Warning: Reader Discretion Advised. Pokémon x Human relationships. I do not own Pokemon.

Avery's Pokemon

Evangeline/Eva (Umbreon)
Gender: Female
Nature: Rash

Lady (Kirlia)
Gender: Female
Nature: Modest

Chastity (Buneary)
Gender: Female
Nature: Adamant

Dusty (Furfrou)
Gender: Male
Nature: Hardy

Sprite (Surskit)
Gender: Female
Nature: Quirky

? (Zoroark?)
Gender: Female

Nature: ?

Chapter: A Necessary Conversation

Roxanne was upset when I left her at the Pokemon Center, but I didn't want to hang around with her anymore – not for the reasons she thought. I didn't mean most of what I said but I needed her to stop being so in my face about her crush, especially when her real feelings slipped out: my suspicions were right, she was into Roark, had said it herself. Roark wasn't interested, so even if I was into her I'd always just be second best. It'd been obvious to me, why else would she be vacationing all the way out here?

My childhood crush wasn't exactly who I'd imagined her to be. She truly battled for the fun of it, which meant that the brutality I witnessed earlier today was just routine, what she was used to. She'd been gleeful about her victory, and didn't have a speck of empathy. But maybe I was being too harsh. It was my instinct to be an asshole, and to lash out at people; there was a reason why only Jackson Wainwright and desperate girls like Juliet and Mabel wanted to hang around me.

Dwelling in dark thoughts had always come easy. I wanted to be by myself, so I kept my team in their Pokeballs, and spent a little while wandering around Oreburgh, thinking about stuff. So much to think about. My twin sisters who I apparently had to be prepared for, the mysterious Pokemon from the underground that I still wasn't brave enough to send out, and my future; I'd been ready to face Roark earlier this morning, figured I needed a little bit of training first, but I didn't even want to think about batting him now.

I didn't know how I was going to face everyone. Dusty, Sprite, Chastity, they saw my little freakout… and I should've never agreed to battle Roxanne in the first place. I avoided them, drifted about the various shops and museums, mutely absorbing my surroundings. It was a nice city, so many people focused on their own business. Standing in the dirt street, I was a total stranger to everyone, and I felt like it.

I turned back when the guilt started to eat away at me. Roxanne was still in the Pokemon Center. She was sitting in the lobby, mute, staring at her lap. I ran inside, and skidded to a stop next to her, breathing heavily.

"Sorry," I said softly, "for… for yelling at you. Saying all that. It'd be nice if you could forget me being such an asshole, and still be my friend."

"Friend. Sure, Avery. I'll be your friend." She stood up, laughing in a self-deprecating manner. "Did you come back just because you felt bad? I don't want your pity. I-"

"N-Nah, that's not it. I feel like shit for what I said, but also… well I owe you, right? You won, far and square, so uh… I gotta pay you. Or something like that."

Hearing that, Roxanne's dark expression faded away, and she smiled a little. "I thought you told me to forget about payment. Since I'm so awful."

I shrugged. "Listen, I say stuff I don't mean sometimes."

"You meant it."

"I…I kind of meant it. But… listen, it's complicated, alright? Just trust me, I wouldn't be here if I didn't like you."

"How about you explain over a shopping trip? I'll consider your debt absolved if you carry my bags for me."

My face twitched, and for a moment I didn't see Roxanne standing before me… I saw an ebony-haired girl with eyes just as dark, smirking at me in the evening darkness of Hearthome City who'd made a similar demand.

What was Juliet Harmon doing right now? I touched the Poketch in my pocket, then sighed.

"Sure, I can do that," I said. "Let me send out everyone, I'm sure they'd like some fresh air."

It was nearing evening, pink building at the edge of the night sky, the start of stars peeking through the clouds. Most city-goers were in bed by now, but not Roxanne and I. There were some people and their Pokemon out and about, but not nearly as many as when we first set out for the mountains this morning.

Roxanne and I both let out our Pokemon when we left the PokeCenter. Eva was scampering ahead, sniffing and pawing at everything, in a world of her own. She had her ears perked up, and occasionally dashed back to brush against me, and fall behind, exploring the different alleyways and approaching Pokemon she passed with a quiet greeting. Chastity and Lady were also keeping to themselves, their usual two-girl clique.

Only Dusty and Sprite stayed behind with Roxanne's Pokemon and I. Roxanne only let out one mon, her precious gift from Roark, the little Cubone nicknamed Sett. The skull-headed mon was glaring at me the entire time we walked, it was a little unnerving. The only time he stopped glowering in my direction was when Dusty tried to chat it up with Roxanne.

My fluffy-furred normal-type was interested in socializing, tail wagging as he trotted very close to us, specifically to the right of Roxanne. She didn't seem to mind his closeness, even when he occasionally licked at her hand, in fact she rubbed his head when he did so, and that made the guy's tail wag like crazy. He was easy to please.

Sprite, for some odd reason, seemed to be kind of jealous. She kept squirting Dusty with water when he went for Rox's hand, and I wondered about their weird little dynamic, and if Sprite's friendship with Dusty meant more to her than it did to him.

Pokemon are complicated.

I'd expected to get cussed out about the battle, ridiculed for my inability to give proper orders compared to Roxanne, but Lady and Eva didn't give a shit about the battle.

All my shame, all my emotions about losing, they were my burden, not my team's. They didn't feel the same way, though Lady was a little melancholy, and was clearly avoiding me. Not angry though, that wasn't it.

Roxanne brought us to a clothing store. I wondered just how much I was gonna have to end up carrying, and had already prepared a speech for Dusty on why he should help me carry it all, since we were the guys and it was both our responsibility. Something like that, I was sure it'd work.

The sheer girliness of the first store we walked into made me cringe. The smell of perfume wafted into my nose. Gathering up in a group, the Pokemon trailed in after us.

Chastity's eyes widened, and she jumped up and down, ears twitching. "B-bun?! Bun bun!?"

Roxanne beamed. "That's right." She put a hand on her hip, "A Pokemon clothing store! I've decided I owe you two," She looked at Eva and Lady, "I was a bit rough, so I want to make it up to you. Get as much stuff as you want… w-within reason of course." She winked, and Lady, Eva, and Chastity stared at each other, eyes shining.

In a flash, they were off, scampering in different directions. The two human staff members looked over, one a bit dismayed, the other grinning at their cuteness.

"Hey, you don't need to do that," I said awkwardly, and Roxanne touched my hand.

"Thanks works."

"Ah. Right… thanks."

It was nice shopping without worrying about limited funds. Everybody except Lady was polite about it. Evangeline only wanted a little collar with a bow on it, which I clipped around her neck. She preened, seemed awfully proud of herself, despite her only achievement being how adorable she was. I tousled her hair tuft, and she scampered off. Chastity just added a few accessories to her collection, apparently with her mind set on coordination. She babbled at Roxanne, who talked back with her in the odd way humans do, pointing out certain pieces of clothing she thought my little buneary would look cute in.

Sprite wanted me to get a messenger bag that she could sit in. She demonstrated this for me by bringing me to it, rather urgent about it; she brought me to the other side of the store, and scurried into a round pocket where she fit perfectly, and then poked her little antenna out of it, so that only that was visible. She then popped her head out, so half of her face was out, big black eyes shining adorably.

"I think she wants you to buy that," the worker next to me commented.

What a deduction. I shrugged and picked the bag up. It was dark brown, with blue along the edges, made of fine leather and some kind of polyester. I was fine with it, and needed a new one after the Underground anyways. Sprite chittered happily, and I walked back over just in time to see Lady doing… well, Lady things.

She marched out of the changing room with the other worker, who was carrying a very, very tall stack of clothing, including hats, skirts, little dresses, and much to my embarrassment… lingerie. The poor guy could barely handle the stack and it wobbled in his arms as Lady pointed to this, and that, and this, and that, pointing out anything and everything she might want to try out.

I rolled my eyes, and despite it being rather naughty behavior, found myself grinning. "Woah," I said as I approached, "you don't need all that."

"Pick your battles wisely," Roxanne interjected. "This is one of the few times she'll be able to shop like this if your batting skills don't improve anyways."

"Ouch."

"Well… am I wrong?"

I didn't comment, but not because I was annoyed. Rather, I'd noticed something hanging from a nearby rack. It was an elegant shawl, with delicate patterns woven onto it… it was of the softest material, silken against my fingertips. Ruby-coloured, with splashes like cream, and long strips like delicate serpent's of gray twining all across it.

I wanted to see Lady wearing it. So badly. But I felt so weird just walking over to her and asking her to put something on just for me. But I couldn't get the image out of my head of her wearing it, big red eyes aglow above it, the same red as the shawl itself.

My face felt hot, hands sweaty against the fabric clutched in it.

"What's going on?" Roxanne asked, poking my arm and cocking her head.

I spilled immediately. If not to her, who? "I want to buy this for Lady."

Roxanne's eyebrows raised. Immediately, she understood my intentions, and why I didn't want to just go over there. Lady was busy, paying no mind to me, or the rest of us. It was oddly reminiscent of being back in school, Jack standing at the edge of the hallway socializing with people and in a way I had never understood, me on the side just doing nothing.

"Just call her over, Avery. It'll make her day. You can't not do things because you're afraid of someone's reaction. That's giving up your freedom. You have to be yourself."

Such a teacher thing to say. Or maybe just common sense.

"L-Lady," I said, but it came out almost like a squeak, and Roxanne giggled. I cleared my throat, and called her louder. "Lady, come here for a second?"

When she heard my voice, she turned. My kirlia happily came toward me, the poor over-worked worker behind her. I had the shawl hidden behind my back, and as Lady stood before me, waiting, I lost my confidence for some odd reason. It was the look on her face. She was so damn cute, and I realized I'd never actually given her a gift before.

I just stared at her for a long second, at her blushing cheeks, and vivid ruby eyes, and then Roxanne cleared her throat, nudging me, and I presented it.

"H-hey… could I uh, will you try this on?"

Lady gasped when she saw the shawl. She gathered it in her little fingers, and immediately drew it around her neck, prancing over to the mirror. She spun in a circle, and extended her hands out like a rich lady might. She immediately took to wearing it properly, and tried out different poses, clearly liking what she saw. Her smile was bright.

"Umbreon umb," Eva purred in approval, and Lady nodded in approval, and gave it back to me to buy. But she didn't say anything else, she just wandered off again, Chastity close behind.

I sighed as I watched them walk away. Roxanne gave me a sympathetic look.

"Don't take it personally."

A little while after that, we headed out, me carrying many, many bags. And Dusty, the gentlemon he was, took on a fair share of the burden as well. We weren't finished there apparently, though. Roxanne had a few other places in mind… including an ice cream parlor open late, and a candy shop. The hours slowly trickled by.

THIRD PERSON POV - LADY

As they walked into the last store, Lady stopped dead in her tracks. There were hundreds of items on display inside, on different shelves, tables, and hanging from hooks and racks; but her gaze fixated on only one thing. Huge red eyes shining, Lady ignored the voices calling to her as she raced up to the square-shaped glass container, greedily eyeing up the piece in the big batch of assembled jewelry that caught her attention. The feeling it evoked in her wasn't unlike when she first saw Eva's nugget, which seemed like so long ago, golden and gleaming; except, this item she liked even more.

It was the prettiest thing she'd ever seen, its simplicity and grace something even a wild Pokemon could immediately glean. Almost perfectly spherical, half the size of her fist, rubbed silky smooth, with tiny specks of white and black here and there; it had a faint shimmer on the outskirts of its body, a vaguely psychic energy permeating from it that she didn't quite understand. The stone was nestled in a delicately carved, ornate metal base, its rope made of a strong-seeming metal.

Lady imagined prancing around next to Master with it, showing off his name - of course, carved into the surface. Master was the kind of human to get embarrassed about their love and his ownership of her, so of course she'd get his name inscribed on the back of the necklace, so that she could hide it. Then, she imagined laying on her back for him, the necklace glistening bright and metallic on her pale, perfect body, emphasizing her beauty, the metal bringing out the red of her huge eyes.

Breathing heavily, the little Kirlia placed one hand on the glass, staring in at it.

"Like that, little one?" A crooning voice asked.

Lady's gaze swept up, and met the eyes of a stooped old woman. The frail-seeming lady, covered in wrinkles and clad in heavy brown slacks and a dark-gray jacket, pointed directly to the piece that had so enraptured the kirlia. She nodded slowly.

"K-Kirl?"

"This is an everstone." The woman took the necklace out of its case, it was so beautiful, shining where it sat on her palm. She knelt slightly, showing it to Lady, wincing in pain as she bent.

"L-Lady!" Master finally caught up to her, breathing heavily, hand clutched to his neck. His voice came out so gravelly it was almost inaudible, and he cleared his throat and tried again. "What are you thinking running away like that? What if you got hurt?"

"Kirl!" She did a happy little spin, and pointed at the object of her desire, cheeks burning. She completely ignored his concerns. "K-Kirlia." She didn't say anything in his mind, extra eager to earn favor.

Avery adjusted his glasses, glanced at her, then sighed softly, and stared at the neckpiece.

"Your mon seems quite interested in this everstone amulet."

"K-Kirl!" Lady grasped at the bottom of his pants, staring up desperately.

"Lady... we already got so many clothes earlier. Plus all the ice cream, those little gummy snacks you wanted. We don't really-"

Lady scowled, and turned her face away. "Kirl!" She stomped her foot, and took her shawl - the one he liked so much, tossing it to the floor.

"L-Lady?" He stared at the pretty piece of clothing on the floor, then at her face, then at the necklace. "So, if I don't buy you this stupid necklace for some reason my earlier gift is meaningless?"

"Umbreon." Eva interjected, seeming to sense the storm of emotion in Avery's tone. He was a human. All his emotions were so obvious, and on top of that Master wore them in his eyes. Lady smiled, and nodded, and when Eva spoke up again, seeing the hurt on Avery's face, she gave Lady a sharp, angry look. "U-Umbree-"

"Nah, it's fine, she made her choice." Lady's eyes narrowed when he bent, picked up the long elegant fabric, and gripped each side of the shawl with both hands.

"You can have the stupid necklace then."

"K-Kirl!"

A shrill cry erupted from her throat as, before she could stop him, or even sense his intentions, Avery ripped his gift to her right in half. The fabric fluttered to the floor, and Lady, within a second, used her powers - eyes aglow- to gather up each tiny shred delicately weaving through the air toward the ground. She beckoned them close, and on her knees, began to place them uselessly together, staring up at him in utter confusion and despair.

"If my gift is meaningless it shouldn't matter, right?"

Her eyes widened even further.

"Avery!" Roxanne whispered harshly, grabbing his forearm, but the human boy shook her hand off.

The saleswoman swallowed nervously, glancing back and forth between everyone. "S-So, uhm, am I putting the necklace back?"

"Nah." He reached into his dark jeans, palmed out a wad of pokebucks, and shoved it forward. "That enough?" The lady looked at the pile, counted it out, and then stared at the price tag of the necklace. Avery, smiling slightly, narrowed his eyes. "Come on, it's an everstone. Can't be worth that much."

"Well, the properties of that everstone are special-"

"It's still an everstone... it stops a Pokemon from evolving. It's a deficit effect, not a positive one."

The old lady's eyes twinkled. "But if you take the piece off, the mon evolves, and if you put it back on there is no negative, it's just a beautiful, hand-sculpted piece of jewelry worth far more than what you're offering. You knew when you handed it over that it wasn't enough."

"Not like this is a Pokemart. The prices aren't firm, are they?"

"Hmmm, you talk a lot, boy, but you're not wrong." She counted the bucks again. "Fine, I'll do it, but just because your Kirlia is really quite adorable, and I think she deserves a present after what you just put her through."

She didn't get Lady at all. She was bought over by his Kirlia's sad, pathetic act. Maybe he'd been a total asshole, but so had she.

"Look at you, not even a shift in that expression of yours, so emotionless." The nosy merchant clicked her tongue, and roughly shoved the package against his chest, the necklace stuffed inside. "I pity the poor thing, and you almost ruined my patience with that smart mouth of yours, but unlike you... I don't believe in harsh punishments."

"Harsh punishment? She's the one who's tryna hold me hostage with a gift that I-"

"Umbree!" Eva snapped, interrupting, hopping up onto the counter and nosing her trainer. It was clear she wanted him to stop spilling their business, and get out of there.

"Tch. So you don't need anything else from me?" Avery snapped.

"No. Have a very okay day," the old woman muttered, handing him his receipt after typing out a few things. He signed a slip, and then the everstone necklace - with a beautiful package, including a note explaining the properties and benefits of an everstone - were his. Avery offered her a small nod.

"See ya." She muttered something, and he marched off. "Come on Lady, everyone."

Lady, who'd been pouting and teary-eyed, still holding her tattered gift, stared over with a bleak, empty expression, hearing her name. She walked soberly after them.

Roxanne went home after that. We all did, completely silent.

Eva approached me while I was trying to relax, figure out a way to apologize. I was in the bathroom, staring at where the mirror used to be. My memories of the day were repeating over and over. It wasn't pleasant. I'd probably come across abusive to that store lady.

Maybe I was abusive….

"Umb umbreon," Eva murmured, dragging her body across my calves lovingly. I closed my eyes, focused on the warmth of her body. Then, she pulled abruptly away, and I knew by the look in her eyes why she had come in here.

"Ah, that time, huh."

She nodded grimly. "Umb."

I washed my face and followed after her.

My heart nearly stopped when I saw all of them. All my Pokemon were out, and that wasn't unusual, but they were also all focused on me and had certain unreadable emotions in their eyes. I evoked complicated feelings in all of them, and I could taste it like a looming storm in the air.

So many different emotions, and a surprising amount of them unpleasant, were shooting my way. I almost cursed the Fair Lady at that moment. The Medicham from the underground had taught me how to open myself up, and block myself from specific energies, but not how to handle a barrage of emotions like this. My newfound empathetic veins, connecting me to my mons and this world, were a true nuisance at that moment. But really, it wasn't actually that different than usual.

Avery the asshole. It's always been that way. It was how I made it through work at Dim Lights, working under that bitch of a boss, I'd been a bitch right back, and she'd actually kind of liked me for it, and at least respected me. It was how I pretended I fit in at HCTS, when really I was just a loser late to the party, only fit in by the new exception rules implemented by Cynthia. Years ago, I'd be what I felt like I truly was… a loser, an asshole bum, with no Pokemon, no hopes and dreams, slaving away for the family he desperately tried not to resent.

And I did resent them. Resent her, my Mother -

I was spiraling again. Going to dark places… then Eva pressed her nose into my hand, a comforting, wet touch. She blinked up at me.

"Umbre." She nodded, and I took a seat where she beckoned with her muzzle. My Umbreon sat down across from me, a careful distance away.

I cleared my throat, hands twitching, and glanced at each of them. "We kind of had a talk before, about what we are, but not really. It wasn't as complicated back then. So, we need to have a talk again."

"Buneary," Chastity snapped. "Bun bun buneary-"

'That's one way to put it, Master.'Lady translated.'But really it's you and…'Lady hesitated to translate the rest of Chastity's tirade, but then she sighed and continued,'it's you and Lady who are creating the most disturbances for everyone.'

And unexpectedly, Eva nodded in agreement.

"Umbreon. Umb, umb, umbree, umbreon…."

'You have a shameless interest in so many, that I've started to wonder if you even know what love is.'

That was how Evangeline felt about me? Was that why she'd been, in some ways, so distant? A memory violated me. Harsh and ringing with a disgusting truth. I'd said the exact same thing to Zoey, not so long ago. I almost started to laugh.

"Um umbreon umbree."

'I never questioned us, because… I've always been with you, and I want to stay with you, but… not if it's like this.'

I trembled. A coldness had started to wash through me, seeping from my very depths. Eva looked at me with so much affection in her eyes right now, passion, but it was different than it had been before… something had changed.

'I saw you and Lady last night, and today your argument in the shop made it clear to me.'

"Don't say it, Eva," I whispered, "Please don't do this. I know what you're going to say, I can't handle that. Please don't, p-please don't."

But she said it anyway. And Lady smiled as she translated, her eyes shimmering with a victorious joy that made me sick to my stomach.

'I think it's best… we are not mates, for now.'

Whatever else she said I didn't hear.

Perhaps a real man would've handled it well, a proper living being, rather. After everything I'd been through I was forced to realize… I didn't have any dignity left, any hope, outside of them.