Good evening/morning/afternoon, my lovely readers, watchers and reviewers! Sorry about the lack of updates last week, we had a bit of an incident in my personal life that wound up with my mother being rushed into the emergency room at five in the morning Monday, released the same day and rushed back in about the same time the following day. Good news is that she's gotten rid of the painful problem that had her in so much pain, drink LOTS of water people; kidney stones are horrible things and they are positively evil looking.

Good news is, things are going to get interesting again in the next two chapters, so sorry for all the filler! Hopefully it's been fairly amusing! Gonna recommend some amazing fanfic writers for you all, as they're kind enough to let me hang out with them in their livestream and even let me write a prompt or two for their epic list they manage to make at least once every two-three months full of requests for different kinds of fanfiction. Lyra Kamiya is one of them, you'll see some of her stuff in my faves, and she has a massive amount of faves that I'm sure you'd all enjoy as well. Do be careful though, as some of the stories there do contain strong language and mature situations; don't read- or get caught reading if you're like I was at your age!- if you're under the age limit! There are others in my faves as well, please check them out; they could use the love you guys are so awesome about giving to me with my fic!

Without further ado, and sorry for the length of this note, here's the next chapter of 'Uninvited'!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

I've caught her off guard with that one, I can see it in her face and the truth of it in her eyes. I've never known anyone who can lie so perfectly that their eyes don't show the deception; it's why I like to get up close and personal. I can see exactly, to an extent, they're thinking of and how they're feeling. But, no matter how long I stare into her eyes, no matter how close I seem to be in proximity, she isn't backing down, isn't averting her gaze like even my father will at times.

She doesn't say anything either, is the strange part. About me being too close, that is, and I get this strange feeling that she's looking for the same answer in me that I'm wanting for her. Most people tell me I'm too close, or that I'm creeping them out when I look at them like that. My father says I have an intense gaze, it's why he didn't mind when that strange trainer gave me this baseball cap- it blunts the edge off, or so I've heard some of the grunts say.

Despite the sharp, cool wind assaulting us from every direction I can feel, the air between us feels stifling, heavy and heated... all it would take, I think to myself, would be a single spark. One little, insignificant and seemingly harmless spark or ember before what... whatever this was building up would explode in a way I can't begin to fathom. The very thought of it, the unknown, excites me and sends my heart into a painful pounding against my ribcage and a sick feeling in my stomach.

It makes me nervous, makes me scared and like I need to run away from her.

"Truth." Touko says and shatters the heavy, building-to-explosive silence between us with a clear, calm conviction in both voice and expression. She doesn't even bother fussing or fiddling with the windswept hair blowing into her face, and it lends her even more of an eerie feel than I'd initially gotten during this little game.

I wonder if this is what they were talking about when they said my eyes were too intense, that my presence is overwhelming when I'm speaking to my fellow Plasma men and women during recruitment and interviews. If it is, I wonder how normal, lowly humans can even possibly stand to look her in the eye or even be anywhere near her.

I was right; she's definitely special.

"Truth? That's an odd answer coming from a girl," I tell her, deciding to play sort of a devil's advocate since I want to know why she chose it. "most immediately choose their dreams. Why didn't you choose your dreams?" Don't tell me you don't have a dream, I think to myself with a frown. Someone that talented and special without a dream? Impossible. There's just no way. I refuse to believe that could be a possibility.

Her expression goes back to the angry Pikachu-like one I'm starting to grow fond of, if only because it makes me want to laugh at her. "Well excuse me for not giving the right answer." She sounds annoyed and even a little insulted.

I wonder why? It's not like I meant anything bad by it, but most people I know would choose their dreams over any kind of reality. Or would rather make their dreams the reality, to be more fair. I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of those dreams would include being the 'queen' of Team Plasma, for a lot of those that I've recruited into my ranks. "I'm just curious, every other girl I've talked to has chosen her dreams instead of the truth. I want to know why you're choosing differently, that's all."

...did I sound a little too defensive when I said that? I think I might have.

"I'll tell you on one condition," She doesn't seem like she's any less mad about my question, and I'm nowhere near able to figure out why she's mad about it to begin with when it was a perfectly acceptable question. Her shoelace had come untied, and I don't get why she's changing shoes right in the middle of the bridge. Doesn't she realize that's a silly thing to do? She gives the laces on the black and pink shoes a quick, final looking tug. A satisfied look is on her face as she rises back up after zipping the bag she'd asked me to put down. I immediately pick it back up again after she's done, much to her annoyance and my delight at her reaction. "sound like a deal?"

"Depends on the condition," I immediately counter, suspicion rising within me without hesitation. Always something in exchange, that's the way this cruel world works. "what do you want from me?"

A smile jumps on her face, blue eyes lighting up with triumphant excitement as she faces me and points at me in a way that makes me laugh. She'd better be careful, if she points at the wrong person or Pokemon, someone'll end up biting her to teach her a lesson. "Race me; right here and now." She called out Purrloin and Snivy, the two immediately settling themselves on her person as she began to shift impatiently in place. "You won't give me my bag back, so I have to make it fair. Snivy and Purrloin should be about the same weight combined as my bag and Zorua."

She's even thinking of how to make things fair; what kind of human is this girl, I wonder? Such a complicated mess... I can't understand anything she does, where her motives and intentions lie.

"Hmm, how about this?" I pull out one of those detestable poke balls and tap her bag with it, the red light "capturing" the object and relieving my arm and shoulder of the pink duffle. I give the same smile that I think threw her off guard the last time as Zorua peers out from under my hair and around my neck at her. His whiskers tickle my neck and I'm forced to use a lot of self-control not to start squirming in place. "That way you don't have to worry so much, and Snivy or Purrloin can choose to sit out if they'd like."

Purrloin and Snivy had a brief but heated sounding argument that I didn't necessarily find very encouraging; the latter of the two wanting to be the one there so he could keep an eye on me and not have to worry about his trainer being fooled into agreeing to anything stupid. Purrloin's response was to tell him that he was worrying far too much, and that the both of us were too stupid to trick each other into anything truly damaging at this point.

Not sure who's side I want to be on right now, Snivy's for at least giving me a little credit in how dangerous I can be and what kind of threat I can pose to her, or Purrloin's for basically telling the tiny snake that I wouldn't hurt her or try anything bad.

In the end, it was Purrloin's promise to inform him of everything that happened and would switch places once at the finish line, wherever that was that finally allowed Snivy to retreat in peace, though with a glare in my direction that makes me glad he's probably not descended from one of those Kanto based Pokemon that can paralyze with a glance.

I chuckle, trying to stave off any nervousness about participating in this new game with her and raise an eyebrow at her. "It looks like you and Purrloin versus me and Zorua." It's an interesting match up, she and I, both of us with Dark type Pokemon draped across our shoulders. "Shall we say dinner is on the one who loses?" At her surprised look, I quickly clarify. "I mean, as the prize. After all, we're almost to Castelia and they have a lot of neat places to eat. Nothing expensive, I promise."

Not that I'd let her pay even if I wanted expensive food and won, but the less she knows the better, at this point. At least, until I get a better idea of what I'm up against.

Another brilliant smile is sent in my direction, I'm starting to feel like I might have to avoid a girl's smile at this point. It's a dangerous thing, those smiles, it just does something to their entire... being that makes them much prettier than anything else could. "You're on!" Touko replies, exactly the way I hoped she would. It means I know a little more about her; she's the kind who loves a challenge and has a very competitive, if not stubborn, nature.

I smile in return, feeling something within me respond to the challenge in her eyes. "As the saying goes, 'Ready, Set, Go!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\

If the smile she first gave me had been terrifying, the ones she'd given me afterward during our travels together were scarier and the one she got during a challenge was even more so? Then nothing, nothing, compared to the smile she gave me when she reached the 'finish line' a good eight feet ahead of me and spun around. An absolutely amazing sound slipped from her lips as she did so, a sound like none other than I'd ever heard in my life before.

A genuine, malice-less and condescension-free, joy filled laugh; the kind that only those experiencing the purest form of an emotion could ever hope to express to the rest of the world.

Was... this girl, this young woman even human?

"Looks like you get to take me out to dinner, buster!" She proclaimed, looking rather more like her Snivy for an instant with her prideful expression and pose. "Hope you're prepared, I eat like a boy after a good run like that!" Purrloin looked amused on my behalf, looking over at me with those all-knowing eyes of his. You were already planning to treat her to dinner, just so you could stay around her a little longer, weren't you?

Apparently my expression said it all, as the smug look on his face only deepened and he licked at a wind-tossed patch of fur on his shoulder. Thought so. Just because someone's smaller than you, doesn't mean they don't put up a hell of a fight and beat you at your own game. Remember that, N. She's smarter than you give her credit for. He warned me, suddenly serious as he fixed those big green eyes on me. Her questions are light in nature, but the way you answer them is more important than the answers themselves; just to let you know.

That wasn't a good thing, if what Purrloin was saying happened to be true.

Figures, you get yourself mixed up with some weird girl who actually reads between the lines the same way you hear and read a Pokemon's heart. Zorua sounded halfway amused with the remainder sounding strongly disgusted. He's worried and I can tell by the way he keeps shooting looks over at Touko and Snivy as she fills the little snake in on the whole race between us. He looks at me, the concern clear in his aqua eyes. Be careful, N. She's already suspicious, we don't want her figuring things out before... whatever it is you've got planned for her is done.

"...mm." I make a low, quiet sound of agreement, gently scratching the agitated fox's ears and feel a faint smile on my own face as I watch the gradually dwindling sunlight illuminate and brighten that natural light that seems to emanate from her. "Touko, we should get going before it gets dark out. The city's big and we need to get you settled and fed before then."

Especially before I wind up having to take off and meet with the grunts for the mission briefing. I have to be especially careful around this place; it's Burgh's home territory and thus the lair of the one who may just be my biggest enemy. Hopefully my little warning from last time was more than enough to discourage him from confronting me directly- or contaminating Touko any further with his insidious lies and false promises of power.

"Okay!" She practically sings out, in the best mood I've seen her in since... well, since I've ever seen. That bothers me, irritates me a little for some reason, as I have the sneaking suspicion that she's like this a lot with that idiot 'friend' of hers she was with in Accumula City. "Oh!" I look at her sharply, distracted from the view of the open sea to see the somewhat guilty look on her face as she fiddles with the zipper on her vest. "I almost forgot, you wanted the reason why I said 'truth', right?"

...how in the hell did she make me forget that?

"Yes, yes I do." I reply immediately, all my attention and focus in full force back on the shorter girl as I walk quickly to catch up with her at the top of the stairs leading down to Castelia. Damn it, as much as I want the answer, I need to continue to be a gentleman; it'll lower her guard and make her trust me. And the more she trusts me, the more inclined she'll believe what I have to say and realize that my dream is the truth; that it's what we should do and what's right for all involved. "But first," I walk down a few steps ahead of her and turn, smiling at her as I offer my hand out to her. "allow me to escort you, my lady of victory."

Touko laughs again, a delighted sound that makes even the usually testy Zorua feel like smiling just a little bit at the sound of, and accepts my hand with a shake of her head. "You're really full of it, N, but it's kind of cute in a weird way." She tells me, light blue eyes shining with humor as she allows me to guide her down the steps like a princess should be. "Did your father teach you this or something?"

The idea of my father doing this, and the very image of it that springs up in my mind is enough to give me pause. "No, he's not the type who would do this." I reply absently, missing the exasperated look on both Zorua and Purrloin's faces, as well as the concern on Touko's at my answer. "But that's not important," I smile at her again, unable to help myself. I want to smile around her, it's rare that I want to do that around another human being. Concordia and Anthea are the only two, other than my friends and maybe my father on a couple occasions, who have actually seen me smile like this. A genuine smile, I think to myself, feels much different, and is much, much easier, than a fake smile I usually wear when recruiting more Team Plasma members. "making sure you have food in your stomach is much higher of a priority. You can tell me your answer while we wait."