Authors Note:

Sorry for taking so long for a chapter. Been lazy and didn't want to edit them. I have a bunch ready so I'll post them periodically.

Enjoy!

-Blackmon220

Chapter -2-

Hide and Seek

Light crept through the windows of the small shack illuminating the room. Echo could feel the light against her eyelids. As the sun came up, the light told her that the day had begin. She brought a hand to her face. Echo could feel her hair covering her face and started to move it away from her eyes and out of her mouth. As the fog of sleep dissolved she rolled to her back. Silently she wished for another hour of sleep, knowing she couldn't have it. She opened her eyes and sat up, wincing in pain.

'Damn', Echo thought.

It appeared the meds have worn off. She now felt the presence of the burn on her left shoulder. Looking at the mark she realized it was quite apparent. It covered her entire left shoulder. There would be scar. A big one. Raising her head, Echo took in her surroundings. Her house was still a mess from the night before. Clothes splade across the floor with a dirty trail where her boots laid. Something was missing though. Where was Riolu? Echo looked for the pokemon from her position in bed but couldn't see him. She wiped the covers off her and was shocked to Riolu curled next to her leg, slightly disturbed by the movement of the warm covers. The sight was adorable.

Echo stayed still and watched Riolu's chest monotonously rise and fall for a few minutes. The pain in her ribs and shoulder started to spike up. Echo concluded the meds where needed again as she carefully moved, trying not to disturb the sleeping pokemon. Standing by her bed, she searched her memory for where she left the bottle. She couldn't seem to remember. She started to search through her clothes from the previous day.

"Come on. . . Come on! Where are they?", She whispered to herself.

The movement of red, brown and blue in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Looking up she saw Riolu moving towards her with the bottle. Echo smiled and took the bottle. She realized this pokemon was pretty smart if it can figure out what she want without her guidance. Taking the medicine she looked at Riolu. He was still extremely dirty. And probably hungry.

"Why don't we get you fed huh?", Echo asked the pokemon. Riolu beamed a smile back at her. Echo assumed that meant he was hungry.

Echo went to her fridge and realized she barely had any food left. Good thing she just got her paycheck. All she seemed to have was milk and yogurt. She got the yogurt out for herself and brought down a bowl for Riolu. She poured cereal into the bowl and placed it, as well as a spoon, in front of Riolu on the floor. Echo sat across from him and watched as he studied the spoon she put in front of him. She reprimanded herself for giving Riolu a spoon. He couldn't use one. . . or could he?

"That's a spoon", Echo explained to Riolu, getting his attention. "You use it to eat like this"

She lifted the spoon from her yogurt and showed Riolu the process of scooping with it. Riolu grabbed the spoon with both paws, scooped the cereal and lifted as Echo did. Echo put the yogurt in her mouth to show him how to finish the circuit of spoon feeding. Riolu seemed to understand it, but ended up spilling the spoon full of cereal onto himself. Echo giggled childishly.

"Try again, Riolu", She encouraged with a smile. "It can be hard at first but you'll get it. Challenge is how we progress."

Riolu once again beamed at her and went for another scoop, this time focusing intensely. Bringing it up, he leaned forward to catch the spoon in his mouth.

"Nice job!", Echo cheered and held out her fist. Riolu looked at it curiously. "Oh, right."

Echo withdrew her hand. Riolu doesn't know what a fist bump is. He went back to focusing on his food. They sat in silence as both worked to satiate their hunger. Echo finished before Riolu since she had more experience using the tool known as the spoon. As he continued to practice his technique, Echo brought her dish to the sink. The dishes were really starting to stack up. There was a very tall pile of pans, plates and bowls in the sink. Echo sighed. She's never been a good cook and always seems to destroy her kitchen.

Allowing Riolu to eat without her watchful gaze, Echo started to gather some clothes for the day. She had to be careful with using her shoulder. Even on medication if she over used it, the pain would occur. The first thing Echo wanted to do was to wash off. She didn't bathe after her long night of work. It would probably be a wise move to clean off before starting the daily chore grind. Echo felt the dried sweat on her body. She could smell it too. Her face still had dust on it from the mine. Looking at Riolu, he was also covered in dust. And blood.

'I should really clean him off', Echo thought. 'His wounds could get infected if they aren't cleaned.'

After picking up some clothes to wear, basically jeans, a black t-shirt, and a black hoodie, she walked back to the area where Riolu just finished eating. "We should go wash off, huh? I guess we where to tired last night."

With a nod, Riolu popped up and grabbed his crystal. He followed Echo outside and down a path. Since Echo's house doesn't have a shower or bath, She always washes in the ocean. Only downside is she always smells like seasalt. As the hard stone path turned to sand she set her new clothes on a table to her right that she made out of driftwood. The beach she bathed at was small. Not even an eighth of a mile long. It was also pretty private. It was basically a very small bay with large hills surrounding it. Echo always stayed in her underwear either way. Walking out to the water, she slowly entered the tide. When she was waist deep she looked back for Riolu. He was still standing there. Looking nervously at the low crashing waves.

"Come on Riolu! The water's not bad!"

A nervous glance and shuffling his feet was the answer. Echo sighed and left the water to walk back up to the skeptical pokemon. Kneeling down to his height she looked at him. "Come on dude, it's just a little water. It isn't gonna bite."

Riolu just looked down at his crystal, still firmly held against his chest. That might be it. He doesn't want to leave his crystal. Echo thought for a minute than talked to Riolu.

"Are you scared of leaving that crystal alone?"

A nod.

"Alright, how about this; can I see the stone? I'll put it in a safe spot and I give it back when we're done." Echo extended her hand.

A skeptical look was his answer.

"Do you trust me Riolu?"

Riolu looked down at his stone, then back at her. Echo could see the turmoil happening in his heart. With a little hesitation he handed her the stone. She then walked over and to put it in her pants pocket. It would be safe in there. While she walked over to her clothes she got another shiver. She was nervous. Why? What was making her shiver. She stopped and looked around. Maybe it was a type of sixth sense. Taking in her surroundings the only thing Echo could see watching her was Riolu. Huh. She continued on her way to the table. After depositing one blue stone, she moved back to Riolu.

"Let's wash off." Echo said as they walked to the water. Echo waded into the the water and watched as Riolu struggled to follow her. She had an epiphany. Riolu probably can't swim. Echo scolded herself as she walked back to Riolu, again. She bent down to talk with him. "Here, take my hand and we'll do this together."

Riolu took Echo's hand and they walk into the wake. She thought Riolu was gonna have a heart attack. The poor pokemon tried to run back to shore but Echo got ahold of him before he could make a break for it. She grabbed him and held him above the water so his feet were barely out.

"It's not gonna hurt you." Echo promised. "As long as you're with me, I won't let anything happen, okay? In water you will naturally float, unless you struggle, so try and stay come. Alright Riolu?"

Riolu took a deep breath and nodded. Slowly, Echo lowered him into the water. She could feel Riolu tense up as the water started to surround him, but he still stayed calm. Finally the water was up to his neck, though it was only to Echo's waist. Riolu looked tense as he was floating in the shallow water. Echo decided not to go deeper and sat down.

"OOOHHHHH!"

When she sat down the salt water came up to her shoulders and in turn, her burn wound. After the initial sting of salt, it actually started to feel soothing. Echo watch Riolu float. as she settled in her spot and started rubbing down, getting the grime off. It was so peaceful. The Wingulls where catching to ocean breeze as the morning fog burned off. In the clear water you could see Magikarp with the occasional Corsola swimming around. The waves rocked Echo back and forth with a comfortable pattern. It was enough to make her zone out if it wasn't her responsibility to watch after Riolu. The pokemon appeared to start relaxing as he floated with the rippling waves as the water around him turned red and brown from the dust and blood that previously covered his body.

After Echo was done cleaning herself, she reached over to Riolu and brought him closer to her to start cleaning him. As the thicker parts of grime that covered the Pokémon dissolved into the water you could start to see his true colors. He was mostly blue with black feet. He had a black patch on his chest and black around his eyes, like a mask. Echo never noticed before, but he had a patch of tan fur around his neck as well as a white-ish lump on his wrist. They must have been covered by the dirt and blood. As she scrubbed Riolu, she could feel the pokemon relax. He must like it.

"Alright Riolu, we're all done, let's get back to the house." Echo announced. She grabbed Riolu's paw and started to guide him to shore. Together they walked up the beach to the table of clothes. Echo picked up a towel and dried off before taking a look at Riolu. He attempted to shake off without success, causing Echo to giggle. She leaned over and wrapped the soaked Pokémon in the towel. Echo picked through the ball of clothes on the table and got dressed quickly. She finally donned her hoodie and looked at Riolu.

"Alright buddy, lets get g-". Suddenly, her wrist started to vibrate. She pulled her sleeve up to reveal a poketch. She earned this accessory for working in the mine for 2 years. The screen showed a message from JC.

-TEAM GALACTIC AT MINE LOOKING FOR YOU. HIDE!-