"Your bags are all packed?"

"Yes, Dad." I sighed.

"You've got your plane ticket?"

I waved the thin paper between my fingers.

"Got it."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

"I'm going to miss you." he squeezed me tightly, "So much.

I hugged him tightly.

"I'm going to miss you too, Dad."

He kept his hands on my shoulders as he took a step back.

"Are you sure you have to go, Molls?"

"Using my childhood nickname isn't going to change my mind." I said.

He sighed and looked downward.

"It was worth a try."

"Raihan is going if that makes you feel better."

He smirked.

"Oh yeah," he chuckled, "a single, handsome man accompanying my beautiful, eligible daughter a thousand miles away from the watchful eye of her Father."

"Thank you for pointing out my eligibility." I remarked.

He ruffled my hair playfully as he stifled a laugh.

"I'm just messing with you, kiddo. After you leave I won't have anyone to make jokes with."

Wooloo rolled lazily into the room.

"You'll have Wooloo." I replied, petting his velvety wool.

He bent down and scratched Wooloo affectionately under his chin.

"And I'm very thankful for that." He smiled.

Wooloo brayed happily as he rubbed his head against Dad's open hand.

"Well," he sighed, "what would you say to some dinner? We could take a Corviknight Taxi to that fancy restaurant in Circhester."

I smiled warmly at him.

"That sounds great, Dad."

He pulled his Rotom Phone out of his back pocket and promptly dialed the Corviknight Taxi number.

"Yes, hello. I'd like to schedule a pickup for my daughter and I. That's correct. We're in Postwick, and our destination would be Circhester. Oh, we're going to Bob's Your Uncle for some dinner. Incredible food I'd say. Five stars in my humble opinion."

He paused to chuckle.

"Brilliant. Thank you very much. See you soon, then."

He hung up and slid his Rotom Phone into his back pocket.

"Ten minutes. I hope you're hungry."

My stomach roared.

"I'd say I'm pretty hungry." I said with a smile.

I scooped Pikachu in my arms and nuzzled into her soft, electrically charged fur.

"I have something for you." Dad said suddenly.

"Dad," my heart sank, "you didn't have to-"

He smiled sadly.

"Of course I had to, Molls."

He handed me a scarlet box. His eyes were aglow with excitement as I reached for it with trembling fingers.

"Open it." He said excitedly.

It opened with a snap, and I gasped. The stone inside shimmered brilliantly, and the lightning bolt in the middle gave off a strange, warm sensation that made my hand almost feel numb.

"Dad," I said, keeping my eyes on the stone, "where did you get this?"

A wide grin grew over his thin lips.

"A friend of mine in Kanto. His name is Lieutenant Surge. I called in a favor, and he was more than willing to help. You don't have to use it now of course. The decision is ultimately up to you, Pikachu."

Pikachu turned her head as her black eyes fell on the Thunderstone.

"You don't have to evolve now." I said reassuringly, "We can save it until you're ready."

She rubbed against the side of my face, and I snapped the box closed. Wooloo brayed loudly at the sound of knuckles rapping on the front door.

"That'll be the Corviknight Taxi."

Dad opened the door promptly, and greeted the Corviknight Taxi driver.

"Ready to go?" he asked after a brief pause in their conversation.

I nodded and stepped out under the indigo colored sky. A large, regal looking Corviknight stood proudly in our tiny cobblestone driveway. It preened its pitch black feathers as it waited patiently for us to board the taxi. The wild Budew that were feeding on nearby berry bushes kept their nervous eyes on the giant bird Pokémon.

"Thank you for the ride." I muttered to Corviknight as I patted the steely feathers on its broad wings.

Corviknight fixed its red eyes on me and bowed its head in gratitude before turning its attention on the driver.

"Alright, Corviknight. Take to the skies." He said after we were strapped in our seats.

Corviknight spread its great wings, and pushed off of the ground. My stomach lurched, and I grabbed Dad's hand. He looked over and flashed a smile.

"Still nervous about takeoff, eh?"

"It's not my favorite." I admitted.

My stomach settled as we flew through the darkening Galarian sky. The lights of the cities below us twinkled as we passed overhead. Pikachu crawled onto my shoulder and pressed her paws to the window in hopes of getting a better view of the scenery.

"There must be a tournament tonight." Dad stated as he pointed a finger at the distant lights of Wyndon.

He turned towards me with curiosity dancing in his eyes.

"Think you'll challenge Leon again?" he asked seriously.

I shrugged as the painful reminder of defeat hit me in the stomach.

"I don't know. He's a tough Trainer. I wasn't ready for him the first time." I sighed.

Dad patted my hand.

"You're a Champion in my book."

"Thanks, Dad." I blushed.

Corviknight began its decent into Circhester and the taxi touched down on the ground with an uncomfortable thump. Pikachu was thrown forward and I grabbed her in my arms before she landed on the floor of the taxi.

"Circhester is beautiful at this time of year." Dad remarked.

He stretched his arms above his head, and then wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"I'm going to miss these trips with you."

My stomach knotted.

"I'm not going away forever, Dad."

"I know." He sighed, "I know. I just-"

He shook his head, and tightened his hold on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry, kiddo."

He chuckled as he turned his gaze away from me.

"I'm being selfish, aren't I? Your last night home isn't supposed to be like this."

I wrapped my arms around his waist, and hugged him tightly.

"I'll be here whenever you need me." I vowed.

His breath caught in his throat and then his arms wound around my shoulders.

"I love you, Molls."

"I love you too, Dad."

We untangled ourselves from our embrace and walked arm in arm down the bustling streets of Circhester. He'd stop and point out buildings and landmarks he found fascinating, and I'd smile as he described their importance. My stomach protested the detour, but I ignored its demand for food as we walked. The invigorating scent of cooking food wafted in the air around us and my stomach roared.

"Let's go eat." Dad suggested.

A commotion in the square suddenly caught our attention.

"It's him." People shouted.

"In Circhester of all places. Imagine that."

A man stood in the middle of a cheering crowd with his arm held in the air. His purple hair cascaded down his back, and his amber eyes sparkled as he flashed a brilliant, white smile.

"My goodness," Dad gasped, "that's-"

"Leon." I whispered.

--

"Are you sure you have to go?"

Piccolo held my face in his hands.

"I'll only be gone for a week."

He scoffed.

"Maybe," I looked up at him, "you'd want to come with me?"

His body went rigid.

"My Dad would love to meet you."

Beads of sweat began forming on his brow.

"Perhaps next time." I said with an innocent smile.

"I'm so ready for this trip home!"

Nega pulled a wheeled suitcase clumsily behind him. The contents inside jostled around noisily as he pranced towards us.

"Why does everything you do have to be so annoying?"

Vegeta shot an annoyed glance at Nega which caused him to erupt into high pitched, wheezing laughter. He flung an arm affectionately around Vegeta's shoulders and smiled widely.

"I'm going to miss you too, buddy." Nega laughed.

Vegeta shrugged Nega off disgustedly.

"Get off of me, you brainless moron."

"Molls," Raihan moaned, "do we really have to ride in that tiny airplane?"

He motioned towards the airplane that was parked in the distance.

"Don't worry about it, Raihan," Bulma reassured him, "that's one of Capsule Corporation's newer models. They're totally safe."

His lips turned downward into a frown.

"Just imagine that you're riding Flygon." I replied with a smile.

He sighed deeply.

"I think I'd rather ride Flygon." He mumbled.

"Stop being a baby, dude." Said Nega in a taunting voice.

Raihan narrowed his eyes.

"Piss off, mate."

Bulma put her hand to her forehead.

"Are you two geniuses finished? It's time to go."

Raihan kept his eyes on the airplane and groaned.

"Promise me you'll be safe." Piccolo said, taking me in his arms.

I smiled as I laid my head against his chest.

"I can't promise," I started, "but I can try my hardest."

"Mollie."

The iciness in his voice left a chilled sensation in my veins, but the tone had the right amount of irritation that left me yearning to be scolded by him further.

"Okay, okay. I promise I'll be safe."

"Thank you."

He lifted my chin and kissed me. His arms wrapped around my waist and he pulled me into him. A deep blush ran over his cheeks as he took a step back.

"I love you, Piccolo."

He pushed a stray strand of pink hair out of my eyes and then kept his hand on my cheek.

"I love you, too."

"Oi!" Raihan shouted, his head poking out of the airplane window, "you're holding us up!"

Piccolo kept my hand in his as we made our way to the airplane and gave it a delicate squeeze before releasing. Goku stood towards the front of the plane. His hand was waving from side to side, and his lips were upturned in a smile. Raichu was perched proudly on his shoulders. Her lightning bolt shaped tail hung lazily around his neck.

She had taken an instant liking to him when we arrived in West City. She had always felt a great need to be near him unlike Ninetales, who most of the time would rather ignore him than acknowledge his existence. Often times Professor Burgundy would often joke that Raichu had developed a sort of crush on Goku, and it made me wonder if Pokémon were capable of having such feelings for humans. She stood on her hind legs and crossed her front paws over her chest.

"So you're staying here, huh?"

She kept her beady black eyes on me as she stood unmoving on Goku's shoulder.

"Okay," I said, turning my back, "but Dad doesn't know that you evolved. He'll be so disappointed not to see you as a Raichu."

I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye and her ears perked up. She nuzzled against Goku affectionately, and then hopped onto my shoulder.

"We'll be back in a week." I vowed.

Her ears drooped as we said our final goodbyes and boarded the plane. Raihan clutched a Pokèball tightly in his quivering hand as he took his place between Nega and I.

"Expecting a mid flight battle?" I joked, nudging him with my elbow.

"Hilarious." he replied, "If this plane goes down I'm not wasting a second searching for Flygon's Pokèball."

I rolled my eyes.

"Bulma said the plane is safe. Stop worrying, and-"

The plane jolted forward, nearly throwing us to the floor. Raichu clung on to my shoulder as I gripped the edge of my seat.

"Oh, Arceus please don't let this be how I go out." Raihan whined.

"Sorry about that, folks. Just a bit of turbulence." The pilot smiled.

Raihan cursed under his breath as Nega clutched his sides in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"I don't know why we agreed to bring you on this trip." Raihan sighed.

Nega composed himself and sat himself up in a dignified manner.

"I'm originally from the Galar Region. My brother and I grew up in Wedgehurst, but were hardly at home once we were teenagers. We frequented the Isle of Armor, and that my dear friends, is where I found my partner, Dragalge."

Nega beamed proudly as I looked at him.

"Brother?"

"There are two of you?" Raihan asked, eyeing Nega.

He nodded which caused his bushy hair to flop around in different directions on top of his head.

"My brother, Nash. He left home just before I did. He's an international idol."

There was a sour tone to his voice.

"Your brother is an idol, and you joined some rinky dink evil team no one has heard about. Your parents must be so proud."

"My parents are dead."

Raihan's eyes widened.

"I'm so sorry, mate. I didn't mean to-"

Nega stood and turned his back to us.

"It's fine, Raihan. I'm going to see how much longer this flight is going to take."

Dragalge followed closely as Nega made his way to the cockpit.

"Nice going." I muttered.

"I didn't know."

"Maybe if you took the time to get to know him instead of insulting him at every turn you would have."

Raihan kept his gaze downward.

"Did you know?"

I shook my head.

"Probably because you're too busy with that new boyfriend of yours."

My stomach knotted.

"Don't lash out at me because you made a mistake."

He sighed sadly.

"I know," he sighed, "I'm sorry."

Nega kept his head down as he walked by, and sighed deeply as he sat down beside us.

"Twenty five minutes until we arrive." he mumbled.

The remainder of the ride was silent and uncomfortable. Raichu and Dragalge chased each other back and forth and then she curled up in my lap and slept for the last few moments we were in the air.

"Attention, passengers. We're now arriving in the Galar Region. Please remain seated until the aircraft has come to a complete stop."

My heart soared as the familiar sights of Galar came into view. The dancing lights of Wyndon shined brightly as we began to descend. The plane's wheels touched the ground and began to slow.

"Welcome home." the pilot smiled.

The streets of Wyndon were bustling with large crowds making their way to the nearest shop in hopes of sniffing out an ongoing sale. Several people glanced at us as we bid farewell to the pilot and watched him disappear into the amethyst sky. A gentle rain started falling, and thunder cracked in the distance.

"Man, it feels good to be home." Raihan commented, stretching his arms in the air. "I wonder how the replacement Hammerlocke Gym Leader is holding up."

"Wonder later," I said, rummaging through my satchel, "we have a train to Postwick to catch."

We pushed and plowed our way through the thinning crowds, and made our way to the crowded train station. We clambered breathlessly onto the train, and collapsed onto the squishy seats in an empty compartment.

"There must have been a tournament today. " Raihan said, resting his head on the window.

Nega sighed, pulling his knees to his chest.

"Surprised we didn't see Leon lurking about."

My stomach churned as Raihan pressed his finger to his lips.

"Shh." He hissed, " Don't say that name."

"It's fine." I lied.

Nega's eyes squinted.

"Why am I not supposed to-"

"I challenged him, and lost. It really brought down my confidence as a Trainer, but I've learned from my mistakes."

Nega put his head on his pudgy hands, and looked as if he were a child listening to a story.

"Will you challenge him again?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know. I just," I sighed, "don't know."

He placed his hand on my shoulder comfortingly.

"You'll get him next time." He reassured me.

I smiled wholeheartedly.

"Thank you."

The remainder of the ride to Postwick was filled with laugher and reminiscence. Nega told us more of his past with his brother, and how they'd spend their days playing with Pokémon in the Wild Area.

"And Bewear just left you alone?" Raihan chuckled.

"Well, we learned pretty quickly to start running when it flailed its arms. They look friendly, but they're extremely territorial." Nega responded.

"Good evening, lads and ladies. We'll be arriving in Postwick momentarily. Please collect your belongings and prepare to exit the train in an organized manner. We thank you kindly for riding with us today, and hope you have a pleasant stay in the Galar Region."

Raihan stood, and opened the overhead compartment.

"Um, you guys?"

"What is it?" I asked, facing him.

He held a tiny, sleeping bird Pokémon in the palm of his hand.

"Whoa." Nega gasped.

"It's a Rookidee." I said, moving closer to get a better look.

"Someone must have left it behind. We have to try and find its Trainer." Raihan said in a quivering voice.

"They could be long gone by now." Nega responded.

"So what do we do with it?"

"We take it with us obviously. We can't just leave it here." I said.

Rookidee's eyes popped open as Raihan shifted it to his opposite hand. It looked between the three of us, and chirped softly.

"Hey there, little fella. Where's your Trainer?" Raihan asked it.

It spread its paper thin wings out beside it and pushed itself into the air. It beat them once, then twice, and winced as it began to fall towards the ground.

"Got you." I said as Rookidee fell into my hand.

"Nice catch, Molls." Raihan commented.

Rookidee looked up at me and chirped happily. Its red eyes sparkled as it nuzzled into my palm.

"Oh, good." A passing conductor said, "It looks like Rookidee finally found a Trainer."

I turned my head.

"What do you-"

"Truth is," the conductor continued, "that Rookidee has been riding these rails for quite some time. It takes shelter in that overhead compartment during the cold months. I've been keeping a close eye on it. Hoping someone would come and take it along with them, but nobody ever did. Until you."

I looked down at Rookidee who was busying itself by preening its feathers.

"Would you like to come along with me, Rookidee?"

Rookidee flew out of my hand and circled around me, chirping excitedly. The conductor beamed as Rookidee perched on his shoulder.

"It's going to be strange without you here, but I know you're going to be well taken care of with this young lady."

He gently patted the silky feathers atop Rookidee's head.

"Take care, friend." he said with a tip of his hat.