AN: This has been given to me on a silver platter...I had to run with it. Note: Blanche uses s/he (pronounced: Zje). Also I apologize for my attempt at Spanish...feel free to correct me if I get something wrong.

Candela sat at the bar in the kitchen, the moon shining light through the window. In the dim light, the tan woman focused down on the mug in her hands, praying it wouldn't melt. For the past few days, something strange has been happening to the young woman. Things were melting at her touch, plastic turned to goop and stuck to her hands, metal warped at her touch, her fingers left charred marks on wood. Her gloves at least mitigated the effect but...when she was angry...it got worse. And her roommate Blanche just loved to piss her off.

Candela groaned and leaned forward, slumping over the table. "Caray...what's happening to me?" Her grip tightened, and she watched as the tea in the mug started to bubble and boil. As she watched the liquid bubble, she got more and more frustrated, causing it to boil faster.

Candela sighed and put down the mug, letting it boil over on the counter. Usually, when something didn't make sense, she'd just ask Blanche or the professor...but she didn't need either of them treating her like one of their experiments. "Caray caray caray…caray!" the brown haired lady snapped, the chair scraping against the floor as she stood.

"Candela?" a voice asked hesitantly behind her.

Candela suddenly turned around and found her other roommate, Spark, standing there in full gear. "Oh...hey sparky." The woman in red spoke carefully and nervously. "What are you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," the spiky-haired man smiled and stepped forward, Candela putting her hands behind her back. "Something wrong candlefire?"

Candela squirmed and tried not to blush from the nickname...it was stupid…but she wasn't going to tell him to stop. "No, nothing's wrong, just...things not going my way. So, back to my question, what are you doing up?"

A familiar cocky smile appeared on Sparks face as he held out his Pokedex. "Magikarp swarm."

Candela's eyes went wide and she suddenly smiled. "No way!" Candela snapped, and she practically dove for her coat, pulling out her own device and looking for the swarm. Sure enough not far from here were 12 Magikarp flopping around like idiots.

"Four for each of us~" Spark said with a smile.

Candela quickly pulled on her pea coat, and she nodded at her male roommate. "Go get their stuff ready, I'll wake up Blanche."

Spark nodded and darted off to the lab, way more hyper than he should be for being near midnight. Candela burst into the room she shared with Blanche and immediately started shivering. "Por que el infierno es tan frio?"

"Watch you language, Candela." Candela sighed and looked up at the higher bunk, seeing Blanche laying under their thin sheets, staring down at her. "...and it's not cold in here...it's perfectly comfortable..."

Candela stared at her roommate strangely. "Yeah yeah, whatever. Blanche, we got Magikarp. Come on!"

"...it's almost midnight…I'm not going out."

Candela climbed up on her bed and looked Blanche in the eye, with a smile. "You wanna help the professor with his research, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"And you wanna prove your evolution method works better than my training method...right? You'll need a lot of those little candies Willow made...and he only gives them for Pokemon."

At this Blanche started trembling...and Candela knew she hit it. "Fine fine...I'll get up…" Candela grinned and jumped down, letting Blanche slide out of the bed.

Candela remembered the first time she met Blanche and Spark. It was when Professor Willow first brought her in to be the newest research assistant, admiring her ability to push Pokemon as hard as she can, not to hurt them, but to make them as strong as they can be. Professor Willow had introduced his other two assistances, the happy, hyper breeder, Spark, and the evolution-obsessed Blanche. While Spark was happy and talkative, Blanche only said one thing to her new co-worker. "He or she, it doesn't matter...just remember to show me respect."

Candela chuckled, remembering how simple spoken Blanche was. S/he still is, technically.

"What?" Blanche asked, looking over at Candela as s/he pulled on the long coat.

Candela smiled and shook her head. "Nothing, nothing," she said with a smile.

Blanche shrugged and walked out, following her co-worker with a skip in her step. Spark, who was now wearing the incubator he invented, tossed Blanche a blue Pokedex, who caught it seamlessly out of the air. The three assistances stood by the door, and three sharp whistles ring through the apartment. Three Pokemon answered it, a Jolteon who quickly jumped into Spark's arms, a Flareon darted around Candela's legs, and a Vaporeon came to stand proudly by Blanche.

All three humans smiled, and Blanche nodded. "Let us go!"

The other two nodded and all three ran out, their partners behind them. Candela jumped over the railing, landing in a bush two stories down. Spark slid down the railing of the stairs, while Blanche calmly walked down.

"You two are going to hurt yourselves one of these days…" Blanche said plainly.

Candela smiled as she brushed leaves off her pea coat. "I'll be fine."

Spark stood beside her, his arms crossed over his chest. "Yeah! We're us-" a slap from Candela quickly shut him up. The younger woman would rather not have Blanche know what the two do when they sneak off.

Blanche stared at their two co-workers and s/he sighed. "Fine, whatever...let's get moving."

Candela smiled and took off, shouting something along the lines of 'race ya' as she ran towards the docks, her Flareon running beside her. Running...training...catching Pokemon. Those things always helped her clear her mind...focus on something other than the weirdness in her life.

The fiery woman stopped on the edge of the pier and right there in the shallow water, 12 Magikarp, flopping around. Candela smiled and pulled out her Pokedex, disengaging a headset Professor Willow had added for them. She put it on her head, the red lens easily setting over her eye. Rings appeared around all twelve Magikarp...and she only has to bullseye four of them.

Candela grabbed a great ball and focused on the closest Magikarp, hoping to catch hers before her co-workers could catch up. She took a deep breath and held it as she lined it up...and then chucked the ball. It hit just left of the mark, but still caught somehow. Candela jumped excitedly and let her Flareon fetch the new Pokemon as she moved on to the next.

By the time she managed to catch her four targets, her co-workers were beside her...and Blanche was already finished. Candela watched out of the corner of her eye as Blanche hit each Pokemon with a perfect spin ball.

"Show off…" she mumbled as she took her newly caught Pokemon from Flareon and took off her headset.

"Is there a problem?" Blanche asked as s/he did the same.

Candela sighed and rolled her eyes. "Nothing...sir perfection."

Blanche stood and glared down at Candela. "If you have a problem with something, say so."

Candela growled and stood to meet Blanche's icy glare. "Oh no, who could ever have a problem with the perfect man-lady!?" she snapped without thinking.

Blanche was silent and still, for a few moments, their face not betraying any emotion. Their eyes flicked between Candela, Spark, and...something on the deck. Then s/he lashed out, pushing Candela backward into the water.

Candela glared up at her co-worker in blue, growling dangerously not noticing the hiss from the water around her. Blanche stares down at Candela in silence, their eyes scanning not Candela, but the area around her.

Then s/he grabs Spark by his jacket. "Come on Spark, let's go. Give Candela a chance to...cool off."

Spark looked between his co-workers but still allowed himself to be carried away by Blanche. Candela growled and hit the wet sand beneath her. "Caray Blanche!" she screamed, annoyed.

Then she noticed the steaming water...her anger...she needed to calm down. Candela took a deep breath and carefully stood. Her pants were soaking wet, along with her coat. The woman pulled herself back onto the dock and took off her coat, setting it off to side. Glancing to the side, she noticed two charred marks on the dock...from where she was upset before.

"Why...was I mad?" Candela muttered to herself. "Why have I been so...angry...recently?" The dark skinned woman buried her face in her hands as the past week...she's been nothing but a jerk to her friends ever since these weird, stupid powers showed up.

Before she could get too far into self-loathing, a large weight suddenly slammed into her, knocking her onto her back. Candela opened her eyes and found her Flareon pinning her down. "Oh...hola Fuego."

Fuego growled and headbutted his master.

Candela flinched and rubbed her chin. "Por que?"

Fuego growled again and batted at his master again, growling dangerously.

Candela looked at her Pokemon and chuckled. She rarely ever just mopes like this. The tan woman suddenly grabbed her Pokemon and stood, holding the Flareon in her arms. "Okay okay, let's go back!"

Fuego barked and nodded, climbing to stand on Candela's shoulders as she gathered her new Pokemon and started running back to the home she shared with her friends. She needed to apologize to Blanche...and she finally decided she was going to tell s/he.

Candela bust into her apartment, handing her bag to Fuego, letting him carry it to the store room. Sitting at the island where Candela was before, even holding the same mug, was Blanche.

Candela slid in the chair beside Blanche and spoke gently. "I'm sorry for what I said."

Blanche chuckled and shrugged. "It's fine...something strange has been to you recently...the past week to be exact."

"You knew," she looked away from Blanche, breaking eye contact.

"I'm not blind, Candela. The sudden instance of wearing your gloves all the time, complaining about the cold, random char marks...you're not the only one."

Blanche shifted positions, reaching out and grabbing Candela's hand, the younger jerking away. Blanche looked up at Candela, their expression gentle for once. "It's okay," s/he crooned as s/he reached out again and took Candela's hand. The touch was gentle...but cool.

"So...ice queen is really an ice queen," Candela said with a grin, looking down at the mug...and the frozen liquid inside.

Blanche blushed lightly and shrugged. "It started about a week ago…"

"So...does Spark know?"

Blanche chuckled and shook their head. "When does he know anything?"

Candela laughed and shrugged. "Well...what are we going to do?"

"Train."

Candela paused and looked over at her co-worker. "I never thought you'd suggest that," she said with a grin.

Blanche flinched and looked away. "And study! That's also important."

Candela laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I'll leave that to you." The tan woman yawned and stretched, standing up from the stool. "I'm going to bed...see you in the morning, Blanche."