A/N: This chapter is kind of embarrassing, lol. I wrote this when I was younger and had an enormous crush on Falkner. Now I realize how illogical the whole thing is, so I'll definitely be tweaking this a lot when the time comes.

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

I dove downwards, my wings folded, my eyes narrowed, and the wind rushing through my feathers. My target: the large deciduous tree below, which had many overhang branches from which many Pineco hung, drowsing lazily in the shade and completely oblivious to the outside world.

Or so I thought. The last two times I had tried to hunt for Pineco, the small Bug-type Pokemon had all suddenly and violently exploded, generating a thundering noise and a huge dust cloud that had obstructed my vision and caused me to cough. When I could see again, the tree had been completely bare, leaves had been scattered on the ground, and the Pineco had been nowhere to be seen.

I'm not letting them get away this time, I thought determinedly as I spotted a single Pineco hanging from one of the top branches, separated from the rest of the group. I smiled, deciding to go after this one, and bunched my muscles, getting ready to deliver a swift Quick Attack. Taking a deep breath, I darted speedily forward, swiftly plowing the lone Pineco into the air.

My stomach growled. It had been almost a day since I last ate, and I was not going to let this meal get away. The Pineco was plummeting towards the ground, still clueless as to what had hit it, when I dove down, extended my talons, and gripped the armored Pokemon tightly. I flew away silently, my wingbeats not making a sound in the still afternoon air. The Pineco on the tree continued to snooze obliviously as my catch struggled helplessly for a while and went limp in my claws.

I smiled, my heartbeat and breathing slowing down, but my initial rush of satisfaction gave way to hopelessness. Sighing, I landed on a large tree branch nearby and stared at the lifeless Pineco in my claws. I had food, and soon I would no longer have an empty stomach, but something was missing.

Thunder.

I ate my catch slowly and listlessly, for all of a sudden I had no longer felt hungry. Now I just felt depressed and lonely, with not a soul in the world to talk to. And worse yet, I knew that Thunder, the smart and spirited Pidgeot who was the love of my life, was on her way back to Viridian Forest and would never have anything to do with me again.

She had so much determination to find Ash, I thought sadly, so why did she give up? I sighed again. Maybe I was wrong when I thought Thunder loved me and would come back to the Burnt Tower in the morning. Maybe she just wanted to leave me forever and go home. My heart felt like it was ripped into a million pieces. She's right, thought… we have different paths, different homes, and different destinies. We can't be together.

Quivering slightly, I finished my meal and slowly took off. Gliding high above the dusty country road, I spotted the jagged skyline of Goldenrod City in the distance, but I felt a lack of motivation weighing me down. Traveling like this was pretty pointless now – Thunder was gone, and there was nowhere left for me to go. As I flew on slowly, a warm zephyr brushed against my feathers, carrying with it petals of beautiful purple flowers – violets.

Violets… that's it! I thought, brightening. Thunder may be gone forever, but I still have something – my home. I've got to get back to Violet Gym. Falkner and all my friends are still there, and with them, I'll fight many exciting gym battles. I held my head higher and flapped my wings more quickly, gradually approaching top speed. No. I can't lose hope now. I've got my whole life ahead of me.

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

"You've got to be faster, Midnight," I suggested, hovering effortlessly in the air. "Your Peck attack's form and power look good, but if you don't strike quickly, your foe will easily dodge your attack or strike back."

Midnight the Hoothoot grunted with effort, struggling to remain suspended in the air. The battle training had definitely taken its toll on him – he was breathing heavily, and his tiny wings were barely sufficient to keep him hovering. However, fierce determination gleamed in his eyes, and I knew that he was willing to train hard to help his trainer win the final battle. For someone so young and inexperienced, Midnight had definitely impressed me with his skills.

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to be faster, though," Midnight groaned, landing lightly on the sandy ground to take a break. "I'm pretty small compared to other Pokemon."

"You just need to imagine that you're bigger and stronger," I said gently. "Put all of your heart and effort into your attack, and everything will be all right."

Mordecai the Dodrio, who had been watching the training with interest, spoke up.

"Getting a running start before attacking always helps," said Mohr, the encouraging and optimistic head. "Then you can jump up and dive down, attacking the enemy from above."

"That doesn't always work," snapped Dee, the angry and argumentative head. "Remember that stupid Pikachu?"

"That Pikachu was way too powerful for me," sighed Kai, the depressed and pessimistic head. "He had so much voltage and electricity for such a little Pokemon."

"Still," Mohr said, ignoring Dee and Kai, "getting a running start and leaping into the air before you attack will really help you a lot."

"Mohr's right." Bolt, who had also been quietly watching the training, spoke up. "Head-on attacks are always easy to dodge. Usually, neither Pokemon nor trainer expects an attack from above, so use your Flying-type as an advantage in battle."

I nodded at Midnight. "Are you ready to try again?" I asked.

"Definitely," Midnight said determinedly, taking a running start and leaping into the air. He flapped his tiny wings, flying higher and higher, until suddenly and without warning he dove down towards me at an astonishing speed.

I narrowed my eyes and zipped to the right, dodging the attack. However, Midnight did not give up. His beak glowed and grew larger, and he speedily changed direction, plowing into my side.

I grunted upon impact, falling backwards, but I thought quickly, flapped my wings rapidly a few times, and managed to stay in the air. Knowing that it was my turn to make a move, I darted towards Midnight in a speedy Quick Attack. Before I could strike, however, the Hoothoot began to stare at me intently, rings of psychic energy emanating from his large red eyes. Despite myself, I felt my wingbeats beginning to slow down and my eyelids getting heavy. Thankfully Midnight, realizing that this was just a practice battle, stopped his attack and landed on the ground before I could sink into sleep.

"That sure was a creative strategy, Midnight," I yawned, shaking my head to fight off the lingering effects of the Hypnosis attack. "Striking from above was one thing, but stopping me in my tracks with Hypnosis was another." I landed next to Midnight and gave him a friendly pat on the back with my wing. "Great job."

"Thanks, Thunder," Midnight chirped. "So, what's next in our training?"

I turned to address everyone at the scene. "Actually, we've all trained pretty hard this morning," I declared. "We've had a lot of practice battles in which we all sharpened our skills. Why don't we take a break for lunch and continue our training sometime in the afternoon?"

"But we need to train more," Dee grumbled.

"But Dee, I'm just worn out, so please, no more training until after lunch," Kai sighed.

"I agree, Kai, we all need to rest," Mohr said, "But Dee, training is important too. Let's all eat lunch and recharge a bit. That way, we can put a lot more energy into our training."

"That's right," Midnight yawned, flying towards the elevator. "Well, I'm beat, so I'm off to the indoor forest. You coming, guys?"

"I'm hungry, so sure," Bolt said, following Midnight with Mordecai at her heels. "How about you, Thunder?"

I nodded slowly. "I can use a rest," I declared. My voice lowered. "But… I want to make a stop in the radar room first. I… just want to make sure Lightning's all right."

"I understand," Bolt said gently as Midnight pressed the button and the elevator door opened.

"Thank you, Bolt," I said quietly as I followed everyone into the elevator.

~~~~Alternative Point of View:~~~~
~~~Janine~~~

"We're almost home, Crobat," I said softly, gently petting the fur of the purple, four-winged Pokemon. "You've done really well. Do you want to take a rest?"

"Cro," Crobat growled softly, flapping its wings more quickly and ascending in altitude. Soon, its rapidly moving wings were nothing but a blur, and the tearing wind buffeted my face violently, threatening to whisk me off my Pokemon and send me plummeting to the jagged, rocky ground hundreds of feet below. Realizing that Crobat wasn't tired at all, I ducked down and hung on tightly. An ordinary person would have found the task of staying on the fast-flying Pokemon difficult, but years of training had toughened me up. My initial fear of falling fading away like mist, I laughed with glee as I enjoyed the sensation of speed, Crobat zipping through the quiet night sky.

Darkness wrapped around me like a blanket, broken here and there by the twinkle of a bright star. Although the moon hid behind the gray, wispy clouds and I couldn't see a thing ahead or below, I wasn't afraid at all. I knew that Crobat was a naturally nocturnal Pokemon that was acquainted with the night, so I felt confident that it would safely help me get home.

About ten minutes later of flying at top speed, the clouds cleared up and the waxing moon cast its white light all the way to the ground below. Peering downwards, I smiled as I spotted glowing city lights.

"It's time to slow down, Crobat," I said happily. "We're back in Kanto, which means we'll arrive in Fuchsia City pretty soon."

"Cro, Crobat," Crobat murmured, nodding as its wings slowed down until they were no longer a blur. As the wind that whizzed past my head dwindled down as well, I extended my neck to look around a bit. When I spotted the long, gray strip of Cycling Road below, I prepared to command Crobat to turn right, but the bat-like Pokemon made the correct move before I could speak.

"Great job," I said softly, quite impressed at how Crobat naturally knew the way home. With my Pokemon flying at a moderately fast pace, we returned to Fuchsia City in just a few minutes.

I smiled as I spotted the characteristic red pathways of the metropolis, along with the small ponds, mysterious-looking gym, and large, impressive Safari Zone gate. Despite the darkness of the night, I was certain that I had finally arrived home. As Crobat landed on the roof of the Fuchsia Gym, I dismounted and heaved a sigh of relief. Our long journey from Ecruteak City was over.

"Thank you so much, Crobat," I said earnestly, patting the Pokemon on its back. I pulled out its Pokeball. "You've done well, so take a nice, long rest."

I pressed the center button of the capsule, and Crobat turned into transparent red energy as it disappeared into the ball. Quite exhausted from the long journey home, I sat down onto the roof, positioning myself so that I had a grand view of the whole city.

A pang of loneliness and nostalgia struck me as I scanned the familiar rooftops, the night breeze lightly grazing my cheeks. I sighed. Falkner and I used to climb up here and sit in the very spot, talking and laughing while enjoying the beautiful view.

That was back when we were friends, I thought sadly, tears welling up in my eyes. I quickly wiped them with my forearm. He was so nice. And cute, too… I don't know why he didn't feel for me the way I felt for him. I shuddered. But then again, he had a point. No matter how much Falkner means to me, we can't be together… right?

"Janine." A familiar voice cut through my thoughts, and I tensed, my heart racing. "True friendship can withstand the tests of time and space. At first I didn't realize that – but then I met Thunder, a very smart and brilliant Pidgeot. Then I realized that what I said to you wasn't really right."

My heart shot into my throat. I looked around slowly, and I drew back in surprise when I saw Falkner sitting merely a few feet away from me, his legs dangling over the edge of the roof. I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. Despite myself, I couldn't help but notice how brilliant his blue hair looked under the silver moonlight. Feeling my face turn hot, I looked down in embarrassment.

"L-listen, Janine," Falkner said softly, his voice shaking. He moved tentatively closer to me, and I noticed that he was trying hard not to look down – under the cover of his hair he was blushing as well. "Firstly… don't freak out, because my Natu teleported me here from Violet City. I… actually think you're pretty awesome and cute and… um… yeah." He took a deep breath. "Janine, I'm sorry that I hurt your feelings. Back when you told me how you felt for me, I really felt the same way for you. It's just that I didn't think we could be together, but now I know that's not the case."

My heart felt like it was flying, but I tried not to show it too much – not just yet. "So… you came all the way here from Violet City… do you really mean to say you're sorry?"

"Yes," Falkner said with conviction. "I really am sorry for what I said. I now realize how wrong I was… will you forgive me, Janine?"

For a while I just stared at him, my heart thumping in my chest. Sure, he had hurt my feelings, but that was because he didn't realize how limitless friendship and love was. How could I not forgive him? Falkner was fun, cute, and a good friend – well, maybe more than just a good friend. My emotions suddenly taking over, I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly, resting my head on his shoulder.

"I'll take that as a yes," Falkner said softly, hugging me back. I closed my eyes, my heart racing, my head spinning. I felt like I was not sitting on the roof of the Fuchsia Gym, but soaring through the night sky with silver wings and touching every glimmering star. This feeling of sheer pleasure was unknown to me until now – but although I felt confused, I also felt gleeful and elated. I knew what this meant – this is what it felt like to be in love.

For a long time we just sat there, embracing each other and gazing at the city and the starry night sky. Finally, deciding to break the silence, I spoke up.

"So, Falky," I said softly, "How's everything at Violet City?"

When I saw that Falkner bore a worried expression on his face, I ran my fingers comfortingly through his soft blue hair. "Is… something wrong?" I asked understandingly.

Falkner took a shaky breath. "It's my sister, Katrina," he said worriedly.

"Katrina?" I asked. "Didn't we play Adventure Time with her, back when we were kids?" My voice lowered. "And… she disappeared when you were ten, right?"

Falkner nodded solemnly. "That's right," he said quietly. "But thanks to Thunder the Pidgeot and Bolt the Jolteon, I now know what she's been doing all the years she's been gone – and what she plans on doing once she gets seven gym badges."

I tensed a little. "What's that?" I asked, concerned.

"Well," Falkner said, "my sister never really saw her Pokemon as her friends – but I did, so I always received more praise and attention from our parents. Jealous, Katrina tried to prove that her philosophy was right by becoming powerful in another way. That way was only using Pokemon with certain 'Natures' – personalities that would make them more powerful. She trained her Pokemon hard, and her 'good-natured' Skarmory and Golbat proved to be formidable foes in the battle to determine who would become Violet City's new gym leader. But Katrina lost, so she ran away to train hard until she could prove to be more powerful than me."

"So that's why she disappeared," I said softly. I stared at Falkner intently. "Falkner, if Katrina ever comes back to Violet City to get her revenge, I'll be there to help you. I'll do what it takes to help you win the final battle against your sister."

"Do you really mean it?" Falkner asked, touched.

I nodded sincerely. "I'll show you some battle strategies and help you train your Pokemon," I said earnestly. "I want to help you prove to Katrina that having faith in your Pokemon will always succeed."

"Janine… thank you," Falkner said quietly after a brief pause. "Thank you so much for forgiving me and helping me fight this final battle." He looked around. "But what about the Fuchsia Gym? Don't you have to look after this place?"

"It's all right," I said, shrugging. "I can always just post a notice on the front door and tell my dad about what I'm doing."

"Good," Falkner said, sighing with relief. "Oh, I almost forgot. Janine… can you close your eyes and cup your hands together? I… brought something for you."

"All right," I said, my heartbeat quickening in excitement. I followed his instructions and waited in anticipation until he placed a hard, warm object in my cupped hands.

"Take a look," Falkner said softly.

Slowly, I opened my eyes and gasped in surprise and delight when I spotted the beautiful item I held. It was a brilliant, shimmering jewel, attached to a string so that it could be worn as a necklace. When I noticed that it was pink, heart-shaped, and emanating a soft, warm white light, I knew it could only be one thing: the Soul Gem necklace Falkner had given me on my thirteenth birthday.

"It's… beautiful," I whispered in awe, feeling the smooth surface of the jewel. I put on the necklace, and the Soul Gem felt warm against my chest. But then I realized something. "Falkner… you didn't take the necklace from Thunder, did you? She was the one who rightfully found it, and she needs to necklace if she wants to communicate with humans."

"Don't worry, Janine," Falkner said softly. "Right before I left for Fuchsia City, something really strange happened: the necklace flew off Thunder's neck, floated in midair, and duplicated itself. One of the necklaces landed back onto Thunder's neck, and the other one landed in my hands. Thunder suggested that I give the necklace to you. I swear I didn't take the necklace from her – if you visited Violet Gym right now, you'll see Thunder still wearing the Soul Gem necklace and able to communicate with humans."

"Okay, that's good," I said, a little relieved. "I should have known that you would never do anything that would make a bird Pokemon angry." I smiled. "Falkner… thanks for everything… you know, for being my best friend – or maybe more than my best friend."

"You're welcome," Falkner said softly, enveloping me in his arms. I hugged him back, gazing dreamily at his handsome features under the silver moonlight. And then, to my greatest delight and surprise, he did something he had never done before: he closed his eyes, leaned forward, and kissed me lightly on the lips.

I closed my eyes as well, my heart beating faster than it had ever beaten before. I felt like I was flying.

To be continued…

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