Barry stands by the entrance of the Oreburgh Gym. His Piplup is clinging to his pant leg, and though his posture was slack, he's clearly looking closely around.

"Man, Jim told me about it, but you're really still out here?" The Gym Leader, Roark, peeks out of the building for about the third time of the day. "I have room for one last gym challenge today. Are you finally up for it?"

Barry, in response, just sighs.

He looks around a little more-- and the entrance to Oreburgh gate is as empty as usual. He turns to his Piplup, Admiral, who stares up at him with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

"You think we're up for it, Admiral?" Barry asks, to which Piplup scoffs, turning aside sharply Barry chuckles, "yeah yeah, you were ready yesterday! I know, bub."

He stretches, and spins around with a big grin.

Roark considers Barry a little, shrugging toward the Gym Guide.

The boy had arrived yesterday, late into the morning, and upon arriving at the gym, he had waited at the front door, explaining that he was going to wait for his pal to get here so they could take the gym challenge together.

But when the evening came and went, it was clear that whoever Barry was waiting for wasn't coming. He had been cheerful when he came, but now, the smile was hurt more than anything else.

If anything, Roark's heart went out for the boy.

"Hey Sarge. Sorry to disturb your nap, but let's challenge Roark!"

His voice was happy, but Roark could only think it was forced. Barry whistles, and his Starly, Sergeant, comes back from his perch on the gym roof.

Roark doesn't miss the way Barry looks back one last time toward the gate, before entering the gym. Roark's gaze follows him, lingering on the gate-- and silently, he wonders if that friend was really his friend, if he wasn't here.

Maybe he's just being too spiteful.

He adjusts his helmet, and shakes away the thoughts. There's a story, and it's none of his business. What better consolation than a good battle now?

-

He's not hurt.

Like, maybe they should've invested in a Pokegear, asked for one for his birthday, or something-- because Barry's so unsettled by the fact that he's not constantly beside Luce, he's forgotten that Luce doesn't always follow right behind him.

He said he was headed toward Oreburgh City, but Luce never said he was going there too.

Barry hadn't even considered that.

He just assumed, naturally, that Luce was coming with him. Isn't it obvious? Barry's always a step ahead of Luce, because Luce is slow and does things at his own pace. And that's perfectly fine, that's how they've always been.

That's something that's been different for the last week and Barry really doesn't like it.

"Blair Pearlstein?"

Barry winces, and the Gym Guide, Jim, nods in acknowledgement.

"I'll be announcing your entry, so get ready now," he warns. He heads toward the microphone, and Barry steps toward the entrance, waiting for the bell to toll a mark for his challenge to start. Jim turns around at the last second to ask, "preferred name?"

Barry breathes out, gratified, and says "yeah. Barry," almost too quickly to be subtle.

Jim simply nods.

"Gym Challenger Barry! We've got a new trainer out right before evening today, and he's just raring to go. Gym Trainers, are you ready? GO!"

The Gym battle runs on harder than he'd thought it would be. He leads with Piplup, sweeping through the other trainers and reaching the Leader in no time.

Then came Roark, and-- and it doesn't go as well as he's hoped it could be.

"You're distracted, Challenger," Roark hollers over the noise, staying in his stand, but keeping a firm, scrutinizing eye on the boy.

And Barry knows that. He bites his lip and suddenly, the little safe space he has to command his Pokemon isn't enough. Why can't he run forward, be right beside them? This tiny rectangular slot just isn't enough for him to stand on for such a long time.

Onix goes into position for a Rock Throw-- no, that's Stealth Rock! 

So he panics. "Admiral, use Water Gun!"

"Onix, to the right!"

And Onix shoots to the side, it's long body drawing back sharply, narrowly avoiding the jet of water. It still scrapes its body, but it's far from a direct hit. It spins right back into position-- and jets forward.

"Bind!"

Barry has to physically stop himself from rushing forward as his Piplup cries out, wrapped around by grinding rock.

"Oh no! Admiral, come--!!" He stops halfway realizing that he can't call his Pokemon back. That's right. The bind. 

Oh, his brain isn't working!

He knew most of this-- dad's taught him about that hundreds of times.

"Stealth Rock!" Roark commands, and Barry's chest fills with dread.

"Admiral!" He calls out, but-- but he doesn't know what to do. Piplup can't use water moves all choked up like that, and it'll probably miss. Peck is difficult, so...

"Why are you hesitating?" Roark warns him. Barry lifts his head in surprise. "Any longer and your Piplup will be out for the count. Are you paying attention to your Pokemon?"

Are you paying attention to your Pokemon?

(Are you paying attention to anyone , Barry, except yourself?)

(Because if you did, you'd know why Luce isn't here.)

"Shut up!" He yells, finally bursting out in anger. "Of course I am!"

"Getting heated up, are we?"

How could he be anything but? Barry's always looking at Luce. He looks at them the most of anything and anyone else in this world, even his parents. Of course he would know everything about them.

(So why doesn't he?)

(They're not talking about Luce. Why is he angry about that? Look at him, he can't even focus on this match.)

He lifts his head, turning back to the battle. He's better than this. He's better than this. He has to be better than this, he knows he's better than this.

So... so the best move here is... is what?

His gaze finally zeroes in on Piplup. Piplup has his arms tucked into himself, eyes closed in a strained manner.

Barry's eyes lit up. He didn't ask Admiral to do that-- why is he doing something Barry didn't ask it to do? Can he do that?

(Of... of course he can. Admiral can think for himself too, after all. And he didn't need Barry to tell him what the best move was.)

"I don't know what you're in for, but Onix," Roark commands, "Rock Throw!"

"Not on my watch! Admiral," Barry declares, "unleash the Bide!"

The power bursts forth in a beam of light, and explodes against the Onix. A shudder, a cry-- and the Onix was down before it could command its attack.

Barry sighs in relief.

Piplup's glaring at him-- a wordless glance he knows very well as a warning, a threat, demanding he keep himself together. 

Barry winces at that. He's not being an ideal trainer right now, and that's obvious. Barry's unfocused, fumbling, being clumsy, and acting like a total amateur.

(Which he is.)

(But he isn't. He prides himself so much in just how much his father has taught him. He boasts about his ability to tell Pokemon moves before they're used. He has Pokemon of this region marked like the back of his hand, and he knows exactly what he wants on his team as he progresses.)

(He has so much knowledge backing him up, yet here he is, making a total fool of himself.)

Roark's face finally pulls into a smile, returning his Onix to its ball.

"That was well done," he acknowledges, lifting his last Poke Ball from his belt. "But your Piplup's not doing so well either. What's your next move?"

Cranidos comes out, and Piplup staggers.

Barry reaches into his bag. He could send out Starly, but Stealth Rock would whittle him down too much too quickly, and Sergeant doesn't have a move that'll hit hard enough.

He could spend a turn on a Potion for Admiral, but that would be instantly chipped away, too. He should've given Piplup a berry before things started...

"Agh! Regretting things won't make it better!" he yells, and everyone in the vicinity, Pokemon included, jumps in surprise.

They turn to him and see Barry nearly ripping a side of his hair out, teeth clenched.

"Admiral! Here's where the real battle begins. It's not over yet!" he shouts, and Piplup turns right back toward the battle, bracing himself right back up on his feet.

Barry retrieves his Pokedex, quickly sieving through Cranidos' entry. His eyes zero in on a certain point, and he keeps it again.

"Well, at least you've got your fighting spirit back," Roark says. "Let's speed this up. Cranidos, Headbutt!"

With a short grunt of affirmation, Cranidos braced against the ground, and-- "To the left!" Barry yells, just as Cranidos bursts forward, skull-first.

Piplup spins to the side, narrowly avoiding the headbutt. Cranidos keeps going, crashing into a rock and shattering it into multi millions of shards, leaving a deep crack in the boulder.

"I'm impressed you predicted its trajectory," Roark hums, "though, I'm also surprised the boulder didn't break completely..."

Barry narrows his eyes on that.

"Admiral, BubbleBeam!" he yells, "then hide behind the rocks!"

Piplup shoots out a jet of bubbles from its beak, blowing Cranidos back a step or two. But once Cranidos gained its bearing again-- Piplup was gone.

"Hiding behind the rocks now, huh? You're such an opportunist," Roark chuckles, rubbing the back of his head. "I've got to admit, that was my big mouth. But I digress, I don't hate a trainer who knows to take anything he can get."

Barry grins, "I'll take that as a compliment."

Roark nods. "Cranidos! Break every rock you can find, Piplup is behind one of them."

Cranidos charges toward a rock, taking only one hit to shatter it this time. The next one breaks in two hits, but Piplup isn't behind it either.

(Roark keeps an eye on Barry-- and Barry keeps an eye on Roark.)

(He's not commanding his Pokemon? Roark realizes, surprised-- come to think of it, the Bide just now wasn't a direct order either.)

Piplup leaps out from behind Cranidos-- and with a loud cry, another jet of BubbleBeam hits Cranidos' back.

Cranidos spins around, but Piplup is gone again.

Barry's grin strains a little nervously, but he can't hold back the excitement in his posture. 

Roark can't help but smile at the sight. He adjusts his helmet, and hums in acknowledgement.

"You're going to be a great trainer, I know it," he says, chuckling. "You've turned my rock terrain against me-- this is the first time it's ever happened. How did you come up with it, if I might ask?"

"Well, thank you?" Barry says in the tone of a question. "Uh," he looks around, trying to figure out where Admiral is, because for the love of god he doesn't know where his own Piplup is, "the Pokedex entry says that Cranidos, uh, Cranidoses?"

Roark chuckles at the part.

"Oh, shush!" Barry flushes. "Anyways! Once they start running for a headbutt, they don't stop till they hit something," he says, almost like a declaration. "And apparently they're dumb because of that hard head."

Roark fake gasps, "oh, you're hurting his feelings. That was mean."

Cranidos gives them a confused look, tilting its head aside. Barry looks away, muttering that that was what the Pokedex said and he's just saying it-- but he can feel Piplup glaring judgmentally at him from wherever it's hiding.

Roark smiles in response. "Well then, one last go. Cranidos, Dig!"

Barry gapes. Alright, then-- "Admiral, get on the boulders!"

Piplup emerges, jumping on a fairly-sized stone at the edge of the field, looking out carefully for signs of Cranidos' emergence.

"Smart," Roark says, "but Cranidos is coming up with the force of a Dig, not just a Headbutt. So this time--" Cranidos bursts forth, uprooting the entire boulder with it, shattering it to pieces and sending Piplup spinning in fright. "It's stronger!"

"Oh no--" Barry yells, "Water Gun!"

"Pursuit!"

Piplup doesn't regain his balance in time-- and one last crash from Cranidos sends him flying, rolling, and still.

The fight is over.

Barry mirthfully returns his Piplup to his Poke Ball, and takes out Starly's. He looks at Roark, and Roark smiles back, prepared.

Barry sighs. "I'll give up."

Roark's smile falls into a pout, "oh man, really?"

Barry huffs. "Sarge is better for fights that are drawn out, but with the type disadvantages and Stealth Rock laying around, I'm not taking my chances. I'll go train up and try again."

Roark hums at that, stepping forward as he returns Cranidos to its Poke Ball.

"You did really well for a first try, though. I had a lot of fun," he assures. With a grin and a thumbs up, he flicks something in his direction. "Here you go."

Barry barely catches it between the Poke Ball and his hand-- and realizes he'd just been given the Coal Badge.

There's a whistle, a cheer, and Barry notices the audience-- consisting of Jim and the other Gym Trainers he'd beaten along the way-- clapping for him.

"Good going, boy!"

"You did it!"

"What--" Barry flusters, "wait, but I didn't-- I lost the battle!"

Roark nods. "And I'm technically not allowed to use Dig against a no-badge trainer, yet here we are," he shrugs, "I think it's fair game."

Barry's at a loss for words. "Are you-- are you allowed to do that?"

"Well, I'm the Gym Leader," Roark says, puffing out his chest in a show of stature. "I'm allowed to do whatever the hell I want."

Someone in the crowd chokes on laughter, and Roark blushes.

"Oh shut up, you guys!"

"But-- hahaHA, but leader you-- ah, I can't, you sounded just like Byron!"

Barry stares at the Coal Badge in his hands-- and something about it feels precious. It's supposed to be a mark of his journey, a first step forward in his eventual goal to get all eight and then conqueror his dad.

Instead, he just wants to hold on to it, and tuck it away as a reminder of this losing battle.

Not a mark of achievement, but a smoldering scar he wants to keep by his side. He sets it in the first spot of his badge case, and closes it meaningfully.

"I'll come for a rematch one day," he promises, "and when that day comes, I'll have eight badges and you'll fight me with your full team, right?"

Roark beams. "Of course! You're on, Challenger."

-

Barry lays in his Pokemon Center bed, and he can't sleep. So he gets up, and sits by the desk, his Journal open before him, with only two lines between the dates.

[Luce didn't show up today either.]

[Defeated Gym Leader Roark and got the Coal Badge.]

There's a lot to think about, but he's never been best at penning things down. 

He's not a fan of writing as much as reading, and for his Journal, point form is his way to go. He's the kind that keeps all the detailed info seclusively in his head-- he'll probably lose it every once in a while-- but it'll come back when he needs it to. That's just how he functions.

And yet.

And yet today, he froze up.

He's a trainer by theory. He can predict the move a Pokemon is going to use by its stance. He can read their trajectory that way, too. But in general battle experience, he's got nothing. If it weren't for Admiral's quick thinking in most parts (in all the parts that mattered) he would've lost, fair and square.

Why did he get the badge? (Because Roark acknowledged his prowess, and it didn't matter if it was a clean win or not, because he's proven himself to have what it takes to go on.) But is that really true?

Piplup's exhausted from carrying the battle.

Barry spent half of his time worrying about someone that isn't coming.

(And it doesn't hurt, really.)

The Coal Badge is tucked far into his bag, inside the case. His scarf is left by the pillow, and he curls up on the chair, contemplating in silence until the sun rises.

He finds three disks in a carefully protected slot of his bag. 

It's marked properly-- Luce made sure to write down [Return] on Barry's for him, so Barry looks through the other two that Roark gave him after the gym challenge.

He writes down on the darker one, [Rock Smash], and the other one is [Stealth Rock]. At least, he's fairly sure it is. He's always been good at everything else, but colours aren't his strongest suite. Luce usually labels things for him, in case he gets them wrong.

He sighs.

(The sound of a Technical Machine shattering against his shoulder rings in his head.)

Forget it. They'll be fine, something like this isn't enough to dent a whole childhood of close-knitted friendship. 

He just has to meet up with Luce as soon as possible to get his dose of camaraderie, that's all. 

-

"Seriously?"

Barry stares exasperatedly at the only thing in his way-- a bike hill. If he could just go up there, he'd be close to Hearthome where the next gym would be.

Route 203 ended with a large curved slope, leading up to Route 207. Barry could climb up the ladder to get to the top, but it's a path for skateboarders and cyclists, so it's an unconventional shortcut rather than a legitimate path.

Why is there no legitimate path? 

"If you're headed for Eterna, I'd recommend against it," Roark says, "the Cycling Path is between them, so you'll need a bike to head that way."

"Ah, no, I'm headed for--" Barry trails off. He tries to recall the City on the map.

(If Luce headed for Floaroma-- where else would he go, seriously-- then his next destination would be Eterna. Barry should head there too, if only to brag about his Gym Badge and... and check up on Luce's arm. Yeah, that sounds right.)

(Argh, don't look at me like that, Admiral! Okay, I'll go apologize, okay??)

"Where can I get a bike?"

"Well uhm," Roark rubs the back of his head, averting his gaze. He hesitates a moment longer before he admits, "well... Eterna."

Barry gawks. "This is the quickest way to Eterna and the only bike shop's in Eterna?!"

"Yeah," Roark looks away, "unfortunately."

"Don'tcha 'unfortunately' me!" Barry snaps, "this is terrible tourism!"

Roark looks away, "hey hey, I'm busy with the mine and the gym, okay? I have my hands full," he insists, though he looks away guiltily. "I promise, I tried. Just gave up cause people who come here are mostly locals who already have bikes, and trainers."

"And trainers are the key point here!" Barry snaps. Roark shrinks.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Roark says, though there's laughter at the end of his voice, "how about this? I'll put a word in and get you a free bike when you eventually reach Eterna on your own?"

Barry blinks at that. 

A free.. Bike? Seriously? Those things cost a ton, and oh, Barry definitely knows that. It's in his eventual budget plans. 

Getting one for free? Oh damn, he can start fining Luce for nine million instead of ten now.

"Sweet!" he says, evidently pleased by that, "can I really?"

"Sure, I guess," Roark says with a shrug, "but getting it shipped will probably take longer than actually going around through Floaroma, so you gotta get there on your own. Is that fine?"

"Course!" Barry says, "that's little in exchange for, oh bless the mythical Pokemon of the world yes, a godforsaken bike!"

"But hush, alright? Can't have people calling me out for favouritism or anything," Roark says, mildly amused by the abnormal string of words he can't believe isn't a swear word. He's smiling down, looking pleased at Barry's excited demeanor. He almost wants to pat him on the head. "I'll hold you on to that rematch in the future, alright?"

"Awesome!" Barry cheers, "I get a bike! Wait," he swirls around, "can I get two?"

"Don't push your luck now."

"Okay, okay, geez, don't glare."

Roark ruffles Barry's hair either way, and turns around. "Alright then. I've gotta return to the mines now, so here's where I'll leave you," he informs, picking up his helmet and slotting it back on his head. "Safe journeys, challenger."

Barry scowls at the head pat and sniffs at the well wishes.

Then Roark is gone, and Barry is left alone again.

(It's a dull throb, but it doesn't hurt.)

"Alright then," he says, to no one in particular. "I'm sure if we run, we can catch up to Luce around the forest."

After all, Luce was slow and steady, while Barry was the rampage through his roads like a madman. Barry reckoned he could charge right over Veilstone in two days if gravity allowed him to.

He lets Starly out to fly.

"Let's go!"

(It's going to stop hurting soon.)