It had been days since the expedition at Fogbound Lake. It took a while for Team Future to return to their regular routine, especially mornings. Whatever happened between Wigglytuff and Team Skull, it seemed that they would no longer invited back in to the guild, but no one wished to ask their Guildmaster why.

Mana and Riolu were rewarded a bigger pack, able to hold a lot more items then their starter one, thanks to their efforts in finding the secret behind the fog and finding the 'treasure'. Aside from them and Wigglytuff, everyone else who was afraid of their guildmaster stayed as far from the cave entrance as possible. Corphish and Loudred unfortunately, did not remember what had transpired after they were knocked out, so the secret was kept between the three.

Upon returning to the guild, Mana headed straight for Marowak's Dojo and trained by herself. She came back only to sleep and eat, then disappeared again. Riolu had tried to talk to her, but she would hear none of it, telling him that it is all in the past and there was nothing to worry about. However, Riolu decided that he, too, would train at Marowak's Dojo. They fought through each of the rooms, easiest to hardest, working their way up and after weeks of battling through, Mana and Riolu both reach the last of the rooms: fire.

Mana gulps, facing the door in front. Last time, her fire type moves were useless and she had to rely on smokescreen and quick attack to help her.

"We could do this another time, Mana. I mean, if you're-"

"You can leave, but I'm going in," Mana says, cutting off Riolu. Without thinking, she opens the door and her body freezes as an oncoming flamethrower heads straight for her.

"M-Mana!" Arms pull Mana down and she gasps, remembering. This is what she wanted, this is the dangers she wanted because she fought a Groudon. Illusion or not, it was a Groudon, a legendary pokemon. If she could defeat it on her own, then why she couldn't defeat this simple room?

A houndour growls, the same one that had 'greeted' her awhile back. Mana headbutts Riolu and attacks the smirking pokemon, using smokescreen to gain an advantage. She was not going to lose this time, she was done being weak and relying on others. She gave up on making promises, gave up on the friendship crumbling in front of her. It wasn't Riolu's fault that he ran away, the pressure was too great for him. Maybe if he was in the same situation as Mana, then maybe Riolu would have stayed and helped her…?

"WAIT…MANA!" The houndour dodges and his mouth opens. He bites down hard on Mana's back and she screams, but uses the opportunity to fire up. Riolu gets up and watches, his muscles twitching to move, but he is shocked. The Mana he knew wouldn't be so determined to put her life on the line for something like this, she would have asked for Riolu's help. What happened to his friend? Where was the strong willed, but kind hearted pokemon he knew? He was supposed to be the reckless one, not her. He was supposed to act out first, not her. She was supposed to saving him, not the other way around.

Flames, shoot out of Mana's back and her power increases. The houndour only laughs, shaking his head with her still in his mouth. No way, he's not affected at all? It was her that had forgotten about houndour's special ability because she was so caught up in defeating this room. Mana begins to struggle against the pokemon as he laughs. Finally, he drops her on the ground and prepares for his next attack, but something makes contact with his stomach. Before getting the chance, Houndour falls onto the hardened floor next to Mana.

"Fire type moves won't work here, Mana." Riolu's eyes flicker over to Mana and she flinches inwardly. She watches as he pulls his paw back and faces her, his crimson eyes looking down at her. She sees the friend who is no longer a coward as she meets his gaze. Something in her begins to stir, but she ignores it...and Riolu. Pulling herself up without the riolu's help, she continues forward.

"Heh, I guess maybe you…forgot…" Riolu follows after his limping friend, careful not to get too close to her. They continue running into more houndour, with Mana at a disadvantage. Many times, Riolu rushes in and takes on damage meant for the cyndaquil and many times, he saves her from these very pokemon.

"You idiot, I was going to-"

"No, you weren't going to do anything!" Riolu screams, turning to face Mana, who is glaring at him angrily. Tears run down his face and he does nothing to wipe them away.

"I said I was sorry, so why do you keep doing reckless things? You know ember or flame wheel isn't going to work, so why do you continue when it's going to fail! I tried giving you space like Uxie said, but now I-"

"I never asked for you to come with me. It was my decision to come here, not yours and it's none of your business what I do and how I do, so-"

"I WON'T STAND BY WHEN YOU PURPOSELY HURT YOURSELF! I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE! I can't allow myself to stand by and ignore what you're doing to yourself, I just can't," Riolu cries harder, pointing his paw in Mana's direction.

"You're saying this now? You, who left me to fight Groudon, is saying this now?! YOU LEFT ME TO DIE AND NEVER CAME BACK FOR ME-"

"I APOLOGIZED TO YOU! You said you forgave me, but I apologized… Over and over. You told me it was all in the past, you said you didn't want to talk about it-"

"-Because I didn't want to remember my friend betraying me when I needed him most!" There, she got it out. The one thing that kept replaying in her mind and it was all out in the open. Mana thought that she buried all of this, but she couldn't sleep next to the 'friend' that ditched her when she needed him, couldn't focus on morning chores without him there right beside her. He was always there to remind her that she can't trust him because she had put so much faith in him and relied on him so much.

"I trusted you! I thought you had my back! YOU PROMISED YOU'D HELP ME AND YOU LEFT SO EASILY! Of course I can't forgive you because of that! What if something big happens and you leave me again? You were my only friend and you…you left me alone. I know you were scared and I told you to run away, but I didn't think that was all it took! All that time we spent going on adventures and meeting new pokemon and gaining new team members…and that was all it took for you to leave me? How can I trust you to have my back when things get tough? HOW CAN I COUNT ON YOU WHEN YOU LEFT ME ONCE ALREADY?!" Mana screams her final words, her voice hoarse and her heart aching. All this time she kept everything bundled tightly, kept everything restrained, but now that Riolu is here with her…again, all those bundled up emotions break free.

"I know I betrayed…your trust-"

"No, you don't know! You don't know anything about trust! You only know how to apologize and get everything back to the way it was. You can't change that past-"

"I KNOW! I know, okay? I feel stupid and guilty, and angry at myself, and I feel ashamed. I can't do or say anything that will make things right between us and I hate it. I hate that I let fear take over me and ran away, I felt guilty and ashamed because I left my very dear friend to fend for herself. You're right, my memories weren't wiped clean and I haven't felt like I was already lost. Looking at you makes me realize the huge mistake I made and I have nightmares about it all the time!

"But what do you want me to do?! What can I do that will let me back in? I broke our promise, so you don't trust me anymore, but what do I do? I can't do anything without you; I'm worthless, weak, and I can't do anything when you're not with me! I cried all the time because I was always so scared! It took me a long time for me to come to the guild and even longer to climb up those stairs, but when I was with you, it took me…"

Mana listens to the riolu, as he breaks down in front of her. She was supposed to be the only one crying, but the pokemon in front of her falls to his knees and cries even harder. His words become jumbled, incoherent even as he continues to tell her how cowardly he is. While Mana was angry at Riolu, her anger seems to have washed away and is now replaced by something else. Sniffling and wiping her own eyes, Mana limps towards Riolu.

"…thers said I was too cowardly, but mother has been so proud of me since I told her about you! I'm just…so ashamed because I ruined the only friendship with someone who saved me from-"

"You know, your puddles of water are making the fire pokemon scared," Mana says, patting her friend lightly on the top of his head. Riolu sobs even harder, which makes Mana begin to feel uncomfortable.

"I don't careeee! I just want us to be friends again, just…want to be…friends…" Mana takes a step back and her back powers up. She opens her mouth just as Riolu utters a few more incoherent words and then small embers burst from her mouth.

"GGGGYYYYYAAAAAAAA!" Riolu is hit with hot reddish orange flames, the puddle around his feet quickly drying up. Mana keeps her mouth open for a few more seconds, then closes it. However, Riolu grabs hold of her as soon as her mouth closes, his body burnt and his voice hoarse.

"W-w-w-what'd you do that for?! Does this mean you don't forgive me? Am I really that shameful that you can't…" Mana watches from behind Riolu as a Magmar steps out from a corner. His eyes meet hers, then breaks away from her gaze. He surveys the area, glancing at the houndour and houndoom that seemed to have gathered around Mana and Riolu, his eyes taking in the unconscious houndour a few feet from Riolu. His eyes widen, but there isn't much reaction from the pokemon. Mana gulps and she tries to get her friend's attention, who is more focused on talking to her than paying attention to his surroundings. Magmar walks towards them, each footprint creating flames from underneath and do not disappear when his feet take another step.

"U-uh, Riolu? I think maybe we should wait until after we get out of here to talk."

"Why? So you can tell me off in front of square? To humiliate me over and over again, then-"

"Uhh… No, I think it'd be a good idea to-"

"-Break off our friendship? I knew it, I knew you couldn't take it anymore!"

Magmar stops right behind Riolu, his shadow looming over the both of them. Mana stares up at the fire pokemon, her body beginning to shake. Riolu continues to talk, but his voice cuts off because of the smoke in his throat and his mouth just moves.

"Riolu." Hearing his name, Riolu stops and looks at Mana, really looks at her. He realizes that they are not alone, as it somehow grew darker in the last few minutes and that whatever it was, Mana seemed to be terrified. The riolu gulps, slowly turning around to meet the eyes of a really tall and really intimidating looking pokemon. It smiles down at the two rookies.

"I see you brought a friend this time, but that's still not enough to pass," Magmar says, his voice rumbling. He pulls back one of his arms and Mana's eyes widen. She knew what was coming next. As Mana pushes Riolu to the side, Magmar's electrically charged fist comes straight at them. Riolu isn't knocked far, but he witnesses Mana being hit with a thunderpunch, being flung into the air by the pokemon, and being hit yet again by another thunderpunch.

Riolu's eyes record this and he begins to remember the Kabuto incident, remembering how he was too slow to stop Mana from being injured. His mind shuts down, his body beginning to move on its own. Jumping up, Riolu thrusts his palms out towards Magmar's side and power courses into him. Magmar meets with the rookie's attack with a flamethrower. Riolu uses counter, taking in damage and countering it double the amount. Magmar is slammed back, but Riolu doesn't let up, thrusting his palms every which way and Magmar attempts to block the riolu.

"You still have a long way to go, little one," Magmar says, chuckling. He blocks another thrust while is other hand begins to gather strength. He waits as the young pokemon comes up again, careful to calculate the next move. While Riolu's counter is powerful, knowing when to surprise the opponent takes time and so long as the riolu hasn't fainted, Magmar has all the time to plan.

What was this feeling of numbness? Riolu can't understand it. No, he can't think to understand it because there is nothing to feel or think about. He faintly realizes what is happening around him; the sounds, the movement between him and his opponent, the silence in his head and around him. It's like he can't see or hear anything else, like all his eyes are seeing are the auras around the room and the brightest one is the pokemon in front.

Using quick attack, Riolu begins to gain speed. He jumps up, dodging Magmar's flamethrower. The force of gravity pulling him down grants him more power and he uses that slight increase to store up some energy as he pulls back his left paw. Magmar smiles, waiting for this moment, this very moment to counterattack. His fist is fully charged with electricity and is waiting for the young riolu to make the final move. Both pokemon get ready for their last move, each with their own agendas, each fighting for something.

"Too bad, little one. This was fun, but-" Magmar stops midsentence, his eyes widening in the direction of the riolu's left arm. In the center of his paw, an unusual glow forms around the middle, but only Magmar seems to be aware of this. Impossible, he thinks to himself. His actions are delayed as Riolu thrusts forward.

Attack… Attack now! But Magmar is frozen. His body seems to have stopped at the sight of the riolu, his arm losing its electrical power. Riolu aims for Magmar, not noticing the shadow of a pokemon jumping towards him from his right side. He is also unaware as something sharp and hot bites down on his right arm and the pokemon tossing him aside like a limp pokedoll. Riolu crashes to the floor, rolling away while holding his arm with his other paw.

"You are far too inexperienced to fight. Had you noticed sooner, you may have gotten away with a little scratch." Struggling to get up, he notices the shadow walking slowly towards Mana. No… Mana is already unconscious, so why is that pokemon-

"Tch, pathetic. You should have the decency to understand that when your partner is down, it is time for you to retreat. And you, Magmar. You became so caught up in the fight, you underestimated him and almost got yourself injured. His force palm would've paralyzed you, making you unable to move for his next attack." The pokemon nudges the cyndaquil and sighs. Marowak is not going to be very happy about this…again.

"N-no… You can't… Please, kill me instead…just not her," Riolu mumbles as he fights to stay conscious. The pokemon who had spoken now looks over in Riolu's direction and seems surprised that the young pokemon is still awake. His paws pads over to the struggling riolu, who is able to see legs made purely of muscle, a shiny black coat that shimmers as the pokemon moves, and white bands that look to be bones which circle around each of the legs of the pokemon. When he stops, the pokemon glares down at Riolu, the surprise he had shown moments ago already gone.

"Teamwork: working together to combine your strengths with your partner or fellow teammates. Your weaknesses are covered, the disadvantages decrease, and your ability to formulate plans grows, as well as the ability to react. I would have thought the reason you were here was because your friend understood, but it would seem like I was mistaken. Magmar, bring them to Marowak for healing and let him know that they are not to come here without learning this. Should they enter, I will kill them without remorse."

"B-but Houn-"

"Do as I say, or I will punish you as well," The pokemon's black eyes flash and Magmar flinches, but follows orders. The pokemon turns to leave and the group of houndour flee before he can reach them. Magmar carries the two back, careful not to burn them with his flames. He sighs, mumbling about orders and rules.

"I mean, it is true about what Houndoom said…but to kill on sight? Isn't it taking that a little too far? Maybe Marowak was right, fire types are way too hot tempered. But wait, what does that mean for me? Hmmm… Maybe I should ask Maggy. Yeah, his mate would give him answers…if he asked nicely.

"I'm sorry…" Riolu says, taking another oran berry. Marowak had treated his burns, making sure to patch him up nice and tight as he scolded both Riolu and Mana. Both had suffered a lot of injuries, Mana especially. Her body was feeling the after effects of the thunderpunch, her body stiff and unreliable and Marowak had fed her a cheri berry, curing the slight paralysis on her side.

"Mana…" Marowak says, waiting for her to apologize. To be honest, he was kind of at fault for letting them go because he thought the two would be able to come to an agreement and start working together. Instead, they ended up fighting and Mana was knocked out while Riolu tried to resolve the issue on his own... According to what Magmar had told him. Still, these two are just…just too reckless to understand what this dojo is all about. But I can't very well hand them all the answers, Marowak thinks to himself as he starts the process of patching up the cyndaquil.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being so weak and having to rely on someone else to fight for me. I'm sorry for not picking up on my end and having Riolu to deal with the mess I made. I guess we're even now, huh? You ditch me and I ditch you-"

WHACK!

The Dojo is quiet except for Marowak's heavy breathing and Riolu's gasp. His oran berry drops as he watches Mana, who's cheek begins to well up from where she was hit.

"The whole point of this is to work together and you've failed! I will not allow you to intentionally put you and your friend in harm's way. Now then, I wish you both to leave and I will ask that you both think about the mistakes you've made during this lesson." Marowak gets up and turns away from the rookies. Riolu helps Mana up, but she pulls away, insisting she can walk on her own. As soon as they walk outside, the curtains to the dojo close and a sign appears.

"After all that trouble, huh?" Riolu shoves the rest of his oran berry into his mouth and swallows, choking on it. Mana plops down in front of the entrance and sighs, shaking her head. What was she thinking back there? Was Marowak and Riolu right? Was she really trying to hurt herself?

"I thought that Uxie would be able to help. I was so sure it was Uxie…"

"Maybe there is another pokemon who can take away memories, or maybe even a powerful pokemon who can change a human into a poke-"

"You heard Uxie, only he can erase memories. If a human hasn't been there, then it's no use even searching anymore-"

"Don't say that! You also heard him say that the world is big, so there may be a pokemon out there that even Uxie doesn't know-"

"'May be'. I can't assume there is one out there. I should've listened to you and just left. If I knew that this was going to be so painful, maybe I should just live the rest of my life as a cyndaquil…"

"I don't like this Mana! I don't want you to give up so easily, I'm supposed to do that-"

"I can't always be so sure-"

"-But you are-"

"Riolu, I'm done! I don't want to be a part of this, of any of this anymore. I can't be let down again, I don't think I can handle being disappointed again," Mana says, looking up at the sky. She watches the afternoon clouds move lazily away from the sun. A flock of wingull squeal as they pass over her, flying in the direction of the ocean. She never really noticed how beautiful and peaceful the sky was, how the air seems to console her aching heart, while the sun releases its warmth towards her. I wonder if I will always be a cyndaquil.

"Mana, I won't ask for your forgiveness because what I did to you was unthinkable. I know my words mean nothing to you and my actions won't be trusted, but I don't want to lose my friend. I don't care that you think I will be a burden or that you can handle things on your own. I feel like I can overcome my weaknesses when I'm with you and I know I have a lot to work on, but traveling with you…" Riolu grits his teeth, his paws curled tightly at his sides.

"Oh…? I thought you were going to quit after this was all over," Mana says, still looking at the sky.

"I was stupid-"

"And still are-"

"Yeah, still stupid… Wait, no I'm not!" Flustered, Riolu faces Mana, who bursts out laughing. Riolu yells and stomps his foot, pointing at the cyndaquil. She falls backwards, still mumbling Riolu's response, tears of laughter rolling down her face. His face completely red from embarrassment at his own mistake, Riolu looks away from the giggling Mana. He crosses his arms and pouts, waiting for her to stop.

"That wasn't very funny," Riolu mumbles under his breath. Mana chuckles and sits back down on the floor. Her stomach hurts each time she takes a breath, but it was her fault for laughing so much. She smirks at the standing riolu, then lets out a small giggle.

"Heh, I'm sorry," Mana says, her mood quickly shifting. She looks down at the ground, playing with the little pebbles and knocking them into each other. One of them misses the other and hits her leg, making her flinch.

"I was stupid too. I never meant to say those things to you. I was upset and angry and I regretted them immediately after you left. It's just that, I shouldn't take things on by myself. I need to rely on others, but when you left...when you left, I thought that was how little you thought of me-"

"That's not true! I thought you didn't want me anymore because I was too weak and you were tired of me!"

"Why would I ever get tired of you? If anything, you should be more tired of me. I'm too straightforward, I think too much, I say horrible things to my closest friend, and I make you think it's all your fault when I'm also to blame! I... I'm not really good at apologizing, but I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings when I said I'd be better off and I know that I shouldn't put so much pressure on you either." Mana feels a gentle pat on her head, a small but comforting act. She finally looks up to see her friend sniffling, his eyes already watering.

"Anyone ever tell you that you cry too much?"

"S-Shut up, I'm a coward remember?" Riolu wipes his eyes, trying hard to make his leaky eyes dry up.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. So… We're okay?" Mana asks, getting up. She stretches, her back aching from hunching over. Riolu wipes the last of his tears and looks down at his friend.

"Yeah, we're okay," He says, smiling.