ITT: We are all Pokémon Trainers

I doubt it!!

-As we reach the edge, I attempt the jump-

Lyra: *picks up Rex under his arms* What are you doing?

Spinda!Rex: <I was looking for berries. I didn't want everyone to wake you with their noises, so I recalled them.>

Minty: *on his head* <Except me!>

Spinda!Rex: <Except Minty.>

Lyra: O-oh. *feels a little foolish* I thought you left.

Spinda!Rex: <Of course not. That would be rude.>

Minty: <Yeah~>

Lyra: *smiles and scratches behind Rex's ear* I'm sorry I doubted you~

Spinda!Rex: *blushing* <H-hey, don't do that...> *leg thumps*

- Also attemps the jump while holding Odette and Tulip -

Lyra: *looks around, still scratching behind Rex's ears* Where's all of your stuff?

Spinda!Rex: <I kept it on me so that I could keep up with everything.>

Lyra: So...where are your Pokemon?

~In Hammerspace~

Aqua: <It's dark!>

~Back with Rex~

Spinda!Rex: <I dunno. They'll reappear once I take off the armband, though.> *reaches for it*

Lyra: No, wait! I kinda like you like this.

Spinda!Rex: <...what.>

Lyra: You're all cute and cuddly. *grins and tickles under his arms*

Spinda!Rex: *flails* <Ack! Hahaha! St-stop! Haha! I'm ticklish! Bwahahaha!>

Minty: *dizzy from all of the moving*

Lyra: *picks Rex up and cradles him like a baby* Just stay like this until we get to the city, alright?

Spinda!Rex: *pants* <Okay...> *thinks to himself* 'This is kind of weird.'

-Needless to say, we don't make it-

...

AAAAAH!

-Splosh-

... Ugh...

Tulip: <Not again, yes...>

Odette: (giggles a little) <Sticky!>

~Mikan Island: Business District~

Lyra: So, this is Mikan Island's city? Not as big as most places in Johto, but it's still pretty impressive.

Spinda!Rex: <Umm, can I turn back now?>

Lyra: If you want... *scratches behind his ear absently* Where do you think the gym is, Rex?

Spinda!Rex: <G-gaah...> *squirms* <Why do you always do thaaaat?> *purrs*

Lyra: *blinks; looks down at him*

Spinda!Rex: <...It felt nice.> *blush*

Ugh...

-The boulder crashes into the tar right near us, quickly sinking-

At least that's gone...

...Let's get out of this, now.

-Begins wading to the shore-

Ugh... Yeah...

- Carries Odette and Tulip while following Anom -

-We reach the shore, and pull ourselves up-

That was... rather difficult.

Lyra: So, are you going to turn back?

Spinda!Rex: <W-well...I don't have to.>

Lyra: You sure made a fuss about it before. *scratches his ear again, giving a little grin* I think you just like being close to me~

Spinda!Rex: *purrs again* <Oh, cut it out...>

Lyra: *continues on into the city*

Minty: *looking around in awe* <There aren't any trees here. How do people hide from birds here?>

Ascorbia Mountaintown

-after a couple of brief 1-on-1s, I am invited for a battle against one of the schoolers-

Ichtacya — <Can I go, please?>

Algira — <Can I go, please?>

Ichtacya — <...> — stares at Algira.

Algira — <...> — stares at Ichtacya.

— Er...

Copahue — <...Girls?>

Ichtacya — <Rrr......> — wags tail menacingly.

Algira — <Bzzzzzt...> — flashes menacing patterns.

Copahue — <...Girls?>

Ichtacya and Algira (glare at him) — <   WHAT????   >

-Copahue flinches and walks besides me, pointing at the battlefild-

-Shahinne is there, proudly standing on our side-

Shahinne (stomps on ground repeatedly) — <♮♪!>

-I laugh a bit and them walk to the battlefield-

— ...Looks like you both lost your turn...

-behind me-

Ichtacya — <   Rrr......   > — wags tail menacingly.

Algira — <   Bzzzzzt...   > — flashes menacing patterns.

Copahue (looks around for cover) — <Oh my...>

— Girls! Behave back there! — to my opponent — A pleasure. Shall we begin?

City Worker — Of course. There you go, Dustox!

-A Dustox appears in a flash of light. Shahinne stares at it unconcernedly-

- Starts removing some tar off myself -

Yeah...

Ugh...

- Continues removing tar off myself -

Well... At least we managed to make some progress... Right?

- Looks around -

Yeah. We're further.

-Is trying to clean himself off-

-Every wakes up, leaning against the wall of the Ascorbia hospital. Breeze is curled around his head, Salamence is on his shoulder, and Jab-

Diesel: <Jab, Trainer is not a playground.> -attempts to pry off Jab, who is climbing on Every's pants-

Jab: <He totally is!> -climbs onto Every's other shoulder, out of Diesel's reach-

Diesel: -sighs-

- Continues cleaning self off, Odette and Tulip are doing the same -

So... Where do we go from here?

I don't know. I guess along those wooden platforms.

-Gestures to a series of wooden scales and ropes-

-wakes up and notices a cast around her leg-

Well, that's an improvement.

Felis: <You think having your leg wrapped in bandages like that is an improvement?>

After what Nevermore did to it yesterday, yes.

Nevermore: <Hey! Not my fault you never told me your leg was hurt!>

Felis: <You saw her try to walk and fall flat on her face.>

Nevermore: <I thought she was just clumsy.>

-Jenna is still hanging around mikan-

-jenna sighs out of boredom, then looks in her bag for her DS. She then notices something else is missing-

Jenna: Hey, didn't I have a fancy bracelet thing in here? -digs around for it-

-Star looks up at Jenna-

Oh Arceus, I hope she didn't lose it...

Jenna: ...Hmmm..It's not here... Aha! There's my Ds. -Starts playing it-

<.........>

Oh crap.

Squirtle:<....> -looks kinda guilty-

Lyra: *walks up to a random person* Excuse me. I was looking for the Mikan Island Gym? My friend was trying to challenge the leader here.

Guy: Ah, you must be new in town. The Gym Leader closed the Gym down today. There's a tournament going on right now and she didn't want to take away any would be challengers.

Spinda!Rex: <Another tournament?>

Lyra: Hmm...what kind of tournament?

Guy: Oh, it's your typical battle style tournament. The only difference is that each of your Pokemon will wear flags. The loser is the Pokemon whose flag is removed.

Lyra: Hey, that sounds kind of fun! Where can I sign up?

Guy: It's just up the street here at the Pokemon Center. You can't miss it.

Lyra: Thanks~ *jogs up the street*

Minty: <Battle tournament?>

Lyra: Mhm! It's one of the ways that trainers help their Pokemon get stronger.

Spinda!Rex: <Yeah. And a tournament like this is the best way to help inexperienced Pokemon get better since it's more about strategy than battling.>

Lyra: *gets a little grin* You think so?

Spinda!Rex: <Definitely. It'd be the perfect form of practi- ...> *realizes* <Oh no.>

Lyra: <Reeeex~>

Spinda!Rex: <No! I'm not going to do it! There's no way you're going to get me to sign up for that tournament.>

~A short while later~

Spinda!Rex: *grumbling* <I can't believe she got me to sign up for that tournament...>

Oh.

... Maybe we should stay here for the night? I'm feeling kind of tired...

-Jab has grown bored of climbing on Every and is now scaling the hospital wall-

Jab: -passes by where T is taking the Unown equivalent of a restful nap under a windowsill- <Hey, it's that Unown...>

-notices whose window T is resting under- <Hey, it's that Honchkrow from yesterday!> -raps on the glass-

-Mezzo, Nevermore, and Felis all turn their heads toward the window-

...Isn't that Every's Sneasel?