This is my favorite chapter so far. It's also the longest, at twenty full Google Docs pages and over 11,000 words. I'm going to lay on the floor now. XD

Girl Time (Featuring Joltik)

"I'm not one of those psycho feminists who want to burn all the bras. Although, I would like to burn all the bras." - Jet Engine

Hatterene

I remember the day Miriam brought me here. I think about that day, and my time with my dear trainer, often. When one is sequestered in a small human structure, there is little else to do but think.

Neither I nor Miriam know who built this tiny house. We only knew that, by the time we stumbled across it, the original owner was long gone.

"It's not ideal," Miriam had said, "but no one will bother us."

The electricity still worked then, and the water still ran. Miriam joked that her biggest concern was if the toilet still worked.

While Miriam checked all the amenities, I - curious little Hatenna that I was - had wandered off to explore on my own. Or rather, I tried to. Miriam grabbed me and told me in a stern voice to stay where she could see me. I obeyed, knowing the consequences of doing otherwise.

We stayed there for some time. Miriam worked diligently on… Well, I was never entirely sure what her work entailed. I knew it was something very important, something that she said would benefit humankind. And that I was to assist by allowing her to test her work on me.

But not there. Not in our home. We would go to a lab near a place called Lavender Town for that. The lab was fairly new and run by Miriam's human friend, Vivian. She too had a partner pokemon, though I've never gotten a good look at it. I once caught a glimpse of large white paws and a black tail as it entered a room but nothing substantial.

The testing, I confess, was less than pleasant. It began as simple tests of endurance and strength. I was often pushed beyond my limit, but I didn't mind. Just the opposite. I liked seeing how far I could go and then working to go farther. I've always enjoyed a good battle, and I felt that I was growing a little stronger with each go around in the lab. Miriam was always so pleased when I wanted to keep at it.

"You've got a real spitfire, there," Vivian once commented as she and Miriam watched me eagerly jump up and down in my cage.

My skin had still itched painfully from the substance I had been injected with, but I knew I could handle more no matter what my body said. Anything for my precious trainer.

Miriam's amusement made the pain worth it. "Guess we know which of us has the stronger pokemon."

"I don't know," Vivian teased. "You've never seen my partner in battle."

"Yeah? Maybe we should test that theory sometime."

"Ha ha! Challenge accepted."

We never did get that battle. The very next day, Vivian's mysterious partner - Absol, I believe was its name - had run off after destroying its pokeball and wounding Vivian almost fatally. Or, so I hear. Miriam and I weren't there at the time, and rumors have a habit of exaggerating.

I find it hard to believe that any pokemon would want to do harm to its own trainer.

Time passes more quickly when I find ways to keep busy. I forge for food when I need it. I clean my home even when it does not need to be cleaned. (There was much cleaning to be done after Pikachu Quick Attacked me through the wall. I haven't quite figured out how to go about repairs yet.) When I am especially bored, I like to braid my hair in tiny braids; my small hands will allow for no other kind. This would take up much time when I was a Hattrem. I have yet to try it now that my hair has grown to such an incredible length. Perhaps an entire day would pass and I would have yet to finish.

My favorite pastime is making decorations to brighten up my home. Of course, "my home" is only temporary. Miriam will return one day. Still, I enjoy crafting little trinkets. I weave vines together. I paint stones with berry juice. It doesn't take long for nature to have its way with my art. Vines shrivel and die in a matter of days. Juice washes off in the rain. It saddens me, but it offers a chance to do it all again. One cannot dwell on negativity without driving themself mad.

"Oh, wow!"

The exclamation makes me turn around. I am on the front porch, having just hung up my latest creation: a dangling piece of several vines braided together with small yellow flowers weaved through it.

Two creatures stand a short distance away. No, three creatures. The third is a tiny thing and is riding on the white one's long, fluffy tail. The one who spoke is a human - their trainer, perhaps - but she is not Miriam.

The human, I'd estimate, is taller than Miriam, though still shorter than I am now that I've evolved fully. She has beige skin, large round glasses, and dark brown hair with soft curls that are pulled back in twin tails near the top of her head.

The pokemon with the fluffy tail has a small body with very small paws. She has white fur and a pink stripe that starts at her forehead and seems to end at the tip of her tail. It could be a trick of the light, but her pelt seems the slightest bit…shimmery? A shiny, perhaps? I am unfamiliar with the species, so I cannot say with certainty.

The smallest pokemon is a fuzzy yellow male with two blue eyes. Possibly four, as I believe the two tiny dots over his larger eyes just blinked. He has four narrow legs that cling effortlessly to the white one's tail.

"Sorry," the human says, slightly embarrassed. She presses her fists to her chest. "It's just that I've never seen a pokemon like you before. You're so pretty!"

The fluffy pokemon shakes her head. "You'll have to excuse Ella. She's very excitable."

"My name's Ella," the human says needlessly. She gestures to her companions. "This is Patches. And, the little guy on her tail is Joltik."

Patches nods in greeting. Joltik buries his face in her fur. A shy one, that.

"What's your-" Ella stops herself. "I guess you can't tell me your name. I wish I had a pokedex," she adds quietly.

"You can tell us at any rate," Patches says, referring to herself and Joltik.

I should make them leave. I have no use for anyone who is not Miriam nor someone associated with her. I made that mistake with Pikachu, and look how that turned out.

And yet, my time spent with Pikachu reminded me of how long it's been since I've had companionship. Despite what happened, it was nice to have someone to talk to.

If these three try anything nefarious, I will deal with them accordingly. For now…

"Hatterene," I say to the pokemon.

"It's nice to meet you, Hatterene," Patches says. She looks over her shoulder and wags her tail a smidge. "Come on, Joltik. Say hello."

Joltik pokes his head up. I can barely hear him when he speaks. "H-hi…"

Ella is ignoring our conversation, not that she would understand it anyway. "Did you make that?" she asks, pointing to my vine and flower decoration. I nod, and her eyes light up. "It's really nice! I like crafting too."

Oh? It appears that we have common ground.

"Do you live here with your trainer?" Ella asks.

A pang of longing hits me, but it is not the human's fault. I shake my head. There is no way for me to explain to her why my trainer is not here. I do hope that she escapes her attackers some day and returns.

(I hope the worst did not come to pass.)

My sorrow must show, because my visitors' moods take a turn.

"Oh no!" Ella says. "I'm sorry."

Patches steps forward. "May we come in? Would you like some company?"

(Yes.) I turn away and enter my makeshift home. Talking outside is one thing. But, the gaping hole in the kitchen wall is a permanent reminder of why I should not allow strangers to come inside. No matter how friendly they may seem.

Ella

I came to Saffron City because of rumors about a shiny alpha Raichu being spotted in the surrounding area. Now I have a new mission.

"What do you guys think?" I ask, holding up both options while my half-full shopping basket dangles awkwardly from my elbow. "Regular or neon?"

From her position on an empty spot on the shelf, Patches puts one paw under her chin and gives the two marker packs a thoughtful squint. Joltik, sitting beside her, points to both packs and lets out eager chirps.

I roll my eyes fondly. "Joltik, when I give you options, you can't pick both every time."

Joltik tilts his head, and Patches starts chittering to him, probably explaining what money is.

I look over the contents of my shopping basket. A pack of colored construction paper, kiddie scissors, a dual pack of glue, a bag of pipe cleaners, a five-pack of glitter glue, and soon a small box of markers. Some people might say that buying all this for a pokemon I just met and don't even know the name of is ridiculous, and they might be right.

Yet, the sight of that tiny house and its sole occupant remains at the forefront of my mind. I don't know how long that pokemon has been without its trainer, but it must have been quite a while, given the state of disrepair. Alternatively, the trainer could have been very old and no longer able to care for the building. Maybe they passed recently, and their partner stayed until the bitter end and is still in mourning. That thought is even sadder.

I can't bring back the pokemon's trainer, but I can bring the poor thing some comfort. I'd want someone to do that for me if I lost someone dear to me.

Luckily, there's a craft store here in Saffron City, and the pokemon presumably likes arts and crafts.

I decide on the regular colors and double check that the markers are non-toxic before putting them in my basket. "I hope that pokemon likes this stuff," I say to my partners, who make agreeing noises. "Did you guys catch her name?" They nod and I sigh, wishing they could tell me. "I'm glad some of us know what she is."

The most I could get was the pokemon's gender, and that was from a round of "raise one paw for male and two for female or, uh, wag your tail for genderless" with Patches. Too bad Ash wasn't there to let me borrow his pokedex. Or, to tell me instantly what the gender was; apparently, he has a sixth sense for that.

"Excuse me, miss," someone says.

I turn around and see a short, stocky elderly woman holding an empty shopping basket with both hands.

"I couldn't help overhearing," she says kindly. "You met a pokemon you aren't familiar with?"

"Yeah. See, I'm new to this region, and there are a lot of pokemon I've never seen before."

"Well, I've lived here since I was a girl. Describe this pokemon, and I'll see if I can identify it."

Hope blooms in my chest. I raise my hand a couple inches over my head. "It's really tall. And, it's blue and pink and white. Like, an ombre kind of thing. And, it looks like it's wearing a hat."

The woman frowns in thought. "By any chance, did you see this pokemon near an old shack in the woods?"

She spoke with an edge that makes me nervous. "Is something wrong?"

The woman cups her chin and lowers her gaze. "So, Hattrem evolved," she mutters.

"Hattrem?" I repeat. "That's what it's called? Er, was called?" Now that I have a name, I pull my phone out of my back pocket and do some quick research. "It's called Hatterene now."

I show the woman the picture on my phone, and she nods as if committing the image to memory. "That pokemon is well-known around these parts and not in a good way."

"Oh?" I say. Patches and Joltik climb on to either of my shoulders.

"It showed up with its trainer several years ago," the woman begins. "The trainer was nice enough but a bit of a recluse, you see. When she did come around, there was never a pokemon with her, though she always had a pokeball strapped to her belt. I asked about it one day when I saw her buying a bag of pokemon food. She said that her partner, a Hatenna at the time, was very sickly and that was why it was left behind."

"All by itself?"

The woman shrugs. "That was my thought, but who am I to tell someone how to care for their pokemon? Particularly one I know nothing about. It's not a species you find in the wild in Kanto. Anyway, one day the trainer didn't come around for the usual supply run, and no one ever saw her again."

Oh, wow. I want to ask how old the trainer was, but that might not mean anything. Living all alone in the woods, with only her Hatenna for company, anything could have happened and no one but her partner would have known.

"What about Hatenna?" I ask.

The woman sighs and shakes her head. "Once word got out that the trainer was gone but the pokemon remained, a few folks took it upon themselves to bring food to the shack for it. At first, it was wary but allowed this. However, the more time passed, the less willing Hatenna became. By the time it evolved into Hattrem, it had a reputation for being truly dangerous and violent. Now folks in these parts stay away from that area if they can help it."

I ponder this new information. The pokemon I saw didn't seem dangerous. She seemed… I don't know. Cautious, definitely. But, probably pretty lonely too. It sounds like her trainer has been gone for a long time. I've heard that there are rare occasions when a pokemon's personality will change when it evolves. Maybe that's why Hatterene didn't seem as dangerous as described; she simply isn't anymore.

"The youngins talk like Hatterene is some sort of monster," the woman goes on. "But, you know what I think?" She answers without prompting. "I think the poor dear has gone so long without companionship that it's forgotten what that's like."

As if my resolve wasn't strong enough before.

I ended up throwing some yarn and a jewelry making kit in my basket before checking out. Once I left the store, I called Ash on a whim because last time we met, he struck me as the kind of guy to go to for pokemon-related things. I told him I blew a chunk of my budget on a bunch of crafting supplies for a pokemon I knew nothing about and asked if I was crazy.

Ash took a moment to respond. "My brain says that you're crazy." I was embarrassed until he added cheerfully, "But, my heart is laughing 'cause that's totally something I would do! You want my advice? Listen to your heart. When it comes to pokemon, that's the best thing you can do. Except when you need to use your brain. Then that's the best thing you can do."

I…think I got the message.

Patches and Joltik trail behind me as I carry the oversized shopping bag back to the old shack. We stop a few feet from the entrance, and I call out, "Hatterene? Are you home? Hatterene?"

After a moment, the door opens, and Hatterene steps out and stands on the patio. She sports that same serious gaze as the first time we met, but now there's an air of curiosity. The old woman's story plays through my head, but I won't be dissuaded.

This pokemon isn't threatening us, so there's no reason for my heart rate to pick up or my knees to shake.

"Um," I start stupidly. I hold up my shopping bag. "We brought you some presents. You seem to like crafting, so-so we picked out some stuff for you."

Patches chitters, and Joltik cowers behind my sneaker but adds to the conversation.

When Hatterene doesn't react, I swallow hard and ask, "Do you wanna see what we brought?"

I yelp and almost fall on my face when the bag is yanked out of my hands. Seeing the bag floating toward Hatterene tells me that she's a psychic-type. Strangely, there's no obvious glow like there normally is when a pokemon uses Confusion or Psychic. But then, I don't know much about that particular typing. Electric-types have always been my specialty, and it occurs to me that I might be out of my depth.

Hatterene lets the bag hover open in front of her as she digs into it. She pulls out one of the packages and examines it closely.

"Those are called pipe cleaners," I explain. "You can bend them in any shape you want. Then you can unbend them and do it all over again."

Hatterene makes an interested noise, sets the pipe cleaners back in the bag, and pulls out something else.

"Those are markers. If you take off the caps, you can use them to make things colorful. But, they don't last forever, and you have to keep the caps on when you're not using them or they'll last even less time."

We go on like this until Hatterene knows what each object is and how to use it. Occasionally, Patches and Joltik will throw in their two cents. Each time, my nerves seep out of me a little until my worry is completely gone. Even Joltik has come out from behind me to stand next to Patches.

"Do you like your presents, Hatterene?" I ask.

Hatterene ignores me. The bag is still floating, and Hatterene is trying to rip open the packaging around the kiddie scissors. Surprisingly, she's using her hands instead of her powers.

"Do you need help?" I ask, starting to jog over to her. "Let me-"

Hatterene's head swerves my way, and one of the stones around her house lifts off the ground and nails me in the chest. I crash into the grass before I know what's happening. But, the warning is plain as day.

Joltik scurries to my side to check on me. I raise my head and watch in a mounting horror as Patches jumps in front of me and crouches down, facing Hatterene. My Pachirisu unleashes an angry hiss, and sparks coat her cheeks and tail.

"Patches, don't!" I command, and her head whips over her shoulder. "Don't hurt her!"

With another hiss, Patches dissipates her electricity but remains on all-fours in front of me. I usually appreciate how protective she is, but now's not the time.

Unless it is. Maybe this is one of those times when I'm supposed to use my brain. Right now my brain is screaming, Get out while you can!

But, my heart wants to give Hatterene the benefit of the doubt.

I climb to my feet and ignore the incoming bruise on my chest. "Sorry," I say to Hatterene, who is totally unphased. "I didn't mean to scare you." I hold out my hand. "If you wanna give me those scissors, I can get them out for you."

Hatterene wordlessly levitates the scissors into my hand. I rip off the packaging, and she floats them back. We repeat this process with everything I brought until there is a pile of plastic and cardboard sitting beside me.

"That should be everything," I say, my nerves calm once more. I get down on my knees and take off my pink backpack. "Don't wanna leave this sitting out."

I move to start stuffing the packaging into my backpack, but Joltik raises a hand to stop me and motions for me to back up. Curious, I do as I'm told. Patches then steps forward and I jerk back and lift an arm in front of my face while she unleashes a mighty Discharge on to the pile. My lips curl in an amused grin when the pile turns to ash.

"That works too," I tease. Patches proudly raises her chin, and Joltik happily stomps his tiny front feet.

"Hatter." We look up and see Hatterene shaking the giant bag with the long tentacle on her head and with a real smile on her face. "Hatter-een."

The sight makes me shoot to my feet with glee. "I'm so glad you're happy!" I put my backpack back on. "You have lots of fun with those! Just try not to use them up all at once, okay?"

Joltik makes agreeing noises, but I think Patches is still wary.

"Well," I say to my partners, "I guess we'll head out then." To Hatterene, "Take care of yourself, Hatterene. Bye bye!"

Joltik's goodbye sounds sincere, but Patches's has a tone of "good riddance." Can't win them all.

Hatterene calls out suddenly. My partners and I turn around and see Hatterene looking as startled as we are.

"What is it, Hatterene?" I ask.

Hatterene stands still for a moment then seems to come to some decision. She shakes the bag and waves her hands between it and my group.

Patches makes an apprehensive sound. I ignore her.

"Do you want us to come in?" I ask.

Hatterene hesitates but nods. A lightness spreads through my chest.

Hatterene

The last time I allowed a stranger into my home, he brought, or at least led, two villains here. Why am I doing it again? Especially when Patches clearly wants to be elsewhere? I'll have to keep an extra sharp eye on her.

I walk into the living room and hold the door open for the others. Ella walks in first with Joltik and Patches close behind her. The three gaze around with interest, though their eyes all land on the huge hole in the wall that used to separate this room from the kitchen.

"What happened there?" Ella asks.

I have no way to give her a proper answer, so I swing out the tentacle on my head and hope she gets what I'm trying to say.

Ella takes another look at the opening. "Some kind of demolition?"

…She isn't wrong.

Jolitk looks up at me. "You live here by yourself?"

I nod.

Patches isn't so quick to trust. She must be the brain of the trio. "Why did you invite us in?"

Joltik flinches and offers me an apologetic look. I am unoffended. Truth be told, I'm still puzzling out the reason myself.

"Well, hole in the wall aside, this seems like a nice place," Ella says, twirling around to face us. There's a slight strain in her voice that tells me she's lying.

Miriam was the one who took care of this house. I helped where I could, but I don't know anything about human activities such as "carpentry" or "plumbing" or whatever kept the place from falling apart. Since Miriam left, I've been doing what I can, but I know it isn't enough. I hope she comes back soon. (I push away the little voice that tells me she won't.)

I'm not quite sure what to do now, but I spot the bag that is still floating beside me. An idea forms, and I dump the contents on the floor and let the bag flutter to the ground. My eyes are trained on Ella as I gesture to the pile.

It clicks, and Ella claps her hands together. "Oh! You want us to show you how to use this stuff. Okay!"

She sits cross-legged on the floor. I'm not ready to let my guard down, so I lower my body to her level and keep my hair in place. My, uh, companions stare in a shocked awe at this before focusing on our current task.

Ella begins by showing me how to use the scissors, which she claimed were the smallest pair she could find. She pulls two of her fingers through the larger hole and her thumb through the smaller one. She pulls the two holes apart and explains how this makes the two small blades cut paper. When I try to hold the scissors, I realize that they are too big for my hands and too small for the claw at the end of my tentacle. Luckily, we all figure out that holding the paper in place with my claw and working the scissors with both hands is doable. Cutting more intricate shapes would be difficult, but at least the scissors won't go to waste.

We continue like this for some time. Ella will pick up one of the odd human crafting materials and show me how it works. She uses a small section of white construction paper to show off the markers and glitter glue. I admit that I'm particularly excited about the glitter glue. Ella has to stop me from squeezing out an entire pink tube of the stuff.

It gets more hectic from there. Ella cuts her finger on the paper and rummages through her backpack for a bandage. Meanwhile, Joltik accidentally steps in some wet regular glue and gets his foot stuck to the plastic bag. He runs around in a blind panic until he trips over the bag. Given how much larger the bag is than Joltik, this doesn't take long. Before I know it, I'm watching Ella and Patches wrestle his flailing self out of the bag that's wound around him. Since the glue hasn't completely dried yet, they manage to get the bag off without incident. Joltik nuzzles Ella's chest in embarrassment while his trainer holds her hands over him and coos reassurances. Patches says nothing when she hops on to Ella's shoulder, but her presence alone seems to be a comfort.

The entire scene is chaotic and weird.

And…nice.

A strange feeling comes over me. One I can't place a name to. One that is familiar but also not.

All eyes land on me, and all mouths drop open. "Whoa!" Ella shouts. "You mean that's all hair?"

I see a pool of blue and white and pink spread around. With a jolt, I realize that someway, somehow, I relaxed enough that all my hair, including that which formed my tentacle, had gone slack. My tiny thin body is on the floor and vulnerable. I am vulnerable. In front of creatures I've known for no time at all.

Why don't I mind? Why do I feel so…okay about this? It's similar to how I felt around Pikachu, but…not? I will not lie; I did enjoy my brief time with Pikachu before what happened. That hurt more than I care to say.

Why is it so easy to risk it happening again?

"That's so cool!" Ella exclaims. "Can I braid it? Please? It's so pretty!"

She likes braiding hair as well?

I nod, and she throws herself to the ground. Her pokemon hop off of her and approach me as their trainer crawls behind me and gets to work.

"So," Patches begins, speaking to me but watching her trainer, "you can control your hair?"

"Yes," I confirm.

Patches's wariness has been overshadowed by curiosity. "How does that work?"

"I suppose it works the same way as moving a limb," I reply.

Joltik chimes in. He does not seem so small now (that I am prone on the floor why am I doing this?). "Does that mean your hair is a limb? Or, um, a bunch of limbs?"

I ponder this then, "I do not know."

What follows is…comfortable. Ella works in silence while we pokemon talk. Joltik asks to touch my hair, which I allow so long as he does not mess up Ella's braid. He carefully runs his foot through my colorful locks, and Patches cannot resist doing the same.

Patches giggles suddenly. Joltik asks what's so funny, and Patches replies. "I just had a flashback of when Ella was a kid and tried to cut her own hair."

Cut her hair? "Why would she do that?" I ask, incredulous.

"Humans do that sometimes, get their hair cut," Patches says, "They usually have someone do it for them, but Ella did it herself one day."

"How did it look?" Joltik asks.

There's a slight wag in Patches's tail and a nostalgic grin on her face. "It was a lot shorter. A lot shorter. Certain parts were longer than others, and one spot was completely bald. I thought it looked cool, but Ella was really upset about it. So were her parents." Patches shrugs. "I don't know. Humans are weird."

They are, indeed. I can think of a number of strange things that Miriam has done. Wearing clothes everywhere she went. Muttering about bills and taxes, whatever those are. Though most of Miriam's inherent strangeness came from our research. Long nights of her hunched over collected samples and scribbling down notes. Bringing me to the lab and subjecting me to painful tests that would lead up to some unknown thing that would benefit human society.

One in particular will always stand out to me.

I whimpered in agony as Miriam set me on the couch. My short term memory was hazy, but I recalled the sensation of claws under my skin, cutting me beneath the surface. I recalled how desperate I was to get them out. That must have been why I was sore all over and bleeding from wounds I didn't remember getting. My blood was creating dark stains on the couch. Miriam once spilled coffee on the cushion and when the stain wouldn't come out, she flipped over the cushion, claiming, "Out of sight, out of mind." I wondered if she'd do that with my blood stains; this was a different cushion, so it wouldn't be out of the question.

"That was a rough one, huh?" Miriam said. She knelt down to my level. Her pale hands and arms were still coated with my blood. She had them laying on the cushion, creating more stains. "You spent so long unaffected that I didn't think anything would happen."

She was smiling and sounded almost…satisfied. I dismissed it as the pain warping my mind. Miriam and I loved each other dearly. She couldn't possibly have enjoyed seeing me like that.

Miriam rose to her feet. "Give me a few minutes to clean up. Then I'll take care of you."

I smiled through the pain. My wounds were still throbbing and seeping, but I could wait. I would show Miriam how strong the experiments have made me. Perhaps I would evolve soon.

After a few minutes of listening to the running water in the bathroom, I hear Miriam's hurried footsteps. Then she gasps. "Hatenna! They're coming!"

Who's coming? I wondered. No one good, based on Miriam's panic. Miriam never panicked, so I was instantly on edge.

She ran up to me and loudly whispered, "Those people I told you about. They're coming! I can see them outside!"

It took a moment to remember, and when I did, my heart stopped. Very recently, Miriam confided in me about a group of terrible humans who ran her out of her hometown. They thought she was evil, trying to hurt people because of her work. They didn't understand her genius, that she had humankind's best interests at heart, even if her experiments could be painful. Miriam was lucky to find Vivian and other like-minded people here in the Kanto region.

Now those horrible people found her. What would happen next?

"I can't stay here," Miriam said. "I have to leave."

She bolted from the room, ignorant of my cries. She must have truly been terrified if she forgot about my injuries. I heard shuffling coming from the bedroom; Miriam was packing up as quickly as she could.

I needed to help her. My body screamed as I heaved myself upright and moved feet that had never felt so heavy before. My attempt to jump off the couch resulted in me tumbling to the floor and rolling on to my back. I couldn't help a shout of pain, but I persevered, using the bulky flaps on the sides of my head to balance myself as I rose.

Miriam reappeared right when I was about to drag myself to her. Her huge backpack was on her shoulders, and there was a rolling suitcase in her hand. Either moving took longer than I thought, or I underestimated Miriam's speed.

Miriam made no comment about me bleeding on the floor instead of the couch. "You know how to patch yourself up, right? You'll be fine."

What?

"I'm leaving," Miriam continued, "but I can't take you with me."

WHAT?

I stumbled closer, silently begging for an explanation. Miriam gave me one that tore my heart in two. "I'm not letting you get mixed up in this. I'm going to have to lay low for a while, probably for a really long time. But, I'll be back as soon as I can. Until then, I want you to stay here. Think you can do that, Hatenna?"

I fought back the tears in my eyes. I had to be strong for my trainer. "Of course, Miriam! I'll wait for you forever!" I added. She couldn't understand me, but it felt important to say the words out loud.

"Remember," Miriam emphasized. "Do not leave the area."

Apparently, that was her way of saying goodbye. I was so upset that I forgot I was hurt until I saw the blood on the hardwood floor and on the couch cushion. I knew where the medical supplies were kept, but even if I was in better condition, I would never be able to reach them on my own. The lesser things like medicine - which I knew better than to touch - and ointments and Band-Aids were behind the mirror above the bathroom sink. The more serious supplies were on a shelf in the closet in the hallway. I wasn't tall enough for either option.

But, I was a psychic-type.

I concentrated real hard on my Confusion attack, picturing the closet and what I needed, focusing all my power until I heard the door open. I didn't let myself get excited. I focused even harder to pull out the sprays and bandages I knew I would need.

A new resolve hit me as I worked on tending my wounds. If I couldn't help Miriam escape from those rotten people, I would make sure she had something to come back to. I would look after myself. I would do whatever I could to keep this house nice. I would grow stronger and stronger. When Miriam returned, her fears would melt away when she saw how happy I was to see her, how nice our home was, how much stronger I had become. Perhaps I would work on evolving. She would love that!

My head was pounding and there was a strange tickle crawling over me, but I still used my power to flip over the soiled couch cushion. Out of sight, out of mind, I thought as the tickle grew worse and those invisible claws raked inside of me once more.

A high but masculine voice breaks into my mind. "Hatterene?" Joltik's voice. He and Patches are looking at me with concern. "We kind of lost you there. Are you okay?"

Right. That was then. This is now. I am not Hatenna anymore.

Patches scratches her pointed pink ear with a sheepish grin. "Sorry. I guess that story was kind of boring, was it?"

I feel an odd prick of guilt over tuning out the entire story.

An exclamation of "Phew! That was a work-out!" comes from behind me.

Ah, yes. Ella.

"Your hair is so thick," Ella comments. "Way thicker than any hair I've ever seen. My arms are kind of tired now!" she adds with a giggle.

Joltik and Patches run back there to see my new braid. I start to turn to look, but Ella tells me to hold still. There's a faint click, and Ella rushes to me and practically collapses down to my level. Suddenly, she shoves her phone in my face.

"Check it out!" she chimes. "What do you think?"

That click must have been her taking a picture. The screen shows my long, long hair in a massive colorful braid on the floor. Patches is admiring it on one side. Joltik has his head buried in it on the other. I feel something crawling around in there; it must be him.

"Joltik," Patches scolds, "get out of there!"

"I do not mind," I say and realize that it's true. The sensation is odd but harmless.

I turn back to Ella and see that only one of her hair tails is still up. Half of her dark brown curls are hanging off her head and pooling on the floor. She sees me looking, and her smile becomes embarrassed. "I used one of my hair ties to hold your braid in place. Guess I better fix my own hair, huh?"

She starts to reach for her other hair tie, and I hold my hand up to stop her. I will the other tie to pull itself off of my hair and hover in front of Ella. She takes it with a confused look, so I demonstrate my lack of need for such a thing. I use the braid to pull myself upward. Joltik leaps out with a panicked shriek and scurries behind Patches, who has moved in front of me to watch. Once I have risen to the full height of my hair, I nestle myself between the strands until only my face is visible.

Ella shoots to her feet. "Oh, I see. You can control your hair." She ties her own hair back into those twin tails. "That's so cool! You're such a cool pokemon, Hatterene!"

A light blush creeps over my cheeks. When did I start smiling?

Patches nods in approval. "That's a good look for you."

Joltik peeks out from behind her and nods as well.

Ella gasps suddenly and claps her hands together. "You know what would really make this new look pop? Some super cute accessories!" Her voice is higher now. "Let's crack open that jewelry kit and get to work!" She punctuates this by throwing her fist in the air and kicking one leg up.

Patches turns to me with a fond but tired smile. "What have you done?" she jests.

Ella snatches the kit off the floor and moves it to the empty spot where the coffee table was before I accidentally destroyed it. She sits cross-legged on the floor and opens the kit with a manic grin.

"She's very excitable," Joltik comments.

"You'll get used to it," Patches says.

Joltik must be fairly new to their team. This surprises me, as the females treat him as if they have known each other all of their lives.

The two join their trainer, who beckons me with an exaggerated wave of her arm. "I haven't done this in years," she says when I sit down. My braid is still in place, lying on the floor behind me. "But, I'm sure it's like riding a bike."

I have no idea what a bike is. The look Joltik sends me says that he doesn't know either.

Ella explains while she demonstrates what to do. Apparently, all you need to do to make some neck decoration called a "necklace" is slide some beads on to a very thin string of plastic. Then you tie the ends together. Sounds simple enough.

I examine the contents of the white box. There are individual spaces that Ella has already poured the bagged beads into. The beads come in eight different colors and offer so many possibilities.

I look from the beads to the plastic string I cut for myself to the beads again. The beads are incredibly small to a human like Ella, but for one such as me, they are a fair size. I do not want the necklace to be too heavy.

"There's no wrong way to do it," Ella assures when she sees my paralysis. "Just pick whatever feels right."

That is not as helpful as she thinks. I look to the other pokemon for inspiration. Since Joltik doesn't have fingers, the two have worked out a system where Joltik grabs a bead with his mandibles and Patches puts it on a long string. The colors and shapes on theirs are seemingly random. I check with Ella, but hers is the same way. I am surprised, however, to see that her string is about the length of mine. How will it fit around her neck? Patches and Joltik have a string that would fit Ella much better.

"Ella," I say.

She looks up from her work. I stretch my string to its full length, point to hers, then touch my neck.

It takes a moment, but she catches my meaning. "I don't wanna use up the whole kit, so I'm making a bracelet."

That tells me nothing.

Patches sees my and Joltik's confusion. "A bracelet is like a necklace," she explains, "but it goes around your wrist."

Ah.

Joltik gives Patches a green bead. "Humans are so strange. I've only been with Ella for a couple of days, and I already feel like my head is spinning!"

"It's a lot, I know," Patches says. "Humans have so many things and customs that we don't. It can be overwhelming at first." She slides the bead on to the string, which is halfway full. "I remember the first time I went into Ella's house. It was huge, and there was so much stuff I'd never seen before."

"When I first came here with Miriam, my trainer," I say, "all I wanted to do was explore."

"Right?" Patches squeaks. "At the time, I wanted to look around, but I was so afraid to touch anything!" Her grin softens when her eyes land on Ella, who is focused on her bracelet. "Ella was just learning to crawl back then." At my and Joltik's new bout of confusion, Patches says, "Humans can't walk right away when they're born. It takes a long time for them to figure it out, and they start by crawling. Boy, Ella sure did love to crawl! I just followed her around because that seemed like the safest option. Before I knew it, she was following me around! Then one day, I was sitting on the couch, where Ella couldn't reach me by crawling. She actually took her first steps just to get to me! I couldn't believe it!" When we say nothing, Patches ducks her head and throws her tail over her face. "Sorry. I guess I got carried away."

"I thought your story was sweet," Joltik coos.

I agree. "You and Ella are very close."

An embarrassed smile peeks out from behind Patches's tail. "You could say we're more like sisters than pokemon and trainer."

Joltik gazes at Ella. "I wonder if I'll be that close with her some day."

Patches moves her tail the rest of the way. "Are you kidding? Ella already loves you!"

Something burns within me.

"All done!" Ella claims. She holds out her wrist to show off the multi-colored loop around it. "What do you think? I cut the string too small, but it stretches so I made it work."

"It's so pretty!" Patches exclaims at the same time Joltik says, "I love the colors!"

I simply smile in agreement. Truthfully, I cannot recall the last time I was this relaxed.

Ella frowns when she sees my empty string. "Hatterene, you haven't started yet."

I hold the string closer to me in shame. I have failed my task. When this happened with Miriam, she would hit me or leave me without food for the night. I am not Ella's pokemon, so I wonder how-

"Here. I'll help you get started."

Oh?

Ella gestures toward the open kit. "Which color do you like best?"

Have I not failed? I suppose no one said anything about a time limit, but I thought we had to do this ourselves. Joltik is physically incapable of completing this task on his own, so it makes sense for him to have help. Why me?

Ella is waiting, so I point to the color closest to me. "Purple? Okay." She grabs one of the beads between her fingers and holds it in front of me. "I think that'll be a great color on you."

I take the bead and slide it on to my string. I pinch both ends together so the bead doesn't fall off.

"Maybe you could use all purple," Patches suggests. "Or, make a pattern."

Joltik hands over an orange bead to Patches. "Or, you could do what I'm doing and grab whatever!" he chitters happily.

Patches adds the bead then holds up the two ends of their creation. "I think that's enough. We don't want to fill it up too much. What do you think, Joltik?"

Joltik hums as he scans the randomized color pattern. "I don't know anything about this, so I'm just gonna follow your lead."

"Then, I guess we're done," Patches announces. With deft paws, she ties the two ends into a little knot. "Perfect."

"It looks great!" Joltik chitters, merrily stomping his front feet on the floor.

He holds one end of the necklace, and Patches holds the other as the duo walks up to their trainer. They call Ella's attention and raise their creation proudly over their heads.

"Nice job, you two!" Ella praises. The duo move closer and raise the necklace higher. Ella's face slackens in surprise, and she points to her chest. "Is that for me?" Patches and Joltik nod proudly, and Ella happily accepts her gift. "I was wondering why you guys took such a long piece. You're so sweet!" She slips the necklace over her head then raises the wrist with the bracelet. "Now I have a matching set!"

There's that burning again. Am I… Am I jealous? The very thought is absurd and yet…

I shake it off and focus on my task, as I am the only one who has yet to complete it. Based on Ella's "matching set," my necklace should have more than one bead.

Yet, looking at that singular purple bead, I wonder if it needs more. I rather like the simplicity. A rainbow of color suits someone as bubbly and energetic as Ella, but this creation is meant to be for me, right? Ella did say that there was no wrong way to do it and that I should do what feels right.

I decide that one bead is enough and tie the ends together before kicking up my feet and pulling the necklace over my slim body. The bead is a comfortable weight on my chest.

"That works," Patches squeaks.

But, it is Ella to whom I turn. "I guess you are pretty small," she says humoredly. "More than one would be too much."

Her response is a relief. I completed the task and did a good job with it as well.

"I still don't get it," Joltik adds. "But, this is fun!"

It is fun, isn't it? What shall we do next? We could draw on the paper or fold the pipe cleaners into different shapes or-

Joltik's eyes lock on the broken window. "Oh! The sun's going down."

I and Patches look, and Ella follows our gazes. Sure enough, the sky is turning a pinkish-orange, and the lighting in here is dimming.

Ella makes a surprised noise. "I guess we've been here a while. We better head out before it gets dark."

Her words are a punch to the stomach that I hadn't expected. I don't want them to go. I want them to stay here. Bad things happened when I let Pikachu spend the night, but surely one incident cannot define them all!

Ella stands up. I rise up on my braided hair. Patches and Joltik climb up their trainer and hang on to either of her shoulders.

"We had a lot of fun, Hatterene," Ella says. "I hope you did too."

Even if she could understand me, I would not trust myself to speak. I merely nod and touch the bead on my chest. A symbol of our time together.

Why is saying goodbye so hard? Miriam is the only human I have ever cared about.

Until now, a traitorous thought says.

"Hatterene," Patches says. "I'm sorry I was cross with you. I just don't like seeing Ella get hurt."

"I understand," I assure.

Joltik waves his little leg. "Bye bye, Hatterene!"

This is it, then. They are all leaving. What is this ache in my chest?

Ella has a pained look as she wraps me - well, my hair - in a hug. "Take care of yourself, Hatterene."

I cannot make them stay. I know this. They have no reason to stay with me.

I could go with them.

Where did that come from? I cannot think such a thing! Miriam could be back any day!

(She's been gone for too long.)

Ella pulls away, and the sad smile on her face has me battling a wave of grief. "Um…goodbye, then."

Goodbye. I hate that word.

(Miriam never said it.)

I watch Ella walk around me and toward the door. My necklace is clenched tightly in my fists.

Ella stops with her hand on the doorknob. Suddenly she turns halfway around and her words are rushed, nervous. "We could come back tomorrow!" She doesn't notice the curious looks from her pokemon. "We're staying at the Pokemon Center in Saffron City. That's not far from here. Maybe we could come back in the morning? Would that be okay?"

I should say no. I should ignore the lightness in my chest at the thought of another visit.

"Yes," I say with the biggest grin I can muster.

Ella practically melts with relief. "Great!" she chirps. "We'll see you in the morning."

Her pokemon are still watching her as she carries them out the door.

The gravity of what I've just done hits me the moment the door closes. Three creatures I've known for less than a day. One a human on top of it.

A human who is not Miriam.

(I had more fun with Ella than I ever did with Miriam.)

No, this is fine. There is no harm in making friends. It is only proof that I am doing well on my own. Miriam will be pleased when she returns.

(She would have returned by now.)

Miriam will be back.

(She won't.)

She will!

(She won't.)

I bury my face in my hair and scream.

Ella

I've been quiet since we left Hatterene's house, and Patches and Joltik are worried. I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling. We all had a great time with Hatterene, so I should be in high spirits. Yet as I change into my nightgown in our room at the Pokemon Center, all I can think of is the fact that Hatterene is alone in that house once more.

I didn't want to leave Hatterene, and I could see that she didn't want to be left. Maybe that's why I promised to visit in the morning.

I remove the bracelet I made and the necklace Joltik and Patches made and just hold them for a moment. Then I sigh and set them on the nightstand.

"Johl?" Joltik says. He and Patches are standing on the bed and looking up at me in question.

They've worried enough; I should give them some answers. "Sorry, guys," I say. I plop down beside them. "I can't stop thinking about Hatterene. She's been alone for so long. Did she say what happened to her trainer?" My partners shake their heads. "I want to do more for her, but I don't know what. And…" I hesitate, trying to find the words. "I…I have this feeling. I've had it since we left Hatterene. It's like…like I left something important behind."

Patches and Joltik exchanged concerned looks. I don't think they could provide answers even if they could speak.

I check the clock on the nightstand. It's 10:03. I wonder if Ash is still up. My backpack is resting by the bed, so I reach in to grab my phone and take a chance. I hope he's both awake and doesn't mind that I keep bugging him about this.

He picks up after a few rings. "Hey, Ella."

"Hi, Ash," I greet. "I hope I didn't wake you."

To my relief, he replies with, "Nah. What's up?"

Now that I'm talking about it, my nerves are simmering. "Um, remember that pokemon I told you about?"

"Oh, yeah. How'd that go?"

"It was great! We had a rocky start." I can't help a grin at my word choice. "But, then we had so much fun! Hatterene is a little intimidating, but she's really sweet."

"Hatterene, huh? I've never heard of that pokemon."

"Me neither until today."

"Hang on. I got my pokedex here. You mind?"

I realize that I didn't bother to do any research, so I say, "Not at all. I wanna hear what it has to say."

"Okay. I'm gonna hold it up to the phone."

There's a pause before a digitized voice fills the speaker. 'Hatterene: the silent pokemon. A psychic- and fairy-type. Hatterene is extremely territorial and uses its psychic powers and the claws on the end of its tentacle to viciously attack intruders. This behavior has earned it the nickname, 'the forest witch.''

That explains why she threw a rock at me when I got too close. But, she seemed so docile once she let us all inside.

"I'm guessing you didn't call just to ask about Hatterene," Ash says.

"I did, but I didn't," I say. I tell him about that weird…empty-but-not-quite feeling I've had since I left Hatterene's house. "Does that make any sense?"

Ash is silent for a moment. "Believe it or not, it does. There are times when you'll come across a pokemon who - I don't know - feels right. Like, you just know that you're meant to be friends."

Meant to be friends… "What are you saying? That I should…catch Hatterene?"

"Not necessarily. But, speaking from experience, if you feel like that, Hatterene does too. The connection between humans and pokemon… It's really something, you know?"

I look down at my partners, who are watching with interest and may or may not be able to hear Ash on the other end. "Alright. Thanks, Ash. Sorry I keep bothering you about this."

"No way! I'm happy to help! Ah!"

The exclamation startles me. "What's wrong?"

Ash sounds like he's holding back laughter. "I think Gardevoir's ready for bed. He just whacked me with my own pillow! I better go before he hits me with something harder."

The mental image sets a grin on my face. "You would definitely sleep then!"

"Ha ha! Good night, Ella. And, good luck with Hatterene."

"Thanks. Good night."

We hang up, and I toss my phone back in my backpack. Then I take off my glasses and place them beside my bracelet and necklace on the nightstand. I get under the covers, but I don't fall asleep. My mind is full of Ash's wise words and Hatterene's content smile.

I hear little sounds and lift my head to better see the blurry white and pink shape and equally blurry yellow shape at the foot of the bed. After the initial incident, Patches and Joltik were getting along well with Hatterene. I think that's a good sign.

"When we see Hatterene tomorrow," I tell them, "I'm gonna ask if I can catch her."

Hatterene

I barely slept. That is nothing new for me, but this time it was not the usual assortment of muddled thoughts keeping me awake. I am eager to see Ella again. And Patches and Joltik, but mostly Ella. There is…a quality to the hyper but gentle human. I cannot place what it is, but I find it…alluring, for lack of a better word.

I did manage to fall asleep, curled in my hair as always, but I instinctively returned my hair to its signature human-like shape and long claw-tipped tentacle upon rising. I only just now notice, and there is no time to return my hair to the braid that Ella made for me. There is a human approaching in the distance. Part of me is worried that Ella will be angry with me for destroying her hard work, but I sense that she will not mind.

I am still wearing the purple bead around my neck and touch it as Ella gets closer.

Wait, that's not Ella. It's…

It…it cannot be…

Pale beige skin. Light blond hair currently in a high tail. Stick-thin figure. Yes. Yes! She is as I remember! The closer she gets, the better I can picture those icy blue eyes and the dimple that only appears when she smiles in exactly the right way.

It's been so long. I knew she would return one day!

"Miriam!"

Tears of joy spill down my cheeks as I sprint toward my beloved trainer-

Miriam whips off the gun at her belt and aims it at me. I stop in cold horror. Miriam stands with one foot back. Both slender hands are holding the gun. Her eyes are daring me to come closer.

I don't understand! It has been some time, yes, but surely she recognizes me-

I swallow a laugh at my own stupidity. Of course she doesn't recognize me! I was a Hatenna when she left!

"Miriam!" I nearly shout, pressing my hands to my chest. I know she can't understand me, but I have to try! "Miriam, it's me!"

Miriam is still for a long time before her intense expression begins to slacken. "A Hatterene… That's…" She lowers her gun; she recognizes me! "You can't possibly be that Hatenna."

"Yes! Yes!" I am vibrating with joy, smacking my hands to my chest. "Yes, it's me! It's me, Miriam!"

Miriam looks me up and down. A disbelieving smile forms on her face. "I'll be damned." She puts the gun back in its holster. "Hold still. Let me get a look at you."

I do as I'm told. Miriam slowly circles me, taking in my new form. I find myself longing for the form I was in when she left, as Hatenna are capable of sensing the emotions of others. I could not control it, so it could be quite the hindrance at times, but that ability would give me a better idea of what Miriam is thinking. My trainer has an exceptional "poker face," as her kind call it.

Miriam goes around me a few times. Her hand is on her chin, and she is…not pleased exactly. Intrigued, most certainly. Pensive, perhaps. As though I am one of her experiments, and she cannot figure out how to proceed.

My stomach churns. My mouth dries. Was it a mistake to let myself evolve? Did she only want me as Hatenna? Arceus, I hope not! Evolution is permanent. How could she accept a Hatterene if she only desires Hatenna?

"Unexpected," Miriam mutters, coming to a stop in front of me and putting her hands on her hips. Her brow is low, but her lips pull upward. "But, I can work with this."

I nearly collapse in relief.

I hear footsteps and a familiar human voice calling my name. That lightness I felt yesterday reappears when I turn around and see Ella running up to me with Patches on her shoulder and Joltik on her head and her necklace and bracelet still on her neck and wrist respectively.

Ella pauses in her stride when she sees Miriam then walks the rest of the way. She approaches with a warm smile. "Hello," Ella greets Miriam. "Are you a friend of Hatterene's?"

"You could call me that," Miriam replies. She holds out a hand for Ella to shake, and Ella does so. "I'm Miriam, Hatterene's trainer."

Ella jerks her hand back. "Trainer? But-but, I was told that Hatterene's trainer disappeared years ago."

Miriam hesitates then laughs off Ella's comment. "Oh, rumors are so silly! I've only been gone about a week."

A week? It has been far longer than that!

"A week?" Ella repeats slowly. She is not a fool.

Nor are her pokemon. The two creatures exchange suspicious looks while their trainer is oblivious.

"I was," Miriam says with mild hesitation, "visiting my mother. She's allergic to psychic-types, you see, so I couldn't bring Hatterene with me."

That is not true either.

"Uh-huh," Ella says. "So, you left Hatterene in a rundown old building?"

Miriam pauses before answering again. "Oh, heavens, no. Hatterene likes to come out here to play with its little pokemon friends."

Why is Miriam lying?

Ella considers this with a thoughtful frown. Patches hisses at Miriam, and Ella places a calming hand on her pokemon's cheek. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Though a little disappointing if I'm being honest." Ella turns her gaze to me as if gauging my reaction. "Truth is, I was going to ask Hatterene if I could catch her."

A small gasp escapes me, and both hands fly to the bead around my neck. A life with Ella sounds wonderful. I barely know her, but I find myself wanting to know her as well as Patches, wanting to learn about her alongside Joltik.

"Sorry to disappoint you," Miriam says, "but that's not going to happen."

I feel guilty for how sad that makes me. Miriam is my trainer. It wouldn't be right to seek another.

"Too bad…" Ella sounds more leery than disappointed. She shakes it off and smiles in a way that doesn't meet her eyes. "Where are my manners? My name's Ella. This is Patches." Patches does nothing but glare at Miriam. "And, that's Joltik on my head." Ever the shy one, Joltik lets out a little "Eep!" and buries his face in one of Ella's hair tails.

"A pleasure," Miriam says. "But, I'm afraid we must be going. We have business in Saffron City, and we need to get back to it."

Ella perks up at that. She claps her hands together. "What a coincidence! We're actually heading that way as well. Maybe we could all go together."

"Yeah, totally!" Patches agrees, matching Ella's not-quite enthusiasm. Joltik is still hiding his face.

I love that idea! It would mean spending more time with Ella and the others!

Miriam's smile is even more strained, but she says cheerfully. "Sounds like fun. Just give me a few minutes." She hikes up her dark green backpack for emphasis. "I left some supplies here for safe keeping. I'd like to retrieve them before heading out."

That much is true. Miriam left a lot of human things behind in her haste to escape the bad people.

Ella bites her lip but agrees to this. As Miriam and I enter our home, Ella adds, "Um, I gave Hatterene some crafting supplies. Don't forget to grab those."

As if could ever-

"We can come back for it," Miriam says quickly, not stopping to so much as spare Ella a glance. I wonder if she even heard the younger human.

Something makes me hesitate. I look over at my new friends, who gaze at me with equal levels of trepidation.

Ella leans in and whispers, "Miriam's lying, isn't she?"

I check that Miriam is not looking before nodding.

"I don't know what's going on, but you don't have to do what she says."

"Ella's right," Patches squeaks quietly. "I'm getting a bad vibe from Miriam. Maybe you should just come with us." Joltik makes an agreeing sound.

Miriam calls to me. I ignore the traitorous part of me that says to flee with Ella and her pokemon. I enter my home and reluctantly close the door.

"Sounds like you've been busy," Miriam says. She jerks her thumb toward the hole in the wall that used to separate the living room from the kitchen. "Looks like it, too."

Shameful heat creeps into my cheeks.

Miriam steps forward until she is directly in front of me. She used to seem so large. Now that I have evolved fully, I am far taller than her when using my hair to stand. "Do you remember how it works between us?" My confirming nod pleases her. "Excellent. Then we should have no trouble. And, kudos on surviving," she adds as an afterthought.

She is praising me for tending to my injuries, yet the way she said that makes my insides curdle.

She digs into her backpack and pulls out a pokeball that isn't mine. "I knew this thing would come in handy one day." She brings the pokeball to its full size then sees me eyeing it and sheepishly explains. "Sorry. There was a problem with your pokeball, so I'm going to have to re-catch you."

All I can think is that Ella would have had no issues with catching me. Another traitorous thought I have to berate myself for.

I am Miriam's partner, her loyal companion. Even if she lied to my friends, there is surely a good reason. I trust Miriam. I always have.

Always.

Making friends does not change that.

I allow myself to be caught and try my best to quiet the little voice telling me that this is wrong, wrong, wrong.