Here is the second of the seven. Malissa. We'll go in order of who and how he catches the team in Hoenn. And yes, by seven I mean seven captures in Hoenn. No, he does not have all of them on hand at the same time, that would be against the rules. And yet, Hoenn isn't as big as teams yet to come...


Location – Hoenn one Hoenn gym badge.

Age – 13.

Dewford Town.

Felix yawned.

Tristan yawned.

Nathan yawned.

Adrien yawned.

It was a sleepy day in Dewford Town. Felix had arrived yesterday, having taken Sahara for a fly in her home region. Or, more accurately, she had grabbed him and flew off the boat and over the ocean with him screaming.

Once they had arrived, somehow alive, in Dewford Felix had decided he should send her to Rowan and swap out for another, less terrifying, pokémon. Unfortunately, Rowan told him that Adrien had been acting restless and snappy and would be best if he took a stint on the team. After that it was time for the day to start.

So here they were, staring at the outside of a cave. Granite Cave, or so he had been told.

The reason the day had led them to staring into a dark, dank, cave was simple. Currently, Felix had just one pokémon who joined the team in Hoenn. And while Tristan had been able to defeat Roxanne of the Rustboro Gym by himself through persistence and that sweet, sweet, type advantage. Felix did not imagine the same would work for Brawly and so his options were laid out in triplicate.

He could battle with just Tristan, already discarded.

He could bring in some of his older pokémon, but the situation was not nearly so grim as to bend his own rules so quickly.

He could meet a new pokémon and catch them.

After wondering what kind of parents would name a child Brawly, and hoping it was a nickname, he made his decision. Currently the third option seemed to be the best, and so Felix sent the three pokémon he had on hand out to help him look.

But first, he had to have words with them.

"So here are the rules for the day," Felix began, sternly looking over the three pokémon he had along with him. Tristan was looking as pleased as punch, far smaller than either the bipedal typhlosion Nathan or predatory aerodactyl Adrien, but completely comfortable in their presence.

"First rule." He held up a single finger. "No eating anyone in there." He said this straight to Adrien who harrumphed at him.

"I eat who wants to be eat."

"No one wants them to eat you," Felix replied, sighing.

"They might as well jump in my mouth," Adrien retorted. They stared each other down for a moment but Felix had long since passed being afraid of Adrien. The aerodactyl harrumphed again and turned his head. "Keep mouth closed, fine."

Rolling his eyes, he turned to Nathan and held up a second finger. "Second rule: No running off looking for unown, like the last seven times I've had you on the team."

Nathan looked affronted, blinking as if he had never heard something so galling. "I would never simply run off. It would take something quite dramatic for me to break character and abscond like that."

"Like seeing what looked like a small piece of black?" Felix asked. "In a cave. That ended up being a piece of obsidian. Which we only were able to tell you after looking for three hours."

Blushing slightly, Nathan scratched his neck fluff. "...Well I thought I had a lead."

"At least call for us the next time," Felix said before turning to the little mudkip waiting patiently.

"That might scare it off," Nathan whined, but Felix had already moved on.

"Stick with me Tristan," he said. "I'd let you go on your own since you are responsible." He gave a side-eyed glance to Nathan and Adrien. "But if Keira found out I explored a cave without anyone next to me she'd bury me alive. Better this way, just in case."

"Not a problem Mister F," Tristan chirped before trotting forward. "To the cave now! Right?"

"Right." Felix smiled and followed the mudkip, his typhlosion and aerodactyl following right along. "To the cave."


"This cave is impossible!" Felix howled, dismayed at reaching yet another dead end. "Who build this? Nature? A legendary pokémon? Burn whatever did this!"

"If it was a legendary pokémon, maybe we could befriend it?" Tristan asked, doing his best to be cheerful. It was tough when the zubat kept coming.

"Leave that kind of thing to someone like Ash," Felix grumbled reaching the turn off they had just walked down and choosing a different path. "If one exists, he probably has."

"Do you know a person called that?" Tristan asked, dodging a sudden Confuse Ray and shooting a Water Gun back at the offending zubat. "I thought that ash was what happened when fire burned something. That's what Torchic always told me."

"Humans have weird names sometimes," Felix answered, ducking under a stalactite. He could have avoided it easy, but it was necessary to show Tristan that he was not short. "Sometimes we give names that have meanings, most of the time it is just sounds we like the sound of."

"That is weird," Tristan agreed, sending a second Water Gun at the same zubat. "Pokémon just call each other what we are. We can tell the difference without names. Can't humans?"

"Human's don't usually have the same kind of senses you pokémon do," Felix replied, glancing down to Tristan to check how he was faring. "Plus there are so many of us and we would all be called Human. At least you pokémon have different names there."

"I guess." Tristan's head fin flapped, it was his way of shrugging. "But I knew a couple of mudkip before I was taken to the tall hair-face human. Me and the others all knew who was who."

"Human's just aren't as clever there as pokémon." Felix shrugged. "Plus, it isn't like you pokémon don't have no names at all. You've got that True Name deal thing going don't you?"

"You know about that?" Tristan gasped, he had been considering bringing it up himself. But his parents had made sure he knew not to tell anyone he didn't trust implicitly. "I thought it was supposed to be a secret! To make sure no one gets power over you that you wouldn't be able to resist. Not like human trainers, more than that. Much more."

"Yeah I know. Shira told me a couple years ago, along with her True Name." He smiled at the memory before noticing Tristan's uncomfortable expression. "Oh! Don't worry. I don't expect you to just tell me yours, I don't really get why it is so important but I do know that it is. She made sure I understood." Felix shivered at the memory of the threats she had delivered to him after telling him. "So don't worry. I only know a few of my pokémon's True Names."

Tristan smiled, relieved, and changed the subject. "So do you have any idea of what we are going to do? We came here to find a new friend, but we've just been wandering and getting attacked."

"Well in my experience," Felix started, puffing himself up with false gravity and importance. "Being endlessly attacked is not good ground for friendship. Let's keep going."

"Do you know where we are?"

"Not in the least."

Tristan staggered. "What!" he shrieked. "We are lost? We could be trapped for days, forever, and what about the other two?"

"Don't worry, we're fine," Felix laughed, waving him down. "Humans come in and out all the time. And if we really need to we can ask someone for directions of the way out. I'm kind of counting on it."

Tristan narrowed his eyes. "You're counting on us getting lost?" he asked.

"Yeah." Felix shrugged and put on the stuffy accent again. "In my experience it is good for bonding. Plus whoever leads us out might become our new friend. From what I've seen in the past it seems pretty likely."

Tristan nodded, slightly comforted. "So you've done this before?"

At this, Felix hesitated. "Well..." he stretched the word out, receiving a even narrower glare from Tristan. "Nothing in a cave per-say. Or really at all... but it makes sense!"

"No it doesn't!" Tristan cried, hopping up and down. "Not at all. Where are we? How are we getting out? What's going on? Have you seen anyone for the last five minutes? What if no one helps? Or they don't know the way back? Or lead us into a trap? Feeeliiix?"

Felix blinked a few times as Tristan caught his breath, then a small smile made its way over his face. "Hey, that's the first time you've actually called me Felix. Thanks." Tristan looked up, realising he had done so. "See, not for nothing after all. That makes it all worth it."

Tristan felt like he was swimming through the fog of frustration and gooey happiness, settling on exasperation. "Can we just go back the way we came?"

"Sure." Felix nodded and pivoted on a foot. "Let's make our way out of here."

Felix froze. Tristan turned, and froze. Before them laid dozens of twinkling gems, each glinting despite the darkness, lit only by the small torch Felix held.

"Uuh..." Felix blinked and they were all gone. Tristan shook his head, blinking as well, and looked up at him.

"What was that?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "Probably nothing." He lied. "Let's move."

"Yes," Tristan agreed, trotting along on all fours. "Quickly."

Felix didn't reply, but he did speed up slightly.


They were out of breath by the time natural light began to intrude on their eyes. Having power-walked, then jogged, the way back to the entrance. Strangely, there had been no further interruptions on the way back. The zubat left the alone. The sole nosepass that was seen on the way in, still pointed in the same direction and said nothing. The numerous geodude were still nursing their wounds from Tristan's earlier defence.

There had been little shrieking of the dying on their way in, Adrien was clearly restraining himself, and Nathan had taken off in a four-legged sprint the first time he saw what looked like something that resembled a piece of black that could be an unown. Felix wrote the typhlosion off as a lost cause when it came to his obsession.

The pair were waiting for them at the mouth of the cave. One looking substantially more beaten up then the other.

"Geodude," Nathan answered to the curious, and concerned, expressions he received at his state. "Then mawile. Then sableye. Then the same geodude with three friends." He limped to Felix's side and tapped his own pokéball, being sucked into the embrace of no physical form.

"I ate a shiny rock," Adrien commented, his jaw hanging slightly. "Hardest thing. Not fun. Broke tooth. Ghost's mad. Return please." Felix silently returned him, making note to make sure both received care at the Dewford Pokémon Centre.

"Hmm," Felix hummed and glanced down to the tired Tristan. "Suppose today was not the day." He bent down and scooped Tristan up, easily carrying the mudkip. "Wanna stick with me for a bit until my arms want to fall off?"

"Sure," Tristan replied, beaming a sunny smile up at him. "Don't let your arms fall off though, that can't be good for you."

"I won't," he reassured and left the cave, walking nice and slowly for any dramatic last minute pokémon, sun already dipping below the horizon. No one came so he loitered outside the cave mouth until Tristan gave him a strange look. Sighing, he left.

Only to trip over the being that was right by his feet.

Tristan yelped and managed to land on his feet, slumping onto his belly afterwards, while Felix gracefully fell to the side to avoid crushing the mudkip. "Ouch." They said together.

"Hi," said the devilish assailant. Crystals glowed at them in the encroaching darkness and Felix screamed, scrambling back."Oh come on," the assailant said in a distinctively female voice. "I'm not that scary. The handsome Fire type certainly didn't think so."

After a period of silent staring she hummed and shrugged. "Well he DID scream, but you know. That was because I appeared out of nowhere. Probably. Anyway, hello small human I am a sableye. Don't let the Ghost type confuse you, I'm not THAT spooky."

Felix glanced to Tristan, who had stood up to stand between him and the newcomer, and then to the sableye. "Um, hello." He swallowed, cleared his throat, and reorganized his thoughts. "Why did you trip me?"

She seemed offended and reared back as if struck. "Trip you? I waited patiently in front of you, waiting for you to look down, instead you basically kicked me in the chest. I have feelings too you know."

"Sorry," Felix immediately replied, politeness overpowering any sense of fear or confusion. "It's just getting dark, I had no idea you were down there."

"You're pretty short," she pointed out. "I'm surprised you didn't see me."

"I'm NOT short!" Felix snapped before back-peddling. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shout. Just... why are you hear?"

At this the Ghost and Dark type gave a truly fitting grin. "Weeeelll. I happened to overhear your little discussion with the little kip right there, something about meeting new friends in dark caves. Seems like the opposite place if you ask me. It's dark, drab and damp. And some other D-word probably. Dangerous! Aha, dangerous. Dark, drab, damp and dangerous. Seems like an odd place, but you do you, and now you have me!"

"You?" Felix asked.

"Me!" She confirmed.

"You?" Tristan added.

"Me sableye, I indeed." She nodded.

Felix and Tristan exchanged a look, causing the sableye to quickly add. "And I know you wanted someone who led you out and helped and all that jazz, well good news! I made sure that none of the zubat bothered you on the way out and made sure the path was not interfered with! So I did help, even if you didn't see me!"

She seemed eager. Maybe desperate. Still, Felix liked hearing that.

"Why didn't you just come to us before?" Tristan asked, he was no longer tense, the sableye seemed nonthreatening. "Rather than a minute after we had already left."

"I was, uh..." the sableye's dark face took on a small, purple, blush. "A little shy. Weird I know, I mean, look at my chest." She jutted her chest out and the pair compulsively looked. "See my gem? Yellow. The other sableye have ruby's on their chests, I've got a topaz. I don't like the cave, or eating rocks all the time. Have you ever tasted a berry? They are delicious. I want to leave, so please, please, take me with you." She clasped her hands as she begged, and Felix felt his heart melt.

"Sure," he said, Tristan nodded as well. Pulling out a pokéball, Felix offered it to her. "Just tap this and don't break out until it clicks and you'll be with us."

"Phew." The sableye wiped her brow, grin returning. "Thought I'd have to go on and on about how weird we all are. Okay, short human no backsies." She quickly tapped the pokéball, just in case, and was sucked in. Felix gave the pokéball a rueful smile as it beeped the wonderful success sound and pressed the pokéball, letting the sableye back out.

"That was weird," she said, stretching her limbs to make sure they were all still there. "Don't think I like it tonnes, reminds me of the cave, but I guess I don't hate it. Mind if I stick outside for most of the time? I'll get used to the sun when it comes out I'm sure."

"Welcome to the team!" Tristan cheered, startling the sableye. "We did it Feeeelix." He paused on the word for a moment, still testing out the name. "We are glad to have you sableye. Or." Tristan glanced to Felix. "I guess we've got to give you a human name so he knows who you are."

"I know the difference," Felix protested, hotly, but then nodded. "But he is right, I give all the pokémon with me names. Any idea what you'd like?"

The sableye's grin never wavered, she was liking them already. "Oh I don't know," she sung and did a single pace around her new human. "But the first human name I heard I liked."

"...Felix?" Felix asked dubiously.

"No, no. Nothing like yours." She gave a strange enunciation on the word yours. "The name I heard was Melissa, but that's too human."

"What about Malissa?" Felix asked, and the sableye nodded.

"Malissa," she said, testing the name in her own tongue. "Yes, I like it."

"Malissa it is." Felix nodded and stood up straight. "Well we've still got to get back to the town, and I'll introduce you to the others tomorrow."

"Oh I can't wait." Malissa grinned, falling into step.

"They are awesome," Tristan confirmed. "There's Keira, she's super strong and been with Felix the longest, but she's not here today. There's Adrien, he's the aerodactyl in the cave. Brian too, I met him on my first day..." Tristan chattered off as they walked, a new pokémon stronger.


Done. Another short and sweet. Sableye is Felix's first Ghost type pokémon, but will not be the last. Dark and Ghost are my favourite types actually, although sableye isn't my favourite of either kind, I still quite like it. Something for a few of you readers to maybe find interesting. Malissa is a Dark and Ghost type, Felix's Hoenn team is yet to include a second Ghost and second Dark type. Both are Hoenn based pokémon. Any guesses as to what they are?

And I've been quite enjoying this smaller chapter structure thing for these chapters. I still love my big chapters and will still do plenty, but having something to post much more frequently is nice. Plus these small moments. It isn't the big things that make a story, it's the little things. So these calmer, smaller, more focuses chapters are a delight to write. The next one will have some combat in it though, ooh. I think I'm pretty alright at action scenes, although I've gotten a bit rusty, but let's have some fun with what's to come.