The Pokémon Center was quieter in the evening.
Not silent, but hushed in that careful way places became when most battles were already decided and the worst injuries had been treated. Machines hummed softly. Lights glowed warm instead of bright. Somewhere down the hall, a Chansey laughed.
Grant sat on the edge of Dewott's bed, elbows resting on his knees.
Dewott was awake now.
Bandages wrapped around his torso and one arm, but his eyes were sharp, alert, following Grant's every movement.
When Grant noticed, he forced a small smile.
"Hey," he said quietly. "You're supposed to be resting."
Dewott huffed, crossing his uninjured arm with exaggerated annoyance.
Grant's smile didn't last.
"I messed up," Grant admitted. The words came out before he could stop them. "I should've pulled you back earlier. I thought… I don't know what I thought."
Dewott studied him for a long moment, then reached out and lightly tapped Grant's knee with the flat of his shell.
I chose to stay.
That was what it felt like he was saying.
Grant swallowed.
"I know," he said. "And that's what scares me."
A soft knock came at the door.
Nyra stepped in.
Grant stood immediately. "Hey—how'd it go?"
Nyra closed the door behind her. She looked tired, but not defeated. Thoughtful, more than anything.
"I lost," she said simply.
Grant winced. "Nyra, I—"
"It's okay," she interrupted gently. "I'm okay."
They stood there awkwardly for a second, Dewott watching both of them with quiet interest.
Nyra moved closer, lowering her voice. "I fought carefully. Too carefully, maybe. But my Pokémon walked out without injuries. That mattered to me."
Grant nodded slowly.
"I kept thinking about what Lenora said," Nyra continued. "About knowing when to hold on… and when to let go."
Grant looked down at Dewott.
"I don't know where that line is," he admitted. "Every time I think I do, it moves."
Nyra didn't answer right away. She sat beside him instead, close enough that their shoulders almost touched.
"Then we learn," she said. "Together. Or we mess up. Together. But we don't pretend there's only one right way."
Grant let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
For the first time since the gym, the tight knot in his chest loosened, just a little.
They left the Pokémon Center together.
Outside, the city had softened under the orange glow of dusk. Trainers passed by in small groups, talking about wins, losses, plans. Life went on.
Angelica was waiting near the fountain.
She leaned against the stone edge, Munna floating lazily at her side, eyes half closed as if bored by everything around her. Her gaze snapped toward them the moment she spotted Grant.
"Well," she drawled. "There he is."
Grant stiffened.
Nyra's posture changed instantly, subtle, but Grant noticed. She didn't step back. She stepped forward.
Angelica's eyes flicked to Nyra, then back to Grant. "I heard your battle was… dramatic. Pokémon carted off, heroics, the whole thing."
Grant said nothing.
Angelica smirked. "And you," she added, turning fully to Nyra now. "You lost. Because you didn't have the nerve to finish it."
Nyra met her gaze calmly. "I lost because I chose to stop."
Angelica laughed. "Same thing."
Grant felt heat rise in his chest. He took a step forward.
Nyra's hand closed gently around his wrist.
Not tight. Not forceful.
Just enough.
"Don't," she said quietly, without looking at him.
Angelica noticed. Her smile sharpened. "What's wrong, Grant? Afraid to fight without your injured Pokémon?"
Grant's jaw clenched.
For a heartbeat, he wanted to say yes. Wanted to throw out Drilbur's Poké Ball, to prove something , anything.
Instead, he remembered Dewott's bandages. Nyra's steady voice. White's unsettling calm.
"No," Grant said finally. "I'm just not doing it for you."
Angelica's smile faded.
"Run along then," she said coolly. "But don't worry. We'll battle eventually. I'll make sure of it."
She turned away, Munna following, as if they were already beneath her notice.
Grant exhaled shakily.
Nyra released his wrist.
"You okay?" she asked.
Grant nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."
She smiled faintly. "Anytime."
They camped just outside the city that night.
Nothing dramatic. No ambushes. No revelations.
Just a fire, crackling softly.
Swadloon sat close to Grant, leaves wrapped snugly around its body, eyes half-closed as it practiced forming a smooth, stable barrier of light Protect holding steady longer than it ever had before.
Drilbur trained nearby, digging shallow circles in the dirt, stopping often to glance at Dewott's Poké Ball resting safely beside Grant. Every time, its claws dug a little harder.
I'll catch up, its posture seemed to say. I'll be strong enough.
Whirlipede practiced controlled rolls, holding position longer before uncoiling.
Nyra stretched, muscles sore from the gym and from travel, but she didn't complain. Neither did Grant.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
"I'm not leaving this city yet," Nyra said finally.
Grant looked at her. "The gym?"
She nodded. "I know where I hesitated. I know what I did right, and what I didn't." Her gaze stayed on the fire. "Next time, I won't confuse caution with fear."
Grant considered that, then smiled faintly. "That's… probably smarter than running off to the next badge."
Nyra laughed quietly. "Don't get used to me being sensible."
Grant exhaled softly. "Yeah… I think I'm learning the opposite."
Nyra looked at him.
"I don't need Dewott to prove anything," Grant continued. "He doesn't need to outlast everyone. If we win, I want it because we chose the right moment, not because we refused to stop."
Nyra smiled, just a little. "Sounds like we're meeting in the middle."
"Looks like it."
They fell into silence again, watching their Pokémon rest, recover, and train at their own pace.
No rushing to the next badge.
No pretending the lesson was finished.
Just two trainers, standing their ground, this time with clearer eyes,ready to return to the same challenge, stronger in ways a badge alone couldn't measure.
This time, there was no rush.
No race to the next challenge.
Just a clear goal, waiting, right where they'd stumbled before.
And both of them knew they wouldn't face it the same way again.