Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon, but Zora and Hunter are straight from my imagination.

"Zora, stop!" Lance yelled. They ran for only a grand total of another ten seconds before they were cornered against a wall. Ember was mad and ready to strike anyone of them who stepped forward. Her heart had been set on seeing Flamer and no one, human or pokemon, was going to stand in a Ninetales way when her attack power is twice the average.

Lance stepped forward and extended his hand. "Come here, Zora."

"No," she said firmly, swiftly.

"Your place is here, Zora," he said. "You are a Balance,"

"No. My father was a Balance. That doesn't mean I must be too,"

"Who else is there?" Lance asked. "If you would leave, who would take your place?"

"Max,"

"But your father passed the rights to you," Lance said. Hunter stepped in front of her.

"Move, Bandit," Kane said as he stepped up to join Lance.

"You ever think that there might be a reason you've never caught me?" Hunter asked.

"You are clever, yes, but not undefeatable. You are foolish to come here. You are foolish for trying to kidnap one of our own," Kane said.

"I trying to make her dreams come true,"

"Why would you care one wit about her? Why not give up while you're ahead?"

"Because I love her!" Hunter said. "Because I promised. Flamer, now!" Flamer jumped from above them and shot a Flame Wheel around in a half circle, preventing the guards from reaching them. Ember helped, shooting a Flame Wheel that traveled the opposite direction of Flamer's. While they held up the wall of fire, Hunter was busy pulling a rope from the vines that grew up the wall behind them.

"Zora!" he handed her the rope and nudged her up until she was out of his reach up the wall, which easily towered over twice his height. He took the rope next, stopping at the top of the wall.

"Grand Faunally, Flamer!" Flamer nodded and shot a last, more powerful blast of fire. Ember followed suit, then jumped to the wall's top with Flamer. They both jumped back to the ground on the other side and ran next to Zora and Hunter, who each rode a Rapidash.

Zora poked at the small fire with an ever burning stick. Ember and Flamer were cuddling each other in the half shadows, content with the quite. Hunter had run off to gather fire wood, leaving her to her thoughts. She wish he'd have stayed and told her more about this place he'd set up for them. He didn't know what her dream house was like: a ranch with woods and a small lake, a big old house, acres of land that served no particular purpose and a hammock in the back yard. She loved hammocks. Growing up in the Elite Stadium where everything had a training purpose and there was no garden or back yard had denied her the simple pleasure of falling asleep outside, drifting in the wind.

The night's lullaby played with her thoughts, the woods around her playing into the images in her mind...

Hunter returned. He dropped his arm load of sticks next to the fire and sat next to her. "You okay?"

"Yes,"

He nodded. "Good,"

"Tell me about this place, the one you've set up,"

"You remember once... when you were 15, I think, when you were my prisoner and you were sick. You remember?" she nodded. "You had a fever and raved about your dream house. I don't know why I remembered it all, but I did. It's just like that, down to the hammock in the back yard,"

"You never told me I rambled," she looked at her feet.

"You were my prisoner; I wasn't about to stir things up,"

"How many acres?"

"It's nearly three hundred,"

"Where did you—"

"My mother's old ranch. It's been passed down in my family for many generations. We add to it as we can. The original was only eight,"

She smiled, "Wow,"

"I... uh... arranged for... for a... a... a, uh..." he gulped, "A wedding," she caught her breath. "You said yes, remember? I was just short the ring that day,"

"You're not now?"

"Nope," he pulled the little velvet box from his pocket, opening it to reveal a small diamond ring. He took her hand and slid it on, breathing easier now that he knew it really did fit.

Zora couldn't sleep. She wanted this life Hunter offered so much. Ember wanted it too, and so did Flamer. Zora made a quick decision that even if she and Hunter were separated, she would give up Ember to let her be with Flamer, in Hunter's care or back in the wild or wherever. Lance and Kane would not allow it though, her relationship or Ember being gone. Both were essential for the Fire Balance to be complete. Human and Pokemon. But maybe, once she was married to him... they'd have to change something. After all, they couldn't separate them... could they?