"So you're my mistress? And I am your servant?"

The Milotic tilted her head down to acknowledge what Kairi had said. She felt at ease, knowing that the human seemed to truly not know any better. "That is correct. I found you floating on the lake back there, unconscious. If I hadn't found you when I did, then I am certain that another Pokemon would have killed you." She moved her body to allow Kairi to look at the underground lake further from the cavern entrance.

Blinking, the gears slowly turning in her head, Kairi shut her eyes. "Oh, really? I wonder what I would have been doing down there. Maybe I was looking for something?" Placing her hands on her hips, Kairi took in a deep breath. Was that it? It seemed like a strange thought for her to look for something. Kairi could barely fathom why she was here to begin with.

Taking her hand, she moved it from her hip to motion to her mistress. What a peculiar thought. Serving this creature didn't bring any sort of emotion to mind, as staring at her up and down seemed to do nothing to jog her memory. Kairi had nothing.

She had nothing. The thought struck her like lightning, piercing her entire body. Her eyes widened, and she was quick to pat her shorts, then her tube top, then her green mini jacket she wore.

Nothing that she had on her struck a bell. Kairi began to tremble. Where was she? Her eyes gazed at the Milotic for a moment, watching the water serpent's expression change to concern. Even when her hands brushed up against the red and white capsules on her belt, nothing came to mind.

"W-What am I wearing?" Kairi inquired, her voice wavering as she stared at the Milotic, trying to search her for an answer.

Realizing that Kairi had began to realize that she remembered nothing, the Milotic moved, calm and steady. Her motions calculated, her fins moved forward to brush up against Kairi's collarbone. She tipped the human's chin up, staring straight at Kairi. Even now, she sensed terror behind those scared, child-like eyes of Kairi's. Nothing but fear. Fear of the unknown. Of what might have happened to her.

"You need not worry, human. I found you wearing these when you were floating on the surface back there. You must have found them during the task I assigned to you." Patting Kairi's cheek with the fin, she did her best to comfort Kairi. "You really don't remember anything? I sent you around to look for other humans, as I had a suspicion that some made their way here."

Shaking her head, Kairi could tell that the Milotic appeared calm and placid as she said this to her. Wiping away a couple tears that had formed from fright, Kairi sniffled and tried to calm herself down. "N-No, I really don't remember anything. If you told me this or told me to do something, I don't recall."

"How about your name? I just want to make sure that you didn't hit your head too hard when you fell into the water."

Kairi was silent for several seconds. Her eyes wandered downwards, thinking to herself on if she had known it.

"My name is Kairi. I do remember that much. But anything else? No, nothing is coming to mind." She took her hand and placed it on the capsules along her belt, blinking as she felt the cool, metal capsule along her fingers. Receding it back, Kairi looked down quickly as she saw them. "What are-"

The Milotic intervened. Her voice blunt, she made sure that Kairi wouldn't even have the smallest chance of accidentally unleashing the Pokemon in there. "Those are useless items that you were wearing before. Here, let me take a look at it."

Using her fins to brush against Kairi's side, the Milotic had been quick to remove the belt from the trainer. Kairi helped by unwinding the belt from the belt loops on her other side. When the Milotic held up the belt in front of her, relief swelled up in her all around. It had been a crisis averted, where Kairi may have very well unleashed the Pokemon in here to her aid. A sigh of relief escaped her, and she looked over at Kairi, who stared at them with a blank expression.

"Do you recognize these at all?" Milotic asked Kairi curiously, seeing the human girl shake her head. It was redundant, but necessary to ensure that Kairi had been a blank slate. Placing the belt to the side on a dry part of the cavern, there had been another thing that crossed the Milotic's mind as she stared towards Kairi. As she brushed her hands through her hair, still distraught from the lack of memories, all the Milotic could think of had been the chance that she had something in her clothes. Something that could trigger her memories to come back.

Another risk she didn't want to take.

Coming closer to Kairi, exuding an aura to calm the human of her anxiety, Milotic had a straightforward solution to this problem. She had her head rub up against Kairi's face, trying to calm Kairi down by showing that she was trusting enough to do this. Even if she felt uncomfortable with the idea of touching a human to begin with. Perhaps she would get used to it eventually.

"It will all come back to you, in due time. I will help you to understand everything you have forgotten, Kairi." She used her fins to prod Kairi's bare side, causing the human to jump a bit in response. "Why don't you take off those strange things? You are safe here."

At first, Kairi was hesitant. True, she didn't ever remember grabbing these, it also struck her as an unusual request. While she was certain that the Milotic was trustworthy, she couldn't just outright give herself up. She had no idea where these clothes came from, but she had to make sure.

"Am I safe? How can I be sure that you'll protect me? I don't remember anything from before I just woke up, so…" Kairi crossed her arms and took in a deep breath. "Besides, I don't even know what you are. I don't want to be rude, but this is a lot to take in all at once."

That had been a fair point. Milotic felt as if she had rushed into her request. In her haste to have Kairi protected from possibly having her memory jogged, she must have came off as rude. "Ah, I apologize. I forgot that you didn't remember who I am." She put herself into a bow, her scales shimmering with the light. "I am a Milotic, a Pokemon. I am the protector of this island; and my title is the Graceful One."

"Graceful One…" That name struck a chord with Kairi. She didn't remember it, but it sounded noble. Another word that struck her had been protector. With that in mind, any doubt of being unsafe with her had melted away. If she had been the protector, then surely no one would dare cross their path. "What do you protect?"

"I protect the other Pokemon on the island." Milotic used her fins to brush up against Kairi's arm, letting her know that she can trust her. "I'll teach you about them in due time. I assure you that you don't have to worry about being in danger when I'm around."

Given the push that she needed, Kairi nodded to her mistress. She felt herself become more at ease with this explanation. I am her servant. She slipped off her mini jacket, and walked over to where the belt laid. Setting it down, Kairi could feel the cool air touch her shoulders. "So, do I call you mistress then? Or do you want me to use your title?" she asked as her hands were quick to lift up the tube top over her head.

"Please, call me mistress." Milotic observed Kairi as she undressed, mildly curious about the human body. She kept her distance, watching as the girl discarded her shorts and sandals.

"Right. I'm sorry if I'm asking a hundred questions, it's just… I want to know everything from before" Kairi didn't seem to notice that she had discarded her undergarments as well, her nude form showing. "You know, this feels a lot less stuffy."

At that instant, the Milotic couldn't help but feel flustered as she saw Kairi turn around, without a scrap of clothing on her. While it secured the fact that Kairi wouldn't remember anything from her clothes, she had done it so… easily! Although it unnerved the Milotic, she kept her face blank with expression. As much as she wanted to hide from this, it would be inappropriate to do so, along with potentially making Kairi question whether they had been together for so long.

"Mistress?"

Realizing she had been staring for too long, Milotic moved forward, wrapping her tail around Kairi's bare waist. Even if it did bother her, seeing this nude human before her, she knew that there was no going back. Not after what she did. A gentle smile crossed her, and she spoke to Kairi calmly.

"Do not mind me. I was just thinking back to the first time we met."

"Really? What was it like?"

Letting off a soft chuckle, she had to think on the fly. Yes, what was it like? Milotic took her fins and scratched Kairi's back lightly, surprising the girl but pushing her closer all the while. "Well it was kind of like this. I just found you on the beach, the waves crashing and drowning out any sound. You were there, a little girl who washed up onto the shore. Naked, not knowing left from right, you were stunned from the impact of the coral reef nearby. I don't know where you came from, or who you were at the time, but you stumbled towards me and asked for help.

"Normally I would reject humans' requests. They have done far more harm than good to the residents of this island, which I will tell you more about in due time. But you stared at me with those warm, brown eyes of yours and I felt pity for you. So I stated that I would give you food and shelter, on one condition-"

"To be your servant."

Milotic saw how Kairi's eyes welled up with tears at this. She kept the scratching along her back going, and, nodding, continued the story.

"Yes. You have been with me since, Kairi. It's a shame that you lost your memories about this, but they'll all come back to you."

It was then that, in a move that surprised the Milotic, Kairi lunged forward and embraced her in a tight hug. At first she had been taken aback, ready to set boundaries for Kairi to not touch her. For a moment, she had been terrified that Kairi had gotten her trainer instincts back, and that this was an attempt to kill her. Her fin had been raised, but then Kairi spoke.

"Thank you for taking me in back then. If what you say is true, t-then I really shouldn't doubt you, right? I may not be that old, but you clearly know more about me than I do."

Those words had been exactly what the Milotic wanted to hear. She felt Kairi's arms slip off from around her, and the girl stepped back. "Right. However-" She raised her tail between herself and Kairi. "Please refrain from touching me like that in the future unless I say so. I established that rule early on when I found you. If you do so again, I may have to slap you."

"Oh…" Kairi laughed nervously, who rubbed the back of her head. "I just felt like saying sorry to you about any doubt I had about you. I hope I didn't make you mad."

"You are fine." Milotic let her tail drop to the water, a thought crossing her mind. How hard would it be to keep Kairi in check? She hadn't anticipated carefully treading around Kairi like this. To avoid making a scene; to make sure that Kairi believed her. Now was not the time to ponder upon this. She could do that when Kairi was asleep.

For now, she puffed her chest up. "I will help to teach you your first task. We need to collect food from a nearby batch of berry trees. I'll show you what each berry's purpose is when we get there." Swinging her body around, presenting herself to Kairi, Milotic put on a genuine smile. She at least enjoyed how well behaved Kairi appeared to be for a human. "Climb on, and don't fall."

Stunned at this, particularly after she had explicitly stated that she didn't like to be touched, Kairi had to take a moment to realize that her mistress had given her permission to climb on. Once she did, Kairi carefully walked forward, feeling the cool water bubble past her bare feet. Hand outstretched, brushing it against her mistress's body, Kairi noticed how damp and cool it was to the touch. Yet she also had been able to fully admire the scales that her mistress had. They shimmered, giving off a beautiful sheen.

Seating herself on her mistress, wrapping her hands around her body, Kairi could feel herself grow a bit warm. She was jealous of how beautiful the Milotic had been. There was a stark contrast to her own dark skin. "You're really beautiful, mistress!" Kairi piped up, speaking without a second thought.

A complement as well? This human was especially well behaved. Feeling flattered, the Milotic laughed softly and raised her head. She took a lot of pride in her own scales; a healthy body starts with healthy scales, after all. "You have a good judgment of scales, Kairi. I see you remember how to flatter me."

She noticed how flustered Kairi seemed after that compliment, perhaps trying to think of a way to further flatter her. It was humorous, to say the least. Milotic began to move once she was certain that Kairi had been firmly wrapped around her.

When they had moved out of the cavern, Milotic levitating several inches off of the ground, the sun was setting. It would be roughly two hours until the island was engulfed in the pitch dark of night.

To Kairi, this had been the first look she had at this island. In the evening sun, with the sky had started to turn crimson and blue, she could see the vibrant, lively canopies. The trees swayed in the gust of wind that picked up, creaking and leaning from the strength of it. Faintly, Kairi could also see something darting between the trees. The cool air that swirled around them had been much warmer than the cavern, but comfortable enough to where Kairi didn't complain. She felt her toes touch the stream before her mistress glided up a little more. As she looked up above, she noticed splotches of blue and red, mixed in with the viridescent foliage around them.

"What are those?" Kairi inquired, pointing up to them before quickly returning back to wrapping around the Milotic.

"Those are berries. I know not how large they grow outside of this island, but these ones are perfect for consumption. One or two berries can easily fill your stomach up with ease." Milotic, feeling that the berries here were close enough for their first lesson, moved through ferns as she approached one of the clearings nearby. Here, there were four trees, with gnarled roots that dug deep into the ground. Kairi could see how these trees had different berries to them, most of which appealed to her eye. When her mistress came to a halt, she sat upright, her body sliding down for a moment as she regained her balance.

Milotic saw a low hanging berry from a branch above, and slapped it down with her fins in the blink of an eye. She did this several more times, and soon six berries rested before Kairi. Three pairs; three for herself, and three for her servant.

Taking a blue and yellow one, shaped like a top, Milotic plopped it into her mouth. Milotic spoke to Kairi sternly, "Take the berry I just picked up."

Hopping off, her bare feet touching the ground, Kairi was quick to crouch down and grasp the same berry. Knowing that she couldn't eat it whole like her mistress, Kairi took a bite out of it. Her mouth seemed to dry up instantly, making Kairi cough and sputter. It was tough, with the her bite only having scraped off the top layer and exposing the center.

Once she regained her breath, Kairi looked over at her mistress. "W-What on earth is this? It's so… dry!"

Finding her reaction humorous, Milotic was quick to explain. "That is a Chesto Berry. As you have said, it is dry, but it is a good source of energy." Her tail nudged Kairi's hands to keep the fruit. "Finish it, and then we can move onto the next one."

Kairi's face contorted in disgust, she continued to eat the berry. While Milotic simply chewed and swallowed it, Kairi took significantly longer. When the berry was done, Kairi stuck out her tongue in response.

Quick to wash that flavor out of Kairi's mouth, Milotic took her tail and scooped up the next berry. It had been large, like an apple, but azure in color. She handed one to Kairi, and ate the other herself. "This is an Oran Berry. It's eaten by Pokemon when they're on the verge of passing out from overexertion. It's used for emergencies, but it also has a pleasant taste."

After the last berry, Kairi was hesitant to try the next one out. Staring at her mistress with a hint of doubt, Kairi took a bite into it. As she did, she noticed a swirl of flavors. Spicy, dry, but sweet and sour at the same time. None of them truly overpowered the other, and Kairi was quick to eat the rest of the berry.

As she observed Kairi eating, Milotic couldn't help but feel that she had to do something about the way she devoured the berry. It was nice to know that Kairi enjoyed it, but with juices staining the corner of her mouths, and the swift way she dug into it… She felt that it was necessary to teach Kairi how to eat properly.

Perhaps tomorrow.

Finally, they moved onto the last pair of berries, purple ones that, the Milotic thought, were bound to be Kairi's favorite.

"Now, we have this one, the Bluk berry. This one helps to boost immunities to disease."

Biting into it, Kairi found that it had been sweet, much sweeter than the Oran or Chesto berries. It didn't take long for Kairi to swallow it down, her expression content. Her stomach felt as if it had been filled to the brim, and any more than that would probably go wasted.

"I will teach you more about the other berries in due time, but I want you to collect three of each of these berries from the trees." Milotic saw Kairi look at her with disbelief, and she raised her fin to point towards the branches.

"Do you see how the trees branches are laid out? They are low enough to be grabbed onto, and surely you can pull yourself up. The berries are also in bloom right now, at least from these trees, so it is plentiful until other Pokemon start to snag them."

The task didn't sound too daunting to Kairi as she stood there at the base of the large, ancient tree. Three of each berry seemed to be a simple task that she was given. She looked up, and saw the berries in their respective trees. Kairi took in a deep breath. She could do this. With a leap, Kairi grasped the branch, feeling it in her hands.

The bark was rough to the touch. Kairi felt her fingernails dig into it for a split-second, realizing as well that this had been a mistake to try something so rash. Her legs swung underneath her, the momentum making her lose her grip. Her world spun so quickly around her as she fell into a freefall, everything slowing to a crawl as the shock sunk in.

With a heavy thud, Kairi felt the wind get knocked out of her. Sputtering, feeling the rough soil break her fall, her head felt like it spun in ten different directions. Her body hurt, and as she tried to lift her head Kairi could barely make out a root that she had narrowly missed.

Did she really miss the jump? How embarrassing.

"Well that was an experience…" she moaned out, trying to lift her head, but letting it fall back down.

Milotic tried her best to stifle a laugh. She knew that it was awful, but the image of Kairi falling onto the ground after such an impressive attempt was too hilarious. Composing herself, she loomed over Kairi, staring down at her.

"Indeed it was. I didn't realize you forgot how to climb branches as well." She grinned at her servant, who opened her eyes in response to this comment. Scooping up Kairi and placing her back on her feet, Milotic patted Kairi's back, trying to reassure her.

With a groan, her back aching, Kairi looked up at the branch. Perhaps she had underestimated this. Scratching her head, she thought to herself about what she could do to help herself up. What else was there to try? For several minutes, Kairi felt as if she had encountered a wall, an insurmountable obstacle. Walking around the tree, trying to find a better spot, Kairi was silent, but constantly thinking.

What to do…

Before Kairi could attempt another go, she felt her mistress wrap her tail around her waist. It was a firm grip, and Kairi was lifted up to the branch that she had tried to reach just minutes before. Feeling herself on the branch, Kairi had to hug the tree to keep her balance as her mistress receded from her.

"Thank you! I'm sorry that I-"

"No apologies, please." Cutting her off, Milotic knew there wasn't much time before dark. "Tomorrow morning you'll have time to learn how to climb this properly. But do hurry up, I'd rather not be seen out here after dark."

"Why's that?"

"No reason." Milotic raised her tail to point the fins towards the Chesto berries that hung low. "There are some berries in the branch above you. And these trees are close to each other, so you should be able to move between tree to tree. I'll help you back up if you fall, but remember, you must learn how to do this yourself eventually."

"Of course." Kairi looked up, where her mistress had pointed, seeing the same berries from earlier. Carefully, she skidded herself on the branch that she was standing upon, feeling the tough bark and the thick branch easily accept her light body. Even if she wasn't too far off of the ground, Kairi didn't feel like falling down again.

When she had reached the branch's middle, where the berries hung Kairi stood on the tips of her toes. Reaching out for the berries, she could only touch them by the tips of her fingers. Lacking any sort of real grip, Kairi felt that it would be easier if she was on the branch that they were on.

Shimmying back to the tree's base, Kairi saw the branch closer to her. She prepared herself, knowing that she probably could climb up onto the next branch if she tried hard enough. Springing up, Kairi managed to firmly grasp the branch with her hands, feeling herself dangle. Taking in a deep breath, she managed to pull herself up after a straight minute of struggling. When Kairi sat on the branch, she felt sweat running down her forehead.

"Mistress, did I really do this a lot before? My arms feel like they're about to burst from that," Kairi could feel herself breathe heavily for a minute, heart racing in her chest. She shut her eyes to catch her breath.

"Yes, although truthfully it's been a while since you've had to do this. Last time, you gathered so many berries we could eat for two weeks without worry." Milotic observed Kairi as she shimmied over to where the berries hung. She saw how careful the human was in the branches, and it amused her that Kairi could still have her survival instincts intact after what happened.

Once the Chesto Berries had been plucked, dropped, and were ready to go, Milotic spoke to Kairi. "That's very good. Although I will have to teach you how to do this faster in the future, you're doing fine. Now gather the other berries."

With a groan, Kairi laid on the branch, letting her arms and legs dangle. It took enough energy to get the three just now, and now she's expecting six more? It struck Kairi as somewhat tedious. Her arms were weak; she could barely pull herself up. Perhaps she could just lay here, take a nap or something of the sort.

When she felt something touch her head, Kairi blinked, looking up. In front of her, floating with a small blue glow surrounding it, had been a yellow berry with red splotches. "What is this. I'm full though," she stated out loud, grabbing the berry and looking at its minute features from up close.

"This is a Sitrus berry. If the Oran berry is used for emergencies, this is used to keep one's energy up. It'll rejuvenate you when you have exhausted yourself."

Kairi could barely express her displeasure at the thought of eating another berry. The others were already in her stomach, making her feel full. She considered tossing it aside, yet she was exhausted. If it could bring a little amount of energy to her, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

Biting into the berry, it was firm like the Chesto. Yet it wasn't dry. Instead it appeared to be like the Oran berry in terms of flavor, without the spice that it had. Chewing it thoroughly, Kairi swallowed it down after a minute.

Within minutes, she already had been able to stand up again. Blinking, realizing that the berry did work, Kairi shimmied back along the branch. Were berries always this potent with their abilities? Her mistress did say that they grew bigger here than outside of the island, so did that mean they were also more powerful? It was hard to say, but Kairi didn't deny the results.

Just as her mistress had pointed out, Kairi used the interweaving branches to her advantage when she traversed from tree to tree. Even as sweat poured down her forehead, with her arms aching, she felt energy pump through her with ease. Doing the same as before, Kairi picked three Oran berries, and then went to the proceeding one, picking the Bluk Berries.

The berries laid out before Milotic, her tail twirled them around on the ground as she examined for bruises, waiting patiently for Kairi to come down. Fortunately, none of the berries had been bruised or had any sort of other abnormalities from what she could tell. Perfect for a morning breakfast.

"Alright, Kairi. Follow me back to the cave-"

"Mistress, I can't get down."

Blinking, hearing this coming from Kairi, Milotic turned to look at the human. She saw the nude human hugging the branch, noticing how she had been twenty feet above her. Kairi's eyes were wide, staring down at the ground as she seemed paralyzed with fear. With a sigh, she twisted and turned her body to move upwards towards her servant.

What an inconvenience.

When she had met Kairi at eye level, half of her body on the ground below, Milotic narrowed her eyes towards the human. "What do you mean you can't get down? Can you not jump?"

Shaking her head, Kairi hugged the branch tighter. "No."

Looking down at the tree, Milotic could easily see several branches that Kairi could move along to get back down. Yet why had Kairi been stuck here? It was getting dark out, and she didn't want to have the human left out here during the night time. No good comes from being out too late.

"Come on, Kairi. Just get up and come down. There's a couple branches on the way down that can easily lead you to the ground safely."

"But what if I fall?"

A huff escaped Milotic at this point. Kairi can climb up, but she can't climb down? It seemed irrational, especially considering the girl could climb through the trees. Getting up and getting back down were the two points that Kairi had difficulties with. The two most important things about even climbing the trees and she acted so scared.

"Kairi, it's getting dark out. Get down from there."

She had started to grow impatient when Kairi, once again, shook her head. Milotic almost wanted to slap Kairi to get her to move. Yet she kept her patience. With a sigh, she let off that calming aura once again. She saw how the human grew more relaxed, her shivering ceasing.

"Come on, follow me. It's not that bad."

Steadily, Kairi had gotten up, seeing her mistress flow over the branches. They creaked under her weight, but now, with her body hanging between two branches, Kairi could now see that the distance was short. It had been much easier now the she saw her mistress beside her.

Carefully, making sure that she could touch the branches first with her feet, Kairi made her way down the tree. Twenty feet turned into ten, then five, with Kairi nearly falling off if her mistress didn't help her regain her balance. When she had been assured that it was alright to jump, Kairi carefully jumped off the branch, resulting in a thud as she lost her footing.

Flowing off of the branches, Milotic's fins brushed up against Kairi's shoulders, trying to comfort her from the rough landing. Pressing up against Kairi's back, she helped her servant back up to her feet. "You did well, Kairi. But remember, there are many ways to get down from a tree. You can go back the way you came, but use your judgement to determine when and where you can jump."

Lowering her head, Kairi made a sigh. Did she upset her mistress with being scared to come down? She made her way towards the berries, picking them up in her arms. Although it wasn't entirely obvious if that had been the case, Kairi made sure to keep a proper balance so the berries wouldn't come toppling down.

"Don't worry, it'll take time to relearn what you have forgotten." Milotic seemed to make a smile at this, a facade to calm her servant. "I do not expect you to be perfect right away, remember that. With practice, you will become a better servant, and return to your former greatness." Draping a coil around Kairi's bare waist, allowing her servant to regain her composure, there had been another issue that struck the Milotic as problematic.

With Kairi being nude, how would she keep herself warm in the cave? Milotic had been aware that humans wore clothes to keep themselves warm in colder climates. Outside hadn't been an issue, and yet she hoped that Kairi would be able to get used to the change in the cavern.

An idea struck, and she told Kairi, "Wait here." Uncurling from her, she was quick to judge the surroundings to find something that she knew would aid Kairi. Catching sight of it, she levitated up to the high up berry, probably the first of the season, and snatched it before placing it in with the rest of the berries.

"What is this?" Kairi inquired quizzically, eyes lighting up at the sight of the the yellow berry, noticing the bright green patches on it. She was quick to hear her mistress chime in.

"I'll explain when we get back to the cave. For now, let's move along. Quickly now."

Her fins were quick to press Kairi along her back, motioning for the human to move along. They walked, or in the Milotic's case hovered, at a brisk pace. Kairi struggled to move along at the pace that her mistress dictated, having to catch some of the berries before they fell to the ground.

"Can't we go any slower?" she responded at one such moment, knowing they were several minutes away from the cave. "I mean, what's the rush?"

Perhaps Kairi was right. That she should go slower. Milotic looked over the surroundings, slowing up her pace. The pristine foliage was quiet, with only minor chatter from Kricketots and various other bug-types hovering over them. "Perhaps you're right. But Kairi, I want you to keep quiet until we get back to the cave, okay?"

"Why's that?"

"Are you questioning your mistress?"

"N-No."

Her eyes narrowed towards the human girl, seeing her straighten up and walk with her head lowered. Milotic knew that Kairi had many questions, complaints, and other minute quips that she may have running around that white-haired head of hers. But having her talk at this time of night could only bring attention to herself. Quite frankly, she had a reputation to uphold.

They walked along for a while longer, with the Milotic using her tail to help guide Kairi closer to her side. What an unusual image it must have been. Never in her years did the Milotic think that she would be found side-by-side with a human girl. She wondered what he would think of this. Before too much longer, she gently pushed Kairi into the cavern entrance, the evening starting to slip away, replaced by an inky darkness.

Following through the cave, Kairi kept close to her mistress, trying her best to balance the berries and keep her footing in the encroaching darkness. Her thoughts raced, wondering if she spoke too much, or perhaps there had been something listening to them out there? Her mistress didn't say anything after stating that she should keep quiet. So that had been what she did.

When they went down an opening in the side of the cave, something that Kairi didn't notice before, the gentle incline winded down. The corridor was large enough to accomodate Kairi and her mistress, yet she had to be careful to not bump into the Milotic. Her bare feet patted against the floor, and she had to consider that they were possibly twenty or thirty feet underground.

The chamber that the corridor opened up to had been spacious. The first thing that struck Kairi as awe-inspiring had been the cracks in the ceiling, which allowed the moonlight to peer through, illuminating the chamber with a pale glow. Her eyes widened, taken back by this. She saw her mistress hover past, and the cavern's chilly air seemed to strike Kairi in an instant.

"Kairi, over here."

Snapping back to focus, Kairi glanced over at the Milotic, who had entered a pool of water near the edge of the cave. Some of the water had poured over the edges at the initial entry, yet her body was able to snugly fit into the pool with little issue. Motioning with her fins to come closer, Kairi, starting to feel the brunt of the cold hit, walked forward. The damp air hung heavy around them as she stopped before the Milotic.

Her fins motioned towards a bowl-like structure on the floor beside her pool. "You can place the berries in there. Don't worry, I cleaned it out this morning."

Nodding, Kairi crouched down, dumped the berries into the structure, and noticed the berry that her mistress had given her earlier. She could feel her body starting to tremble. "I-It's cold in here."

"You'll get used to it in time. You used to love how cold it was in comparison to outside. But for now, eat that berry I handed over to you."

Grabbing it as quickly as she could, Kairi appeared confused as she noticed that its skin appeared different from the others. It was rough, and biting it would do no good. Yet it all seemed familiar to her in some way. Digging her fingernail into the flesh, she pulled away at the outside, exposing the juicy interior. Kairi noted how the peel had been hard, but soft enough to dig away at. Feeling her trepidations getting worse, she bit into the exposed fruit, chewing it thoroughly.

Her cheeks seemed to twist at how sour it had been. A part of her wanted to spit it out, but then her mistress spoke to her again.

"Kairi, this Aspear berry will help you to adjust to the cold. It also helps to keep you from getting sick."

Swallowing down the pulp, Kairi took a second to regain herself, before digging in again. As she did so, she could feel warmth flowing over her. The more she ate, the more that warmth rose up. By the time she ate the berry in its entirety, tossing the peel onto the floor, Kairi's body could barely registered that it had ever been chilled.

"Thank you." Kairi gave off a nod towards her mistress, feeling glad that she was willing to reteach her all that she had forgotten. She saw her mistress let off a long yawn, her fins receding back into the pool of water. Seeing that had made Kairi yawn in response, not realizing how tired she had been until then.

"Tired, are we?" Milotic tried to give her a warm smile, but came off as somewhat cold. "You can rest for now, you have earned your sleep." She hoped that it would be the end of tonight's first day, that Kairi would just go to sleep. Even though she knew some things about humans, their sleeping habits was not one of them. She shut her eyes, and gently lowered her head into the pool of water.

Clapping her hands together lightly, still in awe at how little she felt the cold, Kairi glanced at her mistress. Riding on her scales earlier had been an experience, with how soft they were and how comfortable her body felt. If they knew each other for as long as they had, then…

"Mistress?"

Milotic blinked, hearing Kairi again. Her head broke the surface, the bottom of it touching the tranquil surface. "Kairi, aren't you going to get some sleep?"

Her heart skipped a beat, hesitation striking Kairi. For a second, her mistress appeared mildly upset with Kairi's silence, ready to dismiss her. Taking in a breath, Kairi spoke quickly, "Do you mind if I sleep with you tonight, mistress?"

Milotic's eyes gazed at her servant for a moment. What could possess her servant to be so bold in asking? Instinctively, she retorted back with a flat, "No. I do not let anything use my scales as something to sleep on, especially a servant who will only tainy my beauty with dirt."

Her heart stopped. Kairi had a strong feeling that she had overstepped. Did she never sleep on her mistress before? It was hard to believe that was the case, especially if they had met on that beach. Yet she didn't feel the need to speak up against it. If there was a boundary, then that was it. No questions about it.

"Sorry, it's just… Where do I sleep then?"

Hearing Kairi's tone waver, Milotic wondered if she had been too harsh just now. Yet it was her call as to where Kairi slept, not the other way around. She nodded towards the tunnel that they came in, speaking to her servant as she did so. "You must find your own way to rest in my cavern. You can return to the surface to find some bedding, but I strongly advise against wandering out too far alone when it's getting dark. So for now, you can sleep on the ground if you wish. It does not matter to me how you sleep."

Although the statement had come off harsher than she intended, Milotic felt exhausted from today's ordeal. Wiping Kairi's mind had taken a lot of energy out of her, and she was getting more irritable with each second that her servant was being hard to work with.

A shadow crossed along Kairi's heart. What had been with the sudden change in the way her mistress spoke? Her heart sank into the pits of her stomach, and Kairi found herself unable to say anything else. Even when she tried, she opened her mouth, but the fear of being shot down rendered her incapable of a single word. Silently, she looked around the cave, seeing flat surfaces where she could lay down on. None of them looked particularly appealing.

Sighing, Kairi walked over to one of those flat surfaces. She noted how smoothed out everything had been down here compared to up above. Seating herself on such a spot, Kairi felt trepidations running through her. Although the cold was being held off, she stared at her mistress, who had curled onto herself, her head submerged in the pool. Perhaps her mistress had a point.

Tucking her feet up to her chest, Kairi laid down. Wanting to keep herself from having wandering thoughts, she faced away from the Milotic, staring at the darkness of that corner. As she gazed, she could feel herself shiver, a peculiar thought coming across her.

What if something was hiding there?

Kairi lightly shook her head, easing herself up more. That thought was nonsense, she figured. If something had been hiding in the darkness, then her mistress would know… right?

Finally, silence had fallen on the cavern. Milotic had been on the verge of sleep, ready to ease up and unwind after a stressful day. Yet as she did so, a rogue thought crept up in her. It clawed at her, telling her that something was amiss. She lifted up her head as Kairi's anxiety was felt.

Seeing the human girl, nude, facing away from her, has been a pitiful sight. She noticed how Kairi shifted, toes curled up underneath her, as she struggled to get some sleep. Perhaps she had been too harsh to her servant. Noting how Kairi's mind appeared restless, Milotic dipped her head into the water. Sucking up some of it, then releasing her ability scald into the water, she warmed it up enough to where it would be lukewarm by morning but warm for tonight.

After she made sure that the water felt comfortable, Milotic spoke to Kairi calmly. "Kairi, are you still awake?"

Shifting on that lonesome spot, Kairi turned and faced her mistress. Getting in a seated position, she made a yawn as she responded. "Yeah, but I'm okay." Patting her cheeks, light slaps sounding off from it, Kairi tried to put on a smile to show her mistress otherwise. "See! I'm alright."

Unphased from Kairi's response, Milotic shut her eyes and used her fins to motion to her servant. "Come over here."

Surprised, Kairi pushed herself back up onto her feet. Feet patting against the floor, in mere moments she stood in front of her mistress. "Yes?" Kairi inquired, tilting her head as she did so.

Looking her servant up and down, evaluating her, Milotic's cheeks welled up with water before letting loose. Spraying Kairi from head to toe, she used her tail to turn Kairi abruptly to make sure that every inch had been thoroughly rinsed. After a minute, she ceased the spray and examined Kairi for any grime.

"There. At the very least, I won't let you sleep with dirt and sweat on you."

"W-What do you mean?"

Positioning her coils so some of them were above the water, Milotic cooed at Kairi. "You may sleep on my scales." She saw the girl's eyes light up, but she was quick to correct herself. "However, just for tonight. Tomorrow you must find your own bedding if you wish to sleep comfortably.

"Do you understand?"

Nodding back, shivering from the sudden cold shower, Kairi made a meek, "Y-Yes."

With a more comfortable tone, Milotic reclined her head against the edge of her pool. "Then you may enter, and rest on my scales."

Trying to keep her excitement down to a minimum, Kairi lowered her head, taking in a deep breath as she took those words to heart. "T-Thank you, Mistress." Immediately hopping into the pool, her body warmed up, Kairi had to keep herself upright as she nearly slipped and fell. Twirling around, Kairi sat on the scales, blushing as she did so.

"Will you sleep better now?" Milotic inquired to Kairi, facing her as she turned her neck to observe her servant. As soon as she responded with a nod, Milotic let off a yawn. "Good. Sleep will do you well."

Seeing Kairi recline on her scales, resting on her stomach, Milotic noted how her arms and legs were steeped in the water. Casually lifting Kairi up, shifting her coils so she wouldn't be submerged, Milotic could already tell how much more relaxed she had become.

What a peculiar thought. Kairi had come in that day with an arrogance and somewhat irritated mindset. Yet when she had awoken, it seemed that everything melted away, instead replaced with a genuine curiosity and eagerness to learn. Had there been something on Kairi's mind beforehand?

The thought struck the Milotic as even more strange. After all, Kairi did everything that she had been told to do. Even now, as she slipped into that peaceful state, Milotic noted how much Kairi already felt bonded with her. If she hadn't known any better, Kairi could have been with her for as long as she stated. Was this what Pokémon and trainers felt? She doubted that notion and pushed it back.

Despite these thoughts circling around her, one thing was certain.

Kairi couldn't go back. She had to stay, if only to keep the island safe from those vile trainers. Milotic had hoped that Kairi could sleep on the floor, so she could deal with the capsules in due time, yet she had been stuck here. Perhaps she would deal with it in the morning. Yes, that could be it.

More duties for Kairi. Taking care of her belt. Teaching Kairi what she had forgotten. Telling her more about how they met and what they did. Thoughts rushing through her mind.

Fatigue took her. She joined Kairi in sleep shortly after her servant fell asleep.