Latias mumbled something vague, feeling sort of dark and fuzzy, then opened her eyes and looked around blearily.

It was definitely still the middle of the night. But something had woken her up…

The dragon looked around, slowly tilting her head to try and catch any sort of tiny noise, then floated soundlessly into the air and stealthed herself – slowly, minimizing any sudden visual change in case it caught someone's attention.

There might be someone out here in the middle of the night, trying to creep up on them. Team Rocket, perhaps, or someone else.

It hadn't rained overnight, not that she minded when it did, and she rose higher into the air to look around. There were Miraidon and Zorua, the little Ghost-type sleeping on his back in the crook of Miraidon's leg… there was Pikachu, sleeping under Ash's hat, and Ash himself a little way away… and Dawn and Cynthia were in their own parts of the campsite.

Then she spotted a Pokémon moving, and drifted down.

Sandshrew was walking a little way away from the camp, then sat down on a knoll looking up at the moon overhead, and Latias drifted down next to her.

"Something up?" she asked.

Sandshrew jumped three times her own height into the air.

"Gah!" she said, in a strangled cut-off barely-not-a-yelp. "Warn a girl before you do that!"

"Sorry," Latias replied, speaking softly and slowly unstealthing herself. "You woke me up and I was making sure it was nothing to worry about… then I got curious…"

She looked down, tapping her clawtips together. "Sorry about that…"

Sandshrew looked at her, then shook her head. "I guess that's… I'm still getting used to the idea I'm on a team with Legendary Pokémon, you know. It's really weird… anyway, uh. There isn't anything up."

The Ice-type looked up at the moon. "I just kind of… wanted a moment to look up at the moon overhead, really. I've looked at it before, but it's nice to get a reminder that some things are the same. So much about my life has changed in the last few days. And it's been good, but… you know?"

"I know," Latias agreed. "I'd lived in Altomare for a hundred years, and I'd enjoyed it there. Without a care in the world, really. Watching the world go by. Then Ash came to Altomare, and he saved me, and… I decided to go with him. And it's been so much more hectic, but it's… so much better."

Sandshrew smiled.

"It's nice to know that sometimes Legendary Pokémon end up having that kind of realization as well," she said, speculatively. "A hundred years? Really?"

"Yeah," Latias agreed. "But when I first joined, I felt younger than Pikachu. I still do. And I know he's only about… less than ten years old, though I don't know the exact number."

She looked up at the moon.

"My brother might be looking up at the same thing as me," she said. "I could ask him, but if he's not it's probably because it's raining or he's asleep. So I don't want to disturb him."

"You can-" Sandshrew asked, then chuckled. "Sorry. I should stop being amazed by that kind of thing."

"I don't necessarily think so," Latias replied, thinking seriously. "I don't mean you should be amazed by the same thing happening over and over again, obviously you've seen it by then, but… what's wrong with being impressed when you see something new?"

She smiled. "Riolu certainly seems to have a good time, and he's been like that since he joined the team."

"Fair enough," the Ice-type admitted. "It's all a great big adventure, and I'm still trying to adjust to it, I suppose. But I'll definitely take your advice."

She lay back, and sighed. "I don't know why, but the night feels cooler than the day. Even if everything else says it's the same temperature. And sometimes that's exactly what I'm after."

Latias shivered.

"I don't mind cold, so long as it's not Ice-type," she said. "Back in Altomare I spent a lot of time swimming, and it's still something I enjoy doing. But I'm a dragon, so ice isn't something I like much."

Sandshrew nodded, but something seemed to be on her mind.

"You said you left Altomare because of Ash," she said. "Is that the same way as with me, or something else?"

"I-" Latias began, then stopped.

Then sniggered.

"I'm not sure I know the answer, but not because I don't know about yours," she explained. "Or not just because of that… I don't know about mine. I've got a sort of… set of ideas about it."

She exhaled.

"You'd notice it sooner or later anyway, but I don't ever want to be off Ash's team," she said. "Not for long. I went along to help him out because he couldn't carry things any more, since he'd only recently found out he was a Pokémon, but once he could carry things again, I just… stayed with him. And with the conversation I had with Enamorus recently…"

"Okay, since I'm pretty sure Enamorus is a Legendary… wow?" Sandshrew said. "Trying to be the right amount of amazed."

Latias shot her an amused look.

"You're right, but it's good to have the reminder," she said. "And what I was getting at is… there's more than one meaning of saying that you love someone. And I'm fairly sure I love Ash. I'd just… like to take the time to find out how, without trying to rush things."

She smiled, because putting it into words like this sounded right. "I don't think I'd mind any of the ways it could be. It could be a lot of them. It could be just one, because the way that Ash and Pikachu love one another isn't something I'd be sad to settle for. But Ash is a good friend, and I'd like to be around him for the rest of my life… and what else do you call that, really?"

Sandshrew looked awkward.

"I'll be honest, I was mostly expecting to sit there and look at the moon when I came out here," she said. "But… I like that way of thinking about it."

She lay back, with a sigh. "Is it like this all the time?"

"Not really," Samurott said.

"Okay, what is it with you people and being woken up easily at night?" Sandshrew asked.

"In my case, years of paranoia and months stuck in the past," Samurott replied. "Given we've got Cynthia with us, my guess is that half of her team noticed at least one of us get up. But if you want my opinion… hard questions are what lead to complicated answers."

She shrugged. "But I know who I am now. I'm Dawn's ace. And knowing that… helps to put everything else where it should be."

AN:

I've shifted back to doing this story somewhat, it's not my primary focus but it is my secondary.