Cloyster’s eyes hung on the Loudred, and as Bo settled in to the throw his horseshoe, a spike swiped it from his grasp with a devious cackle.

ICICLE CRASH shot it (along with several jagged, dangerous daggers of ice) out towards the water, and, surprise! Another ‘clang’ of metal, though time it hit against the outside of the post a bit. Still points!

The water-type scowled challengingly down at the Loudred.

“Looks like someone’s getting a little competitive.”

Bo felt his heart sink in his chest for a moment, and the fuzz of disbelief. He didn’t even dare make eye contact, not wanting to catch some suddenly dark look in Gavin’s eye out of the blue.

Had they seen him with Roman Maher during their battle, maybe? Maybe that hadn’t been a good idea, after all. He didn’t exactly fit the description of trustworthy babysitter, and the kid looked dead up like him.

Roman had really wanted to battle. He hadn’t been able to turn down the request to go to the tournament. Not after all of the other disappointments.

Silence.

The next words felt crucial, but he had no idea what to say. This was dizzying.

He found himself questioning: was it a threat?

Bo knew he no longer had the power to ask for someone the likes of Gavin to elaborate on anything.

For now, he just needed to leave, and locate his son. As far as he knew, he was at home, with his mother. But, perhaps, coincidentally that evening, it would not be the case.

He nodded and took a sharp breath, as though bothered, and turned. There, he paused.

“You can tell my dad I’m not comin’ back.”

At that point, he attempted to walk off, careful not to look panicked.

He’d leave, and head straight into the chaos and desperation of a single mother whose son had not come home.

Aurorus gave out a sad, songful cry of pain as a ghostly energy of SHADOW BALL chilled and choked her very soul. Looking dazed and still weary into the terrible eyes of the Spiritomb, successfully PARALYZED in place, she then retaliated again.

Even colder than the ghost, a mist of sub-zero breath left the dinosaur. FREEZE DRY froze through air as it struck out, hoping to encapsulate their foe in ice.

Bo stared, increasingly taken aback as Pryde’s retaliation escalated to bewildering heights.

Day depths.

“Shit. Ok, man. Thanks for the warning.”

He turned as well.

“Enjoy yourself.”

Bo didn’t watch the flying-types as they battled above. Instead, he watched a setting sun with a painful feeling of familiarity.

A light high left him from a panging chest. Not the first person who had given the same sentiment.

“Yeah, that’s what I hear.”

He gave a single, resigned nod, asking no further questions, and simply feeling the ocean breeze a moment beside a friend he rarely ever saw anymore.

One of the most wanted men in the region.

With Golem returned, Bo shoved hands into his pockets, eyes finding their way casually over to the horizon, rather than lingering on Gavin.

“Hm.” The implication was easily caught, and it was why he hesitated with his answer. Having to be vague sucked, really.

“Maybe we’ll find some time one day for a rematch.”

A few moments of silence might’ve passed between them before he said anything. He spent every bit of them vigorously turning over words in his head, though one would never think as much by his face.

His voice went a little quieter.

“How’s my dad?”

Bo watched, an amused huff of laughter coming from his chest as the Snorlax finally landed its retaliation—knowing it would only work up the fossil-type even more.

Aggressively, it flailed its head about, squawking (or something like that) as it charged the oversized bear with DRAGON RUSH. Its speed and force increased exponentially as it glowed, furthering the continuity of its assault. It would remain relentless unless it was knocked unconscious.

Golem heaved, tired, but victorious, and the pride echoed in her roar. A third victory for her in the tournament. Maybe it was a bit risky, as she had been his only partner kept over from Rocket days, but he hadn't been able to keep her from shining. She deserved it, and if they did well, he had her to credit for it. 

Once docile, she had become violent with him. Now, in battles, the transformation of her nature stuck. Sometimes, it made Bo wonder about himself, and what things still lingered within.

Was he a bad person?

Yeah. Probably rotten. Bad apples didn't fall far, right?

A red light returned his weary Golem to her pokeball, and the ranger went nearer to Gavin.

“Tryin’ to knock off some of the rust.”

There was something sideways, then, about the way Bo smiled. Something that was gray, and couldn’t ever possibly be one thing or the other without mortally splitting him in two.

“You’ve gotten better.”

Aurorus, while it might have fallen asleep otherwise this round, was knocked out of its drowsiness by Inkay’s powerful PSYBEAM—and then CONFUSED, instead.

The dinosaur went in a half-circle, throwing about her head, clearly disoriented and panicking a bit.

“Aurorus!” Bo attempted to get her attention, but she’d already homed in on her teammate, glowing as she CHARGED an attack.

“Aurorus, no!”

Shaking his head, he brought fingers up to his lips and whistled loud, in a last ditch effort to get through to her.

Still nothing.

Bo’s hand when up to scratch his head a little. “Yeah, man; sorry about that! She just got a little excited, I think!”

Aurorus roared again, moving about in anticipation of an incoming assault, and still nervous about being the only one on the team who could.

Alas, Swalot was hit, and as it was, the ball it had swallowed was pushed from its stomach and launched flying back towards the Dragonite.

Swalot, unfortunately, keeled over, FAINTED. It would likely have a belly ache when it was revived. Poor Swalot.

It was returned to its ball.

More DEFENSE CURLS. Towards the end, she was nearly unbreakable stone. While she had taken an immense amount of damage, both she and Bo knew exactly how much she could take on, and they played with it as strategy, taking the beating of rocks head-on and taking their time, to instead ensure that at a certain point, hopefully when the Lycanroc had reached exhaustion, while its aggressive offense became less and less effective.

Further into the fight, Golem found herself dangerously low on energy, but, in the end, resilient as all get-out, she BULLDOZED, attempting to trample the canine into the sand.

Something crumbled in him, and his eyes softened with a cornered sort of pain.

Bo had never been violent before Rocket—and then, in a matter of months, he’d been turned into something brutal. He’d put it behind him, now, he hoped. It’d been brief enough not to bleed into the person he really was.

The peaceful one. Bo. The rock. Calm, but resolute.

Now, he was shaking in anger, cripplingly affected by lack of control and unfounded implications; judgment. Roman Maher had never once seen him violent. Granted, though, he hadn’t exactly seen much of Bo at all.

And Bo hadn't seen much of him. And now he was gone.

Feeling like he might be sick, Bo breathed roughly through his nose, willing himself to keep threatening hold on his brother—even though it felt weird, and stung his soul.

Gold eyes hardened again, protectiveness ultimately overwhelming all else.

“What do you think?”

Oh, fun.

Bo hated this. HYPNOSIS was one of his least favorite moves to face. There was little you could do from such a state.

Gigalith, being more of the nap-taker of the two, promptly dozed off, ASLEEP. The SAND STREAM let up, at least for now.

The Aurorus, however, proved to be more resilient, however DROWZY she’d become.

“Aurorus! Focus!”

Taking her chance while she could, and hoping the power would make up for her lack of a teammate temporarily, a HYPER BEAM was shot towards the Inkay. Enough of that shit!