A/N: Well, time for another go-round of ES my friends! Admittedly the last chapter was not intended to have that sex scene though I'm sure I've mentioned that. Though the reaction seems to be positive so I won't complain, never did in the first place. Also why is the Rage of Bahamut: Genesis OP so fucking good? I'm addicted. Regardless, let's get started.

"Ruff!" this tiny little green thing yipped at us like it had for the past several minutes. Every time we tried to move it just jumped to where we were gonna move and it yipped. We never thought to bring out our Pokemon since it was one little green menace to our progress. Surely we could outsmart a tiny little annoyance.

"What even is it?" Thalia commented idly. "I saw some with some Magma Grunts I think…" she put a hand to her chin in thought. I pulled out my PokeDex, earning a small glare from Thalia. I grinned and aimed it at the tiny thing.

Electrike, the Electric Pokemon. It generates electricity using friction from the atmosphere. In seasons with especially arid air, its entire body blazes with violent showers of sparks. Well I'll be.

"Little guy's a scrapper." I noted as I put my dex away.

"That's all fine and dandy but" Thalia motioned to it "If it's electric like that then aren't we gonna get zapped?"

"Oh most likely." I replied, thinking. Perhaps if I brought out Aron to distract it. He should be able to tank the shock.

"Then it'd be safest to catch it." She said with finality.

"Yeah. Wait what?" I turned and Thalia had Pokeball ready. "You're gonna battle that thing now?" she looked at me with a confused glare.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Wouldn't be easier to just toss an empty to try and catch it?" I motioned to the yipping little bastard. "Besides who said you could get him?"

"Well you have five Pokemon already."

"Four but that's not the issue."

"Well I have two and maybe I'd like a scrappy little Electric type."

"Doesn't that go against Magma rules?" I queried, curious.

"No! There isn't a rule aside form you should at least have these specific Pokemon. The rest are up to you." Thalia tolled her eyes in contempt. "Most of the bastards are just lazy."

"I see." I commented, reaching for my own Pokeball. Thalia, however, noticed my action.

"Oh no you don't." I stopped to stare at her.

"Oh why not?" I asked, curious now as to why she was suddenly being territorial about this.

"I just said, you have four Pokemon." Thalia reasoned. "Besides, I kind of want to see how good it is."

"So you're just gonna rent it?" I raised an eyebrow and Thalia rolled her eyes in contempt.

"No you idiot. I just want to capture it." She hefted her Pokeball. "I mean it's a nifty little scrapper."

"I see." I thought a moment. If she did capture it it'd vary her inventory and get an edge against any Team Aqua. Then again I'd lose that chance as well. Ish. I moved my hand from my waist and I crossed both my arms. "Go ahead then." Thalia suddenly seemed wary.

"What's the catch?" she asked all of a sudden. I raised my hands in surrender.

"Go ahead, capture it. Let's use the excuse it's good for you against Team Aqua." I replied cooly. Hopefully she didn't think I had ulterior motives.

"Okay then." She looked at the Electrike and took aim. "Get ready you little yipper." She muttered. In response the Electrike yipped some more, idle sparks popping around it. I raised my eyebrows. This thing could power a generator or something if it was that volatile. "Three… two…" Thalia muttered. "One…" suddenly she lowered the ball and pointed. "Look! Another Electrike!" she suddenly shouted. The Electrike looked behind it all of a sudden and I did as well. It was only later that I would appreciate Thalia's genius in this moment. By distracting the Electrike, which had been focused on the both of us, she lobbed her Pokeball and nailed it in the back, the sphere opening up and absorbing Electrike. It landed, shaking once… twice… three times and it stopped. Thalia walked over and picked it up, turning to me with a smug grin on her face.

"Well then" I started but Thalia just turned and began strutting away like a model. Except she tripped a few steps in and fell down. My laughter could probably be heard back in Slateport over the paps hounding Lisia. I was doubled over, gripping my knees and stomach, trying not to fall over myself. Thalia got up, brushing the dirt off of her uniform and put the Pokeball on her waist, glaring at me the whole time. I held up a hand in a futile attempt to hold off any form of an attack Thalia would use on me. Like punching me out. Thankfully she just stared at me as I caught my breath. "I'm sorry." I apologised breathlessly. "I'm sorry." I heaved.

"I hope you are. Last thing you need is to go to the hospital for castration." Thalia threatened but it fell on half-deaf ears. I managed to right myself and wipe a tear from my eye.

"Don't worry. I won't bring it up again." I promised. That was a bold faced lie, of course I'd bring it up again. At the worst moments. Sure I'd lose my family jewels but to hell with it if I got a good laugh.

"Good." Thalia huffed and waited for me to walk up to her. My face hurt from grinning and Thalia glared at me again. Her eyes must hurt from the strain but she kept it up. I managed to stop and realise my face really hurt. I rubbed my cheeks with my hands as we started up walking again.

"Ooooww." I complained.

"Complain anymore and I will kill you." Thalia threatened.

"About my face or in general?"

"I'll get back to you on that." She responded as we kept walking, Slateport disappearing into the distance. The sun kept moving above our heads as the heat grew. Idle calls from bug and bird Pokemon danced around us in some kind of very odd chorus of sounds. A few times I saw movement in the trees on either side of us but nothing seemed to come out and check us out. For the better I suppose. Last thing we needed was a swarm of bugs to come at us. We passed by more than a few trees that had these beige looking bug Pokemon hanging on to them stilly, making noises that called to others of its kind.

"What are those?" I wondered aloud, pulling my PokeDex out.

"Nincada." Thalia answered as my PokeDex spat the answer at me.

Nincada, the Trainee Pokemon. It makes its nest at the roots of a mighty tree. Using its whiskerlike antennae, it probes its surroundings in the pitch-black darkness of soil. Interesting if I do say so myself.

"Interesting. Perhaps another tine."

"Yeah, trust me, Bugs are better in other regions from what I've heard." Thalia commented.

"Oh I'm sure." I replied, a memory suddenly springing to mind. "I've had a few bad experiences back in Johto."

"Oh?" Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Anything embarrassing?" she asked, now eager to get some ammo to use against me.

"Eh, well…" I thought back to the time I somehow fucked up hard core. "It wasn't my fault, just a migratory mishap."

"Migratory mishap?" she asked.

"I started a small war between two groups of Bug Pokemon." I admitted.

"How in the- what?" Thalia's head jerked around to look at me.

"Yeeeeeeeeah…" I left the trail cold, recalling the incident like it was yesterday. I was 12.

"Come on guys!" Krys waved to me and Ethan eagerly. She wore turquoise shorts that went to mid-thigh and a red shirt. How that went together, I don't know. She also had on a beige messenger bag that carried who knows what. I was standing with Ethan, both of us panting terribly. Poor Ethen, never one to be a big athlete, was having a difficult time. He never had asthma or anything but the heat got to him today. I handed him his water bottle and he took a huge swig from it.

"Thanks." He said, his breathing heavy.

"Come on!" Krys called, several feet ahead.

"Uh, Krys" I started. "Ethan needs a bit of a rest. I do to. It's hot." I could see Krys roll her eyes as she walked back to us. We were just outside of Cherrygrove city, a short walk from New Bark Town, but Krys ran us ragged from New Bark Town and now we were at the ledges just outside of Cherrygrove and tired as hell.

"Guys!" Krys complained. "We're never gonna see the cool bug Pokemon if you guys keep resting."

"We haven't rested in the half hour run to this place!" I complained, still doubled over and panting. "Even walking through Cherrygrove is making me tired."

"Just…" Ethan panted. "Give us a minute Krys."

"Fine." She sighed in exasperation. We sat down by the road and drank water while we rested. A heat wave was in effect so it was blisteringly hot. However, Krys took that to mean we should run outside of Cherrygrove to see bugs. "they're out more in the heat" was her explanation, one I didn't wanna believe.

"Okay." Ethan said, now panting less so. "I think we're ready."

"Yeah." As much as I'd rather rest up forever in an air conditioned house eating ice cream and playing games on the computer, I didn't wanna disappoint Krys. I stood with the two of them and Krys lead the way. It was over the ledges and to the right, Krys had said. To the area behind the Pokemon Centre. What she forgot to mention was that that was itself a fifteen minute hike through tall grass that got in our pants and shorts despite the seemingly apparent fact that it shouldn't be able to. There was a lake behind the Pokemon centre about five minutes out that had a combination of Poliwags and Tentacools. Why lake and ocean Pokemon were in the same lake, I had no idea. But farther away from that, to where Krys lead us, was a path with trees on either side. The path was so narrow you could manage only two people at the same time. So we went single file.

"So, Krys." I asked, curious. "Where are these bugs you wanted to see?" Krys turned and smiled nice and wide, which made me fill with dread.

"All around us!" she extended her arms, motioning to the trees. I looked. On one side were several large and yellow bugs with drills for forearms. Beedrill. On the other were green creatures taller than us with scythes for hands. Scyther. My heart suddenly started beating fast.

"Krys, are you insane!" I whispered, noticing the Pokemon were largely asleep.

"No!" Krys rebutted in the same hushed tone. "But for some reason the Scyther migrated here for the summer and I wanted to get a look. I mean" she motioned to them. "Aren't they the coolest?"

"Well…" I bit my lip. Honestly I'd seen Scyther in battle on TV and they always looked so awesome. I looked to them. They looked relatively peaceful, even if one looked awake. "Okay, you're right." I admitted, letting Krys shake with glee.

"This is so cool!" Ethan whispered. He smiled at me. "Scyther's can cut through trees even thicker than these in one stroke. An-and they're almost invisible in the grass and can move too fast for human eyes to track!" he adjusted his hat before rattling off more facts. "They're also really honourable, with a leader that can be challenged by the lower ones." Ethan was almost gushing. But one fact was on my mind.

"Do you watch the Pokemon Fact Channel?" I asked, making Ethan aware.

"Um…" he started when Krys interveined.

"Didn't you say it was for babies who didn't know anything?"

"I was seven!" he whispered suddenly "And besides, it actually-" I started laughing.

"Dude, you've shown your hatred of it recently."

"No I haven't!" Ethan was getting flustered and I felt sorry but it was too good.

"Anyway" Krys stopped us but even she was still giggling. She pulled a few disposable cameras out of her bag. She handed them to us. "I turned the flash off so let's get some pictures, okay?" Ethan nodded and I grabbed mine enthusiastically. Ethan went off and started taking pictures of the Scyther while Krys went and got some of the Beedrill. I walked alongside the Beedrills first, getting a few cool looking shots of the sleeping Bugs when I turned to get some of the Scyther. A few were asleep in some good poses like their arms crossed or two back to back like tired warriors, and I even got a couple of scouts, watching us carefully but not acting. Ethan passed by me at one point, a huge grin on his face.

"This is so cool!" he muttered as he snapped a few more pictures. I snapped another of a Scyther and lowered my hand, turning the small dial when the device slipped from my hand and into the grass.

"Darn!" I hissed and I bent over to pick it up, my hand hitting something on the device as I grabbed it.

That was my mistake.

I aimed the camera at a large Scyther who was peacefully asleep, standing up and leaning against the tree, his arms crossed over his chest. His body held several scars from fights. It was likely he was the leader. I got in as close as I dared, and I aimed at him, getting a good shot and I pressed the button…

… activating the flash right in his face.

The Scyther jerked awake with a loud sound that vaguely sounded like a squawk, waking up other Scyther in the same fashion in a chain reaction that also spread over to the Beedrill, who started humming loudly, the volume growing more and more as a greater number of them awoke.

"Brendan!" Krys yelled at me. "What did you do?!" I was petrified in front of the Scyther leader.

"I-I…" I stammered, unable to speak as the leader stood full up against me. He had a good foot on me, taller than the others. He looked down at me with a combination of confusion and irritation. The sun glinted off his scythe arms and I wasn't eager to test them. So I answered Krys's question. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" I screamed and ran towards them, which was the first shot fired. Both Beedrill and Scyther flew up and met in the air, starting an aerial battle the likes of which the three of us had never seen. Scyther slashed at Beedrill and Beedrill stabbed at Scyther, letting several fall to the ground.

"Brendan!" Ethan yelled but I ran past him, grabbing his and Krys's arms.

"Just RUN!" I screamed as I dragged them out of there. But that wasn't the end of it. Severla Beedrill and Scyther flew after us, including the leader of the Scyther pack. We ducked as the two groups flew over us, fighting each other while also going after us. The Scyther leader, however, wasn't so distracted. Two Beedrill appeared on either side of him and he cut them down without even looking. He zeroed in on me and flew low and fast. He was closing in fast and we three just weren't able to out run him.

"He's getting closer!" Krys screamed, her voice now an octave higher.

"Just Run!" I screamed back, but I could hear the beating of those wings above the sounds of the two bug groups battling, getting closer and closer. I saw a glint in the corner of my eye and I turned my head to look as the Scyther Leader slashed at me, hitting my right side. Pain exploded from the wound and I immediately slowed down, trying to block out the pain with little success. Ethan and Krys held me up and helped me run with them despite my side in pain and bleeding profusely. I looked back and saw the Scyther Leader had been ambushed by Beedrill, letting us get away and out of that part of the area. We kept running, our stomachs empty, sweating like crazy, and our throats dry and hurting from screaming, until we hit Cherrygrove city. We stopped at the city limits. Ethan and Krys loosened their grip just a bit and I collapsed, the energy drained out of me. Krys leaned down and her face turned white.

"Oh Arceus, Brendan!" She touched my side and I flinched in pain. However everything was turning really bright and sounds were muffling a bit. My head felt weird, like it was filled with air.

"Brendan!" I heard Ethan cry. "Krys, get someone!"

"Okay!" and Krys ran off into the brightness as Ethan hovered over me.

"Arceus, Brendan!" he said, muffled. "You might die from that!" oh Ethan you optimist. My eyelids started getting heavy as I suddenly felt really tired. They started closing and Ethan's face turned frantic. "No, no, don't fall asleep!" he turned to a direction. "Help!" he screamed. And I blacked out.

I woke up in the Cherrygrove Hospital with tubes in my arm and unable to move in a surprisingly comfortable bed. I looked around and saw my mother with Krys and Ethan's mothers all sitting on a bench under the window across from the foot. I looked to my left and saw Krys and Ethan watching a TV in the room, but they looked tense. Maybe because the TV was hanging on the wall several feet above them. Although Krys's head was lowered and Ethan's hands were pressed together so tight his knuckles were white. He was the first to notice.

"Brendan!" he jerked up, rushing to the bed. That brought the attention from the adults and Krys as they rushed over. My mother push her way to my bedside, her face happy with relief.

"Brendan, what happened?" she asked urgently. I tried to remember.

"Um…" my head was still a bit foggy.

"Brendan." Krys looked at me, her face serious. "that Scyther cut you, you almost bled out."

"I what?" I frowned, thinking about it before the memory came back. "Oh." My mother nodded.

"Yes. I got the call and rushed over. You were out for a day."

"A day?" I asked, confused. Mother nodded.

"Mhm. They needed a blood donation for a transfusion and Ethan volunteered." I looked to Ethan and noticed a cotton ball in the crook of his elbow with clear tape over it.

"Holy…" I started but mother finished.

"They said something happened with Scyther?" she asked.

"We were taking photos." I recalled. "and I dropped my camera and when I picked it up… I think I might have hit the flash button but I didn't notice."

"Well, at least you're safe now." My mother sounded incredibly happy and relieved. "Your father will come visit, they said you could leave tomorrow."

"That's good." I looked to Ethan and Krys. "Thanks a lot guys." Ethan nodded.

"No problem, man. You'd do the same." I smiled and chuckled a bit, flinching at my side.

"You know it." I grunted, holding my side. I held out my fist and he bumped it. Krys smiled at the two of us and I was just relieved to be alive.

"So what happened then?" Thalia asked, now invested. We had been walking for a few hours, now on a path in the woods that lead, supposedly, to Mauville city. Or at least was in that direction.

"Not much." I recalled. "My dad came to visit and after that I left the hospital. They had to stitch me up before that though.

"Do you have the scar?" she asked, almost eagerly. I raised an eyebrow. Her eyes were pleading so I sighed and lifted the right side of my shirt up. There, just below my rib cage, was a nice line of scar tissue, paler than the rest of me. Thalia whistled. "Must've been bad."

"Doctors said" I replied as I lowered my shirt "that had I not been running, Scyther would've likely gotten a deeper slash and killed me outright. As it was, he got me to bleed." I smiled. "Never did see him again."

"Well, sounds like your childhood was quite an adventure." Thalia commented idly as we walked, the tree canopy letting us through several rays of sunshine from the great star up on high. Annoying. I'd rather deal with shade or sunlight, not this.

"I hate this sometimes." I said, shielding my eyes from the various that hit my face. I looked at Thalia, who was pulling her hood up. It had small black horns on it, giving a sort of devilish appearance. It fit, I suppose, with Magma's intention to make more land and the need to be intimidating along with Thalia as a person.

"Well, what're you going to do?" she asked rhetorically. "It's some nice scenery."

"It's annoying scenery if you ask me." I replied, a bit bitterly. "Unless it's from a distance."

"Feeling some PTSD?" Thalia asked, jeeringly.

"No. I'm not a war vet or something." Come to think of it I can't remember anything of a war happening in my parent's lifetime, let alone my lifetime. "I mean, why would I have PTSD?"

"You kind of did almost die from a Scyther attack." Thalia chuckled a bit. "Okay, I'll admit, it's a bit funny."

"You're right on that." I replied, smiling at the memory. It'd been enough for me to not go outside for a while so Ethan and Krys had to see me indoors. Which I liked since Krys had to watch herself and her friend activities since she didn't want my side to burst open at any moment.

"Speaking of, twelve years old is a bit young to donate, isn't it?" Thalia brought up the plot hole that wasn't really a plot hole.

"Well The doctors had a couple blood bags of my blood type" I started, cracking my knuckles before I continued. "But they were just short and Ethan shared my blood type. So he volunteered before my mother got there and the doctors were quite desperate."

"Only a couple?" Thalia asked.

"AB Negative." I replied. "Not too terribly common, even between New Bark and Cherrygrove. Though I had fun with Ethan since at that point we were blood brothers. I'm only older than him by about a week or so, which is partly why we became friends mind you, but I acted like an annoying big brother and Krys had a good laugh over it." I sighed at the nostalgia.

"Perhaps one day I might end up meeting this Ethan." Thalia commented, a grin growing across her face.

"Not until he's the champion of Indigo. And he's got a tough opponent. Probably tougher than the Champion of Hoenn." I thought about that.

"Who would that be?" Thalia asked challengingly, as if she wanted a piece of the Champion.

"Red." I responded "If I remember right, before I left, I heard news reports of the Champion leaving to go train or something. So one of the Elite Four took his place until he came back. There was a hullabaloo over if Red was still necessary to win Championship status but officials confirmed that as long as Red remained undefeated or gave up his position publically, he was still the Champion. This disheartened many a person since they got interviews and most people were a bit miffed they had lost an easy path to Championship. Not that the Elite Four were easy by any means, no sir. Lorelei, Agatha, Bruno, Lance, those were the ones Red thrashed. Then the other guy, Blue. Red and Blue. Seriously, odd names."

"Well some people get names from odd places. My parents got my name from a book series." She grumbled, piquing my interest.

"Oh, what book series?" my mouth crept into a grin but Thalia waved me off.

"None of your business."

"Well what were your parents like?" I put my hands behind my head as I walked, ignoring the rays that bled through the leaves.

"Not much to say." Thalia responded curtly, as if I were poking a sore point.

"Were they geologists?" I asked jokingly.

"Just leave it." She sounded angry now. I shrugged my shoulders and kept walking. In fact we were silent for several minutes, the sounds of Pokemon cries filling the air between us and all around. Thalia shoved her hands in her sweater pockets and lowered her head. For what reason, I was unsure. Though she seemed genuinely angry so I left it. My mind wandered, as it tends to do in these scenarios. Mostly trying to figure out the new enigma. This was why I was also a terrible gossip in New Bark Town. I liked to listen to the dirt on people that housewives had learned. I did various odd jobs around town when I was younger since I wanted to supplement my allowance but that's not important. What was important was hearing the various little affairs and rivalries and rumours that floated around. Things never happened frequently so it could be a week or a year between when I heard which woman said what man was fucking someone behind his wife's back.

I always had disdain for those men but the scoop was juicy nonetheless. My age also helped since who would expect a child to go spouting their mouth off? Okay several people but I was different. I was a good listener. But with me, the facts always slipped sooner or later to the right customer. Not for money, usually. I was a simple kid, piece of candy here or there. Lessened chores for the same wage, etc. In fact money never became an object until near the end when I had some good dirt on a guy who was experimenting with another husband behind an old sports shack by the sports field. It was his wife, who begged to see if I knew. The end of that particular little bit was a wife "accidentally" stumbling upon the brojobs in action and leaving the guy on the spot. No one was the wiser and I was ever the earpiece.

Of course it all came crashing down when I accidentally started a gladiatorial fight between a woman and her husband's mistress. The basis for that was a miscalculation on one's anger and the other's ability to retaliate. Basically I heard from one housewife about X husband having an affair. Much like the wife with the cheating gay husband, this one had begged me, pleaded with me for a good ten minutes. She seemed sad and I was close to my goal at present, a game console. I needed just a little bit more. I was thirteen at the time, after the Scyther incident, but the first thing on my mind was the money. I enjoyed some in person girls but the internet had a treasure trove so I was more focused on that. I explained my price and not only did she give it to me, double what I usually earned with her, but a glimpse of some cleavage. I'm not talking corner of the eye glance I mean full on almost exposed. Of course the cleavage was after I told her the truth and where they were meeting and an unexpected surprise. I went home that day preparing for my trip to the game store and a good old wank session. Mother was suspicious but this woman had me help her with a lot of handy work. I did do my job, with more than average help from the wife, but I came home sweaty and satisfied. Mother took the excuse that I just worked really hard and she felt I deserved it.

I heard from another housewife I aided about a week later about the result. The wife had confronted the mistress democratically. Democratically was what she named the chair she had picked up at the café and used to hit the mistress with. From there on out it was a vicious brawl that took out the entire outdoor section of the café in Cherrygrove. Both women wound up in the hospital with bad cuts and bruises, the mistress with a concussion and a broken leg and the wife with a broken arm and a few ribs. The husband had tried separating them and, in their rage, they got at him too. When I was told this, I swore off all the gossip. I was genuinely disturbed by the result I had miscalculated so severely. I still got my game console and I enjoyed it with Krys and Ethan. But I always avoided gossip one way or another.

Last I heard the husband had gone on to work at a car dealership somewhere and his mistress wound up with some real tycoon. Silph Co. or something. Before I left I know the now ex-wife was a bit lonely. She's in her late thirties I believe, so she felt not many options were out there. I heard some of her younger conquests on occasion when I was out late with Krys and Ethan a couple years ago. Krys always elbowed me about it, why not take advantage. At that point in my life I was almost willing to if not for that incident I caused. Though the woman never blamed me, even thanked me, I never felt like going for it. Call me odd. But whatever.

"So." Thalia finally spoke. I checked my PokeNav. We'd been walking for about an hour and I suddenly noticed my feet were very, very sore.

"Let's find a place to stop and eat first. I'm starving and my feet hurt." I complained. Thalia opened her mouth but closed it.

"Yeah." She looked up ahead. "There's a clearing I think. Just up there." She pointed and I noticed the path had a deviation to the right and I suddenly wondered how deep in the woods we were. However I wasn't about to argue. We walked up to the deviation and turned. The clearing must be used quite a bit. More than a few burnt out fireplaces were there, some logs for sitting, etc. It wasn't creepy, just abandoned, at least for now. Thalia and I picked one close fireplace that had a couple logs. We sat down opposite each other and I brought out a granola bar and chewed on it thoughtfully while Thalia brought out a bar of some sort, chocolate or granola, I wasn't sure, and ate it.

"So was there something you wanted?" I asked, curious about her suddenly talking earlier.

"Yeah." She said, into the black ashes between us. "So what's with this champion thing?"

"Oh" I was surprised, thinking it might have been about her parents or something. But Thalia seemed to want to leave this subject alone for now. That was fine. "Well basically since Red one the championship and has gone off the new Elite Four in the Indigo League consists of…" I looked up in memory. "If I remember right, Will, Koga, a Gym Leader who got promoted, Bruno, Karen, then Lance as the pseudo-Champion." I spoke with my most recent knowledge on the subject, I could've been wrong completely.

"Sounds interesting." Thalia commented idly. "At least they figured something out."

"Yeah." I commented, crunching the wrapper up and stuffing it in my bag in one of the unused pockets.

"Any other interesting stories from your childhood?" Thalia queried, a grin returning to her face. I grinned back and told her the tale of my gossiping days. When I finished telling her, she whistled in appreciation or awe, I couldn't tell.

"Damn, man." She chuckled. "You never thought to get some older lady tail?"

"What?" I countered. "I just didn't feel like it."

"And yet this woman made you get a hard on for real women." She smiled fully, in a jeering way.

"Yeah. So?" I raised an eyebrow. "I don't have to fuck everything in my life you know."

"Well" Thalia's tone became playfully challenging "What if she came back and said 'fuck me senseless you stud.'?"

"Well first of all" I flexed my arms. "Not much of a stud. Second, maybe." I shrugged my shoulders, kicking the ashes a bit. "I mean I dunno I probably would. I'm not tied down to someone or anything." Anne flashed across my mind but a couple fucks didn't seem to constitute a relationship.

"Well maybe you'll find that person someday." Thalia said neutrally, almost reassuringly.

"Possibly. Mathematically speaking, there's a chance." I took a swig of water.

"There's also every chance that it won't happen." She grinned evilly and I glared at her.

"It's possible to flip three coins and have them all come up heads."

"It's also possible for all three to come up tails. It's also possible for two to come up tails and the third to shoot right up into someone's bunghole." Thalia chuckled at her wit while I was thinking that line sounded familiar.

"That's from that internet show." I commented.

"What one?" she raised an eyebrow.

"You know, the guy who reviews stuff, short videos, he's funny. Wears a hat, little white character or something." I waved my hand in dismissal. "Meh, forget."

"Your memory is fantastic." Thalia commented, raising her canteen in a toast.

"As are your skills at being completely bipolar."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Thalia's voice went threatening. Uh-oh.

"Um… well…" I gulped. Boy oh boy I've gone and dug my grave now, haven't I? "I mean you tend to switch moods up a lot."

"I'm good at that, have to act sometimes on missions." Thalia sounded aggravated. "Besides, you know what being bipolar really means?"

"Um, switching moods often?" I tried, smiling but my Magma Grunt friend just stared at me. She kept her eyes on me for a good few minutes, just watching me in silence as we sat. Then she spoke.

"It's not constant switching" she sounded less angry now "it's really just periods of being really happy and then plummeting into depression." She looked down and away. I bit my lip. Okay she's not bipolar, I knew that. But why did she look so ashamed?

"Whatever." I waved my hand, clearing the air of nothing. "You ready to go?" I stood, grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder.

"Yeah, sure." Thalia slid her bag on her back and together we walked from the clearing and back on the path.

"If we're lucky there might be a town or something nearby." I spoke, trying to sound upbeat. Thalia snorted.

"Good luck on that, not much between Slateport and Mauville except maybe a small town or two." I smiled in response.

"See?" I motioned around us. "Not so bad."

"But" Thalia continued "they're closer to Mauville than Slateport. And both are kind of off the beaten path."

"Soooooo…" I waved my hand in a circle and Thalia rolled her eyes.

"If we need to, we'll stop at one. But they're at least a day's trip from Mauville still. So it's not much."

"Beats a sleeping bag, dirt, and heat in the summer." I complained a bit.

"Never been camping much?" Thalia guessed though she should know by now.

"Nope." I rolled my shoulders, they were feeling stiff. "Krys."

"She ran you guys ragged, didn't she?"

"You've no idea. One time she's like 'let's go camping!' outta nowhere so me and Ethan just go with it. Next thing we know we're trying to put a shitty hut together out of leaves and sticks." I shuddered at the memory. All the little cuts from having to reach for twigs and sticks I dropped in brushes.

"Let me guess, it rained?" Thalia wondered. I scoffed at her suggestion non-maliciously.

"Please, that would've been good!" I shot my arms up in the air. "At least then things would've been nice and cool. But no!" I clenched my fists. "Clear skies, blistering heat, bugs everywhere…" I shuddered, all the Caterpie and Weedle. I shuddered so hard my head retreated into my torso out of reflex and Thalia chuckled.

"Seriously? How old were you?"

"Oh these things vary, really." I looked to the ground. "That was when we were ten. I dunno, lot of stuff has gone on because Krys was always a wild child."

"She seems tame enough." Thalia commented naively.

"Oh no, no, no." I corrected my friend. "Krys wasn't a bad child or a deviant, quite the contrary." I raised a finger as if I were lecturing a class. "Krys was top of the class in school, always. Ethan got close and I never cared much. Add on the fact that teachers loved her since she was able to keep the class in line."

"Oh please." Thalia snorted in challenge. "Anyone who can keep you and your libido in line should be able to handle a class of kids."

"Yeah…" I admitted sadly. I'd been in detention more than a few times due to Krys getting on me for bringing porn to school. "Do that stuff at home!" she'd always say. Easy for her to say. Her and Ethan were getting busy in the latter half of senior year but never went all the way, really. "But her nick name, wild child, came from her love of going outdoors."

"While you wanted to stay inside and-"

"Yeah, yeah." I sighed. Arceus on high, Krys ran me and Ethan ragged. She took us out on school nights to do outdoorsy shit and then I was usually unable to sleep for a while. The days after those little expeditions were filled with teachers getting on me for sleeping. I missed them.

"Well it could've been worse." Thalia replied, that blanket statement of minimal motivation that I'd used a ton.

"Yeah, yeah." I repeated half-heartedly. "We just had lunch, right?"

"Yes, Brendan." Thalia answered me gruffly.

"Okay." I looked to the sky. The sun was dipping, slowly. I stifled a yawn. "No idea why but I am just beat."

"Well today was a bit eventful." More than you know.

"Yes it was." I answered ambiguously. I checked my PokeNav. It was just past around two in the afternoon. Time was at a crawl. I stifled another yawn.

"Arceus, did you sleep at all last night?" Thalia asked me.

"Not in particular." I answered ambiguously once more.

"Well you were out being busy, walking and shit." She looked at me. "Are you absolutely sure you weren't out fucking someone?"

"I'm very sure." I said neutrally. If Thalia found out that I made hanky panky with Anne, she'd flip.

"All right." Thalia responded suspiciously. My pelvis started throbbing in pain, as if to suddenly remind me of what I did. I had to keep this from here and, hopefully, I'd never meet Anne again. I can't afford to get sidetracked. I have two badges under my belt and I need another six to make it to the league where I could, hopefully, become Champion. Hopefully. Of course one of those gym leaders was my own father. That was gonna be difficult. He's no slouch on the battlefield despite how lenient he was with me punishment wise. He knew I'd make it through at least above average and I did eventually. Mother tried to push me more but dad always told her to leave me to my own devices. Issue is my devices right now are a secret sex meeting… okay two, and a temperamental Magma Grunt that I had to take to Sootopolis.

This is gonna be a long walk.

"So I hope you're adjusting well to Mauville." Shelly spoke through the communicator to Anne, who was on a couch in a hotel. The room was beige-white with a beige couch, a tv, and a bed with blue and white coverings. Basics. The sun was setting, the golden light hitting the communicator screen, making a glare. Anne shifted the device.

"I am." Anne responded with a smile. She enjoyed the shopping but tried to avoid spending too much. She did visit the stores Shelly recommended but never bought from them just yet.

"That's good, we're sure Brendan's a few days out of Mauville. We're not sure how long it'll take for him to reach it, but since most of the stuff is in the mall aside from some hotels and housing, it should be easy to find him." Shelly looked down and shuffled some papers.

"Well this mall is huge." Anne started. "It'd be easy to lose someone in there." She stopped before she realised what she said. "N-not that I'll lose him or anything ma'm!" she quickly added, much to Shelly's amusement.

"That's good. The last thing we'd need is to lose him. Keep an eye on him mostly. If you feel like he could use some motivation, go ahead and go for it." Shelly's smile widened. "But don't do it too often, you only have so many."

"Yes, ma'am." Anne replied quickly. "If I may ask ma'am, why two per dose? You've seen the results."

"Yes, I have. Thoroughly." Shelly started drumming her fingers on the table and Anne wondered what that meant. "Regardless, use one then next time, see the results. I fear I may have made a miscalculation or possibly stumbled on something." She looked up in thought. "Speaking of aphrodisiacs…" oh no. Anne's toes curled in her shoes. They found out about- "I might have to order more. Just keep an eye on your supplies."

"Of course, ma'am." Anne replied, a bit too quickly, but Shelly seemed to wave it off with no issues.

"That's good. Just keep this plan between us and when we have the boy, if he's truly that good, then Team Aqua will have the greatest asset in this fight that isn't our endgame." Anne smiled, genuinely. Yes, their plan was going to come to fruition.

"Any news no the search, ma'am?" she asked, curious.

"None so far." Shelly relayed. "We've been asking around but Hoenn has such rich history that we've found several stories for just one object that all conflict with each other. And those weren't even our goal." She sighed and rolled her eyes. "But Archie's got his men on it and Matt is scouring the oceans. Archie thinks it might be below water but I think it'd be kept on land."

"But wouldn't putting it in the sea-"

"Be the obvious choice? Yes." Shelly bit her lip. "But Archie's convinced. I'm the only one aside from some of his chosen people to search overland. I think that the sea would be too obvious despite any advantages of it being underwater. It's likely a temple was there if it was underwater and that just draws attention. No" Shelly leaned forward "It has to be above sea somewhere, somewhere unexpected or small. Unassuming. That's where I'd hide it."

"Yes ma'am." Anne replied, accepting the Admin's response.

"Regardless, I must leave you for today. I want a written report on your thoughts on the boy sent to me by tomorrow, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. I'm eager to read your opinion. Shelly out." And the communicator turned off. Anne felt a slight twinge of envy, then guilt. She was using drugs to get Brendan, Shelly probably could've had him on their side without even letting him inside. So why was she sending Anne? She didn't know but wasn't questioning it. Anything to defeat the Magma scum walking the land. Anything. She sighed, opened up a laptop computer, a gift form Shelly for mission writings and some personal use, and she began writing.

"Woo." I spoke, laying on my sleeping bag. The sky was darkening and Thalia had helped me make camp. Well it was more the other way around. We found a small clearing with a lone tree stump and decided it was good enough. We had a minimalist dinner of granola bars and a heated up can of food I got back in Slateport.

"Yeah." Thalia lay on her sleeping bag, but she kept hers open. I decided to follow suit and I opened mine up, making a much wider place to stretch out. We lay on opposite sides of the stump, staring up at the sky. The stars were slowly coming into view as the sun set. I looked at them, fascinated by how many there were even now.

"Hey Thalia" I started, looking over to see her chest rising and falling slowly. She'd fallen asleep. I shrugged and went back to looking up at the sky. I remember reading a poem I can't quite recall. But I remember the general theme was that even if you're separated from friends, you're under the same sky so you're not that far apart. Cheesy but I was always fond of it. I pulled my PokeNav and checked the screen. The thing said that I had some form of service. Huh. I wonder, we hadn't talked in a while. I picked his number in my contacts and let it ring a bit before it was picked up.

"Yo."

"Ethan, man. How's it going?"

"Brendan!" he sounded excited. "It's good, you?"

"Oh, great. Been travelling with a Team Magma grunt."

"A what now?" I chuckled.

"A girl, her name's Thalia."

"Oh. So have you two…"

"Huh? Oh no." I looked over to Thalia. "Rode my face once but that was after she got in a fight with another girl."

"Well that's something."

"Yeah. But, listen, I gotta tell someone this."

"Okay, shoot."

"Okay Thalia's a part of Team Magma, who want to expand land or something. They're fighting Team Aqua, whose goal is the opposite."

"Make more sea?"

"Bringo Brongo."

"What?" Ethan asked.

"Never mind. Anyway" I looked to Thalia and lowered my voice a lot. "I may or may not have slept with one at the last hotel we were at." Ethan was silent for a second before whistling.

"Dude, playing both sides?"

"Kinda sorta not really. Look she came onto me and we wound up having this amazing night. Then this morning, like way early, I accidentally went back and we fucked for like two hours." Ethan whistled again.

"Arceus, dude. Calm your jets."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I don't know what came over me. Now my pelvis hurts like a mother."

"Okay, that's a sign that means stop."

"I know." I sighed. "Krys there?"

"Krys? Oh yeah."

"Can you go speaker phone or something?" I asked and Ethan asked for a second. I heard some scuffling before I heard that familiar voice.

"Brendan! What's going on!"

"Hey Krys. Bit awkward. Remember how you said my libido would get me in huge trouble one day?"

"You mean after you looked up my skirt for the millionth time?" she asked, now deadpan. Shit. I chuckled.

"Yeah."

"What did you do now? Get another woman to fight her-"

"Nonononononono no, no." I said quickly. "Just um" I was a bit lost for words.

"He's travelling with a girl from one team and he boned one from the other rival one." Ethan explained. Krys sighed.

"I swear." She said, chuckling. Then she sighed. "Look, Brendan. Just… just try and keep yourself under control. Focus on getting the badges." Easy for them. They were in a relationship.

"Yeah, no problem."

"You mean hard problem?" Krys asked, tauntingly.

"Damn it Krys." I laughed, Ethan and Krys laughing on the other side as well. "You're usually right."

"Always right."

"Yeah. Like with the Scyther."

"Oh Arceus." Krys sounded surprised. "That was so long ago."

"You're telling me." Ethan said exasperatedly. "I donated the blood."

"That saved my life." I smiled at the memory. "I was just thinking about it today is all. How're things on your end?"

"Fantastic!" Krys answered. "Ethan and I got our second badges!"

"Awesome."

"Bad news" Ethan began "is that Team Rocket's up to no good. Selling Slowpoke tail."

"You're kidding."

"Nope." Ethan sounded a bit sombre. Team Rocket, bunch a pricks. "Add that to the guy who keeps fighting me."

"Who?"

"That guy I mentioned back in Violet I think. Found his name out, Silver." Silver. Interesting. "Yeah he stole that one Pokemon from Elm. Lyra thinks he's just angry but he seems malicious to me."

"He stole a Pokemon, he's probably in league with Team Rocket."

"Now that's the funny thing." Krys spoke up. "We've seen him fighting Team Rocket, thrashing them even."

"Odd." Yawning. Krys chuckled.

"I suppose we should let oyu get some sleep."

"Probably." I sighed.

"Well, nice talking Brendan." Krys spoke.

"It's been good. Talk after our third badge?" Ethan asked.

"Most definitely, mine should be another week away."

"Let's hope man. Talk later."

"Later." And I clicked the device off. I checked my messages and found a voice mail from my parents. I opened it and listened. Dad spoke.

"Well Brendan, it's nice to hear you're safe." He spoke like he was a bit relieved. "I hope your friend is nice and we both hope you have a safe trip. We love you and hope for the best, remember that." And it ended. I stared at my PokeNav for a minute before whispering

"Love you guys too." Before closing it and turning over, falling asleep.

A/N: Well this was a bit longer than I expected but when you get on a roll, you get on a roll, eh? Be prepared for Next time.