The Animal Within: You can't cage the Beast

by Mad Ass Dragon

The Invincible Monster of the Forest. That's what they call him. The boy who was murdered, and then reborn from the depths as a Monster. Death. All it did was make him stronger. He is hunted day and night by his enemy, who seeks to finish what he started. It comes down to the age old question. How do you kill what's already dead? WARNING!: Dark story.

1. Summer Camp

Chapter 1: Summer camp

Hey guys!

If you're new, the name is Mad Dragon (Mad as in insane!).

If you guys want to drop a suggestion feel free to PM me, or drop a review with your idea, I'll do everything I can to include your suggestions and ideas.

My last attempt at an amourshipping…. Was an epic fail! This time IS better, read on for yourselves to see, I've actually planned this version. Some aspects from the last attempt worked and have been brought over.

I promise to give shout outs to everyone who drops a review and answer any and all questions that have been raised. If the answer contains spoilers, then sorry… All I can do is say that it's a spoiler.

Shoutout to Wolfblade84, you're help is greatly appreciated, without you this story wouldn't even be HALF this good. You're an amazing Beta.

This story is rated M for the following reasons: Violence, death, bloodshed, severed limbs, eventual GRAPHIC lemons, drug use, torture, self-harming and foul language. If any of this offends you, then I'm afraid this may not be the best story for you. But amidst all this, there are many hidden jewels that need to be found…

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon… I am sorry if any of you thought I did…

Edited: OK I've changed some things in this chapter, basically fixed some issues and made some minor changes to the basic plot. The characters WILL be adults in chapter 6, but don't just skip ahead to that chapter 'cause you'll miss a lot of important plot details – 3/5/16

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The sun shines in all its dazzling glory, the gentle summer breeze flows through the crisp, clean streets of Pallet town. The heat from the scorching ball of fire reminds those exposed to its warming glow, that summer has reached its peak.

The small, old fashioned town of Pallet resides in the Kanto region, home to the famous Professor Oak. The people of Pallet are just as old fashioned as the town they call home, electing to keep the traditional market running in place of any shopping centres or malls. Many people can earn more on their stall in a day, than they could after a week in employment.

(A/N I will be referring to Professors in this story as P. Insert name here)

During the long summer months many parents send their children to P. Oak's Summer Camp, this allows their children to make new friends, learn more about Pokémon and just have fun during the heat filled weeks of summer. To keep the children entertained, as well as educate them, they are pitted against each other in a series of activities. Each one is different and has different rules, some require the children to work together, and others have them directly pitted against each other in a race to win.

The Pokémon league funds these events every year; this allows P. Oak to offer it free to the citizens of Pallet. In exchange for the funding he receives, P. Oak teaches the children about Pokémon training and battling, every year he finds that not every child wants to become a trainer. To some the concept of braving the wilds of the world, armed with nothing but your wits and your own Pokémon, facing off against a wide variety of opponents, catching Pokémon and taking them from their homes, is somewhat frightening. If nothing else, this does generate popularity for the sport and in doing so generate revenue for the league.

The generosity of the league doesn't end with funding though; they also provide one lucky camper with a special prize of their choice, a starter Pokémon specifically, from anywhere in the world. This is a prize that is highly sought after, not just for getting a rare Pokémon for free, but for the opportunity to gain a lifelong friend who will always stand by your side.

To decide who will receive this highly sought after prize; the children earn points for winning activities or for acts of good sportsmanship or extreme kindness. Points are deducted for aggressive behaviour against other campers or members of staff, this not only prevents fights, it encourages the young minds to learn kind behaviour towards each other. There are some exceptions however, if a child is extremely provoked, then the circumstances may allow for a warning in place of lost points.

The camp grounds themselves are on the edge of Pallet, surrounded by a thick lush forest, teeming with growth and wild Pokémon. Several old fashioned log cabins shelter the sleeping souls at night, the ones in which the children sleep are quite small, only having two rooms to speak of, a bedroom and a bathroom. Each one has three beds in it, allocating each one with up to three campers.

There are also a pair of large cabins in which the staff spend their nights, one for the men and a second for the women. A small nurse's cabin takes care of any ailments that arise. A rather large mess hall serves as the source of food for everyone here; breakfast, lunch and dinner are all served here. Finally there is the largest cabin, the assembly chamber; its walls are filled with large windows to allow natural light to flood in. P. Oak makes his announcements here; the scores are kept here as well, on a large white board that has the name of every camper along with their total score. All of these buildings are old, having been here since P. Oak was a boy, but the Pokémon league has spared no expense in refurbishing them to make them safe and liveable again.

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P. Oak himself is an older man, but is in surprisingly good condition for it, you'd never guess he's in his sixties by looking at him. His face is relatively free from wrinkles, with the exception of a line here and there. His skin is quite tanned for his age, although seeing as he spends a lot of time outside in the field it makes sense. His eyes are a soft brown, giving way to his kind nature. His hair is what gives away his age bracket; it was once as brown as his eyes, but now has turned silver grey with time.

He wears clothes that reflect his true age, a plain and simple red polo shirt with a neatly folded collar. Said shirt is always neatly tucked into his plain tan chinos, neatly pressed and looking smart. His white lab coat always covers his shoulders and shields his body from the cold. A pair of perfectly polished dark brown loafers covers his feet and ties his outfit together.

He is a Pokémon researcher, a man who studies Pokémon and tries to discover the secrets they hold. He specifically studies the relationship between humans and Pokémon, while everyone knows that the two can get along together, as they do every day, he wants to unravel the mysteries of the bond between them. Just one of the questions he seeks an answer to, is why do Pokémon choose to obey humans, when they are clearly the superior species? While humans have greater intelligence, at least in terms of being able to advance technologically, Pokémon have powers humans will never have… So why do they obey a species that is weaker than they are?

Such questions are the driving force behind his work, the reason for him to get up in the morning, and his motivation behind supplying new trainers with starter Pokémon throughout Kanto.

But such questions will have to wait for now, right now his current focus must be the safety and wellbeing of the children who have been entrusted to his care. But if he manages to get a few minor questions answered in doing so, well that's a happy coincidence.

Today he stands at his podium inside the assembly chamber, waiting for the children to assemble for the morning announcements. Right now he is alone; the hall is silent and devoid of life, with the exceptions of himself and his own breathing. He's taking the rare moment of silence to reflect on the request he was given by the league, they want to know who he thinks has the most potential out of this year's group, to become skilled Pokémon trainers. While there can only be one winner, there might be other ways to encourage the growth of the rest of them.

For example a scholarship to the Pokémon Technical Institute in Kalos could easily make all the difference for one of them. If journeying across the land isn't right for them, then perhaps studying might be. No matter the path they take, so long as they end up becoming something to draw people into the league, then the investment will be worth it.

To P. Oak the answer is to this question is obvious. Out of the twenty one children who have attended this year, five of them clearly stand out to him, while each of them is different and their strengths lie in different areas, they each have that special something in them that makes them shine out from the group.

While he doesn't support the reasons for the league's aid, he welcomes the financial support to allow children to achieve their dreams. In a place like this, it's rare for a family to be able to provide such financial aid themselves, so any help is welcome.

With a smile on his lips, he contemplates the e-mail he will be sending the league's representative this afternoon. "Each of them has that something special about them, that something that separates them from the others… I know one of them will win the prize this year, the question is, which one?" He thought.

The first and most obvious to the professor is Serena Yvonne. While she is a very shy girl, who dislikes speaking to those she doesn't know, he has noticed a distinctive streak of kindness in her. He has noticed that while she struggles to bond with other children, she is able to form close bonds with the Pokémon she's played with while she's been here. It would seem that her shyness only extends to other people, not to Pokémon.

She has thick honey blonde hair; it ends in slight curls that brush against her shoulders. Her eyes are deep sapphire blue; many of the other children have asked her why she has precious stones where her eyes should be, while some would see this as a compliment, to the shy girl it's just another group of strangers to scare her. Her sensitive skin is very fair, fairer than a young girl's should be at this time of year; she clearly hasn't spent a lot of time in the sun this summer.

The strangest thing about her by far, is her scent. For some reason she always carries a very strong scent of honey around with her, even when she goes without the sticky sweet treat, the scent remains with her just as strong as ever. The strange phenomenon has P. Oak baffled, never in all his years has he encountered such a thing.

During these hot summer months, she wears a pink summer dress to help keep cool. A red band runs around the waist, allowing the dress to cling to her and retain some heat when necessary. She has taken to wearing a straw sun hat, to keep the sun's harsh rays from reaching her eyes, as well as to hide her face from others. To help beat the heat, she has taken to wearing pink flip-flops, she decorated the soles of which with a red heart.

In P. Oak's opinion, Serena would benefit most from a Pokémon of her own, as she would be able to bond with said Pokémon and stay with them. Having a close friend to call her own would do wonders for her confidence, it may even cause her to lose her shyness and come out of her shell a little.

Next on his list is his own grandson, Blue Oak. The fact that they are related has nothing to do with his being on this list, the fact remains that while Blue is a very arrogant child, he has inherited his Dad's battling skills. His Dad is Gary Oak, member of the Kanto Elite four, who rose to his position at a young age. He believes that as the men in his family have grown to become successful, he is superior to his peers.

Out of all of the children here, Blue is one of the best at battling, there are only two others who have ever beaten him, but they are not the subject of this discussion. When he isn't battling or trying to put down his peers, he can often be found with his nose in a book. He tries to learn as much as he can about as many Pokémon as he can, in an attempt to extend his superiority over his peers.

He has long dark brown hair, which is spiked out towards the front. His eyes are a deep chocolate brown, they're not quite as dark as his hair; they are full of confidence as well as a kindling of arrogance. His skin has felt the touch of the sun's rays, tanning it lightly, but not as well as it would someone who spends a lot of time in the light.

He typically wears a black t-shirt, along with a bright green jacket that has a few pockets on the front and sides. He often wears baggy purple cargo pants, which hang down slightly. Black Nike sneakers complete his outfit.

Blue is a unique case, while most children would benefit from having their own Pokémon the most, it seems Blue would benefit the most from going on a journey of his own. He spends a lot of time studying on his own, if he were to continue doing so while exploring the world; he would become a true force to be reckoned with. But of course for that to happen, he'd need a Pokémon of his own.

The third on P. Oak's list, Yellow Verde. She is a very unique girl, she seems to dislike speaking to others, both human and Pokémon alike. As a result of this dislike, she can often be found on her own in the comfort of solitude and silence. It didn't take him long to notice that she has a deep resentment of the forest and nature in general, whenever the activities require them to venture into the forest, she doesn't take well to it.

It would seem that young Yellow is a girl who was born to be in the city, she has often said she'd love to live in a big city and enjoy all the sights, sounds and scents of such a place. Such an attitude has sparked a few arguments between her and other children, one in particular. While he has tried to calm things between them, he has failed every time; it seems that Yellow just isn't meant to get along with everyone here.

She has long black hair, which she keeps tied off in pigtails. She often hides this from others though, as the hoodie she wears often covers her hair. Her eyes are auburn brown, unlike her personality; her eyes are very beautiful and radiate innocence. Her skin is quite fair, fairer than Serena's, as she spends as little time as possible outdoors.

She often wears her favourite hoodie, designed after a Pikachu; the hood has the face of the Electric type along with its ears, the back of it has the brown stripes of the rodent Pokémon. In an attempt to make herself resemble her Pokémon of choice, she also wears yellow shorts that reach her knees. As she was unable to find anything Pikachu related for her feet, she has opted to wear closed toe sandals. Call it a hunch, but he is under the impression that Pikachu is her favourite Pokémon.

Yellow is a definite case for the Pokémon Technical Institute in Kalos, her personality wouldn't allow her to flower in a journey of her own. She would do best by having a Pokémon of her own, and then spending her time studying in the peaceful solitude of a study hall.

The next child on this list is a rather spirited girl; she just might be the most… Eccentric, child here this year. Lily Ketchum, a very energetic and excitable girl, she has proven to have near limitless energy and stamina. She always manages to make whatever she's doing fun, not just for herself but for those around her, it is for this reason that she has become very popular here.

Something that caught his eye amidst all her qualities is that she has no fear of the forest or the Pokémon inside it, whatsoever. Most children her age hold at least a sliver of fear for the growth ridden home to nature, but she doesn't fear it in the slightest, she actually dives into it whenever she can. She seems to be at her happiest, whenever she is surrounded by nature and Pokémon.

Her love of nature has been the cause of the tension and friction between her and Yellow, the two of them come close to feeling true hatred for each other, such a shame.

Another thing that is interesting about Lily, is that despite her small stature and rather slim build, she has proved to be physically stronger and faster than most of the other children here, in some cases she has proved stronger than some of the adults here. It's baffling, how could her still developing muscles produce more force than that of an adult?

This is just one of the questions surrounding the young Ketchum girl, there are many more, such as her ability to navigate her way through any part of the forest to her destination, regardless of where it is and whether or not she has been there before.

The only conclusion that makes any sense is that she is simply a child of nature, born and bred to be wild.

Her hair is very light blonde, she keeps it very short like a boy's, according to her Mom, since she's been old enough to walk and use her hands properly, she's gotten hold of some scissors and given herself haircuts to keep her hair in this state. Her skin is very fair, especially for a child who spends as many waking hours as possible outside and in the neighbouring forest. Her eyes are very beautiful, emerald green, identical to her Mom's. These eyes run in the family, all their daughters are born with these precious stones for eyes.

Despite being a girl and her Mom's many attempts, young Lily hasn't ever worn a dress for more than an hour since she was a baby. Her Mom has tried many times to get her to act more lady like, but Lily flat out refuses to, going as far as to burn any dresses she is given. Her Mom often complains that she has two sons instead of a daughter.

In place of the traditional feminine dress, Lily prefers to dress like a boy, most likely to annoy her Mom even further. She wears black three quarter length shorts, which keep her warm in coolness of the forest shadows, but don't restrict her movements when she needs to be fast. She also wears a pink hoodie with a Pokéball design on the back; her choice of clothes often causes confusion amidst her peers, why would she wear clothes that keep her warm and cool? It's just one of the many questions that surround her. Normally the young girl avoids wearing shoes, as they prevent her from feeling the earth beneath her feet and make gripping onto trees that much harder. But camp rules state that shoes must be worn when campers are not in their personal cabins, so she has taken to wearing a pair of open toe sandals.

If there was ever a case for a child being given a Pokémon and being sent out into the world, then Lily Ketchum is defiantly the perfect fit for the role. She's at her best when she's running free through nature, if she were to have a Pokémon with her, then there would be no telling how much she would grow.

The last one on this list, the enigma that is known as Red Ketchum. Like his twin sister Lily, he too has many questions surrounding him. The question that P. Oak wants answered the most though is how can such a young and frail child possibly be the fastest and strongest of all the children here?

His muscles aren't any more developed than his sister, yet he is both faster and stronger than she is, he has proved this on a number of occasions. It's like he has access to a bottomless well of strength, speed, energy and stamina, which allows him to best anyone he faces off against, in these terms anyway.

It would seem that love of nature and Pokémon runs in both the Ketchum's veins, he also spends most of his free time exploring the depths of the forest, usually with his sister. When the two of them aren't frolicking in the forest, they're fighting with each other, despite his superior strength Red does not always beat his sister, she wins her fair share of their squabbles.

Out of the many things about him that has caught P. Oak's eye, one thing really stands out. During the many practise battles that have been held this year, Red has displayed above average aggression and skill. While he has lost his fair share of battles, he has displayed a raw talent for the sport; he could very well have what it takes to become a professional trainer one day.

Another interesting fact P. Oak has noticed that the twins seem reluctant to separate from each other; neither of them seems to want to be apart from the other. It's like they're joined at the hip and can't physically be apart from the other. That being said, they will separate for the sake of a competition, but they're quick to regain their lost sibling.

While Red isn't as popular as his sister, he certainly hasn't clashed with any other children here. That is with the exception of Blue, the two of them don't get along, having been rivals since they were babies, no one is quite sure how babies can be rivals, but somehow these two have found a way.

His hair is Auburn brown, its wild and messy; it looks as though a comb has never passed through it. His eyes are rather strange, when looked into a strange feeling envelops you. A strange sense of something buried deep inside of him, it's as though he is hiding something from those around him. The strangeness doesn't end there though, when you gaze into those electric blue orbs, there is an undeniable sense of power surging through him.

Other than the overall strangeness about his eyes, they are in fact a rare colour in men, according to his Mom; he gets them from his Dad.

He wears a black tank top, but it's rarely seen since his jacket hides it from sight. He always wears his signature red, white and black jacket; the only time he doesn't wear it is when he's sleeping or bathing. The main body of the jacket is red, while the shoulders are a powerful black, the inside of the collar is somehow still white, finally there is a white strip down either side of the zipper. He typically wears a pair of dark blue cargo pants; he normally hides his snacks in the pockets so Lily can't steal them from him. Last but not least, for the same reasons as his sister, he normally chooses not to wear anything on his feet. However, seeing as it's a rule here, he's wearing red and black sneakers.

Once again, like his sister, Red is a prime candidate for receiving a Pokémon of his own and exploring the world around him in a journey.

The one thing all of these candidates have in common is that they are all seven years old, there's only a few months difference between them.

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P. Oak's thoughts continue to flow, despite the sound of children clambering into the hall before him. "I am pleased that I don't have to decide which of them gets a Pokémon, to deny such promising young children the chance to grow so well… It's a shame only one of them can… Wait a moment, who says only one of them can have a Pokémon?" He thought with a smile.

As he ponders his thoughts, the children take their seats in front of the podium and him. There are four rows of five shiny metal folding chairs, what they lack in comfort they make up for in easy storage, an extra chair has been brought in to accommodate for the odd number of children here.

The Ketchum twins take their seats at the front row, for some reason Blue takes the free seat next to Red, most likely so he can irritate him further. Yellow has chosen to take a seat a little further back; she's angry that Lily has been doing better than her so far. The shy Serena has taken the odd seat for her own and pulled it away from the others, letting her listen to the announcement without having to sit next to those she doesn't know.

The sound of the children taking their seats finally ends P. Oak's thoughts. The sweet sound plasters a broad smile across his aging face; he will never get tired of hearing happy children. "I hope you are all ready for the next activity, it requires bravery and cunning, a stubborn streak would definitely help though. You are doing so well this year, the grand prize is still within reach… GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL!"

An eruption of cheers from the smiling faces of the campers answers his call, the Ketchum twins jump to their feet and cheer loudest of all, sparking a wave of shouting amidst their peers. The energy and spirit for this next activity is buzzing through the room.

Time skip: 1 hour

This forest must be hundreds of years old, how else could thick trees be growing out so freely? The ground is covered by a thick layer of leafy plants and moss, concealing the thick tree roots that are bursting from the earth, one wrong step and you'll fall face first into the growth ridden forest floor. Some plants have managed to find enough light in this dark place to grow out from the dirt; these strong plants have blossomed into strong bushes. Some of them have small buds of flowers growing from them; others have thistles and thorns poking out, ready to scratch anything that dares to come too close to them. There are also some that have bountiful berries growing from them, tempting passers-by to eat them and carry on their seeds.

Above the bountiful but dangerous bushes, mighty trees stand strong, with trunks thicker than any normal child is wide. These titans of the forest climb towards the sky above, dominating the only source of light this place has and blocking it from the floor. Thick branches protrude from the trunks, sprouting out countless leafs, each one searching out the light they crave. Some of the trees are imitating the bushes, or perhaps the bushes are imitating the trees. Regardless, ripe berries hang from the branches, practically begging to be plucked from their home and devoured. Thick moss has grown across the trunks of these trees, climbing its way towards the light, the one thing all plant life craves and competes for.

The sweet young flower, who is named Serena, has successfully gotten herself, as well as her hat, completely lost amidst this endless sea of green plant life. Before she ever set foot in this place, her fear was weighing down her petite feet. How could they have sent them in here? How could they have sent innocent children into the forest alone?

Today's activity is easily the most frightening, at least for this young girl. They've all been sent into this obviously untamed, jungle like forest to search for a special Pokémon, holding a green sash. They weren't even told what the Pokémon is; it could be anything at all.

While there are supposed to be counsellors around the forest to help should the need arise, Serena hasn't seen a single human since she first came in here. The moment she set foot here, she was swallowed by the forest, cutting her off from everything she's seen or known. She's completely alone here.

At first she wanted to prove to herself that she could do this, that she could push herself past her fears and limitations, but now that she's here all she wants is to go back out again. What good is proving she can do something if she gets eaten by a wild Pokémon?

With her delicate hands pressed against her tightening chest, she looks around at her surroundings, hoping for a trace of humanity that can help her. "Why does everything have to look the same? How am I supposed to get out of here?" She asked herself with fear in her voice.

For the briefest of moments, sickly dark regret destroys her fear, leaving her nothing but a hollow empty shell, stumbling forwards through this valley of danger. "Agh!" She cried out. Her arms flail around through the air, searching desperately for something, anything, to break her stumble.

She collides with a thick tree trunk, the surface of which is coated in thick green moss. She clutches the titan desperately with both hands, holding on for dear life, as if it is a safety line in an ocean filled with blood drunken Sharpedo. The pressure of her tiny body against the soft moss forces the fluids it retained from their home, staining her dress deep green within seconds. "Stupid forest" She murmured under her breath. A concealed tree root was the cause of her stumble, hidden by the plants that seek precious light above, there was no way she could have seen it coming.

Tears quickly burn in her eyes, threatening to moisten her cheeks, the moment of regret has faded and her fear has returned, even stronger than before. "I don't care…. I don't care about finding any Pokémon… I just wanna go home" She whimpered to herself. "Mama… Daddy… I need help, please… I wanna go home"

She's completely alone in forest, she hasn't got the slightest clue how to get out, she hasn't seen another person since she first set foot here, she's absolutely terrified and to top it all off, her favourite dress has been ruined… Can this day possibly get any worse?

As if to say, of course things can get worse I'll show you how, the bushes to her left begin to shake and rustle with life. They're far too dense to see just what is inside them, veiling the opposing creature or creatures in mystery. As is often the case with humanity, the young girl's fear of the unknown drives her to abandon the security of the tree trunk, and back away towards the bushes behind her. "W-w-who's… W-who's there?" She babbled in fear.

The deceit of the forest doesn't end with the tree roots though, there are far more dangerous things hidden in this place, things that won't show mercy to anyone, even a scared little girl.

The bushes before her part, as a blur of blue leaps for freedom from the greenery. "HELP! PSYCHO KID! HE'S AFTER ME!" The blur cried out as it jumped towards her.

Her fear spikes out through her fragile body, causes her to jump out of her skin as she cries out in fear. "AGH!" She quickly falls backwards, towards the bushes behind her and the threat they contain, a large rock with a large spike poking out, the surface of which is coated in the dried blood of Pokémon. With a stroke of luck, she falls past the rock and into the bushes, even if she had collided with the offending object, she'd be too distracted by the fall to notice.

The blur of blue watches her with curiosity as she falls to the earth. "What's wrong with you?" It asked with genuine concern. Ignoring the minor pain that has wracked her body, she lifts her head up and steals a glance of the one who scared her so badly. It's a small blue tadpole like Pokémon; its belly is a gentle white with a black spiral that fills it up. A pair of sweet and innocent eyes meets her own; this Pokémon is clearly a young Poliwag, a relatively peaceful Pokémon that isn't aggressive unless provoked.

A green sash hangs around Poliwag's body, exactly as P. Oak described it would be, this is the Pokémon she and all the other campers are supposed to be hunting for. A fresh wave of tears quickly well up in her eyes, humiliation quickly joins her reformed fear, of all things to scare her, why a harmless Poliwag? Now everyone will make fun of her for being a coward.

Poliwag watches her curiously for a moment, who is this girl? Is she one of the children P. Oak said would be looking for him? Why does she look so scared? Regardless of these questions, there is another kid whose close on his tail, he can't stand around here waiting for him to get closer.

"I'd get out of here if I were you, get that nasty cut looked at" He said as he hopped away into the bushes, leaving nothing behind but a few squished plants.

With tears flowing freely from her eyes, she watches as the Poliwag she is supposed to be hunting hops away from her, taking with him any chance of rescue from this strange and frightening place. Pain quickly erases him from her memories, distracting her attention towards her right leg. Her eyes shrink in their sockets upon the sight before her.

A deep crimson fluid is flowing down from the side of her right leg, pouring from a fresh deep wound. The blood that should be working to keeping her alive is escaping from her and bathing the plants below in its warmth. She quickly sees just how bad the wound is, a deep three inch long gash runs down the side of her small leg, providing the escape the blood seeks. Beside her, the same rock that was hidden by the plants runs red with the fresh blood of young flesh.

A fresh wave of tears crawl down her cheeks, her reddening eyes burn from shedding so many tears as they swell. "I didn't even wanna come to this stupid camp… I just want my Mama" She quietly cried. "Someone… Anyone… Please help me"

An answer to her call comes from the bushes that brought her further fear; they rustle far stronger than they did when the innocent Poliwag came through, what could be coming through this time? Her tears continue to roll down her cheeks, but her eyes focus on the source of the sound. What could it be? Another Pokémon? What if it's one more dangerous than a Poliwag? With a wound like this, she can't even stand let alone run from it. "Please… Don't hurt me" She whimpered quietly. "Don't hurt me"

The rustling grows stronger than before, before quickly parting to reveal the concerned face of a young boy. He looks to be Serena's age, with wild and messy brown hair that has a few leafs caught in its coils. His eyes instantly draw her attention, their electric blue haze lock onto her sapphire blue orbs, trading stares of fear and concern between each other.

His first instinct is to ask if someone is there, the question is caught by his tongue before it ever leaves his mouth. He can clearly see a scared little girl here, so asking such a question would serve no purpose.

He slowly takes a couple steps out of the thick bush, his eyes remain firmly locked onto the most beautiful gems his eyes have ever had the pleasure of gazing into. A surge of blood rushes into both of their cheeks, warming their flesh to burn brightly in the darkness of the forest. Their hearts flutter in their chests, sending a wave of uneasiness through both of these young children.

"I won't hurt you" He said gently, partly because of the strange feeling flowing through him, but mostly due to the undeniable sense of fear flowing from this girl. Regardless of whether or not humans can smell fear, they can undoubtedly feel and see it. He gently takes a step forwards, leaving the bushes completely and making his way closer to this unfamiliar face. "Is something wrong? I can help you if you need it"

Her tears stop flowing from her swollen eyes, but cling to her blushing cheeks. All negative thoughts are pushed from the depths of her mind, leaving her with only strange and confusing thoughts. What is the feeling in her face? It feels so warm, so comforting… Is she blushing? Is he blushing back at her?

Her eyes quickly absorb his face, devouring his features and learning them in the process. A vague feeling of familiarity comes with this face, she's seen him before. While she doesn't have a name to go with this familiar face, she doesn't feel like he's a stranger, her normal fear of strangers hasn't surfaced. There is something about his eyes, something that has her enthralled, forcing her to maintain this gaze.

Despite him moving closer to her, her fear doesn't get any stronger, it's actually getting weaker. There's something about him, something that tells her he can be trusted, something that doesn't come easy to a frightened little girl. Regardless of this strange feeling, she needs a name to put to this rather cute face, she speaks before she even forms the question in her mind.

"Who… Who are you?" Her voice barely above a whisper, this time her fear has faded from her voice, allowing her true voice to come through.

Her soft and sweet voice against his ears captivates his attention, driving his heart to beat harder and faster in his small chest. Ignoring this foreign feeling flowing through him, he allows a kind smile to take up residence on his face, forcing the blush to fade from him. "Redmud, but my friends call me Red. What's yours?"

"Umm… S-Serena, my name's Serena" As she speaks, he walks up to her side and sits down on the ground beside her, offering her his smile all the while.

"Serena, I like that name, it's cute" His kind words stir a light blush across her cheeks again, though not as strong as it was before. This goes completely unnoticed by the boy; his attention is firmly focused on the large gash in her leg and the blood flowing from it. "That's a nasty wound… I bet it hurts really bad"

She looks down at the gash in her tiny leg, with the strange sensations flowing through her, she'd genuinely forgotten about her wound, barely even noticing the pain from it. "Y-yeah… It really hurts. Redmud, I… I need help"

"Hey, I told you my friends call me Red" He said with an innocent smile and a playful tone. "How'd you get a nasty cut like this anyway?"

Her mind is pulled from the pain once again; his kind words have yet again stolen it from her. Did he just tell her to call him Red? He said his friends call him Red, does that mean he thinks she's his friend now? The thought sends confusion through her mind, the two of them only just met, and it wasn't even the best of circumstances, how could he think to call her his friend already?

Having never had a real friend before, the concept of trusting someone so soon is foreign to her and makes her uneasy. Yet, that's exactly what she's doing… Before they even said a single word to each other, she knew she could trust him, a complete stranger. Since then he hasn't done anything to give her a reason not to trust him, maybe she has finally found someone… Someone to call friend, a real friend of her very own.

This thought gives birth to a smile, a simple smile. Such a normal gesture doesn't mean much to most, but to her it inspires a genuine feeling of happiness. Something she hasn't felt around another person since before she first came here.

---

After hearing her explanation for how this happened to her, Red continues to offer her a kind smile and a sympathetic ear. He never once suppressed a laugh, a snicker or a smirk; he just sat there, listening to her patiently.

Why would he laugh? His new friend is obviously hurt and in need of help, laughing about something like that is cruel. While he's certainly no saint, he'd never kick anyone while they're down. He just waits for a moment, waiting to see if there is anything else to her story. When she doesn't say anything else, he thinks carefully about how to help her best.

Weighing his options in his mind, he looks around carefully, searching for signs of life amidst this sea of a forest. Seeing no one, he returns his focus back to his options. He could try to find someone who could help, but then he'd have to leave her here alone until he can find them. That's the last thing he wants to do, she's scared enough as it is, the last thing he wants to do is make her feel worse. Calling out for help would do little good, that'd just attract unwanted attention from wild Pokémon. While most are indeed harmless in these woods, there is always the risk of attracting a more aggressive alpha, who would think nothing of killing anything foreign in its territory. Carrying her back certainly isn't a viable option, with a wound like this she'll bleed out too quickly, she might even die. No. It's simply too great a risk.

That leaves him with just the one option; he'll have to do treat her wound himself, then take her back to camp so the nurse can give her the attention she needs. "Well… If you promise not to tell anyone, then I can help make it better"

His offer catches her attention, he can make it better? How? At best she thought he might be able to find someone to help her, but he's just offered to treat it for her himself. She must have misunderstood him, but still her curiosity has been ignited. "How can you make it better? Look at it, it's really bad"

Both of them turn their attention towards her leg, he tilts his head curiously, while she looks on in horror. The blood is still flowing freely from the wound; it hasn't started to scab over yet. The skin surrounding it is tightening and turning a deep shade of red, this combination has turned the surrounding flesh shiny. A clear fluid is slowly pooling amidst the blood.

While she looks on in horror at the gash, he simply looks on with a keen eye. Making mental notes about the wound and remedies that could counteract the symptoms, or at least buy her a little time until she can get some proper help. "This is bad, there's too much swelling for a simple cut. The redness isn't good either, something is irritating it" He thought. "Shiny. That's even worse. The clear shit's here, this wound's infected. Hmm… Pecha berries will weaken the infection; Oran's will dull the pain"

"See? I told you it was bad" She whimpered with a fresh wave of tears in her eyes. She's never learned about wounds, but she knows this one's bad, really bad.

"Yeah, it's bad all right… I'll need some berries. Hmm… Infection's in the early stages already, it's gotta be really aggressive to have gotten this strong this quick. Hmm… I'd say two berries will be enough, don't want to use too much, that'll be enough to clean the wound and start fighting the infection. An Oran will cut the pain." He mumbled to himself.

He quickly stands up and looks around the forest, seeking out the necessary fruits. "I'll be back in a moment, I gotta find some stuff" With that he turns towards the bushes and sets off in his search.

"You're coming back right?" She called out to him. He gives her a reassuring look over his shoulder and then disappears into the bushes from whence he came.

Twenty minutes pass and apart from a couple of Bug Pokémon, Serena hasn't seen any signs of life. While she waits, she's had time to contemplate the strange sensation she had from earlier. It's a strange feeling, a mixture of nervousness, fear and happiness all at once. The most confusing part of it is that she wants to be near him, but at the same time she's scared to be around him. What's going on with her?

Deciding not to contemplate the strange feeling anymore, she turns her attention to her immediate problem, the massive gash in her leg.

The wound has swollen even more since he left, now it looks like there's a small egg trapped under her flesh. Her skin looks like it's about to burst at any moment. The strange clear fluid has filled her wound now, whatever it is, it doesn't look good, she's never seen this stuff before. On the up side, the bleeding has finally stopped.

What has her really worried though is that the pain has changed. The stabbing sensation has certainly gotten stronger, but that's not what has her so worried. Her leg feels like its throbbing around the wound, like it's trying to pull something up and into the wound.

She turns away from the cut, looking at it is only making hurt more now. All she can do now is wait, hope and pray someone finds her and gives her the help she needs. Her thoughts turn to Red once again, he said he needed to find something, just what could he be looking for?

Again she pushes these thoughts from her mind, there's nothing she can do now but wait for him to come back.

She doesn't have to wait too long though, after a few moments Red returns through the same bushes he both came and left through. This time though he's carrying some fruit and what looks like a rock in his arms. Relief floods through her fragile body, bringing with it the strange feelings in her chest again.

In his arms he carries an Oran berry, a blue oval shaped fruit known to restore strength and energy to those who eat them. A couple of pink Pecha berries are also amidst his grasp, resembling small hearts against his chest, they help fight off poison and infection in the blood stream. Finally there is a flat-ish rock with a sharp looking edge, nor unlike the one that cut her.

"Sorry that took so long, the rock was really dirty" He said with a kind smile. He doesn't waste a second, quickly taking his previous seat and setting on with his work. "You OK?"

She gives him a cold glare and gestures towards her leg. He sweatdrops nervously. "Right… You can't move and you're in pain… Crap, I really am a moron" He said with a nervous smile.

Her cold glare gives way to a warm smile, he may not be the smartest kid in the world, but at least he's trying. Taking note of what's in his arms, a question forms in her mind. "What's that stuff for?"

He gives her wound a quick look over, taking note of how much worse it's gotten since he left. "The Pecha's are for the infection, the juice will clean your cut and the flesh will help fight off the infection. If I chew up the Oran, the mush will dull the wound, that means the pain will away" He then puts his supplies down on the cleanest part of the ground he can find.

She takes a look at the berries in his hands, impressed by his knowledge on berries. "How'd you know that? And what's the rock for?"

Her innocent question freezes him in his tracks; he needs to think about this carefully. How can he answer these questions, without putting her in danger? She's already in danger though, just not as much as she'd be if he told her. No matter what he does she's goanna find out he's not exactly a normal kid and neither is Lily, if he tells her then they won't have to lie to her, that'll make things easier. But she'll be in a lot of danger if she knows this stuff; if he doesn't tell her then he'll have to lie to her, a lot.

All this heavy thinking is starting to give him a headache; he needs to make a decision now. He sighs heavily and looks her in the eye, reflected back at him he sees a kind soul, one that stirs up strange feelings inside of his chest.

She smiles back at him with a light blush on her cheeks, she waits for a moment while he formulates his answer, it must be a something important for him to take so long.

What is worse? Lying to someone every day to protect them, or telling them the truth, knowing that it'll put them in a lot of danger? Such a question's answer varies; depending on who asks it, but to Red the answer is obvious. Lies are almost never justified, the only time it is OK to tell a lie, is to spare someone harm or their feelings, but not about something like this.

"I can only tell you, if you promise not to tell anyone else OK? It's really important that you don't tell anyone" His tone turns serious, as does his face.

Taken aback by this sudden change in him, she just stares at him silently for a moment. "This must be serious, I guess I can keep it a secret" She thought. "OK then, I promise not to tell anyone… You goanna answer me now?"

He takes a deep breath; now she has promised to keep this knowledge to herself, he has to think of a way to say it. After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, he speaks once again.

"It's hard to explain Serena, and you never know who might be listening around here… For now all I can say is, both me and my sister have a friend, a very special friend… He teaches us special things. OK?"

His answer is vague, out of all the possible answers he could have given her; this is something she never thought could have happened. The look in his eye tells her that he's not going to explain anymore, not now anyway, all she can do is accept it with a heavy sigh.

Not a moment after he finishes his awkward explanation, he picks up the Pecha's and sets to work, holding it over the wound and gently squeezing it. "This may sting a little" He said with a kind smile.

As he squeezes the ripe fruit, a surprising amount of bright pink juice flows through the fresh cracks in the skin. The pink fluid floods down into the infected wound, instantly burning her flesh raw.

"OOUUCH!" She cried out in surprise. "I thought you said it would hurt a little, not a lot" She said with an angry pout, aimed directly at the only other person here.

He smiles nervously at her, as a heavy sweatdrop crawls down the back of his head. "Well… If I said it'd hurt a lot, would you have let me clean it?" She narrows her eyes at him angrily, but doesn't offer any response. He picks up the second berry and holds it in the same hand as the last. "One more, then I can take the pain away OK?"

She continues to pout with narrowed eyes, despite her quickly fading pang of anger. With a nod of her head, she gives him the green light to carry on treating her wound.

An idea crops into his mind, a distraction might help her handle the pain. He holds the berry over her wound again and lightly squeezes. "Hey Serena, after camp's over why don't you come over to my house? My Grampa protects us there, so it's perfectly safe, me and my sister can explain everything to you there… If you want to know"

Just as before, the juice floods down into her wound and burns her flesh. But she barely even notices its burning sting; her attention is firmly fixed on the kind offer he just gave her.

Her cheeks burn brightly at this unexpected offer, never in all her short life has she been to a boy's house before. The only times she's ever visited someone else's home has been with either of her parents, sometimes both. Despite her growing blush and nervousness, she finds herself nodding away with a smile.

"Yeah… I'd really like that, thanks Red" Her voice turning timid once again, for reasons that continue to confuse her. Her heart begins fluttering in her tiny chest once again, simply at the thought of spending more time with him, her friend.

As the last dregs of juice are squeezed from the crushed pulp of the berries, he offers their remains to her with a kind smile. "Cool, we just need to get you fixed up then. If you eat what's left you'll get the most benefit from them"

She takes what's left from him without a second thought, and eagerly begins to chew them up. "I really didn't want to come here, Mama made me; Daddy said it'd make me more confident… Camp's full of mean people, this forest has nasty plants and mean rocks!... But I'm really pleased I'm here now, 'cause I've met you Red" She thought as she swallowed the remains of the berries. "I guess I'll be meeting your sister soon too, once we get out of here"

As she does her part and thinks her thoughts, he begins the next step. Chewing up the Oran until it's a fine mush, being careful not to swallow any of the precious food. "OK Red, the Pecha's have cleaned the wound off and will start to fight the infection, but on their own they won't be enough. You just need to remember your training, don't think you can do this, know you will" He thought.

He carefully applies the mush to her wound, ensuring all of the precious salve plays some part in easing her pain and not falling to the floor. She watches him curiously, while trying to ignore the obvious lack of hygiene with such a salve. The pain she was expecting never comes, he's putting his fingers right into the wound and is rubbing the mush in, but there's no pain, none whatsoever. Within seconds, she realises that all the pain from the wound is gone, not just the pain he should be causing, the salve has already done its job.

"You've done it Red!" She squealed in happiness. "It's all better now" He doesn't share her enthusiasm though; unlike her he knows this is only half the battle.

"No. Not yet. Oran mush only takes the pain away from wounds, it's not better yet, as soon as you stand up it'll all fall out. Without this in the wound the pain will return, maybe even stronger than it was before" He said sadly. "I need to cover the wound, oak sap will hold it all in and will set quickly. It's also a natural anti-biotic; it'll all help fight the infection"

Not one to waste time talking, he picked up the rock and made his way towards a tall oak tree before he even finished speaking.

He quickly begins hacking away at the surface of the tree with the small but sharp rock. While it will undoubtedly take him time, he'll eventually break through the tough outer shell to find the golden fluid flowing within.

---

A trickle of clear golden fluid slowly drips down onto Serena's wound, covering the mush and painful flesh in its sticky glory. The cool soft feeling of it against her skin soothes her swollen flesh, bringing with it a cooling sense of relief.

Within moments the entirety of the golden sap has been poured onto her gash, covering it completely and entirely. Red examines his handiwork, ensuring that it is ready for the final step.

Satisfied that the makeshift dressing will hold and is ready, he discards the large leafs which held the sap and holds his hands over the golden mess. "This'll feel strange, but you gotta keep still. I'm just goanna give the berries and sap a boost, then we'll go back to camp and the nurse can take care of it properly"

His eyes shut and his mind begins to focus, blocking out external distractions as he does.

Questions are pouring out of Serena's mind, all somehow linked to the mysterious boy and his extensive knowledge of wounds and remedies. Making a mental note to ask him later, she pushes them out of her mind so she can watch this with eagle eyed interest.

Red's body begins to change before her eyes, visibly tensing up as though he's carrying a heavy weight alone. His blood carrying veins and arteries rise up and press against his skin, as if trying to break free from the confines it has forced on them. Sweat trickles down his forehead and runs down his arms, making his skin glisten in this faint light. His hands freeze in place, as though something is holding them still, guiding them in this pursuit.

His scrawny flesh begins to swell within him, building and bolstering his muscles before her young eyes. In reaction to this change, his skin tightens up, allowing his new muscular build to be seen with ease. The trickle of sweat grows into a gentle flow across his body.

His face fills with frustration, this is taking a massive toll on his body, if this keeps up he'll pass out before he can finish. "Come on Red. You can do this. No. You will do this" He thought.

A dim red glow slowly emerges from the depths of his being, like a flame that flickers in the safety of a lamp. The dim glow bathes the surrounding plant life, feeding it the light it so desperately seeks.

The red hue surrounding him shines brighter, becoming a faint light. This ghostly hue rises up across his body, reaching his head then rising up into the air ever so slightly. This hue vaguely looks like a thin layer of red fire is swimming across him, trying to reach the highest point on his body before leaping up into the air.

"So… Cool" She muttered, as her eyes sparkled in amazement.

The hue surrounding his hands begins to brighten, drawing her attention towards them. Small chunks of the hue are breaking off and are rising into the air, before flickering away, just as stray embers would.

"What… What is this? It's beautiful" She whispered to herself, as the strange feeling in her chest rises up again.

He offers no response to her comments, he can't, its vital that his focus stay firmly focused on the task at hand. Any form of distraction could easily break his focus and make this all for nothing. For now, he must ignore her.

Faint red waves slowly begin to flow from his hands down towards her wound and the natural resources attached to it. The offending items begin to respond to him, glowing bright red themselves.

A faint numbing sensation catches her attention, her leg feels like it's being sat on, to the point where the blood is being cut off. The sensation begins at the wound and rises up to her hip and sinks down to her foot. The waves slowly grow stronger and brighter, causing the hue around the dressing to glow brighter.

The strain on his body is getting worse, his energy levels are dropping through the floor, but he can't give up and surrender, he must carry on. "This'd be so much easier if Lily was here. She can do this stuff much better than me" He thought bitterly. His hands begin to tremble, making the hue surrounding them waver ever so slightly.

It's now painfully obvious that he's struggling with his, but his determination not to fail keeps his internal flame burning, refusing to fail. "Never surrender" He thought.

She watches her wound in amazement, the redness surrounding her gash and the swelling under it are fading away before her eyes. The wound seems to be healing beneath his palms.

Curiosity forces his eyes open a slither, he must know if this effort is paying off or if he's doing it for nothing. He can't be going through this for nothing, the wound must be getting better. A faint smile cracks across his face as he sees the wound heal. A fatal mistake.

Not a moment after this smile comes out of hiding; the hue surrounding him vanishes from his body, taking with it the healing waves from his hands.

"ARGH!" He grunted in pain as the hue vanished from him. His hands part and embed themselves in the earth below, he pants heavily, desperate for breath. His body quickly returns to the way it was before this began, leaving only the sweat trickling down his body. He's clearly exhausted, whatever he just did has certainly drained him.

"Are you OK?" She nervously squeaked, as a wave of guilt overtook her.

"I'm fine thanks… Just a little tired" He said with a reassuring smile. This simple gesture, one that thousands of people do every day, sends her heart into summersaults, forcing a smile of her own to grace her face. "Just… Gimme a minute to rest a little, then we'll go back" He breathed back to her.

She smiles and nods, offering her thanks and telling him to take as much time as he needs.

"You've been so nice to me… You were just a stranger; you found me here, hurt and scared. You could have easily left me and carried on looking for Poliwag… But you didn't. You could have easily left me here and just looked around for someone to help me… But you didn't, you stayed here to help me yourself. You made my leg better by yourself… You did all this for me" She thought.

As these kind thoughts flow through her mind, they stir up a rising blush across her cheeks. Her young but big heart beats harder and faster in her petite chest. "Why am I blushing so much today? Is it just today, or is it 'cause I'm around you?... Why does my heart feel so… Warm?" She thought again.

The answer she seeks comes to her quicker and easier than falling asleep. Her eyes widen and her cheeks burn with fresh blood, the answer is so obvious, how could she have not figured it out sooner?

She has a crush on him.

The golden sap across her leg begins to solidify, giving Red the signal that his work is complete.

"Thanks a lot Red, it doesn't hurt at all anymore" She said with the biggest smile she's worn all day. "But… Why can't I feel my leg?"

Did she just say she can't feel her leg? Panic quickly sets into him; he must have made a mistake. He mentally retraces his steps to see what he could have done wrong. Within moments he facepalms at his own stupidity, the answer is obvious to him now.

"Ah SHIT! The Oran mush. I put it on before I boosted their effects. I made the mush too strong… Now it's not only numbed the wound, but your entire leg. Sorry Serena, I screwed up" He said with a mareepish look of apology on his face.

"Don't be sorry, you tried your best and that's more than anyone else would have done for me… Thank you Red, thanks a lot" She said with a genuine smile across her face. "I can't ever thank you enough"

He weakly returns the smile, still feeling guilty over the simple mistake. His thoughts turn to getting her out of here, if she can't feel her leg then she won't be able to walk… Well that just leaves him with one option then; he'll have to carry her.

"Serena, I don't think you'll be able to stand, do you?" He asked mareepishly.

She hadn't honestly thought about it until now, her thoughts were fixed on fixing her cut, she hadn't even considered standing on it again. She tries to wriggle her toes; she receives nothing in return but a horrible numbness. Red was right, she can't move it at all.

"No… I can't move my leg. How am I goanna get back to camp?" She asked with fear in her voice.

He quickly takes her hand in his own, sending a blush across both of their young faces. "Hey, don't cry… And don't give up either. It's just like Grampa says, no matter how hard things get, no matter how hopeless it seems, no matter how low you get. Never surrender. No matter what"

She smiles at him, making note of the growing blush across his face. "OK then… I won't give up. But how are we going to get back Red? If I can't walk then I can't move" Her voice shaking slightly, but not from fear. He gives her a cheeky smile and lets her hand go.

"I can carry you back… if you don't mind" He said as his face turned beetroot red with embarrassment. "I'm stronger than I look… I can carry you back to camp; it's not that far away" Her face quickly erupts in a full faced beetroot blush, but she nods her head steadily none the less.

He quickly scoops her up in his arms, carrying her bridal style. Her own arms wrap around his neck, steadying herself and taking some of her weight off him. Surprisingly his arms aren't trembling with strain; he seems to be carrying her easily and without issue. He gives her another cheeky grin, as he starts walking back towards the camp grounds.

"I told you I'm stronger than I look. When we get back I'll introduce you to Lily, I warn you though, she's a pain in the ass sometimes" He said to pass the time.

"I've seen you arguing with a blonde haired girl before, is she Lily or another friend?" She asked with a love struck smile.

"Yup that's her; she's probably going to tease us once we see her. So be ready, if she gets too much just tell her to shut the fuck up. It's what I do"

---

The clinical scent of the Nurse's cabin makes a nice change to the horrid smells of the forest, at least to the injured Serena. The camp Nurse is examining her wound; her trained and experienced eye has seen many wounds like this before, but this one is strange to her.

She dismantled Red's handiwork within minutes, commenting on how well he made the makeshift field dressing. Once said dressing was removed, the feeling in her leg quickly returned to her, as did the pain. Based on what the Nurse was told about how she obtained this wound, it should be far more swollen and red than it is. If her flesh was cut on a rock covered in blood, then said blood would have entered her own blood stream and caused infection.

In other words it should look the opposite of what it does now, it doesn't make sense.

Serena asked for Red to be allowed to stay with her, seeing no reason why not, the Nurse pulled out a second seat for him. The two of them are sitting next to each other, while the Nurse examines her wound.

"Looks like it's your lucky day young lady, this wound of yours doesn't seem to be infected. It would seem your knight in shining armour here, brought you in just in time" The Nurse said with a kind smile, as the two children erupted in a blush, which they try to hide from the other.

She notes their blushing faces, as she picks up her tub of anti-septic wipes. "I'll give this wound a clean for you, then put some special cream on it, and then just strap it up for you and you'll both be free to go. This might sting a little bit Serena"

Serena winces slightly at the touch of the disinfectant wipes; they sting, but nowhere near as much as the Pecha's did. "Ouch" She playfully whined. "Doesn't hurt as much as Pecha juice does though"

The Nurse giggles slightly under her breath; she quickly finishes cleaning and tosses out the used wipes. "Pecha juice is good in a pinch, but it really does sting. These wipes have a numbing agent in them, easing the pain a little bit"

Red shudders at the sight of the wipes, his eyes widen ever so slightly in fear. His fear of hospitals and associated things betrays him; just him being here is torture for the boy. But it's to help his friend, so it's something he'll put up with, but that doesn't mean he won't make a bolt for the door at the first opportunity.

"Is something wrong Red?" Serena asked sweetly.

He tries to push the thoughts of the dreaded place that has an unhealthy obsession with cleanliness from his mind, it's easier than he thought it could be, at least with Serena by his side. "I'm… I'm fine thanks… I just… Don't like hospitals. They scare me"

The Nurse picks up a small blue tube, with the words Anti-Septic written across it. She squeezes out a small amount of white cream onto the wound, Serena shudders slightly at its touch.

"Oooohh that's cold… Why don't you like hospitals Red? Besides this isn't a hospital, so why's it bother you?"

He nervously smiles at her as he sweatdrops. "Well… Hospitals are really scary places; it's where people go to die. People wearing fancy coats and masks use sharp things to cut you up and pull out your guts" His hands tighten in front of his mouth and begin trembling, his eyes widen as sweat pours down his face. "They put needles in you, then inject you with mind controlling drugs. That's how they turn you into mindless shopping machines… Why'd you think they give them out just before Christmas? It's all a trick to get you to go and buy expensive shit. They steal people's souls from them… Then they steal your blood and drink it, or feed it to you in that terrible food. They keep telling everyone there's a shortage of it so they'll get more… Doctors… They're the worst. They steal your soul with their stethoscopes, then sell them on the black market!"

Both Serena and the Nurse stare at him with freaked out expressions, where in the world did a child get so many horrible ideas about hospitals? Sure kids are usually quite gullible and willing to believe many outlandish things, but this is taking it to the extreme.

"Red, what in the world are you talking about? Why would Doctors steal children's souls?" The Nurse asked comfortingly. "Doctors help people get better when they're sick or hurt"

Red frantically shakes his head and pushes himself back into his chair, apparently just realising that this Nurse is also part of the medical profession and in turn part of the dreaded hospitals. "The Hell they do. They're evil, they steal our souls… You're one of them aren't you? You're trying to make us feel safe so you can steal our souls from us. I won't let you do it. I swear I won't" His voice betrays him, revealing his fear to both of them.

The Nurse slowly shakes her head at his irrational fear, and then carries on with her work. Placing a piece of sterilized cotton over the wound, then wrapping a bandage over it.

"Did Lily tell you this stuff?" Serena asked with a doubting tone. "'Cause it's a load of crap. Doctors don't brainwash anyone and they don't steal people's souls"

He gives her a terrified stare, utterly horrified by her obvious lack of concern for the obvious truth. "Lily's even worse than I am. She'd happily have her leg cut off, if it meant she didn't have to go to a hospital ever again. I'd settle for my arm, anything's better than going to those horrible places"

The Nurse finishes strapping the wound; some basic tape holds it tight and stops it from coming undone. "There we go now, all done. Your leg will be back to normal within a few days, but I'm afraid you're going to have a nasty scar though"

Her words snatch Serena's attention, erasing Red's irrational fear from her mind and memories. Overwhelming fear rises up inside her heart, she's goanna have a scar? No, no she can't have a scar, anything but that. "No, no no no no no no no" She babbled with tears in her eyes. "I can't have a scar, not that. A scar'll make me ugly" Her tears fall freely from her eyes, down her cheeks.

Guilt stabs into the Nurse, she hates seeing children cry. There's little she can do to comfort her, she doesn't know the girl so how can she offer her true comfort? That can only come from a close friend or family member, since she is neither what good can she do?

Serena begins to cry into her hands, shielding her face from those watching her with sympathetic eyes. While the thought of having a scar terrifies her, what really has her upset is the thought that she'll be ugly now. "People will think I'm ugly… I can't have a scar, I just can't" She said between sobs.

Surprisingly, he tenderly takes her hand in his own and gives her a gentle squeeze. She lifts her head from her hands to meet his gaze, complete and utter terror runs through her, what if he doesn't want to be her friend anymore?

"Serena, please don't cry… Just because you have a scar, it doesn't mean you're ugly… Honest it doesn't" His previous fear has vanished from his voice, replaced by genuine concern for his friend.

Her tears continue to fall from her eyes, but the flow is weaker than before. Her fear begins to crack apart; he doesn't think she'll be ugly if she has a scar? "It… It won't?"

He squeezes her hand a little tighter, sending comfort through her young body and crushing her fear inside her. "Of course it won't, a scar will just make you even cuter"

Blood rushes through both of their young faces, making their cheeks burn beetroot red. They suddenly realise that they're holding hands and separate their grasp, while turning their faces away from each other to hide their growing blush. Serena's tears quickly lose their source, ending their marathon down her face.

A broad smile crawls across her face, her heart flutters in her chest and her eyes sparkle in amazement. "He… He thinks I'm cute" She thought.

Unlike his newest friend, Red's heart isn't jumping for joy or fluttering in his chest. Confusion is filling his mind, why did he say that? He didn't mean to say it, it just came out. But why did it come out? He's never told a girl she's cute before, Hell he's never even thought of saying it before, so why did he say it now?

An awkward silence falls across the room, following his comforting words to her. The Nurse tries to end the silence by making herself busy, filling out the paperwork to do with treating an injury like this.

Deciding to end this awkwardness once and for all, Serena wipes away her tears and takes a calming breath. "Red?" She said weakly.

"Yeah?" He weakly responded.

"W-why do you like scars? They defile a person's body… They make you look ugly… Why do you like them?" The young girl carefully chooses her words, to say too much could cause an awkwardness between the two of them, to not say enough would make her asking pointless.

"Umm… Well, they make someone even better… The body is a work of art, things like scars only make it more beautiful, complex and interesting. Behind every scar there is a story, one day you'll see that scar and remember how we met and became friends… So… How can I not love scars?" His voice grows stronger and more confident as he goes on.

She beams at him as she takes his hand in her own, a blush works its way across their faces, but they both ignore it. Never in her life has she heard scars be described in such a way, he makes them sound like they really do make someone better… His words make her feel like this scar will make her more beautiful.

"I never thought of it like that… I like it, a lot. Thanks Red. I will, one day I'll tell people that the scar is a mark of our friendship, a reminder of how we met and how you saved me" She said sweetly, with burning cheeks.

He blushes back, then escorts her outside, so they can wait for the rest of their peers to return. As they leave the Nurse smiles to herself, that was so sweet. "Young love, it's always the sweetest"

Time skip: 1 hour

All of the children have made their way back to the camp grounds, as the activity has been won. Most of the faces are filled with annoyed pouts, while others are simply eager to see who has won, who has found the elusive Pokémon they were sent to find.

Serena stands amidst the crowd of people, alongside her stands her first and only real friend, Red. Since he's been at her side, she's found the strength to face that which scares her, such a simple thing as standing amidst strangers; it takes a lot of courage for a scared little girl to do. While it's obviously an old cliché, she doesn't care, having her crush beside her makes her feel brave.

The ever arrogant Blue, as well as the nature hating Yellow, make their way towards them. "Well at least I didn't lose to you" He said aloud, catching the attention of the new friends.

Serena scoots closer to Red; she's almost hiding behind him. He crosses his arms and clenches his fists, bracing himself for the impending bombardment of insults and arrogant comments. "What do you two want?"

Yellow crosses her own arms and narrows her eyes aggressively, she doesn't recognise Serena, but since she's hanging around with Red she instantly doesn't like her. "Who's the girl Nature boy?"

Serena's fear quickly sprouts out inside her, growing strong and tall like a flower, a flower with sharp thorns. She scoots behind Red a little further, bringing a sense of safety to herself as she does. "Red, who's this?"

Red tightens his fists upon hearing Yellow's comment; his anger grows inside his for the briefest of moments. While he couldn't care less about what either of them says about him, she's trying to involve Serena in their spiteful comments, something he won't allow. "Serena, this is Yellow and Blue. But me and Lily call them the Pikachu Princess and Dickweed. Whatever they say to you, just tell them to fuck off"

Both Blue and Yellow pout at him angrily, at the mention of their less than flattering nicknames. "DON'T CALL ME DICKWEED!" Blue shouted as loud as he could. "I'M NOT A PIKACHU PRINCESS!" Yellow screeched.

Satisfied that his own attempt at a jab has worked, Red smirks and chuckles lowly under his breath, dropping his arms in the process. Serena's fear begins to wilt inside her, her courage once again grows strong and blooms into a beautiful rose inside her heart. She comes out from behind him and giggles into her hands, while she wouldn't normally laugh at others, she'll make an exception for these two.

"Where's that freak you call a sister gone? Did she get stuck up a tree?" Yellow asked with a patronising tone.

With a roll of his eyes and the crossing of his arms, Red pulls a comical version of the Pikachu Princess' face and does his best to imitate her voice. "Almighty Pikachu Princes, you grace us with your presence. It is with deep regret that I must say, that I don't know where But for brains is… Please your majesty; leave my head on my shoulders" His tone is undeniably patronising, despite his attempts to mimic Yellow's voice.

His patronising words hit Yellow worse than any fist ever could, she pouts angrily and holds her arms against her chest tighter. Serena giggles into her hands; clearly this girl is mean and nasty, so seeing her annoyed is quite funny.

With a proud smirk, Red drops his arms, his comical face and fake voice. "Where the fuck do you think she is?... Seriously I've got no idea"

Through the megaphone in his hands, P. Oak speaks loud enough for all the children to hear his words. "You all did very well; you went out into the forest and searched for the prize. Some of you know who it is you were supposed to find, and some of you don't. It doesn't matter, you all gave it your best and that's what matters"

His kind words were expected to cause a stir, but only a seemingly endless sea of eyes greets his voice. With a nervous sweatdrop, he continues to speak. "Well… Umm… There can only be one winner for this activity, and with great pleasure I can safely say… The winner is…. Lily Ketchum!"

Many of the children clap and cheer for their friend's success, others are too frustrated with their own loss to be happy for the success of another. While Serena hasn't ever met the winner herself, the fact that she is the sister of her crush is more than enough of a reason for her to politely clap.

However, there are three children who aren't so happy with this news, the three children who are unfortunate enough to be named after a colour. Together they form the three primary colours in art, Blue, Yellow and Red. These three simply stare at P. Oak in shock, as the winner makes her way up to his side with Poliwag in her arms.

The young Serena notices that her crush isn't clapping, more than that he looks upset. "Is something wrong? Isn't it good that Lily won?"

He slowly shakes his head, as a look of slight fear writes itself across his face. "No. Now she'll be boasting about it for weeks…"

Guilt stabs into Serena's stomach; if it wasn't for her then Red would've caught Poliwag himself. She was nothing but a distraction to him, it's 'cause of her that Red lost today. "I'm sorry Red…" He turns to her with confusion across his face. "It's my fault you lost… I got hurt, so you had to take care of me. If I hadn't gotten hurt, then you'd have caught Poliwag… I'm sorry" She said with tears in her eyes.

Before any of the salty tears have the chance to leak from her eyes, he pulls her into a tight hug, which she eagerly returns with blood filled cheeks. "Don't cry… Please don't cry. Now you listen to me, never say that again, it's not your fault. No one 'made me' help you. I chose to myself"

Her cheeks fill with more blood, as her tears fade from her eyes before they ever fall. "Don't ever worry about any of that stuff again OK? I'd much rather be friends with you than win a stupid activity" He said with a comforting voice.

"YES YES YES YES! I WON!" Lily shouted at the top of her lungs. Her victory cry is accompanied by her jumps for joy, Red and Serena separate from their hug, just in time to see her start jumping. "IN YOUR FACE YELLOW!"

Lily releases her hold over Poliwag, then turns on the spot, bends over and pulls her shorts and underwear down to moon the crowd. "KISS MY ASS YELLOW!" She cried out with pride.

Many of the children cover their eyes and cry out various sounds of disgust. Serena quickly covers her mouth and turns her head to shield her eyes from the horrible sight, this girl's Red's sister? Blue raises an eyebrow, before quickly turning his head to avoid looking at her.

Red's face quickly turns a distinctive shade of green; he desperately covers his mouth as he tries not to puke. His struggle doesn't last long; he hunches over and empties his stomach onto the floor and his own feet.

Yellow's screams of horror echo throughout the camp grounds, reaching the town of Pallet itself. She quickly falls anime style and rubs her eyes desperately to wipe the sight from memory. "I can still see it!" She cried out.

Happy that her enemy is suffering from her display, Lily wiggles her hips slightly. "KISS IT YELLOW KISS IT!" She cried out. After an incredibly awkward moment, she stands up and pulls her clothes back up where they belong. With a distinctive look of pride on her face, she crosses her arms and scans the crowd to see the results of her display.

P. Oak quietly facepalms at the impetuousness of youth. "Lily, there is such a thing as being a bad winner" He muttered.

Ignoring his comment, Lily struts into the crowd in search of her brother, simply to rub her victory in his face. She is greeted by the faces of the girl she just greatly insulted, as well as the arrogant prick she and her brother enjoy winding up so much, and to top it off, a girl she doesn't recognise standing very close to her brother.

"First of all, Dickweed, Pikachu princess. Fuck off. Secondly, Red who's your new friend? Hi I'm Lily, Dum dum's sister" As she speaks she offers her hand to Serena, who hesitantly takes it. "A little on the shy side?" She nods her head in response. "Well don't worry; we'll soon get rid of that"

Before Lily can moon them again, or worse, both Blue and Yellow sulk away. Red wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and lifts his feet out of the puddle of vomit. "Lily… Did you have to moon us as well? You made me sick"

Ignoring his comment, Lily let's Serena go and smiles at her expectantly. She smiles back at her weakly. "I-I-I-I'm S-S-S-S-Serena… Nice… Nice to meet you" She nervously stammered.

Lily's smile grows wider, her eyes dart towards her brother, to see he's distracted by the puke on his feet. A perfect opportunity. "It's nice to meet you too Serena. Excuse me for a moment, I've seen something… Interesting"

Not a second later, the young girl with the light blonde hair leaps onto her brother's exposed back and knocks him into the ground, narrowly avoiding the puddle of puke as they go. She plants her ass on his back and pushes his face into the ground, while his arms flail around, trying to reach her. "EAT THE DIRT! I BEAT YOUR ASS! HOW DO YOU FEEL?! IN YOUR FUCKING FACE! EAT THE DIRT!"

Muffled grunts from her brother are the only response she gets. "WE HAD A DEAL! NOW EAT THE DIRT!"

Serena cups her hands over her mouth in shock, why are they doing this? It's horrible. "Stop fighting! Please don't do it!" She cried out.

Caught off guard by her cries, both of the twins stop their struggle and give her their undivided attention. Red lifts his face from the dirt, to reveal his stained face has a broad smile across it. "Aww! But why?!" He cried out.

"Yeah, we're having fun" Lily cried out. While she's distracted, Red pushes against the ground, which knocks Lily off his back and onto the ground. Not wasting this opportunity, he pounces on her back, jams his knee between her shoulder blades and pulls her arms against her shoulder joints.

"HA! You eat the dirt! You made me sick! Never moon anyone ever again!" He shouted as he revealed in his victory. "GIVE UP! SAY YOU GIVE UP!" A few muffled grunts are the only reply he gets; based on their tone they are most likely death threats.

Serena sweatdrops at the sight before her, the two of them are enjoying this? There is something deeply wrong with these two, they're shoving each other's faces in the dirt and telling the other to eat it… They're not goanna do that to her are they? "You're not goanna try to beat me up are you?" She nervously asked.

Red maintains his grasp on his sister's arms, but turns his attention to his new friend. Lily lifts her face out of the dirt and turns to her as well. "Nope, we only beat up each other and anyone who pisses us off. So you're safe Serena" She said with a happy smile.

Serena's lips tug into a slightly creeped out smile, first Red uses some kind of weird power that healed her leg, now he and his sister are practising gorilla combat in the middle of a grassy plain in front of god only knows how many people… Her new friend is very weird.

As she ponders these thoughts, a counsellor stands before the fighting siblings. His face is host to a slightly annoyed look. "All right you two, cut it out already before someone gets hurt" They both give him a look that says they're thinking about it. "Now you two, let go of each other and apologise, before I start deducting points" He said firmly.

Their eyes widen in fear, they begins frantically shaking their heads chanting "No no no no no!" As they go. "We'll be good, don't take any points" Red frantically begged, as he released his grasp on Lily's arms.

The two of them quickly stand up, hold their hands behind their back and smile sweetly. "Just picture the halo's above our heads. We're good kids" Lily said sweetly.

The counsellor smiles at the two of them, scoffing out a laugh as he does. "Really? Halo's? Well I see horns poking out of both of your heads, possibly a tail hanging out from the back of your pants… Alright then, say you're sorry then I'll let you both go"

The twins hesitantly turn to the other, neither of them wants to say the dreaded word of apology, but they both know it's better than losing any precious points. "Sorry" They both muttered.

Satisfied that his job is done for now, the counsellor goes back to his post, sighing as he goes. "Good kids, those two? Ha. Blue behaves better than they do"

The moment he's out of ear shot, the twins glare at each other and growl angrily. "They won't be able to protect you forever… The moment they're not looking, I'm kicking your ass" Lily growled.

Red narrows his eyes and growls louder. "Bring it on. I'll grind you into the dust before you can even throw a punch" He growled back at her.

Time skip: 8:00 PM

The children have been sent to their cabins to get some much needed sleep, while many of them are tired and happy to be going to bed, there is a certain set of twins who were dragged to their cabin kicking and screaming, only accepting their fate when threatened with the loss of points.

The Ketchum twins clean their teeth together in their bathroom; it's nothing special, just a sink and toilet, along with a mirror. Red's wearing what he always sleeps in, a pair of black gym shorts with nothing on his feet or upper half. Unlike her brother, Lily is actually wearing some pyjamas. A short sleeved dark purple top, with a small rainbow imprinted in the centre, along with a matching pair of shorts. Like her brother she too is wearing nothing on her feet. The two of them have thick callouses built up on the soles of their feet, allowing them to walk through pretty much anything without getting hurt.

The two of them spent the day with Serena, getting to know her and becoming good friends with her. The more time they spent with her, the more she got used to their hyperactivity and aggressiveness towards each other, now she understands it's just how they show love for each other. By the end of the day, all three of them became close friends.

Lily's the first to finish cleaning her teeth. "Looks like you've got yourself a girlfriend, hey Red?" She teased with a mouthful of foam.

With a confused expression on his face, Red abandons his toothbrush in his mouth and scratches the back of his head. "Mufe ooh bawki bout?"

She quickly yanks the toothbrush from his mouth and pokes him in the eye with it. "Don't talk with ya mouth full. Didn't Mom teach yawl anythin'?" She said with an old fashioned accent. "Seriously, don't talk with your toothbrush in your mouth, can't understand you"

With one hand rubbing his now painful eye and an angry scowl on his face, he snatches his toothbrush back. "I fucking said, what are you talking about? Not the fucking eye, anywhere but the eye" He growled back at her.

She rolls her eyes at his anger, before taking a glass of water and rinsing her mouth out into the sink, leaving her mouth free of foam. "I'm talking about the fact that she's been so clingy to you, she's barely even left your side all day. And what's she mean when she says that special thing you did to her…" She smirks devilishly at him, as he swirls his mouth out with water. "Admit it, you kissed her didn't you?"

He spits out his mouthful of water onto the mirror, leaving a trail of white foam on its shinning surface. He chokes on his own breath for a moment, as Lily examines his handiwork with the mirror. "I ain't cleaning that shit up, you couldn't pay me enough"

After a moment, he manages to stop coughing long enough to breathe again, good thing too, his face was starting to turn a light shade of blue. "Are you fucking insane?! No I didn't fucking kiss her!... Jeeze… That's just gross"

She wipes her mouth and starts cleaning her toothbrush under the tap. "Be grateful Mom can't hear you, she'd have you weeding the garden for talking like that. If you didn't kiss her face off, then what did you do to her?" She asked with disinterest.

He grabs a towel and hesitantly wipes the mirror clean. "You swear worse than me… You never get fucking caught though. I told you earlier, her leg was hurt so I fixed it… Bitch" He swore under his breath.

She narrows her eyes and glares at him. "I will pretend I didn't hear that for now. When we are free from the rules and prying eyes of this place, then I will kick your ass" She said with a forced calm tone.

He throws the towel aside and glares back at her. "Why wait? Bring it on now; I'll kick your ass anytime and anywhere. Bring it bitch" He growled again.

She throws her toothbrush into the sink, as her glare grows colder as her small fists clench tightly. "I fucking would, but I don't want to risk losing points. I'll kick your ass later…. Hey, if all you did was use berries and sap on her leg, why's it not infected? If the rock had blood on it, it should be a job for the hospital" She narrows her eyes in on him, suddenly realising that there's more to this than he's told her. "What have you done?" She asked with a low growl.

At the mention of that dreaded word, Red freezes in place and trembles horrendously. "Umm… Well…. Ugh" He mumbled nervously. "I… I might have…"

She narrows her eyes even further and leans her face in close, intimidating him slightly. "Confess. What did you do?" She said with a heavy and commanding tone.

He pulls his head away from her slightly, as his face screws up in fear. "I might have… Used my powers" He mumbled in fear of his sister's wrath. "Nothing much, just a little bit of Aura to boost the effects…" He added with a squeak of fear.

For a moment Lily doesn't say or do anything, she just glares at him with an icy stare. Allowing the gravity of what she has just heard to sink in, and take effect. She slowly pulls back, and forces a look of calm to take up residence on her face. "You did what?" She asked with an equally forced calm tone. "What else did you do? Tell me exactly what you told her. Now"

He cringes more, knowing that the worst part is still to come. "I might have told her you have powers too… And invited her to come over after camp, so we can tell her all about it… Please have mercy" He pleaded with a pitiful voice.

Her left eyelid twitches for a few seconds, as a vein rises up against her skin and starts to throb. "Is that all you did? Boosted the effects of the berries, told her about our powers and agreed to spill our darkest secrets out to her?... You die now" She grabs the back of his head and slams his face down onto the edge of the sink, not once, not twice but a grand total of three times. "YOU MORON! Do you have any idea what Master's goanna do when he finds out?! She'll be lucky to remember her own name!"

After she finishes introducing his face to the sink, she lets him go. No blood escapes from the none-existent wounds across his face, no bruising, nothing, not even a scuff across his skin. He looks like he hasn't even taken a single scratch. "Well I was expecting worse than that… Last time Grampa spent a week fixing what you did to me"

She snarls up in his face, trying hard to resist the urge to smash him into the mirror. "He still might. Do you have the faintest idea how serious this is Red? Master'll take her memories from her to keep this shit secret. No one can know about it, unless they're one of us" Fear and panic dominates her voice, quickly overtaking her anger. "The fuck're we goanna do?"

He crosses his arms definitively and scowls back at her. "He can fucking try it. I won't fucking let him, didn't think you'd abandon a friend either. Guess I was wrong"

"Red I'm serious, we're just Apprentices, he's fully trained and has passed all the tests. He'd wipe the floor with our faces… Then there's Gallade, he said he'd cut your balls off if you told anyone. I'm really glad to be a girl right now" She said with a nervous sweatdrop.

With a nervous look of his own, he scratches the back of his head. "Yeah well, we'll worry about that later. Let's just get some sleep now… Besides, if they get angry with me I'll just tell 'em you made me do it"

A swift punch to his arm is his only answer, as his sister walks back into the main room of the cabin, he quickly joins her. "Arceus, you have to be the stupidest guy who has ever lived" She muttered under her breath.

These twins were lucky enough to get the cabin with the free bed, mostly because the two of them continuously fight and it was feared that they'd involve others if given the chance.

To their great surprise they see Serena sitting on one of the beds, with a small pink backpack in her arms. She seems to have found the floor to be very interesting, as she's staring right at it.

The twins exchange looks of confusion, then turn back to face Serena. With a grin on her face, Lily crosses her arms and puts on a look of annoyance. "Who are you and what are you doing in my bedroom?"

Serena almost jumps out of her skin in surprise at the accusation, dropping her backpack in the process. Red delivers a swift punch to his sister's arm. "The Hell are you talking about? That's Serena, you know her"

Her hand connects with her face with a smack. "You dumbass, it was a fucking joke!" His lips curl into an 'oh' expression. "Hey Serena, something up? Or are you just so desperate to see Dum dum here 'cause you've fallen head over heels in love with him?"

A deep and burning blush fills Serena's cheeks, she's so embarrassed from her friend's accusation that she quickly scoops up her bag and fumbles around with it to avoid having to speak.

Red's face doesn't fill with blood; he just stares at his sister with a confused look on his face. "Wha? Dum dum?... HEY! I'm not that dumb!"

While Lily giggles to herself over their reactions, especially Serena's, Serena herself clears her throat and tries to hide the blush from her face, by looking down at the floor. "Umm… I… I came here, because… Because I wanted to sleep here" She nervously squeaked. "I don't know those guys in my cabin, they make me scared… You guys are my only friends…Could I stay here? Please?"

She lifts her head up from the ground to see the reactions of her friends; to her surprise Red has Lily in a tight headlock. Her face is turning deep crimson as her blood pools in her head. "Let me go so I can kill you" She rasped. Her small arms are clawing at the tight lock brother has over her.

With a grin of dark pleasure across his face, Red tightens his hold. "Say it! Say you give up! Say it and I'll let you go! Yeah that's fine Serena"

Lily pulls hard against his grip, but can't pull herself free. "OK OK! I give up! Just let me go!" She rasped again. And with that, Red releases his hold over his sister, who rubs her neck with both hands and a venomous look across her face. "Alright, if you're staying here then we're goanna set up the ground rules OK?"

With a smile on her face, Serena nods her head furiously. "OK, what are they?"

Red crosses his arms and rolls his eyes. "Here we go…" He muttered under his breath.

Lily holds her hands behind her back and confidently struts through the cabin in a circular pattern. "Rule number one… Get your ass off my bed and keep it off, I don't share ever. Rule number two… If you get cold during the night, then stay out of my bed, if you want to snuggle someone do it to Red. Rule number three… Wake me before seven and die" She said with an authoritive tone. She stops pacing, when she reaches Serena herself.

Her face turns deadly serious as she places her hands on her hips. "Seriously now, Red has just told me that he has let you in on a closely guarded secret. So closely guarded, that our Master is probably going to try to take your memory from you to keep it secret. We'll do everything we can to stop that, it'll help our case if you don't breathe a word of it. OK?"

Serena's expression shows that she's slightly creeped out; she turns to Red, looking for signs of support, all she finds is a second serious look. She turns back to Lily and takes a calming breath. "OK?... You guys have a Master?"

Red nods his head. "Yeah, two of them, one's a Gallade… Who're both goanna be very angry with me. So unless you want them to do the same to you, keep quiet"

"Red he can't do the same to her, she's a girl" Lily said with a sigh at her brother's stupidity. "You're the only one who's at risk of that"

"At risk of what?" Serena asked with concern, just what trouble has she caused her friends?

"Don't worry about it, it's his problem. All you need to worry about is keeping that info to yourself. Got questions?" Lily asked.

Serena nods her head, while giving Red a look that says 'sorry'. "Yeah I do, what's goanna happen to Red?"

Red leans his shoulder on the doorway and sighs. "I'm probably goanna lose my balls… Nothing for you to worry about. Anything else?"

She sweatdrops at his casual discussion of having his balls removed by force, but she does have more questions. "Ugh… Yeah… What do you mean my memories are at risk?"

Lily drops her arms and sucks on her lip, nibbling it lightly in the process. "Well… We usually wipe the memories of those who find out about us, that way outsiders don't spread our secrets"

"You really don't want that Serena, it fucks with people's heads" Red commented.

Lily throws his a light scowl before continuing with her explanation. "But we're goanna try to prevent that from happening though, if after camp Red looks like a bigger moron than normal, then you know why. Next question?"

Serena's face pales slightly upon hearing these words; she swallows her fear and forces herself to ask another question. "You two do that to people?"

The twins shake their heads. "Nope, we're not skilled enough yet. Master's done it to… I think its three people before though. Next?" Lily asked.

"I'm actually scared to ask but… Who are you people? I mean you guys and your Masters, you're definitely not normal… In a good way though, I'm just…" Serena's voice trails off, before she can finish her ramblings.

Lily looks to Red. "You wanna answer this one?"

He nods his head, accidentally banging his head on the frame in the process. "Ow. We're part of an ancient order… This is starting to sound like one of the stories Grampa tells us… Anyway, we are Aura Knights in training, Apprentices" He said unthinking, as he rubbed the back of his head. "Wait… I shouldn't have said that… CRAP! Now I'm really dead"

As his sister facepalms at his stupidity once again, she groans heavily. "OK, now he's just gone and let the Purloin out of the bag… Keep that name to yourself, seriously, there're a lot of people who'll do worse than wipe your memory if they hear you say it…. We'll explain properly when we're safe at home OK? Remind me never to let him answer questions anymore"

The very confused Serena smiles weakly at both the twins, before swallowing nervously once again. "Am I goanna end up regretting asking to know this stuff?"

Red rubs his head with both hands, all these questions are starting to make his head hurt. "Ugh… Probably, we said the same thing when we first heard it"

"Do you regret it asking?" She asked.

His hands freeze in place, then slowly slide from his head. "No. Not even for a single second"

Lily nods her head in agreement. "How can we regret the only real life we've ever known?... Now get your ass off my bed, I'm goin' to sleep"

Serena quickly jumps up off the bed, as Lily jumps onto it face first into the pillow, almost instantly a small puddle of drool leaks from her sleeping mouth. "Zzzzzzz…. Zzzzzzzz…. Zzzzzzzz"

Serena sweatdrops slightly, before going into the bathroom to change into her night clothes. Red sits down on his own bed with his face in his hands, how could he just say that? He's kept his mouth shut for years, why'd he just say it so easily? More importantly, how's he goanna explain this to Gallade without losing his balls?

After a few minutes of pondering his mistake, he decides that there's nothing he can do right now and lies down on his bed, above the blanket like his sister and tries to sleep, but it's difficult with Lily's snoring.

Serena comes back, wearing a full length pink nightie with hearts across its surface. Having had time to absorb the information she's been entrusted with, she's realised that she has inadvertently gotten Red into a lot of trouble. She sits down on her new bed and kicks her backpack under it.

"Red… I'm sorry" She said with a heavy tone.

He rolls his head to face her. "What for?"

She nervously twiddles her thumbs and sucks on her lip. "I… I've got you trouble, I'm sorry"

With a shrug of his shoulders and a smile on his face, her guilt begins to melt away inside her. "You didn't get me in trouble, got myself in trouble. I do that a lot, you'll get used to it if you stick around with us. Now stop worrying, just get some sleep. We've still got to beat But for brains there" He said as he gestured towards his sister.

With a smile and nod of her own, she climbs under her covers and shuts her eyes, she's asleep within minutes.

He still lies awake though, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what'll become of his new friend. "Master might try to take her memories; if he does I won't fucking let him. Then there's the other thing, what if he kills her?... I don't think he'll go that far, she's just like us, a kid. He didn't hurt us at all… We just found him and Gallade training, they didn't even try to hurt us, they just told us that they're going to teach us. Train us. Make us both one of them… That was two years ago now… I wonder what'll happen once camp's over"

Time skip: End of camp.

Another summer has come and gone, signalling the end of this year's camp. The winner has been declared, and P. Oak has said his goodbyes, wishing them all the best of luck with the rest of the year.

The children are all in their cabins, packing up their stuff so they can go to their waiting parents to be taken home again. The Ketchum twins and Serena are no exception to this; they're all in their cabin packing up their stuff. There is a thick sense of tension in the air, breeding an awkward silence, which is only broken by the mutterings of Red.

The seven year old boy tosses his clothes and the other things he brought with him into his backpack, he's so angry that he's not packing them properly, he's wasting valuable space. While he packs without coordination, he mutters death threats to his sister under his breath.

Unlike her brother, Lily carefully and efficiently packs away her junk, her face isn't filled with anger or annoyance, it's filled with an undeniable sense of pride. Having accumulated the most points, Lily won the competition and got to choose the starter Pokémon of her choice.

Sensing the tension between the siblings, Serena tries to defuse the situation, before they can get into yet another fight. "You both did great; it was a close call… Getting second isn't so bad Red. At least you beat Dickweed, he only got third" She said gently.

Unmoved by her comforting words, Red tips out his backpack and once again tries to pack it all away again. "You fucking cheated" He muttered under his breath once again.

With a smirk on her face, Lily closes up her own backpack and turns to face her brother. "I cheated? Did you just accuse me of cheating?" She said smugly. "Well if I cheated, then so did you. We're both stronger and faster than the others 'cause of our powers"

With a dark scowl across his face, he turns to face her. "I meant 'cause you didn't get caught punching the Pikachu Princess. You didn't lose any points. It's not fair! Dickweed pushed me too far, I hit him in the face and I lose point's 'cause of it… You did the same to Yellow and didn't get caught… It's not fucking fair"

With yet another smug grin, she goes to his side and helps him pack up his own backpack. "Well you shouldn't have been caught then should you? Come on let's pack this up, Mom's waiting for us"

With an annoyed grunt, Red starts packing up his stuff once again, with significantly less anger than before. Satisfied that the tension has eased slightly, Serena finishes up her own backpack and slumps it over her shoulder.

Just as the twins finish packing Red's pack, a voice whispers in their minds, loud enough for them to hear, but quiet enough for them to stop and focus on it. "(Lily, Red. Your vacation is over; the time to train once again begins. I want to see you both, first thing in the morning. Meet us in the Viridian forest)"

The twins freeze in place for a moment, the sound of their Master's voice has stolen their ability to move. The familiar feeling of their heart beat is all that can break through their paralysis. Normally the sound of his voice would spark excitement in their hearts, as it signals the beginning of another day of training, another day of learning, another day of pounding the snot out of each other. But now, it signifies that they will have to face him again, it means they will have to tell him that they spilled the secrets of the order to an outsider… The fear of the consequences has paralysed them both.

As they regain their ability to move again, Red picks up his backpack and slumps it over his shoulder, together they turn to face Serena, who beams back at them. "All done?"

With a shaky nod, Lily scoops up her pack and the three of them take their first steps outside to face their parents. "I'm so dead" Red thought as he nervously swallowed, while contemplating the fate of his balls.

---

There it is guys, chapter 1. Now if anyone actually managed to get through this till the end, good for you!

I'm certain there's at least one of you out there wondering why I said this is a dark story, when this chapter clearly wasn't. Right now things are calm… The peace and tranquillity of the first Arc won't last long though; the dark shit comes into play once this is over. Until then there'll only be dark elements at times.

Until next time guys, drop a review, suggest, comment, get angry with me. Do whatever you want, hit me with your best shot.

But most of all… HIT THAT FOLLOW/FAVOURITE BUTTON WITH YOUR FACE!

Dragon out!