I opened my eyes to find myself alone. Darkness surrounded my very being, with no sign of a light source anywhere. I blinked, and suddenly, a boy was in front of me, brown hair tousled as it had been when I first met him. "You made a fool of me, you know," Katsu growled as he approached. "A real fool."

I went to back up but found my legs were uncooperative. "It's just a dream," I muttered to myself, glaring forward. "It's just a dream."

Despite my repeated mantra, I couldn't help but panic as he pushed me to the ground. I kept trying in vain to get my legs to move, but to no avail. I looked up and gasped, Katsu replaced with a man with red hair and green eyes. My fear spiked, knowing what this man was capable of. He chuckled as he looked down upon me, defenseless before him. "Do you see how it feels, you hellspawn?! You'll get what's coming to ya, mark my words."

I gasped as I jolted awake, my breath coming in quick, shallow pants and sweat rolling down my back. His chuckling still resounded as a dull echo in my ears, and in my paranoia, I almost expected him to still be standing over me in triumph. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself to take slower, more even breaths in order to calm my racing heart. Only once it finally stopped frantically beating on its cage of bones did I dare open my eyes again. I glanced over at the large dark blue Pokémon that laid beside me, her back rising and falling evenly as she slept soundly. For a few seconds, I envied Garchomp for how peaceful she could be in sleep while the occasional nightmare plagued my own. I haven't had a dream with that dobber in it for nearly two years, I thought as I continued to watch my sleeping partner, involuntarily shuddering. I wonder why he was in my dream tonight. Maybe…the fight with Katsu aggravated my more undesirable memories of that man?

I nearly jumped when I heard a sudden movement. I turned towards the sound of the noise to find a vaguely humanoid shape inside the window frame. "Hey, Mo-chan!" the form sitting at my windowsill giggled, hopping to the floor. Familiar blue eyes stared back at me, alight with mirth, as I recognized who the person in my room was.

"Umeko-chan?"

A laugh escaped her. "Of course, silly! Who else would I be?"

I could think of a few less pleasant ones. I found my mind slipping back to thoughts of Katsu and him, and I quickly shook my head to clear it of such thoughts. "How did you get in my room?"

"Oh, that was easy-peasy!" she responded, plopping herself onto the bed beside me. "Your window was ajar, so I thought I'd drop in and say hi…so hi!" she added with a little wave.

Her statement prompted my memory, and I remembered that I had been searching for her in the first place. As groggy as I was, I was surprised it had even come to me so quickly. "Where were you?" I asked accusingly. "I was looking for you after school. When I asked where you were, though, nobody here even knew who you were. Why?"

"Oh, um, well, you see," Umeko stammered, suddenly bashful. In the dim lighting, I could only assume from the waver in her voice that my tone had hurt her more than I had intended. "I-I'm not exactly like the others here. You guys in the ground dorm are always so…serious and no-nonsense, and, well, I'm not. Most in this dorm don't know me, and the few that do…they go out of their way to deny my existence. They aren't the only ones, either. Few want to hang out wi-with some 'hyperactive little brat'. It's not my fault that people are almost as cold-hearted as Mewtwo!" She looked like she wanted to say more, but the crying she had held back thus far overtook her voice.

"Someone…actually said you were a 'hyperactive little brat' to your face?"

She nodded in response without looking at me. In between the bouts of sobs wracking her body, she muttered, "They call me creepy…a freak…clingy…yandere…I try so hard t-to make everyone happy, and yet…" she trailed off, unable to continue. The silence continued to loom between us, the only sounds being Umeko's crying and Garchomp's gentle snoring behind me. "I-I didn't come here just to say hi. I…I was going to end it all," Umeko finally admitted, resting her head against her knees. My eyes widened. Even if I barely knew her personally, I found myself struggling to comprehend the fact that a girl as vibrant and full of life as the one before me had considered scouring her life from this world. "I almost did, too," she continued, her voice barely a raspy whisper now. "It would have been so easy to-to jump from my window. Top floor, with a five-story drop…And all the things they call me…they're right about me."

Unsure of what to do in the bleak situation, I placed my hand gently on her shoulder before responding to her obvious fears. "You're not any of those things."

"Y-You think so?" she asked, looking up at me, her eyes filled to the brim with hope.

"I know so," I replied in confidence, shifting so I was directly facing her. "Sure, you may have as much energy as a Vigoroth. There may be some truth in the words people use to degrade others, but that doesn't give anyone the right to label you in such negative terms. You can't let yourself succumb to the opinions of others, especially those who refuse to even take the chance to realize that behind all that energy is a living being who has emotions that should never be tampered with like that. You are so much more than the barbed words thrown against you. You are Umeko Nakamura, a unique and passionate soul, and I think that's something to be proud of. Never let what makes you who you are be vanquished simply because the world tells you it's wrong. Make the world realize that it is the one in the wrong, not you."

"Th-thanks," she mumbled, latching onto me in a tight hug. At first, I stiffened from the unexpected contact, but I quickly relaxed my tense muscles and allowed her to hug me for as long as her heart desired. She needed it, that much I could tell. Eventually, she released me from her grip and smiled. "I'm sorry I bothered you so late at night."

I glanced over to the alarm clock, sighing slightly when noticing it was just a few minutes before one o'clock. "Don't worry about it. Just…tell me something…who has been calling you these things? Answer me, Umeko," I added when she didn't respond for a while.

"I-Iona. Iona Viktorov."

"Iona…very well. We'll find her tomorrow and tell her enough is enough."

"Him."

"Huh?"

"Iona is a boy."

"I see…well, then we'll tell him enough is enough." Umeko giggled at that, a sharp contrast to the dour mood she had been expressing just a few moments prior. "What?" I asked, unsure of what she found so amusing from my statement.

"Oh, nothing. It's just…even now, you're just so serious and no-nonsense. And determined too. Yet you're still friends with me."

"I may be serious, but that doesn't mean I cannot have friends who are more on the easygoing side. Just ask my brother."

"Your brother? I didn't know you had a brother."

"I do," I replied, smiling softly at the memories that came unbidden to me. I chose not to elaborate further, though. Sure, I trusted Umeko, but I still was a bit uncomfortable sharing details about my personal life. "What about you? I know you mentioned having a brother before. Is he the only sibling you have?"

"Not even close: six. Aside from Ayumu, the oldest, there's Haruto, Katsurou, Ryota, Ken'ichi, and Rokuro. All older, too, except for Rokuro."

"And I thought having one brother was exasperating enough. I can't even fathom how you tolerate them all."

She laughed. "I guess I'm used to it. Though Ryota can be a bit rowdy at times. And don't even get me started on Ken'ichi. He's always causing mischief wherever he goes. He gets into so much trouble, I swear! There was even this one time where a bunch of Salandit chased him because he thought it would be a good idea to poke one of them with a stick. In what universe is that a good idea? And then I haven't really seen Katsurou in a while, but he was the quietest of us, always off doing his own thing, really. Haruto, too, but at least he visits every once in a while. He's always traveling from one country to another, bringing small trinkets for us when he returns. And despite the age difference, Rokuro and Ayumu are almost identical in personality. Goofy at times, but you can't help but love them despite the pranks. Oops, sorry," she apologized, finally having stopped to catch her breath. "Here I am rambling on and on again."

"I don't mind," I responded, surprised by how genuine my statement was. "Just remember to breathe occasionally."

"Okay, okay, mother," she chuckled. "I should probably let you get some sleep now. We still have school tomorrow after all."

"Of course." In a spur of the moment decision, I added in that accent that my brother would always try to provoke from me, "Bade safe, mah mukker."

She laughed, one leg hanging outside while the other was still in my room. "What's that supposed to mean? Is that even English?"

"Yes, it is," I responded, reverting to Japanese. "And it means 'stay safe, my friend'."

With the widest of grins, she replied, "Don't worry. I will." She gave another small wave before leaving, closing the window gingerly behind her. I let out a deep sigh as I rolled onto my side, preparing to once again rest. Friendships are so tiresome sometimes, I thought wearily to myself as I drifted off. But I suppose the bonds we forge are worth the hassle.

"So, where would this Iona be?" I asked nonchalantly as I sat down with Umeko after school had finished for the day.

"Well, I don't really know," the shorter girl replied with a shrug. "He's a third year like me, but…"

"You're…a third year?"

"Mhmm!" she nodded. I must have let my bewilderment show on my face, because a pout came to hers. "What's with that look? Is it because I'm hyper? Cause that's just who I am!"

"No, that's not it-"

"What, then, am I too short?"

"No, of course not. It's just-"

"Just what!?"

"You had a Wooper earlier. Why was it not evolved?"

She stared for a few seconds in silence. "Wooper?" She then realized exactly what I was talking about. "Oh, it's-" She stopped, though, shooting a glare over my shoulder that looked unnatural on her normally cheerful face. "There he is, the asshole." She stormed around me as I stared dumbfounded upon hearing the profanity that she had just uttered. I was certainly not a stranger to hearing such language, having used some myself, but I had never expected it from Umeko of all people. "Hey, Iona!" I quickly followed her, seeing her confront a pale blond boy. He stood a few inches taller than me, his hazel eyes looking down at the girl who had the gall to stand against him.

"If it isn't the little kovarnaya lisa," he replied smugly in a tone as smooth as honey, the words foreign to my ears, although I was sure that the phrase was not a compliment.

"Enough with that stupid degrading nickname," she snapped. "This is the last time I put up with your bullying."

"Bullying? Oh, no, I think you're quite mistaken. Why do you continue to hide from the truth, hmm? Are you not a hyperactive little brat?"

"No, she is not," I interjected, placing a comforting hand on Umeko's shoulder as I stood beside her.

"Hmm? I don't recognize you, devushka." He tilted his head in my direction, though his eyes remained locked on Umeko. "Kak vas zovut?"

"I apologize, but I don't understand whatever your language you're speaking."

"A shame, really. It's Russian and my native language. Oh, how I miss speaking my own language. Fine, I'll repeat myself in something you'll understand. What's your name?"

"Morag Ainsley," I responded while crossing my arms. "And I already know yours, Iona Viktorov."

"I'm honored." He chuckled before continuing. "So, what are you doing with the kovarnaya lisa?"

"Umeko is my friend, and from what I've heard you've caused her a lot of grief. I'm here to rectify that."

"It appears she has found another poor victim to sink her claws into," Iona sighed while slowly shaking his head. "She's nothing but a deceitful, two-faced liar, you know. Have you even known her for long? If I had to make a guess, you've known her for a week, two tops. Trust me, you'll find out her true nature in due time. What you see before you, it is all a charade, nothing more to it."

"I highly doubt that to be true," I snapped, tired of his insistence on verbally attacking my friend. "Even if a small amount of what you're saying has an ounce of this 'truth' you speak of, does it matter? Everyone has their own secrets, things that should remain private instead of being exposed."

He released a large sigh, running his hand through his pale blond locks. "Just as I expected. She has you wound perfectly around her pretty little finger. You have yet to see the truth, I suppose. I pity your naivety."

"Naivety? You speak of naivety, yet you refuse to see Umeko for who she is inside? She is a kind and generous person, and she is as true a friend as anyone."

"Oh, really? Can you truly back that up, not with words but with strength?"

I nodded. "If that is what it takes, then-"

"No. I will battle you, Iona," Umeko interrupted, her voice full of determination. The way the light shined on her features made her vivid blue eyes appear like they were on fire from her contained fury, her reddish-brown hair a crimson inferno. I went to interject, to respond that I was willing to fight on her behalf, but she beat me to it. "This is my fight, Mo-chan, and I won't lose to the likes of him."

Well then. This is a thing. And I'm just gonna say it now...I'm such a horrible human being for having all these freaking cliffhangers. This is the third one in a row. I promise the next one won't have a cliffhanger! I swear!

Responses (and if I miss any I'm so sorry! FanFiction's notification system has been wacky for the past several days and I haven't been getting updates all the time):

-Clarified Conundrum: If I'm being honest, I wasn't expecting that ending either. It just kind of happened. As did this entire chapter. And that's what I love about writing battles in this setting. Sure, I like bringing in things like abilities and stuff, as shown with Tyrannitar's Sand Rush, but there's something about the fluidity of not having it exactly the same that I love. And trust me, the Murkrow is most certainly going to be a running gag. This is not the last you'll see of the Murkrow! And I haven't watched either of those, although I have heard of the latter. As for the former, guess there's another anime to add to my "to-watch" list.

-Anonymous 1O1: Yeah, I'd never be able to bring myself to even ship them, because there's a different ship involving Morag that I love too damn much. *glances at "To the Better You"* And I actually found those impressions interesting, because it certainly would have seemed that way.

I'm also glad you guys liked Vachir so much. He was a fun character to write, and even if I hadn't already planned on having him be a recurring character I would have done it just because of how much fun I had with him.

Trivia:

-Okay, funny story, this one was originally slated to be a journal entry. But then I completely forgot about it when I posted the last chapter. Instead of doing the journal entry I just decided "screw it I'll do another chapter."

-With that said, this chapter was just basically spur of the moments with every point that showed up. I didn't expect any of this, though it ended up leading quite nicely into my plan for the next chapter, that of course being the battle.

-Morag mentioned it earlier (or more like I thought she did but I can't find it, so maybe I removed it from that chapter because I know I had it at one point), but when originally making OCs there was a rule of how many fully evolved Pokémon each year of student can have. First years have one, second years have two, and I'm sure you can guess how many third years have, which is why Morag is kind of shocked Umeko is a third year. And it was pointed out while creating OCs that Pokémon incapable of evolution are useful for this reason, since they weren't considered fully evolved for that rule. I just liked the rule enough that I wanted to bring it in to the actual school. And the reason I'm saying this now instead of all the way back in Chapter Three (aka the chapter I thought I mentioned it in)? Simply put, I forgot it in my AN and then never had a chance to say it until now.

-So, how I come up with most of the side character names is through a random name generator, and then the nationality goes from there. With Iona's name, I was specifically doing a Russian name. At first, I thought it was a girl's name due to having seen it as such in Xenoblade 2 (I swear for once this is an extreme coincidence and was in no ways intentional!). But, depending on the culture, it is either a girl's name (English and Scottish) or a boy's name (Biblical Latin, Georgian, and Russian). Since this Iona is Russian, he's a male. It also works that Iona is a girl's name in Scotland, of course that being where Morag is from, so I was able to bring my own confusion in as well.

-Speaking of Iona, there was the Russian of course. Again, used a translator, so any Russian readers that see something wrong with the words, please let me know! I don't want to look too much like a fool! Anyway, "kovarnaya lisa" translated as "cunning fox", which I thought was a good description for the type of person Iona keeps implying Umeko is. The word "devushka" is akin to "girl" and Iona already said what "Kak vas zovut?" means. Again, hopefully these aren't wrong, but if there is something wrong with it I have the crappy excuse of "I don't speak Russian".