Anger flashed across Jess's indignant face as bratty Miu shouldered her way between her and Charlie. A second later, she had calmed herself down by asserting mentally that the best way to beat this loser was to not give her the rise she needed. Jess was honestly surprised at how quickly the little bully's rudeness had caused her to see red; maybe that was to be expected from now on. She wondered if there was any sort of official process in making rivals, or it just happened naturally like this. In the time it took Jess to muse about this, Miu was already gone, forging on ahead alone. Being alone suited her.

Jess was preparing to resume the conversation where she left off when a noise rang out from the path ahead, around a forested curve. Though some distance separated the source of the noise and Jess, it was easy enough to tell that it was a surprised scream. Guessing who it was, Jess couldn't help but snicker at the image of Miu cowering before some Pokemon or another.

"'Scuse me. I've gotta see this." Eager to see the scene she pictured come to life, Jess made haste around the bend. As such she wasn't prepared when the morning sunlight pouring through Santalune Forest's edge temporarily blinded her. It didn't take her long to recover and notice that the tree line ended here, and a couple hundred feet away she glimpsed the roof of a building poking above a few large bushes. Between her and Santalune Town, however, was her newly-anointed rival and her Poliwag. When she caught up with Miu, it took her a moment to find exactly what had startled her so. After several seconds, Jess traced Mago's life of fire to a tiny bug Pokemon, barely visible in the grass. All she could do was briefly exchange a glance with Belial (more of an emotion, really; Zubats, of course, lacked eyes) before she burst out into raucous laughter.

"Good Arceus, what have you gotten yourself into!? You'd better run now 'fore it starts inching toward you!"