"Hello! This is Eefi-chan, at your service. I'll be hosting this chapter since Marichi is busy with all those things that are probably listed in her LJ. Anyways, I'm here to ruin her reputation, I mean substitute for her.

Thank you for all your support with your reviews. They are very much appreciated!"

Chapter 15: No Turning Back

The girl with the long brown hair groggily went up the old stairs of the cabin. Her pink balloon-like companion floated and hopped up the stairs by her side, mirroring her tired expression.

"We didn't make a lot of money with today's performance. Guess I'll need more training," Bluenda said optimistically. Her Jigglypuff nodded happily in agreement.

Bluenda continued her way to her room. She slowly shifted her weight, careful not to let the floor boards groan beneath her feet. She sighed at her accomplishment of not disturbing anyone's slumber. Bluenda then padded her way through the hallway but stopped when she heard noises of restlessness coming from Naoko's room. Again, careful not to make the door loudly crack open, Bluenda peered into Naoko's room through the narrow slit opening. The poor girl was tossing in her sleep.

"No! Sapporo don't! Stop! Please! No you can't! No! Ikiru!" Naoko began to sob with tormented tears streaming down her cheeks in the moonlight.

Bluenda quietly closed the door. She sunk down to her knees and leaned against the wall.

"I'm sorry," Bluenda whispered her apology.


The boy's body was bounded by the limitations of vines and tree branches. He continued to call out to her, trying to get her away from that man. She turned her head towards him and whispered the words that he could not hear yet pierce his heart. She turned back to the man and closed her eyes. She acted as if she were willing to accept whatever was to be brought down upon her. The man placed his hand over the girl's heart and spoke in an incantation. A white flash appeared under his palm. The boy continued to scream the girl's name as he watched her slowly fall.

"Phoebe!" Ricko gasped. He panted heavily in cold sweat, realizing that he was having what only seemed to be a nightmare.

In the opposite room, Misa looked at herself in the mirror. She put down the brush with a satisfied grin. Her shorten black hair glistened in the warm sunlight.

"Misa! Ricko! Hurry up or you'll late for school!" called their mother at the bottom of the stairs.

"Coming," Misa called back. She quickly grabbed her bag and hurried down.

"Mm, that smells delicious!" Misa said as she waltzes into the kitchen.

"Hey, Misa where's Ricko?" her mother questioned while multitasking with the morning breakfasts.

"I think he's still in his room. You know how he is in the morning," Misa said carelessly, sticking a piece her pancake into her mouth.

"What about me in the mornings?" Ricko haunted into Misa's ear. Her pancake nearly went the wrong way.

"Why do you always have to sneak up on me like that? You almost made me chock on my pancake that time!"

"Misa, you are just too easy! It's no wonder Shuu and the others tease you," Ricko said, chuckling to himself.

"That's it! I'm not waiting for you today!" Misa exclaimed.

She got up from her chair and stormed out of the kitchen. Misa grabbed the cold door knob and was just about to open the door but stopped.

"Ricko, hurry up or we'll be late for school," Misa called out over her shoulder. She paused for a moment before walking out the door.

"Ricko, you should really be a lot nicer to your sister," his mother scolded.

"I know," Ricko answered in contemplation.

"Ricko, is there something else that's bothering you?"

He was taken back at his mother's sudden words. But he smiled realizing that Misa must have naturally obtained her ability from their mother.

"No, it's just a bad dream. Anyways, I better get going. Misa's probably waiting for me in transit. Thanks for breakfast. It was delicious," Ricko said as he got up and slung his school bag over his shoulder. He gave a quick peck on his mother's cheek before leaving.

Alone in the kitchen, Mrs. Hajima half smiled to herself, a sting of worry lingered by her side. Silently, she prayed that everything will be alright.


"Misa!"

Misa's ears picked up on the sound of her name through the bustle of the subway station. She straightens her posture and lengthens her neck.

"Haruka-chan!" Misa chirped, hoping her friend would notice the difference in herself.

"I hope our marks are finally posted up. I really want to know what I got," Haruka said with fire in her eyes.

Misa sulked in disappointment but quickly recovered.

"Don't worry! Your term paper on 'The Beauty Of Pokemon' was really good," Misa said, "By the way, where's Yuuki?"

"I don't know. He's probably running late again."

The two girls looked at each other with the same thought on their mind.

"Men," they said in one breath as they stepped onto the train.


"Women," Ricko and Yuuki breathed. They flopped down to the vacant seat in the train; thankful that they just made it on time to catch the train.

"It's not my fault that my alarm didn't work," Yuuki groaned.

"You did remember to set it, right?" Ricko asked in a joking manner. Yuuki remained silent.

"Whatever will Haruka do with a guy like you?" Ricko teased.

"You know, I can understand why Misa just left you behind," Yuuki said in a dark tone.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Ricko quickly said with a nervous laugh.

"Anyways, I've been meaning to ask you, did you ever live in Johto? I was wondering if that's where you got your Quilava."

"Actually, we've been all over the place. We used to live in Kanto but then stuff happened. So we then moved to Johto but then stuffed happened again and here we are today. But yeah, I got Inferno when we lived in Johto."

"I see," was all Yuuki responded with. Although he couldn't exactly grasp what Ricko meant by "stuff happened" but decided to leave it as it is. It seemed like a delicate subject for Ricko.


Misa grinned victoriously down at her brother from the stairwell.

"You're late!" she taunted.

"Your watch is ahead by ten minutes. The bell hasn't rung yet," he stated.

"Misa, where's Haruka-chan?" Yuuki asked.

"She's in the classroom with Mitsuru-kun."

"Kun?" Ricko's eye twitched but Misa chose to ignore it.

"Thanks," and with that Yuuki trotted away into the classroom. For the second time Misa sulked in disappointment.

"Misa, you're being unreasonable," Ricko said as he too went on his way to the classroom. Misa sighed in defeat and followed after her brother.

Stepping into the classroom, Ricko's eyes darted around naturally in search for someone, a certain girl with short black hair and pink tropical flowers over her ears. His eyes fell upon an empty desk.

"Maybe she's just running late," his sister said, trying to keep him optimistic.

He turned back to the hallway only to bump into a person in a hurry.

"For goodness sake! The bell isn't going to ring for another five minutes!" Ricko said impatiently while he got up from the linoleum floor. He gasped to see that it was Phoebe.

"Phoebe! I didn't mean it like that! It's just that I-I-I'm sorry!" Ricko yelped.

"I'm sorry," Phoebe whispered avoiding eye contact with him. She pushed past him but stopped when Ricko grabbed hold of her hand.

"We...we should talk."

"Later, ok?"

He still wouldn't let go.

"Later at break," she finally said. He nodded his agreement. Together they hurried back to class before the bell was just about to ring any minute.


Misa peered out of the window in the hallway. Down below under the cherry blossoms she could see her brother and Phoebe. She couldn't help but feel nervous for both of them.

"Misa?"

She jumped not realizing that she had company.

"Sorry, you look a little bit worried," Mitsuru remarked.

"Oh no, I'm fine really."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

The boy with messy green hair and the girl with the short black and red streaked hair looked out together. They could see at a distance Haruka and Yuuki chatting away as they walked down the school path.

"I'm glad she's happy."

"Mitsuru-kun?"

"Yes?"

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be in Yuuki's place?"

"Sometimes, but that's kind of ill-wishing."

"How so?"

He paused for a moment.

"Let's just say it's hard to let go of your first love. But you see, because of that very opinion it cost me my chance with her. My love for her was rather one-sided. It was a very selfish type of love. But Yuuki's love for her is selfless. I can't blame her for falling in love with him without even knowing it."

"So…what now?"

"I'll continue to watch over her like we are now. Seeing her happy with him is enough for me to know she is in good hands."

"That sounds kind of scary…"

"I didn't mean it like that! I meant that I'll still love her and just be happy like a dandelion seed that brushes against her skin accidentally."

There was a small silence between Misa and Mitsuru.

"Haruka's lucky to have you and Yuuki love her so much," the words slipping under her breath.

"Ricko and Phoebe are lucky to have you too," Mitsuru mirrored her words. He started to leave his post but turned back to Misa.

"By the way, I like the hair cut. It suits you," Mitsuru complimented before going down the stairwell. She flushed at his remark and was barely able to hold her content inside.

"First compliment of the day," Misa cheered to herself.


Phoebe continued to avert her gaze from Ricko. Her heart pounded out of nervousness and embarrassment.

"About last night, I'm sorry I put you in that situation," Ricko said.

"I should be the one saying sorry. It was immature of me to run off like that," Phoebe replied looking up to meet his gaze.

The expression on her face was the exact sorrowful and resentful face he saw in his dream. He shivered at the thought and tried to convince himself that it was just a dream.

"Don't excuse it Ricko. You had a premonition, didn't you?" The tone in Phoebe's voice changed to seriousness.

"I meant what I said at the park. I will protect you."

Phoebe sharply turned to him. Her eyes held a plea, a desperate cry for help.

"Can you protect me? Can you save me? Can you even tell me that all this is just a bad dream that will never happen? Can you even stand by my side at this ending?" Her voice quivered in fear while her eyes held a sliver of fading hope.

"Yes, I can and I will!"

And then all was lost for her.

"No, you won't. Didn't you see it? You couldn't protect me. You couldn't save me. You couldn't do anything!"

Ricko stared at her speechless. When was it that this divider split them like this? Surely there must be a reason why he could see the future. Why can't they see what is in front of them that's keeping them apart?

Under the cherry blossoms a Banette remorsefully looked at the will-o'-the-wisp before him.


Bluenda walked down the corridors of the school. She let out a sigh, releasing the stress off her chest.

"Everyone is so uptight today," she said to herself.

Bluenda then noticed a familiar figure standing outside across the school. She cringed at the sight of the villain in all this.

The man stood with a threatening and intimidating posture. He was tall and high with pride. Only the dead wind could touch his raven hair. When his eyes carelessly graced hers, Bluenda felt as if someone had stepped over her grave.

Clenched fists, knuckles white, Bluenda would not flinch. She would not show fear. Fighting spirit was pulsating through her blood. A precluded battle between him entered her mind.

"We'll be ready for you. Just you wait. Just you wait, Sapporo!"

End of Chapter 15

Hey Eefi, we're you good Espeon while I was gone?

"Of course I was! Don't you trust me?"

I'll have to get back to you on that one.

"You're so mean!"

But thanks for subbing for me.

O-K! Just a couple of notes here:

The suffix 'kun' is used towards boys as a sort of term of endearment. Thinking in that sense, is where Ricko's overprotective mood subtly looms over that scene.

I was surprise to find the word will-o'-the-wisp in the dictionary. So just for the fun of it, it means a hope or aim that can never by fulfilled.

Hm...there was something else I was going to say. What was it? Ah yes, now I remember. Has anyone noticed those cluster glitches?