AUTHOR'S NOTE: Finals are coming so the next chapter WILL (probably) BE LATE.

Chapter 16: Love

ERASE HIS MEMORY. NOW.

Aeon could see those words blinking above Arven's head, and it had been that way for a while. The android did have the ability to turn all notifications off, but he didn't have the nerve to do it. The entire time as they walked, Arven didn't say a single word to Aeon. Aeon felt like some mysterious force was just keeping his mouth shut.

Was it fear?

Fear that his single purpose for living was slipping from his fingers? Or, was it because of what Arven said to him? Aeon closed his eyes, thinking back.

"You care about me?" Arven had said. "Right… Yeah- of course! It's because you were programmed to, right?"

The question Arven asked burned in his mind more than the message telling him to erase the boy's memory. Ever since Aeon was created... he was given one mission. One purpose: It was to make Arven happy. Nothing else mattered to him. Nothing else ever would matter to him. But was it because he was programmed to feel this way? Was it truly his choice? Even now, even as Aeon followed him Aeon wanted to help him achieve whatever goal he wanted. But the conviction he had… was it his own?

Aeon closed his eyes, as though he were praying to whatever God he believed in to give him an answer of what to do next. What could he do or say without making Arven angry enough to tell him to go away forever?

ERASE HIS MEMORY. NOW.

The text he saw above Arven's head had an underline on it, now. As though his prayer were answered, someone, or something, were giving him the next step all along. Maybe it was the right thing to do, to erase Arven's memory. That way, he wouldn't be angry at him. That way, maybe, just maybe, Arven could learn to love him like a brother.

As he extended his arm at Arven, his eyes began to shine blue, in preparation to erase his memory. But then, his hand stopped short.

Why did he stop?

As he trailed behind Arven, his arm just remained, hanging between them. As he slowly lowered it, the message, ERASE HIS MEMORY. NOW. began to beep in his mind like an alarm clock that wouldn't shut off.

ERASE HIS MEMORY. NOW.

NOW.
NOW.

NOW.

Aeon slowly pulled his hand back, putting a finger on his forehead. With a single push of his finger, the hidden alarm deactivation sequence was initiated. Within a second, the alarm that blared, begging him to erase Arven's memory vanished along with his glowing eyes. Aeon's eyes hung low and he frowned. He felt his eyes become moist, and his vision begin to become hazy. His creators had given him the ability to feel emotions for the sake of fitting in- and for a moment, he hated them for it. If he didn't have feelings, Aeon wouldn't be crying right now.

The immense pain Aeon felt in his chest was equivalent to a dagger being shoved into his body. Even now, as he wept, as his arms trembled, and his head lowered, he kept quiet. He made sure that his voice wasn't heard. He didn't want to trouble Arven.

But why? Why did he not want to trouble Arven? Was it because he was programmed to? The sudden feelings of self doubt was enough to have Aeon stop walking entirely.

Arven just kept moving.

Aeon wanted to be with Arven, but at the same time, didn't- because he would be proving Arven's earlier point: he only loved him because he was programmed to. Logically, this made sense. The two of them hadn't known each other for long. Was Aeon's longing for Arven's love because he was programmed to feel this way? It had to be. There was no other reason why he felt the way he did.

Emotions are truly a curse. If only he could be rid of them.

Emotions were what made Aeon move his legs again, toward Arven. He had to- because Arven was rushing into something bad. If he were to fight the Titan Pokemon as he was now, he wouldn't stand a chance. Someone had to protect him from doing something reckless.

If he didn't, who would?

Arven hadn't gone too far, thankfully by the time Aeon made up his mind to catch up to him.

"I thought you finally decided to leave me alone," Arven said. "You're a stubborn robot."

'I can't leave you alone. I can't help it.' Aeon wanted to say that but didn't have the nerve to. 'I want to protect you,' he wanted to say.

But he didn't say a word. He didn't want to make Arven any angrier.

"We made it!" Nemona cried happily as she approached the doors of the Team Star hideout. She turned her head around to see Tinkatuff still dragging Kai around like a ragdoll, and Clive followed with his hands behind his back.

Tinkatuff shouted her own name as though to say 'we're here', after reaching Nemona, and Kai grumbled.

"Get up, Kai! It's time to battle!" Nemona cried.

"Are you ready, Kai?" Clive asked, turning to the boy lying on the ground.

"...I swear, every single one of you drive me insane…" Kai pulled himself up before rising to his feet, dusting off his shorts. "Yeah, I'm ready…." he groaned.

"Hey- why so annoyed?" Nemona asked.

"Well, if you were dragged across the floor by a Pokémon that has twice your strength for about… I dunno, ten minutes? You'd be pretty annoyed too."

"That's not the spirit you should have before battle, though!" Nemona cried. "When you say, 'I'm ready' you've gotta mean it! Say it after me! IIIIIII'MMMM…"

"Ooooooh my gooooooooodddddddd….."

"READY!" Nemona jumped in the air and pumped her arms.

"How are you always so full of energy…?" Kai said.

"C'mon!" Nemona cried. "Vamos! Let's go!"

Kai groaned.

"IIIIIII'M!" Nemona watched Kai, waiting for him to jump along with her. "READDYY!"

"Ready…"Kai made a half-hearted effort, jumping along with Nemona and repeating what she said.

"C'mon, one more time!" Nemona cried. "Watch me do it!"

"Oh my god- Nemona, please-"

"IIIIIIII'M!"

"Does what I say go out one ear and out the-"

"READYYYY!"

Kai cupped his hands onto his face and screamed into it. He then dragged his hands down his face until his middle fingers were touching each side of the bridge of his nose, then, he moved his hands away, clasping them as though he were in prayer.

"Do you-" Kai motioned with his hands still held together, aiming them at Nemona with every syllable he spoke. "Do you not know what the word 'mercy' means?"

"Is that a fruit?"

"You're kidding, right?"

Nemona grinned. "Yes."

"NEMONA!" Kai shouted.

"I just want you to go in feeling confident! If you go in as you are now, you're not going to believe in yourself. You've gotta go in there with confidence, you've gotta know that you can do it- and-"

"it's fine to pretend-" Kai said, finishing Nemona's sentence. "I know. You've told me this a billion times before we took our tests back at the academy."

"Yeah," Nemona said, "and you aced them all! Remember before, you said that you weren't very good at tests, and that you always failed them? That changed when I started encouraging you. You know the difference of that you from before, who failed a bunch of tests, and the you now, who does so well in class that your grade's even better than mine!?"

"...It's my mindset." Kai couldn't help but smile as his face became slightly red from embarrassment- Nemona was complimenting him too much again.

"Now, what're you going to do?! You're gonna go in there, and do your best!"

"...Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right!" Nemona said, putting both hands on her shoulders. "Now, you're gonna go there, knock on that door, and say 'I'm gonna kick all of your butts! Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"YEAH!?"

"Yeah!"

"YEAH!?

"YEAH!"

"NOW SAY IT AFTER ME: IIIIIII'MMMMM…!"

"READY!" Kai and Nemona jumped for joy together, and exchanged double-high fives.

Clive was smiling so much that his cheeks were becoming sore.

"All right-" Kai marched over to the front doors of the Team Star and slammed his fist onto it. "Ready or not, here I am, guys!" Kai pulled his Pokeball and dropped it, and out of it came his starter Pokemon, Quaxly, who flicked his hair with his wing after appearing beside his trainer.

"Oh?!" A megaphone that hung on top of the front doors blared a voice. "A challenger has approached! It seems that he's not prepared for what's to come…"

"YOU guys aren't prepared for what's to come!" Kai said.

Quaxly had little idea as to what was going on, but Kai's sudden confidence was becoming contagious. A confident smile came to the water-type's beak as he adjusted his gelatin-like hair. He wanted to look as cool as possible.

"Now open these doors!" Kai cried.

"Well- you heard him- Open the doors!"

The doors opened, and Clive, Nemona, Kai and Quaxly walked inside.

Tinkatuff watched them, shrugged, and then walked away, completely disinterested. If Kai needed her, he'd just shout, the small Pokémon thought. Not like she'd listen.

Okay, fine. She would listen. Probably. Time to smash more rocks.

Tinkatuff went to the first rock she saw. 'This one should looks tough enough,' she thought, raising her hammer and preparing to strike.

But then, at that moment, something caught her eye. It wasn't a rock, and it wasn't a shard of metal that could upgrade her weapon.

No.

It was another Pokémon. Somehow a male Pawmo, minding its own business caught the female Pokemon's attention. The pink menace's heart started to race as its face became red with a sudden feeling- the sudden feeling of having a crush.