"If you're that worried about Scott, just block him," Torrent said, bored of the conversation.

"But I don't even know how to block people."

"You should ask Brendan later."

Slateport steadily disappeared behind us as we walked towards Mauville. Skyra was walking for once, talking quietly with Briar. Foxglove was irritably warning Eris and Cobalt to keep up with us, making sure they didn't dart off the road like they had before. Everything seemed fine, but underneath the surface was a heavy, thick tension. Each one of us was avoiding the topic that we should have been speaking about.

The Carvanha had responded to a name. I should have read the signs. I should have known. But I had not known and I had killed a Piece.

I had killed a Piece.

I had killed someone's friend.

Did the fact that it was an act of self-defense justify my actions? Was it 'okay' to kill that Piece, purely because it was one of the 'Enemy's'?

And that's what we were all avoiding.

"Speaking of Brendan, aren't you supposed to meet him on Route 110?"

"Yeah. What of it?" Torrent pointed at a decrepit sign that said 'Route 110' in faded font.

"Guess what that means?"

"Brendan?"

"No. Well, yes. But, no. It means a new team member. Which means Eris can go back home."

The Poochyena perked up at the mention of her name.

"Home?" She trotted over to Torrent and clutched his blue shirt. "Home? Home?"

"Home, kiddo," said Torrent, while Cobalt hugged the Poochyena.

"I'm going to miss you, Eris!" Cobalt smiled, squeezing her, "But I'm glad you're going home!"

"What if," Eris said, her voice muffled by Cobalt's arm, "the next Piece doesn't want to come?"

"Aww, it's not like you to be pessimistic," Cobalt answered cheerfully. "We've had a couple of Pieces refuse us before, but mostly, adventure is fun! Look at me! I wanted to come right away!" At this, Eris barked and grinned, her tail wagging underneath her shorts.

Another bark answered her own. We all froze straining to catch the noise, but everything was silent. Eris barked again. Almost immediately, the bark answered back, coming from a stand of tall grass of the side of the road. The air took on a charged feel the closer we got.

"It's moving away," Torrent whispered. "Briar." The Shroomish nodded and melted into the grass, moving through it without a sound. A minute passed. Two minutes.

"Got you!" There were the sounds of a small scuffle and a yelp. The grass around one spot thrashed wildly. A red light shot up from the area and finally, everything was still. "It's an Electrike." Briar emerged from the grass, unharmed except one arm dangling limply by his side.

"What happened to your arm?"

"Nothing. It just shocked me. It doesn't hurt. I just can't move it."

"Not at all?"

"I can wiggle my fingers a little but that's pretty much-" Torrent, his mouth curved up in an evil grin, swung back his fist and punched Briar on the paralyzed arm. Profanity flooded from the injured boys mouth, but did nothing to dampen the grin on Torrent's face.

"Son of a bitch!"

"That's going to bruise later," Torrent responded with a touch of his old innocence. Then, he walked over to the PEN and pushed the button.

"Electrike, the Lightning Piece," GLaDOS chimed, "It generates electricity using friction from the atmosphere. In seasons with especially arid air, its entire body blazes with violent showers of sparks."

In front of us stood a shaking girl who looked about 8 years old. Her green hair matched the color of her shirt and shorts. There were bright yellow streaks in her hair, the same bright yellow that was in her running shoes, and the nails on her hands were painted an electrifying yellow.

"Hey," I said, getting on one knee and making my voice as gentle as possible, "there's no need to be scared." The Piece didn't stop trembling. Instead, she started to inch away.

"P-please let me go."

"You don't want to come on an adventure with us?"

"No!" I stood up.

"Well, that's fine."

Eris's tail stopped wagging and her shoulders drooped.

"It's okay, Eris. I'm sure the next route will be better. You just have to wait."

She nodded quietly. Cobalt looked at her silent form and stepped forward.

"Hey, you!" Cobalt burst out. The Electrike jumped.

"M-me?"

"Why don't you want to come?" Cobalt put her hands on her hips, her eyes blazing with determination.

"I-I-I need to pr-protect someone..."

"Can't you protect them better if you're stronger?"

"B-but I'm not strong..."

"Then I'll make you strong!" The Aron thumped her own chest. "I'll make you so strong, that you'll have no trouble protecting that someone. You just have to come with us!"

"B-but..."

"You're coming with us!"

"O-okay." She whirled to Eris, a satisfied grin on her face.

"There. Now you can go home."

Eris turned to me.

"Right?"

"Cobalt, you forced someone to join. I don't think she really w-"

"The Electrike will be fine. I'll make sure of it. But Eris can go back to her home, right?"

"Yes, but you should respect-"

"You heard her, Eris! Time to go home!"

"Home?" Eris repeated, her tail wagging once again and her eyes sparkling hopefully.

How could I say no to that? Torrent and Briar both ruffled her hair separately and when they stopped, she launched herself at Foxglove.

"Thank you. Thank you for the cares you gave."

"Cares you gave?" But Foxglove hugged her back. "Say hello to your friends for me."

"Kay!"

"I'll fly her back," Skyra offered. I unclipped Eris's PEN from my strap and beckoned the Poochyena over.

"Be good, okay? And... I don't know. How do you say goodbye?"

Eris threw back her head and howled, long and loud. It sounded so excited and sad at the same time.

"I'm sure we'll meet again," she yipped, flashing a smile. She nuzzled into me, wrapping her arms tightly around my waist. Then, she let go and tapped the button of her PEN, disappearing in a shower of red light. Skyra caught the PEN and spiraled into the air, sliding her bandana over her mouth.

"I'll be back in 24 hours! Do something productive!" And with that, she glided into the sharp blue sky.

"Well, first of all," I said, when I couldn't see Skyra anymore, "What's your name?"

"L-Lana..." the Electrike whispered.

"How come you're so quiet?" Cobalt said, patting Lana's back. The poor Electrike flinched.

"How come you're so noisy?" Briar drawled. Cobalt pouted.

"You're just cranky because Skyra's not here."

Torrent yanked his earphones off.

"Reaaaaalllllyyyyyy?" Torrent's voice shot up an octave.

Briar gave Cobalt a dirty look.

"What a fascinating development!"

"Stop that. You're creeping me out."

Torrent hooked his chin over the smaller boy's shoulder.

"Sooooo... do you like her?"

"I have a type advantage against you, you know."

"Was it love at first siiiiight?"

"I will kill you."

"Does she make you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside?"

"Arceus, someone save me from this idiot." Cobalt turned to Lana while Briar was distracted.

"Okay, Lana! We're going to get you leveled up!"

"Actually, Cobalt. That's my job."

"I can do it!" she insisted.

"Cobalt."

"I can't do it!"

"I'm not joking. Stop-"

"I CAN DO IT!" she whirled on me, "I GREW UP BY MYSELF. I EARNED FOOD BY MYSELF. I TRAINED BY MYSELF. LANA IS MY RESPONSIBILITY. STOP MAKING ME DEPEND ON YOU. I CAN DO IT."

Silence.

"Oops. I guess I lost my temper there." Cobalt laughed, and I could see all the way to her molars. "Sorry. Let's go, Lana!" She clamped her fingers around Lana's wrist and dragged her into the tall grass.

"How was training?" I asked when Cobalt emerged from the tall grass, closely followed by Lana.

"Great!" she responded, brushing dirt off her clothes. "Right, Lana?"

The Electrike nodded. She looked much more relaxed than she had this afternoon.

"That's good. But Cobalt, you shouldn't train Lana."

"You let Briar train us!"

"Because he isn't reckless. And he knows when he needs help. You just want to do everything by yourself."

She made a dissatisfied noise and sat down, not saying anything more.

"Lana, could you help me start a fire?" Briar asked quietly, gesturing at the pile of firewood arranged neatly on the bare ground. Lana nodded and struck her fingernails together in a sliding motion, much like striking a match. Electricity sparked in her hands, crackling like foil, and she threw a handful at the wood, which burst into flames.

Brendan: You awake?

Alex: I was just about to sleep.

Brendan: Sorry.

Alex: It's fine. Are you on Route 110?

Brendan: Yeah, but on the Mauville end.

Alex: Then we should meet tomorrow.

Brendan: Cool!

"Foxglove, we're going to train together tomorrow, okay?"

"Hn," he responded and clicked the button on his PEN. Cobalt clicked hers right after he did.

"Do you mind if I stay outside?" Lana said, averting her eyes from my face.

"I don't mind, Lana. Briar and Torrent like to stay outside, too. Foxglove and Cobalt just like dark spaces. That's why they go inside."

Lana sat next to me, staring into the sky. I was just about to ask what was on her mind when Torrent spoke.

"You don't have Skyra to snuggle up with tonight, Snookums."

"I will implant seeds in your eyes."

"Then I wouldn't be able to seed."

Briar growled in disgust at the bad pun and turned away.

"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad. And it was the only thing I could think of."

Briar closed his eyes, in all appearances, asleep. Torrent snickered and readjusted his headphones.

"What kind of music do you even listen to?"

Torrent didn't respond.

"Torrent." I raised my voice. "Torrent!" Briar's arm whipped across Torrent's leg.

"She's talking to you, idiot." The Marshtomp's eyes shot open and he took off one ear of his headphones.

"What?"

"What kind of music do you listen to?"

"Oh. You don't know?" Torrent walked forward, removing his headphones and placing them on my ears. Silence washed over me.

"There's nothing playing."

Torrent spoke, but I couldn't hear him. I took the headphones off.

"What did you say?"

"I'm deaf."

"You? Really?"

"Yep. Marshtomps are usually deaf. The headphones are for show."

"Then you read lips?"

"Yeah, I'm good at that." Torrent took the headphones back and placed them on his head. It was quiet, but at least I could hear the crackling of the flame and the steady breathing of Briar. "It isn't that bad, Lexa. Don't make that face."

"I heard from Steven, and then I forgot for awhile. All the starter Pieces have handicaps, right?"

"Yeah. But I had it better than most. Usually, Mudkips and Treekos and Torchics can't talk, like Aspen. I just couldn't feel pain, which, in my opinion, wasn't a handicap at all."

"But they say if you're spared when you're young, you develop a much harsher disability when you evolve," Briar cut in, "You're not afraid of that?"

"Harsher, not harsher. Afraid, not afraid. Who cares? If it happens, it will happen."

"You're so irritating, do you know that?"

Torrent looked up at Briar and smiled serenely.

"I know, buttercup...," he whispered, grinning as if he had divulged the secrets of the world.

"I-I think you're a nice trainer," Lana stammered to me, twisting her hands on her lap.

"Yeah?"

She nodded, turning red.

"You c-care, so-o... it's g-good."

"Lana, you really don't have to join this team if you don't want to."

"I didn't, in the b-beginning."

"But now?"

"I-I need to get stronger." Her voice grew slightly louder. "C-cobalt is strong. I want-t to be strong like her. And... c-confident."

"Why?"

"I have two brothers at home." The expression on her face softened. "I l-love them very much. I traveled to Route 110 to get stronger, so I could protect them. But I didn't have much luck until Cobalt c-came. So, I am very grateful." She stood up, gave an awkward bow, and sat down again. I couldn't help but smile.

"Don't you have parents?"

"It has always been my brothers and me for as long as I can remember."

"When you get strong enough, I'll buy two presents for your brothers. So when you go home, you can make them happy. Would that be okay?" She smiled back, shyly at first, then more broadly.

"Y-Yes! Thank you very much!"

The first light of dawn was what woke me up. The last remnants of the fire glowed as embers on the ground. Torrent was snuggled in Briar's arms, much like he used to when he was a Mudkip. Lana was nowhere to be seen.

"Lana?"

Briar stirred and opened his eyes, untangling himself from Torrent.

"I thought he was a little kid again."

Torrent continued to sleep.

"Lana?" I checked my PEN strap. Only Foxglove's PEN was bright and warm. The rest were dull and cold. "I think Cobalt took her to train," I sighed. "They won't be back until later, then. She really has to stop doing that." I pressed Foxglove's button and deposited him on the ground. "Time to train, Foxglove." He yawned cutely and stretched, shaking himself and smiling.

"Why did you wake me up so early, Master," he said bitterly, standing up, the smile wiped off his face.

"I hate it when you do that. I have no idea when you're going to do it, too."

He stood sullenly.

"Well, off to the tall grass with you. Come on, Briar. Leave Torrent to sleep a little more." As soon as we stepped into the tall grass, Foxglove got to work, making the field glow with the golden lights.

Foxglove was scary and bipolar, but if anything, he was also efficient. Within three hours, he had caught up in level with the rest of the Pieces.

"Okay, Foxglove. Let's r-"

"Foxglove leveled up. Evolution is imminent."

"What?! Already?!" I flinched, waiting for a scream, but Foxglove just grit his teeth, clearly unwilling to make any noise. He started to glow until he was just light and through my squinted eyes, I saw something strange.

Instead of staying as one Piece, he tore into two, and two Pieces twisted and changed separately.

"Briar, is that normal?"

"For his specie? Yeah. Don't worry. It's almost over." There was an overwhelming burst of white light, and everything dimmed again. Two figures stood in the place of Foxglove.

One of them, dressed in what would be considered a traditional ninja outfit, had a black mask and yellow hair. His eyes glowed red and two transparent wings stood out from his back, red triangles on the edges. He bowed to me.

"Foxglove, Master." He said shortly. He looked older than me, but was built smaller than Torrent. Sharp, almost invisible blades were attached from his wrist to elbow. When my eyes flickered to the other Piece, I almost yelped.

The Piece vaguely looked like a girl with her short brown hair, but I wasn't sure because she looked like she had been, well, shed. She was a transparent dull brown all over, and I could see the other side of her, as well as what was behind her, and parts of her were cracked. Flimsy wings decorated her back, as well as a hole the size of my hand. Instead of eyes, she had black sockets that seemed to suck the light out of the air.

"Hiya, Alex!" she said with a voice that sounded like dry leaves rubbing against each other, "My name is Avira." At least her smile was friendly.

"You're a... Shedinja?"

She giggled at my confusion.

"Yes! Are you surprised by my appearance?"

"No, no. That's fine. I got used to weird stuff ever since I came here. It's just that, I was aware that you can't have more than six Pieces with you at one time, or all your PENs and PALs shatter."

"No, that's right. All the balls are linked to your trainer card by your thumbprint," Briar responded. "Shedinjas are the alter personality of Nincadas. That's why it seemed like Foxglove was bipolar. Two personalities were occupying his head. The serious one is Foxglove and the happy one is Avira."

"I get that, but how is Avira here?"

"She has her own PEN, see?" He tapped on one of the PENs on my strap, "Some of her energy transferred while she was evolving."

"You're not answering the question. Avira can only be made if I have an extra slot in my party, right?"

"Yes. If there isn't, the Ninjask continues to have a double personality."

"Right, so we have a full party. So how is Avira here?"

Briar's mouth opened and he was about to say something when his jaw slackened and his eyes focused on something behind me.

"What?" I asked, turning around.

In the distance, Cobalt walked slowly back to us.

Lana was in her arms.

"She's just asleep. I'll get the potions ready."

"Alexandra."

"She really tried to get strong, huh? She must love her brothers like crazy."

"Alexandra!"

"She's not dead."

"Alexandra!" Briar spat, "You are not stupid!"

"JUST LET ME HOPE!" I screamed. "I KNOW WHY AVIRA JOINED OUR TEAM! I KNOW! BUT LET ME DELUDE MYSELF FOR A MINUTE! JUST ONE MINUTE!" my voice broke in a sob, "Okay? When my brother died, I couldn't even pretend. So let me pretend this time. Please. Just until they get here. Let me convince myself that she's asleep." There was pity in Briar's eyes. I took a deep breath and pulled myself together. "Please."

"I'll go get the potions." He walked back to the campsite.

Foxglove, Avira, and I watched quietly.

"I'm sorry." Cobalt gently put Lana by my feet. Her eyes were dull and red-rimmed from crying. "I'm sorry." I choked back my tears.

"What happened?"

"I thought she was fine. I asked her and she said she was fine. I guess she lied. She got hit with an electric attack." A small smile floated on Lana's pale face. Her hair was soaked with gold and singed at the ends. One of her running shoes were missing. Foxglove picked her up gently and started back towards camp with her. "I'm sorry." A small part of me told me to comfort her. The rational part.

The small part.

Torrent bolted upright when he saw us.

"What the-?" He saw Lana's body. "Well, shit."

"Please, can I bury her by myself?" She flinched at the look on Briar's face. "I-I know she died because I wanted to do everything myself. But just this. Please."

"Let her," I said, and picked up my backpack. Foxglove turned to look at me sharply, but didn't say anything. "We're going to Brendan. Catch up to us when you're done." Foxglove, Avira, and Briar returned to their separate PENs. Torrent, glancing quickly at me, took off his headphones and put it on my ears. This time, instead of silence, the comfortable sound of the ocean filled my thoughts so I didn't have to think. I let Torrent take my hand in his cool one.

When I looked back, I saw Cobalt digging slowly and grimly with her shield, Lana's tiny body beside her. She had barely made a dent in the ground.

I didn't wake up, but rather, slid into consciousness. My body and my arms were warm, but my legs were cold.

"Brendan?"

"Hey." He walked with a rocking motion, so it was hard to keep my eyes open.

"Why am I on your back?"

"Well, I started walking in your direction because it was late and I was worried, and I saw Torrent carrying you. I called out your name but you didn't respond, even when I tapped you on your shoulder. So, I had Torrent put you on my shoulders and here you are."

"Did Cobalt catch up?"

"Yeah. She's in her PEN."

"Okay."

"You have a pretty weak body, you know?"

"I damaged my heart a couple years ago."

"How did you damage it?"

"I didn't sleep for a week one time, so all the muscles in my body got damaged. And I was born with a weak heart, so it's hard to do physical stuff sometimes."

"I see."

My life was composed of silences.

"I heard what happened with Lana."

"What, Torrent told you again?"

"Torrent's very different from the cute little boy that told me before."

The Marshtomp snorted to my left.

"How are you taking it?"

"I'm okay."

"Huh. Want to sleep together again?"

"No."

"I see."

My chest felt hot. We walked into camp, and I slid off his back onto the ground.

"Go ahead," he said.

"Huh?"

"Go ahead and cry."

"I don't need to cry."

"Then what are those sparkly things glimmering in your eyes already? You lost a friend. You have every right to cry."

"I'm not going to-" Pain ripped through my chest, and I felt hot tears slide down my cheeks. "-cry," I choked out.

"Right." Brendan brushed a finger over all my PENs, and my Pieces came tumbling out. I couldn't stop wailing, but I felt Skyra's arms wrap around me. Her feathery wings brushed my face and arched over me, and Cobalt hugged my other side.

"S-she wanted to go-o back to her family!" I hiccuped. I realized Cobalt was crying too when a wet stain grew on my shoulder. Shaking from both her sobs and mine, I hugged her back tightly.

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for any of it to happen! I'm sorry!"