Aamira stretched to wake up in the early morning sunlight. They had finally figured out which day a week they should take the day off. The day was Tuesday, she figured, since pokemon didn't usually go by the days of the week she was used to. It felt like a Tuesday anyway. Aamira laid there in the hammock with the sun on her face and listened to the bird pokemon whistling outside. No one, not even the bird pokemon themselves, really knew why they whistled in the morning but it sure was calming.

Aamira saw a streak of red and white go by the window. She remembered that it had been a week since subscribing for the newspaper and she headed downstairs. The newspaper in her world came on Sunday and most people got a day off on Sunday. Maybe it was actually Sunday instead of Tuesday? It didn't really matter.

Quill, Machop, and Nuzleaf were already awake. Nuzleaf and Machop were currently engaged in an argument that made as much sense to anyone else as if they had been speaking an entirely foreign language.

Delibird was waiting on the edge of the large circle window at the back of the Treehouse, which was almost the size of the room it was in. Delibird took the paper out of the delivery bag and handed it to Aamira. "There's some good stuff in here this week!" Delibird took off without saying another word to finish his deliveries.

Aamira sat at a table that wasn't too far from the window. The morning light was shining directly in the window making it a good place to read. Most of it was ordinary things besides a popular common "Daring Cases" which talked all about the most risky missions that Investigation Teams take to ensure the safety of everyone.

"Happiny's in the 'Everyday Heroes' section." Aamira said to Quill.

"Really? Well that's not too surprising. If there's anything else, let me know." Quill said.

Finally Aamira flipped to the back. (The most exciting stories were always in the back to make sure people always read the papers all the way through and didn't just stop at the front page.) There was a picture, possibly done by Smeargle, of Sceptile and Venusaur from Team Overgrow.

"Team Overgrow's in the paper again…" Aamira said. "'While they haven't been seen in days, citizens of Crystal have assured us that they're regularly sending letters to them via Delibird messengers. While they won't explain what the mission is exactly that Team Overgrow is on, they did mention in one of the letter that this is sure to be 'The investigation of the century.' While citizens of Silva and Glacies alike both wonder about the importance and difficulty of the mission, everyone is confident that Team Overgrow will triumph again.

"'They're always more concerned about the safety of pokemon over anything.' A citizen who had once met Team Overgrow mentioned. 'They came here to do a mission a while back and, even though it was important, they stopped to help me when I got lost in the woods.'

"But how important is the mission that they're doing? While missions have been longer, the details are usually released. If they're shorter missions, we can usually wait for the details afterwards, but for now everyone's in the dark."

"So it really must be that important, huh?" Quill said.

"Yea, I guess so. They've been gone a week today. If they're going non stop on a mission, even they should be getting tired by now." Aamira folded up the paper, put some fruit from the bowl on the table in her bag, and walked towards the ladder.

"Where are you going?" Quill asked.

"I'm heading out to Stony Ridge. Since we're taking the day off, I thought I would practice Aura Sphere."

"That's what you do with your day off?"

"Well, it's a day off to me." Aamira laughed a little.

"But why out there?" Quill asked.

"Because that's where we were the last, and only, time I used Aura Sphere. If Riolu are mostly about their emotions, I figure if I can get the same feeling as before I might be able to use Aura Sphere again."

"Sounds logical. Wouldn't you want someone to come with you though? What if something happens? You'd be all tired and everything."

"I'll be fine. You can go train with Machop at the Dojo while I'm gone so you don't fall behind."

"If you say so…" Quill still wasn't sure about this. After all, Stony Ridge was the dungeon where they first met and fought Charmeleon, but he trusted his friend all the same.

Nuzleaf stood up. "Maybe I should come too. That way if something happens even if I'm not strong enough to help I could still run back here to get help. If something does happen and no one's around no one would be coming to your rescue for a while."

"There's always a damsel in distress, isn't there?" Aamira asked with a soft voice that, she found out, always make Nuzleaf blush. "Don't worry, if anything does happen, you would be able to tell, wouldn't you?"

Nuzleaf beamed at her. "Of course! That's the way the stories always go! Then I, prince charming, will come to your rescue! And I guess Machop could come along as the comic relief character.

"Watch it, Seedy." Machop said angrily. "If anyone's going to come to Aamira's rescue, it will be me! Right, Quill?"

Quill wasn't expecting him to ask for his help. "Uhh… well I can feel Aamira's emotions, so I think if anyone would actually sense she's in danger it would be… me…"

"WHAT?" Nuzleaf and Machop both looked outraged.

Aamira laughed. "Exactly, so what's the problem? I'll be back before tonight." Aamira jumped down the inside of the tree trunk rather than climbing down the ladder and ran out into Vine City.

On her way through Vine City Aamira ran into Dragonite. It was strange to see him out around the town since he was usually always in the underground museum.

"Hi Dragonite." Aamira said to him.

"Oh, it's you. Aamira, wasn't it?" Dragonite said. "I believe we've only met once, though I saw Quill in the library about a week ago when he was looking for you. How is Quill? I'm not used to him not being in the museum all the time."

"He's fine. But what are you doing out here? You're usually in the museum, aren't you?"

"Well yes but…" Dragonite flexed his wings. "You know, a pokemon with wings can't spend all of his time underground. If I was meant for that I would have been born a Diglett. So where are you off to?"

"We're taking the day off, so I'm heading to Stony Ridge to do some solo training."

"Ah, I see. Truth be told, I'm actually heading to a meeting with Noctowl and the other country leaders. I have no idea what this is all about. They said they couldn't tell me but it's something really important. But from being down there so long, I hope I can still fly." He flapped his wings a little and rose into the air. "What do you know! As easy as ever!"

"Well that's good." Aamira smiled.

"Hey, I'm going to be flying over Stony Ridge. You know flying's a whole lot faster than walking. I can take you there if you want?"

"No thanks, it would feel like I would be cheating if I did that."

"Right, I hadn't thought about that. Always so determined. I wish I still had that spirit. Well good luck to you, I have to be off now." He flapped his tiny wings a little more and sped off through the sky.

Aamira looked longingly up into the air. Dragonite had such small wings. It didn't make any sense why he was able to fly. But at least he knew what it was like. Aamira had never thought of it before, but it would be amazing to be able to fly.

But flying could wait. For now, Aura Sphere was what she was focused on. On the way out, Aamira stopped by the Nursery to get some Oran Berries from Cherrim and the Keckleon's Shop to buy some Max Elixirs.

Aamira, unfortunately, hadn't had much of an early start. By the time she got to the farthest place possible in Stony Ridge, it was already about noon. She ate some of the fruit she brought with her and decided to save the rest for later in case she got hungry.

Aamira stood at the place she had been standing when she first used Aura Sphere. The rock slide was still there from the last time when she used force palm on the cliff to trap Charmeleon. She tried to remember the time when she had been battling Charmeleon. When she thought she had the same feeling as last time, she tried Force Palm like she had that time, but all that would happen was, of course, Force Palm.

"Maybe I'm doing something wrong."

Aamira got an idea and started to stack up some of the rocks in groups of three so they looked something like tables. When she was done she karate chopped the first rock table and the rock on top was easily split in half.

Aamira looked at her arm. 'I still don't think like a Riolu much. If I did, I probably would have jumped from the air and used the bone on the back of my hand to completely shatter the rock.' Aamira looked back at the rock that was perfectly cut in half. 'But either way, I'm getting a lot stronger. I doubt I could have done that as a human. I should still try to blend in more.'

So for the next one Aamira tried it the way a Riolu probably would. The rock shattered as she had expected, but the vibration was so intense that pain shot up her arm. Aamira's teeth clenched and she gripped her arm. "I thought these bones were here to help me get stronger without getting hurt!"

Either way, she figured that there must be some way Riolu did it. She tried it again on another stone table and shattered the stone on top. This time, it didn't hurt at all. Aamira stared at the bone on the back of her hand curiously and tried it again on another stone. It shattered again, and this time it did hurt.

Aamira clenched her teeth and gripped her arm like before. That time it had even gone up to her shoulder. "Geez! Why does that keep happening?"

Aamira looked at the bone on her hand again. There were three marks on it from the dust that was all that was left of the stones. Two were lower than the other. The lowest one was from the first time, and the one that was highest up, which was also on the center of the bone, was from the second time when it hadn't hurt at all.

Aamira remembered a sport that humans played. It was baseball. In it the players had to hit the ball with a bat, and if they didn't hit it in the right spot the vibrations would go up their arm and cause a lot of pain, but if they hit it in a certain area, it would be more effective and no vibrations would be felt at all.

But baseball bats weren't actually attached to the players like the bones on her hands were. Plus the bones were smaller. It should be easier for her to hit the stones with the right spot on the bones than it would for a baseball player to it a speeding baseball with a long bat.

Aamira tried it on the rest of the stone tables, alternating between the hands she was using to break through each, and easily shattered all of them without the vibrations going up through her arms. Smashing the rocks, though, still wasn't an easy task after a while. Both of her arms were pounding and her legs hurt from jumping in the air so much. Aamira leaned back against the cliff behind her and sat against it.

Aamira looked at her hands for a minute. They were covered in dust from the stones and one was even cut from when she tripped over a rock and hit the stone wrong. But would this actually help her learn Aura Sphere?

'Have I been doing something wrong?' She thought again.

"Still can't figure it out? Seemed to work pretty well when we fought."

Aamira looked up and stood up the moment she saw Charmeleon walking towards her. He looked less threatening and the end of his tail was dragging along on the ground behind him and was fringed from where the flame used to be.

"Now don't get all tense or anything. I don't want to fight." He said.

"Really? That would be a first." Aamira said.

"Well it's not like I can after being knocked into the river by your friend. I'll admit I didn't see that coming and I was probably getting a bit cocky…"

"A bit? You let a new Investigation Team defeat you! The Charmeleon everyone used to fear taken down by the rookie team."

"Well it's not like anyone would fear me now anyway! My flame is gone! Charmeleon hatch from an egg as a Charmander and the flame on our tail starts with a spark. The first ambition and the fire in our hearts that lead us to take on any enemy, no matter how strong! It's also the source of all our power. When the flame on our tail goes out, so too does the will to fight. With it the flame in our hearts also goes out."

"Yea, great story. Now what do you want?"

"Let me finish! I said I didn't want to fight you, which is true. I also CAN'T fight you. I couldn't defeat a Caterpie if I tried. But I have a theory. If I regained that spark from the love of fighting, maybe my flame would come back. You're Aura Sphere was stronger than you think. It was the most powerful attack I've ever been hit with. If I can beat that attack, I'm sure it would be enough."

Aamira crossed her arms and laughed. "So you want me to help you? Well too bad because even if I wanted to I haven't been able to use Aura Sphere since then."

"You think I don't know? I see you up here a lot. Every night for the past week you've come up here probably without telling anyone. All you ever do is stand in that one spot and stare into the direction I attacked you from before. Quill didn't even know what you were doing, did he? Though I suppose you would have to tell him if you came here in daylight."

"So if you know I can't use Aura Sphere anymore, why are you telling me all of this?"

"You know, I scratch your back and you scratch mine. The deal is, I help you learn Aura Sphere, and you help me get the spark back."

"You would actually tell me your side of the bargain? That doesn't sound like you."

"I'm a different person now! This isn't a cheesy sob story or anything! Don't you get it? I've lost everything! I don't care if I have to go to prison or whatever afterwards." His voice was suddenly quiet and didn't sound like his. "Without my fire… I'm not me anymore… I'm not even a Charmeleon…"

Aamira lowered her guard. She sympathized Charmeleon and, even more than that, could relate to him. Aamira had lost everything. Her friends, family, humanity, and even her memory. But Charmeleon didn't lose his memory. He could still remember what it was like to be himself. Now it was slowly eating away at him.

"Fine, but on one condition. You give me the Grace-Seed." Aamira said.

"I expected no less." Charmeleon put his hand in the bag around his shoulder and pulled out a seed-shaped gem that was glowing slightly in a yellow-green color and revolving in the air above Charmeleon's hand. "I had a feeling you would know by now what I took. Keep in mind though that my friends and I have always been the ambitious sort. I could get in a lot of trouble if they knew I gave it back. Luckily my ambition also went with my flame, so I don't really mind giving it back."

Charmeleon threw it and Aamira caught it. Thousands of thoughts seemed to rush into her head at once. 'Guardian of the la—Over the land, I fly on an endless journey—Why don't other pokemon see things the way I—Humans are the only ones I can look towards now—They're all disappearing! I'm next! I'm… I'm…' Everything started to fade and go dark.

"Wake up! Come on!"

Aamira opened her eyes slowly and saw Charmeleon standing over her.

"What's wrong with you?" He said. "I throw you a gem and you pass out? I can understand if that hit you in the head or something, but you caught it! What happened!"

Aamira sat up. Her head was still spinning. 'I'm next…' She kept thinking over and over. "You couldn't hear it?"

"Hear what? You're constant screaming in your sleep? 'They're all disappearing! I'm all that's left! I can't go too! The Grace-Seed has to stay here! They'll take it for sure! I'm next! I have to be! I'm all that's left!'"

"I really said all of that?" Aamira rubbed her head.

"Over and over again. Seriously, if I was asked to repeat everything you said word for word in front of all the country leaders I probably could!"

"You evolve into Charizard, don't you?" Aamira asked absentmindedly.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Charmeleon snapped at her.

"Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to… to… fly?" Aamira looked sadly at the Grace-Seed that was still spinning slightly in her hand and flashing for some reason.

Charmeleon, surprisingly, turned mellow and sat down next to Aamira. "Did something happen?"

Tears came to Aamira's eyes. "I think something horrible happened to the original owner of the Grace-Seed… Either that, or something is going to happen to one of us… Since you evolve into Charizard, I think it would be you…"

"You really think that? What, are you a psychic or something?"

"I don't know…" Aamira looked at her right hand as the Grace-Seed continued to revolve over her left. "Whatever it is, it isn't normal! It scares me! Sometimes I just get these horrible thoughts that don't feel like my own…"

"It's my fault. I take it you figured out my amulet trick?"

"It wasn't just then. Before then, and after. I think that whatever ability I might have might be the reason your trick didn't work in the first place…"

"You're a strange one…" Charmeleon got up. "Aura Sphere and now some sort of ability? Does Quill even know about this?"

"Sort of… He doesn't know about the bad thoughts I've had though. Thefts, attacks, and even torture… Sometimes it happens just out of nowhere. It doesn't make any sense."

"It's probably not smart to be telling this to an outlaw. Especially if you haven't explained it completely to your friend yet."

"But we're the same… In a way. And I guess we also sort of want the same thing. You want to get your flame back and I want to use Aura Sphere again…" Aamira looked at her reflection in the revolving Grace-Seed. Her eyes had somehow turned a dark sparkling green.

She stood up. "I guess we better get to work."

Charmeleon looked confused. "Just like that? You're not going to want to leave and think about what just happened?"

"Of course not. I can think about that later. If I'm found up here with a wanted outlaw, I don't know what would happen."

"We'd both end up in a prison cell."

"Quill, wake up!"

Quill opened his eyes and saw Gallade standing over him.

Quill sat up and looked at the floor of the dojo. "What happened?"

"You sort of just… fell over." Nuzleaf said. "What happened?

"I'm not sure." Quill was still in a daze and couldn't think straight. "I think something bad just happened."

Nuzleaf and Machop looked at each other with panic written all over their faces.

"What happened?" Gallade asked. "Do you know what happened?"

"I think something's happened to Aamira." Quill said. "She's at Stony Ridge. We have to go now."

"I'll go with you."

Though they had tried over and over again, Aamira just couldn't use Aura Sphere, and Charmeleon couldn't get his fighting spirit back. They even tried standing in the same position as before. Charmeleon attacked in a position similar to the one he had been when he attacked her the last time with Metal Claw. He was a convincing actor, so Aamira was really surprised when it didn't work.

"This will never work!" Charmeleon said as he panted furiously. Seeing as he couldn't use any actual attacks, he was the most hurt and tired of the two of them.

"Here, eat this." Aamira through him an Oran Berry. Charmeleon ate it gratefully.

"Aww! What a lovely couple! Out on a date, I suspect, seeing how beautiful the view is from here."

Aamira and Charmeleon turned and saw three pokemon walking towards them.

"Really, Prinplup." One of the three said. "We could have just taken it and been out of here before either of them knew what hit them!"

"You're right, Golduck, but it's just so much fun messing with weaklings like these!" Prinplup replied.

"Both of you, knock it off. We've got a mission to do. No more messing around!"

"Milotic…" Charmeleon backed up a bit.

Milotic laughed evilly. "You've heard of me. I'm truly honored." She flicked her tail and her beautiful scales shone brightly in the evening light. "You look scared."

"I'm sorry…" Charmeleon said to Aamira. "I can't help you with this."

"Aww! Did you just break up with her?" Prinplup said.

"What is wrong with you?" Golduck said angrily. "Besides, she's too young for someone Charmeleon's age."

"I told you to knock it off!" Milotic shouted. "Good help is so hard to come by…" Milotic twisted her tail around and started spinning it. The attack hit Aamira before she even knew what to expect. The Grace-Seed fell out of her bag and rolled across the ground towards Milotic.

"How boring!" Prinplup pouted. "There's never a challenge anymore!"

"For once, I agree." Milotic said. "Go ahead and take care of that Charmeleon if you want to. Without his flame we'd probably be doing him a favor."

'It's true…' he thought. 'Milotic really is as merciless as the stories say… But this probably is the best thing for me.'

Prinplup used Hydro Pump. Before it could hit Aamira jumped in the way. She got the full blast of the attack and fell at Charmeleon's feet.

"Ooh! This could be more fun than I thought!" Prinplup said excitedly.

Charmeleon kneeled down next to Aamira. "Are all the people from Sylva as crazy as you and Sceptile…?"

Aamira smiled. "I want a fair fight one of these days…" Her eyes rolled back in her head and she blacked out.

'What's wrong with me!' Charmeleon thought to himself. 'I used to only care about how much I got paid. I never cared who my client was or who I hurt in the process and now I'm getting all upset over this Riolu? But… maybe my fire isn't the way I thought it was…'

The end of Charmeleon's tail suddenly flared up brighter than ever before. He used Overheat on Prinplup. Charmeleon kept it going longer than he ever had before. When he finally ended the attack, Prinplup was badly burned and fell, unconscious, onto her back.

"I see the rumors about you are true." Milotic sounded unsurprised. "I had a feeling Prinplup wouldn't be able to handle a battle with you.

Milotic moved towards Charmeleon. Her strange snake-like movements along with all of her glittering scales made it impossible for Charmeleon to tell how fast she was moving, or in what direction.

Charmeleon didn't know what to do, but decided he had nothing to lose and ran towards Milotic. He used a strange attack he wasn't familiar with. It was almost like tackle, but the attack made him glow brighter than his fire. Milotic cringed in pain and looked as if she couldn't believe what has just happened.

Aamira's eyes opened slightly while Charmeleon was still glowing. The first thing she noticed besides the faint glow that still lingered was that his flame was back. Then she noticed Milotic, who seemed to be stumbling though it was hard to tell.

'That attack he just used…' Aamira thought. 'I've read about that one. Return. The attack is stronger and the light brighter the more the user is a friend to someone…'

"Why you…!" Milotic rose a little higher off the ground and used Dragonbreath on Charmeleon.

It hit him hard, but he didn't back down. Milotic opened her mouth and an orb of water formed in front of it. Just one hit from a Water Pulse would probably end the battle.

Just as Milotic fired the Water Pulse at Charmeleon, a blue sphere hit the attack and canceled it out. Charmeleon looked back and saw Aamira standing behind him. She didn't look like she had been hurt at all. Aamira jumped into the air and another Aura Sphere formed between both of her hands. She fired it at Milotic, but Milotic dodged it. Aamira landed on the ground next to Charmeleon.

"I guess a deal's a deal." He said. "I got my flame back and you figured out Aura Sphere."

"Looks like it. I can't believe I didn't see it before. It wasn't my battle with you that let me use it the last time. I was trying to protect Oddish." Aamira explained.

"And this time it worked when you were protecting me. Ah the irony."

"How about a combination attack?" Aamira glanced at him.

"I get it."

Aamira used Aura Sphere again and Charmeleon used Flamethrower. The Aura Sphere caught on fire and the two attack's strength and speed combined. It hit Milotic and knocked her over. She didn't move to attack again.

"Did… we win?" Charmeleon sounded a bit shocked. "We beat Milotic?"

"Wait. Wasn't there a third one?"

They both turned to the sound of roaring water behind them. They were both hit hard with a Surf attack and knocked nearly off of the cliff. Aamira gave an Oran Berry to Charmeleon and ate one herself. Both of them attacked Golduck. Their fight lasted much longer, but in the end, Charmeleon and Aamira won.

"I can't believe this." Charmeleon said. "We beat Milotic's team… And maybe I could even get the reward offered by my country for these three."

Aamira looked around. "Where's the Grace-Seed?"

Charmeleon looked around also. "Where's Milotic?"

Aamira looked towards the mountains in the South-West. All that could be seen against the sky were a group of sparkling scales and a faint green-yellow glow. "Milotic can fly!"

Golduck laughed. "Don't you get it? This was all a test. Not only did we get information on both of you, but our leader got the Grace-Seed. We won."

"Yea? You don't look like a winner right now." Charmeleon said to him.

"Be that as it may… Prinplup was a bit useless though." Golduck lost consciousness before he could say anything else.

"AAMIRA!"

Aamira turned towards the voice. "It's Quill!"

"I have to go. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wouldn't complain if I ever had to fight along side you again." Charmeleon ran off in the same direction that Milotic had flown in.

"Aamira, are you alright?" Quill said. "Woa! You're soaked! What happened?"

"These two kind of interrupted my training. There was a third member too but it ran for the hills. Or… mountains I should say." Aamira grinned triumphantly.

"Uhuh…" Quill looked around skeptically. "And where did these burns come from?" He asked when he found Prinplup.

"I'm hungry…" She said, still smiling.

"Don't change the subject!" Quill said angrily. "Someone else was here! Who was it?"

'He would be able to tell if I was lying, but half truths…?' "Their third team member knows Dragonbreath." 'That's true… I didn't say that's what caused the burns though…'

"Woa… Their team member did this? They must have been brutal."

"Yea, but I pulled through!" Aamira's stomach growled. "Ehh…"

"Why are you so hungry?" Quill asked.

"Well, aside from just taking on three opponents, apparently Aura Sphere uses up my own energy, which I get from food."

"Aura Sphere." Gallade seemed to appear out of nowhere. "So you figured it out?"

"Yea! I was looking at it all wrong! I thought I did it when I was fighting Charmeleon, but it actually worked because I was defending Oddish. After that I remembered the feeling I got from using it."

Quill smiled. "That's great!" he looked at the stones that Aamira had been shattering earlier. "And apparently that's not the only thing you were practicing…"

Machop and Nuzleaf finally got onto the cliff. Both were on their last legs and breathing really heavily.

"They wanted to race here…" Gallade explained. "But, as they say, slow and steady wins the race… And wouldn't you know it? We got here first." Gallade faced Aamira. "So, let me see Aura Sphere. Give me your best shot!"

Aamira smirked and used the last of her energy to charge up another Aura Sphere, though it was weaker than the others. She threw it at Gallade and he hit it away with the blade on the end of one of his arms.

"Not bad." He said. "I suppose it will be stronger after you get something to eat."

Aamira watched the Aura Sphere as it flew through the air and disappeared in the distance. "Ha! Just like baseball!"

"What?" Everyone looked at her like she was crazy.

"Oh, it's nothing."