AN: Sorry about the short absence. I had a shit ton of work to do. (boo hoo, blah blah, whiney baby…) ANYWHO…nevermind.

XxxX

Bits of ash and hot coal floated up from the forest floor as our kindling fire slowly grew. Brock, a young man about my age, tended to it with a long stick while his other two companions carried on their battle of wits. The cute-faced redhead girl was named Misty, I learned, and she was a passionate trainer of water-type Pokémon. Ash was the other—the youngest, but undoubtedly the most hot-headed of the trio. These were the three who had found me in the forest, and although the first encounter was nothing to celebrate, they had soon realized that I was not their enemy.

"So you don't have any Pokémon with you?" Ash seemed surprised that I was traveling alone. With his Pikachu sitting fondly on his shoulder, it was no mystery that he lived and breathed to be a trainer.

I looked down at my mud-caked shoes and blushed in the dark. "Actually," I answered shyly. "That's why I'm out here. I'm looking for my Pokémon."

Brock, who was leaning on his hands and knees to blow into the fiery embers, gave a low sort of snicker. "I wonder why it ran away then," he said with an almost condescending voice. He must have been proud of himself, being a breeder and all, when he spotted an inexperienced trainer he could look down on. But maybe I was judging him too quickly, just as he did me. Nevertheless, a twinge of anger hit me in the gut.

"He didn't run away," I said defensively. "He just…got lost."

It was a lie. I knew from the beginning that if I was to make it on my own, I would have to lie now and again. No one needed to know the real truth and I'm sure no one would want to know. My best defense now was to pretend that things were simple, innocent, and average.

XxxX

Knox and I had suddenly become secret agents. We were ultimate masters of concealment, skilled in the art of secret languages, and deadly efficient at sneaking. Whether it be a dreamy-eyed glance across the room, a kiss behind closed doors, or just a playful nudge beneath the table, every day we were finding new and exciting ways to fool my mother and father. It was an immature sort of game, but it was the biggest rush I'd ever had. We were excited just knowing that what we were doing was forbidden.

Gentle jury of my peers, I know you must think us irresponsible. Here we were, a girl of sixteen and her family's prize Pokémon, carrying on some sort of flirting frenzy. It was the ultimate deception. We fooled my parents, our guests, but more importantly we were fooling ourselves all along. We didn't see the true danger we were slowly drawing ourselves into. We weren't quite a couple, but we were more than just housemates; we were at a weird stage in-between. It would be like this for a few more weeks to come, where everything we did was just fun and games and nothing got serious. This was going to change very soon.

XxxX

Misty sat down beside me on a cold, damp log with a thin blanket to keep our bottoms dry. A little creature on her lap, a Togepi, trilled cutely with its arms outstretched to dance about with her hands.

"When I think about losing my little Togepi," she said thoughtfully. "It just scares me to death. I don't know what I would do if something happened to him." Sweet-faced Misty gave me an affectionate smile. "So I can only begin to understand how you feel."

"Yeah, like she said!" Ash piped in enthusiastically. "Pikachu and I have been a team since the beginning. I'd be lost without him by my side!" His loyal little Pokémon squealed happily as his master offered him a pellet to eat.

I had a small sense of security being among these three trainers. I knew so little and they knew so much, but it would seem that our feelings for our Pokémon companions were one thing we could share. Although, I guess, my feelings towards Knox were not quite the normal, acceptable kinds of emotions.

"Any idea where it ran away to—err, got lost?" Brock corrected himself and blushed with embarrassment. After which, I quickly turned his gaze away and pretended to interest himself strongly in the fire between us.

I shook my head sadly. "He's a hitmonchan," I said with a shrug. "I hear they don't live in the wild too much."

There was a solemn agreement among the group. Brock, who had made it known that his knowledge was the most vast, cleared his throat to break the silence. "I've never seen one in the wild," he said matter-of-factly. "But they're naturally urban Pokémon. I doubt one could survive on its own if you were to throw it out here in the woods."

Maybe it was just me, but his words of superior wisdom weren't too comforting.

Ash chuckled nervously. "I think what he means is, this might not be the place to look." he gave me a wide smile to calm my terrified expression. "We're heading over to the city from here, and I'm almost positive your hitmonchan will be there looking for you too."

Positive? It was such a confident word. When a promise like that was said, there's no way it can be taken back. I would love to have believed him with all my heart and to love that self-assured smile, but it just wasn't going to happen. I would always fear the worst.

Still, there was no reason not to try.

XxxX

The average family unit, consisting of two parents and their children, usually states that the mother is the chief master of housework. However, in this household, my mom was too busy primping for her evening parties to do the dishes and risk ruining her perfectly manicured nails. Considering that I seemed to have no interest in making myself pretty, it was me at the end of the day who stood on my tip-toes in front of the sink cleaning up after supper. My fingers were getting pruney.

Father was gone on some sort of business deal, which meant he was probably getting liquored up with ugly old men and their whores. Mom didn't seem to care as she pranced around, readying herself for her own frivolities. "I know it's Friday," she said to me as she slipped her open-toe high heels on. "But you should really get to bed at a decent time, dear, or else you'll be sleeping all through the day."

"Yes, mom, I know. I'll do fine." I answered her as I dried a sopping dish and placed it into the cupboard. Before my mother left, she blew a kiss and gave a cute little wave like she always did, but never dared to get a foot within reach. It was as though to touch me were a mortal sin.

Propped up on a wooden stool to compensate for my stunted growth, I could see out the kitchen window as my mother's car pulled out of the driveway. For one reason or another, washing the dishes was more enjoyable when I knew that I was now the woman of the house. It was like pretending that I was taking care of my own place and not doing boring chores just for my parents.

They were gone, so now the place was mine. I was like a busy little housewife, which would mean…

Knox…

I was startled to realize I wasn't alone anymore. As I finished rinsing a glass cup, my towel miraculously disappeared and ended up in Knox's hands. He was inexpertly drying off the outside of a coffee mug in his own little attempt to help me finish my chores.

I smiled tenderly. "You don't have to help," I told him. "It'll just bore you."

On the contrary, Knox gave me a toothy smile in response, patiently waiting for the next dish to dry.

To think that someone with such an instinct for violence could be so sweet.

I must have forgotten my graceless nature, for I overestimated my balance and leaned on one foot to reach the towel cupboard. Before my fingers even grazed the door, my little wooden bench had begun to lean. Knox made to grab me quickly, but not quickly enough.

With soapy water flying into my face and soaking my clothes, I plummeted hard onto the linoleum floor in a flailing heap with Knox swiftly following. His hands slapped the tiles on either side before the full weight of his body could crush mine, but we caught ourselves still inches away. It was embarrassing, really, to say the least. One accidental slip had pushed Knox and I into quite the compromising position. My hands rushed to pull down my pleated skirt and cover my awkwardly-spread legs, but it was far too late to undo the humiliation. With each tiny movement, we risked an uneasy graze of skin against skin or a glance at parts we shouldn't look at. Needless to say, Knox and I were redder in the face than candied beets.

"S-sorry," I murmured quietly as I fought to keep my breath from staggering. Knox gulped a lump in his throat but did not speak. With a slight nod, he forced a brief grin which disappeared as quickly as it came.

I think frustration is the most accurate description of what we both felt here. Until this moment of unexpected physical awkwardness, Knox and I were blissfully unaware of our own carnal instincts. It took a push to get us to realize the sexual frustration hanging in the air, but once it was established, it would bother us endlessly. It was like a stain on the back of your favorite shirt; it can go unnoticed for a long time, but once you know it's there, it will never get off your mind. Knox and I realized the trouble we had gotten ourselves into as we lay in a heap on the floor, drenched in water and soap, too close for comfort. Hugs and kisses were child's play. What we had just discovered was the next stage.

I closed my eyes and welcomed a light, close-mouthed kiss. I'm sure that Knox and I were thinking the very same thing right then.

"Mom and dad must never, never know."