Burden

"We've come a pretty long way." Patience said.

"I have a feeling we're getting closer to the flags now." Ian replied.

After Ian's "mishap" with Vice Principal Watchog, the two teams traverse into the School Forest in search of the flags. Ian, Patience and Goomy having a smooth journey so far. Encountering only light resistance from wild Pokemon. With Ian finally being able to use Bubble. It made things easier for the team.

"You think Pancham and the others reached the flag already?" Goomy asked.

"Who knows, the only way to find out is that if we-"

". ..."

"What the...?! What's that beeping noise?!" Ian exclaimed. The source of the sound felt like it was coming directly from his head.

". ..."

"It's Espurr's telepathy!" Patience exclaimed.

"Wait, how would you know that?" Ian asked.

"It's a really complicated thing about codes and stuff." Goomy explained. "The less you know the better."

"Hello..., can you hear me?" Espurr's voice said from inside their heads.

"Yes! We read you loud and clear Espurr!" Patience replied.

"That's a relief, what is your status?"

"We're making good progress, I think. Ian said. "What about the other team?"

"Pancham's team is doing fine too, they still have not reached the flags yet."

"Wait! I think I see a clearing up ahead!" Patience exclaimed in excitement. "We'll talk later Espurr!"

"Very well then, Espurr out."

A single beep was heard, most likely as a signal to end communication.

"Come on! I think I see something ahead!" Patience said, running off ahead of Ian and Goomy.

"Wa-wait! Patience!" Ian yelled, chasing after Patience. Leaving Goomy behind.

"Gu-guys...?! Wa-wait up...!"

"There it is! The flags!"

Patience and Ian stopped dead in their tracks, arriving at a clearing with two yellow flags placed there.

"Two flags!" Patience exclaimed. "That means we're the first team here!"

The two cheered and gave each other a high-five for a job well done.

"Victory sure is sweet, right Goomy?" Ian said, but the silence was his only reply. "Goomy?" He turned around and was shocked to see nothing behind. Goomy nowhere in sight.

"Oh no... Patience...?!"

"What is it Ian?"

"I... I think we left Goomy behind!" He exclaimed. His mind in a state of panic.

"We'll try to find him on the way out, right now I'm going to go get the flag." She said, as she removed the flag from its stand.

"This isn't good... What if we can't find him? It's our heads on the line for leaving him behind. You shouldn't have ran ahead too far when you-"

"WE'RE GOING TO FIND HIM ALRIGHT?!" Patience yelled. Shutting Ian up with her sudden change in personality. As she stashed the flag in a bag provided by Watchog. They slowly made their way back, searching every corner for Goomy. In the end they couldn't find him on their own, and decided to head back to seek help from the others.

"WHAAAAAT?!" Vice Principal Watchog exclaimed. "You're telling me Goomy is still in there?!"

"Yes sir... We lost him after we decided to run ahead of him to check something out..." Ian explained.

Patience simply nodded her head, being the one responsible for the incident, she couldn't bear the shame of leaving a classmate in a potentially dangerous area.

"Unacceptable! You're supposed to look out for each other! You are a team! Your task is important, but so is the welfare of your teammates!"

Ian and Patience both nodded, realizing their mistakes.

"Despite obtaining the flag and returning here." Watchog said. "You neglected a team member, and left him in the School Forest! For that, I'm declaring a tie and cancelling the exercise to search for Goomy!"

Pancham's team, who had arrived much earlier. Were quietly laughing at the event that was transpiring. Except for Deerling.

"I'll search for Goomy!" Deerling announced. "I'm not going to leave a friend behind!"

"So am I." Espurr said. "Is that okay with you, Vice Principal Watchog?"

"Yes, I will allow that." He said.

The entire class were ordered to go back into the forest to search for Goomy. It took them about half the morning, until finally, cowering under a hole was Goomy. Beside him were a few Blast Seeds he had managed to scavenge.

"If I was lost, my only option was to hold up until help arrived." He said.

Ian and Patience apologized to Goomy for leaving him behind. To which Goomy accepted, albeit half heartedly. Upon returning back, Principal Simipour had ordered for class to be dismissed early, for the search had took up most of the school's time there was no reason to continue lessons for the day.

As Ian and Patience walked back, both remain quiet, not wanting to make things awkward. Until Ian decided to break the silence.

"That move was uncalled for." Ian said.

"I know..." Patience replied.

"I thought you knew better? Running off from the group like that."

"Hey! So did you!" She shot back.

"Fine! I'm also part of the blame for this, but I couldn't just have you running off on you own, potentially putting you, me, and Goomy in danger!"

Patience stopped dead in her tracks and faced Ian.

"And what good is just sticking with a group and not taking some risks?!" She yelled.

"Because that "risk" is going to jeopardize everyone in the long run!" He honestly didn't liked where this was going, but there was no turning back from this argument.

"You're too protective Ian... Why's that...?"

Ian kept quiet, he had a really good reason to be extremely cautious. It's just that no one in this world would accept it.

"What's the matter? You don't know? Or don't want to?" She said.

"I rather not talk about it..." Ian replied.

Patience wasn't having any of it, and said something she would come to regret.

"You're a coward."

Ian was shocked to hear that, from Patience of all people. He approached her and asked her a question.

"What... did you just say...?!" He asked, in a serious tone.

"You heard me, a coward. That's the only reason I see. You try to act all brave and noble. But deep down... you're scared."

"Don't you DARE call me that!" Ian hissed. Slowly getting aggressive.

"Then tell me! Tell me what's the reason for your constant overprotectiveness!" She yelled.

Ian finally snapped.

"It's because of YOU alright?!" Ian said.

"M-me...?"

"You're annoying presence keeps getting in my way! With all your constant "side-tracking" in dungeons that keeps getting us lost! And don't even get me started on how many times I've covered your ass thanks to your mistakes!"

Patience shook at that sentence, hurt by Ian's harsh words.

"YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A BURDEN TO ME!" Ian yelled. "With incompetence like that..., you don't have what it takes to join the Expedition Society."

That last sentence finally broke Patience. Ian realized what he had just spurt out without thinking, and immediately regretted it.

"I get it now..." She said softly, her voice cracking. "You're right, that was uncalled for, I'm too weak to achieve my goals..."

"Patience I didn't mean to-"

"Don't. I've heard enough... I guess everyone was right after all... I'm... I'm..."

Patience ran past Ian, pushing him to the side.

"Patience! I'm-"

"Leave me be!" Were her last words, as she disappeared from sight. Ian noticed tears streaming down her face before losing sight of her.

"I'm sorry..."