The conflict between Pokémon and Fusions existed all over the world, not just in Kanto where most of the aggression seems to be at its tensest. This was as prevalent in a region like Sinnoh. Fusions would run amuck and cause trouble at any opportunity for revenge against their oppressors. That said, the hate wasn't as bad as it was in Kanto, as the residents of Sinnoh had more control over the rampant attacks.

It made it harder for Fusions to walk among the Pokémon without being judged or shunned in fear. However, some parts of Sinnoh did allow Fusions to live among the Pokémon in secret. Some have even adapted to their changes and hide them with ease. This allowed Fusions to go about their day normally, even if it meant hiding their true selves.

If there was a Fusion seen in public, though, it is quick to start an uproar.

Standing outside the city limit of Hyacinth City was a cloaked figure. They stared at the city with curious eyes. "Finally…I've been looking for this place for so long." The voice was feminine, making the figure out to be female. She took a step forward and entered the city.

She walked along the streets, keeping her head low. She looked around vigilantly for a certain place to stop at. Somewhere to complete her long trek.

She passed by a few Pokémon on her way. They were stuck in their own conversations, but the mere passing of the Fusion caused them to stop and do double takes in shock. The Fusion could feel their stares on her and stopped.

The Pokémon were stunned, shaking in their tracks. It wasn't uncommon for a Fusion to walk into the city so casually. The question was whether they were passing through or had ill-intent on the mind. No one could tell from the unpredictable nature the Fusions possessed. They were on a thin line of balance in terms of morality.

One of the Pokémon, a Nuzleaf, gulped and asked to no one in particular, "Is…Is that a Fusion?"

A Raichu nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah…I-I think it is."

A Swadloon, who was walking alongside the Nuzleaf, quivered in terror. "Should we call the police?" she mumbled.

Nuzleaf shook his head with a frightened expression. "Are you mad?! I don't want to get killed for ratting a Fusion out!"

"What if it's evil?!" the Raichu proposed.

"Well, I don't know, but I rather not take my chances with it!"

"It has a name, you know." They froze up in terror as the Fusion looked over her shoulder. Her tone was emotionless and quiet. Her eyes, under her hood, were dark. She presented a piercing glare that felt like she was peering into their souls. "It's rude to talk about others behind their backs. Like you said…don't know what I could do."

The Pokémon shivered in horror and dropped down. They clasped their hands together pleadingly. "We're sorry! Please don't hurt us!"

The Fusion stared at them for merely a moment, before turning her direction back down the street. The Pokémon looked up in shock, yet relief that they were spared. The Fusion had her eyes set on something and she had no time for interruptions.

She looked around with an observant stare before her eyes fell upon a promising sight: a bar.

Bars were the typical hangout for Pokémon who wanted to cut loose and have a good drink. This bar was a regular hangout for busy Pokémon of the city. With such a popular hangout came plenty of customers to serve.

The patrons inside clanged their mugs together and took large sips. The TV hanging from the wall showed a football game being played, with some of the more competitive Pokémon shouting at the TV with encouragement or aggression. Mostly aggression. Alcohol fueled aggression.

What arguably made the bar enjoyable, though, was the main bartender/server. A Hitmonlee who was running the counter. He wore a white buttoned down shirt with long sleeves and black pants with suspenders going over his shoulders. He leaned against the counter, taking a drink of whiskey. How he drank it without a visible mouth? Best not to question it.

"Yo, Eddie!" The Hitmonlee, Eddie, set down his glass and looked down the counter. A Mankey was jumping on his stool. "Yo, yo! Pass me down some gin, pal!"

Eddie raised a brow, then reached for the gin on the shelf. "Manny, the last time I gave you gin, you got into a fight with a Hariyama…on purpose."

Manny waved his concern off. "Bah! I can handle myself now! I know my limits!"

Eddie sighed and poured him a glass. "If you say so."

"Actually, pass me the whole bottle!" he asked eagerly.

Eddie deadpanned at the pig monkey, then slid both the glass and bottle down to him. "Watch yourself. I'm not responsible for you if you pass out."

"Yeah, yeah!" He took a shot of gin, then refilled almost immediately.

Eddie pinched between his eyes. He heard an enthusiastic laugh behind him. He turned and faced an Incineroar. "Ah, lighten up, Eddie! Why do you always have to be an emotionless killjoy?"

Eddie crossed his arms with a raised brow. "Need I remind you that you were sleeping in the back dumpster last week?" he asked with a playful tone.

Incineroar laughed, slamming his fist repeatedly against the table. "HAHAHAHA! One hell of a night, if I do say so myself!" Eddie rolled his eyes, but let loose a light chuckle. Incineroar turned to the Pokémon sitting by him. "Anyway, did you guys here about what happened around in Kanto?"

A Ludicolo took a sip of gin and set the glass down. "You mean with the Fusion Hunters and their recent capture last week?"

"Yeah, that." He chuckled. "Serves those lousy Fusions right, thinking they can get away with crime under their watch. The news article I found said they tripped a security system. What a bunch of idiots!" He took a shot of whiskey and slammed it down. "If we had more Fusions like that, life would be a whole lot simpler!" Eddie rolled his eyes at this.

"Pssh, you think that's bad?" a Rampardos interjected. "Have you heard what's going down in Grandis City recently? That guy who runs Profectus Inc. is apparently running some stupid agreement with those so called peaceful Fusions who live in the forest."

Incineroar face-palmed and shook his head in disappointment. "Really? What kind of agreement?"

"Turns out they're letting Fusions come in and out of their village to do labor tasks and to clean the streets of criminals Fusions."

Eddie wiped a glass down, once again rolling his eyes. "Oh, the pokemanity! They're clearing out criminals and acting like respectable citizens! What a tragedy!" he cried sarcastically before deadpanning.

Rampardos sneered. "Sure, make fun of it if you want, but Fusions have a history for being troublesome imps."

"Don't they wave charges of murder off their record, too?" Incineroar asked. "Pretty sure I heard that somewhere."

"Well, that makes that idiot all the crazier."

"No kidding." Incineroar took a sip and slammed his glass down with an annoyed sighed. "What a reckless move. Hiring Fusions to do the work of Fusion Hunters."

Eddie closed his eyes and shook his head. "Keep in mind, Randy, that the Fusion Hunters are pretty freakin' expensive to hire. They serve to protect the peace, but their services aren't cheap." He shrugged. "In a way, having the Fusions handle the small-scale work is a valid strategy." He put the clean glass away and went to the next. "Be thankful there's rational thinking Fusions outside of the criminal ones."

"BAH! You're being too nice! I like you and all, Ed, but you've got to admit the Fusions aren't angels sent down from Arceus. They're dangers to everyone. Heck, the first time they 'helped' ended up costing the city way more property damage than before!"

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Haven't heard that a thousand times already," he mumbled sarcastically.

"You're too soft on the Fusions, Eddie. Don't you feel any anger towards them? Animosity for their destructive ways? The tiniest sliver of malice?"

Eddie looked at large tiger, eye to eye. "Randy, I'm a simple Pokémon. I work, I sleep, I work again until I get the day off. Nothing more to that. The way I see it, as long as I have paying customers, whether they be Pokémon or Fusion, I can live a good life."

Randy scoffed. "Good life? I've heard you complain about that cramped apartment of yours after downing a bottle of whiskey."

Eddie looked away, holding his hips. "I was drunk, what did you expect?" He narrowed his eyes. "Either way, it doesn't denounce my point. I just see no point in turning away Fusions. I don't think all of them are dangerous."

Randy groaned. "Your denial will come back to haunt you."

"I'll take my chances." He went back to cleaning the glass cup.

The Ludicolo smiled. "He has a point, Randy! No need to act like a sourpuss over it!"

Randy narrowed his eyes. "You're way too happy to take seriously."

"Pretty much!"

The Incineroar groaned once more, then took another shot. "Well, I'm not like the rest of you pansies. Heck, if there was a Fusion here right now, I'd teach them a lesson they'll never forget!"

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Please, most Fusions living around here would be in disguise. You would have to be pretty sharp to see through their disguise."

"HA! I can tell any Pokémon and Fusion apart in a second!"

Eddie chuckled dryly. "I…highly doubt that."

A Galvantula was sitting near the bar window, downing a glass of gin. He sighed contently, then looked out the window with a happy expression. He snickered playfully and shouted, "Hey guys~! I see Robin Hood outside~!"

Eddie sighed. "Carl, for the third time, that's a Decidueye."

Carl narrowed his eyes dizzily. "A-Are you sure? Young fella looks pretty short. And bug like. And…female. Huh…or is that a Fusion?"

"WHAT?!" the entire bar shouted in surprise.

"I WAS JOKING!" Randy cried, referring to his previous comment, as he clutched his head.

Manny raced over to the window, hopping on the table. He peeked through it, then gasped with his eyes bugging out. "Holy crap, he's not delusional! There's a Fusion outside! And she's heading right for the bar!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes. "I don't get it. Fusions normally stay in disguise. Why is one walking around freely in broad daylight?"

Randy cracked his knuckles. "Must be some delinquent thinking he can take us on!"

"Or maybe they're coming for a drink!" Ludicolo suggested with a cheerful smile.

Manny narrowed his eyes. "Uh…she looks like a kid, so…doubtful."

"Everyone, just stay quiet," Rampardos whispered. "We can't anger it!"

Eddie face-palmed. "We just established she is female. Why are you all still calling her 'it?'"

The bar froze up when the doors were kicked open. The sound echoed through the silent bar. The Fusion stepped inside with slow, prominent steps. The sound bounced off the walls and rang through their ears like the steps of a lurking hunter.

They got a good look at her and saw she was a Ledian-Decidueye Fusion. The most notable feature was her Decidueye cloak over her body. Her antennas poked through the hood. Her head and back were black with green spots. Her feet were green as well. Her oddest, and creepiest, feature was her piercing orange pupils in her large blue eyes. It was a strange feature to see in the eyes of a Ledian.

She stared down the bar, then eyed the counter. Eddie clenched his fists as the Fusion made her way over to him. The Fusion presented herself as intimidating and unnerving to the Hitmonlee. Her gaze was stone cold, like she has seen many horror in her lifetime.

Eddie saw Randy stand up and wind his arm up. "Well, I said I'd teach the next Fusion I see a lesson! I stick to my word!"

Eddie glared at the wrestling tiger. "Don't be an idiot, Randy. We don't even know what she wants."

"Oh, she'll talk after I scare the living daylights out of her!" Randy marched over to the Fusion.

The bartender pinched between his eyes, shaking his head. Please don't break out into a fight. Please don't break out into a fight.

The Fusion stopped and looked up at the intimidating Incineroar. He cracked his neck and knuckles, flexed his fingers out, then pointed accusingly at her. "Listen here, short stack! You walk into MY city and act like you own the place? Well, aren't you in for a surprise?" He flexed his muscles. "You Fusions act all high and mighty with your power and unique abilities, but you're nothing compared to the main man! I'm one of the strong Pokémon in this…"

The Fusion tuned him out and turned her attention towards Eddie. The Hitmonlee's eyes widened when he made eye contact with her. Her expression was neutral, yet there seemed to be great pain hiding behind it.

"…pulled a bus over the mountains with nothing more than my teeth!" Randy finished with his boasting. He pointed down again. "So, if you think you can take me on in a fight, then come at me with all your…might?" He blinked, then his jaw dropped seeing she was gone. He turned around and saw she walked around him. "I…I, uh…DID YOU JUST IGNORE ME?!"

She continued to ignore him as she came up to the counter and hopped onto the stool. Eddie narrowed his eyes. He cautiously tapped his foot against the ground, prepping himself in case she really did mean trouble.

He cleared his throat and said, "Um…hello. Welcome to my bar. How may I help you?"

Her piercing stare sharpened. "You run this joint?" she repeated with a raspy voice.

"Yes…I just said that."

"…good." She slammed her hands on the counter, surprising Eddie. "Listen up, buster, I didn't come here to make small talk. I came here for a reason. A purpose. And you're going to help me."

Eddie stepped back. He slowly raised his foot in preparation. "A…purpose, you say?"

"I've been traveling this region for several days. Several, long, agonizing days." She bared her teeth. "And now that I'm here, I can finally get what I desire."

"And…that would be?" Eddie asked cautiously, fully raising his foot. He was ready to kick this kid out. She looked ready for a fight.

"Well, to put it lightly…" Eddie waited for her to say something disturbing, but he lowered his guard when he heard a loud grumble coming from the Fusion's stomach. He blinked as her expression shifted from dark and malicious to sad and exhausted. Her lip quivered while her eyes watered. She drew a sharp breath and shouted, "I'M REALLY HUUUUUUNGRY!" She burst into tears and slammed her face against the counter. A puddle of tears stretched over the counter.

Eddie was completely befuddled, dare he say shocked, by the sudden shift in mood. She looked about ready to fight someone, but she was actually hungry?! He turned to the other patrons for answers, only receiving shrugs with equally perplexed stares. Eddie looked back awkwardly at the sobbing Ledian-Decidueye. I have…several questions.

Manny was the first to speak through the confusion. "I…don't know how to respond to this."

Seeing as everyone was just staring in bewilderment, Eddie took the initiative and awkwardly patted the weeping girl's head. "H-Hey, kid, calm down. You don't have to cry or any-" He jumped back when she lifted her head and inhaled deeply, before continuing her cries.

"I've been eating airplane food for the last six days! It wasn't very good airplane food!" She slammed her hand down into her puddle of tears. "I couldn't find a single restaurant for days! I couldn't even find a city! I thought I would go hungry!"

Most of the patrons immediately took pity on her. "Aww, you poor thing!" Ludicolo expressed as he patted her back.

"She must have been starving," Manny said, rubbing the sobbing Ledian Fusion's head.

"I can testify to that!" Carl shouted, clearly still drunk. "I once got food poisoning from their peanuts! The bastards try to poison me!"

Eddie deadpanned at the Galvantula as he gently rubbed the Fusion's head. "Carl, you're allergic to peanuts."

"That's what they WANT you to think!" he shouted before collapsing out of his chair.

Randy, however, was the only one not pitying the Fusion. In fact, he was utterly appalled by their behavior. "You…hypocritical idiots! Weren't we all just talking about why the Fusions were menaces?! Now you're…coddling one?!"

"But she's only a little girl!" Ludicolo insisted with a sad expression.

The Fusion picked her head up, halting her sobbing and speaking with a casual tone, "Oh no, I'm actually sixteen years old. Hardly little. Where was I? Oh yes!" She slammed her head down again and sobbed.

Randy pulled on his whiskers and growled in frustration. "This is murder on my ears! Someone shut that brat up!"

Rampardos narrowed his eyes. "Hey, she's a wreck right now, be a bit more sensible."

The Incineroar was a hair away from his patience breaking. "Why are you siding with her?! We literally had a conversation about why they're menaces!"

Rampardos pushed him. "Look, I don't like Fusions either, but I'm not some jackass who tortures kids!"

"She could be plotting to take us out one by one!" Randy pointed at Eddie. "Eddie, do something about this! Kick her out! Send her packing!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes and looked down at the sobbing child. She looked so miserable. Why was she walking by herself? Doesn't she have a family to go back to? Or are they the reason she's out here on her own? Hard to say, but he wasn't a Pokémon who turned down a potential customer. He had standards when running a business, but he was, nonetheless, empathetic.

"Hey, kid." He reached under and tipped her head up so he could get a good look at her. She had tears running down the side of her face. "Do you have any money on hand?"

She sniffled and looked at him confused. "W-What?" she choked a sob.

"You said you've been eating airplane food, right? That means you were on an airplane. That means you must have money, correct?"

The Ledian-Decidueye's eyes shimmered in awe. "R-Really? Y-You're not going to turn me away?"

He placed his hand over his heart. "As the owner of this bar, it is my duty to attend to all paying customers' needs."

Her eyes sparkled in sheer delight. She radiant in joy as a smile stretched across her face. "EEEE!" she screamed through her teeth before leaping over the counter and wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Yes, I have money! I'm SUUUUUPER hungry!"

Eddie pushed her off gently. "P-Please don't touch me." She sat back in the stool and kicked her feet with absolute joy. He sighed and pointed over his shoulder. "Okay, everything you see on the menu is what we have. I'm NOT serving you alcoholic beverages, no matter how much you plead. So, what do you-?"

"Chesto Berry Steak!" she cried out happily. "Five plates of it!"

Eddie stumbled forward in shock. "E-Excuse me? You did look at the price first, right?"

"Yes, I did!" She pounded her fists down. "Five Chesto Berry Steaks!"

"Good lord, kid, those cost twenty-three dollars a plate!" Manny shouted in bewilderment.

"Are you sure you have that type of money on hand?" Ludicolo asked.

"Yep, yep, yep! Plenty of money!" She reached into her cloak and threw out three wallets in front of Eddie. "Chesto Berry Steaks, please!"

The patrons and Eddie stared at the three wallets with blank expressions. It was so quiet that one could hear the wind passing between them. Eddie grabbed one of the wallets and looked it over. With his expression unchanging, he asked, "Kid…where did you get these?"

"Hmm?" She tapped her chin, then gave a cheery smile. "Oh, I stole them!" Eddie and the patrons faltered over. "What?"

Randy stood up and pointed at her accusingly. "I freakin' knew it! This kid's nothing more than a troublemaker and a thief!" He pulled out his phone. "I'm calling the police!"

The Fusion pouted. "Hey, I didn't know the guys I stole these from needed them!"

"Why would anyone NOT need their wallet?!" the Incineroar growled.

Eddie looked inside all of them. "Odd, no identification or credit cards. Just cash."

"Probably so we couldn't trace them back to their owners!" Randy assumed.

The Fusion shook her head, laughing. "Oh no, no, no! They came like that when I took them! Plus, like I said, they probably didn't need them. They wanted some quick cash, so I pointed them in the direction of jewelry store with a 'broken' security system."

Ludicolo narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by 'broken?'" he asked, mimicking the air quotes.

She giggled impishly. "Weelllll, I may have told a small fib. Hey, it's their fault for blindly running in like they did. If they weren't greedy, there'd be no reason to telling them."

The patrons felt there was some familiarity to her experience with the three thieves. Eddie narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute. Did you happen to steal these from three Fusions?"

"Wow!" she squealed with shimmering eyes. "Yes! Are you psychic?"

Eddie pinched between his eyes. "Good grief, YOU'RE the fourth 'accomplice' the Fusion Hunters are looking for..."

"Accomplice?" the Ledian-Decidueye questioned with the tilt of her head.

"Yeah!" Ludicolo exclaimed. "The Fusion Hunters are popular heroes around the world! Any Fusions they apprehend becomes instant news! Everyone's been talking about it! They kept saying how you were planning to finish their jewelry heist!" He scratched his chin. "Though, the Fusion Hunters just said they would track you down and ask questions."

"Huh, you don't say?"

"I do say! How have you not heard about this? Aren't you worried about the Fusion Hunters catching you?"

She tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm…nope! Not really. I haven't heard about what happened until you guys said it!"

"How could you not know about the Fusion Hunters' recent activities?" Rampardos asked.

She smiled. "I told you, I've been traveling for the last seven days. I don't own a phone either, so I have no way of getting news on the road."

Eddie raised a brow. "Wait a minute, you haven't come across one city ever since you left the airport?"

"Not one!" she exclaimed.

Eddie blinked with a perplexed stare, then he crossed his arms. "Kid, what's your name?"

She saluted. "Vivi! A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Eddie!"

Eddie raised a brow. "How did you-?"

"I'm not deaf. I heard that Incineroar call you that while I was sobbing."

He blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "Right…well then, Vivi, I have a question. Which airport did you come from?"

She scratched her head. "Hmm…Latias Skies."

"As in the one that's TWO miles from here?" he asked loudly.

"I suppose so. Are there any other Latias Skies nearby?"

"No, but…" He pinched between his eyes. "How did you get lost?"

She shrugged. "Well, the signs here are really confusing. I couldn't tell which way they were going."

"Kid, that particular Latias Skies is, not only two miles away but, a straight path from there to here! How on earth was that confusing?!"

She threw her arms up. "I don't know! I even bought a stupid map, but I couldn't understand it!" She pulled it out and handed it to him. "See for yourself!"

He unfurled the map, then deadpanned. She did circle the Latias Skies she came from, so it is the one he was thinking. However, the map gave clear directions to the city. He looked between the map and Vivi, unable to comprehend this baffling claim of hers.

He pinched between his eyes. "Kid, it is impossible to get lost on that road. It's almost literally a straight shot from the airport to here!"

"It is?" she asked, deeply confused.

"Yes!"

Vivi blinked, then scratched her head in confusion. "Huh…"

Eddie was having a hard time believing this kid actually had trouble getting all the way from the airport and still ending up lost until now. Sure, two miles is a long walk on foot, but not a seven-day journey. He held his head, feeling a small migraine rising.

Oh Arceus, this kid is scatterbrained. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the Ledian Fusion's growling stomach. She whimpered and held it. Eddie narrowed his eyes, taking pity on the Fusion. With an exhausted sigh, he dug through all three wallets and pulled out the money for the steaks, plus tax. He slipped them into the register and headed to the back. "Wait there and try to hold yourself together. I'll be back with your steaks soon."

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you!" She kicked her feet absentmindedly as she looked around at the bar.

While she was distracted, Randy huddled the others off to the side and said, "Okay, that kid needs to go, now," he whispered.

Ludicolo waved his concern off. "Oh pshaw, you're overthinking it. Sure, she's a little scatterbrained-"

"More like missing a couple screws."

"-BUT, she's only a child. While our distrust of the Fusions may cloud our judgment, I refuse to turn down a starving child in need."

"She admitted in front of us that she's a thief! And a trickster! She got three Fusions arrested by the Fusion Hunters without even trying!" He glared at the Ledian Fusion, who was humming a happy tune to herself. "Something about that kid rubs me the wrong way. She owes us an explanation."

"She doesn't owe us anything," Manny reminded. "She was hungry and Eddie was kind enough to offer her service."

"Well, she's going to repay our kindness by answering a few simple questions." He pointed at her. "She's up to something and I want to know what."

Manny rolled his eyes. "Dude, she's a kid. What on earth could she be plotting?"

"We'll soon find out." He marched over to the Ledian Fusion. He tapped her shoulder, alerting her to his presence. He bent down and flared his nostrils intimidatingly, though this didn't faze Vivi. "Alright, spill it!"

She scratched her head. "Spill what? I don't have a drink."

"I mean spill your secrets! What are you doing here?"

She smiled. "To get food, silly!"

"Argh! No, I mean what are you up to!" He poked her chest and snarled. "You lousy Fusions are always up to something! No way someone as weird as you isn't hiding anything! Now spill it!"

Vivi stared up at him, then sighed. "Oh fine, you got me."

"HA! I knew it!"

"I am a troublemaker." She placed her hand over her heart. "I was the bad kid in my family, and for good reason. When I was five, I stole cookies out of my mother's cookie jar. She never let me have sweets, but they were ssssoooo good!" Her mouth nearly watered thinking about them, but her growling stomach set her back on track. "Ahem, anyway, when I was six, I greased the bathroom toilet with butter so my older brother could slip through. I only did it because he was being mean to me." She tapped her chin. "Actually, looking back, my family wasn't the nicest of Pokémon."

Randy's eyes twitched uncomfortably as he listened to her go on and on about trivial nonsense.

"Now, when I was seven, I got a lot worse. So, my brother pushed me into the mud, so I made up this fun little game called 'Hunters vs Prey.' Basically, I was the hunter with her arrows and he was the prey." She giggled into her hands. "I always won. Oh, and when I was eight, I-!"

Randy clutched his head and screamed in frustration. "No, no, no, NO! I don't care about your damn childhood!"

"But you said-EEP!" Randy grabbed her by the hood and lifted her to eye level. He flared his nostrils in rage.

"I mean, tell me what you planning! You gonna rob us blind when our backs are turned?! Steal all the alcohol in the joint and sell it in some black-market smuggling ring?!"

"Black market?" Vivi asked in confusion.

"Tell me what you know!" he roared in her face, stretching the inside of her hood out like a sail catching the wind.

"Whoa dude, cool it!" Ludicolo advised.

Vivi stared at him blankly, then her bulbous eyes sharpened, resembling a glare. "You think you can bully me just because I'm the minority in your eyes?" She chuckled. "I survived dealing with my family. You're not a threat in my eyes."

Randy bared his teeth and snarled. "Don't get cocky, brat!"

Vivi smiled innocently. "I'm not cocky, I'm prepared." She plucked an arrow out of her cloak and handed it to him. "A gift from me to you."

Randy narrowed his eyes, then snatched the arrow out of her hand. He dropped her and examined it. "…okay, what is this?"

Vivi covered her ears. "Supersonic."

"Super-what?" He looked at the arrow tip, then noticed it was emitting a low humming sound. Almost immediately, he felt a rush of lightheadedness come over him. "W-Wha…What's g-going on?" He stumbled backwards, holding his head tightly. "C-Can't think…"

Vivi dusted herself clean, then smirked over her shoulder. "You big, bulky types can act all cool and confident, but I'm not someone who can be pushed around."

Randy stumbled around dizzily. He looked at his hands and saw them splitting into three separate images. "You…rotten…" He tripped over his feet and fell backwards into the tables. A mug flew off the table and landed on his face, liquor dripping over him.

Eddie walked out from the back just as he heard the noise. He carried a tray of steaks. He raised a brow at the collapsed Incineroar. "Did I miss something?"

Vivi jumped onto the stool and clasped her hands together with an innocent smile. "Oh, nothing~! Just a little disagreement." She held her hands and waved the tray over. "Chesto Berry Steak! Now, now, now!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes, then sighed as he handed them to her. She grabbed the fork and knife and clanged them together. Licking her lips in delight, she chowed down on the steaks with ravenous speed. Eddie sweatdropped. "Err, kid? You sure you don't want to chew that first?" She continued swallowing the delectable bites, ignoring his advice. "O-Or just continue doing that, whatever suits you."

Eddie walked around the counter to intend to Randy, but the Incineroar was already pushing himself up. He rubbed his face, then glared through his fingers. "You little…brat!" He bared his claws and rushed towards the counter, fueled with rage.

Vivi glared over her shoulder, then spun around in her chair. Using both her right hands, she grabbed hold of her cloak vine and straightened it out into a tense bow string. She loaded an arrow and pulled back, preparing her shot.

Randy leaped forward and threw his claws just as Vivi fired the arrow at him. The two attacks nearly met, until Eddie got between the two and deflected the arrow with a swift kick. He spun on his hand and aimed his clawed foot at his throat, stopping the wrestling tiger in his tracks. "Enough!"

"Stand back, Eddie! This is personal!" Randy growled, trying to get around him.

Eddie flipped onto his feet, then raised his right foot. "Both of you, stand down!" He glared at Vivi, who let go of her cloak vine. Eddie sighed and lowered his foot. "I won't stand for fighting in my bar. I'll gladly kick you both out if you continue like this. Is that clear?"

Vivi tapped her hands together, looking down. "Yes sir…"

The Hitmonlee glared at Randy, who glared at the Fusion before reluctantly agreeing. "Ugh…fine, I'll play nice." He shot a glare at Vivi before marching off to a table far away from her.

Eddie groaned and pinched between his eyes. "Why must I put up with this crap?" He hopped over the counter and turned to Vivi. "Enjoying your stea-?" His eyes widened in surprise. The Ledian-Decidueye finished off all her steak.

She patted her stomach in content. "Oh yeah! That was the BEST meal I've had in days!"

The Hitmonlee scratched his head. "Uh, wow. You were really hungry."

"You don't know the half of it." She let out a tiny belch, leading her to blush in embarrassment. "Hehe…excuse me."

Eddie sighed, then leaned down. He supported himself on his crossed arms. "Well, now that you're fed, where are you going once you leave?"

She shrugged. "Eh, I'm not sure. I'm not familiar with the area. And, if what you said is true…" She giggled. "Well, I won't make it out of the city without getting lost."

Eddie shook his head. "Heh, right. Well, the city's pretty nice, so you might find a nice hotel to stay at."

"Err, no," she mumbled. "Pokémon don't really want me stepping foot in their hotels because I'm 'disturbing the peace.' Personally, I call that bad service, but I didn't argue over it."

Eddie raised a brow. "So, if not a hotel, where will you be staying?"

She shrugged. "Eh, I could sleep outside. I've done it before."

"Oh, well, as long as you have a plan, that's good."

Vivi smiled and leaned forward, holding her chin in her upper hands and crossing her lower arms on the counter. "Yep! I've been doing this for a while! Hopefully I can find a nice, creaky, old bench to sleep on."

"Uh…yeah, that sounds…comfortable?"

"I will have to spend a great deal of time finding some suitable newspapers to use as blankets. They'll keep me all warm and snuggly and give me a fun activity to do in the morning! I love the weekly crossword puzzles!"

Eddie chuckled awkwardly. "Y-Yes, I heard they're wonderful."

"They better be! Those crossword puzzles and papers better be good, because I don't do well in the cold!"

The Hitmonlee tapped his finger against the counter, feeling a wave of guilt biting at him. "Heh, yeah…nights can be pretty cold."

"I know from firsthand experience! My tears froze over my face a couple of nights!"

"Your…tears?"

"Yeah, I broke my wittle foot a couple of times and it kept me from sleeping for hours." She rubbed her left foot. "It's better now, but…well, you never know~."

"Err…" Eddie was getting more and more uncomfortable the longer she talked.

"My biggest challenge is making sure no one mugs me. And, considering my first impression here is glares and terror, my odds aren't looking good tonight." She smiled. "Oh, but don't worry about little ol' me! I'll be fine!"

"I'm…sure you will."

"Aww, thanks!"

The two stared at each other for a long period of awkward silence. Eddie was tapping his foot nervously, drops of sweat sliding down his face. Vivi, meanwhile, stared at him with cute, shimmering eyes and an innocent smile. It was the face of pure innocence and it was beating away at the wall of resistance that the Hitmonlee was trying to build between her and his empathy. He wanted to stop staring, but she glowed with such innocence that it was impossible to look away from.

He gripped the counter's edge, before sighing in defeat. "Ugh…would you like to crash at my place for a couple da-?"

"Aww, you're so sweet!" she leaped over the counter and hugged him. "What a generous offer!"

The other patrons, however, stared at the two with sweatdrops forming. She's a freakin' guilt tripper!

Eddie pressed his hand against her forehead and pushed her off. "No, no, I don't do hugs." She pulled away, but still smiled with glee. He rubbed his face. "Just so we're on the same page, this is nothing more than a temporary arrangement. Once you know where you're going, you'll leave. Understand?"

She saluted. "Loud and clear, sir!"

He sighed and rubbed his face. "Okay. Just…wait around in the bar. We'll leave after closing hours."

"Okay!" She turned away and skipped around the bar with a bright smile. The Pokémon, while happy to see she was no longer crying and fed, gave the Hitmonlee perplexed stares.

Eddie held his face and groaned. What did I just rope myself into?

Closing hours came faster than Eddie thought. Once everyone had left and went home for the night, Eddie was cleaning up the tables and bar. Vivi was kind enough to help clean tables as repayment for giving her a place to stay (even though she practically gave him no choice).

Once everything was cleaned, Eddie locked up the bar and headed to his apartment complex with Vivi walking alongside with a happy grin. Nothing was killing her mood, not even the glares thrown their way. Eddie hid his face and kept his eyes off them. He just wanted to get back to the sanctuary of his home and put today behind him.

They entered the apartment complex and walked up to the third floor. They went down the hallway and stopped in front of room 302. Eddie pulled his keys out and inserted his apartment key in.

"Now, my apartment is pretty small, so I hope you don't mind crashing on the couch. There's a TV you can use if you're interested."

Vivi teetered on her feet with absolute glee. "It's been so long since I've had an actual warm bed to sleep in! True, a couch, but still a bed!"

Eddie pushed the door open and the Ledian-Decidueye bolted in. She hopped on the couch and bounced on it like a small child would. Eddie pinched between his eyes. "Please don't jump on my couch."

She gave it one last hop before landing on her rear. "Sorry."

Eddie shut the door behind him and sighed. "Make yourself comfortable and try not to break anything." He headed to the kitchen.

"Hey, Eddie?" He looked over his shoulder. She smiled gratefully. "I really appreciate this. It means a lot."

Eddie blinked, then waved it off with dry chuckle. "Eh, don't get all mushy with me. It's no big deal." He opened his fridge. "Want some milk?"

"Sure."

He pulled out the jug and set it on the counter. He grabbed two glasses from his cupboard. "Kid, when I was in the back getting your steaks, I heard you talking with Randy about your family." He set the glasses down. "You sounded like you've been through a lot."

She rolled her eyes. "It's…been rough, I suppose." She scratched her neck and sighed. "I'm sure you guessed I ran away from home."

"I would have assumed you went to that Fusion village out in Kanto. You were there, after all."

She chuckled. "Believe me, nothing would make me happier than going to a place where I can freely be myself. But…not yet. Just, not yet." She frowned. "They hurt me, a lot."

Eddie poured the milk. "Huh?"

"My family. They…They didn't like me. At all. My brother and I were in constant conflict with each other. He was older, so he thought he had power over me. Heh, sure showed him a thing or two." She leaned back into the cushions. "My dad got annoyed whenever I harassed the neighborhood children. In my defense, they always picked on me, so I felt like getting even. Heh, well that didn't sit well with him. Sometimes I feel like he liked that I was a bad kid just so he can find numerous reasons to punish me." She shrugged. "But, I endured it and kept going."

"…what about your mom?" Eddie asked.

"My mom?" She laughed. "Oh, she was the worst. She didn't pick on me or punish me, but…she did break the things I cherished. You see, even when I was young and when my Fusions features started to develop, I wasn't allowed to have my own toys or trinkets. So, I constantly spent my time in the junkyard and played with the trash." She chuckled. "Funnily enough, I struck up a good relationship with the junkyard manager. He said I had a special spark with my curious nature.

"Anyway, I would make my own toys and bring them home to play with." She frowned. "Mom would find out and break my new toys because I don't deserve that type of privilege." She shook her head. "I just kept making new toys and fighting against her rules. I once considered spreading one of my toys in a certain plant she's allergic to." She sighed. "I'm not that mean."

Eddie blinked, then looked down. "Sorry to hear that, kid. Must have been rough."

"I survived. Over time, it didn't bother me anymore." She shrugged. "I had to take it and not let it bother me. Your kind throw insults at us just for looking like…this." She gestured at herself. "Freaks. Abominations. Creatures of sin. I've heard them all and didn't let them bother me. Now they're just words, and that's it."

Eddie stared at the counter for a long time. He clenched his fingers up and pressed them against the table. He struggled to speak, finding himself a little choked up. "Y-Yeah…I-I'm sure that would get annoying after a while." He turned away and rubbed his eyes with two fingers. "Ugh…so, you ran away from home?"

Vivi looked upward, biting the inside of her cheek. "Hmm…well, yes, but not for the reason you're thinking."

Eddie looked back at her. "Not because of the abuse?"

She shrugged. "I could have left any time I want. I would have gone to Gappei Village, if anything." She smiled. "No, I came to Sinnoh for something else. It's a little mission of mine that I took up. Now I'm obligated to take up this mission, whether I succeed or fail."

"You sound serious."

She grinned. "Heh, I'm not as crazy as I look."

Eddie chuckled. "I figured." He walked over to her and handed her a glass of milk, which she thanked him for. He leaned against the wall and lifted his glass. "So, what's this special mission of yours?" he asked playfully, taking a sip of his milk.

She waved his playful tone off with a laugh. "Haha. Well, if you must know, I came here to fight the military. Nothing big."

The glass slipped out of Eddie's hand and dropped onto the carpeted floor, staining it in the milk. He did a doubletake and looked at the Fusion in absolute shock. "You're doing WHAT?!"

"Weeelllll, not the whole military, of course. I'm looking for this one specific base stationed in Sinnoh. I don't know where it is, but-"

"I-I-I don't care about that! Why do you want to fight the military in general?! That's insane!" Eddie shouted with a serious, yet worried expression.

"Huh, not the first time I've been called that," Vivi commented.

"Why are you being so nonchalant about this?! You're already being tracked down for suspicious activity! The moment the Fusion Hunters find out you want to fight the military, they'll be on your tail for the rest of your life!"

Vivi smiled, not at all concerned with the possibility. "Oh, I'll be fine. I can handle a couple Fusion Hunters."

Eddie grabbed her by the arms and shook her. "Why do you want to fight the military?! What possible reason could you have for doing that?!"

Vivi giggled, then held her hand up to her lips. "Sorry, that's my little secret. No offense, but I don't know you well enough to trust you."

Eddie stood up and held his head with a panicked expression. "Oh my gosh, I just let an insane Fusion into my home…" He pointed at her with a glare. "What is wrong with you?!"

She titled her head, smiling. "Oh…let's just say I'm a simple little Fusion who uncovered some information she probably shouldn't have known about." She shrugged and laughed. "But hey, it's all good! If everything goes well for me, we won't have to worry about the possible dangers coming our way!"

"D…Dangers?" Eddie repeated in fear.

Vivi stretched her arms out and yawned, rubbing her eyes. "That's not important right now." She pulled on her cloak vines and tightened the hood over her eyes. She curled up on the couch. "Well, I'm going to bed. I'm going to sleep well tonight. Wake me up for breakfast!"

"W-Wait, hold on a minute!" He shook her, trying to keep her from falling asleep. "You're not sleeping until you answer my questions! What are you talking about?! What are these dangers that might come?! Vivi?! Hello?!" To his horror, the cloaked ladybug was already asleep, snoring softly.

Eddie stood up and stepped away, nearly tripping over his coffee table. His legs shook fearfully. For such a sweet looking girl, Vivi suddenly looked far more terrifying, even as she slept. What was he supposed to do now?

He could call someone and tell them he had a possibly insane Fusion in his apartment, but what would Vivi do if she found out? What would happen to him if he called the cops on her? If tried anything to warn somebody, Vivi could hurt him or worse.

But, she doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would hold a grudge. She wouldn't just turn her back on him after his act of kindness…would she?

Eddie looked at his shaking hands. His eyes were shrunk and unsure. I…What should I do?