<br/><div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/2hrcT2J.jpg?1)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Naozumi Kahale<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Outside, near docks/town<br/><strong>With:</strong>Carter<br/><strong>Notes:</strong>CHARACTER GROWTH!!!!<br/><strong>Pokémon:</strong>Pagliacci (Mime Jr.), Snowball (Vulpix)<br/><div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/cm4YNqT.png)</div><div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/a8lLaBf.png)</div><div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/qhaKUWB.jpg)</div><div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/qhaKUWB.jpg)</div><div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/qhaKUWB.jpg)</div><div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/qhaKUWB.jpg)</div><br/><hr/><hr/><hr/><br/>Nao shook his head as Carter questioned the Spheal's menacing strength, "I've honestly never seen this kind of thing before..." he muttered, taking the offered potions with a solemn nod, "thanks, but be careful. That pokemon's not just strong, it's super smart as well" Nao said, seeing how the Spheal had managed to come up with a counter for everything he had tried to throw at it, shutting down most of his strategies before they could even begin. With a small sigh he sprayed Pagliacci down withe medicine, the little mime letting out a relieved sigh to show it wasn't in pain anymore, before Nao returned him to his ball, "You did your best buddy, take a rest" Nao said.<br/><br/>He glanced up and watched the battle commence between Carter and the spheal. To be honest he hadn't expected it to go any better than his own efforts had, but to his surprise Carter turned out to be an incredibly gifted battler, to the point where he wasn't even calling out commands half the time, he and his pokemon were just that well in sync. Nao felt a small tinge of inferiority watching him battle, after all he was supposed to be the one who was ahead, he had more experience traveling and battling as a trainer, yet Carter seemed to have surpassed him on sheer talent alone. The boy unconsciously ran his hand over the badge case in his pocket as he watched the battle in stunned awe, the two tiny trophies suddenly feeling far less impressive.<br/><br/>When the final blow was struck Nao felt himself at a loss for words, "whoa...." he muttered under his breath, unable to believe he had taken that lethal spheal down so easily, with fire attacks no less! "That was...incredible..." Nao said, slowly getting up to his feet and dusting himself off. However when he felt Carter's hand on his shoulder and offered to let him catch it he suddenly felt conflicted. Nao stared over at the down spheal, already inflating a fresh pokeball in his hand. For a moment it seemed like he would really go through with it, his arm reeling back to throw the ball...but he never did, "sorry..." Nao said, his focused gaze suddenly relaxing to a weary smile, the ball shrinking in his hand as he slipped it back into bag, "but I can't do that"<br/><br/>With a small sigh he broke from Carter's grasp and made his way over to the downed little fur ball. The spheal seemed conscious enough to see him approach, it's eyebrows furrowing in suspicion, "After all I didn't beat you, so it wouldn't be right to catch you as if I had. I'm not the kind of guy to let other people catch my pokemon for me, I have more pride than that at least" he said, kneeling down beside the spheal and taking out the other potion Carter had given him. The spheal cocked it's head in confusion as Nao gently placed his hand on it's head and began to spritz it down with the healing spray "spheal?...spheal?..." it murmured, feeling it's wounds and fatigue vanish just like that, "Besides, it took two trainers and three pokemon to finally take you down. In my eyes that makes you the real winner here" he said, smiling as he petted the confused spheal's head, "you're a real tough little guy you know that? I'm sure you're gonna grow up big and strong one day...and until you find a trainer who's really strong enough to be worthy of you, I think you should keep fighting and living free...maybe ease up on the mean streak a little...got that?" he said, standing up and giving the spheal a small nod before turning and walking off, the spheal seemingly too stunned to respond, just watching as Nao walked back over to his companion.<br/><br/>"Sorry Carter, it was a nice gesture, and I really appreciate it, but I'm going to fight my own battles, and part of that is knowing when to accept a loss, it's only fair" he said, suddenly leaning forward and planting a tiny peck on the boy's cheek, "though that was pretty manly, sweeping in like a knight in shining armor" he cooed, "If I was a girl I probably would have been swooning after that" he teased, shooting him a devious little wink before turning towards the town proper, "though speaking of swooning ladies we've still got an errand to run for the professor, what do you say we swing by the pokecenter for a quick heal and get back on track?" he asked, hooking around Carter's arm and tugging him along.