Author's Note: Hey, readers! I know that it's been forever since I've posted a chapter, but now that it's summer, I'll probably be writing a lot more often. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

N firmly grasps Kaminari's forearm in his hand before she can flee. "Stop, Nari!" he pleads, "I need your trust if I am to help you."

She turns to him with an expression that somehow looks both pained and furious. "Trust? You expect me to trust you after that… that… joke?!" Kaminari rips her arm from his hold and hisses, "How stupid do you think I am?"

N becomes disheartened. "You are not foolish for rejecting me… you would not be the first to do so…" Kaminari huffs and turns away. "But you must be mindless if you think that this Blitzle intends to harm you! Excuse my bluntness, but you know, somehow you must know that I'm right."

"You don't know me," Kaminari blurts, "you're nothing but a weirdo, a Pokémon wannabe who doesn't know a thing about people. Who are you to tell me that what I'm doing is wrong?"

N responds in a firm tone, his gentle voice as certain and steady as a rock; "I'm your friend, and whether you approve or not, you're my friend, too. That means we help each other, we trust each other."

Shocked, Kaminari can do nothing more than stare into his opaque eyes. She wasn't expecting such a logical answer, nor did she think he cared enough to admit he had a friendship with a human.

N steps aside and points to the Blitzle, who patiently awaits orders from her trainer. "She knows the truth," he states softly, "that you and her are destined to be partners. She told me that your lack of time spent together doesn't make you strangers. I didn't quite understand her definition of 'strangers' at first, but perhaps you understand her." N sighs and gazes back at the girl. "You can't hear her speak like I can, but I think you don't have to. Kindred spirits don't need words to communicate. Your Oshawott has made that clear to me."

"…You think I'm a Pokémon."

N tilts his head and furrows his brow. "What do you mean?"

"You said I'm your 'friend.'" Kaminari crosses her arms. "You only call Pokémon your friends. So am I a Pokémon to you?"

The boy sighs. "Why does it sound as though you find that insulting?"

"I don't know," she says, "I guess you don't mean it that way. But in Human Land, it's rude to call someone a Pokémon."

"Why is that?" N is completely puzzled. "Do you see Pokémon as… lesser beings?" His tone has a hint of agitation in it.

Kaminari nonchalantly throws her arms into the air. "Don't ask me; I don't make the rules."

N looks away, disappointed. "I expected someone like you to have an opinion, at the very least."

Kaminari balls her fists and snarls, "What's that supposed to mean?"

N shakes his head. "Listen, I only mean to help you, Nari. I cannot make you accept my kindness, but I urge you to at least give the Blitzle a chance."

The black-and-white pony trots up to Kaminari and gazes upon her with the same innocent, well-meaning eyes of N. Kaminari refuses to gaze back, her eyes darting to the bridge beneath her feet instead. "Alright," she mutters coldly, "let's get this over with. Blitzle, use Shock Wave."

Without question, the Pokémon spreads her legs and lowers her head as sparks flicker around her small body. Kaminari clenches her jaw and squeezes her eyes shut while the Blitzle scrapes her gleaming hoof against the wooden bridge and snorts, sending a wave of electricity toward the floppy Tympole. The water-type flips in surprise but barely hangs on.

N, carefully observing Kaminari for the intent to escape, commands, "Supersonic, my friend."

The tadpole, whirling his tail around happily, opens his mouth wide and emits a noise at a frequency too high for human ears to detect. The Blitzle, however, stumbles around and violently shakes her head, dazed and horribly confused.

"What are you trying to do, N?" asks Kaminari, lacking the passion she possessed only a few minutes ago. "Tell me, what brilliant plan for proving yourself right includes confusing this thing?"

"I'm simply testing your faith."

She cracks her knuckles. "You're testing my tolerance for your little games. Let me just give you the answer; I have none."

"Oh?" N grins mischievously. "Then how do you plan on getting back at me?"

Kaminari eyes the stumbling Blitzle with suspicion as she grudgingly says, "Shock Wave."

The pony sways and steps around, trying to find her target with wobbly vision. Gradually, she turns to face Kaminari and prepares to attack again. The trainer's eyes widen and her hands quiver as she leans back on her heels. N steps toward her just as the Blitzle whirls around and whinnies, striking the final hit to bring her opponent down.

"Great job not killing me," murmurs Kaminari. "Now return." She presses the button on the heartbroken Pokémon's ball and jams it back into her bag.

"Why do you hold a grudge against her?" asks N as he places a revive on his Tympole's head. "She defeated your opponent with ease."

"I don't expect you to understand." Kaminari kneels and sweeps her lost items back into the pink bag. "You owe me extra money for the trauma, though."

"You deserve extra money because I gave you the partner you needed to win?"

Kaminari makes a tch noise in disgust. "I didn't need her," she responds, "Tsunami would have handled your little frog just fine."

The Tympole's nervous eyes open and he looks up at N, ashamed of his own performance. N gently rubs the sensitive pods on the sides of his head, relaxing the tiny Pokémon. "It's not your fault, my friend," he croons, "I am the one who has lost this battle, not you." He takes the little Pokémon into his soft hands and lowers him into the water below, causing a ripple that disturbs the reflection of the incredible sky. Without another word, N picks up his Poké Ball and pulls the button out, causing the sphere to crumble away into dust.

"What are you doing?" the girl asks in surprise.

"Freeing my friends from their servitude." N heals his Pidove, reassures the bird with sweet words, and releases him, as well.

"I can see that." Kaminari spots a tear welling up in the Pidove's normally blank eye. "Why though? Can't you see you're hurting them?"

N reaches for the third red ball. "It's not hurting them more than I would forcing them to fight my battles. I've done them enough harm by keeping them captive."

As graceful as a Bouffalant, Kaminari dives across the bridge and snatches the sphere before N can get his hands on it, grunting like a Sawk as she lands. "Captive? If they didn't want to be your partners, they would just leave."

N narrows his eyes. "That's your view, but what about those poor creatures being abused by their 'trainers' as we speak? Is it as simple for them as you say?"

Kaminari taps the ball with her finger, creating a hollow noise. "Does this thing sound hard to you? Ask my Patrat, he'll tell you how easy these are to break out of…"

"You know it's not that simple. Think of yourself as a Pokémon-" Kaminari growls at the thought again- "and Nuvema Town as your Poké Ball. Physically, nothing was keeping you from leaving, but still you stayed against your wishes. Now do you understand?"

Kaminari's mouth hangs open for a few moments with nothing to say. "Wh… How do you know that?!"

N raises an eyebrow. "I speak to Pokémon, remember? It appears your Oshawott knows you better than you know."

Kaminari looks away, stumped. "His name is Tsunami," she mutters.

"Did you ask him if he to be called the word for a destructive wave?"

"Do I look like I can ask him something like that?" She points a finger at him. "I can't even ask you a question without being confused."

"My point is that humans can't possibly understand the wishes of Pokémon," N continues, "no matter how well they think they know them."

"Well you know what they're saying," Kaminari retorts, "but clearly you can't even 'understand their wishes' either."

N closes his eyes, picturing the confines of a Poké Ball from within. "These creatures are my friends, not my tools. They cannot see it now, but by freeing them, I'm protecting them. If they stay with me, then they can only be subject to more pain, and eventually we will have to part ways, anyway." His eyes pop open and lock onto Kaminari. "I want to see things nobody can see… the truths of Pokémon trapped within Poké Balls, and how trainers should be. Above all, I need to see a world in which Pokémon reach the perfection they deserve, whether they do so with or without humans. But I cannot see the future quite yet, and until I can, I cannot risk causing my friends to suffer." He sighs and adds, "Besides, this choice is for me to make. Me alone."

Unsure about his reasoning, Kaminari reluctantly places the sphere in N's soft palm and watches silently as he releases his Timburr. Gradually, the three small creatures clear away from the scene, somberly leaving their trainer behind. "I know you mean well," she admits at last, "but in reality, you're being cruel to them. Don't you feel anything watching them go away?"

"I do; I feel like I have done the right thing. It is for their own good." N lies back on the bridge and stares up at the brilliant sky while Kaminari groans at his answer. "Tell me, why were you so eager to leave Nuvema?"

"None of your business," she snaps, "and don't change the subject."

N shrugs. "I can either get it from you or your… Tsunami."

"The only thing you'll be getting out of Tsunami now is a Water Gun."

For minutes, a thick, uncomfortable silence forms between the two teenagers. N has never been more perplexed by a human. If she thinks of Pokémon as partners and values their wishes as much as I do, then how can she say she has no opinion about the supposed inferiority of them? Meanwhile, the brunette pictures herself throwing the Ultra Ball in the pond, but then debates whether she would get more satisfaction out of throwing it at the green-haired boy beside her. How can he call them his friends when he doesn't even see that they care about him?

N is the first to break the silence. "If it makes you feel any better, those aren't my only Pokémon."

"Oh?" She turns to face him. "You enjoy breaking little hearts, don't you?"

His cheeks become red. "It's not like that. Can you not just listen to me?"

"I'm all ears."

"As I was saying, I only keep… kept others as a better way to comprehend more Pokémon. After all, I can't help them achieve perfection with a narrow outlook."

"Well good for you, N," she scoffs, "at least know you know how the accents of Pidove from Route Three differ from the ones up in Route Seven." N tilts his head in confusion. She waves her hand and shakes her head, forgetting that sarcasm is a foreign language to him. "Forget it. Mind if I meet this other buddy of yours?"

N places his hand on the back of his neck and lowers his head, hiding his discomfort. "He doesn't exactly have a good history with humans…"

Kaminari's loudness suddenly returns, causing N to jump a bit in surprise. "Oh, come on! Everybody loves me!"

"Nari, people have hurt him." N looks her dead in the eyes and confesses, "I cannot guarantee he won't do the same to you. Especially not with your… outgoing nature."

That devilish smirk overtakes the girl's face. "Where's all that 'trust your friends' stuff from earlier, huh?"

The boy stares down at the red sphere in his bag. "I suppose I cannot argue with my own philosophy."

"Nope. I'd hold it over you for a long time. Ask Cheren."

Hesitantly, N picks up the shiny sphere and presses the button. The white beam of energy takes the form of a large, colorful bird who greets N but rubbing his head against his shoulder. "Archeops, this is our friend, Nari." For once, he speaks slowly, and in a tone that is overly delicate even for him. The large bird stretches his long neck to tentatively sniff the girl, who wears a huge smile on her face.

"Woah!" she yells, sliding closer to the bird and abruptly grabbing his head. "Where can I get one?"

In response, the bird yanks his head away, shrieks, and holds his wing high in the air, his massive claws glinting in the moonlight. "Archeops, stop!" N commands. The large creature swings his wing down at Kaminari, who continues to stare him bravely in the eye. N turns to grab the ball, but when he turns back, he finds his friend standing with his claws just above the brim of Kaminari's pink hat, breathing heavily. Wordlessly, she reaches out and pats his thick feathers. N whispers, "How did you manage to halt his Dragon Claw?"

She doesn't take her eyes off of the beautiful bird as she laughs and says, "You know, you should really practice what you preach, N."

"I don't understand."

"You're really gonna make me say that cheesy line out loud? I've got a reputation to keep." N doesn't say a word, so Kaminari sighs and smirks. "I know that I can trust him, because I trust you. So I stayed calm, just like you said." She reaches up and lowers the bird's claws, which go down without protest. "Guess all of your philosophies aren't as hypocritical as I thought."

A genuine smile appears on his face. "Well, I'm glad I could teach you a lesson or two about Pokémon."

The girl crinkles her nose. "Just because I admitted you were right doesn't mean you have to get all cocky about it."

"Oh really?" N laughs, "I believe I am not the only 'hypocrite' in the vicinity."

"What?" Her eyes dart to her Poké Balls. "What else did Tsunami tell you?"

He nonchalantly replies, "He said he enjoyed your post- gym meal and fancy title."

She holds Tsunami's ball close to her mouth and yells, "We're not doing that again, are we?" N grins at the girl and strokes his Archeops' plumage, causing the Pokémon to faintly coo. "So, what's this guy's story? Not even my Patrat- think I'll call him Jerkface from now on- hated me enough to attack me on sight." She looks off in the direction of the Striaton Pokémon Center before adding, "Though it didn't exactly take him long to figure it out."

N's content expression morphs into an anguished one. "I found him in Castelia City as an Archen months ago. His trainer was no doubt an experienced one, but she was also incredibly cruel to him. She had been battling when she foolishly left him in while her opponent sent out a strong water-type. She was letting her opponent waste him away while she healed her other Pokémon, but he didn't last nearly as long as she had hoped." He closes his eyes and remembers every detail of the scene. "After the battle, she punished him for serving her by making her stronger partners hurt him."

Kaminari looks at the giant creature with newfound sympathy. "That's horrible. What'd you do, trade her an Arceus-foresaken Patrat with rabies?"

"No. I took him from her."

Kaminari raises an eyebrow at him. "You know that's illegal, right?"

"It may not be in compliance with your human code, but it's no less moral than hurting a defenseless creature." He catches her wordlessly judging him. "You said those people in the Dreamyard were kicking a Munna, correct? Then would it have changed your actions at all if that Pokémon was their partner?"

"Yeah. I would have pulverized them instead…" She glances at the boy, who seems slightly frightened, and adds, "…and then I would have reported them, of course. Heh."

"He's living a better, safer life with me, Nari. He's too vulnerable to be with anyone else." Sensing his trainer's pain, the Archeops tenderly rests his head on N's shoulder. "Pokémon are astounding creatures, aren't they?"

"Ugh. You sound like the Professor, N." The brunette grins and snickers, "Professor N."

"Well, just look at Archeops. I am grieved by his pain, yet he comforts me instead of pitying himself." N's face goes blank with realization as an epiphany strikes him like a lightning bolt. "Perhaps their loyalty to humans is what is keeping them from perfection."

Kaminari scoots up next to N and pulls an oran berry from her bag. "Why can't you just enjoy a good thing without overthinking it?" She holds an open palm out to Archeops, who cautiously nips the berry out of her hand and allows her to rub his green nose. "I'm sorry I scared you, buddy," she croons.

N analytically observes their interaction with intrigue. Maybe not.