Here's Chapter 6. It's just a little bit shorter than the last one. Enjoy!


For the next few days, Zen tried to avoid Valentina as much as possible. Given that they lived together, this wasn't easy. However, the fact remained that the young Riolu couldn't believe he'd spoken to her like that.

An exception, of course, was when they were together at the kitchen table. Even though her furniture wasn't in the best shape, the woman refused to allow Zen to eat alone. "You might spill it," she said.

Overall, it was a rather unpleasant time in his life. It did, however, come to an end eventually.

"Zen?" the soft female voice asked while the Riolu boy sat on his bed, reading a novel called Explorers of Time.

When Zen didn't respond, too engrossed in his book, Valentina called his name again. This time, she was a little louder, and Zen couldn't ignore it.

Truth be told, he was a little tired of having such heavy defenses up. He might have resolved to stay away from his owner, but it wasn't emotionally healthy. In the back of his mind, he knew it was a counterproductive behavior.

After all, the whole reason he'd sought out Rizal that morning was because he'd been lonely. If he spent more time in his bedroom, never leaving it, he would only become more and more so. Eventually, he'd have to come out of his shell again.

"Okay" he muttered, standing up out of bed. "I'm coming."

"You don't need to come. Just stay right there. I'd like to talk to you for a bit."

Zen felt a trace amount of dread. The last time he and Valentina had an extended conversation, it had ended with the Riolu boy alone in his bedroom, reduced to tears. Needless to say, he wanted to avoid that situation again if he could.

Valentina entered the room, her light-colored hair swaying gently. "I feel terrible for talking to you that way. I'll admit that I've been very strict with you sometimes, and I wanted to apologize."

Zen was somewhat taken aback by this. "What do you have to apologize for?" the young Riolu responded. "I was the one in the wrong. I shouldn't have gone out like that, at least not without telling you."

"I wouldn't have let you," Valentina replied. "I just wouldn't have. It's too dangerous for you out there, and I still stand by that. But I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's fine," Zen said, sighing. "It's like you said. I should be scared. I'm sure Mr. Nale wouldn't mind having me in his collection of furs."

"I'm not going to let what I love get taken away from me" his owner told him. In her cyan eyes, there was a fierce determination. "Not after last time."

The Riolu boy frowned. "Last time? What happened last time?"

Valentina shook her head as her face flushed. "Nothing. I shouldn't have said that. My bad."

It didn't sound like it was nothing, but I'll try not to pry any further with her. Still, it's hard to forget about that.

"But yeah, I really care about you, Zen. You are my family, and if there's one thing I've learned during my time on this planet, it's to hold on to what you love. Oh, Arceus, if things had gone badly wrong that day, I don't know where I'd be."

The two embraced each other, human and Pokémon, as though determined never to let go. At some point, however, they did have to, and both Zen and Valentina looked at each other.

"So can I play with Rizal now? I promise I'll stay safe."

Valentina chuckled, but she shook her head.

"The Zorua next door? In that case, I'm afraid I can't allow that. When you're older, however, I will let you. One day."

The words When you're older brought to mind what Rizal had said about wanting to hunt with Mr. Nale. It was almost remarkable how, despite their obvious differences when it came to their feelings about hunting, the two boys had this one thing in common.

After that, the time Zen spent with Valentina was a lot less awkward. He resumed helping in the barn; not only that, but he relished it. Just going outside again, knowing he wouldn't get in trouble for it, was a great feeling.

Summer wore on for what felt like an eternity, but eventually the air started getting cooler again. Autumn came along, which brought with it both positive and negative changes to Zen's life.

On the upside, the weather was far more pleasant. No longer did the Riolu boy lie awake at night, sweating from his fur seeping onto the sheets. Additionally, the leaves on the trees began changing color once more, one of the annual events that everyone in Hisui looked forward to.

There were, however, negative developments as well. Winter would be here before long, yes, but in the meantime, an unpleasant anniversary was fast approaching. This anniversary, however, manifested itself in an unexpected way.

One afternoon, when Zen entered the kitchen upon finishing up another book, he saw that Valentina was sitting on a stool next to the oven. A hot, sweet smell wafted over from said oven, filling the Riolu boy's nostrils and getting more intense.

"Are you…baking a cake?" Zen asked, because that's what it smelled like.

In response, Valentina simply turned around and winked at him. That's how Zen knew that the answer was yes.

Half an hour later, Valentina pulled the cake out of the oven and set it on the counter to cool. She then started applying frosting to it, using a veritable rainbow of colors.

"What design are you putting on it?" the Riolu boy enquired. His owner's response was once more to simply wink at him.

A few minutes later, Valentina had evidently finished decorating the cake. She carried it over to the kitchen table so that Zen could admire her work.

It didn't take more than a few seconds for him to cry.

The cake had been glazed over in white frosting, but a rainbow had been painted over the white by Valentina. That wasn't the part that caught Zen's attention, though.

In black letters, the icing spelled the following: ONE YEAR SINCE WE MET!, exclamation point and all.

"What's wrong, Zen?" Valentina asked him. "Crying isn't the most common reaction to getting a cake."

"I know…sniff…it's just…sniff…I knew the date I ran away from home…sniff…but I didn't think you'd keep track…sniff…too."

Valentina smiled. "I did remember. Celebrating anniversaries, something I miss greatly. Well, at least I can celebrate this anniversary with you."

Not all of Zen's tears, however, were from joy.

"That's also…sniff…the day my parents died. They died to save me. So it wasn't…sniff…the best day of my life. No offense."

The smile vanished from Valentina's face. "Oh…I can't believe I was so shortsighted. I'd like to apologize for that. But no offense was taken, Zen. I can understand why it's not a happy memory for you."

"That's…sniff…putting it mildly. But since you made a cake, let's eat it. It looks great."

Valentina wasn't just a good cook of main courses; she was also a highly skilled baker. The way the warm yellow cake practically melted in Zen's mouth, coupled with the icing…it was just like what he imagined heaven might be like. It was heaven on Nexus.

"Thank you," the young Riolu said. "This cake is just…awesome."

Valentina's eyes sparkled. "I'm very glad I could make it for you. We all have good days and bad days, but I hope I was able to make this one of your good days."

"You did," Zen sniffled. His tail was moving slowly back and forth, but he barely felt this in the midst of the cake-induced euphoria.

Valentina smiled again. "Thank you, Zen. I really appreciate it. If there's ever anything I can do for you, within reason, then just let me know. That's what family is for."

The Riolu boy left the table that afternoon feeling just a little happier than he had before. There was a spring in his step as he returned to his room in order to continue the novel he'd been reading.

It didn't last.

Oh my Arceus, it's been a whole year. In that time, I went from having kind, loving parents to being an orphan.

Valentina might try, but she'd never be as special to Zen as his parents had been. There was just something different about her as opposed to Raine and Nathaniel Lucario.

That didn't make her less loving, but she simply couldn't replace Zen's parents. And he'd been without them for a year.

The Riolu boy hated to admit it, but the image of their faces were starting to become a little less acute in his mind. He still felt very much loved whenever he thought of his birth parents, but he could no longer picture exactly what they'd looked like.

Quite frankly, this scared the hell out of him. How long until he completely forgot their faces? How long until he couldn't remember anything they'd said or done?

I'm going to hold on tightly to their memories. I can't forget, no matter what.

Zen tried to go back to the novel, but the tiny black print swam around in front of his face. His vision became increasingly blurred; whether this was from tears or tiredness, he wasn't sure.

I guess I'll just take my focus off the book for a bit, he thought to himself. Give my eyes a rest. Then I'll go back to it, because I really do want to see what happens.

Once he'd closed the book, then closed his eyes, it didn't take long for Zen to fall asleep, even though he hadn't meant to. And his dreams took him to an unexpected place.

He found himself sitting on a bed, only it wasn't the bed he'd grown accustomed to in Valentina's home. Rather, it was surrounded by dark stone walls, which might sound forbidding, but only if one has never lived there.

It was the cave he'd lived in during his first six years.

Zen took deep breaths, trying not to freak out at the fact that he was here. At any moment, the hunters might come in and slaughter him.

At the same time, however, he felt a certain level of peace. It was a subtle reassurance that, as terrified as he may have been, everything would be all right in the end.

"Zen, my boy!" announced a gruff male voice.

The young Riolu was able to make out a creature walking into the room. He was a Lucario, standing tall over Zen's bed. This Lucario, however, didn't look as solid as most Pokémon did; his figure was shimmering.

Despite his status as a Fighting type, he didn't seem to be in the mood for fighting; quite the opposite, in fact.

"D…Dad?" Zen stammered, looking at the Lucario. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be dead, aren't you?"

"Why, yes. In your world, I am what mortals refer to as dead."

Something dawned on the Riolu boy; it was as though a lightbulb had been switched on in his brain.

"You're dead. And I see you. That must mean…".

Nathaniel chuckled. "You're not dead, Zen. You're just a visitor here. So please, just breathe, okay? There's no need to panic; far from it."

Zen did as he was told. He took long, deep breaths, trying to relax his racing mind. He still had a lot of questions, to put it mildly.

"So what about Mom? Is she here too?"

Zen's father nodded. "She couldn't join me right now, but rest assured that she is with me here on the other side. And you should know that both of us love you very, very much. We're sorry that we're gone, but we would do it all again in a heartbeat - not that we have, or need, beating hearts anymore."

The Riolu boy couldn't help but giggle a bit. Even so, the word gone hit him harder than he'd thought it would. Even after a year, some things just didn't get easier.

"Actually, Zen, allow me to correct myself. We're not gone. We will never be gone. We'll always live inside you, and one day, you will be able to join us again. I'm sure that we will have much to talk about."

Zen sighed again. "So if I'm not dead, why are we meeting here right now?"

His father shrugged. "Even once you're with the universe, there are certain things you'll never know the answer to. And I don't know why either, but I'm extraordinarily grateful for this opportunity."

Nathaniel then reached over and patted Zen on the head. It was oddly uncomfortable to be touched by a ghost - it was rather like walking through a frigid waterfall. And it was painful in another way, too, because it was yet another stark reminder of reality.

Zen grimaced. "Could you please not do that, Dad?"

His father stiffened up a bit. "Oh, sorry about that, boy. I've grown used to hugging your mother, but where we are, we're not ghosts. It's easy enough to forget that when I visit you, I can't have a physical body."

"I forgive you," Zen replied. "And, just like you love me, I love you so much I don't know how to express it."

Nathaniel chuckled. "Rest assured, however much you love me, your mother and I love you more. There's nothing like a parent's love for their child. And we're both extremely proud of you as well."

After that, the dream ended, and Zen woke up to the sunlight streaming in through the window. He'd slept later than expected.

"Zen! Breakfast is ready!" Valentina exclaimed playfully from outside his room. "Come here, sleepyhead!"

The Riolu boy couldn't help but chuckle. It was evident that Valentina didn't want to insult him; it was all in good fun. Still, he wouldn't forget the dream he'd just experienced any time soon.


After the first anniversary of Zen moving in with his new caretaker, life returned to its normal pattern, for better or worse.

Some things were different. For instance, Valentina would occasionally leave the house and travel to the market. She would always bring milk, eggs, butter, or cheese with her, but never the Riolu boy.

This wasn't for lack of effort on Zen's part. He might have loved the woods, but something about going to town sounded even more exciting. It would be a whole new world for him, with plenty of new possibilities.

Unfortunately for him, Valentina's answer was always the same.

"You're too young" she would say, swatting some of her bangs out of her face. "I wish I could say yes, but I can't."

And so the lady would go off on her own, driving her rustic-looking car to town, wherever "town" was. Of course, Zen hadn't seen many motor vehicles in his life, but this car didn't look like anything fancy, especially when compared to Cedric Nale's pickup truck.

I've never ridden in one. Maybe I will someday, though. And what a day that'll be!

After making Zen promise that he wouldn't stray away from the house or do anything else that might be risky, Valentina would be gone for hours. The young Riolu wondered how far away the market was, or if maybe she had friends there whom she hadn't told him about.

If she does have friends there, that's none of my business. There's more to her life than just me, as much as she seems to love my company.

More than once, during these long hours without Valentina, Zen would glance out the window at the yard. How easy would it be to slip outside without her noticing, just spend some time breathing in that delicious fresh air? To hang out or play with Rizal, then head back inside as though nothing had happened?

It would be deceptive, yes, and he would hate to betray Valentina that way. But if she never knew about it, what was the harm?

In the end, Zen invariably came to the conclusion that there would indeed be harm. Even if Valentina never found out about his transgression, he would still have it on his conscience, the fact that he'd broken the trust of the living person who cared for him most.

Whenever Valentina returned from town, she'd have a special dinner to prepare for Zen, having purchased new ingredients from the market. She made him something called pulled pork one day, lathered in a special sauce, which made the young Riolu's mouth water like that of a rabies victim. That was almost worth being alone for so long…almost.

The other new development was that Valentina seemed more and more willing to speak to Cedric Nale. This surprised Zen to no end, since she had always told him to fear Mr. Nale; that was why she didn't want the Riolu boy near Rizal unsupervised. But why?

Perhaps she doesn't fear him as much, because she's a human. She doesn't have to worry about getting hunted down, because nobody wants to hunt her.

Every so often, she would tell Zen that she'd be heading over to Mr. Nale's house for a cup of tea, or just to talk, and to remain well-behaved while she was gone. She was never away for very long on these trips, but her absence still felt the same.

Time kept on passing, and the Riolu boy had ample time to wonder what came next for him in life. He was, for the most part, content to live with Valentina for now, but he knew that the day would come when he would not be. One day, he would want to leave.

But where will I go? I guess I'd fend for myself in the woods, but how would I do that when I've been inside for most of the year?

About once a week, Zen would work up the courage to ask Valentina if he could hang out with Rizal again. Ever since she'd befriended Mr. Nale, she'd seemed to be in a better mood; perhaps she would be more amenable to this idea.

Her answer was still the same as it had always been: No. This left Zen dejected as he returned to his room; worst of all, with every failed attempt, he became convinced that the chances of success were higher the next time. As such, his hopes were lifted higher and higher before they fell like a freight elevator whose chains had been cut.

One particular winter day, the Riolu boy had once again steeled himself for whatever Valentina might say. He was determined, this time, not to lose sight of his eventual goal if the lady refused to let him speak to Rizal.

Zen didn't think he would ever forget Valentina's response here.

"Just breathe, Zen. Relax. I'll let you go out on your own one day, but first, I have to get to know Mr. Nale, just a little better."

Zen frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Valentina sighed. "I'm trying to become friends with him so that he won't want to hurt you. I might not like his hobby, but if we are neighbors, we might as well coexist peacefully."

"But…" the Riolu boy replied.

"I promise you, Zen, this won't be forever. It'll only be until I feel comfortable letting you go out on your own. That day hasn't come yet."

After that, Zen returned to his room and sat in a chair next to his bed. He was tempted to cry, but knew that it would get him nowhere. On this, Valentina simply would not budge.

It's just like Valentina said. I need to relax, and not focus on trying to grow up quickly. After all, you're only young once.


For what it's worth, I didn't originally intend to add the cake scene. However, I felt that this chapter needed that extra something, so there it is. Also, the chapter title came from the song "Just Breathe" by Pearl Jam.

I would greatly appreciate if you guys would review, favorite, and follow to let me know what you thought. I'll see you guys next time.