HOOOOOOO BOY, I have some explaining to do, don't I. First off, while I don't really feel I need to apologize for the huge hiatus, I am going to anyway. I really needed that time to figure out what the fuck I was doing with my life and that can take time. Like, a lot of time. Shortly after my last upload, I started a new job that I kept for just shy of a year, (left in August for reasons I won't go into) and have since started going back to classes at my local community college. I finally feel as though I have my shit together though, and am ready to put time back into writing. If this chapter feels a little off, I apologize. I started writing it literally a year ago today and so there may be a few things off. I did my best to keep that to a minimum however. That is sort of another reason for the extended break. I didn't like where the story was headed. I didn't like what I had planned anymore and it got to me. However, I now have a new plan and am excited to see how it will do. The changes are minor enough that I can warrant not starting anew. I don't really think I'd want to start over anyway. I put a lot of work into this and don't want to see it die. I also have plans to keep myself from burning out again. Unfortunately, for right now, this will be my only Pokémon story. However, I have plans for and have started writing a My Hero Academia story, starring the adorkable goof balls, Mina Ashido and Izuku Midorya. We going IZUMINA BITCH. I also have some ideas for a Blue Exorcist Fic starring Izumo and Rin, though I am not quite sure how I want to start it, so it is on the back burner. For now, however, I hope you enjoy my story. My name is Top Succ, signing off.

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January 2nd, 6:30 am age 2208, Nathan's home

It was early. Much too early for Nathan's liking. His alarm was blaring and it was still pitch black outside his window. He was starting to regret taking that job. He hadn't thought much of the day ahead of him beforehand. First a several hour long walk just to get to Driftveil drawbridge. Then there was the possibility of the bridge having to be pulled up just adding more time. Once they cross that's another two hours minimum on route five. All this in the middle of winter in the cold. At the very least route five is really open and well lit, usually clear of snow as well.

Nathan finally got sick of the constant beeping his alarm made, throwing his legs over the side of his bed and walking to his dresser to turn it off. But, before he actually silenced the damn thing, an idea popped into his head. His clock doubled as a Bluetooth speaker and he remembered a certain complaint Grace had about their neighbors.

Shaking off the thought, an evil grin crept onto Nathan's face, he proceeded to grab his phone and look for the most obnoxious and loudest song he had saved. After making his decision, he ever so carefully crept into the hallway, slowly meandering his way to the psychic's door.

He had to hold back his laughter. Just imagining what the look on her face would be made his sides hurt.

Reaching her door, he clasped the knob and slowly began to turn it, doing his best not to make any noise. He pushed the door open inch by inch, pleading to it to stay silent. Luckily for him, the door remained quiet as he pushed it open, giving him a good view of the room. Though he was not prepared for what met his gaze.

Grace was not on her bed, but instead leaned up against it, her head tilted slightly so it still rests on the side of the mattress. Her arms lay one on top of the other, hanging a bit below her shard. Her thin legs best over to the side, draped by her knee length gown. Though what really got to Nathan, was just how perfectly the moonlight seemed to dance across her sleeping form. It touched her face ever so slightly, revealing the pale white of her skin and the deep green of her long, silk like hair.

Nathan couldn't prevent the blush that appeared on his face. She looked absolutely stunning. Though... Why didn't that thought really bother him? Sure, he didn't really have much experience with girls and now there was one living with him, but she wasn't exactly the same species. It felt oddly wrong but at that same time it felt alright.

He shook his head, choosing to think about this another time. He looked down at his phone, contemplating whether or not he actually wanted to go through with the prank or not. Now that he thought about it, this sort of behavior wasn't really like him. He wasn't one to pull pranks out of the blue, he had always found those types of people obnoxious and unfunny.

Lucky for him, the universe decided while he thought about it.

Nathan was torn from his thoughts when he heard Grace groan slightly, signaling she was about to wake up. He darted from the room, almost tripping on his way back to his safe haven.

Grace peaked an eye open once she knew he was gone. She had been awake for an hour already; her sleep being interrupted by the pit that was slowly growing in her stomach. This was the first time she was going to tell someone about the past three years of her life. It was honestly terrifying. While she trusted Nathan, she couldn't help but feel a deep anxiety over how he would see her afterwards. After she told him she had done, what she had been through.

Grace let out a deep sigh, allowing the negative thought to be pushed to the back of her mind, what had just occurred to take the forefront. Now was her turn to blush like mad. She had been reading his emotions from the moment he had woken up. It was strange. After the incident with the link being severed, she had a hard time telling him apart from the crowd. While she could still tell who he was, he just felt like another voice in the crowd. But this morning, she felt him again. She could feel Nathan. He was instantly recognizable, feeling that familiar pull from before the link had broken. It made her feel… warm. Safe and warm.

Just like Nathan, she wasn't prepared for what she felt when he opened the door. All the mischievous undertones and the excitement. All of it was thrown to the wayside in an instant. In its' place, she felt his attraction, how he was so flustered, as well as a turmoil of conflicting feelings. She had read his thoughts, learning that he thought she looked stunning. How she looked beautiful in the moonlight.

The smile that had appeared on her face quickly faded. Who was she kidding? She felt what he did after initially seeing her. He felt… not just conflicted, but almost disgusted. Not by the fact that he found her to be beautiful. Rather, she thought that he felt disgusted because that thought didn't bother him. Was he really that put off by the idea of being attracted to a Pokémon?

She was brought back to the present by the sound of Nathan's door opening. She poked through his head again, hoping that after some thought maybe he had changed his mind. But she found no trace of any of it.

She looked down and let out a shaky breath. Perhaps he was right in how to handle this. Right now, this shouldn't be her focus. They had a long trip ahead of them and needed to be prepared. She couldn't let herself sit in this stupor.

Clapping her hands across her cheeks, she allowed a smile to reappear on her face. Even if this trip was for work, they were still heading to one of the largest cities in the world, a literal amusement park city! It was incredible! Even if they were only spending a night there, if she were right, they would arrive mid-afternoon, giving them plenty of time to explore and have fun before having to leave for Castelia in the morning.

She got up, lifting herself into the air with her psychic powers. She touched down gracefully, opting to walk while she had the chance. She turned into the hallway just as Nathan was about to descend the stairs. He turned to look her way, a massive blush appearing on his face as his eyes widened, quickly deciding something at the bottom of the stairs was far more interesting.

"M-m-morning," he stuttered, clearly just as flustered as before, if not more.

"Morning," she returned with a small wave and a cute smile, an awkward tension now filling the hallway.

"I'm gonna go make some coffee." Nathan proceeded down the stair as a sly smirk appeared on the young psychic's face. Perhaps she wasn't chasing a dream after all.

'You need to calm down man. Keep your shit together. She is your best friend and partner, nothing more, nothing less. Sure, she may be stupid hot, but-' Nathan proceeded to slap himself across the face.

'NO, NONE OF THAT! Do not fall victim to her good looks, her feminine charm… her soft green hair… the way those eyes of hers seem to shine in the-' Nathan slapped himself again.

What the hell was he thinking! It would never work! He was human! Shouldn't he feel this way about Joy or Fennel or hell anyone besides Grace! Yeah, he may not look down on pokephilliacs, but he certainly thought it was weird!

Nathan took several deep breaths, calming his mind and slowing his heartbeat. This wasn't what he needed to be focusing on right now. Rather, he should focus on the trip, what to pack, and how to get to Nimbasa as quickly as possible. There was a small town before the drawbridge about five hours outside Driftveil that they could rest in before going to the bridge. And after crossing the bridge they'd be on route five, which was lined with restaurants and hotels that were cheaper than the ones in the city. Once they got to route 5 it would take them a solid two hours to get to Nimbasa. From there he would have to find them a hotel for the night, as it would be too late to take a train to Castelia at that point. Not like he would complain though. There was always something to do in Nimbasa, and he had wanted to take Grace there for the longest-.

Nathan slapped himself again.

"Mind telling me why you keep slapping yourself dude?" Nathan heard that all too familiar soft voice behind him.

"Just trying to wake myself up," Nathan replied, trying to sound as calm as possible.

Grace just paused for a moment, giving him an incredulous look. "Um… alright," she said soon after.

Nathan could feel his anxiety rising again, trying to breathe slowly in order to calm himself. He prayed that Grace wasn't feeling him out right now.

After calming down again, he turned around and looked at her, giving her a once over before breaking the silence.

"So now that you're here, why don't we talk about how this trip is gonna go and what to pack? I have an idea of how long it should take to get to Nimbasa and if we leave by eight, we should be there Just after 3. We'll stay in Nimbasa for the night and take the train to Castellia in the morning. Just remember to bundle up. The snow should be cleared off the routes, the league is usually really good about that, but it will still be frickin freezing. Oh, and I want to stop at the center to say goodbye to Joy and grab a few things from the mart."

Grace cringed at that. The idea of being in such a cramped and close quarters area bothered her.

"Nathan, do we have to take a train? I mean, can't we just walk to Castelia?"

"Not if we want to meet the Silph co. rep on time. It would take us three days minimum to walk there, and the route between Nimbasa and Castelia is all desert. I'm sure you already know this, but the desert at night, especially during the winter is a death trap. I'm sorry if the train bothers you Grace, but it's our only option. It'll take us about seven and a half hours to get there on the train and we gotta get there before the 4th."

Grace became rather downtrodden at that. She knew it was their only option. Trying to trek through a desert in the middle of winter? They'd freeze to death in the middle of the night. Still, that almost seemed better than being stuck in a speeding deathtrap filled with other people. It just seemed revolting to her.

"Grace, look at me." Nathan demanded.

Her gaze rose, meeting those amethyst eyes of his once again.

"This isn't something we have to figure out or worry about right now, okay? The train ride is still a good 24 hours away. We'll figure something out between then. Promise." He gave the gardevoir the sincerest smile he could. The last reaction he expected was for her to blush and turn away.

"Y-y-yeah, for sure." She turned back to Nathan, grinning like a madwoman. "Thanks Nathan. I really appreciate you trying to cheer me up."

Nathan gave her a smirk and a thumbs up, turning back to his coffee, pouring a mug to get ready for the day ahead.

January 2nd, 7:45 am age 2208, Driftveil Pokémon Center

"Alright, that's potions, some snacks, heat packs, water… yup, I think I got everything on the list."

The duo walked out of the mart section of the center, Nathans' backpack now full of items he purchased for the trip.

"You sure there isn't any other way for us to get to Nimbasa besides walk? We nearly froze just walking to the center, Nathan. It's ice cold, won't that be dangerous to walk in?" Grace asked.

Nathan groaned, dreading the next several hours of his life. She was right. It was cold. Much colder than what was predicted. Meaning that it would not only make their trip longer, but make it that much more uncomfortable.

"Unfortunately, that's our only option right now, Grace. I don't have a car and there isn't a train line from here to Nimbasa. I know it sucks, but I can't and don't want to back out of this job now. I have to make it up to Joy. The center needs this part as soon as possible."

"Beginning to really regret choosing to come with you." Grace moaned.

"I know," Nathan began, "but I'm glad you are coming with. I don't think I'd be able to do this trip on my own. I'm lucky to have you as a friend."

Grace gave him a playful smile before jabbing him in the arm. "What have I told you about getting sappy with me." She skipped ahead a bit before turning around, giving Nathan a much larger smile. "Besides, isn't that what friends are for?"

Nathan snickered, amused by her sudden change in mood. "Now who's getting sappy, you dope."

"Hey!" Grace yelled. She reached out to grab him, but he slipped out of her reach, beginning to walk towards the office.

"I'm gonna go let Joy know we are about to leave. I'll be back in a minute."

Grace nodded as he walked away. She sat down on a nearby bench, left alone with her thoughts. As much as she cherished and enjoyed Nathan and his company, she cherished these brief windows of alone time almost as much. Hell, after a month and a half of being glued to someone for hours at a time, some space is nice. Though, this time there was just one problem. She couldn't get her mind off of how she should tell the young man about her past. How she could tell him that as much of a victim as she was, her feelings of self-loathing and pity were almost overshadowed by her guilt. She wasn't just a victim.

Grace had been so closed off in her own thoughts, she didn't notice the rather familiar figure approach her. Only when this figure spoke did she finally break from her trance.

"I thought I sensed a familiar presence." The figure spoke.

Graces' head shot up, startled by the sudden break back to reality. In front of her stood Harmony, whom was giving Grace a look of confusion.

"Did I scare you?" Harmony asked the fellow Gardevoir.

"Oh, no, sorry. I was just thinking is all." Grace remarked, trying not to let known just how awkward she was feeling right now.

"I see." Harmony responded. She turned her head, looking off into the center. "Where is your human? I thought I sensed him too."

"He just went to talk to Joy. He and I are leaving for Nimbasa today and he wanted to say goodbye."

"Nimbasa? How do you plan to get there? You can't mean to walk all the way."

"'Fraid so. He doesn't have a car and the trainline leading there isn't running. The tracks are frozen over," Grace said, silently thanking the great gods above for that second bit.

"Oh my, I'm sorry to hear that. Why not wait for a later date, when it isn't so cold?"

"We actually aren't staying in Nimbasa for long, just for one night. We are heading to Castelia to meet a representative of Silph co. for a replacement part for the healing machine here. Problem is, we need to be there by the fourth."

"Ah, I see. That is quite the predicament." Harmony added. She nodded and then proceeded to sit down next to Grace, making her a bit uncomfortable.

'Does she not remember what happened last week?' She thought. Why the hell was she being so friendly.

Harmony glanced at Grace, giving her an inquisitive look. "Is something the matter?"

"No, it's just… why are you being so nice to me? For god's sake I threw you into a wall and threatened your life. I'm just wondering why you'd talk to me."

Harmony was silent for a moment, seeming to give the question some thought. She turned her head, staring out into the crowd, before answering.

"I suppose my behaviour is a tad strange. Yes, you were quite violent in our first meeting, but you were justifiably so. Even if it was not intentional, I harmed your friend. Quite severely from the looks of it. It was only natural for you to react angrily. Though, I do wish you hadn't destroyed the door." Harmony smirked.

Grace gave a nervous laugh, now embarrassed by her actions. "Yeah, sorry about that. I wasn't thinking. While I'm at it, I'm sorry for attacking you and your friends. Even if I was angry, I shouldn't have done that."

Harmony nodded, giving Grace a warm smile. "I apologize as well. I shouldn't have been so hasty in my actions. It wasn't right of me to remove your link. Besides, it seems as though you have reestablished it. I can sense a connection between you two, stronger than the last one."

"Oh, uh, yeah, we remade it when he woke up." Grace said, doing her best to lie. In actuality, she still had no idea how she made a link with him.

Grace saw the faintest glint of skepticism in Harmony's eye, but only briefly as the other gardevoir was quick to answer.

"I'm glad that you relinked and that he is doing alright. Truth be told I came over here to apologize to him, but he was gone by the time I got here."

"Oh, well he should be back soon. You can wait here if you want."

Harmony gave a light smile, responding with a friendlier tone than before. "Thank you, I think I'll take you up on that."

January 2nd, 7:50 am age 2208, Joy's office

"You're kidding? They really gave us an extension?" Nathan asked the pink haired nurse.

"I'm not kidding at all! I just got off the phone with the Silph rep and he said he'd be here for a few more days due to the cold. He isn't leaving now until the eighth and is giving us until then to meet him!" Joy practically squealed in excitement.

"Joy, that's awesome!" Nathan yelled. "Now Grace and I don't have to rush to Nimbasa or Castelia in the cold to get the part! She is gonna be thrilled."

"I know, I'm incredible, aren't I." Joy said, crossing her arms and raising her chin in a dignified manner.

"Oh, but of course, your highness. Thank you for causing this blistering cold making it a nightmare to walk to Nimbasa. Truly a blessing." Nathan teased.

The two shared a good laugh before settling down, Nathan now taking a seat across from the nurse.

"I'd still like to get the part as soon as possible, if you don't mind. The older model of the healing machine was on its last leg when we received the new one and it won't hold for much longer. We really need that part."

"I know, I know. I'll to my best to try and get to Castelia by the fifth. Where am I meeting this guy again?"

"At Café Sonata. Call me when you get into Castelia and I will arrange the meeting. I really can't thank you enough for doing this Nathan. This means a lot to me."

Nathan smiled. "Of course, Joy, you're one of my best friends. Besides, I was a real jerk-off yesterday. I kind of owe you."

"I know that. But… I also know how hard it is for you to go back to that city. After all that happened, it isn't a surprise that you'd be averse to going."

Nathan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, that's true. But, Grace helped me see that what's in the past can be learned from and even if it hurt, I'm going to have people I can lean on; depend on to pull me out of that darkness. You, Grace, Fennel. I know you'll all be there for me."

Joy sniffled a little, walking around the table and embracing the boy in a tender hug, one he gladly returned.

"Good luck, I'll see you in a few days. Tell Grace goodbye for me, and that when you guys come back, there's a job waiting here for the both of you."

The pair separated and waved their goodbyes, feeling the slightest bit melancholy.


Walking back into the lobby, Nathan began looking around for his green haired companion. So, when he made his way back to the bench he left her at, it went without saying he was surprised to see a second head of lime colored hair.

Grace, noticing a familiar presence in Nate, turned her head to see him walking toward the gardevian pair. She gave a wave, earning a small smile in response. "Hey, how'd your talk with Joy go? She still wants to kill you?"

"That and then some," he joked, "but she did end up giving me some good news. We received an extension from the Silph co. rep and now have till the eighth to get the part! We won't have to rush there! We could even stay in Nimbasa for a day or two."

"Really? That's great. I'm glad Nathan." Grace really didn't have as much a reason to be that ecstatic. Her psychic abilities allowed her to float about so she rarely got fatigued due to travel, and she still wasn't huge on places jammed to the rafters with people. Still, Nathan was happy, something she always liked to see.

"Best part," Nathan continued, "when we come back, not only do I get my job back, Joy said she will have a job here for you as well."

Now that got the gardevoir grinning from ear to ear. She leapt up off the bench and wrapped Nathan in a bear hug, squeezing him tight.

"Oh my god, thank you thank you thank you. I can't believe you remembered!" Grace squealed, still firmly plastered to the young man.

"H-hey don't mention it. You only reminded me hundreds of times. I'm not that unreliable, am I?" He teased.

"Well, there was that one time…"

The two of them broke into a fit of giggles, only stopping after a certain other figure cleared her throat in annoyance.

The two looked at Harmony, now a bit embarrassed having forgotten her.

"I hate to interrupt, it seemed as though you two were having a moment, but I would like to do what I came here to do," Harmony said, looking at Grace, moving her gaze to Nathan. "I would like to apologize to you for my actions when we met. I was purposely hostile and although it was not my intention to do was, I caused both of you a great deal of hurt. For that I am sorry."

Nathan remembered back to when he was in that house on the hill. About how this gardevoir had apparently severed a link between Grace and him. Something told him he should be angry, but he wasn't. He couldn't be. It wasn't her intention to hurt him, he knew that. The link had been hurting him already, she was just trying to help. He wanted to make sure she knew that.

"Hey don't beat yourself up over it. Grace told me everything when I came to. I know you didn't mean to hurt me. No harm done. So, no need to worry." He gave her a small but meaningful smile.

Harmony took a second to process what he had said. She really had expected him to be furious. In her culture, a link like that was special. Something you shared with very few. It wasn't something to be trifled with. Hell, for what she did, if she was still living with wild gardevoir in Kalos, she would have been exiled on the spot, good intentions be damned.

"But… what I did. To most gardevoir it's… unforgivable. That link you have is special, volatile or not. How can you just-"

"Well, I'm not a Gardevoir, am I?" Nathan smirked. "I don't know how Grace feels about it, but to me you were just trying to help out. So, it's okay."

Grace said nothing, just allowing the two to talk it out. She saw no need to intervene yet.

"Please at least allow me to do something to, how do you humans say it, make it up to you? There must be something I can do."

It was clear at this point that she did not intend on backing down. Nathan felt kind of bad at this point. He didn't want anything out of her, just wanted to make sure she knew he forgave her. But she seemed insistent.

"Well, unless you could teleport the two of us to Nimbasa so we didn't have to walk, I don't really have anything that comes to-"
"I can do exactly that!" She blurted out with a bit too much enthusiasm, covering her mouth and looking to see nobody had noticed her little outburst. "I should be able to teleport you two to Nimbasa city without any problems. I teleport all across the region without issue."

Nathan starred in surprise. "I mean I was only kidding, but hey, if you're offering, I won't say no. Any objections Grace?... Uh… Grace?"

She had been staring at the other psychic for quite some time now, trying to figure out how she knew all these when Grace didn't, trying to piece together how she would manage to teleport them miles away. Trying to figure out why right now, she felt so utterly inferior.

Nathan snapped his fingers in her face, grabbing her attention.

"Huh, what. Oh, uh, yeah, I have no problem with it. Beats the hell out of trudging through the snow, am I right?" She laughed nervously, hoping to shift attention away from her.

"...Right. Anyway, what do you need us to do?" Nathan asked Harmony, slightly concerned about his friend's odd behavior.

"Do you have everything that you wish to take with you?" Nathan nodded. "Then stand still."

With that, her eyes gained a pink glow, she snapped her fingers, and all Nathan saw was white.

January 2nd, 6:45 am age 2208, Nimbasa City gym

A tall, rather lanky and pale man walked through the doors to the Nimbasa gym, ducking slightly as to not hit his head on the top of the door. He sported a thick leather coat, hiding his thin frame beneath its girth. His jet-black hair slicked back out of the way of his long sharp nose and sunken eyes, keeping still even in the cold winds of the region, his face long and almost pointed to a tip around his chin. A belt of pokeballs hung loosely from the bottom of his jacket though they weren't your typical red and white ball.

Another man in a jet-black trench coat approached him, crossing an arm over his chest in salute.

"Welcome back sir." He said, "I take it your trip to Hoenn was successful?"

The man says this eyeing the loop of pokeballs on the others jacket.

"Yes, quite successful indeed. Though there was one escapee, it appears as though the beats has been tracked to Unova of all places. How it managed to get here is beyond me."

"Very good sir. I am glad to hear that. Lord Dia left a message for you not to long ago. It is in your office."

"Thank you, Arin, you may go back to your normal duties."

Arin nodded, returning to his position at the door.

The man walked through the gym towards the tail end of the facility, opening the door to a dimly lit and dusty office. He'd have to fire whomever it was that was meant to clean the place. The walls of the room were lined to the brim with bookshelves, packed to the brim with hundreds of books on the history of Unova, of Pokémon, of the world. In the middle sat a rather ornate desk, small details carved into its legs and body. Carvings of Pokémon and other legendary beasts, beautifully drawn out and cut on the wooden surface. The largest of the carvings being that of Reshiram and Zekrom, the deity Pokémon of Unova. On the desk lay a letter, addressed to him, sealed with wax with a symbol in the center. The letter P with a cross through it.

He opened the letter, pulling out the piece of paper inside. It was a wonder why Lord Dia still used such an archaic form of communication. But this was always how he received his orders.

The letter was simply that, a new set of orders, telling him to remain in Nimbasa city acting as its new gym leader until he heard otherwise. Plasma must remain as secret as possible, and so his guise must remain intact for now.

It was then that he heard a knock at the door.

"Mr. Mordecai, sir. We have someone asking when the gym shall open again."

Mordecai smiled, placing the letter back on the desk.

"Let them know that the gym does not officially open for another two weeks, but that I will be happy to take their challenge then."