Let me say this just real quick, then you can ignore me all you want. Sound good? Awesome! Reviews are loved endlessly and those who do them will get chocolate covered… someone. I don't know the favorite guy for fanservice in pokemon, so… Yeah…

Again, REVIEWS! LOVED! PLEASE!

Univerce


Gym Leader Burgh

Okay, so the eccentric gym leader might be right about dramatics and reactions – it's funny watching this. Much better than being the focus of his attention during his antics. And right now, as Cilan flails, them now knowing that Burgh is Burgh, I can't help but giggle quietly at their faces. Ash looks absolutely stupid, the confusion making his mouth drop open, eyes widen, and his entire face twitching. Surely other gym leaders are like this, too. Iris is staring in what could be identified as horror, but is far more explainable as a 'what the heck' face. Eyes wide, mouth parted, but not dropped open, and staring openly as one eye twitches. Cilan is still flailing, acting just as dramatic as the gym leader himself.

Burgh, on the other hand, is now grinning down at all of them, probably soaking up the reactions and possible 'hero worship' the three might be giving off. Quite frankly, this is starting to get incredibly ridiculous…

"I'm not just any bug-type trainer!" Burgh announces, casting his arms wide. "I'm an artistic trainer!"

Uh… My sentiment to this particular line seems to be shared by Ash, Iris, and Cilan. The three of them are staring at him much the same way as I feel like I'm staring at him. But the leader of their little group, and the word 'leader' is used loosely, steps up to the plate rather quickly. Good recovery time.

"I'm Ash Ketchum and I'm glad to meet you!" Ash grins, stepping forward. "And this is Pikachu."

The mouse on his shoulder leans up, one paw raising as the little electric type cries cutely. Oh, I want one!

"Hi there! I'm Iris."

"And I'm Cilan, a pokemon connoisseur."

Below me in my little hiding place of leaves, Burgh sighs wistfully, most likely in a fake expression. He's being dramatic, after all. Of course he's going to act like this when they start talking about themselves. Hilariously, they've gotten themselves lost in the forest as well. My situation is nowhere near as funny, mostly because my father and Lenora have conspired to get me lost. See? Nowhere near as funny. They probably did it by stepping off the path thanks to Ash's enthusiasm. Is it sad that it's only been one night of meeting all of them and already it feels like they're easy reads?

Personally, yes. Yes it is.

Clueing back into the conversation, I watch in slightly hilarious horror as a Sewaddle swigs down and slams- Into Ash's face!? OH MY GOD! That's the funniest thing I've ever seen! How did he not see that coming!? The thing practically screamed in his face that it was about to hit him. Who misses that?

"Oh dear," Burgh breathes, staring at the fallen Ash.

The Sewaddle chuckles to itself, probably immensely proud of the 'surprise' attack. Honestly, it shouldn't be proud of itself, considering its target and how it approached the attack. It was really a sad display of strength.

"That's the Sewaddle from before," Iris gestures to it.

"It is?" Ash groans, leaning up onto his elbows to check over his shoulder.

Burgh takes a few steps closer, watching the bug carefully. "You know it?"

"We got lost 'cause I was trying to catch that Sewaddle!" Ash growls, slowly climbing to his feet.

That's just sad. Not going to lie. It's just plain old sad. My eyes continue their sympathetic stare as the bug leaps from the ground, plopping onto a crouched Ash's head and sending him falling again. With a perfectly time jump, the pokemon uses the kid as a base board, leaping from his head to Burgh's shoulder, who snickers quietly as it lands. Hilariously, the little caterpillar starts to chomp on some leaves hanging near the man's shoulder as Ash yet again groans on the ground.

"Sewaddle's a bit stubborn," Burgh sighs with a fond smile, "but it's actually a very sweet pokemon."

Finally back on his feet, Ash stares at the bug perched on the gym leader's shoulder, looking a little confused. Almost like he's thinking of something. And that can be a very dangerous thing when certain people think.

"Is… Is Sewaddle one of your pokemon, Burgh?"

"No, no," said main chuckles softly. "It's wild, it's just one of the many things I've discovered while living here in the forest."

Oh yeah! Burgh did say something about staying out here for a few nights to retrain himself, didn't he? Guess he does sort of live out here, if that cocoon he had was anything to go by. I'm kind of curious how he set that up, though. And if that's usually where he sleeps when he's out here. Food for thought…

For some reason, Burgh's words seem to brighten the kid's face. "Wow! Living out here with the forest pokemon must be great!"

And for some reason, those words have the gym leader smiling. "I find it to be important that one gets to know the pokemon before they attempt to catch it! How would you all like to join us?"

Wait, did he just say 'join us?' And we're staying out here tonight? But I just spent last night in the forest! I don't want to do it again! Plus, he didn't even ask if I wanted those three to be spending time with us today. Okay, so Iris and Cilan aren't too bad, but Ash will drive me up a wall when he finds out that the gym leaders spend casual time with a random girl who isn't even a real trainer. It's like these gym people want me to become the latest gossip among the masses of society that watch them…

"Then I say let's set up camp right here!" Cilan offers, dragging me back to the present. "And I'll start getting ready for supper time!"

Crap, they agreed…

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, though," Burgh laughs teasingly. "I'll get my friend down from the tree, then. I'm sure she'd be delighted to have some more company for tonight!"

"Oh yeah. You did say 'us,' didn't you?" Iris muses. "Who else is out here?"

To my slight annoyance Burgh gives a cryptic smile. "Well, she's quite the knowledgeable little trainer. And has quite the artistic name, despite not being into the arts herself. One of the other gym leaders actually sent her out here to experience some small adventure in her mundane life and-"

"Hey!" I snap automatically, not enjoying the insult. "My life is not mundane!"

"I know that voice!" Cilan yelps. "And last time we saw her, she promised to-"

"Do something terrible to Ash," I snicker, dropping from my branch next to Burgh. "Especially if he didn't stay quiet."

"Uh oh," Ash shiver visibly, stepping back.

"Better run," I comment, staring blankly at him.

"AAHHH!"


After leaving the annoying little brat with a few bruises on his arms and a bump on the back of his head, all 'lovingly' of course, Burgh tries to explain bug types. More specifically, the Sewaddle pokemon that Ash was trying to catch earlier in the day. Apparently, and this is actually something I hadn't known, Sewaddle identifies people with the little bobbles on its head. As a way of saying hello, the bug pokemon will touch foreheads with whoever. Hilariously, after everyone else save Cilan and myself have said 'hello,' Ash gets head-butted instead. Loving this pokemon, not lying.

"Bye bye!" Burgh chimes happily, waving as the little caterpillar slides off away from a still eager Ash.

I can't help but laugh, sitting at the table in front of Cilan, as the trainer's head drops. So much for that upbeat attitude of his. With a smirk on my face, my eyes follow the others as they trek off after the bug type that has Ash so enamored with it. Because it's obvious the fool is absolutely in love with the idea of having the bug on his team. Why else would he be hunting it down in the middle of Pinwheel Forest? Unless he suddenly has a thing for stalking random pokemon around…

"I kind of want to follow them," I snicker, turning back to Cilan as he continues his 'supper' preparations.

"Well, why not do so?" he asks, smiling widely. "Surely they'll find something fun to do."

"Eh," I shrug. "As much fun as it sounds, wandering around after a bug type isn't really my definition of 'good time.' I prefer books and the peace and quiet of a library. That's why Lenora and I got along so well. One can handle only so much nature, after all."

"I see," Cilan hums, setting another sandwich off to the side. "You make it sound like you've been out here a while."

A huff escapes me at the thought of 'a while.' "Since last night, actually. Apparently my father dropped off a bag with me, somehow and 'failed' to leave a map behind. Smug jerk wanted me to get lost out here."

Listening to the connoisseur laugh has me grimacing. Nice to know he finds this funny. After a few more seconds, he chokes back his amusement at my glare, holding up his hands in surrender. Despite having a knife in his hand, even if it is a butter knife for the mayo jar. With another huff, I drop my head onto my crossed arms and breathe deeply. Anger management. Stress relief. Work on it…

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh," Cilan chuckles. "But I doubt your father wanted you to get lost. It's more likely he wished for you to enjoy some time here with your pokemon!"

"Cilan, I'm not allowed to go back home until I've had a 'small adventure.' And this is actually going by Lenora's standards," I explain tiredly, banging my head gently against the table. "Her standards probably include at least one city, meeting several different people and making friends and quite possibly even ignoring my mother's wishes and travelling around Unova."

"Huh," he hums, his motions of cutting vegetables freezing for a moment. "Well, you could always come with us if you'd like."

My head lifts up from the table, eyeing the boy with bright green hair. He had to be joking about this, no doubt about it. For starters, Ash is probably deathly afraid of me by now, what with the punishment I dealt out for him talking during my battle with Lenora. Iris is probably wary after watching said punishment being dealt out and Cilan? Oh, he should be at least a little bit worried about inviting me along since doing so much damage to his friend. That damage was minor compared to what I could probably do when severely ticked, too.

"I'm being serious," he sighs. "Call someone back home when we get to Castelia. Ask if you've had enough adventure yet! If they say no, just come with us, check in every so often. They're bound to let you go home eventually."

That's true, I guess… After a little bit of thought, I shrug the entire thing from my mind. If it works, it works. If not, oh well.


Sunset and twilight are some of the most beautiful times of the day. Watching the sun fall beneath the horizon is a spectacle few see and appreciate, unless actually out in nature. And I am no different. In Nacrene City, it's hard for me to even go outside at sunset, more often rushing home during the last few moments of twilight to avoid curfew penalties. It's safe to say that the idea of watching the sunset in the city has never crossed my mind unless my father, mother, or Lenora have dragged me up onto a roof to watch it. Not to say that it wasn't amazing, but…

A view of the sun setting from the top of a tree is far more beautiful. Especially when the tree is as tall as this one is. There's simply no other way to describe it other than breathtaking. And Burgh agrees with me.

"Dinner time!"

"Sounds like food's ready!" Brugh chimes, slipping from his seat towards the ground below – show off.

With a roll of my eyes, I quickly follow. Sliding and bouncing among the branches, we practically race each other down to the forest floor and… sadly he wins. But that's okay. Once we're on the ground, and Sewaddle has found its own dinner placed on one of the roots, we all take our seats at the table and sit back. Well, all save Cilan, who instead begins spreading dinner out across the surface's free space. Turns out, it's all plant related, to toast the fact that we're staying in a forest tonight. He probably just decided it on a spur of the moment to make Burgh happier about having them around… Maybe… Or not. Today's chef doesn't seem that way…

"And here's a fruit salad!" Cilan chimes, setting down a small bowl of chopped up berries and greens. "Just for you, Burgh."

The gym leader grins delightedly at the dish. "How did you know that was my favorite dish?"

"I am a connoisseur, after all!" is the simple reply. Well played, Cilan. Well played.

And Sewaddle is happily scarfing down a bunch of berries and whatnot from its a bowl.

"So why exactly are you out here, Adlien?" Iris hums, stuffing down her throat far too much of the connoisseur's pasta to be healthy.

"No real reason. Lenora and my dad pulled a few strings and got me kicked out of Nacrene City for a week or so… Depending on their mood…"

Ash gives me a look, one that's returned with a blank stare.

"Yes?"

"What do you mean by that?" he asks blatantly.

Both of his travelling buddies drop their heads against their chests, looking extremely depressed. Clearly he does this far more often than is normally thought possible. No one should have that little common sense or decency. Wasn't he taught by his mother that some questions should not be asked? Especially when the person clearly does not enjoy the questioned topic at hand. It's like he wants me to punch him in the shoulder again, possibly making the no doubt small bruise grow quite sizable. That would be rather funny, actually.

"I can't go home if they don't want me to," I answer in a similar blunt tone, soon smiling sweetly. "But if I can't head home once I've hung around Castelia for a day or so, then I'll be following you guys!"

All three travelers freeze at my words. Ash in particular was taking a sip of his water, which was soon spat out onto his plate. Lucky for us, no Ash germs to infect our food. Seeing this, Iris chokes on the pasta in her mouth, quickly swallowing and giving a laugh. While she continues that, my smile turns smug, enjoying the way Ash panics and flails, asking question after question, such as where exactly that idea had come from.

Said question also has Cilan flinching, giving me a pleading look. Since he did give me the idea, though, and an out in case of emergencies, he's off the hook.

"Where do you think I got it?" I scoff. "You're headed for Castelia, not to mention that so is Burgh. I'll be going with him from Pinwheel Forest and towards the city. If my dad and Lenora still won't let me go home, you guys will have arrived by then, meaning a perfect means of filling in their stupid requirements.

"Why they think I need to go on an adventure is beyond me, though."

Burgh chuckles lightly, spearing a few pieces of his fruit salad and chewing them happily. "Because you spent so much time in that library. I was even able to use you as a model for a painting for Lenora!" Wait, what? "It's somewhat sad, really, that you didn't even notice where you sat sometimes. You used to occupy the original section of the library so often that you were practically the main attraction of some of the security cameras!"

My body tensed up at the realization, finally connecting the dots of Lenora's teasing and his words. No wonder she always said that it was me in the painting, and sometimes with the most serious look on her face. But how the heck did he even get access to the cameras!? Oh, who am I kidding? Lenora probably let him into the system to watch me one day and sketch the entire thing out. The smug gym leaders no doubt had plenty of laughs at my obliviousness, not to mention my stubbornness. Stupid obstinacy.

"You're dead to me," I comment off-handedly, staring at Burgh with a blank expression.

"What!? Why!? What did I do!?"

This might be a very long night…


If there's one thing a person should always enjoy, it's times like these. Laid out on a branch up in one of the largest trees in Pinwheel, my eyes roam the stars. Next to me, Shinx is close to passing out already, snuggled up into me side with my hand on his back. Above us, the newly nicknamed Murk is already fast asleep in the junction of the trunk and a small branch. Several feet below, Burgh and the others are on one of the many platforms that woven branches and leaves of the tree have made. Soft chatter from them just barely reaches up to me, considering the younger ones are most likely barely awake.

But Burgh's voice is somehow able to manage.

"When I was a child, the great beauty of bug-type pokemon captured my pure heart. Since then, I've drawn pictures of and battled with them more times than I can remember." It's strange to hear his voice so quiet for once. "But even to this day, I continue to learn new and marvelous things about them."

To learn new and marvelous things… That sounds like a dream come true, honestly. But very few people ever get to realize their dreams in such a way. My parents are prime examples, too. Dad was hoping to one day be champion, although that dream fell down to a mere gym leader, and then simply to battling in the conference. Mom wanted to be a coordinator for the rest of her life, all the way up until she was no longer fit to even leave her bed.

How far they went just to settle for businessman and housewife…

"Look! A shooting star!"

My eyes snapped to the direction, just catching the star's line as it faded from sight. For some reason, my chest felt lighter than before, the depressing thoughts vanishing from sight and mind. That was their fates, not mine. I've still got time to try and be one of the few, like Burgh and the professors of all the regions. Who knows? Maybe Professor Juniper will actually start talking to me about my journey and stop trying to keep me from leaving Nacrene City. Actually, she probably isn't really trying to stop me. Most likely, my mother was blackmailing her…

Dad was probably smart enough to realize it…

Lenora probably got tired of watching it…

Who cares about a future so far away, anyhow? Right now, the world is amazing and beautiful, if the stars are anything to go by. Nothing will stop me from enjoying it.


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