As you approach, the black-hat crowds the Herdier, prompting it to back off and bark again.  Hugh hears this, exclaims his relief, and heads off to go find the Herdier’s trainer- without waiting to find out what the situation is.  Black-hat turns and calls you a pest, and declares that you have encroached on the activities of a member of the all-too-terrifying Team Plasma!  He asks if you’ve heard of the organization.

Either way, he blames you for not only finding him, but also his getting lost chasing the Herdier.  He threatens you with a ‘take this!’, but all he throws at you is a TM- for one of the least useful attacks that has any actual power, Frustration.  This attack is stronger the less the pokemon using it likes you, and considering how few ways there are to succesfully train a pokemon and keep it from liking you, it’s pretty hard to find a meaning in Frustration.  Frustrating, even.

The Plasma member takes this opportunity to run off, leaving you with the now much happier Herdier.  The Pokemon approaches you with cheerful barks, and then the ranch owner and Hugh show up.  He thanks you for all your help, and Hugh berates him some more for not being more concerned, declaring that the Herdier might have been lost forever and the ranch owner should take better care of his dog.  That done, your erstwhile traveling companion leaves.

The ranch owner wonders if something happened to Hugh to prompt this vitriol, then leads Herdier off to go home, leaving you in the backwoods.  Fortunately, you’ve seen several ledges by now that lead back to the main area of the ranch, so leaving isn’t exactly difficult.

This makes it time to -finally- go back and see Alder again.  As you near his home, he steps out of his yard and exclaims that you must have delivered the map.  The Champion then pauses, and points out that you weren’t gone very long, but you and your Pokemon have both done some growing.  He even says he could have taken you to be someone completely different.