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Chapter XII - Readjustment


Vulcan walked in as I tried once again. The Haxorus waited quietly as I, in the presence of Seraph, Skipp, and one of the resident Pokémon nurses, took a few shaky steps forward.

"You're doing so well!" the Audino remarked, smiling as I grunted. My right, hind leg felt weak, and stung proportionally to the weight I put on it.

A day had passed since my conversation with Vita, littered with sporadic conversations with either, and sometimes both, of the two dragons. I'd gotten to know them both relatively well, and while I gave small hints at information regarding my situation they may have found valuable, I tried being as ambiguous as possible.

Now, however, was a first round of physical therapy. My leg felt a lot worse to walk on than I thought it did, but I was able to take small steps on my own.

"Okay, I think you've done enough for today," the Audino concluded happily. With that, the Altaria placed one of her cloudy wings on the ground, allowing me to step up on it and be raised up to my bed. "You did great today, and I think you'll be better in no time!"

I simply nodded. Seraph had requested I didn't speak to anyone that I didn't already know previously. Why, I had no idea, but I was hardly in a position to argue.

The Audino then took the time to remove my bandages and inspect the wound. I kept myself from looking at the gash, but I knew it would be a scar relatively soon. A scar on a body I would soon no longer inhabit.

"Well, I'm happy to say you're doing much better!" the Audino cheered me as she reapplied fresh bandages. Aside, she addressed Skipp and Seraph. "The swelling's gone down remarkably quickly. It's nothing short of a miracle, I'd say. It was a nasty infection, and the hypothermia sure didn't help any."

"Thank you, nurse…" Seraph said condescendingly, as if criticizing the nurse's lack of restraint with her words while in my presence. "I'll be sure to keep him from moving too much."

"Feel free to let him sleep wherever he wants if he doesn't want to stay in this room anymore. I believe we no longer need to observe him closely, but be sure to bring him to us for once daily check-ups."

The Audino was soon to leave. Vulcan, who'd been crouching in the doorway considering his height, stepped in after she'd left.

"Seraph, may I speak with you for a moment outside?"

The Altaria smiled down at me for a moment in assurance before following the Haxorus into the hall. Skipp was left behind, and what ensued was an awkward silence as a result of his lack of conversational skill.

Vulcan waited outside as Seraph came back in the room about a minute later.

"Are you both alright if I step out for a little while? A friend of ours has requested I meet with him privately."

I stared oddly at her for a moment. Who hadn't I met yet? I knew Drayden had a Druddigon in regards to his real team. Was that who she was speaking of, considering I hadn't yet officially met him?

Nevertheless, I nodded in confirmation. Staying alone with Skipp was certainly awkward, but not inconvenient compared to the situation I found myself in as a whole.

Seraph nodded back before sending a small glance towards the Flygon in the room. He made anxious gestures towards me using his eyes, but she simply rolled her own and shrugged him off. With that, she accompanied Vulcan down the hallway and out of sight.

As expected, a while passed with no conversation whatsoever. Skipp opened his mouth multiple times in attempts to start something, but in the end always resigned to staying silent. However, after maybe fifteen minutes, he began quietly.

"You knew Ray, didn't you?" he asked tentatively.

"A little," I responded, surprised he'd chosen to start talking with such an introduction I began following the dragon with my eyes as he rose and began pacing around the room irritably.

"Nox, I want you to be honest with me… I-I don't know if this all has a happy ending or not, but Ray, wherever he may be, dead or alive, is in danger. Do you know where he is?"

I shook my head. I tried making myself seem as nonchalant as possible as my heart rate rose.

"The humans are panicking. New information about Ray is coming out everyday, and people are too blinded to look at him as a person. As long as he's out there, he's vulnerable to whoever wants to come by and attack him… We only want to help him."

Trying to act clueless, I asked for clarification. "Why are so many people after him?"

Skipp guiltily sighed. "People think he did something really bad, but we were able to figure out it wasn't true when we found you guys. It was Mew."

"Mew? What'd she do?" I tilted my head in question. I already knew the end to this story, but I continued acting clueless nonetheless.

"I think I've said enough for right now… Are you sure you and your team have no idea where he is? I know you guys are all trying to protect your trainer. I would want to do the exact same thing. But as long as we can't find him, there's a chance he might not come out of this okay. If you know anything, please…"

For the slightest moment, I felt a compulsion to reveal myself. I shot the proposal down almost instantly, however. Such an act was out of the question."

"I'm sorry. Mew's probably the only one that knows. I can probably ask her, if you want."

My answer seemed to trouble Skipp. "N-no, it's okay. We already have a friend that's gonna ask Mew a few questions once she, uh… Cools down a little bit."

"Have I met him before?"

"Who?"

"The friend."

"O-oh… No, probably not. Uhh, Vicus doesn't know a lot of 'mon."

He tried his best to change the subject.

"So, uhh… Can you do me a favor? Just… Please try not to bring Mew up with anyone except us. We don't want people freaking out about… Well, her."

"So… You're just letting Ray take the blame?"

"N-no! Well, uh… Kinda. I mean, you said it yourself. Him and Mew knew each other. Of course, we're not gonna tell anyone that, but we haven't said anything about Ray to the public, either."

"Then how do they know?"

Skipp sighed. He'd entangled himself yet again in a place where he couldn't simply make himself refuse my curious inquiries. The Flygon wasn't the best keeper of lies and secrets. "Information was leaked about where he was. Once people figured out an eight badge trainer was in the same spot at the exact same time, well… They came to conclusions pretty quickly."

I nearly was sick with that statement alone. Was the Flygon telling the truth? There was no way anyone would think that if they had the full story.

"More and more bad stuff is coming out about him every day. I mean… I fought his team myself, and Drayden told me all about what he did when Somin was injured… There's no way I think he's a bad kid, but at this point, we're really just trying to find him before the public. Keep him safe and prove his innocence."

I froze. So, they hadn't been out to capture me for the sake of justice. I put it at the back of my mind, to think about later.

Out of pure curiosity, I asked, "Where are they getting all the information about him?"

"Apparently, he was a trainer for almost seven years before you were born. He… He had a few enemies."

"I want to see."

"E-excuse me?"

"I want to see what they're saying about him."

"A-are you sure?"

I nodded my head in confirmation. Skipp was right when he said I'd made a few enemies. I'd done bad things, of course, and would want to know if any of those stories came to light.

Skipp sighed, obviously unhappy with the proposal. "T-that's probably not a good idea. If you knew Ray, well… I can only imagine how upsetting some of the stuff is."

"Skipp, please."

"P-probably not, Nox. Just think, there's a lot of other cool stuff to do, right?"

I sighed, getting nowhere with his change of conversation. "Like what?" I asked, molding back into playing the part of the Zorua.

"Well, umm. You like games, don't you? I-I guess you can't really run and play right now, but w-we can make one to play."

I instinctively tried shrugging before realizing I couldn't. Instead, I answered with a simple, "I dunno."

A thought occurred to me just then, however, as I'd let the words leave my mouth. Before Skipp could respond, I asked a question.

"Actually, can I see my friends? I want to make sure they're all okay."

The Flygon froze for a moment as his stutter returned. It was obviously he'd become uncomfortable yet again.

"W-Well, didn't y-you talk to Vita yesterday? She told you the rest of Ray's team was doing okay, r-right?"

"I mean, I still kinda miss them… Why can't I stay with them?"

I tried plastering on an innocent face to try and pressure the Flygon. It was obvious he wasn't the best under pressure, and if I could potentially use any personality to my advantage, it would be his.

I thought myself odd for thinking in such a manner. Exploiting a certain kindness I would appreciate in any other situation seemed plain wrong. But, in the end, I supposed the ends justified the means. While it didn't sit with me well, I had to try.

The door opened right then without warning, prompting a sigh of relief from Skipp. On the other side happened to be the last member of Drayden's team, to whom I hadn't been introduced. He seemed miffed, the catalyst of such an emotion was easily visible as well.

"Let me go you gigantic piece of s-"

"Skipp, if I gotta stay with this brat for two more goddamn seconds, it ain't gonna be pretty."

Drayden's Druddigon was holding Misa's entire head in a single claw, letting the rest of her body dangle below her. She was writhing every which way in attempts to escape.

"O-Okay… Well, I, uhh… Seraph and Vulcan are gone right now, but I can take her. Just please put her down, I don't think that's really safe."

Wordless, the Druddigon tossed the tiny dragon onto the floor and turned around for a moment before looking back. His eyes met with mine for a few, agonizing moments. He rolled them afterwards and left, muttering some obscenity under his breath.

He shut the door without even giving the Flygon so much as a bit of gratitude for taking over Misa's care.

I turned towards Skipp, wordless, as he helped Misa to her feet. I quietly sighed for what was to come.

"This sucks! If you're gonna keep me here, then at least give me something to do!"

"Well, umm… We could play a game if you want."

"Screw that! I was up on that mountain to train! I wanna fight something!"

She seemed to notice me laying on the bed right then and made a sarcastic movement of rolling her eyes.

"At least don't make me stay with the little kid all the time!"

I looked away, scowling bitterly. I hardly wanted to start a petty argument right then, however. I wasn't in the best of moods, but I felt my mind too concentrated on what Skipp had told me regarding my public image to give the Axew much mind.

"Well, we can do both… Play a game and train, if you want to."

She sent the Flygon an odd look.

Skipp, after a bit of persuasion, eventually succeeded in getting Misa on board with his game. Misa hardly saw it as such; she got progressively more and more frustrated as time went on.

The object was to hit the opponent with your tail before they could hit you with theirs. A relatively simple concept, but Skipp obviously had the advantage. He was, after all, gargantuan compared to the Axew. His tail was longer than her entire body.

After quite some time passed, he'd finally gone easy enough on her in order for her to win a round. Exhausted afterwards, proclaimed victory, and sat down to rest at the end of the bed.

"People like Druddigon say it's so hard to keep them entertained," Skipp remarked to me in a sideways comment after returning to my bedside. "But it's really as simple as keeping them busy long enough for them to be tired."

I simply gave a quiet grunt of affirmation. Smart concept, but hearing the Axew yell in frustration nearly every time she lost was hardly a peaceful way to spend my time.

"You didn't look like you wanted to play…"

"I can't really get up and start running around, can I?"

"No, but I thought you would be at least a little bit restless. You've hardly moved for almost a week."

Good to know… I guess something like that would help my act, but I just can't start feeling it out of the blue.

So, I decided to give an alternate reason, as I noticed Misa had snoozed off and began snoring just out of sight.

"Thanks for keeping her busy, I guess… Me and her don't like each other very much… That was a part of it."

"No worries," he responded, smiling. "Since she's zonked out now, would you be alright if I went and checked on Seraph? She's been gone for a bit longer than I thought."

"Go ahead…"

"Thanks."

With that, the Flygon slowly backed away, awkwardly smiling before groping for the doorknob behind him. After a few attempts, he succeeded and stepped away.

I let my eyes close frustratedly, finally able to let down my act for a moment. I slowly let a string of quiet curses come to my mouth as I reminisced on how I'd gotten so tangled in such a situation.

"Hey pipsqueak, don't think I forgot about you."

Oh no…

I let my eyes narrow as the Axew stood from where she lay, apparently not as exhausted as she previously seemed. In a single leap, she hopped onto the lower bed and sat cross-legged in front of where I lay.

"So."

"So…?"

"You never told me what a Somin was."

Figuring a calm approach to the conversation ahead would work better, I decided to go for a cooler introduction. The Axew before me knew my name, and I had no idea whether she'd gone through the effort of telling anyone or not yet.

"We need to talk about something important, Misa."

"Oh wow, way to avoid the question."

"Will you listen for a moment? Please? I'm being serious here."

I thought for a moment. After assuring myself no noise came from behind the closed door with my enhanced hearing, I continued.

"Just… Hear me out," I pleaded, reluctantly subduing myself..

"Spit it out," she spoke after giving me a scrutinizing glance.

"Look, you haven't mentioned me by name, have you?"

"Why shouldn't I? You got all scared about it, sure, but what reason do I got not to call you Ray? A Somin tearing me to shreds? You still haven't told me what that is."

"He's not a thing. He's a Pokémon, and a really strong one."

"Really now? I bet my dad could crush him!"

I let out a low growl. "That's not the point. The point is, I can't let any of the dragons here know I'm named Ray."

"Why not?"

Improvising, I let my tongue take on a mind of its own.

"I'm on a mission," I whispered, all secret-like. If this didn't grab her attention, I wasn't sure what would. "I've gotta infiltrate a place called Opelucid. Have you heard of it?"

"Uhh… I don't know. I may have heard Seraph or Skipp talk about it once or twice.

"It doesn't matter. Point is, if I'm found out, me and my friends are all done for."

For added emphasis, and smiling on the inside, I continued dramatically. "Arceus, I shouldn't be telling you any of this. But know, if my name gets out, they're going to kill all of us."

Misa's eyes widened, nearly prompting me to leap for joy. When her eyes darkened, though, so did my spirits.

"Yeah right. As if they'd trust a secret mission to a pipsqueak. What do you take me for, an absolute idiot?"

Giving up, I couldn't help but take advantage of the situation. "Kinda."

"Yeah, no. I'm telling Seraph."

Alarms went off in my head as she hopped off the bed and raced towards the door. I scooted as fast as I could after her without leaving the bed, yelling all the way.

Out of desperation, I started blurting out words with no thought. "Misa, c'mon! Please… Just- WAIT! Okay okay, please! I'll do anything!"

She froze for a tantalizing moment, now standing within a few feet of the door. She turned around slowly. "Anything, you say?" she said with a growing grin.

"W-wait… What? No, I…"

"Nope! You already said it! No take-backs! I heard you!"

Oh shit… What did I just get myself into?

She placed a hand to her chin in a mock-thinking manner, but it appeared she already had an idea. Smiling devilishly, she stalked back towards the bed and hopped back up.

"From now on, you're my little pipsqueak slave, and you have to do whatever I say. If not, I go to Seraph. Deal?"

I growled at my own stupidity, laying my head on my paws in defeat. In the end, I could find no way around her demands. She had power over me, this much was true.

"Fine, fine," I spat.

"Ma'am."

"Excuse me?" I looked up at her with a stupid expression.

"It's 'fine, ma'am'."

"What?! That's no fair!"

She made a movement as if she was heading back towards the door.

"Okayokayokay…" I shushed, scampering after her in fear. "Ma'am," I let out as quietly as possible.

"What was that? Didn't hear ya there!"

"Ma'am, madam, your majesty, Miss President, just pleeeeeease don't tell her."

"Fine then, all you had to do was ask nicely."

I sighed as the Axew returned to sit back down at the foot of the bed. I groaned once again to myself.

The hell did I get myself into?


"He's doing okay, I think…"

"More open?"

"Yup. I told him the stuff about Ray that you told me to tell him."

"His reaction?"

"He was curious, really curious… Wanted to know more about what's going on. I tried telling him enough about Ray to make him really anxious, but… I'm not the best under all that pressure, y'know?"

"And you would call this behavior odd for a hatchling?"

"Well, everything about him's weird. I would have to rate it on a scale of weirdness relative to Nox, which, I dunno. I got no clue, honestly. Maybe he's just really curious? Or maybe he really liked Ray, who knows?"

"Yes. It's easy to tell when someone is lying, but discerning the real truth is something else altogether. I suppose my seeing him wouldn't be the best, as it would almost definitely harm more than it would help."

"Probably not… Y-you can be pretty scary, and he's been through a lot."

"It's best if we don't relent, in that case. Thank you, Skipp, Seraph, for the work you've done and will continue to do."

"No problem… Why are we doing all this, though? I get his story's a bit… Off, but…"

The Flygon gulped at the icy, blue-eyed glare he was given.

"B-but… I mean, uhh…"

"Nox is a sweet child," Seraph butted in. "We don't see everything for black and white as you do, Vicus, but-"

"I understand. However, until I can meet the kit myself for an evaluation, I'm afraid this is what we must settle for. A discrepancy, even one this small, cannot be overlooked. We need to find Alston, further affirm his connection with Mew, and plan. For all we know, this kit is a threat to all of our safety."

"And you can't see him now?"

"I'm afraid a complacent mind is much more simply prodded through than one on-guard. Such is the extent of my ability; I am only able to see that which has been laid before me."

Vicus turned and locked eyes with Seraph. The Altaria gulped.

"Seraph, Skipp… They are yours. When all is said and done, you both can say you not only affected change in the developing lives of these two hatchlings, but helped to mitigate one of the worst tragedies known to this world."


The nurse had detailed earlier there was no more need for me to stay in the hospital room. As long as I was to keep myself from moving, she gave Seraph full permission to place me wherever we wanted.

Seraph and Skipp were quite quick to return after the ordeal with Misa. The Altaria gave the notion of getting 'washed up'. I instinctively correlated that with the human comparison, but what need would the dragons have in washing their hands or freshening themselves up in general?

As it turned out, Seraph and I went alone up to where she'd been staying the last few days.

This was the first I'd seen of the outside of the recovery room, and it wasn't necessarily anything to gawk at. While the interior sported a 'log cabin' feel, it reminded me of every other Pokémon Center I'd ever been in.

"When's the last time you've had a bath?" she poked fun at me as I rode on her back, "You look filthy."

I groaned to myself internally. At least the notion of a bath sat better than the memories of Vita's licking me clean. I shivered with the thought.

Seraph must have taken that shiver as indecision, seeing as she continued with, "Never, I take it? Well, I certainly didn't see any tubs on top of that mountain. It must have been hard for you living up there, no?"

"Umm… Kinda?"

"Well, after you see what it's like to live in civilization, I'm sure you'll enjoy it much, much more."

I let my head lay in defeat.

"Drayden went and had this area of town entirely vacated for privacy. Since there's a lot of empty space, he went ahead and gave us our own rooms. Even so, we hardly split up anyways. Vulcan prefers to stay with Drayden, while Skipp and I enjoy each other's company."

By the time she'd finished her explanation, we'd arrived at a door, behind which I imagined Seraph's room lay. It was previously unlocked, so she simply turned the handle and allowed herself in, shutting the door behind both of us.

It was a room like any other, and certainly not unlike the one I stayed in during my short time in Opelucid.

The bathroom was adjacent to the main entrance. She entered and began drawing water, talking all the while about life before I'd woken up. I found myself engrossed yet again with what Skipp had let slip earlier regarding me, and nearly completely ignored the amicable Altaria.

Maybe a minute and a half passed before she asked me if I was ready. Nodding my head, I allowed her to lift me off her back and begin the slow descent into the water.

I cringed initially upon feeling the bath water rush over my paws, only to feel the sensation worsen as time progressed. The other times I'd been in water while in his body were both times of panic, but now, I had the chance to figure how it felt. The way it tugged on my fur, making me heavier, felt uncomfortable. I subconsciously looked to Seraph for reassurance.

"Nox, are you feeling alright?" she asked, slowly pulling away. My leg felt perfectly fine when I was standing alone, but I had my mind on much else. I noticed I was shaking visibly.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine… I just… I'm okay."

"Oh Arceus, I can't believe I forgot," she reprimanded herself, "are you okay with this? I made sure the water's only neck-deep, but if you don't want t-"

"I'm alright," I said shakily, trying to stabilize myself. Of all the phobias I could've developed, did water have to be one of them?

I steadied myself before looking up at her with all the indifference I could muster.

"You're doing amazing, nonetheless," she encouraged tentatively. "I've never seen a hatchling so well behaved in the water, especially ones with bad experiences."

Why was I here again? A bath?

Sighing, I figured the entire experience would be useless if I were to leave only half-clean. Begrudgingly, I quickly crouched, dunking my entire head under the water.

I was up, above the surface in less than a second, comfortable under the water for no longer. I slightly scowled as the tuft of fur atop my head, now wet, fell over my right eye.

Seraph seemed amused enough by my feeble attempts to bat it away with a paw while retaining my balance. Eventually, she moved it for me, flopping it to lay on the backside of my head.

"Let's get you cleaned up."


If I was being honest myself, I found it quite funny when I sprayed the Altaria with water as I shook myself off. Having gotten out of the tub, I received the notion from an unknown part of my mind, too pleasant not to indulge.

After softly reprimanding me, she started laughing as well. I never thought about the incident after that, classifying it as trivial.

Despite having hardly any leverage or grip, she did surprisingly well in thoroughly drying my with a towel.

I was faintly aware afterwards of my being picked up from within the towel, not knowing where I was until I peeked my head out. Seraph had carried me onto one of the two beds in the room, judging I was dry enough to do so.

Taking a look at my paw made me cringe. Wet, matted fur made me look twice as thin. It wasn't long before I started ignoring Seraph fuss about my weight. Perhaps, now that I got a good look at myself, I was malnourished.

If anything, though, my diet while in Twist had allowed my appetite to decrease immensely. Oddly, despite not having so much as a small meal earlier, I still felt myself as quite full.

"Nox, how are you feeling right now?"

I grunted lightly in indecision. The question threw me off guard, however, and after a second I sent the dragon a questioning look,

"You've been thinking a lot lately, no?"

"Well, kinda… We all got captured, and it's been a bunch to think about I guess."

"Captured, is that how you see this?"

After giving it some thought, I nodded my head.

"This isn't a prison, dear… You're all lucky we came. If not, you, Misa, and your Durant friend would all be very hurt right now."

"I don't get to see them, though… My friends."

"Oh, well, I'm sure you'll be allowed to see them occasionally… I hope you understand, but this is only temporary, I promise."

"It just feels lonely without them."

Seraph sighed, staring away guiltily for a few moments.

"For what it's worth… I'll be your friend, if you want to. Until Drayden says you're allowed to see all of them, we can play, and have fun, just like you did with them. I promise, Skipp and I will make you feel right at home until this entire mess gets sorted out. Does that sound okay?"

I nodded solemnly, getting nowhere with the conversation.

"It's getting late, and you must be hungry, no?" she then said, looking out a window on the far side of the room. "I can go get our food and we can go to sleep, I suppose."

"Oh, I just… Am I not going back to the hospital bed?"

"That dingy little room? You and Misa can stay with Skipp and I, if you'd like. Beats sleeping alone, does it not?"

I looked upon the offer with skepticism at first. I knew it would be rude to refuse, though. Making friends, even if for personal gain, was probably the best way to get through this whole mess.

So I simply nodded my head, accepting her invitation.

"Misa too?" I asked in hindsight, grimacing at the thought of sharing a room with the Axew.

Seraph sighed lightheartedly. "Nox, you two should really try to get along. I know you've had a bad start, but we can't help the fact you'll be seeing her a lot more from here on out. I know you're mature, perhaps even more so than her. Be the one to show her kindness first, and who knows? She may just start warming up to you."

I huffed unhappily.

"Plus," the Altaria encouraged, "I think she's all bark and no bite. I'm sure you can manage."

"She's just so… Frustrating."

"Just as she most likely sees you. My point of view is that there's going to be a never-ending cycle of contempt between you two. It's going to take some initiative to break it. I'm not saying you should outright go and ask to be her friend. Just… Start by doing nice things."

… This isn't what I should be worrying about right now… She knows my name. If she lets it slip once, I'm done for.

"Thanks, Seraph," I replied meaninglessly. "I'll… Keep that in mind."

"Excellent," she cooed. "Now, I'll be right back in with our meals, until then, have you heard of a television?"

I nodded my head.

"Fantastic. I can turn on something nice for you to watch for a few minutes. Are you alright on your own?"

I nodded again, feeling indifferent.

Smiling, Seraph pushed a few buttons on the bedside remote and turned on a station, some educational series about Pokémon in general, obviously targeted towards younger audiences. The host was speaking about type advantages.

Seraph ran her wing over me comfortingly before stepping out of the room. I sighed as she left, relieved I was given respite, even if for just a few minutes.

My first instinct was to rise and get within range of the remote, careful of my leg. I was happy to note hardly any pain on the condition I kept my weight off it. I flipped through channels as fast as I possibly could before finding what I wanted.

"-a Pokémon trainer previously confirmed to be a traveling companion of Ray Alston for quite some time."

If Skipp said the general public knew some nasty things about me, the news would be the first place to affirm his statements.

"Over the last week, increasing controversy against the recent eight-badge trainer has come to light. Alston has become the unofficial prime suspect in the activation of the infamous 'Chimney Bomb'."

I was already getting irritated. Skipp had told me about the suspicion targeted against me, but hearing it for myself struck a chord.

"The bombing, reportedly responsible for the confirmed deaths of twenty-six humans and over two hundred Pokémon, has been placed in infamy as one the worst terrorist attacks in known history."

They failed to include the fact all those people and Pokémon were trying to kill me.

"Since the leak of Ray Alston's name from an informant of the Lavaridge Police Department, a hidden paper trail has slowly been uncovered, tracking his movements in the city prior to the attack. New information is being uncovered each day on this, the UNN."

I narrowed my eyes, anxiously anticipating what was to come. A transition led to the image of yet another female reporter.

"Despite the Unovan Gym Leaders' consistent testimonies pointing to Ray's innocence, one must ask the question. Is the eight badge trainer all they say he is? The Pokémon League, feeling opposity of their representatives, have decided to confiscate the Pokémon of Skyla, on grounds of having a blood relationship with the trainer."

They took Skyla's Pokémon?! What did she do wrong?

I'd completely forgotten about my aunt's presence in my team's capture. Was she still here, in Timberline?

"Meanwhile, however, three other Gym Leaders from across the region have spoken out in Alston's favor, including Clay, Brycen, and Elesa. We expect to receive Drayden's official opinion within a few days, following his most recent mission to retrieve Alston from a suspected location in the Twist Mountain Range."

Clay I'd probably expect… Hell, he probably knows me more than anyone. I spent so long on his stupid Gym, but Elesa and Brycen? I'm surprised Elesa remembers me, and Brycen and I were hardly friendly. They really would speak out to help me?

"Tonight, new evidence may be uncovered with the story of Zachary Kingston, proven to have a long relationship with Alston."

I shook my head rapidly, making absolute sure I'd heard the name correctly.

The vision in the screen shifted from a transition animation to a woman sitting in a chair. Her mocha-colored skin complemented black hair, cut just above the shoulders.

"Zachary," she began. "Thank you for being here tonight."

The shot switched perspective, and I got a full view of one of my least favorite people on earth.

"Thank you, I'm glad to be here."


Ray, engrossed in dark thoughts he'd harbored for months, walked aimlessly down the trail to Lacunosa.

He'd been unable to get the images, the gore, out of his head. How long had it been since the incident? A month, maybe two or three? It felt like an eternity.

He missed her more and more, every single day. The fact he'd been indirectly responsible only led to a heightened sense of guilt which he felt was impossible to mitigate. Even at such a young age, he considered the possibility of disappearing, or maybe even erasing himself from the world entirely.

Yet, despite the emotional struggle the team was going through, his four Pokémon gave him hope, however small, for the future.

He'd decided that the best way to move on would be to continue on his journey for the seventh badge. He'd hoped and prayed by continuing, he'd slowly come to terms with the situation and allow himself to heal.

That didn't stop the nightmares. Despite his best efforts, no excuse could redirect the unbearable guilt. His rash decision had led to her death. He was the catalyst.

It most definitely didn't stop the pink lady from following him, wherever he went, whispering encouraging words in his ear when he was feeling the most down. He was going insane. The hallucination had been relentless, ever since his escape that night.

He, as opposed to the time before the Undella vacation and the subsequent happening in Black City, left his team out of their Pokéballs one-hundred percent of the time. He got an odd sense of foreboding whenever they weren't around, and he enjoyed the prospect of extra protection. He checked quite often to make sure their empty balls were situated on his belt. Never again would he leave them alone long enough to be stolen.

His Servine, walking near him with her head low, seemed to hear an indiscernible sound in the distance. Perking her head up, she tugged at Ray's pant leg with a vine.

"What's up, Vita?" Ray asked, swinging his head around.

"Ser, vine…"

Her body language prompted Ray to ask the question, "You hear something?"

This got the attention of the group, including the Zorua and Marshtomp that were walking alongside their trainer, as well as the Rufflet that was perched on his shoulder.

When Vita nodded, Ray questioned her further, asking from where she heard it. The Servine proceeded to, after wrapping a vine around his arm, lead him forward at an incredibly pace.

Ray could hardly keep up in a sprint, despite how stubby the grass type's legs were. Jet, while on his shoulder, had trouble staying on.

Eventually, Vita took a hard left, leading straight into the trees. Maybe after ten seconds in that direction, she stopped dead, nearly making Ray trip over her.

Now that they had stopped making such a commotion, Ray was able to hear the sounds of battle. Vita beckoned him forward, so he did, peering over a hedge and into a clearing.

A boy, maybe a few years older than him, was currently in the process of critiquing his six Pokémon as they were sparring one another in three separate pairs. Ray recognized, in the boy's arsenal, a Darumaka, a Simisage, a Blitzle, a Roggenrola, an Archen, and a Dewott.

"It's just a trainer," Ray told the Servine, grabbing one of her vines as he left. He only yanked it, though, considering she didn't budge. He turned around to see what was keeping her.

She seemed infatuated with something, her eyes wide in curiosity. As if to test it, Ray waved his hand back and forth in front of her face. Her gaze did not break.

Ray, defeated, turned to find whether or not Somin and Axle were following. The Zorua, as he observed them from a distance, would have been able to keep up just fine. The Marshtomp, however, was clumsy, awkwardly running to them with two legs.

Sighing, Ray turned back around to find another figure having had appeared out of thin air.

"Arc?"

Ray jumped back in surprise, heart sent racing. The Archen, the one he'd seen only a few seconds before in battle, was staring up at him in curiosity.

He tried quieting the Archen with a gesture, but slowly looked upward as a long shadow extended over him.

"Umm… Hi?"

"Who are you supposed to be?" the older boy asked, standing on the other side of the hedge. Ray stood and dusted himself off.

"I'm… Ray," he spoke tentatively.

The other trainer only nodded in understanding, eyeing Ray apprehensively for what he'd inferred as the younger boy's stalking him. His facial expression remained neutral.

"Zach."

The two boys started in feeble conversation while Vita was quick to single out the boy's Dewott and begin speaking to it excitedly.

The humans told each other about their destinations, and the boy, Zach, was quite surprised Ray already had a sum of six badges to his four.

It started out as their both going to the same destination, walking as they talked, but it soon morphed into a very weak friendship. Ray found himself often annoyed with Zach's attitude, simply dripping with pride.

Despite the qualms between the trainers, the Pokémon, with the exception of Somin, hit it off rather well. They all found friends rather quickly, including the normally reclusive Jet with the Archen.

Vita, along the way, kept swooning over the Dewott like some idol. Ever since the incident, she was nearly as broken up inside as Ray was. For maybe the first month or two, she clung to him nonstop. Now, though, Ray observed her behavior as that of a weak, lost creature. He simply supposed she took a liking to the Dewott because of the strength he displayed as Zach's strongest fighter.

To say Somin was jealous would be an understatement. Of course, he only ever shared his sentiments with Ray, regularly ranting on about the Dewott's cocky attitude.

Eventually, Ray and Zach were officially 'traveling partners', often fighting one another as rivals. Even when Zach used his full team of six against Ray's four, his wins were few and far between.

Eventually, the duo made it to Opelucid. Every emotion, whether Vita's clinginess, Somin's rage, or Ray's annoyance, was by then amplified twofold.

Ray began resenting the other human, as he had often intruded on private conversations or emotional moments. More than once, Zach had heard Ray mention 'the pink lady', who had kept appearing during his travels.

Zach, as evidenced by his demeanor towards Ray, found himself unable to see the younger boy as a mentally stable person. Whenever he brought up Ray's family in casual conversation, or asked about what happened that had made him so upset, it sent the younger trainer into a sour mood that usually took hours, or even a day, to rise out of.

Zach needed to find an excuse to get away from his companion. Ray was starting to grate on his nerves, anyways, with all the wins he racked up against his team.

He soon found his excuse.

They were maybe thirty miles outside of Icirrus, and had long since set up camp next to the trail. Zach had returned all but his Dewott to their balls, the water type nowhere to be found. Ray's entire team was dispersed, going about their own business accordingly. He always was nervous when faced with returning them.

No conversation went on around the fire the two boys found themselves on opposite sides of. Zach was eyeing Ray carefully as the younger trainer stared into the fire, almost as if he could see something. His odd behavior sent a shiver down Zach's spine.

He had been thinking about the possibility of ditching the kid altogether. He'd been making a plan to slip away in the night for quite a while, and finally resolved to do so when both trainers would settle down for the night.

Less than a quarter mile away, though, Somin was unleashing his growing anger in the form of night hunting. He always loved the sense of power the moon gave him, and thrived in the darkness.

Minutes passed with nothing happening. He thought he would perhaps move to a different tree. This part of the forest seemed abandoned.

He hopped down from his post, landing on the ground with a grunt. He imagined how much easier that landing would be if he were a Zoroark. He had started worrying about the probability of his evolution. He thought, with the undying amount of effort he'd put in over the last three years, was looking forward to his evolution any day now.

He was glad, if only for a short time, he could alleviate himself of the stress of traveling with the other human and his team. He'd had a hard enough time warming up to Ray, and even then, this was the first traveling partner he'd ever had. Humans hardly ever found themselves the recipient of his affection.

He crept through the tall grass, hoping to find some hint of life he could smother. He most certainly didn't appreciate the lack of vitality the forest held. He hadn't even seen so much as a Patrat that night.

After maybe a minute or two of aimless wandering, he was wrenched from his thoughts with the sound of rapid movement, somewhere far off. Smirking, he left his thoughts behind and pursued the disturbance.

By the time he stopped to wait for the being to cross his path, he could see the campfire his trainer had put up. He imagined how effortlessly he would earn the kill, and be able to eat it by the fire. It wasn't exactly cold out, the month being May, but the night still brought a chill.

The creature was coming closer, as if running. He heard heavy, panicked breaths. He figured, from his position, he would not be able to spy the creature as it ran by. He would have to simply settle for relying on sound alone.

He counted down the seconds as the sounds of his desperately sprinting prey grew closer. He didn't bother to ponder what it may have been running from.

Wiggling his haunches as the creature crossed directly in front of him, he sprang, knocking his prey off its path.

They rolled together for a few moments, Somin eventually landing on top. In one swift motion, he reached down to dispatch it with a single bite to the neck.

He froze before chomping down, though, eyes widening in horror as he found his 'prey' to be an incredibly upset Servine.

"Oh Arceus, Vita!" he yelled, disentangling himself from the Servine as quickly as he could manage, "I didn't know it was you! I'm so so so so sor-"

His words were cut off as he got just about the tightest embrace he'd ever received from his companion. She proceeded to openly bawl into his shoulder without warning.

He reeled back, unsure of how to react to her sudden embrace. Instantly, his mind snapped to the suspicion she had done something wrong, and was trying to find consolation. His muscles instinctively stiffened, leaving him in a forcibly rigid position.

He raised a paw from the ground to pat her back reassuringly, unsure as to whether or not he should attempt comforting the grass type any further. Maybe he would just let her ride out her emotions before asking for an explanation.

"I-It's okay," he tried soothing, sending a confused stare at no object in particular. Eventually, though, his gaze started to wander.

What he found about the Servine reassured him little. Taking inventory of her normally verdant body, he panicked as he found multiple, red gashes, sporadically placed. Many were still bleeding, lightly bathing his fur in his friend's blood.

He hardly had the time to register the damage taken before he heard a rustling in the underbrush ahead. He was instantly set on high alert.

"Get behind me," the Zorua told Vita as it grew nearer. Vita promptly loosened her hold as she complied, rotating around her protector. Not once did she let go of the dark type.

"Viiiiiita," an all-too-familiar voice sounded, boiling Somin's blood. "Where aaaaaare yoooou?"

He started growling involuntarily, psyching himself up for what was to come.

"Oh, come on, Viiiita, we barely even started, and now, you're already done? You just felt so daaaamn good."

In that instant, confirmed by Vita's muffled sobs, Somin pieced together what had happened.

"Can't ya just gimme a bit more?" the male voice slurred. "Hell, I'll go even harder, just for y-"

The Dewott stepped into the clearing just then, a lustful expression plastered all over his face. He became sober, however, when he perceived Somin before him.

"Oh, it's you…"

"You dirty bastard," the Zorua replied, instinctively getting into a battle stance.

"You snooze you lose, buddy. Jealousy doesn't really suit you. If you step away from my mate, though, all quiet-like, I might let you have a little piece. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Vita squealed in fear, compressing herself into a little ball. Somin gave her a glance, resentment for the Dewott burning in his eyes.

"You're never touching her again. Do you hear me?" he burst, whipping his snout towards the water type, "We're all leaving, tonight, and I swear, if I ever see your sorry face again, I'll tear your eyes out."

"Oh, come on. If you're gonna threaten me, at least make it sound somewhat intimidating… Do you seriously think you can keep her from me? Either way, she wants me. She's wanted me since the first time she saw me."

The Dewott started pacing in a circle around the pair, lackadaisical in tone and in behavior.

"I've seen 'mon like you before. Envious, not wanting to accept the fact she's my mate, not yours. You really like her though, huh? Pity she doesn't feel the same."

He stopped to stare Somin straight in the eyes. "She's mine. So hand her over."

Somin stood his ground, strengthening his aggressive growl. He pushed Vita away ever so slightly, hoping she knew to run if the situation turned sour.

"She trusted you. Do you understand what she's been through over the last six months? Do you have any idea how special her trust is, especially now?! She gave it to you, one of the kindest things she could possibly do, and you spat on it!"

"What are ya talking about?" the Dewott responded, giving a condescending chuckle. "She trusted me, so I rewarded her by showing her a good time. Isn't that right, slut?"

Somin didn't even gauge Vita's reaction in his blind rage at the insult.

"Take it back!" he snarled, seeing red. "Take. It. Back."

"You're really scary, you know that?" the Dewott blew him off, unsheathing his razor-sharp dual seashells. They gleamed under the moonlight seeping through the treetops.

Somin began preparing as well, charging his illusionary power.

"The only reason I haven't cut you to tiny bits in our battles is because Zach told me not to," the water type gloated. "Now, though… You're getting me pretty pissed off."

"I'd like to see you try to take her from me again," Somin spat.

"Ooh," the Dewott laughed, "you really are obsessed with her, aren't you? Hear that, Vita? Lover boy's got a thing for you! We can't have that, can we?"

"Quit talking to her!" Somin lashed back, crouching even lower. "It doesn't matter how I feel for her. There's hell to pay if you're going to lay another claw on her."

"More empty threats. Why not attack, little Zorua? If you're so confident you'll win, why not do it now? It's because you're weak. Too weak to back up your big talk, too weak to evolve, and definitely too weak to put that slut in her place like a male."

"What did I say about calling her that?!"

"Your words mean nothing," he heckled. "Hell, I'll even let you take the first shot."

Somin stayed steadfast. He knew his own skillset, and knew he would most likely lose if he went on the offensive. He would have to bait the Dewott into attacking first.

Turns out, he didn't need to.

"No? Might as well, then…"

Without warning, the otter lunged forward, prompting Vita to scream and fall backwards in terror. The Dewott, a cocky smirk on his face, cut straight through the Zorua.

The illusion of the fox disappeared immediately.

"You cowardly little shit," the evolved Pokémon spoke, looking around. He saw Vita, on the ground, and smirked at her, demeanor changing entirely in an instant. "Don't worry my little toy. I'll finish this up before you know it, and we can get back to busin-"

Somin himself, seemingly appearing from nothing, struck the Dewott down. He disappeared again into the night, but not before his target lashed out with a shell, slicing the skin on the dark type's right flank.

The water type was quick to get back up, instantly surveying his surroundings. The night proved unnaturally quiet, the only sounds permeating his conversations being Vita's terrified hiccups.

He thought he saw a flicker of movement in the corner of his left eye, instantaneously slashing at it with all his might.

A yelp was heard as another, larger cut took shape along the entirety of Somin's muzzle. He fell onto the ground, unable to escape as the Dewott leaped forward to straddle him.

Somin used Dark Pulse, firing it directly into the water type from the range he kept short. As a result, he was knocked back far enough as to allow for the Zorua's scrambling to his feet.

Yelling, the Dewott lunged again as Somin dodged right. He chomped his jaw hard around the Dewott's arm, punishment for the extra forward momentum the evolved Pokémon hadn't compensated for.

However, the Dewott retaliated with a Razor Shell straight to the muzzle once again. Somin reeled back as the water type jumped on him once again.

Yet another illusionary copy vanished from sight as the Dewott made contact with it. Before he could do so much as recover, the Zorua had knocked him to the ground. He dug his claws into the Dewott's injured arm before the Pokémon could get back to its feet. Noticing the planned counterattack with its other arm, he placed an unsheathed claw to the creature's neck. He was pinned.

The Zorua was now seemingly towering over the Dewott. As the smaller Pokémon stared into the otter's eyes, he could feel his own rage grow even further.

Vita noticed her companion's eyes begin to glow an intense purple, quick to take on the visage of fire, shifting about violently with no predetermined pattern. The Dewott froze finally, no longer harboring any desire for resistance.

Somin began to feel an incredible surge of power with the combined effects of rage and the moon above. No illusion, no matter how daunting, would phase him.

A Scald straight to the face interrupted Somin's building rage. He yipped as he stumbled backwards, the searing water stuck in his eyes.

Now blinded, the Zorua randomly shot off another Dark Pulse to keep a radius of protection about him. He forced himself to open his eyes, however painful an act to complete. He quickly reconnected his energy to the Dewott and fed him a set of false images as he sat still and recovered.

Seemingly out of nowhere, however, he felt the faintest trace of a connection made between him and another, unseen force. He'd been struggling to wipe at his face with a paw, but he no longer felt the need.

The mysterious connection began feeding him energy. A light, bubbly, unfamiliar sort of energy. He could feel his spirit floating and swimming happily within the newfound power to flood his system.

At first, he thought it was the sensation of evolution. Evolution was most likely to happen during a time of great emotion, and this was certainly one of those. However, his body did not alight. His form did not begin shifting. The power was being fed to him by an outside, unseen force.

Somin entertained for a few moments how he would use this new power, as his eyes now felt as if there hadn't been so much as a single attack thrown at them. Testing the waters, he funneled raw energy into the opponent's body. As his eyes adjusted and he saw its effect, he smirked. The Zorua hadn't even known he could do so much as freeze his opponent by overloading their system with volatile energy. Never before, however, had he had this sort of power in order to complete the job.

Next, though, he tried something he was only able to accomplish once in the past, the energy required almost always too insurmountable.

He would wait, though. It was much easier to amplify pain than it was to conjure it out of the blue.

He got an idea, and reveling in the fear the Dewott now displayed, picked up the shell he'd dropped with his mouth.

The Dewott begged, pleaded, saying he would never bother the two of them again. That didn't stop Somin from taking the shell, eyes now glowing with a devilish pink, pressing it against the Dewott's stomach, and…

Vita looked away. Somin hadn't given the Dewott a fatal wound, but by the time Ray and Zach found the small congregation of Pokémon, drawn by agonized screams, there were multiple large gashes along the Dewott's body, accentuated by the horrid mangling of his right eye.

Somin was on top of the water type, staring into its only-functioning eye with fire.

Ray and Zach were just as surprised, the latter sent into an instant panic shortly thereafter.

"Return him! Return him! Call him off!"

"Somin, cut it out! What's wrong with you?!"

The Zorua turned towards Ray, eyes still glowing. The human froze.

"T-t.. What? Zach, I don't kno-"

"That's bullshit!"

Zach turned to Ray, rage in his eyes. He couldn't simply just return his Dewott, either, his Pokéballs were back at camp.

So, the human, acting in rage, leapt forwards and kicked the Zorua as hard as he could. Somin flew off the Dewott, tumbling to a halt a few feet away.

He got up after the blow, eyes still ablaze. It was if he didn't feel any pain whatsoever from the contact. Zach, instead of tending to his Pokémon, sprinted towards the Zorua to deal another attack.

Ray was on his heels, leaping forward to tackle the trainer to the ground before he could reach the Zorua and cause more damage.

Everything was pandemonium. The Dewott had long since passed out in pain, Vita was curled into a ball and crying, and Somin stumbled, the fire in his gaze slowly disappearing. As it got less intense, he slumped to the ground.

Zach had no trouble in getting Ray off of him with a well-timed punch to the nose. He was quick to get back up and continue with what he'd originally intended.

Somin's unconsciousness didn't stop Zach from kicking the Pokémon again and again, giving the Zorua blow after blow. Vita took notice, screaming and crying, unable to make the human stop.

As for Ray, after getting back up without grabbing Zach's attention, he grabbed the walking stick he'd brought as a precaution, raised it high above his head, and brought it down hard on top of the older boy's cranium. Grunting, he fell to the floor on top of Somin.

Panting, Ray dealt another hard blow in the exact same spot, making absolute certain he would remain unconscious. Blood was now steadily oozing from the wound.

Given no time to think, Ray rolled the unconscious human off of his Pokémon and held him steadily.

After making sure Vita was following him, Ray raced back to the campsite, recalled the pair, as well as Axle and Jet, who had thankfully returned by then, back into their Pokéballs. He wasted no time in quickly packing his things and running away, not even bothering to check to make sure Zach and his Dewott were okay.

He ran the entire night, seven or eight hours in total, until he made it to Icirrus' outskirts. He doubled his efforts to make it to a Pokémon Center.

He entered the closest one, gasping for breath. He rapidly explained his Zorua had been badly hurt, pleading with the nurse on duty to help him. At the early time it was, the nurse was obviously flustered, but accepted Somin's Pokéball nonetheless.

As she took him behind the counter, Ray, with the room key he was given, stumbled down the hall, exhausted.

Once in the privacy of the bedroom, he slammed the door behind him, leaning his back against the wood. He slowly sunk to the ground, soon finding himself sitting, still struggling to regain his breath. He was perfectly content with falling asleep as he was.

He turned his head to stare at a clock on the far wall, reading 4:30 AM. Sighing, he released the three Pokemon he still had in his possession.

While telling the story to the confused Rufflet and Marshtomp, he noticed Vita's shaky and heavy breathing. It took him a moment to find multiple cuts, some larger than others, lacerating her entire body. Judging by the emotional and physical state of the Servine, it didn't take Ray long to infer what had set Somin off.

Sighing and grunting with the effort placed on his exhausted body, he leaned forward to give her a closer look. She shied away from his touch.

The Servine was an overall mess. Her ride in the Pokéball did little to make her look refreshed. He resolved to find out what happened when Somin was present to tell him. The only conclusion he could form was that she was attacked, most likely by the Dewott he'd so badly injured.

Ray silently commanded Axle and Jet to go about their own business as he grabbed one of Vita's arms lightly.

"Come on," he said, holding her hand as he gently lead her into the bathroom. Despondent, she let herself be dragged along. He had to crouch down as he walked to keep a hold of her arm, prompting his muscles to scream at him in protest.

He shut the door, locking it behind him. He quickly drew a hot bath, receiving no complaint as he picked Vita up under the arms and placed her inside.

He took his time in washing off the blood and other various body fluid from off the Servine. He wasn't even able to determine the identity of what he was cleansing his starter of half the time.

Ray had a hard time avoiding her cuts. She cringed and let out a small whimper every time he accidentally brushed over an unseen gouge. Her eyes, the entire time, were downcast. She tried her best not to give Ray a sincere gaze.

The Servine had been humiliated, the trust she'd place in the Dewott having been shattered in a single night. She had no idea what to do with herself. The worst part; Somin was there to witness it all, and had gotten hurt as a result. What kind of friend was she, abandoning him entirely only to come crawling back for help months later? She'd hardly had a conversation with the Zorua over the last few months, her thoughts almost always occupied with naïve faith in the Dewott.

Ray had an idea of the full story behind her state, but didn't dare bring it up then. Instead, he just wanted her to know she was safe.

For maybe the first time in the trip from Black City, they'd swapped roles, the human instead trying to comfort the Pokémon. Ray figured they'd both been through a lot together, but were far from lost causes.

"Hey," he spoke softly as he finished up, "look, you're safe now… I know I've been doing a really shitty job trying to be a good trainer and protect you guys… Whatever happened tonight, know it wasn't your fault. I should have seen Zach for the asshole he was."

When he noticed the Servine still wasn't looking him in the eye, he brought a hand to raise her chin.

"I never thanked any of you guys for trying to help me after what happened to Sierra. You… You have nothing to be ashamed of. Everything that's happened to us… It's… I-It's."

Vita finally gave her trainer a sincere look as he started crying himself.

"I don't want you guys to have to go through what you go through with me. I never really understood why you decided to stay with me… Hell, I still don't know… I can't even pretend to know what that Dewott did to you. I-"

"Ser…"

He looked back up, giving his full attention to Vita, even if he couldn't comprehend what she was going to say.

Instead, she said nothing, wrapping two of her vines around the back of Ray's neck. Straight out of the tub, still wet, she brought herself up to embrace him as tightly as possible. She made sure to hold tight the human that'd decided to spare her.

She had never really shown gratitude following the decision Ray had made during the murder. Expressing joy for such a choice the young boy had been forced to make was cruel. She made no inferences previously about his choosing to save her life. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, but she knew deep down they cared for one another. The stupid, naive human she'd come to know and love as family.

After momentary shock had worn off, he returned the embrace, trying to comfort the emotional Pokémon. Or maybe he was trying to comfort himself… He hardly gave the thought the time of day.

Despite feeling as if he would run out of air from the strength of the embrace, he simply stood from his position on his knees, placing his arms under the Servine for support.

He carried her back into the bedroom, already finding Axle and Jet asleep. He laid down on the empty bed, Vita still burying her face in his shoulder. He didn't care she was soaking his shirt with residual water from the bath.

They knew they weren't going to get a wink of rest, despite Ray's physical exhaustion and Vita's mental exhaustion. Sleepless, they simply tried enjoying the other's company, struggling to harbor a sense of safety.

Sleepless, that is, until a certain legendary forcefully sedated them. Neither of them woke until maybe three in the afternoon the next day, exhausted from the horrible night they'd both shared. The legendary knew they would both not be able to take what came next if not well rested.

The feline Pokémon was watching through a window into the room. She'd been following the trainer since the hardship he'd gone through months before, trying to cheer him up.

At first, she'd simply felt bad for what had happened to the human, and was determined to set him straight before being on her way.

Now, though, she knew it wouldn't be that simple. She was starting to become attached to the young human, an aching in her heart steadily growing. She put it off as unchecked curiosity, eating her up on the inside.

Begrudgingly, she'd patched up the Dewott, enough to save his life. That way, the human trainer wouldn't be able to prove malicious intent against Ray's Zorua, who she'd fed her own power to prevail over the evolved Pokémon

Vita herself would prove to be alright. The legendary knew the Servine wasn't in season, and therefore wouldn't be stuck with a permanent reminder of what tragedy had occurred.

The boy sleeping before her, though… He'd attacked another human for his Pokémon. Was the other boy, Zach, to blame for his aggression towards Somin? Probably not. However, the humans in the world who had the fervor to protect their cherished companions as far as to take on a larger and stronger boys… Those were certainly few and far between.

She caught herself with her heart racing, quick to calm back down. Maybe watching this human for a while would prove beneficial in improving her impression on the human race. After all, her self-imposed good deed hadn't yet been completed. She still had yet to guide him to forgive himself.

At least she'd finally found someone to satisfy her boredom.

And, despite all her protests against the notion, she started wondering about the possibility of going through with the consensus of her brethren she so ardently despised, with this human as her charge.


Alright, so here we are.

Greatest problem with this chapter BY FAR, was the writing of the news interview, however short. It was originally written as the whole exchange, verbatim, but I decided against telling the story twice, from two different points of view. Since it was cut out so much, I suppose the most difficult section became the fight scene between Somin and the Dewott. Jeez, that took a lot of editing… Even now, after dozens of versions, it isn't as satisfactory as I'd like it to be.

The flashback isn't supposed to be incredibly descriptive about Ray's and Zachary's relationship, considering I wanted to relay the specific events of that fateful night. I felt guilty about glossing over events such as their original meeting, but the two main points of detail I was happy with; the first being Somin's argument with the Dewott and the other being Ray and Vita's interaction in the aftermath.

Regarding the flashback, yes, I do realize its themes are an incredible step up from the normal caliber of this story. Incidents such as these are not common, I promise. While the two years of Ray's past most commonly outlined are more dark then they aren't, the general mood of the present day is fairly lighthearted.

Keep in mind flashbacks are few and far between in the story, and when I have to employ them, one of the only reasons is to shed some light on the gradually growing connections among the team.

Most events in the past are merely hinted at, yet for life-changing scenes such as this one, they deserve the story's full attention.

I also had an exchange with the team written out, in which Ray watches the broadcast and reminisces with them (through telling the story to Victor, who was not present at the time). I found it better to give more character development to Misa instead, which indirectly led to more scenes with Skipp and Seraph. I really hope I've done good with them so far, considering there is going to be a LOT of them over the next Act.

As always, hoped everyone enjoyed! See you in two weeks!