A/N: Well, here we are again - surprise! Rather than spend too much time talking about why this is suddenly coming out of the blue, I've put up an explanation on my profile page instead. But all the same, I'm back, and starting to get things on their way again.

Joshua's taken us to the local Pokémon centre – much smaller than the one in Rustboro, and far quieter. It doesn't look like many people come to Dewford, at least not in large numbers anyway. Now we're here, he seems to be a bit out of sorts, almost as if what happened today is distracting him.

Oddly, Sableye insisted on going back to her Poké Ball, claiming that it was going to be more comfortable in there for her. Just what does she have in hers? Everything I've learned suggests that the inside is meant to be an ideal environment for the Pokémon inside. Mine is mostly an endless field, probably so I can run whenever I want. Is hers a cave, then? A taste of her home?

I wish I knew more about these devices!

Mudkip also wanted a rest too, and had no problem getting Joshua to help. I guess in Mudkip's ball there must be water, and after running out in the cave, he probably needs a drink. That leaves me curled up on a table, and Riolu leaning against the nearby wall.

Without thinking, Joshua reaches out absently as if to scratch under my chin – a gesture of affection I might normally allow him, instead of giving him a nip to leave me alone. I'm still not completely over either of the battles I've had to take part in because of him. Brawly was another matter, of course.

"Alright, I get the idea," Joshua sighs, taking his fingers away. "I've upset you and got you to do things you didn't want to. You got me back on the beach, and won a gym badge for me even though I didn't really get to do anything. Can't we leave it at that, Jolteon?" he asks plainly.

I turn away from him and curl back up on the table, which says it all really.

"You know, being a trainer isn't as easy as I thought," he mutters sourly to himself. "At least now I have Pokémon that were wild."

"What was he expecting?" I ask, knowing he can't understand.

"Probably to have as easy a time with you as he did with us," Riolu suggests. "Remember Mudkip and I came from eggs. I hatched with him, and Mudkip was given to him at the start of his journey. We've never known any different."

"He must have had some idea what it'd be like though. Surely he's at least seen other trainers before he started?"

Riolu shrugs. Of course he wouldn't know, he wasn't around then, and I can't exactly ask Joshua. How would I even get the question across to him?

I hear him reach into his bag, taking something out.

"I'll be right back," he tells us, then adds, "Try to behave?"

"Now what is he up to?"

"You could look," Riolu ventures.

"I'm comfortable here."

"I'll bet you'd never rest like that while human."

"While human I only had two legs. And probably a different spine as well. I don't think I'd be able to curl up like this before."

"He's asking the clerk for something," Riolu reports after a moment, then says to me, "Ever miss being human?"

"Didn't we talk about this before sometime?" I ask, trying to remember.

"You've told me what it was like. I never actually asked you if you missed it."

I think it over for a while. Would I? Really? If I'd had a better life, would I really want to give it up for this? If I'd had the choice, would I have preferred to become a Pokémon?

"I think… once you get past having no hands and not being able to speak human… there isn't anything to miss," I say finally. "There are just too many things I like about being a Jolteon to give up."

Riolu smiles and replies, "I thought you'd say that. I think any human with the chance would prefer being one of us, if they knew how much better it was."

"Except for having to watch out for trainers," I put in. I can hear Joshua coming back, and when I get up to look, I see he has something in his hands. Once he's sat down, he looks to me and murmurs, "No biting this time, please," and puts something over my head. Something on a string? He fiddles with it for a moment, adjusting it around my white ruff.

"What is he doing?" I finally ask Riolu in exasperation.

"Looks like the badge he got from Brawly," Riolu replies. "He's giving it to you?"

"I thought you might want this," Joshua says, as if prompted by that. "Since you were the one who challenged him. I'd offer it to Sableye, but I don't think she'd understand. Or appreciate being made to come out of her ball so soon," he adds, half to himself. "I'm supposed to keep it in a case with the badge I got from Roxanne, but I don't really feel like I did enough in that challenge to deserve it."

"He actually is giving it to you," Riolu says, clearly surprised.

Is he doing this to try and make up for things with me? I… suppose I shouldn't stay upset with him for too long.

Before I get the chance to react however, the centre's doors open nearby, and Lee turns up. Since Joshua has his back to them, I hop down to the seat beside him and stand up on the back, which seems to get his attention.

Lee doesn't look… well, he always seems to look irritable. But somehow it seems more so than usual. He's got dirt and mud all over his pants, has an extra ball on his belt, Wingull perched on his head instead of flying, and his Torchic in his arms looking rather worse for wear.

He doesn't even seem to notice Joshua, going straight to the counter to get them healed. He doesn't even bother to put Wingull or Torchic into their balls for this. This should be interesting, I completely missed out on seeing what happens next last time.

But it looks disappointing. A few sprays of medication from the vials kept under the counter for the two of them, and the ball by itself slotted briefly into a machine. I guess it does the same thing but for Pokémon in balls? Somehow I expected more.

Once they're healed he returns the ball to his belt and retrieves his Pokémon, looking as if he was going to leave until he spots us.

"You found yourself another Pokémon inland then?" Joshua starts.

Lee snorts. "I stumbled across a cave full of Sandshrew. Wasn't what I was expecting, and they took down Torchic before I even realised how many of them there were. It was only because I caught one that Wingull was able to keep the rest away long enough to get back here."

"You certainly look like they didn't appreciate you. Let him sit down," Joshua adds to me. At least he didn't try to pick me up himself.

Lee sinks gratefully into the seat, sighing heavily, then eventually says, "I feel like I'm going to need two showers just to get all this off me. Feels like I have sand down my back, and everywhere else besides." Then he pauses, frowns, and says, "Why is your Jolteon wearing the Knuckle badge like an amulet?"

"Because he challenged Brawly on his own and took out his Machop before I'd managed to catch up. I caught a Sableye that finished his Makuhita, but she seems to be the opposite of Jolteon and insisted on going back to her ball."

Lee stares for a moment, taking this in, then begins to laugh. "Now I've heard it all," he says eventually. "I'll bet Brawly was surprised too."

"He sounded like it when he gave me the badge afterwards. I don't think you'll be able to top that – if you're challenging him yourself, that is."

"Maybe later. I want to have a rest then head back inland. I swear I saw a Ponyta once back there. I rather like the idea of catching one, then once it lets me, riding it from place to place instead of a bike."

They're silent for a moment, then Joshua pointedly says, "But you don't know how to ride a bike, let alone a Pokémon, Lee. You don't have any sense of balance, you're always saying."

"I never said it would be easy," he replies defensively. "Besides, there's a first time for everything. Maybe I'll finally figure it out as I go along."

"Or maybe you'll get thrown off."

That only leaves them bickering again – but it doesn't really feel like bickering. Just a different way of showing their own friendship.

After a while Joshua gets up, holding out an arm for Riolu to scamper up to his accustomed place.

"I'm going to see if the ship is heading to Slateport and head on," he tells Lee. "I'm sure you'll catch up with me eventually."

"You can count on it," Lee says. "I'm still a more experienced trainer than you are. And don't you go getting him into any trouble," he adds to me with a mischievous look. "Gods know he can manage it well enough on his own."