Nova's creative attempt to 'help' initially invoked a wide-eyed reaction from Lee. His initial reaction was fear that the Vulpix had decided to try to eat the fish. He quickly rushed to Nova and picked her up to ensure she wouldn't get a second opportunity.
"No! No! No!" He exclaimed, at which point he realized what Nova had actually been doing.
"Ok, I recognize you're trying to help." Lee said, trying to remain calm and not making the situation worse. He gently placed a firm hand on Nova's head and moved it about in a motion that wasn't quite petting, trying to find a balance between not codling the Vulpix and ignoring the mistake, while still recognizing the intention and that they'd avoided anyone actually getting hurt.
This time, at least.
"Let's...try not eating our teammates, shall we?"
[X] Gently correct Nova
-[X] See if Fathom might connect with Archer and/or Cruchbite; how does he perform following their lead?
-[X] See what advice and insight Kate and Jasper have about the situation
To be on the safe side, Lee decided it was probably a smart decision to minimize Nova's part in Fathom's training for the time being.
Fortunately, he had other training in mind for Nova that he thought would suit her perfectly, and be a wonderful distraction to keep her from feeling 'left out'.
[X] Train Nova
-[X] Learn Flamethrower
Lee felt increasing lament in the teams mission. He knew it was important, and yet there was so much he felt like he was missing out on. Taking time to explore the sights. Detours to unnecessary but fascinating stops. Seeing Pokemon in their natural environments and possibly battling them.
Unfortunately, the shadow of Groudon loomed large. They had to pick and choose their stops wisely. Already, Lee Hinsu was increasingly amazed and more than a little thankful the legendary titan continued to sleep. But he couldn't afford to get complacent. Anything that didn't contribute to their mission had to pass the questions of if it was worth the time or would they regret not stopping.
In the moment, they'd yet to encounter anything that fit those criteria. The Pokemon they discovered, while great finds, didn't strike Lee as being worth the training battle's they'd put up, and neither did he feel inclined to catch them. Even the Torchics, while seeming like a rare find, he didn't see a place for one on his team. Oh sure, he could try catching for sake of trade, or just to say he had one, but those seemed cruel.
He didn't have a good place to send any Pokemon he didn't have a legit use for, and to catch a Pokemon that was just minding its own business for the express purpose of giving it to someone else...Lee just didn't get it.
But they still had a way to go, both to their next stop, and to Rayquaza, and who was to say what they might yet find or encounter on the way there.
[X] Study the pokemon on the route
-[X] Keep an eye out for anything special that might pop up.
-[X] Occasionally have Archer do areal recon, see if he spots anything of note.
Kate continued to impress Lee, especially with her storytelling aptitude. She did an excellent job of telling of their adventures in a foreign land. Lee was almost beginning to feel like he'd been to Kanto himself despite never having left Hoenn. While he certainly couldn't disagree with Jasper's assessment of Kate's inexplicable ability to get herself into trouble, it also was very hard to deny that Kate's antics made for an endless source of entertainment and great stories.
He took special note of her story about the Aerodactyl. He could have sworn that they were extinct. Part of him questioned if there was something about the story that wasn't quite as it sounded, but Kate wasn't really one to lie. More than anything, it made his mind go to the two fossils he was carrying around that had shown some strange echo of life.
More and more, it became increasingly apparent how Kate and Jasper complimented each other perfectly. It had been pretty clear even early on, but the more he got to know them, the more obvious it became. Kate was a personality powerhouse who oozed charisma, while Jasper was a calm, collected man who got things done. She was the heart and face, he was the brains and muscle. And they were totally and utterly devoted to one another. They had to be, and yet Lee found it impossible for them not to be.
He was happy for them, but deep down it wasn't hard to be a little envious of the perfect match they had in one another.
"I wonder if Kate has a sister." He silently joked to himself.
Whereas Kate was the social giant of the duo, Jasper increasingly made clear that he was powerhouse of the pair. So Lee turned to Jasper in hopes of improving his own skills in training Pokemon. Lee knew full well he wasn't anywhere near the point where he could challenge Jasper in an honest battle, but hopefully Jasper might be willing to help Lee along the path to where someday he might.
And Lee also imagined that Jasper might appreciate the change of pace that came from having someone to work with who actually took Pokemon training seriously, in contrast to Kate's carefree attitude, as lovable as that carefree attitude was.
[X] Talk with Kate and Jasper about their pokemon journeys
[X] Train with Jasper (not intended to be a training battle)
