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Luna and Thief Ch 22: An Electrifying Surge!

A sparkle as gentle and quiet as a candle flickered across Moonlights dark pink eyes as he stared up at the veil of pure red-gold sunlight. Inside of the gym which donned gentle rich tile inside of a room that housed glass roof-panels, so the sunlight could shine through stood one tanned fellow with dark brown hair. His pants were all sorts of patterns as he'd give them a strict smile and a wave. Griffin's Pokémon had sat in a corner away from the chalklined field as Moonlight glanced away from the sporadic plumes of rich candle-glowed stars and glared at a black large screen on the wall.

Another smart field, where a Pokémon's health comes up onto the screen. It doesn't mean much at all… It nearly cuts my time in battle by three quarters. As Moonlight stared aimlessly at the black screen a happy and loud voice flicked through the room, it cut the sudden silence from them walking into the Gym. A large open box resembling a battlefield… That voice was Yuny whom hopped all around Natasha's shoulders and her Beret.

“YesYESyesyeyesyesyeysyeyeysyyes!" She spoke so fast that her words stuttered as her tail flicked all over the air, all across Natasha's cheeks which made her sneeze and then laugh. The human couldn't understand her words, no human ever really could… Moonlight felt his paw reach up to his chest… why would his heart still feel so heavy while that scarf felt weightless. It felt as though he had a pair of wings around his shoulders… the kind that made him stare at the sky before he felt a pair of eyes on him. His head turned, and he faced Luna. Moonlight had to double take it…

She was completely into getting out of here, riled up and all. So why? That Espeon just stared at her tails which were stilted in the air – the wiry fur quaked, quivered and shook wildly in the air. That Espeon watched Absol glance Luna's way next and he simply gave out a breath. Luna's fur was barely groomed at all, as though it were a secret that Vulpix's knew of… That Ninetales taught their young.

It flashed in his mind for a moment and he felt a quake run down his back.

All… You mean she doesn't know how to groom herself? Ninetales are protective of their young and eggs… She's been remembering things about herself but why? Why would she need to? And now she's terrified of… the gym? No. It's because it's an electric type gym? I can't understand it… I used DreamEater on everyone I could and just like… Thief their nightmares are blanked out. It's one good dream and then it's black, like an old video tape cutting out.

There was a small pointless voice that made Absol turn to Pikachu… in fact they were talking a whole bunch about things and Moonlight furrowed his eyes. Shadow said… that Leafeon was covering his ass somehow. How does that Pikachu get involved? Why would his name be Scarf – that old guy in Pewter named him that. I damn near want to find that bag of skin and ask him but it takes… Moonlight swallowed to himself and glanced at Griffin. He was chatting with Brad, Melody and Natasha. While he looked their way, Melody's Houndoom snorted a puff of smoke his way. And that Houndoom is always beside Melody… what was with that power before? The Espeon pushed his paws against the tile floors and almost gave a sigh to himself… he just stared down his chest, down at the scarf with his heart beating heavily. It was tattered, burned… discolored and just scrap cloth that still vigilantly held onto that scent. I'm just there… conveniently for that Leafeon… Moonlight just stared at it, his eyes following along every bit. Even the small now weak strands of wonderfully fiery fur glared at him back. The voices were moments away from entering his mind before Moonlight snapped to himself – bitterly in thought.

Don't damn well start that here you idiot… That Leafeon is just getting in your head. There's nothing to know… that Miasma… there's nothing to know. It's all pointless crap he's running after. I never should have called him a friend back in Saffron. I'm… what he says is just sugary caked berry mulch…

“It really is like a champion tournament battle… I guess. Or like a tournament event. I've barely watched them myself… some Pokémon can go too far." Moonlight jolted at his voice and almost turned to look at the Leafeon before just focusing on the screen that held itself in the wall. That screen overlooked the entire gym's battle ground. There was this line, a thick one that divided the tile with dirt and sand.

“I don't get what you mean, Leafeon. Pokémon Trainers have tournaments." He'd say. “Are you talking about that? Because there's no difference."

“Not quite… Humans are unique indeed. A little strange but…" the Espeon tilted an eye at Leafeon. That Leafeon was busy staring at everything around him. “Let's just say they're different then I expected them to be."

“You stare at Luna… I…" Moonlight swallowed. “You need to help her more then me. I still can't tap into her nightmares when she has them. I can't help him…" Leafeon shrugged and rolled his shoulders at the Espeon.

“Help her? Right?" Moonlight froze in place and swallowed to himself.

“That's what I said." He replied silently and the Leafeon tilted his head at Moonlight.

“That cloth is in disrepair." Leafeon mentioned “I know someone who could fix that right up… Someday." Leafeon commented at him and Moonlight tossed him a look, one that was fit with a growl worthy of being threatening.

“You touch it and I'll rip your paws off…" Leafeon just glanced at him firmly… they both just stared at one another.

“You're strange… Espeon. I find your demeanor human-like once again."

“I was raised by them. I know when to act more then just some wild Pokémon." Leafeon seemed to give a little jolt.

“I'm more then just wild, Moon." The Espeon and Leafeon both snarled at one another.

“Don't call me that, never call me that." It was the paws that touched the tile that made the Espeon turn his head…

“Hey Moonlight, I want to chat with you for a bit. It's regarding Thief… I'm curious about idea's on how to train him, think you can help out?" Shadow cut into the conversation. The black and grey Mightyena had the size which equally matched Leafeon's. They simply exchanged glances as the Leafeon gave this sound… A sound that made Moonlight's fur rile up.

Calling him… wild made him mad? Or was it the context? He is wild, he's got to be if he's acting like he has never seen a human before. The Espeon just stared at Leafeon walk off, over to Natasha where Yuny started making noise at him. She had spent her entire time freaking out about something.

“Isn't it so COOL!? Look at everything!! It's a lightning gym! It's super static-y in here too! I love it! Leafeon see my fur!? It's all sparky now!" The Leafeon smiled at the Eevee that sat on Natasha's head and just started to chat with her aimlessly… Something pushed Moonlight's side.

“You were getting a little hot-headed Moonlight." Shadow commented as his large paw rested on Moonlight's shoulder… “Marill calls you Moon…" The Espeon growled a bit.

“He's an idiot… Doesn't listen to anybody, spends all his time swimming in the water just because Griffin doesn't want him fighting." Shadow tilted his head at him.

“Bandit suspected that… it doesn't make much sense to me, Marill can beat Thief in a fight easily. Hell, he can spar against me! It's surprising how powerful that Marill actually is, and Griffin doesn't even train him." Shadow mentioned with a small smile. “But the question is… Thief. He get's distracted easily, eats way too much except around Luna… I keep finding him collecting stupid things sometimes – like in the city earlier today, I also noticed a bunch of rocks in Griffin's backpack." Moonlight shrugged his shoulders a little.

“Thief is smart… and idiotic. It's like he wants to learn everything and make friends with the world… It's stupid, entirely stupid. That Growlithe is cub-ish. He's a puppy, at five years too? Most Pokémon evolve within their first year…"

“And what about Luna?" Shadow asked him, and he sighed.

“I guess that she's lost, sassy too, I think she's taking the body language from Bandit… I can't blame her she's looking at the strongest of all of us and following it. Most Pokémon do." Moonlight mentioned “And then there's Absol, we haven't really seen her fight at all." Moonlight mentioned again.

“She's old too, or at least older then all of us; that's a problem…" Moonlight sighed a little.

“And calms down Luna, there's a little bit of all of us in everyone for whatever reason. Personally, I don't like it." Moonlight commented as Shadow gave a roll of his eyes.

“Now you sound like that Vulpix, tired of playing house and she's sitting right there in the middle… Like…"

What's with that change of tone? Shadow shook his head

“No that analogy is dumb…" Moonlight just looked at Shadow who stared back at the Espeon before Luna came into his view again… She was still shaking until Bandit sat next to her. They muttered something between one another… “Whatever, I still feel upset myself. About attacking you, about yelling at her. I keep on doing things like that… eventually. The League should be more concerned with me, not with Bandit." The Mightyena mentioned and Moonlight just looked back at the panels of glass above them… They hadn't been waiting very long, just on the Gym leader who was having a conversation with a red-brown haired woman in the back room. It looked like she was covering the gym for him when he was gone and Surge wanted to be filled in with the details. Griffin - although talking to everyone – smiled and laughed with some of the things they said, the jokes they made – he seemed nervous about the gym. It made Moonlight's head tilt…

Without Thief here… I guess… Griffin suddenly seems on edge. I don't get what he see's in that Growlithe and the rocks in his bag? I thought Griffin tossed them aside at the end of the night. Why… Moonlight foolishly pictured back to when he helped him tie the scarf around his neck and shook his head. That was childish for me to think of. Seeing him in that light… he's a human being. Like all of them; even Ayumu, We're all just Pokémon to them. Moonlight stared at Griffin intently… there was something with the aura he was reading, and he was sure that Brad's Lucario picked up on it too. Moonlight never really saw it often, sometimes when Griffin was asleep the Espeon picked it up. It was this slight tiny hint of gold, as though only a spark dared to show itself. Along with mood there was the nature of the being, Moonlight knew that… Griffin's mood changed but it always was calm and nervous… Yellow; orange. But his Nature was something that always confused Moonlight. Where it appeared gently pink and flared from time to time with a murky pink and purple color. Showing that he was kind, caring and immature… Naïve. Yet Moonlight simply saw the spark of gold as though he saw this beauty in tiny things. Pointless things.

As though, at one point in his life, the nature of another touched his very soul and never let him go.

Moonlight simply watched the candles in the sky flicker in silence save for the talking which made him glance to the heavens that slowly turned darker. There was this… tree in the way with strong branches and wonderful leaves that rustled in the wind – where it cradled and caressed the air and stars which collected in a small nest that barely showed a little fox behind them. His paws stuck to the tile as he glanced down at the floor and sighed…

Poetic… Great, now nature is even agreeing with him. I need to get that damn Leafeon out of my head. Moonlight swallowed as he felt it got stuck in his throat… As though he couldn't talk. I'll bug Griffin and see if I can get some water… it be helpful if Pokémon had… bags or something like that. Humans make those cosmetic looking things, but you never find anything useful from them. It… A leaf touched his nose and Moonlight glanced at it. He took a look around and noticed Leafeon. Yuny had finally gotten off of Natasha's shoulders – off of her beret and spent her time chasing after pointless fluttering leaves… Moonlight just watched in the sunsetting blaze as the Leafeon effortlessly swirled the move around. He was using RazorLeaf, but the leaves looked gentle, calm… a flurry of wonderful art which swirled and stirred the air as though to make shapes of all kinds. It felt like watching a human fold paper, like Origami but alive – thriving. As if to tell a story of a little Pokémon running to their friends and family. Moonlight just watched with a stilled heart… Yuny was busy laughing and giggling and making all sorts of noise when… something came across the chalk lined battlefield. Another Eevee joined in.

Who… is that? Surge made noise from the back room and glanced out of the doorway. His Eevee wanted to see the shapes in the leaves too. It was as though that Leafeon was so skilled with them that he could make all sorts of styles out of them. Something made a noise at him.

“Moonlight? I've been talking to you for a while… I uhm… think your staring." Moonlight's whole pelt just riled. It was as if a shiver went from his tail to the tips of his head while that face of his burned red.

“I…" He looked away and glanced at the Mightyena. “Sorry, Shadow. I'm… just being a fool; that's all." Shadow started to snicker.

“You really are weird, Moonlight. There you go, telling Thief to slow his feelings down while yours are everywhere." The Espeon swallowed and felt the air in the gym surround him. That cool gentle wind which blew through his thin wiry fur. “In fact, you talked to Aura when we were going to Maiden's Peak… what did Bandit say again? She's always so nosy… I guess you could say." Shadow laughed to himself. “It's cute… Lovely, she does it in this special way. I swear that…" Moonlight felt himself smile.

“She'll be a wonderful mother, one day… Shadow, I already know you both we'll be great parents. Pace yourself I know it's been long enough for you too. Things are just going to get harder… You both should train each other when you're not training Thief and Luna. I need to find a way to train more too." Moonlight mentioned and glanced at Aura… He meant to turn his head back to the two Eevee's running around the leaves, but he met her glance. The Lucario simply smiled and showed off a pair of mittens from that little waist-belt pouch she had.

Why would love to stop at borders? Moonlight swallowed while his own words betrayed him… and glanced back at Leafeon. He said that his clan fell to war. I've never even heard of a war between Pokémon – even territories are simplistic to agree terms on. Moonlight touched his head to the ground and swallowed… I barely had the chance to read much into it. There's something missing… His eyes shut, and he breathed onto the tile… Moonlight's gem glowed tenderly and he softly sighed…

“Hey Moonlight! It's sunny and white now! Let's go play! I have super warm fur anyways! I wanna see it! Please! Last night… it was too windy!" The silence enveloped him… the weightlessness… the void. Pain fluttered into his chest and lungs as his eyes pictured inside himself again.

“Moonlight!"

The Espeon's eyes glimmered around the dim and endlessly churning void to the sound of his voice. A wind fluttered through his mind as the world became a mix of darkly greys and pure white sunlight. The shadows casted themselves across the beautiful swirl of fluttering and frozen leaves which showed a picture within them. A beautiful tree, wonderful mountains and a hint of those who ran around and played amongst one another. Moonlight

felt his paws move and took only a second to glance at his stilled and frozen self. It's as though all of time had stopped here, in a boundary which made everything feel weightless… breathless… and he took a moment to glance at Leafeon. His own astral projection; a Psychic move that all types could do with enough focus and knowledge… but he only knew of himself that could pull it off flawlessly. He'd take a step through the leaves which barely moved as he went. They'd go through his body – his soul. A spirit frozen in a timeless guilt and pain. The wind in his heart whispered out another cry for his name as he'd sit in front of Leafeon… and… touch their foreheads together.

In seconds there was a world he had never seen before. A beautiful beach with sand as crisp and clean as the moon itself… everything was frozen for only a moment… and then it was the screaming that made him flinch. Moonlight turned and felt two little forms run around him, it forced his tails to sit on spikes.

That was… Two Vulpix's? What's going on?

A Growlithe followed them, followed the two closely – pushed them towards the woods. There was all sorts of screams and the crackle of fire which sparked against the velvet of dark, starry sky above him. Ashes and sparks fluttered into the dark sky with putrid smoke from burning plants and wet wood. Moonlight danced his eyes around. Nearby the calm beach… the splatter of blood, every single den was dug open as though to surround an island fire pit. Countless wide-circular open topped fox-dens as something once again darted nearby him. Moonlight felt his tails still as it turned and snarled at him.

An Arcanine… with orange eyes. There was a Ninetales that pounced on top of her, a vicious trade of violent and rabid bites and roars between them both. Her voice yelled at the three cubs to run… Moonlight felt his tails still as he watched closely.

She's… pregnant. I can tell Moonlight tried to push a paw forward as the battle kept going on… I don't understand, this isn't what I saw before. It's the same fight but… Moonlight looked all around the beach where there was dozens of other fights, some between Arcanines and Vulpix's – a brutal, cruel way to kill them... It made Moonlight swallow and feel sick as he'd watch one tear a small Growlithe apart, one that was trying to defend a Vulpix. The seen was horrific, but Moonlight never averted his eyes. This is supposed to be a forest… even the air is the same? Is this a memory? No… Yes? It feels like it's been just planted here… There's no Eeveelutions. Why aren't there this time? Moonlight scratched at the sands, but nothing changed to the ground, This wasn't a solid place but a copy of one. Could it… It's like? A dream? Or a story? Something planted this memory for him or told him it. A single cherry blossom crossed by his nose with a twinkle of gentle sunlight which flickered against his eyes…

His world fluttered and changed in an instant which forced Moonlight to search all around a forest that made his back shiver. Tall maple and oak trees swung around them as leaves from others flickered in all kinds of colors. Amber, Green, Yellow and the occasional dark brown. It was Autumn here…

“Mommy!" A young voice touched his ears and it left him to shut his eyes. “I don't want a bath! Why do I need one? I'll just get messy!" His eyes shut closed… as something touched his face. Moonlight found the strength to open his eyes after a moment…

It was the glade of maple tree's which fluttered a wonderful collection of amber leaves that made his eyes flicker in curiosity and fright. As the Espeon stared all around the woods, trees of rich pine with the wonderful smell of a gorgeous rich sunlight mixed through his nostrils as faint hints of syrup, sugar and crisp mountain air touched his nose. This was a forest… that only Moonlight knew as home. Something touched his face again…

A vine chased across his nose.

“So this is your core." Moonlight froze solid… The gentle cream-colored fur… the earthly paws that felt the world… a tail of crisp green and ears that twitched to the sounds of a forest unlike any in Japan.

“This isn't… possible. Y – you're not a Psychic type…" Moonlight stumbled back over a root, one that led him onto his tail end again. One that made him look at the sky, the air, the tree's in a spasmodic and frantic way. His breathing picked up and for just a second… past a small red-wood fox which glanced at him with golden eyes where the endless swirl of a black void looked back at him… was a Stag.

One with near crystalline antlers that glimmered with soft gems of every color… Moonlight bit his tongue as it simply flicked its small puffy tail, turned and faded from the void. Xerneas? Moonlight felt a shiver cross down his spine as his eyes flashed wide open. What the hell is Xerneas doing here? How the hell is he here? Moonlight was in the middle of climbing to his paws when something ran through him. Then another… and another that lulled behind. Three young cubs. A larger male Eevee… a thinner male and a female all chased towards a Vaporeon and a Jolteon… the Vaporeon was a male with gentle purple-pink fur and scales, and the Jolteon was a female with wonderfully lime green fur which fluttered against a mirror of iridescent amber and emerald leaves. Her fur matched most of the leaves which hung above them as a wiry little Eevee scampered against her grip and kept whining in protest.

“Now quit squirming whirlwind, or you'll get hosed with my water gun again." The Vaporeon spoke and laughed as that Eevee kept fighting past the Jolteon's paws.

“I don't wanna!" He'd say as she planted a lick against his head and it made him wriggle. “Mooooom stop! I'll just get muddy again!"

“Which one is you? Moonlight?" Leafeon's voice slipped over his mind as Moonlight shut his eyes furiously.

Wake up…. Get out of my head…. Get out of this place. Wake up Moonlight…

“It's a beautiful forest… I've never seen one so untouched, save for my home. There mustn't be a single human this far out." Moonlight tried to bite his tongue as the young female Eevee scampered up to the Eevee that squirmed in the Jolteon's paws. This memory was off to Moonlight, he knew that right away. There was more missing from here…

“My name isn't whirlwind! That's a dumb name!" The purple Vaporeon giggled and smiled at the Jolteon as the rambunctious and troublesome Eevee snapped at his father.

“Well if you keep acting like this, we'll all name you that!" The Eevee gave a hmph and stared at the ground bitterly before he squirmed from the Jolteon's cleaning lick. “Stop it!" He'd say as his sister giggled

“Come on and get clean! We wanna play by the stream!" She'd say with a laugh as a larger Eevee just curled and planted himself by a patch of tall green grass.

“It's not like he'll do anything anyways, he's too much of a fraidy-vee." He remarked cruelly and huffed at the grass. “Why do we need to wait for him?"

That was never said that here… that was back at the bank of the river… I guess with Leafeon not being a psychic type it's mixed it all up… I'm naturally fighting him out of my…

The little rambunctious Eevee squirmed again and tried to wriggle from the emerald Jolteon's paws, in fact he finally slipped out of it… and just like the Vaporeon said he would, the purple scaled Pokémon let out a water gun and hosed him entirely. His fur clung to him like a matted tangled mess and it left the Jolteon and Vaporeon to giggle to themselves. Moonlight watched closely, none of the Eevee's looked their way. There is more missing?… am I forgetting them!? God please… no. I can't. Why is the memory similar but not…?

“See, getting clean isn't that hard… now go play with your siblings. Don't go past the stream bank!" He warned them as the eldest Eevee – the largest - rolled his eyes and walked with his sister. The rambunctious one just pouted and stuck out his tongue defiantly… the third brother, the middle brother, just watched silently, distracted with the trees… the leaves, the flowers and the snow-capped mountain in the distance…

Wake yourself up… Moonlight. Nobody could dig this far, and yet Xerneas? Why is Xerneas helping this Leafeon?

“Let's follow them…" Leafeon said and nodded. “This place is absolutely wonderful… warm but a little chilly, I can tell that from the soil and the wind. This forest… is absolutely beautiful."

“It snows…" Moonlight mentioned and closed his eyes with a soft sigh as Leafeon stared at him intensly… “It snows almost every month of the year and there's these few months of spring and summer… with fall following quickly." Moonlight mentioned and quaked in his paws. This was alien to him – a Pokémon at his true core - and out of everyone it had to be that damned Leafeon? The Espeon dug his claws into the earth and that made the Leafeon stop in his tracks.

“Moon… I…" Leafeon said softly and the Espeon stirred.

“I… need you to leave. This place isn't something anyone can see… and yet you? Why?" Moonlight snarled bitterly. “Why is it you? Why would… That was Xerneas right? How can… Why?" Moonlight bit his tongue and swallowed firmly, dryly… nervously. “Stop… exposing how weak I am… Within the same hour too? Get away from me." Leafeon sat down on his rear against a soft school of tall blades and gentle dirt.

“This… isn't weakness Moonlight." He mentioned with large eyes and that Leafeon glanced at the border between this life filled forest of maple and pine trees where the bushes rustled in the wind. “What's out there…" He'd say while his eyes met with a churning void of endless black and a single red-furred Vulpix with golden bright eyes stared back at him… “That's weakness… Moonlight. We're… friends, I see us as friends"

“It's…" Moonlight snarled. “That's him" Leafeon shook his head no in reply.

“No it's not… Moonlight. That's… what you think he'd remember you as. That's your guilt talking Moonlight… you're carrying all that burden on yourself for nothing." Moonlight growled and violently snarled in reply… as the forest began to dissipate into its black churning void again. Where the happy and young playful voices along with their parents who both laughed and smiled as they lovingly nudged one another faded into nothing.

“It's my pain to carry…" Moonlight remarked “It… is him" His throat felt as though it jolted at him and he sucked in air.

Don't start crying again you moron… Of course, it's my fault, it's always been my fault. I'm just… a problem. I'm nothing, I've never been anything without them and they're all dead…

because of me.

Moonlights eyes glistened with rage, fear and pain as they shone a bright pink -purple color and it suddenly ripped them out of the void of sickly black churns… like a potion that meant death. Suddenly he'd open them and gave a liberal glance around the gym… and act like he stretched, the Leafeon's Razor Leaf stunted and stilled as he shook his head left and right as though adjusting to what happened. Moonlight's head was throbbing at him violently as something touched his ear again, that voice… his voice.

“Moonlight!" Autumn's voice was racked with fright and despair “Please… if you keep doing that….… you'll…" before it all just faded into the sounds of Griffin and Natasha, Melody and Brad talking amongst one another. It's as though none of it had happened. Leafeon shot Moonlight a look and the Espeon bitterly huffed at him, turned rearward with his tail spiked rudely high and walked off to the corner of the room, away from everybody else. Shadow watched him, they were just talking a moment ago, and then he stretched? Shadow didn't get it at all.

“M – Moonlight?" The Espeon simply passed by the sleek Mightyena without a single glance…

“I'm just lying down… my head hurts a little bit, I'll get some water from Griffin later." He'd mention and go into the further corner away from them before he laid down on the tile while he watched that Leafeon curl a collection of swirled leaves in the air for the two Eevees… The kind that showed a wonderful forest surrounded with colors of maple and aspen while Pine trees swayed in a gentle summer-fall air. Moonlight just turned his head in spite and stared at the wall with a bite of his tongue.

Who is that Leafeon really? The wind always picks up from the north when anyone is around him, especially Luna? And that beach… I've never seen it before, it's not Alola… It's not… any region? He winced to himself as his head began to pound mercilessly. Forcing us both out of… That hurt too much, I just feel like sleeping… Moonlight gave a raspy sigh as his pale thin fur brushed against the tiles below him. He never realized how pale his purple and pink fur looked until now, like faded colors… as though the true ones had been snuffed out and chased from him. The Espeon glanced around the room when a flurry of giggles rang through the air. Leafeon had used Razor Leaf to collect around Yuny and the other Eevee's feet and carry them in the room. It was like staring at two emerald clouds that were strong enough to carry them both into the sky and towards the glass pane windows above them just, so they could see the nettle of stars beyond it. Leafeon just acted as if nothing happened but shot him a glance and a flutter of leaves to present the small shape of a maple and a cherry blossom.

I have too many questions and a headache that makes me want to stop. Moonlight closed his eyes, sighed and felt a pair of them that stared at him. A fleeting voice slithered its way into his head as he'd glance over at Luna, the wiry and small Vulpix just nervously looked back at him. Is she connected to all this? What happened between them both? It makes no sense but now I get this tense feeling between her and that Leafeon. What was with that Arcanine…? Her eyes…? Moonlight nervously dug his paws at the tile, scratching his claws against it pointlessly.

I'm sick of this damned waiting, just get the gym leader out here and let us all get the hell out of here… I want to… just hide away in that Pokéball for a while… Moonlight casted his eyes to Griffin's waist and stared at them… from time to time, rarely, they all shone a short red light in unison as if to say they weren't connected… He remembered that usually they'd blink a cool blue-white color. What's going on… Ayumu? You're still in Alola, it's safe there… The Pokéballs shouldn't have any problems… Moonlight gently wracked his paws against the tile in anger, his head throbbed and pounded against his skull.

“Alright! Now that I've been filled in, let's get this started!" There was a silence that fluttered over all the trainers as Surge stepped out of the back room, his loud voice made Moonlight duck into the ground and cover his ears with his paws. He folded the big tipped ears against his head and used both of his front paws to shut them closed and deafen some of the sounds around him.

It hurts more than usual. I'm not getting enough sleep… or sunshine. The Espeon flicked his tail against the ground as a small collection of muffled noises crossed against his ears, he watched the flurry of gentle leaves bring both Yuny and Surge's Eevee back to the ground, where he spent his time to return him to his Pokéball. Surge mentioned something about training the Eevee into a Jolteon before looking at the four of them. Natasha nodded after he talked and mentioned that she was going first… a one on one battle against him. Leafeon was the one to walk onto the field which left Moonlight to stare and let go of his folded ears.

“L – Leafeon?" Natasha said and adjusted her beret – she held Sephiran's Pokéball as Yuny scampered up her leg and climbed onto her shoulders before she promptly plopped on Natasha's beret. Yuny made a chitter of a sound

“I wanna see Senpai fight!" She said, loudly but all the human could hear was the Eevee's excited chitters. Natasha went to return him, the laser shot out and as it did, Leafeon dodged it and then took a battle stance in front of Natasha, facing Surge. The large man laughed loudly.

“Alright! If your Leafeon wants to battle that badly!" He'd say with a grin “He still looks a little weak compared to MY Pokémon, Let's start!" He tossed up a Pokéball into the air. “If you impress me, I might just let you battle another one of my Pokémon!" Natasha frowned, lightly shook her head with Yuny holding on tight to her beret and said.

“Alright Leafeon! It's your spotlight!" As she said that, Leafeon tamely crossed his Razor Leaf around his legs and then over his whole body in a playful whirlwind of a move… it made Moonlight try to push to his feet.

That's… odd… It looks like a defensive move, like a barrier… or a shield? His head began to throb again as Leafeon watched the flash of Surge's Pokéball as sparks of all sorts shot out into the air and crossed over to the Leafeon… a Manectric popped out of the ball in a flurry of lightning and gave off a firm battle cry… Moonlight tilted his head for a moment.

Those sparks…? Moonlight blinked again as he heard something scamper which distracted him… His eyes skimmed across the gym and eventually they fell on Griffin's group of Pokémon – Surge stared at them from time to time, but they seemed obedient and still. He commented about it before the battle started – when Moonlight covered his ears. Luna had ducked behind someone just by instinct alone… She is… terrified of electric type moves? Why? When? She was fine before with them… how odd. Shadow couldn't have horrified her that badly… Moonlight squinted his eyes, that headache of his was still there and he took a moment to breathe while his stomach spun sickly and churned. This… I feel like I drank a whole lot of milk on a really hot day…. But it's freezing in here. His whole body got sickly hot as he slowly swallowed to himself and watched the Manectric await its orders. Leafeon swirled his leaves around before they dissipated into a flurry of gentle sparkles and flashes. Natasha swallowed nervously, first he wasn't wanting to fight and now he was at the gym, fighting for the badge? Or at least it seemed that way to her. The Espeon could tell from her aura… but he didn't get the chance to read it before his head throbbed viciously and he shut his eyes… Damn it… his eyes skimmed around the gym as Aura tilted her head at him… eventually something bumped his way and Moonlight turned to her…

Luna was right there by his side. A curious and worried look in her eyes.

What… why do you care? It fluttered into Moonlight's mind for a moment I guess… you still feel like you owe me for the Magnet Train? But I put you there… I… could've…

“Moonlight? Are you feeling okay?"

You owe her a talk… It came from Leafeon's words before and he swallowed a little as one of her tails bumped his nose accidently.

There was the smallest hint of fresh salty air, the kind which curiously swirled with the air of a chilly day in the mountains as though every season chased to a scent he found horrifyingly familiar and wonderful.

Moonlight shook his head and sighed, his own mind was playing tricks on him now.

“I'm… okay… Luna, my head just hurts. I guess I need some more sleep…" He mentioned, and she huffed

“Then sleep during the day more, you ARE an Espeon… I mean look at your fur! If you keep hanging out in the moonlight it'll start falling off!" She said, firmly but quietly. “A – Anyways, I don't really want to go near the battle… I didn't know it was… well I don't know." Her tails flickered “I don't feel that bad with him around" Moonlight tilted his gaze over at her and found a smile creep up on him. “Anyways… you're weird and creepy but you're a friend, I mean you helped Thief and I on the Magnet Train… you also spent the entire night using psychic to keep us on the driftwood to Johto anyways." The Espeon found himself stunned by her words before he gave a shy giggle.

“I remember quite vividly that you both were kissing the ground as if it were the first time you've seen it in months" Moonlight jested but Luna gave him this… frightened look, something that made him swallow nervously. “N – Nevermind…" Did I say… something wrong? Why would that make her look so scared? What did she remember? … I need to change the topic… That's when it dawned on him, something to talk about… Absol. “I'm curious about something about you grooming yourself…" She tilted her head at him and made a face.

“Kind of gross for you to ask that." She'd say with her tongue hanging out as though his question left a bad taste on her tongue. At least the fear that Moonlight felt slipped away from her for the time being.

“Why can't you… properly?" Moonlight asked her, and she shrugged her shoulders, head and tail.

“I mean… I am I guess? See, my tails and pelt aren't THAT bad anymore." Moonlight furred his eyes at her…

“Not… really." He'd say and sigh “It takes more then a few minutes here and there, you have to work at it for hours at first." Luna made a face at him, this peculiar and funny look

“F- For hours!? N – No way… I can't spend HOURS on grooming! It's not even THAT great!" A picture flicked in his mind and he swallowed to himself before…

“W – Well let's say it takes hours at first, but then you can maintain it easily enough…" It left Luna to tilt her head at him as he simply felt a spike go through his pelt. Is she… trying to read me too? I know she has some psychic prowess… even Heal Bell, Zen Headbutt? She's only used Flamethrower, Firespin, Hex and Will-o-Wisp… Ember is just natural for fire types. Agility is for most field types… But those… Moonlight felt his head start to pound again before he just opened his mouth to talk.

“Absol… what's with her? She's grooming you too now, or I mean I guess so? Is that the first time? It didn't look like it…" The Espeon replied and Luna flicked her six long and straight tail. They really did look wiry still… like wild bark-leafed spikes.

It's something to do with rolling your paws… the fore paw and the back paw. You need to lick them, so they're slick enough or to matt your tails or… drench your tails with water. Then you must use your body heat to dry them and the paws to curl them Luna… I want to show you, or at least tell you…

“W -Well she saw me trying to this morning, early in the morning… and she went to help me out… She's really weird." Luna mentioned and glanced to find her, she was talking with Shadow and that little Pikachu glanced from time to time. “I think she's been through a lot… A lot more then she wants to tell… kind of like you." Luna mentioned and fumbled her paws before smiling… it was a small, sad style of a smile “And all I can do is think about… It's so… dumb…" She huffed out a plume of smoke and ember as Moonlight knew that she was talking about a certain Growlithe. As the Manectric let out a move that crackled against the earth and stuttered all the battlefield with electricity, the terrain became charged with lightning as Leafeon just stood in place, still – like a statue. “Leafeon is really fast by the looks of it… I feel like he spends his time to counter more then attack. I almost think if he needs to waste it, he'd be in a bad spot." Moonlights eyes went wide as he flashed back to Saturday. Where the Tyranitar had grabbed Leafeon… It cut Moonlight's thoughts in half.

I – if that's true… then it's my fault. I missed it... His fighting style, that's why the Tyranitar got the drop on him. His whole back trembled for a moment, which could prove fatal if Leafeon wasn't careful in a real fight like that one. The screen on the wall flickered with two health bars, the trainer's names and their Pokémon. Moonlight glanced at Leafeon as the sparks shot all through the chalk-lined dirt… there was something about the way they curled and shot out at Leafeon and yet he barely moved from the Manectrics move.

“Alright Leafeon! Razor Leaf!" Natasha stated and instead, Leafeon shoved his vines into the earth below him… Natasha made a little look and suddenly, with his vines grounding him in the dirt, a swirl of leaves much like before bellowed around him in a lively wind.

Moonlight felt his eyes glimmer… They weren't all one kind of leaf, but this time there was many different kinds. The Espeon tilted his head for a moment

He's using Vine whip to ground himself… but… those are flower petals and leaves for Razorleaf? Leafeon is mixing three moves at once? What is he setting up? Something like that is going to get him in trouble with the League… there are a lot of rules to follow.

“That's odd Natasha! Using Sweet Scent with Razor-Leaf! And getting Leafon to ground himself pre-emptively during a lightning type battle? I feel like you've trained him better then you let on at the Trainers Village!" Surge commented firmly and loudly. “This is already getting interesting, Manectric Discharge!" It simply gave out a loud snarl, something which made the Leafeon narrow his gaze as a flurry of sparks and lightning shattered against the earth, crackling all around the now charged dirt. The chalklines were cracked upward from the shock and stun of its attack which chased against the positively charged earth… Leafeon naturally stayed frozen and let the move envelope him whole. Moonlights eyes studied his form… The health on the screen went down by a quarter.

He… let himself get hit? That makes no sense… is he… testing the Manectric? It's the other way around, Leafeon.

Moonlight felt the earth falsely shiver below him and noticed something break out of the ground… Leafeon's Vinewhip had carried all the electricity through him and shot out it's charged vine swiftly at Manectric – it struck him from below the earth and struck him against the chest. Following a physical attack too? Leafeon, he has static as his ability, you can see that in his mane!

“What is he doing?" Luna mentioned with a tiny yelp caught in her throat as… the move Manectric used was rebounded. The static and lightning shot through Leafeon and across the vines through the ground before suddenly enveloping Manectric. Moonlight felt a realization strike him bluntly.

His ability is static… Manectrics naturally take in a charge, so releasing it against him… he'd be focusing on a negative to positive charge to redirect the attack back at the user? That's… It's not insane but foolishly risky. Leafeon watched the Manectric as Moonlight stared at the health on their screen. The health bar is a guideline for safety purposes, Leafeon hardly took a blow from that… It didn't even affect him, like the Wartortle Scarf fought on Friday… But… Moonlight had to shake his suspicions and questions away and focused on the battle with narrow eyes – he wanted the bright lights to fade… he had a migraine out of hell still. Leafeon was already losing this battle from the Pokémon League's point of view.

Leafeon parted his legs barely as if beginning to move, the Manectric winced from the unexpected rebound as another vine shot up from behind him – that made the Pokémon move… Leafeon had pelted him down with his Razor Leaf – the sharp leaves slashed all over the Manectric's pelt and Moonlight was about to yell when the move stopped…

Leafeon was starting to understand these battles a little too technically… A turn after a turn. They're even… almost in terms of health. It rated Leafeon's move as a critical hit? He struck his Vine-Whip at the under-most part of Manectrics mane. That counted as a critical? Moonlight swallowed again and felt exactly how dry his throat was. He missed drinking any water with dinner, at least the walk they had should keep a cramp or two away. It was the Razor Leaf that pelted Manectric which made him snarl at the Leafeon, and he replied with a roll of his shoulders and a shrug… sparks flew from his pelt when he did that. Leafeon was hit with Static! The Paralysis prevented him from moving much but it did nothing to stop the wonderfully tame hurricane of leaves that fluttered and swirled around him… and that's when Moonlight saw it. Another spark… and another… and another. It made Surge focus on him, Manectric tilted his head curiously.

The leaves touched and brushed against Leafeon's pelt and sparked the Paralysis effect. He was casually weakening the affect with his leaves…

What's with that set up? It took me years of practice to get to my ability… with Psychic a Pokémon can do more than any other Pokémon, much like a Dark type… but Leafeon is a grass type. How… Why… Who trained him like that? It wasn't human, there's this way how he stands? I've never seen it before… I feel like now he's suddenly not holding back? Was he holding back before? Moonlight felt a sliver of a word touch his mind Hesitant… Leafeon? …

“Manectric, Agility and ThunderShock!" Surge let out a strict command that left Manectric to bark and bolt off. He was fast – almost fast enough to after image like Moonlight could. Granted I use Psychic to cheat that… Manectric is naturally after-imaging like Bandit… well not nearly as perfectly. He's going to be a tough opponent. Moonlight thought to himself and suddenly looked at Luna. She was frozen, her tails still and her eyes just glanced at every off spark that went awry. The ones that went for her and then spiked into the earth as though Electric Terrain was controlling and focusing the moves, to prevent them from going outside of the field. Moonlight passed a small swallow… Manectric is a mid-tier three Pokémon, he can use powerful moves but can't control them entirely… I guess put simply, Level forty-five? Fifity? I got now clue where those numbers are coming from… Bandit, Level… seventy maybe? Along with Shadow? Moonlight shook his head This headache is driving me crazy… trying to see them all out of one hundred simple levels, like that would make sense. It's much more in depth then that.

His forked tails flicked as the Manectric bounced around Leafeon repeatedly while those leaves brushed off his fur and sparked.

“Leafeon! Grass Knot!" The Leafeon partially tilted his head back, nodded and then… all thanks to his Vines still grounding him, they began to shoot out of the earth one by one… It wasn't so much as the move Grass Knot as it was his VineWhip trying to trip up his opponent.

Because… it's in the ground. It's knocking away the Paralysis affect too, he really is like a plant. Great… I'm falling in love with a plant? Moonlight hit his head to the earth with a loud and annoyed sigh. Right… they are more like plants then Pokémon.

“You have your forehead hitting the ground… Moonlight? That's probably what's giving you a headache!" Moonlight's tails stilled. He was busy with tapping his head against the tile, bitterly calling himself some dumb fool – picturing a literal pot and plant that he loved when the Espeon realized it.

My headache… is gone? Wait… He'd push his head up and felt it surround him. Sunshine.

It was gone because Leafeon was storing solar energy from the last bit of sunlight that punched through the windows above them. Moonlight was just in that dark corner of the room… away from the amber-red sunset. His vines shot up through the ground as the Manectric dodged forward and rearward avoiding them as though it knew the move would cost him heftily.

“Manectric! Double Team!" It barked in reply as though to yell out 'Yes Sir' and flashed copies around the battlefield… he kept up with agility to try and cut through this sudden tangled mess of routes and leaves.

It's… almost like Leafeon planned to make a mine of some kind. He… stopped using his RazorLeaf to surround himself and layered the ground with the leaves… hid vines in the earth and now he's non-stop storing sunlight. Enough that even my headache is gone. Moon felt the sun touch his nose as he got closer to the battle. By now Manectric was panting and heaving… he really couldn't break through that defense and Surge tsked. Natasha just stared at the field with this look on her face that told him

'I can't believe I'm learning something from a Pokémon I just got… I have some new ideas for a battle' Surge gave her a small grin and nodded as she began to look at Leafeon with a little more confidence now. Griffin and Brad just watched the battle silently, at times commenting about Leafeon as though stunned. Melody was just squinting at the field with Smokey by her side who stared blankly at the fight. He barely blinked even with all the bright sparks going on.

“Not bad at all, Natasha… Manectric!" It nodded at Surge while the Pokémon faced down and sized Leafeon. “Use Overheat." Leafeon's ears twitched as the Paralysis was still in affect… he didn't like the sound of that, or the sudden crackle of flames that roared around the battlefield towards him. Leafeon focused on the copy's around the field trying to spot some sort of difference as the flames crackled towards him… Only one of them could glow a thick hot red-white, like an aura of energy that surrounded them. Yet Moonlight barely saw it and swallowed dryly…

What is with that Manectric's level? It's like he tested Leafeon in the beginning but now… there's something completely different about the whole thing? He might… just be stronger then I am, if it weren't for all the red tape… My initial read on him wasn't off, but his stats… If only I had something like a computer and a scanner, if only PAWS could let me type on one, it would tell me everything at the League… There was a bright shimmer of light and flame that crackled mercilessly throughout the stilled air as Moonlight watched the Manectric collide firmly into Leafeon. A clean – wonderful hit that Moonlight watched as his health dropped down to yellow.

What? That doesn't make sense… Moonlight felt his ears twitch when there was the sudden illusionary flash of an after-image. The sparkle of light wasn't from the Manectric Overheat…

Leafeon Used Solar-Beam and Leaf-Blade!

It left Moonlights entire pelt to shiver and quake… why did that seem so remotely awe inspiring? The flicker of his cream fur which valiantly danced through an endless swirl of flame – the crackling and deafening sounds of a rage-full volcano… all out shone by a glimmering sword-like tail that decisively flashed against the air. It felt like there were colors of all kinds that quivered against the bright endless blade of rich gold and white. The Leafeon's sap colored eyes appeared to illuminate with the colors of rich sunshine which casted emerald rays from all Moonlight could picture as an ancient untold stone. For only a second there was something that made Moonlight's eyes glimmer more, widen and watch… as every single leaf slowly folded and covered against Leafeon's entire pelt to create a form… of armor.

T… I can't, any of this? Moonlight shook his head, even his own thoughts weren't making sense, but his mind flashed desperately at Luna with the Magnet Train… Even… him? How can he… AND she? I can't even shield myself that narrowly but he's wearing it like a second skin. Like Luna… There eyes met for just a moment and Leafeon casted Moonlight a smile before the entire field became littered by the spike-like leaves that were folded… Like Origami. A beauty and art that was just as poetic, unexpected and strong-willed as his words.

Moonlight shook his head frantically to get the thought out of his mind.

The Leafeon was behind the Manectric and that made Smokey huff a plume of smoke, Bandit and Shadow to perk up their heads and watch, and Luna who froze… her ember eyes glimmered and flicked against the sudden expulsion of bright and color-filled sunlight… when every bit of the leaves on the ground swirled around that Leafeon in a furiously calm hurricane. Where twirls of all colors… orange, green, yellow and red licked against his pelt.

“Now that's what I call a spotlight! You're stealing the crowd's hearts Leafeon!" Natasha quipped and laughed with her hand which adjusted her Beret as Yuny flicked and giggled.

“You're so AWESOME!" Yuny yelled too and flicked her spiked fluff around the air. As the Leafeon slid behind the Manectric he'd make a half-glance backward as Surge gave him a firm glare.

“Not quite that obedient, if you let all of your Pokémon run around freely, they could get is situations they can't handle." Surge expressed as though to evaluate her… “Manectric, evade using Agility, once more!" The Manectric barked and gave a strong howl as it crossed along the ground… Moonlight watched it's paws closely…

It moves that fast? Even with the leaves on the ground? No… it's avoiding them. I guess an American IS crazy enough to train them for war… Moonlight swallowed bitterly and felt a quake run through his spine.

His mind was thinking about the vest that Ayumu gave him… I can't… believe I lost it. I'm such a damned fool. That was the only one… the original one… That black code. Moonlight hit his head against the ground and let out a long, erratic sigh… And now I have some Leafeon that's following me. A Vulpix that reminds me of him. A monster to find… all while we're here? Learning about one another? Is Griffin even REALLY a trainer? His idea of 'training' is running around and playing with his Pokémon. It's foolish… Moonlights paws dug into the earth as he'd glance up at the sliding Manectric – he used the earth and the rocks to push up the sharp tipped leaves which clung into the dirt like caltrops… and then he after-imaged. Then Leafeon did after a moment of adjusting himself… leaving the pair to collide in the air. Manectric used Thunder-Fang! And Leafeon used his new combination move!

Solar-Blade? That's dumb to think of… there's got to be something better to call it… As the pair collided and crossed between one another… the Leafeon standing regally and diligently in place as though to wait for the next move… Moonlight watched the bars of the screen… Surge just glanced at the Leafeon expel the sunlight in his tail, as though the move could keep going on after that. He'd tighten the grip in his hand and then tossed his fist in the air.

“Electrifying! Shocking! But nowhere near enough!" Surge called out “Manectric! Thunder! Pick it up!" His commanding voice… but Moonlight could read his Aura. There was this flash and flicker that made the Espeon think of Griffin…

Why… are they similar in ways? Surge isn't as foolish or naïve, but he's still kind hearted even barking orders out like that.

The Manectric sprung to his feet – health on the board was in the red… but Moonlight knew that the Manectric could easily keep going if he needed to. The jolt of his feet brought the Manectric to all fours… injured by the blow – Leafeon was holding back considerably… but a spark shocked over his pelt.

Leafeon was hit with Paralysis, and his health was in the lower yellow now. That Thunder was knocking him out of the running for this battle… and the Manectric wasn't holding back. He let out his ear-shattering howl first as the leaves went to swirl for Leafeon… before his entire body froze.

Leafeon… Wait… Moonlight sprung to his feet and stumbled… that headache pounded mercilessly against his skull, now that Leafeon's sunlight had dissipated, that horrid pain came back in full force. Moonlight felt the fatal stumble that sent him to his stomach in a slide… Luna was the one to bolt past him as though she just put one and one together…

The Manectric let out its move, Thunder – which curled and cracked with a might of a god unbeknownst to the frantically scampering Espeon…

It curled away from Leafeon, past the Manectric – and straight for Natasha.

“Yuny!" Moonlight roared loudly but the Eevee froze, Surge called out loudly… as though everything went wrong… the look on his face said it all.

'If I knew she was training a Jolteon…' The merciless crack of thunder left Moonlight to glance at Luna whom darted across the tile but by then, Natasha had ducked low with her arms trying to cover herself…

And a flurry of leaves that curled, gripped and manipulated the thunderous shock of blistering electricity to the ground… it broke up the earth and the tile in front of her… The entire field surged moments later and frantically dissipated along the dirt and the air which stilled and surrounded them. Moonlight let out a breath… Luna had frozen in her tracks from the endlessly loud crackle that happened beside her… somehow, and what surprised the Espeon once more, she had the strength to just move. As though her instinct demanded her to move at a threat. Leafeon simply nodded and smiled as Natasha blinked and brought her head up while she breathed silently to herself.

“Natasha!" Brad was the one to speak first. “Are you okay?" She'd seem to mutter, nod and then took off her beret and her jacket.

“Absolutely fine!" She'd mention and then glanced at Leafeon. They met gazes… “Thanks to Leafeon. Surge!" Her voice snapped, loudly. Enough that he even froze as though he was being spoken to by someone of authority. “What the hell was that!? You can't just attack a trainer!" He was caught up with a sudden stammer in his voice before he gave a nod… looked at the large black flatscreen on the wall and then to the backroom. The two other trainers in his gym stared out from the room at him and shrugged.

“Alright Natasha… It's been decided, although I'm surprised you're training your Eevee to become a Jolteon... Manectric" It barked, and Surge held up his Pokéball “You did great! Return." The laser enveloped the Manectric as Surge gave her a nod. “You need to be careful with where they're placed, how close your electric types are to you." Surge explained, and quite calmly yet firmly. “One mishap like that… I'd hate to imagine what could happen, but I…" Surge shook his head and Moonlight tilted his own.

'but I already know.' Moonlight felt a non-too friendly chill run and chase from the tip of his head to the end of his forked tail. Surge felt like he let on too much with that and sheepishly smiled and gave his rich famous laugh. “Natasha, for a battle like that I consider that a loss on my side, so I'd like to present you with the Vermilion City Badge. You're quite the trainer Natasha! Down to earth, I can tell." Surge showed his proud and strong fist towards her “I'll have to battle you again for sure, Natasha! If you train your Pokémon like that… It'll be more then stunning to watch it on the international field!" Griffin made a noise

“What… international? You're a gym leader…" Surge smirked to himself and gave a rich laugh

“As a gym leader, that means I've beaten the elite four elsewhere! All gym leaders have! I've been training with electric type Pokémon for years! Damn, I've even gone through a war with them!" Surge mentioned and that made Griffin look… a little starry eyed. Motivated… fiery. Moonlight could see it.

Why get so amped up with this one gym leader? Maybe it's Surge's tone? Or just the fact that he's American? He's really not that amazing… Moonlight gave a little huff and looked down at the tile below him… his whole world felt like it spun on a top as he looked downward. This is the first time that headache of mine is… doing all this? Moonlight swallowed and then took a moment to look up at the field. Griffin and Brad flipped a coin to see who was next… and Natasha was busy congratulating Leafeon.

She cautiously dropped her hand underneath his muzzle, in front of him so that the Leafeon could smell her hand first. The Leafeon simply turned his head… froze as her hand slowly brushed against his fur. Along the neck… Moonlight just watched as Luna let out a large gasp, as though she had been holding her breath since that last attack… She muttered something bitterly to herself… and then turned and walked away without a word. Moonlight could feel the tense air between them slowly build up. Moonlight winced and clenched his fangs against his lip… as Brad stepped up to the plate. He nodded at Natasha who finally was able to return Leafeon to his Pokéball. Aura jumped into the field and took a stance as Surge gave the Pokémon a curious glance at first… before pulling out a Pokéball.

“Alright! One after the other! I like this spirit!" Brad plainly glanced at Surge's outfit first…

“Is… that a Type One Navy Working Uniform?" He'd say, pointing at the pattern of Surge's pants… it left the gym leader to stall with a ball in his hand.

“Uh… Yeah, actually they are." Surge then tilted his head curiously “A bit of an army fan, are you?"

“I have a pair back home! Well, at my Uncles in the States! I used to operate in the Cadets as a kid!" Surge seemed to stare, blank… before he gave a loud and wonderfully ecstatic laugh!

“I didn't realize I'd see my own countrymen in Japan! Alright…"

“Petty Officer Second Class Hoskin!" Surge gave this stare and then laughed with a big hearty grin.

“Alright PO Two Hoskin, my name is Lieutenant Surge I'm “The Lightning American" And as your acting CO" He'd give a laugh along with this salute, an American style that they both met with… it nearly made Griffin chortle. It felt nerdy and silly, but Brad stood with this posture that was no different than Surge's. A near mirror image between them... Moonlight replied to their salute with some sound

Really? Americans… how… corny? Cringy? There's got to be a word to explain that beside stupid…

As the other two in the back room had chuckled themselves and stepped out of that office to salute the apparent American challenger, Surge gave a grin and called out in a strict and powerful voice. “I'm ordering you to show us all everything that you and your Lucario have got!"

• Thief

The throbbing in his chest made his tail freeze again as the wind slithered throughout the woods. A cold, frigid and salty wind which made his back crawl as the Gyarados just tilted its head as though it were some massive snake that writhed violently against the dirt.

“Kill you… and the little Vulpix. She looks especially tasty, he met her long ago… he's dead… alone… he ate him… They're together forever. You'll all be, forever…" It swayed it's massive and scaled neck which was surrounded by those malformed black-bluish maggots and worms that sickly wiggled through its hide before it stilled. Thief felt his eyes stay frozen and frigid as the whole thing cracked and curled against the ground – a huge tail cut across the air. There was a sound, like metal touching the ground, brass chinks and clacks that pelted the ground in a putrid smell that held an overlay of sickly burning powder. Thief felt his legs freeze in place as the tail swung his way. His mind flashed…

“Why… doesn't your dad… hurt me?" A voice cut through his skull as everything began to still for his body. “Why doesn't your dad kill me? I'm a monster… I'm not a living thing, right? I'm pointless… like the shells on the beach. I collect them because they're like me I guess. Everyone breaks them though…" There was a Vulpix in front of him now, with her tails that shimmered beautifully in the morning sunlight as though flicks of sparkles and embers danced through them. Golden white sand, like the glow of the moon was kicked up into the air and the light as she ran around the bank of the sea – the gentle waves rolled and foamed over her dark-red paws as she simply huffed and sat. She didn't give off some cheery smile… or a bright big grin. She simply stared off at a horizon larger and heavier then herself.

“Without you… in the least my daddy wouldn't be here. He couldn't be here."

Her voice was all he heard as she studied a bright and wonderfully sunlit horizon casted across endless waters. Her tail flicked “For now… look at the furthest horizon. Every now and then I can see a land I've never seen before. It's like the place where those two visitors come from… only certain times out of the day and just for a second. I just wonder what's beyond these waters." She'd say and look at him with her blank stare. This regal mask as though one were painted over her face… but here she broke it and gave him the smallest smile “What do you think is there? I always feel like there's something wonderful… And even then, I'm scared of it too." Wuffles made a sharp sound and that snapped the pudgy orange and black striped Growlithe out of his own head. His legs kicked up in an unusual way… But it worked. It felt like he jumped from the thick sand.

Cheshira used Iron Tail! The attack missed! In fact, Thief wondered how he evaded the move so perfectly… all it did was cast his feet against the trail, a slide to catch himself as he dug his front paws into the earth and his rear claws to direct him…

Just like Moonlight slid around and spun to face an opponent. The way that Bandit had pounced… Thief felt his heart pound out of his chest as the Rockruff bolted away and hid around the corners of the trail… she looked at the forest as if to run for it and then back at Makani. Thief exhaled sharply… the plumes of clear smoke exhaled from his jaws as he took his stance and snarled.

“Miss? Did I miss?" Its chilly voice cut the air in a frantic 'Shiiira" like hiss before a rich collection of chitters slipped into the air. “Behind me… around me… trees… Yes… I can see trees. Growlithe, Growlithe… Little fat toy… Chew Toy… Stomp… Crush… Eat…" It turned in a flail of a spin without warning that made Thief dig his eyes into his pelt… It felt like a Sand-attack but hit just as hard as a Sandstorm. Thief just dug his paws into the earth and looked at his tail as it buffeted him…

A cute little sea-shell held on just as toughly as he did.

In seconds the howl of the wind and the buffet of sand and dirt faded towards a low murky cloud that hovered around the ground.

I don't… It's horrifying to look at but now I wish I could see it… Thief swallowed in his very dry matter and then shot a fireblast in some random direction. Wuffles made a loud yelp directly after… the crackle of smoke and flame struck against a tree… it didn't do much to help, it only added to the smoke with its suddenly sickly black plumes as the tree flickered a bright dim light that Thief saw through the smoke that surrounded him. A shadow moved and his whole body jerked. A slither of its voice slipped into the cloud of dust - a veil he couldn't see past.

“We have eyes… wonderful eyes… but we can still hear… like always and forever… Sounds to hear… it keeps you awake… it's a pain…" The snarl slithered around Thief as he felt his back shiver coldly and suddenly, instinctively he jumped forward. Something darted across the dark-brown veil of smoke… like a staff or a stiff object. Thief watched it curl and slither into the smoke and that made his whole pelt stand on stilts…

I – I – It… Thief took a small step back and stumbled onto his rear as he heard it move and tilt around. A disturbing silhouette played tricks with his mind…

“Little puppy Pokémon… As all of them fear it… Ekans… Seviper… But which is which? Who is Who? Where… Where? Where did it go?"

What would… Griffin do? I can't see… I can barely keep my head on straight. I need something… Fireblast started a fire obviously. Thief bit his tongue as the shape slipped through the cloud and veil. He saw it in front of him for a moment but still couldn't figure it out. I – If it's Ekans… They always look scary no matter what I do. If it's Seviper all it needs to do is coil me up. Why Poison types? I hate Poison types… the weird chitter… what is that? It's scary… Thief felt his vision cone and his eyes went narrow as the world around him slowly darkened…

“THIEF!" Wuffles yelled loudly in the still and silent smoke “ARE YOU DEAD!? CAN I HAVE YOUR TAIL!?" He dropped his ears defensively

Oh… thanks… Something clattered on the trail in front of him… and for a second Thief saw the head pop up. He froze as he glared closely at it, but he only had a single split second to see it.

Not enough… only parts… you'll be the first I devour entirely… Then I'll eat more… and more… and more… until I can eat them

The voice forced itself into his skull as he pictured the Pokémon in his mind…

It's neither of them? I've never seen any Pokémon like that… but what's with all the worm thingy's? It's gross…

“THIEF ARE YOU DEAD!?" She'd yell obnoxiously loud and that made his ears wince and again a sound on the trail entered the smoky and dusty air…

“NO I'M NOT, SHUT UP FOR A SECOND!" He'd yell back, and that sound came back again. His whole pelt twitched with the sound before his breath calmed down.

Wait… it chitters and the whole thing goes quiet… but when it's loud it starts to make noises, like it can't walk right?

“IT'S BEEN A SECOND!" She howled loudly at the smoke and Thief shook his head.

I think I get it… It's not hard to get but it's really scary… it just makes you feel all bogged up. Thief quaked again and swallowed as he heard the sound chink and scrap against the ground… he could see a head again. Some bald face as though it were a reptile of some kind.

A Sceptile? No… What is that?

“WUFFLES! IS THERE A BIG LIZARD IN ALOLA?" She made a noise and tilted her head from beyond the smoke, at least Thief could safely say that she did. She always made this weird confused noise from time to time before doing that…

“A SALAZZLE!? REALLY!? I THOUGHT IT WAS A BIG SCARY SNAKE MONSTER!" She yelled loudly, and the trail chinked again, and Thief let out a huge blast of fire, blindly at the sound as something roared back at him… it left the little Growlithe to duck into the smokescreen before a firm object sent him back…

A tail? It hit him again with its tail? Thief went into a panic as those weird worms crackled across his fur and he frantically used his paw to knock them away…

They were eating his fur? That's what it seemed like? One had gotten between the hairs on his pelt and pointlessly latched onto his skin like a leech.

Thief went frigid as the smoke surrounded and bellowed around him

“MAKE LOTS OF NOISE!" Wuffles made that sound, it felt very quiet and muffled now… But in seconds there was a huge collection of loud howls and yips.

It needs its ears to see? Without that… it has trouble seeing? It's like a Zubat? Thief growled silently to himself as the shrouded Salazzle slithered through the smoke again and he frantically saw it dissipate slowly and calmly against the flickers in the wind. A power gust of cold-frigid air shocked him from the north side and blew the entire fallout his way… Thief let out a pant and shut his eyes I need… water? I could make steam if I can get hot enough. But I need water, that would make another smoke-screen; without it I'll… be… The smoke is fading… it can't see so it chitters to see? Or hear?

Defensively Thief snapped to with her howls and ripped off the pointlessly thick worm which clung to his pelt. Whatever it was it didn't even leave a mark… but it made a weird…

It's ringing!? His rear legs kicked him back the second he could get into a position and he took a risky and lengthy dodge to the left. That large slender lizard just darted out of the thick, dirty, smog-like smoke which was slowly dissipating… I can try Giga Impact… But… It'll stun me too much… Thief bit his tongue and yelled.

“I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!?" Something cut out of the smoke at him and Thief froze in place as the form swung through the air with a devious and poisonous look in its eyes. Suddenly it felt like dozens more stared at him with the haunted voice of joining them… His eyes flickered wide as he bit down harder and tried to move.

“Good… Now I'll devour every bit of you." The creature said… the shrouded Salazzle boldly cut the distance in moments and before Thief knew it…

There was a collection of sharp colorful rocks that shot across the still air between them. It pelted the Salazzle roughly and mercilessly to send its skull rearing to the left.

Wuffles used Rock Throw! … It's… not very effective? The Salazzle wasn't even affected by it but Thief could see her in the smoke that faded away.

“T – That's not…" Wuffles muttered and Thief snarled before letting out his Fireblast. This time the Salazzle was ready to dodge it and bounce away while Thief hopped to his feet… and got beside Wuffles.

“We need to figure out what to do… This thing, I don't understand. Fire barely works."

“Salazzles are weak to ground and rock… so why doesn't it hurt this one?" Thief growled as the abnormally festered Pokémon took a regal pose… “And why is it a male ? There are no male Salazzles… There's never been any…" Wuffles cautiously took a step back as it grinned and tilted his head curiously at Thief…

“I know you… now I do, I think I do… I just don't understand… What can you do to me?" Thief swallowed and felt his fur rise… his blood began to boil as the shrouded Salazzle gleefully laughed and clapped his paws together. “I knew it… it was weird before… but I know it now… you smell like the first one… at the Magnet Train, right? Fire doesn't hurt us… No Pokémon has enough fire to." He'd say and giggle mercilessly as his form unexpectedly shifted… the three tailed feline with large curious ears and a narrow pointed snout continued to glare at the Growlithe. The eyes of different colors and the entertained tilt of its head as it curiously looked at its outstretched paws. Then it made a little fist and a pose… “I guess I ate all I had of that one…" It'd say and giggle before the Cheshira bent down… it made Thief think a little of Aura the way it did. Where its legs were like his own if he walked on his hind paws all day long. The tear-like mane surrounded it's throat as though it were a necklace or a choker. There wasn't a single pattern on it's body save for an ovel-like black belly and a richly purple pelt, the face was the only thing with painted circular eyes which read everything as it's head spasmodically shot high into the air and made a loud chitter…

It nearly made Thief think of some thin-furred desert cat as it picked up that weird worm that rang and chimed and made these weird noises… and ate it.

Thief felt his eyes flicker and his heart freeze as all of those tendril-like worms festered all over it's body like it were decomposing it's prey. The ravenous and starved flail where they non-stop churned all over the creature before it simply went down on all fours and changed its shape…

Into a mirror image of the Growlithe that Cheshira mercilessly and cruelly stared down… Just that little bit and he could change shape? Thief felt his paws freeze and his fur rise as he stared at a near mirror image of himself... or at least his own shadow on the trail.

“Slow… pudgy… stronger defense… Physical attack isn't special… Special-Attack is weak…" The now shrouded image of himself licked at his maw curiously… “You have enough lipids to keep them satisfied, that's my reason…" Thief felt his paws shift against the pebbles on the trail as it simply tilted its head curiously… and then mercilessly bolted at him. The way it ran was no different than the Rockruff beside him and all he could do was brace himself and let out another precarious Fireblast that the shrouded Growlithe could get between which made his paws stumble back. Why was it so much faster then he was?

“Yes… Yessss…" There was a move that flickered the earth below Thief – something that shook the ground mercilessly after the shrouded Growlithe landed in front of him – face to face… nose to nose.

Cheshira used Magnitude!? Magnitude Seven! The whole trail warped and cracked underneath him before suddenly – like an ocean tidal – it crashed the earth upwards… and that sent Thief back his whole body just connected with the trail before he slid against the ground after he lost count of the amount of times he hit the earth…

His paws felt numb, all of them and his vision blurred over before a sickly and painful cough crept out of his lungs.

It… doesn't hurt? Why doesn't it hurt? My chest is burning? No? What hit me? Thief's eyes flickered tiredly against the trail below him… there was blood? His blood? His fore paw moved. What's that? Is that a bone? Why is there a bone? Is it a bone? His eyes didn't feel as heavy now that he stared at his mangled and flesh-ridden paw. His left paw was nearly folded and cracked down… a sickly white looking thing stuck out of it and as though everything finally connected in his mind he let out a vicious yelp from the blow. There was the dust again, as though the heat and the Cheshira's Magnitude left a thick cloud of smoke all around the battlefield… There was that sound of brass touching the trail as something slithered against the ground.

A hiss that left his eyes to bob frantically against his head. The left and the right of him felt hazy as the word slowly faded in from a bright white to a sharp dark.

Did I hit my head too? I feel sick… everything is spinning now, I'm going to vomit…

His whole body slumped against the ground, he felt the weight of his own body push him down against the earth as the viciously infectious hiss touched the air again. There was a flash in his mind as his heart slowed steadily before the adrenaline kicked in full. His whole form screamed at him in fright and the pain numbed again… until he tried to move. Another yelp touched the air, the smoke as he felt a face stare at him and left everything to freeze.

“Not dead… surprising… health? High health? Ironic… You're in pain, let me stop the pain." The snake flicked out of the faded smoke once more but this time it left Thief empty and soulless. That massive Ekans stared back at him with a cloud of furiously wriggling maggots – or worms – that danced and flicked all over its body. It poised itself like any snake would and slowly danced its long spine menacingly.

I… Really? I – Is this how… it feels? It's horrifying. I don't… Thief forced his body to move again but he could barely find the strength to push himself upward. The Growlithe just shook violently, coughed as blood poured out onto the trail, trickled from his bone-exposed paw… The adrenaline left his whole body to shake and wrack against the air… He could barely care that he…

“That scared… so scared…" It laughed mercilessly and slowly brought its slender muzzle to his eyes as he cowered back against the earth… The Growlithe barely did much but slump over. “You even pee'd yourself… It's funny… very funny… but pain isn't…" Thief shot out a plume of pointless smoke that simply shrouded it's skull with hot flicks of embers…

N – no way… I've taken that much damage? I can't even…? Viciously he clicked his teeth to spark it and the entire collection of embers and smoke crackled spasmodically and loudly around the Shrouded Ekans… It simply danced.

“I see you… I don't need to hear you, but we'll talk all the time… your body and I" Thief felt his tail go flat… his ears followed in fear. The Ekans just curiously tilted it's head at him and lowered his jaw as Thief dared to say…

If your going to eat me, just don't eat any of them.

The snake hissed and showed off it's fangs as Thief tried to make a noise… “Crackle Crackle… it's not loud enough… it's pretty colors. Orange. Orange… Orange eyes… scary eyes… hungry eyes…" It went to strike, and Thief shut his eyes before something deafened his ears. There was that loud, endless ring in his ears that made him look around at a fear-filled void of sickly black and blue.

I'm dead… This is death…

His eyes closed shut as the endless sound belled in his skull… the solitary noise left his body numb and cold before he felt something push against him and his paw defensively covered his neck. It dragged him against the trail as he kept his eyes shut. The noise was slowly coming back to him as a sting touched his bloodied paw.

Is that a tongue? Whatever it was, he heard something that spat out.

“Eewww…"

“Wuffles?" Thief said silently and tried to search behind him as another sound deafened the forest.

It was Ayumu… on the ground, his legs carelessly sprawled out, hardly able to hold himself up and that made Thief swallow.

Even he's… trying to fight that thing? Why? Why does he have that loud banger? Thief just looked around as Makani pointlessly stood… stunned, wide eyed. Searching all over the field – that level of destruction that it left made his skin crawl, Thief could see that clearly as the Cheshira let out a vicious and terrifying howl. It wasn't a Growlithe anymore… instead it turned into a terrifying beast – a dragon it seemed…

A shrouded Rayquaza that shot up into the air and slithered across the sky effortlessly as though to catch onto a strong current and send it away. Thief slumped against the hot – blistering sunlight as the wind from the north slowly crept over his fur. It was this… distasteful kind, as though to say the world was ashamed by him. Disgusted with Thief. His ears simply folded and pinned against his head as Wuffles made this paw at her tongue.

“Eww, eww, ewwww…. I don't get why it wanted to eat you… blood tastes gross…"

“W – W – Why did you lick it!?" Thief rebutted and winced right after. His head still spun as the world around him got bright and euphoric.

“To clean it silly! I do that with all my cuts…" Wuffles said and looked at it again curiously “What's the white thingy?"

“S – Stop looking at it!" Thief tried to hide his paw away from view. “I – It'll give you nightmares…"

“What is it?" Thief went quiet and swallowed nervously.

“It's… a bone I think?" He mentioned raggedly as his heart slowed steadily “I feel… really… tired now…" There was a voice that touched his ears as his world went bright and white – a fade or a transition as he slowly lost consciousness.

“Alright Makani… Get Thief and Wuffles…" The Growlithe tried to watch Ayumu… He was able to collect the shells into a pile with his arms, opened a weird small flask that smelled putrid and poured it over the brass casings. There was twelve in total. Then Ayumu went into his pockets… poured the chemical on some gloves and a rag before he wiped the silver-steel thing and threw it into the woods, deep into the woods with the shells. “With all this, the Hau-oli police department will be down here very quickly…" Thief felt his eyes flicker as something picked him up. His whole world felt like it floated slowly and spun.

“W – What was that thing?" Makani asked and Ayumu shrugged while he took the wheelchair and forced it to sit flat… He mumbled something before Makani said it more firmly. “Marcus! What was that? Why do you have a gun of all things?" Ayumu sighed…

“It's a monster, your father talked about it before to me. Long ago. Made some fantastic discovery before he disappeared… I have the gun because I'm terrified… Makani." Ayumu replied to him as Thief felt his eyes get heavy and the voices become garbled. “Anyways… we need to get Thief back home, I can help him, but I need my medical supplies."

“Let's go back to Hau-oli" Makani said as Thief felt the world turn to black.

“No… It'll be safer at home, Makani. I can tell you all I can remember." There was nothing but black, as painless as curling up next to a beachside fire with the sound of a melody that slithered into Thief's mind.

“Why do you want to go there?" Thief's voice slipped into his head as his mind flashed with the bright sunshine that fluttered boldly against the white-gold sands. They sparkled like dug in diamond and the flicker of all sorts of shells littered the beach. He'd always stop as he'd follow the fluffy single-tailed Vulpix around.

“It's like a big adventure in my mind! It's boring here… I like it when Leafeon?" The name felt as though it were ripped from his mind as she tried to talk… something felt off here and Thief just viciously growled to himself.

It's a dream… Thief. A dream… His head snuffed at the ground as he let out a snarl now, a fear-filled and rage flooded snarl.

“Where are you? What are you!? Show yourself!" He took a stance and looked around the beach as that Vulpix just stared at him. Her slate-grey eyes flickered as though the night sky stared down at him. It didn't take long as something caught his eyes from a glade of rich trees…

A sparkle of endless lights…

A tall regal rack of antlers appeared to stretch from tree to tree as his whole world shifted from this life-filled beach to an endless void of white where he could smell the mixture of rich salty air… One from Hau-oli… and the other?

Of course he could remember it, but it felt cold and distant when his nose touched the current of colliding air between them both. He was in the center of it as though to be pelted down by a hurricane within a tunnel. Thief desperately looked around when…

Luna? Leafeon? His paw went forward and then they were all gone… including a little Eevee that from his angle…

Only appeared more like a curious Poochyena. One that frightfully hid himself within a veil of another that others liked. Thief tried to open his mouth as a Pokémon approached him, one that left his paws to go rigid.

It was huge, like an Arcanine that stared down at him but now… now Thief snarled at it. The Pokémon littered in all sorts of white diamonds and blue fur. A wonderfully purple mane fluttered in all sections of the wind.

“W- Who are you?" Thief said again… and stared at himself. I'm… not hurt?

“Suicune." It replied to him in an emotionless way. A way that left Thief to turn his head and fold his ears as it stepped forward.

“I – I don't know you, stay away…" His heart throbbed against his chest now as he stared at the Pokémon which overshadowed him and as he was lost with Suicune… a voice cut the air.

“Keep calm." Thief his head as another, larger Pokémon stood behind him. A large set of antlers which always glimmered faux colors all over. Like stars or gems of life that flicked and teased his eyes. A small stub-like tail flicked behind the Pokémon as it nodded at him.

“little Thief." The Growlithe snarled in response to his words.

“D- Don't call me that, I don't know either of you, so stay away!" He'd growl at them both… But they didn't seem at all intimidated. In fact, Suicune gave a little laugh.

“He is a wiry one, rambunctious… troublesome." Suicune mentioned and bowed politely to the strange Pokémon across the way. “I never realized you'd be here…"

“Yes… That Espeon you mentioned tried again." Suicune nodded at the strange Pokémon and gave it a warm, friendly smile.

“He's even more problematic, perhaps we need to speak with him too." Suicune then narrowed his eyes on Thief. He naturally felt himself cower inward, two seconds in and the near pup had already lost his aggressive demeanor. “Thief… or so the humans call you." The Growlithe nodded in reply with a swallow and tried to speak but he couldn't find the words. Suicune simply nodded “That was Luna, yes. I had just finished speaking with her… you here… already is concerning." It sat down in front of him and that left him to flinch as Thief's eyes flashed wide with his twitch. That pelt riled upward as the other strange Pokémon came around to Suicune's side and laid down.

Are… they guarding? That's what it looks like. They're guarding me from seeing something… Just like I do when Moonlight tries to throw away the stones I find… He sits in front of the pile and tells me to stop… Thief felt himself move forward but something – like a ribbon pushed him back effortlessly. He just pointlessly slid back towards the air from Hau-oli

“This is a place you can't return to, little thief." The Suicune said, he had this cold look in his eyes but… something felt apologetic in them. It left Thief to try and speak again but the odd stag just stared at him with its single dark eyes. The one color of a hint of blue that left the Growlithe to quake…

“W – Who was that Poochyena?" Suicune tilted his head curiously

“A Poochyena?" He said after a moment… It appeared he had a thought enter his mind before he'd nod with a small sigh. “It was nobody you know, Thief. Just a curious… and truly naïve being. One that may be lying to itself more than it understands" Thief swallowed cautiously and attempted to push a paw forward, but those ribbons pushed against him once more…

Suicune's tails… that's what pushed him back again. It made him slide effortlessly back against a crisp white ground, like a void.

I can't even dig my paws in to stop it… how strong is he? And that other Pokémon… what is that? A small gentle crackle fluttered into the air when another came into the void from the other side. From a place where the air was pure, and the scent of the sea was overpowering… and struck Thief with memories which shook his very core. The tall antler stag didn't take his eyes from him.

“Really… Suicune? This little Growlithe is what you're having a problem with? To ask for a summon… I have my paws full of Zeraora, Diancie… Marshadow is STILL hiding; I'm really like the mail-runner again."

“My apologies, Raikou." The large bright gold and black marked Pokémon stared down at Thief firmly at first before his eyes lessened. Its furry mane was like Suicune's or a thick cloth of fur or hair which fluttered against the top of it's back like a cape. The tail made Thief think as though he were watching a shooting star…

Or a vicious bolt of lightning. Its long canines slipped past its muzzle as they just stared at one another. “He's dreaming… What can I do with him to help him? Unless you're telling me he's dead?"

Dead? Thief felt his tail twitch spasmodically before it stilled…

“Anyways, Xerneas is here to help him out in that case so why call upon I? Suicune?" The cyan and white marked Pokémon nodded and smiled.

“Let's say he's a little more troublesome then we anticipated… at least now. Have another look over him, it may help jog your memory… I get how the static plays with your mind sometimes, Raikou." The Pokémon gave Suicune a challenging growl.

“More like being awoken after so long… Alright." Thief felt a shadow overlook him and before he could scamper that Raikou just took the Growlithe over to him with a single large paw that covered Thief's body. He'd drag Thief upward, so they'd be nearly touching each other's noses, sat and just plainly observed and studied him. Thief just stared, wide eyed at the massive saber-toothed cat that studied him and curiously poked at his fur from time to time… “He's a normal Growlithe, Suicune… a little overweight… maybe, but normal." Thief felt himself sigh

So even HE thinks I'm fat… Suicune made a little sound and shrugged.

“His eyes, Raikou…" Suicune commented and then Thief shut them as Raikou went back to look…

“Well I can't see those… he closed them. What? They're just eyes anyways." Thief felt something suddenly tap his lower rib and it made him jolt and open his eyes, He'd stare at Suicunes tail…

That actually… Kind of hurt.

“H – Hey! I'm not something for you to push around you bully!" Thief barked at him in return but Suicune simply nodded and gave a small wry smile as Raikou looked at the head tilted Growlithe… and then got in close.

“Pure blood? No… his fur color isn't gold… Near pure blood? A mix of two… an Ice type? Perhaps?" Raikou laughed “There hasn't been an Ice Type Growlithe in generations…"

Pure blood? Thief went to ask but Raikou just stared intently at his face…

“Wait… Is it THAT Growlithe? I think your gard-“ Suicune suddenly tapped Raikou on the forehead with his two tails. It was like a firm bop that even Thief heard.

“Do you not remember? Raikou? Shouldn't his being here concern you?" The large jungle cat simply rolled his shoulders before rubbing the small dent that Suicune left in his fur.

“Of course I remember, those Ninetales are vicious and blind… Really he IS just a Growlithe. If anything, they took his time as a cub away." Suicune sighed as Thief just stared at him curiously

“Stop talking Raikou… You always have that obsession with talking more then you should…" Raikou felt his fur rile and Thief felt the natural inclination to step back.

“It's not my fault! I can barely eat food without someone calling for me… I need some time to socialize, Suicune. I don't get how you stay so, regal and formal without a Pokémon to talk to for months…" As they were talking, Thief made a noise at them

“It's not a dream?" Suicune and Raikou got into some argument between one another. This weirdly calm, casual argument as though they had this fight time and time again. In fact, their voices washed out Thief's own voice… Xerneas just silently huffed and glanced at Thief. The eyes he felt on him made his fur rile up high as he'd sheepishly toss the strange stag a nervous and overly cautious look.

“It is… just a dream, little Thief. You've never fainted to this extent, we're just voices playing tricks with you." The stag expressed to him and watched the other two fight between one another. Their argument was strange and made no sense to Thief at all… Something about a lightning bolt lighting a tower on fire? Raikou saying it was an accident? It felt like watching two fully grown puppies' bicker about their past as though it were the present, and all the Stag did was get in close…

“However, there is some truth to this dream, little Thief. Find her, Young One… Find the third member of Team Mebirek'i"

There was a fleeting sliver of light that shimmered over his body as he heard the name… a Team? The Growlithe felt his world become weightless as Suicune and Raikou both stopped their formal bickering only to watch Thief's fur flutter…

What's this scent? Wait… I've smelled it before? Ayumu? Why is it such a sickly smell? Why am I feeling so… cold? Sick? Thief watched Suicune's fur flicker and freeze as suddenly Thief slumped to the ground. He heard a voice slither into his head as Xerneas looked over him.

“Do not say a word of it… Little Thief, for even I believe there is a home for you beyond these waters. Yet where you find that home and why, that's of your own choosing." Suicune jolted and ran towards the Growlithe as his vision faded so quickly towards a world of nothing.

As if he was forced into a numbed dream where this sickly apparatus of sanitizers and other scents painlessly fluttered over his nose. The wind just racked into his head with a dim collection of voices which barely touched his nose and for just a moment he stared up at a pale-white roof with lights over him.

“He'll be fine… Makani. Just let the anesthesia work, keep an eye on the monitor and ensure you don't pump in too much or too little." Something fluttered over his nose again as all the air he took in made him tired again. His eyes grew heavy as the entire world slipped into an endless void again. What is this? This scent is weird… it scares me… is something touching me? I think something is touching my paw. I can't move? Another section of voices came back to him.

“I've almost set it, I know you're tired Makani. You're doing great…"

_“What was that Pokémon?"

“I don't know, I don't even know if it's a Pokémon. The Pokedex doesn't identify it, just like your father said"

“Why… did you have a gun?"_

“Because I'm a coward, Makani… there's no such thing as brave people, just brave acts. A gun isn't something a brave person uses. I only have a gun because I'm terrified of this world… Now ensure the amounts are proper, too much anesthesia could cause heart complications. I have no pain killers, so this will have to do… a little much for a broken paw… I should've picked up some when I had the chance. I'm just thankful that it's a minor fracture and a stone got lodged in his leg." Thief tried to move as another flood of sickly air fluttered into his nose and the voices warbled and grew quiet…

“I don't understand something… Anesthesia takes hours, I mean with preparing a patient…" He heard Makani's voice flutter into the darkness again.

“ Normal Anesthesia does…" Thief felt his world shimmer and quake into a dark void again, where swirls of all sorts suddenly folded towards a wonderful beachside once more that wonderfully single tailed Vulpix gave him a big smile.

“It's like a big adventure in my mind! I like it when they both come down here!" Thief felt the wind flutter around them from the ocean as her slate-grey eyes stared out at the endlessly sparkling water. “They only come down one at a time… But they both always have stories to tell!"

Both? Is she talking about Leafeon? Maybe it's Raikou? I felt like I've seen it before… His thoughts fluttered into his mind as the roar of the wind slithered across the ocean and slipped within and around his fur.

“Well I guess one day we'll both go on a big adventure!" Thief heard his voice, an ecstatic and wonderfully happy sound that shivered against the ocean waves “We'll both be Explorers! Just like Leafeon talks about whenever he visits!" He'd say as the slate-eyed Vulpix put her paw on his nose with a little laugh

“Of course little bro! We'll both be the best Explorers from this island! No Pokémon could ever beat us!" She'd snicker and stop before she took a second to look at the tree's behind her… A stance? Thief casually turned his head behind him – his creamsicle of a tail blocked most of his view… “I know your there! Come out now" Luminescence took her battle stance as Thief watched a little head pop out of the bushes…

It was just another single tailed Vulpix, one with bright amber eyes and messy hair. The kind that hated to be groomed but loved the attention her parents gave her. The one Vulpix on the island who's name he'd hear repeatedly but knew absolutely nothing about.

-Griffin

Aura stood firmly by Brad's side as he'd let out a little chuckle, the look on his face – similar to Natasha. The kind that was simply seethed confidence throughout the air as he'd tighten his hand into a fist – Aura did the exact same thing… at the same time too. Lieutenant Surge tossed a Pokéball high into the air and with a spectacle of ruby flickers came out an Ampharos which boldly crossed into the middle of the field and took a stance. Griffin saw it's tail flicker in his eyes – like a lighthouse in the midst of a rough night at sea. It pushed both of it's paws out into a position which looked similar towards a Boxer or perhaps…?

What do the Americans train in? Judo? No… I know I know it. Something with an M… I think? Griffin shook his head and smirked to himself as Aura took her stance – paws outreached and her shoulders slack. A natural stance where her foot-paws were parted by shoulders length as though ready to bolt and move at any moment.

“Surge! Have you been training Ampharos? That's your stance!" The brown haired and tanned looking fellow in the back room curiously stepped out from the back room. He had a Pokémon by his side… Griffin had to take out his Pokedex… His eyes glanced at it for a second.

I… don't have connection!? What the hell? It can't be from the Pokéballs could it? It felt like the Pokedex lagged and glitches before

“Minun, the Cheering Pokémon. Minun cares more for its teammates than for itself, sending off showers of sparks while cheering them on…." Something flicked with his Pokedex again… what a weird glitch? “Minun, The Cheering Pokémon. Minun is usually found with Plusle in various fields all around most regions but commonly are seen in Hoenn." It was Logan's voice. “I found that Minun will commonly fight and even take risky blows to protect their friends, something which leaves me to debate their legality in the League, however their naturally friendly disposition changes my mind time and time again. Between Minun and Pulsle, they promote blood flow in both Pokémon and Humans alike to charge their opponent." Logan's voice commented “They can be found also overseas, I've heard their quite common inland in America, but only being in Unova I never noticed one…"

The brown-haired man gave Griffin a curious look.

“I also have a Pachirisu too. Along with a Deerling and a Raichu." He'd say and nod at Griffin as Ampharos and Aura both read each other and sized one another up. Ampharos naturally looked nervous about this Lucario… That other brown-haired man came over to their side, curious about Griffin Pokedex now. “Personally, I'd add to that Pokedex entry that Plusle and Minun are capable of saving lives, their charge can actually work like a Defibrillator thanks to them charging the blood in their opponent. They naturally know how, actually. It's utterly terrifying and fascinating." Griffin felt himself swallow, the man wasn't close by, but he felt brutally blunt.

“W – Well I…" He'd give a little look

“Oh, well I mean you're like what? Sixteen? I can be blunter with older trainers. It's always great to know how affective lightning type Pokémon can be." He'd comment “Also… It's been a while since I've seen an American trainer, and with a Lucario too? This fight better be explosive!" He'd say and smirk again “I heard you challenged Surge to a championship fight?"

“C – Championship fight?" Griffin felt his eyes flicker at him

I just challenged three of his Pokémon I guess… I want to go against his whole team! The man laughed a little from Griffin's look.

“Yep, Championship rules. Three on Three, like the intermediate event… He knows your brother actually, so he wants to impress you with some… renovations that happened earlier this year."

“H – He knows Logan?" Griffin swallowed as the man shrugged

“The Elite Four down here knows of him too, everybody does. Crazy kid… other then keeping some of his award money, he gave it all away to a charity that he decided to build. Everyone knows that… Mentioned something about paying for his mother's medical bill when I saw him during the championships. How is she?" Griffin swallowed again…

I barely… check in with her. Why did… why do I… I feel like an all-around piece of crap now.

“Her surgery went fine for her leg, she's working with the doctors in Kalos to help her walk again – without a cane I mean." The man tossed him a look.

“Logan didn't talk much about it, it's great to know it went well… but… what happened?" Griffin felt himself went blank, he couldn't find the words to say when put on the spot like this, but something interrupted him.

“You're strong Aura! I have all of my trust in you, even if we're going against his entire PC box, we'll beat this gym leader!"

“Ampharos! Zap Cannon!" Surge called out as his Pokémon immediately charged a large collection of electricity between its paws, it's as though the current ran through his body as Brad called out to Aura

“Aura, keep on guard and get between!" She'd nod and keep her stance as Griffin felt a pair of eyes on himself.

Was… Natasha looking at him now? And then there was a noise from the other side of the gym… as though Moonlight tilted his head at Aura. Griffin just watched the Espeon which curiously looked at Aura as she stood still… collected aura and energy within her paws and as that blow came her way…

She deflected it, so that the ball of lightning would crackle against the earth beside her. Griffin had never seen a Pokémon do that before.

Deflecting a type move? I saw her counter plenty of physical attacks… when that Arcanine… Griffin tried to shut the thought out of his mind, it only reminded him of Maiden's peak which left his skin to crawl and the hairs on his arms to stand on edge. Griffin gave himself a small sigh that the man noticed, they'd exchange glances curiously for a moment… He seemed like the type that couldn't be redirected from a conversation like that. In fact he felt like the kind of person who Logan would chat with plenty, that may have been why Griffin softly bit his lip…

Why the hell… Do I feel like everyone is pushing that? I just want to forget about it. There isn't anything I need to remember about it.

“You mentioned she had a surgery done? I didn't even know that…. I thought it was something terminal" The fellow gave him a small, now almost nervous smile. “I guess I don't know Logan as much as I thought I did. I'll have to get a hold of him, maybe I can talk Surge out for a drink." The gym leader seemed to perk up at him

“I don't drink, you know that!" He'd comment idly before “Ampharos Thunder Punch! Keep it up!" The Ampharos shot across the field and surprisingly Griffin watched it first give a totally different move – double kick? That's what it looked like….

It's not as flashy though. I don't know anything about training Fighting Type Pokémon… and somehow, I have a Blaziken now. I'll need to learn quickly I guess, but it looks like Surge taught Ampharos how to fight… Griffin felt his eyes flicker as the Ampharos went for what looked like a counter or a grapple? It made him swallow a little as Aura countered by breaking his grip with both paws and shoving him back. It felt like a solid blow that knocked Ampharos back… her defense was something that Lucario seemed to pride herself in, he noticed it with Leafeon but unlike him she was actually waiting for her opponent to move first. Brad seemed to get into it, tossing his fist in the air with a big stupid grin on his face.

“Awesome work Aura! Metal Sound let's go!" She'd hop back away from the Ampharos and suddenly grinded her two spikes that rested against her paws together… it nearly looked like the Lucario dared to play an instrument, however the sound made Griffin flinch – it was this horrible sound… if there were such thing like a metal chalkboard…

Ampharos naturally held his paws over his ears and that was the opening that Lucario looked for. She slid into his defense and hiked from her back and onto her paws… Ampharos realized it in a second and dropped his paws to defend himself as she launched her hind paws upwards. It connected with it's guard and sent the Ampharos into the air, stunned. Brad didn't need to say a word with her, there was this connection that Griffin saw between them… one that…

He's like Melody and Smokey. I haven't seen her fight much at all… I guess with this Gym Battle we'll see more, but I feel as though just like her… Brad is so on level with Aura that they just know the moves they want to use together. I thought I saw something weird on Sunday, like he was shadow boxing with her. Griffin barely said a word as Aura spun on her fore-paws and rotated her body down, her upper arms – she could easily manipulate every angle of herself… enough that she could physically toss herself high and rotate. Griffin hadn't even seen that in a championship final before. His mind flickered with video's he'd seen online about other trainers…

It's like watching a gymnast? Nearly… I can't put my finger on it…

With all of his idle watching it seemed as though that other man went to the back room to talk with the ginger-haired woman there. Griffin felt as though they were busy running some sort of computer in the back… he wondered what their actual jobs were for the gym and his eyes skimmed over the screen that overlooked the dirt field. Then he'd take a moment to look up at the glass panels above them. The sunlight was gone now. It was already getting late and Griffin wondered if they all were holding Surge up, but that Lightning American seethed with energy. Aura was mid-air and Ampharos snapped out of the stunning blow. They went to match a move…

Thunder Punch against…

Aura didn't feign for a one on one blow… and it looked as though…

Griffin felt his eyes flicker as a strong collection of luminescent blue curled across her paws… She made a staff? An object using just energy? In fact, she used that to manipulate herself mid air – leaving what looked to be a bow-staff to clatter silently against the earth and dissipate… It got her above Ampharos after she slipped around him mid-air. It felt like watching something straight out of an anime, and as the Ampharos pointlessly dove past her… she rotated her body in a sling-shot snap and launched her powerful leg down against it.

It sent Ampharos straight into the dirt. One solid blow… and the meter on the board was out.

What… the? Griffin just stared at the bar on the screen for Ampharos, the blow had knocked the Pokémon out cold… so much for an explosive battle! How long have you both been traveling and training for? She's almost like Smokey is…. By the look on Surge's face he's completely surprised too. Griffin gave a dry swallow, he hadn't ever challenged Brad to a Pokémon battle… It simply made Surge tsk and take out a second Pokéball.

“You did great Ampharos… Alright Brad! You've surprised me… Aura too. You hardly need to let out a word and it feels like she just knows what you'd do or say." Surge bit his lip and sighed after a moment before pulling out another Pokéball, it made Natasha give him a glance along with Griffin.

“Well I say you won my badge, Brad…. How about a friendly little wager however?" Brad grinned and gave Surge a shrug

“What do you have in mind Sir?" Lucario took her stance again after landing silently on the dirt. Her paws casually bounced back as she stood firmly in front of Brad.

“One last battle, against my Raichu. You win that; I have a curious gift for you and your Lucario…" He'd say and casually lobbed the Pokéball ahead of him…

As a massive crackle of electricity and wind swirled through the battlefield and revealed a Raichu with a charge that rivaled a massive horrific storm Griffin once saw and knew in Hoenn.

• Thief

“I know we'll have an adventure one day!" A voice slithered through his head as the world churned in some sickly black and grey…

“You really do remind me of that Eevee." Another voice came through the silence.

_“How about Team Flame?"

“That's dumb! Anybody would have that name!"

“Team Hero?"

“That's too silly! We're adventurers and explorers!"

“Team… Map maker?"_ The voices crossed through his mind again and again as the Growlithe found himself in a painted void which slowly transcended into a beautiful beach. When was this day? There wasn't some weird sickly feeling in his stomach now… He wasn't hungry or tired… he didn't feel as scared. Thief felt

As though he had only his friends around him. Those that may have been mean sometimes but always did things to make him smile in one way or another. The kind that pushed him but knew when to stop… the kind that told him that things can make him stronger. The world spun again and again like a carousal. Thief softly flinched as a thick sting drove itself through his paw. A kick of his hind legs left his eyes to flutter open… The strong smell slithered over the air…

Moonlight? No… Yes? Who's this though? It… seems barely familiar? Thief felt his eyes flicker gently, where he was… he was warm. A living room? Everything was so hazy that the Growlithe had to flinch before finally recognizing all of it. But it was this blanket that he was bundled in which…

It smelled unclean? Old… as though it had been all over. The smell of dust, fur… But…

I can smell Moonlight? Thief felt his nose touch the blanket, it felt as though it were made of cotton and wool… Whatever it was it made him feel hot and terrible all over.

My paw stings… it's numb now but… It feels like it's bundled up? I can smell a potion too but it's so strong?

Thief felt the image of his paw flash through his mind for a moment, the linger of pain hung through his mind without any dismay… without mercy. It stabbed all through the tips of his paw-pads and up his entire foreleg. Curiously he'd take a moment to fight of the wool quilt.

It was covered in all sorts of furs. A now faded and discolored pink and purple clung delicately to strands of long colorless red fur

That still flared and flashed with a fire that burned ever vigil. The kind that made Thief stare curiously at the reflected fur in the bright sunlight.

It was then when he was able to look out of the window where the very final stretch of red-orange sunlight faded passed the window which overlooked a beautiful amber sky… one that made him try to reach to his four paws., one that forced him to press the cast over the banister.

Where had the pain gone now? Now that he was staring far, far out at sea where the burning sunset shown a sparkle of light in the furthest distance…

As though a beautiful paper lantern fluttered a top the water. One that clung to an endless horizon away from him and showed off the beauty of the sea and a burn in his chest… A place where adventure could be with all his friends by his side. Where he could honestly be someone strong enough to help them with the smallest of things.

The Growlithe just casted his pumpkin eyes out to the flowing water and let out a hefty and rough sigh

Why… Can't I stop thinking about everyone? It rang through his mind without any fear of judgment. I figured… if I got that hurt? His good paw dug into the quilt… I just gave up at the end. That's what I did. I just gave up again… Like when I was fighting Akamaru before, I just talked him out of the fight. That's not being strong at all… His nose burrowed into the quilt after he'd gently press his paw against it… There was a wonderful envelope of scents, something that he overlooked before…

“Do you want to play? I don't know you… but I know we can be great friends too!" A voice, Thief's own voice entered his mind, but he felt as though it weren't his own. “I know all the bestest places too! I've been all over the world I bet!" Thief took his nose away from the quilt now and just stared at it closely… the scent kept fluttering over his nose as something else almost dared to slip into his mind. It was seconds away from saying…

You need thish…

“Thieeeeef!" The voice of that peculiar and playful Rockruff cut into the room. “Are you feeling better!?"

That was the only time he heard anything other then playful and excited in her voice. His eyes just crossed over to the Rockruff. She even had this concerned look over her eyes “Wow… They really bundled up your paw in bunches!" She'd say with a giggle now “Marcus said it wasn't as bad as it looked! You got cut by a rock and bent your paw badly…"

It… didn't shatter my paw? How? I know it did… I was staring at the bone? No… was it just a rock? Thief gave this face, one that made him feel disappointed… weak. I was really that scared? I just assumed the worst and wasn't even prepared for it…

“I'll get you dinner! Makani has some of that kibble stuff!" Thief gave a little nod at Wuffles and in seconds the Rockruff was off… scampering out of the living room and left Thief to sigh on his own.

“Stupid… stupid… I'm such a dumb idiot…"

He muttered gently under his breath and gave a daring look at his paw… It hurt but it felt that way when he moved it certain ways and all around it stung with that sickly smell of a potion over him. It was only that quilt which seemed weirdly calming against his paw pads. Thief took weight from the cast

I'm too fat anyways, I'd probably crush it if I sat on it. It rang through his head as his eyes glanced over at the wall where a picture frame sat on it. Thief looked at it for a very long time now…

Is… the Eevee in that picture… Moonlight? He looks so thin and small. Like he hasn't eaten at all. He also looks tired too but… That smile on his face. I've never seen him make a smile like that before. _ Thief kept his eyes fixed on the portrait. A portrait where that peculiar Vulpix sat with this wonderful sunlit smile, the kind that always hovered the thought that his _family were with him… That the entire world lay before him as long as they were by his side. Where his single crisp white tail seamlessly sprung to life from the wind and a younger man behind them, crouched low on one knee – his hands on both of their shoulders rested tenderly against a scarf as white as snow. As though a locket of simple cloth kept them all tied together, where it gently held them close as though every fabric were a part of their family… and those that longed to forever be with them didn't push them down but held them higher than they ever could be.

Rich pine and oak trees rested behind them on what looked like a beautiful mountain trail; the bushes had berries of all sorts that seemed alien to the Growlithe that just studied the frame so closely now. It felt as though a voice slithered into his head once more… One that asked him to play. One that asked him if they could be friends…

And finally one that pleaded and begged him to not be alone.

To never be alone, because one day they'd meet again and yet, he never wanted to see him for a long, long time.

It was the gentle tap on the window that made Thief flinch and turn to it. Another tap that left him to stare closely at…

It was a Pikipek? Thief got closer to the window now as its beak tapped on the windows glass. His nose went for the latch, it was a quarter turn latch, one that Thief was able to get his canines on and pull up. He was just barely tall enough to unlock it and then he rested his injured paw on the windowsill and used his good one to slide the window up and open.

“Hello again" The Pikipek hopped aimlessly over to the slit in the window, a mesh screen divided them both.

“…Hi?" Thief felt his head tilt a little as the Pikipek gave him this deviant roll of his eyes.

“Yes yes, I know I told you to get lost I guess… But, well the entire forest is talking now and well I followed you here. You fought that… Pokémon?" Thief swallowed dryly and felt his tail drop a little…

“I – I… guess so…" He said and showed off the cast “I didn't really do anything though…" It tilted his head at the Growlithe

“You scared it right off! That's what the whole island is talking about! You see, news gets around really quickly here! All the birds carry rumors, but I saw the entire thing… I mean well…" It huffed “I guess I'm just saying I'm sorry I didn't help out in any way. It happened so quickly, and I flew as fast as I could to tell the other Growlithes what happened." Thief seemed to flinch.

“D – Did I do something… wrong?" The Pikipek shook it's head no… and then it showed off a little seashell.

The bright blue and purple color shone in the faded sunlight and left the Growlithe to look at his tail.

“The human took this from you, I picked it up, by the time I got back you were almost here already. I thought you'd want it back… I don't get why, but I guess I'm saying… thanks. There's a lot of Pokémon around here on edge enough with the Growlithe's and the Vulpix's basically arguing or fighting each other." Thief seemed to shrug…

“I don't understand any of that, I'm…" Thief seemed to swallow.

“How could you really just run off!? Didn't you even think of how terrified I was!? What the hell Thief!! Why have you ALWAYS been such a loser! You just left me AGAIN! Why are you so WEAK!?" Luna's voice sharply dug into his thoughts… he didn't understand a word of it… but she was yelling at him non-stop like that for a little while and stormed off. The Growlithe didn't get his mistake… Other then the fact that he ran away.

“I'm…" Thief started to say “Well I guess I made her upset somehow, or maybe I always do? But I'm friends with a Vulpix." He'd nod at the Pikipek. “I don't get why they'd be fighting one another at all, why do we even need to fight? Isn't all of this hard enough?"

The Pikipek just tilted it's head.

“You're a strange one… Pokémon have homes like humans do, I'd get upset if other Pikipeks just nested on my tree!" Thief just groaned a little.

“It's just a tree, probably a big tree too… I don't understand it. Humans live close to one another, shouldn't Pokémon do the same? Don't we do the same thing and the humans learn it FROM us?" Pikipek made a little squawk of a sound

“Humans and Pokémon are nothing alike. Humans are…invasive, cruel. Mean-hearted. Pokémon aren't like that, they just prefer to be on their own and with their own families."

“Not all Pokémon like to be alone!" Thief couldn't tell where the snap in his tone came from, it made Pikipek seem offended from it and Thief slumped his shoulders. “Being alone is… It's the worst…" He'd start to say.

“Being alone just eats away at you. Feeling alone with everyone around you is… it's the worst feeling anything could have. Just knowing that there's so much life out there and your isolated in the middle of it… It's… It hurts. It hurts physically." Thief expressed and sighed while his eyes glanced at the shell. “Thank you for bringing the shell." He'd mention and the Pikipek just stared at him through the mesh.

“Y – Yeah… Oh. The Arcanine there mentioned something to me, told me to tell you."

“Hm?" Thief made a noise.

“There's apparently some Pokémon that began to come down this way at least… three? Nights ago. A Dragonair. He said that the Wingulls talked about it, I guess after he heard you got hurt… he asked them to tell the Dragonair. It's weird but the tale goes she knows how to heal Pokémon. A Dragonair though? I mean a Chansey makes more sense I guess…"

It… couldn't be the same one? Could it? No… it has to be? But why would it come all the way down here?

“Well, just make sure you're around the water tonight. I've heard stories that it saved a Kommo-o a long, long time ago. Centuries ago. There is quite the tale about it… About a human from a land, far, far away. A warrior that fought alongside it to defeat a monster unheard of. One that never returned home, to save the life of a Pokémon."

Thief stuck out his tongue

“There's no way a Dragonair is THAT old, it's impossible." Pikipek giggled

“I heard it's because Victini and Jirachi both found a stubborn Dragonair whom wished solely to help others at any cost! Because of it… Xerneas gave her life… A life that Arceus himself spoke to."

“I… don't… know any of those Pokémon?" Thief said with a curious tilt of his head…

Wait… Xerneas? I… met him, right? Who's… Arceus? Who's Jirachi!? What's with all the weird Pokémon I've never even heard of! Thief huffed a little as the Pikipek just stared at him with big bright eyes. Curious eyes… near defiant eyes. “I'm… sorry? I guess, should I know any of these Pokémon? I've never even heard of Arceus before… or Victini or Jirachi. I don't even know what a Xerneas is!"

The Pikipek seemed to put it's wing over it's face…

Did it just face…wing? At him? Thief seemed to give a little noise…

Natasha does that whenever Griffin says something that seems dumb… this Pikipek even shakes his head in a similar way…

“Have you… like lived under a tree all your life?" Thief shook his head and snorted to the question.

“What!? No! Who would live under a tree!?" The Pikipek gave a little sigh and a hum and a ha.

“I guess… like Eevee's? They do things like that. But… every Pokémon knows Arceus. Dialga, Palkia and Giratina." Thief seemed to tap his head against the windowsill

“There's… so… many…. names I've never heard of…"

“Growlithe?" Pikipek laughed a little “Arceus created the entire universe… I guess in some way… some Pokémon could call him God… as the Humans say."

God? There's… no such thing as God. There's plenty of science though. Life is this cocktail of atoms and chemical reactions. I've read that somewhere. The humans read and write so much about it! Great… don't tell me he's going to give me something to read now… The Pikipek seemed to chortle at Thief's look.

“You look… concerned? Or confused? I don't know… Either way, Growlithe. Weird… Weird Growlithe. Thank you for scaring that thing away – it attacked a Salazzle a week back, that Arcanine from the beach has spent so much of his time helping her. Just don't forget to be out by the water tonight! Oh! And watch out for Sandgasts! They like to creep up on Pokémon!" It would say, put his shell down on the windowsill outside and take flight from the little ledge and into the sky. Thief just glared at the Pikipek flutter away into the distance, swing wide over the water and the faded sunlight and finally loop towards the woods. He'd just sit and stare out the window and at the sea again.

“Thief! Dinner! I brought you a bowl!" The Rockruff finally came back into the living room and Thief was busy with everything that endlessly raced through his mind. Gently he lifted his paw, gave his hind legs a little waddle to turn himself and dropped his good paw onto the hardwood before he limped over to her.

“…Thanks…" He'd say and stare at the empty bowl in front of him “I guess Makani is going to bring food soon?" Wuffles nodded

“Yep! Of course, he is! He has SO much kibble! Like a huge bag of kibble!" She'd say with a little smile and a happy nod before it slowly faded. “What's wrong?" Thief just gave her an empty look in reply.

“I… guess I'm feeling homesick now… or just sick over all. I… couldn't do anything. I can't do anything" He'd say, openly to her. For whatever reason the words just came out without any thought.

“Well… it was scary… I don't ever want to see that thing again…" Wuffles said “B – but hey! Let's forget about that! There's that super awesome fresh water pond tonight! You promised!" Thief tiredly nodded

“Right… sure…" He'd reply and stare at the empty bowl…

Eat. Please… eat. That voice came into his head, one of an Arcanine which cautiously and carefully stared at him. One that never showed a fang, hardly opened his mouth around him. One that tried to consul him again and again and tell him it would be alright. Thief just stared at the bowl… “I'm… not hungry." He'd say after some time as Wuffles kept her glare on him. “I'm not feeling hungry… at all." Thief said with a little more confidence in his voice “Actually, I'm really tired… I want to sleep for a little bit." Wuffles gave him a little look.

“F – Fine! I guess just sleep then!" She'd say disappointed… upset? Thief just recoiled a little bit. “Whatever…"

“W – Wuffles?"

“Just got get sleep, I'll find a friend to play with!" She'd say with a little huff… but… she…

She looks horrified still, like before. Pale, scared… I think she's more scared if I go to sleep then…? Thief went to open his mouth again, but she was already storming off with her tail between her legs. It just left the Growlithe to watch her walk away before he'd give a little sigh and dig back into the quilt. The wash of feelings flooded over him… I've already screwed up again? He dug his nose into the quilt and sniffed inward a little. _What would you do Moonlight? What would you say? How… could you deal with anything like this? I already know what Bandit would do… but what would you do?

What can I do? I just jumped in and scared everyone somehow… I'm…

not even that important. I'm… weak. Just like Luna said… She wouldn't have lost… she wouldn't have given up like I did. _

Thief swallowed as a glimmer was caught in his view. A flicker of purple and blue light tenderly danced over the corner of his eye as though it were a gentle spark of cold fire. It made his head perk up and glance at the seashell that looked out to the water from beyond the window, as if to say there was a bright endless light beyond a cage. It just shone and flickered in the amber light, glossy and azure as though it were a worthless and pointless stone that still showed beauty, grace and strength in its own subtle way.

“There's still plenty of things to see! We should eat together tonight!" A voice called out to him as though the sounds of the sea flickered through the shell as the wind curled through the gentle and softly polished inside. “Let's both eat and talk about our big upcoming exploration! Just like Leafeon told us about! He has so many neat stories to tell, he mentioned that there's a WHOLE TOWN of Pokémon that explore on the other island! We'll both see it one day! So let's eat plenty tonight and we'll go find more things to collect tomorrow!" The voice said once more “Oh! You NEED to see the solstice this year! It'll be your first one! It's the bestest time of the year! All of the Ninetales and Vulpix's dance." It continued through his mind again and again as Thief found himself pushing to his paws… wandering aimlessly to the voice caught inside of the shell “Yes! Everyone will be there! Even the eldest will be there! In fact, even… my daddy will – my REAL daddy! I want you to meet him!" It spoke once more as Thief began to glance out of the window, towards the sea… where a mountain sat in the distance.

Mount Lanakila shimmered and shone across the waters and as he studied and looked, another thing caught his eye. Thief had to stare at it firmly, study it.

The Arcanine, the one with gold fur just looked back at him with a certain Rattata on his scalp. Thief met his look for just a moment before it turned and went towards the cliffside and cleared the height in one fell jump.

That's like… fifty feet!?

Thief stared a little open jawed and tried to push his head against the mesh. His eyes watched the last set of golden fur disappear around the corner… before something made a noise behind him.

“Hey little buddy!" It was… Makani? The human gave the Growlithe a big smile. He held a large bag of Pokémon food in his hands “I brought in dinner! I was wondering what happened to your bowl! I bet Wuffles snuck it away when I was busy!" Thief curiously tilted his head… there was… this faint little stutter or slur in Makani's voice. A stumble in the way he stepped.

The smell of Alcohol made Thief's nose scrunch up. Makani was drinking? There wasn't much noise around the house, in fact everything seemed quiet, eerily quiet and it gave Thief this distinct feeling that he was in trouble. That this was him being punished… it made his ears fold and pin back. “Hm? What's wrong? Does your paw still hurt?" Makani asked, and half riskily slumped onto the floor with his rear on the hardwood – a leg stretched out and another bent at the knee. He'd partially lean back while he held the bag of food close to his chest. “It was super tense today… I've never seen a Pokémon like that before… It's was like… so crazy? I don't know" Makani did this motion with a hand, as though he swatted at the air around him. “I mean like… is that what Pokémon battles are really like? I don't like watching them at all, not even on TV." That's when Makani gave a lean in. “Do you… like even understand me? I mean, whoa… with the room… spinning now? I gotta lay off the hard stuff… Marcus talked me into it…" Makani gave this little laugh and then squeezed the bag “Right! Right… where's that bowl?" He'd look around aimlessly and Thief just watched his free hand feel around the hardwood until the tips of his fingers pushed against it. “Found it!" I got it… I got it!? No… Yes!"

Wow… what's up with him? It's like he ate too many funny berries. Thief swallowed a little as Makani opened the bag of kibble and surprisingly got it all in the bowl, it wasn't like the human drank a lot, but more like he rarely drank in his time. It made him seem suspiciously like a tentacool, jelly and wavy in nature. After he filled the bowl, he'd slid it on the ground past the blanket and over to Thief. “You must be really… REALLY hungry, you were like out for two hours and it's not like you ate much in Hau-oli. I just hope your trainer feeds you plenty!" Makani mentioned and sighed. Thief heard something else in the room now, the Rockruff was hanging around the kitchen – hiding behind the counter. “That… Pokémon battle was too intense, and like Marcus had a gun? Why would he have a gun? What he said makes no sense… Gun's are like scary. I'm usually really chill, why else do you think I let him move it but if I knew he had a… flipping gun I would've thrown him out!" Makani seemed to sigh after… “Actually, I can't throw him out… he's been in a wheelchair since the trucking accident… You know… like my dad died… during that. Marcus was the one driving the truck, they hit a tree in a storm." Thief swallowed a little and looked at Makani closely “Yeah I was like a kid back then, barely knew my dad. Big, BIG professor… and I can't even relate to… I don't know…"

He does know he's talking to a Pokémon right? I feel like… in some weird way Ayumu is lying. Why does it… feel like a lie? Is Ayumu his dad? He must be they look EXACTLY the same! I mean… unless they're like twin brothers? I mean that's a possibility… Maybe Ayumu was his brother's name? The thought chased through Thief's mind as Makani pointlessly glanced at the ceiling, his large legs seemed sprawled out as his hand rested in front of him…

It looked like how a Pokémon would sit nearly, with their fore paws in front of them and their hind legs tossed about to support them. It left the Growlithe stare at him for a while before he left out a lengthy sigh and stumbled to his feet with his hands to support him “Get some sleep… I'll tell Wuffles not to bug you" Makani mentioned and seemed to wander aimlessly through the living room before going to a different room in the house, it just left Thief to stare at him… there was something definitely odd about that, and the way Wuffles seemed to poke her head out of the corner from the kitchen made his eyes tilt with concern.

“I didn't know he was drinking tonight…" Wuffles commented after a moment of silence, tense silence. “Maybe you shouldn't sleep tonight? It might be better if we go outside after all…" Thief gave her a roll of his eyes

“Aren't you mad at me or something?" Wuffles gave a little fumble of her paws, a nervous one that made Thief's head tilt again.

That's something I do… Wait? Am I doing what Bandit and Moonlight does to me?

Thief gently sighed and took the weight off of his paw, he felt like he naturally dug them into the hardwood, something he never noticed before but now with all the pain it was clearly evident. “It… was scary I guess." Wuffles made a little face

“Not as scary as Makani gets when he drinks those funny things… I've tried them before, it's sometimes bitter or really sweet but it makes my stomach hurt" Thief made a little face

“Drink what though?" The Rockruff responded by putting her paws towards the ceiling, the cooler that hung all across the ceiling of the kitchen

“Whatever's in all those glass bottles. He even tries to drive one of those car things when he has enough… he gets upset and starts yelling a lot aimlessly. The first few are always okay… but after it… makes me feel scared I guess…" Thief just gave a little swallow and looked out at the window for a moment.

“Humans are weird I guess… I've only been in a car once, never liked it at all." The Growlithe commented and continued to watch the Rockruff closely.

“S – Sorry I didn't do anything to help." She'd say after another long moment of silence. Thief felt his fur rile up

“W – What? No! You helped a ton! All because you were yelling it confused the Pokémon, It can't see well but it can hear a lot… so I think when there's too much noise it gets all mixed up and everything."

“It was… actually kinda cool watching you in battle… I mean I guess." She'd say idly, and Thief felt his fur radiate heat.

“W – Well I didn't really do much! I almost hit you with Fire Blast!" The Rockruff stuck out her tongue

“You couldn't hit me if you tried!"

“I guess when I don't I'd get a direct one!" Thief recoiled and they both chuckled a little

“You don't seem too sick… In fact, you looked a little sad before" Thief seemed to shrug

“Maybe that's what's making me feel sick. I sort of gave up during the fight… at the end of it." Wuffles seemed to scrunch up into a little ball

“You didn't give up at all! It just got a lucky blow! You totally stood up against something stronger then you! I mean I didn't even try, so tell me which one is worst…" Thief just stayed silent again… as Wuffles pushed her nose against the bowl. “You should eat! I've had plenty tonight…" The Growlithe just glanced at her for a little while more then went to the bowl

“Let's share it! You do like to eat a lot!" He'd say with a little sly smirk

“Says you pudgy!" The Rockruff commented and stuck out her tongue before her little giggle came through “It'll be a crescent moon tonight… Waxing I think." Thief tilted his head

“I don't get what you mean by that…"

“Well I noticed a thingy on Makani's computer, he told me a whole bunch about the moon's stages! I don't remember all of it… I'm probably wrong" She'd mention and start to say…

“All I know, is that I've started singing to it every night"

• Griffin.

The Raichu stood across from Aura firmly before there was this flash, like a bolt of lightning that got around her. Griffin felt his jaw drop, that Raichu was… Fast?

No… incredibly fast!?

“Jesus, Surge! How hard have you been pushing Raichu?" He'd seem to show off a fist to the other gym-keep behind him, that brown haired man that talked to Griffin earlier

“Ever since he got beaten by a certain Pikachu! Let's go Raichu! Thunder Punch!" Aura was already on the defensive… it made Moonlight squeak from the background.

Raichu was naturally using agility, one that even the Espeon had trouble following. It swung between and below Aura's feet to get in front of her.

“Aura Dodge it! Gain some distance!" Surge laughed

“Too late, Brad!" It was going to connect, and Aura simply braced herself. She took the blow in a way that made Griffin picture paper – her abdomen curled and folded with the blow as she let herself move back…

Wait… I think I've seen Trevor do that? Not fight the momentum of the blow but use it… flow with it? To help disperse the amount of force from the blow… there's some physics thing with it.

“Brad!" Griffin felt his voice slip through as he seemed to step back and hold his stance… how connected were they? Enough that the blow appeared to hurt him too.

“Aura! Close combat watch for the static!" He'd call out and she'd take a stance, her own stance… one that felt similar to the way Brad stood now. It left Natasha to tilt her head as Melody asked something

“He's just being dramatic, I guess some trainers are like that" She'd say with a hushed voice “Surge's Raichu is very well trained." Melody seemed to nod

“Smokey and I will go next I guess, I mean Surge did say Brad won the badge!" Melody mentioned and then very, very hushed “It sorta sucks I couldn't see all of it. His Lucario looks really strong too." Melody expressed, and Natasha gave a little laugh

“I bet my Glaceon could take her on!" Natasha quipped, and Brad shot back a look for just a second

“Aura! Follow up with Close Combat, find an opening!" Aura didn't even nod to Brad and now just studied her smaller opponent, a faster opponent. The Raichu seemed to flicker again, it's four paws tapped the ground around her as it judged for a blind spot… Aura simply breathed and waited…

Moonlight seemed to perk his head up when she did that, it was as though her entire stance changed from a frontal and brutal assault to a collected and calm pose. One that read she was waiting on a cue of any kind. Griffin watched Moonlight stare at her closely… study her closely until their eyes met one another's…

It was this awkward glance between each other, one that Griffin met with his lips parted slightly as though to try and say something. He'd just find himself lost within this void hidden behind the Espeon's eyes. One that felt deep, one that felt rich with this horrid feeling of drowning. Even though Moonlight laid quietly and calmly on the floor and seemed to smile at Griffin.

That smile felt restrained… a small simple smile that made Griffin nod ever so carefully back. Then Moonlight tossed his gaze behind Griffin and it made the human turn his head, away from the battle. He missed a move or a counter of some kind – the crackle of electricity made his eyes glance around to his Pokémon.

Luna was hidden behind the group. Bandit and Shadow made little huffed sounds with their noses as though lost in a quiet conversation. Absol sat patiently on the ground but flicked and wagged her tail when Griffin looked her way. Marill just passed him this distasteful look, like a huff and went to make noises at the Pikachu to his side. There wasn't much of a response between them as that Pikachu just stared at Absol from a distance. There was this… challenge that seemed to grow in his gaze, as though Absol had told him off or expressed something about him. Either way he looked determined and lost. Griffin gave a hint of a nervous swallow to himself as he looked at all of them. A shy, near frightened swallow.

I… have no clue what I'm doing right? I don't… His hand delicately ran over the top of his other one as he'd pass a glance back at Aura and Brad. The two of them stood confidently, weaving – dodging and attacking in this harmony that Griffin saw as levels ahead of himself. I don't even know what motivates me? No… I know exactly what motivates me… and I feel

Griffin took a second to glance back at Moonlight… The Espeon gave him this curious tilt of his head. I feel like in… some stupid way… we're motivated by similar things. That's what you meant right? Is that the reason why you're still here? Griffin went to silently open his mouth again but found it sewn shut. Melody even… He tossed her and Smokey a glance. The Houndoom just huffed against the tile and barely watched the battle going on. _Even… she had the gall to tell us something… so… personal and straight up. And I'm just sitting here like that stupid… stupid kid on the playground all over again. Just in the corner waiting to go home _

Griffin gently bit his lip and curiously ran his fingers through his hair, gripped the back edges with a little tug…

He knew why they all did that…

It's because someone very special used to do that to all of them. Scratch their hair, give it a tug and tell them that they all had a good head on their shoulders.

Griffin gently sighed to himself, it felt like for a second he held his breath so long that his face turned blue. Just… a familiar face…

or two.

It took Griffin a moment to realize that Moonlight had moved and instead sat by his feet… He looked up at him and Griffin looked back down at the Espeon. Moonlight stood up on his hind legs, pressed his fore-paws against Griffins thigh and dug it in, as though to use his leg to stretch himself.

“Hmm? Oh… I guess you want something right? You do that whenever you do" Griffin mentioned with a little smile, unhooked his arm from his bag and held it out in front of him. He'd open the pouch as Moonlight stretched and pushed his paws against Griffin's thigh. “I might have a snack or two in here… Food maybe?" Moonlight gave a little huff… Griffin just looked at the Espeon that wore that mysterious tattered scarf. “I guess not food… Water? I picked up some earlier." He'd comment, and Moonlight responded with a flick of his tail. Griffin tossed a gaze up to the battle. That Raichu was insanely well trained… If Natasha or Brad went against Surge's Raichu outright…

“Raichu, Electro-Ball!" Surge called out and the Raichu cut in the distance… Griffin watched the move for just a moment before he went to pull out the bottle of water. He only grabbed a few from earlier…

it made him look at the stove in his bag…

It really made this bag lighter. That guy bought it for me… Griffin seemed to swallow and took out the water bottle, then fumbled around his bag again “I have a bowl too." He'd comment, and Moonlight nodded back at him. _Not to mention…

Well it's dumb but…

No. That's too stupid…_

Griffin took out a small stainless-steel bowl, much like a mixing bowl and put it down, filled it with some water and watched the Espeon happily drink from it – his tongue lapped at the water gently. Griffin got back to his straight-back pose to watch Brad and Aura fight again.

_Is it… stupid to think that… being with Pokémon just makes me feel better? It makes me feel…

Lighter I guess. Like I can breathe a little. And even then… There's…

There's always been someone I know who loved them more then anything… and they're stuck with someone that hates them right? _

Moonlight gave a little sound as he'd glance firmly at Griffin from below him. Griffin looked for a moment, just a glance that left the Espeon to chitter. “I'm okay." Griffin said…

But that's the problem, right? I'm… just okay. With November upcoming, all I want to do is run away. I don't want…

I don't want to relive it again…

The battle felt short… with the Raichu that casually bolted across the terrain – his legs just carried him in a mix of agility and Quick Attack – his opening from the Electro-ball had shot gunned Aura – he was just too small and too fast of a target. Brad gave this little swallow, a nervous one and breathed out… before he unexpectedly tossed a hand into the air.

It left the stadium in silence.

“Wait… you're giving up?" Surge asked, it looked as though he was just getting started with the battle – Griffin checked the screen on the wall. Aura was in the lower yellow… and Raichu was in the higher yellow. Brad simply nodded in reply

“I don't need to push her further then this. I'm her trainer after all." Brad mentioned and gave a laugh “Either way, Surge – if you started with you Raichu from the start… Aura and I wouldn't have won this battle… and it feels like crap to say that… but I don't need her to fight any harder." Brad mentioned “She's my friend."

…

Griffin felt himself give a little glimmer of thought.

Yeah. As dumb as it sounds, Brad… as dumb as I sound… I guess I could say that. He'd give Moonlight a little glance, he was just busy lapping up the water and when it got low, Griffin added a little more with a genuine smile. _I'm just that stupid kid that hates Pokémon… but my friends… I can't hate them. Even if they happen to be Pokémon. Even if they happen to be human. A friend is a friend, right? _ Surge seemed to give a little smirk.

“Throwing in the towel… because you don't want her to get hurt?" Surge chuckled to himself. “Damnit Brad. You better win these championships, because I swear when I see you again it better be in the World Tournament. It better be during the internationals!" Surge commented and the brown-haired man behind him gave a nod. “Raichu! Fall back." The Raichu made a noise and hopped back. It stood beside Surge and gave a huff at Aura. Aura didn't seem fazed at all. In fact, she barely looked injured… it made Griffin wonder if the board was something to do with safety. After a little silence Surge went into a small leather pouch. One he had in that lower left pocket of his camouflaged pants. He'd pull it out, open it and take out a badge.

The Thunder Badge.

“On behalf of the Vermillion City Gym, Petty Officer Second Class Hoskin, I would like to present you with the Thunder Badge. Just know that the next time we battle… I'll start it off with Raichu and a trainer as unexpected as you better be ready for it!" Brad gave a little fist and held it out.

“The next time you go up against Aura and I, we'll be sure to show you more then everything we've got! We'll show you a battle that'll shock you for years!" Brad mentioned with a big, foolish and yet utterly happy grin, one that left Surge to laugh loudly. “Well, you'll have to catch up with the other trainers that came in before. Those two had dynamite pairing! That Dewott played a risky game. That trainer Sam and the other trainer Andrew came through here first! I think you'll have to show them some of that American flare!" Brad passed a dry grin.

“I'll be sure too! Sir!" Brad mentioned, and Aura dropped her stance and turned to him, in fact she walked up to Brad… got in a little close… Then Surge tossed the badge his way… where Brad caught it and then grinned openly to Aura. “You were absolutely remarkable Aura. You did great!" Brad mentioned with a smile. “Like you always do." The Lucario happily chittered and nodded at Brad and they made their way to the side… Then Melody walked up.

“I'd like to challenge you next… please." Surge seemed to blink.

“Sorry I couldn't hear you over the lights… you know the buzzing and all."

“They're LED's…" She'd comment and sigh a little before she cleared her throat. “Smokey, We're up." The Houndoom stretched his back, huffed out his infamous plume of smoke and calmly sat by her side, where Melody tossed her hands through his fur and head. “You ready?" Melody said… and then whispered something at him. Griffin nearly assumed it was 'just hold back a bit.'

Smokey just nodded and stepped onto the dirt, obnoxiously he'd use his hind legs to cast dirt over the chalk on the sidelines – almost at Moonlight and Griffin.

“Alright... Discipline problems with her Houndoom… What's your name?"

“Melody…" She'd reply quite calmly, reserved and forward. Surge just passed her this awkward look

“Not very fiery… Let's see how your Houndoom preforms Melody! I got just the Pokémon for you!" Surge called out and tossed the Pokéball across the field… and Electabuzz appeared out with a tame field of electrical sparks and surges that flicked around its body. Then it made a hum of a sound and planted it's feet against the ground. Smokey simply responded with a yawn, something that Griffin noticed Moonlight copied… it was getting late after-all. Curiously he went to check his Pokéball.

The sterling gold button simply blinked from time to time, as though looking for a connection. Griffin then heard a little sound as Smokey's plumes crackled as though embers licked and ignited the cloud and left it to hover around him. A smokescreen? That's exactly what it looked like. The massive horned dog simply enveloped itself within a shroud of black crackling smoke and embers, like a spectral from a dim and dark place underneath the crusts of the earth. It's thin and short fine hairs licked against the smoke as the Electrabuzz held its place.

“Electrabuzz Thundershock!" Surge called out and Melody simply said.

“Two-Seventy-Two. Combination Four." Smokey made a silent huff as a collection of sparks flickered through the smoke – bellowed out the cloud in a fury of hot black smog which hovered around the field. It hung close enough to the ground as though it were a thick, sickly fog. The Houndoom simply stood through the midst of the smog and the cloud that silently hovered around the field, dispersed itself across the ground and the narrow air until it surrounded the Electrabuzz.

There was one Houndoom that seemed to slowly creep its way through the smoke and the Electrabuzz shot off another Thundershock at it. Griffin swallowed and watched closely.

Smog or Smokescreen? No… it's more like Ember and the electricity somehow stoked it out… But everything is nearly blacked out from view. Is Smokey using Agility on top of it? Or substitute? I can't tell…

“Two Thirty-One" Melody mentioned, and Griffin just tilted his head.

She said those numbers before… that makes no sense. Can she even see Houndoom? I can't…

“Two Nineteen" She'd whisper. “Two O Five." The Houndoom crept all along Electrabuzz's right side… which meant he was facing more to the west. If north was Smokey's plumb nose.

“ElectraBuzz! Keep your cool!" Surge called out “Use Thunderwave and Spin in place!" The Electrabuzz made a sound and Melody responded with a little smile… Griffin watched the look closely.

She's… baiting him to use something that affects the area? Is she… trying to coax out a move? I've seen that before – Pokémon being able to use a move they can't because they're opponent manipulates it accidently. That's something on TV

Melody barely said a word as the Electrabuzz spun like a top – sparks of lightning flicked all around the field with Natasha and Yuny against the further wall. She leaned casually against it with her hands fished into her pockets and the Eevee on her beret going crazy. Her tail flicked and swooshed against the air as though to watch all the electricity sparkle and glow through the thick smog and burned embers. Griffin watched the screen closely. Houndoom's health was still in the green… No status affects. Then it was the flick of bright blue light that caught his eye. Something that sparked and deflected against a shield…

Houndoom used Ember with Smokescreen and followed up with Protect? It's charging energy too. Is that even fair? I thought combination moves was combining two moves at once… but Melody's set him up like… a combo. A collection of moves in quick succession. Maybe Smokey just doesn't like all the flare from them? The human just stood and watched the flashes of bright gold and white crackle against the field time and time again until a strong current of flames licked underneath the spinning Electrabuzz's feet.

Smokey used Flamethrower! It collected a current of fire underneath Electrabuzz! Electrabuzz jumped to dodge it!

The attack missed!

At least it did… until the flamethrower exploded upwards. Griffin felt himself twitch.

What? The air… is collected in the cloud like an insulator… are you telling me that she divided the temperatures, so the fire would creep to the colder air above? She knew he was going to jump up and break the smog? Or did he… combine Flamethrower with Fireblast? I can't tell… That's… Something licked his hand and it made his fingers twitch.

Moonlight glanced up at him once more and Griffin bent down to give him more water. The bottle was less than half full now. The Espeon continued to lap up the water… The only thing that bugged him was…

The fact that the Espeon's nose was dry and hot. What he getting sick? Griffin once heard that some Pokémon have dry noses because they're sick. He'd start to sigh to himself and tap his finger against his thigh…

Why was the nervousness kicking in now? How could it be? Griffin went into his backpack…

Where the hell did I put his collar? Wait… I put it on him… right… Griffin blinked firmly. I want to call… I want to check in… but it's already so late and the damn Pokéballs aren't back up yet. How long does it take!? We've been here for like…

Griffin went to check his phone for the time. The cracked screen gave him a number.

*Eight Twelve PM.*

They'd already been there for two hours… Griffin went back to tapping his finger against his thigh after he tossed the phone into his pocket. The wait started to drive him crazy… as though now he just realized how tedious it was for him. Griffin held his breath as the Electrabuzz hit the ground… it held on from the blow. And surprisingly it only tossed him into the mid yellow according to the screen. Griffin felt a dry little swallow touch his throat.

I'm anxious. I… don't think I'm honestly… I don't think I've ever been ready. Griffin had a quick glance at his Pokémon again and caught a gaze with Luna.

The Vulpix just stared back at him wide eyed. It left him to shake nervously, his feet went cold. I'm throwing in the towel. I can't just… I don't think anybody is ready yet.

“You… doing okay Griffin?" That was Brad's voice.

“I… figure I am." Griffin mentioned with a laugh. “I think today has been just a little bit crazy… I…" Brad just tossed him a little look.

“Well, once we all get this badge we can head out for the next badge! In all honesty, I'm excited for Johto!" Brad mentioned “Especially now that I'm travelling with a few buds, that makes it just better, you know." Brad said. “So don't go getting cold feet or something… you nearly look pale. Kind of sick actually."

“I'm… worried about my Growlithe." Griffin let on “I don't know…"

“First Pokémon you caught right?" Griffin made a flinch and Brad responded with a smile.

“Yellow Jacket was my first Pokémon. Sometimes I wonder if I feel how he feels." Brad stated “I feel as though we connect with Pokémon on more ways than people realize. I mean can you imagine if they all just… disappeared one day. I feel as though this world would become… empty" He'd mention and shrug

“I guess it would!" Griffin replied with a small smile “Sounds like a real apocalypse scenario I guess" Brad laughed

“No, zombies, now that's an apocalypse!" Griffin felt himself laugh from his reply

“Right!? Just zombies… Oh my God, Brad that is kind of nerdy…" It seemed half hazard as Brad tossed his arms out

“I mean come on, that would be scary as all hell!" Griffin smirked a little

“Wouldn't like… WerePokémon be scarier? Imagine turning into some evil Pokémon at random times." They both chuckled and Griffin let out a little sigh after. Brad tapped him on the shoulder

“It'll be fine man, just take a second to breathe… We all believe in you anyways! You're a friend of ours, so beat Surge! What's your line up?" Brad asked, and Griffin seemed to think to himself…

“W – Well Moonlight is my lead… even though he looks tired… I was thinking of Luna, but she's hiding… I guess Scarf rubbed off on her the wrong way?"

“What about your Absol? She seems well rested" Griffin gulped and glanced back at her. The Absol flicked her tail and twitched her hind legs.

“I don't… know, it still seems wrong to me. To let her fight, I mean. I can't use Bandit… Oh, Shadow!" Griffin called out and the smaller Mightyena responded by crackling his teeth together – something that made Luna jump and flinch. Before the Mightyena huffed and turned rear-ended away from him. “Well…"

“How about Marill?" Griffin stalled.

“No…" He'd mention and the Marill seemed to puff up angrily and huff. “I just feel… bad about that too…"

Brad tapped his foot against the ground

“You're going against three of Surge's Pokémon. You only have Absol and Moonlight? Yeah Moonlight set out… you need a third. Your Vulpix is… absolutely jumpy in here, and that's not good. Bandit and Shadow don't listen to you… what about your Pikachu?" Griffin crossed his arms

“Obviously, I could use him… but he has a problem with Electricity." Something exploded behind Griffin and he turned quickly. Smokey landed in another hit and he simply watched the Electrabuzz throw a move. A close, risky Punch towards the Houndoom. It connected! Griffin looked at the screen…

“First blow finally… I almost feel like Smokey is taunting Electrabuzz" Griffin whispered and watched as the Houndoom… puffed?

Into a cloud of smoke. Smokey used Substitute! The Houndoom had used the last flicks of smog and smoke to set himself up… but in some way Griffin had this feeling that Melody set it up like this all along.

“Crazy right? Melody is insane compared to us, I mean that in a good way… She has her combination moves, combining two right… but every single one of them has a set up. I get no clue where she gets her idea's! I swear, it's like she's spent most of her childhood watching a television or something like that."

“That seems kind of dumb to say… I mean she's probably just a fan of the championships, I've seen a few plays she's done from it so far. Smokey just knows them too. They're an awesome combo!" Brad gave a little quiet quip.

“I get this Beauty and the Beast feel from them both" Brad chuckled “Smokey is just…"

“I totally see that" Griffin replied, “It's like seeing two completely similar people with different personalities." Brad smirked a little and gave a gentle sag of his shoulders.

“Or maybe vice versa." As his shoulders dropped, Aura attentively tapped two sections in his back to straighten his pose out, which Brad jolted and did right away. “R- Right…" He'd say with a laugh and Griffin was seconds away from asking… but

Another large crackle of flame and the roar of thunder drew his attention away from the pair. The smog and smoke had been replaced with a fresh cloud that enveloped the Electrabuzz.

Smokey used Incinerate? It looked like it, Griffin knew what it appeared like in a heartbeat.

But… Bandit cheats… She… She doesn't have a true one; not like Smokey does. Yet I can tell he's holding back so much. I can see it in his stance. Griffin just glanced at Melody whom delicately held her hands together and watched the Houndoom that playfully flinched from the blow of thunder. His pelt rose and sparked – Griffin saw the fine minute hairs flick and steady in the charged air. His eyes glanced at the screen that overlooked the court.

As much as Houndoom was faking… the board showed he took nearly no damage; but it also told him that Smokey was tagged with Paralysis. It felt as though Melody held her breath. Just the sharp ragged take in that made her still as the Houndoom shrugged off his fur – static and sparks struck all around him.

Griffin watched as the Houndoom just brushed off the status affect. It's scalded and burned claws dug into the earth with the sounds of hisses and screeches from the stones they burned into. The Houndoom's tail did the same…

Griffin half tempted to go for his Pokedex… but he held his hand.

Why… do I feel as though it's in constant pain? His paws… are charred up, I can see the skin is dry enough to peel and crack them. His fur is mangled on every paw, where the claws connect. He… it's like he's always burning. Is that why Melody…? He reminds me of Bandit, but it feels like Smokey has been through hell of his own. He hasn't been abused… but…

Something touched his paw – a gentle toss of a tongue.

“Because guilt will never let me forget."

The Espeon's words sparked resiliently through Griffin's mind… a sharp pain in his head reminded him… That humans and Pokémon shouldn't be able to communicate to one another. Not in any way… even the wisest of people once said that it's impossible, or so rare that it should be.

Is… Melody, what happened to you? Can I ask you that? Then it came into Griffin's mind.

Do… I even have the right to ask that? There's more to you then just your eyesight… isn't there, Melody? Griffin held his hands against his jeans, gripped them and eventually let them go weakly. Are… you even ready to be doing things like this? Being a trainer? And… yet you're here and you look entirely unsure of yourself. You weren't smiling from the thrill… you were trying to feel less scared. Of what…? Griffin felt his mind fill with unintended worry. The way she stood, the way she studied everything even though she could barely see it. Is… Smokey your eyes, Melody?

Griffin felt a dryness in his throat now and he finished off the last bit of water from the bottle he held for Moonlight. The Espeon curiously watched him.

“Is… it wrong to…" Griffin started to speak, and Brad tilted his head. He just shook it, turned and began a little casual walk to Absol… His narrow lean, where he'd crouch down onto one knee and hold out an open palm to the Pokémon that curiously sniffed his hand. Griffin gave her a little look. A laxed one… “Is it wrong to ask you, to fight…"

He asked and the Absol's flickering tail slowly halted. “Is… it wrong for me to ask for your help in getting another badge… so we can all keep traveling with them?" Griffin mentioned as Brad just stared at him.

Stared at the weirdest trainer, one that fed his Pokémon food that he cooked for them. One that spoke to them in ways that befounded him. A way that made him know, that Griffin was the strangest trainer to meet… The weirdest trainer to see…

A trainer that only saw Pokémon as every bit human as himself.

• Logan.

It was the chamber that was the most horrifying thing to pry open. The button that released the clip was easy enough to figure out… but looking for anything to open the top of the metal gun…

That scared him. That left the twenty-year-old to cringe and quake with the steel in his palms… He knew nothing about them, and he sure as hell wasn't about to pull the trigger at anything. The walk back felt endlessly tedious…

That's when he noticed something, right at the trigger guard. A little piece of metal stuck out of it – ribbed on the front… his finger pushed down on it and it shot back like a spring… so Logan held it, then pulled the chamber.

The gun wasn't loaded.

There wasn't a round in the chamber… so the clip long behind him that sat aimlessly on the trail was every single bullet that the handgun had in it. There was this eerie sigh of relief that fluttered through his whole core as Logan finally tossed the firearm as far into the woods as he could muster. It clacked aimlessly against a tree in the distance… and the forest grew alive for just a moment. Then…

…

Silence.

…

A gentle wind crusaded its path through the trees; calm sounds and chitters fluttered through the branches as the moonlight hung over him… It was a little early for the sun to go down, but that was just another sign that fall would arrive soon enough. Logan fumbled to his belt, it was his old belt, frayed at some of the edges but it was made out of that old-style thick cloth – like an old army utility belt. That…

Was a gift from someone who told him he had a good head on his shoulders.

His fingers grazed against Esi's Pokéball and he'd gently bring it up to his eyes. There was a chitter from the ball itself, as though he could hear the Pokémon talk from within it.

“Please, trust me and bear with it. Personally everything has gone awry for us… but you seem to be very, very special… So, we'll do our best to help you." He'd say and seem to smile a little… The Pokéball went silent and Logan could picture it.

**_Picture it chitter at him while it sat patiently, it's big kite-like ears flickered – the short whiskers twitched and it's eyes just filled with this light… A light… that Logan could only describe as…

Hope._**

“You know… you kind of remind me of a Fennekin, just sleeker, less fluff I guess. Personally, I was always more of a cat person… Ironic I guess." It just chittered again as though to reply to him. “If I understood what you were saying, I'd reply with an honest answer… I mean I might be assuming… but… I guess you have lots of questions."

Logan was just easing his nerves by talking to the Pokéball as he walked. Talking to the Esi, hearing it make that eerily familiar sound…

Logan knew that sound, but he still couldn't put his finger on it. “I just… wonder what the world was like when you were around, I mean I'm assuming you're from a fossil too." It chittered again… and Logan had this dumb idea…

Like a police officer over the phone. Logan thought to himself. “Hey… Esi… I have a game we can play. It's called… Twenty Questions…"

Kind of… Logan thought to himself. “So, I'm going to ask you simple yes and no questions… Chitter twice for yes, once for no." It made this flurry of little chitters. Happy little chitters and vocal sounds that Logan couldn't even process. Was that… excitement? Logan hoped so.

“Alright… first question… are you a fossil?"

There was this weird sound it made…

Maybe it's… so old that's it's never seen a fossil?

“Have you… ever seen… Articuno?"

There was only one chitter.

“Alright… Have you ever seen… Lugia?"

Again, only one chitter. Logan huffed a little.

“Are… there one hundred of your kind?"

That's where it made a weird, weird sound. It wasn't a chittering sound at all." Logan looked around his surroundings. They weren't back at the jeep yet or anytime soon it seemed. He just scratched his head, grabbed the tufts of his hair on the back of it.

Maybe… try… Extinct Pokémon?

“Have you ever seen… Kabuto? The Shellfish Pokémon?"

One chitter. Logan seemed to sigh very silently to himself.

“Have you ever seen… Tyrunt?"

One chitter. Logan swallowed a little. Then he opened his mouth

“Alright… How many Esi's have you seen? Chitter once for every ten you've ever seen."

It didn't make a sound. Logan sighed raggedly.

“Have you ever been around other Pokémon?"

It chittered twice.

“Are they the same species?"

That was a weird sound it made first… but after making this collection of noises, it chittered once.

How old is this Pokémon?

“Have you ever seen Groudon? Kyogre?" He'd ask and waited in silence. Then… it chittered twice. Logan nodded as he kept walking through the dark trail, eyes of all sorts of Pokémon glanced his way – he couldn't figure out what was what.

“How many times have you seen them?" It replied with one chitter. “Ten times?" Then it replied again with one chitter, a firm one. “So once."

“How about Mew?" Two chitters, then it went silent and made one. Logan swallowed to himself.

“What about Giratina? Dialga?" Two chitters and then one.

“So you've seen… Mythical Pokémon but only once?" Logan nodded to himself

This is weird. Is this Pokémon that old? Impossible…

“H – Have you seen… Arceus?" The Pokémon went silent in it's capsule as they walked down the trail which illuminated in gentle streams of luminescent moonlit rays. There was a sparse collection of clouds and fine dust that made everything seem to sparkle. The scant cloud of thin particles made everything flicker like gentle twilight stars that surrounded all around Logan as they walked. Finally, after that long silence…

It chittered twice. Then it made all sorts of noises and Logan swallowed…

“I'm sorry that there's a language barrier… I don't understand what your telling me…"

But you sound absolutely excited… sad… lonely and happy. It's like I'm one of the first… other living thing you've seen. Logan swallowed again and breathed.

“Have you lived with Pokémon the same as you? Do you evolve?"

The Pokéball chittered twice… and reluctantly chittered twice again.

“How many times to you evolve?" The Pokémon… made…

Four chitters. Four silent, nervous little chitters. Logan swallowed…

“Mega evolution?"

One chitter responded, then a collection of noises. Logan nodded…

“How about… gender specific?"

The Esi responded with two chitters.

_So… male and females change into different evolved forms? Is that… what Esi is telling me? Is this all just some fantastical lie… because if it's not I may have just discovered a living Pokémon… one that is as old as this earth… _ Logan let out a shy breath and looked at the tree line.

When did the forest become… so open? Less claustrophobic… the oppressive trees and shadows hardly crushed against him now. If you're right… then… what order are the evolutions? How do they evolve? What… type of mythical Pokémon are you? Esi… Logan went to clip her Pokéball back on his belt. It wasn't hard to tell that it was a female…

It was one of the first things Logan inspected. However, he needed a male to compare them, to fully learn the differences.

I'd assume a field type… but if it's a mythical, that type might be out the window. Logan checked the ball again.

“Thank you for the chat, Esi. Just bear with us for a while… there's a lot we don't know. But you may need to hide with me for a while…" The capsule made a chitter and went silent as Logan strapped the ball to his belt. He placed it in the back. His sixth Pokéball… one that he can't touch except for moments like this. Logan hurried back to the jeep and eventually came into the beam of its dim headlights. A little wave and Trevor waved back from the driver's seat.

“You find anything?" He'd ask, and Logan straight faced groaned… angrily kicked the hub cap of the jeep.

“Fuck all. There's nothing there, just old papers and a trashed-up cabin… We did all this crap for nothing. So, thanks for asking Trevor!" Logan held a firm, snapped tone in his voice and Trevor gave a little reel of his head.

There was this near awkward silence between them as Logan climbed into the car…

“I'll never get truly mad at any of you! I swear if I do, I must be lying!" Logan's own voice came into his head “If I'm ever like really, super duper mad I'll just storm off! That's a promise!" A voice he couldn't recognize anymore. Just the hope that Trevor understood it.

“W – Well sorry, Logan. We need to get the hell out of here." There was a laugh behind them, a little laugh.

“Put a cork in it, fatass." Logan replied, and the man just went red in the cheeks.

“Hey kid! Don't get smart with me!" He'd mention, and Logan shrugged

“Says the two idiots with a loaded gun, but nothing in the chamber" Logan mentioned and bitterly sat in the front seat of the jeep. He'd buckle himself in and barely passed a glance at Trevor…

_Remember that much… Trevor. We all have a little secret code I guess you could say…

One filled with empty, unrealistic promises. But those can be the best kind, right? The kind that gives us hope… even a sliver more when we don't have anymore. They let us down in the end… but when they don't… _

“Punch it, we'll get to a Town as soon as possible… Who knows, we might, might catch the end of the festival for all we know."

“A Tournament? Sweet. We can dump these two idiots in the confusion of all that." Trevor tossed a thumb behind him. “That's seriously coming up?"

“Last I checked, in fact I thought it was starting later today? Why, wanna enter your Pokémon?" Trevor shook his head no

“Hardly, not yet anyways – maybe one day." He'd mention and show off the little Pidgey… Logan had to give Trevor a second glance.

“You got your jacket, but aren't you freezing with that muscle shirt underneath? This is an open top jeep, Je-" Logan cut himself off from saying the name.

Just in case saying it in vain too many times will be the death of me… I'm not superstitious or anything… but I already feel too close for comfort. Trevor shrugged and just started down the road… Logan cautiously double checked the map that Rebecca held. Her Charmander snugged itself up into her jacket… His bright gold-like eyes stared at it.

“Trev, take a left – there should be a decommissioned service road." He'd mention and check his compass.

“Nice compass kid… oil based – the directions glow in the dark. That's something right out of the army… you have family that enlisted?" The man mentioned from behind him and Logan just checked the compass. Logan simply and plain faced replied.

“No." Trevor made a noise after Logan spoke.

“I doubt they'll be much of a crowd, with the international events coming up." Trevor began, and Logan shrugged

“It's all during the Championship anyways. We have a while… Also, it's out in Kanto, the whole area is going to explode with trainers from all over. Any smart trainer in training would stay away. Less they want to be embarrassed on the international level, right?" Logan mentioned “Anyways, after we ditch these two, we aren't staying long." Logan chuckled and turned to one of the men. “Getting the hell out of dodge, you know."

The man leered back at Logan, and the other fellow stayed quiet – still bleeding… or not? It looked like it already stopped.

“I'd say Outtie like Audi myself." Logan quipped and chuckled and the man with blood in his hair rolled his eyes.

“That's… really dumb." He replied, and Logan shrugged

“Hey, take it or leave it." He'd reply “Anyways, unless both of you dislike my offer that much, I'd suggest you both do too. After all… I'd hate to read in the news that some foreigner was shot by the International Police. They got special forces in there, right Trevor?" Trevor nodded

“Yeah, a real Team Rainbow I guess…" Logan chuckled at his quip.

“Don't tell me you're on the hunt now!" Trevor seemed red in the face, but Logan was referencing a certain book. It seemed like a fitting comment… a dark one, but fitting.

“I like his books alright…" Trevor mentioned “The older ones always had this wonderful aesthetic to them." Logan shrugged a little

“I've read like one page, never got into them, you know that." Logan expressed and focused on the road. It was a little rough ride – especially in the jeep they were in. But jeeps were never known for their 'smoothness.' “Anyways… wasn't Griffin the video game nerd in the family?" Logan mentioned

“Not really… Liked that NES though. Only one we had, anyways we dragged him outside all the time!" Trevor replied quickly.

“Yeah, I guess dragged is the right word" Logan laughed a little, it felt a little soothing talking about it all… Trevor did catch on as quickly as Logan expected. He made no notion to his belt, nothing. Trevor just understood that he found something, but he kept it under so many locks and focused on the 'mission' they were on that the two in the back just huffed and looked at each other the best they could.

“I need another cigarette…" The larger man commented and in unison all of them simply replied

“No." They'd say, and he'd roll his eyes.

“Hey man, you feel like vomiting?" The lankier fellow shook his head no.

“Well, if you count from the big Mankey's shitty driving, no. I don't" He'd mention, quite calmly and in this regal strict manner. “I actually just want to leave myself." The larger guy looked at him

“Hey man we got paid, you can't walk out on that" Logan and Trevor just looked at one another. Then Logan looked behind him.

Do they have something we missed, idle conversation like that… how are the bindings? I want to check… Great, they could tuck and roll or attack Rebecca – she's in the back seat after all…

“Hey Trev, slow and stop the Jeep, I'm swapping seats with Rebecca." Logan mentioned, this very real fear got the better of him.

“Sure, how far do we have anyways?" Trevor asked as he slowed the jeep down to a stop. Logan got out along with Rebecca… she gave him this awkward look. She'd been quiet the whole time… That underlaid fear… the concern of what could happen next; what already did happen… She'd hug her Charmander closer and closer to herself. Finally, she'd undo her seat belt and get into the front of the vehicle and Logan got into the back seat – closer to the two of them. Logan wanted to keep a very close eye on the two.

“It's dead quiet out here Logan…" Rebecca commented, and Logan went silent.

“Yeah… Cuz, keep going, let's get out of here." Logan mentioned and heard the vehicle purr… the momentum push them forward and bumpily down some old trail – from time to time Trevor delicately swerved the truck to avoid knocked over branches and other things that could pop a tire or two… but as they drove Logan swore he heard this faint little hiss slip through the forest…

A weird faint sound caught and fluttered over weak winds as they kept their way down the road. An eerie, terrifying sound that felt like the mix of a cat or a snake…

“Shiiiiraaa… Chessss… Cheshiiii…." That faint, insignificant sound sent the hairs on Logan's back to stilt… his spine shivered – sides quaked. And he'd look around the faint light from the front of the jeep. The stars flicked and twinkled dimly above them as trees shrouded over the car. It must've been the wind…

Just the wind called out eerie sounds that fluttered over the jeep. Over the wind above them as though to come from all directions… like a song that rotted away everything around them… or a swirled sickly potion that only led to death.

Logan only breathed and felt his whole-body rack with chills, that's when something clacked against the back of the jeep – he jumped in reply.

“Jumpy kid, you went white as a sheet! Didn't think we scared the daylights out of you" The chubbier fellow mentioned, and Logan just clenched his teeth.

“Just hearing things… You didn't hear that?" The man shook his head

“I don't know, the wind? It's howling back here; I can barely hear the engine half the time…" He'd say, it felt truthful, but Logan wondered if he was just that decent at telling half-truths. The Jeep seemed to go high to the right and it clacked down on the trail. It was this massive pothole? That's what it looked like as they swung a little closer to the mountains, Rebecca was busy pointing out the window and down a different road. Logan didn't even question it at all, so long as they got the hell out of there, he'd be fine with a Psyduck guiding them…

Not that he had a problem before. Logan wasn't THAT old…

The ride, as bumpy and terrible as it was… felt calm from then on with the wind gently fluttering with a crisp air that filled Logan's mind with all sorts of memories.

“Find them both" Logan took off his cap and held it in his lap. “How's Bandit doing!?" Griffin's voice came over a receiver as Logan's mind flashed and flicked with the pictures of a Pokémon center. Logan remembered how he grinned and held her up to the screen…

How the Poochyena scratched and pawed and whined at it. As Griffin would talk to her endlessly… long enough that the attending nurse told Logan to get off the phone. Logan just thought back to how simple it was back then, when he started. When the world was this huge and wonderful adventure… and now it wasn't like it used to be. He'd tap tediously against the back of Rebecca's seat and check a Pokéball.

Out of all of them, he grabbed Haxorus; the one that Griffin had caught. He'd just stare at the red and white capsule intently…

They're still just Pokémon… but that doesn't mean they can't understand what I say. Every single one of them are unique. I believed it when I was young… and the older I get the more clarity I see in that. Logan gave it a little smile…

“Well, Haxorus. I'd love to get to know you soon enough. I'll have to chat with you like I chat with Dragonite." He could hear a sound from the capsule. As though he could picture it nod as it sat patiently and endlessly in the red and white Pokéball. “I guess you could say I feel like I should apologize your not with him." Logan held the Pokéball close to his face…

As though holding some tape recorder, an older model… but here he held it in a way that he was to look at the Pokémon's face with a smile. With a gentle, nervous and curious look in his eyes as though he believed that Haxorus was connected in every way… No different than Esi.

The road started to smooth out after about an hour of driving in near silence. Logan kept his eyes on the pair directly behind him, they were… arguing? About payment, about leaving. Logan just caught onto the feeling that the thinner older man just wanted to see his daughter. It made perfect sense to him. Logan couldn't picture going through a whole war or conflict just to come home and leave again. It made him tap his finger pointlessly against Rebecca's chair with a little sigh.

_We have two alcoholics in the bed of the jeep… A Pokémon that doesn't exist or seem to. A massive criminal organization that seems connected to the Pokémon League and just too many questions that I feel like won't be answered.

Or at least… anytime soon I mean.

I hope._

The old forest trail finally sparsely opened onto cracked and ancient pavement as Rebecca double checked them map. She'd point and chat with Trevor who replied with an attentive nod and talked idly back to her about work. About how he was worried about his clients – their Pokémon… then talked about this unique older fellow, something about herbs? How he wished he picked some up before he left. Logan just gave a playful lean of his head and stared at the trees that passed by them. They went from twenty or thirty miles an hour or even slower… to sixty or seventy. The wind bellowed through the canopy as Logan watched the two behind him.

“Hey Trevor, you hit a pothole these two… They're going to fly out the back."

“Twenty points each right?" Trevor quipped, chuckled and slowed it down to a modest fifty. It seemed as though chatting with Rebecca pulled him out of the situation, or the reality of it. Logan ended up reminding him about it just by talking about the two in the back.

“Well… if you undid one of our arms…"

“Not happening." Logan replied, he wasn't that dumb. All he could do was stare at the thinner fellow and swallow to himself. He… could be using his kid as an excuse to untie him. I nearly feel that intense, questionable feeling in the air. He keeps staring at me too from time to time… Worried? Do I know him? Have… I seen him before?

“Hey Trev. Wasn't there like this… International Cop looking around for criminal gangs and organizations a little while back?" Logan asked, and Trevor shrugged with his hand laxed, one arm on the wheel up front.

“Booker? Locker? Looker? Yeah Looker was the rumor. I remember something from a fellow in Sinnoh. Why? Are you starting to think these guys are cops?" Logan shook his head no…

“I just think one of them is…" Logan mentioned and left it at that. It quieted the two of them quickly. “Talk about some line of secret service or MI6 crap." Logan idly mentioned “But we have an Asian fellow… Korean? Chinese? Mandarin? I can't tell but I know he's not from around here, hint of an American accent." He'd comment, and Trevor relaxed his shoulders.

Divide and conquer right?

“I got this weird feeling from the other guy. I feel like he's playing this Texan style character too harshly. Hardly has that southern accent, you know?" Trevor replied and nodded. “they're both weird for sure."

That's the best-case scenario, right? They're both cops… We'd get arrested sure, but at least we wouldn't get killed. But that's just me being hopeful… giving up I guess.

“I don't trust either of them, but I'd say the 'southern Texas guy' looks rather trustworthy! He keeps talking all that stuff about how they've been hired anyways. Is that his only defense?" Something curled against Logan's back…

They keep talking about how they've been hired… laughed about money… Are you telling me they aren't paid? Why has that thought come up now? The thinner man… a heavy-set man… Logan furred his brow and let out a little sound. We can't leave them for dead… but we can certainly leave them, right? We've missed something very, very important. None of them have Pokéballs. Any guard or sentry in the woods would have one at least. We've missed something very… very…

“Trevor, hit the brakes."

“Logan?"

“Do it." Logan replied as Trevor slowed down.

“What is it?" Something crawled along Logan's back…

“Rebecca, check the map, find us another way. I got this sneaky little feeling that we're driving down a route that's too convenient." Logan mentioned “Were there other tracks down that service trail?"

“It's too dark to see that…" Rebecca commented.

“For all we know we could drive right through their campsite." It silenced the Jeep. “Or right into more of them. Two guards but no Pokémon? There must be something more. We're playing this simple, not smart." Trevor sighed and put his head against the wheel of the Jeep.

“What do you want to do Logan? Get out of the Jeep and walk?" Logan blinked twice, then unbuckled his seatbelt.

“L – Logan!" Trevor commented “It's like, two days on foot! Especially with how dark it is out THERE." He'd point at the woods as Rebecca kept reading the map.

“There's no trails on the map…" She'd say and look around “We don't have a nocturnal Pokémon, I mean I don't."

“Neither do I." Trevor said

“Shadow is with Griffin…" Logan mentioned and thought about his team. Haxorus, Dragonite, Lapras, Aggron… and Esi. Esi WOULD be are best choice but it's too risky with these two. Are we being followed? This is all too real, stuck in the woods like this. There was a flicker from a Pokéball that made Logan swallow.

“Let's leave the two in the back of the jeep, take everything we need. Spirit, can you guide us out of here?" Trevor's Sandslash stretched and nodded with a little vocal cue. “We're in some trouble too, sorry buddy." The Sandslash cheekily shrugged and single shook it's head as Trevor grabbed what he could. Logan just watched Trevor take the lead and he didn't say a word. This was Trevor's forte after all, hiking in abnormal conditions. Logan forgot all about his Sandslash. He'd simply turn off the jeep wave at the two tied up in the back and tug against Logan's jacket. Rebecca just followed them into the woods.

“I get we're all paranoid, but this keeps us in the woods even longer now. I hope you made the right choice Logan, because next time I'm making it." He'd say, annoyed and gave a huff. They began to wander with Spirit following into the darkness of the woods. Logan could see it's eyes glimmer at him like a pair of faint wisps. After a while he'd lose track of the time but knew that they were surrounded by complete darkness except for Charmanders tail.

“This time, Rebecca, you should return him. The fire will give us away…" Logan mentioned

“How will we see?"

“I have a flashlight, remember? Easy to hide." Trevor was busy looking through a bag from the jeep. One that was in the bed of the vehicle.

“Rope… another map, a newer one too. Rebecca have a look at this." He'd say and hand over the map. She'd take it from Trevor as he'd keep searching through the duffel bag.

“No other guns it looks like. Pokémon repellant, canned food, water. This is like a bugout bag. No radio or GPS, or I can't find one." Trevor mentioned and as he was idly talking Logan heard a chitter from his belt. Charmander made a noise in reply and suddenly began walking beside him. The lizard stuck close to his leg.

“Char?" Logan patted his hand down.

“Not right now." He'd say as the little feisty Charmander licked his hand with a plume of fire – the heat made him pull his hand away.

What's with you? Esi did you say something? Logan looked back at Rebecca's Charmander.

“Don't you have a Cyndaquil?" He'd ask and Charmander huffed at Logan. “What? You're a giant target in the dark…" Logan whispered, and Rebecca nodded

“I do, but Charmander hates the Pokéball…"

Oh my god… Why… Why is she pulling a Griffin now? Logan gave a little sigh

“Look, if they find us out here, we're in a lot of trouble – it'll just be for the night. Sandslash can guide us." Spirit tilted his head again, those eerie glowed eyes glared back at them and all around the pitch-black forest. A Pokémon that dug underground… that was the perfect choice. With the way the trees enveloped them now, it would make it easier and easier for the Sandslash to see. Logan turned on the flashlight shortly after Rebecca reluctantly returned her Charmander and went through her six Pokéballs on her belt. After a moment, an eerie lizard slithered out of the ball she chose. It stood elegantly and sleekly in the moonlight that pierced its white glowed spear through the tree branches above them…

It was its eerie eyes that Logan stared at for a while, the way it tilted it's head… the way it stared at his belt…

Something chittered and Logan put his hand on Esi's Pokéball.

Of course all of their Pokémon would know about it… They'd know about his new hidden friend. The Salazzle just glared at Logan curiously… at the belt defiantly. Rebecca had been lost in thought before she chose her Salazzle. His new hidden friend chittered again…

**_At least, Logan hoped that was the right thing to call it, as they continued through the splendid moonlit forest with two Pokémon to guide them and a gentle chitter that only asked and said.

“Who are you? Can we play? Where are you Raticate? … I don't feel very lonely… anymore."_**

• Thief.

It was the crushing feeling that sunk over his chest in moments which led the Growlithe to stare at his empty bowl. When did it hit him so heavily?

The self doubt?

The oddity of guilt.

A spreading sea of homesickness that crept over his heart and made his pelt jolt and leap. He'd just glance out at the sky.

It was dark now; the sun had finally given into the night… as sure as time itself.

As sure as life always gave gifts to death.

The feeling made the orange and black furred Growlithe shiver unintentionally as a picture looked over the living room… aimlessly, yet proudly for all to see.

Unlike that of a folded picture frame. One that aimlessly collected dust over the years. A frame that told a story… a simple one. One as guiltless as it were and yet one as filled with it as possible. A simple tale as hypocritical as it were honest.

Thief just stared at the hung picture on the wall with the tilt of his head.

“You really like that picture." Wuffles said after a while of staring. She naturally helped him eat his food, but the Growlithe…

didn't seem to mind in the slightest. As though he ate for the sake of eating… but he never needed as much as he had.

“It just looks like someone I know I think?"

“Autumn?" Thief turned his head away from the picture frame and glanced at the Rockruff. Her grey fluffy mane flicked as she stretched it out in this poufy manner. “Marcus drinks a lot… but there's this one time out of the year where he drinks a whole lot… it's about a week before he goes on a plane!" Thief pawed at the hardwood with his un-casted paw.

“A plane(uhuh)?" Rockruff nodded with a little sound as he talked, she knew he was repeating what he said. “Well(Well I) I…" Thief gave a tiny laugh. “We're repeating each other! It's like an echo!" He'd say with a little laugh and all Wuffles did was give a nod…

“Yeah, it's a big silver thingy with wings! It flies! I see them all the time! If you look up really high during certain times of the day over the sea, you can see all of the flights they take!" Thief gave a small nod

“Cool!" He'd reply casually and felt his tail flick left and right.

It felt too light for him. “My seashell!" The Rockruff tilted her head.

“What about it? Isn't(I) it(Know) outside(That)? On the ledge!" Thief rolled his eyes as she just huffed at him. “Now you're interrupting me…" She'd express while her paw tapped against the ground. “We'll just go get it! It's right there after all!" Thief nodded

“But how are we getting it on my tail again…" He'd mention, and she'd tilt her head.

“Why not just put it on your collar?" Thief felt his eyes flicker…

I'm… still wearing my…? I've been wearing it all this time? It's a bell collar… That thing… Thief felt his back crawl.

If Wuffles didn't yip and yell so loudly, it would've heard every single move I made. Not that it mattered much… I still lost… Thief let out a little shaken exhale If we were alone in the woods… If…

His mind went to a place that left him to shudder, that's when the door creaked open. Thief's tail flickered like mad…

He wanted it to be Griffin, but it was only a certain man in a wheelchair. He only tossed the Growlithe a little look as Wuffles went for the door and in some sassy fashion, held her back paw against it to stop it from closing all the way. Ayumu simply rolled his chair past Thief, without another glance…

Save for one at the picture on the wall…

He didn't stop to stare at it however and continued through the house and towards the basement. Thief just watched him disappear around the corner… the moment Ayumu did, he'd follow the Rockruff outside. She partially kicked the door open, just enough that Thief could pass through the crack.

Surprisingly, to him, the night in Alola was much, much colder then he expected. A chilled frosty air hovered over the ocean and made its way to him.

A bellowing wind pushed him away from the sea. It felt to him, that he never belonged beyond the shore. The frost shattered across his pelt as though it were dry snow and ice… but the air itself felt cracked like that of a deserts floor. This wind did not feel anything like that of Alolan wind, not the kind he had experienced all through this afternoon. Now it felt faded to Thief. With just the spark of paper lanterns that slowly lit themselves within a velvet curtain, as though it fell upon a spectacular show… He was so lost with the ignition of the night sky that he barely felt something stab into his tail.

“H(Got) –(your) Hey(shell) Ow(Thief)!" He turned his head to Rockruff who just gave him a little sight of her tongue. A cheeky sight, the way how her eyes squinted and closed with that little pink curl that passed by her muzzle. He just glanced back at the shell in his fluff again… It really did feel snug and cozy while it sat back there in a way that left the stars to refract against it. Like it was nothing more than a paper lantern lost at sea.

“Come! Come on Thief! I'll show you the special place I've talked about!" The Rockruff said with a playful smile that made Thief pass a wry one.

“S – sure…" He'd say as she'd gently push against him again… within the dim moonlight, where she'd bump him a way, where the hill was. The one that they went up earlier that day. She simply walked behind Thief, the way he wobbled to keep his broken paw away from the ground.

“It's not far! I promise! I'll even drag you for a bit if you want!" She'd comment, and Thief found himself giggling

“Think you can!?" He'd say and Wuffles responded with her tongue again.

“The moon isn't even out yet! I'll show you how awesome I can sing too!" She'd comment and help to push him up the steps. They were like engraved stone of some kind, Thief simply wondered how Ayumu made it down the hill, let alone up it. He used the rope and a narrow dirt slope that rested beside it. It seemed like a trench but filled, smoothed out with a shovel – as smooth as a shovel could get it. It took him longer then he thought to get to the top… Yet in the dark, where only a portrait of stars shone in the netted abyss above them, Thief could only stare at the sight, then past the hill along the sea. Until something tugged his tail.

“I totally can! Just lay on your back! That's what I did!" She'd comment and the Growlithe just tilted his head as a little shiver ran through his back. There was a collection of chitters that crossed around the woods.

“Is that him? Wait… it has to be! That's the Growlithe!" A voice slipped into the air.

“He fought that thing, right? He doesn't look that big! Or strong at all!" Another voice crossed through the air as Thief just stared at Wuffles. She'd gently push her paw against him and Thief decided to lay down on his back – the white cast settled itself against his chest.

“What a weird paw… No… it looks like someone bundled a whole bunch of leaves on it!" Something chirped. Exactly how many wild Pokémon were out during the night. Something hooted moments later and then Thief felt his tail tug. Wuffles effortlessly dragged him this time and he simply stared at the stars above him. It looked like a Zubat that flicked across the trees. Then there was a Pikipek that nailed against a section of wood. Thief just watched the stars roll by as Wuffles dragged him down the trail.

“That's so weird!" Thief looked around and met the eyes of a Pokémon around the bushes “Mom look at that!" It was a Cubone that stared out of the dim bushes… and then there was the flick of ice cold fire that made Thief narrow his gaze. A Marowak? It looked like one, and gently it tapped the unlit section of the bone-like staff it held and pushed the Cubone back into the woods. A few Rattata's bolted around through the bushes and across the trail.

“W – Wuffles… there's a whole lot of wild Pokémon." Thief mentioned as quietly as he could, then the dirt trail – that uncomfortable collection of small pebbles and rocks which tugged at his fur was replaced with this wonderful feeling of tall cool grasses. A tree tilted at them as they walked by… and Exeggutor stared at the pair. One of its heads made a weird look as another smiled happily. It must've been asleep, but Thief could barely see the change between that Pokémon and the trees around them.

“It's okay scaredy!" She'd say, and Thief huffed “They know me soooo much! They don't ever bug me!"

I wonder why… Thief snickered, and she'd turn her head at him

“What's so funny?" She'd retort

“Oh nothing, just surprised you haven't eaten my tail!" He'd comment, and she'd giggle a little

“Well it looks like a Creamsicle…. But it doesn't taste like one" She'd say and let his tail go, make a little spitting sound and paw at her tongue “It's like SO unclean, I can taste dust from halfway across the world! Yuck!" Thief started to laugh a little

“Well your tail tasted gross too! I was just being polite!" he'd say and stick out his tongue before letting out a few laughs. The Exeggutor just glanced at them from a distance now and Thief turned himself around, braced on his good paw and began to follow her down a small, gentle hill. Like a rolling one. One that the wind got caught up with. Where a collection of rocks pointlessly collected rain water. It flickered as though it were barely touched but it was clean water. Thief could tell right away… and Wuffles excitedly flicked her tail all over

“there's not even any grass around the rocks too!" She'd comment “So you can just let out a HUGE flamethrower!" Thief began to giggle

“You really want to sit in warm water!" He'd comment as the wind howled against him.

It was surprisingly freezing out here. Even for him. Thief figured it was because the sleep was just losing it's grasp over him. In fact, he started to feel very, very attentive. Surged.

Electrified.

His mouth bellowed out a gentle current of flame in the chilly wind. His whole body began to heat up – the wind swirled above his pelt as it fluffed out. Thief just kept the current of flames around the rocks. Wuffles just stared at it curiously.

“I wonder how long it takes… We don't wanna cook each other!" Thief stopped for a minute and giggled

“A little salt, Cajun, paprika and pepper, that thing would have a great dinner!" Wuffles pushed against him in this fright

“D – don't say that!"

W – why is it so funny though? He thought as he began to giggle uncontrollably… He was just unleashing all of his nerves, the whole forest was alive with chatter. The rock just gently clattered the flames around as he continued to bellow fire out at the enclosed water. He did that for a while, maybe thirty seconds before Wuffles checked it, then he took a breath and did it again.

They got it down to a science, and just as the moon peaked around the sky Thief found himself in this wonderfully warm and soothing water – save for his cast… he kept it away from anything but the rock he rested it on. The cold side to say the least and just watched out to sea.

“The nights are so noisy… but it's…"

“Absolutely pretty right! Just wait until the moon comes out in full!" Wuffles said and snuggled into the warm water as though it were a blanket. “I've been in one of these things before! Well, the humans make them! Makani's not allowed at that house again… something about a filty? And hair? I don't know" She'd mention “But it was the BEST feeling in the world. These bubbles would get everywhere! It was like a massage!" Thief found himself giggling as he glanced out at the water closely. He was waiting for a sign of some kind… Yet the water only flickered against the endless stars that nestled against the mirrored waves and churned gently amongst sparkles of rested bright white lights. The clouds wicked away these plumes of golden white that shimmered against the airy skies and the silence that captivated him…

Wuffles was right, of course she was. With the night being chilled and cold but the water hot to the touch and yet soothing… the view just took him back once more.

The ocean… the heat… the sparsity of clouds and the moonlight.

Glorious, somber moonlight that only carried a simple sound of someone singing beautifully. Just a gentle vocal… a howl that slipped into the wind. One that softly changed pitch and fluttered into a silent collection of wonderfully tame yet horrifically eerie howls. Thief tried to get her attention… but she never took her eyes away from the night sky. Not with the moon that began to climb against the sky upwards towards the heavens that rested along the water. Thief just had to silently listen from there…

It was just a small somber song, about a cub that could never find her mother. About a child that was lost to the world and desperately wanted her back. A child that lost everything to her… and yet never gave up hope.

Griffin:

“Moonlight Agility!" The Espeon had already faced down his opponent in a tighter struggle then Griffin expected “Keep on guard!" He'd say again yet his voice didn't feel much of a connection.

Why am I still… distracted? What am I so worried about? His heart began to pick up as Surge's Pachirisu happily chirped to a command… He looked impatient already, but what leader wouldn't now that the sun was gone and only the moonlight climbed into the sky. It was just starting to, as though to lag further behind another. Griffin felt his hands twitch nervously.

Why am I blanking out? I can't… remember the commands now? The moves? Moonlight just tossed Griffin a glance

“Pachirisu! Quick attack!" Surge called out and suddenly gave this 'At Ease' stance. The kind where his hands followed behind his back… Griffin felt himself swallow, just the way Surge looked at him.

The gym leader looked disappointed that he wasn't fired up, His Electrabuzz lost to Smokey, it really felt like that Houndoom just toyed with him… acted out the whole thing to make it close enough so it wasn't suspicious. Now Melody stared at Griffin…

Brad stared while he leaned against the wall, a hand in his pocket and another that patted Aura's head.

Natasha glanced with Yuny on her head, tail flickering madly as the Eevee yipped… and her Leafeon just watched from her side. Griffin just tossed Leafeon a curious glance as it sat, straight backed – it's long curved ears flicked as it dramatically tilted it's head and pointed a paw towards the battle. Griffin changed his Focus as his Espeon pulled out from the Pachirisu's quick attack.

“M…" He went for a command but fell short. “Moonlight! Shadowball! Get in close!" The Espeon started with a nod as Pachirisu began a bolt in?

“Pachirisu! Discharge!"

Crap Griffin swallowed “Moonlight, Agility!" He'd call out and bite his tongue… Why does… Why his he so slow suddenly? Is he okay? He'd continue to watch until something pushed against his hand.

Absol sat next to him and tilted her head, Griffin gently pressed his open hand against her cheek, scratched it a little as she pressed it against his palm. Griffin found himself distracted with it for just a second… before he'd toss a look at the Espeon on the field.

Moonlight didn't cut the distance in to meet the move and jumped back in an attempt to dodge the wild collection of sparks that dug across the earth below him. He'd fall back and ignore Griffin's orders.

“Moonlight…" Griffin muttered to himself. “You can do this." Moonlights ear twitched gently. Just that gentle twitch that fluttered beautiful moonlight through the glass above them. It illuminated the Espeon's fur in a flurry of gentle pink and purple. His fur appeared just as pale as expected, as though the moon had drawn all of his sunlight from him. All of his color… Yet Griffin only watched the Espeon dig his paws into the ground and exhale. It felt chilled and the Pachirisu drove in for another attack. Moonlight shut his eyes…

And in a fraction of time the gemstone on his forehead glowed with a solid bright and blinding flash. Something that lifted Pachirisu up and slammed it clean against the ground. Hard. It was a hard enough move that it tossed dirt into the air and left it to yelp.

Pachirisu used Discarge! The attack missed! Moonlight used Psychic!

The Espeon left another eerie exhale, a cold wisp that gently tossed its way against the scarf that clung around his neck. It fluttered through the fabric as Moonlight rolled his shoulders and stretched while Pachirisu got back to it's feet.

“Thundershock!" Surge called out as Moonlight pulled off Light-screen. Griffin watch closely as the film of light covered in front of Moonlight. It resembled oil nearly as the iridescent reds and yellows and greens churned in front of the Espeon… it looked, incomplete. Fractured, the shocks danced over the shield and crossed through it.

It's… like he's out of power… or energy? He's ragged? Did he eat enough? Moonlight… what's wrong? You're always driven? Just… thinking this hard about it is making my head hurt? It's like a bad… migraine? Griffin took a second to exhale too before something stalled in him.

_I'm… personally worried and excited? Right now? But.. why do I feel enlightened too in some way or… marveled at something? And then I feel like I have a headache on top of it… it's like I'm spending all of my time thinking about everything else or… carrying something on my shoulders? Great… am I trying to become Logan now?

Why would I even think about him? Have… I been thinking about that all day? Just… subconsciously?_

“Moonlight! Use the night to your advantage! Sunny day!" Leafeon gave a tilt of his head as Moonlight tossed a gaze at his trainer. “That's what the moon is! It's just sunlight reflecting off of the surface! Use Sunny day! Funnel it!" The Espeon late out a little wisp of a sound and let his gemstone glow. The moonlight seemed to stir and glow brightly and harshly against the glass – it refracted through the plains of crystal above them and left the Espeon's fur to quiver and it's tail to twitch. Lightscreen faltered and shattered which left it to create dozens of crystalline shards that flicked across the field. A thundershock punched through the shield and tagged Moonlight.

A critical hit!

“Moonlight! Morning Sun!"

“What are you doing?" Natasha commented… But Griffin had some kind of idea. Moonlight nodded again… and collected the harsh Moonlit sky around him. Collected plenty enough that his fur sleeked over in a brighter, richer color. A ghastly yet somber glow fluttered through his pale, wisped pelt as it took in the brightness around him. He shards from his lightscreen chimed and shimmered in the air and flicked around his pelt in this flurry of beauty. Griffin felt himself swallow.

The screen showed Moonlight's health in the red… At night, His health should only go up by half with morning sun – even with sunny day… So, why was it in the green according to the board?

“Use Fling!" Surge called out and Griffin swallowed, he let the Pachirisu bolt in close. Moonlight… was already using Calm Mind? Griffin saw that, as though the Espeon was just aimlessly clearing out his thoughts.

“Moonlight! Psyshock!" His eyes opened as Surge's Pachirisu dove in close, went for a grapple and only froze.

Froze in front of Moonlight, where something had shocked over Pachirisu in an instant. The faint glimmer of bright pink-purple tendril like sparks fluttered over him as though it were a glade of horrific shocks…

Or a sickly miasma that hovered just above the earth itself… The psychic wave crashed over the Pachirisu and it left it flung back, landed harshly before it caught itself and hissed in some odd way at Moonlight. This Pachirisu had some weird amount of spunk! The Pachirisu moved forward and then something tripped him up and he'd hit the ground.

“G – Grass knot!?" Griffin coughed out, when did Moonlight do that? The Espeon was already thinking two or three steps ahead… Are you telling me he stole Leafeon's ideas? Is he trying to balance attack and area of affect or traps? Griffin swallowed gently and gave a little small nod.

“Pachirisu, Thundershock! Target the ground!" The Pachirisu nodded and sparked everything around it, as it did Griffin tossed Moonlight a look.

“Moonlight, Swift!" Moonlight made a twitch of his ears as a collection of bright stars flickered around his pelt and swirled through the air. It struck across and through some of the sparks – others guarded Pachirisu… but it still had an affect! It canceled out Pachirisu's attack from the blow! Moonlight took a stance and Surge…

Pulled out a Pokéball.

“Pachirisu return! Go Electrode!" Griffin went for his Pokéball “Electrode! Use Explosion."

You're kidding!? “Moonlight!" Griffin held his hand as the Espeon called a lightscreen… and… The swirl of flames surrounded the entire field and Griffin watched the board while he shielded his eyes. The Espeons health dropped from a low green to a single red. He held on? How!? Griffin stared at as the fury of smoke disappeared…

Moonlight wasn't there, behind the lightshield… He.

Moonlight used Dig! Wait… All Moonlight did was use Psyschock to blow a hole into the ground and jumped into it. He'd poke his head up after, covered in dust and soot. The Espeon panted for a moment and struggled his way from the little crevice he dug himself. Electrode had fainted from it's move.

“Moonlight return!" Griffin called out, But the Espeon held his ground.

Why are you!? This is just like Saffron, What are you doing!? “Moonlight!" The Espeon turned his head to Griffin's snap of a command. “Swap out!" Surge just glanced at him and grinned a little.

“You've got a smart Pokémon Griffin! I'm surprised that an Espeon as slow and tired as that one can keep up! So let's see it keep up with this. Raichu!" The Raichu nodded and hopped into the field. The Espeon responded with his rigid stand and a sharp exhale. A paw brushed against the scarf around his neck.

It was… untouched? Griffin looked at it closer.

_Why… Why… How? I've never seen…

I've never seen Moonlight use Protect on an object… so narrowly. It's… like a second skin. _ Griffin gave a swallow as Raichu snapped across the field. It was fast, absurdly fast… then.

Trick room. As Raichu snapped in with a thunder punch to finish the job, Espeon played off Trick Room – a cube of iridescent mirrors flicked around the field. And suddenly Moonlight popped behind Raichu, a strong… finishing blow.

Giga Impact caused Moonlight to faint from Recoil! Raichu took a critical hit! Moonlight hit the ground in a flurry of exasperated pants. A little smirk in response…

“Enjoy moving last… for the next little while." He'd say with a playful nod. “I even got a final blow in, that's fine by me…" The Espeon chittered some sounds and continued to pant as the Raichu just stood overtop – he took the blow just fine… but his health went down to the high yellow. Moonlight pushed himself to his feet and dragged himself to Griffin. He simply went straight backed as he watched the Espeon wandered across the field, staggered up to him and collapsed at his feet. Griffin felt… paralyzed His whole back quaked as a swallow slipped through his throat. Absol passed Moonlight a curious look as Griffin felt his hands nervously wrack against one another.

“Absol… Sandstorm" Griffin mentioned and the older Absol gave him a nod. He'd gently pat her forehead. “You can do it!" He'd say with a smile and picked up Moonlight. “Sandstorm, Quick Attack and Stone Edge. You know those ones right?" She'd give a little curious nod and jumped into the field – into the Trick Room. Raichu stood with it's paws out and it's cheeks charged with sparks… As the Absol's eyes flickered and calmly surrounded the room with a swirl of sharp winds that cut out and buffeted Sunny Day. The swirls of sand flicked around Absol as it concealed itself within the harsh swirl of sands that hid her form. Raichu sparked up the field.

“Raichu Thunder!" Surge called out as the Raichu braced it's legs and sparked the field again. A massive clack of sharp angled sparks struck against it and dug around the earth, it seeped into the ground and cracked it. Griffin felt his eyes flash as the sparks nearly blinded him again… but in the smoke of rich gold-amber sands and the electrifying lines that darted through the smoke, he'd see a puff of sand flick off the wrong way. Absol used Quick attack – it connected as though she were reading her opponent in some way. That Absol was experienced.

She's not that fast… but Trick Room… It's changed their stats nearly. Complete one eighty. Moonlight… did you…? Griffin held him close, it appeared as though Moonlight had finally gave in and fallen asleep. Griffin just glanced at the Absol in the field. He felt a little ill, lost… guilty. In some way he thought it was a little ironic to feel the way he did. In some weird… unknowing way. Absol connected the Quick Attack and Griffin watched Raichu's High Yellow drop to a mid Yellow on the board. His hands gently gripped into Moonlight's thin fur. He'd just stare at the Espeon closely…

**_And felt in some weird way, he cradled a Poochyena he once knew years ago. One that frantically pawed at a video camera at a Pokémon Center. One that stared into a sky full of fireworks… and one that would sit beside him…

During…_**

A sound distracted him from his memories as Griffin petted Moonlight closely. Absol didn't know Stone Edge… But she knew Rock Tomb. It was a direct hit! And it knocked Raichu's health into the red! Griffin felt himself watch in this old-yet newfound excitement…

“Raichu! Surf."

What!? Griffin felt the shock run through his back as the Raichu nodded, playfully acted as though it put on swimming goggles – as though Surge would have his Raichu wear them out of gym battles – and suddenly this current of water came out from the ground.

An… underground reservoir!? Griffin felt himself brace as Absol did the same and was entirely blind-sided by the blow.

Her health went from untouched to red instantly. It made him flinch.

“Absol Return! Scarf!" The Pikachu chirped and went to move in… but

Marill tripped him up with his tail and swapped out with Absol instead. “M – Marill!?" Griffin felt something wrack through his back as it glanced back at him with that color in his eyes.

A color like emerald and azuremarill. A mix of both. A pair of life filled eyes that sucked the light out of Griffin's own gaze. Marill was already in field as Absol bounced back. She jumped beside Griffin and Surge swapped out Raichu for Pachirisu. Green vs lower yellow.

“M – Marill!" Griffin tried to reason but…

It's a championship battle basically. Marill forcefully swapped my team. I only have Marill and Absol now… Damn it. “Marill! Use…" His eyes flicked.

Surf… destroyed Moonlight's Trick Room!? Griffin just saw it fade and crackle into pointless shards of color. “Use Rollout!" Marill chimed and knocked up a boulder from the cracked and scratched up earth – it launched a move at Pachirisu as Surge called out

“Use Volt-tackle!" It nodded as Surge gave a grin at Griffin.

“Marill! Use Rollout to cover yourself!" He'd reply as the Marill nodded and tossed another boulder. Pachirisu tore through one of them without any damage. Griffin tsked and swallowed. “Marill Brick Break! Dodge it!" Marill timed it… dangerously close. Griffin knew that his Marill got hit but…

Marill rolled out of the way! And followed up with BrickBreak! Marill got around Pachirisu and launched an attack on the flank. It cracked Pachirisu in the side and sent the Pokémon back. Yellow to low red, that's all the board showed him for Pachirisu as Marill was struck with a status affect.

Paralysis!? Griffin swallowed dryly, he had swallowed so nervously in such a short amount of time that his throat was bitter and airy… He couldn't take his eyes away or care for water. His heart began to race frantically against his chest.

He was beginning to panic.

She's going to get hurt… Griffin felt something touch his chest.

A paw pressed against it curiously as Moonlight gently flicked his eyes up at him. Griffin stared back and glanced up at Marill. It just stood in the field with a loud cackle of sparks that flicked across its oily fur. The whole little bubble of blue just puffed out from every single spark that shot from its fur. Marill was Paralyzed and Griffin felt his whole-body wrack with coldness. A gentle exhale crossed his lips before he'd shiver as the Pachirisu crossed through the distance again. He'd grip Moonlights fur and that left the Espeon to stare at him.

“.." Pachirisu got closer as Marill couldn't move and Griffin sharply exhaled. A silent cross darted across his face as he'd say it again, less to Moonlight that just stared at him and now to Marill.

“You can do it!!" He'd yell loudly, and Marill gave a little flinch. “I believe in you Marill! I believe in all of you!"

Is it right for me to say that? The thought rose from the back of Griffin's mind. _Is it… hypocritical? Am… It's not correct right? If… I say that? Is…

Is it just… an empty promise? Another… empty… _ Griffin could picture Logan in his mind. Almost every time he saw him over the video phone at Pokémon Centers all over Hoenn… Even some from Sinnoh. It's… just… empty promises, right? But… can it mean the same thing as a real one? Why can't it… in the moment?

“Marill! Use Bubble around yourself!" Griffin called out… Just like Sams Dewott. He was going to layer the field defensively. “Use Bubble and follow up with Play Rough!" Marill sparked again and shot out a current of bubbles in front of it. Much like a wall as the Pachirisu stalled and crossed around wide.

“Pachirisu! Volt Tackle! Let's finish this battle." Surge commanded again and the small cream and dark blue Pokémon darted around it. Its fur shimmered wonderfully in the moonlight above them as a flurry of bubbles layered every little inch around Marill. It made a sound that left Griffin to flinch instinctively before he'd smile. He fought a smile out. Why did that calm him? Marill tossed a look his way as Griffin tossed up his hand and a little playful thumb.

“You got this!" He'd say, encouragingly this time… Convincingly. Everyone… was already rubbing off on him?

Yet he felt like he was betraying whom he was sketched to be. Who he had to be… who he already was; solely by learning from others around himself. Marill excitedly nodded back at him and took its stance, a playful stance. As though it brushed off the situation like it were a game. Just a stupid game…

Marill gave a thump of its foot and suddenly felt the bubbles touch itself and sparkle and pop. Griffin gave himself a little stare and then to Leafeon and back to Marill.

Marill blew the bubbles so close to himself… that…

They weren't an attack! They were a distraction! The bubbles were there just to focus on the status affect! And they did plenty. They'd spark and traverse from bubble to bubble the moment the first one touched Marill fur and as though it were a colorful flash that banged and popped loudly in the closed room – Marill cut in the distance the second it could move, right into the utterly distracted Pachirisu.

The move was eerily similar, to something a certain Growlithe would do. Yet Marill met his opponent head on. The Marill playfully showed off it's chest and grabbed Pachirisu in an instant before it tossed it to the ground in this playful way, as though it were acting out some weird wrestling move. Either way, that's all Marill needed…

To defeat a half tired Pachirisu… that was stronger and faster then itself.

All it really needed was a little smile and encouragement from a trainer that constantly lied to himself. A trainer that stared at Marill's health on the board. Barely licked by Volt Tackle and his health was in the low red. Absol and Marill still had one opponent to take down.

And Surge let his Raichu out in an instant.

“Alright Raichu! Let's take out the Marill first." Surge commented, and Griffin tapped his foot against the earth… Marill did the same thing.

“Do all you can Marill!" Griffin said again as his Marill nodded “Marill, Let's set this up for everyone. Use Hail!" Griffin called out until something stopped Marill… Griffin felt his whole-body shiver.

Marills health was out!? Marill was buffeted by the Sandstorm, As was Raichu! Griffin forgot all about it. With Volt-Tackle, with all of it.

His shoulders slumped as he'd let out a little sigh. Then a small smile. “You did awesome… Marill. Take a rest for now. Moonlight, can you move?" Moonlight nodded and hopped down to the ground with a wobble. It didn't take the Espeon long to pick up Marill on his back. In fact, the Espeon appeared as though he was so used to carrying something on his shoulders. Yet here he had this little smile on his face as they seemed to talk to one another.

“Maybe… Water is a panacea… for everything right?" Moonlight laughed to Marill's comment.

“You did great… Unlike myself, I'm… distracted." They both just chittered yet none of the humans in the room could understand their short comments between one another. Absol jumped in the second Moonlight pulled Marill out.

“Why not use your Pokéball, Kid? It's what they're for!"

“Troubles. It's expected I guess." Griffin mentioned and showed Surge his Pokéball, one of many that blinked on his belt. “Problems connecting to the server, my professors are working on it!" Griffin commented as Surge nodded and just gave them both a curious glance.

“Not bad kid. That's one way to have them all build trust. You're a weird trainer, Griffin." Nobody heard Surge mutter to himself as he'd give Raichu a look. “Let's go Raichu, we'll show them what real training becomes!" Griffin grinned

“Give it your all Absol!" He'd mention as they both came into a swirl of sand once more. Absol seemed unnaturally immune to the affect, but Raichu covered it's face with his paws to watch his opponent. There wasn't a single word spoken at all. Just this silence as Absol stared down…

A younger, stronger and faster Pokémon.

Trick room is gone… Sandstorm is in effect… I can't risk a move like Quick Attack – Surge would beat her on that. I can't risk lower accuracy because of speed… Damnit Griffin… There's no way upping her defense here would be possible – a Potion is nowhere near enough. But… I already need to go back to Cerulean City, I don't… I want to keep traveling with everyone.

“Absol… Dark Pulse." Griffin saw her flinch hesitantly as she'd toss him a little look. Raichu after imaged as soon as Surge called out a command. That Raichu was insanely fast and Griffin felt himself cough “Hidden Power!" Absol nodded and silenced all her thoughts and movements. A flicker… a flash… The sandstorm blocked everyone's view for only a moment… yet Moonlight turned his head and stared closely at the field. Intensely at the field as a flicker of dark beating shards struck and pelted against the ground. It tore up the earth, cracked the arena and lifted a tile at Griffin's feet. He'd stumble back and land harshly on his rear end. Something made a noise…

All he could see was the head of a little Vulpix that glanced out at the battle. How long had she been watching it all for? Griffin glanced back to the field… at the tiles below him, at the screen on the wall… as suddenly something flew out of the smoke and sand.

Absol used Dark Pulse… it blasted Raichu out of the field. The swirl of dark and sickly nettles whispered horrific sounds that left Griffin to shut his eyes and clasp down on his ears for just a second. It left his skin to crawl and his body to shiver.

He knew that the move involved a Pokémon tying together dark, cursive thoughts and releasing an aura to damage and flinch its opponent… but this…? All Griffin knew…

Was that if he was a trainer that hated Pokémon… then maybe he had a Pokémon that hated humans.

• Thief.

“Closer" A voice slithered to him long after a gentle howled song had crossed into the open midnight air. The Growlithe limped up to the beach side as a curious Dragonair nodded her head and curled along the sand – her tail in the water. “Have you learned any more of what I've said, young one?" Thief shook his head no as the Dragonair looked closely at his casted paw. “In a game of chess, without a queen of king, who wins?" She'd express “Without a life and that to guide or believe it, there is nothing to move it forward." The Dragonair mentioned and nodded. “This is a very minor fracture."

“Y – You can tell?" Thief mentioned and the Dragonair nodded.

“I'm more concerned with what I saw in you… your thoughts, your muddled and confused past. There is no king or queen in this story of life… but there is certainly a lock. A wall. A key and all that which binds it together. Like a door. Or many." The Dragonair just glanced into the sky and Thief looked high into the air with her. “Look upon every star amongst the sky, towards the moon and all that beyond it." Thief nodded and just stared. “No matter how often I see it, I know it can show many guidance. Moonlight can do that for some. Sunlight can do that for others. And for the rare few it can be a leaf, or a flower… or just one another." Thief shrugged his head and scrunched his nose.

“I don't understand." He'd say and she'd kindly smile Thief felt his paw crackle and he'd retract it. “O – Ow!" He'd yelp, and she'd giggle

“I was trying to make it as quick and painless as possible. What I say, is that all of life is unique, important… something worth believing in." She'd mention and flick a little bit of sand into the air. Thief tilted his nose back and huffed “As sure as gravity, we feel it all. We know it all, little Thief."

“W – what?" The Dragonair nodded.

“I know who you are, young one. As I know of Luna… And of two others… I guess you could count Leafeon too." She'd say with a playful wink and Thief bundled up his fur

“T – then tell me!" She'd tsk.

“Lugia may not be able to help you, but there are others who wish to not see you gone. As foolish… as simple… as blind… and lastly as willing to fall in love with another you know nothing of."

“I – I'm not in love with anyone!" He'd retort, and she'd snicker and sigh.

“Once you know of them." She'd express as she'd glance up into the stars once more. “You may just learn you've always been… Pure blood." Thief huffed again and tapped his paw against the ground.

“I'm just a Growlithe!" She'd nod

“Yes. And I'm just a Dragonair. Yet we are no different. We have a heart. We have eyes, ears. We all do…" She'd mention, and Thief bitterly sighed which left her to giggle again. “I know of a place, one that I wish you to visit one day. There is someone whom I believe is like you. Someone who may have trouble with their anger at times. Someone whom seems blind yet loved. Open minded and hated. You may be a big brother, little Thief… but you remind me more of a younger one." Dragonair mentioned as Thief just noticed her tail around his broken paw. It popped and crackled again.

“T – That hurts!" Dragonair nodded and gave her little smile.

“I take no pride in it, not until you're all better." She'd express “Luna… felt a lot more pain, and very, very quickly. It's one of the reasons I dragged her under the water. The pressure is easier to work with there."

“H – how do you?" The Dragonair nodded and sighed.

“That is a legend for another time. Take flight and care, little Thief. I will not know when I will return, to Alola, To Kanto… or to a land that no human may enter."

“Take care, little Thief… Little Cobbler… Little Prince. For no matter what you may be called, you're always be known as a special lantern to another. You'll always be known… No. You'll have a name for your own self soon enough. Yet to give you comfort. Look to the sunrise and you may just find a name that your mother gave you… Look to your heart, and you may just find a paper lantern that holds it away from others. Team Lantern… Team Mebirek'i… Follow your heart to find your lantern, Little sun… that way, you can find your own name."

• Moonlight.

His paws gently clattered against the cobblestone as the night sky flickered and flashed with little embers. Little suns that cracked against the veil of beauty that left the cold wind to shimmer through his thin pelt. The frost slipped across his lips as something warm… Wonderfully warm pressed against his side.

“You'll fall…" Moonlight kept his gaze to the trees. Who else would it be? Shadow was ahead of him, Bandit talked to him. Pikachu spoke to Absol constantly and she gently brushed him off while carrying Marill. Luna… Luna just pointlessly looked at anything else for now as… though she were missing a little solar in her life. A sun of her own in its own regard. She looked lost, stressed… her tails and fur were an absolute disgrace compared to everyone else. The frozen air slithered against Moonlight again as Leafeon gently brushed against him. Kept him warm in a curtain of wonderfully scented and thick fur. Moonlight tiredly pushed him away.

“I'm fine." He'd reply firmly. “Absolutely fine… Leafeon." The Espeon replied and forced himself to walk on ahead. To overhear how Griffin was going to call in with the transit system, jump a bus from one city to another.

Trainers weren't commonly allowed to use that bus system, it was solely for workers. Yet the bus loop ran through every major city… a few days walking was only a couple hours by bus. Griffin talked how his plan was to jump one after calling ahead and heading straight through Saffron city to get to Cerulean and re-challenge the gym… then meet them at Celedon City. Moonlight felt his paws flex and wobble against the ground as Leafeon pushed his nose against his side.

“You don't look fine." Moonlight tossed him a little growl.

“I'm fine…" Leafeon sighed and looked up at the sky. Stopped and then, with a tender swirl of vines tugged Moonlight back. “W – what are you!?" Moonlight went to call out, but Leafeon got him to sit.

“Take a look up." Leafeon mentioned. They all had been walking for a while and Moonlight finally had the chance to see it again.

Just a little fox nestled in the sky, cradled by the stars and the wonderful cloudless night. A wind slithered in, a chilly one…

One that resembled November. One… that reminded him of trees that glowed and thrived with every color. One where the snow would eventually flutter through… One… that left Leafeon to bump against him with a paw and rest it on his shoulder. “You've had a rough day… Moonlight." Leafeon mentioned and Moonlight bitterly swallowed his words. He had plenty to say, but he wasn't getting rolled in like that. Moonlight just stayed quiet and stared deeply into the night sky. Stared at this beautiful constellation. Stared at them all.

“Moonlight! Have you seen the stars out here!? There really different here too!" A voice crept up on him “Look look! That looks like a bird! What do you think it is? Maybe it's Ho-oh!" It snuck into his mind… Just another picture…

Another portrait of an Eevee and a Vulpix that aimlessly looked out of a window and watched the stars… An Eevee and a Vulpix that built their entire future on nothing but empty promises and hope.

Luna:

It took longer then she thought to finally get the thoughts out of her mind. It took a while for her rigid and shocked stance to simmer down and broil softly. Like a wonderful dish that came into her mind…

Now she was stuck thinking about food. It left her to sigh gently, quietly as she'd look up at the stars. There was all sorts of noises that happened around her but Luna couldn't take it in herself to become a part of anyones conversation. She'd just look behind her for a moment. Watch Moonlight stare aimlessly at the nights sky with Leafeon. Stare pointlessly at Shadow and Bandit that talked endlessly about nothing it seemed… and finally at Absol, Scarf and Marill. They were busy congratulating Marill on a job well done and talking about all sorts of things. Whenever Scarf tried to get fancy with Absol, she'd shut him down right away. Luna just glared at the sky, the stars… a slither came through her lips.

“Spicy food… right? Oran berries… Sharing food…" Her words just fell flat as Luna stared high into the air. Felt the vertigo sweep over her and before she knew it, Luna glanced at Smokey. He'd gently cradle Melody's hand with his jaws, tug her ever so carefully while he'd stare at every single detail around him. Brad and Aura walked beside each other and talked too. It was so weird to see them both talk so casually with one another. Griffin and Natasha were trying to hold up a conversation as Yuny came into Luna's view. The Eevee flicked her tail rapidly but it fell short as Luna dug her eyes to the ground now. Watched her own front paws move forward and backward. Watch as her hair fell in front of her face again – blinded her casually and effortlessly.

What… is my position here? I don't fit in at all. Griffin is… stupidly infectiously kind and… without Thief I just suddenly don't know what to do. Why? Even when he's here I don't know what to do. Luna sucked in air silently as she'd turn back to Moonlight and Leafeon. Her paws stopped for a second… The Espeon just aimlessly stared into space. Stared with a look on his face… a scarf around his neck as though to say. See. You're right here with me. Always.

The Vulpix just casted her view away and continued to walk against the pavement. A little sigh and her tails began to aimlessly tap and scrape against the concrete. It was this boring dull walk back to the Pokémon Center… That's where she figured they'd go.

I… feel like this stuck up type. What? Do I just crave attention? She'd bite her tongue I don't want to be that… I don't. So why do I feel like I need it now? Or… am I just envious of everyone else. They all have a place, at least it seems that way. She'd huff Why am I getting all hot headed about everything again? Because of Shadow, right? Bandit… that thing? Thief? Home? I don't know anymore. She'd lull down her pace and stare aimlessly at the stars and then back to the port that looked so far away. Her auburn-red like fur just flickered in the cool wind. A wonderfully cool wind filled with saltiness that left her whole body to shiver. I think I am just homesick… but whenever I think about home. It's just… Mom… and that Arcanine. Dad I guess… Even in the few memories I remember, he's just talking about some troublesome Growlithe. Worried about him, consoling with my mother. Bringing us food from some other island IT MAKES NO SENSE! Luna silently swallowed and stretched out her back until it gave a satisfying pop. Her ribs and stomach and chest were void of all pain. And then there's still… him… Who is he? I know he exists… but I don't know anything but… the… Luna just sniffed in firmly. She felt all kinds of tired, sick… the cold felt as though it were getting to her. She just tiredly blinked at a buzzing and humming streetlamp as Smokey tossed her a firm glare. It sent shivers down her back. All because she crossed too close to him and Melody, Smokey was already in this protective stage. His eyes mercilessly on her… Yeah… and then I get met with that I guess. She'd pass him a little look and stuck out her tongue. _But… Griffin feeds me. He makes me happy in these dumb ways. Is it stupid to just say it FEELS right!? I should just go home if I feel all these weird things… but I feel like that's giving up.

Giving up on some stupid dream… that's filled with empty promises. _ Luna felt herself sigh a little bit and hopefully stared up into the sky.

“Mommy and daddy are dead." A horrifying voice repeated in her head and Luna shut her eyes to drown it out. “You haven't learned anything, have you?" She'd bite her tongue a little and continue to walk as Griffin glanced at his phone. Natasha commented about the broken screen and Griffin partially shrugged, mentioned it happened when he jumped in the water after her. Luna felt herself quake as Natasha turned her head for a second. They talked for only a moment… until Griffin turned around. He knelt down on his knee again, partially touched the bandages on his neck – the bite that she gave him. But he did it with this weird, fired up smile.

“Hey, you look a little blue! Kind of weird, your fur is supposed to be red!" He'd make some stupid joke, chuckled and cautiously, yet confidently reached out an open palm for her to sniff. Luna felt inclined to. She curiously sniffed his hand and snuffed her nose again before giving off a little sneeze.

A Vulpix with a cold? Firetypes… always getting those, right? Griffin just chuckled a little and gently put a hand on her side, then cautiously picked her up to his chest. Griffin just casually petted her for the rest of the walk. Petted her fur gently, criss crossed his fingers through it – ran it all along her pelt. Curiously he'd poke a spot or two as though checking to see if she was still hurt. Luna just… gave in. Nuzzled into his jacket and yawned. Griffin solely passed her a smile.

**_One that looked filled with empty promises, bad plans and plenty of self-doubt… but… it was a smile nonetheless, a smile to cheer her up. A smile to help protect her.

A smile that reminded her that she could have the strength to say three little words and one simple name.

A smile that no matter how struggled always showed off a glimmer of hope._**

_ _

It was that smile that helped her finally fall asleep. Sleep through the walk and onto a dream where she'd run around the beach… To learn the names of others and to live in a home that was right beside her and yet the entire world away.