So, I actually meant to post this chapter when the D/P remakes came out, but it got a bit delayed. Either way, here it is.

I've actually ventured into the world of streaming as well, and I've been playing Brilliant Diamond on Twitch. If you ever feel up to watching me fumble about because I've forgotten almost everything about this generation, feel free. My user name is the same as it is here and I'll usually post on Tumblr when I'm about to start.

That aside, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I stared up at Noctowl in shock, a part of me in disbelief that this was happening.

"You-...You'll really teach me how to understand pokemon?"

'If you wish to.'

"But-...Sorry if this seems kinda rude, but why? I-...I can't be the first person who's wanted to learn."

'No, but you are one of the rare few humans who have so earnestly asked one of us to teach you.'

"Huh?"

Noctowl hooted another laugh, its head twisting to the side. 'The human...scientists, I believe is the word...Yes, the scientists are the only ones who consistently try to learn, and they do not ask. They are arrogant, believing they hold all the knowledge they need to communicate. In that regard, they are a bit like the human mind-readers, who instead use their abilities.'

"What about children? You can't tell me there hasn't been a kid out there who hasn't asked to learn."

'Most human children do learn a bit of our language,' Noctowl admitted. 'But, in the innocence of their youth, they think nothing of it. As they grow they begin to forget, believing that any conversation they had was nothing but an illusion.'

That...actually made a lot of sense. An innocent child who thought anything was possible- yeah, I can see how they would pick up a few things. Then, as they grew up and became more involved in a world that constantly enforced the belief that humans couldn't understand pokemon unless they had some sort of preternatural ability or intensive study, they would dismiss it all as make-believe.

That was really sad when I thought about it.

'But you are both mature enough to understand the extent of what you're asking, and sincere enough for most to tell it stems from a genuine desire to learn, rather than from a less benign ulterior motive. We do not discourage such honest requests. For while humans that can truly and completely understand us are about as rare as the Exalted Ones, just knowing that there are some out there is a comfort. One never knows when it could be useful.'

Huh. I'd never really thought about it before, but it made a lot of sense when he (Noctowl was a he, right? I got the feeling Noctowl was a he) put it that way.

"What about...pokemon who learn human speech? How do you feel about them?"

'Oh?...Well, how fascinating.'

I shivered and made a face as I felt...something going on in my mind. It didn't hurt, but...I honestly didn't know how to describe it. All I knew was that it felt like something had changed in the connection and that it felt weird.

It was gone almost as quickly as it came.

'I do apologize,' Noctowl said, and he did sound remorseful. 'I honestly cannot say I've ever heard of a pokemon who learned human speech and grew curious.'

"I can understand that I guess," I replied slowly. "But...what exactly did you do?"

'You broadcast an image of a Meowth when you said that, so I knew you were speaking from personal knowledge. I followed that thought to where your memories of them were kept and was beginning to look through them before I realized my error. It is quite rude to do such a thing without warning- and even more so to do it without permission.'

"Oh..."

I wasn't sure what else I could say. How in the world was I supposed to feel about this? Clearly, Noctowl hadn't really meant to-...to go through my memories (oh, it was starting to sink in now), and it hadn't hurt, but...it was a serious breach in privacy. Honestly, it felt a little violating, even as unintentional as it had been. Not to mention the issue of having a person with psychic abilities possibly doing the same thing somewhere down the line.

Person, not pokemon. Because it was the people I was worried about- especially with the kind of knowledge I had.

"Can-...Can all psychics do this?"

'It is a technique that also takes many years of practice and study, but yes. Worry not,' he added gently. 'The reason I was able to do it so easily right now is, again, because we are already connected. I can sense this still troubles you, however, so I will teach you how to guard your mind. It is not a guarantee of protection, especially if you confront a powerful mind-reader, but it can help.'

"I-...I'd like that. Thank you, Noctowl."

I guess I could let it go this time, seeing as he didn't mean it and was willing to teach me how to try and keep it from happening again.

Noctowl gave a short nod before continuing. 'To answer your question...I suppose it depends on the species. Meowth and Persian, while crafty, can be very set in their ways. Image happens to be something they have particular standards for. I can't imagine that Meowth was received well by his peers when demonstrating his new skill.'

"He wasn't."

'A shame, but it does prove my point. However, if he had been a Chatot or Murkrow, who make it a point to mimic human speech whenever they can, or even a Clefairy, which I've heard can imitate human children remarkably well, the reception might have been different. My kind...I cannot see them having any issue with it, seeing as ones such as myself can communicate in this manner.'

"Hmm..."

This was actually all really interesting. I wouldn't have minded continuing the discussion until we exhausted the topic, but I was technically still a five-year-old out in the forest in the middle of the night. I couldn't exactly hang around for as long as I wanted. Noctowl seemed to remember this as well since he gave a little shake and switched gears.

'Now, in order to be able to understand us, you need to open your mind. Given your circumstances, it might be a bit difficult, but I will assist...'

I ended up staying for another hour or so before going back home. The next morning, I was visibly exhausted (which made Papa freak out), but overjoyed.

If I managed this, it was going to change everything.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~ 5 & 1/2~

One of the best things about being a child with all of my memories intact was that I had all the time in the world to focus on the things I wanted to do without having to worry about adult responsibilities.

Which meant I could put my all into breaking the language barrier that so few had broken before.

"Rrr-ry!"

I frowned heavily at Stoutland, even as I felt a jolt of excitement shoot through me. I caught something that time! I was so close I could taste it! Today would be the day!

The two of us were heading home after class (Ash had caught a cold and had stayed home today), and I decided to use the alone time to practice.

"'-ry,'...'-ry,'...Can you say it again, Stoutland?"

Despite the extra time to dedicate to learning, it was still hard without something to base it on. Languages like the Kalosian I was studying had set lessons, tips, and tricks that people could use, and if I ever didn't understand then Uncle Augustine was always there to explain further. There were also similarities to other languages I knew, which made it easier to pick up.

What I was doing now was basically doing the full-immersion method without any of that. Sure, Noctowl was there to help if I had questions, but he had said that the best way to learn was just to keep exposing myself to it. Understandable. All of those I knew of who could understand pokemon had grown up surrounded by them- and in some cases, being completely isolated from humanity. There were no tips, tricks, or methods I could use because there simply weren't any to be found.

That being said, there was one thing that was needed in order to do it.

I found out that the reason pokemon could understand each other and people of all different countries was that there was a sort of...wavelength they used. It wasn't aura, exactly, and it wasn't quite psychic energy either. Noctowl described it as being more akin to electric or radio waves, with tiny hints of the other two mixed in. Like aura, it was something that all living creatures were capable of channeling and receiving, which was why it was possible for humans to learn- or, I "tune into," I guess? He had also confirmed that speaking it was possible, but that it was much more difficult in comparison for one who hadn't been raised by pokemon.

Which, okay, made total sense, but I still wanted to try and learn. Maybe once I got the hang of understanding it, though.

"Rr-rry! B-rr-erry!"

"'Rr...Erry'...? Wait, I think I heard a 'b' too, so..." I breathed in sharply and looked at Stoutland with a racing heart and wide eyes. Was this it?! After half a year had I finally-?! "Waitwaitwait, did you say-?!"

"What are you doing?"

I screamed and whirled around, throwing my bag for good measure. It hit Gary square in the face, and he fell back with a yelp before quickly getting up and glaring.

"What was that for, you weirdo?!"

"Weirdo?!" I asked incredulously, the shock of being caught practicing making my mind stall for a moment. "Y-You're the one being all creepy and sneaking up on me!"

He looked about as insulted as a boy his age could be. "Well, I'm not the one staring at a pokemon and making weird noises, weirdo!"

As childish as the comeback was, he had a point. From his perspective, I'd probably looked very strange. There was a flutter of embarrassment but I did my best to ignore it. I was not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd gotten to me. Thankfully, before I could continue the argument (because I refused to lose to an actual child), someone interrupted.

"Now, now, that's no way to talk to your friend."

I looked up at the new voice and froze.

Daiki- because there was no way this man who looked so much like an older Green from the Pokemon Adventure manga wasn't Gary's dad -smiled back. Heat rushed up to the point I felt I was burning and I'm pretty sure I died on the spot.

'What a handsome smile.'

It really was. I inwardly cursed whatever force brought me here and threw a few of them at past me for being such a huge Green fan for good measure. I was easily flustered in general as it was, and now they had to shove this guy at me when I was completely unprepared for it? Being caught so off-guard made everything worse.

'Arceus- or whoever it is in charge here -just...kill me now, okay?'

"You're making a weird face."

"Be nice, Shigeru."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Somehow, much like that first day of school, I found myself drag- invited over to someone's house...or lab, in this case. At least Gary looked about as enthusiastic about it as I was, which was to say, not at all. Stoutland had left with a note for Mama and Papa, letting them know where I was going and inviting them over if they wanted to come.

Traitor.

"You don't know how happy I am to see Shigeru's made a friend," Daiki laughed as he tugged us along (my bag held hostage on his shoulder). "Dad says he's been kind of lonely ever since his big fight with Satoshi."

"Dad!" Gary cried out in mortification, cheeks red.

I couldn't help but snicker a bit (Ha! Revenge!), looking away innocently when he turned to glare at me. Daiki was either very unobservant or purposefully ignoring our little exchanges since he continued to happily chat all the way to the front door.

"Oh! Daiki, you're home!" Professor Oak said when he saw us standing in the entryway. "I see you ran into Shigeru." His gaze fell on me and he blinked. "And who is this?"

Daiki let go of my hand in favor of placing his on my shoulder. "This is Amelia, the daughter of that European couple who moved here a while back. She's Shigeru's friend."

"That weirdo is not my friend!" Shigeru protested, earning him a glare from me.

Rude little brat. What the hell? He hadn't been nearly this bad before, or had I just been imagining the better behavior?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Daiki and Professor Oak share a glance before grinning. I could practically hear their friendship plotting and had to hold back a groan. This was going to be a thing? Seriously? Who would have thought they'd be such busybodies?

Why did Ash have to be sick today of all days?

Wait, no. I didn't have to take this if I didn't want to. All I had to do was apologize for the "misunderstanding," walk out that door and leave. No harm, no foul. Gary might even appreciate it and lay off Ash for a day. Yes, that was a wonderful plan. A great and amazing plan. A-

"I wonder if the Professor is gonna give me tamato berries for dinner..."

-Charmander, my brain finished in awe. That was a Charmander walking by. Was I starry-eyed as I watched it go through one of the open hallway doors? Probably. Could you blame me, though?! It was a Charmander! My absolute favorite pokemon of all time and it was-

Wait.

Had it-...?

Had I-...?

...I HAD!

Excitement and accomplishment rushed through me when I realized that, yes, I had understood and hell yes, I'd finally broken through the barrier, making me almost deliriously giddy. But as hyped as I was, that could wait.

"If I say I am, will you let me pet that Charmander?"

Gary actually looked betrayed that I hadn't automatically agreed with him, but I ignored it. Sucks for him, but he was out of luck if he thought I would leave after that. He was just going to have to put up with me being here until we left on our journeys.

Daiki blinked much like Professor Oak had, and then he was laughing uproariously.

"Arceus, are you sure you're not Isamu's kid? That response was one-hundred percent him!"

I huffed, reluctantly pulling my gaze from the doorway to frown at him. Charmanders were important, yes, but so was Peony. Joke or not, he'd probably be crushed to hear someone say that.

"He's not my Papa. My Papa is much cooler."

That's about the moment I heard a sort of choked sound right before I was picked up and smushed into his chest. I could only smile fondly as Papa blubber-cried about how he "had such an amazing daughter who loved her daddy so much and I love you too, my darling Princess-!"

I laughed and wrapped my arms around his neck. He was being a goofball, as always. "Papa! You don't need to cry, silly!"

"It's fine if they're happy tears," he disagreed, tightening his hold slightly.

I nuzzled into him, feeling warm and happy that he cared so much.

"Ooh, that might be a problem when you're old enough to date her, son..."

Really? He was playing the shipping game already? Daiki either was either super committed to teasing his son in every possible way or just didn't know how to dad. Maybe both.

To be fair, I don't think he meant for that to be heard by the rest of us. Unfortunately for him, he'd spoken just a bit too loud and Papa always seemed to have super-hearing when it involved me in some way. I could feel the way his body tensed and heard Mama sigh before she reached over and plucked me from his arms.

"You mind repeating that?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

So...Daiki was actually the current Champion of the Kanto/Johto region.

Go figure.

Papa didn't win their impromptu battle, but I liked to think he got some good hits in. Daiki certainly seemed impressed enough at the end.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you," he apologized sincerely, holding his hand out towards Papa. "I haven't been home in a while, and I tend to go overboard when I see my son again after long periods of time. I just...don't want him trying to act so grown up so quickly, so I try to shake him out of it as much as I can. Teasing him usually works the best."

"How's this, Corvi?" I asked, winding a bandage around his leg while keeping an ear/eye on their conversation.

"A bit loose," he said, a sort of laughing caw escaping him when I nodded vigorously and went about tightening them.

He'd taken the revelation that I could now understand him in remarkable stride, though he did seem a bit too eager when he said he'd try and get Papa to take us out flying later as a reward.

Papa stared at Daiki's hand for a moment before finally sighing and shaking it.

"I suppose I can understand that," he said. "Amy is mature for her age too."

"That so? Seemed normal enough to me when I caught her arguing with Shigeru."

"He must have caught her off-guard," Papa chuckled. "From what Satoshi tells me, she's usually cool as a cucumber when he tries to rile her up."

"About that...Satoshi hangs out with Amelia a lot?"

"Yeah, almost every day."

"I see..."

By this point, I had finished bandaging Corvi's leg and was currently wiping the dust off of him with a cloth, smiling widely when I caught his coos of pleasure.

"I heard about what happened between the boys," Papa told him. "I won't promise that things will get better between them, but...well, they don't seem too bad either. Combined with the fact that it was such a small thing they fought over, I think once they both grow up a bit they'll be more receptive to reconciliation."

"You think?"

"I can't guarantee it, but I do know that- at least on Satoshi's end -he doesn't seem to hold any true anger towards your son."

"That's-...That's good to hear. I'm sure you can imagine, but as Champion, I tend to be away from home a lot. I feel terrible about not being able to spend time with Shigeru, but I was at least happy with the knowledge he had a friend to hang out with while I was gone. Then my father told me about the fight and-...I haven't had the chance to come home until now, so when I saw him bickering with your daughter I was just so relieved-...I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

My smile widened as I finished wiping down the last of the dust from Corvi's feathers. Papa was a total softie, so I knew any annoyance he might have still held towards Daiki would probably fade away at that.

Sure enough, I heard him let out a breath.

"Well, can't very well be mad at you after that," he chuckled. "I suppose I don't mind if Amy comes by the lab now and again- she probably will now that she's seen that Charmander."

I choked back a cough and busied myself with putting away the cloth and extra bandages, trying to ignore the heat in my cheeks and the sounds of Corvi's laughter.

"You should have seen her face!" Daiki laughed. "It was like she'd seen Arceus themself she was so starstruck. It was adorable. If she doesn't choose Charmander as her starter, then I'll eat a pokeball."

"I would say to be careful what you bet with, but in this case, you're probably right," Peony sighed. "Amy does seem to have a love of fire types."

"Must have been quite a shock. I noticed you have a lot of steel types."

"I just don't know how it happened!" Papa wailed.

Corvi broke out into more cawed laughs while I rolled my eyes fondly. Daiki seemed a little taken aback, but began patting Papa's back with a smile.

If this were still an anime, I'm sure he'd have a sweatdrop.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Floof. I was surrounded by floof and I loved it. I was going to stay here forever.

"Hello to you too," Arcanine rumbled in amusement.

I lifted my head up from where it was pressed into his side and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I just wanted to get my fill of your fluffiness before we go on our trip. Hi."

It had been about three months since I'd been given an open invitation to the lab, and you can bet I took advantage of that when I could. Admittedly, that wasn't too often because Ash and Gary were still fighting and I tended to be dragged into the middle of it more often than not, but they were hanging out with their mom and dad today, so I decided to drop by.

"What trip?"

"Hmm? Oh!" I grinned. "Papa won some tickets to watch a tournament somewhere, and then we're going to stay for a while after- something about how Mama really liked this place the last time they went."

"Have you told Yukinari?"

"I think Papa did...I'm not sure, though."

"Then we'll make sure he knows. He hasn't said anything, but I can tell he enjoys your visits since you're so curious about what he does."

"Who wouldn't be?" I asked as I climbed onto Arcanine's back. "Honestly, Shigeru doesn't know what he's passing up."

"I believe you are the exception in this matter, not the pup," Arcanine pointed out. "Most human children find my trainer's work to be boring. They would much rather go outside and try to play with the pokemon he looks after than stay inside and listen to him talk about his research."

"I suppose that's true."

Arcanine did a quick jog to the back of the lab, where Professor Oak was sitting at a desk surrounded by books and papers.

"Professor?"

He looked up from his desk and smiled when he saw us. "Ah! Amelia! What brings you here? I'm afraid Shigeru is spending the day with Daiki today."

"I know," I told him. "I just wanted to spend some time with Windie, and then he said I should tell you about the trip Papa is taking me and Mama on just in case you didn't already know."

I barely kept from sighing at the expression on his face when I said that. It was the look that adults sometimes got when children said something you knew couldn't be possible. Part fondness, part amusement. Heck, I'd been responsible for giving that look myself once upon a time, so I couldn't be too upset at him for not believing me- even if I'd been doing absolutely nothing to hide or disguise my ability around him.

I supposed it was just easier to believe it was a child's fantasy.

"Is that so? Well, tell Windie I appreciate the thought, but your Papa did indeed already tell me about your trip."

I knew he was playing along with my "make-believe," but I couldn't help snarking back. "He can hear you, you know."

He only laughed. "Oh, my dear, you're going to be something else when you're older. I hope Shigeru can handle it!"

I gave him the flattest look I could. "I'm leaving now. Bye."

The jerk laughed harder.

"So...that's a no on today being the day he believes you," Arcanine snorted as he took me home.

"Yeah. You'd think a scientific mind like his wouldn't be so quick to disregard something like that, but I guess the idea of regular, not-raised-by-pokemon humans being able to understand you is somehow so out there that even scientists don't consider it."

"I believe that is yet another hour of back-scratches that you owe me, then, young one. As per our terms."

"I should've never made that bet," I grumbled even as I felt myself smile. "What possessed me to make a bet with one of his pokemon partners, I'll never know. Who else would know him better?"

"It's too late now, but if it makes you feel better, Kairyu lost to me as well. He bet that Yukinari would have believed you the second time he saw you speaking with us."

"Ooh, I bet it grates at him to admit defeat- especially since I'm sure you rubbed it in his face."

Arcanine barked out a laugh and showed his teeth in a close imitation of a grin. "Vigorously so."

It seemed like all too soon, we were back at my house. I dropped down from Arcanine's back and gave him one last hug.

"I'll come to visit when we get back."

"Take care until then. I'll expect your payment in full when you do."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Oh. This was...

"Well? What do you think?!" Papa asked, excitement clear in his eyes. "It's a lot different than what you're used to seeing, isn't it?"

I looked around again, and couldn't help thinking that I would have never seen something like this in my last life.

"It's so...pretty."

Aldoran castle was nestled in the middle of a sparkling lake, and that lake was surrounded by acres of lush, vibrant trees and somewhat steep hills. Right now, the three of us were crossing a stone bridge leading to the island. It was honestly like something out of a fairy tale.

Papa laughed. "Just like your mother! She was just as captivated by it."

"Only because it reminded me of Kalos," Mama defended. "I honestly didn't expect to see anything like this in Kanto."

"Well, they do say that the architects behind its construction were immigrants from that region."

My head snapped to the side at the voice, and I grinned. "Uncle Augustine!"

"Amelia! My darling niece!" He let out a playful oomph when I went over to hug him. "It's been too long!"

"You spoke to her yesterday."

"Again, video calls can never compare."

"You didn't tell me you were coming!" I accused, giving him my best pout.

"We thought it might be a nice surprise," he smiled.

Which, okay, yeah. It was. After three years, I could honestly say he was as much family to me now as Peony and Aurelia were.

But, that aside, this was perfect. I had been waiting for a time when all of them were together to tell them what I could do. I would probably try harder to convince them than I had with Professor Oak, but that was a given.

My bet with Arcanine kept me from doing that anyway.

"I got one for you too!" I said. "And for Papa and Mama!"

"Oh?" his brow raised as he exchanged looks with them.

Papa shrugged, and Mama looked confused, so it looked like they hadn't caught me practicing. Nice, this should be an interesting reveal.

So, I nodded sagely. "Yeah! It's really cool! But I wanted to wait until you were here to tell you."

"That sounds important," he chuckled. "Alright, what did you want to tell us?"

I whirled around. "Papa, can you let Corvi out?"

He blinked. "Corvi? Sure, I guess, but we might want to get off the bridge first. He's kind of big and we're blocking things already."

Oh. Right.

We took a few minutes to finish crossing the bridge and made our way to a little park. It was empty because of the festivities going around in the main square, but that only worked in my favor. By the time we settled down, I was almost full to bursting with a mix of anticipation, excitement, and anxiousness. Papa must have noticed something since he gave me a brief, concerned glance but he still released Corviknight from his pokeball.

Corvi stretched his wings a bit and looked around, but the moment he saw Uncle Augustine, his head snapped back to me. "Is it time?! Are you going to tell them?!"

"Yeah!" I laughed. "So tell me something only you and Papa know."

Mama's brows were furrowed. "Sweetie, what-"

"When he went on his pokemon journey he didn't want to ask anyone for help. So the first time he washed his clothes, they all came out pink."

I snorted and looked up at Papa. "You turned your clothes pink, Papa?"

"Corviknight!" he flushed. "Of all the things you-! You..."

He froze as the implication finally sunk in, and his jaw dropped as he stared at me in shock. His honest reaction also seemed to be enough proof to convince Mama and Uncle Augustine of what I was trying to tell them since they quickly joined him.

"Surprise!" I grinned.

Pseudo prank successfully pulled, Corvi was also guffawing next to me.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

As a man who constantly pursued the unknown, Augustine Platane could honestly say very few things had ever truly surprised him in his life.

The first was when he'd lost in the semi-finals of the Kalos Pokemon League to a girl who would later go on to become its champion for years to come.

The second was when his little sister broke off her long-standing relationship with his best friend right before she went on a research trip to Galar.

The third was when she called him over the phone a year later to tell him she was getting married.

The most recent instance had been when she'd told him she and her new husband planned to place their roots in Kanto, rather than either of their home regions.

And now he had another.

He would admit to having needed some time to process the shock of what his dear niece had just revealed, but he figured he could be allowed such a thing. If true, she could revolutionize the field of research! How much advancement could be made by being able to understand-?!

He shook his head to clear it.

He was getting ahead of himself, wasn't he? Amelia was still a child- full of innocence and excitement over her "cool" surprise. He couldn't place that stress upon her. When she was older, perhaps, as well as willing to help, but not now.

He should probably make absolutely sure that this was real, as well.

"Amelia," he kneeled down in front of her so that she could meet his eyes. "I'm afraid I must ask. You are telling the truth, non? What you said, you did hear it from Corviknight, correct? No one else?"

Peony's Corviknight let out a few calls and caws, and Amelia turned her head to listen for a moment before nodding.

"Corvi said to remind you about how you tried to bribe Papa at the wedding if you don't believe me."

He coughed into his hand at that, feeling a bit of heat enter his cheeks.

Well, that was proof enough for him, at least.

"Bribe?! Why were you trying to bribe-?!"

Unfortunately, it also seemed to have been enough to snap Aurelia out of her stupor.

"Ah, that was just August trying to be a good older brother," Peony soothed with a gentle grin. "Nothing to get upset at him for, Love."

Aurelia seemed to deflate, and he couldn't help but grin a bit at the reaction. While he may never know why she broke things off with Lysandre, he would admit that he couldn't picture the two of them together like he used to. His sister was passionate and motivated, and while Lysandre could, and was able to, match that passion and motivation while they'd been together, he could be a bit stiff and stern at times. Peony had enough enthusiasm to keep up with Aurelia, but he never tried to hide his emotions. On the contrary, his brother-in-law was one of the most honest and open people he had ever met. Combined with his genuinely kind nature, it was little wonder that Aurelia had fallen for him.

That he was able to calm her down so effectively was also a plus.

"Besides, we should be celebrating!" Peony cheered, sweeping Amelia into his arms. "My precious little girl is so talented!"

Yes, he thought when he saw the bright, happy grin on Amelia's face and the soft, loving glint in his sister's eyes as she watched him spin her around. He was glad Aurelia had ended up with him instead.

Somehow, he got the feeling things were better this way.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

To be honest, I'd never really considered that being able to understand pokemon could have any downsides.

"-special price, for a limited time only!"

"-trainer's never taken me to a tournament before!"

"-edition Aura Festival T-Shirts! The only place to-!"

"Please, for the love of the Great One, do not buy me that-!"

I winced as the noise only seemed to double the further we traveled into the main square. It was bad enough with all the clamor from the people who were here, but the sound of the crowds seemed to rub almost dissonantly against what I could hear the pokemon saying.

It was overwhelming.

"-lia! Amelia, what's wrong, sweetie?"

I opened my eyes (when had I closed them?) to see Mama looking at me in worry.

"It's...too loud," I admitted, hissing a bit as I heard both trainer and pokemon exclaim in victory/defeat to some battle somewhere.

Luckily, she immediately caught on and quickly ushered us back out of the square and onto a bench.

"Sorry," I told them quietly. "I-...I didn't think-..."

"There's nothing to apologize for," she shook her head, soothingly brushing my hair back. "We should have realized something like this could happen as well."

"It was a bit too much, too sudden," Uncle Augustine nodded. "You said you've only been able to do this for a few months?" When I confirmed that, he crossed his arms and let out a breath. "It seems you'll need some time to get used to being in large crowds."

"But-"

I looked back in the direction of the square, admittedly more than a bit disappointed. There had been some pretty cool-looking shops and more than a few tasty smells. I'd been looking forward to exploring all of it with them, but instead...

"We can always come back next year," Mama said, following my gaze. "Right now, what's important is making sure you're alright."

"...Okay," I agreed after a moment. "Will we still be able to go to the tournament, at least?"

Their silence was answer enough, and I sighed.

I knew they were right in doing this, but it still sucked.

So, rather than following the masses into the castle arena, the four of us wandered around the quieter parts of Rota, where the locals who had had their fill of the Aura Festival remained open for business. We had lunch at a restaurant and were still able to do some shopping before stopping at another park for some ice cream. All things considered, it wasn't too bad. I still got to spend time with my family and was still having a good time.

"Don't look at that Pidgey, look at me!"

"Him? I've battled human-raised pokemon and won! I'm clearly the better Pidgey for you!"

"Hear something interesting?" Uncle Augustine asked curiously.

"Not really," I told him, doing my best to not make a face (because while I knew what was going on, I sure couldn't explain how I knew to them).

It wouldn't stop me from messing with him a bit, though.

"It sounds like the Pidgey are calling out to someone, only they're trying to keep whoever they're talking to from looking at other Pidgeys?"

Uncle Augustine choked. I pushed back a mischievous grin and looked up with him with purposefully widened eyes.

"Do you know what they're talking about, Tonton?"

"A-Ah, ma chérie, I-I-"

"Yes, Augustine," Mama cut in, her smile sly. "What are they talking about?"

He sent her a withering glare when he thought I wasn't looking.

"It's grown-up stuff," Papa answered, giving them a look before turning to me with a grin. "We'll tell you when you're older."

"Okay."

I hid a smile when he and Uncle Augustine sighed in relief.

Some cheers echoed from the stadium, and I looked over in that direction before sighing a bit. Until now, all the pokemon battles I'd seen had been on television. It would have been really interesting to see one in person.

Luckily, something soon came along to distract me.

"Where is it...he said it would be around here somewhere..."

I blinked at the small pokemon walking in front of us, then felt myself grin in excitement.

It was a Riolu.

Rota was famous for having a local population of Riolu and Lucario, but they were pretty reclusive other than a few exceptions who lived in the castle. I never thought I'd get to see one.

"Papa, Mama, Uncle, look! Can I talk to him? Please?"

"I don't know, sweetie. You should still be careful of wild pokemon despite being able to speak to them."

"He said to take a right at the lamppost. Was he talking about this one?"

"He's looking for something, so I don't think he's wild. But I was still going to talk to him from here."

"Well...I don't see the harm in that. Okay."

"Thank you! Hey, Riolu!" I stood and waved when he turned to look at me. "Are you looking for something? Can I help?"

"Unless you can point me in the direction of the bakery, I doubt it."

"A bakery?" I asked, ignoring how Riolu's eyes widened. "I think there's one just a bit down that way."

I pointed to my left (his right), but rather than take off, Riolu stepped closer.

"You...can understand me?"

"Yeah! It's really cool, right?"

Riolu seemed to brighten immensely. "It's more than that! Come with me!"

Before giving me the chance to respond, Riolu grabbed my wrist and took off running. I heard my family give cries of shock and the sound of a pokemon being released, but it was all already a distant noise.

It was honestly a wonder I didn't trip.

As it was, after a dizzyingly fast run I found myself swaying in place and panting from the effort of having to keep up with his pace, and my vision spun while trying to focus on the boy Riolu had dragged me to. I could tell he had dark hair, but I wasn't able to see the navy blue eyes until I'd gained my bearings.

Huh...he looked kind of familiar.

For his part, the boy was looking at the two of us in confusion. "Riolu? I thought you were going to pick up Master's order from the bakery. Who's this?"

Riolu opened his mouth, closed it, then turned to me and sheepishly rubbed his neck.

"I'm Amelia," I told them.

He nodded, still notably confused, but he gave a slight bow of greeting. "Nice to meet you, Amelia, I'm-"

"Formal introductions can wait!" Riolu interrupted. "Gen, she understood me when I spoke to her!"

Wait, Gen?!

~Chapter End~ OoOoOoOoOoOoOo ~Chapter End~

Most people would say Amelia gets her mischievousness from her mother.

Anyway, what did you all think? I feel like I'm rushing things a little bit, but let me know if you feel the same. Pokemon is a long series, and if I'm going to be going through it, I didn't want to take too long at the beginning.

At our current speed, there should be one more chapter and then we move on to the start of canon.

So...yeah. I can't really think of anything else to say, so I'm going to end this here. I'll be playing some Brilliant Diamond after I post it up as well, so if you want to hang out and chat, you're more than welcome. For now, I have a great rest of your day. Until next time and take care!

New character introduced: Gen, also known as Riley in the English version. He is currently nine years old to Amelia's five.