Beauty, Strength, and Words of the Heart

by Friedpickle32

"My Dear Son, Forge your own path, Anything is possible". I was supposed to receive my first Pokémon on the trip down to Pallet Town; Arceus had other plans for me that day. This is the tale of me, Pickle. Trainer, Coordinator, and a man of words, I'll let you be the judge of them. Rated T for some strong language. OCxOC pairing starting from Ch2

2. The Day Before Classes

Beauty, Strength, and Words of the Heart

Chapter 2: School Days Part 1

The Day Before Classes

Sorry for the really late update everyone. I had hoped that the start of classes wouldn't have hit me that hard. It also doesn't help that I fell sick for a month after visiting my family to attend my sister's wedding.

I would like to thank DragonBubz for being my very first reviewer. I will always try to respond to reviews through PMs.

Now, this chapter may contain some inconsistencies when you take into account Chapter 1. I did write most of this in less than a week without really looking back. But I had fun, so, bleh. I also got emotional at some parts, you may see which ones.

Warning: there is also a lot of fluffy stuffs, teasing, more fluff, and stuffs, and more cursing. I rated this T for a reason, so don't get your Weedles in a bunch.

If you would please let me know if I laid it on too thickly or not thick enough in the reviews, that would be really great. Thanks. I believe I have also adopted a new writing style, so comment on that as you will.

Edit (Nov 12th, 2020): Fixed some minor spelling mistakes and reduced the syllable count of the last line of one of the pieces of poetry by one.

Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own Pokémon. Pokémon is (according to Wikipedia) the property of Nintendo, Game Freak, Creatures, and The Pokémon Company. I only own the OCs (practically the entire character cast exclude Nurse Joy).

I also have made a few references to pieces of certain media, If you catch said references, I don't own those either. Those are owned(?) by SWE and TFS going by the order I wrote them in by. And the guy that voiced the cat.

Chapter word count: a lot, over triple the word count of chapter one.

Please enjoy the chapter.

~ Friedpickle32

---

Pickle's Point of View:

"The sun is shining, the wind is blowing, and the city is bustling," I observed. "I doubt this day can get any better!"

Today may not be the first day of classes, but hey, might as well look good and feel comfy at the same time, right? First impressions mean nothing to me if I can't feel comfortable.

A black zip up sweater complete with a hood, which is currently occupied by Shiro. A dark green sports-tee with the buttons left undone to display the silver chain and pendant I've had for as long as I remember. I had on a newly purchased pair of dark blue jeans and a pair of black hiking boots. I had my hair tied up with two hair ties. One to keep the hair up, the second to keep the first in place. The ponytail was hanging over my left shoulder, reaching down as far as my stomach.

"Looking good, Pickle!" I heard Matthew greet from my right. "But, damn, aren't you boiling in that?"

My best friend came running towards me and slowed to match my pace.

"Matt, have you ever known me to complain about the heat?" I responded, turning towards him.

Don't know how, but I've always had a higher than normal tolerance for heat. The only downside? My cold tolerance. And speaking of which...

"Now, how is it that you are able to wear those during the colder seasons?"

Matt was donning a pair of dark blue swimming trunks, a grey T-shirt, and a pair of white runners. The beads of sweat on his face told me he was already feeling the heat.

"Touché. So..." He started. "He's in the ball?" He questioned.

"Nah," I answered. "Check the hood."

Matt slowed his pace to step behind me. After a few moments he was back at my side.

"Sleeping like a log," Matt confirmed.

"Thought so. Haven't felt a wiggle since he flew in there," I chuckled. "He really is one of a kind."

One of Shiro's newly developed habits: passing out in my sweaters while I'm wearing them. I thought he died the first time he did it. After calling his name around 6 times he flew right out with the little mid-air performance of his. It didn't take me too long to get used to it though. Others may find his antics inconvenient, I find them rather endearing

"I believe this is the place," Matt said, snapping me back to reality."I believe this is the place," Matt said, snapping me back to reality.

"Welcome to Viridian City Trainers' Academy, Home of the Viridian Butterfrees!" I heard from a large speaker nearby.

"What was your first clue?" I asked sarcastically, looking around at everything going on.

"I don't know, maybe that?" He pointed towards a giant inflatable Butterfree in the sky above us. 'Viridian City Trainers' Academy' was written in large print on its stomach and wings.

"Y'know what Picks? I'm going on ahead to sort out classes and stuff. I'll look around later," Matt said before rushing towards the central building.

I, however, was distracted by something else.

In the middle of the courtyard was an excessively large inflatable projector screen. The Academy was displaying video clip after video clip of well known Trainers in their spotlights.

I made my way over, keeping my distance from the large crowds. I managed to find a nice spot with a clear view of the screen in the shadow of a large tree.

The first clip I saw had a cerulean blue-eyed woman with long white hair that was tied up with an ornament in the shape of a large snowflake. She was wearing a long, crystal blue dress that covered one shoulder and ended just below the knees.

In front of her was what I believe to be a Ninetales. A pale blue in colour, rather than yellow. The different colour seemed to make it look more...elegant, if I had to give a word.

"Ninetales, start us off with Powder Snow."

The fox shot a greyish cloud up towards the ceiling and snow soon starting to gently fall.

"Add some Hail into the mix!"

The fox shot another cloud to the ceiling and hail started falling alongside the snow.

"Icy Wind to gather the snow and hail!"

Ninetales opened her mouth and shot out what seemed to be a few tornadoes, drawing in nearby precipitation.

"Now, Mist and Aurora Veil while the Icy Wind is active. Then prance around while using Dazzling Gleam."

Shortly after disappearing in a cloud of mist, a small orb of white light appeared and started dancing about the stage, catching each snowflake and ball of hail with its rays, reflecting off as different colours for every flake and ball captured by its light.

"Now capture the sight with an Ice Beam!"

The storm died down, revealing a majestic ice sculpture of one of the legendary birds of Kanto, sparkling in the remnants of Dazzling Gleam: Articuno.

The clip ended with a picture of the trainer petting her Ninetales. The name of the trainer shown along the bottom of the screen: Lilliana Snowblossom.

"Wow," was all I could say.

"I know, right?" A melodious voice chirped behind me. "I've had the pleasure to watch many of her performances live. Each one was just as lovely as the last."

I turned around to see what I could only describe as the closest thing to the personification of one of Arceus' divine messengers.

A young lady, just barely shorter than I, with long wavy aquamarine hair that fluttered in the wind. Her gemstone coloured eyes were what stood out most to me. One coloured a pale purple or faint pink. The other matching her crystal blue hair. A pair of colours that seemed to fit together exclusively for her.

She wore a black skirt that ended at her knees and a black blouse under a white vest. The vest was decorated with pale purple and crystal blue snowflakes. She had on a pair of black laced knee-high boots and had a cute black wool beret with white snowflakes sewed on it.

Wow.

"Mia Snowlily. Enchanté," she introduced herself, giving a slight curtsy.

Mannerisms of the 'proper lady', I see. A slight accent in her voice too. Not common in Kanto. She must have arrived from elsewhere.

"The pleasure's all mine, Miss Snowlily," I bowed politely. "Phoenix Lucius III," I continued, raising my head. "But all of my friends call me Pickle. I would prefer you call me the same."

"Alright… Pickle," she replied before giggling. She was clearly holding back. "Sorry. It'll take some time for me to get used to saying it. Feel free to call me by my given name though. It feels odd being addressed by my family name."

"Vulpix~"

A small fox Pokémon stepped out from behind her. A beret exactly like Mia's was perched on her head. Mia knelt down beside her and started petting her fluffy snow white fur.

"Vulpix, what are you doing outside of your ball?" She questioned the fox.

Vulpix didn't say anything. She only nuzzled against her trainer in response.

"Alright, alright. You can stay outside," Mia said softly. "Now, go on and greet Pickle."

I knelt down and held out my hand for the white fox as she cautiously walked over. After sniffing my hand for a little while, she pushed her head against it.

I looked to Mia for advice only to see a surprised look on her face.

"She wants you to pet her?" The surprise was even more evident in her voice. "She never does that to anyone she just met. It took a full week before she'd let my mother touch her."

I looked back at the fox who had stopped nuzzling my hand.

"Do you want me to pet you?" I asked Vulpix who only nodded her head in response. I then began to slowly stroke her head.

"She's cold. Not what I was expecting from a Vulpix."

"What do you mean?" Mia asked. "I thought that was common for Ice types."

"Ice? I thought Vulpix were Fire types," I responded, pulling my Pokédex out of my bag. "Might as well see what the dex says."

I turned the device on and aimed it at Vulpix.

"Vulpix. Female.

The Fox Pokémon.

No nickname.

Regional form: Alolan.

Type: Ice.

Ability: Snow Cloak.

Nature: Timid.

Original Trainer: Mia Snowlily.

Alolan Vulpix exhale air colder than -58 degrees Fahrenheit (-50 Celsius). In hot weather, this Pokémon will cool itself off by creating ice shards with it's six tails and spraying them around."

"An Alolan regional form. I take it that you're also from Alola?"

"Nope," Mia shook her head. "I'm from the Kalos region. Lumiose City, to be more specific."

Mia knelt down and picked up her Vulpix. "So that's what she meant when Auntie said you were special," Mia said, looking at her Pokémon with wonder. "She is my first Pokémon. A gift from Aunt Lily"

"A gift, huh? That's usually the case for someone's first Pokémon." I said. "Probably unlike most other trainers here, I was chosen by my first Pokémon." As if on cue, Shiro began wiggling around in my hood. "And it looks like he just woke up."

"Woke up?" Mia repeated questioningly.

"Yeah. He hates being in his ball," I explained. "Have a seat. It'll be easier to introduce him that way," I suggested.

Mia sat down against the tree, placing her Vulpix beside her. I took a seat in front of her, making sure we were still in the shade.

"Shiro, you ready?" He wiggled a little. "I'll take that as a yes," I smiled once more. "Don't go too far away. We aren't inside yet." Another little wiggle. "You ready, Mia?"

"Yes, Pickle. I'm ready," She nodded, Pokédex in hand.

"Alright Shiro, we're ready. Land on my arm nice and slow," I started snapping my fingers.

I felt the weight in my hood disappear as Shiro slowly flew over my head. I stopped snapping as he was landing.

"Mia, this is Shiro, my first Pokémon," I held my arm out towards her. "Shiro, the other person here is Mia, a new friend." I looked back at her.

"A white….Zubat?" She questioned, fiddling around with her Pokédex. "Ah, here we go," She prepared her Pokédex for scanning Shiro.

"Zubat. Male.

The Bat Pokémon.

Nickname: Shiro.

Type: Poison/Flying.

Ability: Infiltrator.

Nature: Jolly.

Original Trainer: Phoenix Ignatius Corbett Klaus Lucius III.

Zubat have no eyes and rely on ultrasonic wave emissions for navigation. They remain in dark spots during bright daylight hours as prolonged exposure to sunlight will burn their skin."

"Alright Shiro, you may now give her the usual greeting," I told the bat who immediately started his happy little dance.

"He's so small and cute," she observed.

"Smaller than most Zubat, yes."

"But white?"

"He's albino. The difference between a normal Zubat and an albino one is purely aesthetic," I explained. "But this Zubat in particular is…special."

"Hmm?"

"Compare everything about his entrance and what he's doing right now to the Pokédex entry," I instructed her. "There's a vital difference between Shiro and a regular Zubat that cannot be distinguished by looks alone."

Mia put a hand to her chin and closed her eyes in thought. After a short period she opened her eyes.

"Nothing really comes to mind, Pickle," she reported.

"Vul! Vul! Vulpix!~"

We turned to see Vulpix prancing around with Shiro dancing around above her.

"Oh!" Gears were finally spinning in Mia's head. "It has to do with sound!"

"You are correct, Mia. Shiro can't emit sound like other Zubat," I saw her smile vanish. "Yes. In other words, he's mute."

"How is he doing, y'know," Mia pointed at the dancing pair of Pokémon, "that?"

"While Shiro is indeed mute, that does not necessarily mean he's incapable of using echolocation," I explained. "Shiro is able to navigate with external sound. He's likely using Vulpix's voice as a guide right now," watching the pair playing around. "Ideally, I'd like him to evolve so he can take care of himself if the time ever comes for us to part ways," I told Mia. "But that's his decision to make: to evolve or not. I should not force him to change but let him choose to do so himself."

"Wow. You've put so much thought into it. How long ago did you meet him?" She asked me.

"A little under a week ago, actually."

"No way!" She gasped. "Not even a week? The way you talk about him had me thinking you've known him for months."

"He's not lying. I was there for most of it," an amused voice sounded from above causing Mia to jump. Her Vulpix immediately dropped into a battle stance and I rose to my feet.

"Matt, I thought you dropped that habit of trying to jump scare everyone," I called up into the tree. "What in Mew's name are you doing up there?"

"You know, the usual. Hanging around. Looking around..." he paused for a moment. "Spying on you and your girlfriend. The list could go on forever, really." I could practically hear the devilish smirk that was plastered on his face. "It's odd how I leave for less than an hour and you're already getting cozy with a girl."

Mia's face went bright red as soon as she processed what was said.

"W-what?! He's not— No. W-we only just met and— What?!" Mia stumbled over her words.

"How cute. That shade of red, how she stumbles over her words. The way she acts when embarrassed is the same way you act when you're drunk. Completely by accident, of course." The Giratina's advocate broke into laughter. "I can hear the wedding bells right now."

I took a deep breath. In...and out...in….and out….

"Might I suggest getting your Weedle-stung ass down here before Vulpix does it for us, Matthew?" I semi-threatened.

The white fox was still prepared to defend her trainer who had just regained her composure.

"Nah, I'm fine with teasing you from up here," Matt playfully replied. "Besides you wouldn't dare burn down a tree to get to me."

He doesn't know. I can use this.

"But Vulpix isn't—"

"Now now, Mia," I interrupted, causing her to look at me with confusion. "I'm sure Matt knows what a Vulpix is capable of," I said with a subtle wink.

"Of course, Pickle," she gave a slight nod.

There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes that told me she was on board for this, trainwreck or otherwise.

I returned my gaze upwards. "Are you sure you should be testing my patience, Matt?" I questioned him. "As far as I'm aware, you're not the one about to pull the trigger on the Vulpix."

"Please. If our roles were switched, you'd be the one up in this tree enjoying the front row seat for free blackmail material," Matt dismissed my words.

"Ah. But you see, you forgot one special consideration when it comes to choosing your seat."

"And that is…?"

"What is it you always say again?" I moved my hand to my chin for dramatic effect. "Ah, yes," I formed a devilish grin of my own. "First three rows are a splash zone."

"...Shit."

"Now Vulpix!"

Vulpix unleashed an Icy Wind and guided it up into the tree.

"Holy Burmy balls, that's cold!" Matt shouted in surprise.

Mia was giggling away at the base of the tree.

Then I noticed some outer branches encased in a thin layer of ice.

"Vulpix, that's enough!"

The white fox halted her offensive immediately.

*SNAP*

A small branch fell out of the tree.

"Not good," Matt muttered.

*SNAP*

"NOW OR NEVER!" Matt shouted.

Without a single thought I took a protective stance over Mia, leaning against the tree for support.

*SNAP*

I closed my eyes and braced myself for impact.

An impact that never arrived...and some clapping.

He didn't…

"False alarm," Matt stated simply.

He fucking did.

I relaxed my posture and helped Mia to her feet. I noticed Vulpix curl up against the tree.

"Damn, Pixie. That was quite the white knight act you pulled there," Matt commented. "I'm sure a certain someone feels really special right now."

I turned my head as I felt the heat travel to my ears.

"Finally cracked him. Take it in while you can, Miss. I doubt you'll see him like this for quite some time," Matt chuckled.

I heard some footsteps coming my way.

Don't come over here. Don't come over here.

Mia entered my field of vision and my ears grew even warmer.

Shit.

I turned away, but she just kept following. This continued for some time until I thought she finally backed off. Next thing I knew, I was secured by the shoulders.

"C'mon Pixie. Give the young lady a glance," He stated in a teasing tone. He then started whispering in a more serious tone. "I know how you act around girls, and this bashfulness is far too extreme for me to consider normal for you. Something clicked together when you two met, I know that much."

I tried elbowing him away, but with his brick wall build, it did next to nothing to him.

"Damn, bud. Calm down. Listen to me," he whispered once more. "Think of it like this: if nothing happens, then we can all laugh about it later. My coin, however, is in the chance of something happening. And if I know you well enough, and I like to think I do, I'd know that you are what they call a 'romantic' of some kind or other. "

Crap. He has me there.

"I'll be heading back to the shop now," Matt continued whispering. "Whatever happens after I leave is all according to your decisions. All I've done is given you my insight. Just make sure you don't have any regrets afterwards, alright?"

And just like that, Matt released me and walked away without a word.

Just as soon as he left, Mia entered my vision once more. I resigned myself to my embarrassment and resisted the urge to turn away as she got closer. My ears felt like they were on fire and my heart was beating at a mile per second.

A soft, gentle hand cupped my cheek while I felt my glasses being removed.

"Come on, Pickle. Won't you open your eyes for me?" She asked in her sweet voice. "All I want is a look."

Without a word, I reluctantly opened my eyes. The view I was expecting was not the one I was greeted with. Staring right back at me were Mia's lovely pair of mismatched orbs. A warm feeling began to stir in my core. Just as hot as my ears, but not as unpleasant. With every second I spent looking into her eyes, that warmth only grew stronger. Is this what it's like to be completely entranced?

"Beautiful," I stated without hesitation. "Absolutely beautiful."

She flushed a slight pink but retained her composure. With the sweetest smile, she spoke.

"Yours are lovely too."

"Describe them for me, Mia," I requested. "Please."

I want to hear more of your voice.

"Your eyes are a stern yet gentle brown. The very same that reminds me of a father's protection and conviction. Yet they shine with the young wonder of a child," She carefully observed. "Tell me, Phoenix. What do mine look like to you?"

"I see a pair of gemstones," I described, moving my hand to cup her right cheek. "The first, a pink amethyst. A gentle and loving nature much like a mother's. The other, an aquamarine. The youthful purity of the sea," I noticed her smile growing wider. "A beautiful pair that I wouldn't regret losing myself within time and time again."

A pair I never want to find my way out of.

For what seemed like hours, we stood there gazing into each other's eyes.

"Oh my, Mia. What do we have here?"

An unfamiliar voice? No, No. I've heard it somewhere before.

I broke our gaze to see who spoke. Without my glasses I could only make out the outline of an older woman.

"I mean I did tell you to find a partner, but I didn't think you'd find one this quickly." The voice seemed amused. "And not that kind of partner either. But hey, I can't argue with results. You found one nonetheless."

"Aunt Lilliana?"

Wait, Lilliana?

"Yes, dear." The voice laughed. "It's me. Lilliana Snowblossom. Queen of the Kalos Contest circuit and your beloved Aunt. Finally snapped out of it, have you not?"

It is her. Neat.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Mia asked cluelessly, putting my glasses on her face.

Lilliana laughed once more before addressing me.

"Young man, I think you broke her."

"No, ma'am. I think she broke me," I joked back. "I can't see anywhere near as well as I could before I met her."

"Oh, I can tell that much," Lilliana confirmed. "For as long as I've known her, I've never known Mia to be one that wears glasses."

"Wait. What?" Mia reached for her face, feeling up my specs. "Oh," She simply said before realization set in. "OH!" She fumbled around trying to return my glasses to me. " I'm so sorry, Pickle."

"Don't worry about it, Mia," I returned them to their rightful place on my face. "But I'd rather be able to see your cute face than not at all," I teased. "Just a thought to keep in mind, nothing more."

"Blind as a Zubat without your glasses. I'll keep that under advisement," Mia noted with pink cheeks. "Speaking of Zubats, where'd Shiro go?"

"I have an idea," I pointed at the Vulpix laying against the tree.

Under her tails I could make out a part of a white wing.

"Vulpix, time to wake up," Mia called.

"Vul~pix," the white fox slowly got to her feet and started stretching. She then woke Shiro with a few nudges with her nose before running over to us.

"Alright, buddy. Come on over for some food," I called him over while reaching into my bag for a Pecha Berry. Shiro was circling me in the air. Grasping a berry, I held out my hand for Shiro to eat. "It's ready," I told the bat who was already preparing to devour his sweet berry antidote of goodness.

"Young man, what is your name?" Lilliana asked with authority.

"Pickle," I simply stated. I knelt down to pet Vulpix, which I'm pretty sure surprised Lilliana.

"Your full name, if you would please," she politely rephrased.

I sighed. "Phoenix Ignatius Corbet Klaus Lucius III," I complied.

"Odd name, white Zubat, great with Pokémon..." Lilliana muttered before addressing me once more. "You must be one of the boys Professor Cedar told me about. The one with it, are you not?"

"It?" Mia tilted her head in confusion.

I sighed once more. "I have no idea what you're talking about," I told her. Seeing that Shiro finished his berry and had switched to settling on my head, I knelt down and pulled out a berry to feed to Vulpix.

"Perhaps this will remind you," Lilliana suggested.

"Aunt Lilliana, is that a…?" Mia started to ask.

"Yes, Mia. It is indeed." Lilliana confirmed. "And if ol' Cedar hasn't gone senile yet, your boyfriend should have one as well."

"He's not my—" Mia was interrupted.

"This piece of evidence says otherwise."

Now that. That is how you get me to look back up. Well played, Lilliana. Well played.

After feeding Vulpix her berry, I stood back up to see Mia holding a photo.

I moved around so I could see the subject of the picture. I could feel my face turn red as I examined it closer. It was a picture of Mia and I cupping each other's cheeks, my forehead resting on hers as we lost ourselves in the other's eyes. In the background you could see Vulpix and Shiro playing around in the shade of the tree.

I thought nobody was watching.

"H-how long were we like this?" Mia bashfully asked her aunt, still staring at the photo.

"Reports about a pair of female trainers making out on campus first came in about… two hours ago now?" Lilliana recalled. "I started moving when I heard a trainer describing the situation in excessively excruciating detail about an hour ago. Nobody has hair like yours, Mia."

"So you sat around and watched us for an hour?" I asked.

"Forty-eight minutes." She corrected me. "That trainer said some...vulgar things about what he'd love to do with my niece. I had to... teach him a lesson," she explained. I could hear a sharp edge in her voice.

Note to self: Lilliana is not one I should piss off.

"And you only just decided to approach us?" I continued.

"Of course! Mia's mother would kill me if she found out I ruined one of her daughter's special 'moments'," Lilliana defended herself. "Maya would at least spare my bacon if I told her I waited the better part of an hour before making my entrance."

"Fair enough," I agreed.

"But enough of that, young man. Are you or are you not in possession of one of these?" Lilliana asked once more, slightly more forceful than before.

I gave in and decided to look up from the picture. My eyes widened at the sight of a Cherish Ball sitting in Lilliana's outstretched hand. Slowly, I reached into my bag and pulled out the one belonging to Shiro.

"I am indeed," I answered truthfully. "I was instructed not to tell anyone about it. The only people who knew before today were myself, my best friend, Professor Cedar, and Viridian City's Nurse Joy. Why do you ask?" I put the Cherish Ball back into my bag.

With this being the first good look I had of her I noticed that the white-haired lady was dressed far differently from what I saw in the video clip. She was wearing a simple pair of dark blue jeans and a black blouse. On her feet was a pair of black ankle boots. She was wearing a pair of white shades that barely hid her cerulean eyes.

"Follow me," Lilliana said. "This is something I'd prefer not to talk about in public. You may come too, Mia. This might apply to you too."

"Right," Mia nodded while picking up her Vulpix.

Although the sunlight had dimmed since earlier, I still threw up my hood as a precaution for Shiro before we started walking to the central building.

We were about halfway to the building when Mia spoke up.

"I've been meaning to ask you, Pickle, but don't you feel warm in the outfit?"

"Nah, this heat feels really good, actually," I answered. "Beats freezing my limbs off by miles."

"Oh my, Mia. Already trying to get him to strip? How bold!" Lilliana teased her niece. "At least wait for me to leave the two of you alone."

"Aunt Lily," Mia whined. "We aren't like that."

"Not yet," Lilliana added, still teasing her. "The last thing I want to tell your mother after returning to Lumiose City is the story of how I became a grand aunt. At least wait a few years, won't you?"

Mia took a few seconds to process what was said before turning beet red and dropping Vulpix from her embrace.

"Aunt Lily," She whined once more.

Lilliana laughed for a little longer before turning around and hugging her niece.

"Oh my cute, precious, innocent little flower. You know I'm just kidding around." She reassured her niece.

I averted my eyes to avoid the awkward feeling of trespassing on a family moment when the little fox ran over to me and started nudging my leg to get me to pick her up.

"Besides, you are a mature and responsible young woman. I can rest assured knowing that you will do such things only when you're ready, and only with the right person." Lilliana then started whispering to her niece too quietly for me to hear.

The more I think about it, the more I can't see Lilliana as anything beyond a female version of Matt. Damn, I thought they only operated as male units.

"ISN'T THAT RIGHT, PHOENIX?" Lilliana suddenly called out, startling me out of my train of thought.

"YES MA'AM!" I yelled instantly, immediately straightening my posture and giving a military salute with my free hand while holding Vulpix with the other. Of course, Shiro chose this moment to poke his little head out from under the cover of the hood.

A few moments passed before both girls doubled over into a fit of giggles.

Yeah, Yeah, laugh at the guy with the Zubat on his head and the Vulpix in his arms. Real funny.

I could only watch the two laugh at me as I stroked Vulpix's cool fur.

When they finally returned to a state capable of travel, we continued towards the central building.

---

I couldn't help but freeze in awe at the sight of the lobby after taking my first steps inside. There were at least a hundred new trainers crowded around a long desk manned by five Nurse Joys. Every one of them was trying to sort out their schedules for classes starting tomorrow.

"Damn, should've come by with Matt," I muttered.

"Don't worry about that," Lilianna reassured me. "What we're going to talk about may let you skip all that chaos."

"What?"

"This way," Lilliana beckoned.

We followed Lilliana down one of the side hallways before stopping in front of a large brown door. Nailed on were a sequence of large brass letters:

"PROFESSOR RICHARD CEDAR

Please knock before entering."

Lilliana knocked on the door.

"It's me, Professor." Lilliana announced. "I have brought them both."

"Of course, young Lilliana," the Professor replied. "I will address them all at the same time. Come inside and have a seat."

Lilliana opened the door to reveal a rather large office. The entire left wall was a bookshelf completely filled up with educational materials, publications, and research papers on Pokémon. The right wall was a large shelf containing a mixed collection of certificates, Poké Balls, and smaller awards. Professor Cedar was seated behind a large wooden desk typing away on his computer. There were three chairs lined up in front of the desk. An unexpected guest was seated in the one on the left playing with his Squirtle. Upon noticing me, the Squirtle dropped to the ground and ran over to give my leg a hug before rushing back to his trainer.

"Squirt! Squirtle. Squirt!"

No doubt about who this Squirtle's trainer is.

"Matt? I thought you were at the shop."

"Nah, gramps let me take the day off," Matt said.

Cue the head motions of a peanut gallery watching a long volley in a game of tennis.

"So what the hell have you been doing since you walked off?"

"Since I gave you and your ladyfriend some alone time to start macking?" Matt reiterated. "Playing my cards," he said with a suspiciously devilish grin.

"Playing your cards?" I repeated. It took a few moments for me to realize what he meant. "No...it couldn't be… really? It was you?"

"That's right!" Matt smiled widely. "'TWAS I THAT SET THE HOUSE ABLAZE!"

He has clearly been waiting to say that.

"In all seriousness though, did I really have to be a girl in the rumors?" I whined at him.

Both Mia and Lilliana gave exaggerated nods, finally understanding what we were talking about.

"Did you really have to sic that on me while hiding the fact that it's an ice type?" Matt asked exasperatedly, pointing a shaky finger at the fluffy bundle of cuteness in my arms.

"Did you really have to frighten me by announcing yourself from up in the flippin' tree?" Mia defended me, rather aggressively I might add.

With my free hand, I gestured towards her while giving Matt a look telling him to actually listen to what she is saying.

"Please. I know you two enjoyed what happened after I left," Matt revealed a copy of the photo that Lilliana showed us earlier.

That shut the two of us right up with red faces.

"See? No denial. They totally liked it."

"Holy crap," Lilliana piped up. "It's a male me!" The way she said that almost sounded endearing. "Damn, It feels so weird seeing this from the outside."

With our dialogue at its conclusion, Professor Cedar made himself known with a deep, hearty laugh.

"Ah! The joys of youth," Professor Cedar chuckled. "These three remind me of the time when you were a student here, young Lilliana. Just as lively."

Mia looked at her aunt with surprise. "You were a student here, Aunt Lily?"

"Yep," She said proudly. "Take a look," Lilliana pointed a thumb towards a pair of trophies in the glass case.

The first was shaped like a pair of Dragon Pokémon, one red, the other blue. The two figures appeared to be circling a single purple orb. Engraved in large letters on the plate at the base was the following:

"Pokémon Trainer School League

Contest Division 1st Place

Viridian City Butterfree

Captain: Lilliana Snowblossom"

Behind the trophy was a photo of a large group of young trainers. The trainer with the biggest smile and holding the trophy at the front of the group was none other than a younger Lilliana. At her side was a white Vulpix identical to the one in my arms.

"Vulpix~"

The Vulpix started pawing at the glass case.

"Yes, Vulpix. That is your mother," Lilliana said with a smile, giving the white fox a little scratch under the chin.

"Take a good look at the other one too," Professor Cedar suggested. "I think you'll be surprised. Especially you, young Mia."

Following his recommendation, our eyes trailed to the second trophy.

This trophy featured a pair of Pokémon that were tinted in a similar fashion to the previous trophy. This pair had more gold trimmings and were more dog-shaped than dragon-shaped. The blue figure held a golden sword in it's mouth while the red one had the mane of a golden shield. The two figures appeared to be coming out from behind a really large Poké Ball. The engraving was nearly identical to the previous trophy:

"Pokémon Trainer School League

Battle Division 1st Place

Viridian City Butterfree

Captain: Maya Snowlily"

The photo, again, was nearly identical to the previous one. I had to do a double take when I saw the photo. The trainer holding the trophy this time looked nearly identical to Mia. The same crystal blue hair, the same cute smile. Hell, even the way that beret was sitting on her head was the same. The only difference was that both her eyes matched her hair colour instead of only one. Hopping for joy beside her was a… Sandshrew? Unlike the yellow ones here, this one was blue.

"Professor. What Pokémon is in this photo?" I asked him.

"That, young Pickle, is a Sandshrew," he explained. "Much like young Mia's Vulpix in your arms, Sandshrew also has an Alolan regional variant. It has the types of Ice and Steel."

"Mother was a student here too?" Mia asked her aunt.

"Yep," Lilliana nodded. "She preferred battling more than contests. I can't blame her. Slushie was a beast."

"Slushie?" Mia repeated the name. "Mother's Sandslash?"

Someone began knocking on the door right then and there.

"Ah. She's finally here," the Professor observed. "Come in! We're all here."

"Sorry for being late, Professor," the person apologized while opening the door. "Got held up at the airport. Someone nearly stole my luggage. Made him pay for it and made a beeline straight here."

Vulpix began struggling to get out of my arms. I had to let her go.

"I pity the poor fool that tried to take something from you," Lilliana chirped up.

"Nice to see you too, sister," the person greeted sarcastically.

Sister?

Entering the room was the very person I saw in the second picture except she was far taller and had much longer hair.

Like her sister, this person also chose to dress in something simple. A pair of light blue jeans and a crystal blue blouse. She was wearing the same black ankle boots as her sister.

"Mother!" Mia exclaimed, rushing over with Vulpix to show her affection.

"Mia! Vulpix!" Maya returned, letting go of her luggage to hug her daughter. "How are my little flowers doing?"

"We're doing fine, Mum," Mia answered.

"Oh, I know," Maya said lovingly, before scanning the room and stopping on me. She looked me dead in the eyes with a flare that said I wasn't leaving the office unscathed. "I was asking the young man over there," Her tone had a really familiar edge in it. Out of seemingly nowhere, Maya pulled out that one photo of her daughter and I by the tree. "Care to explain this, boy?"

Mia attempted to calm her mother down.

"Mum, it's not what we—"

I stopped following the conversation as soon as I saw Matt and Lilliana share a nonchalant high-five and fist bump.

"ARCEUS DAMMIT, MATT," I yelled, giving myself a facepalm. "How many cards were in that hand of yours?! How many houses did you set ablaze to get at me?!"

"Fifty. Maybe sixty," Matt shrugged. "Trying to make today memorable, you know?" That evil smirk made its way to Matt's face again. "Sure beats 'burning down' a tree with ice," he said, performing the air quote gesture for emphasis. "But hell does teasing you make for some great fireworks!"

"Couldn't say it any better myself," Lilliana gave her input.

"Please, Mew," I heard Maya pray. "Dialga, Palkia, Arceus, anyone! Give me anything. Just not another Lilliana. Please. One's bad enough."

"I take offense to that!" Matt and Lilliana retorted in perfect synchronization.

I looked to Professor Cedar for assistance only to see him sitting there drinking his tea with obvious amusement as he watched the scene unfold before him.

"Anyway…" Mia said, breaking through the chaos in the room. "Mother. What are you doing here in Kanto? I know why Aunt Lily is here considering she's the one who brought me along. "

"Much like your aunt, Professor Cedar was kind enough to grant me a special teaching position here," Maya explained, resuming the staredown she had with me.

"Miss Snowlily, you're making me feel uncomfortable with those daggers you're staring into me," I confessed, still holding eye contact. "You only wish to protect your daughter, I understand that much. You received a photo out of the blue showing your daughter and some random unknown guy in a somewhat compromising position and are taking action like any loving mother would."

I broke eye contact to bow my head only slightly. I did not want to lose the passenger on my head.

"I sincerely apologize for not having a firm handle on my decisions and emotions which put your daughter in that situation. While I do admit that I find your daughter attractive, I assure you that I had nothing but the purest of intentions. I am willing to any and every consequence, punishment, or handicap you may wish to impose upon me. But I request that such be applicable to myself and only myself as the fault lies solely within me."

For the next few moments I could hear nothing but the ticking of a clock, the pounding of my heart.

"Raise your head, young man," Maya commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied respectfully, returning my gaze to her crystal coloured eyes once more.

"I wish to see all of your Pokémon and their Poké Balls," she requested.

I looked at Professor Cedar for the green light to reveal it. He gave me an accepting nod with a neutral expression.

"Of course, ma'am." I said. "Right away."

I held out a hand and began snapping my fingers for Shiro to come out from his shelter. With my free hand I reached into my bag for the Cherish Ball. Once both were held in my outstretched hands, I returned my gaze to Maya, watching in anticipation. I did not expect to see both Squirtle and Vulpix hugging and nuzzling against my legs while giving Maya a look of defiance.

"Go on, guys." I told them. "Go back to your trainers."

Both Pokémon shook their heads, refusing to back off.

"Now now, little ones." Maya said, kneeling down to whisper something to them. After Maya stood back up, the Pokémon obediently returned to their trainers' sides.

Maya continued her advancement by first picking up the Cherish Ball. She brought it close to her face for examination. She studied every little nook and cranny of the ball before placing it back into my hand.

"It's not a replica," she announced for all in the room to hear. "It's a real Cherish Ball."

She then switched targets to Shiro, who was shaking in fear on my hand. She held out a hand against mine and started snapping with her free hand to indicate more space to move.

"Go on, Shiro," I told him. Shiro shook his small little head and refused to move. "You'll be completely fine," I told him once more with a shaky voice. He shook his head again. I could feel tears building up in my eyes as I fell roughly to my knees. The impact knocked my glasses off my face and I let go of the Cherish Ball as I moved to bring Shiro closer to my chest with both of my hands. Nobody said a word as both objects hit the ground.

With unclear vision, I looked back up at Maya, the tears freely flowing down my face. "Please," I pleaded with all of my heart. "Please. I'm begging you. My arms. My legs. My sight. Take anything you want. Just please don't take Shiro away from me." My pleading devolved into a mess of crying and coughing.

I felt the warm embrace of arms wrapping around me as I was pulled into a hug.

"Oh, sweetie," Maya cooed. "I didn't mean to scare you so much. I see how much you love Pokémon and how much they love you in return." She was rocking me back and forth as if I were a baby. "You, little one, have a special link with Pokémon. You felt the very same fear and sadness of separation that your dearest Zubat felt as if you were one being. From those feelings your duty to preserve and protect was realized and resonated with both the Squirtle and my daughter's Vulpix. After seeing how you acted and how much you treasure Pokémon, both those that belong with you and those of other trainers, I know that you never had any intention of harming my daughter in the slightest."

She then stopped rocking and looked me dead in my eyes once more. This time, however, she held a sweet and gentle gaze. She continued speaking in a whisper so that only I could hear her.

"You are special, young man. And I'd be flattered if you were to love my daughter anywhere near as much as you love Pokémon. Know that you have my blessing should the two of you develop a relationship that is closer than 'just friends' and that you will always have a place to call home with us as long as you follow this," She gently pressed on my chest where my heart was located.

Finished with her little exchange with me, Maya helped me to a seat as Vulpix and Squirtle retrieved the items I dropped. Shiro had chosen to settle on my head again, much to everyone's amusement. I needed some time to calm down.

"So, Mother," Mia broke the silence. "How are you, of all people, able to tell a fake Cherish Ball from a real one?"

"Oh, that's easy," Maya answered. "Mia, may I see Vulpix's Poké Ball for a moment?"

Mia handed the ball to her mother. "I don't see what this has to do with it, Mum."

"Just watch," Lilliana instructed.

Maya carefully removed the top half of the Poké Ball's casing. Underneath was a deeper, vibrant red that matched Shiro's ball.

"Mia, this is your Vulpix's real ball," Maya explained. "Professor Cedar had some casings prepared to hide the appearance of a Cherish Ball. I use the same kind of casing for Slushie's ball too."

"Yes, as young Maya explained, I try to locate the owners of Cherish Balls and offer to camouflage them," the Professor said. "There is an old legend that states that trainers in possession of these Cherish Balls are destined for great things. Having watched over young Maya and young Lilliana for years, I can verify that the legend is at least partially true."

"Aunt Lily, I can understand, being a Contest Queen and all, but Mother?"

"A Champion," Maya stated. "I am the reigning Champion of the Alola region, but I'll talk about that later."

Matt nearly fell out of his seat.

"Cherish Balls hold no mystical power on their own, which is contrary to the belief of the masses," Professor Cedar continued. "As such, individuals in possession of these false treasures are frequent targets of assault and theft, which is why I have been offering to camouflage these balls."

"But Professor," I started, still a little shaky. "Wouldn't that put you in danger as well?"

"Of course, young Pickle," Professor Cedar nodded. "But who do you think taught young Maya the basics of battling?" He asked, holding up a Poké Ball. "Gallade, come on out."

Materializing from a beam of white light was a white human-shaped Pokémon with rather round hips and strong legs. His torso was both thin and green and had sharp, red horns sticking out of its chest and back. His arms extended far past his elbows and resembled a pair of blades. The shape of his head reminded me of helmets that were so to have been used in ages past. He had red eyes and a white face that was spiky on the sides. The colour of the crest on his head matched that of Mia's hair. A peculiar stone was fastened to a necklace that hung around his neck.

The sudden appearance of such a large Pokémon frightened Vulpix into hiding behind the three of us sitting in the chairs.

Matt had pulled out his Pokédex and was already scanning the Pokémon.

"Gallade. Male.

The Blade Pokémon.

No nickname.

Type: Psychic/Flying.

Ability: Steadfast.

Nature: Brave.

Original Trainer: Richard Cedar.

Gallade are masters of courtesy and swordsmanship and will fight using the extending blades on their elbows. Due to their partial Psychic typing, Gallade are able to sense what their opponents are thinking and will move first, quickly pressing for a fierce advantage. Gallade will seek out those in need and will aid them in battle. While protecting something or someone, Gallade will fight in an especially savage manner."

Gallade turned to his trainer and proceeded to politely bow.

"Go on, Gallade," the Professor spoke. "Introduce yourself to our guests."

Gallade first turned to the tree of us sitting in chairs and gave us the same polite bow.

"Greetings. I am Gallade, one of Master Richard's companions," we heard out of seemingly nowhere. "I am currently communicating with you through telepathy. That is why you are unable to locate a source of my voice," Gallade explained. "While I am capable of sensing your thoughts, Master Richard has instructed me that it is more polite for me to formally ask for your names."

The three of us nodded as we gave Gallade our names.

"Lady Mia and Sirs Phoenix and Matthew. I will remember your names," Gallade bowed again before making his way to the Snow Sisters.

"Lady Lilliana. Lady Maya. It is lovely to see the two of you once more," Gallade bowed once more. "I must say, Lady Maya, your daughter looks exactly like you did when we first met. How is Sir Slushie doing, by the way? It has been some time since we last met and I would love to partake in a trial of strength with him once more."

"Oh Gallade, you're still acting like the gentleman I remember," Maya spoke. "Slushie's doing just fine. He's just a little tired after our trip from Lumiose City. Shall I bring him around tomorrow afternoon?"

"Actually, young Maya," Professor Cedar spoke up. "How would an exhibition match during tomorrow's opening ceremony work for you?" the Professor suggested. "I believe little Slushie would love the chance to show off his strength to the young trainers."

"Great idea, Professor Cedar. I'm sure it will be a great opening act for all the young trainers," Maya agreed.

"Indeed."

"I shall be waiting with anticipation, Lady Maya."

"I'm sure you will be," Maya smiled. "I will let Slushie know later on tonight."

"Of course, Lady Maya. You have my appreciation," Gallade bowed. Gallade then surveyed the room as if looking for something.

"May I meet the Pokémon here as well?" Gallade asked.

"Squirt! Squirt! Squirtle!"

Matt's Squirtle was the first one to make himself known to the polite Pokémon. Gallade knelt down to speak with the little turtle.

"Ah, I remember you. I see Sir Matthew is taking good care of you."

Squirtle happily nodded his head as he continued conversing with Gallade.

"Of course, Sir Squirtle. I'm sure you will become a very strong Blastoise, indeed," Gallade smiled before addressing myself. "Sir Phoenix. May I speak with Sir Shiro?"

Shiro took flight from my head and slowly landed onto my outstretched hands with a little spin and a smile.

"An energetic one, aren't you, Sir Shiro?" Gallade laughed. "Yes. I can communicate with you too. I'm sure you have things you want to accomplish with Sir Phoenix, do you not?" Gallade asked the small bat. "Interesting. I will want to hear more about that later on. Is there anything you want me to tell Sir Phoenix for you?" Gallade continued asking. "Of course, I will inform him right away. Thank you for your time, Shiro."

"Sir Phoenix. Young Shiro wants you to know that he will never be able to thank you enough for what you did for him when the two of you first crossed paths. He realizes how much his handicap limits his abilities and wishes to evolve as soon as possible to reduce the burden he has placed upon your shoulders. He expressed his desire to remain at your side forever and hopes that you will continue to feed him his favorite kind of berries," Gallade smiled.

I chuckled slightly at the bit about the berries before lifting my hands up closer to my face.

"I'm the one who should be thanking you, Shiro. Had you given up before reaching the tree beside my home, you and I would have never met and we wouldn't be here now. You were the one that set everything in motion, little guy. Don't worry about growing up too fast, we will get there in time. You're free to stay with me for as long as you decide. Just know that you were never and will never be a burden on me at all," I told him.

"Just don't go eating all of the Pecha berries, alright? Arceus knows when the Weedle will have it out for Matt again," I joked, placing the little bat back on his throne.

"Can't argue with that logic," Matt said. "The things are demon spawn, I tell you."

"Please," Lilliana scoffed. "Weedle are nothing."

"Lilliana, don't get me started on the Spinarak," Maya threatened.

"One word," Lilliana retorted. "Wurmple."

Maya gasped. "You wouldn't."

"Don't tempt me~" Lilliana returned the threat.

While those two kept each other in check, Gallade attempted to speak with Vulpix who was running circles around us. After some time Gallade made his way towards Lilliana.

"Lady Lilliana. Could you release Lady Ninetales from her ball?" Gallade requested. "I am having some difficulty trying to speak with her daughter and would like her assistance with this matter."

"Of course, Gallade." Lilliana nodded with her Cherish Ball in hand. "Alright, Ninetales. Do your thing!"

The same pale blue fox I saw on the big screen appeared after a familiar flash of red light and rainbow sparkles. I scanned it with my Pokédex as soon as I could.

"Ninetales. Female.

The Fox Pokémon.

No nickname.

Regional form: Alolan.

Type: Ice/Fairy.

Ability: Snow Cloak.

Nature: Gentle.

Original Trainer: Lilliana Snowblossom.

It is said that a deity resides in the snowy mountains where Alolan form Ninetales may be found. Ancient peoples thought this form of Ninetales was that deity's incarnation and worshipped it as such. Generally possessing a calm demeanor, this Pokémon will guide travelers who get lost around its habitat. It shows no mercy towards those who harm nature and will shower its enemies with drops of ice created in its coat, freezing victims in an instant."

"Vulpix!" The white fox cried as she ran to her mother.

"Ninetales~" the blue fox cuddled her daughter.

"Lady Ninetales, you haven't changed one bit," Gallade bowed before the larger of the foxes. "Might you create a situation so that I may speak with your daughter? I believe my appearance may have frightened her."

"Ninetales~" the mother nodded. She picked her daughter up by the scruff of her neck and made her way to Mia's side, placing her daughter in the trainer's lap. After speaking a little longer with her daughter she motioned for Gallade to approach.

"Of course, Lady Ninetales. Thank you for this opportunity."

Gallade stopped in front of Mia and knelt down so that he was at eye level with the elevated Vulpix.

"Hello, little one," he greeted. "I apologize deeply for scaring you earlier. I will do my best to keep my excitement in check next time," he said as he lowered his head.

Vulpix stretched out to nudge Gallade's head upwards. "Vulpix. Vul!" She shook her head.

"Thank you, Lady Vulpix," he smiled. "I must admit that I nearly mistook you for your mother, young one. You two share the same coat of grace and you wear that beret the exact same way your mother did when she was a Vulpix like you," he recalled, turning to Ninetales.

"Might that be the very same beret from those times of yore?" he asked, receiving a nod in response. "I thought so. You've done really well to keep it in great condition," he complimented, turning back to speak with the smaller fox.

"Lady Vulpix, I have no doubt that you will reach the same heights as your mother in your travels with Lady Mia. Hold your head high and be proud of who you are. Remember that you will always have friends to rely upon when times are rough," Gallade encouraged. "You've done well to overcome a fear in such a small amount of time, little one. I am thankful for the opportunity to speak with you," he finished, returning to his feet.

"Thank you for being patient, Gallade," Mia spoke.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Mia." Another bow.

"I have a few more words for you, Sir Phoenix," Gallade stopped in front of me again.

"On behalf of all of my fellow Pokémon and companions, I, too, wish to express my deepest gratitude for everything you have done for a Pokémon who was at his wit's end," Gallade proceeded to perform the deepest bow before me. "I cannot express how much it means to me to meet such an empathetic and compassionate trainer such as yourself," Gallade rose from his bow.

"I mean no offense when I ask this, but are you really human?"

His words caught me off guard.

"Pardon me?"

"Gallade. Could you please elaborate further?" Professor Cedar requested.

"Of course, Master Richard. Allow me to explain," Gallade said. "As you know from that device of yours, my Psychic powers allow me to sense your thoughts. While I am unable to explain it entirely in words, I am able to distinguish the thoughts of a human from those originating from a Pokémon," he carefully described. "For example, if I was to step outside the door and sense the thoughts of everyone inside the room, I'd be able to tell Lady Mia's thoughts apart from Lady Vulpix's. I would not, however, be able to tell Lady Maya's thoughts from Lady Lilliana's based with as much ease," he explained.

"Interesting…" Professor Cedar said, resting his chin on his hand. "What differences does young Pickle exhibit when compared to young Maya?" he asked.

"Sir Phoenix displays a phenomenon that I have never encountered before," he stated, piquing my interest. "I can barely tell his thoughts apart from anyone else's in this room."

"Anyone else in the room…" Matt repeated, putting some more thought into it. "Does that include Pokémon?" he asked.

"You are correct, Sir Matthew," Gallade commented. "This phenomenon is also partially why I requested to speak with each of your Pokémon. I have a theory that the closer two beings become, whether human, Pokémon, or both a human and a Pokémon," Gallade used his hands to visualize the distance between a pair, "their thoughts also start becoming closer to simulating the thoughts of a single being without ever merging," his hands were really close together now, but not exactly touching. "Sir Phoenix is a wrench in my theory."

"How so?"

"My theory showed results as I conversed with each human. Could I perform a small experiment here, Master Richard?"

"Go right ahead, Gallade. You have my permission."

"Thank you, Master. Please give me a few moments." Gallade closed his eyes as he entered a state of deeper concentration. A minute or two later, he opened his eyes. "I will now point at the humans in the order determined by the length of time I believe Sir Phoenix has known each one starting from the shortest duration," Gallade announced. "Please rate my accuracy once I'm finished, Sir Phoenix."

Gallade pointed at each of them in the following order:

Lilliana, Professor Cedar, Maya, Matt, and finally Mia.

"Wow. Way to replace me. Love you too, buddy." Matt chirped up with obvious amusement.

"The order is incorrect, Gallade," I stated, ignoring Matt's commentary. "Shall I give you the correct order?"

"If you would be so kind, Sir Phoenix."

I pointed at Maya first, then Lilliana, Mia, Professor Cedar, and finally Matt.

"Perhaps the time since first meeting a person contributes less to the strength of a bond than I initially thought," Gallade observed thoughtfully.

"But I digress. The order in which I pointed at you is also the same order I'd place you in if I had to gauge how well I could tell Sir Phoenix's thoughts apart from yours," he paused to let us digest the information. "In other words, I found it the easiest to distinguish Lady Lilliana's thoughts apart from Sir Phoenix's."

"Now, could you apply the same theory to young Pickle's connection with the Pokémon in the room?" the Professor raised once more.

"That is where my theory is flawed, Master Richard," Gallade shook his head.

"It will apply properly if we were to use Sir Matthew as the subject in this situation. There are clear differences in the bonds he shares with the Pokémon here. The only odd thing is how I would be able tell his thoughts apart from Lady Vulpix's from miles away when I am fairly certain he's had a previous encounter with her."

I had to crack a smile at Gallade's comment. I turned to see Mia barely containing herself.

"In the case of Sir Phoenix, however, the bond he has with Sir Shiro, if weighed numerically, should show a clear difference when compared to the bonds he shares with Sir Squirtle and Lady Vulpix. This is the ideal case. My observations show that there is very little variation between the strengths of each bond, Sir Shiro still being the strongest of the group, of course."

"That is to be expected, Gallade." Professor Cedar commented. "I'm sure you have more to say on the matter?"

"Of course, Master Richard. Allow me to confirm one thing beforehand," Gallade said before turning to Ninetales. "Lady Ninetales, this is the first time you have come into contact with Sir Phoenix, correct?"

The blue fox responded with a nod.

"Very well," he nodded. "I will now present my findings since the appearance of Lady Ninetales," he announced.

"As one might expect, Lady Ninetales' and Sir Phoenix's thoughts were those I could easily tell apart. Nowhere near close to Sir Matthew and Lady Vulpix's levels of distinction, but distinct nonetheless. Initially." Professor Cedar's eyes widened upon hearing the last word. "Much like with Lady Vulpix and Sir Squirtle, I can no longer sense that difference as easily anymore."

"Gallade. If we were to visualize your findings on a graph of some sort, where would you place young Pickle's thoughts?"

"While his thoughts are somewhere in between a human's and a Pokémon's, I would place his thoughts closer to the Pokémon side of the spectrum," Gallade answered.

"During our travels, we came across a few human empaths, did we not?

"We did indeed, Gallade. How might that relate to young Pickle?"

"Just another little theory, but both empaths and Gardevoir are capable of perceiving the emotions of others. Their thoughts, if I were to visualize them on the graph, would still be closer to their respective species. Gardevoir's closer to Pokémon as an empath's would be to humans."

"So what you're suggesting is…?"

"Yes, Master," Gallade confirmed. "I am indeed suggesting that Sir Phoenix is more than just a mere empath as his thoughts identify more closely with those of Pokémon than humans. I am, however, unable to tell for certain why that may be given that my observations were made on a foundation of psychic powers. I can only surmise that this identification may be related to the very concept of Aura that I am unable to grasp with my innate abilities," Gallade concluded.

"Might I suggest seeking out a Lucario or some other devout practitioner of the Aura for another point of view?"

"I will keep that in mind, Gallade. Do you wish to speak about anything else?"

"That is all, Master Richard," Gallade turned to the rest of us and bowed one last time. "Thank you all for taking the time to listen to me. I am looking forward to when we meet again."

Professor Cedar returned Gallade to his ball. "Thank you for your unique insight, old friend. Have a good rest."

"Well that was interesting," I commented.

"Indeed. Gallade has proven himself to be a worthy scholar as well as fierce in battle."

"The Pokédex wasn't lying about the 'masters of courtesy' part either," Mia noted. "Does he treat everyone with that level of respect?"

"Yes, young Mia," the Professor nodded. "Made for some entertaining stories during my travels, but those are tales for another time. I will continue speaking about the Cherish Balls."

"Yes, Professor," the three of us said in unison.

"The 'mystical' power of the Cherish Ball comes not from the ball itself, as I have stated before. The great things that bearers have accomplished are the result of hard work and trust alone. Isn't that right, young Maya? Young Lilliana?"

"That is the truth, Professor," Maya replied with Lilliana nodding in agreement. "Pardon my language but I worked my ass off for the title of a regional champion. You don't need a Cherish Ball to be able to become one yourself."

"Well said, young Maya," the Professor agreed.

"Why tell us this, Professor?"

"Because Cherish Ball bearers are so closely watched, it is easy to let the fame go to your heads. Overconfidence and arrogance are the banes to success. What I wish to see are my young students succeeding with smiles on their faces, not the frowns of insatisfaction."

Professor Cedar then faced Matt.

"And you, young Matthew. Do not let the fact that you are not a bearer of a Cherish Ball keep you from achieving just as much. Only by working hard and trusting your companions will you reach the very same heights as young Maya and young Lilliana."

"Of course, Professor Cedar," Matt replied.

"Now that you all understand that, it's time to talk about what you three are really in my office for," Professor Cedar announced. "Officials from the Interregional Pokémon League committee recently announced that they are adding additional ways to participate in popular seasonal competitions as early as next year. These changes will impact regional Pokémon League Gym challenges just as much as regional Contest circuits." he explained. "They have suggested that trainer academies from all over are to start preparing a curriculum for when they roll out the new additions."

Mia turned to her relatives. "Aunt Lily? Mother? Did you know about these changes?"

"Of course!" Lilliana said excitedly.

"We are actually pushing for these changes to be implemented as soon as possible.," Maya said.

"Might you be able to speak on these additions, young Maya?"

"Of course, Professor," she nodded. "As things currently stand, Gym Leaders are overworked to the point of not being able to properly care for their Pokémon. Not only do they have to accept challengers on a daily basis but they also have to manage day-to-day affairs related to their city.

"We intend to reduce the overall workload on Gym Leaders by having newly appointed Tournament Heads organize and run regular tournaments. Winners will receive a Tournament Badge rather than a Gym Badge which will be accepted as an alternate form of entry into the Pokémon League Championship Tournament at the end of the season."

"Contests will also have an additional circuit of competition," Lilliana started explaining. "While each host city has their own rules and restrictions, the changes will streamline Contest organization into two different Contest formats: the Singles' Contests and the upcoming Doubles' Contests format.

"The Singles' format will focus on the performance of a single Coordinator. As such, we will be removing Coordinator team battles from the Singles' Circuit.

"The Doubles' format will focus on Coordinator pairs which will remain static for the entire challenge. The unique nature of the upcoming circuit will test not only your own skills as Coordinator and the trust in your own Pokémon, but also the synergy you have with your partner and their Pokémon. This also allows us to enforce some interesting restrictions like having your partner command your own Pokémon.

"Of course, I expect the new circuit to be a real hit with the couples~," Lilliana finished with an obvious wink aimed at Mia and I before receiving an elbow jab from her sister.

"Aunt Lily!" Mia groaned.

"I believe these changes will impact the biggest events at the end of the season, will they not, young Lilliana?"

"I'm not too sure about the Championship Tournament side, but Grand Festivals will operate normally for the most part. The entire Festival will be extended by a few more days because of the additional set of appeal and battle rounds. Equal coverage will be given to the victors of both circuits, but there can only be one Top Coordinator which will be determined by a Contest battle between the Singles' victor and either the representative or winner of a Contest battle between the victors of the Doubles' circuit." Lilliana explained.

"The Championship Tournament will also function relatively normally. We believe that there will be more challengers than before with the second method of entry. We expect the Tournament to last twice as long with the upcoming changes. While we intend to have the Gym Challenger victor face the Tournament Bracket victor in the finals, the victor will still be able to challenge the Elite Four before the closing ceremony of the current season or opt to battle them after the opening ceremony of the next Championship Tournament." Maya recalled.

"Those who take part in both battle challenges or Contest circuits will have an advantage at aiming for the top in either event. Because you will have completed both sets of challenges, you will be eligible to enter into both Championship Tournament brackets or both Grand Festival formats giving you two chances at victory." Lilliana said.

"Going by that logic, I could become eligible for both the Tournament and Grand Festival?" I asked.

"Yep!" Lilliana clapped her hands. "The Pokémon League is expecting that too, and is scheduling both events to take place one right after the other. Last thing we want is for any trainer to be unable to participate because they're in the other big event."

"As an additional incentive to challenge more than one set of trials, the Pokémon League is offering to increase the maximum number of Pokémon such challengers can carry around with them at once," Maya added.

"The current limit is six, right?"

"Correct, young Matthew," Professor Cedar nodded. "And it will be increased to eight if you are so willing to take on an additional challenge. The maximum that will be used in Gym battles and other official League events will not deviate from the current limit of six, however."

"How would these changes impact how trainer academies run?"

"I'm glad you asked, young Pickle," the Professor stated. "Allow me to explain how we are currently instructing our young trainers:

"Your first year would be focusing on the basics of Pokémon. This includes instruction on the basics of Pokémon battling and care as well as practical lessons on catching Pokémon.

"All second years will be receiving intermediate battle instruction and learning about the basics of training. Additionally, each student will also be learning about the opportunities that life with Pokémon opens up through surface level exploration into Pokémon-related careers. At the end of the year, students will be choosing a career of focus that will shape the instruction of their next and final year.

"Third years will be following the guidance of experts in the same field as the student's career of focus. These areas of expertise include the common strict battling and coordinating fields as well as those of Pokémon Breeding, medical care, research and study, and many, many more.

"The new curriculum will be as such:

"Students are to choose a career of focus either before their first year, shaping their entire education, or at the end of their first year, influencing only their last two years.

"Both sets of students will receive basic instruction, but only the students who choose a career at the end of the year will go through career exploration. The other set will receive basic instruction from professionals such as young Maya and young Lilliana.

"Second year will have more practical instruction, including getting students more accustomed to the idea of spending days in the wilderness. The set that received basic professional guidance in the year prior will receive intermediate level instruction. The other set will be using up elective slots to catch up, first receiving basic instruction, then intermediate.

"All third years will be receiving advanced instruction in their chosen fields and will be expected to gain practical experience by travelling to meet a respective professional to assist in some fieldwork, or participate in a tournament or contest hosted by another trainers' academy. No matter the results, we want students to get used to the idea of travelling around without guidance.

"With the exception of those needing the extra guidance in their first and second years, all students are expected to take elective courses to further deepen their appreciation for Pokémon.

"We have been running test classes over the last few years, starting with those in their third year. This year, we intend to test how this new curriculum will work with two first year classes. One will have career fields chosen beforehand whereas the other will be choosing at the end of the year," the Professor turned to eye Mia before continuing. "Young Mia. Because you are a relative of both a Contest Queen and a Champion, you have been chosen to be a part of one of these test classes. Which one will you be choosing?"

Mia looked at her mother and aunt, then to the Vulpix sitting comfortably on her lap before she made her decision.

"I will be a student in the first class," She spoke with hard determination. "I want to be a Coordinator."

"Damn," I heard from the side of the room.

I turned my head to see Lilliana with a wide smile plastered all over her face as she relished in the victory over her sister.

"Young Maya. You seem rather displeased with your daughter's decision," the Professor observed. "As far as the rest of the student body is aware, you, our newest instructor, are just a senior trainer. As such, you will be handling the basic instruction of your daughter's class," he clarified. "You would have been teaching third-years had you not expressed the desire to hide your position."

"Thank you, Professor Cedar," she bowed.

He nodded before addressing Matt.

"Young Matthew. Because of the commitment and dedication you displayed while helping young Pickle last week. You will be placed in one of these classes on my recommendation. Which one would you prefer?"

"I want to be in the first with a focus on battling," he chose without a hint of hesitation.

"It will be made so, young Matthew," the Professor said before turning to me.

"Young Pickle. You are a... special case," he said in an oddly careful tone. "Unlike young Mia and young Matthew, I have not been able to contact any of your relatives about your enrollment into one these test classes. Do you know why that may be? We do need to have someone listed down as a contact in the events of an emergency."

I sighed, preparing to bring the truth to light.

"I have no relatives, Professor," I answered. "At least, none that I know of."

Nobody made a sound.

"I was found at the doorstep of the old orphanage with nothing but," I revealed my necklace, "this pendant and my name. My memories of those times have gaps. I recall having to leave and being completely alone until I met Matt. That is all I am willing to share," I finished. "I am not ready to dig up old scars."

The Professor activated one of the devices on his desk before standing up to look out the window.

"Academy rules state that trainers must have an emergency contact to be eligible for enrolment."

I slowly stood up from my seat. "Of course, Professor. I shall—"

"As we have determined, you are no ordinary person and I, Professor Richard Cedar, personally believe you have the necessary qualities to become one of the best."

He turned to face Maya and Lilliana.

"What are your thoughts on this matter, young Maya, young Lilliana?"

Maya was the first to speak.

"I, Maya Snowlily, the reigning Champion of Alola, have seen firsthand that he is willing to sacrifice anything and everything for the well-being and safety of his Pokémon," She answered. "I am of the same mind, Professor."

"The way the Pokémon rushed to his defense with unwavering resolve was really inspiring," Lilliana said. "I, Lilliana Snowblossom, the Contest Queen of Kalos, also think he will be a great trainer."

Professor sat down in his chair once more.

"Very well," he said before clearing his throat.

"Pokémon League bylaws state that special enrolments are permitted only when the student has the permission of at least three Pokémon League Officials that ever held the positions of Elite Four seat or higher.

"With the Pokémon Activities Committee joining under the banner of the Pokémon League, I declare Lilliana Snowblossom, entitled to the same powers of a Champion in this regard.

"Do you, Phoenix Ignatius Corbett Klaus Lucius III, swear to always care for Pokémon as if they were your own regardless of ownership and status?"

"I do"

"Very well. With the power invested in me as a former Champion of Kanto, I, Professor Richard Cedar, request that Phoenix Ignatius Corbett Klaus Lucius III be entitled for special enrolment at Viridian City Trainers' Academy," the Professor finished.

That "flood" of information caused both of my friends to freeze up.

"We, the Pokémon League have received your request for special enrolment at VCTA and have accepted it," a voice came from the device. "We wish you the best of luck, Mr. Lucius." The device then shut itself off.

I took the time to convey my gratitude to the three adults while my friends were still frozen.

Matt was the first to start moving again.

"One of Kanto's former Champions?"

"Yes, young Matthew. That is the truth," the Professor said. "Don't go telling every student about it. Much like young Maya, I don't wish to make a big deal out of it."

"Of course, Professor. It won't leave this room."

"Phoenix," Maya called with a giggle. "Will you be a dear and wake my daughter up?"

"I think a kiss 'oughta do the trick," her sister added, "a nice wet one right on the lips!" She snickered before receiving another elbow from Maya.

Sure enough, Mia showed no sign of moving anytime soon. Her lips were adorably parted which made it hard not to follow her aunt's advice. Vulpix was gently nudging her trainer as an attempt to get her started again.

"While the offer is indeed tempting, Miss Snowblossom," I eyed her carefully, "I have no doubt that doing so will come back around to bite me in the ass later on," I turned to see Matt scramble to hide a camera. "Exhibit A, hand it over," I commanded.

"Fine."

"Miss Snowlily, how's Exhibit B?"

"Clear," she responded, holding a camera in one hand.

Lilliana patted herself down before speaking.

"How?"

"Easy," she examined the camera more closely, "I was always the better cookie thief."

With both cameras secured, I could fulfill the request without worry.

I first tried giving Mia a little shake. No response. Stronger shake. Failure. I cautiously eyed up both Matt and Lilliana before whispering into Mia's ear. Still nothing.

Shit. Lilliana might be right.

"Miss Snowlily, I'm afraid I may—"

"Go ahead, dear." She was still fiddling around with the camera.

I slowly moved my face closer to Mia's as I mentally prepared myself.

Just the cheek, Pickle. No need to get so worked up about it.

That did not stop my cheeks from going pink.

I froze when Mia closed her mouth, signifying her return to the mortal realm.

"Huh? Mother, what are you doing with that—"

"Now or never," a voice whispered before a push from behind forced me to close the distance. I had closed my eyes in shock as my lips made contact with Mia's skin.

*SNAP*

Arceus damn it all.

I opened my eyes to a mortifying sight.

I was watching Mia's lovely eyes.

Shitshitshitshit. FUCK! Kill me now.

Backing off, I calmly handed Shiro to Matt before closing my eyes to wait for that sweet embrace of a lady's palm making hard, hard "love" to my face.

For all you gutterminds out there, I'm waiting for her to slap me so damn hard that the next being I meet will be Giratina in the Distortion World. I deserve it, after all.

"Um….Pickle?"

"You won't be taking me to court for this, will you?"

"Nope," she giggled ominously. "Let me steal just one thing from you."

"Please," I pleaded blindly, "Leave Shi—"

I was interrupted by a force pulling me forward. My lips made contact with another soft surface. I opened my eyes to see Mia's closed eyes.

*SNAP*

She pulled away first.

She spoke with a cute flush of pink adorning her cheeks, "I wanted my kiss back."

"-ro alone…" My mind lagged behind as it tried processing everything that just happened.

The entire room erupted into laughter as my consciousness melted into a puddle on the ground.

---

When I came to, Shiro was back on my head and Mia was hugging my arm.

"I blacked out, what happened?"

"Nothing," Mia said with an innocent giggle. "Nothing at all."

Matt elbowed me in the ribs. "Congrats bro, you two are now husband and wife. I was the best man at your wedding."

"With how affectionately Mia's hugging my arm, I'd be inclined to believe you."

"But?"

I reached into my bag with my free arm to feel around.

One Pecha berry. Two Pecha berries. Three Pecha berries.

"But I still have three Pecha berries in my bag. It is still the day before classes and you know I always start the day with five Pecha berries."

"Ah, but Mrs. Lucius and I could've taken advantage of the situation and removed two."

"Crap, you're totally right,"I turned to Maya. "Miss Snowlily. Do you have any grandchildren yet?"

"I will neither confirm nor deny the existence of any grandchildren I may or may not have."

"Miss Snowblossom?"

"No comment."

I scanned the room. There was no little white fox in sight.

"Mia, where's Vulpix?" I asked.

She pointed at the blue fox at my feet. On her head sat a familiar beret.

She evolved?

"Vulpix?"

The blue fox shook her head.

"She's a Ninetales, sweetie. Remember?"

I noticed that a certain Professor was missing from the room.

"What happened to Professor Cedar?"

"You should remember this, dear. We attended his funeral."

"You're telling me that Professor Richard Cedar is —"

The door opened up to reveal the Professor carrying two trays of food with Vulpix and Squirtle following behind him carrying a few bowls of Pokémon food.

"Dead?"

"Dammit, Professor," Lilliana whined, "We were just getting to the good part. I was going to make him cry with what I said at your funeral."

"Young Lilliana, as you can very well see, I am perfectly healthy and not at all close to death." He placed the trays down on his desk as the Pokémon dropped four bowls of food on the ground in front of the desk. "It is getting late. We can talk about what you did to young Pickle while we eat."

I placed Shiro in the bowl in front of me as I grabbed me some foodstuffs. A hungry Pickle is a sad Pickle, that's a fact.

---

A deep, hearty laughter could be heard from the office as the group brought both the Professor and I up to speed. Hint: I was not the one laughing.

"That was mean," I pouted childishly. "Last thing I'd ever want is to forget my wedding day."

"I wouldn't let you forget it," Mia said, turning me pink with a peck on the cheek.

"Already thinking about your wedding? To think you two only met today," Matt teased. "Miss Snowlily, I think you'll be taking care of grandchildren sooner that you think."

Another round of laughter ensued.

"So, young Pickle. Have you made a decision about your classes?" I was asked.

"Yes. Professor. I also want to be in the first class."

"Your focus?" he pressed further.

"I want to battle and be a coordinator," I answered with conviction. "I want to feel with my own body- with my own heart, what it's like to display both beauty and strength."

"Interesting choice, young Pickle," the Professor replied. "Very well. Young Maya, young Lilliana. His education will be entrusted to the two of you."

"Yes, Professor." The two said in perfect synchronization.

"You are all dismissed."

As we were all about to head out, the Professor called out once more.

"Young Pickle, I would like you to meet with me every Friday after classes end. I wish to look deeper into the topics Gallade brought to light this afternoon."

"Of course, Professor Cedar. I'll be sure to drop by," I answered. "Have a good evening."

"You as well, young Pickle." he replied as I closed the door.

---

"I thought you already sorted out classes, Matt."

The five of us were walking to Viridian City on foot. The only Pokémon who wasn't returned to their ball was Shiro. The sun had set and he was taking full advantage of that freedom to fly circles around us. He would occasionally land on mine or Mia's head before taking off again. Mia was comfortably clinging to my arm.

"I was just about to finish class registration when Miss Snowblossom intercepted me."

"I had asked him to find Mia. I was still on the clock and couldn't leave the building at the time. I did not expect him to come back with that picture."

"How'd you get a copy of the picture, Miss Snowlily?"

"Pickle. Please, call me Maya. Or 'Mom' if you really want to," she smiled. "'Miss Snowlily' makes me feel old."

"She got the picture through me as well," Lilliana confessed. "She sent her Noivern ahead with a message that said she'd be arriving late. I gave Noinoi a copy of the photo to carry back."

The PokéMart was in our sight now.

"Guess I'll be leaving now," Matt said. "See you all tomorrow."

Matt took off towards the Mart's door.

"Hope there's a Weedle in your bed!" I shouted at him as the door was closing.

The door opened up as a hand popped out to flip me the Pidgey before closing once again.

"So, where are the three of you staying?"

Maya froze in her spot.

"Mother, did you forget to make arrangements again?"

"...no…" Maya answered sheepishly. "Of course not, my little flower."

Lies.

"I've got some space at my place if you need it. At least then you won't have to pay for a hotel."

"Thank you, dear." Maya hugged me. "You will make a great son-in-law someday."

Mia groaned, still clinging onto me. "Mother!"

"And you, Miss Snowblossom?"

"If Maya says you can drop the last name Tauros shiz, then so will I," she crossed her arms.

"And you, Lilliana?" I repeated.

"I'll be coming over too," she stated simply. "Don't want to be known as 'the Queen who calls the Center her castle'. Mia will be coming with, of course. The rooms are under my name after all. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to see where 'Pickle-boy, conqueror of nieces' lives, right Mia?"

"Aunt Lily!"

"I'm just messing with you, Mia," she admitted. "But am I really wrong?"

"...no…"

Sounds just like her mother.

We made our way to the Pokémon Center so Mia and Lilliana could pick up their things.

Nurse Joy greeted us as we walked in and wheeled out a tray of Poké Balls. Mia and Lilliana rushed upstairs.

"Miss Snowlily, your Pokémon are all rested and ready to go."

"Oh, thank you Nurse Joy."

"Mr. Pickle, How do you know the Snow Sisters and family?"

"Met them all today, actually."

"And already, you've claimed my daughter's heart for your own, dear Romeo."

"You do realize that story does not have a happy ending, right Maya?"

"Oh, really?"

I whispered the ending into her ear and watched as her gentle smile turned into a frown.

"You had better take good care of my daughter, young man!" She firmly pressed her finger against my chest. "Treat her like the princess she is with all the love you have. Anything less and I won't let you live to regret it."

"Of course, Maya. Everything I am and own is hers if it will make her happy." I replied. "Well, not Shiro, he stays with me." I said as the bat plopped down on my head.

"I don't want anything of yours. All I want is you," Mia said, claiming my arm once more while carrying a suitcase in her free arm.

"What a cute couple you two are," Nurse Joy observed. "And I see that little Shiro is doing just fine as well."

We heard someone falling down the stairs.

"Sister, you always pack too much," Maya said. "Let me carry some of that."

After sorting out the mess, we said our goodbyes to Nurse Joy as Lilliana returned the room keys. We left the center and started walking to my place.

---

We were now inside my home.

"Larger than I was expecting," Lilliana observed.

Three bedrooms on the second floor, bathroom on the first, living room with a TV and couch, and a kitchen. Simple. Comfy. Warm.

"You live here alone?"

"Yep."

"How are you able to afford this?"

"I worked at the PokéMart for years at a decent rate. No breaks and plenty of overtime. Take into account how far we are from the center of Viridian, and the price will explain itself," I answered. "Also helps that I purchased this property from Matt's grandfather. A good rapport goes a long way."

I helped them carry their luggage to the second floor.

"There are only bedrooms up here," I pointed at the door at the end of the hall. "That one is mine, but I'll be taking the living room couch while you three are staying here." I let out a yawn.

"Let me grab a few blankets first," I said walking towards my room. "It does tend to get a little cold here."

I entered my room and got what I needed before heading back downstairs. I tossed the blankets and my sweater onto the couch before heading into the bathroom to change. After coming back out, I wrapped Shiro up in the sweater and placed him on one side of the couch, as I formed my blanket cocoon on the other.

---

Mia's Point of View:

"He's out like a light," Aunt Lily reported while closing the door to his room. "Can't blame him after what he went through today. First Maya's test, then Gallade questioning his humanity, and nearly being denied entry into the academy. Can't deny the boy's sense of decoration though," She held up the cutest Piplup plushie I have ever seen. "Man's got cute taste."

"You took that test too far, Mother," I scolded her, stealing the plush from Aunty so I could hug it myself.

"I know, my little flower. I know," Mother accepted, stroking my hair. "I feel horrible that I put that poor boy through that. But I needed to do that."

"Why, Mother? Why did you have to make him cry like that?"

"To see his true nature," Mother answered. "People reveal their true natures when they are, A, about to die," that sent chills down my spine, "or B, about to lose something really important to them."

"Sister. We've already determined that he loves Pokémon very much."

"That's not what I'm talking about, Lilliana," Mother argued. "Did you not feel anything odd when he fell to his knees?"

"No, not really."

"What about you, Mia?"

I closed my eyes as I tried to recall that memory.

The way he tried to convince Shiro towards Mother. The way he tried to convince Shiro to move the second time, the shakiness in his voice. How he practically offered his life to protect his little friend. And how painful it was to see him cry. The pain that tugged at my heart and made the world seem grey. A lonely, bitter grey. That's it.

"Mother. He didn't want to be left alone. He doesn't want the world to turn grey on him again."

"You are right, my dear flower," Mother complimented. "That boy knows what true loneliness feels like whether he's conscious of it or not."

"What you said about him having a special link with Pokémon. What did you mean by that?" Aunt Lily asked.

"Exactly what I said. I believe that boy unconsciously forms connections with every Pokémon he meets." Mother explained. "That loneliness may not have been his own, but it might have been little Shiro's.

"Mia, I also noticed that Vulpix seems to like him very much."

"That is true, Mother."

"Did anything happen out of the ordinary?"

"You already know that Vulpix is really cautious. But she was the one who touched him first." I recalled.

"Anything else?"

"Vulpix was prepared to attack but immediately acted on Pickle's orders when Matt surprised us from the tree."

Mother's eyes went wide at this revelation.

"I think Gallade might've been right to suggest a connection with Aura." She said. "But I think that's enough about that subject. Onto more serious matters."

"Like what, Mother?"

"You, my dear flower," Mother answered. "What happened at that tree, young lady?" She pulled out that one photo again.

"Yeah, Mia," Aunt Lily tagged in. "What happened?"

There was no way I was getting out of this.

"After Matt was attacked by Vulpix up in the tree, he fooled the two of us into thinking he was going to fall by snapping some branches." I explained. "Pickle immediately positioned himself over me, willing to shield me with his body." I paused as I felt my cheeks turn red. "I thought he looked really heroic right then."

"What happened next?" Aunt Lily asked, excitedly sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Matt revealed his trick and Pickle seemed to get really embarrassed when he was told that he made 'someone feel really special'." I hid my face behind the plush to hide my embarrassment. "He wasn't wrong though. I did feel like the most treasured girl in the world at the time."

Mother and Aunt Lily squealed little girls before I continued speaking.

"Matt told me that seeing him in that state was really uncommon, so I became interested in seeing his face myself. But Pickle only turned away when I got close. I backed off because I thought I was doing something wrong."

"You did nothing wrong, my little flower," Mother reassured me. "Men don't like showing off their vulnerabilities."

"Matt then went over to convince him to stop turning away, I think. Because the next time I approached Pickle, he only closed his eyes."

"That man is a miracle worker," Aunt Lily commented. "It takes a lot of effort to convince a man to accept their embarrassment."

"Continue speaking," my Mother told me.

I hid my face once more as I resumed the story.

"I don't know why I did so, but I cupped his cheek with one hand and removed his glasses with the other before asking to see his eyes. He slowly took his time to open his eyes."

"And…?"

"He called my eyes beautiful, and I just melted in his gaze. I called his eyes lovely and he asked me to describe them. I couldn't say no."

"What did you say?"

"I don't want to say."

"Come on, Mia. Tell us."

I took a few moments before repeating what I said, word for word.

"'Your eyes are a stern yet gentle brown. The very same that reminds me of a father's protection and conviction. Yet they shine with the young wonder of a child.' That's what I said. I then asked him to describe mine for me."

"Don't stop now!"

Taking another few moments, started speaking again.

"He called my eyes a pair of gemstones,"

My vision was going blurry and my heart was racing as I recalled his words.

"He described my right eye as a pink amethyst. 'A gentle and loving nature much like a mother's'."

My voice started shaking and my nose started getting stuffy.

"My left, an aquamarine. 'The youthful purity of the sea'."

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears as I was blinded by my own tears.

"'A beautiful pair,' he said that he wouldn't regret losing himself in 'time and time again'. I just felt so happy, Mother, Aunty."

I let my tears overflow as I was pulled into a hug.

"Mother?" I asked, squeezing the plush even harder. "Is this what it's like to fall in love?"

"Maybe, my dearest little flower." Mother said gently. "Maybe."

That was the last thing I remember hearing that before waking up in the dark still hugging the cute Piplup plush of his.

Unable to fall back asleep, I looked around the room only for my eyes to land on an open book on his desk.

Letting my curiosity get the better of me, I hopped out of the bed with the plush and moved over to the desk to read what was written on the page.

~June 23rd, 2020

For Shiro

Take my hand and fly with me

Far beyond the distant skies.

Unto the day your dancing dies

And my own songs are telling lies.

By then I hope your eyes can see,

And living well as meant to be.

Wow. He writes poetry? I wonder if he'd like it if I wrote something in here for him.

I turned to the next page of the book and grabbed a pen to write with:

~June 29th, 2020

For they say that love is fleeting,

And I know I might be feeling

Love for you at every meeting

Stir at every kiss and greeting.

~Yours lovingly, Mia Snowlily

Not wanting to let this drive go to waste, I silently snuck downstairs to where Pickle was sleeping.

His head was still exposed even after wrapping himself multiple times over to form his blanket cocoon.

Suppressing a giggle, I planted a kiss on his parted lips before I snuck back upstairs to his room and hopped into the bed, still hugging the cute Piplup plush of his.

"Thank you, Pickle." I whispered into the darkness as I closed my eyes.

I fell asleep with a big smile on my face that night.

---

3rd person Point of View:

Professor Cedar was still sitting in his office.

"Young Phoenix," he said solemnly while eyeing the white box in his hand. "My dear old friend, will you accomplish just as much this time around?"

The Professor opened the box and set it down on the desk. He then rested his head on his arms as he silently let his tears take over.

Inside the box he had carefully stored away two halves of a broken Cherish Ball and a scratched up silver pendant with an eight pointed star engraved on it.

After calming down a little, Professor Cedar carefully lifted the pendant out of the box and flipped it over to recite the engraving:

"My Dear Son

You have done enough for now,

Rest, My Dear, for then and long.

Rest, My Son, and rise again.

For one last time, O Fated One.

Unite the hands of Man and 'mon."

Professor Cedar carefully placed the pendant back into the box. With tears running down his face, he ran a finger down a picture taped to the inside of the cover.

It was the picture of a smiling bespectacled young man with long black hair and deep brown eyes. Perched on his head was a white-skinned Crobat with jet black wings. A scar was left behind by a deep gash down the middle of the left eyelid. But the bat was still smiling, nonetheless.

Professor Cedar closed the box and stored it carefully away in his desk before resting his head on his arms again, closing his eyes for the final time that night.

---

Well, my dear audience. Intrigued yet? 'Cause I sure am. Who am I? What am I? Why am I? How am I? (Doing good, by the way. Thanks) and I already know where I am.

I gotta find me some Weedle to sic on Matt, though. I'm pretty sure Vulpix won't do the trick anymore. I do have a line prepared for the next time he gets stung though. It'll be funny as hell. I gotta make him pay for all the cards he played today.

I'm pretty sure that I am about to go through an existential crisis (Thanks Gallade) but hey, I kissed a girl and it was worth all of it (methinks).

Well, maybe not the whole breaking down 'cuz I thought Shiro and I were gonna be separated part, but meh. All's well that ends well. And today ended really well, if I do say so myself. (Just don't tell Mia I bragged about her though. She won't let me hear the end of it.)

And let me tell ya's, blanket cocoons are really comfy and warm. Add a blanket ball pillow and you're set to sleep anywhere you F***in' want. Now, if only I could find where my Piplup plushie went...

I'm pretty sure I'll be introducing the bastard that keeps making moves on my lady and I. Yes, you heard correctly. And I. If I had the muscle, I'd break his arm in a heartbeat for the amount of times he's (grabbed my ass) -was supposed to be struck through. I think he was the same guy Lilliana "took good care of" earlier, judging by that black eye he had.

I really hope my tales aren't approaching the border between T and M ratings. It's all in the name of entertainment, after all!

Until next time, my dear audience.

~ your favorite Dilliest of Pickles