Some hours passed before the last trainer was finally beaten. When talking with her, they learned that the cottage wasn't far when asked about it.

"So we're not far," Alex smiled. She recalled everyone, mainly for Cerulean's safety.

They don't know how friendly the people were, though given how Azure made them sound, they sound really nice. But how they may react to a rare Pokémon like Cerulean could change the mood really fast.

They already dealt with that kid wanting to battle her just because she was something he never saw before. None of them wanted a repeat if they can help it. It was the same for Ken with how different he looks, though he doesn't gain as much attention as the legend did.

"I think I see the place," Chase pointed out as the silhouette of a large building came into view.

"How is that considered a cottage?" Alex asked with a bewildered look.

"Don't know, but they must be really well off," he commented with a nervous laugh.

As they drew closer, finding that it resembled something closer to a mansion than some small cottage they originally thought. Reaching what they guessed was the front door; Chase reached out to ring the bell. Afterward, they waited patiently for any sign someone was home.

After a couple of minutes, the door opened, a lovely looking woman standing, dark green hair cascading down her back and over her shoulders.

"Oh, hello there," she greeted.

"Hello, Ma'am. My name's Alex and this is Chase. A friend of mine suggested that we should come here. He told us that the man living here told him about evolutionary stones like the moon stone."

"Oh, you mean my husband? I can fetch him if you'd like to come inside," she smiled. "If you have Pokémon, you can let them out to rest."

"Thank you, but one of them is kind of big," Alex laughed nervously.

"What kind is it?"

"She's a Gyarados."

"Oh wow, I rarely see such a young child with one. They're very hard to tame from what I've heard."

"Same, but Nala's really sweet. She's never lost her temper. I mean, she's gotten mad, but never at me and she's never lost control where someone got badly hurt."

"That's wonderful to hear, she certainly sounds like a lovely Pokémon. We have a pool outside she could rest in."

"Thank you."

She guided them to the garden where she could release her Pokémon, doing so save for Cerulean. They had talked about it earlier, the Mew understanding.

After releasing her Pokémon, Alex told them to behave while they're visiting. Once certain they'll listen, she and Chase followed the woman back inside. They were barely two steps in when a small voice called out towards them, tiny feet running towards them.

"Mommy!" a little boy beamed when seeing "Do we have fwens?"

"We have guests, but they are friends with the boy that was here before," the woman answered as a little boy ran over. "This is my son, William."

"Hi! My name is Bill!" the boy beamed brightly.

He had the same green hair as his mother, even having the same curls, albeit much shorter. The boy was dressed in a cute little costume resembling an Eevee. They were possibly pajamas given his size. He appeared to be about four years old.

Kneeling down, Alex gave the boy a friendly smile, "Hi, Bill. My name's Alex. This is my friend, Chase."

"Hey there," the teen waved.

"William, why don't we get Daddy so he knows we have guests?"

"Yay, let's get Daddy!"

Alex was shown where she could call out her Pokémon, allowing them to roam, Nala relaxing in the aforementioned pool.

The kids sat and waited, a maid having popped in to bring refreshments.

"Thank you," the girl smiled as she accepted the tea.

Without warning, the pokéball containing Cerulean burst open, Alex almost falling off the sofa from the shock.

"Cerulean!" the girl nearly shrieked. "What are you doing out here?"

{Sorry, Alex, but…} the Mew started. {I'm just not used to staying in a small space and when I smelled the food, I got hungry…}

"Hungry or not, you shouldn't do that. What if it was dangerous?"

{Sorry…} Cerulean nodded, knowing her mistake.

Feeling bad how she looked, Alex handed her a biscuit. "I didn't mean to upset you."

{No, you're right, that was pretty careless. I should have thought more clearly whether to come out or not.}

"Well, they do seem nice, so if you want to stay out, you can. If you feel nervous, you can go back in your ball and we'll leave."

{Are you sure?}

"Yeah, it really isn't fair keeping you cooped in your ball so much. And from the few battles, you participated in, most of the trainers were calling you cute. They didn't know what you were or asked about you other than your name or typing." Alex paused to think before continuing. "I guess it couldn't hurt letting you out more unless it gets uncomfortable for any of us or people ask too many questions."

{That's true…} Cerulean hummed. She ate the biscuit, mindful not to make a mess. Once she was done, she floated around the room, looking at the different artifacts and pictures hanging on the walls. She stopped at a set of old stones shaped like tools. {Why would people collect such strange things?}

"So we can learn more about the world," a male voice answered. The Mew arched her back, a hiss escaping from being startled. He gave an apologetic laugh. "Sorry about that. My name's Benedict, Tiana told me we had young guests."

"Pwetty kitty," Bill awed when looking at Cerulean.

{Thanks,} she answered sheepishly, a blush showing through her thin fur.

She floated down as the child came closer. "Pet?"

{Go for it,} she laughed as she let him run his small hand through her fur.

"Remember to be gentle, okay, kiddo?" Benedict advised. The child made a noise to confirm he understood as he continued petting the Pokémon. "She's really good with children, how long have you had her?"

"Only a few days, but Cerulean's really smart," Alex answered.

"I can see that. I never saw a Pokémon like her before. Do make sure you take good care of her, okay?"

"I will, Sir."

"Tiana said something about your interest in evolutionary stones?"

"Yes, my friend, Azure, he told me he came here and suggested that we visit."

"I remember him; he seems like a good kid. How is he doing?"

"I…I can't really say. We kind of got into a fight, but he left before we could try to talk it out," Alex sighed sadly.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully, you two will be able to patch things up."

"Same."

"Not to be rude, but what kind of studies have you done with evolutionary stones?" Chase asked, hoping to divert the conversation to something else. "If that's okay, that is."

"I understand," the older man smiled.

He got up, gesturing for the two to follow, calling his son over, Cerulean following as the boy seemed to take a liking towards her.

He led them towards a large display case with an assortment of stones inside. Some were evolutionary stones, others being regular ones or appeared regular.

"As it sounds, I study rocks. I sometimes dabble in geography if I feel it would be of use, but I mainly focus on geology. I find it rather fascinating how simple pieces of rock can hold so much power as to induce an evolution on a Pokémon when in close proximity. I'm curious to learn more how they work as well as other stones I've collected for my research."

"Other stones?"

He nodded, pulling a key ring from his pocket, selecting the necessary key to unlock the cabinet. Taking a couple of stones out, he held them out to the kids.

"From what I was told of them, this one is known as an everstone, the other an oval stone. They have unique properties similar to the stones we're familiar with but different at the same time."

"How so?" Chase asked as he held the oval stone, noting that it was shaped like an egg.

"What you're holding seems to be capable of evolving a Pokémon called Happiny, changing them into Chansey."

"Wait, are you serious? I never heard of that before," the boy exclaimed.

"Neither had I until I began doing research in other regions and bought that stone. I would have tried acquiring a Happiny, but they aren't easy to find from what I was told. So I'll focus studying this stone for now until I can get my hands on one to test it out."

"What about this one?" Alex asked.

"That one has the opposite effect of evolutionary stones. Instead of evolving Pokémon, it prevents them. If they have it on their body or in close enough proximity, it makes it nearly impossible for them to evolve. I don't know how much it affects those traded or using stones, so it'll be interesting to do studies to see what may happen if it hasn't already elsewhere."

"That's weird," the girl commented.

"I suppose so, but it's fascinating no less," Benedict smiled as he took the stones back. He placed them in their proper cases; closing the door and locking it back up. "Given how unique these kinds of stones are, learning there are others that can do more than simply evolve a Pokémon, you can only imagine how many are out there and what they could do. Then there begs the question, how it all started and why it affects some Pokémon and not others."

"That's true, the moment you think you know more about Pokémon, something new pops up," Chase commented, glancing at Cerulean.

"Exactly and the more regions that open up their borders to foreigners, the more we get to learn not only their customs but the Pokémon living there as well."

"But it's kind of neat when you think about it. Learning there are so many different species of Pokémon, some we may never have seen before due to another time or because they're from another region," Alex mused as she looked up at an old looking tapestry.

It had the emblems resembling the different noble families from that time. One of the emblems consisted of a Charizard, reminding her of Sienna.

"By the way, when you asked about evolutionary stones, you mentioned moon stones. Did you find any?"

"Yes, Azure told me that you helped him identify some moon stones he had. I think I might have found some myself."

"I'd be more than happy to look at them to verify," Benedict smiled. He led them back to the room they were in before. Pressing a buzzer, he called for someone to bring more refreshments. "Did you know there might be more Pokémon that evolve using a moon stone than what we currently know?"

"Really?" both kids responded.

"That's right," he nodded. He waited as Alex pulled out some stones from her bag, looking them over with delight. "It seems that you and Azure both share a talent at finding evolution stones."

"So they really are moon stones?" Alex asked, the man nodding. "Wow, then if Lance wants to, I could evolve him."

"A Nidoking is a great Pokémon to raise. Just remember that it gains a secondary type when it does. Especially if you haven't fought Cerulean Gym yet, that is if you're planning on challenging it."

"I'll remember that."

"That's good," Benedict smiled, looking towards his son. "Bill, why don't you go and see if Blair wants to come down?"

Immediately, the child's dark eyes lit up, bouncing to his feet. "Okay!" he beamed, running off. "Bear-bear! We have fwens! Come see! Come see!"

"Blair?"

"My niece, she's been staying with us for a while."

"That's really nice of you," Alex smiled.

"Thank you, it's the least we could do," Benedict smiled sadly.

"Did something happen?" Chase asked worriedly. "If it's okay to ask that is."

"I suppose it couldn't hurt should she come down. She's stubborn, but she almost always crumbles when Bill begs her to do something with him," he chuckled softly, sipping his tea. A small frown formed not long after. "Blair was recently in an accident. For the past few months, she's been going through physical therapy and undergoing some surgeries to help her walk again."

"How long will it take her?" Alex asked, covering her mouth. Cerulean looked worried as well, having curled up by her trainer worriedly.

"I can't say for certain. But I know that it's going to take several years from what the doctor told us, though I hope it doesn't."

"Bill must have been really worried about her?"

Benedict nodded with a thin smile, "He adores her tremendously and constantly worries about her since the accident."

"I hope she'll get better soon," Alex said, seeing his smile brighten a little.

"So do I."

Within a few minutes, Bill returned with a triumphed grin. Behind him was a girl with hair the same color as his, even similar curls, albeit longer like his mother. She had the same eyes as the boy, but instead of pale skin, hers was darker, almost a tan.

She looked roughly Alex's age, though could be a year younger or older. She wore a simple red dress that went down to her ankles or looked it. She was sitting in a wheelchair, a maid pushing her. Her left leg was in a cast.

"Bear-bear, these are fwens!" Bill pointed out, "Alex has a pwetty kitty."

He ran over, surprisingly mindful as he climbed into his cousin's lap, a big smile on his face as her arms wrapped around him.

"It's nice to meet you," the girl nodded. "My name is Blair Sinclair."

"It's nice to meet you too," Alex smiled. "My name's Alex. And this is Cerulean."

"My name's Chase," the boy smiled.

{Hi there,} the psychic greeted, the girl's eyes widening.

"You can talk?"

"She's using telepathy," Benedict explained, "Cerulean's a psychic type, am I right?"

{That's right!}

"That's interesting," Blair hummed in thought.

The talked some more, Benedict explaining in greater detail about different evolutionary stones he's learned and what Pokémon are affected.

There were apparently some species that could evolve through multiple means like Gloom and Poliwhirl, but the stones they required were hard to find and use. As a result, such stones were very expensive.

Eventually going outside, the family had been curious about the kind of Pokémon Alex has been raising than solely hearing about them.

"A very interesting group you've gotten," Benedict chuckled as he watched Lance and Ken play, chasing one another in a game of tag.

"Play!" Bill nearly squealed as he ran over.

The Pokémon perked up hearing him, allowing the child to join their games when Alex told them it was fine.

Ansen kept his distance, not interested playing around, itching to start training again.

Nala watched with a protective look, amazed to see such a tiny creature, having gotten used to seeing people Alex's age or adults.

Cerulean flew up to her, the two sharing a conversation.

~I never knew they could be so tiny,~ Nala mused.

{Yeah, children can start off pretty tiny. A lot like ourselves when we're first born,} Cerulean laughed, the larger Pokémon nodding.

~You've seen other children?~

{Not up close, but yeah. Some can end up being small enough where they can't walk on their own. They need to be carried or pushed in a cart designed just for them.}

~I never knew that. So they're really frail?~

{Yeah, but doesn't mean they won't grow stronger.}

~Like us!~

A few hours passed, the sun starting to drop in the sky, Alex and Chase knowing it'll likely be night by the time they return to the Pokémon Center.

"Why don't you stay the night?" Tiana offered, her husband having to agree. "It wouldn't be safe to head back."

"Are you sure?" Alex asked.

"We've got plenty of space, so it's no trouble," she beamed brightly.

"We should at least call the Pokémon Center. Some of our things are still there…" Chase had started.

"That's fine, I'm sure the nurse will either move your stuff to a safe room or she'll keep it free if there aren't a lot of trainers," Benedict said with a chuckle. "I'll show you where the phone is so you can call Nurse Joy."

"Thank you," the kids grinned as they followed him.

The Pokémon stayed outside to relax, though the smaller ones were allowed to come in at any point. The only ones to really take up the offer were Cerulean and Ken, following their trainer inside. The rest chose to stay outside, partially to keep Nala company. Ansen wanted to do late night training near the property.

Afterward, they were shown their own room so they can clean up before dinner, allowing the two to change if they wished.

While they ate dinner, the family talked with Alex some more, learning about her adventures so far. She left out Team Rocket, mostly not to worry them or upset Bill.

The small boy was currently playing with his food, thankfully eating despite the mess he was making. He was pretending to be some ferocious creature, his dinner various prey he was hunting. Cerulean encouraged it with hunting tips so he would be able to catch his prey.

His parents were amused by this, not upset with their son fooling around or the cat encouraging his games.

"You're planning to challenge Roku soon?" Benedict asked casually.

"That's right. We've been training for a while, focusing on Ken mostly. Since he uses water types, he's perfect to take the gym on. But I wanted to make the others stronger in case Ken couldn't keep up," Alex answered, giving her Pokémon a smile.

"That's very smart of you."

"Thank you… I just wanted to try and keep everyone safe so our journey can remain fun," she explained with a trembling smile.

Seemingly understanding her tone, he gave her a comforting smile. "That's very true. A journey can't be enjoyable without taking the right precautions. But be sure not to overdo it or you'll find yourself and your Pokémon bored."

"I'll be sure to remember that. But I'm sure Ansen would be sure to remind me if that did start to happen," she joked.

"Hey, Blair, when you're better, do you plan on becoming a trainer?" Chase asked.

"I hope so," she answered. She was mostly poking her food, hardly taking any bites. When she did, it was often when Bill started giving her a concerned look in between playing his games.

"Have you thought about what you want as a starter?"

"I don't really know or care. I guess as long as I'm able to walk, I'll be happy whatever I get," she said with an embarrassed smile. "Silly, I know…"

"I don't think so. I wasn't sure what I might start with. I had trouble choosing between Charmander and Bulbasaur until I met Sienna. And Azure wasn't sure if he wanted Charmander or Squirtle before he saw him."

"She's right, no one really knows," Chase added. "I never decided if I wanted a traditional starter or something else. It wasn't until I turned ten and was given Voltorb and Koga later gave me Grimer and Koffing."

Blair's eyes widened in surprise hearing this, adding some comfort that she hadn't been the only one to be unsure.

As they neared the end of dinner, dessert having been delivered, they talked some more, mostly about unique Pokémon moves.

"Alex, by any chance, have you heard of this move called Cut?" Benedict asked, drawing the girl's curiosity.

"No, I haven't, what is it?"

"A rather useful move. It supposedly helps strengthen parts of the body, namely claws or the blades on a Scyther. It's a great move not only for offense, but can help cut through obstacles, mostly thorns, and thick foliage. It's a lot safer than trying to do it yourself."

"Really?" Alex awed at the thought. "Where can I go to teach my Pokémon?

The man nodded before answering, "I only asked because I heard of a captain who developed it."

"A captain?" Alex blinked.

"Yes, I heard about him after I had been invited to board his cruise ship, the S.S. Anne."

"I heard of that, it's a luxury cruise ship that sails once a year," Chase commented.

"That's right."

"But he must be pretty busy, I doubt I could talk with him, let alone board to ask," Alex laughed nervously.

Benedict thought about the dilemma before an idea came to mind. "You know, we were given some extra tickets. I had asked some family and a few friends, but they're too busy to come by to join us. If you'd like, you're welcome to take them than letting them go to waste."

"But we hardly know each other," Alex exclaimed. "I mean, it's very generous, but it seems unfair to take them if we're not planning to sail…"

"That may be true, but as you said, you wouldn't be able to board without a ticket. I read in the packets we were given that he would be holding classes, but only for those who have tickets. You can also use this time to relax, your Pokémon as well. I'm sure you could use it after such an adventure."

"I still don't know…" Alex whispered, still uncertain. She looked to Chase who shared the same expression as her. Even the Pokémon looked uncertain.

"You don't have to decide right away," Benedict reassured. "I figured it would be nice and it's also been rare for Blair meet kids her age. It would be nice for her to spend time with others and I don't know how many children will be onboard."

"Uncle Benedict!" Blair blushed.

"Bear-bear needs more fwens!" Bill giggled much to his cousin's embarrassment.

"He's right," his father teased.

"Don't encourage him!"

Alex and Chase could hardly suppress their giggles at how relaxed things became while uncle and niece bantered, the youngest occasionally chiming in.

Deciding to ignore them, Tiana turned to the pair. "It would really be nice if you could join us for a while. You're both very kind and your Pokémon are lovely. I'm sure you would all have a lot of fun and meet all sorts of people and Pokémon. You might even meet new species of Pokémon from other regions."

"Really?"

"The S.S. Anne is a very popular cruise ship. Since it sails the world, it picks up passengers all over between stops. They set up several arenas in the lower decks to host battles, machines trainers can use to trade Pokémon with one another. There's also plenty of food for people and Pokémon alike and classes like dancing or singing." As she said the last part, her eyes seemed to sparkle in pure delight. The rest of her family had stopped their bantering, her husband almost snickering at her speech.

"Before we married, Tiana used to be a kimono dancer in Johto at a city called Ecruteak," he explained, ignoring the glares he got from his niece still.

"Wow, that's so cool. You must have worn a lot of gorgeous outfits," Alex awed.

"I did. I only stopped when I moved here and later had William. Maybe when he's a little older, I might get back into it or start classes of my own," she giggled.

"Mommy dances pwetty!" the child giggled, her mother beaming at his compliment.

They talked some more, the adults sharing the times they've taken a cruise on it or similar cruise liners. They finally stopped when Bill let out a yawn, signaling it was time for bed. His mother gathered him up to get him cleaned ready for bed as well as help Blair.

Alex and Chase were shown extra bathrooms so they could clean up and change, their clothes were taken to be washed.

"They're really nice to invite us even though we're practically strangers," Alex commented. Ken and Cerulean were in the bathroom with her, casually relaxing in the warm tub water with her. "But I don't know if I still want to go. Those tickets must be expensive, gift or not, it seems like a waste to accept them and not stay…"

{Maybe, but we are on a journey to challenge the gyms and get stronger,} Cerulean stated. {But while it got a little crazy, I think they want you and Chase to go for their niece.}

~You think so?~ Ken wondered.

{Well, with that thing on her leg, it must make it hard to explore and meet people. It might even be harder to talk with them without being stared at or pestered about it. We don't know when it was the last time she really got to talk to others who didn't stare, let alone those Alex's age?}

"That makes sense. I would be pretty self-conscious if I had to wear a cast, especially if I had to wear it for a long time. Maybe even feel worse if I was old enough to be a trainer, but didn't have any Pokémon."

The psychic nodded before dunking herself in the water, popping out shortly after to shake excess water off. She used her tiny paws to rub into her fur, getting any dirt and grime out, letting her coat shine a little brighter. Ken did the same, his fur looking cleaner as well.

{By the way Alex, when do you think we'll be ready to face the gym?}

"To be honest, I think we might be ready now. But…"

The cat floated up to her, nuzzling, {Still recovering losing Nate, right?}

"Yeah, I just don't want anyone to get seriously hurt."

~I'm sure we'll be okay. The gym leader is a really nice guy, so I'm sure he'd hold back if he felt we were in danger,~ Ken reassured.

"Yeah, you're right. Then tomorrow, we'll do some last minute training on our way back to Cerulean City, then ask Roku for a battle."


This was an interesting chapter for those who remember when I first wrote Bill in.

Since I'm trying to make this sort of a prequel to the anime, obviously Bill would be a lot younger and just from my own observation, he would likely be very young when Alex and Chase are around. But I wanted to keep it relatively canon to the anime, so I had to think just how young to make Bill so he would have no reason to mention having met rare Pokemon like Mew or a shiny Pikachu.

Then the idea hit me. Make him young enough where he isn't likely to remember! It might seem like a silly thought, possibly a cheap idea, but it's better than having him keep it a secret. I get the feeling he would have loved to share his experience encountering such rare Pokemon with someone like Ash, especially with Ash's bond with his Pikachu similar to Alex's with Ken.

As for his parents, due to Bill's appearance, I would think they're wealthy and what likely had led them to such wealth. And with no knowledge of his parents in the anime, I would think it's safe to design them however I like it. The mom I thought would be fun to keep her a former kimono dancer since it's a minor detail and I didn't want her to be solely a rich housewife.

And Blair is another OC who I was going to use for a separate Nuzlocke, but I don't know if I'm going to actually make it at this point. So I wanted to at least give her a little spotlight here.

I would like to thank, PinkTheDinosaur on Deviantart for helping me with edits on this chapter.

If you enjoyed this, please leave a review and any helpful critique that may better improve the writing.