Tyler: *deep inhale* Duuuuude….that's the stuff…

BM: *exhale* Ahhhh, I know right? Holy shiiiit.

Jewel: *inhales, giggles*

Epsilon: I don't understand, what's so great about these?

BM: *exhales yet again* Ahhh….you wouldn't understand, metal man. Welcome back everyone to another chapter of Roadtrip. WOOOH, one more month till Christmas. Man, I'm so excited. Now normally, I'd be even more pumped but I've been having some busy ass days so I'm a little less stoked, but whatevs! Looks like Autumn has returned home, how nice!

BM: Also, I have a little thing in store for you guys. Stay tuned for my announcement! Now, let's get right to it!

Tyler: Jewel, gimme.

Jewel: *turns away* No, hmph!

Disclaimer: Company.

"Holy crap. Look at that." Tyler exclaimed happily with outstretched arms, folding them onto his hips as he looked at the vast expanse of green and blue in front of him. Rolling fields, a treeline in the distance and a scenic lake right in front of them. All in all, a very beautiful place that reminded the Twin Leaf resident of Lake Verity.

Tyler sat down on a soft patch of grass, his pack thumped beside him. His team made their way over and sat down alongside. In the distance and along the fields, all manner of Pokemon life could be seen. Gogoats running around on the plains, Poliwag and Tympole splashing around happily in the lake. In the soft late afternoon sky, Starly and Fletchling flew around while singing their song. A soft breeze blew over the area and upon them.

"This is nice. What a place to grow up, eh Autumn?" Tyler remarked with a small elbow jab towards the Ninetails who smiled lightly.

"It is a nice place but it's not that easy living here. Well…not here exactly." Autumn answered before pointing to a forested area in the distance. This forested area contained darker leaved trees in larger amounts, sheltering most of the light away from the forest floor.

"Woah, that looks pretty scary." Jewel commented from her lying down position. Autumn nodded slightly.

"Yeah, it was. My first few months of living there were terrifying. I had no idea what to do or how to do it. It was just me, trying my best to survive." Autumn explained in a calm and reminiscent tone. Noir, who sat with crossed legs, hummed slightly in agreement.

"Reminds me of my home, Lostlorn Forest." She replied at which Tyler tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"Lostlorn Forest? I've never heard of it." Tyler remarked. Noir scoffed lightly as she flicked her mane.

"Naturally, it had been an insignificant forest amongst the plenty of others in Unova. My parents tried their utmost best in keeping that place's true expanse a secret from humans. However, after one trainer they deemed worthy ventured into that area and encountered them, they decided it was time for all to see the true forest. It also sparked a thought in me, a thirst to explore the world. Hence upon the right time, I snuck away. My attempt to do so faltered as- Uhm, I'm not talking too much, am I?" Noir spoke before interrupting herself. The others shook their head, indicating her to continue her tale.

"Delightful. Anyways, my attempt was fouled as they found me. I fully expected an enormous scolding from them, my mother in particular. However, they allowed me to leave and waved me goodbye. And off I went, to see the world." Noir concluded with a coincidental breeze closing her story. Not a moment later, Jewel leapt up onto the Illusion Pokemon, startling her.

"Oooooh, I want to go there someday! I wanna meet your parents too!" Jewel exclaimed happily whilst practically jumping up and down on Noir, annoying her greatly. The group laughed, not noticing Vince had been on a phone call the whole time.

"Well, I have some news, relating to me anyways. I've gotta get to Sunyshore." Vince announced dejectedly. Everyone looked at him in a mix of slight surprise and confusion. Even Samuel, who was busy doing nothing atop a tree took notice.

"Hold on hold on, what? Whaddya mean?" Amanda asked curiously, stopping her conversation with Julius, much to the blue canine's annoyance.

"Part of my team of archaeologists have teamed up with a team of authors that operate in Canalave's library to produce more updated scientific textbooks for consumers. Not to mention, we had to ask special access to look in the area surround Sunyshore as its historically significant. Though, both of these are taking longer than expected cause the librarian at Canalave fell sick." Vince concluded. Samuel yelled a sharp "WHAT!?" before hopping off the tree branch he was perched upon.

"WHAT!?" Samuel repeated once he got on solid ground.

"Woah, easy. You know him?" Vince asked unassumingly.

"Know him? He's my fucking dad! Dude, I have to get there." Samuel yelled before taking off. He ran barely any distance before being stopped by Vince.

"Calm down, it's a bit too late to leave today. It's a huge drive to Canalave." Vince explained. Samuel gave him a glance back.

"It's also a long drive to Sunyshore, smartass." Samuel replied. Vince sighed and shook his head. Tyler interjected with an idea.

"How about going tomorrow?" He suggested. The hooligan and the researcher looked at each other before nodding in agreement. Tyler smiled in satisfaction.

"See, that wasn't that hard right? You guys should listen to my ideas more." Tyler boasted with a proud smile. Josh gave him a rough pat.

"Your idea? Please." Josh rebutted with Tyler groaning in annoyance.

"Can't let me win at anything, huh?" Tyler remarked jokingly. The blonde responded with a short chuckle and crossed his arms.

"I don't think you have the capability to." Josh shot back as the others roared into oohs and laughter.

After a small argument about what to do, Vince and Samuel decided to split up. Vince decided to head over to a nearby inn as he wasn't a fan of camping with Amanda and Julius tagging along as her mechanical skills would be useful for Vince and his team. Samuel and Helios on the other hand headed back to Veilstone as it wasn't all that far.

Josh and Tyler looked at each other with excited grins. They both loved camping and the great outdoors. The area surround Lake Valor was also known for being a great camping spot among the residents of the surrounding area as air was fresh and crisp, not to mention great weather most of the year. Before they could proceed however, Josh decided to head to a nearby store to pick up some supplies, which meant it was just Tyler and his team at the camp.

"YOW!" Tyler exclaimed painfully after striking his hand on accident, missing the stone in his other hand. Tyler preferred lighting fire via traditional methods such as striking two stones together, which wasn't the easiest way.

"Are you okay, Tyler?" Jewel asked as she leapt to his side. Tyler inspected his thumb which was bruised blue but was otherwise fine.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Damn, I'm a bit rusty and we have to get this fire going." Tyler remarked as he eyed the pile of sticks and tinder. Upon hearing his words, Autumn smiled lightly and shot a small ember, igniting the dry plant material instantly. Tyler and Jewel shifted backwards slightly.

"Should've thought about that. Thanks Autumn." Tyler said as he stood up, patting Autumn on the top of her head. The Ninetales blushed lightly at the touch as Tyler slipped into the tent to retrieve some items. It was then that Jewel poked the blushing Ninetales teasingly, startling her.

"Really, after all this time you're still blushing around Tyler?" Jewel joked lightly as they both sat around the fire. Autumn turned away without a sound. And it stayed that way for a few moments before the thumping from two sets of feet could be felt and heard. Epsilon and Ava made their way over to the campfire and laid down, which the latter could only do.

"Helloo, how are you all?" Ava asked in a cheerful tone.

"Doing fine, where did you two go?" Jewel asked back. The Aurorus smiled sweetly as Epsilon buzzed a reply.

"We were just by the lake. Back in my old pack, we had to keep moving and we couldn't enjoy any body of water. Autumn, you sure are lucky to have grown up here!" Epsilon said happily. Autumn however was still silent.

"Autumn?" Jewel asked again while shaking her lightly. Thankfully, this was enough to snap her out of her trance.

"Ah, umm…yes?" Autumn meekly replied. Jewel and the others looked at her with a concerned expression.

"Are you alright?" Ava asked with concern. Autumn rapidly nodded.

"Y-yeah! I'm fine. I'm…going to take a short walk." Autumn announced before standing up and walking towards the woods. The others looked at each other. Jewel opened her mouth to speak before a sound could be heard from the tent. A sound similar to laughter.

Epsilon and Ava moved over to investigate the sound. As they peeked into the tent, they saw what was happening. Somehow, one of Tyler's boxers had ended up on a certain Type Null's head, his horn poking through one of the leg holes. Tyler was on the ground laughing while he clutching his stomach.

"What. Wrong?" Type Null asked unassumingly. Tyler stood up from the ground and stopped laughing, wiping away a tear that formed in his eye.

"Nothing, nothing." Tyler said through his chuckles.

Elsewhere in a nearby forest, Autumn walked between the trees quietly. A nice breeze rippled through the greenery, a trickling of stars could be seen shining through the canopy. Autumn sighed as the trees began to thin out, a clearing could be seen in the distance. Throughout her walk, Pokemon of all shapes and sizes who spotted her ran away hastily for no apparent reason.

As she walked towards the familiar clearing, a rustle and cracking of sticks caught her attention. She quickly spun herself around, primed to launch a flamethrower at the assailant. Yet, nothing was there. However, something was behind her. The figure reached out with an arm and…

"Boo!" Noir exclaimed as she smacked Autumn's back lightly. The Ninetales yelped and jumped backwards with cold sweat dripping of her forehead. Autumn was about to launch a Flamethrower but stopped as she realised who the 'assailant' was. Noir was already propping herself on a tree while laughing uproariously.

"N-Noir! Y-You scared me!" Autumn complained with a frown. Noir dusted her fur and cleared her throat, though he signature smirk was still present.

"That was my intention and looks like I succeeded. But I have a question for you, what are you doing?" Noir asked, her joking tone changed for a more concerned one. Autumn sighed and tilted her head at the clearing before walking towards it, indirectly asking Noir to follow her. And followed her she did.

"As I said, this place was where I was born. I've already told you all about my story, right?" Autumn asked as both of them got closer and closer to the clearing which was actually a massive hill. Noir nodded silently.

"The thing is…that story is false." Autumn confessed as the pair exited the forest and entered the clearing. Noir looked at the Ninetales with wide eyes.

"Pardon? What do you mean?" Noir inquired. Autumn who was walking in front of Noir, looked back at her with tears in her eyes. Unbeknownst to them, a few wild Pokemon were spectating the pair from the safety of the forest.

"When I said I didn't know my parents…I lied. When I said I was born alone and had to defend myself…I lied. I…I knew my parents. And not just me, almost everyone in this area knew my parents, knew me as well." Autumn explained with a huff as both of them began to ascend the hill.

"But why? Why were you dishonest to us?" Noir asked accusingly, her tone turning slightly sour. Autumn only gave her a small glance before continuing speaking, even though she was now trembling slightly.

"M-m-my parents and I…W-we were the so called guardians of this forest. We…we tried our best to keep the area serene a-and perfect. But…"

…

(4 years ago, Lake Valor Forest)

"Mom, mom! Look at my flames!" Autumn tipped happily as she launched a few embers all around her. A Ninetales looked at her with a smile.

"That's great! You're just like your old man. Maybe you'll be a master of flames as well!" The Ninetales replied in a proud motherly tone. Not that long after, another Ninetales approached the two, a Magikarp in his maw.

"Daddy, look at my flames!" Autumn exclaimed happily as she a shot a sizable ember at the air. The Ninetales practically dropped the Magikarp in excitement as he bounded and leapt over to Autumn.

"That's fantastic! Wow, you really learnt a lot. Come, let's eat and go do some more training, how does that sound?" The male Ninetales suggested. Autumn leapt in joy. Autumn's mother nuzzled her dad happily as the began to eat.

…

"Why did you keep it a secret from all of us? I see no harm with it." Noir added truthfully. The two were now almost at the top of the hill.

"You're right, there is no harm with it. But that's because the harm came before it." Autumn said with tears in her eyes as they finally created the hill. Noir gasped in surprise.

What she saw was utterly horrific. The remnants of a once great forest, burnt to ash. The ground was still scorched black in some parts. Burnt husks of trees could still be seen, some standing tall and erect whilst others had fallen over, rotting and withering away. The once lush, green grass surrounding it was also burnt to a crisp, leaving only patches of surviving grass to grow.

"Autumn…" Noir mumbled in disbelief. And then, a soft sob could be heard. Autumn sat on the grass, her head face downwards as she sobbed, her tears staining the grass atop the hill.

"I'm a monster…I'm an awful monster." Autumn muttered before being reduced to tears once again. Noir could only stare at her in silence as Autumn continued to sob.

"I…I have to pay for what I've done. G-goodbye, Noir." Autumn said before standing quickly and bolting down the hill. Yet before she could do so, something stopped her. It was also accompanied by a voice. A voice that she had not expected.

"Autumn, you're not a monster." Tyler spoke softly as he clutched the Ninetales with equal softness.

"T-Tyler? Wh-Where…how?" Autumn hiccupped. Noir walked over and raise her paw.

"I kept him hidden. We were worried about you when you suddenly decided to take a walk." The Zoroark explained.

"Autumn, listen to me. You're not evil, you're not a monster. You made a mistake and everyone makes mistakes. It's just how everyone are so don't beat yourself up for it, okay? You're my precious fire fox who busts down baddies like there's no tomorrow. You're vital part of our team and our lives, it'd be a shame to see you go away forever." Tyler spoke with a small tear in his eyes as he stared deep into Autumn's. Autumn sniffled and blushed before leaning forwards and kissing Tyler deeply. Noir smiled at the sight, which was also accompanied with a small blush.

"T-Tyler, I… Thank you." Autumn said as her tears began to dry up and a small smile formed on her face. It was then Tyler could get a better view of her. Under the moonlight, Autumn was truly something else to behold as her golden fur shimmered. But the best sight was seeing her smile.

"Remember and I'll say this as many times as I need to, we all have each other's backs. Now come on, let's check out your…former home." Tyler said with an invigorating smile. Autumn nodded with a smile of her own. Noir leapt at Tyler, essentially riding his back. Thankfully, Noir didn't weigh too much as to throw them both off balance.

"Woah!" Tyler exclaimed as he straightened up. Autumn's smile grew wider, even letting out a small giggle. Noir simple acted oblivious to her actions.

"Let us move, noble steed." She joked as Tyler chuckled. And so, the trio descended the hill and made their way towards the former forest.

At the base of the hill, the trio began to venture into the area. The ground was still singed in some parts. The grass which seemed to be bald and uneven from the hill wasn't all too bad up close.

"Wow, you must've really gave it your all back then." Tyler commented as they climbed over a fallen tree. Autumn sighed.

"Yeah… I lost control of myself. I really don't think anyone's going to forg-" Autumn said before stopping in her tracks. In the distance, two figures could be seen. Two incredibly familiar figures. At the sight, Autumn took off running which prompted Noir to get off Tyler's back and for both of them to chase the Fire type.

"Mom! Dad!" Autumn yelled as she ran at full speed. The two Ninetales who were busy caring for some saplings turned to look at the source of the voice. One of them was on the verge of tears while the other ran to meet the other Ninetales. The two of them met in an embrace.

"It's you, it's really you. We thought we lost you forever." Autumn's dad said in a grateful tone. As Tyler and Noir approached though, he adopted a defensive stance.

"Who are you?" He growled. Tyler put up his hands in an innocent manner. Autumn patted her father's back.

"Dad, dad, they're ok. She's my friend Noir and that's my trainer, Tyler." Autumn explained to her father as her mother made her way over. His father adopted an understanding look and bowed before the slightly on edge trainer.

"Apologies, Tyler." The old Ninetales said.

"Oh, um no need to apologize. Also before you ask, I have a translating device here." Tyler said while pointing to his ear. Autumn's father and mother nodded in understanding.

"What brings you back here, Autumn? And how did you manage to be Tyler's?" Autumn's mom asked slightly interrogatively.

"It's a long story. Basically, I met him when he saved me and an Eevee after I helped her run away from her old abusive trainer. And I decided to tag along with him after that." Autumn explained with a smile as she remembered all the fun things they all did.

"Tyler, I again apologize for how we treated you. I would also like to say thank you for saving our daughter." Autumn's mom said with a bow as well.

"Again, no need to apologize. In fact after hearing what Autumn said about this place, I have an idea." Tyler announced as he pulled out his phone. Everyone looked at him in confusion, even Noir who he had not told his plans to.

"Hello, Lucas?"

"Yeah, what's going on Tyler?"

"So uh, I'm currently at a corner of the forest near Lake Valor. It's pretty damaged and burned up. I was wondering if you can send in a team to replant the trees?"

"But of course! In fact, we just finished putting together a new team of Grass type specialists a few days ago. They should be there sometime this week. Thanks for telling me, Tyler."

"That's great! Also, no problem Lucas. I'll see you later, cheers." Tyler ended as he hung up the call, a smug grin forming on his face as he looked at all the impressed expressions around him.

...

Atop a mountain's snowy peak encompassed by a frigid, howling wind, a group of figures made their way up. Their heavy coats barely flapping against the bone chilling wind, their boots crunching on the snow. In the distance, a looming and dilapidated structure could be seen.

Cyrus lowered his hood slightly, his expression unchanging as he eyed the structure.

"Come on, we're almost there." He grumbled.

That's it for this one. Also, please read the following as it's very important. I'm taking a break from writing because I have plenty of things that I must do, mostly school related projects. However, I might publish a chapter or two in December so stay tuned for that. Oh, and keep a look out for my special treat! See you all later, stay safe!

BM: GIMME.

Jewel: NO, MINE!

Autumn: Guys, they're just scented candles. Calm down…