I met Ash and his friends outside of Anistar city the next morning. Decidueye was easy to spot and he brushed off some imaginary dust when I approached. "Good, you made it!" Ash grinned.

"Yeah, you didn't believe me?" We started walking down the road.

"I was just worried you wouldn't. You left pretty upset last night."

"Well, I'm much better now." I smiled but convinced no one. "Really guys, I'm fine. Gengar and I had nice talk and I felt much better afterwards. Then I just stayed in a hotel in Anistar City."

"What about the attack?" Serena asked.

"I don't know what they wanted. Maybe money. Most people want money." We walked down the road a few miles with nothing to listen to but the breeze and the peliper flying overhead.

"So, I take it you're rich but then who are your parents?" Clemont was very observant for a kid.

I sighed and whispered, "My family is The Nato family."

Clemont stopped in his tracks.

I stopped. "What?"

"Well…it's just…" He fiddled with his glasses, the sun's beams bounced right off of them. "You are aware of your family's line of work, right?"

"Of course I do!"

"And you don't think that is just…a little bit inhumane?"

Serena and Ash finally stopped and came closer to listen in.

"It isn't like we're letting them grow in tubes, Clemont. We're simply testing out a theory. The results have been inconclusive and non of the subjects survived longer than five minutes, hardly long enough to start developing any comprehension of pain." He opened his mouth to speak but I continued over him, "Do you know how many people we could've helped with this research?"

"And how many lives could be ruined." He finished and walked ahead.

Ash and Serena stared at each other. I ran to catch up with him, barely hearing Bonnie half explain. "Clemont, that's my great grandfather's research. My father's research is much different."

"Explain." He didn't even look at me…

"My father has been trying to develop ways for us to become immune to diseases that pokemon aren't prone to. And, we're trying to help people who would be prone to birth with either no limbs or no functions of the limbs. But his research still hasn't held up enough proof that our DNAs are compatible. My great grandfather's research was based on the sick theory that we could fight in pokemon battles if we had pokemon abilities. That research has been in a dead end for two generations."

"So then announce that the research is a failure."

"I would like to, Clemont, but…that isn't my call. I'm not a scientist. I run the organization to help families find their lost pokemon. What happens in science is my parent's domain." But he still didn't look at me. I slowed down my pace to take up the back of the group with Decidueye.

The rest of the group chatted happily among themselves. I was an outsider that joined their group unnecessarily. "Should we part ways soon?" I asked Decidueye but he had no answers for me.

Near lunchtime, we stopped. Ash thought this was the best time to train. Clemont helped Ash train and Bonnie helped Serena make lunch. I sat a little away from the group, tracing patterns in the grass.

I sighed. There was no way I could get Clemont to see the bigger picture and there was no way he was going to like having me around. I stood and walked to Serena and Bonnie. "I don't have time to wait with you guys so I'll catch you later, okay?"

Bonnie stopped me. "Is this because my brother was being mean?"

"No," I half lied, "I just need to get to the next town and begin searching for Oaky. I need to get ahead if him if I can. So, I'll probably see you in the next town." I pat her head.

"Alice," Serena started but I walked away quickly. The look on her face told me she wanted to console me and I didn't have time for that.

Ninja Village was a village I'd only been to a few times before. All of my parent's friends had been here, before we moved. Maybe they could help me figure out how to track a greninja.

The village was just as I remembered it. Nobody recognized me and I didn't recognize anybody either. "I feel a bit out of place here," I admitted to Decidueye until I saw someone I recognized.

I smiled and ran to him. "Gramps!" His name wasn't really gramps and he was in no way related to me or my family. It was a nickname I gave to him long ago because I felt embarrassed about forgetting his name. I still don't remember it.

The old man stopped his fieldwork to turn and look at me. "Do I know you?"

"Gramps, its me, Alessandra."

It took a moment for the realization to come across his face. "Alessandra, why, I haven't seen you in ages."

"We moved to Alola." I followed him to his home.

"Whatever for?" He put the hoe against the wall.

I explained to him everything as we sat outside his home. He nodded solemnly. "So, I need your help. How do you track down a greninja?"

"That would take years of training and it doesn't sound like you have the time and I know you do not have the energy. So, there is nothing you can do except luck being at your side."

I frowned and looked down at my hands. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Now, if you were to leave a young pokemon here then it would take a few years…"

"No, that's okay." I forced a smile.

Some kids ran out of one of the homes, squealing, "They're back," as they ran toward the entrance.

"You should stay the night. There will be a wonderful celebration in our heroes honor."

"Heroes?" I tilted my head.

Pokemon started to come into view.

"Yes, they go around rescuing people and pokemon from Team Flare and other evil people. It appears the group has been more and more active recently. What they're trying to find I am not sure. Sometimes, though, they come back. It's a group only comprised of three pokemon: Weavile, Pawniard, and our very own Greninja."

The three pokemon slowly came into view. The children obviously adored Greninja over the other two, though Weavile and Pawniard had a few fans of their own. Greninja had two children, one on each shoulder, and happily carried them back to their home. He had one black eye and one red eye, like the Greninja I saw the other day. I quickly turned away when it looked over at us.

"Greninja, it's good to see you back. The children have all missed you," Gramps greeted. I didn't see what Greninja was doing. I watched the wind ruffle Decidueye's feathers and I looked up to try to see a reflection in his eyes but I didn't see any but my own. "She's just a guest, nothing to concern yourself with. Go play with the children. I'm sure they'll want to play hide and seek with you." I listened to Greninja walking away. "He has the saddest story. Lost his trainer and we couldn't find his home. He had wandered for days before I found him."

I watched Greninja's back as he ran ahead of the kids that chased him.

"And he wouldn't wake up for another few days. When he couldn't remember the route he took from his home he made a home here with Weavile and Pawniard. The three have become inseparable since."

I was hoping it sounded like Oaky's story but even if it was did he still even remember me? I was afraid to know the answer.

The celebrations held were loud and bright with music and fireworks. Decidueye and I decided to stay among the shadows with Gengar and Scizor, away from the party. Gengar loved to play in the shadows, Decidueye and Scizor slept, and I kept watch for them.

Gengar had fun scaring kids who came too far away from the party. I was jealous of his carefree attitude.

The songs were loud and lively and happy, a commodity I simply couldn't afford but now that I know where Oaky is…could I move on? Oaky was my first and very best friend. Thinking of him kept me going but where did that leave my new friends, the ones who stuck by me in the hard times and in the good ones? Decidueye was the one who rescued me from the Drilbur attack. In Joto, Scizor protected me from the hyper beam of a pokemon whose trainer was upset that I caught the Scyther he released earlier that day. And Gengar, I saved him many times and we were still teaching him to be brave. If I didn't move on…what would happen to my relationship with them?

The music died down enough that I could hear the tune I used to play for Oaky riding on the wind. I stood quickly and followed it, not knowing Gengar was close behind me. There, near the entrance, Greninja sat with his back turned to me. I hid in the bushes, hoping he couldn't hear. He continued to play and even it sounded as sad as my tune had become.

As Greninja finished the song I stood and stepped forward. Greninja turned to me, briefly acknowledging my presence before turning away. I felt as if I had been rejected but can you really be rejected when they don't remember you? Did he even remember me?

"I wanted to thank you for rescuing me the other day." He still didn't turn around so I sat by him. "I noticed you have one black eye. I used to know a pokemon who had that same trait." I could see Greninja's eyes slowly look at me without turning his head. "Yeah, his name was Oaky," I looked up at the stars but tried to keep a watch on him. "He was my best friend."

Greninja finally turned to me and it sounded like he was asking me a question.

"I don't know where he is now. Ten years ago, he fell off a cliff and I haven't been able to find him and now I live in Alola so this is the first time I've begun really looking for him."

Greninja tilted his head to look at the stars with me. A comet flew by, and then another, and soon they lit the sky.

"Wow that's really-" I turned to look at him but he was gone. He didn't even make a sound. I bit my lip as it quivered. No, maybe he didn't remember me but at least he remembered my song.

Gengar came out of the shadows and put a hand on my shoulder. I turned and hugged him, trying hard not to cry but the tears fell on him anyway. "I'm sorry, Gengar," I finally breathed out. "I haven't been fair to you three. Tomorrow, we'll explore Kalos a bit more…we'll have a real adventure."

I felt Gengar relax. He liked the sound of that. At the same time he tried his best to console me with a very out of tune lullaby.