I stared down at the Espeon, who was also staring back at me. We both stood there in silence before it finally spoke up.

"Have you nothing to say?" The voice was calm, mid-pitched, and echoey. I gulped, kind of nervous to speak. "Um, h-hi?" I managed to choke out. The Espeon seemed to roll it's eyes. "You do not recognize me I assume? Typical. I suppose not all humans can remember an event which happened all but three days ago as clearly as others."

I continued standing there, just baffled at what was happening. "Th-three days ago? What do you…" I suddenly remembered Nathan's Espeon. "Moonshine?" I asked it.

"Hm. There seems to be a great variation in the level of intelligence each human possesses. Some are as dense as a rock, and a select few can rival my trainer's intelligence…"

"Are you actually real, or- or are you just a part of this bizarre dream I've been having!?"

"Dream? This is no mere dream, human." He talked down to me, even though I literally talked down to it. "I have placed you in what is known as a psychic lock."

My mind started racing. I had heard the term of 'psychic lock' before, I just hadn't known where. "So you've been doing this to me? You've been creating this purple cloud world that I get sent to every time I sleep? Why!? Tell me what you did!" I demanded. The ground started to shake, and the ground below Moonshine began to rise. It kept rising, until the small purple feline was at my level, facing me. I was honestly intimidated.

"A psychic lock," he calmly started. "Is when a Psychic Pokémon, such as myself, taps into the mind of a certain individual. They then cut a small portion of their powers, and place it in the mind of the individual. That is known as the psychic lock. Once the lock is placed, the psychic Pokémon can know what the afflicted individual is thinking, what the afflicted is doing, how the afflicted feels, and most importantly: where the afflicted is at all times, no matter the distance."

I was left to comprehend what the Espeon had just told me. "The afflicted can even be contacted by the Pokémon, using the dreamscape each human creates when they slumber."

"S-so… There's a psychic lock placed on me right now? And at all times?"

"Precisely."

"Why are you… What do you want with me!?" I was angry, knowing my innermost thoughts could easily be tapped into by the little Pokémon.

The Espeon just closed its eyes. "Look around you. This, 'world of purple clouds', as you call it. Does this seem like the ideal place to live? A place, where the laws of time and space are discarded completely, in favor of illogical ripples of gravity, physics, and any and all order?" Moonshine questioned. I looked around the area, and it wasn't a very pleasant place to be in. "Um, no? It doesn't seem very nice-"

"Exactly!" Moonshine snapped, eyes also snapping open. I jumped back a little startled. He sighed. "Having full control of the psychic lock, I can manipulate anything in this dreamscape. I let you wander in it for a few days, to let you see what it would feel like."

"W-what it felt like? Why would you wanna…" I trailed off, unsure of how I would finish that statement. Moonshine stared deeply into my eyes, seeming to be thinking about something. "Hm. Perhaps you are not the one. Only time will reveal such information to me." He leapt off of the elevated platform, and began to walk away from me. I stood there, before it clicked in my mind I should probably chase him. "Hey! Wait up!" I began running after the Espeon, but he kept getting faster and faster. The platform we were on was ever extending, and seemed to have no end. "Come back!" I called out. The Espeon glared back at me, and suddenly giant, thick vines shot up from the ground, starting to surround me. One after the other, vines shot up in front of me, keeping me from progressing forward. A vine shot up next to me, scraping my arm. "Shit!" I cried. I looked around, only to see I was surrounded in a forest of thick, immovable vines. I frantically looked around.

"Where- where are you!? What are you-"

"Do not follow me! …Not yet. I'll come back for you in due time." I heard Moonshine's voice as if he were still next to me.The world around me started to fade, and I was soon encased in darkness.

I jerked up from bed, clutching the silky sheets close to my chest. Sweat dripped down my face. I wiped my forehead with my arm, only to wince at a sudden stinging sensation. I looked down at my left arm to see it scraped, and bleeding slightly. My face must have gone pale, as I felt a strong draining sensation in it. I shakily removed my covers, and stumbled into the bathroom, as if I were a drunk man after New Years.

I ran some cold water over the scrape, and washed it to be safe. The blood cleaned up rather easily, and I made some makeshift, half-assed bandages using toilet paper. When I was satisfied with my wrapping, I switched off the lights, and started to make my way back towards my room. I passed by each person's room once more, hearing some loud snoring coming from Elena's room. I had to stifle a laugh at that. I entered my room, and laid back down on the bed. I closed my eyes, attempting to sleep, but couldn't. I shifted and bent my body into multiple positions in an attempt to get comfortable. When I couldn't, I just threw off the covers and stared at the dark ceiling. I sighed and looked at the time on my phone. The brightness hit my face like a truck, and I quickly turned it down.

'4:21 AM'

I didn't even feel tired. My mind went frantic with thoughts of what had just happened to me. How would I explain such a thing to other people? They'd probably think I'm crazy. I groaned and got up from the bed and decided to walk around the mansion, not bothering to put on some extra clothes over my boxers and tank top undershirt. It's not like anybody could see me, as I was probably up the earliest. I'd honestly be more embarrassed if somebody saw my toilet paper bandages.

A cold air circulated throughout the house, making me wish I at least out on some pants. I walked up an down a series of hallways to entertain myself, and possibly make me tired. I didn't think that was happening anytime soon however. The rest of my body felt fully energized, however my mind screamed at me to go back to sleep. I took a seat in the living room, and the giant L-shaped couch felt amazing to sit in. I took a deep breath and tried to relax, and get my mind off of the 'dream'. I tried thinking of upcoming things, like the Floraroma Tournament Elena was going to compete in. I wondered what kind of people she would be facing. Perhaps a dragon tamer? People whose Pokémon mastered the art of Kung Fu? Or maybe even a girl who only uses Fearow? I thought up of many possibilities. I started having conversations with myself out loud, making me look like I was crazy. Nobody could see or hear me though, so I did it freely to appease my boredom. Some of the conversations included world ending scenarios, talking Pokémon, and just plain nonsense. I must have lost track of all time, because by the time I finished talking to myself, it was already light outside. I figured I should probably start heading back to my room, but I was interrupted by-

"Marcel?" I heard Jay's voice come into the living room.

"Uh, h-hi!" I nervously said. Jay fully came into the room, and I took note of what he was wearing. It wasn't what I would expect from him, being a millionaire and all. He was wearing what looked to be heavily dirt stained jeans, a white t-shirt, and a green apron with a Pokéball logo on it. He seemed to also examine what I was wearing, and grinned.

"You know if you always dress like that, it doesn't leave much-"

"-To the imagination? Yeah, Elena said the same thing just the other day," I interrupted. "I was just about to head back into my room and put some more clothes on."

Jay laughed. "I mean, you can stay like that. You wouldn't exactly hear any complaints from me." He winked. "Why are you up so early anyway?" He asked.

"I was woken by a bad dream at around four-thirty, and I've just been up since." I was hiding my arm from him in order to avoid more questions. "How about you?"

"Well," he started. "I usually get up early to tend to some of the Pokémon I'm raising. They're in the backyard if you want to come see them."

"I'll meet you back there, I'm gonna put on some clothes first," I replied, starting to get up.

Jay smiled. "I'll meet you there then."

I changed into a long sleeved shirt I had to cover up the scrape (which at this point was probably fine to leave unbandaged), and walked outside where I met Jay. The backyard was littered with different species of Pokémon, some I didn't recognize. Jay taught me that each Pokémon needed different methods of caring, which I knew to an extent, but the Pokémon he was raising apparently required very specific care. He had different brushes for each and every Pokémon, he gave them each a different variation of some nutrient drink he made himself, and he let them all roam the area by his home, some only in specific areas, others at specific times. He groomed each Pokémon every morning, which took him an hour to get through. It was about seven when we were on the last Pokémon. He was grooming a Luxio while wearing rubber gloves, and I was helping hold it down. Jay started asking me some questions.

"So Elena. How did you meet her? Specifically I mean. What happened?" He asked as he furiously tried grooming out the knots in the Luxio's fur, which slightly cackled after every brush.

"I, uh… I passed out in the middle of Jubilife City with poison in my blood, and she's the one who happened to carry me to the emergency room…" I sheepishly admitted. Jay chuckled. "Let me guess. Your Gligar bit you?"

"Yeah, actually. How did you-"

"I have experience with Gligars, and the same thing happened to me before. It happens to most Gligar trainers actually."

"Luux!" The Luxio growled as it shot some sparks at Jay and I. "Hey!" Jay snapped. "It's not my fault you keep biting at your fur, which causes these knots in the first place! And now your fur is standing on end, meaning I have to brush it again!"

The Luxio sank. "Luuux…" Jay humphed triumphantly, and continued to run the wire brush through its fur.

"How did you meet her?" I asked, kind of curious. I scratched the Luxio behind the ears, and it started purring. I smiled at that.

"We met three years ago in Hearthome City. She was there to challenge Mademoiselle Fantina I believe. I was visiting Sinnoh because I received an invitation to the Contest Spectacular. I also had to sell someone a Milotic to use in a beauty contest.. Elena had gone looking for Fantina in the contest hall, and we ran into each other. Quite literally. We started talking, and she seemed to take a liking towards me. I'd be lying if I didn't say the same for myself."

I wasn't sure exactly what caused it, but I suddenly had a sinking feeling in my chest. "We traveled together for a while, as I didn't have to return to Kalos for quite a long time. After a while, she… She asked me out, and we dated for about a year." Jay was brushing harder at the Luxio, and it looked up at me with a half wincing-half about- to-use-Discharge face. "We didn't really do much, and after a year of that, I had to call off the relationship. She took it rather well, which was good. I left back to Kalos soon after that. We still remained friends and in contact which was also good." He looked up at me. "Sorry, you only asked how we met, and I end up telling you an entire biography." His head sank back into the Luxio's fur.

"It's alright," I said. "So tell me about this festival here in Floraroma Town." I changed the subject. Jay's face seemed to brighten a bit.

"The Floraroma Pokémon Convention is a huge event held every year. Trainers from all over the world come just to attend. People battle, hang out, hold contests, eat delicious food, and all around just have a good time. The most anticipated parts however are the famous trainers that show up, as well as the tournaments they hold, the biggest one being the Gracidea Cup. That's the one Elena is participating in I believe. It's advised you have at least eight gym badges, no less than six. Elena has exactly six, so she qualifies."

Jay stopped brushing the Luxio and got up. I let go of the feline as well, and it walked off proudly. Jay and I started to walk back towards the mansion. "What kind of famous trainers show up?" I asked.

"They can vary from year to year. Last year, Champion Wallace and Hoenn's Elite Four hosted the convention. I think Champion Alder-"

"-Former champion," I corrected.

"Right. Alder was there, and had a few exhibition battles with Sinnoh's Elite Four, Steven Stone was there signing autographs for his book, Palmer was teaching some of the younger trainers some battling techniques, and they even held a cook-off between the famous Siebold versus all three Striaton Brothers." Jay seemed to be having a good time recalling the events. I stood there in amazement. "Woah… Aside from Alder, I have no idea who anybody you just mentioned are…"

Jay's hand met his forehead in a face palm before he sighed. "Know what? Never mind. You'll just have to see it for yourself tomorrow." He seemed slightly annoyed. I shrugged, and we soon found ourselves back in the mansion.

The morning went by pretty uneventfully. Breakfast was good, both Jay and Elena hogged the bathrooms near my room, and I didn't know where any other bathroom was. I finally got to showering, and changed back into the clothes I was wearing previously, as I wasn't wearing them for very long before. I was sitting on the porch in the backyard, looking out at the fields of Pokémon. The Luxio from earlier was playing with what also looked to be a Luxio, only it had a huge, bright red and orange mane. I held my phone in my hands, twisting it in between my fingers. I scrolled through my contacts list, until I hovered over my moms name. I quickly scrolled back up until I was hovering over my dad's name. I didn't know who I wanted to call. It was probably smart if I called my dad first.

Ring ring.

The phone was pressed in between my shoulder and my ear as I pulled something out of my pocket.

Ring ring.

It was a while since I heard the monotone ringing of a cell phone up against my ear.

Ring ring.

I pulled out Dirt Wing's Pokéball. I'd expect my dad to want to see my Pokémon if he answered.

Ring ring.

It occurred to me that I haven't sent out my Gligar since the battle. Would it still be mad at me for stopping it? Would it continue right where it left off, or was it still conscious in the Pokéball?

Ring ring.

What if my dad didn't even pick up? It was getting to the second to last ring.

Ring ring.

I sighed. The only option left was to call my mom.

Ring ri-

I cut off the call before it could send me to voicemail. I scrolled back down in my contact list to my mom's name. If anyone would answer almost immediately, it would be my mom.

Ring ring.

Ring ring.

Ring ring.

Ring ring.

Ring ring.

Ring ring.

Ring ring.

You have reached the voice-

I cut off the voicemail, and sighed once more. It wasn't like my parents to not answer their phones.

I tried calling my dad again.

No answer.

I tried calling my dad again.

No answer.

I repeated this task about five times before giving up. I let my head drop, feeling like I was being ignored. It probably wasn't intentional, but it made me feel lonely, not having spoken to my parents in a few days. I looked down at the Pokéball in my hands, and sent out Dirt Wing. He appeared on the ground before me, and looked up at me with innocent eyes. My eyes probably looked dull and tired. We seemed to be locked into a staring contest with each other.

"So… What?" I started. "You talk first, or do I talk first?"

"Gli." He pointed a pincer at me. I nodded firmly. "Okay then. Question: Are you aware of what happens in the outside world when you're in your Pokéball?" It was his turn to nod. "Alright, I assume you heard the whole thing with Elena and the Raticate story, right? You know I don't want you going crazy in battle like that."

The Gligar nodded once more. "Gar-gli-gah!" He seemed to hit his chest with a pincer. "Gligar, gli-ga! Gar-gli!"

It was a weird sensation, but I felt something between Dirt Wing and I. I usually can't understand what he says, but now it was as if I could understand exactly what he said.

"I…" I was a bit at a loss for words when I understood it completely. Regaining focus, I spoke to it about the matter at hand. "I now know you were a fierce battler when you were a wild Pokémon. I get that you still have your wild instincts, but now you're a trained Pokémon. You need to know your own limits in battle, and can't lash out on every Pokémon that attacks you."

"Gar! Gli-Gligar!"

"You may not like it now, but you will come to terms with it eventually. We are going to be partners, now until the end! I will do whatever it takes to get you to respect me as a trainer, and I will do my best to respect you as a Pokémon. We need to work as a team!"

Dirt Wing seemed to hesitate in saying anything, before a confident look fired up in its eyes. "Gligar! Glah!"

I smiled at that. It was at that moment I understood what people meant when they said their hearts were one with their Pokémon. The bridge between Dirt Wing and I was built, and we could communicate flawlessly now. "Come on," I said, remembering Dawn's words. "Let's go kick some ass."

…

I told Jay and Elena I would be back by dinner, and I set out towards the outskirts of Floraroma Town. I stepped into the flowery plain, and began my hunt for wild Pokémon. We were going to do some serious training.

"Dirt Wing, use Poison Sting!"

"Gligaaaaaa!"

He shot multiple poisonous needles from his tail, and each one hit the wild Beautifly.

"Beaaaaaaa!" It screeched as it fainted. "Yes!" I cheered. "High five!" Dirt Wing used its tail to bounce up to my level, and his pincer slapped my hand. We continued to train against some of the wild Pokémon, seeming to work together better and better after each battle.

"Don't let that Drifloon get away!"

"Gaaar!"

Dirt Wing's fangs started to glow, and it bit down on the Drifloon. "Flooooooon!" It tried to get away, but to no avail. It soon collapsed on the ground, and my Dirt Wing flew back to me. I quickly re-scanned him with my Pokédex, and checked his known moves.

"You learned Bite! That's awesome!" We both stuck our fists (in his case pincers) in the air. We must have defeated all the wild in the area, as we had trouble finding anymore after the Drifloon. So the only logical option was to start challenging trainers.

"Comet, use Quick Attack!" The opposing trainer shouted. "Dirt Wing, stand your ground and hit it with a Poison Jab!"

The Pidgeotto soared straight into Dirt, knocking him back a little, but he stood his ground like ordered, and Comet seemed surprised he was still standing. Quickly, the Gligar reeled back to hit the bird with a powerful Poison Jab, which connected perfectly.

"Pidgoooooooo!" Comet cried as he was sent flying. "Comet!" His trainer shrieked, and quickly pulled out its Pokéball. "Return! Yet-to-be-named Chinchou, I choose you!" The trainer threw what looked to be a Pokéball with a blue wave pattern to it, and out popped a Pokémon I had never seen before. I pulled out my Pokédex, and scanned it to get a bit more information.

'Chinchou, the Angler Pokémon. Chinchou's two antennas are filled with cells that generate strong electricity. This Pokémon's cells create so much electrical power, it even makes itself tingle slightly.'

"An Electric type against a ground type?" I asked myself, unaware of its secondary typing. It was probably a coincidence when I heard the trainer seemingly reply, "Don't think anything about Chinchou yet! We have yet to test your power buddy! Use Hydro Pump!"

'Shit, Hydro Pump!?" I thought, and frantically waved my arms at Dirt. "Quickly, get out of there!" I shouted.

"Chooooooouuuuuu!" A giant spout of water emerged from the glowing fish's mouth, and before Dirt could react, he was blasted off his feet, and slammed into a nearby tree.

"Dirt Wing!" I cried, running up to the Gligar.

"Gli….." It softly whispered as I approached. I kneeled down next to him and pulled out his Pokéball, returning it. "You deserve a rest after today…" I looked up at the trainer approaching me, who seemed to be older than I was. He smiled and outstretched his arm at me. I took his hand, and he helped me up.

"That was a pretty good battle, I have to say. Your Gligar's got some pretty good defensive strategy." He complimented.

"Thanks, we've been doing some training today." I threw my bag to the ground, and started digging around until I found some dollar bills. I counted it, and handed a portion to the other trainer. I didn't have much saved up to begin with, so losing this battle wasn't doing me any favors. The trainer took the money and put it into his wallet. I should probably get one of those too, rather than stuffing money into my bag.

"Maybe we'll see each other tomorrow at the Floraroma Convention," he said, putting his wallet into his pocket. I shrugged. "Who knows, maybe we will."

There wasn't much introduction, if any at all, and we parted ways right after that. I noticed the sun starting to set, and started walking towards the general direction Jay's mansion was located.

…

The trip took a bit longer than I expected, mainly because I took a detour to the Pokémon Center, and ultimately got lost in the town. I found my way back however, and it was just after dinner time. I walked right into the mansion, as the door was unlocked. Probably not a good thing to let happen, given the house. Nobody was inside as far as I could tell.

"Elena? Jay? You in here?" I called out, only to be met with a faint echo. I called out a few more times, before deciding to head upstairs. I walked to my room, and all the rooms before it seemed to be empty. "Guys!?"

After setting down my backpack, I walked back downstairs, and headed out to the backyard. I stood on the porch, leaning on the railing. 'Where are you guys?' I thought to myself.

"Are you looking for Master Jay and Elena?" I heard a deep voice from behind. I quickly spun around, and was met with Diego. I let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah I am… Any idea where they might have gone?" I asked him.

"They are currently in Mauville City."

I nearly choked on my own spit at that statement. "What!? Mauville City? How did-"

"Master Jay was called there on some 'urgent business' and Elena wanted to join him. Lance teleported them just this afternoon." He calmly stated. His greased black hair was shining under the light he was standing under.

"That... Makes sense I suppose… Hey wait a minute, isn't Mauville City near-"

"The Hoenn badlands? Yes, yes it is."

I remembered what Lance had said to me, threatening to teleport me there. I then just realized what he had said. "Wait, how did-"

"I was born with some slight psychic ability. I can predict the upcoming thoughts of those within close proximity."

I remained where I was for a moment. Why was I having encounters with so many psychic-like things? I quickly ejected the thought so that Diego wouldn't pick up on it.

"When will Elena and Jay be back?" I quickly asked.

"They'll be back in maybe an hour or two. Perhaps it's best that you head on to sleep. A big day tomorrow. You get to experience the Floraroma Convention for the first time."

I smiled at the thought. "Yeah you're right. Tomorrow's gonna be exciting, so I might as well sleep now." Diego chuckled, and started to leave. Suddenly a thought came over my mind.

"Wait, Diego!" He turned around, and awaited my question. "How's… How's the Fletchinder? Fabrice?"

Diego smiled. "She's doing just fine. Her wing was a little damaged from crashing into the ground, so it might be a week until she flies again." I felt some twinges of guilt come over me. "However, once the poison was flushed out of her system, her mood lifted and she was energetic once more." He reassured. I looked down and sighed.

"Thanks Diego…"

He smiled and finally marched off. I stayed on the porch for a little while longer before heading inside. I got changed, took a shower, and headed up to my room. I crawled into bed, very tired. The day was exhausting with all the training Dirt Wing and I did. I glanced over at the Pokéball on the dresser and smiled.

"You were awesome today…" I yawned. It was probably just me being tired, but I swore I saw the Pokéball shake. I smiled, and I felt my eyes getting heavy. My mind started drifting from place to place. I thought about my parents, I thought about the Espeon, I thought about Mauville City, I thought about Elena, and the final thought I could clearly remember was my Gligar. I soon soundly slept with a snore.

This time, there was no purple cloud world, or any vine imprisonment, or any Espeon. I had a normal dream about talking Pokémon at a festival. The term normal was up for debate, but it was a traditional dream. I was glad I could finally get a good nights sleep.

...