Notes: I debated whether to keep this story going or to have the next arc be a separate story as originally planned. I think I'm going with the latter.

Epilogue

Isla looked around in intrigued fascination as Scotch lovingly carried her up the walk and into the house he shared with Biff. She had traveled in his messenger bag and had found the motorcycle ride thoroughly exciting and delightful. Now, as he set her down in the living room, she began sniffing everything.

"I always wonder why animals do that," Biff remarked. "It kinda makes me feel weird. I mean, I try to keep things clean! What are they smelling?!"

Scotch shrugged. "I think it helps them learn about the objects and who touched them? I'm pretty sure it's not an insult."

Isla was soon rubbing against everything, including Scotch and Biff.

"Is she saying everything's hers, or is she just saying she likes everything?" Biff wondered.

"Probably both!" Scotch petted her. "Have you ever had a home, girl?"

Isla took great interest in seizing a fallen piece of paper and running across the floor with it.

"Okay, you don't want to talk yet? That's fine! Biff and I are going to try to sleep. Do you want to eat or stay up and play?" Scotch set his bag in a chair.

Isla chased the paper for a while and then sat on it, swishing her tail. She looked hesitant now, even a bit lost. She stared at the door, then back at Scotch.

". . . Well, I know you don't want to leave," Scotch said. "Are you asking if this is really going to last?"

"Eevee," Isla said.

"It will!" Scotch insisted. "And if you want to sleep, you can get up on the bed with me!"

Isla seemed to like that idea best. She started down the hall and looked to the other rooms.

"It's this one," Scotch said, pushing open the door to his bedroom. Anime merchandise and animal plushies were everywhere. Isla had to start her investigation all over again. But she soon decided everything was fine and hopped up on the bed.

"Have you ever had a pet before?" Biff asked, suddenly looking a bit wary.

"No . . . but I read a lot about it!" Scotch said. "I know a Pokemon is different than regular pets, but some things are similar! It's like having a pet who understands absolutely everything you say!" He looked starry-eyed.

"Okay then." Biff shook his head. "I'm going to bed."

"Wait a minute!" Scotch hurried to his chest of drawers and took a Pokeball out of the package he had bought. "Stay here and watch this." He held out the sphere. "Isla, are you ready to be totally mine?!"

"Eevee!" Isla declared with a nod.

"Yeah! Alright!" Scotch clicked the ball open. "Will you get inside?"

Isla jumped into the ball, but promptly jumped back out again before it could close.

". . . Does that count?" Biff asked. "I thought it had to close and stay closed to be a success."

Scotch chewed on his lip. "I think it does. Isla, we need to make sure you're registered as mine, okay? You can get right out as soon as it stays closed enough to process!"

"Eevee-vee! Ee!" Isla looked warily at the Pokeball and tapped it with a paw.

"I'll never make you stay inside. This is just to register you. Can we try again?" Scotch kept holding it out.

Isla slowly allowed the Pokeball to absorb her into it. Scotch quickly closed it, praying she could stand it long enough for it to click.

"Eevee!" Isla screamed, leaping back out. She sat on the bed, eyes wide, breathing heavily.

". . . Is she hyperventilating?!" Biff exclaimed.

Scotch set the Pokeball down and hugged her. "Oh Isla. . . . It's okay! I'm not sure that registered either, but we'll just wait and only try again when you're not scared. I promise!"

"Vee . . ." Isla trembled in his arms. At last she started to calm down, resting against his shoulder.

"Yeah, she's got some issues, alright," Biff frowned. He hoped this wasn't a mistake.

"It's fine!" Scotch said. "She doesn't like Pokeballs. I don't know why most Pokemon are okay with it!" He frowned. "She didn't want to tell about her past. I guess Pokeballs are part of it."

"I guess," Biff said. He sighed. "Okay, it's late and I need sleep. Goodnight, you guys."

"Night!" Scotch said.

"Eevee," Isla said.

When Biff left, Scotch stretched and started taking off his vest. "I need to get ready for bed," he said. "You can wait here for me and I'll be back in a few minutes!" He got out of his other clothes too, gathered his sleep clothes, and petted Isla before heading into the bathroom.

He wasn't yet done when he suddenly heard a frantic cry. "Eevee! Eevee!" First Isla stuck her paws under the door. Then she stood on two legs and pawed on the door, desperate to get in.

Scotch had to open the door with a toothbrush in his mouth. "Isla, what is it?!" he exclaimed.

Isla stared at him in heartbreaking awe. She had thought he wouldn't really be there.

Scotch bent down, lifting her into his arms and trying to hold her with one arm while taking the toothbrush with the other. "Oh man. . . . Someone abandoned you, didn't they?!" he said in horror. "And it had something to do with Pokeballs!"

"Eevee. . . ." Isla cuddled into his chest.

"I'll never do that," Scotch vowed. "I know it might take time for you to really believe that, but if it'll help, I'll leave the bathroom door open! Or you can just come in with me!"

"Vee?" She stared at him in disbelief.

"Yeah!" Scotch cradled her close and stood up to turn back to the sink. He had swallowed too much toothpaste trying to talk.

"Scotch, what's going on?" Biff called from down the hall.

"It's okay!" Scotch called back. "Isla was scared, but she's going to be fine!"

"Scared? Scared of what?" Biff frowned. Just how badly damaged was this Pokemon?

"She thought I was leaving her," Scotch said. "I know how to handle it, Biff! It's okay. I learned from you and Radley."

Biff sighed. "Alright." He wanted to help, but he did wonder if Scotch would really be able to do this. He was still a kid himself inside. But on the other hand . . . out of all the Bunch, he was one of the most damaged. Biff and Radley had healed his soul as best as they could. Maybe Scotch actually would be able to pass on what he had learned to help Isla.

He finally smiled a bit as he went back into his room.

Scotch kept Isla right with him until he was ready for bed. Then he climbed in with her, still holding her under one arm, and relaxed in the covers. "Time for bed!" he said. "This is cozy, isn't it? You can do this every night if you want!"

Isla stared at him in awe. "Eevee?!"

"Of course!" Scotch petted her as sleep crept over him. When he dozed off, his hand was still on her back.

Isla placed her front paws on his chest as she settled down. This was so new and so completely different. Would it really last this time? It was too soon to fully believe it, but . . . Scotch had definitely planted hope in her heart.

She dozed too, swishing her tail before finally settling down in peace.

xxxx

Radley's group was more than ready for bed when they got home. Evie and Evan nuzzled their people and hopped up on the pet couch, snuggling close.

Radley smiled at the cute scene. "They've got the right idea. Let's shower and get to bed too. And it's so late now, let's not worry about getting up early. We'll sleep as long as we want."

Kalin was used to often not getting much sleep, but he nodded. He didn't want to disturb Radley and more sleep would certainly be nice. Now the danger was hopefully all past for some time.

"I wonder if the Pokemon really will all start coming back," he said.

"Maybe," Radley said. "I don't think they were ever really thick in this area, but we might start seeing a few now and then." He looked thoughtful. "Even though Evie's friends didn't bond with me like she did, I care about them too. I'd like to see them all again."

"Maybe someday," Kalin said. "If they hear about Evie being here with you, they might come to say Hello."

"I hope they will," Radley said.

Evie looked up sleepily as their humans headed to the two bathrooms. "Are you really okay now?" she asked Evan.

"I'm still upset I was used," Evan said. "But . . . Kalin forgave me, and you did too . . . even though I caused some of your misery. . . ." He looked at her in awe.

"It wasn't your fault!" Evie exclaimed. "You wouldn't have even got hurt if Team Rocket hadn't been trying to get me, so . . . it was really my fault." Her ears drooped. "I thought they'd left me alone, and they hadn't. I never wanted to get anyone in trouble. . . ."

"You couldn't have known!" Evan cried. "Don't blame yourself. It was all Team Rocket's fault."

"For you too!" Evie insisted. "You don't have to feel bad about spying when you didn't even know!"

". . . Yeah, I guess," Evan frowned.

"I'd wish all of this hadn't happened, but . . . would we have even met if it hadn't? That's an awful thought. If this is how we had to meet, I have to be glad it all happened." Evie snuggled him close.

Evan pondered that. "Well . . . when you put it that way, I'm glad too," he conceded.

Evie beamed. "And we met Prinna, and she's so nice. I'm glad we could help her. It was amazing getting to really tell Radley my feelings too. I just wish you hadn't had to get hurt. It shouldn't have been like that!"

"I wish it hadn't been," Evan said. "But it was nice meeting Prinna, yeah."

"I hope we'll see her again." Evie started to curl up to doze. It had been such a long day.

"Maybe we'll see your old friends again too," Evan said.

"I hope so. I don't know where any of them are," Evie said. "I'd like them to all know they were wrong about Radley, and about me finding him again."

"That would be nice. I'm glad I was wrong about no one appreciating Eevees just for being Eevees," Evan said.

Evie snuggled close. "They're wonderful people."

"They are," Evan agreed.

"And you are too!" Evie added.

Evan blinked. "Me?!"

"Of course!" Evie said. "You care about us when we haven't known each other long yet. But we're all going to get to know each other really well."

"That will be great," Evan said. He was starting to look very sleepy, but said, "You're really great yourself. You have so much hope and love for all of us. I didn't know anyone could even still be like that, that they'd even have a reason to be like that!"

"Hope and love were what kept me going," Evie said. "Now we have lots of human friends, and a new Eevee friend too! We can play with Isla tomorrow."

"I wonder if she'll really adjust to all this," Evan said. "I wondered if I could. If Kalin hadn't risked so much to protect me, I might not believe things either."

"Isla wanted a home," Evie said innocently. "Now she has one! Scotch will be good to her. Biff too!"

"I know they will," Evan said. "But she's had people betray her before. It'll be hard for her to accept it's not happening again."

Evie frowned. "That's so sad. She told you?"

"No, but I could tell," Evan said. "That's all I know; she hasn't opened up to anyone yet."

"Maybe she will soon," Evie said.

"Maybe. In the meantime, we just need to be there for her and not give up," Evan said. "She'll need a lot of love and patience."

"We'll give her that!" Evie said confidently. "The humans will too!"

Evan smiled a bit. Evie's sweetness never faltered. It was good for him. It would be good for Isla too.

Radley smiled when he and Kalin came back and found the Eevees peacefully asleep. "We're a great little family," he said as he covered them with a throw.

Kalin hugged his friend close. "We are."

Radley chuckled. "Is it loco to kind of think of these two as our kids?"

"Probably not," Kalin grunted. "Aren't there a lot of people who feel like that about regular animals?"

"There are, yeah," Radley agreed.

"Then this is no different," Kalin said.

Radley nodded, looking thoughtful. "I guess you're right," he mused. He put an arm around Kalin. "And you are excellent at this, just like we knew you would be. Evan adores you, and Evie cares about you too. You know how to communicate even though you were worried you wouldn't. You helped Evan when he was devastated over Portman's cruelty."

"I'm glad I could do something," Kalin said. "It hurt, seeing an innocent animal ready to harm himself to stop the implant."

"It did," Radley agreed. "That was heartbreaking. I didn't think Portman could get any lower after last time, but she actually managed to."

Kalin's eyes darkened. "They'd better triple security around her padded cell."

"I'm sure they will, especially after hearing all she did," Radley said. He gently petted Evie's head as she mumbled sweetly in her sleep. "Let's try to get some sleep, okay?"

Kalin nodded. "Yeah."

They both laid down, looking over at the Eevees and thinking on all that had transpired that day. It had been a day filled with so many different moments, both good and bad, and had resulted in another Eevee coming home with them. Their Pokemon adventures most certainly weren't over yet. But both hoped their next adventures wouldn't involve any more encounters with Portman, Team Rocket, or other villains. Just raising their Eevees was all the adventure they wanted.