Soo... I'm sorry this is late, I just got soooooo preoccupied with everything, school starting, vacationing, and all that jazz. Anywho, I haven't written anything in a while. Poof. Oh well, read/review please, I need to know how I'm doing here!

"Why did you knock me out, I thought that we were gonna walk to Hearthome!" Karen demanded, attempting to sound angry. She couldn't get the tone right. "You're such a meanie, I even told you I don't like flying…" She pouted slightly. Maya, who was sitting across from her, holding out a punching pad for her Riolu to practice on, let out a small snort of amusement.

"That shit doesn't work on me, girly. And we had to fly; we'd more than likely be caught by Team Supernova otherwise." Maya pointed out. "And I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather sit in the judge's room of the contest hall than an interrogation room or a cell in a Supernova base."

"I guess you're right." She mumbled, slumping on the nearest couch, taking care to not sit on Chansey, who was playing with her Shinx. "How long do you think we'll have to stay in here?" Maya let out an exasperated sigh. Riolu looked up at her questioningly, but she just shook her head, silently letting him know that it wasn't directed at him.

"You don't know how to just… shut your mouth, do you?" Maya asked rather bluntly. Karen just stared at her in perfect silence. "… I stand, or rather, sit, corrected. I just ask because since I met you, you've been chattering away incessantly." She held the punching pad up higher for the pokemon at her feet. She was oblivious to the shocked stares from the pink princess, and a slightly uncomfortable silence began to creep over the room.

Then, like it had been summoned by some unseen forces, there was a knock at the door. Karen decided to answer it, in case it was Fantina that was returning. However, when she opened the door, the person standing there was most definitely not Fantina.

"Who're you?' She asked politely.

"Maya, I see you sitting over there." Said the person, completely ignoring Karen. Maya glanced up from her pokemon and groaned rather loudly.

"Barrett, what do you want. And how the hell did you know where I was?" Maya demanded, standing up, and nearly taking out Riolu with her knees. "Fantina wasn't supposed to tell anyone." She grumbled.

"Does someone want to tell me who this is?" Karen asked, feeling rather left out. Once again, she was promptly ignored.

"To be fair, she didn't tell me." Barrett commented. "It's kind of hard to not spot three girls and two pokemon- oh don't give me that face Maya, Empoleon's fairly big, he kind of sticks out in a crowd- walking down the street towards the contest hall." He grinned, and dodged the punching pad that came flying at his head.

"Please, someone answer me?" Karen pleaded. Both Maya and Barrett glanced to her. "Who is this guy?"

"His name's Barrett. He's… a friend of sorts." Maya explained. "We've known each other since we were little; we used to live in the same building."

"Of sorts? You're trying to hurt my feelings, aren't you, Maya?" He asked. "You're a cold little girl, you know that? Anyways, I came here to find out why you're hiding from… well, the world." He stood, staring down at her, silently demanding an answer.

"Didn't Rowan explain anything to you? Sheesh, you're useless, kid." Maya clasped a hand to her forehead with a slight clap, and sighed. "What do you know about what's been going on?"

"I know about Team Supernova rumors and stuff, if that's what you're referring to." Barrett said. "Is there anything else I possibly need to know?"

"They aren't rumors, we saw them ourselves. Maya took out this red haired girl and then we went flying through a window!" Karen recited excitedly. "It was scary but super fun." Barrett looked between the girls, a bewildered expression upon his features.

"Y-you're kidding, r-right?" Barrett said, stumbling over his words. "Maya, I didn't know that you were so… reckless? Good? Cool? I'm not sure."

"You think I'm the best trainer ever, obviously." Maya said selfishly. "Now, for the important stuff. Were you followed when you… followed us? By anyone who looked weird, or like they could be a part of Team Supernova?"

Barrett paused for a long while, thinking it through. "Not that I saw, at least." He answered finally. "Why do you ask?"

"Because there's a Team Rocket Grunt standing just back there." She nodded to the shadow of the figure just behind Barrett. "Riolu, use Iron Tail!" She instructed. "Quickly!" Riolu leapt forward and smash his tail into the Team Rocket Grunt, not only making him gasp in pain, but go flying to the wall as well.

"Hey! What was that for?" The Grunt demanded.

"What do you mean 'what was that for?'!" Maya demanded. "You're sneak attacking us, obviously! Riolu, Iron Tail again!" Riolu went flying out at the Grunt once more.

"Go, Glameow! Use Scratch!" The Grunt ordered, releasing a Glameow from the pokeball in his hand. Glameow leapt forward with its claws extended. Riolu's Iron Tail won over Scratch, obviously, and Glameow went smashing backwards into the Grunt that was genuinely shocked that Scratch didn't do anything.

"Karen! Grab Chansey, we're out of here!" Maya ordered, snatching up Riolu and running past the downed attacker, hoping that the others where following. She began to wonder, and stole a glance back to check, and was pleased to see Karen following her, though slightly less to see Barrett there was well. She grimaced slightly, but focused on where she was going, down the winding hallways of the contest hall, and out onto the streets of Hearthome.

"How do they find us so fast?" Karen asked, slowing pace with Maya now that they were in a crowd. "It's not like we stick out a lot."

"I don't know about me or Barrett, but you've got pink hair." She paused when she received something that resembled… a happy glare? "Just saying that might be a contributing factor. I dunno, maybe they bugged us or something. You and I'll have to check when we make it out of the city and onto Route 208."

"'You and I'll'? What about me?" Barrett asked, frowning. "I'll be heading out with you two. I'm not sticking around here… besides, I'm bored."

"What else is new?" Maya grumbled. "Okay, fine, but if you do anything to piss me off, I'll personally feed you to the first Gyarados we see."

"I like Gyarados! They're super cute!"

"…"

"Maya, why does it look like you're trying to burn her face off with your eyes?"

So yeah, read/review please! -begging-