You know, I've been looking at this thing called a "Nuzlocke challenge." You basically go through a game of Pokémon where if a Pokémon faints, it's considered "dead" and you have to release it. You also can only catch the first Pokémon you encounter in a route/area, and you nickname all your Pokémon, which is something that I don't usually do. It would seem to make a very interesting fic concept. XD

But wouldn't it suck if you lost that very first battle with your starter versus Gary's?

Anyway. Food for thought.

Onto the story!

Even through a haze of sleep, mixed with turbulent dreams of bent trees and hail that shattered the sidewalk, Selena could smell something burning. Without thinking, she leapt out of bed, carrying the still-asleep Trapinch with her, and burst into the main room.

Blitz was standing at the stove, poking something around with the end of a spatula. He looked up as she stood, wild-eyed, in the doorway. With a flick of his yellow eyes, he looked her up and down, then announced with a smirk, "Nice jammies."

Selena, glancing down at her overlarge shirt—a Golden Star Conference shirt that had been placed on her bed when she first arrived at the hotel—and her pajama pants spotted with Pokéballs, backed up quickly until just her head was sticking out of the doorway. "What are you doing?" she hissed, alarming Trapinch, who had finally opened her eyes.

He held up the spatula, stuck with bits of egg. "Cooking."

Through squinted eyes, Selena made out the time on the wall-clock. "It's six-thirty!"

"What can I say? I'm an early-bird."

"The sun's not even up!"

He shrugged, turning back to the developing disaster on the stove. Giving it a clinical lift with the spatula, he flipped it over, revealing a flat blackened chunk of something that could have possibly been food at one time.

Trapinch gave an impressively wide yawn with her large jaws, then closed them. She let out a peep.

That caught Blitz's attention. He walked over and held out his hand for the little Pokémon to sniff at. Trapinch did so, though her interest seemed more captured by his array of braided bracelets than his scent.

"How old is she?" he asked. "Have you started her training?"

"She should evolve soon, I think." She watched Blitz carefully, still wary of him. He seemed calmer today, though that vulnerable expression was gone. "How's your back?"

"Fine," he said indifferently, rubbing Trapinch's head. "It only really hurts a lot."

Selena glared at him. "Why didn't you change the bandages?"

He gave her a sardonic look. "Yes, let me whip out my third and fourth arms to take care of that."

"Don't you have a Pokémon that could help?"

"Mm." He looked at her for a moment longer before returning to the stove and snapping the heat off. "The problem with Flying-types is their disappointing lack of hands. And feathers generally just won't cut it." He shrugged sarcastically. "That's what I've got you around for, isn't it? Or else what good are you?"

Selena stared at him incredulously for a moment, then returned to her room and slammed the door shut.

Inside, her team were riled up. Lairon, who generally never showed any sort of aggression, was up against the door, pressing her forehead against the wood, trying to open the door. Raichu perched on her back, stretching up to reach the doorknob, his tiny face pinched with malice. They both looked up when Selena walked in, Lairon shuffling awkwardly backward until she hit the wall.

Mightyena, who had taken up post at the window-seat, looked significantly disgruntled. Only Houndoom, half-buried in blankets and pillows, was still asleep. He looked up as Selena closed the door behind her, a small pillow caught between his curved horns.

Selena set Trapinch on the ground, where she scurried to Raichu's side, and got dressed. She hadn't unpacked her backpack yet, so everything was strewn around her on the floor. She grabbed a black shirt and a pair of jeans, pulled them on, then headed to the door again warily. Mightyena immediately pushed forward, pressing his nose against between the door and the frame.

"I'll let you out, but you have to promise not to attack him," Selena told him.

Mightyena looked annoyed again, his red eyes narrowing to slits.

"Promise," she repeated.

Huffing, he backed up and sat down. Looking up at her, he lifted a paw in agreement.

Selena took it, ruffling the thick fur between his ears. "Now you remember that," she told him. "Even if you want to bite him, you can't. And even if you want to claw that arrogant face of his into ribbons, you can't do that either. Even if he intrudes on your privacy, soaked and covered in blood, demands you to shelter him and change his bandages. And he also burns things in your kitchen."

Mightyena's eyes narrowed.

Frowning, Selena pulled his ears down over his eyes. "Don't look at me like that. This guy has got to go. We've allowed him to stay here one night, but he's not going to get more than that. I'm going to go out there and tell him to pack his stuff and get out."

Outside, Blitz had settled at the kitchen counter, leaning on his elbows and poking at his mess of a breakfast with his fork. He looked up as she walked over, then immediately cast his eyes back down.

Selena folded her arms against her chest, Mightyena curling his tail against her leg protectively. "We need to talk."

"I know," he said, surprisingly. "You're mad at me."

She blinked.

"I get that I'm not easy to get along with." He rubbed a hand against the back of his neck, under his shaggy hair. "And I think I hurt your feeling somehow, so… I'm sorry." He reached beneath the counter and handed her a plate. "I gave you the best part of it. See, it's not even that burned over on this side." He smiled tentatively.

Selena looked down at it. It had the shape of an omelet, even with a little cheese oozing out the side, but for the most part it was a dark brown color that was stiff and crunchy on the ends.

"I really do appreciate you letting me stay here," Blitz said. "I'll try to be nice. I know I can be a jerk sometimes. I'm not a very good person. But I'll try to be."

Selena just stared at him. "You're…serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" And now he sounded a little disgruntled. Picking at his food, he added, "I don't want to go back yet. I have a whole concert line set up for me. I wasn't even supposed to be gone today. There's a soundcheck tonight for a concert tomorrow. I was going to be gone until it was time for the tournament to start." He glanced up at her. "So it would be really nice if I could chill here. If you don't mind."

This close, she could see the rims of his yellow contacts. She wondered what color his eyes really were briefly before saying, "Won't that get me in trouble?"

He smiled, which did not help Selena to keep a clear focus. "Only if we get caught."

It turned out that the omelet was semi-edible, underneath a crust of burnt egg. Selena ate quickly, itching to get outside and into the woods to train.

"So what's on the agenda today?" Blitz asked, taking her plate from her and placing it in the sink. He seemed to be keeping his word to be on his best behavior, though with his laced fingers banded with thick silver rings, his unusual hair, and his yellow eyes, it was going to be very difficult to go anywhere with him without inciting a fan-driven riot.

"I want to go and try to catch a Pokémon," Selena said, surprising herself. "My team is too Dark-type centered. We need something else to balance it out."

"Like," he drew the word out, "a Flying-type?" Judging by the smile playing around his lips, Selena guessed he was excited by the prospect.

She thought for a moment. "Maybe," she said at last. "Or a Water-type. Water and Fire would work well together." If I could get Houndoom to pay attention, she added silently.

"Well, let's go. Flying types wake up early, so they should be around."

"The Conference rules say I'm not supposed to accept help," she said warily. "You're not trying to get me kicked out, are you?"

"The rules say you can't have 'outside' help. I'm inside help. So it's not really the same. So can we go now? These walls are making my skin crawl." He toyed with one of his bracelets again, and Selena wondered if it was a nervous habit.

"I need to take Mightyena to a Pokémon Center first." She turned to look down at him. He was sitting on the ground, his shoulders hunched, and his nose was dry to the touch.

Blitz rolled his eyes. "You didn't even look in all the rooms, did you?" He tilted his head toward the door across the hall from the kitchen—the only one she hadn't inspected. Straightening up, Blitz walked over to it and threw open the door, holding out his arm like a butler.

Selena, after a shared glance with Mightyena, got up and peeked inside.

It was about the size of a walk-in closet, but the entire left wall was covered with shelf upon shelf of training materials— Pokéballs, chains, canisters of Pokémon treats and baits, nets, fishing hooks and rods, even a bike hanging off the wall. Directly in front of her was a stack of Pokémon beds in all different sizes, including a huge one that she imagined Lily's Swampert would fit on, as well as a round-topped machine about waist-high.

Blitz walked over to it and pushed a button. With a hissing release of air, the top came away, revealing six holes situated in a circle. Selena blinked; it looked exactly like the healing machines at Pokémon Centers.

"Now you just put the Pokéballs in and bam. Healed Pokémon." His eyes gleamed. "Go ahead and try it out."

It worked just like he said. She released Mightyena after it was over and he stretched his shoulder muscles, wagging his thick tail once in happiness.

"Good," Selena said, rubbing his ears.

Blitz gave Mightyena a wary look. "It's not going to bite me, is it?"

"Only if you provoke him," she snapped, laying thick emphasis on "him." "So don't do that."

"You let him just walk around loose all the time?" Blitz stuck his hand in his pockets and drew out a black cap, stuffing it down atop his messy dark hair. It didn't do much—barely even covering the braids and feathers—but it was better than nothing.

Ignoring his question, she said, "You shouldn't wear those contacts. They're too noticeable."

He grinned, pulling the bill of his hat down over his forehead. "Then I'll squint."

Repressing the desire to roll her eyes, Selena pushed the button for the elevator.

Thankfully, it was a different girl at the front desk. Selena waved to her as they passed by, but didn't stop to chat. At any rate, the clerk looked half-asleep, a cup of coffee steaming away in her hand and a droopy-looking Pachirisu draped around her shoulders like a blue-and-white scarf.

The sun was up, in fact, as Blitz and Selena made their way down the bricked steps and toward the lake. It was spilling orangey light across the ground, which was damp from the storm the previous night. The sky was filled with tattered gray clouds that looked promising for rain.

Blitz, rubbing the back of his neck again, said, "Flying-types will like to be in the trees. It's best if we look near the border of the lake. You might could catch a Wingull or something. I saw a flock of them yesterday."

"How could you see them?" Selena asked suspiciously. "It was dark when I found you."

"I could hear them," he corrected himself. "And really what does it matter? You want one, right?"

Selena bit her lip. "I don't know. I mean, I already have five Pokémon on my team now. When Trapinch evolves, that will give me a Flying type. Maybe I should go for another type…"

Blitz made an impatient noise in the back of his throat. "Well, hurry up and decide."

"Stop pressuring me," she snapped back. "These things take time. I'm not going to rush into getting a Pokémon that might not help my team out. Besides, it's like getting a new family member. You can't just catch any type of Pokémon. It has to work with the rest of the team."

But Blitz didn't seem to be listening. He was examining his fingernails with almost clinical interest. "Ah," he said vaguely.

Irritation pricked her like thorns. "Come on, bud," she said darkly, striding ahead of Blitz so quickly that he had to trot to keep up.

"Okay," Blitz said once he'd caught up, breathing hard as if he'd never run before. "Okay. Sorry. Bad again, right?" When she was silent he added, "You need to tell me when I do that. You keep getting mad at me."

"That's because you're saying stupid things! I don't have to take your crap, Blitz! You're lucky I'm letting you stay with me!"

"I know," he said, surprisingly again.

"So stop being a jerk!"

"That's the problem." Now he sounded annoyed. His eyebrows were furrowed over his eyes, which looked much less yellow out here in the half-light. "I can't tell if you don't point it out."

Selena scoffed. "You're so full of crap."

Blitz, still looking irritated, pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. "This is exasperating."

You're telling me, Selena thought sardonically.

The lake was completely devoid of people—thankfully—and Pokémon—unfortunately. The sand, which had looked white and lacy from the windows of the hotel, was soft underfoot. The rippling surface of the water, brushed by the wind, was a beautiful dark blue, fading even darker the further out the lake stretched. A few bubbles lifted to the surface, making Selena wish she had brought the rod she'd found in her closet.

Mightyena leapt down the embankment toward the water. Nose nearly touching the water, he sniffed deeply. He turned and wagged his tail at Selena, making a low growl in his throat.

"Is he mad?" Blitz asked, arms folded across his chest. He looked cautious again.

Selena, reaching down to pull off her sneakers and socks, said, "No. He wants me to look at something." Rolling up the hem of her jeans until they were just below her knees, she skidded down the dune to where Mightyena was, now pointing with his nose at something on the ground.

Blitz followed, without taking off his expensive-looking boots. He sunk deeply into the sand, cursing low under his breath. Selena didn't bother trying to tell him it was better to take his shoes off than to have them fill with sand. It was as if he'd never been to a beach before.

Mightyena padded a few steps backward, sneezing the sand off of his red nose.

It was a set of four tracks, with tiny toes tipped with claws. They led up to the water and back twice before disappearing at the edge of the long grass that circled the lake.

Selena stared down at them without comprehension. "Shinx maybe?" she asked Mightyena.

"Starly," Blitz corrected her. She turned to stare at him. "What?" he asked defensively. "Flying-types, remember?"

Oh, right, she thought. He did use a Skarmory in our battle. And Lily said that his concerts revolve around Flying-types.

"Well, a Starly is a Normal- and Flying-type," she reasoned, standing up and dusting her hands off on her jeans. "There's no point for that. I need an elemental Pokémon. That's what we came here for."

Blitz, who was picking bits of sand off his arms, didn't look too pressed. "You'll find one eventually," he said. "But enough of that for now. There's another reason I had you come out here with me."

Of course. "What is it?" Selena asked roughly. Mightyena, alerted by her change in tone, raised his hackles, moving to stand slightly between her and Blitz. "I've already helped you enough. You told me you would help me."

"I will," he assured her indifferently. "But I need some help, too. I have some stuff around here I need to collect, and I can't go get it myself. I figured you could give me a hand. And then I'll help you train."

"I'm not training today. I'm trying to catch a Pokémon. And you said you would help me catch a Flying-type."

Blitz rolled his eyes. "This is going in circles. I will help you. After you help me." When she didn't say anything, he added, "Come on. When have I lied to you?"

"You might not have lied but you've treated me like crap. I'm not your maid and I'm not your nurse. I'm not even your fan."

"I know!" Blitz snapped suddenly. "I already apologized, didn't I? This is really important, Selena." He winced a little as he said as if in an afterthought, "Please."

Selena looked away from his suddenly defenseless expression. It made her uncomfortable to see how quickly he switched between arrogant bravado and disarming vulnerability. But even more than that, it made her uncomfortable that she cared he did. Brushing her wavy dark hair back from her neck, she said, "You promise you'll help me train after that?"

Without even looking at him, she could hear the smile in his relieved voice when he said, "I promise."

Crossing her arms over her chest, Selena turned around and walked past him without looking at his face. "Good, then," she said lightly. "Let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXX

Blitz led the way into the woods, every leaf hanging heavily with water. In the trees above, Selena could see the beating wings of a cloud of Starly and Staravia, led by a single red-crested Staraptor. It flew down for a better look as they passed through its territory, giving Blitz a hard-eyed stare.

"Is that the one who got you?" Selena called to him. He was walking several steps ahead of her, his face turning rather pale in the growing light.

He looked up. "Maybe," he said. "Probably. He's looking for another piece of me, I guess."

His clammy complexion reminded her of the bandages he needed changed. She carried them in the backpack slung across her shoulders, but she didn't want to suggest he fix them yet. Not until he had found what he was looking for; he looked almost desperate now, ripping apart bushes and sending small Pokémon flying from his rough-handedness.

They reached a cluster of tall, thickly-leaved trees before he let out a sharp gasp. Nearly tripping over his own feet, he ran forward between the trunks of two trees, digging underneath a pile of dead leaves. "I was afraid I'd forgotten where I put you," he muttered, pulling out a long case and setting it on his lap. He flipped it open, revealing an acoustic guitar. It was made out of a golden wood that was as reflective as a mirror. Blitz set the case aside and pulled the guitar into his lap with a fluidity that came from years of practice. He ran expert fingers down the strings, adjusting the tension on the neck of the instrument until he was pleased. He looked up at Selena. "What?"

"A guitar?" she asked, astonished. "All this way for a guitar?"

"Hey," he said defensively, placing a protective hand on it. "Not just any guitar. This is my first one I got when I became a singer." He looked down at it, his eyes turning so soft. "It was right after my first concert. It was a rush—all fans screaming my name and singing along with the songs. It felt like they were going to shake the stage to pieces. And then some guy came walking backstage with this guitar. He told me that he wanted me to use his guitar, so that everyone would know Blitz Airborne played one of his guitars. He wanted me to make him famous." He stroked the strings again, raising a sweet-sounding chord. "I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that someone would need me to help him. No one needed me before." He seemed to snap out of whatever memory was clouding his eyes behind those yellow contacts, because he suddenly set the guitar back in the case and snapped it shut. "Anyway. Now it's going to be out of the rain."

Selena watched him shrug the case over his shoulder, taking up a backpack that was hidden in the leaf pile as well. That distance was back in his eyes again now as he looked at her, a cocky smile curving up one side of his face. This was the Blitz Airborne that he must present to the rest of the world.

He adjusted the strap of the guitar case. "Ready to go?"

Trying to cover the fact that she was so disarmed by him, Selena looked away and said, "I wanted to try and catch a Pokémon in here somewhere. There have to be some strong ones so deep in the woods."

"Mm." Blitz didn't sound completely indifferent this time. The reunion between him and his guitar must have put him in a good mood—or at least, one that was less irritable.

He kept one hand on his shoulder where the strap of the case lay as they wandered around the woods, stopping every so often for Selena to send out Raichu's keen nose to detect any type of Pokémon. Selena watched him out of the corner of her eye, waiting to see if he had completely dropped his guard again.

The softness in his eyes when he'd looked at his guitar… It had been beautiful.

Selena shook her head fiercely, trying to force the thoughts out of her head.

Raichu kept coming back with nothing. Selena fought back her irritation even as it stiffened her shoulders and made her gait shorter. Every little thing was beginning to get annoying to her—the calls of Starly just out of her reach, the vines that reached up to tangle her feet, Blitz's uneven steps plodding along behind her. It was all annoying.

Blitz seemed to pick up on this. "Alright?"

"No," she huffed. "It is not alright. We've been out here for hours and we don't have a single Pokémon to show for it. I want to catch one so I can get on with everything."

"Patience, right?" he needled, his grin turning arrogant again. "I mean, that's what you were saying earlier. You have to wait calmly to find the next perfect member of your little family."

Selena snapped her teeth shut with a click. "Shut up."

"Hey, I'm just saying what you told me."

"I meant it earlier when I was happier. Now I'm cold, wet, and miserable."

"That sounds tough," he said, mockingly sympathetic.

Selena whirled to face him, feeling anger rush hotly up her throat. He was standing with his head to one side, eyes half-lidded with an expression that meant trouble. "You know, you can just go on back to your concert line," she snapped. "I'm sure they'd love to have their frontman back! You don't need to keep following me around forever!"

"I don't want to go back. I'm totally content right here." His smirk widened. "Aren't you?"

"I won't even dignify that with an answer," she said coldly.

"Oh? What was that?" He put a hand against his ear. "I think that was an answer."

An irritated shriek came through Selena's teeth. Without thinking, and probably scaring Raichu out of his fur, she ripped her backpack off and flung it in Blitz's direction.

Without any effort at all, he sidestepped it. The backpack hit the tree behind him with a loud smack, rattling the Pokéballs inside, and making the entire tree quiver.

For a moment, there was nothing but Blitz and Selena's shared stunned silence and lazily falling leaves. Then something large and heavy fell from the branches, hitting the ground and rolling up to Selena's feet. Two yellow eyes blinked up at her from within a camouflage of leaves, and a corkscrew of grayish carapace dug out a little furrow in the ground.

"Burmy?" it asked nervously in a high-pitched nasally voice.

Without thinking, Selena's hand flew to her pocket, drew out a Pokéball, and flung it.

There was a flash of red light as the Pokémon entered the Pokéball. Three rolls later, the ball fell still. A flat tone filled the still forest air.

Selena went and picked it up, holding it in the flat of her hand. "I just caught a Burmy," she said slowly, still not quite understanding.

Blitz, on the other hand, looked rather delighted. "See? There you go. Mission accomplished. Now we can go back and you can make me something to eat. I'm starving." He turned and walked away, snapping his fingers for her to follow.

Selena resisted the urge to club him over the head with her new Burmy's Pokéball.

Guuuuuuuuuuys, Glee's season finale is in half an hour. I'm gonna be so bummed if they end it on a cliffie. Seriously. I'm addicted to this show like a...like a...like an addict. XD

What can I say? I'm all out of similies.

I'm off to eat dinner. I'm staaaaaarved.

R&R~

Shadow