So after I made it to the pokemon center, Carina made good on her word and took Grimsley back to the pokemon league to rest. Where she would go after that, I didn't know. She wouldn't tell me, but I was still free to call her when I needed to talk to her. So as I sat in the lobby while Nurse Joy took care of my pokemon, I played with my X-Transceiver while the sky darkened. In a few hours, I'd be free to play in Nimbasa's amusement park like Grimsley told me.

"Hello loser." Cory said as he flopped into the seat next to me, leaning into my personal space to see what I was doing.

"What do you want?" I asked him, annoyed.

"Where'd you get that X-Transceiver Plus? No way YOU have that kind of money." He said as he grabbed my wrist, looking at my X-Transceiver. I tried to yank my wrist free, but he kept a firm grip on it and reached to take it off, and I growled. Sorrel jumped on my lap from the other seat beside me and flared his head flames under Cory's arms. He yelped and pulled his hands away, glaring at me.

"Is THAT anyway to thank the guy who gave you his Growlithe and called the Gym Leader to find your pokemon? You ungrateful runt." He said angrily. I glared at him and crossed my arms while Sorrel stood at attention.

"You mean the same guy whose stupidity LED to my pokemon being stolen? Besides, I DID repay you for that. I was the one who saved your miserable bum from Team Plasma last night." I said, making him angrier. He scoffed at me and stood up, moving in front of me while I turned back to my X-Transceiver. With Sorrel in my lap, he didn't dare try anything. Cory just stood there, thinking angry angry thoughts at me, and I didn't pay him any mind as I surfed the web. I stopped for a moment and reached into my bag, pulling out my medication and a water bottle.

"What's that for?" Cory asked. I swallowed one of the large pills with a slight gag, swallowing several times before putting the water bottle away.

"I took a pipe to the head while I was training. Gave me a slight concussion and a very nasty head wound." I said, flipping my head forward to show him my stitches. Cory hissed at the injury and I lifted my head again, adjusting my hair to hide the injury. We remained silent as Cory sat down again. After awhile, he spoke.

"Does it hurt?" He asked me.

"It did at first, but that's what the medication is for." I answered. Was he worried about me? This was so unlike the douchebag I grew up with. Why wasn't he laughing at my pain.

"Did you report it?" He continued. I shook my head and looked around to see if anyone was listening.

"No, and I won't. It wouldn't be a good idea." I said quietly.

"And why not?" Cory asked stuffily.

"Remember the raid on the S.S. Thundurus in Castelia?" I asked him.

"Yeah, what about it?" He replied, tilting his head.

"I was on it when that ship appeared. The ship that attacked us had Team Plasma's logo on their sail." I told him. He blinked several times before pulling out a pokeball, looking at it sternly.

"That's not what Grimsley said on TV." He told me. I smirked as I opened up a tab on my X-Transceiver's screen.

"I'm going to the UNN website, watch that newscast again." I told him, pulling up the video. Cory pulled out a pair of earbuds and plugged them into the audio jack, giving me one end while he kept the other. We listened to the newscast again and Cory frowned.

"I don't know how I didn't pick up on this, that guy was trying to blame pokemon for that attack?" He asked, looking at me. I smirked and took my wrist away, giving him back his earbud.

"Yep. But yeah, Grimsley neither confirmed, nor denied Team Plasma's return. There is no need to get Unova into a panic right now until the Pokemon League has figured out how to handle this. Until they do, we'll have to be careful with our pokemon." I told him as Nurse Joy called for me. I stood up to collect my pokemon, and I recalled Sorrel and sent out Lola in his place.

"How do you feel Lola?" I asked her. Lola smiled at me and rubbed her head against my knee.

'I feel much better. Did we win?' She asked. I smiled and kneeled down, taking my Bolt Badge and pressing it gently against her nose.

"We did, and I have all three of you to thank." I told her. Lola's smile widened and she reared up, putting her paws on my chest and leaning in to give me a hug. I hugged her back and stood, picking her up as Cory walked over to us.

"So listen, Nimbasa's amusement park is a lot of fun at night, and it's better when there are two people." He said, blushing profusely. Lola growled at him from in my arms, but I grinned wickedly.

"Are you asking me out on a date with you?" I asked. Lola made a confused sound as Cory's blush deepened, and he crossed his arms and turned his head away.

"Of course not, I can get a MUCH better girlfriend than some runt who barely towers over my stomach. I only offered because I feel sorry for you because of that gash on your head." He snapped. I grew annoyed for a moment, but I smirked at him anyway as I carried Lola towards the pokemart.

"Whatever you say Cory. Fine, I'll accompany you into the amusement park tonight. See you at 7:30." I told him as I went through the doors, setting down Lola so she could help me carry our groceries.

'What was THAT about?' She asked me in a suspicious tone. I snickered at her as I pulled out a shopping basket, looping the handles around her neck.

"I'm thinking practically here. I want to play in the amusement park, but it's the most fun at night. Amusement parks are VERY crowded and it would be stupid to wander around one at night on my own. Frankly, I'd rather go with Grimsley or Carina, or even, Arceus forbid, Shauntal, but since they are all busy, Cory is the next best thing." I told her as I put a few cans of pokemon food in the basket hanging off her neck. She snorted and stomped her foot angrily.

'Yeah, because he was such a fan-fucking-tastic bodyguard in Castelia. He did a great job rescuing us from Team Plasma.' She said irritably. I smirked and took a box from the shelf, analyzing the contents.

"And he paid terribly for that. After they got away I knocked his block off, and he gave me the Growlithe we used to find you. And he got attacked by Team Plasma the next night, and even though I had Reshiram save him from that, we still made him suffer. He won't pull that again." I explained.

'What happened to that Growlithe anyway?' She asked as I put the box in the basket.

"I'm guessing he went back to Cory when Burgh took you guys to the pokemon center after Carina rescued us." I replied. Lola said nothing more to me as we continued our shopping in comfortable silence, and secretly I was looking forward to the night ahead. Not so secret from Lola though, who grew intrigued at the part where I would include her in the fun.

'Will I like this "amusement park"?' She asked. I gave her a toothy grin as I petted her horn while we walked to the counter.

"You'll have a blast." Was all I said as we made our purchase.

TBC

God I left a ton of plotholes. I forgot about poor Yapper too. I'm sorry XD

A filler chappie, mainly to show Cory's slow rise to maturity. He's asking a half-pint on a date, lol.