He called off the fight? Vanilla looked surprised at Navy as the man would call back Genbu, with the other two on his team incapacitated. Still fully into the battle, she'd stammer a bit at the lights coming back on and the gym leader coming down from his perch. He approached her as Vanilla could feel her heart racing still. Her body, however, was a bit drained from the battle. She hesitated for a moment before letting out a soft exhale. "Not really..." Vanilla said, shaking her head. "I tried to be a baker before this, but didn't really do much. Whenever I get into a fight, I just kind of...zone out." Vanilla explained while Proxii soon would pop out of her jacket pocket again, cheerful about the match.

"She kicked ass, of course! No doubt for an up and coming challenger. Pretty soon, Vanilla will be up there in the big leagues with moves like that!" The Rotomphone said triumphantly. Vanilla puffed her right cheek out before then looking back up at Navy. "I know you're impressed, b-but I don't really feel that I have this thing down pat. So I was wondering...If you didn't mind, maybe could you help me with it? I'd really appreciate any help or advice you may be able to give."

Michael Navidson

Vanilla listened to Navy's words, the teen remaining quiet while he'd tell her the names of other gym leaders who could help her. Some were common name, like Silph and Maher, but she still felt like any gym leader would be able to offer her advice on what she should do better. Of course, they all had busy schedules and she wasn't asking them to really set aside everything for some thirteen year old with a father issue.

He took her over to a portion of the gym's wall while she'd come face to face with a few of the messages from other challengers. Filled with advice and things. Navy handed her a brush and instructed her to write something on it, like the trainers who had come before her. Vanilla remained silent, moving along while looking at the many sorts of advice on the wall. All of it was helpful, but one stood out above the rest. It made her pause and look at it in earnest while her brain would process every bit of it.

Just be you.

"Just...be me?" Vanilla said to herself, lips moving without a sound coming out of her mouth. She thought back to how it felt to have her first gym match. How nerve wracking it was, worrying about her Pokemon and their health. But in that, she could feel it. the embers of aspiration swelling in her chest. She loved the feeling of going against the odds and winning like that. It was like the sweetest pastry that she had ever eaten back home. All it did was make her crave it again. She had been so deadset on becoming a great basker like her family despite her heart not being in it that trying to search for their father had introduced her to so many people, experiences. Sure, she was hurt and even if some people thought of her as hurt or vulnerable, Vanilla would do them again in an instant. Her placed wasn't behind an oven or in the kitchen, but outside with other people.

She wouldn't be the best like her siblings in whatever they did, she would just be herself.

Vanilla felt the nudge of Proxii, having been standing there, lost in her thoughts for a solid minute and a half. So she'd walk slowly to an open space before quickly writing her own words of encouragement. It was something that she maybe needed to hear from somebody, but never did. Hopefully, somebody would find some use for it. Once Vanilla was done, she took a moment to observe her work.

The chef of a perfect dish has the knowledge of ten thousand failed dishes.

She spun around to face Navy again, this time with a renewed sense of direction. "Thank you for the advice, the battle, everything." She slowly stuck out a hand, not to accept the badge, but to shake hands with the man with a smile. "Maybe some day, we can meet up and battle again."

Michael Navidson