Here I am, back with another chapter.


Chapter Three: The Real World

A week later...

Richard stood in front of the Pokémon Center in Verdanturf, inhaling the pure scent of the serene valley it was situated in. Night was at his side, looking around. "So now what?" She asked in a hushed tone so that only Richard could hear her, and it was a good thing no one was up at the hour of six oclock in the morning on a Sunday.

"Hmm... We'll head to Mauville and on the way we catch some Pokémon and train on Route 117. And perhaps meet Seth on the way, I hear he's on vacation and Steven has taken over his duties at Ever Grande." Richard says, walking forward. He had stayed at the PokéCenter, but he didn't feel like staying another night now that they had changed the rules about the rent. The first day was free, as always, however it used to be Trainers stayed for free. But apparently the only clientele they get anymore is Trainers, so they had to require trainers to pay for room and board.

Night nodded, glad to be leaving. She preferred being out in the open, but now that she was with her Chosen she had relaxed more than she thought she would've. She was now comfortable with his home in Fortree, having stayed there over his birthday a week ago and meeting his... Family. She didn't like anyone but his Father. She hadn't met his brother, but she has heard enough stories from Richard to respect the man and even believe that she would like him. She followed after him, admiring the way Richard walked. He walked with a grace that belied a natural power, his muscles rippling under his clothes. I am glad he is the one I am destined to be with. I've only known him for a week, but I think I know him better than anyone else.

Richard smiled as he stepped out onto Route 117, looking around the landscape. The tall grass nearby a pond to his right swayed gently in the wind, and the garden to his left where a Pokémon Breeder was sitting calmly, cooing at a cascoon tenderly. "Morning." Richard called, smiling.

The Breeder looked up, smiling back. "Morning! I didn't expect to see anyone out at this hour." She said cheerily, standing up. "Are you a Trainer?" She asked, quirking her head.

Richard nodded. "Yeah, but not really in a state for any kind of battling. Right now, I have a provisional ID until I arrive in Littleroot to register with the professor."

"Oh, I see. Which means you aren't able to do any kind of battling with Trainers yet. By the way, my name is Lydia." She held out her hand, smiling cheerily.

Richard smiled back and took her proffered hand, shaking it. "Pleased to meet you. I am Richard."

"Well, when you pass through again, look me up! I feel like battling you when you are able to. And may I make a suggestion? Rusturf Tunnel has been cleared out for now, so it should be safe for you to get to Rustboro City with no problems until next week when the Exploud attempt to close it off again for mating season." Lydia had her eyes closed, sitting back down to pet the silvery cocoon.

"Thanks. Well, I guess that is a good idea."

{If I may chime in sir. Until you get your actual Trainer's ID, you are unable to capture any Pokémon. They only issued you your current one so you wouldn't get in trouble for having your Absol.} Buzzed a sound into Richard's ear.

Richard jumped in surprise, looking around. "Huh? What was that?" He asked aloud, having already made it out of the garden.

Night looked up at Richard curiously.

{I am the AI of your Ultradex. I am a highly sophisticated piece of technology developed by the efforts of your Father to guide you on your journey. It is a pleasure to finally speak with you sir.}

"Well, that explains why. But I don't even have a Pokedex yet."

{I am merely a shell for when you do get your Pokedex sir. I'll be working at my full capacity when you are given the official version at Littleroot. So I suggest we head through Rusturf Tunnel with post-haste.} Stated the electronic voice.

Richard nodded. "Come on Night, change of plans." He sighed, but apparently the Pokémon League's rules regarding Trainers have been tightened. Damn, I was hoping to have a team up and running before I got to Littleroot to show the Professor. O'well. I guess I can deal with it... They walked silently back through the town, passing by the Pokemart and into the cave that was nearby.

Once inside, Night passed Richard and walked in front of him protectively.

"There should only be Whismur in this cave Night." Richard said, smiling at the Absol. "Most of them won't mind as long as we keep quiet." He had said this in a soft voice, one that wouldn't carry or would be too loud. Richard could see the outlines of sleeping Whismur along the cave walls, and there were some that have been watching them with curiousity, wondering what a human was doing wandering through their home.

"Can't be too careful." Night said back in the same tone. "One might not like us coming through here, and they are more of a pain than you realize." But she relented, pulling back to walk side-by-side with Richard. And I don't want them to hurt you... She thought, barely brushing against his leg in affection.

Richard smiled, shaking his head softly. They were now halfway through according to his map, having passed by the turn off into a deeper part of the cave. We're making good time. He thought, glad that they were having no delays.

And then: *RIIING! RIIING! RIIING!* Richard's phone started ringing loudly. He quickly hushed it, trying to stop it... But it was too late.

All of the sleeping Whismur had awoken and started an Uproar, running around and hitting eachother in fright at the loud sound.

Crap. He thought as a pair on unaffected Whismur approached them with anger, growling.

"Night, what moves do you know?"

"I can use Scratch, Leer, Quick Attack, and Zen Headbutt because of my Father." Night replied, stepping in front of Shinryu and growling back at the Whismur who were threatening her Trainer.

"Okay, guess this is where we have our first battle huh? Zen Headbutt that one to the left!" He ordered in a low voice, hoping not to aggravate the other Whismur.

Night's gem glowed bright purplish-pink, and she lowered her head to charge at the Whismur. Her attack hit home, and the Whismur fainted instantly before it could react.

{I may not have the AI of a true Pokedex yet, but I have determined that Night's ability is Super Luck.} Stated the Ultradex through the headset Richard had put into his ear.

"Thanks for letting me know."

The other Whismur growled again at seeing its buddy knocked out so quickly, and then charged at Night to Tackle her in the side.

Night growled and turned on the Whismur, her crimson eyes glowing brightly. The Whismur then panicked, eyes going wide as it turned and ran away, running into the cave wall before getting up, shaking its head, and running again.

"You didn't have to scare the poor thing." Richard said as he knelt down next to the unconscious Whismur, leaving an Oran Berry under it for when it regained its senses. "Alright, lets get out of here." He then began jogging for the exit, seeing it in the distance.

Night obliged, following Richard with a smile. What's the fun if I don't scare them? They aren't going to be allowed to hurt you...She thought, her mind wandering slightly. No, bad girl. Now is not the time, not yet. Not until he is ready.

Richard and Night left Rusturf Tunnel without anymore problems, coming out next to the Tunneler's Rest House. He walked up to the door and knocked.

The door opened, and a burly man in a construction outfit opened the door. "Eh? Wha' can I do for ye?" He asked gruffly, obviously not fully awake.

"I would like to ask if I can rest up a bit. I encountered an unexpected problem on the way through the Tunnel."

The man stared down at Richard before nodding. "Alrigh', but don' touch anythin'." He says, stepping back to let Richard inside.

Richard thanked the man and stepped inside the cozy building, where a plush couch was in the middle of the room. "Are you the only one living here at the moment?" Richard asks while sitting down as Night padded in, shaking her mane and laying down on the floor like a 'normal' Pokémon.

"Nah, the' are all jus' a bun' o' pussies. The' chicken' ou' on the seasonal gig." The burly man said, plopping down next to Richard. He had a feral gleam in his eye that Richard missed, having turned his attention away to look around. But Night noticed it and decided to keep an eye on him discretely.

The man put his arm on the back of the couch near Richard, and edging slightly closer. "Y'no, a man gets might' lonely ou' here."

That caught Richard's attention as he jumped up from the couch, twisting to glare at the man on the couch. "There's something funny about you." He said with a soft tone, keeping his gaze on him.

Night relaxed slightly, glad that Richard had realized what was going on before something could happen. His instincts are sharp.

"Wha'? I jus' wan' some company." The man said, patting the seat reassuringly, but this time Richard saw the feral glint in his eyes.

"Uh-uh. No way. I don't roll that way for one, and I am underage. So back off, before I have Night castrate you."

"Who's this Night?" Asked the man, obviously confused.

"That'd be her." Richard pointed at the Absol laying on the floor. His instincts were running wild, telling him to leave NOW.

"Heh, she won' be a problem. I go' this." The man pulled out a device and turned it on, which caused Night to growl and start to shiver. "Its a high frequency device te keep her occupied. Now come here boy, before I make ya." The man stood up, unbuckling his belt.

"I don't think so." Richard stood his ground, glaring at the sicko in front of him. "Because I don't think you can make me." He shifted into a karate stance, his form resembling that of a mantis. I'll have him reported to the police after I knock him out.

The man chuckled, and pulled a gun from a holster at his back. "I don' think ya can dodge a bulle' eh? Now come here."

Richard's eyes widened, cursing his luck. But he held his ground. "Dex, can you contact the Police in Rustboro at all?" He asked, his voice almost matching the resonating tone coming from the device to the man didn't hear it at all.

{Right away sir, I can access them through your phone.}

Richard relaxed his stance, but didn't come any closer to the man who he kept in his sights. "You're a sick fuck, you know that?" He asked, glaring at the man.

"Wha'ever. Come here now befor' I blow the brains ou' of your pretty lil' pet." The man was relentless, even pointing the gun at Night.

Nngh, damn. I can't move. Night thought as she stared at the man. I shouldn't have let Richard in here after I smelled the danger...

Richard's eyes widened. "No, wait. Stop." He stepped closer, but he didn't get within arms reach of the man. "Don't hurt her."

"G'boy." The man said, obviously pleased his threat worked.

Now that he was closer, Richard smirked slightly. He noticed two things about the gun: One, it wasn't even loaded. And two, the safety was on so even if there was a round in the chamber, it wouldn't fire. "By the way," He said, stepping within reach.

"Wha's tha'?" Asked the man, staring at Richard hungrily.

"Safety is on." Richard said, and then seemed to become a blur to Night. His arm flicked out, knocking the gun out of the man's hand so fast that he didn't know what hit him. And then he spiraled to round-house kick the guy across the cheek, sending him collapsing to the floor below. He spat on the man, growling despite the fact he was out cold. "Stay down, you sick bastard. Dex, are the Police on the way?" Richard asked.

{They'll be here any moment. Apparently one of their own was on patrol in the area, but I see you have handled the affair rather smoothly. Should I keep the recorded video feed that I started when things started happening?}

"Yes Dex, we'll need it." Richard picked up the device that was keeping Night from moving at all, and threw it at the wall, shattering the device and chipping the paint of the walls.

Night stopped shivering, and relaxed. She stared up at Richard with relief, glad that he was alright. She got up and started nuzzling his leg, whining softly. "I thought you weren't going to be able to escape that..." She whispered, looking up into his eyes with fear.

"Its okay." Richard knelt down, rubbing Night's head with a reassuring smile on his face. "The moment I saw that his gun wasn't loaded, I knew he was using it for leverage." He hugged her to him, and he heard her start to purr softly despite what happened. And he also felt his shirt get wet, and he knew she was crying.

"But what if it wasn't?" Night's muffled voice reached Richard's ears. "What if he shot me? You would have died as if you were shot in the head."

Richard frowned, and pulled back to stare at Night. "What do you mean?" He asked, confused. "Why would I have died?"

"B-b-because as a Chosen your life force is bonded directly to mine." Night hiccuped. "And if either of us die, for any reason... The other will face the same fate."

Richard was speechless.

{Sir, the Officer is here.} Dex stated as a knock sounded from the door.

Richard stood up, patting Night's side gently, and walked to the door. Opening it, he greeted none other than Officer Jenny.

"Omigod! Richard!" She exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "Are you hurt?" She asked, backing away to stare into his eyes to see his reaction.

{You should give her the video. I am in your bags upper left pocket.}

"I didn't expect to see you sis." Richard smiled slightly. "And I'm fine." He pulled out the Ultradex from his bag.

"Wait, is that one of the Ultradex's that they are broadcasting on TV?" Jenny asked, slightly distracted.

"Yeah. But that's not important. Dex, eject an SD card with the video file on it." A small micro-SD popped out of the device, and Richard passed it to Jenny. "That card contains everything that has happened here."

"When I heard what this man was about to do to you from Headquarters, I hurried here as fast as I could." Jenny took the card, putting it into her pocket. "So what happened?" She asked, not as an officer, but as something more.

"I came here after I came out of Rusturf Tunnel to rest. I sit down on the couch and he starts getting... Too close, and I catch a hint at what he was planning so I stand up and attempt to protect myself. So the man activates a machine that disables my partner there," He points at Night, who is shivering on the floor, but this time not from a disabling sound. "And then draws a gun. He threatens her life, so I give in a bit, not wanting her hurt. However, upon getting close to him I notice that the gun has no clip in the feed, and that the safety is on. And then I disarm and knock him out. The video will prove everything I said."

Jenny nodded, and hugged Richard again. "I am sooo glad you are okay."

Richard hugged Jenny back, smiling slightly despite what had almost happened. "Thanks for coming. And how did you know so soon?"

{I contacted the HQ, and they told me that the nearest Officer was in the area. Garnering her contact information, I had contacted her and told her you were in trouble and needed help. I never realized that she was family.}

"No, not really family Dex. We went to school together, and since then we've felt we were siblings." Richard said.

"Umm... Who are you talking to?" Jenny asked, obviously confused.

"Oh sorry. My Ultradex has a powerful AI core that I can converse with." Richard explained sheepishly.

"Sounds cool. I should probably get my own when they finally become available to the public domain." Jenny said, smiling.

*{Bzzzt}* "Officer Jenny, this is Officer Raymond. Has the situation in section Delta Alpha been handled? Over." *{Bzzzt}*

Jenny picks up her walkie and smiles at Richard. She depresses the button. "Situation in Delta Alpha has been handled. Everything is clear and well now. Over." She releases the button, and walks over to the still unconscious man on the couch. "Eww, this guy is just disgusting." She wrinkles her nose and then cuffs him to the couch arm.

"You just said what I was thinking." Richard said, sitting down next to Night to stroke her flanks softly, causing her to not shake no where near as much. "Its okay girl, he can't do anything now." He said in a hushed tone.

Night looked at Richard, and nodded. She growled softly, curling up next to Richard while putting her head in his lap.

"I see your Absol really trusts you." Jenny says as she pulls a chair from the table and sits down on it across from Richard.

"Yeah, she does. Her name is Night by the way." Richard tapped Night's forehead gently to get her attention again. When she looked up at him, he smiled. "Night, this is Jennifer. I believe I have already told you about her?"

Night looked over at Jenny cautiously.

"Its okay." Jenny cooed, smiling genuinely at the frightened Absol. "I won't hurt you, I promise." She slowly reached out her hand to touch her side, but stopped and watched Night.

Night looked at Jenny again, and then at her hand. She nodded, and then put her head back into Richard's lap.

Jenny placed her hand onto Night's side and smiled. "See?" She asked, rubbing softly.

"Wow." Richard said, smiling. "You're the first one besides me to be able to pet her."

Jenny smiled again, scratching gently. "Well, I am honored Night." She said softly to the female Absol.

*{Bzzzt}* "Confirmation received. Return to Headquarters with your report as soon as you are back in Rustboro. Over and Out." *{Bzzzt}*

Jenny sighed, and stood up. "Well, I should bring this guy in. Would you mind helping me move him?"

Richard nodded, and gently slid out from under Night. "I'll be right back." He whispered, scratching her head, before going with Jenny to the couch.

Jenny removed the cuffs from the couch, and cuffed the mans arms together.

Grabbing the chain of the cuffs, knowing they could withstand anything short of a Machoke's Strength, Richard pulled the man right up out of his seat with ease. His eyes widened at this, obviously not expecting his own power to be at that level. But then he shrugged, and guided the man outside.

He may not be completely conscious, but obviously was awake enough to walk with guidance.

He and Jenny vanished from the house, taking the man away. Night lay curled up on the floor, shaking. He would've killed me... She was thinking over and over. And Richard wouldn't have been able to do anything about it, and it would be my fault that he died too. She held back her tears, her ears picking up Richard coming back into the building to sit down next to her and she moved back to put her head in his lap, nuzzling against his lower torso.

Poor girl... Richard thought as he pet Night softly, running his hand through her silky coat. "Hey, tell me what's wrong." He said softly, using his other hand to lift her face up so she was looking into his eyes. Silver met Crimson, and Richard just stared into her eyes without knowing why. Wha? He blinked, and the effect faded.

Night couldn't help but be absorbed into Richard's gaze. Every time she shared his gaze, it made it feel as if she was floating and nothing could hurt her. She looked down, and then sighed. "I already told you what was wrong." She responded.

"If you did, you left something out." Richard pointed out, his voice serious.

You're very perceptive... Night thought with admiration. She leaned up and nuzzled Richards neck. "Alright, I'll tell you. When we first arrived, and the... Monster... First opened the door, I smelled danger. But you were insistent upon coming in to rest. If only I had voiced my fears, we could have avoided this entirely." Her voice was cracking, and Richard hugged her to him.

"Don't dwell on it." Richard whispered. "If you stay in the past forever, you can lose yourself. Stay with me in the present, and I promise that nothing bad will happen to you. We can look to the future together."

Night looked at Richard, amazed at what he said.

"What? You didn't expect me to say that huh?" He asked, chuckling slightly. "Well, honestly it just came out..."

Night smiled, nodding. "Alright, I won't let it bother me anymore."

"Good. Now lets get going. I want to get to Rustboro before dark. We've still got a few miles to walk."


There, you have it. Richard and Night are going to be facing troubles that plague us in the real world, and will have to react to them in their own ways. Please R&R. Please don't flame, if you have complaints on my approach PM me. I have no qualms about talking about it.

~VeloranDarkfyre