[i]”Jeanne,”[/i] Medicham telepathized to Forrest as he grappled his friend. 

He picked Mitchell up off the ground and slammed him down, knocking the wind out of him. It seemed Forrest was holding back due to the swiftness with which he ended the spar. Mitchell coughed a few times when retrieving his breath.

Adrenaline flowed through him and his arms and chest showed this. They were puffed and red with the rushing of blood. His abdomen stretched and contracted dramatically with each breath as he walked toward his wife standing a distance away from the chaos of this “training.”

“Forrest,” she said sweetly when he was close enough. Her eyes were sad, however. “Your mother is looking for you. Were you supposed to hold a class, today?”

He couldn’t think of a reason she’d show sadness in her eyes. He focused on the question, instead, and answered through deep breaths which raised his chest and shoulders. The woman only stood to his collar bone. He might have been imposing if she didn’t know him properly.

“You’re right,” he finally said. His breathing was leveling out as his body calmed.

“Your students are looking for you.”

Still that sadness in her eyes.

Forrest’s mother, Barbara, disallowed the teaching of lessons and classes to be held outside of Oldale for the sake of the safety of Pokemon and her students, regardless of their ages and experiences. Her current focus was on self-defense, defensive battling, and healing. The Elite Four and Gym Leaders appreciated her efforts to help the people of Hoenn keep safe from threats during this time of emergency. Forrest held intermediate to advanced classes in these areas, since he had more recent and relevant experience. 

[i]”Valoria should be here,”[/i] Forrest thought, since she’d actually faced a member of Team Zodiac. But she was off on her own to train in secret, hoping not to be found. None of them could think of anything more dangerous than being alone at a time like this, however. 

But with the rumors turning true that a member of Team Zodiac having killed a civilian and his Pokemon spread quickly. Panic was growing. Much of the respect for their efforts was quickly transforming into disdain and distrust. Valoria had told Aries that the Team would lose. Perhaps it wouldn’t be by Valoria's hands alone.

Forrest walked quickly toward the Academy and paced toward one of his classrooms. Still without a shirt or shoes, he thrust into the room and toward the front where his desk was placed. Papers scattered the top of the desk and etchings remained on the blackboard behind him from the last lesson. He snatched an eraser and began to swing his long arms back and forth to remove all the old information in order to write new information.

He wrote “Ganlon” and “Apicot” in his neat cursive hand upon the board. “Fettel” was then written beneath them.

“These two berries are quite rare and difficult to tend. Currently, Aromatherapy and myself are the only ones to grow them with some level of success.”

The students just gazed blankly at the large and half-naked man standing at the front of the classroom. This wasn’t the first time they’d seen him like this. What was unusual was the demeanor with which he entered the classroom. Also, his current state was usually saved for the outdoors. Still, they listened on to his lecture.

“They are from the Fettel family of berries that increase a physical ability when one’s vitality is at a state much lower than normal. These two in particular,” he continued, pointing at the words at the top of the board, “increase one’s endurance from physical attacks," he said, pointing to "Ganlon," "and indirect attacks,” he ended, pointing at "Apicot."

His voice filled the room. It seemed he was rushed or something. Jeanne could be seen standing outside the open door across the hall. She looked on with caring eyes. His demeanor calmed significantly and his chest fell back from its puffed state. “I have a Ganlon or Apicot for each of you. Both need low sunlight but high temperatures and high moisture. They must also be kept clear of weeds since they are relatively susceptible to being overgrown. However, germination occurs quickly and budding occurs within the first two weeks. Berries should be present after a month and a half. They grow very quickly but require much attention.”

It was a short lesson, but most students continued to attend the Academy simply for the items they would collect along with relevant information related to said items. Each took a berry of their choosing before rushing to their homes to further expand their personal gardens.

The classroom was quickly emptied of students. Forrest took a seat at his desk and began to organize the mess of papers upon it. Jeanne passed into the room. Her heels clicked lightly against the floor. Her steps were slow and methodical. It was as if she didn’t want to disturb her husband. However, there was something more pressing than his duties as a counselor of the Academy.

“Forrest,” she said. Her voice raised in tone. It sounded like a sweet question for the man’s attention. 

He just grunted as he whipped papers back and forth into piles and into folders and into the desk.

“Forrest,” she said again. This time there was a soft sternness in her tone. She needed him to look at her.

His head rose to look at her. His irises looked paler than usual and his hair was pulled back into a pony tail that waved away from his head and shoulders. His brows were down, immediately recognizing that something was amiss. A pit formed in his stomach, thinking it had to do with one of their children.

“Valoria is at our house,” she said as if he knew what that meant and the severity of the situation.

Forrest squinted his eyes in thought, trying to comprehend what it was she meant. She was back with her family, which was the safest. Was she injured? Was her life being threatened by Team Zodiac? But then why would Jeanne allow him to conduct his class?

“That’s good,” he said. It almost sounded like a question, but he was questioning his own reaction. “Is she alright?”

Jeanne just nodded her head but her eyes continued to show a sorrow, or was it concern? “What's wrong?” he finally asked, hoping to get a more direct answer.

“She’s changed,” she said. Her brows showed a bit of discontent, anger even. 

He hummed. His hands began to work at the papers with greater ferocity. His brows showed a determination to finish what it was he was doing so he could assess the situation himself. “Just a moment,” he said, making her wait so they could return home together.

Route 102 was spectacular during the evening hours. The sun set over Petalburg City. The sky was fazing through purples and pinks. Orange clouds spotted the sky. The green of the woods around them provided a wider color palette for the eyes to behold.

“Who was with the kids?” Forrest asked in his deep voice. 

“Well,” she began. There was a pause that was a bit longer than he was comfortable. “Valoria.”

Forrest looked up to see Flygon soaring high above with Medicham on his back. He would have heard something should anything be amiss at home. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He was overwhelmed with grief and anxiety. With his Pokemon ever-vigilant, he could still retain some level of security for himself and his family.

Milotic snaked through the air just above them. Her body was covered in a tube of water and her eyes glowed, utilizing her abilities to keep herself aloft and submerged in water. Shiftry, Breloom, and Cacturne were further up ahead, walking together and warding away any wild Pokemon who might seem eager to battle with a trainer. Masquerain kept close to the both of them, as she usually did. Banette was elsewhere, mostly likely in a different dimension or causing some sort of mischief.

“Why so sad?” Forrest finally asked. He didn’t have the concentration to address her obvious demeanor earlier.

“Everything,” she exhaled. 

She didn’t have to explain. The death of a “brother”-in-law was enough to make anyone feel such a level of remorse and sorrow that it would be near impossible to contain. That, with the fact that Team Zodiac was reverting the region back to primitive times, worried her for the sake and safety of her children. Now, with Valoria back, a heavy feeling of dread filled her. But she wouldn’t explain this to Forrest. Instead, she would let him come to his own conclusions.

The moon was still under the trees when they made it home. A fire had been made and the children with Valoria were sitting around it. Espeon was upon her lap and urged Valoria to pet her. Chingling was entertaining Shelynn, and Meowstic was cuddling with Elizabeth. Rowan and Jerrek just chatted with their "Auntie V" while the other Pokemon were elsewhere.

“Valoria,” Forrest said with his usual rumble which filled the area. It sounded like a call for attention rather than a greeting. She just turned her head so her profile faced Forrest and Jeanne. “Let’s go inside and talk,” he said politely but intended it to be a command.

“Forrest.” Jeanne pleaded with Forrest to not press the situation. Forrest ignored her plea and simply turned to enter the cabin behind them. 

Valoria gently lifted Espeon and handed her to Rowan without a word. 

“Valoria,” Jeanne said, now pleading with her “sister”-in-law to not listen to her husband. But Valoria ignored Jeanne all the same.

Jeanne’s brows twitched with concerned sorrow as she watched Valoria pace toward the cabin after Forrest. Her breathing became shallow with anxiety. She exhaled a short breath, knowing it wasn’t worth the effort to stop either of them from instigating any negative emotions unnecessarily. She just glided across the grass and sat down next to Jerrek. She squeezed her arm around her eldest son and rubbed his arm as if to comfort him. But it wasn’t he that needed comfort.

“Where have you been?” Forrest was stern, but there was a deep concern which showed in his face clearly enough.

“Meteor Falls,” she said plainly, avoiding to look in his eyes in some kind of shame.

“What happened?” His brows fell closer to his eyes, trying to understand what brought her back.

“They destroyed the Ener-Geo Corporation. They’re out of power, now.”

At first, he was taken aback by the lack of profanities she added into her response. She had quite the foul mouth, but that was gone, it seemed. Still, Forrest couldn’t respond. It’d been four days since they destroyed Sea Mauville. They were moving quickly and sinking Hoenn deeper into a crisis that needn’t occur. 

“And I met Sagittarius,” she finally added after a pregnancy of the evening sounds outside the cabin. Valoria placed her hand upon the granite countertop to keep herself from collapsing.

Forrest looked at her, and she back at him. He wouldn’t know what that phrase actually entailed, and she, herself, didn’t entirely understand it herself. 

“She tried to tell me that the incident with Caleb wasn’t intentional,” she said. Her brows made her question what she was saying.

“Fucking bullshit,” Forrest spat out in a growl. Their lies were fantastical and this attempt to hush them was an insult to their cousin. Though Caleb wasn’t related to Valoria directly, they were a very close family and they were more like brothers and sisters than anything else. 

“That woman,” Valoria continued, but paused in an attempt to remember the interaction as accurately as possible, “Aries, the woman who killed him, is being punished by Pisces.”

Neither of them knew what this meant, exactly. Would Pisces kill a member of his own team? Was she going to be exiled or something? Regardless, without proof of this punishment, he wondered what they were trying to get out of this “apology,” or whatever it was supposed to be.

“Fuck those cunts,” he said with a sneer and a scoff. 

“Stop,” Valoria now pleaded with Forrest. She needed Forrest to take the situation serious and stop cursing everything and listen to her. Her eyes were beginning to water, something Forrest had never seen from her before. It was unusual and her eyes quickly grew bloodshot in an effort to hold back the production of tears.

Forrest’s brows sank with a sympathetic sorrow. “So what does this mean?” His voice still growled, but it was calm.

“I think they’re either trying to get us to stop the rumors or instigate an attack upon them so they react in self-defense and hopefully take us out. It could all be a trap,” she said.

“That fucking bitch is still going to get her throat fucking sliced,” Forrest hissed. The words flowed out of his mouth as if they were being savored.

“Fuck it, Forrest! Shut the fuck up!”

Forrest’s eyes widened. He saw a tear fall from one of her green eyes when she contorted her face in order to shout.

“You’re putting yourself and your family in danger, you fucking dick,” she hissed back. “You need to let the Rangers and the Pokemon League to handle this.” She was angry, but much more concerned. 

“I’m in the fucking Hall of Fame,” he argued with a look of irritation.

“Yeah, and the fucking Pokemon League aren’t stretching their necks out for Team Zodiac to lop ‘em off,” she spat back, trying to make him understand the gravity of their situation.

“That’s ‘cause they’re fucking pussies,” Forrest continued.

Valoria took a deep breath. It raised her shoulders and she closed her eyes in order to concentrate on not exploding onto Forrest. “I know,” she finally said through a sob. She tilted her head in order to keep the tears from falling from her eyes.

“Come on,” Forrest said. He stretched out an arm to reach his hand to her shoulder and bring her back outside. He wanted to be able to relax from the increasing chaos of the region.