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Aden did his best not to gulp at the fact that they had expanded their numbers since the last time he heard anything. When he brought up the missing pair, though, he shrugged. "It's hard to say. For all I know, dad's got something planned himself or he's trying to keep sis from pulling anything stupid." He didn't seem to be bothered by the development, at any rate. "I wouldn't worry too much. They have a way of turning back up just as quick."

"A bit, yeah, thanks," Aden answered before taking another sip. "I have a feeling my party's gonna go through the ringer, but I'd be more surprised if they weren't able to handle it."

"I'm almost afraid to find out," Aden commented. "I'd be lying if I said I doubted seeing a Gengar would be the spookiest thing she's ever seen. But she did kinda react to the idea of being a little like a guard dog and tried despite it. At least, it made more sense to her than calling it a battle at the time. Still, considering the day she's had..."

It was at this point that he figured he'd be amazed if she wasn't somehow scarred for life in the span of under twenty-four hours, curled up and rocking back and forth and commenting about how she can't sleep or else a Gengar will eat her.

"Right..." Aden had a feeling that it was going to be a long night, making his way towards the medlab after he finished what was left of his drink. What he saw when he was in there didn't surprise him too much, seeing Nidorino slightly miffed despite being more than a little singed from the Explosion he took from Morty's Drifblim. Raticate, for once, was actually quiet, trying to recover and just glad he wasn't being reminded of what poison feels like when it's coursing through.

Finally, looking towards Eevee laying on a bed and keeping her distance, he wasn't sure what to think. The constant looking around made him think maybe she wasn't thinking much about earlier and was just curious about her surroundings, but she was doing a terrible job of hiding that she was still more than a little spooked; he watched as she shuddered every once in a while, and he could guess when the battle started getting to her once she pinned her ears to her head and laid flat against the bed, front paws covering her eyes until she calmed down enough to stop the cowering.

While Aden had to admit the whole thing did look somewhat cute and made him glad his sister wasn't anywhere nearby, it provided all the proof he needed that she wasn't taking things quite as well as he was hoping for, even if part of him expected such an outcome. Once the three looked towards him, he figured it'd be in his best interest to speak up.

"Hey, um, sorry for all of that back there-"

"(What, you mean being blown to kingdom come? Kinda liked the stomp better, at least I was offered something then before anything decided to-)"

"Enough, Nidorino, I get it."

"(Do you? You know it wasn't just your fault, right- oh, for... okay, I'm staying away from that old toad before I start talking like him again.)"

"(He isn't that bad... but I'd just be happy if my stomach stopped going whoosh faster than I can.)"

Aden wasn't sure what to say at that point, and it was times like that where he almost wished he hadn't been born a hybrid. Being able to understand exactly what your Pokemon thought was a great thing, but it also meant being reminded how his actions were really being seen.

"Force of habit..." He wondered if maybe he shouldn't be trying to get Raticate's abilities to shine so much, or at least find a way that didn't mean poisoning him all the time. "And I know it isn't just my fault or your fault. We all did everything we could. I can't ask for more than that. How's she, though?"

"(You mean the oversized furball that thinks she's a burrito, right?)" Nidorino spoke up, his comment coming off as an obvious jab at how Eevee kept cowering every so often. "(She won't shut up about the "big, grinning ghost".)"

"(She doesn't look like a burrito...)" Aden and Nidorino found theirselves looking at Raticate for a second after, deciding to just ignore what he said.

"Thank you, that's all I needed to know."

Resisting an urge to shake his head and wonder if he really was the only sane one around here that wasn't named Blizzard, he decided to step closer to where Eevee was and give her a light poke. Despite the apparent look of fear on her face, she still seemed to have enough energy to try and leap onto his face. Instead, she was caught and set back down.

"Look, I know you're probably glad to see me and all, but you don't have to-" Aden would soon learn that either Eevee didn't like taking no for an answer, or she had other reasons for trying to cling to his face like she was. "...faceglomp me," he finished, muffled as he pried the Pokemon and decided to keep her held in front in his face rather than set her down and risk round three. It wasn't even a second later before she tried to leap again, only to discover she couldn't and started shaking all the more.

"Woah, woah, woah, just calm down," he spoke up, sitting on the bed and setting her down beside him. Though he could tell she wanted to cling to him, she seemed to hang up the notion for now.

"(Can't calm down, grinning ghost will show...)"

Already, he could tell she sounded even more meek than Flaaffy did before she evolved. "Uh, what?"

"(See? Told ya she won't shut up about it.)"

"Nidorino, quiet or I'm going to get Poliwhirl out of the PC."

"(...I'll be good.)"


"Now," Aden looked back at the smaller Pokemon of the three, "what do you mean?"

"(Grinning ghost... I... I couldn't...)"

"Couldn't... what?"

"(Couldn't stop it...)"

"That one's on me, okay? I shouldn't have sent you out against something like that, not when you seem really new to a lot of things."

This time, Eevee kept quiet. Was he saying that it was a mistake to send her out? Was she not the one he wanted around right then? She started slowly scooting back, only for Aden to take notice and reach an arm to scratch behind her ears.

"I'm sorry. I know you're still learning, so next time, I won't put you in the frying pan like that, alright?"

Wait a minute, frying pan? Nope. Nope nope nope. Eevee just let out the highest pitched scream she could, trying to move away from Aden's hand. No matter how nice the ear scratching felt, she wasn't about to be some sort of food.

"Maybe not the best choice of words..."

Maybe this would be a longer night than he expected.

The single night would seem like an eternity, that it would never end. Despite Aden's best intentions, it ended up being more fitful than he cared for, the medlab's chair doing little to help matters. He simply refused to actually take one of the beds, if only to allow his Pokemon the opportunity instead. His Pokemon didn't fare a ton better, or at least, his Eevee sure didn't. All of her attempts ended in a nightmare, a constant reminder of what she experienced in the gym.

Needless to say, it was bound to be an even longer morning. Aden was the first to awake, quietly slipping away so he could get himself a shower and cleaner clothes than he had on the night before. As soon as he had finished, he could be found in the kitchen, eating a bagel and quietly contemplating his next moves going forward.

"Don't worry, I already had to shoo your Rotom," Aden remarked. "First time I put the bagel in, it tried launching it to the ceiling. I'd have sprayed a bottle of Repel around if it didn't smell like a Muk and Gloom mating." He'd soon just eat the rest of the bagel in short order, wishing he hadn't just put that image in his head. Once he finished and downed the glass of juice next to him, he'd move on to more important topics. Such as answering Blizz's question. "Anyway, most of them seemed to be fine. Nidorino was annoyed with Eevee going on about a 'grinning ghost', but well, it's Nidorino. She slept even worse than I did and must've been having nightmares over Morty's Gengar. Kept whimpering along with tossing and turning..."

"I was kinda hoping she'd be up to what we've got going on today, or at least be willing to watch. I really shouldn't have put her through the ringer like that, so hopefully this'll help," he'd add as he got up to rinse off the plate and glass he was using. "And it'll be good practice for the rest, too."

"Hopefully not. If they do... well, at least there won't be a concern of battling them again there," Aden said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "And yeah, I did. I was offered one and all, but I wanted to leave it in case any of the other Pokemon wanted it. I'll manage, though."