Hey everyone, just some notes from the author.

I'm a little older than probably most of the newer Pokemon players these days. When I used to write fan-fiction, I was about 14-16 years old. Since then, I've had a few relationships and kind of understand more about them now than I did back then. There's going to be a lot of dark stuff in this writing. The main character will be in an emotionally abusive relationship without truly knowing it and it may be a trigger for some. I was in one and I think, for younger adults, it's important to recognize some of these signs. So please be aware that it will be in the story. There will also be sexually explicit content and violence. You can only fit so many words/warnings in the new story preview when posting the story on this site these days. It's been years since I've been on this site and I had to make a new account lol.

Anyway, please enjoy. Feel free to message me if you have any questions or anything. 3

"Come on, sweetheart, you can't have all the apples."

A low, pitchy chirp echoed from the hollowed out tree stump. Isabella chuckled in a soft manner as she watched her young Axew stumble out, tripping over fancy apples as he attempted to carry them out. He let out a deep huff as he dropped his shoulders, staring deadpan at the apples scattered around him. Isabella folded her arms, staring down at her tiny dragon. He began kicking his feet, knocking the apples from side to side. Isabella laughed, knelt down, and cleared the apples away. He let out a quick breath through his nose and turned to look up at her. His eyes narrowed, but softened as he caught her emerald gaze. Isabella beamed at him. His ruby eyes always brought butterflies to her stomach. He gave a loud chirp and waved his small arms up in the air. She grinned and picked him up.

"Come on, little one. Why don't we take these apples back to Hop and Wooloo, huh?"

Another buoyant chirp sounded from her best friend. Isabella let out another chuckle. She shoved a few of the apples into her orange and blue gingham shoulder bag. As she stood to exit the Slumbering Weald, she could feel the vibrations from her Axew as he growled under his breath. Isabella glanced down and followed his gaze into the forest. She couldn't see anything.

"What is it, Rami?"

Rami growled louder. The vibrations were making Isabella's dragon fang necklace jingle against her collarbones. She observed the forest further. Nothing seemed suspicious further into the forest. The thick fog that was ever present seemed to coat the forest walls, floating along the tree branches hanging low.

"BOO!"

Isabella jumped, grasping Rami even closer. She twirled with haste. Ruckus laughter exploded as she met the blue eyes of her boyfriend, Trevor. Rami erupted in anger and squirmed in Isabella's arms, fighting to break free to charge at Trevor. Isabella held on to Rami, and was very much irritated from her boyfriend's actions.

"Trevor, why would you do that?!" she huffed, bouncing Rami a bit to try and relax him. Rami began rumbling in her arms, glancing between her and Trevor. Trevor wiped tears from his eyes, straightening his long torso. He stood about a foot and a half taller than her, almost towering at a six and a half feet tall.

"I can't help it! You're always so focused. It's so easy to scare you!" he said, pretending to scare her more by crouching down and reaching at her. Isabella flinched back a bit, instinctively pulling Rami out of reach. "I've got to teach you a lesson. If I don't, who will?"

Isabella sighed under her breath as Rami growled, fidgeting in her arms. She could sense his unease. Rami had never liked Trevor. Trevor was, for sure, an acquired taste. He took a lot of getting used to. It took them years to start dating, and the trust has come and gone so many times. It was Isabella's first relationship and she has done her best to give it everything she has.

She looked up from Rami's ruby eyes and met Trevor's gaze. He gave her a genuine smile, and she returned it. He meant well, most of the time. He came to visit once or twice a week, but his work with the chairman kept him busy. When Isabella's father died, her mother decided to move to Galar to live a quieter life. She met Trevor when he was visiting on Wedgehurst on outreach for the League. Rami ran into him when chasing her friend's Wooloo. They clicked and he started visiting her regularly.

That was about two years ago.

"Why are you here, Trevor? You said you weren't coming," she stated as she began to walk out of the Slumbering Weald and back toward Postwick. Trevor jogged up to her left side and kept her pace. His bark-colored hiking boots stamped heavy in the dirt beside her as they left the area.

"Well, your little friend wouldn't stop bothering me. He sent me so many messages saying how important this weekend was," he relented. Isabella could hear the tone in his voice. He was hiding something, but was it a good or bad secret? "We were going to work some overtime but I came out here instead. Hopefully, you'll make it worth my while."

Isabella nodded in acknowledgement as they approached the edge of the forest. The sun's gentle rays eased them out into the sun's warm summer rays. July was ending and, with it, a new gym challenge would be starting. Trevor would become busier than ever and Hop would be starting his journey. Isabella sighed. Trevor shot her a glance.

"What is it?"

She glanced at him. "Everyone is going to be busy soon. Hop will be leaving. I won't see you as much. There won't be much for me here besides my mom. I wonder if it's time for me to move on, as well."

Trevor stared at her for a moment, eyes not breaking contact but showing no emotion. Isabella could see his gears turning. She desperately tried to read anything and everything she could from it, but she got nothing from his look. It filled her heart with fear with every second of silence that went by. She felt paranoid, almost as if she was being watched. Observed. Studied.

Almost as if she were being inspected for something.

"Maybe you need to test what you need to do with yourself, y'know?" came Trevor's final response after what seemed like hours of silence. Isabella didn't say anything at first. She turned her head away from him and looked to the ground in front of her feet. Trevor's gaze was beating into the side of her skull. "I mean. All you do is sit here and what..? Play around with Rami and Ruby? Study your friend's Pokemon? Volunteer down at Magnolias? I mean. Do they even pay you for that?"

"It's experience," came her defensive retort.

Trevor scoffed. "Experience for what, though? Do you have a plan?"

She had no response. "I suppose not… Not yet, at least. I've got time, though." Rami gave an encouraging chirp, doing his best to look up at her and reassure her. She could feel his positive energy.

Trevor placed a hand on her left shoulder. It felt gentle, but cold. "Babe. You've got passion, but it's everywhere. You need to focus it on something that's going to bring in the money. Diddling around with Pokemon because it's fun won't do anything. You need to work a good job so you can afford to give Rami a good life. Sitting at home playing fetch with him for eight hours a day and scrounging up apples in the creepy forest behind your mom's house when you're forty is pathetic."

Isabella shut her eyes, then snapped her shoulder away from Trevor. He pulled his hand away and brought it back to his side, unfazed by her reaction.

"I'm going to go grab us some drinks for your birthday. Good wine, alright? The kind you can afford when you make the big bucks on a League salary. I'll see you tonight." He gave her a firm slap on her rear, startling her, and then walked away, down the road and towards Wedgehurst. Isabella stood, almost frozen in place, at the entrance to the Slumbering Weald. She wasn't quite sure what to say or what to do. Rami was trying to meet her eyes but she kept staring at the back of Trevor's head as he walked away. Rami made a scratchy "Ax!" call as he attempted to snap her out of her state. Isabella turned down to him. His eyes were tight and worried.

"I'm alright, buddy," she said with a softened gaze. She gave Rami a gentle squeeze, which he reciprocated within microseconds, before she placed him on the ground. As he stood a tall two feet, she handed him a fancy apple to munch on as they walked back into town. Isabella began biting the inner corners of her mouth. She enjoyed her life here in Postwick. She loved being able to help Hop study for the League challenge and assist Magnolia and Sonia when they needed help. She loved studying Rami and she loved dragons. She knew that she wanted to use that as a basis for her future. But she didn't know where to go from there.

As she got closer into town, she slowed down and stopped near the outskirts of her mother's farm. She looked at her house. In the sunset light, it looked so peaceful. Isabella sighed. She didn't want to go home feeling like this. She glanced down at Rami. He was devouring his apple. Once he realized Isabella had stopped walking, he turned on his heel to find her. He met her emerald eyes and paused all activity. He let his apple drop down to his waist and she had his full attention.

"Aaxh?"

"Hey buddy, t'meres," she whispered, kneeling down. He waddled over as fast as his tiny legs could carry him and he nuzzled her open palms. "Head on inside. I'm going to take a little walk, okay?" Rami tilted his head to a slight angle, but his eyes softened at her warm gaze. He gave a little nod and then walked toward the front door of the house. Isabella stood there for a few moments to make sure Rami made it inside. He stopped for a moment to greet her mom's Budew at the door. They spoke for a brief moment before he made his way through the small door flap on the bottom. Isabella smiled before turning on her heel and heading up the hill through the woods. She wanted a moment away from everyone. There was a spot only her and Hop knew about away from the trails and the eyes of those around. She knew Trevor didn't know about it and she didn't want him scaring her again. She took the normal hiking trail through the woods through the normal scenic route. As she kept walking the trail, she found the part of the trail with the sign containing the two informational Pancham. This was their marker to veer off the beaten path. She stepped over the chain and walked into the woods. She could still see the markings Hop left when they first found this path. Isabella mused at that first excursion. They became friends when they found this path.

Not but a few more twists and turns later, she found her vista. It was a beautiful overlook of the ocean. Isabella stopped, taking in all the various hues of blue, pink, tangerine, yellow, and navy. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding in and approached the ledge. She sat down near the closest tree, adjusted the slight rip in her jeans, and pulled her jacket taut over her chest.

She sat there for what seemed like hours, watching the colors fade in and out, and the clouds pass by. Before she knew it, the stars were beginning to shine through those pastels in the sky. She let out a soft breath. She wasn't any closer to feeling comfortable with a decision, and it was beginning to feel like she might not ever reach one.

"Fancy meeting you out here."

Isabella looked up to her right.

"Leon?"

Hop's older brother gave her his friendly warm smile she had become accustomed to over the years. She attempted to stand but before she could even start to rise, he reached down to help her up. She took his hand and pulled herself to her feet. His hands had a miraculous warmth despite the summer air. It was a strange feeling.

"What are you doing here? How did you even know about this place?" she asked. Leon gave a gentle chuckle.

"I actually ran into my little brother. He was on his way up here to find you and he thought it might be funny if I came and got you instead," he laughed. She smiled, chuckling a little.

"I'm sure he does. I'm surprised he knew I was up here in the first place," she mused. Leon tilted his head, and offered her a knowing smile.

"You two have been friends for what.. Ten years? He knows you inside and out at this point."

Isabella grinned and laughed, a slight pink blush falling on her cheeks. "Yeah, maybe." She looked up at Leon. His citrine eyes were looking straight into hers. She had forgotten how warm they were. He was almost never back in Postwick.

"Why are you home, Leon? You're never home."

He smiled. "Well, I have to be here for Hop. He's going to leave for his gym challenge on Monday. I want to be here to help prep him for the big reveal at the end of August!" As he spoke, Isabella could see the fire in Leon's eyes. She knew how much family meant to the Dandel's. They always had her and her mom over for dinners and events. Hop and Leon's grandfather particularly was incredibly sweet to her. He loves helping her create new curry recipes to cater to Pokemon's specific needs.

"Besides," Leon continued. He cleared his voice. He met her gaze once more, his familiar friendly smile softening, "it's not just his weekend. It's an important one for you, too."

Isabella felt her heart quicken, and then drop. She wanted to be happy that he was thinking of her, but Trevor's words were sticking too hard. Leon could feel it. He could immediately sense her hesitance. "What is it, Izzy?"

She gave him a broken smile. "Is it.. Is it really a big weekend for me, though? I mean." She stopped speaking. She looked to her hands and began to fidget with them, picking and scratching at the skin around her thumbs. It was a nervous tick for her. She had done it many times before and sometimes to the point of bleeding. Isabella attempted to walk away from Leon but he put a hand around her arm to prevent her from walking away. She sighed.

"I don't have a plan like him, Lee," came her distraught conclusion. "He knows what he wants. He wants to beat the unbeatable champion. He's competitive. He likes the challenge. He wants to push." Isabella began to bleed on her right thumb. She flinched for a moment at the sharp pain from picking at the skin but continued to peel at it. Leon noticed what she was doing and immediately smacked her hands. She jumped from his reaction, and caught his disapproving gaze with wide eyes.

"Don't do that," he scolded. "You're going to hurt yourself." He grabbed her hand with a tender grasp, and looked at her bloodied thumb. He applied soft pressure to the wound in attempt to stop the bleeding. She watched as he stared at her hand with a tender look. The sound of the ocean waves cascading against the cliff side beneath them was a soothing and welcome distraction.

"I don't know, Leon," she finally sighed. "I just feel like maybe I should have more planned out." He glanced at her before checking her thumb to see if the bleeding had stopped.

"Hop has been planning for this since before I knew him. All I know is that I love Pokemon and I want to help them. I want to study them so I can help them. That's all I know." Leon pulled out a bandage from his bag and wrapped it around her thumb.

"Hold this?" he coaxed. She placed her left hand around the bandage as he continued to wrap it softly. He smiled gently to himself. Her skin was soft against his, and yet shockingly sharp. The adhesive of the bandage stuck to itself and he ripped the extra off and placed it back in his pack. He grabbed her hand once more to make sure it was firmly attached. He softly pressed on the bandage around her thumb, lingering a little longer than necessary.

Leon lifted his head to look her in the eye. He noticed she was already looking up at him. He could see the conflict in her eyes and the desire for answers.

"Maybe that's all that you need to know..?" he wondered. "Who said you need to have all the answers right now? Maybe Hop is the one who is in the wrong for having everything planned out," Leon said with a half-hearted chuckle. Isabella laughed, feeling less tense. Leon could see she needed to relieve the stress.

"Why are you so worked up about this? Hop told me you were so excited for this party tomorrow, and now you're having this… existential crisis," Leon challenged. He let go of her hands, giving her a tap on her shoulder with his gloved hand and ushered for her to walk with him up the ridge line. She followed him on his right.

Isabella sighed. "Trevor showed up. I guess Hop insisted he come. I thought he would be too busy with the League prep," she mumbled. Leon maintained a blank look on his face, but listened with intense stillness. "I invited him but he said he wouldn't be able to make it. And he got into this big conversation about how I need to figure out what I'm doing and how I'm going to get a career and make money. And… I don't know. Maybe he's right." Isabella looked to her feet, shoving her hands downtrodden into her jeans pockets. Leon scoffed as they walked. Isabella glanced his way.

"First of all," he stated, "Trevor's never right." Isabella smiled at him. Leon caught her expression and smiled a bit himself. "Second of all, if you're focused on money, you'll never be happy. So if helping Pokemon is what you enjoy, then explore that. You're young and you have all the time in the world."

As they walked across the ridge line, Isabella sighed. "I suppose we should get back. Trevor's supposed to have something planned, or something. I'm not sure." Leon nodded. He caught her eyes and gave her that warm, friendly gaze she was so familiar with.

"Let me walk you back, alright?"