As I flew closer to the magnificent tower, something shiny caught my eye. It was a gem, a beautiful, pink, heart-shaped gem. It lay, deserted but still in good shape, between two shingles on one of the tower's higher roofs. Despite my current situation and mood, the wonderful jewel stirred my curiosity. I landed lightly next to it and carefully examined the precious trinket.

I wonder how it got here, I thought as I picked up the Oran Berry-sized gem with my beak. As the jewel lay tightly grasped in my bill, I realized that it was actually a necklace – both ends of a single string were attached to the gem.

It's just a random human girl's trinket, I thought, about to put it down. Then another thought struck me. But what kind of girl would lose a necklace way up here? My curiosity about the necklace and its origin was too strong to resist, so I tossed the necklace so that its string landed and rested comfortably around my neck. With the gem gently touching my chest, I sighed, launched into the air again, and flew towards the top of the tower.

Before I could think about anything, however, some dark-colored, heavy, falling object crashed into me. Grunting in pain, I fell back down to the roof where I found the necklace.

"Ow…" I groaned, rubbing my sore beak with my wing. I had fallen on my back, which was now aching with pain. With a grunt, I forced myself back onto my feet.

"All right. Who or what was that?" I demanded as I looked all around me. There was no one on the roof but myself, however, and I sighed in sheer annoyance. But then, just as I was about to launch into the air again, I spotted a pair of delicate human hands tightly gripping the awning of the roof. There was a quick grunting sound, and the owner of the hands – a caped, purple-haired girl of about thirteen – leapt skillfully onto the shingles of the roof.

The girl looked almost exactly like a true ninja. Her dark purple hair was tied into a bun, probably to avoid the possibility of hair strands falling over her eyes and impairing her vision. She wore the attire of the night-loving ninja: a tight, dark purple sweater; a pair of long, black pants; and a pure black cape that matched the colors of the dark, shadowy night.

The girl eyed me suspiciously. "You'd better not be Falkner's Pidgeot," she hissed.

Huh? I thought, confused.

"Whoa…" the girl breathed in awe. Slowly, she sat down onto the roof shingles and rubbed her eyes. She stared at me as if I were a new species of Pokemon. "Did you just… talk without opening your beak?"

Okay, this is getting very weird, I thought uncomfortably. Now, what did I just do?

"There! You did it again!" the girl gasped. She shook her head. "This is crazy. Either I'm dreaming or I've just met a talking Pokemon."

I closed my eyes, thinking. I think I know what's happening, I thought slowly. I think it's this necklace I'm wearing. Apparently, this gem allows me to communicate with humans through telepathy.

"Wow," the girl said quietly. She scooted a bit closer to me. "Are you special, or do all Pokemon have thoughts and emotions?"

You don't know? I asked, surprised. Of course every Pokemon has thoughts, feelings, and personalities. Seriously, if you give this necklace to any Pokemon, I'm pretty certain that it would convey its feelings and thoughts to you.

"Wow," the girl said quietly, recovering from her surprised state. "I never knew that my necklace could do that… or the fact that Pokemon have feelings and personalities. Man, if I had known that earlier, I wouldn't be here."

This is your necklace? I asked. Oh… here, you can have it back, and…

The girl shook her head, interrupting me. "I must have dropped it during my ninja-training. It's okay. I don't want it anymore," she said firmly. "Falkner is a jerk, anyways."

What? I thought indignantly. First of all, Falkner's really nice. Second of all, what does he have to do with all this?

The girl sighed and narrowed her eyes at me. "You aren't Falkner's Pidgeot, are you?" she asked.

No, I thought. I'm a wild Pidgeot… my name's Thunder. Lightning, Falkner's Pidgeot, was helping me on my journey to find my former trainer. I shook my head. How can you possibly call Falkner a jerk? He's always ready to help any Flying-type Pokemon in need, and he's a really skilled gym leader. Have you ever seen his Pokemon in action?

"Thunder, you don't know what I've been through," the girl groaned. "Sure, you may think Falkner is so awesome, but to me…" she looked away. "It's a long, long story."

Can I hear it? I asked politely. I shrugged. Seriously, I don't really have anything else to do.

"All right," the girl said slowly. "But promise you won't tell anyone about this, okay?"

I promise, I thought resolutely. I promise I won't tell.

"Thank you," the girl sighed. "Now, first of all…"

~~~~Alternative Point of View:~~~~
~~~Lightning~~~

Loneliness. Frustration. Boredom.

I perched on the highest roof of the Burnt Tower, dejection welling up inside me as I gazed listlessly down at the sprawling Ecruteak City. The view was beautiful – there was no higher place in the whole entire metropolis except for the top of the nearby Bell Tower. I desperately wanted to fly there right now, in hopes of a better chance of spotting Thunder, but her parting words echoed in my head: "Just stay in the Burnt Tower, Lightning. If I come back by tomorrow morning that means that I want to continue our journey. But if I don't come back, that means that I've given up."

I sighed. Please come back, Thunder, I thought pleadingly. I sat there, bored to death, as I aimlessly watched to denizens of the city as they busily went about their daily errands.

Finally, unable to stand the horrible loneliness, I launched into the air and made a circle around the Burnt Tower. Spotting nothing interesting on the tower's exterior, I lowered my altitude slowly and flew through the front door.

I took a deep breath, expecting some scary illusion from Morty's Ghost-types, but nothing happened for a long time. Sighing with relief, I began to survey the single-roomed first floor, keeping my eyes peeled for anything interesting. Nothing caught my eye except for a few deserted Spinarak webs however, so I proceeded to fly up the stairs that led to the second floor.

Then an idea struck me. If there are Spinarak webs here, there must be plenty of Spinarak around! The thought of hunting a Spinarak came to me – I was terribly hungry, after all, as I hadn't had a thing to eat since yesterday. Despite my situation, however, I found myself wincing at the thought of getting struck by a well-aimed Poison Sting attack.

If a non-poisonous Caterpie can assault me like that, I thought, recalling my failed first attempt at hunting a Bug Pokemon, I don't know what a poisonous Spinarak can do to me.

Then another thought struck me. Thunder, I thought dreamily, sighing. I've got to catch a Bug Pokemon all by myself, or she won't ever love me. The thought of not seeing the brave, intelligent female Pidgeot ever again made me shudder, so I flew more determinedly towards the second floor, keeping my eyes peeled for a Bug Pokemon.

I was very lucky. Right when I entered the second floor, before I could even examine the room, I spotted a small Spinarak. It was scurrying across the room as fast as its eight tiny legs could carry it, apparently trying to get back to its daylight-resting place.

My heart quickened as my eyes narrowed and instinct took over. Focusing at my target, I flew silently towards the Bug Pokemon, my muffled wing-beats inaudible even to the sharpest listener. Recalling Thunder's advice, I approached the Spinarak from behind, and dove towards it beak-first.

The small Bug Pokemon suddenly sensed my presence as it opened its mouth, readying a String Shot attack. You won't get me this time! I thought determinedly as I quickly tackled the Spinarak into the air, making it lose coordination, and grasped it deftly with my hooked claws as it fell down.

It was over. The brief rush of adrenaline that I had felt, and the sheer excitement of hunting a Bug Pokemon successfully for the first time, vanished into thin air as my heart rate and breathing slowed down. But as I stared at the unmoving Spinarak that lay at my feet, a great sense of pride filled my heart.

I bent down, grasped the Bug Pokemon with my beak, and removed the poison by rubbing its pointy white stinger on the wooden floor.

Thanks for teaching me how to do this, Thunder, I thought gratefully as I launched into the air and flew down the staircase that led to the first floor. You'll be so proud of me once I show you this. And once you've eaten to your heart's content, it's heart-to-heart time.

~~~~Alternative Point of View~~~~
~~~End~~~

"My name is Janine," the girl began, "and I'm the gym leader of Fuchsia City."

Wait a second, I thought, confused. But that's all the way in Kanto! What are you doing here in Johto?

"Um… well…" Janine stammered, "You see, I flew here on my Crobat. I wanted to get as far away from home as possible."

But why did you come to Ecruteak City? I asked. I think there are places in Johto that are more remote than here. And I think there's that land called Ho-ann, too, that's really far away.

Janine giggled slightly. "That's Hoenn," she corrected. She sighed. "I don't know. I guess I like the environment of Ecruteak City," she explained. "Everything here is serene, nostalgic, and calm, unlike where I come from. And this tower that we're sitting on right now, the Bell Tower… I don't know why, but it kind of has a magical aura to it, don't you think?"

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. She was right – there indeed was something special about this place. I could sense the presence of some unknown, magical force around me, but I wasn't sure what it was. After a while, I opened my eyes. I agree, I thought slowly, but please tell me why you flew away from Fuchsia City, where you come from.

Janine sighed again and looked away. "It's just that so much has gone wrong in my life," she said quietly. "Dad and the gym and Falkner – I mean, I'm only thirteen. Do they seriously think that I can deal with all of them at the same time?"

Don't be afraid to tell me what happened, I thought gently.

"All right," she said. "You see, my dad, Koga, is an Elite Four member of Kanto and Johto. And when he left, he made me in charge of the gym – but really, that was a terrible mistake. The first few months of being Gym Leader were great. But then I began a really horrible losing streak… that was when everything began to fall apart.

"The challengers were angry. They complained that I was too easy to beat, and they desperately wanted my dad back. So I tried calling my dad and explaining to him what happened, but it always seemed like he didn't want to talk to me. He always said that ever since becoming an Elite Four member, his schedule has been packed. When I finally managed to visit him personally, he insisted that I was fine the way I was, and that he didn't want to give up his position in the Elite Four."

But that's horrible! I thought, shocked. What kind of father would care more about his title than his daughter?

"Mine," Janine groaned. "But that isn't the worst part."

Right, I thought, remembering how scornfully the girl had mentioned Violet City's gym leader. But why do you hate Falkner so much?

Janine sighed. "Well, Falkner used to be a close friend of mine. When he was four years old, he and his mother moved to Fuchsia City. I became friends with him quickly… we were both really athletic and energetic, and we loved to cause all sorts of mischief by jumping across the rooftops of the city." She smiled briefly, recalling the wonderful memories, but the smile quickly faded away.

What happened? I asked. Why aren't the two of you friends anymore?

"He moved back to Violet City a little while before he turned ten," she said quickly. "His dad, who was Gym Leader at that time, wanted him to come back to his hometown. So Falkner and his mother packed their bags, caught his Pidgey in the surrounding forest, and headed back to Violet City.

"Falkner and I were really close friends though, and we stayed that way… in fact, we grew closer when my father became part of the Elite Four and started growing distant from me." Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "I think we were more than just friends once, when I asked him to accompany me during my annual ninja training in Goldenrod City, because my dad wouldn't do it anymore. But…" her voice trailed away.

But what? I asked, trembling. I knew exactly what Janine was talking about: love. Something that had to do with love had made her really depressed, and for some strange reason, I barely – just barely – felt the teeth of my conscience gnawing at my heart.

Janine suddenly stood up, releasing the bottled-up anger she had been hiding for so long.

"I thought he loved me," she said angrily, not even tottering as she balanced on the slanted surface of the rooftop. "It didn't make sense. Falkner gave me that stupid old necklace you're wearing right now, and even let me hug him a few times. I should have known he never felt for me what I felt for him. He never hugged me back or anything. And when I finally got the chance to tell him what I really felt about him, that I wanted him to be more than just my friend, he said…" Janine sat down slowly, all the brief anger gone from her heart. Her face now bore and expression of hurt, hopelessness, and sorrow. I gasped. I'd seen that expression before, several times, and I winced.

"Falkner said that he was sorry, but he couldn't be with me," Janine said in a quiet voice that was barely above a tiny whisper. "He said that I was a really awesome girl and all, but we just couldn't be together. We were too far apart to be together… him in Violet City in Johto and me in Fuchsia City in Kanto. And… oh, this happened so recently, just a few days ago, and… I feel really heartbroken."

There was a long, long silence as I closed my eyes, a million different emotions filling my heart. I trembled. My guilt, my conscience, poked at my brain and gnawed at my heart so badly and so intensely that I couldn't take it anymore. Deep down, I knew that there was a better response to Janine's tragic tale, but my insistent conscience kept me from thinking about that phrase.

I'm horrible, I blurted out.

"What do you mean?" Janine asked, surprised. "You were a really good listener!"

I'm just as bad as Falkner, I thought sadly. Oh dear. What was I thinking? I just rejected him for the same reason Falkner rejected you!

"Don't feel too bad," Janine said hesitantly, trying to comfort me. "You had a reason, and an understandable one too… but who was it?"

Lightning, I thought longingly. I know, he's Falkner's Pidgeot… but he's really, really handsome, brave, and strong. I sighed, allowing all the feelings I'd been hiding for so long to tumble out. I've been hiding what I've been feeling for him for so long, just because of that separation issue. I rejected him, but then I talked to you… and now I know how horrible being rejected feels. I can't let him feel that way. I've got to tell him what I really feel about him… that I love him.

For the first time in a long while, Janine smiled a little. "Then go ahead and tell Lightning what you feel about him," she said softly and kindly. "Don't be afraid. Just listen to your heart." She looked around. "Where is he, anyways? You've got to go and find him."

He's waiting for me at the Burnt Tower, I answered. But what about you and your problems? I want to help you. I've got until tomorrow morning.

Janine shook her head gently. "Just having someone to talk to has helped me a lot," she said honestly, "because now I know that Pokemon are just as intelligent, friendly, and emotional as people. I think I've just got to listen to some of my challengers' advice and believe in my Pokemon. Maybe, if I treat them as my best friends, I'll win more battles and gain a greater understanding of everything in the process."

I nodded. My former trainer, Ash, believed in his Pokemon all the time, I thought. It really works – his Pikachu defeated Lt. Surge's Raichu single-handedly, without having to evolve. I turned, getting ready to leave. But what will you do about Falkner?

Janine shrugged. "I'm not sure," she confessed, "but it's best to deal with my problems one at a time. I'll have to try to get over Falkner for now." She nodded. "Go ahead and find Lightning," she said gently. "I'll be fine."

I nodded back. Well, I'll be off, I thought, launching into the air. Goodbye, Janine! It's been nice talking to you!

"Bye!" Janine called, waving. With that, I began my flight to the Burnt Tower. Lightning, I thought dreamily, sighing happily as I thought of what his reaction would be when I confessed to him. I admit it – I love you.

But then… what happened next happened so suddenly and so shockingly that I didn't believe what had befallen me for a long time.

There was a pale blue current of electricity. It appeared right in front of my face, and I gasped as the electricity zipped right past me and hit the side of the Bell Tower.

My heart stood still. I knew for sure what that meant.

Before I had any time to flee, however, another wicked bolt flew at me from behind the Burnt Tower. Thinking quickly, I dodged the zap, readying a Steel Wing and flying towards the ground. Taking a deep breath, I jammed my metallic wing into the earthly soil – just in time. The next current of blue electricity flew straight towards my body, but it suddenly changed course and struck my electricity-conducting Steel Wing. Not feeling a thing, I smiled with pleasure as the eerie blue current flowed out of my wing and disappeared into the ground.

You're not going to catch me that easily, Nature Hunter K, I thought with satisfaction as my wing returned to normal and I drew it out of the ground. Your electric glove is useless now that I have Steel Wing and the knowledge of how a lightning rod works.

From the concealing shadow of the Burnt Tower came Nature Hunter K – Falkner's cold-hearted, eighteen-year-old sister. She hadn't changed a bit since when I last saw her – a pair of dark sunglasses and a lock of flowing blue hair concealed her cold, piercing light blue eyes, and her dark blue cape and pitch-black dress blended in easily with the shadows. Her lips were parted in a pleased, evil smile, and in her non-gloved hand she carried a Quick Ball.

"So you can talk, eh?" K asked evilly. Her smile broadened. "That's another reason for me to covet you. Jolteon, go!" she cried, hurtling the Quick Ball into the air.

I watched, too terrified to move, as the Quick Ball opened up and shot out a bright yellow beam of light that rapidly morphed into the spiky yellow-and-white Electric-type Pokemon. As the Jolteon landed comfortably on all fours, instinct took over. I turned tail and fled, my heart beating rapidly with fear.

"Jolteon, Thunderbolt!"

Thinking quickly, I readied a Steel Wing defense. But it was no use.

With a crackling sound, the wicked electric bolt hit me squarely and powerfully, and I screamed in pain as the horrible current coursed through my body.

Then the world, my world, went black.

To be continued…