Rui woke up and looked outside. The day was beautiful, as always.
"I hope you slept well, mistress."
An Espeon asked in perfect English, pronouncing mistress as mis-ter-ess rather than miss-tress. She petted it. "As always. So peaceful..."
She went downstairs, passing a room that Eugun used to own but now was home to a young man named Wes.
"He looks...different asleep."
She headed downstairs to make breakfast.
She started frying some eggs.
"Hey Pikachu!"
She layed out some food for it and it ate heartily.
Rui smiled.
"Wes's got so much fight money...we should go on vacation! I bet he never has before, it'll be great!"
Espeon nodded.
"Yeah, he needs to learn to relax a little. Cipher's gone, after all."
An Umbreon walked downstairs.
"Anything to get some excitement."
It also spoke in English.
She petted it.
"I'm sorry so few parts of my life are lethal."
He smiled.
"Your cooking gives any gun a run for its money."
He said jokingly.
She laughed.

Wes sat up and walked downstairs. In the days past, she'd convinced him to ditch the ankle spikes he used to wear. He didn't have the snag machine on either.
"So how was your sleep."
"I had a really weird one. You had green hair, you were raised by talking wolves, and you had a grudge with this sniper lady. Suicune was some kind of deer thing, and I had some kind of demonic worm infestation in my arm. I seriously pray that it wasn't prophetic."
"Okaaayyyy...scrambled eggs?"
"Sure why not."
Rui set out food for Umbreon and Espeon as well, sitting across the table from Wes after serving him some scrambled eggs.
"Hey, I was wondering if we could...go on vacation?"
He chewed and swallowed, pausing.
"That's...not a bad idea. Pack."
She smiled.
"So, you're willing to pay?"
He smiled.
"I got fight money to spare."
Espeon grinned.
"Can we pick where!"
Rui and Wes laughed.
"Sure, why not?" Wes answered.
"Yay!"

Rui packed up, Pikachu on her shoulder.
Wes didn't own much, but he brought the snag machine just in case. "I hear Hoen's got plenty of sightseeing spots!"
"Yeah, destination: Hoen! That...sounded a lot better in my head."
Wes stood.
"You ready?"
Rui smiled.
"Let's see how much of your money I can spend in two weeks."
"To most guys, that means they're about to be bankrupt."
"That's one of the perks of being your partner, I have access to your obscenely large personal funding!"
They returned their Pokemon and walked off, Wes carrying Rui's suitcase and his slightly smaller one.
Wes and Rui got into his motorcycle.
"This your first time out of Orre as well?"
Wes shook his head.
"I've been to Unova and Hoen a few times...back when Snagem was independent."
Rui sighed.
"Sometimes you make me wonder..."

Wes looked forward and they entered Gateon Port.
"Now where do I park this thing?"
He said in reference to his motorcycle.
Rui pointed.
"There. Same as always. And since everyone knows it's yours, no one dares to try and steal it."
He laughed.
"They know what's good for their health then!"
They parked the motorcycle and found a Hoen-bound ship.
The two found a boat and boarded.
"This'll take about two hours...glad I brought my swimsuit!"
Wes blinked.
"You live in a desert-"
"Yeah, so?"
"Just saying."

They checked into their room and sat down. Wes sent out his Suicune.
"Nice view isn't it?"
He said, looking out the window. Suicune nodded.
"The water's already not looking totally devoid of life.."
"I'm sure there's an easier way to say that-"
"I don't care."
Wes petted the magnificent beast, smiling.
"Just saying."
Wes got bored...he tended to do so easily.
"I'm gonna go see if anyone wants a fight."

Rui shrugged.
"I'll be here or at the pool!"
Once he was gone she sent out her only other Pokemon:a Togetic Wes gave her for her 19th birthday recently. "Hi Rui!"
It piped as she petted it. It flew in a circle.
"Ooh hey the ocean!"
It quipped, settling by the window. Rui smiled.
"Thought you could use some fresh air."
Wes wandered through the ship, challenging and effortlessly defeating several other passengers.
Rui looked into the ocean.
"The sea...it looks so peacefull."
The Togetic hopped on her shoulder.
"Peace!"
It enthusiastically flapped it's wings.
"You're adorable, but I can see why Wes was so willing to give you up."
"Eh?"
Rui laughed, petting it.
"Oh nothing."
Wes had won about four matches when he got bored of that as well.
"Isn't anyone on this ship any good?"
He sighed and walked over to the mess hall. A certain stand caught his eye.
MEAT...MEAT!

He walked over and bought a literal bucketload of KFP ( Kanto-fried-pidgey).
A television screen caught Wes's eyes.
"...with winds of almost one-sixty miles an hour, Hurricane Lucas is baffling meteorologists. It formed in under two hoursed.
"...and is moving strangely slowly. Updates at seven o'clock."
"Wait...no it can't be. I eradicated them."
Wes and Rui sat across from each other.
"There was a hurricane in the middle of the continent. What's more is, it's staying in place, and-"
Suddenly the noise of an explosion ricocheted through the ship, which shook violently. Both Rui and Wes fell down, Togetic flying about erratically and going on a terrified rant about some totally irrelevant topic.
"That...settles it...!"
"You were right..."
"They're back."
As they shakily stood back up, the lights flickered.
"Come on!"
Wes ran off, Rui and Togetic following him.

N leaned against a tree, on the verge of crying.
"My whole life...it was a lie, wasn't it?"
He looked down.
"I still have you, though. You'd never abondon me, would you?"
He said, holding up a pokeball.N sent out the Zoroark.
"Why...why does everyone hate me?"
"Don't say that! They haven't met you, Pri-"
N's face contorted slightly.
"So sorry N! I...forgot..."
N petted him.
"It's okay...after all, you're all I have left."
N crossed his legs. The Zoroark laid down with its head in N's lap. N started stroking its black fur underneath the ears. His stomache growled.
"Time to get some food I guess."
The duo stood.
"Why? Why didn't you choose freedom over me?"
The Zoroark tilted its head.
"I'd never willingly leave you. You know that..."

N chuckled, smiling slightly.
"Thank you...for staying."
N kept walking, picking up litter.
"Stupid, selfish humans..."
He kicked a soda can lightly.
"They don't care how their actions affect other people. They only care about themselves."
He threw the stuff away in a trash can.
"Please lighten up. This...this isn't like you."
N smiled.
"Sorry buddy."
He petted the fox once more, smiling again. The fox did likewise.
"That's more like it...besides, you're a human and you're the nicest thing I know. That's gotta count for something."
N laughed, his usual demeanor restored.
"I suppose so, yeah you're right."

N continued walking, looking around and seeing humans everywhere..humans with Pokemon.
"I know it's a painful question, so you don't have to answer, but...what was your old owner like?"
The Zoroark stopped dead in his tracks.
"Look, if you don't want to discuss it, I understand-"
"No, you have a right to know. I promised, remember? No secrets?"
N nodded and the Zoroark sighed.
"I...didn't actually have one. At least, not that I remember. But none had ever done anything other than try and catch me when I was young."
N sighed.
The Zoroark looked away.
"You'd never...give me up or anything...would you?"
N shook his head.
"No! You're my only friend...we promised each other to always stay by the other's side! I would never, no, could never, do such a thing."

The Zoroark smiled once more.
"Come on, let's get some grub."
The duo found an apple tree and the fox plucked several apples.
"Nothing quite like a breakfast of apples on the run, eh N?"
He laughed, eating. After they were done, he sighed.
"I haven't had a decent meal in Arceus knows how long...I needed that."
N looked at the sky.
"Looks like it'll rain soon. Good. All the hikers will be going home."
N walked alongside the Zoroark, looking around.
"Maybe we should find shelter in case there's lightning.
The Zoroark nodded.
"Good idea Ni-San."
The duo found a suitable tree to sit under. N sat with his legs crossed, the fox laying with its head in his lap.
As they predicted, soon it was raining. N leaned against the tree with the back of his head, closing his eyes. Slowly the sound of the rain lulled him to sleep.
The Zoroark lay still, N's hand limp on his head.
"Sleep well, Ni-San."
It watched the rain, content.

N's finger twitched as he relived his last battle with Black yet again. Yet again he was disowned by Ghetsis, and once again he said goodbye.
Feeling his tension, the fox curled up around him.
A loud clap of thunder woke him up and he shook his head, watching the sky. He began to ponder over his life. The lightning was just like him, striking quickly and blindly at whatever stood high enough. Short and fleeting, it would dissapear as quickly as it fell, the light it gave off ceasing. "How could I have been...so blind..."
His free hand tightened at the ground, his body shaking as tears fell from his face.
"Ni-San..."
"Why! Why does the world...have to...be like this..."
"Stop being so hard on yourself. You couldn't have-"
"You don't understand! I was just inches from...from..."
He closed his eyes, shaking violently.
"Why? Why do I exist...? What purpose was I supposed to serve!"
N continued shaking as he silently sobbed.
The Zoroark sat up and pressed against his side.
"Why, Ni-San? Why are you being so hard on yourself?"
N didn't respond.
N stepped back and turned around, the rain pounding on them like it were made of stone, and producing a musty feel in the air.

"Who...who are you?"
In front of him was a Zebstrika with a rider wearing a lab coat that was oddly dry.
The man immediately responded, his voice chillingly void of emotion.
"If I planned to tell you, I'd have introduced myself already."
The man's cold gaze was rock solid, the hair hanging in front of his eye doing nothing to hinder it. He sent out a Galvantula and dismounted. The Zebstrika marched forward, both staring at N mercilessly. The Zoroark got in front of him, black energy pulsating from his hands.
"I'll have you know, I'm a lot stronger than-"
Both used thunder simultaneously. With a deafening craaack he was struck by lightning and fell down, unconcious.
N watched in horror, now soaked. He was unable to make himself speak.
The wind whipped about, his hair billowing. He stumbled backwards and fell, returning his Zoroark.
"Wh-"

He was cut off by the Zebstrika using thunder wave. He fell down, his entire body numb.
The scientist took the pokeball from him.
"Ghetsis devoted eighteen years-on this?"
His voice was as cold as before, but he had an amused expression.
N struggled to get up, barely lifting his head.
"Why wouleu-"
He tried to express in pokespeak. His paralysis made it hard for him to control his tongue. The horse stepped on his chest, knocking him out.
The man slung N over his shoulder.
"How he can use pokespeak with a one-letter name I'll never know..."
He mounted the horse-zebra thing and rode off, the storm slowly dieing down.
"Using rain as cover...why didn't we think of this before?"
He mused to himself, examining the pokeball that held N's Zoroark.
"The two of you...will be perfect."