A/N: Hey there everyone! Frostbreaker here with a chapter for ya. A little late, but I hope you enjoy it all the same. As always, please R&R and let me know what you thought.

Music choice: "Deference for Darkness" from Halo 3 – ODST, and "Gadot – The Fragrance of Dark Coffee(Turnabout Jazz)" originally from the Phoenix Wright game series.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or original story elements associated with the Pokemon series, manga, or game. All rights go to their respective owners.

Chapter 7: Life Redux

I smiled as I watched Tessa sleep, awed at how she could be so wrathful and strong during a fight, yet gentle and feminine when it counted. We had gone all the way for the first time the night prior, and my mind was still reeling from it…but in a good way. There was no doubt in my mind that I was glad I had shared this with the Blaziken that was currently in my grasp, but a part of me still missed Geanne. I mean, would she be mad at me for this? Would she forgive me? Would it break her heart? All these thoughts ran through my mind very quickly and frantically, and I started to feel a little guilty. These were short lived, however, when Tessa's warm body shifted a bit in her position on top of me and she did a sort of cute purring sound in her sleep. Geanne had told me to remember her and that she would return, but to keep living my life. I had found it strange that when she had said that, she had looked at Tess.

It made sense now…she knew what would happen.

In all actuality, neither of us had gotten much sleep the night before. As I looked at how she was still laying on top of me with her hips connected at mine and laying her chest against mine, it was pretty clear she basically fell asleep in the same position she was while awake last night. Luckily with some practice, she had learned to keep herself from burning me during heightened arousal, so I could safely tease and be intimate with her now without fear of ending up in the hospital with second or third-degree burns. While this was the first time we'd ever done this, it definitely wasn't the first time we'd been physical with each other.

After some prompting from a few of the friendlier locals telling me it was alright, I had taken to being more affectionate with Tess in public as well…often going so far as looping her arm in mine or holding hands as we would walk around town during the few times I would have time to just walk around and enjoy the scenery. A few of the children that had taken a liking to Tess – as well as their parents – had blatantly asked me if I was romantically involved with the Blaziken that walked by my side…to which I replied yes, without hesitation. This caused a bit of a stir in the community, as while Cianwood was considered one of the more accepting areas of Pokemon-human relations, I was so far the first and only one that was known to live there. After I had explained to them about my ability to communicate to her through normal speech, they quickly understood and let it go. I was happy about this, as while I was comfortable with most of the residents, I still enjoyed my privacy.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Tessa started moaning a bit in her sleep while rocking her hips against me softly, instantly sending a jolt of pleasure and arousal through my entire body. When I looked down at her though, I noticed her eyes were closed, and she didn't respond when I whispered her name. 'She must be having one hell of a dream.'

Oh well…round two it is, then.

Tessa fell down on my chest again, her body radiating large amounts of heat. Both of us were sweating and breathing heavily, but as Tess bathed in her afterglow she was smiling. Suddenly though, she sat up with wide eyes staring at me in shock.

"Oh…oh no…that wasn't a dream, was it?" she asked, a panicked expression on her face.

I chuckled and shook my head. "No…it wasn't. Why, did you wish it didn't happen?

She looked a little ashamed and shook her head. "N-no, it was amazing. I just…" She gulped and looked at me in fear. "I basically just raped you in my sleep."

I laughed loudly and shook my head. "Believe me, it was consensual. You started it, but we both finished it." I then smirked. "So, what was the dream about?"

Finally she smirked back and dismounted me, lying at my side instead and covering my lower half with the blanket. "It was a repeat of last night, but with some changes."

I raised an eyebrow as I looked at her with a smirk. "Really now? Like what?"

She giggled cutely and pressed her body against me as I rubbed her stomach gently. "Well it was kind of weird, actually. I had…breasts…and I was all, curvy-like. Like a human female. I mean I liked the look, but it was a little…strange."

I chuckled, but instantly stopped as I brought a hand up to caress the soft feathers of her face. On the way up, my hand touched a soft mount on her chest…and my eyes widened in shock. "Umm Tess, it wasn't just a dream."

"What do you mean it wasn't-" she stopped talking once her hand reached where mine was, and she gasped at the new sensation before screaming. "W-w-what the fuck!" She then looked at me in shock and stuttered. "I-I'm sorry about that."

'Welcome to the second layer of mind-fuckedness, Tim.'

I just stared at the Blaziken in shock and surprise, taking a moment to find my voice. "Did you just curse? Where did you learn language like that? I don't think I've ever dropped the f-bomb before…at least not around you."

She sighed, but still looked very stressed. "Sorry...my old trainer had a dirty mouth."

I nodded softly. "Okay, well that answers that…but why then…" I gestured to her chest.

She shrugged with a look of utter confusion on her face before standing up…and I instantly saw that her chest wasn't the only thing that had changed.

Her figure had become much more defined in both muscular tone and femininity. The layer of feathers that covered her body seemed to have gotten shorter or something because I could now very clearly see her abdominal muscles, as well as the defined muscles of her arms and legs. While definitely built for fighting, her body still held the slightly widened hips that a human female would have…and this just further confused me. What the hell had happened? I mean she was arguably even more attractive now than before, but why? What the hell was going on?

She had much the same reaction when she strode over to the full-length mirror that was hanging on the wall by my window, and she turned to me in shock. "What's happening to me?"

I tapped a finger on my chin and thought for a moment before nodding with a resolute expression. "I know someone that'll be able to answer that. C'mon, let's get cleaned up and go downstairs." I then looked back at the bed and promptly gathered up the bed linens along with my clothes and put them all in the hamper, and then I wrapped myself in a towel and headed to the washroom to clean up.

After taking a shower, brushing my teeth, and shaving, I put on a clean pair of jeans and an open button-up sleeveless shirt, letting the comfortable air of early fall waft through the shirt as it kissed my skin. As Tess took to the shower, I bounded downstairs and started preparing breakfast for the two of us, as Brutus and the Sneasel siblings were out preparing breakfast for the Pokemon that couldn't or didn't know how to hunt and gather for themselves.

Jade had snuck up and I jumped a bit when she giggled from behind me. I turned to see her smiling. "I know what you did last night, Timothy."

I chuckled and nodded while I started frying some eggs for Tess and I. "Not just last night, this morning too."

"Really? Well…it is good to know that the training has paid off." She responded with a coy smile.

I chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, because that's definitely what I've been training for." I then pointed to the cupboard. "Jade, could you get out a cup and fill it with water and two seltzer tabs? And smash 'em up so they dissolve fast."

She looked at me in confusion. "Why? Not feeling well?"

"Not for me…just get it ready. You'll see why in a moment." I responded while scrambling the eggs and dropping some chopped potatoes, peppers, and ham in it.

She shrugged and did as I asked, and not a moment too soon. Amory was levitating slowly towards us from the hallway of the guest room with Taika following, a concerned look on her face.

I placed the glass of fizzy alkaline-water in front of him with a small smile. "Drink that. It won't taste all that great, but it'll get rid of the headache and the grogginess." The Mewtwo nodded and promptly upended the contents of the glass into his mouth, swallowing with a grimace. I then refilled the cup with some fresh water and handed it to him with a smile. "So, what have we learned?"

He shook his head slowly as he sat at the counter, elbows on the countertop while he rubbed his temples gently. "I don't think I'll ever drink again."

I chuckled as I served up two bowls of my breakfast mix. "Yeah. Seeing as how you're a psychic Pokemon, I kinda figured something that is meant to make your mind fuzzy would have a much stronger effect on you. I recommend you stick with water or berry juice from now on."

He nodded slowly and sipped the water. The smiling Mew then floated over and gave me a small hug from behind. "Thanks for letting us stay the night, Timothy. I don't know if we would have been able to teleport safely with him like that."

I smiled and nodded towards her. "No problem, Taika. You two are welcome at any time." I then opened the fridge and reached in to grab a small bowl of pecha berries, and handed them to her. "I figured that Amory probably wouldn't be hungry, but I made sure to get you some of your favorite berries for breakfast. Eat up."

The Mew smiled brightly and nodded, sitting down next to Amory and eating the pink berries in a dainty manner.

I then turned around and pulled a small bowl of different fruits and berries out of the fridge, as well as two stalks of celery and some oran berry juice. With a smile, I handed it to Jade. "Here you go, Jade. A breakfast fit for a queen." She rolled her eyes with a smile before using two vines to the bowl as she ate.

I heard the washroom door open and the soft sound of feet upon the steps, so I figured it could only be Tessa. I smirked when I realized just how shocked everyone was going to be.

Amory was the first to look up, and even in his still-slightly-hungover state, his eyes widened in shock. "W-what? What happened?"

This caused the entire group to also look up at the stairs, and I just chuckled as she descended and entered the kitchen. With clean and shiny feathers, Tess actually seemed to be glowing.

"Tessa, you're…different." Jade remarked, a look of shock on her face.

Tess just smirked, obviously enjoying the looks since her shock from this morning had worn off. She entered the kitchen next to me and leaned back against the counter in a very sexy pose, smirking even more. "Why yes, I am different. This is definitely a good different, though." She then looked at me and ran her hands sensually over her body, slowly. "Wouldn't you say so, Timothy?"

I chuckled nervously and thrust the bowl of breakfast mix to her with a fork. "I can tell already that you're going to use this against me somehow."

She giggled and took the bowl. "Oh come on Tim, it's only a tease if you don't get a prize." She then leaned in close and ran the tip of her narrow tongue along my neck. "Well don't worry…if you're a good boy, maybe I'll let you touch a little sometimes."

I shivered and thanked Arceus that I decided to wear jeans today to hide the inadvertent excitement that she was enacting upon me. She smirked again and sat down next to Taika and began eating.

After finishing eating and cleaning up, I sat down in front of my computer with Tess and typed in Lance's number. A little icon appeared on the monitor that signaled it was calling, and before I knew it, Lance's face popped up on the screen.

"Timothy? Wow, it's been awhile. How are you?" he asked with a smile.

I smiled back and waved. "Hey Lance! I'm doing good, man. How have you been?"

I shrugged. "Alright I suppose. Drake and I are just checking out some sort of disturbance at Mount Moon in Kanto."

I nodded. "Is Drake there right now? I need to talk to him."

Lance nodded back and handed his PokeGear to the large dragon. Drake's face was seen next, and he was smiling as well. "Timothy? Well, it is good to hear from you, friend. How can I help you?"

I sighed and turned the camera to Tessa. "Any idea how this happened to Tessa?"

The dragon's eyes widened as he looked at her, and then he handed the device to his trainer. Lance looked shocked as well, but smirked. "Well well, quite a beauty you have there, Timothy. Well done. Who's that?" I heard Drake tell him it was Tessa, and this just caused the dragon master's eyes to nearly jump out of his head. "Tess? Wow…this is unexpected."

Drake then took the device back and smiled. "So…you two got a little physical, did you?"

My mouth dropped open in shock. "H-how did you know?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Part of the fun of being an Awakened. You see, your deep connection to your friends will enact a change within them, making them more humanoid in form. The stronger the bond, the faster the change." He then grinned. "Usually this process takes a year or so even with a strong bond, but with it only having been a little over a month since you have awakened, I know that there was only one thing that could cause a stronger change this fast."

I raised an eyebrow with skepticism. "Wait, what about Pokemon like Rina or better yet, Jade? Rina's not bipedal, and Jade doesn't even have limbs anymore. What about them?"

He nodded solemnly. "Them too. Because of this, you might want to tell all of them about this. It stands to reason that some of them would not enjoy this change too much."

I sighed and shook my head. "So it's likely that even more are going to leave then…"

He nodded. "Yes…possibly. They deserve the right to choose what they wish to be, however. You have impressed many of us already with your compassion. Please, do not prove us wrong in placing our trust in you."

I nodded and smiled. "You're right Drake. Thanks. Why are they changing into more humanoid shapes though?"

He shrugged. "That is something I do not completely understand either. All I know is that the few Pokemon Awakened have had the opposite effect on humans, changing them into a still humanoid but more Pokemon-esque form, complete with Pokemon abilities and elemental type. This is one of the times I truly wish we could simply ask Arceus why it did this. Nonetheless, you need to make this known to all of those who stay with you before any irreversible changes happen to them." He then looked at Tessa and sighed. "It's true, Tessa. Likely, this new form is going to be permanent for you."

She shrugged with a smile. "It isn't very different from my old form, just a bit…bouncier. I'm okay with it, really."

Drake nodded with a grin. "Good. Alright, don't waste time. Every second these friends of yours are near you is another second that will lead to little changes. Get moving." The screen then flashed, and he was gone.

I looked at Tess and sighed. "Well, let's get this over with. I have a feeling we're going to lose a lot of them."

She nodded to me but smiled. "True, but it will be okay. They won't allleave, and you'll always have friends here."

"Yeah." I responded despondently. I then stood up and popped my back a few times. "Well, let's get this over with."

As I expected, I lost most of them to this announcement. Where once the number was fifty-six, the number of Pokemon I kept with me had now dwindled to twenty-two…meaning over half of them left. Save for my "core group", most of the ones that had stayed were humanoid in form to begin with, so it was pretty clear why they wouldn't have a problem with said change. The two Sneasel siblings had chosen to stay, for example...but so had Neeka – a Nidoqueen – and Titus – a male Typhlosion. Raikou and his brother and sister had also opted to stay, so I didn't feel too bad about the whole situation.

Still, by the time we all headed back inside for lunch, nearly everyone knew that I was feeling pretty bad about the whole situation. When I actually thought about it clearly, I knew it was for the best, as I didn't want to force any of them to do or be anything they didn't want to do or be. Still...to think out of an original hundred of the box, I now had less than twenty of them that still chose to stay.

An eighty-percent loss is not a good track record.

Tai and Amory had already left by this time, so it was just the twenty of us all sitting together outside eating. Orpheus was trying to lighten the mood by telling jokes, but it didn't work much for me. Still, everyone else was laughing at his antics, so I put on a brave face and did the same. After all, it wouldn't be right to sit there and be a killjoy for the entire group just because I have issues.

Jade and the rest of my "core group" weren't fooled though, so Tess, Jade, Darcy, Rina and even Brutus sat around me, making sure I didn't feel alone. It seemed like a foolish gesture, but after a few minutes I actually did start to feel better. Even when looking at Orpheus and Gunnar I could see a knowing look in their eyes. It seems that my friends knew me better than I knew myself...and I was truly Arceus-blessed to have them.

"Timothy Maxwell?" shouted a voice from the front of the house.

I stood up and nodded. "Thanks guys, but it looks like I've got work to do." I then looked at Tessa, who had begun to stand up. "You can come if you want, Tess." She nodded and stood up, taking her place at my side as we walked towards the front of the house.

When we arrived, we found a very upset looking male trainer with a very depressed looking Absol and Riolu. He almost snarled at me when he spoke, "You're Timothy Maxwell, right? That Pokemon therapist guy?"

I stared at him and set my feet, expecting an attack or something else. "Umm...yeah. Why?"

He then threw two objects to me with a huff of disappointment, staring at the two Pokemon that stood beside him, who were now staring at him in shock. I fumbled catching whatever they were at first, but when I had a good grasp on them, I brought them to eye level and noticed that they were actually blue Pokeballs with magenta stripes – Great Balls.

The two Pokemon looked in shock at the trainer and he just shook his head in disdain. "They're you're problem now, dude."

"Wait, what?! What are you talking about?" I asked, only to receive no answer as he walked away...the two Pokemon staying behind. It was only then that I realized what this slimy piece of shit had done to these two Pokemon...and it just pissed me off. "That no-good greasy son of a cum-guzzling whorebag!" My anger ebbed away at my short outburst and I turned to the dark-type and fighting-type Pokemon with a sad smile. "I'm really sorry about what happened...for both of you."

"D-did he really just abandon us?" the female Absol squeaked out, barely containing a sob.

I sighed and nodded. "It looks that way."

She gasped and stared at me. "You can understand us?" I decided to use the little gift that Amory gave me and let my new dual-colored aura flow through my arms. When the color showed to the Absol, she gasped again and bowed her head. "The Sacred Gift! Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't know..."

I dissipated my aura and shook my head. "I'm not mad at you or anything, I promise. I'm mad at your now ex-trainer who was a major tool and decided to dump you for whatever reason."

Tessa stepped forward slowly and smiled. "I agree...that was a cowardly and horrible thing to do on his part."

The Absol stared at Tess in confusion. "You look...umm...different from a normal Blaziken."

"Yeah...that's his fault." Tess remarked, pointing at me.

I then pointed at the young Riolu curiously. "What about you, are you okay?"

"He uh...he doesn't talk." the Absol responded.

I sighed and shook my head. "Very well. So, what are your names? Mine's Timothy Maxwell." I then motioned to Tessa. "And this is my partner Tessa."

The Absol stood in front of the Riolu as it cowered behind her. "I'm Mizuki." She then motioned to the small blue Pokemon behind her. "He's Dante."

"Dante, hmm? Well...that's a strong name." I remarked, finally getting the small fighting-type to look at me in curiosity. "Well look, I don't know what happened and in all honesty, I don't want to know right now. What I can see at the moment is that both of you are tired, bruised, and dirty. So let's get you both cleaned up, fixed up, and rested. You can tell us what happened later, okay?" It was then that I heard a stomach growl from their direction. "And fed. Food is good."

We all walked inside and Tessa immediately led the two up to the master bathroom to freshen up while I started preparing some food for them in the kitchen. It was then that Rina and her new best friend Neeka decided to come in. The two were kindred spirits, it seemed. Despite Neeka's mature form, she was every bit as playful and bubbly as Rina was, which I actually found a little strange considering her appearance. She was a "shiny" as well, like Geanne was. Instead of her skin being the aqua blue it should have been, it was instead a soft forest green, with the same tan highlights. A difference, however, was that she had wild-looking darker green stripes that ran around her arms and legs…and she was also five feet tall – nearly a foot taller than the others of her species. Still, she was endearing and I couldn't help but smile at her antics whenever she was around.

"Tim!" the Nidoqueen squealed before embracing me in a tight hug, Rina rubbing her cheek on my stomach. That was another thing the two had in common…they were very physically affectionate towards those they cared about.

I chuckled as the two crowded me and returned the embrace the best I could. "Hey girls. It's always good to see you two. What's up?" Rina stepped away to allow me to keep making the food, but Neeka kept her face on my arm, her poison barb jabbing my arm lightly. "Careful Neeka, I don't want to get poisoned again."

She stepped away to allow me some room to move, but still kept a firm grasp on the hemline of my shirt. "Sorry Tim. Anyway, nothing much is going on outside other than training. It's kinda boring actually, so we thought we'd come inside to see you!"

I turned to her as I finished putting together a small meal for two and set the plates on the counter. "I thought you liked to battle, Neeka."

She shrugged. "I don't know. I mean it's different, but I kinda like not having to fight all the time anymore. Maybe there's something to this 'lounging' thing." She leaned back against the counter next to me, and I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She motioned to the food on the counter. "What's with the food? We already ate an hour ago."

"Well, it appears we have two new additions. I'm unsure as to whether or not it'll be permanent though." I said with a downcast expression. "Their trainer basically asked if I was Timothy Maxwell, and then dumped them on me."

"Wait, what? A trainer just abandoned his Pokemon? Why?" Rina asked, concern now filling her.

I shrugged. "I didn't get a chance to ask. After the two settle in, I'll ask them."

"That's horrible…" Neeka responded, sadness now in her voice.

I nodded with a sad smile. "Yep…it is. Anyway, Tess is upstairs with them right now treating their wounds and getting them washed up. When they come down, you can both meet them."

Rina gasped in surprise. "Wounds? Why are they hurt?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Rina I'm sorry, but I don't know. I don't know anything about either of them, so please stop asking questions." I placed the two plates on the bar counter with a glass of juice each, then turned back to the two Pokemon behind me. "Now the Absol seems to be just fine, if not a little shocked, but the Riolu is really shy…and he doesn't speak. Please try and be welcoming and calm around them. I don't want to scare or intimidate them, especially the Riolu."

The two nodded and the back door opened again, this time revealing a familiar Latias and Latios as they phased in to visibility. Michael floated towards me and smiled. "Hey Timothy, I hope you don't mind us dropping by."

I shook my head with a smile. "Not at all. You guys are always welcome here, you know that. Hope you aren't planning on a meal just yet though, as you missed lunch."

The Latios shook his head with a smile. "No, we've already eaten. Do you mind if we join you for dinner though?"

"I'd be insulted if you didn't, good sir." I responded with a grin. I then placed a finger on my chin. "Actually, there's two Pokemon I'd like the two of you to meet. Their male phallus of a trainer decided to dump them on me." I growled and shook my head. "Just to be clear, I'm not upset with them in any way, as we have more than enough room here and you know how I am. I'm angry that I've had to meet yet another careless trainer. What a waste of space…"

The Sacred siblings floated over to me and put a hand each on my shoulders. Michael smiled at me and nodded. "We'd be happy to meet with them, Tim. Anything we can do to help."

I nodded and smiled. "Thanks you two. I really appreciate it." The two of them nodded and released me. I heard the sound of a door opening upstairs and the sound of multiple footsteps on the wood floors. "Well, here they come."

Tess descended the stairs with a clean and bandaged Absol and Riolu in tow. They looked loads better, and while bandages on the two Pokemon were a little disheartening to see, it was loads better than dirt and open cuts.

Mizuki gasped as soon as she saw the two Sacred Ones, and she immediately bowed her head in reverence. "Lord Latios and Lady Latias…it is an honor." The Riolu looked confused for a moment before doing his own little bow, then they both rose. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Michael smiled and motioned towards me. "We were just visiting our friend here and heard he had some new arrivals."

Trisha then took a somber mood. "He's told us of what's happened to you both." As their heads drooped in sorrow, she made her way over to the two of them and nodded her head towards me. "I will tell you that I know Timothy is nothing like your old trainer. He is caring and gentle, and would never abandon any of his friends or family."

The Absol cocked her head in confusion. "But we were just his Pokemon, Lady Latias. We weren't his friends."

The Latias smiled and shook her head. "Therein lies his most fundamental of mistakes. A Pokemon and his or her trainer should be the very best of friends. It is the only way that both can live and grow properly."

Mizuki looked from her to me, then back to her. "Are you his Pokemon?"

Before Trish could answer, I did so for her. "No, she's not mine. Let me just say that the Pokemon that stay with me have done so of their own free will. I don't believe that Pokemon are property…they're people, just like me. That being said, I have not 'captured' Lady Latias. She and her brother are simply close friends of mine."

"You're friends with Sacred Ones?" the Absol responded in surprise.

I chuckled and nodded. "I'm one of the Awakened, Mizuki…I'm friends with a lot more Sacred Ones than just them. If the two of you decide to stay, you'll meet most or all of them."

She eyed me curiously, stepping towards me and looking up at my face. "You're giving us a choice?"

I nodded. "My calling is to help Pokemon, wherever they may be from and whatever they may have gone through. I would likeyou both to stay, but I'm not going to force you to." She looked like she was about to speak, but I silenced her with a raise of my hand. "Before the two of you make your decision, there's something you should know about me." I looked over to the Riolu and motioned him over, and he tentatively stepped towards Mizuki and stood close to her. I sighed and closed my eyes. "Being an Awakened is having an effect on the Pokemon around me." I pointed at Tessa. "Remember when she said that the way she looks was my fault? Well…that's because it is. She wasn't joking at all about that. Every Pokemon that I have a positive relationship with will change form. For Tessa here, it was only slightly, as she was already humanoid in shape." I then pointed at Mizuki. "For you though, it would be a big change. You would become able to walk on two legs, your height would probably increase, and you might become more…curvy."

"Curvy?" Mizuki responded, confusion clear in her voice.

I nodded. "Like a human female."

Even with her black skin, I could see the Absol blush a bit. "O-oh, I see."

I nodded again. "Yeah. It could take about a year or more, but eventually it will happen. All I'm saying is take that into account before you make a decision." I then looked at the Riolu. "As far as you, Dante, I don't think there'd be much of a change at all. You might get taller, but seeing as how you're male that's probably it." Both of them nodded, so I smiled. "Well, I'm glad you both understand. Anyway, I know the two of you are probably hungry. I've fixed you both some dinner and there's a few open rooms for you to use. I want you to eat a good dinner, then get a good sleep. Don't make your decision right now, sleep on it and think about it…then tell me tomorrow."

"We get our own rooms?" Mizuki asked, now in shock again.

I laughed and motioned to Neeka. "She had the same reaction when I first told her. Yes, you both get your own rooms…or you can share one. It's up to you both. To answer another question that will undoubtedly come up, no…you don't need to sleep in your Pokeballs. You can use a bed that's in the room." She gasped again, but I cut her off with a nod. "Yes, you get to sleep in a bed." I then grabbed the two plates of food and set them down on the short family room table, along with the two glasses of juice. "Well, you two eat up. I have some things to do, so I'll be outside for about twenty minutes if you need me. Tessa can help you with most anything you'd need though, but don't hesitate to come find me if you need me." I then turned around and walked outside to meet with Brutus and Gunnar.

Tessa's PoV

As Tim walked outside to train and meet with the rest of the residents, I decided to be lazy for a day by sitting on the couch and relaxing. After all, I'd worked hard with Tim while training during the past week, so I figured one day off wouldn't kill me. Lady Latias and Lord Latios were out with Tim, so I decided to lounge and watch TV while keeping the two new Pokemon company. The strange flattened device looked like a useless slab of plastic at first, but it was clear that there was a lot more to human technology than meets the eye.

I used the controller device to turn the TV on before relaxing into the soft couch. There was a constructive reason for watching television, after all. Little by little, I was learning how to read human language. I figured that if I was to be staying with Timothy, being able to read would be helpful. Not that I was planning on going anywhere.

Not like her.

I had liked Geanne a lot. She was my first friend outside of Timothy, and we had grown close very fast. That all changed, however, when she left. I don't hate her – I don't think I could ever truly hate her – but I was definitely very disappointed in her. I mean, she kinda told us where she was going, but not why. I remember for the longest time Tim thought it was him, and the very thought broke him. I think that what angered me the most was that I considered her a good friend, and while I didn't have much experience with friendship – or positive relationships in general – I was pretty sure that friends didn't just abandon each other.

As I sat on the sofa and let my mind wander, I was joined by the Nidoqueen, Neeka. While she may have been a bit childish for what her evolution would suggest, she was still a good friend to me, and loyal as well. Like Brutus, she had been one of the first Pokemon Tim caught, and so had known him quite a bit longer than any of the rest of us had. She was undoubtedly upset at being sent to be in stasis in a Pokemon Box, but after a lot of apologies she forgave Timothy and came to live with him.

"Ugh…what a day." she groaned out loud, gently sitting down beside me.

I giggled as I kept an eye on the Absol and Riolu in front of us. "Eh, it's not so bad. At least it's a nice day out today."

She rolled her eyes with a giggle. "That's why I like you, Tess. Always looking on the bright side."

I shrugged. "Well, you know me. There's always a silver lining."

She giggled and lay her head down in my lap, closing her eyes to rest. I remember the first time she did this, I freaked out a little. Needless to say that because of my past, I wasn't used to such open physical contact from anyone but Tim. He explained to me though that she was just like that, same as Rina. The two of them were very touchy-feely Pokemon, and while I still didn't really know why, it didn't bother me anymore. I just warned her that the second her hand touched my thigh, I was going to kick her. No problems after that.

The next sensation I felt was a soft pawing below my knee, and I looked to see the Riolu named Dante holding an empty plate and glass.

"If you're all finished, just put them on the counter near the sink so Timothy can wash them." I said with a smile. He nodded with an almost undetectable smile of his own before gathering up Mizuki's dishes as well and scampering off to the kitchen. I then looked at the Absol with confusion. "Can he really not talk or does he just choose not to?"

She looked back at me and sighed sadly. "I don't know. All I know is that he hasn't spoken since he was caught, I don't know about before that."

I looked back over to the kitchen area to see the small fighting Pokemon standing on his tip-toes to reach the counter. "He seems awfully shy for a Riolu too. Any ideas about that?"

Mizuki shook her head. "Same thing, he's always been that way."

"Hmm..." I hummed to myself. "Well he seems like an okay pup. Hopefully with some time he'll open up. Haha...rhyme."

"You're such a dork." said Neeka, who was still laying in my lap.

I groaned and nodded. "Ugh, you're right. Tim is rubbing off on me."

She giggled and smiled, still not opening her eyes. "I bet that's not the only thing he rubbed on you." I gasped and slapped her chest lightly. "Ow!" She rubbed her skin for a moment and then grinned. "Oh please, don't be such a prude. We all heard you...and I mean all of us."

"So you and Mr. Maxwell are...together?" asked the Absol in front of us.

I nodded as Dante walked back into the room, taking his place next to Mizuki. "Yep, we are. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

She shrugged. "To be honest it's a little weird. I've never heard of a trainer being that close to a Pokemon before."

I shrugged right back and smiled. "What's to say that a certain man won't change your mind though?" I then looked away and held a somber look. "I mean, I was raped by my last trainer, Mizuki." She gasped and I nodded. "Yes...he raped me. I never thought I would ever be able to trust humans again – and never in my wildest dreams thought I'd ever fall for one – but it happened. I'm not saying that you would ever find yourself in a relationship like mine...all I'm saying is never rule anything out. Truly anything is possible." I looked off in space and smiled softly. "He truly has a gift for understanding Pokemon, Mizuki. If you give him a chance, I'm pretty confident you would like him as well."

"Well..." she mused softly, "he does seem pretty nice. I mean, he didn't have to take us in, after all. Besides, if the Sacred Ones like him, that has to mean something."

I nodded. "Yeah and get this, he caught all three of the Legendary Beasts of Johoto. When he asked them if they wanted to go free, they chose to stay with him."

She gasped, which I expected. "Wait wait wait, you mean he gave them the choice and they chose to stay? I don't believe that."

As if on cue, Raikou opened the door and stuck his head in, then looked to me. "Tessa, have you seen Timothy?"

I nodded. "Yeah, he's outside somewhere training with Brutus and Gunnar. Just follow the blasts of fire and the roars." He nodded and left, then I turned to the Absol with a smirk. "You were saying?"

Her mouth was hanging open in shock. "Y-you spoke to him like he was just a normal Pokemon. W-why..."

"No," I started, twirling my finger I the air, "I spoke to him like a friend. See that's the problem with most Pokemon, they treat the Sacred Ones as gods or something. They're very important to this world and deserve our respect and reverence...but they want friends just like other Pokemon. I don't know if it's simply because he's an Awakened or because he's just him, but Timothy is on a first-name basis with all of the Sacred Ones he's met so far."

Mizuki lowered her head in thought. "Wow...he seems like quite a guy."

"I like him." said a voice that sounded like a young human boy.

I didn't know the voice, so I knew it wasn't Neeka or Mizuki. That only left...

"Dante? Did you just talk?" I asked the small Riolu. He nodded. "It's good to know you can actually communicate, but why?"

He shrugged. "My mama told me that you can learn a lot by just keeping your mouth shut and listening. She was right. Just in the time I've been here, I've learned that Mr. Timothy is an Awakened, he's friends to the Sacred Ones, and he's a good human."

"B-but why didn't you ever talk to us before? To me?" the Absol nearly yelled.

He shrugged with a smug look. "There was never any need to until now."

I just stared at the young fighting-type, dumbstruck. "I knew Riolu were smart, but...wow."

"I can also read...and write." Dante said smugly.

I sighed and shook my head. "I'm not even going to ask how you can do that, but bravo."

Mizuki was frozen in shock. Here was a Pokemon who thought she knew Dante much better than I did, only to find that not only could he read and write human language, but he could speak. In honesty I kinda felt bad for her, but I knew she'd get over it soon. After all, she was shocked...not broken.

The white feline-like Pokemon stood up and walked towards the door. "Forgive me, but I need a minute."

She then walked out the door. I turned to Dante and sighed. "You should probably check on her. She's beyond upset right now, and she needs you."

He stood up and nodded. "You're right. I'll be back later. If Mr. Timothy comes back, tell him that we're okay."

I nodded as he walked out the door after his friend, then sighed loudly. "Well...this day is turning out just great."

"I know, right? Here I am just relaxing in what is arguably a very comfortable spot, and all this happens." Neeka spoke up, still laying her head in my lap.

At that moment, Timothy threw open the door with a panicked expression. "Neeka, Tessa! Get outside, we got a big problem!"

Tim's PoV

I knew it was too good to be true. Things had been just too quiet and too calm, and I knew in my heart that it had to come to an end at some point. Well, my heart had been right, it seems.

We had been hearing about isolated incidents from Team Rocket for awhile now, and I don't know why I assumed we would be safe. You see, my Pokemon group was safe.

Michael and Trisha were not.

A group of some of the higher trained Rocket troopers were battling both of the Sacred Ones in a very unfair fight – twelve on one, for each of them. The Rockets had created some sort of device that only disabled captured Pokemon, and had thrown it in the middle of my group. All of them were unconscious, even Gunnar. Luckily for me, the blast hadn't reached the house, so I still had Neeka and Tessa.

If they had another one of those weird grenades though, we were screwed.

Michael and his sister weren't coveted by Team Rocket for no reason. They were extremely powerful, intelligent, and agile. Still, the Rockets had done their homework. An entire slew of ice-type and ghost-type Pokemon were their opponents...and even though they were fighting valiantly, they were slowly tiring. It wouldn't be too long before they were weak enough to capture, so I had to do something fast.

I had gained a lot of power through my training, and was very confident in my abilities. Still...even I couldn't take on more than maybe two Pokemon at once. That's why I had to get Tessa. She was much more powerful than I was, and could fight a lot longer than me. Also – even though she'd never admit it – Neeka was no slouch either.

As we rushed to the scene, I could see that Trisha had fallen asleep due to an ability by one of her opponents. One of the Rocket trainers had just thrown an Ultra Ball at her, so I activated my Aura and sprinted towards the fight.

I arrived just in time to smack the ball away and snarled at the trainer. "What the hell do you think you're doing? This isn't happening." By this point, the four trainers were staring at me, eyes wide and jaws open. I growled at them menacingly and took a fighting stance, as did Neeka and Tessa. "Now, leave so I don't have to cave in your skulls."

"Who the fuck are you?" one of the burlier grunts grunted, ironically.

I activated my Aura and let the flames cover my legs and arms. "I'm Timothy Maxwell." They all looked at each other in surprise, and I nodded. "Yeah, that one."

An older man of graying hair stepped forward, the buttons of his suit shining brightly in the mid-afternoon sun. "Look boy, we're only here for the two Legendaries. They're not captured yet, so there's no law saying we can't. Leave, and we won't hurt you."

I laughed mirthfully. "You hurt me? That's a laugh." As I said this, he reached in his coat jacket and pulled out a large magnum revolver. The instant I saw it, I activated my Aura's power and dashed towards him. It was true what Lance said, I moved much faster in this form than as an average human, although to me they were just moving really slow. Before he could fire a shot off, I popped the loader out and unloaded all the bullets into my hand, then dashed back to my starting spot. When time "sped up" again to normal, I heard a click from the hammer hitting empty spots in the loader.

"What the-" the man started.

I whistled and opened my hand, showing six brass-colored bullets. "Looking for these?" Before I could let a smug grin emerge from my lips, four shots rang out...and my chest and shoulder started to feel really warm...

Vincent's PoV

Something was very wrong, though I knew not what. I could feel it...but I couldn't tell what it was. I could tell where it was though, so I headed towards the destination – Timothy's house.

When I arrived, I found a horrid scene. Two humans were seriously injured, one was dead, and two were simply tied up in vines. The most shocking scene however, was that of Timothy. He was laying in the grasp of Latias and his mate Tessa, and both were crying in despair. Upon his chest and his shoulder were four wounds...wounds I knew well.

Bullet wounds.

I looked at the humans, then Tessa, then the humans, then back to Tessa. "The humans...did they do this?"

She nodded slowly. "They were trying to catch Lady Latias and Lord Latios. Tim tried to stop them, but they shot him with guns instead of fight him fairly."

I sighed and lowered my head sadly. "They are Team Rocket, young one. They know not of honor nor fairness. Anything is justifiable if it makes them profit." I then looked to the bleeding Awakened. "We must get him to a hospital with haste. His life force is strong, and his Aura protected his organs. He is still very much in danger of bleeding to death, however." I lowered myself to the ground and held my wing out to her. "Climb on. I will get us to Goldenrod City with speed." The Blaziken nodded before climbing aboard with Tim in her arms. I felt her grab hold of my fur tightly, so I stood up and looked to Latias and Latios. "The two of you deal with these humans. The ones left living I want released in a faraway city. The deceased...bury him in the woods. None will know what happened here." I focused my mind and destroyed the memories of the four living humans, then took flight to the metropolitan city of Goldenrod.

We arrived a little over twenty minutes later, but in that short time Timothy's condition had deteriorated rapidly. Halfway through the trip, he had lost consciousness. As we came upon the city, I could very clearly feel him shivering on my back. Opting for immodesty, I did not cloak myself, and instead landed in full view of the citizens of the city. Some fled in fear, but most simply stared in awe of me. 'That never gets old.'

I looked around towards the hospital and projected the voice of my mind. "Doctor! We need a doctor immediately!" Luckily for Timothy, a few seconds later a young doctor did appear.

He stared at me in awe for a moment like the others, but then noticed Timothy on my back. "Oh my...what's happened to him?"

As the Blaziken slid off of my back with him, I sighed in disgust. "Team Rocket did this, young human."

The doctor looked shocked that I was speaking to him, but then nodded and looked over the wounds. "He has what appears to be four gunshot entry wounds, but no exit wounds. How long has he been injured?"

"A little over twenty-two minutes." I responded tersely.

Tessa had tears dropping from her eyes. She held Timothy's hand softly and looked at the doctor. "Please...please save him."

The doctor looked at her and nodded. "I don't have to understand you to know what you're saying. I'll do everything I can to help him. I swear it." He then turned to the glass doors that lead to the inside of the hospital. "Get a gurney out here pronto! We have a severely bleeding victim with gunshot wounds!" He then turned back to me. "You may want to get out of here. I doubt any trainers would actually be able to capture you, but something tells me you'd like to avoid the trouble altogether. I know that you somehow always are able to keep an eye on things, so I'll send the Blaziken out to you when we're finished." He then looked at Tessa and smiled warmly. "I'm confident he'll be just fine. It will take some time for him to heal though, so he'll need you to look out for him, okay?" The strange wheeled bed-like device was brought out, and Timothy's limp body was placed upon it, the nurses pressing down with gauze upon his wounds in an effort to stop or slow the bleeding. The doctor turned to us one last time with a smile, and then rushed inside.

Once the medical crew had vanished into the large building, Tessa turned to me with a very frightened expression. "H-he was telling the truth, right? Timothy's going to be okay...right?" Before I could answer her, she spoke again. "Geanne...you have to go get her." Before I could speak on this, she interrupted me again. "I know you know where she is, Lord Lugia." She then sighed sadly and turned towards the hospital doors. "Just please...do this one favor for me. I swear by Arceus I will never ask you of anything again...but please, go get her. She needs to be here in case something happens."

It was true. The Gardevoir known as Geanne had told me exactly where she would be in case of an emergency...but stressed to me that information was to be used only in an emergency. Well, this seemed dire enough. "Very well, young Tessa. I will fetch her for you. If she is upset, I will let you explain things to her. I will not take the blame for this."

She waved a hand off and nodded. "Fine...just hurry."

I nodded and took flight, flying faster than I ever had before.

Tessa's PoV

I was a wreck.

I know the human doctor had promised me that Timothy would be alright, but without being able to follow him back there, I couldn't see what was happening...which meant I didn't know if he had been lying to me or not.

Put simply, I was a nervous bundle of stress.

I was sitting in the waiting room of the ER, along with a number of humans. They were all staring at me of course, but then again I was not surprised. Besides the fact that a lone Pokemon was sitting as if she belonged there, I was also much different in form to others of my species.

This of course led to another problem.

I was quite aware that all the male humans in the room couldn't take their eyes off of me. It would have been flattering normally, but instead it just made me uncomfortable, as I was not in the mood with my fear for Timothy on my mind. It was times like this that I sorely wish that I could speak the human's language. Since I couldn't, I instead just huffed and turned away, looking towards the large double doors that the staff had taken Tim through.

Hours passed, and still no word came. Unlike a Pokemon center, there were no Pokemon for me to speak to while I waited...so instead I had to be alone and scared. It had been over a month since my turnaround in personality, but fear was something I was well accustomed to in my life. That didn't make it any easier though. As more and more time passed, I began to get very anxious; yet again, the fact that I was alone with no one to talk to didn't help.

It was then that the door opened to reveal the only one in the world besides Tim that I wanted at my side right now.

Geanne.

Geanne's PoV

Just an hour ago I was having dinner with my family...and now I was back in the human world, because of Timothy no less.

I cursed loudly when Lord Lugia told me what had happened. Not because of Timothy, but because of me. I had left him and our friends to return to my original home far away from human society. I originally did so because I thought they needed me.

Oh, how wrong I was.

In the best way possible, my blood-family was fine without me. They would always love me and miss me and I would always be their daughter, but they had not need of me to help them. I still don't know if it was by some misguided search for self-worth or if I was afraid – afraid of what, I don't know – but I decided to stay much longer than was necessary. My sister even tried to convince me a few times to leave...but I denied that anything was wrong and kept working on improving the city with my family.

Over a month had passed and I had, as expected, not heard anything from Timothy or any of the others. Recently I had begun to hope that they would find me, even though I knew it was impossible. After all, only Lord Lugia knew where I was, and he swore to Arceus not to tell anyone. Still...my impossible hope still flourished in my mind, but was unrealized until today.

On the way to the hospital, I constantly berated myself for leaving them all. It hadn't been fair, to Tim or to any of the others...least of all Tessa. The Blaziken and I had grown very close, almost like sisters, and it honestly hurt to see her face all those days ago when I left. Still...today I would be able to see her again.

I just hope she didn't hate me.

As I walked hurriedly into the waiting room of the ER section, I instantly recognized Tessa, as she was the only Blaziken there. What I found odd was that she looked very different. Her body was more...shapely than it had been when I left, and for some odd reason I was jealous of her. Yeah...I also find it a little dysfunctional that the first emotion I felt after meeting a friend was jealousy. Still, the most shocking thing I noticed about her were her eyes. Those orbs of blue that were her irises were shrouded in fear, longing, and pain.

"Geanne." she breathed out. I sat down next to her and she immediately reached for my hand, which I gave her without hesitation. She squeezed softly and flashed a small smile, obviously happy at my return. She then looked towards the doors down the hall, the ones I assumed Tim had disappeared to. "Geanne...it was so scary. It's still scary. I mean, what if we lose him? What then? I-I don't know if-"

I cut her off with a squeeze of her hand in mine and a smile. "I can feel Tim from here, and I can tell you that he is very strong. He'll be fine." I said that as a half-truth, and to convince myself. In truth, I didn't know for sure what was going to happen, but Lord Lugia had told me Tim would be alright...so I trusted his word. I then sighed and drove my fist into my knee in anger. "I shouldn't have left...it was so foolish of me. This never would have happened if I'd been here."

I felt Tessa's hand release mine and snake around my waist, pulling me close. "Geanne, it's not your fault. You may be psychic, but you can't stop bullets. Besides, Team Rocket was using some sort of weird weapon that took all captured Pokemon out of commission. Had you been there, you would have been helpless too, probably." Tessa then looked down in shame. "I...I killed the man, Geanne."

"What?" I gasped out in shock.

The Blaziken shifted uncomfortably and breathed deeply. "The man that shot Timothy...I killed him."

I was silenced by her confession. Thoughts began to run through my mind...horrible, panicked thoughts. What would happen to Timothy? What would happen to Tessa?

She then shook her head and sighed. "Lord Latios and Lady Latias have taken care of it...no one will know." She slumped a little more against me and let a few tears fall. "It doesn't let me forget though." I felt her shudder a bit against me, so I pulled her into an even tighter embrace. "Am I a monster, Geanne?"

"No." I replied immediately. I then pulled her face to look at me and I stared into her crystal-blue eyes. "That man tried to kill Timothy...he would have done the same for any of us." I then let out my own sigh of grief as she rested her head on my shoulder. "Taking a life should never be easy...you should feel like a monster. Only a true monster feels no remorse, however." I then brushed my hand through the long feathers of her head and back. "You are not to be called the one in the wrong here. If you hadn't done what you did, more than just that one man may have died that day. It could have been you...and all of the others. The kind of men that would use a deadly weapon with such impunity...they don't take prisoners that aren't of any use to them."

She didn't respond, but just nodded against my shoulder softly.

Please Tim...come back to us. We need you.