#htma

Sharing my experience with Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis and my results. Hi friends! How are ya? I hope you’re enjoying the day so far. Today is admin stuff, plus a home strength training workout and breakfast for dinner tonight. For today’s post, I wanted to share my experience with HTMA as one of the testing tools I’ve been using. I shared more about my food sensivity test here, and will do…

Sharing my experience with Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis and my results. Hi friends! How are ya? I hope you’re enjoying the day so far. Today is admin stuff, plus a home strength training workout and breakfast for dinner tonight. For today’s post, I wanted to share my experience with HTMA as one of the testing tools I’ve been using. I shared more about my food sensivity test here, and will do…

HTMA, or Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis, serves as a valuable guide for understanding and optimizing mineral balance in the body. This non-invasive test analyzes mineral levels present in the hair, offering insights into nutritional imbalances, deficiencies, and toxic metal accumulation. By assessing mineral ratios and levels, HTMA helps identify potential underlying causes of health issues and guides personalized interventions.

Minerals play crucial roles in various bodily functions, including enzyme activity, hormone production, and cellular function. When mineral levels are imbalanced, it can disrupt these processes and impact overall health and well-being. HTMA empowers individuals to take control of their health by providing a comprehensive view of their mineral status.

With the information obtained from HTMA, tailored strategies can be implemented to restore mineral balance. This may include dietary adjustments, targeted supplementation, lifestyle modifications, and toxin elimination. By addressing mineral imbalances, individuals can enhance their energy levels, improve immune function, support hormonal balance, and optimize overall health.

Chapter 2 can be read here.

Mairin’s POV

“Mairin.”  

Hearing Alain’s voice again made Mairin feel a bit uneasy, even though she had secretly wanted to hear it for quite some time. But now that her wish had suddenly become reality, she had no idea how to react. Her first instinct was to run away, but there was this other part of her that wanted to stay. It wanted to vent all of the feelings that she’d kept bottled up inside ever since Chespie’s accident.

It soon came to Mairin’s attention that she had been in the same position for quite a while. She was still standing there, staring at him, with her hand still held in his. She suddenly felt way too close to him. It had never been a problem before; after all, they had shared hugs, and even slept in the same small tent together before. But now... she was actually questioning her comfort.  

Finally, Mairin recovered from the shock of seeing Alain and pulled her hand out of his grip. While his face had the usual unreadable expression, she noticed that he hadn’t moved either, making her think that he didn’t know how to react to this encounter either. She tried to back out, but almost fell again as her foot tripped on the leg of a chair.  

“You haven’t changed a bit, have you?” Alain remarked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

That little comment set something off in Mairin. “That’s none of your business! I got nervous, and that’s why I almost fell again. Not because I’m clumsy!” she snapped, feeling anger welling inside of her chest.

Alain frowned, obviously taken aback at her sudden bust of rage. “I didn’t mean to make you mad or anything...” he muttered.

Although Mairin didn’t know what to expect from this encounter, she certainly wasn’t happy with the way things were going. She felt so angry. He should at least apologize properly!

“You know what? If that’s really all you have to say, I have nothing to say to you either. I’m gonna go. Before something bad happens again.”

Before giving Alain any chance to speak, Mairin began to storm out of the Poke Center, but stopped just in front of the doors. Feeling her lips trembling, Mairin turned to face Alain once more.

“By the way, Chespie still hasn’t moved. And that video Lysandre sent you before, it wasn’t… it wasn’t real…” her voice cracked, and she swallowed before continuing, “I was really hoping that, maybe, you would call us, or even stop by to see us after seeing it, but...”

Mairin couldn’t find the strength to finish. Perhaps that was probably a good thing, because she realized she had already said too much. Lysandre had made her promise not to tell anyone about what she had heard or saw in the labs.

“Wait, what? What do you mean by ‘it wasn’t real’? And please let me explain why I...!” Alain called to her, but she was already gone.  

Mairin ran as fast she could, failing to notice the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

Alain’s POV

After Mairin had disappeared, a buzzing swarm of confusing thoughts occupied Alain’s mind.

This… this wasn’t how it was supposed to be…  

A dull sensation of nausea crept into Alain’s throat, and he slowly maneuvered himself to sit in the chair that Mairin had previously tripped on.

When I left, I was hoping that, by the time I saw her again, I would’ve gotten the cure for Chepsie. I would’ve told her that I’m finally strong enough to protect her…. That I would never abandon her again. I guess that didn’t happen.  

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn’t register Ash’s sudden appearance

“Alain, did you know her? Who is she?” Ash asked calmly.

His voice snapped Alain out of his trance, and he looked up at Ash, startled. He quickly overcame his initial shock, and with a heavy sign, he straightened his posture.

“Yes, I know her. It’s… a long story,” Alain explained. His throat was throbbing, but somehow he found the strength to keep his voice calm.

“Well, if it helps, I’m a pretty good listener,” Ash responded with an honest smile.

Alain felt the corner of his lips twitch into a grin. Somehow, he felt more relaxed in his presence, and if he was willing to listen…

“…Her name is Mairin,” Alain began. “She saw me battling with Charizard one day, and from then on she became my travel companion. We went through quite a lot together, and she was good company. But then, I… I did something that I completely regret. Now, I don’t even know if I’ll ever get to apologize to her…”  

“Mairin sounds really important to you,” Ash remarked. “Yes, she is,” Alain confirmed. “She’s someone that I… care deeply for.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then I’m sure you’ll be able to make up with her! That’s my motto: never give up until the end!” Ash declared confidently. His partner, Pikachu, cheered along with him.  

Alain tilted his head downwards, closed his eyes, and smiled. “Your optimism is surely inspiring,” he chuckled.

Ash laughed coyly and rubbed his finger under his nose. “Oh man, thanks. Hey, if you want, my friends and I can help you out after the Finals!” he suggested.

“That’s thoughtful of you, but-” Alain started to say, but he was abruptly cut off by Ash.

“Oh! That’s right, I think there was something you wanted to tell me before our battle!”

At first, Alain stared at Ash confusedly, but he quickly remembered what Ash was talking about. “Oh, right…” he hesitated, a bit unsure if he should actually be telling him this information…

It’s not like I have much of a choice anymore…

With a sigh, Alain stared Ash right in the eyes, and began to tell him. “It’s about my boss, a man named Lysandre. I’ve worked with him to collect Mega Evolution energy for his research. He recently contacted me, and… he told me…”

“Told you… what?” Ash asked.

“He said that, if I don’t win the Finals in two days… then he’ll hurt Mairin.”

Chapter one can be read here.

“Alain,” Mairin whispered at the TV screen. When the initial shock after seeing him was over, she didn’t know if she should be happy, or sad, or even angry. She was happy because she knew now that he was fine and healthy, and apparently stronger than ever - and in the same city with her! She missed him a lot, and could easily go to watch that league final if she wanted to.

But Mairin hadn’t forgotten about Alain’s last words to her when she saw him last time: “I can’t become stronger if you’re with me.”

He didn’t want her anywhere near him, and she wasn’t going to force it. Tears tried to blur her vision, but she decided she wouldn’t cry - not for him. If it wasn’t for Alain, Chespie would be fine and she’d be traveling somewhere far away from Lumiose City and Lysandre Labs (she tried to ignore the fact that she was to one who had insisted on traveling with him in the first place). 

“I should probably go back to see Chespie before I run into Alain by accident”, she thought. “I’m not ready to face him.”

Mairin was snapped out of her thoughts by the lost Chespin, who had started to jump excitedly and pulled the hem of her pants. “Oh, what now? Did you recognize someone?”

“Chespin-ches!” he answered, which she took as a yes. She saw a light haired boy with glasses approaching them.

“Oh, Chespin, there you are! We’ve been looking for you everywhere. Were you the one who found him?” the boy turned to Mairin. “Yes I did. I found him wandering alone on Vernal Avenue earlier today.” “Chespin, how many times do I have to tell you that you cannot run away like that to get poke puffs from Cafe Classe? Serena always carries a couple of extra puffs just for you,” the boy reminded his pokemon. 

“Ches...” the spiny nut Pokemon mumbled, ashamed.

“Anyway, my name is Clemont,” the blonde boy added. “Thanks for bringing my Chespin here. We were really worried about him because this is such a huge city and you could get lost so easily. What’s your name, helper?” 

“I’m Mairin. Nice to meet you, Clemont! I have a Chespin that looks just like yours, but....”

She couldn’t finish the sentence because the image of Chespie laying in the lab in a coma came back to her mind. She had been so distracted by Alain and then Clemont that she had forgotten about him for a second. But Clemont didn’t notice the change in her mood because he had seen his friends arriving in the Pokemon Center.

“Ash, Serena, Bonnie! I found him!” Clemont exlaimed happily.

“Awesome! Now I can start getting ready for the Finals!” said the black-haired boy, whom Mairin had seen on TV several times already.

“Hey, I think I know you! Aren’t you...?” She almost slipped “Alain’s opponent,” but the boy hurried to answer.

“I’m Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and this is my partner Pikachu. And these are Bonnie and Serena, and you apparently met Clemont already.”

“I’m Mairin. Hi all!” Even though she was feeling low, she remembered to be polite: “Congrats, I just heard that you had made the Kalos League Finals!” She pointed towards the TV, which was featuring some recent coverage on the League. A pink-haired woman with a black top was currently reporting that the Finals were supposed to take place in two days. 

“Thank you! Yes, I did, though the Semifinals were super close… but the Finals will be even tougher. I’ve already lost to Alain twice before, and his Charizard is quite something…” Ash wasn’t someone who gets nervous easily, but there was still a slight hint of nervousness in his voice when he said that.

“You know him?” Mairin asked, surprised about this piece of news.

“Yes, we’ve met a couple of times and battled too, but my Greninja wasn’t nearly as strong back then as it is now. In fact, Alain said that he wanted to talk to me about something before the Finals, so we are supposed to meet soon,” Ash replied. It seemed that this girl knew him too, he thought. But why did she suddenly get so nervous?

“What?!” She screamed. She couldn’t possibly be here with these people when they were supposed to meet Alain soon. “Uh, sorry, I just remembered something, I have to go.” 

Mairin rushed to the door of the Pokemon Center, but before she was out, she collided with someone. A black-haired, blue-eyed boy who had been in her thoughts way too often lately. She had fallen on the ground, and he had automatically reached to help her before realizing who she was. 

“Mairin,” she heard a familiar voice say.