I don't own Pokemon.

Amy and Cheren both swiveled to stare at the speaker. It was the boy who Amy had seen before, barely older than herself. His face, no longer hidden by his hat, was thin and angular, almost handsome to a surprised Amy. She stumbled away, shocked as the boy spoke again.

"My apologies. I am called N. I want to hear what your Pokémon have to say about you," He told her in his raspy voice. It sounded underused, as if he didn't speak very often.

Lillypup looked up at N and barked twice. Snivy hissed before muttering, "Sniv," at N. N raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat as he looked at them. "Truly? You think so highly of your trainers? You don't long to be free?"

Cheren shook his head. "Who are you talking to?"

N looked at Cheren for a moment, shifting from outrage to disappointment. "Oh, you can't hear them either then. I can hear Pokémon's voices when they speak." He looked at Amy. "Your Pokémon speak highly of you. I wish to battle you, to hear what they have to say."

Amy shook her head. "I'm afraid I'll have to pass on that."

N looked at her surprised. "You can't turn down a Pokémon battle. Trainers battle when challenged."

"Perhaps," Amy told him. "But my Pokémon are in no condition to battle. Lillypup here is quite damaged and Snivy has been battling from Nuvema Town. I'll certainly accept after I heal up my Pokémon but not until then."

N shook his head. "You don't understand," He said, pulling out a Pokeball. "We battle, regardless, until one of our teams cannot continue." With that he threw the Pokeball.

In a small flash Purloin appeared. The small purple cat Pokémon appeared with a smug look and a quiet purr. Amy looked up the Dark type on her Pokedex out of curiosity before going to walk away. "I'm not here to battle you."

N didn't reply but Purloin started after Amy. Lillypup turned and growled at the Purloin. N, seeing this, laughed. "It seems that your Lillypup wants to fight," He told her. Amy looked down at Lillypup. It had placed itself between Amy and Purloin and though its growl was deep, Amy could see Lillypup shaking.

'It's hurt,' Amy thought, 'and terrified. But it wants to protect me, like Snivy did.'

"Lillypup, don't," Amy told it.

"Go Purloin. Fury Swipes!" N yelled.

The cat Pokémon lunged at Lillypup before Amy could reply and started scratching Lillypup over and over again. Lillypup gave a cry and tried to move away but its earlier injuries kept it from moving. "Lillypup," She cried out as it stumbled away as the attack ended.

Lillypup whimpered and tried to move but it couldn't manage. Still conscious, it glared at Purloin and N and gave a desperate growl. N laughed. "What spirit," He told it. "You are dedicated to your trainer. Is she the same though?"

Amy knelt down with Lillypup. "I'm so sorry," She whispered to it before looking at N coldly. 'We're done. You win." Amy's hands stroked Lillypup gently, wincing as she found cuts.

"Your Lillypup can still fight, so we continue!" N snapped. "Purloin, Fury Swipes again!"

Purloin leapt forward, intent on its attack. Amy saw the attack coming and scooped Lillypup into her arms. Too late she saw the claws fly towards her and pain lanced along the arms she wrapped Lillypup in. "Ah!" She cried as she fell back, curling around Lillypup who struggled to get free. N stopped laughing, shocked at what was happening but Purloin, in the midst of its attack, could or would not stop.

A loud cry filled the air followed by a sharp crack that sent Purloin stumbling back. Amy felt the claws leave her skin and looked up, despite her pain. Purloin gave a mewl as it felt the large welt that had appeared across its cheek.

Snivy stood in front of Amy, breathing heavily and radiating rage. N stopped laughing as Snivy launched itself at Purloin, both whips extended. Purloin stumbled back as welts started appearing across its hide and N was franticly yelling out orders.

Amy stood, holding Lillypup despite her pain and her voice was cold. "Snivy, Tackle rather than Vine Whip; it can't run right now. Good, that drove it back now use Vine Whip; the farther back you are the more force it hits with. Use Leer when it draws close and keep going!"

Snivy used its speed and Amy's commands to dance around the Purloin and rendered it helpless. The constant crack of Snivy's vines ended as sharply as they had begun. Purloin lay in a bloody heap and Amy looked at N angrily. She went to storm up to him only to hear the whimper from Lillypup, still bloody in her arms. Amy gave a single glare before running off with Lillypup into the Pokémon Centre.

Snivy didn't follow her, instead walking angrily up to N. "I know you can understand me,"Snivy snapped at N. "And I say how dare you!"

N was startled but Snivy pressed on, pointing a finger and stepping towards him. "You are a trainer and you claim to stand for what Pokémon want. You were there for the speeches made by that man, and you tried to convince others to listen. But instead of listening to another trainer, you nearly kill her Pokémon because you don't want the battle to end and then you have the nerve to have a Pokémon attack a human?" Snivy glowered and N, who stumbled backwards, suddenly afraid. "Pokémon do not attack humans and humans do not attack Pokémon. Yet you specifically ordered an attack on a human. I do not understand beings like you, and I don't want to. Know this: if you ever, EVER, go after Amy again I won't take it out on your Pokémon. I will rip you limb from limb, and when that's done, I'll flay what's left!"

N shook his head, terrified as he was. "I'm a human, remember?" He told Snivy. "Pokémon don't attack humans."

Snivy turned around and went to follow Amy. As almost an afterthought, one of its whips snaked out and made a single crack. N flinched but didn't feel any pain. Suddenly, he felt something fall off his head and his hat now lay on the ground, completely split in two. Snivy stuck its nose in the air and walked off haughtily.

Cheren called over, "Snivy, wait," Snivy paused, wondering what the human could want. "I need to finish up some things here but that Purloin looks really hurt. It wasn't its fault that its trainer is weak. Could you bring it in with you since you're meeting Amy in the Pokémon Centre?" Snivy sighed but nodded, walking over to the Purloin with a look of disgust. The vine reappeared and Snivy picked up the Purloin by a foot, held it as far away from itself as it could and with an unhappy face, scuttled off carrying the unconscious cat Pokémon.

Cheren walked calmly over to N with Oshawott out of his hood and walking beside him. Cheren looked at N with an impassionate, analytical eye. When he spoke, it was with a soft voice. "I don't know who you are. I know you're strong, I know that you're passionate about whatever this cause your preaching is. But you are not acting human. That was wrong on far too many levels, watching you enjoy beating that Pokémon. And when you hurt Amy; that was the final straw. I don't know what Snivy said but I'm in agreement. You will never hurt Amy again." Oshawott glared up at N, standing firmly beside its trainer.

"And how do you intend to stop me little boy," N snapped. He was now tired of being threatened and wanted to leave but needed to rescue his Purloin. He moved his hand to shove Cheren out of the way.

Cheren snapped up his arm faster than N could blink and drove two stiffened fingers into N's armpit. N inhaled sharply and pulled away, wincing in pain. "You're right; I am little. And a nerd, a wimp and a dork. But I'm smart, and I know all the soft, vulnerable points on the body. So you could probably take me in a fight but the question is; is the pain worth finding out?" Cheren turned and walked calmly away, Oshawott hopping into his hood and glaring at N, daring him to try something.

N glared at Cheren but didn't attempt anything, only started towards the Pokémon Centre. All the time, all the threats wandered through his brain as he struggled to understand what he had done and more specifically, what he had done wrong.

Amy absently rubbed the bandages on her arms as she kept looking over to where the nurse was healing her Pokémon. Snivy was standing guard by the counter but kept checking on Amy while watching the nurse work. The nurse treated both Lillypup and the Purloin that Snivy had brought in, which the latter was under intense scrutiny from Snivy at the moment. Amy didn't understand why Snivy had brought the Purloin in rather than having its trainer bring it in but she didn't comment, only sat and waited for them to be healed.

Her arm gave a twinge and she winced. The slashes from that Purloin hurt more than she was willing to admit, and the nurse had told that she would likely be scarred. The nurse had wanted to call the police but Amy didn't even know the trainer's name, other than the letter N. The nurse wasn't happy but there wasn't anything either of them could do so Lillypup was being treated and Amy was getting a few sad looks from the nurse.

She glanced at the healing Pokémon and looked out the glass doors of the Pokémon Centre, hoping to see Cheren or Bianca coming to see her. But instead of her friends' blond or raven hair, she saw a head full of green coming to greet her.

Amy glanced back at the nurse and made sure she wasn't watching before she stormed out of the Centre and approached the boy. "How dare you-" She started.

"Why does everyone keep saying that to me?" N whined.

"After what you did, how can you expect to be treated any differently?" Amy snapped at him.

"But what did I do?"

Amy's rant stopped. N was looking at her helplessly, and his question was in a desperate whine. She looked him in the eyes, truly shocked; N didn't understand. He didn't know what he had done wrong.

Amy gave a sigh. This was awkward. "Look, N, you say you can hear Pokémon's voices right?" He nodded. "Why did you have Purloin keep attacking Lillypup then? You knew it was injured."

"It insisted it could still fight!" He protested. "It told me that it would keep fighting."

"It was protecting me!" Amy snapped. "Couldn't you see it? It placed itself in harm's way to protect me, even though it was injured. And when I tried to protect Lillypup, you attacked me."

"So? Our Pokémon fight for us all the time, what's the difference if a Trainer is injured or not?" N snapped back.

Amy thrust her bandaged arm up. "What's the difference? Your Purloin's scratches have scarred me. You know scars don't ever heal right? They fade but I'll be wearing these scars the rest of my life. I'm ten years old and I already have injuries that will last me my whole life."

N winced as he heard that. "I did that?" He asked, his voice strained.

Amy nodded. "Pokémon and humans can't fight," She told him. "In self-defense they do but not regularly. Humans are too fragile to fight most Pokémon. And think what would have happened if I had fought back against your Purloin. I could beat on it, or have even strangled it. It wouldn't be that hard. We can't fight with Pokémon N."

N looked at her, looking as if he understood a little more but still confused over what had happened. Finally he sighed and asked, "Can I please retrieve my Purloin? I didn't expect to be here this long and I'm late."

"I'll get it; Snivy might attack you if you come near. Snivy believes that since you crossed the line with me that makes you fair game." Amy reached out her hand for the Pokeball and N handed it over without a fuss. A few moments later, Amy came back with Purloin and handed the ball to him.

N slid the Pokeball in his pocket and turned to leave, only to pause. "I'm curious, how did you know that? That Snivy threatened me?"

Amy paused and shrugged after thinking about it. "It's Snivy," She replied. "I love Snivy and would do anything to protect her. And she would do the same for me." Amy only then realized she had assigned a sex to her Pokémon but it seemed to fit; Snivy seemed like a girl to her.

N nodded slowly, considering her answer. "I believe your name is Amy, correct?" She nodded. "I am N Harmonia and I hope we meet again, for you are an interesting part of Unova's puzzle." His left without saying another word, his cryptic remark left hanging in the air as he left.

"You're kidding!" Bianca stared at Amy. "The nurse couldn't do anything?"

Amy shrugged. "She didn't have other ideas. Humans aren't like Pokémon and even Pokémon get scars. None of the machines or medicine can prevent scars."

"If I ever see that N guy, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind," Bianca growled, clenching a fist. Cheren winced, having been on the receiving end of Bianca's left hook before. "He should know better."

"But he didn't," Amy sighed. "That's the problem."

"What are you talking about?" Cheren asked, prompting Amy to tell them about her conversation with N.

Bianca shook her head and told Amy, "You shouldn't go near him. He doesn't sound human."

Amy shook her head. "No B," She told her. "He sounds almost too human."

Bianca shook her head. "Now you've lost me." Cheren on the other hand nodded in agreement.

"What I think Amy means is that N acts like a human who hasn't been taught right or wrong. A true innocent, left to his own devices. He hasn't been raised with our beliefs and therefore; seems evil when reality, he's simply an innocent." Cheren shook his head. "It's probably the fault of his parents of anything."

Amy nodded. "But," She looked away, "He's willing to learn. He didn't understand that what he did had consequences. When he learned they had consequences, he stopped. He thought, he wanted to change. He didn't know someone would be hurt."

"I still say stay away from him," Bianca told her. "He isn't safe, regardless of what you think. If he doesn't know better, all the "I'm sorry"s in the world won't make a difference."

Amy shrugged, hearing what her friend was saying but not wanting to pay attention. No matter what Bianca said, her thoughts couldn't leave the strange green haired boy who claimed to understand Pokémon.