Author's Note: Welcome back, guys! I can see that this story's actually getting more views. The recent chapters are even rivaling the first when it comes to the view count! Even if this story doesn't get too many reviews, it's good to see that it still had a moderate amount of readers. So, enjoy the update! It's a little extra, but I wouldn't consider it "filler" since it's pretty damn important.

I tacked away at the PC's keyboard, making the final few adjustments. I looked at Phoebe's PokéBall on the transfer machine next to the computer and clicked "Confirm", which made the containment orb disappear until Phoebe's data was in the PC.

"And now, I can welcome the new girl," I said, placing Rubella's PokéBall into the party until her Great Ball took form.

I took the Great Ball into my palm, shrank it, and attached it to my belt as I made my leave from the Pokémon Center since my team was now completely healthy. The noise my Xtransceiver made signaled a new message. I checked it and saw that the sender was Haley.

"'Did u get the badge yet?'" I read back, remembering our deal the last time we saw each other.

I texted Haley back with a message saying that I got the badge and I'd meet him in the Central Plaza as soon as possible. Following the Town Map, I made it to the place where I agreed to rendezvous with Haley for our outing. There weren't very many people around the square since it was almost sundown, but I saw Haley, his back facing me while he leaned on the fountain's ledge in a position that required him leaning his head against his left hand and his right palm gingerly atop his hip.

"Haley?" I asked, "What are you doing?"

When he heard my voice, Haley turned his head to face me. He had a pleasant smirk on his face and a fake rose in his mouth. I noticed he was also starting to switch positions so he could completely face me.

"Well, hello, Hynden-" he started to say smoothly until he lost his balance and fell backwards. "GAH!"

In a large splash, Haley fell into the fountain water. I was laughing at his silliness, but I of course went over to help my drenched friend out of the water. When he pulled himself back up to the surface, I pulled him from the fountain along with the rose.

"Real smooth," I laughed jokingly.

"Oh, whatever," Haley scoffed before pointing to the red rose I was holding. "You're free to keep that."

"I am? Thanks."

"Ya ready? I've planned some special events for us."

"Yep! Let's go, Hales!"

Haley guided me all the way to one of the docks, where we stood below the reception gate in front of a large cruise ship. The sign next to the gate said "Royal Unova", which I assumed to be the name of the large ship in front of us. Haley paid the necessary fee for both me and him, and the person in charge of the gate let us walk up the towering metal ramp until we were on deck.

"All aboard!" the captain shouted, sounding off an alarm before the cruise started sailing away from the docks.

"Where are we going?" I asked Haley.

"Nowhere," he answered. "According to my city guide, the Royal Unova only takes an hour-and-a-half long trip around some of the region, and then it comes back to port until the next evening."

"That's kind of a ripoff. Why build this huge ship if you're only going through some of Unova?"

"Beats me. But, let's enjoy the time we have on here, shall we?"

As the Royal Unova sailed further away from Castelia City, I looked up at the setting sun beyond the horizon. The orange and yellow hues beautifully blending with the oncoming darkness of the night that waited in the wings was truly a sight to behold. The light glimmered in my pewter eyes, my mind utterly enthralled by the beauty before me.

"I can't think of anything more beautiful than this," I breathed.

"Oh, I can," Haley retorted, glancing at me.

"Ah, come on. I think this sunset can top whatever you're thinking of. Look at this!"

Haley leaned on the ship's railway and gazed upon the sunset with me. Just the sight of the slow sunset made me feel so relaxed, which made my head unconsciously lean onto one of Haley's shoulders. I only noticed and removed my head when he flinched nervously.

"Sorry," I told him.

"No no, it's okay," he insisted, blushing. "You're free to lean on my shoulder if you want."

"Really, I didn't mean to do that. Uhh, is there anything else we can do on this ship?"

"Yeah, let's see." Haley examined his Castelia City guide, flipped to another section, and skimmed his finger down until he found something on the Royal Unova. "Yep! You're gonna like this; there are tons of Trainers aboard, ready to be battled until the cruise ends!"

"This is a battle boat?! In that case, let's go! I could use some training before I go to the next city."

My childhood friend followed me into the inside of the cruise ship. The steward told us that there were four Trainers total that were ready for battle behind most of the blue doors, but to also be careful of the ones that like to waste a lot of time. Haley and I weren't sure where the real Trainers were at, so our best bet was guessing and being careful.

"He said the blue doors?" Haley wondered, "Well, let's go into that one!" he exclaimed, pointing to the first one he saw.

"Wait, Haley, he said most of the doors," I warned him. "We might not even-"

Haley didn't let me finish my sentence, instead rushing in and opening the blue door right open. However, he quickly regretted his actions when we saw a Rich Boy Trainer on top of a Lady one. They were both clothes-less save for a few necessary pieces of undergarment. When they saw us, the Rich Boy ripped himself away from the Lady's mouth and angrily stormed over to the door, holding onto the boxers around his waist.

"Do you mind?!" he screeched, "Some of us aren't here to battle! Now, scat, you filthy plebeians!"

The Rich Boy slammed the door, leaving Haley and I with flushed faces of pure embarrassment. We quickly got as far away from the room as possible to avoid hearing what would most likely proceed the Rich Boy's outburst.

"...Well, I guess those two were getting ready for a 'battle' of their own," Haley remarked, still embarrassed.

"Haley!" I screeched at his suggestive remark.

"What? It's true. Anyways, let's go see if anyone really is willing to battle."

We spotted another blue door that was a safe distance away from the first. This time, I took the liberty of knocking and waited for the consent of the person behind the door.

"Come in!" said the chipper voice of a girl before I opened the door. "My name's Sybil, are you looking for a battle?"

"That's right!" I confirmed, taking out one of my PokéBalls at the same time Haley did.

"Great! I've been stuck on this boring cruise with Grandma Cassie all evening! A battle's just what the doctor ordered! And since I've got two of my friends on me, this'll be a two against one!"

"You're on!" Haley exclaimed.

"Budew, Sewaddle, let's go!" Sybil chirped, summoning her two Pokémon.

"Rubella, take the stage!" I shouted, calling out my new Zubat.

"Kuina, show 'em what you're made of!" Haley said, tossing the PokéBall that contained the once-sickly Pidove he rescued.

I was surprised at the swift recovery Kuina had made since I last saw her, but at the same time, I was impressed with how well Haley had taken great care of her. When I told Rubella to use Wing Attack on Budew, Haley instructed Kuina to use Air Cutter on Sewaddle. In seconds, both Grass-types were defeated.

"Oh, pooh!" Sybil cursed with a huff. "Here are your payments, you two."

Sybil handed me and Haley 256 PokéDollars each for defeating her. We both thanked her for a good battle, recalled our Flying-types, and left Sybil's room in search of another Trainer. We found another blue door, which an elderly woman resided in.

"Hello, young ones," she greeted with a small wave and a light, yet kindly smile. "My name's Cassandra. Would you like to battle?"

"Sure!" Haley agreed with confidence.

"Ah, but I only have one Pokémon with me right now," Cassandra added. "So, I can only take one opponent."

"I'll go," I volunteered, raising my hand halfway. "I've got someone who needs some more training at the moment."

"Okay. You go on ahead, Hynden. I'll just watch for now."

Cassandra's only Pokémon was Purrloin. The Pokémon I decided to go with was none other than Percy, who I felt needed to help build a stronger bond of trust between Trainer and Pokémon. This time around, he seemed a little more willing to fight.

"Perseus, Force Palm!" I commanded.

"Purrloin, dearie, use Fury Swipes," Cassandra told it.

Percy's feline opponent was faster than him, so it got the chance to attack first. Its sharp retractable claws dug right into Percy's skin over and over until it decided he'd had enough for now. Percy retaliated by grabbing Purrloin and tossing it aside harshly.

"Great job!" I said to Percy, "Now, use Quick Attack!"

Purrloin didn't stand a chance. Its futile attempt to strike Percy again was foiled by his high speed and nearly-invisible attack. After only one hit, Purrloin fell with defeat. When his opponent was recalled, Percy stared for a minute before becoming jubilant.

"I won!" he cheered, "And it's… it's all thanks to you, Hynden! After that Burgh battle, you really are a worthy human. From this day forth, you have my trust."

Percy reached his hand up to me and gestured for me to shake it. When I happily did, his entire arm started producing a bright blue mystical aura. I quickly let go of it, and as I looked closer, Percy's entire form was beginning to change. His body got taller, his ears longer, and four large spikes protruded from individual parts of his body. The aura dissipated, and there was Percy; a new and improved Lucario.

"Perseus!" I gasped with amazement, "You, you finally evolved! Does that mean we're officially friends now?"

"...Indeed," Percy decided with a more mature and masculine voice. "But from now on, you have my permission to refer to me as 'Percy'. I will accept nothing less."

"You got it, Percy!"

I opened my PokéDex to check Percy's new stats, but I nearly dropped it with horror when I found out he had a new type. Beside the word "FIGHT" was a five-letter word I never thought I'd see under my ownership: "STEEL". The very word mocked me the longer I gazed at it, electricity crackling at my fingertips until I snapped myself out of it.

"What's wrong, Hynden?" Percy asked me with worry.

"...It's, it's nothing, Percy," I assured him, putting away my PokéDex and recalling my Lucario. "Thanks for the battle, Cassandra."

"Oh, anytime," she said as Haley and I made our leave.

When we closed the door behind us, it was Haley's turn to look at me with concern in his eyes rather than the other way around. The expression I showed him was one recovering from a huge shock and mixed feelings about what I just saw.

"Is this about your Lucario?" he asked. "I mean, they are part-Steel, so…"

"You know what?" I wondered, "Percy's gonna be an exception. Yeah, Steel-types still terrify me to no end, but I can't kick him off the team for that reason alone. Friends don't do that to each other."

"Are you sure? Even after what happened with Lulu?"

"More than sure. I'm positive. After all, I gotta bring myself to try and get over my vendetta someday, don't I?"

Suddenly, three boat alarms sounded off as the Royal Unova came to a complete stop. The speakers announced that we had returned to Castelia City. When Haley and I made our leave, the sky was nearly dusk.

"We must have been on for a long time," I guessed.

"Probably. It sure didn't feel like 45 minutes."

"So, is that the end of our time together in Castelia?"
"No, not yet! There's one more place we gotta go to! Come on!"

Haley dragged me all the way to the small, yet dimming Narrow Street. We stopped when we reached a bright orange door that Haley knocked on seven times in a certain rhythm. A secret peep-hole slid open so only a pair of hazel eyes were visible.

"Reservation code?" the voice asked.

"Struggle Bug," Haley answered.

"Ah, Mr. O'Malley and guest! Come right in!"

The orange door opened and changed the scenery before me entirely. Inside was a small café with brown walls and a carpeted floor of the same color (albeit in a darker shade). There weren't very many people or tables, but a friendly waiter guided us to a table that was just abandoned by a female Veteran and a male Clerk.

"Would the lovely lady and her date like to order now?" the waiter asked.

"Hmm, let me see the menu first," I said, examining the menu on the table and quickly making a decision. "Ah! Haley and I will share one large Castelia Pizza, please."

"Excellent choice. It will be ready in about fifteen minutes."

Haley thanked the waiter before he left, leaving him to turn his attention to me. I looked him in the eyes for a few moments, and the silence was finally broken by Haley speaking.

"So, tell me about yourself," Haley said jokingly.

"Haley, please," I laughed, "we've known each other since Trainers' School, remember? I think you know enough about me."

"Yeah, I know. I figured I'd say that at least once with you."

"Well, why don't you tell me something about yourself. Something I don't already know."

"Like…?"

"Like your beef with Team Plasma. I hate them as much as you do, but I don't think I ever caught your reason for it."

Red eyes that were once joyful quickly fell sullen and grim. I could also detect anger and resent in his eyes at my question. Haley's eyebrows furrowed as he dug his blunt fingertips into his forehead in frustration.

"...I'll never forgive them for what they did," he growled. "First, they take Minnie from Julia, and then, then they do THAT!"

"What? Did what? Who's 'Minnie'?"

"Minnie was my sister's Purrloin. Around the time you and your folks left Johto, my maternal grandfather came back from his yearly trips to this region. It was his last hurrah since at that point, he'd been told he only had one more month to live. Since it was Julia's birthday when he did return, he gave her a present before he died. And that present, of course, was Minnie. While Min didn't really like me all too well, she and Jules were borderline inseparable, kinda like how close you were with Lulu, Hynden."

My hand went to my treasured locket. I lifted it slightly with my thumb and index finger, and the only thing I could do was look at it with somber pewter eyes. I could only imagine how close Julia and Minnie were for Haley to use my relationship with Lulu as a comparison.

"...Go on," I said grimly, letting go of the gold-and-silver locket until it dangled in front of my chest again.

"Anyways, things were great between them. When Grandpa finally kicked the bucket a month and a half longer than he was told, Jules wouldn't let Minnie out of her sight no matter what. I guess you could say it was her way of keeping Grandpa close in memory. But, then they came," he snarled. "Did I ever tell you why my family left Goldenrod City, Hynden?"

"No, you haven't. Is it because of-"

"That's right! Team Plasma's to blame! What they did… it's total bullshit, and I get pissed just thinking about it! Before we came here, they tried spreading their 'good word' around other regions. And by that, I mean whatever city they could get their grubby hands on, they decimated when no one complied. And you can only guess how many people actually went with them."

"They were in Johto?! When?!"

"Right before they came to Unova, so I'd say about three or four years ago. I dunno what shit they pulled here, but what they did in Goldenrod felt ten times worse. Hynden, they destroyed pretty much everything! The Department Store along with Whitney's Gym got burned to the ground, the Radio Tower and Magnet Train were destroyed, and lemme tell you; there were several Pokémon that lost their lives that day. Even Whitney's brute of a Miltank."

"What?! Not Milty!" I gasped.

"Oh, but that's not all! As if destroying my hometown wasn't enough, my house was one of the many that got raided and assaulted! If only I'd become a Trainer sooner; I could've stopped them from stealing Minnie away from Julia! Not only that, but Daisy would still be alive too!"

"Who's Daisy? Someone you know?"

"Thanks to Team Plasma, my mother's Meganium is now childless. Belle's never been the same ever since we heard the sound of a Bayleef's neck snap for the first and hopefully last time…" Haley visibly gagged at the last part, the memory obviously disturbing him greatly.

Even before Haley's tale, I knew Team Plasma were disgusting and ignorant thugs bent on ruining things for everyone. But now, I hated them even more for doing such awful things to innocent civilians. The horrific images Haley described played inside of my head like a movie, and I didn't like what was happening. My thoughts thankfully stopped imagining it when I heard Haley start sobbing, his fingers clutching his forehead.

"Why do you think I'm trying to get stronger?" he choked, tears leaking from his eyes profusely, "I can't let anything like that happen ever again! I want Team Plasma to pay, and I'm tired of losing the things I hold dear to me! If I don't find them and set things right, then what good am I?!"

As Haley continued to sob, I put my hand on the back of his head, feeling his spiky raven hair against my fingers. When he lifted his head up at my touch and looked at me with tear-stained burgundy eyes, I clasped his fingerless-gloved hands together with my own in the blink of an eye.

"I'm gonna help you," I decided with a determined smile. "If Team Plasma decides to cross me while I'm getting the rest of the Unova League badges, then they won't stand a chance against us! I mean, I took 'em down once, so I'll do it again!"

"You, you'd do that?" Haley sniffled, blinking away the rest of his tears.

"Why not? Anything for my best friend! Haley, I'm gonna help you get Minnie back and take down Team Plasma for good! No one should have to suffer because of them anymore, and as the future Champion, I'll ensure that!"

I released Haley's hands, which allowed him to wipe the rest of the tears from his eyes. It was easy to see that he was starting to cheer up a little because of my genuine promise, but his face lit up even more when the waiter brought us the pizza we ordered.

"Enjoy," he said, walking away right after.

"Alright!" Haley cheered, already taking two slices onto his plate. "This'll now be a 'celebration pizza' now that I've got some help in taking down Team Plasma!" He raised one of his slices up proudly, supporting the bottom so as not to let the cheese drip off. "A toast to a new alliance! Down with Team Plasma!"

"Down with Team Plasma!" I said back, raising my pizza slice to touch Haley's before pulling it back.

I wasn't even two bites into my pizza slice when I noticed Haley was almost done his second slice and already going for another one. Although my friend's large appetite wasn't anything out of the ordinary, I knew it was a good sign that he'd started to bounce back from his earlier slump and continued eating my own slice of the delicious and mouth-watering fusion of melted cheese, sauce, and toppings that took the form of the Castelia Pizza.

After our meal, I split the small bill with Haley and we left. We wished each other goodnight, and did our personal handshake together. Haley glanced over at the fake red rose sticking out of my bag, smiling at the sight and turning a lighter shade of the flower's color.

"Did you have fun tonight?" he asked me.

"Yeah, let's do something like that again sometime," I answered. "It's been so long since we've hung out together. I mean, we're best friends, so that's all the more reason to."

"R-Right! Well, have a good night, Hynden. Good luck in your next Gym battle!"

I pulled Haley into an embrace, which he of course hesitated to let go of. After a few more extra seconds, I finally got him to let go and left in favor of the Pokémon Center. When I checked into a room after healing my Pokémon up, I changed into my pajamas, shut the lights off, and climbed into bed, hoping for another good night of sleep to come straight to me as I slowly fell asleep.

Pokémon obtained: None.

Badges earned: 3/8

Boxed/Unboxed: Phoebe the Sewaddle (Boxed).

Rubella the Zubat (Unboxed).

Author's Note: The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the stolen Purrloin wasn't enough reason for Haley to hate Team Plasma, so I decided to add a teeny bit more to his reason (The Great Siege of Goldenrod, anyone). PS, this kind of explains why Whitney's Miltank in the PWT has a different move-set, though in-game, it might just be the same pink terror we all know and loathe. So, I hope you all liked this chapter, and I'll see you the next time! And that next time will be none other than Chapter 13!