Scorch321: PM'd you hon Xx

Eclipse2025: Thank you sweetie Anon reviews are now blocked. Xx

EspeonofShadows: Not in this story lol Nicolai is the sadistic one instead of N in this one Xx

Kairi Phantomhive: I shall download Skype to my laptop My email address should be on my profile so let me know what your Skype name is Xx

LiliL-1113: Lol I thought you'd like that one Actually, Riley has been psychic since chapter fourteen The third POV part at the bottom Xx

Hope: I know hon I did put that you own me on the one-shot lool thank you very much :D And yep, Lorne would tattoo say that with a straight face XD I wouldn't want to know what people really thought of me in case I discovered that people hated me! Loool Xx

Chapter Playlist: "Photograph" by Nickelback, "Pretender" by the Foo Fighters and "Wires" by Athlete. Xx

Chapter Twenty-Five

To my surprise, I knew the Seer. Very well, in fact, since I had dated Rick in high school for three months. I hadn't realised he had become a Seer. He looked well, all the puppy fat and baby-faced boyishness gone from the last time I had seen him. His violet eyes were still warm and friendly, his hair still that startling shade of bright orange and his build taller and much leaner. Unown runes were tattooed up his arms, across his chest and down his back.

"Wow, Riley," he smiled at me, "it's been a long time."

N looked a little confused by the greeting. "Wait, you know my girlfriend?" he asked with a frown.

I nodded. "Rick and I dated in school, babe. It wasn't really anything serious."

Rick nodded. "True. She popped her cherry with the guy after me," he said with a fond chuckle. "Anyhow, I'm guessing the mental patch is being done on you, lil' Ley."

I scowled. "Don't call me that. Only Aara and Darren are allowed to call me lil' Ley."

He shrugged and gave a playful smirk. "We need to clear a room out and set up a telepathic shield spell, Mr Fane."

My eyes shot open. "You what?" I snapped. "You mean that fuck-nut is here?"

N gripped my hand. "Calm down, love. Ghetsis is Nicolai's elder brother. Technically, he's my uncle, but he's emotionally my father."

"Oh, right," I muttered. "I'll just put my foot into my mouth now."

Rick laughed heartily. "Still blurting random shit, eh? Some things really don't change."

"Don't make me punch you again, Rick."

N snickered. "We've already cleared out a room, Rick. Riley needs a mental patch on her psychic abilities. Apparently there was also another Seer earlier in her life that put a block there but it's now worn away or shattered from some events that took place earlier this week where Riley was under extreme stress."

Rick nodded. "And you want a new patch put in place to keep her powers blocked until a psychic or Seer removes it and teaches her these powers. It's gonna hurt like fuck and ache for about two or three days afterwards, but you'll be fine. There's no permanent damage to you but it slightly dulls your abilities."

I bit my lip. "Other than the mental patch…is there any other way to help me?"

N frowned. "I thought you didn't want these abilities?"

I shrugged and snuggled against him, breathing in his fresh, clean scent. It puzzled me, how he always smelled clean even after a long sleep and no shower.

…thought she didn't want these powers…Rick could stop them for her…why does she want to discuss options…

"Because I'd rather know there are other options than a mental patch," I murmured, looking up at him with my most endearing expression.

He cracked in two seconds flat with a soft sigh. "Rick, what are the other options?"

I internally smirked. Arceus, I could be so manipulative at times.

"Well," Rick said with an uncertain tone, "there are three other options. You can learn by yourself to control your powers, you can have a permanent mental block on them, which has been associated with cancerous brain tumours, or you can have someone help you to just ignore the empathy and tactile telepathy whilst just controlling the telekinesis."

I sighed heavily. "I'd rather be able to control these abilities than get rid of them entirely. They could come in handy one day."

"That's true," Ghetsis said from where he was sat on the sofa, his elbows propped against his knees. "These abilities could definitely help when it comes to training with your Pokémon and it would also help you to better understand your team, Riley."

I smiled. "Sir my team are more my friends than my Pokémon. I love them all the same and I wouldn't have it any other way."

He raised a brow. "Miss McCabe, like my brother, I believe in Pokémon Liberation. However, I do not feel as strongly about it as Nicolai does. If I may make a request of you…would you allow Rick to read the mind of your newest Pokémon?"

I nodded. "Osian is my newest Pokémon – I found him in the woods after his Trainer abandoned him and I evolved him into a Vaporeon like he wanted." I took out Osian's Pokeball and released him from it.

"Riley!" he grinned, barrelling into me and hugging me tight. "I missed you, Riley."

N chuckled. "He's still very much like a child but he's strong and brave," N said to Ghetsis.

Ghetsis narrowed his were at N. "And cheerful, I see."

"Osian," I mused, stroking his hair out of his ultramarine eyes, "can you do something for me, sweetie?"

He nodded confidently. "I can do anything for you as long as I have you with me."

"Could you let Rick read your mind for a moment, please?" I asked. "It's so I can understand you a little better."

"Of course," he said happily, kissing my cheek before turning to Rick. "Hey, you're a Seer! My old Trainer's parents were both Seers but he was an asshole. I'm guessing you're nicer than he was."

Rick laughed softly. "All I need to do, Osian, is hold your hand for a moment. Okay?"

Osian held out his hand to Rick. "Sure." His smile never faltered.

Rick clasped Osian's long, slender hand with his stubby, meaty one. A soft grey light emanated from Rick's eyes as he stared at Osian for a few moments, then faded when he released my Vaporeon's hand. "My, my…I'm very surprised."

"What?" I asked as Osian snuggled into me again.

"It seems that, although Osian has only been with you for less than a month, he trusts you, loves you and completely believes in you. But he does wish you'd grant him some anal from time to time," he replied, eying the way Osian clung to me. "The reason for this is because he knows he would have died in the wild without you due to Eevee not being from Unova. He wouldn't want another Trainer even if they pampered and pleasured him to his heart's content."

Osian nodded. "It's true. I do wish you'd give me some anal action."

I snickered and kissed him innocently. "Do you want to stay out a little longer?"

He nodded. "Only if you don't mind."

"Of course not. I love your company."

Ghetsis cleared his throat. "There are some pancakes in the kitchen, Osian. You can eat those if you're hungry."

"Thank you!" he chirped and bounded into the kitchen.

N smiled as his thoughts drifted into my mind. …Wow, Osian really does adore her…her whole team does, there's no denying that…could this be truth or ideals…

'Could this be truth or ideals?' The question confused me somewhat. Usually, the reference to Truth and Ideals was used in conjunction to the legend of the Unova Dragons, Reshiram and Zekrom. Personally, I had always been a Zekrom kind of girl. Artists had always depicted him as being tall, strong and darkly handsome while Reshiram was petite, frail and beautifully pale.

…which would Riley be if it came down to it… N thought with a note of curiosity in his mental voice. …I would say she'd be Reshiram because she's so petite and delicate…but she's also like Zekrom, feisty, brave and passionate…Yes, Zekrom…Riley would be Zekrom…

"Thanks for telling me I remind you of a guy," I grumbled quietly.

He bit his lip. "Sorry, baby, I forgot."

"Meh, it's okay." I palmed Corbin's Pokeball and released him from it.

My daring Krokorok grinned boyishly at me. "What do you need me for, Riley?" he asked in a chipper tone.

"Let Rick hold your hand for a sec, please?" I said to him with a smile. Corbin was turning out to have an attitude that made everyone around him smile just by being present.

He turned to the Seer and held out his hand. "No gay stuff, dude. I'm straight," he teased but Rick didn't crack a smile when he gripped Corbin's hand.

His eyes flashed silver again for a few moments before he released Corbin hand, seemingly stricken. "Oh, Arceus…"

"What?" Corbin asked, frowning before letting out a little cough, which then turned into a full wracking chest shaker.

"Corbin, are you okay?" I asked, rubbing his back for him. "Rick, what did you do to him?"

"I did nothing!" he gasped. "Riley, he's got hexress pokephilla – it's a virus that strikes certain Pokémon before evolution, especially into their third stage and it's most evident after being in close contact with strong psychic abilities such as mine. I gather you've never had this problem with your Serperior?"

"No!" I yelped. "We have to get him to a Pokémon Centre!"

"No," N said softly, gripping my wrist hard. "Rick, explain it to her. She doesn't know about it."

Rick nodded. "Riley, Corbin will be fine. The virus is in-born to Corbin's DNA." He paused as Corbin coughed up a thick, sticky mound of red-black sludge into his hand, clutching himself around the middle. "He needs to keep on vomiting up that crap there before anything can be done."

I stared at him for a long minute, then gasped, realising that I couldn't hear N's mental voice. He hadn't transformed but I couldn't hear him. Perhaps focussing on other things was the key to controlling these powers?

"I have to get him to the Pokémon Centre," I snapped at Rick, N and Ghetsis. "Osian!"

My Vaporeon rushed in from the kitchen and, when he saw Corbin with black sludge smeared on his chin and mouth, he gaped. "Riley, what's wrong with Corbin?" he asked, his mouth open in extreme shock.

I returned him to his Pokeball before he could start panicking, then Corbin. I turned and kissed N quickly. "Either you're with me on this or you can stay – I don't care which. I'm not staying here while my friend is sick." I fled from the house, running downstairs until I was outside in Driftveil City, the apartment block two streets away from the Pokémon Centre.

I bolted, shoving past anyone as tears streaked down my face. If Corbin ever…No, I didn't even want to think about it!

I skidded into the Pokémon Centre and hurriedly explained to the Nurse on reception what the problem was. He was rushed to intensive care as I watched through a glass panel. It reminded me of a song Darren had been playing on his iPod dock in the Pokémon Centre the night previous.

"Running down corridors though
"Automatic doors
"Got to get to you
"Got to see this through
"I see hope is here
"In a plastic box
"I've seen Christmas lights
"Reflected in your eyes
"You've got wires going in
"You've got wires coming out of your skin…"

Tears continued to roll down my face as Corbin was sedated and hooked up to multiple machines, being pumped with antibiotics and pain killers as his entire body glowed faint red, fading and brightening rapidly. His lashes fluttered every so often, signalling life was still there, that he was still my Corbin and not a ghostly shell of a Krokorok.

I didn't know how long I stood there for, looking through the glass as Corbin glowed on and off like a light, the IVs pumping drugs into his limp body. My fingers were on the glass, the entire place stinking of disinfectant as the light in the window faded and brightened before fading again.

"Riley? I sensed your sadness," Solae murmured as he manifested beside me, breaking free of his Pokéball. He looked through the glass at Corbin with concerned eyes. "Is he…"

"No," I whispered, my hands curling into fists. "He's just sleeping for now. He'll be okay. He's Corbin. He's always okay."

He bit his lip and enfolded me into his arms, tucking me against his chest as I cried softly. "Corbin will pull through, Riley. You know he will. You love him the same way you love me, Lorne, Raden and Osian. Corbin would never give up on any of us, no matter how dire things are. He will always be with us so you don't need to worry."

"I…Solae, I-I'm scared," I breathed, more tears coming with the admission. "I'm scared of everything."

"Of what?" he asked, bending and picking me up and sitting with me on his lap on one of the rows of chairs in front of Corbin's room as a Nurse and her Audino checked him over. "You can tell me, Riley." …She's so cold…She hasn't slept or eaten in the past two days…Has she really been watching over Corbin all this time…We love you, Riley, we all love you more than you know…

I sniffled as snuggled against Solae as he took off his coat and wrapped it around me. "I'm scared that Corbin will…And I'm scared that Nicolai might hurt N, Skye, Darren, Cheren and Bianca like he hurt my sister…I'm scared of everything, Solae. I can't do this anymore."

"Yes, you can," he retorted with a slightly hostile tone. "You're stronger than you realise. You made all of us see that. It's our turn to make you realise the same about yourself."

Such an emo chapter Xx