EXPANDED SUMMARY

Boundaries exist for a reason, most say. They're there to protect you, to keep you from doing things that you simply should not do, from going places where you're not allowed. But what happens when those boundaries get shattered? Do you scramble to put them back up before anyone realizes they're broken, to make things "right" again? Or do you simply run on past them, willing to face the dangers and struggles that close in around you in a suddenly angry and judgmental world?

Stone Hardacre never thought it was strange that his Braixen, Fifi, had one day decided to learn how to speak English and start acting less like a Pokémon and more like a human. She was his best friend, after all, and as she explained to him, what good is a best friend that you can't communicate with? And their bond was so strong it seemed to be, by all means, unbreakable. Unfortunately, what seemed like an ordinary, wonderful friendship to them wasn't quite so simple or innocent to the rest of the world...

And perhaps it wasn't quite so simple or innocent for the two of them, either.

A/N: Well, time for me to make a terrible mistake. I mean, what better way to practice writing in first person AND writing romance of any sort than by writing a fucking human x Pokémon story, right? I suppose I do love me a challenge every now and then, even if it results in a laughably bad shitshow. Well, anyways, absolutely no one is going to believe me, but I have the very best of intentions for this story, honestly. I mean, yeah, there's going to be smut at some point, but it's not going to be an oft-used part of this story, and will be there only when the plot requires it. Somehow, I doubt I'm going to pick up any consistent readers with such a, shall we say, "unpopular" concept, however. But that's fine. I ain't expecting much at all, let alone anything positive.

I'll probably edit this note later on, and also probably touch up the story itself since I'm impatient and it's likely very sloppy. I mean, assuming anyone even reads this garbage in the first place, of course. And uh, figured I should give this the ol' M rating for all the fucks and shits and whatnot, but I guess I can write some gross stuff later on when my mind is feeling particularly depraved and inebriated since that's probably what is expected of all M-Rated romance fics. Apologies if this is not considered M-Rated enough in the meanwhile. Also it's going to take a while for the romance parts to kick in so apologies for that as well if that's what you're here for. But yeah, enough rambling, enjoy, anyone.

Oh and I don't own Pokémon or whatever if we're still doing that.

"This is it, folks. Bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, a full count. Teddies down by just one run, and there is probably no one that this team or their beleaguered fanbase want at the plate more than the kid who is standing up there at this very moment."

My heart was pounding as I took a moment to call time, seconds before the pitcher readied his stance. The sound of the crowd exhaling in unison surrounded me as if 70,000 balloons had just deflated all at once, but I paid their growing restlessness no heed as I nervously adjusted my batting gloves. I could hardly register the noise in the first place over the sound of my rapidly beating heart, and I could feel my hands shaking with a violence I'd never experienced before, as I struggled to calm down enough to allow them to relax. This wasn't the typical jolt of shaking numbness I would feel when my bat connected with the ball, however. The slow, dull, resonation that works itself down from the bat's barrel into my hands and arms was nothing compared to what I was feeling at that moment.

"Time is called by the Teddiursas' young phenom, and I can't say I blame him. At just sixteen years old, the pressure that has been put on him this entire season has been enormous, and it all culminates right here, right now. It doesn't get any bigger than this, and this young man must be certain he is absolutely, completely, 100% ready before he steps back into the batter's box and decides his destiny. He's either going to become the most beloved person in town... Or the most reviled."

I felt a lump forming in the pit of my stomach as sweat began to pool around the brim of my cap and drip onto my glove. I removed it and my helmet to wipe my brow, then quickly readjusted them as I took a deep breath and made my way back into the batter's box. My hands hadn't settled down at all as I placed a death grip on my bat, holding them as still as I could around the handle as I settled into my stance. The crowd once again rose to their feet, and I could hear the Wintermint Field faithful begin to chant my name.

"Stone! Stone! Stone!"

It started quietly at first, but soon enough, it seemed as if the entire crowd was chanting my name in unison.

"STONE! STONE! STOOOOOOOOOOONE!"

The pitcher was taking forever to set his stance, as he continued to shake off his catcher's calls, likely just as nervous as I was. All the while, the crowd began to chant my name louder and more fervently, with such an intensity and focus that it slowly began to sound less like my name and more like a steady, rhythmic buzzing... A very annoying buzzing, at that.

"BZZT! STOOOOOOOOONE! BZZT! STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE!"

As the pitcher finally set and brought himself into the windup, I could hardly concentrate, so loud and frenzied had the crowd become. I couldn't even hear myself think anymore, as all I could hear was my name being screamed in one ear, and that damned buzzing blaring in the other.

But no matter. I would prevail. I was not about to lose the World Championship for my beloved Teddiursas. I was gonna do it. I was gonna break their stupid, so-called "curse". I was gonna be a hero. And I wasn't gonna let anything distract me from that.

The pitcher's set...

He's in the windup...

Here it comes...

He let loose the ball, and I tightened my grip on the bat to an impossible degree as every muscle in my body clenched in anticipation of the swing. The pitch was coming in fast and hot, but time itself seemed to slow to a crawl as I entered 'the zone', my eyes locked on the ball as everything around it became little more than a mess of blurry shapes and colors. The ball, however, was still crystal clear, my eyes registering every single, solitary stitch as it scorched its way closer and closer towards the plate...

...Wait...

I-It wasn't heading towards the plate at all... I-It was heading straight for my head! Th-That thing had to be going over a hundred miles per hour! O-Oh God, th-this wasn't how it was supposed to happen! Sniped by a beanball on the grandest stage of them all! I won't even get to live to see whether we win or lose! It isn't fair! I don't want to die! I DON'T WANT TO-

...W-Wait a minute... That isn't a baseball... Is it? No, it couldn't be... As it drew dangerously close to my face and I could get a closer look, I realized that it looked an awful lot like-

*SMACK*

"YEEOWCH!"

My eyes jolted open as a sharp, stinging pain began to course through my cheek. I instinctively brought my hand up to it to rub it and dull the pain, but my hand instead smacked into something hard and plastic, mercifully stopping the unrelenting buzzing noise that had continued to stab into my ear throughout everything. My eyes darted to my alarm clock as it clattered to the floor and came unplugged from the wall in the process, ending its vile buzzing for good. My gaze quickly returned to the figure that had been holding the alarm clock to my ear, however, and I let out an annoyed groan at the sight of my 'sweet', 'darling' Braixen, Fifi, who was sitting bowlegged on my chest as if it were the back of a horse and giving me one of her patentedly annoying 'innocent' smiles.

"Gosh, Stone. I know you hate getting up, but there's no need to assault your poor alarm clock so violently. It was only doing its job, after all."

I scowled, and gave her an icy glare that only served to make her giggle. Normally, I would find her antics cute, but they only served to piss me off even further when I was in such a cranky, morning mood. Something she knew all too well.

"I don't recall the clock's job being to assault my senses to the point where they invade my sweet, sweet dreams." I muttered, lamenting the loss of my dreamland superstardom as my face continued to throb slightly from where she had no doubt smacked me. "And also, ow, what have I told you about using Wake-Up Slap on me?"

"Well, I tried other alternatives." she replied, folding her arms and closing her eyes matter-of-factly. "You wouldn't respond no matter how loud I called your name, and the alarm obviously failed miserably at its one job, so I had to resort to drastic measures." Her face quickly took on an accusatory look. "But hey, don't you get upset at me about it, you're the one who told me to make sure you didn't oversleep today, I'm just following your orders, Master~."

Ugh... Why in the world would I ever give her such awful orders? What could possibly have been so important that I would give Fifi free reign to-

"Oh, come on." Fifi's arms shifted to her hips as her expression turned into one of annoyance, no doubt guessing exactly what I was thinking. "Don't tell me you've forgotten what today is?"

I shot her a look of annoyance back. "Of course I haven't! How could I possibly forget?" I exclaimed, folding my arms in defiance, or at least as best I could with her taking up most of my chest space.

"Oh yeah? Then what is today?"

I stared back at her as she refolded her own arms. Ignoring the thought that we probably looked ridiculous giving each other death glares with our arms folded in such close proximity to each other, I strugglingly searched my still not-quite-awake mind for the answer to her question. Blinking dumbly for a few seconds, I slowly and dopily uttered the only thing that came to mind. "...S-Saturday...?"

Fifi let out a groan, rolling her eyes at me before shaking her head into her palm and giving me one of 'those' looks. "Oh, honestly, Stone... You would be hopeless without me, you know that?"

I resisted the urge to scoff and roll my eyes back at her. Much as I wanted to, I was in no position to tick her off, either literally or figuratively. Instead, I decided to drop the combatitiveness from my voice, and replace it with a healthy dose of sarcasm. "Yes, Fifi, I wouldn't be able to even get out of bed in the morning if you weren't there to help me. But, as it just so happens, I also can't get out of bed right now because of you, so do you think you could stop straddling me and tell me what's so damn important already?"

"Oh, if I must." she dully replied with false disappointment, taking a moment to smile and peck me on the nose before hopping off of my chest to the floor, expunging all of the air from my lungs in the process. As I laid there wheezing, she let out another carefree giggle. "Whoops, sorry! Didn't mean to push down on you like that!"

"Just... Speak..." I wheezed.

"Well, I still don't know how you could have possibly forgotten, but today is 'the day', Stone."

I blinked blankly. "...The day?"

"Yes, Stone, it's only the day you've been waiting for for the past two months." Fifi proclaimed dryly, shaking her head at me in disbelief of my swiss cheese memory.

I racked my brain intensely for a moment, before my eyes flew wide open in realization.

"Oh, shit. Oh shit. Oh shit!" I exclaimed giddily, unable to contain myself as I jumped out of bed and began hopping up and down in excitement. 'Today's the day, Feefs!"

"I'm aware."

"It's the day! Today's the day!" I continued to chant, a stupid grin spreading across my face. "The day we finally get to leave this dumb little podunk town, Fifi! The day our destinies unfold before us! Today is the first day of the rest of our lives!"

"Aren't you being just a little bit dramatic there, Stone?" Fifi chided. "I mean, I know you're excited and all, but it's just some dumb school..."

Now it was my turn to give Fifi a look of disbelief. "What? School? School?! Fifi, please, this is not just 'some dumb school', this is the 'LeMasters Academy of Pokémon Excellency'! This is one of the top Pokémon Academies in the world we're talking about here! This is the opportunity of a lifetime, Feef! I... I just still can't believe that I'm getting this chance at all, it feels like some sort of dream!"

Fifi raised her eyebrow. "I thought your dream was to play for the Teddiursas, though?"

"Oh, it still is. Uncle Bob says they have a baseball team at the academy, so I'll have plenty of time to keep my skills sharp." I exclaimed, before sighing and losing a bit of the luster from my confident expression. "But... Let's be real here, Fi. I'm terrible at baseball. Always have been, always will be. It doesn't matter how hard I try or how much I practice at it, I'm just never going to be anything more than mediocre at it."

"Stone..." Fifi gave me a look of sympathy. She knew more than anyone how hard I've tried to become a good baseball player. She's been there by my side throughout the whole process, helping me along. She's always been my personal cheerleader, even when everyone else around me made it blatantly obvious to me in not so many words that I really sucked and was wasting my time. I could tell she had some rousing speech prepared to make me feel better and to try to convince me that nothing is impossible. But I didn't want her to have to waste her breath, so I quickly put on a smile.

"But this is different. I actually have potential as a Pokémon Trainer. WE have potential, Fi. It was always a secondary hobby to me growing up, but... Well, you know what everyone says, it runs in the family, and we already make an incredible team, apparently. I mean, you do most of the work, I know, but..."

"I wouldn't know what to do without you there though, Stone. You know that." Fifi replied instantly. "A Pokémon is nothing without their Trainer. I may be good at fighting, but you're the one with all the strategies. Without you, I'm clueless as to what to do."

I shook my head and let out a short laugh. "I don't think you'd be clueless, Fifi. I'm pretty sure you're smarter than I am, but thank you for trying to make me feel equal."

"Oh, stop being so stubborn, Stone." Fifi said in annoyance. "We're a team, plain and simple. And like you said, we're an awesome team, no one can beat us!"

"Well, no one around here can beat us, anyways..." I stated hesitantly. "LeMasters is a whole different story, though. This is a place exclusively for students with high skills, high potential, or high connections, so we won't be giant Gyaradoses in a small pond anymore." My expression darkened further as the same nagging thoughts that had been gnawing at me since I first found out I had been enrolled at LeMasters came crawling back to the forefront of my mind. "...I don't think you'll be able to effortlessly avoid everything there, Fi. You might... Um... You might actually get hurt..."

"Well, as much as I don't feel like one most of the time, I am a Pokémon, Stone. I'm built to withstand punishment, and if you really want to become a Pokémon Trainer, it's something I'm just going to have to get used to."

I cringed immediately at Fifi's words. "Gah... It sounds even worse when you say it like that... God, I'm a selfish asshole... I... I shouldn't make you do this, Fifi... Maybe we shouldn't go after all..."

Fifi shook her head, letting out an exasperated sigh before smiling at me. "Don't do that stupid self-loathing thing, Stone. You're not a selfish asshole, and you're not 'making' me do anything. This is my choice too, you know, I know you would never force me to do anything I didn't want to do. Besides, I like battling with you, silly. I want to get stronger so I can keep you safe, and so that you can accomplish at least one of your dreams. If I end up getting hurt and faint, then oh well, that's just part of battling. I'm not going to like you any less just because you 'let' me faint or anything like that, I'm not like most Pokémon, which I'd hoped you would have realized by now. I know that this is something you really want, and if it makes you happy, then it makes me happy too. You spoil and pamper me like I'm a princess, so I'll do anything for you if it means making you happy, my 'prince'. Teeheehee...~"

I furrowed my brow and instinctively looked down as I could feel face flush. "Ugh, why do you always have to say things like that in such a goopy manner?"

"Aw, you already know the answer to that, Stone!" Fifi said with a coy little wink. "Do you really want me to say it out loud?"

"Please no." I said without a second thought, groaning inwardly at the mere threat of hearing another one of Fifi's shameless public declarations of love for me. I knew she didn't mean anything by them… At least, I don't think she meant anything by them… But I also knew what most people would automatically assume if they heard her saying such things to me… And that definitely wasn't a headache I wanted to be dealing with anytime soon. "And please, for the love of God, do not say anything even close to that at LeMasters, it's going to be difficult enough dealing with all the attention you're going to be getting in general, the last thing I need is for people there to think that I… Um, w-well, you know…"

Fifi's demeanor drooped considerably as she sighed and gave me an understanding nod, and for a moment, I felt a twinge of remorse for saying things so sharply. "…Of course. Don't worry, I won't embarrass you… At least, not on purpose, heeheeheehee…~"

I let out a sigh of my own and shook my head as Fifi's carefree mood returned in an instant, as if it had never left. Honestly… It was almost a running joke to me at this point whenever Fifi did this anymore. I mean, I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it and she only did it because she knew it got me flustered so easily, but… That look of disappointment didn't look nearly as forced as the smile she put on immediately afterwards. But then, who's to say she wasn't just putting that on as well, knowing that I would notice it? Gah… As much as I loved her, Fifi could be frustratingly difficult to figure out sometimes. Pathetic, since she's only been my best friend and companion for half my life, but it was nearly impossible for me to tell when she was being serious a lot of the time, and even harder to figure out if she was actually genuinely upset. Anytime she shows any sign of it and I notice it, she'll go out of her way to hide it, but since she's just so carefree and lighthearted most of the time anyways, I can't ever tell when she's faking it or not. It's almost embarrassing how much better she has me figured out in comparison…

"…So, are you just gonna stand there in your underwear staring at me all day, or are we going to actually start the 'rest of our lives' anytime soon?" Fifi said, placing her hand on her hip and smirking as she caught me with my head in the clouds. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I enjoy the view and all, but…"

"Right, yeah, that'd probably be a good idea…" I muttered, shaking my thoughts away to focus on more important things, like keeping Fifi from finishing that sentence. Walking over to my closet, I spent a moment fruitlessly searching through my embarrassingly messy wardrobe before noticing that someone had already taken the liberty of preparing an outfit for me. My favorite outfit, actually, and exactly what I was looking for in the first place. Sitting neatly folded on Fifi's personal stepping stool, it didn't take a genius to finger the culprit.

"You're welcome." Fifi said, smiling brightly at me as soon as I noticed her handiwork.

"Thanks, Fi." I replied, smiling back. For all the time she spent purposefully annoying me, Fifi could be really sweet when she wanted to be. Which, admittedly, was most of the time. She probably wasn't really lying when she said I was hopeless without her… Er, regardless, I quickly scooped up the clothes Fifi had set out for me and carried them with me into the bathroom to begin my morning routine. Fifi, of course, followed soon after, carrying her stool.

"You know, I'm quite capable of grooming myself, thanks." I stated dryly, preparing my toothbrush as Fifi set her stool down right next to me and stepped up on it so she could see over the sink.

"That's debatable." said Fifi with a small laugh. "But you're not the only one that needs to get ready, you know."

I rolled my eyes as I handed her her pink toothbrush. "Fine, but you're NOT staying in here while I shower."

"Of course, wouldn't dream of it." Fifi responded, before a sly grin spread across her face. "Well, no, that's a lie… But don't worry, I'll make sure to keep that scenario in said dreams only."

"Thanks." I scoffed as I squeezed toothpaste onto both of our brushes. "Please though, do feel free to keep that kind of information to yourself next time, would you?"

"No promises."

"Of course not…"

I sighed heavily, deciding to just ignore her for the time being. As I stared at myself in the mirror, I let out another sigh inwardly. I definitely got the short end of the stick when it came to looks in my family. I mean, I suppose I wasn't exactly 'ugly', but I sure was dull looking compared to the rest of my family. My dad is as rugged and manly as you would expect from a man with the name Slate Hardacre. My mom is as pretty as a postcard, as dad liked to say. Big bro looks every bit the part of the Cool Trainer that he is. And my little sister is 'cursed with cuteness', according to mom, at least. Both of them take after mom and have hair as bright as the sun and eyes like oceans cascading and shimmering beneath it, and dad's beard would make the toughest of mountain men envious. They look like a lumberjack, a movie star, an all-pro quarterback, and a graceful ballerina. Me, though? Hair the color of a dim, dying light bulb. Eyes like mud puddles. A figure like a scarecrow; tall, skinny, yet somehow still lumpy. 'Lanky', as mom (incorrectly) puts it. I doubt most people would even notice I was standing right in front of them if I didn't have a talking Pokémon attached to my hip at all times. And of course, standing next to Fifi all the time makes me stand out even less, since she's so… Well, cute. And she doesn't even have to try, she just looks like that naturally.

…Of course, that doesn't stop her from taking twenty minutes or more to brush all her damn hair into place so it's 'just' perfect. Or, sorry, fur. She hates it when I call it hair, says it makes her sound like a 'gross old man'. I simply rolled my eyes as I watched her meticulously brush her earfur so that it curled in perfect symmetry.

"You know you're pretty enough as it is, you don't have to spend so much time doing that every day." I grumbled as I put our toothbrushes away and began to make my way over to the toilet.

Fifi stopped her obsessive brushing to look at me. "…You really think I'm pretty?"

"Well, yeah, duh." I said with a shrug, figuring I had stated the obvious. "You're really pretty, for a Pokémon. I'm sure all the boy Pokémon at LeMasters are gonna be horndogging after you something fierce, hehe."

"Oh…" Fifi's face faltered momentarily, before quickly turning back towards the mirror in a huff as she started brushing even more vigorously. "Well, tough, because I'm not interested in any stupid Pokémon. That's just gross." I was getting ready to remind her she was still a Pokémon herself, but she wasn't done talking. "And also, I don't need a reason to want to look pretty other than I'm a girl, so shut up."

Right. Not a Pokémon. Just a girl. Whatever floats her boat. Meanwhile, I had more pressing matters to attend to.

"Yeah, okay, whatever you say, princess. Just, try and hurry it up, alright? I gotta fake the FUNK out of a nasty dunk, and I don't think that's something even you would appreciate being an audience for."

"True, I'm not really into that kind of stuff, but don't go putting words in my mouth like that, Stone." she replied, grinning deviously once again. "I mean, I wouldn't mind if you put some other things in my mouth, but-"

"Jesus Christ, would you stop saying such horrifying shit and let me poop in peace already?!"

Sheesh, that sure took you long enough." Fifi exclaimed almost immediately once I exited the bathroom, squeaky clean and fully dressed. "I don't understand how you can take so long showering, I mean, I'm completely covered in fur and also a girl, and you still end up taking like twice as long as I do in there."

I scoffed as I walked over to where she sat at my computer desk. "Oh, please. I think about 75% of that time was spent passing that god-awful pile of flaming logs. Man, I don't know what the hell Flint put in that chili of his, but I know better than to ever sample that shit for him anymore, that's for damn sure. Regardless of all that crap, though, please tell me you haven't been visiting more sites that mom and dad will be mortified by if they see them in my search history."

"No, not today." Fifi replied, swiveling back around in the chair to face the computer screen. "I was just reading up on that dumb school a bit. And geez, I kind of see why you're so jazzed about this place. They have EVERYTHING there, at least according to their website. Remind me again how we managed to get invited to such a high class place?"

"Same way that Flint got in; Uncle Bob." I responded. "He's a famous Gym Leader and a decorated military man, so he's got friends in all kinds of high places. That's why he's the best, because there is no way in hell we would be able to get into such a prestigious place otherwise."

"Ah, right, good ol' Uncle Bob." Fifi said, nodding in acknowledgment. "Still, do you really think we'll fit in there? You don't really give off that air of privileged and entitled that all the people in the website pictures seem to exude."

I gave a small shrug. "Eh. Flint seemed to get along there just fine, and I wouldn't exactly call him either of those things. I mean, cocksure and insufferably full of himself, sure, but he knows just as well as we do what living in the pit of poverty and despair felt like, so if they were willing to accept him, than I don't see why I would have any problems. And well, even if I do, I doubt they'll be paying much attention to me anyways with you by my side."

"Ugh. I just don't understand it." Fifi said with a scoff, shaking her head as she hopped out of her chair. "I shouldn't be so 'unique', learning English wasn't hard at all. Yet, everyone acts like I'm so incredibly rare and just, bleah. I just want to be able to hang out with you like a normal person, without everyone treating me like I'm something special or weird. Is that so hard to ask for?"

"Well, I mean…" I scratched my head as I tried to think of a good way to phrase things. "…You kind of are special, Fifi. Even if you don't feel that way, there really aren't that many Pokémon in the world who have been able to learn a human language and adapt to our society like you have. To me, yeah, you're just my best friend, it's really weird to think of you as a Pokémon most of the time, because I'm just so used to being around you, but to everyone else, seeing a Pokémon talk and act like you do is probably pretty shocking."

"Pfft, I don't know why…" Fifi muttered, folding her arms and sulking in that adorable way that I loved so much. "I'm sure most Pokémon would be able to learn just as easily if they and their trainers took the time to do so…"

"I'm not so sure about that, Fi…" I said, as I began to shut down my computer and gather my personal belongings. "I don't know if most Pokémon have the initiative to do something like that, since I'm sure plenty of trainers and researchers and professors have wasted countless years trying to teach their Pokémon to speak to no avail. Remember, you were the one who learned in the first place, I had almost nothing to do with it."

"Yeah, I know…" Fifi groaned, her features slumping even further. "…I just… I didn't want you to be so lonely. I wanted to be more for you than just a dumb Pokémon…"

"And you have been, Fifi." I said with a smile, sticking my finger under her chin and lifting her face up so she could see mine. "You've been the raddest friend I could ever possibly ask for, and you're more important to me than anything else. For all the rotten, awful, bad-luck things that have plagued me throughout my life, your presence has more than made up for all of it. So long as I have you with me, the rest of the world can keep shitting on me and using me as its personal punching bag all it wants, I don't care. So don't act like you being 'special' or whatever is a bad thing, and pay no mind to anyone who thinks you're weird. Just keep being you, Fifi, because I wouldn't have you any other way."

"…Aw, Stone…" Fifi said, letting out a small sniffle as she smiled back and gave me a hug. "That's why I love you so much. You've always treated me like anyone else, even before I learned to 'be human', so I don't mind being special to you… Teeheehee~…"

"Urgh… Just remember to keep that kind of talk to a minimum in public, please…" I muttered in embarrassment as Fifi let go of me and giggled.

"Yeah, yeah…" Fifi replied, rolling her eyes before quickly resuming her smile. "Hey, but we should probably get a move on, don't you think? It's already almost nine, and we have to be ready to leave by ten, don't we?"

"Ah, shoot, you're right." I exclaimed, glancing at my watch and seeing that it was indeed nearly nine o'clock. Opening the door, I stood aside and held out my arms, gesturing for Fifi to exit first, as was only polite.

"My, such a gentleman." Fifi exclaimed, giving me a sarcastic smirk as she exited out into the hallway. "And they say chivalry is dead."

"You probably don't even know what that means." I scoffed, following her out, my computer under one arm and my suitcase handle firmly clutched in my other hand as I struggled to shut the door behind me. Thankfully, Fifi did it for me before I wasted very much time on the hopeless task.

"You're welcome." she said, grinning smugly.

"…Thanks." I muttered back, following her as she skipped merrily down the stairs with a spring in her step and an annoyingly catchy tune on her lips, my own gait decidedly less jaunty as I slowly lugged my heavy ass suitcase down each step. Once I finally reached the bottom, I prayed for mercy in the form of a ground floor room at LeMasters, then quickly caught up to Fifi, who was already waiting at the kitchen table alongside the rest of my family. As I entered myself, I was greeted by the smell of bacon sizzling alongside the smiling faces of my loved ones, and for a moment, I had trouble deciding which of those things I was more unaccustomed to experiencing.

"Geez, what a Slowpoke." Fifi chided, sniggering at the annoyed look that had formed on my face.

"Sorry, kinda hard to pull a suitcase down a flight of stairs with any sense of speed unless I don't mind breaking my neck in the process. Which I do mind. Very much." I replied, setting my computer down on the kitchen table so I could fold my arms and give Fifi a proper annoyed look.

"Maybe if you didn't try to cram half of everything you own in there?" My little sister Jade chimed in, giving a wary glance at my bulging, nearly bursting suitcase as I took my place at the table between her and Fifi.

My big brother, Flint, snorted and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, dude, it's not like you're going off to some sort of third world country or something. The only shit you really need to bring with you is clothes and your computer, and you really don't need that many clothes either since they make you wear those stuffy, lame-ass uniforms during class. They provide toiletries and all that other shit."

"…Oh." I said dumbly, before turning my look of irritation to Flint. "Why the hell didn't you tell me that beforehand, then?"

"You didn't ask." Flint responded, flashing me a shit-mongering grin. I merely sighed and shook my head at him in exasperation, not wanting to waste my breath getting into a pointless bitchfest with him.

"Of course…" I muttered, eager to change the subject. "Well, while I have the chance to ask, do you have any other points of advice you can give me about LeMasters before I go to live there for the next half a year, oh dearest brother of mine?"

"Well…" Flint began, bringing his hand up to his chin to try and look 'thoughtful'. "…Nope. Not really." He shrugged and gave me another carefree grin.

I let out a groan. "Oh, come on, I'm serious here, Flint."

'Hey, so am I!" Flint said, putting his hands up defensively. "For real, I can't think of anything about LeMasters that you really need to know about before going there and finding out about it yourself. I mean, even a dork like you shouldn't have much trouble fitting in, the whole school's one of those, uh, whadaya-call-its, a melting pot, or whatever, it ain't just for trainers. They have courses for Rangers and Breeders and Coordinators and all kinds of shit. It's pretty chill as far as schools go, so long as you don't act like some sort of total douchecake I don't think you'll have much to worry about, brosious. I mean, the only trouble I can think of that you might run into is how everyone there will react to your girlfriend, but I mean, I'm sure you guys are used to dealing with that by now."

"Well, yeah, I'm way ahead of you there." I replied, before quickly double-taking to rebut Flint's choice of words. "W-Wait, no, fuck off with that girlfriend shit, already! That stopped being funny the first time you said it."

"Maybe, but it hasn't stopped being any less true since then, either." Flint remarked, letting out one of his obnoxious laughs.

"Alright, boys, that's enough of that."

Flint's laughter quickly subsided, as we both turned to look at our father's intimidating visage peering out at us from behind his paper.

"Now, you boys know better than to use that kind of language around your little sister." Dad said in as stern a voice as he was capable of mustering, quickly losing and regaining his composure as mom cleared her throat menacingly behind him. "Er, I-I mean, you know better than to use that kind of language period."

Hearing Jade snickering behind us, Flint and I both shot her dirty looks before turning towards our parents with much more innocent expressions. "Sorry…" We both muttered half-heartedly, which thankfully was enough… For dad, at least.

"Just be lucky that neither of you are going to be sticking around long enough to be grounded." Mom said in a less-than-pleased tone, before softening her voice and smiling brightly at me as she began to fix our plates. "But now's not the time to be dwelling on things like that, anyways. My little Stoney… I just can't believe it. Sixteen already, and ready to go off on your own for the first time, just like your big brother before you. I can't put into words just how proud of you we all are."

"Ah, th-thanks, ma…" I said in slight embarrassment, my stomach growling fiercely as the smell from the bacon and eggs wafted up from my plate, eliciting a small giggle from Fifi beside me. "You know I'm not really going off on my own, though, so you don't really have to worry about that." I said, nudging Fifi and grinning.

"…Yes, I know." Mom replied, as she glanced over at Fifi. "But your Pokémon doesn't really count, dear."

Fifi's ears noticeably drooped at mom's words, a sight which, if mom noticed it, didn't seem to elicit much of a reaction from her. Which was par for the course, unfortunately… Even though they had been around Fifi for as long as I had, and had gotten just as used to her talking and acting like a person, the rest of my family still treated her as if she were just my Pokémon more often than not, albeit one that they carried on conversations with on a daily basis. I knew this frustrated Fifi more than anything else, but she was too polite (or possibly afraid) to speak up about it herself, so I took it upon myself to go to bat for her.

"Mom, she's not just my Pokémon. She's my friend first and foremost, you know that." I proclaimed, giving Fifi a look of reassurance.

"…I know, dear." Mom replied, though I could tell she was just saying that to placate me like usual. "I know she's your friend, Stone… But that doesn't change the fact that she's still your Pokémon."

"What does that even matter, though?" I asked in slight annoyance, poking at one of my eggs as everyone else besides Fifi began to dig in to their food with much more vigor. "She acts as much like a person as any of us do, you know. I mean, you just served her breakfast as if she were part of the family. Which she is, isn't she?"

"Yes, dear, of course she is…" Mom responded, taking her place next to dad and shooting him a quick, somewhat odd glance before turning her attention back towards me, putting on one of her overly sweet smiles in the process. "I just meant…" As her gaze drifted to Fifi, she stopped, her face faltering slightly as she seemed to be reluctant to finish her sentence.

"…Yes?" I asked, after a moment of awkward silence other than the clink of silverware and Flint's disgustingly loud chewing.

Mom, rather than give me a straight answer, began to converse in whispers with dad, occasionally looking back up at me and giving me another one of her forced smiles. Shaking my head in exasperation, I figured whatever mom had meant, I obviously wasn't meant to know it, and began to focus on eating. As I started chowing down, however, my eyes drifted over to Fifi's plate, which had been hardly touched at all. Looking up at her, I could tell that she was still bothered by whatever it was mom was trying to say about her. For as happy and carefree as she was when it was just the two of us, Fifi still had anxiety issues when it came to acting quite so naturally around anyone else, my parents in particular, for whatever reason. As I stared at her, she noticed the concerned look I was giving her and quickly brightened her expression, before daintily stabbing at her eggs and dunking her bread in it in the most prim and proper way you could imagine, just the way she had learned to all those years ago from that dumb human etiquette book she had insisted I buy for her with my precious allowance. I couldn't help but smile though, just at all the extra unnecessary effort she put in around everyone else to seem as human as possible, which only managed to make her stick out even more next to all the slobs in my family.

"Oh, this bacon is wonderful, ma'am!" Fifi exclaimed to mom once she had finished her first piece, trying her best to break up the tension that had crept up on the table. To her credit, everyone else quickly chimed in in agreement, as something as deliciously unhealthy as bacon and fried eggs had become a scarce rarity in our household as of late, due to the health food kick mom had been on thanks to all those dumb talk shows she watched in the morning telling her she was poisoning us all to an early, doublewide grave. I think I may have been looking forward to eating things that had actual flavor again on a daily basis more than anything else about LeMasters, come to think of it.

"…Thank you, Fifi." Mom replied, smiling curtly and nodding back. Fifi's face drooped again slightly at the less than heartfelt response she had gotten from her. I cleared my throat noisily and began to speak, to try and get Fifi's mind off of it, and hopefully mom's, too.

"Oh, so hey, Flint, how does the rooming work, anyways?" I asked, the question one I had been meaning to ask for some time anyways. "Is it automated, or do we get to pick our own roommates?"

"Totally automated." Flint said, little flecks of egg and bread shooting from his mouth as he spoke and chewed at the same time, earning him one of mom's terrifying looks of disappointment. He wisely decided to take his time to finish chewing and swallowing before continuing. "The rooms are nice and big, but you have to share them with three other dudes, and it's just, ugh. Two of my roommates were totally cool, but that third one was so fu-f-flipping annoying… He was one of those super preachy Ranger wannabes, the kind that go on and on about how we're enslaving Pokémon by catching them and all that crap. Total freaking lunatic. Sure hope you don't get stuck with one of those weirdos, bro… Though man, thinkin' about it, I kinda wanna see what their reaction would be to Fifi, that idiot thought I was spewing butthole sewage when I tried to tell him about you two, hehehehe."

"Oh yeah, I remember you going on about that guy when you came home." I said, letting out a small shudder. "I figured they would at the very least group everyone together by their main course of study…"

"Nope, totally random, bro." said Flint. "Only filter they have is the one keeping the guys and the girls separate from each other, sad to say. But I mean, you already have a girlfriend, and you get to have her stay with you on a technicality anyways, so you don't really have anything to complain about there."

I rolled my eyes at him, not even bothering to dignify that with a proper response. "Yeah, whatever."

Mom chose that moment to clear her throat very loudly, ensuring that all eyes in the room turned to her. Even so, she still took a moment to exchange another sideways glance with dad before tentatively speaking up. "Ah, Stoney, while we're on the subject of your lodging situation, do you think your father and I could have a word with you about that in private once we've all finished eating?"

I stopped chewing and returned the odd look mom was giving me with one of my own. "Uh… Yeah, sure." I said, shrugging. Mom merely smiled back at me in that overly-sweet way she always did when she needed to say something 'disappointing', and dad nodded and grunted gruffly in approval before quickly putting his paper wall back up, something he did whenever he was nervous and didn't want to make eye contact. I had the distinct feeling that whatever it was they wanted to talk to me about in private was not going to be to my liking at all.

The rest of breakfast, predictably, went by awkwardly and in near silence, the only notable noises coming from dad grumbling about the Teddiursas continuing their now-record 24 game losing streak. Well, at least they were good at something… Still, even the legendary woes of my favorite awful baseball team that would normally get me ranting and raving were having a difficult time distracting me from the sense of dread that was beginning to form in my stomach. I got the feeling that Fifi was probably getting that same sensation, as she had suddenly developed the same difficulty finishing breakfast as I had. Nevertheless, once breakfast was finally finished and the dishes were cleared away, I followed mom and dad upstairs to their room, where they made sure to shut the door behind us so Fifi couldn't 'accidentally' follow me in, even though she had promised she would stay downstairs until we were done. I looked across the room at them nervously, failing at my attempt to appear calm and collected.

"S-So, what's up?" I asked, my eyes darting between mom and dad's. "Has something happened that I should be worried about regarding my room situation at LeMasters? Oh, don't tell me, I'm stuck on like the fifth floor or something…?"

"N-No, dear, nothing like that…" Mom replied, sounding almost as nervous as me, curiously enough. She glanced over at dad again, who stood as stoic and uncomfortably as ever, before continuing. "It's just that… Your father and I have been thinking, and we were just wondering… Do you really think it's a good idea for you to bring Fifi with you, dear…?"

I blinked blankly. I… Had not been expecting that.

"…What?" I asked, giving mom a look of utter confusion. Dad spoke up before mom had a chance to, though it was obviously not by choice.

"…W-Well, son, it's just that… This will be kind of a fresh start for you, you have a chance to meet all sorts of new people and make some real friends for once."

Mom jerked her elbow into dad's ribs, and I could tell from the look on his face that he immediately regretted what he had said. But I didn't care.

"Wait, what? Real friends?" I spat, unsure of who to be insulted for more between myself and Fifi. It didn't matter either way, it pissed me off regardless. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"N-No, your father didn't mean it like that, Stone!" Mom exclaimed in a panic, shooting dad an icy glare that only caused him to wilt even further. "We know, Fifi is your best friend, and you don't want to be separated from her. But it's just that, you haven't really had much of a chance to meet people or do much of anything really without her being there with you. We just figured that you might want to spend just a little bit of time on your own, is all."

I quickly shook my head. "Yeah, no, pretty much everyone has their Pokémon with them wherever they go, mom. I mean, Flint brought his Pokémon with him, why would I not want to bring Fifi with me?"

"W-Well, it's just that… Fifi's not really a 'normal' Pokémon, sweetie…" said mom, giving me another one of her disarming smiles. "Most people aren't used to talking Pokémon that act the way she does, and as an extension to that, they're probably not accustomed to seeing a trainer and Pokémon that interact with each other the way you two do, either. I mean, we've gotten used to it, but to other people, we're worried that it might come off as a little… W-Well, strange, is all. And we don't want you or Fifi to have to deal with any undue stress or anything that that kind of attention might bring you when you should be there to learn and relax and make friends, Stoney."

I stood in dumbstruck silence for a moment, before shaking my head once again. "Uh, ma, I'm happy to know you're so concerned about us, but, you know, I'm kind of used to those types of reactions by now. And you know once people are around Fifi for any amount of time, they eventually get used to her, just like you guys have." I let out a nervous, humorless chuckle. "And I mean, remember, the whole reason I'm going there in the first place is to become a better trainer, and that'd be kinda hard to do without my Pokémon, don'tcha think?"

"Y-Yes honey, we know…" Mom said, nodding along and obviously disregarding my words. "But you know, they do have rental Pokémon there, you don't have to bring Fifi just for that…"

"I'm not bringing her just for that, mom!" I said indignantly. "I'm bringing her because I want her to be there with me, I shouldn't need any other reason, should I? So why don't you guys want me to bring her? You've never had any problem with me taking her with me anywhere before… Plus, you know how miserable she gets when I have to leave her for any extended periods of time."

"Yes, Stone, we know." Mom replied, the exasperation in her voice becoming more prominent with every word. "That… That's one of the reasons we think this might be for the best, for both of you."

"What?!" I cried. "How the hell would leaving Fifi behind and making both of us miserable in the process be for the best, mom?!"

Dad let out a raspy sigh and shook his head at me. "Stone, please, don't speak to your mother like that." I rolled my eyes and scoffed in disgust, prompting him to let out another, heavier sigh as he grasped my shoulder and looked me square in the eyes. "Stone, we know you can't see it, but your mother and I are just worried that you and Fifi are a little too attached to one another. The way she sulks and acts like the world is ending whenever you're not around is a prime example of that, and I know you're just going to say it's because she's your Pokémon, but I don't think that's all it is, Stone. I mean, it's great that you guys have such a strong bond with one another, but in retrospect, I don't think it was a very good idea for you to teach her how to speak and let her act the way she does. I know she thinks she's a human, but she's not, buddy, and the more you encourage that part of her, the harder it's going to be for you to ever separate yourself from her whenever you decide you want to move on in your life. I mean, you can't have her around you all the time forever, son, eventually you're going to find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with, and when you do, do you really think Fifi is going to be very happy to 'share' you with her? Or even worse, do you think any self-respecting woman is going to tolerate having to 'share' you with her? We know you're still letting her sleep in your bed with you, and that was fine when she was a Fennekin, but… That kind of behavior isn't appropriate for her to be doing anymore, and that's exactly the kind of stuff you need to stop allowing her to do and think is okay, Stone. You two might think it's innocent, but others won't. And besides that, you're old enough to start carving your own path in life, and you really can't do that with Fifi as anything but just your Pokémon. We just… Think it's time for you to start letting go of Fifi as your friend, and start letting her know that she's only a Pokémon."

My mind had gone numb with shock. It was rare for dad to speak with such conviction about something… And I knew he hadn't meant to make me feel bad or hurt me by it, but… This was not a conversation I had been expecting, or had wanted, to have with my parents any time soon, let alone at all. I mean, in the back of my mind, I had always worried the day might come where they would try to tell me this crap, but I was not prepared for it to happen quite so soon or so suddenly. I was feeling an overwhelming amount of emotions, but more than anything else I was shaking with fear and anger. They had no idea what they were talking about…

"…N-No." I stuttered, shaking my head vigorously and keeping my eyes shut to avoid their condemning gazes. "Y-You're wrong, dad… My relationship with Fifi is perfectly f-fine the way it is… You don't understand. I can't just… Abandon her like that, I can't betray her trust and her love… I'm not going to say that crap to her, because it's not true." I took a moment to catch my breath and swallow the lump that had formed in my throat. "And i-if and w-when I ever find a girl I want to… Spend forever with, then I'll talk with Fifi about it, and set up boundaries, which I'm sure she'll be perfectly fine with. But until then… No, I'm not going to stop hanging out with her or treating her as anything less than my best friend. I'm s-sorry, you know I love you guys more than anything, but… This is my decision to make, n-not either of yours… Please… I know you're just worried about me, but… Let me deal with this on my own time, and in my own way."

My heart felt like a lead weight in my chest as I forced my eyes back open, expecting the absolute worst… And though dad certainly looked like he had something more to say at first, he soon seemed to swallow it, letting out his heaviest, most disappointed sounding sigh yet, as he shook his head and looked at me as if I just came home with straight Fs on my report card.

"…Fine, Stone… Have it your way." he said tersely. "Do what you want. We won't stop you. You can take Fifi with you to LeMasters."

I looked back in mild shock. I hadn't expected to win so easily… I would've let out a sigh of relief, but… Given the looks of sheer disappointment the both of them were trying to guilt me with, I was just waiting for the-

"…BUT…"

…But… Ugh…

Dad's steely gaze bore through my skull, making me feel incredibly small and powerless next to his massive, mighty frame. "But, you need to promise us something, Stone. Promise us that by the time you come home, you'll have this whole mess sorted out, and Fifi will be acting the way she's supposed to act… Like your Pokémon."

I opened my mouth to respond, but dad answered my question before I could even ask it.

"And if you don't, then I'm sorry, but your mother and I will have to intervene ourselves… And you won't want that, Stone."

My stomach dropped down into my shoes. I felt like throwing up. It didn't matter how pleadingly I looked at my mom and dad, their expressions stayed the same… That look of misguided assuredness that this was only for my own benefit…

They weren't trying to upset me…

Just destroy my life…

That's all…

Mom pulled me into a hug, one which I was feeling too dead inside to return.

"Don't worry, dear, you have six whole months to make this happen, that's plenty of time. And Fifi's an extremely intelligent Pokémon, so surely she'll understand eventually, you just have to break it to her slowly, and give her time to adjust on her own, that's all. I'm sure that you'll meet plenty of people along the way that will make the transition easier for the both of you, too."

This… This wasn't happening…

"I know you'll do the right thing, son…" Dad exclaimed, giving me a rare smile as he clapped me on the back. "You always do."

…Dad…

…You don't know anything…

…God, why did this have to happen now of all times…? The one day I've been looking forward to more than any other in my entire life… Goodbye excitement, hello dread…

"…Hey, Stone…"

As I shambled listlessly down the hallway from my parents' room, I heard Fifi's voice quietly calling out to me, and I turned to see her peeking her head out from around the corner where my room was. When I saw the deeply troubled look on her face, however, an all new dread entered into my mind…

How much of that had she heard…?

"…Ah, F-Fifi… I didn't think you would stay downstairs." I said with a small, hollow laugh, doing my best to smile and not let on to her how miserable I was.

"Sorry, I just couldn't stand to wait down there any longer." she replied, still frowning deeply. "So come on, tell me already, what was so important to your mom and dad that they had to be so secretive about it?"

Oh… Thank God, she hadn't heard any of it…

I hoped.

"Oh, n-nothing bad, just t-telling me they didn't want you sleeping in my bed with me at LeMasters since my roommates might get the wrong idea… Y-You know how they are, always getting worked up over little things like that…"

Fifi let out an overly exaggerated sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness… I was freaking out that it was something way worse than that with the way your mom was reacting to me at breakfast…" Her look of worry instantly dissolved, being replaced by one of her usual happy smiles. "I'm so glad it was just that. I mean, that still kind of sucks, but I guess everyone has to make sacrifices every now and then… Teeheehee~…"

Watching Fifi giggle away, so carefree and blissfully unaware of just how fake my smile was… I just wanted to die. God, why was this happening…?

"…H-Haha, y-yeah…"

"…But you know, they don't have any way of finding out how you're sleeping once you're there, do they?" she said, grinning that mischievous grin of hers. "Perhaps sacrifices don't have to be made every time… You just have to make the right people think so."

…Wait… That's right… How are mom and dad to know what I'm doing and what I'm not doing while I'm away? Just because they tell me I have to do this awful thing, doesn't mean I have to actually listen to them…

"Rrrrrright, Stoney~? You don't want to go to bed all cold and lonely, do you? I heard it gets awful chilly in those dorm rooms, and it sure would be nice if you had your own personal space heater to keep you warm at night, wouldn't it~?"

…Yeah, that's right. Who the hell are they to tell me how to live my life? They can't threaten me and Fifi so easily… We're smarter than that. She's smarter than that. And besides, we have half a year to work on our 'act'… Yeah, we'll work things out, alright…

I poked my head back around the bend to make sure mom and dad weren't there, then grinned back at Fifi.

"Yeah… I can't think of anything that would be nicer than that, Feef."

I'll show my parents that I can keep my friendship with Fifi and still lead a normal life… And if we have to lie to them until I turn eighteen, then so be it. Kids lie to their parents all the time. This is nothing different.

As I turned the corner to head back downstairs, feelin' fine and with Fifi at my side, we passed by my parents' room. Almost as if they were waiting, they filed out into the hallway, blocking our path to the stair. The saccharine, 'reassuring' smiles that were plastered on their faces had the complete opposite effect of what was intended.

"You two have fun at LeMasters, son." Dad said, gripping me on the shoulder again as he stared into my soul. "We know you'll make us proud, Stone. We know you'll do the right thing."

…Yeah…

The right thing…

…That's exactly what I'll do…

…Once I figure out what that is.

A/N: So yeah, this was a thing. Apologies for the horrible attempts at humor and the oh-so-unoriginal and bland plotline. If I get far enough, it will get less generic and more incredibly stupid, so there is that to look forward to, at least. I don't know when I'll ever bother to update this, if at all, but I suppose if enough people want me to, I'll try to have some sense of urgency with updating and stuff. Though, I'm much more expecting people to just tell me to go kill myself more than anything else. Which is fine, of course. But yeah, I got less weird things to be doing now, so later peeps.