A Tale of Two Rivals

Earning My New Pokémon's Trust

Roselia and I made our way out of the desert in record time. We came across a small lake and sat along its banks to relax and have some lunch.

I first withdrew my Masquerain from its own pokéball. Then, I set out bowls for both him and Roselia with top notch pokémon breeder food from the organic market from back while I was still in Slateport.

I released my newest pokémon, Vibrava, from its pokéball. It acted just like it was startled, however, and landed on the ground as a result of still being too weak to fly, I assumed. It looked around frantically to discover me standing before it. Vibrava then hissed once more as it took a couple of shaky steps backwards.

I decided to approach this issue with Vibrava's trust as calmly as possible.

Yours Truly: Hey, it's OK. You can calm down, now.

I then raised my hands to show that my battle with Vibrava was over and I meant it no more harm. It finally stopped backing away from me once it heard those words. Then, Vibrava only looked at me intensely as though it were waiting for an explanation from me for catching it.

Yours Truly (continued): You're a lot like me, and I see a lot of my old self in you, Vibrava.

Then, I took a seat right beside where Roselia and Masquerain were eating up a storm in their enjoyment towards their pokémon food. Vibrava looked to me for further explanation, though it looked as though it had believed me so far. It was like this formerly wild desert pokémon looked for a reason to trust me, at all.

Yours Truly (continued): I used to like being alone, too. I never wanted anyone to tell me where to go or what to do. I always thought like that until I met Roselia over here.

Roselia only smiled at Vibrava, but it just eyed my number one partner pokémon skeptically. Vibrava then focused back on me, looking further for a reason to trust me.

Yours Truly (continued): It wasn't long before we made good friends with one another, along with becoming a pretty good team. We eventually even found Masquerain, over here. It joined our team as well. Now, we all travel and work together as a team, and I'm giving you the same offer I gave both of them; to come and work with me.

I continued to tell Vibrava of my offer from there by allowing it to reject the offer.

Yours Truly (continued): If you wanna leave, Vibrava, then I have no right to stop you and won't stop you. You are completely free to make your own decision and go on if you want. As a person who tried to be on my own before, I can tell you firsthand that it wasn't the best thing in the world. I'm a lot happier now than I was before, anyway. I just wanted to offer you the chance to experiences that the same way.

Vibrava just stood still for a bit, as though it were pondering my offer. I then looked over at Roselia and Masquerain, both of whom continued happily munching at their pokémon food. Vibrava looked at the two of them hungrily yet still could not decide whether or not to accept my offer.

Of course, I could easily read its face well enough to know exactly what the ex-wild Vibrava was thinking right then and there. I had always been good at reading pokémon just like they were books. So, I held out a hand of pokémon food for Vibrava, saying to it...

Yours Truly (continued): Here. Go ahead.

Vibrava crawled towards me slowly and took a nibble or two from the pokémon food I had offered it. It chewed the food slowly as I watched it. I could not help but smile at it the whole time. Once it had finished chewing on the food that I had already given it, Vibrava seemed to have made its choice.

Vibrava moved to sit next to me, and I was more than happy to acknowledge it in having gained a new friend and pokémon partner to add to my team.

Yours Truly (continued): Thanks for giving me a chance, Vibrava.

I then fixed up a third bowl for my newest teammate. Vibrava graciously accepted the meal and its new spot on my team.

Yours Truly (continued): Roselia, why don't you tell Vibrava about our performances in pokémon contests and what they're all about?

I entrusted further explanations to Roselia and Masquerain as I took out my own lunch from my knapsack. I sat and ate quietly as I watched my pokémon converse with one another in their own languages. You know, there have been times of which I actually wished I could make out just what my pokémon were saying to one another at times like this. Vibrava, however, only listened intently to Roselia and Masquerain's words, whatever they were. At least, that was what I had always assumed.

A few minutes later, Vibrava turned to look at me with a ton of intensity in its eyes once again. Only this time, it looked at me that way in a new light. This new light in Vibrava's expression said to me...

Vibrava's metaphorical voice: Let's do this!

I just nodded and smirked to that idea. After I finished my own lunch, I returned my pokémon to their pokéballs. I continued on my way to Fallarbor Town afterwards. I knew I would not be able to make it to Fallarbor Town within the next day like I had originally planned to. I figured that not all things could actually go according to plan, anyway. With the thought in mind, I decided to stick to the rest of my plan to win my last two ribbons easily and go home with the coveted Ribbon Cup.