It didn't take long for the humans in the group to jump to the occasion and appease the crying child - a task for which they were infinitely better equipped than Irvine himself. The shouting and crying died down rather quickly as a result, leaving him with a few precious moments of silence to think things over. Although he was facing away from the fire and easily distant enough to avoid feeling the heat it let off, he still couldn't ignore it. In the faint, flickering light, he caught himself staring towards the camp and absent-mindedly feeling his scar again. It was the price that came with attacking a human, or so he had thought for the longest time. The first time he had tried to in Jack's company, Jack got in his way and took the hit that was meant for a grunt from his old team. Irvine still didn't understand why he was stopped. They deserved it. He was willing to pay the price.<br/><br/>...Why did Jack always pay it in his place?<br/><br/>When he turned his head forwards, his trainer was squatting in front of him looking somewhat afraid. It was easy to forget just how dependent they were on their partners for simple necessities like protection. Jack needed him for his power, for better or worse. It must have been fearsome indeed to be forced to rely on something that was liable to turn and wound him with only the slightest provocation. Perhaps that was why he did it... to keep Irvine in his debt. Perhaps he simply didn't understand Jack at all. He hadn't understood the Boss either, or why she had done any of the things she did.<br/><br/>â€œDonâ€™t worry, you donâ€™t have to help the kid. I think heâ€™s fine as it is... I assume this will cost me more than candy, wonâ€™t it? I mean Iâ€™d pat you on the head or pet you for a job well done, but for some reason I donâ€™t think youâ€™re the type that likes that sort of thing.â€<br/><br/>Irvine shot him an inquisitive glare. A job well done for what? For failing to catch the child that had wished him dead, due to Jack's own intervention? For being able to restrain himself before he hurt his trainer again? He hadn't done anything worthy of praise. All he had done was let another chance to prove himself pass him by.<br/><br/>Jack stood up to talk to the others, leaving Irvine to his thoughts. It was no secret that he preferred to be left alone, but the reason behind it was less obvious. It wasn't that he hated humans, though there were many humans that he did hate, and it wasn't that he needed the peace to think about things, although it certainly did help to not have someone demanding his attention all the time. The truth of the matter was that he was uncomfortable whenever he wasn't fighting. Conflict was all that he had known for a vast majority of his lifetime, and it was simple. He would fight and win, or he would lose and suffer. He only needed to concern himself with the behavior of others so long as it helped to defeat them. Things weren't so black and white any more. Being allowed to roam around freely outside of his ball, in spite of the trouble it often caused Jack, had opened him up to an entire world that he never knew existed - one where the sharpness of his claws mattered less than the sharpness of his mind. As with all foreign things, it was unpleasant.<br/><br/>Much to his surprise, Jack continued to stand in front of him rather than taking his conversation to someone who could actually talk back, although he had spared the time to offer a greeting to the man in a long black coat approaching their camp. Unlike the other humans, he didn't leave to investigate the commotion either. Instead, he leaned over to address Irvine again in a hushed tone.<br/><br/>â€œOn second thought, terrify as many children as you like. Itâ€™s probably for the best; I donâ€™t think either of us are very fond of them.â€<br/><br/>Was that what he was grateful about? The Sneasel's natural capacity to frighten infants of every description? He really didn't understand his trainer at all, even if he could appreciate the sentiment. The youngsters seemed determined to slow down anyone leaving Pewter City, but none of them had been prepared for Irvine. From the way they reacted, he was a combination of all their worst nightmares brought to life. They hadn't needed to fight many "tamed" Rattatas after he made an example of first few brave souls that challenged him, but at the time, he hadn't even considered the possibility that Jack wished to encourage such behavior. Just how much did he really hate children?<br/><br/>Jack set his backpack onto the grass and took a seat nearby, but Irvine wasn't paying attention as he tried to strike up a conversation with the other humans. Once again, his trainer had given him a lot to think about.