Smugleaf101: Thanks for the compliment!

trystrike: Yeah, Dwebble's in quite the situation, isn't he? Not too good... Oh, just a warning: beware the end of this chapter. That's all.

tailsthecutefox: It's great to see you! I'm sorry I continued without you, but I just had to post something since I had it written. It's really more my fault than yours... both times. And, to answer your question, yes, I will. Quite a bit, actually. I'm glad you like it!

Oh! And Merry Christmas, everyone! Since I'm not too sure if I'll get another chapter in or not ahead of time, 'might as well tell you now!

Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.

Snivy's POV

Snivy's mind swam for several moments. She felt her breathing - in… out… in… out… She slowly became aware of the soft surface underneath her body, and the particularly plush one underneath her head. The soft breaths beside her were the only sound to occupy the silence. Shifting, she noticed a particularly rough and tight texture on her- the Grass Snake's eyes darted open as she bolted upward only to fall back into the plush substance due to an unexpected sharp spasm that coursed through her. Her gaze immediately fell on her where her stomach was located, but it was too dark to see. Evening out her breathing, she tried to recollect her thoughts as her eyes adjusted to the dim light emerging from a window to her right. … The Liepard, that's right. After I got past them, I remember walking back with Tepig, then Ash trying to locate Nurse Joy. … I guess I must've fallen asleep then, she sighed, still staring at where her injury was supposed to be. She could barely make out the bandages securely placed around it. My scar; it's back. I suppose I should've expected it; it was bound to reopen sooner or later. … How did it reopen? I don't remember doing anything too rash before those Liepard came - during that battle with Tepig. … I suppose I'll have to ask someone in the morning. She took a look at the room, now that she could see through the weak what she could see, there was a solitary orange stripe dragging across the green walls, several cabinets in the room, and Ash had his head in his arms on the bed she was in, Pikachu draped over his shoulder and Tepig beside them - each of them were fast asleep. It's so much like before, but, this time, I have the guys with me. That makes it different… It's better than before. I can actually counton them.

"(So,)" Snivy jumped, startled from a trance she hadn't realized she'd fallen into. She followed the female voice to a door on her left. She watched as the dual type leaped onto the bed she was in, "(You came back.)" The Pokemon's huge ears flickered.

"(Emolga,)" the Grass Snake greeted, voice somewhat hoarse from having just woken up. The Sky Squirrel looked over her several times as another Pokemon - the size and the pink that she could see led Snivy to believe it was an Audino - entered the room.

"(I was hoping to see you again, but not like this,)" Elesa's Emolga eyed what was visible of the Grass Type's scar. "(Not again.)"

"(You can stop being so cheesy; I've had enough sympathy for a lifetime,)" Snivy grunted, meeting the dual type's eyes.

"(Well, what do you suggest I do?)" She hissed impatiently.

"(Slap me,)" The Grass Type responded with an obvious tone. "(Scold me. I know you want to.)"

Emolga glanced at the Hearing Pokemon behind her. The pink Pokemon sighed before nodding. The Sky Squirrel bounded to the opposite side of the bed, careful not to disturb any of the sleeping boys as she made her way to the Grass Snake's right side. Snivy tensed slightly before a decent slap met the unscarred side of her face. She winced at the uncomfortable sting on both sides of her head, bringing a leafy hand to her right cheek briefly before relaxing it once more. She stared up at the dual type again. "(What were you thinking?!)" The Sky Squirrel hissed. She would've shouted, Snivy knew; the only thing stopping her was how many people and Pokemon were asleep at the time. "(Running off like that! You still weren't completely healed! You didn't tell me anything! I was worried about you, you know! You could've died! You-)"

"(I'm here, and I'm okay.)"

"(You're- you're-?!)" She thrashed her tail angrily. "(You're in the Pokemon Center due to a huge reopened scar that caused great blood loss, lots of ripped muscles, and even more injuries up to the point that you shouldn't even be conscious! In fact, more dead than anything! Do you think that's okay?!)"

"(Something's wrong with your analysis; I'm awake,)" Snivy pointed out, ignoring her friend's growing rage.

"(Do you-?! I-! You-! Ugh!)" Emolga stomped her foot, and Tepig stirred behind her. "(Look… I'm glad you got a trainer, a bunch of friends, and that you were strong enough to put up a decent fight against me during that Gym battle - yes, I know that was you - but you need to-)"

"(Sit around in bed for the rest of my life because of how fragile I am? I don't think so,)" the Grass Snake growled with irritation, fully aware of where the other female was headed. "(Like you said, I put up a decent fight in battle. I'm not that weak. I'll stay here for as long as Ash says since he's my trainer, but I can guarantee we won't be staying here for long.)"

The dual type stared coldly at her. "(So that's it, huh?)" She whispered coolly, though fury flared in her eyes. "(You're just going to leave again? You're going to leave me again?)"

Snivy stared back at her for several moments before sighing, "(Yeah. I suppose I am.)" Emolga bristled. The Grass Snake calmly continued, "(I'm not trying to avoid anyone-)"

"(No, you're not,)" the dual type agreed, her tone bitter. "(What you are trying to avoid is telling anyone anything about how you got that stupid scar!)" The Electric-Flying Type pointed at her injury, "(I asked time and time again, and the best response I'd get was 'it was an accident'.)" Rage rolled off of her, "(I know it was! However, an accident alone doesn't cause a Pokemon to act the way you did! You fought everyone - even the ones trying to help you! You were unable to trust anyone, y-you-! It took me two weeks to get you to even talk to me, and even then you never really trusted me, did you?!)" Her voice was rising, and the males behind her were waking, "('It was an accident' doesn't cut it! It hurt you! I want to help, but-)"

"(But it's not affecting me anymore,)" the Grass Snake cut her off. "(I'll admit it; it did back then. I was… traumatized by the experience. However,)" she gave Emolga a hard stare, "(I'm okay now. I have a trainer and some amazing friends.)"

"(So you've recovered?)" The boys had awoken behind her, now watching them. The dual type's eyes burned into her own as they stared each other down, "(Then you can tell us what happened without any trouble, right?)" Snivy flinched. "(I thought so. Look, Snivy,)" Elesa's Emolga bent down to get eye-level with her, "(things may be going smoothly now, but it'll never heal if you don't let it all loose. It'll all just repeat itself - the fact that you're here again just proves that. You didn't trust me enough to tell me, but now you have the option to tell your new friends. You trust them, don't you?)" The Grass Snake drew a deep breath and nodded, knowing what was coming. "(You know what I want you to do. Just tell them; you'll feel much better afterward.)"

"(... You're not going to let me out of this one, are you?)" It was an idiotic question, but it needed to be asked.

"(No. I won't. I'm not going to let this kill your new friendship. I won't let you run away again,)" her voice was dead serious.

"(Is… is everything okay, you two?)" Pikachu's voice interrupted. Snivy, though her eyes were still on the Electric-Flying Type, noticed the Mouse Pokemon as he padded slowly up to Emolga's side, caution written on his face.

"(Yes. Just reuniting. You heard us,)" the Sky Squirrel straightened herself, still staring at Snivy.

"(Alright…)" he was still eying both of them. "(Was it a bad time to interrupt?)"

"(No, not at all. Snivy was just about to tell you a little story anyway, weren't you?)" Emolga watched her expectantly.

The Grass Snake inhaled sharply. Now?! She mouthed to the dual type in dismay. She was just supposed to tell them what happened? Without any time to prepare? Not everyone was even there, and Ash wouldn't understand her. How was she supposed to…?

The Sky Squirrel flicked an ear, "(I'll leave if that makes you more comfortable.)"

"(That's not… I… It's…)" Snivy uncharacteristically stuttered. She took a deep breath and started again, "(... I can't-)"

"(You can and you will!)" Emolga half-shouted, glaring daggers at her.

"(Yet.)" Snivy finished, giving the Sky Squirrel a hard stare as she regained herself. "(Just give me a little time. I need to prepare it.)"

The dual type kept glaring at her. She stared back.

"(We can wait,)" Tepig spoke up, glancing at each of them warily. "(We aren't really-)"

"(If you're trying to avoid this again...)" Emolga started coldly.

"(I'm not.)"

"(I hope not,)" the Sky Squirrel hissed before she leaped off the bed and stomped out of the room.

"(I'll go check on her,)" the Audino Snivy forgot about said, following the Electric-Flying Type.

There was a long silence.

Tepig broke it. Taking a deep breath, he said, "(I know what she wants you to do. I'm not going to make you do anything if it'll make you uncomfortable-)"

"(No, I have to,)" the Grass Snake sighed. There was no way she was backing down now. "(One: She'll bite my head off if I don't. Two: She has a point. It needs to be said. It shouldn't be difficult to share, but…)"

"(We can wait.)"

"(Thank you.)" Why is it so hard to tell? It's just a story… just a past experience.

"(Well,)" the Fire Pig smiled softly, "('you tired? It's still pretty early.)"

"(Not right now,)" Snivy sighed. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. "(I won't stop you if you're tired, though.)"

"(I'm about as close to sleep as you are,)" Tepig responded. he glanced at the other two, who showed no signs of exhaustion. "(I suppose we can talk.)" Snivy shrugged at his suggestion, stiffening at the burn she received from the scar. It didn't go unnoticed by Tepig, who watched her carefully as he continued, "('Can't wait until we start traveling again. Battling, eating, chatting, playing-)"

"(Arguing with Iris's Emolga,)" Snivy added.

"(Yeah,)" the Fire Pig forced a chuckle, "(you and Emolga. Never ending rivalry.)" He hesitated, "(Err, yeah, I guess… I hope you don't mind my asking, but does that happen a lot? With Elesa's Emolga, I mean?)"

Snivy grinned, "(Arguing, you mean? We had our differences daily, but, somehow, we still managed to get along.)" She blinked, "(How did you know that was Elesa's?)"

"(Erm, we talked with her earlier.)"

"(How much did she tell you?)"

"(Just what she knew.)"

"(I guess that saves me some explaining,)" the Grass Snake sighed. She turned her head to stare at the ceiling. "(... Did she tell you that she taught me Attract?)"

"(N-no, she didn't. I thought that- uh…)" he cut himself off, once again watching for her reaction.

"(That a trainer taught me?)" Snivy finished evenly. Tepig nodded, looking away. "(That's understandable, but no.)"

"(You did have one though, right?)" Pikachu finally spoke up. The Grass Snake returned her gaze to the trio beside her. Ash still hadn't spoken, but he was listening intently as if he could understand them.

"(... You could say that,)" Snivy said, staring into the boy's brown eyes, "(but Ash is my trainer now. He's the kind of trainer I wanted.)"

"(Yeah, Ash is a great trainer. No matter how much he ignores type differences.)"

"(Pokemon Abilities, too,)" Tepig added, smirking.

"(He keeps forgetting that Tranquill and I are girls,)" she grinned. "(You know what else is funny? He's right here, and he doesn't know we're talking about him.)"

The other two turned to look at their trainer, grinning. Ash blinked several times. "What? Why are you staring at me? Am I supposed to something?"

Their grins broadened.

The boy sighed. "Y'know, I wish I could understand you. No matter how much I try, I can't figure out what you're saying," he huffed, folding his arms and watching them intently, deep concentration in his bright brown eyes. His gaze darted from one Pokemon to the other. This continued for quite a time. Snivy was biting back laughter as her trainer made himself eye level with Pikachu in his search for an answer. The concentration in his narrowed eyes combined with the "hmm"s and "uh-huh"s in his attempts to be serious looked off on the ten-year-old. He moved his body toward Tepig, doing the same as he did with the Electric Mouse. Pikachu chuckled quietly while his back was turned, and a few airy laughs escaped the Fire Pig. Ash grinned briefly before turning his serious face on Snivy. He leaned over the bed in order to look into her eyes. His brows were once again furrowed in concentration as his big, brown eyes searched her. His cheeks were puffed out as he leaned to the left to observe her from another angle. She tried to swallow back her laughter, but, from the corner of her eye, spotted Pikachu mimicking their trainer, leaning over to stare into Tepig's gray eyes as the Fire Pig barely contained himself. A short snicker escaped her, and she stifled it quickly. This seemed to encourage Ash as he leaned closer, "Hmm…" The eyes… the puffed out cheeks… the messy hair… the failing attempts at appearing serious… Pikachu and Tepig - who had now switched roles - in the background…

She couldn't hold it any longer.

The silence broke, filled with her laughter as she closed her eyes to avoid looking at the scene. She only dimly acknowledged her injury's protesting from the action, too busy trying to fight down her laughing. She heard Tepig and Pikachu join her.

When she had calmed herself to a few snickers, she reopened her eyes. The two Pokemon were grinning at her, and Ash had a triumphant smirk on his face. "That was revenge for talking about me!" He waggled his right index finger and made a clucking sound with his tongue. "You see, I'm not quite as dumb as you think I am, now am I?" Snivy snickered again. "You thought you could outsmart- wait…" Ash paused, blinking as if he remembered something. He glanced at Tepig, then Snivy, Tepig, Snivy again. He crossed his arms, still eying the two, "You two were talking about me before lunch yesterday, weren't you? That's why you were laughing!"

The two Pokemon exchanged glances. "(We were caught, Snivy, what do we do?)" Tepig snorted playfully.

"I knew it!" Ash growled in mock anger. "Now I have to punish you again! Hmm, what should I do…?"

Tepig jumped in front of the Grass Snake defensively, "(Don't worry, Snivy! I'll protect you!)"

"(That sounded pretty… romantic, Tepig,)" Pikachu teased, smiling impishly.

Snivy noticed the Fire Type's face redden slightly as he glared at the Mouse Pokemon, eyes flaring in rage and embarrassment, "(Just whose side are you on?!)" Pikachu was about to respond when Ash lifted him from the bed.

"Don't think you can escape me, buddy! You never told me about this!" It was his turn to grin evilly. "The only way to avoid punishment is to surrender and join me!"

The Mouse Pokemon raised his arms dramatically, "(I surrender! I surrender!)"

"Good. Now it's time for our revenge!" Ash perched his "new ally" on his shoulder. Pikachu's cheeks sparked excitedly.

Tepig's face had almost returned to its original color. "Traitor!" He shouted quietly in mock betrayal.

"(Yup, but you realized it too late. Now Ash and I will put you two in your places!)"

"Attack!" The boy yelled, and Pikachu bounced lightly off of his trainer's shoulder and onto the bed. He began to circle Tepig, who, after a quick backward glance at the Grass Type, responded with a direct, soft tackle. The Electric Mouse tipped himself over, and used his tail to bring both of them to the ground. Snivy watched as they began to chase each other around the room quietly, careful not to tip anything over. A mimicked roar caused her to look to the side where she found Ash creeping slowly towards her, arms raised, hands acting as claws, and a silly scowl - his eyes crossed and tongue sticking out of gritted teeth - on his face. "Tepig has left you! Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"('Pikachu, that's right!')" The Electric Mouse called quietly. Tepig chuckled.

"(You just had to say that, didn't you?)"

"(Perfect opportunity. I couldn't miss it. 'Heard that motto way too many times.)" Snivy heard a "thud" as the two collided once more.

"Well, Snivy? What is your choice?" Snivy watched coolly as her trainer drew nearer. She then raised a vine and wrapped it around Ash's cap. She lifted it up and out of her trainer's reach. His eyes uncrossed and widened while he reached for it. "No! Pikachu, my thinking cap has been stolen! Without it, I can't think! We… have been defeated," he fell to his knees and bowed his head. "You win."

There was a short silence before Ash stood up, "Alright, uh, can I have my cap back?" The Grass Snake ginned and shook the requested item in the air, not lowering it. Her trainer grunted, "Aww, come on!" He put on a begging face, "Please!"

"(Go, Snivy!)" The named Pokemon turned to see Tepig. The Fire Pig jumped back onto the bed - Pikachu not far behind - and sat beside her. His eyes glowed with amusement when their trainer began to leap after his precious accessory.

It continued like that for a while until her scar began to irritate her. Reluctantly, she lowered it onto Ash's head - the boy was risking climbing a cabinet in the room - and retracted her vine. He leaped down from the man made object. "Thanks, Snivy," he said, adjusting his hat with a yawn. "I'm gonna take a nap," he collapsed into a nearby chair. "'Night."

Pikachu ran to join him while Tepig glanced at the Grass Snake, "(You don't mind if I-)"

"(Go ahead,)" she said, closing her eyes, "(I don't care.)"

"(Thanks,)" he settled in a far corner of the bed. "(Goodnight.)"

"('Night,)" Snivy mumbled, welcoming sleep as it came even though morning was near.

The same brightly colored ceiling and walls, same equipment, same bed, same words, same checkups… She was fed up with it, though it was early morning of the third day. The only different thing was an odd, indescribable feeling swimming in her head. It didn't hurt - it wasn't even annoying - it was just there. Though that was quickly getting old as well. What's very irritating, though, is that we have a much more urgent calling than sitting around in bed.

Snivy had been informed more of the invading Pokemon and the missing Dwebble. We should be looking for some leads, but no! Everyone's staying here because I'm bedridden thanks to this stupid scar! She glared at her stitched wound. She followed it from the beside her right leg of her body to where her field of vision could see, on her chest, though it ended near her left eye. Nurse Joy had stitched it up after it was cleaned and disinfected, along with some other procedures Snivy didn't care to name. "Officer Jenny's looking into it. She'll inform us when she figures out where they went." Well, Jenny's not going to let us go after whoever took Dwebble! It'd be "too dangerous"! We have to do this on our own - this scar shouldn't be stopping us. After a few seconds, she sighed and stared back up at the ceiling. I'm sure there are a lot of trainers here also looking for their Pokemon - Dwebble wasn't the only one gone. Other Bug and Grass Types were taken from all around Nimbasa City; I would've been as well if I hadn't woken up. Pansage, Swadloon, and I are the only ones here, from what I know… Then again, I'm stuck in bed.

A creaking door broke the Grass Snake's train of thought. She turned to see Oshawott creeping through the door. "(What are you doing here?)"

The Sea Otter jumped at her words, looking around frantically from side to side until he spotted her watching him. He breathed a sigh of relief, "(Sorry, I thought you were Audino or someone. 'Didn't expect you to be awake.)"

"(Sneaking around?)" Snivy said as he drew nearer.

"(Honestly, yes,)" he grinned. "(I wanted to see you before the others woke up,)" he said, leaping onto a chair next to the bed.

"(Is that a good thing?)" She blinked when the Water Type chuckled. He quickly recomposed himself, though his eyes sparkled with amusement.

"(It is if you want out of this boring room.)"

"(What?)" Snivy stared at him. He smirked at her surprise. She paused before grinning herself, "(That's why you're here so early. You wanted to visit without anyone's knowledge.)"

He nodded. "('Just a short walk. I know you don't like it here - you're not one for being dependent. N-not that you are,)" he hastily added, eying her warily, but, for once, it wasn't because of something related to her scar. He was worried she was going to snap at him, not because he had hit a nerve, but because he had called her "dependent". The thought made her grin broaden. Oshawott relaxed. "(I don't know why they haven't let you wander around yet. Sure, you're injured, but I checked out your condition a little while ago. From the looks of it, you're healing at a shocking rate, incredibly fast. You should be strong enough for a little walk, at least,)" he paused, looking thoughtful. "(Maybe they think something's wrong. I mean, you do seem to be recovering… but recovering that fast doesn't seem right. You lost a lot of blood, and your heart just avoided injury...Maybe…)" he glanced at Snivy before shaking his head rapidly. He then gave her an apologetic grin, "(Sorry, I'm rambling. We should get going. You want to go, right?)"

"(Yeah, I'm not missing this,)" the Grass Snake sat up. "(Since when did you become a doctor?)"

"(Oh, I picked a few things up from Professor Juniper a while back,)" the Sea Otter leaped onto the bed. "(I'm here if you need some help.)"

"(I'm fine,)" she responded quickly as she stood. A shock ran through her body, causing her to waver slightly. She quickly regained her footing and erected herself.

"(Don't push yourself,)" she felt Oshawott grab her right arm. She was about to recede it when he said, "(I want to give you some freedom, but you aren't going anywhere if you insist on risking further injury.)"

"(Alright, I suppose that's reasonable, Doctor,)" she relaxed her arm. "(I can't let you get caught.)"

"('Got that one right. Nurse Joy and Audino'll have my head if they figure out,)" the Sea Otter said, guiding her to the chair. "(I don't think the others would be very pleased either.)"

Snivy jumped onto the surface, hissing as the shock went through her. Oshawott landed beside her. He made sure she was steady before he continued onto the ground. He turned, waiting for her. "(They just won't figure out, then,)" she tensed, preparing to follow him. "(How do you plan to get past the security? If you hadn't noticed already, it's pretty strong.)" Unless, of course, a stampede of Pokemon charges in.

He grabbed her again as she touched the ground. "(I… erm… I got some help with that,)" he responded, steadying her once more. She glanced at him questioningly. "(Emolga.)"

"(Funny, last I checked, she wasn't too pleased with me,)" she sighed. Along with Nurse Joy and Audino, Gym Leaders and their Pokemon were also able to access different things in the Pokemon Center - security included.

"(Well, she isn't, to be honest, but she still cares,)" he said, starting to guide her

towards the door.

"(That's nice to know.)"

"(We'll need to be quiet now,)" he hissed once they had reached the room's exit. "(I was going to get you to that walking park outdoors - you cool with that?)" Snivy nodded in response. "('Kay, let's go.)"

They went down several dimly lit halls quietly until they came across one particular door. It was wide open - courtesy of Emolga - revealing the walking park behind it.

"(Professor Juniper talked about some Pokemon Centers like this, so I asked Emolga and she suggested this,)" Oshawott whispered. He slowly released her arm.

"(Yes, I imagine so. We came here quite a bit two years ago,)" the Grass Snake took a few steps outside. It was still dark out - though the city lights fixed that - and there was a slight chill in the air. Closing her eyes, she took in the scent of the many plants around her. A small smile made its way onto her face. This was her element.

"('Glad you like it,)" Oshawott padded up beside her. She reopened her eyes to look at him. The Water Type was beaming widely.

"(Yes, its a nice place,)" she said, walking on.

They travelled in silence for a short time until Oshawott stopped suddenly, "(Alright. We'll rest here for a while, and then we're going back.)" Snivy halted as well. She opened her mouth to object, but a quick glare from the Sea Otter somehow made her change her mind.

"(Fine,)" she said instead, sitting down. Oshawott took his place beside her.

"(How much is your injury bothering you?)" He asked before giving her another stern look. "(No lying.)"

"(I don't see the point in that. You can see right through me with that medical experience of yours,) Snivy pointed out. He kept staring at her expectantly. "(It hurts quite a bit, but it's not overwhelming.)"

"(Tell me when it's calmed down a little. We'll go back then,)" he said, leaning back and looking up at the sky. She followed his gaze. The sun still wasn't visible, though the moon was slowly nearing the horizon. She couldn't see many stars thanks to the city lights around them, but they were there. "(Y'know, everyone's pretty worried,)" she turned to look at the Sea Otter. He was watching her again with his blue eyes.

"(Yeah, your point?)"

"(Ash isn't quite himself. I mean, sure, no one else really is, but he seems the worst off. He's trying to act like himself, but we can tell he's just hiding his feelings. I don't think he wants you to know. He wants to be a strong trainer for you.)"

Snivy paused before hesitantly replying, "(If he doesn't want me to know, why are you telling me this?)"

"(One: I know you like to be aware of what's going on. Two: It's not good for him. I think that if he figures out you know, that he'll open up a bit,)" he gave her a meaningful look. "(I've been told that you can't keep things bottled up inside. Rhetorically speaking, it's better to keep the bottle empty instead of risking it spilling all at once. It's less to clean up afterward,)" he paused, observing her. "(I know that's not what exactly what everyone means when they say 'bottled up inside', but that's how I've always pictured it.)"

Snivy stared at him. He was referring to Ash, but she knew he was also directing it toward her. She may've not been going through anything emotionally - other than frustration with her situation, though it wasn't something that would hurt her - but her scar still needed explaining. He wanted her to feel comfortable talking about her injury. Her past. The main reason she left… She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. "(Wow, Oshawott…)" she said, her voice even, "(I never expected to hear something like that coming out of your mouth.)"

He shrugged, though disappointment flashed in his eyes, "(I'm just hoping this'll help him out.)"

"(I'm surprised I hadn't noticed before,)" she admitted. It never was difficult for a Pokemon to feel something was wrong - why had it evaded her completely?

"(I think it's the sedatives,)" Oshawott said simply. Snivy blinked.

"(Sedatives?)" Of course, dull the pain... and the mind.

"(Yup, working like a charm if you hadn't noticed yet.)" He smirked, "(Y'know… When I came in a yesterday, you weren't really yourself. It was pretty amusing.)" Snivy hissed in frustration, fighting back a blush of embarrassment as she looked away. The Sea Otter chuckled, "(Don't worry, I won't tell. In return though, you have to tell me something.)" She glanced at him. He was still observing her inquiringly. She nodded for him to continue; he hesitated before doing so, suddenly not seeming so brave. "(W-well, you talked about… that family briefly. Y'know, the one you lived with. I think their names were… umm… well, you mentioned 'Zero' and 'Anne'. 'Said… uh… w-well…)"

"(Just spit it out,)" Snivy sighed. He's fighting for the answers now.

"(You left them after the accident. Was that the same accident? W-were they responsible?)" His eyes were watching her with a scared curiosity. She stared into the blue orbs for a time before taking a deep breath.

"(Not… not directly. Though it was the same incident that caused this scar when I finally decided to… start a new life,)" the Grass Snake glanced back at the sky.

"(... Oh,)" he said. There was a pause, "(I don't know what happened between you and your trainers, but I want you to know that we're all here for you. No matter what happens.)"

Snivy took in his words for a moment, "(Yeah, I know. You all are great.)"

"(You think I'm great, huh?)" From the corner of her eye, she saw the Sea Otter grin and his eyes flash naughtily.

She paused before giving Oshawott an amused glance, "(What are you trying to do? Flirt?)"

"(Aww, no. I wouldn't do that to ya.)"

"(Ah, I see. Flirting's reserved for the pretty girls,)" she teased.

"(Hey, you're pretty!)" He countered. A shock went through Snivy, and she felt her face redden slightly.

Why am I blushing?! She silently hissed at herself, trying to regain her original color, of course he's going to say something like that! It's Oshawott! He says that to every girl! Sure, no one's really ever… but it- ugh! She gave up trying to reason with herself and focused on abolishing the heat in her face.

Oshawott seemed to realize what he said and quickly added, "(I-I mean… It's not like I think you're pretty, b-but you're not ugly!)" A harsh blush graced his cheeks as he continued to try and cover himself, "(Besides, I don't flirt with girls because they're cute or pretty or beautiful o-or… I'm not flirting with you either! I-I mean, you are in all of those sections, but it doesn't mean that I think we should… I mean… I-I think that you-)"

"(Relax, Oshawott,)" the Grass Snake touched a vine to his shoulder, managing to fight her own blush down. "(Stop now before you embarrass yourself more.)" The Sea Otter inhaled deeply, his face still red. "(I was just teasing; I didn't expect you to lose your cool…)" the blush now was beginning to rival Pikachu's red cheeks. That's not helping… she thought bitterly as the atmosphere around the two grew even more awkward. She paused, "(... Y'know, my scar doesn't hurt anymore. You wanted to head back when it got better?)"

He nodded, looking away as he stood up and held out an arm. Not wanting to offend him, she awkwardly accepted it, and he helped her off the ground. The uncomfortable atmosphere remained as they began to walk back, and it stayed there the entire trip.

When they did get back, the Sea Otter still had a small blush on his cheeks. There was a long silence as they just avoided each other's gazes. After a time, Snivy was beginning to wonder if he was even still there, though a deep intake of air told her otherwise. "(S-sorry… I didn't mean for that to get weird. You… you don't hate me, do you?)"

Alarmed, she jerked her head to look at him, finding him watching her desperately. He was blushing again, tail lowered. "(Of course not!)" She said. "(Why would I hate you?)"

"(S-sorry,)" he apologized again, though he looked slightly more comfortable. "(I was just a little worried.)"

"(Don't be. It's not like you.)"

"(... 'Kay,)" he shuffled slightly. "(Well, I guess I'll get going now. Thanks for the walk,)" he jumped off the chair he was on.

"(Thank you,)" the Grass Snake called as he ran off hurriedly. There wasn't any response since the Water Type had already disappeared. She sighed and leaned back.

That was weird.

Okay, that's it. I'll try to get another chapter in, but if one doesn't come in by the 26th, don't expect any for a week or two.