Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon

"You're kidding, right?" May asked me as soon as I had Nurse Joy's approval to leave the infirmary. "Tell me you're kidding."

We were walking around the campus to kill time since I don't want to go back to Mr. Steven's class because of the whole incident. I'm not even sure if I could show my face to them because of the embarrassment. So instead, I asked May to ditch class with me again- I've got a habit of ditching class in order to escape students and their thoughts and sometimes, because of my habit, I unintentionally drag May into it, making me a bad influence in her life.

'Oh how I wish I'm kidding.' I told her as I watched her swing her arms back and forth, creating a thin trail of fire. Since we are walking in the most secluded part of the school- somewhere near the Oaks' residence, we decided to let loose of our abilities so as we have better control of them next time. Professor Oak had already given us his consent since our abilities are showing. 'But eyes can't lie, May. Those were the conditions of Professor Oak.'

She groaned, clearly she doesn't like every bit of the conditions Professor had given us. "But they'll never believe us!" She protested as she stomped her foot to the ground, leaving a burnt grass on its wake. "No matter what we tell them, even if we have at least one person on our side, they would never want to travel with us because of our school status." She said sadly as she hung her head in what she thought would be defeat.

I looked at her curiously. 'You wanted to leave so badly,' I told her after observing her for another minute or so. 'Why? I mean you don't have anything to gain from this rather, you might be even sacrificing the life you have.' I asked her.

She refused to look me in the eye as she shifted from one foot to another while her forefingers were playing with each other- a nervous habit she has.

For the past seven years of our friendship, I had learned that it is best to leave her on her own thoughts especially if she is playing with her forefingers. She tends to collect her thoughts and organize them before talking since her thoughts are always chaotic and messy. I, myself couldn't even comprehend anything out of her thoughts.

"All your life, you've had suffered because you wanted to know the answers to your-our questions." She continued. "I think this journey will give you the answers so I wanted to help you find it."

I raised my eyebrow as she mistakenly glanced my way before looking away. I chuckled to myself. Sometimes, I thank whoever my parents are for having genius genes in them and for passing all of it to me.

I smirked to myself as I closed my eyes and waited for her to voice out the real reason.

"…And I might have wanted to go travelling instead of being stuck in school." She mumbled, making me laugh silently. Because I haven't talked in seven years, my ability to produce sounds had diminished throughout the years.

The doctors say I might regain it but since my case is because of trauma, the doctors had concluded that I might regain it through something that might trigger it. Translation? It's all in my head.

May looked at me, embarrassed. "Oh shut up, Belle!" She playfully shoved me as I continue to my silent fits.

I finally stopped when I heard her stomping her way towards the house. Since school won't be over for another hour and a half, I knew there would be no one but us right now. 'But I didn't say anything!' I went after her, only to hear her groan in response.

"You're being mean!"

No wonder Max loved teasing this girl, I mused as I followed her. Her reactions are amusing.

"You two are being stupid,"

I rolled my eyes for the fifth time as Max watched me pack all the things necessary. May and I had already made our minds about continuing the journey we had when we were young.

'We didn't ask for your opinion, Max.' I threw into his mind as I continued packing. 'We're going to do this even if you don't agree with our plan.'

"Yeah," May agreed with me as she packed her own stuff. She and I shared the same room with her side painted red all over while mine was painted pale blue. She took the left side of the room while I took the right side. "We just told you for the sake of it, since we know how much you hated being excluded from the plans Belle and I make."

"And the Princesses of Stubbornness is back." He mumbled as May and I turned to glare at him, meeting his eyes.

'I just don't want to let you go on your own. Knowing you, you'd let me stay here to watch over Professor Oak so I can't really protect you guys.' Concern.

"You're just saying that because you're jealous that we're finally going to continue our journey without you." May stuck her tongue at him to which he responded by doing the same thing.

"Not true!" he denied. "I'm glad that I won't have to wake up with your constant noise and I won't be late with my classes because of you!" He exclaimed to which May took offense at.

'Break it up you guys,' I rolled my eyes as May continued packing when she saw the glare I was giving them. 'May, we have to leave now if we expect to be in Dewford Town before Gary catches us.' I turned to Max and gave him a new pokenav. 'We'll call you whenever we can alright?' He nodded his head knowing I'll be asking for another favor. 'Just do whatever you can to stall Gary and give him a hint as to where we're going can you do that for me, little brother?'

Max sighed as May and I readied ourselves. "You two are going to be the death of me." He said as we reached to hug him as farewell. "Just come back home to me, okay?" I could sense the intense sadness that he is feeling right now.

I know that I'm asking that much from him since I am the one separating him from his sister- the only family he has left since his parents had died when he was at a younger age. The least I could do is to make sure that May comes back to him- alive and well, even if it's the last thing I'll do.

I latched my pinky onto his awaiting ones. 'You have my word, Maxwell. I'll make sure your sister will come back to you.'

Max looked at me with a funny expression. He knows that there is something I'm holding back from him but since May and I are in a hurry; he had let the matter drop. He turned to May and gave her his words before we leave so I let them do their own thing.

After few more moments of farewell, we are off to our awaiting journey.

"Are you sure Gary will come after us?" I heard May mumble to herself as we reached the forest outside the city. It's a good thing that Slateport is just two towns away from Rustboro. That way, Gary will be able to find us immediately… that is, if Max hadn't told him our destination yet.

'We've known Gary for seven years,' I told her confidently. 'He may have been eager to make us leave when we were ten but now, I think that boy would do anything to lock us down.' She turned to me only to see me smirking to myself.

"What's with the smirk?" She asked, her voice faltering slightly as she narrowed her eyes at me as if she mistaken me for someone else. 'If I didn't know any better, I'd say she looked just like Grasshead with that smirk of hers.' She thought as her eyes widened when she realized that I've been staring at her eyes.

"That's not fair!" May whined as she tried to cover her eyes by cupping her hand over her eyes while I raised an eyebrow at her, amused by her thoughts. "How come you get to invade my thoughts just by looking through my eyes?" She pursed her lips in annoyance. "Not to mention, you are always in pain because of your abilities."

'No one is meant to be perfect, I guess. Not even the guardians.' I contemplated as I placed my arms behind my back. 'Though, I read it somewhere that once the gemstones that were bestowed by Arceus are returned to us, our abilities might lose the flaws.' I explained to her as I felt a stinging sensation on my back made me stagger to my feet, to which May noticed and went to my aid.

"Belle, are you alright?" She asked me as she pulled me to my feet. "Don't tell me, you're becoming a klutz just like-"

I turned to her with eyes widened as I grabbed her wrist and made a run back. 'We have to go back to Rustboro forest.' I answered her silent questions. Even though I wasn't looking at her, her thoughts penetrated mine through my touch. 'I have a feeling that there is something causing the pain on my back.'

And I was right, my instinct was right.

May and I ran as if our lives depended on it until we reached Rustboro forest which is miles away from the town. May looked horrified at the sight of a beast encased in a glass looking body as it attacked… is that Gary and his friends?

"Don't tell me that's the same creature-" She started while I nodded in affirmation. Seven years ago, back when the Maple siblings and I were travelling together, we had encountered strange creatures that had the bodies of different elements. In a glance, they could be mistaken as pokemon but when we realized that no pokemon attacks work on them, we had come to conclusion that they were sent for us.

Fortunately for us, we managed to evade most of them since there are pokemon living in the wild that tried to attack them, making us leave unscathed.

However, I don't think that luck is on our side now since Drew, Paul, Ash, Dylan, and Gary all had their pokemon out and are currently attacking the said beast while Misty, Dawn, and Leaf are in the clutches of the beast.

"What should we do?" May whispered to me as we both crept silently to avoid being the center of the attention of the beast, her, going towards where the boys are while I climbed a tree. "Please tell me you managed to research everything before we left." She pleaded as I tried to get around from the trees so as I could have a view of the beast's eyes.

'That beast originated from Snowpoint city in Sinnoh. That creature is designed to kill the fire guardian, a.k.a you by freezing to death. Anyone in the vicinity of it, shall feel tremendous cold and I don't think anyone can survive that except for the ice guardian.' I informed her to which she visibly paled.

'Great. I just left for an adventure, and I get an assassinator in my plate.'

'Here's the plan,' I threw my mind towards her. Ever since Professor Oak found out about our abilities, he was the one encouraging us to train ourselves to make better use of our abilities and to expand its capabilities. 'I'll face the beast; you make sure that they are in a safe zone.' I told her to which snapped her into glaring at me.

'Are you out of your mind?' She screamed in her thoughts as I kept the link between us. 'What if you get caught then? You don't have your pokemon with you, how are you going to get away?'

I smirked and held my hand out where she could see the pokeballs I packed beforehand. 'I've got Skarmory with me, don't worry.'

'You sure you don't need me?' She asked me. 'I'm willing to use my awesome powers so this won't take too long.'

'And let those girls burn to death? As much as I dislike their attitude towards me, I don't think those guys would appreciate it. Not to mention, you still can't control your powers.'

'And you can?' She countered.

'Better than you, I suppose. Face it, Maple. You're on guard duty.' I ended our conversation.

'Just make sure you stay alive.' She told me, taking my cue. Taking a deep breath, I silently formed a bow and an arrow finely made out of ice. I tested its string to make sure that the string made out of ice won't snap immediately. The string looks like a frozen spider silk and the arrow looked sturdy enough to pierce through the beast's claws.

'Do you even know how to use bow and arrow?' May's voice cut me through my concentration as I looked down to where she is. She's crutched down, waiting for me to reveal myself before she gets them to safety. 'Last I checked you needed eyeglasses so I think your eyesight isn't as sharp as what you think.'

'Huh,' I let out an amused smile. 'Let's find out then.' I told her, positioning the arrow to its aim.

'Let's find out what?' I could feel her thoughts faltering as if she is panicking. The link I had placed between May and I could only work when the two of us are in a calm state. 'You're not really going to-'

I cut her off by releasing the arrow from the bow, watching as it flew straight, making a perfect cut to the wrists of the beast, releasing its captives.

May looked at me from where she was with her jaw hanging down in shock. I smirked at her as I jumped from the branch I was standing on to face the beast while she shook her head and ran towards the three girls.

She took her time to glare at me. 'That was risky!' She berated. I could feel her panic through her eyes as she took Leaf and Misty's hands, directing them to safety. 'Tell the lads to call off their pokemon,' I instructed her as she nodded silently at me. I could feel the lads' curious gaze burning through my back, and I'm sure that Gary will be giving us an earful later on but right now, there's something else I should focus on.

I looked back to the beast that had let out an ear piercing roar, shooting ice shards from its mouth. I could tell that I had angered it just by cutting off his wrist and letting his prisoners free from its clutches. I easily deflected the shards, directing them towards the trees where I knew they would melt but with how fast the beast release its breath, I looked down and saw Dawn kneeling on the ground.

I looked back and saw that the beast will release its shard and if Dawn stayed where she is, she will be pierced. Just as I was about to run towards her, I felt the swoosh of the wind and the next thing I knew, Gary was kneeling beside Dawn, ready to carry her to safety when another wave of ice shards were sent on their way. I reacted immediately as I ran towards their side and ready to send an ice barrier only for an unimaginable to happen.

Dawn raised her hands as if by doing such action would stop the shards from falling. Instead, a huge dome of light surrounded both of us, fending the shards from piercing any of us.

'What the hell was that?'

I looked at Gary who had this surprised look written all over his face. "You have to get out of here before that beast charges again," I signed to him to which he nodded in understanding.

"I'm going after you next, so just hang on. Oh and you and May have a lot of explaining to do." He promised as he sped towards where May and the others were. I met May's gaze and just nodded at her to make sure that no one gets to leave.

Gary must've sensed our exchange because he was already up to his feet. Just as before he could run over to where I am, May managed to create a ring of fire that surrounded the group.

"What the heck, May?!" I heard Gary shout at her.

'You so owe me for this, Belle.' I heard May tell me through our link as I prepared myself to face the beast. Just as I am about to release another wave of ice, one of my pokemon released itself. I found myself looking to the eyes of my ever so faithful Lucario.

'You're not planning on facing that beast yourself, are you?' He asked as he charged an Aura Sphere towards the beast's attack. Lucario took advantage of the moment's confusion and carried me away from the beast's line of vision. 'You haven't even completed training yet!' He scolded me as he let me shoot ice energy towards the beast.

'Scold me later,' I grunted as I released a wave of blizzard towards the beast, momentarily blinding it, creating an opening for us to escape its clutches. I turned to May and the others who looked flabbergasted at the scene in front of them. 'Quick May, run for it!' I screamed at her in my head as she jolted from her frozen state and grabbed the wrists of whoever she's near to and made a run for it.

I looked at Lucario and gave him a sheepish grin while he looked at me, ready to scold. I grabbed him and made a run towards the opposite direction towards the Dewford clearing where May and I were supposed to be.

'What about Maybelle?' Lucario asked me as I shook my head and sent her our location through our weakening link.

'She'll find me. Don't worry. She always does.'

A/N: Not my best but I'll make it up to you as soon as I figured out what I wanted to do with this story...