Everyone: It took great amounts of self control to resist the urge to continue setting up my PS2 emulator on my computer rather than work on starting this chapter, Y'all pray for me, I need the force of will to start working sometimes, because I can be a lazy ass. Things kept popping up for me to do over the weekend. I made some progress on working on the story's illustration but I am not quite done yet, it will probably be done next weekend. Please do review sometime, I enjoy hearing from fans and I will respond to your reviews via the author notes. The reviews also gives me hints as to what you guys want as readers, naturally as my customers I believe it is my job to entertain you and give you guys exactly what I want. I encourage your participation!

-A few hours later-

I sit in the side of the curb, observing the rubble and the dying embers. We spent the last few hours sifting through the rubble for Xiaomei's possessions. Her luggage survived, which helped in moving her now ash stained clothes.

Fortunately all the expensive stuff, like her text books and computer was on her person at the time of the fire. There was one casualty, Xiaomei's teddy bear Mister Stuffykins perished in the fire, it was quite heartbreaking for poor Xiaomei, and I was a little saddened too.

We gave him a proper burial in a patch of dirt under the rubble. Lucius probably cried even more than Xiaomei during the mini funeral. Mister Stuffykins was unbeknownst to Xiaomei, Lucius's favorite chew toy.

"YAAOO!" I hear, breaking me from my reverie.

"What happened?" I ask.

"I stubbed my foot on something!" Xiaomei replied.

"What is it?" I asked.

Xiaomei uncovered some rubble.

"It's the fridge, and it looked relatively unburned or waterlogged," she replied.

"Open it up! We can rush anything from it to my fridge just at the end of the row of apartments," I reply.

Me, Xiaomei, our Pokemon, and a few helpful passers by helped move the contents of Xiaomei's fridge, and what survived from the cabinets to my apartment.

I place some hot peppers in my fridge's crisper.

"It is probably the most full it has ever been with me as a resident," I think aloud to myself as I observe the lone banana at the back of the fridge which consisted of my apartment's sole food supply up until now.

I feel a tug at my pant leg.

"Is this what heaven looks like?"

Nathaira has also observed the massive smorgasbord that was Xiaomei's food.

"Hey! You two help me with this!" I hear Xiaomei call out.

We both wiped the drool from our faces and hop to it. Both our jaws drop when we see Xiaomei and Lucius lug in a giant suitcase.

"W-w-w-Wait! I don't think this is allowed," I stammer.

"No girls allowed! :C"

"Like I will leave my food unguarded in your clutches! Laughable!" replied Xiaomei.

"No no we wouldn't do something like that!" I reply.

"Ya, I and I'll bet you were not drooling over my food just now right? I'll share some, but only if you let me room here," she replied.

"Really! Though what about your roommate?" I ask.

"She's a b!tch, I have been sexiled on a night before a major exam one to many times. She shall sleep in the street~!" Xiaomei replied.

"Mental note, don't piss off Xiaomei."

"Agreed," I nod.

"By the way, a good bit of this food I stole from my roommate, so if she comes along asking, just tell her it was all a casualty of the fire," Xiaomei replied.

"Terrible..."

I nod in agreement.

"What did she say?" asked Xiaomei, pointing at Nathaira.

"N-nothing," I reply.

"Damn right better be nothing, I am damned cranky and you don't want me as an enemy!" she said.

"Xiaomei?" I ask.

"What?!" she snapped.

"Just sit down, We'll see about getting you moved in, just rest," I reply.

"Huh? Umm...sure, thank you," she replied, sobered by the show of kindness.

I cringed at the thought of sharing a room, I had even payed extra for an apartment to myself, though the room was set up with furniture to accommodate two. I left the extra bed set up in case of such an event as this.

She didn't sit like we hoped she would. It took us well into the evening to get all her things situated. All the while she was cooking something. We were alerted to her being up to no good, when Lucius accidentally walked through the gas cloud from her witch's brew and fell into a coughing fit, and fell unconscious.

Nathaira was of limited help given her stature, and her psychic abilities only helped with some smaller articles, I did more of the heavy lifting.

I wipe some sweat from my brow and take a moment to catch my breath.

"Atticus! Dinner is ready!" Xiaomei calls from the other room. I limp into the room and sit at the table. Lucius is sitting to my left but still out like a light. Xiaomei revives him by pouring a cup of water on his face.

-"THE BURNING MY LUNGS! Oh...I...I'm awake, I see."-

Lucius seemed to snap back to attention.

Xiaomei sits across from me, and sets down a steaming plate, of what looks like meat chopped up with green hot peppers and a bowl of rice.

"After seeing what happened to Lucius, I don't know if I want to try it."

-"My courage is somewhat dampened Lady Xiaomei, forgive my weakness."-

"More for us then, right Atticus?" Xiaomei says with a wink.

"R-Right," I respond, I too had some trepidation, but the hunger I worked up was far greater.

I grab some chop sticks and begin filling my bowl with rice, then place some of the dish Xiaomei cooked up on top.

"You keep quite a lot of chopsticks, I am quite surprised you would keep so many stocked," said Xiaomei.

"Didn't you know, I am quite good at cooking Japanese food," I reply.

"Really? I didn't know, I didn't take you as someone who could cook, why Japanese?" asked Xiaomei.

"My dad can cook Indian food and dabbles with Korean, my mom cooks French food, and my brother cooks Cajun food, my family's interest in food are diverse. I'd like to try traveling to Japan one day, I'm not too much of a weeboo am I?" I ask.

"I am probably worse than you when it comes to that. By the way, what do you think of the food?" asks Xiaomei.

I realize I have not touched the food yet. I look up and see Xiaomei staring back with expecting eyes. I look back at the food, take a deep breath and get a hunk of rice with some of the hot pepper and meat on it.

Dragon fire, dragon fire was all I could think. It was like the joyous romp of a mighty dragon through an unsuspecting village, mouthwatering joy and excruciating painful hellfire in one masochistic foodgasm.

The pork was both chewy and tender, and the hot pepper set my mouth ablaze while the heat of the rice was salt in the wound. It was both wonderful and terrible at once.

From one bite I began to sweat under the eyes, my nose ran, and I am quite sure my face is now as red as a monkey's ass.

"Oh God, she's killed him! I will avenge you! :0"

A small charge of electricity gathered in Nathaira's horn, I quickly wave to stop her. She looks back at me with questioning eyes.

I manage to swallow, before I could speak up, a much needed bottle of water was handed to me.

I gulped it down in one swig but it was not enough.

I quickly rush outside my door, and slam it shut behind me, unfurling a mighty fireblast that would put a Charizard to shame.

"Looks like I learned a new move," I chuckle to myself.

Walking back inside, Xiaomei was just behind the door.

"WIMP!" she laughed.

"Actually, I enjoyed it," I replied.

"You better!" she laughed.

"I was mentally ready for the fact the Sichuanese food is really spicy, but you sure caught me off guard. Cook that for Andrew he'd love you forever!" I reply.

"You are starting to make me think you are a masochist too," she laughed.

We return to the table and have more to eat. It was difficult, but through great trial, struggle, and pain, I enjoyed my meal.

"Let's get some sleep, it has gotten late, and I am sure we are all are dead tired after this really long day," said Xiaomei.

I step into my room, but suddenly feel a sharp pain and a loud gong.

"Ow! Why did you hit me with the wok?" I asked as I massaged my aching head.

"I just needed to shake loose a few unsavory thoughts before we share a room," said Xiaomei with an evil smirk.

"Damn, like I would ever do that to you!" I growl angrily at her. I climb into bed, I was too dead tired to give a damn about whether I was wearing pajamas or not.

"Sorry," she replied as she climbed into the bed adjacent to mine.

"Good night," I reply.

"Good night," she said.

-A Few Hours Later, Nathaira's POV-
(Author's note: -"this means poke speech"-)

Nathaira could not sleep, thoughts seemed to mull about her head without end and it was driving her nuts. After a moment of consideration she decides to take a step outside to the balcony for a breath of fresh air.

-"This atmosphere is heavy, it does little to ease my mind,"- Nathaira thought aloud.

From below a Zubat comes flitting up from the apartment below.

-"Banquo?"- asked Nathaira.

-"Aye,"- replied the Zubat.

-"Is it me, or is there something oppressive about the air tonight?"- asked Nathaira.

-"Hmhmhmhm, you must be a Yank from up North, it's the humidity, not the most pleasant but with time you will get used to it,"- replied Banquo.

-"Something on your mind?"- asked Banquo.

-"Um...yes,"- replied Nathaira.

-"Something to do with once being a human right?"- Banquo asked.

-"Why yes,"- Nathaira replied.

-"I know little of human things seeing that I was never human, but I will listen, and offer advice as needed,"- said Banquo.

-"I think I like my trainer,"- said Nathaira.

-"Good, it is good you have been paired with a trainer you can get along with,"- replied Banquo.

-"No no like, I...I think I am in love with him,"- Nathaira replied.

-"I understand you were once human, but we must all play the cards we are dealt. Not to mention, the whole interspecies thing would be just plain icky, I am sure there is a handsome whatever it is you are out there for you to mate with,"- replied Banquo.

-"But it is hard to shake, I could sense him, I knew his personality before I even saw his face,"- Nathaira replied.

-"What you have is just puppy love. Love is a lot more than simple infatuation, do your best to shake these thoughts, it is not your destiny, for it was providence that made us what we are today. Once you move on, you will be much happier. I must go for now, the night is young and I would like to enjoy the moonlight while it lasts, good luck to you I am sure you will do what is right,"- said Banquo before taking flight into the dark.

Nathaira is left in silence, the swirly thoughts in her mind now stirring faster than before.

For a few minutes Nathaira sat there but her reverie is broken by an uncharacteristically cold wind carrying distant voices. The grew closer, before what they were say could be heard.

-"Fair is foul, and foul is fair;
Hover through the fog and filthy air."-

The voices chanted on. Finally the source of the voices could be seen, three Ghastly's floating through the air by the balcony.

They stopped and turned their gaze towards Nathaira.

-"Hail, Nathaira lover of Atticus,"- said one.

-"Hail, Nathaira lover of man,"- said the other.

-"Hail, Nathaira lover of ditto,"- said the last.

-"W-What?"- Nathaira stuttered at the strange greeting.

-"Greymalkin, shall we tell her?"- snickered one.

-"Yes Paddock, let's,"- snickered the other.

The third Ghastly spoke, -"Atticus is also a Pokemon, transformed into a ditto. human, yet not, Pokemon, yet not. His feet are in both worlds, yet part of neither."-

-"W-WHAAAAT!?"- gasped Nathaira

The three snickered.

-"You wish for him to love you? How could he love such a strange malformed creature like yourself?"- said one.

-"Evolve if you wish to be with him,"- said the other.

-Tear him away from the world of humans,"- said the third.

-"Tell not your secret, he will only know before the end of your life,"- said the last.

-"W-Wait, if I am to evolve, what do I do?"- Nathaira asks.

-"A Gardevoir you must be to claim him,"- said one.

-"So find the weakened Salamence,"- said the other.

-"Then slay it and take the first step,"- said the third.

-"W-What?!"- replied Nathaira.

No reply came, because the ghastly's began to dissipate into the air chanting, -"Fair is foul, and foul is fair; Hover through the fog and filthy air."-

The appartment parking lot was just across the street, low and behold there was a wounded Salamence.

-"I-I guess, first thing's first,"- said Nathaira before making for the door.

(TO BE CONTINUED)