Chapter 3

He left the school building and went to the Poke-Center where he was given the last remaining pokemon they had which was a Fennekin. The school graduation was reward was giving each student a pokemon of their own, it wasn't like he had a trainer's license, but he was one step closer. He let the small fire fox out of her ball as soon as he got it and they walked home together. "So do you have a name Fennekin?" He asked the pokemon walking next to him.

"N-not really master…" The Fennekin said looking down in shame.

"Please don't call me master…just call me by my name, Jacob." He replied.

"You understand me?" The Fennekin said looking up curiously. Jacob nodded and the Fennekin's face lit up. "Arceus thank you! A human who can understand us without needing a psychic type on their team!" Jacob chuckled and the little fire fox's exclamation and the two soon reached his home.

"Let me go in first, just stay behind me ok." Jacob said to the pokemon behind him. The Fennekin nodded and got behind his leg and Jacob opened the door. "Ema! I'm back!" The Fennekin then saw an Umbreon jump from behind a couch and land in front of her human.

"Took long enough." Ema said.

"Well I had to pick something up." Jacob said.

"Which one did you pick?" She asked.

"I'll just let you introduce yourselves." Jacob said stepping to the side revealing the Fennekin to Ema.

"Hey there," Ema said in a calm tone, "What's your name?"

"I-I don't have one…" The Fennekin replied.

"Why don't we name you…?" Jacob began.

"No, you're terrible at naming things." Ema said cutting him off.

"Wha…I am not!" Jacob retorted.

"What about the time you wanted to name me Ubre?" Ema asked.

"It was one time ok! I didn't know your name then." Jacob stated. The Fennekin watched the two argue for a while before breaking down in laugher. Jacob and Ema both turned to the Fennekin who was on the floor and Jacob sat down to rub her back. The Fennekin started to calm down and murred a little. "Well?"

"Well what?" Ema asked.

"What do you want to call her?" Jacob asked.

"How about…Din?" Ema asked.

"I like it." The Fennekin, Din, said.

"Then it's decided. Dina how would you like to live with us from now on?" Jacob asked. Din nodded and then Ema came over. Ema rubbed the little Fennekin and the three sat there for a few minutes before Jacob made them dinner. Both pokemon followed the boy in the kitchen and watched him as he made some soup for them to eat. He made Din and Ema each a bowl and set them on the floor while Jacob ate at the table. Din was the last one to finish as she savored every slurp of food she had. "So you like it Din?"

"This is the best food I've had in my life!" Din exclaimed.

"His cooking's ok, just wait till he decided to order take out." Ema stated. Jacob went put his empty bowl in the sink for him to wash.

"I heard that Ema." He said. Ema laughed a little. "Why do I get the feeling that you two are going to team up against me?"

"It's a perk that comes with the understanding." Ema casualty stated. Jacob chuckled a little and went back to cleaning the bowl.

"So Ema…you've been here for almost a year?" Din asked. Ema nods. "What is it like?"

"Well, he's a lot better than any other human I know that's for sure. He tends to be a little more cheery than most as well." Ema replied. "I think you'll like it here."

"T-thanks…and thank you…" Din said. "For the name…"

"It's no trouble. We're going to be living together from now on so why not get familiar with each other?" Ema replied. Din nodded and the two pokemon soon finished their soup. Jacob washed out their bowls and the three sat down on the couch to watch TV until there was a knock at the door. Jacob got up to answer it and outside the door was someone who he never thought he'd see for another month.

"Mom?" Jacob asked. The woman at the door nodded and Jacob embraced her in a hug. "I've missed you so much!"

"So have I my son, I heard you just got your first pokemon today and since I was in town for a few minutes I figured I'd see how you're doing, can I see it?" His mom asked. Jacob scratched the back of his neck and called out to Din and Ema who came over. "You have two pokemon and an Umbreon at that to."

"Well Din, the Fennekin, was the one I got today, but Ema's been living at the house almost a year now." Jacob replied. "I found her last summer and she wanted to come home with me so I did."

"Is that true?" Din whispered to Ema.

"It's a basic coverage yes. He helped pull me out a river only for me to need to perform CPR on him." Ema whispered back.

"Oh Arceus. Are you ok?" Din asked.

"I'm fine Din, it wasn't that bad." Ema stated.

"I see they like each other already." Jacob's mother said.

"Yeah Ema warmed up real fast. So how's the dig site going?" Jacob asked.

"Well we just uncovered our 4th set of ruins the other day, but they still won't open to us. We managed to get a micro-camera inside though and took some pictures. Here, have a look." His mother replied. She then pulled out her phone and showed him the pictures. The pictures were of an open room with a large pillar in the middle of it…just like his dreams. Top of the room had a window to the outside world and the top of the pillar had crystals that the sunlight was reflecting off of.

"Where did you uncover this?" Jacob asked.

"It was by the mines down on route 40, why?" His mom asked.

"No reason. So does this mean that you are moving on to another site?" Jacob asked. His mom nodded.

"Yeah, the team was just stopping for coffee before we set out again, I need to get back to them." She replied.

"O-ok…I love you mom." Jacob then hugged his mother and she hugged him back.

"I love you to." She then kissed him and walked off while waving goodbye to him. Jacob sighed and closed the door. He locked it and sat down on the couch. Ema and Din noticed him look a little sad.

"What's wrong?" Din asked.

"O-oh nothing; just that she's never had time to stay. It's the same story with my dad. That's why I'm home alone most of the time." Jacob replied. Both Ema and Din hopped back up and then Ema started rubbing his torso.

"Well you have me." She said.

"Me too!" Din joined in. Jacob smiled and rubbed both of them.

"I really wouldn't know where I would be without you Ema. Thank you both." He told both of them. Both pokemon began murring, but Din was just lying against his leg while Ema was sitting up and leaning on his torso. It's not like Din didn't like him, but she knew Ema and Jacob had a strong connection to each other and wanted to not interfere too much with it. The three sat on the couch for around an hour before Jacob decided to go to bed, leaving Din and Ema to do whatever they wanted. Ema opted to sleep first while Din said she would explore the house a little first. She walked around the house, exploring the kitchen, other bedrooms, etc. until she decided to go to Jacob's room and hopped on the bed. She lied down to Ema, whose rings were glowling in the moonlight, and joined her new friends in sleep.

The next morning, Jacob's alarm woke them up at the crack of dawn like normal…well almost all of them. Ema was fine, but Din was protesting her wake-up call saying it was too early like a young kid going to school. Both human and Umbreon chuckled as the Fennekin finally woke up. "Wh-what?" Din asked.

"Oh nothing." Ema teased.

"I'll go fix you two breakfast in a sec, I need to do something first." Jacob said walking off. Din and Ema looked confused, but they didn't question him as he walked into the bathroom. He closed the door and turned on the sink and rubbed the water on his face. He had the same dream from the previous nights that night and this time he heard a voice summoning him. It wasn't like a physical voice however, but just a feeling that was drawing him to that location. He finished his reflecting after a minute and then went make his two pokemon breakfast. As they ate, he just couldn't get his mind off the dream he had that night.

"What's wrong Jacob?" Ema asked.

"Wha-how did you…?" Jacob began.

"We've been best friends for a year. I know when you're upset." She replied.

"Well, I just can't get something off my mind." He said looking down. "It's not that important though."

"You sure?" Din asked. Jacob nodded.

"Positive, so what do you two want to do?" Jacob asked. Ema and Din thought about it for a few minutes before Din saw the backyard.

"Can we go play outside?" Din asked.

"Sure!" Jacob said. Din smiled. Ema smiled a little as well and the three went outside. The young Fennekin instantly stated running off while Ema had something up her sleeve. She grabbed one of Jacob's gloves from his pocket and took off with it. Jacob watched her run away and then realized what she did. "Ema! Get back here with my glove!"

"You're going to have to catch me first!" She yelled as she ran. Jacob took off after her and Din decided to join the fun by grabbing his other one.

"Not you to Din." Jacob moaned. He then took off after the young Fennekin who was running with everything she had. Every now and then Jacob would switch from chasing Din to Ema and back again to give them equal attention, but it was becoming clear he was becoming tired. Sweat was dripping from his head and his pace slowed. Eventually, his legs gave out from exhaustion and he fell on the ground as he panted hard.

"Jacob!" Ema exclaimed running over to him. Din ran over as well. Jacob then grabbed both pokemon and pulled them to his chest and was laughing.

"See…you have to give my…gloves back…I caught you both." He said between gasps for breath. Ema and Din both pouted a little, but sighed in relief because Jacob was only tired and not anything worse.

The three friends sat there on the ground for a while before Din's stomach growled a little and the other two chuckled while Din blushed in embarrassment.

"We can eat some lunch if you want to Fenn-I mean Din." Ema said. Din nodded.

"So what do you two want to eat?" Jacob asked.

"Can we have some meat?" Din asked.

"Sure, why not?" Jacob replied. Din yipped and Ema rolled her eyes at the young pokemon's actions. Jacob let them go and they gave him back his gloves. The three went back inside and Jacob made himself a ham sandwich which he cooked them some ground meat. He gave them each a plate and both of them ate their food happily. Jacob smiled and rubbed both of their backs. They both let out a purring noise and he then went turn on the TV. The shows that were playing were mostly boring but then an advertisement played. It was an advertisement for the grass type gym right inside of their town.

"Hey you freshly graduated trainers! Looking to battle for your first gym badge? Then look no further than Larpse's very own grass gym run by James Hammel!" The announcer said. "It won't be an easy feet, and your pokemon will be put to the test, but the reward is well worth it!..." By this time Din and Ema had joined Jacob on the couch.

"Who's that?" Din asked.

"Just an advertiser, apparently he's advertising the grass gym to us fresh grads." Jacob replied. Both pokemon turned their gaze to him.

"Don't you need your 'trainer's license' for that?" Ema asked. Jacob nodded.

"Yeah…I wasn't going to get it though." He replied. Ema and Din looked at him in surprise.

"Wait what?" Ema said in surprise. "But you're a natural."

"I-I just don't agree with the current philosophy of it. You guys are treated like battle machines more than actual beings with a soul and spirit to drive you." He stated. "I love you guys too much to make you fight like that and have me take all the credit for work I never did." Both of the pokemon on either side of him nuzzled him.

"We know, but we'll be fine, and if anyone tries to pin the credit on you, you can just tell them that it was a team effort." Ema replied.

"Yeah, we'll be ok mast-Jacob. I promise!" Din agreed. He then rubbed both of them and Ema licked his hand a little while Din just purred.

"You two are something else, you know that?" He said with a smile.

"Again, understanding pokemon has its perks, even if me and you kissed to let you do it." Ema joked. Jacob was flustered again.

"Ema you know it wasn't like that! Ugh you're never going to let me live that down aren't you?" He said. Ema shook her head and both pokemon were giggling on his lap as they both feel asleep leaving him the only one awake. Jacob occasionally changed the channel from history shows to trainer events until he found some cartoons. 'I bet Din would like these.' He thought as he watched the cartoons of people in wacky predicaments. He eventually turned the TV off and sighed. "So you two want to take the gym on? Alright, tomorrow I'll go get my license and we can begin training." The two pokemon beside him slept peacefully as he watched them. He the yawned and fell asleep himself

Jacob had the same dream involving the room again, but this time the pillar was emanating a purple/pink glow from it and there was a blurry figure standing in front of it. The figure looked to be an old man with a cane and it took no notice of Jacob as he was staring at the pillar. The old man then touched the pillar and Jacob's vision was filled with purple until he felt something wet and sticky on his face. He opened his eyes to see Din staring back at him before licking his face again. "Well I see you two are awake." Din smiled and hopped on the floor. Ema was still sleeping on his lap, and he slowly rubbed her to ease her awake.

"That felt good." She said waking up. Ema then stretched herself out before jumping off the couch. Jacob then stood up and noticed it was night time outside. He picked up their previous dishes and then fed his two friends dinner before Din started getting drowsy again. Jacob picked her up in his arms and set her on his bed to sleep again while Ema and Jacob stayed up a little longer.

"So…" Jacob began.

"So what?" Ema asked sitting beside him on the floor as they looked out the glass door that lead to the backyard of his house.

"What do you think?" Jacob inquired.

"Can you stop being cryptic?" Ema fake-pleaded.

"Alright, alright, since you asked nicely." He joked. "What do you think about Din?"

"Honestly she's still young, but I can tell she'll fit in around here. Even when she's an older Delphox as well I have no doubt she'd love it with us." Ema said. Her rings glowed a little brighter as the moon light began illuminating the house. "What about you?"

"I agree with you, sure she's a little excitable, but I understand her being young." Jacob said.

"That's…actually not what I was referring to." Ema said.

"Oh?"

"Well I was wondering what you were going to do about the gym."

"I can't say?"

"Is it that hard to decide?"

"It's not that, I just want to surprise you." Ema glared at him with an 'are you serious' look. Jacob chuckled and then Ema joined in. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Ema broke the silence.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Ema inquired.

"You just did." Jacob replied with a chuckle. Ema rolled her eyes.

"Why is it that you've been waking up sweating lately? A-Are you getting sick?" Ema asked.

"I don't think so, but your Moonlight has been very helpful with that tough." Jacob replied. It was a lie and Jacob knew it. He didn't know how Ema would react to his dream. For all he knew he could've called him crazy and never spoken to him again.

"You sure you don't know?" Ema questioned.

"Y-yeah…" Jacob replied. Ema then nuzzled his torso.

"If you ever want to talk about it, just let me know." She said. Jacob picked up and hugged her. Ema tried her best to return the hug and then he set her down before yawning.

"I guess that's our queue." Jacob said. He then stood up and went get changed while Ema climbed onto the bed. Jacob returned and climbed under the covers and both Ema and Jacob joined Din in sleep.

Ema was awake longer than Jacob was however as she looked to her sleeping human friend and sighed. 'Arceus please let him be ok.' She thought. She then lied her head down and scooted next to her best friend before falling asleep.