Under the Moonlight

The pearl white orb was slowly getting obscured by the thick mist of the thick night. The sky was evil today, and it preferred to block out any light that had the potential to shine through. And this gave the perfect lighting for the sneaky thief to carry out his meticulous burglary. The many Hoothoots screeched, their red scleroses turning more and more bloody by the minute, as their brethren invited the arrival of the devil.

He paused as he took note the presence of no one. Then swiftly and stealthily, he darted to the side of the lab, a grappling hook with a rope attached in hand. He felt his hands sweaty, and his breathing ragged. Even his heart was betraying his expectation with its thumpings so loud that the noise reverberated throughout the neighborhood. No way, was he nervous?

Resting his head against the cold metal walls of the Elm Pokemon Lab, the thief gazed up at the sky, his eyes searching for the moon. He was going to do this. He was not going to let his own cowardice convert his plan into failure after all this time. Didn't he swear he was going to be the strongest? Didn't he swear that he would not be weak?

Closing his eyes, he forced all the nightmares to swallow him once more; to steel his determination, fortify him. That cowardly father. That cursed organization.

Flashing his eyes open, he stood straight and turned. Using his strength and whatever was left of his dinner, the boy swung the hook upwards, its metal point glinting in the darkness as it shot up. A dull clang and a hefty pull told him that it was secure enough. He was going to do this. Definitely. Without fail. And yet the voice of that insufferable weakling that called out to him during the day resounded in his brain. What did he look like? Oh, yeah, he had that crazy fringe and similarly insufferable cap. And that reckless golden eyes that screamed of everything he hates in this world. That kid so full of goodness.

He probably won't see that weakling again. Probably, that small animal was somewhere in Cherrygrove to do an errand and staying overnight at the house of some guy called Mr. Pokemon. Pushing away all thoughts regarding that errand boy, the thief focused on his current goal. He climbed up carefully, every step onto the walls not giving away a single clatter of his presence.

Soon, he landed on the roof of the lab, which was a flat aluminum surface. From what he observed, this lab was connected to the house of the professor. And further up from where he stood, was the living quarters of the family. The thief got up and crept to search for the fire escape window.

When he had climbed the nearby tree during the day, he had spotted it. Under this darkness, he could only tap on the surfaces lightly in order to hear the familiar clinking sound of glass. After multiple minutes of tapping, he finally determined the position of the window. Looking up, he realized that his current location was awfully close to a small balcony.

Having no time to waste, he opened the latch and sunk his legs into the building. Carefully, he landed on the dull grey flooring. The lab was lined and littered with countless bottles, low and wide tables, which bristled with test tubes, retorts, colorful liquids like how a lab should contain. Breathing heavily, the boy proceeded on, his footsteps tip-pity and quiet. Then he briskly found the machine that held the pokemon. The security of the machine was lax, with a simple four number password code guarding it, and he had actually got a glimpse of the password during his spying sessions.

"7...4...0...2" muttered the thief and soon an unnecessary beep opened the cover of the machine. His eyes glimmered as he got ready to get the pokemon he had set his sights on. But his fingers grabbed nothing, and finally, he realized that the hole did not hold his target Pokéball. Where was it? He yelled furiously in his mind. Then it came to him.

That goody weakling with that obnoxious hair had taken Cyndaquil!

Clenching his fists, the boy frowned. Annoyed, he examined the remaining two pokemon. Chikorita and Totodile. He felt his facial muscles contorting when he glanced at the picture of the grass-type. Weak. So weak-looking. Then a glance at Totodile made him feel better. At least the water type looked ferocious.

Hearing a small clatter, the thief jerked and without wasting a second, his fingers clasped onto Totodile's Pokéball and he ran for the escape exit. His nervousness pushed him out of the building faster than ever and soon he was out. As he slumped himself onto the roof, he searched for the moon once more. But the mist still hindered the light from shining through. And to him, it was perfect for his getaway.

He had done it. He had done it! The accomplishment sent an adrenaline down his spine as he stared at the surface of the red and white device, sweat trickling down his back. But his excitement was stopped short when plodding footsteps made him turned around to face the balcony.

And damn, was that a silly mistake.

An unnatural breeze passed through the roof, shifting the draping mist to a distance away. Instantly, the moonlight tinted his red hair with a glow and revealed his appearance. And the one who saw everything was none other than Lyra Kotone Elm.

She heard noises in her sleep that had jerked her awake at midnight and had walked to the balcony groggily, wanting to clear her head with aid from the wind before she goes back to her bed. Her orange sleepwear was poorly buttoned, and she lifted her tired legs again and again as she approached the open air closer and closer. Her eyes made out a silhouette that became clearer, with her realizing that it was a dashing guy right at her window step. His red hair whipped in the strong breeze and she swore she saw droplets of sweat flying about, scattering the moonlight into tiny spotlights that danced around this uninvited Phantom Thief. Strangely, he was gritting his teeth with a surprised expression on his face. Their eyes met and seconds passed, their gazes not leaving each other.

For the thief, he was just too shocked to move and could only stare at the unexpected disturbance.

However, for Lyra, she was just transfixed onto that rare eye color of mercury silver. That was so similar to the royal gold color that belonged to Ethan. Her mouth opened and closed, lips glistening and one word escaped from her tongue.

"Silver."

The next second, a shadow loomed before her. In slow motion, her chocolate eyes went wide as an incoming hand aimed at her gaping mouth. She felt long bunches of her hair flying violently in the wind as the figure gripped onto the balcony railing, foot in between the gaps as he held on for balance. His ferocity was intense as he glared at her, his faces inches away. From her point of view, it was like staring at the devil himself, his red hair like a sea of fire, those eyes of the moon so impossibly close.

Those eyes that held isolation, hate, and callousness. That hurt expression of rejection. Lyra could have tried to scream but she was too stunned to do anything. And now that she observed at point blank range, this guy looked really lethargic.

"Shush, weakling. Make a noise I'll... I'll..." He growled, his voice trailing off as he tried to think up of a threat. But he was interrupted when a finger jab was sent to his stomach. The stinging pain made him lose his grip as he tumbled down. If he had not held onto the ledge, he would definitely fell with a crash and wake the whole household up.

"The hell was that for!" He hissed, as he glared at the girl. Lyra shrugged and replied, "Self-defense." With a displeased look, he pursed his lips, before pushing himself up onto the fence, face-to-face with the girl once again. Lyra's cheeks puffed red, realizing that this was the second time he was in such close proximity to her. Her heart beat harder, unsure how should she cope with this situation. This person is an intruder, and she should capture this guy or shout for help, yet her body restricted her from uttering a sound or moving another muscle.

"How did you know my name?" Muttered the boy. Lyra could feel his hot breath, those lips moving as he spoke, his voice alluring. Every action of his was promoting his ranking in Lyra's "hot guy list". Nevertheless, she compelled herself to reply.

"Silver's your... name? I just blurted it out... cause your eyes... were so pretty..." her voice faltering as she gasped for air.

In return, Silver's eyes grew wide in surprise. He had never expected the girl to sneak in a compliment in those words. His eyes narrowed as he studied this weakling, nose crinkling in confusion.

Suddenly, a loud hoot and rustling leaves in the thick night reminded the thief that he was still in enemy's territory. He had no more time to waste with this weakling. Letting go of the fence, he leaped off and lightly landed on the roof suavely. Lyra tried to call out to this mysterious Phantom Thief, but he had slinked away and ran to the edge of the flat roof in a blur. The thief then found his grappling hook and soon he abseiled down. Quickly, he coiled the rope up and stuffed it into his pocket. Then he gave a sour look at the moon.

"Humph." He grunted. Walking down Route 29, the devil named Silver disappeared into the night.

"Don't you know him?" She barked back, getting confused herself.

"...Never heard of him.." He muttered, shaking his head.

"But he told me he was going to find and fight you! Afterward, he just... I lost all contact with him months ago. And I just assumed that you were the reason why he left... and that probably you've met him." she said hurriedly.

"... Sorry, I really don't know him..." Red said, still slightly confused. "... Plus, I was in Mt. Silver all the time, then in the hospital, so... my apologies..."

So he was almost bashed with a punch just because of a misunderstanding. But he could sympathize with her since his own father had left him and his mother. For fifteen years.

"... I can help you find him." He offered as he tore the paper mask off his face. He was going around the region after all. Finding one person in Johto won't be too hard, will it?

Lyra, on the other hand, was bursting with gratitude as she thankfully gave a short bow. Then she mumbled, "Sorry for the... um... punch and..." and she frantically avoided his gaze, as a tinge of red lit her cheeks up in embarrassment.

"... It's alright." He replied. "Do you... have a picture of him?"

Lyra nodded and fumbled through her wallet, and then she picked out a small photograph. Red retrieved it and took a look. It was a serious-looking individual with flaming red hair that somehow had the ability to stick up, very much like the way Green's hair behaved. His skin was strangely pale, and much of his features were quite alright. But his eye shape and calculative smile looked way too familiar.

Red's blood went cold. His fingers trembled and he exhaled quick breaths, an insurmountable feeling burned in his chest. He could recognize that eye shape anywhere. Red eyes blazed at the sight of the silver ones, and the trainer scrunched up the photograph, dropped it onto the ground in shock.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Lyra yelled, angered that he had discarded the photo so carelessly. She picked it up and smooth it out, not noticing the teenager's silent distress as he evened out his breathing.

"... Any known relatives of his?" His red eyes flashed as he eyed the picture, feeling nauseous.

"He did mention his father before," Lyra said, getting wary and frightened.

"...Name...?" He whispered, his tone dangerous.

"His father... is Giovan-"

"Leave." The former Champion uncharacteristically grunted, his finger pointing towards the door.

"I admit he is the son of Team Rocket's former boss, but do you have to do this?" She protested. "I don't know what Giovanni did to you, but-"

"He tried to bury me alive!" Red shouted, the nightmarish memories of that ordeal running through his mind, terrifying him. Silence hung around the room like a suffocating smoke.

"I'm sorry for pushing this onto you," Lyra said hesitantly, before she glanced at the ground, a moody air surrounded her instantly.

Red stayed silent for a while, and then he sighed.

"... Fine," He murmured, his hand extending out. "I'll help."

Lyra heaved a sigh of relief and passed him the photo.

"Thank you," She breathed.

She then turned to leave, while Red looked over his shoulder and spotted something intriguing.

"... What's that on your... neck?" he asked curiously.

"Oh? This?" Lyra inquired as she pointed at the black mark, before pushing her collar down, making the sign clearer than before. And there it laid. A midnight-black "V" that was etched on her neck.

"Just a tattoo." She smiled secretively, although he did not manage to catch her expression. She exited the room, trotted down the short corridor and was gone from his sight. He stared at the closed door, and suddenly, he felt his guts churn, and he collapsed onto the bed, the horrible memories coming back again.

"On a second thought, I shouldn't let you run wild, Red." Those pair of condescending eyes staring him down from above the small metal enclosure. He was deep within the Earth, surrounded by four walls of metal, with only sufficient space for him to stretch out his legs. Cold sweat rolled down his cheeks as he glared at the hypocritical boss he had just defeated yesterday at the Rocket Hideout.

Gritting his teeth, Red could predict what was to come: Giovanni planned to bury him alive. That man had not left a single flaw and was meticulous in every way. They targeted him when he was out of Celadon City, sprang a surprise attack on him, knocked him out, his team all fainted in their Pokéballs, Escape ropes, Potions and Revives taken away.

Giving out a hearty, evil laugh, Giovanni signaled his goons to add the last touch to the stage of Red's impending doom.

"Giovanni!" Red yelled as he attempted to reach out, but this prison was too deep into the earth, not giving him the chance to bite this malicious villain that was going to prevail over him.

"Enjoy your numbered days in here, that's your punishment for messing with my organization!" Giovanni sneered, his large nose turning up. Then the man turned and left, as a large metal cover dropped like an anchor over the box. Red sank to his knees, as he heard the grim thudding of dirt hitting the top.

He hurriedly grabbed the backpack that was fortunately still with him and checked the emergency rations. They won't even survive six days with only these supplies. And what about the oxygen levels? Can they hold out, before they even have the chance to be saved? Plus, he would not be able to contact anyone since he did not have a Pokégear, worse off, he doesn't even know where he was in Kanto. Probably somewhere far away from human settlements, where no one will ever come. Giovanni knew better than to let him have the option to shout for help.

Red despaired as he silently backed away, slumping against the metal wall, his hands stuffed into his pocket out of habit. And immediately, he felt something round and smooth.

Full of hope and excitement, he took out the Pokéball that he had found in the Celadon Condominiums just yesterday. It was pure luck that Giovanni had not realized that Red had kept another Pokémon with him, and this might just save their lives. He did not know what type of Pokémon this little creature is and was only informed of its gender (which is a she) and the name.

The Pokémon that emerged from the capsule was full of fluff and fur, brown eyes twinkling as it landed on its four paws, bushy tail swishing, cream-colored collar puffing up. Surprised at the dim surroundings, Eevee yelped and bumped into the trainer.

"...Hello there." He said, awkwardly. Eevee trilled and returned the greeting by licking his hand. Chuckling, Red patted the Pokémon, his fingers sinking into its soft and bountiful brown fur. Then he pointed up at the top of the cage, and said, "..Do you think you could... destroy that cover above us?"

Eevee paused and nodded hesitantly. She understood what predicament her new trainer was in, but even so, she was not trained in battling at all, so it seemed hard for her to destroy metal on the get go. Still, the Pokémon leaped, but soon found herself falling down, her efforts all for naught for her tiny body could not even touch the metal cover. Red frantically cushioned the Pokémon's fall with his body, and Eevee laid sprawled on the trainer's chest. She purred, guilty and upset that she was not able to help her new trainer, but Red simply smiled, assuring the Pokémon that it was alright.

They tried many other ways, a few more jumps, futile climbs but nope nothing worked. Depressed, Red hug his knees for comfort and looked up at the single ray of sunlight that was given to him. Then he gazed at the Pokéballs that held his whole team.

He cannot give up. There must be some way to get out of here.

He tried and tried, the time ticking away till night. Now, his only illumination was reduced to a spot of moonlight, so faint and white as he bathes himself under it.

The next day, he did the same thing, thinking up of all sorts of escape ways. He fed his fainted Pokémon, he himself feeding on a piece of bread. Red played with Eevee when he took a break from his attempts to get out. And the whole day passed by uneventfully.

The third day, he awoke to a loud thunderclap, and realizing that it was raining, he hurriedly took a container to salvage any amount of water the sky provided. Nibbling on the second piece of bread, his stomach growling way too loudly and in his hunger, he took a fistful of berries, stuffing them into his mouth.

The fourth day, Red could feel his strength dwindling, and he only had enough food for 1 more day. The young boy held in tears as he ran his fingers through Eevee's fur, Pikachu in an unconscious state beside him, and the rest all in their Pokéballs. He did not continue with his attempts to escape; they were hopelessly futile. He was going to die here, like what Giovanni wanted.

Eevee sensed the trembling of her trainer's hand and quickly perked up, gazing at him. Red met her curious eyes and at that moment, he felt the tears coming more than ever. His hands gathered the brown pokemon into his arms, holding her close to his chest. He found his tears wetting Eevee's fur like a waterfall. Sobbing, fear enveloped him. He was scared. He wants to get out. He hated this place.

Eevee squirmed around, not comprehending what was happening and finally, she managed to get a peek at her trainer's face that was wet. She yelped, and pawed at his cheeks, trying to wipe away those streaming tears that flowed down. She did not know what to do, as her frantic actions made him cry even harder.

"... I-I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... because of m-me, you're going to ... d-die..." muttered the ten-year-old child, his body trembling even harder. He should not even take that Pokéball back in the condominiums. No, he should not have brought his whole team in the first place. Because of him, they were going to die along with him.

"... I want to get out..." he breathed, and Eevee could only give a silent whimper, as she looked up at this fearful child. They have only acquainted four days ago, but she had already taken a liking to him. Even she herself did not want to die in this place. She wants to travel by her trainer, battle, and train with him, protect him from anything and everything. Protect him from this sad prison. But she could not, and she hated herself for that.

And the two cried themselves to sleep once more.

The sixth day, everyone was at their limit, famished and throats dried. The air was thin from the low oxygen concentration, and Red was on his last ropes. Now that he thought about it, his eleventh birthday was a few days after. Yet he will not be able to live up until that age. How was he going to die first? Dehydration? Starvation? Suffocation? He did not know.

He wanted to get out of here.

The thought of him being confined suddenly triggered something in his mind as he screamed in agony, clutching his head as tears dripped out his eyes. The ten-year-old child had been psychologically tortured for six days, forced to stare at the face of death for six days, bear an insurmountable amount of guilt and fear for six days. Eevee dragged her feet over to the boy in alarm, snuggling close to him, already aware that he was so badly traumatized that he could most likely die, not of starvation or dehydration, but of fear.

Eevee stared at her trainer with wet eyes, feeling so conflicted. She did not want to die, and she wanted to protect him. Finally, as a last resort, she shouted in her mind, squeezing her eyes shut.

Arceus, I'll do anything. So please, let me save my trainer!

In that instant, a purple light surrounded her brown body, so sudden that even Red stopped in his fit of hysteria to look at the glowing Pokémon before him. The purple light morphed white and blinded Red when a bright flash shone within the depths of this prison.

"Ee...vee?" Red mumbled, uncertain what had happened. That flash of white could only be one thing: the light of evolution. But how in heavens did Eevee evolved when she did not even level up?

"Eevee?" He repeated as a purplish Pokémon with feline features appeared before him. Not the cutesy Eevee that had stayed with him the past few days, but a whole different one full of elegance. And this Pokémon was still glowing purple, the red crystal on her head shining mysteriously.

Call me Espeon, Red. She conveyed her message via telepathy. Even she herself was shocked beyond words, that her wishes were granted by the Creator himself. Daintily, Espeon walked towards her trainer that was stunned, his tears stopping abruptly the moment he experienced telepathy for the first time.

Purring, Espeon leaped onto Red and used her paws to pat his forehead.

Relax, we can get out soon, just sleep.

Red, tired, nodded faintly, relief overwhelming him as he dropped deep into sleep. A tear rolled down his wet cheeks as he slumped against the wall, and soon his chest rose up and down, the boy breathing deeply. Smiling, Espeon, in a fluid motion, moved away from Red and tried to focus on her powers. Being a psychic Pokémon was not all that bad, really, it was not. But since young, as an Eevee, she had aspired to be a Vaporean, always fantasizing being able to use water type moves with perfect elegance and beauty. Although now, she can never reach that dream.

This is alright, She told herself. I protected Red after all.

She did not mind laying down her dreams, her life for this kind boy that is her trainer. She will protect him, no matter what.

And with a bright purple glow, she teleported the whole team back to the Celadon City's Pokécenter.

In the midst of the quiet place, a group of six Pokémon and their trainer were settled down under a large tree, with leaves draping over like an umbrella. They had gathered here not long again, after having a sumptuous dinner with the Elms, and they were here because their trainer had to talk to them, about his upcoming journey in Johto.

As well as who he was bringing along.

Meanwhile, Espeon worked her psychic powers, connecting their thoughts together, prompting the start of the conversation.

So Red, who are you planning to bring along? Venusaur asked.

A long silence followed and the atmosphere got heavy with every ticking second as the pokemon held their breaths. And finally, with a lump in his throat, Red announced, "...Pikachu, Charizard... and Espeon.."

Dead silence ensued, as the information sink into the ones who were chosen, and those who were not. Red dug his fingers into the soil, as he muttered.

"... Venu, Blastoise, and Snorlax... I'm sorry..."

The three aforementioned gazed at their trainer, and finally, Blastoise stepped forward.

Red, it's fine, we understand.

Yeah! It's alright! Venusaur piped in.

"... So... are you all going to leave...?" The trainer said with bated breath.

Huh? What do you mean? Said Blastoise, startled at his trainer's question. Red felt a rising surge of guilt as he finally tilted his head up violently, his red eyes drilling into Blastoise as he stared up at the big sized pokemon.

"You know how I do things! I've... always released pokemon when I have to leave them... it's a lonely thing to put them into the storage system... and I don't even know when will we meet again! I don't want to take away your freedom! So please tell me... if you all are going to-"

His words were cut short abruptly when huge fat paws gripped him by the sides gently, and soon he was lifted up, his legs dangling in mid-air as he came face to face with none other than Snorlax. Even the rest of the team were astonished; Snorlax rarely takes action outside of battles. And what made them flabbergasted was the alarming shade of red on his face.

Pikachu held his breath as he stared at his teammate. Snorlax was almost never seen to be this angry before. The only time he ever did was the time when Red used the Pokéflute to wake him up when he was blocking the route. Normally in cases such as this, Pikachu would have interfered and zapped Snorlax to make him put Red down. However this time, the electric mouse kept quiet as he observed what was going to unfold.

Don't you, ever, ever, ever think that we will leave you! Don't you ever, ever, ever ask that kind of question in my face! He huffed angrily.

Do you still remember that time we managed to conquer the League and made everyone eat their words when they thought that we were weak? Just because we trained for only a year? What do you think made us go further up ahead than anyone else!?

Finally, the pokemon roared out the words he wanted to express out the most.

Are the times and bonds we created together so insignificant to you that you could blatantly ask us if we wanted to leave you?!

Red stifled his breath, as he stared wide-eyed at Snorlax's small horizontal eyes. Snorlax's words triggered the memories of the training, battling and having fun together, and soon the boy found a tear rolling down his cheeks. With the sunset as the backdrop, its hues of orange and yellow giving the earth its last few sunrays of warmth, the trainer named Red spoke.

"... I can't forget... I can never... forget... forgive me..."

More tears followed and Snorlax also started crying, knowing full well that tomorrow might just be the last day he will ever see his beloved trainer. The child that had the nerve to wake him up that day, the child that trained him to part of a team, was now bigger and stronger. Snorlax could feel the heavier weight of his trainer, the proof of the boy all grown-up. Red patted the normal type's thin fur, as he smiled.

Snorlax then put his trainer back on ground level, before he dropped onto the grass and continued to cry his eyes out like a baby. Red moved forward, reaching out to his forehead and gave the normal type a few pats. Wiping away his tears, the trainer turned to face Blastoise and Venusaur. The water starter still had a serious expression on his face, while the grass starter was already crying.

Red. Like what Snor said, we will always be here for you. Don't worry about us, that professor will take care of us. We will definitely meet again. Said Blastoise, a reassuring smile plastered on his face.

At that instance, Red flung himself onto the large water type, the Squirtle that he had taken care of years ago, the Kanto starter that he had trained, evolved and grew up with. Blastoise returned his hug, the usually serious Pokémon having wet eyes. After a long while, Red turned away from the Blastoise's giant body and walked towards the sobbing Venusaur.

I'll miss you... Venusaur said with a whimper, and Red quickly embraced the Seed Pokémon, his arms around his rough and thick neck. The flower on Venusaur's back seemed to dull in color as he growled softly. Minutes later, when the three Pokémon and Red had sorted out their emotions, Blastoise glared at Charizard, wearing an even more serious expression on his face.

Take care of him. If anything happens-

You don't need to say it. We know what to do, right, Pikachu?

He's our trainer after all.

And the whole team exchanged grins as they surrounded Red, who beamed at his pokemon.

"... Let's do a group huddle." Red suggested, and the whole team nodded enthusiastically. Soon, Red sat on Blastoise's shoulders, Pikachu on Charizard's and Espeon on Snorlax's. Venusaur managed to stand on twos, trying to balance himself with the heavy flower on his back. And all seven individuals formed a circle and huddled up.

This team will never end! Their roars resounded into the falling night, leaves rustling as a loud breeze swept past the legendary team of the Undefeated Champion.

Something was pressing onto his face. Really hard. Red struggled to open his tired eyelids, a sea of yellow spreading before him. The teenager smacked the bed sheets many times, feeling suffocated by the body press of the electric mouse that sat on his face. His legs kicking the blanket away as he sat up, the yellow mouse still glued to his face. He did not know how did his buddy managed to defy gravity while sleeping, and him sleepwalking onto his face was something to marvel upon. Red opened his mouth, his lips brushing against the yellow fur of Pikachu as he tried to shout the rodent awake, but his voice was simply muted by the Pokémon's belly. Exasperated, the trainer grabbed the mouse by his collar, and soon he stared at the drooling mouse, who had an ignorantly large bubble hanging from his nostrils.

Red grinned, his fingers creeping up onto the sleeping beauty, getting ready to tickle Pikachu. Squeals and zaps of electricity were transmitted out of Pikachu as he wriggled around, laughing crazily, tears of surprise leaking out of his eyes. Red chuckled and tickled his friend a few more times before he decided that it was time for breakfast.

Not to forget the start of their Johto journey.

Strolling down the stairs, he paid his morning greetings to the professors and the assistants who had come to work early. Fortunately, none of the assistants had jumped onto him, for all were people of the morning shift.

His Pokémon was all at the ranch enjoying their breakfast, the assistants forbidden to go near them and stick their nose unnecessarily. It was a relief for Red, or else he might get bombarded with questions by those science geeks.

Noticing that there was only one hour left before he will leave this town, Red scurried to the guestroom to arrange everything in place and retrieve his backpack. Within fifteen minutes, the room was now neat. Red gave a satisfied nod, slung his backpack over one shoulder, habitually picking his red cap that hung at the corner of the bedpost. He was cautious enough to not wear his cap and trademark vest yet, or else the assistants may come like moths attracted to light.

Without further ado, he rushed down to the first floor and headed to the ranch, where his team of six had filled their bellies except for Snorlax, who was still stuffing himself with the ten bags of Pokémon feed. Meanwhile, the others greeted him joyfully, with Espeon using her psychic powers to communicate with him telepathically.

"... Morning" he said before he gazed at Venusaur, Blastoise, and Snorlax with a forlorn expression. The trainer held out three Pokéballs, and Espeon, Pikachu, and Charizard knew immediately that it was time to go.

I guess this is goodbye... for now. Blastoise said with a bittersweet expression.

"Yeah..." Red replied as he frowned slightly.

Take good care of yourself, Red.

We'll miss you!

Have a safe trip!

Nodding, Red gestured towards the trio that was going to accompany him, and soon Espeon, Pikachu, and Charizard returned to their Pokéballs, the telepathy connection cut off. The trainer stared at the remaining three, and despite him unable to hear their voices, Red gave a small smile as he bid his farewell.

"Until we meet again."

Steeling his resolve, Red turned and stepped back into the house. Staring at the broad back of their trainer, all three Pokémon knew that their trainer will be fine.

He will be fine.