The door shut behind them.

Aiden crossed his arms calmly, "So, that went we-"

"You never fucking told me QUINN was in charge of the infiltration division!" Moxy steamed on Aiden like a boiling teapot.

"Huh?" Aiden was surprised, but after a second he just shrugged. "I thought you already knew."

"How would I kno-" Moxy stopped herself and placed a finger on her temple. "Arceus, this can't get any worse."

A hand touched her shoulder.

"Then just forget about it. You just told Tabitha you would be joining. You haven't filed the application yet." Aiden waved the paper with his other hand for good measure.

"Right..." Moxy trailed off half-heartedly.

"You want to be an infiltrator though, right?"

Moxy looked up at him. She didn't know how to answer him. She desperately wanted to find her place in the organization. There was nothing else she could do at the moment. She threw all her eggs in the Team Magma basket as soon as she took the oath. If only until she could get her bearings, and possibly leave Hoenn. Even that decision weighed on her somewhat. But she believed in what Tabitha had just told her. That Team Magma was going to change the world for the better. And maybe, just maybe, she'll come out smelling like a daisy.

But just thinking about Quinn's coals for pupils set her on edge. She just knew he would be the meanest, shittiest boss she would ever have.

"You can't be scared, Moxy," Aiden answered for her, "If you want to be more than the desperate girl I found in Rustboro six months ago, you need to set your priorities straight. You're overreacting right now. Stop thinking about how tough it's going to be working with Quinn, and start thinking about how great of an infiltrator you can be."

"I..." Moxy tried to think of an excuse.

Excuses. That was her problem.

"Your right," she acquiesced. It sucked. But she had to push past her feelings. For Sylveon. For Charles. For herself.

"Ugh. I'm a mess, Aiden," Moxy chuckled and brushed the hair around her ear. "Sometimes, I wonder why you keep on putting up with me."

Aiden rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I was a little bit like you when I joined. I-"

"Is it because I'm like the leader?" Moxy interrupted him.

"O-oh," Aiden's voice faltered. "About that. Don't listen to Tabitha. It's just a few coincidences."

"Come on. Tell me about him. What's he like?" Moxy pressured, curiosity pecking at her.

He hesitated, but a second later he just pointed down the hall towards a door on the other side of the tunnel. A soft yellow light was cast over its entrance, and like Tabitha's office, there was a steel plate beside that door. Moxy walked up to it, and she squinted to see the name engraved on the plate.

MAXIE

"Hey, that sounds a little bit like my name. Go figure." Moxy smirked.

"Yeah," Aiden said as he stood beside her. "And that's not the only similarity. He's got red hair, like you. A little bit of a temper. But the similarities end there. I think you'll understand better when you meet him."

"Well, couldn't I just... knock?" Moxy raised her arm, but a swift hand latched onto hers before she could do anything.

"Don't!" Aiden whispered quickly. "No one talks with the leader, and I mean, no one. Unless you're an admin, he'll only talk with you if he wants to. You'll get put on some horrible cleaning duty if you bother him, or worse. Trust me."

Aiden had tensed up, and Moxy raised an eyebrow.

"I guess if it's really that big of a deal, I'll drop it for now."

Aiden's shoulders relaxed. "Good. Good... so, are you ready to go?"

Moxy glanced at the pink pokemon several feet away from her. Sylveon sat on her haunches silently, just staring at Moxy with narrowed eyes.

"I'll meet you out there, just... give me a second," Moxy told him. Aiden gave her a quick nod before walking down the hallway.

Oh, boy. Moxy readied herself for a tussle before walking up to Sylveon.

"Hey, girl. Everything okay?" Moxy smushed her face into a forced smile.

Sylveon stood up and raised two feelers. She meowed angrily and pointed at Tabitha's office.

"Yeah, I know, okay?" Moxy began, lowering her voice. "But it's temporary. I need to get in this organization's good graces."

Grrrrr, a growl emanated from the pokemon's throat.

"Wha- Hey, don't give me that attitude!" Moxy lowered her eyebrows at her. She was starting to sound like Kirlia.

Sylveon pouted and stomped a paw on the metal floor.

"Please, you know me. It was just words. T-They don't mean anything. And you know we can't just run away. We'll get caught by the police, and who knows what's going to happen to us afterward. This is our best chance. I don't want them to take you away from me again. Please, understand..."

Sylveon looked at Moxy silently for a few seconds. A tiny whimper escaped the pokemon's lips, and her gaze faltered.

"I'm sorry," Moxy spoke softly and knelt to Sylveon's level. The pokemon backed away a little. "I swear I didn't mean to scare you in there."

Moxy's eyes began to water. Sylveon looked so heartbroken. Moxy placed one of her hands underneath the pokemon's chin and rubbed it.

"I didn't forget our promise," Moxy sniffled.

One of Sylveon's eyes teared up, and when Moxy took Sylveon's right paw into her hand, she was trembling.

"I love you, Sylvie. Never forget. I would do anything for you. I... just need you to trust me. O-okay?"

Another second later, and Sylveon nodded hesitantly. Moxy let go of Sylveons paws and wiped the tears out of her pokemon's eyes.

"C'mon. Let's go," Moxy encouraged her pokemon, standing up. Sylveon moved a feeler near Moxy's hand, and Moxy smiled.

However, the feeler never wrapped around her hand. Instead, Sylveon tapped Moxy's pocket.

The one with her pokeball inside.

"Oh, y-you want to go back inside?" Moxy hesitated. Sylveon gave her a small nod, her eyes glued to Moxy's shoes. When Moxy pulled the pokeball out, Sylveon immediately tapped its central button with her feeler. A red light enveloped the pokemon before she materialized into the ball.

Silence enveloped the empty hallway. Moxy clutched the ball in her hands. She sniffled again.

She...She'll understand...

Moxy slogged out of the tunnel, where Aiden was waiting for her.

"Everything okay?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Moxy began walking ahead.

Wordlessly, Aiden led her towards the right side of the Hub. Walking along the edge, they reached a somewhat large crevice in the wall. There was a long, metal counter in the opening, and a wire fence shielded the grunts inside from the outside sources.

At Aiden's gesture, Moxy walked up to the middle of the counter. Behind it was a woman.

The first thing about the pretty woman to catch Moxy's attention was her eyes. The glum, yellow light that buzzed above her obscured her eyes' natural colors, but Moxy could see the tiny hints of cobalt blue within them. Her entire right arm was covered in green and black tattoos. Unfortunately, Moxy could only make out a Blastoise and Primeape among the tattoos; the rest were too faded out. She wore a red and black tank top, and streaks of grease gleamed in her braided, blonde hair.

"Welcome to the armory!" the woman exclaimed with a smile, every row of her white teeth visible to Moxy. "What can I get for you? New gear? Gadgets? Maybe a shiny, new sidearm to complement those hips?"

M-my hips? Moxy's face grew hot.

"Hi, Lucy." Aiden waved his hand behind Moxy.

"Aiden! Long time no see! You get stuck on babysitting duty?" Lucy laughed.

"You could say that." Aiden chuckled with her. Moxy shot him a deathly glare.

"This is Moxy," Aiden coughed. "She just got promoted from initio, so she needs some starter gear, a replacement ID, and a new outfit."

"Congrats!" Lucy cheered for Moxy. "So, what are you specializing in? You gonna be an infiltrator like Aiden here?"

Moxy gave her a small nod.

"That's not too bad. Quinn can be a little bit of a hardhead, but he treats his guys right." Lucy stretched out one of her arms behind her.

I have a hard time believing that. Moxy thought before forcing herself to smile in response.

"You have an ID card?"

Moxy pulled out the blood-stained card in question and slid it through the opening. Lucy took it and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you totally need a new one. I'll be right back then. Oh, quick question. Skirt or pants?"

"Oh, uhh... skirt."

Lucy winked at her before disappearing into the back of the armory. It was just she, Aiden, and the rest of the grunts moving around behind her.

"So, what do you think? Lucy's pretty cool, right?" Aiden asked.

"I guess…" Moxy trailed off. She was still enraptured with her talk with Sylveon to think of anything else. However, she could see Aiden was looking at her with a worried look. He could tell something was wrong.

"So, she's an admin, too?" Moxy deflected his worry with a question to keep Aiden from asking if she was okay.

"Oh... yeah." Aiden crossed his arms. "Lucy's the Admin for the engineering division. She does maintenance on the base and builds machines for us to use."

Moxy raised her eyebrows. "How many Admins does Team Magma have anyways?"

Aiden placed a hand under his thin chin in thought. "About seven, if you exclude Tabitha. You definitely want Lucy on your good side, though. She mans the armory and sells equipment here."

Moxy nodded, and if the timing wasn't better, Lucy had returned. She was holding a black box with a handle, some red clothes, and a red card.

"Here we go," Lucy exclaimed as she slipped each item to Moxy one by one.

"Those clothes and the ID card symbolize your new status as an auxiliarus. This card will let you into any Team Magma base, and it has an odor so the Mightyena know you aren't an intruder."

A shiver ran down Moxy's spine as she recalled the last Mightyena that cut her up. She still had her ID card on her, and it did nothing to protect her. However, she couldn't blame Lucy. It was entirely the fault of that demon plaguing her dreams.

"Lastly, that box contains a bunch of starting equipment for you to use," Lucy finished. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," Moxy replied.

"Good," Lucy said before placing both of her hands on the counter. Gone was her smile, and she had a serious face now.

"I don't mean to be crude, but I tell this to every new grunt that comes here, so remember it well. No freebies. Something breaks or gets lost, you cough up the cash to fix or replace it."

"What?" Moxy frowned. "Well, how much is it to replace, uhh... these clothes?"

"8 dollars to repair. 16 to replace."

"And to repair this ID card?"

"50 dollars."

"What?!" Moxy exclaimed.

"Sorry. The parts are expensive." Lucy simply shrugged.

Moxy waved her arms in front of the cage barrier. "Team Magma doesn't even pay me! How am I supposed to make the money to repair it?!"

"Moxy. Calm down." Aiden chimed in. Moxy realized she'd raised her voice, and her face was burning up.

"S-sorry." Moxy apologized, though she was still seething on the inside.

"It's all good." Lucy smiled again. "And Team Magma not paying you isn't true. You can ask any of the admins if they need help, and they'll compensate you for your work. You can even take a job in the city if you'd like. Preferably southern Lilycove."

"Why there?" Moxy tilted her head.

"Less police presence. I can even whip up a disguise and fake civilian ID card for you to use outside."

Great. More work, Moxy grumbled in her mind.

"I think that's a good idea, Lucy. Even if she doesn't work in the city, she can still use a disguise for missions."

"Well, I'm going to need 75 dollars to fix it all together," Lucy told him, her hands resting on her slightly exposed waist.

Moxy's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked back at Aiden. This lady was scamming every last penny out of her pocket, and it infuriated Moxy that Lucy couldn't understand her glaring money problem. Assuming Lucy would give her credit, Moxy didn't want to be indebted to yet another person.

"Do me a favor, Lucy?" Aiden asked after seeing Moxy's reaction.

Lucy narrowed her eyes at the both of them. Seconds passed before she sighed.

"Why do you have to be so damn cute, Aiden?"

Aiden shot her a wily grin, and Lucy giggled.

Moxy, on the other hand, wasn't amused. This didn't fix her problems at all; she couldn't just keep depending on Aiden for everything.

"Meet me after closing time so I can discuss it with you," Lucy told him.

Moxy wrapped all the stuff she got in her arms and strutted off, not even saying bye to the admin. However, she did catch Aiden giving Lucy a carefree salute.

Once they were out of earshot, Moxy narrowed her eyes at Aiden. "What's the deal with you two?"

"We're good friends. She and I go way back, and she knows I'll pay her back," Aiden said as they zigzagged through the grunts in the Hub.

Good friends? Seems like more than that. Moxy's nose scrunched all on its own. She didn't even know why she was so upset.

"When you build a reputation with the admins, they'll be more flexible with you. Trust me."

"So, what do I do now?" Moxy asked, a hint of impatience in her voice. "I can't get a job in the city. You told me people would recognize me from the news."

"Don't worry. I don't expect you to do that. Since you're applying to be an infiltrator, ask Quinn or me for work. You can ask the other admins as well, like Lucy or Chloe. I'm sure they'll appreciate the help." Aiden explained.

Yeah, except I'm doing the work for free for one of them. Chloe's image appeared in Moxy's mind.

"It'll be okay. You'd be surprised at the amount of money we get after a successful mission. Bottom line, respect the admins, and they'll take care of you."

Moxy just crossed her arms. Respect goes both ways.

The two continued back to Chloe's office in silence. Moxy had begun to feel tired with all this walking from the Hub and back to Chloe's office. And she wasn't looking forward to that inevitable request Chloe had planned for her.

Once they entered the freezing medical ward, Aiden walked over to Chloe's office door. Moxy could hear the sound of a piano from a speaker. But once Aiden knocked on the door, the music stopped.

"Who is it?" Chloe called.

"Aiden!"

"Come in."

Aiden pushed open the door. Moxy placed the box and new outfit on a desk before following him inside. Chloe was still perusing through the files on her desk with a tired slouch.

"Never any rest for you, eh doc?" Aiden joked. Chloe's eyes darted upwards in response.

"If you want to sit here and sift through all these lab results, be my guest." she retorted.

"Sorry, ma'am."

Chloe sighed. "What do you two want now?"

"Moxy just got promoted to auxiliarus." Aiden announced just as Moxy set her box and clothes beside the door.

"Charming," was all Chloe had to say.

Aiden rubbed the back of his head. "Well, she needs another pokemon. You know, since you're the one in charge of the pokemon storage here. Do you have any spares?"

Another sigh escaped Chloe's lips as she stopped what she was doing to stand up. She walked over to the escape pod-looking thing and pressed a button on it. A hiss followed right after as the pod opened, and a gleam reflected through Moxy's eyes as a row of three, gleaming pokeballs were revealed.

There was something special about getting to choose a pokemon that she never got to experience. Pokemon professors in the region usually let new trainers choose a starter. Unfortunately for Moxy, her only choice was an Eevee. It wasn't a bad thing; she loved Eevee's. But it was that special feeling she yearned for when listening to the students in her old class talk about receiving their starters.

The feeling of choice. Something she felt she had little of.

"Inside each of these pokeballs is a pokemon." Chloe began. Moxy looked at her with wide eyes, as if she just won a game show and she was now hearing the prizes she was about to receive.

"Your choices are-"

Everyone was startled when a loud knock erupted from the door.

"You in there, Chloe?!" a voice yelled.

"More people. Can't I get a little peace around here?" Chloe yawned as she opened the door herself.

Standing outside was a large man wearing Team Magma clothing. His hair was short and blond, and his thick nose was flared in anger. There was a pin of two swords crossing against each other on his chest, too.

Chloe pushed her glasses up. "I'm quite busy at the momen-"

"I got a problem, lady!" he shouted, and Chloe scrunched one of her eyes in annoyance. "You gave me a terrible pokemon, and I want a refund!"

Refund? She sells pokemon? Moxy lowered her eyebrows at Chloe.

"What?" Chloe was baffled. "I assure you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it! I only acquire the most perfect specimens. Like it or not, it's up to you to train it properly."

"This Zubat can't even fly without screaming like a maniac! I want to exchange it for something better!" he pulled out the pokeball in question. "Don't you have a Houndour or Aron? Stop skimping on me!"

Moxy watched as they continued to argue back and forth. One of her hands balled into a fist. Who does this asshole think he is?

Moxy was surprised when a hand grabbed her forearm. She turned to see Aiden's serious gaze.

"Don't interfere," he whispered. "A lot of guys come in here complaining about their pokemon. Chloe can handle it."

"What?! He doesn't even know the first thing about his pokemon! This guy just shows up at the worst time to bother her about some stupid problem!" Moxy hissed.

"Right, but he isn't like you. If you interfere, you're only going to make things worse." Aiden had a serious look on his face now.

Just because a pokemon isn't good enough doesn't mean they don't have the potential to be better. Moxy gritted her teeth.

No. She wouldn't stand aside.

"Hey!" Moxy yanked her arm out of Aiden's grasp. Chloe and the man turned their confused expressions on her.

"What the hell do you want?! Can't you see I'm talking here!?" One of the man's eyes twitched. He looked like he was about to blow a fuse.

"You realize Zubat's use echolocation to fly, right? In other words, they have to screech in order to see where they're going. That's just the basics for training Zubats! Don't come in here and yell at the doctor because you're incompetent!"

The grunt looked at her, confusion written all over his face.

Hmph. Looks like he's starting to unders-

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" his laugh echoed in the lab, interrupting her thoughts.

"Wha..." Moxy trailed off.

"Hey, professor, tell your little pet here to keep her mouth shut before she gets herself in trouble!" he quipped.

"What did you just call me?!" Moxy yelled. Every cell in her body trembled with rage. She was so close to giving him a piece of her mind when Chloe stepped in front of her.

"Ignore her. Just give me the pokemon. I'll have a Houndour and Aron for you in a day or two."

Chloe barely caught the pokeball as the man tossed it to her. His narrowed gaze turned on Moxy right after.

"You better watch what you fucking say to me. You'll regret it if you don't."

On that parting note, he slammed the door behind him.

"Great. Just great. Looks like I'll have to call the lab..." Chloe mumbled as she minimized the pokeball and dropped it into her lab coat pocket.

"What the hell was that?!" Moxy started, pointing at the door. "Aren't you an admin? Why did you let him treat you like that?!"

"Moxy." Chloe trained her eyes on her. "As much as I appreciate you standing up for me, I had it handled."

"He's from the Operation division." Aiden had a disgusted face on him as he spoke. "They all act like they're better than everyone. Operators don't take orders from anyone but Maxie or the operator Admin, Carter."

"Still doesn't give him the right to be rude as hell to her. He didn't even have a problem! That's just the way Zubat's are!"

"They don't know any better. Only a few of our people are trained as, well, actual pokemon trainers. You're among them."

"Enough about this," Chloe interjected before she nudged her head towards the pokeballs. "Moxy, if you'll please."

Moxy completely forgot about the reason she was here. She didn't want to drop the subject, but one look from Chloe told Moxy she didn't want to talk about it any further. Taking a deep breath, Moxy walked back up to the pod and perused the digital tags underneath the placeholders of the pokeballs one by one.

Numel, the Numb Pokemon. Poochyena, the Bite Pokemon. Koffing, the Poison Gas Pokemon.

This was the moment she'd been waiting for. Her choice here was an important decision. The pokemon she chose would, quite literally, become her child. Someone she had to take care of. Another mouth to feed. But the fruits of her labor would produce profuse results. In the end, she'll love and teach that pokemon as if it were her own.

However, her eyes darted toward Chloe's pocket. That poor pokemon no longer had a trainer who loved him anymore. If that asshole even loved him in the first place, Moxy couldn't help wonder. Her gaze shifted between the pod and Chloe's pocket.

"Um, Chloe," Moxy started. "What's going to happen to that Zubat? T-the one in your pocket?"

"Hmm?" Chloe was taken by surprise. "I'll sell him to the other members, but if no one wants him, he will stay in his pokeball."

Moxy balled her fists. You mean he'll be rejected and trapped until some other idiot takes him.

Moxy looked back to the pokeballs on the display. They were all good options. Possibly, better than a Zubat. If she chose Numel, it could prove to be a powerhouse once it evolved. Weezing was also an interesting option to provide a supportive role to Sylveon.

A shiver ran up her spine looking at the Poochyena pokeball, and she couldn't help but envision the Mightyena that killed her. If this Poochyena were to join her team, she was afraid that unfortunate incident would sour her relationship with the pokemon.

However, her decision was already made the moment Chloe told her about Zubat.

"I'll take him." Moxy pointed at Chloe's pocket.

Chloe raised an eyebrow at Moxy. "Are you sure? You have better options, you know."

Moxy didn't hesitate in her response. "I'm absolutely sure."

With a sigh, Chloe pulled the pokeball out of her pocket. She walked up to Moxy and gave it to her tenderly. "Then he's yours now, dear."

The veins in Moxy's hand became visible as she tightened her fingers around the silvery pokeball. Tactically, Flying-types would give her an edge in battle as recon. Zubat's are also much faster than the other choices, which would be useful for stealth.

She'll train him like any trainer ought to. He'll be an advantage to her team rather than a disadvantage. Most importantly, she'll show him the same unconditional love that she shows Sylveon.

He'll be rejected no longer.

"Well, if that's all..." Aiden's hand hovered behind Moxys back. The two began to walk towards the door, but Chloe stepped in front of Moxy's path.

"Not yet," she said. Moxy was confused, but her fear was realized when Chloe gestured a hand at Aiden. "I need to speak to her in privacy."

"Oh. Of course, Admin." Aiden responded sternly, but he gave Moxy a questioning look.

Sorry, Moxy mouthed to him. Aiden just gave her a small smile before leaving, closing the door behind him.

The room became silent, only the hiss of Chloe's air conditioner emitting sound.

"Let me guess," Moxy started when Chloe didn't speak up, "you're cashing in that favor, right?"

"One of them." Chloe pushed her glasses up to her face. "But before that, I want to give you something."

Chloe walked over to her desk and pulled out a small book from a squeaky drawer. Those bold, yellow letters on the white and purple cover were familiar to Moxy, and she squinted her eyes to get a better look.

POISON-TYPES ACADEMICALLY it read.

Moxy smirked. "I already read that one."

"Doesn't hurt to refresh your memory." Chloe set the book down on the desk.

"C'mon, really? Training Zubat's are amateur."

"You'll find reading and actually putting that reading to the test are two entirely separate entities. And memory is fallible."

Moxy gave the book a long gaze. An aroma of freshly washed hair and lavenders overwhelmed her senses, and she suddenly found herself back in the orphanage. She remembered Dahlia, the first headmistress, who read her that same collection of books, all about the different species of pokemon. It was nostalgic.

"Alright," Moxy acquiesced as she took the book with gentle care.

At hearing her response, Chloe's lips parted into a wide, out-of-character smile. "Consider that a form of payment for what I'm about to have you do."

"W-which is?"

"An errand I need you to run."

"Just an errand?" Moxy didn't realize how relieved she was to hear those words. At least Chloe wasn't dissecting her or something.

Chloe nodded while digging a hand inside her coat pocket. "There's a lab here in Lilycove. I want you to go there and pick up a Houndour and Aron for me. I'll call ahead and let them know you're coming."

"I see. Is this because I interrupted you and that Operator?"

"Let's just call it convenience. You owe me, and I don't feel like paying a grunt to do the work for me. I have too much work to do here to go myself. Here's the address."

Chloe pulled out a white business card and offered it to Moxy. She took the card and read the print on the front.

LILYCOVE POKEMON LAB, GALVAN ST. 20TH AVENUE.

"It's legitimate, so don't worry about police or anything," Chloe added. "When you go there, just show them that business card and tell them I sent you."

Moxy nodded before pocketing the card. "Alright, I'll get it done then. Anything else?"

"No. That will be all."

Moxy began to walk away.

"Thank you, Moxy. I'll be the first to say that it was admirable of you to stand up for me."

Moxy looked back in surprise, but Chloe was already preoccupied with the papers on her desk. With a smile, Moxy left the office.

The rusty elevator rattled before descending, creaking and grinding on its way down. Moxy pressed her shoulders on the side of the elevator, afraid that the elevator might croak and just freefall down to Arceus knows where. She couldn't hold onto anything either, since her hands were full with all the new stuff she got.

"Need any help?" Aiden asked, his hands extended in front of him. With a quick nod, Moxy handed him the book and black box. The elevator descended to the next floor, and Moxy could see the Hub through the grate. However, the elevator continued down another level. Reaching B3, the elevator screeched to a halt before the fenced door opened, letting her and Aiden out.

This level was darker than the previous two. Warm, red light from tube lights washed over the steel doors numbering the sides of the hallway. Some doors had bright, yellow lights coming out from their sills, and others had stickers or graffiti plastered against their fronts. However, there was one similarity each door shared.

052, 053, 054, Moxy read the numbers right above each room as she and Aiden made their way down the hallway. She guessed these were the rooms everyone slept in.

A good minute of walking later and they reached room 099, the room that was assigned to her by Tabitha. Strangely, there was yellow light peering from underneath. She and Aiden set down the black case, Poison-type book, and clothing on the floor beside the door.

"Well, this is where we part ways," Aiden chimed out. "I'm going to hand in your division request to the records office upstairs before calling it a night."

"Thanks." Moxy hid her hands in her jean pockets.

"This is your new home now. Until you get an assignment or mission, you'll stay here." Aiden explained, his face stoic. "One of these days, we're going to have to go back to the Rustboro Hideout to pick up the rest of your stuff from your locker."

Moxy was silent as she focused on Aiden's heavy, green eyes, now black because of the red light surrounding her and Aiden like they were in a nightclub.

Without a moment of hesitation, she rammed Aiden into an embrace and shut her eyes tightly. Time seemed to stop for a moment as nothing happened.

"Thank you, Aiden," she whispered. "For everything."

She pulled herself off of Aiden almost immediately. He had a surprised face about him, but it quickly turned into a smirk.

"Thank me? For what?"

Moxy crossed her arms. "Well, you know. For being here. Helping me out. If it weren't for you, I might be in prison right now. Sylveon would have been taken away from me. You… you gave me a second chance." Moxy almost choked on her words saying that last part.

Aiden shook his head. "I'm flattered, but I'm just doing my job."

"Heh, well I appreciate your work ethic then." Moxy scratched her nose.

Aiden made a little chuckle. "Anyways, there's another new member you'll be sharing this room with. Be nice, okay?"

Moxy's eyebrows lowered. "Hey, what does that mean?! I can be nice."

"Just keep that redhead of yours... well, less red, I guess." a wily grin formed on Aiden's face.

Moxy placed a hand on her hip, unamused with his little pun.

Aiden sighed. "They never appreciate the good jokes."

"Night, Aiden," Moxy said. With that, Moxy watched him walk back towards the elevator.

She turned towards the door again. This was where she lived now. Her own little place to set down her sword and shield. A fresh start on life with Team Magma. She didn't know how to feel about them yet; they were mysterious, and quite possibly, dangerous. Just like Sylveon believed. However, they took care of her. Made her one of their own. It was a far cry from living with her evil headmistress.

Moxy put a palm over her chest, feeling every crevice of the etched necklace she wore.

Sylveon was wrong. Surely, things couldn't be any worse than living on the street, alone and helpless.

She twisted the doorknob, but it was locked. With a sigh, she gave it a knock.

The lock inside clicked before creaking open, and Moxy gawked at the person who answered.

It was the same girl who surprised her in the medical bay. Her black hair peeked out from under her black-horned Team Magma hoodie, and a happy, almost wild grin was plastered on her tanned face. The girl, who was taller than Moxy, loomed over her, and Moxy leaned backward when the girl took a quick step towards her.

"Hi!" the mysterious girl exclaimed with an energized tone. "You're Moxy, right?"

"Um, how do you know my name?" Moxy asked suspiciously.

"I saw it! In your medical file!" the girl replied.

"M-My file? Why were you looking at my file?" Moxy stammered out. Anxiety crept through Moxy's gut, and every bone in her body told her to run.

"Oh, Chloe left it on the side of your bed, and I just took a nice little glance at it." the girl put both of her hands behind her back and swayed slightly from side to side.

Yeah, I'm sure 'doctor paranoid' left it out for everyone to see. Moxy narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Zee! I transferred here from the Fallarbor Hideout a month ago!"

Moxy just grumbled. How many soda pops did this girl drink?

"But that's enough about me. You're the one who survived a Mightyena attack and lived to tell the tale!" Zee lowered her voice. "What was it like?"

Moxy raised a brow. "What was what like?"

"Dying!"

Moxy couldn't help the sinking feeling in her stomach. Oh, Arceus. Please tell me I'm bunking with her temporarily.

AN: So, thanks again for reading this. I hope you've all enjoyed it, I know it's been a while since I posted after the last episode, and I'm sorry it took so long. I also apologize this episode was less action-packed, but I had to make sure things were resolved after Moxy had "died". I do promise to add more action-packed scenes when I release Episode 4 (which is close to completion!).

For now, I'll be releasing a Charles Segment to expand on the previous episode's cliffhanger with Janice. I plan to write a Charles Segment for almost every episode. Let me know if you guys like them or not.

If you guys have suggestions, or even comments, leave them in the reviews. I really appreciate them, no matter how small they are.

Also, I'll start responding to reviews in the AN at the end of the chapters.

Cheers!

-RuGuard: You are correct about that. And I think you'll find the next chapter to be quite the surprise. I appreciate all the reviews you've been leaving, they've helped me tremendously! Thanks!