Chapter 16

That night and the next morning were highly uneventful.

I continued to ask Joleen questions about the different Pokémon types to the point of having a headache. It was worth it as I felt certain I could at least guess at an unknown Pokémon's typing if I should come across one on my own. The abilities and a full list of moves would have to wait for another day.

Joleen was unhappy over the lack of information regarding the eighteenth type, but there wasn't much we could do over that until we met her mother. She was hiding out in Castelia City with the remaining free Pokémon there last the girl knew. Hopefully, the former nurse would know some of the characteristics of that type. If not, then we'd have to just wait and see what happened when we came across one and learn from battling it. I still had the other empty Poké Balls my mother had given me in my bag. Maybe I could track one down and catch it. It would be a good idea if I wanted to surprise Team Plasma with a Pokémon they knew little of.

That night gave me a lot of time to get my journal started. I figured that since I was starting to learn about Pokémon for real this time, I might as well jot down everything I could learn. The Pokédex would be handy, but I felt that young future trainers would take more inspiration from a story than cold hard facts. At least that's what I hope for. I haven't given much thought to what we are going to do after the Dream Yard.

I don't even know what it looks like. Joleen has hinted that she's been there before, but she refused to give me a snippet of detail beyond that. I'd have to wait and see for myself. I don't know what to expect.

Rex's thoughtful frown seemed to be permanently etched onto his face. It was like travelling was bringing back old memories, and no amount of prodding from myself or Joleen would get him to spill about anything that was on his mind.

We continued travelling early the next morning. I slept very little as it was the first time I'd actually slept outdoors. Joleen and Rex seemed fine with it when they finished their night watch like we'd agreed to.

We traversed through the barren forest for most of the day until a thick fog rolled in just around noon while my stomach had decided to start grumbling.

"Wait," snapped Rex with an arm up to halt my forward motion.

"What is it?" asked Joleen as she stopped just behind my shoulder.

"Someone's there," murmured the man with his focus into the thick mist ahead of us.

"Bravo," said a female voice as a young woman with semi-rimless, half-moon glasses as she stepped out of the mist and confronted us. "You've obviously spent time in the forest before if you were able to spot me. Congrats."

I stared at her while Rex glowered and Joleen gasped. Her umber hair was held back into a pair of pigtails by two blue hair ties. They matched the blue of her short dress, which ended just below her knees. I guessed her to be in her mid to late twenties.

"Who're you?" growled Rex the same time Joleen squealed rather loudly.

"Amanita!" exclaimed the young girl as she hurried towards the young woman and tackled her in a hug.

The woman gasped as she was almost knocked over. "Joleen! That's not very lady-like!"

"When have I ever acted like a lady?" asked the girl back with a roll of her eyes.

They both dissolved into a giggling embrace while I watched on in gobsmacked silence. Whatever Rex's reaction to the two was, had been covered up by indifference. He didn't meet my eyes once in the time of Joleen's embrace with her friend.

"It's good to see that you are well," said Amanita once the two had finished their hug. "What brought you to be with these two?"

"The kind of story you're going to want to take us back to your older sister to hear," replied Joleen. "Believe me, it's good!"

"I'll take your word for it," replied the young woman while adjusting her blue-rimmed glasses on her nose. "Come on. I can take you to the Dream Yard proper. You're pretty close to it as it is."

"'Ow do we know we can trust you?" asked Rex with suspicion in his stormy grey eyes. "For that matter, 'ow do you know you can trust us?"

"Neither of us would be able to stand here if either of us had wicked intentions," the woman replied with a mischievous grin. "The Pokémon keeping our haven safe from Plasma would have caused you to divert your path around us had you any ill intention towards anyone who could be seeking refuge within the Dream Yard."

A/N: A slightly shorter Chapter this time, but I feel it covers everything that needs to be told leading up to the entrance into the Dream Yard. Enjoy, and if you guys know of any Pokemon that can sense the intentions of People around them, please do let me know!