Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. Sorry it took so long to get this uploaded; I've been stuck on where I want to go with this story. Please, if you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. In the meantime, enjoy!

I slept most of the next couple of days in silence. Kevin and Eve came to visit every day, but I just ignored them; I had made up my mind in regards to them, and nothing they could say would change my mind. I resolved to leave them behind once I could leave, and the farther away I was from them and this place, the better. The other lady came in as well, occasionally poking at my injuries and checking something.

Then, one morning, she walked in with a different manner about her. "Good news, Ninetales," she said rather joyfully. "The doctors say you are free to go. I'm sure you're anxious to leave…" I cut her off as I rose without a word and jumped off the bed. She looked like she wanted to say something, but I ignored her completely, walking out the door. I was completely fed up with everything and everyone at the moment; I lost precious time that I could not afford to. The Xatu's warning rung in my head again; I knew my answers would be found with that mysterious Ninetales.

Outside, Kevin and Eve were waiting for me. I started to walk past them, but one of Eve's ribbons wrapped itself tightly around my waist and wouldn't let go. "What do you want?" I growled at her.

"I'm going with you," she said rather matter-of-factly. I stared at her in shock, and then glanced at Kevin. She spoke up before he could, saying, "No, he's not coming with me. We talked it over, just the two of us, and agreed that since you refuse his help, you will have to settle for mine. We are NOT letting you go alone; not anymore."

"Oh, really?" I snorted. "Did he release you from his service?" She shook her head. "No, he still has my ball, but that could work to our advantage. If a trainer tries to catch you, I can intervene and block it. Regardless, you need training in how to fight, and who better to do so than a Pokémon who has been training since birth?"

I grumbled about how I knew how to fight, but she just tightened her grip on me in protest. "Don't give me that! Both Kevin and I saw your fight with Houndoom; you were hopelessly outmatched. Didn't your Nan teach you how to fight other Pokémon?" I thought for a moment before saying, "Actually, she only taught me how to dodge. I think she counted on always being there to protect me, from both trainers and other Pokémon. In the end, though, she couldn't protect herself." I could feel tears pricking my eyes, but I ducked my head to hide them.

She seemed to notice my distress anyway, for her voice was softer. "I don't mean to belittle her sacrifice, but it was very irresponsible of her. The wild is no place for lax training." I spun on her and growled menacingly. "We kept our den well hidden from EVERYONE, human and Pokémon alike! And how would you know? You've been human-raised from birth; you've never been in the wild!"

"I've heard stories from my parents, who were wild!" she growled back; I was finally getting under her fur. "That's not the point. The point is it's extremely dangerous to simply wander in the wild, so you need to learn to protect yourself! I feel with my combat knowledge, I can help you much better than trying to learn on your own. Now, stop being so stubborn and LET ME HELP YOU!"

I turned away from her, trying to pull free, but her grip was too tight. Desperate, I tried a different tactic. "You say that the two of you talked it out; how? Did your 'bond' mature enough that he could guess at what you said?" To my surprise, she started to chuckle. "Actually, no. Turns out my ribbons serve another function besides calming people down; when I hold someone with my ribbons, I can communicate with them quite easily, as well as serve as translator for other Pokémon. So, he actually understood ever word you just said!"

I look over and see her other ribbon is wrapped around Kevin's ankle, and he seems to not be questioning anything we were saying to one another, so what she said must be true. "Now," she said firmly. "Why don't you tell me what your plan is from here on out? I know you need to head for the mountains, but you never told me why."

I glared at her; I didn't want the human to know that. "I'll only speak to you, not him. for all I know, he would follow us and catch…" I quickly caught myself before I betrayed any more information. She released her grip on Kevin and beckoned me to continue with her ribbon. Sighing, I said, "I was told by a Xatu that there is a Ninetales who lives at the base of the mountains; she had information about my past. She is also a friend of Nana, so I hoped she could help me free her from her trainer."

"There, now was that so hard?" she chided me. "You need to learn to trust people, especially if they are offering to help you. Now that everything is settled, we can start. I just need to say goodbye first." I saw her reach again for Kevin, but she paused to say, "I am going to tell him where we are headed, but only that; I promise." I nodded, and she let go of me for a moment.

She held Kevin in conversation for a while, so I decided to tune her out. I sensed someone close by, like a scent drifting elusively on the wind. I looked around, but saw no one but us. "All right, we can go," I heard Eve finally say, so I set out on the dirt path from the building. Once again, I felt her ribbons snake around my hind paw, pulling me to a stop. I turn to glare, only to notice her pointing the other way. "The mountains are that way," she commented matter-of-factly. I grumbled under my breath, but turned around and walked into the trees, Eve keeping pace beside me. What I didn't notice was the glance between Eve and Kevin as we vanished into the underbrush.

And there you have it; Sol is back on the road again, and this time with a companion. What will happen to the two of them this time? And will we see more of Kevin in the future? Find out next time!

Please read and review, and may your Ember never fade!