A/N: Hey again! I'll try to update as much as I can, I kinda-sorta know where I'm going with this. I'm in college, so updates may be slowed down some.


As he regained consciousness, he became aware of two things. One, whatever he was laying on was very soft, and two, there was something beeping nearby. It took him a few moments to discern he was at a Pokémon center, but as soon as he did, the only thing that mattered to him was finding out where Sonia had gone. He began to make noise, trying to form words, but he was too groggy to make any work.

A hand touched him, petting him as though to soothe him.

"Sonia?" he asked, hoping the trainer hadn't taken him there and abandoned him.

"Shh, little one. Rest. Your trainer is out in the waiting room. You need to sleep and heal," a new, yet pleasant, voice said.

"My trainer?" he asked. Was Sonia really his trainer now? Had she taken him there saying he was her Zubat? Hope swelled in his chest. Well, she was waiting for him! Maybe he would get to join her team!

The voice hushed him again, and he drifted off into sleep once more.


A few hours later, a familiar voice pulled him from his dreams.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy. I didn't know what I was going to do with the little guy." It was Sonia!

"Oh, no worries, dear. The poor thing was in rough shape. He's lucky he ran into you."

"He really is, isn't he?"

The nurse chuckled. "Take care!"

"You, too!" He felt himself being carried away. His ears twitched, and Sonia looked down. "Oh! You're awake! How are you feeling?"

He paused for a moment, thinking over her question. "Okay," he said finally. "Good, actually. I feel good!"

Sonia laughed. "I'm glad! You gave us quite the scare, there, uh… What's your name?"

"My name?" He paused. Then, the realization came crashing down on him that he didn't even remember his own name. He couldn't even remember if his parents had given him one. He was just a Zubat. Nothing special tacked onto him, making him an individual, rather than just a member of a species, and a mediocre one at that. His ears fell. He was almost too embarrassed to admit he didn't have one, when a strange sense of trust came over him. He could tell Sonia. Sonia wouldn't care. Sonia liked him, right? "I don't have one," he said finally.

"You don't have one?" Sonia echoed. She seemed sad. Or was it disappointment he heard in her wavering voice? He hoped not.

"What would you like to be called?" the nice voice, Petunia, questioned.

He felt his cheeks grow warm. Petunia wanted to know what he wanted to be called! He laughed a little. "I don't know!" he said again. It was becoming funny to him, he didn't even know what he would begin to refer to himself as. He hadn't even had friends to call him anything!

"How about Zach?" Petunia suggested.

"Zach. I like it! It sounds nice!" Zach. I'm Zach. Nice to meet you, Petunia!

"Okay, then, Zach. Welcome to the team!" Sonia greeted.

Zach's ears shot back up. "What? I can travel with you guys?"

"Of course!" That was Petunia speaking again. "We'd love to have you!"

The next emotion that struck him could only be described as pure, unadulterated joy. Had he had eyes, they would certainly be tearing up. He had a trainer! And, at that, Petunia, with her pretty voice, had said they would love to have him! A wide smile spread across his face and he squirmed with happiness.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much, Sonia! And Sasha! And Petunia! Oh, I'm so happy I could just fly in loops for ages! Wait, can I even fly right now?"

"Not right now," Sonia replied. "I'm supposed to give you a few days to rest and let your wing finish healing. You tore it open on a rock when you hit the cave wall. It'll leave a scar."

"Well, I'm flying in loops in my mind!" He laughed. "I have a trainer! And a name! And I'm with you, I'm not in a box! This is the greatest thing that could have possibly happened to a Zubat! Thank you, all of you! I love you already!"