Hey all! Happy New Year! I hope you are met with all the luck and fortune this year. To celebrate the new year here is chapter 21. Let's see what is in store for Yamaguchi and Tsukishima this time!

My norml beta reader is back! As always they did such an awesome job! They go by the name of Killer_Squids and can be found on AO3 here ( /users/Killer_Squids). They can also be found on tumblr under the name land-banana. They have done a wonderful job with betaing for me so if you have time please give there page a look.

Without further ado, Chapter 21!

An Injured Stranger

Yamaguchi had no clue where Frogadier had come from. Tsukki hadn't even told him that he had caught a new Pokemon. When Yamaguchi went to feed the Pokemon the evening he'd asked Tsukki to watch Eevee, he was surprised to find one more mouth to feed. The first thing Yamaguchi noticed about Frogadier was that Eevee was terrified of him.

Eevee was a very timid soul, but her fear of Frogadier was on a level that baffled Yamaguchi. Upon sight of Frogadier, the small shiny Pokemon would high tail it down Yamaguchi's shirt, scratching up his chest in her horrified frenzy. Once down his shirt, it was next to impossible to get her out without ripping his clothes off. All the while, Frogadier didn't pay any mind to Eevee whatsoever.

The next thing Yamaguchi noticed was how aggressive Salazzle was towards her new teammate. The black lizard wasted no time in hissing at Frogadier any time both of them were out of their Pokeballs. It got so bad at dinner that both Pokemon had to be fed on opposite sides of the camp. Salazzle was normally so easygoing towards other Pokemon, so it concerned him to see her react so aggressively. All the while, Tsukishima insisted that Yamaguchi shouldn't worry about it, and that he would take care of the two in due time.

Frogadier was extremely standoffish towards everyone in the small camp. He paid very little mind to all other Pokemon and if anyone other than Tsukishima so much as approached him, he would shoot them with his sticky bubbly foam. Yamaguchi was far toe startled by Frogadier's aggressive ways to feed the Pokemon himself, insisting that Tsukishima pass off the food to the grumpy frog.

Many times, Yamaguchi had asked Tsukishima where and when he'd caught Frogadier, but Tsukishima always brushed off the question or gave vague answers.

"Have you had him this whole time, or did you catch him while I was training?" Yamaguchi would ask as he side eyed the crabby frog.

"Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you over my music," Tsukishima would mumble in reply, not bothering to look up from his book.

By the next day, Yamaguchi had given up on asking Tsukki where Frogadier had come from. Yamaguchi knew Tsukki better than anyone, and Tsukki would tell him when he was ready.

As Yamaguchi cleaned up their lunch, he tentatively watched as Popplio did her best to befriend Frogadier. As she had done many time before, she approached the frog, blowing a few playful bubbles. As always, Frogadier would pop the bubbles, shoot Popplio with a bit of foam and then hop up into a tree to get away.

Yamaguchi released a sigh as he gave his head a small shake. Popplio was relentless and would surely win over Frogadier eventually. Sometimes, he envied Popplio's ability to never give up.

Before long, the camp was packed up from lunch, and Yamaguchi was ready to practice his routine for the day. "Popplio and I are going to head into the woods to practice some more, do you mind watching Eevee for me?" Yamaguchi asked as he passed off a drowsy Eevee to Tsukishima.

Tsukishima, who had been reading from his tablet, nodded slowly as he took the baby Pokemon without so much as looking up from his article. "How long will you be out?" Tsukishima asked as Eevee settled into his lap.

"I'll be back in enough time to make us dinner," Yamaguchi vaguely replied.

"If you need the time to practice, I can cook tonight," Tsukishima offered, glancing from his article to Yamaguchi.

"No, it's fine. I have a new recipe I want to try tonight," Yamaguchi insisted, not wanting to pawn off all his responsibilities on Tsukki.

Tsukishima looked at Yamaguchi for a long moment, as if to say it wouldn't be a problem, but said nothing. Yamaguchi gave a small smile in reply before turning on his heels to find Popplio. The small seal was still at the base of the tree Frogadier had fled into looking up into the branches.

"Come on Popplio, time for practice," Yamaguchi prompted as he headed into the woods away from the camp.

With a dissatisfied bark, Popplio looked at the tree one last time before following after Yamaguchi.

"Frogadier might come around to you faster if you gave him just a little space," Yamaguchi hummed as he ducked through the woods, seeking out a spot to practice.

Popplio gave a small bark of disagreement from Yamaguchi's heels.

"If you say so," Yamaguchi shrugged as they both came across a clearing with just enough space for them to practice their routine. "This should do," Yamaguchi nodded as he looked over the small clearing.

Popplio barked in agreeance as she jumped to center.

"Let's start from the top, shall we," Yamaguchi hummed as he fiddled with his Z-ring. The Waterium Z shone brightly under the rays of light that filtered through the treetops.

Popplio gave another small bark as she positioned herself where she needed to be.

It wasn't long before the two sprung into action. Both trainer and Pokemon spun and twirled through fountains of water to the tune of an island song Yamaguchi had listened to since he was a small child. For his first ever showcase, Yamaguchi had decided to bring a little bit of Alola to Kalos. Since it was his first performance he wanted to start out with something he knew. Most might consider going with something you know not challenging oneself, but the act of doing a showcase in the first place was enough of a challenge for Yamaguchi. He just hoped his routine would be enough to win him his first Key.

Yamaguchi found that time passed quickly when practicing. The day before, he hadn't meant to stay out as late as he had. He and Popplio had gotten so caught up that they hadn't realized it was close to evening until the sun began to set. Today, time also passed in the same manner, but Yamaguchi did well to watch the sun so as to not be so late.

A few hours into their practice, Yamaguchi felt a very familiar feeling. He stopped abruptly, mid-twirl, to look high into the trees. It had to have been his imagination. His sudden stop had caused Popplio to run right into him, soaking them both in her aqua jet.

"Ack!" Yamaguchi grunted as he fell to the ground in a wet heap.

Popplio barked apologetically from atop him.

"No, it's my fault for stopping mid-dance," Yamaguchi said as he gave Popplio's head a small scratch. He looked back up to the tree. "I thought I saw something…"

Popplio barked in confusion as she too looked up into the branches.

Nothing was there. Perhaps the Yamask incident was still haunting him without him realizing.

"It's nothing," Yamaguchi insisted as he gave Popplio's head a small pat. "Let get back to practicing."

With a happy bark from Popplio, the two started once again from the beginning.

Damp, sweaty and tired, it was late, almost evening when Yamaguchi and Popplio stopped for the day. Both trainer and Pokemon had been able to perform the routine several time with little trouble. "All we need to do is synchronize that Z move and we will be all set," Yamaguchi said with a large satisfied stretch.

Popplio barked in joyful agreement.

"Now how about we-" Yamaguchi began.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

A loud shriek cut through the forest catching both Popplio and Yamaguchi off guard. Several Pidgey and Fletching took flight at the sound. Unconsciously, Yamaguchi scooped up Popplio and held her tight.

"What was that?" Yamaguchi barely got out as he turned to face where the yell had come from. Still mildly shocked, he nearly jumped out of his pants as the shriek sounded again.

"Ahhhh! Help!"

Yamaguchi looked to Popplio in shock. "That isn't a Pokemon…"

"Someone, please!"

With shaky knees, Yamaguchi jumped into action. He made for the direction of the distress call. His mind raced as he tripped through the woods. Part of him wanted to turn back and get Tsukki, as Yamaguchi was in no condition to fight. But at the same time, the person sounded quite distressed.

Breaking through the woods, Yamaguchi found himself on the main trail toward the next town. He looked up and down the trail for the source of the scream and found that only a few meters away sat someone beside the bath. He looked a moment more to find that the person was quite alone. Without another moment's hesitation he approached the trainer.

Yamaguchi was surprised to find that the distressed stranger was a girl. She had short dark hair and large eyelashes that framed watery brown eyes. She wore a light blue tank top and tan shorts. Upon her back was a large tan backpack. She gave a small whimper as she saw Yamaguchi approaching. She looked quite spooked.

"Oh, thank Arceus, someone was nearby," the girl almost cried.

"A-Are you okay?" Yamaguchi awkwardly asked as he looked over the stranger.

"It's my ankle," the girl explained as she looked to her right foot.

Yamaguchi followed her gaze to find the ankle to be quite swollen. His brow furrowed in concern as he kneeled down beside her.

"Something came out from behind me and pushed me down," the girl whimpered. "I must have twisted it during the fall."

"Yeah. It looks pretty bad," Yamaguchi hummed as he examined the swelling. "The nearest Pokemon center is quite a ways off, but my friend and I have set up camp around here, and we have a first aid kit there."

"Would that be okay?" The girl tentatively asked.

"Not a problem," Yamaguchi insisted. He couldn't just leave the girl abandoned on the side of the road. "Here, let me help you up," He carried on as he motioned for the girl to use him as a crutch.

"Oh, thank you so much," The girl blubbered as she slung an arm around Yamaguchi's shoulder. "You are so kind."

Yamaguchi silently brushed off the compliment. He was just doing what anyone would have done.

On three, the two hoisted up into a standing position. What Yamaguchi didn't expect was for the girl to be just as tall as he was, but he did his best to hid his shock. He had never met a girl this tall before.

"You steady?" Yamaguchi asked before starting to walk.

"Yeah, I think so," the girl replied as she tested her balance. "Thanks a lot… um."

"Yamaguchi," Yamaguchi introduced as they made their way towards the camp. "Yamaguchi Tadashi."

"Thank you, Yamaguchi," The girl kindly hummed. "I'm Amanai Kanoka. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too, Kanoka," Yamaguchi awkwardly replied.

The walk back to the campsite was a bit of a struggle. Kanoka was much taller than Yamaguchi had anticipated, if he were to guess he'd say she was probably just a bit taller than he was. That, mixed with him trying to hide his lack of directional skills almost had the two trainers walking in circles. Fortunately for Yamaguchi, Popplio eventually took the lead guiding them back to their campsite.

Tsukishima was not in the least bit happy to find that Yamaguchi had come back with an injured girl. He said nothing, but he glared across the campsite as they emerged from the woods, and Yamaguchi knew Tsukki well enough to see that he was not in the least but pleased.

"Hello," Kanoka said as she caught sight of Tsukishima. She didn't seem to take notice of Tsukishima's deep scowl. "My name is Kanoka Amanai… Sorry to intrude."

Tsukishima looked to Yamaguchi as if he were asking what the heck he was thinking.

"She sprained her ankle," Yamaguchi explained as he silently pleaded for Tsukki to at least try to be polite. "That's Tsukishima, the travel partner I told you about," Yamaguchi quietly added.

Tsukishima released a small huff as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Yamaguchi was often far too kind for his own good.

Kanoka seemed to be picking up on the mild tension coming from the blond trainer. "If there is a problem-"

"No, no! There's no problem," Yamaguchi quickly insisted. "Here, come and sit down by the fire," he motioned as he helped her over to the small fire in the middle of the clearing.

With a shuffle here, a grunt there, and extra support from Salazzle, Kanoka was able to make herself comfortable beside the fire. Once the girl was settled beside the fire, Salazzle sitting beside her for extra support, Yamaguchi made for the first aid kit. He could feel Tsukki's eyes on him the whole time. He knew better than anyone that Tsukki strongly disliked surprise visitors, but he chose to ignore his best friend for now.

With the first-aid kit in hand, Yamaguchi made his way back to Kanoka. Crouching down, he slowly eased her shoe from her foot. Kanoka only whimpered once as her foot popped from the shoe. Yamaguchi gently examined the injured foot, releasing a slow, thoughtful hum.

"I'm no doctor, but it doesn't look as bad as I thought it was," Yamaguchi said, looking from the foot to its owner.

"Well, that's good to hear," Kanoka laughed, there was an edge of nerve to her as she did so. "How long do you think it will be before I can walk?"

By this time Tsukishima had moved over to the two. He leaned over Yamaguchi to get a look at the injured foot for himself. "It barely looks injured," He replied before Yamaguchi could.

"Tsukki!" Yamaguchi scolded as he frowned up at his best friend.

Tsukishima did not look sorry for his unnecessary comment.

"If we wrap it up tightly, maybe it will be okay to walk on by tomorrow," Yamaguchi said, turning his attention back to Kanoka. "We can help you to the closest Pokemon center tomorrow. We are heading that direction anyways."

"Oh no, you two don't have to do that," Kanoka gasped, though she looked as if she wanted to say yes to the offer.

"It wouldn't be a problem at all," Yamaguchi insisted. "Right, Tsukki?"

"Whatever…" Tsukishima pouted in reply, turning his attention away from the two.

"Well, if it's not too much of a bother, thank you," Kanoka smiled shyly as she accepted the offer.

Yamaguchi, with eventual help from Tsukki, did his best to patch Kanoka up. It wasn't long before her foot was bandaged and was being iced, compliments of a well-executed ice beam from Kanoka's blue Gastrodon. While patching her up, the tension in the campsite subsided significantly. Kanoka was a very kind and friendly girl. She was easy to talk with and reminded Yamaguchi of Yachi if she were a less nervous person.

"So, you're a showcase performer?" Kanoka asked.

"Yeah, I plan to do my first performance in a few days," Yamaguchi replied with a nervous smile.

"Wow, that's so soon!" Kanoka gasped. "You must be so nervous. I know I would be, if I were you."

"Yeah, I'm somehow keeping it together," Yamaguchi sheepishly admitted. It was easy for him to talk about his upcoming showcase while sitting in the woods. He had a sinking feeling he wouldn't be so calm once arriving to the showcase itself.

"What about you, Tsukishima? Are you also in to showcases?" Kanoka asked, leaning over to look at Tsukishima, who was sitting on the other side of Yamaguchi.

"Pokemon league," Tsukishima bluntly replied. He was now talking with Kanoka, but still held a hint of bitterness to himself in the moment.

"Oh, you're in the league, too?" Kanoka gasped, leaning over more. "How many badges do you have? I only have two."

"Same here," Tsukishima replied with a frown.

"Where are you guys headed for your 3rd badge?" Kanoka asked with a shine in her eyes.

Tsukishima gave a silent shrug, not looking at either Kanoka or Yamaguchi.

"Cyllage City Gym," Yamaguchi replied in Tsukki's stead.

"No way! That is where I'm going, too," Kanoka gasped. "What a small world."

"Small world indeed," Tsukishima mumbled.

"Well in that case, would it be a problem if I tagged along with you two?" Kanoka asked as she twittled her fingers in her lap. She only glanced at Tsukishima before settling her eyes on Yamaguchi.

"Well-" Yamaguchi started before being rudely cut off.

"We aren't going straight to Cyllage City from here," Tsukishima cut in very abruptly.

"Y-You're not?" Kanoka asked, looking to Tsukishima. Tsukishima sent her an uninviting stare before Kanoka sent her gaze on Yamaguchi for explanation.

"Well, we are going to stop in at Camphrier Town for a few days for a showcase I am going to participate in," Yamaguchi explained, shooting Kanoka a very sorry look.

"Wow, really? And it's your first one, right?" Kanoka hummed in a mix of excitement and nerves. "I'd love to come and cheer you on," She insisted, leaning in to Yamaguchi's bubble just a bit. "As a thank you for helping me!"

"Well, if you want to, you're more than welcome to come along, I guess," Yamaguchi shrugged as he ignored Tsukishima's fiery glare.

"I promise I won't get in your way," Kanoka smiled.

Tsukishima shot up from where he stood so quickly that both Kanoka and Yamaguchi toppled over. "A word, Yamaguchi… In private" Tsukishima hissed, not even looking down at his best friend.

"O-Okay, Tsukki," Yamaguchi slowly replied as he stood. He knew well what Tsukki was going to say. He gave Kanoka a 'don't worry' look before following after his best friend.

Once they were a distance from the campfire Tsukishima released a very exasperated sigh as he turned on Yamaguchi. He looked to his friend in silent frustration, waiting for an explanation.

"Tsukki, we can't just tell her no," Yamaguchi defended as quietly as he could. "It would be rude, and we are going in the same direction so it would also be awkward."

"So, we are just going to let anyone join that is heading in the same direction as we are?" Tsukishima half hissed, half snapped.

"You're being dramatic, Tsukki," Yamaguchi retorted in a hiss of his own. "It's obvious that Kanoka is nothing like Hinata or Kuroo, so I don't know why you're so upset. You're not even giving her a chance."

Tsukishima puffed up his chest as if he wanted to say something back but all he did was glare at Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi knew Tsukishima well, and he knew it wasn't Kanoka that was upsetting him so much. She was just an innocent bystander.

"I get it," Yamaguchi carried on as he rested a hand upon Tsukishima's arm. "Kuroo just left us a day ago, and three is a crowd, but I highly doubt Kanoka will be following us for too long. Probably just until we get to Cyllage City."

Tsukishima breathed in deeply through his nose before releasing it all through his mouth. As he did so much of his tension went with it. "Fine. But if she gets annoying she's out, got it!"

"Sounds like a deal," Yamaguchi sighed. He sometimes forgot how difficult his best friend could be.

"Is everything okay?" Kanoka called from beside the fireplace.

"Yeah, everything is fine," Yamaguchi called back, returning to the campsite. All the while, Tsukishima's golden eyes followed after him.

"Did I upset him?" Kanoka tentatively asked as Yamaguchi took his seat.

"What? Tsukki? Upset? No!" Yamaguchi brushed off probably a bit too earnestly. "He's just shy is all," he lied, his voice cracking a bit.

"Oh, I didn't take him for the shy type" Kanoka hummed as she looked to where Tsukki now stood picking up a sleeping Eevee from a sleeping Salazzle.

"He gets a little standoffish when meeting new people, but once you get to know him, Tsukki really is the best person ever," Yamaguchi insisted, this time in pure honesty.

"I can hear you talking about me!" Tsukishima snapped as he cradled Eevee in his arms.

"Sorry, Tsukki," Yamaguchi giggled.

"Well, you two seem like really good friends," Kanoka chortled.

"If you two are done talking about me, I'm starting to get hungry," Tsukishima cut in as both Yamaguchi and Kanoka stifled a laugh. "And so are our Pokemon," he added, passing off Eevee to Yamaguchi.

"Right, I'll feed everyone their dinners and then I'll start on ours," Yamachi replied as he took Eevee into his arms. With a sleepy trill, Eevee snuggled close to Yamaguchi, happy to have him back by her side again.

As Yamaguchi fed Eevee from the bottle, Kanoka gushed over how cute the off-colored Eevee was. Yamaguchi was proud of his Eevee, and would've let Kanoka try feeding her if Eevee wasn't so shy. It didn't take long for Eevee to finish her meal and after passing her back off to Tsukki, he made his way to feed the rest of their crew.

"Your Pokemon are welcome to join in, if you want," Yamaguchi said as he rummaged through his bag for a can of his fresh homemade Pokemon food. "I make the food myself."

"Wow, you make your own Pokemon food?" Kanoka gasped. "I'm sure they would love to try it!"

"Well, just give me a minute to-" Yamaguchi started but cut off as he dug deeper into the bag. "That's funny… I thought the can of food was in my backpack." Yamaguchi hummed as he emerge from his bag. "Do you have it in yours, Tsukki?"

"Not that I'm aware of," Tsukishima shrugged as he allowed Eevee to tussle gently with his hand. "Take a look if you want."

Yamaguchi didn't waste time digging through Tsukki's pack. He checked every nook and cranny, but no can of Pokemon food could be found.

"That's so odd. I swear I packed it last night after making it," Yamaguchi hummed in mind frustration. "Do you think I left it at the Pokemon center?"

"Maybe?" Tsukishima shrugged.

"I guess I must have," Yamaguchi deflated.

"It's no big deal, Yamaguchi. One night of berries and table scraps won't kill them," Tsukishima sighed in his best attempt to comfort Yamaguchi. It was a little rough around the edges but Yamaguchi appreciated the effort.

"Sorry, Kanoka, but it looks like I forgot the homemade food at the last Pokemon center we were at," Yamaguchi sighed.

"Oh well, I have extra of my own. I don't mind sharing it," Kanoka kindly offered. "Since you're allowing me to travel with you and all."

"I'll pay you back at the next Pokemon center," Yamaguchi agreed, despite how bad he felt.

"No need to," Kanoka insisted. "Tonight's meal is my treat."

"Well, thank you then," Yamaguchi replied with a worried smile. It had been ages since any of his Pokemon had eaten store-bought food, so he just hoped they'd eat it. He just couldn't help but wonder where his food had gone, as he distinctly remembered packing it.

Oh my! I wonder what happened to the can of missing Pokemon food? Will we ever find out? What about Kanoka? I wonder what she is going to bring to the mix. Yama's showcase practice is well on it's way. Just a few more days and we'll get to see how ready he really is! We can find out all this and with the next chapters.

So next weekend I am unsure if I will be getting a chapter out. I'm still traveling so we will have to see what sort of time I have. After next weekend things should be back to normal for the most part and chapters should come out regularly.

Thank you all so much for your kind kudos, bookmarks, follows and comments/reviews. Feedback is always a great way to fuel my writing tank. I would love to hear from you guys. Your thoughts and such so please drop a comment or review if you have time.

Well that is all for now! See you next Chapter.