hit, right?”

There was a scuff mark on Porygon, but otherwise, the Pokémon looked fine.

The Stantler, however, stumbled back from Porygon and wobbled on its feet. There was a keenness to its eyes as it took Redi in. Though it was old, this was a veteran of many battles.

Its horns glowed for a new attack.

“Now!”

But Porygon’s Psybeam was faster.

As the old Stantler fell to the ground, shouts rang out. A few members of the herd yelled their names in worry. The three largest Stantler, the trio that looked the most powerful among them, stayed quiet, choosing to observe what Redi did next in absolute silence.

She approached the fallen Pokémon.

The trio of large Stantler narrowed their eyes.

Their horns were valued, and Redi was a human. Who was to say she wouldn’t take them from an unconscious Pokémon when she had the chance?

However, as the noises of hoof-stomps filled the room, Redi continued forward, unbothered. The herd grew agitated as she moved closer and closer until everything seemed to stop all at once.

Rather than anything aggressive, Redi reached into her backpack to take out a single berry. She placed it on the ground in front of the unconscious Stantler’s face, and she kneeled at its side to treat its wounds, carefully healing it under the watchful gaze of two dozen Stantler at once.

Redi had to admit she was a little nervous, but she didn’t let that show on her face. These weren’t Pokémon familiar with human interaction. They lived off-route, where both battles and their results could become devastating without a way to heal.

She moved slowly and carefully, trying to mimic the way she’d seen her father treat Pokémon in the past. Whenever a Pokémon too wild or aggressive for the average trainer was sent her family’s way, her father was always the one to help them. He treated them kindly, carefully, and cautiously, giving the Pokémon the respect it deserved.

She even copied one of his tricks. Placing that berry on the ground was a way to minimize the chance that Stantler would lash out once it woke up. She knew the old Pokémon had enjoyed the battle, but the bleariness that came from exiting unconsciousness could see it instinctually attack someone unfamiliar it viewed as a threat.

But having food right there would trigger a different instinct; battles took a lot of energy, and smelling that berry would see it eat instead of attack.

Although, she would have likely gone with a different strategy if Stantler wasn’t as large. Small Pokémon tended to be vicious when there was food in front of them. They carried some sort of instinctual need to try to defend their meals from anyone they thought might take their food away.

From her backpack, Redi retrieved a Super Potion and sprayed the side of the Stantler. Anywhere where Porygon’s Electric Type attacks had left fractal-like burns, the healing medicine caused the discolorations to fade.

As the pain of the attack faded away, the Stantler’s eyes opened up, and thick teeth snapped down onto the berry before it realized what was going on. Redi used that moment to hurry away as the Pokémon pushed to its feet.

With its age, its movements came out a little shaky, but it only looked so old due to the wear of living off-route. There was an obvious, learned control behind its movements, and once standing, the same grace from before returned.

It stared down at her. Redi didn’t quite meet its height. Stantler was a big Pokémon, and as she looked up at it, she felt as though the horns on its head were a crown.

Regal.

That was the one word that passed through her head.

The lines on its face were more evident up close, but there was a satisfaction in its eyes that saw it tilt its head in a respectful bow.

Redi bowed back.

“Thank you.”

She wasn’t sure what she was thanking it for, but saying that after their battle felt right.

“Thank you for the battle,” she then clarified. “We learned a lot. I’ve been trying to build my team around powerful attacks, but I shouldn’t let myself get distracted by that idea when facing someone doing the same.”

She brought herself back up and grinned, lazily rubbing the back of her head. The Stantler looked at her before snorting, amused, and it shook its head as it walked away.

Turning around, it was making itself vulnerable to her. By doing that, its message was clear:

Redi had its approval.

The dizzying glow that protected the rest of the herd faded as the other Stantler dropped their illusions. All of the deer Pokémon were staring at her, but when she stared back, they began to quickly look around at themselves, instead.

They communicated more with body language than spoken words, and she had a feeling these Stantler were going through a discussion. She’d made sure her objective was clear.

One of these Stantler was going to be caught, and now they were trying to figure out if any of them were actually going to take up her offer.

“Redi?”

Sam joined her at her side. Redi looked at her friend as he moved next to her.

“I think you’ve probably motivated at least one of them,” he said. “Calling for Discharge was a good choice. Out here, I doubt they see many Electric Types. An unknown move like that will definitely make them interested.”

“Nah,” Redi said. “I wasn't trying to do anything that clever in our battle. I wasn’t trying to show off something new. I just want one of them to be inspired by the power Porygon showed off. A single move isn’t that important.”

She grinned, but she hurried to push her lips back together. Showing her teeth could be seen as a bad thing, especially when it came to deer Pokémon like Stantler.

The Stantler’s discussion continued, and Redi heard plenty of huffs, snorts, and stomping of hooves. If she had to guess, most seemed uninterested, but a few did seem to have some curiosity.

However, it wasn’t a common reaction to her, and most of the discussion seemed to be the other Stantler warning the interested ones off. There was safety to be found in a herd, and Redi’s group wasn't large. She was effectively asking them to leave their family and join her, instead. Just because she had given them an offer didn’t mean any of them would take her up.

But as the discussion went on, Redi panned her gaze around the room and saw something she didn’t expect. That elder Stantler had completely removed itself from the ongoing talks. It stood off to the side and looked on, its gaze lingering on the three Stantler that looked taller than the rest. Those ones were moderating the discussions, and one even sent a sharp look to a familiar, young Stantler who tried to push to the front without talking about it with anyone else.

She found herself staring at the old Stantler. The expression on its face was... mixed.

Happiness to see a member of its family get this chance. Sadness to know that a member of its herd might be leaving. Satisfaction to see everyone get along so well without its input.

And then reluctance.

A strange reluctance.

The more Redi stared, the more she realized that it was trying its hardest to never turn her way.

“Hey.”

Redi called out to get its attention, and the cavern plunged into silence. Her voice echoed around, and that elder Stantler’s eyes finally flicked to her.

“Why was it you that challenged me and not one of them? I get that I needed to get your approval, but those three Stantler over there look strong. I could have probably fought one of them and been a safe way to give a younger herd member experience in a fight.”

The old Stantler visibly winced and turned around in the faint hope she was talking to someone else. But Redi kept staring right at it, and it awkwardly trotted in place, unsure how to actually respond.

It said its name.

The response was meaningless to Redi.

What did help her understand better was the concerned look it sent to the rest of its herd, which were all younger Pokémon from its perspective.

“I get it. It’s a cost-benefit scenario,” Sam said next to Redi. “Since you’re the oldest, no one else in the herd would be at risk of getting injured. If you got seriously hurt, everyone else would still be able to run away and live on.”

It looked away, almost guilty at the accusation. Redi felt like Sam was right, but she felt there was something else to it, too.

“You’re selfish,” she ended up saying. “I bet those three tougher-looking Stantler probably fight the most, yeah? But you could argue for yourself to take me on here. It was one of the only ways you could get in a meaningful fight.”

The Pokémon’s face was expressionless, and it was keeping its body purposefully still.

Sam was staring at Redi, now. Apparently, he had missed that.

“You’re old, but you like fighting,” Redi continued. “You’ve separated yourself from your herd because you think it’s time for the younger generation to get a chance. You've already given up on the idea of a better future for yourself, haven’t you?”

Redi shook her head, and with the way the older Stantler stared at the floor, she knew she was right.

“Alright,” she said. “I figured it out. I’ve made my decision, and I know who I’m going to catch.”

Several of the younger Stantler looked up hopefully, but she didn’t look their way.

“You,” Redi said.

The entire cavern was plunged into disbelieving silence as Redi pointed to that oldest Stantler here.

“Yeah. You’re old. So what? You’re good in battle. And you know what actually matters. You heard me earlier; I’m looking for a partner, not just a Pokémon that wants to mindlessly pursue strength. And don’t bother arguing with me—I’m already convinced. By the end of today, you’ll be joining my team.”

Right away, the older Stantler brought its head back up and bellowed its name. It sounded angry—it was trying to refuse.

“Nah. I don’t care. I already beat you in battle, so I’m going to capture you and take you with me. What would you even do, otherwise? Just stay on the edge of your herd and waste away?”

Redi had seen the look in the Stantler’s eyes. It had never once betrayed its eyes. If anything, that light that appeared during the battle had made it appear sharper than the rest of the herd.

“But... I get it,” Redi said, rubbing her head. “This herd is your family, and I’m kind of just... snatching you away. You feel like you have a duty here, and even though others have already taken your role, you don’t want to leave. But I see that fire in you. With how much you enjoyed our battle, why not take this opportunity when you can?”

Its reluctance wavered, and Redi immediately pounced.

“I’m offering you a chance. Take it. Come with me, and you’ll experience battle after battle, get the support of a trainer, and gain information about moves that you've never even dreamed of.

“So?” Redi asked. “Want to join me? Let’s take on the world and prove you still got it in you.”

The Stantler still hesitated, but her words had struck it in the heart. They had battled, and she knew it understood the truth behind her words.

And when she was finished speaking, a mixture of shouts came from its herd, with almost all of those Stantler shouting to try to convince it one way or another. Some of them clearly didn’t trust Redi at all and were telling it to hold back. At the same time, others were trying to encourage it, trying to tell it to take this opportunity.

The three leading Stantler stayed silent. They were giving the old Stantler a chance to choose for itself. But then, one shout was louder than the rest—that young one from before. It bellowed its name in an attempt to convince it to take what it wouldn’t be able to get itself.

That single, outpouring of emotion seemed to snap the old Stantler out of its stupor and make it come to a decision. Redi felt a bit of guilt—she wasn’t catching the Stantler that desperately wanted to be caught—but she was thankful to it. She knew that with just a bit of time, it could go to a main route and find a more suitable trainer than her.

The older Stantler said its name. It had come to a decision, and it wanted Redi to approach.

Once more, she moved closer to it. It looked just as regal as before.

The Stantler stared down at her, and Redi looked up and met it in the eye. It tilted its head to the side to encourage them to face away, and the second they did, it slumped.

“I... I get it,” she said with a sigh, speaking just quiet enough to prevent others from listening in. “You love battling and want to head out, but you don’t want to leave your family behind, either. It doesn’t matter how supportive they are. It doesn’t matter how much they care about you. That kind of attention is... overwhelming. You want to do this for yourself, but not at a cost to them. You don’t want them to be worse off just because you want to do something for you.”

The Stantler blinked at Redi, and she breathed out, shaking her head. She’d like to think her analysis of Stantler’s situation was accurate, but deep down, she knew she was talking about more than just the Pokémon before her.

“Leaving out of the blue without even a note...” she mumbled. “Yeah, I can imagine that’s kind of a jerk thing to do. Like, you want to leave, but they’re still your family. They deserve a proper goodbye.”

The Stantler cautiously nodded its head. Redi had read the situation right. Locking eyes with the Pokémon, she quickly came to a decision.

Fine. I’ll call my family.

But she also refused to leave without making sure that Stantler joined her team.

“You want time,” she said. “How long?”

It was going to be her Pokémon—was already her Pokémon—but this Stantler couldn’t just up and leave its family on only a moment’s notice.

The ensuing discussion took a bit of charades to get through. Redi didn’t like the answer Stantler gave her, but she understood its reasoning. The asked-for period was way longer than she’d like, but she had no plans to be so heartless as to try to negotiate that time down.

“Alright. I can accept that. It's going to make things tight, but I promise we’ll make it work,” she said. “However, while I might be promising to come back, you have to promise me something in exchange.

“While I’m gone, don’t just sit here and keep doing what you were doing,” Redi said. “While we’re gone, I want you to train. Get stronger. We’ll come up with a few strategies together, and I want you to practice them as much as you can before I’m back.”

It nodded, agreeing to Redi’s statement, and she smiled, happy to have met a Pokémon already so in line with her own heart.

“However!” she continued. “You cannot be caught. And you have to stay healthy and not suffer any injuries, either. Not just that, but let’s throw on an extra goal. By the time I’m back, I want you to be able to beat those three Stantler in a fight without suffering any hits in return. You know which three Stantler I’m talking about.”

The Pokémon before her made a noise. It seemed to be weighing the viability of Redi’s objectives. Stantler glanced at the rest of its herd, and it gained an expression of determination before accepting with a firm nod.

“Great!” Redi said. “If you can do that, then I have no problem leaving you here. But one last thing...”

She leaned in.

“Have you ever heard of a move called Psyshield Bash? It might have an interesting result if you figure out how to use it super fast...”

When she left the Stantler’s grotto several hours later, Redi was smiling. That smile remained on her face as they changed directions and began to head north-east directly to Blackthorn.

She felt—no, knew—she had done a good thing. Capturing a Pokémon off-route was always going to be a difficult ask as she didn’t want to yank an unsuspecting Pokémon away from its family and home.

Here, things had worked out. She had met a kindred spirit and had, more importantly, made a friend. Even if Stantler wouldn’t be traveling with her right now, she knew she could put her faith in him and trust that he’d be stronger when they next met up.

And there were no doubts in her mind that they’d meet up once again.

For miles, Redi fantasized about the steps she’d take once Stantler properly joined her team. The training goals and strategies they’d create together filled her mind. However, with every step further away, the corners of her mouth twitched down. Eventually, she was barely trudging forward, a full-blown grimace having overtaken her face.

“Sam,” Redi said outright, blankly staring ahead. “Why did we come out here?”

“Off-route?” he asked. “To test ourselves, mostly.”

She stayed quiet.

“And to get you another Pokémon,” he added.

The second Sam spoke, he glanced her way out of the corner of his eye. He had on a knowing smirk as if he had come to this conclusion some time ago.

“I’m such an idiot!” Redi dropped her head into her hands. “I didn’t do that at all!”

“I mean, you promised to return?”

“Yeah, but if we’re going to fight Clair, I need a third Pokémon now!”

Sam laughed, and Redi felt him pat her on the back. The gesture should have been comforting, but it just made her feel that much worse.

“It’s fine,” he said. “I’m sure Stantler will make a great team member once you return here in a few months.”

And Redi could no longer hold back what she was feeling. Her self-deprecating groan was loud enough to be heard from miles away.