Disclaimer! This is a nonprofit, fan-based, lovey-dovey fanfiction written by me. I do not own Pokemon, Nintendo, or Gamefreak. I do however own this story and I owe you, dear viewer, a lot of gratitude. Eric and Elizabeth the Gardevoir wouldn't be the same without you! 3

As always, please read the author's note(s) section!

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August 1st 20xx

Elizabeth and I had been on the road to Petalburg for well over two days, but because of the extreme heat that sure felt like an eternity. I had to refill my water bottle every couple of hours just to recover about half of what I had sweated out. I had half a mind to trudge into the forest just to get out of the sun and try to find my way to Petalburg from there, but the little angel on my shoulder convinced me otherwise. The bold determination and adventurous spirit she displayed yesterday were long gone and replaced with tired complaints and heaving breaths of disapproval of our current condition.

"Not like. Heat," Elizabeth whined for the third time in a row.

"Yeah? Me no like either, but at least you get to sit on your butt the whole day, while I'm carrying both you and this heavy pack," I grunted through cracked lips.

Elizabeth let out an exasperated sigh and leaned against my face, clutching tightly onto the napkin I gave her earlier to use as a makeshift emergency parasol.

I had half a mind to join in and scream at the sun for slowly boiling us alive, but then I saw a sign.

"Petalburg lake…1 kilometer?" I read groggily.

My eyes suddenly shot open with renewed vigor and enthusiasm. I felt Elizabeth jolt up on my shoulder just as I began to imagine the cool refreshing feel I'd get as the waves of the Petalburg lakes wash over my tired body. She must've been tuned into my mind this whole time. I guess the other thoughts that ran through my mind during our trip were not as exciting as this one. Then again, it was mostly complaints about the heat and the obnoxiously loud Surskit that spent the night serenading outside our tent yesterday. Come to think of it, I never ended up finding that darn Pokemon in the morning.

"Water?!" Elizabeth stared at me excitedly, her crimson eyes glistened with hope.

"Elizabeth we are taking a pitstop," I declared, not willing to negotiate any further.

With newfound strength and determination, I began walking towards the fabled lake with hurried steps.

Within 10 or so minutes the lake we've been desperately searching for became visible to us. The crystal clear water glistened in the afternoon sun, beckoning us to come closer. The perimeter of the lake was lined with clear white sand that stretched several feet towards the treeline surrounding it. Surprisingly enough there were no people in the area, what's weirder was the fact that despite being on the road for over a day, I haven't seen another trainer despite being told that many of them already littered the route. They must've been somewhere in the woods, maybe that's why Elizabeth was reluctant to go in there for any reason outside of sleeping.

A few larger rocks poked out of the deeper parts of the lake, and each of them was adorned with a Marill or two soaking in the sun. My heart longed to join them in the cool lake, so I wasted no time and sprinted towards a comfy-looking spot near the water's edge. There was just enough shade to not turn my backpack into mush under an old Oak tree that idly sat between the lake and the woods. The apple may not fall far from the tree, but it seems that the acorn sure does.

"There you go," I said as I gently placed Elizabeth in the shade.

She gazed up at me curiously, still clutching onto the now fully soaked napkin from earlier.

"What do?" Elizabeth asked sweetly.

"I thought we could cool off at the lake, wanna go in for a dip?" I asked and plopped down my pack beside her.

Without hesitating, I took off my shirt and tossed it onto a low-hanging branch, allowing it to dry. After all, it has been soaked in my sweat for the past couple of hours. Elizabeth yelped excitedly and covered her eyes. I stared at her for a moment, before I realized what was going on.

"A-Ah! Elizabeth it's fine, you're not peeking. And I'm gonna keep my undies on," I explained and tossed my pants to the side.

She parted her large pale fingers, allowing me to gaze into her deep crimson eyes, which seemed to have turned a vibrant pink from her embarrassment.

"O-Okay…Eric" She murmured mentally.

I snickered, amused by the adorable display, and fished out Tide's ball from my discarded cargo pants.

"Alright, Tide we're going for a swim!" I exclaimed and tossed his ball next to my bag.

Tide looked around lazily, taking in the splendid summer view until he shifted his gaze and looked behind me. In the blink of an eye, he was gone and charging straight toward the bright blue lake. Not wanting to be outdone by my little buddy, I took off running after him, determined to wash everyone away with a mighty cannonball.

"Come on, Elizabeth!" I shouted over my shoulder as I leaped into the waves.

Not even Kyogre could've outdone the mighty tsunami my impact created, washing away all that stood in its path. Branches, leaves, Tide, they were all washed away.

"Mudkip!" Tide complained upon reemerging.

"Hehe, sorry little b-" My apology was cut short by a blast of water to my face.

It was nice to know Tide's water gun was up to code, I just wish it didn't go down my throat. After coughing up a cup or two, I turned around expecting to see Elizabeth swimming up to us. I searched the shoreline with my eyes but saw no trace of her. I looked to where I left my stuff and saw her sitting beside my backpack staring at us.

"Hey, Elizabeth! Join us, the water's fine!" I beckoned.

Tide backed up my statement by splashing some water in my face, cutting me off.

I wiped the water from my face and threw my hair back. I shot a disapproving look towards Tide, but it turned into a mutual snicker. I kept waving in Elizabeth's direction, beckoning her as Tide swam in small circles around me. Eventually, Elizabeth got up and began to float towards us with an uneasy expression.

I'll talk to her, you go on ahead lil guy. – I pat Tide's head and swam to the shallows. Elizabeth floated just above the welcoming coolness of the lake's shore.

What's up, lil lady? – I stood up in the knee-deep water, staring down at my fair fairy companion. Elizabeth was fumbling with her squishy, white fingers anxiously.

Water…no good. Too deep. – Elizabeth pieced her words together and looked up at me questioningly, trying to assess if I understood what she meant.

Standing a little under 50cm when fully erect, it was no surprise she was hesitant to join Tide and me in the neck-deep water. Her head only came up to my knees, if we're not counting her horn. I rubbed my chin furiously as if trying to ignite it just hoping it would spark an idea in my head that would solve our current predicament.

I could teach you how to swim. – I offered and reached out both arms, beckoning her into my embrace. Her face lit up and she flew into my arms. Literally.

I try! – Elizabeth chirped.

Oh good, that's back… – I thought to myself and began to lower her into the water. I was just about to dip her in when a thought flashed in my mind.

Elizabeth? Do you have anything under that dress? – I asked rather bluntly.

Yes. My body. – She replied, matter of factly.

So you're naked under there? – I asked less confidently this time and held her a little further away from me.

You naked…under…there. – Elizabeth retorted and pointed at my crotch.

Under where?! – I looked down, thinking my boxers had fallen off while I was emerging from the water.

Yes. That. – Elizabeth kept pointing at my underwear.

Unamused, I asked her again and this time managed to get a straight answer out of her. As it turned out, that rather breezy white dress was the only piece of clothing she had. At least whatever it was, it grew with her. Dozens of questions began to manifest in my mind and I had a feeling Elizabeth caught at least a few of them. That'll show her to peek into my head.

Never mind that! Hmm…I don't think it would be fair of me to ask you to completely soak the only piece of clothing you have. – I stated and began to walk to the shore.

No! It is fine…I dry…quick! – She argued and flew out of my grasp and floated back to the knee-deep parts.

Not fair…of me. Eric like water. Tide like water. I…try. – Elizabeth struggled with her words, trying her best to make a coherent sentence. I stood speechless. I was amazed and touched by her passionate statement. I would be lying if I said my cheeks were only red from the exhausting summer heat.

I dragged Elizabeth around in the water as she hopelessly, yet tirelessly flailed her legs. The fine material of her dress absorbed as much water as it could, weighing her down and making it really hard for her to move her legs properly. I doubt she managed to learn anything in the ten minutes I spent dragging her around. At least we had fun. After a while, we both gave up and I just played with her until the exhaustion began to catch up with me. When I asked her why she didn't simply use her psychic powers to move through the water as she did through the air, she simply answered:

– Water dense. Takes effort.

I took her at her word and let her lay on my chest as we floated around the water's surface. Tide was doing God knows what over on the other side of the lake. Last I saw him, he was yapping at some Azumarill who was minding its own business on a mossy rock. But I guess that didn't sit well with Tide. That little grump.

The minutes slowly turned into an hour and the exhaustion from swimming and floating began to pile up until I couldn't bear it any longer. I groggily opened my eyes to look at the slumbering little Pokemon on my chest. She was curled up into a ball, her frame hid behind her green hair and…pink horn? I blinked a few times, thinking it was a trick of the light, but it wasn't. I could've sworn that for as long as I knew her, her horn was the same shade of vermilion as her eyes. But now it was pink. An unmistakable shade of violet pink. I stretched my neck to get a closer look, but that caused my body to shift and my legs started to sink and dragged my body with it. Elizabeth's feet touched the cold water and she shot up from her sleep in a panic and looked at me.

What?! – I shot up and looked around. I was under the tree that we set our stuff down by. – Was I…sleeping? When? How?

I felt a sudden tap on my leg and my gaze shot towards the pale figure that stood nervously next to me.

Is Eric okay? – Elizabeth spoke clearer than before but sounded extremely nervous.

Elizabeth? – I asked cautiously, sounding almost as nervous as her.

I scooped her up to inspect her. Sure enough, her horn was a shade of red, not pink. So were her eyes. The whites of her eyes weren't black and her pupil wasn't white. Her cheeks were a little flushed but that was to be expected of a girl who was inspected so thoroughly. I apologized for staring so hard and put her down, taking a peek at her soft hands. They were still as pale as the rest of her body. No inky black fingers, no black spots on her arm, not a hint of pigmentation. Just a beautiful shade of white.

You had nightmare? – Elizabeth asked shyly.

I grabbed the side of my head, only now noticing the humming ache that besieged my temple.

Y…Yes. I think so. I had a bad dream. – I struggled to form words, it felt as if my mind was foggy but not quite. Normally I would be rather curious to find out what just happened, but I felt no desire to dwell deeper into the quickly fading memory. Instead, I opted to focus on Elizabeth who was still eyeing me anxiously.

I'll be fine, Elizabeth. I'm pretty tough. – I smacked my chest confidently.

She smiled slightly and climbed into my lap. I laid against the tree and watched the water ripple at the touch of the cool breeze that came from the east. Slumber had not come once again as I would have expected, rather I felt adamant that I should not fall asleep for a while. I wasn't sure why, but I felt it in my core that I don't want to be asleep for a while. Elizabeth too seemed oddly awake, the heat took even more out of her than it did from me, and I was the one carrying her. She weighed practically nothing, but I clung to this fact whenever she would complain about the heat and the long road ahead of us.

Since neither of us was willing to fall back asleep, I suggested we grab a bite to eat.

A lake day ain't a lake day without a picnic! – I claimed cheerfully and reached into my bag for some food. Tide must've heard me mention food from across the lake because as I was about to set down his bowl I could see him torpedo across the crystal clear water. He was either fed up with the territorial Azumarill or fed up with not being fed. He charged from the shore to the lonely tree we sat by within seconds and sat down by his bowl. waiting patiently for his meal.

You know if you were half this fast in battle, I might not even have to catch any new Pokemon. – I chuckled and scooped him a healthy amount of Pokefood. Elizabeth tried to stifle her giggles by covering her mouth, but a few managed to slip past her fingers. Tide seemed oblivious to our remarks and began to loudly and excitedly chow down.

If only I was that ignorant when I was being picked on… – I sighed and scooped some food for Elizabeth.

She smiled patiently and waited for me to pick out my own meal. I fished around the packets of food I had piled on the top of my stuff until I managed to find the last baggie of sandwiches we got back in Oldale.

Rara~ – Elizabeth chirped and munched away at her food.

I ruffled her hair and bit into my sandwich.

You know… – I gulped – You don't have to wait for me everytime if you're hungry just eat,

But I want to. – Elizabeth replied psychically. I envied her, as she didn't have to swallow her food to speak.

Family eat…together. – She added and scootched closer.

I almost choked on my sandwich at that moment. She was so precious. Elizabeth had been really friendly during our time together, even when she was exhausted from the heat or the long hours spent awake. Her sweet demeanor never ceased. Even now, as she was chowing down on her meal she kept one hand firmly pressed against my leg, only taking it away to demand head pats.

With our bellies full and the sun still bearing down on us, we opted to stay and lay in the shade. Even in the shadow cast by the lonely oak, my boxers were nearly dry. It didn't really make sense to me, I could've sworn only a few minutes had passed between getting out of the water, laying down, and then having lunch…Did I even get out of the water?

As fast as my curiosity returned, it disappeared with a hum that came from deep within my mind. My attention quickly shifted to the slowly rising and falling chest of Elizabeth laying on mine. She really seemed to enjoy being around me, it's as if she had a constant need for physical contact. She kept seeking my touch no matter what. Sleeping, eating, walking, talking, she just had to hold onto me somehow as if fearing I'd vanish if she wasn't holding onto me 24/7.

Couldn't blame her honestly. From what I've gathered she's been all alone for who knows how long living in the forest, gathering food and water just to survive. Kill or be killed. It must've been really hard on such a gentle soul like her. My hand subconsciously drifted closer to her delicate frame as my mind kept running. I believe I too had a need to be around her, rooted somewhere deep within me. I've only begun to notice it recently. I mean we've only been traveling together for a few days, so everything between us would be pretty recent. I felt as if I had to be around her, I felt the need to touch her and…

My thoughts drifted aimlessly down a rabbit hole of ever-increasing complex thoughts and questions. The minutes turned slowly ticked away and the shadow of the tree began to grow and shift along with the passage of time. I thought this would be the right time to hit the road again, after all this was only supposed to be a quick pitstop. But then again the time spent here wasn't half-bad. It wasn't as I had imagined it to be, then again how often would you run into trainer girls in their bikinis? Had to be like a one-in-a-million, right?

Hey. Wake up, shorty! – I poked Elizabeth in the back to try and wake her.

No...oo…ooo~ – Her words were gargled as the telepathic link opened up.

Do not want…to. – She stated defiantly.

Too bad~ – I teased and picked her up. – Wake Tide up while I get dressed.

She weakly floated out of my grasp and landed with a soft thud on the still sleeping Mudkip. The little scamp was laying on his side, letting his full belly be exposed for the world to see.

Scallywag. – I thought to myself and began pulling up my pants.

I turned back, hearing the absence of any defiant yelps from Tide only to see Elizabeth laying on top of him, also fast asleep.

Better make that 'scallywags'. – I murmured grumpily.

Hey. I know you can hear me. – I thought loudly. – Wake up or no more head pats.

Elizabeth immediately shot up and began tapping Tide on his side.

Mud...Kiiiiip. – He protested. – Mud!

Elizabeth managed to roll him over onto his feet. He was not amused. He stared daggers at Elizabeth and me and then his eyes focused on my belt and the Pokeball that had hung off of it.

Kip kip. – He requested with a softer tone.

He wanted to go back into his ball to continue napping. What a surprise.

Alright, alright. In you go, little buddy. – I zapped him back into his ball and reached down for my bag. Once it was comfortably on my back I looked back down.

So…You gonna walk this time? – I asked sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and began to float. She floated higher and higher, past my shoulder and up to my eye level.

No~. She stated lovingly.

I sighed, faking displeasure at her defiance against being independent.

You princesses and your constant need to be carried… – I huffed and set her down on my shoulder.

Prince...Ess? – She repeated awkwardly. – What is…prince-ess?

I had the strong urge to reply with "You. You are a princess.". But I thought otherwise.

A pretty girl who rules over a kingdom and always has to be pampered. – I tried to define it in as simple terms as I could. Though I feared I was too harsh with my words.

Pretty? Elizabeth Pretty? – Elizabeth covered her mouth with her hands, trying to hide her newfound cherry pink complexion. – I am…pretty girl?

Slightly taken back by the levels of cuteness, I turned my gaze away trying to hide my own ever-reddening face.

Yeah…I guess. – I mumbled under my breath. – Anyways we better hit the road if we want to make it to Petalburg this week.

With flushed cheeks and averted gazes, we began our track back to the main road. Our awkward silence soon gave way to idle banter, like it always has. She was so fun to talk to and she was fascinated by everything I told her. It's true that most of the things I talked about were brand new to her. Books, movies, cars, playgrounds, things I found funny on the internet. Though it felt as if she was more interested in me and wanted to express that by listening to what I had to say. It had been some time since a girl showed this much interest in me. She was so nice to me. She was with me. It was just us on the dirt road.

Eric and Elizabeth the Ralts.

"Hey, there stranger! You wanna have a Pokemon battle?"

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Author's note:

Good evening my dear viewers! It's me, ya boy...hehe. I don't know what to write here on this occasion. Uuuh, it's the 4th of September, and I just finished editing the story.

As always, THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading this month's chapter! I'm really happy you did! Please let me know what you thought of it, and if you enjoyed it, don't hesitate to let me know. If you have any questions about things in this chapter that you didn't understand, ask away in the form of a review!

I wonder what belies Elizabeth's charming gaze...

Story prior to reboot: Eric and Elizabeth the Gardevoir: Forged Memories - www,fanfiction,net/s/14067718/1/Eric-and-Elizabeth-the-Gardevoir-Forged-Memories

Non-canon monthly shorts: Eric and Elizabeth's non-canon adventures - www,fanfiction,net/s/14116302/1/

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