A/N: Yay, chapter two! This should be a bit longer than the first one. I have voice lessons today, so I went and dug out the first song I ever performed 'cuz it pwns ass. I wanna work on it again! The song is 'Time to Say Goodbye', by Andre Bocelli and Sarah Brightman. It's so fun to sing! Go listen to it, seriously. I sing both parts. It's raining here, too. Ick. It's all nasty and wet and... Bleah.

Dedication: Damned Lolita

Chapter 2: You're Not Tan!

By the time we got to Lavaridge Town, it was sunset. We'd been attacked by wild pokémon (Harley), trainers (me), and air (Harley). Don't ask.

"I'm beat." Harley flopped down on one of the beds in our rented room in the pokémon centre. I copied his movements and groaned.

"That hiker was brutal..." I gingerly touched one of the bruises his Geodude had given me and winced.

"You okay?"

"I'll live." I rolled over onto my stomach and grabbed a pair of pyjamas. When I emerged from the bathroom, he raised an eyebrow. I had donned a pair of comfy black sweatpants and a black shirt with flared rainbow sleeves.

"What? Gay pride!"

"You're a lezzie?"

"BI-SEX-U-AL, BITCH!"

"Sweet." He nodded like a hippie. I laughed.

"You're not changing?"

"Too exhausted to move…"

"Amen." I snuggled under the covers and fell fast asleep without another word.

The next morning brought hot springs, which were wonderful, and a gym battle, which was… not.

"So you think you can beat me?" the redheaded gym leader asked confidently.

"I think so. Go, Rhiannon!" my Nidoqueen flew out, ready to pwn ass.

"A ground type, huh? Fine then. Magcargo, help me out!"

She released the snail-like pokémon and I grinned. I'd spent a long time deciding which pokémon to use and I knew I'd made the right choice. Rhiannon was like a mother: oh-so-gentle, but devastating when protecting her young. Or in this case, me.

"Flamethrower, Magcargo!"

"Dodge it and use Earthquake!" the ground rumbled wildly and I fought to keep my balance. But it was a one-hit KO! Harley cheered and Flannery made a noise of frustration in the back of her throat. She sent out a Numel.

"Earthquake again!" I shouted before she had time to react. Just one pokémon left…

"Camerupt!" she tossed the pokéball and I frowned. I grabbed my pokédex.

Camerupt. Level 28.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Rhiannon, use Body Slam and then Rock Tomb while it's disoriented!"

She pulled off the first part, but Flannery was quicker than I'd given her credit for.

"Camerupt, Recover!"

How the fuck?

"Body Slam again, then pin it and use Mega Punch!" I could hear the crunch and squish as the punch connected. Rhiannon straightened and walked back to me, picking me up like I was weightless. I wrapped my arms around her enormous neck and planted a kiss on her snout. Harley grinned and got up to clap me on the back.

"Great job, mate."

"Thanks, Harley," I said as I accepted my badge from Flannery.

"He's right, you did well. I need to keep training, but when I'm stronger, I'll expect a rematch!" she smiled.

"Only if you can take being pwned again."

"Alright, now you need to finish it up. Give it a conclusion, a grand finale! Something that'll leave 'em speechless!" Harley instructed.

I nodded.

"Then… Burnish, use Fire Blast in the sky, then Bounce to scatter the flames!" my ever-so-loyal Ponyta complied. It was beautiful! I grinned.

"Fantastic!"

He trotted over to me and I petted his muzzle lovingly.

"Did I do good, Mommy?"

"You did great, babyluv," I told him. Burnish was still young, and I loved him almost too much… he was getting spoiled. Harley smiled at us and informed me that I was now ready for a real contest. Apparently, I already battled with 'style.' Not that I was complaining, of course. We walked back into the pokémon centre for supper.

"We can take our time getting back to Slateport. Leaving is a helluva lot easier than coming was," he said between bites of stew.

"Then we still have time to enjoy the hot springs?"

He nodded.

"We can Fly back anyways. It's what, an hour if the weather is good?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right… Can we leave a day early? I want to stop by my apartment."

"You have an apartment?" Harley asked.

"Yeah, since I'm from another region I thought I should have someplace to go back to. Doesn't get much use though," I laughed.

"I don't mind leving early. That leaves us two more days here."

Two days later found us on Falien's back clutching each other as if it was the only thing keeping us alive, sobbing uncontrollably. I buried my face in Harley's shoulder and wailed.

"We- we loved them and that's what matters, I suppose…" I choked out.

"I… never got to say goodbye!" Harley hugged me tighter, but I was too busy crying to blush

"Honestly, you two, they're just hot springs." Falien rolled his eyes beneath us.

"They weren't just hot springs, goddammit!" I retorted indignantly, sniffling, "They were the best, most relaxing, most wonderful hot springs ever!"

Harley sighed and rubbed my back soothingly. I swiped a sleeve across my face, effectively drying my tears. He looked at me.

"Your face is a mess! Hang on, I have foundation in my bag…" he dug around for a moment before pulling out a small container and brush. Unscrewing the cap, he tapped a little powder into it and loaded the brush. "Give me your hand."

I sent him a confused look, but complied. He swiped the brush across the back of my hand and frowned. Harley was a pretty pale guy, but his concealer stood in stark contrast against my skin.

"What the hell? I thought you were a trainer!"

"I am. What do you mean?"

"You're out in the sun all the time, right? Why the fuck aren't you tan!?" he shrieked. I blinked.

"I am tan."

He looked like he was about to blow. He was jealous, I could tell.

"YOU ARE NOT FUCKING TAN!!!" he screamed, shaking me wildly. I was unfazed. This tended to happen a lot.

"This is as tan as I get before I burn. I use, like, SPF 95," I told him.

"But- but- but-!"

"I'm part albino. My dad." I pointed to my crimson irises. He blinked.

"…Oh. Sorry."

"That's okay, I get that a lot. That's him right there, see?"

I pulled a picture from the front pocket of my bag. It depicted a family of four: a well built, albino man, shaggy white hair falling into his face, red eyes twinkling, a woman, ling raven locks swept back in a low ponytail, one delicate, long fingered hand resting on a young boy's shoulder. He looked just like his mother, green eyes crinkled with the grin he wore behind wire-rimmed glasses. In the man's arms was a toddler, dark hair already thick on her head, clinging to her father's neck. Her eyes were the mirror image of his own.

I smiled fondly.

"The kid is my brother, Damien, and the woman behind him is my mum. That's me right there. This picture was taken just a few months before he died. I was three."

He swallowed.

"I- I'm so sorry…"

"It's not your fault. I don't remember much, just that he played the piano, and he would sing me to sleep every night… Sometimes, if I listen hard enough, I think I can still hear him."

"How did he die? If you don't mind me asking."

"Pneumonia. Albino's bodies are a lot more frail than a normal human's. That puts me at risk too, so I have to be really careful."

I sighed.

"If it makes you feel any better, I never knew my dad either. My mom divorced him before I was even born," he told me. I raised an eyebrow.

"It sucks not having a dad."

"Damn straight."

And cut! That's probably the longest chapter I have written so far… Damn. I gotta work on making them longer… Reviews, please!