Sorry I've been gone so long… when I'm able to start writing again, one situation after another starts happening and it never stops. But almost all my family's going on vacation for a week so I'll try to get as much as I can done so you have plenty to read while I'm gone ^.^ anyway… since I've had writers block for "The Good Life" Over the past few weeks I'll post and continue to work on this story. Enjoy the next installment of Trainer's Dream, hope you like it.

Chapter 8

"Well that was a short bus ride" Harley said as he stepped off the bus followed by Rachel who held a sleeping Destiny in her arms, "So what do we have to get for mom?"

"She needs some sort of special cream made by the plants that grow around Hard Rock"

Rachel smiled, "Some man named Sean is supposed to meet us here but I can see that he's not here… or else we wouldn't be here talking to ourselves"

"FINALY!" Jacob yelled as him and Alex burst out the door, "We're free… nobody would let us out"

"Alex looked around, "So this is what Hard Rock looks like, I'm kind of amazed"

Harley took Destiny from Rachel's arms as they started walking around. Harley remembering this town from visiting with his mom when he was a young boy, one memory a little blurry… he hadn't even met Destiny yet. He couldn't remember ever seeing some of the things he saw now though. He was passing by new houses and big stores that weren't what made Hard Rock well known. Hard Rock was known for the strange plants and molds that grew in the rocky terrain of the trees surrounding the town. The fact that a forest of trees surrounded the town was most fascinating though.

"Um… Harley?" Alex said as she tapped his shoulder, "I think you forgot your belt at home"

"I know I did" He said as he pulled a Pokéball from his pocket, "Mom noticed that some of the stitches were coming loose so I let her take it so she can fix it while we're gone"

He returned the Pokéball to his pocket and began holding Destiny with both arms. He would be fine if the only Pokémon he had brought with him was Destiny. He knew thought that she would get tired fast if she had to face every single Pokémon in every single battle. He was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt his shoulder slam into someone else's.

"Oh, sorry about that" Harley said, looking over his shoulder with a frown, "I wasn't watching where I was going"

"It's okay" The boy smiled as he continued walking away.

"Weird… he's clutching on to that Pokéball like his life depended on it" Jacob said as he continued walking. He looked at Harley who kept looking down to look at the sleeping Destiny, "How much history is there between you and Destiny?"

"A lot" Rachel answered for him, "And he doesn't like sharing that much of it"

"Okay then" Jacob said as he rolled his eyes and continued to watch Harley.

XXX

The boy kept walking, clutching the ball tight. I have to do this without getting caught, he thought as he was soon waiting to cross the road. Wait, I can't do this… she hasn't really done anything to me, he continued to think as he looked around before crossing, what am I saying… she's weak and useless… no self respecting trainer would carry a Pokémon like her around with them. He continued on, running through town and into the forest.

XXX

Harley looked at the man as he was about to knock on the door. He had gotten the directions from his mom since they weren't being met at the bus stop. He smiled nervously as he looked Harley over, noticing Destiny who was awake and sitting on his shoulders as usual. He backed up slowly and started closing the door.

"Wait" Harley put his hand on the door, "are you Sean?"

"Yes" He said as he looked into Harley's eyes.

"My name's Harley, my mom sent me to get some kind of special cream"

"Oh, I'm fresh out" He smiled as he opened the door, "I was just going to pick some Pricaris flowers for it"

"Would you like me to come help you?"

"Sure" He smiled as he walked past Harley, closing the door behind him.

Harley was a little mad that Rachel, Alex, and Jacob had abandoned him for things they fund more interesting. Destiny was happy to see Hard Rock again though. She smiled as she moved forward on Harley's shoulder and suddenly dropped down to the ground and danced over to some flowers and picked two out. She danced back over to Harley and reached her arms up like a baby and smiled as he blushed and picked her up again, placing her on his shoulders. She went to work the minute she gained her balance, putting one flower in her green hair, a beautiful red flower that stood out against her bright colors. A white flower was soon placed in Harley's hair… having the same effect but in reverse. He chuckled and blushed even harder when she bent down and kissed his cheek, before taking his hat and putting it on her own head, holding the flower down in place. Sean looked back and smiled, it had been to long since he'd seen a trainer and his Pokémon so happy.

"Hey Harley" He said as he slowed down to the young man's side, "What's your mom's favorite Pokémon"

"Oh, simple… it's Arcanine"

"I see… okay, just asking" He smiled as he looked up at the sky, "I'm guessing you really love the Ralts evolution tree"

"I love all Pokémon" Harley poked Destiny's side, "My best friend and starter just happens to be a Kirlia"

"So it seems"

They continued walking through the small section of town until they were out in the forest. He smiled and walked beside the man as they started walking through rocks and flowers. He wondered what a Pricaris Flower looked like.

"Okay, we'll be getting to the spot where they grow in bouquets at a time" Sean said as he turned off into the tree with Harley looking around in confusion, "We're looking for small red, blue, and violet flowers, they'll all be on the same stem and they'll have dagger shaped petals"

"Oh, that sounds like an awesome looking flower"

"It is, and it's useful in many things. I need 24 of these flowers, root and all, so if you want to help, look for 12 and I'll go after the other half"

"Do you want some help looking for your half, I can ask Luvana to help you?"

"No, it's okay" Sean smiled as he started drifting away, "We're in the area now, so start looking, if we lose each other just go back to my house"

"Got it" Harley smiled as he started looking around for the flower Sean had described, "Do you want to help look for them Destiny?"

"Yes" She jumped from his shoulder and started looking in front of him, "I love how pretty this flower sounds, I might even pick an extra one just to keep it"

"I really should get you one of those flower collector books" He smiled as he bent down, "I found one already"

"Oh… it looks so pretty" She watched him gently grasp the stem at the very base with two fingers and give a small pull until, bringing the roots up out of the ground with it, "Its roots even look cool"

Pretty looking, scarlet roots, and the roots were small and glass like, in the sense that they broke easily. The mixture of different colors on this particular flower was almost enough to make it ugly.

XXX

"God damn it" Rachel said with a ragged breath as she ran down the street… the man just turning the corner she had turned, "I shouldn't have ditched Harley"

This man had been following her since the small store that she had bought something from to give to Harley so he could use it on his adventure. He had managed to corner her and ask her to lure her younger brother out so he could jump him. When she thought that Harley wasn't as innocent as he seemed, the man said something looking around. She heard the name Destiny and thought it had to do with what had happened when he dove from that Hydreigon's back. She kicked him hard in the stomach and started running as fast as she could. She ran all the way to the Pokémon Center and asked for anyone to help her. Naturally, Nurse Joy told her to dive behind the counter and smiled as she pulled a Pokéball hidden in her smock as the man ran in… other trainer's got to their feet, producing Pokéballs of their own.

XXX

Alex and Jacob were looking through the store with a smile each, their eyes growing wide. There were thousands of locally made items for trainers of all categories to use in battle and out. They had enough to only buy one item each though… having left the rest of their money at Harley's home. Harley had more money but that was for his mom's special cream.

"Hey sis" Jacob said with somewhat of a nervous tone, "You see that one man looking at us?"

"Yeah, so what?" She smiled, "This happens to be the first time we've ever been here. Maybe he's just never seen kids dressed like we are… or the fact that we look more like twins"

Just then, Rachel burst through the door and ran up to them. Her chest heaving hard as she panted from her excursions. She looked at them as they looked back with confused eyes. She had just ran from the Pokémon Center all the way to this small trainer shop.

"We need to get Harley and get out of here" She said as she looked around, "Someone was chasing me, telling me I was gonna help him jump Harley"

Jacob looked at Alex with a frown, "Think I'm paranoid still"

"Yes and No" She said as she enlarged her only Pokéball, "Go Oshawott"

"Right behind you sis" He pulled out his own and did the same. Once the cute Pikachu was aware of the situation they paid for their things and left, "If I remember right, Harley was headed to the south side of town"

XXX

He looked around as he opened the Pokéball, letting the Buneary out into the small clearing he had found. He put on a fake smile as she looked up at him. He pulled up the baggy full of Protein Bars. He pulled one out and gave it to her.

"Eat up Buneary" He tried to sound happy, "We're gonna train, just you and me. We're gonna work on your senses… when you're done eating I'm going to hide and I want you to find me by any means"

She felt a sudden rush of hope as she started eating the bar. She was going to prove that she could do what he wanted her to do. She wolfed down the protein bar then got to her feet and looked up at him.

"Okay Buneary, cover your ears and eyes and I'll go hide"

She done as she was told, she was fixing to stop because he hadn't told her when to stop. She didn't get the chance as a white flash exploded in the back of her head. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

"I did it" He said as he took his thumb off the release button. He pocketed the ball and started running away from the spot where he had just abandoned her.

XXX

Harley leaned against the wall outside the man's house. He was inside making the cream but some of the things he done to make the cream high quality couldn't be shown to anyone so he asked Harley to wait outside. He heard his name as Rachel, Alex, and Jacob ran up to him. He smiled and pushed off the wall as they stopped.

"Harley… they're here and I think they're after Destiny" Rachel said, remembering his explanation of the group chasing after him.

"One man was following us, one was following her" Jacob said as he bent and picked up Pikachu.

"I can't leave without mom's cream" He said then had an idea, "Destiny… do you think you can stay in a Pokéball long enough to get out of here?"

"If it means getting away from them… sure" She said as she jumped to the ground, "But what about you?"

"I'll be fine, there should be a bus arriving in 45 minutes" He said as he returned Destiny for the first time ever, "I'll catch the next bus"

"Okay" Rachel said as Harley pulled out his Pokéballs and handed them to her, "Why are you giving me your whole team?"

"Luvana and Rapidash will be very useful in aiding to drive them off"

Rachel, Alex, and Jacob started back into town to the bus stop. He smiled to himself as he started leaning against the door again. What are they trying to do… after the last attempt you'd figure they'd stop because I'll do anything so they get away empty handed, he thought to himself as he waited

XXX

Harley walked away with a thanks to Sean who had just given him his mom's special cream. He had it safely lodged in the lower leg pocket of his black cargo jeans. He walked down the road… one side lined with houses, the other side breaking here and there to lead off into the forest. He heard something though… almost like a cry or a whine. His curiosity got the better of him as he soon found himself walking into the trees, feeling his service boots bend to the rocks of the forest floor. He began looking into the bushes and in other brush. He looked around in the trees, he was walking for an hour in what seemed to be a circle. I have an hour and a half left, he thought as he started walking to the road to try the other side of the street. The whine came again but from behind him. He started searching with renewed effort. There, sitting and leaning against one of the trees on a flat rock with her face buried in her paws and ears… was a little Buneary. She was crying harder then Harley had ever seen even his own baby sister cry. He reached into his pocket and revealed his Pokédex with a frown as he brought it up to scan her. The only problem that occurred was her hearing the screen protector click as the lock released, allowing it to swing up.

"Who's there… show yourself" She looked in his direction… not sounding very intimidating as she still sounded sad.

"Don't worry" He said as he closed and pocketed his Pokédex once more, "I just heard someone crying and thought you were in trouble"

This is like the cutest Pokémon I've seen in a while, he thought as he stepped into her view, She's up there with all my Pokémon. HE put his hands level with his shoulders.

"I wasn't crying" She turned away from him, "Now leave me alone"

"That's a lie… I saw you crying. The fur around your eyes is still wet" He took a step forward, putting his hands down at his side, "I'm Harley… do you have a name?"

"Winery" She said, still facing away from him, "My name's Winery"

"That's a beautiful name" He said as he sat down next to her, "It's a pleasure to meet you Winery" She looked at him and saw that he held a happy, loving smile as he looked down at her, "So what's bothering you?"

"Nothing… I just felt like crying" She said looking down at the ground, "Is there something wrong with crying… How are you able to understand what I'm saying?"

"Let's just call it a talent" He said as he reached out to pet her, trying to comfort her. She leaned away from his hand, "I answered your question with the truth… try doing the same for mine"

She sighed and started explaining to him everything that had been going on capture to release. He almost let his anger slip as he listened to her. She didn't need to see him angry… not when she was already so sad, he wanted to pick her up and hug her for all she was worth. When she started crying again… that's what he did. He picked her up and held her the way he usually held Destiny when she was sad and crying. Winery didn't struggle, she was thankful for the gesture as she nuzzled into his chest, smearing her tears across his shirt.

"May I ask you something Winery?" He started rubbing her back, "It might make you feel a little bit better"

"What?" She looked at him with a smile.

"Can you join my team… you don't have to battle, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. I just want someone cool and strong as you are"

"I don't know" She said, looking away, "I'm not very strong and I can't really do anything"

"If you want to be strong then we can train. If you just want to hang around so you don't have to be alone then you can still come with me. I'll happily take you in as part of the family" He smiled as he got to his feet with her in his arms, "Here, just travel with me to my house and meet everyone… if you think it's a bad idea by morning you can go where ever you want to, I won't stop you if that's what you want"

"I guess I can do that" She said as she looked up at him again as he started walking, "You're really nice Harley"

"And you are the cutest Buneary I've ever seen Winery" He smiled as he hugged her again, "And you're really sweet"

Well that's it for now folks ^.^ again, sorry for my computer being a piece of crap. But I'll keep going as long as I can until this one gives out… and as long as this week wants to last PEACE!

P.S. Please review and tell me what you think of my stories ^.^