Megan's POV

I waited for a moment to allow all of us to catch our collective breath after running down the hill and through Petalburg to my house. Then I opened the door, feeling excited, but also anxious at the thought of meeting my new sibling.

We removed our shoes and walked to the living room where we found my mom and dad, along with Adam's parents. The four adults were seated on separate couches in the living room, talking. The conversation stopped as we entered and I saw a bundle in my mom's arms. My new sibling was here! They all smiled at us as we walked further into the living room.

"Hi, girls. Welcome back home. I'd like you both to meet your new baby brother: Zachary." my mom said with a soft smile.

April and I walked over to our mom and looked at the little face that was wrapped in the blue blankets. Zachary had brown hair like my mom and I had, but his eyes were emerald green like Dad's and April's. I looked like my mom more than my dad, whereas April was the other way around. But it looked like Zachary's looks were the perfect mix of both of our parents'.

I was so happy at that moment. I was a big sister now. I enjoyed being the baby of the family up until now, being the youngest, but it was time for me to step up now.

"He's perfectly healthy and we only brought him home a few days ago. So you two haven't missed much, just seeing the hospital." my mom said with a small laugh.

"I'm happy that we finally have a boy in the family. I always wanted a son, so that the Hayden name would get carried on. Plus, I know that Zachary will have the best big sisters!" Dad said, looking at us proudly.

"We also won't be alone in the house anymore. With you two out on your Pokemon journeys, the house has felt empty. Now we have a new child to take care of. Besides, you two don't need us as much as you used to." Mom added.

She shifted Zachary slightly in her arms and asked, "Would you girls like to hold him?"

"Uh..." April said, hesitating.

"Yes!" I cried happily.

I sat down on the couch beside my mom, who gently placed Zachary in my arms.

"Just make sure to keep his head supported." my mom said.

I nodded my head and looked down at Zachary, who was looking up at me. I felt so proud, holding my baby brother in my arms. I felt so much love in my heart as his innocent little face looked back at me.

"Hi, Zachary. I'm Megan and I'm one of your big sisters. Welcome to the family. I'll always protect you, no matter what, and help you learn any and everything that you'll need to know. I already love you so much." I promised him.

"Will Zachary be a future coordinator, like everyone else in the Hayden family?" Adam asked.

"It'll be up to him to decide when that time comes." Mom said.

"We never forced either of the girls to become a coordinator. The girls chose their own path and Zachary will do the same when he's older." Dad said.

"How do you feel, now that you have a little brother? Do you feel that he'll interfere with your relationship with your parents?" Jason asked us.

"No. He'll need more attention, since he can't care for himself. But we know that our parents love us and will always have time for us." April replied.

"Exactly. Zachary can't do anything right now. He needs help. Our parents love all three of us equally." I added.

"That's absolutely true." our parents said.

"It's about time for him to eat and have a nap now." my mom said.

"Okay." I said, and carefully handed my brother back to her.

"So what has happened since the last time we spoke to you?" my dad asked.

"Well, Christina - Harley's daughter - has apologized to us for her anger and actions toward us. We're now friends with her." I explained.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect it. But I'm happy to be on good terms with her now. She's actually pretty cool." April added.

April had told me that after Adam had run off, she had found Christina in the Pokemon Center's cafeteria and had had a nice, long conversation with her.

"I'm happy that you three are on good terms with one another. It's never easy when someone isn't the nicest to you when you first met them." my mom said.

"At least you were able to let go of your past, unlike her father." my dad added.

Looking down, I saw that Mom's Glaceon and my Espeon were happily talking to one another. This was the first time that Glaceon had seen Espeon since she had evolved from Eevee. I smiled at the two Pokemon. They looked cute together and I was happy that they were both getting along.

"Adam, your dad told me about the recent issue with your Aura, how you lost control of it, and became uncontrollably enraged." Dawn said, changing the topic. "What caused it? I've heard it from your father, but I want to hear it from you, hear how you experienced it."

So Adam went on to explain what had happened. How seeing me getting hurt had caused him to become angry, and then when he thought of everyone else who had been hurt by Team Rocket since he'd started his journey. At that, he just lost it and saw red. He then went on, explaining what Ash had suggested that he should do, in order to help him keep his Aura in check.

"Yeah, we don't mind helping him. Adam's always there to help us when we need it. So I'm gonna do the same for him. This is the toughest challenge he's faced so far and I won't let him deal with it alone." Jason said.

"Exactly. Adam has helped me grow as a person and has taught me so much on my journey. I'm gonna help him in any way that I can." I added.

Dawn nodded her head and said, "I think that's a good idea, what you three are doing. It definitely helps Adam see just how much his friends care for him. I think that all of the positive emotions will help him, at least until he can regain control."

"Is that okay?" I asked, looking at my parents.

"Honestly, Adam is the son of Ash. When I traveled with him, we had some wild and crazy adventures. I would expect nothing less from his son. I knew that when you started traveling with him, many things would happen, but I know that you'll always be safe with Adam around." my mom said.

"Yes, we know that you're safe with him." my dad added.

I was walking in the hallway, looking for my mom. I saw her quietly closing the door to Zachary's nursery. She must've finished feeding him and gotten him to go to sleep.

"Mom, I need to talk to you about something...alone." I said.

"Okay, sweetie. Let's go to your room." she replied.

We sat down on my bed and I began talking to my mom about what I had said to Adam to make him stay and not leave Jason and I, after he was scared to hurt us because of his Aura.

"It's like the words were just coming out, and I didn't even really know what was in my mind until I was saying it. It came straight from my heart. And I just kept talking and it was exactly what he needed to hear, because it convinced him to stay with us." I explained.

"Well, you sure have matured on your journey. You've grown and you've became more aware of your feelings and of other's feelings. You're able to be the friend and support that others need. I'm proud of you for helping Adam during such a difficult time and I'm proud of you for not being scared, either. It's only been a few months since you started your journey, but it's like you're a completely different person now, Megan. You've changed a lot in such a short time...but in a good way." my mom realized.

I'd never really thought about it before she'd mentioned it, but she was right. Before I left home, I never would've had the courage to say bold, encouraging words like that. At least, not to that extent.

I continued, "This has brought Adam and I closer than ever before. I...I'm even starting to feel something special towards him, deep down in my heart. What is it? Does it... Is it a sign that I'm falling for Adam? And if it is...what do I do?"

"It's highly possible that you could be falling for him. I nearly fell for Ash, but realized that it was never romantic, and was a brotherly-sisterly love instead. And even though I was annoyed by your father, I was actually unknowingly crushing on him the whole time. Think of how exactly Adam makes you feel and all of the moments that you two have shared. Really think about everything, and that will help you figure out if this is a sign that you're falling for him. And if so, think of how the possibility changes those interactions."

"Well...I don't have much time to really figure my feelings out. My friend Amber mentioned that she likes Adam as well."

My mom pursed her lips. "That makes things a little more complicated, and like you said, it gives you less time to figure things out. You could always try just listening to your heart and going with whatever your heart tells you to do. Just do what you did to keep Adam from leaving."

"Okay, but I'm not the only girl with a possible interest. April has a guy who likes her and I'm certain that she likes him as well, as much as she tries to hide it from everyone. His name is Adrian and he's a coordinator as well. He even gives her roses after her contest victories!"

I went on explaining the interactions that they had shared, and how they'd acted around one another.

"April is constantly blushing and shy at times around him, and you know that April's never been the shy type of person."

"It does seem like she likes him, and she isn't too stubborn to realize that she likes him. And it seems like Adrian is a charmer, just like your father was to me."

The next morning, after breakfast was done, I was in the living room, looking out into the backyard. I noticed a nest that was in the large tree in the yard, where I saw an Altaria and Swablus in the nest.

"It's sweet, isn't it?" my mom asked as she walked up beside me with a smile.

"It is. I don't think I've ever noticed this before. Are they new here?" I asked.

My mom shook her head and said, "Every year, the Swablu that I met on my journey - who has now evolved into Altaria - comes back here to build her nest, lay her eggs, and raise her babies. Even though I never caught the Swablu, or when she evolved into Altaria, it still feels as though she's my Pokemon, since she's here every year."

"How did I never know this?"

"You probably just thought that she was a random wild Pokemon. And she is wild, but she's part of this family, too."

"That's so sweet, Mom."

Just then, one of the Swablus flew out of the nest and into the open window and landed on my shoulder. It nuzzled against me.

"Hi there." I said, petting the Pokemon's head.

"Seems as though Swablu wants to spend time with you, Megan."

I nodded my head in agreement and held my Pokedex up to Swablu.

"Swablu, the Cotton Bird Pokemon. Swablu loves cleanliness and is quick to wipe off any unclean surface with its cotton-like wings."

My mom smiled at us. "You two remind me of how I felt around Altaria, back when she was a Swablu. What are your plans for today, anyway?"

"I'm going to watch Jason battle Grandpa for his badge. Adam and Jason are at the Pokemon Center, since Jason had to call his dad to change his Pokemon team."

My mom nodded her head and anything that she was going to say was stopped as the doorbell rang.

"I got it!" April called out.

I was already heading that way, so, being curious, I followed after my sister as she opened the door. Standing on the front steps was...Adrian!

"Hi, April, Megan."

"Hey, Adrian."

"H-Hi, Adrian..." April stuttered, caught off-guard.

"I wanted to invite you out, to spend the day with me, April. It seems like you're home and taking some time off from traveling, so I wanted to see if you would like to do that with me." Adrian said, as charming as ever.

"Is this like...a date?" April asked, having recovered from her shock and being confident as ever.

"You can think of it that way, if you want." Adrian replied smoothly.

April blushed. "I'd like that. Thank you for the invitation. Just give me a moment to grab my bag."

Adrian nodded his head and April ran off upstairs. I bit back my chuckle. I then heard footsteps and saw my mom approach.

"Hello, I'm Adrian. It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Hayden." Adrian greeted.

"Hello, Adrian. It's nice to meet you as well. I've heard about you from my daughters." Mom replied.

"I'm always honored to meet a Top Coordinator like you. Also, I heard that you recently had a new baby. Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Adrian."

April then returned and said, "I'm going to spend the day with Adrian. He invited me and I accepted."

"Okay, you two have fun."

They left and I closed the door, looking at my mom.

"So...what did you think of Adrian, Mom?"

"He seems sweet, and a nice boy. I approve of him and his interest in April. They seem like a good fit, if they ever blossom into a romantic pair."

Jason's POV

Adam and Megan were sitting on a bench, and Megan was with the Swablu from her backyard. I briefly wondered if Swablu would become Megan's Pokemon by the time we left to resume our journey.

My focus went back to the battle that was about to take place. Norman used Normal Pokemon, so I had exchanged Gengar for Machamp, since Ghost attacks do nothing to Normal Pokemon and Fighting attacks were super-effective.

"The battle between the gym leader, Norman, and the challenger, Jason, will now begin. Each trainer will use three Pokemon with substitutions allowed. The battle will be over when all three Pokemon on one side are unable to battle. Begin!" the ref announced.

"Go, Slakoth!" Norman cried.

"Aron, let's go!" I cried.

"Slakoth, use Scratch!"

"Meet it with Metal Claw!"

Both moves met and collided with one another before canceling each other out.

"Use Yawn!"

"Use Protect! Then use Iron Head!"

Aron protected himself from the Yawn and then ran towards Slakoth.

"Dodge it!"

"Jump up and get it, Aron!"

Aron jumped while still using Iron Head and landed the hit.

... ...

Even though Aron was a Steel Pokemon and resistant to Normal attacks, Slakoth was clearly better trained and now had Aron on the ropes!

Aron landed on the ground after getting hit mid-air.

"Get up, Aron!"

Aron got up and began to glow. Aron grew in size, and spikes formed along his back. As the glow faded, s Lairon stood in Aron's place. I quickly scanned him with my Pokedex.

"Lairon, the Iron Armor Pokemon and the evolved form of Aron. Lairon feeds on iron contained in rocks and drinks highly nutritious mineral water."

"Alright, Lairon! Let's do this! Use Metal Claw!"

"Dodge it!"

"Don't let it dodge! Follow with it!"

... ...

The battle didn't last much longer after Aron had evolved. Slakoth was defeated!

"Slakoth is unable to battle. Lairon wins!"

"Vigoroth, go!" Norman yelled, releasing his next Pokemon.

"Use Iron Head!" I shouted.

"Meet that with Slash!"

The moves collided and canceled each other out.

"Shadow Ball!"

I didn't have time to command Lairon to dodge, so he took the hit.

Since he was a lot bigger and heavier since evolving, I had to remember that he was also a lot slower now. And with Vigoroth's high speed, I would need to be careful!

... ...

Lairon had just taken a hit and was still recovering from it when Norman commanded Vigoroth to use Flamethrower.

"Dodge it!" I cried. I knew that Steel Pokemon were weak to Fire attacks. But Lairon couldn't dodge in time and took a direct hit and fainted.

"Lairon is unable to battle. Vigoroth wins!"

"Great job, Lairon. Take well-earned rest." I said as I returned my Pokemon.

The battle had been close, but Norman had been waiting until the last minute to reveal that his Pokemon knew Flamethrower. That was his trump card, a surprise attack that had caught me off-guard.

"Machamp, let's go!" I cried, releasing my next Pokemon. I still had a type advantage, thankfully.

"Focus Punch!"

"Dodge it and use Low Sweep, Machamp!"

Machamp easily avoided the punch and landed the hit on Vigoroth, knocking it to the ground. I saw that this was my chance, and I took it!

"Machamp, use Seismic Toss!" Still recovering from the hit, Vigoroth was easily grabbed. I couldn't waste time and would need to end this quickly. I knew that Norman's last Pokemon was his strongest, so I would need Machamp to be in as good of a condition as possible in order to win. Vigoroth was slammed into the battlefield and knocked out.

"Vigoroth is unable to battle. Machamp wins!"

"I'm impressed with your skills and your Pokemon. Let's see how you do against my strongest Pokemon. Slaking, go!" Norman shouted.

"Use Strength!"

"Stop it with Dynamic Punch!"

Machamp struck Slaking in the chest, stunning it for a few seconds. But Slaking quickly shrugged it off and used Strength!

I saw that Slaking had very strong defense and was even able to shrug off super-effective attacks! Even with my type advantage, Norman's strongest Pokemon was going to be difficult to beat.

... ...

"Use Cross Chop!"

"Dodge it!"

But Slaking was too big to dodge Machamp!

"Hammer Arm!"

"Dynamic Punch!"

Both Pokemon charged at one another and landed direct hits on each other's faces at the same time, since they had used opposite arms to strike. Both fell to the ground, knocked out.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle! Because all three of Norman's Pokemon are defeated, the winner is Jason!"

That had been a tough battle, despite me having a type advantage against Norman's Pokemon. Slaking was a tough opponent and definitely stronger than even I had anticipated. Still, I had won my badge and Aron had evolved, so it all worked out in the end.

"Great job, take a rest." I said as I returned my fainted Pokemon.

"That was a great battle, Jason. Here's the Balance Badge." Norman said as he held out the gym badge to me.

I took it, glad that I now had five badges, just like Adam.

Author's Note: Jason wins his fifth badge and Megan and April meet Zachary, their new brother!

Megan also has a talk with May about her possible feelings for Adam, and May is introduced to Adrian, who is April's love interest.

What does the future hold next for our heroes? Find out in the next chapter of Pokemon NG!