Multi-verse Theories: No Smoke, No Fire

by LoreilDarksky00

Another collection of older WIP. These ones do not focus on Ash if he shows up at all. These ones are less likely to be updated any time soon but still worth sharing. 10 - Sir, That Is My Emotional Support Sea Serpent. Vera had no idea how she ended up in the world of Pokemon... but her new little buddy is worth the stress. Now she just needs to get those badges to keep him.

1. Build a Castle From the Rubble - Ch 1

"W-wait, you're really giving this to me?"

Nick quirked an eyebrow, a lopsided smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, you goof, I told I would for helping me study, didn't I? My parents bought me a new 2DS as a reward for ranking first on the exams. And you know I have doubles of all the games, this is the copy I didn't even touch except to put it in that case for you. Just take it, Josie."

"I… thanks, Nick." Josie slowly accepted the offered electronic, running a finger down the cartridge of Pokemon X, a slow smile spreading across her face. Even though it was a generation behind the most current, she didn't care. Pokemon, as a franchise, was one of the best things life had to offer Josie Garret. "I know it's 'cause you upgraded, but it means a lot."

"I know." He ruffled her long curls, brown eyes soft, before urging her to get a file started. It was a free period, so she had zero protests, eagerly powering up the cobalt blue 3DS after inserting the game. Nick leaned against her shoulder, taking out his new 2DS so they could play together.

Some of their peers thought they were either dating or that Josie was 'only friends for his money', sometimes both, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. They'd first met as children; Josie had begged the head matron to let her walk down to the nearby shopping center, to the Game Stop that was hosting a release party for the newest Pokemon game. She couldn't afford to buy it, didn't even have a system to play on, but she was hopeful that somebody would let her watch them play, or that she'd get a chance to play an in-store demo.

It was there that she'd accidentally bumped into Nick, who brushed it off and asked her what she thought about the new game. After hearing how she was only there to watch, he pulled her aside and angled his screen so she could watch him start his own copy. They bonded over their shared love for the franchise, and had been friends ever since. Only Nick knew that she was a ward of the state, had been since she was a baby.

That may have been a huge reason she loved the Pokemon games; the player had at least one parent that loved and supported them, while she had none. She longingly watched the characters in the TV show interact with their parents, one of the only shows the matron let the orphans watch.

Immersing herself in the game, she kept going back to Vaniville Town to visit her in-game mother. She couldn't help herself. The concept of parents was just so foreign to her, and she wanted nothing more than to have them, to be cared about instead of abandoned.

That night, she stayed up late to keep playing the game under her blanket. Starting with her trusty Fennekin, she built a team of her new game favorites; a Scatterbug that became a lovely Vivillon (she wished Pokemon were real, she was dying to bury her hands in the white fur of a Spewpa), a Ralts that became an elegant Gardevoir, a Helioptile she then evolved into a Heliolisk, an Eevee she'd yet to evolve, and a Sneasel she was trying to get a Razor Claw for. Her secondary team was the rest of her favorites; a Shinx, a Noibat, an Espurr, a Swablu, and a Dratini she got in a Wonder Trade.

Josie hadn't caught that many Pokemon yet, but she was waiting until she finished the main plot to go back and complete the PokeDex and do all the little side-quests. Josie was absolutely in love with the Kalos region, having adored it ever since the XY season of the show first aired. Unable to stop herself, she imagined how even she, an orphan with nothing to her name, could go out and travel, earning money by doing something she loved.

She was sure training a real Pokemon, had they existed, wouldn't be as easy as the show or games made it out to be, but she was a fast learner and quick to find the most efficient solutions to her problems. That was the only thing Josie had going for her, really, being an orphan and all. That was the only thing she'd been able to offer Nick to get this 3DS, too, study help because high grades were all she could accomplish, that she had to if she ever wanted to get scholarships to pay for college.

Shoving those thoughts down, she occupied herself with the Pokemon-Amie feature, not even regretting it when she realized that it was sunrise, and she had to get ready for school. She couldn't wait to share her progress with Nick, the thought carrying her through the morning till their first shared class despite the weariness making her eyes ache and her mind sluggish.

Walking into the classroom, she slowed when she took in the dark, grim atmosphere, glancing around at several crying classmates. Gripping her bag strap, she shuffled over to Mr. Ensworth. He looked exhausted.

"What happened?" She asked quietly.

He hesitated when he met her confused and concerned gaze, exhaling slowly and running a hand down his face. "Miss Garret… it pains me to have to be the one to tell you this, but since you clearly haven't heard… It's Nick. There was a car accident, last night. He's… he passed away early this morning. I'm sorry."

Nick's… gone?

That… that couldn't be right. Nick was too vibrant, too good to just not come in. He never even got sick! He was always there, always early and waiting for her so they could sit together, so…

"He what…?" Josie felt faint, and swallowed thickly, feeling distant and strange, like her world had suddenly lost color and been enshrouded with invisible, wet cotton. The ground shifted beneath her, no longer the steady surface she always used to bounce that tennis ball Nick always kept in his backpack at his shoes. Nothing felt real. Nothing could be real, if Nick was…

"－osie? Miss Garret…? Oi, Smith, get the nur－"

XxXxX

It was one thing to long for something that you've never had, Josie realized, but another entirely to long for something you will never get back.

Time ceased to matter, everything ceased to matter. What was the point? The only person who had ever cared about her as a person, as a friend, was gone. The one person who she had considered 'family' was gone. She'd gone to Nick's funeral in a daze, so shattered and out of it that she barely recognized the body in the casket at her Nick. He was too still, too pale, and it took everything she had to lift her shaking hands and tuck the paper Gracidea flower she'd made into his stiff grip.

His skin was cold.

She couldn't stay to watch them lower him into the grave, unable to bear the finality of the action. She went back to the orphanage she lived in and curled up in the corner of the empty storage closet hardly anyone knew about, tucked in the back corner of the kitchen. In the silence, she could hear her own heartbeat, and for a long moment hated it with a burning, twisted, overpowering rage and guilt, only her tears feeling hotter on her face.

Nick's last gift to her felt heavy in her hoodie pocket. Stiffly pulling out the 3DS, she ran her fingers over the plastic surface, unable to see in the darkness. This was the only physical proof she had of Nick's existence. Feeling lost and still unable to emotionally comprehend her loss, Josie flipped it open and powered it on, suddenly desperate to lose herself in the game, to forget everything else existed. To forget this horrible world that was now missing its most vital person.

The screen glowed bright white, far brighter than usual, and before she could even begin to figure out what was going on, the light enveloped her and flared. When it faded, she was gone.

No one would know of her disappearance for days, and when it was discovered, it was quickly labeled as a distraught teen running away from the death of her best friend. She was declared missing, likely dead, just a few months later.

XxXxX

'Child… we heard your voice. We heard your wish. You have a strong heart, filled with love for our world, enough for us to hear you even far away as we are. We will give you a chance to move on, to make your own path. Take your new life, your new family, and your new partner… Enter the world of Pokemon and begin your own journey.'

XxXxX

"－can't believe that the Professor Rowan just gave you a Pokemon egg, he's never done that with anyone, not even his fellow researchers! He must have been really impressed with you, Josie," the feminine voice giggled, pulling Josie from the void. "I'm glad he did, though, I can't imagine the trouble it would have caused for Professor Sycamore for a new arrival to need a starter, when he has so many others scheduled already. Your cousin is going tomorrow, Grace said she's been planning it ever since she saw that boy on the news. She thinks he's the same one from Professor Oak's summer camp, all those years ago, isn't that funny? Maybe you girls can catch up with him! You were like three peas in a pod back then, attached at the hip!"

Confused, Josie's eyes fluttered open, the voice from her most recent memory of that great void echoing in her head. The familiar movement let her know she was in a car, and there was a weight on her lap. Glancing down, she froze as she saw a tube-like case with thick gray caps on each end, the tube itself revealing a large egg. The top half was a soft goldenrod color, with the bottom a dark, warm gray. Scattered across the surface were four small, cinnamon-colored four-pointed-star designs.

Josie's brain took a moment to put the pieces together, before it finally registered.

Take your new life, your new family, your new partner.

Slowly, she turned in her seat to see the woman driving the car, brown curls and bright blue eyes looking eerily similar to the player's mother from Pokemon X and Y. To Grace, from the show.

Grace. Cousin. Serena.

"Is this even real?" She blurted, eyes wide and voice tight. There was hope and shock and excitement and incredulity and even a little bit of fear.

The woman laughed. "You've been asking me that since I told you we were moving to Kalos! You asked it when we left Sinnoh, on the boat, and when we first got here. Of course it is, baby girl!" Her voice abruptly softened, and she glanced as Josie before focusing back on the road. "Josie… I know you've been having a hard time ever since Nick passed… but he would have wanted you to enjoy your life, you know that. I talked to his mom, recently, you know he was planning on getting you an egg to raise? He wanted you to have these experiences! So please, baby girl, don't deny yourself this journey. As your mother I'm begging you, don't deny yourself this chance. If you need a reason, then do it for him. Do what he couldn't, in his memory."

She couldn't breathe. It felt like she'd been punched in the gut, the sudden reminder of Nick's death, that he wasn't here anymore. Even in this.. this dream, or on the slim chance this was real, the fact that he wasn't here with her hurt. But even with that threatening to drown her, her chest felt warm, too,

"Okay Mom," she said hoarsely, testing the word and latching onto the fact that right here and now she had a mother, trying to forget about Nick's absence, hating herself for feeling like she needed to. "I… I'll give it a shot."

"That's the spirit, baby girl, go for broke. Ah, and look! There's Vaniville Town, our new home! Oh, you haven't seen the house yet! We're right next door to Grace and Serena, the Yvonne clan is finally back together, this is so exciting! Don't you worry about getting our stuff inside, the moving company is gonna put your boxes in your new room. You can just go see Serena, I know it's been years since you last saw each other."

"Right," Josie agreed hesitantly. She didn't know what was going on, but that voice, that she heard before 'waking up'… This was practically everything she'd ever wished for. Almost everything. Even though Nick wasn't with her… did she even have it in her to deny herself the chance to enjoy this? Even if she woke up back in the storage closet, right here and right now she was in the world she and Nick had both loved for so long.

Her new mother's words rang in her head. Do it for him.

That wouldn't be so bad, would it? If there was anything she could do in his memory that would make him happy, it would be a Pokemon journey, even just in a hyper-realistic dream. Shoving the nagging sense of guilt aside for the moment, she looked out the window at Vaniville Town. There were pretty vines on the houses and flowers everywhere. Everything seemed bright and a little washed out, but the vividness was bearable to her senses.

Hands tightening on the incubator in her lap, Josie took a few deep breaths to calm herself a bit. Something dug into her left wrist uncomfortably, and she felt her breath catch when she saw the familiar cobalt blue of the 3DS. Except instead of a game system, a sleek Xtransceiver was strapped to her wrist, a suspiciously Xerneas-shaped silhouette on the metal cover, with a black strap. She knew, with a surety that shocked her, that that Xtransceiver was the 3DS Nick had given her.

He's still with me.

A tiny smile pulled at her lips, and she hastily wiped away a few tears. After a moment's hesitation, she started fiddling with the device, exploring its features. The buttons on the side panels were easy to figure out, so she was soon scrolling through what seemed to be apps. She saw the video call option, normal call option, a contacts app, a camera function, a music app, was a bit surprised to see a map/GPS function, and what seemed to be something to sync the Xtransceiver with a PokeDex. It was a lot more diverse than the Unova seasons and game had displayed, that was for sure.

Just a few minutes after she'd finished messing with the device, they pulled into the driveway of a modest two-story townhouse, with a decently sized front yard where a pond took up almost a third of it. A little confused, Josie didn't comment, instead carefully picking up the incubator and stepping out of the car once it was off, eyeing what looked to be a large doghouse on the lawn of the house next to them. A moving truck pulled up behind them.

"So?" Her new mother spread her arms out expectantly. "What do you think?"

Taking a moment to compose herself, Josie offered the woman a smile. "It's nice, Mom. Is that… Serena's house?"

"Yep, I told you we were right next door! They'll be happy to see you, so go on over, I'll take care of the movers." With that, she jogged over to the large truck, and Josie took that as her cue to go meet her cousin and aunt.

A little nervous now, she crossed the lawn and approached the door, pausing when her eyes fell on the large Ryhorn snoozing just inside the little doghouse. Ryhorn house. Whatever they called it here. The leathery gray hide of the Pokemon reminded her of a mix between a rock, an elephant, a hippo, and an armadillo, with a visibly tough but smoother than expected texture. The Ryhorn snorted and shifted, muscles rippling beneath its hide, but didn't wake. Her lips pressed together in a thin line as she squared her shoulders and finished the walk to the door.

From what her new mother had said (she was still in shock, she was sure, suddenly gaining an actual family too much for her in addition to everything else), Serena was to head for Lumiose tomorrow. Everything indicated that she was in the world of the TV show, although following a Ruby and Sapphire-like opening of 'new trainer just moved in', just a couple episodes or less before Serena met up with Ash and joined his traveling group. The Kalos arc was in its very beginning stages, and she was… along for the ride, it seemed.

She shifted the incubator to one arm and knocked. Muffled voices could be heard before the door opened and Josie was face-to-face with Serena, and subsequently stunned to silence by how pretty her new cousin was. Animation had not done her justice, had downright sabotaged her, something that should be criminal.

Serena Yvonne was an angel, beautiful blue eyes and soft waves of gold falling gently over her shoulders. She had a heart-shaped face and a refined nose, an adorable smile and Josie could practically see the sparkles radiating off the girl. That's it. She was going to physically fight anybody who tried to insult Serena's appearance, because they were clearly willfully ignorant. Her new cousin was precious and would be protected at all costs.

"Josie!" Serena exclaimed, and oh, it wasn't the same voice from the English dub of the show, it was far closer to the original Japanese, just a little less high pitched. She was dragged from her thoughts and into a tight hug, just barely gathering herself in time to return it. "It's so good to see you, it's been too long. How was your trip?"

"Uh," Josie said intelligently. Instant physical contact was… new. Scrambling to figure out a reply, she let Serena guide her to a cozy living room. "It was long, I guess. I zoned out for most of it, I think, but it went well." At that moment, Grace entered the room, smiling when she saw them.

"I thought I saw Marie's car. Welcome to Kalos, Josie! Ah, is that the egg you got from Professor Rowan? Marie told me about it," she explained, seeing Josie's slight confusion and slightly misinterpreting it. Was this just a family thing, everybody knowing everything? And her new mother's name was Marie?

Still, Josie nodded, looking down at the egg. It wasn't familiar, having not been one of the ones shown in the TV show, but she guessed it really didn't matter. This egg… was hers. Her first Pokemon, first partner. Feeling a little excited at that, she followed her cousin to sit on the couch. "Yeah… I don't know what type of Pokemon it is, so I sort of just want it to hatch already. I really want to meet the Pokemon inside."

Her mind was beginning to settle a bit, absorbing her situation better. With her earlier decision to make the most of it for Nick's sake, she found herself adjusting better than she thought she might. She really did want the egg to hatch soon, to meet the first Pokemon she'd be able to actually hold and interact with.

With the coloring, maybe it was an electric type? It wasn't an Elekid, or Pichu, she knew that much, unless every single egg was unique in design and coloring. Was it native to Sinnoh or had Professor Rowan gotten it from somewhere else? From what she knew of the show, most eggs were pretty easy to guess what type of Pokemon was inside. She struggled to come up with a yellow and black or gray Pokemon with the same shades as the egg. Maybe a Joltik, or Helioptile? Or maybe a Mawile, or Emolga… come to think of it, Jangmo-o were also gray and yellow, weren't they? And Togedemaru.

"I can imagine," Grace nodded with a smile, her voice bringing Josie back to the present, going into the kitchen and speaking a bit louder when she was out of sight. "You've had it for a few months, right? It should be hatching soon, with all the time you've spent with it."

As if on cue, the egg glowed softly for a moment, the light fading as quick as it came. Serena squealed, sliding to the floor to get a better look, her lavender lounge outfit bunching up around her. "It glowed! Does that mean it's hatching?!"

"It means its close," Josie replied, fascinated. Seeing it on screen was one thing, but her heart honest-to… god or Arceus? In any case, her heart literally skipped a beat just then. "I think the glow means it's getting ready, but I don't know how long it will need to actually hatch. The glow shouldn't fade, when it's actually hatching, I know that much."

At that, Serena apparently decided that Josie clearly knew more about Pokemon then she did, and began to ask about them, and how to care for them. Not entirely sure on the specifics herself, Josie gave her vague but logical answers, and suggested they get some tips and maybe a book in Lumiose, once her cousin had confirmed in a conspiratory whisper that she was leaving to go there tomorrow morning.

Somehow, Josie made it through the rest of the afternoon and evening, finally entering her new home after a family dinner of Grace's delicious soup. Like Serena, she had gotten the upstairs bedroom, and her mother had unpacked what she assumed to be her clothes into the closet. There were only a handful of boxes, and curious as to what was inside them, she set the incubator on the desk and started 'unpacking' (she had no idea what was inside).

The first box was full of books and a few framed photos. Quickly putting the books on the shelves opposite the bed, although she set what looked like some trainer manuals and a Pokemon care guide on the desk, she picked up the pictures. The first was of a pale child that had ice blonde wavy hair with periwinkle eyes and her mother, at some kind of fair or festival. With a start, Josie realized that child might be her. Hurrying to the standing mirror, she took in her new appearance.

Her body and features were pretty much the same as she was used to, if several years younger, but her hair was now that near-white, not as curly as before, and her eyes that soft lavender tinted blue-gray. Her freckles remained, as did the thin scar going through her right eyebrow that she'd had for as long as she could remember. She was still wearing the skinny jeans, plain T-shirt, and sandals she'd had before she came to this world.

Letting out a mild "huh", she slowly went back to unpacking, ignoring the rest of the photos aside from one of that fateful camp, with 'her', Serena, and Ash, arms slung around each others shoulders. They looked to be about five or six in the photo, and Josie absently wondered how her existence fit into this world, while she obviously had no memories of this younger self there was proof here that some version of Josie had been around.

She set the photo on the nearby desk, then focused on putting away an assortment of toys, stuffed Pokemon dolls, and an entire box of accessories and bags. The last box had several small cases she decided to look at later, so she checked the closet. At least she didn't need to worry about her plain clothing standing out, as she had was looked like a fashion expert's collection of pretty yet sturdy clothing. Knowing that she was expected to go with Serena and start a journey, she tried to pick something out for the next morning.

Not liking the skirts, she searched the closet for leggings and shorts or pants, finding a black pair of athletic leggings and overall cutoffs just a shade bluer than her eyes. She then searched until she found a baseball tee with navy blue sleeves. More digging revealed doubles of the outfit, confirming the theory that trainers just bought or made travel clothes in bulk; she had six sets.

Hanging one set on the back of the desk chair, she folded the rest and stacked them on the bed. She pulled a teal hoodie off its hanger and dark gray boots with blue laces from a full shoe rack, setting them by the door before tidying up the mess she'd made in the search for practical clothes. Even if she only stayed one night in this room, she'd feel bad about making a mess.

That done, she stood in a pretty, cozy bedroom that felt tailored to her very soul, and tried not to cry. She didn't want this to be a dream. She was hoping so badly that this was real, that she was truly given the chance to have a Pokemon journey, to make memories that she could later tell Nick if there was an afterlife.

Shuddering slightly at the overwhelming emotions, Josie stared at the soft, cream-colored carpet and dug her toes into it. It felt real, higher quality than anything she'd ever felt before. Surely she couldn't dream something she had no true experience with, not with this amount of detail? With some hesitation, she brought her hand up to her upper arm and dug her nails in until they broke through the skin. The stinging pain forced a choked laugh out of her.

She'd never experienced physical pain in dreams before, and she'd never had a dream with this type of clarity. Her few dreams always had something off, something fuzzy about them, which made her give a little more faith to the idea that this was real. Shaking her head, she distracted herself once more by going through the last box. She would prefer to have everything ready if she woke up here in the morning.

The cases had what she was certain were potions and antidotes, a bunch of berries and a label that boasted the case kept them fresh for up to six months, and empty cases with adjustable storage spaces; in fact, the whole set looked like a kit, a trainer kit. There was one small box that had a single Luxury Ball, which she figured was for the Pokemon in her egg. At the bottom, that she hadn't dug to before, was a gray satchel, the tags still on it. Reading them revealed that it was one of the high-tech trainer bags, which similar technology to Pokeballs.

A look inside showed that there were many flexible box-like compartments lining the inside, with a metal ring and button that seemed to serve as a sort of 'gate' to each storage space. She organized her spare travel clothes by article of clothing and put them in the smallest compartments, all in a row and easily found, tapping each bundle to the inside button and watching in a daze as red light absorbed it. Underclothes, which she'd had to go back to the closet and hunt for, were tucked into a slightly smaller compartment just to the side of them. Curious, she tapped the button with her hand, and each bundle was 'released' into her grip. Amazed by the technology, and how much space she had left, she replaced the clothes and looked around for what else she should pack.

She eventually decided to pack a few 'nice' outfits; she was a girl with 'new' clothes, who could blame her? Never before had she had new clothes, with the sole exception of the near-annual hoodie that Nick gifted to her on her birthdays. The thought had her closing her eyes for a moment before frantically rifling through the clothing on the hangers again, almost sobbing in relief as she found each and every one tucked away between dresses and shirts. The purple one with a Gengar design, the Dratini-themed hoodie, and the extra cozy Pikachu themed one.

A flurry of soft whispered escaped her, thanking whatever brought her here for bringing them too. With great care, she folded each hoodie and tucked them safely into her bag, rubbing her eyes before once again calming herself and getting back on task. She needed to stick to a list before she found herself lost in the emotional turmoil again, and she honestly did not want to deal with anything right now. Instead she focused mindlessly on clothes, now a safe topic.

She didn't want to wear the same thing all the time. Her wardrobe had a lot of teals and blues, with some pastel greens and the occasional purple outfit. It took her a while to choose one fancy dress, one semi-casual, and one 'the accessories will decide what level of nice this is' outfit. It was easier to find some exercise clothes and lounge clothes, and then she grabbed some other shoes. She rather liked some of the high tops, ankle boots, and low heels she found in the closet. Into a compartment they went, along with some hats and bracelets.

It was around then that she realized she was supposed to be prepared for actual traveling and camping, so she dug around for winter gear, and also found a bedroll tucked into a shelf up top. With those added to her bag, the buttons briefly flashing red on the full compartments, she felt ready. And she still had about six totally empty compartments, the empty space like normal bags had, and the outer pouches that would probably end up holding a PokeDex or ID, and some spare Pokeballs.

"No wonder Ash was a mess when he first started," she mused out loud, tired from just packing and thinking about all she needed. And she didn't even have a tent or cooking supplies. She should probably investigate what kind of food options there were for camping… Putting her bag next to tomorrow's outfit, she sat down at her desk, glancing at the alarm clock there. Just barely nine, she had time to flip through some of the books she'd set aside. "Starting your journey: a trainer's guide to Pokemon training. This reads like a psychology self-help book…."

Like the title implied, most of the book was a basic overview of what to expect, but she dog-eared several chapters that outlined the details of certain services offered to trainers. One explained the Pokemon Center system, and certain chains of shops or companies that specialized in specific areas of Pokemon training and care. Another outlined each region's rules about carry-limits, expansion appeals, and designating care and storage for Pokemon not on an active team.

The one that she lingered on, after a cursory skim of the other chapters, was career registration. Trainers were apparently encouraged to register as their preferred 'type' or specialization as a trainer, but could change it whenever they liked. They were required to register as one when they started their journey, and could change it at any Pokemon Center. It was much like the options in Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire that let players choose their icon for the PSS, only this was an actual declaration of intent－apparently in some cases, like for aspiring Ace Trainers, the database would 'ping' more experienced trainers of a specific specializing and that trainer could then decide to contact the aspiring trainer to offer a sort of mentor-ship.

Josie bit her lip. Now that she thought about it, what was she even going to do on her journey? It was highly likely that she'd end up traveling with Serena and Ash, and thus Clemont and Bonnie, which meant trouble eventually. So she'd definitely have to train her Pokemon, whatever they ended up being, for battle if only so she wouldn't be helpless or useless. They would already be going to the Gyms, but… well, she would have to see how she liked battling first. In the games in was fun, but who knew what her opinion would be after actually experiencing it? She also had always wanted to just explore and interact with her team.

She was too self-conscious to be a Pokemon Performer, she'd leave that to Serena… and since there didn't seem to be a Contest circuit, a career with less focus on the trainer on stage, in Kalos she'd hold off checking those out until after going around Kalos. Maybe she could find videos, though… speaking of videos, PokeVisions were a thing in Kalos. Could those be done as a career, like a Youtuber type thing? She made a mental note to check that out. Sighing, she looked at her egg, sliding her fingers across the clear tube.

"There's a lot to learn about this world," she told it, feeling just a little awkward about talking to a massive egg but not enough to stop. "There's a lot of things to do, I think… we'll just have to explore them as we go. Whenever you decide you're ready to hatch, of course. I'll be the one doing all the work till then."

The egg glowed brightly as if to reply, and through the awe she managed a smirk, recalling a vague mention of unborn Pokemon being aware of what was outside of their egg. Was there any truth to that? She had time to test it, and was alone enough not to let any embarrassment prevent her from trying.

"Was that a 'sounds good' or a 'I'll do it myself'?" The egg shook a little this time, and her eyes widened as it flashed briefly. She began to smile. "That looked like 'I'll do it myself' to me." The egg shook harder, flashing again, and after a moment of internal debate, she fumbled with the incubator's base until she heard a click, allowing her to lift the lid off. The egg stilled, and she bit her lip to hide her disappointment before trying a different approach.

"C'mon, buddy, I know you've got it in you to keep going," she urged, beaming when the egg began to glow steadily this time, shaking every few moments. This… this could be it. This could be the moment she would meet a real life Pokemon, one all her own. "That's it! You've got this, just keep trying. I'm right here waiting for you, buddy, you can do it."

Her words seemed to get through, because the egg began to crack, glowing brighter, enough that she had to squint. The sounds of cracking grew louder, and she waited with bated breath as it all seemed to stop for a moment. Then, with one final flash, the light dissipated, and she saw her first partner, for the first time.

The little golden cub yawned, stumbling out of the incubator's base. As if in a trance, Josie scooped up the shiny Shinx and cuddled it to her chest, earning a hearty purr. Shinx nuzzled her, and she found herself laughing softly, pulling back to look at her first Pokemon. Her partner. With golden fur and a face that would undoubtedly be a master of Baby-Doll Eyes, Shinx was perfect.

"You're adorable," she informed it, swiping at her eyes for a moment and trying to compose herself. Remembering the Shinx she'd had in her game, she scratched the cub behind its ear, giddy at the sensation of velvety fur and the barest hint of static. This was way better than the game. "Can I give you a nickname?"

Shinx tilted its head cutely at her, licking her wrist. Then it nodded, and she thought about it, reeling from the whole situation as well as the confirmation of such incredible intelligence. Unable to rid her mind of names coming from her Shinx' shiny coloring, she finally gave in and made her suggestion. "How about Topaz? It's a gemstone the color of your fur, that pretty yellow," she explained.

After blinking for a few moments, it nodded, and she couldn't help but sweep Topaz back into her arms, resulting in a happy Shinx cub that gently batted her chin with soft paws. The firm warmth of Topaz' small body made Josie realize that this was no dream. This was real, and she was going to live out her dream.

She was going to be a trainer.

XxXxX

"Josie! Wake up, you're gonna be late! You still need to shower and get dressed, and eat before you go!"

Groaning, Josie forced her eyes open, blinking slowly in confusion as pale green walls met her vision. Where…? With a gasp, she bolted upright, remembering what had happened.

"Shinx! Shi shinx," a little voice protested the sudden movement, pressing against her side, and she glanced down at Topaz. The cub pouted at her, no doubt tired from their late night.

"Sorry, Topaz," she apologized, shifting the cub to her still warm pillow, feeling lighter than air at waking up here. A moment's thought made her frown－she really needed to find out what gender her partner was, calling the cub 'it' and 'the cub' was going to get old real fast. "You can sleep a little longer, I'm going to get ready. I'll be back soon."

Purring contentedly, Topaz shut its eyes and went back to sleep. Grinning, Josie got out of bed and grabbed her clothes, searching for the bathroom. She'd woken up still here, and she was beyond excited. Taking the fastest shower ever, she dried her hair and dressed, then went back to her room to double check she had everything. Strapping her Xtransceiver to her wrist and sliding the trainer guide books into her bag, she pulled out the Luxury Ball and eyed it contemplatively.

Not yet, she decided, slipping it into her hoodie pocket and rubbing the soft fur above Topaz's nose as a warning that she was going to pick the cub up (well, interact with it, Topaz probably didn't understand the more specific intent from just touch), cradling it in her arms. She yawned as she trudged down the stairs, but she didn't regret staying up so late. After Topaz hatched, she'd spent a good few hours just cuddling and playing with the young Pokemon, reassuring herself that yes, she really did have her own Pokemon now, and a shiny one at that!

Actually, she probably should officially capture Topaz before she left. She didn't want to take any chances with her partner.

"Good morning," she greeted Marie, her mom, waiting for her to turn around. She couldn't help but laugh at the shocked expression that Topaz received.

"I don't believe it! A shiny Shinx! Oh, you've got some luck, baby girl, what a cutie," Marie crooned, leaning over to pet the cub. Topaz bumped its head into her hand, adorable in every way. "Make sure to call Professor Rowan to let him know, and thank him again. His number's already in your Xtransceiver, don't you dare forget!"

"I'll call him today," Josie nodded, already trying to word her gratitude. "I nicknamed it Topaz. I don't know how to check the gender, though…"

"You can do that when you get your PokeDex. Have you caught Topaz yet?"

She shook her head. "I was just thinking about it, I know I need to do it before I leave. Especially with Topaz being a shiny."

"Yeah, can't be too careful," Marie sighed, but brightened a moment later. "Well, sit down and eat, Serena's going to drop by to pick you up and lead the way to Lumiose. Has she told you what starter she wanted? Grace says she hasn't mentioned it, although she did say she'd already decided."

"She didn't say anything last night, but I think I can guess." Josie looked away, using Topaz as an excuse for the shift. She didn't know how accurate her knowledge would end up being, and there was no real reason to say anything about that anyways. So she sat down at the table, after setting Topaz on the floor where it was swiftly distracted by a bowl of what looked like milk-soaked Pokemon food and berries being set in front of it. Human food was already on the table, so she dug in, wanting to be finished by the time Serena came. She didn't want to hold her new cousin up, wanting to meet Ash for herself as well. If things went according to the anime, he wouldn't remember Serena (or her, apparently, if that picture still on her desk was any clue) without significant prompting, but she still wanted to meet him.

"I know you two are starting a little late, but fifteen is a much easier age for Grace and I to feel like you'll be safe," Marie said as she sat down. "And look, you got a super rare starter for the wait. Just be careful and make sure to call me regularly, okay? Especially when you're away from Pokemon Centers for more than a week or two."

She is giving me a lot of information, Josie realized, finishing the last of her water. It helped her out a lot, and now she knew that 'this' Josie was fifteen and had delayed a journey at her mother's request. "I will, I promise. I'll stick with Serena, I think. A group would be better."

Nodding, Marie's reply was interrupted by a short series of rapid knocks on the front door. Sighing ruefully, she met Josie's gaze. "Good luck, do your best, I love you, and please enjoy yourself to the fullest. Go for broke, baby girl!"

Swallowing hard, Josie nodded, unable to find her voice. Instead, she slung her bag over her shoulder, strap across her body, and got up, calling to Topaz as she went. The cub scampered over, already done eating.

"I need you to go in this for a little bit," she told it while showing it the Luxury Ball, stroking down its spine. "I'll call you back out soon, okay?"

"Shinx!" Not protesting, Topaz allowed her to press the Pokeball to its head (after an awkward fumble to figure out how to activate the device to full size) and was easily enveloped in the red energy and sucked into the device, a loud click showing an instant capture. Standing, holding the ball tightly, Josie took a deep breath and tucked in into her hoodie pocket. She turned, offering Mari a smile.

"Love you," she said, unable not to say it, because while this was new to her still, this woman had loved her without even knowing who she really was. "I'll call after Serena gets her starter!" And she rushed out the door, coming face-to-face with a bubbly blonde that hugged her as soon as she was through the doorway.

"Morning, Josie! You ready? Wait, where's the egg?" Serena gasped. "Don't tell me it hatched already?!"

"Late last night," she replied, gently shoving her cousin towards the gate. "I'll show you later, let's get to Lumiose. You wanted to catch up with Ash, right?"

Instantly the other girl flushed, stammering out something that sounded like a protest but also a 'yes'. Chuckling, Josie followed as Serena whirled and headed a direction that she obviously knew well. Keeping pace with her, Josie took in the sleepy atmosphere of Vaniville Town. It was mostly a residential area, she noted, only a few shops and a library next to what looked like a small school. She assumed that Aquacorde Town was close enough that most people worked there instead.

"So," she started as they reached what had to be Route 1, unable to stand the silence, although the distant calls of bird Pokemon were relaxing to her. "What's your plan for this journey?"

Serena tool a few minutes to consider, blue eyes a little distant. "I just want to travel, for now. I'm just glad there won't be any Ryhorn racing practice… I want to find my own dream, you know?"

"I'm sure you'll find something, we're bound to come across something that you'll love," Josie encouraged, uncertain if she should mention anything ahead of canon time. She couldn't bring herself to do so, not blatantly, anyways. "You like fashion, right? There must be tons of things you can do with that. You and whatever Pokemon will end up on your team."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll find something for sure. Hey, let's hurry through Aquacorde, I want to get through Santalune City before noon."

"Is there somewhere to get Pokeballs in Aquacorde? I read there's a Pokemon I want in Santalune Forest, I want to be able to get one if we happen to see it," she explained, eager. She would get her Vivillon one way or another. She'd found a stash of money in her boxes, and she was pretty sure she had enough for at least a few normal Pokeballs.

"I think there's a shop that has them. What Pokemon?"

"Well, the line," she admitted, throwing together a passable excuse. "So either a Scatterbug or Spewpa. I read about Vivillon before we moved, they have a ton of potential for pretty much every type of trainer."

The other girl looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but smiled, her voice taking a teasing tone. "Well, maybe I'll have you help me find more Pokemon too, since you know so much." She sighed wistfully. "I can't wait to get to Lumiose, I hope the Professor has the starter I want. I scheduled for today, but I just worry."

"I'm sure you'll get it. But we can hurry, if that will help you feel better."

"It sure will, race you to Aquacorde!"

"Huh－hey wait! I don't know my way around yet!"

XxXxX

Josie braced her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath and ignore her aching calves. It was a long walk to Lumiose, and they'd only just then arrived at the gate. They hadn't seen any of the Pokemon she'd been looking for in the forest, but then again she hadn't pushed for them to really look, knowing they were on a bit of a schedule. Finally recovered, she stuck close to her cousin as they ventured in through the gate. It was a huge city, but not as packed as she'd feared.

Serena knew the way to the lab, so Josie grabbed her cousin's hand and just took in the sights. There were a lot of shops that looked interesting, and she made a mental note to sight-see a bit the next time they passed through. The lab itself was just as pretty as the TV show, although the tell-tale tarps could attest to the Team Rocket fiasco that had made the recent news. Following Serena inside, she stayed near the door as the other girl called out her arrival, content to just watch. This was a special moment for Serena, after all.

"I'm here," Professor Sycamore called back from atop the stairs. "Thanks for coming."

"It's nice to meet you! I'm Serena Yvonne," she replied, walked closer to the steps as the professor descended them.

"You're here to become a Pokemon Trainer, correct? You and your cousin," he added with a nod to Josie, who started, but nodded back as she shuffled forwards.

"That's right. Also, Professor, I saw something on the news. The trainer who saved that Garchomp the other day…"

Sycamore's eyes brightened. "Ah, you mean Ash?"

Josie could practically see the excitement pouring off her cousin as her wish came true. Well, partially. Shaking her head with a smile, she listened in as the Professor continued.

"He already set off. He said he'd go and challenge the Santalune Gym."

"Santalune Gym… All right, Professor. May I pick my starter?" Serena chirped, eyes sparkling while her body language become a little antsy, no doubt wanting to catch up to her crush.

"Of course!" Sycamore replied, clearly amused with Serena's enthusiasm; Josie silently wondered if he enjoyed seeing new trainers set off, one after the other, if he kept an ear out to see where they ended up. "Have you already decided which Pokemon will be your partner?" When the girl nodded, he turned to slightly shadowed hallway off to the side. "All right everyone, come out!"

Josie couldn't help but coo over how cute the starters were in person. They were so vibrant, practically glowing with energy and life. Watching as her cousin fawned over them, she sidled around behind her to stand a little ways off from the professor. He gave Serena a PokeDex before she could do anything else, instructing her on how to use it and suggesting she try it out. While she crouched down in front of the trio of Pokemon, he looked over to Josie.

"You aren't here to get a starter?"

"Oh, I have a Pokemon already," she assured him quietly, bringing out Topaz's Luxury Ball. "But I just moved to Kalos, so I'm supposed to register and everything."

He hummed in understanding, pulling another PokeDex out of his lab coat pocket. "Ah, then go ahead and take this too. You have your Trainer ID, yes? You can put in your information and register your starter at the Pokemon Center."

"Thank you, Professor," she said gratefully, making sure her grip on the PokeDex was secure before turning back to watch her cousin stand, a decisive movement.

"Have you made your choice?"

Serena's gaze ran over all three Pokemon. "Now that I see them all in person, I think they're all really cute. But I already decided before leaving home." Taking a few steps forward, she crouched down in front of the little yellow and orange fire type, the fox's eyes widening in wonder. "Fennekin, it's nice to meet you! I'm Serena, and I want you to be my partner."

Josie had never seen a creature look so joyful at being chosen (or at all, really, regular animals weren't nearly as expressive as Pokemon were proving to be), the Fennekin yipping out a delighted agreement and jumping into Serena's arms. Smiling at the sight, Josie waited patiently for Serena to be given her starter's Pokeball and the spares that regional Professor gave to those scheduled to receive a starter. She jumped when Serena whirled, pinning her in place in an expectant stare.

"Oh right." She laughed nervously at the sudden attention. "You wanted to see what my egg hatched into. Come on out, Topaz," she said, gently tossing the Luxury Ball and catching it as her Shinx materialized. That would take some getting used to, but it felt so cool to be able to do it.

"Aw, super cute! Wait, that's a… You got a shiny Shinx, that's so cool," Serena exclaimed, already aiming her PokeDex at the young Pokemon. Kneeling down to greet her starter, Josie did the same.

"Shinx, the Flash Pokemon. All of its fur dazzles if danger is sensed. It flees while the foe is momentarily blinded." Unable to hold back a smile at having a real PokeDex, Josie scrolled through the extra information available because of the Pokeball in her hand, scratching Topaz behind the ears as the mechanical voice kept going. "This Pokemon is female, has the Intimidate and Rival abilities, and knows the moves Tackle, Leer, Charge, Baby-Doll Eyes and Double Kick. Note: Double Kick in an egg move. This Pokemon also has the egg move Ice Fang, but it has not been mastered yet."

"You're a powerful little girl, aren't you Topaz?" She mused, her starter purring louder in response. It seemed that the four-move limit wasn't really a thing here, at least as far as being able to use them. Maybe battles just had move-limits? Tucking away the PokeDex and Pokeball, she gathered Topaz into her arms, much like how Serena was holding Fennekin. "I have to thank Professor Rowan for giving her egg to me, again."

"Yes, your Shinx is a rare Pokemon indeed," Sycamore said with a smile. "I wish you both the best of luck!"

"Thank you," Serena said cheerfully. "Josie, we should hurry to get Topaz registered as your starter so we can catch up with Ash. C'mon, let's go!" Without waiting, she dashed for the door, leaving Josie to send a quick thanks of her own to the professor before running after her cousin.

"Serena, I don't even know where the Pokemon Center is!"

XxXxX

"What a nice morning!" Serena said brightly, looking completely relaxed in the crisp air. In contrast, Josie was fairly certain she looked like a swamp monster.

She was exhausted and sore from all the travel yesterday, but she kept that to herself. She had to get used to it sooner or later. Yawning, she watched as Topaz and Fennekin ate their breakfast and chatted to each other. It was nice to see that they were friends, and Josie was happy that her starter was enjoying herself. It was a quartet of ladies for the moment, and while she actually wanted to go back to bed and forget her legs existed, she was prepared to head out.

Seeing that Serena was done, she stacked their dishes neatly on the patio table, slinging her bag over her shoulder as her cousin thanked Nurse Joy and held out her arm for her Fennekin to catch a ride. Josie would do the same, but Topaz was still a bit too young to have the hang of keeping her grip, so she just carried the cub.

"We're almost to Santalune," Josie commented as they made their way back to the route. She tried to remember what exactly happened in those early XY episodes, but she was still groggy and the pain in her feet was making focusing difficult. "Should we check the Gym first?"

"The Professor said he'd be challenging it, so yeah. Hopefully we're not too far behind," she fretted. Her dedication to meeting up with him was cute, Josie would give her that, but she was actually not looking forwards to the look on her cousin's face when Ash didn't remember right away.

Still, she trudged on, a tiny bit jealous that Topaz was snoozing away in her arms. Sighing, she tried to stay alert. She'd had to stay up late again, after getting a call from her mother that reminded her about the time zone difference in Sinnoh, so she could thank Professor Rowan and show him Topaz. He was a gruff, stern man, but thankfully he preferred to keep things short and to the point. It was just staying up that was the problem.

Regardless of her internal complaints, they made good time into the city, and a quick look at Serena's tablet pointed them in the right direction of the Gym. They slid in through the door to the battlefield, and Josie guided her cousin behind the spectator wall after Alexa invited them to come watch.

And then Josie tried really, really hard to zone out for the duration of the battle, remembering how bad she'd felt for Ash about Viola's downright vicious strategy. The poor guy only had three Pokemon on hand and only one had any decent training, but he did try, she'd give him that. Since she was closest to the doors, she was a little sheltered from the two blond siblings cheering Ash on, but she silently wished him luck.

Unfortunately, it went just like the episode, and Ash lost. The electric siblings rushed over to help him with his Pokemon, and Josie let a hand rest on a distraught Serena's shoulder before motioning that they should follow. It was Serena who noticed Ash's backpack, something that Josie had totally forgotten about. Maybe she'd paid more attention to the battle… then again, she could hardly remember all the details of the show.

By the time the cousins caught up with Ash's group, his Pokemon were already being treated, and Ash was in his little funk. Letting Serena go ahead to handle him, Josie wandered over to the electric siblings. Both were disheartened, sky blue eyes turning a shade darker as they kept turning to check on Ash. She took a moment to adjust to the bright yellow of their hair before approaching.

"I guess Viola's pretty tough," she commented sympathetically.

Bonnie glanced at her, before her eyes fell on Topaz and all thoughts of Ash's defeat flew out the window. "Wow, your Shinx is yellow! It's so cute! Why does it look different?!"

Before Clemont could reign her in, Josie giggled and slid into the nearest chair, gently waking up her starter. Topaz yawned cutely, pressing her nose to her trainer's chest. "She's a shiny Pokemon, that's why she looks different. Her name is Topaz." Seeing the cub's tail twitch playfully, she set her on the table, ruffling the fur between her ears. "You can play with her if you want, she's very friendly."

It was like taking a kid to a candy store and telling them, "Get anything, it's on me". Bonnie's whole face lit up, and before Josie could even blink the young girl had both Topaz and her Dedenne on the ground where they started playing some kind of hand-paw-tapping game. Smiling at how Topaz was very much enjoying making new friends, she turned to Clemont. He watched his younger sister for a moment before shifting to face her.

"Hope you guy didn't mind my cousin and I ducking in to watch Ash's match," she said, a little sheepishly.

"No, I'm sure it's fine－wait, you know Ash?"

Hiding a wince at how easily she slipped up, she shrugged. "We all went to a summer camp hosted by Professor Oak as kids. He helped Serena out when she hurt her leg, and she's been trying to come find him ever since she saw the Prism Tower incident on TV and recognized him. I'm not sure if he remembers, though, it didn't look like he recognized either of us. It was a long time ago. Ah, looks like she managed to get him back on his feet," she noted, having glanced over to check on the two. Pleased that her cousin was managing to talk normally to her crush, who was no lounger slouching with a defeated expression, she got to her feet.

At that moment, chimes rang out through the speakers, alerting Ash that his Pokemon were recovered. Josie hung back while he retrieved his Pokemon, keeping an eye on Topaz as she darted around Bonnie's legs in what looked like a variation of tag.

"Josie." Serena's flat announcement of her name got her attention. Glancing up, she realized that the group was all staring expectantly at her.

Flushing in embarrassment, she ducked her head and cleared her throat. "Sorry, what?"

"I was trying to introduce you," Serena informed her with a slight eye roll, but she was smiling. "Like I was saying, this is my cousin, Josie Yvonne. She just moved to Kalos a few days ago."

"Nice to meet you," she waved, bracing herself as Topaz bulldozed head-first into her shins. It was becoming a bit of a habit for the young Pokemon, and she reminded herself to try and curb it before she evolved, or things could get nasty. "Topaz, you're going to give yourself a headache if you keep doing that…" Scooping the cub off the floor with an exaggerated sigh, she turned to pink haired woman behind the counter. Refusing to be thrown off by how exactly alike Lumiose's Nurse Joy the woman looked like, she cleared her throat softly and placed her starter on the counter. "Nurse Joy, could you give my Shinx a checkup? She just hatched recently. Serena, you should have her check Fennekin too."

"Oh right!" Releasing the little fox, Serena tugged Josie closer to the counter. While Ash dug his PokeDex out of his pocket and Bonnie got up close and personal with Fennekin, Josie found herself feeling disconnected.

She had been trying very hard to keep her mood up, to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For the most part, in the whirlwind that was starting a journey in Kalos, she'd succeeded. But… she'd never been good at interacting with people. For nearly a decade, the only friend she'd had was Nick. And he wasn't with her anymore, so now she had no one to help ease her into being around a ton of people. She felt like she didn't belong, the sensation cold and heavy. Lonely.

Staying quiet as Serena chatted with the others, Josie stepped away to go sit on one of the lobby couches, digging her trainer guide out of her bag in the hopes of distracting herself and passing the time. Flipping to a chapter that detailed some basic training exercises and tips for young electric types, she settled to wait for Topaz's checkup to be finished. When Alexa came in and offered to help Ash train, she looked up.

"Josie, are you going to come watch?" Serena called across the large room.

She shook her head, waving her cousin to go on. "I'll wait here for Topaz. Good luck with your training, Ash, Pikachu, Fletchling, I cheer for you when you challenge Viola again."

"Thanks," the boy said, lifting a hand in acknowledgement. With that, they all went back to the Pokemon Center's training field, and Josie went back to her book. This would let Serena talk to her crush a bit and try to get him to remember the summer camp, anyways, she didn't want to interfere. Considering that she technically didn't even go to the summer camp, only knew that as a child in this world she'd gone to it with her cousin (she wondered how 'dropping' her into this world had worked, if she had just shown up and suddenly she had a place or what), there was no point in her being present for it.

At least her trainer guide was useful, as she now had an idea of how to ease Topaz into training. She was thinking of asking Clemont for some advice, as he was a more experienced trainer. She would claim that if he questioned why she was asking him. She'd do the same with Ash, as he had Pikachu on hand. She hadn't yet asked Topaz if she wanted to do any battling, even just a test run to see if that's what they wanted to do, but the cub being able to take care of herself was non-negotiable.

Josie could hold her own in basic brawl, if necessary. She wasn't proud of it, that time in her life where she'd been so ashamed to be living in an orphanage, of wearing donated hand-me-downs, that she'd run off to try and make her own way on the streets. She'd been lucky to only get beaten up a few times, but in the end, despite sulking back to the orphanage a few weeks later to a frantic Nick and a stern matron, she'd learned where to direct her fists, elbows, and knees. Remembering that also reminded her to work on her own physical strength, not just that of her Pokemon.

That decided, she got to her feet and looked around the lobby for something else to read. A rack of pamphlets caught her eye, and she picked up one with a big 'Parterre Way!' printed in a bright, eye-catching orange. Below it, in smaller and less noticeable print, was 'Route 4'. To her surprise, it had a list of Pokemon that had a history of living in the area, and what the best times to find each one were. Her eyes lingered on the Skitty and Ralts sections, also skimming the Flabébé and Budew entries. All four were cute Pokemon with a lot of potential for all types of trainers. Plus, if trained well, their final evolutions packed a lot of power. And the Ralts line could Mega Evolve.

"... They'll be training for a while, won't they?" She murmured to herself, checking the time on her Xtransceiver. If she remembered correctly, Ash would train until nightfall, or a bit later. Route 4 was just a fifteen minute walk out of Santalune, and it was just barely eleven in the morning. She could go out and tell Serena she heard of a Pokemon she wanted on Route 4 and be back before dark. She didn't have to go far, and it would be good experience in trying to find wild Pokemon. If something came up, Serena could always call her from the Pokemon Center's phones, her cousin did have her number.

Well, she'd go once Topaz was ready. Sighing, she sat back down, pamphlet in hand, and pulled out her PokeDex. She probably had enough time to figure out how to sync it with her Xtransceiver…

Just fifteen minutes later, she'd discovered that syncing the two devices was the best decision she'd ever made. She could set them so that it was her Xtransceiver that gave her a basic rundown of a Pokemon if she scanned one with the PokeDex, or take a picture of a Pokemon with the Xtransceiver and have the PokeDex identify it later. Because of the GPS function, it could also tell her where Pokemon she looked up in her PokeDex liked to live, and nearby locations where there was a high chance of encountering them. Her Xtransceiver could also display what Pokemon she currently had on her team, and lists of Pokemon she'd scanned or caught.

Basically, it was the perfect combination of trainer tech, and she had no intentions of wasting it. She looked up the four Pokemon she had her eye on and sent the data request to her Xtransceiver. Saving the information to a bookmark list after checking to see where the best places to find them were, she made a mental map of what order she'd go looking in. On a whim, she looked up Eevee, and nearly cheered out loud when there was what looked like a clearing nearby on the map where they'd been seen before.

It seemed like her home world logic was extremely effective in getting the job done. More effective than the TV show way of finding and catching Pokemon was, anyways. Honestly, the resources were clearly available. Why did Ash never use them?!

"Trainer Josie, your Pokemon's checkup is finished!" Nurse Joy's cheerful voice rang across the lobby, and Josie hurried back to the counter, greeting Topaz with an exaggerated kiss to the top of her furry head. Topaz chirruped, basking in the attention before the nurse stole away her trainer's focus. "She's in perfect health. You can start basic training with her, but try to avoid battling experienced Pokemon, as she is still young. And no official battles, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," Josie nodded. "Thanks, Nurse Joy. Is my cousin's Fennekin almost ready? Ah, seems like it," she added as Fennekin was wheeled out by the nurse's Wigglytuff, tail wagging as she searched for her trainer. "Serena's outside watching Ash train, Fennekin."

"Fen," the little fox barked, jumping onto Josie's shoulder in a clear request to be taken to her trainer.

"Alright, let's go find her. Thanks again Nurse Joy!" Getting a sweet smile and an 'any time' from the woman, Josie made her way through the back door to the training fields, jogging over to Serena, who was standing on the sidelines with the electric siblings. "Serena, Fennekin's here."

Serena tore her eyes away from the intense training session to thank her, plucking her starter of Josie's shoulder and cuddling her. "Thanks. You know, I had no idea that some trainers did this kind of thing! Pikachu and Fletchling are so strong!"

Squinting to see against the dust kicked up by Noivern's massive wings, Josie nodded, though her focus was more on the dragon. Noivern was incredible to see in person, leathery wings and muscles flexing powerfully as it sent Gust after Gust at the two much smaller Pokemon on the opposite side of the field. The purple dragon was fierce and gorgeous, and Josie was filled with want. Maybe she could catch her own dragon type. Which ones were native to Kalos, again?

"Yeah, they're really working hard." She hesitated, piecing together a lead that would make her leaving to look for Pokemon not seem rude or anything. "Is Ash going to challenge Viola again today?"

"I don't think so, it looks like he's going to train the rest of the day and then go back in the morning."

Perfect. "Alright. I found out that there's some cute Pokemon that live on Route 4, so I'm going to go check it out, I'll be back before dark. Call me if anything comes up, okay?"

Already back to observing Ash and his Pokemon, Serena just nodded to show she'd heard. Stifling a laugh, Josie slipped away and headed for the road that would lead her to her goal. Her main two targets for the day? Ralts and Eevee. Anything else, including Flabébé, Skitty, and Budew, would be nice, but those two were some of her all-time favorite Pokemon.

"So, Topaz," she began as they made their way to the dirt path. "I'm thinking we should talk to some Pokemon and see if they want to become our friends and come with us while we travel. If you want to spar with a Pokemon, make sure to ask first, okay?" She held no illusions about her starter's abilities and would prefer to make peaceful captures if she made any today. Maybe the cub's age would work in their favor.

The cub nodded, eager, wriggling until she put her on the ground. Topaz stuck close, but was obviously enjoying being able to run around and investigate the scents she was picking up. Checking her map every now and then, Josie guided them towards a clearing about a mile and a half into the woods of Route 4.

Hiking was a new and exciting experience for her. She'd grown up in a city where the only trees were tiny things caged tightly beside sidewalks, and the only other greenery was short and carefully trimmed hedges, so being in an actual forest was still a novel thing to her. There were little chunks of bark that bit into her palms from where she'd had to find her balance on slippery, moss-covered roots, and her leggings had leaf-juice all over them from where she'd stumbled, but she didn't care. It was fun, and the air felt so clean, and she was seeing little glimpses of Pokemon everywhere! Plus, Topaz was practically vibrating with energy, happy to be exploring.

It took about forty-five minutes to reach the clearing she wanted, and during that time Josie had shown Topaz pictures of the types of Pokemon they were looking for, hoping that it would help. It couldn't hurt, at least. Carefully, watching her step so she didn't make a ton of noise, she started to explore the clearing. There were several Flabébé floating around, and a couple of Floette, and a lot of Ledyba and Combee.

"Topaz, do you think you could ask around and see if there are any Eevee or Ralts around here? Try asking the Ledyba first, the red Pokemon like that one," she pointed out. She wasn't sure if having the cub approach a Combee or Flabébé would be safe just yet. Both of the base stage Pokemon were likely to have a second or final stage friend hanging around, and she didn't want to be seen as a threat. The Ledyba looked more dopey and friendly anyways, so they were a safer bet.

If only Nick could hear me now, she thought with a sharp pang in her chest as Topaz scampered off to complete her little 'mission'. Making strategies for asking wild Pokemon for info. They used to joke about it, creating little spy networks of friendly wild Pokemon. He would have loved this entire situation.

Shaking her head, Josie's gaze followed her electric type as she bounded over to a Ledyba hanging out on a rock. She could just barely hear them from her spot leaning against a tree.

"Shi shinx shin shinx?" Topaz asked, golden eyes wide and cute. That a girl, get in there with the Baby-Doll Eyes! "Shinx shi shinx, shin shi shinx."

They Ledyba blinked, tilting its head and opening its mouth to reply (why was a giant bug so cute? She might just catch one…). "Ba? Ba… Ledy ledyba le dyba. Ledyba," it added, pointing two of its arms in one direction.

Topaz jumped in place happily, darting forwards to give the Ledyba a lick of thanks. She than darted back to Josie, pleased with herself and motioning with her head the direction the Ledyba had pointed.

"That way? Alrighty, girl, lead on," Josie said, following her starter around the clearing and across a shallow stream. Slowly the trees gave way to a set of low cliffs and a river, but Topaz led them to a dense grove that went right up to the stone and paused, turning to her trainer and pointing her paw to a nearby rock. "You want me to wait here? Okay, but be careful."

Watching as Topaz called out before entering the bushes, Josie sat down on the rock and looked around, admiring the scenery. She was still alert, of course, because Topaz meant everything to her and if she heard signs of trouble she'd dive into that grove regardless of the consequences, but this area was extremely pretty and relaxing. With the river flowing gently behind her, and the warm sun on her face… maybe she'd come back sometime.

Rustling leaves had her opening eyes she didn't remember closing, and Topaz left the thicket, a Delcatty with intelligent eyes following only to sit down a few feet from its home. The feline studied her for a long moment, as Topaz trotted over and hopped onto the rock beside her to get some well-deserved cuddles.

After what seemed like an eternity, the Delcatty let out a crooning sound, almost like it was singing. It then raised a foreleg at her, and repeated the sound. Blinking, Josie tried to interpret the action.

"Are saying you want me to sing?" She asked in confusion. It was an odd request, but it wasn't like there was anything wrong with it. But a wild Pokemon asking a random trainer to sing?

"Del," the normal type nodded, its violet neck fur gleaming in the light at the graceful motion, shifting so its tail was curled around its feet in such a cat pose that Josie had to smile. She thought for a moment, trying to come up with something to sing. Her tastes in music were a little random, and she'd been more interested in things like background music than memorizing songs with lyrics, but she knew a few.

In eighth grade, Nick had gotten really into an anime called 'The World is still Beautiful'. He would bring his laptop to school so they could watch the episodes, both dubbed and subbed, and he'd loved it so much that she had learned the song Nike sang to summon the rain. They would sing it together every time it same up in the show. She didn't have the music to accompany her (it hadn't been on the 3DS Nick had given her, so it hadn't been transferred to her Xtransceiver) but she remembered how it went.

She took a breath to gather herself, the memories sharp but still warm, and sang the opening lines. "Kyou umareta kanashimi ga… Sora e maiagaru…"

Josie slowly stood, closing her eyes and imagining Nick was sitting on the grass, just listening this time. She'd never been a particularly skilled singer, her voice too breathy to sound that good, but when she sang with Nick it didn't matter, because it was just for them, just for fun.

"Anata wo mamoritai unmei ni sawaritai…"

She missed him so much it physically hurt. The universe had granted her a bittersweet kindness in sending her here, but the guilt weight heavily on her shoulders no matter how she tried to ignore it.

Would he have been mad? That she got to do what they'd both dreamed of while he was dead, that she was willing to? No, he wasn't that kind of person. She'd almost forgotten how selfless he was, where everyone else had expected a spoiled rich kid. He would probably mess up her hair if he was here now, scolding her for thinking so low of him, he'd ask what she wanted to do now. He would guide her through planning things out, what to say to who to help out Kalos and everyone in it.

As the cliffs made her voice echo slightly, the breeze felt warm on her face, as if he had brushed a hand down her cheek. Yes, he would have, right before giving her a playful shove right into the river before fishing her out and laughing with her when she returned the favor.

I'm going to do this for you, she promised, before adding, for us. I'll bring you with me. Raising her voice as if singing the next words could bind her to that silent promise, she poured everything into the chorus.

Singing the next verse a little gentler, Josie opened her eyes, a little more at peace with herself after Nick's death, not letting her surprise interrupt the song. Delcatty was watching her with bright, soft eyes, a pair of Skitty at its side and a trio of what looked like Eevee still partially in the bushes. Standing close to Delcatty was a Kirlia that had one hand on the head of a little Ralts that was also mostly hidden in the bushes.

They were listening to the song, and feeling untouchable, Josie poured her feelings into her voice. Her memories with Nick, her love of the Pokemon series, the gratitude she held for whatever brought her here. As she belted out the bridge of the song, she was beaming. Maybe she didn't know what she wanted to do with the life she'd been given, but it didn't matter. She would give it everything she had, for Nick, for herself.

That new thought nearly drove the breath from her lungs, causing the opening lines of the final chorus to be quieter than she intended, but no less emotional. Catching herself she pressed on, as if to convey that she wouldn't be giving into grief. The weight lifted from her shoulders, no longer something to suffer from but something to build on. Finally drawing the song to a close, she let the last lines fall into the sudden calmness that surrounded her.

"Please come the tender rain… Come! Tender rain."

Panting slightly, unused to singing for so long, it took her a few moments to muster up some composure. Meeting Delcatty's gaze, she waited, still unsure of what purpose the singing had served to the Pokemon but thankful for the clarity if offered her all the same.

"Delcatty," it said, dipping its head in a slow, deliberate nod. It felt like approval. To Josie's shock, the Normal type flicked its tail at the Ralts and towards the cluster of Eevee. "Del delcatty ty."

"Ralts?" The dual Psychic/Fairy type looked surprised, but it was also smiling, causing Josie to wonder what exactly Delcatty was saying. If only she could understand Pokemon better, instead of having to rely on charades… Maybe she should see if Psychic types could learn telepathic communication with humans.

"Ty." Delcatty motioned once more to the Eevee, and one trotted out of the shadows, silver fur practically shining in the sunlight. The Eevee brushed its tail against Delcatty's flank before having a rapid but soft conversation with the other two Eevee and Skitty. When it was finished, the shiny Eevee walked calmly over and sat down beside Topaz. Flabbergasted, Josie could only stare as the Ralts did the same, crossing the short space between them after giving the Kirlia a hug and revealing its blue and orange helmet, marking it as another shiny.

"Wait, do you… want to come with me?" When the two Pokemon nodded, she glanced between them and the other wild Pokemon. "Are you all sure?"

Delcatty smile either indulgently or patronizingly at her, as if she'd just done something right and needed a gold sticker to commemorate the event, and walked back into the thicket with the remaining Pokemon following it. That was a pretty clear answer in Josie's eyes, so she knelt down to greet the Ralts and Eevee, unable to believe her luck. Digging two Pokeballs out of her bag, she offered one to each of them. The two shared a look before tapping the buttons themselves, not fighting it.

Josie sat down hard, absently tucking the Pokeballs back into her bag, in the same pocket as Topaz's, and stroking her Shinx's fur when the cub jumped into her lap. Three shiny Pokemon. Two of which joined her team at the same time, which could not be natural.

Maybe it was the work of the voice that brought her here?

"Well," she said at last, forcing herself to her feet. "I guess… we'll head back to Santalune, then?" She'd gotten both of the two Pokemon she'd really been aiming for, so there wasn't really reason to stick around. And now that she had more Pokemon she would need to do some research on how to train them. Good thing Santalune City had a library…

XxXxX

"Note to self," Josie mumbled as she shuffled into the Pokemon Center. "Do not leave my team unsupervised in a library."

The shiny Ralts had discovered picture books while Josie was busy trying to find some training techniques, and that was fine. What was less fine was when an employee saw Venus' interest in books, and read the little Ralts and the other two a story about a mighty general that out-smarted an enemy battalion and defeated them. That had led to the trio wreaking havoc in the library while they reenacted the story. Martzi the Eevee had claimed the role of the general, with Topaz and Venus as his soldiers, and everyone else in the library being 'the enemy'.

Since the librarian had known what happened, Josie didn't get in trouble, and the other patrons had found it funny, but it was still one heck of a mess to clean up. But, she had somehow bonded with her two newest Pokemon, and they seemed to like her well enough. Or the fun they'd had in the library.

She'd had to stop by a quaint little bookshop and pick out some picture and mythology books because her Pokemon now wanted story time; she'd managed to get them to agree to having only a story or part of one read to them before bed, instead of constantly. At least trainers got a stipend; well, beginner trainers did, to help fund their journey. That was the only reason she was able to get two books (one picture, one anthology) for each Pokemon. Her team were in their Pokeballs at the moment, having tired themselves out halfway through cleaning up the library.

Seeing her cousin sitting with Ash and co. in the cafeteria, she went over to the group, smiling in greeting as she was waved into the free chair at their table, next to Serena. "How did the training go?"

"I'm ready for tomorrow," Ash said firmly, his sienna eyes brimming with eagerness. "We won't lose this time!"

"What about you, Josie?" Bonnie asked, swinging her legs in her chair. She was a surprisingly tiny kid, but her boisterous demeanor more than made up for it. Dedenne chattered from its place atop her head. "Serena said you went looking for Pokemon today, did you find any?"

Josie nodded, a smile on her face as she thought about her two newest teammates. "I did, both of the types I was really hoping to get." She then made a face, her brain bringing up the memory of several bookshelves falling, her trio of cute troublemakers miming the enemy ship going down from atop the structure as it toppled over. "My newly expanded team then reenacted a story the librarian's assistant read them and wreaked havoc in the library while I was trying to do some research. That is why I'm late."

Alexa laughed at that, leaning forwards on the table to better meet her eyes, as the reporter was sitting across from Josie and next to Ash. "They sound like a lively bunch! You'll have your hands full, with a team like that."

"They're worth it, though," Josie said softly. Being in this world was worth any trouble her Pokemon made for her to deal with. Even following the show's plot－wait. "On a side note… I forgot to check earlier since we've only been traveling some one day routes, but… Serena, you brought camping gear, right?"

"Eh? N-no, I thought we'd just stay in the Pokemon Centers…?"

"There won't always be one within walking distance," she reminded her with a slightly exasperated smile. She's almost forgotten about the blonde's initial aversion to sleeping outdoors. "And its always better to have gear in case of emergencies."

Clemont nodded in agreement, along with the others. "Josie's right. We can help you find some good quality gear in town after Ash's Gym match, right guys?"

"Of course! Camping out is actually a lot of fun, Serena, and Clemont here is a really good cook," Ash added with a smile, and he was the only one who apparently could not see Serena's blush at the implication that they'd all be traveling together long enough to camp together.

Josie had the feeling that she was really going to enjoy her journey.

XxXxX

I really need to try to focus more during Ash's battles, Josie thought guiltily as said trainer held up his new Bug Badge. Sure, she had seen it all before (even if just on a TV show), but they were traveling together now and zoning out for all of them would be rude. At least he won this time, though.

Giving Ash a thumbs up in congratulations, she absently tapped the tops of her Pokeballs, on the new trainer belt she'd bought early that morning. She didn't want to challenge Viola, not when she could barely focus through one battle that wasn't even her own. That would likely end in a humiliating defeat and she'd rather not put her Pokemon through that. If she had a focus problem she would need to work up from practice spars to actually test herself in proper battle; actually, she should get her team started on proper training. Topaz couldn't do official battles yet, and Venus and Martzi needed to get used to fighting with her, instead of turning battles into historical event reenactments.

She'd tried a short spar this morning, before everyone else woke up. It had been… eye-opening. On the plus side, she knew her entire team could use their moves in unorthodox ways. Martzi especially. The Eevee had used his Swift attack to create a path of sorts, which he then ran over through the air, giving him all-around mobility. It was kind of awesome, really.

Shaking her head to clear it, she followed her group out of the Gym, heading back to the Pokemon Center so Ash could heal up his team. Actually, it was probably a good time to ask…

"Hey, Ash?" She hid a cringe when everyone turned to look at her as they walked. "You've been a trainer for a while, right?"

"Yeah, I started my journey when I was ten," he replied, curious as to what she was getting at.

"Do you think you could give me some tips on easing Topaz into training, since she's so young? And about getting newly caught Pokemon to work with you?"

"Oh, good idea Josie," Serena chirped. "Me too, I'm still not sure where to start."

Ash smiled at that, sharing a fond look with Pikachu that had Josie wondering if he was remembering May and Dawn at all. "Sure! Topaz is your Shinx, right? It's best to start with building up her muscles and endurance, by running laps and repeating her moves. The more she uses them the better she'll understand them. You can work on her accuracy doing that too, being able to actually hit your target is important. If you want, you two can join in on my next training session, so you can get a better idea of how to do it."

"Sounds good to me," Josie said, exchanging smiles with her cousin. She then turned back to the others, considering the options for a moment before nodding decisively. She couldn't keep slinking to the background, she needed to take a more active part in this journey. "Say, is it okay if we travel with you guys? I think we could learn a lot from experienced trainers, and you three are a lot of fun to be around."

Serena spluttered for a moment, face bright red, even as Bonnie squealed in delight. The little blonde hopped in place and beamed. "Yes, yes, you can totally travel with us, right big bro? Ash? It'll be fun!"

"Of course!" Clemont adjusted his glasses as he nodded, one hand on the strap of his bag. "The more the merrier, right Ash?"

"Absolutely! I was going to ask anyways," Ash admitted sheepishly, scratching his cheek and averting his eyes for just a moment. Remembering that in the show he attributed his Gym win to Serena's help, Josie hid a smug grin and clapped her hands.

"Great! Let's get Ash's team healed up and then go find Serena some camping gear like we said last night. Any suggestions?"

They then spent half an hour debating the type of gear Serena should get, while they waited for Nurse Joy to finish up. Apparently there were far more brands and models of bedrolls than Josie realized, and tents; she did suggest that they get a three-person tent for the girls to share, though, wanting to make sure they all had enough room. Then Serena wanted to get one of the really nice ones with solar panels, so she could charge her tablet during long trips on the road, and Clemont was quick to recommend a specific brand.

Of course, then Bonnie decided that they should all just pitch in to get a big tent (Serena's squeaked protest about privacy totally shot down by Bonnie's happy reply of 'clip on dividers!'), and even Josie had to admit it was technically safer. That way they'd definitely be aware of each other and if somebody went missing.

By the time the group actually went to the shop, found a big family sized tent and split the cost between the four teens, they really needed to get going. Josie volunteered to hold onto it, putting the tent in her biggest empty storage unit, and then asked where their next destination was.

Then she muffled a snort as the electric siblings tried to avoid them going back through Lumiose to get to Cyllage City. She hadn't even been expecting the resulting entertainment.

XxXxX

Josie took longer than she would have liked to remember that they were walking on a Ryhorn racing track. Before she could say anything, though, Clemont had asked Serena why she'd started a journey, and the honey blonde pulled out a blue handkerchief. Pausing to listen to the story of how she and Ash met, noting how while Josie herself was mentioned as having been there, it was still Ash who'd been the one who helped her cousin and led them both back to the camp ground, Josie almost missed the rumbling that signaled the approaching Ryhorn.

With a yelp, she grabbed her cousin's arm and swung her to the side, doing the same for Bonnie and ushering both boys to press against the high 'wall' of the course. Ignoring their surprise, she breathed a sigh of relief when the group of Ryhorn thundered past them without getting too close.

"What was that?" Ash exclaimed, pushing off the packed earth.

"It's a Ryhorn race," Serena said, eyes wide.

"Race?"

Before the girl could explain, Josie spotted Officer Jenny coming up the path, and hid a wince. She should have remembered this. It was probably time to write out everything she could recall from the show, just in case, maybe save it in notes on her Xtransceiver.

"What are you guys doing?!" Jenny demanded, pulling her motorcycle to a stop. "This place is off-limits for the general public. After all, we're on a Ryhorn race track!"

"Racetrack?" Ash blinked rapidly, and seeing the group's general confusion, Jenny sighed, and led them through a side path to a hill that overlooked a small town that served as a starting point for local races. They had passed through an alternate route on the way to Santalune, and so hadn't gone through Odyssey Village before. She explained how the race started at the plaza in the center of town, went through the forest, then circled back around to the plaza. There was already a crowd for the ongoing race, some watching on a large, standalone screen where an announcer's voice could be heard.

"Whoa, I've never seen a Ryhorn race before," Ash said, leaning over the fence eagerly.

"They're popular here in Kalos," Clemont commented.

"They look so intense!"

While Bonnie went off on a rant of how cute the Ryhorn were, Josie kept an eye on her cousin. Serena didn't seem uncomfortable, but she certainly didn't look interested. The other girl did step forwards to offer a trivia fact, though.

"Bigger towns have tracks dedicated to Ryhorn races," the blonde explained. "This here is just a standard track."

"Aunt Grace was a professional racer, so Serena's gotten to see a lot of it up close," Josie offered, knowing her cousin didn't want to seem like she wanted to race. This way, she would still be able to teach Ash about the racing, but not have to deal with any expectations, which Serena had told her quietly the day they left Vaniville were the worst sort of reminder that no one had ever expected her to have a dream of her own.

It worked, thankfully, and Ash requested Serena's help in learning about the Ryhorn so he could join the next day's race. The actual practice session for it was long and sort of boring to Josie, but she stuck around, since she'd already gone off doing her own thing before, and she figured it would seem rude to do that too often.

Instead, she gave her team some serious thought. So far she hadn't introduced Venus or Martzi to anyone, but it had only been a little over a day, and all three of her Pokemon were tired from staying up late due to a particularly long chapter from the Johto mythology book Martzi had wanted. Maybe tomorrow. Anyways, she really needed to figure out a basic training routine for them. She… also probably needed to put some thought and actual research into what she wanted to do.

After Delcatty's odd request, she'd considered something to do with music, but she had no idea how to compose or even play an instrument. Her team's strange love for historical reenactment made her wonder if she could do something with them for PokeVisions, even if it was just a fun little side channel or something, so if she found some music she could put to that…

Giggling a bit as Ash's flailing atop the playfully bucking Ryhorn caught her attention, she leaned on the fence. She'd figure something out. Probably. Though she really should have remembered about Team Rocket's attempt to steal all the Ryhorn.

XxXxX

Josie tried not to look like she was staring at Meyer's muscular arms at any point during their stay in Lumiose. She really, really tried. Fortunately, nobody realized that she had a silly teen crush on the deeply emotional man. Unfortunately, Bonnie noticed her staring (how observant was that girl, anyways?) and called her out on it several times.

She really hoped they bought her stammered excuse of 'she just thought being strong was cool'. This kind of pointless crush was terrible blackmail material, she knew from experience. It was just… he was a big affectionate bear of a man and was it really so bad to find that attractive?

Can it, you're fifteen now you creep, she scolded herself with a silent sigh. Ah well. She could look, at least. Plus, she was able to distract herself with the reclaiming of the Gym. Dodging stray bolts of electricity was very conducive to keeping her focus in the moment. Still, she had to admit that Clemont's skills were amazing, when his inventions didn't explode.

Clem-bot (she really hoped that boy got better about naming things, that was just terrible) got some sense beaten into him, and Clemont regained his Gym within a matter of hours. The fast-paced event made Josie wonder if that was how most of their time as a group was going to be, if she was remembering the show correctly.

She'd already begun creating a pair of timelines in her notes on her Xtransceiver, one for the major things (like the Team Flare incidents) and one for random bits she remembered, from both the TV show and the game. Another file was basically all her ideas for getting out of difficult situations. She reminded herself to look up if trainers were allowed to carry weapons for self defense, as a taser seemed like it wouldn't go amiss. Or maybe she could just make little pouches of chili powder to throw at anyone who tried to steal her Pokemon or hurt her friends, that was always a valid tactic.

Come to think of it… every time Team Rocket snatched Pokemon from trainers… why didn't the trainer just return their Pokemon if they still had their Pokeball? Aside from Pikachu, anyways… this required more thought and probably some reflex training. Shaking her head, she trailed after her travel group as they went to stop by Professor Sycamore's lab on the way out of Lumiose, on Serena's suggestion.

Josie was still having problems feeling comfortable integrating herself into the group. Serena and Bonnie got along like a house on fire, and the boys were similar in a different way, but her? She felt like she was intruding, still. Even though her cousin naturally included her in the conversations, it felt like if Josie was the one to speak up, it wouldn't be welcome. Why did making friends have to be so hard?

I wish you were here, Nick, she thought, still fighting depression despite her promise. You would have known what to do…

"So you're all traveling together now!" Professor Sycamore's voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she realized that they'd already entered the lab. "What a wonderful idea!"

Struggling to stay focused, Josie followed the others to a lounge, making sure to grab one of Serena's macarons before a certain greedy grass type could devour the rest. Sophie, the lab assistant, made tea before everyone realized the treats were missing. Chomping noises alerted them to the Chespin in the corner, and Josie sighed as Sophie gently confronted the little Pokemon.

It ended with Clemont getting his hand stabbed by a sharp spine, and Sophie apologizing on the grass type's behalf, handing what remained of the macarons back to Serena. "He likes pranks, you see."

"Or just good food," Josie couldn't help but comment. The words made the others turn to her, but before she could even begin to feel embarrassed, a sharp pain lanced through her head, making her cringe. The knowledge of Team Rocket, bursting through the wall of the Pokemon enclosure, seemed to scream at her, and even as disoriented as she was she realized that it was about to happen.

"－osie? Josie, what's wrong? Wha… her eyes are glowing!"

"Team Rocket," Josie forced out, ignoring her cousin's gasp and whatever she'd said about glowing eyes. "They're gonna drive through the wall… steal data… gotta get to the Professor! Don't let them…"

The pressure behind her eyes skyrocketed, forcing a whimper out of her. It had been a long time since she'd ever felt pain like that, but she pushed past it as best she could. Sophie, she could tell by the blue wavy hair, hauled her up onto the sofa, while several sets of footsteps thundered away.

"Easy, Josie, easy, your friends are taking care of it," the woman soothed. She put something over the younger girl's eyes, and gently pushed her shoulders until she was lying down. "I'm going to get you some water, okay? Just stay right there."

Her words were almost lost, overpowered by the voice from the darkness before she woke up with a family.

'We had to work in your knowledge of the timeline somehow… it's not much, but a little psychic talent was simple enough to grant. You won't be anywhere near as powerful as those like Sabrina or Olympia, but… well, don't let it go to waste. Sheer power doesn't always mean effectiveness.'

By the time the pain finally eased to something she could handle, everything had already been taken care of. Serena had managed to prevent the professor from being taken, and Clemont had helped Chespin battle Team Rocket, holding them up long enough for Officer Jenny to arrive with backup. The trio still managed to escape, but didn't get what they'd come for.

Bonnie relayed it all with sweeping hand motions and sound effects, once they'd come back to the lounge, the professor in tow. Then she asked what apparently everyone had been wanting to.

"Josie, how did you know what was gonna happen?"

Glancing at her cousin, Josie bit her lip. Serena sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, hand running through her hair. "Your eyes were glowing blue… is… was it like the time with Nick?"

Jerking at the mention of his name, Josie squeezed her eyes shut. God, this was still so hard, even with everything good that had happened… Taking a few shaky breaths, she tried to organize her thoughts. Clearly, something had happened in this world too where Nick didn't make it, but she didn't know how it was different from the way it happened in her original world. She had so many questions and no answers… shaking her head, she tried to speak.

"I… I don't know, I just saw it, knew that they would… I was told I only had a little psychic talent," she said, though didn't say who told her because truthfully she had no idea, or when. "I didn't know I would… well, know what would happen in a few minutes… It's never happened before."

Which was also true, basically. She had never expected this, but in a way it made sense… if she was bringing knowledge from 'outside' of this world's timeline, it made sense for any higher powers to regulate it by working it in properly. She just had no idea what to do about it. It gave her a great excuse in case she accidentally said something suspicious, but still.

She'd sort of been hoping for a simple journey.

"Psychic powers come in many forms and levels," Professor Sycamore mused. "You might find it helpful to visit Lady Olympia, the Anistar City Gym Leader, at some point. She's a powerful psychic, and she has been teaching others how to master their powers for years."

"I'll think about it," Josie said quietly, then turned her gaze to the Chespin, who'd been staring longingly at Clemont for the past ten minutes or so. Despite the change in events, it seemed the blond's feelings had still gotten across to the greedy little Pokemon. "… I'm sure that Chespin is staring at you for a reason, Clemont, but I don't know why."

"Eh? Where… ah, there you are. Thanks again for your help today, Chespin," Clemont smiled, adjusting his bag as he crouched to face the grass type properly. "You're an excellent Pokemon. Just try not to eat too much, okay? Let's meet again sometime!"

"Ches…! Chespin…" Chespin's eyes held a hesitant yet pleading look, and it fidgeted with its paws, shifting its weight. It glanced to the professor, then turned back to the Gym Leader, a low whine escaping its throat.

"It looks like Chespin would like to travel with you," Professor Sycamore said, sounding intrigued, then continued with a wink. "First Ash, then you… You're mysterious kids."

"I want to travel with Chespin too!" Bonnie exclaimed, tugging on her brother's jumpsuit. "Please! Please, please, pleeaasssee!"

Looking a little overwhelmed (though Josie didn't blame him, she was beginning to figure out that this manner of adding a Pokemon to one's team was not normal), Clement rubbed the back of his neck. "In that case… Professor Sycamore, can I take Chespin with me?"

And thus another Pokemon joined the group.

XxXxX

"This is really good, Clemont," Josie said, only barely remembering to finish chewing and to swallow before speaking. She wasn't sure what the dish of orange noodles actually was, but it tasted delicious. It was about an hour after they'd stopped for lunch, and after Serena had promptly scolded her for not introducing Venus and Martzi properly until just then, but after the initial 'we're supposed to tell each other these things, cousin' Josie had gotten the idea and sheepishly promised not to wait before showing off any new Pokemon she caught.

It was just a little concerning that Martzi was apparently already roping the other Pokemon into a reenactment of what looked like the legend of the Johto Beasts. Complete with dramatic death scenes and copious amounts of grass being ripped up and thrown around to represent Ho-oh's Sacred Fire－or so she assumed, she'd lost track of the plot a few minutes ago. She figured it was better than having Fennekin actually breathe fire everywhere.

Though, something about this scene felt… familiar… Josie could have smacked herself. She was pretty sure this was the 'episode' with the two Pancham food thieves. As she thought that, Froakie threw some of his frubbles into the trees, causing everyone to look over. Josie stayed in her chair as the others got up to investigate, and were startled by the two pandas rolling out of the bushes. While Ash wiped off their faces of the frubbles, Josie leaned back, trying to remember how the episode went.

The Pancham were just acting cute so they could steal food, Team Rocket was going to try to－okay ow, why the heck was every thought involving them painful now and accompanied by a flare of pressure behind her eyes, that hurt－capture their Pangoro friend… whose twig got burned by accident so the gang had to go find a new one from its favorite bamboo stalk… Ash does something physically improbable and saves the day… Rockets blast off…

Blinking slowly as her vision focused again, Josie was relieved to see that nobody had noticed her sudden lapse in awareness. Clemont had just whipped out his translator thing, and she snorted when it clearly explained that the two Pancham were aiming to take all their food. Good thing she had already stocked up on some protein bars and bags of dried fruit, safely inside one of the storage compartments of her bag. They'd need those later.

Mentally preparing herself, she stayed quiet during the debate about the machine's accuracy, and when Serena gave them their own bowls of Pokemon food. Then she waited until they'd gobbled up the other Pokemons' food, jumped onto the picnic table to try and devour the human's food, before her hands shot out, grabbing both by the scruff, to their shock. All that stray cat wrangling with the feral ones behind the orphanage shed was finally paying off.

"And to think, my cousin thought you were adorable," she said cheerfully, finally standing, keeping her grip firm on the two Pokemon. As she had hoped, they were instinctively curling up at the method of transport, much like a kitten would. They glowered at her, but when she simply gave them an unimpressed look, they gave in rather quickly. Probably still young, then? "Clemont, maybe we should clean up really quick. These two will probably keep trying to steal all our food unless it's where they can't get to it. Don't argue," she said sternly when the two Pancham flailed and protested. "You already took everyone else's food, even after Serena gave you a good portion because she's nice. By the way, everybody get to the edges of the tree line, quickly. And look up."

Her companions looked up first, but were luckily fast enough to grab the Pokemon and move out of the way of Team Rocket's net. Topaz darted to her side, the other two not far behind, and the two Pancham were too startled to try escaping. Glaring up at the trio she had liked far more when they weren't actual, living people, Josie huffed.

"Serena, can you return my team for me? My hands are a little full," she bit out even as Jessie ranted about how they shouldn't have been able to see the capture device coming. Her cousin hurriedly did as requested, tucking her three Pokeballs into her bag, also returning Fennekin and pocketing her Pokeball. Bonnie had Dedenne jump into her little bag, but the boys kept their Pokemon out, though they were keeping a close eye on the hot air balloon. Since Jessie was still yelling, Josie slid closer to the boys. "Maybe we can blast them off while she's still going on?"

Ash hesitated, then shrugged, apparently not all that bothered by not even giving Team Rocket a chance to try again, though he hadn't had the idea himself. "Sounds good. Pikachu, Thunderbolt."

"Pika!" With more speed than Josie was really expecting, the Electric type blasted a hole in the balloon, sending it careening wildly away. In the distance there was an explosion.

"... Perfect," Josie said flatly, then returned her attention to the suddenly wary-looking Pancham, still being held up by their scruffs. "It's fine to ask for food, but don't try to steal from us. I can literally see a loaded berry bush from where I'm standing, you have food you can get easily without stealing. I'm going to put you both down now, but if you go for my lunch I am going to be very irritated with you, and respond accordingly. Have I made myself clear?"

The Pancham shared a glance, then sulkily nodded. When she let them go, they made for the bushes without fuss, no doubt already satisfied with the amount of Pokemon food they'd already eaten, if a little miffed at how they'd been caught. Sighing, Josie propped her hands on her hips. They'd only showed up like twice and she was already sick of it.

"Should we get moving in case those jerks try to come back for more? Well, no, we have time before they recover from that… let's finish eating. Honestly, the next time I see those three and we're all on solid ground I am going to deck at least Jessie…"

Serena stared at her for a long moment. "They really made you mad, huh?"

"Well, yeah. I hate thieves. I guess it's a good thing I have that bit of future-seeing psychic thing, if they're going to keep going at it," Josie grumbled, letting her Pokemon back out and apologizing for the sudden return. Venus seemed the most put out, but was appeased by the offer for the trio to have the rest of Josie's noodles. The little Ralts had been fairly quiet so far, but now she seemed to have decided that she didn't want to be inside her Pokeball for a while. Seeing it as a chance to bond with her, and the other two not arguing, Josie let Topaz and Martzi know that once they were done eating and they were going to start walking again, she'd return them.

"So you saw that they were gonna try and steal our Pokemon again?" Ash asked, everyone sitting back down, though with more attention to their surroundings this time.

"Just a minute before they tried. I knew those Pancham were going to try to steal all our food, and the Rocket dorks were just the last part of what I saw."

"Did it hurt again? You seem fine…" Serena looked her over carefully, as if there would be a physical sign of pain.

Shrugging slightly, beginning to get the hang of quick, partial BS explanations, Josie replied, "Only a bit, like a short but intense headache. It wasn't as bad as last time, so maybe it's just now that this future-sight thing is happening it'll get better with time."

"It was a good thing you knew," Bonnie chirped, patting Dedenne's head. "Everyone's safe because of it."

"I hope I can keep it up, then," Josie said quietly, patting Venus' head. She smiled in response, then went back to slurping up the noodles, earning a soft laugh from her trainer. She really had lucked out with her Pokemon. Now she just needed to do her part, and keep them safe.

XxXxX

Sighing as the rest of the newly-evolved Vivillon flew off into the sunset, Josie wished she had been quick enough to ask if any of them wanted to come with her. Unfortunately she'd been too dazzled by all the pretty wing patterns, and by the time she got her brain under control, they were already flying away. Venus patted her head from where she was perched on her shoulder sympathetically; she could probably feel Josie's longing.

"We'll get one to join the team eventually," Josie told her quietly.

Serena gasped, drawing everyone's gaze to her, and she looked sheepish as she apologized. "It's just, I just remembered that Josie's been wanting to get a Vivillon… sorry, I should have remembered sooner."

"It's fine, I was too slow to ask any of them anyways," she replied, waving off her cousin's guilty expression. It wasn't like it was the blonde's fault. "I'll probably find a Spewpa somewhere else… I can look up spots near where we're already going that they've been seen at, so it's no big deal."

Bonnie took one last look at the fading specks in the distance, frowning slightly, but then turned back to Josie, blue eyes bright. "How do you look up where Pokemon live? At the Pokemon Center?"

"Well, some of them have pamphlets that tell you what kind of Pokemon are normally nearby, but I synced my Xtransceiver to my PokeDex, and it lets me search specific Pokemon by name and tells me where they like to live using the Xtransceiver's GPS. That's how I found Martzi and Venus, here," she added, leaning her head slightly against the Ralts', though just barely so she didn't knock the little Psychic/Fairy type off her shoulder. Venus nodded, so Topaz must have told her about when Josie showed her the pictures of their 'goals' using her PokeDex.

"What? I didn't know you could do that," Ash said, looking a little annoyed at himself. After a moment, Josie forced down a laugh, remembering how he'd been trying to catch a Dunsparce for at least a few seasons. This probably would have helped him a lot.

"That's useful, though," Clemont piped up, eyeing her Xtransceiver. "Would you mind if I take a look at it, later? Maybe I can replicate it."

"Sure." If the boy genius wasn't concerned about copyright, she wouldn't worry either. And she had moved her notes over to her PokeDex earlier (easier to see) and had them password protected, so she didn't need to worry about Clemont seeing her still-in-progress timeline. That conversation finished, and after being thanked by Officer Jenny for helping out, they began making their way back to the Pokemon Center.

While Bonnie and Serena chatted about the different wing patterns they'd seen on the Vivillon, Josie reached up to pull Venus from her shoulder, opting to carry her in her arms instead. So far, Venus had shown herself to be a sweet, affectionate Pokemon with a slight flair for dramatics that could be fanned into a fiery passion for plays by Martzi. Actually, that might just be a Martzi thing, being able to rope others into his historical reenactments and somehow making them enjoy it.

"So, Venus," she began, mentally reviewing the plan she'd been putting together. "Considering how much trouble we're likely to run into in this group, I think it'd be good for you to learn Magical Leaf. How's that sound?"

"Ra ralts," she nodded agreeably. Then Venus seemed to focus, frowning just slightly. 'Affirmation. Danger. Preparation.'

Josie felt proud of herself for not dropping her little friend in shock, at the quiet, whispery voice that echoed in her mind. It was a good thing she didn't, because the effort of psychic communication obviously tired Venus, though she added in a clearer voice, 'Will practice, easier with your latent ability.'

"Okay," Josie said softly, hugging her. There was just something… indescribable about hearing her own Pokemon's voice for the first time. "Just don't push yourself too hard. I'll see if I can figure out how to practice too, so it's not such a one-way task." If she could learn telepathy that would… probably be a really useful thing, especially considering what was going to happen in the future. It would also just be really awesome to be able to talk to her Pokemon.

Venus nodded, relaxing in her grip with a yawn, and then for all intents and purposes seemed to fall asleep. The first attempt at telepathy must have taken more out of her than Josie realized, so… stamina training, for her psychic powers, would be a definite must. She'd have to do some more research, though Teleport was also something she wanted Venus to be able to use many times in a row, as well. It would be a good dodging tactic, and if she could get to the point where she could take passengers, it would be an extra layer of safety.

Especially, if she remembered correctly, as Ash was going to jump into an active volcano after his Talonflame, now Fletchling. Well, maybe Teleport was optional there, if they could get Venus to the point where she could lift heavy things with psychic power. She'd read tons of fanfiction that had ideas on how to train for that, so it was worth a shot. She also need to help Venus unlock her two egg moves, Confuse Ray and Shadow Sneak. Two Ghost type egg moves was a pretty lucky win on their part.

With a solid idea of how to work with Venus, her thoughts turned to the rest of her little team. Martzi needed new moves, as he only had two. Disarming Voice would complement his teammates nicely, but some of what he would learn as an Eevee would be decided depending on what he wanted to evolve into. She wanted him to have decent coverage even against a type he was weak against. That was something she'd need to talk about with him, then, see if he had an idea of what he wanted to become. General coverage moves would be easy to pick out, though. Disarming Voice, Shadow Ball, Dig, and Quick Attack were definitely on the list of possibles.

As for Topaz, Thundershock was the next move she wanted her starter to learn, in addition to basic conditioning. The Shinx was still young, so she wouldn't have a lot of power backing her for some time, so Josie figured it was best to have her perfect all her current moves and then wait before trying to teach her anything but Thundershock. After that, though, Hidden Power was a must for coverage, plus she was pretty sure Serena's Fennekin already knew it.

By the time they'd made it back to the Pokemon Center, Josie's brain hurt. She'd tried to hammer out more specifics for her training plans, and keep-everyone-safe plans, and was mentally exhausted. Returning the still-napping Venus, she asked Nurse Joy to give her team a checkup before following the others to the cafeteria. She slumped into her chair, covering a yawn, and quietly thanked her cousin when the other girl brought her some food.

"You doing okay?" Serena asked, reaching over to push Josie's hair behind her ears.

"Just tired. I'm still not used to so much walking, and I was thinking pretty hard about how to train my team," she admitted. "Plus, I was trying to think of anything I could do to maybe get some sort of control over whatever bit of psychic ability I have."

"I think Sabrina's psychic school back in Kanto did a lot of meditating," Ash offered, already halfway through his meal. "And your Ralts is part psychic, too, maybe try meditating together?"

"A logical suggestion," Clemont nodded, and then snapped his fingers in realization. "I forgot! Since I am Gym leader, I can send Lady Olympia a request on your behalf, she might have some sort of training exercise for human psychics she could have you do until you can see her in person. Would you like me to do so?"

Somewhat flustered, Josie managed to nod. "I－yeah, thanks. It means a lot."

The blond only smiled at her, before his attention was pulled away by Bonnie nearly falling out of her chair due to her energetic wiggling. Snorting at that, Josie turned back to Serena and Ash.

"You were going to train some while we were here, right Ash?" When he nodded, she glanced over at her cousin. "Do you mind us training with you?"

"Of course not, the more the merrier! Either of you up for a battle?"

Josie thought about it. Topaz wasn't quite ready yet, though maybe in another week or two, and Venus was too tired. But Martzi would probably be up for it. "Can we do a double battle? Me and Serena versus you and Clemont?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Clemont nodded.

"Let's do that after we eat, then," Serena agreed. "That gives our Pokemon some time to rest up and be ready for it."

There were no protests to that, and the group made their way through the buffet line to grab their meals, Josie falling quiet and simply listening as Ash and Clemont tried to explain the details of battling to Serena and herself. Really, though, aside from the obvious rules－which were basically the logical 'don't attack an already fainted Pokemon', 'stay inside the battlefield', 'don't attack your teammate in a double battle', etc－it was all about experience.

Chewing on her buttered roll, Josie mentally reviewed the moves that Martzi knew. He had Swift and Tackle down perfectly, but not much else, as his two egg moves were still 'locked' and he only had a vague grasp on Disarming Voice. Meaning, he could get a very low powered version off pretty reliably, but anything stronger was a 50/50 chance as she'd found the one time she had asked her small team to show off their moves.

Still, Martzi was good at moving around large spaces quickly and unpredictably thanks to his running-on-Swift technique. At the very least she should be able to keep Ash and Clemont's attention off of Serena and Fennekin long enough for her cousin to fire off some attacks－and avoid Martzi being hit while they were at it.

Bonnie, excited to see the battle, had urged the group to hurry up and finish eating, leading the way to the field behind the Pokemon Center once they'd put their dishes in the bin at the back of the cafeteria. After retrieving her team from Nurse Joy, Josie followed, eyeing the field before glancing back at the group. Dedenne was clinging to the top of the little blonde's head as she bounced in place. Unable to hide her laugh at the young girl's enthusiasm, Josie joined Serena on one side of the field, Martzi's Pokeball in hand.

"We'll do a two vs two," Ash called from across the field. "You guys can have the first move!"

Releasing Martzi as Serena let out her Fennekin, Josie took a few deep breaths. Now she would see how she handled real battling, and find out if she wanted to be a battle-focused trainer. Martzi eyed his surroundings with a curious noise, tail wagging when he saw Fennekin next to him.

"We're going to battle, Martzi," she informed him quickly. "Serena and Fennekin are with us, and we're up against Clemont, Ash, and their Pokemon."

Who happened to be Bunnelby and Pikachu. Her Eevee nodded his understanding, bouncing a bit on his paws with a chirp. Fennekin seemed to take confidence from Martzi's apparently relaxed state, settling into a front-facing crouch to ready herself for battle.

"Let's do our best, Josie," Serena said, her hands curling into fists.

She nodded in reply, suddenly dry mouthed. "Yeah."

It was Bonnie who bounded to the traditional place for referees, arms pinwheeling in her excitement. "This will be a two on two battle, Ash and my big brother verses Serena and Josie! The battle's over when one side has no more Pokemon that can battle!" She glanced over at Clemont hopefully, and he grinned at her, nodding in approval. Beaming, Bonnie lifted her arm. "Ready… start!"

"We go first, right?" Serena exclaimed. "Fennekin, use Ember!"