"Woah really? So all your 'mons are mounts for something?" And by something he meant land, sea or air. This impressed Knight a bit but he knew he couldn't just ignore a Pokémon if it wasn't mount-worthy either. He could understand Captain Nariya's preferences, however, and respected them.[break][break]
From the direction the Incineroar ran came a Shelmet, running (or more like toddling) as fast as possible in their direction. When it saw Knight standing there with Perrin on his shoulder, it made a beeline for him and hid behind his legs. He watched, surprised and then noticed the Shelmet was shaking, "Woah, hey, what's up buddy?"[break][break]
This was answered seconds later when a loud roar was heard and a Tyranitar crashed through the trees towards them. It had a red mark on its forehead, and Kay wondered if the Shelmet had something to do with it. When he looked down again, however, the Pokémon had closed its shell right up but was still shaking.[break][break]
"Uhh, no chance you want to catch that?" He meant the Tyranitar. It seemed big enough for a mount, he supposed, but the logistics of all that were beyond him. He just wanted to protect the Shelmet. "Perrin, take off and keep an eye on things from above. If it looks like we need help, you know what to do." He instructed as he crouched and picked up the Shelmet.[break][break]
He moved to stand closer to Shalin, "What do you want to do, Captain?"

[attr="class","tag"]Shalin Nariya

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Just one more I think... Well, I suppose that depends on what we come across hm?" Knight nodded in agreement as Thea explained her reasoning and he had no reason to go against her. After all, she was the smart one here (and what she said just made sense).[break][break]
He made sure he had his newly caught Pokémon tucked away safely, "Have you thought of a name yet? For your new Pawmo?" Kay let his cousin take the lead and would follow alongside her. At least with Thea around it was very unlikely that he would get lost (like he normally did).[break][break]
Gideon, his Karrablast, decided she wanted to walk with Thea's 'mons while Perrin took to the sky again and flew above them. Seeing his Pokémon so content made a smile come to his face -- and made him hyped up to catch another one!

[attr="class","tag"]Thea Naito

[attr="class","pkmn"]

He watched as Thea interacted with Pawmo and kept his distance, only nodding in approval as things progressed. He felt like a teacher watching his student take their first steps alone! He was so proud![break][break]
When Pawmo agreed to go with Thea, because of course it would, Kay finally spoke up, "Great job, Thea! Pawmo is going to be a great addition to your team." He said this was unbridled confidence, as he had no reason to believe otherwise. [break][break]
And, in a way, it helped him feel like he wasn't leaving her out by catching Pokémon while she didn't! He grinned at his cousin and bumped his hip against hers lightly, "I want to catch another one!"[break][break]
Hopefully she wouldn't mind hanging around a little bit longer. One more Pokémon and he'd be done!

[attr="class","tag"]Thea Naito

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"Come on, Gideon. Time to head home." The Karrablast let out a noise of complaint, but Knight merely gathered all her treasures for her and put them safely into his pocket. She hopped up onto his shoulder and sat there, ready to be carried home, which made him chuckle softly.[break][break]
As they headed off the beach, a Cottonee floated by. Knight knew they were pretty helpless thanks to the sea breeze that would kick up at times, "Hm, maybe we should take this one with us too?" He smiled at Gideon.[break][break]
"Gideon, use Headbutt so it won't resist." The bug type launched herself at the Cottonee and landed a good hit. Kay could tell it was knocked out now, so he tossed a Poke Ball at it. [break][break]
At least he wasn't going home empty-handed.

[attr="class","tag"]---

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Knight had, for the most part, paid attention to the course they were following. Now, if he had been a bit distracted, watching the way Ulysses cut through the water and created small waves -- he could be forgiven for that? Right? [break][break]
So when Josh told him to hit the brakes, he really hit the brakes. He tugged on the reins, trying not to be too rough with the Dewgong, but it was still akin to an emergency stop. Water washed over the back of the 'mon and soaked Knight a little. He laughed it off and looked at the Gym Leader with a sheepish smile.[break][break]
"Sorry -- woah, hey, that looks..." The way the course snaked and bent in quick, sharp angles let Kay know he had been right to listen to Josh and stop. He pat Ulysses a few times, in apology, and then gently squeezed so they'd move at a relaxed pace this time. Knight couldn't help but admire how professional and experienced his mount was.[break][break]
Now that he had a taste for speed, Knight could appreciate that this meandering walking pace wasn't fast at all and he had been foolish for thinking so earlier. Hopefully the water would straighten out soon so they could go for one last burst of speed towards the end goal!

[attr="class","tag"]Josh Devlin

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"A city in the trees! How cool is that? I'll definitely show you around some time, I know all the best spots!" Or he did, when he was younger. How much had it changed since he moved? The few times he saw his parents was because they had travelled to Slateport to see him. It'd be nice to go back home... Maybe this summer?[break][break]
The teeny tiny Wooloo seemed to be listening to them -- or that was how it appeared to Kay. He noticed the tilt of it's head and wondered if it could understand them. "Alright, how hard can it be...?" Famous last words.[break][break]
Knight tried to pick up the Wooloo and it ducked under his arms. The second time, it ran through his legs and caused Knight to fall over himself. Once he was up again, he tried to grab the 'mon only for it to sidestep and let his momentum carry him into a mud puddle. [break][break]
Perrin landed on his dirty shoulder and cawed sadly, "Yeah, slippy one huh? Any suggestions?" He looked over at Loot Guard but never lost his smile. Despite this baby Wooloo giving him the run around, Knight was still having a great time.

[attr="class","tag"]Lutgarde Dijkstra

[attr="class","pkmn"]

As Knight pulled the shell free, a shadow fell over the rock pool and he looked up. Squinting against the sunlight, it took him a second to recognise the Pokémon floating nearby. "Oh, hey." Was about all he managed before it flew away, leaving Knight to just stare after it.[break][break]
What a weird 'mon![break][break]
"What do you think? I like the stripes." He laughed as he held the shell out for Gideon to inspect. She took it and nodded her approval, which meant it got added to a growing pile next to her. "We should probably head home soon." He added, mostly in a mumble.[break][break]
He should have brought snacks with him! Now he was hungry...[break][break]
Gideon showed no signs of slowing down, so he left her alone for now. Another few minutes wouldn't hurt.

[attr="class","tag"]---

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Josh's words made Knight beam with happiness. It was always nice to get praise for doing a good job. He gave Ulysses a soft pat when he felt it was safe enough to do so, and continued to steer the Dewgong along the water trail. He felt some of the water splashing over his feet from being churned up and soon discovered the source. [break][break]
The hum from Barraskewda's tail drew his attention for a second, and Kay marvelled over it. He had never heard or seen anything like it, so he couldn't help staring for a bit. He was glad to be on Ulysses, however. As cool as Barraskweda looked, Knight didn't think he had the confidence to pilot that kind of 'mon![break][break]
As long as he didn't end up dunked into the water, Knight was completely okay with how things were going, so he squeezed a bit more. This time Ulysses picked up the pace to match with someone running leisurely. More than a job but not quite a sprint.[break][break]
"Woah! Amazing!" Thanks to the Dewgong's power and speed, it didn't take long for them to cover a good portion of the trail, "Are there any tricks or anything riders like to do?" Not that he was going to attempt any but if Josh could do something... That would be cool! He glanced over at the Gym Leader and waited for his answer.

[attr="class","tag"]Josh Devlin

[attr="class","pkmn"]

Knight held onto the ball containing his new Pelipper and was barely able to contain his excitement, "Gotta think of a good name for you... Huh? There is?" The news that more Pokémon had appeared was exciting to Kay so he rushed over to see.[break][break]
His eyes grew wide when he saw the two fighting types. "Hey look, I think they're sparring together." He said to his cousin with a lazy grin, "Hm that one? Yeah, isn't it perfect for you! You gotta catch it!"[break][break]
Listen, he knew his cousin had this thing about Pokémon, but how could she pass up the chance to own a... A... Whatever that was! "What does your Pokédex say?" He asked while he gestured to Gideon and Perrin to stick close to him. He had to take the lead here and show his cousin what to do.[break][break]
So he turned to her with a confident look, "I already showed you how fighting a Pokémon works, but now I'll show you another way to catch them!" But he honestly had no idea what was the best way to approach this. He watched them for a long moment while the one gear in his head struggled to turn. Eventually the Pawmo pointed over to them and the Falinks turned to look as well. Knight gave them both a friendly smile.[break][break]
Now what...? "Are you... Hungry...?" Knight crouched and open his school bag. He shifted the too-big-for-this-bag book out of the way and pulled out a very sad looking sandwich. It had definitely been squished by something (but what? Truly a mystery!). He unwrapped it and grinned, "Ham and Cheese! The food of warriors!" [break][break]
The Falinks looked at its companion and then marched forward carefully, never breaking ranks. The one in front seemed to inspect the sandwich before it carefully accepted it. The food was quickly divided up and each part of the Falinks received an equal share, "Huh, you're pretty cool..." [break][break]
Well, there didn't seem to be anything else for it! Knight dug into his pocket and brought out a Poké Ball, "What do you say you come home with me? I can get you more sandwiches and I have a Farfetch'd who loves to battle too. You can team up together!" Kay glanced over at his cousin to see if this was going to work. The Falinks seemed to think about it before it nodded. Knight stood up and did a little victory wiggle, "You won't regret this! Promise!"[break][break]
He tossed the ball at the Falinks and then nodded at the Pawmo, "Well, now you can't leave him or her alone! If you bring it home, then it can be with Falinks again."

[attr="class","tag"]Thea Naito

[attr="class","pkmn"]

A weird pink thing swam past, sticking its head out of the water and Knight sort of gawked at it. He had never seen such a strange Pokémon before... But he didn't make any attempt to get up and catch. Maybe some day he'd want it but not today.[break][break]
Instead, he glanced to see what Gideon was up to. She was still poking around the rock pool and pulling out anything that looked semi-interesting to her, "That's a cool shell..." Knight reached in to pluck it free for her.

[attr="class","tag"]---

[attr="class","pkmn"]

The beach was one of Knight's favourite places to hang out with his 'mons or his friends (or both at the same time!). He couldn't swim so he didn't go into the water but he had a great time digging in the sand, poking around the rock pools and letting the waves wash over his trainers. Hm, maybe he should take his shoes off...[break][break]
Kay wandered back towards the rock pool he had been hanging around before and grinned at his 'mon, "What you got?" Gideon held up a small piece of sea glass and Knight gave her a thumbs up, "Nice! Add it to the collection!" He sat on the rocks and looked around. It was nice to spend some time with just Gideon for a change.[break][break]
Still, he'd be alert for the chance to catch somemon new too.

[attr="class","tag"]---

[attr="class","pkmn"]

"A boat? From so far away?" Knight made a face because to him even a short boat trip was too long. He thought about the school trips offered on a regular basis and some of those required travelling by boat. Hm, well, if Loot Guard was happy...![break][break]
He nodded as if he knew exactly where Lilycove was and what it was like, and then said, "I've never been to Lilycove. I live in Slateport now to go to school but I'm originally from Fortree." He grinned whenever he talked about home. Knight missed his parents and his hometown but he loved living with his cousin and uncle too. Moving to Slateport meant he was able to go to an awesome school and meet Cass too.[break][break]
An elbow to the ribs soon took Kay out of his daydream and he dropped as well, "Hear wha--? Oh! Yeah!" He looked in the direction the sounds were coming from, both Chani and Victor at the ready next to him.[break][break]
What he didn't expect was the world's smallest Wooloo ever to appear! Knight stumbled after Loot Guard and flailed his arms, "Can I hug it? Oh my Arceus, it's soooo cute and small!" So adorable! Knight wished he had one of those fancy Rotom phones so he could take some pictures to show Thea and Cass later (but his regular phone he had was broken cause, uh, well, it's Knight). [break][break]
"Do we just help it home now?" He paused and tilted his head, "How did it get separated and so far away..."

[attr="class","tag"]Lutgarde Dijkstra

[attr="class","pkmn"]