A/N: My GAWD this took a while...


Gawain squawked happily as he used his beak to tear into a sugar cookie and gobbled it down. The ragtag group of Pokemon had finally made it to Nacrene City after a semi-long trek through Route 3. It took them longer than expected to get to the city since Indigo insisted that they trained Lara-Lee a once wild Drilbur that helped them escape the clutches of Team Plasma to a decent level where she equaled the power and strength of Lancelot. Gawain did a little training too, but since he hadn't trained ever since Aciri was transformed back in the Dreamyard, he hardly stood a chance against the wild Pokemon on the Route. Nonetheless, Gawain had gotten a little stronger.

"So this is a city," Lara-Lee murmured as her head turned in every direction to examine everything in Nacrene. "It looks so...old fashioned. I expected tall buildings and flashing lights and a lot more commotion to be honest."

"Oh, trust me, you'll get the hustle and bustle of the city once we get to Castelia, which is just beyond here," Indigo chuckled a bit "But Nacrene is mostly known for it's old fashioned atmosphere and laid-back feel. The most popular things here are the museum and the Pokemon Gym."

"Which I could be challenging right now if a certain Scrafty didn't come along..." Aciri muttered while slightly glaring at Indigo. Said Scrafty grinned sheepishly while Lara-Lee blinked.

"What's a museum? And what the heck is a Gym?"

"If I recall correctly," Lancelot mused "Pokemon Gyms are places where your strength is tested. There are 8 Gyms in total in our region, and in each Gym is a Gym Leader who specializes in certain types of Pokemon. The Leaders are tough, but if you can best them, you'll earn a Gym Badge, which is solid proof of your victory."

Lara-Lee's mouth was slightly ajar. "So, you're telling me that you guys," She motioned towards Aciri and Indigo "take us Pokemon to these 'Gyms,' and you gotta beat the leader, get a badge and you need to get 8 of them?"

"Getting the Gym Badges isn't a collect-a-thon if that's what you're thinking," Aciri laughed "Though it may not seem like it, challenging the Gyms is more than testing your strength. It also tests your closeness and trust with your Pokemon, and if you know how to use each other's strength. If neither the Pokemon or the trainer trust each other, nor can they work as a team, there's no way you'll beat the Gym."

"I have 3 badges so far..." Indigo murmured before he glanced at the ground "...but I lost them when I was cursed."

"Wow! You was almost half-way there!" Lara-Lee exclaimed, clearly impressed. Then her face fell slightly. "It's a shame you lost your badges, though...That must've sucked."

"Big time," Indigo agreed, then smiled softly. "But, y'know...I don't think I even deserved one."

"What makes you say that?" Lancelot asked. Indigo's face softened as he sat against the brick building and looked up towards the sky. There were a few Pidove perched on some of the rooftops, having conversations with each other.

"You guys already know that I came here from Kanto to complete in Unova's Pokemon League," he said softly "but the thing is...I had just became a Trainer when I received my starter. Yeah I went to a Pokemon School, but that didn't mean that I knew everything and was ready for the outside world. But I felt so sure of myself, and I figured, why compete there? There has to be another region with better Pokemon and a better League. So I did some research, and I heard about Unova's League. I come form a fairly rich family, so they were more than happy to ship me over here to make something of myself. But...I...my Pokemon...I relied on them too much and pushed them too hard. Instead of relying on my own strength and confidence, I relied on theirs. I took advantage of them without even realizing it. Sure I love them I love them more than anything in this world! but I couldn't raise them. They had to raise me and...and I just feel that I'm not cut out to be a real Pokemon Trainer...Of course, I realize that now after I'm stuck like this..!"

Silence. Aciri and Lara-Lee exchanged glances while Lancelot could only feel guilty for judging him. Gawain had stopped focusing on his cookie long enough to hear Indigo, and made a soft, yet sad cooing noise. Aciri, who was more disturbed about his words for whatever reason, was tapping the side of her metal cup (some adult Trainers saw the group looking for food and decided to give them some of theirs, along with some drinks) with her finger.

"Have you ever tried to talk to your Pokemon?" she suddenly asked "They'll be able to understand better now that you're a Pokemon."

"I've thought about that," Indigo nodded "but I don't dare do so. They probably think I've abandoned them and don't want to see me ever again for all I know..."

"But you can try," Aciri urged "You said you still love them, right? Whether or not you're a good Trainer or not, your Pokemon will love you back as long as you do. Just try..." Indigo made a soft humming noise before he sighed deeply.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to check on 'em," he eventually muttered, causing a smile to creep across Aciri's face. "But I'm not doing it until tonight. We'll have to sneak into the nearest Pokemon Center and use one of their phones. We'll just have to pass some time out here until then."

"So what are we supposed to do until then?" Lancelot asked "To the rest of the world, we're a bunch of wild Pokemon who are traveling in a group for whatever reason."

"Aww...does this mean we can't go to the museum?" Lara-Lee pouted. "I wanted to go there!"

"I don't think they'd..." Everyone glanced at Indigo, who was staring wide eyed in the direction in front of them.

"Hey Indigo," Gawain asked as he perched himself on his crest yet again. "What's the matter? Why'd you cut yourself off?" Indigo ignored Gawain, and instead looked over at Aciri and slightly tilted his head in the direction he was looking in. Aciri followed his gaze, only to find herself making a face. A boy around their age was coming towards them. He was tall and lanky looking, with long, messy green hair that was tied in a ponytail. A large black and white trucker hat nearly covered his eyes as he kept his head low, but Aciri could clearly see that he was focusing on them. Gawain, Lancelot and Lara-Lee saw him too, but pretended to look as if they were busy to avoid eye contact. Aciri decided it wouldn't be smart to keep looking at him, so she started to dig in her bag just to make herself look busy.

"Psssst! Indigo!" Lancelot whispered "Who is that?"

"I'll explain later," the Scrafty whispered back "but I know him. If he asks you anything regarding your Trainer, don't answer, or say you're a wild Pokemon." Lancelot made a face and was about to ask what he meant by that, but kept his mouth closed when he saw the boy was now upon them. Lancelot had his paw hovering over one of his scal-chops, only to pause when he noticed that the boy was more focused on Aciri.

'Oh for Arceus' sake!' she hissed in her head 'Why did I have to be a Shiny?'

The boy kneeled in front of Aciri, seemingly ignoring the other Pokemon for the time being and focused more on the shiny creature before him. Aciri, now getting very uncomfortable, gripped the strap to her bag and glanced up at the long haired boy, who now had a Pidove perched on his shoulder.

"Um...hi?" she squeaked, getting a small smile form the boy.

"Hello," the boy replied. "My name is N. What are you doing here by yourselves?"

'Weird name for a kid...' "Uh-"

"We're just exploring the city," Lancelot replied quickly "So much to see here, you know? Relaxing atmosphere, nice people, the food..." The boy nodded in understanding, but didn't seem that convinced.

"Are you...abandoned Pokemon?" he asked. Indigo opened his mouth to reply, but luckily, Lara-Lee answered for him.

"Nah, we're wild Pokemon," she said casually, "We've been friends ever since we were little, and we're traveling for a bit."

"Yeah! Traveling's been fun!" Gawain added cheerfully "We've been to two towns already! I don't know where we're going after we leave here, but we were about to head to the museum!"

N made a face. "But why would you want to go there? That place is more like some sort of morgue. I can't believe humans would pay money to go see stuffed corpses and skeletons of my friends..."

Aciri blinked. "Your...friends?" 'This guy talks too fast...'

"That's right," N nodded "Pokemon are my friends. Humans are nothing but meanies, making my friends battle, and they end up getting hurt...And they bully Pokemon too. That's why...that's why I'm trying to save the Pokemon now...so my friends won't get hurt..." The boy sighed. He was now sitting on the ground in front of the group while his Pidove and Gawain were perched on a little fountain not too far away, having their own conversation. "Just now, I challenged the Gym and got the Badge, but then I ran into a boy I know and challenged him, but we lost. Hilbert was his name, I believe. He and his Snivy are strong...but...I don't understand why his Snivy like him so much."

"Not all Trainers are bad," Aciri said softly "Take my sis-I mean, a human friend of mine, for example. She has a Snivy like this Hilbert guy, but she's very nice to her Pokemon. They had met just yesterday, and they already trust each other a lot!"

N made a face while messing with this weird Rubix cube thing around his neck that Aciri couldn't make out what it was exactly. "Was this girl's name Penelope?"

Aciri's eyes widened slightly while Lancelot snuck a glance at his former Trainer. 'So this was the guy Penelope told me about back in Striaton,' Aciri thought.

"Yeah, that's her name," Aciri nodded. "And her Snivy's name is Ivy." N nodded as the encounter played back in his mind. Just the other day, just before he ran into that brown haired girl with the Tepig, she saw a red haired girl with a Snivy...

. . .

As the crowd dispersed from the park where an odd speech had been held, N watched the Snivy with her Trainer from a distance. He may have been a few feet away, but he could still hear Snivy's words as if she was right next to him. The Grass Snake Pokemon was peering into an accessory store for Pokemon, ogling at the many tiaras, scarves and ribbons that were currently on display. Snivy had a longing look in her eye, wishing that she could go inside and pick out the most fabulous bow or ribbon to make her appearance even more stunning.

The girl made a soft smile and she took the Snivy into her arms and allowed her to look into the store more clearly. Snivy sighed, deciding that it obtaining one of those ribbons wasn't meant to be.

"Aw, don't worry Ivy!" the girl hugged Snivy, who seemed to have perked up at her Trainer's words "Daddy gave me a little money before I left, but since we got the Trainer Starter Kit for free, I can spend a few cents on you if you want!" Snivy or Ivy, as the girl called her looked up with her Trainer while her eyes seemed to be sparkling with excitement.

"You...you mean it?" she asked, though the girl couldn't understand her like N could. Nonetheless, the girl nodded and took out her wallet from her bag.

"Don't worry about how much I'm willing to spend," she smiled "Your happiness comes first, Ivy. So if it's an accessory you want, then you'll get it, as long as it's not too expansive. I'm going to need supplies for you and Panther while we're traveling, y'know? Still..."The girl set Ivy on the ground and kneeled down in front of her until the girl was at Ivy's eye level.

"I'm going to need you to train a little bit. I know battling isn't your thing, but what if we're in a tight situation and I only have you to fall back on? I'm going to be relying on you just as you're going to rely on me. i just got Panther sent to me, as you know, and I'm not sure what other Pokemon to catch...So, will you just do me this one favor? Get stronger while we travel, and I promise that I'll let you show off when you do battle. Remember, we gotta work as a team, and that calls for cooperation form both the Trainer and his or her Pokemon. So...will you?"

Ivy glanced at the ground for a bit, not really sure what to do. Sure she just me this girl this morning, but, it seems like she could understand her feelings just by reading her body language. Truth to be told, Ivy wasn't looking forward to going with some stranger the moment she came out of her Pokeball. But the moment she saw that glow in this girl's eyes, how excited and happy she was to receive a Pokemon, Ivy had no choice but to put her faith in this Trainer. And yet...it seems as if both of them put their faith in each other. Ivy suddenly felt her gut twist at the mere thought of disappointing her Trainer. Especially after how nice she's been to pay for her grooming back in the Pokemon Center...

Ivy nodded. "I promise I'll do my best, Penelope," she said, even though she knew Penelope couldn't understand her at all. "Just...just nothing too brutal, 'kay? I don't want my gorgeous scales to get damaged..."

"Great!" Penelope beamed before she gently rubbed Ivy's head, letting the feel of her smooth scales touch her fingers. "Now let's get you something especially pretty, 'kay? After all, you need something to enhance your beauty if you're gonna compete in Musicals."

Ivy let out a squeal as she began to hop up and down excitedly before jumping into Penelope's arms.

"Yaaaay! Oh Penelope, you don't know how much this means to me! To think, you and I will be on stage with the spotlights shining down, on US! Our name will be everywhere, and I'll be the most fabulous Snivy ever! You're going to be my bestest friend Penelope! And I promise I'll try my very hardest when we train! I'll be strong, just for you!"

N couldn't hear the rest of Snivy's words, but he had heard more than enough to investigate. Why did Snivy like that girl so much? How come she's not sad or upset to be with her? And...why did she say this girl was her best friend? N needed answers, and he was going to get them.

"Excuse me..." N said as he walked over. Penelope looked at the boy and cocked her head while Ivy climbed on her shoulder and glanced at N warily.

"Can I help you?" Penelope asked politely.

"Your Snivy," N rambled "Just now, she was saying..."

Penelope frowned. "Um...you talk way too fast," she said "but you can understand what Ivy says?"

N nodded. "Yes. I can speak to Pokemon, but..." he looked at Ivy, who made a soft hissing sound. "How come you like this girl so much?"

"What kind of question is that?" Ivy scoffed "There are a lot of reasons why I like - no - LOVE Penelope. She and I see eye to eye when it comes to beauty and fashion. On top of that, she's as sweet as can be and doesn't make me do things I don't know to do. She may not be able to speak to me like you can, but she knows how I feel. That alone is better than what some of these trainers can do..."

"Your Snivy really trusts you, it seems," N mused, while Ivy put on a smug look.

"Really?" Penelope gushed. "That's great! I wasn't sure she'd like me because I just became a Trainer this morning, but Ivy and I have been getting along great and I figured"

"You just met Snivy this morning?" N asked, cutting her off.

Penelope shrugged. "Pretty much...See, my sister and I became Trainers today, and we're competing in the Pokemon League. Well, my sister is...Ivy doesn't like battling too much, so we're trying to see if we can compete in Talent Shows or Musicals, and maybe even Contests! But I'm still traveling so that I can collect the Gym Badges and train my Pokemon. But...I only have Ivy and Panther with me right now, but I'm going to befriend and catch more Pokemon, so it's not a big deal! Oh, have you seen my sister? She's albino-looking with long, blonde hair and has an Oshawott. But knowing her, it might be a Dewott by now...Oh! My sister's really smart too! While we were in school, she studied about all the different kinds of Pokemon in each region, all the different kinds of moves, types, items and so much more! But she never battled before, but I have! Once, anyway...We had a battle on Route 1, but I lost...Ivy felt bad, but I wouldn't let her beat herself up over it because I could tell she didn't like to battle, but my sis's Oshawott is so cool and strong! And it looks like he really, really loves my sister...Oh, did you know that an Oshawott's scallop actually grew out of its bellybutton? I never knew that until my sis told me! I think it's cute."

N noticed that Penelope had this cheery, yet warm and welcoming smile that reminded him of how his mother figure took care of him as a child. I felt at ease around this girl, which was odd, since he didn't like to be around other people. He could almost feel a good aura radiating off of her, which made him less tense. And then, there was that one part where she would just ramble on about any and every subject that was related to her last sentence. And yet, there was a hint of admiration in her voice whenever she talked about her older sibling. N wasn't fortunate enough to have any siblings on his own. Thought he didn't mind being an only child, he sometimes wished he had a brother or sister to share his passion of saving Pokemon. But when it gets right down to it, N would rather have it that way. In fact, he referred some of the smaller Pokemon as his brothers and sisters.

Ivy seemed to have noticed N's exasperated look (even though she didn't mind her Trainer's constant chatter), and gently patted her shoulder with her leaf-like tail to get her attention. Penelope paused and turned towards the Grass Snake, only to see Ivy point towards N. When she saw N's expression, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed "Daddy told me about that...I really need to stop rambling!"

N smiled. "It's ok...you did no harm."

"Oh, good," Penelope sighed "Anyway, thought I'm going to be competing in the League, I'm going to make sure not to push my Pokemon too hard. I don't want to confuse them or cause them any pain, but we'll still do our best!"

"Well, as long as you're not hurting Snivy..." he said softly.

"I actually have a name now," Ivy said matter-of-factly as she whipped her tail. "My name is Ivy now, and I want to be called as such from now on."

N blinked. "Ok then...Ivy."

"I would never hurt Ivy!" Penelope gasped, while said Snivy rubbed her head against Penelope's cheek lovingly while making what sounded like a satisfied hiss. "By the way, are you competing in the League too?"

N nodded. "Yes..."

"Cool! You look strong. Maybe we could have a battle one day."

"Actually..." N took a Pokeball from his belt and sent out a Purrloin. The feline yawned and stretched before looking up at Ivy and got into an attack stance. "If you don't mind, I want to test your bond with your Pokemon."

Penelope frowned slightly while Ivy glared at the Purrloin. Though she didn't want to admit it, she was still feeling sour after her loss against her sister Aciri. Though their Pokemon were at equal strength when they battled, Penelope could see the sheer determination in both Aciri and her Oshawott's eyes back on Route 1. Though it was true that she had battled once as a child, that didn't mean that she was an expert. Maybe it was because Aciri studied more and watched battles on television while she was ore focused on her hair and make up when they were little kids. Maybe her sister was better at battling than she was. But that didn't mean Penelope wasn't good at battling...she just need to know how to fully use the strength of her Pokemon properly. That was something she learned after her loss.

"Ok," Penelope said before taking a shrunken Loveball from her belt. "However, Ivy doesn't like battling too much, so I'll use this little one!"

She pushed the button on the Ball, causing it to increase in size and release the creature from within. The creature turned out to be another Purrloin specifically a male. He yawned and stretched a little, but when he caught sight of his female counterart glaring at him, he smirked and got into the battle position.

"Well it's about time I get to see some action!" he grinned. The female Purrloin made a face while N gave Panther a look.

"Let's do our best, Panther!" Penelope cheered. Said Purrloin looked back at his Trainer and sent her a small nod.

"I'll make sure we won't lose," he said seriously. Panther then turned back at his opponent and growled. The female Purrloin hissed back at him. However, despite Penelope's confidence, she still felt a little unsure about herself. She had just lost to her sister, which was nearly an easy victory for them, even though Aciri had a type disadvantage against her. It was bad enough that their Pokemon were at the same level, but how will Panther stand up to an opponent that was most likely stronger than him. She had her doubts, but she trusted Panther. He's been her best friend ever since her father gave him to her all those years ago. Sure he was just a house pet, but Penelope could see potential. And now was the time to let it come out...

"I'm a gentleman," N said "so I'll let you go first."

Penelope nodded, then gave out her command.

The battle had began.

. . .

"Her Purrloin was stronger than what I had first anticipated, but he had to work hard for his victory." N was finishing up his story about his encounter with Aciri's sister. Everyone was listening to N's words intently (except for Gawain, who fell asleep on his perch), letting each word of detail sink into their heads. Aciri especially. She remembered when Penelope told her about her encounter with the boy, and about her first victory as an official Trainer against him. She seemed so happy, yet so worried, and possibly unsure. Why that was, she didn't know. And yet...she felt Penelope could hold her own better than her older sister.

"She seems like a very nice person," N went on, getting Aciri out of her thoughts "Her Snivy and Purrloin trusts her a lot...I've never seen a Pokemon trust a human like that before..."

"Yeah! There are a lot of good Trainers in the world!" Gawain exclaimed happily, surprising everyone since he was asleep literally seconds ago "Like Aciri and Indigo!" Said Poke-humans felt lumps grow in their throats while Lancelot and Lara-Lee snuck a warning glance at the Rufflet. Gawain - now realizing his mistake - laughed nervously when he noticed N's confused look.

"Who's Aciri and Indigo?" N asked curiously.

"Some people we know," Lara-Lee answered quickly while waving it off. "We used to play with them at a Day-Care back on Route 3. But they're older now, and on journeys of their own." Lancelot noticed that the Pidove had a look in his eye that seemed like he knew that they were hiding something. He made note of that, but pretended to ignore it so he wouldn't arouse any suspicions in neither N or Pidove.

"We haven't seen them in a while," Indigo added, trying to make the lie seem plausible "but since we're traveling too, there's a high chance we'll run into them along the way."

"And what if they try to capture you?" N asked "They'll tear your group apart, cramp you into Pokeballs, and force you to battle and hurt each other!"

"Well, if they do, then we'll allow them to." Lancelot shrugged, causing N to put on a look of horror mixed with disgust.

"So you're going to allow those Trainers to take away your freedom?"

"It's not like they're bad people," Gawain said softly "Aciri's really nice and she would ask us if we wanted to join her before trying to capture us!"

"Not to mention that she gently pushes us to train so that we can show our full potential," Lancelot added "But I know for a fact that she wouldn't force us to do anything we wouldn't want to do. I remember that day I first met her as an Oshawott...and I'll never forget her."

"And Indigo's really cool!" Lara-Lee added while crossing her arms "He may not seem like much at first, but he's really brave and will do anything to protect those he cares about, even if it meant putting his own life on the line! On top of that, he loves adventure, and everyday is as exciting as the last!"

"And one thing they have in common," Aciri added "is that...they love their Pokemon, very, very much..."

"No one's perfect," Indigo murmured "and the only way they'll learn is to go out there, in this big, wide and cruel world, and overcome challenges, find out more about themselves, make new friends, meet more Pokemon, and change a little..."

"The point is," Lancelot went on "they're traveling together, and if they wanted us to join their journey, then we would. Not because we were forced to, but because we wanted to."

"Being in Pokeballs isn't so bad either," Lara-Lee went on "I heard they're really comfortable, despite how they look."

"And battling's really fun!" Gawain chirped "I'll admit, I'm not very strong, but I'm gonna train and become stronger, so my future Trainer will be proud of me!"

"N, listen...we all know there are some very mean people out there who harm Pokemon," Aciri said, causing the green-haired boy's expression to soften "and we understand your concern. But the counter them, there are people out there who care deeply for Pokemon and will do everything in their power to help them. Take Pokemon Centers for example. They were specifically made to help sick, injured and abused Pokemon when taken there. And the nurses and doctors who work there dedicated their lives to helping them, sometimes putting the Pokemon's health before their own. It's just a matter of trusting the right person. And when you do, then you'll become friends."

"Like us!" Gawain laughed "I was scared of bigger Pokemon, to tell the truth, but when I met these guys, I learned how it's ok to trust someone sometimes, and I gained some good friends in the process!"

"I find this hard to believe," N mumbled while shaking his head "All my life, I've only known Pokemon who have been hurt by humans..." N looked down towards the ground. "Humans are meanies, no matter what. Pokemon are my friends, and I refuse to allow them to keep hurting them. To save the Pokemon...they'll have to be separated from humans for good."

N stood up, turned, and began to walk away from the group of Pokemon, leaving them with bewildered looks on their faces. They watched him walk away until he went around a corner before Lara-Lee made a humming sound.

"Well...that...was odd, to say the least..." she murmured.

"Tell me about it," Lancelot added "What an odd boy..."

"I dunno," Gawain said "but I like that he can understand Pokemon!"

"That reminds me..." Aciri looked thoughtful "Do you think he could tell the difference between us and our Pokemon, Indigo?"

Said Scrafty turned towards the Shiny female. "Whaddya mean by that?"

"He said he can understand and talk to Pokemon," Aciri pointed out "But does that mean that he can hear regular talking like humans, or...y'know..." Indigo's eyes suddenly widened.

"You don't think he knows we're not actually Pokemon, do you?"

"It's hard to tell..." Aciri crossed her arms. " He said he could talk to Pokemon...but he wasn't specific. So that can mean anything...So for all we know, he can either hear regular talking or can just understand the Pokemon's separate language. Hard to tell which..."

"So..." Lancelot spoke up "are you guys saying that we already gave ourselves away just by talking to the guy?"

"...Meaning that he saw that you two are actual talking Scrafty?" Lara-Lee added slowly.

Indigo felt his pupils shrink. "...Also realizing that a mix of Pokemon species just sitting here in a group for whatever reason isn't natural..."

"I have a question," Gawain said while raising one of his wings. "How come he never said anything about Aciri's bag...?" 5 sets of eyes fell on Aciri's pink bag slung around her shoulder, that had been there ever since she transformed in the Dreamyard. It stood out just as much as Aciri's odd-colored skin, as well as the fact there was a Pokemon carrying it around when it really had no need for it. Surely N saw it while speaking with them, but how come he never...?

"Does that explain why he seemed so interested in her more than us?" Lara-Lee asked. Everyone stared at each other in silence for the longest time before Lancelot got up and motioned for them to follow.

"We're not safe here," he said urgently "We need to find that Pokemon Center and get out of the streets as soon as possible!"

Aciri brought up the Town Map on her XTransceiver and located the nearest Pokemon Center in Nacrene. Once she said that it was three blocks down from their current location, everyone picked themselves up from the ground and made their way towards the Center, all while making sure to stay out of sight by ducking into allies and taking back roads instead of the main ones.

By the time they reached the Center, the sky was a deep golden orange color as the sun began to set. They hadn't realized how much time had passed since they were so caught up with N, but hey - if it passed the time then it was ok with them!

Luckily for them, wild Pokemon were welcome to come into and leave the Centers as they pleased, as long as they weren't aggressive, stealing or just being a nuisance to the other Pokemon and Trainers. No one really paid attention to them once they were inside the building Aside from noticing how they were traveling in a group, and the fact Aciri was a Shiny Scrafty (much to her annoyance), there was no problem. The receptionist and nurses working on their shifts made it known to leave them alone unless they were out on the training battlefields or out on the other Routes, so they were safe from capture...for now.

Still, that wasn't going to stop them from getting comfortable. They were fed, bathed (except for Lara-Lee, who enjoyed a dirt-rub due to the fact that she was a Ground type), and even given check-ups to make sure they were in good health. Aciri wanted to save her Potions and status healers, so she was more than happy to allow the nurses and Audino to heal them of their minor injuries from the training and their encounter with Team Plasma. Now they were sitting in the lobby, watching the many Trainers and Pokemon get treated, buy from the shop, eat and train before retiring to their rooms for the night.

Aciri, Indigo and Lancelot sat on a couch near a bookshelf (since Aciri wanted a good book to read while they waited) while Gawain and Lara-Lee were on the floor, playing a game of "I Spy." Indigo was looking intently in the direction of the phones, having many things race through his mind.

'If I call them, Professor Juniper might question my whereabouts and what I've been up to...or even call my parents...But I need to talk to my Pokemon...they need to know I still care about 'em...but what if they won't forgive me...? Will it even be worth it in the end?'

"I'm sure they'll be glad to see you again." Indigo jumped, then turned towards Aciri and Lancelot, who were both looking at him. Aciri had a apologetic smile on her face while Lancelot's expression was sympathetic.

"You could tell, huh...?" he sighed.

"Well, you've been staring at the phones ever since we sat down," Lancelot pointed out "It's pretty obvious that your nervous."

"I'm not nervous," Indigo murmured "I'm...I'm scared...what if -"

"They will forgive you, Indigo," Aciri said firmly "Just trust me." Indigo sighed again and hung his head, only to perk up when he heard the bell ring over the intercom.

"Ok Trainers, gather your Pokemon!" a nurse's voice instructed over the intercom "Those who are staying please report to your rooms after you have picked up your Pokemon, finished a phone call or finished your Training. Those who are not, please exit the Center quietly and do not bother the wild Pokemon who have entered. Thank you for using our services, and we hope to see you again!"

There was a "click!" over the intercom, but it was hard to hear over the chattering of both Pokemon and humans. Most were beginning to head to their rooms in the back while other said their goodbyes to friends and family before leaving. There were other wild Pokemon there as well, but they were following the Trainers to back where the rooms where. As for the two Scrafty, Dewott, Drilbur and Rufflet, they were at a bit of a loss on where to go.

"So...do we follow them or...?" Lara-Lee asked, pointing towards the Trainers heading to he back.

"Ahh...I'm pretty sure they have little habitats for wild Pokemon who decide to stay here," Indigo mused "Thing is, I'm not sure where they are...I think they're either in the basement or outside somewhere..."

"Excuse me~" An Audino wearing a nurse's cap with a pink cross approached the group, sounding as sweet as she looked. "Can you all follow me for a moment please?" Everyone exchanged quick glances before they followed the Audino outside. She led them past the battlefield and into a wooden gate, where a hidden area lay. The Pokemon - excluding Audino - gaped at what was before them.

The crystal clear pond was the first thing they saw since it was smack-dab in the middle of the habitat, but the surrounding areas were divided into small little areas on their own. At the bottom left, was your typical grassy area with tall grass and a few trees, above it was a more dense forest exotic fruits and plants. Besides that area was a little desert with gold sand and a little cliff, and below that area was a little marsh with swampy ground and puddles covering the ground. It was like many natural habitats were blended into one.

"Amazing..." Aciri breathed.

"So this is where the wild Pokemon went..." Indigo added.

"You'll be staying here for the night," the Audino explained to them while they looked around the area "You're more than welcome to make yourselves comfortable. There are many fruit bearing tree here, so food is plentiful! But please be respectful of the other Pokemon here. Enjoy your stay!" Audino bowed before she left the group, closing the gate behind her. Gawain, Lancelot and Lara-Lee immediately departed, each of them going to their rightful areas. Gawain perched himself in one of the trees of the grassy area, Lancelot made himself at home in the pond in the middle, and Lara-Lee burrowed into the sand of the desert area, only leaving the two Scrafty.

"They seem excited, don't they?" Aciri laughed.

"Yeah," Indigo added while he hands were on the back of his head. "I'm not too surprised by Lara, though. That's the closest she'll ever get to a real desert."

Aciri smiled a bit, then it faded as she turned towards the Scrafty-human. "So...what are you going to do now?"

"I have no choice but to wait," Indigo sighed, letting his arms drop. "The nurses and Audino tun in at 11 o' clock exactly. It's a little after 8 now, so I'll have to wait 3 hours before I can have a clear shot at the phones. But I did this before, so I'll be ok..."

Indigo turned towards his Shiny counterpart with a serious expression on his face. "You get some rest, 'kay? And...don't worry about me. If anything happens, I'll get myself out of it."

Aciri opened her mouth to say something, but Indigo took off towards the gate before she could. Indigo was at the gate in a flash, but he gave Aciri a quick wink before disappearing behind the wooden gate without another word. The Shin Scrafty stood there and blinked, then shook it off and headed towards the tree Gawain was perched in.

"I'll never understand that guy..." she laughed to herself while sitting up against the trunk of the tree. She could hear Gawain making soft cooing sounds above her as he slept. Aciri found herself feeling tired too, and she soon drifted off the sleep, letting the strap of her bag fall off her shoulder. Even while she slept, she couldn't help but to wonder about Indigo...Would they forgive him?


E/N: Such a horrible ending :P

Will Indigo's team forgive him? Will they join thee team?...Am I going to ship Aciri and Indigo before this story's over? Who knows...

Also, one of them is getting a new team member. Not saying who, or what kind of Pokemon it is, but you'll see next chapter.

These chapters are getting long and longer...I think I hit the 7000 word mark (which is a first for me) here. Oh well...