Okay, so these chapters will probably be kind of short at the beginning. I'm just trying to incorporate every encounter.

I waited until my father and the Sages had dispersed before I approached the girl. She'd been standing in the back of the crowd, watching my father with a horrified fascination on her face, when I'd heard a voice. Very quiet, but unmistakably a Pokémon, coming from a poke ball on her belt.

Her friend had already taken off, and she was standing very still, alone in the Accumula Town square..

"Hello," I said, walking up to her. She gave a small start, as though I'd surprised her, and looked me over. I was ready for a disparaging comment; that was what my father had warned me to expect. What I got was a slight smile.

"Uh, hi," she said.

"During that man's speech, I heard your Pokémon's voice," I said without preamble.

She raised an eyebrow, and that soft smile disappeared in a flash of surprise.

"You what?"

"I said I heard your Pokémon."

"Oh…kay?" she responded.

To her credit, she didn't freak out and call me a lunatic like a few others had, but she certainly didn't seem like she believed me. And why would she? Other trainers couldn't possibly be able to communicate with Pokémon the way I could; not when they just used the creatures to obtain power. Why would they care whether or not they could understand the Pokémon?

"And what did my Pokémon say?" she wondered, humoring me. Her blue eyes sparked with amusement.

"It didn't like F—Ghetsis' speech," I caught myself. Nobody needed to know my affiliation with Team Plasma yet. "It said it was happy, and that it wouldn't want to be released."

She smiled and her hand brushed over one of two poke balls on her belt.

"I'm glad. I feel the same way."

"Why do you keep it in a poke ball, then?" I wondered. "It seems that they would be more happy out in the fresh air."

She gave me a bemused look. "I supposed they would be, for a while, but sooner or later they'd probably get tired, don't you think? They might also want an escape in case they didn't want to walk or run somewhere, after all."

"Hmph," I answered noncommittally. Then another idea came to me. "Would you battle me?"

She blinked, taken aback. "Uh, sure, I guess."

"I want to test your connection with your Pokémon," I explained as I threw out Purrloin's ball. He burst from his poke ball and landed lightly on his feet, stretching languidly.

"Alright," she chuckled, and pressed a kiss to the poke ball she plucked from her belt before tossing it high into the air. From it came a little Snivy in a blast of white light. I knew immediately that this was the Pokémon I had heard during Father's speech. The happiness emanating from it was unmistakable, although it couldn't have been with this Trainer for long, or it should have evolved.

"Ready, Snivy?" the girl called. It jumped excitedly and zeroed in on Purrloin. "You're about to see exactly how strong our bond is, kid!"

I frowned at that, but shook it off as the battle commenced. I would win this easily; Purrloin and I were friends in a way that I doubted this trainer could comprehend. This would be a cake walk.

Or not. I hurried out and scooped my unconscious Purrloin into my arms, sending him back into his poke ball.

"You see?" the girl smiled, catching her Snivy as it leaped into her arms. "Good job, girl."

I shook my head and stood to my full height, which made me a head and a half taller than her, even with her tall chocolate brown ponytail.

"I'm going to continue my quest anyway. Not all Pokémon must be as happy."

She gave me a funny look, and turned around, waving over her shoulder.

"See ya then, kid."

Her Snivy followed behind her, jumping up and climbing onto her other shoulder.

I looked after them, confused. Strange. She seemed to genuinely like her Pokémon. I shook away the thought, sure that she was only one of few. And like it mattered? I'd never see her again.