Looking through old photos on her pokedex, Haruka felt a sense of nostalga. She remembered the day she started her journey. Satoshi had gone out of his way to prove to her father that he could protect her before asking his permission on her behalf. She was estatic when he said yes, but nearly changed her mind about going when Mitsuko had insisted she take her half brother Masato. Why her father agreed she couldnt understand. He was only six at the time and was severly obnoxious.

Over the years, Mitsuko made sure everyone knew where Haruka stood. Yes she was Senri's first child, but she wasn't HER child. Masato however WAS her child and so she treated him much better. In her eyes, he could do no wrong, while every minor inconvience somehow always wound up being Harukas fault. Somewhere along the line, Mitsuko had convinced Senri that Haruka was a problem child. Because of this, the brunette had spent most of the last nine years away from home, only returning for holidays and important family get togethers.

She turned to the next photo and saw a very happy Munchlax scarfing down a bowl of Pink Surprise pokeblock. Tears filled her eyes as she recalled why he wasn't with her anymore. As she wiped them away, the device in her handbegan to vibrate.

Reading the incoming text sent her blood pressure skyrocketing. A photo of an unhappy looking newly evolved Snorlax stood next to a beaming fifteen year old Masato.

Hey Haruka, look! Isn't it great?!

What the hell?! Why did you do that? I told you not to!!! Typing furiously, Haruka struggled to keep her cool. But her brothers next message didnt help.

Mom said I could.

He's not HER pokemon! Or yours! He's MINE!!! She wanted to add Mitsuko wasn't her mother but before she had the chance, Masato showed his unbearable entitlement.

Well, I'm the one training him. If you didn't want me evolving him, you shouldn't have left him with me.

Angry tears were forming in her eyes. She had to take a moment to calm herself down before she finally replied. I only left him with you because she made me! I'm so tired of your shit dude... You're so spoiled and entitled it makes me sick!

You're just mad because mom likes me best.

No shit she likes you better, I'm not her kid you moron! When he didn't instantly reply, Haruka felt like she would literally pass out from how high her blood pressure was getting. So she decided to end the conversation on her terms.

You know what... Lose my number, keep Snorlax, and leave me the hell alone already! You got what you wanted, you got MY dad, MY pokemon, MY savings money... I'm so done with you.

Before Masato had a chance to reply, Haruka switched off the pokedexs power. Throwing it across the room, it landed with a soft thud right next to the door which was opened revealing a very confused Hikari.

"Are you ok?"

"He evolved Munchlax!" Cringing slightly at the high pitched scream of her best friend, Hikari closed the door and bent down to pick up the red machine. "He knew I didn't want it, that Munchlax didn't want it! I have been looking for an everstone for him for years and for what?!"

"Haruka, calm down." Walking over to the bed the bluenette sat down next to her distraught friend, hoping to find out what was wrong. "It's not healthy to be this mad Haruka, chill out already."

"I can't Hikari." Ignoring her friends advice, Haruka did the opposite of calming down. "Things have gotten so much worse with them." She said dejectedly.

The change in her body posture set Hikaris nerve on end. Different scenarios of What could be gone wrong played through her head until she couldnt take it anymore and asked, "What do you mean?"

Throwing her hands up in defeat, Haruka explained how her step mother had basically manipulated her father into disowning her in favor of her half brother. "Mitsuko has convinced my dad to let Masato take over the gym instead of me."

"What?" Now Hikari was mad. Senri may have run the gym for the last 17 years, but that was only because he was waiting for Haruka to turn twenty one, which she recently had. "But that was your mom's gym! He only took over after she passed away. Masato has no right to it!"

"I know." With a hatered Hikari had never heard before, Haruka said "but Mitsuko has him convinced I'm some sort of slutty party animal who can't be trusted. That everything I say is a lie and that everything she does, she does because she loves me. But she's fucking crazy!"

"But you're none of those things. You don't even like crowds, how could you like to party?" Understanding why her friend had been so upset, Hikari quickly added, "Plus you're shy, and shy people don't normally sleep around."

"I guess I'm abnormal too." Haruka sighed with a bitter laugh. "You know they made me give him almost all of my pokemon?"

"What?"

Tears fell down her cheeks as Haruka recalled the day she set off for Sinnoh. Her step mother had convinced her father that she had abandoned her pokemon and so he gladly agreed to her plan. "I only got to keep Blazekin, Glaceon, and Skitty. Everyone else, Masato traded away for new pokemon... Except Munchlax. He kept him and evolved him against his will, just because he's rare in Hoenn."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as Hikari processed everything she had just heard. As Haruka sat sobbing quietly, she reached out her hand and grabbed one of the now tearstained ones. "Haruka, I know we've talked about this before... but maybe it's time you said something."

When she didn't immediately reject the idea like she had so many times before, Hikari figured she may have a chance of convincing her. Trying to alleviate any doubts she added..."You can live with me if anything goes wrong. Hell, you can live with me anyway. You wanna be Sinnoh queen anyway, wouldn't it make sense to live in Sinnoh?"

Haruka thought about what her friend said and realized she was absolutely right. She couldn't keep living this way, trying to please someone who doesn't want to be pleased. She was going to run herself into an early grave if she kept going at this rate. "You're right. Tomorrow I am going to call them and tell them exactly how I feel about everything."

"Good." After taking a minute to think, she added "I ran into Shinji." Looking at the floor she felt her brows furrow. "He was walking around outside while I was looking at the stars and came up to talk to me."

"What did he say?" Haruka knew about Hikaris mixed feelings. She also knew Hikari had a thing for Shinji, even if she didn't realize it yet herself, so she made sure to carefully pry for information.

"Nothing much." The bluenette answered trying entirely too hard to sound like she didn't care. "This is going to be his last journey before going for the championship."

"Even though he's a jerk, he'd make a better champion than Shirona." Haruka said. It was true she thought he wasnt the nicest person, but she also knew based on Hikaris stories, that he was extremely intelligent and unemotional when it came to making bug decisions. Shinji would make a good champion.

"He's not that bad." Hikari defended. As soon as she realized what she had said, she slapped her hand over her mouth. Worrying that she sounded interested in the violet haired man, she felt a flood of relief when Haruka simply laughed.

"Yeah right." The brunette hadn't missed the desperate tone in her friends voice, but she stayed silent in hopes she could gain more information.

"Anyway," Hikari said quickly changing the subject. "He's not important. What's important is figuring out what you're going to say tomorrow." Nodding in agreement, the two spent the rest of the night, preparing for the conversation Haruka really didn't want to have.