Little Tsu: Ok, this is the last update I have for it so far. Enjoy.

Pokemon: 6 Deaths: 1 Badges: 1

Ch: 7

Aya sat there on a couch while wearing a pair of pajamas since she had gotten a fresh shower and all. Her clothes were currently being washed and dried after the accident she had in the process of docking at Dewford's little port. Sitting next to her was Vash and the rest of her team were also out as they were enjoying the company of their trainer and all being outside of their pokeballs at the same time too.

"Here. This'll warm you right up."

"Huh?" Snapping out of her thoughts, Aya looked up and locked her unhidden gaze with the blue grey of Brawly's own as he held out a cup of hot cocoa. "Oh um...thanks..." Taking the cup gingerly from his hand, she took a sip as she tried to avoid his gaze now. After all, with her goggles off, not only was the scar over her left eye in full view, but also the pale sightless amethyst of that eye as well. Even now, she was a bit selfconscious about it; not always, but sometimes she would be.

"So. I guess you're here for more than just a gym battle with me? You mentioned earlier before your shower that you had some errands to run." Taking a seat on the other side of the teen, he blinked slightly in surprise as Zell bounced over into his lap before letting out an amused laugh. "Well, aren't you a friendly little Shroomish. Bet you'll become one tough fighting type when you evolve." After he praised the pokemon in his lap, Brawly scanned the rest of Aya's team and he couldn't help but be both pleased and impressed. "That Ralts is a male, right?"

"...Yes...That's Leon...The one in your lap...is Zell..."

"Good names. Perfect for fighting types, if you ask me. So are you planning on evolving Leon into a Gallade someday?"

At hearing the mention of Gallade, Leon perked up and cheered as he spoke telepathically in a joyful, yet excited child-like tone. ~"Gallade! Gallade!"~

Chuckling lightly at this, Brawly casted the tiny psychic/fairy a cheeky grin. "Gallade are tough psychic and fighting types, but they're also known as knights. You'll get strong and protect your 'princess', right?" When he got a firm nod from the Ralts, he smiled again, this time more gently. "Good. Just what I wanted to know." Rising up onto his feet after setting Zell down, he grabbed Aya's now empty cup. "Get some rest. I'll see you all in the morning, ok?" As he walked off, he glanced behind himself, seeing the teen and her companions get comfortable on the couch together to get some much needed rest. Smiling faintly to himself, Brawly set the cup in the sink before retiring to his room. The moment he closed the door though, his PokeGear went off. Sighing softly, he dropped onto the edge of his bed and answered his gear. "Yo. Brawly here."

"Did she arrive yet?"

"Yeah, she did, but she's harmless. Aya's a sweet girl. There's no way she could be dangerous, let alone even a threat to all of Hoenn."

"...Whether you think she is harmless of not, she still has those memories buried deep in her mind somewhere and that ability along with being his niece...Do not get attached Brawly."

When the one on the other end hung up, Brawly glared off to the side and set his gear down. He then fell back and layed there on his back; his eyes locked onto the ceiling above him. "Damn...Dangerous, huh?...Ah screw them. Aya isn't dangerous. I'll protect her from those creeps myself if I gotta even if her memories eventually return to her..."

The next morning, Brawling woke up early, but when he went into the living room to check on his guests, they were knowhere to be found. Wondering where Aya disappeared to, he snatched up his shirt and slipped his shoes on before dashing out of the house while in the middle of pulling his shirt on over his lean muscled torso. Thinking on where she could've gone, he finally got an idea on where and made a b-line for Granite Cave.

Stepping in through the cave entrance when he finally made it to his destination, Brawly jolted slightly in a reeled back fashion as a Zubat smacked right into his face. Grunting lightly in muffled surprise, he felt the pokemon pulled off of him along with a soft giggle that he found pleasant to his ears despite the situation. When he opened his eyes again, he found that it was Aya as she held the bat in her arms gently. "I take it that's your new friend?"

Smiling slightly, Aya nodded her head once. "...This is Alucard..."

~Sorry for the close encounter of the batty kind. You appeared suddenly and I have trouble putting on the breaks quickly, heh.~

(Zubat/Alucard Gender: Male Nature/Char: Rash/Takes plenty of siestas Place: Granite Cave)

"So what are you doing in here Dudette? Training your team?" When he got another nod from the teen, he shoved his hands into his pants pockets and rocked back and forth slightly on his feet. "Well, if you'd like, I can stick around and keep you company...And maybe afterwards, we can,...you know...get ourselves some lunch." Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly now when he brought a hand out of his pockets, Brawly glanced off to the side. He wasn't used to talking like this to girls. Not since his break up with Roxanne practically a year or so ago. That had been a bit of a messy one, but they made up and were somewhat friends again at least.

"Um...Sure...I guess." Aya didn't know why he was asking to spend time with her when he was a gym leader and had that to run, but she supposed he was just trying to be nice and a friend. Being friends with Brawly actually sounded nice, now that she really thought about it. As she saw the older gym leader brighten up at this and take a seat on a nearby boulder, she returned to her training with all of her team save for Vash since he was her strongest and also actually overleveled.

It was around lunchtime when Aya finally halted in the training. Scanning her team's levels, she could only hope that they were strong enough to face the trainers at the gym and especially Brawly, himself. Sighing softly, she returned all of her pokemon, save for her starter who now possessed a scar on his forehead from the first gym battle peeking out from under the black bandana, which was cleaned of the blood that had been on it from his injury.

"Done with training?"

Glancing over at Brawly, Aya nodded her head lightly. "Can...we have the gym battle? If...I can win then...that lunch could be my prize?"

Brawly stared a bit in surprise at this, but then grinned as he actually kind of liked the sound of that. "Sure thing Aya, but how about I take you out even if you lose? And this battle won't be to the beath either like it normally would. I actually like your team. They're real cool poke dudes and dudettes."

Eyes widening at this from behind her goggles in shock, she finally nodded her head once as she smiled; more than happy to have heard what he said about the exception he was making for her team. It made her not just happy, but it also made her feel special too. "Yes."

"Well then, I'll see you at my gym. I expect a fun match from you Aya with awesome pokemon like yours." Brawly then casted her a friendly little wink before jogging off to get prepared himself as he left behind a now slightly flustered Aya and a suddenly protective glaring Vash.

To be continued.

Little Tsu: Ok, this is as far as I've gotten in updatin' it. I mean, I've got the results & all of the gym battle itself noted down, but not the next chap itself. Hope ya guys are liking it so far cause at this rate, with it bein' ch7 and only 1 badge still, this is gonna be a long one. Not that I mind. I'm actually enjoyin' this story and it's good ta finally get out a nuzlocke of my own for viewers ta read even though I feel bad that my artwork isn't nearly good enough ta do a nuzlocke COMIC.

Anyways, Brawly and Aya have become friends, but whether they end up as more is still an unknown. Not really. I already know what I plan, but I like ta leave ya'll hangin' in the

Till next time. Review so I know your thoughts.