Well, here's Chapter 8. Hope everyone enjoys it.

Chapter 8: Moving Out and Confessing Love

Petalburg City

Alex sighed as he sat at the table in the lobby of the Pokémon Centre. He, Cloud and Lizzie had been waiting on Michael and Torrie for an hour now. Lizzie had gotten bored, so she went to meet Kevin. Probably to ask him to join the group. And she said she didn't have feelings for him. Yeah, right.

"Where are they?" Cloud asked. She was getting annoyed at waiting, and Emmer was getting agitated.

"They said they'd be down soon," Alex replied. "If they don't hurry up, we'll have to camp I Petalburg Woods, which won't be good for us."

"I wonder if they even got up yet…" Cloud murmured.

Meanwhile

"Please, Kevin," Lizzie pleaded. "You have to come. It won't be any fun without you."

Kevin sighed and smiled at Lizzie. He couldn't resist the way she pleaded with him. "Alright, I'll come. For you," he replied with a wink.

"Thank you!" Lizzie cried, pulling Kevin into a hug.

"I'll tell my family first, and meet you at the Pokémon Centre," Kevin said smiling.

Lizzie left with a slight skip to her step, happy that Kevin would come with them. There was something about him that she liked. He was unique.

Meanwhile

Torrie looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing her usual attire, and adjusted the bangles and goggles that they would stay still.

A set of arms wrapped around her waist, and Michael kissed her cheek. "Good morning, Sunshine," he said wryly.

"Hello yourself, sleepyhead," Torrie replied with a smile. They stood there holding each other for a few minutes before a banging came at the door.

"Torrie! Michael! Get out now!" they heard Alex roar. They didn't need to see his expression to know that he was not in a good mood.

"We should probably head down," Torrie said, realising the time.

"Yeah," Michael agreed.

They gathered their things into their bags, and left the room, hand in hand. When they arrived in the lobby, Alex and Cloud gave them the daggers.

"It's official, is it?" Alex asked, his face softening at the sight of them holding hands.

"Um…Yeah, sorta," Torrie replied, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Ok, don't try this crap again," Alex said. "If you two have feelings for each other, then admit them."

Michael and Torrie went bright red at that, unsure of how to say it.

"Well, I guess Torrie…I love you…" Michael mumbled into the floor.

"I think I love you, too…" Torrie said, glancing away.

"Well, that settles it," Alex said. "By the power of Arceus, I officially declare Michael Taiga and Corona Hunter a couple. Yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah…let's go!"

The group was shocked for a moment, before realising that they had to get going. At that moment, Lizzie walked in, holding Kevin's hand, both carrying their bags.

"Are you two official as well?" Alex asked triumphantly. He was replied with a slap to his head, sending him staggering back. "Oww…okay, forget I asked…"

Kevin looked inquisitively at Lizzie. "What was that about?"

"Whenever Alex gets too nosy, I give him a slap back into reality," Lizzie replied, with a sweet smile.

Alex regained his senses, he stood up straight and dusted himself off. "Now that that's over, shall we go? I want to leave soon."

He walked out of the Pokémon Centre purposefully, the rest of the group following him closely behind.

"So, where do we go?" Kevin asked.

"The best bet is to head for Rustboro, via Route 104 and Petalburg Woods," Lizzie replied. "Alex planned the route yesterday."

The group left the City, arriving at a wooded area, beside the sea. The deep blue water lapped against the beach, the sunrise reflecting off the water.

"It's beautiful," Torrie said, smiling at the picture. She took out her art pad and drew the scene with her pencils.

"Although," Michael said, smiling at Torrie, "it's not as beautiful as you."

They giggled, and gave each other a small peck on the lips.

"Augh! Get a room!" Lizzie yelled, covering her eyes.

Michael and Torrie broke apart, still holding hands and blushing.

"Hey! Look at the Berries!" Kevin said, running over to a plant growing nearby. "Oran and Pecha! Just ripened as well!"

The group gathered round, looking at Kevin place the freshly picked Berries into his Berry pouch.

"Oran are good for healing properties, and Pecha are useful in curing Poison," Alex explained.

Kevin smiled at Alex, both enjoying their shared knowledge. "Your Dad teach you about this?"

Alex smiled. "Yeah. He taught me everything he learned on his adventure."

"So did mine. They were rivals at a time weren't they?" Kevin asked.

"Yeah. Wally was a big contender back then," Alex replied.

"Your Dads know each other?" Lizzie asked.

"Yeah. They were rivals back on their own adventures," Kevin replied.

"Hey, what's that?" Michael asked, pointing at a blue bug Pokémon along the shore.

"It's a Suskit," Alex replied. "They're common in forest ponds."

"Surskit, huh?" Michael asked, taking out his PokéDex.

It locked onto the Pokémon and flipped open. Surskit. The Pond Skater Pokémon. They gather on puddles after evening downpours, gliding across the surface of water as if sliding. It secretes honey with a sweet aroma from its head.

"Well, if it's like that…I'll catch it!" Michael yelled. "Ralts! Use Confusion!" Ralts jumped off Michael's shoulder, and blasted the Surskit with Confusion. The Surskit jolted, and used Bubble at Ralts, but its confusion sent it wild.

"Alright! Go PokéBall!" Michael yelled. He threw a PokéBall at Surskit, and the traditional process went on for a minute. When it ticked, Michael grabbed it, and yelled. "I got a Surskit!"

They heard the sound of a Pokémon being released, and saw Torrie with a Silcoon beside her. "Mind if your Surskit has a battle with my Zephyr?" She asked with a smile.

"Of course. Anything for you," Michael replied. "Go Surskit!" The blue bug appeared in a flash, and Ralts climbed up onto Michael's shoulder.

The rest of the group moved to the side as Torrie and Michael's battle began.

Meanwhile

Xigbar watched the young Trainers having their mock battle, laughing with each other. He knew what his objectives were. Capture Claudette Woodson and Kevin Emerald, and bring them back to base.

"This is Xigbar. I'm proceeding with the operation. Ensure that Axel baby - sits kiddo and poppet while I deal with the pests."

Michael and Torrie had decided half way through their battle that they would let their Pokémon have a break, and were sitting off to the side, talking about Bug Pokémon, and generally praising each other.

Cloud sat down at the beach, watching the water, with Emmer sitting at her side, concerned for his Trainer.

Alex was busy caring for two Taillows that had been caught in the battle. Torrie and caught one, naming it Tai, while Alex had caught the other.

Kevin and Lizzie were playing with Kevin's Zigzagoon and Magnemite.

"So, you really don't like fighting?" Lizzie asked Kevin.

"No. It's not really my strong point. Besides, things usually happen when I fight," Kevin replied.

"Really? Like what?" Lizzie inquired.

"Well, I was born with psychic powers, and when I fight, they tend to come out. And when that happens, people and Pokémon around me usually get hurt," Kevin replied, his eyes downcast.

"Oh," Lizzie said. She looked up at the sky, and absent mindedly reached for Kevin's hand. Their fingers touched, and soon their hands were intertwined.

Little did they know that Alex had seen the whole scene, and was planning on ways to get Lizzie and Kevin together. He smiled before tuning away again, ready to make another planned date.

"Hey Alex, is Tai alright?" Torrie called.

"Yeah, he's all better," Alex said back, returning his own Taillow to its PokéBall.

Torrie returned Tai and Zephyr to their PokéBalls, and Michael returned Surskit, before patting Ralts' head.

Cloud kept staring at the water, wondering about her dreams. They kept getting stronger, and she felt that her powers were going to curse her and her friends.

"What should I do?" she whispered, hoping that the answer was hidden in the waves.

"Hey, Cloud!" Alex called. "We're heading into the forest now."

"Coming!" Cloud called. Emmer jumped onto her shoulder, and lifting her bag, she followed the rest of the group into Petalburg Woods.

New Mauville

A young boy with ginger hair finished a drawing of a girl with red hair, standing with two boys. One had bright green hair, and wore a plain outfit, while the other wore an expensive outfit, and had thick, dark green hair.

"Are they the ones?" a young girl with blond hair asked.

"Yes Naminé," the boy replied. "These are the three that are to be protected."

"What about the other two, Ronan?" Naminé asked. "The boy and girl."

Ronan knew which two Naminé was talking about. The boy and girl with the Organisation. The two 'Replicas', as Brian and DiZ had called them. Ronan didn't understand how there could be a replica human, but he had been told to stay away from them. As had Naminé.

"They aren't are concern," Ronan replied. "We have to leave them alone."

Naminé took his hand, and they smiled at each other, before looking to the wall covered in drawings. Everyone that appeared in the drawings were connected. If not by friendship, then by love, or by psychic / aura powers.

Neither noticed Brian at the door. He stood on for a moment, before heading to the central chamber.

"DiZ. They can feel them," he said to the robe clad man.

"Really? That quickly?" DiZ asked, turning to Brian.

"Yes. Cloud and Xion are both dreaming of the same events, and Naminé is linked to them. Kevin and Roxas are also becoming linked." Brian replied.

"What of the other? Simon, wasn't it?" DiZ asked, worried about the recent developments.

"He has yet to meet any of them," Brian said with a degree of relief. "But, he is linked to Roxas. They are going to meet."

"And when they do, it spark the chain," DiZ said.

"Yes. I felt Xigbar approach them. I'll stop him," Brian said, pulling up his hood, and taking the secret exit.

DiZ shook his head, and returned to his computer. "So, Xion is the Replica of Cloud, while Roxas is the Replica for Simon and Kevin," DiZ mused.

If Brian was right, then the keys to the greatest power in the universe was coming undone. And if Xemnas got his hands on it, there would be no stopping him.

Okay, so here we have Kevin's arrival in the group, and Michael, Torrie and Alex get some new Pokémon.

We can also see a romance between Kevin and Lizzie, which Alex is going to push at.

Xigbar is obviously going to attack Cloud, which will probably introduce the Organaisation as a whole, the same as the games. (Grunt attacks in Petalburg Woods, and we find out about the villians)

There is also a sideline romance between Naminé and Ronan (the Hooded Man), who can read the auras of others. And DiZ and Brian know more than they tell, as they plot to stop the Organisation.

The OC mentioned, Simon Garter, belongs to EmeraldCelebi13.

Also, I need the Frontier Brain for the Battle Dome. Any help here is appreciated.

As always, please leave a review! Until next time, Slán!