p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"A Ribombee hovered over an unsuspecting Vulpix and quickly released a dazzling gleam, causing the poor fire type pokemon to scurry away in a panic, sparkles in its wake. Unfortunately, the Vulpix was barreling in my direction where I tried to stay hidden; behind a rather large Rawst berry tree./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"I watched wide-eyed as the fox pokemon stopped a foot away from me, sensing something off in my presence no doubt. The Ribombee seemed to be flying around trying to find the Vulpix with a trainer not far behind, barking orders at her to speed things along. I cringed when hearing the commands coming out of the trainer's mouth and wanted to teach them a lesson for their bossiness. Selfish humans were the worst kind./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"The Vulpix started to say something, distracting me from my thoughts. He was clearly asking for help and saying he didn't wish to be caught./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""I'll help you," I tell Vulpix, shaking off the uneasy feeling I always got when seeing a trainer trying to catch a pokemon. The Vulpix scanned me over and seemed content, but weary when seeing I carried no pokeballs. He slowly came closer to me and I took him in my arms to hold protectively./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"There it is Ribombee! Now's our chance! Oh wait, there's a trainer holding it," Ribombee's owner spoke in unpleasant surprise./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"I am absolutely emnot/em a trainer," I tell the wretched girl in front of me. She seems shocked at my tone and places her hands on her hips with attitude./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""No need to be so rude. And if you're not a trainer, then I'd like to catch that Vulpix please and thank you," She sassed, pointing her nose in the air. I eyed her properly and noticed she had long flowing blonde hair and way too much makeup on. She obviously cared a lot about looks. Her pokemon matched her personality, as it was muttering nothings about how plain and unkempt I appeared. Clearly the fairy type pokemon didn't know I could understand it. It was no doubt saying everything the trainer was thinking./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Well you can't have him," I tell her, standing up and holding the Vulpix close to my chest protectively./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""I saw it first! I deserve to catch it!" She huffed, crossing her arms. She quickly uncrossed them, so as not to crinkle her dress I presumed. It was a fancy looking think of silk. Everything about this trainer screamed fake and doll-like./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""No you do not. It doesn't wish to be caught," I tell her with angry eyes. The Vulpix was growing nervous at the exchange, but curled in on itself and pressed closer to me, begging to not be given to the trainer./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"And what are you? Some kind of pokemon whisperer?" She asks rudely, growing more annoyed by the second. Past experience taught me not to answer that question. She would only laugh or get more irritated or call me a green haired freak. Instead, I began walking away and tensed when she touched my /br /"Wow, what the hell is wrong with you?" She asks in disgust when I brushed away from her horrid touch. I don't answer once more. I didn't owe her any answers and she would not torture them out of me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"I'd sooner run away. Again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Whatever. Be a mute for all I care, but give me that pokemon. I earned the right to catch it," she seethed, balling her hands in /br /"You can't have this one," I reply, monotone as ever. I barely spare her another /br /"Do you know who I am?" She asks, attitude /embr /'Annoying? Horrible? Fake? Incessant?'/em I think to myself, but wait for her to just tell me because she certainly was about /br /"I'm Vanessa Freelance! Daughter of Mark Freelance! You know, the inventer of the Nest ball! I'll have you sued faster than you can say sorry!" She threatened, her Ribombee flying to her side and copying her stance for moral support./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You have no claim on a wild pokemon," I say in a bored /br /"Neither do you!" She cries out. I'm getting fed up with her incessant yelling and I can tell the Vulpix is too with the way it flattens its ears and says something about stupid superficial humans./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Then we're at an impasse," I tell /br /"A what?" She asks, wrinkling her nose in confusion. Figures she wouldn't understand. She didn't have the /br /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""It means we can't move on with this situation because there's no solution," I explained, suppressing an eye /br /"Like hell we can't. Battle me for it you loser," she sneered, looking smug with her proposition. I tense once more at the prospect of battling. I despise battling more than I despise the girl before me, but it seems like she won't leave the poor Vulpix alone unless I do. I have battled before, but it certainly was not often. I didn't even have any pokemon at the moment./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""What's wrong? Scared?" She taunted like a child. I'm at a loss. I can't battle without pokemon and this Vulpix seems to be like me in the sense that it doesn't desire battling./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"Just then, the fire type pokemon stood up in my hands and looked at me with determination. It called out loudly, puzzling both me and the blonde instigator. Who was it calling for?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"Not a minute later, rustling was heard and another Vulpix appeared through the bushes, only this one was Alolan. I didn't know they could be found here in Unova. The Vulpix in my hands told me that this one would battle at my side in its place./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Alright. I accept your challenge. I will fight with this Alolan Vulpix. If I win, you have to leave this pokemon alone," I declared, watching as the fire type moved its way to settle on my shoulder. I noticed the girl-Vanessa had locked gazes with the Alolan Vulpix and was mesmerized./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Deal. But emwhen/em I win, I get both of them," She smirked, looking /br /"We can do this," I tell Alolan Vulpix. To my surprise, Vanessa recalled her Ribombee and called out a Roselia. That was her mistake. If I remember correctly, ice types have advantage over grass./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Alright Vulpix, give it an aurora beam," I say, watching a ray of rainbow burst out of the pokemon. It lands a direct hit on the Roselia who couldn't move away in time and got its leg stuck in some of the ice./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""This was a great idea Touya, thank you. I needed a break from mother's nagging and Cheren's bickering emand/em Bianca's speeches about getting along with everyone," Touko said gratefully, clutching her backpack's straps and walking along. Unova was an amazing region and learning about it all year in her classes qualified her to study aboard. It was just luck that Touya agreed to accompany her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Anytime. I could tell you were one word away from bursting into frustration," Touya laughed, nudging his friend's side. She giggled along and they walked through the forest, talking about anything and everything./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Hey Touko, check it out. A Flabébé," Touya says in shock, stopping their conversation about which starter was best in Unova. Touko turned her head to see that the Kalos native pokemon was hovering around a tree with berries, searching for something in particular. This one floated atop a red /br /"What's a Kalos pokemon doing here here in Pinwheel forest?!" Touko asked in wonder. She'd always wanted a fairy type pokemon on her team, but could never find one. A trip to Kalos or Alola was her dream, but seemingly impossible with the way her mother's worrying and nagging went on. She couldn't recall ever reading about finding wild Flabébé anywhere other than Kalos or Alola or some far away region named Paldea in her studies./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You going to catch it?" Touya asked knowingly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"I definitely want to," Touko answered, pokeball in her hand. She threw it out, calling upon Dewott. "Let's get that Flabébé Dewott," she said to her trusty water type. It nodded back at her, ready to battle. It was then that Flabébé noticed what was happening and shook with fear. Touko frowned and called back /br /"What are you doing Touko? It's going to get away," Touya says, not understanding. Touko fixed her cap and faced Touya with a worried look./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Something's not right Touya. It doesn't want to battle and seems scared," Touko told him. Her best friend looked at the fairy type again and noticed that it seemed considerably less afraid now that Touko called off her Dewott./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You're right. Something weird is going on in this forest and we're going to find out what it is," Touya promised, grabbing his friend's hand and dragging her along./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Wait! Where are we going?" She asked, not expecting to be /br /"I hear a pokemon battle. Maybe we can find out what's going on if we follow it," Touya explains, smiling as they run. Touko had to hold on to her cap with her other hand as she allowed Touya to drag her along./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /I smiled in satisfaction when her Roselia finally gave up. While I hated to see a pokemon faint due to battle, Roselia had poisoned Alolan Vulpix because of my own stupidity. I had forgotten that the grass type was also part poison type as /br /"I win, therefore-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Not so fast freak. Ribombee, teach this loser some manners," Vanessa called, releasing her bug/fairy type. I was /br /"What do you think you're doing? I already won. You're not to catch Vulpix," I said, growing angry. The Alolan Vulpix looked back at me, worried, but I didn't know what else to /br /"I never said how many of my pokemon you had to beat," Vanessa answered with a sly smile. I glare at her /br /"Alolan Vulpix is poisoned. It shouldn't even fight right now," I insisted, looking at the poor ice type that moved /br /"Not my problem. Makes it easier to catch if anything," Vanessa shrugged as if an injured pokemon were a convenience. I'd say I couldn't believe how selfish she was being, but I could. Humans did selfish /br /"I won't fight you like this. I won't do that to Alolan Vulpix," I decide firmly, gesturing for the pokemon to come to me so I could try to help. But it didn't listen. Alolan Vulpix shook its head and gestured toward Ribombee with newfound fire in its eyes. "You…you still want to fight?" I asked. It nodded and said it had to. For its friend. I look at my shoulder to see Vulpix seemingly worried for Alolan Vulpix, but knowing it couldn't talk sense into her. Alolan Vulpix was too high strung and set on battling./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Alright, but take it easy for our sake if not yours," I told Alolan Vulpix. I turn to Vanessa and scowl. "You disgust me. You're absolutely ugly on the inside," I tell her calmly. She seems completely offended at that and immediately commands her Ribombee to use bug buzz./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Vulpix, dodge and use powder snow," I say quickly, but it was no use. The poison weakened it too much and the bug buzz landed a nearly direct hit. I moved to call the battle off, but Alolan Vulpix got up with much struggle and managed to let off a moderately powerful powder snow before collapsing on the spot./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Vulpix," I said brokenly, looking at the fainted pokemon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Alright Ribombee, silver wind!" Vanessa cries out gleefully. Spinning around for show. I widened my eyes in horror./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"What are you doing?!" I asked angrily, voice rising. "It's already fainted." I said in terror, running toward the attack to shield Alolan Vulpix. Before I could process what happened, neither I or Alolan Vulpix was hurt. But it did feel very warm all of a sudden./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"The fainted pokemon whimpered softly and I let it into my arms, feeling bad for letting the situation escalate this far. Pokemon battles were nothing but trouble. The question remained as to how neither of us felt that silver wind and that's when I saw it; Vulpix. The fire type had jumped from my shoulders and used fire spin, dispersing the silver wind and effectively trapping the Ribombee in the vortex./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You're battling?" I asked Vulpix who nodded, ready for vengeance. Of course! Vulpix knew it had type advantage and wanted to avenge Alolan /br /"Alright then, flame burst," I said, smiling when the eager pokemon knocked out Ribombee with one final hit. Vanessa looked /br /"You little cheap! I'll sue you! I'll sue you emand /emyour stupid Vulpix!" She shouted, returning her Ribombee and running off toward the forest's exit. I'm just glad that whole fiasco is finally over. Now I have to worry about Alolan Vulpix. I had to wonder why an Alolan Pokemon was here in the first /br /"Oh my gosh, is it okay? We kind of saw the part where Vulpix saved the day," A voice spoke up, startling me. I looked behind me to see a girl with dark brown tresses cascading down her back and face that were attempted to be kept at bay with a cap. She looked concerned for Alolan Vulpix, but that wasn't what caught my eye. She was accompanied by a boy with the same hair color. They both had pokeballs on their belts./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Stay back," I commanded them, having had enough of pokemon trainers. Liberation was a /br /"Whoa man, relax. We mean no harm," the boy spoke up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Why should I trust you?" I /br /"Because we have pokemon and if we wish you harm, we would've called them out and attacked you by now," The girl answered with an uneasy smile. "I promise we just want to help. I have a pecha berry and some revives," she offered, showing the items she'd just listed off. Vulpix went near the girl, sniffing her and backing up when it saw her pokeballs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""What? These things scare you? How about this then?" She asked, taking them off of her belt and putting them into her backpack. "Better?" She asks. Vulpix cocked its head to the side and went closer to the girl, still cautious. Then, it smiled and cried out happily that yes, it was much better now that the pokeballs were gone. The boy noticed this and copied what the girl had done, but I wasn't completely convinced just yet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""I won't catch or battle you if you're scared. Now let's see if I can help your friend," the girl said, walking closer to me and silently asking permission to help. I nodded wordlessly and watched as she expertly brought the Vulpix back to consciousness and healed it of its poisoning./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""But you're a trainer," I say bluntly, watching as Alolan Vulpix jumped into the girl's arms and thanked her for the berry./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You say trainer as though it's a bad word. I'm also a person with a heart. I'm Touko and this is my friend Touya. We heard the battle and came because we think something strange is going on here," she informed me. I noticed how the pokemon in her arms ate up all the petting it was given from /br /"Something strange," I pondered aloud./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Earlier, we saw a Flabébé up near a tree and I was going to catch it, but it seemed off. That pokemon and Alolan Vulpix aren't native to these parts, so we think something sketchy is going on. That's probably why so many people are after them too." she explained, seeming unsure of the whole situation herself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"This pair of trainers were different from anyone I'd ever seen before. They were willing to not catch rare pokemon if they were scared? The Alolan Vulpix yawned and hummed itself into a soft slumber in Touko's arms. I was surprised it trusted her enough to fall asleep on her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Do you know anything that's going on?" Touya asks, scratching the back of his /br /"Only that selfish trainers are doing what they do best; stealing these pokemon against their will, which I won't allow," I said firmly. The pokemon in Touko's arms may have trusted them, but I still had my doubts and rightly so./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Well we're on your side and we'll help you. We hate selfish trainers too. What's your name?" Touko asked with a friendly smile. I frowned. She didn't understand then. I meant all trainer are selfish, but she took it to mean that I meant only certain trainers./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"N," I tell her, deciding that they were up to helping somewhat, so I may as well take advantage of that if anything./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""N? What kind of name is th-ow! Touko, what gives?!" Touya yelped, rubbing his side where she'd elbowed him. The brunette whipped him a 'don't be rude' look and smiled at me, but I already knew what the boy was trying to say. I was a freak with a freak name./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""It's nice to meet you N. Is that short for something?" Touko asked politely. How dare she pretend to not think I was a freak and ask such a personal question?!br /br /"We're not there yet nor will we ever be." I answered her sharply, leaving no room for her to respond. My gaze must have been brutal because she flinched at my sudden hostility, causing Alolan Vulpix to wake up. Touko calmed down when Touya reached for her hand and gave her some familiarity. They must have been close. I had never felt such closeness with a human. Only pokemon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You don't need to be so rude. She only asked a question. Maybe we'll just go our separate ways," Touya said patiently, getting the vibe that I wasn't one to trifle with. Touko started to protest and say it wasn't a big deal that I had snapped at her, but Touya gave her a look that shut her up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Maybe you should," I replied shortly, turning my heel and walking away from the pair. I didn't need them or trust them. When Alolan Vulpix jumped out of her arms and padded along next to me, I knew it trusted me more and that caused me comfort from the whole exchange between Touko and Touya./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""What a freak show, huh Touko? We dodged a bullet by getting him to leave. His hair was weird too. All green and much too long for a guy," Touya says with a chuckle. Touko glared at him, unamused./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You didn't see it, did you?" Touko asked knowingly. Part of her was hurt that such a close friend of hers spoke so heartlessly of a stranger, but another part understood his reaction. She tended to see things from both sides more often than /br /"See what? I saw plenty. He was a freak," Touya insists, crossing his arms. His friend frowned deeper at his words, not liking his ignorance toward the /br /"Don't call him that. It's rude. And his eyes Touya. They are just like Cheren's when we first met him, only worse off. They may be a nature-full shade of green, but they are hurting. Traumatized and afraid, but guarded and strong all the same," Touko explained, recalling when she'd locked gazes with the very tall boy. He'd obviously been through something intense. It was possible he was still going through it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""They were? I don't know Touko. He just seemed pissed and annoyed with us if you ask me," Touya insisted, but he still gave his friend's words some thought. Touko wasn't one to make things up. If she insisted that N was more than meets the eye, he probably was./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Yes Touya. I'm worried for him. He seems to be comfortable around pokemon more than humans. It's like he refuses to trust anyone," Touko observed, noticing how he seemed okay with the two Vulpix, but completely thrown off by the two trainers in his /br /"Well if you feel that strongly about it, we can try to help him. But one step at a time, okay? First let's find out what it is that's going on over here with the pokemon outbreak and region crossover," Touya says after some contemplation./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You're right. And I did notice something else odd while we were in here. I'm feeling subtle vibes of tropical weather that are stronger in some places than others," Touko /br /"Yeah, I feel that too. So we follow the odd weather patterns and that'll lead us to whatever is causing this weird outbreak." Touya finishes, nodding when Touko agrees. And so the pair headed off in the direction the wind quite literally took them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"There, perched up in a cage hanging from the tallest tree in the forest looking clueless, hovered a Castform. It danced around in the rather large encasing, causing thunder and snow and harsh sunlight and leaves and all else to go spiraling around the sky. That explained the odd weather patterns and temperature fluctuations. But that isn't what caught Touko and Touya's eyes the most. Right there beneath the weather pokemon's cage stood N about to be hit with a sludge wave as directed by someone's /br /Touko's feet seemed to gain a mind of their own because she threw herself in front of the green haired boy to block him from being hit. Next thing she knew, Touya was screaming at her or being stupid before trying to block emher/em from trying to block N from the attack. Although, he was too late./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"Touko's Dewott had fired a water pulse that managed to weaken the blow. Seconds later, Touko fell to the floor and tried to shake off the sting from the attack. She glanced lovingly at her Dewott who prevented her from being badly poisoned and thanked it gratefully./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Cursed children! You will pay for trying to disrupt Team Rocket's plans!" The Golbat's owner /br /"Team Rocket?" Touya questioned, scrunching his nose. "I thought they disbanded in the Johto region for good."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You…saved me," N said, monotonous as ever. Touko jumped at his voice and blinked, remembering that she in fact did just that. It took her a moment to come back to reality. There was something about N's voice that was unnerving, yet oddly comforting. He spoke so quickly, and it gave the feeling of needles going into your skin only to realize it's acupuncture and meant to relax you./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"That did happen," Touko sayid, unable to keep her tone a bit distant. Something flashed through N's eyes just then; a wave of something unfamiliar, but not unwelcome./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Why?" he asked. It was a question so simply put, he made it seem like a statement. Touko found herself asking that same thing. Why had she saved him? Perhaps she saw past the outer shell he kept up. Perhaps she saw the many layers that N was made of./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""I guess I saw something worth saving in you," she answered cryptically, standing up. Delving into the complex nature that was N would have to be put on temporary hold. For now, there was a bigger puzzle to solve and so she didn't wait for N to reply./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Just what do you think you all are doing?!" Touya asks the apparent team rocket /br /"We want every pokemon found everywhere. So we're making every place have the same climate! You and your pesky friends can take your leave!" The grunt exclaimed angrily. His Golbat flew right by him, glaring mimetically. That explained all the off sightings of pokemon out of place./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Why would you do that?! Pokemon will have to force evacuate because of population increase and decline in others! You're messing with the natural order!" Touya says in disbelief. N and Touko agreed with his words as they move in closer to him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Fools! Pokemon's 'feelings' don't matter. They're tools used for business," the grunt insisted, urging his Golbat to get prepared for battle. Touko and Touya shared a worried look. They both knew they had to battle, but feared that N might cause a scene, being against trainers./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"I got this one Touko. You try to free Castform," he told his friend who nodded knowingly. Touya must know that N somewhat trusted her more because she saved his life. The last thing they needed was for N to see her battling and be against them again. The brunette ran toward the cage as Touya called out his Emboar and engaged in battle with the yet to be named grunt./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Don't worry Castform, I'll get you out of there," Touko called up. The gray pokemon looked down in confusion at who was talking to it and smiled carefree, unaware of what he was being put up /br /"How are you planning to do that?" N asked. Touko bit her lip, unsure. She didn't have any flying pokemon on her. She always traveled with Touya, and his Braviary was big enough for them both. She never needed one. But then she got an idea. She called her Dewott over and braced herself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You might want to stand back," she told N who did so, albeit in confusion. "Alright Dewott, use surf. On me," she commanded, taking a deep breath. Her pokemon completely understood as he let out a strong current reverberate through him and toward its trainer's feet. Touko was lifted up higher and higher until she could grab onto Castform's cage, but then the current fell, and she was stuck hanging from the cage like a circus act./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Whew. Wow. Okay. This is okay. Just don't look down and pretend it's a game," she murmured to herself. Once she considerably calmed down, she started to work on opening the cage, but a noise distracted her. She looked to the side and saw that the rocket grunt had summoned an Ekans, leaving Emboar nervous. Two against one? Oh hell no./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Dewott, go help Touya and Emboar. I'm fine here," she instructed. Her water type looked weary, but trusted his trainer to know her limits and did as told, running to her best friend's side, launching a ruthless ice beam at the Golbat./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""N! There's a lock on this cage. See if you can find the key!" She called down to the boy. He looked displeased greatly at being told what to do, but the intensity of the situation must have somewhat of an effect on him because he did as she asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Hang on Castform," she says softly. The pokemon only performed a happy Sunny Day in reply to which Touko can only squint at. She prayed N would hurry up with the key and was rewarded by the green haired boy coming back saying he'd found it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Catch," He called, tossing the key upward. Touko managed to hang on with her left hand and catch the key with her right one. The cage creaked a bit, startling her, but she was too determined to quit now. Fearlessly, Touko turned the key in the lock and opened it, setting the pokemon free./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Go Castform, run!" She told it, trying to get the pokemon to understand the severity of the situation. It locked eyes with Touko, carefree smile plastered on its face and sang in glee, doing a rain dance. Touko knew it was only doing that to thank her, but she couldn't stop from cursing. Her hands were sliding down from the cage as she struggled to hang on. The rain was making the bars too slippery./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Touya, help!" She cried out, fearing she wouldn't be able to hang on any longer. Her eyes were shut now, not trusting herself to not look down. Just as she willed something good to happen, her hands completely slid off of the cage due to the downpour and she began falling. Her scream caught everyone's attention and Touya's face paled. He was too far to make it to her in /br /"Touko! NO! N, DON'T JUST STAND THERE, CATCH HER!" He screeched out. Dewott ran to try and help, but it was no use. They both were too far away. It was up to N and what he did shocked everyone. They tall boy placed himself right under the cage and held his hands out, catching Touko flawlessly in his arms. His eyes were wide in shock himself. Blue eyes opened to meet muted green ones. Both pairs were wider than wide and mouths open, taken aback./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You saved emme/em," Touko whispered out to where only he could hear. Her voice couldn't speak up any higher. "Why?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"He seemed to be searching his mind for an answer himself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"I don't know," He said quickly, dropping Touko down, unable to handle the contact any longer. The brunette groaned at being dropped down, but wasn't complaining. Falling from the height before would have been hell. Her Dewott came barreling into her, checking to see if she was okay, Touya not too far behind doing the same./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You're crazy. Idiot," Touya says, looking her dead in the eye. His words might have been neutral, but his tone in itself was enough to tell her he cared more than anything that she was alright./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""I'm fine," She insisted, craving the care he poured her way. It always felt nice to know people were there for you. Touya was family. She understood why he was so worried about /br /"Touching. Very touching. But now that you have freed the Castform, you must pay," The grunt said with malice./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"News flash goon. I took out your pokemon already. And even if you had any left, you're not harming Touko," Touya says, standing in front of his friend protectively. N watched, mesmerized that trainers could care so much about the well-being of a pokemon. Or each other for that matter. He didn't know it was possible. Still, there was a nature to this Touko and Touya's relationship that wasn't completely friendly. He wondered if they harbored what Anthea and Concordia told him romantic feelings were./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""This will not be the last you hear of team rocket!" The grunt said, flying off with his /br /"Touya, I'm fine, honest. We should alert the authorities," Touko said, moving from behind /br /"No way. Not until we get you somewhere where you can rest," Touya /br /"But I'm fine. I promise. We need to get to the police so Team Rocket doesn't try this again," Touko /br /"Okay, we'll go to town, tell the police, but then you're resting," Touya decides. Touko agreed. They began their walk out of the forest, but Touko turned back to face a troubled N./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Are you coming with us? You're a key witness," she asked. N spent a noticeable amount of time looking at her, contemplating whether he should/wanted /br /"I will alert the police with you and then we shall move along separate paths once more," He settled, starting to walk behind them. The trainers shrugged, figuring this was the best they were going to get from him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"Neither failed to notice that he kept ample distance between them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"I watched wide-eyed as the fox pokemon stopped a foot away from me, sensing something off in my presence no doubt. The Ribombee seemed to be flying around trying to find the Vulpix with a trainer not far behind, barking orders at her to speed things along. I cringed when hearing the commands coming out of the trainer's mouth and wanted to teach them a lesson for their bossiness. Selfish humans were the worst kind./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"The Vulpix started to say something, distracting me from my thoughts. He was clearly asking for help and saying he didn't wish to be caught./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""I'll help you," I tell Vulpix, shaking off the uneasy feeling I always got when seeing a trainer trying to catch a pokemon. The Vulpix scanned me over and seemed content, but weary when seeing I carried no pokeballs. He slowly came closer to me and I took him in my arms to hold protectively./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"There it is Ribombee! Now's our chance! Oh wait, there's a trainer holding it," Ribombee's owner spoke in unpleasant surprise./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"I am absolutely emnot/em a trainer," I tell the wretched girl in front of me. She seems shocked at my tone and places her hands on her hips with attitude./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""No need to be so rude. And if you're not a trainer, then I'd like to catch that Vulpix please and thank you," She sassed, pointing her nose in the air. I eyed her properly and noticed she had long flowing blonde hair and way too much makeup on. She obviously cared a lot about looks. Her pokemon matched her personality, as it was muttering nothings about how plain and unkempt I appeared. Clearly the fairy type pokemon didn't know I could understand it. It was no doubt saying everything the trainer was thinking./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Well you can't have him," I tell her, standing up and holding the Vulpix close to my chest protectively./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""I saw it first! I deserve to catch it!" She huffed, crossing her arms. She quickly uncrossed them, so as not to crinkle her dress I presumed. It was a fancy looking think of silk. Everything about this trainer screamed fake and doll-like./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""No you do not. It doesn't wish to be caught," I tell her with angry eyes. The Vulpix was growing nervous at the exchange, but curled in on itself and pressed closer to me, begging to not be given to the trainer./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"And what are you? Some kind of pokemon whisperer?" She asks rudely, growing more annoyed by the second. Past experience taught me not to answer that question. She would only laugh or get more irritated or call me a green haired freak. Instead, I began walking away and tensed when she touched my /br /"Wow, what the hell is wrong with you?" She asks in disgust when I brushed away from her horrid touch. I don't answer once more. I didn't owe her any answers and she would not torture them out of me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"I'd sooner run away. Again./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Whatever. Be a mute for all I care, but give me that pokemon. I earned the right to catch it," she seethed, balling her hands in /br /"You can't have this one," I reply, monotone as ever. I barely spare her another /br /"Do you know who I am?" She asks, attitude /embr /'Annoying? Horrible? Fake? Incessant?'/em I think to myself, but wait for her to just tell me because she certainly was about /br /"I'm Vanessa Freelance! Daughter of Mark Freelance! You know, the inventer of the Nest ball! I'll have you sued faster than you can say sorry!" She threatened, her Ribombee flying to her side and copying her stance for moral support./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You have no claim on a wild pokemon," I say in a bored /br /"Neither do you!" She cries out. I'm getting fed up with her incessant yelling and I can tell the Vulpix is too with the way it flattens its ears and says something about stupid superficial humans./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Then we're at an impasse," I tell /br /"A what?" She asks, wrinkling her nose in confusion. Figures she wouldn't understand. She didn't have the /br /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""It means we can't move on with this situation because there's no solution," I explained, suppressing an eye /br /"Like hell we can't. Battle me for it you loser," she sneered, looking smug with her proposition. I tense once more at the prospect of battling. I despise battling more than I despise the girl before me, but it seems like she won't leave the poor Vulpix alone unless I do. I have battled before, but it certainly was not often. I didn't even have any pokemon at the moment./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""What's wrong? Scared?" She taunted like a child. I'm at a loss. I can't battle without pokemon and this Vulpix seems to be like me in the sense that it doesn't desire battling./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"Just then, the fire type pokemon stood up in my hands and looked at me with determination. It called out loudly, puzzling both me and the blonde instigator. Who was it calling for?/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"Not a minute later, rustling was heard and another Vulpix appeared through the bushes, only this one was Alolan. I didn't know they could be found here in Unova. The Vulpix in my hands told me that this one would battle at my side in its place./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Alright. I accept your challenge. I will fight with this Alolan Vulpix. If I win, you have to leave this pokemon alone," I declared, watching as the fire type moved its way to settle on my shoulder. I noticed the girl-Vanessa had locked gazes with the Alolan Vulpix and was mesmerized./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Deal. But emwhen/em I win, I get both of them," She smirked, looking /br /"We can do this," I tell Alolan Vulpix. To my surprise, Vanessa recalled her Ribombee and called out a Roselia. That was her mistake. If I remember correctly, ice types have advantage over grass./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Alright Vulpix, give it an aurora beam," I say, watching a ray of rainbow burst out of the pokemon. It lands a direct hit on the Roselia who couldn't move away in time and got its leg stuck in some of the ice./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""This was a great idea Touya, thank you. I needed a break from mother's nagging and Cheren's bickering emand/em Bianca's speeches about getting along with everyone," Touko said gratefully, clutching her backpack's straps and walking along. Unova was an amazing region and learning about it all year in her classes qualified her to study aboard. It was just luck that Touya agreed to accompany her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Anytime. I could tell you were one word away from bursting into frustration," Touya laughed, nudging his friend's side. She giggled along and they walked through the forest, talking about anything and everything./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Hey Touko, check it out. A Flabébé," Touya says in shock, stopping their conversation about which starter was best in Unova. Touko turned her head to see that the Kalos native pokemon was hovering around a tree with berries, searching for something in particular. This one floated atop a red /br /"What's a Kalos pokemon doing here here in Pinwheel forest?!" Touko asked in wonder. She'd always wanted a fairy type pokemon on her team, but could never find one. A trip to Kalos or Alola was her dream, but seemingly impossible with the way her mother's worrying and nagging went on. She couldn't recall ever reading about finding wild Flabébé anywhere other than Kalos or Alola or some far away region named Paldea in her studies./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You going to catch it?" Touya asked knowingly./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"I definitely want to," Touko answered, pokeball in her hand. She threw it out, calling upon Dewott. "Let's get that Flabébé Dewott," she said to her trusty water type. It nodded back at her, ready to battle. It was then that Flabébé noticed what was happening and shook with fear. Touko frowned and called back /br /"What are you doing Touko? It's going to get away," Touya says, not understanding. Touko fixed her cap and faced Touya with a worried look./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Something's not right Touya. It doesn't want to battle and seems scared," Touko told him. Her best friend looked at the fairy type again and noticed that it seemed considerably less afraid now that Touko called off her Dewott./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You're right. Something weird is going on in this forest and we're going to find out what it is," Touya promised, grabbing his friend's hand and dragging her along./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Wait! Where are we going?" She asked, not expecting to be /br /"I hear a pokemon battle. Maybe we can find out what's going on if we follow it," Touya explains, smiling as they run. Touko had to hold on to her cap with her other hand as she allowed Touya to drag her along./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /I smiled in satisfaction when her Roselia finally gave up. While I hated to see a pokemon faint due to battle, Roselia had poisoned Alolan Vulpix because of my own stupidity. I had forgotten that the grass type was also part poison type as /br /"I win, therefore-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Not so fast freak. Ribombee, teach this loser some manners," Vanessa called, releasing her bug/fairy type. I was /br /"What do you think you're doing? I already won. You're not to catch Vulpix," I said, growing angry. The Alolan Vulpix looked back at me, worried, but I didn't know what else to /br /"I never said how many of my pokemon you had to beat," Vanessa answered with a sly smile. I glare at her /br /"Alolan Vulpix is poisoned. It shouldn't even fight right now," I insisted, looking at the poor ice type that moved /br /"Not my problem. Makes it easier to catch if anything," Vanessa shrugged as if an injured pokemon were a convenience. I'd say I couldn't believe how selfish she was being, but I could. Humans did selfish /br /"I won't fight you like this. I won't do that to Alolan Vulpix," I decide firmly, gesturing for the pokemon to come to me so I could try to help. But it didn't listen. Alolan Vulpix shook its head and gestured toward Ribombee with newfound fire in its eyes. "You…you still want to fight?" I asked. It nodded and said it had to. For its friend. I look at my shoulder to see Vulpix seemingly worried for Alolan Vulpix, but knowing it couldn't talk sense into her. Alolan Vulpix was too high strung and set on battling./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Alright, but take it easy for our sake if not yours," I told Alolan Vulpix. I turn to Vanessa and scowl. "You disgust me. You're absolutely ugly on the inside," I tell her calmly. She seems completely offended at that and immediately commands her Ribombee to use bug buzz./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Vulpix, dodge and use powder snow," I say quickly, but it was no use. The poison weakened it too much and the bug buzz landed a nearly direct hit. I moved to call the battle off, but Alolan Vulpix got up with much struggle and managed to let off a moderately powerful powder snow before collapsing on the spot./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Vulpix," I said brokenly, looking at the fainted pokemon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Alright Ribombee, silver wind!" Vanessa cries out gleefully. Spinning around for show. I widened my eyes in horror./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"What are you doing?!" I asked angrily, voice rising. "It's already fainted." I said in terror, running toward the attack to shield Alolan Vulpix. Before I could process what happened, neither I or Alolan Vulpix was hurt. But it did feel very warm all of a sudden./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"The fainted pokemon whimpered softly and I let it into my arms, feeling bad for letting the situation escalate this far. Pokemon battles were nothing but trouble. The question remained as to how neither of us felt that silver wind and that's when I saw it; Vulpix. The fire type had jumped from my shoulders and used fire spin, dispersing the silver wind and effectively trapping the Ribombee in the vortex./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You're battling?" I asked Vulpix who nodded, ready for vengeance. Of course! Vulpix knew it had type advantage and wanted to avenge Alolan /br /"Alright then, flame burst," I said, smiling when the eager pokemon knocked out Ribombee with one final hit. Vanessa looked /br /"You little cheap! I'll sue you! I'll sue you emand /emyour stupid Vulpix!" She shouted, returning her Ribombee and running off toward the forest's exit. I'm just glad that whole fiasco is finally over. Now I have to worry about Alolan Vulpix. I had to wonder why an Alolan Pokemon was here in the first /br /"Oh my gosh, is it okay? We kind of saw the part where Vulpix saved the day," A voice spoke up, startling me. I looked behind me to see a girl with dark brown tresses cascading down her back and face that were attempted to be kept at bay with a cap. She looked concerned for Alolan Vulpix, but that wasn't what caught my eye. She was accompanied by a boy with the same hair color. They both had pokeballs on their belts./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Stay back," I commanded them, having had enough of pokemon trainers. Liberation was a /br /"Whoa man, relax. We mean no harm," the boy spoke up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Why should I trust you?" I /br /"Because we have pokemon and if we wish you harm, we would've called them out and attacked you by now," The girl answered with an uneasy smile. "I promise we just want to help. I have a pecha berry and some revives," she offered, showing the items she'd just listed off. Vulpix went near the girl, sniffing her and backing up when it saw her pokeballs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""What? These things scare you? How about this then?" She asked, taking them off of her belt and putting them into her backpack. "Better?" She asks. Vulpix cocked its head to the side and went closer to the girl, still cautious. Then, it smiled and cried out happily that yes, it was much better now that the pokeballs were gone. The boy noticed this and copied what the girl had done, but I wasn't completely convinced just yet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""I won't catch or battle you if you're scared. Now let's see if I can help your friend," the girl said, walking closer to me and silently asking permission to help. I nodded wordlessly and watched as she expertly brought the Vulpix back to consciousness and healed it of its poisoning./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""But you're a trainer," I say bluntly, watching as Alolan Vulpix jumped into the girl's arms and thanked her for the berry./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You say trainer as though it's a bad word. I'm also a person with a heart. I'm Touko and this is my friend Touya. We heard the battle and came because we think something strange is going on here," she informed me. I noticed how the pokemon in her arms ate up all the petting it was given from /br /"Something strange," I pondered aloud./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Earlier, we saw a Flabébé up near a tree and I was going to catch it, but it seemed off. That pokemon and Alolan Vulpix aren't native to these parts, so we think something sketchy is going on. That's probably why so many people are after them too." she explained, seeming unsure of the whole situation herself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"This pair of trainers were different from anyone I'd ever seen before. They were willing to not catch rare pokemon if they were scared? The Alolan Vulpix yawned and hummed itself into a soft slumber in Touko's arms. I was surprised it trusted her enough to fall asleep on her./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Do you know anything that's going on?" Touya asks, scratching the back of his /br /"Only that selfish trainers are doing what they do best; stealing these pokemon against their will, which I won't allow," I said firmly. The pokemon in Touko's arms may have trusted them, but I still had my doubts and rightly so./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Well we're on your side and we'll help you. We hate selfish trainers too. What's your name?" Touko asked with a friendly smile. I frowned. She didn't understand then. I meant all trainer are selfish, but she took it to mean that I meant only certain trainers./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"N," I tell her, deciding that they were up to helping somewhat, so I may as well take advantage of that if anything./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""N? What kind of name is th-ow! Touko, what gives?!" Touya yelped, rubbing his side where she'd elbowed him. The brunette whipped him a 'don't be rude' look and smiled at me, but I already knew what the boy was trying to say. I was a freak with a freak name./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""It's nice to meet you N. Is that short for something?" Touko asked politely. How dare she pretend to not think I was a freak and ask such a personal question?!br /br /"We're not there yet nor will we ever be." I answered her sharply, leaving no room for her to respond. My gaze must have been brutal because she flinched at my sudden hostility, causing Alolan Vulpix to wake up. Touko calmed down when Touya reached for her hand and gave her some familiarity. They must have been close. I had never felt such closeness with a human. Only pokemon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You don't need to be so rude. She only asked a question. Maybe we'll just go our separate ways," Touya said patiently, getting the vibe that I wasn't one to trifle with. Touko started to protest and say it wasn't a big deal that I had snapped at her, but Touya gave her a look that shut her up./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Maybe you should," I replied shortly, turning my heel and walking away from the pair. I didn't need them or trust them. When Alolan Vulpix jumped out of her arms and padded along next to me, I knew it trusted me more and that caused me comfort from the whole exchange between Touko and Touya./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""What a freak show, huh Touko? We dodged a bullet by getting him to leave. His hair was weird too. All green and much too long for a guy," Touya says with a chuckle. Touko glared at him, unamused./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You didn't see it, did you?" Touko asked knowingly. Part of her was hurt that such a close friend of hers spoke so heartlessly of a stranger, but another part understood his reaction. She tended to see things from both sides more often than /br /"See what? I saw plenty. He was a freak," Touya insists, crossing his arms. His friend frowned deeper at his words, not liking his ignorance toward the /br /"Don't call him that. It's rude. And his eyes Touya. They are just like Cheren's when we first met him, only worse off. They may be a nature-full shade of green, but they are hurting. Traumatized and afraid, but guarded and strong all the same," Touko explained, recalling when she'd locked gazes with the very tall boy. He'd obviously been through something intense. It was possible he was still going through it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""They were? I don't know Touko. He just seemed pissed and annoyed with us if you ask me," Touya insisted, but he still gave his friend's words some thought. Touko wasn't one to make things up. If she insisted that N was more than meets the eye, he probably was./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Yes Touya. I'm worried for him. He seems to be comfortable around pokemon more than humans. It's like he refuses to trust anyone," Touko observed, noticing how he seemed okay with the two Vulpix, but completely thrown off by the two trainers in his /br /"Well if you feel that strongly about it, we can try to help him. But one step at a time, okay? First let's find out what it is that's going on over here with the pokemon outbreak and region crossover," Touya says after some contemplation./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You're right. And I did notice something else odd while we were in here. I'm feeling subtle vibes of tropical weather that are stronger in some places than others," Touko /br /"Yeah, I feel that too. So we follow the odd weather patterns and that'll lead us to whatever is causing this weird outbreak." Touya finishes, nodding when Touko agrees. And so the pair headed off in the direction the wind quite literally took them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"There, perched up in a cage hanging from the tallest tree in the forest looking clueless, hovered a Castform. It danced around in the rather large encasing, causing thunder and snow and harsh sunlight and leaves and all else to go spiraling around the sky. That explained the odd weather patterns and temperature fluctuations. But that isn't what caught Touko and Touya's eyes the most. Right there beneath the weather pokemon's cage stood N about to be hit with a sludge wave as directed by someone's /br /Touko's feet seemed to gain a mind of their own because she threw herself in front of the green haired boy to block him from being hit. Next thing she knew, Touya was screaming at her or being stupid before trying to block emher/em from trying to block N from the attack. Although, he was too late./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"Touko's Dewott had fired a water pulse that managed to weaken the blow. Seconds later, Touko fell to the floor and tried to shake off the sting from the attack. She glanced lovingly at her Dewott who prevented her from being badly poisoned and thanked it gratefully./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Cursed children! You will pay for trying to disrupt Team Rocket's plans!" The Golbat's owner /br /"Team Rocket?" Touya questioned, scrunching his nose. "I thought they disbanded in the Johto region for good."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You…saved me," N said, monotonous as ever. Touko jumped at his voice and blinked, remembering that she in fact did just that. It took her a moment to come back to reality. There was something about N's voice that was unnerving, yet oddly comforting. He spoke so quickly, and it gave the feeling of needles going into your skin only to realize it's acupuncture and meant to relax you./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"That did happen," Touko sayid, unable to keep her tone a bit distant. Something flashed through N's eyes just then; a wave of something unfamiliar, but not unwelcome./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Why?" he asked. It was a question so simply put, he made it seem like a statement. Touko found herself asking that same thing. Why had she saved him? Perhaps she saw past the outer shell he kept up. Perhaps she saw the many layers that N was made of./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""I guess I saw something worth saving in you," she answered cryptically, standing up. Delving into the complex nature that was N would have to be put on temporary hold. For now, there was a bigger puzzle to solve and so she didn't wait for N to reply./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Just what do you think you all are doing?!" Touya asks the apparent team rocket /br /"We want every pokemon found everywhere. So we're making every place have the same climate! You and your pesky friends can take your leave!" The grunt exclaimed angrily. His Golbat flew right by him, glaring mimetically. That explained all the off sightings of pokemon out of place./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Why would you do that?! Pokemon will have to force evacuate because of population increase and decline in others! You're messing with the natural order!" Touya says in disbelief. N and Touko agreed with his words as they move in closer to him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Fools! Pokemon's 'feelings' don't matter. They're tools used for business," the grunt insisted, urging his Golbat to get prepared for battle. Touko and Touya shared a worried look. They both knew they had to battle, but feared that N might cause a scene, being against trainers./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"I got this one Touko. You try to free Castform," he told his friend who nodded knowingly. Touya must know that N somewhat trusted her more because she saved his life. The last thing they needed was for N to see her battling and be against them again. The brunette ran toward the cage as Touya called out his Emboar and engaged in battle with the yet to be named grunt./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Don't worry Castform, I'll get you out of there," Touko called up. The gray pokemon looked down in confusion at who was talking to it and smiled carefree, unaware of what he was being put up /br /"How are you planning to do that?" N asked. Touko bit her lip, unsure. She didn't have any flying pokemon on her. She always traveled with Touya, and his Braviary was big enough for them both. She never needed one. But then she got an idea. She called her Dewott over and braced herself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"You might want to stand back," she told N who did so, albeit in confusion. "Alright Dewott, use surf. On me," she commanded, taking a deep breath. Her pokemon completely understood as he let out a strong current reverberate through him and toward its trainer's feet. Touko was lifted up higher and higher until she could grab onto Castform's cage, but then the current fell, and she was stuck hanging from the cage like a circus act./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Whew. Wow. Okay. This is okay. Just don't look down and pretend it's a game," she murmured to herself. Once she considerably calmed down, she started to work on opening the cage, but a noise distracted her. She looked to the side and saw that the rocket grunt had summoned an Ekans, leaving Emboar nervous. Two against one? Oh hell no./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Dewott, go help Touya and Emboar. I'm fine here," she instructed. Her water type looked weary, but trusted his trainer to know her limits and did as told, running to her best friend's side, launching a ruthless ice beam at the Golbat./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""N! There's a lock on this cage. See if you can find the key!" She called down to the boy. He looked displeased greatly at being told what to do, but the intensity of the situation must have somewhat of an effect on him because he did as she asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Hang on Castform," she says softly. The pokemon only performed a happy Sunny Day in reply to which Touko can only squint at. She prayed N would hurry up with the key and was rewarded by the green haired boy coming back saying he'd found it./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Catch," He called, tossing the key upward. Touko managed to hang on with her left hand and catch the key with her right one. The cage creaked a bit, startling her, but she was too determined to quit now. Fearlessly, Touko turned the key in the lock and opened it, setting the pokemon free./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""Go Castform, run!" She told it, trying to get the pokemon to understand the severity of the situation. It locked eyes with Touko, carefree smile plastered on its face and sang in glee, doing a rain dance. Touko knew it was only doing that to thank her, but she couldn't stop from cursing. Her hands were sliding down from the cage as she struggled to hang on. The rain was making the bars too slippery./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Touya, help!" She cried out, fearing she wouldn't be able to hang on any longer. Her eyes were shut now, not trusting herself to not look down. Just as she willed something good to happen, her hands completely slid off of the cage due to the downpour and she began falling. Her scream caught everyone's attention and Touya's face paled. He was too far to make it to her in /br /"Touko! NO! N, DON'T JUST STAND THERE, CATCH HER!" He screeched out. Dewott ran to try and help, but it was no use. They both were too far away. It was up to N and what he did shocked everyone. They tall boy placed himself right under the cage and held his hands out, catching Touko flawlessly in his arms. His eyes were wide in shock himself. Blue eyes opened to meet muted green ones. Both pairs were wider than wide and mouths open, taken aback./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You saved emme/em," Touko whispered out to where only he could hear. Her voice couldn't speak up any higher. "Why?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"He seemed to be searching his mind for an answer himself./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"I don't know," He said quickly, dropping Touko down, unable to handle the contact any longer. The brunette groaned at being dropped down, but wasn't complaining. Falling from the height before would have been hell. Her Dewott came barreling into her, checking to see if she was okay, Touya not too far behind doing the same./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""You're crazy. Idiot," Touya says, looking her dead in the eye. His words might have been neutral, but his tone in itself was enough to tell her he cared more than anything that she was alright./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""I'm fine," She insisted, craving the care he poured her way. It always felt nice to know people were there for you. Touya was family. She understood why he was so worried about /br /"Touching. Very touching. But now that you have freed the Castform, you must pay," The grunt said with malice./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"News flash goon. I took out your pokemon already. And even if you had any left, you're not harming Touko," Touya says, standing in front of his friend protectively. N watched, mesmerized that trainers could care so much about the well-being of a pokemon. Or each other for that matter. He didn't know it was possible. Still, there was a nature to this Touko and Touya's relationship that wasn't completely friendly. He wondered if they harbored what Anthea and Concordia told him romantic feelings were./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;""This will not be the last you hear of team rocket!" The grunt said, flying off with his /br /"Touya, I'm fine, honest. We should alert the authorities," Touko said, moving from behind /br /"No way. Not until we get you somewhere where you can rest," Touya /br /"But I'm fine. I promise. We need to get to the police so Team Rocket doesn't try this again," Touko /br /"Okay, we'll go to town, tell the police, but then you're resting," Touya decides. Touko agreed. They began their walk out of the forest, but Touko turned back to face a troubled N./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"br /"Are you coming with us? You're a key witness," she asked. N spent a noticeable amount of time looking at her, contemplating whether he should/wanted /br /"I will alert the police with you and then we shall move along separate paths once more," He settled, starting to walk behind them. The trainers shrugged, figuring this was the best they were going to get from him./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"span style="font-size: 18pt;"Neither failed to notice that he kept ample distance between them./span/p
