Wow, the rain really did have a set perimeter; he just walked right out of it and turned to look at the drops pouring down behind him. "And they think this is normal?"
Basil walked down the path to the shrine, glancing at the grass types that had made their home in the path. There were also a couple If he didn't catch Crocus early that day he would have definitely been tempted to catch a Cottonee, but it would be for the best to have a spread of types in his arsenal. Well, at least until he had a way of dealing with fire types. The most amount of excitement that could be found were just occasional gusts of wind and travelers coming and going from the town or the shrine.
Besides taking note of those passing things, he did not spend much time on the path and found himself outside of the shrine. It was a serene, well maintained place, obviously because its an important cultural landmark for the town and for trainers beginning their journey. Strangely enough, there was a booth selling souvenirs and leaflets that explored the history of the shrine. Turned out that even sacred landmarks were not immune to consumerism.
Basil entered the building and witnessed the strange scene of an overenthusiastic bug maniac scarring children. He was just going to ignore that chaotic mess and approach the idol before kneeling down.
What the heck do people even pray for? Sure he could pray for having a smooth journey and become champion though that was not entirely what he really wanted. Even if it was, why would any higher power listen to him? He wasn't a hero seeking strength to destroy a monster, heck, he could not even say that he was even the protagonist of his own life. All that bravado and display of ambition Basil showed to Jacques and Rodger was more to convince himself that he can grow because deep down, he knows that the only one getting in the way of his journey is not a staggeringly strong trainer or Pokemon, but himself.
Well, he certainly was not in control of his fate and that was not going to change anytime soon so why not just surrender. He bowed his head and held his hands together in prayer.
"I am not a hero like the one who defeated the beast nor am I remarkable. I do not ask for you to help me defeat the league and become the champion; that task falls upon my Pokemon and I. All that I do ask is for your hands to guide me to become the person that I hope to be."




