Hello everyone, and welcome to Chapter 5.

I apologize for this taking so long. Part of it is because I did some major revisions for the things down the road. And the other part is because I was hitting a bit of a rough patch in terms of desire to write.

But here it is, finally.

Hope you enjoy!

"AAAAHHHHH-Ooof!"

Max let of a scream, followed by a grunt, as he went sailing through the air only to land roughly on the hot sand. He rolled a bit before coming to a stop on his back. He lay there, trying to regain his breath as he stared up into the blue sky above. His body was sore from repeatedly hitting the ground. Despite how much he would have like to simply lay there, he knew better to than to do so in present company. Groaning, pushed himself up onto his feet and turned to look at his opponent.

"Are you alright Maxwell?"

Selina stood there, eyeing him over to see if he had sustained any serious injuries from when she had thrown him. She didn't look condescending, but she definitely wasn't overly worried about him being hurt. Not that Max could blame her, as he had just been slammed into the ground a few times. He doubted that he could sustain anything more serious that a few bruises from that.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Max said, trying his best not to let his discomfort or fatigue show.

Selina did not look all that convinced, although she did not press the issue further. "Very well. Shall we continue?"

Max stood in the middle of the sparring circle, trying to think of a way for him to get out of another round of sparring. Selina was leagues ahead of him in skill and ability. He knew that he had said that he didn't want her to hold back when they had started, but perhaps he had overestimated himself, or underestimated the Mienshao. Either way, another round was the last thing he wanted at the moment.

"Actually," he began, "I'm a little winded. You think we can take a break for a bit, and you can show me where I need improvement?"

Selina did not object to the suggestion, only gesturing to the side at a pair of boxes the two had set aside earlier. The pair made their way over at seated themselves on a box each. Max slouched comfortably, whereas Selina sat rigid, although it didn't seem to bother her.

Max, after taking a drink of water from some water skins the two had prepared before hand, let himself fall back to lay on his box. His training with Selina had not gone according to how he though it would.

The two had spent the last hour and a half sparring. Although, as Max looked back, "Sparring" didn't sound as accurate as "being a punching bag" did. Selina had insisted on running the Riolu through some basic drills, both as a warm up and form of teaching. Max, in his infinite wisdom, had turned her down, wishing to get right to the interesting part. Now, as he lay there with his body in dull pain, he mentally slapped himself for his sheer stupidity. Selina didn't even look like she had been trying when she fought, and it was a eye-opener for him about his own abilities.

"Apologies Maxwell. I didn't mean to be so rough with you."

He turned to look at his companion, who was looking at him with concerned eyes. It made him feel odd that she was so concerned with his health, considering that she was the one putting him through the ringer. It was weird, but also sweet.

In the short time he had known her, Max had come to be fascinated with Selina. She was very attractive, as any male with eyes could attest to, and Max was sure she received suitors regularly much like how his sister wished. But at the same time, she was tough, if her combat ability was any indication. What's more, she was a Knight. It had been generations in Kalos since a female had been knighted. Sure, there were legends and myths about great female warriors doing heroic deeds throughout the world, but knights had traditionally been male for the majority of history and even more so in recent years. Max couldn't help but wonder at what she had done in order to receive the distinction.

Stifling a groan as he sat up, Max shook his head. "Nah, is alright. I asked you not to go easy on me after all. Still," he held his shoulder as he rotated it around, "you're a lot stronger than I thought. How did you learn to fight like that?"

Selina chuckled as she brought her waters skin to her lips for a drink. "I was taught to defend myself at an early age. It's served me well throughout my life so far."

Max tilted his head as he listened, finding himself enraptured as the Mienshao revealed more about herself. "Who taught you? Your dad?"

Selina shook her head, her smile wavering a bit. "No, it wasn't him. I don't remember my father. Or my mother for that matter."

"What? Why not? Did something bad happen?"

Selina couldn't stop a smile from returning to her face at the sight of the concerned and flailing Riolu across from her. "No, nothing like that Maxwell." After Max had calmed down, she continued. "When I was young, I was taken to a monastery by my parents. The monks there were the ones who raised me. I was taught their ways, both of the body and mind, and that was all I knew for a majority of my childhood."

Max, completely forgetting that they were supposed to be training, found himself hanging on her words. Questions gathered in his mind, and they found form in his words. "Why did your parents leave you there?"

Selina's smile disappeared, and she look straight ahead in thought. "If I'm honest, I'm not quite sure. They didn't leave any names or way to contact them when they left me. I've spent many a long night wondering the same thing myself..." She trailed off, her eyes becoming fogged over as she stared ahead.

It grew quiet, and it was making Max uncomfortable. He hadn't meant to bring up such a sensitive topic for her. Deciding to try and lighten the mood he had inadvertently ruined, he reached over and placed his hand on hers. "Hey, it's OK! I'm sure they had a good reason. Don't be sad!"

Selina, snapped out of her thoughts, looked at Max. He was smiling, trying to cheer her up from her sudden gloomy mood. She appreciated the gesture, and smiled back while she adjusted her own hand to squeeze his appreciatively. "Perhaps your right. Thank you Maxwell."

He nodded back, meeting and keeping her gaze. Thoughts and questions about her ran through his head, and he found her increasingly interesting by the moment. It wasn't until Selina spoke up that he was broken from his thoughts. "Um... Maxwell? You can let go of my hand now."

Blinking, he looked down and realized that he did indeed still have his hand grasping her own, not having noticed in his thinking. Blushing, he quickly snatched his hand back to his side. "Oh...ugh-ugh... I...um..." He stuttered, never having been a situation even remotely close to this and unsure of how to handle it. It took him a minute of stuttering before he shut his mouth and gathered himself. "I... s-sorry. I didn't mean...sorry..."

Selina, who had been smiling and watching Max as he had his little episode, simply giggled at his genuine embarrassment. "It's alright." Taking another swig of water, she found her feet. "Shall we continue our training?"

Max, who was eager to put his embarrassment out of his mind, nodded quickly as he jump to his feet next to her. "Sure. Are there any mystic monk techniques that you wanna show me?" He jested, trying to keep things light and happy. The last thing he wanted was to bring up something else that would bother her and ruin their training.

Much to his surprise, Selina looked up to the sky for a moment before looking at him, a mischievous smirk on her face. "Well, since you asked, there is one that I can show off for you." She turned and looked inside the boxes they had been using as seats to pull out a few clay pot. She sat the pot onto of the now closed box, then marched twenty paces away before turning to face her targets. "Observe Maxwell." She widened her stance, taking on a martial arts stance as she focused her gaze on the pottery sitting on the boxes. She held the stance for several seconds, not moving a muscle.

As a Riolu, Maxwell was well attuned to sensing aura. Although he would not be able to have any degree of mastery over it until he evolved into a Lucario, he did have a basic sense of things. He did sense that Selina's aura was growing more intense, but not in the same way it would for a move. He couldn't quite tell what she was doing, but it obviously took a lot of focus. Just as he was about to ask what she was doing, Selina moved, thrusting a arm out in a straight punch.

Max was surprised when the pot sitting twenty paces away exploded.

Selina stepped forward, following though with a second strike. Max watched her, trying to sense and observe what exactly she was doing. As she struck a second time, he "saw" her aura lance out from her hand. It wasn't quite as visible as a actual move like aura sphere or energy ball, but the air did shape around the energy. The result was what looked like a spear of air flying out from her hands as she stuck, impacting the pots with destructive force.

The Mienshao performed a few more strikes, obliterating a pot with each attack until all were nothing more than small pieces on the ground. As she threw her last punch, she held the stance at the end, breathing deeply before she moved back into a base stance with her feet together, upright with hands curled by her sides. A deep exhale finished the form as she dropped back into a casual stance.

She looked over to her small companion, who stared at her with mouth agape. "Well," she asked with a knowing smirk, "what do you think of that Maxwell?"

Max, shaking his head and closing his mouth as she addressed him, took a moment to organize his thoughts before he spoke. "That was... AWESOME!" He jumped around a bit, expressing his approval and excitement in a physical manner. "I've never seen that before! What were you doing with your arura? I couldn't tell! What do you call it? Are there more things like that?"

Chuckling at his excitement, Selina waved her arms in a calming manner. "Easy Maxwell." Max ceased his jumping, but still stared at her with awe in his sparkling eyes. "That was a technique the monks taught me. It's called The Deadly Reach. You harness your aura and force it out through physical movement. The effect is that you can hit your opponent with punches and kicks and the like at a distance. Quiet useful in combat."

"Wow" Max fawned over the new information, eyes sparkling in excitement. "Was it hard to learn?"

"Not as hard as one might think. While anyone can learn it in theory, it is much easier for a fightying-type. Some aura sensitivity is also a help." She paused before looking at Max with a genuine smile, "would you like to learn it Maxwell?"

"Would I!? Heck YES!"

Selina let out a short but genuine laugh at Max's enthusiasm. "Alright then. It's decided. Come here Max."

As the two stood side by side, Selina instructed Max into taking a base stance, with a wide stance and arms held close to the body. "We will need to go through some exercises to see how your aura control is, and where you need the most work. To start we'll..."

"Letholdus, could you bring me that pot of spice in the top cabinet?"

"Of course."

The sight in the kitchen was an odd scene to anyone who worked there regularly. Audrey, a regular fixture, was bouncing between ovens and counters, working on seemingly a dozen different dishes at once. Her small brown frame alternated between stillness as she worked on the station in front of her and a blur as she moved to the next station. Her hands were rarely still, constantly tasting and stirring and adding and adjusting.

In great contrast, Letholdus stood by, his form towering over his rabbit companion, rarely moving as he watched her work. By his own admission, Letholdus had no experience in the kitchen. He stood by, not attempting to help cook for fear of getting the much more experienced Buneary's way. Instead, he assisted by retrieving ingredients she needed. Althought she was loath to admit it, the Tyranitar's height and strength were a great asset, as he was able to reach high items or move large objects that she could not. She wasn't particularly fond of her short stature, and Letholdus' assistance was greatly appreciated.

Letholdus, having retrieved the asked for item, leaned down to hand it to the rabbit. "Here you are milady."

Audrey smiled appreciatively, "thank you." Adding a few pinches to the dish in front of her, she set the spice of to the side. The stirred in dish, took a taste and, approving, set it back to simmer. Bounding over to the next dish, she looked over her shoulder to look at her large companion. "Are you hungry?" She asked him, continuing to work without looking.

The great dragon nodded slightly. "I'd be lying if I said no."

Smiling, Audrey finished adding a few herbs before moving over to a counter to retrieve something. Turning back to him as she continued moving, she tossed over something to him. He grabbed the item and inspected it curiously. It was a pastry, a roll drizzled with white icing. He could observe a brown, rough texture in the curves of the roll. He looked up to the Buneary quizzically. "What's this?"

Not bothering to turn from her work to face him she said, "it's a cinnamon roll."

Letholdus tilted his head. "A... cinnamon roll?"

"Yep!" The Buneary chirped. "It's a personal recepie. Technically It's a desert, but I find that they make a great snack or even breakfast. Especially if your craving something sweet."

The Tyranitar sniffed the pastry, noting the sweet aroma it held. "What's in it?"

Audrey let out a quiet giggle. "It's bread, cinnamon, and icing. I occasionally add some other stuff based on who's eating, but that's the classic recepie. Try it!"

Shrugging his shoulders, Letholdus bit into the sweet pastry. He chewed a few moments before smiling in approval. "It's good." A few bites later, he found that the relatively small pastry had disappeared, much to his disappointment. "Ah..." He sighed, "the disadvantages of being so large."

Audrey couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the large Tyranitar pouting with crumbs and icing around his mouth. "I baked quiet a few. I keep the extras separate over there," she gestured to the far counter where a few plates filled with the sweet pastries sat, "so help yourself!"

Letholdus chuckled, and ambled his way over to the plate of sweets. Picking up one, he devoured half of it in a single bite. "Heh, your going to spoil me miss Audrey." He patted his stomach, "all these sweets and treats aren't all that good for the old body." He punctuated his statement by finishing the half-eaten roll in his hands in a single bite before reaching for another.

Stifling a giggle at the Tyranitar enjoying her baking, the Buneary smirked. "Oh you sweet talker," she teased, "you're plenty fit to indulge in a few deserts baked by yours truly. Don't sell yourself short."

"It might seem that way, but I'm not quite as young as you missy. I'm starting to feel my age these days."

"Oh? And do tell Letholdus, just how old are you?"

Letholdus chuckled, still helping himself to cinnamon rolls. "How forward of you, asking a gentleman his age. But if you must know, I'm just over sixty years."

Shock registered on Audrey's face as she look at her companion. "Really?"

"Really really."

Audrey would never have guessed the Tyranitar to be that old. With the way he carried himself, as well as his strength, she would have guessed him to be more in the range of early or mid thirties. She was impressed that he took good enough care of his body to fool her like that. "Wow, I'm impressed. I would have said you're in your thirties."

Her companion threw his head back and laughed loudly at her statement. "Now your just being mean!"

"I'm serious! I would have never guessed you're In your sixties!"

"Well then you really are too sweet miss Audrey."

Shaking her head at him, the normal-type returned to looking at her work. A few more minutes went by, the only sounds being that of Audrey working and Letholdus eating. Not that the banter with him wasn't fun, but Audrey did have to finish all this cooking, and it did go by faster when she could fully concentrate. So the next hour was spent working, Letholdus fetching her items that she required as she needed. It kept her busy, and there was plenty to do, but she loved it all the same.

Putting the last dish on a rack to cool, she turned to her dragon companion. "Welp, that's all of it. At least for now." She paused, a hand flying to her chin in thought, before she continued, "say Letholdus, I've got a question for you."

"What might that be?"

"If you've been around for so long, how come you can't cook? Even Max can cook a little, even if he does burn water, if you know what I mean."

The large pokemon's expression turned to one of amusement before he answered. "Well, I wasn't raised in the same way you all are." He paused to finish the roll in his hands before continuing. "You see, young Buneary, I come from Johto. I was born into a tribe of dragon pokemon living on Mt. Silver in the eastern part of the region."

This peaked her interest. While many civilizations had sprung up over the years, many dragon types had opted to live in remote regions of the world, disconnected from the larger groups and governments. Rather than a complex government and large cities, they preferred a simpler tribal structure and rather plain living conditions. She had heard that they did this to keep their wits and combat skills sharp. Thinking about it, she could believe it as dragons, naturally having one of the longest life-spans of any pokemon type and a naturally aggressive nature, would quite easily get bored and sluggish with the easy lifestyle of most major nations nowadays.

"While I was part of the tribe, I wasn't treated as an equal. I was dragonic in nature yes, but I wasn't a dragon type. So I had to work twice as hard as the others to get the same treatment." He shook his head, "but back to your question. The dragon tribes don't have quite as advanced culinary practices like cooking and baking. Most of the diet is composed of berries, roots, and meat. And yes, we do occasionally roast our food, but more often than not its raw berries and such."

"Hmph," Audrey made a noise of contemplation. It wasn't all that often that someone who had been among the tribes came into the kingdoms and shared their way of life. "Surely you've picked up some cooking skills along you travels?"

Letholdus laughed again, shaking his head as he did. "Not really. I know the basics, but what you do is far beyond my skills. Caitlyn was much better at cooking than I ever was."

Audrey cocked her head to the side, "Caitlyn?"

Letholdus froze as she repeated the name. He nodded after a moment, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "My mate. She was always a better cook than I was. Better at a lot of homely tasks than I was, truth be told. I miss her cooking."

Audrey smiled sweetly. "Aww, that's sweet. She must miss you, traveling like you are. Where is she now?"

The larger pokemon frowned as he look to the floor. "...I don't know..."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room at that point. Various questions and ideas ran through Audrey's head at the implication of Letholdus' words. Ultimately, after a minute or two of silence, she simply muttered an "Oh...I'm sorry..." She internally flinched at how that sounded, but couldn't think of anything else to say.

Heaving a heavy sigh, her companion looked back up at her. "No. It's... it's fine. You couldn't know. And besides, you're too young to be worrying about a old pokemon's personal problems."

Nodding in agreement, as any other response escaped her, she tapped her hands together as she looked around the room. "So... how were the cinnamon rolls?"

Happy to have something else to focus on, Letholdus smiled happily. "They are quite delicious. You truly are talented in your field miss. Never had anything quite like them." He looked up in thought, scratching his chin as he did so. "Come to think of it, I'm sure the others would love to try them."

"Then why don't we let them try some!" Bounding over to retrieve a full plate of the cinnamon confections, she moved towards the door. "I know where everyone should be this time of day. We can do a snack delivery."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea Audrey." Letholdus lumbered and slightly bent down to get out the door, and the pair made their way down the hall to deliver the treats.

It was rather quiet in the library as Samwell sat at a wooden desk, several books spread open before him as he scribbled in a notebook. There were no other pokemon in the large room, and the Kirlia enjoyed the peace. He was bent over the desk, tongue poking his cheek in concentration at the task before him. Numbers and words and diagrams flooded the paper he wrote on, and he soon found himself flipping to a new page to continue his work.

His tranquility was shattered as the door swung open, rather loudly at that, and a Dewott strode in with his familiar swagger. In one hand he held a cinnamon bun, which he took a healthy bite out of, and the other held a plate full of the delicacies. He chewed contently as he arrived next to Sam and gave a little hop to sit at the edge of the desk, legs dangling off the side.

Sam, surprised by both the door bursting open and his companion's appearance, looked up at him in curiosity. "Can I help you, Luìs?"

The water-type shook his head, and swallowed before speaking. "No, but you can help yourself." He lowered the plate to offer a cinnamon roll to the Kirlia. "Have one. Audrey cooked them this very afternoon, and they are simply heavenly."

Sam's face was a mixture of want and restraint. "Ah... Well... I do love Audrey's cooking... But I really shouldn't spoil my dinner..."

"Ah, C'mon my friend. Spoil yourself!"

"I really shouldn't... It'll ruin my appetite and then I won't finish dinner and-Mmpfhhh!"

Luìs, who was intent on having Sam eat a cinnamon roll, took one off the top of the plate and shoved it into the psychic-type's mouth as he spoke. Initially startled, Sam couldn't help but take a bite as he removed the pastry from his mouth. The treat melted in his mouth in a mixture of fluffy bread and sweet cinnamon, and he couldn't suppress a slight whimper of pleasure at the taste.

Luìs, who had snagged another pastry, looked very smug as his friend enjoyed the desert. "See? What did Luìs tell you?"

Sam rolled his eyes at Luìs' boasting. "Yes, well. I'll give you a pass this time. In the future, please respect my personal wishes."

"Pppffff," Luìs waved his arm in a dismissive manner, "your too strict and structured Sam. Much too organized and uptight. You need to learn to lean back and enjoy yourself sometimes."

Sam frowned a bit as he swallowed another bite. "I like things structured and organized. Keeps things from getting hectic and from surprises from happening too often."

"Hah!" The Dewott laughed, setting the plate of rolls onto the desk. "That's no way to live life Me Amigo. Life is crazy and messy and spontaneous! You should enjoy it while you can! Treat yourself, take risks, live life as if today was your last!"

"That's easier said than done." Sam fiddled with his treat as he spoke. "I've got a lot of responsibility. Other count on me to get things done. I can't just throw my duties to the side to go do whatever my whim dictates."

Luìs observed the psychic-type, smirking as he listened to what he had to say. "Your take your duties seriously. This is a good thing. But you must realize Sam, that you only live once. You have to use your youth wisely! What happens when one day, when you're old and withered, you look back and regret that you didn't enjoy life as much as you could have when you were young? That you let it all slip by because you were being so serious?"

"Well..."

"Exactly!" The Dewott's face softened, "I understand how you feel Sam. You want to evolve so you can stop feeling so self-conscious about your feminine middle-evolution, don't you?"

Sam couldn't answer his companion with words, shocked by his easy analysis of him. He could only look down, still fiddling with his roll, and nod softly.

"I see. But you must understand that just evolving won't make you feel less self-conscious. That comes when you accept yourself, for all your faults and perk and all your entirety. Only then can you begin to truly live." He paused for a moment before shooting Sam a look, "but if it's any consolation, you're very good looking as you are."

The Kirlia wasn't sure how to take that. Normally he might have thought it a taunt or teasing by some snobby high-born or masculine noble. But Luìs seemed genuine in his complement, and didn't seem to harbor any ill will. Either way, Sam blushed out of embarrassment. "Um... Thanks?"

"Take it as a compliment! I have no trouble admitting when someone is good looking when I see them. Why just on my way up here I saw a rather cute Linoone passing by."

The mention of the normal-type caused Sam to look up in a mixture of shock and surprise. "Wait, a Linoone? Was it carrying a messenger bag over it's shoulder and running down the hall?"

Luìs nodded. "Why yes, actually! It was."

"Ugh..." Sam was at a loss for words. He took a moment to compose himself and think about how he wanted to word this before he let out a sigh before he continued. "Um... Luìs... That Linoone was Thomas."

"Oh? Well at least I know his name now."

"Luìs... Thomas is a male, like you and me."

"And a very cute one at that. Hopefully I'll see him around again."

Sam tilted his head as he listened to the Dewott speak. He was silent as he processed his friend's response before continuing. "You... do realize that you called another male 'cute', right?"

Luìs nodded, never loosing his smile. "Yes, I do. There's nothing wrong with admitting when someone is attractive, now is there?"

"Well, I suppose not..." A question popped up in Sam's mind, and he was simply too curious to not ask. "Luìs... I don't mean to offend, but... are you attracted to males?"

Rather than a meek or offended response he had expected, Luìs simply laughed merrily at the question. "No offense at all my friend! To answer your question, I'm attracted to both males and females."

Sam was genuinely surprised at this. Kalos relationships traditionally were between a male and female. Nothing about a same-sex attraction had ever been brought up in any official capacity. Now there were plenty of other kingdoms and governments that had such things as the norm, at least that's what he had heard. Sam, however, neve expected he'd meet someone who was like that.

"Oh... I would have never guessed."

"Does that bother you Sam?"

"What? No no, not at all. It's just... I never met anyone who was like that is all."

The water-type nodded in understanding. "I can see that. It's not a very common thing here in Kalos if I remember correctly. Seeing as how that's the case, It's understandable that you would be surprised."

Nodding in agreement, papers completely forgotten, another question entered into Sam's head. It seemed rather inappropriate to ask, but raw curiosity overcame decorum. "Ummm...Luìs..."

"Yesssss?"

"I...I don't mean to pry into you private affairs... but have you... been...with a male before then?"

Luìs grinned smugly. "Ah-ha. Interested in my personal life, are we?" Sam only blushed and began to stutter and apology before Luìs spoke up again. "It's fine Sam. Ask any question you have. And to answer you, yes I have been with several partners before, both male and female. It's rather common where I come from. We focus more on the connection between two individuals than their physical forms."

Interest peaked, Sam leaned in closer. "I don't think I recall you mentioning your birthplace Luìs. Would you kindly share where you are from?"

At the mention of his origins, the Dewott puffed out his chest a little bit more, and a proud smile worked it's way onto his features. "I, my kind psychic friend, hail from Joya Esmeralda, the great city of the Emerald Seas."

Sam looked up in thought, running through the numerous towns and cities of the other regions. "Joya Esmeralda... I recognize that name. It's the one of the biggest seats of powers for water-types. It's commonly referred to as the 'Floating City' as I recall."

"Correct!" Luìs stood on the table, arms and hands moving in grandiose gestures as he spoke his piece. "Joya Esmeralda is one of the most magnificent civilizations in the world. You see Sam, the city is mostly inhabited by water-types. The city itself is free-floating! It travels with the will of the oceans, never staying in one place too long. Tis beautiful sight to look out over the horizon and see nothing but the sparkling sea to greet you!" He looked up in nostalgia. "Ah, what I wouldn't give to see it again."

"You said that It's common for same-gender relationships?"

"Ah, yes! You see, the government is a bit different than what your used too. It is much more laid-back than here or anywhere else for that matter. The only real thing that is regulated is the economy, crime, and defense. Otherwise, the city is as flexible as the sea itself. Many citizens are care free, choosing to pursue art or music or other such things. Very little emphasis is placed on money or material possessions. Instead, emotions and experiences are what is more widely valued. We see the more intangible things, like a emotional connection, as more important than the physical, like a body."

"Fascinating."

Luìs smiled. "Perhaps one day you might visit it Sam. It will be a enlightening experience for you, I'm sure."

Nodding in agreement, Sam look out of the window nearby. He noticed that the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. He looked back up to Luìs, who still stood on the desk. "It's getting late. Dinner should be soon."

Hopping down to the floor, Luìs beamed brightly. "Excellent! I was getting a little famished." He looked over to the plate that still held a few cinnamon buns. "Ah, but such a shame to waste a delicious treat... Hmm." He looked at his feet for a moment, contemplation written across his face. Several seconds later, he looked back up and snapped his digits. "I know! I'm sure Juno would like them. She may not look it, but the fiery female has one heck of a sweet tooth." He picked up the plate and made his way over to the door he had burst in though earlier. He turned to look over his shoulder. "Care to join me Sam?"

Still seated, Sam shook is head softly. "I would. But I've got to get these accounts copied before the end of the night. I'll meet you at dinner thought?"

"Alright then." Luìs resumed his walk throuh the door, waving his arm without looking back. "See you at dinner!"

"Is this really all you do all day Princess?"

"Not all day. And it's not as boring as it looks!"

"Says you."

Inside Elizabeth's bedroom, the Princess and her Charmeleon companion sat in conversation. Elizabeth was seated in one of her chairs, and favorite book of hers in her hands. By contrast, Juno was lying on the Princess' bed, one arm behind her head with legs crossed and her tail swishing to and fro slowly, eating a cinnamon roll from the near-empty plate on the night stand. The pair had been there for the better part of two hours. And while Elizabeth was used to keeping herself occupied in her room, Juno was having much more difficulty in keeping boredom from setting in. It had started as the occasional comment, and now escalated into a full on conversation between the two.

"It's not that bad! I enjoy doing things in my room! It gives me some peace and privacy."

"Hmph. I don't get it. There's no room to run around, not training equipment, heck there's barley enough room to work out! Don't you get any exercise?"

"I don't usually work out, no. I much more prefer my hobbies to getting all sweaty and sore."

"Pfff. Priss."

"I am not!"

"Princess Priss."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her companion's behavior. "Ugh. You just can't understand. Don't you do anything else besides fight and train?"

"Course I do." The fire lizard raised a hand from behind her head to count of on her claws. "Eat. Sleep. Get in the occasional fight. You know, the basic stuff."

The Braixen shook her head at Juno, unable to understand her mind-set and thought process. "Why would you normally get into fights? What purpose does that serve?"

"Well," the Charmeleon began, "to be fair, it's only my fault half the time. The other half is when some big strong male thinks I need his protection, his flirtation, or thinks that he can pull some moves to get some tail. Those are the kinds of people I fight with, and after we fight is about the time they run whimpering to find someone to rest their bones into place."

"...You're not joking are you?"

"Not in the least."

Elizabeth, deciding that she wouldn't be able to get any reading done, closed her book and put it back in the draw on her night stand. "Why are you so violent? I'm half worried that you'll destroy the maid when she comes in to clean."

"Don't worry. I only destroy the people who deserve it. " Juno stretched a bit as she yawned before rubbing her eyes and returning to her original position. "Anyways, I'm getting bored just sitting here."

"Why don't you go outside to train then?"

"Kale instructed me to stay with you. And you don't really look like you'd enjoy my kind of training anyway."

"Then read a book or knit something."

"Can't do that."

"Why?"

"Cause I'm not a priss."

Fuming at the continued teasing, Elizabeth put her hands on her hips in irritation. "So you can't leave, but you don't want to do anything in here. What do you expect me to do about that?"

"Well we could play a little game."

"What kind of game?"

Juno looked over at Elizabeth with a smug smile on her face. "It's a game that Kael taught all of us. It's called twenty questions."

"Twenty questions?"

"That's right. Apparently it used to be a human game, back before they ruined their governments and themselves and basically everything." She shook her head, "anyway, we each ask each other a question about ourselves. Favorite food, color, that kinda thing. Apparently It's supposed to help you learn more about another person. Don't know it it's true, but it sure as heck beats sitting around doing nothing."

Thinking it over, Elizabeth decided that at least humoring Juno was preferable to her continued nagging. Seating herself on her chair once more, she made herself comfortable before she looked back to Juno. "OK. You're first."

Apparently Juno had already prepared some questions, as she answered almost as soon as Elizabeth had finished her sentence. "How many fights have you been in?"

"Like actual fights? Um, none."

Juno shook her head, "shoulda figured. OK, your go."

Elizabeth's face scruched up in thought for a bit as she tried to think of what she wanted to know about her companion. "umm... how old are you?"

"Seventeen. Just a year younger than you. Favorite color?"

"Green. It reminds me of the spring and summer. Cake or pie?"

"Pie, definitely. More filling and more options when it comes to taste. Favorite holiday?"

The pair continued this for an hour, asking things both critical and trivial. Although they had far exceeded the titular twenty questions, neither cared. While it wasn't the most fun thing she had ever done, it was interesting in its own right. She felt she did know Juno a bit better, if only slightly. She noticed the sun going down, and was about to end their game to make their way to dinner when Juno's next question caught her off guard.

"How may males have you been with?"

The Braixen chocked on air as she processed what was asked. Coughing as a hand flew to her chest, she turned to look at her companion in shock. "I'm not answering that!"

Juno raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why is that?"

"B-because. That's private!"

"Defensive. So either it's a lot or none, one of the two."

"Don't assume things like that! Why do you even care?"

"It's part of the game and I'm curious. So spill it."

"No!"

Juno looked sideways at the Princess before she sighed. "If it'll help, I'll tell you mine. A freebie, so we are on even ground. That make you feel better?"

Still somewhat appalled at Juno's lack of tack with such a private and personal matter, Elizabeth only sighed after thinking it over. "No. That's personal and private and I don't want to share it with-"

"Zero."

Despite being cut off mid-sentence, Elizabeth was genuinely surprised with Juno's answer. "Excuse me?"

Juno repeated herself, not looking away from the ceiling. "You heard me. Zero. I've never been with a male. Never even been kissed before actually."

A stunned firefox stood there, starring at the shorter Charmeleon on her bed. Part of her was surprised at the confession, especially considering it was to someone the Charmeleon barley knew. But another part was just as surprised at the confident, almost off-handed nature she had delivered it with, like she was discussing the weather rather than a very personal part of her life. "You... don't sound very bothered by admitting that."

Juno simply shrugged. "I suppose not. What is there to be ashamed of? That's how I decided to live my life, and nobody can judge me for making the decisions that I did."

Elizabeth's emotions did a complete one-eighty. A few minutes ago, she saw Juno as a somewhat snobby tomboy, and wasn't all that pleased to be in her company. Now, after listening to her conviction in her admittance that most others would prefer to keep private, Elizbeth admired her. Though she never shared it much with anyone, judgement was something that deeply bothered Elizabeth. Having been raised with such high standards and pressure, she feared few things more than other looking down on her in disapproval for a choice she made. Juno seemed the complete opposite, and didn't seem to care in the least what others thought.

Realizing it had gone quiet, Elizabeth kicked at the ground a little as a question bubbled up from her previous thoughts. "My turn now, yeah?"

"That's how the game has worked the last hour."

"Where are you from? Your birthplace I mean."

Juno's tail stopped it's swishing as she froze at the question. A moment later, she relaxed, but her face suddenly had a serious, almost melancholy look to it. "Heh, now that's a good question." Juno closed her eyes as she began her answer. "I told you I'm from Johto. More specifically, I'm from a little town called New Bark in the east. It's a small place, no more than a hundred people, kids included. Mom and Dad were berry farmers by trade, or at least that's what they would say if you asked."

Juno sighed at this point, opening her eyes to stare intently at the ceiling. "The truth is that we didn't have a whole lot of success at the whole berry thing. A few trees and bushes we could maintain, but a lot of our land was poor quality soil. Couldn't grow weeds if our lives depended on it. Made up the losses by digging up rocks and minerals and selling them to a industry company in Cherrygrove, a city a ways west."

Elizabeth nodded, although she wasn't sure Juno saw or particularly cared. "Why'd you leave?"

Juno let out a huff of amusement at the question. "Heh. Because I wanted change. Not a whole lot of pokemon are able to live in comfort in New Bark. A pretty dead-end place to live in all honesty. So a lot of families look to marry their kids off to local business leaders and wealthy merchants who do a lot of the economic handling in the area. My parents suggested it to me, but I didn't bite. I'm not the kind of girl who will just lay back and spread my legs just to make things comfy for myself." She glared at the ceiling as she continued. "So I decided I'd make my own way in the world. Carve out a piece for myself. I started training as young and hard and often as I could. Soon enough, I was stronger than most of the adults in the town, and certainly more than those fat greedy slobs. With no one to stop me, I just started to... wander. Looking for my calling in life I guess."

Princess Elizabeth stood there, listening intently to Juno as she told her short tale. It was... illuminating to know Juno's background. While the Braixen still saw her as a tomboy, she could at least understand a little of how she had grown to be that way. She had to respect the Charmeleon for making her own path in life when none offered appealed to her. Perhaps not what Liz herself would choose, but she wouldn't judge Juno for her choices.

Not that the lizard would care.

"Whelp," Juno groaned as she leaned up to stretch, then hop to her feet, "dinner should be soon and I'm starving. Let's go."

Nodding in agreement, Elizabeth strode next to the much shorter Juno as they exited the room and began the walk down the hall. It was quiet save for the pair's footsteps, and the sun threw a pleasant glow against the wall. Juno seemed just as bored as she did earlier, while Elizabeth has was still digesting Juno's little story. It seemed Juno had a lot more too her than a vulgar, fight-oriented personality. Before they had gone a long way, something popped into Elizabeth's head.

"Zero."

Juno looked at her taller counterpart in confusion. "What?"

"Zero."

"Zero what?"

"That's my answer to your question. Zero males."

Juno's eyes shrunk to slits as she studied the Braixen next to her for a few moments. Eventually, her expression shifted to a much friendlier smirk. "Good on you then Liz. Glad to see you're not like most nobles nowadays." Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at the praise, if she could call it that, and the two returned to walking in silence to their evening meal. The silence, however, was rather short lived.

"Even if you are a priss."

"I am NOT!"

I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I really need to stick to some kind of schedule.

Anyway, next chapter will focus a bit on the lore side of things. Particularly dealing with the legendaries.

Any critiques, suggestions, etc, let me know.

Until next time.

-Cheers!