Valerie escorted them to Route 14, which led to Lumoise City, their next destination.

"Now listen," Valerie said. "Lumoise City is huge, so please be safe. Stay together, and stay away from strangers. That means you, Dino."

Dino laughed. "No problem."

"You don't have to worry about us." Allison insisted. "We're sixteen. We can take care of ourselves."

Valerie laughed. Topher had to admit, he loved that laugh. It was like bells chiming.

"I know." she said sadly. "But you three are my little sprites. I can't help but worry."

"We appreciate it all the same." Dino said earnestly. Despite his ditziness, he always knew the right thing to say.

Valerie looked like she was about to tear up. "Thank you, Dino. And you too, Allison and Topher. I'm so proud to call you three my apprentices."

Topher looked down at his shoes. He hated this kind of stuff. Topher never knew how to respond to affection or caring, and their was always a feeling that he was doing something wrong. Plus, affection always ended with-

"Group hug!" Dino yelled, pulling Allison and Topher into an embrace around Valerie.

Touching. Topher despised touching other people. The hug alone made his skin crawl.

But Topher looked up and saw that Valerie had her eyes closed and had her signature sleepy half-smile on, and he felt better.

When they broke apart, Valerie was still smiling.

"Goodbye, my little sprites." she said.

Topher didn't understand why he enjoyed being with Allison and Dino, but walking along Route 14 reminded him of how much he loved being with them.

"Gah, are we almost there?" Allison moaned."My feet are killing me." Gothita stirred in her arms.

"Not fast enough." Topher muttered.

Allison smacked him and Dino, who was yards ahead of them, laughed.

"Ow. jerk." Topher rubbed the back of his head. "It's not my fault you're wearing pumps on a five hour walk. How is that even possible?"

Allison smiled."Heroic resolve," She said smugly. "And magic." Was this why? Because he liked trading insults with the two?

It's not that Topher didn't want to be their friends. He loved them with everything he had. But as they left Laverre, the one riddle Topher that would always plague him came back. Why did they care about him? How does caring about one another work?

Those kind of things bugged Topher. Why did people care about one another? What was the point?

Topher opened his mouth to respond, but was promptly silenced by a loud voice screaming. " Chaaarge!"

Topher and Allison knew Dino well enough to know to move when he came barreling into them on the back of his Numel. Numel skidded to a
halt, launching Dino into the air.

Topher and Allison yelled Dino's name as he flew. They rushed to his side. He was laying awkwardly in the grass, his rear sticking up. Topher smiled. He looked like a Scatterbug. Magby laid beside him.

Maybe this is why. He liked their spontaneity, an area he lacked in.

"You guys are good," Dino said. He didn't seem to be in a daze at all- on the contrary, the boy seemed excited. "Nice reaction time." Numel, trotted up to him and licked his face.

"What do you think you're doing?" Allison demanded. She helped him up- a generous way of saying Allison yanked a perfectly willing Dino to
his feet- then hit him on the back of his head. Numel made a noise of protest ("Nume!"), and Magby laughed.

"Okay, first off, ow." Dino rubbed the spot, messing up his Cherubi red hair. Topher had an odd urge to fix it. But that was pointless- Dino's hair was always unkempt. "And second: I'm training you guys."

Topher raised an eyebrow at him."Training us?" he picked up his Bergmite , which made a sound of annoyance. Bergmite had been in Topher's arms when Dino had charged them.

Topher studied it for injuries. None. It looked the same as always: small, with a head that appeared to be made of ice, a white bottom and legs of the same color. His head came to a jagged point just below Topher's shoulder. He had one horn sticking out of his back and one on his forehead, above his violet-rimmed yellow eyes. His eyes were connected by what appeared to be a crack in his ice, but was actually his mouth. "What are you babbling on about now?"

"We have to be quick and our reflexes need to be sharp!" Dino cried, waving his arms. Topher moved so he didn't get hit."We can't screw around! This our chance at the big leagues! At fame! Pokemon Mastery!"

"Keep screaming." Allison said threateningly. "And you won't make it to Lumoise, let alone become a Pokemon Master." Topher's Bergmite hmm-ed in agreement. He had been napping like Gothita, and was jolted awake by the commotion.

Gothita, however, was still asleep. How, Topher had no clue.

"Lumoise is close." Topher said. "The idiot's right. We need to train."

Allison groaned once again. "But I'm tired." Topher shook his head, but didn't let her comment worry him. He knew how to handle Allison. "How about a competition?"

That got their attention. Topher shifted uncomfortably."We all catch one Pokemon. We need more anyway. Then we meet at the city gates and have a battle. Winner gets to..." Topher thought about it. A devious grin spread across his face.

"That's an evil look." Dino said.

"I love it." Allison said. "What are the stakes?"

Maybe the answer was simple. His friends made fun things like catching Pokemon even more fun.

"Winner gets to be team Leader."

Allison didn't want to be leader.

Sure, everyone expected her to want that. Topher was so quiet and Dino was childish, so they both deferred to her anyway.

Topher and Dino had always called her bossy.

Allison liked their trust in her, but she didn't want that responsibility. If they lost, it was her fault. If they won, she a great hero and was expected to lead them into victory against another team. Each medal they win would weigh on her, until she couldn't walk. Allison didn't want that responsibility. All she'd do is let her friends down.

She'd let them down, the same way she let down Eris...

"Thita?" Gothita said. Allison was violently pulled back to reality.

"Sorry. Got distracted." Allison muttered as she started walking again. I can't believe I sat there for so long just brooding. Allison thought. Brooding. I don't brood. That's Topher's specialty, not mine.

The others are probably waiting on me. Allison thought. She hurridly ran towards the direction of Lumoise Gates, searching for Pokemon amoung the dark trees and bushes of Route 14. Their had to be one somewhere-

"Gas!"

Allison screamed out a stream of profanities.

Valerie looked at Togekiss. "Do you feel that?" she asked.

"Kiss?"

"Somehow, somewhere, Allison has just disappointed us."

Allison looked up at the big ball of violet smoke that had scared her. Gastly.

Allison brought out her Pokedex , a card-shaped machine with a holographic center, but Gastly grabbed it. (How, Allison wasn't sure. It was literall a ball of smoke. It didn't have hands).

"Hey! Give me that back!" Allison cried. "Feint Attack, Gothita!"

Gothita jumped from Allison's shoulder and sped towards Gastly. Gothita went to hit Gastly, and Gastly dodged, but Gothita feinted to the right and struck. She grabbed the Pokedex and darted back to Allison.

"What now!?" Allison taunted it. Then she realised it was weakened. Allison slowly brought out a Pokeball.

"Hyper Beam!"

Allison only had enough time to grab Gothita and jump out of the way before a beam of light cut through Gastly.

Allison coughed as the cloud of dirt from the attack filled her lungs.

She finished hacking and looked around. The attack had burned a path through the forest, destroying several trees.

Allison stood up and looked around.

Standing there was a man and Pokemon. The Pokemon had blue and red feathers covering it's body, and was bigger than Allison. Swellow.

The man looked to be in his mid twenties. He had pink hair, like Nurse Joy, but shades lighter. His eyes were a murky shade of brown.

But his hair and eyes weren't what surprised Allison. What surprised her was his attire. He wore pink robes with a gold leaves patttern and white trimmings. He carried a staff with five pokeballs attached to it.

"Are you alright?" the man asked. "Did that creature hurt you?"

In response, Allison growled.

"Gothita, Psyshock!" she yelled.

A/N: Who is this mysterious man? And why did he attack Gastly? Review to find out!

Reader Question Time! What's your favorite normal type? Tell me in your review!