Ryan and Ryder walked through a path in a forest. A lot has happened recently. They entered the Kanto Pokémon League and managed to get to the Top 4. But, sadly, Ryder lost to a Gengar after taking too much damage prior to the fight. It left him pretty annoyed, but he was happy they at least made it to the Top 4. Better than losing in the first round, after all.

Feeling they deserved a break, Ryan decided to take him and his Pokémon to visit his cousin in Johto. He didn't give too much information about what they were in for, as he wanted to keep it a surprise.

Techno, who was riding his shoulder, was tinkering with Ryan's old Pokedex. Since he got a new one, he let the Meowth play around with his old one. What he was doing with it, he had no clue. Honestly, Techno's love of tinkering came with some strange contraptions. He wouldn't be surprised if he rewired a microwave into a cannon. Perhaps an idea he shouldn't share with him. He would most likely do it.

"We're almost there, guys," he announced. "Should be just past this clearing."

Ryder nodded. "Good. I can't wait to get some training in."

Ryan laughed. "Training?"

The Charmeleon narrowed his eyes. "We are going to have time for training, right?"

"Oh, of course!" he said with slight sarcasm. He then muttered, "Sort of."

Ryder narrowed his eyes deeper. Ever since his loss in the Pokemon League, he has been training nonstop, wanting to be prepared for the Johto League. Suspiciously, Ryan arranged this little trip to visit his cousin when he start overdoing it on his training. Something tells him this wasn't a coincidence.

"Ryan…"

He sighed and placed his hands behind his back. "Alright, you got me. Truth be told, I wanted you to take a break from all the training."

"But I need to become stronger for the next league!" he complained.

"And we will…after our vacation. We're going to help out my cousin with a few things and just take a load off. You need to learn to relax."

"I'm relaxed when I'm training…"

Techno rolled his eyes. "(Sure you are.)" Ryder rolled his eyes, leading Ryan to laugh.

They eventually reached the end of the path and pushed passed the foliage. Standing in front of them was a large farm. Roaming around in a fenced area was a group of baby Pokémon, who were playing with each other. Off to the side was a house. It was rustic looking, giving it the appearance of fine wood. The roof was black with a small, metal chimney. Nearby was a windmill, slowly turning with the wind.

Ryder crossed his arms. "Nice place."

"Yeah. My cousin likes living this far out."

"So, he raises baby Pokémon?"

"Sort of. This is his egg farm. He raises them when they hatch before holding them up for adoption. Where do you think Professor Elm gets the Johto starters?"

Ryder scratched his head. "Good point."

The door to the house opened. A man who looked to be 19 or 20. He had the same eyes and hair color as Ryan. He wore a cap with the visor covering his eyes from the sun, white shirt, jean overalls, and brown boots. He was wiping his hands with a towel, most likely after washing his hands. He had a calm, neutral look on his face.

However, the moment he spotted his cousin, he smiled and ran over. "Ryan!" They hugged each other, giving pats on the back. "How you doing, cousin?"

"Been doing great. Did you see me in the league?"

"Sure did. Real shame you lost, but you did great."

Ryan rubbed his knuckles in a boastful manner. "Well, I don't mean to brag, but I am a pretty good trainer." They laughed and shook each other's hand. "Man, sure has been a while."

"Agreed. So, who are your Pokémon?"

"Oh, right." He nudged Techno to hop off and stand beside Ryder. "Ryder, Techno, meet my cousin, Rusty. Rusty, this is Ryder and Techno."

"(Hey,)" Techno greeted casually.

"Sup," Ryder said with a wave.

Rusty crossed his arms with a smirk. "Huh, so you weren't spitting nonsense when you said he could speak English. I was close to sending you to the nuthouse."

Ryan playfully punched his arm. "Shut up."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both," he greeted with a tip of his hat. "Feel free to look around. Plenty of room to run, play, relax…and, if you don't mind, you can help me out a bit with the chores."

"Oh, we'll be happy to. Right guys?" They shrugged and nodded.

"Great. Let me just get you settled in first. I'll have Jade and Flitter give them the tour."

"Jade? Flitter?" Ryder asked curiously.

"Oh yeah, forgot to mention. Rusty has a couple of Pokémon that help around the place," his trainer explained. "They've been helping him for a few years. You'll like them."

Rusty brought his fingers to his mouth and whistled. "Jade! Flitter! We have guests!"

Two Pokémon emerged from the barn. A shiny Flaaffy and a Buneary. The Buneary wore a blue handkerchief around her neck. They walked over with bright smiles.

Rusty gestured to them. "Ryder and Techno, this is Jade and Flitter."

Jade curtsied. "(Pleasure to meet you both.)"

Flitter gave a…different greeting. She scooted close to Ryder and narrowed her eyes flirtatiously. "(Hello, handsome~!)"

His eyes widened as he stepped back. "C-Come again?!"

She giggled. "(Aww, you're so cute when you're nervous!)" She hugged his arm, to which he tried to shake her off.

Ryan, Rusty, and Jade laughed. "Sorry buddy, forgot to mention she gets easily attracted to most male Pokémon she meets."

"Fantastic! Now get her off!" he pleaded as he tried to pry her off.

Techno grabbed her from behind and peeled her off. She fell on him, then purred. "(Ooh, do you want my attention instead?)"

He screeched and shuffled away from her. "(No way!)"

She giggled and chased after him. Ryder rubbed his arm with an uneasy expression. "Is she always like that?"

"Oh yeah," Rusty said nonchalantly. He nodded at Jade. "You're in charge, understand?" She saluted. "Good girl." He walked off, chatting with Ryan.

Jade and Flitter showed the guys around the farm. There wasn't much to show, just the barn and the house. It took a lot of counseling to calm Flitter down. Though, she still playfully flirted with the boys, much to their annoyance.

"As you can see, this is where we keep the eggs," Jade explained as she presented the room full of eggs. They were each in a container. "These containers are designed specifically for each egg to meet their needed requirements. Then, when they are close to hatching, a sensor will read it and we'll be notified."

"Nice," Ryder complimented as he looked around.

Flitter jumped over. "We take great care of the babies until they're mature enough for adoption. Jade handles the necessities while I keep them entertained." She pulled a trumpet out of nowhere and blew it in their faces. She giggled. "They just love me!"

Techno rubbed his ear. "Where…did you get that?"

"What? You don't keep a trumpet nearby in case of an emergency?"

"…no comment."

Jade shook her head and looked at Ryder. "She's a little random, but she's sweet, nonetheless."

"I can tell." Jade showed them out of the barn. "Does it ever get boring working here?"

"Not really. I love taking care of the kids. They like calling me Auntie Jade." She giggled to herself. "I don't see why I would get bored of this."

Ryder smiled. "Well, it seems you have your future situated."

"What about you?"

He crossed his arms and looked up at the sky. "Well, I definitely want to help Ryan win the Johto League. Or any league for that matter. But, I don't really have anything else to look forward to. Honestly, I just like to train and get stronger to fight powerful opponents."

She smiled. "There's more to life than training day and night, you know."

He rolled his eyes. "Please. What's better than getting stronger?"

"Well, for one…" She stopped and stuck her foot out. He tripped over it and tried to catch himself, but she flipped him, suspending him in midair for a moment, and threw him onto his back. "Laying down and enjoying the grass and sky," she finished with a grin.

He narrowed his eyes. "Haha, very funny." He stood up. "I did that on purpose."

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. "Sure you did," she ensured sarcastically as she walked around him.

"Are you mocking me?"

"Oh, of course not." She had the same tone in her voice.

He glared. "You are mocking me!"

She smirked. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not."

"I tripped on purpose!"

She crossed her arms. "Yes. And you also let me flip you onto your back without even using your hands."

He glared with a blush. "Well, someone likes to be sassy."

She waved it off. "Oh, I try my best."

He smirked and walked over to her. "Well, I can be a little playful myself." Before she could ask, he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder. She landed on her back and groaned. She looked up at the smug Charmeleon. "Now we're even."

She smirked back. "Yeah, uh, about that…" She grappled his legs with her own and face-planted him into the ground.

He pushed himself up and wiped the dirt off his lips. He smirked. "You shouldn't have done that!" She flipped up and laughed as he chased her around the farm.

Techno and Flitter watched from a distance. The Buneary giggled. "Looks like they're getting along nicely."

"Yeah, I guess." He looked at her. "Got anything to drink around here?" She nodded and led him into the house as the other two continued to take each other down.

An hour passed as Rusty was preparing dinner for Ryan and his Pokémon. He prepared some soup while the Pokémon ate from their bowls.

Flitter, who was having some soup as well, sat at the table with a fork and a knife. "(Come on Rusty! I'm hungry!)"

Understanding the Buneary's mannerisms, he laughed. "In a minute, Flit. I'm almost done."

Techno looked up at her. "(Uh…why are you using a fork and a knife for soup?)"

She blinked at him. "(Because I can.)"

"(…okay.)" He went back to eating.

Ryan looked around in confusion. "Hey Rust, where's Ryder and Jade?"

As if on cue, the two opened the door. Much to their surprise, they were both covered in dirt, mud, leaves, and twigs. They wore sheepish smiles upon seeing their shocked expressions.

"What the heck happen to you two?!"

"Hehe…we were kind of messing around and…got into a little wrestling match…" Jade nodded in embarrassment.

Ryan blinked, then chuckled. "Oh boy…"

Rusty chuckled as well. "It'll be a while before the soup is ready. How about you get them cleaned up?" He nodded and took the two to the bathroom.

Ryder waited outside the bathroom for five minutes as Ryan got to work on Jade first. He was tapping his claw against the floor in boredom. He wasn't particularly fond of water, but he smelled like a dump.

The door opened and Jade walked out drying herself with a towel. She draped it over his head. "Your turn," she teasingly stated before walking off.

He took the towel off, showing his smirk. He walked into the bathroom and set the towel to the side. Ryan had his sleeves rolled up as he refilled the bucket he was using. Ryder sat on a stool, allowing his trainer to place the scrub brush against him and wipe the dirt off.

As he cleaned him, Ryan asked, "So, I take it you aren't as displeased with coming here as you originally thought?"

He rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Okay, okay, so maybe I had fun playing with Jade. What's the big deal?"

"The fact you are loosening up for once. It's nice to take a break every so often. You can't revolve everything you do around training, after all. That's why I brought you here. That, and I really wanted to see my cousin."

Ryder chuckled. "Okay, good point. Maybe I could use some time off."

"That's the spirit!" He finished wiping the dirt off and handed him a towel. "And it seems you and Jade are getting along pretty well."

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I guess. She really is a good friend."

"She might even be more than that…" Ryan muttered teasingly.

"What was that?"

He laughed and stood up. "Oh, nothing. Just get ready for tomorrow. We wake up at the crack of dawn."

"Okay." Ryan left the bathroom. As Ryder dried himself, he let Ryan's words finally sink in. His eyes widened. "Crack of dawn?!"

True to his word, the gang was required to wake up around dawn. Rusty liked getting up early to handle the important tasks first. And when you live under his roof, you must abide by those rules.

Ryder yawned as he followed Jade to the farm. The shiny Flaaffy looked well rested, annoying the Charmeleon a bit. Then again, she was used to waking up this early.

"Okay, we need to give the Pokémon their breakfast. It usually consists of MooMoo Milk and mashed berries."

He yawned again. "But why so early? Shouldn't they be sleeping as well?"

"Yes, but we have to prepare the food first. That means checking to see if the milk is still fresh, preparing each Pokémon's meal exactly the way they want it, and making sure they aren't sick. In that instance, we need to make sure they're alright and well enough to eat. We can't have them throwing up their food. Then of course-"

"Do you have everything memorized or something?" he asked with an impressed expression. She nodded. "And you know what each of them want?"

"They can be pretty picky about their food. I do try to get them to eat new things, but it's better to stick with some they're familiar with. Something healthy, of course."

"Wow…you know your stuff."

She waved it off with a grin. "Oh stop it."

They entered the barn and got to work. Jade had Ryder to check each of the Pokémon to make sure they were healthy. She grabbed their food bowls and stated preparing their food with the little station she was provided with.

She was about halfway done when Ryder came up to her. "Alright, they check out A-Okay."

She smiled. "Good. Get the milk and pour it into the right divider of the bowl."

He looked at the bowls. They were divided in two. One side for food, the other for drinks. He nodded and grabbed the milk, pouring in a little as requested.

Soon, the little ones began to wake up. They yawned and rubbed their eyes before sniffing the air. They could smell their breakfast being made.

Jade walked in with five bowls. Two in her hands, one balanced on her tail, and two on her head. "Hey kids."

"Hi Auntie Jade!" they shouted as they ran up to her. They bounced up and down, much to her amusement.

"Okay, okay, settled down." She handed off the bowls to Two Cyndaquil, a Teddiursa, a Chikorita, and a Togepi. "Okay, who's next?" They all raised their hands, cheering. Ryder laughed at the attention she was getting.

After breakfast, they let the kids out to play. They ran around and began chasing each other or playing with the provided toys. Ryder and Jade watched on the fence.

Ryder chuckled. "I get the impression you're spoiling them."

She punched his arm with a smile. "No I'm not. I make sure to discipline them when discipline is needed. A true caretaker knows when to punish her charges."

He nodded. "You really know what you're doing."

"Nah. I just learned it all from Rusty. Without his teachings, I would have lost a kid by now," she joked.

He laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Good thing, too. You would probably be a mess."

"Oh, I would be a WREAK," she laughed.

Ryder chuckled some more before sighing. "Yeah…still, wouldn't you like to leave and travel the world, at least for a bit?"

She rubbed her chin. "Well…it would be nice to do some traveling. But I never had a reason to. I love caring for these kids. I love hanging out with Rusty and Flitter."

"Makes sense." He leaned back and fell to his feet. "So, there any other chores that need to be taken care of?"

She smirked and jumped down. "Oh trust me, there's more than enough chores around here."

Throughout the day, they, along with Techno, Flitter, and Ryan's other Pokémon, began to work around the farm. They started with cleaning out the dish bowls after breakfast. Techno and Jade helped Rusty out with the berries he was growing in the back while Ryder and Flitter helped Ryan mow the grass. The idea of mowing an entire field wasn't pleasing to the Charmeleon, but he promised to help out in any way he can. He ended making it into his stamina training, because the mower he was using was hard to move. They also helped out with prepping lunch for the Pokémon, along with some other chores, such as dusting, cleaning some blankets, etc.

During that time, Ryder and Jade were getting to know each other a bit more with each passing moment. They formed a pretty good friendship with each other. They acted like a strong team when together. Ryder even picked up on some nurturing techniques from her. The kids were starting to call him Uncle Ryder now, which filled him with joy. He never had so much fun in his life.

But he wasn't aware of what was going to happen in the coming week.

It has been a week since the gang came to Rusty's farm. The group was getting use to waking up at such an early hour. They were already doing their part with the chores.

Ryder finished up Jade's chores on his own. She was especially tired last night, so Rusty let her sleep in for the day. The Charmeleon was more than happy to handle her work for her. Anything to see her happy.

He finished handing out the kids' breakfast, to which they thanked him before munching down. He chuckled and walked out of the barn, closing it behind him. He turned around and jumped in surprise. Flitter was standing behind him.

"Morning, cutie!" she greeted with a wink.

He groaned and walked past her. "What do you want, Flit?"

She giggled. "What? I can't sneak up on one of my friends and say morning?"

"Well, when you put it like that, it makes you sound like a stalker," he muttered.

She rolled her eyes and bounced right in front of him. "Hey, if I upset you, I'm sorry."

He rubbed his temples and sighed. "It's alright…any reason you're here?"

"Just wanted to help out with a few of your chores, that's all."

He shook his head. "Thanks, but I actually got them all done."

Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Already?!"

"Yeah. And all of Jade's chores."

She blinked before smiling. "Aww, that's so sweet!"

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I was just doing something nice for her. No reason to make a big deal about it."

She giggled and bounced around him. "There's plenty of reasons to make a big deal about it! It shows that you're a good friend, a responsible Charmeleon, and…" She stopped bouncing as one thought crossed her mind.

Ryder snapped his claws in front of her face. She was frozen in thought. It was almost creepy. He shook her and called her name out a few times. No response. He nervously looked around for anyone nearby to help. That's when he heard her squealing, starting off soft before growing louder and louder. It was too painful to listen to.

"No. Way!" she exclaimed like she just made a discovery.

"What?!" Ryder shouted, unable to understand what she was so happy about.

She bopped him in the nose with a wide smile. "You…like Jade!"

His eyes widened in surprise. He sighed and pushed her away. "No, I don't."

"Yes, you do!"

He rolled his eyes and started walking away from her. Not taking the hint, she followed, chanting 'You like Jade' so low only her could hear her.

"Flitter, don't be ridiculous. She is just my friend."

She smirked. "Uh huh, sure. 'Oh Jade, you're such a good friend.' 'Oh Ryder, I can't stop thinking about you!'" She made kissing sounds, much to his annoyance.

"Cut it out!" he shouted with a blush.

She giggled. "What?"

He grunted and marched away from her as quickly as possible. But she was quick. "Look, I don't like Jade like that! She's just my friend. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Then why are you being so defensive?"

"I'm not being defensive!"

She laughed and bounced around, singing, "You like her! You like her! You really, really like her!"

He slapped his hand over her mouth in a panic. Much to his relief, no one else was outside. He sighed, then shivered and removed his hand from her. "Did you just lick my hand?!"

She nodded. "Uh huh!" He groaned and rubbed his hand on the grass. She smirked. "So, any reason you didn't want me singing?"

He growled. "I don't want you spreading rumors…"

"Why~?"

"Just…because!"

She stuck her tongue out, considering his response. She smiled. "Nope! Not a good enough answer!"

Ryder clenched his fists tightly. Urge to use Flamethrower…so strong. He breathed in and out, trying to calm himself. "Look…I just don't want you screaming at the top of your lungs, saying nonsense like 'I like Jade'."

The Buneary crossed her arms. "Ah, now I understand."

"Good." He turned around and started to walk to the house to get his breakfast.

"You're too embarrassed to tell her about your crush!"

Ryder stopped cold and glared at her. "I don't have a crush on Jade!" He covered his mouth and looked around. Still no one around. He growled with a massive blush and marched into the house. Flitter giggled and followed him inside. She was going to have fun with this.

Rusty was cooking up some pancakes for the gang. Ryan and Techno were sitting at the table, waiting for the others.

Jade walked into the kitchen, yawning. She rubbed her tired eyes. "(Been awhile since I slept that well.)"

Her trainer smiled. "Morning Jade. You get a good rest?" She nodded and sat herself down. "Good."

Ryder and Flitter entered the house and sat down. He purposely placed himself away from Jade, much to her confusion. He didn't feel like looking at her after Flitter's babbling. He could still feel his face burning up in embarrassment. He was redder than usual.

Rusty handed out the food to everyone. "Enjoy."

They thanked him and dug in. Jade glanced at Ryder and scooted closer to him. "Hey."

He jumped a bit, nearly sending his plate over the edge. Luckily, he caught it before that happened. "Uh…hey. How'd you sleep?"

She smiled. "Oh, I slept wonderfully." She rubbed her head sheepishly with a laugh. "That's what I get for overworking myself."

He chuckled weakly. "Hehe…yeah. W-Well, that's good."

Flitter joined the conversation with a smile. "Hey Jade! Guess who did all of your chores for you this morning?!" She shook Ryder enthusiastically. "This guy~!" He pushed her off with a warning glare.

Jade smiled. "Really?"

He rubbed his arm with a sheepish look. "Y-Yeah…I just want to do something nice for you since…you know…we're friends…" He could just feel Flitter rolling her eyes.

Still, this impressed the shiny Flaaffy. "Aww, that's so sweet of you." She leaned in and hugged him. His face burned brighter than ever. He could feel beads of sweat rolling down his face. "Thanks." She pulled back, then frowned. "Ryder, are you alright?"

He wiped his head with the tablecloth. "O-Of course! J-Just n-n-need some food!" He grabbed all the food on his plate and stuffed it into his mouth. Everyone stared at him as he chew on the mass of food in his mouth. He forced them down in one swallow and panted in exhaustion. "Y-Yep…feel much better…"

Rusty leaned towards his cousin and whispered, "Uh, is he usually this tense?"

"Not really. He's pretty chill half the time. The other half is strict."

"Maybe he's coming down with a flu. I could get him some medicine."

Ryan narrowed his eyes as he stared intensely at his starter. He smirked a little. "No…he's perfectly fine."

The Charmeleon got out of his seat and walked to the door. "W-Well, I'm just going to do…something! Call me for lunch!" He slammed the door shut behind him.

The group blinked his way and looked at each other. While Rusty, Techno, and Jade were confused, Ryan and Flitter knew exactly what was going on.

Ryder needed to calm his frustrations down. So he was punching a tree to do just that. Already it had fist shaped impressions imbedded into it. Not deep impressions, but enough to tear the bark off.

After three straight minutes of punching, he stopped and fell flat on his back. One hug and he loses it. One hug! How did that even happen?! He has been perfectly fine around Jade all week. They'd work together, have a little fun, eat together, etc. Nothing was different from what he did over the week.

He blamed Flitter for this. Her rambling filled his head with new thoughts he never considered. But they weren't true. He didn't like Jade in a romantic way. He just saw her as a friend. Why would he like her like that? They just like to be around each other. That doesn't mean anything…right?

Then again, throughout the week, he has been feeling weird. He doesn't even like waking up early in the morning, yet he was more than eager to finish up Jade's chores just to make her happy. He was never motivated to do something so eagerly before. So, why now? Normally when Ryan asks for help, he has to ask them for it. Ryder did this without being asked. He just zipped out the door, briefly greeting Rusty and telling him what he was doing.

Then there was the stuff he didn't notice immediately. He's been sitting next to Jade at the dining table. He didn't even realize it. It just felt like a natural thing to him. He wanted to sit next to her, yet he didn't bother to notice it. It's almost like breathing. A natural routine of life that one doesn't take notice of until they actually notice it. Was there anything else he missed?

Looking back, he remembered helping Jade repaint the barn. It started out simple until he accidentally splattered paint in her face. At first, she looked mad. Then he found himself hit with paint as well. He couldn't remember exact details, most likely due the excitement of the moment, but he did remember them looking like they came out from a war zone. He looked fine, since he was already red. Jade, however, looked ridiculous. Her wool was soaked with paint and she had streaks going across her body. She couldn't stop laughing at her image when she saw herself in the mirror.

They did, of course, get the barn painted, yet they used up twice as much paint than they were supposed to use, much to Rusty's chagrin. They had to get washed up again, yet they didn't seem to care. Though, they did get a scolding from Ryan since he had to pay for more paint, even though his cousin ensured he didn't have to.

What really stuck out to him was Jade herself. She had a unique personality to her. First off, she was lively, feisty even. You start a fight with her, you'll find yourself face first in the ground. Anyone who did that to him was going to wish they were never born. Yet with Jade, he had fun. He never had so much fun being thrown to the ground, then reciprocating the act.

She was also had one of the kindest hearts around. Those baby Pokémon loved her, trusted her. She knew what they needed and always kept a vigilante eye on them. She never took her eyes off them until Flitter took over her shift. Then there was when they were having a snack and she offered half her Oran berry to him.

And who can forget this morning? She looked concern when she though he was sick. If he really was sick, she would have dragged him to the guest room and placed him in bed without uttering a word. He was sure of it.

There was also her down-to-earth nature. He wasn't sure if it was Rusty's influence or just living so far out from the public, but she was pretty laidback. During her break, she was sitting under a tree in the shade, eating an apple. She even got him to relax a bit with her. It felt almost unnatural to his, yet, after a while, he found himself relaxing as well. She knew how to have some fun in her life while balancing her work out. It was oddly charming.

The more he thought about Jade, the more he started to actually notice her. He never saw it himself, but she did look cute. And that was putting it mildly. It could just be the shiny aspect of her, though. Every so often, she's radiating with a beautiful glow. He sometimes forgot to breathe from staring at her. Another thing he failed to notice.

In fact, he could even describe her as…beautiful.

His breathing immediately stopped. His heart was racing a million miles a minute. His face felt hot with a deep blush. His eyes were wide with realization. He placed his hand up to his head and shook it in disbelief.

"Oh my gosh, I like her…"

"I KNEW IT!"

He shot up into a sitting position with a gasp. For a split second, he thought it was Jade who heard him. But, after collecting his thoughts, he groaned. "Flitter!"

She jumped out of the bushes and pulled him up. "I knew you liked Jade! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

"I-I didn't say that!"

"Well, I definitely heard you say 'I like her'. Unless, of course…" She leaned in with a flirty look. "You're talking about me."

He was definitely caught. One lie and she'll be on his tail for the rest of his life. She's a sweet girl, but he could not put up with her flirting. He groaned and rubbed his face. "Fine…I like Jade…"

She smiled. "Knew it!"

"As you've mentioned…" he muttered. "Jade isn't around, is she?"

"Nope! She's probably just finished up her breakfast." She bounced around him. "This is so cool! I can see it now! You two will fall in love, walk together hand in hand, then you'll become mates, have kids-"

He slapped his hand over her mouth. If there was a contest for the reddest Charmeleon, he would win. "I just realized my feelings! Don't make it weird!" He shivered and removed his hand. "And stop licking my hand!" He wiped it on the grass.

Flitter placed her hands behind her back. "But you are going to tell her, right?"

"I will…eventually."

She frowned. "Ryder, you're only going to be here for a few more days. There's no telling when you'll see her again. For all you know, she'll find someone else and you'll lose your chance."

He hated to admit it, but she had a point. He'll be traveling with Ryan throughout Johto for a while. He won't know when they'll visit next time. And that would be plenty of time for Jade to meet some other wild Pokémon and falls in love with him. Just the thought of that made his blood boil.

Flitter patted his back. "You know, if you want, I can help."

He blinked. "You? But don't you like me?"

She giggled. "Trust me, I get new crushes almost every week. I get over them just as quickly. Besides, you and she would be so cute together!" she squealed with delight. "I'll make sure, before you leave here, Jade will be your girlfriend! I promise!"

"You would really do that for me?"

"Of course! I made it my personal code to keep to my word! To help those in need!" Ryder's eyes widened as her smile faltered. "Because…if you don't, you might make a mistake that'll ruin your life…"

He narrowed his eyes in concern and reached out to her. "Flitter…are you okay?"

She wiped her eyes and smiled brightly. "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

He didn't want to press on the matter any further. She looked like she was about to cry if he did. He'll have to ask her later. Or perhaps Jade. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Alright…I'll accept your help."

"YAY!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the house. "Let's get you ready!"

"I've made a horrible mistake…" He caught something in his peripherals. He turned and saw nothing was there. He could have sworn he saw something metallic in the bushes.

Jade carried some bags of Poke Food into the barn. While they mostly ate mashed berries, some of the older Pokémon were old enough to eat solid food. The supply was low, so she had to restock on it.

As she did, she thought back to this morning's breakfast. It's only been a couple of hours. Ryder was acting strange. She never saw him act so fidgety before. And he looked like he was getting sick as well. What really confused her was Flitter running off and Ryan chuckling to himself. They knew something she didn't. Maybe they knew why Ryder was acting out of the ordinary. She hoped he was alright.

Speaking of the Charmeleon, he was peeking through the barn. In his hand was a rose. Flitter insisted that he give it to her as a token of his love. He tried to say no, but the Buneary was persistent. He could only sigh and go along with it. She was trying to help after all. He shouldn't be rude.

With a deep breath, he walked into the barn with the rose behind his back. "Hey, Jade."

She turned around and smiled. "Oh, Ryder!" She set the bag down and stretched. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah. Also, if you happen to see a tree that was punched repeatedly, that was kind of my fault," he said sheepishly.

She giggled. "Noted. So, why were you acting so nervous this morning?"

"Uh…Flitter has been bugging me with some stuff…"

Jade sighed. "Oh…she usually gets over her little crush phase after a while."

"T-That's not it, actually…" He sighed and rubbed his head. "Listen…I was wondering…we've been friends for a while…we are friends, right?"

Jade gave a teasing grin and looked away. "Hmm…I don't know…friends with you?" He frowned. She laughed and punched his shoulder. "Kidding, doofus!"

"Oh…haha…yeah…" he chuckled weakly. He rubbed his arm. "Anyway…" He took in a deep breath and held the rose out with his eyes clenched shut. "You want to join me for a picnic?" Flitter said she would handle setting up a picnic for them. He honestly had no idea what to expect.

He stood there, waiting for some form of response. He got nothing…at all. He was too scared to open his eyes. He could hear Jade's breathing, so at least she didn't walk away. Still, he can only imagine the look that was on her face right now.

Jade stood there with a tiny blush on her face. This definitely wasn't what she was expecting to happen today. One minute she's stocking up on food for the barn, the next she's being asked out on a date. She looked at the rose, then at Ryder. While his face is always red, she could see his cheeks glowing. He had his teeth clenched and his eyes shut tightly, like he was waiting for a rejection to happen at any minute.

She looked back at the rose. She has meant a few wild Pokémon who tried asking her out before. She kindly turned them down as she wasn't ready for a relationship. One even tried to kidnap her. She instead introduced their face to the ground and a few trees. That happened many months ago, however.

After getting to know Ryder, she thought he was really sweet. Maybe a little tense and a little too moody on certain days. But he wasn't so bad. He had a kind heart and was willing to do all of her chores without being asked. He even volunteered to help out with her other chores that were time consuming. Plus, she never had this much fun in an entire week.

With a smile, she took the rose. "Sure."

Ryder opened one eye to ensure he heard that right. "You will?"

She giggled. "Yeah. It'll be fun."

He gave a wide smile. "G-Great! Let's go!" He gestured her to follow. She laughed and followed him closely.

It didn't take long to reach their destination. Set up in front of them was a neatly made picnic, featuring a red and white checkered blanket, a basket full of food and drinks, and, much to Ryder's embarrassment, decretive candles.

Jade crossed her arms and chuckled. "A little fancy, don't you think?"

He laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, well…" Flitter, I'm going to get you for this. "How about we sit down?"

They sat on the blanket as Ryder looked through the basket. Thankfully, the food was pretty normal, consisting of Poke Food, bottles of water, etc. The one thing that caught his eye were the heart shaped berries laying neatly in the basket. He groaned mentally. Flitter was going a bit overboard with the romance.

With a sigh, he took one out and handed it to her. "Here you go."

Jade took it and examined it. She smiled teasingly, though she tried to hide her blush as well. "Heart shaped berries, huh? Very nice."

He blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Hehe…yeah." She rolled her eyes and took a bite of it. "You like it?"

She nodded. "Mmm..." She swallowed and leaned back a bit.

He smiled and scooted a bit closer to her. "Glad you like it."

"So, any particular reason you wanted to have a picnic?" she asked with a knowing smile, one he didn't notice.

He rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Um…just wanted to hang out with you."

"How would that be any different to what we've been doing all week?"

He scratched his arm. He probably should have prepared for this, but he didn't want her knowing that Flitter was planning all of this. He wanted to have a genuine outing with her, after all.

"Well…you see…" He sighed. He might as well get it off of his chest. Since they'll be leaving soon, he won't have to face her if he gets rejected. "I kind of want to tell you something…"

She leaned closer with smile. "Yes~?"

"Well…I wanted to say that…I…"

Their eyes widened in shock when violin music began playing. Ryder growled, immediately identifying the source of it to be in a nearby bush.

Jade blinked while a blush spread across her face. "Interesting picnic…"

He sighed. "This is getting weird, isn't it?"

She placed her hand on his shoulder. "I didn't say that." She leaned in and whispered, "And I know Flitter is behind that bush."

He chuckled sheepishly. "R-Really, you don't say?"

She rolled her eyes. "Ryder, I know what's going on. I'm not an idiot." His blush grew brighter.

"S-Sorry…I just…" She shushed him by placing her hand on his lips.

"Shh…doesn't mean I'm leaving. But if you're going to keep acting awkward around me, I will." She could see worry flash through his eyes. She sighed and rephrased herself. "What I mean is just act like yourself. Kind of the reason I like you, after all."

His eyes widened. "W-Wait, what?"

"Shh," she shushed again. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Hey Flitter, there's a cute Furret looking for you!"

"Oh my gosh, really?!" She blasted out of the bushes, dropping the violin in front of them.

Ryder laughed. "Was that necessary?"

She grabbed the violin and placed it to the side. "I wanted some privacy for what I'm about to say." She sighed. "Ryder, listen. This whole week has been fun. Most fun I've ever had, really. And…" She blushed a bit. "I have grown pretty fond of you.

"Living on this farm has been some of the best years of my life. Though, every so often, some strong Pokémon walks up to me and tries to win me over with looks and charm. When they can't take a hint that I'm not interested, I have to give them a more direct hint. Usually a kick to the stomach." Ryder flinched. Mental note, don't make her angry. "Then you came along. You haven't even noticed my looks when we met. And you were fun to hang out with. I would have never imagined painting a barn to be exciting."

She sighed and laid down on her back. "You asked me if I ever wanted to leave the barn and go traveling. Thing is, I never had a reason to. I had a job to do here. I couldn't just go for the sake of going." She smiled at him. "But if it was to spend time with someone I like…that's an entirely different story."

Ryder blushed a bit. "Really? But…who would take care of the barn?"

"Rusty, duh!" she shouted playfully before bonking him on the head. "And Flitter too. They can manage without me. And I'm sure they will understand."

He rubbed his head, but smiled. "That's…great!"

She smiled back. "But listen…you don't have to act nervous around me. I like you. Friend…or more than a friend." Ryder blushed brightly, but smiled warmly.

They started leaning towards each other as their eyes slowly closed. But before they could do anything, Flitter came running over with a panicked expression. "Guys, guys, guys!"

Ryder groaned and moved away from Jade. "Flitter, if this is about the Furret we mentioned-"

"Forget about that! The farm is being attacked!"

"WHAT?!" Ryder and Jade shouted in panic.

They followed Flitter back to the farm, where they saw trucks in front of the barn. They had 'R' symbols on the sides. Men and women wearing black uniforms and hats, with the symbol on the front, ran into the barn and started gathering the Pokémon. Another group went to collect the eggs.

They hid behind a bush and watched the events unfold. "What going on?" Ryder whispered.

"I don't know! When I was searching for that 'Furret'," she shot them a quick glare before continuing, "I saw them breaking down the doors."

Jade was probably the most shaken. She could see the kids crying in confusion and panic. They didn't know what was going on. Her worry slowly turned into boiling rage.

The head grunt had a clipboard in hand and checked off the captured Pokémon. "Quite the haul we have here. The boss will be proud of our success." One of the Cyndaquil, which was being held in the hands of a grunt, blasted Ember in his face. He growled and smacked him across the face. "Get him in a cage!"

Before Jade could go charging at them for hurting him, they heard commotion inside the house. Another grunt ran over to the head grunt. "Sir! Our men located two men inside the house!"

He rolled his eyes. "Then capture them!"

"That's the problem, sir!"

A grunt was sent flying out the window and crashed into the truck. Ryan jumped out, wielding a broom like a staff. Rusty came out the front door wielding two frying pans.

"You let my Pokémon go, you tyrants!" He charged at the grunts.

The head grunt groaned. "Attack, you fools!"

They nodded and threw out their Golbat. They swarmed around the two. While Ryan was use to fighting Pokemon, Rusty was barely holding his own. One of the Golbat flew up behind him and nailed him in the back with Wing Attack.

Ryan's eyes widened. "Rusty!" He growled. "Now you've done it!" He whistled loudly. "Techno, Tsunami!"

The two ran out, with Tsunami being a Wartortle. Techno used Fury Swipes and started slicing at the Golbat with quick speed. Tsunami rammed into them with a Water Gun propelled Rapid Spin. The Golbat screeched and swarmed them, using Wing Attack.

The head grunt pointed to his men. "Get in the trucks and move!" They nodded and got into the trucks.

Jade clenched her teeth. "Oh no you don't!" She charged out of the bush. Ryder and Flitter followed behind. She ran toward one of the trunks and jumped. She kicked her way through the window, shocking the driver. She grabbed his head and slammed it against the wheel. "No! One! Is! Taking! These! Kids!" The air bag slammed into his face after the last hit.

Ryder sliced the back doors open and, after warning the kids, threw the cages out as the truck took off. Flitter caught them with quick speed, as if she was on twenty cups of coffee. Once they were all out, he jumped out with a few eggs in hand and fired Flamethrower into the exhaust pipe. The truck burst into flames and crashed. Miraculously, the driver survived.

Ryan punched a Golbat unconscious and grabbed another by the wing. He slammed it into another one. He thrusted his palm into another's face and knocked him through another truck. He ran over to it and started unlocking all of the cages.

He felt a presence behind him. He rolled out of the way as a stun stick hits the spot he was at. The head grunt looked pissed. "Lousy brat!"

He smirked. "Someone's mad." He spun on his back and kicked him in the side, taking the stun stick away from him.

He staggered back and growled before pulling a second stick out. "You're going to pay for that!"

Jade got the last of the Pokemon out of the cages and told them to wait in the barn. Flitter was running around, collecting the eggs from the trucks. The shiny Flaaffy glared at two grunts walking up behind her. They each had a Raticate with them. "Alright, you little nuisance. Come nice and quietly."

The Raticate duo laughed at her. "(Yeah! So we can tear you apart!)"

She narrowed her eyes and walked towards them. "(Oh, I'll fight you. But to make things fair, I'll only use kicks.)"

They laughed. "(Too easy!)" They pounced at her.

She fell onto her back, allowing them to fly overhead, and kicked them right in the guts. They landed in the trunk with a thud, but quickly got up and chattered angrily. They pounced at her again, but she kicked one over her and slammed her foot into the other's teeth. She ended up chipping his buck teeth.

"(AAHH! My teef!)" He growled at her. "(You will pay for t'at!)" He used Double-Edge and charged at her.

She jumped and fired down Thunderbolt on him, frying him unconscious. "(I'll send you the bill,)" she muttered sarcastically.

The other Raticate rammed into her with Double-Edge and slammed her against a tree, pinning her to it. "(Hehe! Got you, little lady!)

She smirked and kneed him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. She roundhouse kicked his face, knocking him into a bush.

As she dusted her hands off, someone grabbed her from behind. She fired Thunderbolt, but it was useless. Her captor was a Rhydon. "Good work, Rhydon," a grunt said. "Now load her in the truck. The boss will be happy that we have a shiny Flaaffy."

She struggled in the Ground-Type's grasp, trying to get out. She tried kicking him, but his rock body made it difficult to do any noticeable damage. Seeing how she wasn't budging, she sucked in some air and shouted, "RYDER!"

His eyes widened. He turned and saw her being held by Rhydon. He could feel his heart racing. His eyes narrowed as he clenched his teeth tightly. He flexed his claws angrily. His tail flame blazed brightly, matching his rage.

"Let her go!" He kicked off the ground and dashed at him.

The grunt saw him coming and ordered two Golbat to apprehend him. They nodded and flew at Ryder. They used Poison Sting, but Ryder knocked them away with his claws. He sliced them both without stopping, taking them out of the air. He skidded under Rhydon and kicked his leg. The rhino lost his balance and teetered back and forth, trying to stay steady. Ryder jumped on his head and poked him in the eyes, dropping Jade. He caught her and kicked off the Ground-Type, taking him down.

He smirked. "Take that, jerk!" He looked at Jade. "He didn't hurt you, right?"

"Ryder, I'm fine. But…you can put me down now."

He noticed he was holding her bridal style. He blushed and set her down. "Hehe, sorry."

She smiled and kissed his cheek, earning a brighter blush from him. "Thanks."

Their small moment ended when Rhydon pushed himself up. He was not happy. His horn spun as he kicked the dirt back, getting ready to charge with Horn Drill.

Ryder looked at the shiny Flaaffy and smirked. "Tag team?"

She smirked back. "Tag team."

Rhydon charged at them. They both dodged in opposite directions, letting him pass by. Jade jumped and dive kicked the back of his head, making him stumble forward. Ryder got under him and uppercut his chin. He growled and tried to grab the Charmeleon, but he was too slippery and quick. He went for Jade, but she dodged and got behind him with Ryder. They both grabbed his tail and, using as much strength as possible, threw him over their shoulders and slammed him horn first into the ground.

He roared and thrashed as he tried to get his horn unstuck, but it was wedged in deep.

Ryder and Jade laughed and high-fived each other. "Nice work! You were awesome!"

"On the contrary, you were awesome!" They laughed wholeheartedly.

"Hey, if you two lovebirds are done, we could use some help!" They saw Techno being strangled by an Arbok, but he slashed it across the face with Fury Swipes.

They chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry!" They narrowed their eyes and nodded before running towards the fight.

The head grunt swung his stun stick at Ryan, who was dodging with a cocky expression. It irritated the grunt to no end. "You will submit to the power of Team Rocket!" He swung again.

Ryan ducked, with his cocky expression turning into one of confusion. "Team Rocket?"

"We are a glorious organization whose sole purpose is to capture the Pokémon of the world for our glorious leader!"

Ryan narrowed his eyes. "Leader?"

He smirked. "Yes. Every Pokémon we capture will become a pawn in his plans for world domination! Everyone shall fear Team Rocket! We are the superior beings!" He thrusted the stun stick at him.

He sidestepped and slammed his elbow into his chest. He took his stun stick from his hand and used them both against the side of his head. He staggered back, giving Ryan the opening to kick him right in the chest. He landed harshly on his back.

Rusty picked himself up and held his back. "Woo…you stick to fighting, cousin. That was pretty sore on my back."

He walked over and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "You alright?"

"A little roughed up, but nothing major." He cringed and held his back again. "Oh, I need to lay down…"

Ryan glanced as Ryder and the others were taking out the remainder of the grunts. As he watched, he had his eyes narrowed in thought. Who was Team Rocket?

Ryder and Jade closed the door to Rusty's room. He needed some rest after the fight. They left him some food for when he wakes up.

Ryan was outside talking to Officer Jenny about the attack. She was jotting down his statement. "We managed to incapacitate them and kept them tied up until you arrived."

She nodded and finished with her notes. "Well, I'm just glad you're alright." She looked at the grunts, who were being hauled away into their police truck. Two officers were recalling their Pokémon back into their Pokeballs. "None of them got away, correct?"

"I am unsure of that. But all the Pokémon and eggs they took have been accounted for, so they didn't take anything."

Jenny sighed. "Well, that's good at least." She prepared to leave, but Ryan grabbed her shoulder.

"Officer Jenny, if I may be so bold…who exactly is Team Rocket?"

He could tell she was hesitant about sharing such information, but she knew they deserved the truth. "They're a criminal organization stationed in Kanto." Ryder and Jade walked outside just in time to hear. "We have been tracking their movements for quite some time. However, they somehow always manage to escape custody. Every time they're captured, they breakout or their bail is paid off."

"Who would want to bail out criminals like that?"

She shook her head. "That, I don't know. We theorize it may be a higher up of Team Rocket."

The trainer crossed his arms. "So they steal Pokémon from trainers? Evil, but not what I expect a criminal organization to do."

"That's not the half of what we uncovered." This caught his attention. "When the stolen Pokémon turn up or are found, they don't normally act as their trainers remember. Reports of depression, aggressive behavior, weak movement, sickness, the list goes on." Ryder narrowed his eyes as he listened to this. "We don't know what's going on with Team Rocket, but we intend to find out."

"Alright…" Ryan said with uncertainty.

She smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Relax. With the way you handle those men and their Pokémon, you should be fine. Wish I can say the same for everyone…" she muttered at the end. She tipped her hat. "You all have a good day. And give my regards to Rusty."

"I will." She got onto her motorcycle and drove off with the other officers.

Ryder walked up to his trainer's side. "Team Rocket, huh?"

He nodded. "Yeah…who could do such horrible things to innocent Pokémon?"

The Charmeleon's eyes wandered off. He could never forget his time at Viridian City. He knew what he saw. That Arcanine wasn't healthy. It was depressed. Then there was Giovanni. His attire proved he was a wealthy man. Enough money to bail out his men. Plus, those expressions he flashed during the battle. He didn't seem to care about the battle. No…he was focusing solely on him. He didn't even care about what happened to Arcanine, he could tell from his tone of voice. Was it possible he's…?

He shook his head. He was overthinking things. Still, he had to keep that theory in the back of his mind for now.

Ryan stretched and walked towards the house. "Well, I better check on the Pokémon. You and the others deserve a rest." He went towards the barn.

Ryder glanced over at Jade, who stared at the ground with a distant look. He walked over to her and sat down. "You okay?"

She jumped a little, but sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine." She shook her head. "Ryder…about that offer to go with you on your journeys…I don't think I can go."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"I just can't. Didn't you see how worried they were? I can't leave them after going through a traumatic experience like that! It'll break their hearts if I leave…they'll be scared."

Ryder wanted to protest…but he knew she was right. They looked up to her like a motherly figure. They can't just take that away from them. After what happened, Rusty probably wouldn't be able to handle so many crying Pokémon.

He sighed. "I…I understand…"

She frowned for a moment before giving a small smile. "Hey, we'll still see each other. You'll visit again, I know it."

"I know…but I'm going to miss you."

Her frown returned. She sighed. "I'll miss you too…"

He looked down at his feet sadly. He didn't want to leave like this. Jade practically admitted she felt the same way about him. He knew she couldn't leave the Pokemon behind, but he didn't want to leave her heartbroken.

He sighed and swallowed his nerves. "Jade?"

"Yeah?"

She yelped in surprise when Ryder pulled her up and embraced her closely. Her face turned red. "You said…you felt the same way about me…as I did for you…right?"

"Y…Yeah…"

He pulled back a bit and looked into her eyes. "Listen, I know you have a responsibility to stay here, but I need to leave you with something before I let that happen."

"Wha-" was all she could get out before Ryder placed his lips against hers. She blinked a couple of times before closing her eyes and returning the kiss.

Ryan and Techno were leaning out of the barn, smiling at the two. Flitter was sitting on the roof with a smile as well, though there was a hint of sympathy in it. She knew Jade would feel like she'd need to stay here. The Pokémon were definitely shaken from the attack. She rubbed her chin in thought.

Ryder and Jade stood there for about a minute before pulling back. Their faces were the deepest shades of red. They smiled at each other.

"Jade…before I leave, I need to ask you something." He sighed before asking, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Jade smiled a bit more with her blush glowing brighter. "I would be honored to be your girlfriend, Ryder." She wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled him. "I love you so much."

He smiled and nuzzled back. "I love you too…"

They wanted to take in as much of this moment as possible. They'll see each other again, but it'll be a while.

A few days have passed. Rusty hasn't fully recovered yet, but he was able to walk around with little trouble. Ryan felt he should stay a little longer as his cousin has stumbled a few times, but he was pretty stubborn. He insisted he'll be alright. He had Flitter, after all.

Ryder and Jade spent as much time as they could together. When they weren't helping out around the barn, they were relaxing under the trees together. They even found the time to just play around, leading them to get roughed up and dirty like last time. Ryan wasn't too happy about that, but he couldn't keep himself from chuckling.

With his bag packed, Ryan looked at his cousin with a smile. "Well, this was one heck of a week."

"No kidding. Next time those no good thieves come by, I'll give them a walloping!" he exclaimed with a fist high in the air.

He laughed. "You do that."

Techno shook Jade's hand. "It was nice getting to know you. See you next time."

"Take care, Techster," she replied. He groaned at the nickname, but nodded. She looked at Ryder and smiled. "Going to miss you, doofus."

He chuckled. "Same here." They gave each other one last hug. Ryder looked around in confusion. "Hey, where's Flitter?"

Jade looked around, confused as well. "Odd. She always says goodbye to guests."

"That is correct!" They jumped back in shock. Flitter was right between them. "Hey there!"

"How did…how the…huh?!" Ryder will never understand this rabbit.

"What was the holdup, Flit?" Jade asked.

Flitter smiled at her. "Oh nothing." She gave her a backpack, much to her confusion. "Just packed your stuff for you. I packed your brush, your scarf just in case you get chilly, and a communicator so you can call us at any time. I also placed a map in there so you can check out some cool sites you might like. Also-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down, Flit!" She tried to hand the backpack back. "I'm staying, remember?"

She giggled and pushed it back to her. "No you aren't."

"Huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "Look Jade, I know you feel the kids need you, but get real! This is your first ever relationship! You can't just ignore something like this!"

"Bu the kids…"

"Oh please! I can take care of them myself!"

"You would have a bigger workload."

She smiled and ran around the barn, lapping the barn five times in twelve seconds before stopping in front of her. "I think we both know I have too much energy to let something like that stop me."

Jade chuckled. "True, but still…"

Flitter grabbed her wrist and led her, plus Ryder, into the barn. The kids were sitting there patiently. "I talked it over with them. They felt so guilty feeling they were the reason you had to stay."

"I…I didn't mean to…"

One of the Cyndaquil walked up to her and looked up. "Auntie Jade, we'll be fine."

The Chikorita nodded. "Yeah. We were scared, but Auntie Flitter will be here for us."

The other Cyndaquil smiled. "We want you to be happy with Uncle Ryder!" Ryder smiled at the name. "We will miss you, though." The rest of them nodded.

Jade had tears filled up in her eyes. "You really mean it?" They nodded. She smiled and kneeled down with her arms spread. "Come here." They ran over and hugged her. "Thank you…I'll miss you all."

Ryder pulled Flitter to the side and whispered, "Thanks…I don't know how to repay you."

The Buneary glanced to the side in thought. "I'll…keep that in mind." She smiled and spread her arms out. "Can I get a hug?" He smiled and hugged her. She hugged back and nuzzled him. "How about a kiss too?"

He pulled back and smirked. "Don't push your luck."

She giggled. "Well, I tried."

"Ryder!" They looked at Ryan, who was calling him. "What's the holdup? We need to get moving!"

He looked at Jade, who got up and smiled at him. He smiled and shouted back, "Ryan, I think we're going to have an extra traveler with us!"

The trainer smiled and crossed his arms. "Good for you, buddy…" He saw something in his peripherals and glanced at Rusty, who had a Pokeball out. "Is that…"

"Jade's Pokeball, yes. I had a feeling this might happen, so I was keeping this close by just in case." He placed it in his hand. "Jade's a tough one. She's small, but hits like a truck if you provoke her enough."

He chuckled. "Noted." He pulled out one of his Pokeballs and handed it to him. "Here, you can hold onto Dune for me. He had a lot of fun here. Maybe he can help out."

"I'm sure he will."

Everyone was finally situated and ready to part ways. Ryan, Ryder, Jade, and Techno waved goodbye to Rusty and Flitter, along with the other Pokémon. Dune was by Rusty's side and waved as well.

They walked through the path used to get here in the first place. Ryder held Jade's hand with a smile. She smiled back and nuzzled him a bit.

"(So, what's our first stop?)"

Ryan pulled out a map and checked. "First stop is Violet City. From what I've heard, it's a Flying-Type gym."

Ryder smirked. "You'd be perfect for that, Jade."

Jade rubbed her hands together. "(Sweet! I'm going to give those birds a run for their money)!"

He chuckled. "Calm down. You need a little training before you're ready for gym battles."

She glared shortly at her boyfriend before grabbing his arm and flipping him onto his back with a yelp. She pinned him down and whispered, "(I think I'll be alright.)"

Ryan and Techno laughed and fell on their backs. "Oh man, she took you down!"

Ryder glared at them. "I wasn't ready!" Jade let him go and laughed. He pushed himself up and grumbled.

She shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder, still chuckling slightly. "(A-Alright, alright, I'm sor-WHOA!)" Now it was her turn to be thrown onto her back. "Hey!"

The Charmeleon smirked. "Now we're even."

She smirked back and jumped back up. "(This isn't over, bucko.)"

As they glared playfully at each other, Techno shook his head. "(Those two were made for each other.)"

Ryan seemed to understand and laughed. "Can't argue with you there."